Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thyroid Cancer Detection in a Routine Clinical Setting: Performance of ACR TI-RADS, FNAC, and Molecular Testing in Prospective Cohort Study

The aim of our study was to address the potential for improvements in thyroid cancer detection in routine clinical settings using a clinical examination, the American College of Radiology Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Database System (ACR TI-RADS), and fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) concurrently with molecular diagnostics. A prospective cohort study was performed on 178 patients. DNA from FNA samples was used for next-generation sequencing to identify mutations in the genes BRAF, HRAS, KRAS, NRAS, and TERT. RNA was used for real-time PCR to detect fusion genes. The strongest relevant positive predictors for malignancy were the presence of genetic mutations (p < 0.01), followed by FNAC (p < 0.01) and ACR TI-RADS (p < 0.01). Overall, FNAC, ACR TI-RADS, and genetic testing reached a sensitivity of up to 96.1% and a specificity of 88.3%, with a diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) of 183.6. Sensitivity, specificity, and DOR decreased to 75.0%, 88.9%, and 24.0, respectively, for indeterminate (Bethesda III, IV) FNAC results. FNA molecular testing has substantial potential for thyroid malignancy detection and could lead to improvements in our approaches to patients. However, clinical examination, ACR TI-RADS, and FNAC remained relevant factors.
Capital Structure and R&D: Empirical Evidence from China and USA

This paper focuses on how the capital structure of enterprises affects their R&D intensity, introduces the asset-liability ratio to compare the capital structure of China and the United States, and introduces the tradable shares to compare the capital structure of state-owned enterprises and non-state-owned enterprises. The final result is that the asset-liability ratio and R&D intensity are negatively correlated in both China and America, and this negative relationship will be weakened in China. The existence of tradable shares increases the R&D intensity, ceteris paribus, in SOEs, the negative correlation between capital structure and R&D intensity is far greater than that of private enterprises. Based on the fact that under the modern business era, an enterprise’s innovation capability is closely related to its core competitiveness, and at the same time, the promotion speed of innovation ability depends on the scale of R&D investment, and the relationship between capital structure and enterprise R&D investment can be deduced from this paper.
Mitigation of Corrosion Initiated by Cl− and SO42−-ions in Blast Furnace Cement Concrete Mixed with Sea Water

The use of blast furnace cement is an effective way to meet the requirements of sustainable development. However, CEM III/C is characterized by slow strength gain. The problem can be worse for plasticized reinforced blast furnace cement concretes mixed with sea water in view of shorter durability. The mitigation of corrosion in plasticized blast furnace cement concretes mixed with sea water can be provided through a composition of minor additional constituents, with percentage by mass of the main constituents: alkali metal compounds, 2…3; calcium aluminate cement, 1; clinoptilolite, 1. The alkali metal compounds are known to activate hydraulic properties of ground granulated blast furnace slag. A calcium aluminate cement promotes the accelerated chemical binding of Cl− and SO42−-ions with the formation of Kuzel’s salt. A clinoptilolite occludes these aggressive ions. The positive effects of the mentioned minor additional constituents in the blast furnace cement were supported by the increased early strength gain and the higher structural density, as well as by a good state of steel reinforcement, in the plasticized concretes mixed with sea water.
Irrigation of Olives with Reclaimed Wastewaters and Deficit Strategies Affect Pathogenic Bacteria Contamination of Water and Soil

This study aimed to evaluate pathogenic bacterial contamination of the water-soil-plant system in potted olive trees irrigated with reclaimed wastewater. Desalinated water (DW) obtained by treating municipal wastewater (SW) and reclaimed water (RW) obtained by mixing SW with the brine (BR) produced by DESERT technology (tertiary treatment by ultrafiltration, active carbon and reverse osmosis) were used. Two different irrigation regimes were compared: full irrigation (FI) and regulated deficit irrigation (RDI). During two irrigation seasons the concentrations of Escherichia coli, enterococci, spores of sulfite-reducing Clostridia (SRC) and Salmonella spp. were monitored in water, soil and fruit samples. Microbial concentrations in DW were always below the threshold for reuse in agriculture, while RW showed the highest level of contamination for all observed parameters. RDI management appeared to increase the soil content of SRC spores with respect to FI. Sporadically low SRC spore contamination was recorded in some fruits only in 2018, regardless of the irrigation source, probably because of accidental contamination during sampling or post-harvest handling. This study encourages the creation of a better regulatory framework reference, with specific guidelines for the use of RW as part of integrated environmental systems for the management of sustainable agriculture.
Machine learning based model for risk prediction after ST-Elevation myocardial infarction: Insights from the North India ST elevation myocardial infarction (NORIN-STEMI) Registry.

BACKGROUND Risk prediction following ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) in resource limited countries is critical to identify patients at an increased risk of mortality who might benefit from intensive management. METHODS North India ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (NORIN-STEMI) is an ongoing registry that has prospectively enrolled 3,635 STEMI patients. Of these, 3191 patients with first STEMI were included. Patients were divided into two groups: development (n=2668) and validation (unseen) dataset (n=523). Various ML strategies were used to train and tune the model based on validation dataset results that included 31 clinical characteristics. These models were compared in sensitivity, specificity, F1-score, receiver operating characteristic area under the curve (AUC), and overall accuracy to predict mortality at 30 days. ML model decision making was analyzed using the Shapley Additive exPlanations (ShAP) summary plot. RESULTS At 30 days, the mortality was 7.7%. On the validation dataset, Extra Tree ML model had the best predictive ability with sensitivity: 85%, AUC: 79.7%, and Accuracy: 75%. ShAP interpretable summary plot determined delay in time to revascularization, baseline cardiogenic shock, left ventricular ejection fraction <30%, age, serum creatinine, heart failure on presentation, female sex, and moderate-severe mitral regurgitation to be major predictors of all-cause mortality at 30 days (P<0.001 for all). CONCLUSION ML models lead to an improved mortality prediction following STEMI. ShAP summary plot for the interpretability of the AI model helps to understand the model's decision in identifying high-risk individuals who may benefit from intensified follow-up and close monitoring.
Evaluations of effective coverage of maternal and child health services: A systematic review

Abstract Conventionally used coverage measures do not reflect the quality of care. Effective coverage (EC) assesses the extent to which health care services deliver potential health gains to the population by integrating concepts of utilization, need and quality. We aimed to conduct a systematic review of studies evaluating EC of maternal and child health services, quality measurement strategies and disparities across wealth quantiles. A systematic search was performed in six electronic databases [MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL), Scopus, Web of Science and Maternity and Infant Care] and grey literature. We also undertook a hand search of references. We developed search terms having no restrictions based on publication period, country or language. We included studies which reported EC estimates based on the World Health Organization framework of measuring EC. Twenty-seven studies, all from low- and middle-income settings (49 countries), met the criteria and were included in the narrative synthesis of the results. Maternal and child health intervention(s) and programme(s) were assessed either at an individual level or as an aggregated measure of health system performance or both. The EC ranged from 0% for post-partum care to 95% for breastfeeding. When crude coverage measures were adjusted to account for the quality of care, the EC values turned lower. The gap between crude coverage and EC was as high as 86%, and it signified a low quality of care. The assessment of the quality of care addressed structural, process and outcome domains individually or combined. The wealthiest 20% had higher EC of services than the poorest 20%, an inequitable distribution of coverage. More efforts are needed to improve the quality of maternal and child health services and to eliminate the disparities. Moreover, considering multiple dimensions of quality and the use of standard measurements are recommended to monitor coverage effectively.
Review on Research of Hot Streak Migration Mechanisms in Gas Turbine Stage

The temperature profiles of gas flow at the exit of gas turbine combustor are seriously non-uniform,and the high temperature regions at combustor exit are known as hot streaks.The migration of hot streak intensifies the complexity of the unsteady flow and heat transfer in turbine stage and leads to the excessive heating and even erosion of the blade airfoil,thus reducing the turbine operation reliability and life.The understanding of hot streak migration mechanism is important both to the design of airfoil cooling scheme and the development of turbine aerodynamic design optimization method.Studies on hot streak migration in turbine stage was reviewed,which focused on the effects of combustor characteristic parameters,airfoil geometry and cooling flow on the hot streak migration mechanisms.Although research on the effects of hot streak has made some progress,more detailed and systematic numerical and experimental investigations on following topics are urgently needed.The circle hot streak applied in most of the recent studies cannot reflect the combustor exit real temperature distributions well,and experimental measurements should be conducted to reveal the effects of combustor exit real temperature profiles on turbine unsteady aero-thermal performance.The main flow turbulence intensity and inlet swirl are considered by few researchers when investigating the effects of combustor characteristics on hot streak migration,and the experimental data concerning them are still deficiency.Studies on the airfoil geometry effects are just beginning,and the effects of the hot streak and second stage stator clocking positions on the turbine heat load and overall performance should be deeply understood.Also,experimental and numerical studies should be performed to reveal the unsteady interaction mechanisms between hot streak and air coolant,and the effects of the interaction on the turbine aero-thermal performance,thus providing theoretical foundation for the design of cooling scheme and aero-thermal optimization of the turbine blade.
A Review on Green Synthesis of Nanoparticles and Their Diverse Biomedical and Environmental Applications

In recent times, metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) have been regarded as having important commercial utility. However, the potential toxicity of these nanomaterials has also been a crucial research concern. In this regard, an important solution for ensuring lower toxicity levels and thereby facilitating an unhindered application in human consumer products is the green synthesis of these particles. Although a naïve approach, the biological synthesis of metal oxide NPs using microorganisms and plant extracts opens up immense prospects for the production of biocompatible and cost-effective particles with potential applications in the healthcare sector. An important area that calls for attention is cancer therapy and the intervention of nanotechnology to improve existing therapeutic practices. Metal oxide NPs have been identified as therapeutic agents with an extended half-life and therapeutic index and have also been reported to have lesser immunogenic properties. Currently, biosynthesized metal oxide NPs are the subject of considerable research and analysis for the early detection and treatment of tumors, but their performance in clinical experiments is yet to be determined. The present review provides a comprehensive account of recent research on the biosynthesis of metal oxide NPs, including mechanistic insights into biological production machinery, the latest reports on biogenesis, the properties of biosynthesized NPs, and directions for further improvement. In particular, scientific reports on the properties and applications of nanoparticles of the oxides of titanium, cerium, selenium, zinc, iron, and copper have been highlighted. This review discusses the significance of the green synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles, with respect to therapeutically based pharmaceutical applications as well as energy and environmental applications, using various novel approaches including one-minute sonochemical synthesis that are capable of responding to various stimuli such as radiation, heat, and pH. This study will provide new insight into novel methods that are cost-effective and pollution free, assisted by the biodegradation of biomass.
Comparison of Relative and Absolute Heatwaves in Eastern China: Observations, Simulations and Future Projections

Heatwaves can produce catastrophic effects on public health and natural systems, especially under global warming. There are two methods to measure heatwaves, computed by relative and absolute thresholds, namely relative and absolute heatwaves (RHWs and AHWs). Generally, AHWs mostly occur in hot areas because of fixed thresholds, while RHWs represent anomalous events for the local climate, making them possible everywhere in the warm season. Based on observations and CMIP6 outputs, this study compared AHWs and RHWs in Eastern China (EC) with five sub-regions [Northeast China (NEC), North China (NC), Lower Yangtze River (LYR), Middle Yangtze River (MYR) and South China (SC)]. Similarities among RHWs and AHWs were found in present-day trends (1995–2014) and spatial distributions. The heatwave intensity/days for RHWs and AHWs both displayed highest future increases in northern/southern EC, and the increases for 2081–2100 would be 1.5 times as high as 2041–2060. All these similarities illustrate that applying either relative or absolute thresholds in EC, historical temporal variations, changing future spatial patterns, and increasing ratio from 2081–2100 to 2041–2060, would show reliable results. As far as differences are concerned, RHWs were observed across the entire EC, while AHWs did not show up in parts of NC and NEC. Considering model performance, RHWs would perform better than AHWs in most areas of EC. The annual heatwave intensity/days were higher for RHWs than for AHWs during present-day and future periods, which might overestimate heat-related risks. Overall, this study recommended RHWs for heatwave analyses, particularly for future projections, but for risk assessment, the choice of thresholds is crucial. The results reinforced the necessity to further improve model performance to address various needs.
How Farmers Deal with Water Scarcity in Community‐Managed Irrigation SYSTEMS: A Case Study in Northern Tunisia

Operating irrigation systems when water supplies are insecure is a critical challenge for both farmers and managers. The aim of this paper is to analyse how farmers adapt to water scarcity and to investigate to what extent individual farmers' practices affected the management of a community‐managed irrigation system in an area with perennial citrus orchards in northern Tunisia. Results revealed a wide range of farmers' strategies and practices aimed at maximizing their access to surface water and groundwater according to their ability. But this resulted in increasing inequity, because the biggest farmers managed to access groundwater or practised drip irrigation, while the vulnerability of small farmers increased. In this context the introduction of drip irrigation has not led to water saving. These findings should encourage the adoption of fair collective rules that account for water scarcity and farmers' diversity. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Transcriptome provides insights into bovine mammary regulatory mechanisms during the lactation cycle

ABSTRACT The molecular events underlying the lactation curve of dairy animals have long been a biological conundrum for mammary biologists, and a cause of a considerable loss of income for dairy farmers. To better understand the regulatory mechanisms and developmental processes of the mammary gland during the lactation cycle, whole-genome transcriptome profiles of bovine mammary tissues at five different lactation stages were investigated using the RNA-Seq technique. The differentially expressed genes were identified by comparing different lactation stage combinations. Gene expression changes were validated using quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Some differentially expressed genes were found to locate in the known quantitative trait loci regions that are associated with multiple milk production traits. Proteins of potentially important genes were confirmed to be expressed in the mammary epithelium of dairy cows. An integrated analysis of differential gene expression indicated that internal development regularities underlying the shape of the milk production curve. First, the mammary gland is enriched in similar activities during lactation onset and involution, but in opposite regulatory directions. Second, the lactation stages before and after the milk peak shared similar biological processes that were mainly involved in extracellular matrix remodelling. The discoveries of the study provide information necessary to improve milk production.
Research on the Steering Torque Control for Intelligent Vehicles Co-Driving With the Penalty Factor of Human–Machine Intervention

In intelligent vehicle cooperative systems, the mismatch in driving characteristics between a human and a machine and the driver misoperation caused by this mismatch result in human–machine conflicts, which significantly affect driving safety. Therefore, an intelligent vehicle human–machine cooperative steering torque control method is proposed herein. To adapt the intelligent system to the varying previewing characteristics of a human, a time-varying previewing driver model is constructed, and a penalty factor for human–machine intervention is designed based on fuzzy rules to assign driving control rights by assessing the driver’s state. Consequently, a human–vehicle–road model with driver preview time and penalty factor as varying parameters is established. Based on gain-scheduling control, a human–machine cooperative steering torque controller is designed to adapt to the varying previewing characteristics of a human and the change in human–machine intervention. The stability and robustness of the entire parameter space are guaranteed by constraining the poles in a certain region. Finally, the proposed human–machine cooperative control scheme demonstrates the effective alleviation of conflicts between the driver and the intelligent driving system.
Techniques to Assess Long-Term Outcomes after Burn Injuries

Burn injuries have a tremendous impact on not only the physical health of the burn survivor, but also mental health and social outcomes of the individual and their support systems. While much effect occurs at the point of injury, post-injury pain, infection, scarring, inflammatory response and metabolic changes all impact the long-term health of the burn survivor. The goal of the following article is to explore how to examine long term outcomes associated with burn injury, including mental disorders, suicide, loss of work and quality of life in the context of risk factors for burn injury, including social determinants of health. We then discuss ways to examine post-burn outcomes, including the important role of administrative data, the advantages of mixed methodology research studies including qualitative research, and the importance of considering sex, gender and vulnerable populations, not only in study design, but in prevention and intervention programs.
Bursting on a vortex tube with initial axial core-size perturbations

We simulate and analyze the evolution of a rectilinear vortex tube with initial axial core-size perturbations at circulation-based Reynolds number of 5000. The initial variations in the core size are associated with axial gradients in the azimuthal velocity, which generates azimuthal vorticity. This azimuthal vorticity propagates as twist waves in the axial direction. Varying the initial core-size ratio A shows that the propagation speed of the twist waves varies linearly with A and approaches linear stability results of the long-wave limit of Kelvin waves on rectilinear vortex tubes as A → 1. The simulations show that when two twist waves of opposite handedness meet the core expands radially, forming a pair of local ringlike structures with opposite-signed azimuthal vorticity through a process termed vortex bursting. An analysis of the vorticity dynamics during bursting reveals that initially the ﬂow behaves qualitatively like a head-on collision of two isolated vortex rings, with the azimuthal vorticity dynamics driving radial growth. During bursting, however, the localized radial expansion of the core is also accompanied by an increase in the radial vorticity component, which ultimately arrests the bursting and reverses the sign of the azimuthal vorticity. Through long-time simulations of the periodic tube, we demonstrate that after the primary bursting event the twist waves reverse their direction and interact again, leading to further bursting events. The evolution of the perturbed tubes is then accompanied by sustained elevated enstrophy levels and thus accelerated energy decay as compared to undisturbed Lamb-Oseen vortices of identical initial circulation and energy. Overall, this work provides the ﬁrst detailed qualitative and quantitative insights into the mechanisms and evolution of vortex bursting on rectilinear vortex tubes. To further assess the relevance and prevalence of bursting in practical settings, subsequent investigations in the stability and sensitivity of our results to varying Reynolds number, nonrectilinear vortex center lines, and external strain ﬁelds are needed.
APPLYING PROBLEM SOLVING AGENT IN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Intelligent agent system is one of the software engineering fields with a continuous growing interest. This research focuses on design the intelligent agent framework and implements the intelligent agent in human resource management system (HRMS) domain. Intelligent agent in human resource management system (IAHRMS) is a human resource system that integrates with intelligent agent and giving users a new experience in HRMS operation. IAHRMS provides help and solution to the users to carry out their jobs and provides a communication framework to allow users interact with the computer system. This research believes IAHRMS will value added to the current system and enhance the current system to be more competitive in the market. This research will apply Boehm- Waterfall software engineering methodology to guide the IAHRMS development process and apply breadth-first search strategy to develop a problem-solving agent in the application domain. The breadth-first search strategy finds out the solution for the problem solving and support the agent life cycle. As a conclusion, the IAHRMS benefit to the HRMS and the agent framework will value added to other commercial enterprise applications like enterprise resource planning system (ERP), customer relationship management system (CRM), and supply chain management system (SCM).