Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A broad meta-scientific overview of ethical aspects in Brazilian research on Web, Hypermedia and Multimedia at the WebMedia symposium

The inaugural meeting of the Workshop on Multimedia and Hypermedia Systems, now known as WebMedia, took place in 1995, one year after the founding of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). While the tram was still departing the station, Brazil boarded it. However, Tim Berners-Lee offers harsh criticism of the Web’s effects, applications, and uses three decades after he lay the Web’s conceptual cornerstone. Such as false information, widespread manipulation, the unethical use and exploitation of personal information, corporate monopolies, and dangers to democracy. He followed and kept abreast of the moral implications of the Web. However, did WebMedia also stay up in this context? We followed the Systematic Literature Review methodology with the aim to answer how WebMedia research published between 2005 and 2022 explicitly incorporates ethics. We analyzed 1331 papers, 52 (≈4%) presented ethical aspects, and, from these, one stood out. We concluded that the ethical aspects remained tiny, considering the time coverage. Less than 10% of the publications presented some ethical aspects, including the respective research. The occurrences of Ethics Committee, Informed Consent, or a combination of both did not reach 2% of the publications. Even though the Web and Multimedia are cross-cutting themes in technical and non-technical aspects, the first is dominant. In contrast, the deliberations related to the second are limited, as well as on Ethics or Morals. Therefore, we propose guidelines for community appreciation, embracing a culture of ethical aspects. Our main contribution is bringing a meta-research perspective on ethical aspects dedicated to WebMedia.
Polyol method and surface functionalization of silver nanowires using bovine serum albumin for surface-enhanced Raman scattering application

Silver nanowires (AgNWs) with diverse applications are attracting the attention of many researchers around the world. In this study, we applied the polyol method to synthesize AgNWs based on Polyvinyl-pyrrolidone (PVP) average molecular weight of 360,000, ethylene glycol (EG), and AgNO3 precursor with a fresh AgCl preparation. To synthesize this material we first investigate optimal parameters through the influence of reaction temperature, time of creating AgNWs using plasmon absorption spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. The obtained AgNWs are high efficiency, large aspect ratio, and good dispersion in the solution. This sample continues to be conducted to surface functionalization by bovine serum albumin (BSA) molecules to develop AgNW@BSA complexes. We apply UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy to evaluate the optical properties of these complexes. Besides, we conduct research on the application of this material on surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). The results show that the optical properties of these complexes obtained from UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy are comparable with the numerical modeling. In addition, AgNWs can be used to study the effective surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) to detect methylene blue (MB) molecules at low concentrations as 10-12 M.
Modeling of a two-degree-of-freedom fiber-reinforced soft pneumatic actuator

Abstract Fiber winding reinforcement is widely used in soft robotic manipulators actuated by pressurized fluids. However, the specific effect of each type of winding on the bending motion of a tubular soft robotics manipulator with three chambers has not been explored widely. We present the development of precise finite element (FE) simulations and investigate the effect of helical fiber winding parameters on the bending motion of a two-degree-of-freedom manipulator with three internal chambers. We first show the development of an FE simulation that optimizes convergence and computational time and precisely matches the behavior of soft robots in practice. Compared to single-chamber robots, simulating three-chamber designs is more challenging due to the complex geometry. We then apply our FE model to simulate all the parameter variations. We show that for helical winding with a constant pitch, the closer the center of a chamber is to the intersection of the windings, the lower the bending stiffness of the chamber is. To minimize bending stiffness variation in different bending directions, the optimal angle between the center of the first chamber and the intersection of the two helical windings are 0° and 12°. Reducing the pitch of the helical windings or using other types of windings (i.e., ring winding or six helical winding) reduces the stiffness variation across different bending directions. The FE simulations are compared with experiments showing that the model can capture complex bending behaviors of the manipulator, even though the estimation tends to be less accurate at higher bending angles.
Research Design in Clinical Psychology

Research Design in Clinical Psychology helps students to achieve a thorough understanding of the entire research process – developing the idea, selecting methods, analyzing the results, and preparing the written scientific report. Drawing examples from clinical research, health, and medicine, author Alan E. Kazdin offers detailed coverage of experimental design, assessment, data evaluation and interpretation, case-control and cohort designs, and qualitative research methods. In addition to new pedagogical tools that guide students through the text, the Fifth Edition offers expanded coverage of key topic areas, such as cultural issues, scientific integrity, and recent changes in the publication and communication of research.
Directivity of amplitude modulation sound around a wind turbine under actual meteorological conditions

Wind turbine noise (WTN) generally has amplitude modulation (AM) components, which often cause psychological annoyance in residential areas around the power generation plant. To investigate the directivity of AM sound generated from a wind turbine, field measurements have been performed under various wind conditions. Some receiving points were set circularly around a single wind turbine, and meteorological and associated wind turbine operational data were collected along with corresponding acoustic data. The method for extracting the AM components from the analyzed sound pressure levels at 100 ms intervals is based on the ideas of the F-S method. The results revealed a distinguishable directivity pattern of the strength of the AM components contained in WTN. The magnitudes of AM sound become lower in the downwind directions and highest in the direction approximately 60 relative to the front of the nacelle. In addition, the strength distributions of the AM components at distances of up to 200 m from the turbine were examined. It was found that almost all the magnitudes of AM sound still remained above 2 dB at a distance of even 200 m, whereas the A-weighted sound pressure levels decreased with increasing propagation distance.
Modeling historical forest landscape in the county of Halland, Sweden using data from the first National Forest Inventory

Spatial patterns is of core interest for landscape ecology, and tracking its temporal evolvement helps to attain a better understanding of the ecological effects of current ecosystems. The presence and recent digitization of the first Swedish National Forest Inventory data and the occurrence of a concurrent historical map offers a unique chance to take on this very challenging task. The objective was to describe and test a statistical model of the historical forest landscape for a study area in the county of Halland, Sweden during the 1920s by utilizing different spatial data sources in the model building towards a plausible methodological application of the model. Data from a detailed digital elevation model, thematic maps of soil type, and topographic maps were introduced into the modeling. Both deterministic and stochastic parts of response variables were extracted by combining Partial Least Squares and logistic regressions with ordinary Kriging. Conventional cross-validating was applied to judge the performance of the modeling, so were two compatible estimations, one made by applying k-Nearest Neighbor method, and the other origins from quartic kernel function. Both of them indicate the performance of the modeling is fairly good for the vegetation type part (with an accuracy no less than 0.75), and barely acceptable for the forest stand age and openness part (Root Mean Square Error is no bigger than 18.45 years for stand age, and 0.17 for stand openness). The modeling results agree poorly with information extracted from historical map. The nature of the data available is considered to be the determinant causal factor behind the results. Certainly, the modeling has the potential to be further improved methodologically.
Malondialdehyde Serum Levels in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis Relate to Dyslipidemia and Low Ventricular Ejection Fraction

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic disease characterized by vasculopathy with the involvement of dysfunctional microcirculatory vessels. Features of the disease include progressive fibrosis of the skin and internal organs and systemic inflammation characterized by the presence of circulating autoantibodies and proinflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, macrovascular disease and atherosclerosis are more common in patients with SSc than in the general population. Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the development of several processes, including endothelial dysfunction, cancer, inflammation, and atherogenesis. Malondialdehyde (MDA) is a well-established marker of oxidative stress. In this work, we have analyzed the relationship between serum MDA levels and clinical, laboratory, and vascular characteristics in a well-characterized cohort of 53 patients with SSc. A multivariable analysis was performed to study the relationship between circulating MDA and disease characteristics in patients with SSc. Cardiovascular assessment was also performed, including ultrasonography of the carotid and aorta, and echocardiography. MDA showed a significant and positive relationship with the serum levels of lipid profile molecules such as total cholesterol (β coefficient = 0.006 (95% CI: 0.0004 to 0.01), nmol/mL, p = 0.037) and LDL cholesterol (β coefficient = 0.008 (95% CI: 0.001 to 0.01) nmol/mL, p = 0.017). On the contrary, most manifestations of the disease, including skin, lung, and joint involvement, as well as the presence of digital ulcers, were not related to MDA. However, high MDA levels were significantly and independently associated with lower ventricular ejection fraction after adjustment for covariates (β coefficient = −0.04 (95% CI: −0.06 to −0.02), nmol/mL, p = 0.001). In conclusion, serum MDA levels were related to higher levels of total and LDL cholesterol and a lower left ventricular ejection fraction in patients with SSc. MDA could serve as a potential biomarker of dyslipidemia and heart failure in SSc.
Diagnostic efficacy of endoscopic ultrasound-guided liver biopsy for diffuse liver diseases and its predictors – a multicentric retrospective analysis

Aim of the study Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided liver biopsy (LB) has become an increasingly popular method of tissue acquisition for evaluating liver diseases. Despite its advantages, EUS-LB has not been widely adopted in clinical practice due to concerns regarding efficacy and safety. Present data on EUS-LB from India are scarce. We aimed to study the diagnostic outcome and safety of EUS-guided liver biopsy. Material and methods This is a retrospective analysis of prospectively maintained data from January 2021 to October 2022 of consecutive patients undergoing EUS-LB at four tertiary care centers in India. The primary outcome was sample adequacy, while secondary outcomes were rate of successful pathological diagnoses and incidence of adverse events (AE). Results A total of 74 patients (median age: 44.5 years, 50.0% males) were included. The majority of the patients underwent left-lobe biopsy (62/74, 83.7%), and a 19-G Franseen FNB needle was most commonly used (61/74, 82.4%). Wet heparin suction was used in most cases (60/74, 81.1%). There were five mild AEs observed (one case of self-limited bleeding and four cases of post-procedural pain). Adequate and optimal samples were obtained in 71 (95.9%) and 49 (66.2%) cases, with a conclusive diagnosis being made in 97.3% (72/74) of the patients. On multivariate analysis, the presence of ascites was a negative predictor of optimal sample (odds ratio [OR] = 0.128, 95% CI: 0.017-0.96). Conclusions EUS-LB is a safe and viable alternative to percutaneous liver biopsy, achieving diagnosis in > 95% of cases. EUS-LB can be performed safely even in patients with mild ascites, although ascites reduces the chances of getting an optimal sample.
Constraining decadal variability regionally improves near-term projections of hot, cold and dry extremes

Hot, cold and dry meteorological extremes are often linked with severe impacts on the public health, agricultural, energy and environmental sectors. Skillful predictions of such extremes could therefore enable stakeholders to better plan and adapt to future impacts of these events. The intensity, duration and frequency of such extremes are affected by anthropogenic climate change and modulated by different modes of climate variability. Here, we use a large multi-model ensemble from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) and constrain these simulations by sub-selecting those members whose global sea surface temperature anomaly patterns are most similar to observations at a given point in time, thereby phasing in the decadal climate variability with observations. Hot and cold extremes are skillfully predicted over most of the globe, with also a widespread added value from using the constrained ensemble compared to the unconstrained full CMIP6 ensemble. On the other hand, dry extremes only show skill in some regions with results sensitive to the index used. Still, we find skillful predictions and added skill for dry extremes in some regions such as Western North America, Southern central and Eastern Europe, Southeastern Australia, Southern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. We also find that the added skill in the constrained ensemble is due to a combination of improved multi-decadal variations in phase with observed climate extremes and improved representation of long-term changes. Our results demonstrate that constraining decadal variability in climate projections can provide improved estimates of temperature extremes and drought in the next 20 years, which can inform targeted adaptation strategies to near-term climate change.
PATTERN OF THORACO ABDOMINAL INJURIES IN FATAL ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN PUNE (MAHARASHTRA) INDIA - AN AUTOPSY STUDY.

Rashid Nehal Khan 1 , Ravi Rautji 2 and K V Radhakrishna 2 . 1. Assistant Professor, Department of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Armed Forces Medical College, Pune 411040 (Mahahrashtra)India. 2. Dept of Forensic Medicine &Toxicology Armed Forces Medical College, Pune (Mahahrashtra) India. Manuscript Info Abstract . Manuscript History Received: 20 October 2018 Final Accepted: 22 November 2018 Published: December 2018
Decreased In Incremental Interstitial Fluid Glucose Peak After Consumption Of Rice Cooked With Low-Carbohydrate Rice Cooker Compared To Conventional Rice Cooker In Lean And Obese Adult Population

The rapid rise in glucose levels is closely related to increased free radicals and oxidative stress which are directly linked with the aging process. Carbohydrate is one of the food components which has a major impact on prandial glucose fluctuations, in addition, rice is one of the staple carbohydrates consumed in Indonesia. In recent years, low-carbohydrate rice cookers claim to be able to reduce carbohydrate content in rice. However, there are currently no in vivo study in Indonesia whether the use of these devices has an impact on reducing prandial incremental glucose peak. The aim of this study was to determine whether the consumption of rice cooked with low-carbohydrate rice cooker can provide decreased in incremental interstitial fluid glucose peak (IIFGP) compared to conventional rice cooker. This study used a quasi-experimental method to identify differences in prandial IIFGP when using a low-carbohydrate rice cooker. IIFGP was calculated from subtracting the peak with baseline interstitial fluid glucose (IFG) value during 120-minute time. There are a total of 16 participants consisting of 8 lean and 8 obese participants. The participants were paired with Freestyle Libre Continuous Glucose Monitoring for prandial glucose evaluation. Each participant will consume rice from a conventional and low-carbohydrate rice cooker on different days at the same hour and will be fasted 8-12 hours prior to the procedure. A comparison of the glucose responses from different rice cookers was carried out on the same participant. On the first procedure day, the participants were given 250 g of rice from a conventional rice cooker, afterwards the prandial glucose response was recorded for 2 hours in 5 minutes interval. On the following day, participants were given 250 g of rice from a low-carbohydrate rice cooker, then the prandial glucose response was recorded in similar manner, subsequent comparison between the two glucose responses was made. This study found differences in the IIFGP from conventional rice cooker 70.4 ± 21.0 mg/dL and low carbohydrates 60.3 ± 17.8 mg/dL, p = 0.005. Subgroup analysis of lean participants showed that there was a difference in the IIFGP between rice from a conventional rice cooker 66.6 ± 8.56 mg/dL and low-carbohydrate rice cooker 61.6 ± 9.9 mg/dL, p = 0.022. Obese participants also showed differences in IIFGP, conventional rice cooker 74.2 ± 29.0 mg/dL and low-carbohydrate rice cooker 58.9 ± 24.1 mg/dL, p = 0.029. There was also a moderate correlation between the waist to height ratio and the peak value of IFG from rice cooked with conventional rice cooker r = 0.551, p = 0.027. Low-carbohydrate rice cooker was able to improve prandial glucose response by reducing the carbohydrate component from cooked rice. Taken together, we concluded that there is a decrease in IIFGP after consumption of rice cooked with low-carbohydrate rice cooker compared to a conventional rice cooker.
Weight retention 12 months postpartum: association with sociodemographic, gestational and puerperal factors

Abstract Objectives: to investigate the association between sociodemographic, gestational/puerperal factors and postpartum weight retention (PPWR) after 12 months in Brazilian women at a university hospital. Methods: prospective cohort with puerperal women recruited at the maternity ward of a university hospital in a Brazilian metropolis. At baseline (n=260), sociodemographic and anthropometric information on the mother-child binomial and data related to the gestational period were collected. Maternal dietary patterns were measured using a food frequency questionnaire and subsequently determined by Principal Component Analysis. Results: 75 women, with a mean age of 28.4 years (CI95%= 27.0-29.7), 25.3% with excessive PPPR, with an average of 3.6 kg (CI95%= 1.7) continued in the follow-up. -5.4). Higher gestational weight gain (GWG) (ß= 0.36; CI95%= 0.18-0.70) and lower maternal age (ß= -0.41; CI95%= -0.92–-0.22) were PRPP predictors (p=0.001) (adjusted for per capita income, parity, type of delivery, number of prenatal visits, baby’s birth weight, breastfeeding and physical activity). Conclusion: there was a high occurrence of excessive PPPR, favored by higher GPG and lower maternal age. This highlights the importance of monitoring women’s health during the reproductive period, with guidance on ways of life (diet and physical activity), to favor better outcomes for mother-child.
Irreversible electroporation combined with chemotherapy and PD-1/PD-L1 blockade enhanced antitumor immunity for locally advanced pancreatic cancer

Background Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a novel local tumor ablation approach with the potential to stimulate an antitumor immune response. However, it is not effective in preventing distant metastasis in isolation. This study aimed to compare the potential of augmenting the antitumor immune response in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) who underwent IRE combined with chemotherapy and PD-1/PD-L1 blockade with those who underwent IRE combined with chemotherapy. Methods A retrospective review was conducted on LAPC patients treated either with IRE in combination with chemotherapy and PD-1/PD-L1 blockade (group A) or with IRE with chemotherapy alone (group B) from July 2015 to June 2021. The primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), with immune responses and adverse events serving as secondary endpoints. Risk factors for OS and PFS were identified using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results A total of 103 patients were included in the final analysis, comprising 25 in group A and 78 in group B. The median duration of follow-up was 18.2 months (3.0–38.6 months). Group A patients demonstrated improved survival compared to group B (median OS: 23.6 vs. 19.4 months, p = 0.001; median PFS: 18.2 vs. 14.7 months, p = 0.022). The data suggest a robust immune response in group A, while adverse events related to the treatment were similar in both groups. The multivariate analysis identified the combination of IRE, chemotherapy, and PD-1/PD-L1 blockade as an independent prognostic factor for OS and PFS. Conclusion The addition of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade to the regimen of IRE combined with chemotherapy enhanced antitumor immunity and extended survival in LAPC patients.
Benefiting the organization while helping yourself: a three-wave study of reciprocal effects between job crafting and innovative work behaviour

ABSTRACT Most employees proactively alter their jobs to improve their functioning at work. Such self-initiated behaviours, referred to as job crafting, are primarily intended to benefit the employees themselves. This study contrasts the self-serving nature of job crafting by hypothesizing its positive, reciprocal relationship with a form of work behaviour which primarily benefits organizations – innovative work behaviour (IWB). Drawing upon Conservation of Resources theory, we test a novel perspective suggesting that job crafting and IWB can perpetuate each other by forming gain cycles. Furthermore, we examine whether participative decision making (PDM) can instigate these gain cycles by enhancing subsequent job crafting and IWB. These research hypotheses were tested using three-wave survey data collected from employees (N = 404) within the Belgian higher education sector. The results demonstrate that not only does job crafting relate to subsequent increases in IWB, but also that IWB relates to subsequent increases in job crafting over three measurements occasions. In contrast, PDM did not predict subsequent changes in either form of work behaviour. We discuss these results in light of their contributions to advancing theoretical understanding of the job crafting-IWB relationship and practices intended to promote gain cycles beneficial to employees and employers alike.