Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ultrasound biomicroscopy outcomes after laser peripheral iridotomy in narrow occludable angles

Objective This study characterized the features of narrow occludable angles (NOA) using ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) before and after laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI). Methods A prospective interventional study was conducted involving patients diagnosed with NOA or who were primary angle-closure suspects (PACS). UBM was performed before and 2 weeks after LPI. Van-Herick and Schaffer gradings were used to assess the limbal-chamber depth (LCD) and angles respectively. Quantitative and qualitative changes in UBM parameters before and after LPI were measured. Data comparing pre- and post-LPI parameters were analyzed. Results Included were 34 eyes of 22 patients with a mean age of 62 ± 8 years. Nine out of 10 patients were females. LCD increased significantly after LPI (p < 0.0001). The Shaffer angle grading on static gonioscopy widened significantly in all quadrants after LPI (p < 0.05). The largest change in angle width was noted in the inferior quadrant (30%). Angle-opening distance (AOD) 250, AOD 500, and iridocorneal angle (ICA) widened significantly (p < 0.0001) after LPI. The greatest amount of AOD widening was in the nasal quadrant. Iridocorneal angle increase was largest in the superior quadrant. There was no statistically significant change in anterior-chamber depth (ACD), lens thickness, ciliary-body thickness, and iris thickness before and after LPI. There was also no statistically significant difference in any of the quantitative UBM parameters between eyes with clinically open or closed angles 2 weeks after LPI. Conclusion
Moderate exercise training has anorexogenic effect associated with improved oxidative stress in obese women

Endocrine derangement and oxidative stress are two distinguishing features of obesity that have limited the success rate of various management strategies, especially physical activities. The objective of the current study was to examine the effect of 8 weeks of moderate-intensity regular exercise training on oxidative stress, appetite and weight loss in obese women compared with normal-weight women. Sixteen normal-weight (body mass index (BMI) 30 kg/m2) exercised on the bicycle ergometer at moderate intensity for 30 min, 3 times per week for 8 weeks. Blood samples were collected at the first day of training and 72 h after the completion of the training program which were then used for the measurement of F2-Isoprostanes, glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG), leptin, adiponectin and nesfatin-1. Eight (8) weeks of training resulted in lower BMI, insulin, GSSG (P < 0.05), leptin (P < 0.01), and F2-Isoprostanes (P < 0.001) and higher nesfatin-1 levels (P < 0.01) relative to the levels at the pre-test stage in obese women. Also âleptin levels after exercise were positively correlated with âF2-Isoprostanes and âBMI. Eight weeks of moderate-intensity regular exercise program did not only induce weight loss and improve oxidative stress, but also modified insulin, leptin and nesfatin-1 concentrations, particularly in obese women. Key words: Endocrine derangement, oxidative stress, obesity, exercise, weight loss, leptin, nesfatin-1.
Effects of accelerated aging upon the lipid composition of seeds from two soft wheat varieties from Morocco

The lipid composition of the seeds from two soft wheat varieties ( Triticum aestivum , cv. Marchouche and Mahdia) were analyzed before and after accelerated aging. Eight days of accelerated aging resulted in a total inhibition of seed germinability as well as a decrease in their total and especially unsaturated fatty acid contents. Oleic and linoleic acid contents decreased particularly in the phosphatidylcholine of the seeds from both varieties. The proportion of polar lipids also decreased after aging as compared to neutral lipids: a 5.8% and 7.2% decrease in polar lipids was e observed in Mahdia and Marchouche cultivars, respectively. In the neutral lipids of the seeds from the Marchouche variety, the percentage of free fatty acids increased whereas the triacylglycerols decreased. After aging, the fatty acid compositions of all lipid classes were modified in the same manner as total fatty acid compositions. Among polar lipids, phospholipid proportions were particularly small, especially the phosphatidylcholine percentages with an 18.1% and 19.1% decrease in Mahdia and Marchouche varieties, respectively. In contrast, MGDG percentages increased, especially in the seeds from the Marchouche variety. A 15.5% increase was noticed when compared with seeds which were not aged. At the same time, the DGDG percentage showed a 16.6% decrease after accelerated aging of the seeds from the Marchouche variety. From these results we concluded that the lipid content decrease observed in seeds after accelerated aging could be linked to a loss in the germination and vigor of wheat seeds.
The Relationship of Anthropometric Measures to Vertical Jump Height.

The capability to perform your best is an important aspect in the sport of soccer. The relationship between anthropometric measures to vertical jump height among NCAA Division I Women’s soccer players is a subject lacking sufficient scientific research. Purpose: To analyze this relationship, body mass and %body fat was correlated with un-weighted countermovement jump height to determine the strength of this relationship in NCAA DI female soccer players. Methods: Data from an ongoing athlete monitoring program from fourteen NCAA D1 female soccer players in the year 2007 was analyzed. Air Displacement Plethysmography (ADP) via a BOD POD (Life Measurement, Inc., Concord, CA) measured body composition. Height and weight were measured using BOD POD Scale (Life Measurement Inc., Concord, CA) and a stadiometer (Detecto Scale Program, Webb City, MO). To measure the strength characteristics, a Countermovement Jump was utilized. Those jumps were measured using force plates (Rice Lake Weighing Systems, Rice Lake, WI). Results: There was an inverse and moderate correlation (r = -0.371) between 0kg CMJ and %BF, and an inverse and trivial correlation (r = 0.034) between the 0kg CMJ and BM. Conclusion: The relationship between %BF and jump height has a larger impact on this particular group compared to the BM relationship with jump height, but they both however play a significant role in DI women’s soccer.
A COMPARISON OF EFFICIENCY OF THE OPTIMIZATION APPROACH FOR CLUSTERING OF TRAJECTORIES

Abstract. Clustering is an unsupervised learning method that used to discover hidden patterns in large sets of data. Huge data volume and the multidimensionality of trajectories have made their clustering a more challenging task. K-means is a widely used clustering algorithm applied in the trajectory computation field. However, the critical issue with this algorithm is its dependency on the initial values and getting stuck in the local minimum. Meta-heuristic algorithms with the goal of minimizing the cost function of the K-means algorithm can be utilized to address this problem. In this paper, after suggesting a cost function, we compare clustering performance of seven known metaheuristic population-based algorithms including, Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Sine Cosine Algorithm (SCA), and Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA). The results obtained from the clustering of several data sets with class labels were assessed by internal and external clustering validation indices along with computation time factor. According to the results, PSO, and SCA algorithms show the best results in the clustering regarding the Purity, and computation time metrics, respectively.
A study on the Analysis of the Effects of Government Health Expenditure on Maternal Mortality in 25 Sub-Saharan Africa Countries

The study conducted examines the effect of government health expenditure on maternal mortality on health care and maternal mortality in 25 Sub-Saharan Africa Countries over the period of 1997 to 2015 and the empirical approach uses longitudinal data. To diminish the possible confounding influence of public health expenditures in the maternal mortality regressions, the study uses panel data run using STATA econometric software. The study finds that in Sub Saharan Africa, public health expenditure has a strong impact on reducing maternal mortality rates. Moreover, the study finds that improvements in access to improved sanitation facilities and external resources all work together to reduce the plausibility of maternal deaths. These findings support previous related empirical evidence for developing countries. Overall, from a policy standpoint, the empirical estimates call for public health policy makers in less-industrialized regions to pay close attention to three very basic measures. These include: improved access to sanitation facilities, efforts to combat HIV and AIDS along with increased public spending on health as these are all important factors that can help to decrease maternal fatalities in Sub Saharan Africa Countries Keywords: Public Health Expenditure; Maternal Mortality; Sub Saharan Africa DOI : 10.7176/PPAR/9-9-09 Publication date :September 30 th 2019
Scalable Data Analytics Market Basket Model for Transactional Data Streams

Transactional data streams (TDS) are incremental in nature thus, the process of mining is complicated. Such complications arise from challenges such as infinite length, feature evolution, concept evolution and concept drift. Tracking concept drift challenge is very difficult, thus very important for Market Basket Analysis (MBA) applications. Hence, the need for a strategy to accurately determine the suitability of item pairs within the available billions of pairs to solve concept drift chalenge of TDS in MBA. In this work, a Scalable Data Analytics Market Basket Model (SDAMBM) that handles concept drift issues in MBA was developed. Transactional data of 1,112,000 were extracted from a grocery store using Extraction, Transformation and Loading approach and 556,000 instances of the data were simulated from a cloud database. Calibev function was used to caliberate the data nodes. Lugui 7.2. 9 and Comprehensive R Archive Network were used for table pivoting between the simulated data and the data collected. The SDAMBM was developed using a combination of components from elixir big data architecture, the research conceptual model and consumer behavior theories. Toad Modeler was then used to assemble the model. The SDAMBM was implemented using Monarch and Tableau to generate insights and data visualization of the transactions. Intelligent interpreters for auto decision grid, selectivity mechanism and customer insights were used as metrics to evaluate the model. The result showed that 79% of the customers from the customers’ consumption pattern of the SDAMBM preferred buying snacks and drink as shown in the visualization report through the SDAMBM visualization dashboard. Finally, this study provided a data analytics approach for managing concept drift challenge in customers’ buying pattern. Furthermore, a distinctive model for managing concept drift was also achieved. It is therefore recommended that the SDAMBM should be adopted for the enhancement of customers buying and consumption pattern by business ventures, organizations and retailers.
BIO-CONTROL OF MULTIPLE DRUG-RESISTANT UROPATHOGENS USING MEDICINAL PLANT EXTRACTS

Objective: The present study was conducted to evaluate the potential of some medicinal plants used in Ayurveda in treating multiple drug-resistant human pathogens causing urinary tract infections (UTIs). Methods: Dried parts of six medicinal plants used in Ayurveda for treating UTI were Soxhlet extracted, and the extract was concentrated in vacuo. Various concentrations of the extract were tested for antimicrobial activity against three clinical isolates of multiple drug-resistant bacteria causing UTI. Results: Preliminary results showed the promising antibacterial effect of plant extracts. Escherichia coli, the most common pathogen associated with UTI, was susceptible to aqueous extracts of all the six medicinal plants. Conclusion: This study concluded that the medicinal plants used in Ayurveda to treat UTIs are effective against multiple drug-resistant uropathogens. Further study in this regard may lead to the identification of novel antimicrobial agent for treating multiple drug-resistant urinary tract pathogens.
On the low-dimensional homology of SL 2 ( k [ t , t − 1 ])

A bstract . We prove analogues of the fundamental theorem of K -theory for the second and third homology of SL 2 over an inﬁnite ﬁeld. The statements of the theorems involve Milnor-Witt K -theory and reﬁned scissors congruence groups. We use these results to calculate the low-dimensional homology of SL 2 of Laurent polynomials over certain ﬁelds.
THE IMPACT OF AAOIFI ACCOUNTING STANDARDS ON EARNINGS QUALITY: THE CASE OF ISLAMIC BANKS IN BAHRAIN

The purpose of this paper is to examine the change in earnings quality after the adoption of AAOIFI Accounting Standards in Islamic Banks of Bahrain. In this paper, we hypothesize that, adoption of AAOIFI accounting standards could lead to high level of earnings quality. However, data were collected from the annual reports of 5 Islamic banks in Bahrain during 2002-2011. The findings indicate that the change in earnings quality after the adoption of AAOIFI in Islamic Banks of Bahrain is higher due to the improvement of the quality of financial reporting. The Adoption of AAOIFI accounting standards is expected to lead to high level of earnings quality among Islamic Financial Institutions and play a significant role in attracting global investors' interest in the local markets, especially in a developing country like Bahrain.
Comparative Analysis Of Heterogeneous Ensemble Learning For Software Fault Prediction

:Software quality is the main aspect of every software product. Fault is the primary reason for decreasing the quality of software. Therefore we need fault prediction techniques that predict faults at early stage of software development. Ensemble learning has proved its significance in various scientific fields. So, in this paper, we propose heterogeneous ensembling technique because same kind of technique is not able to deal with all kinds of problems. Also we discuss various challenges that we still face during the development of the efficient fault prediction model using Ensembling.
The Gender Congruence and Life Satisfaction Scale (GCLS): Development and validation of a scale to measure outcomes from transgender health services

ABSTRACT Background: It is vital that the treatment offered at transgender health services can be evaluated to ensure a high quality of care. However, the tools currently used to evaluate treatment at transgender health services are limited by mainly focusing on mental health or because they have been developed for binary transgender people only. This study therefore aimed to develop and validate a tool that addresses these limitations. The Gender Congruence and Life Satisfaction Scale (GCLS) was developed through reviewing the literature, conducting interviews with transgender people, and holding discussions with experts working in transgender healthcare. An initial pool of items was developed and feedback on these was obtained. The tool was then validated. Method: For the validation of the tool, a total of 789 participants (451 transgender [171 transgender females, 147 transgender males, 133 people identifying as non-binary], and 338 cisgender [254 females, 84 males]) were recruited from the United Kingdom to test the factor structure and validity of the GCLS. Results: Exploratory factor analysis retained 38 items which formed seven subscales (psychological functioning; genitalia; social gender role recognition; physical and emotional intimacy; chest; other secondary sex characteristics; and life satisfaction). These seven subscales were found to have good internal consistency and convergent validity. The GCLS was also found to be capable of discriminating between groups (e.g., people who have and have not undergone gender affirming medical interventions). Transgender and cisgender subscale norms are provided for the GCLS. Conclusion: The GCLS is a suitable tool to use with the transgender population to measure health-related outcomes for both clinical and research purposes.
INTEGRATION OF MOBILE GIS AND LINKED DATA TECHNOLOGY FOR SPATIO-TEMPORAL TRANSPORT DATA MODEL

Abstract. Linked Data is available data on the web in a standard format that is useful for content inspection and insights deriving from data through semantic queries. Querying and Exploring spatial and temporal features of various data sources will be facilitated by using Linked Data. In this paper, an application is presented for linking transport data on the web. Data from Google Maps API and OpenStreetMap linked and published on the web. Spatio-Temporal queries were executed over linked transport data and resulted in network and traffic information in accordance with the user’s position. The client-side of this application contains a web and a mobile application which presents a user interface to access network and traffic information according to the user’s position. The results of the experiment show that by using the intrinsic potential of Linked Data we have tackled the challenges of using heterogeneous data sources and have provided desirable information that could be used for discovering new patterns. The mobile GIS application enables assessing the profits of mentioned technologies through an easy and user-friendly way.
Peri-Implantitis and Biofilm: Inescapable Bio-Linkage

Dental Implants have changed the face of dentistry over the last three decades. Dental implants have become increasingly common for the management of tooth loss. In the late 1970’s, a Swedish orthopedist named Per-Ingvar Branemark introduced what he termed osseointegrated implants to dental practice [1]. A dental implant is a titanium screw which is placed into bone to replace missing teeth. The implant mimics the root of a tooth in function. It is not only biocompatible, but actually fuses to bone by osseointegration. The growth of osseointegrated implants symbolizes one of the most significant breakthroughs in current dental practice in the oral rehabilitation of partially or fully edentulous patients [2]. As with most treatment procedures in dentistry today, dental implants not only involve scientific discovery, research and understanding, but also application in clinical practice. Dental plaque represents a classic example of both a biofilm and a microbial community, in that it displays emergent properties, i.e., plaque displays properties that are more than the sum of its constituent members [3], and microbial communities are ubiquitous in nature and usually exist attached to a surface as a spatially organized biofilm. Pathogens of the subgingival microbiota can interact with host tissues even without direct tissue penetration, and the subgingival microbiota accumulate on the oral cavity to form an adherent layer of plaque with the characteristics of a biofilm. Dental biofilm forms via an ordered sequence of events, resulting in structured and functionally organized species rich microbial community and modern molecular biological techniques have identified about 1000 different bacterial species in the dental biofilm, twice as many as can be cultured. Peri-implantitis is a sitespecific infectious disease that causes an inflammatory process in soft tissues, and bone loss around an osseointegrated implant in function. The aetiology of the implant infection is conditioned by the status of the tissue surrounding the implant, implant design, degree of roughness, external morphology, and excessive mechanical load. The microorganisms most commonly associated with implant failure are spirochetes and mobile forms of Gram-negative anaerobes, unless the origin is the result of simple mechanical overload. Diagnosis is based on changes of color in the gingiva, bleeding and probing depth of periimplant pockets, suppuration, X-ray, and gradual loss of bone height around the tooth. Treatment will differ depending upon whether it is a case of peri-implant mucositis or peri-implantitis. The management of implant infection should be focused on the control of infection, the detoxification of the implant surface, and regeneration of the alveolar bone [4].
The Influence of Platinum Dopant on the Characteristics of SnO 2 Thin Film for Gas Sensor Application

Doping of platinum on tin dioxide (SnO 2 ) thin film for gas sensor application has been carried out using ion implantation techniques. The SnO 2 thin film has been deposited using dc sputtering method at the conditions; operating pressure 5x10 -2 torr, anode-cathode voltage 2.0 kV, substrate temperature 200 0 C and deposition time one hour. While the Pt ion implantation process were carried out at energy 60 keV and ion doses were varied. From scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation, it was found that SnO 2 :Pt thin film which was deposited by those parameters has a fine morphology with the grain size of thin film was in order of 0.7 – 1.0 μm and thickness 4.16 μm. From crystal structure analysis using XRD it was observed that the crystal planes of SnO 2 :Pt were (110), (101), (200), (211), (300), and (112) . From energy dispersive X-rays analysis (EDX) coupled with SEM, it was found that the chemical composition of SnO 2 :Pt thin film were 66.12%-at O, 1.23 %-at Si, 0.12 %-at Pt and 32.53 %-at Sn. It was also found that the influence of platinum dopant on SnO 2 thin film can reduce significantly the resistance of thin film and from response time and sensitivities measurement showed that for every dose variation for different tested gas has a different respons time and sensitivities (no a specific pattern)
Diesel Engine Emission Reduction Using Catalytic Nanoparticles: An Experimental Investigation

Cerium oxide being a rare earth metal with dual valance state existence has exceptional catalytic activity due to its oxygen buffering capability, especially in the nanosized form. Hence when used as an additive in the diesel fuel it leads to simultaneous reduction and oxidation of nitrogen dioxide and hydrocarbon emissions, respectively, from diesel engine. The present work investigates the effect of cerium oxide nanoparticles on performance and emissions of diesel engine. Cerium oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by chemical method and techniques such as TEM, EDS, and XRD have been used for the characterization. Cerium oxide was mixed in diesel by means of standard ultrasonic shaker to obtain stable suspension, in a two-step process. The influence of nanoparticles on various physicochemical properties of diesel fuel has also been investigated through extensive experimentation by means of ASTM standard testing methods. Load test was done in the diesel engine to investigate the effect of nanoparticles on the efficiency and the emissions from the engine. Comparisons of fuel properties with and without additives are also presented.