Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relationship between nutritional status and myopia degree in adolescents at Prof. CPL USU Hospital

Myopia is currently a major global public health problem causing significant vision loss and is a risk factor for more serious ocular conditions. Weight gain in adolescents has increased significantly in recent years due to lack of physical activity, increased caloric intake, and comfort in indoor environments. Weight gain is also the most common cause of dyslipidemia in adolescents. This is an observational analytic study with a cross sectional design. The study was conducted at Prof. CPL Universitas Sumatera Utara General Hospital from March 2023 until July 2023. Data analysis was carried out analytically and presented in the form of data tabulations. This study was attempted by 50 subjects with myopia who visited the Eye Polyclinic. Most of the subjects in this study were female, totaling 26 people (52%). The mean age of the subjects was 20.92 years with the youngest was 13 years old and the oldest was 24 years old. The mean height and weight measurements respectively were 1.63+0.1 m and 68.74+19.87 kg. Based on body mass index, most of the subjects were in normal cathegories accounted for 20 subjects (40%). Based on cholesterol levels, subjects with mild myopia showed a mean value of 206.84 mg/dL, those with moderate myopia had a mean of 190.94 mg/dL and severe myopia had a mean of 207.36 mg/d. Nutritional status have no significant correlation to the degree of myopia in adolescents at Prof. CPL Universitas Sumatera Utara General Hospital.
Evaluating the Level of Bacterial Contamination on Libyan Banknotes and Coins in Circulation City

Background: Since money is a means of trade that passes through several hands and increases the possibility of transmitting harmful microbes and consequent cross-contamination, it is one of the potential vectors for the transmission of illness. In addition to their denominational values, currency can harbor infections and serve as a medium for the spread of illness. Aim of the study: The aim of this research was to examine and ascertain the level of bacterial contamination present in Libyan coins and banknotes that are in circulation in the markets of Benghazi, Libya. Methods: The study's currency notes were evaluated using microscopic, biochemical imaging, and microbiological culture methods. Results: The study's findings revealed that microbiological contaminations increased with decreasing money denominations, and that frequency % decreased with increasing isolations. Of the 10 centers that were chosen, cafes were the main source of tainted cash. In all currencies under examination, the most prevalent percentage of microorganisms are Shigella spp. and Serratia spp . 45 (29.0%) and Staphylococcus aureus 30 (19.4%). Pseudomonas spp . 20 (12.9%), Escherichia, Klebsiella, and Enterobacter spp. 5 (3.2%) are also often found. Conclusions: The study's findings demonstrated that currency notes may serve as a conduit for the spread of microbes that result in infectious illnesses, posing a risk to the public's health for both individuals and the community.
The Symmetric and Asymmetric Nexus Between Monetary Policy Interest Rate and Core Inflation in Jordan

Objectives: This study investigates monetary policy's symmetric and asymmetric impacts on core inflation in Jordan. It employs linear and nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) models. The research also seeks to assess the relationship between the overnight deposit rate, money supply growth, and real GDP growth on core inflation and to explore potential linear or nonlinear effects. Methods: The study applies ARDL and NARDL models to estimate the relationships above. It utilizes data from the first quarter of 1998 to the first quarter of 2023. Tests for Granger causality are conducted, and the Brock-Dechert-Scheinkman (BDS) test is employed to ascertain the presence of nonlinear paths within the study variable. Robustness checks are conducted to ensure parameter stability. Results: The analysis provides compelling empirical evidence supporting a long-term relationship between the overnight deposit rate and core inflation. The Brock-Dechert-Scheinkman (BDS) test confirms the existence of nonlinear dynamics. The ARDL model reveals a linear relationship: a 1% interest rate increase leads to a 0.26% reduction in core inflation in the long run. In contrast, the Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (NARDL) analysis unveils an asymmetric effect: a 1% increase in the overnight deposit rate decreases core inflation by 0.43%, while a 1% reduction increases it by 0.37%. Conclusions: These findings have critical implications for monetary policymakers. They underscore the importance of judiciously considering interest rate adjustments to manage inflation dynamics, acknowledging the nonlinear and asymmetric effects inherent in the relationship between the overnight deposit rate and core inflation. When crafting monetary policy strategies, policymakers must consider these nuanced dynamics to address inflation concerns effectively.
The impact of adopting the digital strategy on the competitive advantage: A moderating role of employee satisfaction in the Jordanian banking sector

Digital strategy is one of the methods adopted by organizations to use digital technology to achieve business goals, improve performance, and enhance competitive advantage by significantly improving customer experience. Success in achieving competitive advantage requires implementing the digital strategy effectively. The study aims to determine the impact of adopting the digital strategy on the possession of competitive advantage with the moderating role of employee satisfaction in the Jordanian banking sector. Data were collected from 397 employees working in twelve Jordanian banks. The SPSS software was used to analyze the data and test the hypotheses. The results show that adopting digital strategy dimensions explains 55.6% of the variance of competitive advantage dimensions. Data, quality, and flexibility explain 45.8%, 44.8%, and 47.3% of the variance of competitive advantage, respectively. Also, the results show a positive impact of digital strategy dimensions (technologies, data, human resources, and operations) on competitive advantage dimensions (quality, flexibility, and cost). Moreover, the results also show that employee satisfaction moderates and enhances the relationship between adopting the digital strategy and possessing competitive advantages. The study recommended that decision-makers in commercial banks pay attention to applying digital technology because it enhances the speed and quality of providing services to customers.
Analyzing the level of interest of high school students in solving mathematical problems in the modular and face-to-face learning

As schools continue to adjust to changing circumstances, it is essential to use strategies that not only help students learn, but also interest and inspire them. More effective and engaging learning experiences can be created with the use of knowledge on how different strategies affect students’ levels of interest. This quantitative study aimed to analyze the interest levels of students in solving mathematical problems as mediated by different teaching ideas/strategies i.e., with gamification, with graphic and visuals, and with digital resources. Likert-scale was used to code and assign weight for the questionnaire. Findings indicated that interest levels of students were high during distance learning because they can access online resources (e.g., search engines, YouTube, e-books) to be used for independent learning. In face-to-face classes, students reported high level of interest in solving mathematical problems if there are learning aids (e.g., graphs, pictures, charts) presented to them and access to online resources. As suggested, teaching strategies require teachers to focus more on visual and online-assisted learning to make students feel interested in solving mathematical problems and in learning mathematical concepts. The findings offered teachers an opportunity to integrate more on innovative teaching through adapting to resources which their students have access to. Such instructional direction required in-depth assessment to establish some novel instructional strategies that stimulate students to learn more.
The lichen genus Rinodina (Physciaceae) in New Brunswick, Canada

Fifteen species of the crustose lichen genus Rinodina are confirmed in New Brunswick, Canada. We report four corticolous species, Rinodina pachysperma, Rinodina populicola, Rinodina septentrionalis, and Rinodina tenuis, and the saxicolous Rinodina tephraspis in the province for the first time. A previous report of Rinodina granuligera is based on a specimen that we have re-identified as Rinodina cinereovirens. We note distinguishing characteristics, habitats, substrata, relative abundance, and biogeographic relationships of each species and provide an identification key and distribution maps. The most frequently occupied phorophytes (tree substrata) are Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum), Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis), and Eastern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis). Some species are closely associated with particular habitats, phorophytes, or both. For example, we found R. pachysperma only in floodplain forests dominated by Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum), and R. tenuis only on Eastern White Cedar in wet cedar-dominated stands. In contrast, we recorded Rinodina freyi on numerous phorophyte species in a relatively wide range of habitats. Other than Eastern White Cedar and Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea), conifers are rarely colonized by Rinodina species in New Brunswick. Most Rinodina species are probably not currently of conservation concern in the province. However, R. cinereovirens is known from only two collections, one dating from 1902. The other, from 2007, was on Black Ash (Fraxinus nigra) in a swamp forest next to an active peat-mining operation. The expected devastation of ash species by the invasive Emerald Ash-borer (Agrilus planipennis) is a further threat to this occurrence and to any lichens for which ash may be an important phorophyte.
Exploring the Perception and Awareness of Dental Students and Interns in Managing and Treating Pregnant Patients

Background Undergraduate dental students and interns express reluctance to deal with pregnant women in the dental office due to the fear of medical consequences on the fetus. This study aims to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of dental students and interns regarding the dental considerations of pregnant women in three dental schools in Saudi Arabia. Methodology This cross-sectional study was performed between October and December 2023 and targeted the clinical academic years of dental students and interns at three dental schools in Saudi Arabia, namely, Taibah University, Umm Al-Qura University, and Qassim University. Using the convenience sampling method, 223 students were invited to respond to a questionnaire constructed from previously published studies and reviewed by experts in the field. It consisted of 15 questions divided into four sections. Descriptive analysis and chi-square test were conducted to assess the difference between the different sociodemographic groups and students’ educational levels with the significance level set at p-values <0.05. Results Overall, 223 complete responses were received, with a response rate of 97%. Demographics included 99 (44.40%) males and 124 (55.60%) females, with a reasonable distribution across academic years. Knowledge assessment findings revealed that 114 (51%) participants acquired adequate knowledge. Regarding participants’ attitudes, 112 (50%) found the curriculum-centered information sufficient. In addition, 173 (77.6%) participants chose lectures/books as their preferred source of information. Almost 138 (61.9%) participants did not feel confident in managing pregnant women. The chi-square test revealed that educational level significantly impacts the knowledge and practice of the participants, regardless of their gender (p < 0.05). Conclusions Both students and dental interns showed adequate-to-good levels of knowledge and attitude. Both need more exposure to clinical situations with pregnant women during their undergraduate dental training programs to boost their confidence level and enhance their readiness to practice dental procedures with such a group of patients after graduation.
Runoff Prediction in Ungauged Basins: Prediction of flow duration curves in ungauged basins

A wide variety of approaches have been adopted to quantify runoff variability, with differing degrees of emphasis on high flows (floods), low flows, seasonal variation of flows, and annual flows, and many of these are discussed in other chapters of this book. An additional feature of runoff variability that has considerable practical relevance is the period of time runoff remains higher than a specified magnitude, otherwise known as “flow duration”. The flow duration curve (FDC), which is the subject of this chapter, is a graphical representation of the frequency, or the fraction of time (hence the word, duration) during which a specified magnitude of runoff is equalled or exceeded. Representation of the entire runoff hydrograph time series (typically daily runoff, but it can also be hourly, or even monthly) in the form of the FDC makes the latter a compact signature of runoff variability, and a valuable tool to diagnose rainfall-runoff responses in gauged catchments at a holistic level, and to regionalize them to ungauged catchments. However, by representing runoff variability in the frequency domain as the FDC, information on the timing of the runoff response is lost. This is reflected in the basin’s runoff seasonal flow regime (Chapter 6), and of course, in the complete runoff hydrograph (see Chapter 10).
The Diagnostic Value of Brain CT Scans in Evaluating Dizziness in the Emergency Department: A Retrospective Study

Background: Dizziness is a common presenting complaint to emergency departments (ED) worldwide, with causes ranging from benign to life-threatening incidents. Computerized tomography (CT) of the brain remains a common diagnostic tool used by emergency physicians; however, it appears to be of low diagnostic value, especially in patients with normal neurological assessment while carrying multiple negative implications on both the patients and the healthcare systems. Our study aims to evaluate the diagnostic value of brain CT scans in assessing patients presenting to the ED with acute dizziness. Materials and methods: Retrospective review of medical records of patients presenting with complaints of dizziness to the ED at Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC) who underwent a brain CT scan from January to June 2023. Collected data included patients’ demographic information, presenting complaints, and CT scan results. A multivariable analysis of factors associated with positive CT scans was performed. Results: A total of 481 participants were enrolled in the study, representing diverse age groups as follows: 18-30 years (12.3%), 31-40 years (15.8%), 41-50 years (17.7%), 51-60 years (22.0%), and those aged over 60 years (32.2%). Among the participants, 56.3% identified as male and 43.7% as female. In terms of head trauma history, 7.1% of participants reported such incidents, while the majority (92.9%) had no history of head trauma. Exploring comorbidities, 43.5% of participants had at least one associated medical condition. Among the 481 study participants, brain CT scans revealed that the majority (93.1%) exhibited unremarkable results. The remaining cases exhibited acute events, including 5.4% with infarcts, 1.1% with hemorrhages, and 0.4% with space-occupying lesions. Conclusion: This study provides evidence of the limited value of brain CT scans in dizzy patients with unremarkable clinical examinations. As for clinicians, it can serve as a steppingstone toward the formulation of a policy and a set of guidelines for requesting brain CT scans in patients presenting to the ED with dizziness. Future studies are suggested to provide more insights into the cost-effectiveness and utility of head CT scans in providing valuable findings.
Temperature Dependent Variations of Low-Frequency Noise Sources in Cryogenic Short-Channel Bulk MOSFETs

This study investigated changes in low-frequency noise sources associated with short-channel bulk metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) by analyzing random telegraph noise (RTN) from 300 K down to 3 K. The power spectral density (PSD) of the drain current, which exhibited RTN characteristics in the frequency domain, changed with temperature. In addition, the effect of temperature on the PSD was not monotonic such that peaks were generated at specific temperatures. A comparison between p-type and n-type MOSFETs established that the former exhibited PSD values nearly an order of magnitude smaller than those of the latter. The PSD peaks observed in the temperature domain were analyzed using a theory based on the Shockley-Read-Hall model and the energy levels of the charge traps responsible for RTN were determined. Assessing the temperatures and corresponding energy levels associated with these PSD peaks showed a trend in which energy levels approached band edges as the temperature was decreased. This study assists in the development of strategies to reduce low-frequency noises generated by cryogenic qubit controllers by elucidating the impact of band-tail states on noises at 4 K.
Development of a Cost-effective Adsorption Dryer for High-quality Aerosol Sampling

Due to their affinity to water, physical-chemical properties of aerosol particles depend highly on the ambient relative humidity (RH). Aerosol drying below 40% RH is recommended to minimize measurement artifacts, increase data quality, and make results from different environments comparable. Diffusion dryers (DD) are one of the most frequently used tools to lower RH in sampled air. This work presents a custom-built DD, its design, construction, and application. By using readily available materials and 3D printing, we were able to manufacture a high-quality, cost-effective DD that can be used in various measurement scenarios (e.g., long-term measurements, intensive field campaigns, laboratory studies, and applications with low-cost sensors). The DD is equipped with ports for desiccant regeneration using clean and dry air, eliminating the need for desiccant removal from the dryer. The field tests of the proposed DD showed that it could reduce RH from ambient 65% to < 5 and 15% at flow rates of 2.5 and 8.0 L min – 1 , respectively. The transmission efficiency (TE) of 10 – 20 nm and > 20 nm aerosol particles is between 60 – 80% and > 80%, respectively. The presented DD is easily scalable, thus, can be adapted for multiple applications at a low cost without compromising the data quality.
Knowledge and Attitude towards Post-mortem Examination amongst the Residents of Imphal West

A postmortem examination is still under an umbrella of misconceptions, myths, and emotions amongst thepeople as well as physicians. The knowledge and attitude of the general public towards medicolegal postmortem examination have not been investigated thoroughly. This cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the knowledge and attitude towards postmortem examination amongst the residents of Imphal West. A total of 450 participants were approached and analyzed. It was observed that 41% of the participants had adequate knowledge about the medicolegal postmortem examinations. Further, 11 % of the participants had negative attitude towards the postmortem procedure. Despite having an important role in the machinery of justice, the knowledge andattitude of the general public towards autopsy is still poor. From the findings of our study, it is evident thatmyths, misconceptions and lack of awareness still exist in the minds of people about postmortem examinations.There is a need for clarification about the essence of postmortem examination, which is an important tool in the administration of justice.
Regression Analysis of Heart Rate for Driving Fatigue using Box-Behnken Design

There are few road accident studies that use heart rate as an indicator of driver fatigue. This study offers a mathematical regression analysis to discover which independent variables (driving speed, driving duration, body mass index, gender, and types of roads) are significant in influencing the heart rate and how these parameters interact to indicate driver fatigue. The analysis is conducted using a Box-Behnken design by Design Expert software. The results revealed that the values of Prob>F for all variables were less than 0.01%, indicating that all variables influence heart rate significantly. The heart rate increased when driving speed, driving duration, and body mass index (BMI) increased. A similar pattern was observed as the driving path shifted from urban to a moderately difficult uphill/downhill road. However, the pulse rate was reduced when a female driver was replaced by a male driver. The model's accuracy was evaluated by comparing the output data obtained from actual road driving with software prediction. First, the prediction interval of both techniques' output data was within 95%, meeting the minimum quantitative criteria of a 90% predictive interval. Subsequently, the residual errors were less than 10%. The regression model will be useful to shed light on traffic safety measures for preventing fatigue-related road accidents.
The Role of Intestinal Microbiota and Diet as Modulating Factors in the Course of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases

Many researchers propose manipulating microbiota to prevent and treat related diseases. The brain–gut axis is an object that remains the target of modern research, and it is not without reason that many researchers enrich it with microbiota and diet in its name. Numerous connections and mutual correlations have become the basis for seeking answers to many questions related to pathology as well as human physiology. Disorders of this homeostasis as well as dysbiosis itself accompany neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Heavily dependent on external factors, modulation of the gut microbiome represents an opportunity to advance the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Probiotic interventions, synbiotic interventions, or fecal transplantation can undoubtedly support the biotherapeutic process. A special role is played by diet, which provides metabolites that directly affect the body and the microbiota. A holistic view of the human organism is therefore essential.
Specimen size effects on direct shear test of silty sands

The main objective of this study is to investigate the effect of the scale factor on the shear strength of sands with different silt contents. For this purpose, the samples of Firouzkooh sand with 0, 10, 20 and 30% silts percentages are prepared at their maximum dry densities with corresponding optimum moisture content (Silt percentages are by weight). Direct shear tests are performed with three different shear box sizes (60 × 60, 100 × 100 and 300 × 300 mm). Results indicate that the peak shear strength and the peak friction angle decreases with increasing the shear box size while residual shear strength is constant. Also increasing the silt percentages caused a decrease in the peak shear strength. The results show that the reduction rate in friction angle decreases with increasing the box sizes and increasing the silt content.