Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Numerical Simulation of Vortex Shedding at Triangular Obstacle for Various Reynolds Numbers and Times with Open FOAM

— The present study aimed to simulate the two-dimensional flow around a triangular obstacle in a channel. Numerical study was performed by the open-source numerical model, OpenFOAM. IcoFoam solver was used to solve the equations governing the flow in the modeling. The Navier-Stokes and continuity equations are the dominant equations in this solver. In the first step, flow lines and velocity vectors were simulated for Reynolds numbers of 20, 30 and 35. The simulations showed that the separation of flow lines and the formation of vortex bubbles depend on the Reynolds number, even when this parameter slightly increases. In the second step, the flow lines at six different times with the time interval t/6 at Reynolds numbers of 150 and 200 were identified. Based on the results, it was indicated that only at the time of 150s a different pattern was observed for the flow lines. In the third step, as the Reynolds number increases, changes in the flow lines pattern were studied in a regime with Reynolds numbers of 4, 35, 70, 120 and 200, resulting in turbulence in the flow lines. To measure numerical stability during processing, the average and maximum values of Courant number were calculated at every stage of solution and implementation. The residual and velocity changes graphs were depicted based on location in the x-y plane to analyze the data. Finally, based on the verified results, the ability and power of the numerical model was evaluated and It is concluded that as an appropriate efficient model in this field.
Primary Sjögren syndrome-associated acute interstitial nephritis and type 3 renal tubular acidosis in a patient with thin basement membrane nephropathy

Abstract Introduction: The kidney is one of the common extraglandular sites involved in primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS), with chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) the most common pathology type. Renal involvement in pSS often presents as chronic TIN accompanied by type 1 or 2 renal tubular acidosis (RTA). Description of renal involvement as acute TIN with type III RTA in pSS has been rarely reported. Patient concerns: A 37-year-old woman was admitted with complaints of dry mouth, dry eyes, and progressive muscle weakness for 17 months. Two months before admission, the patient had a blood potassium level of 1.7 mmol/L. Diagnosis: Further tests confirmed pSS and type III RTA. Renal biopsy demonstrated acute TIN and thin basement membrane nephropathy (TBMN). Interventions: Full-dose corticosteroid (1 mg/kg/day) and cyclophosphamide (100 mg/day) were applied. Outcomes: The creatinine levels of the patient decreased 0.28 mg/dL (1.18–0.90 mg/dL) during 3-month follow-up. Conclusions: We reported a patient with pSS-associated kidney injury, presenting as acute TIN with type 3 RTA and TBMN. This case increases the awareness of a rare manifestation of pSS-associated kidney injury. In pSS-associated acute TIN, cyclophosphamide combined with full-dose corticosteroids may achieve good outcomes.
Team briefing and workers commitment in Nigerian banking industry

The association of team briefing and workers’ commitment was examined in this study. Respondents were drawn from a sample of 357 bankers in the South-south zone of Nigeria. Cross sectional survey design was utilized. With the use of Spearman Rank Order Correlation, we obtained the following results: team briefing had a significant positive relationship with affective, continuance and normative commitment. This suggests that workers remain with their organization because they are emotionally tied to the organization and feel morally obliged to remain as well as not wanting to lose their investment in the organization. Key words: Team briefing, affective commitment, normative commitment, continuance commitment, two-way communication, employees’ voice.
Three-dimensional modeling of color Doppler images: a new approach to study follicular vascularization in cattle

Ovarian blood supply is directly related to follicle developmental potential and to oocyte quality, and color Doppler ultrasonography might be a valuable tool to predict in vitro fertilization outcomes. In most studies in large domestic animals, however, the evaluation of follicle blood flow is qualitative (presence or absence of color signal) or dependent on the analysis of a single image. The objective of the present study was to first describe the use of a three-dimensional (3D) modeling of color Doppler images for a quantitative assessment of vascularization in bovine ovarian follicles. Follicular wave emergence was synchronized in Holstein and Gir heifers (n = 20), and follicular dynamics were assessed every 12 h using a color Doppler ultrasound device. The recorded cine-loop of the dominant follicle was decomposed into frames and medical image processing software was used to isolate the Doppler signal, generate the 3D model and calculate the volume of vascularization. In experiment 1, the model was validated by comparing the expected and calculated volumes and was used to predict possible variations in the results of the 2D approach. In experiment 2, vascularization was analyzed during follicular development. In both breeds, the volume of vascularization increased after follicle deviation and was positively correlated (P < 0.05) to follicular diameter (r = 0.65 and 0.54 for Holstein and Gir heifers, respectively). Spatial analysis of the three-dimensional model showed an uneven distribution of vascularization in the follicular wall, with a more intense blood flow being detected in the basal (nearest the ovarian hilus) and lateral regions of the dominant follicles. These results demonstrate the potential of this technique as a new tool for in vivo studies of ovarian physiology in large animals.
Inter‐hemispheric inhibition sculpts the output of neural circuits by co‐opting the two cerebral hemispheres

‘Inter‐hemispheric inhibition’ is used frequently to describe the action of one hemisphere in suppressing or impeding processing in its counterpart. It is widely believed that this is required in order to prevent a bilateral cerebrum giving rise to simultaneous and potentially competing outputs. It is argued here that a fundamental role of inter‐hemispheric inhibition is to support contrast enhancing and integrative functions by co‐opting the capacities of the two cerebral hemispheres. Drawing upon an extensive body of empirical data, derived largely from animal models, and associated theoretical modelling, it is demonstrated that inter‐hemispheric projections act via mechanisms such as surround/lateral inhibition. The principal functional unit of callosal influence comprises a facilitatory centre and a depressing peripheral zone, which together shape the influence of converging inputs to pyramidal neurons. Inter‐hemispheric inhibition is an instance of a more general feature of mammalian neural systems, whereby inhibitory interneurons act not simply to prevent over‐excitation but to sculpt the output of specific circuits. The narrowing of the excitatory focus that occurs through crossed surround inhibition is a highly conserved motif of transcallosal interactions in mammalian sensory and motor cortices. A case is presented that the ‘inter‐hemispheric competition’ model has been sustained, and its clinical derivatives promoted, by erroneous assumptions concerning that revealed by investigative techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). The alternative perspective offered here is also shown to be consistent with known associations between the structural integrity of callosal projections and the magnitude of the motor deficits that are exhibited following stroke.
A REMARKABLE NONLINEAR ALL-OPTICAL DELAY BASED ON FWM IN OPTICAL FIBERS AND DISPERSION AT 10 AND 40-GBPS BIT RATE

A noticeable all-optical tunable delay based on dispersion and wavelength conversion (WC) using four-wave mixing (FWM) non linearity in high nonlinear fibers (HNLFs) and filtering is demonstrated in this work. It explores the delay performance at 40-Gbps while enhancing the delay performance at 10-Gbps delay operation. For 10-Gbps design, a continuously tunable delay over a range of 2.8-ns for 10-ps pulse width (PW) is achieved and a maximum relative delay (MRD) of 280 is realized. The proposed design for 40-Gbps delay system with 2.5-ps PW successfully achieves 633-ps tunable optical delay and MRD of 253. A comparison between this work and related literatures that use FWM Kerr-nonlinearity in HNLFs is carried to explore the merits of this work.
Monophyletic Origin and Divergent Evolution of Animal Telomerase RNA

Abstract Telomerase RNA (TR) is a noncoding RNA essential for the function of telomerase ribonucleoprotein. TRs from vertebrates, fungi, ciliates, and plants exhibit extreme diversity in size, sequence, secondary structure, and biogenesis pathway. However, the evolutionary pathways leading to such unusual diversity among eukaryotic kingdoms remain elusive. Within the metazoan kingdom, the study of TR has been limited to vertebrates and echinoderms. To understand the origin and evolution of TR across the animal kingdom, we employed a phylogeny-guided, structure-based bioinformatics approach to identify 82 novel TRs from eight previously unexplored metazoan phyla, including the basal-branching sponges. Synthetic TRs from two representative species, a hemichordate and a mollusk, reconstitute active telomerase in vitro with their corresponding telomerase reverse transcriptase components, confirming that they are authentic TRs. Comparative analysis shows that three functional domains, template-pseudoknot (T-PK), CR4/5, and box H/ACA, are conserved between vertebrate and the basal metazoan lineages, indicating a monophyletic origin of the animal TRs with a snoRNA-related biogenesis mechanism. Nonetheless, TRs along separate animal lineages evolved with divergent structural elements in the T-PK and CR4/5 domains. For example, TRs from echinoderms and protostomes lack the canonical CR4/5 and have independently evolved functionally equivalent domains with different secondary structures. In the T-PK domain, a P1.1 stem common in most metazoan clades defines the template boundary, which is replaced by a P1-defined boundary in vertebrates. This study provides unprecedented insight into the divergent evolution of detailed TR secondary structures across broad metazoan lineages, revealing ancestral and later-diversified elements.
Functional and Short-term Outcomes in Elective Laparoscopic Colectomy for Symptomatic Diverticular Disease With Either Low Ligation or Inferior Mesenteric Artery Preservation: A Randomized Trial.

BACKGROUND The current treatment of symptomatic diverticular disease is left colectomy/sigmoidectomy with low ligation of the inferior mesenteric artery versus the inferior mesenteric artery preservation. Up to now, there is no strong evidence in favor of one of the 2 strategies. The aim of this study is to compare the bowel-specific quality of life and functional outcomes between these 2. METHODS Between June 2015 and February 2019, patients were randomly assigned to inferior mesenteric artery low ligation or inferior mesenteric artery preservation during elective laparoscopic sigmoidectomy for diverticular disease. Gastrointestinal, genitourinary functions and surgical outcomes were compared postoperatively between groups. RESULTS One-hundred sixty-eight patients were randomized providing 2 homogenous groups. Gastrointestinal and genitourinary functions were not significantly different between groups after 1 and 6 months postoperative. In both groups, the function was restored to the preoperative level 6 months after surgery. There was no statistically significant difference in terms of conversion rate, blood loss, length of surgery, between groups. There was no difference in the overall complication rate and the anastomotic leak rate among groups. CONCLUSIONS Inferior mesenteric artery low ligation or inferior mesenteric artery preservation during elective laparoscopic sigmoidectomy for a diverticular disease can be considered equivalent in affecting the postoperative bowel-related quality of life, genitourinary function, and surgical outcomes.
Impact of Beauty Fashion on Contemporary Chinese Youth

Beauty Fashion is the product as well as the reflection of the new age. Its emergence and prosperity, on the one hand, cater to the contemporary Chinese Youth’s psychological seeking for beauty characterized by seeking for novelty, change and fashion; on the other hand, they have exerted immense impact on the young’s value orientation, aesthetic sentiment, consumer attitude, character and lifestyle due to their own limitations and their incomplete understanding of beauty and fashion.
Integral Model of Strategic Management: Identification of Potential Synergies

The main goal of this study is the construction of an integral model of strategic management, based on the comparative analysis among many well-established management concepts. It was found that new product development, total quality management (TQM), brand management and customer relationship management (CRM) share common characteristics such as strategic dimension, corporate culture dimension, customer focus, etc. Thus, the object of this paper refers to the potential of connection of these managerial concepts into a single Integral model of strategic management together with a measuring system based on Balanced Scorecard (BSC). After the relevant literature review and theoretical constructs on a conceptual level, the model has been tested in practice. The experiment has proved that the Integral model of strategic management is applicable and it positively impacts on a company's performance.
Serial analysis of circulating tumor cells in metastatic breast cancer receiving first-line chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND We examined the prognostic significance of circulating tumor cell (CTC) dynamics during treatment in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients receiving first-line chemotherapy. METHODS Serial CTC data from 469 patients (2,202 samples) were used to build a novel latent mixture model to identify groups with similar CTC trajectory (tCTC) patterns during the course of treatment. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios for progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in groups based on baseline CTCs (bCTC), combined CTC status at baseline to the end of cycle 1 (cCTC), and tCTC. Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) was used to select the model that best predicted PFS and OS. RESULTS Latent mixture modeling revealed 4 distinct tCTC patterns: undetectable CTCs (tCTCneg, 56.9% ), low (tCTClo, 23.7%), intermediate (tCTCmid, 14.5%), or high (tCTChi, 4.9%). Patients with tCTClo, tCTCmid and tCTChi patterns had statistically significant inferior PFS and OS compared to those with tCTCneg (P<.001). AIC indicated that the tCTC model best predicted PFS and OS when compared to bCTC and cCTC models. Validation studies in an independent cohort of 1,856 MBC patients confirmed these findings. Further validation using only a single pretreatment CTC measurement confirmed prognostic performance of the tCTC model. CONCLUSIONS We identified four novel prognostic groups in MBC based on similarities in CTC trajectory patterns during chemotherapy. Prognostic groups included patients with very poor outcome (tCTCmid+tCTChi, 19.4%) who could benefit from more effective treatment. Our novel prognostic classification approach may be utilized for fine-tuning of CTC-based risk-stratification strategies to guide future prospective clinical trials in MBC.
Characteristics of Patients With Congenital Heart Disease Requiring ICU Admission From Japanese Emergency Departments*

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Objectives: To evaluate the characteristics of patients with congenital heart disease requiring ICU admission from emergency departments and determine the associations between the reasons for emergency department visits and specific congenital heart disease types or cardiac procedures. Design: Retrospective observational study using data from a Japanese multicenter database. Setting: Twelve PICUs and 11 general ICUs in Japan. Patients: All patients requiring ICU admission from an emergency department during 2013–2018, divided into two groups: with congenital heart disease and without congenital heart disease groups. Interventions: None for this analysis. Measurements and Main Results: Of the 297 patients with congenital heart disease (9.2% of a total of 3,240 patients), more than half had moderate-to-high complexity congenital heart disease; most of them were pediatric patients who had visited specialized congenital heart disease centers. All the patients’ clinical outcomes were similar. Regarding the reasons for emergency department admission, seizure was significantly associated with a single ventricle anatomy (odds ratio, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.1–10.0), post-Glenn shunt placement (odds ratio, 5.6; 95% CI, 1.1–29.4), and a Fontan-type operation status (odds ratio, 6.3; 95% CI, 1.5–25.5). Sepsis and gastrointestinal bleeding were associated with asplenia (odds ratio, 21.1; 95% CI, 4.3–104 and odds ratio, 21.0; 95% CI, 3.1–141, respectively); gastrointestinal bleeding was also associated with systemic-to-pulmonary artery shunt placement (odds ratio, 18.8; 95% CI, 2.8–125) and a Fontan-type operation status (odds ratio, 17.0; 95% CI, 2.6–112). Arrhythmia was associated with a single ventricle anatomy (odds ratio, 21.0; 95% CI, 3.1–141), systemic-to-pulmonary artery shunt placement (odds ratio, 18.8; 95% CI, 2.8–125), and a Fontan-type operation status (odds ratio, 17.0; 95% CI, 2.6–112). Conclusions: Classification of the reasons for emergency department admission by congenital heart disease type and surgical stage may guide clinicians in the selection of appropriate treatments in such settings.
Product Quality Changes and Skill's Demand: An Empirical Study of Malaysia's Trade in Manufactures

The competitiveness of the Malaysian manufacturing sector has become a major issue given recent arguments that she is being squeezed by low wage competitors and rich country innovators. Critical to competitiveness is product quality. The relatively high level of matched trade (though declining), implying greater product differentiation, brings to the fore the extent of product quality changes and the implications for skill upgrading. The findings of the study indicate a less than favourable position for Malaysia due to a slowdown in matched trade coupled with severe trade-induced adjustments in the highly driven traded sector. There is only limited evidence of product quality improvements since the 1990s, and low quality varieties continue to dominate Malaysian manufactures. Following that, the low quality varieties of Malaysian exports are not viable for skill upgrading, as they do not beckon a higher demand for skills’. The findings of the study thus do not reveal any significant progression of the Malaysian manufacturing sector, contrary to claims of the sector moving up the quality ladder via higher value-added products. * Paper prepared for the 6 International Malaysian Studies Conference (MSC), Kuching, Sarawak, 5-7 August 2008.
Knowledge and attitudes of Greek Physicians towards generic prescribing after the economic crisis

Purpose: The aim of the present study is to estimate the penetration of generics, detect factors that deter their prescribing, and suggest measures that could potentially increase their utilization in the Greek pharmaceutical market. Methods: The study was conducted during 2011-2012. 215 questionnaires were completed by doctors of both private and public health sector, after a pilot study. Nonparametric chi-square testing and binary logistic regression were applied to assess the potential impact of doctors’ demographic characteristics on their attitude towards generic substitution and INN (International Non-proprietary Name) prescription. Results: 68.8% of doctors reported that they had prescribed generics. 56.1% of them had prescribed generics at a frequency of <20%. Working years, working sector, and medical specialty were significantly associated with generic prescribing. Doctors working at the prefecture of Chania (OR=1.2; CI= 1.025-1.429 and p value= 0.03), hospital physicians (OR=1.65, CI=1.028-3.046, p=0.04), and pulmonologists (OR=2.60, CI=1.034-4.164, p=0.01) had a higher probability of prescribing generics. Hospital physicians demonstrated greater probability of INN prescribing (OR=1.8, CI=0.034-2.836, p<0.001). Conclusions: Our study inserts a new parameter regarding active substance prescribing, suggesting the need for further research on patients’ and pharmacists’ attitudes towards generic substitution.
Earnings Losses of Workers Displaced from Manufacturing Industries.

Abstract : A particularly sensitive current policy issue is the effect of changes in tariffs and quotas on employment and earnings. This study examines empirically some of the effects of a permanent labor displacement which might result from changes in international trade policy. Specifically, it presents estimates of how job displacement would change the long-term earnings of workers in 11 industries, and relates the findings to industry characteristics so that they can be projected to industries not directly studied. This study was designed to assist in determining industries in which trade liberalization would impose large losses on workers. Results show that average prime age male workers suffer substantial losses of earnings in industries where the normal rate of labor turnover is low and prime age males make up a high percentage of the total labor force. These industries also tend to be high wage industries. Displacement from the auto and steel industries is estimated to reduce earnings over a 6 year period by about 24%, and by almost as much in several other high wage industries. The estimated loss in low wage industries was much smaller, averaging about 5%, in some cases, such as cotton weaving, no appreciable loss could be detected.
Do Powerful CEOs Have an Impact on Microfinance Performance?

In this study we show that Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) with more powerful CEOs have higher performance variability. A powerful CEO is defined as one that also chairs the board of directors. CEO power is reflected in higher performance variability if CEOs have more latitude of action, i.e. managerial discretion. Managerial discretion can be limited by having stakeholder electives on the board. We find that CEO power only has an effect on MFI performance variability when there are no stakeholder electives on the board. Furthermore, we argue that CEOs in non-profit MFIs have more discretion, because their dual mission implies their CEOs are harder to control. We find that CEO power increases performance variability of non-profit MFI’s, while it has no effect for other MFI types.
Evaluation of Resistance, Enzymatic Response, and Phenolic Compounds in Roots of F1 Cucumber Hybrids to Fusarium Oxysporum F. Sp. Radicis-Cucumerinum

Abstract Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is widely cultivated in many parts of the world. Its production is significantly affected by Fusarium root and stem rot, which is caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. radicis-cucumerinum, a major disease of cucumber in some regions. Most of the management programs for the control of Fusarium root and stem rot are not successful; therefore, growing resistant cultivars may be the best solution. Use of disease-resistant cultivars is a key to environmentally friendly and economically sustainable disease control in modern crop production. To find resistance sources, 10 F1 cucumber hybrids were screened against F. oxysporum f. sp. radicis-cucumerinum. Total phenolic content (PC), soluble peroxidase (POX), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activities were evaluated at 0, 4, and 8 days after inoculation. Significant differences were observed between resistant and susceptible genotypes in increase of total PCs and enzymatic activities at fourth day after inoculation. These findings can be used in breeding programs of cucumber aiming at creating F1 cultivars resistant to Fusarium root and stem rot.