Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Glucokinase Gene Mutations in Subjects with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus from Gaza Strip

Objective: This study was conducted in order to evaluate the frequency of GCK gene mutations in exons 7, 8 & 9 in women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) and their relationship to some biochemical parameters as compared to healthy controls. Methods: Samples were collected from 45 GDM women and 42 apparently healthy pregnant women. DNA was extracted and the samples were screened for GCK exons 7, 8 & 9 mutations at positions C.682A>G (p.Thr228Ala); C.895G>C (p.Gly299Arg) and C.1148C>A (p.Ser383X), respectively. The mutations were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methodology. Investigated biochemical features included: fasting blood glucose (FBG), oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), HbA1c, insulin and the lipid profile. Results: The results showed that 9 out of the 45 (i.e., 20%) GDM subjects harbored the exon 8 (895G>C) mutation. Neither exon 7 (c.682A>G) nor exon 9 (c.1148C>A) was encountered in the study population. Moreover, the level of FBG, OGTT and HBA1c were higher in the c.895G>C mutation-positive subjects, as compared to mutation-negative ones. Conclusions: The screening of GDM patients for GCK gene mutations allowed for the identification of glucokinase-deficient patients diagnosed as GDM. Therefore, molecular screening is important for the differential diagnosis of GDM and MODY2 and consequently, proper patient management.
ESG Performance and Stock Price Volatility in Public Health Crisis: Evidence from COVID-19 Pandemic

Unlike traditional financial crises, COVID-19 is a global public health crisis with a significant negative impact on the global economy. Meanwhile, the stock market has been hit hard, and corporate share prices have become more volatile. However, the stock prices of some enterprises with good performance of ESG (Environment, Social, and Governance) are relatively stable in the epidemic. This paper selects ESG rating data from MSCI (Morgan Stanley Capital International) with better differentiation, adopts multiple regression and dummy variables, and adopts the Differences-in-Differences (DID)model with the help of COVID-19, an exogenous event. Empirical test the impact of ESG performance on the company’s stock price fluctuations. The results show that the stock price volatility of companies with good ESG performance is lower than that of companies with poor performance. Second, COVID-19 exacerbates volatility in company stock prices, but the increase in stock price volatility of companies with good ESG performance is small. That is, good ESG performance helps reduce the increase in stock price volatility due to COVID-19 shock, and plays a role in enhancing “resilience” and stabilizing stock prices. This paper provides new empirical evidence for the study of ESG performance and corporate stock price volatility, and puts forward relevant policy recommendations for enterprises and government departments.
Reliability performance of ETOX based flash memories

The reliability performance of a 64 K flash memory based on a single-transistor, floating-gate memory cell is considered. The reliability performance of these memories, before program/erase cycling, matches that of UV EPROMs. Cycling generally does not introduce defect-related failures common to some EEPROMs. However, it may aggravate two intrinsic instabilities found in the UV EPROM (intrinsic charge loss and the DC program disturb mechanism). Experience shows that these are related effects caused by injection of holes during the erase step of the cycle. High source-to-substrate electric fields, during erase, generate these holes. Channel hot electron injection, for programming, plays no significant role in the observed degradation. These cycling effects can be addressed through incorporation of additional margin into the flash cell. Through such cell optimization, the reliability of these memories is made equivalent to that of conventional UV EPROMs, even after hundreds of program/erase cycles. <<ETX>>
The Darkest Place Is under the Candlestick-Healthy Urogenital Tract as a Source of Worldwide Disseminated Extraintestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli Lineages

Since the discovery of the urinary microbiome, including the identification of Escherichia coli in healthy hosts, its involvement in UTI development has been a subject of high interest. We explored the population diversity and antimicrobial resistance of E. coli (n = 22) in the urogenital microbiome of ten asymptomatic women (representing 50% of the sample tested). We evaluated their genomic relationship with extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) strains from healthy and diseased hosts, including the ST131 lineage. E. coli prevalence was higher in vaginal samples than in urine samples, and occasionally different lineages were observed in the same individual. Furthermore, B2 was the most frequent phylogenetic group, with the most strains classified as ExPEC. Resistance to antibiotics of therapeutic relevance (e.g., amoxicillin-clavulanate conferred by blaTEM-30) was observed in ExPEC widespread lineages sequence types (ST) 127, ST131, and ST73 and ST95 clonal complexes. Phylogenomics of ST131 and other ExPEC lineages revealed close relatedness with strains from gastrointestinal tract and diseased host. These findings demonstrate that healthy urogenital microbiome is a source of potentially pathogenic and antibiotic resistant E. coli strains, including those causing UTI, e.g., ST131. Importantly, diverse E. coli lineages can be observed per individual and urogenital sample type which is relevant for future studies screening for this uropathogen.
Precise Dose of Folic Acid Supplementation Is Essential for Embryonic Heart Development in Zebrafish

Simple Summary Folic acid is an essential vitamin for human beings. It has become a consensus to supplement folic acid during pregnancy. It is reported that 15~20% of people in the world supplement folic acid excessively. We found that excessive folic acid supplementation or insufficient folic acid intake could lead to abnormal heart development in zebrafish embryos. We elucidated the mechanism of folic acid on early cardiac development for the first time. These results provide a scientific basis for the important reasonable supplement dose of folic acid. At the same time, we constructed zebrafish mutants with abnormal folate metabolism, which provide a novel biological model for the study of folate acid metabolism. Abstract Folic acid, one of the 13 essential vitamins, plays an important role in cardiovascular development. Mutations in folic acid synthesis gene 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is associated with the occurrence of congenital heart disease. However, the mechanisms underlying the regulation of cardiac development by mthfr gene are poorly understood. Here, we exposed zebrafish embryos to excessive folate or folate metabolism inhibitors. Moreover, we established a knock-out mutant of mthfr gene in zebrafish by using CRISPR/Cas9. The zebrafish embryos of insufficient or excessive folic acid and mthfr−/− mutant all gave rise to early pericardial edema and cardiac defect at 3 days post fertilization (dpf). Furthermore, the folic acid treated embryos showed abnormal movement at 5 dpf. The expression levels of cardiac marker genes hand2, gata4, and nppa changed in the abnormality of folate metabolism embryos and mthfr−/− mutant, and there is evidence that they are related to the change of methylation level caused by the change of folate metabolism. In conclusion, our study provides a novel model for the in-depth study of MTHFR gene and folate metabolism. Furthermore, our results reveal that folic acid has a dose-dependent effect on early cardiac development. Precise dosage of folic acid supplementation is crucial for the embryonic development of organisms.
Real-Time Crash-Risk Optimization at Signalized Intersections

Over the past few decades, numerous adaptive traffic signal control (ATSC) algorithms have been proposed to alleviate traffic congestion and optimize traffic mobility using real-time traffic data, such as data from connected vehicles (CVs). However, most of the existing ATSC algorithms do not consider optimizing traffic safety, likely because of the lack of tools to evaluate safety in real time. In this paper, we propose a novel ATSC algorithm for real-time safety optimization. The algorithm utilizes a traditional Reinforcement Learning approach (i.e., Q-learning) as well as recently developed extreme value theory (EVT) real-time crash prediction models. The algorithm was validated using real-world traffic video data collected from two signalized intersections in British Columbia. The results indicated that, compared with an existing fully actuated signal controller, the developed algorithm can significantly reduce the real-time crash risk by 43% to 45% at the intersection’s approaches even at low CVs market penetration rates.
DETERMINANTS OF SOURCE SEPARATION OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: THE CASE OF GHANA

Source separation of municipal solid waste, (rarely practised in Ghana and Africa) which holds great promise to usher the country and continent into the realm of integrated and sustainable solid waste management is reviewed in this study. The study examines the determinants of source separation as the technical heart of a sustainable solid waste management option. The research was conducted mainly through interviews and survey across the socio-economic divide to determine willingness and ability to separate waste at source. Emphasis was placed on the degree and category of separation, and motivational measures likely to promote public acceptance and increase efficiency and coverage of future source separation processes. The study showed that residents have the ability and are willing to source separate waste into at least two streams. Biodegradables and plastics are the most preferred components of separation. Major anticipated challenges of the process include bin storage space and consistency of collection of segregated waste. Motivational expectations towards a future source separation program include provision of free storage bins to householders.
The hierarchy of Davydov's Ansätze and its applications

This review provides a bird's eye view over the development of the hierarchy of Davydov's Ansätze and its applications in a variety of problems in computational physical chemistry. Davydov's original solitons appeared in the 1970s as a candidate for vibrational energy carriers in proteins, thanks to their association with the Fröhlich Hamiltonian and the Holstein molecular crystal model. Momentum‐space projection of those solitary waves emerged to be great approximations to the ground‐state wave functions of the extended Holstein Hamiltonian, lending unambiguous evidence to the absence of formal quantum phase transitions in those systems. The multiple Davydov Ansätze are introduced, with increasing multiplicity, as incremental improvements of their corresponding single‐Ansatz parents. The time‐dependent variational formalism of Davydov's Ansätze is discussed in great detail, and the relative deviation of the Ansätze is constructed to quantify how faithfully they follow the Schrödinger equation, a quantity that is shown to vanish in the limit of large multiplicities. Three approaches to finite‐temperature variational dynamics of Davydov's Ansätze are demonstrated, namely, the Monte Carlo importance sampling, the method of thermo‐field dynamics, and the method of displaced number states. Applications of Davydov's Ansätze are given to variants of the spin‐boson model, the Landau–Zener transition, the Holstein Hamiltonian, energy transfer in light‐harvesting, and singlet fission in organic photovoltaics. As an example, simulation of multidimensional spectroscopic signals via Davydov's Ansätze is fully implemented for the finite‐temperature fission process in crystalline rubrene.
Determining Air Voids Content of Compacted Stone Matrix Asphalt Mixtures

This study compared the difference in air voids, optimum asphalt content, and voids in mineral aggregate (VMA) by using the saturated surface dry (SSD) and CoreLok methods for determining bulk specific gravity of the compacted specimen. The critical air voids level at which stone matrix asphalt (SMA) mixtures are considered to become permeable was also determined for the gradations used in this study. Some of the pertinent conclusions are as follows. (a) There is a significant difference between air voids content measured by the SSD method and the CoreLok method, (b) The CoreLok method resulted in a higher optimum asphalt content and VMA than designs based on the SSD method. (c) The CoreLok method may have a system error that overestimated the air voids content at zero to low air voids levels; therefore, a correction factor was suggested to apply to the CoreLok results if needed. (d) At a permeability threshold of 125 X 10-5 cm/s, the critical air voids contents are 4.5%, 5.7%, and 7.8% by the SSD method for 19-, 12.5-, and 9.5-mm nominal maximum aggregate size (NMAS) SMA mixtures, respectively, (e) Both the SSD and corrected CoreLok methods can be used for SMA 9.5-mm NMAS mixtures. For SMA 12.5-mm NMAS mixtures with 6.0% or more air voids and for SMA 19-mm NMAS mixtures with more than 4% air voids, there is a greater potential for error by the SSD method, and the corrected CoreLok method should be used.
DMA transfer method for wide-range speed and frequency measurement

A frequency measurement method based on both pulse counting and time measurement during a constant sampling time is presented. The content of a free-running timer is transferred by a direct memory access (DMA) to a memory location after each rising edge of an input pulse, so the DMA transfer counter serves as a pulse counter. Several sources of measurement errors are discussed in detail. The DMA method is suitable for real-time speed control system with an integrated DMA controller. >
Djulis Hull Improves Insulin Resistance and Modulates the Gut Microbiota in High-Fat Diet (HFD)-Induced Hyperglycaemia

In this study, we annotated the major flavonoid glycoside, rutin, of djulis hull crude extract using a Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking (GNPS) library and its MS/MS spectra. To evaluate the protective effect of djulis hull crude extract and rutin on glucose tolerance, we fed mice a high-fat diet (HFD) for 16 weeks to induce hyperglycaemia. These results showed that crude extract significantly decreased HFD-induced elevation in the area under the curve (AUC) of weekly random blood glucose and oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT), homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR), and advanced glycation end product (AGE) levels, and significantly increased pIRS1 and Glut4 protein expression in epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) and liver. Furthermore, the HFD-induced reduction in the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT) was reversed by crude extract. In addition, ZO-1 and occludin protein expression in the colon was markedly downregulated in HFD-fed mice, resulting in decreased intestinal permeability and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) translocation, but were restored following crude extract. Moreover, the crude extract intervention had a profound effect on the alpha diversity and microbial community in the gut microbiota. Therefore, djulis hull crude extract could improve blood glucose and increase insulin receptor sensitivity in HFD-induced hyperglycaemia, which is likely due to its modulation of the gut microbiota, preservation of the integrity of the intestinal barrier to reduce body inflammation, increased antioxidant activity, and modulation of insulin signalling.
Dysphagia Weakly Correlates With Other Patient-Reported Outcomes After Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion

Introduction Dysphagia is a common complication after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), but it is not a routinely asked question in legacy patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). This study analyzes whether there are associations between dysphagia and legacy outcome measures. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 168 patients who underwent ACDF surgery from 2017 to 2019 at a single institution. Demographics, anthropometric data, Neck Disability Index (NDI), Visual Analog Scale (VAS)-Arm and VAS-Neck Pain scores, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-Physical and PROMIS-Mental scores, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), and Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10) were obtained for each patient preoperatively and at one, three, six, and 12 months postoperatively. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the bivariate correlations between legacy, PROMIS, and EAT-10 measures. Results Significant but weak correlations existed between NDI and EAT-10 at one, three, and six months postoperatively (correlation coefficient (R) = 0.31, 0.42, and 0.34 at one, three, and six months, p < 0.001) and VAS-Neck Pain and EAT-10 scores at one, three, and six months postoperatively (R = 0.27, 0.30, and 0.28 at one, three, and six months, p ≤ 0.004). Both PROMIS-Physical and PROMIS-Mental scores showed significant but weak correlations with EAT-10 scores at three and six months postoperatively (R = -0.29 and -0.25, p ≤ 0.01, at three months and R = -0.25 and -0.28, p < 0.01, at six months). In all comparisons of EAT-10 scores with legacy outcome measures, the significance of correlations disappeared by 12 months postoperatively. In addition, there was a positive association between CCI and EAT-10 score (β = 0.37, p < 0.05). Conclusion Weak correlations exist between self-reported dysphagia scores and legacy patient-reported outcome measures in patients undergoing ACDF. The correlation strength decreases over time; therefore, dysphagia scores should be reported separately when looking at outcomes after ACDF. Patients with more comorbidities are also at increased risk for dysphagia.
A CRESCENT-SHAPED MONOPOLE MIMO ANTENNAS WITH IMPROVED ISOLATION FOR DUAL-BAND WLAN APPLICATIONS

A multi-input multi-output (MIMO) antenna system is presented for wireless devices operating at WLAN (2.45, 5.25, and 5.775GHz) bands. Each of the two antennas in the MIMO system consists of a crescent-shaped monopole whose first part covers the 2.45GHz band while its second part covers the 5.25GHz and 5.775GHz bands. The second part of the monopole is a slot etched in the protruded ground plane between the two antennas. A decoupling mechanism in the form of two interlaced ring-shaped slots is used. The proposed MIMO antenna system is designed on an FR4 substrate with overall dimensions of 40 × 47.5 × 1.5mm and a small edge-to-edge spacing of 7.3mm between two antennas. According to the measured results, the proposed design covers two frequency bands (2.2–2.83GHz and 5.03–5.95GHz) and has a mutual coupling of −20.78 dB at 2.45GHz and −42.65 dB at 5.55GHz. The proposed antenna’s performance in both simulations and testing indicates that it is a good choice for WLAN applications.
Self‐audit of process performance

Quality audit, as a methodology for evaluating system, product and/or process performance against established requirements, has experienced substantial growth in worldwide use in recent years. This is largely due to the steady increase in ISO 9000 registrations, which topped 350,000 in the year 2000. Based on the fundamental principles of independence, objectivity and professionalism, the audit is an irreplaceable tool when confirmation of compliance with standards is sought. However, it commonly fails in enabling continuous improvement and spanning the differing aspects of business performance beyond conventional “quality assurance”. This paper argues for removing one of the principles of traditional auditing, namely independence, to empower the process owner to conduct periodic self‐evaluations of process performance. Such “self‐audits” would be less formal than quality audits, and, much like the better‐known self‐assessments against business excellence models, aimed at continuous quality improvement. The concept, principles and practices of a self‐audit are focused on.
Experimental Studies Of A Superconducting Electromagnetic Thruster For Seawater Propulsion And Future Technological Challenges

The Naval Underwater Systems Center (NUSC) designed, built, and operated a Superconducting Electromagnetic Thruster (SCEMT) test facility in 1990. The test facility consists of four major components: the seawater tunnel, the 3.3 Tesla superconducting magnet, the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) test section including high current electrodes, and the control and instrumentation system. During the initial test series 29 tests were conducted at over 100 test conditions. MHD channel pressure increase, channel velocity, magnetic induction, electric field, and saltwater conductivity were recorded for both steady-state and transient flow cases. These data were processed to calculate overall thruster efficiency, thrust, back-EMF, steady-state and transient performance, and MHD non-dimensional parameters. A description of the facility, instrumentation, prediction analysis, and processing of the experimental data is presented. The results of this study of seawater MHD are compared to the liquid metal pump and MHD generator results that are well known in the literature. The major challenges ahead are: The manufacturability of high-field, light-weight compact superconducting magnets using composite materials and aluminum stabilizer; the gasless electrode systems that generate an environmentally neutral electrochemical end product and no bubble trails; and conductivity enhancement to further increase the propulsion efficiency.
Role of hydrologic information in stochastic dynamic programming: a case study of the Kemano hydropower system in British Columbia

This paper presents a study describing the effect of various hydrological variables in stochastic dynamic programming (SDP) for solving the optimization problem of managing a hydropower system. We will show how choosing the best hydrological variables can strongly affect management policies. This is especially true for the system studied here, namely the Kemano hydroelectric system located in British Columbia, Canada, which is subject to large streamflow volumes due to significant snow cover during winter. Real-time snow water equivalent (SWE) data can be used directly as a variable in SDP management policies. Results indicate that for the system in this study, the maximum SWE (i.e., highest level of SWE observed from the start of winter to the current decision period) is the best among the methods investigated for effective, safe management, compared with Markov or order p autoregressive models when forecasts are not available.