Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enhancing Fetal Anomaly Detection in Ultrasonography Images: A Review of Machine Learning-Based Approaches

Fetal development is a critical phase in prenatal care, demanding the timely identification of anomalies in ultrasound images to safeguard the well-being of both the unborn child and the mother. Medical imaging has played a pivotal role in detecting fetal abnormalities and malformations. However, despite significant advances in ultrasound technology, the accurate identification of irregularities in prenatal images continues to pose considerable challenges, often necessitating substantial time and expertise from medical professionals. In this review, we go through recent developments in machine learning (ML) methods applied to fetal ultrasound images. Specifically, we focus on a range of ML algorithms employed in the context of fetal ultrasound, encompassing tasks such as image classification, object recognition, and segmentation. We highlight how these innovative approaches can enhance ultrasound-based fetal anomaly detection and provide insights for future research and clinical implementations. Furthermore, we emphasize the need for further research in this domain where future investigations can contribute to more effective ultrasound-based fetal anomaly detection.
The study of shielding design parameter (thickness) in two health tertiary institutions in Katsina Metropolis, Nigeria

The safety of the patient is of highest importance during diagnostic imaging which uses various forms of ionizing radiations mainly photons (x-rays and gamma rays). Both the patient and personnel working in the diagnostic facility may be exposed to unintentional source of radiations during diagnostic imaging. This study was conducted at the Federal Medical Center, Katsina and General Amadi Rimi Specialist Hospital, Katsina to assess the shielding adequacy of the barriers required to attenuate the intensity of X-ray to recommended limit. The National Council on Radiation Protection and measurement (NCRP), Report No 147 was used to evaluate the shielding barriers of the radiographic rooms in the two facilities. Calculation was done using the number of patients (N), occupancy factor (T), Design dose limit (P) and the distance to the occupied area (controlled and uncontrolled area). The result shows that the room area meets the recommendation of Nigeria Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NNRA) of at least 16 m2 and the shielding requirement for the primary barrier is slightly higher than secondary barrier of each room. The calculated shielding requirement for the primary barrier of room I, room II and room III of Federal Medical Center, Katsina and room IV of General Amadi Rimi Specialist Hospital, Katsina are 0.59 mm, 0.46 mm, 0.36 mm and 0.48 mm respectively. The maximum calculated shielding requirement for the secondary barriers in room I, room II, and room III of Federal Medical Center, Katsina and room IV of General Amadi Rimi Specialist Hospital, Katsina are 0.55 mm, 0.48 mm, 0.63 mm and 0.48 mm respectively. The ratio of the calculated to current material thickness is less than one (<1) for all the rooms.This indicates that the shielding barriers in the facilities are adequate. Hence, can accommodate future increase in the number of patients examined in the diagnostic rooms per week.
Lower Cretaceous turbidites of the Moray Firth: sequence stratigraphical framework and reservoir distribution

Lower Cretaceous depositional systems of the Moray Firth are influenced by eustatic sea-level oscillations which have been dramatically overprinted by two major phases of pulsed tectonism, the Late Cimmerian and Austrian. The biostratigraphical resolution obtained has allowed the timing and differentiation of distinct tectonic/sequence boundaries, some of which are utilized as important seismo-stratigraphic markers. The construction of detailed facies maps for individual sequences has, in parallel, allowed an insight into the tectonic history of the main source areas during the Early Cretaceous.
Influence of Altitudes on Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activities of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot Wines in Loess Plateau Region

To understand the influence of different altitudes on phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot wines, and provide some theoretical evidence for wines from 3 different altitude's vineyards which located in Loess Plateau region, the physicochemical index, the phenolic content, antioxidant activities and non-anthocyanin individual phenolic content of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot wines were analyzed. These results showed that the contents of total phenolic, total flavonoids and total flavanols compounds in Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot wines from valley land and flat land vineyards were significantly higher than other two slope lands. The higher altitude vineyard had, the more content of anthocyanins Cabernet Sauvignon wines contained, Merlot wines had little difference among three terrain conditions. The antioxidant activities of two monovarietal wines in valley land and flat land were the strongest among three terrain's vineyards. Those wines contained the same compositions of non-anthocyanidin phenolic substances from 3 different terrain conditions, but the content of non-anthocyanins phenolic substances existed influence of the different discrepancy. The contents of catechin and epicatechin in valley land and flat valley were more 30% than them in two slope land wines, the content of total flavonol in slope land wines was higher than them in valley land and flat land vineyards. Different altitudes had certain effect on quality of grape berries, but the influence was inconsistent for different quality indices. The contents of phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities in Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot wines from those lower altitude vineyards of Loess Plateau region were significantly higher than their slope vineyards.
Anticoagulation-Associated Bleeding in Patients Screened for Atrial Fibrillation versus Usual Care—A Post Hoc Analysis from the LOOP Study

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) prevalence is rising; however, data on the bleeding risks associated with the detection of subclinical AF are needed. Objective Our objective was to determine the bleeding increment associated with implantable loop recorder (ILR) screening for subclinical AF and subsequent anticoagulation initiation compared with usual care. Methods This post hoc study utilized LOOP trial data from 6,004 elderly patients with stroke risks randomized to either ILR ( n = 1,503) or usual care ( n = 4,503). The mean follow-up time was 64.5 months, and none were lost to follow-up. The primary exposure was the initiation of oral anticoagulation, and the main outcome was the risk of major bleeding events following initiation of oral anticoagulants (OACs), determined by time-dependent cox regression. Second, we investigated antithrombotic prescription patterns and major bleeding events after antiplatelet treatment and in subgroups. Results OAC was initiated in 1,019 participants with a mean age (years) of 78.8 (± 4.67) in control versus 77.0 (± 4.84) in ILR, p < 0.0001. Altogether did 202 participants end or pause OAC treatment. Among AF patients (n = 910) had 40 (28%) completely ended OAC and 105 (72%) temporarily paused OAC during follow-up. Major bleeding events totaled 221 (3.7%). Forty-seven major bleeding events followed an OAC initiation in 1,019 participants (4.6%); 26 versus 21 events in the control and ILR groups, respectively. The hazard ratio (HR) for major bleeding after OAC initiation compared with before initiation was 2.08 (1.50–2.90) p < 0.0001 overall, 2.81 (1.82–4.34) p < 0.0001 for control and 1.32 (0.78–2.23) p = 0.31 for the ILR group ( p = 0.07 for interaction). Antiplatelet treatment resulted in an overall adjusted HR of 1.3 (0.96–1.75) p = 0.09. For OAC users aged ≥75 years in the ILR group, the rate of major bleeding was 1.73 (0.92–2.96) compared with 0.84 (0.36–1.66) for an age <75 years, and the rate of the corresponding control subgroup aged ≥75 years was 2.20 (1.23–3.63) compared with 1.64 (0.82–2.93) for an age <75 years. Conclusion The individual risk of major bleeding increased twofold after initiation of oral anticoagulation for all patients in this study. However, the patients screened for subclinical AF did not have a higher bleeding risk after initiation of anticoagulation compared with those in usual care. Trial Registration: The LOOP study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT020364 50
Radiocarbon dated Pinus sylvestris L. wood from beyond tree-line on the Kola Peninsula, Russia

Radiocarbon dates were obtained from 24 samples of Pinus sylvestris L. (Scots pine) wood recovered from sites beyond the modern conifer tree-line on the Kola Peninsula of Russia. Twenty-one of the samples came from the shallow waters and eroding peats at the edges of two small lakes at 68°439N, 35°109E, located north of the modern conifer tree-line. Three samples came from a small pond located above the modern elevational limits of Pinus sylvestris at 68°259N, 35°199E. The radiocarbon dates indicate that pine trees grew approximately 20 km north of the mapped modern limits of the species from 6680 BP to 3830 BP. Pine trees were also growing some 40 m above their modern elevational limits between 5890 BP and 3450 BP. Nineteen of the samples date from 6680 BP to 5070 BP, suggesting that the density of trees north of the modern tree-line was greatest between 7000 and 5000 BP. The timing of tree-line advance and greatest density on the Kola Peninsula are in agreement with the results of similar studies from northern Fennoscandia which indicate that maximum northern and elevational extension of tree-line occurred between 7000 BP and 4000 BP. The general agreement between tree-line reconstructions suggests that the climatic changes that promoted mid-Holocene tree-line extension along the North Atlantic margins in northern Fennoscandia propagated eastward to the Kola Peninsula. The late timing of initial pine expansion on the Kola and in adjacent northern Fennoscandia remains problematic and may relate to lower winter insolation, temperature regimes in the adjacent oceans or slow rates of migration.
Measurement of transfer factors from soil-to-plant/food crop of Naturally Occurring Radionuclide Materials (NORMs) in Nigeria: a review

One of the most crucial factors in the environmental safety assessment for the local and global communities, situated either in normal background areas or around nuclear facilities, is the uptake of radionuclides from soil by plants, which is typically stated as soil-to-plant Transfer Factor (TF) or Transfer Coefficient (TC). Such a metric, which can be defined as the ratio of radioactivity unit per dry crop mass to that of unit per dry soil mass, is necessary for environmental transfer models, which help to estimate the radionuclide concentrations in agricultural crops and calculate the dose exposure to people. In this article, a number of research studies conducted by scholars in Nigeria, published in both national and international journals, were compiled and reviewed for the purpose of providing an integrated and synthesized overview of the current state of knowledge on NORMs’ transfer factors in Nigeria. The activity concentrations of 40K, 226Ra, 228Ra, 232Th and 238U were measured by different research groups using gamma ray spectrometry coupled with either NaI(Tl) or HPGe detector. The activity concentrations of natural radioactivity in soils samples were generally higher than the values recorded in plant and food crop samples in almost all the research studies considered in the review. About 79% of the values of soil-to-plant transfer factor of 40K in all the studies under review were greater than the recommended value, while the values of transfer factors reported for 232Th and 238U were all greater than the recommended values.
Childhood Trauma, Depression, Anxiety, Stress and Quality of Life in Women with Hashimoto's Disease: Descriptive Research

ABS TRACT Objective: Hashimoto’s disease is the most common autoimmune thyroid disease and the most common cause of hypothyroidism. Recent studies demonstrate that many report significant impairment in quality of life (QOL) compared to controls of similar age and sex, even when they are adequately medically treated. As of yet, there are limited studies that have investigated this issue. The pre-sent study aimed to examine the unique contribution of childhood trauma, depression, anxiety and stress on QOL, among women with medically adequately treated Hashimoto’s disease. In route of this aim, the study also contributes to the Hashimoto’s disease literature available on childhood trauma and the associations between depression, anxiety, stress, childhood trauma and QOL. Material and Methods: Eighty three women (mean age=35.47±6.19 years) with well-controlled Hashimoto’s disease for ≤ 6 months, filled out the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire, Childhood Trauma Question-naire-33, Depression Anxiety Stress-21 scale and a sociodemographic form. Data was analyzed via correlation and simple linear regression. Results: Emotional neglect and OP-OC were the most commonly re-ported childhood traumas among women with Hashimoto’s disease, but only emotional neglect (p ≤ 0.05) and emotional abuse (p ≤ 0.01) significantly negatively correlated with QOL. Depression (11.8%) and stress (9.8%,) were the only variables to explain the variance in QOL. Finally, stress was significantly negatively correlated with QOL, and OP-OC was significantly positively correlated with stress (p ≤ 0.05). Conclu-sion: Emotional abuse, emotional neglect, depression and stress must be considered in terms of QOL in women diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease. Suggestions for future studies are discussed.
Development and Utilization Webquest as an Instructional Strategy in Teaching Thermodynamics in Colleges of Education in Kwara State

The worldwide education system has been significantly impacted by the growth of technology. The purpose of the study was to developed and utilized Webquest instructional package for the teaching of thermodynamic in chemistry. This intended to see if its usage will bring significance understanding to pre service chemistry teacher’s performance Thermodynamics is one of the chemistry topics students find difficult to understand. The study was carried out in colleges of education in Kwara State. All third-year chemistry students at the colleges of education made up the study's population. A thermodynamics performance test in Chemistry and the Webquest software program served as the study's two research tools. Data for the pre-test and post-test were collected at the start and conclusion of the study, respectively. The study revealed that students had a different impression of studying thermodynamics, in accordance with the research aims and findings. The students in the webQuest group claimed that using the webQuest package gave them a fresh perspective on how to comprehend the notion of thermodynamics, it is essential for the organizations in charge of teacher training colleges across the nation to promote the use of webQuest in instruction and training for teachers-in-training.
Landsat Thematic Mapper monitoring of turbid inland water quality

This study reports on an investigation of water quality calibration algorithms under turbid inland water conditions using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) multispectral digital data. TM data and water quality observations (total suspended solids and Secchi disk depth) were obtained near-simultaneously and related using linear regression techniques. The relationships between reflectance and water quality for Green Bay and Lake Michigan were compared with results for Yellowstone and Jackson Lakes, Wyoming. Results show similarities in the water quality-reflectance relationships, however, the algorithms derived for Green Bay - Lake Michigan cannot be extrapolated to Yellowstone and Jackson Lake conditions. 17 refs.
An Assessment of Environmental Sanitation and Solid Waste Management in Ibadan North Local Government, Oyo State, Nigeria

Poorly controlled and roadside dumping of wastes not only degrades aesthetic quality and beauty of the environment but also pollute soil and water resources as well as serving as potential health hazards to the populace. This study was therefore carried out to assess the environmental sanitation and solid waste management in Ibadan North Local Government of Oyo State, Nigeria. Structural functionalist theory and theory of planned behaviour were used as the theoretical framework. The study employed descriptive survey design. The sample for the study was 416 respondents selected through a combination of cluster and purposive sampling techniques. Primary data were collected through questionnaire and in-depth interviews. Quantitative data collected were analysed at both univariate and bivariate levels while qualitative data were content analysed. Findings from the study revealed that environmental sanitation and solid wastes are managed by a combination of agencies at both state and local government levels as well as private agencies. There was a significant relationship between the awareness of governmental agencies and awareness of public/private partnership (X2=12.887, df=l, p<O.05). Majority of the residents acknowledged the effectiveness of the public/private partnership and there was a positive relationship between the residential wards of respondents and the means of waste disposal employed such as burning (X2=26.081, df=J1, p<O.05) with the exception of community dumpsites which showed a negative relationship (X2=17.788, df=ll, p>O.05). Also, the relationship between residential wards of respondents and the number of times solid wastes are collected was positive (X2=85.810, df=44, p<O.05). The communities with inaccessible roads are hardly visited by the governmental and private agencies to collect solid wastes. The study also showed that residents in Ibadan North LGA have positive attitudes concerning some aspects of environmental sanitation but have negative attitudes towards other aspects of solid waste management. There should be continuous enlightenment of residents, strict enforcement of sanctions and rewards for good waste management practice in order to enhance the effectiveness of solid waste management in Ibadan North LGA.
South Asian Journal of Global Business Research Emerald Article: Work-life balance in South East Asia: the Indian experience

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an in‐depth country perspective on work‐life balance issues in India.Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative approach is used that includes case studies of work‐life interventions offered by a sample of Indian organizations. Primary and secondary data were gathered through interviews with HR managers and from company web sites.Findings – Commonly offered work‐life interventions by Indian companies address issues of gender equality, flexibility, stress reduction, health awareness and childcare.Research limitations/implications – Sample of organizations in the study is purposive in nature and HR policies of smaller companies in the informal sector are not included. Future research needs to consider how India's unequal economic development across the organized and unorganized sectors may affect effectiveness of work‐life interventions.Practical implications – Based on India's socio‐cultural realities additional work‐life interventions are suggested in the.
Exploring the Impact of Thinning Operations on Forest Ecosystems in Tropical and Temperate Regions Worldwide: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract: Thinning is a major tending operation conducted in a forest stand to obtain various objectives, including forest products and ecosystem services. The impact of thinning in tropical and temperate forests is one of the least studied subjects. Therefore, this study aims to look for such studies in the tropical and temperate regions and find out the trend in the response of the remaining trees regarding tree growth and development, climate resilience, and other services. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) framework and Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcome measures (PICO) tools were used to select the important papers according to defined objectives and then data extraction and analysis. Extracted data was grouped, pooled, and sorted to see if there were any temporal or spatial trends or patterns in the variables studied, and the reviews' findings were detailed. The impacts on the growth and yield of a forest or stand from thinning have been widely studied throughout the world. However, there are still some uncertainties regarding species-specific responses. This review also underscores the need for studies on the effects of thinning on other ecosystem services, including non-wood forest products, biodiversity, social functions, and tradeoffs between different ecosystem services. The study stresses the importance of long-term trials for forest ecosystem monitoring. Furthermore, analysis on the impact of thinning on other ecosystem services except growth and yield discovered that the few researches conducted to date, especially as regards to biodiversity and provisioning functions, must focus on a large number of ecosystem services without only concentrating on the components described in past studies. This will help us to develop our understanding of different ecosystem services and their responses after thinning and enable us to analyze the trade-offs between them. While managing forests, we cannot maximize all the services at the same time. However, with the best available knowledge on tradeoffs between different outcomes, we can optimize the benefits.
Virtual reality as a tool to explore multisensory processing before and after engagement in physical activity

Introduction This pilot study employed a non-randomized control trial design to explore the impact of physical activity within a virtual reality (VR) environment on multisensory processing among community-dwelling older adults. Methods The investigation compared both chronic (over 6 weeks) and acute effects of VR-based physical activity to a reading control group. The evaluation metrics for multisensory processing included audiovisual response time (RT), simultaneity judgments (SJ), sound-induced flash illusion (SIFI), and temporal order judgments (TOJ). A total of 13 older adults were provided with VR headsets featuring custom-designed games, while another 14 older adults were assigned to a reading-based control group. Results Results indicated that acute engagement in physical activity led to higher accuracy in the SIFI task (experimental group: 85.6%; control group: 78.2%; p = 0.037). Additionally, both chronic and acute physical activity resulted in quicker response times (chronic: experimental group = 336.92; control group = 381.31; p = 0.012; acute: experimental group = 333.38; control group = 383.09; p = 0.006). Although the reading group showed a non-significant trend for greater improvement in mean RT, covariate analyses revealed that this discrepancy was due to the older age of the reading group. Discussion The findings suggest that immersive VR has potential utility for enhancing multisensory processing in older adults. However, future studies must rigorously control for participant variables like age and sex to ensure more accurate comparisons between experimental and control conditions.