Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A New Health Promotion Program That Includes Wadaiko Rhythm Exercise to Maintain the Health of Persons Excluded from Receiving Specific Health Guidance

This study examined the effectiveness of a new health promotion program, which is a collective intervention program aimed at improving lifestyle habits. It was designed as a one-year prospective cohort study. This program targeted non-obese persons at risk of developing lifestyle-related diseases and participants with hypertension, dyslipidemia, or hyperglycemia who were not included in the specific health guidance system in Japan. The Wadaiko rhythm exercise, which is a traditional performing art, is incorporated into this intervention as an enjoyable routine that can help participants continue the program, preventing them from dropping out. After a one-year follow-up, the effectiveness of the health promotion program was evaluated in 18 participants (2 males, 16 females; mean age 65.2 ± 3.4 years) and 92 controls. The results showed that triglyceride in the intervention group significantly decreased (−24.5 mg/dL; p = 0.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], −44.73 to −4.27) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol significantly increased (+6.1 mg/dL; p < 0.01; 95% CI, 2.46 to 9.65), although levels in the control group did not change. These results suggest that the health promotion program could contribute to lifestyle habit improvements in those who are excluded from receiving specific health guidance.
Weaving Social Connectivity into the Community Fabric: Exploring Older Adult’s Relationships to Technology and Place

The wellbeing of older adults is positively impacted by ease of access to social networks and opportunities. In urban fringe communities, longer geographical distances, combined with mobility and health issues, can lead to decreased access to community life. Technology can facilitate socialisation opportunities for older adults living in more geographically isolated locations, but we need to work with communities to better understand how technology can fit into their existing social tapestry and community infrastructure. We conducted an explorative, qualitative study consisting of in-depth semi-structured interviews with members of an urban fringe community (n = 2), and a community mapping focus group (n = 14). Transcripts and mapping materials were analysed thematically, and also the method’s suitability explored. The community mapping proved suitable to uncover the complexity of technology use to support social connectivity. We found that while technology was perceived as valuable by our participants, there were also significant fears and concerns surrounding its use related to the abstract concept of online friendship and the steep learning curve required to master some platforms. Inclusive communities connected by technology require tailored and customised community-led technology initiatives in order to accommodate for the unique social and geographical contexts in which they live. We outline the next steps for future research on technology-supported social connectivity within urban fringe communities.
Agronomic response of a maize hybrid (Zea mays L.) at different planting densities

The experiment was carried out at the “La María” Campus of the State Technical University of Quevedo, located in the Mocache canton, province of Los Ríos. This consisted of the establishment of experimental lots of the simple maize hybrid called “Centella”, classified as high yielding and medium segmentation, subjected to different planting densities, which corresponded to the following treatments: T1 (60 x 25 cm), T2 (70 x 25 cm) and T3 (80 x 25 cm). A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with five replications was used to evaluate them; the comparison between means was carried out using Tukey's test (P≤0.05). The variables studied were: plant height (cm), stem diameter (cm), ear insertion height (cm), number of grain rows in the ear, ear length (cm), ear diameter (cm), weight of 100 grains, grain yield (kg/ha), phenology and economic analysis. The treatments showed statistical similarity in all agronomic performance variables and most of the productive parameters, except for grain yield, where T1 stood out over the other treatments with a record of 9282.21 kg/ha.
Molecular diagnosis and identification of Blastocystis hominis at Wasit Province

Blastocystis hominis is an enteric protozoan. It is frequently found in children and may cause chronic diarrhea. The present cross-sectional study was carried out during the period from October to December, 2021 in Wasit Province of Iraq. A total 100 stool samples from both gender and different ages (two years to the 60 years) suffering from primary gastro-intestinal disorders. All stool samples were examined microscopically by the direct method for identification of B. hominis and for the presence of other intestinal parasites. The number and percent of infection rate with B. hominis was 34(34%) in both of adults and children groups, the age group (14 – 35) years showed the highest rate of infection 12 (35.29 %) and the lowest rate was in ages ( 51-60 years) 3 (15%). The number and percent of infection among children were 4(11.76 %) and among age group of ( 36 – 50 year) were 10( 29.41%). The number and percent of the infection among males were 24 (70.58%) while among females were 10 (29.41%). According to the residence, urban areas were reported 24(70.58%) and rural areas were 10 (29.41% ).
Do resource windfalls improve standard of living in sub-Saharan African countries?

ABSTRACT We examine impact of resource windfall on standard of living. We introduce annual welfare measure that combines income, inequality, and health, covering 130 countries for 45 years. We investigate the effect of resource windfalls on welfare in three groups: (i) a sample of 130 countries, (ii) 28 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, and (iii) 9 fragile SSA countries. We find that the short-run and long-run effect of resource windfalls are welfare enhancing in the 130-country sample. However, the effect size is small in SSA countries, and is insignificant in fragile SSA countries, which emphasizes importance of governance in natural resource management.
Atomic Data Needs for X-ray Astronomy

With the launches of the Chandra X-ray Observatory and XMM-Newton, high resolution X-ray spectra of cosmic sources are broad ening our understanding of the physical conditions, such as temperature, density, ionization state, and elemental abundances. X-ray emitting as trophysical plasmas can be generally classified by their dominant ioniza tion mechanism, either collisional ionization or X-ray photoionization. The atomic data needs are significantly different for these two cases; however, for both cases it is important that we identify robust and accu rate diagnostics and that we verify completeness of the broadband mod els. We discuss the status of the atomic data currently used in atomic databases for X-ray astronomy, in view of theoretical and experimental atomic physics considerations.
Organizational Ambidexterity: A Critical Review and Development of a Project-Focused Definition

The objective of this paper is to explore a project-focused understanding of contemporary organisational ambidexterity literature. As part of this process, a taxonomical analysis of the elements and components of the concept of organisational ambidexterity is undertaken. Findings suggest that a project-focused notion of organisational ambidexterity involves different levels, dimensions and mechanisms. The predominant contribution of this paper resides within the taxonomy study, which provides a platform for a more holistic understanding of organisational ambidexterity as a multifaceted concept applicable to the project management discipline.
Projecting end-of-century climate extremes and their impacts on the hydrology of a representative California watershed

Abstract. In California, it is essential to understand the evolution of water resources in response to a changing climate to sustain its economy and agriculture and to build resilient communities. Although extreme conditions have characterized the historical hydroclimate of California, climate change will likely intensify hydroclimatic extremes by the end of the century (EoC). However, few studies have investigated the impacts of EoC extremes on watershed hydrology. We use cutting-edge global climate and integrated hydrologic models to simulate EoC extremes and their effects on the water-energy balance. We assess the impacts of projected driest, median, and wettest water years under Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 8.5 on the hydrodynamics of the Cosumnes River basin. Substantial changes to annual average temperature (>+2.5 ∘C) and precipitation (>+38 %) will characterize the EoC extreme water years compared to their historical counterparts. A shift in the dominant form of precipitation, mostly in the form of rain, is projected to fall earlier. These changes reduce snowpack by more than 90 %, increase peak surface water and groundwater storages up to 75 % and 23 %, respectively, and drive the timing of peak storage to occur earlier in the year. Because EoC temperatures and soil moisture are high, both potential and actual evapotranspiration (ET) increase. The latter, along with the lack of snowmelt in the warm EoC, causes surface water and groundwater storages to significantly decrease in summer, with groundwater showing the highest rates of decrease. These changes result in more ephemeral EoC streams with more focused flow and increased storage in the mainstem of the river network during the summer.
Measurement of anti SARS-CoV-2 RBD IgG in saliva: validation of a highly sensitive assay and effects of the sampling collection method and correction by protein

Abstract Objectives To develop and evaluate a new highly sensitive assay to detect IgG anti-SARS-CoV-2 RBD in saliva samples. Methods A two-step sandwich type immunoassay based on the amplified luminescent proximity homogeneous technology was developed and an analytical validation was performed. As a part of this validation, the influence of factors, such as different sampling conditions (stimulated saliva and passive drool) and the correction of values by total protein content, in the ability of saliva to detect increases in antibodies after an immune stimulus and be an alternative to serum, was evaluated. For this purpose, paired samples of saliva and serum at different times after vaccination were used. Results Saliva concentrations were lower than serum, but both fluids showed similar kinetics, with higher correlations when saliva was obtained by passive flow and the results were not corrected by protein. Conclusions The developed method showed a good analytical performance and can properly measure antibody concentrations in saliva of vaccinated individuals. However, saliva could have a lower sensitivity compared to serum at initial stages of the immune response and also when the antibody response decreased after a stimulus.
Cross‐ecosystem effects of coastal urbanisation on vertebrate assemblages and ecological function

The effects of urbanisation are increasingly pervasive across landscapes, and this has implications for animals and the ecological functions they support. Differences in ecological attributes and assemblages between ecosystems means we cannot assume that different ecosystems within the same landscapes are affected by urbanisation in the same trajectory or over the same spatial scales. We test whether and how ecosystem type can modify ecological responses to urbanisation, contrasting beaches, estuaries, rocky headlands and coastal lagoons impacted by a range of urbanisation intensities on the Sunshine Coast in eastern Australia. We sampled coastal vertebrates and measured carrion scavenging, a key ecological function in all ecosystems, using baited camera traps at 85 sites distributed among five beaches (25 sites at five sites per beach), three estuaries (15 sites at five sites per estuary), four coastal lagoons (20 sites at five sites per lagoon) and five headlands (25 sites at five sites per headland). Coastal vertebrate assemblages were best predicted by the additive effects of ecosystem type and the extent of urbanisation within 5 km of each site, and this was typically characterised by increases in synanthropic species abundance at sites with high to intermediate extents of urbanisation nearby. However, two key indicator species had opposing relationships with the extent of urbanisation, and four varied only between ecosystems and not with urbanisation. Urbanisation substantially depressed rates of carrion scavenging, with some variation in species‐specific consumption rates among ecosystems. While native crows, raptors and water rats accounted for 2/3 of carrion consumed, invasive black rats and free‐ranging domestic dogs were significant consumers of carrion. Our results not only stress the pervasive effects of urbanisation on species distributions and abundance across multiple ecosystems in landscapes, but highlight that pivotal ecological functions can be compromised across multiple ecosystems embedded within the same landscape.
Abnormal Threshold Voltage Degradation Under Semi-On State Stress in Si3N4/AlGaN/GaN-HEMT

In this study, the threshold voltage (VT) degradation mechanism for a hot electron stress (HES) under semi-ON state conditions in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors is analyzed. The drain current versus gate voltage (ID–VG) characteristic curves indicate that VT shifts in the positive direction after the stress. However, an abnormal phenomenon that VT continuously shifts in the positive direction even after recovery is observed. A result comparison of a negative bias stress (NBS) experiment indicates that a hole recombination in pre-existing buffer defects is crucial. Therefore, a complete model of VT degradation mechanism is proposed. Moreover, the proposed model is confirmed through an illumination experiment and a Silvaco simulation.
Mixed-Method Evaluation of a Community Pharmacy Antimicrobial Stewardship Intervention (PAMSI)

The community pharmacy antimicrobial stewardship intervention (PAMSI) is multi-faceted and underpinned by behavioural science, consisting of the TARGET Antibiotic Checklist, staff e-Learning, and patient-facing materials. This mixed-method study evaluated the effect of PAMSI on community pharmacy staffs’ self-reported antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) behaviours. Data collection included staff pre- and post-intervention questionnaires, qualitative interviews, and TARGET Antibiotic Checklists. Quantitative data were analysed by a multivariate ordinal linear mixed effect model; qualitative data were analysed thematically. A total of 101 staff participated from 66 pharmacies, and six completed semi-structured interviews. The statistical model indicated very strong evidence (p < 0.001) that post-intervention, staff increased their antibiotic appropriateness checks and patient advice, covering antibiotic adherence, antibiotic resistance, infection self-care, and safety-netting. Staff reported feeling empowered to query antibiotic appropriateness with prescribing clinicians. The TARGET Antibiotic Checklist was completed with 2043 patients. Topics patients identified as requiring advice from the pharmacy team included symptom duration, alcohol and food consumption guidance, antibiotic side-effects, and returning unused antibiotics to pharmacies. Pharmacy staff acknowledged the need for improved communication across the primary care pathway to optimise antimicrobial use, and PAMSI has potential to support this ambition if implemented nationally. To support patients not attending a pharmacy in person, an online information tool will be developed.
Guayaba foliage (Psidium guajava L.) as a phytobiotic in the feeding of broiler chickens

In the different livestock production systems, feed represents the highest percentage of investment in poultry production. Producers are constantly seeking to improve their productive parameters by using different additives, among the most used are antibiotic growth promoters. In Ecuador, many plant species can be used as a source of nutrients or as medicinal additives. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of the addition of guava foliage levels on the productive behavior of broiler chickens. The work was carried out at the "Romero" farm located in the "Cuatro Mangas" enclosure on the Quevedo - Buena Fe Road, province of Los Ríos. A total of 160 Broilers Cobb 500 were used, distributed in a completely randomized design with 4 treatments and 5 replicates each, with 8 animals as experimental unit. No statistical differences were found concerning the productive parameters between the means of the Tukey treatments (P≤0.05); however, in the benefit-cost ratio, the 0.5% of guava foliage presented the best value ($1.83), which means that for each dollar invested, a profit of 0.83 ctvs was obtained, with a profitability of 82.67% and a mortality of 2.5%.
Sensor Fault-Tolerant State Estimation by Networks of Distributed Observers

We propose a state estimation methodology using a network of distributed observers. We consider a scenario in which the local measurement at each node may not guarantee the system's observability. In contrast, the ensemble of all the measurements does ensure that the observability property holds. As a result, we design a network of observers such that the estimated state vector computed by each observer converges to the system's state vector by using the local measurement and the communicated estimates of a subset of observers in its neighborhood. The proposed estimation scheme exploits sensor redundancy to provide robustness against faults in the sensors. Under suitable conditions on the redundant sensors, we show that it is possible to mitigate the effects of a class of sensor faults on the state estimation. Simulation trials demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed distributed estimation scheme.
Lesion detection in contrast enhanced spectral mammography

Background and purpose: The recent emergence of neural networks models for the analysis of breast images has been a breakthrough in computer aided diagnostic. This approach was not yet developed in Contrast Enhanced Spectral Mammography (CESM) where access to large databases is complex. This work proposes a deep-learning-based Computer Aided Diagnostic development for CESM recombined images able to detect lesions and classify cases. Material and methods: A large CESM diagnostic dataset with biopsy-proven lesions was collected from various hospitals and different acquisition systems. The annotated data were split on a patient level for the training (55%), validation (15%) and test (30%) of a deep neural network with a state-of-the-art detection architecture. Free Receiver Operating Characteristic (FROC) was used to evaluate the model for the detection of 1) all lesions, 2) biopsied lesions and 3) malignant lesions. ROC curve was used to evaluate breast cancer classification. The metrics were finally compared to clinical results. Results: For the evaluation of the malignant lesion detection, at high sensitivity (Se<0.95), the false positive rate was at 0.61 per image. For the classification of malignant cases, the model reached an Area Under the Curve (AUC) in the range of clinical CESM diagnostic results. Conclusion: This CAD is the first development of a lesion detection and classification model for CESM images. Trained on a large dataset, it has the potential to be used for helping the management of biopsy decision and for helping the radiologist detecting complex lesions that could modify the clinical treatment.
Design and Optimisation of a Hub Drive Electrical Motor for an L2 Class Electrical Vehicle for Sustainable Urban Transport Applications

Design and Optimisation of a Hub Drive Electrical Motor for an L2 Class Electrical Vehicle for Sustainable Urban Transport Applications A. Joss Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa. Thesis: MEng (E&E) December 2018 This thesis is a comparative study of the electromagnetic aspects, between the Ironless Double-rotor Radial Flux Permanent Magnet (IDRFPM) machine and the Single Outrunner Rotor Synchronous Permanent Magnet (SORSPM) machine for the application of the Mellowcabs L2 class direct-drive electrical vehicle. The IDRFPM machine is analysed analytically using the subdomain analysis method, and validated using a Finite Element Method (FEM) package. Two conductor types are considered for the SORSPM machine, namely Litz wire and solid copper bars. The SORSPM machine is subsequently analysed using a FEM package. The IDRFPM and SORSPM machines are both optimised for various pole numbers with priority given to efficiency, torque density and torque ripple. The optimisation results conclude that the IDRFPM machine has superior performance with regards to efficiency, power factor and torque ripple. However, the torque density of the IDRFPM machine (2.70 N·m/kg) is much lower than that of the SORSPM machine (7.17 N·m/kg). The IDRFPM machine’s low torque density makes it an infeasible choice, as it would increase the vehicle mass significantly, requiring yet a larger IDRFPM machine to provide sufficient hill-climbing capability. A first attempt into a possible method of constructing the SORSPM machine using solid copper bars reveals that the complexity would be too high. The construction complexity, together with unconvincing performance gains of the solid copper bar type, makes the SORSPM machine using Litz wire the preferred candidate for the Mellowcabs vehicle. ii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za
Studies Regarding the Pharmaceutical Potential of Derivative Products from Plantain

In this study, three types of extracts isolated from leaves of Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) were tested for their chemical content and biological activities. The three bioproducts are combinations of polysaccharides and polyphenols (flavonoids and iridoidic compounds), and they were tested for antioxidant, antifungal, antitumor, and prebiotic activity (particularly for polysaccharides fraction). Briefly, the iridoid-enriched fraction has revealed a pro-oxidant activity, while the flavonoid-enriched fraction had a high antioxidant potency; the polysaccharide fraction also indicated a pro-oxidant activity, explained by the co-presence of iridoid glycosides. All three bioproducts demonstrated moderate antifungal effects against Aspergillus sp. , Penicillium sp. , and dermatophytes, too. Studies in vitro proved inhibitory activity of the three fractions on the leukemic tumor cell line THP-1, the main mechanism being apoptosis stimulation, while the polysaccharide fraction indicated a clear prebiotic activity, in the concentration range between 1 and 1000 µg/mL, evaluated as higher than that of the reference products used, inulin and dextrose, respectively.