Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Plasma PD-L1 as a biomarker in the clinical management of glioblastoma multiforme—a retrospective cohort study

Background and objectives Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive, malignant, and therapy-resistant tumor of the brain. Blockade therapy targeting the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed death ligand (PD-L1) axis is currently under investigation for the clinical management of the GBM. This study has quantified the plasma levels of PD-L1 as a biomarker for the clinical management of GBM. Methods A cohort (n = 128) of Pakistani adult glioblastoma patients together with age- and sex-matched healthy controls was used for quantification of pre-surgery levels of plasma PD-L1. PD-L1 protein and mRNA were measured by PD-L1 platinum enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and quantitative real-time PCR, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to compute area under the curve (AUC) for specificity and sensitivity analyses. The Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was employed to compute overall survival. Results PD-L1 protein and mRNA were significantly higher in GBM compared to the healthy controls (p < 0.0001). Mean PD-L1 concentration for the GBM was found to be 48.98 ± 2.290 pg/ml compared to 27.63 ± 1.281 pg/ml for controls. Gene expression analysis showed statistically significant upregulation (p < 0.0001) of PD-L1 in blood of GBM compared to healthy controls. Plasma PD-L1 showed an AUC of 0.840 (p < 0.0001; 95% CI = 0.7716 to 0.9090) where a cutoff value higher than 46 pg/ml demonstrated 100% specificity and 57.81% sensitivity. Higher pre-surgery levels of PD-L1 were found to be associated with overall poor survival [p < 0.0001; HR (log-rank) = 0.08; 95% CI = 0.04 to 0.15]. Age, gender, and ethnic background were not found to be associated with plasma PD-L1 levels. Conclusion The study concludes that blood-based measurements of PD-L1 in GBM can be a promising prognostic marker and therapeutic target besides a rapid and relatively non-invasive screening tool for routine clinical management. Future work extending the analysis to larger cohorts through multi-center collaborations involving pre-treatment and post-treatment groups is required to fully explore the usefulness of circulating PD-L1 for effective clinical applications.
Contributions to the Control Theory of Some Partial Functional Integrodifferential Equations In Banach Spaces

This thesis is a contribution to Control Theory of some Partial Functional Integrodifferential Equations in Banach spaces. It is made up of two parts: controllability and existence of optimal controls. In the first part, we consider the dynamical control systems given by the following models that arise in the analysis of heat conduction in materials with memory, and viscoelasticity, and take the form of a: • Partial functional integrodifferential equation subject to a nonlocal initial condition in a Banach space (X, ‖ · ‖) :  x′(t) = Ax(t) + ∫ t 0 B(t− s)x(s)ds + f(t, x(t)) + Cu(t) for t ∈ I = [0, b], x(0) = x0 + g(x), (0.0.1) where x0 ∈ X, g : C(I,X) → X and f : I × X → X are functions satisfying some conditions; A : D(A) → X is the infinitesimal generator of a C0-semigroup ( T (t) ) t≥0 on X; for t ≥ 0, B(t) is a closed linear operator with domain D(B(t)) ⊃ D(A). The control u belongs to L(I, U) which is a Banach space of admissible controls, where U is a Banach space. • Partial functional integrodifferential equation with finite delay in a Ba-
Effect of Dietary Approaches on Glycemic Control in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review with Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials

Background: Dietary patterns play a critical role in diabetes management, while the best dietary pattern for Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients is still unclear. The aim of this network meta-analysis was to compare the impacts of various dietary approaches on the glycemic control of T2DM patients. Methods: Relevant studies were retrieved from PubMed, Embase, Web of Knowledge, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and other additional records (1949 to 31 July 2022). Eligible RCTs were those comparing different dietary approaches against each other or a control diet in individuals with T2DM for at least 6 months. We assessed the risk of bias of included studies with the Cochrane risk of bias tool and confidence of estimates with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach for network meta-analyses. In order to determine the pooled effect of each dietary approach relative to each other, we performed a network meta-analysis (NMA) for interventions for both HbA1c and fasting glucose, which enabled us to estimate the relative intervention effects by combing both direct and indirect trial evidence. Results: Forty-two RCTs comprising 4809 patients with T2DM were included in the NMA, comparing 10 dietary approaches (low-carbohydrate, moderate-carbohydrate, ketogenic, low-fat, high-protein, Mediterranean, Vegetarian/Vegan, low glycemic index, recommended, and control diets). In total, 83.3% of the studies were at a lower risk of bias or had some concerns. Findings of the NMA revealed that the ketogenic, low-carbohydrate, and low-fat diets were significantly effective in reducing HbA1c (viz., −0.73 (−1.19, −0.28), −0.69 (−1.32, −0.06), and −1.82 (−2.93, −0.71)), while moderate-carbohydrate, low glycemic index, Mediterranean, high-protein, and low-fat diets were significantly effective in reducing fasting glucose (viz., −1.30 (−1.92, −0.67), −1.26 (−2.26, −0.27), −0.95 (−1.51, −0.38), −0.89 (−1.60, −0.18) and −0.75 (−1.24, −0.27)) compared to a control diet. The clustered ranking plot for combined outcomes indicated the ketogenic, Mediterranean, moderate-carbohydrate, and low glycemic index diets had promising effects for controlling HbA1c and fasting glucose. The univariate meta-regressions showed that the mean reductions of HbA1c and fasting glucose were only significantly related to the mean weight change of the subjects. Conclusions: For glycemic control in T2DM patients, the ketogenic diet, Mediterranean diet, moderate-carbohydrate diet, and low glycemic index diet were effective options. Although this study found the ketogenic diet superior, further high-quality and long-term studies are needed to strengthen its credibility.
Face Recognition using Multi Region Prominent LBP Representation

Various face recognition methods are derived using local features among them the Local Binary Pattern (LBP) approach is very famous. The histogram techniques based on LBP is a complex task. Later Uniform Local Binary Pattern (ULBP) is derived on LBP, based on the bitwise transitions and ULBP’s are treated as the fundamental property of texture. The ULBP approach treated all Non-Uniform Local Binary Patterns’ (NULBP) into one miscellaneous label. Recently we have derived Prominent LBP (PLBP), Maximum PLBP (MPLBP) and Smallest PLBP (SPLBP). The PLBP consists of the majority of the ULBP’s and some of the NULBP’s. The basic disadvantage of these various variants of LBP’s is they are basically local approaches and completely failed in representing features derived from large regions or macrostructures, which are very much essential for faces. This paper derives PLBP’s on the large region. The rectangular region of this paper is assumed with a size of multiples of three and PLBPs are evaluated on dividing each region into multiple regions. The proposed Multi Region-PLBP (MR-PLBP) approach is tested on three facial databases namely Yale, Indian and AT&T ORL. The experimental results show the proposed approach significantly outperforms the other LBP based face recognition methods.
CMOS Folded-Cascode versus Inverter-based CSA towards Noise Performance and Speed

In this work, a detailed comparison of the folded-cascode and the inverter-based charge sensitive amplifier structures is presented. The analysis is focused on the topologies’ noise performance over the operation bandwidth and the respective noise components contribution. An NMOS-input folded-cascode and an inverter-based topology are designed in a 22 nm process. The comparison of the charge sensitive amplifier structures is performed through advanced noise analysis, after careful consideration of the design parameters. Simulation results provide enhanced insight in terms of the amplifiers’ noise behavior and the respective noise source for each topology.
Formulation and In-vitro Evaluation of Bilayer Tablet of Olmesartan Medoxomil for Biphasic Drug Release

Objective: The current study aimed to optimize the bioavailability and absorption of olmesartan in the lower gastrointestinal tract by creating a bilayer tablet for biphasic drug release. Methods: Microcrystalline cellulose was combined and direct compression the requirement for an early response to address an undesirable defect or condition. In the current instance, 5 mg of olmesartan must be released immediately, and the remaining 10 mg of olmesartan must be released gradually to maintain the therapeutic concentration. In order to adjust the release pattern of the olmesartan sustained release tablet in accordance with the needs of therapy and IP guidelines. Result: The best cumulative drug release was demonstrated by formulation. All formulations for immediate release support the first-order kinetics. As a result, all three formulations were chosen for additional research. Dissolution rate for long-term release Cumulative drug release from the SR1 to SR3 formulations using HPMC K15M and gum acacia was up to 24 hours. Utilizing HPMC K15M and guar gum, the formulations SR1, SR2, and SR3 demonstrated cumulative drug releases of 72.66, 69.19, and 92.66%, respectively. The best cumulative release of the drug was demonstrated by formulations SR1, SR2, and SR3. Consequently, everyone was chosen for additional research. The cumulative drug release for the IR1-SR1, IR2-SR2, and IR3-SR3 bilayer tablet formulations was 95.24, 90.15, and 91.09%. Up to 12 hours of cumulative drug release from the formulation was observed. As a result, it was determined that IR1-SR1 was the best formulation out of all of them due to its strong correlation between the total cumulative percentage of medication releases and time, which was 95.24% up to 12 hours.
Lump solutions to the BKP equation by symbolic computation

Lump solutions are rationally localized in all directions in the space. A general class of lump solutions to the (2+1)-dimensional B-Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (BKP) equation is presented through symbolic computation with Maple. The Hirota bilinear form of the equation is the starting point in the computation process. Like the KP equation, the resulting lump solutions contain six arbitrary parameters. Two of the parameters are due to the translation invariances of the BKP equation with the independent variables, and the other four need to satisfy a nonzero determinant condition and the positivity condition, which guarantee analyticity and rational localization of the solutions.
Scholarly reading (and writing) and the power of impact factors: a study of distributed cognition and intellectual habits

Using observational interviews and introducing theories of embodied and distributed cognition, this study examines the scholarly reading and the intellectual habits of a group of social scientists. All participants were working at universities in task environments dominated by digital artifacts and technologies. The study found a strong connection between scholarly reading and the scholars' writing processes and a further coupling to their digital publishing activity. While examining the participants' print and online reading, it turned out that their reading was so tightly coupled to their writing that this entanglement had to be at the core of the analysis. In the study, scholarly reading and writing are analyzed as cognitive processes that extend beyond the brain and body and comprise cognitive artifacts of texts and their material bearers, such as printouts, digital displays, computers, and the Internet. In the process of creating text—or reading and writing—brains, bodies, and artifacts are considered to be dynamically coupled in a distributed cognitive process. Based on interviews with a sample of academics, the study analyses how their scholarly reading relates to the other elements in such an extended process and how they utilize the affordances of cognitive digital artifacts in their creative and intellectual endeavors.
Leveraging Data Science to Advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

This paper explores the potential of leveraging data science to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Data science is a multidisciplinary field that uses statistical and computational methods to extract insights and knowledge from data. The SDGs are 17 interrelated goals designed to promote sustainable development and eradicate poverty. The paper discusses how data science techniques can be applied to each of the 17 SDGs and also mentions the role of AI in achieving the SDGs. While data science presents a tremendous opportunity to advance the SDGs, it poses challenges like data privacy or quality. The paper reviews several examples of how data science has been used to address specific SDGs, such as ending hunger, promoting health and well-being, and reducing inequalities. The paper also discusses some of the challenges and opportunities for leveraging data science in the context of the SDGs, including issues related to data quality, privacy, and equity. Overall, the paper argues that data science has the potential to be a powerful tool for advancing the SDGs, but that careful attention must be paid to the ethical and social implications of data-driven approaches.
A pseudo-memcapacitive neurotransistor for spiking neural networks

In this paper, we present a pseudo-memcapacitive neurotransistor by embedding a nonvolatile, abrupt-switching memristor at the gate of an NMOS transistor to emulate neuronal integrate and fire behavior. Neural networks, implementing spike-based computing paradigms on hardware platforms, integrating memristor crossbar arrays on underlying CMOS circuitry, operate similarly as neuronal networks in the human brain, which can significantly improve the time and energy efficiency of standard data processors. We demonstrate that also nonvolatile memristors can be considered to realize neuronal leaky integration and firing functionality including the neuron reset being performed intrinsically by a sufficiently discharged ’membrane’ potential at the gate of a transistor. A versatile, compact and abrupt-switching model of a nonvolatile memristor with built-in cycle-to-cycle variability is proposed, forming a pseudo-memcapacitance along with the gate capacitance and evoking conditional neuronal spike generation depending upon the properties of the input pulse train. The SPICE code of the pseudo-memcapacitive neurotransistor is applied to verify the design parameters that trigger firing. Finally, the envisaged circuit realization of the proposed design is discussed.
A Simulation Based Comparative Analysis for Web Pages and Link Queries Using Web Ranking Algorithms

In the realm of web information retrieval, the effectiveness of ranking algorithms plays a pivotal role in providing accurate and relevant search results. This simulation-based comparative analysis aims to explore the performance of two prominent ranking algorithms, namely PageRank and Weighted Page Ranking, in the context of web pages and link queries. By leveraging a comprehensive dataset comprising web pages and links, we conduct a meticulous simulation study to evaluate the effectiveness of these algorithms. Through iterative calculations and convergence analysis, we determine the rankings assigned to web pages based on their importance and connectivity within the web graph. The comparison is carried out using multiple evaluation metrics, including precision, recall, and mean average precision, to assess the algorithm’s performance in retrieving relevant web pages and handling link queries. The simulations provide valuable results of both PageRank and Weighted Page Ranking algorithms, shedding light on their applicability in various information retrieval scenarios. The performance of PageRank and Weighted PageRank algorithms can vary depending on the specific dataset, weighting factors and evaluation metrics used. The better algorithm in terms of results may depend on the particular goals and requirements of applications.
Crop production in northwestern Ethiopian highlands under changing climate

Climate change is the most serious threat to agricultural productivity. Ethiopia's agricultural sector is affected by climate change. The northern part of Ethiopia is among the drought prone and topographically diversified areas. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of climate change on crop yields, assess the pattern of rainfall maximum and lowest temperatures and assess the trajectory of selected crop yields. Historical weather station and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) power data were collected from 1981 to 2020. The Mann–Kendall (MK) trend test and Sen's slope (SS) method estimator were employed to estimate the trends and the direction of the trend. RClimDex package is used for climate extreme analysis. Nine rainfall and 11 temperature indices from a list of 27 extreme rainfall and temperature indices were used. The study found that the rainfall showed a significant decreasing and insignificant decreasing trend in Farta and Yilmana Densa districts, respectively. Maximum and minimum temperatures in both sites showed increasing trends. Rainfall happenings become more unanticipated, owing to the precipitation concentration index and anomaly trends. The majority of the indicators for extreme rainfall at both sites showed a downward trend. With the exception of the duration of cold spells, the annual lowest value of the daily minimum temperature, cold days and cold nights, the majority of the extreme temperature indices at both sites showed an increasing trend. The principal crop yields were connected with rainfall and temperature fluctuation, according to Pearson's product–moment correlation results, although the effects varied by crop and region. In summary, rising temperatures and decreasing precipitation may have a negative influence on agricultural activities, especially crop productivity.
Forces driving fast flow channels, dipolarizations, and turbulence in the magnetotail

Fast flow channels are a major contributor to earthward transport in the magnetotail. Fast flow channels originate at reconnection sites in the magnetotail and terminate with dipolarizations, earthward moving regions of enhanced magnetic field. We have used a global magnetohydrodynamic simulation of magnetotail dynamics during a substorm on 7 February 2009 to investigate the stresses in the plasma sheet. In particular, we present an analysis of forces in and around flow channels and dipolarizations. Earthward of the dipolarization magnetic and thermal pressure forces are nearly in equilibrium. Tailward of the dipolarization the pattern of stresses is complex, but several general features are evident. In the earthward flow channel the magnetic tension force dominates. In the dipolarization a tailward magnetic force is partially balanced by the earthward pressure force. The stresses in azimuth (y) are variable. In some places they cause the flow stream to meander, while in others they cause the stream to become wider or narrower. A major consequence of fast earthward flow channels is that they drive large‐scale vortices that initiate turbulence.
SOIL SPECTRAL MAPPING AND ITS CORRELATION WITH THE TRADITIONAL METHODOLOGY

Abstract: The use of remote sensing is increasing in agriculture and this raises questions about its efficiency over other usual methods. Thus, the purposes of this study were to compare methodologies for soil mapping, using field samplings and spectral data (from laboratory and from a simulated Landsat-TM), and to estimate their correlation. The soil samples were collected in a wetland with a great variety of soil classes. The distribution of soil classes in the maps was based on independence analysis by the Chi-square. Ten soil classes were determined in the study area, 6 in the first category level. The map of laboratory spectral data showed low correlation with conventional data. The map of spectral data that simulated wavelenghts corresponding the spectral bands of Landsat-TM sensor showed the same behavior of the previous map, with lower correlation with the conventional data. Thus, we verified that the mapping of paddy soils with spectral data shows low correlation with conventional data, however, still rather positive.
Improved Coding Techniques for MPPM-like Systems

Improved Coding Techniques for MPPM-like Systems Siyu Liu Master of Applied Science, The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering University of Toronto 2009 Multipulse pulse position modulation (MPPM) has been widely proposed to improve data rate over the traditional pulse position modulation (PPM) in free-space optical communication systems. However, there is no known efficient method of encoding MPPM codewords. Furthermore, MPPM is not the optimal coding scheme (in terms of data rate) given the two main constraints of optical systems (duty cycle and zero runlength). In this work, an improved encoding technique for MPPM is provided as well as an analysis of regions where significant rate gain over MPPM is achievable. A new coding technique based on constrained coding is introduced that allows construction of codes which achieves considerable rate gain over comparable MPPM systems. In addition, our new codes allow for convenient concatenation with an outer-code and are suitable for iterative decoding. Simulation results show that these codes can achieve a 6 dB coding gain over comparable MPPM systems.
Specific features of penetration and trapping of a magnetic flux in film and bulk YBCO high-temperature superconductors

An oscillatory differential method of local diagnostics of superconductors is applied to the analysis of the trapped magnetic flux and the effective demagnetization factor in YBCO samples. Regular steps over certain intervals of the external field are observed on the magnetic-field dependence of these parameters. It is demonstrated that, as the external field increases, crystallites in a sample are decomposed into sub- and nanocrystallites with a size much less than the penetration depth [Formula: see text] of the magnetic field. The first critical thermodynamic magnetic fields of sub- and nanocrystallites are determined. These results allow one to reveal the interaction mechanism between magnetic and crystalline microstructures of superconductors and provide a deeper insight into the physical processes that occur in high-temperature superconductors (HTSCs) in a magnetic field.