Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Periodontal Disease and Its Association with Metabolic Syndrome—A Comprehensive Review

Periodontal disease is a complex and progressive chronic inflammatory condition that leads to the loss of alveolar bone and teeth. It has been associated with various systemic diseases, including diabetes mellitus and obesity, among others. Some of these conditions are part of the metabolic syndrome cluster, a group of interconnected systemic diseases that significantly raise the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, and stroke. The metabolic syndrome cluster encompasses central obesity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and hypertension. In this review, our objective is to investigate the correlation between periodontal disease and the components and outcomes of the metabolic syndrome cluster. By doing so, we aim to gain insights into the fundamental mechanisms that link each systemic condition with the metabolic syndrome. This deeper understanding of the interplay between these conditions and periodontal disease can pave the way for more effective treatments that take into account the broader impact of managing periodontal disease on the comprehensive treatment of systemic diseases, and vice versa.
Neuro-SWARM³: System-on-a-Nanoparticle for Wireless Recording of Brain Activity

A fundamental limitation of the implantable brain-machine interfaces (BMI) is the wiring requirements for power transfer and signal transmission. Existing microelectrode technologies can only record from localized sections of the brain and require implantation of invasive electrodes through cranial surgeries. Here, we introduce a system-on-a-nanoparticle probe, a Neurophotonic Solution-dispersible Wireless Activity Reporter for Massively Multiplexed Measurements (Neuro-SWARM<sup>3</sup>), enabling remote detection of <italic>in vivo</italic> bioelectric signals. Neuro-SWARM<sup>3</sup> offers five fundamental advancements simultaneously: (1) it enables use of infrared light within the biologically transparent near infrared (NIR-II, 1000–1700 nm) window for direct read-out through the skull, (2) it circumvents invasive surgical operations since no wiring or power supply is needed for the wireless (electro-plasmonic) excitation and remote detection, (3) due to its diminutive dimensions (<200 nm) that is comparable to viral particles, it can be delivered different regions of the brain without surgical operations, (4) as electro-plasmonic signal conversion removes front-end signal processing requirements, it opens the door to large scale <italic>in vivo</italic> measurements that are not restricted by electrode dimensions, physical wiring, and electronic bandwidth limitations, (5) by being much smaller than the critical dimensions that trigger glial cell response (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sim 12~\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>), it offers a long term operation capability. As we show below, NeuroSWARM<sup>3</sup> provides high signal to shot noise ratio (SSNR <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sim 10^{3}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) wireless recording capability from single neurons due to its enhanced scattering cross-section (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sim 10^{4}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> nm<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^{2}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) and field-sensitivity (up to ~40%).
ASPECTS OF MORPHOGENETIC TRAITS ASSOCIATED WITH PHYSIOLOGICAL COEFFICIENTS RELATED TO INCIDENCE OF OBESITY, HYPERTENSION, AND DIABETES MELLITUS

The vulnerability to develop certain pathophysiological conditions may be linked to the morphogenetic traits of individuals. Hence, this study ascertained the relationship between some morphogenetic traits and physiological coefficients related to incidence of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. Morphogenetic traits (height, weight, ABO blood group, Hitchhiker thumb, tongue rolling, and hand clasping) and physiological coefficients; body mass index, blood pressure (BP), random blood sugar (RBS), and fasting blood sugar (FBS) were measured during a free medical outreach in an institution in Eastern Nigeria. Seventy individuals participated; age (15–35 years), females: 36 (51.4%), males: 34 (48.6%), pre-obese (28.6%), obese 1 and 2 (2.9%, 2.9%), and BP (52.9% normal and 34.3% hypotensive). Twenty-five (35.7%) assayed FBS showed 1.4% diabetes, 17.1% pre-diabetes, and 17.1% normal, while 45 (64.3%) assayed RBS showed 57.1% normal and 7.2% pre-diabetes. There was significantly increased incidence of pre-diabetes and diabetes among tongue rollers when compared to non-tongue rollers (p<0.05). Incidence of obesity and hypertension was not significantly associated with tongue rolling. There was significant association between weight and incidence of obesity (p<0.05); no significant association with weight and incidence of hypertension and diabetes. There was also no association between height, ABO blood group, Hitchhiker thumb, hand clasping and incidence of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes (p<0.05). Conclusively, morphogenetic traits such as tongue rolling and body weight were associated with physiological coefficients related to incidence of diabetes and obesity, respectively, supporting the hypothesis that certain morphogenetic traits can be linked to the proneness of individuals to obesity and diabetes.
Improved style transfer algorithm in decorative design of ceramic painting

Abstract The art of decorating Chinese ceramic products is a precious cultural heritage. However, the illustration techniques used in ceramic decoration face challenges in terms of inheritance and protection due to limited transmission methods and low public awareness. In the era of artificial intelligence, traditional ceramic painting techniques are undergoing transformation. To address the lack of systematic guidance in ceramic painting pattern design and the uncertainty of desired design effects, an improved style transfer algorithm is proposed for decorating ceramic products. The algorithm utilizes the watershed algorithm to segment and extract pixels, ensuring shape consistency during the migration process. Additionally, local affine transformation preserves the integrity of points, lines, and surfaces. The designed improved style transfer algorithm is applied in practice, facilitating the design of ceramic cultural and creative products. This advancement simplifies the expression of decorative patterns in ceramic painting, promotes intelligent development in ceramic decoration design, and enables newcomers and the general public to engage in art creation, ultimately safeguarding and inheriting the techniques of ceramic decoration.
DOMAS: Data Oriented Medical Visual Question Answering Using Swin Transformer

"The Medical Visual Question Answering problem is a joined Computer Vision and Natural Language Processing task that aims to obtain answers in natural language to a question, posed in natural language as well, regarding an image. Both the image and question are of a medical nature. In this paper we introduce DOMAS, a deep learning model that solves this task on the Med-VQA 2019 dataset. The method is based on dividing the task into smaller classification problems by using a BERT-based question classification and a unique approach that makes use of dataset information for selecting the suited model. For the image classification problems, transfer learning using a pre-trained Swin Transform based architecture is used. DOMAS uses a question classifier and seven image classifiers along with the image classifier selection strategy and achieves 0.616 strict accuracy and 0.654 BLUE score. The results are competitive with other state-of-the-art models, proving that our approach is effective in solving the presented task. 2010 Mathematics Subject Classification. 68T45, 68T50. 1998 CR Categories and Descriptors. I.2. 7 [Artificial Intelligence]: Natural Language Processing – Language parsing and understanding; I.2. 7 [Artificial Intelligence]: Applications and Expert Systems – Medicine and science. Key words and phrases. Medical Visual Question Answering, Swin Transformer. "
Two new species of arboreal Scapheremaeus (Acari, Oribatida, Cymbaeremaeidae) from Vietnam

Abstract This study is based on Scapheremaeus materials collected from leaves, branches and bark from Haldina cordifolia and Dipterocarpus alatus in Cat Tien National Park, southern Vietnam in November–December 2022. Six species are recorded; of these, two new species—S. kudrini sp. nov. and S. globulus sp. nov.—are described, based on adults.
Work-life balance in the Zimbabwe Retail Sector: Testing a job-engagement and job-satisfaction model

Orientation: This study focuses on the relationship between work-life balance (WLB), job engagement, and job satisfaction (JS) among employees in the retail sector in Bulawayo urban Province, Zimbabwe.Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to validate the relationship between WLB, job engagement and JS.Motivation for the study: The motivation for the research stemmed from the dearth of studies from the global south that examined the causal relationship between three aforementioned variables within the retail sector.Research design, approach and method: A descriptive survey design was employed in a study that involved 108 employees from the retail sector in Bulawayo province. Adapted standardised closed questionnaires were used for data collection. The study was developed and tested, using structural equation modelling, a model that can be used to explain the effect of the three variables on each other.Main findings: The study established a statistically significant relationship between WLB and job engagement. It was also found that WLB plays a major role in facilitating positive JS outcomes. However, a weak association was established between JS and dedication – a dimension of job engagement.Practical/managerial implications: Striking a balance between employees’ career and personal life directly impacts their JS and job engagement levels.Contribution/value-add: This study’s findings shed light on the complex dynamics between the three variables that are helpful for organisations seeking to enhance employee well-being and optimise performance of their workforce.
Factors associated with medication nonadherence in patients with COPD.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To identify the predictors of medication adherence in patients with COPD and contrast the health beliefs, experiences, and behaviors of COPD patients self-reporting good adherence with those of patients reporting suboptimal adherence to their medications. DESIGN Cross-sectional self-administered questionnaire. SETTING Ambulatory care. PARTICIPANTS Patients with chronic respiratory ailments identified through respiratory support groups and from a pulmonary rehabilitation database. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS A 30-item questionnaire comprising items pertaining to health beliefs, experiences, and behaviors along with a valid self-reported measure of adherence-the medication adherence report scale (MARS)-was administered to 525 ambulatory patients with chronic lung conditions. A total of 276 usable responses were received (52.6%). The mean age of the respondents was 71 years, and there were slightly more male patients (54.4%). COPD was the underlying disease condition in 90.6% of the respondents; two thirds of the respondents had comorbid conditions. The respiratory condition was managed by both general practitioners and respiratory specialists in 61.2% of cases. One third of the respondents self-reported complementary and alternative medicine use. The mean score (+/- SD) on the MARS among the respondents was 23.37 +/- 2.09. One hundred two patients self-reported perfect adherence on the MARS. Differences in knowledge about the illness and treatment, faith in and satisfaction with the treatment and doctors, concerns about the treatment, and intentional and unintentional deviations from the recommended treatment were detected between the adherent and less adherent groups. In multivariate analysis, "I vary my recommended management based on how I am feeling" and "I get confused about my medications" were found to be significant independent predictors of nonadherence. CONCLUSIONS Patients' acceptance of the disease process and recommended treatment, knowledge about and faith in the treatment, effective patient-clinician interaction, and routinization of drug therapy are critical for optimal medication adherence in patients with COPD.
On the relative role of fire and rainfall in determining vegetation patterns in tropical savannas: a simulation study

Tropical savannas cover 18% of the world’s land surface and are amongst the most productive terrestrial systems in the world. They comprise 15% of the total terrestrial carbon stock, with an estimated mean net primary productivity (NPP) of 7.2 tCha-1yr-1 or two thirds of NPP in tropical forests. Tropical savannas are the most frequently burnt biome, with fire return intervals in highly productive areas being typically 1-2 years. Fires shape vegetation species composition, tree to grass ratios and nutrient redistribution, as well as the biosphere-atmosphere exchange of trace gases, momentum and radiative energy. Tropical savannas are a major source of emissions, contributing 38 % of total annual CO2 from biomass burning, 30% CO, 19 % CH4 and 59 % NOx. Climatically, they occur in regions subject to a strongly seasonal ‘wet–dry’ regime, usually under monsoonal control from the movement of the inter-tropical convergence zone. In general, rainfall during the prior wet season(s) determines the amount of grass fuel available for burning while the length of the dry season influences fuel moisture content. Rainfall in tropical savannas exhibits high inter-annual variability, and under future climate change, is projected to change significantly in much of Africa, South America and northern Australia.
The sea ice component of the coupled climate model HadGEM1

HadGEM1 is a new coupled atmosphere-ocean climate model developed at the Met Office’s Hadley Centre, which contains a more sophisticated sea ice sub-model than that used in our previous climate model (HadCM3). A rapid increase in the variety, quality and quantity of observations in polar regions has led to a significant improvement in the understanding of sea-ice dynamic and thermodynamic processes and their representation in global climate models. We assess the simulation of sea ice in HadGEM1 against the latest available observations and against HadCM3. The evaluation is focused on the mean state of the key model variables of ice concentration, thickness and velocity. The model shows good agreement with the observations, except for ice speed, which is too fast. This could be either because the wind stress is too strong, or because the momentum coupling of the ice to the ocean is too weak. The variability of the ice forced by the North Atlantic Oscillation is also found to agree with observations. 1. MODEL AND EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
Effectiveness of Multimedia versus Traditional Teaching Methods on Chemistry Practical Performance among Senior High School Students in Ghana

This study explores the impact of multimedia teaching on senior high school students' Chemistry Practical performance. With technology increasingly becoming part of the learning environment, multimedia presentations are now utilised in schools to enhance students' learning experiences. Interactive Multimedia Learning, which incorporates visual and audio aids, is a teaching strategy that facilitates faster and easier comprehension of lessons. To compare the efficacy of Multimedia Teaching Method (MTM) and Traditional Teaching Method (TTM), this study was conducted in two senior high schools in Ghana: West Africa Senior High School and Frafraha Community Senior High School. The research design was quantitative, specifically quasi-experimental design and data were collected from 110 SHS 2 students using MTM and TTM. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the collected data. The study findings revealed that most of the students taught using multimedia instruction performed significantly better in Chemistry Practical than those taught using the traditional method. These findings indicate that multimedia instruction can improve learning outcomes in chemistry. The study recommends using computers to supplement teacher instruction and not replace it. Teachers should continue to play a crucial role in the teaching process while integrating multimedia technology to enhance the learning experience.
Etude du bilan d'énergie de surface et de la production des écoulements de fonte d'un glacier des Andes d'Equateur : Relation glacier - climat en zone tropicale

1] We have compared the annual surface energy balance (SEB) of Zongo Glacier (l6°S, Bolivia, outer tropics) and Antizana Glacier 15 (OOS, Ecuador, inner tropics). On annual time scale energy fluxes are very similar in the ablation zone: turbulent heat fluxes compensate each other and net short-wave radiation dominates the SEB. Albedo is central in controlling the melting. Consequently solid precipitation occurrence manages the annual mass balance variability. In the outer tropics, the annual melting is directly related to the annual distribution of precipitation, the period December-February being crucial. However, in the inner tropics, liquid precipitation can occur on the ablation zone, and snowline altitude remains very sensitive to air temperature. Tropical glaciers react rapidly to El Nino events, mainly because of an induced precipitation deficit in the outer tropics and to a temperature increase in the inner tropics, both leading to a rise in snowline altitude.
Real-world evidence for secukinumab in UK patients with psoriatic arthritis or radiographic axial spondyloarthritis: interim 2-year analysis from SERENA

Abstract Objectives The aim was to evaluate retention rates for secukinumab in patients with active PsA or radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA) treated in routine UK clinical practice. Methods SERENA (CAIN457A3403) is an ongoing, non-interventional, international study of patients with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis, active PsA or active r-axSpA, who had received secukinumab for ≥16 weeks before enrolment. The primary objective of this interim analysis was to assess treatment retention rates in patients with PsA or r-axSpA who were enrolled and followed for ≥2 years at centres in the UK. The safety analysis set includes all patients who received at least one dose of secukinumab. The target population set includes all patients who fulfilled the patient selection criteria. Results The safety set comprised 189 patients (PsA, n = 81; r-axSpA, n = 108), and the target population set comprised 183 patients (PsA, n = 78; r-axSpA, n = 105). In the safety set, 107 patients (45 of 81 with PsA and 62 of 108 with r-axSpA) had previously received a biologic agent. Retention rates were similar between patients with PsA and r-axSpA after 1 year (PsA 91.0%, 95% CI: 84.0, 98.0; r-axSpA 89.2%, 95% CI: 82.7, 95.7) and 2 years (PsA 77.6%, 95% CI: 67.6, 87.7; r-axSpA 76.2%, 95% CI: 67.4, 85.0) of observation. Overall, 17.5% of patients (33 of 189) experienced at least one treatment-related adverse event, and 12.7% of patients (24 of 189) discontinued secukinumab because of adverse events. Conclusion This analysis of real-world data from the UK demonstrates high retention rates for secukinumab over 2 years in patients with PsA or r-axSpA, with a favourable safety profile.
A Psychometric Study of the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory to Assess Fatigue in Patients with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

Fatigue is frequently reported by patients with mental illness. The multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI-20) is a self-assessment instrument with 20 items including five dimensions of fatigue. The purpose of this study was to examine the test-retest reliability, internal consistency, convergent construct validity and feasibility of using MFI-20 in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Patients completed two self-assessment instruments, MFI20 (n=93) and Visual Analogue Scale (n=79), twice within one week ± 2 days. Fifty-three patients also rated the feasibility of responding to the MFI-20 with a Likert scale. The testretest reliability and validity were analysed by using Spearman ́s correlations and internal consistency by calculating Cronbach ́s α. The test-retest showed a correlation between . 66-. 91 for all subscales of MFI. The internal consistency was . 92. The analysis of convergent construct validity showed a correlation of . 68 (time 1) and . 77 (time 2). No item was systematically identified as being difficult to answer.
Variation

Variation afflicts the design, manufacture, and operation of integrated circuits. Statistical metrology seeks to characterize and model variations and their sources, particularly through new variation test circuits. Advanced process control attempts to reduce process variation through sensing and control during fabrication. Design for manufacturability seeks methods to improve performance and yield given process and environmental variation, through robust design, increased regularity, and other approaches. Tools and techniques are needed in all of these areas; improvements in and increased linkage between statistical metrology and DFM will be particularly important and empowering
UPLIFT OF PILES DUE TO DRIVING DISPLACEMENT

INVESTIGATIONS ARE CARRIED OUT INTO THE PROBLEM OF UPLIFT, OR HEAVE, OF CAST IN-SITU PILES. CASE HISTORIES OF TWO SITES ARE DISCUSSED IN WHICH MEASUREMENTS OF PILE UPLIFT WERE MADE AND THE FOLLOWING CONCLUSIONS ARE DRAWN: (A) UPLIFT APPEARS TO BE A FUNCTION OF PILE DIAMETER AND SPACING RATHER THAN SOIL TYPE OF PILE LENGTH, (B) IN ONLY TWO CASES INVESTIGATED OUT OF SEVEN WAS UPLIFT SHOWN TO BE NOT DETRIMENTAL TO PILE PERFORMANCE, (C) UPLIFT CAN BE ELIMINATED FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF PILE (MULTITUBE) BY THE ADOPTION OF A PARTICULAR PILING SEQUENCE. FOR OTHER TYPES OF PILING, REDRIVING IS THE CHEAPEST METHOD OF ELIMINATING UPLIFT, (D) PILING SEQUENCE, WHILE NOT AFFECTING THE TOTAL UPLIFT, MAY DISTRIBUTE IT IN A MANNER FAVOURABLE TO THE STRUCTURE, (E) ALTHOUGH THE MULTITUBE PILING SYSTEM SLOWS PRODUCTION BY ABOUT TWO THIRDS, THIS SHOULD BE COMPARED WITH COST OF CORRECTING UPLIFT ON OTHER PILING SYSTEMS, AND (F) PREBORING WAS FOUND TO HAVE LITTLE EFFECT ON REDUCING UPLIFT UNDER THE SOIL CONDITIONS EXISTING IN THE TEST.