Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Left Atrial Diameter and the Risk of Thromboembolism in Patients with Left Ventricular Noncompaction

Aims: Patients with left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) are at risk of thromboembolism. The relationship between left atrial diameter (LAD), a robust predictor for thrombosis, and LVNC is unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of LAD on the thrombotic risk in LVNC. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 320 patients with imaging characteristics of LVNC were included for statistical analysis. The primary endpoint was a composite event of intracardiac thrombi and stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). The secondary endpoints were intracardiac thrombi and stroke/TIA. Results: The 320 included patients (211 [65.9%] men, median age: 45 years [interquartile range: 30–57]) were divided into LAD1 (<43 mm, n = 157) and LAD2 (≥43 mm, n = 163) groups based on the median LAD. Throughout the median follow-up of 34 months, the incidence of thromboembolism among them was 7.2%: 11 (3.4%) patients had stroke/TIA and 14 (4.4%) had intracardiac thrombi. The rate of thromboembolism in the LAD2 group was higher than that of patients in the LAD1 group (11.0% vs. 3.2%, p = 0.007). Kaplan–Meier survival curves suggested that a LAD ≥ 43 mm was associated with a higher risk of thromboembolism and intracardiac thrombi (log-rank test, all p < 0.05). After adjusting for potential risk factors, LAD ≥ 43 mm was found to be an independent risk factor for thromboembolism (p = 0.013) and stroke (p = 0.024). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of LAD for predicting thromboembolism reached 0.696 at 1 year, 0.635 at 2 years, and 0.660 at 3 years. Conclusions: A larger LAD was related to a higher risk of thromboembolism in patients with LVNC. The LAD may be a useful predictor for thrombotic risk stratification among such patients.
Shoulder Torque Production and Muscular Balance after Long and Short Tennis Points

Tennis is an asymmetric sport characterized by a systematic repetition of specific movements that may cause disturbances in muscular strength, power, and torque. Thus, we assessed (i) the torque, power, ratio production, and bilateral asymmetries in the shoulder’s external and internal rotations at 90 and 180°/s angular velocities, and (ii) the point duration influence of the above-mentioned variables. Twenty competitive tennis players performed external and internal shoulder rotations; an isokinetic evaluation was conducted of the dominant and non-dominant upper limbs before and after five and ten forehands. A higher torque production in the shoulder’s internal rotations at 90 and 180°/s was observed for the dominant vs. non-dominant sides (e.g., 63.1 ± 15.6 vs. 45.9 ± 9.8% and 62.5 ± 17.3 vs. 44.0 ± 12.6% of peak torque/body mass, p < 0.05). The peak torque decreased only after ten forehands (38.3 ± 15.8 vs. 38.2 ± 15.8 and 39.3 ± 16.1 vs. 38.1 ± 15.6 Nm, respectively, p < 0.05), but without impacting speed or accuracy. Unilateral systematic actions of tennis players caused contralateral asymmetries, evidencing the importance of implementing compensatory training. The forehand kinematic assessment suggests that racket and wrist amplitude, as well as speed, are important success determinants in tennis.
Noise distributions in retrieval dynamics of the Hopfield model

We examine the dynamical theory, recently proposed by Coolen and Sherrington, which describes the deterministic flow of order parameters in the memory retrieval processes of the Hopfield model. We have performed Monte Carlo simulations to investigate the limit of applicability of their theory. We have found that the qualitative behaviour of retrieval processes follows their prediction fairly well. However, the theory fails to describe the noise distribution quantitatively when the effects of non-retrieved patterns are not negligible.
INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON IN-SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS’ MORALS: IMPLICATION FOR SCHOOL COUNSELLORS

Exposure to wrong content on social media could negatively influence adolescents’ moral development. This study, therefore, investigated the influence of Social Media on in-school adolescents’ morals in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The descriptive survey design was employed in this study. The population comprised all secondary school students in Ekiti State Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 420 respondents for the study. Data were collected using a self-designed instrument tagged Social Media and Adolescents’ Morals Questionnaire (SMAMQ). Content validity of the instrument was ascertained and the reliability coefficient of 0.87 was obtained to ensure consistency of the instrument. Data analysis was done using percentages, t-test and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The findings of the study revealed that exposure of students to explicit sexual images or messages on social media influenced in-school adolescents’ morals in Ekiti State. Thus, the majority of the respondents indicated that social media influenced adolescents’ morals. The results further showed no significant difference in the influence of social media on in-school adolescents’ morals based on gender, school system, school type and location. This shows most adolescents use social media negatively. Thus, it was recommended that school counsellors should properly guide and mentor in-school adolescents to take good advantage of social media for moral development.
Fast control and decoherence in superconducting quantum circuits

This thesis discusses a series of experimental and theoretical studies on fast control and decoherence in superconducting quantum circuits. These two subjects are complementary aspects of the problem of improving the gate fidelities in quantum information processing devices based on superconducting circuits. In the first part of this thesis, we present experiments on fast control of a superconducting flux qubit using strong driving. We explore driving with short pulses and a driving strength significantly exceeding the transition frequency. The observed dynamics is described in terms of quasienergies and quasienergy states, in agreement with Floquet theory. We observe the role of pulse shaping in the dynamics, as determined by non-adiabatic transitions between Floquet states. In addition, based on adiabatic perturbation theory in the Floquet picture, we propose a control scheme for fast and high-fidelity single-qubit operations with strong driving. These results pave the way to quantum control with a fidelity beyond the threshold of fault-tolerant quantum computation. In the second part of this thesis, we discuss experimental methods and present the characterization of decoherence in superconducting resonators and superconducting qubits. Firstly, we present an analysis method on the measurements of photon loss in superconducting resonators. We use this method to characterize the microwave loss of aluminum oxide, an important material in superconducting circuits. The power and temperature dependence of the measured loss is consistent with loss due to two-level defects in amorphous materials. Secondly, we present experimental results on decoherence and noise spectroscopy of a superconducting flux qubit. Using the qubit as a noise spectrometer, we perform detailed measurements on the power spectral density of the flux noise in superconducting circuits over a wide range of frequencies, from 10−3 to 10 Hz, and over a temperature range from 35 to 130 mK. We also present measurements of frequency and temperature dependence of the qubit energy relaxation.
You Do Not Have to Get through This Alone: Interpersonal Emotion Regulation and Psychosocial Resources during the COVID-19 Pandemic across Four Countries

While experiencing the unpredictable events of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are likely to turn to people in order to regulate our emotions. In this research, we investigate how this interpersonal emotion regulation is connected to affective symptoms, above and beyond intrapersonal emotion regulation. Furthermore, we explore whether perceived psychosocial resources moderate these associations, i.e., if individuals reporting healthier social connections benefit differently from interpersonal emotion regulation. N = 1401 participants from the USA, UK, Germany, and Switzerland completed an online survey that included text samples. Affective symptoms (depression, adjustment disorder, fear of COVID-19) were examined based on self-reported as well as language-based indicators. As psychosocial resources, we examined social support, loneliness, attachment style, and trust. We defined latent variables for adaptive and maladaptive interpersonal emotion regulation and analyzed how they were associated with affective symptoms controlling for intrapersonal emotion regulation. Further, we analyzed how they interacted with psychosocial resources. Maladaptive interpersonal emotion regulation strategies were associated with affective symptoms. With lower psychosocial resources, the associations between interpersonal emotion regulation and depressive symptoms were more pronounced. The results highlight that maladaptive interpersonal emotion regulation is associated with worse mental health. These effects are not buffered by more psychosocial resources and are stronger for people with low psychosocial resources.
Oral biopsies in a Portuguese population: A 20-year clinicopathological study in a university clinic

Background Performing a biopsy is very important in oral medicine and the anatomopathological examination is fundamental to obtain or to confirm the diagnosis in oral and maxillofacial pathology. The purpose of this study is to analyse the frequency and characteristic patterns of biopsied oromaxillofacial lesions in a Portuguese population. Material and Methods A descriptive statistical analysis of the data from the anatomopathological reports of the biopsies performed between 1999 and 2019 at the university clinic of the Faculty of Dental Medicine of the University of Lisbon was performed, regarding the patient’s gender and age, type of biopsy, location of lesions, clinical and histological diagnosis, and the results were obtained. Association relationships were studied using the chi-square test and the Kruskal-Wallis test to correlate variables. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results From a total sample of 1448 patients, 826 (57.1%) were female, 610 (42.1%) were male, and 12 (0.8%) had no gender information, with a mean age of 50.14 years (standard deviation ± 17.61). The preferred location was the buccal mucosa, vestibule fundus and alveolar mucosa (20.7%). Benign lesions (BL) were the most common, in 82,8% of the cases, followed by oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) in 15,5%, and finally, malignant lesions (ML) in 1.7%. Focal fibrous hyperplasia was the most frequent diagnosis in the total sample (25.6%). In the young group, the most common entity was mucocele (34.0%), with a predominance of the lower lip (32.9%). In OPMD, leukoplakia was the most frequently diagnosed (48,7%). The most common ML was squamous cell carcinoma (92.0%), appearing mainly in the tongue (34.8%). A statistically significant relation between ML and older age was found. Conclusions This study included biopsies analysed over a period of 20 years, being BL the main pathology to affect the oral cavity. Although less frequent, OPMD and ML should not be neglected and must be correctly diagnosed and treated. Key words:Oral biopsies, Oral and maxillofacial pathology, Oral medicine, Clinicopathological analysis, Epidemiological study, University clinic.
Precursor Studies in an Electromagnetically Driven Shock Tube

Precursor waves have been studied in an electromagnetic shock tube of the T configuration. The precursor velocity, electron density, and current content were determined over a pressure range of 1 to 1000μ Hg, for electrode discharge voltages of 3 to 17 kV in hydrogen and argon. A longitudinal nanosecond microwave technique was used in conjunction with a semi‐infinite microwave cavity measurement to measure the precursor velocity and attendant detailed electron density structure. The current associated with the precursor has been deduced from transverse magnetic field measurements made with an external pickup coil. The precursor exhibits a definite wave structure with front thicknesses of the order of 2 to 5 cm.
ΔS=2 and ΔC=2 bag parameters in the standard model and beyond from N$_f$=2+1+1 twisted-mass lattice QCD

We present unquenched lattice QCD results for the matrix elements of four-fermion operators relevant to the description of the neutral K and D mixing in the Standard Model and its extensions. We have employed simulations with Nf = 2 + 1 + 1 dynamical sea quarks at three values of the lattice spacings in the interval 0.06 - 0.09 fm and pseudoscalar meson masses in the range 210 - 450 MeV. Our results are extrapolated to the continuum limit and to the physical pion mass. Renormalization constants have been determined non-perturbatively in the RI-MOM scheme. In particular, for the Kaon bag-parameter, which is relevant for the \overline{K}^0-K^0 mixing in the Standard Model, we obtain B_K^{RGI} = 0.717(24).
Comparison of Factors Related to Health Behavior for Cardiocerebrovascular Disease Prevention in Middle-Aged Women with and without Depression

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the health beliefs, exercise self-efficacy, and health behavior for cardiocerebrovascular disease prevention in middle-aged women with and without depression.Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional, correlational design using a structured questionnaire. The study participants were 180 middle-aged women aged between 40 and 64 years. The survey was conducted from August to December 2020 in G metropolitan city. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, analysis of covariance, and Pearson correlation coefficients with the SPSS for Windows version 27.0. Results: Among the study participants, 70 (38.9%) were depressed and 110 (61.1%) were not depressed. A statistically significant difference was found in health behavior for cardiocerebrovascular disease prevention, with a score of 2.21 in the depressed group and 2.40 in the non-depressed group (F=5.46, p=.021). Health behavior for cardiocerebrovascular disease prevention was positively correlated with exercise self-efficacy (r=.51, p<.001) in the depressed group and wih health beliefs (r=.49, p<.001) and exercise self-efficacy (r=.42, p<.001) in the non-depressed group.Conclusion: It is necessary to consider the degree of depression in middle-aged women and to prepare strategies to increase exercise self-efficacy while considering health beliefs to promote healthy behavior for cardiocerebrovascular disease prevention.
GAUGE-INVARIANT FORMULATION OF QUANTUM ELECTRODYNAMICS

Electrodynamics is formulated so as to be manifestly invariant under general gauge transformations, through being built up entirely in terms of gauge-invariant dynamical variables. The quantization of the theory can be carried out by the usual rules and meets with the usual difficulties.It is found that the gauge-invariant operation of creation of an electron involves the simultaneous creation of an electron and of the Coulomb field around it. The requirement of manifest gauge invariance prevents one from using the concept of an electron separated from its Coulomb field.
Assessing Heat Pumps as Heat Supply Option for Solvent Regeneration in Cement Plants with Post-Combustion CO2 Capture: Heat Integration, Energy Performance and CO2 Emissions

In this work, the performance of a cement production plant retrofitted with a mono-ethanol amine (MEA) solvent-based post-combustion capture process are simulated, comparing three different heat supply options for solvent reboiling. Considering the limited waste heat available in the cement plant, particular attention has been given to the heat integration between the two processes. In particular, in this work, the following heat supply options are analyzed with detailed process simulations involving the whole cement plant, the CO 2 capture system and the heat generation unit:
Automatic solver for non‐linear partial differential equations with implicit local laws: Application to unilateral contact

In general, non‐linear continuum mechanics combine global balance equations and local constitutive laws. In this work, frictionless contact between a rigid tool and a thin elastic shell is considered. This class of boundary value problems involves two non‐linear algebraic laws: the first one gives explicitly the stress field as a function of the strain throughout the continuum part, whereas the second one is a non‐linear equation relating the contact forces and the displacement at the boundary.Given the fact that classical computational approaches sometimes require significant effort in implementation of complex non‐linear problems, a computation technique based on automatic differentiation of constitutive laws is presented in this paper. The procedure enables to compute automatically the higher‐order derivatives of these constitutive laws and thereafter to define the Taylor series that are the basis of the continuation technique called asymptotic numerical method. The algorithm is about the same with an explicit or implicit constitutive relation. In the modelling of forming processes, many tool shapes can be encountered. The presented computational technique permits an easy implementation of these complex surfaces, for instance in a finite element code: the user is only required to define the tool geometry and the computer is able to obtain the higher‐order derivatives. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
miR-18a-5p Is Involved in the Developmental Origin of Prostate Cancer in Maternally Malnourished Offspring Rats: A DOHaD Approach

The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) concept correlates early life exposure to stressor conditions with the increased incidence of non-communicable chronic diseases, including prostate cancer (PCa), throughout the life span. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in this process remain poorly understood. In this study, the deregulation of two miRNAs (rno-miR-18a-5p and rno-miR-345-3p) was described in the ventral prostate VP of old rats born to dams fed with a low protein diet (LPD) (6% protein in the diet) during gestational and lactational periods. Integrative analysis of the (VP) transcriptomic and proteomic data revealed changes in the expression profile of 14 identified predicted targets of these two DE miRNAs, which enriched terms related to post-translational protein modification, metabolism of proteins, protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum, phosphonate and phosphinate metabolism, the calnexin/calreticulin cycle, metabolic pathways, N-glycan trimming in the ER and the calnexin/calreticulin cycle, hedgehog ligand biogenesis, the ER-phagosome pathway, detoxification of reactive oxygen species, antigenprocessing-cross presentation, RAB geranylgeranylation, collagen formation, glutathione metabolism, the metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450, and platinum drug resistance. RT-qPCR validated the deregulation of the miR-18a-5p/P4HB (prolyl 4-hydroxylase subunit beta) network in the VP of older offspring as well as in the PNT-2 cells transfected with mimic miR-18a-5p. Functional in vitro studies revealed a potential modulation of estrogen receptor α (ESR1) by miR-18a-5p in PNT-2 cells, which was also confirmed in the VP of older offspring. An imbalance of the testosterone/estrogen ratio was also observed in the offspring rats born to dams fed with an LPD. In conclusion, deregulation of the miR-18a-5p/P4HB network can contribute to the developmental origins of prostate cancer in maternally malnourished offspring, highlighting the need for improving maternal healthcare during critical windows of vulnerability early in life.
Shear‐flexible subdivision shells

We present a new shell model and an accompanying discretisation scheme that is suitable for thin and thick shells. The deformed configuration of the shell is parameterised using the mid‐surface position vector and an additional shear vector for describing the out‐of‐plane shear deformations. In the limit of vanishing thickness, the shear vector is identically zero and the Kirchhoff–Love model is recovered. Importantly, there are no compatibility constraints to be satisfied by the shape functions used for discretising the mid‐surface and the shear vector. The mid‐surface has to be interpolated with smooth C1‐continuous shape functions, whereas the shear vector can be interpolated with C0‐continuous shape functions. In the present paper, the mid‐surface as well as the shear vector are interpolated with smooth subdivision shape functions. The resulting finite elements are suitable for thin and thick shells and do not exhibit shear locking. The good performance of the proposed formulation is demonstrated with a number of linear and geometrically non‐linear plate and shell examples. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ecological Effects of VR-Based Cognitive Training on ADL and IADL in MCI and AD patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Declines in activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) performances due to cognitive impairments hinder mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients’ independent and safe daily lives. In order to prevent and treat this, several cognitive interventions have been implemented, but their ecological validity was not ensured due to that their contents are far from real life. Virtual reality (VR) can resemble real life with immersive stimuli, but there have been few studies confirming its ecological effects on ADL and IADL. Therefore, this study conducted a meta-analysis of VR-based cognitive training to investigate its ecological effects on ADL and IADL in MCI and AD patients. From February 2012 to February 2022, a search was conducted for articles published in PubMed, Cochrane, Science Direct, and Web of Science. Quality assessment was assessed by the PEDro scale, and the Cochrane Collaboration tool was used to assess risk of bias. Publication bias was assessed by Egger’s regression. Five studies that met inclusion criteria were included in this study. The VR-based cognitive training showed significant effects on ADL and IADL in both MCI and AD patients. When comparing effects in each group, both MCI and AD patients showed significant effects on ADL and IADL, but MCI patients showed lower effects on ADL and IADL than AD patients. The results indicated that VR-based cognitive training would be beneficial to improve ADL and IADL in MCI and AD patients, suggesting that VR-based cognitive training is ecologically valid.
Dual (pH- and ROS-) Responsive Antibacterial MXene-Based Nanocarrier for Drug Delivery

In this study, a novel MXene (Ti3C2Tx)-based nanocarrier was developed for drug delivery. MXene nanosheets were functionalized with 3, 3′-diselanediyldipropionic acid (DSeDPA), followed by grafting doxorubicin (DOX) as a model drug to the surface of functionalized MXene nanosheets (MXene-Se-DOX). The nanosheets were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and zeta potential techniques. The drug-loading capacity (17.95%) and encapsulation efficiency (41.66%) were determined using ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. The lateral size and thickness of the MXene nanosheets measured using AFM were 200 nm and 1.5 nm, respectively. The drug release behavior of the MXene-Se-DOX nanosheets was evaluated under different medium conditions, and the nanosheets demonstrated outstanding dual (reactive oxygen species (ROS)- and pH-) responsive properties. Furthermore, the MXene-Se-DOX nanosheets exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against both Gram-negative E. coli and Gram-positive B. subtilis.