Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Integrity loss of glycosylated hemoglobin with deepening anemia

Introduction: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) has been shown to cause a false increase in glycosylated hemoglobin (HBA1c), but how much increase in hemoglobin (Hgb) causes a certain decrease in HBA1c remains unknown. Knowledge of this ratio will enable more accurate clinical diagnosis and follow-up of diabetes. This study aimed to investigate whether IDA causes a decrease in HBA1c and if it does, how much of a decrease it causes. Material and Method: One hundred and twenty-two patients with IDA made up the study group and sixty-two health volunteers formed the control group. 270 mg ferrous sulphate (=80 mg elemental iron) were administered to the study group each day, orally for 3 months, and a control of age/sex matched healthy participants were monitored. Hgb, serum iron, serum iron binding capacity (SIBC), ferritin and HbA1c levels of all participants were measured and compared at baseline and at the third month of the study. Results: There was a significant decrease in HbA1c and SIBC levels at baseline and 3 months in the study group (p
Evaluation of Green Super Rice Lines for Agronomic and Physiological Traits under Salinity Stress

Rice (Oryza sativa) is an important staple food crop worldwide, especially in east and southeast Asia. About one-third of rice cultivated area is under saline soil, either natural saline soils or irrigation with brackish water. Salinity stress is among the devastating abiotic stresses that not only affect rice growth and crop productivity but also limit its cultivation area globally. Plants adopt multiple tolerance mechanisms at the morphological, physiological, and biochemical levels to tackle salinity stress. To identify these tolerance mechanisms, this study was carried out under both a controlled glass house as well as natural saline field conditions using 22 green super rice (GSR) lines along with two local varieties (“IRRI 6 and Kissan Basmati”). Several morpho-physiological and biochemical parameters along with stress-responsive genes were used as evaluation criteria under normal and salinity stress conditions. Correlation and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) suggested that shoot-related parameters and the salt susceptible index (SSI) can be used for the identification of salt-tolerant genotypes. Based on Agglomerative Hierarchical Cluster (AHC) analysis, two saline-tolerant (“S19 and S20”) and saline-susceptible (“S3 and S24”) lines were selected for further molecular evaluation. Quantitative RT-PCR was performed, and results showed that expression of 1-5-phosphoribosyl -5-5-phosphoribosyl amino methylidene amino imidazole-4-carboxamide isomerase, DNA repair protein recA, and peptide transporter PTR2 related genes were upregulated in salt-tolerant genotypes, suggesting their potential role in salinity tolerance. However, additional validation using reverse genetics approaches will further confirm their specific role in salt tolerance. Identified saline-tolerant lines in this study will be useful genetic resources for future salinity breeding programs.
Clinical and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Features, Tumour Localisation, and Survival of Dogs with Presumptive Brain Gliomas

Brain gliomas are common tumours diagnosed in dogs. However, limited information is available on the clinical features and overall survival time (OS) in dogs receiving palliative treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate possible associations between presenting complaint, tumour localisation, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) features, survival times, and reason for the death of dogs with suspected intracranial glioma treated palliatively. Sixty dogs from a single institution were retrospectively included (from September 2017 to December 2021). Dogs were included if a presumptive diagnosis of brain glioma was obtained based on an MRI scan and medical history. French Bulldogs were overrepresented (40/60); 46 out of 60 dogs (77%) presented due to epileptic seizures (ES) and in 25/60 dogs (42%), cluster seizures or status epilepticus were the first manifestation of the disease. Dogs with suspected gliomas located in the piriform lobe showed a higher probability of presenting due to epilepsy compared to dogs with glioma in other regions, and more frequently died or were euthanised because of increased ES. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) features differed between localisations. Fronto-olfactory tumours were more frequently, whereas piriform tumours were less frequently, classified as suspected high-grade glioma. The median survival time was 61 days. Dogs with contrast-enhancing suspected gliomas had significantly shorter OS. This study provides additional information on the clinical features and survival of dogs with suspected brain gliomas treated palliatively.
Evaluation of Different Capture Solutions for Ammonia Recovery in Suspended Gas Permeable Membrane Systems

Gas permeable membranes (GPM) are a promising technology for the capture and recovery of ammonia (NH3). The work presented herein assessed the impact of the capture solution and temperature on NH3 recovery for suspended GPM systems, evaluating at a laboratory scale the performance of eight different trapping solutions (water and sulfuric, phosphoric, nitric, carbonic, carbonic, acetic, citric, and maleic acids) at 25 and 2 °C. At 25 °C, the highest NH3 capture efficiency was achieved using strong acids (87% and 77% for sulfuric and nitric acid, respectively), followed by citric and phosphoric acid (65%) and water (62%). However, a remarkable improvement was observed for phosphoric acid (+15%), citric acid (+16%), maleic acid (+22%), and water (+12%) when the capture solution was at 2 °C. The economic analysis showed that water would be the cheapest option at any working temperature, with costs of 2.13 and 2.52 €/g N (vs. 3.33 and 3.43 €/g N for sulfuric acid) in the winter and summer scenarios, respectively. As for phosphoric and citric acid, they could be promising NH3 trapping solutions in the winter months, with associated costs of 3.20 and 3.96 €/g N, respectively. Based on capture performance and economic and environmental considerations, the reported findings support that water, phosphoric acid, and citric acid can be viable alternatives to the strong acids commonly used as NH3 adsorbents in these systems.
Genetic Divergence and Spatial Configuration Influence the Weed Spectrum, Herbage Yield and Nutritive Quality of Temperate Cowpea

Under a changing climate, the biologically viable management of weeds and the exploration of the genetic divergence of spreading and towering cultivars of forage cowpea in different row configuration systems hold the potential to boost sustainable feed supply for dairy animals. A field study was undertaken to sort out the most nutritive and high-biomass-producing cultivar (Cowpea-2007 and Rawan-2010) of cowpea and optimize the row configuration (R × R of 15, 30, 45 and 60 cm) to manage the weed spectrum. The results revealed that Rawan-2010 remained superior in the 15 cm row configuration by recording 39% lesser weed density (WD) than the corresponding value recorded by the same cultivar sown in the 60 cm row configuration. The same treatment combination recorded a 20% lesser fresh weed weight than Cowpea-2007 sown in the same row configuration, while it exhibited a 5.6 g m−2 lesser corresponding value of dry weed weight. In contrast, Cowpea-2010 sown in the 45 cm row configuration recorded the maximum yield attributes (stem girth, leaf and branch numbers, leaf area, fresh and dry weights per plant), except plant height (PH), which resulted in 7% and 13% higher green herbage yield (GH) and dry matter biomass (DM), respectively, than the same cultivar sown in the 30 cm row configuration. Pertaining to nutritional value, Rawan-2010 in the 45 cm row configuration yielded the maximum crude protein and minimum crude fiber content, while the same cultivar gave the greatest ash content in the wider row spacing. With GH, the correlation analyses indicated an antagonistic association for PH, a moderately linear relationship between stem girth and branch numbers and a strong direct association between leaf area and fresh plant weight.
Muscle fiber area, collagen, and fatty acid profile of goat meat

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of breed group, slaughter weight, and sex on the muscle fiber area, collagen percentage, and fatty acid profile of goat kid meat. A total of 74 animals (Alpine; ½ Boer + ½ Alpine; ½ Nubian + ½ Alpine; ¾ Boer + ¼ Alpine; and three-cross [¼ Boer + ¼ Alpine + ¼ Nubian]) were used. One animal was selected per slaughter weight, sex, and breed group to evaluate the fatty acid profile. One-third of the animals was slaughtered upon reaching 25, 30, and 35 kg. The experimental design was completely randomized and Tukey’s test was used to compare the means. There was no difference for muscle fiber area or collagen percentage between the tested parameters, indicating similar texture of the meat from the evaluated animals. Sex influenced the C14:0, C16:0, C16:1, C20:3n3, C20:5n3, and omega-3 fatty acids, whereas breed group influenced the levels of C18:2n6c, C20:0, C24:1, and CLA cis. Slaughter weight did not affect the fatty acid profile, but the sex × slaughter weight interaction influenced the levels of C18:0, unsaturated fatty acids, and the polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratio. Male and heavier animals produce the best meat in terms of nutrition. Key Words: breed, Capra hircus, fat, muscle, quality, tenderness
Guidelines for residential sub metering

This report outlines a protocol for the collection and analysis of residential sub metered data. It provides concise guidelines on current best practices for measurement, analysis, diagnostics, and documentation of residential end-uses. End-use monitoring offers interested parties the ability to make informed decisions by providing direct feedback for design decisions and occupant behavior. The protocol outlines levels of objectives, what to measure, how to measure it, analysis guidelines
Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Intestinal Sleeve Implants for the Treatment of Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes

Currently, treatment of diabetes and associated obesity involves Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy to reduce the absorption of nutrients from the intestine to achieve blood glucose control. However, the surgical procedure and subsequent recovery are physically and psychologically burdensome for patients, with possible side effects, so alternative treatments are being developed. In this study, two methods, solution casting and machine direction orientation (MDO), were used to prepare intestinal implants made of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) film and implant them into the duodenum of type 2 diabetic rats for the treatment of obesity and blood glucose control. The PVDF film obtained by the MDO process was characterized by FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy, XRD and piezoelectricity tests, which showed higher composition of β crystalline phase and better elongation and mechanical strength in specific directions. Therefore, the material was finally tested on rats after it was proven to be non-toxic by biological toxicity tests. The PVDF was implanted into alloxan-induced diabetic rats, which were used as a model of impaired insulin secretion due to pancreatic beta cell destruction rather than obesity-induced diabetes, and rats were tracked for 24 days, showing significantly improved body weight and blood glucose levels. As an alternative therapeutic option, intestinal sleeve implant showed future potential for application.
Control by proximity: Evidence from the ‘Aerospace Valley’ Competitiveness Cluster

Levy R. and Talbot D. Control by proximity: evidence from the ‘Aerospace Valley’ competitiveness cluster, Regional Studies. This paper is concerned with the links that exist between the control of inter-organizational relationships and effects of proximity. It proposes a theoretical framework that explains how geographical and organizational proximities reinforce formal and informal control mechanisms. This framework is then used to analyse mechanisms of control by proximity in a French aerospace cluster. It is observed that formal and informal control is concentrated in a small number of groups located near the majority of the establishments' members of the cluster. It is also shown that informal control mechanisms require a stronger geographical proximity than formal control mechanisms in order to operate.
PENTACAM CORNEAL IMAGING IN PATIENTS WITH VERNAL KERATOCONJUNCTIVITIS

Background: Vernal keratoconjunctivitis )VKC) is known to be one of the most severe forms of ocular allergy with potential to cause corneal damage and permanent visual loss. Corneal involvement in VKC patients occurs in the form of superficial punctate keratitis, with superficial pannus, pseudogerontoxon, shield ulcer, astigmatism and keratoconus. Children with VKC have a high incidence of keratoconus and astigmatism and have more abnormal corneal topography patterns compared with normal eyes. Objective: To study pentcam based corneal changes in patients with chronic vernal keratoconjunctivitis and finding out prevalence of keratoconus in those patients. Patients and Methods: This study was a descriptive controlled clinical trial (30 patients) including all patients with chronic vernal keratoconjunctivitis. Pentcam was done for both eyes. This study conducted on 30 patients with 60 eyes admitted from Damanhour Eye Hospital and Al-Hussien and Sayed Galal University Hospitals during the period from January 2020 till January 2021 with age ranged from 9 to 17 years with mean ± SD of 13.53 ± 2.87; they were 14 females (46.7%) and 16 males (53.3%). Results: There was a statistically significant increase in the level of K2 and K max in positive keratoconus eyes than negative keratoconus. There was a statistically significant decrease in thinnest location (TL) in eyes with positive keratoconus than eyes with negative keratoconus. Also, the changes in TL (TL< 490) was found higher in eyes with positive keratoconus than eyes with negative keratoconus. There was no statistically significant difference between eyes with positive keratoconus than eyes with negative keratoconus regarding Y coordinate deviation. There was a statistically significant increase in belin ambrosia display deviation (Bad-d) in eyes with positive keratoconus than negative keratcnus. There was statistically significant relation found between rubbing severity and positive keratoconus. Conclusion: Vernal keratoconjunctivities was fairly common among children, and proved to make certain changes in the corneal topography. Exposure to dust and family history were the major risk factors and rubbing of the eye is the major risk factor
Fine structure and motion of the bow shock and particle energisation mechanisms inferred from Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) observations

Abstract. This study presents new observations of fine structure and motion of the bow shock formed in the solar wind, upstream of the Earth's magnetosphere. NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission has recorded data during 11 encounters with a shock oscillating with frequency of 1 mHz. Shocks move with a speed of 4–17 km s−1; have thickness of 100 km, i.e. an ion gyroradius; and represent cascades of compressional magnetic field and plasma density structures of increasing frequencies or smaller spatial scales. Induced density gradients initiate chains of cross-field current-driven instabilities that heat solar wind ions by the stochastic Ẽ×B wave energisation mechanism. The theoretical ion energisation limits are confirmed by observations. We have identified the ion acceleration mechanism operating at shocks and explained double-beam structures in the velocity space. The nature of this mechanism has been revealed as a stochastic resonant acceleration (SRA). The results provide for the first time a consistent picture of a chain of plasma processes that generate collisionless shocks and are responsible for particle energisation.
APPLICATION OF STEREO CAMERAS WITH WIDE-ANGLE LENSES FOR THE INDOOR MAPPING

Abstract. Recently, there has been an increase in interest in the use of wide-angle cameras in multi-image matching for the indoor 3D mapping and indoor localization. The demand for rapid 3D models of spaces in unknown environments is increasingly observed. That is particularly important when modelling unknown objects to conduct reconnaissance or building intervention after a disaster. In this case, developing a 3D model using a robot equipped with a system of synchronized stereo cameras with a short length longitudinal base is extremely desirable. In these studies, we present the approach to indoor location based on a 3D model developed from a dense point cloud with multi-image matching technique. As part of the research, an imaging system was developed, and an algorithm that converts images of selected objects to 3D model was implemented. The research presents the method of determining the object position based on the calculation of reference points’ disparity based on the Sum of Absolute Differences (SAD). Next, a dense point cloud was generated based on the method of mutual image matching using Structure from Motion (SfM) algorithms. The resulting dense cloud of points had a resolution of 0.05 m. Based on the developed algorithm, a method for generating a quick model of the environment based on multi-image matching and disparity maps was presented. The obtained test results confirmed the possibilities of using the developed methodology for the needs of rapid reconnaissance of the environment to determine the distance, location and size of objects of interest. The mapping accuracy is at a decimeter level, and the possibility of geolocation of objects can be performed with an accuracy of ± 0.15 m. Based on the obtained test results, the potential of using miniature, portable mobile image-based mapping systems has been demonstrated to identify and model inaccessible rooms. Further work will be focused on the improvement of the geometric image quality and to increase the accuracy of the calibration.
Progress in Gelatin as Biomaterial for Tissue Engineering

Tissue engineering has become a medical alternative in this society with an ever-increasing lifespan. Advances in the areas of technology and biomaterials have facilitated the use of engineered constructs for medical issues. This review discusses on-going concerns and the latest developments in a widely employed biomaterial in the field of tissue engineering: gelatin. Emerging techniques including 3D bioprinting and gelatin functionalization have demonstrated better mimicking of native tissue by reinforcing gelatin-based systems, among others. This breakthrough facilitates, on the one hand, the manufacturing process when it comes to practicality and cost-effectiveness, which plays a key role in the transition towards clinical application. On the other hand, it can be concluded that gelatin could be considered as one of the promising biomaterials in future trends, in which the focus might be on the detection and diagnosis of diseases rather than treatment.
L-Unet: A Landslide Extraction Model Using Multi-Scale Feature Fusion and Attention Mechanism

At present, it is challenging to extract landslides from high-resolution remote-sensing images using deep learning. Because landslides are very complex, the accuracy of traditional extraction methods is low. To improve the efficiency and accuracy of landslide extraction, a new model is proposed based on the U-Net model to automatically extract landslides from remote-sensing images: L-Unet. The main innovations are as follows: (1) A multi-scale feature-fusion (MFF) module is added at the end of the U-Net encoding network to improve the model’s ability to extract multi-scale landslide information. (2) A residual attention network is added to the U-Net model to deepen the network and improve the model’s ability to represent landslide features. (3) The bilinear interpolation algorithm in the decoding network of the U-Net model is replaced by data-dependent upsampling (DUpsampling) to improve the quality of the feature maps. Experimental results showed that the precision, recall, MIoU and F1 values of the L-Unet model are 4.15%, 2.65%, 4.82% and 3.37% higher than that of the baseline U-Net model, respectively. It was proven that the new model can extract landslides accurately and effectively.
An Experimental Investigation of Roll and Yaw Coupled Oscillations of a Delta Wing

ii Acknowledgments . iv Nomenclature . viii List of Figures . x List of Tables . xv Introduction . 1 1.1 Types of Delta Wing . 2 1.2 Vortex Lift . 3 1.3 Vortex Bursting . 4 1.3. 1 Bubble Type Bursting . 5 1.3. 2 Spiral Type Bursting . 6 1.3. 3 Significance of Vortex Bursting . 6 1.4 Previous Research . 7 1.5 Vortex Breakdown Theories . 10 1.5. 1 Core Stagnation . 11
Did the Socio-Economic Gradient in Depression in Later-Life Deteriorate or Weaken during the COVID-19 Pandemic? New Evidence from England Using Path Analysis

It is well established that there is a socioeconomic gradient in adult mental health. However, little is known about whether and how this gradient has been exacerbated or mitigated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to identify the modifiable pathways involved in the association between socioeconomic position (SEP) and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis included 5107 adults aged 50+ living in England and participating in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing Wave nine (2018–2019) and the COVID-19 study (June 2020). Mental health was measured using a shortened version of the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. Path analysis with multiple mediator models was used to estimate the direct effect of SEP (measured by educational qualification and household wealth) on mental health (measured by depression), along with the indirect effects of SEP via three mediators: COVID-19 infection symptoms, service accessibility and social contact. The results show that the prevalence of depression for the same cohort increased from 12.6% pre-pandemic to 19.7% during the first wave of the pandemic. The risk of depression increased amongst older people who experienced COVID-19 infection, difficulties accessing services and less frequent social contact. The total effects of education and wealth on depression were negatively significant. Through mediators, wealth and education were indirectly associated with depression. Wealth also directly affected the outcome. The findings suggest that the socioeconomic gradient in depression among older people may have deteriorated during the initial phase of the pandemic and that this could in part be explained by increased financial hardship, difficulties in accessing services and reduced social contact.
Low-Cost Probabilistic 3D Denoising with Applications for Ultra-Low-Radiation Computed Tomography

We propose a pipeline for synthetic generation of personalized Computer Tomography (CT) images, with a radiation exposure evaluation and a lifetime attributable risk (LAR) assessment. We perform a patient-specific performance evaluation for a broad range of denoising algorithms (including the most popular deep learning denoising approaches, wavelets-based methods, methods based on Mumford–Shah denoising, etc.), focusing both on accessing the capability to reduce the patient-specific CT-induced LAR and on computational cost scalability. We introduce a parallel Probabilistic Mumford–Shah denoising model (PMS) and show that it markedly-outperforms the compared common denoising methods in denoising quality and cost scaling. In particular, we show that it allows an approximately 22-fold robust patient-specific LAR reduction for infants and a 10-fold LAR reduction for adults. Using a normal laptop, the proposed algorithm for PMS allows cheap and robust (with a multiscale structural similarity index >90%) denoising of very large 2D videos and 3D images (with over 107 voxels) that are subject to ultra-strong noise (Gaussian and non-Gaussian) for signal-to-noise ratios far below 1.0. The code is provided for open access.