Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Heterogeneity in INF-γ Levels Among Children with Different Types of Epilepsy

Background: Epilepsy is the most frequent chronic neurologic disorder of childhood, with a reported higher incidence in underdeveloped countries. The pathogenesis of epilepsy involves complex mechanisms that are still not fully understood. In recent years, researchers have shown increasing interest in understanding the role of inflammation in epilepsy. One such component of the neuroinflammatory cascade is Interferon-Gamma (IFN-γ), a pro -inflammatory cytokine known for its role in immune responses. However, recent studies have revealed that IFN-γ possesses multifaceted properties, including potential neuroprotective and anticonvulsant effects. Multiple studies have re ported elevated levels of IFN-γ in the serum, cerebrospinal fluid, and brain tissue of patients with epilepsy. The precise mechanisms through which IFN - γ contributes to epilepsy remain incompletely understood . Objectives: The present study aimed to compare IFN-γ levels in drug-resistant epilepsy patients with those with well-controlled epilepsy and healthy controls. Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study enrolled 56 children: 20 with drug-resistant epilepsy, 20 with well-controlled epilepsy, and 16 healthy controls matched in demographic characteristics. Venous blood samples were collected from all participants for cytokine (chemokines, PGE2, and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) analysis . Results: IFN-γ levels were not elevated in the study groups. The results indicate a co nsiderable heterogeneity in IFN-γ levels among different types of epilepsy. The interquartile range (IQR) of targeted IFN-γ was lower in the drug -resistant epilepsy patients compared to well-controlled epilepsy and healthy control groups. Conclusions: The role of IFN-γ in epilepsies is complex and context -dependent. The precise role of IFN-γ in epilepsy warrants exploration; further research is needed to explore the current understanding of the relationship between IFN-γ and childhood epilepsy. The find ings from this study may contribute to a better understanding of the role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of epilepsy and could potentially support the development of novel therapeutic approaches targeting cytokine dysregulation in epilepsy.
Patient Blood Management after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in a Pediatric Setting: Starting Low and Going Lower

Despite the substantial transfusion requirements, there are few studies on the optimal transfusion strategy in pediatric patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Our study aimed to retrospectively analyze red blood cell (RBC) and platelet (PLT) transfusion practices during the first 100 days after HSCT at the pediatric hematology/oncology unit of our hospital between 2016 and 2019, due to a more restrictive approach adopted after 2016. We also evaluated the impact on patient outcomes. A total of 146 consecutive HSCT patients were analyzed. In patients without hemorrhagic complications, the Hb threshold for RBC transfusions decreased significantly from 2016 to 2017 (from 7.8 g/dL to 7.3 g/dL; p = 0.010), whereas it remained the same in 2017, 2018, and 2019 (7.3, 7.2, and 7.2 g/dL, respectively). Similarly, the PLT threshold decreased significantly from 2016 to 2017 (from 18,000 to 16,000/μL; p = 0.026) and further decreased in 2019 (15,000/μL). In patients without severe hemorrhagic complications, the number of RBC and PLT transfusions remained very low over time. No increase in 100-day and 180-day non-relapse mortality or adverse events was observed during the study period. No patient died due to hemorrhagic complications. Our preliminary observations support robust studies enrolling HSCT patients in patient blood management programs.
Effects of corporate marketing strategy, brand awareness, and perceived quality on brand equity for accounting service

Brand equity and trust are consistently the most important antecedents to both behavioral and attitudinal forms of customer loyalty (Taylor et al., 2004). Accounting service refers to a service that offers bookkeeping, accounting, and reporting in alignment with both local and international accounting regulations. These services possess unique qualities, necessitating the service providers to establish themselves as reputable entities. It is crucial for them to maintain their brand equity to attract and retain customers. Thus, the study aims to identify and measure the influence of marketing mix, brand awareness, and perceived quality on brand equity for accounting services in Thanh Hoa province, Vietnam. Quantitative data were collected, including 385 businesses using accounting services at all levels across the country. The research results show that all elements of the marketing mix (product quality, price, distribution, and advertising), brand awareness, and perceived quality have a positive impact on brand equity for accounting services in Thanh Hoa province. The study also contributes some policy implications to help accounting service providers enhance their brand equity and then maintain customer satisfaction and customer loyalty.
On the coupling between spin-up and aspect ratio of vortices in rotating stratified flows: a predictive model

We consider the long-time (many revolutions) behaviour of an axisymmetric isolated anticyclonic vortex of constant density which floats inside a large ambient linear-stratified fluid rotating with constant ${\it\Omega}$ . We have developed a closed simple model for the prediction of the vertical thickness to diameter aspect ratio ${\it\alpha}$ (and actually the shape) and internal angular velocity ${\it\omega}$ , relative to the ambient, as functions of time $t$ . (In our model ${\it\omega}$ is scaled with ${\it\Omega}$ ; the literature sometimes uses the Rossby number $Ro={\it\omega}/2$ .) This model is an extension of the model of Aubert et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 706, 2012, pp. 34–45) and Hassanzadeh et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 706, 2012, pp. 46–57), which derived the connection between ${\it\alpha}$ and ${\it\omega}$ , for prescribed $f=2{\it\Omega}$ and buoyancy frequency of the ambient $\mathscr{N}$ . This work adds the balance of angular momentum and resolves the spin-up process of the vortex, which were not accounted for in the previous model. The Ekman number $E={\it\nu}/({\it\Omega}L^{2})$ now enters into the formulation; here ${\it\nu}$ is the coefficient of kinematic viscosity and $L$ is the half-height of the vortex, roughly (a sharper definition is given in the paper). The model can be applied to cases of both fixed-volume and injection-sustained vortices. The often-cited aspect ratio ${\it\alpha}=0.5f/\mathscr{N}$ corresponds to ${\it\omega}\approx -1$ , which is a plausible initial condition for typical systems. We show that the continuous ‘decay’ of ${\it\alpha}$ from that value over many revolutions of the system is indeed governed by the spin-up effect which reduces $|{\it\omega}|$ , but with significant differences to the classical spin-up of a fluid in a closed solid container. The spin-up shear torque decays with time because the thickness of the boundary shear layer increases. The layer starts as a double Ekman layer (between two fluids) but it quite quickly expands due to stratification effects, and later due to viscous diffusion. This prolongs the spin-up somewhat beyond the classical $E^{-1/2}/{\it\Omega}$ time interval. Moreover, when $|{\it\omega}|$ becomes small, the momentum of angular inertia of the vortex increases like $(1+(1/3)|{\it\omega}|^{-1})$ ; this further hinders the spin-up, and prolongs the process. Comparisons of the prediction of the model with previously published experimental and Navier–Stokes simulation data were performed for four cases. In three cases the agreement is good. In one case, the model predicts a much faster decay than the observed one; we have suggested a plausible explanation for this discrepancy.
Quasinormal modes of anti-de Sitter black holes

Author(s): Gannot, Oran | Advisor(s): Zworski, Maciej | Abstract: Quasinormal frequencies are the damped modes of oscillation associated with linearized perturbations of a black hole. In this thesis we study the distribution of these frequencies in the complex plane for a class of solutions to the Einstein equations with negative cosmological constant; these are the so-called anti-de Sitter spacetimes. Particular emphasis is placed on the family of rotating Kerr--AdS black holes.
Food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices among restaurants’ food handlers in North Lebanon: Evaluation of the food safety training

This study was conducted to assess food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices among restaurant food handlers in North Lebanon and to determine what impact the food safety intervention had on the performance of workers. A structured questionnaire of 35 questions has been used to collect information on socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes and practices for 110 food handlers randomly working in 38 food service establishments via face-to-face questioning interviews during three months. The intervention was made to a subgroup of 13 participants followed by a reassessment. The average percentage scores of all food handlers for knowledge, attitudes, and practices were 63.78%, 83.63% and 81%, respectively. For the 13 participants who received the intervention, a significant improvement was observed in their performance after the training (p ˂ 0.001).
Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice towards Influenza Vaccination among Older Adults in Southern China during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Influenza is prevalent globally, leading to severe morbidity and mortality. During the pandemic, knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) towards influenza virus and vaccination were less investigated among southern Chinese older adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted through the structured questionnaire among community healthcare centers in selected districts in Shenzhen, southern China from September to October 2021. KAP towards influenza virus and vaccination were analyzed. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify associated factors. Among 975 participants, 55.6% were reported to have received influenza vaccination ever, and 46.6% had taken influenza vaccination in 2020 during the pandemic. Only one-fifth of participants knew severe comorbidities happen among severe influenza cases. A total of 88.3% thought older adults should have influenza vaccination. COVID-19 vaccination history was associated with receiving influenza vaccination (OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.32–2.80). People with a high-level income had better KAP towards influenza virus and vaccination. COVID-19 vaccination history was associated with the positive actions of influenza vaccination during the pandemic. Efforts should be made to promote the free influenza vaccination program widely and launch health education events on influenza and its vaccination regularly to improve KAP among older adults.
In Vitro Drug Susceptibility of a Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum Isolate from a Visceral Leishmaniasis Pediatric Patient after Multiple Relapses

The parasitic protozoan Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum is the etiological agent of human visceral leishmaniasis in South America, an infectious disease associated with malnutrition, anemia, and hepatosplenomegaly. In Brazil alone, around 2700 cases are reported each year. Treatment failure can occur as a result of drug, host, and/or parasite-related factors. Here, we isolated a Leishmania species from a pediatric patient with visceral leishmaniasis that did not respond to chemotherapy, experiencing a total of nine therapeutic relapses and undergoing a splenectomy. The parasite was confirmed as L. (L.) infantum after sequencing of the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer, and the clinical isolate, in both promastigote and amastigote forms, was submitted to in vitro susceptibility assays with all the drugs currently used in the chemotherapy of leishmaniasis. The isolate was susceptible to meglumine antimoniate, amphotericin B, pentamidine, miltefosine, and paromomycin, similarly to another strain of this species that had previously been characterized. These findings indicate that the multiples relapses observed in this pediatric patient were not due to a decrease in the drug susceptibility of this isolate; therefore, immunophysiological aspects of the patient should be further investigated to understand the basis of treatment failure in this case.
Deep Learning for Dental Diagnosis: A Novel Approach to Furcation Involvement Detection on Periapical Radiographs

Furcation defects pose a significant challenge in the diagnosis and treatment planning of periodontal diseases. The accurate detection of furcation involvements (FI) on periapical radiographs (PAs) is crucial for the success of periodontal therapy. This research proposes a deep learning-based approach to furcation defect detection using convolutional neural networks (CNN) with an accuracy rate of 95%. This research has undergone a rigorous review by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and has received accreditation under number 202002030B0C505. A dataset of 300 periapical radiographs of teeth with and without FI were collected and preprocessed to enhance the quality of the images. The efficient and innovative image masking technique used in this research better enhances the contrast between FI symptoms and other areas. Moreover, this technology highlights the region of interest (ROI) for the subsequent CNN models training with a combination of transfer learning and fine-tuning techniques. The proposed segmentation algorithm demonstrates exceptional performance with an overall accuracy up to 94.97%, surpassing other conventional methods. Moreover, in comparison with existing CNN technology for identifying dental problems, this research proposes an improved adaptive threshold preprocessing technique that produces clearer distinctions between teeth and interdental molars. The proposed model achieves impressive results in detecting FI with identification rates ranging from 92.96% to a remarkable 94.97%. These findings suggest that our deep learning approach holds significant potential for improving the accuracy and efficiency of dental diagnosis. Such AI-assisted dental diagnosis has the potential to improve periodontal diagnosis, treatment planning, and patient outcomes. This research demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of using deep learning algorithms for furcation defect detection on periapical radiographs and highlights the potential for AI-assisted dental diagnosis. With the improvement of dental abnormality detection, earlier intervention could be enabled and could ultimately lead to improved patient outcomes.
Isometric Arm Forces Exerted by Females at Different Levels of Physical Comfort and Their EEG Signatures

A variety of subjective measures have traditionally been used to assess the perception of physical exertion at work and related body responses. However, the current understanding of physical comfort experienced at work is very limited. The main objective of this study was first to investigate the magnitude of isometric arm forces exerted by females at different levels of physical comfort measured on a new comfort scale and, second, to assess their corresponding neural signatures expressed in terms of power spectral density (PSD). The study assessed PSDs of four major electroencephalography (EEG) frequency bands, focusing on the brain regions controlling motor and perceptual processing. The results showed statistically significant differences in exerted arm forces and the rate of perceived exertion at the various levels of comfort. Significant differences in power spectrum density at different physical comfort levels were found for the beta EEG band. Such knowledge can be useful in incorporating female users’ force requirements in the design of consumer products, including tablets, laptops, and other hand-held information technology devices, as well as various industrial processes and work systems.
Description of Neuropsychological Profile in Patients with 22q11 Syndrome

Background: 22q11 deletion syndrome (SD22Q11) is a neurogenetic condition that is associated with a high risk of neurodevelopmental disorders and intellectual disability. People with SD22Q11, both children and adults, often experience significant difficulties in social interactions, as well as neurocognitive deficits, and have elevated rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Despite this, the relationship between basic cognitive processes and cognitive ability in this population has not been well investigated. Methods: the main objective of the present research is to describe the neurocognitive profile of people with SD22Q11 using standardized neuropsychological assessment instruments. For this purpose, a sample of 10 participants aged between 7 and 15 years was administered an assessment battery with the following tests: WISC-V, CELF-5, NEPSY-II, CSAT-R, CARAS-R, TP, MABC-2, BRIEF-2, SENA, DABAS, ABAS-II, SCQ, and ADOS-2. Results: the results showed IQ scores in the borderline normal range, as well as difficulties in language functions, social skills, motor skills, and executive functions. Conclusions: an individualized assessment taking into account the globality of its expression, and a therapeutic approach adapted to the specific needs of children with this syndrome is essential.
Dynamic & norm-based weights to normalize imbalance in back-propagated gradients of physics-informed neural networks

Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) have been a promising machine learning model for evaluating various physical problems. Despite their success in solving many types of partial differential equations (PDEs), some problems have been found to be difficult to learn, implying that the baseline PINNs is biased towards learning the governing PDEs while relatively neglecting given initial or boundary conditions. In this work, we propose Dynamically Normalized Physics-Informed Neural Networks (DN-PINNs), a method to train PINNs while evenly distributing multiple back-propagated gradient components. DN-PINNs determine the relative weights assigned to initial or boundary condition losses based on gradient norms, and the weights are updated dynamically during training. Through several numerical experiments, we demonstrate that DN-PINNs effectively avoids the imbalance in multiple gradients and improves the inference accuracy while keeping the additional computational cost within a reasonable range. Furthermore, we compare DN-PINNs with other PINNs variants and empirically show that DN-PINNs is competitive with or outperforms them. In addition, since DN-PINN uses exponential decay to update the relative weight, the weights obtained are biased toward the initial values. We study this initialization bias and show that a simple bias correction technique can alleviate this problem.
AEDES SURVEILLANCE AND OVIPOSITION PREFERENCES: A CASE STUDY WITHIN UNIVERSITY CAMPUS AND HOSPITAL AREA

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and preference of the Aedes mosquitoes to oviposit based on the container index, types of container and types of water. To achieve the aim, 58 ovitraps consisted two types, modified can and plactic material Aedes Larva Ovitrap (ALOT), each were placed side by side at selected sampling sites within a university campus and teaching hospital area. Five different types of water were used (rain water, tap water, reverse osmosis water, pond water and well water). The identified Aedes species in this study were more for Aedes Albopictuscompared to Aedes Aegypti, with more mosquito eggs were oviposited in modified can and rain water. In conclusion, Aedes surveillance using ovitrap is the most sensitive, cost-effective and reliable method to detect the presence of Aedes species.
Dampak Dari Struktur Aktiva, Firm size, Pertumbuhan Perusahaan Terhadap Struktur Modal Pada Perusahaan Manufaktur

The main objective of this research is to examine the effect of asset structure, company size and company growth on capital structure. Seventy-nine (79) companies were selected using the purposive sampling method from companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) from 2020 to 2022. This study used multiple regression analysis to analyze the data and used SPSS 21 to process the data. The main results are: 1). Asset structure variable (X1) has no impact on capital structure and has a negative relationship, 2). Firm size variable (X2) has an impact on capital structure and a positive relationship, 3). The company growth variable (X3) has no impact on capital structure and has a negative relationship. Based on the results of the F test, it is known that simultaneously the independent variables consisting of asset structure, company size and company growth have no effect on capital structure simultaneously (simultaneously). Based on the results of the Determination Coefficient Test (R2) it is known that capital structure (Y) can be explained by three independent variables, namely asset structure (X1), firm size (X2) and company growth (X3) of 1.3%. While the remaining 98.7% can be explained by other variables not included in this research model.
Knowledge of physical activity, physical activity level and waist-to-hip ratio in adults with diabetes in a Ghanaian municipality

Summary Objectives To investigate the knowledge about physical activity, physical activity levels and waist-to-hip ratio among persons living with diabetes in the Ho Municipality. Design Cross-sectional observation study. Setting The researcher collected data from two diabetes clinics in the Ho Municipality of Ghana. Participants Consenting persons living with diabetes who attended the diabetes clinics. Main outcome measures Participants' waist-to-hip ratio, knowledge of the physical activity and level of activity according to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Results There were 106 participants, and the modal age was 60 years or older (50.94% (n= 54)). Of the total, 62.3% (n = 66) were women, and the mean knowledge level was 12.7±1.58 (range: 0-17). Mean waist-to-hip ratio was 0.92 ± 0.10) with 25.5% (n = 27) men and 48.1% (n = 51) women recording abnormally increased waist-to-hip ratios. Additionally, 44% of participants engaged in low physical activity levels, whereas 10% participated in high levels. There were no significant associations between physical activity levels and waist-to-hip ratios (r = 0.176, p=0.071). Conclusion Persons with diabetes in the Ho Municipality mostly engaged in low and moderate physical activity levels and had abnormally increased waist-to-hip ratios suggesting abdominal obesity. Knowledge of physical activity may be associated with physical activity performance and waist-to-hip ratio, bearing an inverse association with physical activity levels. Funding None declared