Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Eccentric Exercises on the Board with 17-Degree Decline Are Equally Effective as Eccentric Exercises on the Standard 25-Degree Decline Board in the Treatment of Patellar Tendinopathy

Background and Objectives: Patellar tendinopathy is one of the most significant problems in jumping and running athletes. Eccentric quadriceps exercise has been introduced into the therapy of patients with patellar tendinopathy in order to avoid weakening the tendon during rehabilitation. The use of decline boards with a decline angle of 25° has been the cornerstone of therapy over the last two decades. Biomechanical studies have suggested that an equal or potentially better outcome could be achieved with lower angles of decline (up to 16°). Materials and Methods: In this present research, we compared the effects of two various decline board angles on the clinical outcome of patients treated for patellar tendinopathy by performing eccentric quadriceps exercises. Patients were randomly allocated into two groups: patients practicing on the standard board with a 25° decline, and patients practicing on the 17° decline (n = 35 per group). Results: After 6 weeks of exercise, we found a significant improvement in all the clinical scores (VISA-P score, KOOS score, Lysholm Knee Questionnaire/Tegner Activity Scale, and VAS scale) of treated patients. However, there was no significant difference between the patients who performed eccentric quadriceps exercises on the standard 25° decline board and those exercising on the 17° decline board. A smaller additional degree of improvement was visible at the end of the follow-up period (at 12 weeks), but, again, no statistical difference could be detected between the investigated groups. We conclude that both treatment options provide similar short-term and midterm benefits regarding improvements in pain and clinical scores. The improvement in clinical scores does not depend on age, sex, BMI, or the professional sport of the patient. Conclusions: Our findings encourage changes in the decline angle of the board in the case of a patient’s discomfort in order to achieve better compliance without affecting the recovery.
Impact of Low Skeletal Muscle Mass on Long-Term Outcomes in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated with Trans-Arterial Radioembolization: A Retrospective Multi-Center Study

Simple Summary Trans-arterial radioembolization (TARE) can effectively treat patients with locally advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, TARE is not widely used in clinical practice due to the lack of consensus on how to select the best candidates for this therapy. Therefore, it is crucial to find predictive biomarkers or clinical parameters that can differentiate the patients who will respond well to TARE and improve their outcomes. Low skeletal muscle mass (LSMM) is one of the factors that affects the prognosis of HCC patients and has been extensively studied in relation to different treatments. We used a semi-automated program that has been validated and proven to be reliable for assessing LSMM. In this study, we aimed to identify prognostic factors, including pre-treatment LSMM, for survival outcomes in patients with HCC undergoing TARE. Abstract Trans-arterial radioembolization (TARE) is a form of radiation therapy performed for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) via selective intra-arterial injection of Yttrium-90-loaded microspheres. This was a multi-center retrospective study of consecutive patients with HCC who underwent TARE between July 2009 and May 2019. Using pre-treatment computed tomography imaging, the total cross-sectional area (cm2) of the abdominal skeletal muscle at the third lumbar vertebra was measured. The skeletal muscle index (SMI) was calculated by normalizing the muscle area to patient height. In total, 347 patients (median age, 65 years; 284 male) were included in the study. A total of 108 (31.1%) patients had portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT), and 126 (36.3%) were classified as LSMM. The median overall survival (OS) was 28.1 months (95% CI, 24.8–35.7), and median progression-free survival was 8.0 months (95% CI, 6.4–9.4). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that LSMM (hazard ratio [HR], 1.36; 95% CI, 1.00–1.85, p = 0.05), PVTT (HR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.33–2.49, p < 0.01), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) (≥200 ng/mL) (HR 1.41; 95% CI, 1.04–1.92, p = 0.03), and albumin–bilirubin grade (2–3) (HR 1.74; 95% CI, 1.24–2.43, p < 0.01) were independently associated with poor OS. TARE provided favorable long-term outcomes for patients with advanced HCC. Pre-treatment LSMM independently associated with survival, suggesting its utility as a surrogate biomarker for identifying TARE candidates.
GPMN: Human Pose Explicit Modeling Network based on Graph Model

The human pose estimation task requires the use of visual cues and anatomical relationships between joints to locate key points. Due to the structural dependencies between human joints, it is difficult to model the dependencies between joints with a convolutional neural network-based approach. In this paper, we propose a graph pose modeling network (GPMN) based on a graph model, which constructs a structural graph model between joints and then uses a convolutional neural network to explicitly model the dependencies between joints. Specifically, this method extracts features through a backbone network and uses a graph model to obtain proximity joint dependencies. At the same time, a cross-cross-attention mechanism is used to obtain the distant joint dependencies for reinforcing challenging key points. To solve the problem that the challenging key points of the network are weakened during the training process, this paper uses a focal loss function to make the network focus more on the challenging key points, such as knees and ankles. Under the same experimental conditions, HRNet, the highest accuracy feature extraction network, and ResNet, the classical feature extraction network, are used as the backbone network. The accuracy of the algorithm with HRNet network as the backbone is improved by 2.6% compared with the original network.
Impact of Endometrial Preparation on the Maternal and Fetal Cardiovascular Variables of the First Trimester Combined Screening Test

The modality of endometrial preparation for the transfer of frozen-thawed embryos may influence maternal and fetal adaptation to pregnancy and could thus impact the results of the first trimester combined screening test. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study on singleton pregnancies achieved by embryo transfer of a single frozen-thawed blastocyst, comparing two different endometrial preparation protocols: natural cycle (n = 174) and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) (n = 122). The primary outcome was the risk of preeclampsia at the first trimester combined screening test. Secondary endpoints included variable reflecting fetal cardiac function (nuchal translucency and fetal heart rate), maternal adaptation (median arterial blood pressure—MAP and uterine arteries pulsatility index—UtA-PI), and placentation (pregnancy associated plasma protein A and placental growth factor). The risk of early preeclampsia was comparable in the two groups (38% vs. a 28%, p = 0.12). However, women in the natural cycle group showed lower fetal heart rate (159 [155–164] vs. 164 [158–168], p = 0.002) and higher UtA-PI (0.96 [0.74–1.18] vs. 0.72 [0.58–0.90], p < 0.001). The frequency of a screening test at high risk for aneuploidies was similar. The modality of transfer of frozen-thawed embryos is associated with changes in the variables reflecting maternal and fetal cardiovascular function.
Patients’ and GPs’ views and expectations of home monitoring with a pulse oximeter: a mixed-methods process evaluation of a pilot randomised controlled trial

Background Research on how home monitoring with a pulse oximeter is executed and experienced by patients with an acute illness such as COVID-19 and their GPs is scarce. Aim To examine the process of structured home monitoring with a pulse oximeter for patients with COVID-19, their caregivers, and their GPs. Design and setting This was a mixed-method process evaluation alongside a pilot feasibility randomised controlled trial. Patients drawn from a general practice setting, with COVID-19, and aged ≥40 years with cardiovascular comorbidities were included. Method Quantitative trial data from 21 intervention group participants (age 63.2 years) were used, plus qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with 15 patients (age 62.9 years), eight informal caregivers, and 10 GPs. Results Adherence to the intervention was very high; 97.6% of protocolised peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) measurements in the first 14 days until admission to hospital were recorded (677/694, median daily per patient 2.7). Three identified themes from the interviews were: (a) user-friendliness of home monitoring: easy use of the pulse oximeter and patient preference of a three times daily measurement scheme; (b) patient empowerment: pulse oximeter use enhanced patient self-assurance and empowered patients and informal caregivers in disease management; and (c) added value to current clinical decision making. GPs perceived the pulse oximeter as a useful diagnostic tool and did not experience any additional workload. They felt more secure with remote monitoring with a pulse oximeter than only phone-based monitoring, but emphasised the need to keep an overall view on the patient’s condition. Conclusion Structured home monitoring by pulse oximetry supports patients and their informal caregivers in managing, and GPs in monitoring, acute COVID-19 disease. It appears suitable for use in acutely ill patients in general practice.
Kneser-Type Oscillation Criteria for Half-Linear Delay Differential Equations of Third Order

This paper delves into the analysis of oscillation characteristics within third-order quasilinear delay equations, focusing on the canonical case. Novel sufficient conditions are introduced, aimed at discerning the nature of solutions—whether they exhibit oscillatory behavior or converge to zero. By expanding the literature, this study enriches the existing knowledge landscape within this field. One of the foundations on which we rely in proving the results is the symmetry between the positive and negative solutions, so that we can, using this feature, obtain criteria that guarantee the oscillation of all solutions. The paper enhances comprehension through the provision of illustrative examples that effectively showcase the outcomes and implications of the established findings.
Using clinical reasoning and simulation-based education to 'flip' the Enrolled Nurse curriculum

Objective: This paper describes the development and implementation of an innovative Diploma of Nursing curriculum for preparing Enrolled Nursing students for acute care nursing practice. Setting: Vocational Education and Training at the Health Education and Research Centre in Hobart, Tasmania. Subjects: Vocational Education and Training students enrolled in the Diploma of Nursing (Enrolled Division 2 Nursing) (HLT51612). Primary Argument: The increasing complexity and acuity of contemporary practice environments requires a nursing workforce that is flexible and competent. In 2013 nurse educators developed an innovative approach to offering the national standardised Diploma of Nursing course that integrates three key pedagogical approaches: the 'flipped classroom', simulation based learning and the Clinical Reasoning Cycle. Conclusion: By 'flipping the curriculum' students are provided with opportunities to develop and extend their clinical reasoning skills as they respond to both routine and unpredictable 'patient' scenarios in the safety of a simulation environment. These simulated clinical learning experiences are designed to challenge students to 'think like a nurse' while actively engaging in the provision of safe and effective 'patient' care.
Prayer and healing: A medical and scientific perspective on randomized controlled trials

the of those who nor do we deny the medical and psychosocial benefits that have been identified to result from religious and practices. ABSTRACT Religious traditions across the world display beliefs in healing through prayer. The healing powers of prayer have been examined in triple-blind, randomized controlled trials. We illustrate randomized controlled trials on prayer and healing, with one study in each of different categories of outcome. We provide a critical analysis of the scientific and philosophical dimensions of such research. Prayer has been reported to improve outcomes in human as well as nonhuman species, to have no effect on outcomes, to worsen outcomes and to have retrospective healing effects. For a multitude of reasons, research on the healing effects of prayer is riddled with assumptions, challenges and contradictions that make the subject a scientific and religious minefield. We believe that the research has led nowhere, and that future research, if any, will forever be constrained by the scientific limitations that we outline.
Rationality, traditionalism and the state of corporate governance mechanisms: Illustrations from a less-developed country

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide an account of corporate governance practices in Bangladesh. This paper demonstrates that the traditionalist culture mediates the rationalist/legalist framework of corporate governance in Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach - A series of semi-structured interviews were conducted. Observations and the personal working experience of one of the researchers, along with documentation, provided rich sources of information for the paper. Findings - The findings show that families have a dominant presence in all aspects of corporate governance. Boards of directors in companies play a significant part in serving the interests of families rather than those of general shareholders. Research limitations/implications - This study focuses on corporate governance practices in a traditional setting and shows how traditional culture and values are in conflict with the rational ideas imported from a different setting. Originality/value - The paper adds to the literature on corporate governance, especially in the context of less-developed countries. It will be of great value to researchers and practitioners seeking to gain a better understanding of corporate governance frameworks in various settings.
Sustainable intensification technologies and farm performance: evidence from smallholder sorghum farmers in Nigeria

ABSTRACT The empirical literature on plot-level adoption of sustainable intensification technologies (SITs), as a package comprising improved crop varieties and good agronomic management practices is thin for dryland crops, such as sorghum. In this paper, we analyze the adoption and impacts of SITs on sorghum yield and net revenue using data from a sample of 1680 households and 3310 plots in the sorghum belt of Nigeria. Our estimates are based on a multinomial endogenous switching regression, which accounts for observable and unobservable sources of selection bias. We find a relatively low joint adoption of both improved sorghum varieties and good agronomic practices. In addition, we find that the adoption of only improved sorghum varieties and the joint adoption of both improved sorghum varieties and good agronomic practices led to a 56 and 102% increase in sorghum yield, respectively, and an 88 and 82% increase in net revenue, respectively. The yield and net revenue effects indicate that there are considerable missing opportunities that sorghum-producing households can harness through the adoption of SITs. Our findings reveal that policies tailored towards promoting the widespread adoption of SITs can lead to considerable productivity gains and economic returns for smallholder sorghum farmers towards improving their welfare.
Heterogeneous Beliefs and the Phillips Curve

We establish a set of novel empirical facts concerning cross-section distributions of inflation expectations reported in surveys. Almost all the variation in expectations about their mean may be summarized via three factors we call disagreement, skew, and shape. We adopt a functional principal component regression approach to estimating forward-looking models of inflation that exploits the heterogeneity present in individual-level data. By using survey information more effectively, our approach reveals an enhanced role for expectations in inflation dynamics that is robust to lagged inflation, trend inflation, and supply factors. Our findings hold in similar form across two major economies.
CrossEAI: Using Explainable AI to generate better bounding boxes for Chest X-ray images

Explainability is critical for deep learning applications in healthcare which are mandated to provide interpretations to both patients and doctors according to legal regulations and responsibilities. Explainable AI methods, such as feature importance using integrated gradients, model approximation using LIME, or neuron activation and layer conductance to provide interpretations for certain health risk predictions. In medical imaging diagnosis, disease classification usually achieves high accuracy, but generated bounding boxes have much lower Intersection over Union (IoU). Different methods with self-supervised or semi-supervised learning strategies have been proposed, but few improvements have been identified for bounding box generation. Previous work shows that bounding boxes generated by these methods are usually larger than ground truth and contain major non-disease area. This paper utilizes the advantages of post-hoc AI explainable methods to generate bounding boxes for chest x-ray image diagnosis. In this work, we propose CrossEAI which combines heatmap and gradient map to generate more targeted bounding boxes. By using weighted average of Guided Backpropagation and Grad-CAM++, we are able to generate bounding boxes which are closer to the ground truth. We evaluate our model on a chest x-ray dataset. The performance has significant improvement over the state of the art model with the same setting, with $9\%$ improvement in average of all diseases over all IoU. Moreover, as a model that does not use any ground truth bounding box information for training, we achieve same performance in general as the model that uses $80\%$ of the ground truth bounding box information for training
In-situ Conservation of Commiphorawightii: an Endangered Medicinal Shrub through Integrated Participatory Approach in the Nagarparkar Hills of Tharparkar, Pakistan

Participatory oriented actions were taken in district Tharparkar (South-eastern Pakistan) to combat desertification effects through conserving Commiphora wightii, an endangered medicinal plant and local biodiversity protectionat large scale. Synergies of various stakeholders at different levels were undertaken to strengthen local ecosystem conservation projects in Nagarparkar area of district Tharparkar by involving indigenous communities through in-situ Commiphora wightii proliferation, plantation and awareness raising programmes. Optimistic results were achieved from local communities' participation in various activities, plantation of 4250 Commiphora wightii(three and half months old)was carried out through vegetative cuttings at the selected natural rangeland sites in the study area.
Bombyx mori

32 Background: 33 The silkworm Bombyx mori is a lepidopteran model insect with biological and industrial 34 importance. Its high-quality genome sequence has recently become available and the 35 utilization of this information in combination with extensive transcriptomic analyses is 36 expected to provide an elaborate gene model. It will also be possible to clarify gene 37 expression in detail using this approach. 38 39 Results: 40 We herein performed RNA-seq analysis of ten major tissues/subparts of silkworm 41 larvae. Sequences were mapped onto the reference genome assembly and reference 42 transcriptome data was successfully constructed. The reference data provided a nearly 43 complete sequence for sericin-1, a major silk gene with a complex structure. We also 44 markedly improved the gene model for other genes. Transcriptomic expression was 45 investigated in each tissue and a number of transcripts were identified that were 46 exclusively expressed in tissues such as the testis. Transcripts strongly expressed in 47 the midgut formed tight genomic clusters, suggesting that they originated from tandem 48 gene duplication. Transcriptional factor genes expressed in specific tissues or the silk 49 gland subparts were also identified. 50
Research on knock simulation of dual fuel engine based on two-zone model

Since natural gas is different from the combustion characteristics of diesel and gasoline, gas engines are more likely to knock during operation. This paper aims to establish a relationship model between the knock phenomenon of dual-fuel engines and the operation management parameters, analyze the influence of different operation parameters on the knock phenomenon. The Wärtsilä 6L34DF dual-fuel engine simulation model is established using the two-zone combustion model, the frame data is used for model calibration, and the knock integral model and the knock intensity index (KI) model are combined as indicators for knock phenomenon simulation to analyze the influence of the intake temperature, compression ratio, jet timing and other parameters on engine knock. The results show that the combination of the knock integral model and the KI model can effectively simulate the performance and knock trend of the engine. Engine knock can be avoided by controlling the intake temperature below 338K, the compression ratio not exceeding 14 or the injection timing control at -12.5° ATDC.
Variations in the Relative Abundance of Gut Bacteria Correlate with Lipid Profiles in Healthy Adults

The gut microbiome is a versatile system regulating numerous aspects of host metabolism. Among other traits, variations in the composition of gut microbial communities are related to blood lipid patterns and hyperlipidaemia, yet inconsistent association patterns exist. This study aims to assess the relationships between the composition of the gut microbiome and variations in lipid profiles among healthy adults. This study used data and samples from 23 adult participants of a previously conducted dietary intervention study. Circulating lipid measurements and whole-metagenome sequences of the gut microbiome were derived from 180 blood and faecal samples collected from eight visits distributed across an 11-week study. Lipid-related variables explained approximately 4.5% of the variation in gut microbiome compositions, with higher effects observed for total cholesterol and high-density lipoproteins. Species from the genera Odoribacter, Anaerostipes, and Parabacteroides correlated with increased serum lipid levels, whereas probiotic species like Akkermansia muciniphila were more abundant among participants with healthier blood lipid profiles. An inverse correlation with serum cholesterol was also observed for Massilistercora timonensis, a player in regulating lipid turnover. The observed correlation patterns add to the growing evidence supporting the role of the gut microbiome as an essential regulator of host lipid metabolism.