Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dust, noise and chemical solvents exposure of workers in the wooden furniture industry in South East Asia.

A study was carried out to evaluate the dust, noise and chemical solvents exposure among workers in the wooden furniture industry in the South East Asian region comprising Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. A total of 30 factories were selected from each country for the study. Air quality samples at the machining and sanding workstations were measured using the micro-orifice uniform deposit impactor (MOUDI), which separated the particles into different sizes. The results showed that the average dust concentration in the machining section was lower than that in the sanding section, but total inhalable dust particles of less than 10 μm in diameter, was less than 25% by weight. Portable noise-level measurements showed that the rough-milling operations recorded the highest noise-level in the furniture factories in the region. Personal dosimeter measurement results show that 43% of the workers were exposed to noise-levels higher than the permissible limit, with 34.7% of the workers suffered from hearing handicap. The study also found that the current exposure levels for both chemical solvents and formaldehyde in the wooden furniture industry in the countries within the South East Asian region were higher than the Permissible Exposure Levels (PEL). Therefore, it was apparent that despite the existent of a comparable Occupational Health and Safety regulations in the region, its implementation and enforcement within the wooden furniture industry must be improved to ensure the workers safety and health.
Altered protein secretion in Batten disease

ABSTRACT The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs), collectively known as Batten disease, are a group of neurological diseases that affect all ages and ethnicities worldwide. There are 13 different subtypes of NCL, each caused by a mutation in a distinct gene. The NCLs are characterized by the accumulation of undigestible lipids and proteins in various cell types. This leads to progressive neurodegeneration and clinical symptoms including vision loss, progressive motor and cognitive decline, seizures, and premature death. These diseases have commonly been characterized by lysosomal defects leading to the accumulation of undigestible material but further research on the NCLs suggests that altered protein secretion may also play an important role. This has been strengthened by recent work in biomedical model organisms, including Dictyostelium discoideum, mice, and sheep. Research in D. discoideum has reported the extracellular localization of some NCL-related proteins and the effects of NCL-related gene loss on protein secretion during unicellular growth and multicellular development. Aberrant protein secretion has also been observed in mammalian models of NCL, which has allowed examination of patient-derived cerebrospinal fluid and urine for potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Accumulated evidence links seven of the 13 known NCL-related genes to protein secretion, suggesting that altered secretion is a common hallmark of multiple NCL subtypes. This Review highlights the impact of altered protein secretion in the NCLs, identifies potential biomarkers of interest and suggests that future work in this area can provide new therapeutic insight.
Long-Term Effects of Neural Precursor Cell Transplantation on Secondary Injury Processes and Functional Recovery after Severe Cervical Contusion-Compression Spinal Cord Injury

Cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) remains a devastating event without adequate treatment options despite decades of research. In this context, the usefulness of common preclinical SCI models has been criticized. We, therefore, aimed to use a clinically relevant animal model of severe cervical SCI to assess the long-term effects of neural precursor cell (NPC) transplantation on secondary injury processes and functional recovery. To this end, we performed a clip contusion-compression injury at the C6 level in 40 female Wistar rats and a sham surgery in 10 female Wistar rats. NPCs, isolated from the subventricular zone of green fluorescent protein (GFP) expressing transgenic rat embryos, were transplanted ten days after the injury. Functional recovery was assessed weekly, and FluoroGold (FG) retrograde fiber-labeling, as well as manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI), were performed prior to the sacrifice of the animals eight weeks after SCI. After cryosectioning of the spinal cords, immunofluorescence staining was conducted. Results were compared between the treatment groups (NPC, Vehicle, Sham) and statistically analyzed (p < 0.05 was considered significant). Despite the severity of the injury, leading to substantial morbidity and mortality during the experiment, long-term survival of the engrafted NPCs with a predominant differentiation into oligodendrocytes could be observed after eight weeks. While myelination of the injured spinal cord was not significantly improved, NPC treated animals showed a significant increase of intact perilesional motor neurons and preserved spinal tracts compared to untreated Vehicle animals. These findings were associated with enhanced preservation of intact spinal cord tissue. However, reactive astrogliosis and inflammation where not significantly reduced by the NPC-treatment. While differences in the Basso–Beattie–Bresnahan (BBB) score and the Gridwalk test remained insignificant, animals in the NPC group performed significantly better in the more objective CatWalk XT gait analysis, suggesting some beneficial effects of the engrafted NPCs on the functional recovery after severe cervical SCI.
Harnessing Machine Learning Techniques for Mapping Aquaculture Waterbodies in Bangladesh

Aquaculture in Bangladesh has grown dramatically in an unplanned manner in the past few decades, becoming a major contributor to the rural economy in many parts of the country. National systems for the collection of statistics have been unable to keep pace with these rapid changes, and more accurate, up to date information is needed to inform policymakers. Using Sentinel-2 top of atmosphere reflectance data within Google Earth Engine, we proposed six different strategies for improving fishpond detection as the existing techniques seem unreliable. These techniques include: (1) identification of the best time period for image collection, (2) testing the buffer size for threshold optimization, (3) determining the best combination of image reducer and water-identifying indices, (4) introduction of a convolution filter to enhance edge-detection, (5) evaluating the impact of ground truthing data on machine learning algorithm training, and (6) identifying the best machine learning classifier. Each enhancement builds on the previous one to develop a comprehensive improvement strategy called the enhanced method for fishpond detection. We compared the results of each improvement strategy to known ground truthing fishponds as the metric of success. For machine learning classifiers, we compared the precision, recall, and F1 score to determine the quality of results. Among four machine learning methods studied here, the classification and regression trees performed the best with a precision of 0.738, recall of 0.827, and F1 score of 0.780. Overall, the proposed strategies enhanced fishpond area detection in all districts within the study area.
Sustainable engineering: confusion and consumers

It is often difficult to understand what is meant when someone starts talking about sustainability, sustainable development or sustainable engineering. Different people understand different things, depending on their own personal experiences and their current job description. For some, sustainability is about being environmentally aware, or ‘green’ – ensuring that products do not use up valuable resources or give off harmful pollutants. To others, sustainability is providing appropriate solutions to those in developing countries – solutions that use technology relevant to the situation in which they find themselves. To yet others, sustainability implies the continuance of their business – the self‐sustaining of the company. While sustainability texts such as Cradle to Cradle and Factor Four may prove inspirational to those trying to understand sustainability, attempts to implement some of the suggestions within small or medium sized engineering companies are likely to draw the reaction ‘that's for big companies, what about us? ’. This paper therefore: (1) addresses widespread confusion among non‐specialists as to what ‘sustainable engineering’ actually means and its consequent implications for engineers in industry; (2) uses a number of product examples to draw out six ‘key principles’ that underpin sustainable engineering. The paper demonstrates that the starting point of any industry attempt to be ‘sustainable’ must be a proper understanding of the consumer, particularly in the areas of product functionality and quality. Only after such understanding has been gained can further methodologies be used to consider enviro‐/socio‐sustainability of a product.
Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in Patients with Psoriasis: A Review of the Hepatic Effects of Systemic Therapies

Abstract There is increasing interest in the association between psoriasis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is a prevalent liver disease characterized by excessive fat storage and inflammation that can progress to fibrosis and cancer. Patients with psoriasis have a two-fold higher risk to develop NAFLD and a higher risk to progress to more severe liver disease. Psoriasis and NAFLD share common risk factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and the presence of metabolic syndrome and its component disorders. In addition, both psoriasis and NAFLD hinge upon a systemic low-grade inflammation that can lead to a vicious cycle of progressive liver damage in NAFLD as well as worsening of the underlying psoriasis. Other important shared pathophysiological pathways include peripheral insulin resistance and oxidative stress. NAFLD should receive clinical awareness as important comorbidity in psoriasis. In this review, we assess the recent literature on the epidemiological and pathophysiological relationship of psoriasis and NAFLD, discuss the clinical implications of NAFLD in psoriasis patients, and summarize the hepatotoxic and hepatoprotective potential of systemic psoriasis therapies.
Detection of Collaterals from Cone-Beam CT Images in Stroke

Collateral vessels play an important role in the restoration of blood flow to the ischemic tissues of stroke patients, and the quality of collateral flow has major impact on reducing treatment delay and increasing the success rate of reperfusion. Due to high spatial resolution and rapid scan time, advance imaging using the cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is gaining more attention over the conventional angiography in acute stroke diagnosis. Detecting collateral vessels from CBCT images is a challenging task due to the presence of noises and artifacts, small-size and non-uniform structure of vessels. This paper presents a technique to objectively identify collateral vessels from non-collateral vessels. In our technique, several filters are used on the CBCT images of stroke patients to remove noises and artifacts, then multiscale top-hat transformation method is implemented on the pre-processed images to further enhance the vessels. Next, we applied three types of feature extraction methods which are gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM), moment invariant, and shape to explore which feature is best to classify the collateral vessels. These features are then used by the support vector machine (SVM), random forest, decision tree, and K-nearest neighbors (KNN) classifiers to classify vessels. Finally, the performance of these classifiers is evaluated in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, precision, recall, F-Measure, and area under the receiver operating characteristics curve. Our results show that all classifiers achieve promising classification accuracy above 90% and able to detect the collateral and non-collateral vessels from images.
The optimum thermal design of microchannel heat sinks

A thermal resistance model was set up to analyse the flow and heat transfer in microchannel heat sinks. Laminar, turbulent, developed and developing flow and heat transfer were considered in the analysis. Optimum thermal design of the heat sink was then studied using this model and a self-developed software package, where the influences of the heat sink's channel aspect ratio, fin width to channel width ratio, and the channel width on heat sink performance under three flow constraints-constant coolant volume flow rate, constant pressure drop and constant pumping power-were extensively investigated over wide flow and heat transfer regimes. This paper documents the modelling or analysis methodologies and the results of the investigation which include guidelines for the optimum thermal design of microchannel heat sinks.
Evaluation of validity of scoring systems in diagnosing acute appendicitis: a single centre prospective observational study

Background: Acute appendicitis is a very common cause of acute abdominal pain, requiring surgical intervention with a 7% life time risk. Various clinical scoring systems like Alvarado, appendicitis inflammatory response (AIR), Tzanaki scores enables risk stratification. In this study, we have validated the diagnostic accuracy of various scoring systems like Alvarado, Tzanaki and AIR scores. Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study for patients admitted in a tertiary care hospital. A total of 81 patients were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. A detailed clinical history, physical examination, relevant blood investigations and necessary imaging were done for all the patients. Using the above data, the probability of acute appendicitis is calculated using the Alvarado, Tzanaki and AIR scores. The various scores obtained were compared with the histopathological examination (HPE) reports (reference standard) and values like sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV) were calculated.Results: With regard to scores, Alvarado scores has a sensitivity 95.24%, specificity 77.78%, PPV of 93.75%, NPV of 82.35%. Tzanaki score has a sensitivity of 100%, specificity 23.5%, PPV of 83.12% and NPV of 100%. AIR score has a sensitivity of 95%, specificity of 66.67%, PPV of 89.06% and NPV of 82.35%. Conclusions: Alvarado score (cut off 7) has the best PPV (93.75%) and hence is the best scoring system to “rule in” a positive diagnosis. However, Tzanaki score (cut off 8) has the best NPV (100%) and hence is the best score to “rule out” a diagnosis of acute appendicitis.
Broadband Permittivity Measurements of Wet Soils

The relationship between permittivity and soil moisture has been measured for two Australian soils using a waveguide transmission technique. Precautions requind to discard spurious solutions are describecl. The results indicate that the calibration built into Time Domain Reflectometry OR) instruments for soil moisture measurement is inaccurate for some Australian soils.
The impact of operations capability on firm performance

We propose that a firm's operations capability is manifested through its new product design and development, just-in-time, and quality-management efforts. Moreover, we propose that operations capability, so defined, directly and positively impacts firm performance. Survey data were used to independently calibrate and validate a structural equation model linking operations capability, a second-order construct, to firm performance. Results provide support for the model and demonstrate a positive relationship between operations capability and firm performance.
Analysis Method for Drilled Shaft–Stabilized Slopes Using Arching Concept

The use of drilled shafts to stabilize an unstable slope has gained popularity in highway applications, mainly because it is a structural fix that does not require additional right-of-way. An analysis method for determining the factor of safety of a drilled shaft or slope system and for determining the earth thrust on the drilled shafts for structural design is introduced. The concept of the analysis is cast in the limiting equilibrium approach via the method of slices, while incorporating the drilled shaft–induced arching effects as the soil mass moved downslope and around the drilled shafts. The mathematical equations based on the limiting equilibrium calculation, together with the load transfer factor for accounting for the drilled shaft–induced arching effects, are presented. The three-dimensional finite element model parametric study using ABAQUS program was used to derive the semiempirical equations for quantifying the arching effect. A UASLOPE computer program was written to incorporate these algorithms for applications to real cases. A case study of a fully instrumented and monitored slope stabilization project, ATH-124, in Ohio, is presented. The analysis of the slope at the project site using finite element modeling and the computer code UASLOPE is presented, together with field-monitored data. On the basis of field monitoring data and the comparison between the finite element analysis results with the computer code UASLOPE results, the suggested analysis and design approach appears to be reasonable.
Study of the Mechanical, Sound Absorption and Thermal Properties of Cellular Rubber Composites Filled with a Silica Nanofiller

This paper deals with the study of cellular rubbers, which were filled with silica nanofiller in order to optimize the rubber properties for given purposes. The rubber composites were produced with different concentrations of silica nanofiller at the same blowing agent concentration. The mechanical, sound absorption and thermal properties of the investigated rubber composites were evaluated. It was found that the concentration of silica filler had a significant effect on the above-mentioned properties. It was detected that a higher concentration of silica nanofiller generally led to an increase in mechanical stiffness and thermal conductivity. Conversely, sound absorption and thermal degradation of the investigated rubber composites decreased with an increase in the filler concentration. It can be also concluded that the rubber composites containing higher concentrations of silica filler showed a higher stiffness to weight ratio, which is one of the great advantages of these materials. Based on the experimental data, it was possible to find a correlation between mechanical stiffness of the tested rubber specimens evaluated using conventional and vibroacoustic measurement techniques. In addition, this paper presents a new methodology to optimize the blowing and vulcanization processes of rubber samples during their production.
Factors Associated with Knowledge and Awareness of Stroke Among the Jordanian Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background and objective: Stroke is the second leading cause of death in Jordan and over the world. Knowledge and awareness towards stroke play a crucial role in the management and prevention of its complications. This study aims to assess the knowledge and awareness about stroke among the Jordanian population and determine factors associated with stroke awareness. Methods: This cross-sectional study through a web-based anonymous questionnaire that needed 10 minutes to be completed. It examined sociodemographic characteristics and recognition of the risk factors, warning signs, stroke consequences, and early response to stroke symptoms. Logistic regression analysis identified the factors associated with poor knowledge of stroke. Results: A total of 573 Jordanian adults participated in this study. The participant's ability to identify at least one early symptom of stroke and the proper response to the symptoms were significantly correlated with the educational level (OR of 3.4 and 2.5, respectively). At least one consequence of stroke was significantly associated with different demographic factors such as gender, socioeconomic income, females versus males and those with medium income versus low income had significantly higher odds (OR of 6.6 and 4.1, respectively). Conclusion: This study revealed a good knowledge and awareness level about stroke among Jordanians correlated mainly with their educational level. Therefore, new strategies should be considered to decrease the prevalence of stroke in Jordan, including the need for engagement in enhanced awareness campaigns.
A multi-electrode biomimetic electrolocation sensor

We present the concept of an active multi-electrode catheter inspired by the electroreceptive system of the weakly electric fish, Gnathonemus petersii. The skin of this fish exhibits numerous electroreceptor organs which are capable of sensing a self induced electrical field. Our sensor is composed of a sending electrode and sixteen receiving electrodes. The electrical field produced by the sending electrode was measured by the receiving electrodes and objects were detected by the perturbation of the electrical field they induce. The intended application of such a sensor is in coronary diagnostics, in particular in distinguishing various types of plaques, which are major causes of heart attack. For calibration of the sensor system, finite element modeling (FEM) was performed. To validate the model, experimental measurements were carried out with two different systems. The physical system was glass tubing with metal and plastic wall insertions as targets. For the control of the experiment and for data acquisition, the software LabView designed for 17 electrodes was used. Different parameters of the electric images were analyzed for the prediction of the electrical properties and size of the inserted targets in the tube. Comparisons of the voltage modulations predicted from the FEM model and the experiments showed a good correspondence. It can be concluded that this novel biomimetic method can be further developed for detailed investigations of atherosclerotic lesions. Finally, we discuss various design strategies to optimize the output of the sensor using different simulated models to enhance target recognition.
Compact wide-band branch-line hybrids

Wide-band branch-line couplers are designed and tested. The proposed couplers feature compact size on a single circuit layer structure without via-holes. For the broad-band property and cost effectiveness, we have designed a four-branch hybrid with mixed distributed and lumped distributed elements. Analysis on the equivalent circuits was performed carefully in order to obtain a sufficient bandwidth with reduced design area. The fabricated hybrids have the fractional bandwidth larger than 56% at the center frequency of 2 GHz. They also show size reduction up to 55.2% compared with the conventional design method.