Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
INFLUENCE OF QUALITATIVE TRAITS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF WEST AFRICAN DWARF GOATS

Data on coat colour pigmentation and incidence of wattle were combined with production records of 1407 West African dwarf goats to study their influence on litter traits and body weight. There was no significant (P>0.05) difference among coat colours for litter size at birth and at weaning and birth weight. Basic white coloured goats were significantly (P <0.05) heavier at weaning and one year of age than the basic brown and black goats. The trend was that the weight decreased with increased pigmentation. Presence or absence of wattle did not exert any influence on the traits studied except yearling body weight Bilaterally wattled goats were lighter (P<0.01) than unilaterally wattled and non wattled goats.
Complex Neural Networks for Estimating Epicentral Distance, Depth, and Magnitude of Seismic Waves

Taking advantage of the latest advances in deep learning for seismology, we address earthquake characterization from a data-driven perspective. Many of the usual procedures for extracting information from seismograms require processing a large volume of data using empirical and physics rule-based techniques. In this letter, we propose a novel approach for estimating epicentral distance, depth, and magnitude directly from individual raw three-component seismograms of 1-min length observed by single stations. Our convolutional neural network-based method is able to handle complex-valued representations of the seismic data in the time–frequency domain by using dedicated convolutional and activation functions. In this way, our method benefits both from extracting relevant information through time–frequency domain analysis and from designing a single architecture that deals with complex information. The proposed method achieves a mean absolute error of 4.51 km for epicentral distance, 6.15 km for depth, and 0.26 for magnitude estimation. The experiments were conducted over a publicly available and large database, STanford EArthquake data set (STEAD), and the comparisons with current state-of-the-art approaches show the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Source code and best model are available at https://github.com/ristea/ stead-earthquake-cnn.
A prospective study of outcome of fracture of proximal humerus treated with PHILOS plating

Background: PHILOS plating is used for two to four fragmented dislocated fractures of the proximal humerus, including fractures involving osteopenic bone, pseudarthroses and osteotomies in the proximal humerus. Various studies have been conducted regarding outcome of fracture of proximal humerus treated with PHILOS plating with variable outcome. Present study was designed to determine the efficacy and functional outcome of PHILOS locking plate in proximal humerus fractures.Method: As per study criteria 40 patients with fracture of shoulder was included in this study. After admission of patients a detailed careful history was taken to know the mechanism of injury. Patient was assessed clinically to evaluate general condition, vitals were recorded and examination o fracture site was done to know the Swelling, deformity, loss of function and nerve injury, distal vascularity. Radiological assessment was done and fracture was classified and preoperative routine haematological investigation was done.Result: Regarding complications of surgery postoperative infection was found in 2(5%) patients, stiffness of shoulder was present in 2(5%) patients, one patients developed malunion and Osteonecrosis was present in one patients. Constant score was excellent in 20 (50%) patients; it was good in 18(45%) patients and fair in 2(5%) patients.Discussion and conclusion: From present study we can conclude that PHILOS platting provides good fracture stabilization in the treatment of proximal humeral fractures. Stiffness of shoulder was common complication but present in 5% patients. Postoperative outcome was excellent in most of the patients.
Investors’ Uncertainty and Forecasting Stock Market Volatility

Abstract This article examines whether incorporating investors’ uncertainty, as captured by the conditional volatility of sentiment, can help forecasting volatility of stock markets. In this regard, using the Markov-switching multifractal (MSM) model, we find that investors’ uncertainty can substantially increase the accuracy of the forecasts of stock market volatility according to the forecast encompassing test. We further provide evidence that the MSM outperforms the dynamic conditional correlation-generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (DCC-GARCH) model.
Cell signalling pathways in mesothelial cells treated with mineral fibres

Cell signalling events in mesothelial cells elicited by asbestos Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a major health problem as it is an invariably fatal disease resulting from occupational exposure to asbestos. The long latency period of this disease means that death rates will continue to rise for 10-20 years before improved exposure regulations take effect. The studies described here were designed to explore mechanisms by which asbestos exposure elicits this malignancy. Cell signalling events germane to malignant transformation were investigated in rat (4/4 RM4) and human (MET5A) mesothelial cells in vitro following exposure to asbestos. The activation state of the MAPK family and Akt were probed, because these pathways are pivotal in determining death or survival of the cell. The results suggest that extracellular signal regulated protein kinase (ERK), p38 and Akt are activated by asbestos exposure. For the former two, at least, this activation depended on oxidative stress. A selective inhibitor of EGFR tyrosine kinase, PKI166, inhibited asbestos-mediated Akt and ERK activation. Asbestos-mediated Akt activation was also inhibited by LY294002, an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K). The effect of events triggered by asbestos downstream of these kinases, on the transcription factors activator protein (AP) -1 and nuclear factor-KB (NF-kB) were investigated. Pharmacological inhibition of either the ERK pathway by U0126 or the p38 pathway by SB203580 ameliorated crocidoliteinduced AP-1 activation. Inhibition of the Akt pathway by LY294002 or PKI166 reduced crocidolite-induced NF-kB translocation. The same panel of inhibitors were used to investigate the role of these pathways in defined endpoints characteristic of asbestos exposure i.e. cell death and survival/proliferation. In both cell lines the p38 pathway was involved in cell death and the Akt pathway in survival. In 4/4 RM4 cells activation of the ERK pathway also induced cell death. In contrast, in MET5A cells ERK appeared to be involved in survival. Taken together these findings suggest that asbestos elicits a complex array of interacting cell signalling events, the balance of which may steer the cell onto the fateful route leading ultimately to MM.
One Year Experience of COVID-19 Disease on 700 Chronic Dialysis Patients from Ecuadorian Highlands

Background: In December 2019, first Covid-19 disease cases were reported. The pandemic spread with 114.217. 365 cases and 2.533014 deaths worldwide in March 2021, with 286.155 cases and 15.811 deaths in Ecuador. The aim of this work was to share COVID-19 disease impact on 700 chronic dialysis patients from Ecuadorian highlands, which represents almost 7% of Ecuadorian dialysis population, after one year of pandemic. Methods: Observational-prospective-multicenter study on 700 Latin-American chronic dialysis patients of five different cities from Ecuadorian highlands. Patients were followed since February first, 2020 until 31 January 2021. Patients with COVID-19 symptoms were identified and diagnosis was made exclusively with positive nasopharyngeal swabs PCR testing. Oxygen saturation below 90% at presentation (LOS) classified disease presentation as severe, moderate if symptoms without LOS and asymptomatic if no symptoms. Hospital-stay, time until negative PCR, mortality and laboratory findings were collected. Results: A total of 205 patients (29%) presented COVID-19 symptoms;115 tested positive (16%), 60% were men (p=0.03), 25 subjects died (22%). Mortality was related with age above 64 years old, saturation < 90%, severe disease (p=0.03), previous pulmonary pathology and hospitalization (p=0.01). Hospitalization was needed in 74 patients (64%) with hospital stay 11 days (4-15), days until death during hospitalization of 12 days (4-19) and time until negative PCR 20 days (10-25). Symptomatic time was 16 days (11-26). Conclusions: COVID-19 disease was more frequent in men and has added up to 22% of extra mortality to chronic dialysis population. Patients older than 64 years old, previous pulmonary pathology, LOS at presentation are at higher risk of mortality. Health care burden due to COVID-19 is high in dialysis population suggesting that vaccination programs must include dialysis patients and staff involved in their care to diminish mortality, infections and health care burden.
Has the Reform of the Administrative Examination and Approval System Increased the Efficiency of Resource Allocation: Evidence from China

Based on data from the China Industry Business Performance Database from 1998 to 2007 and the time of establishment of the administrative examination and approval center in each administrative division in China, this study attempts to empirically determine the effects of the reform of the administrative examination and approval system on the efficiency of resource allocation from the perspectives of the degree of enterprise-level productivity dispersion. The empirical results showed that the reform of the administrative examination and approval system significantly reduced the degree of productivity dispersion among enterprises in an industry, in addition to enhancing the efficiency of resource allocation in the industry. A further analysis of heterogeneity revealed that the reform of the administrative examination and approval system yielded greater enhancements of the efficiency of resource allocation in industries with lower entry and exit rates.
Correlates of knowledge of genetic diseases and congenital anomalies among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Lagos, South-West Nigeria

Introduction genetic diseases and congenital anomalies place a significant burden on the health of new-borns and their mothers. Despite the availability of a variety of prenatal screening tests, mothers' knowledge has been documented to determine uptake. This study aims to assess the knowledge of pregnant women about birth defects and the associated correlates with regard to willingness to do prenatal screening. Methods a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 422 antenatal mothers recruited sequentially as they attended antenatal clinics at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to determine their knowledge of birth defects and willingness to do prenatal testing. Results majority of the participants (92.2%) had at least secondary education. The mean total knowledge score of the respondents was 63%. Age and knowledge scores were not significantly correlated (r=-0.071, p=0.14). Being employed predicted higher knowledge scores (95% CI: 0.09, 2.09, p=0.03). Respondents who had primary school education and those who replied “I don't know” to willingness to test had significantly lower knowledge scores (95% CI: -15.01, -1.19, p=0.02 and 95% CI: -4.52, -0.68, p=0.01 respectively). Majority (79.1%) of the respondents were willing to undergo testing. Respondents' level of education was significantly associated with willingness to test (p=0.03). Conclusion the observed knowledge gaps were considerable. There is need for improvement in education, the empowerment of women and access to quality healthcare including prenatal screening.
Genetic variability analysis for yield and grain quality characters in slender grain rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Twenty-nine rice genotypes along with three checks were evaluated with an objective to determine the nature and magnitude of genetic variability for yield and grain quality characters. A study of the analysis of variance showed the presence of a high degree of genetic variability among the genotypes. Phenotypic coefficient of variance and Genotypic coefficient of variance were high for number of filled grains/panicle (23.99, 23.32) and moderate for flag leaf area (19.40, 18.21), grain yield (18.75, 17.82), 100-grain weight (13.47, 13.40), plant height (11.68, 11.21) and number of effective tillers/plant (13.98, 9.73). High heritability along with high genetic advance percentage over mean was observed for no. of filled grains per panicle, flag-leaf area, grain-yield, and 100-grain weight. Most of the genotypes had long-slender grain type with kernel-length ≥6 mm, L/B Ratio ≥3.0, and showed an intermediate range of amylose content, gelatinization temperature, and medium to soft gel consistency.
A Similarity-Based Ranking Method for Hyperspectral Band Selection

Band selection (BS) is a commonly used dimension reduction technique for hyperspectral images. In this article, we propose a similarity-based ranking (SR) strategy inspired by a density-based clustering algorithm. The representativeness of a band is evaluated according to its ability to become a cluster center. We introduce structural similarity (SSIM) to measure the relationships between the bands. Thus, our proposed ranking-based BS method is called SR-SSIM. We picked state-of-the-art BS methods as competitors and carried out classification experiments on different data sets. The results illustrated that SR-SSIM outperformed the other methods. It is demonstrated, in this article, that the SSIM is more suitable for hyperspectral BS than the Euclidean distance since the SSIM can mine the spatial information contained in the band images. Furthermore, we discuss the application of BS methods on deep learning classifier. We found that proper preprocessing by the BS method can effectively eliminate redundant information and avoid overfitting.
Diagnostic utility of Sudoscan for detecting bortezomib-induced painful neuropathy: a study on 18 patients with multiple myeloma

Introduction In the past few years, treatment of multiple myeloma has undergone a deep change for the employment of novel treatment comprising proteasome inhibitors. Bortezomib is a first-line drug in therapy of multiple myeloma. The onset of peripheral neuropathy is a dose-limiting collateral effect of the drug. This neuropathy is a distal symmetric neuropathy that affects both large and small fibers. Nerve conduction study (NCS) can be used for the diagnosis of bortezomib neuropathy, but this technique demonstrates alterations of the large nerve fibers. Sudoscan is a novel technique utilized to offer an evaluation of sudomotor function. The main objective of this study was to compare the sensitivity and diagnostic specificity of Sudoscan with respect to the nerve conduction study after bortezomib treatment. Material and methods A total of 18 multiple myeloma patients were studied, 10 (55.5%) men and 8 (44.5%) women. Patients were analyzed at baseline and after 6 months of treatment with bortezomib. Subjects were submitted to nerve conduction study and electrochemical skin conductance evaluation with the Sudoscan device. Patients were also submitted to a clinical measure of pain and neuropathy. Results At baseline NCS showed that only the mean sural SAP amplitude was below the 2SD lower limit of normal in 3 (16.7%) patients, while at same time we found an alteration of Sudoscan profiles in 2 (11.1%) patients. After 6 months of treatment, the NCS profiles were altered in 13 (72.2%) patients, and the Sudoscan profiles were modified in 11 (61.1%) subjects. Conclusions Our results suggest that Sudoscan can be considered for the diagnosis of bortezomib-induced neuropathy. It is objective, reproducible, and surely easier than the traditional nerve conduction study. Sudoscan may be a useful help to manage the therapeutic interventions in multiple myeloma.
Conjugation of Biofertilizers with Different Sources of Chemical Fertilizers in Wheat: A Review

Plants nutrients are necessary in increasing production and productivity of crops and healthy food for the world’s ever increasing population. Today, soil management strategies are mainly dependent on inorganic chemical-based fertilizers, which cause a serious threat to human health and the environment. Bio-fertilizer has been identified as an alternative for increasing soil fertility and crop production in sustainable farming. The exploitation of beneficial microbes as bio-fertilizers has become of paramount importance in agricultural sector due to their potential role in food safety and sustainable crop production. Bio-fertilizer can be an important component of integrated nutrients management. Microorganisms that are commonly used as bio-fertilizer components include; nitrogen fixers (N-fixer), potassium and phosphorus solubilizers, growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs), endo and ecto mycorrhizal fungi, cyanobacteria and other useful microscopic organisms. The use of bio-fertilizers leads to improved nutrients and water uptake, plant growth and plant tolerance to abiotic and biotic factors. In wheat, non-symbiotic spp. like Azotobacter and streptomyces may be used as a potential source of plant growth promoter and also can reduce chemical fertilizer up to 25% with compromising yield. Thus, these potential biological fertilizers would play a key role in productivity and sustainability of soil and also in protecting the environment as eco-friendly and cost effective inputs for the farmers. This review will overview the importance of biofertilizers with different sources of chemical fertilizers in wheat.
The Story Behind the Story: Examining Transparency About the Journalistic Process and News Outlet Credibility

ABSTRACT This three-study project sought to test how news organizations can boost perceptions of credibility of their news outlet by improving journalistic transparency. Three experiments (Study 1: n = 753; Study 2: n = 599; Study 3: n = 321) tested whether adding a transparency box to news stories that explained why and how journalists covered each story would improve credibility perceptions. Study 1 used a mock news site, and the box did not increase credibility perceptions. Study 2 made the box more prominent and used the real audiences of two news sites, USA TODAY and the Tennessean, and the box increased credibility perceptions. Study 3 used a less prominent box on the real audiences of three McClatchy newspapers, and the box did not increase credibility perceptions regardless of where it was placed on the news story. Results suggest transparency boxes may have limited influence on news outlet credibility, but they must be very prominent to have an effect and do not work consistently.
Tensor decomposition for link prediction in temporal directed networks

Link prediction is a challenging research topic that comes along with the prevalence of network data analysis. Compared with traditional link prediction, determining future links in temporal directed networks is more complicated. In this paper, we introduce a novel link prediction method based on non-negative tensor factorization that takes into account the link direction and temporal information. In the proposed method, the temporal directed networks are modeled as a fourth-order tensor, which considers the temporal correlation coefficient of adjacent snapshots. We obtain link information by the factor matrices of tensor decomposition and score node pairs related to the link information. We give the interpretation and prove the convergence of the proposed method. Experiments are conducted on several temporal directed networks. The experimental results show that compared to several well-known link prediction methods, the proposed method improves the performance of link prediction. It is mainly because we use structural and temporal information effectively.
The effects of emulsifier type, phase ratio, and homogenization methods on stability of the double emulsion

ABSTRACT The double emulsion technology has a potential effect on the development of diversity and quality of functional foods by means of decreasing oil or salt concentration, encapsulating and controlling release of valuable components. In this study, it was aimed to formulate stable double emulsions to be used in food systems. W1/O ratios of primary emulsions, stabilized by polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR), were designed as 2:8 and 4:6, and (W1/O)/W2 ratios of the double emulsions were used as 2:8 and 4:6. W/O/W phase ratios, homogenization methods applied to primary emulsion (high-speed homogenization, ultrasonic homogenization), and emulsifier types used in W2 phase [sodium caseinate (SC), xanthan gum, lecithin-whey protein concentrate] were used as independent variables. Particle size and distributions, stability, encapsulation efficiency (EE), rheological properties, long-term stability, and morphological properties of the double emulsions were investigated. The double emulsions prepared with SC and (W1/O)/W2 ratio of 4:6, were found to have the higher stability values, higher apparent viscosity, and lower particle size. High-speed homogenization applied to primary emulsion reduced particle size of the double emulsion and increased apparent viscosity, but did not affect stability and EE of the double emulsions, significantly. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Use of social-media networking to facilitate a grass-roots lionfish removal program in the British Virgin Islands

Volunteers are extensively involved in monitoring and controlling invasive species. Most research has examined volunteer activity in groups organized “top-down”, but we examined a local community-based group removing lionfish in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) with a specific focus on the use of social media by the group. Indo-Pacific lionfish ( Pterois miles , P. lunulate and P. russelii ) are invasive in the Western Atlantic Ocean and can impact the composition and function of coral reef communities. In response, resource managers and scientists have organized programs using divers and snorkelers to remove lionfish. In the volunteer-led BVI program, participants searched for and culled lionfish in their spare time and used a public Facebook group to record their activity. We compiled all lionfish-related posts from 2012 to 2014 (n = 654). Lionfish were reported at 147 sites, and 1451 lionfish were culled from 117 sites, but activity was concentrated at 35 established dive/snorkeling sites. We also performed SCUBA surveys (n = 27 sites). Survey results were consistent with Facebook reports in suggesting that culling made lionfish wary but did not consistently reduce lionfish abundance or size-distributions. Most removals were conducted by a core group of locals whereas a much larger group of locals and visitors, some of whom apparently participated after seeing the Facebook page, contributed mainly by reporting the location of sightings. Those removing lionfish frequently followed-up on posted sightings, suggesting that social networking facilitated information sharing by guiding the selection of hunting sites. Posts were also used by participants to encourage one another and share negative attitudes about lionfish. Community-based groups are challenged by limited resources, however social-media networks may facilitate communication among participants in ways that help motivate, coordinate and direct group activity.