Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
"Second-look" Micro Testicular Sperm Extraction (MicroTESE) in Patients with Non-obstructive Azoospermia Following Histopathological Analysis

Introduction: Microdissection testicular sperm extraction (microTESE) is considered the gold standard method for surgical sperm retrieval among patients with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA). Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between histopathological findings after failed microTESE procedure and outcomes of the „second-look“ procedure and to provide insight into the most common histopathological patterns after testicular biopsy within our population. Methods: The retrospective study included 33 selected patients with NOA, who had undergone unsuccessful sperm retrieval. The diagnosis of NOA was made after the assessment of the patient’s history data, a physical examination, semen analysis, the hormonal profile, and genetic studies. After negative sperm retrieval, histopathological report has been analyzed for „second-look“ microTESE attempt. Results: Five testicular histopathological patterns were found: hypospermatogenesis (9,1%), Sertoli cell-only syndrome (43%), germ cell maturation arrest (15%), seminiferous tubule hyalinization (15%), mixed pattern (21%). Y-microdeletions were detected in 5 patients, of which 3 patients showed AZFc region deletions. Only 3 patients (9,1%) underwent a „second-look“ procedure after the evaluation of histopathological reports. After the stimulation therapy and „second-look“ procedure, we had a positive outcome in a single patient (33,3%). Mean FSH value in patients with confirmed spermatogenesis was 17.26±3.11IU/l, while mean FSH value in patients without presence or germ cell statistically significantly exceeded and was 24.28±4.71IU/L (p=0.038). Conclusion: Histopathological reports following the microTESE procedure are obligatory for the proper selection of patients who are candidates for the „second-look“ microTESE attempt. Patients with Sertoli cell-only syndrome and hypospermatogenesis particularly can benefit from the “second-look” procedure.
State support of agricultural producers as a factor in increasing the competitiveness of the agricultural sector

Support for an agricultural enterprise lies in the presentation of a set of state subsidies and economic privileges to determine the essential development and the possibility of continuing functioning within the market. With that, the dynamics of production and consumption of agricultural products cannot always be positive due to the seasonality of doing business and the dynamics of prices for materials and equipment. The novelty of the study is determined by the fact that the formation of state support must be based on assessments of the reality of conducting business and forecasting operational indicators. The paper shows that the main importance of competitiveness should be considered by expert methods. The authors show that this enables an additional assessment of the level of economic security. The paper defines the level of permissible economic load and, accordingly, the enterprise’s ability to achieve a stable financial situation both in the standard economic situation and in crisis situations. The practical significance of the study is determined by the structural component of ensuring the integrated economic security of the agricultural enterprise. The highlighted points of the paper allow to suggest ways of optimal structuring of current activities for the enterprise of the agricultural complex.
Graph Compression by Identifying Recurring Subgraphs

Current graph mining algorithms suffers from performance issues when querying patterns are in increasingl y massive network graphs. However, from our observation most data graphs inherently contains recurring se mantic subgraphs/substructures. Most graph mining algorithms treat them as independent subgraphs and perfo rm computations on them redundantly, which result in performance degradation when processing massive gra phs. In this paper, we propose an algorithm which exploits these inherent recurring subgraphs/substructures t o reduce graph sizes so that redundant computations performed by the traditional graph mining algorithms a re reduced. Experimental results show that our graph compression approach achieve up to 69% reduction in graph sizes over the real datasets. Moreover, required time to construct the compressed graphs is also reaso nably reduced.
Multi-SNP Analysis of MHC Region Remarkable Conservation of HLA-A1-B8-DR3 Haplotype

Technology has become available to cost-effectively analyze thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We recently confirmed by genotyping a small series of class I alleles and microsatellite markers that the extended haplotype HLA-A1-B8-DR3 (8.1 AH) at the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a common and conserved haplotype. To further evaluate the region of conservation of the DR3 haplotypes, we genotyped 31 8.1 AHs and 29 other DR3 haplotypes with a panel of 656 SNPs spanning 4.8 Mb in the MHC region. This multi-SNP evaluation revealed a 2.9-Mb region that was essentially invariable for all 31 8.1 AHs. The 31 8.1 AHs were >99.9% identical for 384 consecutive SNPs of the 656 SNPs analyzed. Future association studies of MHC-linked susceptibility to type 1 diabetes will need to account for the extensive conservation of the 8.1 AH, since individuals who carry this haplotype provide no information about the differential effects of the alleles that are present on this haplotype. Diabetes 55:1265–1269, 2006
Causes, Reactions, and Consequences of Academic Probation: A Theoretical Model

This pupcr presents N three-xtuge tnodel ofucademic prohutiorr tlrcit uddresses cogniti~1e. clfectiw (en~otiotzul), helinviornl, ard en~~ i ron~ i te r~ r~ I I , f i ~c to r r . The ,first stuge e.xtrnriries ihr prrcursor. ~ to prohation-far.tor. r that inhibit student perjbrmrrnw. The . sec.ond stuge focuses on st~rclcrrt reactions to being plocccl on probutioti. The wrioirs . rtrutegies striderirs use to cope with prohution are he11 used to predict the tl~irrl stugr or long-term consequences qj'prohntion. The k e . ~ tr.rsurnptio17 b e h i d this rnodel is thtrr sritderir C ( I I I S U / u~criptiutzs ,fiw prohation ore nri importunr predictor c! f]'~ttur.e perfbrrnunce und selfconcept. Ir~terventiorz srrategies trre pt.opnsed thui /Ocu.r oil ottrihutio~lal retruining ill uddition ro trutlitiur~al p o p a m . Fintrlly, it is hoped that this rnodel will protrrote heuristic resetrrrh cvncerning (11-risk s tude~~ts U S we// ( I S those on academic prohation.
Parameter Recognition of Mode-Converted Wave in Single-Source Ultrasound Using Gabor Transform for Bolt Axial Stress Evaluation

In this paper, a novel parameter recognition method of mode-converted wave in single-source ultrasound is put forward and applied to the estimation of axial stresses in bolts. To overcome the distortion and aliasing of the mode-converted wave in single-source ultrasonic signal, a time-frequency parameter recognition method based on the Gabor transform is introduced to recognize the accurate time of flight (TOF) of the mode-converted wave. Based on the mode conversion of the single-source longitudinal ultrasound, a new nonlinear evaluation model based on acoustoelastic equation is derived to determine the axial stress of bolt. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated by comparing it with the commonly used TOF ratio method of longitudinal wave and shear wave (L-S). The experiment result shows that the proposed method is more effective in detecting the connection status of bolted joints than the traditional L-S method.
A PILOT STUDY ON ISOLATION OF MICROSATELLITE DNA IN THE YANGTZE FINLESS PORPOISE (NEOPHOCAENA PHOCAENOIDES ASIAEORIENTALIS)

To the aim of developing specific microsatellite markers for the endangered Yangtze finless porpoise Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis,72 microsatellite DNA sequences were isolated using an improved FIASCO (Fast Isolation by AFLP of Sequences Containing Repeats) protocol.According to Weber's classification rules,these sequences were divided into three categories:perfect repeat sequences (58.3% of total),imperfect repeat sequences (22.2%),and compound repeat sequences (19.5%). Thirty PCR primer pairs were designed and synthesized,and then screened by a sample panel of 12 random selected Yangtze finless porpoises.As a result,14 of them were proved to be polymorphic exhibiting 2 to 13 alleles (mean 5.86 alleles/locus). Their average observed heterozygosity and expected heterozygosity were 0.560 and 0.709 respectively.These are the first batch of specific microsatellite markers for the Yangtze finless porpoise,and they should play great role in succedent conservation genetics studies.
Supervised Machine Learning From A Topological Perspective

We utilize classical facts from topology to show that the classiﬁcation problem in machine learning is always solvable under very mild conditions. Furthermore, given a training dataset, we show how topological formalism can be used to suggest the appropriate architectural choices for neural networks designed to be trained as classiﬁers on the data. Finally, we show how the architecture of a neural network cannot be chosen independently from the shape of the underlying data. To demonstrate these results, we provide example datasets and show how they are acted upon by neural nets from this topological perspective.
MiniNotes on Computer Networks.

In this whitepaper, the idea of MiniNotes on Computer networks is presented. MiniNotes are very short versions of notes on a specific topic, with an upper limit of 5 pages, which can be easily produced also in paper, or in the form of an ebook, while contain links to multimedia content, accessible through QR code weblinks
Comparative Study of Staplers, Subcuticular Stithches, Conventional Closure of Skin in Thyroid Surgeries

BACKGROUND: Any skin closure technique aims at opposing the skin edges precisely without tension for sufficient time to allow healing to take place. The ease and speed with which the skin closure is completed, the level of patient discomfort, the complication rate, and the final cosmetic result are the factors which has to be considered in making a comparison of different types of wound closure. This study aims at comparing staplers, subcuticular and conventional sutures for wound closure after thyroid surgery based on assessment of postoperative pain, cosmetic appearance and wound healing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comparative study was carried out among 90 subjects attending department of general surgery, SVRRGGH, Tirupati over a period of 18 months. Subjects of either sex undergoing thyroidectomy will be randomized to had their wounds closed by staplers, subcuticular and conventional methods. Patients who underwent previous neck irradiation, secondary neck surgeries and with poor compliance are excluded from the study. Descriptive statistics, unpaired-t -test and chi-square test were used to analyse the results. RESULTS: The mean age group of the study subjects was 48.69(24-76). The gender distribution showed a higher number of females (82) as compared to males (8). 74 patients were diagnosed with multinodular goitre, 9 patients were of colloid goitre and 7 were of thyroid neoplasms.56 patients underwent subtotal thyroidectomy, 25 patients underwent total thyroidectomy, 9 patients underwent hemithyroidectomy. Wound closure by subcuticular sutures has less post-operative pain, excellent scar appearance compared to other groups wound healing was good in all three groups. CONCLUSION: The choice of materials for wound closure will depend on the surgeon’s preference. However, this study does show that subcuticular sutures are more acceptable method for wound closure as compared to other two groups after thyroid surgery.
The Origin And Creation Of The Universe : A Response to Adolf Grünbaum Dr .

William Lane Craig is Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, California. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife Jan and their two teenage children Charity and John. At the age of sixteen as a junior in high school, he first heard the message of the Christian gospel and yielded his life to Christ. Dr. Craig pursued his undergraduate studies at Wheaton College (B.A. 1971) and graduate studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (M.A. 1974; M.A. 1975), the University of Birmingham (England) (Ph.D. 1977), and the University of Munich (Germany) (D.Theol. 1984). From 1980-86 he taught Philosophy of Religion at Trinity, during which time he and Jan started their family. In 1987 they moved to Brussels, Belgium, where Dr. Craig pursued research at the University of Louvain until 1994.
Community and International Nutrition Supplementing Lactating Women with Puréed Papaya and Grated Carrots Improved Vitamin A Status in a Placebo-Controlled Trial

Doubts have been raised about the effectiveness of carotene-containing foods in improving the vitamin A status of populations at risk. We investigated the effect of papaya and carrots on the vitamin A status of lactating women with 2to 12-mo-old infants in Zimbabwe. The women were randomly assigned to three supplementation groups and a placebo group, and received 6 mg of b-carotene capsules, 650 g puréed papaya, 100 g grated carrots or a placebo, daily for 60 d. All groups were given a meal containing 10 g of vegetable oil daily. Serum retinol, relative dose response, serum ferritin, hemoglobin and C-reactive protein were measured before and after the supplementation period. Mean serum retinol increased significantly after supplementation in the b-carotene group (P , 0.001), the papaya group (P , 0.001) and the carrot group (P , 0.001), but not in the placebo group (P . 0.05). The relative dose response decreased significantly (P , 0.05) in the b-carotene and papaya groups, but not in the carrot or placebo groups (P . 0.05). There was an increase in mean serum ferritin in all groups but the increase did not differ among groups. The hemoglobin increases in the b-carotene and papaya groups were greater than that in the placebo group. We conclude that puréed papaya and grated carrots can improve the vitamin A and iron nutriture of lactating women. These findings reinforce the importance of plant food–based approaches in the control of vitamin A deficiency in low income countries. J. Nutr. 131: 1497–1502,
Combination of mild heat and calcium chloride treatment on the texture and bioactive compounds of purple shallot

Purple shallot (Allium ascalonicum L.) is one of the most tropical agricultural crop widely used as a food seasoning. It is a highly commercial and important commodity by the food industry, not only based on its economic value but also the bioactive compounds. Pretreatment is widely used before processing of agro-products to improve the quality of these products. In this study, the influences of the pretreatment were conducted by the combination of mild temperature ranging from 45 to 55°C and different concentrations of calcium chloride (from 0.25 to 0.75%) on the quality of raw purple shallot used for further study (e.g. freeze-drying and pickling). The samples were analyzed for the firmness, bioactive compounds (total phenolic, total flavonoid and quercetin content) and antioxidant activity. The results showed that mild water temperature and calcium chloride concentration were influent on the firmness and bioactive compounds of raw material. The addition of calcium can enhance the beneficial action of mild heat treatments on sensory properties of purple shallot. The optimal conditions of the process were stabilized with the desired function, obtained at 50°C of mild hot water temperature dipping and 0.64% of calcium chloride concentration.
An Analysis of Data Security and Privacy in Cloud Computing

Cloud Computing is an important buzzword in today's computer world. Cloud is a global platform that allows digital information to be stored and distributed at very low cost and it is very fast to use. In present times since data storage requirements are huge many users are looking to store their invaluable data in more secure platforms such as Cloud. Cloud Computing is scalable, fast, flexible, and cost effective technology platform for IT enabled services over the internet. Even though, there are various advantages of cloud computing, cloud service users have to still put their data under third party servers which are not directly controlled by the data owner. The application software and databases in cloud computing are moved to large, centralized data centers, where the management of the data and services may not be trustworthy. Data security has consistently been a major issue in information technology. In cloud computing, mainly from government, industry and business users perspective, data security and privacy protection issues are relevant to both hardware and software parts of the cloud architecture. Cloud security is becoming a key differentiator and adding competitive edge among different cloud providers. In spite of various benefits provided by the cloud computing
The Impact of Financial Inclusion on Poverty in Jordan

This study aimed to estimate the long-run impact of financial inclusion along with a set of control variables on the poverty in Jordan during the period spans from 1980 through 2018. The per capita income growth rate was used as an indicator of poverty due to the lack of annual data on poverty indices. The study used the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) Model to test for cointegration. Also, both Fully Modified OLS (FMOLS) and Dynamic OLS (DOLS) are used to estimate the long-run model parameters. The ADF (Augmented Dickey-Fuller) results indicate that the variables integrated of order one I(1) or integrated of order zero I(0) but none is I(2). The diagnostic statistical tests necessary to ensure the model’s adequacy and validity indicate that the model is free from statistical problems, and the estimation results are reliable. The bounds test to cointegration provide evidence on the existence of long-run equilibrium relationship among variables, and hence, the variables are cointegrated. The empirical results revealed a positive effect of loans and demand deposits on per capita income, which reflects a reduction in poverty. While the number of bank branches has a negative impact on the per capita income, and hence, increasing poverty. Accordingly, the study recommended improving financial and banking systems to facilitate obtaining loans, increase the number of branches to improve individuals' access to financial services, and raising the interest rate on deposits to encourage investors and capital owners and companies to save in banks.
Analysis of Causes of Business Failure in Rwanda: Learning from Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

The Rwandan government has come up with different strategies in order to transform its economy since the year 2000, these includes Vision 2020 in the year 2000 which was broken down into strategies (EDPRS1 and 2) and currently the National Strategy for Transformation (NST1). One of the key objectives of the NST 1is the improvement of the business sector in order to be able to contribute fully to the structural transformation of the economy. Despite implementing different strategies to enhance the private sector, studies show that the private sector and SMEs in particular are growing at a very low rate and 50% of the businesses that are started do not exceed 5 years of lifespan. The study analyzed the causes of business failure in Rwanda and to prescribe an ideal path for business sustainability in Rwanda. A combination approach composed of positivism and phenomenology coupled with a multi-method strategy was used by the researchers. Data was collected from different business organizations using questionnaire and documentation. Qualitative factors were analysed using descriptive statistics and chi-square method. The quantitative factors were analysed using multivariate discriminant analysis. The findings revealed that business failure is as a result of both qualitative and quantitative factors where quantitative factors contribute 85%. Based on the findings, the researchers concluded that business success or failure is a function of both qualitative and quantitative factors. Key identified factors are cash flow management, poor market research, lack of business plan, expense management, and revenue management. The researchers recommend that there should be a program of mentorship to the young entrepreneurs, training of entrepreneurs in market research and business plan preparation.
Iso-Oncotic Albumin Mitigates Brain and Kidney Injury in Experimental Focal Ischemic Stroke

Background: There is widespread debate regarding the use of albumin in ischemic stroke. We tested the hypothesis that an iso-oncotic solution of albumin (5%), administered earlier after acute ischemic stroke (3 h), could provide neuroprotection without causing kidney damage, compared to a hyper-oncotic albumin (20%) and saline. Objective: To compare the effects of saline, iso-oncotic albumin, and hyper-oncotic albumin, all titrated to similar hemodynamic targets, on the brain and kidney. Methods: Ischemic stroke was induced in anesthetized male Wistar rats (n = 30; weight 437 ± 68 g) by thermocoagulation of pial blood vessels of the primary somatosensory, motor, and sensorimotor cortices. After 3 h, animals were anesthetized and randomly assigned (n = 8) to receive 0.9% NaCl (Saline), iso-oncotic albumin (5% ALB), and hyper-oncotic albumin (20% ALB), aiming to maintain hemodynamic stability (defined as distensibility index of inferior vena cava <25%, mean arterial pressure >80 mmHg). Rats were then ventilated using protective strategies for 2 h. Of these 30 animals, 6 were used as controls (focal ischemic stroke/no fluid). Results: The total fluid volume infused was higher in the Saline group than in the 5% ALB and 20% ALB groups (mean ± SD, 4.3 ± 1.6 vs. 2.7 ± 0.6 and 2.6 ± 0.5 mL, p = 0.03 and p = 0.02, respectively). The total albumin volume infused (g/kg) was higher in the 20% ALB group than in the 5% ALB group (1.4 ± 0.6 vs. 0.4 ± 0.2, p < 0.001). Saline increased neurodegeneration (Fluoro-Jade C staining), brain inflammation in the penumbra (higher tumor necrosis factor-alpha expression), and blood-brain barrier damage (lower gene expressions of claudin-1 and zona occludens-1) compared to both iso-oncotic and hyper-oncotic albumins, whereas it reduced the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (a marker of neuroregeneration) compared only to iso-oncotic albumin. In the kidney, hyper-oncotic albumin led to greater damage as well as higher gene expressions of kidney injury molecule-1 and interleukin-6 than 5% ALB (p < 0.001). Conclusions: In this model of focal ischemic stroke, only iso-oncotic albumin had a protective effect against brain and kidney damage. Fluid therapy thus requires careful analysis of impact not only on the brain but also on the kidney.
Tracking Birds: How a Little Backpack Could Affect the Life of a Wild Bird

Do you know it is possible to track the movement of birds wherever they go? GPS-transmitters, which look like little backpacks, can be carried by birds, allowing their movements to be monitored over both long time periods and great distances. However, before equipping birds with these “little backpacks,” it is important to investigate if and how the GPS-transmitters affect the birds’ behavior and bodily processes, for example their stress levels. To find this out, we observed the behavior of a group of northern bald ibises that were tagged with GPS-transmitters and compared them with a non-tagged group. We did not find any behavioral differences among the tagged and the control birds, but 1 month after tagging, the levels of stress were higher in the tagged group. Since the northern bald ibis is an endangered species, it is very important for researchers trying to protect the ibis to be sure that GPS-tagging does not increase the stress level of this animal.