Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Wideband Balun Filter Based on Folded Ring Slotline Resonator and Dual-Feedback Stubs With >17.8 f0 Stopband Rejection

This brief proposes a wideband balun filter with ultrawide stopband utilizing a shunt slotline coupled with a folded ring slotline resonator (FRSR) and dual-feedback stubs (DFS). Utilizing the FRSR, there are four transmission poles (TPs) within the passband and ten transmission zeros (TZs) in the range of < 20 GHz generated, which contribute to large bandwidth, high selectivity, and >10-dB harmonic suppression. In addition, the two additional TZs generated by the DFS can improve the harmonic suppression to >18 dB. In the meantime, the folded slotline design effectively reduces the size of the proposed balun filter to 33.2% of the conventional round slotline ring. The fabricated balun filter demonstrates a 111% fractional bandwidth (FBW) centering around <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$f_{0}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> of 2.25 GHz, a measured stopband up to 40 GHz (17.8 <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$f_{0}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) with a minimum rejection level of 18 dB, and a shape factor of 1.3. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, both the fractional bandwidth and stopband range achieved by the balun filter are among the best.
Image-guided robotic dental implantation with natural-root-formed implants

IMAGE-GUIDED ROBOTIC DENTAL IMPLANTATION WITH NATURAL-ROOT-FORMED IMPLANTS Xiaoyan Sun Old Dominion University, 2012 Director: Dr. Frederic D. McKenzie Dental implantation is now recognized as the standard of the care for tooth replacement. Although many studies show high short term survival rates greater than 95%, long term studies (> 5 years) have shown success rates as low as 41.9%. Reasons affecting the long term success rates might include surgical factors such as limited accuracy of implant placement, lack of spacing controls, and overheating during the placement. In this dissertation, a comprehensive solution for improving the outcome of current dental implantation is presented, which includes computer-aided preoperative planning for better visualization of patient-specific information and automated robotic sitepreparation for superior placement and orientation accuracy. Surgical planning is generated using patient-specific three-dimensional (3D) models which are reconstructed from Cone-beam CT images. An innovative image-guided robotic site-preparation system for implants insertion is designed and implemented. The preoperative plan of the implant insertion is transferred into intra-operative operations of the robot using a two-step registration procedure with the help of a Coordinate Measurement Machine (CMM). The natural-root implants mimic the root structure of natural teeth and were proved by Finite Element Method (FEM) to provide superior stress distribution than current cylinder-shape implants. However, due to their complicated geometry, manual sitepreparation for these implants cannot be accomplished. Our innovative image-guided robotic implantation system provides the possibility of using this advanced type of implant. Phantom experiments with patient-specific jaw models were performed to evaluate the accuracy of positioning and orientation. Fiducial Registration Error (FRE) values less than 0.20 mm and final Target Registration Error (TRE) values after the two-step registration of 0.36±0.13 mm (N=5) were achieved. Orientation error was 1.99±1.27° (N=14). Robotic milling of the natural-root implant shape with singleand double-root was also tested, and the results proved that their complicated volumes can be removed as designed by the robot. The milling time for singleand double-root shape was 177 s and 1522 s, respectively.
Scalable Quadrature Spatial Modulation

We consider quadrature spatial modulation (QSM) schemes, which achieve high spectral efficiency (SE) via the dispersion of a relatively small number P of M-ary modulated symbols over a large number of combinations of nT transmit antennas and T transmit instances. In particular, we design a new space-time block code (STBC)-based scalable QSM scheme combining high SE with maximum diversity and optimum coding gains. Deriving a closed-form expression for the optimum SE, we show that scaling the size T with nT not only is required to achieve SE optimality, but also results in further gains in bit error rate (BER) performance. Building on the latter optimal parameterization, a fully optimized scalable QSM (OS-QSM) transmitter design is then obtained by introducing a new dispersion matrix index selection algorithm that ensures even utilization of spatial-temporal resources. Finally, a new greedy boxed iterative shrinkage thresholding algorithm (GB-ISTA) QSM receiver is proposed, which exploits the inherent sparsity of QSM signals and while detecting spatially and digitally modulated bits in a greedy fashion. The resulting low complexity of the new receiver, which is linear on nT , enables the utilization of OS-QSM in systems of previously prohibitive dimensions.
Investigations on the Efficacy of Ozone as an Environmental Sanitizer in Large Supermarkets

Awareness of the importance of the microbial contamination of air and surfaces has increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of bacteria and fungi in the air and on surfaces within some critical areas of large supermarkets with and without an ozonation system. Surveys were conducted in four supermarkets belonging to the same commercial chain of an Apulian city in June 2021, of which two (A and B) were equipped with an ozonation system, and two (C and D) did not have any air-diffused remediation treatment. There was a statistically significant difference in the total bacterial count (TBC) and total fungal count (TFC) in the air between A/B and C/D supermarkets (p = 0.0042 and p = 0.0002, respectively). Regarding surfaces, a statistically significant difference in TBC emerged between A/B and C/D supermarkets (p = 0.0101). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study evaluating the effect of ozone on commercial structures in Italy. Future investigations, supported by a multidisciplinary approach, will make it possible to deepen the knowledge on this method of sanitation, in light of any other epidemic/pandemic waves.
A wind resource assessment at Aħrax Point: A node for central Mediterranean offshore wind resource evaluation

This article presents salient results from wind measurements conducted by the Malta Resources Authority at Aħrax Point on the Mediterranean island of Malta. The measurement exercise had the primary aim of enabling a better assessment of wind conditions in the near shore offshore environment, more specifically on an offshore reef known as Is-Sikka l-Bajda. The 80 metre wind monitoring mast installed at Aħrax Point generated data from various sensors at multiple monitoring levels and the analysis presented here divulges key parameters derived from this scientific study. The region lacks measured offshore wind data and the islands’ position in the central Mediterranean makes such a data bank useful for offshore wind resource assessments, as well as for comparison with results generated by mesoscale meteorological models. This study investigates wind behaviour at Aħrax Point as a multi-level measurement node and the results are also compared to a re-analysis dataset in order to establish similarities or deviations of specific wind parameters.
Image-Guided Percutaneous Ablation for Primary and Metastatic Tumors

Image-guided percutaneous ablation methods have been further developed during the recent two decades and have transformed the minimally invasive and precision features of treatment options targeting primary and metastatic tumors. They work by percutaneously introducing applicators to precisely destroy a tumor and offer much lower risks than conventional methods. There are usually shorter recovery periods, less bleeding, and more preservation of organ parenchyma, expanding the treatment options of patients with cancer who may not be eligible for resection. Image-guided ablation techniques are currently utilized for the treatment of primary and metastatic tumors in various organs including the liver, pancreas, kidneys, thyroid and parathyroid, prostate, lung, bone, and soft tissue. This article provides a brief review of the various imaging modalities and available ablation techniques and discusses their applications and associated complications in various organs.
Investigating the Outcomes of Aluminum Phosphide Poisoning in Khorshid Referral Hospital, Isfahan, Iran: A Retrospective Study

Objective: Aluminum phosphide (ALP) (rice-tablet) is a common cause of adult poisoning in Iran, including Isfahan. So far, no effective treatment has been identified for this poisoning. We aimed to investigate the outcome of ALP poisoned patients admitted to the clinical toxicology ward of Khorshid Hospital in Isfahan from 2017 to 2019. Methods: This chart-review study was performed on the population of ALP poisoned patients admitted to the clinical toxicology ward of Khorshid University Hospital from 2017 to 2019 treated with the hospital's new treatment protocol, using the complete enumeration approach. The outcomes were determined by reviewing and abstracting medical charts of ALP poisoned patients from the hospital archive. Findings: The most common complaints at admission were depressed consciousness (41.9%) and vomiting (32.2%). There was no significant change in blood sugar, pH, base excess (BE), and venous blood bicarbonate throughout their hospitalization (P > 0.05). Treatment outcomes had a significant relationship with blood pH 2 h and 6 h after admission and the BE 6 h after admission (P < 0.05). There was also a significant relationship between the outcome and the length of stay, initial ejection fraction (EF), and EF in predischarge echocardiography (P < 0.05). Out of 31 patients, 24 (77.4%) died within 72 h, 5 (16.1%) recovered without any complication, and 2 (6.5%) recovered with some complications. Conclusion: The mortality rate of ALP poisoned patients was reasonably high and can be attributed to the poor efficacy of the new treatment protocol or the long time it takes for patients to reach the hospital and start receiving treatments.
Reduced Platelet MAO-B Activity Is Associated with Psychotic, Positive, and Depressive Symptoms in PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a trauma-related disorder. Platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO-B) is a peripheral biomarker associated with various symptoms in different psychopathologies, but its role in PTSD or different symptoms in PTSD is not clear. This study elucidated the association between platelet MAO-B activity and clinical symptoms occurring in PTSD. Platelet MAO-B activity was determined in 1053 male Caucasian subjects: 559 war veterans with PTSD (DSM-5 criteria), 62 combat exposed veterans who did not develop PTSD, and 432 non-combat exposed healthy controls. Clinical symptoms in PTSD were determined using CAPS and PANSS. Platelet MAO-B activity, controlled for the effect of smoking, was significantly increased in PTSD with severe versus mild and moderate traumatic symptoms, and was significantly decreased in PTSD subjects with severe versus mild positive, psychotic, and depressive symptoms. This finding was further confirmed with reduced platelet MAO-B activity in PTSD veterans with severe versus mild individual items of the PANSS-depressed, PANSS-psychotic, and PANSS-positive subscales. Altered platelet MAO-B activity, controlled for the possible confounders, was associated with the development and severity of different symptoms occurring in PTSD. These findings confirmed the role of platelet MAO-B activity as a peripheral marker of various psychopathological symptoms.
Impact of Gingivitis on Circulating Neutrophil Reactivity and Gingival Crevicular Fluid Inflammatory Proteins

Gingivitis is an extremely common oral inflammatory condition and can be induced in humans using an acute 21-day experimental gingivitis model. Neutrophils are known to be highly prevalent in the gingival crevice during gingival inflammation; however, the effect of gingivitis and the associated biofilm on peripheral blood neutrophils (PBN) is not well characterised. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the impact of inflammation induced by experimental gingivitis and its resolution upon the function of PBN. Fifteen systemically healthy volunteers undertook a split-mouth 21-day experimental gingivitis study followed by a resolution phase of 14 days. PBN function, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) release, directional chemotactic accuracy and expression of host mediators in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF), were measured at baseline (day 0), on day 21 and on day 35. NET formation and ROS production were significantly elevated at day 21. Chemotactic speed was also elevated in response to bacterial peptide fMLP at day 21. At day 35, ROS production in response to an Fcgamma stimulant, opsonised Staphylococcus aureus, remained elevated. The data presented suggest a lasting biological impact of the experimental gingivitis on PBN function even after clinical symptoms have abated.
Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-Apoptotic, and Antioxidant Roles of Honey, Royal Jelly, and Propolis in Suppressing Nephrotoxicity Induced by Doxorubicin in Male Albino Rats

Nephrotoxicity is one of the limiting factors for using doxorubicin (DOX). Honey, propolis, and royal jelly were evaluated for their ability to protect against nephrotoxicity caused by DOX. Forty-two adult albino rats were divided into control groups. The DOX group was injected i.p. with a weekly dose of 3 mg/kg of DOX for six weeks. The DOX plus honey treated group was injected with DOX and on the next day, received 500 mg/kg/day of honey orally for 21 days. The DOX plus royal jelly treated group was injected with DOX and on the following day, received 100 mg/kg/day of royal jelly orally for 21 days. The DOX plus propolis treated group received DOX and on the following day, was treated orally with 50 mg/kg/day of propolis for 21 days. The DOX plus combined treatment group received DOX and on the following day, was treated with a mix of honey, royal jelly, and propolis orally for 21 days. Results confirmed that DOX raised creatinine, urea, MDA, and TNF-α while decreasing GPX and SOD. Damages and elevated caspase-3 expression were discovered during renal tissue’s histopathological and immunohistochemical studies. Combined treatment with honey, royal jelly, and propolis improved biochemical, histological, and immunohistochemical studies in the renal tissue. qRT-PCR revealed increased expression of poly (ADP-Ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) and a decline of Bcl-2 in the DOX group. However, combined treatment induced a significant decrease in the PARP-1 gene and increased Bcl-2 expression levels. In addition, the combined treatment led to significant improvement in the expression of both PARP-1 and Bcl-2 genes. In conclusion, the combined treatment effectively inhibited nephrotoxicity induced by DOX.
Feature pyramid network with self-guided attention refinement module for crack segmentation

Automated pavement crack segmentation is challenging due to the random shape of cracks, complex background textures and the presence of miscellaneous objects. In this paper, we implemented a Self-Guided Attention Refinement module and incorporated it on top of a Feature Pyramid Network (FPN) to model long-range contextual information. The module uses multi-scale features integrated from different layers in the FPN to refine the features at each layer of the FPN using a self-attention mechanism. The module enables the earlier layers and deeper layers of FPN to suppress noise and increase the crack details, respectively. The proposed network obtains an F1 score of 79.43% and 96.19% on the Crack500 and CFD datasets, respectively. Furthermore, the network also generalizes better than other state-of-the-art methods when tested on uncropped Crack500 and field images using the weights trained on CFD. In addition, ablation tests using the Crack500 dataset are conducted. The Self-Guided Attention Refinement module increases the average F1 score and recall by 0.6% and 0.8% while roughly maintaining the average precision. From the ablation test, the inclusion of the Self-Guided Attention Refinement module allows the network to segment finer and more continuous cracks. Then, the module is incorporated on PANet, DeepLab v3+ and U-Net to verify the improvements made to FPN. The results show that the module improves the F1 score, precision and recall compared to the absence of it. Moreover, the Self-Guided Attention Refinement Module is compared with the Self-Adaptive Sparse Transform Module (SASTM). The results show that the Self-Guided Attention Refinement Module provides a more consistent improvement.
Short-Term Exposure Effects of the Environmental Endocrine Disruptor Benzo(a)Pyrene on Thyroid Axis Function in Zebrafish

Benzo(a)Pyrene (BaP) is one of the most widespread polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with endocrine disrupting properties and carcinogenic effects. In the present study, we tested the effect of BaP on thyroid development and function, using zebrafish as a model system. Zebrafish embryos were treated with 50 nM BaP from 2.5 to 72 h post fertilization (hpf) and compared to 1.2% DMSO controls. The expression profiles of markers of thyroid primordium specification, thyroid hormone (TH) synthesis, hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis, TH transport and metabolism, and TH action were analyzed in pools of treated and control embryos at different developmental stages. BaP treatment did not affect early markers of thyroid differentiation but resulted in a significant decrease of markers of TH synthesis (tg and nis) likely secondary to defective expression of the central stimulatory hormones of thyroid axis (trh, tshba) and of TH metabolism (dio2). Consequently, immunofluorescence of BaP treated larvae showed a low number of follicles immunoreactive to T4. In conclusion, our results revealed that the short-term exposure to BaP significantly affects thyroid function in zebrafish, but the primary toxic effects would be exerted at the hypothalamic-pituitary level thus creating a model of central hypothyroidism.
Cytokine Profiles as Potential Prognostic and Therapeutic Markers in SARS-CoV-2-Induced ARDS

Background. Glucocorticoids (GCs) have been shown to reduce mortality and the need for invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) in SARS-CoV-2-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). It has been suggested that serum cytokines levels are markers of disease severity in ARDS, although there is only limited evidence of a relationship between the longitudinal cytokine profile and clinical outcomes in patients with SARS-CoV-2-induced ARDS treated with GC. Methods. We conducted a single-center observational study to investigate serial plasma cytokine levels in 17 patients supported with non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in order to compare the response in five patients who progressed to IMV versus 12 patients who continued with NIV alone. All patients received methylprednisolone 80 mg/day continuous infusion until clinical improvement. Results. The study groups were comparable at baseline. All patients survived. Although IL-6 was higher in the NIV group at baseline, several cytokines were significantly higher in the IMV group on day 7 (IL-6, IL-8, IL-9, G-CSF, IP-10, MCP-1, MIP-1α) and 14 (IL-6, IL-8, IL-17, G-CSF, MIP-1α, RANTES). No significant differences were observed between groups on day 28. Conclusions. Patients in the IMV group had higher inflammation levels at intubation than the NIV group, which may indicate a higher resistance to glucocorticoids. Higher GC doses or a longer treatment duration in these patients might have allowed for a better control of inflammation and a better outcome. Further studies are required to define the prognostic value of cytokine patterns, in terms of both GC treatment tailoring and timely initiation of IMV.
Examining Risk Perception and Coping Strategies of Senior High School Teachers in Ghana: Does COVID-19-Related Knowledge Matter?

Previous research has established the link between COVID-19 risk perception and the coping behaviors of teachers in different countries. However, these studies have revealed inconsistent result patterns. Moreover, little is known about the role of COVID-19 knowledge in the link between risk perception and the coping strategies of teachers. This study, therefore, examines the relationship between COVID-19 risk perception and the coping behaviors of teachers, as well as the moderating effect of COVID-19 knowledge in this link. Through the convenience sampling technique, a cross-sectional sample of 376 teachers was recruited to respond to a questionnaire. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were used in analyzing the data. It was revealed that COVID-19 risk perception was positively correlated with active coping strategy and negatively associated with emotional support. Further, results showed that with the a high level of COVID-19 risk perception, teachers with a high level of knowledge are less likely to adopt emotional support coping. In contrast, teachers with low knowledge levels will exhibit a higher probability of adopting emotional support coping. The study projects the need for enhancing the knowledge of teachers while conscientizing them on the risky nature of COVID-19 through health education and promotion.
Modified Trabeculectomy versus Glaucoma Drainage Implant Surgery: A Retrospective Comparative Study for Refractory Glaucoma Treatment

Purpose To observe and compare the efficacy of modified trabeculectomy (TE), Ahmed drainage valve implantation (AGV), and EX-PRESS glaucoma shunt for refractory glaucoma (RG). Methods The study population of this retrospective study comprised 73 patients (76 eyes) who were suffering from RG and treated with modified TE, AGV, and EX-PRESS glaucoma shunt in our hospital from October 2012 to October 2020. The number of cases who underwent modified TE, AVG, and EX-PRESS glaucoma shunt was 36 (38 eyes). 19 (20 eyes), and 18 patients (18 eyes), respectively. The intraocular pressure (IOP), best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), postoperative antiglaucoma medications, filter bubble morphology, anterior chamber depth (ACD), successful rate, and postoperative complications were recorded and statistically analyzed preoperative and 1 d, 1 w, 1 mon, 3 mon, 6 mon, and the end follow-up after operation. Results The BCVA differed insignificantly among the three cohorts before and 6 months after surgery. Compared to preoperative BCVA, the postoperative BCVA of the three groups had no statistical significance. An obvious reduction in IOP was observed in all the three group after operation (P < 0.05). An obvious decrease in antiglaucoma medications was observed after surgery in all the three groups (P < 0.05). The AGV group showed deeper ACD postoperatively, while no marked difference was found in postoperative ACD in the other two groups. The total success rates in modified TE and AGV groups were slightly higher than those in the EX-PRESS group. The three groups differed insignificantly in filter bubble morphology after operation. Conclusion Modified TE, AGV, and EX-PRESS glaucoma shunt showed equivalent efficacy for RG, which could validly reduce IOP and postoperative antiglaucoma medications. However, the success rates of modified TE and AGV were slightly higher than those of EX-PRESS glaucoma shunt in the last follow-up, and their complications were slightly less than those of the EX-PRESS glaucoma shunt.