Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Depression and Quality of Life in Patients With Psoriasis

Abstract Objective: To measure the prevalence of depression in patients with psoriasis and to evaluate the relationship between the severity of psoriasis and depression and its effect on patients' quality of life. Methods: A total of 154 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of psoriasis were assessed to determine the severity of psoriasis based on the psoriasis area and severity index score, presence, and severity of depression using the patient health questionnaire 9, and quality of life using the dermatology life quality index 10. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to demonstrate the relationship between continuous variables with 95% confidence intervals (CIs); P < 0.00001 was taken to indicate statistical significance. Results: The severity of psoriasis was mild in 36.36% of patients, moderate in 25.97%, severe in 32.47%, and very severe in 5.20%. Of the 154 patients, 139 (90.3%) had depression; the severity of depression was mild in most affected patients (46.7%) and severe in 2.6% of patients. Psoriasis had a moderate effect on the quality of life in 37.01% of patients and a very large effect in 33.77% of patients. The severity of psoriasis was positively correlated with depression (Pearson correlation coefficient, r = 0.42, P<0.00001, 95% CI: 0.28-0.54) and quality of life (r = 0.43, P<0.00001, 95% CI: 0.29-0.55). Conclusion: Depression is a common comorbidity in patients with psoriasis. The severity of psoriasis is positively correlated with the severity of depression and is associated with poor quality of life.
The mediating effect of consumers’ price level perception and emotions towards supermarkets

PurposeThis study aims to reveal the impact of consumers’ price sensitivity on their purchase intention within the scope of supermarkets. Besides, the study aims to examine the impact of consumers’ price sensitivity on their price perception level and emotions and the impact of consumers’ price level perception and emotions toward supermarkets on their purchase intention. It also aims to detect the mediating effects of consumers’ price level perception and emotions toward supermarkets between their price sensitivity and purchase intention.Design/methodology/approachThe quota sampling method was used to form the study sample. The population was 20–69-year-old consumers. The study sample included 513 consumers, 276 of whom were men, and 237 of whom were women. Data were collected via a questionnaire by the researchers in Mersin’s (Turkey) five central counties. Explanatory and confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation models were used to analyze data.FindingsConsumers’ price sensitivity, perception of cheapness, perception of expensiveness and positive emotions toward supermarkets affect their purchase intention. Besides, price sensitivity affects their perception of cheapness while it does not affect their perception of expensiveness. It influences negative emotions, but not on positive emotions. Consumers’ perception of cheapness and perception of expensiveness have impacts on positive emotions toward supermarkets. It was additionally discovered that perception of cheapness and perception of expensiveness affected negative emotions toward supermarkets. A contributed finding was that perception of cheapness had a partial mediating role between price sensitivity and purchase intention.Practical implicationsThe study provides managerial implications in terms of understanding consumers’ behavioral changes, developing effective pricing strategies and achieving competitive advantages over the other retailing companies.Originality/valueThe study illustrates that consumer behavior can be explained by a theoretical construct considering the price perception levels and emotions toward supermarkets in examining the effect of consumers’ price sensitivity on their purchase intention. Therefore, it contributes to explain consumers’ behavior by bringing the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) model into a theoretical construct.
Farmer collectives for more effective agri-environmental schemes? An assessment framework based on the concept of ‘professionalization’

ABSTRACT Agri-environmental schemes (AESs) have been implemented in many countries in Europe. However, there is mixed evidence about their effectiveness. Several studies in different countries suggest that AESs are more effective when designed at landscape level and implemented by groups of collaborating farmers (‘farmer collectives’). The EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has enabled groups of farmers to be applicants for and final beneficiaries of AESs subsidies for the period 2015–2020, but it is unclear what is needed for farmer collectives engaged in AESs to contribute to more agrobiodiversity. In this paper, the lens of ‘professionalization’ is used to conceptualize and operationalize the performance of farmer collectives. We have developed an assessment framework that facilitates the characterization and development of the degree of professionalization of farmer collectives. The ultimate aim is achieving ecological effectiveness of AESs by professionalization of the farmer collectives. The framework distinguishes three categories of professionalization: organizational, occupational and systemic, and provides a new lens for research on AESs. It can also be used by practitioners involved in AESs to provide insight into, and reflect upon, the performance of farmer collectives.
Clinicohematological Characteristics and Survival Analysis of Aplastic Anemia in Pakistan; A Single Centre Experience

Abstract: Objective: Aplastic anemia (AA) is characterized by pancytopenia and hypocellular bone marrow. Several factors like infections, toxins, chemotherapeutics and radiations are known causes for the suppression of hematopoietic cells which results in bone marrow failure but the exact etiology is unknown. The current study was conducted to assess the baseline demographics, laboratory and clinical characteristics of patients presenting with aplastic anemia and evaluate their cytogenetic profile. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study conducted at National Institute of Blood Diseases and Bone Marrow Transplantation after approval by Institutional Ethics Committee. In this study, AA patients were enrolled from January 2010 to December 2018. Data collection included demographic, laboratory and clinical characteristics including age, gender, symptoms, treatment, and blood counts. Cytogenetic analysis was performed on bone marrow samples. Data analysis was done by using SPSS version 23. Results: Based on camitta classification, a total of 362 aplastic anemia patients were enrolled in the study. The frequency of severe aplastic anemia was most common 199(55%). Median and interquartile range (IQR) age of overall patients was 17(11-26) years, for children and adult population it was 12(9-14) years and 28 (21-43) years respectively. Male predominance was observed i.e.251(69%). The most common presenting complaint was fever 202(55.8%). The median and IQR of hemoglobin (Hb) was 7.8(5.8-9.4)g/dl, MCV 90(83-91)fl, total leucocyte count (TLC) 2.6 (1.9-3.6) × 109/l, absolute neutrophil count (ANC) 0.64 (0.27-1.2)×109/l and platelet count 13 (5-27) ×109/l. Bone marrow cytogenetics was done and 76 (67%) patients were found to have normal karyotype. CMV was positive in 24(6.6%). Majority of patients were treated with blood transfusion and supportive care only 230(64%) and the survival rate was 84%. Conclusion: In conclusion, the study represents a large cohort of aplastic anemia in the country. Majority of cases were acquired aplastic anemia predominantly being severe aplastic. Limited numbers of patients opted for standard treatment options probably due to financial reservations to afford standard treatments like immune suppression therapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Further, local studies with larger number of sample size and provision of standard treatment options are needed to explore the treatment response, etiological factors, prognosis and outcomes. Keywords: Aplastic anemia, Cytogenetics, Clinicohematological characteristics, Laboratory analysis, Survival outcome, Pakistan.
Semi-Dilute Dumbbells: Solutions of the Fokker–Planck Equation

Spring bead models are commonly used in the constitutive equations for polymer melts. One such model based on kinetic theory—the finitely extensible nonlinear elastic dumbbell model incorporating a Peterlin closure approximation (FENE-P)—has previously been applied to study concentration-dependent anisotropy with the inclusion of a mean-field term to account for intermolecular forces in dilute polymer solutions for background profiles of weak shear and elongation. These investigations involved the solution of the Fokker–Planck equation incorporating a constitutive equation for the second moment. In this paper, we extend this analysis to include the effects of large background shear and elongation beyond the Hookean regime. Further, the constitutive equation is solved for the probability density function which permits the computation of any macroscopic variable, allowing direct comparison of the model predictions with molecular dynamics simulations. It was found that if the concentration effects at equilibrium are taken into account, the FENE-P model gives qualitatively the correct predictions, although the over-shoot in extension in comparison to the infinitely dilute case is significantly underpredicted.
The Influence of Police Treatment and Decision-making on Perceptions of Procedural Justice: A Field Study

Objectives: This study examines whether police behavior that signals higher quality of treatment or decision-making leads to higher perceived procedural justice. Methods: Analyses are based on data collected during police traffic controls of moped drivers in two Dutch cities over a period of six months. Police behavior was measured through systematic social observation (SSO), and data on perceived procedural justice were collected through face-to-face interviews immediately after the encounters. Linear regression analysis with bootstrap estimates was used (n = 218), with an overall perceived procedural justice scale as the dependent variable in all regressions. Independent variables included an overall observed procedural justice index and four separate scales of police treatment and decision-making. Results: We find no evidence that police behavior that signals fairer treatment or decision-making leads to higher perceived procedural justice. Conclusions: Our findings add to the currently very limited empirical evidence on an important question, and raise questions about a central idea, that more procedurally just treatment and decision making by authorities leads to an increase in perceived procedural justice and enhanced compliance. The first of these requires more research.
Overabundance and inflectional classification: Quantitative evidence from Czech

Overabundance is the situation where two or more distinct word forms fill the same cell in an inflectional paradigm (Thornton 2011). While this topic has received renewed attention in recent years, there are still several open questions regarding its properties and status. In this paper we present a new take on the matter. On the basis of a case study of the locative singular and instrumental plural of Czech nouns, we argue that there are at least two kinds of overabundance phenomena which should be distinguished, depending on whether overabundant behavior integrates in the inflection system or is orthogonal to it. The evidence for the distinction comes from a quantitative study of the way phonological, morphosyntactic, semantic, and sociolinguistic factors contribute to partially predicting whether a lexeme is overabundant and which form is used in different contexts.
Dilemmas with surgical intervention in neonates with Necrotizing Enterocolitis without pneumoperitoneum

Background: The diagnosis of perforation in the absence of pneumoperitoneum in necrotizing Enterocolitis (NEC) remains difficult. The decision to operate should be taken up during the “golden period” which occurs after the onset of intestinal gangrene, but before intestinal perforation. This study was done to analyse the outcomes of two groups of surgically managed NEC patients based on the radiographic findings (presence or absence of pneumoperitoneum) and compare the actual surgical findings. Methods: A prospective observational study was performed from October 2018 to February 2020. The operated patients of NEC were divided into two groups based on the preoperative presence (Group A) or absence of pneumoperitoneum (Group B). A “p” value of less than 0.05 was considered significant for comparative analysis. Results: There were 81 patients with clinico-radiological signs of NEC during the study tenure; 51 infants underwent surgery. Group A had 35 (69%) and Group B had 16 (31%) patients. In 11/16 (69%) patients of Group B, perforation was detected and 5/16 (31%) had only gangrenous and necrosis of bowel segment. Out of 16 patients (Group B), predictors of NEC like abdominal wall erythema (Modified Bell's stage IIB) were present in 4 (25%), fixed bowel loops (stage IA/IB) 3 (19%), pneumatosis intestinalis (stage IIA) 1(6%), portal venous gas (stage IIB) 1 (6%), and ascites (stage IIIA) 2 (12%) were observed. The complication rate was 77% among patients of Group A and 44% in Group B (p=0.01). Survival was greater (63% vs. 29%) among Group B patients than Group A (p=0.02). Conclusions: The importance of not relying only on the pneumoperitoneum on radiographs; early diagnosis and prompt surgical intervention is emphasized. Surgical indication for NEC should always be based on the patient’s cumulative clinical and radiologic assessment, especially in the absence of pneumoperitoneum to improve survival rates.
Potential Hurricane Wind Risk to US Rural and Urban Forests

Hurricanes cause billions of dollars in damage annually in the United States and are projected to increase in intensity in the coming years. By exploring historical patterns of hurricanes and exposure of these hurricane-force winds across the landscape, areas of potentially high threat to future hurricane winds can be revealed. Combining potential threats from hurricane winds with forest data reveal the areas with the greatest potential threats to this important resource. Not surprisingly, most of the threats to forests occur in the Southeast, but the greatest threats to urban forests overall occur along the Northeast coast and in metropolitan centers in the Southeast. Overall, 4.6% of the nation’s rural forest basal area is within zones of the highest risk from hurricane winds. Information on regional and local scale variations in hurricane risk can be used to aid policies and local forest management to improve forest health and sustainability.
Response of Maize (Zea Mays L.) to Phosphorus Fertilizers in Two Alfisols with Contrasting Phosphorus Availabilities and Sorption Capacities

ABSTRACT Increase in phosphorus (P) availability with fertilizer addition is influenced by soil properties such as P sorption capacity. We investigated P availability changes and response of maize (Zea mays L) to four P fertilizers rates (0, 20, 30 and 40 kg ha−1) in a two-site field experiment, having soils of contrastingly different available P (2.9 and 22.1 mg kg−1) and P sorption capacities (171.9 and 54.2 mg kg−1). Increase in available P was significantly greater in the soil with higher available P but lower P sorption capacity, than in the other; however, yield responses were similar in the two soils. Fertilizer P rates of 30 and 40 kg ha−1 gave significantly greater maize yields than the unfertilized treatment in both soils. Results suggest the need to account for the P sorption capacity when deciding rates of P fertilizers to increase available P in soils.
Exact Delay Bounds of Second-Order Multi-Agent Systems With Input and Communication Delays: From Algebra and Geometric Perspective

This brief studies the delay bounds problem of second-order multi-agent systems with input and communication delays under the directed graph. Firstly, the systems with input delay only are studied and the delay margin of input delay is given. Then the critical value of communication delay is considered for the fixed input delay within the proposed scope. Then, the input delay and communication delay are analyzed simultaneously from geometric perspective. The explicit geometric description of the consensus crossing curves is obtained. Then the consensus regions can be completely determined.
ACT Up TIL Now: The Evolution of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Adoptive Cell Therapy for the Treatment of Solid Tumors

The past decades of cancer immunotherapy research have provided profound evidence that the immune system is capable of inducing durable tumor regression. Although many commercialized anti-cancer immunotherapies are available to patients, these treatment options only scrape the surface of the potential immune-related treatment possibilities for cancer. Additionally, many individuals are ineligible for established immunotherapies due to their cancer type. The adoptive cell transfer of autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes has been used in humans for over 30 years to treat metastatic melanoma, and continued modifications are making it increasingly more effective against other types of cancer. This comprehensive review outlines this therapy from its infancy through to the present day, bringing to light modifications and optimizations to the traditional workflow, as well as highlighting the influence of new methods and technologies.
Recent Advances in Deep Reinforcement Learning Applications for Solving Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes (POMDP) Problems: Part 1 - Fundamentals and Applications in Games, Robotics and Natural Language Processing

The first part of a two-part series of papers provides a survey on recent advances in Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) applications for solving partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDP) problems. Reinforcement Learning (RL) is an approach to simulate the human’s natural learning process, whose key is to let the agent learn by interacting with the stochastic environment. The fact that the agent has limited access to the information of the environment enables AI to be applied efficiently in most fields that require self-learning. Although efficient algorithms are being widely used, it seems essential to have an organized investigation—we can make good comparisons and choose the best structures or algorithms when applying DRL in various applications. In this overview, we introduce Markov Decision Processes (MDP) problems and Reinforcement Learning and applications of DRL for solving POMDP problems in games, robotics, and natural language processing. A follow-up paper will cover applications in transportation, communications and networking, and industries.
Frateuria defendens reduces yellows disease symptoms in grapevine under field conditions

Yellows diseases in grapevine, associated with the presence of different phytoplasmas, are a major problem for growers, with no environmentally friendly means of control. Frateuria defendens (Frd), a bacterium with endophytic traits, has been shown to reduce yellows symptoms in grapevine plantlets under laboratory conditions. The objective of this study was to test whether similar effects could be achieved under field conditions. A trial was conducted in a heavily infected vineyard in northern Israel for two consecutive years. A suspension of Frd cells (108·mL-1) was applied bi-weekly by foliar spray on grapevines from bud burst to leaf senescence. Frd penetrated the leaves during the growing period but not during leaf senescence and could be detected in the leaves by PCR analysis up to 14 days post-spraying. The rate of yellows infection was lower in the treated grapevines compared to its increase in untreated grapevines and the yield of symptomatic plants was improved by 10 to 20 %. Taken together, the results suggest Frd acted as a biological control agent in vineyards under the experimental conditions tested.
Synthesis and analysis of SnS2 and its SO2 gas sensing application via modified-cladding fibre optic setup

ABSTRACT In this proposed research article, Tin Sulphide is synthesised and coated over an optical-fibre by Chemical Bath Deposition (CBD), which is to be employed for sensing gases (Nitrogen dioxide-NO2, Carbon dioxide-CO2 and Sulphur dioxide-SO2). The structural and optical properties of tin sulphide are characterised by X-ray Diffraction analysis (XRD), Ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy, Photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), Ultraviolet-visible Spectroscopy in Reflectance mode, Scanning Electron Microscopy images (SEM) and Energy-Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). The sensitivity and selectivity of the gas-sensing application are also analysed, and it is found that the optical fibre coated for 30 minutes showed appreciable response towards SO2 gas, when compared to the response towards the other two gases.
The eyes have it: dim-light activity is associated with the morphology of eyes but not antennae across insect orders

The perception of cues and signals in visual, olfactory and auditory modalities underpins all animal interactions and provides crucial fitness-related information. Sensory organ morphology is under strong selection to optimize detection of salient cues and signals in a given signalling environment, the most well-studied example being selection on eye design in different photic environments. Many dim-light active species have larger compound eyes relative to body size, but little is known about differences in non-visual sensory organ morphology between diurnal and dim-light active insects. Here, we compare the micromorphology of the compound eyes (visual receptors) and antennae (olfactory and mechanical receptors) in representative pairs of day active and dim-light active species spanning multiple taxonomic orders of insects. We find that dim-light activity is associated with larger compound eye ommatidia and larger overall eye surface area across taxonomic orders but find no evidence that morphological adaptations that enhance the sensitivity of the eye in dim-light active insects are accompanied by morphological traits of the antennae that may increase sensitivity to olfactory, chemical or physical stimuli. This suggests that the ecology and natural history of species is a stronger driver of sensory organ morphology than is selection for complementary investment between sensory modalities.
Critical Emancipatory Research Approach to Enhance Performance Among Progressed Learners in Life Sciences

In this theoretical paper, we discuss critical emancipatory research (CER) as an approach to enhance performance among progressed learners in life sciences. Most of the progressed learners perform poorly in life science igniting the need to find alternatives to enhance the performance. We have earthed this paper in CER based on the values such emancipation, transformation and social justice which are pertinent to reinvent better performance in life science. To collect data, we used participatory action research ad used thematic approach to make meaning of the data. The finding of the paper is that progressed learners face various vulnerabilities, which impede their performance, necessitated a need to rethink approached used for teaching and learning. The main argument of the article is that CER has the impetus to change the progressed learners’ attitude, enhances effective communication and collaboration between the progressed learners, parents, teachers and the DBE to improve the academic performance of progressed learners in life sciences. Received: 2 May 2021 / Accepted: 15 June 2021 / Published: 8 July 2021