Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human mobility data and analysis for urban resilience: A systematic review

The impacts of disasters are increasing due to climate change and unplanned urbanization. Big and open data offer considerable potential for analyzing and predicting human mobility during disaster events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to better disaster risk reduction (DRR) planning. However, the value of human mobility data and analysis (HMDA) in urban resilience research is poorly understood. This review highlights key opportunities for and challenges hindering the use of HMDA in DRR in urban planning and risk science, as well as insights from practitioners. A gap in research on HMDA for data-driven DRR planning was identified. By examining human mobility studies and their respective analytical and planning tools, this paper offers deeper insights into the challenges that must be addressed to improve the development of effective data-driven DRR planning, from data collection to implementation. In future work on HMDA, (i) the human mobility of vulnerable populations should be targeted, (ii) research should focus on disaster mitigation and prevention, (iii) analytical methods for evidence-based disaster planning should be developed, (iv) different types of data should be integrated into analyses to overcome methodological challenges, and (v) a decision-making framework should be developed for evidence-based urban planning through transdisciplinary knowledge co-production.
Foodborne Diseases: Causative Agents, Prevalence and Control

In this globalized scenario foodborne diseases are spreading more rapidly than ever like other infectious disease. Main reason behind emerging foodborne diseases are microbiological agents but some chemical agents and weather conditions may also contribute to the prevailing issue of food illnesses. Best way to control foodborne diseases is to ensure the hygiene conditions during food preparation and consumption e.g., washing hands before preparing and eating food. Cleaning raw food, proper cooking and pasteurization can also help in prevention of foodborne diseases. A number of international corporations are working to overcome the global issue of food illnesses.
Genomic Association Mapping of Apparent Amylose and Protein Concentration in Milled Rice

Apparent amylose and protein concentrations (AAC and PC) affect the milling, cooking, and eating quality of rice. This study was conducted to assess the phenotypic and genotypic variation and to identify genomic regions and putative candidate genes associated with AAC and PC in milled rice grain. Two hundred and seventeen and 207 diverse rice accessions were grown at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Milled rice samples were analyzed for AAC and PC using the iodine colorimetry and Dumas method, respectively. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for AAC and PC were conducted using 872,556 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers following the mixed linear model. Significant variation among the accessions was found for both variables each year. Associations between 32 SNPs with PC and seven SNPs with AAC were detected. Gene models linked to these SNPs have a wide range of biological functions, including protein and carbohydrate metabolism, DNA methylation, and response to abiotic and biotic stresses. Seven of the identified SNPs colocalized with previously reported quantitative trait loci (QTL) for protein concentration. Fine-mapping of significant genomic regions and gene validation are necessary for this information to aid in marker-assisted breeding for improved grain quality.
Brainwaves Activities during Resting State: A Neurofeedback Case Study

Neurofeedback training (NFT) on a healthy participant was used to analyse brainwave activity during resting state. Electrodes were placed on the prefrontal cortex and at reference sites to conduct the experiment. The patient was asked to remain still and rest by sitting in a chair. The technology was then used to record the electrical waves emitted by brain activities. After ten cycles with a break interval, theta, alpha, and high beta brainwaves were discovered. There were statistically significant brainwaves in the prefrontal cortex. Remarkably, the ascending high beta oscillation range was the highest, while the alpha wave was the lowest, contradicting earlier results. Anxiety, excitement, and focus were thought to be associated with the highest range of high beta waves.
FATORES CONDICIONANTES DA FORMAÇÃO DE UMA REDE HORIZONTAL ENTRE FRANQUEADAS CONDITIONING FACTORS TO CREATING A HORIZONTAL NETWORK WITH FRANCHISEES

The objective of this article is to identify the conditioning factors to creating a horizontal network with franchisees for purchasing activities. This is a single case study, developed with a descriptive and qualitative approach, during the second half of 2013. Documents from 2011 to 2013 were researched, routines of operation were observed and three members of the network were interviewed. The main results indicate that franchising environment contributed to approximating the participants to the network, by prior knowledge and joint activities, reducing uncertainty and promoting greater trust. However, it raises the risks linked with increased trust, such as no provision of handling of disputes between participants and suppliers and member dropouts. It also limits the expansion of the network to shopping categories and entry of new partners. The environment is restricted to companies of the franchise and the primary materials are regulated by the franchisor, preventing gains with these factors.
Toward three-dimensional ultrasound image fusion for the guidance of gynecological brachytherapy procedures

High dose rate brachytherapy is a common procedure used in the treatment of gynecological cancers to irradiate malignant tumors while sparing the surrounding healthy tissue. While treatment may be delivered using a variety of applicator types, a hybrid technique consisting of an intracavitary applicator and interstitial needles allows for highly localized placement of the radioactive sources. To ensure an accurate and precise procedure, identification of the applicator and needle tips is necessary. The use of three-dimensional (3D) transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) and transabdominal ultrasound (TAUS) imaging has been previously investigated for the visualization of the intracavitary applicators. However, due to image artifacts from the applicator, needle tip identification is severely restricted when using a single 3D US view. To overcome this limitation and improve treatment outcome, we propose the use of image fusion to combine TRUS and TAUS images for the complete visualization of the applicator, needle tips, and surrounding anatomy. In this proof-of-concept work, we use a multimodality anthropomorphic pelvic phantom to assess the feasibility of image fusion and needle visualization using a hybrid brachytherapy applicator. We found that fused 3D US images resulted in accurate visualization of the pertinent structures when compared with magnetic resonance images. The results of this study demonstrate the future potential of image fusion in gynecological brachytherapy applications to ensure high treatment quality and reduce radiation dose to surrounding healthy tissue. This work is currently being expanded to other applicator types and is being applied to patients in a clinical trial.
Effect of Heating Time of Cottonseed Meal on Nutrient and Mineral Element Digestibility in Chicken (Based on Cottonseed Meal Replaced with All Soybean Meal)

Simple Summary At present, we are faced with the problem of a feed protein resource shortage. Cottonseed meal is a potential alternative protein source for use in poultry diets. High-temperature treatment is a common processing method of cottonseed meal. Our experiment was conducted to estimate the effects of heating time of cottonseed meal on nutrient digestibility and mineral element absorption of chicken. Abstract A digestibility test was conducted to estimate the effects of the heating time of cottonseed meal on nutrient digestibility and mineral element absorption in chicken. A total of 36, 45-week-old healthy New Yangzhou chickens with similar body weight were randomly divided into 6 groups with 6 replicates per group and one chicken per replicate. The chickens in Group A (control group) were fed the corn-soybean meal diet. The chickens in Groups B, C, D, E, and F (experimental groups) were fed the cottonseed meal to replace all soybean meal. The cottonseed meal in the experimental groups was treated with wet heating. The heating temperature was set at 120 °C, and the humidity was set at 50%. The heating time was set to 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 min successively. The trial period was 4 day. The digestibility of crude protein, metabolic energy, and dry matter was highest using wet-heat treating for 15 min (p < 0.05). The digestibility of Fe increased significantly from 66.78% to 70.39% when the heating time of cottonseed meal was prolonged from 10 min to 30 min (p < 0.05). Compared with Group A, the digestibility of Zn was increased in Groups B and C, and then there was a decrease in Group D. Finally, the digestibility was increased again in Group F. The opposite pattern was shown in the digestibility of Cu and Zn. There was no significant effect of wet heat treatment time on the digestibility of calcium, phosphorus, and manganese (p > 0.05). When cottonseed meal is considered as feed for 45-week-old chickens, processing conditions of 120 °C and 50% humidity for 15 min are recommended.
The association of dynapenia with whether participants were subject to long-term care prevention or not in the Japanese long-term care insurance system: A pilot study

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of dynapenia, determined by lower limb muscle strength, and sarcopenia with whether participants were subject to long-term care prevention (LCP) in the Japanese long-term care insurance system. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. The participants were 108 older adults (78.1±7.1 years, male=20), including 45 older adults who were subject to LCP (82.8±5.4 years, male=6) and 63 healthy older adults (74.7±6.2 years, male=14). Age, sex and comorbidities were collected as basic information. Height, weight, and muscle mass were measured as body composition, and grip strength, lower limb muscle strength, and gait speed were measured as physical functions. Sarcopenia was determined according to the definition of Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia in 2019. Dynapenia was determined using lower limb muscle strength. For the statistical analysis, the analysis was divided into two groups according to whether participants were subject to LCP or not. Next, we divided the participants into two groups, sarcopenia and dynapenia, and compared their physical characteristics and classification of LCP. Lastly, we used logistic regression analysis with dynapenia and sarcopenia as independent variables; age and gender as adjustment factors, and whether to undergo LCP as the dependent variable. Results: Dynapenia and sarcopenia were present in 17% and 26% of the participants. As a result of examining the association of dynapenia and sarcopenia with whether participants were subject to LCP or not, only dynapenia was found to be a significantly related factor (odds ratio: 4.6, P value: 0.025). Conclusion: Dynapenia was more closely related to whether participants were subject to LCP or not than sarcopenia. Submitted Sep. 17. 2021 Accepted Jan. 12. 2022 *Correspondence Masaki Iwamura, PT, PhD Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Science, Aino University E-mail: m-iwamura@pt-u.aino. ac.jp
A Split-Inductor Flying Capacitor Converter for Medium-Voltage Application

This article presents a split-inductor flying capacitor (SIFC) converter for medium-voltage applications to improve reliability and eliminate the shoot-through issue. Reliability and lower total harmonic distortion (THD), mainly caused by the pulsewidth modulation (PWM) dead time, are the vital aspects while designing higher power density converters. The dead time in the PWM can be reduced/removed in the proposed converter. This will increase the voltage/current gain and enhance the quality of the voltage/current waveforms even at lower modulation index and light loads than the traditional flying capacitor (FC) and neutral point clamped (NPC) converters. Furthermore, an improved phase-shifted PWM (IPS-PWM) is used to maintain the flying capacitor’s nominal reference voltage. A comparison is made between SIFC and five different existing multilevel topologies. The proposed converter has higher voltage/current gain, lower THD over conventional FC and NPC converters, and higher efficiency than the other three topologies. Finally, the SIFC converter’s robustness with IPS-PWM is validated using experimental results in different operating conditions such as sudden load changes, modulation index, output frequency, and power factor (unity, lagging, and leading).
Upregulation of p75NTR by Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Sensitizes Human Neuroblastoma Cells to Targeted Immunotoxin-Induced Apoptosis

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are novel chemotherapy agents with potential utility in the treatment of neuroblastoma, the most frequent solid tumor of childhood. Previous studies have shown that the exposure of human neuroblastoma cells to some HDAC inhibitors enhanced the expression of the common neurotrophin receptor p75NTR. In the present study we investigated whether the upregulation of p75NTR could be exploited to render neuroblastoma cells susceptible to the cytotoxic action of an anti-p75NTR antibody conjugated to the toxin saporin-S6 (p75IgG-Sap). We found that two well-characterized HDAC inhibitors, valproic acid (VPA) and entinostat, were able to induce a strong expression of p75NTR in different human neuroblastoma cell lines but not in other cells, with entinostat, displaying a greater efficacy than VPA. Cell pretreatment with entinostat enhanced p75NTR internalization and intracellular saporin-S6 delivery following p75IgG-Sap exposure. The addition of p75IgG-Sap had no effect on vehicle-pretreated cells but potentiated the apoptotic cell death that was induced by entinostat. In three-dimensional neuroblastoma cell cultures, the subsequent treatment with p75IgG-Sap enhanced the inhibition of spheroid growth and the impairment of cell viability that was produced by entinostat. In athymic mice bearing neuroblastoma xenografts, chronic treatment with entinostat increased the expression of p75NTR in tumors but not in liver, kidney, heart, and cerebellum. The administration of p75IgG-Sap induced apoptosis only in tumors of mice that were pretreated with entinostat. These findings define a novel experimental strategy to selectively eliminate neuroblastoma cells based on the sequential treatment with entinostat and a toxin-conjugated anti-p75NTR antibody.
Part-time adult students’ satisfaction with online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in many tertiary institutions switching overnight from taught to online lectures without much preparation. Studies suggest that the sudden change has impacted on students’ satisfaction with online learning in differing ways. Yet, little is known about how this change impacted specifically on adult part-time students, which is the focus of this study. Methods: Part-time adult undergraduate students responded to a mixed methods online questionnaire. Close-ended questions were analysed quantitatively in order to determine levels of satisfaction with online learning during COVID-19 as well as its correlates. Open-ended questions were analysed qualitatively in order to explore the perceived benefits and challenges associated with online learning during this period. Results: Levels of satisfaction with online learning were found to be high, especially among students who were female, those who did not have young children, had partners who worked in excess of 40 hours, were able to follow lectures from locations other than the home, and those following non-technical courses. Several benefits of online learning were identified, including time saved on commuting, the ability to study from the comfort of home and the fact that lectures could now be recorded. Challenges included those related to technology, a lack of interaction amongst students and part-time lecturers who struggled with the sudden switch to online learning. Despite this, most students indicated they would like online lectures to continue to various degrees even after it was safe to return to class. Conclusion and implications: Online lectures were generally rated positively by adult part-time students. In view of the benefits and some of the challenges associated with online learning, it is recommended that future academic programmes adopt a blended approach whilst more support is provided to those who find it challenging to follow lectures from home.
Routing Protocols for Wireless Sensor Networks

Abs tract: The development of wireless sensor networks (WSN) was originally motivated by military applications such as battlefield surveillance. However, wireless sensor networks are now used in many civilian application areas, including environment and habitat monitoring, healthcare applications, home automation, and traffic control. In last few years there are lots of advance research has done in WSNs. But the most of research is emphasis on how WSN achieve high efficiency with minimal energy use for this there are number of routing protocol are developed in WNSs depending upon the application and architecture of the network system. In this review article, we discuss the wireless sensor node architecture, WSNs Protocol stack. Further we discuss Routing challenges and design issues in WSN and last we categorize the routing protocols into three main categories such as protocol operation, network organization and route discovery
Survival Analysis of Pediatric Wilms Tumor Based on Risk Identification

Background: Wilms Tumor (WT) or nephroblastoma is the most common primary malignant tumor of the kidney found in children (comprising about > 95% of all kidney tumors). The study of WT prognostic factors has not been elaborated enough in Indonesia. This study aimed to determine the prognostic factors of WT patients in Adam Malik Hospital, Medan. Methods: This study was conducted with a retrospective design due to the rarity of WT cases. A total of 21 WT patients diagnosed from 2003 to 2019 were taken from medical records at Adam Malik Hospital, Medan. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to determine the independent prognostic factors of WT. The primary endpoint of this study was patients’ overall survival (OS) obtained by the Kaplan-Meier analysis on significant variables. Results: From the univariate Cox regression analysis, gender was found to be the sole significant factor (HR = 0.218, p = 0.005) where males have a lower hazard ratio. The multivariate Cox regression analysis yielded an age of diagnosis (HR = 13.860, p = 0.014) and complete tumor removals (HR = 0.056, p = 0.008). The Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed on three significant variables mentioned before. Only gender yielded a significant Mantel-Cox log-rank score (p = 0.002) with male patients found to have better survivability with a median survival of 476 days compared to that of females of 11 days. The three-year survival of males was 45.45% while all females did not survive until the cut-off. Conclusions: Three prognostic factors, including children’s gender, age of diagnosis, and tumor removal status, were confirmed to be prognostic factors for the overall survival of children with WT. Further studies covering broader demographic areas were suggested to confirm significant results.
Development Status and Hotspot Visualized Analysis of Autonomous Vehicles Based on CiteSpace

The safety of autonomous driving has been a constant concern, with autonomous driving becoming a research focus in the world today. This study collects the literature in the field of autonomous driving in the Web of Science core data collection from 2005 to 2020. The research status, hot research topics, and the development trend of autonomous driving are reviewed based on CiteSpace from the aspects of number of articles, national collaboration, institutions, scholars, research areas, literature co-citation, keywords, and trends. The results show that the quantitative development of autonomous driving literature has experienced three stages. The research of the United States, China, and Germany is leading in this field. The development of autonomous driving will be in the stage of man-machine driving for a long time. In this study, the progress and trend of visualization in the field of autonomous driving are given, and the future research direction is forecasted, which provides a theoretical basis for the development of autonomous driving. Furthermore, it has reference significance for relevant researchers to understand the research hotspots and future trends in this field.
Study of the technical efficiency of the sweet chili (Capsicum chinense) in the producing regions of the Colombian Caribbean

Sweet pepper cultivation is one of the more important activities in the Caribbean region, cultivated by approximately 4,284 farmers with the family farming system, in areas ranging from 0.25 to 2.0 ha. In the literature for this region, there is no evidence of a study that has investigated the technical efficiency of this production system. For this reason, this study aimed to evaluate the technical efficiency of the use of resources by sweet chili farmers in the Caribbean producing areas of Colombia. The sample was 62 farmers, surveyed via simple random sampling from the use of statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture of Colombia. A Cobb Douglas-type functional model was formulated. The contribution of the variables seed, labor, fertilizer, weeds and yields in the productive units was determined. The results showed that labor and weed management had a positive effect on production increases. There was inefficiency with production gaps of 0.18% and efficiency of 82%; a production deficit of 1 t ha-1 was observed. There were returns on an increasing scale that was explained by the direct relationship between the inputs of labor and weed management.
Leaf Photosynthesis and Its Temperature Response Are Different between Growth Stages and N Supplies in Rice Plants

Leaf photosynthesis is highly correlated with CO2-diffusion capacities, which are determined by both leaf anatomical traits and environmental stimuli. In the present study, leaf photosynthetic rate (A), stomatal conductance (gs), mesophyll conductance (gm) and the related leaf anatomical traits were studied on rice plants at two growth stages and with two different N supplies, and the response of photosynthesis to temperature (T) was also studied. We found that gm was significantly higher at mid-tillering stage and at high N treatment. The larger gm was related to a larger chloroplast surface area facing intercellular air spaces and a thinner cell wall in comparison with booting stage and zero N treatment. At mid-tillering stage and at high N treatment, gm showed a stronger temperature response. The modelling of the gm-T relationships suggested that, in comparison with booting stage and zero N treatment, the stronger temperature response of gm was related to the higher activation energy of the membrane at mid-tillering stage and at high N treatment. The findings in the present study can enhance our knowledge on the physiological and environmental determinants of photosynthesis.