Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hydrophobic graphene nanosheets decorated by monodispersed superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanocrystals as synergistic electromagnetic wave absorbers

The comprehension of the interactions between the building blocks in hybrids can give us an insight into the design and application of highly efficient electromagnetic wave absorption materials. Herein, we report a facile in situ thermal decomposition route for the fabrication of superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanocrystals anchored on hydrophobic graphene nanosheets as synergistic electromagnetic wave absorbers. The microstructures and interactions of the Fe3O4–graphene hybrids are systematically investigated, and the results suggest that the Fe3O4 nanocrystals are uniformly decorated and chemically bonded on the surface of graphene nanosheets without obvious conglomeration or large vacancies. The Fe3O4–graphene hybrids show hydrophobic and superparamagnetic characteristics. Combing the benefits of superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanocrystals and electrically conducting graphene, the Fe3O4–graphene hybrids show a maximum reflection loss (RL) of −40 dB at 6.8 GHz with a matching thickness of 4.5 mm, and the effective absorption bandwidth (RL < −10 dB) is 4.6–18 GHz with an absorber thickness of only 2–5 mm. However, due to the lack of dielectric loss, only a weak RL of −5 dB is obtained in bare Fe3O4 nanocrystals. The remarkably enhanced electromagnetic wave absorption properties of the Fe3O4–graphene hybrids are owing to effective impedance matching and synergistic interaction. Moreover, compared with other reported graphene-based electromagnetic wave absorption materials, the hydrophobic Fe3O4–graphene hybrids prepared in this work are considered to be more stable and suitable to be applied in some particular environmental conditions, such as rain.
Mesalazine-induced myopericarditis: a case report

Abstract Background Mesalazine is a well-established 1st line treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Cardiotoxicity following 5-aminosalicyclic-acid therapy remains a rare yet serious complication and can often be challenging to distinguish from myocarditis presenting as an extra-intestinal manifestation of IBD. Case summary We present a case of a 22-year-old man with a background of ulcerative colitis commenced on a mesalazine preparation for disease progression. He presented to our hospital 12 days following drug initiation with acute chest pain, peak troponin-T of 242 ng/L, dynamic electrocardiogram changes, and severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction on transthoracic echocardiogram. The clinical diagnosis of myopericarditis was suspected and mesalazine was stopped shortly after. Outpatient cardiac magnetic resonance performed 2 weeks following mesalazine cessation demonstrated a recovery of cardiac function with associated symptom and biochemical resolution. Discussion Clinicians should be aware of this potentially fatal adverse effect of a commonly prescribed medication. Symptoms of myocarditis often occur within the early stages of mesalazine initiation, which aids the clinical diagnosis. The mainstay of treatment is to simply discontinue the drug with rapid resolution of symptoms seen without any permanent or long-term cardiac dysfunction. Close liaison with the gastroenterology team is key, as 2nd line IBD therapies are often required for the ongoing management of the patient’s colitis.
Brachial Flow-Mediated Dilation and Risk of Atrial Fibrillation in Older Adults: The Cardiovascular Health Study

Background Endothelial dysfunction is associated with common risk factors for AF and has been implicated in the pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation (AF) through a variety of mechanisms. We determined the prospective association of brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) with incident AF among older adults. Methods We included 2027 Cardiovascular Health Study participants (mean age=78.3 years, male=39%, Black=17%) who underwent brachial FMD measurement at the 1997 to 1998 clinic visit. Incident AF was ascertained by study electrocardiograms, hospital discharge diagnosis coding and Medicare claims data. Cox regression models were used to examine the association between FMD and incident AF. Results We identified 754 incident of AF cases (37%) over a median follow-up of 11.0 years. After adjusting for age, sex, race, height, weight, cardiovascular disease, cigarette smoking, hypertension, diabetes, kidney function, c-reactive protein, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and statins, the risk of AF did not differ according to brachial FMD response (4th vs 1st quartile hazard ratio (HR)=1.01, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.81, 1.26; per FMD unit increment HR=1.01, 95% CI: 0.97, 1.05). Conclusion We found no relationship between brachial FMD and the risk of developing AF in this elderly cohort. Our findings suggest that the utility of brachial FMD as a risk marker for AF in older individuals is minimal.
Prevalence of occupational exposure to HIV and utilization of HIV post-exposure prophylaxis among health staff at Bule Hora General Hospital, Bule Hora, Ethiopia

Introduction occupational risk of HIV and low utilization of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) among nurses has become a global public health concern. According to the International Labor Organization estimates, 2.02 million people die each year from work-related accidents or diseases. More than 317 million people suffer, and there are an estimated 337 million fatal and non-fatal work-related accidents per year. WHO report indicates, more than 59 million health care workers around the world are exposed to biological hazards and about 10% of HIV among health workers is the result of needle stick injury. This study focused on assessing the prevalence of occupational exposure to HIV post-exposure prophylaxis among nurses at Bule Hora Hospital. Methods institutional based cross-sectional study design was conducted from March 2019 to April 2019. In this study, 306 study participants were involved in the study data was collected using a structured and semi-structured questionnaire. The cleaned data (edited) was entered into Epi-Data version 4.4. 3.1 and exported to SPSS Statistics Version 20 for analysis. Results high incidence (61.6%) of occupational exposure to HIV was found in this study. The two leading types of exposure were blood splash 40.5% and needle stick 37.8% injury followed by giving injection 27% and uncooperativeness 21.6% subsequently. About 35.1% of nurses were found to be not using personal protective equipment’s while being exposed to HIV infection while on work. Conclusion occupational exposure to HIV is quite common among nurses in Bule Hora Hospital. Blood splash exposure and exposure to needle stick injury are believed to be the commonest types of workplace risks. Nearly 29.7% of nurses have no training on infection prevention and management while at work. Nearly 50% of the exposed nurses didn’t report the incident to the concerned authorities. One fourth of the sources of exposure were unscreened and among the screened sources of exposure 42.9% were found to be HIV positive.
Home Run Derby Participation in Major League Baseball Players: Is There Associated Injury Risk and Impact on Second-Half Performance?

Background: The Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Game (ASG) Home Run Derby (HRD) remains a highly anticipated event, during which contestants can take hundreds of maximum-effort swings en route to hitting a multitude of home runs. Critics have openly questioned the risk-benefit of HRD participation as it pertains to injury, alterations in swing mechanics, and timing. Purpose: To determine whether participation in the MLB ASG HRD was associated with both increased injury risk and decline in second-half performance in MLB players. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: MLB players who participated in the HRD between 2006 and 2019 were identified through publicly available internet databases. A control group of ASG participants who had the highest home run totals in the first half of the corresponding MLB season were selected as a control group. Multivariable linear regression was used to determine independent associations between HRD participation and batting metrics in the second half of the season. Multivariable logistic regression also assessed the impact of HRD participation on injured list placement during the second half of the concurrent MLB season. Results: A total of 114 HRD participants and 114 ASG participant controls competed during the study period. No statistically significant differences were seen in batting metrics in the second half of the MLB season between HRD participants and ASG controls, although HRD participants had a significantly lower wins-above-replacement statistic for the season compared with controls (4.69 ± 2.06 vs 5.33 ± 2.08; P = .021). HRD participation was not significantly associated with injury during the second half. The number of HRD rounds in which a player participated did not result in a statistically significant increased odds of injury during the second half of the MLB season. Conclusion: HRD participants did not have increased odds of being placed on the injured list during the second half of the MLB season compared with controls, nor did they experience second-half performance declines in offensive production versus controls when multivariable linear regression analysis was performed.
Underwater Object Recognition Using Point-Features, Bayesian Estimation and Semantic Information

This paper proposes a 3D object recognition method for non-coloured point clouds using point features. The method is intended for application scenarios such as Inspection, Maintenance and Repair (IMR) of industrial sub-sea structures composed of pipes and connecting objects (such as valves, elbows and R-Tee connectors). The recognition algorithm uses a database of partial views of the objects, stored as point clouds, which is available a priori. The recognition pipeline has 5 stages: (1) Plane segmentation, (2) Pipe detection, (3) Semantic Object-segmentation and detection, (4) Feature based Object Recognition and (5) Bayesian estimation. To apply the Bayesian estimation, an object tracking method based on a new Interdistance Joint Compatibility Branch and Bound (IJCBB) algorithm is proposed. The paper studies the recognition performance depending on: (1) the point feature descriptor used, (2) the use (or not) of Bayesian estimation and (3) the inclusion of semantic information about the objects connections. The methods are tested using an experimental dataset containing laser scans and Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) navigation data. The best results are obtained using the Clustered Viewpoint Feature Histogram (CVFH) descriptor, achieving recognition rates of 51.2%, 68.6% and 90%, respectively, clearly showing the advantages of using the Bayesian estimation (18% increase) and the inclusion of semantic information (21% further increase).
Characterisation of Engineered Nanomaterials in Nano-Enabled Products Exhibiting Priority Environmental Exposure

Analytical limitations have constrained the determination of nanopollution character from real-world sources such as nano-enabled products (NEPs), thus hindering the development of environmental safety guidelines for engineered nanomaterials (ENMs). This study examined the properties of ENMs in 18 commercial products: sunscreens, personal care products, clothing, and paints—products exhibiting medium to a high potential for environmental nanopollution. It was found that 17 of the products contained ENMs; 9, 3, 3, and 2 were incorporated with nTiO2, nAg, binaries of nZnO + nTiO2, and nTiO2 + nAg, respectively. Commonly, the nTiO2 were elongated or angular, whereas nAg and nZnO were near-spherical and angular in morphology, respectively. The size ranges (width × length) were 7–48 × 14–200, 34–35 × 37–38, and 18–28 nm for nTiO2, nZnO, and nAg respectively. All ENMs were negatively charged. The total concentration of Ti, Zn, and Ag in the NEPs were 2.3 × 10−4–4.3%, 3.4–4.3%, and 1.0 × 10−4–11.3 × 10−3%, respectively. The study determined some key ENM characteristics required for environmental risk assessment; however, challenges persist regarding the accurate determination of the concentration in NEPs. Overall, the study confirmed NEPs as actual sources of nanopollution; hence, scenario-specific efforts are recommended to quantify their loads into water resources.
Biomimetic cell-adhesive ligand-functionalized peptide composite hydrogels maintain stemness of human amniotic mesenchymal stem cells

Abstract In vivo, stem cells reside in a three-dimensional (3D) extracellular microenvironment in which complicated biophysical and biochemical factors regulate their behaviors. Biomimicking of the stem cell−matrix interactions is an ideal approach for controlling the stem cell fate. This study investigates the effects of the incorporation of cell-adhesive ligands in 3D self-assembling peptide hydrogels to modulate stem cell survival, proliferation, maintenance of stemness, and osteogenic differentiation. The results show that the composite hydrogels were non-cytotoxic and effective for maintaining human amniotic mesenchymal stem cell (hAMSC) survival, proliferation and phenotypic characterization. The expression levels of pluripotent markers were also upregulated in the composite hydrogels. Under inductive media conditions, mineral deposition and mRNA expression levels of osteogenic genes of hAMSCs were enhanced. The increasing expression of integrin α- and β-subunits for hAMSCs indicates that the ligand−integrin interactions may modulate the cell fate for hAMSCs in composite hydrogels.
Adhesion Forces between Glass and Silicon Surfaces in Air Studied by AFM: Effects of Relative Humidity, Particle Size, Roughness, and Surface Treatment

Using the atomic force microscope (AFM), the pull-off forces between flat glass or silicon surfaces and silicon AFM tips or glass microspheres of different sizes have been extensively studied as a function of relative humidity (RH) in the range 5−90%, as model systems for the behavior of cohesive powders. The glass and silicon substrates were treated to render them either hydrophobic or hydrophilic. All the hydrophilic surfaces gave simple force curves and pull-off forces increasing uniformly with RH. Small contacts (R ∼ 20 nm) gave pull-off forces close to values predicted by simple Laplace−Kelvin theory (∼20 nN), but the values with microspheres (R ∼ 20 μm) fell well below predictions for sphere−flat or sphere−sphere geometry, due to roughness and asperity contacts. The hydrophobic silicon surfaces also exhibited simple behavior, with no significant RH dependence. The pull-off force again fell well below predicted values (Johnson−Kendall−Roberts contact mechanics theory) for the larger contacts. Hydroph.
High Cortico-Trabecular Transitional Zone Porosity and Reduced Trabecular Density in Men and Women with Stress Fractures

To determine whether stress fractures are associated with bone microstructural deterioration we quantified distal radial and the unfractured distal tibia using high resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography in 26 cases with lower limb stress fractures (15 males, 11 females; mean age 37.1 ± 3.1 years) and 62 age-matched healthy controls (24 males, 38 females; mean age 35.0 ± 1.6 years). Relative to controls, in men, at the distal radius, cases had smaller cortical cross sectional area (CSA) (p = 0.012), higher porosity of the outer transitional zone (OTZ) (p = 0.006), inner transitional zone (ITZ) (p = 0.043) and the compact-appearing cortex (CC) (p = 0.023) while trabecular vBMD was lower (p = 0.002). At the distal tibia, cases also had a smaller cortical CSA (p = 0.008). Cortical porosity was not higher, but trabecular vBMD was lower (p = 0.001). Relative to controls, in women, cases had higher distal radial porosity of the OTZ (p = 0.028), ITZ (p = 0.030) not CC (p = 0.054). Trabecular vBMD was lower (p = 0.041). Distal tibial porosity was higher in the OTZ (p = 0.035), ITZ (p = 0.009), not CC. Stress fractures are associated with compromised cortical and trabecular microstructure.
Two Siblings Homozygous for F508del-CFTR Have Varied Disease Phenotypes and Protein Biomarkers

Two siblings with CF are homozygous for F508del (referred to as Subject A and Subject B). Despite having the same CFTR genotype and similar environment, these two subjects exhibited different disease phenotypes. We analyzed their medical records and CF Foundation Registry data and measured inflammatory protein mediators in their sputum samples. Then, we examined the longitudinal relationships between inflammatory markers and disease severity for each subject and compared between them. Subject A presented a more severe disease than Subject B. During the study period, Subject A had two pulmonary exacerbations (PEs) whereas Subject B had one mild PE. The forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1, % predicted) values for Subject A were between 34–45% whereas for Subject B varied between 48–90%. Inflammatory protein mediators associated with neutrophils, Th1, Th2, and Th17 responses were elevated in sputum of Subject A compared with Subject B, and also in samples collected prior to and during PEs for both subjects. Neutrophilic elastase (NE) seemed to be the most informative biomarkers. The infectious burden between these two subjects was different.
Validated Ultrasound Speckle Tracking Method for Measuring Strains of Knee Collateral Ligaments In-Situ during Varus/Valgus Loading

Current ultrasound techniques face several challenges to measure strains when translated from large tendon to in-situ knee collateral ligament applications, despite the potential to reduce knee arthroplasty failures attributed to ligament imbalance. Therefore, we developed, optimized and validated an ultrasound speckle tracking method to assess the in-situ strains of the medial and lateral collateral ligaments. Nine cadaveric legs with total knee implants were submitted to varus/valgus loading and divided into two groups: “optimization” and “validation”. Reference strains were measured using digital image correlation technique, while ultrasound data were processed with a custom-built speckle tracking approach. Using specimens from the “optimization” group, several tracking parameters were tuned towards an optimized tracking performance. The parameters were ranked according to three comparative measures between the ultrasound-based and reference strains: R2, mean absolute error and strains differences at 40 N. Specimens from the “validation” group, processed with the optimal parameters, showed good correlations, along with small mean absolute differences, with correlation values above 0.99 and 0.89 and differences below 0.57% and 0.27% for the lateral and medial collateral ligaments, respectively. This study showed that ultrasound speckle tracking could assess knee collateral ligaments strains in situ and has the potential to be translated to clinics for knee arthroplasty-related procedures.
Characterization of Chronic Gastritis in Lynch Syndrome Patients With Gastric Adenocarcinoma

Background Gastric cancer is one of the Lynch syndrome (LS)-associated malignancies. Previous studies have suggested that LS patients with gastric cancer also had chronic atrophic gastritis in the background mucosa, but further histologic characterization was not attempted. This study aims to understand the histologic features of background chronic gastritis in LS patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. Methods Eleven LS-associated gastric cancer cases were collected from five institutions. Demographics and clinical features were retrieved by review of medical charts. Pathological material was reviewed for tumor location and histologic type. In addition, non-neoplastic gastric mucosa was assessed for inflammation (chronic and active), atrophy, intestinal metaplasia (IM) in the antrum and body, as well as pyloric gland metaplasia and enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cell hyperplasia in the body. Results Eleven LS patients with gastric cancer (four male and seven female) with a mean age of 63 years (range: 23 - 83) were included. Ten (90.9%) had personal cancer histories; however none of the patients had family history of gastric cancer. Eight (72.7%) patients underwent gastrectomy and three had endoscopic resection. Nine (81.8%) patients had tumor in the fundus and/or body and two had tumor present in the antrum. Seven (63.6%) cases were intestinal type or mixed type carcinoma, and the remaining four were signet ring cell carcinoma. Eight (of 11, 72.7%) patients had chronic gastritis, five (45.4%) had atrophy, and four (36.3%) had intestinal metaplasia. Four of five patients with both antrum and body mucosa available for evaluation (80%), demonstrated body-predominant chronic gastritis. Four patients had germline MLH1 alterations and all of these patients had chronic gastritis, including one Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) gastritis and three H. pylori-negative gastritis. Conclusions None of LS patients with gastric cancer in our cohort had a family history of gastric cancer. Gastric adenocarcinomas in LS patients were primarily located in the fundus and/or body. Two-thirds of these tumors were of intestinal type and had a background chronic, H. pylori-negative gastritis. These results support a chronic atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia-dysplasia-carcinoma sequence in LS-related gastric tumorigenesis, particularly in MLH1-mutated LS patients.
Role of Preoperative Assessment in Predicting Tumor-Induced Plasticity in Patients with Diffuse Gliomas

When diffuse gliomas (DG) affect the brain’s potential to reorganize functional networks, patients can exhibit seizures and/or language/cognitive impairment. The tumor–brain interaction and the individual connectomic organization cannot be predicted preoperatively. We aimed to, first, investigate the relationship between preoperative assessment and intraoperative findings of eloquent tumors in 36 DG operated with awake surgery. Second, we also studied possible mechanisms of tumor-induced brain reorganization in these patients. FLAIR-MRI sequences were used for tumor volume segmentation and the Brain-Grid system (BG) was used as an overlay for infiltration analysis. Neuropsychological (NPS) and/or language assessments were performed in all patients. The distance between eloquent spots and tumor margins was measured. All variables were used for correlation and logistic regression analyses. Eloquent tumors were detected in 75% of the patients with no single variable able to predict this finding. Impaired NPS functions correlated with invasive tumors, crucial location (A4C2S2/A3C2S2-voxels, left opercular-insular/sub-insular region) and higher risk of eloquent tumors. Epilepsy was correlated with larger tumor volumes and infiltrated A4C2S2/A3C2S2 voxels. Language impairment was correlated with infiltrated A3C2S2 voxel. Peritumoral cortical eloquent spots reflected an early compensative mechanism with age as possible influencing factor. Preoperative NPS impairment is linked with high risk of eloquent tumors. A systematic integration of extensive cognitive assessment and advanced neuroimaging can improve our comprehension of the connectomic brain organization at the individual scale and lead to a better oncological/functional balance.
Spectral Line Broadening in Dense Plasmas

Spectral line broadening is calculated based on a microscopic quantum statistical approach. By using thermodynamic Green's function, plasma correlation effect, electrostatic and dynamic screening, and perturber-radiator interaction are taken into account. Ions are treated in quasistatic approximation due to Stark effect. The line broadening for 6678 A (21P-31D) and 5016 A (21S-31P) transitions of neutral helium is calculated in the electron density range and temperature range , and the density and temperature dependence of the line width are investigated. A good agreement is shown by comparing the calculated values with the existing experimental and theoretical data.