Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design Considerations for Murine Retinal Imaging Using Scattering Angle Resolved Optical Coherence Tomography

Optical coherence tomography (OCT), an optical imaging approach enabling cross-sectional analysis of turbid samples, is routinely used for retinal imaging in human and animal models of diseases affecting the retina. Scattering angle resolved (SAR-)OCT has previously been demonstrated as offering additional contrast in human studies, but no SAR-OCT system has been reported in detail for imaging the retinas of mice. An optical model of a mouse eye was designed and extended for validity at wavelengths of light around 1310 nm; this model was then utilized to develop a SAR-OCT design for murine retinal imaging. A Monte Carlo technique simulates light scattering from the retina, and the simulation results are confirmed with SAR-OCT images. Various images from the SAR-OCT system are presented and utility of the system is described. SAR-OCT is demonstrated as a viable and robust imaging platform to extend utility of retinal OCT imaging by incorporating scattering data into investigative ophthalmologic analysis.
Effects of Pair Learning on Girls’ Learning Performance in Robotics Education

Robotics Education (RE) is viewed as a tool to narrow the gender gap in STEM fields, especially for promoting girls’ learning. As an emerging and potential model in RE, Pair Learning (PL) is different from Individual Learning (IL), which is impacted by many factors. Among them, social factors need to be further explored. Therefore, this study emphasized gender as a key social factor and focused on girls’ learning performance in different learning models (IL and PL) and gender pairing patterns (boy-girl and girl-girl), as well as exploring the effective pedagogy for enhancing girls’ learning performance in RE. To this end, we conducted a comparison experiment in two classes from the fifth grade in a Chinese primary school. Results indicated that: (a) PL outperforms IL in enhancing girls’ learning engagement; (b) PL and IL have the same effect on the girls’ learning attitude and robotics works; (c) Mixed-gender pairing is more beneficial for girls to complete robotics works than single-gender pairing; and (d) Mixed-gender pairing and single-gender pairing have the same effects on girls’ learning attitudes and engagement. The key findings, possible reasons, and implications for practice are also discussed.
DEMO Abstract: An UAV-based 3D Spectrum Real-time Mapping System

Spectrum cartography plays a significant role in spectrum monitoring, management, and security. In this paper, we develop an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based three-dimensional (3D) spectrum mapping system, where the UAV can autonomously fly following optimized trajectories and capture electromagnetic data of 3D space. By leveraging property of channel model and spatial-temporal correlation of the raw data, we propose a joint data-and-model-driven method to predict, complete, and merge the spectrum data across multiple domains such as time, space and frequency. The reconstructed map is expected to benefit further research in the area of abnormal spectral activity detection, radiation source localization, radio frequency (RF) resource management, etc.
Zygote Activation: The Start of the New Generation in Angiosperms

Abstract In angiosperms, after the egg fuses with the sperm, many structural, physiological, and molecular biological changes occur in the fertilized egg. All of these changes facilitate the conversion of the haploid egg into the diploid zygote, a process known as the maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT). In the egg, fertilized egg, and zygote, changes occur at each stage under the control of exact spatio-temporal regulation mechanisms. This review focuses on the molecular biological changes that occur during zygote activation in higher plants including the following: maturation and activation of intrinsic parental transcription; zygote genome activation (ZGA), changes in the expression levels of genes from the zygotic genome; the effect of parental genomic dosage; and cellular determination of zygotic asymmetrical division. It is these exact spatio-temporal regulation mechanisms that allow the egg to convert into the zygote, undergo asymmetrical cell division, and initiate embryogenesis. The results of recent studies have shown that the regulation of zygotic division is a complex process occurring in the cell (egg, fertilized egg, and zygote). The results so far have revealed just the tip of the iceberg of zygote activation. More research is required to explore the regulation of zygote activation.
Correlation of hs-CRP with in-hospital Outcome of Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS)

Background and Objectives: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a worldwide health epidemic. Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a potentially life-threatening condition of CAD. Serum high-sensitivity C Reactive Protein (hs- CRP) is being increasingly used as a marker for cardiac risk assessment and as a prognostic tool in acute coronary syndrome. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of hs-CRP in predicting cardiovascular outcome in patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes. Methods: This prospective observational study was carried out in the department of cardiology of Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH), Chittagong, from April 2013 to March 2014. Total 100 patients presenting with acute coronary syndromes who fulfilled the selection criteria were included in the study. Serum hs-CRP of all patients was assayed on admission and study population divided into 4 groups according to hs-CRP quartiles. All four groups were followed-up till discharge and occurrence of any cardiovascular events were sought. Results: Mean hs-CRP was 18±2.9mg/L (mean±SD), ranged from 1.6 mg/L to 71.2 mg/L /L. The mortality was significantly higher in quartile-4 (7%, p-0.001) and quartile- 3 (4%, 0.005) as compared to quartile-1 and 2 (0% and 2% respectively). 12% patients developed heart failure in quartile-4 vs 2% in quartile-1 (p-0.045). Similarly other cardiac complications like cardiogenic shock, arrhythmias and heart blocks occurred in increasing frequency among patients of higher quartiles. Conclusions: Elevated hs-CRP is a predictor of adverse outcome in patients with acute coronary syndromes and helps in identifying patients who may be at risk of cardiovascular complications. Bangladesh Heart Journal 2022; 37(1): 34-39
Cholecystokinin Octapeptide Promotes ANP Secretion through Activation of NOX4–PGC-1α–PPARα/PPARγ Signaling in Isolated Beating Rat Atria

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), a canonical cardiac hormone, is mainly secreted from atrial myocytes and is involved in the regulation of body fluid, blood pressure homeostasis, and antioxidants. Cholecystokinin (CCK) is also found in cardiomyocytes as a novel cardiac hormone and induces multiple cardiovascular regulations. However, the direct role of CCK on the atrial mechanical dynamics and ANP secretion is unclear. The current study was to investigate the effect of CCK octapeptide (CCK-8) on the regulation of atrial dynamics and ANP secretion. Experiments were performed in isolated perfused beating rat atria. ANP was measured using radioimmunoassay. The levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and arachidonic acid (AA) were determined using ELISA Kits. The levels of relative proteins and mRNA were detected by Western blot and RT-qPCR. The results showed that sulfated CCK-8 (CCK-8s) rather than desulfated CCK-8 increased the levels of phosphorylated cytosolic phospholipase A2 and AA release through activation of CCK receptors. This led to the upregulation of NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4) expression levels and H2O2 production and played a negative inotropic effect on atrial mechanical dynamics via activation of ATP-sensitive potassium channels and large-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels. In addition, CCK-8s-induced NOX4 subsequently upregulated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) expression levels through activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase as well as the serine/threonine kinase signaling, ultimately promoting the secretion of ANP via activation of PPARα and PPARγ. In the presence of the ANP receptor inhibitor, the CCK-8-induced increase of AA release, H2O2 production, and the upregulation of NOX4 and CAT expressions was augmented but the SOD expression induced by CCK-8s was repealed. These findings indicate that CCK-8s promotes the secretion of ANP through activation of NOX4–PGC-1α–PPARα/PPARγ signaling, in which ANP is involved in resistance for NOX4 expression and ROS production and regulation of SOD expression.
Efficient Preprocessed Ray Tracing for 5G Mobile Transmitter Scenarios in Urban Microcellular Environments

There has been a great deal of interest in radio channel modeling for upcoming vehicular and device-to-device 5G applications. Site-specific models for such mobile transmitter scenarios become time-consuming as the visibility computations need to be independently performed for each transmitter location. This paper presents an efficient ray-tracing algorithm for a mobile transmitter radiating in an urban environment. The model presented uses a precomputed database of intravisibility of walls and edges in the environment. A visibility table that contains a list of walls and edges visible to multiple transmitters along a linear trajectory is computed for the given order of ray interaction. The walls and edges visible at a given location along the transmitter route are then readily determined using the visibility table thereby accelerating the ray-tracing algorithm. The validation results show considerable time-saving over unaccelerated ray tracing.
Disease Control, Not Severity, Drives Job Absenteeism in Young Adults with Asthma – A Nationwide Cohort Study

Introduction The impact of asthma and disease control on job absenteeism in young adults is sparsely investigated and conflicting evidence exist. Based on a nationwide cohort, the present study aims to describe the overall job absenteeism across asthma severities and describe the possible influence of asthma control. Methods REASSESS is a nationwide cohort of Danish asthma patients aged 18–45 using controller medication between 2014 and 2018, followed retrospectively for up to 15 years using national databases. Impact of asthma was investigated using negative binomial regression adjusted for age, sex, Charlson score and level of education and presented as adjusted incidence rate ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Results A total of 60,534 patients with asthma (median age 33 (25, 39), 55% female, 19% uncontrolled disease and 5.7% possible severe asthma) were followed for 12.7 (6.5–14.8) years. The prevalence of any absenteeism was more common in both mild-to-moderate and possible severe asthma compared to the background population (67%, 80% and 62%, respectively; p < 0.0001). Compared to the background population, mild-to-moderate and possible severe asthma were more likely to have temporary sick leave (1.37 (1.33–1.42); 1.78 (1.62–1.96)), unemployment (1.11 (1.07–1.14); 1.26 (1.15–1.38)) and obtain disability benefits (1.67 (1.66–1.67); 2.64 (2.63–2.65)). Uncontrolled asthma had increased temporary sick leave (1.42 (1.34–1.50)), unemployment (1.40 (1.32–1.48)) and disability (1.26 (1.26–1.27)) when compared to controlled disease. Significant increases in absenteeism could be measured already at ≥100 annual doses of rescue medication (1.09 (1.04–0.1.14)), patients’ first moderate or severe exacerbation (1.31 (1.15–1.49) and 1.31 (1.24–1.39), respectively). Further increases in absenteeism were observed with increasing rescue medication use and severe exacerbations. Conclusion Across severities, job absenteeism is increased among patients with asthma compared to the background population. Increases in absenteeism was seen already at ≥100 annual doses of rescue medication, representing a substantial, and probably preventable, reduction in productivity among young adults.
Metabolism and Regulation of Ascorbic Acid in Fruits

Ascorbic acid, also known as vitamin C, is a vital antioxidant widely found in plants. Plant fruits are rich in ascorbic acid and are the primary source of human intake of ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid affects fruit ripening and stress resistance and plays an essential regulatory role in fruit development and postharvest storage. The ascorbic acid metabolic pathway in plants has been extensively studied. Ascorbic acid accumulation in fruits can be effectively regulated by genetic engineering technology. The accumulation of ascorbic acid in fruits is regulated by transcription factors, protein interactions, phytohormones, and environmental factors, but the research on the regulatory mechanism is still relatively weak. This paper systematically reviews the regulation mechanism of ascorbic acid metabolism in fruits in recent decades. It provides a rich theoretical basis for an in-depth study of the critical role of ascorbic acid in fruits and the cultivation of fruits rich in ascorbic acid.
Terminal Orientation in OFDM-Based LiFi Systems

Light-fidelity (LiFi) is a wireless communication technology that employs both infrared and visible light spectra to support multiuser access and user mobility. Considering the small wavelength of light, the optical channel is affected by the random orientation of user equipment (UE). In this paper, a random process model for changes in the UE orientation is proposed based on the data measurements. We show that the coherence time of the random orientation is in the order of hundreds of milliseconds. Therefore, an indoor optical wireless channel can be treated as a slowly varying channel as its delay spread is typically in the order of nanoseconds. A study of the orientation model on the performance of direct-current-biased orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (DC-OFDM) is also presented. The performance analysis of the DC-OFDM system incorporates the effect of a diffuse link due to reflection and blockage by the user. The results show that the diffuse link and the blockage have significant effects, especially if the UE is located relatively far away from an access point (AP). It is shown that the effect is notable if the horizontal distance between the UE and the AP is greater than 1.5 m in a typical $5\times 3.5\times 3\,\,\text{m}^{3}$ indoor room.
Non-Contact Hand Movement Analysis for Optimal Configuration of Smart Sensors to Capture Parkinson’s Disease Hand Tremor

Parkinson’s disease affects millions worldwide with a large rise in expected burden over the coming decades. More easily accessible tools and techniques to diagnose and monitor Parkinson’s disease can improve the quality of life of patients. With the advent of new wearable technologies such as smart rings and watches, this is within reach. However, it is unclear what method for these new technologies may provide the best opportunity to capture the patient-specific severity. This study investigates which locations on the hand can be used to capture and monitor maximal movement/tremor severity. Using a Leap Motion device and custom-made software the volume, velocity, acceleration, and frequency of Parkinson’s (n = 55, all right-handed, majority right-sided onset) patients’ hand locations (25 joints inclusive of all fingers/thumb and the wrist) were captured simultaneously. Distal locations of the right hand, i.e., the ends of fingers and the wrist showed significant trends (p < 0.05) towards having the largest movement velocities and accelerations. The right hand, compared with the left hand, showed significantly greater volumes, velocities, and accelerations (p < 0.01). Supplementary analysis showed that the volumes, acceleration, and velocities had significant correlations (p < 0.001) with clinical MDS-UPDRS scores, indicating the potential suitability of using these metrics for monitoring disease progression. Maximal movements at the distal hand and wrist area indicate that these locations are best suited to capture hand tremor movements and monitor Parkinson’s disease.
Investment in digital infrastructure: Why and for whom?

This study investigates the variation in attitudes across stakeholders towards investments in the digital economy. Using semi-structured interviews to identify attitudes about the spatially evolving socioeconomic importance of the digital economy in New Zealand, we identified seven distinct yet partially overlapping concerns that prioritise preferences for digital investment. A key finding is that there are important asymmetries in stakeholders' narratives and epistemological foundations that currently align to collectively strengthen resolve to invest in digital infrastructure and training, but this alignment may splinter in future. Some stakeholders saw internet access as coalescing social economy, and there were concerns that some people and some places would get left behind if access is not rolled out uniformly and as a priority. There were disagreements about who will prosper, who will get left behind, who should pay for upgrading digital skills, the extent that investments were connected with wellbeing and identity, whether fake news was significant, and the longevity of the impact of digital economy investments. This study contributes to theory by demonstrating that practically-relevant, socially-informed policy decisions can be underpinned by collective efforts that draw on heterogeneous narratives and multidimensional understandings.
COVID-19 Vaccines and Autoimmune Hematologic Disorders

Worldwide vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 has allowed the detection of hematologic autoimmune complications. Adverse events (AEs) of this nature had been previously observed in association with other vaccines. The underlying mechanisms are not totally understood, although mimicry between viral and self-antigens plays a relevant role. It is important to remark that, although the incidence of these AEs is extremely low, their evolution may lead to life-threatening scenarios if treatment is not readily initiated. Hematologic autoimmune AEs have been associated with both mRNA and adenoviral vector-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. The main reported entities are secondary immune thrombocytopenia, immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, Evans syndrome, and a newly described disorder, so-called vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT). The hallmark of VITT is the presence of anti-platelet factor 4 autoantibodies able to trigger platelet activation. Patients with VITT present with thrombocytopenia and may develop thrombosis in unusual locations such as cerebral beds. The management of hematologic autoimmune AEs does not differ significantly from that of these disorders in a non-vaccine context, thus addressing autoantibody production and bleeding/thromboembolic risk. This means that clinicians must be aware of their distinctive signs in order to diagnose them and initiate treatment as soon as possible.
Good Corporate Governance's Impact on Sustainability Reporting Disclosure

The goal of this study is to see how good corporate governance affects the disclosure of sustainability reports in mining companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange between 2017 and 2020, with profitability as a moderating factor. The population of this study includes all mining companies operating between 2017 and 2020. Samples were collected using a purposive sampling strategy with specific criteria during the research period. Based on the criteria defined using panel data, the maximum amount of data that can be processed is 40 data points. The analysis, which is done with Eviews 12, uses panel data regression and moderated regression analysis. According to the study's findings, (1) the board of directors has a positive and significant impact on the disclosure of the sustainability report. (2) The Audit Committee has a positive and significant impact on the disclosure of the sustainability report.
Effect of Exercise Intensity in Glut4 Expression on Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Rat

Glucose transporter4 (GLUT4) is the main glucose transporter in skeletal muscle. Impaired GLUT4 expression plays a role in the disorders of glycemic homeostasis such as Type- 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Exercise can increase the GLUT4 expression in skeletal muscles so that glucose can get into the cells faster. The intensity of exercise is an important factor in reducing blood glucose levels in patients with T2DM. This study used stored biological material of gastrocnemius muscle from 15 T2DM models of Wistar rats. Rats were divided into three treatment groups namely P0 (no exercise, control), P1 (moderate-intensity continuous exercise), and P2 (vigorous-intensity continuous exercise), and treated for 8 weeks. Glut4 expression was determined by real time-PCR. The relative expression of the Glut4 gene was calculated using the Livak formula. Moderate-intensity exercise increased Glut4 expression by 2.39 times while vigorous-intensity exercise increased Glut4 expression 2.56 times compared to control. The vigorous-intensity continuous exercise expressed higher Glut4 expression than the moderate- intensity continuous one.
Laboratory Research on EPS Blocks Used in Geotechnical Engineering

Geosynthetic geofoam has a cellular structure made of expanded polystyrene (EPS) and has been used as a lightweight material for geotechnical use in embankments, bridges seat, base and sub-base of roads pavements and infrastructure protection applications. This paper presents research data on EPS laboratory tests aiming to characterize Brazilian EPS for geotechnical use. The mechanical tests comprised unconfined axial compression (with variation of temperature, specimens dimensions and rates of deformation velocity), interface shear friction (EPS – EPS) and creep under compressive load. A simple loss weight test by mice attack was also conducted in an attempt to quantify the damage in samples of EPS by biological attack. Samples of 10 kg/m3 , 14.5 kg/m3 , 17 kg/m3 , 20 kg/m3 , 30 kg/m3 and 40 kg/m3 densities with virgin material and 10 kg/m3 with recycled material were used. The results have shown that EPS has a great strength in compression and creep solicitation and high interface friction strength despite its very low density, and good geotechnical properties for applications in geotechnical engineering works. In the weight loss test it was found that the mice only attach the material mainly for a specific situation.
A General Design Procedure for Multi-Parallel Modular Grid-Tied Inverters System to Prevent Common and Interactive Instability

Based on the equivalent circuit model, the interactions of multi-parallel modular grid-tied inverters and their coupling effect with grid impedance are analyzed in this letter. The analysis shows that interactive instability could happen in the inverter system even when identical inverters have been used. However, if the control and circuit parameters are designed systematically, the system can be exempted from both common and interactive instability. The outcome of this research provides a practical general design paradigm for modular grid-tied inverters with inductor-capacitor-inductor (LCL) filters which can be used in the parallel operation with unknown number of modules. Experimental results are provided for verification.