Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The PRONTO study: Clinical performance of ID NOW in individuals with compatible SARS-CoV-2 symptoms in walk-in centres-accelerated turnaround time for contact tracing.

Background This PRONTO study investigated the clinical performance of the Abbott ID NOWTM (IDN) COVID-19 diagnostic assay used at point of care and its impact on turnaround time for divulgation of test results. Methods Prospective study conducted from December 2020 to February 2021 in acute symptomatic participants presenting in three walk-in centres in the province of Québec. Results Valid paired samples were obtained from 2,372 participants. A positive result on either the IDN or the standard-of-care nucleic acid amplification test (SOC-NAAT) was obtained in 423 participants (prevalence of 17.8%). Overall sensitivity of IDN and SOC-NAAT were 96.4% (95% CI: 94.2-98.0%) and 99.1% (95% CI: 97.6-99.8), respectively; negative predictive values were 99.2% (95% CI: 98.7-99.6%) and 99.8% (95% CI: 99.5-100%), respectively. Turnaround time for positive results was significantly faster on IDN. Conclusion In our experience, IDN use in symptomatic individuals in walk-in centres is a reliable sensitive alternative to SOC-NAAT without the need for subsequent confirmation of negative results. Such deployment can accelerate contact tracing, reduce the burden on laboratories and increase access to testing.
Small ion mobility characteristics under the Shiobara HVDC test line

A summary is presented of the experimental results of small ion mobility characteristics under the Shiobara HVDC (high-voltage direct-current) test line. An aspirator-type ion counter was developed to measure ion densities and ion mobilities simultaneously under a HVDC line where both electric field and ions exist together. Thereafter, ion mobility spectra and mean ion mobilities for positive and negative small ions were obtained with this ion counter under the test line as a result of a series of experiments extending through four seasons. Moreover, the accuracy of indirectly measured ion densities obtained from measured values of ion current density, electric field, and ion mobility was found to be within +or-30% in comparison with directly measured ion densities with the ion counter through examination under the line. >
The Effects of Fiscal Effort in Tunisia: An Evidence from the ARDL Bound Testing Approach

The purpose of this paper is to examine the various structural determinants of revenue and tax effort in Tunisia. We used on the empirical study an ARDL model to estimate the dynamic equation of fiscal potential and its structural and non-structural determinants covering the period of 1996–2017 in Tunisia. The empirical results show that before 2010, Tunisia fully exploited its fiscal potential, and the tax effort was above unity. After 2010 this trend was reversed. Despite the increase in the tax burden, Tunisia is below potential. The results showed that Tunisia is facing dramatic difficulties in mobilizing more tax revenue with this same taxpayer base. As a result, it is called upon to orient reform actions towards two aspects: broadening the taxpayer base to guarantee more tax fairness and adopting an awareness and motivation strategy aimed at greater tax compliance. Tunisia should adopt reforms that aim to eliminate the flat-rate regime and put in place advantages and procedures to facilitate and motivate the transition from informal to formal. Finally, it would be wise to further regulate cash payments and ensure the application of the legal rules governing the matter. In order to optimize the allocation of budgetary resources and ease the pressure on public finances, it would be appropriate, even with a delay in relation to the legislation to fight tax evasion and fraud by improving the human and material resources made available to the tax administration and consolidating its digitalization efforts.
3.A Economic Actors in the Hellenistic and Roman Empires: The Mediterranean and Southwest Asia

The economy of the ancient Mediterranean and Southwest Asia was driven by a wide variety of actors whose behavior was shaped by social, cultural, and physical structures.1 This chapter examines a variety of types of actors who played important roles, both positive and negative, in this development in order to shed light on the ways in which their economic behavior impacted the behavior of others and the structures within which they operated. We start with urban systems, before moving on to consider sovereign rulers, armies, temples, local elites, households, producers, and networking agents like bankers and merchants. The structures within which these actors operated are the focus in part II, which treats economic ‘tools. ’ In the ancient Mediterranean and Southwest Asia, state power was distributed across several constituencies. For our present purposes, the most important are cities, which interacted directly with the bulk of the population; imperial and regional rulers, who exercised power at a higher level; courts, who intermediated between rulers and locals; armies, who exercised military power but also consumed a large portion of the resources extracted by the state; and temples, which served as another space of state-population interface. In addition to (or in consequence of) their state functions, these units were both economic actors in their own right (producing, distributing, and consuming goods), and also shaped the structures within which the behavior of others took place. In addition to the coordinating behaviors mentioned above, war-making/conquest and the cultivation of urbanism (both the spread of urbanism and the patronage of capitals that became megacities) were two of the most consequential actions taken by ancient states.
Virtual Target Based Coordinated Path-Following for Multi-Vehicle Systems

Abstract The challenging task of coordinating a number of heterogeneous marine vehicles within a cooperative multi-robot framework is addressed. In particular this paper is focused on three problems related to the cooperative guidance of Unmanned Marine Vehicles (UMVs) solved through the application of the virtual target based approach: i ) the Vehicle-Following problem is addressed and solved, for the case of an Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) following the path defined by a human-driven vessel, moreover proposing experimental results; ii ) the previous case approach is extended to guide a number of autonomous vehicles to follow a predefined path, maintaining a certain position configuration; iii ) the problem of coordinating a set of vehicles moving on different paths (namely, wingman problem) is proposed.
Intervention Targeting Reading and Working Memory among Struggling Readers in Primary School

Working memory is one of our core cognitive functions. It allows us to keep information in mind for shorter periods of time, allowing us to process and work with that specific information. In this randomized control trial, the effects of a training program that combine reading training and working memory training among struggling readers aged 8-9 were investigated. 30 pupils were included in the intervention group and 17 were assigned to the control group. The intervention group received a total of 60 training sessions divided into two eight-week training periods with a four-week pause in between. The results show that children in the intervention group improved significantly better than children in the control group on eight tests: Reading comprehension, Word decoding, Nonsense-word reading, Short-term memory, Working memory, Visuospatial short-term memory, Visuospatial working memory and Working memory for words. The effect was not confirmed for Sight word seeing.
Ameliorative effect of gallic acid on cisplatin-induced ovarian toxicity in rats

Abstract The aim of the present study was to evaluate the protective effect of gallic acid (GA) against cisplatin (CDDP)-induced ovarian toxicity, for the first time. The ovarian damage was generated with CDDP (5 mg/kg) intraperitoneally (i.p.) administration in rats. GA (2.5 and 5 mg/kg) were administered i.p. for 3 consecutive days. The study was carried out in 5 main groups containing 6 rats in each group: control, GA (5 mg/kg), CDDP, CDDP + GA (2.5 mg/kg) and CDDP + GA (5 mg/kg). The levels of ovarian malondialdehyde (MDA), total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), oxidative stress index (OSI), catalase (CAT), 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), caspase-3 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were determined. Hematoxylin and eosin staining method was employed for the histopathological examination. In the CDDP group, it is determined that statistically significant decreasing in the levels of TAS and CAT, and increasing in the levels of MDA, TOS, OSI, 8-OHdG, caspase-3 and TNF-α (p < 0.05) compared with control group. GA administrations statistically significantly restored this damage (p < 0.05). Although vascular congestion, edema, hemorrhage, follicular degeneration and leukocyte infiltration were significantly higher in the CDDP group than in the control group, GA administrations statistically significantly restored these damages (p < 0.05). In conclusion, this study showed that GA prevented CDDP-induced ovarian damage with its antioxidant, anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory activities. More comprehensive studies are needed to see the underlying mechanisms.
Shakespeare sonnet reading: An empirical study of emotional responses

The present study combines literary theory and cognitive psychology to empirically explore some cognitive and emotional facets of poetry reading, exemplified by the reading of three Shakespeare sonnets. Specifically, predictions generated combining quantitative textual analysis according to the Neurocognitive Poetics model with qualitative textual analysis based on the Foregrounding assessment Matrix of sonnets no. 27, 60 and 66 are empirically tested by analyzing 45 subjects’ ratings of the three sonnets. Reflecting the differences in foregrounding potential of the three sonnets found in the textual analysis, we expected to find different reader responses, accordingly. Our dependent variables are well-established categories of emotional evaluation (e.g. valence and arousal) and cognitive, affective and aesthetic aspects of readers’ responses (e.g. liking and understanding) as well as less common ones (e.g. wonder, delight and mental images). The statistical analyses suggest that the type of foregrounding is more important than the number of foregrounded elements. This finding motivated further qualitative exploration of reader responses to open questions regarding mental images and perceived feelings. Comparing the free recall data about the feelings perceived in the sonnets with the ratings data about Valence and Arousal indicated that only the former one reflects a clear distinction between all three sonnets, whereas the readers’ overall evaluations did not sustain this variety of feelings. Multi-method, interdisciplinary research of this kind contributes to improving our understanding of the potentially unique mechanisms involved in poetry reception, and to forming more precise hypotheses for future experimental studies using, for example, eye tracking.
Design considerations for high-TC superconductor microstrip lines based on current distributions

The current distributions on microstrip lines with finite conductor thickness and finite conductivity are investigated in the TM mode. It is found that the lower surface of the conducting strip carries significantly more current than the upper surface. The percentage of the current carried by the lower surface increases with increasing dielectric constant of the substrate. Detailed information on current distributions is useful in design of high-Tc superconductor lines.
Depressive symptoms, maternal feeding styles, and preschool child’s body weight

Introduction. Depressive symptoms (DS) can impact maternal child feeding styles (MCFS), and child’s body weight. Objective. 1. Verify if DS are different depending if the child has, or not, overweight-obesity (OW-OB); 2. Identify the MCFS based on the fact that the child has, or not, OW-OB; 3. Verify it DS are different according to MCFS; 4. Identify DS’s predictors. Method. Correlational cross-sectional study. The participants were 259 dyads (mother- preschool child) residents in Mexico’ Northeast. Mothers answered the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Revised, and the Caregiver Feeding Styles Questionnaire. Mann-Whitney U test, Chi-square test, Kruskall-Wallis H, and multiple linear regression analysis were performed. Results. Twelve point eight percent of the mothers (n = 33) had DS, 35.5% (n = 92) authoritarian MCFS. No significant difference was identified between DS and MCFS according to the child’s OW-OB or lack thereof (U = 5726.0, p #cer# .05 and X2 = .078, gl = 3, p #cer# .05). A significant positive correlation was found between DS and MCFS demandingness (rs = .208, p = .001). The authoritarian MCFS had the highest DS mean (H = 10.70, gl = 3, p #abr# .05). The demandingness predicts the DS (X2 = 826.445, gl = 1, p = .001). Discussion and conclusion. Authoritarian MCFS predominated, DS were higher in mothers with authoritarian MCFS; demandingness predicts DS. It is recommended to promote authoritarian MCFS which favors the development of healthy eating habits.
Scalable Inference of Sparsely-changing Gaussian Markov Random Fields

We study the problem of inferring time-varying Gaussian Markov random ﬁelds, where the underlying graphical model is both sparse and changes sparsely over time. Most of the existing methods for the inference of time-varying Markov random ﬁelds (MRFs) rely on the regularized maximum likelihood estimation (MLE), that typically suffer from weak statistical guarantees and high computational time. Instead, we introduce a new class of constrained optimization problems for the inference of sparsely-changing Gaussian MRFs (GMRFs). The proposed optimization problem is formulated based on the exact ` 0 regularization, and can be solved in near-linear time and memory. Moreover, we show that the proposed estimator enjoys a provably small estimation error. We derive sharp statistical guarantees in the high-dimensional regime, showing that such problems can be learned with as few as one sample per time period. Our proposed method is extremely efﬁcient in practice: it can accurately estimate sparsely-changing GMRFs with more than 500 million variables in less than one hour.
USING COORDIN'ATlON MEASURES FOR MOVEMENT ANALYSIS

Traditionally, in biomechanics we have investigated the actions of single joints or segments without taking into account the interactions of these structures. A dynamical systems approach has been increasingly used in biomechanics to give a different perspective on the interaction of specific structures in human movement. That is, the study of coordination has become more prominent in the biomechanics literature based on the work of Bernstein (1967). Coordination is defined as overcoming excessive degrees of freedom thereby turning individual movement elements into a controllable system. In this paper, we will' describe a theoretical framework for analyzing coordination, present examples in the literature and discuss future developments for this type of analysis.
Meeting the Needs of Middle Grade Science Learners through Pedagogical and Technological Intervention.

This mixed methods study examined the effects of inserting laptops and science technology tools in middle school environments. Working together with a local university, middle school science teaching faculty members wrote and aligned curricula, explored relevant science education literature, tested lessons with summer school students, and prepared evaluation measures for their year-long implementation of laptops, probeware, and other scientific hardware and software. This quasi-experimental study revealed differences in student achievement, responses to pedagogy, and effectiveness of tools implemented by teachers over the course of the year. Implications are discussed for the effectiveness of laptops in science, as well as future studies identifying differences in instructional practices associated with technology tools.
Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotypes Associated with Death, South Africa, 2012–2018

The Streptococcus pneumoniae polysaccharide capsule plays a role in disease severity. We assessed the association of serotype with case-fatality ratio (CFR) in invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and meningitis in South Africa, 2012–2018 (vaccine era), using multivariable logistic regression by manual backward elimination. The most common serotypes causing IPD were 8 and 19A. In patients <15 years of age, serotypes associated with increased CFR in IPD, compared with serotype 8 and controlling for confounding factors, were 11A, 13, 19F, 15A, and 6A. None of these serotypes were associated with increased CFR in meningitis. Among IPD patients >15 years of age, serotype 15B/C was associated with increased CFR. Among meningitis patients of all ages, serotype 1 was associated with increased CFR. PCV13 serotypes 1, 3, 6A, 19A, and 19F should be monitored, and serotypes 8, 12F, 15A, and 15B/C should be considered for inclusion in vaccines to reduce deaths caused by S. pneumoniae.
Teaching with Technology: North Carolina Agriculture Teachers' Knowledge Acquisition, Attitudes, and Identified Barriers.

In order for agricultural education teachers to adapt to an ever-changing educational environment, they must possess the skills necessary to integrate technology into their classrooms. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that influence North Carolina agriculture teachers’ ability to integrate educational technology. This study examined the identification of sources contributing to agriculture teachers’ technological knowledge, their attitudes towards technology integration, and barriers to the inclusion of technology in agriculture classrooms. Agriculture teachers acquired technology skills to a moderate extent from personal trial and error and interaction with other faculty/staff. Teachers felt technology allowed students to be creative, allowed students to access course materials easily, appealed to the learning styles of students, and provided opportunities for individualized instruction. The expense of technology was identified as the greatest barrier to technology integration.
Performance Optimization Analysis of Hybrid Excitation Generator with the Electromagnetic Rotor and Embedded Permanent Magnet Rotor for Vehicle

To solve the problems of the non-adjustable magnetic field of the permanent magnet (PM) generator, large excitation loss and high failure rate of electric excitation generator, this paper proposes a parallel electromagnetic and PM hybrid excitation generator (HEG). The designed generator adopts a high power density PM rotor composed of built-in tangential PM steel and V-shaped PM steel and a salient-pole electromagnetic rotor (EMR) with short axial length, less electromagnetic loss, simple and reliable structure. By adjusting the axial length of two rotors and the size of magnetomotive force sources, the generator can adjust the rotor power distribution to meet various power requirements. Meanwhile, the HEG can adjust the electromagnetic magnetic field (EMMF) by adjusting the size and direction of the excitation current, and then can adjust the size of the synthetic magnetic field to achieve the purpose of stabilizing output voltage. In this paper, the magnetic circuit model of the HEG is established by using the equivalent magnetic circuit (EMC) method, and the rationality of the designed magnetic circuit is verified and analyzed by the finite element method. The prototype is trial-manufactured and tested, and the results show that the designed HEG has a wide magnetic regulation range, stable output voltage, and good output performance.
Fight or Flee: An Interesting Case of Snakebite With Delayed Recovery

Snakebite is a neglected tropical disease, which is very common in the Indian subcontinent. The severity of respiratory muscle paralysis and the delay in recovery depend upon the dose of the venom injected, the severity of the venom, the species of the snake, the duration of presentation to the hospital, and the time and dose of administration of anti-snake venom (ASV). The reasons for this delayed neuromuscular recovery still remain an enigma. We highlight such a case of a young adult who had delayed neuromuscular recovery and prolonged ventilatory support following a neurotoxic snakebite.
Shielding and reflection properties of periodic fiber-matrix composite structures

The plane-wave shielding and reflection properties of a single-layer composite material are analyzed, based on a filament-current phase-correction model that treats the composite material as a lossy periodic structure of fibers situated in a dielectric matrix. The scattering effect of the fibers is dealt with by calculating the scattered fields from the fiber currents, which are assumed to be concentrated along the centers of the fibers. To include the effect of the dielectric matrix, multiple reflection and transmission at the air-matrix interfaces, as well as the phase correction across the fiber grating, are incorporated in the analysis. In this study, only numerical results for the TM case are presented for graphite/epoxy composite materials. In particular, the parameters that influence the shielding and reflection characteristics, such as the angle of incidence and the frequency of the incident wave, the conductivity and radius of the fibers, and the dielectric constant of the matrix, are investigated in detail. Also included are results to illustrate the frequency-selective phenomena associated with composite structures.
Association of Body Mass Index with Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction Among Ambulatory Patients with Diabetes Mellitus in Rural Uganda: A Cross Sectional Study.

Background: Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) is a recognized complication of diabetes mellitus which precedes and is a risk factor for heart failure. We aimed to determine the prevalence of LVDD and its association with body mass index (BMI) in ambulatory adults with diabetes mellitus. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 195 ambulatory Ugandan adults living with diabetes mellitus for at least five years from the time of diagnosis at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH). We collected demographic, clinical data and measured body mass index. Laboratory tests included glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and urine microalbumin. Echocardiography was done to determine LVDD by assessing the mitral inflow E/A ratio, E/è ratio, TR jet peak velocity, and left atrium maximum volume index. Logistic regression was used to establish associations of body mass index and other covariates with LVDD. Results: Overall, 195 participants were enrolled and 141(72.3%) were females. The mean age was 62 [standard deviation (SD), 11.5] years and median duration of diabetes diagnosis was 10 [Interquartile range (IQR), 7,15] years. LVDD was prevalent at 86% and majority, 127(65.13%) had grade-1 diastolic dysfunction. BMI ≥25kg/m2 [adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR)=2.8, (95% confidence interval (CI)=1-7.6), p=0.038], age 50 year or more [aOR= 4.9, (95%CI=1.5-16.2), p=0.010], and history of hypertension [aOR= 3.0, (95% CI= 1.1-8.1), p=0.031] were associated with LVDD.Conclusion: The prevalence of LVDD was high during the study period. We recommend early and periodic echocardiographic screening for diabetes patients with high body mass index.