Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of adding abdominal bracing to spinal stabilization exercise on lumbar lordosis angle, extensor strength, pain, and function in patients with non-specific chronic low back pain: A prospective randomized pilot study

Trial design: This study investigated the effect of adding abdominal bracing to spinal stability exercise in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). This prospective, randomized pilot study included 67 patients and was conducted at the sports medicine center of a single hospital. Methods: The abdominal bracing group (ABBG) underwent spinal stability exercise with abdominal bracing (N = 33), comprising 50 minutes training twice a week for 24 weeks. The control group performed only spinal stability exercise (N = 34) for 50 minutes twice a week for 24 weeks. The ABBG received abdominal bracing training at each session and applied abdominal bracing during the spinal stability exercise. The lumbar lordosis angle (LLA) and spine extensor muscle strength were measured. Spinal flexion angles were measured every 12° from 0° to 72°. The visual analog scale score and Oswestry disability index were measured before treatment and at 12 and 24 weeks after treatment. Results: The LLA increased over time in both the groups but was not significantly different between the groups. Spine extensor strength was improved over time in both the groups, and an interactive effect was observed at a spinal flexion angle of 60° and 72°. Pain and function were also improved over time in both the groups, but the effect was stronger in the ABBG than in the control group. In patients with CLBP, spinal stability exercise changed the LLA. Conclusions: Although adding abdominal bracing to spinal stability exercise did not affect the changes in the LLA, abdominal bracing improved the spinal extensor strength, pain, and function in patients with CLBP. Therefore, it is recommended to add abdominal bracing to spinal stability exercise to maintain the lordosis angle and to improve CLBP symptoms.
Tufa Accumulations in Ephemeral Streams: Observations from The Kimberley, north-west Australia

Four types of tufa occur along creeks draining the Oscar Range in the Kimberley region of Western Australia; stream-bed tufa, tufa dams, stream-bed tufa waterfalls, and rimstone pools. Well-developed tufa dam and waterfall formations occur at significant breaks of slope within the channel long profile. This suggests that disruption of the hydraulic flow regime and increased turbulence at these points has an important role to play in determining the location of tufa deposits. However, the best-developed stream-bed tufa deposits are located immediately upstream of dam and waterfall formations, which indicates that the evaporation of water ponded behind these flow obstructions may lead to calcium carbonate precipitation during the dry season. The presence of plant and cyanobacterial communities on, and the incorporation of organic material into, the best-developed tufa formations indicates that biological activity may have an important role to play in determining both the rate of tufa deposition and the internal structure of the resulting accumulations.
Revisiting the evidence of increasing springtime ozone mixing ratios in the free troposphere over western North America

We present a 20 year time series of in situ free tropospheric ozone observations above western North America during springtime and interpret results using hindcast simulations (1980–2014) conducted with the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory global chemistry‐climate model (GFDL AM3). Revisiting the analysis of Cooper et al. ( ), we show that sampling biases can substantially influence calculated trends. AM3 cosampled in space and time with observations reproduces the observed ozone trend (0.65 ± 0.32 ppbv yr−1) over 1995–2008 (in simulations either with or without time‐varying emissions), whereas AM3 “true median” with continuous temporal and spatial sampling indicates an insignificant trend (0.25 ± 0.32 ppbv yr−1). Extending this analysis to 1995–2014, we find a weaker ozone trend of 0.31 ± 0.21 ppbv yr−1 from observations and 0.36 ± 0.18 ppbv yr−1 from AM3 “true median. ” Rising Asian emissions and global methane contribute to this increase. While interannual variability complicates the attribution of ozone trends, multidecadal hindcasts can aid in the estimation of robust confidence limits for trends based on sparse observational records.
Mathematical modeling and numerical simulation of polythermal glaciers

[1] A mathematical model for polythermal glaciers and ice sheets is presented. The enthalpy balance equation is solved in cold and temperate ice together using an enthalpy gradient method. To obtain a relationship between enthalpy, temperature, and water content, we apply a brine pocket parameterization scheme known from sea ice modeling. The proposed enthalpy formulation offers two advantages: (1) the discontinuity at the cold-temperate transition surface is avoided, and (2) no treatment of the transition as an internal free boundary is required. Fourier's law and Fick-type diffusion are assumed for sensible heat flux in cold ice and latent heat flux in temperate ice, respectively. The method is tested on Storglaciaren, northern Sweden. Numerical simulations are carried out with a commercial finite element code. A sensitivity study reveals a wide range of applicability and defines the limits of the method. Realistic temperature and moisture fields are obtained over a large range of parameters.
Seasonal Patterns of Peak Expiratory Flow Rate in Young Healthy Individuals

Background: The seasonal changes are associated with changes in pulmonary functions including Peak Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR). These changes are different among different population and location. This study thus aimed to evaluate the seasonal variations in PEFR among healthy young individuals in Kathmandu. Methods: A comaparative study was carried out among 60 undergraduate medical students of Maharajgunj Medical Campus in the department of Clinical Physiology. The students were selected by convenient sampling technique and after obtaining the informed consent, the PEFR was recorded with the help of Wright’s peak flow meter with proper training. The PEFR was recorded two times i.e. morning and daytime hours in winter season (January-February) 2023 and also in same daily hours of summer season (May-June) 2023 in the same participants. The data were analyzed using SPSS-16 version and the paired T test was used to compare the mean changes in PEFR in winter and in summer seasons. Results: The PEFR in summer morning (499.50±89.50 L/min) was recorded higher than in winter morning (487.50±86.09 L/min) among total participants and also in male participants (567.33±69.34; 550.83±69.58) which was statistically significant with P value <0.05. Similarly, the PEFR in summer daytime (505.08±88.85 L/min) was comparatively more than in winter daytime (491.27±92.07 L/min) which was statistically significant among all participants with P value <0.05. The PEFR in the winter and summer seasons of male participants and in the summer of total participants showed the existence of diurnal variation which was statistically significant. Conclusions: There is seasonal variation as well as diurnal variations of PEFR. So, the clinicians should be aware that the PEFR recorded in winter season and in the morning time might be less than that recorded in the summer and at the daytime respectively.
Post-breakup stratigraphy of the Kaikoura Synthem (Cretaceous-Cenozoic), continental margin, southeastern New Zealand

The stratigraphy and structure of the Kaikoura Synthem (Cretaceous—Cenozoic) is synthesised from available seismic records and well reports on the continental margin of southeastern South Island. Four seismic sequences are distinguished, corresponding to lithostratigraphic groups that can also be recognised nearby on land: Matakea Group (Cretaceous), Onekakara Group (late Cretaceous—Oligocene), Kekenodon Group (Late Oligocene—Miocene), and Otakou Group (Miocene—Recent). These sequences achieve maximum thickness within three sedimentary basins underlying the continental shelf (Canterbury and Foveaux Basins) and slope (Great South Basin). The Great South Basin is separated from the Canterbury and Foveaux Basins across the WaipounamouFaultSystem, anortheasterly oriented zone of faults which controlled rifting and Matakea Group sedimentation along the western edge of a Cretaceous aulacogen now manifest as the Bounty Trough. The Canterbury andFoveaux Basins contain transgressive sequences (Onekakara Group) tha.
Arctic climate warming and sea ice declines lead to increased storm surge activity

The combined effects of climate warming (i.e., increased storminess, reduced sea ice extent, and rising sea levels) make low‐lying Arctic coastal regions particularly susceptible to storm surges. The Mackenzie Delta, a biologically significant and resource‐rich region in northwestern Canada, is particularly vulnerable to flooding by storm surges. To properly manage the consequences of climate warming for Arctic residents, infrastructure, and ecosystems, a better understanding of the influence of climate change on storm surge activity is required. Here we use particle size analysis of lake sediment records to show that the occurrence and magnitude of storm surges in the outer Mackenzie Delta are significantly related to temperature and that the frequency and intensity of storm surges is increasing. Our results demonstrate the effects of changing climate on storm surge activity and provide a cautionary example of the threat of inundation to low‐lying Arctic coastal environments under future climate warming scenarios.
in developing

Background/Aims: Intussusceptive angiogenesis (IA) is a dynamic process which contributes to vascular expansion and remodeling. Intraluminal pillars have long been the distinctive structural indicator of intussusceptive angiogenesis. However, the mechanism of their formation has not been fully elucidated yet. Methods: Using light and electron microscopy, we studied intussusceptive vascular growth in the developing porcine metanephric kidney. Results: We observed intraluminal pillars formed by endothelial cells in the vasculature of developing glomeruli. Their diameter was < 2.5 µm, consistent with the diameter of nascent pillars. TEM revealed that the majority of these pillars consisted only of endothelium. However, a central core of extracellular matrix (ECM) covered by endothelium, reminiscent of a more mature intussusceptive pillar, was also found in the lumen of a glomerular capillary. Perivascular cells or pericytes were not involved in the pillar structure during these stages of formation. Conclusion: This study shows ECM presence in a mature intussusceptive pillar without any perivascular cell involvement in the structure. This leads to the hypothesis that ECM deposition preceeds the participation of these cells in the formation of intraluminal pillars during IA in porcine metanephric glomerular capillaries.
CLASSIC-Utterance-Boundary: A chunking-based model of early naturalistic word segmentation.

Word segmentation is a crucial step in children’s vocabulary learning. Evaluation of computational models has focused on capturing infants’ segmentation performance in small-scale, artificial tasks, with less attention given to models’ performance on large-scale corpora of child-directed speech. Here, we extended CLASSIC (Jones et al., 2021) - a corpus-trained chunking model that can simulate several language learning and memory phenomena - to allow it to perform word segmentation using utterance boundary information, CLASSIC-UB. Further, we addressed current practices of limited model-child comparisons and compared our model to children on a wide range of new and traditional measures. We show that the combination of chunking and utterance-boundary information used by CLASSIC-UB better approximates child word segmentation performance than other models. We conclude that a chunking-based learning mechanism might explain how infants perform word segmentation in naturalistic settings.
A study to determine the correlation between transverse cerebellar diameter and gestational age among the pregnant women in second and third trimester

: Background: With advent of ultrasound, fetal changes are efficiently illustrated by ultrasonography with the evolving parameters as indicators of intrauterine growth. Methods: A prospective study was conducted on pregnant women in second and third trimester presented to the Department of Radio Diagnosis, Navodaya Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Raichur. Result: Study results showed that TCD and GA was highly correlated with BPD, FL, AC and HC with p-value < 0.0001. Conclusion: It was concluded that TCD and GA was well correlated with various ultrasonic parameters including BPD, FL, AC, HC and TCD. The correlation between GA and TCD in IUGR pregnancies was highly significant with (R 2 =0.85).
Factors controlling the deposition of some phosphate bearing strata from Jordan

The element distribution in thirty-two samples from Cretaceous phosphate bearing strata in Jordan is explained in terms of eight related factors. The factors were deduced using the statistical technique of R-mode factor analysis. A reconstruction of the physico-chemical conditions of deposition is made on the basis of the mineralogy, petrography and chemical factor pattern. The model is consistent with the tectonic setting envisaged for such deposits.
Historical Changes in the Beaufort-Chukchi-Bering Seas Surface Winds and Waves, 1971-2013

AbstractThis study characterizes historical changes in surface wind speed and ocean surface waves in the Beaufort–Chukchi–Bering Seas using Environment Canada’s Beaufort Wind and Wave Reanalysis for the period 1970–2013. The results show that both the significant wave height () and mean wave period () have increased significantly over the Bering Sea in July and August and over the Canadian Beaufort Sea westward to the northern Bering Sea in September, and that the 1992–2013 trends in September mean agree well with satellite-based trend estimates for 1993–2010. Most outstandingly, the regional mean has increased at a rate of 3%–4% yr−1 of the corresponding 1970–99 climatology; it has more than tripled since 1970. Also, the regional mean has increased at a rate of 0.3% to 0.8% yr−1. The trends of lengthening wave period and increasing wave height imply a trend of increasing wave energy flux, providing a mechanism to break up sea ice and accelerate ice retreat. The results also show that changes in the local.
The relationships between U.S. streamflow and La Niña Events

In an earlier study of the teleconnection between streamflow and the warm (El nino) phase of the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle, we found a strong relationship evident in four regions of the United States: the Gulf of Mexico, the Northeast, the North Central, and the Pacific Northwest. In this present study we have examined the same four regions for a relationship between streamflow and the cold (La nina) phase of the Southern Oscillation (SO). Invariably, we found evidence of strong and consistent streamflow responses to La nina events within the study regions. In each of the four regions, the strongest La nina signal occurred at the same time of year as had the El nino signal in their respective years. The sign of the seasonal streamflow anomaly associated with the La nina events is the opposite of that associated with the El nino events. This documents the existence of the biennial tendency related to the SO in the streamflow anomaly, which is expected, since La nina/El nino are opposite phases of the ENSO cycle. Finally, the relationships between streamflow and La nino/El nino were found to be statistically significant, based on the hypergeometric distribution. The results of this study demonstrate coherent, consistent, and significant midlatitude streamflow responses to the tropical SO phenomenon. This confirms the results of previous climatological studies that have examined the extratropical teleconnections from a hydrological and meteorological perspective.
Lysinibacillus sphaericus and Geobacillus sp Biodegradation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons and Biosurfactant Production

Petroleum oil is a major driver of worldwide economic activity, but it has also created contamination problems during the storage and refining process. Also, unconventional resources are natural resources, which require greater than industry-standard levels of technology or investment to exploit. In the case of unconventional hydrocarbon resources, additional technology, energy, and capital have to be applied to extract the gas or oil. Bioremediation of petroleum spill is considered of great importance due to the contaminating effects on human health and the environment. For this reason, it is important to reduce total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in contaminated soil. In addition, biosurfactant production is a desirable property of hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms. Seven strains belonging to Lysinibacillus sphaericus and Geobacillus sp were selected to evaluate their ability to biodegrade TPH in the presence of toxic metals, their potential to produce biosurfactants, and their ability to improve the biodegradation rate. The seven bacterial strains examined in this study were able to utilize crude petroleum-oil hydrocarbons as the sole source of carbon and energy. In addition, their ability to degrade crude oil was not affected by the presence of toxic metals such as chromium and arsenic. At the same time, the strains were able to reduce toxic metals concentration through biosorption processes. Biosurfactant production was determined using the drop-collapsed method for all strains, and they were characterized as both anionic and cationic biosurfactants. Biosurfactants showed an increase in biodegradation efficiency both in liquid minimal salt medium and landfarming treatments. The final results in field tests showed an efficiency of 93 percent reduction in crude oil concentration by the selected consortium compared to soil without consortium. The authors propose L. sphaericus and Geobacillus sp consortium as an optimum treatment for contaminated soils. In addition, production of biosurfactants could have an application in the extraction of crude oil from unconventional hydrocarbon resources. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Evaluation of common lime requirement methods

Accurately estimating lime requirements (LR) of acidic soils has been a concern since liming practices began. The objectives of this study were to: (i) determine if the Shoemaker-McLean-Pratt (SMP) buffer is accurately predicting the LR of Kansas soils, (ii) calibrate the SMP and Mehlich buffers to accurately estimate the LR of Kansas soils to specific target pH values, and (iii) compare the effectiveness of 60-d incubations vs. field-observed lime response in determining LR. Kansas soils were used to evaluate the current LR according to the SMP buffer and calibrate SMP and Mehlich methods. Slope values (SMP LR vs. 60-d LR) 0 indicated that the SMP either overestimated the LR at low values or underestimated the LR at relatively high LR values compared with 60-d incubations with CaCO 3 . Calibration of the Mehlich buffer to a target pH of 6.8 provided a better fit than the SMP buffer but the opposite was true at target pHs of 5.5 and 6.0. Titration with 0.022 M Ca(OH) 2 resulted in a LR (target pH 6.8) 55% less than that measured by the 60-d incubation. Evaluation of the SMP buffer, Mehlich buffer, and Ca(OH) 2 titration method on 12 soils indicated that the LR estimated by the Mehlich buffer was not significantly different than the LR from the 60-d incubation. Comparison of the LR from 60-d incubations with field-observed lime response showed that the actual LR in the field was greater than that predicted by the 60-d incubation, which warrants further investigation.
First paleomagnetism of eocene rocks from Gargano: Widespread overprint or non rotation?

A paleomagnetic study was carried out in the Gargano Peninsula on 37 sites (500 cores) of mainly Eocene age. Eight normal polarity directions can be interpreted either in terms of remagnetization, or of a small post Middle-Eocene counterclockwise rotation of Adriatic foreland with respect to stable Africa. The reverse directions seem to result from a widespread remagnetization.
On the UT and seasonal variations of the standard and SuperMAG auroral electrojet indices

The standard auroral electrojet (AE) indices are based on magnetic disturbance data from 10 to 12 northern auroral observatories. Recently, Newell and Gjerloev (2011a) computed equivalent SuperMAG electrojet (SME) indices using data from around 100 mid latitude to high latitude observatories in the Northern Hemisphere. The SME indices certainly have advantage over the AE indices in terms of number as well as temporal resolution of substorm onsets due to better latitudinal and longitudinal coverage. The UT and seasonal variations of geomagnetic activity have been extensively examined in the past. However, particularly for the AE indices, these variations have remained elusive due to sparse distribution of the AE observatories. In this study, we examine what effect the inclusion of large number of stations would make on the UT and seasonal variations of the auroral electrojets activities. For this purpose, data for years 1997–2009 have been considered when consistently many stations (> 70) were available for the computation of the SME indices. We demonstrate that the SME indices exhibit grossly similar UT and seasonal variations as observed in the AE indices. However, there are subtle differences which arise due to difference in number of stations. Our study suggests that most of the UT and seasonal variations of the AE indices, reported earlier, were mainly not due the sparse distribution of stations, but rather to the actual physical processes that control them.
Impact of inflammatory markers in diabetic SARS-CoV-2 critically ill patients

: Introduction: Covid patients have elevated inflammatory markers especially in those with comorbid conditions like diabetes. The study aimed to compare the inflammatory response in critically ill SARS CoV-2 diabetic and non-diabetic subjects admitted in ICU. Methodology: A retrospective data collection study was conducted on113 critically ill SARS CoV-2 patients admitted in ICU. The data of C-reactive protein, ferritin, LDH, RBS and glycated hemoglobin were collected from laboratory. The duration of stay, diabetic and mortality status were collected from electronic repository of the hospital. Independent ‘t’ test and Mann Whitney U test were used for parametric and non-parametric data respectively to compare the study groups. Chi-square analysis done for categorical variables. Spearmann correlation was used to correlate inflammatory markers with HbA1c. Results: Serum ferritin, LDH and CRP was elevated in diabetic population and was found to be statistically significant with CRP (p value 0.034). Duration of stay in hospital was reduced in diabetes (p value 0.033). Positive correlation of HbA1c was seen with CRP and LDH but found to be statistically significant only with CRP (r = 0.179, p = 0.040). Conclusion: S tudy concluded that inflammatory markers CRP, ferritin and LDH were comparatively elevated in diabetic versus non diabetic SARS CoV-2 patients.