Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Knowledge and attitude toward COVID-19 booster dose among health care professionals in Nepal: a cross-sectional study

Introduction: Vaccination has become the most effective way to combat the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. As there have been reports of a gradual decline in the protection it offers, many countries have decided to administer booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. In Nepal, booster doses have been introduced to frontline health workers as a priority group. Therefore, this study aims to assess the knowledge and attitude of health care professionals toward booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines in Nepal. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2021 to January 2022 among health care professionals working at public health facilities in Nepal. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify predictors that correlate with knowledge and attitude toward COVID-19 booster dose. P value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 300 participants were included in the final analysis. Among the study participants, 68.0% and 78.6% had good knowledge and favorable attitude toward COVID-19 booster dose, respectively. Female health care workers and those who had received a single dose of COVID-19 vaccine had significantly lower odds of having good knowledge of COVID-19 booster dose. Similarly, participants with lower educational levels and those who had received a single dose of COVID-19 vaccination had an unfavorable attitude toward COVID-19 booster dose. Conclusion: This study showed a satisfactory level of knowledge and attitude of health care professionals toward COVID-19 booster dose in Nepal. Health care professionals’ positive attitude toward COVID-19 booster dose vaccine is key to the patient and community safety. Personalized education and risk communication can aid in improving overall awareness and attitudes toward COVID-19 booster dose in such populations.
Indications for and outcomes of interstage catheter interventions following the Norwood procedure: A single-institution study

Aims : The aim of this study was to document the incidence, types, and outcome of interstage catheter interventions following the Norwood surgical palliation. Patients and Methods : A retrospective single-center study of all patients surviving the Norwood operation was performed. All data concerning interstage catheter interventions up to the completion of the superior cavopulmonary shunt were collected. Results : Catheter interventions were performed in 62 of 94 patients (66%; 38 males). These included interventions on the aortic arch (n = 44), the branch pulmonary arteries (PAs) (n = 17), and the Sano shunt (n = 14). Multiple interventions and repeat interventions were common. The minimum aortic arch diameter (pre- versus posttreatment) increased from median 3.1 (2.3–3.3) mm to 5.1 (4.2–6.2) mm (P < 0.001). The catheter pullback gradient decreased from 40 (36–46) mmHg to 9 (5–10) mmHg (P < 0.001), and the echocardiographic gradient from 54 (45–64) mmHg to 12 (10–16) mmHg (P < 0.001). The branch PA diameters increased from 2.4 (2.1–3.0) mmHg to 4.7 (4.2–5.1) mmHg (P < 0.001). The minimum Sano shunt diameters increased from 2.0 (1.5–2.1) mm to 5.9 (5.8–6.0) mm (P < 0.001); this was associated with an improvement in systemic saturation from 63% (60%–65%) to 80% (79–82%) (P < 0.001). Unexpected interstage death at home occurred in two patients who had received no interventions. The remainder received a superior cavopulmonary shunt palliation. Conclusions : Catheter interventions were common. Systematic follow-up and a low threshold for reintervention are essential to the success of staged surgical palliation for this patient cohort.
Non-Contact Tactile Perception for Hybrid-Active Gripper

This letter presents a novel approach to object recognition using a reconfigurable gripper with multiple time-of-flight (ToF) sensors attached to the fingers and palm, introducing the concept of noncontact tactile perception. This approach aims to promote aproprioceptive sense in the gripper workspace, allowing object prediction in manipulation tasks. The Hybrid-Active (H-A) gripper can adapt its topology to achieve different object reading points to generate a reliable object estimation. Non-contact tactile perception uses ToF sensors and gripper reconfiguration degrees-of-freedom for 3D perception and surface estimation of the pick-up object. This method is based on five ToF sensors in the palm that identify the distance and adjust the gripper to the center of the object through its capability to manage the manipulator. The H-A gripper also has twelve sensors distributed over its three fingers: four sensors on each finger, two on the distal phalanx, and two on the middle phalanx. Fingers have a rotational mobility of 180$^\circ$, allowing the sensing of all faces of the object at different angles for the three-dimensional reconstruction. The proposed approach was evaluated in four experiments that analyzed the influence of resolution, object complexity, finger tilt, and angular sampling over 13 objects with different complexities. The experimentation set allows the overall evaluation of non-contact tactile perception and the specification of its performance parameters.
Probing orbital symmetry in solution: polarization-dependent resonant inelastic soft x-ray scattering on liquid micro-jet

Polarization-dependent resonant inelastic x-ray scattering is demonstrated here for liquid acetonitrile, acetone and dimethyl sulfoxide, using the liquid micro-jet technique. Selective excitation to an unoccupied orbital with a specific symmetry at the K-edge x-ray absorption of liquid samples determines the polarization-dependent emission of the occupied states. Considering the well-defined unoccupied molecular orbital configuration and utilizing the results of ab initio molecular orbital calculations, the polarization-dependent anisotropy in resonant inelastic soft x-ray scattering is discussed in a membrane-free configuration.
An Insight into In Vitro Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Cytotoxic, and Apoptosis Induction Potential of Mangiferin, a Bioactive Compound Derived from Mangifera indica

Due to their low cost, toxicity, and health risks, medicinal plants have come to be seen as useful products and sources of biologically active compounds. Mangifera indica L. , a medicinal plant with a long history, has a high bioactive metabolites content. Mangiferin (C19H18O11) is primary isolated from M. indica’s leaves, which has many pharmacological benefits. In this investigation, ultrasonic-assisted extraction with ethanol as the extraction solvent was applied to obtain mangiferin from a local type of M. indica leaves. HPLC was performed after a dichloromethane-ethyl acetate liquid–liquid fractionation method. Further, UV–vis, FTIR, and NMR spectroscopy were utilized to elucidate the structure. Interestingly, purified mangiferin displayed promising antimicrobial efficacy against a diverse variety of fungal and bacterial pathogens with MICs of 1.95–62.5 and 1.95–31.25 µg/mL, respectively. Time–kill patterns also showed that mangiferin had both bactericidal and fungicidal action. Furthermore, it exhibited strong radical dosage-dependent scavenging activity (IC50 = 17.6 μg/mL) compared to vitamin C (Vc, IC50 = 11.9 μg/mL), suggesting it could be developed into a viable antioxidant agent. To our delight, the IC50 values of mangiferin for the MCF-7 and HeLa cell lines were 41.2 and 44.7 μg/mL, respectively, from MTT cell viability testing, and it was less harmful when tested against the noncancerous cell line. Notably, it significantly induced cell apoptosis in MCF-7 cells by 62.2–83.4% using annexin V-FITC/PI labeling. Hence, our findings suggest that mangiferin can be used in the medical industry to create therapeutic interventions and medication delivery systems for society.
Analytical expression of a long exposure coronagraphic point spread function

The resolution of coronagraphic high contrast exoplanet imaging devices such as SPHERE is limited by quasistatic aberrations. These aberrations produce speckles that can be mistaken for planets in the image. In order to design instruments, correct quasi-static aberrations or analyze data, the expression of the point spread function of a coronagraphic telescope in the presence of residual turbulence is useful. We have derived an analytic formula for this point spread function. We explain physically its structure, we validate it by numerical simulations and we show that it is computationally efficient.
Static, free vibration, and buckling analysis of laminated composite Reissner–Mindlin plates using NURBS‐based isogeometric approach

This paper presents a novel numerical procedure based on the framework of isogeometric analysis for static, free vibration, and buckling analysis of laminated composite plates using the first‐order shear deformation theory. The isogeometric approach utilizes non‐uniform rational B‐splines to implement for the quadratic, cubic, and quartic elements. Shear locking problem still exists in the stiffness formulation, and hence, it can be significantly alleviated by a stabilization technique. Several numerical examples are presented to show the performance of the method, and the results obtained are compared with other available ones. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characterization of a Graphene Oxide-Reinforced Whey Hydrogel as an Eco-Friendly Absorbent for Food Packaging

This study presents a structural analysis of a whey and gelatin-based hydrogel reinforced with graphene oxide (GO) by ultraviolet and visible (UV-VIS) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results revealed barrier properties in the UV range for the reference sample (containing no graphene oxide) and the samples with minimal GO content of 0.66×10−3% and 3.33×10−3%, respectively, in the UV-VIS and near-IR range; for the samples with higher GO content, this was 6.67×10−3% and 33.33×10−3% as an effect of the introduction of GO into the hydrogel composite. The changes in the position of diffraction angles 2θ from the X-ray diffraction patterns of GO-reinforced hydrogels indicated a decrease in the distances between the turns of the protein helix structure due to the GO cross-linking effect. Transmission electron spectroscopy (TEM) was used for GO, whilst scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used for the composite characterization. A novel technique for investigating the swelling rate was presented by performing electrical conductivity measurements, the results of which led to the identification of a potential hydrogel with sensor properties.
Controlling Uncertainty in Coalition Governments

Abstract Multiparty governments are based on delegation and compromises but, at the same time, coalition parties have at their disposal several legislative instruments to keep tabs on their partners. Whereas previous studies focused on policy divisiveness and issue salience as main factors able to explain parliamentary scrutiny, in this article we suggest uncertainty as a complementary factor. In particular, we theorize that the use of parliamentary questions (PQs) is a function not only of policy characteristics but also of actors involved in coalition governance. When ministers increase intra-coalition uncertainty, cabinet parties use PQs to extract information from ministers and to reduce uncertainty in policy implementation. Statistical analyses of all written and oral parliamentary questions in the Italian Chamber of Deputies between 2006 and 2018 support our main hypothesis that when intra-coalition uncertainty increases, coalition parties ask more questions of ‘hostile’ ministers.
Pose and Focal Length Estimation Using Two Vanishing Points with Known Camera Position

This paper proposes a new pose and focal length estimation method using two vanishing points and a known camera position. A vanishing point can determine the unit direction vector of the corresponding parallel lines in the camera frame, and as input, the unit direction vector of the corresponding parallel lines in the world frame is also known. Hence, the two units of direction vectors in camera and world frames, respectively, can be transformed into each other only through the rotation matrix that contains all the information of the camera pose. Then, two transformations can be obtained because there are two vanishing points. The two transformations of the unit direction vectors can be regarded as transformations of 3D points whose coordinates are the values of the corresponding unit direction vectors. The key point in this paper is that our problem with vanishing points is converted to rigid body transformation with 3D–3D point correspondences, which is the usual form in the PnP (perspective-n-point) problem. Additionally, this point simplifies our problem of pose estimation. In addition, in the camera frame, the camera position and two vanishing points can form two lines, respectively, and the angle between the two lines is equal to the angle between the corresponding two sets of parallel lines in the world frame. When using this geometric constraint, the focal length can be estimated quickly. The solutions of pose and focal length are both unique. The experiments show that our proposed method has good performances in numerical stability, noise sensitivity and computational speed with synthetic data and real scenarios and also has strong robustness to camera position noise.
Trajectory of Depression among Prostate Cancer Patients: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Simple Summary Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy (after skin cancer) in men, and also the most common cancer among cancer survivors in the US. We assessed the long-term burden of depression across three prostate cancer risk groups, and evaluated the association between regret and long-term depression. A large proportion of localized prostate cancer patients continued to experience long-term depression. The proportion with high depression increased over time for all risk groups. Higher regret at 24-month follow-up was significantly associated with high depression at 24-month follow-up, after adjusting for covariates. Patient-centered survivorship care strategies are needed to address depression and regret, and improve outcomes in prostate cancer care. Abstract Background: While psychological difficulties, such as depression, among prostate cancer patients are known, their longitudinal burden remains understudied. We assessed the burden of depression across low-, intermediate- and high-risk prostate cancer groups, and the association between regret and long-term depression. Methods: Secondary analysis of data from a multi-centered randomized controlled study among localized prostate cancer patients was carried out. Assessments were performed at baseline, and at 3-, 6-, 12- and 24-month follow-up. Depression was assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale. A CES-D score ≥ 16 indicates high depression. Regret was measured using the regret scale of the Memorial Anxiety Scale for Prostate Cancer (MAX-PC). The proportion of patients with high depression was compared over time, for each risk category. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between regret, and long-term depression after adjusting for age, race, insurance, smoking status, marital status, income, education, employment, treatment, number of people in the household and study site. Results: The study had 743 localized prostate cancer patients. Median depression scores at 6, 12 and 24 months were significantly larger than the baseline median score, overall and for the three prostate cancer risk groups. The proportion of participants with high depression increased over time for all risk groups. Higher regret at 24-month follow-up was significantly associated with high depression at 24-month follow-up, after adjusting for covariates. Conclusions: A substantial proportion of localized prostate cancer patients continued to experience long-term depression. Patient-centered survivorship care strategies can help reduce depression and regret, and improve outcomes in prostate cancer care.
Dynamical response of a multi-laminated periodic bar: Analytical, numerical and experimental study

This article presents a study on the use of the dynamical response of multi-laminated periodic bars to create resonance band gaps within useful frequency ranges. The objective is to control, in a passive form, the longitudinal vibration transmissibility in specific and wide enough frequency ranges of interest. This is achieved by the separation of two adjacent eigenfrequencies. A relation between the modal analysis, the harmonic analysis and the Bloch wave theory is proposed, for which no reference was found in the searched literature. As shown, the selection of appropriate material pairs is essential to obtain useful frequency ranges. The use of pairs of steel and cork agglomerate is proposed, since it allows the design of attenuators at lower frequencies through a prediction based on finite element analysis (FEA). This approach requires the storage modulus of cork for which analytical and numerical FEA models were verified and validated. A methodology to obtain experimentally the storage modulus of cork is presented. Regarding the structural improvement problem, we discuss a methodology to design periodic bars for a specific location of the first attenuation's frequency range and illustrate the main results through several examples.
Mathematical models of receptor-mediated transport of morphogens

Two models of receptor-mediated morphogen transport in a biological tissue are proposed to investigate morphogen gradient formation. The first model concerns intracellular transport of morphogen molecules, while the second describes transport along the cell surface. Both models couple via diffusivity a quasilinear degenerate parabolic equation describing the transport of the morphogens with an ordinary differential equation describing reversible binding kinetics of receptors. A detailed study of the steady states is provided, together with numerical tests which compare the models with experimental data.
HEAT TRANSFER IN HIGH-PRESSURE COMPRESSOR GAS TURBINE INTERNAL AIR SYSTEMS: A ROTATING DISC-CONE CAVITY WITH AXIAL THROUGHFLOW

This article reports on heat transfer measurements made on a rotating test rig representing the internal disc-cone cavity of a gas turbine high-pressure (H.P.) compressor stack. Tests were carried out for a range of flow rates and rotational speeds at engine representative nondimensional conditions. The rig also had a central drive shaft, which could rotate in the same direction as the discs, contrarotate relative to the discs, or remain static. Measurements of heat transfer were obtained from a conduction solution method using measured surface temperatures as boundary conditions. Results from the outer surface of the cone are in reasonable agreement with theoretical predictions for the heat transfer from a free cone in turbulent flow. The heat transfer measurements from the inner surface of the cone reveal two regimes of heat transfer: one governed by rotation, the other by action of the throughflow. In the rotationally dominated regime, the heat transfer from the inner surface of the cone is higher for .
Critical Role of Regrowth Conditions in Post-Cryopreservation of In Vitro Plant Germplasm

Simple Summary Optimization of regrowth conditions is critical for the successful cryopreservation of in vitro plant germplasm. This review discusses the five major strategies available at the regrowth stage for improving plant material performance after cryopreservation. These strategies involve physical factors (modification of osmotic environment, light/dark conditions, and light quality) and chemical factors (recovery medium composition, application of exogenous additives, and the influence of plant growth regulators depending on the type of cryopreserved materials). This summary is meant to serve as a guideline for choosing the most suitable regrowth conditions for plant germplasm to be cryopreserved. We also propose the combinations of factors that may benefit the recovery of cryopreservation-sensitive species and types of materials. Abstract Cryopreservation is an effective option for the long-term conservation of plant genetic resources, including vegetatively propagated crops and ornamental plants, elite tree genotypes, threatened plant species with non-orthodox seeds or limited seed availability, as well as cell and root cultures useful for biotechnology. With increasing success, an arsenal of cryopreservation methods has been developed and applied to many species and material types. However, severe damage to plant material accumulating during the multi-step cryopreservation procedure often causes reduced survival and low regrowth, even when the optimized protocol is applied. The conditions at the recovery stage play a vital role in supporting material regrowth after cryopreservation and, when optimized, may shift the life-and-death balance toward a positive outcome. In this contribution, we provide an overview of the five main strategies available at the recovery stage to improve post-cryopreservation survival of in vitro plant materials and their further proliferation and development. In particular, we discuss the modification of the recovery medium composition (iron- and ammonium-free), exogenous additives to cope with oxidative stress and absorb toxic chemicals, and the modulation of medium osmotic potential. Special attention is paid to plant growth regulators used at various steps of the recovery process to induce the desired morphological response in cryopreserved tissues. Given studies on electron transport and energy provision in rewarmed materials, we discuss the effects of light-and-dark conditions and light quality. We hope that this summary provides a helpful guideline and a set of references for choosing the recovery conditions for plant species that have not been cryopreserved. We also propose that step-wise recovery may be most effective for materials sensitive to cryopreservation-induced osmotic and chemical stresses.
An Immunological Non-responder Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Hepatitis C Virus Coinfected Patient: Considerations About a Clinical Case

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are two chronic viral infections that share the same mode of transmission, making HIV/HCV coinfection frequent. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) was a turning point in HIV treatment and has been shown to successfully restore immune function and reduce the frequency of opportunistic infections. Despite a virological response to HAART, a proportion of patients fail to achieve substantial immune recovery, as measured by peripheral CD4 cell counts. Herein, we present the case of a patient with HIV/HCV coinfection who did not achieve successful immune function restoration despite HIV suppression and HCV treatment. Our goal is to promote discussion. Despite considerable advances in the understanding of the impact of HCV on HIV disease progression, there are many individual variables that influence a patient’s immune function. In addition, we consider hypogammaglobulinemia as a possible contributor. Further understanding and improvement of immune reconstitution in patients infected with HIV remain an important field of scientific research.