Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Evaluation of the Usefulness of Selected Screening Methods in Assessing the Risk of Malnutrition in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of malnutrition risk in patients with IBD using different scales to evaluate their usefulness as first-step screening tools for the diagnosis of malnutrition using the GLIM criteria in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. This study included 82 patients with IBD. The Mini Nutritional Assessment, Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool, Saskatchewan IBD-Nutrition Risk and Malnutrition Screening Tool were used to assess malnutrition risk in the study group. In order to diagnose malnutrition, the GLIM criteria were used. According to the GLIM recommendations, malnutrition was diagnosed in 60 patients with IBD (73.17%). Depending on the applied screening tools, the prevalence of moderate and/or high-risk malnutrition in patients with IBD ranged from 20.25% to 43.59%. The highest level of accuracy (ACC) was noted for the MST and MUST questionnaires (92.50% and 90%, respectively), followed by the SASKIBD-NR test (89.97%) and the MNA questionnaire (83.33%). The results of our study indicate a high prevalence of malnutrition in patients with IBD. Thus, there is a need to conduct routine assessments of malnutrition risk using validated scales. The MUST scale seems promising in the assessment of malnutrition risk in patients with IBD as a first step in the assessment of malnutrition using the GLIM criteria.
A North Cameroonian cultivar of Hibiscus sabdariffa (Malvaceae) with calyces enriched in anthocyanins

Folere (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) is a traditional plant cultivated in the north of Cameroon near the city of Yagoua. Calyces are used to prepare beverages while the leaves are incorporated into meals. This Cameroonian roselle is characterized by a higher intensity of red color than that found in conspecific samples from Egypt, and it was of interest to us to evaluate its beneficial activities in comparison with European pharmacopoeia standards. The samples were first subjected to phylogenetic analyses. Five samples including samples from Egypt and a white flower variety were subsequently examined according to the European pharmacopeia criteria i.e. (i) taxonomic identification, (ii) sample preparation and characterization (desiccation, TLC, coloring power, presence of foreign matter), and (iii) determination of the acidity index. Anthocyanins and anthocyanidins were obtained using three extracts from methanolic maceration, infusion, and boiling in water. Taken together, the results confirmed that the Cameroonian variety indeed belongs to H. sabdariffa and meets European Pharmacopoeia standards. All extracts contained common anthocyanins (delphinidin-3-sambioside, delphinidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-sambioside, cyanidin-3-glucoside), and delphinidin and cyanidin aglycones were also found in the organic extracts. As a result of determining the amount of anthocyanins by HPLC in Cameroon samples, it was determined that they showed a high concentration of delphinidin type anthocyanins and a concentration 10 times higher than the Egyptian variety. This variety appears to be a very promising candidate for inclusion in industrial preparations, thanks to its high anthocyanin qualitative and quantitative properties, and also maintains economic interest for local populations.
WEED DYNAMICS AND YIELD OF RABI MAIZE (Zea mays L.) AS INFLUENCED BY WEED MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

A field experiment was conducted during the rabi season of 2015-16 and 2016-17 at Regional Research Sub-station, Raghunathpur, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Purulia, West Bengal to evaluate the post emergence herbicides application for effective weed control and influence on crop yield in maize. The treatments were arranged in a Randomized Block Design with four replications. Results of this study revealed that hand weeding recorded superiority over remaining treatments with respect to reduced weed density and increased weed control efficiency. But, it required lot of man force which was not economic to the farmer’s point of view. Among the herbicidal treatments 2, 4 D Ethyl Ester 38% EC @ 1.0 kg ha -1 was proved to be better in controlling weeds, increasing crop yield and microbial population in the rhizosphere. 2,4 D Ethyl Ester 38% EC @ 1.0 kg ha -1 was recommended as a postemergence herbicide in rabi maize for effective and eco-friendlycontrol of weeds and getting higher grain yield. * Corresponding author KEYWORDS
Machine Learning-Based Prediction of Glioma IDH Gene Mutation Status Using Physio-Metabolic MRI of Oxygen Metabolism and Neovascularization (A Bicenter Study)

Simple Summary Early characterization of the isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDHIDH) gene mutation status of glioma is crucial for personalized decision making and prognosis in clinical neurooncological treatment. Based on the known differences in energy metabolism between IDHIDH-mutated and IDHIDH-wildtype gliomas, we assessed physio-metabolic magnetic resonance imaging-based measures along with machine learning for potential reliable presurgical characterization of IDHIDH gene status. Traditional machine learning algorithms and simple deep learning models trained in analyzing physio-metabolic parameters demonstrated the best performance in classifying the IDHIDH gene status of gliomas in independent internal testing. In contrast, external testing revealed that traditional machine learning models trained on clinical MRI data had higher accuracy compared to physio-metabolic algorithms, reflecting differences in data acquisition methodology between the two sites. Our results outline the necessity of independent internal and external testing, thus calling for standardized and robust protocols for clinical MRI-driven AI applications. Abstract The mutational status of the isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) gene plays a key role in the treatment of glioma patients because it is known to affect energy metabolism pathways relevant to glioma. Physio-metabolic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enables the non-invasive analysis of oxygen metabolism and tissue hypoxia as well as associated neovascularization and microvascular architecture. However, evaluating such complex neuroimaging data requires computational support. Traditional machine learning algorithms and simple deep learning models were trained with radiomic features from clinical MRI (cMRI) or physio-metabolic MRI data. A total of 215 patients (first center: 166 participants + 16 participants for independent internal testing of the algorithms versus second site: 33 participants for independent external testing) were enrolled using two different physio-metabolic MRI protocols. The algorithms trained with physio-metabolic data demonstrated the best classification performance in independent internal testing: precision, 91.7%; accuracy, 87.5%; area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC), 0.979. In external testing, traditional machine learning models trained with cMRI data exhibited the best IDH classification results: precision, 84.9%; accuracy, 81.8%; and AUROC, 0.879. The poor performance for the physio-metabolic MRI approach appears to be explainable by site-dependent differences in data acquisition methodologies. The physio-metabolic MRI approach potentially supports reliable classification of IDH gene status in the presurgical stage of glioma patients. However, non-standardized protocols limit the level of evidence and underlie the need for a reproducible framework of data acquisition techniques.
Integrative Multiomics Approach to Skin: The Sinergy between Individualised Medicine and Futuristic Precision Skin Care?

The skin is a complex ecosystem colonized by millions of microorganisms, the skin microbiota, which are crucial in regulating not only the physiological functions of the skin but also the metabolic changes underlying the onset of skin diseases. The high microbial colonization together with a low diversity at the phylum level and a high diversity at the species level of the skin is very similar to that of the gastrointestinal tract. Moreover, there is an important communication pathway along the gut–brain–skin axis, especially associated with the modulation of neurotransmitters by the microbiota. Therefore, it is evident that the high complexity of the skin system, due not only to the genetics of the host but also to the interaction of the host with resident microbes and between microbe and microbe, requires a multi-omics approach to be deeply understood. Therefore, an integrated analysis, with high-throughput technologies, of the consequences of microbial interaction with the host through the study of gene expression (genomics and metagenomics), transcription (transcriptomics and meta-transcriptomics), and protein production (proteomics and meta-proteomics) and metabolite formation (metabolomics and lipidomics) would be useful. Although to date very few studies have integrated skin metabolomics data with at least one other ‘omics’ technology, in the future, this approach will be able to provide simple and fast tests that can be routinely applied in both clinical and cosmetic settings for the identification of numerous skin diseases and conditions. It will also be possible to create large archives of multi-omics data that can predict individual responses to pharmacological treatments and the efficacy of different cosmetic products on individual subjects by means of specific allotypes, with a view to increasingly tailor-made medicine. In this review, after analyzing the complexity of the skin ecosystem, we have highlighted the usefulness of this emerging integrated omics approach for the analysis of skin problems, starting with one of the latest ‘omics’ sciences, metabolomics, which can photograph the expression of the genome during its interaction with the environment.
Online and Ex Situ Damage Characterization Techniques for Fiber-Reinforced Composites under Ultrasonic Cyclic Three-Point Bending

With ultrasonic fatigue testing (UFT), it is possible to investigate the damage initiation and accumulation from the weakest link of the composite material in the very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) regime in a shorter time frame than conventional fatigue testing. However, the thermal influence on the mechanical fatigue of composites and the scatter in fatigue data for composites under ultrasonic cyclic three-point bending loading still need to be investigated. In this study, we conducted interrupted constant-amplitude fatigue experiments on a carbon-fiber satin-fabric reinforced in poly-ether-ketone-ketone (CF-PEKK) composite material. These experiments were carried out using a UFT system, which operates at a cyclic frequency of 20 kHz with a pulse–pause sequence. Various parameters, such as the CF-PEKK specimen’s surface temperature, acoustic activity, and the ultrasonic generator’s input resonance parameters, were measured during cyclic loading. During experiment interruption, stiffness measurement and volumetric damage characterization in the CF-PEKK specimens using 3D X-ray microscopy (XRM) were performed. The locations of damage initiation and accumulation and their influence on the changes in in situ parameters were characterized. Under fixed loading conditions, damage accumulation occurred at different locations, leading to scattering in fatigue life data. Further, the damage population decreased from the surface to the bulk of the composite material.
Transformational adaptation of agricultural systems to climate change

This study explores the increasing use of the concept of “transformational adaptation” (TA) in the context of agriculture, analyzing its conceptualization and applications. While TA is appealing as a concept that involves the implementation of adaptation actions in different ways through small adjustments from current technological and economic approaches, it also raises questions about the complexity of transforming agricultural systems. Although current scientific evidence finds some patterns of climate change impacts on agriculture in the future that can inform the analysis of where and when transformation is required, this evidence is not enough to fully inform practical decision‐making at different scales. Part of the problem may be that there has been not enough empirical research focusing on transformational agriculture. For example, from 93 articles in the literature, 39% focus on understanding the concept of TA, 32% focus on analytical and applied aspects of TA, including studies applying global climate models to analyze TA at regional and global scales and to identify broad patterns of TA in agriculture, and only 16% have tried to understand TA from an empirical perspective. While the number of empirical studies of TA is still increasing, there are other issues of TA that have received limited attention, including uncertainty of climate change impacts, policy implications, the transition process, the role of technological innovations, and barriers to TA.
Petrographic Methods of Examining Hardened Concrete: A Petrographic Manual. Revised 2004

This manual provides a comprehensive discussion of equipment and techniques that have been found useful in performing petrographic examinations of hardened concrete and its constituent materials. It includes an introduction and chapters on equipment; general initial procedures; cracks; preparation of specimens; voids (including determination of the air-void system); determination of volumetric proportions of constituents; examination with the stereomicroscope; the water-cementitious materials ratio; alkali-aggregate reactions; cementitious materials; and examinations with the petrographic, polarizing/epifluorescence, and scanning electron microscopes. An extensive reading list, glossary, and five appendixes are included.
Seismic velocity changes concentrated at the shallow structure as inferred from correlation analyses of ambient noise during volcano deformation at Izu‐Oshima, Japan

We investigate the stress sensitivity of velocity changes at Izu‐Oshima in Japan using seismic interferometry method. We calculate cross correlation functions (CCFs) of ambient noises recorded by four seismic stations on the active volcano from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2015 at 0.5–1 Hz, 1–2 Hz, and 2–4 Hz. Applying moving time windows to calculate cross spectrum between daily CCFs and reference CCF, which is the average for the all observation period, we compute daily velocity changes. The obtained velocity changes vary from −1% to 3% with a dominant period of about 1 year. We calculate areal strains by using Global Navigation Satellite Systems data at the volcano. It is evident that the velocity changes are well correlated with the areal strain changes whose linear trend is removed. The stress sensitivity of velocity changes, which are obtained from the observed velocity changes and areal strains, is lower at 0.5–1 Hz than that at higher frequencies: (7.1 ± 1.3) × 10−8 Pa−1 at 0.5–1 Hz, (1.4 ± 0.1) × 10−7 Pa−1 at 1–2 Hz, and (1.3 ± 0.1) × 10−7 Pa−1 at 2–4 Hz. Modeling the velocity changes of Rayleigh wave propagating in layered structures, we find that the observed velocity changes are concentrated in the upper 1 km of the structure. Since similar frequency dependency is recognized among the stress sensitivity of velocity changes reported in previous studies, we conclude that the velocity changes are localized in the shallow depth because of the increase of confining pressure.
Tensile Load-Bearing Behaviour of Concrete Components Reinforced with Flax Fibre Textiles

In recent years, the use of natural flax fibres as a reinforcement in composite building structures has witnessed a growing interest amongst research communities due to their green, economical, and capable mechanical properties. Most of the previous investigations on the load-bearing behaviour of concrete components reinforced with natural flax fibres include inorganic impregnations (or even no impregnation) and exclude the use of textile fabrics. Also, the mechanical behaviour of textiles made of natural flax fibres produced as leno fabrics remains to be investigated. In this paper, the results of tensile tests on concrete components reinforced with bio-based impregnated leno fabrics are presented. For comparison, multilayer non-impregnated and impregnated textiles were considered. The results demonstrated that reinforced textiles yielded an increase in the failure loads compared to the concrete cross-sections without reinforcement. The stress-strain diagrams showed that the curves can be divided into three sections, which are typical for reinforced tensile test specimens. For the impregnated textiles, a narrowly distributed crack pattern was observed. The results showed that impregnated textiles tend to support higher failure stresses with less strains than non-impregnated textiles. Moreover, an increase in the reinforcement ratio alongside larger opening widths of the warp yarns enables higher failure loads.
Higher serum Lp-PLA2 is associated with cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease patients

Objective To explore the association between lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) and the risk of cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease (PD-CI). Methods A case–control study involving 100 hospitalized PD patients and 60 healthy controls was carried out. Serum Lp-PLA2 level was detected by automatic biochemical analyzer. Based on whether Parkinson’s patients have cognitive impairment, PD patients were subdivided to analyze the clinical value of Lp-PLA2. Relationship between Lp-PLA2 and PD-CI risk was analyzed by logistic regression. Diagnostic value of Lp-PLA2 in PD-CI patients was investigated using receiver’s operator characteristic curves. Results The levels of serum Lp-PLA2 activity in Parkinson’s disease with normal cognition (PD-NC) and PD-CI patients were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (HCs), respectively. Furthermore, compared to the PD-NC group, the serum Lp-PLA2 activity level was significantly higher in PD-CI patients. Multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that higher Lp-PLA2 level was an independent risk factor for PD patients with cognitive impairment. Moreover, the area under the efficacy curve of Lp-PLA2 for predicting PD-CI is 0.659. Conclusion Our study shows that higher levels of Lp-PLA2 activity in PD patients are associated with the risk of developing cognitive impairment. Therefore, given the wide availability, safety, and convenience of monitoring serum Lp-PLA2 activity, it may serve as an early biomarker for cognitive impairment in PD patients.
SETTLEMENT PREDICTIONS OF HIGHWAY EMBANKMENTS ON MARINE CLAY USING IN SITU GEOTECHNICAL TESTING

In the spring of 2014, the University of New Hampshire was approached by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation to provide engineering services for future embankments in Dover, New Hampshire. The proposed embankments will be constructed over a compressible marine deposit that can lead to significant settlement and long-term deformations. For one embankment, prefabricated vertical drains will be installed to direct pore water out of the soil and accelerate the rate of consolidation. Several in situ testing methods were performed to characterize the clay, including: flat plate dilatometer, field vane shear and piezocone. In addition to in situ testing, one-dimensional consolidation testing of undisturbed clay was performed in the UNH laboratory. The data collected from the in situ and laboratory tests was used to determine site-specific material and engineering properties of the clay deposit for settlement calculations using the finite element software PLAXIS 2D. The results will be used for comparison to field measurements during and after embankment construction.
Sea-level changes on multiple spatial scales: estimates and contributing processes

Being one of the major consequences of anthropogenic climate change, sea level rise forms a threat for many coastal areas and their inhabitants. Because all processes that cause sea-level changes have a spatially-varying fingerprint, local sea-level changes deviate substantially from the global mean. As a consequence, there is no single location on the earth that is subject to the global-mean sea-level change. To understand and forecast future changes in both global and regional sea level, a thorough understanding of its major underlying processes and their regional fingerprints is necessary. Nowadays, remote sensing from satellite altimetry provides an accurate estimate of changes in sea level on global and regional scales (Leuliette et al., 2004; Nerem et al., 2010; Ablain et al., 2017). The emergence of satellite gravimetry, in the form of the GRACE mission (Tapley et al., 2004), and the global coverage of in-situ subsurface temperature and salinity observations by the Argo programme (Roemmich et al., 2009; Roemmich and Gilson, 2009) has resulted in an extensive increase of our understanding of sea-level changes over the past decade, and the reliability of the estimates of the individual processes behind sea-level changes has reached the level where we can almost fully explain the observed sea-level changes from these contributors (Rietbroek et al., 2016; Leuliette and Miller, 2009; Dieng et al., 2015; Leuliette, 2015; Kleinherenbrink et al., 2016). However, before this period the spatially-varying signals have been sampled only sparsely by in-situ observations, mainly by means of tide gauges, which limits our current understanding of sea-level changes on global and regional scales. This thesis aims to find an answer to the question whether the sum of the underlying processes that cause sea-level changes can explain the observations, not only on a global scale, which has been assessed a multitude of times (Moore et al., 2011; Church et al., 2011; Gregory et al., 2013; Jevrejeva et al., 2016b), but also on scales of individual ocean basins and coastal regions. The assessment of this so-called sea-level budget has been done for two regional cases, and for the global ocean and individual basins. Furthermore, the effect of ocean bottom deformation on the difference between relative and geocentric observations has been quantified. Finally, we have applied an alternative approach to time-series analysis, in which the various contributors of sealevel variability are co-estimated with a time-varying trend using a Kalman filter and smoother approach, on tide gauge observations.