Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Czech Drivers’ Glare Perception Survey

Worldwide, road-users complain about glare from oncoming cars’ headlights, often blaming new light sources such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs). However, drivers’ own behavior and attitudes might contribute to the issue of glare. The aim of this research was to establish the prevalence of on-road glare and its associations with drivers’ attitudes in a sample of Czech drivers. We used an online survey and gained responses from 539 passenger-car-drivers. The majority experienced glare at least once a week or almost daily, identifying mainly white- or bluish-colored headlights as the source of glare. However, about 60% of participants would prefer the view of the road that is provided by these sources, and an association was found between the preferred part of the lighting color spectrum and the perceived glare source color. A large proportion of drivers were also not aware of the specifics of the lighting sources that they used. These findings suggest the need for driver education in the area of automotive lighting and glare prevention.
Programmable metasurface‐based RF chain‐free 8PSK wireless transmitter

In this Letter, a wireless transmitter using the new architecture of programmable metasurface is presented. The proposed transmitter does not require any filter, nor wideband mixer or wideband power amplifier, thereby making it a promising hardware architecture for cost-effective wireless communications systems in the future. Using experimental results, the authors demonstrate that a programmable metasurface-based 8-phase shift-keying (8PSK) transmitter with 8 × 32 phase adjustable unit cells can achieve 6.144 Mbps data rate over the air at 4.25 GHz with a comparable bit error rate performance as the conventional approach without channel coding, but with less hardware complexity.
Drying Kinetics of Macroalgae as a Function of Drying Gas Velocity and Material Bulk Density, Including Shrinkage

Macroalgae have many potential applications and can make important contributions to sustainability and circular economy objectives. Macroalgae are degradable high-moisture biomaterials and drying is a necessary step, but drying is an energy and capital-intensive part of their production process. This study presents convective drying curves for commercially promising fresh and saltwater species (U. ohnoi and O. intermedium), obtained over a range of industry-relevant drying gas velocities (0.3–2 m/s) and material bulk densities (33–100 kg/m3). Pragmatic diffusion-based drying models that account for the influence of drying gas velocity, material bulk density, and material shrinkage are presented. Results provide critical insights into the validity of diffusion model assumptions for compressible biomaterials and new mechanisms describing gas penetration into such materials are proposed. The drying models provided in this work demonstrate a high degree of accuracy for both species.
The Relationship between Gut Microbiota and Respiratory Tract Infections in Childhood: A Narrative Review

Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are common in childhood and represent one of the main causes of hospitalization in this population. In recent years, many studies have described the association between gut microbiota (GM) composition and RTIs in animal models. In particular, the “inter-talk” between GM and the immune system has recently been unveiled. However, the role of GM in human, and especially infantile, RTIs has not yet been fully established. In this narrative review we provide an up-to-date overview of the physiological pathways that explain how the GM shapes the immune system, potentially influencing the response to common childhood respiratory viral infections and compare studies analysing the relationship between GM composition and RTIs in children. Most studies provide evidence of GM dysbiosis, but it is not yet possible to identify a distinct bacterial signature associated with RTI predisposition. A better understanding of GM involvement in RTIs could lead to innovative integrated GM-based strategies for the prevention and treatment of RTIs in the paediatric population.
Assessment on COVID-19 Antibody and Antigen Rapid Test Devices as Screening Tools for SARS-CoV-2 Infection at the Academic Premises

Since early 2020, a novel coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2 is causing COVID-19 pandemic. This novel virus is very contagious as it spreads quickly, primarily via droplets during person-to-person contact. The gold standard method to confirm SARS-CoV-2 infection is the reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay, but this technology is labor-intensive and time-consuming. An effective, point-of-care assay will be required to screen the general population for SARS-CoV-2 infection, hence RT-qPCR assay could be used mainly to confirm suspected cases with COVID-19. In this cross-sectional study, we described our experiences in using the antibody and antigen rapid test devices to screen for SARS-CoV-2 infection among staff and students at Universitas Pelita Harapan, respectively. Firstly, we found that the participating staff who worked regularly at the academic premises were not infected by SARS-CoV-2 during November and December 2020, suggested by seronegative results (0 out of 55). Secondly, we observed that among seropositive students who were living at the dormitory, the antigen rapid testing did not detect any positive subject (0 out 26), despite some among those exhibited the positive results when tested with RT-qPCR (8 out 26). The calculated sensitivity was 0%, while the specificity was 100%. Taken together, our findings indicated the weakness of using the antibody and antigen rapid test devices as a screening tool for SARS-CoV-2 infection among our cohorts.
Experimental Analysis of Brewers’ Spent Grains Steam Gasification in an Allothermal Batch Reactor

In this work, brewers’ spent grains (BSG) were evaluated and studied in order to obtain a combustible gas by means of allothermal steam gasification. BSG were preprocessed in a rotary dryer and a pelletizer prior to gasification in an indirectly heated batch reactor. BSG characterization was conducted by means of proximate, ultimate, and thermogravimetric analysis, allowing us to conclude that BSG have characteristics comparable to those of regular lignocellulosic biomasses. Gasification tests were performed in an allothermal bench-scale batch reactor in order to determine the effect of temperature and steam-to-biomass ratio (S/B) in the produced gas. The produced gas was mainly composed of 22.8–30.2% H2, 15.1–22.3% CO, and 7.2–11.1% CH4, contributing to a heating value of 8.11–9.0 MJ/Nm3 with the higher values found for a low S/B ratio and for high temperatures. The performance of the process was assessed by evaluating the cold gas and carbon conversion efficiencies. These indicators were found to be in the ranges 47.0%–52.1% and 57.0%–62.7%, respectively. The main conclusion of this work is that the produced gas obtained from BSG steam gasification has sufficient quality to open other options to beer producers to use their own brewing wastes to satisfy their energy needs, allowing them to progress toward the circular economy concept.
Effect of Blade Diameter on the Performance of Horizontal-Axis Ocean Current Turbine

The horizontal-axis ocean current turbine under investigation is a three-blade rotor that uses the flow of water to rotate its blade. The mechanical energy of a turbine is converted into electrical energy using a generator. The horizontal-axis ocean current turbine provides a nongrid robust and sustainable power source. In this study, the blade design is optimized to achieve higher efficiency, as the blade design of the hydrokinetic turbine has a considerable effect on its output efficiency. All the simulations of this turbine are performed on ANSYS software, based on the Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations. Three-dimensional (CFD) simulations are then performed to evaluate the performance of the rotor at a steady state. To examine the turbine’s efficiency, the inner diameter of the rotor is varied in all three cases. The attained result concludes that the highest Cm value is about 0.24 J at a tip-speed ratio (TSR) of 0.8 at a constant speed of 0.7 m/s. From 1 TSR onward, a further decrease occurs in the power coefficient. That point indicates the optimum velocity at which maximum power exists. The pressure contour shows that maximum dynamic pressure exists at the convex side of the advancing blade. The value obtained at that place is −348 Pa for case 1. When the dynamic pressure increases, the power also increases. The same trend is observed for case 2 and case 3, with the same value of optimum TSR = 0.8.
Evaluating the optimization of limited government resources in low-income countries using a sharing economy platform

This paper reports on the design and usefulness of a digital government innovation to share limited government resources in low-income countries (LICs) based on the sharing economy paradigm, collaborative consumption (CC). The innovation was developed using design science research and the usefulness was evaluated using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model (n=321) with Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The key findings reveal that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and facilitating conditions are significant factors of the behavioral intention to adopt the CC platform. Social influence was however not a significant factor. These key findings suggest the practical usefulness of the CC platform in motivating the sharing of limited government resources and overcoming traditional government bureaucracy. The study contributes to information systems theory in advocating for the adoption of a sharing economy ethos as a means to maximizing limited government resources in LICs, and in creating digital artifacts using design science research methods. The study recommends for LIC governments to further extend the resource sharing capability to include non-government organisations and citizens.
Prediction of Tinnitus Perception Based on Daily Life MHealth Data Using Country Origin and Season

Tinnitus is an auditory phantom perception without external sound stimuli. This chronic perception can severely affect quality of life. Because tinnitus symptoms are highly heterogeneous, multimodal data analyses are increasingly used to gain new insights. MHealth data sources, with their particular focus on country- and season-specific differences, can provide a promising avenue for new insights. Therefore, we examined data from the TrackYourTinnitus (TYT) mHealth platform to create symptom profiles of TYT users. We used gradient boosting engines to classify momentary tinnitus and regress tinnitus loudness, using country of origin and season as features. At the daily assessment level, tinnitus loudness can be regressed with a mean absolute error rate of 7.9% points. In turn, momentary tinnitus can be classified with an F1 score of 93.79%. Both results indicate differences in the tinnitus of TYT users with respect to season and country of origin. The significance of the features was evaluated using statistical and explainable machine learning methods. It was further shown that tinnitus varies with temperature in certain countries. The results presented show that season and country of origin appear to be valuable features when combined with longitudinal mHealth data at the level of daily assessment.
Transcriptomic analysis of genes related to alkaloid biosynthesis and the regulation mechanism under precursor and methyl jasmonate treatment in Dendrobium officinale

Dendrobium officinale is both a traditional herbal medicine and a plant of high ornamental and medicinal value. Alkaloids, especially terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs), with pharmacological activities are present in the tissues of D. officinale. A number of genes involved in alkaloid biosynthetic pathways have been identified. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying the precursor and methyl jasmonate (MeJA)-induced accumulation of alkaloids in D. officinale are poorly understood. In this study, we collected D. officinale protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) and treated them with TIA precursors (tryptophan and secologanin) and MeJA for 0 (T0), 4 (T4) and 24 h (T24); we also established control samples (C4 and C24). Then, we measured the total alkaloid content of the PLBs and performed transcriptome sequencing using the Illumina HiSeq 2,500 system. The total alkaloid content increased significantly after 4 h of treatment. Go and KEGG analysis suggested that genes from the TIA, isoquinoline alkaloid, tropane alkaloid and jasmonate (JA) biosynthetic pathways were significantly enriched. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) uncovered brown module related to alkaloid content. Six and seven genes related to alkaloid and JA bisosynthetic pathways, respectively, might encode the key enzymes involved in alkaloid biosynthesis of D. officinale. Moreover, 13 transcription factors (TFs), which mostly belong to AP2/ERF, WRKY, and MYB gene families, were predicted to regulate alkaloid biosynthesis. Our data provide insight for studying the regulatory mechanism underlying TIA precursor and MeJA-induced accumulation of three types of alkaloids in D. officinale.
Changes in reservoir and motor-evacuatory function of the gallbladder in patients with asymptomatic cholecystolithiasis after organ-sparing surgery – laparoscopic cholecystolithotomy

Sonographic assessment of gallbladder structure and function in patients with gallstone disease needs further improvement not only to clarify the indications for organ-sparing operations such as laparoscopic cholecystolithotomy, but also to improve the results of surgical treatment of asymptomatic cholecystolithiasis by predicting probable restoration of motor-evacuatory function of the gallbladder and reduction of the number of recurrences of cholecystolithiasis. The aim of the study was to investigate changes in gallbladder structure and function in patients with asymptomatic cholecystolithiasis before and after laparoscopic cholecystolithotomy. Materials and methods. The study involved 33 patients with asymptomatic cholecystolithiasis. The majority of patients are women 82 % (n = 27), aged 23 to 54 years, mean age 48.0 ± 11.9 years. And there were 18 % of men (n = 6), aged 25 to 58 years, mean age 46.2 ± 12.4 years. Ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs was performed in all patients using Philips No. MA2540R and LOGIQ General Electric Ser No. 52993WX3 before and after laparoscopic cholecystolithotomy. During the examination, a sonographic assessment of the shape, size, contours, thickness of the gallbladder wall, as well as its relation with surrounding organs and vascular structures was performed. The size of the common bile duct, the number and size of stones in the gallbladder cavity, as well as its motor-evacuatory function were purposefully determined. Statistical processing of the material was performed using the Statistica for Windows 13 (StatSoft Inc., No. JPZ804I382130ARCN10-J). Results. Indicators of gallbladder reservoir function before and after laparoscopic cholecystolithotomy did not differ significantly. There was a significant increase in the ejection fraction of the gallbladder from 54.5 ± 2.1 % to 64.4 ± 2.9 % (P = 0.0001) and a reduction in the “latency period” from 15.6 ± 2.5 min to 8.3 ± 1.7 min (P = 0.001). Conclusion. Adherence to sonographic indications (single gallstones, less than 3 mm wall thickness and ejection fraction over 50 %) in the selection of patients with asymptomatic cholecystolithiasis for laparoscopic cholecystolithotomy allows not only to preserve the reservoir and also improve the motor-evacuatory function of it, which reduces the risk of possible recurrent stone formation in close and long-term periods of observation.
Effects of Tool-Workpiece Friction Condition on Energy Consumption during Piercing Phase of Seamless Tube Production

During the hot piercing phase of seamless tube production, friction and contact conditions between tools and workpiece significantly influence final product quality and energy consumption. The friction effects on the production of high alloyed steels like Super Cr13 steel are critical. This study analyses the effect of different friction conditions at the workpiece-tool interface in the piercing of Super Cr13 steel bars to minimize total energy consumption in such a manufacturing process. For this purpose, a three-dimensional finite element method (FEM) is employed to simulate and analyze the piercing process. The variety of tools (plunge, rollers, and Diescher disks) and contact conditions lead to differences in the applied stress at different workpiece areas. Consequently, various friction models and friction coefficients were selected for different interfaces. The relation between strain rate, temperature, and geometry of pierced tube are discussed, and the selected friction relation with total power and energy consumption is presented. Experimental tests have been used for FEM validation and result analysis, and finally, the most effective conditions with lower total energy consumption are presented.
Access Separation at Interchanges: Examining Crash Rates on the Cross-Street and in the Transition Areas from Full to Partial Access Control

Access control remains an important concern to roadway agencies as the spacing of at-grade access points significantly affects both the safety and operational performance of highways. Significant variability exists with respect to policies dictating where the first access points may occur in the vicinity of interchanges. This study examines two important spacing criteria, which include: (1) the distance from the freeway off-ramp to the first access on the interchanging arterial roadway; and (2) the distance from a freeway on-ramp to the first at-grade intersection in areas with partial access control. To investigate these relationships, a series of crash prediction models were estimated that examined how crash risk changed with respect to access spacing while controlling for the effects of traffic volume and other pertinent characteristics. The results illustrate that at cross-streets near ramp terminal intersections, the crash rate generally increases as the distance to the nearest access point decreases. The same trend was also true of freeway transition areas. Ultimately, this research illustrates a complex relationship that exists among the proximity of the exit point of the controlled access facility and the adjacent access point, the volume of traffic along the roadway, and the volume of traffic at the access point.
The Longitudinal Assessment of Vascular Parameters of the Retina and Their Correlations with Systemic Characteristics in Type 2 Diabetes—A Pilot Study

The aim of the study was to assess various retinal vessel parameters of diabetes mellitus (DM) patients and their correlations with systemic factors in type 2 DM. A retrospective exploratory study in which 21 pairs of baseline and follow-up images of patients affected by DM were randomly chosen from the Sankara Nethralaya–Diabetic Retinopathy Study (SN DREAMS) I and II datasets. Patients’ fundus was photographed, and the diagnosis was made based on Klein classification. Vessel thickness parameters were generated using a web-based retinal vascular analysis platform called VASP. The thickness changes between the baseline and follow-up images were computed and normalized with the actual thicknesses of baseline images. The majority of parameters showed 10~20% changes over time. Vessel width in zone C for the second vein was significantly reduced from baseline to follow-up, which showed positive correlations with systolic blood pressure and serum high-density lipoproteins. Fractal dimension for all vessels in zones B and C and fractal dimension for vein in zones A, B and C showed a minimal increase from baseline to follow-up, which had a linear relationship with diastolic pressure, mean arterial pressure, serum triglycerides (p < 0.05). Lacunarity for all vessels and veins in zones A, B and C showed a minimal decrease from baseline to follow-up which had a negative correlation with pulse pressure and positive correlation with serum triglycerides (p < 0.05). The vessel widths for the first and second arteries significantly increased from baseline to follow-up and had an association with high-density lipoproteins, glycated haemoglobin A1C, serum low-density lipoproteins and total serum cholesterol. The central reflex intensity ratio for the second artery was significantly decreased from baseline to follow-up, and positive correlations were noted with serum triglyceride, serum low-density lipoproteins and total serum cholesterol. The coefficients for branches in zones B and C artery and the junctional exponent deviation for the artery in zone A decreased from baseline to follow-up showed positive correlations with serum triglycerides, serum low-density lipoproteins and total serum cholesterol. Identifying early microvascular changes in diabetic patients will allow for earlier intervention, improve visual outcomes and prevent vision loss.
Diversity of the Origin of Cancer Stem Cells in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Its Clinical Implications

Simple Summary Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) histopathologically accounts for ≥90% of oral cancer. In this review article, we focus on the diversity of the origin of OSCC and also discuss cancer stem cells (CSCs). CSCs are a subset of cancer cells that occupy a very small portion of the cancer mass and have characteristics of stem cells. When gene abnormalities accumulate in somatic stem cells, those cells transform into CSCs. CSCs as the origin of cancer then autonomously grow and develop into cancer. The histopathological phenotype of cancer cells is determined by the original characteristics of the somatic stem cells and/or surrounding environment. OSCC may be divided into the following three categories with different malignancy based on the origin of CSCs: cancer from oral epithelial stem cell-derived CSCs, cancer from stem cells in salivary gland-derived CSCs, and cancer from bone marrow-derived stem cell-derived CSCs. Abstract Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) histopathologically accounts for ≥90% of oral cancer. Many clinicopathological risk factors for OSCC have also been proposed, and postoperative therapy is recommended in guidelines based on cancer stage and other risk factors. However, even if the standard treatment is provided according to the guidelines, a few cases rapidly recur or show cervical and distant metastasis. In this review article, we focus on the diversity of the origin of OSCC. We also discuss cancer stem cells (CSCs) as a key player to explain the malignancy of OSCC. CSCs are a subset of cancer cells that occupy a very small portion of the cancer mass and have characteristics of stem cells. When gene abnormalities accumulate in somatic stem cells, those cells transform into CSCs. CSCs as the origin of cancer then autonomously grow and develop into cancer. The histopathological phenotype of cancer cells is determined by the original characteristics of the somatic stem cells and/or surrounding environment. OSCC may be divided into the following three categories with different malignancy based on the origin of CSCs: cancer from oral epithelial stem cell-derived CSCs, cancer from stem cells in salivary gland-derived CSCs, and cancer from bone marrow-derived stem cell-derived CSCs.
ANALISIS PENGARUH KEPADATAN PENDUDUK, PENGELUARAN PERKAPITA DAN TINGKAT PENGANGGURAN TERBUKA TERHADAP PENDUDUK MISKIN DI PROVINSI ACEH TAHUN 2000-2019

This study examined the relationship between population density, per capita expenditure, open unemployment rate, and the poor people in Aceh province. This study used secondary data from 2000 to 2019. The data were analyzed using the Vector Autoregression (VAR) analysis method with the help of Eviews 10. The results indicated that population density had no positive and significant effect on the poor people, per capita expenditure had a positive but insignificant effect on the poor people, and the open unemployment rate had a positive and significant effect on the poor people.