Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Promiscuous Receptors and Neuroinflammation: The Formyl Peptide Class

Formyl peptide receptors, abbreviated as FPRs in humans, are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) mainly found in mammalian leukocytes. However, they are also expressed in cell types crucial for homeostatic brain regulation, including microglia and blood–brain barrier endothelial cells. Thus, the roles of these immune-associated receptors are extensive, from governing cellular adhesion and directed migration through chemotaxis, to granule release and superoxide formation, to phagocytosis and efferocytosis. In this review, we will describe the similarities and differences between the two principal pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory FPRs, FPR1 and FPR2, and the evidence for their importance in the development of neuroinflammatory disease, alongside their potential as therapeutic targets.
Two classes of divergence statistics for testing uniform association

The problem of testing uniform association in cross-classifications having ordered categories is considered. Two families of test statistics, both based on divergences between certain functions of the observed data, are studied and compared. Our theoretical study is based on asymptotic properties. For each family, two consistent approximations to the null distribution of the test statistic are studied: the asymptotic null distribution and a bootstrap estimator; all the tests considered are consistent against fixed alternatives; finally, we do a local power study. Surprisingly, both families detect the same local alternatives. The finite sample performance of the tests in these two classes is numerically investigated through some simulation experiments. In the light of the obtained results, some practical recommendations are given.
Random Forests in Count Data Modelling: An Analysis of the Influence of Data Features and Overdispersion on Regression Performance

Machine learning algorithms, especially random forests (RFs), have become an integrated part of the modern scientific methodology and represent an efficient alternative to conventional parametric algorithms. This study aimed to assess the influence of data features and overdispersion on RF regression performance. We assessed the effect of types of predictors (100, 75, 50, and 20% continuous, and 100% categorical), the number of predictors (p = 816 and 24), and the sample size (N = 50, 250, and 1250) on RF parameter settings. We also compared RF performance to that of classical generalized linear models (Poisson, negative binomial, and zero-inflated Poisson) and the linear model applied to log-transformed data. Two real datasets were analysed to demonstrate the usefulness of RF for overdispersed data modelling. Goodness-of-fit statistics such as root mean square error (RMSE) and biases were used to determine RF accuracy and validity. Results revealed that the number of variables to be randomly selected for each split, the proportion of samples to train the model, the minimal number of samples within each terminal node, and RF regression performance are not influenced by the sample size, number, and type of predictors. However, the ratio of observations to the number of predictors affects the stability of the best RF parameters. RF performs well for all types of covariates and different levels of dispersion. The magnitude of dispersion does not significantly influence RF predictive validity. In contrast, its predictive accuracy is significantly influenced by the magnitude of dispersion in the response variable, conditional on the explanatory variables. RF has performed almost as well as the models of the classical Poisson family in the presence of overdispersion. Given RF’s advantages, it is an appropriate statistical alternative for counting data.
Terahertz non-destructive testing of power generator bars with a dielectric waveguide antenna

Abstract Terahertz technologies for non-destructive testing (NDT) are continuing to find their way into the industrial sector in the context of very specific inspection tasks. Part of this development is the capability to adapt terahertz systems in such a way that they can meet the sometimes harsh challenges and requirements of real-world industrial scenarios. One such scenario is the inspection of components with limited available measurement space. In particular, we show here the terahertz NDT inspection of the mica insulation of generator bars of turbogenerators at power plants, where an early on-site detection of defects and cracks in the insulation can be crucial, but where only few centimeters of space between adjacent bars are available. To address this problem, we have developed a measurement system combining a 100 GHz all-electronic terahertz transceiver with a low-loss dielectric waveguide antenna with 90 degree tip. We achieve sub-wavelength image resolution by scanning the waveguide antenna's tip over the surface of the generator bars in a near-field measurement setup. Employing a frequency-modulated continuous wave technique, we obtain depth-resolved, volumetric terahertz images of the objects under test. We discuss here the implementation and performance of the implemented measurement system for terahertz NDT inspection. keywords: terahertz, non-destructive testing, dielectric waveguides, frequency-modulated continuous wave, millimeter waves, power generators
The Mediating Role of SMEs' Performance in the Relationship between Entrepreneur Competence and Satisfaction

This study aims to examine the mediating role of SME performance in the relationship between entrepreneur competence (EC) and satisfaction (ES) in Indonesia. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), AMOS 24. A total of 380 employers in Pekanbaru City, Riau Province, were selected as the participants. The results showed that SME performance partially mediates the relationship between entrepreneur competence and satisfaction. This is because the direct effect between SMEs' performance and ES is still significant. The implication of this study implies that there is a need to improve the SMEs' performance to increase their competence and create satisfaction for employers. Moreover, entrepreneurs who are satisfied with their businesses always wish to stay longer and do not give up on it.
Determinants of training participation at farmers training centers in Northwest Ethiopia

ABSTRACT This study assesses the determinants of farmers’ participation in training at Farmers’ Training Centres (FTCs) in Northwest Ethiopia. It employed a mixed-methods research approach. The binary logistic regression and thematic methods of analysis were used to analyse the quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. The study reveals that years of schooling, land and mobile ownership, access to farmer-to-farmer extension services, membership in the Kebele cabinet, and a fair competency level of development agents were significant determinants. This study adds psychological and institutional variables to the existing literature as determinants of participation in training. It also integrates the quantitative and qualitative data to triangulate and validate the findings obtained. The study recommends that capacity building, information and communication technology (ICT), and land tenure system are the main areas of policy intervention for the government and other stakeholders to act on to promote farmers’ participation further in agricultural training programs in Ethiopia.
The Ginzburg-Landau equations for pure two band superconductors

The Ginzburg-Landau equations are derived, following the method of Gor'kov, for superconductors with two bands at the Fermi surface which are pure enough to have two energy gaps. The condition for the material to be a type II superconductor is obtained. This condition is considered for transition metals, with reasonable assumptions about the parameters involved, and it is shown that the superconductor becomes more `soft' as the coupling between the bands becomes stronger.
The Attitude of the General Dentist in the Republic of Croatia toward Treating Children

The aim of this study was to determine the attitude of general dentists in the Republic of Croatia toward working with children. The questionnaire survey involved 361 general dentists. The questionnaire was divided into three parts and contained 34 questions. The first part of the questionnaire survey contained demographic data questions. In the second part, dentists answered questions about the characteristics of the dental offices where they work, the materials that they mostly use, and how they work with children. The third part of the questionnaire referred to attitudes about working and treating young children and consisted of 12 statements, to which the answers were offered on a Likert scale from one to five. This study showed that only 12.46% of dentists have a positive attitude toward treating children and 30.19% of dentists have a negative attitude toward treating children. In addition, the attitude toward working with children correlates with both the knowledge they acquired during dental studies (R = 0.355; p ≤ 0.001) and gender (R = −0.103; p = 0.035). This study confirmed that women have a more often positive attitude toward treating young children. There was a major correlation between the level of education and positive attitudes toward treating children. The child’s non-cooperative behavior was the main reason why general dentists refuse to work with children.
Combined umbilical cord patching with amniotic membrane graft for corneal surface reconstruction

Background: Umbilical cord patch (UCP) grafts have been successfully used for glaucoma shunt tube coverage and conjunctival surface reconstruction. In recent years, the technique has emerged as a novel alternative for the reconstruction of corneal perforation and descemetocele. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of combined UCP grafting and human amniotic membrane (HAM) transplantation for the management of corneal perforation or descemetocele. Methods: This prospective, non-comparative, interventional case series included nine eyes of nine patients with corneal descemetoceles and 28 eyes of 28 patients with corneal perforations, all in a clinically quiescent state. UCP grafting and HAM transplantation were combined to treat all patients. We re-examined the patients daily throughout the first week, weekly for 1 month, and then monthly for the first 6 months using slit-lamp examination and anterior segment optical coherence tomography. Results: We included 37 eyes with descemetocele or corneal perforation in a clinically quiescent state. The mean (standard deviation) ages of patients with corneal descemetocele and corneal perforation were 56.3 (18.8) years and 54.3 (18.1) years, respectively. The male-to-female ratios in patients with corneal descemetocele and corneal perforation were 56% to 44% and 61% to 39%, respectively. Postoperative corneal thickness increased significantly in eyes with descemetocele compared to preoperative values (P < 0.001). Postoperative best-corrected distance visual acuity improved significantly compared to preoperative values in eyes with descemetocele or corneal perforation (both P < 0.001), with relief of accompanying ocular symptoms. We did not observe any recurrence or complications such as rejection, infection, suture-related problems, or severe inflammation and all had a formed anterior chamber up to the final follow-up visit. Conclusions: Combined UCP grafting and HAM transplantation could be a promising alternative treatment for corneal perforation or descemetocele in clinically quiescent eyes, providing satisfactory reconstruction and functional outcomes. Further studies with robust designs, larger sample sizes, and longer follow-up are needed to verify the efficacy and safety of this modified surgical technique in enhancing vision and restoring anterior segment anatomical integrity in compromised corneas.
Total rehabilitation with implant-supported and implant-retained prostheses in atrophic maxillae: Aesthetic and functional resolution for totally edentulous patients

Introduction: Implant-supported prostheses are an excellent treatment option for totally edentulous patients, however, some conditions, such as extremely atrophic jaws, may limit their application. Aims: to demonstrate and discuss, through a series of clinical cases, the functional aesthetic resolution of totally edentulous patients with atrophic maxillae, using three different implant-prosthesis approach. Methods and Material: This article describes a clinical case series of patients has between 65 and 75 years old, who lost all upper teeth and had severely atrophic jaws. Due to the bone situation of the maxilla, an osteotome was planned for sinus floor elevation and followed by an allogeneic bone graft. After 18 months of bone integration, osseointegrated implants were installed and different prostheses were made for each case. Conclusions: It is possible to conclude that with the use of advanced surgical and prosthetic planning it is possible to recover the aesthetics and function of a serious and complex clinical case.
A Case for Detailed Surface Analysis

Abstract Detailed analysis of the temperature and moisture fields based on routine hourly surface observations in North America can provide a rational basis for surface feature analysis, thus clarifying the present confusion. Recognition of surface features is an important part of weather forecasting and is especially needed in a careful diagnosis for the prospects of deep convection. Surface temperature gradients are advocated as the primary basis for identifying fronts; examples are given of gross discrepancies in current operational practice between the surface temperature fields and the associated frontal analyses. Surface potential temperature, selected as a means of compensating for elevation differences, is analyzed in the western United States for a period in which a strong, damaging cold front develops and dissipates over a period of less than 24 h. Frontogenesis-related calculations, based on detailed surface temperature analyses, help to explain a case of focusing of heavy precipitation in nort.
Diagnostic Accuracy of Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography (PET-CT Scan) In Detecting Bone Marrow Involvement in Patients with Diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of positron emission tomography combined with CT scan (PET-CT Scan) in detecting bone marrow involvement in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, keeping bone marrow biopsy as gold standard. Methodology: From November 2017 to May 2018, a cross sectional validation study was carried out at the Aga Khan University in Karachi Department of Oncology's Section of Clinical Hematology. The study comprised a total of 112 patients who were identified as having diffuse large B cell lymphoma after a lymph node was implicated was histopathologically examined. All patients had a PET-CT scan and bone marrow biopsy technique as part of the staging workup. With bone marrow biopsy acting as the gold standard, the diagnostic efficacy of a PET-CT scan for identifying bone marrow involvement was evaluated. Results: Of 112 patients, there were 71(63.39%) males and 41(36.61%) females. The mean age was 45.09±17.36 years. The mean duration of diagnosis was 17.19±6.02 days. Through biopsy, bone marrow involvement was identified in 40 (35.7%) cases. Through a PET-CT scan, bone marrow involvement was identified in 47 (41.9%) cases. The PET- CT scan in comparison with bone marrow biopsy for detecting bone marrow involvement in patients with DLBCL had a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of 95%, 87.7%, 80.85%, 96.92% and 90.18% respectively. Conclusion: PET-CT scan can accurately detect bone marrow involvement in patients with DLBCL so it can be used in most patients instead of invasive bone marrow biopsy procedure for staging of DLBCL patients.
Some Lemmas on Interpolating Blaschke Products and a Correction

A Blaschke product on the unit disc, where |c|= 1 and kis a non-negative integer, is said to be interpolatingif the condition C is satisfied for a constant δ independent of m.A Blaschke product always belongs to the set I of inner functions; it has norm 1 and radial limits of modulus 1 almost everywhere. The most general inner function can be uniquely factored into a product BS,where Bis a Blaschke product and for some positive singular measure μ(θ) on the unit circle. The discussion will be carried out in terms of the hyperbolic geometry on the open unit disc D,its metric and its neighbourhoods N(x, ∈) = ﹛z′ ∈ D: Ψ(z, z′) < ∈ ﹜
THE NATURE OF SOLAR HYDROGEN VORTICES

It is believed that spectroheliograms taken in the center of the Hα-line show us the solar atmosphere at the highest level observable. On such exposures the chromosphere has a fine granular structure resembling the skin of an orange. Near large spot-groups, however, it is drawn out into long filaments, indicating the presence of an extensive field of force. These filaments often remind us strongly of the arrangement of iron filings around a bar-magnet, or the lines of flow in a vortex.
Impact of Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty towards Flexible Management in the German Banking Sector

Background : The introduction of advanced types of banking networks such as Online banking, Automated Teller Machines (ATM), telephone banking, as well as mature capital markets and global competition have prompted bankers to explore the value of consumer loyalty. Top companies know that the path to growth goes through their clients. Therefore, this research focuses on finding the impact of service quality, customer satisfaction and loyalty programs on customer’s loyalty in banking sectors of Germany. Methods : The questionnaire was developed and polled to gather data from 331 clients with bank accounts in various banks in Germany. The five-dimensional model of SERVQUAL (Parasuraman et al., 1988, Kasiri et al., 2017) is used in this paper. Additionally, customer satisfaction was utilized to mediate the influence of service quality on customer loyalty among banking customers in Germany. Results : We suggested a new model that incorporates the direct impact of technology on consumer satisfaction. Analysis concluded that service quality, consumer retention and loyalty programs are essential aspects that can boost customer loyalty. So banks must concentrate on offering loyalty programs to their loyal consumers. Conclusion : Analysis suggests that banks should concentrate on enhancing the efficiency of their offerings in order to increase consumer retention and customer loyalty.
The Anatomy of the Perseus Spiral Arm:12CO and IRAS Imaging Observations of the W3-W4-W5 Cloud Complex

Panoramic images of 12CO J = 1-0 and thermal dust emissions from the W3-W4-W5 region of the outer Galaxy are presented. These data and recently published H I 21 cm line emission images provide a ~1' resolution perspective to the dynamics and thermal energy content of the interstellar gas and dust components contained within a 9° arc of the Perseus spiral arm. We tabulate the molecular properties of 1560 clouds identified as closed surfaces within the l-b-v CO data cube at a threshold of 0.9 K T*R. Relative surface densities of the molecular (28:1) and atomic (2.5:1) gas components determined within the arm and interarm velocity intervals demonstrate that the gas component that enters the spiral arm is predominantly atomic. Molecular clouds must necessarily condense from the compressed atomic material that enters the spiral arm and are likely short lived within the interarm regions. From the distribution of centroid velocities of clouds, we determine a random cloud-to-cloud velocity dispersion of 4 km s-1 over the width of the spiral arm but find no clear evidence within the molecular gas for streaming motions induced by the spiral potential. The far-infrared images are analyzed with the CO J = 1-0 and H I 21 cm line emission. The enhanced UV radiation field from members of the Cas OB6 association and embedded newborn stars provide a significant source of heating to the extended dust component within the Perseus arm relative to the quiescent cirrus regions. Much of the measured far-infrared flux (69% at 60 μm and 47% at 100 μm) originates from regions associated with star formation rather than the extended, infrared cirrus component.
Correlation analysis between ionospheric scintillation levels and receiver tracking performance

Rapid fluctuations in the amplitude and phase of a transionospheric radio signal caused by small scale plasma density irregularities in the ionosphere are known as scintillation. Scintillation can seriously impair a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) receiver tracking performance, thus affecting the required levels of availability, accuracy and integrity, and consequently the reliability of modern day GNSS based applications. This paper presents an analysis of correlation between scintillation levels and tracking performance of a GNSS receiver for GPS L1C/A, L2C and GLONASS L1, L2 signals. The analyses make use of data recorded over Presidente Prudente (22.1°S, 51.4°W, dip latitude ∼12.3°S) in Brazil, a location close to the Equatorial Ionisation Anomaly (EIA) crest in Latin America. The study presents for the first time this type of correlation analysis for GPS L2C and GLONASS L1, L2 signals. The scintillation levels are defined by the amplitude scintillation index, S4 and the receiver tracking performance is evaluated by the phase tracking jitter. Both S4 and the phase tracking jitter are estimated from the post correlation In‐Phase (I) and Quadra‐Phase (Q) components logged by the receiver at a high rate. Results reveal that the dependence of the phase tracking jitter on the scintillation levels can be represented by a quadratic fit for the signals. The results presented in this paper are of importance to GNSS users, especially in view of the forthcoming high phase of solar cycle 24 (predicted for 2013).
Refusal of transplant organs for non-medical reasons including COVID-19 status

Transplant centers and physicians in the United States have limited guidance on the information which they can and cannot provide to transplant candidates regarding donors of potential organs. Patients may refuse organs for a variety of reasons ranging from pernicious requests including racism to misinformation about emerging medicine as with the COVID-19 vaccine and infection. Patient autonomy, organ stewardship, and equity are often at odds in these cases, but precedent indeed exists to help address these challenges. This work uses such cases to highlight the urgent need for uniform, national policy prohibiting informational requests unrelated to well-established risks.
Matlab Optimization Software

Matlab programs that solve nonlinear equations and minimize using quasi-Newton with BFGS update. The programs are somewhat more robust, apparently, than the stock Matlab programs that do about the same thing. The minimizer can negotiate discontinuous "cliffs" without getting stuck. This directory contains a set of matlab m files that do unconstrained optimization and nonlinear equations-solving. It also contains some auxiliary m files. csminwel: minimization. Uses a quasi-Newton method with BFGS update of the estimated inverse hessian. It is robust against certain pathologies common on likelihood functions. It attempts to be robust against "cliffs", i.e. hyperplane discontinuities, though it is not really clear whether what it does in such cases succeeds reliably. csminit: called by csminwel. numgrad: crude numerical derivative. Called by csminwel if no analytic gradient supplied. Beware of this or any other numerical derivative on large or ill-conditioned problems. bfgsi: The BFGS update for the inverse hessian. csolve: nonlinear equation solver. More robust than many. Tries random search directions if things look bad and will not get stuck at a flat spot in the sum of deviations objective function that is not a solution