Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Blood-based NfL A biomarker for differential diagnosis of parkinsonian disorder

Objective: To determine if blood neurofilament light chain (NfL) protein can discriminate between Parkinson disease (PD) and atypical parkinsonian disorders (APD) with equally high diagnostic accuracy as CSF NfL, and can therefore improve the diagnostic workup of parkinsonian disorders. Methods: The study included 3 independent prospective cohorts: the Lund (n 5 278) and London (n 5 117) cohorts, comprising healthy controls and patients with PD, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), corticobasal syndrome (CBS), and multiple system atrophy (MSA), as well as an early disease cohort (n 5 109) of patients with PD, PSP, MSA, or CBS with disease duration # 3 years. Blood NfL concentration was measured using an ultrasensitive single molecule array (Simoa) method, and the diagnostic accuracy to distinguish PD from APD was investigated. Results: We found strong correlations between blood and CSF concentrations of NfL ( r $ 0.73 – 0.84, p # 0.001). Blood NfL was increased in patients with MSA, PSP, and CBS (i.e., all APD groups) when compared to patients with PD as well as healthy controls in all cohorts ( p , 0.001). Furthermore, in the Lund cohort, blood NfL could accurately distinguish PD from APD (area under the curve [AUC] 0.91) with similar results in both the London cohort (AUC 0.85) and the early
Statistical inference based on left truncated and interval censored data from log-location-scale family of distributions

Abstract Here, left truncated and interval censored data are analyzed by assuming that the underlying lifetime distribution belongs to log-location-scale family. In particular, lognormal and Weibull models are considered. Steps of stochastic expectation maximization (St-EM) algorithm are developed for the estimation of model parameters. MLEs are also obtained using Newton–Raphson method. Asymptotic confidence intervals for parameters are constructed using missing information principle, and parametric bootstrap approach. Through a simulation study, performances of proposed inferential methods are assessed. St-EM algorithm for point estimation and parametric bootstrap approach for constructing confidence intervals are recommended under this setup. Two datasets are analyzed for illustrative purpose. A prediction problem is also discussed.
‘ Poverty , Equity and Growth in Developing and Transition Countries : Statistical Methods and Empirical Analysis

Almost nine million children under five years of age die every year. Diarrhea is considered to be the second leading cause of under-five mortality in developing countries. About one out of five deaths is caused by diarrhea. In this paper, we use the newly available data set DLHS-3 to quantify the impact of access to improved sanitation on diarrheal morbidity for children under five years of age in India. Using Propensity Score Matching (PSM), we find that access to improved sanitation reduces the risk of contracting diarrhea by 2.2 percentage points. There is considerable heterogeneity in the impacts of improved sanitation. We neither find statistically significant treatment effects for children in low or middle socioeconomic status (SES) households nor for girls, however, boys and children in high (SES) households experienced economically significant treatment effects. The magnitude of the treatment effect also differs largely by behavior. JEL classification: H54, I12.
Investigation of shallow tube-well water quality considering the influence of nearby latrines in a rural village of Bangladesh.

Considering the hypothesis "shallow tube-well water might be contaminated by microorganisms from a nearby open pit latrine", litho-stratigraphy, physico-chemical properties along with microbial contamination level of shallow tube-well water and socio-economic aspects related to sanitation of a rural village (Gakulnagar, Bangladesh) were investigated. A questionnaire survey, an open pit of 33 m, tube-well water temperature, Electrical Conductivity (EC), pH, Total Dissolved Solid (TDS), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Arsenic (As), Phosphate (PO 4 ), Total Hardness, Nitrate (NO 3 ) and Total Coliform Bacteria were analysed using standard methods. The litho-stratigraphy of Gakulnagar village consists of clay (7 m), fine sand (3 m), medium sand (3 m) and coarse sand (20 m) layers from the surface. Values of all parameters were found within the tolerable limits, except coliform, in very few samples, where pit latrines were adjacent to the tube-well. Values of total coliform bacteria showed an inverse relationship with the distance between the tube-well and the pit latrine.
The Relationship Between SII, PLR, LCR, MPV/PLT Values and COVID-19 Prognosis

Objective: The magnitude of the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has produced a great need to determine laboratory parameters of prognostic significance. This information will help identify patients at risk of severe disease and assist in the optimal allocation of limited medical resources. The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of systemic-im-mune-inflammation index (SII), lymphocyte-to-CRP ratio (LCR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and mean thrombocyte volume-to-platelet count ratio (MPV/PLT) values compared with the commonly used laboratory parameters of absolute lymphocyte count, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and C-reactive protein (CRP), as prognostic biomarkers of COVID-19. Methods: The medical records of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia be-tween March 2020 and May 2020 were retrospectively evaluated. The NLR, PLR, LCR, SII, and MPV/PLT values were calculated based on laboratory parameters. The need for oxygen support, non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV), and intensive care treatment were documented, as well as mortal outcomes. The patients were divided into a non-severe group and a severe disease group, which was defined by a respiratory rate of >30/minute or an oxygen saturation <90%. Results: A total of 84 patients were enrolled, including 62 (73.8%) males. The mean age of the study group was 54.07±15.70 years. Thirty-seven had at least 1 comorbidity. Twenty-eight patients (33.3%) had severe disease, with 13 (15.5%) requiring NIMV and 13 (15.5%) needing intensive care. Eleven patients died during the study period. Elevated CRP and NLR and decreased absolute lymphocyte counts were statistically significant in predicting disease severity, need for intensive case treatment, and mortality. The SII and PLR findings also reached statistical significance in the prediction of disease severity and the need for intensive care, and the LCR value was a significant predictor of all 3 outcomes. The MPV/PLT ratio was significant only in forecasting mortality. Conclusion: Our results indicate that inflammatory indexes can be used as prognostic predictors in COVID-19 pneumonia. These index measurements are cost-effective and readily available, and therefore can aid in the early identification and timely medical management of severe cases. ABSTRACT
What characteristics of primary care and patients are associated with early death in patients with lung cancer in the UK? Thorax, 70 (2).

Background The UK has poor lung cancer survival rates and high early mortality, compared to other countries. We aimed to identify factors associated with early death, and features of primary care that might contribute to late diagnosis. Methods All cases of lung cancer diagnosed between 2000 and 2013 were extracted from The Health Improvement Network database. Patients who died within 90 days of diagnosis were compared with those who survived longer. Standardised chest X-ray (CXR) and lung cancer rates were calculated for each practice. Results Of 20 142 people with lung cancer, those who died early consulted with primary care more frequently prediagnosis. Individual factors associated with early death were male sex (OR 1.17; 95% CI 1.10 to 1.24), current smoking (OR 1.43; 95% CI 1.28 to 1.61), increasing age (OR 1.80; 95% CI 1.62 to 1.99 for age ≥ 80 years compared to 65 – 69 years), social deprivation (OR 1.16; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.30 for Townsend quintile 5 vs 1) and rural versus urban residence (OR 1.22; 95% CI 1.06 to 1.41). CXR rates varied widely, and the odds of early death were highest in the practices which requested more CXRs. Lung cancer incidence at practice level did not affect early deaths. Conclusions early lung cancer prediagnosis, suggesting potentially missed opportunities to identify them earlier. A general increase in CXR requests may not improve survival; rather, a more timely and appropriate targeting of this investigation using risk assessment tools needs further assessment.
VEGETATION STRUCTURE, LIGHT AVAILABILITY, AND SEDIMENT DEPOSITION WITHIN SINKHOLE BUFFERS ASSOCIATED WITH TRACKED AND WHEELED VEHICLE TRAINING AT FORT KNOX, KENTUCKY

Heavy wheeled and tracked vehicle training has been conducted on portions of the landscape of Fort Knox, Kentucky for approximately 60 years. Fort Knox is located on the Kentucky Karst Plain and sinkholes are dominant features of this area. Sinkholes and karst terrain present an atypical problem in combination with this unique land use, potentially impacting downstream and local terrestrial environment. A study of the training area sinkhole complex was conducted as a first step toward mitigating the impact of military activities and reduces potential problems of sedimentation and water quality degradation. A total of 20 sinkholes within Training Areas 9 and 10 at the Fort Knox Military Reservation were randomly selected to represent the study area. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between stand structural characteristics, understory light availability and understory vegetation in sinkhole riparian buffers and concentrated flow paths and with the amount of sediment entering sinkholes in the study area. Vegetation data were collected during the growing months of May and June in 2009. All regressions analyses for vegetative structures have r2 values between 0.000 to 0.308 indicating weak to no correlation among the variables. Light availability and percent herbaceous cover showed moderate and weak relationship in buffers (r = 0.547, p = 0.003) and flow paths (r = 0.164, p = 0.245). Sediment gained in splay areas showed no significant relationship to vegetation structure (r = 0.039 to -0.335). The relationship between sediment gained and mean percent herbaceous cover was not significant in flow paths (r = -0.172, p = 0.2341) or buffers (r = 0.130, p = 0.292). While the results of this study suggest the amount of the sediment depositing in the sinkholes was unrelated to observe variation in sinkhole vegetation, the relationship between overstory vegetation and understory vegetation within sinkholes was more noticeable. On site observations strongly suggest that concentrated flow paths were the primary conduits for sedimentation into splay areas. Therefore, management considerations pertaining to training areas should minimize flow paths leading to sinkholes. Best management practices for Fort Knox training areas should integrate these research findings, in addition to current knowledge of riparian buffers and training areas' management requirements.
Water quality : diffuse pollution and watershed management

Preface. Chapter 1- Introduction. Chapter 2- Causes Of Diffuse Pollution. Chapter 3- Basic Concepts Of Diffuse Pollution. Chapter 4- Hydrologic Considerations. Chapter 5- Erosion and Sedimentation. Chapter 6- Soil Pollution and Its Mitigation (Coauthored by Wim Salomons). Chapter 7- Groundwater and Base Flow Contamination. Chapter 8- Urban and Highway Diffuse Pollution. Chapter 9- Control of Urban Diffuse Pollution (Coauthored by Neal O'Reilly). Chapter 10- Abatement of Agricultural Diffuse Pollution (Coauthored by Susan Alexander). Chapter 11- Integrated Watershed Management. Chapter 12- Water Body Assessment. Chapter 13- Estimating Loads and Loading Capacity by Models. Chapter 14- Water Body and Watershed Restoration and Waste Assimilative Capacity Enhancement. Appendix. Index.
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New fluorite-related quaternary rare earth oxides Pr 2 YRuO 7 and La 2 TbRuO 7 have been prepared. They crystallize in an orthorhombic superstructure of cubic fluorite with space group Cmcm . Through magnetic susceptibility and specific heat measurements, Pr 2 YRuO 7 shows an antiferromagnetic transition at 27 K, which is considerably lowered compared with that for Pr 3 RuO 7 . Analysis of the magnetic specific heat indicates that the magnetic behavior observed at 27 K for Pr 2 YRuO 7 is predominantly due to the magnetic interactions between Ru ions, and that the interactions between the Pr 3+ and Ru 5+ ions are also important. La 2 TbRuO 7 shows magnetic ordering at 9.0 K, which is ascribed to the magnetic ordering between Ru 5+ ions from the analysis of the magnetic specific heat data.
The role of psychological sense of community in the life adjustment of 'coloured' South African immigrants

The aim of this thesis was to investigate how psychological sense of community (PSC) related to a group that had no choice in group membership. In the first stage of the study the PSC model was used to build a profile of a politically constructed group. The second stage of this project investigated the extent to which a PSC developed in South Africa has been transferred to Australia.
Performance Analysis of Bi-directional Improved Hybrid Three Quasi Z source Converter

Bi-directional power converters are utilized for effective management of available electrical energy associated with renewable energy systems with the use of an energy storage system. Improved hybrid three quasi z source converter (IHTQZSC) is proposed in this paper which has been providing a higher voltage gain without any switched capacitor or charge pump cells. IHTQZSC has been intended for bi-directional power transfer and control applications in this paper. The converter ensures a widespread voltage gain in a single stage DC↔AC power conversion system with lesser shoot-through time instants. The competence of the converter is acclaimed with voltage stress, current stress, peak switching device power and power losses compared with the other high voltage gain converters. Impact of voltage gain and power drawn by the converter on the efficiency has been explained. The four-quadrant power control is achieved with the constant switching frequency predictive controller. The DC-link voltage of the converter is controlled with a PI controller, and a predictive controller is used for the grid current tracking. The bi-directional working of the converter is illustrated with MATLAB/Simulink software
Modeling the Galactic Bar Using Red Clump Giants

The color-magnitude diagrams of ~7 × 105 stars obtained for 12 fields across the Galactic bulge with the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment project reveal a well-defined population of bulge red clump giants. We find that the distributions of the apparent magnitudes of the red clump stars are systematically fainter when observing toward lower Galactic l fields. The most plausible explanation for this distinct trend is that the Galactic bulge is a bar whose nearest end lies at positive Galactic longitude. We model this Galactic bar by fitting the observed luminosity functions in the red clump region of the color-magnitude diagram for all fields. We find that, almost regardless of the analytical function used to describe the three-dimensional distribution of stars in the Galactic bar, the resulting models have the major axis inclined to the line of sight from 20° to 30°, with axis ratios corresponding to x0:y0:z0 = 3.5:1.5:1. This puts a strong constraint on the possible range of the Galactic bar models.
Data-Driven Interactive Multiobjective Optimization using Cluster Based Surrogate in Discrete Decision Space

This thesis presents a cluster based surrogate model approach for reducing dimension of discrete decision space and so for simplifying integer linear optimization problems. The model is especially aimed for solving data-driven decision making problems interactively, as the surrogate makes interaction more seamless and the interactive NIMBUS method manages well within the product space of the surrogate. The developed cluster based surrogate and method were also applied for a Boreal Forest management problem with promising results.
Impact of Product Differentiation, Marketing Investments and Brand Equity on Pricing Strategies: A Brand Level Investigation

: Prior research explores the individual impact of brand equity and new product development on firms’ marketing performance but there is little work that takes a holistic view of their combined influence. This paper uses an aggregate data set for 735 fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands from Nielsen (10,282 households) to explore the combined influence of brand equity, marketing investment and product differentiation on differences in pricing among small and medium enterprises (SME), multinational companies (MNC) and retailers (private labels). Using a cluster analysis, it is shown that premium price is positively associated with innovation and company type. Managerial implications of the findings are discussed along with future research directions.
Models of Adult Safeguarding in England : findings from a study of costs and referral outcomes

Stevens, Martin; Norrie, Caroline; Manthorpe, Jill; Hussein, Shereen; Moriarty, Jo; Graham, Katie; (2017) Models of adult safeguarding in England: findings from a study of costs and referral outcomes. The British Journal of Social Work, 47 (4). pp. 1224-1244. ISSN 0045-3102 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcw025 Downloaded from: https://researchonline.lshtm. ac.uk/id/eprint/4661458/ DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcw025
TOWARDS AN EXPERIMENTAL SCIENCE OF NATURAL CONSCIOUSNESS FROM THE FIRST-THIRD-PERSON PERSPECTIVE

We argue for the possibility of validating the presence of consciousness in another person from a perspective that blends both, a third-person approach of coming close to, observing, and understanding the other; and a first-person assessment of how the experience of the other feels like. For this, we will need to explain how the line between the third-person and first-person approaches is blurred in some methodological approaches. We rest our position largely on the back of some seminal conclusions of the meditations of René Descartes and other theories concerning consciousness like Chalmers’ naturalistic dualism and, to some secondary extent on Integrated Information Theory (IIT). Additionally, we describe fundamental contextual principles already developed in the literature and the arts (like Stanivlaski’s Acting System), and then we use them for setting a suitable methodology that we feel can be used to validate the presence of others’ conscious experiences in one’s consciousness (at suitable periods of spacetime). Finally, we give general methodological guidelines for the construction of the concrete experiment and we explore very briefly the potential implications of this kind of research in other academic and non-academic settings.
Collaborative filtering and inference rules for context-aware learning object recommendation

Learning objects strive for reusability in e‐Learning to reduce cost and allow personalization of content. We show why learning objects require adapted Information Retrieval systems. In the spirit of the Semantic Web, we discuss the semantic description, discovery, and composition of learning objects. As part of our project, we tag learning objects with both objective (e.g., title, date, and author) and subjective (e.g., quality and relevance) metadata. We present the RACOFI (Rule‐Applying Collaborative Filtering) Composer prototype with its novel combination of two libraries and their associated engines: a collaborative filtering system and an inference rule system. We developed RACOFI to generate context‐aware recommendation lists. Context is handled by multidimensional predictions produced from a database‐driven scalable collaborative filtering algorithm. Rules are then applied to the predictions to customize the recommendations according to user profiles. The RACOFI Composer architecture has been deve.
Local Food and Agriculture Awareness: The Literacy of Local Produce and Agriculture in Northwest Arkansas

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that adolescents and children, both male and female, are failing to meet the daily fruit and vegetable consumption requirements (Kim et al., 2011; Upton et al., 2012; Harris et al., 2012). Other studies have shown that with increased exposure and availability of produce, students (K-5) tend to consume more fruits and vegetables (Cullen et al., 2009; Evans et al., 2012). The purpose of this study is to identify whether Northwest Arkansas eleventh grade high school students possess experience and knowledge of local produce and agriculture. Out of 1054 students enrolled at the three high schools that participated (Bentonville, Farmington, and Lincoln) 50 students were surveyed. Thus the results are presented as a case study to inform future work. In this case study, the following results were found: 1. Most students (less than 25%) did not meet the daily fruit and/or vegetable consumptions recommended by the CDC. 2. Students lacked knowledge of where to purchase local produce (38% had proficient knowledge) and how far their food travels (32% of students were aware). 3. Students displayed a strong ability to identify most of the six types of produce and four fast foods depicted in the survey. Students’ ability to identify these fruits and vegetables were not affected by most of the experiences, except for the school in which they attended and their gardening experiences. 4. Increased fast food consumption decreased the students’ ability to identify places offering local produce for sale. 5. Increased fast food consumption decreased students’ awareness of Arkansas’ most grown crop. 6. Gender was not found to have a major effect on local produce and agriculture experience, knowledge, and perceptions. However, it was found that male students were more likely to enroll in high school agricultural classes and know how far produce travels on average from the farm to the dinner table. While female students believed that local produce had lesser disadvantages. This case study is a start to a better understanding of the amount of experience and knowledge of local produce and agriculture within Northwest Arkansas high school students. This thesis is approved for recommendation To the Graduate Council.