Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Title: Role of technetium-99m methylene diphosphonate SPECT/CT in the detection of sacroiliitis in patients with spondyloarthropathy

Rationale : To evaluate the role of 99mTc-MDP SPECT/CT for the detection of sacroiliitis in spondyloarthopathies (SpA) and comparison with clinical markers and MRI. Methods: A total of 155 diagnosed patients (83M : 72 F; mean age 35.80±12.40 years; range 18-60 years ) with SpA as per the European Spondyloarthropathy Study Group criteria (ESSG) criteria were prospectively included All the patients were subjected to clinical evaluation (using BASDAI scoring), ESR, CRP levels, planar 99mTc MDP bone scintigraphy, hybrid SPECT/CT and MRI of the pelvic region. Using MRI as the reference criterion, diagnostic accuracy of clinical and scintigraphic parameters was assessed. On planar bone scintigraphy/SPECT, score of 0, 1, 2 was assigned when the tracer uptake in the SI joint was less than, equal to and more than the sacrum. A score of ‘2’ was considered as positive for the diagnosis of sacroiliitis. Results: Using MRI as the reference standard, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 99mTc MDP SPECT/CT were 90.0%, 80.0%, 87.0%, 92.0%, and 75.0% respectively. The accuracy of SPECT/CT (87%) was better than ESR (58.1%), CRP (32.9%), BASDAI scoring (77%) and planar bone scintigraphy (53%). Similar results were found for sensitivity and negative predictive values. Specificity of SPECT/CT (80%) was lower than BASDAI scoring (88.6%) and equal to planar bone scintigraphy (80%). Positive predictive value of SPECT/CT (92%) was bit lower than BASDAI scoring (93.6%). Kappa values for planar 99mTc MDP bone scan and hybrid SPECT/CT were 0.167 and 0.673 indicating poor agreement for planar bone scan and good agreement for hybrid SPECT/CT images respectively. A significant (p <0.001) correlation (r= 0.659) was observed between SPECT/CT and MRI findings. Conclusion: 99mTc-MDP SPECT/CT imaging has diagnostic accuracy comparable to MRI for the evaluation of sacroiliitis in SpA and can thus be used as an alternative to MRI in cases having contraindications to the use of MRI. SPECT/CT shows better accuracy than planar bone scintigraphy, ESR, CRP and BASDAI scoring in diagnosis of sacroiliitis.
A simulation of the rainfall-runoff process using artificial neural network and HEC-HMS model in forest lands

Simulation of the runoff-rainfall process in forest lands is essential for forest land management. In this research, a hydrologic modelling system (HEC-HMS) and artificial neural network (ANN) were applied to simulate the rainfall-runoff process (RRP) in forest lands of Kasilian watershed with an area of 68 square kilometres. The HMS model was performed using the secondary data of rainfall and discharge at the climatology and hydrometric stations, the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) for simulating a flow hydrograph, the curve number (CN) method for runoff estimation, and lag time method for flow routing. Further, a multilayer perceptron (MLP) network was used for simulating the rainfall-runoff process. HEC-HMS model was used to optimize the initial loss (IL) values in the rainfall-runoff process as an input. IL reflects the conditions of vegetation, soil infiltration, and antecedent moisture condition (AMC) in soil. Then, IL values and also incremental rainfall were applied as inputs into ANN to simulate the runoff values. The comparison of the results of simulating the RRP in two scenarios, using IL and without IL, showed that the IL parameter has a high effect in increasing the simulation performance of the rainfall-runoff process. Moreover, ANN predictions were more precise in comparison with those of the HMS model. Further, forest lands can significantly increase IL values and decrease runoff generation.
Less is More, Faithful Style Transfer without Content Loss

The dominant style transfer framework is based on separately deﬁning ‘style loss’ and ‘content loss’, then ﬁnding an image that trades off between minimizing both. The challenge of operating in this regime is that formulations proposed so far for the ‘content loss’ and ‘style loss’ are fundamentally at odds, and generally impossible to simultaneously drive to zero. In this work we show that an explicit content loss is unnecessary. We propose Neural Neighbor Style Transfer (NNST)—a straightforward approach based on nearest-neighbors that achieves higher quality styliza-tion than prior work, without sacriﬁcing content preservation.
The influence of intellectual capital and corporate governance on financial performance of Islamic banks

Purpose - This study aims to analyze the effect of intellectual capital, independent directors, academic directors, and sharia supervisory boards on the financial performance of Islamic banks. The selection of samples observation based on the database of Best Islamic Financial Institutions Award, includes Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maroko, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, and Uni Emirate Arab. Methodology - This study uses a sample of 20 Islamic banks in several countries which received the "Best Islamic Financial Institutions Award 2018" by Global Finance Magazine and has published financial reports for the period of 2013-2017. This study adopted panel regression analysis and utilized the Random Effect Model. Findings - The results of the study prove that intellectual capital has a positive effect on financial performance. While independent directors, academic directors, and the Sharia Supervisory Board (SSB) have no effect on the financial performance of Islamic banking companies. These results indicate that intellectual capital is a force for Islamic banking to increase company value through financial performance. While the factors related to corporate governance tend to reduce performance due to several limitations for management in carrying out its operational activities. Research limitations – this study has a limitation in using Islamic banking data from various countries with backgrounds that are certainly different from one another which might be bias. Practical implications – This study suggest that management needs to allocate its resources to provide guidance and development of human resources through regular training in the field of fiqh muamalah , contemporary Islamic banking products and services, effective business communication, as well as extensive market knowledge to anticipate the competition in ways that are in accordance with the principles of sharia. Originality – This research fills a research gap in investigating the nexus of intellectual capital and corporate governance mechanism on Islamic banking performance which has not been discussed in previous papers, particularly using Islamic banking in several countries that are committed to develop the Islamic financial industry.
Study of Î²-Catenin as Immunohistochemistry Marker in Women with Breast Cancer

Background & Objective: Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent disease among women around the world, considered the world's leading cause of death (15% of the total cancer deaths) in women in 2018. β-catenin is a multifunctional protein located in the cytoplasm and/or nucleus of the cell. Several studies suggested that β-catenin expression plays a critical role in cancer invasion and metastasis. This research sought to examine β-catenin expression in breast cancer and its associations with clinico-pathological features (such as histopathological types, grade, and invasion depth of tumor as well as lymph node involvement) and breast cancer patient survival. Methods: The study was performed in the period from 1 January to July 2019 on 40 female breast cancer patients. The control group involved 40 healthy females with no history of cancer. Tissue blocks from histologically confirmed patient and control subjects were fixed in formalin and embedded in paraffin . βcatenin was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results: The immunohistochemical study of the subcellular localization of β-catenin demonstrated that 75% of the patients showed 1-3 score for βcatenin compared to only 27.5% of controls who had such score, with a highly significant difference. Conclusions: The use of β-catenin IHC markers can be effective throughout the treatment of progressive BC.
Nitrogen fertilization in off-season corn crop in different Brazilian Cerrado environments

The objective of this work was to assess the grain yield and the economic response of off-season corn (Zea mays) crop subjected to different combinations of starter and topdressing nitrogen fertilization, in the Brazilian Cerrado region. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design in a 3×4 factorial arrangement (0, 45, and 90 kg ha-1 N at sowing and 0, 22.5, 45, and 90 kg ha-1 N in topdressing as urea), in six environments, combining three sites and two sowing times. Grain yield was determined, and the response to total N applied as starter and topdressing was used to obtain a general model of the average trend of the technical and economic return of fertilization. The corn crop response varied according to the environment, and the observed yields were high. The application of N as a starter fertilizer increased corn yield and improved the effect of topdressing fertilization or even made it unnecessary. Fertilization with 90 kg ha-1 N as urea promotes greater yield and economic return and improves N balance in the soybean/ off-season corn crop system.
An application of histological technique for monitoring health status of fish species, Leuciscus aspius (Linnaeus, 1758) inhabiting Aras River, Iran

Aras River and its reservoir play an important role in fisheries and water supplies in the northwest of Iran. It is considered that the river water is polluted by various anthropogenic activities. This study was performed to determine the histopathologic effects of water pollution on a fish species, Leuciscus aspius inhabiting the river. In July 2015, the fish were caught in two different stations of Aras River in Poldasht, Iran. The histopathological abnormalities were detected microscopically and evaluated with quantitative analyses in three organs of the fish. Hypertrophy, filament dilatation, lamellar epithelial liftings, thickening of filament, especially curve, a decrease of the mean length, necrosis, fusion, and lifting in lamellae were observed in gills. Main histopathological abnormalities in the liver were non-homogenous parenchyma, the proliferation of hepatopancreas, congestion, and degeneration of central vein, increasing melanomacrophage aggregates, and sinusoidal dilations. The observed changes in kidney included the degenerations of renal tubules, increasing melanomacrophage aggregates, pyknotic nuclei and vacuolization in proximal and distal tubule epithelial cells, and lymphocyte infiltration in renal parenchyma. It was found that the frequencies of the histological lesions were higher in the liver in comparison with other organs. It was concluded that the increased histopathological alteration in the fish tissues may be related to the presence and elevated toxic contaminants in the river.
Pcoins for parking: a field experiment with tradable mobility permits

With congestion being one of the most important externalities in transportation, it remains important to investigate effective and politically feasible solutions for it. We have conducted an 8-week experiment with tradable mobility permits, specifically applied to the use of parking facilities at a Dutch employer. We combine actual mobility behaviour with trading behaviour and survey responses of participants and non-participating employees of the same company. We have analysed the choice to participate in a voluntary experiment, and the behavioural response to tradable permits. Our results provide suggestive evidence that active participants do adjust their behaviour as intended. Furthermore, participation takes less time than people anticipate, and permits are viewed as a fairer and better functioning alternative to paid parking.
Differences in Maturity and Anthropometric and Morphological Characteristics among Young Male Basketball and Soccer Players and Non-Players

Background: An aspect that influences sport performance is maturation status, since, within the same chronological age group, boys who have advanced maturation outperform their late maturing peers in tests of muscular strength, power, and endurance. Therefore, the aims of the present study were: (i) to investigate the differences in biological maturation and anthropometric and morphological characteristics among three groups of Italian adolescents, two of which were sportive (practicing basketball and football) and one non-sportive, and (ii) to identify the anthropometric and morphological predictors that best discriminate these three groups. Methods: Sixty-one basketball and 62 soccer players and 68 non-sportive youths were measured (mean age = 13.0 ± 1.1 y). Anthropometric characteristics were taken and body mass index, cormic index, body composition parameters, and somatotype were derived. An estimation of maturity status was carried out considering the years from peak height velocity (PHV). Two-way 3 × 3 ANOVAs was performed on all anthropometric characteristics to test the differences within sport groups and maturity status groups. Discriminant function analysis (stepwise criteria) was then applied to anthropometric and body composition variables to classify subjects into the three different sport categories. Results: Differences in anthropometric characteristics were detected among the three groups. For somatotype, differences among all of the considered groups were higher for endomorphy (p < 0.001; effect size = 0.13). Biological maturity influences the differences in the anthropometric characteristics and body composition among subjects of the same chronological age during adolescence. The variables that best discriminated the three groups were represented by body composition parameters, body proportions, and body build. Conclusions: This study confirms that boys who practice sport present healthier body composition parameters, with lower level of fat parameters. The assessment of maturity status is a fundamental factor in explaining anthropometric and body composition differences among peers in this period. Its comprehension may assist coaches and technical staff in optimizing competitive efficiency and monitoring the success of training regimes.
Response Predictivity to Neoadjuvant Therapies in Breast Cancer: A Qualitative Analysis of Background Parenchymal Enhancement in DCE-MRI

Background: For assessing the predictability of oncology neoadjuvant therapy results, the background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) parameter in breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has acquired increased interest. This work aims to qualitatively evaluate the BPE parameter as a potential predictive marker for neoadjuvant therapy. Method: Three radiologists examined, in triple-blind modality, the MRIs of 80 patients performed before the start of chemotherapy, after three months from the start of treatment, and after surgery. They identified the portion of fibroglandular tissue (FGT) and BPE of the contralateral breast to the tumor in the basal control pre-treatment (baseline). Results: We observed a reduction of BPE classes in serial MRI checks performed during neoadjuvant therapy, as compared to baseline pre-treatment conditions, in 61.3% of patients in the intermediate step, and in 86.7% of patients in the final step. BPE reduction was significantly associated with sequential anthracyclines/taxane administration in the first cycle of neoadjuvant therapy compared to anti-HER2 containing therapies. The therapy response was also significantly related to tumor size. There were no associations with menopausal status, fibroglandular tissue (FGT) amount, age, BPE baseline, BPE in intermediate, and in the final MRI step. Conclusions: The measured variability of this parameter during therapy could predict therapy effectiveness in early stages, improving decision-making in the perspective of personalized medicine. Our preliminary results suggest that BPE may represent a predictive factor in response to neoadjuvant therapy in breast cancer, warranting future investigations in conjunction with radiomics.
Analysis of 3-D Kinematics Using H-Gait System during Walking on a Lower Body Positive Pressure Treadmill

Recently, treadmills equipped with a lower-body positive-pressure (LBPP) device have been developed to provide precise body weight support (BWS) during walking. Since lower limbs are covered in a waist-high chamber of an LBPP treadmill, a conventional motion analysis using an optical method is impossible to evaluate gait kinematics on LBPP. We have developed a wearable-sensor-based three-dimensional motion analysis system, H-Gait. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of BWS by a LBPP treadmill on gait kinematics using an H-Gait system. Twenty-five healthy subjects walked at 2.5 km/h on a LBPP treadmill under the following three conditions: (1) 0%BWS, (2) 25%BWS and (3) 50%BWS conditions. Acceleration and angular velocity from seven wearable sensors were used to analyze lower limb kinematics during walking. BWS significantly decreased peak angles of hip adduction, knee adduction and ankle dorsiflexion. In particular, the peak knee adduction angle at the 50%BWS significantly decreased compared to at the 25%BWS (p = 0.012) or 0%BWS (p < 0.001). The present study showed that H-Gait system can detect the changes in gait kinematics in response to BWS by a LBPP treadmill and provided a useful clinical application of the H-Gait system to walking exercises.
Hemodynamic Response to High- and Low-Load Resistance Exercise in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease: A Randomized, Crossover Clinical Trial

Low-load resistance exercise (LL-RE) is recommended as an adjunct therapy to aerobic exercise during cardiac rehabilitation in patients with coronary artery disease. The safety and hemodynamic response to high-load (HL) RE remain unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the hemodynamic response during both HL-RE and LL-RE prior to cardiac rehabilitation. Forty-three patients with coronary artery disease and/or percutaneous coronary intervention performed three sets of leg-press exercise using HL-RE (eight repetitions at the intensity of 80% of one repetition maximum (1-RM)) and LL-RE (16 repetitions at the intensity of 40% 1-RM) in a randomized crossover sequence. Heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and rating of perceived exertion were measured at baseline, after each set of RE and post-exercise. No clinically relevant changes in HR and BP or in patient-reported symptoms were recorded during HL-RE or LL-RE. Compared with baseline, HR and SBP increased during LL-RE (from 66 bpm to 86 bpm, time effect: p < 0.001; from 129 mmHg to 146 mmHg, time effect: p < 0.001) and HL-RE (from 68 bpm to 86 bpm, time effect: p < 0.001; from 130 mmHg to 146 mmHg, time effect: p < 0.001). Compared with HL-RE, the increase in HR was greater after the final set of LL-RE (32% vs. 28%, p = 0.015), without significant differences in SBP and DBP between LL-RE and HL-RE. Rating of perceived exertion was higher after the 1st set of HL-RE compared with LL-RE (median (interquartile range): 6 (5–7) vs. 6 (5–6), p = 0.010). In patients with coronary artery disease, both HL-RE and LL-RE were safe and well-tolerated. Hemodynamic changes were similar and within the physiological response to RE.
Everyday crying over music: A survey

Human emotional weeping, or crying, occurs in response to a wide array of antecedents. Although music is often mentioned specifically as a stimulus that may make individuals cry, few studies have systematically explored the characteristics of these crying episodes. The present study examines crying over music. Participants (N = 2778; 1716 women) completed a survey asking about the last time they cried while listening to music, their associated emotions and physical experiences, details of the song they were listening to, time of day, presence of others, and the overall experience of the crying episode itself. Crying over music appears to be relatively common and occurs mainly when the person is alone during the afternoon and evening. Participants cried over a wide variety of songs, and they attributed their crying to sad memories, nostalgia, the music itself, and the lyrics. They often experienced being moved, sadness, powerlessness, and nostalgia while crying over music. These findings are discussed in the context of music listening and how they compare with the findings of research on crying in general.
EFFECT OF BUERGER ALLEN EXERCISE ON LOWER LIMB PERFUSION AMONG PATIENTS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS

Diabetes related lower extremity complication increase the risk for amputation which include peripheral neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease, and infection. Peripheral arterial disease is estimated to be 2 to 4 times more common in persons with diabetes than in others . Buerger Allen exercise intended to improve feet, legs circulation and relieve the symptoms in patients with lower limbs arterial insufficiency. Therefore, the aim of the study, evaluate the effect of Burger Allen exercise on lower limb perfusion in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Method and sample, Quasi-experimental research design was conducted in the diabetic and endocrine ward and diabetic foot clinic in SpecializedMedical Hospital, at Mansoura University. The sample of this study composed of 48 adult patients with type 2 Diabetes who attend the diabetic ward and diabetic foot clinic in Specialized-Medical Hospital throughout six months. Patients randomly assigned into two matched groups; study group (group A) and control group (group B). Results, indicates significant improvement into patients lower extremity perfusion by using Ankle Brachial Index ( ABI) scale after performance of Buerger Allen exercise and at the same time it helped to improve the vascularity and thus promotes the wound healing process. Conclusion, positive effect of Buerger Allen exercise on diabetic patients lower extremity perfusion.
Input-Referred Low-Frequency Noise Analysis for Single-Layer Graphene FETs

The bias dependence of input-referred low-frequency noise (LFN), <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${S}_{\text {VG}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, is a considerable facet for RF circuit design. <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${S}_{\text {VG}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> was considered constant in CMOS but this was contradicted by recent experimental and theoretical studies. In this brief, the behavior of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${S}_{\text {VG}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> is investigated for single-layer graphene transistors (GFETs) based on a recently established physics-based compact model. A minimum of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${S}_{\text {VG}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> is recorded at the bias point where transconductance is maximum which coincides with the peak of the well-known M-shape of the normalized output LFN; the model precisely captures this trend. Mobility fluctuation effect increases <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${S}_{\text {VG}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> toward lower currents near charge neutrality point (CNP), while carrier number fluctuation and series resistance effects mostly contribute away from CNP; thus, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${S}_{\text {VG}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> obtains a parabolic shape versus gate voltage similar to CMOS devices.