Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Image Quality Causes Substantial Bias in Three-Dimensional Speckle-Tracking Echocardiography Measures

BACKGROUND Three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (3D-STE) is increasingly used to assess left ventricular (LV) mechanics but the quantitative effect of image quality on measurements is not known. OBJECTIVES To assess the impact of image quality on 3D-STE derived LV indices. METHODS Echocardiography was performed in two groups of 18 healthy participants. In the first study, optimal and intentionally poor-quality images were acquired. In the second study, a sheet of ultrasound-attenuating material (neoprene rubber) of three different thicknesses (2, 3 and 4 mm) was used to mimic mildly, moderately and severely impaired image quality respectively. RESULTS In both studies sub-optimal image quality resulted in a systematic underestimation bias in all LV deformation and rotational indices. LV ejection fraction and volumes were also consistently underestimated. The extent of the bias was proportional to the impairment in image quality (i.e. the poorer the image quality the larger the bias). Reproducibility was also less good for sub-optimal images, although LV volumes and ejection fraction showed excellent reproducibility irrespective of image quality. CONCLUSIONS Sub-optimal image quality introduces a substantial systematic bias and impairs the reproducibility of 3D-STE. Bias related to image quality might have important clinical implications since its magnitude is similar to that reported in association with disease and may confound associations between disease and LV mechanics. CONDENSED ABSTRACT Three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (3D-STE) is increasingly used in clinical practice. We assessed the impact of sub-optimal image quality on left ventricular (LV) deformation indices either by poor echocardiographic technique or by impairing ultrasound propagation using a neoprene sheet. Sub-optimal image quality introduces a substantial systematic bias that increases with poorer image quality. Bias due to image quality might have important clinical implications since its magnitude is similar to that reported in association with disease.
Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure: Tax Agresiveness Indication?

The purpose of this study to test whether Corporate Social Responsibility disclosure can be used as a firms’ indication of the tax aggressiveness. Unlike the previous study, this paper uses both Effective Tax Rate Differences and Current Effective Tax Rate to provide the degree of aggressiveness. Besides, it compares among industries in Indonesia. The independent variable of this research is Corporate Social Responsibility disclosure measured by the Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure Index based on the GRI G4 standard. The sample of this research is companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange during the 2014-2018 period, except for the financial and construction sector. With 506 observations, the results of this research indicate that Corporate Social Responsibility disclosure has a significant effect on tax aggressiveness. The research implication provides the awareness to the tax authority that a good reputation of social responsibility can be a sign of tax aggressiveness existence. In addition, the result suggests that industry type is needed to be considered relate to taxation strategies.
Response of winter wheat to herbicide plus fungicide plus ammonium thiosulphate tank-mixes

Abstract: A study was conducted at six field sites near Exeter and Ridgetown, ON, over a 3 yr period (2014, 2015, and 2016) to determine the effect of ammonium thiosulphate (ATS), various fungicides (azoxystrobin/propiconazole, trifloxystrobin/prothioconazole, or pyraclostrobin/metconazole), and various herbicides (bromoxynil/MCPA, thifensulfuron/tribenuron + MCPA, pyrasulfotole/bromoxynil, or 2,4-D/dichlorprop) applied alone and in tank-mix combinations on winter wheat crop injury and grain yield. The treatments were applied using Hypro ULD120-02 flat-fan nozzles around Zadoks growth stage 30. The herbicides and fungicides caused <0.6% leaf injury when ATS was not added to the tank-mix. When averaged across fungicides in ATS tank-mixes, leaf injury 1 wk after treatment application was 3.5% to 3.7% with thifensulfuron/tribenuron and dichlorprop-P/2,4-D herbicides and 5.1% to 5.8% injury with bromoxynil/MCPA and thifensulfuron/tribenuron herbicides. On the three field sites with the highest leaf injury, a fungicide–ATS tank-mix increased injury to 4.5% averaged across fungicides and to 4.3% with a herbicide–ATS tank-mix averaged across herbicides. Three-way tank-mixes of herbicide–fungicide–ATS caused the highest injury (7.1%). Despite significant crop injury 1 WAA with some tank-mixes, there was no evidence that grain yields were adversely affected. This study shows that the co-application of a three-way tank-mix of ATS with fungicides (azoxystrobin/propiconazole, trifloxystrobin/prothioconazole, or pyraclostrobin/metconazole) and herbicides (bromoxynil/MCPA, thifensulfuron/tribenuron + MCPA, pyrasulfotole/bromoxynil, or dichlorprop-P/2,4-D) has the potential to cause considerable injury in winter wheat under some environmental conditions in Ontario, but the effect seems transient, with no grain yield reductions detected.
Turnover among young adults in the hospitality industry: examining the impact of fun in the workplace and training climate

PurposeAs a step toward more firmly establishing factors to promote retention among younger employees in the hospitality industry, this study aims to focuses on fun in the workplace (fun activities, manager support for fun and coworker socializing) and training climate (organizational support, manager support and job support) as potential antecedents of turnover in a European context.Design/methodology/approachLogistic regression was used to analyze the impact of fun and training climate on turnover with a sample of 902 employees from Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands. Data on fun and training climate were obtained through surveys, which were paired with turnover data from organizational records.FindingsWith respect to fun in the workplace, group-level manager support for fun and coworker socializing were significantly related to turnover, but not fun activities. With respect to training climate, individual-level job support was significantly related to turnover, but not organizational support and manager support.Research limitations/implicationsAs the data were obtained from employees from one organization, further research would be valuable with additional samples to substantiate the generalizability of the results.Practical implicationsGiven the challenge of turnover, organizations should foster informal aspects of fun in the workplace and learning opportunities to promote retention.Originality/valueThe study examined the fun–turnover relationship in a context outside of the USA where previous fun–turnover research has been conducted, and it examined fun relative to training climate, which has not been studied heretofore. This study also investigated group- and individual-level effects of both fun and training climate on turnover.
Detrimental Effect of Mobile Phone Electromagnetic Field on Permeability of Blood-Brain Barrier

Background: Exposure to different frequencies would have a profound effect on the brain tissue extract supernatant’s optical density and hexakis-2-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (99mTc-MIBI) build-up. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the blood-brain barrier permeability after electromagnetic field irradiation. Methods: In this study, 150 male albino rats were randomly divided into 25 groups. They had an intraperitoneal injection of Evans blue 24 hours before experiments. Before 15 or 30-min Electromagnetic Field (EMF) irradiation (900, 1700, and 1900 MHz), 500 μCi (18.5 MBq) of 99mTc -MIBI was injected via the caudal vein. The rats decapitated 15, 30, 45, or 60 min after radiotracer injection to evaluate the brain-specific activity and brain tissue extract supernatant’s optical density. Results: No significant difference was found between the groups in 60-min post-injection activity after 15-min EMF radiation at 900, 1700, and 1900 MHz. The brain-specific activity with 30-min EMF radiation showed a significant increase in the 900 MHz group compared to others. Brain/whole body-specific activity in all experimental groups after 15-min EMF radiation showed no significant differences. On the other hand, the brain/whole body-specific activity ratio with 30-min EMF radiation showed a significant increase in the 900 MHz group compared to other groups. A comparison between the brain tissue extract supernatant’s optical density in the experimental groups after 15 and 30-min EMF radiation showed no significant difference in Evans blue accumulations in brains. Conclusions: It may be concluded that mobile phone electromagnetic field radiation may increase the blood-brain barrier permeability. As most humans use mobile phones for daily communications, all users around the world need to be advised of the effects of modern call devices.
Sexing Bonelli's Eagle nestlings: Morphometrics versus molecular techniques

--We report details of two PCR-based molecular sexing techniques for the Bonelli's Eagle (Hieraaetus fasciatus) and evaluate the reliability of morphometric measurements to predict the sex of nestlings in the field. Blood samples taken from 63 nestlings in southwest Portugal (1994-99) were analyzed using the intron polymorphism method (M1), and 56 of these were also analyzed with the single-strand conformation polymorphism approach (M2). Contamination or poor preservation of samples precluded one sex determination with M1 and six others with M2. Sexing by both methods was concordant for 98.0% of samples. Linear discriminant analysis was used to determine whether any single variable or combination could provide reliable sex determinations, using 10 body measurements from 43 nestlings aged 35-50 d, sexed unambiguously by both molecular methods. Models were evaluated by cross-validation of the original data and from the classification of an external sample (N = 12). Females were significantly larger than males. The greatest separation between sexes occurred in body mass, but differences were also noted in tarsus diameter and the lengths of the hind claw, foot, culmen, and forewing; no differences were detected in the lengths of tarsus, fore claw, seventh primary, and central tail feather. A discriminant model including body mass, hind claw length, and age provided the maximum separation between sexes and it correctly sexed 96% of the nestlings. A model including tarsus diameter, hind claw, and age showed similar accuracy. Both models were satisfactory in determining the sex of nestling Bonelli's Eagles between the ages of 35-50 d in the field, but combination with molecular techniques may be preferable in studies requiring absolute precision for every individual handled.
Caracterizao dos produtos lquidos e do carvo da pirlise de serragem de eucalipto

CHARACTERIZATION OF LIQUID PRODUCTS AND CHAR FROM THE PYROLYSIS OF EUCALYPTUS SAWDUST. Thisstudy proposes the low temperature pyrolysis as an alternative conversion process for residual biomass and for obtaining gaseous,liquid and solid chemical feedstocks. Using a bench electrical pyrolysis oven, four product fractions from eucalyptus sawdust wereobtained: a gaseous one, two liquid (aqueous and oily), and a solid residue (char). These products were characterized by differentanalytical methods. The liquid fractions showed themselves as potential sources for input chemicals. The residual char revealedappreciable adsorption capability. The process demonstrated good efficiency, generating at least two fractions of great industrialinterest: bio oil and char.Keywords: pyrolysis; characterization of products; eucalyptus sawdust.
Applying for Settled Status: Ambivalent and reluctant compliance of EU citizens in post-Brexit Scotland

This article contributes to scholarship concerning the effects of the UK Referendum on EU membership and Brexit on EU citizen rights in the UK (Botterill, McCollum and Tyrrell, 2018 ; Burrell and Schweyher, 2019 ; Gawlewicz and Sotkasiira, 2019 ; Huber, 2019 ). The paper focuses on applications for, and meanings of, ‘settled status’ among Polish nationals living in urban and rural Scotland. In particular we argue that the ‘simple’ act of application produces diverse responses among Polish nationals, characterised by ambivalent and reluctant compliance, with longer term implications for ontological security and sustainable communities. In the paper we present empirical data from the perspectives of three differently positioned individuals to illustrate the heterogenous experience of Polish nationals in Scotland and to demonstrate how pre-existing vulnerabilities and conditions are compounded by the EU settlement scheme. First, we highlight a view of citizenship as ‘social contract’ through the vignette of Marek who expresses ambivalence about Brexit and for whom the welfare system serves both as a safety net and a space of the undeserving. Second, we reflect on the complex bureaucratic process of gaining citizenship for a family, through the vignette of Monika. Finally, we consider how form filling is an anxious act of validating oneself and questioning one's belonging to place with longer term effects on ontological insecurity, through the vignette of Weronika. We conclude by offering a set of recommendations for Scottish policy on intercultural communication, integration and sustainable communities that, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, is ever more significant.
Peroxiredoxin 4, a new oxidative stress marker in follicular fluid, may predict in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer outcomes

Background Peroxiredoxin 4 (Prdx4), a member of the Prdx family, can catalyze the reduction of reactive oxygen species. This study aims to explore whether Prdx4 can serve as an effective marker in follicular fluid (FF) for predicting in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF/ICSI) cycle outcomes. Methods In this prospective study, all participants were recruited from the center of clinical reproductive medicine from 2017 September to 2018 December. Women with tubal or male factor infertility undergoing their first IVF/ICSI cycle were recruited (n=138). FF samples from each patient were collected on the day of oocyte retrieval. Prdx4 concentrations were measured, and the correlation between Prdx4 levels and IVF outcomes was analyzed. Results The results showed that pregnant women had higher levels of Prdx4 than nonpregnant women. Prdx4 was positively correlated with the oocyte fertilization rate (r =0.334; P=0.011) and good quality embryo rate (r =0.326; P=0.013). Furthermore, we found that the clinical pregnancy rate was positively correlated with Prdx4 levels in a concentration-dependent manner in the Prdx4 quartiles (<13.38, 13.83–16.93, 16.93–22.93, >22.93 ng/mL). The fertilization rates, clinical pregnancy rates and live pregnancy rates were all significantly higher in the highest Prdx4 quartile group than in the lowest quartile. Moreover, the results indicated that Prdx4 had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.754, corresponding to an optimal cutoff point of 22.30 ng/mL. Conclusions Our results provide evidence that higher expression of antioxidants, such as Prdx4, in the FF of IVF patients tends to indicate a higher likelihood of pregnancy through an oocyte quality mechanism.
Analysis of Wall Thickness Eccentricity in the Rotary Tube Piercing Process Using a Strain Correlated FE Model

The wall thickness eccentricity is one of the most important weaknesses that appears in seamless tubes production, since this imperfection is subsequently transferred downstream through the manufacturing stages until the final product. For this reason, in this article a finite element model of the rotary tube piercing (RTP) process is developed aimed at analysing the wall thickness eccentricity imperfection. Experimental data extracted from the industrial process is used for the validation of the model, including operational process variables like power consumption and process velocity, and deformation variables as elongation and longitudinal torsion, originated by axial and shear strain respectively. The cause of longitudinal torsion is also analysed. The two most important conclusions derived from this study are: (I) the longitudinal torsion of the tube is a crucial parameter for the correct model validation, and (II) the combined effect between the uneven temperature distribution of the billet and the plug bending deformation is identified as the major cause of the wall thickness eccentricity flaw.
Link Prediction Using Higher-Order Feature Combinations across Objects

SUMMARY Link prediction, the computational problem of determining whether there is a link between two objects, is important in machine learning and data mining. Feature-based link prediction, in which the feature vectors of the two objects are given, is of particular interest because it can also be used for various identiﬁcation-related problems. Although the factorization machine and the higher-order factorization machine (HOFM) are widely used for feature-based link prediction, they use feature combinations not only across the two objects but also from the same object. Feature combinations from the same object are irrelevant to major link prediction problems such as predicting identity because using them increases computational cost and degrades accuracy. In this paper, we present novel models that use higher-order feature combinations only across the two objects. Since there were no algorithms for e ﬃ ciently computing higher-order feature combinations only across two objects, we derive one by leveraging reported and newly obtained results of calculating the ANOVA kernel. We present an e ﬃ cient coordinate descent algorithm for proposed models. We also improve the e ﬀ ectiveness of the existing one for the HOFM. Furthermore, we extend proposed models to a deep neural network. Experimental results demonstrated the e ﬀ ectiveness of our proposed models. key words
Benthic microalgae offset the sediment carbon dioxide emission in subtropical mangrove in cold seasons

Our study examined the relationship of microphytobenthos to greenhouse gas fluxes from sediments of a subtropical mangrove forest and adjacent mudflat in the Jiulong River Estuary, South China. The relationship between chlorophyll a concentration at the sediment surface and diatom density confirmed that these microalgae were the important component of the microphytobenthos, which produced an observable biofilm in cold seasons (winter and spring) on both the mangrove and mudflat sediment surfaces. Fluxes of methane and nitrous oxide were not affected by the microalgae film and were similar between the mangrove and mudflat. However, benthic microalgae affected the sediment to atmosphere carbon dioxide (CO2) flux, and the effect was temporally variable with the seasonal change in microalgae abundance. In the cold seasons, the mangrove sediment was a CO2 sink under light chambers but a source under dark chambers. In summer, when there was no visible microalgae film at the sediment surface, the intertidal sediments had CO2 emissions and comparable fluxes between the two chambers. The negative daily CO2 fluxes of the film‐covered sediment (as the average of the dark and light fluxes) and positive flux of the sediment without visible biofilm indicated that the occurrence of microalgae film converted the mangrove sediment from a CO2 source to a sink and that the photosynthesis of the microalgae film offset the sediment respiration during the cold seasons in this study. We also found similar effects of microalgae on CO2 fluxes on the nonvegetated mudflat.
NOISE CHARACTERISTICS OF SEA WAVES BASED ON ITS HEIGHT, PERIOD AND BREAKING WAVES

ABSTRACT Wave sound is one of the sources of ambient noise in the waters which causes the role of sound as a transmission medium of information and communication becomes disrupted. The characteristics of wave noise can be influenced by their parameters, such as height and period of the waves and breaking waves. The study aimed to determine the characteristics of noise (intensity, frequency, pulse duration and interval duration) of waves based on its height, periods and breaking waves. Data acquisition for sound wave is obtained by hydrophones, visual of wave from CCTV cameras, and wave parameters is determined from ADCP data. Sound characteristics based its height, period and breaking waves were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis analysis. The intensity of noise is affected by all wave parameters, while the pulse duration is significantly influenced by the changes in height and wave period, and the breaking waves velocity. Frequency of noise is only impacted by the breaking wave height. Other noise characteristics, the interval duration is not significantly influenced by all wave parameters.
Enhancing the Smart Tourism Experience for People with Visual Impairments by Gamified Application Approach through Needs Analysis in Hong Kong

Sustainability studies in tourism are increasingly emphasizing social matters, for instance, “Accessible Tourism for All. ” Research on people with visual impairments with smart tourism has so far been sparse. In order to resonate with the global call for sustainable tourism development, this paper aims to contribute to understanding the aspirations of people with visual impairments in terms of tourism and to explore how smart tourism destinations could potentially enhance the tourism experience they offer. We utilized multisensory participant observations and interviews to empathize with the target users and gain insights into their needs. The results showed that they were generally positive about travel, particularly autonomy, achievement needs, and socializing with other individuals. The findings also shed light on their desire to play games on their phones. Consequently, based on the findings and the theoretical groundings of PERMA model and MDA framework from positive psychology and game design, the study proposed a gamified approach to future tourism app design for people with visual impairments, which could enhance engagement, motivation, and enjoyment in the tourism experience.
Treatment of COVID-19

There is no specific antiviral treatment recommended for COVID-19 yet and no vaccine is currently available. The treatment is mainly symptomatic. Oxygen therapy and mechanical ventilation constitute the major intervention for patients with severe infection causing respiratory failure. Ongoing trials also show reassuring results with the use of convalescent plasma therapy, but it is still not recommended as a treatment modality and continues to be in testing phase. This article deals with few of the drugs and vaccines in clinical trials showing promising outcomes as of first week of May, 2020.