Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
NSS_A_284836 1181..1190

1Department of Material Science & Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China; 2Department of Radiation Oncology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China; 3Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China Introduction: Current diagnostic routines in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), including drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE), provide qualitative data. Quantitative morphometric measurements of oropharyngeal structures remain challenging. This study aims to introduce a special linear laser projection device that can facilitate computerassisted digitalized analysis and provide important quantitative information for OSAS prediction. Materials and Methods: We used a single-wavelength green three-linear laser to provide the scaling reference, with one at an angle of 8.5 degrees with the other two which were parallel. The oropharyngeal images were divided into two groups: the non-OSAS and OSAS group, after polysomnography. A minimum of three evaluations were carried out to determine the maximum cross-sectional area of the oropharyngeal inlet (CSAOI) and the retropalatal depth. Results: A total of 132 subjects were enrolled in this study, with 76 subjects in the non-OSAS group and 56 cases in the OSAS group. In the non-OSAS group, the CSAOI was significantly larger in males than in females. There was a trend toward deeper retropalatal region in men than in women (14.25 vs 11.76 mm). Correlation analysis revealed that retropalatal depth is significantly related to body height and the CSAOI. The body weight and BMI of patients with OSAS were significantly higher than those of participants without OSAS. The retropalatal depth and CSAOI were significantly decreased in OSAS patients as compared to those without OSAS. Our new parameter, the oropharyngeal index, showed the most outstanding discrimination by ROC analysis to predict OSAS. Conclusion: Our innovative module can provide reference parameters, which make it possible to directly estimate the objective absolute values of relevant oropharyngeal structures. Our non-invasive approach can be used for outpatient screening, since it allows the identification of potential OSAS patients who should be referred for polysomnography, as many patients do not require DISE early in their evaluation.
MINIMISING FUNGICIDES BY ALTERNATING FORMULATIONS AND INTERVAL S TO IMPROVE POTATO BLIGHT MANAGEMENT AND FARM RETURNS J. KILONZI, M. NYONGESA, P. PWAIPWAI, J. OYOO and J. MAFURAH Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Tigoni, P. O. Box 338-0217, Limuru, Kenya

Late blight (Phytophthora infestans) is one of the most devastating and economic disease impacting both ware and the seed potato industry. The disease causes huge crop losses, and its management attracts heavy expenses. Efficacy successes in chemical management, as opposed to biofungicides, has resulted in the development of a number of fungicide formulations to counter emergence of chemically insensitive P. infestans strains. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and cost-benefits of applying different fungicides in alternate; while varying the spray intervals to manage potato blight and improve on net farm returns. A survey was conducted in Nyandarua County in Kenya, using a structured questionnaire, administered to potato farmers. Milraz (Propineb 700 g kg 1 + Cymoxanil 60 g kg), Ridomil (Metalaxyl 4% + mancozeb 64%) and Mistress 72 (Cynamoxil 4% + Mancozeb 64%) were used in vitro and field experiments. Plated pea agar and detached leaflets were amended with the fungicides at concentrations of 0, 35, 70 and 100% of the manufacturers recommended rate before inoculating with P. infestans. In the field experiment, the fungicides were applied at intervals of 7, 14 and 21 days spray as single, two or three fungicides in alternations. Results showed that, mycelial and blight lesion growth was curtailed by concentrations of 70 and 100%; while 35% concentration of the fungicides reduced mycelial growth and lesion size by 53 and 2%, respectively. In the field experiment, there were no yield and AUDPC differences (P<0.05) among the fungicides and their combinations. However, spraying the fungicides at weekly and bi-weekly intervals gave the highest yields of 17.65 and 16.4 t ha, compared to tri-weekly and unprotected plots that recorded 7.93 and 0.43 t ha , respectively. In addition, application of triple fungicides in alternation reduced late blight severity by 51%; while application of two fungicides in alternation reduced severity by 39% compared to single fungicide application (21%) on average. Maximum net benefit ratio was observed on plots protected using three fungicides (31.58); followed by two fungicides applications (26.81) applied biweekly in alternate relative to single fungicide applied weekly.
Mental Health Burden of the Russian–Ukrainian War 2022 (RUW-22): Anxiety and Depression Levels among Young Adults in Central Europe

Armed conflicts are public health emergencies that affect human lives at multiple levels. The mental health of adolescents and young adults is at high risk during crisis settings; therefore, this cross-sectional survey-based study aimed to evaluate anxiety and depressive symptoms among university students in the Czech Republic following the Russian-Ukrainian war of 2022 (RUW-22). The study used standardized screening instruments; the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) for anxiety and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression. Of 591 students who participated in this study, 67.7% were females, 68.2% held Czech citizenship, and 63.8% were enrolled in medical or healthcare programs. The participants were highly concerned about the RUW-22 news, with a mean score of 7.17 ± 2.50 (0–10). While 34% and 40.7% of the participants in this study manifested moderate to severe levels of anxiety and depression, respectively, the mental health burden of the RUW-22 was confirmed by the positive correlation between “feeling concerned”, GAD-7 (ρ = 0.454), and PHQ-9 (ρ = 0.326). Female gender, higher frequency of news following, and social media use were associated with higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms; thus, proposing them to be risk factors for psychological disorders following the RUW-22.
Topological background discrimination in the PandaX-III neutrinoless double beta decay experiment

The PandaX-III experiment plans to search for neutrinoless double beta decay (0$\nu\beta\beta$) of $^{136}$Xe in the China JinPing underground Laboratory (CJPL). The experiment will use a high pressure gaseous Time Projection Chamber (TPC) to register both the energy and the electron track topology of an event. This article is devoted to the software side of the experiment. As software tool we use REST, a framework developed for the reconstruction and simulation of TPC-based detector systems. We study the potential for background reduction by introducing appropiate parameters based on the properties of 0$\nu\beta\beta$ events. We exploit for the first time not only the energy density of the electron track-ends, but also the electron scattering angles produced by an electron near the end of its trajectory. To implement this, we have added new algorithms for detector signal and track processing inside REST. Their assessment shows that background can be reduced by about 7 orders of magnitude while keeping 0$\nu\beta\beta$ efficiency above 20% for the PandaX-III baseline readout scheme, a 2-dimensional 3mm-pitch stripped readout. More generally, we use the potential of REST to handle 2D/3D data to assess the impact on signal-to-background significance at different detector granularities, and to validate the PandaX-III baseline choice. Finally, we demonstrate the potential to discriminate surface background events generated at the readout plane in the absence of $t_o$, by making use of event parameters related with the diffusion of electrons.
Psycho-Emotional State of Ukrainian Soldiers Before Going to the Frontline

The aim of the study is to investigate the psychological state of the soldiers before they go to the battle space. The article shows the Assessment of people’s behavior, their psycho-emotional characteristics, and the degree of their adaptability in extreme conditions. This interest has increased even further due to the intensification of hostilities in Ukraine since February 2022 after the invasion of Russian forces on its territory. Extreme situations, including military conflicts, largely affect people’s ability to withstand stress, and their willingness to survive these events safely and develop a sufficient degree of adaptability in themselves. Researchers examine the psycho-emotional state of an individual from the standpoint of different theoretical positions. Conclusions. This study has shown that the current psycho-emotional state of Ukrainian military personnel who are preparing to go to the front line is characterized by a low degree of anxiety, increased aggressiveness, and the ability to adapt to environmental conditions easily, set goals and achieve them. At the same time, the military of Ukraine also show symptoms of stress, and some signs of neuropsychic instability, psychopathy, hysteria, paranoia, and psychasthenia. These personality traits may be directly related to the nature of their professional activities and an increased sense of awareness of their own significance and importance in combat conditions. In general, the listed features of the psycho-emotional state are evidence of the readiness of Ukrainian service members to participate in the war and their ability to perform their duties effectively.
Predictive directional measurement volatility spillovers between the US and selected Asian Pacific countries

Abstract Since portfolio management relies on the association of portfolio diversification, analyzing the spillover between the United States (US) and Asian-Pacific financial markets has become more critical. If Asian stock markets have low or negative correlations with each other and/or the US market, global investors may benefit from diversification. This study examines the return and volatility spillover between the S&P 500 and 12 Asian stock markets using weekly data from January 2000 to February 2020. DECO-GARCH models are employed to measure volatility transmission between markets. A generalized VAR, variance decomposition, and spillover index is employed to investigate the directional spillover across the sample, allowing for a focus on the interdependence of the conditional returns, conditional volatility, and conditional correlations between the stock markets. Hedge ratios and portfolio weights use to examine the results’ implications for international portfolio diversification and risk management. The study calculates the effectiveness of hedging equities portfolios between markets, using the beta hedge approach to minimize the risk of this stock market index returns portfolio. The results demonstrate that Hong Kong and Singapore have a clear direction of a return to other stock markets, whereas China has a clear net recipient. The US market does not provide a superior hedging ratio for Asia-Pacific nations. For other stock markets, India, Hong Kong, and New Zealand have the best hedge ratios, portfolio weights, and hedging efficacy. Finally, this research raised the information linked between the stocks market index and can also apply to improve international portfolio by re-considering the cheapest hedging markets and improving the trading strategies in international markets.
TO STUDY THE PROPORTION AND RISK OF LATENT TUBERCULOSIS IN PATIENTS DIAGNOSED WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS BEFORE STARTING DISEASE-MODIFYING ANTIRHEUMATIC DRUGS (DMARDS):

Background: Patients receiving treatment for rheumatoid arthritis with steroids and disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) have a higher risk of reactivation of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) to active tuberculosis. We conducted this study was to evaluate and find the proportion and conversion of latent tuberculosis using the Quantiferon-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT) test for the diagnosis of LTBI in patients with rheumatoid arthritis receiving disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) treatment. Materials and Methods: We included 33 patients starting from February 2021 to July 2022 patients with rheumatoid arthritis tested positive either with RA factor positive or anti-CCP positive. Screening tests for tuberculosis, such as tuberculin skin test (TST) and QFT assay were conducted. Positive QFT assay result regardless of TST results, were considered an indicator for the initiation of LTBI treatment. Results: Of 33 patients in the study, TST and QFT were positive in 39.4% (13 patients) and 51.5% (17 patients) respectively. During a follow-up period of 12 months, one patient (7.7%) developed tuberculosis after initiation disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and steroid treatment from the other hospitals. TB did not occur in 16 patients who were QFT positive patients who received LTBI treatment. Conclusion: Due to non-availability of gold standard test to identify LTBI, we recommend the usage of tuberculin skin test and IGRA in order to prevent under or non-diagnosing latent tuberculosis infection, which in turn has the possibility to activate into fulminant TB in subjects with rheumatoid disease.
Estimating the Performance Effects of Networks in Emerging Markets

We find econometric evidence that particular inter-firm networks--"business groups"--materially affect the broad patterns of economic performance in 12 of the following 13 emerging markets: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, India, Indonesia, Israel, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Turkey. Our analysis employs a unique data set compiled largely from local sources. Analysis of the data set shows that the observation-weighted average of the portion of variation explained by group membership across our 13 countries is 10.7%. In most countries, the portion of variation explained by group membership is highly statistically significant, and comparable to the portion of variation explained by industry membership. Moreover, membership in a group boosts the profitability of the average group member in several of the markets we examine. While cross-country comparisons are bedeviled by inconsistencies in group definition across countries, exploratory cross-country analyses provide no support for the widely held view that groups are primarily responses to capital market imperfections, nor for the equally widely held view that groups are primarily devices for rent-seeking behavior.
Foreing direct investment and corporate restructuring in East Asia

Abstract One trend in East Asia has been an emergence of East Asian countries, most notably newly industrializing countries often called first‐tier tigers, as sources of FDI in the region. In ten developing economies in East Asia, four first‐tier tigers (Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea) together emerged as almost equally important as Japan or the United States as sources of FDI in the 1990s. Active overseas investment by East Asian firms could give an impression that these firms have gained competitive advantages comparable to more established multinational corporations from the United States, Europe or Japan. FDI by East Asian firms in neighboring countries can be described as ‘border investment’, meaning extension of their domestic business strategy to the familiar business environment nearby. The border investment does not require firms to possess so‐called monopolistic or competitive advantages to overcome the cost of foreignness, because the business environment is not so foreign to inve.
Functional Disability, Health Care Access, and Mental Health in Ukrainians Displaced by the 2022 Russian Invasion

Armed conflict has negative mental health impacts on internally displaced people and refugees, however, much less is known of its effects upon the mental health of displaced people and refugees with disabilities. We use Europe-wide data (N = 9679), collected via an internet health needs survey across April-July 2022, to examine the mental health impacts of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine on the mental health of displaced people with disabilities during the first months of the war. Regression models separately examined associations between functional impairment (vision, walking, existing mental health conditions), access to healthcare, welfare payments, anxiety, and sleep quality, controlling for a number of sociodemographic variables including preferred language spoken at home, as an indicator of Russian or Ukrainian cultural identity. The presence of pre-existing psychiatric diagnosis, mobility and vision impairment were each associated with higher levels of anxiety and poorer sleep quality. The ability to access health services and social security payments was also associated with better sleep and lower levels of anxiety. Humanitarian and local authorities must ensure Ukrainian refugees and IDPs are reviewed for their mental health needs, with particular attention to those with known disabilities.
The business and politics of search engines: A comparative study of Baidu and Google’s search results of Internet events in China

Despite growing interest in search engines in China, relatively few empirical studies have examined their sociopolitical implications. This study fills several research gaps by comparing query results (N = 6320) from China’s two leading search engines, Baidu and Google, focusing on accessibility, overlap, ranking, and bias patterns. Analysis of query results of 316 popular Chinese Internet events reveals the following: (1) after Google moved its servers from Mainland China to Hong Kong, its results are equally if not more likely to be inaccessible than Baidu’s, and Baidu’s filtering is much subtler than the Great Firewall’s wholesale blocking of Google’s results; (2) there is low overlap (6.8%) and little ranking similarity between Baidu’s and Google’s results, implying different search engines, different results and different social realities; and (3) Baidu rarely links to its competitors Hudong Baike or Chinese Wikipedia, while their presence in Google’s results is much more prominent, raising search bias concerns. These results suggest search engines can be architecturally altered to serve political regimes, arbitrary in rendering social realities and biased toward self-interest.
Sitagliptin and heart failure hospitalization in patients with type 2 diabetes

This study evaluated the risk of heart failure hospitalization in a 1:1 matched pair sample of sitagliptin ever and never users derived from the Taiwan's National Health Insurance. A total of 85,859 ever users and 85,859 never users matched on 8 digits of propensity score were followed for the first event of heart failure hospitalization until December 31, 2011. The treatment effect (forever versus never users, and for tertiles of cumulative duration of therapy) was estimated by Cox regression incorporated with the inverse probability of treatment weighting using propensity score. Additionally, adjusted hazard ratios for heart failure were estimated for the baseline characteristics in sitagliptin ever users. Results showed that the incidence of heart failure hospitalization was 1,020.16 and 832.54 per 100,000 person-years, respectively, for ever and never users, with an overall hazard ratio (95% confidence intervals) of 1.262 (1.167-1.364). While compared to never users, the respective hazard ratio for the first, second, and third tertile of cumulative duration < 3.7, 3.7-10.3 and >10.3 months was 2.721 (2.449-3.023), 1.472 (1.318-1.645) and 0.515 (0.447-0.594). Older age, longer diabetes duration, male sex, and use of insulin, sulfonylurea, calcium channel blockers, aspirin, ticlopidine, clopidogrel and dipyridamole were significantly associated with a higher risk in sitagliptin users, but dyslipidemia and use of metformin and statin were protective. In conclusion, sitagliptin increases the risk of heart failure hospitalization within one year of its use, but reduces the risk thereafter. Some factors predisposing to sitagliptin-related heart failure are worthy of attention in clinical practice.
Advanced modelling of the mechanical behaviour of biological tissues: application to 3D breast deformation

The purpose of this research was to focus on the study of the morphologyof the female bust during the physical activity to improve comfort and aesthetics of bras. From a health point of view, it is to develop effective retention (the statistics indicate that 80% of women wear a corset unsuitable) and improve the psychological rehabilitation of the convalescent phase of final oncological surgery. The 3D reconstitution of the breast shape from imaging is essential for screening, diagnosis of lesions. Several imaging modalities are used in clinical settings and the breast orientation and positioning procedures differ between the various modalities. X-ray mammography involves compression of the breast between two parallel plates and collecting 2D images at two different acquisition angles and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), where the patient lies pronewith her breasts extending into a specifically designed coil. The shape of the breasts is, therefore, dictated by the gravity load and by any contact between the breast and the coil. The deformations of breast involving imaging have been previously investigated numerically using finite element (FE) analysis. Modelling breast deformations is a challenging problem due to the anatomical complexity of constituents (Figure 1) and uncertainties regarding reliability of biomechanical breast models. Several studies have reported the development of breast models with simplifications such as a homogeneous interior, while relatively few report models including details of the breast interior. Azar et al. (2002) built a realistic breastmodel from anMRdata to track lesions during biopsy. The MR scan was segmented semi-manually and included fibro-glandular tissues, adipose tissues and a lesion. Themechanical properties of the tissues were formulated as nonlinear stress–strain curves. More recently, Pathmanathan et al. (2008) have developed a comprehensive FE model including the major breast tissue categories and realistic geometry generated from medical images. In this study, we present a virtual deformable breast model of representative volunteer whose geometry is constructed from the MR data. The elastic properties of the deformable model are based on the use of FEs with nonlinear material properties capable of modelling the deformation of the breast under external loading at static and dynamic conditions. All constituents are considered as quasi-incompressible isotropic hyperelastic homogeneous. The proposed numerical modelling is based on the hyperelastic model of the bust based on an experimental FE simulation that takes into account the constituents (skin, fat, glands or fibres and suspensory ligaments of Cooper) responsible for the deformability of inhomogeneous soft breast tissues under the effect of gravity.
Population Growth, Economic Growth, and Foreign Aid

The relationship between population growth and economic development is explored in the context of the work of Peter Bauer. The author uses data for three pairs of countries--North and South Korea East and West Germany and China and Taiwan--to examine the factors associated with the speed of economic development. He then develops arguments to suggest that the rate of population growth does not determine the rate of economic development. Finally he critically examines U.S. assistance for family planning. (ANNOTATION)