Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determination of the initial condition in parabolic equations from boundary observations

Abstract The problem of determining the initial condition in parabolic equations from boundary observations is studied. It is reformulated as a variational problem and then a formula for the gradient of the functional to be minimized is derived via an adjoint problem. The variational problem is discretized by finite difference splitting methods and solved by the conjugate gradient method. Some numerical examples are presented to show the efficiency of the method. Also as a by-product of the variational method, we propose a numerical scheme for numerically estimating singular values of the solution operator in the inverse problem.
Clinical and laboratory factors associated with hospitalization and mortality in the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between MPV and disease prognosis in patients with COVID-19, the chronic diseases that affect the prognosis of COVID-19, and the laboratory data that can help diagnose this disease and provide information about the course of the disease during the treatment process. Methods: The study was conducted in a cross-sectional format. All participants gave written, informed consent to participate. A questionnaire consisting of two parts, including categorical (socio-demographic) data and laboratory data, was applied to people who had COVID-19 who applied to the internal medicine outpatient clinic of the hospital. The Pearson chi-squared test and Fisher exact test were used for comparing categorical variables. The Mann-Whitney U test, or Kruskal-Wallis test with Bonferroni post hoc comparisons, was used to compare numerical variables between the groups. All analyses were performed using the SPSS 25.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, ‎USA) software package. Results: The participants' mean (±SD) age was 40.8±13.7 years (median: 40, range: 18 – 72). Almost half of the participants (48.0%, n=98) were male, the majority (76.0%, n=155) were married, and 24.0% (n=49) were single. Of the 204 patients, 28 (13.7%) were hospitalized, and five died (2.5%). Of the five patients who died, three had chronic lung disease, one had diabetes and chronic lung disease, and one had no chronic disease. Conclusion: Older age and the presence of chronic diseases are important factors affecting hospitalization in patients with COVID-19. LDH, CRP, and ferritin levels were high, and the mean platelet volume levels were significantly higher in hospitalized patients. Keywords: COVID -19, pandemics, prognosis of COVID -19
Clinical Spectrum and Treatment Response of Malignant Otitis Externa Patients: A Rural Tertiary Care Centre Experience

Introduction: Malignant otitis externa (MOE) is an invasive external ear infection that has a tendency to spread through the temporal bone and can further progress to involve intracranial structures. Though the prevalence of MOE is rare, high morbidity and mortality are often associated. Complications of advanced MOE include cranial nerve involvement, most commonly facial nerve, and intracranial infections such as abscesses and meningitis. Materials and methods: In this retrospective case series of nine patients diagnosed with MOE, demographic data, clinical presentations, laboratory data, and radiological findings were reviewed. All patients were followed up for a minimum period of three months after discharge. Outcomes were measured in terms of reduction in obnoxious ear pain (Visual Analogue Scale), ear discharge, tinnitus, need for re-hospitalization, recurrence of disease, and overall survival. Results: In our case series of nine patients (seven males and two females), six underwent surgery, and three patients were managed with a medical line of treatment. All patients had a significant reduction in otorrhea, otalgia, random venous blood sugars, and improvement of facial palsy implicating good response to treatment. Conclusion: Prompt diagnosis of MOE warrants clinical expertise and aids in preventing complications. A prolonged course of intravenous anti-microbial agents is the mainstay of treatment, but timely surgical interventions in treatment-resistant cases can prevent complications.
Resilience of Parents who Have Children with Cancer

Cancer is one of the diseases that causes death in children in the world. The incidence of cancer globally every year is as many as 300 thousand children. Cancer that occurs in children causes major reactions in parents that are often associated with trauma and shock. Parents suffer from psychosocial problems, financial tensions, social isolation and conflicts of work and family roles and reduced time for other children and recreational activities. The main key in overcoming the problem of children with cancer is resilience. Research on the resilience of parents who have children with cancer is still limited. The absence of a literature study in the form of a scoping review of the resilience of parents who have children with cancer has made researchers interested in conducting literature studies. A systematic review is needed to disseminate the relevant literature on the resilience of parents who have children with cancer.
Impact of Chorionic Somatomammotropin In Vivo RNA Interference Phenotype on Uteroplacental Expression of the IGF Axis

While fetal growth is dependent on many factors, optimal placental function is a prerequisite for a normal pregnancy outcome. The majority of fetal growth-restricted (FGR) pregnancies result from placental insufficiency (PI). The insulin-like growth factors (IGF1 and IGF2) stimulate fetal growth and placental development and function. Previously, we demonstrated that in vivo RNA interference (RNAi) of the placental hormone, chorionic somatomammotropin (CSH), resulted in two phenotypes. One phenotype exhibits significant placental and fetal growth restriction (PI-FGR), impaired placental nutrient transport, and significant reductions in umbilical insulin and IGF1. The other phenotype does not exhibit statistically significant changes in placental or fetal growth (non-FGR). It was our objective to further characterize these two phenotypes by determining the impact of CSH RNAi on the placental (maternal caruncle and fetal cotyledon) expression of the IGF axis. The trophectoderm of hatched blastocysts (9 days of gestation, dGA) were infected with a lentivirus expressing either a non-targeting sequence (NTS RNAi) control or CSH-specific shRNA (CSH RNAi) prior to embryo transfer into synchronized recipient ewes. At ≈125 dGA, pregnancies were fitted with vascular catheters to undergo steady-state metabolic studies. Nutrient uptakes were determined, and tissues were harvested at necropsy. In both CSH RNAi non-FGR and PI-FGR pregnancies, uterine blood flow was significantly reduced (p ≤ 0.05), while umbilical blood flow (p ≤ 0.01), both uterine and umbilical glucose and oxygen uptakes (p ≤ 0.05), and umbilical concentrations of insulin and IGF1 (p ≤ 0.05) were reduced in CSH RNAi PI-FGR pregnancies. Fetal cotyledon IGF1 mRNA concentration was reduced (p ≤ 0.05) in CSH RNAi PI-FGR pregnancies, whereas neither IGF1 nor IGF2 mRNA concentrations were impacted in the maternal caruncles, and either placental tissue in the non-FGR pregnancies. Fetal cotyledon IGF1R and IGF2R mRNA concentrations were not impacted for either phenotype, yet IGF2R was increased (p ≤ 0.01) in the maternal caruncles of CSH RNAi PI-FGR pregnancies. For the IGF binding proteins (IGFBP1, IGFBP2, IGFBP3), only IGFBP2 mRNA concentrations were impacted, with elevated IGFBP2 mRNA in both the fetal cotyledon (p ≤ 0.01) and maternal caruncle (p = 0.08) of CSH RNAi non-FGR pregnancies. These data support the importance of IGF1 in placental growth and function but may also implicate IGFBP2 in salvaging placental growth in non-FGR pregnancies.
Myth of the QANTAS leap: perspectives on the evolution of kangaroo locomotion

Abstract The distinctive QANTAS ‘flying kangaroo’ motif of Australia’s national airline signifies what many people regard as the pinnacle of kangaroo evolution—a large-bodied marsupial specialized for endurance-hopping. However, while almost all extant macropodoids (the crown group including kangaroos) use hopping gaits to some extent, the fossil record reveals that the locomotory capabilities of extinct macropodoids were comparatively diverse. The earliest recognized Oligocene–middle Miocene macropodoids probably employed quadrupedal bounding, climbing and slower speed hopping as their primary modes of locomotion. Yet, all were apparently small-bodied (<12 kg), with larger-bodied (>20 kg) forms not appearing until the late Miocene coincident with increasing aridity and the spread of openly vegetated habitats. Hopping is functionally problematic at larger body sizes. Consequently, the later radiation of macropodids (kangaroos, wallabies and their relatives) achieved an optimal mass for efficient higher-speed hopping at ∼35 kg, with a theorized extreme limit of ∼140–160 kg. Modern kangaroos otherwise approach the peak mass range for such gaits at ∼50–90 kg, with the gigantic Pliocene–Pleistocene species of Protemnodon (‘giant wallabies’) at ∼100–160 kg likely being predominantly quadrupedal, and sthenurines (short-faced kangaroos) at ∼50–250 kg seemingly using bipedal striding. Here, we review the fossil evidence of macropodoid locomotion over the last ∼25 million years, and present preliminary analyses of limb bone and tarsal metric data. These indicate that the higher-speed endurance-hopping typical of modern large-bodied kangaroos was probably rare or absent in all but a few crown macropodoid lineages. The intrinsic gait variability of macropodoids has therefore diminished with Late Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions. As a result, the famous QANTAS ‘flying kangaroo’ actually depicts only one of what was once many successful locomotory strategies employed by macropodoids to conquer a range of terrestrial and arboreal habitats. Christine M. Janis [christine_janis@brown.edu], Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK; Adrian M. O’Driscoll [aod523@york.ac. uk], Centre for Anatomical and Human Studies, Hull York Medical School, University of York, York YO1O 5DD, UK; Benjamin P. Kear [benjamin.kear@em.uu. se], The Museum of Evolution, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 16, Uppsala SE-75236, Sweden.
Identification of Basement Membrane-Related Signatures in Gastric Cancer

Background: The basement membrane (BM) serves as a major barrier to impede tumor cell invasion and extravasation during metastasis. However, the associations between BM-related genes and GC remain unclear. Methods: RNA expression data and corresponding clinical information of STAD samples were downloaded from the TCGA database. We identified BM-related subtypes and constructed a BM-related gene prognostic model using lasso-Cox regression analysis. We also investigated the single-cell properties of prognostic-related genes and the TME characteristic, TMB status, and chemotherapy response in high- and low-risk groups. Finally, we verified our results in the GEPIA database and human tissue specimens. Results: A six-gene lasso Cox regression model (APOD, CAPN6, GPC3, PDK4, SLC7A2, SVEP1) was developed. Activated CD4+ T cells and follicular T cells were shown to infiltrate more widely in the low-risk group. The low-risk group harbored significantly higher TMB and better prognosis, favoring immunotherapy. Conclusions: We constructed a six-gene BM-related prognostic model for predicting GC prognosis, immune cell infiltration, TMB status, and chemotherapy response. This research provides new ideas for developing more effective individualized treatment of GC patients.
Bagging non-differentiable estimators in complex surveys

Bagging is a powerful computational method used to improve the performance of inefficient estimators. This article is a first exploration of the use of bagging in survey estimation, and we investigate the effects of bagging on non-differentiable survey estimators including sample distribution functions and quantiles, among others. The theoretical properties of bagged survey estimators are investigated under both design-based and modelbased regimes. In particular, we show the design consistency of the bagged estimators, and obtain the asymptotic normality of the estimators in the model-based context. The article describes how implementation of bagging for survey estimators can take advantage of replicates developed for survey variance estimation, providing an easy way for practitioners to apply bagging in existing surveys. A major remaining challenge in implementing bagging in the survey context is variance estimation for the bagged estimators themselves, and we explore two possible variance estimation approaches. Simulation experiments reveal the improvement of the proposed bagging estimator relative to the original estimator and compare the two variance estimation approaches.
Predatory capacity and intraguild interaction between aphidophagous predators in the control of rose bush aphids

Chrysoperla externa (Hagen) and Hippodamia convergens (Guérin-Meneville) are voracious generalist predators, and important aphid control agents. In an environment containing a complex of species, the occurrence of intraguild interactions can interfere in the predator behavior and consumption. The aim of this work was to know the number of nymphs of Rhodobium porosum (Sanderson) and Macrosiphum rosae (Linnaeus) consumed by larvae of C. externa and H. convergens, and the interaction between these predators when confined together. First, second and third instar nymphs of R. porosum and M. rosae were provided in Petri dishes containing rose leaflets and second instar larvae of the predators. Intraguild interaction was studied in Petri dishes containing first instar nymphs of both aphid species and a second instar larva of C. externa plus one of H. convergens. A third treatment consisted of dishes containing a second instar larva of both predators maintained in the absence of prey. The evaluations took place throughout the entire instar of the predators. C. externa consumed a greater number of R. porosum nymphs and H. convergens a greater number of M. rosae nymphs. For both species of prey, the highest consumption was verified on the last day of evaluation. There was a positive interaction when the predator’s larvae were confined in the presence of aphid nymphs, with no mortality observed for any of them. In the absence of prey, there was 70% mortality of H. convergens larvae due to intraguild predation.
Evaluating the influence of environmental variables on fish abundance and distribution in the Singhiya River of Morang District, eastern Nepal

Monitoring the impact of fishing pressure on the Singhiya River is critical for resource development and sustainability, and the present situation is alarming and causing critical concern among the public. This study aimed to identify fish community trends over time and space in the river, and to investigate the impact of environmental variables on fish abundance and dispersion. Monthly fish sampling was performed from October 2020 to September 2021 from the 5th to 10th of each month. We used three cast nets of various mesh sizes (0.5, 2, & 4 cm) and monofilament gill nets with mesh sizes of 6, 8, & 10 cm. A total of 7,593 fish were collected, representing 61 species from seven orders, 20 families, and 37 genera. Similarity percentage (SIMPER) analysis revealed 78.8% similarity among six stations, with the primary contributing species: Puntius chola (28.2%), Puntius sophore (13.5%), Pethia ticto (5.33%), Chagunius chagunio (3.76%), Barbonymus gonionotus (3.69%), Puntius terio (3.46%), Opsarius shacra (2.2%), and Opsarius bendelisis (2.1%). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) on canonical correspondence analysis revealed that four of the seven selected environmental variables had significant relationship with the fish assemblage such as water parameters velocity, temperature, pH, and hardness. Overfishing and direct discharge of industrial waste into water resources may be the primary causes for the decline in fish diversity in Singhiya River.
Modeling Drug Resistance Emergence and Transmission in HIV-1 in the UK

A deeper understanding of HIV-1 transmission and drug resistance mechanisms can lead to improvements in current treatment policies. However, the rates at which HIV-1 drug resistance mutations (DRMs) are acquired and which transmitted DRMs persist are multi-factorial and vary considerably between different mutations. We develop a method for the estimation of drug resistance acquisition and transmission patterns. The method uses maximum likelihood ancestral character reconstruction informed by treatment roll-out dates and allows for the analysis of very large datasets. We apply our method to transmission trees reconstructed on the data obtained from the UK HIV Drug Resistance Database to make predictions for known DRMs. Our results show important differences between DRMs, in particular between polymorphic and non-polymorphic DRMs and between the B and C subtypes. Our estimates of reversion times, based on a very large number of sequences, are compatible but more accurate than those already available in the literature, with narrower confidence intervals. We consistently find that large resistance clusters are associated with polymorphic DRMs and DRMs with long loss times, which require special surveillance. As in other high-income countries (e.g., Switzerland), the prevalence of sequences with DRMs is decreasing, but among these, the fraction of transmitted resistance is clearly increasing compared to the fraction of acquired resistance mutations. All this indicates that efforts to monitor these mutations and the emergence of resistance clusters in the population must be maintained in the long term.
TIGIT-based immunotherapeutics in lung cancer

Summary In this review, we explore the biology of the TIGIT checkpoint and its potential as a therapeutic target in lung cancer. We briefly review a highly selected set of clinical trials that have reported or are currently recruiting in non-small cell and small cell lung cancer, a disease transformed by the advent of PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint blockade immunotherapy. We explore the murine data underlying TIGIT blockade and further explore the reliance of effective anti-TIGIT therapy on DNAM-1(CD226)-positive activated effector CD8+ T cells. The synergism with anti-PD-1 therapy is also explored. Future directions in the realm of overcoming resistance to checkpoint blockade and extending the repertoire of other checkpoints are also briefly explored.
Copeptin in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease: real-world experiences from a large prospective cohort study

ABSTRACT Background The identification of new biomarkers in autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is crucial to improve and simplify prognostic assessment as a basis for patient selection for targeted therapies. Post hoc analyses of the TEMPO 3:4 study indicated that copeptin could be one of those biomarkers. Methods Copeptin was tested in serum samples from patients of the AD(H)PKD study. Serum copeptin levels were measured using a time-resolved amplified cryptate emission (TRACE)-based assay. In total, we collected 711 values from 389 patients without tolvaptan treatment and a total of 243 values (of which 64 were pre-tolvaptan) from 94 patients on tolvaptan. These were associated with rapid progression and disease-causing gene variants and their predictive capacity tested and compared with the Mayo Classification. Results As expected, copeptin levels showed a significant negative correlation with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Measurements on tolvaptan showed significantly higher copeptin levels (9.871 pmol/L vs 23.90 pmol/L at 90/30 mg; P < .0001) in all chronic kidney disease stages. Linear regression models (n = 133) show that copeptin is an independent predictor of eGFR slope. A clinical model (including eGFR, age, gender, copeptin) was nearly as good (R2 = 0.1196) as our optimal model (including height-adjusted total kidney volume, eGFR, copeptin, R2 = 0.1256). Adding copeptin to the Mayo model improved future eGFR estimation. Conclusion Copeptin levels are associated with kidney function and independently explained future eGFR slopes. As expected, treatment with tolvaptan strongly increases copeptin levels.
Is ZISWAF'S Institution Susceptible to Moral Hazard?

The purpose of this study is to identify attitudes about ZISWAF throughout the previous five years, from 2019 to 2023, and to determine whether or not moral hazard can exist at ZISWAF institutions. The technique involves using SentiStrength and Microsoft Excel 2019 to analyse secondary data in metadata from 149 journals collected from Dimensions, together with descriptive statistical analysis, meta-analysis, and sentiment analysis. The sentiment analysis's findings demonstrate the perspectives of ZISWAF researchers, with neutral sentiments representing for 41%, positive sentiments for 32%, and negative sentiments for 26%. ZISWAF-related research reveals a positive attitude since people are still optimistic about this financial instrument's potential to solve social issues. The fact that ZISWAF fund management still operates on a manual method, which is susceptible to moral hazard and human error, the ineffectiveness of ZISWAF management, and the lack of a supervisory institution for ZISWAF fund management all contributed to the unfavourable sentiment that was discovered in the research regarding to ZISWAF. As a further practical application, this study makes recommendations to regulators, academics, and the ZISWAF Institution.
Happiness and Socio-Demographic Factors in an Italian Sample: A Propensity-Matched Study

Happiness is receiving more and more interest both as a determinant of health and a measure of outcome in biomedical and psychological sciences. The main objective of this study was to assess how the levels of happiness vary in a large sample of Italian adults and to identify the socio-demographic conditions which impair happiness domains the most. The participants of this survey consisted of 1695 Italian adults (85.9% women; 14.1% men) who completed the Measure of Happiness (MH) questionnaire online. In this study, the differences between groups in total and single domain (life perspective, psychophysical status, socio-relational sphere, relational private sphere, and financial status) happiness levels were examined through a propensity score matching analysis with respect to socio-demographic conditions, including gender, age, annual income, relationship status, having children, and education level. The results show that low income has a negative impact on happiness levels, whereas being in a relationship has a positive effect. Having children appears to have a negative impact on male happiness. Males appear to be happier than females, especially with regard to the psychophysics status. This evidence emphasizes the urgency for Italian policymakers to take actions on removing obstacles to people’s happiness, especially with regard to financial distress, parenthood, and gender gaps.
EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON TURBULENCE STRUCTURE IN TURBULENT PLANE FORCED PLUME

Experimental results on the mean and turbulent properties, notably the Reynolds shear stress and turbulent heat fluxes of turbulent plane jets and plumes are presented. All the quantities have been measured using two-component hot-film anemometry and resistence thermometry in the developed flow region of hot water issuing into low speed coflowing stream from a sharp-edged rectangular slot of 0.4cm wide. The results show that buoyancy increases the turbulence levels in plumes when compared with jets. For example, the maximum Reynolds shear stress is nearly 60% higher in plumes. The constant eddy viscosity model is found to be applicable to describe the turbulence structure in both flows. Furthermore, the differences in turbulent kinetic energy balance between both flows are examined. The buoyant production of turbulent energy is about 30% of the shear production in plumes.