Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Alzheimer case: perceptions, knowledge and the acquisition of information about Alzheimer's disease by middle-aged and older adults in Flanders

Abstract Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a major health concern as the world population ages. Yet, few studies have examined what the public over the age of 50 knows about AD. This qualitative study, based on 40 in-depth interviews, examines the knowledge of AD by Flemish people between 50 and 80 years old and their cross-source engagement with information sources. Building on AD media representations and theories on media complementarity and health information behaviour, we find that respondents mostly encounter AD information non-purposively via traditional mass media and interpersonal communication, while the internet is occasionally used to purposefully seek information. Novels, personal experiences/social proximity, public figures and particularly film stand out as channels and sources of AD information, suggesting that fictional narratives, personal experiences and being able to identify with others leave lasting impressions and help to communicate and disperse AD information. However, common misconceptions and gaps in knowledge persist, including AD being considered part of the normal ageing process and old age as well as confusing AD with Parkinson's disease. The biomedical perspective and the tragedy discourse prevail among the majority of respondents, who describe AD in terms of decline, loss and death and as ‘the beginning of the end’. Only a few, typically female respondents, appear aware of the role of individual health behaviour and lifestyle choices to prevent dementia or delay its onset. The misconceptions of AD and gaps in knowledge, as well as the fact that a third of all cases of dementia might be delayed or prevented by managing lifestyle and other risk factors, stress the importance of public educational programmes and the need to emphasise and raise awareness of preventative behaviour. Overall, the findings from this study can be of help to public health communicators and dementia-awareness campaigns, as well as AD training programmes for health-care professionals and family care-givers.
Effects of Cryotherapy and Foam Rolling Recovery Methods on Performance and Muscle Damage Indices in Young Male Soccer Players After Simulated Soccer Match

Background: Research is limited on the effectiveness of various post-soccer match recovery methods. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of active recovery methods on performance and muscle damage indices in young male soccer players. Methods: In this study, 21 male subjects (age 16.95 ± 2, height 175.29 ± 4, weight 65.99 ± 5) were selected and divided randomly into three recovery groups after a simulated soccer match. Foam roller recovery included massaging various muscle groups using a foam roller. Recovery by immersion in cold water involved immersing the body up to the neck in cold water at 15 °C. In inactive recovery, the subjects had no activity. The Yo-Yo recovery test, Sargent jump test, 20-m speed test, lactometer, and ELISA tests were used to measure the variables of aerobic power, explosive power, speed, lactate, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatinine kinase, respectively. A two-way ANOVA test with repeated measures was used to determine the differences at a confidence interval of 95%. Results: A significant difference was observed between the foam roller recovery group and the control group 24 hours after the simulated soccer match in muscle damage indices (P value < 0.05). However, in the active recovery group comparison, no significant difference was observed in the performance indices (P value < 0.05). Conclusions: It seems that foam rolling recovery can be used as a useful way to accelerate recovery compared to water immersion recovery through a reduction in inflammatory responses.
ProtÉdge: A few‐shot ensemble learning approach to software‐defined networking‐assisted edge security

The rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm has had a significant impact on our lives through many use cases including smart farming, smart homes, and smart healthcare among others. Due to the capacity‐constrained nature of many IoT devices, edge computing has become a significant aid for IoT, replacing cloud computing to support the extremely low latency requirements. With the number of smart devices growing exponentially, the large attack surface created by these devices is concerning. Software‐defined networking (SDN) based architectures come to the rescue of edge‐assisted IoT environments to achieve enhanced security, and they strongly rely on intelligent decision‐making capabilities to act upon the high volume of traffic they control. Machine learning‐based intelligence is already utilized by these systems with successful results when abundant training data are available; however, most algorithms fail in the lack of sufficient training data. In this article, we propose ProtÉdge, an SDN‐based intelligent security architecture for edge‐assisted IoT networks, which utilizes a few‐shot learning classifier, namely prototypical networks, for highly accurate detection of intrusions. We evaluate the performance of the proposed model with the Bot‐IoT data set consisting of real‐world IoT network flows, as well as an SDN data set modeling an edge‐assisted IoT environment and the UNSW‐NB15 data set, and show that the proposed model achieves significantly better performance than state‐of‐the‐art models in the absence of large amounts of sample attacks. The proposed architecture is promising to achieve intelligent security in future's ubiquitous edge‐enabled IoT with its low processing overhead and high intrusion detection accuracy.
Examining the Effects of eWOM, Trust Inclination, and Information Adoption on Purchase Intentions in an Accelerated Digital Marketing Context

The study focuses on the canvas of online information transmission that has expanded exponentially. Especially due to social media networks, consumers have been exposed to significant amounts of disinformation, misinformation and actual information. Electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) on social media networks has been facilitating swift information spread. Henceforth, it has become increasingly problematic for consumers to adopt authentic information and differentiate between marketers-generated content and user-generated content. The study aims to unfold the factors that lead to the information adoption that consequently motivates consumers to purchase products and services. The research study provides a comprehensive framework to re-configure factors that lead to consumers’ purchase intentions in the digital economy. Respondents of the study were those individuals who have been buying products online. The theoretically knitted causal relationships were estimated using a structural equation modelling (SEM) technique. The results indicate that trust inclination and information adoption sequentially mediate relationships between information quality, information usefulness, perceived risk and argument quality with purchase intentions.
Biofortified bean genotypes under integrated soil fertility management across sub-humid agro-ecological zones of The Democratic Republic of Congo

This study was implemented to evaluate the performance of biofortified bean under different integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) options and agro-ecological conditions in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). A Split-plot design with eight genotypes as main factors and four ISFM options as secondary factors was carried out in eight production zones distributed across South-Kivu, North-Kivu, and Katanga provinces. The application of lime + manure + NPK increased the bean yield by 173% in Lohutu. Compared to local variety in Lohutu, the CODMLB001 variety under the same option increased the yield by 252%. The same ISFM option allowed best response in terms of micronutrient content of bean in Rutshuru, inducing up to 80.3 mg.kg-1 Fe, representing increase 41%. For Zn, the best response was obtained with lime + NPK applied in Kipopo that induced up to 32.2 mg.kg-1 Zn. Lime + manure + NPK fertilizer option reduced root rot severity by 17.8% compared to the control. This study confirmed the potential of increasing bean productivity, micronutrient and reducing the severity of major diseases through application of soil fertility management options, which will vary with the bean genotype and the environment under which bean is cultivated. Key words: Integrated soil fertility management, bean yield, micronutrient content, disease control, Phaseolus vulgaris L.
The Enablers and Outcomes of Research Productivity among Junior High School Mathematics Teachers: A Structural Model

Research is a universally acknowledged tool in and for education. This study investigates the enablers and outcomes of research productivity of high school mathematics teachers. Using partial least square structural equation modelling, data from 211 tenth-grade mathematics teachers of five public schools divisions in the northeastern part of Philippines was evaluated. Findings showed that the research participation and productivity respondents was generally low but the teacher-researchers’ growth potential is immense. The individual-institutional-leadership model strongly and positively influenced research productivity. Leadership in research in the school level is a critical area towards research productivity. The findings have policy implications in terms on how to encourage mathematics teachers to participate in research-related activities that will contribute to a research-informed teaching and learning. It is highly recommended to develop interventions to improve involvement, extrinsic motivation, mentoring, networking, resources, and leadership domains.
Closed-Loop High-Fidelity Simulation Integrating Finite Element Modeling With Feedback Controls in Additive Manufacturing

A high-precision additive manufacturing (AM) process, powder bed fusion (PBF) has enabled unmatched agile manufacturing of a wide range of products from engine components to medical implants. While finite element modeling and closed-loop control have been identified key for predicting and engineering part qualities in PBF, existing results in each realm are developed in opposite computational architectures wildly different in time scale. This paper builds a first-instance closed-loop simulation framework by integrating high-fidelity finite element modeling with feedback controls originally developed for general mechatronics systems. By utilizing the output signals (e.g., melt pool width) retrieved from the finite element model (FEM) to update directly the control signals (e.g., laser power) sent to the model, the proposed closed-loop framework enables testing the limits of advanced controls in PBF and surveying the parameter space fully to generate more predictable part qualities. Along the course of formulating the framework, we verify the FEM by comparing its results with experimental and analytical solutions and then use the FEM to understand the melt-pool evolution induced by the in- and cross-layer thermomechanical interactions. From there, we build a repetitive control (RC) algorithm to attenuate variations of the melt pool width.
Mouse model of menstruation: An indispensable tool to investigate the mechanisms of menstruation and gynaecological diseases

Abnormal menstruation may result in several pathological alterations and gynaecological diseases, including endometriosis, menstrual pain and miscarriage. However, the pathogenesis of menstruation remains unclear due to the limited number of animal models available to study the menstrual cycle. In recent years, an effective, reproducible, and highly adaptive mouse model to study menstruation has been developed. In this model, progesterone and oestrogen were administered in cycles following the removal of ovaries. Subsequently, endometrial decidualisation was induced using sesame oil, followed by withdrawal of progesterone administration. Vaginal bleeding in mice is similar to that in humans. Therefore, the use of mice as a model organism to study the mechanism of menstruation and gynaecological diseases may prove to be an important breakthrough. The present review is focussed ond the development and applications of a mouse model of menstruation. Furthermore, various studies have been described to improve this model and the research findings that may aid in the treatment of menstrual disorders in women are presented.
Influence of electric arc furnace dust and lime kiln waste in Portland cement hydration

Abstract Studies have indicated that the use of electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) results in a delay in the hydration time of Portland cement. Calcium-rich waste such as lime kiln waste (LKW) is one of the techniques used to offset this delay as it accounts for the lack of this element in calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) production in the mixture. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) and lime kiln waste (LKW) in the hydration process of Portland cement pastes and their influence in setting time and hydration heat. The methodology used required several steps: physiochemical and micro-structural characterization of waste samples; definition and production cement pastes with different levels of waste substitution and a reference paste and evaluation of the cement pastes with respect to setting time and hydration heat. Results showed that the substitution of 1% EAFD with or without LKW presented similar hydration heats as the reference paste. This indicated that EAFD+LKW substitution would not affect substantially the hydration reactions of cement and could allow waste recycling in construction materials.
Coexistence of Periods in Parallel and Sequential Boolean Graph Dynamical Systems over Directed Graphs

In this work, we solve the problem of the coexistence of periodic orbits in homogeneous Boolean graph dynamical systems that are induced by a maxterm or a minterm (Boolean) function, with a direct underlying dependency graph. Specifically, we show that periodic orbits of any period can coexist in both kinds of update schedules, parallel and sequential. This result contrasts with the properties of their counterparts over undirected graphs with the same evolution operators, where fixed points cannot coexist with periodic orbits of other different periods. These results complete the study of the periodic structure of homogeneous Boolean graph dynamical systems on maxterm and minterm functions.
Divergence and the Complexity of Difference in Text and Culture

Measuring how much two documents differ is a basic task in the quantitative analysis of text. Because difference is a complex, interpretive concept, researchers often operationalize difference as distance, a mathematical function that represents documents through a metaphor of physical space. Yet the constraints of that metaphor mean that distance can only capture some of the ways that documents can relate to each other. We show how a more general concept, divergence, can help solve this problem, alerting us to new ways in which documents can relate to each other. In contrast to distance, divergence can capture enclosure relationships, where two documents differ because the patterns found in one are a partial subset of those in the other, and the emergence of shortcuts, where two documents can be brought closer through mediation by a third. We provide an example of this difference measure, Kullback–Leibler Divergence, and apply it to two worked examples: the presentation of scientific arguments in Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species (1859) and the rhetorical structure of philosophical texts by Aristotle, David Hume, and Immanuel Kant. These examples illuminate the complex relationship between time and what we refer to as an archive’s “enclosure architecture”, and show how divergence can be used in the quantitative analysis of historical, literary, and cultural texts to reveal cognitive structures invisible to spatial metaphors.
Combining Multi-Site/Multi-Study MRI Data: Linked-ICA Denoising for Removing Scanner and Site Variability from Multimodal MRI Data

Large multi-site studies that pool magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data across research sites or studies, or that utilize shared data from imaging repositories, present exceptional opportunities to advance neuroscience and enhance reproducibility of neuroimaging research. However, both scanner and site variability are confounds that hinder pooling data collected across different sites or across different operating systems on the same scanner, even when all acquisition protocols are harmonized. These confounds degrade statistical analyses and can lead to spurious findings. Unfortunately, methods to address this problem are scant. In this study, we propose a novel denoising approach for multi-site multimodal MRI data that implements a data-driven linked independent component analysis (LICA) to efficiently identify scanner/site-related effects for removal. Removing these effects results in denoised data that can then be combined across sites/studies to improve modality-specific statistical processing. We use data from six different studies collected on the same scanner across major hardware (gradient and head coil) and software upgrades to demonstrate our LICA-based denoising approach. The proposed method is superior compared to the existing methods we tested and has great potential for large-scale multi-site studies to produce combined data free from study/site confounds.
Computational Approaches towards Micro-RNA Expression Analysis for Identification of Biomarkers in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Subtypes

Background and Aim: The potential biomarkers of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) were analyzed from GSE53867 dataset. The current study aimed to identify miRNAs as potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers to delineate the IBD subtypes. Methods: Differentially expressed microRNAs (DEMs)-genes and protein-protein interaction networks were constructed and hub genes were selected using Cytoscape. Differentially expressed genes were analyzed for GO (Gene Ontology) and Reactome-pathway. Results: Seven DEMs were upregulated in Crohn’s disease (CD), 4 downregulated in ulcerative colitis (UC), 8 upregulated and 2 downregulated in IBD. A 620, 2377 and 1821 target-genes were in CD, UC and IBD, respectively. SOCS3, upregulated by miR-650, was hub gene in CD, induced by cytokines, through NFKB-signalling pathway to mediate ubiquitin-proteasomal degradation. CIRH1A, downregulated by miR-16, was hub gene of UC, acted by impairing ribosomebiogenesis. SKP2 and ASB1, up- and downregulated, by miR-142 and miR-665, respectively, were hub genes of IBD, induced cytokines through activation of TLR- and TNF-signalling pathways to mediate ubiquitin-proteasomal degradation. Conclusion: The SOCS3, CIRH1A, SKP2 and ASB1 genes might serve as valuable biomarkers to differentiate CD, UC and IBD.
Phenotypic and Genetic Differentiation Between Sex Chromosome Races of Rumex hastatulus (Polygonaceae)

Wind-pollinated plants often have little genetic structure owing to high gene flow. However, sex chromosomes evolution promotes divergence, potentially leading to population subdivision. Rumex hastatulus (Polygonaceae) is a wind-pollinated, dioecious coloniser of open disturbed land with two sex chromosome races (SCRs), which occupy different parts of the species’ range in the southern USA. My thesis investigated phenotypic and genetic differentiation between the SCRs, based on a study of 28 populations sampled throughout the range. A glasshouse experiment demonstrated significant differentiation between the SCRs in several life-history traits, several of which exhibited clinal variation. Analysis of population genetic structure, based on 13 nuclear loci, revealed two distinct clusters corresponding to the two SCRs, with an estimated origin of the North Carolina SCR from the Texas SCR between ~5000–15000 generations ago. My results indicate that the SCRs have developed a moderate degree of phenotypic and genetic differentiation despite ongoing gene flow.
Otolith chemistry of Electrona antarctica suggests a potential population marker distinguishing the southern Kerguelen Plateau from the eastward‐flowing Antarctic Circumpolar Current

Large submarine plateaus impede the eastward flow of the deep‐reaching Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), and at the southern Kerguelen Plateau (SKP), the ACC flow is steered north through the Fawn Trough and south through the Princess Elizabeth Trough. During the Kerguelen Axis study, a regional‐scale ecosystem survey, oceanographic sampling showed the ACC water properties west of the SKP to be distinct from those over the SKP. Electrona antarctica, a dominant mesopelagic fish species, is associated with Circumpolar Deep Water transported by the ACC, and modified versions that occur over and downstream from the SKP including along the Antarctic continental slope. Here, otolith chemistry from samples of E. antarctica collected during the survey were used to test a biophysical hypothesis predicting structuring and movement between populations along zonal flow in the ACC. In chemistry deposited during early life in the otolith nuclei, the relationship between MgCa−1 and SrCa−1 showed complete separation between fish collected over the SKP and within the ACC proper, indicating population differentiation. Chemistry from the otolith edges, deposited during the period leading up to capture, showed significantly higher concentrations of MgCa−1 over the SKP, likely related to differences in feeding and reproduction. Fish with nucleus chemistry characteristic of the SKP were also found in samples caught further east, suggesting they were transported along the ACC downstream, and southward toward the Antarctic continent within the Australian–Antarctic Gyre.
Investigation on hypoglycemic, antioxidant and Hypolipidemic activity of ethanolic leaf extract of Cordia sebestena in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Herbal drugs are frequently considered to be less toxic and also free from side effects, than synthetic ones. Hence, the present study is an attempt to study antihyperglycemic property of Cordia sebestena against streptozotocin induced diabetes. The effect of alcoholic extract of Cordia sebestena on blood glucose and liver glycogen were studied in the diabetic rats. The study also assessed for the effect of plant extract for their effect on SOD, catalase, GSH and LPO in the homogenates of the pancreas. The results of the present study attests significant antidiabetic and antioxidant potential for the selected plants individually and also in combination as a prominent decrease in blood glucose and liver glycogen was observed in the rats treated with the extracts of the selected plants. Similarly, the levels of the protective antioxidant enzymes like SOD, catalase and GSH were increased along with decrease in the LPO levels. The present study provides a scientific evidence for antidiabetic and antioxidant potential of Cordia sebestena.
Neonatal Zika virus infection causes epileptic seizures, viral persistence and long-term behavioral impairment

A causal relationship between congenital Zika virus (ZIKV) exposure and microcephaly and other neurological disorders have been established, but long-term consequences of infection are still unknown. We evaluated acute and late neuropathological and behavioral consequences of ZIKV infection in a neonatal immunocompetent mouse model. ZIKV showed brain tropism, causing post-natal microcephaly and several behavioral dysfunctions. During the acute phase of infection, mice developed very frequent epileptic seizures, which are consistently reduced by TNF-α neutralization. Although adult animals recover from seizures, they become more susceptible to chemically-induced crises. Intriguingly, the virus remained actively replicating in adult animals, which show persistent necrosis and calcifications in the mice brain. Altogether the results reveal late consequences of neonatal ZIKV exposure and suggest the early inhibition of neuroinflammation as a potential treatment.