Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adhesion Molecules ICAM-1 and PECAM-1 as Potential Biomarkers of Central Nervous System Damage in Women Breast Cancer Survivors

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common tumor in women worldwide with high mortality rates. Surgical methods followed by radio–chemotherapy are used to treat these tumors. Such treatment can lead to various side effects, including neurological complications. The development of a reliable biomarker to predict the onset of CNS complications could improve clinical outcomes. In the current study, ICAM-1 and PECAM-1 serum levels were measured as potential biomarkers in 45 female patients in a long-term follow-up period after breast cancer treatment, and compared to 25 age-matched female healthy volunteers. Serum levels of both biomarkers, ICAM-1 and PECAM-1 were significantly higher in patients after breast cancer treatment and could be associated with cognitive dysfunction, depression, and vestibulocerebellar ataxia. In conclusion, our results provide a first hint that elevated serum levels of ICAM-1 and PECAM-1 could serve as early predictive biomarkers in breast cancer survivors that might help to improve the management of these patients.
Disinformation as Infrastructure: Making and Maintaining the QAnon Conspiracy on Italian Digital Media

Building from sociotechnical studies of disinformation and of information infrastructures, we examine how - over a period of eleven months - Italian QAnon supporters designed and maintained a distributed, multi-layered "infrastructure of disinformation" that spans multiple social media platforms, messaging apps, online forums, alternative media channels, as well as websites, databases, and content aggregators. Examining disinformation from an infrastructural lens reveals how QAnon disinformation operations extend well-beyond the use of social media and the construction of false narratives. While QAnon conspiracy theories continue to evolve and adapt, the overarching (dis)information infrastructure through which "epistemic evidence" is constructed and constantly updated is rather stable and has increased in size and complexity over time. Most importantly, we also found that deplatforming is a time-sensitive effort. The longer platforms wait to intervene, the harder it is to eradicate infrastructures as they develop new layers, get distributed across the Internet, and can rely on a critical mass of loyal followers. More research is needed to examine whether the key characteristics of the disinformation infrastructure that we identified extend to other disinformation infrastructures, which might include infrastructures put together by climate change denialists, vaccine skeptics, or voter fraud advocates.
Performance and egg qualities of laying japanese quails fed yam peel meal based diets with enzymes complex+yeast supplementation

A 10-week experiment was conducted to evaluate the combined effect of enzyme complex + yeast (Maxigrain®, MXG®) supplementation of sun-dried yam peel meal (YPM) based diet of laying Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) on performance and egg quality. A total of 240, seven-weeks old quails were distributed in a completely randomize design with four dietary treatments and five replicates of 12 quails each. Diet 1 served as the control diet without YPM while diet 2, 3, and 4 contained 25, 50, and 75% YPM with MXG® supplementation (1g per kg), respectively. MXG® supplementation in YPM diets improved (p < 0.05) egg mass and feed conversion per egg. Increasing levels of YPM with MXG® supplementation did not show any effect (p > 0.05) on internal and external egg quality attributes except for eggshell weight and thickness which was higher (p < 0.05) in quails fed 75% YPM diet. It was concluded, therefore, that the utilization of YPM as an alternative dietary ingredient with MXG® supplementation can be tolerated in the diets of laying Japanese quails up to 75% inclusion level without any negative effect on productive and egg quality performance.
Mechanical Properties of Surface-Compressed Wood Resulting from the Compression Ratio and Density Distribution

Surface-compressed wood, with controllable mechanical properties according to the production process, could be utilized in timber products as a substitute for energy-intensive adhesives, concrete, and metals. The surface compression of wood was carried out in an open hot-pressing system at 180 °C with a compressed thickness of 2 to 18 mm. The surface-compressed wood was treated by atmospheric heat treatment or 0.30 MPa pressurized superheated-steam heat treatment at 180 °C for 2 h. This study investigated the mechanical properties of surface-compressed wood, namely, its bending, compression, and hardness properties. The results showed that the maximum density and average density of the compressed layer surpassed 1.10 g/cm3 and 0.80 g/cm3 when the compression ratio was 33%. Moreover, the surface-compressed wood with a sandwich density structure had properties that were comparable to, or even surpassed, raw wood, traditional compressed wood, and some engineered timber products. The specific strength (179 to 203 × 103 m2/s2) of surface-compressed wood was slightly higher than other wood-based materials (65 to 197 × 103 m2/s2). And the contribution of sandwich structure to MOR and MOE increase was positively correlated with wood surface density. The results obtained from this study could help engineers utilize more fast-growing wood and develop new products and wood connectors. This work may contribute toward the substantial use of surface-compressed wood in the building and construction industries with great benefits to the environment.
Changes in Physical Activity Patterns Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

With the outbreak of the Corona Virus Disease 19 (Covid-19) in late 2019, governments increasingly imposed containment strategies, including social distancing as well as restricted population movement, potentially having negative impacts on mental and physical health. A growing number of studies have examined the impact of the pandemic on different facets of physical activity (PA); an overview combining these (mixed) results, however, is missing. Thus, the objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to investigate whether and to which extent PA changed from before to during the Covid-19 pandemic, taking age, gender, and measurement method into account. The literature search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus. Results of the main characteristics were descriptively synthesized and analyzed in a meta-analysis quantifying effects of the pandemic on PA divided by age groups, with additional subgroup analyses of the characteristics age, gender, and measurement method being narratively synthesized. Overall, 57 studies with a total sample size of 119,094 participants (N between 10 and 60,560 subjects) from 14 countries worldwide with participants aged between four and 93 years were included. Thirty-two studies revealed a significant decline in PA, whereas only five studies found a significant increase in PA during the Covid-19 pandemic. Fourteen studies revealed mixed results. PA decreased in all age groups, independent of gender. Most self-reported and all device-based measurement methods showed a reduction in PA. However, effects were not found to be significant in all age groups. Nevertheless, the declining trend should be noted and governments should strive to enable PA within periods of pandemic restrictions, or promote alternatives such as digital training to avoid negative health consequences within the population.
Ensemble Machine Learning Outperforms Empirical Equations for the Ground Heat Flux Estimation with Remote Sensing Data

Estimating evapotranspiration at field scale is a major component of sustainable water management. Due to the difficulty to assess some major unknowns of the water cycle at that scale, including irrigation amounts, evapotranspiration is often computed as the residual of the instantaneous surface energy budget. One of the Surface Energy Bal-ance components with the largest uncertainties in their quantification over bare soils and sparse vegetation areas is the ground heat flux (G). Over the last decades, the es-timation of G with RS data has been mainly achieved with empirical equations, on the basis of the G and net radiation (Rn) ratio, G/Rn. G/Rn empirical equations generally require vegetation data (Type I empirical equations), in combination with surface tem-perature (Ts) and albedo (Type II empirical equations). In this article we aim to evalu-ate the estimation of G with RS. For the first time, we compare eight G/Rn empirical equations against two types of machine learning (ML) methods: an ensemble ML type, the Random Forest (RF), and the Neural Networks (NN). The comparison of each method is evaluated over dense dataset, including a wide range of climate and land covers, with data of Eddy-Covariance towers extended along the mid-latitude area that encompass the European and African continent. Our results have shown evidence that the driver of G in bare soils and sparse vegetation areas (Fraction of Vegetation, Fv <= 0.25) is Ts, instead of vegetation greenness indexes. On the other hand, the estimation of G with Rn, Ts or Fv decreases at dense vegetation areas (Fv >= 0.50). There are not significant differences between the most accurate type I and II empirical equations. For bare soils and sparse vegetation areas the empirical equation that better estimates G is E8, which combines the Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Ts. In dense vegetation areas (Fv >= 0.25), an exponential empirical equation based on Fv (E4), shows the best performance. However, ML better estimates G than the empirical equations, independently of the Fv ranges. A RF model with Rn, LAI and Ts as predictor variables shows the best accuracy and performance metrics, outperforming the NN model.
Impact of aspirin on bleeding and blood product usage in off‐pump and on‐pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery

Major bleeding is linked to poorer outcomes following cardiac surgery. Current guidelines recommend continuation of aspirin prior to coronary artery by‐pass graft (CABG) but the effect of continuing aspirin in patients with prior indication for aspirin, in particular during off‐pump CABG (OPCABG), has not been systematically assessed. In this study, we analysed the effect of continuing aspirin prior to OPCABG and on‐pump CABG with respect to bleeding and blood product usage. We compared propensity‐matched cohorts of patients who continued aspirin until the day of OPCABG or CABG to controls (no antiplatelet) and to patients discontinuing aspirin 5–7 days prior. Length of hospital stay, 30‐day mortality and thromboembolism rates were similar for both OPCABG and CABG. During OPCABG, aspirin‐continued patients received more intraoperative red cell units compared to controls without difference in bleeding. Aspirin‐continued patients received more blood products perioperatively and bled more than aspirin‐discontinued patients undergoing OPCABG. The only difference during CABG was a small increase in the volume of cells salvaged among aspirin‐continued patients compared to controls. Current guidelines on the continuation of aspirin prior to CABG and OPCABG are safe. Continuation of aspirin prior to OPCABG may result in more bleeding and blood product usage.
Barriers to accessing and continuing mental health treatment among individuals with dissociative symptoms

ABSTRACT Background Dissociative disorders (DDs) are characterized by interruptions of identity, thought, memory, emotion, perception, and consciousness. Patients with DDs are at high risk for engaging in dangerous behaviours, such as self-harm and suicidal acts; yet, only between 28% and 48% of individuals with DDs receive mental health treatment. Patients that do pursue treatment are often misdiagnosed, repeatedly hospitalized, and experience disbelief from providers about their trauma history and dissociative symptoms. Lack of dissociation-specific treatment can result in poor quality of life, severe symptoms requiring utilization of hospitalization and intensive outpatient treatment, and high rates of disability. Objective Given the extensive and debilitating symptoms experienced by individuals with DDs and the infrequent utilization of treatment, the current study explored barriers to accessing and continuing mental health treatment for individuals with dissociative symptoms and DDs. Method A total of 276 participants with self-reported dissociative symptoms were recruited via online social media platforms. Participants completed a survey which featured 35 possible barriers to accessing treatment and 45 possible reasons for discontinuing treatment, along with open text boxes for adding barriers/reasons that were not listed. Results Results showed 97% of participants experienced one or more barriers to accessing treatment (M = 9 barriers) and 92% stopped treatment with a provider due to at least one of the reasons captured in the survey (e.g. limited insurance coverage, poor therapeutic alliance, disbelief from providers, etc.; M = 7 barriers). Conclusions The most frequently endorsed barriers were structural barriers, such as those related to finances, insurance, and lack of provider availability. It is imperative more service providers are trained to treat dissociation and that insurers and health care systems recognize the need for specialized, dissociation-focused treatment. HIGHLIGHTS Most dissociative individuals reported barriers to accessing and continuing mental health treatment. It is imperative more clinicians are trained to treat dissociation and that insurers and health care systems recognize the need for specialized, dissociation treatment.
Toxicity of Proton Therapy versus Photon Therapy on Salvage Re-Irradiation for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

This study evaluated the toxicity associated with radiation techniques on curative re-irradiation (re-RT) in patients with thoracic recurrence of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). From 2011 to 2019, we retrospectively reviewed the data of 63 patients with salvage re-RT for in-field or marginal recurrence of NSCLC at two independent institutions. Re-RT techniques using X-ray beams and proton beam therapy (PBT) were also included. Re-RT had a 2-year overall survival (OS) and local progression-free survival of 48.0% and 52.0%, respectively. Fifteen patients experienced grade 3 or higher toxicity after re-RT. The complication rates were 18.2% (4/22) and 26.8% (11/41) in PBT patients and X-ray patients, respectively. Airway or esophageal fistulas occurred in seven patients (11.1%). Fistulas or severe airway obstruction occurred in patients with tumors adjacent to the proximal bronchial tree and esophagus, who underwent hypofractionated radiotherapy (RT) or concurrent chemotherapy, and with a higher dose exposure to the esophagus. In conclusion, salvage re-RT was feasible even in patients with local recurrence within the previous RT field. PBT showed similar survival outcomes and toxicity to those of other techniques. However, thoracic re-RT should be performed carefully considering tumor location and RT regimens such as the fraction size and concurrent chemotherapy.
FREQUENCIES OF PREDICTED MIA ANTIGEN AMONG SOUTHERN THAI BLOOD DONORS

Background: The Mia antigen (MNS7) of the MNS blood group system is clinically important in Asian populations. Anti-Mia has been implicated in hemolytic transfusion reactions and hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn in Thai populations. However, data of this antigen frequency among southern Thais remains unknown. Objective: This study aimed to determine and predict Mia antigen frequencies among southern Thai blood donors and to estimate the risk of alloimmunization among Thais. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Altogether, 400 southern and 500 central Thai blood samples were genotyped for GYP(B-A-B) and GYP(A-B-A) MNS hybrids using polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primer (PCR-SSP). Results: Among them, 19 of 400 (4.45%), and 28 of 500 (9.33%) were positive with the set of GP. Hut, GP.HF, GP.Mur, GP.Hop, and GP.Bun. No GP.Vw phenotype was found among southern and central Thais. The predicted Mi(a+)frequency among southern Thais was significantly lower than among central and northern Thais (p<0.05). Its frequency was similar to Vietnamese, Taiwanese, and Southern Han Chinese populations (p>0.05) but significantly differed from Indonesian, Filipino, and Chinese (Guangzhou) populations (p<0.05). The risk of Mia alloimmunization among southern Thais was significantly lower than among both Thai groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: This constitutes the first study to report Mi(a+) frequencies among southern Thais, supporting the estimation risk of alloimmunization and providing transfusion safety among Thai populations.
Novel Methods for Predicting Fluid Responsiveness in Critically Ill Patients—A Narrative Review

In patients with acute circulatory failure, fluid administration represents a first-line therapeutic intervention for improving cardiac output. However, only approximately 50% of patients respond to fluid infusion with a significant increase in cardiac output, defined as fluid responsiveness. Additionally, excessive volume expansion and associated hyperhydration have been shown to increase morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. Thus, except for cases of obvious hypovolaemia, fluid responsiveness should be routinely tested prior to fluid administration. Static markers of cardiac preload, such as central venous pressure or pulmonary artery wedge pressure, have been shown to be poor predictors of fluid responsiveness despite their widespread use to guide fluid therapy. Dynamic tests including parameters of aortic blood flow or respiratory variability of inferior vena cava diameter provide much higher diagnostic accuracy. Nevertheless, they are also burdened with several significant limitations, reducing the reliability, or even precluding their use in many clinical scenarios. This non-systematic narrative review aims to provide an update on the novel, less employed dynamic tests of fluid responsiveness evaluation in critically ill patients.
Prevalence and predictors of renal dysfunction among people living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy in the Southern Highland of Tanzania: a hospital-based cross-sectional study

Introduction infection with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) poses a significant risk of developing renal dysfunction in people living with HIV (PLHIV). Renal dysfunction contributes to the morbidity and mortality of PLHIV. There is limited information on renal dysfunction among PLHIV in the Southern Highland, the highest HIV prevalent area in Tanzania. We conducted a study to estimate the magnitude and predictors of renal dysfunction among PLHIV on ART. Methods a cross-sectional study was conducted at Njombe Town Council Hospital from December 2019 to April 2020, recruiting 396 participants. Serum was obtained to measure creatinine level then calculated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) using CKD-EPI and the Bedside Schwartz equations. The participants' informations were collected using a structured questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using STATA version 15; a modified Poisson regression model was used to estimate prevalence ratios (PR). The level of significance was specified at 0.05. Results the overall prevalence of renal dysfunction defined as GFR less than 90 mL/min/1.73 m2 was 20.7%, which increased by 4% as the age increases. The prevalence of renal dysfunction was higher in PLHIV on ART for more than six months to 24 months compared to their counterparts. Likewise, obese individuals had a 2.5 times higher prevalence of renal dysfunction than normal individuals. Conclusion there is a relatively high prevalence of renal dysfunction among PLHIV on ART, predicted by age, duration on ART, and nutrition status.
Interaction and Compatibility Studies in the Development of Olmesartan Medoxomil and Hydrochlorothiazide Formulations under a Real Manufacturing Process

A drug–drug and drug–excipient interactions and compatibilities study was conducted for two fixed-dose combination (FDC) products containing olmesartan medoxomil (OLM)/hydrochlorothiazide (HCT) 20/12.5 mg and OLM/HCT 40/12.5 mg during their development including storage. The study consisted of the evaluation of samples retrieved during all stages of a real manufacturing process. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and contact angle techniques were applied to the samples to determine interactions and incompatibilities. Dissolution tests and long-term stability studies were conducted to evaluate dosage form performance. Results showed weak solid–state interactions able to obtain a eutectic mixture of OLM and HCT while microcrystalline cellulose (MC) impacted the thermal stability of both drugs. Reliable dissolution and long-term stability tests confirmed that the interactions observed were not considered incompatibilities because they were not influenced by the performance of the final products.
The Role of Capability, Regulation and the Use of Accounting Information Technology in Financial Management Performance

Objective – This study aims to examine the effect of apparatus capability, the complete-ness of regulations, and the use of accounting information technology both simultaneous and partial on the financial management performance in SKPK Aceh Singkil, Indonesia.Design/methodology – The population and unit analysis are the District Work Unit (SKPK) in Aceh Singkil, Indonesia. Respondents comprise of Budget Users (PA-SKPK), SKPK Financial Administration Officials (PPK-SKPK), and Finance Subdivision Heads of 46 SKPK. Documentation technique was utilized and Multiple Linear Regression Analysis was used to test the hypotheses.Results – The results showed that apparatus capability, the completeness of regulations, and the use of accounting information technology simultaneous and partial affected the fi-nancial management performance in SKPK Aceh Singkil. This is a concern for SKPK to pay attention to these variables in improving management performance in Aceh Singkil Regency
Precast concrete double-tee connectors, part 2: Shear behavior

Synopsis An experimental study of double-tee, flange-to-flange connections was conducted as part of the PCI/National Science Foundation-funded research effort on the development of a seismic design methodology for precast concrete diaphragms. The research program categorizes the strength and deformation capacity of common double-tee web and chord connectors subjected to in-plane shear or tension loading. This paper presents the experimental results of floor diaphragm connectors subjected to in-plane shear and in-plane shear with tension deformation. The results are compared with expected capacities. The majority of connections subjected to shear with opening restrained exhibited high compression forces coupled with high shear capacity. The application of tension, however, compromised the shear strength. The chord connections tested were found to provide high shear resistance over a limited deformation. Web connectors in topped diaphragm systems provided a high initial shear resistance but returned to the untopped response once the topping reinforcement was lost. The topping slab reinforced with welded-wire reinforcement exhibited brittle shear response with high initial stiffness and strength prior to wire fracture. To improve the connection strength and deformability, recommendations on connector detailing are presented.