Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Immune and Metabolic Alterations in Children with Perinatal HIV Exposure

With the global rollout of mother-to-child prevention programs for women living with HIV, vertical transmission has been all but eliminated in many countries. However, the number of children who are exposed in utero to HIV and antiretroviral therapy (ART) is ever-increasing. These children who are HIV-exposed-but-uninfected (CHEU) are now well recognized as having persistent health disparities compared to children who are HIV-unexposed–and-uninfected (CHUU). Differences reported between these two groups include immune dysfunction and higher levels of inflammation, cognitive and metabolic abnormalities, as well as increased morbidity and mortality in CHEU. The reasons for these disparities remain largely unknown. The present review focuses on a proposed link between immunometabolic aberrations and clinical pathologies observed in the rapidly expanding CHEU population. By drawing attention, firstly, to the significance of the immune and metabolic alterations observed in these children, and secondly, the impact of their healthcare requirements, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, this review aims to sensitize healthcare workers and policymakers about the long-term risks of in utero exposure to HIV and ART.
Minimax estimation of proportions under random sample size

Abstract We study the problem of how to estimate the parameters of a multivariate hypergeometric distribution when the sample size n is assumed to be an ancillary statistic. The minimax estimator for squared error loss is given. This estimator differs from the well-known minimax estimator for fixed n. Furthermore, that classical estimator is shown to be not even admissible when n is random.
Improved implementation and robustness study of the X‐FEM for stress analysis around cracks

Numerical crack propagation schemes were augmented in an elegant manner by the X‐FEM method. The use of special tip enrichment functions, as well as a discontinuous function along the sides of the crack allows one to do a complete crack analysis virtually without modifying the underlying mesh, which is of industrial interest, especially when a numerical model for crack propagation is desired. This paper improves the implementation of the X‐FEM method for stress analysis around cracks in three ways. First, the enrichment strategy is revisited. The conventional approach uses a ‘topological’ enrichment (only the elements touching the front are enriched). We suggest a ‘geometrical’ enrichment in which a given domain size is enriched. The improvements obtained with this enrichment are discussed. Second, the conditioning of the X‐FEM both for topological and geometrical enrichments is studied. A preconditioner is introduced so that ‘off the shelf’ iterative solver packages can be used and perform as well on X‐FEM matrices as on standard FEM matrices. The preconditioner uses a local (nodal) Cholesky based decomposition. Third, the numerical integration scheme to build the X‐FEM stiffness matrix is dramatically improved for tip enrichment functions by the use of an ad hoc integration scheme. A 2D benchmark problem is designed to show the improvements and the robustness. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Spatial disparity of urban performance from a scaling perspective: a study of industrial features associated with economy, infrastructure, and innovation

ABSTRACT The power-law scaling theory has been widely applied in urban studies. Industrial development is tied to cities. However, current research on scaling pace development of industrial features in cities, and industrial features’ association with urban indicators in cities are limited. This study develops power-law scaling regression and robust geographical detector-based spatial models to (i) identify spatial disparities of urban performance from a scaling perspective and (ii) explore the spatial association between industrial scaling features and other urban features. The developed models are implemented in three essential industries, including mining, manufacturing, and utility supply and waste services, in Australia. This study investigates urban scaling features in 101 Australian significant urban areas (SUAs) and assesses the spatial association between industrial features and indicators from the perspectives of the economy, infrastructure design, and innovation. This study has general results on Australian urban scaling development and specific spatial association results on industrial scaling features. In general, the study validates the consistency of the scaling development among Australian cities with the power-law theory and the similarity of scaling disparity features among top-populated cities. In specific, the urban innovation indicator and the income level are predominantly and positively associated factors with industrial companies and employees, indicating that the innovation growth and economic development in Australian cities would stimulate the performance of industrial companies and the employment scale. The synergy between urban innovation and industrial company performance is especially significant in major capital cities. The developed spatial models have a broad potential to address spatial and scaling characteristics of industrial features.
Institutionalizing urban climate governance in the global South? Evidence from Tehran urban management, Iran

ABSTRACT Local governments across the world have an increasingly significant role to play in climate change resiliency at both community and city levels. Urban climate governance has been increasingly a popular concept and framework for building capacity towards urban resiliency. Nevertheless, and despite the considerable vulnerability of Iranian cities and on top of that the capital, Tehran, to climate change threats, few studies have evaluated the barriers and challenges of the city’s local governments for enhancing the capacity of climate governance. This paper assesses the urban climate governance capacity in Tehran urban management system. Methodologically, this study uses previous successfully deployed analytical frameworks, developed by Tanner et al. (Urban governance for adaptation: Assessing climate change resilience in Ten Asian cities (IDS Working Paper 315). Institute of Development Studies, 2009) and updated the variables through various newly released research on urban climate governance in developing countries, particularly in Asia and the Middle East. The results show that, through the lens of assessing variables, Tehran municipality faces a handful of problems in institutionalizing urban climate governance in its setting due to the unintegrated urban management structure as well as the unwillingness of the local body (Islamic City Council) along with urban branches of the national government to function in an integrated way in term of urban climate policy.
ASSESSMENT OF SEASONAL AGRICULTURAL WORKERS’ MENTAL HEALTH

Background and Aim: Mental health of the seasonal agricultural workers (SAW) can be negatively affected due to working under hard conditions, being exposed to discrimination from time to time, working in a socially isolated field, and having insufficient social support resources. This study aimed to assess the mental health of the SAW. Method: This study was conducted from June to September 2021 in a family health center region in a province located in the southeast of Turkey in which the SAW intensely populated. The study sample consisted of 300 seasonal agricultural workers. Data were collected using an introductory form and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) through face-to-face interviews. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 22.00 program, descriptive statistics (numbers, percentages, means), independent samples t-test, the Mann Whitney-U test, variance analysis, and the Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: The participants’ mean subscale scores were 8.08±6.39 for somatization, 15.81±9.15 for depression, 11.79±8.32 for anxiety, 8.84±5.18 for hostility, and 14.10±8.13 for negative self-concept. Their mean index scores were 1.10±0.58 for the Global Severity Index (GSI), 24.44±11.09 for the Positive Symptom Total (PST), and 2.08-0.53 for the Positive Symptom Distress Index (PSDI). A statistically significant difference was found between anxiety and depression subscales by gender; somatization subscale by marital status, education level, presence of chronic diseases, and duration of employment; and negative self-concept and hostility subscales by presence of chronic diseases (p<0.05). Conclusions: It can be concluded that the SAW had psychopathological tendencies. Therefore, it is critical to periodically assess the mental health of the SAW and to develop coping strategies regarding the problems they experience. Keywords: Seasonal Agricultural Worker, Mental Health, Psychological Symptom.
Increased Prevalence of EBV Infection in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients: A Six-Year Cross-Sectional Study

Simple Summary Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) is associated with at least 1% of global cancers including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Studies on the molecular epidemiology of EBV should improve the understanding of NPC prognosis. Retrospectively, we collected demographic and clinical data for 146 NPC patients over a 6-year period between 2015 and 2020. We found a high prevalence of 96% of EBV infection in NPC patients with a predominance of genotype I detected in 73% of NPC samples. Although NPC had metastasized to 16% of body sites, it was not associated with EBV infection, except for lungs. Three-quarters of NPC patients were in the advanced stages of cancer and the overall survival (OS) mean time was 5.59 years. We found an increased prevalence of EBV infection in NPC patients higher than previously thought with a predominance of EBV genotype I. A future multi-center study with a larger sample size is needed to assess the true burden of EBV-associated NPC. Abstract Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) is implicated in the carcinogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and currently associated with at least 1% of global cancers. The differential prognosis analysis of NPC in EBV genotypes remains to be elucidated. Medical, radiological, pathological, and laboratory reports of 146 NPC patients were collected retrospectively over a 6-year period between 2015 and 2020. From the pathology archives, DNA was extracted from tumor blocks and used for EBV nuclear antigen 3C (EBNA-3C) genotyping by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We found a high prevalence of 96% of EBV infection in NPC patients with a predominance of genotype I detected in 73% of NPC samples. Histopathological examination showed that most of the NPC patients were in the advanced stages of cancer: stage III (38.4%) or stage IV-B (37.7%). Only keratinized squamous cell carcinoma was significantly higher in EBV negative NPC patients compared with those who were EBV positive (OR = 0.01, 95%CI = (0.004–0.32; p = 0.009)), whereas the majority of patients (91.8%) had undifferentiated, non-keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma, followed by differentiated, non-keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma (7.5%). Although NPC had metastasized to 16% of other body sites, it was not associated with EBV infection, except for lung metastasis. A statistically significant reverse association was observed between EBV infection and lung metastasis (OR = 0.07, 95%CI = (0.01–0.51; p = 0.008)). Although 13% of NPC patients died, the overall survival (OS) mean time was 5.59 years. Given the high prevalence of EBV-associated NPC in our population, Saudi could be considered as an area with a high incidence of EBV-associated NPC with a predominance of EBV genotype I. A future multi-center study with a larger sample size is needed to assess the true burden of EBV-associated NPC in Saudi Arabia.
Magnetic Properties and Photocatalytic Degradation Performance of MFe 2 O 4 ( M=Co, Ni )/ BiOCl Composites Catalysts Under UV Light Irradiation

Magnetically separable composite MFe 2 O 4 ( M=Co, Ni)/BiOCl photocatalysts were prepared, and the adsorption as well photocatalytic degradation performance toward rhodamine B (RhB) molecules from aqueous solution was investigated in the present work. The structural and magnetic properties were conﬁrmed by means of X-ray diffractometer and vibrating sample magnetometer. In addition to the advantage of magnetic separability from water phase, it was found as well that the combination of ferrite on the surface of BiOCl favors the adsorption of RhB molecules and no apparent decrease in photocatalytic activity was found after ferrite combination possibly due to the formation of heterojunction on the interface between ferrites and BiOCl semiconductor.
ADAPTIVE CONTROL OF GOAL-ORIENTED HUMAN ARM MOVEMENT

Experiment 1 directly tested a fundamental prediction of the equilibrium point hypothesis (EPH) of movement control, namely, equifinality. Subjects learned wrist flexion movements while a motor provided assistance in proportion to the instantaneous velocity. Subjects stopped short of the target on the trials where the magnitude of the assistance was randomly decreased, i.e., equifinality was not achieved. This is contrary to the EPH, although such effects are entirely consistent with predictions based on the formation of an internal dynamics model. In experiment 2 subjects performed 0.25 m horizontal reaches while exposed to a position-dependent parabolic field (PF), located in a region extending to 0.1 m from the start position. Following extensive learning of the PF, the field was randomly perturbed to 213 or 312 times the original strength for 5 trials, a total of 24 times. Mechanical channel trials were used to test for evidence of internal model formation. Internal model formation was evident as early as the second or third PF trial. Subjects produced lateral force to counteract the field, although it did not perfectly match the PF force, resulting in bowed trajectories. As learning progressed, we found significant decreases in the EMG in all 6 shoulder and elbow muscles once subjects had passed through the force field. We suggest subjects modified their internal model to more accurately compensate for the PF, such that the cocontraction could be reduced. Subjects quickly readjusted to the PF following each APF set, suggesting retention of the motor commands required in the PF. On the first APF trial of each set, subjects were displaced in the direction of the change in force. On the second trial, trajectories were substantially straighter, but the displacement was not reduced significantly more in the 3'd-5'h trials. Subjects adapted the internal model to more accurately compensate for higher strength APF, while simultaneously employing higher levels of cocontraction. In the lower strength APF results suggest a reduction in the level of cocontraction. We found no consolidation of learning between APF sets, i.e., performance in the APF did not improve as subjects were exposed to more sets.
A theorem on analytic functions of a real variable

This series has a definite radius of convergence, p(x), zero, finite, or infinite, given by l/p(x) =linu-*oo| f()/kl\. The function f{x) is said to be analytic at the point x if the Taylor development of f(x) about x converges to f(t) over a neighborhood \x —1\ <c, c > 0 , of the point ; / (x) is analytic in an interval if it is analytic at every point of the interval. Pringsheim stated the following theorem. *
Lithium-Ion Battery Health Estimation Using an Adaptive Dual Interacting Model Algorithm for Electric Vehicles

To ensure reliable operation of electrical systems, batteries require robust battery monitoring systems (BMSs). A BMS’s main task is to accurately estimate a battery’s available power, referred to as the state of charge (SOC). Unfortunately, the SOC cannot be measured directly due to its structure, and so must be estimated using indirect measurements. In addition, the methods used to estimate SOC are highly dependent on the battery’s available capacity, known as the state of health (SOH), which degrades as the battery is used, resulting in a complex problem. In this paper, a novel adaptive battery health estimation method is proposed. The proposed method uses a dual-filter architecture in conjunction with the interacting multiple model (IMM) algorithm. The dual filter strategy allows for the model’s parameters to be updated while the IMM allows access to different degradation rates. The well-known Kalman filter (KF) and relatively new sliding innovation filter (SIF) are implemented to estimate the battery’s SOC. The resulting methods are referred to as the dual-KF-IMM and dual-SIF-IMM, respectively. As demonstrated in this paper, both algorithms show accurate estimation of the SOC and SOH of a lithium-ion battery under different cycling conditions. The results of the proposed strategies will be of interest for the safe and reliable operation of electrical systems, with particular focus on electric vehicles.
Job stress and work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic among Japanese workers: a prospective cohort study

ABSTRACT Objectives The work style reforms and the coronavirus disease pandemic in Japan have prompted efforts toward teleworking, mainly work from home (WFH). This study aimed to prospectively evaluate the impact of WFH on job stress among Japanese workers. Methods This online survey-based prospective cohort study was conducted from December 2020 (baseline) to December 2021 (1-year follow-up) using self-administered questionnaires. At baseline, 27,036 participants completed the questionnaires, whereas 18,560 (68.7%) participated in the 1-year follow-up. After excluding the 11,604 participants who left or changed workplaces within 1 year or who were physical laborers and hospitality workers, data from 6,956 participants were analyzed. We asked participants about WFH frequency at baseline and conducted a follow-up using the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ). Participants were divided into four groups according to WFH frequency. The odds ratios of poor states of the association of the four subscales (job demand, job control, supervisor support, and coworker support) determined by the BJSQ with WFH frequency were estimated using a multilevel logistic model. Results In both the gender–age adjusted and multivariate models, compared to the non-WFH group, the medium and low WFH groups were less likely to have poor job control, whereas the high WFH group were likely to have similar levels as the non-WFH group. In both models, compared to non-WFH participants, the high WFH group were more likely to have poor supervisor and coworker support. Conclusions High-frequency WFH requires further attention, because it may increase job stress by exacerbating deficits of social support in the workplace. Medium- and low-frequency WFH workers were more likely to have satisfactory job control; therefore, limiting WFH to three or fewer days per week may lead to better job stress management.
THE IMPORTANCE AND FACTORS OF ENJOYMENT IN MALAYSIAN ESL CLASSROOM: A MULTISITE CASE STUDY

Affective factors such as emotion and attitudes have long been identified as contributing factors to success and enjoyment in language learning. With the new movement of education in the new norm, a weightage needs to be focused on the affective dimensions among learners. This study aimed to discover the importance and factors of enjoyment in learning English as a Second Language (ESL) among Malaysian secondary school students. This multisite case study took place in five secondary schools in Malaysia. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was held among five ESL teachers and an open-ended questionnaire was distributed to 65 students in the respective schools. The findings reveal both teachers and students think enjoyment is important in learning ESL as it bridges up engagement in learning, enhances motivation and for the usefulness of learning the language. Furthermore, the study also discovers the factors of enjoyment in learning ESL namely teacher-factor, sense of achievement and relationship with peers. This study provides valuable information on the of the understudy topic of enjoyment in Malaysian ESL classroom.
Application of the AT(N) and Other CSF Classification Systems in Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia

Background: Patients with a frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) usually manifest with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD). Alzheimer’s disease (AD) may also manifest with a predominant behavioral-dysexecutive syndrome, similar to bvFTD. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers, such as total tau (τT), phosphorylated tau (τP-181) and amyloid beta with 42 amino-acids (Aβ42), can predict AD pathology in vivo. The aim of this study was to compare the τT/Aβ42 and τP-181/Aβ42 ratios, the BIOMARKAPD/ABSI criteria and the AT(N) classification system in a cohort of bvFTD patients. Methods: A total of 105 bvFTD patients (21 possible bvFTD; 20%) with CSF data, examined from 2008 to 2022, were included. Seventy-eight AD patients and 62 control subjects were included. The CSF biomarkers were measured with Innotest (2008–2017 subcohort) and EUROIMMUN (2017–2022 subcohort) ELISAs. Results: Depending on the classification system, 7.6 to 28.6% of bvFTD had an AD biochemical profile. The τT/Aβ42 and τP-181/Aβ42 ratios classified more patients as AD compared to the BIOMARKAPD/ABSI and AT(N) systems. The patients with possible bvFTD had higher frequencies of AD compared to the probable bvFTD patients. Conclusions: The four classification criteria of CSF AD biomarkers resulted in differences in AD allocation in this bvFTD cohort. A consensus on the optimal classification criteria of CSF AD biomarkers is pivotal.
Holographic descriptions of chiral phase transitions

Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) poses a challenge in calculating physical phenomena in low energy scales due to its strongly coupled character. The tools available for understanding this region of QCD are limited. One such tool is gauge/gravity duality which promises to attack strongly coupled related phenomena, at least in a qualitative level, by using the conjectured equivalence between string theory and some classes of quantum field theories (gauge/gravity duality). In this thesis strongly coupled 3+1d and 2+1d field theories are explored by using D3/D7 and D3/D5 brane systems respectively. These theories exhibit some QCD-like characteristics like chiral symmetry breaking and confinement. The main focus of the following chapters is understanding chiral phase transitions in those theories and constructing their phase diagrams in finite temperature and chemical potential. Chiral symmetry breaking is induced in these holographic brane setups by turning on a background magnetic field or by choosing an appropriate running dilaton profile. The phase diagrams for each field theory considered are mapped, giving a rich structure of first, second and BKT holographic transitions. Some successful attempts where made to reproduce the standard QCD phase diagram, in the running dilaton scenario. Also, in the running dilaton case wrapped D5 branes where used to introduce holographic baryons. The baryonic phase, for some range of the parameter space, participates in the phase diagram and it is found in the regime expected from QCD. Finally, chiral phase transitions with energy scale where explored as well as their holographic effective potentials for various D3/D7 and D3/D5 systems.