Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hydroethanolic extract of Ixora coccinea leaves inhibits testicular and epididymal toxicity associated with antitumor drug Cisplatin in rats

Cisplatin (Cp) is one of the most effective chemotherapy antineoplastic drugs. Nevertheless, it causes numerous injurious effects on numerous organs, precisely the testes. Ixora coccinea (IC) is a well-known medicinal herb and has a long history of medicinal use as a tonic to promote health. This study revealed the inhibitory effects of hydroethanolic extract of IC leaves (HEICL) on CP-induced testicular damage in male Wistar rats. Thirty (30) adult male Wistar rats were used and divided into six groups of five rats. These groups were treated as followed: Group 1(control group) and 2 were administered (0.9% saline) and CP (10 mg/kg. b.wt) intraperitoneal (IP) route respectively, and groups 3 and 4 were administered HEICL at 150 mg/kg and 300 mg/kg and 5 and 6 were co-treated with Cp + HEICL (150 and 300 mg/kg) respectively. The treatment duration was 28 days. Spermatological profiles and testicular histopathology were assessed. Cp-treated rats showed a significant (p<0.05) reduction in relative organ weight and sperm parameters. On the other hand, Cp treatment increased the percentage of sperm abnormalities relative to the control and the groups administered HEICL only. These results were confirmed by histopathological analysis. Contrarily, there were modulations in cp-induced spermiotoxic and testicular damage following the HEICL pretreatment. Our research showed that CP treatment exerts damaging consequences on sperm parameters, testicular tissues, and accessory sex organs in rats. Pre-treatment with HEICL for 26 days at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg bodyweight had a protective role against testicular damage brought on by CP.
Tunnelling density of states at Coulomb-blockade peaks

We calculate the tunnelling density of states (TDoS) for a quantum dot in the Coulomb-blockade regime, using a functional integral representation with allowing correctly for the charge quantisation. We show that in addition to the well-known gap in the TDoS in the Coulomb-blockade valleys, there is a suppression of the TDoS at the peaks. We show that such a suppression is necessary in order to get the correct result for the peak of the differential conductance through an almost close quantum dot.
Efficient Classification Techniques in Classifying Human Intestinal Parasite Ova

Helminth parasites live in the human body and can cause serious health problems that will lead to cancer and may cause death in patients. These parasitic helminths congregate in the intestines to mate and produce ova. Therefore, early identification screening is necessary to prevent the spread of helminth parasites throughout the body. A manual microscopic feces test is still the most often used approach for helminth detection. As a result, the purpose of this research is to investigate the effectiveness of three classifiers in classifying four types of human intestinal parasite ova. Three classifier techniques used are k-Nearest Neighbourhood (k-NN), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Ensemble classifier. There are four types of helminth ova which are Ascaris Lumbricoides Ova (ALO), Enterobius Vermicularis Ova (EVO), Hookworm Ova (HWO), and Trichuris Trichiura Ova (TTO). A total of 664 helminth parasite ova images were analyzed, consisting of 166 images from each helminth species. The Linear kernel function from the SVM classifier has obtained the highest accuracy performance reaching 92.23%. Followed by Cityblock distance from the k-NN classifier with an accuracy of 91.16% and AdaBoostM2 from the Ensemble classifier with an accuracy of 89.94%.
Curvature from Strong Gravitational Lensing: A Spatially Closed Universe or Systematics?

Model-independent constraints on the spatial curvature are not only closely related to important problems, such as the evolution of the universe and properties of dark energy, but also provide a test of the validity of the fundamental Copernican principle. In this paper, with the distance sum rule in the Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker metric, we achieve model-independent measurements of the spatial curvature from the latest type Ia supernovae and strong gravitational lensing (SGL) observations. We find that a spatially closed universe is preferred. Moreover, by considering different kinds of velocity dispersion and subsamples, we study possible factors that might affect model-independent estimations for the spatial curvature from SGL observations. It is suggested that the combination of observational data from different surveys might cause a systematic bias, and the tension between the spatially flat universe and SGL observations is alleviated when the subsample only from the Sloan Lens ACS Survey is used or a more complex treatment for the density profile of lenses is considered.
In�uence of VR-based Brain-Computer Interfaces Training in Brain Activity and Clinical Outcome in Chronic Stroke: A Longitudinal Study of Single Cases

Background: Restorative Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI’s) can provide an alternative non-muscular channel for patients who lack volitional movement by reinforcing the modulation of sensorimotor rhythms through motor-imagery (MI). MI practice can be augmented through embodied feedback delivered by virtual reality (VR). Nonetheless, detailed information concerning the impact of VR-BCI training in clinical outcome is still largely missing. This paper investigates the long-term eﬀect of VR-BCI training in brain activity patterns measured by the electroencephalogram (EEG) and clinical scales of stroke patients. Methods: Four chronic stroke patients underwent a 3-week VR-BCI longitudinal intervention. Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) was conducted pre-, post-intervention, and a follow-up, one-month later. The VR-BCI training consisted of a bimanual rowing task (NeuRow) involving MI and motor observation. From the EEG, the Event-related Desynchronization (ERD) was extracted from the Mu band (8-12 Hz). Finally, the BCI performance was computed from the BCI training session. Results: All patients showed signiﬁcantly increased Mu ERD compared to baseline, however, the aﬀected side showed reduced ERD during the contralateral MI. Signiﬁcant ERD diﬀerences originating from both the lesioned and the healthy hemisphere were found when comparing post- with pre- intervention in all patients, and decreasing ERD was found for patients with no clinical improvement. Patients with decreased lateralization of ERD had no improvement of the FMA score. Conclusion: Stroke patients in the chronic phase can modulate their brain activity patterns using MI in a VR-BCI task, with observable patient-speciﬁc diﬀerences between brain activity and clinical outcome. Nonetheless, only patients with increased ERD lateralization showed clinical improvement.
Development of A New Model for the Usability Evaluation of M-commerce Applications

The acceptance of Mobile commerce (M-commerce) applications has become a way of life for business professionals and mobile shoppers. The global acceptance and increase in its usefulness have resulted in concerns about the availability of a suitable model for its usability evaluation. In order to fill this literature gap, the study introduced the MObile Shoppers Application Development (MOSAD) usability model to address the limitations in current usability models when applied in the context of M-commerce applications. The proposed model in this study incorporates different essential attributes from widely accepted usability models, which helped develop a more detailed usability model for M-commerce applications. The attributes in the proposed model are not entirely new; however, the current and widely accepted usability models failed to consider some of them. This neglect could lead to usability evaluation flaws and affect the outcomes of usability evaluations of M-commerce applications.
GI-1.0: A Fast and Scalable Two-level Radiance Caching Scheme for Real-time Global Illumination

Real-time global illumination is key to enabling more dynamic and physically realistic worlds in performance-critical applications such as games or any other applications with real-time constraints.Hardware-accelerated ray tracing in modern GPUs allows arbitrary intersection queries against the geometry, making it possible to evaluate indirect lighting entirely at runtime. However, only a small number of rays can be traced at each pixel to maintain high framerates at ever-increasing image resolutions. Existing solutions, such as probe-based techniques, approximate the irradiance signal at the cost of a few rays per frame but suffer from a lack of details and slow response times to changes in lighting. On the other hand, reservoir-based resampling techniques capture much more details but typically suffer from poorer performance and increased amounts of noise, making them impractical for the current generation of hardware and gaming consoles. To find a balance that achieves high lighting fidelity while maintaining a low runtime cost, we propose a solution that dynamically estimates global illumination without needing any content preprocessing, thus enabling easy integration into existing real-time rendering pipelines.
Understanding the determinants of poverty in Brazil: a household level analysis 1

This study aimed to identify the determinants of household poverty in Brazil using heads of households as unit of analysis. Thus, data from the Pesquisa Nacional por Amostras de Domic´ılios Cont´ınua (Continuous National Household Sample Survey) (PNADC) referring to the individual characteristics of the head of the household and the household were used. The empirical investigation aimed to determine the probability of the head of the household being in a situation of poverty using a probit model. The results indicate that households led by men, households led by individuals with more years of study, and households located in urban areas have a lower probability of being in a situation of poverty. On the other hand, households located in the North and Northeast regions, led by black or mixed-race people, and households led by individuals who work in activities connected to the agriculture sector have a higher probability of being in a situation of poverty.
Specular Reflectivity and Suprathermal Electron Measurements from Relativistic Laser Plasma Interactions

ii Dedication . iv Acknowledgments. v Vita . vii List of Tables . xiv List of Figures . xv Chapter 1: Introduction . 1 1-1 Motivation for this work . 1 1-2 Gain and Energy Balance . 5 1-3 ICF Basics . 6 1-4 Hot Spot ICF . 8 1-5 Fast Ignition. 10 1-6 Outline . 13 Chapter 2: Physics of Laser Plasma Interactions . 15 2-1 Initial Conditions . 15 xi 2-2 Single electrons in a Laser Field . 18 2-3 Lasers interacting with Plasmas . 22 2-4 Underdense Interactions . 26 Modifications to the Light . 26 Electron Acceleration Processes . 30 2-5 Overdense Interactions . 34 2-6 Electron Transport . 36 Maximum Currents and Alfven Current . 36 Resistive Transport . 37 Spitzer Resistivity . 39 Chapter 3: Simulating Plasmas . 41 3-
L10 Stacked Binaries as Candidates for Hard‐Magnets: FePt, MnAl and MnGa

We present a novel approach for designing new hard magnets by forming stacks of existing binary magnets to enhance the magneto crystalline anisotropy. This is followed by an attempt at reducing the amount of expensive metal in these stacks by replacing it with cheaper metal with similar ionic radius. This strategy is explored using examples of FePt, MnAl and MnGa. In this study a few promising materials are suggested as good candidates for hard magnets: stacked binary FePt2MnGa2 in structure where each magnetic layer is separated by two non‐magnetic layers, FePtMnGa and FePtMnAl in hexagonally distorted Heusler structures and FePt0.5Ti0. 5MnAl.
Digital Commons at Oberlin Digital Commons at Oberlin

Impossibility theorems in social choice have represented a barrier in the creation of universal, non-dictatorial and non-manipulable voting rules, highlighting a key trade-oﬀ between between social welfare and strategy-proofness. However, a social planner may be concerned with only a particular preference distribution and wonder whether it is possible to better optimize this trade-oﬀ. To address this problem, we propose an end-to-end, machine learning-based framework 1 that creates voting rules according to a social planner’s constraints, for any type of preference distribution. After experimenting with rank-based social choice rules, we ﬁnd that automatically-designed rules are less susceptible to manipulation than most existing rules, while still attaining high social welfare.
A Stable EEG Epilepsy Network Spans From Infraslow to Ripple and From Interictal to Ictus.

PURPOSE To characterize the epilepsy network as reflected in intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) across the full spectrum of iEEG frequencies and different phases of epilepsy, using a single, conceptually straightforward mathematical measure. METHODS The authors applied the spectral Granger causality techniques to intracranial electroencephalography recordings and computed contact-by-contact inward, outward, and total causal flow across frequencies and seizure phases in a selected group of three patients with well-defined, nonlesional seizure foci and prolonged responses to invasive procedures. One seizure and one interictal sample were analyzed per subject. RESULTS A prominent intracranial electroencephalography network was identified by Granger causality at both high and low frequencies. This network persists during the preictal and interictal phases of epilepsy and closely matches the visible seizure onset. The causal inflow network corresponded to seizure onset electrode contacts in 8 of 12 conditions, including ripple, infraslow, preictal, and interictal phases of epilepsy. Its most striking feature is the consistent dominance of causal inflow rather than outflow in the vicinity of the seizure onset zone. CONCLUSIONS Findings of this study indicate that a stable intracranial electroencephalography epilepsy network persists, and it can be characterized by a single Granger causality measure from infraslow to ripple frequencies and from the interictal to the immediate preictal phases of epilepsy.
Creating a Language for Writing Real-Time Applications for the Internet of Things

We describe the development of a new programming language Scoria and its compiler. Scoria is a high-level reactive real-time language based on the sparse synchronous model (SSM), designed to produce time- and power-efficient low-level C code that can run on small IoT devices. While the compiler is not yet in a state where it is meaningful to measure power usage, we carefully profile the timing behaviour and identify bottlenecks that can improve performance. The language and compiler are implemented as an Embedded Domain-Specific Language (EDSL) on top of Haskell.
Learning to Deliver Robot-Mediated Behavioral Intervention

—We present an automated learning-based architecture for robot-mediated behavioral intervention (BI). Recent research in human-robot interaction is increasingly emphasizing the need for robot-mediated autism intervention, a use case of BI, to focus on utility and clinical deployment. Many studies have investigated the use of tele-operated robots in intervention delivery. Unfortunately, many issues exist while tele-operating robots that can hinder the effectiveness of an intervention. An automated system could overcome these concerns and help to smooth the transition towards clinical deployment. However, the unique nature of interactions with children with autism makes it unrealistic to hard-code explicit robot behaviors. Learning how to deliver various interventions from an expert’s demonstration, therefore, is an elegant solution. To that end, we report a learning-based framework that uses a partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP) to model the decision making process of a therapist in a typical intervention setting. We train our POMDP model with data gathered from an IRB approved user study and evaluate the performance of our system using a combination of traditional metrics and a subjective measure. To the best of our knowledge, this is the ﬁrst implementation of an automated autism intervention using a learning-based approach.
First Observation of Parallax in a Gravitational Microlensing Event

We present the first detection of parallax effects in a gravitational microlensing event. Parallax in a gravitational microlensing event observed only from the Earth appears as a distortion of the (otherwise symmetrical) light curve arising from the motion of the Earth around the Sun. This distortion can be detected if the event duration is not much less than a year and if the projected velocity of the lens is not much larger than the orbital velocity of the Earth about the Sun. The event presented here has a duration (or Einstein diameter crossing time) of t̂ = 220 days and clearly shows the distortion resulting from the Earth's motion. We find that the projected velocity of the lens is = 75 ± 5 km s-1 at an angle of 28° ± 4° from the direction of increasing galactic longitude, as expected for a lens in the galactic disk. A likelihood analysis of this event yields estimates of the distance to and mass of the lens: Dlens = 1.7+1.1−0.7 kpc and M = 1.3+1.3−0.6 M☉. This suggests that the lens is a remnant such as a white dwarf or neutron star. It is possible, though less likely, that the lens is a main-sequence star. If so, we can add our upper limit on the observed flux from the lens to the analysis. This modifies the estimates to Dlens = 2.8+1.1−0.6 kpc and M = 0.6+0.4−0.2 M☉.
On the Connection of Radio and γ-Ray Emission in Blazars

Blazars are a sub-category of radio-loud active galactic nuclei with relativistic jets pointing towards to the observer. They are well-known for their non-thermal variable emission, which practically extends over the whole electromagnetic spectrum. Despite the plethora of multi-wavelength observations, the issue about the origin of the γ -ray and radio emission in blazar jets remains unsettled. Here, we construct a parametric leptonic model for studying the connection between the γ -ray and radio emission in both steady-state and flaring states of blazars. Assuming that relativistic electrons are injected continuously at a fixed distance from the black hole, we numerically study the evolution of their population as it propagates to larger distances while losing energy due to expansion and radiative cooling. In this framework, γ -ray photons are naturally produced at small distances (e.g., 10 − 3 pc) when the electrons are still very energetic, whereas the radio emission is produced at larger distances (e.g., 1 pc), after the electrons have cooled and the emitting region has become optically thin to synchrotron self-absorption due to expansion. We present preliminary results of our numerical investigation for the steady-state jet emission and the predicted time lags between γ -rays and radio during flares.
QUALIDADE DE VIDA RELACIONADA COM A SAÚDE ORAL EM ESTUDANTES DO ENSINO SUPERIOR QUALITY OF LIFE RELATED TO ORAL HEALTH IN HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS CALIDAD DE VIDA RELACIONADA CON LA SALUD BUCODENTAL EN ESTUDIANTES DE EDUCACIÓN SUPERIOR

Introduction: Oral health-related quality of life is multidimensional and reflects the impact of oral health (OH) on functional, social and psychological well-being. Oral health behaviors translate throughout the life cycle and can affect the quality of life. Objective: To assess oral health-related quality of life in higher education students; to infer the relationship between sociodemographic and behavioral variables and the level of self-reported oral health-related quality of life. Methods: Cross-sectional, quantitative, descriptive and correlational study in 430 higher education students from the northen region of portugal. Predominance of female individuals (n=342; 79.5%) aged between 18 and 22 years (n=297; 69.1%). An online survey consisting of sociodemographic and behavioral variables and the short version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) was applied. Nonparametric tests with a 95% confidence interval were used. Results: Most students brush their teeth and mouth two or more times a day (n=367; 85.4%) and have oral cavity pathology (n=306; 71.1%). 50.2% (n=216) have edentulous areas and 42.3% (n=188) attend consultations with OH professionals only when absolutely necessary. The average OHIP-14 score was 6,142 (±9,137). There is a statistically significant association between behavioral variables and the total OHIP-14 score. Conclusion: The average OHIP-14 score reflects the absence of an impact of oral health on the sample's quality of life. Oral health behaviors influence oral health-related quality of life.
THE ROLE OF LAND TENANCY IN RICE FARMING EFFICIENCY IN UPLAND KARST MOUNTAINOUS GUNUNGKIDUL INDONESIA

The land area of paddy has decreased every year. Karst as one of the most extensive dry land areas in Indonesia is used to raise paddy as well. This study aims to determine the role of land tenancy in rice farming efficiency and the determining factors of the efficiency of rice farming in the karst mountainous Gunungkidul. The research is located in karst mountainous area of Gunung Sewu, Gunungkidul. This study uses the stochastic frontier analysis with cost function approach. The result shows that the estimated parameter of land rent, price of urea fertilizer, labor wage, and production are significantly correlated with the cost production of rice farming. In addition, land tenancy plays an important role in increasing the efficiency of rice farming in the karst mountainous Gunungkidul. Farmers prefer to lease land in the long term between 1-4 years due to the fact that the price offered is cheaper. Other factors that improve the efficiency of rice farming are the number of household members and farm size, while the household head age decreases the efficiency of rice farming.
EFFECT OF TREE IDENTITY, TEMPORAL VARIATION AND EDAPHIC PARAMETERS ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE EDAPHIC COMMUNITY OF ORIBATID MITES IN AN EVERGREEN TROPICAL FOREST OF MEXICO

This paper analyzes the community structure of edaphic oribatid mites from the tropical forest at Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, showing its monthly variation during only one year, considering two contrasting tree species and their relation with abiotic edaphic parameters. Randomly, five Astrocaryum mexicanum and Guarea glabra plants were chosen and near the stem of each one, a sample of soil was taken and processed in the same biological station with Berlese-Tullgren funnels. The most abundant families were Scheloribatidae, Oppiidae, Xylobatidae, Arceremaeidae, and Galumnidae. The Kruskall-Wallis test showed that structure of oribatid mite community is not significative related to tree identity, which they are associated. Pearson’s multiple correlation showed that the edaphic temperature is one of the most important abiotic factors in the structuring of oribatid mites communities. The abiotic variables explained 58% of oribatid community variance in its first two axes, with temporality and CO 2 being the factors with most influence over the community. It is concluded that tree identity is not a factor that affects the structuring of oribatid mite communities in this tropical forest, while temporality, soil temperature and CO 2 are the factors that most influence its establishment, this last factor as an indirect indicator of system productivity.