Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hydroelastic responses of floating composite plates under moving loads using a hybrid moving element-boundary element method

Responses of floating plates with the impact of moving excitations have been previously studied by several scholars. Generally, such structures were often assumed to be isotropic. Nonetheless, the directional-dependent bending stiffness should be considered for designing practical floating structures, especially for very large floating structures. Accordingly, this article aims to analyze hydroelastic responses of floating composite plates subjected to moving loads for the first time. For this, a novel numerical approach as a combination of boundary element method and moving element method which is named the BEM–MEM is proposed. In the this approach, governing equations of motion, moving element, and fluid matrices are formulated in a relative coordinate system traveling with moving loads. Consequently, the suggested paradigm can effectively eliminate difficulties in addressing the bound of computational domain and tracking the location of contact points which often encounter in the traditional finite element method owing to utilizing a fixed coordinate system. Several numerical examples are exhibited to demonstrate the performance and ability of the boundary element method-moving element method . Gained results are compared with those by the Fourier transform method and the asymptotic expression to verify the accuracy of the proposed methodology. The outcomes indicate that the speed of moving loads considerably affects the plate deflection. In addition, as the speed is larger than the minimum celerity of the free surface of hydroelastic system (Cmin), the influence of anisotropy on the deflection becomes significant.
A short-term study of the effects of ozone irrigation in an orthodontic population with fixed appliances.

AIM The aim of the present study was to compare the clinical efficacy of chlorhexidine and ozonised water in the oral hygiene maintenance of orthodontic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS Study design: This is a prospective clinical study. Thirty patients with orthodontic brackets were selected at the Versilia General Hospital (Lido di Camaiore, Italy). Patients were randomly allocated to one of two groups: standard oral hygiene session followed by prescription of either chlorhexidine mouth-rinse or ozonated water. At each moment of the follow-up, the following parameters were recorded: pocket probing depth (PPD), full-mouth plaque index (FMPI), and full mouth bleeding score (FMBS). STATISTICS Sample size was computed according to previously published data. Significance level was set at 0.05 for all analyses, and non-parametric Wilcoxon signed rank test was used for comparisons. RESULTS At baseline, mean PPD was 1.89 ± 0.13 mm for the control group and 1.95 ± 0.10 mm for the test group. Mean FMPI was 63.9 ± 16.5% and 68.7 ± 10.33% respectively. Mean FMBS was 31.5 ± 15.6% and 32.8 ± 8.85 respectively. One month after treatment (T2), both groups showed a significant improvement of FMPI and FMBS. Mean FMPI was 42.8 ± 14.3% and 24.3 ± 6.41% respectively. Mean FMBS was 19.5 ±12.6% and 4.70 ± 3.56% respectively. The test group treated with ozone exhibited a greater improvement of FMPI and FMBS. CONCLUSIONS Ozone yielded better outcomes than chlorhexidine in the management of gingivitis in orthodontic patients. Ozone should be further investigated in longitudinal studies with larger samples.
Oral iron supplementation with Feralgine® in inflammatory bowel disease: a retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a relapsing chronic disease of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Among IBD patients, anemia is more frequent than in general population. Recent studies demonstrated a good iron absorption using Feralgine®, a compound of ferrous bysglicinate chelate and alginic acid, oral supplementation with both good compliance rate and efficacy in treating iron deficiency anemia especially due to its high oral bioavailability. In this study we evaluated hemoglobin (Hb) improvement after Feralgine® supplementation in patients with IBD and anemia. METHODS This is a retrospective observational study. All data were derived from the patients' registry of the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, San Giovanni Antica Sede-Molinette Hospital, Turin, Italy. All IBD patients suffering from anemia and treated with Feralgine® (Tecnofer Plus), 1 capsule daily, were selected. RESULTS Mean Hb value increased from 11 g/dL (95% confidence interval [CI]: 10,72-11,47) to 12,2 g/dL (95% CI: 11,6- 12,52, P= 0,0001), after three months of Feralgine® supplementation. While 90% of the patients did not report adverse events, 10% experienced dyspepsia and worsening of diarrhea. Only 6% of patients suspended oral iron supplementation due to GI intolerance (adherence rate 94%). CONCLUSIONS Oral supplementation with Feralgine® induced a significant improvement in Hb levels, suggesting that in IBD patients with mild or moderate anemia, oral iron supplementation could be considered the first line therapy. We suggest further studies on larger cohorts to assess iron, ferritin and transferrin saturation improvement after this treatment.
Performance of a Deep Learning Algorithm in Detecting Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head on Digital Radiography: A Comparison With Assessments by Radiologists.

OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to compare the sensitivity of a deep learning (DL) algorithm with the assessments by radiologists in diagnosing osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) using digital radiography. MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed a two-center, retrospective, noninferiority study of consecutive patients (≥ 16 years old) with a diagnosis of ONFH based on MR images. We investigated the following four datasets of unilaterally cropped hip anteroposterior radiographs: training (n = 1346), internal validation (n = 148), temporal external test (n = 148), and geographic external test (n = 250). Diagnostic performance was measured for a DL algorithm, a less experienced radiologist, and an experienced radiologist. Noninferiority analyses for sensitivity were performed for the DL algorithm and both radiologists. Subgroup analysis for precollapse and postcollapse ONFH was done. RESULTS Overall, 1892 hips (1037 diseased and 855 normal) were included. Sensitivity and specificity for the temporal external test set were 84.8% and 91.3% for the DL algorithm, 77.6% and 100.0% for the less experienced radiologist, and 82.4% and 100.0% for the experienced radiologist. Sensitivity and specificity for the geographic external test set were 75.2% and 97.2% for the DL algorithm, 77.6% and 75.0% for the less experienced radiologist, and 78.0% and 86.1% for the experienced radiologist. The sensitivity of the DL algorithm was noninferior to that of the assessments by both radiologists. The DL algorithm was more sensitive for precollapse ONFH than the assessment by the less experienced radiologist in the temporal external test set (75.9% vs 57.4%; 95% CI of the difference, 4.5-32.8%). CONCLUSION The sensitivity of the DL algorithm for diagnosing ONFH using digital radiography was noninferior to that of both less experienced and experienced radiologist assessments.
Marvinter: A case study of an inclusive transmedia storytelling production

This article examines how the unique characteristics of Marvinter, an inclusive transmedia Advent calendar, affected its production and the individual media workers involved in this. In the native transmedia Marvinter project, a radio series and a mobile game were created and released simultaneously. Using ‘partly shared’ resources, the project was developed by two collaborating, non-profit organisations. Each chapter of the digital game had to match the corresponding radio episode. The whole had to be designed to provide a shared cultural experience that included people with hearing or visual impairments. The authors of the present article were part of the game development team and thus directly experienced the complexity of developing a digital game as part of a transmedia project. This article presents the results of a case study with an insider perspective. It is supplemented by semi-structured interviews with key people in the project. The transmedia nature of Marvinter was justified by the need to include people with complementary disabilities. Although sometimes associated with negative connotations of ‘naked commercialisation’ in transmedia contexts, the marketing strategy was here an important element in promoting inclusivity. However, owing to the concurrent work processes, game production became overly complex.
The neighbor-locating-chromatic number of pseudotrees

A $k$-coloring of a graph $G$ is a partition of the set of vertices of $G$ into $k$ independent sets, which are called colors. A $k$-coloring is neighbor-locating if any two vertices belonging to the same color can be distinguished from each other by the colors of their respective neighbors. The neighbor-locating chromatic number $\chi _{_{NL}}(G)$ is the minimum cardinality of a neighbor-locating coloring of $G$. In this paper, we determine the neighbor-locating chromatic number of paths, cycles, fans, and wheels. Moreover, a procedure to construct a neighbor-locating coloring of minimum cardinality for these families of graphs is given. We also obtain tight upper bounds on the order of trees and unicyclic graphs in terms of the neighbor-locating chromatic number. Further partial results for trees are also established.
BRCA1/BARD1-dependent ubiquitination of NF2 regulates Hippo-YAP1 signaling

Significance Normal cells harbor protective mechanisms to sense DNA damage, halt cell growth, and repair chromatin lesions to maintain genomic stability. How mitogen signaling in proliferating cells is affected upon BRCA1 loss as part of these protective checkpoints is an intriguing question. This study reveals a unique finding of linking BRCA1 to Hippo signaling pathway to explain this conundrum. Our work shows that serum-responsive expression of BRCA1 is required for YAP1 stability. Ubiquitination of NF2 by BRCA1/BARD1 in proliferating cells inhibits NF2/LATS association and Hippo signaling. These findings suggest Hippo signaling activation as a protective barrier in BRCA1-deficient cells, which upon inactivation, promotes cell proliferation and tumorigenesis. Coordination of growth and genomic stability is critical for normal cell physiology. Although the E3 ubiquitin ligase BRCA1 is a key player in maintenance of genomic stability, its role in growth signaling remains elusive. Here, we show that BRCA1 facilitates stabilization of YAP1 protein and turning “off” the Hippo pathway through ubiquitination of NF2. In BRCA1-deficient cells Hippo pathway is “turned On. ” Phosphorylation of YAP1 is crucial for this signaling process because a YAP1 mutant harboring alanine substitutions (Mt-YAP5SA) in LATS1 kinase recognition sites not only resists degradation but also rescues YAP1 transcriptional activity in BRCA1-deficient cells. Furthermore, an ectopic expression of the active Mt-YAP5SA, but not inactive Mt-YAP6SA, promotes EGF-independent proliferation and tumorigenesis in BRCA1−/− mammary epithelial cells. These findings establish an important role of BRCA1 in regulating stability of YAP1 protein that correlates positively with cell proliferation.
Do public officials exhibit social class biases when they handle casework? Evidence from multiple correspondence experiments

Are public officials more responsive to requests from affluent or poor constituents? A growing body of evidence suggests that lawmakers are more responsive to the rich when they craft policy. However, some scholars theorize that officials also exhibit a corresponding bias in favor of the poor when they handle casework, essentially giving policy to the rich and services to the poor. In this paper, we test this casework prediction using four experiments in which confederates sent simple requests to state or local officials. In each, our confederates’ reported social classes were randomly assigned and signaled with a brief introductory statement mentioning the sender’s occupation or economic situation. Across our samples, we find precisely-estimated null effects of social class biases: the officials we studied were equally likely to respond regardless of the constituent’s class. These findings raise doubts about whether casework is really a class-biased process.
Nature-inspired design and evolution of anti-amyloid antibodies

Antibodies that recognize amyloidogenic aggregates with high conformational and sequence specificity are important for detecting and potentially treating a wide range of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. However, these types of antibodies are challenging to generate because of the large size, hydrophobicity, and heterogeneity of protein aggregates. To address this challenge, we developed a method for generating antibodies specific for amyloid aggregates. First, we grafted amyloidogenic peptide segments from the target polypeptide [Alzheimer's amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide] into the complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) of a stable antibody scaffold. Next, we diversified the grafted and neighboring CDR sites using focused mutagenesis to sample each WT or grafted residue, as well as one to five of the most commonly occurring amino acids at each site in human antibodies. Finally, we displayed these antibody libraries on the surface of yeast cells and selected antibodies that strongly recognize Aβ-amyloid fibrils and only weakly recognize soluble Aβ. We found that this approach enables the generation of monovalent and bivalent antibodies with nanomolar affinity for Aβ fibrils. These antibodies display high conformational and sequence specificity as well as low levels of nonspecific binding and recognize a conformational epitope at the extreme N terminus of human Aβ. We expect that this systematic approach will be useful for generating antibodies with conformational and sequence specificity against a wide range of peptide and protein aggregates associated with neurodegenerative disorders.
Deetiolation Enhances Phototropism by Modulating NON-PHOTOTROPIC HYPOCOTYL3 Phosphorylation Status1[OPEN]

Phototropism is enhanced by seedling de-etiolation and is achieved by a molecular rheostat that fine-tunes the phosphorylation and localization status of the phototropic signaling component, NPH3. Phototropin (phot) receptor kinases play important roles in promoting plant growth by controlling light-capturing processes, such as phototropism. Phototropism is mediated through the action of NON-PHOTOTROPIC HYPOCOTYL3 (NPH3), which is dephosphorylated following phot activation. However, the functional significance of this early signaling event remains unclear. Here, we show that the onset of phototropism in dark-grown (etiolated) seedlings of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is enhanced by greening (deetiolation). Red and blue light were equally effective in promoting phototropism in Arabidopsis, consistent with our observations that deetiolation by phytochrome or cryptochrome was sufficient to enhance phototropism. Increased responsiveness did not result from an enhanced sensitivity to the phytohormone auxin, nor does it involve the phot-interacting protein, ROOT PHOTOTROPISM2. Instead, deetiolated seedlings showed attenuated levels of NPH3 dephosphorylation and diminished relocalization of NPH3 from the plasma membrane during phototropism. Likewise, etiolated seedlings that lack the PHYTOCHROME-INTERACTING FACTORS (PIFs) PIF1, PIF3, PIF4, and PIF5 displayed reduced NPH3 dephosphorylation and enhanced phototropism, consistent with their constitutive photomorphogenic phenotype in darkness. Phototropic enhancement could also be achieved in etiolated seedlings by lowering the light intensity to diminish NPH3 dephosphorylation. Thus, phototropism is enhanced following deetiolation through the modulation of a phosphorylation rheostat, which in turn sustains the activity of NPH3. We propose that this dynamic mode of regulation enables young seedlings to maximize their establishment under changing light conditions, depending on their photoautotrophic capacity.
Editorial: should we abandon HCV genotype testing? Maybe

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The Epigenetic Progenitor Origin of Cancer Reassessed: DNA Methylation Brings Balance to the Stem Force

Cancer initiation and progression toward malignant stages occur as the results of accumulating genetic alterations and epigenetic dysregulation. During the last decade, the development of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies and the increasing pan-genomic knowledge have revolutionized how we consider the evolving epigenetic landscapes during homeostasis and tumor progression. DNA methylation represents the best studied mark and is considered as a common mechanism of epigenetic regulation in normal homeostasis and cancer. A remarkable amount of work has recently started clarifying the central role played by DNA methylation dynamics on the maintenance of cell identity and on cell fate decisions during the different steps of normal development and tumor evolution. Importantly, a growing number of studies show that DNA methylation is key in the maintenance of adult stemness and in orchestrating commitment in multiple ways. Perturbations of the normal DNA methylation patterns impair the homeostatic balance and can lead to tumor initiation. Therefore, DNA methylation represents an interesting therapeutic target to recover homeostasis in tumor stem cells.
Similarities and Differences Between Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data Systems.

OBJECTIVE The purposes of this study were to identify the similarities and differences among the Korean Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TIRADS), American College of Radiology (ACR) TI-RADS, and European TIRADS and to compare the diagnostic performance of sonographic fine-needle aspiration (FNA) criteria for detecting malignant thyroid nodules. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study included 2274 consecutively evaluated thyroid nodules 1 cm or larger in 1836 patients with final diagnoses from January 2011 to December 2016. US features of the nodules were retrospectively reviewed and classified according to three published guidelines from international societies. We compared the US lexicons, categories, and diagnostic performance of the FNA criteria for malignant nodules among the three reporting systems. RESULTS Of the 2274 thyroid nodules, 1974 (86.8%) were benign and 300 (13.2%) were malignant; 93.7% of all malignancies were papillary carcinoma. Most of the US lexicons were similar among the three systems except for the definition of echogenicity of a nodule of mixed echogenicity in European TIRADS. Although the categories had strong correlations (r = 0.777-0.877, all p < 0.001) among the three systems, significant differences were observed in categories 5, 4, and 3 of nodules (all p < 0.001) and in the sensitivity, specificity, and rate of unnecessary FNA of the FNA criteria for malignancy (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Although the three systems had similarities in most US lexicons, significant differences were observed in the classified categories and diagnostic performance of the FNA criteria for malignancy.
Enhancing post-graduate programme effectiveness through tracer studies: the reflective accounts of a Ghanaian nation-wide graduate tracer study research team

ABSTRACT Graduate tracer studies have come to represent one of the key approaches for enhancing study programme effectiveness in contemporary higher education. This has led to a surge in graduate tracer studies by Ghanaian higher education institutions. However, reflective practices on challenges and lessons from these studies are lacking. Through focus-group discussions and individual interviews with members of a research team that undertook a nation-wide data collection in connection with a graduate tracer study, this article distils challenges the research team struggled to surmount and lessons learnt for the conduct of future graduate tracer studies within the context of Ghana. Against the backdrop of the insights generated and discussed, it is concluded that reflective research exercises, such as the one reported in this article, are a scholarly imperative for continuous improvement in the conduct of graduate tracer studies, which is rarely undertaken in the Ghanaian higher education context.
Growth and nutritional efficiency of acacia seedlings in response to phosphate fertilization

Acacia mangium Willd cultivation is a viable option to meet the growing demand for wood in the forest market. However, there is little information related to its nutritional requirements in the seedling growth phase. The objective of this study was to evaluate the growth and nutritional efficiency of acacia seedlings in response to phosphate fertilization. The experimental design was completely randomized with five treatments, and with five replications each. The treatments consisted of five phosphorus (P) doses: 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mg dm-3, and triple superphosphate (46% P2O5) was used as the mineral source. The plant height, stem diameter, leaf number, shoot, root and total dry matter, P content in leaves, stem and roots, and P efficiency of uptake, translocation and use were subsequently evaluated 120 days post-transplant. The rate of 150 mg dm-3 of P showed the best growth and efficiency results for P use. The increases observed in acacia seedlings due to the increase in P rates show the importance of adequate phosphate nutrition in the development of this species. Thus, 150 mg dm-3 of P is the recommended rate for Acacia mangium seedling cultivation.