Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stoichiometry Dependence of Physical and Electrochemical Properties of the SnOx Film Anodes Deposited by Pulse DC Magnetron Sputtering

A batch of Sn oxides was fabricated by pulse direct current reactive magnetron sputtering (pDC−RMS) using different Ar/O2 flow ratios at 0.3 Pa; the influence of stoichiometry on the physical and electrochemical properties of the films was evaluated by the characterization of scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray reflection (XRR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and more. The results were as follows. First, the film surface transitioned from a particle morphology (roughness of 50.0 nm) to a smooth state (roughness of 3.7 nm) when Ar/O2 flow ratios changed from 30/0 to 23/7; second, all SnOx films were in an amorphous state, some samples deposited with low O2 flow ratios (≤2 sccm) still included metallic Sn grains. Therefore, the stoichiometry of SnOx calculated by XPS spectra increased linearly from SnO0.0. 08 to SnO1.71 as the O2 flow ratios increased, and the oxidation degree was further calibrated by the average valence method and SnO2 standard material. Finally, the electrochemical performance was confirmed to be improved with the increase in oxidation degree (x) in SnOx, and the SnO1.71 film deposited with Ar/O2 = 23/7 possessed the best cycle performance, reversible capacity of 396.1 mAh/g and a capacity retention ratio of 75.4% after 50 cycles at a constant current density of 44 μA/cm2.
User Experience of the Mobile Terminal Customization System: The Influence of Interface Design and Educational Background on Personalized Customization

The study verified the role that different interface designs and users’ educational backgrounds play in the task performance and subjective evaluation of mobile terminal customization system. Interface type (based on scroll, alternative, and attribute) and user group (college students and industrial workers) were employed as the variables. A total of 72 users were included in the study, and an analysis of 3 × 2 between-participants design indicated that (1) Different interface designs of customization systems had a significant difference in task performance, the alternative based interface had the best results in the task performance, and there was no significant difference between the attribute-based and scroll-based interfaces in task performance; (2) The matching between educational background and interface type will affect the users’ evaluation on system usability. Industrial workers thought that the scroll-based and alternative-based interfaces were more useable, while college students preferred attribute-based interface design; (3) Different interfaces had a significant difference in user task load. The scroll-based interface had the lowest mental demand on the users, while alternative-based had the lowest physical demand on the users, though it consumed more effort; (4) Different educational backgrounds had a significant difference in user task load. Industrial workers showed lower effort in the scroll-based and alternative-based interfaces, while college students had lower effort in the attribution-based interface; (5) A correlation analysis showed that there was a significant negative correlation between the system usability score and the effort in task load. This study results have a positive significance for interface design. With educational background and layout as two important factors in our interface design, we may obtain the most appropriate design principles for enhancing the online customization experiences of different groups of consumers. The more important is that this study is based on the actual needs of the industry. For the first time, we take suitcase as an online customized product, which may not only help local manufacturers to extend their traditional offline distribution channels to online, but also provide a constructive thinking concerning interface design for customization of a single product.
Investigating the Relationship between Stress and Self-Rated Health during the Financial Crisis and Recession in 2008: The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction and Social Support in Spain

Background: the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent recession had a strong impact on employment and certain health indicators, such as mental health. Many studies carried out with diverse samples attest to the negative influence of stress on health. However, few studies focus on stress and self-rated health among the Spanish workforce, or analyse which variables can act as a buffer against the negative effects of stress on self-perceived health. Aim: to analyse the mediator role of social support and job satisfaction in the relationship between work-related stress and self-rated health among the Spanish working population between 2006 and 2017. Method: repeated cross-sectional study using Spanish Surveys from 2006 to 2017, a total of 32.105 participants (47.4% women) aged 16 years and over (M = 42.3, SD = 10.7) answered a series of questions about work-related stress (PV), self-rated health (CV), job satisfaction, and social support (mediator variables) through the National Health Survey (NHS) prevalences of work-related stress, self-rated health, job satisfaction, and social support were calculated (standardised by age). We performed mediation/moderation analysis with Macro Process for SPSS to analyse the role of social support and job satisfaction in the relationship between self-rated health and work-related stress among the Spanish working population. Results: three mediation analyses were conducted, one for each time point in the study period. The results revealed a significant direct association between stress and job satisfaction. In the 2006 model, both job satisfaction and social support acted as mediators between stress and self-rated health, while in the 2011 and 2017 models, only job satisfaction acted as a mediator. The data reveal that the working population in Spain has a good capacity for resilience, since no drop in health indicators was observed. Conclusion: following the economic recession, employment has partially recovered. However, social and employment policies are required to help the population face the recent situation triggered by the Coronavirus crisis.
Anti-Angiogenic Therapy: Current Challenges and Future Perspectives

Anti-angiogenic therapy is an old method to fight cancer that aims to abolish the nutrient and oxygen supply to the tumor cells through the decrease of the vascular network and the avoidance of new blood vessels formation. Most of the anti-angiogenic agents approved for cancer treatment rely on targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) actions, as VEGF signaling is considered the main angiogenesis promotor. In addition to the control of angiogenesis, these drugs can potentiate immune therapy as VEGF also exhibits immunosuppressive functions. Despite the mechanistic rational that strongly supports the benefit of drugs to stop cancer progression, they revealed to be insufficient in most cases. We hypothesize that the rehabilitation of old drugs that interfere with mechanisms of angiogenesis related to tumor microenvironment might represent a promising strategy. In this review, we deepened research on the molecular mechanisms underlying anti-angiogenic strategies and their failure and went further into the alternative mechanisms that impact angiogenesis. We concluded that the combinatory targeting of alternative effectors of angiogenic pathways might be a putative solution for anti-angiogenic therapies.
Simultaneous Estimation of Cinnamaldehyde and Eugenol in Essential Oils and Traditional and Ultrasound-Assisted Extracts of Different Species of Cinnamon Using a Sustainable/Green HPTLC Technique

A wide range of analytical techniques are reported for the determination of cinnamaldehyde (CCHO) and eugenol (EOH) in plant extracts and herbal formulations either alone or in combination. Nevertheless, sustainable/green analytical techniques for the estimation of CCHO and EOH either alone or in combination are scarce in the literature. Accordingly, the present research was carried out to establish a rapid, highly sensitive, and sustainable high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) technique for the simultaneous estimation of CCHO and EOH in the traditional and ultrasound-assisted methanolic extracts of Cinnamomum zeylanicum, C. burmannii, and C. cassia and their essential oils. The simultaneous estimation of CCHO and EOH was performed through NP-18 silica gel 60 F254S HPTLC plates. The cyclohexane/ethyl acetate (90:10, v v−1) solvent system was optimized as the mobile phase for the simultaneous estimation of CCHO and EOH. The greenness score of the HPTLC technique was predicted using AGREE software. The entire analysis was carried out at a detection wavelength of 296 nm for CCHO and EOH. The sustainable HPTLC technique was observed as linear in the range 10–2000 ng band−1 for CCHO and EOH. The proposed technique was found to be highly sensitive, rapid, accurate, precise, and robust for the simultaneous estimation of CCHO and EOH. The content of CCHO in traditional methanolic extracts of C. zeylanicum, C. burmannii, and C. cassia was found to be 96.36, 118.49, and 114.18 mg g−1, respectively. However, the content of CCHO in ultrasound-assisted methanolic extracts of C. zeylanicum, C. burmannii, and C. cassia was found to be 111.57, 134.39, and 129.07 mg g−1, respectively. The content of CCHO in essential oils of C. zeylanicum, C. burmannii, and C. cassia was found to be 191.20, 214.24, and 202.09 mg g−1, respectively. The content of EOH in traditional methanolic extracts of C. zeylanicum, C. burmannii, and C. cassia was found to be 73.38, 165.41, and 109.10 mg g−1, respectively. However, the content of EOH in ultrasound-assisted methanolic extracts of C. zeylanicum, C. burmannii, and C. cassia was found to be 87.20, 218.09, and 121.85 mg g−1, respectively. The content of EOH in essential oils of C. zeylanicum, C. burmannii, and C. cassia was found to be 61.26, 79.21, and 69.02 mg g−1, respectively. The amounts of CCHO and EOH were found to be significantly higher in ultrasound-assisted extracts of all species compared to its traditional extraction and hence ultrasound extraction has been proposed as a superior technique for the extraction of CCHO and EOH. The AGREE analytical score of the present analytical technique was predicted as 0.75, suggesting excellent greenness profile of the proposed analytical technique. Based on all these observations and results, the proposed sustainable HPTLC technique can be successfully used for the simultaneous estimation of CCHO and EOH in different plant extracts and herbal products.
Human Somatostatin SST4 Receptor Transgenic Mice: Construction and Brain Expression Pattern Characterization

Somatostatin receptor subtype 4 (SST4) has been shown to mediate analgesic, antidepressant and anti-inflammatory functions without endocrine actions; therefore, it is proposed to be a novel target for drug development. To overcome the species differences of SST4 receptor expression and function between humans and mice, we generated an SST4 humanized mouse line to serve as a translational animal model for preclinical research. A transposon vector containing the hSSTR4 and reporter gene construct driven by the hSSTR4 regulatory elements were created. The vector was randomly inserted in Sstr4-deficient mice. hSSTR4 expression was detected by bioluminescent in vivo imaging of the luciferase reporter predominantly in the brain. RT-qPCR confirmed the expression of the human gene in the brain and various peripheral tissues consistent with the in vivo imaging. RNAscope in situ hybridization revealed the presence of hSSTR4 transcripts in glutamatergic excitatory neurons in the CA1 and CA2 regions of the hippocampus; in the GABAergic interneurons in the granular layer of the olfactory bulb and in both types of neurons in the primary somatosensory cortex, piriform cortex, prelimbic cortex and amygdala. This novel SST4 humanized mouse line might enable us to investigate the differences of human and mouse SST4 receptor expression and function and assess the effects of SST4 receptor agonist drug candidates.
Designing Self-Sustainable Icephobic Layer by Introducing a Lubricating Un-Freezable Water Hydrogel from Sodium Polyacrylate on the Polyolefin Surface

A convenient, environment-friendly, and cost-effective method to keep anti-icing for a long time was highly desirable. Slippery lubricant layers were regarded to be effective and promising for anti-icing on different surfaces, but the drought-out of lubricants and the possible detriments to the environment were inevitable. By combining super-high molecular weight sodium polyacrylate (H-PAAS) with polyolefin through a one-pot method, a self-sustainable lubricating layer with extremely low ice adhesion of un-freezable water hydrogel was achieved at subzero conditions. The lubricant hydrogel layer could auto-spread and cover the surface of polyolefin after encountering supercooled water, frost, or ice. Due to the reduction of storage modulus in the interface, the ice adhesion of the specimen surfaces was far below 20 kPa, varying from 5.13 kPa to 18.95 kPa. Furthermore, the surfaces could preserve the fairly low adhesion after icing/de-icing cycles for over 15 times and thus exhibited sustainable durability. More importantly, this method could be introducing to various polymers and is of great promise for practical applications.
Psychological Distress, Fear of COVID-19, and Resilient Coping Abilities among Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary First-Line Hospital during the Coronavirus Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic is causing a heavy burden in hospital healthcare workers (HCW) in terms of increased work, organizational changes, risk exposure, and social stigma. The present study aims at evaluating the psychological outcome among HCWs at the final stages of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional and survey-based study was conducted during June 2020 among 996 HCWs of the University Hospital of Padova. All the subjects completed questionnaires investigating the perception of risk of infecting or being infected by COVID-19, psychopathological variables, and coping abilities. Compared to physicians and healthcare assistants, nurses showed higher levels of depression (p = 0.002), insomnia (p < 0.001), and generalized anxiety (p = 0.001). Females reported increased concerns about the possibility of infecting others (p = 0.046), greater anxiety (p < 0.001), COVID-19 related fears (p < 0.001), depression (p < 0.001), and post-traumatic distress (p < 0.001) than males. Being employed in a COVID-19 unit, being transferred to other units, and living with children and the elderly were factors associated with higher levels of psychological distress. Greater coping abilities were detected in physicians, and in those HCWs employed in COVID units. Our findings evidenced that the psychological consequences of the pandemic were non-homogeneously distributed across HCWs categories and pointed out the presence of specific in-hospital and out-of-hospital risk factors.
Trends in Hospital Admissions for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Men and Women in Spain, 1998 to 2018

The prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is rising faster in women in some countries. An observational time trends study was performed to assess the evolution of hospital admissions for COPD in men and women in Spain from 1998 to 2018. ICD-9 diagnostic codes (490–492, 496) from the minimum basic data set of hospital discharges were used. Age-standardised admission rates were calculated using the European Standard Population. Joinpoint regression models were fitted to estimate the annual percent change (APC). In 2018, the age-standardised admission rate per 100,000 population/year for COPD was five times higher in men (384.8, 95% CI: 381.7, 387.9) than in women (78.6, 95% CI: 77.4, 79.9). The average annual percent change (AAPC) was negative over the whole study period in men (−1.7%/year, 95% CI: −3.1, −0.2) but positive from 2010 to 2018 (1.1%/year, 95% CI: −0.8, 2.9). In women, the APC was −6.0% (95%CI: −7.1, −4.9) from 1998 to 2010, but the trend reversed direction in the 2010–2018 period (7.8%/year, 95% CI: 5.5, 10.2). Thus, admission rates for COPD decreased from 1998 to 2010 in both men and women but started rising again until 2018, modestly in men and sharply in women.
Pretherapeutic Imaging for Axillary Staging in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Ultrasound, MRI and FDG PET

Background: This systematic review aimed at comparing performances of ultrasonography (US), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) for axillary staging, with a focus on micro- or micrometastases. Methods: A search for relevant studies published between January 2002 and March 2018 was conducted in MEDLINE database. Study quality was assessed using the QUality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies checklist. Sensitivity and specificity were meta-analyzed using a bivariate random effects approach; Results: Across 62 studies (n = 10,374 patients), sensitivity and specificity to detect metastatic ALN were, respectively, 51% (95% CI: 43–59%) and 100% (95% CI: 99–100%) for US, 83% (95% CI: 72–91%) and 85% (95% CI: 72–92%) for MRI, and 49% (95% CI: 39–59%) and 94% (95% CI: 91–96%) for PET. Interestingly, US detects a significant proportion of macrometastases (false negative rate was 0.28 (0.22, 0.34) for more than 2 metastatic ALN and 0.96 (0.86, 0.99) for micrometastases). In contrast, PET tends to detect a significant proportion of micrometastases (true positive rate = 0.41 (0.29, 0.54)). Data are not available for MRI. Conclusions: In comparison with MRI and PET Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), US is an effective technique for axillary triage, especially to detect high metastatic burden without upstaging majority of micrometastases.
Brain Region-Dependent Effects of Neuropeptide Y on Conditioned Social Fear and Anxiety-Like Behavior in Male Mice

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) has anxiolytic-like effects and facilitates the extinction of cued and contextual fear in rodents. We have previously shown that the intracerebroventricular administration of NPY reduces the expression of social fear in a mouse model of social fear conditioning (SFC). In the present study, we aimed to identify the brain regions that mediate these effects of NPY. We show that NPY (0.1 nmol/0.2 µL/side) reduces the expression of SFC-induced social fear in a brain-region-dependent manner. In more detail, NPY reduced the expression of social fear when administered into the dorsolateral septum (DLS) and central amygdala (CeA), but not when administered into the dorsal hippocampus (DH), medial amygdala (MeA) and basolateral amygdala (BLA). We also investigated whether the reduced expression of social fear might partly be due to a reduced anxiety-like behavior, and showed that NPY exerted anxiolytic-like effects when administered into the DH, DLS, CeA and BLA, but not when administered into the MeA. This study identifies the DLS and the CeA as brain regions mediating the effects of NPY on the expression of social fear and suggests that partly distinct neural circuitries mediate the effects of NPY on the expression of social fear and on anxiety-like behavior.
Effect of D-Mannitol on the Microstructure and Rheology of Non-Aqueous Carbopol Microgels

D-mannitol is a common polyol that is used as additive in pharmaceutical and personal care product formulations. We investigated its effect on the microstructure and rheology of novel non-aqueous Carbopol dispersions employing traditional and time-resolved rheological analysis. We considered two types of sample, (i) fresh (i.e., mannitol completely dissolved in solution) and aged (i.e., visible in crystalline form). The analysis of the intracycle rheological transitions that were observed for different samples revealed that, when completely dissolved in solution, mannitol does not alter the rheological behaviour of the Carbopol dispersions. This highlights that the chemical similarity of the additive with the molecules of the surrounding solvent allows preserving the swollen dimension and interparticle interactions of the Carbopol molecules. Conversely, when crystals are present, a hierarchical structure forms, consisting of a small dispersed phase (Carbopol) agglomerated around a big dispersed phase (crystals). In keeping with this microstructural picture, as the concentration of Carbopol reduces, the local dynamics of the crystals gradually start to control the integrity of the microstructure. Rheologically, this results in a higher elasticity of the suspensions at infinitesimal deformations, but a fragile yielding process at intermediate strains.
Carbon sequestration potential of cropland reforestation on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains

Abstract: The effect of land-use changes on soil carbon stocks has been an increasing concern in the context of global climate change. Through natural reforestation programs, abandoned cropland holds the potential of sequestering soil organic carbon (SOC) if the original forest could be recovered. In this study, we initially delineated the potential distribution of forest species on the north slope of the Tianshan Mountains using species distribution models. We then estimated the corresponding sequestration potential of SOC in the area delineated for reforestation. The deforestated area of a Picea schrenkiana forest converted to cropland (PSC) was defined by the potential and actual distributions of forest and cropland. The SOC contents of the forest and cropland soils were obtained through field sampling and laboratory analysis. We found that the area of the PSC was 26.77×105 ha, and the SOC loss (per unit area) derived from the conversion of forestland to cropland was 171.70±28.20 Mg ha−1. The total SOC loss from the study area was 459.70±75.49 Tg. This result implies that continuing the reforestation programs being implemented in the study area would increase SOC by the same amount. Additionally, we also estimated the total amount of carbon that would be sequestered in the aboveground and underground forest biomass on former cropland.
Kinetics of hydration of magnesium oxide in aqueous suspension. I: Method of measurement and evaluation of experimental data

Magnesium oxide in aqueous suspension is hydrated by the via solution mechanism. In the initial stage, there arise brucite nuclei on active centres of the surface of MgO, and this is associated with a rapid increase in the specific surface area of the solid phase. In the subsequent stage, the specific surface area decreases as a result of a slowing down of the nucleation rate, probably due to inactivation of the free active centres that become overgrown by the forming brucite crystals. The time course of the entire process is described by the equation In (I/(I-y)) = (kt)'', where y is the rate of conversion, t is time, k is the rate constant and n is a constant of the empirical equation, having the value of 2/3. The temperature dependence of the rate constant conforms to the Arrhenius equation and has the activation energy E = 54.7 kJ mol -1 .