Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cigarette smoking as a risk factor for ischaemic stroke in young South Asian male migrants to Qatar: The BRAINS study

Background: The incidence of stroke in the Middle East is high, given its relatively young population. Smoking is a well-recognized risk factor for ischaemic stroke, and its high regional prevalence may partly account for this increased stroke risk. This research aims to determine whether young male South Asian migrants in Qatar were adversely affected by stroke depending on their smoking status. Methods: Data from the ongoing international prospective BRAINS study was analysed. Male South Asian migrants to Qatar with a history of ischaemic stroke were recruited. Multivariate regression analysis was used to estimate the effects of comorbidities, such as BMI, hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, alcohol consumption, and ischemic heart disease, on the association of age of stroke onset and smoking status. Results: We identified 778 (mean age 49.5±10.2) migrant male workers of South Asian descent with ischaemic stroke in Qatar, of which 41.3% of the sample were current smokers. Compared to non-smokers, current smokers suffered a stroke 2.03 years earlier (95%CI: 0.60–3.46, P=0.005). Multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that only current smoking status was associated with an earlier age of stroke onset (β=2.03, SE=0.74, P=0.006). Conclusion: Smoking is associated with at least a two-year earlier onset of ischaemic stroke in male South Asian migrants to the Middle East. Our study has important implications for the public health management of migrants in host countries.
THERMAL FIELD INDICATORS FOR IDENTIFYING ACTIVE FAULT AND ITS INSTABILITY FROM LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS

The relationship between the thermal field and strain field during deformation of fault is the physical basis to clarify whether satellite infrared information or the ground temperature field can be used to study fault activity.This study attempts to discuss these problems by laboratory experiments.A two-direction servo-control system was used to apply load on the samples with compressive and tensile en echelon faults.An infrared thermal image system and a contact-type thermometer recorded synchronously variations of the brightness temperature field of infrared radiation and temperature field during deformation of the rock specimens.A digital CCD camera and the digital speckle correlation method(DSCM)was used to collect and analyze images to obtain the evolution processes of displacement and strain fields.The experimental result shows as follows:1)the temperature is the highest of the jog area of the compressive en echelon faults,whereas that is the lowest of the extensional en echelon faults prior to failure of the jog area.The record by DSCM displays that the mean strain of the jog area is the largest for the compressive en echelon faults,while that is the smallest for the extensional en echelon faults.These mean that the temperature field has clear responses to the opposite stress states at the jog areas with two kinds of en echelon faults,and thus provides an indicator for determining whether the fault has slid;2)the en echelon faults experience two deformation stages from the stress building up and fault propagating in the jog area to the unstable sliding along the fault.Correspondingly,the mechanism of heating-up turns from strain heating into frictional heating.Three kinds of phenomena have been observed at the jog area and its vicinity during the stage of transformation.They are temperature drop,fast fluctuation of temperature,and pulses of temperature rising.Mechanism of these phenomena is discussed;3)these variations of thermal field at the jog area are followed by swift rise of temperature along the fault.The onset of temperature rise along fault occurs 2～3 seconds prior to its unstable slip.However,the temperature drop of the jog area happens about 20 seconds before the unstable slip of the fault and the appearance of temperature rising pulses is 10～20 seconds earlier than that of the fault slip.They are precursors to unstable slip of the fault.These experimental analyses demonstrate that observations and studies on the thermal variations at the sensitive portion of a fault comparing with other relevant data are of great importance for detecting precursors ahead of unstable slip of active faults.It is planned to design an observing project along a suitable fault.
A Compact Ka-Band Low-Sidelobe Monopulse Antenna Array Based on Mixed Gap Waveguide and Hollow Waveguide Multilayer Feeding Network

In this article, a compact low-sidelobe 2-D monopulse antenna array has been proposed based on mixed gap waveguide (GWG)/hollow waveguide (HW) multilayer feeding network and a GWG monopulse comparator. The proposed antenna array is arranged and divided into multilayers based on the function for miniaturization and low losses. First, slot antenna elements, unequal power divider based on the GWG, and layers transition between different ridge GWGs are proposed. Then, monopulse comparator composed by groove GWG 3 dB 90° coupler and 90° phase shifter is proposed according to the network diagram for forming <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sum $ </tex-math></inline-formula>, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Delta _{\text {E}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Delta _{\text {H}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> beams. By vertically integrating the above functional elements, the compact low-sidelobe 2-D monopulse antenna array is obtained. The measurement results show its impedance fractional bandwidth (FBW) is 12.6%, antenna gain is greater than 29 dBi, and the efficiency is 35%. Moreover, the levels of the sidelobe and null depth are about −25 and −35 dB, respectively.
Freshwater processes and water mass transformation in the Arctic Ocean

In this paper we have investigated how the central Arctic Ocean stratification responds to increasing or decreasing river runoff and precipitation. Using a state-of-the-art coupled ice-ocean circulation model we performed a number of sensitivity experiments which show a marked change both in the upper ocean salinity and the temperatures in the Atlantic water layer. A conceptual model of the Arctic Ocean is also introduced and comparedto the ocean circulation model. A key result from the conceptual model is a predicted shallowing of the halocline and the Atlantic water layer with an increased freshwater input, and vice versa. This is in agreement with the sen- sitivity experiments, however, the simulated changes in the Atlantic water layer temperature are not supported by the simple conceptual model. The changes in Atlantic water temperatures are particularly strong in the experiments with perturbed precipitation. We link these changes to a change in the upper ocean stability over the Barents Sea, induced by the freshwater input, leading to changes in temperature of the Atlantic water entering the central Arctic Ocean through St. Anna Trough.
A Neurosurgical Perspective on Brain Metastases from Renal Cell Carcinoma: Multi-Institutional, Retrospective Analysis

Background: While acknowledging the generally poor prognostic features of brain metastases from renal cell carcinoma (BM RCC), it is important to be aware of the fact that neurosurgery still plays a vital role in managing this disease, even though we have entered an era of targeted therapies. Notwithstanding their initial high effectiveness, these agents often fail, as tumors develop resistance or relapse. Methods: The authors of this study aimed to evaluate patients presenting with BM RCC and their outcomes after being treated in the Neurosurgical Department of Clinical Emergency Hospital “Bagdasar-Arseni”, and the Neurosurgical Department of the National Institute of Neurology and Neurovascular Diseases, Bucharest, Romania. The study is based on a thorough appraisal of the patient’s demographic and clinicopathological data and is focused on the strategic role of neurosurgery in BM RCC. Results: A total of 24 patients were identified with BM RCC, of whom 91.6% had clear-cell RCC (ccRCC) and 37.5% had a prior nephrectomy. Only 29.1% of patients harbored extracranial metastases, while 83.3% had a single BM RCC. A total of 29.1% of patients were given systemic therapy. Neurosurgical resection of the BM was performed in 23 out of 24 patients. Survival rates were prolonged in patients who underwent nephrectomy, in patients who received systemic therapy, and in patients with a single BM RCC. Furthermore, higher levels of hemoglobin were associated in our study with a higher number of BMs. Conclusion: Neurosurgery is still a cornerstone in the treatment of symptomatic BM RCC. Among the numerous advantages of neurosurgical intervention, the most important is represented by the quick reversal of neurological manifestations, which in most cases can be life-saving.
A new archaeological field survey of the site of Nan Madol, Pohnpei

Abstract:Nan Madol, sometimes called the 'Venice of the Pacific,' is a mortuary and administrative site built from columnar basalt, boulders, and coral. It is made up of artificial islets that stretch over 83 hectares of lagoon on the volcanic high island of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia and is pivotal to our understanding of ancient Pohnpeian society. Nan Madol was first mapped in its entirety in 1910 by the German explorer Paul Hambruch and in the century since then the site has been re-surveyed and maps of varying levels of detail have been published. Here we report on the first full coverage field survey of the site's artificial islets employing high precision GPS. The survey dataset has been made available for download as a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) layer at the data clearinghouse website: The Digital Archaeological Record (tDAR). We also report a matching annotated list of variant place names used in the literature and some brief information on the function of islets from oral traditions. This report, the digital map, and the annotated list of islets are aimed to provide future researchers with a baseline database.Abstract:Nan Madol, a veces llamada "La Venecia del Pacífico", es un sitio mortuorio y administrativo construido a partir de un basalto columnar, rocas y coral. Está compuesto de islotes artificiales que se extienden a lo largo de 83 hectáreas de laguna en la isla volcánica de Pohnpei, en los Estados Federados de Micronesia y es esencial para nuestro entendimiento de la antigua sociedad pohnpeiana. Nan Madol fue cartografiada en su totalidad por primera vez en 1910 por el explorador alemán Paul Hambruch, a partir de aquí y a lo largo del siglo el lugar ha sido estudiado de nuevo y se han publicado mapas con variedad de detalles. Aquí llevamos a cabo un primer y completo estudio de cobertura total de las islas artificiales del sitio, empleando GPS de alta precisión. El conjunto de datos está disponible para descarga a través del GIS (Sistema de Información Geográfica) en el sitio web de centro de intercambio de datos: The Digital Archaeological Record (tDAR). También informamos una lista comparativa anotada de variantes de nombres de lugares utilizados en la literatura y una breve información de la función de los islotes en las tradiciones orales. Este informe, el mapa digital y la lista anotada de islotes están dirigidos a proporcionar una base de datos en línea a los futuros investigadores.
Strategic Positioning and the Performance of E-Businesses in Kenya

The objective of this study was to examine the influence of strategic positioning on the performance of e-commerce firms in Kenya. The study was grounded on the competitive advantage theory and was guided by a positivist philosophical perspective. The study was delimited to the use of quantitative research methods. The research sample consisted of 112 e-business enterprises that were registered in Nairobi. The focal point of the analysis was the 336 employees who held management-level positions within these companies. The study employed a structured questionnaire as a means of gathering data from participants. The study employed the census sampling method, encompassing all 112 e-business enterprises registered in Nairobi. The data was subjected to both descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. Descriptive statistical analysis was employed to generate means and standard deviations, while regression analysis was utilized in the study to test the hypothesis. The results of the study indicate that strategic positioning has a significant influence on the performance of e-businesses in Nairobi, Kenya (β = 0.616, p < 0.05). The study implication is that the strategic positioning constructs of differentiation and pricing are essential to enable e-businesses to attain their performance objectives. Consequently, it is recommended that e-commerce executives implement features on their platforms that facilitate the comparison of product prices by customers. Additionally, it is suggested that e-businesses should offer a variety of products at discounted and premium prices, which come with enhanced features and improved services.
A brief comment about terminology and diagnostic standards in temporomandibular disorders

Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is a common musculoskeletal condition. Changes in diagnostic criteria followed the relevant changes in understanding of the etiology of TMD. The Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD) is a suite of validated instruments and guidelines for the most accurate and reliable diagnosis of various TMD-associated pathologies. This text review the leading DC/TMD questionnaire options, in either symptom checklists or psychosocial/functional sections.
Pollutant Time Series Analysis for Improving Air-Quality in Smart Cities

The evolution towards Smart Cities is the process that many urban centers are following in their quest for efficiency, resource optimization and sustainable growth. This step forward in the continuous improvement of cities is closely linked to the quality of life they want to offer their citizens. One of the key issues that can have the greatest impact on the quality of life of all city dwellers is the quality of the air they breathe, which can lead to illnesses caused by pollutants in the air. The application of new technologies, such as the Internet of Things, Big Data and Artificial Intelligence, makes it possible to obtain increasingly abundant and accurate data on what is happening in cities, providing more information to take informed action based on scientific data. This article studies the evolution of pollutants in the main cities of Castilla y León, using Generative Additive Models (GAM), which have proven to be the most efficient for making predictions with detailed historical data and which have very strong seasonalities. The results of this study conclude that during the COVID-19 pandemic containment period, there was an overall reduction in the concentration of pollutants.
Validation of WRF model on simulating forcing data for Heihe River Basin

The research of coupling WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting Model) with a land surface model is enhanced to explore the interaction of the atmosphere and land surface; however, regional applicability of WRF model is questioned. In order to do the validation of WRF model on simulating forcing data for the Heihe River Basin, daily meteorological observation data from 15 stations of CMA (China Meteorological Administration) and hourly meteorological observation data from seven sites of WATER (Watershed Airborne Telemetry Experimental Research) are used to compare with WRF simulations, with a time range of a whole year for 2008. Results show that the average MBE (Mean Bias Error) of daily 2-m surface temperature, surface pressure, 2-m relative humidity and 10-m wind speed were −0.19 °C, −4.49 hPa, 4.08% and 0.92 m/s, the average RMSE (Root Mean Square Error) of them were 2.11 °C, 5.37 hPa, 9.55% and 1.73 m/s, and the average R (correlation coefficient) of them were 0.99, 0.98, 0.80 and 0.55, respectively. The average MBE of hourly 2-m surface temperature, surface pressure, 2-m relative humidity, 10-m wind speed, downward shortwave radiation and downward longwave were −0.16 °C, −6.62 hPa, −5.14%, 0.26 m/s, 33.0 W/m 2 and −6.44 W/m 2 , the average RMSE of them were 2.62 °C, 17.10 hPa, 20.71%, 2.46 m/s, 152.9 W/m 2 and 53.5 W/m 2 , and the average R of them were 0.96, 0.97, 0.70, 0.26, 0.91 and 0.60, respectively. Thus, the following conclusions were obtained: (1) regardless of daily or hourly validation, WRF model simulations of 2-m surface temperature, surface pressure and relative humidity are more reliable, especially for 2-m surface air temperature and surface pressure, the values of MBE were small and R were more than 0.96; (2) the WRF simulating downward shortwave radiation was relatively good, the average R between WRF simulation and hourly observation data was above 0.9, and the average R of downward longwave radiation was 0.6; (3) both wind speed and rainfall simulated from WRF model did not agree well with observation data.
PnPP-15, a Synthetic Peptide Derived from a Toxin from Phoneutria nigriventer Spider Venom, Alleviates Diabetic Neuropathic Pain and Acts Synergistically with Pregabalin in Mice

Diabetic neuropathic pain is one of the complications that affect a wide variety of the diabetic population and is often difficult to treat. Only a small number of patients experience pain relief, which usually comes with onerous side effects and low levels of satisfaction. The search for new analgesic drugs is necessary, given the limitations that current drugs present. Combining drugs to treat neuropathic pain has been attracting interest to improve their efficacy compared to single-drug monotherapies while also reducing dose sizes to minimize side effects. The aim of our study was to verify the antinociceptive effect of a synthetic peptide, PnPP-15, alone and combined with pregabalin, in male Swiss diabetic mice using the von Frey method. PnPP-15 is a synthetic peptide derived from PnPP19, a peptide representing a discontinuous epitope of the primary structure of the toxin PnTx2-6 from the venom of the spider Phoneutria nigriventer. The antinociceptive activity of both compounds was dose-dependent and showed synergism, which was verified by isobolographic analysis. Treatment with PnPP-15 did not cause spontaneous or forced motor changes and did not cause any damage or signs of toxicity in the analyzed organs (pancreas, lung, heart, kidney, brain, or liver). In conclusion, PnPP-15 is a great candidate for an analgesic drug against neuropathic pain caused by diabetes and exerts a synergistic effect when combined with pregabalin, allowing for even more efficient treatment.
Computation and use of the reflectivity at 3.75 micrometers from AVHRR thermal channels

Global study of land surface properties uses AVHRR channels 1 and 2, but channel 3 may be of interest, although its use requires preprocessing. It consists of both a reflective part and an emissive part, the former can be derived from T3, T4 and T5. Since the water vapor affects channel 3, its content is retrieved from the channel 4 and 5 using the split window technique. A formula of reflective part retrieval at 3.75 micrometers is tested in the case of sunglint observations where the emissivities of channels 4 and 5 can be set to the unity. The formula is adapted and validated to land surface using the FIFE-87 data set. Preliminary applications of the reflectance at 3.75 micrometers to the studies of surface properties retrieval, aerosol retrieval over land, and desertic aerosol retrieval, are addressed.
The Development of Novel Reverse Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assays for the Detection and Differentiation of Virulent Newcastle Disease Virus

Newcastle disease (ND) is a highly pathogenic viral infection of poultry with significant economic impacts worldwide. Despite the widespread use of vaccines, ND outbreaks continue to occur even within vaccinated poultry farms. Furthermore, novel Newcastle disease virus (NDV) genotypes are emerging in poultry, increasing the need for the development of rapid, accurate, and simple diagnostic methods. We therefore developed two novel sets of visual reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assays based on highly conserved regions of the HN and F genes. The limits of detection of the NDV-Common-LAMP assay, for all the NDV strains, were 103.0 EID50/0.1 mL for Kr005 and 102.0 EID50/0.1 mL for Lasota within 35 min. The sensitivity of the NDV-Patho-LAMP assay, used for the strain differentiation of virulent NDV, was 102.0 EID50/0.1 mL for Kr005. No amplification was detected for the non-NDV templates. Next, we probed 95 clinical strains and 7 reference strains with the RT-LAMP assays to assess the feasibility of their use in diagnostics. We observed no cross-reactivity across the 102 strains. Furthermore, there was 100% congruence between the RT-LAMP assays and full-length sequencing of the target genes, indicating the potential for visual RT-LAMP in the identification and differentiation of NDV. These novel RT-LAMP assays are ideally suited for the field or resource-limited environments to facilitate the faster detection and differentiation of NDV, which can reduce or avoid further spread.
Maximal feedback linearization and its internal dynamics with applications to mechanical systems on 
 R4

For systems that are not feedback linearizable, a natural question is: how to find the largest feedback linearizable subsystem and, if the partial linearization is not unique, what are the control‐theoretic properties of various partial linearizations. In this paper, we will consider the problem of how to choose a partially linearizing output that renders the zero dynamics asymptotically stable and when such an output exists. We will state general results solving completely the problem for systems whose linearizability defect is one by identifying and describing two classes of systems. For the first class, all maximal partial linearizations lead to the same zero dynamics. For the second class, any asymptotic behavior of the zero dynamics can be achieved by a suitable choice of a partially linearizing output. In the second part, we apply our results to mechanical systems with two‐degrees‐of‐freedom and provide a detailed study of their partial linearizations. We illustrate the obtained results by examples of Acrobot (which belongs to the second class) and Pendubot (which belongs to the first class).
Determining the Similarity of Research Data by Using an Interoperable Metadata Extraction Method

Determining the similarity of research data is not a simple task, as the formats can differ widely depending on the domain. Especially, since many formats are represented as binary files, the raw comparison of these will not yield good results. This makes it hard to accurately tell how similar certain research work is by comparing the data. With the emergence of extracted interoperable metadata, a form to describe data has been provided which is independent of the data format. Therefore, this work tries to use this extracted interoperable metadata and create a method to determine the similarity of research data based on their metadata. The produced method utilizes domain knowledge about the extracted metadata and the way they are formulated. A baseline is created, and further methods are created to compare to. The results show that our method outperforms all other methods, especially the ones which are focused on comparing the research data itself, not the metadata. Since the results are promising, we propose further investigations against other datasets and possible use cases.