Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Berry Polyphenols on the Gut Microbiota and Blood Pressure: A Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials in Humans

Berry consumption has beneficial effects on blood pressure. Intestinal microbiota transform berry phytochemicals into more bioactive forms. Thus, we performed a systematic review of randomized clinical trials to determine whether berry polyphenols in foods, extracts or supplements have effects on both the profile of gut microbiota and systolic and diastolic blood pressure in humans. PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and CAB Abstracts (EBSCOhost) were searched for randomized clinical trials in humans published from 1 January 2011 to 29 October 2021. Search results were imported into Covidence for screening and data extraction by two blinded reviewers, who also performed bias assessment independently. The literature search identified 216 publications; after duplicates were removed, 168 publications were screened with 12 full-text publications assessed for eligibility. Ultimately three randomized clinical trials in humans met the eligibility criteria. One randomized clinical trial showed a low risk of bias while the other two randomized clinical trials included low, high or unclear risk of bias. Together the randomized clinical trials showed that berry consumption (Aronia berry, strawberries, raspberries, cloudberries and bilberries) for 8–12 weeks had no significant effect on both blood pressure and the gut microbiota. More randomized clinical trials are needed to determine the effects of berry consumption on the profile of gut microbiota and blood pressure in humans.
Review on Arbiter Physical Unclonable Function and its Implementation in FPGA for IoT Security Applications

Security is one of the most difficult aspects of advancing the Internet of Things (IoT) in our daily lives and future industrial systems. IoT systems have a variety a slew of issues, including a scarcity of resources, reduced power usage, and the necessity to secure devices from cyber-attacks. Unfortunately, the approaches are limited by power consumption and a lack of computer capabilities; also, the typical usage of non-volatile memory to store secret keys is open to several assaults such as reverse engineering and side channeling. PUFs (Physical Unclonable Functions) are a type of method that is used to increase the security of physical devices and solve problems connected with existing cryptographic algorithms. PUFs are one-way lightweight functions that extort a distinct personality for each terminal based on unpredictable and impossible to reproduce physical variables imposed during production. Memory-based PUF’s (e.g., SRAM and SR-latch PUF’s), delay-based PUF’s (e.g., Arbiter PUF (APUF), digital PUF’s, operating frequency-based PUF’s (ring oscillator PUF (ROPUF)), and other PUF’s have been achieved in ASIC and, FPGA in particular. In this article, we examine a wide range of PUFs found in the literature. Many observations are based on the comparison of the surveyed schemes. The review concentrates on different types of arbiter PUF architectures and the quality of the designed arbiter PUFs in terms of three parameters: reliability, uniqueness and uniformity. This study examines the latest Arbiter PUF innovations and the necessary security requirements and promising security solutions for IoT applications.
CNN-Based Deep Learning Architecture for Electromagnetic Imaging of Rough Surface Profiles

A convolutional neural network (CNN) based deep learning (DL) technique for electromagnetic imaging of rough surfaces separating two dielectric media is presented. The direct scattering problem is formulated through the conventional integral equations and the synthetic scattered field data is produced by a fast numerical solution technique which is based on Method of Moments (MoM). Two different special CNN architectures are designed and implemented for the solution of the inverse rough surface imaging problem wherein both random and deterministic rough surface profiles can be imaged. It is shown by a comprehensive numerical analysis that the proposed deep-learning (DL) inversion scheme is very effective and robust.
Morphological Characters, Yield, and Chemical Composition Potentials of Desho Grass (Pennisetum glaucifolium H.) Intercropped with Vetch Species in the Highlands of Ethiopia

This experiment was conducted with the objective of evaluating the effects of intercropping vetch species and harvesting age on the morphological characteristics, forage yield, and chemical composition of sole and intercropped forages. The experiment was laid out using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) in a factorial arrangement consisting of two factors ((five forage varieties (four vetches & one desho) ∗ two harvesting ages)) for a total of ten treatments with three replications. The experimental treatments were sole desho (Var-Kulumsa), desho+V. villosa (Var-Lalisa), desho+V. villosa (Var-Gebisa), desho+V. sativa, and desho+V. dasycarpa (Var-Lana) at 90 and 120 harvesting days. All morphological characteristics forage yield and chemical composition data were collected from two middle rows by excluding the border rows. The result showed that the interaction ( P < 0.001 ) effect of harvesting age and intercropping of vetch species and varieties with desho grass was observed on the morphological characteristics, dry matter yield, and chemical composition of intercropped forage. Intercropping of vetch species/varieties with desho grass had shown significantly ( P < 0.001 ) higher dry matter yield than sole desho except desho with V. sativa. The highest crude protein (CP) content was obtained from desho grass intercropped with two V. villosa (Var-Lalisa and Var-Gebisa) at 90 days of harvesting age. This CP content of intercropped desho+Vetch species/varieties was double in amount than the CP obtained from sole desho in these species at 90 days of harvesting age. Moreover, the highest CPY was recorded from two V. villosa varieties (Var-Lalisa and Var-Gebisa). Hence, for the intercropping of vetch with desho grasses, the two V. villosa varieties (Var-Lalisa and Var-Gebisa) are recommended for on-farm evaluation and demonstration in the study area and similar agro-ecologies during the establishment phase at 90 days of harvesting age. It is possible to conclude that the intercropping of desho with these selected vetch species could be better than sole desho grass in terms of forage yield and quality in the highlands of northwestern Ethiopia to maximize ruminant livestock production. Hence, for the intercropping of vetch with desho grasses, the two V. villosa varieties (Var-Lalisa and Var-Gebisa) are recommended for on-farm evaluation and demonstration in the study area and similar agro-ecologies during the establishment phase at 90 days of harvesting age.
Newly Diagnosed Multiple Myeloma Patients with Skeletal-Related Events and Abnormal MRI Pattern Have Poor Survival Outcomes: A Prospective Study on 370 Patients

Contemporary information is sparse on the frequency of skeletal-related events (SREs) in multiple myeloma (MM) patients at a population-based level in the era of novel agents. In this context, we conducted this single-center, prospective, observational study to determine the incidence of SREs among newly diagnosed MMs (NDMM) and to explore the possible correlations with disease characteristics, imaging finding, and patient prognosis. A total of 370 patients with available baseline MRIs were included. Among them, 208 (56%) presented with at least one SRE at diagnosis. Fractures were the most common reported SREs (48%). The incidence of SREs at diagnosis was higher in patients with osteolytic lesions, abnormal MRI pattern, hypercalcemia, and at least 60% bone marrow infiltration by plasma cells. Importantly, the patients with normal MRI pattern, who did not present with SREs at diagnosis, had statistically significant improved median OS in comparison with the patients who had abnormal MRI patterns and/or the presence of SREs at diagnosis (9.3 vs. 6.6 years, p = 0.048). Our data, which represent one of a few systematic reports on the incidence and characteristics of SREs in the era of novel agents, was indicative of a high incidence of SREs at the time of MM diagnosis. Early detection of myeloma bone disease and tailored patient management are essential to optimize patient outcomes.
PORTABLE MULTI-CAMERA SYSTEM: FROM FAST TUNNEL MAPPING TO SEMI-AUTOMATIC SPACE DECOMPOSITION AND CROSS-SECTION EXTRACTION

Abstract. The paper outlines the first steps of a research project focused on the digitalization of underground tunnels for the mining industry. The aim is to solve the problem of rapidly, semi-automatically, efficiently, and reliably digitizing complex and meandering tunnels. A handheld multi-camera photogrammetric tool is used for the survey phase, which allows for the rapid acquisition of the image dataset needed to produce the 3D data. Moreover, since often, automatic, and fast acquisitions are not supported by easy-to-use tools to access and use the data at an operational level, a second aim of the research is to define a method able to arrange and organise the gathered data so that it would be easily accessible. The proposed approach is to compute the 3D skeleton of the surveyed environment by employing tools developed for the analysis of vascular networks in medical imagery. From the computed skeletonization of the underground tunnels, a method is proposed to automatically extrapolate valuable information such as cross-sections, decomposed portions of the tunnel, and the referenced images from the photogrammetric survey. The long-term research goal is to create an effective workflow, both at the hardware and software level, that can reduce computation times, process large amounts of data, and reduce dependency on high levels of experience.
Protective Effect of Pycnogenol against Methotrexate-Induced Hepatic, Renal, and Cardiac Toxicity: An In Vivo Study

Methotrexate (MTX) is one of the most commonly used chemotherapies for various types of cancer, including leukemia, breast cancer, hepatocarcinoma, and gastric cancers. However, the efficacy of MTX is frequently limited by serious side effects. Several studies have reported that the cytotoxic effect of MTX is not limited to cancer cells but can also affect normal tissues, leading to prospective damage to many organs. In the present study, we extensively investigated the molecular and microscopic basis of MTX-induced toxicity in different organs (liver, kidney, and heart) and explored the possible protective effect of pycnogenol, a polyphenolic component extracted from the bark of P. pinaster, to attenuate these effects. Biochemical analysis revealed that administration of MTX significantly reduced the function of the liver, kidney, and heart. Histological and immunohistochemical analysis indicated that MTX treatment caused damage to tissues of different organs. Interestingly, administration of pycnogenol (10, 20, and 30 mg/kg) significantly attenuated the deterioration effects of MTX on different organs in a dose-dependent manner, as demonstrated by biochemical and histological analysis. Our results reveal that pycnogenol successfully ameliorated oxidative damage and reduced toxicity, inflammatory response, and histological markers induced by methotrexate treatment. Taken together, this study provides solid evidence for the pharmacological application of pycnogenol to attenuate damage to different organs induced by MTX treatment.
HSS: Faster and More Accurate Sliding Sketch by Using Half Fields

Network measurement is indispensable to network management. This paper focuses on three fundamental network measurement tasks: membership query, frequency query, and heavy hitter query. The State-of-the-art Sliding Sketch (SS) is a sliding window framework for network measurement with the strengths of accurate, fast, and generic. However, SS still can be improved in terms of accuracy and speed. Accordingly, this paper proposes the Half Sliding Sketch (HSS), which utilizes only half fields of SS. We apply HSS to five current sketches for the three kinds of queries noted above. Theoretical analysis reveals that the proposed HSS is faster and more accurate than the state-of-the-art SS while still being generic. Extensive experimental results show that HSS improves accuracy by 2x to 28.7x, 1.5x to 9x, and 2.4x to 3.6x, respectively, for the three query tasks. As for the speed, HSS is 1.2x to 1.5x faster than the SS.
Bacteriological Spectrum and Antibiotic Susceptibility on Blood Culture in Newly Diagnosed Pediatric Patients With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia During the Induction Phase

Background Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer diagnosed in children worldwide. This study was conducted to find out the trends in the bacteriological spectrum and antibiotic susceptibility on blood culture in newly diagnosed children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia during the induction phase at a pediatric oncology unit in South Punjab, Pakistan. Methodology This cross-sectional study was conducted from January 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021. A total of 263 newly diagnosed ALL cases of both genders aged up to 16 years were included. Adopting full aseptic measures, the blood samples of all children were sent for culture and sensitivity testing to the institutional laboratory immediately after collection on the eighth day of the induction phase in all children. Bacterial isolates and their sensitivity/resistance patterns were noted. Results Out of 263 children with ALL, 172 (65.4%) were males. Overall, the mean age was 7.4±3.4 years (ranging between 1 and 16 years). B-cell type was the commonest type noted in 204 (77.6%) children. Out of a total of 52 cases with positive blood culture findings for bacterial isolates, there were 28 (53.8%) cases with gram-negative bacterial isolates, while 24 (46.2%) were gram-positive bacterial isolates. Escherichia coli (E. coli) was the commonest type of gram-negative bacteria noted among 18/28 (64.3%) cases, while Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) was the most frequent gram-positive bacterial isolates in 13/24 (54.2%). We found meropenem, linezolid, clindamycin, piperacillin, tazobactam, and amikacin to have the highest antimicrobial sensitivities, while commonly adopted antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, cefotaxime, cefoperazone, amoxiclav, and ampicillin were found to have high resistance rates. Conclusion Gram-negative bacterial isolates formed the majority of the positive blood culture cases. Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Klebsiella pneumonia (K. pneumonia) were the most common types of bacterial isolates. Routinely used antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, cefotaxime, cefoperazone, and ampicillin were found to have high rates of resistance.
Stress, Sleep Quality, and Academic Performance among Dental Students in Shiraz, Iran

Background Quality of sleep and stress level can affect the health, capacity of learning, and academic performance of the students. This study aimed to investigate the association between stress and sleep quality with academic performance among undergraduate clinical dental students in Shiraz, Iran. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted during the second semester of the academic year 2020–2021 among clinical dental students at Shiraz Dental School, Iran. A total of 138 students completed Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and dental environment stress (DES) questionnaire. The grade point averages (GPAs) of the previous terms of the participants were also collected. Data analysis was performed using Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, the one-way ANOVA, post hoc Duncan's test, nonparametric Kruskal–Wallis H test, Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney test, and the chi-squared test. The p values of less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results Clinical dental students participated in this study experienced moderate levels of stress and poor sleep quality. Mean total DES and PSGI scores did not differ by sex, year of study, marital status, and place of residence (p values >0.05). Most of the students (52.9%) had moderate GPAs. A significant relationship was observed between sex and GPA as well as between place of residence and GPA (p values <0.05). No significant differences were found between DES total score or PSQI score and GPA categories (p values >0.05). A significant direct relationship between DES total score and PSQI score was observed (p < 0.05). Conclusion Dental undergraduates in Shiraz, Iran, experienced moderate levels of stress and poor sleep quality. The results showed no significant difference between sleep quality or DES and academic achievement. However, a significant direct correlation was observed between sleep quality and dental environment stress.
A New Design Oriented Approach For Freshman Engineering

Introduction In this paper, we describe a new approach in developing a design-oriented, first year, interdisciplinary experience for freshman engineering students under a Department of Education FII? SE grant. The new course, Introduction to Erzgineen”ng Methodology, represents a broader set of goals course than the old course, Eng”neen”ng Problem Solving, which was originally intended as an introduction to engineering problem solving. This existing course was based on traditional engineering topics such as circuit analysis, thermodynamics, and computing and students learned basic skills in a conventional lecture-recitation format. The existing course was found to be lacking as a motivating and exciting experience for first year engineering students. Since these two factors play strong roles in student retention and persistence, an interdisciplinary team of faculty decided to develop a course that would be attractive to today’s students, who bring with them a set of expectations that could not be met by the traditional textbook-oriented introduction to engineering course.
Novel Numerical Basis Sets for Electromagnetic Field Expansion in Arbitrary Inhomogeneous Objects

We investigated how to construct low-order subspace basis sets to accurately represent electromagnetic fields generated within inhomogeneous arbitrary objects by radio-frequency sources external to a Huygen’s surface. The basis generation relies on the singular value decomposition of Green’s functions integro-differential operators which makes it feasible to derive a reduced-order yet stable model. We present a detailed study of the theoretical and numerical requisites for generating such basis, and show how it can be used to calculate performance limits in magnetic resonance imaging applications. Finally, we propose a novel numerical framework for the computation of characteristic modes of arbitrary inhomogeneous objects. We validated accuracy and convergence properties of the numerical basis against a complete analytical basis in the case of a uniform spherical object. We showed that the discretization of the Huygens’s surface has a minimal effect on the accuracy of the calculations, which mainly depended on the electromagnetic solver resolution and order of approximation.
Networks, Innovation, And Smes Performance In Indonesia East Corridors

The purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of networks on SMEs performance both directly and indirectly through innovation. The sample in this study were 165 SMEs in East Java, which focused on a number of districts / cities that became the eastern development corridor area and had superior food and beverage businesses. The data that has been collected is then analyzed using path analysis. Four hypotheses were formulated to answer the question: (a) There is a direct effect of networks on SMEs innovation, (b) There is a direct effect of networks on SMEs performance, (c) There is a direct effect of innovation on SMEs performance, (d) There are indirect effects of networks on SMEs performance through innovation. Of the four hypotheses proposed in this study, there are three hypotheses that were accepted and one hypothesis that was rejected. The results of testing the direct influence hypothesis show that there are two pathways that have a significant effect, namely networks on SMEs innovation, as well as innovation on SMEs performance. The results of testing the indirect effect hypothesis show that the networks influences the performance of SMEs through innovation.
The State-Trait Model of Cheerfulness: Tests of Measurement Invariance and Latent Mean Differences in European and Chinese Canadian Students

The State-Trait Cheerfulness Inventory (STCI) assesses latent traits and states of cheerfulness, seriousness, and bad mood to represent the temperamental basis of humor. The present study (1) tested the generalizability of the three-factor model in both state and trait versions of the STCI across European Canadian (N = 489) and first generation Chinese Canadian (N = 147) participants completing the English version of the STCI and (2) compared latent mean differences. Results indicated the confirmatory factor analyses of the three-factor model for European White participants born in Canada and Chinese participants born in China showed adequate fit for both trait and state measures. Furthermore, substantial equivalence of factor model parameters and partial scalar invariance were found for both the state and trait STCI measures. In examining latent mean differences, European White Canadian participants reported significantly higher trait cheerfulness, z = 3.30, p < . 001, d = 0.84, and lower trait bad mood z = 3.25, p < . 01, d = 0.80 compared to the Chinese Canadian groups. European White Canadian participants reported significantly lower state bad mood, z = 3.59, p < . 001, d = 1.15, compared to the Chinese Canadian groups. Limitations and future directions based on study findings are discussed.
Vitamin E Levels in Preterm and Full-Term Infants: A Systematic Review

Vitamin E deficiency (VED) is associated with clinical repercussions in preterm newborns (PTN), but low levels are also found in full-term newborns (TN). As this inadequacy can compromise neurogenesis in childhood, studies are needed to assess whether there is a difference in vitamin E status among newborns according to gestational age to provide support for neonatal monitoring protocols. This systematic review presents a synthesis of the available information on the vitamin E status among PTN and TN. The review was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Observational studies that evaluated alpha-tocopherol levels were searched in the databases reported in the protocol registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021165152). The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale was used to assess the methodological quality. Overall, 1809 articles were retrieved; 10 were included in the systematic review. In the PTN, the alpha-tocopherol levels ranged from 3.9 to 8.5 mmol/L, while in TN, they were 4.9 to 14.9 mmol/L, and VED ranged from 19% to 100% in newborns. Despite substantial heterogeneity in research methodology and VED classification, the results suggest that the alpha-tocopherol levels among preterm and full-term newborns is below the recommended levels. Our findings demonstrate that further investigations are needed to standardize this classification and to monitor vitamin E status in birth and postnatal with adequate bias control.