Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Preoperative Pulmonary Function Testing to Predict Recurrence of Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps

Background Although the close relationship between the upper and lower airways has been highlighted previously, little is known about the association between lung function and the recurrence of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP). This study aimed to evaluate the factors associated with pulmonary function that affect CRSwNP recurrence after surgery. Methods We performed a series of routine pulmonary function tests for general anesthesia prior to CRSwNP surgery. The values for each parameter were compared in the presence or absence of recurrence. Results Sixty-nine patients with CRSwNP were included. The percent predicted forced expiratory volume in one second (%FEV1) in the recurrent group was significantly lower than that in the non-recurrent group (P = .005). A multivariable logistic regression model revealed that %FEV1 was a positive predictor of recurrence (odds ratio: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.92-0.99, P = .023). There were no significant differences in the other pulmonary functions between the two groups. Conclusions We found that %FEV1 may be a predictor of CRSwNP recurrence after surgery. As %FEV1 is a pulmonary function test that is routinely performed before surgery, this parameter is readily applicable. Moreover, as %FEV1 appears to have the potential to reveal concealed asthma, %FEV1 might be a particularly useful tool for the prediction of CRSwNP recurrence after surgery.
Investigation of the Impact of Land-Use Distribution on PM2.5 in Weifang: Seasonal Variations

As air pollution becomes highly focused in China, the accurate identification of its influencing factors is critical for achieving effective control and targeted environmental governance. Land-use distribution is one of the key factors affecting air quality, and research on the impact of land-use distribution on air pollution has drawn wide attention. However, considerable studies have mostly used linear regression models, which fail to capture the nonlinear effects of land-use distribution on PM2.5 (fine particulate matter with a diameter less than or equal to 2.5 microns) and to show how impacts on PM2.5 vary with land-use magnitudes. In addition, related studies have generally focused on annual analyses, ignoring the seasonal variability of the impact of land-use distribution on PM2.5, thus leading to possible estimation biases for PM2.5. This study was designed to address these issues and assess the impacts of land-use distribution on PM2.5 in Weifang, China. A machine learning statistical model, the boosted regression tree (BRT), was applied to measure nonlinear effects of land-use distribution on PM2.5, capture how land-use magnitude impacts PM2.5 across different seasons, and explore the policy implications for urban planning. The main conclusions are that the air quality will significantly improve with an increase in grassland and forest area, especially below 8% and 20%, respectively. When the distribution of construction land is greater than around 10%, the PM2.5 pollution can be seriously substantially increased with the increment of their areas. The impact of gardens and farmland presents seasonal characteristics. It is noted that as the weather becomes colder, the inhibitory effect of vegetation distribution on the PM2.5 concentration gradually decreases, while the positive impacts of artificial surface distributions, such as construction land and roads, are aggravated because leaves drop off in autumn (September–November) and winter (December–February). According to the findings of this study, it is recommended that Weifang should strengthen pollution control in winter, for instance, expand the coverage areas of evergreen vegetation like Pinus bungeana Zucc. and Euonymus japonicus Thunb, and increase the width and numbers of branches connecting different main roads. The findings also provide quantitative and optimal land-use planning and strategies to minimize PM2.5 pollution, referring to the status of regional urbanization and greening construction.
USENIX Association Proceedings of HotOS IX : The 9 th Workshop on Hot Topics in Operating Systems

Event-based programming has been highly touted in recent years as the best way to write highly concurrent applications. Having worked on several of these systems, we now believe this approach to be a mistake. Specifically, we believe that threads can achieve all of the strengths of events, including support for high concurrency, low overhead, and a simple concurrency model. Moreover, we argue that threads allow a simpler and more natural programming style. We examine the claimed strengths of events over threads and show that the weaknesses of threads are artifacts of specific threading implementations and not inherent to the threading paradigm. As evidence, we present a user-level thread package that scales to 100,000 threads and achieves excellent performance in a web server. We also refine the duality argument of Lauer and Needham, which implies that good implementations of thread systems and event systems will have similar performance. Finally, we argue that compiler support for thread systems is a fruitful area for future research. It is a mistake to attempt high concurrency without help from the compiler, and we discuss several enhancements that are enabled by relatively simple compiler changes.
DNA barcoding of commercially important reef fishes in Weh Island, Aceh, Indonesia

Knowledge on the precise identification of fish resources is critical for sustainable fisheries management. This study employs the DNA barcoding approach to generate a molecular taxonomic catalogue of commercially important reef fishes in the waters of Weh Island (Aceh Province), the most northerly inhabited island in the biodiverse Indonesian Archipelago. The waters not only support artisanal fisheries but also a feeder for the industry in the greater island of Aceh. In total, 230 specimens from 72 species belonging to 32 genera and 17 families were DNA barcoded, representing a major segment of the captured reef fish taxa and a quarter of fish species diversity that had previously been recorded. The sequence read lengths were 639 bp revealing 359 conserved sites, 280 variable sites, 269 parsimony informative and 11 singletons. Our molecular findings paralleled the morphological identification with no evidence of cryptic species or new species discovery. This study is a significant contribution to the fisheries statistics of this area, which would facilitate assessment of species catch composition and hence for strategizing management plans. It is an important input to the DNA barcode library of Indonesian marine fishes and to the global DNA barcode entries in general.
Pyridoxine Deficiency Exacerbates Neuronal Damage after Ischemia by Increasing Oxidative Stress and Reduces Proliferating Cells and Neuroblasts in the Gerbil Hippocampus

We investigated the effects of pyridoxine deficiency on ischemic neuronal death in the hippocampus of gerbil (n = 5 per group). Serum pyridoxal 5′-phosphate levels were significantly decreased in Pyridoxine-deficient diet (PDD)-fed gerbils, while homocysteine levels were significantly increased in sham- and ischemia-operated gerbils. PDD-fed gerbil showed a reduction in neuronal nuclei (NeuN)-immunoreactive neurons in the medial part of the hippocampal CA1 region three days after. Reactive astrocytosis and microgliosis were found in PDD-fed gerbils, and transient ischemia caused the aggregation of activated microglia in the stratum pyramidale three days after ischemia. Lipid peroxidation was prominently increased in the hippocampus and was significantly higher in PDD-fed gerbils than in Control diet (CD)-fed gerbils after ischemia. In contrast, pyridoxine deficiency decreased the proliferating cells and neuroblasts in the dentate gyrus in sham- and ischemia-operated gerbils. Nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels also significantly decreased in PDD-fed gerbils sham 24 h after ischemia. These results suggest that pyridoxine deficiency accelerates neuronal death by increasing serum homocysteine levels and lipid peroxidation, and by decreasing Nrf2 levels in the hippocampus. Additionally, it reduces the regenerated potentials in hippocampus by decreasing BDNF levels. Collectively, pyridoxine is an essential element in modulating cell death and hippocampal neurogenesis after ischemia.
Gen Z, Gender, and COVID-19

Abstract Using a national survey of Generation Z conducted in late May 2020, we measure attitudes about the impact of the coronavirus on personal health, financial and job concerns, views about shelter-in-place laws, and 2020 voting intentions. Gen Z women express greater health and economic concerns and support for shelter-in-place measures than their male counterparts, but this gender gap is largely mitigated by party and other covariates. Party also mediates the differences between young male and female voters concerning the influence of the coronavirus on their vote choice in 2020. Notably, women have significantly greater concern about the impact of COVID-19 on their personal financial situation, while Gen Z men express more concern about their personal health amid COVID-19 in more fully specified statistical models. This research contributes to the growing literature that examines not only the sorting effect of party on the gender gap but also how different identities—in this case, generation—can help explain the persistent political divides between men and women.
Minireview Exploring the Biological Cycle of Vitamin B3 and Its Influence on Oxidative Stress: Further Molecular and Clinical Aspects

Vitamin B3, or niacin, is one of the most important compounds of the B-vitamin complex. Recent reports have demonstrated the involvement of vitamin B3 in a number of pivotal functions which ensure that homeostasis is maintained. In addition, the intriguing nature of its synthesis and the underlying mechanism of action of vitamin B3 have encouraged further studies aimed at deepening our understanding of the close link between the exogenous supply of B3 and how it activates dependent enzymes. This crucial role can be attributed to the gut microflora and its ability to shape human behavior and development by mediating the bioavailability of metabolites. Recent studies have indicated a possible interconnection between the novel coronavirus and commensal bacteria. As such, we have attempted to explain how the gastrointestinal deficiencies displayed by SARS-CoV-2-infected patients arise. It seems that the stimulation of a proinflammatory cascade and the production of large amounts of reactive oxygen species culminates in the subsequent loss of host eubiosis. Studies of the relationhip between ROS, SARS-CoV-2, and gut flora are sparse in the current literature. As an integrated component, oxidative stress (OS) has been found to negatively influence host eubiosis, in vitro fertilization outcomes, and oocyte quality, but to act as a sentinel against infections. In conclusion, research suggests that in the future, a healthy diet may be considered a reliable tool for maintaining and optimizing our key internal parameters.
Epigenetic Mechanisms in Head and Neck Cancer

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is one of the most prevalent human malignancies, af‐ fecting different anatomic sites of the upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) such as the oral cavity, larynx, and naso-, oro-, and hypopharynx. HNC develops through the ac‐ cumulation of multiple genetic and epigenetic alterations in a multistep process. In this issue, the aim is to describe epigenetic mechanisms behind HNC. The main mech‐ anisms evaluated are DNA methylation, posttranslational histone modification, and noncoding RNAs.
Tuning the quality factor of bulk micromachined structures using the squeeze film damping

This study aims to demonstrate the possibility of tuning quality factor of a micromachined structure using the air damping of small squeeze film area (300 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ to 800 /spl mu/m/sup 2/). Two micromachining process has successfully been established to fabricate novel stationary structures using thin films and bulk silicon. Thus, the stationary structure and a vibrating micromachined cantilever will form the squeeze film region. According to the measurement, the quality factor of the vibrating beam remarkably dropped 65% when the squeeze film area increased from 0 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ to 800 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ under a 760 torr ambient pressure. Even when the ambient pressure was merely 20 mtorr, the quality factor of the beam still dropped 20% for the same case. The damping due to the squeeze film effect cannot be ignored even for a very small area. Consequently, the proposed stationary structures can be exploited to significantly alter the quality factor of dynamic systems.
Learning to Live Together: Community Relations Education in Northern Ireland

The rise of ethnic tensions has rendered the idea of pluralist societies more problematic than ever before. This article looks at the role played by adult education in helping to build peace in Northern Ireland, a society which is moving towards the stabilisation of its intercommunal conflict. A typology of peace education is put forward, outlining the various strategies adopted by those involved in adult learning or community relations work. Some general observations are added about the role of gender. Questions are then raised about how the impact of peace education progammes can be measured or assessed, and about the methodological problems facing all those attempting to draw conclusions about the role of education in conflict societies.
Sugarcane tops as a substitute for sugarcane in high-concentrate diets for beef bulls

Our objective was to evaluate the productive and economic performances of bulls fed increasing levels of sugarcane tops, as a substitute for sugarcane. Sixteen, 24-month-old, Nellore bulls (initial bodyweight = 360 ± 14.7 kg) were kept in a feedlot for 84 days, receiving a high-concentrate diet (80 : 20 concentrate : roughage ratio). Four levels of substitution were evaluated: T0 = no addition of sugarcane tops; T33 = 33% substitution; T66 = 66% substitution; and T100 = total substitution of sugarcane by sugarcane tops. Dry matter, organic matter, crude protein and neutral detergent fibre intake, bodyweight gain, feed conversion and feed efficiency were evaluated as productive performance parameters, and as economic indicators, total revenue, total operating expenses, gross margin, and net margin. No effect (P ≥ 0.66) of diet was found for the studied variables. Average values of total bodyweight gain, average daily gain, feed conversion, and feed efficiency were 102 ± 10.0 kg/animal, 1.2 ± 0.12 kg/day, 8.6 ± 0.72 and 0.12 ± 0.010, respectively. Unlike other treatments, the T100 net margin was positive, because of the lower cost of acquiring sugarcane tops compared with sugarcane. Partial or total substitution of sugarcane by sugarcane tops in high-concentrate diets did not affect performance of feedlot bulls, but total substitution reduced production costs, with positive net margin. We conclude that sugarcane tops can be utilised as a low-cost roughage source in diets for beef bulls.
ANTIOXIDANT STATUS IN DAIRY COWS DURING LACTATION

During the transition period important metabolic changes occur in dairy cows, which can also experience oxidative stress. The study was carried out to asses the activity of antioxidant enzymes, the level of lipid peroxidation ant the level of serum antioxidants, carotenoids and uric acid. SOD activity in cows was situated around 1365 U/g Hb in the first week after parturition, 1890 U/g Hb in the second week, 2290 c in the third week, 1896 U/g Hb in the fourth week, and 1905 U/g Hb in the sixth week after parturition, value close to that of the cows in late lactation (2005 U/g Hb). GPX activity in cows was situated around 129 U/g Hb in the first week after parturition, and than increased to reach 166 U/g Hb in the sixth week after parturition, value comparable with that of cows in late lactation (160 U/g Hb). The same pattern of enzyme activity modification was observed for blood catalase. The maximum level of lipid peroxidation was observed in the first week after parturition (62 µmols/l), comparing with the level of MDA in the cows in late lactation (35 µmol/l). In the second week after parturition the level of MDA decrease significantly, and remains at approximatively same values during the experiment. The high level of MDA in the first week after parturition correlates with a low activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GPX, catalase) and a low level of antioxidants. The experimental data show that during parturition and onset of lactation oxidative stress appears in dairy cows, but these modifications are of short-therm.
Formulation and process development of flat-pressed wood-polyethylene composites

Wood-plastic composites have emerged primarily in response to the need for moisture-durable wood-based materials. Although a great deal of research has addressed extruded composites and formulations, little work has addressed the use of thermoplastics to modify conventional particulate wood composites. This research is aimed at determining processing and performance behavior of dry-blended wood-HDPE (high-density polyethylene) formulations using conventional hot-pressing techniques. Thermal analysis of the individual and blended components was used to guide the development of pressing schedules. Both the amount and melt flow index (MFI) of the HDPE used were found to significantly influence the flexural behavior of the pressed panels. Both panel MOR and MOE were improved with decreased levels of HDPE and low MFI values. However, only HDPE content effectively lowered moisture absorption, thickness swelling, or the swelling coefficient. In contrast to the mechanical behavior, all moisture properties measured were enhanced by increasing the HDPE content of the formulations. The use of wax and zinc stearate in the formulation decreased panel MOR while enhancing moisture resistance. The strong decrease in panel strength combined with no influence of panel stiffness of these lubricants strongly suggests that the lubricants are preferentially located on or near the wood surface. This conclusion is consistent with the increased moisture resistance afforded by these additives.
PRODUCTION, CONSUMPTION AND WELFARE IMPLICATIONS OF TRADE LIBERALISATION: THE CASE OF GREEK AGRICULTURE

The main facts lying behind this paper are related to the current issues regarding EU policies; such as the accession of a number of Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs) in the EU and the Doha round of the World Trade Organisation. The adopted quantitative methodology aims to estimate the expected trends in Greek agriculture following a substantial reduction in the level of protection over the 1999-2008 period. Two scenarios are examined: a baseline that simulates continuation of present agricultural policies, and one that assumes trade liberalisation. Trade liberalization has as an immediate negative effect on production, while a positive effect is true for demand. Welfare analysis results suggest a significant negative effect in producer surplus, but an overall positive trend for the net welfare effect in the case of the trade liberalisation scenario. Hence, from the efficiency point of view, the reallocation of resources through trade liberalisation is beneficial, if proper strategies are adopted to avoid additional costs due to market imperfections.
Retirement intentions of mature age workers

Using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey (HILDA), the paper will examine the retirement plans of people aged 45-54 years. The paper will explore the age group’s intended retirement age and how various factors such as gender, occupation, income, health, homeownership and level of community participation affect the planned timing of their retirement. Using results from the Workforce Circumstances and Retirement Attitudes Survey, the paper will consider the push and pull factors affecting their retirement decision and assess people’s level of superannuation and savings and how this might affect their retirement decision.
Support for Collaborative e-Learning in Asia

In online learning, student support systems are becoming more important as the basis for course design. In previous years, support had been considered as a supplement to resources given to pre-designed courses. The focus has now shifted since course design, content, and even assessment are formatively developed during the course through negotiation among the students and other agents such as the tutor and institution. Various forms of support are deployable. This paper looks at the design of e-learning courses in Asia to see what form of support is needed at the basic level involving choice of platform and use of technology. With increasing complexity in the e-learning technologies available, it is timely to take a re-look at the human involvement Ð at what students should be learning and how, and what the tutor should be teaching and how. And then we can identify which technologies serve these learning and teaching purposes. With the realization that online learning is better achieved through group interactivity than alone, there is a movement back to focusing on group learning. There are by definition only the two ways of learning in a group - cooperative learning and collaborative learning. Based on the established theory of transactional distance, e-learning technologies used in Asia were reviewed, to discover only the few elite centres of excellence deployed collaborative learning techniques, while the majority used cooperative techniques emphasizing dialogue to the exclusion of added structure. This report finds that the support needed in Asia should bring in more structure into course design to promote collaborative e-learning as an essential component in acquiring critical thinking skills at university.
A MANDARIN CHINESE BROADCAST NEWS CORPUS

The MATBN 2002 Mandarin Chinese broadcast news corpus contains a total of 40 hours of broadcast news from Public Television Service Foundation (Taiwan) with corresponding transcripts. The primary motivation for this collection is to provide training and testing data for continuous speech recognition evaluation in the broadcast domain. We expect to collect and process 220 hours of Mandarin Chinese broadcast news speech over 3 years. At the end of the first year, the 40 hour broadcast news corpus has been completed on schedule and is scheduled to be releasable in early 2003. According to our plan, we expect to release the interim 120 hour broadcast news corpus in late 2003 and the final 220 hour broadcast news corpus in late 2004.
Detección de Coxiella burnetii en leche de bovinos del Ecuador

Domestic ruminants comprise one of the main animal reservoirs of Coxiella burnetii, an obligate intracellular Gram negative pathogen, and the causative agent of Q fever. Humans get the disease by consuming milk from infected animals and inhalation or direct contact with contaminated fluids. A Real-Time PCR assay using a TaqMan fluorescent probe was utilized in order to detect the pathogen in bovine milk. The assay targeted a 61-63bp repetitive sequence within the IS1111 transposon in C. burnetii present in milk samples collected from random locations in Ecuador. The assay resulted positive for such pathogen in samples collected in 2 provinces of the Colombian and Peruvian borders and in Chimborazo, one not neighbouring province. To our knowledge, this is the first study in a Latin America country in which a molecular method of high sensitivity is used to detect of C. burnetii.