Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differential Bioaccumulation Patterns of α, β-Hexachlorobenzene and Dicofol in Adipose Tissue from the GraMo Cohort (Southern Spain)

To identify bioaccumulation patterns of α-, β- hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and dicofol in relation to sociodemographic, dietary, and lifestyle factors, adipose tissue samples of 387 subjects from GraMo cohort in Southern Spain were analyzed. Potential predictors of these organochlorine pesticides (OCP) levels were collected by face-to-face interviews and assessed by multivariable linear and logistic regression. OCPs were detected in 84.2% (β-HCH), 21.7% (α-HCH), and 19.6% (dicofol) of the population. β-HCH levels were positively related to age, body mass index (BMI), mother’s occupation in agriculture during pregnancy, living in Poniente and Alpujarras, white fish, milk and water consumption, and negatively related to being male, living near to an agricultural area, working ≥10 years in agriculture, and beer consumption. Detectable α-HCH levels were positively related to age, BMI, milk consumption, mother’s occupation in agriculture during pregnancy, and negatively with residence in Poniente and Alpujarras, Granada city, and Granada Metropolitan Area. Residence near to an agricultural area, smoking habit, white fish and water consumption, and living in Poniente and Alpujarras, Granada city and Granada Metropolitan Area were negatively associated with detectable dicofol levels. Our study revealed different bioaccumulation patterns of α, β-HCH and dicofol, probably due to their dissimilar period of use, and emphasize the need for assessing the exposure to frequently overlooked pollutants.
Neoformation of palygorskite in Calcids of Central Iran

Abstract: Palygorskite has been reported in alluvial sediments and in soil clays in Central Iran, but it is not known if it is inherited or formed in situ. Here, we sampled Calcids developed from Triassic and Cambrian dolomitic formations in the southwestern part of Yazd and performed soil and clay characterization by X-ray diffraction and fluorescence, optical and scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer analyses. Our results suggested palygorskite neoformation in the calcic soil horizons in Calcids. The soils with aridic soil moisture regime and high Mg concentration, during the formation of a calcic horizon by precipitation of secondary calcite, conditions were suitable for authigenic palygorskite crystals of long size (>10–20 μm) and their stability. In addition, the occurrence of short-size (about 2 μm) palygorskite fibers in the lower gypsic horizon probably resulted from its translocation from the upper horizons. Therefore, such results suggested palygorskite neoformation in the calcic soil horizons in these Calcids of Iran.
Hemiurid and lecithasterid digenean trematodes and camallanid and cucullanid nematodes parasitizing flounders collected off the coast of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

Abstract A total of 132 flounder specimens (60 Paralichthys isosceles, 36 Paralichthys patagonicus and 36 Xystreurys rasile) were collected off the coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The fish were measured, necropsied, and had their organs investigated for hemiurid and lecithasterid digenean trematodes and camallanid and cucullanid nematodes. Taxonomic identification of the parasites was based on morphological and morphometric characters and was conducted using bright-field and scanning electron microscopies. The trematodes Lecithochirium monticellii and Aponurus laguncula were found parasitizing P. isosceles, P. patagonicus and X. rasile while the nematodes Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) halitrophus and Cucullanus bonaerensis were found parasitizing P. isosceles and X. rasile and P. isosceles, P. patagonicus and X. rasile, respectively. Parasite indices of prevalence, mean intensity, mean abundance, and range of infection, as well as infection site, were evaluated for each parasite species. This study allowed to evidence the first occurrence of P. patagonicus by L. monticellii; X. rasile by A. laguncula and P. (S.) halitrophus; and P. isosceles and P. patagonicus by C. bonaerensis in the Western South Atlantic Ocean.
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF CLASSIFIERS ON ACTIVITY RECOGNITION FOR DISASTERS MITIGATION USING SMARTPHONE SENSING

Activity recognition (ARs) is a classification problem that cuts across many domains. The introduction of ARs accuracy which may be significantly low with decision tree algorithm and the use of smartphone sensing in previous studies has proven its relevance for effective disaster mitigation in our society. Smartphone sensing is an approach found to be useful for activity recognition to monitor people in large gatherings due to the power of embedded sensors on the handheld devices. In this paper, a multitask activity recognition architecture is proposed for proper monitoring of people in large gatherings to control disaster occurrences in crowd, flood, road and fire accidents using related activity scenario in time of danger. We implement the proposed architecture to determine the outcome of activity recognized with K-nearest neighbour (KNN) for k= 3 and 4 to compare performance to that of weka using accelerometer and digital compass (dc) sensors on the same dataset. The results of ARs accuracy of 100% and 99% in weka, 85% and 89% with KNN shows an improved performance in both tools. The performance of Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Naives baye (NB), Decision tree (DT), against KNN were investigated using precision, recall and f-measure in weka as well. The results show significant improvement with performance parameters on accelerometer and dc against the use of accelerometer sensor only with KNN and DT having low number of classified activity recognized on training and testing data.
Radiological Findings Increased the Successful of COVID-19 Diagnosis in Hospitalized Patients Suspected of Respiratory Viral Infection but with a Negative First SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Result

SARS-CoV-2 is the etiological agent of COVID-19 and may evolve from asymptomatic disease to fatal outcomes. Real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) screening is the gold standard to diagnose severe accurate respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, but this test is not 100% accurate, as false negatives can occur. We aimed to evaluate the potential false-negative results in hospitalized patients suspected of viral respiratory disease but with a negative previous SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR and analyze variables that may increase the success of COVID-19 diagnosis in this group of patients. A total of 55 hospitalized patients suspected of viral respiratory disease but with a previous negative RT-PCR result for SARS-CoV-2 were included. All the participants had clinical findings related to COVID-19 and underwent a second SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR. Chest-computed axial tomography (CT) was used as an auxiliary tool for COVID-19 diagnosis. After the second test, 36 patients (65.5%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19 group), and 19 patients (34.5%) were negative (controls). There were differences between the groups in the platelet count and the levels of D-dimer, procalcitonin, and glucose (p < 0.05). Chest CT scans categorized as COVID-19 Reporting and Data System 5 (CO-RADS 5) were more frequent in the COVID-19 group than in the control group (91.7% vs. 52.6%; p = 0.003). CO-RADS 5 remained an independent predictor of COVID-19 diagnosis in a second SARS-CoV-2 screening (p = 0.013; odds ratio = 7.0, 95% confidence interval 1.5–32.7). In conclusion, chest CT classified as CO-RADS 5 was an independent predictor of a positive second SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR, increasing the odds of COVID-19 diagnosis by seven times. Based on our results, in hospitalized patients with a chest CT classified as CO-RADS 5, a second SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test should be mandatory when the first one is negative. This approach could increase SARS-CoV-2 detection up to 65% and could allow for isolation and treatment, thus improving the patient outcome and avoiding further contagion.
Journal of Health Economics and Outcomes Research Relationship Between Weight Status and Health-Related Quality of Life in School-age Children in China

Background: Some studies from high-income countries suggest that overweight and/or obesity in children are negatively associated with health-related quality of life (HRQOL). However, the relationship between weight status and HRQOL is not well established in China, where obesity trends follow a different pattern compared with high-income countries. The risk of obesity is greater in children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds and higher in boys compared with girls. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between weight status and HRQOL in children between 6 and 7 years old in this unique country context. Methods: Baseline HRQOL and demographic data were collected from children recruited to the CHIRPY DRAGON obesity prevention trial in China. HRQOL was measured using the Chinese version of the Child Health Utility-9D (CHU-9D-CHN) and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ (PedsQL™) instruments. CHU-9D-CHN utility scores were generated using 2 scoring algorithms (UK and Chinese tariffs). Height and weight measures were taken at school by trained researchers using standardized methods, and BMI z scores were calculated using the World Health Organization 2007 growth charts. The relationship between HRQOL and weight status was examined using multivariable analyses, adjusting for age, gender, and socioeconomic status. Results: Full data were available for 1539 children (mean age, 6 years). In both unadjusted and adjusted analyses, HRQOL, using both the CHU-9D-CHN and the PedsQL™, was marginally higher in children who were overweight or living with obesity compared with children with healthy weight, although this difference did not reach statistical significance. Separate analyses and models by gender showed that the relationship between weight status and HRQOL scores was similar in boys and girls. Conclusions: Our results suggest no statistically significant difference in HRQOL between children with overweight/obesity compared with those with healthy weight. These results have implications for the methods of economic evaluation for obesity treatment and prevention interventions within this population cohort and country setting, as there appears to be no discernible consequences on children’s HRQOL from living with overweight and obesity.
Together but not intertwined: differences in sexual behavior between two sympatric and synchronic spider species, including one new synonymy (Araneae: Tetragnathidae: Tetragnatha)

Abstract. Species recognition and reproductive isolation are critical for organisms to prevent expensive and unsuccessful matings. This may be particularly important in closely related species that coexist synchronously in the same habitat, and for which reproductive barriers are not entirely effective. Tetragnatha argentinensis Mello-Leitão, 1931 and T. nitens (Audouin, 1826) are two long-jawed orb weaver spiders whose feeding grounds and reproductive phenology overlap extensively. Since general patterns of sexual behavior observed in the field showed no apparent differences between these two species, we proposed to evaluate the occurrence of heterospecific mating, and explored the occurrence of potential reproductive isolation mechanisms between them by analyzing in fine scale the mating behaviors of each species and sex. We observed only one heterospecific mating, and few or no sexual interactions occurred in other crossed trials. We found that both species showed similar general mating patterns, however, there are some subtle differences between them. In T. nitens, males clasped the female's chelicerae with their own, but the opposite occurred in T. argentinensis. Moreover, males of T. nitens produced fewer hematodochal inflations, lower number of flubs, and shorter insertions than males of T. argentinensis. Females of T. argentinensis vibrated their abdomen at a higher rate. Our results indicate that these sympatric Tetragnatha species have successful reproductive isolation that probably takes place through recognition mechanisms occurring prior to mating. We provide an update on the taxonomic status of T. argentinensis and its distribution, and a new junior synonymy.
Croon’s Bias-Corrected Estimation for Multilevel Structural Equation Models with Non-Normal Indicators and Model Misspecifications

Multilevel structural equation models (MSEMs) are well suited for educational research because they accommodate complex systems involving latent variables in multilevel settings. Estimation using Croon’s bias-corrected factor score (BCFS) path estimation has recently been extended to MSEMs and demonstrated promise with limited sample sizes. This makes it well suited for planned educational research which often involves sample sizes constrained by logistical and financial factors. However, the performance of BCFS estimation with MSEMs has yet to be thoroughly explored under common but difficult conditions including in the presence of non-normal indicators and model misspecifications. We conducted two simulation studies to evaluate the accuracy and efficiency of the estimator under these conditions. Results suggest that BCFS estimation of MSEMs is often more dependable, more efficient, and less biased than other estimation approaches when sample sizes are limited or model misspecifications are present but is more susceptible to indicator non-normality. These results support, supplement, and elucidate previous literature describing the effective performance of BCFS estimation encouraging its utilization as an alternative or supplemental estimator for MSEMs.
Psoriasis between Autoimmunity and Oxidative Stress: Changes Induced by Different Therapeutic Approaches

Psoriasis is defined as chronic, immune-mediated disease. Regardless of the development of new therapeutic approaches, the precise etiology of psoriasis remains unknown and speculative. The aim of this review was to systematize the results of previous research on the role of oxidative stress and aberrant immune response in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, as well as the impact of certain therapeutic modalities on the oxidative status in patients with psoriasis. Complex immune pathways of both the innate and adaptive immune systems appear to be major pathomechanisms in the development of psoriasis. Oxidative stress represents another important contributor to the pathophysiology of disease, and the redox imbalance in psoriasis has been reported in skin cells and, systemically, in plasma and blood cells, and more recently, also in saliva. Current immune model of psoriasis begins with activation of immune system in susceptible person by some environmental factor and loss of immune tolerance to psoriasis autoantigens. Increased production of IL-17 appears to be the most prominent role in psoriasis pathogenesis, while IL-23 is recognized as master regulator in psoriasis having a specific role in cross bridging the production of IL-17 by innate and acquired immunity. Other proinflammatory cytokines, including IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-22, IL-26, IL-29, or IL-36, have also been reported to play important roles in the development of psoriasis. Oxidative stress can promote inflammation through several signaling pathways. The most noticeable and most powerful antioxidative effects exert various biologics compared to more convenient therapeutic modalities, such as methotrexate or phototherapy. The complex interaction of redox, immune, and inflammatory signaling pathways should be focused on further researches tackling the pathophysiology of psoriasis, while antioxidative supplementation could be the solution in some refractory cases of the disease.
Dual-peak electroluminescence spectra generated from Al n /12Ga1-n/12N (n = 2, 3, 4) for AlGaN-based LEDs with nonflat quantum wells

The metastability of Al n /12Ga1-n/12N (n = 2, 3, and 4) was investigated by the statistical analysis of electroluminescence (EL) spectra having dual peaks with a peak-to-peak distance (pp) of >10 nm generated from nonflat Al x Ga1- x N (x ∼ 0.2) quantum wells (QWs) fabricated on c(0001) sapphire substrates with a miscut of 1.0° towards the m[1 1ˉ 00] axis. To explain the origins of the dual-peak EL (DPEL) spectra, which are often observed for AlGaN-QWs with Ga content of greater than 0.7, a nonflat QW model incorporating two metastable compositions, Al(n-1)/12Ga1-(n-1)/12N and Al n /12Ga1-n/12N (n: integer), is proposed. By the statistical analysis of peak wavelengths in DPEL spectra and the verification of EL spectral shapes, two series of featured EL peak wavelengths with intervals of 2–3 nm were obtained from five out of six LED wafers. The two series of featured EL peak wavelengths were assigned by comparison with the calculated EL wavelengths. Then, Al2/12Ga10/12N and Al3/12Ga9/12N were determined to be the origins of peaks with the longer and shorter wavelengths in the DPEL, respectively, in addition to the metastable Al n /12Ga1-n/12N (n= 4–9) compositions observed in our previous studies. When DPEL (pp> 10 nm) appeared, the difference in QW thickness between Al2/12Ga10/12N and Al3/12Ga9/12N tended to be larger than one monolayer (ML), indicating a significant amount of Ga or GaN mass transport. Furthermore, the Al2/12Ga10/12N and Al3/12Ga9/12N QWs are considered to have thicknesses of m ML (m: consecutive integers), suggesting the 1 ML configuration of Al and Ga atoms on the c(0001) plane. In addition, the DPEL obtained from nonflat Al x Ga1- x N (x ∼ 0.25) QWs by another research group was shown to be related to two metastable Al n /12Ga1-n/12N (n = 3, 4), similarly to our one exceptional LED wafer, which also agreed with the model proposed in this work.
A blended approach to collaborative learning : making large group teaching more student-centred.

Current educational thinking promotes a student-centred approach to teaching as more engaging and challenging for students, leading to improved learning outcomes. But what is ‘student-centred’ learning, and how can it be achieved in a higher education setting with very large classes and content-rich courses? In a materials engineering course for 300 firstyear engineers, an online group project was introduced to add authenticity and collaborative activity into the course, and to improve student engagement. We explore the design, development and implementation of the project, and see if the intended outcomes were achieved.
SPACE, TIME and NUMBER as a holistic unity in the Yijing

Abstract The holistic view (or systematic thinking) of the Yijing (here Yijing refers to the original text in the ancient Chinese Daoist work The Book of Changes) is representative of the philosophical worldview in ancient China, which can reveal the interactive relationship between space, time and number. This study attempts to analyze and summarize human spatial, temporal and numeral processing from the aspects of the linguistic and cultural quantitative system for the three domains, contributing an original cognitive linguistic perspective on the holistic thinking typifying the worldview in ancient China and laying a foundation for further research. It argues that SPACE, TIME and NUMBER are not separated, but a holistic unity (or wholeness), they can be considered as one single domain. In ancient Chinese culture, the three domains cannot be separate, they should be integrated into the “growth of life experience”, which is based on the MOTION metaphor and LIFE metaphor of the Yijing. The results of the corpus study of the Yijing text indicate that in this particular context of the Yijing, concepts in the domains of SPACE, TIME and NUMBER are schematized on the basis of further metaphorical extensions of concepts from the source of LIFE and MOTION.
New Caries Diagnostic Tools in Intraoral Scanners: A Comparative In Vitro Study to Established Methods in Permanent and Primary Teeth

The aim of this in vitro study was to systematically investigate new caries diagnostic tools, including three intraoral scanners, and compare them to established diagnostic methods. For a standardized analysis of occlusal and proximal caries lesions, human permanent and primary teeth (n = 64) were embedded in models and investigated in a phantom head using six different caries diagnostic methods: visual examination, bitewing radiography, Diagnocam (KaVo, Biberach, Germany), Trios 4 (3Shape, Copenhagen, Denmark), iTero Element 5D (Align Technology, San José, CA, USA), and Planmeca Emerald S (Planmeca, Helsinki, Finland). The diagnostic methods were investigated and compared to reference µ-CT for permanent and primary teeth separately. For occlusal caries diagnostics in permanent teeth, the best agreement to the reference (reliability) was obtained for Planmeca Emerald S (ĸ = 0.700), whereas in primary teeth, for visual examination (ĸ = 0.927), followed by Trios 4 (ĸ = 0.579). Regarding proximal caries diagnostics, bitewing radiography, as the gold standard, exhibited the highest agreement for permanent (ĸ = 0.643) and primary teeth (ĸ = 0.871). Concerning the analysis of the diagnostic quality (sensitivity and specificity) using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, comparable findings were obtained for area under curve (AUC) values as for reliability. No diagnostic method could be identified that is generally suitable for occlusal and proximal lesions in both dentitions. Overall, caries diagnostics with intraoral scanners seem to be interesting tools that should be further investigated in clinical studies.
Balance Remains Impaired after Hip Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review and Best Evidence Synthesis

Background: Hip arthroplasty (HA) is the most common intervention for joint replacement, but there is no consensus in the literature on the real influence of this procedure on balance, or on what factors in the pre-operative, surgical, and post-operative stages may affect it. Purpose: To synthesize the evidence on how Hip Arthroplasty (HA) affects balance, identifying pre-operative, surgical, and postoperative risk factors that may impair balance in HA patients, with the aim to improve patients’ management strategies. Methods: A literature search was performed on PubMed, PeDRO, and Cochrane Collaboration on 25 May 2021. Inclusion criteria: clinical report of any level of evidence; written in English; with no time limitation; about balance changes in hip osteoarthritis (OA) patients undergoing HA and related factors. Results: 27 papers (391 patients) were included. Overall, the evidence suggested that balance is impaired immediately after surgery and, 4–12 months after surgery, it becomes better than preoperatively, although without reaching the level of healthy subjects. A strong level of evidence was found for hip resurfacing resulting in better balance restoration than total HA (THA), and for strength and ROM exercises after surgery positively influencing balance. Conclusion: Both the surgical technique and the post-operative protocols are key factors influencing balance; thus, they should be carefully evaluated when managing hip OA in patients undergoing HA. Moreover, balance at 4–12 months after surgery is better than preoperatively, although without reaching the level of the healthy population. Attention should be paid in the early post-operative phase, when balance may be impaired in patients undergoing HA.