Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Two-Level Corpectomy and Fusion vs. Three-Level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion without Plating: Long-Term Clinical and Radiological Outcomes in a Multicentric Retrospective Analysis

Background: Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACCF) represent effective alternatives in the management of multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). A consensus on which of these techniques should be used is still missing. Methods: The databases of three centers were reviewed (January 2011–December 2018) for patients with three-level CSM, who underwent three-level ACDF without plating or two-level ACCF with expandable cage (VBRC) or mesh (VBRM). Demographic data, surgical strategy, complications, and implant failure were analyzed. The Neck Disability Index (NDI), the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and the cervical lordosis were compared between the two techniques at 3 and 12 months. Logistic regression analyses investigated independent factors influencing clinical and radiological outcomes. Results: Twenty-one and twenty-two patients were included in the ACDF and ACCF groups, respectively. The median follow-up was 18 months. ACDFs were associated with better clinical outcomes at 12 months (NDI: 8.3% vs. 19.3%, p < 0.001; VAS: 1.3 vs. 2.6, p = 0.004), but with an increased risk of loss of lordosis correction ≥ 1° (OR = 4.5; p = 0.05). A higher complication rate in the ACDF group (33.3% vs. 9.1%; p = 0.05) was recorded, but it negatively influenced only short-term clinical outcomes. ACCFs with VBRC were associated with a higher risk of major complications but ensured better 12-month lordosis correction (p = 0.002). No significant differences in intraoperative blood loss were noted. Conclusions: Three-level ACDF without plating was associated with better clinical outcomes than two-level ACCF despite worse losses in lordosis correction, which is ideal for fragile patients without retrovertebral compressions. In multilevel CSM, the relationship between the degree of lordosis correction and clinical outcome advantages still needs to be investigated.
Translation and Validation of the BFI-2 in a Croatian Sample

Abstract. This paper describes the process of translation and validation of the adaptation of the Big Five Inventory-2 (BFI-2) in the Croatian language. The translation process from English to Croatian was conducted using a forward and backward translation process. The resulting adaptation was then assessed for structural and construct validity, as well as reliability on a convenience sample of 320 Croatian participants. The results showed good reliability estimates at the domain level and somewhat lower yet satisfying estimates at the facet level. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) supported the proposed hierarchical structure. The BFI-2 domains and facets showed adequate construct validity, estimated via the within- and between-domain correlations of the facet scales. Overall, the preliminary results of the Croatian adaptation are satisfactory and support efforts for further improvement and assessment in a larger sample, adequate for research in personality psychology.
Atomistic Study of the Effect of Hydrogen on the Tendency toward Slip Planarity in Bcc Iron

H-enhanced slip planarity is generally explained in terms of H-reducing stacking fault energy in fcc systems. Here, we showed that H-decreasing dislocation line energies can enhance the tendency toward slip planarity in bcc Fe through systematically studying the interaction between H and 1/2 <111> {110} dislocations using the EAM potential for Fe-H systems. It was found that the binding energy of H, the excess H in the atmosphere, and the interaction energy of H increased with edge components, leading to larger decrements in the line energies of the edge and increased mixed dislocations than those of a screw dislocation. The consequence of such interaction patterns is an increment in the energy change in the system when the edge and mixed dislocations are converted to screw dislocations as compared to the H-free cases. The cross-slip in bcc Fe is thus suppressed by H, increasing the tendency toward slip planarity.
Uptake and Associated Factors of Male Contraceptive Method Use: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study in Northern Uganda

Background Uganda has one of the highest fertility rates in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Improving contraceptive uptake in all genders, including males, may be critical to meeting family planning goals in such a setting. Yet, data on male contraception uptake and associated factors in SSA, including Uganda, are limited. We determined the uptake and associated factors of male contraception use in Lira City, Northern Uganda. Methods We conducted a community-based cross-sectional study from November 12, 2022, to December 12, 2022, among men aged ≥18 years. We used multi-stage sampling to select participants from 12 cells of Lira City divisions of East and West. Data were collected using interviewer-administered structured questionnaires. We defined uptake in males who had used any contraceptive method, including periodic abstinence, withdrawal, condoms, and vasectomy in the previous four weeks. We performed modified Poisson regression to identify associated factors of male contraception uptake. Results We recruited 401 participants with mean age of 30.4 (±9.3) years. Male contraceptive uptake was 46.4%, 95% CI: 41.5–51.3%. Ever heard about male contraception (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] =1.73, 95% CI: 1.172–2.539, p=0.006), willingness to use novel methods (aPR=2.90, 95% CI: 1.337–6.293, p=0.007), both partners being responsible for contraception (aPR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.113–2.119, p=0.009) were the factors associated with male contraception uptake. Conclusion We found that nearly half of the men surveyed had used male contraceptive methods in Lira City. Factors associated with the uptake of male contraception included having heard about male contraception, joint couple decision regarding contraception, and the use of novel methods of male contraception. We recommend comprehensive education and awareness campaigns to promote male contraception, with a particular emphasis on encouraging shared decision-making within couples and introducing innovative contraceptive options.
Contribution of Manure-Spreading Operations to Bioaerosols and Antibiotic Resistance Genes’ Emission

Manure spreading from farm animals can release antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) carrying antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) into the air, posing a potential threat to human and animal health due to the intensive use of antibiotics in the livestock industry. This study analyzed the effect of different manure types and spreading methods on airborne bacterial emissions and antibiotic resistance genes in a controlled setting. Cow, poultry manure, and pig slurry were spread in a confined environment using two types of spreaders (splash plate and dribble bar), and the resulting emissions were collected before, during, and after spreading using high-volume air samplers coupled to a particle counter. Total bacteria, fecal indicators, and a total of 38 different subtypes of ARGs were further quantified by qPCR. Spreading poultry manure resulted in the highest emission rates of total bacteria (1011 16S gene copies/kg manure spread), Archaea (106 16S gene copies/kg manure), Enterococcus (105 16S gene copies/kg manure), and E. coli (104 16S gene copies/kg manure), followed by cow manure and pig slurry with splash plates and the dribble bar. Manure spreading was associated with the highest rates of airborne aminoglycoside genes for cow and poultry (106 gene copies/kg manure), followed by pig slurry (104 gene copies/kg manure). This study shows that the type of manure and spreading equipment can affect the emission rates of airborne bacteria, and ARGs.
Infrared and Visible Image Homography Estimation Based on Feature Correlation Transformers for Enhanced 6G Space-Air-Ground Integrated Network Perception

The homography estimation of infrared and visible images, a key technique for assisting perception, is an integral element within the 6G Space–Air–Ground Integrated Network (6G SAGIN) framework. It is widely applied in the registration of these two image types, leading to enhanced environmental perception and improved efficiency in perception computation. However, the traditional estimation methods are frequently challenged by insufficient feature points and the low similarity in features when dealing with these images, which results in poor performance. Deep-learning-based methods have attempted to address these issues by leveraging strong deep feature extraction capabilities but often overlook the importance of precisely guided feature matching in regression networks. Consequently, exactly acquiring feature correlations between multi-modal images remains a complex task. In this study, we propose a feature correlation transformer method, devised to offer explicit guidance for feature matching for the task of homography estimation between infrared and visible images. First, we propose a feature patch, which is used as a basic unit for correlation computation, thus effectively coping with modal differences in infrared and visible images. Additionally, we propose a novel cross-image attention mechanism to identify correlations between varied modal images, thus transforming the multi-source images homography estimation problem into a single-source images problem by achieving source-to-target image mapping in the feature dimension. Lastly, we propose a feature correlation loss (FCL) to induce the network into learning a distinctive target feature map, further enhancing source-to-target image mapping. To validate the effectiveness of the newly proposed components, we conducted extensive experiments to demonstrate the superiority of our method compared with existing methods in both quantitative and qualitative aspects.
A New Ensemble Prediction Method for Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) Mixtures Containing Different Constituents

Fatigue and rutting are two common damage types in asphalt pavements. Reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), as a sustainable approach in the pavement industry, deals with the foregoing damage. Fatigue and rutting characteristics of asphalt pavement are generally assessed using laboratory tests, taking a long time and consuming significant amounts of raw material. This study aims to propose a novel approach for predicting fatigue and rutting performance of RAP mixtures. A new ensemble prediction method, named COA-KNN, is introduced by combining the coyote optimization algorithm and K-nearest neighbor to increase the accuracy of fatigue and rutting prediction. In order to evaluate the accuracy, the proposed method was compared against robust prediction methods, including random forest (RF), gradient boosting (GB), decision tree regression (DT), and multiple linear regression (MLR). Afterward, the influence of each variable on the mentioned damages is examined, and the variables are ranked based on their relative influence on the mentioned damages. The results suggest that COA-KNN outperformed other prediction techniques when comparing different performance indicators. Total binder content in asphalt mixes and the PG span of the virgin binder added to the recycled asphalt mixture had the highest relative influence on fatigue and rutting performance, respectively.
The distinguished guests of giants

The convenient pictorial descriptions of the half-BPS and near-BPS sectors of the AdS/CFT equivalent theories of N = 4, D = 4 super Yang-Mills and D = 10 Type IIB superstring theory on AdS5 × S are exploited in this thesis by using Schur polynomials labelled by Young diagrams as a basis for the gauge invariant operators in the field theory. We use a “Fourier transform” on these operators to construct asymptotic eigenstates of the dilatation operator, the spectrum of which agrees precisely with the first two leading order terms in the smallcoupling expansion of the exact result determined by symmetry. Motivated by the geometric description of the systems of open strings with magnon excitations to which the operators are dual, we propose a simple and minimal all-loop expression that interpolates between anomalous dimensions computed in the gauge theory and energies computed in the string theory. The connection to the string theory result provides the insight necessary to understand the interpretation of our Gauss graphs in the magnon language. Symmetry determines the two-body scattering matrix for the magnons up to a phase, and it is demonstrated that integrability is spoiled by the boundary conditions on the open strings. The Schur polynomial construction is then applied to the study of closed strings on a class of halfBPS excitations of the AdS5 × S background. The string theory predictions for the magnon energies are again reproduced by calculating the anomalous dimensions of particular linear combinations of our operators. Group theoretic quantities which can be read off the Young diagram labels provide the correct modification of terms in the dilatation action to account for the energies of magnons at different radii on the LLM plane. The representation theory implies a natural splitting of the full symmetry group the distinction between what is the background and what is the excitation is accomplished in the choice of the subgroup and representations used to construct the operator. Connecting the descriptions utilised in obtaining these results is expected to allow the construction of operators dual to general open string configurations on the class of backgrounds considered.
Transforming Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli surveillance through whole genome sequencing in food safety practices

Introduction Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) is a gastrointestinal pathogen causing foodborne outbreaks. Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) in STEC surveillance holds promise in outbreak prevention and confinement, in broadening STEC epidemiology and in contributing to risk assessment and source attribution. However, despite international recommendations, WGS is often restricted to assist outbreak investigation and is not yet fully implemented in food safety surveillance across all European countries, in contrast to for example in the United States. Methods In this study, WGS was retrospectively applied to isolates collected within the context of Belgian food safety surveillance and combined with data from clinical isolates to evaluate its benefits. A cross-sector WGS-based collection of 754 strains from 1998 to 2020 was analyzed. Results We confirmed that WGS in food safety surveillance allows accurate detection of genomic relationships between human cases and strains isolated from food samples, including those dispersed over time and geographical locations. Identifying these links can reveal new insights into outbreaks and direct epidemiological investigations to facilitate outbreak management. Complete WGS-based isolate characterization enabled expanding epidemiological insights related to circulating serotypes, virulence genes and antimicrobial resistance across different reservoirs. Moreover, associations between virulence genes and severe disease were determined by incorporating human metadata into the data analysis. Gaps in the surveillance system were identified and suggestions for optimization related to sample centralization, harmonizing isolation methods, and expanding sampling strategies were formulated. Discussion This study contributes to developing a representative WGS-based collection of circulating STEC strains and by illustrating its benefits, it aims to incite policymakers to support WGS uptake in food safety surveillance.
Individual Contributions of Amido Acid Residues Tyr122, Ile168, and Asp173 to the Activity and Substrate Specificity of Human DNA Dioxygenase ABH2

Human Fe(II)/α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase ABH2 plays a crucial role in the direct reversal repair of nonbulky alkyl lesions in DNA nucleobases, e.g., N1-methyladenine (m1A), N3-methylcytosine (m3C), and some etheno derivatives. Moreover, ABH2 is capable of a less efficient oxidation of an epigenetic DNA mark called 5-methylcytosine (m5C), which typically is a specific target of DNA dioxygenases from the TET family. In this study, to elucidate the mechanism of the substrate specificity of ABH2, we investigated the role of several active-site amino acid residues. Functional mapping of the lesion-binding pocket was performed through the analysis of the functions of Tyr122, Ile168, and Asp173 in the damaged base recognition mechanism. Interactions of wild-type ABH2, or its mutants Y122A, I168A, or D173A, with damaged DNA containing the methylated base m1A or m3C or the epigenetic marker m5C were analyzed by molecular dynamics simulations and kinetic assays. Comparative analysis of the enzymes revealed an effect of the substitutions on DNA binding and on catalytic activity. Obtained data clearly demonstrate the effect of the tested amino acid residues on the catalytic activity of the enzymes rather than the DNA-binding ability. Taken together, these data shed light on the molecular and kinetic consequences of the substitution of active-site residues for the mechanism of the substrate recognition.
Factors Affecting the Quality of Sleep and Social Participation of Stroke Patients

(1) Background: Stroke patients are exposed to various psychosocial factors, such as depression, anxiety, and stress, which can cause problems with respect to their quality of sleep and social participation. (2) Objectives: We analyzed the causal relationships between the factors affecting sleep quality and social participation in hospitalized and community-based stroke patients using a path analysis model. (3) Methods: A questionnaire survey was administered to stroke patients from June to November 2020 using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index to assess sleep quality; the Beck Depression Inventory to assess depression; the Beck Anxiety Inventory to assess anxiety; the Stress Scale to assess stress; and the Reintegration to Normal Living Index to assess participation. The data thus obtained were subjected to descriptive statistics, frequency analysis, and Pearson correlation analysis. In addition, anxiety, stress, and spasticity were set as exogenous variables to perform path analysis of their causal effects on depression (parameter), sleep quality, and social participation (final endogenous variables). (4) Results: In total, 145 people participated in this study, and the data of 129 people, excluding 16 insincere respondents, were analyzed. The general characteristics of the subjects comprised 84 males (65.1%) and 45 females (34.9%). Poor sleep quality comprised 54.3%, and good sleep quality comprised 45.7%, where the average age was 58.29 ± 15.46 years and the duration from onset was 39.73 ± 51.49 months. This study confirmed correlations between social participation and sleep quality, spasticity, depression, anxiety, and stress. Path analysis also revealed that anxiety and stress led to depression and that depression is a risk factor for sleep quality and social participation. (5) Conclusions: Sleep quality and social participation in stroke patients play an important role in rehabilitation. By carrying out this study, direct and indirect factors that affect sleep quality and social participation were analyzed, and the quality level in rehabilitation treatment should be improved from a structural point of view when approaching psychosocial factors.
Does the syn- versus post-rift thickness ratio have an impact on the inversion-related structural style?

Abstract. Many extensional basins worldwide are modified by subsequent compressional episodes, which lead to inverted structures. The structures associated with the reactivation of pre-existing faults are critically important in the formation of suitable subsurface traps for hydrocarbons. Major concerns regarding inverted structures are the trap integrity and fault seal. In general, the preferred structures have simple four-way closures due to the minor forced folding of the post-rift cover, as opposed to (reverse) fault-related structures, which have a higher risk of breaching. Such reverse-fault-bounded structures have been generally observed in basins with a thick syn-rift fill and a relatively thin post-rift sequence at the time of inversion (Mode I). In contrast, gentle/open forced folds have been described in basins with thicker post-rift sequences than the syn-rift basin fill (Mode II). Five physical sandbox models, coupled with particle image velocimetry (PIV) analysis, have been performed to address the influence of the syn- versus post-rift thickness ratio on the inversion-related structural style of the post-rift cover. The main control on the development of Mode I or Mode II inversion structures within the post-rift sequence appears to be different due to the amount of compressional displacement accommodated by the inherited listric fault and the thickness of the post-rift cover. These observations do have a direct impact on the understanding of the geo-energy systems associated with inverted structures and are broadly comparable with natural data examples from Aotearoa/New Zealand, Israel, Romania, and the Republic of Türkiye.
Phosphate solubilizing rhizobacteria inoculation to increase rock phosphates efficiency and improve maize growth

Rock phosphates are less soluble and agronomically not as efficient as the acidulated. However, some rhizobacteria can improve the solubilization of inorganic phosphates in the soil, raising the efficiency of the rock phosphates. The objective was to evaluate the development of maize plants in response to the application of soluble and rock P sources associated with rhizobacteria inoculation. A greenhouse experiment was carried out with six P sources: no P application; ​​Triple Superphosphate (TSPh); Gafsa rock phosphate (reactive); Itafós rock phosphate (non-reactive); TSPh + Gafsa; and TSPh + Itafós, and three inoculation forms: no inoculation, Burkholderia pickettii GN 2214 and Pseudomonas sp. fluorescens group P21. Plant height, stem diameter, leaf area, shoot dry weight (ShDW), root dry weight (RDW), total dry weight, cumulative P content in ShDW, RDW/ShDW ratio and relative agronomic efficiency were assessed. Agronomic efficiency and growth of the TSPh-treated plants were better than of those treated with rock phosphates. The association of TSPh with rock phosphates increases the agronomic efficiency and maize plant growth more than the isolated rock sources. Inoculation with P. fluorescens strain P21, improved the performance of maize fertilized with Gafsa phosphate, but had no effect when associated with Itafós phosphate. Together with TSPh, inoculation intensified shoot and root growth, indicating the potential to increase the efficiency of soluble sources as well.
How Generative Adversarial Networks and Its Variants Work : An Overview of GAN

Generative adversarial networks (GANs) have received wide attention in the machine learning field because of their potential to learn high-dimensional, complex real data. Specifically, they do not perform distribution assumptions and can simply infer real-like samples from latent space. This powerful property leads GANs to be applied to various applications such as image synthesis, image attribute editing, image translation, domain adaptation and other academic fields. In this review, we aim to discuss details of GANs for those readers who are familiar but do not comprehend GANs deeply, or who wish to evaluate GANs from various perspectives. We discuss how a GAN operates and the fundamental meaning of various objective functions suggested recently. We then focus on how the GAN can be combined with an auto-encoder framework which makes it possible handle the latent space. As an extension, we also discuss GAN variants that are applied to various tasks and other fields.