Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Unveiling the antecedents of senior citizens′ behavioural intentions to travel: A mixed-method approach

The purpose of this study is to develop and validate a multi-dimensional scale on factors affecting senior citizens’ behavioural intentions to travel in terms of approach and avoidance. The study is longitudinal in nature and has used a mixed-method approach (qualitative and quantitative) to collect and confirm a series of indicators concerning the different constructs. Under study 1, a pool of items was generated by conducting industry expert survey and reviewing the existing literature. Afterwards, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was performed for extracting the distinct factors. Under study 2, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed to validate the proposed scale. The results of EFA and CFA revealed six dimensions of push factors, three dimensions of pull factors, two dimensions of perceived travel risks, three dimensions of perceived travel constraints and two dimensions of behavioural intentions of senior citizen tourists. Under pull factors, two additional dimensions were found, namely, familiarity and friendliness quotient of a destination as well as health safety and security quotient of a destination and under perceived travel constraints, outbreak of COVID-19 has been identified as a novel structural constraint. Since there is very limited research on senior citizens’ behavioural intentions to travel, the current study adds to the body of knowledge by identifying the additional factors that affect the same. Further, the study develops and validates the items through qualitative and quantitative analysis.
Impacts of Bacteriostatic and Bactericidal Antibiotics on the Mitochondria of the Age-Related Macular Degeneration Cybrid Cell Lines

We assessed the potential negative effects of bacteriostatic and bactericidal antibiotics on the AMD cybrid cell lines (K, U and J haplogroups). AMD cybrid cells were created and cultured in 96-well plates and treated with tetracycline (TETRA) and ciprofloxacin (CPFX) for 24 h. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔψM), cellular metabolism and ratio of apoptotic cells were measured using H2DCFDA, JC1, MTT and flow cytometry assays, respectively. Expression of genes of antioxidant enzymes, and pro-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic pathways were evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Higher ROS levels were found in U haplogroup cybrids when treated with CPFX 60 µg/mL concentrations, lower ΔψM of all haplogroups by CPFX 120 µg/mL, diminished cellular metabolism in all cybrids with CPFX 120 µg/mL, and higher ratio of dead cells in K and J cybrids. CPFX 120 µg/mL induced overexpression of IL-33, CASP-3 and CASP-9 in all cybrids, upregulation of TGF-β1 and SOD2 in U and J cybrids, respectively, along with decreased expression of IL-6 in J cybrids. TETRA 120 µg/mL induced decreased ROS levels in U and J cybrids, increased cellular metabolism of treated U cybrids, higher ratio of dead cells in K and J cybrids and declined ΔψM via all TETRA concentrations in all haplogroups. TETRA 120 µg/mL caused upregulation of IL-6 and CASP-3 genes in all cybrids, higher CASP-7 gene expression in K and U cybrids and downregulation of the SOD3 gene in K and U cybrids. Clinically relevant dosages of ciprofloxacin and tetracycline have potential adverse impacts on AMD cybrids possessing K, J and U mtDNA haplogroups in vitro.
Caries radicular: actualización sobre una patología de creciente interés

La caries radicular es un proceso dinámico de destrucción localizada de las superficies radiculares, dependiente de biopelícula. Esta patología afecta principalmente a la población adulta mayor con superficies radiculares expuestas y altera su calidad de vida. Las vulnerabilidades y multimorbilidades, frecuentes en este grupo de edad, limitan el autocuidado oral y son criterios a considerar en la comprensión y manejo de la patología. El diagnóstico de las lesiones de caries radicular implica conocimiento sobre la estructura radicular sana, los factores indicadores o de riesgo, los mecanismos de desarrollo de las lesiones y, los criterios para su detección y valoración. La elección correcta de opciones de manejo del riesgo y de las lesiones, que preserven la estructura, evidencia la comprensión de la caries radicular. La caries radicular plantea un desafío para la academia, los sistemas de salud, la práctica dental y la población, debido a que sus indicadores están aumentando en relación con el envejecimiento poblacional y la mayor conservación de dientes naturales. El propósito de esta revisión de tema fue presentar el estado del entendimiento actual de caries radicular. Se incluyeron 81 artículos publicados entre 1971 y 2021, sobre embriogénesis de la raíz; prevalencia, etiopatogenia; características de las lesiones; diagnóstico y propuestas de manejo a nivel del riesgo individual y de las lesiones. Esta actualización es pertinente por el reto que conlleva la presencia cada vez mayor de esta patología, junto con sus consecuencias. El planteamiento de su estado del arte sugiere áreas de investigación.
Research progress and prospects of wood high-temperature heat treatment technology

High temperature heat treatment is one of the main technologies with the highest market conversion rate and broad future prospects in the functional technology of wood. Chemical reagents are not added in the production process. The treatment improves the dimensional stability, biological durability, wood color, and acoustic properties without reducing the environmental performance of the product. However, there are some problems in heat treatment, such as the reduction of mechanical properties and surface wettability of wood, high production energy consumption, and large exhaust emissions. Therefore, understanding the influence and mechanism of high temperature heat treatment technology on wood properties is of guiding significance to further improve the quality of heat-treated wood, improve production process, and develop new equipment. This article reviews the effects of heat treatment on the properties of wood and the mechanism of heat treatment. Then, some applications of heat treatment of wood are introduced. Finally, the development direction and prospect of high temperature heat treatment technology in the future are forecasted.
Grafting of Dissolved Pulp from Date Palm Byproducts for Use in Industrial Water Purification

Date palm ( Phoenix dactylifera L.) is considered as important crop in the Arabian Gulf. Lot of date palm leaves and rachis were collected annually and considers as wastes. In this work cellulose was isolated from two by-product of date palm tree, rachis and leaflet by alkali and bleaching treatments. The isolated cellulose was modified by grafting with acrylamide. The chemical composition of all samples was determined at different stages of treatment. All samples were characterizing by Fourier transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, the energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and Scanning electron microscopy. Grafted samples copolymer was used in removal of methyl orange from aqueous solution. The maximum adsorption occurs at pH 3.0. The results of equilibrium denote the good fit of the adsorption data by freundlich isotherm model, maximum adsorption capacity calculated from Langmuir is 48.12 mg/g, and the adsorption obey pseudo-second order kinetic model. Date palm fibers considering as a promising alternative substitute to synthetic fibers in polymer composite industry.
Revisiting the macroeconomic variables and economic growth nexus: A Markov regime-switching approach

Purpose ―Current paper assesses the impact of macroeconomic variables on Pakistan's economic growth. Method ― This study analyzed the data using the Markov Regime switching (MS) model using monthly data for 1981-2020. Firstly, BDS and CUSUM square tests were applied to detect the non-linearity of the model. Results ―The model is non-linear, so the Markov regime-switching model is used for analysis. Each regime's mean and variance are highly significant and show a high growth regime with high volatility and a low growth regime with low volatility. Furthermore, the results show that inflation, interest rate, and trade openness negatively impact while real effective exchange rates positively affect development in both regimes. The negative effect of interest rate, exchange rate, inflation, and trade openness become more pronounced in low growth regimes. Implication ― This study suggests that policymakers should consider the non-linear behaviour of macroeconomics. This will help to formulate better policies for the economy's economic growth. Originality ―The current research adds to the existing literature by identifying the non-linear effect of growth indicators on economic growth, which was previously neglected in the case of Pakistan.
Short term outcome of primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Background: Percutaneous Coronary intervention (PCI) is a routinely performed procedure in coronary care units. The aim of our study was to investigate the frequency of major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) after percutaneous coronary angiography in acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients in our institution. The objective of the study is to determine the frequency of MACEs after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) in patients with acute myocardial infarction.Patients & Methods: This prospective observational study was carried out at Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore from May 2017 to June 2017. A total 35 patients with STEMI who underwent Primary PCI were enrolled by consecutive sampling technique. An inclusion criterion was chest pain of 30 minutes to 12 hours duration with ECG showing ≥ 0.1mm ST-elevation in at least two contiguous leads. An exclusion criterion was thrombolysis within last 24 hours, malignancy, stroke and Left Main or equivalent disease on coronary Angiogram. Patients were followed after 2 weeks till 1 month for any MACES. (Including re-admission, need for repeat revascularization, stent thrombosis, recurrent acute MI, angina, stroke, and mortality). Frequency and percentages were calculated for MACEs by using SPSS 23.0. Results: Out of 35 cases, 34 (97.1%) were male and 1 (2.9%) were female. Mean age was 47.11±10.59 years, 14 (40%) patients had hypertension, 10 (28.6%) were diabetics and 12(34.3%) were current smokers while 4 (11.4%) were ex-smokers, 10 (28.6%) had family history of CAD, and 3 (8.6%) had hyperlipidemia. Successful revascularization with TIMI-III flow was attained in 34(97.1%) cases. 33minutes was mean door to balloon time. At one month follow-up, out of 35 patients, angina was reported only in 1 (2.9%) patient. There was no readmission, repeat revascularization, stent thrombosis, myocardial infarction, stroke and death reported in study subjects.Conclusion: Successful revascularization by Primary PCI was associated with very few early MACEs. For the treatment of coronary artery disease, PCI is an effective option. It has a few early MACEs and uses less contrast and has fewer distal complications than conventional angioplasty and invasive procedures.
MATERNAL GUT MICROBIOTA IN PREGNANCIES RESULTING IN DOWN SYNDROME NEWBORNS – A PILOT STUDY

SUMMARY Down syndrome (DS) is one of the main genetic abnormalities of newborns. Therefore, prenatal diagnosis of this syndrome is of paramount importance to the family and the community. The microbiota system is important in early brain development. We tried to study and compare gut microbiota (GM) composition in pregnancies that resulted in DS neonates with pregnancies that resulted in healthy children. The study population consisted of 21 pregnant women having delivered DS newborns (group 1) and 22 pregnant women who had given birth to healthy newborns (group 2). The GM composition was determined and compared between the two groups. There were no significant age and gestational age differences between the two groups (p>0.005 both). Regarding GM analysis, microorganisms of the families Clostridiaceae and Pasteurellaceae were more abundant in the group of women having delivered DS neonates than the group of women having delivered healthy newborns (p<0.05). The results of our pilot study showed that the GM system might have a role in the pathophysiology of DS. The GM changes may be used in the prenatal diagnosis and prevention of this syndrome. Further studies are needed in this field.
T2 Mapping with and without Fat-Suppression to Predict Treatment Response to Intravenous Glucocorticoid Therapy for Thyroid-Associated Ophthalmopathy

Objective To evaluate the performance of baseline clinical characteristics and pretherapeutic histogram parameters derived from T2 mapping of the extraocular muscles (EOMs) in the prediction of treatment response to intravenous glucocorticoid (IVGC) therapy for active and moderate-to-severe thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) and to investigate the effect of fat-suppression (FS) in T2 mapping in this prediction. Materials and Methods A total of 79 patients clinically diagnosed with active, moderate-to-severe TAO (47 female, 32 male; mean age ± standard deviation, 46.1 ± 10 years), including 43 patients with a total of 86 orbits in the responsive group and 36 patients with a total of 72 orbits in the unresponsive group, were enrolled. Baseline clinical characteristics and pretherapeutic histogram parameters derived from T2 mapping with FS (i.e., FS T2 mapping) or without FS (i.e., conventional T2 mapping) of EOMs were compared between the two groups. Independent predictors of treatment response to IVGC were identified using multivariable analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the predictive performance of the prediction models. Differences between the models were examined using the DeLong test. Results Compared to the unresponsive group, the responsive group had a shorter disease duration, lower kurtosis (FS-kurtosis), lower standard deviation, larger 75th, 90th, and 95th (FS-95th) T2 relaxation times in FS mapping and lower kurtosis in conventional T2 mapping. Multivariable analysis revealed that disease duration, FS-95th percentile, and FS-kurtosis were independent predictors of treatment response. The combined model, integrating all identified predictors, had an optimized area under the ROC curve of 0.797, 88.4% sensitivity, and 62.5% specificity, which were significantly superior to those of the imaging model (p = 0.013). Conclusion An integrated combination of disease duration, FS-95th percentile, and FS-kurtosis was a potential predictor of treatment response to IVGC in patients with active and moderate-to-severe TAO. FS T2 mapping was superior to conventional T2 mapping in terms of prediction.
Proteomes of Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Growing in Human Urine and in J82 Urinary Bladder Cells

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) are the most common cause of urinary tract infection (UTI). UPEC normally reside in the intestine, and during establishment of UTI, they undergo metabolic adaptations, first to urine and then upon tissue invasion to the bladder cell interior. To understand these adaptations, we used quantitative proteomic profiling to characterize protein expression of the UPEC strain UTI89 growing in human urine and when inside J82 bladder cells. In order to facilitate detection of UPEC proteins over the excess amount of eukaryotic proteins in bladder cells, we developed a method where proteins from UTI89 grown in MOPS and urine was spiked-in to enhance detection of bacterial proteins. More than 2000 E. coli proteins were detected. During growth in urine, proteins associated with iron acquisition and several amino acid uptake and biosynthesis systems, most prominently arginine metabolism, were significantly upregulated. During growth in J82 cells, proteins related to iron uptake and arginine metabolisms were likewise upregulated together with proteins involved in sulfur compound turnover. Ribosomal proteins were downregulated relative to growth in MOPS in this environment. There was no direct correlation between upregulated proteins and proteins reported to be essential for infections, showing that upregulation during growth does not signify that the proteins are essential for growth under a condition.
Generalized Continuous Piecewise Linear Companding Transform Design for PAPR Reduction in OFDM Systems

Linear companding transform (LCT) is one of the most attractive schemes to deal with the inherent problem of high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems, due to its effectiveness and low complexity. In this paper, a generalized continuous piecewise linear companding (CPLC) transform is proposed. The companding and decompanding functions of the proposed scheme consist of multiple continuous linear segments, and the total number of segments is generalized to be any integer not less than four. These linear segments can provide much adaptability for function shaping, leading to high flexibility for performance tradeoffs among PAPR reduction, bit error rate (BER), out-of-band (OOB) rejection and algorithmic complexity. The continuity of the companding function helps to reduce OOB radiations. Several optimization problems with different targets under the constraint condition of constant average power are constructed. Permissible ranges of key parameters, relationships among these parameters and their influence on algorithmic performance are analyzed. Parameter selecting strategies are also provided. In addition, an iterative receiving method is designed to reduce system BER effectively at the receiver. Simulation results validate the performance superiorities of the proposed scheme to that of other typical companding schemes.
Association of Age, Gender and Type of Diabetes with Thiamine Level: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Objective: Diabetes Mellitus has been observed to be related with low thiamine levels in the body, as it affects directly on carbohydrate metabolism. Therefore, this study was intended to assessdemographic characteristics and serum thiamine levels in type I and type II diabetic patients and healthy control group. Methodology: This was a case-control study carried out in diabetic outpatient department (OPD) of Urban Health Center and New Karachi, Hospital. The duration of the study was about six months after approval of synopsis. The study sample included 90 participants and divided into three groups, 30 participants each in the control, type I diabetes and type II diabetes groups. Patients with type I and II diabetes mellitus of both genders with age < 25 to > 46 years were included in the study. One Way ANOVA was applied to find out the significance of differences among the groups. Results: The study results showed that out of 90 participants, 33(36.7%) were males and 57(63.3%) were females; 1(1.1%) of them had low thiamine level, 17(18.9%) had normal thiamine level whereas 72(80.0%) had high thiamine level. It was observed that significant association found between thiamine levels and age groups (p<0.001). Furthermore, 18(60.0%) had Low/Normal thiamine level and 12(40.0%) had high thiamine level in type I diabetes patients while 30(100%) in control group and Type II Diabetic patients had high thiamine level with significant association between them (p<0.001). On the other hand, an insignificant association was found between gender and low and high thiamine levels (p=0.743). Conclusion: This study concluded that both the age and group types were significantly associated with thiamine levels of the participants. Furthermore, type I Diabetes patients had significantly lower thiamine levels as compared to type II Diabetes and controls. On the other hand, there was no significant relationship of gender with thiamine levels.
Tumour Stem Cells in Breast Cancer

Tumour stem cells (CSCs) are a self-renewing population that plays important roles in tumour initiation, recurrence, and metastasis. Although the medical literature is extensive, problems with CSC identification and cancer therapy remain. This review provides the main mechanisms of CSC action in breast cancer (BC): CSC markers and signalling pathways, heterogeneity, plasticity, and ecological behaviour. The dynamic heterogeneity of CSCs and the dynamic transitions of CSC− non-CSCs and their significance for metastasis are considered.
Selection of an Inactivated Enterococcus faecium and Evaluation of its Potential as an Immunomodulator via Intravenous Injection

YouFei Selection of an Inactivated Enterococcus faecium and Evaluation of its Potential as an Immunomodulator via Intravenous Injection. Abstract Immunosuppression of livestock has become one of the key problems troubling the healthy development of the livestock industry in China. Research on the development of novel and highly effective immune enhancers to alleviate immunosuppression in livestock is important. In this study, a dexamethasone immunosuppressed mouse model was used to investigate the possibility of inactivated Enterococcus faecium by intravenous injection as an immunomodulatory agent. The effects of intravenous injection inactivated E. faecium in normal, model and immunosuppressed mice were examined using carbon clearance index, EdU marker cell assay, real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR and flow cytometry. The results showed that the inactivated E. faecium retained its intact morphology. Intravenous injection was the most potent route of administration among the different routes. The spleen, thymus and mesenteric lymph node cells of all groups of mice showed different degrees of proliferation. The cytokine expression levels, nonspecific immunity and specific immune function of normal, and DXM-immunosuppressed mice were significantly increased by intravenous injection of different doses of inactivated E. faecium . The above studies suggest that morphologically intact inactivated E. faecium can exert good immune enhancing effects by intravenous injection into mice, which has potential wide application in human medicine and veterinary clinics.
Wavefield Reconstruction Inversion Based on the Multi-Scale Cumulative Frequency Strategy for Ground-Penetrating Radar Data: Application to Urban Underground Pipeline

High-precision detection of the underground pipelines is an indispensable part of the development and construction of cities. At present, the inversion technology for ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data is an effective means of realizing shallow-underground-space visualization in the field of geophysical exploration. However, the traditional full-waveform inversion (FWI) method usually faces the problems of strong nonlinearity of the objective function, high dependence on the initial model, and huge calculation cost. For improving the accuracy and efficiency of GPR data inversion, a wavefield reconstruction inversion (WRI) strategy is used for GPR data imaging to reduce the nonlinearity of the inversion problem and the dependence on the initial model. Then, the frequency weighting strategy and the multi-scale method are adopted to avoid the high-frequency component data dominating the optimization process and enhance the stability of inversion. In this paper, two numerical experiments of pipeline models with different materials and spacing or buried depths verified that the proposed method can effectively reconstruct the subsurface pipelines, and further performance of our algorithm on the field data verified the reliability of high-precision imaging of urban underground pipelines, which shows great potential of application in the field of high-precision detection of the urban underground pipelines.