Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prognosis of Alzheimer’s Disease Using Quantitative Mass Spectrometry of Human Blood Plasma Proteins and Machine Learning

Early recognition of the risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) onset is a global challenge that requires the development of reliable and affordable screening methods for wide-scale application. Proteomic studies of blood plasma are of particular relevance; however, the currently proposed differentiating markers are poorly consistent. The targeted quantitative multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) assay of the reported candidate biomarkers (CBs) can contribute to the creation of a consistent marker panel. An MRM-MS analysis of 149 nondepleted EDTA–plasma samples (MHRC, Russia) of patients with AD (n = 47), mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n = 36), vascular dementia (n = 8), frontotemporal dementia (n = 15), and an elderly control group (n = 43) was performed using the BAK 125 kit (MRM Proteomics Inc., Canada). Statistical analysis revealed a significant decrease in the levels of afamin, apolipoprotein E, biotinidase, and serum paraoxonase/arylesterase 1 associated with AD. Different training algorithms for machine learning were performed to identify the protein panels and build corresponding classifiers for the AD prognosis. Machine learning revealed 31 proteins that are important for AD differentiation and mostly include reported earlier CBs. The best-performing classifiers reached 80% accuracy, 79.4% sensitivity and 83.6% specificity and were able to assess the risk of developing AD over the next 3 years for patients with MCI. Overall, this study demonstrates the high potential of the MRM approach combined with machine learning to confirm the significance of previously identified CBs and to propose consistent protein marker panels.
Analysis of the 10-20-Day Intraseasonal Oscillation in the Indian Ocean Using Surface Winds

The 10–20-day mode of surface wind is examined in the Indian Ocean, with special reference to the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, equatorial, southern, and southeastern Indian Ocean during a strong (1994), weak (2002), and normal (1995) southwest monsoon season. Results indicate the 10–20-day mode of surface winds in the Bay of Bengal, southern Indian Ocean, and southeastern Indian Ocean is more energetic than in other regions. The strongest 10–20-day signal is found to be in the southeastern Indian Ocean, where 45% of surface wind variability can be explained by this mode during a strong monsoon year. Composite analysis based on a time series in this region revealed a positive surface wind anomaly that appears at 60°E, centered on 15°S, and propagates zonally eastward to 90°E before reflecting back to propagate westward and then disperse off the coast of Madagascar. It is proposed that this oscillating positive wind anomaly is a feature of the southernmost cell of the 10–20-day convective double-cell structure that has extended farther south into the southern Indian Ocean and that this mode connects the northern and southern Indian Ocean through surface winds and atmospheric convection through the motion of the linked double-cell structure.
THE C*-ALGEBRAS ASSOCIATED TO TIME-t AUTOMORPHISMS OF MAPPING TORI

We find the range of a trace on the K0-group of a crossed product by a time-t automorphism of a mapping torus. We also find a formula to compute the Voiculescu-Brown entropy for such an automorphism. By specializing to the commutative setting, we prove that the crossed products by minimal time-t homeomorphisms of suspensions built over strongly orbit equivalent Cantor minimal systems have isomorphic Elliott invariants. As an application of our results we give examples of dynamical systems on (compact metric) connected 1-dimensional spaces which are not flip conjugate (because of different entropy) yet their associated crossed products have isomorphic Elliott invariants.
TG/HDL-C Ratio Is a Risk Factor Associated with CKD: Use in Assessing the Risk of Progression of CKD

Background: Dyslipidemia is highly prevalent in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and the relationship between dyslipidemia and renal function in these patients remains controversial. Our objectives were to determine the triglycerides/HDL-cholesterol ratio (TG/HDL-C), evaluate the correlation between TG/HDL-C and the urine albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR), and estimate the glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) according to MDRD in CKD patients. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 152 patients with CKD at the Endocrine Clinic, the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Study subjects were medically examined and recorded information on the data collection form. Subjects were tested for total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-C, LDL-C, urea, creatinine and albumin, urine creatinine, and eGFR according to the MDRD formula. Data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics version 20.0. Results: The average age was 58.08 ± 15.69 years, and the overweight and obesity rate was 54%. Most patients had comorbidities, among which the most common diseases were hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Among the subjects, 57.3% were CKD stage 3 patients, and ACR was in the range of 30–300 mg/g. According to the classification of CKD using GFR and ACR categories, 40.8% of patients were at very high risk. The average TG/HDL-C ratio was 5.09 ± 4.26. There was a medium negative correlation between TG/HDL-C and eGFR (R = 0.44, p < 0.01) and a weak positive correlation between TG/HDL-C and ACR (R = 0.34, p < 0.01). Conclusions: The TG/HDL-C ratio was a risk factor associated with CKD and was noticeable in monitoring and assessing the risk of progression of CKD.
Genome-wide analysis of copy number variants in alopecia areata in a Central European cohort reveals association with MCHR 2 Running Head : Copy number variants in alopecia areata

This article has been accepted for publication and undergone full peer review but has not been through the copyediting, typesetting, pagination and proofreading process, which may lead to differences between this version and the Version of Record. Please cite this article as doi: 10.1111/exd.13123 This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Received Date : 02-Nov-2015 Revised Date : 20-Apr-2016 Accepted Date : 08-Jun-2016 Article type : Regular Article
Work Environment, Challenges and Teaching Performance of Newly Hired Teachers in the New Normal, Zambales, Philippines

The study aimed to determine the work environment, challenges, and teaching performance of the newly hired teachers in the new normal of Zone 2, Schools Division of Zambales. The study used a quantitative descriptive research design in its presentation. A survey-questionnaire was the main instrument of data gathering for the study. A total of one hundred (100) newly hired teachers served as the respondents of the study. Frequency, percentage, weighted mean, Analysis of Variance, and Pearson Product- Moment Correlation was employed in the data analysis and interpretation. The findings of the study revealed that teaching performance of the newly hired teachers is affected by the kind of work environment in terms of Facilities & Equipment, School Typology, Physical Environment, Alternative Work from Home and Administrative/ Supervisor’s Support. Furthermore, the newly hired teachers strongly agreed that addressing the challenges in the workplace as to fitting in, time management and productivity, culture in the workplace, communication and coordination and motivation will increase their teaching performance. It was noted that there was no significant relationship between the teaching performance based on the IPCRF and work environment and on addressing the challenges of the newly hired teachers.
Machine-Learning-Based Fine Tuning of Input Signals for Mechano-Tactile Display

Deducing the input signal for a tactile display to present the target surface (i.e., solving the inverse problem for tactile displays) is challenging. We proposed the encoding and presentation (EP) method in our prior work, where we encoded the target surface by scanning it using an array of piezoelectric devices (encoding) and then drove the piezoelectric devices using the obtained signals to display the surface (presentation). The EP method reproduced the target texture with an accuracy of over 80% for the five samples tested, which we refer to as replicability. Machine learning is a promising method for solving inverse problems. In this study, we designed a neural network to connect the subjective evaluation of tactile sensation and the input signals to a display; these signals are described as time-domain waveforms. First, participants were asked to touch the surface presented by the mechano-tactile display based on the encoded data from the EP method. Then, the participants recorded the similarity of the surface compared to five material samples, which were used as the input. The encoded data for the material samples were used as the output to create a dataset of 500 vectors. By training a multilayer perceptron with the dataset, we deduced new inputs for the display. The results indicate that using machine learning for fine tuning leads to significantly better accuracy in deducing the input compared to that achieved using the EP method alone. The proposed method is therefore considered a good solution for the inverse problem for tactile displays.
Estimating Forces Along Continuum Robots

Continuum robots can be slender and flexible to navigate through complex environments, such as passageways in the human body. In order to control the forces that continuum robots apply during navigation and manipulation, we would like to detect the location, direction, and magnitude of contact forces distributions as they arise. In this paper, we present a model-based framework for sensing distributed loads along continuum robots. Using sensed positions along the robot, we use a nonlinear optimization algorithm to estimate the loading which fits the model-predicted robot shape to the data. We propose that Gaussian load distributions provide a seamless way to account for a wide range of loadings, including approximate point loads and uniform distributed loads, while avoiding the ill-conditioning associated with highly resolved force distributions. In addition, we gain computational efficiency by re-framing the problem as unconstrained weighted least-squares minimization and by solving this problem with an Extended Kalman-filter framework. We validate the approach on two prototype tendon-driven continuum robots in multiple 3D loading scenarios, displaying a mean error of 0.58 N in load magnitude and 7% mean error in load location with respect to the length of the respective robot.
Casting Cultural Identity in Early Viking-Age Northumbria

Abstract This paper discusses several categories of dress accessory which we suggest are linked to the arrival of the so-called Viking Great Army in Northumbria in the late ninth century. In particular, we argue that double-sided strap-ends and buckles arrived from Dublin as sword-belt fittings, alongside five-lobed hollow and cast sword pommels, and that this was closely followed by the introduction of new strap-end and pin types. Unlike the preceding Anglo-Saxon chip-carved strap-ends which were frequently fashioned by hand, the new Viking forms were cast, and the Northumbrian focus of their distribution reflects their production at Aldwark and York. This evidence reflects important changes in metalwork production as a result of the arrival of the Great Army, leading to long-lasting impact.
How appropriate is the balanced scorecard as an internal reporting framework? / Paul Mountcastle and Noel Yahanpath

The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) remains a popular strategic management tool. This tool has also been successfully applied in the healthcare industry aside from various business fields. However, the use of BSC in New Zealand lacks evidence, thus requiring further research into the applicability of this tool in the country, especially when the Hawke's Bay District Health Board (HB DHB) sought to improve its internal reporting framework. In this case, we investigated whether BSC could be applied by HB DHB in pursuing its objective. Given the lack of an international standard for healthcare BSC design, we developed a framework that comprised the appropriate perspectives to meet the needs and internal reporting requirements of HB DHB. BSC was eventually proven suitable for this application, and the framework of Marr (2015) was identified as a suitable framework for such an application. While remaining to the original design of Kaplan and Norton, the framework has been modified to fit the needs of HB DHB by changing the customer perspective to community and by adopting Marr's positioning of the financial perspective along with three other perspectives to reflect the importance of both financial constraints and objectives to the whole operation.
Are We Ready to Implement Molecular Subtyping of Bladder Cancer in Clinical Practice? Part 2: Subtypes and Divergent Differentiation

Following several attempts to achieve a molecular stratification of bladder cancer (BC) over the last decade, a “consensus” classification has been recently developed to provide a common base for the molecular classification of bladder cancer (BC), encompassing a six-cluster scheme with distinct prognostic and predictive characteristics. In order to implement molecular subtyping (MS) as a risk stratification tool in routine practice, immunohistochemistry (IHC) has been explored as a readily accessible, relatively inexpensive, standardized surrogate method, achieving promising results in different clinical settings. The second part of this review deals with the pathological and clinical features of the molecular clusters, both in conventional and divergent urothelial carcinoma, with a focus on the role of IHC-based subtyping.
Challenges in Diagnosing Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia in a Brazilian Tertiary Hospital

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) causes cellular cilia motility alterations, leading to clinical manifestations in the upper and lower respiratory tract and situs abnormalities. The PCD diagnosis was improved after the inclusion of diagnostic tools, such as transmission electron microscopy and genetic screening; however, the PCD screening is a challenge yet. In this context, we aimed to describe the clinical, genetic, and ultra-ciliary characteristics in individuals with clinical suspicion of PCD (cPCD) from a Brazilian Tertiary Hospital. An observational study was carried out with individuals during the follow-up between 2011 and 2021. The individuals were submitted to clinical questionnaires, transmission electron microscopy, and genetic screening for pathogenic variants in PCD-related genes. Those patients were classified according to the degree of suspicion for PCD. In our study, we enrolled thirty-seven cPCD individuals; 20/37 (54.1%) had chronic rhinosinusitis, 28/37 (75.6%) had bronchiectasis, and 29/37 (78.4%) had recurrent pneumonia. A total of 17/37 (45.9%) individuals had transmission electron microscopy or genetic confirmation of PCD; 10 individuals had at least one positive pathogenic genetic variant in the PCD-related genes; however, only seven patients presented a conclusive result according to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics and the Association for Molecular Pathology with two pathogenic variants in homozygous or compound heterozygous. The median age at diagnosis was 13 years, and the median time between suspicion and diagnosis was four years. Sixteen patients had class I electron microscopy alterations, seven had class II alterations, and 14 had normal transmission electron microscopy according to the international consensus guideline for reporting transmission electron microscopy results in the diagnosis of PCD (BEAT-PCD TEM Criteria). Genetic screening for pathogenic variants in PCD-related genes and transmission electron microscopy can help determine the PCD diagnosis; however, they are still unavailable to all individuals with clinical suspicion in Brazil. We described ultrastructural alterations found in our population along with the identification of pathogenic variants in PCD-related genes.
New Segmented Poly(Thiourethane-Urethane)s Based on Poly(ε-Caprolactone)Diol Soft Segment: Synthesis and Characterization

New segmented poly(thiourethane-urethane)s (SPTURs) were synthesized by the reaction of 1,1′-methanediylbis (4-isocyanatocyclohexane) (Desmodur W®, HMDI) and poly(ε-caprolactone)diol (PCL) and (methanediyldibenzene-4,1-diyl)dimethanethiol as nonconventional polymer chain extender. FTIR spectroscopy was used for the structural analysis of obtained polymers. The molecular weight distribution was examined by GPC chromatography. Based on the measured contact angles, free surface energy parameters were calculated. Thermal properties of polymers were examined by DSC and TGA, while viscoelastic properties were measured by DMTA. The tensile, adhesive and optical properties were also investigated for the obtained polymers. It was shown that SPTURs were transparent or partially transparent solids with high molar masses up to 84,300 Da. These polymers showed a good resistance to hydrolysis during incubation in Optylite® physiological saline over 8 weeks. Obtained polymers possessed a tensile strength of up to 43.26 MPa, hardness of up to 96.25/59.00 Sh A/D and adhesion to copper of 14.66 MPa. The surface properties of the obtained polymers show that all obtained SPTURs were hydrophilic (CAs for water between 64.07° and 73.12°) with calculated SFE up to 46.69 mN/m.
Water consumption and economic growth: evidence for the environmental Kuznets curve

ABSTRACT This research investigates the relationship between economic growth and consumption of fresh water in Iran using the environmental Kuznets hypothesis. In this study we used per-capita water consumption and per-capita gross domestic production of 31 provinces of Iran from 2005 to 2018. The results showed the inverted ‘U’-shaped relationship between water consumption and economic growth and that the environmental Kuznets hypothesis existed between water withdrawal and economic growth in the agricultural and service sectors, and that the water–production relationship in the industrial sector followed an inverted ‘N’-shape. The results can help policymakers with policy implementations related to sectorial water consumption.
The Application of Artiﬁcial-Intelligence-Assisted Dental Age Assessment in Children with Growth Delay

: Background: This study aimed to reveal the efﬁcacy of the artiﬁcial intelligence (AI)- assisted dental age (DA) assessment in identifying the characteristics of growth delay (GD) in children. Methods: The panoramic ﬁlms matching the inclusion criteria were collected for the AI model training to establish the population-based DA standard. Subsequently, the DA of the validation dataset of the healthy children and the images of the GD children were assessed by both the conventional methods and the AI-assisted standards. The efﬁcacy of all the studied modalities was compared by the paired sample t -test. Results: The AI-assisted standards can provide much more accurate chronological age (CA) predictions with mean errors of less than 0.05 years, while the traditional methods presented overestimated results in both genders. For the GD children, the convolutional neural network (CNN) revealed the delayed DA in GD children of both genders, while the machine learning models presented so only in the GD boys. Conclusion: The AI-assisted DA assessments help overcome the long-standing populational limitation observed in traditional methods. The image feature extraction of the CNN models provided the best efﬁcacy to reveal the nature of delayed DA in GD children of both genders.
Mindfulness, Meditation, and Lucid Dreaming: A Narrow vs. Broad-Spectrum Mindfulness Study

Both lucid dreaming and mindfulness appear to involve metacognition and awareness, or “awareness of awareness” in which one is aware and consciously attends to present experiences. Despite evidence for the continuity hypothesis of dreaming (which posits dream content is connected and related to the concerns and thoughts in waking life), little research has explored a relationship between lucid dreaming and waking mindfulness. The present study explores the relationship among mindfulness experience, meditation practice history, and lucid dreaming. Undergraduate students and meditators completed questionnaires assessing trait mindfulness, lucid dreaming frequency, and meditation practices. Surprisingly, lucid dreaming was not associated with meditation practice frequency or narrow-spectrum mindfulness experiences like present-centered awareness and nonjudgmental acceptance. Lucid dreaming frequency was predicted only by dream recall and mindfulness-related experiences of Transcendence. Possible personality implications are discussed.
Differential Expression of Serum Exosomal Hsa-miR-487b-3p in Progressive Vitiligo Before and After Systemic Corticosteroid Treatment

Background Vitiligo is an acquired skin depigmentation disease. It can be misdiagnosed at an early stage and tend to relapse. Serum markers are essential to monitoring the progression of vitiligo. Exosomal miRNAs act as the communication mediator between melanocytes and immune cells. Our study aimed to use serum exosomal miRNAs as a reference for evaluating vitiligo progression. Methods The miRNAs were extracted from the serum exosomes of ten progressive vitiligo patients (before and after treatment) and ten healthy individuals. We profiled miRNAs expression by RNA sequencing and screened out potential miRNAs and plotted their receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to explore their sensitivity and specificity as prognostic biomarkers in vitiligo progression. We examined the correlation between miRNA expression and the lesion area. Different databases were used to predict gene targets of miRNAs, which were analyzed by gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG). Results Our results showed that 141 miRNAs were differentially expressed in serum exosomes of progressive vitiligo patients, and 365 miRNAs were differentially expressed in these patients after treatment compared to healthy individuals. The expression of hsa-miR-487b-3p was significantly lower in these patients compared to healthy individuals. Still, there was no difference in its levels in patients after corticosteroid treatment compared to healthy controls. ROC curve analysis (area under curve = 0.840) indicated that hsa-miR-487b-3p could serve as a biomarker for the prognosis of vitiligo progression. Its expression positively correlated with the lesion area. A total of 41 target genes of hsa-miR-487b-3p were predicted via different databases. KEGG pathways were enriched in phenylalanine metabolism, glycan degradation, and protein export. Conclusion Serum exosomal hsa-miR-487b-3p can be a biomarker to detect vitiligo progression. The predicted target genes of hsa-miR-487b-3p were enriched in catabolism. Thus, its in progressive vitiligo may accelerate catabolism in melanocytes and cause its impairment.