Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Whispering gallery modes volume computation in optical micro-spheres

This report is devoted to the computation of the volume of whispering gallery modes in optical micro-spheres. We first derive the mathematical expression of TE and TM modes in a homogeneous dielectric optical micro-sphere from the general set of Maxwell's equations. Then we present a method to numerically compute the volume of whispering gallery TE or TM modes which do not require any assumptions on the mode numbers as it is usually the case. Last we present the Matlab Toolbox WGMode written from the present study designed to explore resonance conditions, to visualize whispering gallery TE or TM modes in a micro-sphere and to compute the volume of any given mode.
Urinary Bisphenols and Obesity Prevalence Among U.S. Children and Adolescents

Abstract Bisphenol A (BPA) has been recognized as an endocrine disrupting chemical and identified as an obesogen. Although once ubiquitous, human exposure to BPA has been declining owing to its substitution with other bisphenols. Two structurally similar substitutes, bisphenol S (BPS) and bisphenol F (BPF), have raised similar concerns, although fewer studies have been conducted on these newer derivatives. We used data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from 2013 to 2016 to evaluate associations between BPA, BPS, and BPF and body mass outcomes among children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 years. Concentrations of BPA, BPS, and BPF were measured in spot urine samples using HPLC with tandem mass spectrometry. General obesity was defined as ≥95th percentile of the age- and sex-standardized body mass index (BMI) z-scores according to the 2000 US norms. Abdominal obesity was defined as a waist circumference/height ratio of ≥0.5. BPA, BPS, and BPF were detected in 97.5%, 87.8%, and 55.2% of urine samples, respectively. Log-transformed urinary BPS concentrations were associated with an increased prevalence of general obesity (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.32) and abdominal obesity (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.27). BPF detection (vs not detected) was associated with an increased prevalence of abdominal obesity (OR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.64) and continuous BMI z-score (β = 0.10; 95% CI, 0.01 to 0.20). BPA and total bisphenols were not statistically significantly associated with general obesity, abdominal obesity, or any body mass outcome. These results suggest that BPA substitute chemicals are correlated with obesity in contemporary children.
Depression, anxiety, and stress among medical students of College of Medicine, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Iraq

Background and objective: Students of the college of medicine involve in a hard study and training for six years; which might adversely affect the student's mental health and physical condition. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among medical students, and its association with different sociodemographic variables. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among students of the College of Medicine, Hawler Medical University from April to May 2017. This study included a randomly selected sample of 288 students. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) questionnaire was used to collect data. The statistical package for the social sciences was used for data analysis. Pearson Chi-square and Fisher's Exact Test were used to finding the association between various variables and depression, anxiety, and stress. Results: The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among medical students were 52.1%, 62.5%, and 45.1%, respectively. Male students were found to be more depressed than female students (63.6% vs. 42.3%) with a statistically significant association (P <0.001). Anxiety and stress were not significantly associated with gender. Anxiety among students from rural areas (88.9%) was significantly (P = 0.021) higher than students from urban areas (60.7%). The association of depression, anxiety, and stress with other variables was not significant. Conclusion: The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among students was high. Male students were regarded as a risk factor for depression, while students from the rural areas were regarded at risk of anxiety.
Predictors of Endothelial Cell Loss after Phacoemulsification for the Treatment of Primary Angle Closure

Purpose To investigate demographic and anatomical factors associated with a reduction in endothelial cell density (ECD) after phacoemulsification (PE) for the treatment of primary angle closure (PAC). Methods In this prospective case series, ECD was evaluated by noncontact specular microscopy and biometric parameters by both noncontact optical biometry and anterior segment optical coherence tomography, preoperatively and at 12 months after surgery. Anterior segment biomicroscopy and gonioscopy were also performed. The change in ECD and its relation to clinical characteristics and biometric parameters were evaluated by linear regression analysis. Results 44 patients with PAC were included in the study. The mean (SD) patient age was 71.6 (10.2) years; thirty-one (70.5%) of them were women. Coexistence of exfoliation syndrome (XS) was observed in 4 cases (9.1%). The mean (SD) ECD (cells/mm2) changed from 2275 (463) preoperatively to 1964 (613) postoperatively with a mean reduction of −310 (95% CI −445 to −176; p < 0.001). In the multivariate regression model, after correction for age and lens status, XS was the only parameter associated with ECD percentage change (B = −36.00; p=0.001). Conclusion PE in angle closure causes a significant ECD reduction. In our population of PAC patients, XS is significantly associated with ECD change. In this group of patients, a careful preoperative endothelial evaluation should be performed.
Social Relationship Quality Among Patients With Chronic Pain: A Population-Based Sample

Objective: Chronic daily pain is experienced by 11.2% of United States adults and psychosocial factors have significant impact on self-reported pain. Most research in this area has focused on pain-related conditions, not the general population. This study sought to understand the associations between clinically significant chronic pain and multiple dimensions of social relationship quality in a general population. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was deployed and adjusted logistic regression models were constructed for chronic pain against independent social support domains. The moderating effect of self-rated health on social support quality was explored. Results: Of all, 26.1% of surveys were completed (3920/15 000) and 18.8% reported clinically significant chronic pain. Patients with chronic pain had lower friendship quality (aOR = 0.78; 0.64-0.94) and higher perceived rejection (aOR = 1.26; 1.04-1.53) and perceived hostility (aOR = 1.26; 1.05-1.52). Within our moderation analysis, chronic pain patients with low self-rated health had higher odds of low friendship quality, high loneliness, and high perceived rejection. Conclusions: Chronic pain patients experience social relationships differently than those without, and self-rated health differentially impacts these perceptions.
Physiological and Performance Monitoring in Competitive Sporting Environments: A Review for Elite Individual Sports

There is a great appreciation for the application of physiological monitoring within competition for individual sports. Physiological monitoring allows feedback on exercise dose-response, exercise intensity, and exercise performance. Both subjective and objective parameters are commonly measured in the field sports, but research investigating the accuracy and applicability of monitoring tools in a competitive environment for individual athletes is limited. This narrative review highlights the strengths and weaknesses of individual devices to measure a variety of parameters, including physiological performance, and biochemical and subjective parameters. Based on an analysis of the existing scientific literature, practical applications are provided for coaches.
Propensity Score Methods in Health Technology Assessment: Principles, Extended Applications, and Recent Advances

Randomized clinical trials (RCT) are accepted as the gold-standard approaches to measure effects of intervention or treatment on outcomes. They are also the designs of choice for health technology assessment (HTA). Randomization ensures comparability, in both measured and unmeasured pretreatment characteristics, of individuals assigned to treatment and control or comparator. However, even adequately powered RCTs are not always feasible for several reasons such as cost, time, practical and ethical constraints, and limited generalizability. RCTs rely on data collected on selected, homogeneous population under highly controlled conditions; hence, they provide evidence on efficacy of interventions rather than on effectiveness. Alternatively, observational studies can provide evidence on the relative effectiveness or safety of a health technology compared to one or more alternatives when provided under the setting of routine health care practice. In observational studies, however, treatment assignment is a non-random process based on an individual’s baseline characteristics; hence, treatment groups may not be comparable in their pretreatment characteristics. As a result, direct comparison of outcomes between treatment groups might lead to biased estimate of the treatment effect. Propensity score approaches have been used to achieve balance or comparability of treatment groups in terms of their measured pretreatment covariates thereby controlling for confounding bias in estimating treatment effects. Despite the popularity of propensity scores methods and recent important methodological advances, misunderstandings on their applications and limitations are all too common. In this article, we present a review of the propensity scores methods, extended applications, recent advances, and their strengths and limitations.
A FIREFLY APPROACH FOR PRIORITIZING FUNCTIONAL AND NON FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

The prioritization of requirements is an important task in software development to implement requirements based on budget, time, customer expectations and practical constraints. An Interactive Genetic Algorithm (IGA) has been used to prioritize requirements by satisfying constraints. IGA sometimes provides a poor ranking due to population divergence. This is resolved in this paper by utilizing Firefly algorithm. The methods for prioritizing both functional and non functional requirements together are very less and have several drawbacks like of considering a small number of non functional requirements and applying less ranking weight. The firefly algorithm provides random prioritization initially then improves the prioritization iteratively by minimizing disagreement between priorities and constraints while maximizing agreement between priority and customer satisfaction. The sum of disagreement is considered as light intensity of firefly. The population of firefly generates an ordered list of functional and non functional requirements. The fitness value (intensity) is found for all fireflies then each firefly updates its position towards the best search of a firefly until all fireflies obtain same fitness value. The experimental result proves that the firefly based prioritization outperforms than Genetic Algorithm based prioritization.
Angiosarcoma of the breast, the unknown—a review of the current literature

Angiosarcoma of the breast is one of the rarest malignancies. Breast angiosarcoma can be classified into primary when arising de novo and secondary to chronic lymphoedema or breast irradiation. Molecular pathways involved in angiosarcoma development have not been described clearly, yet some gene point mutations and protein altered expression levels have been detected. So far, their management is based above all on surgery. Hence, further studies starting from the few known key points may help to develop more effective strategies based both on target therapies, together with surgery.
The effect of pindang patin intake on serum cholesterol and LDL levels of male mice (Mus Musculus L.)

High blood cholesterol level can cause atherosclerosis which is potentially cause coronary heart disease. Pindang patin is one of the favourite foods in Palembang which contain omega 3 fatty acids that can decrease blood cholesterol level. The aim of this study was to see the effect of pindang patin intake on total cholesterol and LDL. The type of this study was laboratory experimental using a pre-post-test randomized design with a control group in male mice (Mus musculus L.). The mice were given the high-fat diet by using egg yolk as much as 20% of body weight. The samples were divided into 5 groups: Negative Control, Positive Control, Dose I (0.26 ml/20 grams of body weight), Dose II (0.52 ml/20 grams of body weight) and Dose III (1.04 ml/20 grams of body weight). Blood samples were examined by using a spectrophotometer. Dose II and Dose III give the effect in decreasing the blood level of cholesterol in male mice, and Dose III give the effect in decreasing the blood level of LDL of male mice. Pindang patin can decrease the blood total cholesterol and LDL levels of male mice, and the best dose is in 1.04 ml/20 grams of body weight.
DEFICITS OF CALF MUSCLES STRENGTH AND RATE OF FORCE DEVELOPMENT AFTER ACHILLES TENDON RUPTURE

The Achilles tendon is the thickest and the strongest tendon in the human body. Many studies, investigating biomechanical properties of plantar flexors muscle-tendon unit after ATR surgery, reported an incomplete calf muscle contractile functional recovery. However, these studies only investigated the plantar flexors muscle function failing to provide information about the adaptive changes in motor strategy. In fact, the development of adaptive changes in motor strategies, due to both mechanical and neural factors, may result in pathological musculoskeletal conditions over the long term. Understanding physiological calf muscle changes due to long-term immobilization may help prevent Achilles tendon re-rupture cases.
Late-Holocene Sediment Storage in Upland Valley Systems in the Gamo Highlands of Southern Ethiopia

Part of the eroded soil material from the hillslopes is temporarily stored on hillslopes and in river valleys as colluvial and alluvial storage, respectively. This storage component of a catchment’s sediment budget is an important archive reflecting past erosion and sediment delivery processes in relation to both natural and anthropogenic environmental changes. Information on long-term sediment dynamics (i.e., centennial to millennial timescales) is generally lacking for tropical mountain environments. Here, we quantify long-term floodplain sediment storage and sedimentation dynamics in the Gamo highlands of the southern Ethiopia Rift Valley. In two upstream catchments (Chencha and Dembelle), a detailed survey of the floodplain sediment archive was conducted through hand augering of 37 cross-valley transects. Sediment thicknesses vary between 4 and 8 m and total storage equals 0.03 Mt ha−1 floodplain area for the Chencha area and 0.05 Mt ha−1 floodplain area for the Dembelle area. Radiocarbon dating of organic material retrieved from the sediment archives provided a temporal framework for interpretation of sedimentation processes dynamic. The mean sedimentation rate in the Chencha floodplain is ~3.22 ± 0.33 kt ha−1 catchment area, whereas it is ~3.76 ± 0.22 kt ha−1 catchment area for the Dembelle floodplain. Up to 70% of the total sediment mass is stored in the floodplains within the most recent 2000 years. Cumulative probability function plots of radiocarbon dates show that sedimentation started to increase from ca 2000 to ca 1600 cal BP, roughly coincident with an increase in human presence, as is indicated through archaeological data.
Survivin is a prognostic marker and therapeutic target for extranodal, nasal-type natural killer/T cell lymphoma.

Background The relationship between survivin and extranodal, nasal-type natural killer/T cell lymphoma (ENKTCL) was unclearly established yet. We here studied the potential prognostic roles of survivin and its implication as a target in ENKTCL therapy. Methods ENKTCL patients' peripheral blood were collected and tested by ELISA. ENKTCL cell lines were cultured with or without survivin inhibitor and tested by MTT and Flow cytometry. According to the gene expression profiles from the ArrayExpress Archive under E-TABM-702, survivin co-regulated cluster was established by Coupled Two-way Clustering Algorithm. Results Seventeen point six percent of total 17 ENKTCL patients were serum survivin-positive. These patients had poorer outcome than that of negative cases (P<0.01). Analysis of survivin co-regulation genes in ENKTCL revealed that survivin was significantly involved in pluripotency, drug resistance, cell cycle and proliferation, indicating that it should be one of key regulators in ENKTCL and might be a latent therapeutic target. Our results just showed that YM155, a survivin inhibitor, had strong anti-tumor effect on ENKTCL cell lines in a dose dependent manner. It increased sub-G1 phase population and reduced G1- and G2-M phase populations (P<0.05). In addition, combining YM155 with DDP induced a larger decrease in cell viability than either agent alone and had a higher inhibition rate than Bliss index, suggesting their synergistic inhibition. Conclusions We concluded that survivin was a potential prognostic marker and a critical regulatory molecule in the pathological process of ENKTCL. It would be a promising target in drugs discovery for ENKTCL therapy.
Observer based guaranteed cost control for time-delay TS fuzzy systems

This paper considers the design of observer based guaranteed cost control of time-delay nonlinear systems repre-sented by TS fuzzy models. We consider that both the states and the inputs are affected by time varying delay, which is assumed to be known. We propose conditions for observer and controller design with the aim that the closed-loop is asymptotically stable and the cost is minimized. The conditions are bilinear and we solve them in two steps. We also give different possibilities for minimizing the cost function along with a performance comparison between them. The results are validated on a numerical example,
Effects of Tianshu Capsule on Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats as Revealed by 1H-NMR-Based Metabolic Profiling

Hypertension is one of the most common cardiovascular diseases, resulting in serious complications such as cardiovascular damage and chronic kidney disease. Tianshu capsule (TSC), composed of Chuanxiong (Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort) and Tianma (Gastrodiaelata Blume), has been widely used to treat the blood stasis type of headache and migraine in clinic. Results of previous research showed its antihypertensive effects, but the underlying mechanisms were still unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antihypertensive effect of TSC on spontaneously hypertensive rats by 1H NMR-based metabonomics and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELIAS), explore potential biomarkers and targets, and probe the potential mechanism of TSC on antihypertensive treatment. The results showed that TSC could decrease the product of oxidative stress (MDA) and enhance the activities of SOD and GSH-Px, down-regulate the expression of enzymes (LDHA, PKM2 and HK2) related to glycolysis, and perturb the levels of a series of amino acids (isoleucine, alanine, asparagine, citrate, etc.) and pathways. Multivariate statistical analyses showed remarkable changes in some endogenous metabolites after administrating TSC related to oxidative stress, amino acid metabolism and energy metabolism disturbances. Some enzymes (alanine-glyoxylate aminotransferase-2, tyrosine hydroxylase, dopa decarboxylase, etc.) related to metabolic biomarkers were predicted as the potential targets of TSC treatment on SHRs. The discoveries are helpful to understand the antihypertensive mechanism of TSC and provide theoretical evidence for its future research, development and clinical use.
Role of prostatic specific antigen density and its correlation with histopathology in diagnosis of the carcinoma of prostrate

Background: The specific threshold for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to delineate patients who are at the highest risk has been controversial. It is wiser to refine PSA by its derivative parameter like PSAD (PSA/vol) which can be used as a better diagnostic tool in early detection of carcinoma of prostrate. To evaluate sensitivity and specificity of PSAD in diagnosis of carcinoma of prostrate.Methods: A study including 70 patients was done in Pravara Medical College and Rural Hospital, Loni. Patients were screened for prostatic diseases by DRE, blood PSA (ng/ml) estimation, prostatic volume by transabdominal ultrasonography and prostatic biopsy by FNAC or Tru cut Biopsy.Results: In the present study maximum incidence of BPH and CaP manifested in the age group of 61-70 (i.e., 35.18%) and Ca prostate were in age group of 71-80 (i.e., 50%). The maximum number of patients with BPH were having PSA values between 3-10 ng/ml, where as in CaP the value varied between 10.1-20 ng/ml. The maximum number of patients were in the range of 3-10 ng/ml in which age group 61-70 were having highest (35.71% of the pts in that range) followed by PSA range 10.1-20 ng/ml in which, age group 71-80 have shown maximum number (54.54% of the pts in that range) . The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy of PSAD in diagnosing malignant prostatic diseases were analysed and values were as follows: sensitivity: 87.50%, specificity: 92.59%. Conclusions: It was concluded that patients with PSAD >0.15 can be advised for prostatic biopsy and regular follow so that appropriate treatment is performed and mortality due to prostatic malignancy is reduced.
The Role of Graphene Oxide in the Exothermic Mechanism of Al/CuO Nanocomposites

Metastable intermixed composites (MICs) have received increasing attention in the field of energy materials in recent years due to their high energy and good combustion performance. The exploration of ways of improving their potential release of heat is still underway. In this study, Al–CuO/graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites were prepared using a combination of the self-assembly and in-suit synthesis methods. The formulation and experimental conditions were also optimized to maximize the exothermic heat. The DSC analysis shows that the addition of the GO made a significant contribution to the exothermic effect of the nanothermite. Compared with the Al–CuO nanothermite, the exothermic heat of the Al–CuO/GO nanocomposites increase by 306.9–1166.3 J/g and the peak temperatures dropped by 7.9–26.4 °C with different GO content. The reaction mechanism of the nanocomposite was investigated using a DSC and thermal reaction kinetics analysis. It was found that, compared with typical thermite reactions, the addition of the GO changed the reaction pathway of the nanothermite. The reaction products included CuAlO2. Moreover, the combustion properties of nanocomposite were investigated. This work reveals the unique mechanism of GO in thermite reactions, which may promote the application of carbon materials in nanothermite.