Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Wnt Signaling in Inner Blood–Retinal Barrier Maintenance

The retina is a light-sensing ocular tissue that sends information to the brain to enable vision. The blood–retinal barrier (BRB) contributes to maintaining homeostasis in the retinal microenvironment by selectively regulating flux of molecules between systemic circulation and the retina. Maintaining such physiological balance is fundamental to visual function by facilitating the delivery of nutrients and oxygen and for protection from blood-borne toxins. The inner BRB (iBRB), composed mostly of inner retinal vasculature, controls substance exchange mainly via transportation processes between (paracellular) and through (transcellular) the retinal microvascular endothelium. Disruption of iBRB, characterized by retinal edema, is observed in many eye diseases and disturbs the physiological quiescence in the retina’s extracellular space, resulting in vision loss. Consequently, understanding the mechanisms of iBRB formation, maintenance, and breakdown is pivotal to discovering potential targets to restore function to compromised physiological barriers. These unraveled targets can also inform potential drug delivery strategies across the BRB and the blood–brain barrier into retinas and brain tissues, respectively. This review summarizes mechanistic insights into the development and maintenance of iBRB in health and disease, with a specific focus on the Wnt signaling pathway and its regulatory role in both paracellular and transcellular transport across the retinal vascular endothelium.
Building Extraction from Terrestrial Laser Scanning Data with Density of Projected Points on Polar Grid and Adaptive Threshold

The extraction of building information with terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) has a number of important applications. As the density of projected points (DoPP) of facades is commonly greater than for other types of objects, building points can be extracted based on projection features. However, such methods usually suffer from density variation and parameter setting, as illustrated in previous studies. In this paper, we present a building extraction method for single-scan TLS data, mainly focusing on those problems. To adapt to the large density variation in TLS data, a filter using DoPP is applied on a polar grid, instead of a commonly used rectangular grid, to detect facade points. In DoPP filtering, the threshold to distinguish facades from other objects is generated adaptively for each cell by calculating the point number when placing the lowest building in it. Then, the DoPP filtering result is further refined by an object-oriented decision tree mainly based on grid features, such as compactness and horizontal hollow ratio. Finally, roof points are extracted by region growing on the non-facade points, using the highest point in each facade cell as a seed point. The experiments are conducted on two datasets with more than 1.7 billion points and with point density varying from millimeter to decimeter levels. The completeness and correctness of the first dataset containing more than 50 million points are 91.8% and 99.8%, with a running time of approximately 970 s. The second dataset is Semantic3D, of which the point number, completeness and correctness are about 1.65 billion, 90.2% and 94.5%, with a running time of about 14,464 s. The test shows that the proposed method achieves a better performance than previous grid-based methods and a similar level of accuracy to the point-based classification method and with much higher efficiency.
Dim blue light colour reduces the activities and improves the performance of Indian River broilers under Egyptian conditions

Poultry producers accustomed to use light colours in broiler production as atrial to increase their productivity, especially in the developing countries to cover the animal protein gap. This experiment was planned to study the effect of different blue light colour intensities (high, medium and dim) on a recently imported Indian River (IR) broilers to Egypt. In this study, 270 one-day old Indian River broiler chicks were used. The birds were exposed to high blue light intensity (HBLI), medium blue light intensity (MBLI) and dim blue light intensity (DBLI), through a monochromatic lighting system that was installed in different rooms for 24 hours daily. The birds were randomly divided and housed into three well controlled pens of 5.46 m2 with three replicates of 30 each using a density of 17 birds/m2 in the room. The results showed that the broilers reared under DBLI had a significantly (p< 0.05) higher body weight, body weight gain, Newcastle disease virus antibody titer and foot pad dermatitis with obviously, economic Feed conversion ratio (FCR) and low activities and heterophyil/lymphocyte ratio in comparing with (MBLI) and (HBLI). In conclusion, poultry producer can use dim blue light in their farms to reduce the activities and increase the productivity of the birds.
Space Weather Observations With InSight

Solar activity, in the form of coronal mass ejections and corotating interaction regions, results in changes in the solar wind that propagate out through the solar system and interact with the magnetic field environments of planets. Such phenomena have been observed to affect the magnetic field and plasma around Mars as seen from orbit. However, no surface observations have previously been possible because of the absence of ground‐based instrumentation. Here, for the first time, we observe the effects of increased solar activity with the magnetometer on the InSight mission in December 2020. We find several days of increased activity including magnetic field fluctuations at periods of minutes to hours. Although only the flanks of this relatively weak coronal mass ejection hit Mars, the observed effects provide insight into how solar activity alters magnetic fields at the surface.
Using unilateral stimulation to create a reference for bilateral fusion judgments

Measuring binaural fusion can be challenging, especially with bilateral cochlear implant (CI) users. This study validated a technique of using unilateral stimulation to create a reference for measuring fusion. Seven bilateral CI users listened to stimuli randomly presented to the right, left, or both ears. Participants indicated the size, number, and location of the resulting image(s) they perceived. The participants had largely unitary, punctate percepts that were lateralized to the stimulated ear for unilateral stimuli. The image was centered but more diffuse when the stimuli were presented bilaterally. The results suggest unilateral stimuli can provide a reference for binaural fusion.
Echoentomography for Assessing Braconid Parasitization on Soft-Bodied Tephritid Hosts

Simple Summary Host parasitization by an endoparasitoid insect can be evaluated relying on three main methods, i.e., dissection under a stereomicroscope, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), or waiting for adult emergence. These approaches show limitations related to the time required for the detection of parasitization and/or the destruction of the sample. In this research, an innovative approach using ultra-high frequency ultrasound (UHFUS) technology was employed to evaluate braconid parasitization of Ceratitis capitata larvae. The UHFUS approach was compared with classic stereomicroscopic dissection, showing that both methods provide comparable diagnostic reliability. Our results support the application of echoentomography as a useful tool for fine, fast, and non-invasive evaluation of the ability of parasitoids to parasitize soft-bodied hosts. Abstract Entomological approaches currently available for assessing host parasitization require dissection, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), or waiting for adult emergence. The first two methods are relatively fast but destructive, whereas the third one allows the emergence of the parasitoid but it is time consuming. In this framework, new diagnostic imaging tools may contribute to solve the lack of an accurate, rapid, and non-invasive approach to evaluate the parasitization of soft-bodied insects by their endoparasitoids. In this study, ultra-high frequency ultrasound (UHFUS) technology, which is currently used in medical and preclinical fields, was adopted to assess the parasitization of the invasive polyphagous Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae), testing 2nd and 3rd instar larvae. Parasitization assays were carried out with the solitary koinobiont endophagous parasitoid Psyttalia concolor (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Opiinae). The efficacy of UHFUS-based echoentomography was compared with the classical method of dissecting the larval host under a stereomicroscope. Our results showed that the UHFUS diagnostic capability was statistically comparable with that of dissection, both on C. capitata 2nd and 3rd larvae. Overall, UHFUS-based echoentomography may be further considered as a fast, non-invasive, and effective approach to evaluate the parasitoid’s ability to successfully oviposit in soft-bodied hosts.
EXTRAVERSION AND NEUROTICISM IN RELATION TO WELL-BEING – DO SOME SOCIAL CATEGORIES AND PERSONALITY TRAITS MODIFY THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THEM?

The theoretical assumptions and research findings have established some connections between extraversion/introversion, and neuroticism on the one hand, and well-being on the other hand. There is scarce scientific literature specifying these connections in different social categories or their possible modification in different levels of such personality traits as psychoticism and social desirability. The goal of the current study was to specify if the relationships between extraversion, neuroticism and well-being varied, according to gender, age, degree of manifestation of psychoticism and social desirability. The sample consisted of 470 Bulgarians from 18 to 55 years old using Bulgarian adaptation of Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and a dichotomized analogous scale measuring subjectively assessed well-being. This study found that higher well-being was related to higher extraversion and lower neuroticism, no matter of gender, age, or the degree of manifestation of other personality traits such as psychoticism and social desirability. Social isolation during COVID-19 pandemic may reflect negatively on well-being, as due to various constraints the extrovert people limit their social contacts and because of increased emotional lability in emergency situations that deserves further being investigated.
Metabolic Effects of Bee Larva-Derived Protein in Mice: Assessment of an Alternative Protein Source

Food crises caused by growing global population or environmental changes are predicted in the near future; therefore, sustainable solutions are needed. Edible insects, which are rich in protein and can save feed and environmental resources, have the potential to be a sustainable alternative protein source. However, there is limited evidence on the impact on health. In this study, we investigated the biological effects of ingesting bee larva by examining their effects on amino acid, lipid, and glucose metabolism in animal models. In our animal experiments, the replacement of casein as a protein source, with edible insects, did not seem to cause any deficiency in murine amino acid levels in the plasma and liver. Metabolomic analysis of plasma metabolites showed decreased 3-methylhistidine and increased nicotinamide in the bee larva-derived protein-fed mice. Decreased levels of plasma 3-metylhistidine, an indicator of muscle degradation, implies that replacement to bee-larva protein from casein did not cause muscle degradation in vivo. We further investigated effects of increased plasma nicotinamide on peripheral tissue and found an increase in expression levels of genes involved in glucose uptake in muscle and thermogenesis in adipose tissue. These data imply that bee larva is a potential sustainable, safe and healthy alternative protein source.
Research on the Impact of Timing Financing on M&A Performance: The Intermediary Effect Based on Financing Efficiency

Timing financing theory holds that when listed companies are overvalued, they will increase equity financing. Different from previous studies, this study explores the mechanism of timing financing theory in China from the perspective of financing efficiency. Through the empirical study of M & A cases of Listed Companies in China from 2007 to 2018, it is found that the timing financing behavior that increasing equity financing when overvalued reduces the positive impact of equity financing on M & A performance. Further research found that the mediating effect of the financing efficiency exists, that is, the timing financing behavior does no increase listed companies’ financing efficiency, so it can not help listed companies create value through M & A.
The Effects of Age and Initial Shoulder Posture on the Upper Limb Range of Harvesting Movements among Oil Palm Harvesters

The occurrence of musculoskeletal diseases (MSDs) among oil palm harvesters has been studied extensively, but there is a lack of published studies on the evaluation of the range of harvesting movements. This information is important to design the ergonomic tools needed in the manual harvesting of oil palm. We examined the upper limb motion of oil palm harvesters to determine the effects of age and initial shoulder postures on their range of harvesting movements. Twenty male harvesters performed a manual push-pull-cutting technique (≥3 m fresh fruit branches (FFBs) height). The study was conducted by capturing the 1-D push-pull cutting technique harvesting movement via the Quintic system at the sagittal plane. The active range of harvesting movements during the harvesting phases and the range of the harvesting movement of the initial and maximum postures of their upper arms were calculated based on the kinematic data generated with the Quintic Biomechanics system (Version 29). Participants were divided into three groups based on their age, and two groups based on their initial support shoulder position, and dominant shoulder position. Data were analysed using the ANOVA and t-test. The joint movement angle pattern of the harvesters was classified into three phases: preparation, execution, and ending. The age-related variances for the initial and maximum support shoulder postures were determined. The range of harvesting movements and the active range of harvesting movements during the preparation phase at the support shoulder and wrist region were also observed. The initial support shoulder posture displayed a statistical variance in the maximum support and dominant range of harvesting movements of the shoulder. It was also linked to a reduced active range of harvesting movements for the support shoulder flexion and dominant wrist ulnar deviation at the preparation phase. Furthermore, the initial dominant shoulder exhibited a statistically significant difference for the dominant arm and a reduced active range of harvesting movements in the dominant wrist ulnar deviation at the preparation phase. This study produced important evidence about factors to be considered for the ergonomic design of harvesting tools and workplaces, especially within the oil palm industry.
Profile of Bone Mass and Its Determining Factors in Type 2 Diabetes: Case-Control Study

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus, beyond its well-known cardiovascular and neurological complications, is now increasingly recognized as having deleterious effects on bone tissue. It’s thus presented as an independent risk factor for bone fragility with a considerable fracture risk relating to many more or less intricate parameters. The general objective of our study is to assess bone mass during type 2 diabetes in Senegalese women. Methodology: We had carried out a cross-sectional and descriptive study. Socio-demographic characteristics were collected on the basis of a questionnaire. Then each of the subjects had undergone a complete clinical examination followed by a blood sample for a biological assessment of certain cardiovascular risk factors. Bone mass was measured using a bio-impedancemeter. Results: We recruited 88 women with type 2 diabetes and 83 healthy control women. The mean age of diabetic subjects was 52.7 years ± 6.8 (with extremes of 39 and 74 years). In control, the mean age was 51.0 ± 8.5 years (with extremes of 35 and 72 years). Among the diabetic subjects, 22 subjects or 25% practiced a regular walk against 27 (32.5%) in the control. Forty-three among the diabetic subjects (48.8%) were known hypertensive and followed. According to the body mass index, 71 patients (80.7%) were overweight compared to 59 (71.1%) controls. According to the waist size, 80 (90.9%) diabetic subjects had an elevated waist size compared to 69 control women (83.1%). Among diabetic subjects, 41 patients (46.5%) were hyperglycemic imbalance according to fasting blood gluHow to cite this paper: Touré, M. , Mané, C.A. B. , Sène, M. , Sow, A.K. , Diouf, I. , Coly, M.S., Ba-Diop, A. , Diaw, M. , Houndjo, S.D. , Mbengue, A. , Sar, F.B. , Kane, M.O. , Sarr, M. , Ba, A. , Gueye, L. and Samb, A. (2021) Profile of Bone Mass and Its Determining Factors in Type 2 Diabetes: CaseControl Study. Journal of Diabetes Mellitus, 11, 143-158. https://doi.org/10.4236/jdm.2021. 114011 Received: August 7, 2021 Accepted: October 31, 2021 Published: November 3, 2021 Copyright © 2021 by author(s) and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY 4.0). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Open Access
A Novel Method of Temporomandibular Joint Hypermobility Diagnosis Based on Signal Analysis

Despite the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) being a well-known anatomical structure its diagnosis may become difficult because physiological sounds accompanying joint movement can falsely indicate pathological symptoms. One example of such a situation is temporomandibular joint hypermobility (TMJH), which still requires comprehensive study. The commonly used official research diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders (RDC/TMD) does not support the recognition of TMJH. Therefore, in this paper the authors propose a novel diagnostic method of TMJH based on the digital time–frequency analysis of sounds generated by TMJ. Forty-seven volunteers were diagnosed using the RDC/TMD questionnaire and auscultated with the Littmann 3200 electronic stethoscope on both sides of the head simultaneously. Recorded TMJ sounds were transferred to the computer via Bluetooth® for numerical analysis. The representation of the signals in the time–frequency domain was computed with the use of the Python Numpy and Matplotlib libraries and short-time Fourier transform. The research reveals characteristic time–frequency features in acoustic signals which can be used to detect TMJH. It is also proved that TMJH is a rare disorder; however, its prevalence at the level of around 4% is still significant.
Inferences Based on a Skipped Correlation Coefficient

The most popular method for trying to detect an association between two random variables is to test H 0 : ρ=0, the hypothesis that Pearson's correlation is equal to zero. It is well known, however, that Pearson's correlation is not robust, roughly meaning that small changes in any distribution, including any bivariate normal distribution as a special case, can alter its value. Moreover, the usual estimate of ρ, r, is sensitive to only a few outliers which can mask a true association. A simple alternative to testing H 0 : ρ =0 is to switch to a measure of association that guards against outliers among the marginal distributions such as Kendall's tau, Spearman's rho, a Winsorized correlation, or a so-called percentage bend correlation. But it is known that these methods fail to take into account the overall structure of the data. Many measures of association that do take into account the overall structure of the data have been proposed, but it seems that nothing is known about how they might be used to detect dependence. One such measure of association is selected, which is designed so that under bivariate normality, its estimator gives a reasonably accurate estimate of ρ. Then methods for testing the hypothesis of a zero correlation are studied.
Prospects of Geometry Parameterization based on Freeform Deformation in MDO

In MDO, related to aircraft design, geometry parameterization has been identified to play a key role. In the present approach the freeform deformation technique has been adopted, which requires a preparation of adequate lattices to achieve a desired variation of a given geometry. For the generation of those lattices the DLR grid generation system MegaCads is utilized. Practicability and prospects of the present method are demonstrated for typical optimization problems in aerodynamic shape design.
User-efficient design : reducing the environmental impact of user behaviour through the design of products

This thesis presents why a new user‐centred design process for eco‐design would be beneficial and demonstrates how this could be done. The research produces a methodology for collecting and measuring behaviour information and a framework for assessing its impact. It explores the role of and effective introduction of information in the design process and finally concludes with the proposed design approach for reducing the environmental impact of products during their use. Utilising a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods, energy models, observational studies, laboratory design experiments, participation research, product prototyping and industrial consultation,acomprehensivepictureofdesigningforenergy‐efficientuserbehaviourisformed. It illustrates how behaviour information can be recorded and quantified, assessing the division between a product’s intrinsic, technology‐based, energy efficiencies and those that are deemed user‐related. Finally, in conclusion this information is then used in a new design approach which proposes a framework for the effective and time - efficient design of products, producing a prototype design which achieves an ongoing 43% energy saving in user related losses.
Shear Bond Strength of Ceramic Veneers to Zirconia–Calcium Silicate Cores

Improving the bond strength of veneering ceramics to ZrO2-based cores remains a challenge. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the shear bond strength of different ZrO2 cores containing calcium silicate (CaSi) to veneering ceramics. Five types of ZrO2-based cores (n = 230) were divided into two groups: with or without oxygen plasma treatment. These were bound to two veneering ceramics (IPS e.max Ceram or VITA VM9). Shear bond strength of veneering ceramics to various cores was measured (n = 10), in addition to phase composition, surface morphology and contact angle of the cores. The results indicated that the plasma treatment had a significant effect on the water contact angle of the ZrO2-based cores, but had little effect on the bond strength. Regardless of plasma treatment, the highest strength value was recorded in the ZrO2 core specimen containing 20 wt % CaSi, when all cores were adhered to VITA VM 9 veneer. When using IPS e.max Ceram veneer, the shear bond strength of the plasma-treated 20 wt % CaSi-containing ZrO2 core was 16.6 ± 0.9 MPa higher than that of VITA In-Ceram YZ core control (13.4 ± 1.0 MPa) (p < 0.05). We conclude that the presence of 20 wt % CaSi in ZrO2 can improve the shear bond strength of zirconia-based cores to veneering ceramic.