Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Use the Complete Blood Counts and Esr as Biomarkers Prognostic Tool in Breast Cancer Patients Attending Surgery Department at Esut Teaching Hospital, Parklane Enugu Nigeria

Background: Full blood count is a prerequisite investigation requested from all breast cancer patients before and during treatment.Poor parameters adversely influence the outcome of cancers. Objective: This study investigated the use of Complete Blood Count (CBC) and Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) as biomarker prognostic tool in breast cancer subjects. Methods: The sample size comprised of 110 female subjects and controls with ages between 21-70 years. A longitudinal study method was used. The samples were collected from apparently healthy individuals as control, pre-treatment at diagnosis and the treatment samples at different stages of the treatment. Questionnaire used obtained other demographic information. The data was analyzed with IBM SPSS PC. Version 20.0; SPSS Inc., Chicago, III. , USA. Results: Results showed that increased Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) and decreased Lymphocyte / Monocyte Ratio (LMR) were significantly associated with increased hazard ratio (HR) and decreased OS at p<0.05 while Platelet/Lymphocyte Ratio ( PLR) had no significant difference at P>0.05 in Breast Cancer. In CBC and ESR, control, pre-treatment and treatment period, red blood cell (RBC) parameters and total white blood cell (TWBC) parameters decreased significantly at p<0.05 in treatment results compared to the pre-treatment and control results while others showed no significant increase at p<0.05 in treatment results compared to pre-treatment results. Treatment red cell distribution width (RDW) and mean platelet volume (MPV) observed a significant increase (p<0.05) compared to the control and pre-treatment results. Age group 21-30 years showed more susceptibility than other age groups with lowest mean±SD in CBC and ESR but with no significant difference at p>0.05. Conclusion: This study supports the concept that biomarkers such as CBC and ESR can be used as a prognostic tool in early detection, treatment and monitoring of the disease progression in these subjects
Robotically Assembled Space Telescopes with Deployable Modules: Concepts and Design Methodologies

This thesis first presents a novel architecture for robotically assembled optical telescopes with apertures between 20 m and 100 m, that utilizes only currently available technology. In this architecture, the primary mirror consists of two layers: a reflective layer and a truss backplane layer. The reflective layer is divided into mirror modules, or groups of mirror segments and actuators. The truss backplane layer is divided into truss modules that fold compactly for launch and are deployed in space by the robot. In this thesis, the design methodology of the mirror modules and truss modules is detailed. The ability of the designed truss layer to maintain precision requirements in the presence of typical space environment loads is demonstrated. This architecture requires the deployment of many truss modules, and thus the deployment must be reliable despite errors introduced during manufacturing. In this thesis, a new simulation-based toolkit for estimating deployment reliability is described, including the experimental validation of the deployment simulation and the Monte Carlo-style method for repeating deployment simulations with different distributions of random fabrication errors to statistically estimate reliability. Using the toolkit, a set of reliability trade studies are then presented, revealing how different types of errors and design parameters affect reliability. Finally, the manufacturing tolerances and design modifications required to ensure high reliability are proposed. Even if all modules deploy successfully, fabrication errors will still be present and may affect the assembly process. In this thesis, a new simulation method is presented that can model the step-by-step assembly of flexible modules with errors. The method is used to reveal that overall shape errors grow with the number of connections, resulting in significantly decreased surface precision and large-scale deformations from the nominal backplane shape as the size of the backplane increases. The misalignment at each individual connection does not increase as the backplane increases, but can still be much larger than the applied manufacturing tolerances simply due to random combinations. A simple design for the interconnects between modules is then tested, with simulation results demonstrating that it is unlikely to fully engage when the expected errors are present. With this information, a requirement on the complexity of the interconnect design is inferred, and potential modifications that may increase its efficacy are suggested.
Successful Treatment of Tenofovir Alafenamide-Induced Lactic Acidosis: A Case Report

Nucleoside or nucleotide analogues (NAs) have the potential to cause lactic acidosis by inhibiting DNA polymerase-γ of human mitochondria and impairing aerobic metabolism. Patients may be asymptomatic, have mild non-specific symptoms, or present in multisystem organ failure. There is a paucity of data to guide management of life-threatening lactic acidosis due to NA therapy. Here we describe a case of a 60-year old critically ill male with decompensated cirrhosis secondary to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection who developed severe lactic acidosis (13.8 mmol/L) 2 days after initiation of tenofovir alafenamide (TAF). All other possible etiologies for the elevated lactate were ruled out. Lactic acidosis resolved rapidly with TAF discontinuation and supplementation with cofactors supporting mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, including coenzyme Q10, levocarnitine, riboflavin, and thiamine. This case highlights the ability of TAF to cause lactic acidosis early after therapy initiation, especially in susceptible hosts, and reviews the potential role for cofactor supplementation for drug-induced mitochondrial injury.
High‐frequency pH time series reveals pronounced seasonality in Arctic coastal waters

The accelerated rate of climate change in the Arctic Ocean occurs in conjunction with a system known for its extreme seasonal variability. Here, we present 2 years of continuous pH, salinity, and temperature data from the north Arctic coast of Alaska from instruments deployed in a kelp bed at 4.5–6 m depths in Stefansson Sound. At the innermost site, which receives freshwater runoff from the nearby Sagavanirktok River, short‐term pH variability in late spring and summer produced pH values up to 8.67. The pH values of the deeper offshore site were less affected by freshwater input, although biological (heterotrophy) and physiochemical (ice formation) processes dominated during the winter months, driving pH down to 7.47 during the 8‐month period of ice cover. These long‐term physicochemical measurements reveal the natural but critical influence of changing river inputs on the pH of Arctic nearshore waters which support highly productive communities and subsistence fisheries.
Changes in Attitudes toward Tobacco Smoking and Factors Associated with Quitting in 9-Year Observation of PURE Poland Cohort Study

(1) Background: This study aims to examine changes in tobacco smoking prevalence in the PURE Poland cohort study over the 9-year follow-up period. Moreover, it attempts to identify socio-demographic factors that affect changes in attitudes towards tobacco smoking. (2) Methods: The PURE Poland cohort study—baseline was performed in 2007–2010 and covered 2036 participants, including urban (59.4%) and rural (40.6%) residents of Lower Silesia, Poland. The following study reports the results of 1690 participants who took part in both the baseline (2007–2010) study and 9-year follow-up (2016–2019). (3) Results: There was a 3.5% decrease in current smokers during the analyzed period (from 20.2% at the baseline study to 16.7% in the 9-year follow-up). Living in rural area increased the likelihood of being a current smoker by more than 1.5-fold (OR = 1.65 CI = 1.26–2.14) and decreased the likelihood of being a former smoker (OR = 0.70 CI = 0.57–0.86). In the 9-year follow-up period, more women were current smokers than men (17.2% vs. 16.0%) and women had lower chances of being former smokers than men (OR = 0.77 CI = 0.62–0.95). People with a primary education had 1.5-fold higher likelihood of being a current smoker (OR = 1.45 CI = 1.03–2.05). Nearly 11% significant increase in the percentage of current smokers was observed in the oldest age group (1.9% in the baseline study vs. 12.6% in the follow-up period). (4) Conclusions: The results obtained during 9 years of observation indicate the necessity of intensifying anti-tobacco programs especially targeting women, elderly population, people with lower level of education, rural residents, and the unemployed.
Experimental Evaluation of IGBT Junction Temperature Measurement via a Modified-VCE (ΔVCE_ΔVGE) Method with Series Resistance Removal

Temperature sensitive electrical parameters (TSEPs) allow junction temperature measurements on power semiconductors without modification to module packaging. The on-state collector-emitter voltage (VCE) in IGBTs is an attractive option for junction temperature measurement since it is relatively easy to measure during operation. Nevertheless, the resistive contribution of interconnection and packaging materials has been shown to introduce large errors when using the VCE for junction temperature measurement. This paper uses an IR camera to experimentally evaluate a modified-VCE method designed to remove this series resistance contribution. This method can be described as the difference in VCE at two different gate voltages (15 V and 13 V). Experimental validation focuses primarily on the accuracy of the temperature measurement and investigates paralleled chip configurations as well as multiple devices with differing geometry and manufacturer. The modified-VCE shows significant improvement over the normal-VCE in terms of correlation to mean junction temperature, with maximum errors typically below 10 deg C. These results are additionally compared with one traditional and robust TSEP: the voltage drop under low current injection.
Enhancing the Therapeutic Potential of Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Based Therapies with an Anti-Fibrotic Agent for the Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects 1 in 10 members of the general population, placing these patients at an increasingly high risk of kidney failure. Despite the significant burden of CKD on various healthcare systems, there are no effective cures that reverse or even halt its progression. In recent years, human bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs) have been recognised as a novel therapy for CKDs, owing to their well-established immunomodulatory and tissue-reparative properties in preclinical settings, and their promising safety profile that has been demonstrated in patients with CKDs from several clinical trials. However, renal fibrosis (scarring), a hallmark of CKD, has been shown to impair the viability and functionality of BM-MSCs post-transplantation. This has suggested that BM-MSCs might require a pre-treatment or adjunct therapy that can enhance the viability and therapeutic efficacy of these stromal cells in chronic disease settings. To address this, recent studies that have combined BM-MSCs with the anti-fibrotic drug serelaxin (RLX), have demonstrated the enhanced therapeutic potential of this combination therapy in normotensive and hypertensive preclinical models of CKD. In this review, a critical appraisal of the preclinical data available on the anti-fibrotic and renoprotective actions of BM-MSCs or RLX alone and when combined, as a treatment option for normotensive vs. hypertensive CKD, is discussed.
Subcritical Water Hydrolysis of Comb Pen Shell (Atrina pectinata) Edible Parts to Produce High-Value Amino Acid Products

Artina pectinata (Comb pen shell, CPS) is a high-protein source that contains a variety of essential amino acids. Subcritical water hydrolysis (SWH) was used to recover amino acids from the posterior adductor muscle (PAM), anterior adductor muscle (ADM), and mantle. The temperatures ranged from 120 °C to 200 °C, and the pressure and time of hydrolysis were 3 MPa and 30 min, respectively. Further characterization of the hydrolysates was performed to ascertain amino acid profiles and biofunctional properties. The hydrolysates contained more free amino acids than the untreated samples. Antioxidant activity of treated samples increased as SW temperatures increased. At 200 °C, those inhibiting ACE had a maximum antihypertensive activity of 200 °C in 1% PAM, ADM, and mantle with 85.85 ± 0.67, 84.55 ± 0.18, and 82.15 ± 0.85%, respectively, compared to 97.57 ± 0.67% in 1% standard captopril. Perhaps the most significant finding was the predominance of taurine in the three parts following SW treatment at 120 °C. The hydrolysates may be of considerable interest for use in food or energy drinks. SWH demonstrates efficacy in recovering amino acids, particularly taurine, from edible parts of A. pectinata.
Perceptions and Liking Distortion from Information about the Nutritional Upgrades in Biofortified Seafood Products

(1) Background: As biofortified fish meat is becoming increasingly available, the use of supplements within fish feed may impact consumers’ perceptions and their willingness to pay (WTP) for the product. This study focused on evaluating the sensory liking of, and WTP for, fish produced with fortified feed while understanding the role played by the acquired information on fish fortification. (2) Methods: Hedonic ratings and WTP were measured in an experimental bid. The participants (n = 91) were asked to rate pleasantness and WTP during two different rounds: (i) appearance–information–tasting and (ii) appearance–tasting–information. A total of three fish species (carp, seabream, and trout) were presented to the consumers as being either fortified (with iodine, selenium, and omega-3 fatty acids) or conventional products. (3) Results: For pleasantness, no significant differences were found between the fortified and conventional fish. In contrast, substantial differences emerged when information regarding the products was provided. Providing the relevant information before tasting affected how much the consumers liked the conventional fish, resulting in a preference for it over the fortified fish. Additionally, consumers are willing to pay more for fortified fish, especially when information with respect to fortification is available. Nevertheless, when information about fortification was provided before tasting, the consumer’s expectations were not fulfilled. (4) Conclusions: The outcomes of this study clearly indicate that the presence of relevant information impacts how much people like fortified versus conventional fish, as well as their WTP.
Ecological Responses of Nannophya koreana (Odonata: Libellulidae) to Temperature: Following Converse Bergmann’s Rule

Simple Summary Bergmann’s rule explains the phenomenon where populations and species of larger sizes are found at higher latitudes and colder environments, whereas populations and species of smaller size are found at lower latitudes and in warmer regions. In insects, adult sizes tend to be smaller in warmer environments than at cooler temperatures and higher latitudes; the response is called the temperature–size rule. Nannophya koreana is an endangered species in Korea and represents a flagship species for wetland conservation. We found that the body size of the larvae was smaller in a cold-water-temperature region than in a warm-water-temperature area, which is contrary to the rules mentioned above. The two regions were geographically close to each other, with no differences in air temperature and precipitation. We identified the reasons for the difference in water temperature between the two regions and established the relationship between temperature and body size in N. koreana. In addition, we analyzed how N. koreana compensated for low water temperature to maintain its life cycle, which is known as univoltine. Abstract Ecological rules such as Bergmann’s rule and the temperature–size rule state that body-size decline is a universal response to warm temperatures in both homeotherms and poikilotherms. In the present study, we investigated the biological responses of Nannophya koreana, an endangered dragonfly species in Korea, by comparing body size in two habitats with large differences in water temperature, Mungyong-si (MG, terraced paddy fields) and Muui-do (MU, a mountainous wetland). To conserve the dragonfly populations, the collected larvae were photographed and released, and their head widths and body lengths were measured. There was no difference in the annual mean air temperature and precipitation between the two sites; however, the annual mean water temperature was substantially lower in MU than in MG. There was little difference in larval head width between the two sites; however, body length in the MU population was smaller than that in the MG population. Larval growth rate per 100-degree-days was 0.75 mm for MG and 1.16 for MU. The relationship between temperature and body size of N. koreana larvae showed opposite trends to Bergmann’s rule and the temperature–size rule. Since the larval growth period during a year in MU was shorter than that in MG, the MU population potentially exhibits a higher growth rate as a mechanism of compensating for the low water temperature. Our study established the relationship between temperature and body size of N. koreana in two wetlands that had an obvious difference in water temperature despite being geographically close. The results highlight the importance of considering detailed factors such as habitat type when studying the temperature–size responses of organisms.
Effect of FNS Incorporation on the Properties of Ternary Blended Cement Containing Blast Furnace Slag and Fly Ash

This study aims to assess the properties of ternary blended concrete in terms of mechanical performance and resistance to chemical attack. Specimens consisted of concrete and paste having a water to binder ratio of 0.45 made with ordinary Portland cement, pozzolanic materials, and ferronickel slag. Results on compressive strength at l80 days of curing showed that ternary blended concrete with ferronickel slag was 8% to 18% higher than for OPC. For splitting tensile strength and flexural strength, however, there was no such trend. Durability was examined in terms of resistance to rapid chloride penetration, carbonation, and sulfate attack. Ternary mix showed always-higher resistance against chloride penetration and sulfate attack while being more susceptible to carbonation due to the lower pH of the cement matrix. In addition, all ternary mixes exhibited lower heat of hydration compared to OPC and binary mixes with pozzolanic materials showed the lowest heat evaporation. Furthermore, from the results of XRD analysis, identical hydration products were found irrespective to the binder, while a significant change was observed on the portlandite peak. Overall, results showed that the incorporation of ferronickel slag affected positively the properties of concrete.
CAMBRIDGE WORKING PAPERS IN ECONOMICS Inferring the Performance Diversity Trade- Off in University Admissions: Evidence from Cambridge

Does increasing diversity in university-intake require sacrificing academic performance, and if so, by how much? We develop an empirical framework to explore this trade-off ex-post, using admissions data matched with post-admission academic outcomes. We propose a simple, theoretical model of admissions for a university that values both future academic performance and diversity, and faces capacity-constraints. We show that the implicit weight on equity vis-a-vis expected future performance in the university's objective-function is captured by the ratio of inter-group difference in the admission-rate and that in the post-entry academic performance of marginal entrants. The problem of identifying marginal entrants can be mitigated using performance data for students admitted from waitlists, leading to bounds for the relative weights. These bounds (a) hold irrespective of whether researchers observe all applicant characteristics known to admission officers and (b) require no information about rejected candidates, who are typically not followed up. We apply this idea to admissions data from Cambridge, using scores on blindly-marked post-admission exams as the performance metric. In mathematical subjects, where female enrolment is relatively low, we and robust evidence that improving gender-balance requires significant performance sacrifice, and conclude an implicit weight of at least 10-20% on gender-equity in the university's objective function. There is no evidence of such trade-off in equally competitive non-mathematical subjects and, contrary to popular perception, for applicants' school-type. Our methods and results illustrate a formal way to quantify ex-post efficiency costs of diversity in a context where societal objective encompasses both equity and efficiency. Reference Details CWPE 2238 Published 15 June 2022
Effort at Work and Worker Well-Being in the Us

This paper analyses detailed 24-hour diary data from the United States to provide evidence on the relationship between workers’ effort and well-being while at work. In doing so, we first measure workers’ effort in terms of its timing, its nature, and its composition. Second, we link these three measures of worker effort with data on instantaneous well-being while at work. We find that the lower the number of on-the-job leisure episodes, and the more time workers spend working until on-the-job-leisure, the higher the levels of stress during their work tasks. A back-of-the-envelope calculation based on time use data over the last 4 decades indicates that an increase in the length of time uninterrupted by leisure, observed in the US, is related to increases in worker stress. In analyzing workers’ effort and stress during market work activities we contribute to the underdeveloped literature on the determinants of worker happiness while at work, positing the structure of work as an affective factor. workers report during their paid work activities. Furthermore, we show that in the period 1980-2010 the uninterrupted time working has increased by 7% in the US. A back-of-the-envelope calculation based on these results indicates that due to the increase in uninterrupted time, the stress levels
Effects of drawdown on growth and reproduction of submerged macrophyte Vallisneria spinulosa

Abstract Water regime plays a determinant role in plant community development and patterns of plant zonation in wetlands. The waters located in the middle reach of the Yangtze River (China) have experienced a large decrease in wetland area from human activities for a long time, especially after the hydrological drought events in recent years. This outdoor study was conducted to clarify the morphological responses and reproductive strategy of Vallisneria spinulosa to water depth gradients (0.6 m, 1.0 m, 1.5 m) and to drawdown (down to 0.3 m). In static water, water depth of 1.0 m was the best condition for V. spinulosa to grow, manifested as high biomass of vegetative parts, tubers and sexual structures. However, V. spinulosa growing in water depth of 1.5 m was able to adapt to the decline in water depth in autumn, expressed as increased ramet number, stolon weight and belowground biomass. The low water depth of 0.6 m produced small plants with slight vegetative biomass and drawdown produced more tuber biomass. The drawdown caused a decline in vegetative ratio of V. spinulosa. Moreover, it caused an increase in clonal ratio at water levels of 1.5 m and 0.6 m, and a decline in sexual ratio at water levels of 1.5 m and 1.0 m. The results show that under the condition of relatively large fluctuations in water level, V. spinulosa will reduce the allocation of sexual biomass and increase the allocation of clonal biomass in order to cope with environmental changes so that it can proliferate better. Thus, water level changes have a great influence on the growth and reproduction of V. spinulosa.