Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trace Element Imbalances in Acquired Hepatocerebral Degeneration and Changes after Liver Transplant

Simple Summary The liver is responsible for the metabolism and elimination of many deleterious substances from the human body. Consequently, toxic substances can accumulate in patients with chronic liver disease, particularly in those with surgically or spontaneously induced portosystemic shunts. So-called acquired hepatocerebral degeneration (AHD) is associated with the accumulation of manganese, a trace element, in the brain of patients with liver disease. The symptoms include movement disorders and cognitive impairment. Liver transplantation (LT) is the only available treatment. In this study, we evaluated the blood levels of trace elements in patients with AHD before and after LT and compared them with those of healthy controls. The association between trace element levels and changes in the neurological examination was also assessed. The impact of LT on clinical and analytical variables was evaluated in a subgroup of patients. We found significantly different levels of many trace elements, and they were generally higher in AHD patients compared to those of the controls, although they were still within normal reference ranges. Some trace elements linked to oxidative stress and inflammation (e.g., zinc, copper and selenium) were particularly affected in patients, suggesting a putative role in the pathophysiology and symptomatology of AHD. The neurological symptoms and trace element imbalances were at least partially reversible after LT. Abstract Brain manganese (Mn) accumulation is a key feature in patients with acquired hepatocerebral degeneration (AHD). The role of trace elements other than Mn in AHD needs to be clarified. In this study, using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, we aimed to evaluate blood levels of trace elements in patients with AHD before and after liver transplantation (LT). Trace element levels in the AHD group were also compared with those of healthy controls (blood donors, n = 51). Fifty-one AHD patients were included in the study (mean age: 59.2 ± 10.6 years; men: 72.5%). AHD patients had higher levels of Mn, Li, B, Ni, As, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sb, Tl and Pb and a higher Cu/Se ratio, and lower levels of Se and Rb. Six patients (two women; mean age 55 ± 8.7 years) underwent LT, and there was an improvement in neurological symptoms, a significant increase in the Zn, Se and Sr levels, and a decrease in the Cu/Zn and Cu/Se ratios. In summary, several trace element imbalances were identified in AHD patients. Liver transplantation resulted in the improvement of neurological manifestations and the oxidant/inflammatory status. It is possible that observed changes in trace element levels may play a role in the pathophysiology and symptomatology of AHD.
Physical Activity and cardiovascular function in 9-year-old schoolchildren: implications for health and well-being

Background and Study Aim. Sedentary lifestyles are major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases later in life. Identifying the potential benefits of physical activity for the cardiovascular health of children is crucial for developing effective strategies to promote healthy habits and prevent future health problems. Purpose of the article is to investigate the relationship between physical activity and cardiovascular function in 9-year-old schoolchildren, taking into account the gender. Materials and Methods. The study participants were 27 students of the 3rd grade (10 boys, 17 girls) of secondary school № 58 in Kharkiv, Ukraine. All children were healthy and were under the supervision of a medical worker. Consent was obtained from both the school administration and the parents of the children. The functional state of the cardiovascular system of children was determined by the indices of the Robinson index and the Ruffier index. To calculate these indicators, we measured heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) at rest and after exercise (30 squats in 45 seconds). Results. There were no significant differences between boys and girls in heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate at rest and recovery after exercise. The average level of reserves and efficiency of the cardiovascular system was revealed. A higher than average level of the response of the cardiovascular system to standard physical activity was revealed. Conclusions. The results of this study suggest that the functional capabilities of the cardiovascular system of 9-year-old students are generally at an average level and that there are no significant differences between boys and girls in terms of heart rate, blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure. These findings could be useful for developing physical education programs for children and for identifying children who may require additional cardiovascular health monitoring or interventions.
Characterization by X‐ray μCT of the air‐filled porosity of an agricultural soil at different matric potentials

To describe various important soil processes like the release of greenhouse gases or the proliferation of microorganisms, it is necessary to assess quantitatively how the geometry and in particular the connectivity of the air‐filled pore space of a soil evolves as it is progressively dried. The availability of X‐ray computed microtomography (μCT) images of soil samples now allows this information to be obtained directly, without having to rely on the interpretation of macroscopic measurements using capillary theory, as used to be the case. In this general context, we present different methods to describe quantitatively the configuration of the air‐filled pore space in 3D μCT images of 20 separate samples of a loamy soil equilibrated at different matric potentials. Even though measures using μCT on such multi‐scale materials strongly depend on image resolution, our results show that in general, soil samples most often behave as expected, for example, connectivity increases with higher negative matric potential, while tortuosity decreases. However, simple correlations could not be found between the evolution of quantitative descriptors of the pore space at the different matric potentials and routinely measured macroscopic soil parameters. A statistical analysis of all soil samples concurrently confirmed this lack of correspondence.
Serum Osteopontin, KL-6, and Syndecan-4 as Potential Biomarkers in the Diagnosis of Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis: A Case–Control Study

Background Coal worker’s pneumoconiosis (CWP) is a chronic occupational disease mainly caused by coal dust inhalation in miners. This study aimed to investigate the clinical value of Osteopontin (OPN), KL-6, Syndecan-4 and Gremlin-1 as serum biomarkers in CWP. Patients and Methods We integrated reported lung tissues transcriptome data in pneumoconiosis patients with silica-exposed alveolar macrophage microarray data to identify four CWP-associated serum biomarkers. The serum concentrations of Osteopontin, Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6), Syndecan-4 and Gremlin-1 were measured in 100 healthy controls (HCs), 100 dust-exposed workers (DEWs) and 200 patients of CWP. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the sensitivity, specificity, cut-off value and area under the curve (AUC) value of biomarkers. Results The pulmonary function parameters decreased sequentially, and the serum OPN, KL-6, Syndecan-4 and Gremlin-1 concentrations were increased sequentially among the HC, DEW and CWP groups. Among all participants, multivariable analysis revealed that these four biomarkers were negatively correlated with the pulmonary function parameters (all p<0.05). Compared with HCs, patients with higher OPN, KL-6, Syndecan-4 and Gremlin-1 had higher risk for CWP. The combination of OPN, KL-6, and Syndecan-4 can improve the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of CWP patients differentiated from HCs or DEWs. Conclusion OPN, KL-6 and Syndecan-4 are novel biomarkers that can be used for CWP auxiliary diagnosis. The combination of three biomarkers can improve the diagnostic values of CWP.
Understanding the growth of solitary leisure in the U.S., 1965 – 2018

This research examined the extent to which solitary leisure in the U.S. has grown over the past 60 years. The demographic and technological developments of the past decades have profoundly altered the way people live life. An increase in social isolation is one potential such change, though its prevalence remains debated and challenging to directly quantify. To provide this direct quantification, we focused on an area of life where social isolation has the potential to be especially detrimental: leisure time. We assessed changes in leisure spent alone via nationally representative U.S. time-use data spanning six decades. Findings indicate that time spent alone during leisure has more than doubled among working-aged adults, from 57 daily minutes in 1965 to 117 in 2018. More concerningly, the probability of spending five hours or more in solo leisure a day has increased six-fold. Multivariate analyses indicate this trend is partly accounted for by population changes, most notably reductions in marriage rates and increases in living alone, but most of the growth of solo leisure remains unexplained. Leisure is an important source of social capital and network formation, and increasingly solitary leisure may undermine well-being in the moment and across the life course.
Livestock hauler and dairy farmer perspectives about cull dairy cattle transport and cattle transport regulations in British Columbia, Canada

Dairy cows are usually culled and transported from the farm when they no longer meet the farm’s standards for production or are not needed for milk production. Some cows are transported while in poor condition and may deteriorate further during transport. In February 2020, Canadian federal animal transport regulations were revised with the aim to minimise risks to livestock during transport; changes that may impact cull dairy cows included defining compromised cattle and limiting their maximum transport time. This study conducted semi-structured interviews with dairy farmers (n = 6) and cattle haulers (n = 4) in British Columbia, Canada, to gain an in-depth understanding of the effect of the regulations on their practices when shipping and transporting dairy cows to slaughter. Interviews were transcribed in Otter.ai and thematically coded in NVivo 12. While farmer and hauler participants recognised the importance of animal welfare during transport and described practices such as shipping mobile animals to reduce the risk that cows would become non-ambulatory during transport, they also described little change in shipping and transport practices due to the new regulations. Among interviewed participants, barriers to compliance with the regulations appear to be low knowledge of, and mixed or negative attitudes towards the regulations. Participants also described how they felt a lack of communication along the transport chain and limited transport and slaughter infrastructure made compliance difficult. Possible suggestions to remedy these barriers include providing educational resources about the regulations and encouraging communication about cow fitness for transport between responsible parties in the transport chain.
Investigation of two-warehouse inventory problems in interval environment under inflation via particle swarm optimization

ABSTRACT In this paper, a two-warehouse inventory problem has been investigated under inflation with different deterioration effects in two separate warehouses (rented warehouse, RW, and owned warehouse, OW). The objective of this investigation is to determine the lot-size of the cycle of the two-warehouse inventory system by minimizing the average cost of the system. Considering different inventory policies, the corresponding models have been formulated for linear trend in demand and interval valued cost parameters. In OW, shortages, if any, are allowed and partially backlogged with a variable rate dependent on the duration of the waiting time up to the arrival of the next lot. The corresponding optimization problems have been formulated as non-linear constrained optimization problems with interval parameters. These problems have been solved by an efficient soft computing method, viz. practical swarm optimization. To illustrate the model, a numerical example has been solved with different partially backlogging rates. Then to study the effect of changes of different system parameters on the optimal policy, sensitivity analyses have been carried out graphically by changing one parameter at a time and keeping the others at their original values. Finally, a fruitful conclusion has been reached regarding the selection of an appropriate inventory policy of the two-warehouse system.
MINOCA Associated with a Myocardial Bridge: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis and Treatment

Myocardial bridging (MB) is the most frequent congenital coronary anomaly characterized by a segment of an epicardial coronary artery that passes through the myocardium. MB is an important cause of myocardial ischemia and is also emerging as a possible cause of myocardial infarction with non-obstructed coronary arteries (MINOCA). There are multiple mechanisms underlying MINOCA in patients with MB (i.e., MB-mediated increased risk of epicardial or microvascular coronary spasm, atherosclerotic plaque disruption and spontaneous coronary artery dissection). The identification of the exact pathogenetic mechanism is crucial in order to establish a patient-tailored therapy. This review provides the most up-to-date evidence regarding the pathophysiology of MINOCA in patients with MB. Moreover, it focuses on the available diagnostic tools that could be implemented at the time of coronary angiography to achieve a pathophysiologic diagnosis. Finally, it focuses on the therapeutic implications associated with the different pathogenetic mechanisms of MINOCA in patients with MB.
GERMPLASM POTENTIAL FOR DIFFERENT ADVANCE LINES OF GOSSYPIUM HIRSUTUM FOR WITHIN BOLL YIELD COMPONENTS

Cotton production per hectare is low in Pakistan due to many biotic and abiotic factors. As boll is the basic determinant for yield in cotton crop, a study on within boll yield parameters was carried out using 24 cotton bulk and 2 check varieties to check their variability for within boll yield components. The experiment was performed in the research area of ​​the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. The genotypes were seeded in two replications following a randomized complete block design. Data were subjected to analysis of variance to check significance among different genotypes. Genotypes were significantly different. The genotype PB-132 performed best for most parameters including GOT, lint index, lint mass per seed, and seed density. Correlation analysis was applied to find out the association of these parameters. Seed cotton yield was positively associated with the GOT, boll weight and number of seeds per boll while it negatively correlated with fiber fineness, seed volume, and seed surface area. The first principal component showed 26.37%, the second component showed 17.93%, the third component showed 14.88%, and the fourth component showed 14.40% of total variation. PCA analysis showed the genetic diversity among cotton genotypes. The current study's findings revealed the potential of different bulks of cotton for developing high-yielding varieties. This information may be used to develop breeding strategies to enhance cotton production and variety.
Control Model of Organic Shale Enrichment by Terrigenous Weathering in Wufeng Formation–Longmaxi Formation, Southeast Sichuan, China

The relationship between the Late Ordovician–Early Silurian sedimentary system, weathering, paleoclimate, and primary productivity in the Yangzi region is not well understood. In this study, by analyzing the sedimentation cycle and major trace elements of the Youc well 2 in the southeast Sichuan Basin, the coupling relationships of weathering indicators, terrigenous debris input indicators, paleoclimate, redox condition indicators, U-Mo covariance model, Mo/TOC relationship, and paleoproductivity indicators are investigated. The results show that single-well logs delineate four third-order sedimentary sequences (SS1, SS2, SS3, and SS4), two sedimentary subfacies, and four sedimentary microfacies in the Wufeng Formation–Longmaxi Formation. The weathering degree is stronger at the bottom where the climate shifts from warm–wet to cold–dry, and the seawater is in an oxidic–anoxic–oxidic–anoxic environment. While the primary productivity and material source input decreases gradually in the middle and upper part, the climate becomes dry and cold, and the seawater is in an anoxic–oxidic environment. Thus, a rock enrichment model for the organic matter shale of the Wufeng Formation–Longmaxi Formation in southeast Sichuan has been established. This provides more information on the control factors concerning organic matter enrichment and their interactions.
Study Engagement Among Secondary School Students During Covid-19 Pandemic

Quality concerns, inculcating moral values, and developing life skills among young learners are the motto of an educational institution. In these processes, every individual learner expects to engage with their curricular and co-curricular activities in a positive manner. Due to the global challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, the academic processes in all educational systems are getting collapsed. Students and teachers are missing face-to-face interactions, getting a lot of hurdles in connectivity, and planning their academic engagements on online platforms. Apart from these, many other factors influence the student's academic engagement and getting subject knowledge during this pandemic period. Students' involvement and engagement in the virtual mode might vary with the variables like school types, gender, and locality. Therefore, in this study, the investigators attempt to elicit secondary school students' perceptions of their study engagements during the pandemic. The study reveals that most students engaged in the academic activities at an average level during the pandemic. There is a significant difference between the male and female students study engagements.
Effects of the Method of Body Segment Parameter Estimation on Airborne Angular Momentum

Ten body segment parameter (BSP) estimation methods were selected to compute the BSPs of 3 collegiate male gymnasts: cadaver-based methods (Group C, 4 methods), mass scanning-based methods (Group M, 4 methods) and geometric methods (Group G, 2 methods). Angular momenta of nine double somersault with full twist H-bar dismounts performed by the 3 gymnasts were computed. Each trial was processed 10 times using 10 sets of BSPs obtained from the estimation methods. Intergroup and intermethod comparisons of the airborne angular momenta were made. It was concluded that the method of BSP estimation affected the magnitude of airborne angular momentum but did not affect the magnitude of angular momentum fluctuation during the airborne phase.
Smoking is a Factor in Discordance Between QuantiFERONTB Gold Assay and Tuberculosis Etiology: Especially in Older Patients

Purpose Exploring whether smoking is an influencing factor for the inconsistency between QuantiFERONTB Gold assay (QFT-GIT) and tuberculosis etiology. Patients and Methods The clinical data of patients who were confirmed positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) after undergoing QFT-GIT testing from September 2017 to August 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Chi-square and rank-sum tests were used to compare the differences in characteristics between smokers and non-smokers. Logistic regression was used to adjust for confounding factors affecting smoking. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to verify the above conclusions again. Results Positive results of tuberculosis etiology were adopted as the standard, the incidence of inconsistent results between QFT-GIT and tuberculosis etiology was 8.90% (108/1213), of which the false negative rate was 6.27% (76/1213) and the indeterminate rate was 2.64% (32/1213). In the overall population, the smokers had a lower level of basal IFN-γ (Z=−2.079, P=0.038). Among 382 elderly (≥65 years old) patients, the smokers had lower levels of antigen-stimulated IFN-γ (Z=−2.838, P=0.005). After performing BOX-COX transformation on all non-normally distributed data, logistic stepwise regression was used to adjust confounding factors. The results showed that smoking was an influencing factor for the inconsistency between QFT-GIT and tuberculosis etiology results (OR=1.69, P=0.020). Using PSM for 1:2 matching, the results showed that smoking was still an independent risk factor for the inconsistent results of QFT-GIT and tuberculosis etiology (OR= 1.95, P=0.019). Age-stratified analysis showed that smoking was an independent risk factor in discordance between QFT-GIT and tuberculosis etiology in patients aged ≥65 years (OR=2.40, P=0.005), but not in patients aged <65 years (P > 0.05). Conclusion Smoking can reduce the body’s IFN-γ release ability, and smoking (especially the elderly) is an influencing factor for the inconsistency between QFT-GIT and tuberculosis etiological results.
THEORY OF BERGMAN SPACES (Graduate Texts in Mathematics 199) By HAAKAN HEDENMALM, BORIS KORENBLUM and KEHE ZHU: 286 pp., £37.50, ISBN 0-387-98791-6 (Springer, New York, 2000).

through sequences of exercises, culminating in some substantial results. One can recommend as a taster the exercises leading to the triviality of K0 of the Cuntz algebra O2 in Chapter 4. Another notable feature (developed from a good idea in [3]) is the table of K0 and K1 groups, together with references to the relevant parts of the text. Also, the index of symbols certainly proved useful when I returned to the book after less pleasant duties had enforced a lengthy gap in my reading! Although this book covers somewhat fewer topics than [3], and considerably fewer than Blackadar’s book [1], it certainly succeeds in giving a very helpful and thorough introduction. It should give readers an ability to operate with confidence in the basic areas of C∗-algebraic K-theory and leave them well-equipped to move onward to further important topics such as K-theory for crossed products and Kasparov’s KK-theory.
Lightweight authentication for smart metering infrastructure in smart grid

In this paper, a secure and efficient access authentication scheme is designed between edge devices in the smart grid, to achieve secure communication between devices in the smart grid. Considering the characteristics of power grid equipment, identity based cryptography is introduced to embed the equipment identity, timestamp, etc., into the process of identity recognition and private key update. Combined with the characteristics of private key update in the cryptographic system, bilinear pairing is used to negotiate the communication key in each time interval, and only hash, XOR operation and concatenation operation are used to achieve lightweight authentication scheme. The scheme can not only meet the security requirements, but also minimize the burden on edge device resources. Experimental results show that the communication cost and computation cost of our scheme are less than the existing schemes.