Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cavitation Instabilities of Hydrofoils and Cascades

Studies on cavitation instabilities of hydrofoils and cascades are reviewed to obtain fundamental understandings of the instabilities observed in turbopump inducers. Most of them are based on the stability analysis of two-dimensional inviscid cavitating flow. The most important finding of the analysis is that the cavitation instabilities depend only on the mean cavity length. For a hydrofoil, the characteristic length is the chord length and partial/transitional cavity oscillation occurs with shorter/longer cavity than 75% of the chord length. For cascades, the characteristic length is the blade spacing and various modes of instabilities are predicted when the mean cavity is longer than 65% of the spacing. In the last part, rotating choke is shown to occur when the cavity becomes longer than the spacing.
Cox-2 Antagonizes the Protective Effect of Sevoflurane on Hypoxia/Reoxygenation-Induced Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis through Inhibiting the Akt Pathway

Objective To uncover the protective role of sevoflurane on hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis through the protein kinase B (Akt) pathway. Methods An in vitro hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) model was established in cardiomyocyte cell line H9c2. Sevoflurane (SEV) was administrated in H9c2 cells during the reoxygenation period. Viability, layered double hydroxide (LDH) release, and apoptosis in H9c2 cells were determined to assess H/R-induced cell damage. Relative levels of apoptosis-associated genes were examined. Moreover, phosphorylation of Akt was determined. Results H/R injury declined viability and enhanced LDH release and apoptotic rate in H9c2 cells. Cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) was upregulated following H/R injury, which was partially reversed by SEV treatment. In addition, SEV treatment reversed changes in viability and LDH release owing to H/R injury in H9c2 cells, which were further aggravated by overexpression of Cox-2. The Akt pathway was inhibited in H9c2 cells overexpressing Cox-2. Conclusions Sevoflurane protects cardiomyocyte damage following H/R via the Akt pathway, and its protective effect was abolished by overexpression of Cox-2.
Performance of integrated antennas on silicon substrates of high and low resistivities up to 110 GHz for wireless interconnects

Monopoles of 1‐mm axial length are designed and fabricated on silicon substrates of high‐resistivity 5 kΩ‐cm and low‐resistivity 10 Ω‐cm, respectively. We measure their performance up to 110 GHz for wireless interconnects for the first time. The reflection measurements show that a sharp resonance can be seen at 75 GHz for the meander monopole and monopole pairs at 67 and 104 GHz for the zigzag 30° monopole on the silicon substrate of high resistivity, but no such sharp resonance can be seen for those on the silicon substrate of low resistivity. Transmission measurements show that a high‐gain window exists. The existence of the high‐gain window is the most important finding of this work and is useful in the design of chip‐scale radios or wireless chip area networks. This suggests that the operating frequency of wireless interconnects be allocated within the high‐gain window for good performance. Furthermore, metal lines running parallel with or vertical to the monopole pairs are observed to improve the highest gain of this window area. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 48: 302–305, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.21332
Automated subpixel target detection using the LASH hyperspectral sensor

The Littoral Airborne Sensor, Hyperspectral (LASH) system is a stabilized, hyperspectral pushbroom sensor capable of high-resolution imaging. We have implemented a sub-pixel detection algorithm based on stochastic mixing models and integrated this with the LASH hardware/software system for real-time operation and detection. Initial field tests have demonstrated reliable detection of high contrast targets down to the 30% sub-pixel level with false alarm rates less than ~ 10-7. The LASH sensor system thus provides a powerful tool for detecting small targets over large search areas, making it a valuable tool for search and rescue and a wide range of other applications.
Soluble Polysaccharide Derived from Laminaria japonica Attenuates Obesity-Related Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Associated with Gut Microbiota Regulation

In this study, the effects of a polysaccharide derived from Laminaria japonica (LJP) on obesity were investigated in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). LJP significantly attenuated obesity-related features, lowering serum triglycerides, glucose, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. HFD-induced liver steatosis and hepatocellular ballooning were significantly attenuated by LJP. Additionally, LJP was found to significantly modulate hepatic gene expressions of AMPK and HMGCR, which are key regulators of lipid and cholesterol metabolism. We further found that LJP ameliorated HFD-induced gut microbiota (GM) dysbiosis by significantly reducing the obesity-related Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio, meanwhile promoting the growth of Verrucomicrobia at the phylum level. At the genus level, propionate-producing bacteria Bacteroides and Akkermansia were elevated by LJP, which might explain the result that LJP elevated fecal propionate concentration. Taken together, these findings suggest that dietary intake of LJP modulates hepatic energy homeostasis to alleviate obesity-related nonalcoholic fatty liver disease associated with GM regulation.
Review the Impact of Mandibular Setback Surgery for the Correction of Class III Malocclusion on the Upper Airway Space

AIM: This study aimed to review the scientific evidence related to the effect of mandibular setback surgery for the correction of Class III malocclusion on the changes in volume and anatomical structures’ positions of the upper airway within at least 1 year follow-up. METHODS: An electronic research was conducted on PubMed, Google scholar, and Elsevier up to April 20, 2021, the inclusion criteria were prospective or retrospective studies aiming to compare the changes in upper airway space following isolated mandibular setback through at least 1 year of follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 84 studies were retrieved, only 12 studies met the eligibility criteria. Their methods of measurement were using lateral cephalometry, CT, or Cone-beam computed tomography. Most of them showed narrowing in the Pharyngeal airway space, with some variability within the follow-up periods. Impact on the possibility of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was discussed in most of the included studies. CONCLUSION: Narrowing of upper airway volume is associated with isolated mandibular setback surgeries within 1 year of follow-up. However, OSA was not necessarily a consequence. Any predisposing factors for OSA should be considered before isolated mandibular setback surgery.
Transformational Leadership and Organizational Performance: the Mediating Role of Results-Oriented Culture in Vietnamese Public Organizations

Purpose: The paper explores the mediating role of results-oriented culture in the relationship between transformational leadership and the performance of results-oriented culture in Vietnamese public service organizations. Research motivation: Although there have been studies referring to aspects of culture as mediating transformational leadership and organizational performance in the public sector, however, studies that are concerned with the resultsoriented cultural aspect are still limited. Therefore, the study aims at closing the mentioned gap by examining the effect of tranformational leadership on performance via results-oriented culture. Design, approach and method: We surveyed senior managers, middle managers and chief accountants working at 205 public service organizations in Vietnam. By using structural model analysis (SEM) by SmartPLS 3 software, our study has several important contributions. Main findings: The findings show that transformational leadership, result-oriented culture are positively associated with organizational performance, and that result-oriented culture is a mediating mechanism that explains how transformational leadership leads to higher performance in public service organizations. Practical/managerial implications: The research has provided evidence that transformational leadership has a direct and indirect impact on organizational performance through results-oriented culture. These results help public service organizations in Vietnam realize the importance of applying transformational leadership style to lead and build a results-oriented culture.
Antibiotic resistant pattern of bacteria in untreated hospital wastewaters from Offa Local Government Area, Kwara State, Nigeria

This study determined the prevalence and drug resistant patterns of bacteria isolated from untreated hospital wastewaters collected from selected hospitals in Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria. A total of 42 composite samples were aseptically collected, transported and analyzed for enumeration of microorganisms, bacteriological identification and susceptibility testing following standard procedures. The Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates of each site location was equally taken and data obtained were analyzed using SPSS version 20. The means bacterial count population of wet season samples ranged between 7±4.00 × 10 5 and 150±43.59 × (10 5 cfu/ml), while that of dry season samples ranged between 10±2.00 × 10 5 and 225±67.27 × 10 5 cfu/ml. Among the total samples, 50 bacterial isolates were detected, of which 26(52%) were from wet season samples and 24(48%) were from dry season samples. The most frequently isolated bacteria from wet season samples was Alcaligenes faecalis 17(65.4%) followed by Alcaligenes aquatilis 5(19.2%) and Staphylococcus saprophyticus 4(15.4%). Findings from antibiotic resistance pattern of the isolates indicated that ofloxacin (OFL) demonstrated highest antimicrobial potency against the test isolates, with Zone inhibition diameters (mm) (resistant ≤12, intermediate 13-15 and susceptible ≥ 16). Thus, hospital wastewater should be treated before discharge to prevent infectious diseases.
The effects of embedded piezoelectric fiber composite sensors on the structural integrity of glass-fiber–epoxy composite laminate

Piezoelectric fiber composite sensors (PFCSs) made from micro-sized lead zirconate titanate (PZT) fibers have many advantages over the traditional bulk PZT sensors for embedded sensor applications. PFCSs as embedded sensors will be an ideal choice to continuously monitor the stress/strain levels and health conditions of composite structures. PFCSs are highly flexible, easily embeddable, have high compatibility with composite structures, and also provides manufacturing flexibility. This research is focused on examining the effects of embedding PFCS sensors (macro-fiber composite (MFC) and piezoelectric fiber composite (PFC)) on the structural integrity of glass-fiber–epoxy composite laminates. The strengths of composite materials with embedded PFCSs and conventional PZT sensors were compared, and the advantages of PFCS sensors over PZTs were demonstrated. Initially a numerical simulation study is performed to understand the local stress/strain field near the embedded sensor region inside a composite specimen. High stress concentration regions were observed near the embedded sensor corner edge. Using PFCS leads to a reduction of 56% in longitudinal stress concentration and 38% in transverse stress concentration, when compared to using the conventional PZTs as embedded sensors. In-plane tensile, in-plane tension–tension fatigue, and short beam strength tests are performed to evaluate the strengths/behavior of the composite specimens containing embedded PFCS. From the tensile test it is observed that embedding PFCS and PZT sensors in the composite structures leads to a reduction in ultimate strength by 3 and 6% respectively. From the fatigue test results it is concluded that both embedded PFCS and PZT sensors do not have a significant effect on the fatigue behavior of the composite specimens. From the short beam strength test it is found that embedding PFCS and PZT sensors leads to a reduction in shear strength by 7 and 15% respectively. Overall the pure PZT sensors seem to have low compatibility with composites when compared to PFCSs.
Heavy Metals in the Fish Tenualosa ilisha Hamilton, 1822 in the Padma–Meghna River Confluence: Potential Risks to Public Health

Hilsa shad (Tenulosa ilisha) is Bangladesh’s most important single-species fishery that contributes to 11% of total catch and employment for millions of people. However, heavy metals (HMs) toxicity in the edible organs of T. ilisha and their plausible public health threats have received weak attention. To provide insights on this issue, we determined, using ICP-MS, the concentration of Zn, Cu, Cr (VI), Pb, and Cd in the edible organs of five different sizes of T. ilisha and the surface water collected from the Padma–Meghna River confluence, Chandpur (Bangladesh). Multivariate analysis indicated that T. ilisha gills and liver contained higher HMs than muscle, and the surface water was below the safety limits. The study revealed that only Cr crossed the safety limits and bioaccumulated in the smaller-sized gills and liver. To assess the public health risks, target hazard quotient (THQ), total THQ (TTHQ) and carcinogenic (CR) risks were calculated. Only Cr imposed non-carcinogenic risks to consumers, while TTHQ showed higher chronic health risks. There was no CR risk measured for consumers, except for the largest-sized gills for children. Randomly positive relations between HMs and sizes were found; whereas, consistently positive relations were found among the tissue types. The outcomes of our study may aid policymakers in managing pollutants, especially the Cr sources in the greater Chandpur regions.
A review of the importance of mineral nitrogen cycling in the plant-soil-microbe system of permafrost-affected soils—changing the paradigm

The paradigm that permafrost-affected soils show restricted mineral nitrogen (N) cycling in favor of organic N compounds is based on the observation that net N mineralization rates in these cold climates are negligible. However, we find here that this perception is wrong. By synthesizing published data on N cycling in the plant-soil-microbe system of permafrost ecosystems we show that gross ammonification and nitrification rates in active layers were of similar magnitude and showed a similar dependence on soil organic carbon (C) and total N concentrations as observed in temperate and tropical systems. Moreover, high protein depolymerization rates and only marginal effects of C:N stoichiometry on gross N turnover provided little evidence for N limitation. Instead, the rather short period when soils are not frozen is the single main factor limiting N turnover. High gross rates of mineral N cycling are thus facilitated by released protection of organic matter in active layers with nitrification gaining particular importance in N-rich soils, such as organic soils without vegetation. Our finding that permafrost-affected soils show vigorous N cycling activity is confirmed by the rich functional microbial community which can be found both in active and permafrost layers. The high rates of N cycling and soil N availability are supported by biological N fixation, while atmospheric N deposition in the Arctic still is marginal except for fire-affected areas. In line with high soil mineral N production, recent plant physiological research indicates a higher importance of mineral plant N nutrition than previously thought. Our synthesis shows that mineral N production and turnover rates in active layers of permafrost-affected soils do not generally differ from those observed in temperate or tropical soils. We therefore suggest to adjust the permafrost N cycle paradigm, assigning a generally important role to mineral N cycling. This new paradigm suggests larger permafrost N climate feedbacks than assumed previously.
The direct and indirect effects of bioactive compounds against coronavirus

Abstract Emerging viruses are known to pose a threat to humans in the world. COVID‐19, a newly emerging viral respiratory disease, can spread quickly from people to people via respiratory droplets, cough, sneeze, or exhale. Up to now, there are no specific therapies found for the treatment of COVID‐19. In this sense, the rising demand for effective antiviral drugs is stressed. The main goal of the present study is to cover the current literature about bioactive compounds (e.g., polyphenols, glucosinolates, carotenoids, minerals, vitamins, oligosaccharides, bioactive peptides, essential oils, and probiotics) with potential efficiency against COVID‐19, showing antiviral activities via the inhibition of coronavirus entry into the host cell, coronavirus enzymes, as well as the virus replication in human cells. In turn, these compounds can boost the immune system, helping fight against COVID‐19. Overall, it can be concluded that bioactives and the functional foods containing these compounds can be natural alternatives for boosting the immune system and defeating coronavirus.
Real-world experience of afatinib as first-line therapy for advanced EGFR mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer in Korea

Background We investigated the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of Korean patients receiving first-line afatinib for advanced epidermal growth factor receptor mutation-positive (EGFRm+) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in a real-world setting. Methods Electronic case reports were retrospectively reviewed from patients across 15 sites in South Korea. Outcome measures included baseline characteristics, overall response rate (ORR), time-to-treatment discontinuation (TTD), and overall survival (OS). Subgroups were: presence/absence of brain metastases at baseline, dose reductions, and baseline EGFR mutation category. Results Among 422 patients, 39.8% had brain metastases and 59.0%/25.1%/10.0%/5.0% had Del19/L858R/compound/uncommon EGFR mutations at baseline. ORR was 62.6% overall; responses were observed across all EGFR mutation categories, including against compound mutations. Median TTD was 17.8 months; median OS was not reached (NR). Median TTD and OS were longer in patients without versus with brain metastases (TTD: 22.9 vs. 14.8 months, P=0.001; OS: NR vs. 40.3 months, P=0.0009) and patients with versus without dose reductions (TTD: 22.2 vs. 14.2 months, P=0.0004; OS: NR vs. 40.3 months, P=0.0117). Median OS was 30.5/37.7 months in patients receiving chemotherapy/osimertinib as subsequent therapy. The most common treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs; any grade/grade ≥3) were diarrhea (31.3%/8.5%) and rash (23.0%/8.1%). Overall, 34 patients (8.1%) discontinued afatinib due to AEs. Conclusions Afatinib was well tolerated with no new safety signals, and efficacy was encouraging in Korean patients with EGFRm+ NSCLC, including those with baseline brain metastases and/or uncommon EGFR mutations. AE management with dose reductions facilitated a long TTD, prolonging the chemotherapy-free period for many patients.
Renal Senescence, Telomere Shortening and Nitrosative Stress in Feline Chronic Kidney Disease

Kidney tissues from cats with naturally occurring chronic kidney disease (CKD) and adult and senior cats without CKD were assessed to determine whether telomere shortening and nitrosative stress are associated with senescence in feline CKD. The histopathologic assessment of percent global glomerulosclerosis, inflammatory infiltrate, and fibrosis was performed. Senescence and nitrosative stress were evaluated utilizing p16 and iNOS immunohistochemistry, respectively. Renal telomere length was evaluated using telomere fluorescent in situ hybridization combined with immunohistochemistry. CKD cats were found to have significantly increased p16 staining in both the renal cortex and corticomedullary junction compared to adult and senior cats. Senior cats had significantly increased p16 staining in the corticomedullary junction compared to adult cats. p16 staining in both the renal cortex and corticomedullary junction were found to be significantly correlated with percent global glomerulosclerosis, cortical inflammatory infiltrate, and fibrosis scores. p16 staining also correlated with age in non-CKD cats. Average telomere length was significantly decreased in CKD cats compared to adult and senior cats. CKD cats had significantly increased iNOS staining compared to adult cats. Our results demonstrate increased renal senescence, telomere shortening, and nitrosative stress in feline CKD, identifying these patients as potential candidates for senolytic therapy with translational potential.
Modelling of road profiles using roughness indicators

The vertical road input is the most important load for durability assessments of vehicles. We focus on stochastic modelling of the road profile with the aim to find a simple but still useful model. The proposed nonstationary Laplace model with ISO spectrum has only two parameters, and can be efficiently estimated from a sequence of roughness indicators, such as IRI or ISO roughness coefficient. Thus, a road profile can be stochastically reconstructed from roughness indicators. Further, explicit approximations for the fatigue damage due to Laplace roads are developed. The usefulness of the proposed Laplace-ISO model is validated for eight measured road profiles.
A 4 × 4 Array of Complementary Split-Ring Resonators for Label-Free Dielectric Spectroscopy

In this study, complementary split-ring resonator (CSRR) metamaterial structures are proposed for label-free dielectric spectroscopy of liquids in microplates. This novel combination of an array of sensors and microplates is readily scalable and thus offers a great potential for non-invasive, rapid, and label-free dielectric spectroscopy of liquids in large microplate arrays. The proposed array of sensors on a printed circuit board consists of a microstrip line coupled to four CSRRs in cascade with resonant frequencies ranging from 7 to 10 GHz, spaced around 1 GHz. The microwells were manufactured and bonded to the CSRR using polydimethylsiloxane, whose resonant frequency is dependent on a complex relative permittivity of the liquid loaded in the microwell. The individual microstrip lines with CSRRs were interconnected to the measurement equipment using two electronically controllable microwave switches, which enables microwave measurements of the 4 × 4 CSRR array using only a two-port measurement system. The 4 × 4 microwell sensor arrays were calibrated and evaluated using water-ethanol mixtures with different ethanol concentrations. The proposed measurement setup offers comparable results to ones obtained using a dielectric probe, confirming the potential of the planar sensor array for large-scale microplate experiments.