Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mechanism-Based Sonodynamic–Chemo Combinations against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Due to its noninvasive nature, site-confined irradiation, and high tissue penetrating capabilities, ultrasound (US)-driven sonodynamic treatment (SDT) has been proven to have broad application possibilities in neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases. However, the inefficient buildup of sonosensitizers in the tumor site remarkably impairs SDT efficiency. The present work proposes a deep-penetrating sonochemistry nanoplatform (Pp18-lipos@SRA737&DOX, PSDL) comprising Pp18 liposomes (Pp18-lipos, Plipo), SRA737 (a CHK1 inhibitor), and doxorubicin (DOX) for the controlled formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and release of DOX and SRA737 upon US activation, therefore increasing chemotherapeutic effectiveness and boosting SDT efficacy. Therein, the antitumor activities of DOX have been attributed to its intercalation into the nucleus DNA and induction of cell apoptosis. CHK1 evolved to respond to DNA damage and repair the damage via cell cycle progression. SRA737 is a potent and orally bioavailable clinical drug candidate for inhibiting CHK1, demonstrating adjuvant anticancer effect in vitro and in vivo. It was interesting to find that SRA737 carried into Plipo@DOX could significantly alleviate G2/M cell cycle arrest and aggravate DNA double-strand injuries, resulting in significant cell death. The developed US-switchable nanosystem provides a promising strategy for augmenting sono-chemotherapy against breast cancer controllably and precisely.
On parameter estimation of the standard omega distribution

The standard omega distribution is defined on the unit interval so that it is a probabilistic model for observations in rates and percentages. It is, in fact, the unit form of the exponentiated half logistic distribution. In this work, we first give a detailed shape analysis from which we observe that it is another flexible beta-like distribution. We observe that it can be J-shaped, reverse J-shaped, U-shaped, unimodal and show left and right skewness according to the values of its shape parameters. Contrary to the ordinary beta, it has the advantage of having a clear distribution function. We then discuss the existence and uniqueness of the maximum likelihood estimators and the Bayesian estimate of the parameters. The existence and uniqueness of the maximum likelihood estimators of the parameters will give a great advantage to the possible practitioners of this model since the possibility of finding a spurious solution to the likelihood equations disappears then. The comparison of these estimators with the existing ones for the general omega distribution is made with the help of a simulation study. Two real data fitting demonstrations prove its usefulness among other beta-like distributions such as Kumaraswamy, log-Lindley and Topp–Leone.
Responses of Soil N2O Emission and CH4 Uptake to N Input in Chinese Forests across Climatic Zones: A Meta-Study

Enhanced nitrogen (N) deposition has shown significant impacts on forest greenhouse gas emissions. Previous studies have suggested that Chinese forests may exhibit stronger N2O sources and dampened CH4 sinks under aggravated N saturation. To gain a common understanding of the N effects on forest N2O and CH4 fluxes, many have conducted global-scale meta-analyses. However, such effects have not been quantified particularly for China. Here, we present a meta-study of the N input effects on soil N2O emission and CH4 uptake in Chinese forests across climatic zones. The results suggest that enhanced N inputs significantly increase soil N2O emission (+115.8%) and decrease CH4 uptake (−13.4%). The mean effects were stronger for N2O emission and weaker for CH4 uptake in China compared with other global sites, despite being statistically insignificant. Subtropical forest soils have the highest emission factor (2.5%) and may respond rapidly to N inputs; in relatively N-limited temperate forests, N2O and CH4 fluxes are less sensitive to N inputs. Factors including forest type, N form and rate, as well as soil pH, may also govern the responses of N2O and CH4 fluxes. Our findings pinpoint the important role of Southern Chinese forests in the regional N2O and CH4 budgets.
Identification of the DPP-IV Inhibitory Peptides from Donkey Blood and Regulatory Effect on the Gut Microbiota of Type 2 Diabetic Mice

After being treated with protease K, peptides extracted from donkey blood were separated, identified, and characterized. The results showed that Sephadex G-25 medium purified with MW < 3 kDa had the highest dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) inhibition capacity. Three-hundred-and-thirty-four peptides were identified with UPLC–MS/MS. Peptide Ranker and molecular docking analysis were used to screen active peptides, and 16 peptides were finalized out of the 334. The results showed that the lowest binding energy between P7(YPWTQ) and DPP-IV was −9.1, and the second-lowest binding energy between P1(VDPENFRLL) and DPP-IV was −8.7. The active peptides(MW < 3 kDa) could cause a reduction in the fasting blood glucose levels of type 2 diabetic mice, improve glucose tolerance, and facilitate healing of the damaged structure of diabetic murine liver and pancreas. Meanwhile, the peptides were found to ameliorate the diabetic murine intestinal micro-ecological environment to a certain extent.
3D numerical prediction of thermal weakening effects on granite

This paper presents a numerical method to predict the temperature weakening effects on tensile and compressive strength and stiffness of granitic rock. Thermally induced cracking, leading to degradation of the material stiffness and strength, is modelled in the continuum sense by using a damage‐viscoplasticity model based on the Drucker‐Prager criterion with a rounded tensile cut‐off surface. The governing thermo‐mechanical initial/boundary value problem is solved with an explicit (in time) staggered method while using extreme mass scaling to increase the critical time step. Rock heterogeneity is described as random clusters of finite elements assigned with the constituent mineral, here Quartz, Feldspar, and Biotite, material properties further randomized by Weibull distribution. In the present approach, only Quartz thermal expansion coefficient is assumed temperature dependent due to its strong and anomalous temperature dependence upon approaching the α‐β transition. In the numerical testing, the sample is first volumetrically heated to a target temperature. Then, the uniaxial tension and compression tests are performed on the cooled down numerical samples. The simulations demonstrate the validity of the proposed approach as the experimental weakening effects on the rock strength and stiffness as well as the macroscopic failure modes, both in tension and compression, are realistically predicted in a non‐circular way, that is, not using the temperature dependence of any material parameter, save Quartz thermal expansion, as an input data.
Sexual Dimorphism in the Fibular Extremities of Italians and South Africans of Identified Modern Human Skeletal Collections: A Geometric Morphometric Approach

Simple Summary The extremities of the fibula may reflect differences between males and females, although so far only few studies included this bone for post-cranial sex assessment. Our work explored shape and size variation between sexes in identified skeletal samples comprising different populations from Italy and South Africa and showed that fibular extremities are significantly smaller, with narrower articular surfaces in females than in males. Consistent sex-related differences are revealed in fibular form and size in Italians but not in South Africans. Potential application in forensic and bioarcheological contexts may benefit from the use of this approach. Abstract Fibular metric variations have revealed their potential in distinguishing between males and females; however the fibula remains scarcely analyzed in studies of sexual dimorphism. This work aims at investigating sexually dimorphic features in fibular proximal and distal epiphyses through geometric morphometrics methods. A total of 136 left fibulae, from two Italian and one South African identified skeletal collections were virtually acquired through CT and laser scanning and analyzed using geometric morphometric methods. Statistical analyses were performed on shape, form, and size variables. Results show that fibular epiphyses are smaller with narrower articular surfaces in females than in males in both extremities. Relevant sexual differences emerge in fibular form and size for the two Italian samples but not for the South African one, likely for its small sample size. Discriminant analysis on form principal components (PCs) offers accuracy above 80% when the samples are pooled, and reaches accuracy of 80–93% when the Italian samples are considered separately. However, our method on form PCs was not successful for the South African sample (50–53% accuracy), possibly due to the small sample size. These results show relevant morphological variation in relation to fibular form and size, with a degree of accuracy that indicates the utility of the present method for sexing human fibulae in both forensic and bioarchaeological contexts for Italian samples.
A SUBJECT MATTER SPECIALIST VERSUS STUDENTS’ MORAL GUARDIAN: EFL TEACHERS’ VOICES ON CHARACTER EDUCATION INCORPORATION INTO CLASSROOM INSTRUCTIONS

The degradation of morals among Indonesian young generation and the urgency of teaching both good competencies and strong characters to succeed in the 21st-century globally competitive society for them require all teachers including English teachers to incorporate character values into their classroom instructions as mandated in the 2013 curriculum. Given the fundamental roles teachers could serve in the success of promoting good character both outside and inside the classroom, it is critical to understand how they view such a program before they could bring it into the classroom. This qualitative case study scrutinizes how Indonesian English teachers perceive character education incorporation. Employing an interview, classroom observation, and lesson plan analysis, to two purposefully-selected English teachers from two different piloting schools, findings reveal that while they agree on the pivotal role they could serve toward students’ character development, they also emphasize the enhancement of some other factors, such as inspiring teachers, family, good leadership, the cohesiveness of school community members, media, and government supports for the success of character education reinforcement program in Indonesia.
Armed Conflict, 1989—2006

In 2006, 32 armed conflicts were active, a figure that has remained constant for three years. The decline in armed conflict observed through most of the post-Cold War period has ceased, at least temporarily. Many of the conflicts active in 2006 have a long history, which may have made them more entrenched and thus more difficult to solve. In fact, in contrast to the situation in the early 1990s, no new conflicts have erupted in the last two years. No interstate conflicts were active in 2006, but five of the intrastate conflicts were internationalized. While four of the conflicts recorded for 2005 were no longer active in 2006, four conflicts restarted, two with actions taken by new rebel groups and two by previously recorded actors.
A Novel Approach for Searching the Upper/Lower Bounds of Uncertainty Parameters in Microgrids

In this study, a novel method based on μ analysis is presented to search for the upper/lower bounds of uncertainty parameters in microgrids (MGs). It is well known that uncertainty parameters have important effects in a MG, and they may cause instability. Previous studies have mainly focused on identifying the stability of a MG with its uncertainty parameters, but they did not address the problem of the upper/lower bounds of uncertainty parameters, i.e., how far the uncertainty parameters can be extended while the system remains stable in the small-signal sense. Thus, we developed an approach for identifying the bounds of uncertainty in MGs. In the current paper, first, a method is proposed for linear fractional transformation (LFT) configuration to express the uncertainty parameters, which makes the stability of the nominal MG system independent of any extension of the bounds. An algorithm based on this configuration is then designed to find the upper/lower bounds for both single parameter and multiple uncertainty parameters in a MG. Finally, the two cases are discussed, and the accuracy of the proposed method is confirmed using the conventional eigenvalue method.
An Examination of the Predictive Validity of a Measure of College Admissions Applicants’ Attributions of Success and Failure

Upon the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of higher education institutions in the United States temporarily or permanently adopted test-optional admissions policies. Growth in the number of test-optional institutions and the longstanding criticism of standardized admissions tests as limited and unreliable predictors of college success have led to the use of broader criteria in the college admissions process. However, there remains a need to validate new predictors of postsecondary educational promise to account for a greater percentage of the variance in college outcomes. Among these potential predictors is applicants’ attributions of the behaviors and events they experience within their environment. Guided by attribution theory of motivation, we examine the predictive validity of a measure of 855 students’ causal attributions of success and failure. The measure, composed of four short-answer questions, was administered as part of a test-optional admissions policy at a large urban research university in the United States. Using hierarchical logistic and linear regression, we find that the measure is valid for use across student subgroups. The attribution score derived from the measure makes a statistically significant but nominal contribution to the prediction of four-year bachelor’s degree completion. We also find that the attribution score does not make a statistically significant nor practical contribution to the prediction of cumulative undergraduate grade point average and five-year degree completion.
Multiple $(p;q;r)$-summing polynomials and multilinear operators

The concept of absolutely $(p;q;r)$-summing linear operators is due to A. Pietsch; it is a natural extension of the classical notion of absolutely $(p;q)$-summing operators. Very recently D. Achour introduced the concept of absolutely $(p;q;r)$-summing multilinear mappings. In this paper we obtain some properties of this class and show that the polynomial version of this notion is neither coherent nor compatible (according to the definition of Carando, Dimant, and Muro). Here we shall provide an alternative approach that generates coherent and compatible ideals.
Measuring the External Ear for Hearing Protection Device Design

In this study we aimed to obtain anthropometric measurements of external ear dimensions for designing hearing protection devices (HPDs). We measured 3 dimensions of left and right ears of 153 operational workers and compared the measured data with earplugs (Eps) and earmuffs (Ems). The mean (± SD) earhole length, pinna length, and pinna width for the subjects were 14.6 (± 2.5), 62.8 (± 5.0), and 34.8 (± 4.2) mm, respectively. The mean longitudinal and transverse diameters of the Ems for the ear were close to the 95th and 97.5th percentile, respectively. The Ems met the optimal threshold of ergonomic design; however, the Eps required a better design.
Mapping South Baltic Near-Shore Bathymetry Using Sentinel-2 Observations

Abstract One of the most promising new applications of remote observation satellite systems (RO) is the near-shore bathymetry estimation based on spaceborn multispectral imageries. In recent years, many experiments aiming to estimate bathymetry in optically shallow water with the use of remote optical observations have been presented. In this paper, optimal models of satellite derived bathymetry (SDB) for relatively turbid waters of the South Baltic Sea were presented. The obtained results were analysed in terms of depth error estimation, spatial distribution, and overall quality. The models were calibrated based on sounding (in-situ) data obtained by a single-beam echo sounder, which was retrieved from the Maritime Office in Gdynia, Poland. The remote observations for this study were delivered by the recently deployed European Space Agency Sentinel-2 satellite observation system. A detailed analysis of the obtained results has shown that the tested methods can be successfully applied for the South Baltic region at depths of 12-18 meters. However, significant limitations were observed. The performed experiments have revealed that the error of model calibration, expressed in meters (RMSE), equals up to 10-20% of the real depth and is, generally, case dependent. To overcome this drawback, a novel indicator of determining the maximal SDB depth was proposed. What is important, the proposed SDB quality indicator is derived only on the basis of remotely registered data and therefore can be applied operationally.
The Response Model of Modeling and Identification of Podded Propulsion Unmanned Surface Vehicle

According to Dalian Maritime University podded propulsor unmanned surface vehicle, the idea of MMG separation model is employed to establish its mathematical model of plane motion with three degrees of freedom. Then by analysing and hypothesizing the force of acting on the hull and propulsor, mathematical model of plane motion is simplified as a response model. Based on that, real ship data are collected, which the data are used to identify the response model by recursive least squares. In order to verify the correctness of the identification result, the identified model is used to simulate and compare with the actual experiment. Comparison results show that the error of simulation results with the actual experiments are in the range of confidence, which it proves the correctness of modeling and the feasibility of identification scheme.
Clinical Review of Neuromusculoskeletal Complementary and Alternative Approaches for the Treatment of Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome

Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) is a functional pain disorder characterized by ongoing pain in the apparent absence of clinically identifiable causes. The prevalence of functional pain disorders demonstrates the importance of adequate management of ongoing symptomatology, but due to the uncertain etiology and myriad patient presentation phenotypes, reliable treatment options are difficult to implement. New interventions involving non-pharmacological approaches to pain management have been investigated across a spectrum of clinical and pre-clinical studies. Given that conservative care such as exercise, counseling, and musculoskeletal therapy is widely recommended as first-line treatment for CPPS, an updated review of these and related methodologies are needed. Familiarizing physicians and the public with the newest evidence for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and other conservative care treatments will assist with the promotion of evidence-based practices in a safe and reliable manner. This review aimed to summarize the current evidence and proposed mechanisms for non-pharmacological treatment specific to CAM and management of chronic pelvic pain centered on neuromusculoskeletal focused intervention such as acupuncture, auriculotherapy, manipulation, manual therapy, myofascial release, and phototherapy. The discussion suggests that reported improvements in pelvic pain or related symptomatology may be attributed to changes in the peripheral inflammasome and somatic origins of peripheral sensitization. Robustness of the included clinical studies is discussed throughout the review, and attention is paid to delineating inclusion criteria of formally diagnosed CPPS compared to general pelvic or abdominal pain. Overall, this review consolidates the current state of evidence regarding the utilization of non-traditional interventions using CAM techniques for the management of chronic pelvic pain and recommends a future direction for the field.
Assessing the relationship between the cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen and the oxidation state of cytochrome-c-oxidase

Abstract. Significance Hyperspectral near-infrared spectroscopy (hsNIRS) combined with diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) provides a noninvasive approach for monitoring cerebral blood flow (CBF), the cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2) and the oxidation state of cytochrome-c-oxidase (oxCCO). CMRO2 is calculated by combining tissue oxygen saturation (StO2) with CBF, whereas oxCCO can be measured directly by hsNIRS. Although both reflect oxygen metabolism, a direct comparison has yet to be studied. Aim We aim to investigate the relationship between CMRO2 and oxCCO during periods of restricted oxygen delivery and lower metabolic demand. Approach A hybrid hsNIRS/DCS system was used to measure hemodynamic and metabolic responses in piglets exposed to cerebral ischemia and anesthetic-induced reductions in brain activity. Results Although a linear relationship was observed between CMRO2 and oxCCO during ischemia, both exhibited a nonlinear relationship with respect to CBF. In contrast, linear correlation was sufficient to characterize the relationships between CMRO2 and CBF and between the two metabolic markers during reduced metabolic demand. Conclusions The observed relationship between CMRO2 and oxCCO during periods of restricted oxygen delivery and lower metabolic demand indicates that the two metabolic markers are strongly correlated.
Code-switching candidates: strategic communication, podcasts, and cultural and racial politics

ABSTRACT While agenda building and framing are commonly examined in the strategic communication literature, the concept of code-switching remains underexplored in the field. Similarly, the incredible rise of podcasting remains less examined as a strategic communication tool. Bridging these gaps, this study qualitatively examined U.S. presidential candidate interviews on podcasts during the 2020 primary cycle. Insights about code-switching and attribute and topic selection emerged, demonstrating podcasts could be a critical media platform for lesser-known candidates of public office. Further, this study finds podcasts to be a prime arena for candidates who want to deviate from traditional political talking points and who want to access diverse and niche audiences. A call is made to further examine this intersectionality in the strategic communication literature.
Validation of HBF-Based MoM Approach to Solution of Radiation and Scattering Problems on Microwave Antennas With Linear Elements

A recently proposed method of moment (MoM)-based approach is extended to efficiently solve broadband radiation and scattering problems on wire and mixed geometries. This approach is based on expanding the total current on a conducting structure at any desired frequency in terms of entire domain hyper basis functions (HBFs), calculated at only one frequency. The developed approach is validated by comparing the characteristics of canonical microwave antennas with those obtained by direct MoM and characteristic mode analysis (CMA).