Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
HbA1c and Glucose Management Indicator Discordance Associated with Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes in Intermittent Scanning Glucose Monitoring System

Glucose management indicator (GMI) is frequently used as a substitute for HbA1c, especially when using telemedicine. Discordances between GMI and HbA1c were previously mostly reported in populations with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) using real-time CGM. Our aim was to investigate the accordance between GMI and HbA1c in patients with diabetes using intermittent scanning CGM (isCGM). In this retrospective cross-sectional study, patients with diabetes who used isCGM >70% of the time of the investigated time periods were included. GMI of four different time spans (between 14 and 30 days), covering a period of 3 months, reflected by the HbA1c, were investigated. The influence of clinical- and isCGM-derived parameters on the discordance was assessed. We included 278 patients (55% T1DM; 33% type 2 diabetes (T2DM)) with a mean HbA1c of 7.63%. The mean GMI of the four time periods was between 7.19% and 7.25%. On average, the absolute deviation between the four calculated GMIs and HbA1c ranged from 0.6% to 0.65%. The discordance was greater with increased BMI, a diagnosis of T2DM, and a greater difference between the most recent GMI and GMI assessed 8 to 10 weeks prior to HbA1c assessment. Our data shows that, especially in patients with increased BMI and T2DM, this difference is more pronounced and should therefore be considered when making therapeutic decisions.
Analysis of diagnosing neonatal respiratory distress syndrome with lung ultrasound score

Objectives: To investigate the diagnostic effect of lung ultrasound on neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) and to analyze the clinical application value of pulmonary ultrasound score. Methods: Sixty-five NRDS babies who were diagnosed in our hospital from August 2019 to October 2020 were selected as the observation group, and 65 healthy babies were selected as the control group. Children in the two groups underwent lung ultrasound examination. The characteristic signs of lung ultrasound in the two groups were analyzed, and the detection rate of various signs and lung ultrasound score were compared between the two groups. Results: The main manifestations of lung ultrasound in NRDS children were pulmonary parenchyma, abnormal pleural line, blurred or disappeared A line, pleural effusion, white lung, and weak or disappeared pulmonary pulsation; the lung ultrasound scores of different positions in the observation group were higher than those in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The detection rates of signs such as lung parenchyma, abnormal pleural line, disappeared A line, diffuse pulmonary edema, and air bronchogram in the observation group were significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in the detection rate of the sign of B line existence between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: Lung ultrasound has a high diagnostic value in diagnosing NRDS, and lung ultrasound score can evaluate the severity of NRDS in babies to further optimize the diagnosis results, which has important clinical significance.
Fetal kidney length: A likely sole index for gestational age determination in late pregnancy and certain abnormalities

Background: The Obstetric management of a pregnancy relies on the knowledge of an accurate gestational age especially in unregistered cases. Aims: The aim of this study was to sonographically evaluate the fetal kidney length as a potentially dependable direct measurement parameter, to estimate gestational age in the second and third trimesters. Patients, Materials and Methods: The study involved 236 participants with 20 to 34 weeks pregnancies, referred to the Radiology department of the University of Calabar teaching hospital for obstetric ultrasound scan, within a three-month period. The fetal kidney lengths were measured, in addition to the routine parameters, which included head circumference and femur length. The estimated gestational ages derived from the routine parameters, were correlated with the kidney and femur lengths and head circumference. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 22.0. Results: Fetal kidney length increased in direct proportion to gestational age. It had a significant positive correlation coefficient (0.982) with the estimated gestational age, similar to the head circumference and femur length. Fetal kidney lengths in millimeters were nearly equal to the estimated gestational ages in weeks, especially from the thirtieth week. Conclusion: Fetal kidney length is a viable, simple and direct method for determination of gestational age of pregnancies in the second and third trimesters. Since fetal kidney length assessment is said to remain reliable after 34 weeks, unlike the head circumference and femur length, it can serve as the sole index of gestational age assessment late in pregnancy, especially in fetal structural abnormalities.
Three-Phase Voltage Source Inverter with Very High Efficiency Based on SiC Devices

This dissertation aims at designing a three-phase voltage source inverter based on the SiC devices and mainly the SiC-MOSFET. The designed inverter offers a possibility to drive the power inverter with a very high efficiency, which can reach up to 99% for 16 kW rated power. The design is dedicated to the electric vehicle application, and it aims at  Providing a comparative study on some of the current discrete SiC devices in terms of the total losses and the thermal conductivity. In addition, a behavioral study of the effective channel mobility with temperature variation in the SiC MOSFET will be investigated.  Designing a gate driver which fits with the driving requirements of the SiC-MOSFET and provides a trade-off between the switching losses and the EMI behavior.  Designing a three-phase voltage source inverter with 16 kW rated power; the design includes minimizing the inverter losses and extracts the EMI model of the power inverter by considering the effects of the parasitic parameters; moreover a short guideline for selecting the heat-sink based on the static network is introduced.  Proposing a new and simplified carried-based PWM, this will reduce the harmonics in the output waveforms and enhance the utilization of the DC-link voltage.  Proposing a new strategy for compensating the dead-time effect in carrier based-PWM and to find out the proper dead-time level in VSI based on SiC –MOSFET.  Designing faults diagnosis and protection circuits in order to protect the power inverter from the common faults; overcurrent, short-circuit, overvoltage, and overtemperature faults.
Notes on the birds of Logan Reserve, Southeast Queensland,1967-1990

Logan Reserve, approximately 30 km SSE of Brisbane city centre, is essentially rural and undeveloped, despite the depredations of suburban sprawl and real estate developers in recent decades (see maps, Fig.1). Subdivisions have significantly modified Flesser's Property and part of Willett's Property during the study period, while more recent modifications have taken place near Fleming's Dam and Logan Reserve State School. The usual pattern is to clear unwanted living and dead trees, excavate a dam, introduce domestic animals, and plant exotic trees. Encroachment of Logan City on the northern boundary is unlikely to penetrate the natural Floodway buffer, and it is hoped that the Beaudesert Shire Council will continue its policy of 1 ha minimum lot size. Properties and other sites of importance for bird observations are detailed in Appendix 1, which summarizes physical characteristics and dominant vegetation.
Identifying Complex DNA Contamination in Pig-Footed Bandicoots Helps to Clarify an Anomalous Ecological Transition

Our understanding of the biology of the extinct pig-footed bandicoots (Chaeropus) has been substantially revised over the past two decades by both molecular and morphological research. Resolving the systematic and temporal contexts of Chaeropus evolution has relied heavily on sequencing DNA from century-old specimens. We have used sliding window BLASTs and phylogeny reconstruction, as well as cumulative likelihood and apomorphy distributions, to identify contamination in sequences from both species of pig-footed bandicoot. The sources of non-target DNA that were identified range from other bandicoot species to a bird—emphasizing the importance of sequence authentication for historical museum specimens, as has become standard for ancient DNA studies. Upon excluding the putatively contaminated fragments, Chaeropus was resolved as the sister to all other bandicoots (Peramelidae), to the exclusion of bilbies (Macrotis). The estimated divergence time between the two Chaeropus species also decreases in better agreement with the fossil record. This study provides evolutionary context for testing hypotheses on the ecological transition of pig-footed bandicoots from semi-fossorial omnivores towards cursorial grazers, which in turn may represent the only breach of deeply conserved ecospace partitioning between modern Australo-Papuan marsupial orders.
Internal Dynamics of Dividend Policy in East-Asia: A Comparative Study of Japan and South Korea

Japanese and Korean financial systems are distinct from those in the western economies. Considering this, we examine how the dividend policy of the firms in two of the largest economies of East Asia is determined by the internal attributes of firms. Firm-level data from 1,773 Japanese and 1,035 Korean firms were evaluated using panel data techniques, and some interesting similarities and differences in the dividend policies of both countries were unearthed. For example, in both countries, larger firms pay higher dividends, whereas those firms with volatile earnings pay low dividends. It was also determined that Korean firms pay more dividends when their profitability surges. On the other hand, cash dividends in Japanese firms decline when there is an increase in their profitability level. Overall, the dividend policy of Korean firms resembles more to those in Anglo-Saxon countries, while the dividend policy of Japanese firms bears little resemblance to other established financial systems. This study is the first to compare and contrast the internal dynamics of dividend policy for both the Japanese Keiretsus and Korean Chaebols while evaluating a huge universe of firms from both countries. Transnational studies are important to draw parallels and differences. The findings of this study offer important implications for various stakeholders, including managers, investors, and policymakers. Also, the results pave the way for a theoretically enriched understanding of dividend policy by comparing and contrasting diverse financial systems.
Effect of Residue Incorporation on Wheat Grain and Plant Nutrients during a Four-Year Rotation of Canola-Wheat and Bean-Wheat Crops

ABSTRACT Conservation agriculture with use of crop rotations and residue management provides many benefits to the soil and environment, which vary depending on climatic and soil conditions, crops between of the rotation, and the amount of incorporated residue. The present study evaluated the effect of two medium-term of canola (Brassica napus L.)-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)-wheat rotations with four residue incorporation rates of preceding crop (0, 50, 100, and 200%) on wheat grain yield and nutrient concentrations; Nitrogen (N), Phosphorous (P), Potassium (K), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg) and Sulfur (S) at the end of the fourth season in a volcanic soil in south-central Chile. Grain yield varied between 5.77 and 5.96 Mg ha−1 and was not affected by the preceding crop. The residue incorporation rates had no effect on the evaluated parameters. The preceding crop affected grain K and Mg concentration, which increased after bean. The Ca concentration in the residue was positively affected by the canola crop. Total macronutrient extraction in the wheat crop was 444.1 kg ha−1. The ranking of total macronutrient extraction in the wheat crop was N > K > P > Ca > S > Mg with means of 198–221, 26.1–30.6, 133–163, 20.8–27.1, 13.4–16.5, and 14.9–16.5 kg ha−1, respectively.
Die assessering van huistale in die Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Seniorsertifikaateksamen - die strewe na regverdigheid en groter geloofwaardigheid : opvoedkunde

Regverdigheid is 'n onontbeerlike vereiste vir hoerisiko-toetse, soos uittreevlakeksamens vir skoolverlaters. Die eksaminering van eerste tale met 'n amptelike status in Suid-Afrika aan die einde van graad 12 bied 'n pertinente voorbeeld van waarna hier verwys word. Nie net dui verskeie verslae aan dat die taalvraestelle leerders oor die verskillende tale heen tans ongelyk behandel nie, maar daar is ook geen voor die hand liggende oplossing vir tekortkominge in die toetsinstrumente nie. Daar bestaan ook onsekerheid of die voorgeskrewe formaat en inhoud van die eksamenvraestelle voldoende ooreenstem met die doelwitte van die kurrikulum. Hierdie artikel doen verslag oor 'n projek wat onderneem word deur 'n vieruniversiteitsvennootskap in taaltoetsingsnavorsing om 'n daadwerklike oplossing vir die probleem te vind. As 'n eerste stap om groter ekwivalensie tussen die standaarde van hierdie taalvraestelle te bewerkstellig word konseptuele duidelikheid verlang oor die konstruk waarop die uittreevlak-assesserings volgens die doelstellings en spesifikasies van die nuwe Kurrikulum- en assesseringsbeleidsverklaring (KABV) gegrond is. Die artikel sluit af met die aanbevelings van 'n eerste en voorfinale verslag, en verskaf 'n raamwerk vir die daaropvolgende ondersoeke. The assessment of home languages in the South African National Senior Certificate examinations - ensuring fairness and increased credibility High-stakes tests, such as exit-level examinations for school leavers, demand fairness in every respect. The examination of first languages, referred to as home languages (HL) in South Africa, at the end of grade 12 is a particular case in point. Not only have several reports indicated that the language papers treat learners across the various languages unequally, but there is also no immediately apparent remedy for their shortcomings. Reports by the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training (Umalusi) and the Department of Basic Education show patent discrepancies between national averages per language and province, with variations in excess of 10%, as well as average pass rates of as high as 99% in the case of at least eight of the home languages over a four-year period (2009-2012). Concerns have also been raised as to whether the prescribed format and content of the examination papers are adequately aligned with the objectives of the curriculum.
PlaceRAN: Optimal Placement of Virtualized Network Functions in Beyond 5G Radio Access Networks

The fifth-generation mobile evolution introduces Next-Generation Radio Access Networks (NG-RAN), splitting the RAN protocol stack into the eight disaggregated options combined into three network units, i.e., Central, Distributed, and Radio. The disaggregated units reach full interoperability on Open RAN. Further advances allow the RAN software to be virtualized (vNG-RAN) on top of general-purpose hardware, enabling the management of disaggregated units and protocols as radio functions. The placement of these functions is challenging since the best decision must be based on multiple constraints, e.g., the RAN protocol stack split, routing paths in network topologies with restricted bandwidth and latency, asymmetric computational resources, etc. The literature does not deal with general placement problems with high functional split options and protocol stack analysis. This article proposes the first exact model for positioning radio functions for vNG-RAN planning, named PlaceRAN, as a Binary Integer Linear Programming (BILP) problem. The objective is to minimize the computing resources and maximize the aggregation of radio functions. The evaluation considered two realistic network topologies, and the results reveal that PlaceRAN achieves an optimized high-performance aggregation level. It is flexible for RAN deployment overcoming the network restrictions, and up to date with the most advanced vNG-RAN design and development.
Dry Snow Parameter Retrieval With Ground-Based Single-Pass Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry

In this article, we investigate the potential of using single-pass InSAR model-based approaches to retrieve dry snow parameters. Two InSAR scattering models of dry snow are considered: the dense-medium random volume over ground (RVoG) model and the simple variant of the full penetration (FP) model. A quasi-crystalline approximation (QCA)-based extinction analysis confirms the negligible extinction dependence of the InSAR observables at L/C/X-band for fresh dry snow. The FP models the low-frequency (L/C/X-band) InSAR phase as a single constraint of snow depth and density, which can be supplemented by an extra observation (e.g., InSAR coherence or in situ depth/density). The single-pass InSAR models and inversion approaches were validated using X-band InSAR data collected from a tower-based three-frequency (X/Ku-low/Ku-high) fully polarimetric TomoSAR system, where a multi-frequency polarimetric InSAR analysis and ground-to-volume ratio-based snow condition analysis were conducted. We also analyzed the sensitivity and error propagation of the single-pass InSAR phase and coherence in measuring dry snow depth/density. It was found that the X-band HH-pol FP-modeled single-pass InSAR phase along with RVoG-modeled coherence or in situ depth is capable of measuring snow water equivalent (SWE) with a 23–26 mm uncertainty (13–15%) and a 20–26 mm bias (12–15%) for dry snow SWE of 0.2 m, and with an optimal perpendicular baseline on the order of a tenth of the snow depth (0.8 m) at our test site. This single-pass InSAR approach with the FP model is potentially useful and thus needs further investigation for large-scale dry snow retrieval with a wide range of snow conditions using ground-based/airborne/spaceborne low-frequency (L/C/X-band) InSAR observations.
A path analysis study of repurchase intention of food with health claim under the effect of food attributes

The aim of this study is to identify the influence of food attributes, perceived value, consumer trust and nutritional health behavior that contribute to consumer repurchase intention of foods with health claims. Descriptive Statistics was used to analyze the demographic profile of the 313 sample of respondents. Path analysis was conducted for analyzing the causal and effect relationship between variables expressed by means of a path coefficient. The results showed that there were only indirect effects between food attributes and Intention to repurchase. However, perceived value was shown to have both positive direct and indirect effects on intention to repurchase, which were significantly mediated by nutritional health behavior and consumer trust. Research results suggest food managers develop the value of food products and monitor the customer trust and the changes of market on the food with health claims for the competition in a current environment.
Validation of the Intelligibility in Context Scale in Tamil (ICS-Tamil) and insights into children’s speech sound accuracy

ABSTRACT The study aimed to develop and validate the Intelligibility in Context Scale in Tamil (ICS-Tamil) among preschoolers. A total of 170 children between three-to-six years of age [125 children with typical speech and 45 children with suspected speech sound disorder (SSD)] participated in the study. Parents completed the ICS-Tamil. Children's speech production was assessed using a single-word list of 50 Tamil words. Children's responses were transcribed using the PHON software to calculate percentage of consonants correct (PCC), percentage of vowels correct (PVC) and percentage of phonemes correct (PPC). ICS-Tamil demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.98-0.99) and internal consistency reliability (α = 0.92). Bivariate correlation analyses showed a moderate correlation with PCC (r s = 0.67), PPC (r s = 0.65) and PVC (r s = 0.53), suggesting adequate construct validity. Children with typical speech scored significantly higher on the ICS-Tamil (M = 4.51, SD = 0.44) in comparison to children with suspected SSD (M = 3.46, SD = 0.54), establishing the known group validity of ICS-Tamil. A score lower than a cut-off of 4.07 on the ICS-Tamil average score demonstrated 93% sensitivity and 80% specificity in distinguishing children with suspected SSD from children with typicalspeech. Speech errors seen in children from both groups predominantly included errors in retroflex sounds. The psychometric properties of ICS-Tamil support its use to measure children's functional intelligibility across multiple environmental contexts and communication partners among Tamil-speaking children. In addition, the data on speech sound acquisition and intelligibility contribute to the much-needed data corpus to support speech-language pathologists' assessment, diagnosis and intervention planning for children with speech sound disorders in Tamil.
Evaluating the Influence of Presentation Modality on the Communication of Pharmaceutical Risk Information in Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Television Commercials.

SHAVER, ERIC FRANKLIN. Evaluating the Influence of Presentation Modality on the Communication of Pharmaceutical Risk Information in Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Television Commercials. (Under the direction of Michael S. Wogalter, Ph.D.) Direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising markets medications requiring a physician’s script to the general public. Currently, the Food and Drug Administration mandates that direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising include risk disclosures (i.e., side effects and contraindications) in auditory (voice) or both auditory and visual (text) parts of the commercials. Little research has examined the factors that affect the communication of risk disclosures. The present research was conducted to identify what factors influence recall and recognition of risk disclosures in direct-to-consumer prescription drug television commercials. Three issues were investigated. One was to determine if concurrently presented visual and auditory risk disclosures produced greater recall and recognition than either presented independently. A second issue is whether recall and recognition is better for visual risk disclosures compared to auditory or vise versa. A third issue is whether concurrently presented non-risk disclosures in a competing modality would negatively affect risk disclosure recall and recognition. The results showed several effects. The first was that risk disclosures presented either visually, auditorily, or combined increased the likelihood of recall and recognition compared to no presentation. Second, risk disclosures presented concurrently in visual and auditory modalities produced the highest recall and recognition. Third, the results indirectly support the idea that presentation of visual risk disclosures produces better recall and recognition compared to auditory risk disclosures. Finally, concurrent presentation of non-risk disclosures with risk disclosures produced lower recall and recognition compared to presenting only risk disclosures. Implications for the design of direct-to-consumer prescription drug television commercials as well as directions for future research are discussed. EVALUATING THE INFLUENCE OF PRESENTATION MODALITY ON THE COMMUNICATION OF PHARMACEUTICAL RISK INFORMATION IN DIRECTTO-CONSUMER (DTC) TELEVISION COMMERCIALS by ERIC FRANKLIN SHAVER A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of North Carolina State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy