Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of dexmedetomidine-based opioid-free anesthesia on the control of surgery-induced inflammatory response and outcomes in patients undergoing open abdominal hysterectomy

ABSTRACT Objectives To compare the effect of opioid-based (OB-GA) versus opioid-free intraoperative analgesia during general anesthesia (OF-GA) and epidural anesthesia (EA) during open abdominal hysterectomy on pro-inflammatory cytokines’ levels estimated in blood samples obtained at end of surgery (S2) and 24-hr (S3) postoperative (PO). Patients Patients of OF-GA group received loading doses of dexmedetomidine (DEX; 0.6 µg/kg) and Lidocaine (LID; 1.5 mg/kg) and intraoperative (IO) DEX (1 µg/kg) and LID (20 mg/ ml) infusions. GA was provided as sevoflurane inhalational anesthesia and EA was provided as loading dose (15 ml) of 0.5% bupivacaine and intermittent doses if required. The study outcome is the effect of anesthetic techniques on S2 and S3-samples’ serum cytokines’ levels. Results PO serum cytokines’ levels were significantly higher than preoperative levels with significantly higher levels in S2-sample of patients OB-GA patients compared to patients of other groups. In the S3 sample, serum cytokines’ levels were decreased after OB-GA but increased after OF-GA and EA. OF-GA provided better IO hemodynamic control and PO lower cytokines’ levels, pain scores and consumption of rescue analgesia. Satisfaction scores were significantly higher by OF-GA and LA. Conclusion DEX-based OF-GA provided better IO and PO control on surgical inflammatory response with improved PO outcomes regarding analgesia and adverse effects. EA also allowed IO control on cytokines’ levels but PO rebound was detected.
Higher-Order Thinking Skills and Scientific Attitudes Components as Predictors of Scientific Creativity Among Preservice Biology Teachers

The study assessed preservice biology teachers' higher-order thinking skills (HOTS), scientific attitudes, and creativity in the study area. The study also evaluated how the components of HOTS and scientific attitudes predict scientific creativity to determine which elements were strong predictors of scientific creativity. The study adopted a correlational survey research design. The population consists of all preservice Biology teachers in Southwestern Colleges of education, from which five hundred were randomly selected from five colleges of education. Three instruments, including Higher Order Thinking skills Test, Scientific Attitude questionnaire, and Scientific Creativity Test, were used to collect data for the study. The result showed that the HOTS scores of the respondents were low, with low mean scores of 2.54, 1.22, and 1.88 from a total maximum possible score of 9, 5, and 6, respectively, the cognitive (=20.00), emotional (=19.05), attitudinal components (=26.67). The mean score for fluency, flexibility, and originality were 14.00, 12.00, and 13.00. It was also seen that a correlation exists between sex and HOTS. The study finally showed that the Analysis (t=2.597, p<0.05) and evaluation (t= 2.115, p<0.05) components of HOTS predict scientific Creativity while cognitive component teachers (t=2.373, p<0.05) of Scientific attitude predicts Scientific Creativity.
Model Construction of Warm Water Temperature of Heat Source in an OTEC Experimental Plant via Stochastic Process

In this research, a model for warm water temperature of heat source in an ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) experimental plant is constructed. First, a model is constructed based on experimental data, where the model is assumed to be represented as the first order system. Secondly, in order to improve the difference between the model and experimental data, an improved model is considered by introducing a stochastic process which is assumed to be a white Gaussian process. Finally, the behavior of the constructed model in this research is verified through simulation results.
A 5G Enabled Shared-Aperture, Dual-Band, in-Rim Antenna System for Wireless Handsets

In this work, we present a shared aperture (SA), dual-band in metal-rim antenna system targeting the sub-6GHz and millimeter-wave (mm-wave) bands of the 5G wireless standard. The antenna system consists of a SA cactus-shaped slot engraved on the side of standard mobile terminal rim that hosts a microwave radiating structure covering the sub-6 GHz bands as well as a 4-element slot based connected antenna array (SB-CAA) covering the mm-wave bands. This provides a compact sized solution for multiband operation within these bands. The CAA has beam forming capabilities where the beam can be steered between +/− 30 degrees with acceptable gain and side lobe levels (SLL). A single 4-element slot based in-rim SB-CAA is also proposed that covered more than 6 GHz of frequency bandwidth (25.5–32 GHz) with a total efficiency exceeding 85% and realized averaged gain of 8.2 dBi over the bands covered. The SA cactus antenna structure had a bandwidth exceeding 3.5 GHz with total efficiency exceeding 75% and an average realized gain of 8 dBi between 26.5 – 30 GHz. For the microwave band covered (3.45-3.56 GHz) by this SA cactus antenna, a bandwidth of 140 MHz, efficiency of 90% with 2.5 dBi of measured gain were achieved.
Development of renal function during staged balloon pulmonary angioplasty for inoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension

Abstract Balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA), for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, improves pulmonary and systemic hemodynamics. The kidney might benefit from this effect. However, staged BPA therapy comes along with repetitive administration of contrast agent. This study examined the overall effect of BPA therapy on renal function. This study included consecutive patients who underwent BPA treatment and completed a 6-month follow-up between March 2014 and March 2017. Biomarker-based evaluation of renal function was performed at baseline, consecutively prior to and after each BPA and at 6-month follow-up. The 51 patients underwent an average of 5 (±2) BPA sessions. In this course, patients received 133 (±48; 21–300) mL of contrast agent per session and 691 (±24; 240–1410) mL during the whole sequence. Acute kidney injury occurred after 6 (2.3%) procedures. The creatinine [80.1 (IQR 67.8–96.8) µmol/L vs. 77.4 (IQR 66.9–91.5) µmol/L, p = . 02] and urea level [13.7 (IQR10.7–16.6) mmol/L vs. 12.5 (IQR 10.0–15.5) mmol/L, p = . 02] decreased from baseline to the 6-month follow-up. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) [79 (IQR 59–94) mL/min/m2 vs. 79.6 (IQR 67.1–95.0) mL/min/m2, p = . 11] did not change. The Chronic kidney disease (CKD) stages at baseline were: G1:15; G2:23; G3a:10; G3b:2; G4:1; G5:0. Among patients with a CKD-stage ≥2, analysis revealed an increase of eGFR, decrease of creatinine and urea from baseline to 6-month follow-up. Among those patients, the baseline-CKD-stage improved in 14 (41.2%) patients. BPA therapy improves pulmonary and systemic hemodynamics, with positive effects on renal function. Repetitive administration of contrast agent seems not to be harmful regarding renal function.
Secure Transmission in NOMA-Aided Multiuser Visible Light Communication Broadcasting Network With Cooperative Precoding Design

In this paper, we study the secrecy performance of non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) enabled visible light communication (VLC) broadcast channels in the presence of an active eavesdropper (Eve). The considered VLC system consists of multiple separately distributed light-emitting diodes arrays and multiple randomly located users (UEs) in an indoor room. User clustering is conducted to reduce the implementation complexity of successive interference cancellations. Two cooperative precoding strategies based on zero-forcing (ZF) and maximum ratio transmission (MRT) are designed using the effective channel of each cluster. Based on each precoding strategy, a sum secrecy rate maximization problem is developed to obtain the near-optimal power allocation (PA) to strengthen UEs’ confidential transmission and degrade Eve’s reception under minimum secrecy rate requirement, peak amplitude, non-negativity, and power constraints. To tackle the challenging non-convex problem for each precoding strategy, equivalent transformations and arithmetic-geometric mean approximation are conducted to convert the original problem into a series of geometric programming (GP) problems. Based on the reformulated problems, iterative algorithms are proposed to obtain near-optimal solutions by solving the GP problems through successive convex approximations. The convergence and complexity analysis of the proposed algorithms are studied. Simulation results show that the sum security performance of the proposed PA approach outperforms conventional PA approaches in both ZF-based and MRT-based precoder schemes. The effectiveness of applying NOMA compared with the orthogonal multiple access-based scheme is also validated for the proposed system.
Efficacy of conservative treatment on exacerbation of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

Scoliosis is defined as a deviation from the normal vertical line of the spine and consists of a lateral curvature in which the spine rotates within the curvature. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is the most common form of scoliosis and the cause is unknown. In this study, it was investigated whether conservative treatment for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (CONTRAIS) reduced the patient’s Cobb angle, and the effect of CONTRAIS according to the severity of idiopathic scoliosis and the efficacy of CONTRAIS by spinal region were also verified. Idiopathic scoliosis patients with a Cobb angle of 10° or more were recruited and classified into mild, moderate, and severe groups according to the Cobb angle (°). Cobb angle was measured radiographically before and after 10 weeks of treatment. A combination of CONTRAIS, including physical therapy, exercise therapy, manual therapy, and home exercise was prescribed for all patients. The patients visited the hospital 3 times a week for 10 weeks for treatment, and exercised at home for 20 min every day. In this study, the effect of reducing Cobb angle of CONTRAIS did not differ according to the spinal region. Also, the Cobb angle reduction effect of CONTRAIS was more effective in severe group. This study may suggest that early detection and treatment through CONTRAIS enables successful correction of AIS.
TemporalNet: Real-time 2D-3D Video Object Detection

Designing a video detection network based on state-of-the-art single-image object detectors may seem like an obvious choice. However, video object detection has extra challenges due to the lower quality of individual frames in a video, and hence the need to include temporal information for high-quality detection results. We design a novel interleaved architecture combining a 2D convolutional network and a 3D temporal network. To explore inter-frame information, we propose feature aggregation based on a temporal network. Our TemporalNet utilizes Appearance-preserving 3D convolution (AP3D) for extracting aligned features in the temporal dimension. Our temporal network functions at multiple scales for better performance, which allows communication between 2D and 3D blocks at each scale and also across scales. Our TemporalNet is a plug-and-play block that can be added to a multi-scale single-image detection network without any adjustments in the network architecture. When TemporalNet is applied to Yolov3 it is real-time with a running time of 35ms/frame on a low-end GPU. Our real-time approach achieves 77.1 % mAP (mean Average Precision) on ImageNet VID 2017 dataset with TemporalNet-4, where TemporalNet-16 achieves 80.9 % mAP which is a competitive result.
Between-side differences in hand-grip strength across the age span: Findings from 2011–2014 NHANES and 2011 NIH Toolbox studies

ABSTRACT This project was undertaken to describe percentage differences in the grip strength between the dominant and nondominant-sides of left- and right-handed males and females across the age span. Data used in the project were from population-based samples of participants: 13,653 from the 2011–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and 3,571 from the 2011 normative phase of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Toolbox project. Depending on how percentage differences were calculated, the overall grip strength was a mean 5.0–5.6% greater on the dominant than nondominant side. The percentage differences were significantly greater for individuals who were right-hand dominant rather than left-hand dominant. The differences also varied according to gender. We present summary data for percentage differences stratified by study, handedness, and gender. The values can be used to determine whether grip strength on one side is limited relative to the other.
Cranioplasty and temporal hollowing correction with a three-dimensional printed bioresorbable mesh and double vertical suture anchor muscle sling: a case report

Postoperative temporal hollowing is a common complication of craniotomy. Damage and repositioning of the temporalis muscle can lead to a depression in the temporal side of the skull with inferior bulging, worsening aesthetic outcomes. We report a case of cranioplasty with three-dimensional (3D) printed mesh involving an additional correction using a temporalis muscle sling to help address this problem. A 3D-printed bioabsorbable mesh was prepared based on preoperative facial computed tomography, and was fixed to the hollowed area for tissue augmentation. The temporalis muscle was elevated and fanned out to its original position, and a sling was attached to a screw that was fixed to the mesh. For reinforcement, an additional sling was attached to another screw fixed to the mesh 2–3 cm vertically above the first screw. Aesthetic results were confirmed immediately after surgery and later during outpatient follow-up. Both depression and lateral bulging were resolved, and there was no delayed drooping of the temporalis muscle on 6-month follow-up. There were no complications, and the patient was satisfied with the appearance. This is a simple yet effective technique with a low risk of complications, and should be considered for postoperative temporal hollowing patients, especially those with severe lateral bulging.
The Effect of Autonomy and Self-Control on Changes in Healthy Lifestyles of Inactive College Students through Regular Exercise

This study aimed to verify the influence of autonomy and self-control as psychological factors on the changes in lifestyles of inactive college students by participating in regular exercise. A total of 188 university students in Seoul, Korea, taking physical fitness classes for 5 weeks held three times a week participated in the surveys. Surveys were conducted in the first session (T1) and 15th session (T2) of the classes. Autonomy in exercise participation and self-control were measured at T1, and healthy lifestyle was measured at both T1 and T2. A paired t-test was used to measure the changes in healthy lifestyle between two time points, and hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to determine the effect of autonomy in exercise participation and self-control measured at T1 on the healthy lifestyle score at T2. According to the analysis, participants’ healthy lifestyles were improved with a statistically significant difference between pre- and post-exercise. Furthermore, the levels of autonomy and self-control before the fitness classes positively influenced the participants’ healthy lifestyle after the classes even when the influence of healthy lifestyle measured before the classes was controlled. Thus, it was confirmed that autonomy for participation and self-control are important to change one’s healthy lifestyle through regular exercise participation.
Hypertension in Metabolic Syndrome: novel insights.

BACKGROUND The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is characterized by the simultaneous presence of obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia in an individual, leading to increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. It affects almost 35% of the US adult population, while its' prevalence increases with age. Elevated blood pressure is the most frequent component of the syndrome; however, up to date, the optimal antihypertensive regiment has not been defined. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this review is to present the proposed definitions for the metabolic syndrome, as well as the prevalence of hypertension in this condition. Moreover, evidence regarding the metabolic properties of the different antihypertensive drug classes and their effect on MetS will be displayed. METHOD A comprehensive review of the literature was performed to identify data from clinical studies for the prevalence, pathophysiology and treatment of hypertension in the metabolic syndrome. RESULTS Hypertension is present in almost 80% of patients with the metabolic syndrome. The use of thiazide diuretics and b-blockers has been discouraged in this population; however, new evidence suggests their use under specific conditions. Calcium channel blockers seem to exert a neutral effect on MetS, while renin-angiotensin system inhibitors are believed to be of the most benefit, although differences exist between the different agents of this category. CONCLUSION Controversy still exists regarding the optimal antihypertensive treatment for hypertension in MetS. Due to the high prevalence of hypertension in this population, more data from clinical trials are needed in the future.
Reducing False Arrhythmia Alarms Using Different Methods of Probability and Class Assignment in Random Forest Learning Methods

The literature indicates that 90% of clinical alarms in intensive care units might be false. This high percentage negatively impacts both patients and clinical staff. In patients, false alarms significantly increase stress levels, which is especially dangerous for cardiac patients. In clinical staff, alarm overload might lead to desensitization and could result in true alarms being ignored. In this work, we applied the random forest method to reduce false arrhythmia alarms and specifically explored different methods of probability and class assignment, as these affect the classification accuracy of the ensemble classifiers. Due to the complex nature of the problem, i.e., five types of arrhythmia and several methods to determine probability and the alarm class, a synthetic measure based on the ranks was proposed. The novelty of this contribution is the design of a synthetic measure that helps to leverage classification results in an ensemble model that indicates a decision path leading to the best result in terms of the area under the curve (AUC) measure or the global accuracy (score). The results of the research are promising. The best performance in terms of the AUC was 100% accuracy for extreme tachycardia, whereas the poorest results were for ventricular tachycardia at 87%. Similarly, in terms of the accuracy, the best results were observed for extreme tachycardia (91%), whereas ventricular tachycardia alarms were the most difficult to detect, with an accuracy of only 51%.
Capsaicin Targets Lipogenesis in HepG2 Cells Through AMPK Activation, AKT Inhibition and PPARs Regulation

Obesity, a major risk factor for chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes (T2D), represents a serious primary health problem worldwide. Dietary habits are of special interest to prevent and counteract the obesity and its associated metabolic disorders, including lipid steatosis. Capsaicin, a pungent compound of chili peppers, has been found to ameliorate diet-induced obesity in rodents and humans. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of capsaicin on hepatic lipogenesis and to delineate the underlying signaling pathways involved, using HepG2 cells as an experimental model. Cellular neutral lipids, stained with BODIPY493/503, were quantified by flow cytometry, and the protein expression and activity were determined by immunoblotting. Capsaicin reduced basal neutral lipid content in HepG2 cells, as well that induced by troglitazone or by oleic acid. This effect of capsaicin was prevented by dorsomorphin and GW9662, pharmacological inhibitors of AMPK and PPARγ, respectively. In addition, capsaicin activated AMPK and inhibited the AKT/mTOR pathway, major regulators of hepatic lipogenesis. Furthermore, capsaicin blocked autophagy and increased PGC-1α protein. These results suggest that capsaicin behaves as an anti-lipogenic compound in HepG2 cells.
Proposal for asymmetric photoemission and tunneling spectroscopies in quantum simulators of the triangular-lattice Fermi-Hubbard model

Recent realization of well-controlled quantum simulators of the triangular-lattice Fermi-Hubbard model, including the triangular optical lattices loaded with ultracold Fermions and the heterostructures of the transition-metal dichalcogenides, as well as the more advanced techniques to probe them, pave the way for studying frustrated Fermi-Hubbard physics. Here, we theoretically predict asymmetric photoemission and tunneling spectroscopies for a lightly hole-doped and electron-doped triangular Mott antiferromagnet, and reveal two distinct types of magnetic polarons: a lightly renormalized quasiparticle with the same momentum as the spin background and a heavily renormalized quasiparticle with a shifted momentum and a nearly ﬂat band, using both analytical and unbiased numerical methods. We propose these theoretical ﬁndings to be veriﬁed in frustrated optical lattices and Moir´e superlattices by probing various observables including the spectral function, the density of states, the energy dispersion and the quasiparticle weight. Moreover, we reveal the asymmetric response of the spin background against charge doping, demonstrating that the interplay between the local spin and charge degrees of freedom plays a vital role in doped triangular Mott antiferromagnets.
Ultrasound-Triggered Spatiotemporal Delivery of Topotecan and Curcumin as Combination Therapy for Cancer

Chemotherapy is limited by the low availability of drug at the tumor site and drug resistance by the tumor. In this report we describe a combination therapy for codelivery of two anticancer drugs with spatiotemporal control by ultrasound pulses. We developed curcumin and topotecan–coencapsulated nanoconjugates Cur_Tpt_NC. MB to have an ultrasound contrast property. MDA MB 231 and B16F10 cells were incubated with Cur_Tpt_NC. MB and exposed to ultrasound. Ultrasound exposure reduced the IC50 concentration of topotecan and curcumin significantly (P < 0.05) compared with free drug. Antitumor efficacy study of the Cur_Tpt_NC. MB in B16F10 melanoma tumor–bearing C57BL/6 mice showed that ultrasound exposure of right tumor reduced growth by 3.5 times compared with the unexposed left tumor of same mice and 14.8 times compared with a group treated with a physical mixture of drugs. These results suggest that the nanotherapeutic system we developed induces site-specific inhibition of tumor growth at a high rate and has the potential to be used as a therapeutic regimen for spatiotemporal delivery of dual drugs for treatment of cancer.