Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Human health risk assessment of edible body parts of chicken through heavy metals and trace elements quantitative analysis

Food safety and security have now been regarded as a significant emerging area within the food supply chain leading to scientific and public health concerns in the global world. The poultry sector is a substantial threat to heavy metal intoxication for Bangladeshi people due to contaminated drinking water and feed sources, as well as the poultry sector’s surrounding environment and soil. This study was carried out to ascertain the residual concentrations of heavy metals (Pb, Cd) and trace elements (Cr, Fe, Cu, and Zn) in various edible chicken body parts (breast, liver, gizzard, heart, kidney, and brain) to observe the quality of the consumed chickens and to assess public health risk. Atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) was used to check the content of toxic heavy metals and trace elements in 108 samples of 18 broiler chickens collected from six different locations of Dhaka North City Corporation markets in Bangladesh. The measured concentrations (mg/kg fresh weight) ranged from 0.33±0.2 to 4.6±0.4, 0.004±0.0 to 0.125±0.2, 0.006±0.0 to 0.94±0.4, 4.05±4.2 to 92.31±48.8, 0.67±0.006 to 4.15±2.7, and 4.45±0.62 to 23.75±4.3, for Pb, Cd, Cr, Fe, Cu, and Zn respectively. Except for Pb and Cu most of the investigated heavy metals and trace element levels in chickens were lower than the maximum allowable concentration (MAC) set by FAO/WHO and other regulatory agencies. , The estimated level of Pb was nearly six times higher in the chicken brain. The estimated daily intake (EDI) values for all the studied metals were below the preliminary tolerated daily intake (PTDI). The target hazard quotient (THQ) values of the broiler chicken meat samples varied for adults and children, and the range was found to be 0.037–0.073 for Pb, 0.007–0.01 for Cd, 0.0–0.08 for Cr, 0.002–0.004 for Fe, for 0.00–0.002 Cu, and 0.004–0.008 for Zn, not exceeding the maximum level of 1 according to USEPA. The calculated THQ and total target hazard quotient (TTHQ) values were measured at less than one, suggesting that the consumption of chicken meat has no carcinogenic danger to its consumers. The Target carcinogenic risks (TCRs) of Pb, Cd, Cr, and Cu were within acceptable limits. The TCR values for children were, to some extent, higher than that of adults, which proposes that regular monitoring of both harmful and essential elements in chicken samples is necessary to determine whether or not any possible health risk to consumers exists. In terms of health, this study demonstrated that consumers are chronically exposed to elemental contamination with carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects.
Cryo-EM structures of an LRRC8 chimera with native functional properties reveal heptameric assembly

Volume-regulated anion channels (VRACs) mediate volume regulatory Cl- and organic solute efflux from vertebrate cells. VRACs are heteromeric assemblies of LRRC8A-E proteins with unknown stoichiometries. Homomeric LRRC8A and LRRC8D channels have a small pore, hexameric structure. However, these channels are either non-functional or exhibit abnormal regulation and pharmacology, limiting their utility for structure-function analyses. We circumvented these limitations by developing novel homomeric LRRC8 chimeric channels with functional properties consistent with those of native VRAC/LRRC8 channels. We demonstrate here that the LRRC8C-LRRC8A(IL125) chimera comprising LRRC8C and 25 amino acids unique to the first intracellular loop (IL1) of LRRC8A has a heptameric structure like that of homologous pannexin channels. Unlike homomeric LRRC8A and LRRC8D channels, heptameric LRRC8C-LRRC8A(IL125) channels have a large-diameter pore similar to that estimated for native VRACs, exhibit normal DCPIB pharmacology, and have higher permeability to large organic anions. Lipid-like densities are located between LRRC8C-LRRC8A(IL125) subunits and occlude the channel pore. Our findings provide new insights into VRAC/LRRC8 channel structure and suggest that lipids may play important roles in channel gating and regulation.
Efficacy of endoscopic porcine small intestinal submucosa graft myringoplasty: a retrospective comparative study

Abstract Background The surgical outcomes following tympanic membrane (TM) repair are affected by many factors. Objectives To evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic porcine small intestine submucosa graft (PSISG) myringoplasty by comparing with endoscopic myringoplasty with temporal fascia (TF) and perichondrium (PC). Methods We conducted a retrospective comparative study that a total of 98 patients with TM perforations were included. The patients underwent endoscopic myringoplasty using PSISG, TF or PC as the graft. The closure rate, hearing outcomes, operative time and complications in three groups were compared. Results At 3 months postoperatively, the closure rate were 85.2% (23/27), 92.1% (35/38) and 87.9% (29/33) in the PSISG, TF and PC groups respectively (p = .667); Hearing improved after surgery in three groups (p < .001), and showed no significant difference among the three groups. The mean operative time of the PSISG group was shorter than autologous TF (p < .001) and PC groups (p < .001) in this study; No operative or postoperative complications were found among the three groups. Conclusion Compare to autologous temporal fascia or perichondrium, the PSISG appears to be an effective and safe material for TM perforations closure. Endoscopic PSISG myringoplasty may be an alternative technique for repairing TM perforations, especially for revision cases.
Mental health of diplomatic personnel: scoping review

Abstract Background Diplomatic personnel frequently relocate as part of their roles, requiring them to adapt to various cultural and political conditions; many are also at risk of experiencing trauma from being deployed to high-threat postings. With diplomatic personnel having to balance the usual pressures of their work with the uncertainties of COVID-19 in recent years, it is particularly important now to understand how to protect their mental health. Aims To synthesize existing literature on the well-being of diplomatic personnel to improve understanding of how to protect their mental health. Methods A scoping review was carried out to explore what is already known about the well-being of staff working in diplomatic roles. Four databases were searched and reference lists, as well as one key journal, were hand-searched. Results Fifteen relevant publications were included. There was little consensus as to how the psychological well-being of diplomatic personnel compares to other populations or which factors predict well-being. Diplomats’ psychological responses to traumatic experiences appeared similar to those of other trauma-exposed occupational groups. Conclusions Further research is needed to better understand the well-being of diplomatic personnel, particularly those not deployed to high-threat posts.
Epidemiology and prevalence of mutations associated with resistance to macrolides and fluoroquinolones in Mycoplasma genitalium in a tertiary hospital from Madrid, Spain

Objectives Mycoplasma genitalium causes persistent sexually transmitted infections. The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of resistances to macrolides and fluoroquinolones in M. genitalium and the sexually transmitted coinfections in patients at Hospital Universitario La Paz (Madrid, Spain). Material and methods Patients attended between January and October 2021 were studied. Screening for sexually transmitted pathogens and detection of 23S rRNA and parC genes mutations were performed by real-time PCR (Allplex, SeegeneTM). Results A total of 1,518 females and 1,136 males were studied. The prevalence of M. genitalium was 2.1%. The macrolides resistance rate was 51.8%. The mutations found were A2059G, A2058T and A2058G. The rate of resistance to fluoroquinolones was 17.8% being the G248T mutation (S83I) the most frequent. Seven males had some sexual transmitted coin-fection. Conclusions Although the percentage of M. genitalium infections is low, the high rate of resistance to macrolides makes it necessary to revise the protocols for diagnosis and empirical treatment of sexually transmitted infections. The use of fluoroquinolones is appropriate after screening of macrolide resistance profile.
Sociodemographic inequity in COVID-19 vaccine uptake among youth in Zimbabwe

Introduction COVID-19 vaccine acceptance research has mostly originated from high-income countries and reasons why youth may not get vaccinated may differ in low-income settings. Understanding vaccination coverage across different population groups and the sociocultural influences in healthcare delivery is important to inform targeted vaccination campaigns. Methods A population-based survey was conducted in 24 communities across three provinces (Harare, Bulawayo and Mashonaland East) in Zimbabwe between October 2021 and June 2022. Youth aged 18 - 24 years were recruited using random sampling. Data on sociodemographic information and COVID-19 vaccination uptake and reasons for non-uptake were collected. Results A total of 17,682 youth were recruited (n=10,743, 60.8% female). The median age of survey participants was 20 (IQR: 19-22) years. Almost two thirds (n=10,651, 60.2%) of participants reported receiving at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. A higher proportion of men than women had been vaccinated (68.9% vs 54.7%), and vaccination prevalence increased with age (<19 years: 57.5%, 20-22: 61.5%, >23: 62.2%). Lack of time to get vaccinated, belief that the vaccine was unsafe and anxiety about side effects (particularly infertility) were the main reasons for not getting vaccinated. Factors associated with vaccination were male sex (OR=1.69, 95%CI:1.58-1.80), increasing age (>22 years: OR=1.12, 95%CI:1.04-1.21), education level (post-secondary: OR=4.34, 95%CI:3.27-5.76), and socioeconomic status (least poor: OR=1.32, 95%CI:1.20-1.47). Conclusion This study found vaccine inequity across age, sex, educational attainment and socioeconomic status among youth. Strategies should address these inequities by understanding concerns and tailoring vaccine campaigns to specific groups.
A study of departures from the inverse‐barometer response of sea level to air‐pressure forcing at a period of 5 days

The response of the sea level to atmospheric forcing is investigated through the cross‐spectral analysis of tide‐gauge data from around 100 island and deep‐ocean stations and atmospheric pressure records. The focus is at a period of 5 days, coinciding with an atmospheric pressure oscillation (Madden–Julian wave) of the same frequency. Outside the Tropics the energy in synoptic weather systems masks the small amplitude of the pressure wave, resulting in a response indistinguishable from that of an inverse barometer (IB). Within the Tropics, variability of air pressure is smaller in comparison with the amplitude of the pressure wave and departures from the IB model are found. Analysis of several sub‐surface pressure records in the tropical Atlantic also yields departures at this time‐scale, and indicates the barotropic nature of the response. Findings from a near‐global barotropic numerical model forced with realistic air pressure and wind‐stress fields show reasonable agreement with results at tide‐gauge locations, and provide a more complete view of the sea‐level response. These results indicate the possibility of providing an improved simulation of sea‐level response to atmospheric‐pressure forcing at this time‐scale than is currently provided by the IB model, for example in the field of satellite altimetry. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society
Eulerian and Lagrangian studies in surface flow turbulence

Experimental and numerical studies of turbulent fluid motion in a free surface are presented. The flow is realized experimentally on the surface of a tank filled with water stirred well below the surface. Numerically, it is modelled by free-slip boundary conditions. The surface flow is unconventional: it is not incompressible and neither kinetic energy nor enstrophy is conserved in the limit of zero fluid viscosity and in the absence of external driving as is the case for incompressible two-dimensional turbulent flows. The dynamics of passive Lagrangian tracers that are advected in such flows are dominated by rapidly changing patches of the surface flow divergence. Owing to compressibility, particles form clusters within multifractal mass distributions. Also studied is the motion of pairs and triplets of particles. The mean square separation shows an extended range with a reduced scaling exponent in comparison with the classical Richardson value. Clustering is also manifest in strongly deformed triangles spanned within triplets of tracers.
A Clinicopathological Analysis of Molecular Subtypes of Breast Cancer using Immunohistochemical Surrogates: A 6-Year Institutional Experience from a Tertiary Cancer Center in North India

Abstract Puneet Kaur Somal Objective Classification of breast cancer into different molecular subtypes has important prognostic and therapeutic implications. The immunohistochemistry surrogate classification has been advocated for this purpose. The primary objective of the present study was to assess the prevalence of the different molecular subtypes of invasive breast carcinoma and study the clinicopathological parameters in a tertiary care cancer center in rural North India. Materials and Methods All female patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and registered between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2020, were included. Patients with bilateral cancer, missing information on HER2/ER/PR receptor status, absence of reflex FISH testing after an equivocal score on Her 2 IHC were excluded. The tumors were classified into different molecular subtypes based on IHC expression as follows-luminal A-like (ER- and PR-positive, Her2-negative, Ki67 < 20%), luminal B-like Her2-negative (ER-positive, Her2-negative and any one of the following Ki67% ≥ 20% or PR-negative/low, luminal B-like Her2-positive (ER- and HER2-positive, any Ki67, any PR), Her2-positive (ER- and PR-negative, Her2-positive) and TNBC (ER, PR, Her2-negative). Chi square test was used to compare the clinicopathological parameters between these subtypes. Results A total of 1,625 cases were included. Luminal B-like subtype was the most common (41.72%). The proportion of each subtype was luminal A (15.69%), luminal B Her2-negative (23.93%), luminal B Her2-positive (17.78%), Her2-positive (15.26%), TNBC (27.32%). Majority of the tumors were Grade 3 (75.81%). Nodal metastases were present in 59%. On subanalysis of the luminal type tumors without Her2 expression (luminal A-like and luminal B-like (Her2-negative), luminal A-like tumors presented significantly with a lower grade ( p < 0.001) and more frequent node-negative disease in comparison to luminal B-like (Her2-negative) tumors. In comparison to other subtypes, TNBC tumors were more frequently seen in the premenopausal age group ( p < 0.001) and presented with node-negative disease ( p < 0.001). Conclusion This is one of the largest studies that enumerates the prevalence of various molecular subtypes of breast cancer in North India. Luminal B-like tumors were the most common followed by TNBC. TNBC tumors presented more commonly in premenopausal age group and with node negative disease in comparison to other subtypes.
7 Recent research on Greek architecture: 2012–2022

The discipline of Greek architecture has been changing rapidly since the time of a major review published in 2011. The current study examines research published since 2012 about the prehistoric through to the Hellenistic eras in mainland Greece and the Aegean, along with the expansion of Greek architectural systems throughout the Mediterranean and Black Sea in the first millennium BC. A narrative discussing close to 300 works from recent years is bolstered by a quantitative analysis of the subjects treated in nearly 1,000 studies from the previous decade. Traditional foci of the discipline, such as palaces and sanctuaries, are being approached in new and methodologically sophisticated manners. A notable rise in the scrutiny of material remains suggests diverse new interests in planning and construction, from the scale of an individual architectural member up to a territorial defence network. The integration of recent digital and scientific methods has been remarkable, including widespread adoption of 3D recording and modelling, remote sensing, and compositional analysis. Certain architectural types – in particular fortifications, harbours, and urban planning – have received a great deal more attention than in past decades.
Latin American Journal of Central Banking

In this paper, we aim to compare the anatomy of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and the Great Financial Crisis (GFC) in the context of an emerging market economy. To this end, we develop a small open economy DSGE model with the Bernanke-Gertler-Gilchrist ﬁnancial accelerator that features ﬁnancial frictions and monopolistic competition. Then, we estimate this model to explore and compare both crises in the Mexican business cycle. The decomposition obtained with the model shows that: (i) the ﬁnancial shocks were the main source of contraction of the output gap (around 49.0%) in the GFC; (ii) the dynamic of the GDP had been severely aﬀected by the demand shock (around 45.1%), the ﬁnancial shocks (32.2%), and the productivity shock (22.3%) in the COVID-19 pandemic. The results suggest that the main forces of the recent contraction in economic activity in Mexico were larger in absolute terms and more diverse than those observed during the GFC. This analysis illustrates the diﬀerences between the two great crises and it evaluates the policy response to each.
Verbally Soliciting Human Feedback in Continuous Human-Robot Collaboration: Effects of the Framing and Timing of Reminders

Humans expect robots to learn from their feedback and adapt to their preferences. However, there are limitations with how humans provide feedback to robots, e.g., humans may give less feedback as interactions progress. Therefore, it would be advantageous if robots could influence humans to provide more feedback during interactions. We conducted a 2x2 between-subjects user study (N=71) to investigate whether the framing and timing of a robot's reminder to provide feedback could influence human interactants. Human-robot interactions took place in the context of Space Invaders, a fast-paced and continuous collaborative environment. Our results suggest that reminders can influence the amount of feedback humans provide to robots, how participants feel about the robot, and how they feel about providing feedback during the interaction.
Out for In!: Empirical Study on the Combination Power of Two Service Robots for Product Recommendation

Service robots have increasingly been investigated in retailing. Previous studies mainly focused on the effectiveness of recommendation with regard to a single robot, and whether and how the use of two robots combined can achieve better performance remain unclear. In this study, we address this by exploring the combination power of two service robots for product recommendation in a bakery. We placed one robot inside the store for product recommendation and the other robot outside to promote the inside robot. Particularly, we are interested in the effects of the outside robot on the inside robot's performance in product recommendation. Our results indicate that using the outside robot to promote the inside robot achieved more purchases over using the inside robot alone. Particularly, we discovered that the outside robot increased the attention of customers toward the inside robot; hence, more customers checked and purchased the products. Based on the findings, we discuss the important points for the effective use of service robots.
A fast elastostatic solver based on fast Fourier transform on multipoles (FFTM)

In this paper, we present a fast algorithm to solve elasticity problems, governed by the Navier equation, using the boundary element method (BEM). This fast algorithm is based on the fast Fourier transform on multipoles (FFTM) method that has been developed for the Laplace equation. The FFTM method uses multipole moments and their kernel functions, together with the fast Fourier transform (FFT), to accelerate the far field computation. The memory requirement of the original FFTM tends to be high, especially when the method is extended to the Navier equation that involves vector quantities. In this paper, we used a compact representation of the translation matrices for the Navier equation based on solid harmonics. This reduces the memory usage significantly, allowing large elasticity problems to be solved efficiently. The improved FFTM is compared with the commonly used FMM, revealing that the FFTM requires shorter computational time but more memory than the FMM to achieve comparable accuracy. Finally, the method is applied to calculate the effective Young's modulus of a material containing numerous voids of various shapes, sizes and orientations. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The assessment of color adjustment potentials for monoshade universal composites

Abstract Objective To evaluate the color adjustment potentials of monoshade universal composites in different shades of class I cavities. Methodology About 132 restorations were performed using monoshade universal composites (Omnichroma, OMNI; Essentia Universal; EU; Charisma Diamond One, CDO), and one simplyshade composite (NeoSpectra-ST, NEO) as control. A transparent silicone mold was used to provide standardized restorations on prefabricated class I cavities of acrylic dentures in B1, A2, and C4 shades. The assessment of color adjustment was performed immediately after, at 24 h, and at 2 weeks, through the cross-polarized dental photographs. The quantitative assessments were performed using a software (Digital Color Meter, Macintosh AC). The collected L*, a*, and b* coordinates from the restorations and the adjacent denture surfaces were used to provide Δ E 00 ⁎ \text{Δ}{E}_{00}^{\ast } values. Shapiro–Wilk, three-way Anova and Tukey HSD Test were used for the statistical analyses (p < 0.05). Results Among all composites and shades, the Δ E 00 ⁎ \text{Δ}{E}_{00}^{\ast } values were significantly the highest (1.27 ± 0.49a) for the immediately after assessments compared to the assessments at 1 day (1.01 ± 0.41b) and 2 weeks (0.97 ± 0.4c)(p < 0.05). At 24 h and 2 weeks of evaluations, the Δ E 00 ⁎ \text{Δ}{E}_{00}^{\ast } values for the control (0.42 ± 0.16H) were significantly the lowest (p < 0.05). Only the control presented imperceptible color changes for all the cavity shades (PT ≤ 0.8). After 2 weeks, EU (1.06 ± 0.32F) and OMNI (1.12 ± 0.18EF) presented significantly lower Δ E 00 ⁎ \text{Δ}{E}_{00}^{\ast } values compared to the CDO (1.29 ± 0.2CD) (p < 0.05). Restorations in lighter cavities presented significantly lower Δ E 00 ⁎ \text{Δ}{E}_{00}^{\ast } values. Conclusion Monoshade universal composites presented acceptable but perceptible color adjustment potentials in class I cavities without the shade selection procedure. Simplyshade composites following the shade selection might still be the best options regarding the level of color adjustment. Monoshade universal composites might provide better color adjustments in cavities with lighter shades.