Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regulation and challenges of youth employment in the developing country

The problem of youth unemployment has started to receive attention in a relevant way recently, especially in Europe, where the percentage of unemployment registered for this category of the population is relatively greater than that for the adult population (Perugini & Signorelli, 2010), also being influenced by the last financial crisis (Choudhry et al., 2012). Youth unemployment is a critical social issue because it is linked to a number of aspects of society (Yamamoto, 2011). The purpose of the treatment of this paper is to identify the barriers faced by the young people of Kosovo to enter the labor market. The study uses the quantitative research method, through the use of an online questionnaire, a survey was participated by 496 respondents. The econometric model used in this study is the structural equation model (SEM). The empirical results from the SEM model show that the most important factor is the lack of work experience, which is a barrier to the employment of young people in Kosovo. The results of this paper are important to understand the importance of effectiveness in the design of policies for the elimination of barriers to the employment of young people in Kosovo.
Quantifying Financial Stability Trade-Offs for Monetary Policy: A Quantile VAR Approach

We propose a novel empirical approach to inform monetary policymakers about the potential effects of policy action when facing trade-offs between financial and macroeconomic stability. We estimate a quantile vector autoregression (QVAR) for the euro area covering the real economy, monetary policy and measures of ex ante and ex post systemic risk representing financial stability. Policy implications are derived from scenario analyses where the associated costs and benefits are functions of the projected paths of the potentially asymmetric distributions of inflation and economic growth, allowing us to take a risk management perspective. One exercise considers the intertemporal financial stability trade-off in the context of the global financial crisis, where we find ex post evidence in favour of monetary policy leaning against the financial cycle. Another exercise considers the short-term financial stability trade-off when deciding the appropriate speed of monetary policy tightening to combat inflationary pressures in a fragile financial environment. JEL Classification: C32, E37, E44, E52, G01
Comparative study of norepinephrine and phenylephrine infusion for prophylaxis against post-spinal hypotension in patients undergoing elective cesarean section

Background: Maternal hypotension is a physiological response during cesarean section (CS) with spinal anesthesia (SA) and can cause adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Aim: The present study aimed at comparing the efficacy and safety of norepinephrine and phenylephrine infusion in a CS under SA. Methods: In a randomized clinical trial, 164 ASA I and II parturients undergoing CS under SA were randomized to have a prophylactic infusion of norepinephrine 0.05 µg/kg/min (group N) or phenylephrine 0. 75µg/kg/min (group P). The primary outcome was the incidence of post-spinal hypotension. Incidence of severe post-spinal hypotension, reactive hypertension, and bradycardia, total vasopressor rescue bolus doses required, number of physician interventions, nausea and vomiting, and Apgar score at 1 and 5 mins were secondary outcomes. Results: The incidence of post-spinal hypotension in group P (24 %) and group N (29.26 %); severe post-spinal hypotension in group P (3.6 %) and group N (2.4%) respectively and were comparable (p-value >0.05). No of bolus dose of vasopressor required between the two groups, and the incidence of bradycardia and reactive hypertension were comparable. Nausea and vomiting were very low in both groups and comparable. The number of physician interventions needed was significantly higher in group P (39.02%) compared to group N (28.04%) (p-value < 0.05). Conclusion: Norepinephrine is associated with a lower number of physician interventions as compared to phenylephrine; otherwise, hemodynamics is comparable when used to prevent hypotension.
Up on the roof: a review of design, construction, and technology trends in vertical extensions

New spaces to accommodate growing urban populations should be created in a way that also reduces building lifecycle carbon emissions. In this context, the vertical extension (VE) has emerged as a novel building typology that can increase space in cities through the construction of additional floor area atop existing base buildings. This paper presents a review of 172 VE projects worldwide to provide an understanding of their design and construction trends, and to classify the technologies applied. Results show that VE construction has accelerated significantly over the past decade. Although most VEs consist of only small vertical additions, often one to two storeys, higher VEs can be built with innovative structural strategies and lightweight materials. Industrial buildings are often found to provide significant opportunities for VE due to their higher structural capacity. By comparing the characteristics and design of VEs, typologies based on architectural, structural, and construction technologies are presented.
Depression and Malnutrition for Prediction of Mortality after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Registry Study of a Tertiary Referral Hospital

Moderate to severe frailty is a predictor of a poor outcome after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), but little is known about the prognostic importance of different geriatric frailty markers in an overall fit or pre-frail geriatric population undergoing TAVR. This retrospective study aimed to examine the incremental value of adding patient frailty markers to conventional surgical risk score to predict all-cause mortality in relatively fit elderly patients undergoing TAVR. Overall patient frailty was assessed using the comprehensive geriatric assessment frailty index (CGA-FI). Multivariable Cox regression models were used to evaluate relationships of different geriatric frailty markers with all-cause mortality and single and combined frailty models were compared to a baseline model that included EuroSCORE II factors. One hundred relatively fit geriatric patients (84 ± 4 years old, mean CGA-FI 0.14 ± 0.05) were included, and 28% died during a median follow-up of 24 months. After adjustment, risk of depression (geriatric depression scale 15 (GDS-15)) and malnutrition remained significantly associated with all-cause mortality (HR 4.381, 95% CI 1.787–10.743; p = 0.001 and HR 3.076, 95% CI 1.151–8.217; p = 0.025, respectively). A combined frailty marker model including both GDS-15 and malnutrition on top of EuroSCORE II improved the discriminative ability to predict all-cause mortality (change in c-index: + 0.044). Screening for those frailty markers on top of the traditionally used EuroSCORE II may improve risk stratification and prognosis in relatively fit geriatric patients undergoing TAVR.
Empirical Properties of Crime Rate Trends

This article considers the operation of the time series processes that underlie U.S. crime rate trends. These processes are important because they carry the influence of the variables that generate the rates. They limit the forms that explanations of crime trends can take, and they open avenues for new theoretical development. Using data from the nation and a panel of large cities, analysis finds that crime trends operate much like random walks or their smoothed cousins; that they rarely deviate from a constant pattern; and that they show little evidence of nonlinearity. The article discusses the substantive implications of these features for understanding crime trends, and it considers directions for expanding the study of their empirical properties.
Laparoscopic Single Anastomosis Sleeve-Jejunal Bypass (SASJ) versus Laparoscopic One-Anastomosis Gastric Bypass (OAGB) in obese patients: A Prospective non randomized controlled study

Background: Many restrictive and mal-absorptive procedures were known for obesity management. One of them is single anastomosis sleeve jejunal bypass (SASJ). Few studies had compared SASJ to other bariatric surgeries. We aimed to compare OAGB to SASJ in weight-loss, reduction in BMI, remission of co-morbidities and operative time. Methodology: We conducted a prospective non-randomized controlled trial comparing OAGB or SASJ for obesity management. The decision of procedural choice was a shared decision between multidisciplinary team and the patients. Throughout 2019 (January-December) patients were operated and followed for 2 years. Results: OAGB had a statistically highly significant BMI difference compared to SASJ at 12 months and 24 months p<0.001. However, regarding 3 months BMI difference, no statistical significance was detected between both surgeries, p=0.172. Mean operative time was significantly lesser in OAGB p<0.001 which was statistically highly significant. (79.5%) in OAGB group and (64.7%) in SASJ group had remission of co-morbidities. (20.5%) in OAGB group and (35.3%) in SASJ group had improvement of comorbidities yet, no significant difference between both in remission or improvement of co-morbidities p value=0.250. No statistically significant difference between both groups in post-operative complications. Conclusion: OAGB and SASJ achieved satisfactory results regarding BMI loss and remission of co-morbidities. OAGB had less operative time compared to SASJ. OAGB had higher BMI loss at 12 and 24 months but not at 3 months of follow-up. More studies with larger sample size are needed with prolonged follow up to compare SASJ to other bariatric surgeries.
Impacts of a DUF2207 Family Protein on Streptococcus mutans Stress Tolerance Responses and Biofilm Formation

Locus SMU.243 in Streptococcus mutans was annotated as a member of the DUF2207 family proteins highly conserved in all bacteria but with unknown function. To investigate its role in S. mutans physiology, a SMU.243-deficient mutant was constructed using allelic exchange mutagenesis, and the impacts of SMU.243 deletion on bacterial growth, stress tolerance response, and biofilm formation were analyzed. Compared to the wild-type UA159, S. mutans lacking SMU.243 displayed a reduced growth rate and a reduced overnight culture density (p < 0.01) when grown at low pH and in the presence of methyl viologen. Relative to the parent strain, the deficient mutant also had a reduced survival rate following incubation in a buffer of pH 2.8 (p < 0.01) and in a buffer containing hydrogen peroxide at 58 mM after 60 min (p < 0.001) and had a reduced capacity in biofilm formation especially in the presence of sucrose (p < 0.01). To study any ensuing functional/phenotypical links between SMU.243 and uppP, which is located immediately downstream of SMU.243 and encodes an undecaprenyl pyrophosphate phosphatase involved in recycling of carrier lipid undecaprenyl phosphate, a uppP deficient mutant was generated using allelic exchange mutagenesis. Unlike the SMU.243 mutant, deletion of uppP affected cell envelope biogenesis and caused major increases in susceptibility to bacitracin. In addition, two variant morphological mutants, one forming rough colonies and the other forming mucoid, smooth colonies, also emerged following the deletion of uppP. The results suggest that the SMU.243-encoded protein of the DUF2207 family in S. mutans plays an important role in stress tolerance response and biofilm formation, but unlike the downstream uppP, does not seem to be involved in cell envelope biogenesis, although the exact roles in S. mutans’ physiology awaits further investigation.
Reconstruction of discontinuous parameters in a second order impedance boundary operator

We consider the inverse problem of retrieving the coefficients of a second order boundary operator from Cauchy data associated with the Laplace operator at a measurement curve. We study the identifiability and reconstruction in the case of piecewise continuous parameters. We prove in particular the differentiability of the Kohn–Vogelius functional with respect to the discontinuity points and employ the result in a gradient type minimizing algorithm. We provide validating numerical results discussing in particular the case of an unknown number of discontinuity points.
Leonotis ocymifolia (Burm.f.) Iwarsson aerial parts aqueous extract mitigates cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity via attenuation of inflammation, and DNA damage

Herein, we explored the protective effect of Leonotis ocymifolia (Burm.f.) Iwarsson aerial parts extract (LO) against cisplatin (CP)-induced nephrotoxicity in rats and profiled their phytocontents. A total of 31 compounds belonging to organic and phenolic acids and their glycosides as well as flavonoids and their O- and C-glycosides were identified through LC-MS/MS. The DPPH and FRAP assays revealed that the extract had powerful antioxidant properties. The in vivo results demonstrated that administering LO extract for 30 days (40 and 80 mg/kg b. w.) significantly improved the altered renal injury markers via reducing creatinine (high dose only) and uric acid levels compared to the Cp-group. The deleterious action of cisplatin on renal oxidative stress markers (GSH, MDA, SOD, and CAT) were also mitigated by LO-pretreatment. The reduction of the inflammatory marker (IL-6), and inhibition of DNA fragmentation, highlighted the prophylactic action of LO in kidney tissue. Molecular docking followed by a 100 ns molecular dynamic simulation analyses revealed that, amongst the 31 identified compounds in LO, chlorogenic and caffeoylmalic acids had the most stable binding to IL-6. The nephroprotective effects were further confirmed by histopathological observations, which showed improvement in ultrastructural changes induced by cisplatin. The observed findings reinforce the conclusion that L. ocymifolia extract exerts nephroprotective properties, which could be related to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Further studies are required to determine the therapeutic doses and the proper administration time.
Genetic Divergence Study in Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.)

The genetic divergence of forty bitter gourd genotypes was studied for sixteen different parameters by adopting Mahalanobis D2 statistics using Tocher's method. The genotypes were grouped into six clusters irrespective of geographic divergence, indicating no parallelism between geographic and genetic diversity. A maximum of 32 genotypes entered in cluster I, followed by 4 genotypes in cluster II. The cluster III, IV, V and VI had single genotypes each. The maximum inter-cluster distance was obtained between cluster II and VI (1620.05) while minimum distance was between III and V (103.32). Cluster V followed by cluster VI showed superiority for yield and other desirable traits, which indicate the potentiality of these diverse genotype collection for providing basic material for future breeding programmes.
Effects of photon scattering torque in off-axis levitated torsional cavity optomechanics

We consider theoretically a dielectric nanoparticle levitated in an optical ring trap inside a cavity and probed by an angular lattice, with all electromagnetic fields carrying orbital angular momentum. Analyzing the torsional motion of the particle about the cavity axis, we find that photon scattering from the trap beam plays an important role in the optomechanical system. First we show that the presence of the torque introduces an instability. Subsequently, we demonstrate that for bound motion near a stable equilibrium, varying the optical torque strength allows for tuning the linear optomechanical coupling. Finally, we indicate that the relative strengths of the linear and quadratic couplings can be detected directly by homodyning the cavity output. Our studies should be of interest to researchers exploring quantum mechanics using torsional optomechanics.
Roboat III: An autonomous surface vessel for urban transportation

In this paper, we present our novel autonomous surface vessel platform, a full‐scale Roboat for urban transportation. This 4‐m‐long Roboat is designed with six seats and can carry a payload of up to 1000 kg. Roboat has two main thrusters for cruising and two tunnel thrusters to accommodate docking and interconnectivity between Roboats. We build an adaptive nonlinear model predictive controller for trajectory tracking to account for payload changes while transporting passengers. We use a sparse directed graph to represent the canal topological map and then find the most time‐efficient global path in a city‐scale environment using the A* ${A}^{* }$ algorithm. We then employ a multiobjective algorithm's lexicographic search to generate an obstacle‐free path using a point‐cloud projected two‐dimensional occupancy grid map. We also develop a docking mechanism to allow Roboat to “grasp” the docking station. Extensive experiments in Amsterdam waterways demonstrate that Roboat can (1) successfully track the optimal trajectories generated by the planner with varying numbers of passengers on board; (2) autonomously dock to the station without human intervention; (3) execute an autonomous water taxi task where it docks to pick up passengers, drive passengers to the destination while planning its path to avoid obstacles, and finally dock to drop off passengers.
Analysis of House Price Determination in 13 G20 Countries: Random Effect Model

A house or a place to live is a primary need for all beings, but the lack of affordable housing to buy or rent can trigger a global housing crisis. After the collapse of the housing market in the US or the subprime crisis of 2008-2009 there was a revival of focus on the housing market. Empirical research has been conducted to look at the variables that affect house prices. However, it is still rare for researchers to examine the influence of macroeconomic variables in countries that have a strong role in the world economy. Therefore this study aims to determine the effect of the Consumer Price Index, Construction GDP, Unemployment Rate, Population Density, Exchange Rate and Power Purchasing Parity on the House Price Index as an indicator that reflects house prices. So, the contribution of this research is to provide novelty in the use of the house price index to determine the determinants that influence it. This research is a quantitative research using secondary data. The regression model used in this study is the Random Effects Model. The result of this study is the Consumer Price Index and Purchasing Power Parity have a significant positive impact on house prices. Therefore, the government needs to maintain the stability of these two indicators so that house prices remain stable. The Unemployment Rate and Exchange Rate show a significant negative effect on house prices. Therefore, the government needs to monitor and maintain the stability of the exchange rate and reduce the unemployment rate so that there is no significant decline in house prices. Meanwhile, construction GDP and population density show no effect on house prices. Additional studies are urgently needed to identify factors and housing price movements contributing to global and regional levels.
Clinical and Biomechanical Outcomes of Suture Button Fixation for Ligamentous Lisfranc Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background: Flexible ligamentous fixation has increased in popularity for the treatment of ligamentous Lisfranc injury, but the optimal fixation strategy is unclear. Purpose: To review the biomechanical, clinical, and radiographic results of ligamentous Lisfranc injuries treated with flexible fixation. Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. The PubMed/Medline and Google Scholar literature databases were queried for clinical and biomechanical (cadaveric) studies relating to flexible fixation of ligamentous Lisfranc injury. Outcomes of interest included patient-reported outcome scores, clinical/biomechanical results, radiographic alignment, and return to activity. Where appropriate, meta-analysis of the postoperative outcomes was performed. Results: Of the 34 initial studies, 14 articles (243 feet) were included in the analysis. In the 11 clinical studies (216 patients), the mean postoperative American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society score was 90.1 (n = 150; 6 studies) and the mean visual analog scale score was 1.5 (n = 137; 5 studies). The rate of return to activity was 100% (n = 35; 5 studies), and 100% of patients maintained radiographic alignment postoperatively (n = 62; 6 studies). No complications or subsequent hardware removals were reported. Of the 3 biomechanical studies (27 feet), 1 study found significantly greater change in diastasis under axial load between intact and postfixation ligaments with suture button versus screw fixation (+1.1 vs –0.1 mm; P < .05), another found no difference in the decrease in diastasis under axial load between the injured state and screw or suture button fixation (1.2 vs 1.0 mm; P = .5), and the third found no difference in displacement between intact and either screw or suture button fixation under either axial (intact vs screw: 1.0 vs 2.0 mm, P = .1; intact vs suture button: 0.6 vs 1.8 mm, P = .1) or abduction (intact vs screw: 1.5 vs 1.1 mm, P = .5; intact vs suture button: 1.3 vs 2.1 mm, P = .1) load. Conclusion: Flexible fixation use in the treatment of ligamentous Lisfranc injury was found to have significant potential as a fixation option, as demonstrated by excellent clinical results. Biomechanical evidence was inconclusive but suggested a trend toward decreased diastasis in specimens fixed with screws compared with suture buttons.
The therapeutic potential of cold atmospheric plasma against pathogenic bacteria inhabiting diabetic wounds

Impaired healing process of diabetic wounds is a common problem among diabetic patients. These diabetic wounds are slow to heal and can lead to serious complications if left untreated. One of the reasons diabetic wounds are slow to heal is that pathogenic bacteria often colonize them. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is a promising new technology that has been shown to effectively kill and inhibit pathogenic bacteria in diabetic wounds. In the current study, we examined by what means CAP works and its potential impact as a diabetic wound treatment. Fifty diabetic patients aged from 20 to 60 years old with diabetic wounds were included in our study using the swab method. We used general and specific culture media to isolate the pathogenic bacteria from diabetic wounds and identified the bacteria via different techniques using a light microscope (oil lens) and VITEK. Moreover, we confirmed the identification of isolated bacteria by 16S rRNA. Our results demonstrated the direct anti-bacterial effect of CAP against the isolated bacteria. The most prominent bacterial type in diabetic wounds was Staphylococcus sp. CAP demonstrated the highest effect against Bacillus sp. and Paenibacillus sp. , which were responsible for relevant changes in the skin and were associated with the skin immune response and microbiota. Our results revealed the therapeutic use of CAP as a powerful strategy to overcome the invading pathogenic bacteria that colonize diabetic wounds and hence improve the healing process of diabetic wounds.