Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Complete Blood Count (CBC)-Derived Inflammation Indexes Are Useful in Predicting Metabolic Syndrome in Adults with Severe Obesity

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a globally increasing pathological condition. Recent research highlighted the utility of complete blood count-derived (CBC) inflammation indexes to predict MetS in adults with obesity. Methods: This study examined CBC-derived inflammation indexes (NHR, LHR, MHR, PHR, SIRI, AISI, and SII) in 231 adults with severe obesity (88 males, 143 females; age: 52.3 [36.4–63.3] years), divided based on the presence (MetS+) or absence (MetS-) of MetS. The relationships between the indexes and the cardiometabolic risk biomarkers HOMA-IR, TG/HDL-C, and non-HDL-C were also evaluated. Results: Individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetS+) had significantly higher values of MHR, LHR, NHR, PHR, and SIRI than those without (MetS-) (MHR and NHR: p < 0.0001; LHR: p = 0.001; PHR: p = 0.011; SIRI: p = 0.021). These values were positively correlated with the degree of MetS severity. Logistic regression (MHR and NHR: p = 0.000; LHR: p = 0.002; PHR: p = 0.022; SIRI: p = 0.040) and ROC analysis (MHR: AUC = 0.6604; LHR: AUC = 0.6343; NHR: AUC = 0.6741; PHR: AUC = 0.6054; SIRI: AUC = 0.5955) confirmed the predictive potential of CBC-derived inflammation indexes for MetS in individuals with severe obesity. CBC-derived inflammation indexes also correlated with HOMA-IR (MHR, LHR, and NHR: p < 0.0001; PHR: p < 0.001; SIRI: p = 0.000) and TG/HDL-C (MHR, LHR, NHR and PHR: p < 0.0001; SIRI: p = 0.006). Conclusions: In conclusion, this study validates CBC-derived inflammation indexes for predicting MetS in individuals with severe obesity. The relationships between these indexes and cardiometabolic risk factors can enable clinicians to better grade MetS associated with obesity.
OPTIMIZATION OF SPATIAL INPUT PARAMETER IN DISTRIBUTED HYDROLOGICAL MODEL

Hydrologic models are particularly useful tools in enabling the modeler to investigate many practical and significant issues that arise during planning, design, operation, and management of water resources systems. Distributed models should pass through a careful calibration procedure before they are utilized as the process of decision-making aids in the planning and administration of water resources. Although manual approaches are still repeatedly used for calibration, they are tedious, time-consuming and have the need of experienced personnel. This paper describes a semi-automatic approach for calibrating long term daily streamflow periods estimated by the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) hydrological model. Optimization of three different sets of spatial input parameters were tested using SUFI-2 algorithms by firstly focusing on the sets of the groundwater inputs parameter. The second set is for the soil input parameters and the final set consists of 21 SWAT input parameters that reflect sensitivity on the streamflow simulation. For Langat river basin, the Rchrg-dp.gw, GW_Delay. gw and CN2.mgt were found to be most sensitive input parameters. SOL_AWC. sol was established to be the most sensitive to soil input parameter and followed by SOL_BD. sol and SOL_K. sol. On the final sets, it was shown that the three input parameters of OV_N. hru, SL_SUBBSN. hru, and HRU_SLP. hru were included as sensitive parameters in addition to the previous parameters. The next step should be conducting a long-term continuous hydrological modeling into SWAT 2012 model with all the selected sensitive SWAT input parameters in order to finalize the objective functions for the watershed.
Retrospective Study to Compare the Effectiveness of Minimally Invasive Microscopic Unilateral Laminotomy with Microscopic Bilateral Laminotomy for Bilateral Decompression in the Early Postoperative Period in 142 Patients with Single-Level Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Background We aimed to compare the effectiveness of microscopic unilateral laminotomy for bilateral decompression (ULBD) and microscopic bilateral laminotomy for bilateral decompression (BLBD) in the early postoperative period among patients with single-level lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Material/Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients with LSS who underwent ULBD or BLBD between January 2020 and December 2023, including 94 patients who underwent ULBD and 58 who underwent BLBD. Patient demographics, comorbidities, smoking status, and data related to LSS were reviewed. Preoperative and postoperative assessments on day 10 included back pain visual analog scale (VAS), walking distance, and Odom criteria. Disability was evaluated using the self-assessment Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) preoperatively and on day 30. Additionally, wound infection, postoperative modified MacNab criteria, and pain (back, leg, and hip) were recorded. Results Age and sex were similar in the 2 groups. Both surgeries significantly reduced low back pain, increased walking distance, and improved Odom category on day 10, compared with baseline (P<0.001 for all). A significant decrease in 30-day ODI, compared with baseline, was observed in both groups (P<0.001 for both). The ULBD group had a significantly higher percentage of patients with wound infection (P=0.014); however, the ODI score among ULBD recipients was significantly lower (better) on day 30 (P=0.047). Conclusions ULBD may represent a less invasive, more effective, and safer surgical alternative than BLBD and classical laminectomy in patients with single-level LSS, but precautions are essential concerning wound infection.
Meibomian glands segmentation in infrared images with limited annotation

AIM: To investigate a pioneering framework for the segmentation of meibomian glands (MGs), using limited annotations to reduce the workload on ophthalmologists and enhance the efficiency of clinical diagnosis. METHODS: Totally 203 infrared meibomian images from 138 patients with dry eye disease, accompanied by corresponding annotations, were gathered for the study. A rectified scribble-supervised gland segmentation (RSSGS) model, incorporating temporal ensemble prediction, uncertainty estimation, and a transformation equivariance constraint, was introduced to address constraints imposed by limited supervision information inherent in scribble annotations. The viability and efficacy of the proposed model were assessed based on accuracy, intersection over union (IoU), and dice coefficient. RESULTS: Using manual labels as the gold standard, RSSGS demonstrated outcomes with an accuracy of 93.54%, a dice coefficient of 78.02%, and an IoU of 64.18%. Notably, these performance metrics exceed the current weakly supervised state-of-the-art methods by 0.76%, 2.06%, and 2.69%, respectively. Furthermore, despite achieving a substantial 80% reduction in annotation costs, it only lags behind fully annotated methods by 0.72%, 1.51%, and 2.04%. CONCLUSION: An innovative automatic segmentation model is developed for MGs in infrared eyelid images, using scribble annotation for training. This model maintains an exceptionally high level of segmentation accuracy while substantially reducing training costs. It holds substantial utility for calculating clinical parameters, thereby greatly enhancing the diagnostic efficiency of ophthalmologists in evaluating meibomian gland dysfunction.
The Effects of an 8-Week Strength Training Toward the Specific Preparation Phase on Male Volleyball Athletes’ Performance

Background. Training programs are part of training management that need to be properly and correctly prepared and implemented. Study Purpose. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of an 8-week program of resistance training, carried out at a specific preparation phase, on the performance of male junior volleyball athletes. Materials and methods. This study was conducted as experimental research, with a sample of 24 male volleyball athletes ([mean ± SD] age: 17.96 ± 1.23 years; body weight: 75.56 ± 7.80 kg; height: 180.46 ± 7.14 cm; body fat: 17.62 ± 3.36%) who were randomly divided into experimental group (EG): n = 12 and control group (CG): n = 12. The training program lasted for eight weeks and took place at a specific preparation phase. Results. There was a significant increase in the indicators handgrip dynamometer left (p<0.014), handgrip dynamometer right (p<0.001), vertical jump (p<0.001), sit-and-reach test (p<0.000), leg dynamometer (p<0.000), and back dynamometer (p<0.001) in the experimental group after being given strength training treatment for eight weeks. Conclusions. When strength training is included in volleyball training, it can increase the performance in power, strength, and flexibility, especially when carried out at a specific preparation phase. Incorporating targeted stimuli, such as strength training, into training sessions appears to be a secure method of training for this age group and may help to contribute to continuous and gradual improvements in neuromuscular adaptation.
Mongolia ' s Mining-Based Development and Trade Policy

This paper analyzes the relationship between the mining-based economic development and trade policy in Mongolia by employing a multi-sector dynamic CGE model. Seven different scenarios, including those with the implementation of the Oyu Tolgoi and Tavan Tolgoi projects, were considered. Investigation of several important mining-related aspects of Mongolia's trade, such as trade and growth forecasts, the impact of the "Dutch disease", income distribution, and others, were employed in this paper.
Numerical Analysis of Flow Stability in a Natural Circulation Loop

Flow modeling of a natural circulation loop is of high importance in ensuring the stability of the system. As a system relying on buoyancy force, several parameters play a crucial role in determining stability. In this study, a one-dimensional numerical model is employed to predict the mass flow rate and stability due to the variation of heated riser and cooled faller locations. The result shows that the highest flow rate of 0.344 kg/s is obtained as the heater is located at the lowest position, while the cooler remains at the top. Furthermore, a stability map is plotted to show the condition for the stability, whereby the result demonstrates that the location with a relatively low mass flow rate exhibits a higher chance of oscillating flow.
Effect of feeding semi-moist diet as a practical strategy to reduce feed costs in tilapia juvenile production

Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is one of the species with the greatest increase in production worldwide. However, the continuous increase in the price of ingredients, and consequently in the diet costs may limit the expansion of the sector. Several alternatives to reduce feed costs are currently under study, as the use of practical press-pellet semi-moist diet that can be manufactured on farm. This study evaluates five levels of replacement (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) of a commercial diet by a practical (press-pellet semi-moist) diet and its effect on zootechnical performance, carcass proximate composition, as well as somatic and economic indexes in tilapia juveniles (9.48 g). After 56 days, survival and condition factor did not differ significantly between treatments. Final weight, daily weight gain, feed conversion, and specific growth rate had a negative linear effect as the practical diet increased, while carcass yield had a positive linear effect. Carcass crude protein content was higher in fish fed with 100% practical diet, while crude lipid had the lowest content in this same treatment. As for economic indexes, the estimated cost of feeding decreased as a function of the practical diet inclusion, with a final saving of US$ 8.68 per thousand of juveniles produced (100% replacement).
WAVELET-BASED HIDDEN MARKOV TREES FOR IMAGE NOISE REDUCTION

In the field of signal processing, the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) has proved very useful for recovering signals from additive Gaussian noise by the means of wavelet thresholding. During this procedure, wavelet coefficients with small magnitudes are set to zero, however, usually without taking into account their mutual dependencies. The Hidden Markov Models (HMM) are designed to capture such dependencies by modelling the statistical properties of the coefficients. In this paper, we process a testing intensity image with added Gaussian noise. To compute the hidden Markov models parameters, we employ the iterative expectation-maximization (EM) training algorithm. The outcome of the training process is used for estimation of the noise-free image which is reconstructed from the recalculated wavelet coefficients. The above technique is compared with the NormalShrink method of adaptive threshold computation and outperforms this technique in our experiments.
Brain Swelling versus Infarct Size: A Problematizing Review

In human stroke, brain swelling is an important predictor of neurological outcome and mortality, yet treatments to reduce or prevent brain swelling are extremely limited, due in part to an inadequate understanding of mechanisms. In preclinical studies on cerebroprotection in animal models of stroke, historically, the focus has been on reducing infarct size, and in most studies, a reduction in infarct size has been associated with a corresponding reduction in brain swelling. Unfortunately, such findings on brain swelling have little translational value for treating brain swelling in patients with stroke. This is because, in humans, brain swelling usually becomes evident, either symptomatically or radiologically, days after the infarct size has stabilized, requiring that the prevention or treatment of brain swelling target mechanism(s) that are independent of a reduction in infarct size. In this problematizing review, we highlight the often-neglected concept that brain edema and brain swelling are not simply secondary, correlative phenomena of stroke but distinct pathological entities with unique molecular and cellular mechanisms that are worthy of direct targeting. We outline the advances in approaches for the study of brain swelling that are independent of a reduction in infarct size. Although straightforward, the approaches reviewed in this study have important translational relevance for identifying novel treatment targets for post-ischemic brain swelling.
Research on Utilizable Calcium from Calcium Carbide Slag with Different Extractors and Its Effect on CO2 Mineralization

With the increasing accumulation of alkaline industrial solid waste, the mineralization of CO2 using alkaline industrial solid waste has broad application prospects. Carbide slag is highly alkaline and contains a large amount of calcium elements, making it an excellent material for CO2 mineralization. Our idea was to acquire qualified products and fast kinetics by integrating carbide slag utilization and carbon reduction. The reaction route was divided into two steps: calcium extraction and carbonization. In order to achieve efficient extraction of utilizable calcium, we selected NH4Ac as the extraction agent, which has the advantage of buffer protection and environmental friendliness due to being an acetate radical. The extraction efficiency of utilizable calcium exceeded 90% under the conditions of L/S 20:1 and NH4+/Ca2+ 2:1. In the carbonization process, the crystal forms of CaCO3 synthesized by direct carbonation, acid extraction, and ammonium salt were characterized. The formation mechanism of vaterite in ammonium solution and the influence of impurities (Al3+, Mg2+) on the crystal transformation were revealed. This study provides technical support for using alkaline industrial waste to prepare high-purity vaterite. Therefore, alkaline industrial waste can be efficiently and sustainably utilized through CO2 mineralization.
Full-polarimetric burn scar mapping – the differences of active fire and post-fire situations

ABSTRACT Fire is a threat to human lives, infrastructure, and forestry. Satellite-based Earth observations enable a fast, efficient, and reliable estimation of burnt area. In most cases, optical satellite data are used for burn scar detection. However, smoke and cloud coverage strongly limits the suitability of optical imagery for rapid mapping of burn scars. Here, an automated procedure based on quad-polarized L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data is presented to enable fast burn scar mapping independently of the weather and smoke conditions. Full-polarimetric SAR data enable the decomposition of the SAR backscatter into different scattering mechanisms, describing the scatterer more precisely. Important differences in the polarimetric backscattering behaviour during the active fire and post-fire situations are reported. While the SPAN difference is best suited for burn scar mapping during active fire situations, the Entropy-Anisotropy-Alpha and the generalized Freeman–Durden decompositions showed the best suitability for burnt area mapping several months after the end of the fire. The proposed methodology is an object-based image analysis approach based on change detection. The big fire event which affected Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, in May–June 2016 was investigated as a case study.
The effects of personally preferred music on mood and behaviour in individuals with dementia: An exploratory pilot study

Music has been shown to benefit individuals with dementia. There are, however, limited studies examining how assisted living staff members use preferred music for dementia patients. This controlled pilot study aimed to determine: 1) whether preferred music is effective in improving mood and behaviour and 2) whether a person-centred approach to music-based interventions is feasible for individuals with dementia. The 20 participants (mean age (SD) = 81 (8)) listened to a preferred song or control song in random order over 6 weeks with a five-day wash out period between the exposures. Neurobehavioral Rating Scale (NRS) and Observed Emotion Rating Scale (OERS) were used to measure participants’ emotions and behaviour changes. Blood pressure and heart rate were collected to understand physiological responses to music. NRS was used to measure the behavioural changes in response to a listening intervention comprised of both preferred music and control music over the course of 14 sessions administered over six weeks. We observed no changes in NRS symptoms post-intervention. OERS scores and vital signs did not differ significantly between the preferred music and the control song despite trends. Participants/staff/family expressed the importance of preferred songs to evoke specific memories and increase well-being. Thematic analysis using sentiment components indicated a predominance of positive sentiment in the meaningful music category and a minor occurrence of negative sentiment in the control music.
Patterns of crop rading by wild ungulates and elephants in Ramnagar Forest Division, Uttarakhand

Crop raiding is a major form of human–wildlife confl ict that not only aff ects livelihoods of farmers living close to forest areas but also jeopardizes the objective of wildlife conservation. In this study, we report patterns associated with crop raiding based on periodic fi eld inspections of 95 crop fi elds spread across 16 villages in India. Average raided area of the fi eld was highest in seedling stage (21%). Fields closer to the forest edge incurred higher damage in the seedling (22%) and mature stages (7%) than fi elds farther from the forest edge, although this was not statistically signifi cant. Guarding was found to be ineff ective in decreasing crop raiding, with no statistical diff erence in the mean area of damage between guarded and unguarded fi elds. Cheetal (Axis axis), sambar (Rusa unicolor), nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus), and wild pig (Sus scrofa) were the main raiders in fi elds close to the forest edge whereas nilgai and wild pig were chief raiders in fi elds farther from the forest edge. Results of this study suggest that in the study area, wild pig and nilgai are more problematic species than elephants (Elephas maximus), which are reported to cause the most damage in other landscapes.
Removal of steroid oestrogens in wastewater treatment

Intersex in river fish has been associated with unbiodegraded oestrogens in sewage treatment works (STW) effluents, leading to the proposal that they be regulated by Environmental Quality Standard. Previous literature indicated trickling filters (TF) were not as good as the activated sludge process (ASP) at removing steroid oestrogens. TF were more sustainable than ASP and there are more of them in the UK. One aim of this project was to investigate the performance of TF at removing these oestrogens. The removals of oestrone (E1), 17-β-oestradiol (E2) and 17-α-ethinyl oestradiol (EE2) by a well-controlled pilot-scale trickling filter were 41%–59% for once-through filtration. [Continues. ]
Contribution of soil water and groundwater towards transpiration of tree species in the Ghaap plateau

xx 1. Main introduction . 1 1.1 Motivation . 1 1.2 Objectives . 3 1.3 Background of selected tree species . 5 1.3. 1. Camel thorn . 6 1.3. 2 Black karee . 6 1.3. 3 Buffalo thorn . 7 1.3. 4 Sweet thorn . 7 1.3. 5 Shepherd‟s tree . 7 1.3. 6 Wild olive . 8 References . 12 2. Global whole tree water use: effects of tree morphology and environmental factors . 15 Abstract . 15 2.
Konflik Kerja dan Perilaku Politik Organisasi

Konflik dan masalah dalam suatu organisasi merupakan hal yang sangat sering terjadi. Semakin tinggi tingkat konflik kerja, semakin cenderung anggota organisasi menunjukkan perilaku politik untuk melindungi atau meningkatkan posisi mereka. Tujuan penulisan dari artikel ini adalah untuk mengetahui bagaimana hubungan antara konflik kerja dengan perilaku politik dalam suatu organisasi. Dalam melaksanakan penelitian ini, data dikumpulkan dari berbagai sumber literatur yang berhubungan dengan permasalahan. Hasil dari artikel ini menunjukkan bahwa konflik kerja merupakan salah satu pemicu perilaku politik dalam satu organisasi; kepemimpinan organisasi merupakan cara mengatasi konflik kerja dalam suatu organisasi; dan bahwa perilaku politik dalam suatu organisasi dapat menimbulkan dampak positif dan dampak negatif terhadap organisasi.
Polystyrene Nano- and Microplastic Particles Induce an Inflammatory Gene Expression Profile in Rat Neural Stem Cell-Derived Astrocytes In Vitro

Microplastics are considered an emerging environmental pollutant due to their ubiquitous presence in the environment. However, the potential impact of microplastics on human health warrants further research. Recent studies have reported neurobehavioral and neurotoxic effects in marine and rodent models; however, their impact on the underlying cellular physiology in mammals remains unclear. Herein, we exposed neural stem cells and neural stem cell-derived astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and neurons to various sizes and concentrations of polystyrene nano- and microplastics. We investigated their cellular uptake, impact on cytotoxicity, and alteration of gene expression through transcriptome profiling. The cell type most affected by decreased viability were astrocytes after 7 days of repeated exposure. Transcriptional analysis showed that 1274 genes were differentially expressed in astrocytes exposed to 500 nm microplastics, but only 531 genes were altered in astrocytes exposed to 50 nm nanoplastics. Both canonical pathway and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis showed that upregulated pathways were involved in neuroinflammation, innate and adaptive immunity, cell migration, proliferation, extracellular matrix remodeling, and cytoskeleton structures. The downregulated pathways were involved in lipid metabolism, specifically fatty acid oxidation and cholesterol metabolism. Our results show that neural stem cell-derived astrocytes repeatedly exposed to nano- and microplastics for 7 days undergo changes that are hallmarks of astrogliosis.