Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Radiographic And Clinical Outcomes Observed After Adult Spinal Deformity Correction Using Iliac Screw Versus S2-Alar-Iliac Screw

Background: To date, there is a paucity of reports clarifying the change of spinopelvic parameters in patients with adult spinal deformity (ASD) who underwent long segment spinal fusion using iliac screw (IS) and S2-alar-iliac screw (S2AI) �xation. Methods: A retrospective review of consecutive patients underwent deformity correction surgery for ASD between 2013 and 2017 was performed. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether IS or S2AI �xation was performed. All radiographic parameters were measured preoperatively, immediately postoperatively, and the last follow-up. Demographics, intraoperative and clinical data were analyzed between the two groups. Additionally, the cohort was subdivided according to the postoperative change in pelvic incidence (PI): subgroup (C) was de�ned as change in PI ≥ 5° and subgroup (NC) with change <5°. In subgroup analyses, the 2 different types of postoperative change of PI were directly compared. Results: A total of 142 patients met inclusion criteria: 111 who received IS and 31 received S2AI �xation. The IS group (65.6 ± 26, 39.8 ± 13.8) showed a signi�cantly higher change in lumbar lordosis (LL) and upper lumbar lordosis (ULL) than the S2AI group (54.4 ± 17.9, 30.3 ± 9.9) (p<0.05). In subgroup (C), PI signi�cantly increased from 53° preoperatively to 59° postoperatively at least 50% of IS cohort, with a mean change of 5.8° (p<0.05). The clinical outcomes at the last follow-up were signi�cantly better in IS group than in S2AI group in terms of VAS scores for back and leg. The occurrence of sacroiliac joint pain and pelvic screw fracture were signi�cantly greater in S2AI group than in IS group (25.8% vs 9%, p<0.05) and (16.1% vs 3.6%, p<0.05). Conclusions: IS �xation showed a greater change in LL and ULL than S2AI �xation in ASD
Viscoelastic behavior of reconstituted Aloe vera hydrogels as a function of concentration and temperature

ABSTRACT Viscoelastic properties for reconstituted A. vera hydrogels were evaluated in different ranges of concentration (0.2–1.6%, w/v) and temperature (30–60°C). The storage (G′) and loss (G″) moduli were well described by power function of the frequency (R2 > 0.92). The combined effect of concentration and temperature was optimized for reconstituted gel formation, targeting maximum viscoelastic moduli (G0′ and G′′0) and minimum slope (n′ and n″) values using response surface methodology. The optimum condition selected was 1.6%, w/v at 30°C having higher gel strength [G′0 (47.8 Pa.sn′) and G″0 (27.4 Pa.sn′)], as well as minimum slope values [n′ (0.24) and n″ (0.08)]. Further, the effect of initial aging time on the viscoelastic moduli of optimized sample (1.6%, w/v at 30 ± 1°C) was noticed by fitting the intermediate creep ringing data to rheological models. The viscoelastic moduli (G′J and G′K) increased with aging time (0–180 min) for optimized A. vera hydrogel, as confirmed by Jeffrey’s and Kelvin-Voigt models. The obtained results suggested that optimized conditions for reconstituted A. vera gel formation could be useful to improve the gel strength which could be useful for various food applications.
Synthesis and crystal structure of a chloro-bridged dinuclear cadmium(II) complex with 5,5,7,12,12,14-hexamethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane

Abstract The macrocyclic ligand 5,5,7,12,12,14-hexamethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane (L) reacts with cadmium(II) chloride and excess NaClO4 to give a chloro-bridged dinuclear cadmium(II) complex [Cd(L)(μ-Cl)]2·2ClO4 (1). Each cadmium(II) ion exhibits a distorted octahedral environment with two chloride ligands and four secondary amines of the macrocycle. The compound 1 crystallizes in the orthorhombic system Pbca with a=14.477(1), b=15.256(2), c=20.500(6) Å, V=4527.6(15) Å3, Z=4. Cyclic voltammetry of 1 gives one oxidation and two reduced processes.
Thermodynamic, surface and viscous properties of ternary Al–Fe–Mn alloy using theoretical modellings

ABSTRACT Thermo-physical properties of ternary Al-Fe-Mn alloys were studied using various theoretical models. The excess free energy of mixing of binary sub-systems of the ternary alloy was computed using an exponentially optimised interaction parameter in the framework of the R-K polynomial. The excess free energy of mixing of the ternary alloy was computed using different theoretical models. The surface properties of the binary and ternary alloys were calculated using Butler equation. The values of surface tensions so obtained were then used to calculate the excess surface tensions of the binary sub-systems. The optimised parameters for the excess surface tension of the binary sub-systems were then used to calculate the surface tension of the ternary alloy in the framework of different modelling equations. The viscosities of the binary sub-systems were computed using the Kaptay, Kozlov-Romanov-Petrov and Moelwyn-Hughes models and the viscosity of ternary alloys was obtained using the Chou, Toop, Kohler and Kaptay models.
Dielectric Relaxation of Water in Clay Minerals

The study of confined water dynamics in clay minerals is a very important topic in aluminosilicate-surface chemistry. Aluminosilicates are among the most technologically versatile materials in industry today. Dielectric spectroscopy is a very useful method for investigating the structure and dynamics of water adsorbed on solid matrix surfaces and water in the vicinity of ions in solutions. Use of this method for the study of clay minerals has been underutilized to date, however. The main goal of the present research was to understand the relaxation mechanisms of water molecules interacting with different hydration centers in clay minerals, with a view to eventually control this interaction. Two types of natural layered aluminosilicates (clay minerals) — montmorillonite with exchangeable K+, Co2+, and Ni2+ cations and kaolinite with exchangeable K+ and Ba2+ cations — were examined by means of dielectric spectroscopy over wide ranges of temperature (from -121°C to +300°C) and frequency (1 Hz–1 MHz). An analysis of the experimental data is provided in terms of four distributed relaxation processes. The low-temperature relaxation was observed only in montmorillonites and could be subdivided into two processes, each related to a specific hydration center. The cooperative behavior of water at the interface was observed in the intermediate temperature region, together with a proton percolation. The dielectric properties of ice-like and confined water structures in the layered clay minerals were compared with the dielectric response observed in porous glasses. The spatial fractal dimensions of the porous aluminosilicates were calculated by two separate methods — from an analysis of the fractality found in photomicrographs and from the dielectric response.
Soil chemical properties drive the structure of bacterial communities in the cotton soil of arid Northwest China

Over the last few decades, much of the desert-oasis ecotone in northwestern China has been reclaimed for cotton cultivation. However, we still know little about the composition of the soil bacterial community relative to soil chemical properties in reclaimed soil after long-term monocultural cotton production in arid and extremely arid areas. Here, we collected soil samples from two farms where cotton has been continuously planted for more than 20 years. We found that the composition of the soil bacterial communities was significantly different between these two farms, variance in which could be explained by available K, N, and P, total N, and soil pH. The relative abundance of Verrucomicrobia was significantly higher at the Xinhu farm, while Bacteroidetes and Nitrospirae predominated at the Tenth farm. Across sites, the abundance of Bacteroidetes was positively correlated with available N and P, while the abundance of Verrucomicrobia was positively correlated with total N and available K. Moreover, bacterial community diversity, as quantified via phylogenetic diversity, Shannon diversity, and operational taxonomic unit richness, was higher at the Tenth farm. These soil bacterial diversities were all positively correlated with available N, but negatively correlated with available K in arid and extremely arid areas. Our results suggest that available K, N, and P, total N, and pH are all key factors in shaping soil bacterial communities. The influence of available N and K on bacterial community diversity should therefore be considered for cotton cultivation in reclaimed soil.
COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Implications on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Operations in Zambia

The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed down the operations of enterprises of different sizes and types in different ways. The most affected are the SMEs operating in various sectors of the economy. This study sort to investigate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the operations of SMEs in the food and accommodation industry and provide policy recommendations to the government on supportive measures for SMEs. We employed an exploratory methodology with a critical review of available literature, including policy documents, research papers, and relevant literature to the sector Data was collected from four provinces using a survey method, and analysis was conducted through descriptive statistics. The findings indicate that most of the SME's monthly revenues have gone down by more than 50 percent and they are facing challenges such as failing to pay workers, restricted number of customers, and high cost of inputs. Besides, 21 percent of the SMEs reported improved adherence to health guidelines as one of the mitigating factors to minimise the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, only 4 percent of the SMEs have accessed financial support from Government but their businesses have remained the same. Based on these findings, policy recommendations have been made to help SMEs survive during the crisis.
Improving sentence simplification model with ordered neurons network

Sentence simplification is an essential task in natural language processing and aims to simplify complex sentences while retaining their primary meanings. To date, the main research works on sentence simplification models have been based on sequence ‐ to ‐ sequence (Seq2Seq) models. However, these Seq2Seq models are incapable of analysing the hierarchical structure of sentences, which is of great significance for sentence simplification. The problem can be addressed with an ON ‐ MULTI ‐ STAGE model constructed based on the improved MULTI ‐ STAGE encoder model. In this model, an ordered neurons network is introduced and can provide sentence ‐ level structural information for the encoder and decoder. A weak attention connection method is then employed to make the decoder use the sentence ‐ level structural details. Experimental results on two open data sets demonstrated that the constructed model outperforms the state ‐ of ‐ the ‐ art baseline models in sentence simplification.
Locally Optimal Subsampling Strategies for Full Matrix Capture Measurements in Pipe Inspection

In ultrasonic non-destructive testing, array and matrix transducers are being employed for applications that require in-field steerability or which benefit from a higher number of insonification angles. Having many transmit channels, on the other hand, increases the measurement time and renders the use of array transducers unfeasible for many applications. In the literature, methods for reducing the number of required channels compared to the full matrix capture scheme have been proposed. Conventionally, these are based on choosing the aperture that is as wide as possible. In this publication, we investigate a scenario from the field of pipe inspection, where cracks have to be detected in specific areas near the weld. Consequently, the width of the aperture has to be chosen according to the region of interest at hand. On the basis of ray-tracing simulations which incorporate a model of the transducer directivity and beam spread at the interface, we derive application specific measures of the energy distribution over the array configuration for given regions of interest. These are used to determine feasible subsampling schemes. For the given scenario, the validity/quality of the derived subsampling schemes are compared on the basis of reconstructions using the conventional total focusing method as well as sparsity driven-reconstructions using the Fast Iterative Shrinkage-Thresholding Algorithm. The results can be used to effectively improve the measurement time for the given application without notable loss in defect detectability.
THE CASE OF GREECE

During the past few decades there appeared to be an important increase in the interest about the environmental issues, the sustainability and the better management of development, respecting the environmental resources. Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of policies, plans and programmes, introduced by the European Commission and incorporated to the national legislation of the member states, is trying to achieve sustainable development always respecting the environment. The role of SEA is closely connected to the idea of sustainability since it was recognized as a mechanism for the success of sustainable development. Strategic Environmental Assessment constitutes a motive and at the same time a challenge for all the EU member states in order to promote a more sustainable way of assessing the impacts of plans and programmes. Applying SEA to Greek programmes and plans, as well as to all the other countries of the EU the sustainability of the countries could be strengthened and confirmed.
Effectiveness of Combined Treatment Using Physical Exercise and Ultrasound-Guided Radiofrequency Ablation of Genicular Nerves in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis

Radiofrequency (RF) is a mini-invasive neuromodulation intervention that is commonly used in chronic pain conditions including general musculoskeletal pain related to several diseases, including knee osteoarthritis (KOA). However, to date, few studies investigated synergistic therapeutic approaches combining RF with rehabilitative physical exercise protocols in KOA patients. This prospective cohort study aimed at assessing the short-term effects on pain in KOA patients of a multimodal intervention consisting of ultrasound (US)-guided RF geniculate ablation and concomitant rehabilitative physical exercise. We included grade III KOA patients with knee pain (Numerical Pain Rating Scale, NPRS >4) not responsive to conventional treatments. They underwent a combined intervention including US-guided RF geniculate ablation and a 2-week physical exercise program. At the baseline (T0) and 1 month after (T1) we assessed: NPRS, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scale (KOOS), quality of life, exercise adherence, and safety. All the 47 KOA patients enrolled (68.8 ± 13.7 years old) showed a reduction of pain (NPRS: 7.48 ± 1.74; 3.63 ± 1.68; p < 0.001). In addition, there was a significant improvement (p < 0.05) also in the other functioning and HRQoL outcomes. Adherence to the exercise program was over 80% in more than half (28) of the patients. No major adverse events were reported. These findings suggested that US-guided RF ablation of genicular nerves combined with rehabilitative exercise therapy might be considered a safe and effective approach in the complex management of KOA patients.
A New, Ecologically Self-Significant Metric of Species-Abundance Unevenness, Reliably Highlighting the Intensity of Interspecific Competition

A wide series of commonly used metrics of abundance-evenness (or -unevenness) have been proposed to characterize synthetically the distributions of species-abundances, accounting for the hierarchic-like organization of species within natural communities. Among them, most – if not all– have been relevantly criticized on their serious limitations regarding both their “descriptive” and their “interpretative” capacities. From the descriptive point of view, many authors have already repeatedly emphasized the formal non-independence of conventional (un-)evenness metrics with respect to species-richness, leading, in particular, to unacceptable bias when comparing communities differing by their species-richness, thus making these metrics unreliable descriptors in this respect. Now, as regards the capacity to provide relevant ecological interpretations, especially in terms of the intensity of competition among co-occurring species, the weakness of conventional (un-)evenness metrics is readily highlighted by the usual absence of any associated interpretation of this kind in the literature: the conventional (un-)evenness metrics being restricted to purely descriptive purpose only. Accordingly, a newly designed abundance-unevenness metric – the “standardized abundanceunevenness” index is proposed, positively addressing both kinds of limitations evoked above. By Method Article Béguinot; ARRB, 36(4): 48-71, 2021; Article no.ARRB. 67322 49 standardizing a conventional measure, U, of abundance-unevenness to the corresponding measure, U’, of the abundance-unevenness in the well-known “broken-stick” model, the resulting “standardized unevenness” index (Istr = U/U’) proves to be efficient against both the major limitations pointed-out above: indeed, the new index does benefit by being both (i) formally independent from species-richness, thereby allowing reliable, unbiased comparisons of abundance unevenness between species-communities, whatever their difference in species-richness; (ii) able to relevantly quantify the mean intensity of interspecific-competition within community, in term of its direct outcome upon the degree of species-abundance unevenness. This double success being, of course, the direct consequences of the properties of the “broken-stick” distribution model, originally put forth in a well-known, yet insufficiently thoroughly exploited paper by the regretted Robert MACARTHUR.
Comparative study of pregnancy- related complications of women with and without polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

Background: Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a multifactorial metabolic condition, characterised by infertility, anovulation, hyperandrogenism and increased risk for many metabolic diseases like Diabetes mellitus. Materials & Methods: A prospective cohort study of 100 pregnant women (50 women with PCOS and 50 women without PCOS) aged 20-35 years attending the gynaecology outpatient department of VMKV Medical college and hospital was conducted from over a period of 18 months to determine the maternal complications associated with PCOS. Results: Mean age of the participants is 26.5. The participants with overweight/obesity are 34.0% among the women with PCOS when compared to 26.0% among the women without PCOS (p=0.375). Gestational diabetes is reported in 23.4% women with PCOS as against 14.6% women without PCOS. Women with PCOS are having 2.65 times the higher risk of having pre-eclampsia. Primigravida are having 2.89 times higher chance of presenting with PCOS. Conclusion: Among the women with PCOS, GDM and pre-eclampsia are the common pregnancy related complications. Obesity is independently associated with GDM, pre-eclampsia and spontaneous abortion.
Urban regenerative thinking and practice: a systematic literature review

ABSTRACT Regenerative approaches to the built environment represent a conceptual departure from reductionist sustainability fields. By utilizing the inherent interconnections between social-ecological systems as an informing foundation, regenerative fields have the potential to facilitate transformation towards sustainable cities. This paper provides a systematic review of publications on urban regenerative thinking and practice, including across urban development stages and sectors. Results indicate precincts as the optimum scale for regenerative intervention and provide insights into the worldviews underpinning regenerative approaches. The targets and aspirations of regenerative fields are well-documented, along with the practical challenges to effective implementation. Gaps in the literature are identified including paradigmatic and definitional inconsistencies across urban regenerative thinking and practice. Similarly, there is a lack of detail on the realization of planning aspirations at subsequent stages of building lifecycles. The sample also does not extensively outline the specific engagement mechanisms required to remove barriers to regenerative practice or encourage its uptake across geographic and legislative contexts. Whilst the operationalization of regenerative principles in high-density urban environments remains a challenge, these fields offer transformative frameworks to not only mitigate further harm but also achieve net-positive natural and social outcomes.
ARINC653 Channel Robustness Verification Using LeonViP-MC, a LEON4 Multicore Virtual Platform

Multicore hardware platforms are being incorporated into spacecraft on-board systems to achieve faster and more efficient data processing. However, such systems lead to increased complexity in software development and represent a considerable challenge, especially concerning the runtime verification of fault-tolerance requirements. To address the ever-challenging verification of this kind of requirement, we introduce a LEON4 multicore virtual platform called LeonViP-MC. LeonViP-MC is an evolution of a previous development called Leon2ViP, carried out by the Space Research Group of the University of Alcalá (SRG-UAH), which has been successfully used in the development and testing of the flight software of the instrument control unit (ICU) of the energetic particle detector (EPD) on board the Solar Orbiter. This paper describes the LeonViP-MC architectural design decisions oriented towards fault-injection campaigns to verify software fault-tolerance mechanisms. To validate the simulator, we developed an ARINC653 communications channel that incorporates fault-tolerance mechanisms and is currently being used to develop a hypervisor level for the GR740 platform.
The Economic Function of Credit Rating Agency and Watchlist

Despite increasing importance, the economic function of watchlist of Korean credit rating agency (CRA) has not been studied profoundly yet. Two explanatory lines exist for the reason behind watchlist placement: information delivery vs. implicit contract. Information delivery argument suggests that CRAs place watchlist to meet investors’ demand for accurate and stable rating information. Implicit contract argument suggests that CRAs place watchlist to give a firm chance to recover from deteriorated credit quality. I find that watchlist placement is more strongly associated with the information delivery argument. Albeit not strong, evidence also indicates that CRAs do consider fundamental quality of a firm and that accounting quality matters in watchlist placement process. Overall, findings suggest that a CRA in Korea has enhanced its economic role as an information intermediary using watchlist.
Effect of Additives in the Reaction Medium on Noncatalytic Ester Production from Used Frying Oil with Supercritical Ethanol

In this study, the noncatalytic production of ethyl esters from used frying oil (UFO) in a continuous process was evaluated under supercritical conditions. Experiments were performed with the objective of evaluating the effect of the addition of water, a co-solvent (n-hexane), and ethyl esters to the reaction medium, applying different temperatures and keeping the oil:ethanol mass ratio (1:1), pressure (20 MPa), and residence time (40 min) fixed. The results demonstrated that the formation of fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) is favored at higher temperatures. The addition of 5 wt % water increased the yield, while no significant effect (p > 0.05) was noted with the addition of 10 wt % water. The addition of cosolvent and ethyl esters in the range investigated plays a vital role in maximizing the FAEE yields for most conditions studied. The presence of water and cosolvent reduced the degree of fatty acids decomposition, while the addition of ethyl esters increased this parameter. The effect of the residence .