Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and clinical profile of glaucoma patients in rural Nigeria—A hospital based study

Purpose To determine the prevalence and clinical presentation of participants with glaucoma attending a public eye care facility in Nigeria. Method Hospital based retrospective study of glaucoma participants aged 50 years and above seen over a 5-year period. Descriptive statistics summarized the demographic, clinical characteristics and treatment of the participants and determined the association of variables with gender and age. Prevalence of the glaucoma by type, and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were also calculated. Result Of the 5482 case files that were reviewed, 995 (18.15%, 95% Cl 17.15–19.19%) had glaucoma particularly primary open angle glaucoma (11.55%, 95%CI 10.73–12.42%) and were mostly females (564, 56.7%) aged 69 ± 12 years (range, 50–103 years). In contrast to other glaucoma types, the prevalence of primary angle closure glaucoma (3.68, 95%CI 3.22–4.22) increased by 15% over 5 years. The mean intraocular pressure ranged from 15–50 mmHg but higher in females than males (27.8 ± 6.1mmHg versus 26.6 ± 6.0 mmHg, P <0.05) who had comparable VA (0.58 ± 0.4 Log MAR) and cup-disc ratios (P >0.05). On presentation, the glaucoma hemi field test (GHFT) was outside the normal limits in 45.5% and 54.5% of males and females, respectively. The type of visual field defect was associated with glaucoma type (P = 0.047). Arcuate scotoma was most common (35.5%) across glaucoma types, paracentral scotoma more common in Secondary glaucoma while Seidel scotoma was highest in NTG (19.3%). Beta-blocker was the mainstay of management (42.2%) but more likely to be prescribed to males while more females received carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Conclusions The high prevalence of glaucoma in older people remains a public health problem in Nigeria. The fact that about half of the participants presented with visual field defect suggests there is a need for public health messages to emphasize on early glaucoma screening, detection and management.
A closer look at the high burden of psychiatric disorders among healthcare workers in Egypt during the COVID-19 pandemic

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which emerged in Wuhan, China and is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in January 2020 [1]. The basic reproductive rate for SARS-CoV-2 was estimated to be around 2.5 (ranging from 1.8 to 3.6), compared with an estimate of 2.0 to 3.0 for SARS-CoV and the influenza pandemic of 1918, 0.9 for Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and 1.5 for the influenza pandemic of 2009 [2]. Thus, SARS-CoV-2 is a highly contagious disease, especially in healthcare settings [1,3]. In Egypt, the number of cases had grown to approximately 158,000 cases and 8,696 deaths as of January 20, 2021 [4]. As a result, quarOBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among Egyptian healthcare workers (HCWs) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Public service motivation and organizational performance: Catalyzing effects of altruism, perceived social impact and political support

With the increasing pressures and demands from the public sector to be more efficient and effective and accountable, the idea of Public Service Motivation (PSM) and Organization Performance (OP) has become more relevant and critical. This quantitative research hypothesizes that PSM leads towards higher level of organizational performance among public sector officials and also explores the intervening effects of Altruism (ALT), Perceived Social Impact (PSI) and Political Support (PS) in this context. Based on self-administered questionnaire, data was collected from 405 public officials using random sampling strategy. Covariance Based Structural Equation Modelling was used to test the hypothesized model. Following the validation of the measurement model, structural model was developed to test the various paths predicted in the hypotheses. Analysis revealed that PSM, PS and ALT have a positive relationship with OP whereas PSM relationship with PS could not be established.
Caregiver perceived barriers to the use of micronutrient powder for children aged 6–59 months in Bangladesh

Background The effectiveness of micronutrient powder (MNP) on the health outcome of children is yet to be proved. Although studies identified the barriers to the use of MNP the underlying factors related to the barriers to the use of MNP are still unexplored. We examined the underlying factors associated with the barriers reported by the caregivers of the children aged 6–59 months in Bangladesh. Methods We analyzed pooled data of 3, 634 caregiver-child dyads extracted from eight cross-sectional surveys. The surveys were conducted as part of an evaluation of the Maternal, Infant and Young Children Nutrition programme (phase 2) in Bangladesh. We performed univariate analysis to find the barriers reported by the caregivers of the children. We identified the underlying factors related to the reported barriers by performing multiple logistic regression analysis. Results The mostly reported barrier was perceived lack of need for MNP among the caregivers of the children (39.9%), followed by lack of awareness of the product (21.7%) and cost of the product (18.1%). Caregivers of older children (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.69; 95% CI: 1.43, 2.00) and caregivers who maintained good infant and young child feeding practices (aOR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.12, 1.57) perceived more lack of need for MNP. Caregivers of the female children (aOR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.63, 0.98) were less likely to report that their children disliked MNP compared to the caregivers of the male children. Conclusion Programmes intended to effectively promote MNP among the caregivers of children aged 6–59 months should carefully consider the factors that could underlie the barriers to the use of MNP.
Three-dimensional face stability analysis of circular tunnels by numerical simulations

The face stability analysis of shallow circular tunnels driven by the pressurized shield is investigated by three-dimensional numerical simulations. Both the active and passive soil failures of the tunnel face are considered in the analysis. A comparison is performed between (i) the present numerical solutions of the ultimate pressure of the tunnel face, (ii) the results of the multiblock mechanism of the kinematical approach in limit analysis and (iii) the values of the ultimate tunnel pressure obtained from centrifuge model tests. The shortcomings of the multiblock failure mechanism are presented and discussed.
Corner effects in reflecting oblique shock-wave/boundary-layer interactions

A separated oblique shock reflection on the floor of a rectangular cross-section wind tunnel has been investigated at M=2.5. The study aims to determine if and how separations occurring in the corners influence the main interaction as observed around the centreline of the floor. By changing the size of the corner separations through localised suction and small corner obstructions it was shown that the shape of the separated region in the centre was altered considerably. The separation length along the floor centreline was also modified by changes to the corner separation. A simple physical model has been proposed to explain the coupling between these separated regions based on the existence of compression or shock waves caused by the displacement effect of corner separation. These corner shocks alter the adverse pressure gradient imposed on the boundary-layer elsewhere which can lead to local reductions or increases of separation length. It is suggested that a typical oblique shock wave/boundary-layer interaction in rectangular channels features several zones depending on the relative position of the corner shocks and the main incident shock wave. Based on these findings the dependence of centre-line separation length on effective wind tunnel width is hypothesised. This requires further verification through experiments or computation. © 2013 by H. Babinsky.
Using structural equation modeling to analyze relationships among key causes of delay in construction

Schedule delays frequently occur in construction projects. The first step in resolving delay problems is to identify the main causes of delay. Previous studies identifying significant causes of delay have not examined how different causes work together to influence project schedule delays. Structural equation modeling (SEM) of causes of delay in construction has been developed for describing and quantifying the influence of different causes. Although this empirical study is based on a survey in Taiwan’s construction environment, the proposed model is applicable to construction industries in other countries. The analytical results clearly show the correlations among key causes of delay, which is the basis for resolving future schedule delays. This study proved that SEM is capable of quantifying the comprehensive relationships among investigated factors. Additionally, SEM has a high potential to resolve experience-oriented problems in the construction industry.
Field Evaluation of Four Level Spreader-Vegetative Filter Strips to Improve Urban Storm-Water Quality

An assessment of the performance of four level spreader–vegetative filter strip (LS-VFS) systems designed to treat urban storm-water runoff was undertaken at two sites in the Piedmont of North Carolina. At each site, a 7.6-m grassed filter strip and a 15.2-m half-grassed, half-forested filter strip were examined. Monitored parameters included rainfall, inflow to, and outflow from each LS-VFS system. A total of 21 and 22 flow-proportional water quality samples were collected and analyzed for the Apex and Louisburg sites, respectively. All studied LS-VFS systems significantly reduced mean total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations (p<0.05), with the 7.6 and 15.2-m buffers reducing TSS by at least 51 and 67%, respectively. Both 15.2-m VFSs significantly reduced the concentrations of total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total nitrogen (TN), organic nitrogen (Org-N), and NH4-N (p<0.05), whereas results were mixed for the 7.6-m VFSs. Significant pollutant mass reduction was observed (p<0.05) for all nine pollutant f.
Characterization of anisotropic substrate materials for microwave applications

The authors deal with the characterization of uniaxially anisotropic substrates. The determination of permittivity tensors of anisotropic substrates for integrated circuits was performed on the basis of the measured phase constant of a single microstrip line at several frequencies by using an optimization routine and spectral-domain analysis. The investigations have shown that the dispersion characteristics of microstrip lines on isotropic and anisotropic substrate materials, respectively, differ in a manner which allows determination of the permittivity tensor of the substrate material. <<ETX>>
Industrial Engineering and Management Curriculum Profile: Developing a Framework of Competences

This paper presents a framework of competences developed for Industrial Engineering and Management that can be used as a tool for curriculum analysis and design, including the teaching and learning processes as well as the alignment of the curriculum with the professional profile. The framework was applied to the Industrial Engineering and Management program at University of Minho (UMinho), Portugal, and it provides an overview of the connection between IEM knowledge areas and the competences defined in its curriculum. The framework of competences was developed through a process of analysis using a combination of methods and sources for data collection. The framework was developed according to four main steps: 1) characterization of IEM knowledge areas; 2) definition of IEM competences; 3) survey; 4) application of the framework at the IEM curriculum.The findings showed that the framework is useful to build an integrated vision of the curriculum. The most visible aspect in the learning outcomes of IEM program is the lack of balance between technical and transversal competences. There was not almost any reference to the transversal competences and it is fundamentally concentrated on Project-Based Learning courses.The framework presented in this paper provides a contribution to the definition of IEM professional profile through a set of competences which need to be explored further. In addition, it may be a relevant tool for IEM curriculum analysis and a contribution for bridging the gap between universities and companies.
A particulate saponin/TLR agonist vaccine adjuvant alters lymph flow and modulates adaptive immunity

Description An adjuvant composed of saponin and a TLR4 agonist acts by enhancing lymph flow and antigen entry into lymph nodes. Boosting adjuvant activity Adjuvants can enhance immune responses against poorly immunogenic antigens, making them an important component of many vaccines despite the limited number currently approved for clinical use. Silva et al. developed a new adjuvant formed through self-assembly of saponin with the Toll-like receptor 4 agonist monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA) into nanoparticle structures. Compared with a panel of tested adjuvants including other saponin-based formulations, saponin/MPLA nanoparticles (SMNP) induced superior antibody and germinal center responses after immunization with a poorly immunogenic HIV antigen in both mice and rhesus macaques. SMNP increased lymphatic flow in a mast cell–dependent manner and antigen delivery to draining lymph nodes, providing insight into the mechanisms by which saponin adjuvants act to enhance humoral immune responses. Saponins are potent and safe vaccine adjuvants, but their mechanisms of action remain incompletely understood. Here, we explored the properties of several saponin formulations, including immune-stimulatory complexes (ISCOMs) formed by the self-assembly of saponin and phospholipids in the absence or presence of the Toll-like receptor 4 agonist monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA). We found that MPLA self-assembles with saponins to form particles physically resembling ISCOMs, which we termed saponin/MPLA nanoparticles (SMNP). Saponin-containing adjuvants exhibited distinctive mechanisms of action, altering lymph flow in a mast cell–dependent manner and promoting antigen entry into draining lymph nodes. SMNP was particularly effective, exhibiting even greater potency than the compositionally related adjuvant AS01B in mice, and primed robust germinal center B cell, TFH, and HIV tier 2 neutralizing antibodies in nonhuman primates. Together, these findings shed new light on mechanisms by which saponin adjuvants act to promote the immune response and suggest that SMNP may be a promising adjuvant in the setting of HIV, SARS-CoV-2, and other pathogens.
Response to Comment on “A Middle Pleistocene Homo from Nesher Ramla, Israel”

Description Marom and Rak claim, on the basis of a few mandibular features, that the Nesher Ramla (NR) Homo is a Neanderthal. Their comments lack substance and contribute little to the debate surrounding the evolution of Middle Pleistocene Homo. Limitations and preconceptions in their study prevented them from achieving resolution beyond a dichotomous interpretation of the NR as either a Neanderthal or a modern human.
Analytical critical drawdown (CDD) failure model for real time sanding potential prediction based on Hoek and Brown failure criterion

The risks of failure in sand reservoirs and consequent sand production is now a stark reality in the upstream oil and gas industry. As a result, failure analysis of reservoir rocks for sanding potential prediction purposes has become a routine activity more than ever before. Owing to the huge economic, operational and safety implications of risks of sand failure, the efficient management of these risks for field operation optimization requires a reliable failure model, which can capture the failure processes adequately in real time. Mohr coulomb failure criterion has been more widely applied for rock mechanics problems relating to sand failure analysis and production in the oil industry and elsewhere, and has been used as the basis or platform for more than 80% of the failure models being used in the industry today for rock failure analysis and sanding potential prediction. The major reasons for this could be attributed to: (a) Simplicity in understanding and use and (b) Description by a simple mathematical expression. The mathematical expression of Mohr Coulomb criterion defines shear stress as a linear function of the normal stress, which is depictive of a linear failure envelope. In addition Mohr Coulomb is only applicable to intact rocks and cannot be applied to already failed rock. Failure envelope in petroleum formation rock has however been proved to be non-linear and as such Mohr Coulomb failure criterion and the models based on it cannot be trusted to capture the failure processes adequately and reliably. In this study, Hoek and Brown failure criterion has been used as a platform to develop a new time-coupled analytical failure model for the analysis of sanding potential prediction in real time. The basis for using the Hoek and Brown failure criterion lies in its ability to capture rock failure as a non-linear process and applicability to both intact and failed rocks. This model has been tested and validated on some field data; in addition, it has been compared with another Mohr Coulomb-based drawdown failure model. The results obtained from the testing and validation scheme are very encouraging and show that Hoek and Brown criterion can indeed help overcome the inherent problems in Mohr Coulomb criterion Key words: Rock failure, sand prediction, failure criteria, critical drawdown, failure envelope, uniaxial compressive strength (UCS).
Proposed approaches for coronaviruses elimination from wastewater: Membrane techniques and nanotechnology solutions

Abstract Since the beginning of the third Millennium, specifically during the last 18 years, three outbreaks of diseases have been recorded caused by coronaviruses (CoVs). The latest outbreak of these diseases was Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), which has been declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a pandemic. For this reason, current efforts of the environmental, epidemiology scientists, engineers, and water sector professionals are ongoing to detect CoV in environmental components, especially water, and assess the relative risk of exposure to these systems and any measures needed to protect the public health, workers, and public, in general. This review presents a brief overview of CoV in water, wastewater, and surface water based on a literature search providing different solutions to keep water protected from CoV. Membrane techniques are very attractive solutions for virus elimination in water. In addition, another essential solution is nanotechnology and its applications in the detection and protection of human and water systems. Graphical abstract
Load balancing with JET: just enough tracking for connection consistency

Hash-based stateful load-balancers employ connection tracking to avoid per-connection-consistency (PCC) violations that lead to broken connections. In this paper, we propose Just Enough Tracking (JET), a new algorithmic framework that significantly reduces the size of the connection tracking tables for hash-based stateful load-balancers without increasing PCC violations. Under mild assumptions on how backend servers are added, JET adapts consistent hash techniques to identify which connections do not need to be tracked. We provide a model to identify these safe connections and a pluggable framework with appealing theoretical guarantees that supports a variety of consistent hash and connection-tracking modules. We implement JET in two different environments and with four different consistent hash techniques. Using a series of evaluations, we demonstrate that JET requires connection-tracking tables that are an order of magnitude smaller than those required with full connection tracking while preserving PCC and balance properties. In addition, JET often increases the lookup rate due to improved caching.
Application of Artificial Intelligence Modeling Technology Based on Fluid Biopsy to Diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease

Background: There are no obvious clinical signs and symptoms in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and most patients usually have mild cognitive impairment (MCI) before diagnosis. Therefore, early diagnosis of AD is very critical. This paper mainly discusses the blood biomarkers of AD patients and uses machine learning methods to study the changes of blood transcriptome during the development of AD and to search for potential blood biomarkers for AD. Methods: Individualized blood mRNA expression data of 711 patients were downloaded from the GEO database, including the control group (CON) (238 patients), MCI (189 patients), and AD (284 patients). Firstly, we analyzed the subcellular localization, protein types and enrichment pathways of the differentially expressed mRNAs in each group, and established an artificial intelligence individualized diagnostic model. Furthermore, the XCell tool was used to analyze the blood mRNA expression data and obtain blood cell composition and quantitative data. Ratio characteristics were established for mRNA and XCell data. Feature engineering operations such as collinearity and importance analysis were performed on all features to obtain the best feature solicitation. Finally, four machine learning algorithms, including linear support vector machine (SVM), Adaboost, random forest and artificial neural network, were used to model the optimal feature combinations and evaluate their classification performance in the test set. Results: Through feature engineering screening, the best feature collection was obtained. Moreover, the artificial intelligence individualized diagnosis model established based on this method achieved a classification accuracy of 91.59% in the test set. The area under curve (AUC) of CON, MCI, and AD were 0.9746, 0.9536, and 0.9807, respectively. Conclusion: The results of cell homeostasis analysis suggested that the homeostasis of Natural killer T cell (NKT) might be related to AD, and the homeostasis of Granulocyte macrophage progenitor (GMP) might be one of the reasons for AD.
Comparison of student news sharing in the Czech Republic and South Africa

Our article is focusing on the spread of fake news and social news in general. Our article answers the following research questions: How do students in the Czech Republic and the RSA differ in terms of sharing messages on social media and perceptions of safety on social media? Which students share more and which students tend to share less? How much do students trust the news from? Inspired by the survey from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, we have in the autumn of 2020 conducted a survey at the Prague University of Economics and Business on the willingness to share news on social networks. The survey had 452 respondents, not all of which were students. Although the respondents, on the one hand, claimed they do not share messages they are not convinced are truthful, a sufficient number of likes or level of interestingness of the message often persuade them to do the opposite. In this paper, we compare the responses to see which students share more and which share less, which trust social media news more, and which vet their sources more - or whether they are on the same page on these issues.