Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multilayered Three-Dimensional Structures of Ag Nanoparticles in Anodic Porous Alumina

Multilayered three-dimensional (3D) structures composed of orderly arranged Ag nanoparticles in an anodic alumina matrix were fabricated. The repeated anodization of Al and the subsequent electrochemical deposition of Ag generated the multilayered structure of Ag nanoparticles. The size of the gaps between Ag particles could be controlled precisely by changing the anodization time after the electrochemical deposition of Ag. The obtained 3D composites exhibited characteristic optical properties originating from the localized surface plasmon (LSP) of the Ag nanoparticles.
Eddy Dissipation Rates in Thunderstorms Estimated by Doppler Radar in Relation to Aircraft In Situ Measurements

Abstract High-resolution aircraft turbulence measurements, well coordinated with radar Doppler spectral width measurements, have been used to verify radar-estimated energy dissipation rates within thunderstorms anvils. The radar-estimated eddy dissipation rates have been carefully interpolated in time and space to the aircraft position. From the aircraft measurements, turbulence was estimated using a three-component averaged structure function D(r). The sensitivity of this structure function to r, to wind components selected, and to the sampling rate was investigated. Power spectra for all three wind components have been derived for selected flight sections. Differences between these three spectra and deviations from the k−5/3 law indicate areas of energy input. At areas where all three spectra follow the k−5/3 law, indicating the inertial subrange of turbulence, both estimates of the energy dissipation rate by aircraft and radar agree rather well. On average an overestimation of the dissipation rate by r.
Swimming Behavior of Daphnia magna Is Altered by Pesticides of Concern, as Components of Agricultural Surface Water and in Acute Exposures

Simple Summary New types of pesticides are increasingly found in surface waters around the world. Little is known about how they interact in mixtures, and how these mixtures might then affect aquatic organisms at risk of exposure. We looked at how two new pesticides, chlorantraniliprole (CHL) and imidacloprid (IMI), affected a sensitive aquatic organism, Daphnia magna. We exposed Daphnia to surface waters known to be contaminated by agricultural runoff at two time points: during an extended dry period and after the first seasonal storm event. In surface waters, the concentrations of CHL, IMI, and other pesticides of concern increased after the storm event. Exposure to these waters caused Daphnia to be hypoactive, and their response to light varied with the concentration of surface water. We then exposed Daphnia to each chemical individually and then to mixtures of the two chemicals, at concentrations that occur in polluted waterways. Daphnia exposed to CHL and IMI mixtures were more active in response to light stimuli than the control group. Daphnia swimming behavior is a sensitive way to measure the biological effects of CHL, IMI, and surface waters. Abstract Pesticides with novel modes of action including neonicotinoids and anthranilic diamides are increasingly detected in global surface waters. Little is known about how these pesticides of concern interact in mixtures at environmentally relevant concentrations, a common exposure scenario in waterways impacted by pesticide pollution. We examined effects of chlorantraniliprole (CHL) and imidacloprid (IMI) on the sensitive invertebrate, Daphnia magna. Exposures were first performed using surface waters known to be contaminated by agricultural runoff. To evaluate the seasonal variation in chemical concentration and composition of surface waters, we tested surface water samples taken at two time points: during an extended dry period and after a first flush storm event. In surface waters, the concentrations of CHL, IMI, and other pesticides of concern increased after first flush, resulting in hypoactivity and dose-dependent photomotor responses. We then examined mortality and behavior following single and binary chemical mixtures of CHL and IMI. We detected inverse photomotor responses and some evidence of synergistic effects in binary mixture exposures. Taken together, this research demonstrates that CHL, IMI, and contaminated surface waters all cause abnormal swimming behavior in D. magna. Invertebrate swimming behavior is a sensitive endpoint for measuring the biological effects of environmental pesticides of concern.
The Future of Clinical Phage Therapy in the United Kingdom

Bacteriophage (phage) therapy is a promising alternative antimicrobial strategy with the potential to transform the way bacterial infections are treated. In the United Kingdom, phages are classed as a biological medicine. Although no phages are licensed for UK use, they may be used as unlicensed medicinal products where licensed alternatives cannot meet a patient’s clinical needs. In the last 2 years, 12 patients in the UK have received phage therapy, and there is burgeoning clinical interest. Currently, clinical phage provision in the UK is ad hoc and relies upon networking with international sources of phages. The provision of phage therapy in the UK will not progress beyond an increasing number of ad hoc cases until an onshore sustainable and scalable source of well-characterised phages manufactured in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) is established. Here, we present an exciting new collaboration between UK Phage Therapy, the Centre for Phage Research at University of Leicester, CPI, and Fixed Phage. These partners, and others as we develop, will establish sustainable, scalable, and equitable phage therapy provision in the UK. We set out a vision for how phage therapy will be integrated into the NHS and healthcare more broadly, including the complementarity between licensed (cocktail) and unlicensed (personalised) phage preparations. Key elements of phage therapy infrastructure in the UK will be GMP phage manufacturing, a national phage library, and a national clinical phage centre. Together, this infrastructure will support NHS microbiology departments to develop and oversee phage therapy provision across the UK. As it will take time to deliver this, we also describe considerations for clinicians seeking to use unlicensed phage therapy in the interim. In summary, this review sets out a roadmap for the delivery of clinical phage therapy to the UK, the benefits of which we hope will reverberate for patients for decades to come.
Physical performance of the latest generation of commercial positron scanner

A study of some of the basic physical performance characteristics of an advanced commercial positron-emission tomograph (PET) is reported. It consists of eight rings of BGO (bismuth germanate) detectors (512/ring) with removable interring septa and retractable transmission ring sources for each ring. The (transaxial) detector width is 5.6 mm, and the lower limit of the spatial resolution in the reconstructed image is about 5 mm. Investigations were carried out of count-rate linearity, image count recovery with object size, the effect of attenuation correction on quantitation, and scatter fraction. >
The Predictive Value of a New Inflammatory-Nutritional Score for Quality of Life after Laparoscopic Distal Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer

Abstract We explored the predictive value of various inflammatory-nutritional indicators for postoperative quality of life (QoL) in gastric cancer (GC) patients undergoing laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG) and developed a novel inflammatory-nutritional score (INS). In this study, 156 GC patients who underwent LDG were included. We used multiple linear regression to analyze the correlation between postoperative QoL and inflammatory-nutritional indicators. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis was performed to construct INS. Hemoglobin was positively correlated with physical functioning (β =8.5; p = 0.003) and cognitive functioning (β = 3.5; p = 0.038) 3 mo, after surgery. Prognostic nutritional index (PNI) was positively associated with global health status (β =5.8; p = 0.043). Albumin-alkaline phosphatase ratio (AAPR) was negatively correlated with emotional functioning 12 mo, after surgery (β = −5.7; p = 0.024). Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), Lymphocyte- monocyte ratio (LMR), AAPR, hemoglobin and PNI were selected using LASSO regression analysis to construct INS. The C-index values of the model in the training group and the validation group were 0.806 (95% CI, 0.719-0.893) and 0.758 (95% CI: 0.591-0.925), respectively. INS had particular predictive value for postoperative QoL in patients undergoing LDG and provided a reference for risk stratification and clinical practice.
Financial inclusion and its demand-side determinants: Evidence from Ethiopia

Abstract Financial inclusion is one of the development priorities of the Ethiopian Government. However, factors, which might affect it are not explored adequately with appropriate methods. To examine the relationship between financial inclusion and its demand-side determinants, we applied a simple probit model and two probit models with sample selection to the 2018/19 Ethiopia Socioeconomic Survey (ESS4). Our simple probit model estimation results show that male, older, non-Muslim, married, more educated, richest, mobile users or people who are aware of how to open a bank account are more likely to have a formal account than their counterparts. However, being from a rural area or from a larger household size reduces the likelihood of having an account. Results from the probit selection model show that rural residents, employed, richer people, or people who are out of labor force are more likely to use their account to save money than their counterparts. Furthermore, the third model shows that being non-Muslim, married, widowed, or poorer reduces the likelihood of account use than their counterparts. Thus, policies should target the most vulnerable groups of the society. Especially, rural households, women, the Muslim population, the poor, less educated people, and the young should be the focus of financial inclusion endeavors of the Government. Parallel to these policy measures, awareness of opening bank account and financial education programs should be promoted.
Transients on multiple thin wires using SEM

In the last decade, applications of Laplace Transform techincreasingly numerous. The additional insight gained by the analyst or designer using these techniques toward understanding the overall system response is significantly greater than that available in the Fourier (real-frequency) domain. Recently the application of these s-domain techniques to electromagnetic field problems has fallen under the general heading of the Singularity Expansion Method (1). In this paper, the SEM is employed to determine the system singuFor example, figure 1 gives the location of the thirty most signiflarities, mode vectors, and transient currents for thin wire arrays. icant, by virtue of their closeness to the imaginary axis, singularities for a three wire planar array. Figure 2 shows the modal current distribution for the three half-wave resonances of the system. Notice that the mode vector for the middle singularity of the outer two wires, a physically appealing result. Transient this triplet is zero on the inner wire and in phase opposition on currents on the middle wire at 0.251, 0.501, and 0.751 from the end, 1 being the length of the wires, is shown in figure 3. far step plane wave excitation at oblique incidence. When compared with single wire.transients obtained by Tesche (2), for identical ilexpected. However, the three wire transient currents decay more lumination conditions, we find early time behavior identical, as slowly then for the single wire geometry. This may be explained by observing the nearness to the imaginary axis of the lowest order right-most singularity, see figure 2.
The effect of diabetes on COVID-19 incidence and mortality: Differences between highly-developed-country and high-migratory-pressure-country populations

The objective of this study was to compare the effect of diabetes and pathologies potentially related to diabetes on the risk of infection and death from COVID-19 among people from Highly-Developed-Country (HDC), including Italians, and immigrants from the High-Migratory-Pressure-Countries (HMPC). Among the population with diabetes, whose prevalence is known to be higher among immigrants, we compared the effect of body mass index among HDC and HMPC populations. A population-based cohort study was conducted, using population registries and routinely collected surveillance data. The population was stratified into HDC and HMPC, according to the place of birth; moreover, a focus was set on the South Asiatic population. Analyses restricted to the population with type-2 diabetes were performed. We reported incidence (IRR) and mortality rate ratios (MRR) and hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) to estimate the effect of diabetes on SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 mortality. Overall, IRR of infection and MRR from COVID-19 comparing HMPC with HDC group were 0.84 (95% CI 0.82–0.87) and 0.67 (95% CI 0.46–0.99), respectively. The effect of diabetes on the risk of infection and death from COVID-19 was slightly higher in the HMPC population than in the HDC population (HRs for infection: 1.37 95% CI 1.22–1.53 vs. 1.20 95% CI 1.14–1.25; HRs for mortality: 3.96 95% CI 1.82–8.60 vs. 1.71 95% CI 1.50–1.95, respectively). No substantial difference in the strength of the association was observed between obesity or other comorbidities and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Similarly for COVID-19 mortality, HRs for obesity (HRs: 18.92 95% CI 4.48–79.87 vs. 3.91 95% CI 2.69–5.69) were larger in HMPC than in the HDC population, but differences could be due to chance. Among the population with diabetes, the HMPC group showed similar incidence (IRR: 0.99 95% CI: 0.88–1.12) and mortality (MRR: 0.89 95% CI: 0.49–1.61) to that of HDC individuals. The effect of obesity on incidence was similar in both HDC and HMPC populations (HRs: 1.73 95% CI 1.41–2.11 among HDC vs. 1.41 95% CI 0.63–3.17 among HMPC), although the estimates were very imprecise. Despite a higher prevalence of diabetes and a stronger effect of diabetes on COVID-19 mortality in HMPC than in the HDC population, our cohort did not show an overall excess risk of COVID-19 mortality in immigrants.
An Hausdorﬀ distance between hyper-rectangles for clustering interval data

Summary. The Hausdorﬀ distance between two sets is used in this paper to compare hyper-rectangles. An explicit formula for the optimum class prototype is found in the particular case of the Hausdorﬀ distance for the L ∞ norm. When used for dynamical clustering of interval data, this prototype will ensure that the clustering criterion decreases at each iteration
The mechanics of large bubbles rising through extended liquids and through liquids in tubes

Part I describes measurements of the shape and rate of rise of air bubbles varying in volume from 1·5 to 200 cm.3 when they rise through nitrobenzene or water. Measurements of photographs of bubbles formed in nitrobenzene show that the greater part of the upper surface is always spherical. A theoretical discussion, based on the assumption that the pressure over the front of the bubble is the same as that in ideal hydrodynamic flow round a sphere, shows that the velocity of rise, U, should be related to the radius of curvature, R, in the region of the vertex, by the equation U = 2/3√(gR); the agreement between this relationship and the experimental results is excellent. For geometrically similar bubbles of such large diameter that the drag coefficient would be independent of Reynolds’s number, it would be expected that U would be proportional to the sixth root of the volume, V ; measurements of eighty-eight bubbles show considerable scatter in the values of U/V1/6, although there is no systematic variation in the value of this ratio with the volume. Part II. Though the characteristics of a large bubble are associated with the observed fact that the hydrodynamic pressure on the front of a spherical cap moving through a fluid is nearly the same as that on a complete sphere, the mechanics of a rising bubble cannot be completely understood till the observed pressure distribution on a spherical cap is understood. Failing this, the case of a large bubble running up a circular tube filled with water and emptying at the bottom is capable of being analyzed completely because the bubble is not then followed by a wake. An approxim ate calculation shows that the velocity U of rise is U = 0·46 √(ga), where a is the radius of the tube. Experiments with a tube 7·9 cm. diameter gave values of U from 29·1 to 30·6 cm. /sec. , corresponding with values of U/√(ga) from 0·466 to 0·490.
Parsonage-Turner Syndrome Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Systematic Review

Parsonage-Turner syndrome (PTS) is an inflammatory disorder of the brachial plexus. Hypothesized underlying causes focus on immune-mediated processes, as more than half of patients present some antecedent event or possible predisposing condition, such as infection, vaccination, exercise, or surgery. Recently, PTS was reported following the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We aimed to investigate data on PTS triggered by SARS-CoV-2 infection to provide an extensive perspective on this pathology and to reveal what other, more specific, research questions can be further addressed. In addition, we aimed to highlight research gaps requiring further attention. We systematically reviewed two databases (LitCOVID and the World Health Organization database on COVID-19) to January 2023. We found 26 cases of PTS in patients with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. The clinical and paraclinical spectrum was heterogeneous, ranging from classical PTS to pure sensory neuropathy, extended neuropathy, spinal accessory nerve involvement, and diaphragmatic palsy. Also, two familial cases were reported. Among them, 93.8% of patients had severe pain, 80.8% were reported to present a motor deficit, and 53.8% of patients presented muscle wasting. Paresthesia was noted in 46.2% of PTS individuals and a sensory loss was reported in 34.6% of patients. The present systematic review highlights the necessity of having a high index of suspicion of PTS in patients with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, as the clinical manifestations can be variable. Also, there is a need for a standardized approach to investigation and reporting on PTS. Future studies should aim for a comprehensive assessment of patients. Factors including the baseline characteristics of the patients, evolution, and treatments should be consistently assessed across studies. In addition, a thorough differential diagnosis should be employed.
The removal of human leukaemia cells from blood using interdigitated microelectrodes

An electroaffinity column containing an interdigitated microelectrode array was used to retain human leukaemia cells dielectrophoretically and thereby separate them from normal blood cells. The leukaemic cells could be subsequently released by removal of the dielectrophoretic field and collected. This novel approach exploits the differential dielectric properties of cells as a sorting criterion and has applications in medicine, biotechnology and environmental settings.
Understanding and Reduction of Cruise Jet Noise at Aircraft Level

Within the LINFaN research project, Airbus and Rolls-Royce have jointly investigated the acoustic impact of supersonic jet noise on the fuselage of an Airbus A340 equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 500 engines in cruise conditions. The main results are presented in this paper. The influence of chevron fan nozzles designed to reduce cruise jet noise on the rear fuselage is investigated. The characterization of both the acoustic field and the aerodynamic flow is carried out. The acoustic data are obtained from a microphone array on the rear fuselage. After specific data de-noising, the acoustic spectra radiated on the fuselage by only the right inner engine are estimated. Beamforming acoustic maps are also computed to localize the jet noise sources. Besides, the supersonic jet flows are characterized by RANS CFD approach. For the baseline round nozzle, the acoustic results show the presence of two distinct broadband shock-associated noise contributions on the fuselage. The first pattern is observed in the far aft section of the fuselage for Strouhal numbers based on the jet mixing diameter and velocity between St = 4 and 6. The other pattern, around St = 1, radiates preferably forward. In addition, the high frequency source is located between 4 and 5 mixed jet diameters past the secondary nozzle exhaust plane, while the low frequency source is located farther downstream between 7 and 8 mixed jet diameters. Shock-associated noise is usually associated with the interaction between shock cells and turbulent shear-layers. We postulate that the high-frequency noise component results from the interaction between the shock-cells in the secondary flow and the inner shear-layer, while the low-frequency component is due to the interaction between shock cells and the outer shear-layer. This interpretation is consistent with two observations. The first observation is a strong modification of the measured high frequency noise when the engine is pushed to high power. At this regime shock cells are present in the primary flow and the inner shear layer interacts with two supersonic flows, hence modifying emitted noise. The second observation is the reduction of low-and high-frequency noise by the introduction of chevron fan nozzles. The flow field results confirm the strong impact of chevrons on the structure of the shock cells in the fan stream: they are consistent with the experimental observations of the characteristic shock noise frequencies. For the Trent 500 engine, appropriate immersive fan chevrons may bring noise reductions by as much as 6dB SPL integrated over a relevant Strouhal number range [0.7; 2]. However, the reduction level due to the chevrons varies with the engine operating conditions. A given chevron nozzle may be found more efficient at reducing noise levels at low engine operating regime than at high regime.
Well-posedness for nonlinear Dirac equations in one dimension

We completely determine the range of Sobolev regularity for the Dirac-Klein-Gordonsystem,thequadraticnonlinearDiracequations,andthewave-mapequa- tion to be well posed locally in time on the real line. For the Dirac-Klein-Gordon system, we can continue those local solutions in nonnegative Sobolev spaces by the charge conservation. In particular, we obtain global well-posedness in the space where both the spinor and scalar ﬁelds are only in L 2 ( R ) . Outside the range for well-posedness, we show eitherthatsomesolutionsexittheSobolevspaceinstantlyorthatthesolutionmapisnot twice diﬀerentiable at zero.