Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of lower-limb torsional deformities on muscle and joint function during gait

Torsional deformities of the femur and tibia have been associated with walking difficulties, lower-limb pain and joint dysfunction. Patients presenting with torsional deformities typically undergo medical imaging and 3D gait analysis, prior to consideration of surgical correction. To date, much of the research has focused on kinematic and kinetic deviations during gait. However, little is known in regards to the effect of torsional deformities on muscle and joint contact forces. The overall goal of this dissertation was to understand the effect of lower-limb torsional deformities on muscle and joint function during gait, to improve surgical decision-making and hence clinical outcomes. Prior to addressing the overall goal of this dissertation we investigated three key areas; 1) the evaluation of suitable clinical methods for the measurement of lower-limb torsion, 2) determining accurate anatomical based joint parameters (joint centres and axes) for the lower-limbs and 3) separating the effects of bone geometry (lower-limb torsion) and joint parameters on musculoskeletal modelling results (kinematics, kinetics, muscletendon unit lengths, muscle moment arms, muscle forces and joint contact forces). Various clinical methods of measuring lower-limb torsion were compared to the gold standard, computed tomography (CT) measurements. Physical examination measurements were unreliable, showing poor agreement with measurements from CT. Freehand 3D ultrasound and low dose biplanar radiography (EOS imaging) showed good agreement with measurements from CT. Validation of methods to determine joint centres and axes has been limited, often assessed with indirect outcome measures. For this study, patient-specific joint parameters were identified from low dose biplanar radiography and registered with respect to the skin markers used during 3D gait analysis. This was done for the hip joint centre, condylar axis (knee axis) and bimalleolar axis (ankle axis). This method was used as a reference to evaluate previously described methods. For the hip joint centre recent regression equations obtained from CT or magnetic resonance imaging showed good agreement with the reference, with the majority being less than 30mm from the reference. For the condylar axis both the conventional gait model and functional calibration methods were unreliable. Freehand 3D ultrasound imaging showed the closest results to the reference.
Comparison of Food Cue–Evoked and Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Obesity

ABSTRACT Objective Obesity is associated with differences in task-evoked and resting-state functional brain connectivity (FC). However, no studies have compared obesity-related differences in FC evoked by high-calorie food cues from that observed at rest. Such a comparison could improve our understanding of the neural mechanisms of reward valuation and decision making in the context of obesity. Methods The sample included 122 adults (78% female; mean age = 44.43 [8.67] years) with body mass index (BMI) in the overweight or obese range (mean = 31.28 [3.92] kg/m2). Participants completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan that included a resting period followed by a visual food cue task. Whole-brain FC analyses examined seed-to-voxel signal covariation during the presentation of high-calorie food and at rest using seeds located in the left and right orbitofrontal cortex, left hippocampus, and left dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. Results For all seeds examined, BMI was associated with stronger FC during the presentation of high-calorie food, but weaker FC at rest. Regions exhibiting BMI-related modulation of signal coherence in the presence of palatable food cues were largely located within the default mode network (z range = 2.34–4.91), whereas regions exhibiting BMI-related modulation of signal coherence at rest were located within the frontostriatal and default mode networks (z range = 3.05–4.11). All FC results exceeded a voxelwise threshold of p < . 01 and cluster-defining familywise error threshold of p < . 05. Conclusions These dissociable patterns of FC may suggest separate neural mechanisms contributing to variation in distinct cognitive, psychological, or behavioral domains that may be related to individual differences in risk for obesity.
Characterization of the Cofactors Involved in Non-enzymatic Metmyoglobin/Methemoglobin Reduction In Vitro

Previous research reported the role of nonenzymatic metmyoglobin (MetMb) and methemoglobin (MetHb) reduction in meat color; however, limited studies have characterized the cofactors involved in nonenzymatic reduction. The objective of this study was to characterize electron donors and carriers in nonenzymatic MetMb and MetHb reduction at various temperatures and postmortem muscle pHs in vitro. Methylene blue and cytochrome c (cyt-c) were evaluated as electron carriers and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, reduced form (NADH) and ascorbate were considered as electron donors. All combinations of electron donors and carriers were evaluated in the following order: NADH plus methylene blue, ascorbate plus methylene blue, NADH plus cyt-c, and ascorbate plus cyt-c. Spectrophotometry was utilized to monitor the rates of reduction. The results indicated that methylene blue was an effective electron carrier than cyt-c in the presence of NADH. Temperature and pH had cofactor-specific effects on nonenzymatic MetMb and MetHb reduction. Lower temperature resulted in an increased nonenzymatic MetMb reduction for methylene blue regardless of electron donor (ascorbate, P = 0.03, NADH, P = 0.04). As pH increased, MetHb reduction was enhanced in the presence of ascorbate plus cyt-c. Nonenzymatic MetHb reduction was numerically lower than nonenzymatic MetMb reduction in the presence of NADH plus methylene blue. In summary, in addition to NADH, the current in vitro research demonstrated that ascorbate plus cyt-c could contribute to nonenzymatic MetMb and MetHb reduction at meat-pH and storage temperature.
Size–Density Trajectory in Regenerated Maritime Pine Stands after Fire

Research Highlights: This study bridges a gap of knowledge about the maximum size–density trajectory for juvenile stands of maritime pine. The continuity of the trajectory along the development stages to maturity is assured with a straightforward approach providing support to determine optimum density along all the revolution periods for the species. Background and Objectives: Forest fire is a significant threat to forests in the Mediterranean regions, but also a natural disturbance that plays a vital role in the perpetuation of forest stands. In recent decades, there has been an increase of burnt area in maritime forests in Portugal, followed by an increased interest in managing the natural and usually abundant regeneration occurring after the fires. The gap in the knowledge of growth dynamics for juvenile stages, for these forest systems, currently constrains their correct management, for forest planning, particularly in determining the optimal densities. The study aims to identify the maximum attainable density trajectory at the early stages of development of the species that could support a non-empirical definition of silvicultural prescriptions and thinning decisions, along the revolution. Materials and Methods: A representative data set collected in stands regenerated after fire supports the analysis of the maximum size–density trajectory for the species. Results: The maximum size–density trajectory for the juvenile stands deviates from the expected trajectory defined in the self-thinning line published for the species. Significant deviation occurs at the lower end of the line, indicating the need for a reevaluation of the existing self-thinning line. We propose a new self-thinning model for the species that explicitly considers the behavior of size–density for juvenile stands. The new model assures a logical continuity for the trajectory from the young stages of development to maturity. Conclusions: The proposed model based on the maximum attainable size–density trajectory provides ecological-based support to define silvicultural guidelines for management of the species.
Introductory Chapter: Behcet’s Disease - An Overview

The disease was first described by a Turkish dermatologist, Hulusi Behçet, in 1937 as a triple symptom complex; aphthous stomatitis, genital ulcers, and relapsing uveitis [2]. Hulusi Behçet was born in 1889 in Istanbul/Turkey. In 1910, he became a medical doctor, and in 1914, he received a dermatologist title. In 1933, he became a professor of dermatology and venereal diseases. Hulusi Behçet is the first academician with a titled professor in the history of Turkish academy. Hulusi Behçet observed aphthous symptoms in the mouth and genital area and several findings in the eye in his three patients whom he followed 21, 7 and 3 years. He believed that this was a new disease. In 1937, he reported his observations in “DermatologischeWochenschrift” and then he presented his patients in a dermatology meeting in Paris. In later times, same cases were reported from various regions of the world. In 1947, the new disease was named as “Morbus Behçet” in International Congress of Geneva [3].
Nijmegen Breakage Sendromlu Bir Olgunun Uzun Süreli izlemi

Nijmegen Breakage Sendromu (NBS), mikrosefali, tipik yüz görünümü, büyüme geriliği, mental gerilik, immün yetmezlik ve lenfoid malignitelere yüksek yatkınlıkla karakterize nadir görülen bir kromozomal instabilite hastalığıdır. NBS, 8 nolu kromozomda bulunan (8q21) NBS1 geninde mutasyon sonucu ortaya çıkar. Bu gen moleküler ağırlığı 95 kDa olan nibrin proteinini kodlar. NBS’lu olgularda bildirilen immünolojik anormallikler hem hücresel hem de hümoral immün sistem ile ilgili olmakta, hastalarda daha çok tekrarlayan bakteriyal ve viral sinopulmoner enfeksiyonlar görülmektedir. NBS nadir görülen bir sendromdur. Bu sendroma immün yetmezlik tablosunun eşlik edebileceği akılda tutulmalıdır. ABSTRACT
The Role of Capital Structure on The Effect of Dividend Policy and Business Risk on Firm Value (Evidence from Indonesian Manufacturing Company)

This study examines the effect of dividend policy and business risk on firm value and capital structure. Moreover, this study analyzes the role of capital structure on that relationship simultaneously. The relationship between these variables has been a debate in the capital market literature. Using manufacturing companies listed on Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) for years 2012-2018, this study takes into account that the dividend policy and business risk does not directly impact to the firm value. Thus, we examine 41 companies that meet the sample criteria. The result show that dividend policy and business risk have a positive effect both on firm value and capital structure. Then, capital structure has a role to mediating the effect of dividend policy and business risk on firm value has been confirmed.
Design and implementation of elderly assistant & custody system based on Kinect and Gizwits

Since most of the traditional elderly assistant system cannot achieve remote control and send immediate notifications to their families when falling of the elderly occurs, a somatosensory interactive and remote controllable elderly assistant & custody system is designed and realized based on Kinect and Gizwits in this paper. Old people’s falling can be detected via the depth images and skeleton information captured by Kinect sensor and notified to their family members through web service. Remote control of the simulated smart home appliance through the mobile APP can be achieved via Data Points set in Gizwits cloud platform. Because of the remote control of the domestic appliance and accurate identification of falling-down action, the presented system can provide the elderly people with great convenience and ensure their living safety.
Access to cancer medicines in Europe : an analysis of existing challenges and countries' responses

Access to new cancer medicines, particularly their coverage and affordability, is a matter of great concern to payers, patients and the pharmaceutical industry. Yet, little comparative evidence on actual use and its determinants is available. This thesis aimed to analyse the extent to which access to cancer medicines varies across a sample of European countries, what determines these differences, whether they matter, and what are countries doing to improve access. These objectives were achieved through the use of quantitative and qualitative methods including multilevel mixed effects models, survival analysis and the complementary log-log transformation of the Cox proportional hazard model, literature reviews and interviews to inform the development of conceptual frameworks, and a comparative longitudinal analysis of the implementation of MEAs. Results show that there are wide cross-country differences in access to cancer medicines in Belgium, Estonia, Scotland, and Sweden. These differences were determined by time to entry of new medicines, medical need (i.e. incidence of the disease) and factors affecting treatment decisions (e.g. coverage, prices, and financing mechanisms). The added clinical value of medicines explained the shorter time to launch in Estonia and higher consumption in Scotland but not in the other countries. This emphasises the importance of health technology assessment processes in identifying and making cost-effective medicines available and limiting the utilisation of non-cost-effective ones. The latter is particularly important given the opportunity cost of funding new cancer medicines. Managed entry agreements have increasingly been implemented to address issues of uncertainty and high prices when making coverage decisions. Through their action on price, effectiveness and use, they are able to influence cost-effectiveness and budget impact, two key variables guiding reimbursement decisions. Some of the most important contributions from this thesis include: (1) the development of a blueprint to analyse access to cancer medicines in Europe quantitatively and qualitatively; (2) the identification of likely determinants of differences in access to cancer medicines which can guide policy-makers efforts in managing access to new therapies; and (3) the development of a conceptual framework for managed entry agreements which can support their design and evaluation.
A low‐profile circularly polarized dielectric patch antenna and array

A square dielectric patch (DP) resonator fusing with the bottom substrate is studied for designing low‐profile circularly polarized (CP) antenna. Based on the theoretical investigation using the constructed analysis model, it can be found that the proposed DP resonator possesses a pair of degenerate dominate modes (TM101 and TM011), which can be split by introducing perturbations on the DP resonator and then used to design CP antenna fed by a microstrip line directly. To verify the proposed idea, a 2 × 2 array fed by a dual Marchand balun network is designed and implemented. Reasonable agreement between the measured and simulated results is observed. Experimental results show that a measured impedance bandwidth is 380 MHz (5.18‐5.56 GHz) for |S11| < −10 dB and the 3‐dB axial ratio bandwidth is 90 MHz (5.32‐5.41 GHz). The measured gain is up to 11.77 dBic with a cross polarization of about −20 dB in the boresight direction.
Removal of titanium dioxide nanoparticles from wastewater using traditional chemical coagulants and chitosan

Alum and ferric chloride were used individually as coagulants to remove P25 TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) from a simulated wastewater. Previous studies have addressed the use of alum, polyaluminum chloride, chitosan, and polyaluminum chloride with chitosan for coagulation of NPs. A goal of this study was to reduce chemical usage associated with wastewater treatment by examining the coagulation effectiveness of chitosan in conjunction with alum. To further reduce chemical consumption during coagulation, the initial solution pH was limited to 6 or 8. A range of alum doses removed NPs from pH 8 wastewater to achieve residual turbidity <1 NTU. NP removal from pH 6 solutions produced water with residual turbidity <2 NTU only at lower initial NP concentrations. For pH 8 solutions, ferric chloride produced treated water with residual turbidity <1 NTU but at higher doses than required for alum. While chitosan alone did not significantly reduce turbidity, the use of alum and chitosan together reduced the optimal alum dose by 10% and also reduced alum treatment acidification. Therefore, the use of chitosan in coagulation can potentially reduce chemical usage during water treatment and the energy and water consumption associated with chemical production. Use of alum with low chitosan concentrations produces faster settling floc, which can potentially reduce settling tank volume and produce an effluent containing lower aluminum concentrations.
Prediction-based parking allocation framework in urban environments

ABSTRACT Finding a parking space is usually challenging in urban areas. The literature shows that 30% of traffic congestion is caused by searching for parking spaces, which results in unnecessary energy consumption and environmental pollution. With the development of sensor technologies, smart parking guidance systems provide users with a variety of real-time parking space information. However, users cannot know whether the target parking space remains available upon arrival. Moreover, parking resources may be under competition when multiple users target the same open parking space. In this research, we develop a new framework named prediction-based parking allocation (PPA) that provides smart parking services to users. In PPA, we first construct a prediction model of parking occupancy and predict the subsequent parking availabilities. Then, we design a matching-based allocation strategy to assign users to selected parking spaces. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that combines occupancy prediction and space allocation simultaneously to address smart parking issues. Finally, we collect a real dataset from the SFPark on-street parking system for performance evaluation. According to experimental results, PPA can effectively increase the parking success rate and reduce costs, fuel consumption, and carbon emissions.
Input Trade Liberalization and the Export Duration of Products: Evidence from China

This paper introduces a quasi&#8208;natural experimental framework into trade policy evaluation and reassesses China's trade liberalization through the survival of export products. We use propensity score matching and China's dual trade system to design a quasi&#8208;natural experiment based on Chinese industrial enterprises, customs import and export, and tariff data over the period of 2000&#8211;2006; we then use survival analysis to study the impacts of China's trade liberalization on the export duration of manufacturing firms&#8217; products. We find that the substantial reduction in import tariffs after China's accession to the World Trade Organization enhances the export duration of firm products, indicating that trade liberalization ameliorates the survival of export products. The promotion effects of tariff reduction on export duration are obviously stronger for core products than for noncore products.
OPTIMIZATION OF DIFFERENT PARAMETERS FOR THE EXTRACTION OF POLYPHENOLS AND PROANTHOCYANIDINS FROM PISTACIA VERA HULLS

Objective: Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) hull are usually discarded as waste, which can lead to environmental pollution even a significant portion of polyphenols are often present in high concentrations in the outer parts of fruits. In this way, using a pistachio hull as a source of bioactive compounds will increase the value of pistachio production and offer valorization for a useless by-product. Methods: Different ethanol concentrations (5, 10, 25, 50, 75 and 95 %) were investigated and the extraction efficiency at extraction temperature from 20 to 90 °C and extraction times from 5 to 45 min was studied. The extraction yield of total polyphenols and proanthocyanidins from the pistachio hull and the antioxidant activity of the extract were evaluated. Results: The obtained results indicated relationships between the tested parameters and extraction yield. The maximum yield for total polyphenols and proanthocyanidins was obtained with 25% ethanol at 60 °C for 15 min (13.91±0.72 and 5.86±0.45 g/100g dry weight, respectively). DPPH radical scavenging activities of extracts were proved to have a linear relationship with the polyphenols yield in the extracts (R2=0.9907) with a maximum DPPH radical scavenging activity of 60.25%. Conclusion: These findings propose that pistachio hull extracts can be a valuable source of bioactive compounds.
Socio-demographic impact of platinum-induced ototoxicity in long-termsurvivors of childhood cancer.

Objective: Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) treated with platinum-based chemotherapy are at risk of treatment-induced ototoxicity. To date, there is limited knowledge on the effect of ototoxicity on socio-demographic factors, the burden to obtain insurances and psychological distress in CCS. Design: Of the 653 CCS with completed questionnaires, 54 survivors had been treated with platinum. Ototoxicity (Munster score ≥ 2b) data were retrieved from pure-tone audiometry. All survivors completed a questionnaire consisting of the Distress Thermometer (DT), measuring the severity of distress and was recoded to a 0 (no distress)-10 (extreme distress) scale. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to study the psychological distress (a score ≥ 15 is indicative for clinically significant distress). Results: Median age at diagnosis was 6.2 years (range: 0.01-17.8) and median follow-up time from end of treatment to questionnaire was 15.6 years (range: 3.2-43.7). There were no differences in attempts to obtain insurances, highest education achievement and (un) employment between platinum-treated survivors and non-platinum treated survivors. Among the 54 platinum-treated CCS, median HADS score of hearing impaired survivors (n=22 (median score: 4.5, range: 0.0-29)) was not significantly different from survivors without ototoxicity (n=32 (median score 5.5, range: 0.0-11, p=0.337)). Similarly, DT scores were not significantly different between survivors with or without ototoxicity (p=0.441). Compared to the 599 non-platinum treated survivors, median HADS and DT scores of platinum-treated survivors were not significantly different. Conclusion: Based on this first, small study, we didn't find differences between CCS who suffer from platinum-related ototoxicity and survivors without hearing impairment, suggesting that CCS with ototoxicity do not necessarily encounter more socio-demographic challenges and psychological distress than CCS without ototoxicity.