Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimization of the Cutting Regime in the Turning of the AISI 316L Steel for Biomedical Purposes Based on the Initial Progression of Tool Wear

The development of biomedical devices has improved the quality of life for millions of people. The increase in life expectancy generates an increase in the demand for these devices. One of the most used materials for these purposes is 316 L austenitic stainless steel due to its mechanical properties and good biocompatibility. The objective of the present investigation was to identify the dependence between the main cutting force, the initial speed of the tool wear, the surface roughness, and the parameters of the cutting regime. Based on these dependencies, a multi-objective optimization model is proposed to minimize the energy consumed and initial wear rate, as well as to maximize productivity, maintaining the surface roughness values below those established by the ISO 5832-1 standard. The wear of the cutting tool was measured on a scanning electron microscope. For the optimization process, a genetic algorithm based on NSGA-II (Non-nominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm) was implemented. The input variables were the cutting speed and the feed in three levels. The cutting force and surface roughness were set as restrictions. It is concluded that the mathematical model allows for the optimization of the cutting regime during dry turning and with the use of MQL (Minimum Quantity Lubrication) with BIDEMICS JX1 ceramic tools (NTK Cutting Tools, Wixom, MI, USA), of AISI 316 L steel for biomedical purposes. Pareto sets and boundaries allow for choosing the most appropriate solution according to the specific conditions of the workshop where it is applied, minimizing the initial progression of tool wear and energy consumed, and maximizing productivity by guaranteeing the surface roughness values established for these types of parts according to the standard.
Lockdown Experiences and Views on Future Research Participation of Autistic Adults in the UK During the First 6 Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in large-scale public health restrictions and lockdowns across many countries. There is an increasing literature on the varied impact of such lockdowns in autistic adults. However, there is very little research on how the pandemic and related public health measures may impact the willingness of autistic people in engaging and taking part in research. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore autistic adults' experiences of the COVID-19 lockdown and how the pandemic may affect future research participation. Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with 31 autistic adults between March and July 2020. Transcripts were analyzed thematically within a critical realism framework. Results: Participants identified positive aspects of lockdown such as enjoying the lack of social pressures and using their well-developed skills for dealing with uncertainty. Autistic people also shared challenges of adjusting to lockdown, for example, rapid change in daily routines. While hopeful about the freedom gained from easing restrictions, participants were concerned about the inconsistent communication and application of rules during the transition out of lockdown. This may have exacerbated already rising mental health issues among autistic people. The participants viewed research participation and engagement with increased relevance during the pandemic and welcomed efforts to conduct research using online methods of communication. Conclusion: The COVID-19 lockdown had a varied effect in the lives and routines of autistic people. However, health care providers and researchers need to be mindful of rising mental health issues in the aftermath of the pandemic, especially for people who were already vulnerable. The response to the pandemic may have offered opportunities for innovation in research processes enabling more autistic people to engage with research and making studies more inclusive.
Acute Myocardial Infarction and Daylight Saving Time Transitions: Is There a Risk?

Available evidence on the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in the days after the spring daylight saving time (DST) transition suggests either a modest increase or no risk increase. Partial sleep deprivation and enhanced circadian clock misalignment have been implicated as the underlying mechanisms for increased AMI risk, probably via enhanced thrombo-inflammatory processes and activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Most of the studies, as we suggest as a perspective here, have used potentially inappropriate control periods, including the two post-transitional weeks, because adjustment after the spring DST transition lasts at least four weeks for all chronotypes and probably even beyond this period for late chronotypes. The most plausible conclusions, at the moment, for the risk of AMI after the spring DST transition are: (1) the risk is increased, (2) a relatively modest risk increase could be currently underestimated or in some studies undetected, (3) late chronotypes and/or individuals with high levels of social jetlag (a proxy for circadian clock misalignment) could be more affected by the phenomenon, and (4) underlying pathophysiological mechanisms should be further explored. As a significant part of world’s population continues to be affected by the biannual clock change, the question of increased AMI risk in the post-transitional period remains an intriguing public health issue.
Efficacy and safety of sequential neoadjuvant chemotherapy and short-course radiation therapy followed by delayed surgery in locally advanced rectal cancer: a single-arm phase II clinical trial with subgroup analysis between the older and young patients

Purpose This study was performed to investigate the efficacy and safety of short-course radiation therapy (SCRT) and sequential chemotherapy followed by delayed surgery in locally advancer rectal cancer with subgroup analysis between the older and young patients. Materials and Methods In this single-arm phase II clinical trial, eligible patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (T3–4 and/or N1–2) were enrolled. All the patients received a median three sequential cycles of neoadjuvant CAPEOX (capecitabine + oxaliplatin) chemotherapy. A total dose of 25 Gy in five fractions during 1 week was prescribed to the gross tumor and regional lymph nodes. Surgery was performed about 8 weeks following radiotherapy. Pathologic complete response rate (pCR) and grade 3–4 toxicity were compared between older patients (≥65 years) and younger patients (<65 years). Results Ninety-six patients with locally advanced rectal cancer were enrolled. There were 32 older patients and 64 younger patients. Overall pCR was 20.8% for all the patients. Older patients achieved similar pCR rate (18.7% vs. 21.8; p = 0.795) compared to younger patients. There was no statistically significance in terms of the tumor and the node downstaging or treatment-related toxicity between older patients and younger ones; however, the rate of sphincter-saving surgery was significantly more frequent in younger patients (73% vs. 53%; p=0.047) compared to older ones. All treatment-related toxicities were manageable and tolerable among older patients. Conclusion Neoadjuvant SCRT and sequential chemotherapy followed by delayed surgery was safe and effective in older patients compared to young patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.
Perceived spouse unsupportive behaviors in women with breast cancer and their spouses

Introduction. Unsupportive responses from relatives, particularly spouses, play a significant role in the psychological adjustment of breast cancer patients and their spouses. Failure to meet the physical and psychological needs of breast cancer patients and their spouses can lead to anxiety, depression, and numerous marital problems. The aim of this study was designed to describe perceived spouse unsupportive behaviors in women with breast cancer and their spouses. Material and methods. This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 220 women with breast cancer along with their husbands participated in this study through random sampling. In the present study, data collection was performed using a demographic information checklist and a questionnaire. Results . The mean perceived women’s unsupportive behavior (20.73 ± 8.44) was higher than that of men’s (18.80 ± 5.83), which was statistically significant (p = 0.003). The mean score of perceived women’s unsupportive behavior in the categories of marital status, companion, place of residence, men’s and women’s occupation, and the type of residential house, and the mean score of perceived men’s unsupportive behavior in the category of current treatment were different. Conclusions. Women perceive their spouses’ behaviors as less supportive than their spouses’ perceptions of women’s behavior, which highlights the need for husbands to be more attentive to the impact of their behavior on their wives. Furthermore, talking with each other about problems is the most imperative factor in perceiving support by couples; accordingly, it can be concluded that couples who are reluctant to talk to each other concerning the problem perceive less mutual support.
Prosodic Competence as the Missing Component of Reading Processes Across Languages: Theory, Evidence and Future Research

ABSTRACT Referring to the “vital parts” of speech that do not appear in print, E. B. Huey (1908/1968) described prosody in reading as “the rise and fall of pitch and inflection, the hurrying here and slowing there, what we have called the melody of speech. ” In this paper, we discuss the role prosody plays in reading, contextualized in the Reading Systems Framework, as a source of linguistic knowledge that impacts the orthographic system, the lexicon, and comprehension processes in tonal and non-tonal languages. Prosody at the word, phrase, and discourse levels is considered. We also review empirical evidence from experimental, longitudinal, and training studies to show the current state of knowledge about the role of prosodic competence in reading development. We conclude the paper with recommendations for future directions in research.
PEMFC Poly-Generation Systems: Developments, Merits, and Challenges

Significant research efforts are directed towards finding new ways to reduce the cost, increase efficiency, and decrease the environmental impact of power-generation systems. The poly-generation concept is a promising strategy that enables the development of a sustainable power system. Over the past few years, the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell-based Poly-Generation Systems (PEMFC-PGSs) have received accelerated developments due to the low-temperature operation, high efficiency, and low environmental impact. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the main PEMFC-PGSs, including Combined Heat and Power (CHP) co-generation systems, Combined Cooling and Power (CCP) co-generation systems, Combined Cooling, Heat, and Power (CCHP) tri-generation systems, and Combined Water and Power (CWP) co-generation systems. First, the main technologies used in PEMFC-PGSs, such as those related to hydrogen production, energy storage, and Waste Heat Recovery (WHR), etc., are detailed. Then, the research progresses on the economic, energy, and environmental performance of the different PEMFC-PGSs are presented. Also, the recent commercialization activities on these systems are highlighted focusing on the leading countries in this field. Furthermore, the remaining economic and technical obstacles of these systems along with the future research directions to mitigate them are discussed. The review reveals the potential of the PEMFC-PGS in securing a sustainable future of the power systems. However, many economic and technical issues, particularly those related to high cost and degradation rate, still need to be addressed before unlocking the full benefits of such systems.
Gut microbiota analyses of Saudi populations for type 2 diabetes-related phenotypes reveals significant association

Background Large-scale gut microbiome sequencing has revealed key links between microbiome dysfunction and metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes (T2D). To date, these efforts have largely focused on Western populations, with few studies assessing T2D microbiota associations in Middle Eastern communities where T2D prevalence is now over 20%. We analyzed the composition of stool 16S rRNA from 461 T2D and 119 non-T2D participants from the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. We quantified the abundance of microbial communities to examine any significant differences between subpopulations of samples based on diabetes status and glucose level. Results In this study we performed the largest microbiome study ever conducted in Saudi Arabia, as well as the first-ever characterization of gut microbiota T2D versus non-T2D in this population. We observed overall positive enrichment within diabetics compared to healthy individuals and amongst diabetic participants; those with high glucose levels exhibited slightly more positive enrichment compared to those at lower risk of fasting hyperglycemia. In particular, the genus Firmicutes was upregulated in diabetic individuals compared to non-diabetic individuals, and T2D was associated with an elevated Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, consistent with previous findings. Conclusion Based on diabetes status and glucose levels of Saudi participants, relatively stable differences in stool composition were perceived by differential abundance and alpha diversity measures. However, community level differences are evident in the Saudi population between T2D and non-T2D individuals, and diversity patterns appear to vary from well-characterized microbiota from Western cohorts. Comparing overlapping and varying patterns in gut microbiota with other studies is critical to assessing novel treatment options in light of a rapidly growing T2D health epidemic in the region. As a rapidly emerging chronic condition in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, T2D burdens have grown more quickly and affect larger proportions of the population than any other global region, making a regional reference T2D-microbiome dataset critical to understanding the nuances of disease development on a global scale.
Prediction model for maximum shear displacement of pipe joints with preexisting defects based on finite element–multiple nonlinear regression method

Under the coupling effect of the defects inside and around pipes, the shear displacement of the joints of old concrete pipes fallen into disrepair usually shows an accelerated deterioration trend, and its excessive value can lead to structural damage or fluid leakage. Therefore, developing a prediction model for the maximum shear displacement of concrete drainage pipe joints with preexisting defects is of crucial significance. To this end, this work selects internal corrosion and erosion voids as the typical defects inside and around old pipes, establishes 300 sets of three‐dimensional fine finite element (FE) models of the concrete drainage pipes with corrosion and void, and verifies the reliability of the developed FE model by the full‐scale tests. Based on the verified FE data, a prediction model is successfully proposed for the assessment of the maximum shear displacement of the concrete drainage pipe joints with corrosion and void defects. Moreover, parameter sensitivity analysis is carried out to reveal their relative contribution to the maximum shear displacement of pipe joints. The results show that the model proposed herein has the ability to accurately predict the maximum shear displacement of the pipe joints. The maximum and minimum relative error between the value predicted by the proposed model and the one computed by the FE model is also 12.4% and 4.8% respectively. Moreover, the traffic load with a contribution of 28.7% has the greatest impact on the maximum shear displacement of pipe joints.
The Relationship between the SUVmax Value Obtained in Ga-68 PSMA PET/CT and Lactate Dehydrogenase and Alkaline Phosphatase in Prostate Cancer.

OBJECTIVES ALP and LDH are serum markers of prognostic importance in prostate cancer patients. PET/CT imaging with Ga-68 PSMA has played an important role in prostate cancer imaging in recent years. Our aim in this study was to evaluate the relationship and prognostic significance between SUVmax values obtained with Ga-68 PSMA PET/CT and LDH and ALP levels in prostate cancer patients. METHODS We retrospectively evaluated 61 prostate cancer patients who had Ga-68 PSMA PET/CT imaging and who did not have a prostatectomy between 2019 and 2020. PSA, ALP and LDH levels were measured in all patients before or after imaging within a maximum of 28 days. RESULTS The median age of the patients included in this study was 73 (range: 57-89) and all 61 patients were prostatic adenocarcinoma. 50 (82%) of the patients had distant metastasis in Ga-68 PSMA PET/CT. There was a significant positive correlation between serum LDH and PSA levels. There was a positive correlation between serum ALP and PSA levels. A negative correlation was found between ALP levels and prostate SUVmax. CONCLUSIONS While negative correlation was found between SUVmax and ALP levels, no correlation was found between LDH levels and SUVmax. High ALP levels were found to be related to metastasis rates and severity and high serum PSA levels.
Medium Voltage Flying Capacitor DC–DC Converter With High-Frequency TCM-Q2L Control

This article presents a novel control method for a multilevel dc–dc flying capacitor converter for applications in medium voltage range. Quasi-two-level modulation provides the possibility to obtain low flying capacitance even below 1 μF, whereas the triangular current mode controller part enables to achieve zero voltage switching at turn-on for a wide operating range, lowering power losses, and providing the possibility to operate at higher frequencies. The proposed novel control converges the advantages of these both methods leading to very high efficiency with high power density. Performance of the flying capacitor converter with the proposed control method is illustrated with a model-based Saber simulation at first, and then, an experimental model operating at wide frequency range (40 ÷ 250 kHz) and in medium voltage range was designed and constructed. A series of laboratory tests at up to 1.5 kV dc and 10 kW confirmed the noteworthy characteristics of the converter. The voltage between the power devices is balanced and the efficiency achieved reached as high as 99.1%. Therefore, the proposed converter can be competitively employed against classical two-level, as well as three-level and series connection-based counterparts.
The effects of non‐stationarity on SPI for operational drought monitoring in Europe

It is a good practice to follow common guidelines in the computation of Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) data sets as part of operational drought monitoring systems. In the European Drought Observatory (https://edo.jrc.ec.europa.eu/), reference statistics are computed following the World Meteorological Organization Guidelines on the Calculation of Climate Normals, where a definition of the reference period for monitoring applications is introduced as the most recent 30‐year period finishing in a year ending with 0. In this study, the temporal consistency of the SPI time series computed using the fifth‐generation European Centre for Medium‐range Weather Forecast reanalyses model precipitation data set is tested over Europe to quantify the effect of the transition from one baseline period (1981–2010) to another (1991–2020) and to evaluate the capability of these static baselines to reproduce the behaviour of non‐stationary SPIs (nSPIs). The results of the comparison suggest that the threshold commonly used to identify droughts (SPI = −1) is only marginally affected by the change in reference period (mean absolute deviation, MAD = 0.15 ± 0.1) for short‐term SPI, whereas larger differences (MAD up to 0.6) can be observed over certain areas (i.e., Southern Italy and Eastern Europe) for longer accumulation periods (i.e., SPI‐9 or SPI‐12). Examples show that changes in drought classification from extremely dry (SPI < −2) to moderately dry (SPI < −1) are not uncommon, which may lead to misinterpretation by users. Finally, analyses against nSPI highlight an overall good correspondence between stationary and nSPIs, even if both static baselines displayed difficulties in reliably capturing the magnitude of nSPI for the entire 10‐year period for which they should be used. In this regard, it has been demonstrated that more spatially uniform results can be achieved with 5‐year updates, with a good matching (MAD <0.25) for SPI‐1 and an acceptable matching (MAD < 0.50) for SPI‐12 over more than 80% of Europe.
On the Generalized S − X 2 –Test of Item Fit: Some Variants, Residuals, and a Graphical Visualization

The generalized S − X 2 –test is a test of item fit for items with polytomous responses format. The test is based on a comparison of the observed and expected number of responses in strata defined by the test score. In this article, we make four contributions. We demonstrate that the performance of the generalized S − X 2 –test depends on how sparse cells are pooled. We propose alternative implementations of the test within the framework of limited information testing. We derive the distribution of the S − X 2 –residuals that can be used for post hoc analyses. We suggest a diagnostic plot that visualizes the form of the misfit. The performance of the alternative implementations is investigated in a simulation study. The simulation study suggests that the alternative implementations are capable of controlling the Type-I error rate well and have high power. An empirical application concludes this article.
Single Stem Rouging of Banana Xanthomonas Wilt Infected Plants for Orchard Rehabilitation

Banana Xanthomonas Wilt (BXW), caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. musacearum (Xcm), a devastating disease, causes up to 100% loss and affects all banana varieties. The disease is widespread in East and Central Africa region. Study objective was to evaluate the performance of single stem rouging options for rehabilitation of severely affected banana orchard. Five single stem rouging options were implemented in banana orchard with 80% BXW severity in Western Kenya. The options included rouging of infected banana plants; uprooting, cutting at the base, injecting 20 ml of glyphosate herbicide at the soil base of the pseudostem, uprooting the whole stool and control leaving the infected stools. Initial visual assesment before implementation of the orchard was over 80% infection. Later samples were collected for diagnosis of ten plants per treatment from different plant parts and were subjected to ELISA and PCR procedures for confirmion of the presence of Xcm. Rouging options was implemented for one year. During and after experimentation periodic visual assesment of BXW incidence and severity reduced. Results of ELISA assays and PCR results indicated Xanthomonas was present on banana plants. Rouging the infected banana stems by cutting at the base, uprooting and injection of herbicide reduced BXW incidence within six months. Xanthomonas, an inhibiting bacteria cannot surve without host and by killing the banana plant the Xanthomonas dies. Yields were recovered from the rehabilitated orchard within one year. Banana orchard highly infected with BXW was effectively rehabilitated.