Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of Postconcussion Syndrome after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Young Adults from a Single Neurosurgical Center in East Coast of Malaysia

Context: Postconcussion syndrome (PCS) is a set of symptoms occurred after a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). Aims: This study aims to determine the prevalence of PCS in a young adult population from a single Neurological Centre in Malaysia's East Coast and to evaluate the factors associated with PCS in MTBI patients. Settings and Design: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in a Neurological Centre at Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia, from January 2016 to December 2016. Subjects and Methods: A total of 209 patients; 133 males and 76 females, in the age range of 16–84 years, were randomly recruited for this study. All the selected patients were subjected to the checklist for diagnosis of PCS as per International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th edition classification at a 2-week interval. Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive statistic and Multivariable Logistic Regression Model were used for frequency and percentage analyses of categorical variables, using SPSS version 23.0. Results: Only 20 patients were identified with PCS. There were more female (70%) patients with PCS than the male (30%) patients. The prevalence of PCS for 2 weeks, 3 and 6 months since injuries were 9.6%, 8.1%, and 8.1% respectively. Majority (80%) of the patients were found to have PCS due to road traffic accidents, while the remaining were attributed to assault (15%), and falls (5%). Among the sample population, 25% were smokers, while 10% of them had either skull fracture or premorbidity. Conclusion: Less than 10% of patients with MTBI had PCS after 6 months' following trauma. None of the variables tested were significant factors for the development of PCS symptoms.
Total quality management in small and medium enterprises: An overview in Indian context

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to carry out the study on Total quality Management (TQM) in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and understand the key issues involved in the implementation of TQM in Indian context. The aim of paper is to identify the critical success factors (CSF) through quality award model for effective implementation of TQM. Study found that very few TQM implementation model are developed for SMEs and no large scale empirical research has been systematically conducted dealing with TQM implementation in Indian manufacturing SMEs. It is found that the investigation for to bridge this gap is truly needed by developing the TQM model especially for SMEs. The limitations identified for this paper are (First) this study was limited only to SMEs of the manufacturing industries in Indian context. This cross sectional study was based on the quality award model and suitable to achieve the expected quality level of an organization for continuous improvement. This paper can increase the awareness of the significance of TQM strategy, which could help managers of SMEs to have a better understanding of the benefits of implementing TQM and therefore enable patient satisfaction within their organizations.
Simulation and experimental research on tool temperature field for low-temperature cutting of Ti-5553

Abstract To solve problems in the cutting of Ti-5553, simulation and experimental studies were conducted with the cutting tool placed in low-temperature liquid nitrogen. A finite-element simulation of dry and liquid-nitrogen cryogenic cooling cutting processes was conducted, and an experiment on dry and liquid-nitrogen cryogenic cutting was implemented. The influence of the cutting parameters with a change in the cutting temperature, and the effect of liquid-nitrogen cryogenic cooling, were considered. The cutting temperature was significantly reduced. A numerical simulation of the tool temperature field can be realized and support the application of liquid-nitrogen cryogenic cooling during the Ti-5553 cutting process.
The Decline of Zostera Marina L. at Salcombe and its Effects on the Shore

A comparison of photographs taken on the eastern shore of Salcombe harbour before and after the disappearance of much of the Zostera marina L. shows that where previously there existed extensive sand banks, stabilized by the growth of this plant, there has been a lowering of ground level of 2 ft. or more, due to the washing away of the sand where the Zostera has died. Much of the ground is more stony than before and has become largely covered with seaweed attached to the stones. The buried fauna is not as rich as it was and some species previously common are rare or have disappeared altogether. A few small patches of Zostera still survive, but the plants are shorter with narrower leaves than before.
Blossom-end rot in relation to growth rate and calcium content in fruits of sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

the fruit for determining the critical Ca concentration in the induction of BER is discussed. The relative importance of growth rate and calcium concentration in sweet pepper fruits (Capsicum Key words: Capsicum annuum L., sweet pepper, blossomannuum L.) for the induction of blossom-end rot (BER) end rot, calcium, growth rate, pollination, fruit load. was investigated in (1) four pollination treatments in one cultivar, (2) four cultivars with the same fruit load
Viability of probiotic micro‐organisms (Lactobacillus acidophilus La‐5 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb‐12) in ice cream

The purpose of this research was to determine the survival of two probiotic micro-organisms in ice creams (4% fat). The micro-organisms were Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5 and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb-12. To meet this objective, an ice cream mixture was formulated and subjected to three treatments. Treatment 1 was inoculated with L. acidophilus, treatment 2 with B. lactis and the third treatment was inoculated with a mixture of both bacteria inoculated in 1 : 1 proportions. The inoculation was with 4% culture for each treatment. The final products were stored at −25°C for 60 days. The ice cream inoculated with L. acidophilus had a final concentration of 2 × 106 cfu/g and the survival rate was 87%. The treatment inoculated with B. lactis had a final concentration of 9 × 106 cfu/g, with a logarithmic decrease of 10%. When both micro-organisms were inoculated together, the survival rate was 86%.
Dyslipidemia in Special Populations, the Elderly, Women, HIV, Chronic Kidney Disease and ESRD, and Minority Groups

This chapter discusses the management of dyslipidemia in special patient populations: the elderly, woman and pregnancy, renal disease, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and different racial/ethnic groups. In the elderly, dyslipidemia is often underdiagnosed and undertreated. Consideration for potential atherosclerotic risk-reduction benefits, risk of adverse effects, drug-drug interactions, and patient preferences should precede the initiation of statin therapy. Data on pregnant women are lacking and need future research. Dyslipidemia and its effects on the cardiovascular system in chronic kidney disease (CKD), end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and HIV are dynamic and multimodal. These conditions are states of chronic inflammation, where it is difficult to associate quantities of cholesterol types with outcomes. Among all racial groups, Asian Indians, Filipinos, and Hispanics are at a higher risk for dyslipidemia. Genetic differences in statin metabolism may explain this racial/ethnic difference.
Phylogeny and revision of the leech genus Helobdella (Glossiphoniidae) based on mitochondrial gene sequences and morphological data and a special consideration of the triserialis complex

The relationships, as well as identification of species, within Helobdella (Glossiphoniidae) were explored through phylogenetic analysis and through an overview of the historical systematics of the genus. The phylogeny was determined using morphological data and the mitochondrial gene sequences of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase subunit I. A broad representation of 15 ingroup species was sampled, including 10 individuals from South America. Outgroup taxa included five species of Haementeria. Cladistic analysis of all available data resulted in one most parsimonious tree. Results shed light on genetic divergence of members classified as the same species, including those that are not monophyletic. Historically, external morphological characters have played a significant role in contributing to the confusion in the classification of H. triserialis, H. papillata, H. lineata and H. fusca in North America. Re‐evaluation of Verril's Clepsine papillifera var. b and var. d in a phylogenetic context provides a solution. Additionally, the genera Adaetobdella, Acritobdella, Dacnobdella and Gloiobdella created by Ringuelet are returned to Helobdella based on overlapping morphological characters.
Owl pellets: a more effective alternative to conventional trapping for broad‐scale studies of small mammal communities

Small mammal community composition is almost universally estimated from conventional trapping, which is logistically difficult to scale up for landscape‐level assessments. Owl pellets may be a more effective alternative for measuring small mammal community composition over large geographic areas due to the relative ease and low cost of field collections. However, owl pellets may introduce sampling biases that differ from those associated with conventional trapping. A thorough comparison to conventional traps is required before owl pellets can be widely adopted as an alternative research tool for small mammal studies. We conducted a literature review of owl diet‐prey availability studies to: (i) compare small mammal community composition between owl pellets and trapping when the two methods were used simultaneously and (ii) assess the influence of owl genus and habitat type on community composition estimated by these two methods. We used data from 27 published studies, which allowed for 32 comparisons between owl pellets and trapping conducted simultaneously. These studies included 15 owl species from five common genera from different major habitats. Rarefied estimates showed that owls consistently sampled identical or higher species richness compared to conventional trapping. Richness estimates rarefied to the lowest sample size per study were not statistically identical (μΔrichness = 0·20 ± 0·09 SE, P = 0·30); on average, 0·95 ± 0·13 SE additional species were identified from pellets compared to trapping. Measures of species dominance and evenness estimated from both methods were statistically identical (μΔ1‐D = 0·02 ± 0·03 SE; μΔPIE = 0·004 ± 0·04 SE). Species lists, relative species composition and species rank‐order abundance were in moderate agreement between sampling methods (Jaccard = 0·62 ± 0·04 SE; Bray–Curtis = 0·53 ± 0·04 SE; Spearman rho = 0·41 ± 0·07 SE). Linear regression and AIC model selection showed that the performance of pellets versus traps did not differ based on owl genus or habitat type. Small mammal community composition estimated via pellets was better represented compared to estimates from conventional trapping. Composition metrics from the two methods were consistent and not affected by owl genera or habitat type. Thus, owls are an effective alternative for landscape‐level assessments of small mammal communities.
Control of varroa by combining trapping in honey bee worker brood with formic acid treatment of the capped brood outside the colony : putting knowledge on brood cell invasion into practice

SUMMARYBiotechnical varroa (Varroa jacobsoni) control methods are based on the principle that mites inside brood cells are trapped and then removed from the bee colony. In our experiments trapped mites were killed with formic acid. Worker brood used for trapping was retained and returned to the colonies. The observed percentage of mites trapped and killed by formic acid treatment was 87% and 89% in two experiments. The effectiveness could be predicted using prior knowledge on brood cell invasion behaviour, which thus proved to be valid for the design and improvement of trap-comb methods for ecological varroa control.
Measures of Individual, Collaborative and Environmental Characteristics predict Swiss School Principals’, Teachers’ and Student Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Inclusive Education

Positive attitudes towards inclusion of children with special educational needs (SEN) are essential for a successful implementation of inclusive education. This study aimed to test a research model comprising a series of variables that are recognized in the scientific literature for influencing attitudes towards inclusion, by means of structural equation modeling. 518 student-teachers, school teachers and principals were involved in a supra-regional online study conducted in a Swiss canton. Variables were attitudes towards inclusion, self-efficacy, attitudes towards inter-disciplinary team-teaching, experiences in specific school settings and opinions about school-environment characteristics. These were included in a theory guided structural equation model (SEM). The analyses revealed a good fit to the hypothesized model. Individual self-efficacy, attitudes towards interdisciplinary team-teaching, opinions about school-environment characteristics and practical experiences accounted for 34% of the variance in attitudes towards inclusion of children with SEN. The study allows a deeper insight in construct “attitudes towards inclusion of children with SEN” and a better understanding of the complexity of relations between the variables involved. The findings allow identifying more precisely the constellation of variables and relation-ships that play a role in predicting attitudes towards inclusion and, thus, are essential for implementing “a school for all”.
Wetlands in Canada's western boreal forest: Agents of Change

Wetlands of the western boreal forest are poorly studied. In the last decade (1990–2000) there were approximately 1810 northern hemisphere scientific papers published addressing boreal wetlands, tundra, taiga, or bogs. We explore the extent of understanding and impacts of six major agents of change affecting forested wetlands of the boreal zone: (1) commercial forestry, (2) petroleum extraction, (3) mining (bitumen, coal, peat, ore, and diamonds), (4) agriculture, (5) climate change, and (6) hydrologic alteration. Finally, we address the social context, costs, and recommendations for wetland maintenance. Key words: western boreal forest, wetlands, loss factors, forestry, conversion, wetland retention, wetland values
Foresight and the COVID-19 Pandemic

Futurists know from studying history that the most improbable things happen quite regularly. Already in the 21st century, we’ve had terrorist attacks, financial crashes, authoritarian governments, tsunamis, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), and now a global pandemic. While these events have surprised many leaders, almost all have been forecast in advance by futurists, scientists, technologists, and government officials. From history we know that a pandemic is a once-in-a-generation event, one that will cause death, economic hardship, and permanent changes to our society. The COVID-19 pandemic (also called the novel coronavirus pandemic) will offer invaluable lessons for the world to understand how wildcard events like this happen and is a good example of the benefits of foresight.
Low‐complexity de‐mapping algorithms for 64‐APSK signals

Due to its high spectrum efficiency, 64‐amplitude phase‐shift keying (64‐APSK) is one of the primary technologies used in deep space communications and digital video broadcasting through satellite‐second generation. However, 64‐APSK suffers from considerable computational complexity because of the de‐mapping method that it employs. In this study, a low‐complexity de‐mapping method for (4 + 12 + 20 + 28) 64‐APSK is proposed in which we take full advantage of the symmetric characteristics of each symbol mapping. Moreover, we map the detected symbol to the first quadrant and then divide the region in this first quadrant into several partitions to simplify the formula. Theoretical analysis shows that the proposed method requires no operation of exponents and logarithms and involves only multiplication, addition, subtraction, and judgment. Simulation results validate that the time consumption is dramatically decreased with limited degradation of bit error rate performance.
Free love in the far north: plural breeding and polyandry of arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus) on Bylot Island, Nunavut

Molecular studies show that canid breeding systems are more complex than field data have sometimes suggested. For example, microsatellite DNA fingerprints of offspring and adults within their social group indicate that many canid species thought to form monogamous pairs engage in polygyny, polyandry, and plural breeding. In many areas, arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus (L., 1758)) are considered monogamous, with the complexity of their social systems increasing as population isolation increases. We combined a genetic approach with spatial data of arctic foxes on Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada, to investigate breeding patterns in a population less isolated than many previously studied. As in previous field studies, single breeding pairs were most common, but one case of plural breeding and one case of polyandry with multiple paternity were also observed. Reproductive output in arctic foxes is closely tied to the productivity of their habitat in a given year; we support the hypothesis that abundant resources at o.
Temperature monitoring for femtosecond laser welded interconnection of MWCNT regular structure on PET substrate

Abstract In this article, we determine the impact of laser parameters on the development of a flexible conductive transparent film in multi wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) regular structures fabricated on the PET substrate. Both MWCNT and PET are the attractive material for flexible electronics and technological interest in Micro/Nano-manufacturing. Now day, femtosecond laser irradiation nanojoining with selected surface treatments is introduced as an interface enhancer between MWCNT and the PET. We investigated the femtosecond laser of fused PET. After laser irradiation heating, thermal effects modify the structures, and the properties of MWCNTs at the junction point. The network created by Laser irradiation requires extreme parameters: Laser energy irradiation, the effective laser radius, and preheating temperature. Theoretical calculations show us that 90 mW under laser spot radius of 1.5 mm and preheating temperature of 300 K can generate 433.0845 K as surface temperature enough to connect 1 µm in thick of MWCNTs without damage the PET substrate.
An Integrated Randomized Pricing Strategy for Omni-Channel Retailing

ABSTRACT Omni-channel supply chains provide customers with increased convenience to experience products and gather price information. Having more information under omni-channel retailing means customers can strategically choose where to purchase (which retail channel) and when to purchase (purchase now or later), which makes channel integration a challenge for omni-channel retailers. This paper focuses on the joint pricing optimization for omni-channel retailers. Specifically, we propose a randomized pricing strategy for omni-channel retailers by considering manufacturer’s wholesale price, customers’ discrepant perception between two channels, and customers’ strategic-waiting behavior. Under this strategy, while the retailer offers a fixed price in the offline channel, it may randomly provide a discount according to a preset probability in the online channel to discriminate between customers and gain more profit. This study explores how the manufacturer’s wholesale price and strategic customer behavior affect the randomized pricing strategy and profits for both omni-channel retailer and manufacturer. We show that if a randomized pricing strategy exists, it can benefit both the retailer and manufacturer. Finally, hiding the promotion probability is not always beneficial to the retailer. However, the retailer can benefit from price differentiation. Therefore, this study also provides guidelines to develop effective pricing strategies for omni-channel retailing.
Aerodynamic mechanisms in bio‐inspired micro air vehicles: a review in the light of novel compound layouts

Modern designs of micro air vehicles (MAVs) are mostly inspired by nature's flyers, such as hummingbirds and flying insects, which results in the birth of bio-inspired MAVs. The history and recent progress of the aerodynamic mechanisms in bio-inspired MAVs are reviewed in this study, especially focused on those compound layouts using bio-inspired unsteady aerodynamic mechanisms. Several successful bio-mimicking MAVs and the unsteady high lift mechanisms in insect flight are briefly revisited. Four types of the compound layouts, i.e. the fixed/flapping-wing MAV, the flapping rotary wing MAV, the multiple-pair flapping-wing MAV, and the cycloidal rotor MAV are introduced in terms of recent findings on their aerodynamic mechanisms. In the end, future interests in the field of MAVs are suggested. The authors' review can provide solid background knowledge for both future studies on the aerodynamic mechanisms in bio-inspired MAVs and the practical design of a bio-inspired MAV.
Evidence for improved connectivity between Cantabrian brown bear subpopulations

Abstract The brown bear (Ursus arctos) population in the Cantabrian Mountains of northwest Spain is among the most endangered bear populations worldwide. It is divided into 2 isolated and genetically differentiated subpopulations. We present evidence of recent male migration between the subpopulations based on genetic identification of hair and scats samples gathered between 2004 and 2007. Of 76 identified individuals, our analysis assigned 3 males sampled in the eastern subpopulation to the western subpopulation. As well, 1 male genetically belonging to the eastern subpopulation was repeatedly sampled along his way to the western subpopulation during April to November 2006 (a linear distance of 144 km). This bear's path may help identify natural corridors, which could be improved through restoration management. In addition, we identified 2 genetically admixed individuals during 2008 in the Western limit of the eastern subpopulation range. Connectivity between subpopulations and gene flow appears to be improving after a long isolation.
Strengths-based blended personalized learning: An impact study using virtual comparison group

Abstract This study describes a strengths-based blended personalized learning model, the implementation of the model over a 4-year period, and the results of an impact study focused on measuring its effectiveness. The model includes many commonly-used features of personalized learning, including (a) competency-based progressions, (b) flexible learning environments, (c) personal learning paths, (d) frequently updated student profiles, and (e) frequent informal and formal measurement. However, it differs from other personalized learning models by including a focus on strengths-based learning. Strengths-based learning identifies and builds upon students’ strengths, supporting their ability to make informed decisions when setting goals and choosing and implementing learning experiences. The longitudinal study took place in a diverse mid-size pre-K to Grade 8 school district in California. The findings suggest that the strengths-based blended personalized learning model is effective in supporting student learning in the academic areas of mathematics, reading, and language usage. Over the 3-year period in which the intervention was gradually implemented, and one year of full implementation, students significantly outpaced their matched student counterparts in all subject areas. The results of the current study further the growing literature in the field of personalized learning by contributing learnings and evidence related to a successful personalized learning model.