Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Repurposing antibiotics as potent multi-drug candidates for SARS-CoV-2 delta and omicron variants: molecular docking and dynamics

Abstract There is a daunting public health emergency due to the emergence and rapid global spread of the new omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2. The variants differ in many characteristics, such as transmissibility, antigenicity and the immune system of the human hosts’ shifting responses. This change in characteristics raises concern, as it leads to unknown consequences and also raises doubts about the efficacy of the currently available vaccines. As of March 2022, there are five variants of SARS-CoV-2 disseminating: the alpha, the beta, the gamma, the delta and the omicron variant. The omicron variant has more than 30 mutations on the spike protein, which is used by the virus to enter the host cell and is also used as a target for the vaccines. In this work, we studied the possible anti-COVID-19 effect of two molecules by molecular docking using Autodock Vina and molecular dynamic simulations using Gromacs 2020 software. We docked amoxicillin and clavulanate to the main protease (Mpro), the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and the spike protein receptor-binding domain (SRBD) of the wild type with the two variants (delta and omicron) of SARS-CoV-2. The docking results show that the ligands bound tightly with the SRBD of the omicron variant, while the dynamic simulation revealed the ability of amoxicillin to bind to the SRBD of both variants’ delta and omicron. The high number of mutations that occurred in both variants increases the affinity of amoxicillin towards them. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma
Chemical and morphological characterization of Pd aggregates grown by plasma sputter deposition

In this work, the synthesis of supported Pd aggregates by plasma sputter deposition is studied. A helicoidal metal wire is negatively biased with respect to the plasma potential, which results in sputtering of the metal by the argon ions present in the plasma. The wire bias voltage is one of the most important experimental parameters because it determines the ion flux bombarding the metal surface as well as the energy of these ions. Thus, it plays a major role in the sputtering process. In order to study this aspect, deposits have been synthesized at mbar argon pressure and 2 min deposition time, at various wire bias voltages from -100 to 0 V. The amount of Pd deposited is measured by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) analyses and is found to increase linearly with the wire bias voltage (in absolute value) from 0.2 to 1.4 equivalent monolayers. In this study, it appears that XPS analysis is not suitable for quantification in the particular case of small dispersed aggregates, certainly because of a geometrical effect (apparent roughness) in recorded XPS line intensities. Nevertheless, from the XPS Pd peak shift with decreasing coverages, morphological information can be obtained. In this manner, the presence of small aggregates on the substrate surface has been detected. The morphology is more precisely studied by grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses. In the present metal coverage range, the deposits are composed of small ( nm) spaced-out spherical aggregates, well dispersed on the surface.
Flow Characteristics of Small-Sized Supersonic Inlets

The flow characteristics were investigated for two types of small-sized supersonic inlet models: rectangular and axisymmetric inlets. The twomodels were designed by the samemethod and are of similar size, with a total length of about 160 mm. The flow phenomena that were generated at the stable and unstable operating conditions of both models are visualized and discussed in detail. The main flow feature for stable operation is the existence of a shock train induced by the shock boundary-layer interactions. The results show that the shock-train shape and position are varied along with the upstream and area ratios, which strongly impact the downstream flow and total pressure recovery. For unstable operation, various buzz phenomena are observed for different area ratios. The results indicate that the buzz phenomenon of the small-sized inlet is identical to that of a large inlet, but the small inlet can be easily affected by the presence of a separation bubble. Although the shapes of the inlets are different, the base frequencies of a big buzz for bothmodels are very similar. The role of the separation on the compression surface in the buzz process of the small-sized inlet is shown.
A general accelerated life model for step-stress testing

In this paper we propose a general accelerated life model for step-stress testing and present a general likelihood function formulation for step-stress models that use both Weibull and lognormal distributions. The proposed model is also applicable to any life distribution in which the stress level only changes the scale parameter of the distribution, and can also be extended to multiple-stress as well as profiled testing patterns. Algorithms for fitting and testing such models are described and illustrated. The model provides a convenient way to interpret the step-stress accelerated life testing results. The practical use of the proposed statistical inference model is demonstrated by a case study.
Evaluation of HIV Non-occupational Post-exposure Prophylaxis Utilisation in a Tertiary Health Facility in Nigeria

Background The Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for more than 70% of the global burden of HIV infections. Non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis, when initiated within 72 hours of HIV exposure for 28 days, can prevent seroconversion in 80% of HIV exposures. Objectives To evaluate the characteristics, prevalence and outcome of non-occupational HIV post-exposure prophylaxis utilization in a tertiary hospital. Method This was a retrospective study that involved the medical records of 143 patients who sought HIV non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis between 1st June 2011 and 31st May 2021. A questionnaire was used to collect information about the socio-demographic data, profiles of both the source and exposed persons, antiretroviral completion rate and outcome at follow-up. Results Females accounted for 125 (87.4%). Sexual assaults were the main reasons for seeking non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis in 119 (83.2%). High-risk exposures were observed in 134 (93.7%). HIV status of the sources was unknown in 126 (88.1%). 123 (86.0%) initiated antiretroviral within 72 hours of exposure and antiretroviral completion rate was 70.6%. Only 28 (19.6%) reported for follow-up scheduled HIV screening and were all negative. Conclusion Early initiation of postexposure prophylaxis, improvement in baseline HIV testing of the source, and follow-up HIV screening, will significantly improve services and outcomes. Rwanda J Med Health Sci 2022;5(3):264-275
Size, composition, and doping effects on In(Ga)As nanowire/Si tunnel diodes probed by conductive atomic force microscopy

We investigate the effect of various parameters on the room–temperature interband tunneling characteristics of molecular beam epitaxy grown, intrinsically n-type In(Ga)As nanowires (NWs) on p-type silicon (Si) substrate using conductive atomic force microscopy. Large interband tunnel currents (>40 kA/cm2) and reduced breakdown voltages are obtained by increasing the p-type substrate doping level to >1 × 1019 cm−3. Current mapping under forward bias reveals a bimodal distribution of NW/Si hetero-junction tunnel diodes exhibiting either negative differential resistance (NDR, Esaki diode) or high excess currents (without NDR). By downscaling the NW diameter from ∼90 nm to ∼25 nm, peak-to-valley current ratios in NDR-type diodes increase and saturate with maximum values of ∼3. Increasing Ga content (xGa up to ∼0.1) in In–rich ternary InGaAs NWs preserves the NDR behavior, while the peak current shifts to lower voltages due to reduced Fermi energy in InGaAs. Band profile calculations were performed to further .
Investigation of the Flexural Behavior of Preloaded and Pre-Cracked Reinforced Concrete Beams Strengthened with CFRP Plates

This paper investigates the flexural behavior of preloaded reinforced concrete (RC) beams, strengthened with Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) plates using an experimental program, analytical procedure, and Finite Element Method (FEM) simulation. The RC beams were subjected to preloads of 30%, 50% and 70% of the yielding load, prior to installation of the strengthening system. The eight RC-strengthened beams with a reinforcement configuration of 3Ø12 and two CarboDur S512 plates have been evaluated using bending tests. The failure modes of all the RC-strengthened beams were governed by the widening of flexural cracks within a constant bending zone, followed by debonding of the CFRP plates. The plates were debonding simultaneously or one plate prior to the other plate. The ultimate moment capacity is not significantly reduced while increasing preload levels from 0% to 70%. The moment capacity is increased by 70% to 80% in the CFRP strengthened beams, compared with un-strengthened beams indicating the potential of capacity enhancement that can be attained by externally bonded CFRP.
Effectiveness of an Educational Program on Nursing Staffs' Knowledge toward Oral Care of Intubated Patients at Intensive Care Unit in Al-Diwaniya Teaching Hospital

Background: Oral care is vital nursing action for intubated patients that aims to reduce the mortality and morbidity among intensive care unit patients by preventing Ventilator-associated pneumonia.Aims of the study: The study aimed to assess the nursing staff's knowledge toward oral care of intubated patients before and after the implementing the educational program.Methodology: A pre-experimental (one-group pre\post-test) design is used to conduct this study which was in the period 22 \ December \ 2020 to 2 \ May \ 2021. The non-probability (purposive) sampling is used to select the study sample that composed of (27) nursing staff working in the ICU in Al-Diwaniya Teaching Hospital. To achieve the objectives of the study, the researcher constructed the study instruments consisting of the educational program and the knowledge questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of two parts: the first part related to the demographic characteristics of the nursing staff participating in the study, and the second part which consisted of (25) multiple-choice questions distributed on (4) domains to assess the knowledge of the nursing staff towards the oral care of the intubated patients. To analyze the results, descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentage, arithmetic mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (ANOVA, t-test) were used.Results: The study showed that there are significant differences between nurses' knowledge scores in the post-test when compared to their scores in the pre-test (M=.082 in the pre-test, while in the post-test, M=.093). The study also showed there is a significant relationship only between nursing staffs' knowledge and their level of education.Conclusion: The study concluded that the educational program has a positive effect on the nursing staffs' knowledge regarding oral care for intubated patients in Al-Diwaniyah Teaching Hospital.Recommendations: The study recommended the necessity of using the oral care protocol in the intensive care units and urged the nursing staff to participate in educational and training courses on oral care in intensive care units.
Dynamic Changes of Brain Activity in Different Responsive Groups of Patients with Prolonged Disorders of Consciousness

As medical technology continues to improve, many patients diagnosed with brain injury survive after treatments but are still in a coma. Further, multiple clinical studies have demonstrated recovery of consciousness after transcranial direct current stimulation. To identify possible neurophysiological mechanisms underlying disorders of consciousness (DOCs) improvement, we examined the changes in multiple resting-state EEG microstate parameters after high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS). Because the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is closely related to consciousness, it is often chosen as a stimulation target for tDCS treatment of DOCs. A total of 21 patients diagnosed with prolonged DOCs were included in this study, and EEG microstate analysis of resting state EEG datasets was performed on all patients before and after interventions. Each of them underwent 10 anodal tDCS sessions of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex over 5 consecutive working days. According to whether the clinical manifestations improved, DOCs patients were divided into the responsive (RE) group and the non-responsive (N-RE) group. The dynamic changes of resting state EEG microstate parameters were also analyzed. After multiple HD-tDCS interventions, the duration and coverage of class C microstates in the RE group were significantly increased. This study also found that the transition between microstates A and C increased, while the transition between microstates B and D decreased in the responsive group. However, these changes in EEG microstate parameters in the N-RE group have not been reported. Our findings suggest that EEG neural signatures have the potential to assess consciousness states and that improvement in the dynamics of brain activity was associated with the recovery of DOCs. This study extends our understanding of the neural mechanism of DOCs patients in consciousness recovery.
Quantitative Assessment of Apically Extruded Debris after Single-Files Supplemental Retreatment considering Apical Patency Influence: In Vitro Study

Objective This study aims to assess the impact of re-establishing apical patency on the quantity of debris extruded through the apex after three supplementary retreatment files (TruNatomy (TRN), WaveOne Gold (WOG), and XP endo Finisher R (XPFR)). Materials and Methods Eighty single-rooted mandibular premolars were prepared with ProTaper Universal rotary systems (PTU) up to F3 and obturated. The samples were divided into two main groups according to the presence or absence of the apical patency (n = 40), GI with apical patency and GII without apical patency. Based on the file system, which was adopted to eliminate the previous filling, each group had four subgroups (n = 10). In GI PTUR and GII PTUR, ProTaper Universal retreatment files (PTUR) were utilized only to remove the most primary filling material (control groups). In the other groups (PTUR) used, it was first followed by supplementary files. The quantity of debris extruded by different retreatment file systems was determined and compared to the corresponding control group with or without apical patency. Data were analyzed using a two-way ANOVA with a post hoc Tukey's multiple comparison test at a 5% significance level. Results There was a statistically significant difference among the control and experimental groups. XPFR had the least quantity of extruded debris. Apical patency did not affect the debris extrusion. Conclusion All tested files led to a significant apical debris extrusion regardless of apical patency.
Optical scattering and microphysical properties of subvisual cirrus clouds, and climatic implications

Abstract The optical and microphysical properties of subvisual cirrus clouds are derived from ground-based polarization lidar, shortwave radiation flux, and solar corona measurements of two ∼0.75 km deep cirrus located near the tropopause. The first cloud produced no visual manifestations under excellent viewing conditions, and the second appeared to be a persistent aircraft contrail that was generally visible except in the zenith direction. Average lidar linear depolarization ratios and volume backscatter coefficients for the two clouds were 0.19 and 0.35, and 0.6 × 10−3 and 1.4 × 10−3 (km sr)−1, respectively. It is estimated that the zenith-subvisual cirrus contained ice crystals of 25 μm effective diameter at a mean concentration of 25 L−1 and ice mass content of 0.2 mg m−3. The threshold cloud optical thickness for visual-versus-invisible cirrus derived from both broadband shortwave flux and 0.694 μm lidar data, is found to be τc ≈ 0.03. Such τ values are comparable to those of 5–10 km deep stratosphe.
Cultural Stereotyping and its Effect on Power Balance in English and Arabic

Most individuals, especially adults, usually have a set of images which is completely stored in their minds. These images are utilized to stereotype a particular person or a specific social group whether in Western or Eastern culture, these images are stereotypes. Therefore, some people may often face difficulties to change their stereotype because it is categorized as an essential and obvious portion of human everyday life, especially in the way of judging others. Moreover, cultural stereotyping is usually happened out of an individual's knowledge, for this reason, it influences one's judgment whether positive or negative through revealing the way of behavior toward others.Through concentrating on the relationship between categories of stereotype (gender, age and race) and power, such relation would clarify how cultural stereotyping specifies its effect on power balance in two different cultures (English and Arabic). In other words, individuals who have a high degree of power often tend to stereotype their subordinates more strongly in any community whereas, powerless people always are stereotyped negatively by those who are over them. This study comes to reveal the big three categories of stereotype and utilize them in some proverbs to investigate the effect of stereotype by focusing on the degree of power that one's may have over others in Western and Eastern communities.This study is presented in six sections. An introduction which gives a general presentation of stereotype as a sociolinguistic phenomenon. The second section presents some important and basic concepts related to this study. The third section outlines the categories of stereotype in detail. The fourth section sheds the light on the influence of power on stereotype. The fifth section deals with data analysis of English texts. The sixth section with deals with data analysis of Arabic texts with focusing on gender category of stereotype. The study is concluded with the discussion of the findings reached at.
An approximate method for static and dynamic analyses of multi‐bay coupled shear walls

In this study an approximate method based on the continuum approach and transfer matrix method for static and dynamic analyses of multi‐bay coupled shear walls is presented. The whole structure is idealized as a sandwich beam in this method. Initially the differential equation of this equivalent sandwich beam is written, then shape functions for each storey can be obtained by the solution of differential equations. By using boundary conditions and storey transfer matrices which are obtained by these shape functions, system modes and periods can be calculated. Reliability of the study is shown with a few examples. A computer program has been developed in MATLAB and numerical samples have been solved for demonstration of the reliability of this method. The results of the samples display the agreement between the present method and the other methods given in the literature. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Higher Circulating Levels of Neutrophils and Basophils Are Linked to Myopic Retinopathy

This retrospective study investigated circulating immune cell alteration in patients with myopic retinopathy. Blood test results and demographic and ocular information of 392 myopic patients and 129 emmetropia controls who attended Changsha Aier Eye Hospital from May 2017 to April 2022 were used in this study. Compared with emmetropia, the percentages of neutrophils and basophils and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio were significantly higher in myopic patients, whereas the percentages of monocytes and lymphocytes and the counts of lymphocytes and eosinophils were significantly lower in myopic patients. After adjusting for age and hypertension/diabetes, the difference remained. Interestingly, the platelet counts were significantly lower in myopic patients after the adjustments. Further subgroup analysis using multivariable linear regression showed that higher levels of neutrophils, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, and platelet/lymphocyte ratio, lower levels of monocytes, eosinophils, lymphocytes, and platelets, were related to myopic peripheral retinal degeneration (mPRD) and posterior staphyloma (PS). A higher level of basophils was linked to myopic choroidal neovascularization (mCNV). Our results suggest that higher levels of circulating neutrophils and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, lower monocytes, eosinophils, lymphocytes, and platelets are related to mild myopic retinopathy. A higher level of circulating basophils is related to the severe form of myopic retinopathy, such as mCNV.
Optimal levothyroxine dose to achieve euthyroidism in patients with primary hypothyroidism: analysis according to etiology análisis según etiología

Abstract Introduction Levothyroxine (LT4) has been considered the standard of care for treatment of hypothyroidism. Current recommendations suggest a LT4 dose between 1.6-1.8 µg/kg/day. The aim of this study was to evaluate the LT4 dose for adult patients with primary hypothyroidism of different etiologies who reached euthyroidism. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed from the retrospective review of the charts of patients with primary hypothyroidism in treatment with LT4. Subjects were classified according to TSH level in overtreated (TSH < 0.4 µIU/ml), euthyroid (TSH 0.40-4.20), and undertreated (TSH >4.2) and according to the etiology of hypothyroidism. A stepwise logistic regression model was performed to evaluate the variables associated with TSH<0.4 µIU/ml. Results 955 patients were included. 75.13% of the patients had an adequate LT4 replacement. LT4 dose to achieve euthyroidism was higher in patients with a history of radioiodine therapy (1.92 μg/kg) and thyroid surgery (1.52 μg/kg), while the LT4 dose required to achieve euthyroidism in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and atrophic thyroiditis was lower than that reported in previous studies (1.25 and 1.08 μg/kg, respectively). The variables that were associated with a higher probability of TSH<0.4 µIU/ml were male gender, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, radioiodine therapy, and thyroid surgery. Major conclusion LT4 dose required to achieve euthyroidism in patients with hypothyroidism varies according to the etiology, being higher in patients with hypothyroidism due to radioiodine therapy and thyroid surgery. Patients with hypothyroidism due to Hashimoto's thyroiditis and atrophic thyroiditis require a lower dose than current recommendations.
Design optimization of small low-frequency power transformers

A technique is presented for designing transformers with given size and type of structure to have maximum volt-ampere (VA) output while at the same time insuring the satisfaction of a number of design constraints. The technique is based on a mathematical optimization problem whose solution is a set of parameter values characterizing the maximum VA output design. The existence and uniqueness of the solution to this problem are established, and a set of closed-form expressions are presented for the optimum design parameter values. The resulting design technique eliminates overdesign problems in that the smallest physical size structure will result consistent with the design objectives. The results presented here also provide information on possible design trade-offs between various parameters. Although a graphical design procedure is illustrated here, the ultimate utility of this analytical technique will be in a comprehensive computer-aided design program.