Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Medical shift work: a narrative review

Shift and night work combine training and practice in medical education, assuming an essential character in some medical specialties. Nevertheless, it is recognized that this work schedule affects biological functions, cognitive performance, and the safety of both patients and workers. The aim of this narrative literature review was to describe current knowledge about the impact of shift and night work in medical professionals. The LILACS, MEDLINE, and SciELO databases were searched for publications between 2010 and 2020 using the terms: “shift work schedule” and “physicians”. A total of 12 publications reported outcomes on sleep quality, family relationships, burnout syndrome, and cardiovascular health. Despite these outcomes, the studies highlighted the importance of shift and night work in medical training, reflecting a loss of learning opportunities when limitations are placed on work hours. The studies suggested initiatives to mitigate the effects of shift work, including increased awareness by managers, a culture of respect for resting periods, the encouragement of family support networks, and the availability of natural light in the workplace.
FORMATION OF CARBONIC ACID (H2CO3) BY SURFACE REACTIONS OF NON-ENERGETIC OH RADICALS WITH CO MOLECULES AT LOW TEMPERATURES

We present the experimental results of carbonic acid (H2CO3) formation through surface reactions of CO molecules with non-energetic hydroxyl (OH) radicals at 10–40 K. The formation of H2CO3 was clearly identified both in the IR spectra and in the thermally programmed desorption mass spectra. The H2CO3 yield was rather high, amounting to approximately 40%–70% relative to that of CO2 formed by the reaction of CO with OH. The structure of H2CO3 formed by reactions of CO with OH may differ from that formed by energetic processes such as UV irradiation, ion irradiation, and electron irradiation of H2O/CO2 binary ices. In this paper, we envisage some of the possible roles H2CO3 may have in the interstellar medium, such as enriching grain mantles of new molecules via acid–base reactions with basic species and contributing to the formation of the unidentified band at 6.8 μm; we suggest possible reasons for its non-detection yet and discuss the restoration of carbonic acid molecules in the gas phase.
Axial Flow Between Sliding, Non-Concentric Cylinders with Applications to Thread Injection

An investigation is conducted into the nature of the pressure-driven axial flow between cylinders with the inner cylinder moving in the axial direction. Such a flow is often referred to in the literature as a 'thread-annular' flow and is relevant to the procedure of thread injection: a surgical technique that allows the injection of porous medical implants, consisting of synthetic biocompatible materials, into the body in a minimally invasive way. A perturbation solution for the fluid flow is derived under the assumption that the inner cylinder is displaced slightly from a concentric position within the outer cylinder. From the basic solution, expressions for the force on the thread and the friction factor for the flow are derived. Our results are compared with the concentric case, experimental results and also the exact solution to the problem. It is found that reported discrepancies between experimental measurements and theory based on a concentric flow model can be explained by our inclusion of thread eccentricity.
The climatology of hailstone embryos

Abstract Data on hailstone embryo types, using a broad classification as graupel or frozen drops, are presented from several geographical areas representing distinctly different storm “climatologies. ” The relative frequency of the two embryo types varies greatly from area to area, in a Way that correlates rather well with average cloud-base temperature. The warmer based clouds produce hail with more frozen drop embryos. The correlation may be explainable either in terms of the dominant precipitation growth process—liquid coalescence or the ice process—or in terms of recycling of embryos, or both. In light of these results, the transferability of any hail suppression technology from one area to another should not be considered to be automatic.
Phantom readings: the case of modified numerals

We investigate the mechanisms proposed in formal semantics to account for the ambiguity generated by simple numerical expressions (e.g., ‘three students’). We explain how these mechanisms, when applied to more complex numerical expressions such as ‘between n and m’ (e.g., ‘between three and five students’), predict a surprising ambiguity between a doubly bounded (e.g., ‘at least three and at most five students’) and a lower-bounded reading (e.g., ‘at least three students’). While the lower-bounded reading is not detectable intuitively, results from three offline experiments and a response time study provide evidence in favour of its existence. Our contribution is twofold. On the experimental side, we present two psycholinguistic methods powerful enough to detect what we call phantom readings, i.e., readings that do not seem to have consequences for actual interpretation, but have detectable effects on processing. On the theoretical side, we show that certain semantic mechanisms that might be thought to overgenerate are in fact vindicated, since they are able to predict certain processing facts that would otherwise remain mysterious. We discuss how these results illustrate the need for a strong integration of formal semantics and psycholinguistic approaches.
Do double cages and access to occupational materials improve the welfare of farmed mink?

The effects of cage enrichments and additional space were studied in 60 pairs of mink kits kept in standard cages (STD) and 67 pairs of mink kits kept in enriched cages (ENR). During the period from mid July to the end of September both groups had alternate access to one and two connected cages. From October, half of the mink in each group had permanent access to one cage and the other half permanent access to two cages. The enrichment of the cages consisted of extra resting places (tubes made of wire mesh and plastic) and occupational materials in terms of table-tennis balls and ropes to pull and chew. The mink were observed for an experimental period of nine months, from late lactation until the beginning of the following mating season. The welfare was assessed through behavioural traits (use of nest box and enrichments, activity out in the cage, stereotypies and fur-chewing) consumption of food and straw, bodyweight and level of faecal corticoid metabolites. The presence of enrichments resulted in less tail-chewing, fewer stereotypies, and a reduced level of faecal corticoid metabolites. In addition, the presence of enrichments led to fewer social interactions and reduced the consumption of straw. Regarding the frequency of utilising different occupational materials, the mink did not use the table-tennis balls, but the tubes and pull-ropes were given extensive use. Access to one or double cages had no effect on stereotypies, fur-chewing and physiology linked to welfare, but mink with access to double cages used the nest box less, had a lower consumption of straw and pull-ropes than the mink with access to only one cage. However, there were no indications of frustration when the mink were deprived of using double cages. We conclude that increased environmental complexity in the form of occupational materials improved the welfare of the mink, whereas doubling the cage size had little or no effect in relation to mink welfare.
Training laboratory-housed non-human primates, part 1: a UK survey

Training using positive reinforcement is increasingly recognised as a valuable tool for the humane and effective management and use of laboratory-housed non-human primates. We utilised a mixed-mode questionnaire to survey use of training and other learning processes (socialisation, habituation and desensitisation) in over half of UK establishments using and breeding primates. The survey demonstrated that there is widespread awareness of training as a refinement technique and appreciation of its diverse benefits, but training is not used as widely or as fully as it might be. This is due to real constraints (principally staff and time and a lack of confidence in ability to train), and perceived constraints (such as a supposed lack of published information on how to train and assessment of the benefits, and an overestimation of the time investment needed). There is also considerable variation between establishments in the purposes of training and techniques used, with a reliance on negative reinforcement in some. We conclude that there is opportunity for refinement of common scientific, veterinary and husbandry procedures (such as blood and urine collection, injection, capture from the group and weighing) through use of positive reinforcement training, especially when combined with appropriate socialisation, habituation and desensitisation. We end this paper with recommendations on best practice, training techniques and staff education.
A theory for near‐normal incidence microwave scattering from first‐year sea ice

A theory is presented to explain near-normal incidence microwave scattering from first-year sea ice. The theory is based upon the hypothesis of an abnormal number of relatively large (in terms of wavelength) flat areas on the surface which are all at the same elevation relative to mean sea level. These flat areas are assumed to be randomly located circular spots with random radii. The incoherent power scattered by these equiheight flat areas is a result of their random transverse location while the coherent scattered power is a consequence of their equal elevation. The incoherent power is found to vary as the average number of flat spots per unit area while the coherent power varies as the second moment of the number per unit area. Application of this theory to typical radar altimeter data produces parameter estimates which are in reasonable agreement with the available surface truth. Finally, it is conjectured that this model may also explain certain anomalous scattering data obtained from other types of terrain and planetary surfaces.
A Hard X-Ray View of Two Distant VHE Blazars: 1ES 1101–232 and 1ES 1553+113

TeV blazars are known as prominent nonthermal emitters across the entire electromagnetic spectrum with their photon power peaking in the X-ray and TeV bands. If distant, absorption of γ-ray photons by the extragalactic background light (EBL) alters the intrinsic TeV spectral shape, thereby affecting the overall interpretation. Suzaku observations for two of the more distant TeV blazars known to date, 1ES 1101–232 and 1ES 1553+113, were carried out in 2006 May and July, respectively, including a quasi-simultaneous coverage with the state-of-the-art Cerenkov telescope facilities. We report on the resulting data sets with emphasis on the X-ray band and set in context to their historical behavior. During our campaign, we did not detect any significant X-ray or γ-ray variability. 1ES 1101–232 was found in a quiescent state with the lowest X-ray flux ever measured. The combined XIS and HXD PIN data for 1ES 1101–232 and 1ES 1553+113 clearly indicate spectral curvature up to the highest hard X-ray data point (~30 keV), manifesting as softening with increasing energy. We describe this spectral shape by either a broken power law or a log-parabolic fit with equal statistical goodness of fits. The combined 1ES 1553+113 very high energy spectrum (90-500 GeV) did not show any significant changes with respect to earlier observations. The resulting contemporaneous broadband spectral energy distributions of both TeV blazars are discussed in view of implications for intrinsic blazar parameter values, taking into account the γ-ray absorption in the EBL.
Opioid Prescribing for Osteoarthritis: Cross-Sectional Survey among Primary Care Physicians, Rheumatologists, and Orthopaedic Surgeons

Opioids are often prescribed for osteoarthritis (OA) pain, despite recommendations to limit use due to minimal benefits and associated harms. This study aimed to assess physicians’ practice patterns and perceptions regarding opioids by specialty one year following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published guidance on opioid prescribing. The 139/153 (90.8%) physicians who reported prescribing opioids in the previous year reported decreased prescribing for mild OA (51.3%, 26.5% and 33.3% of primary care physicians, rheumatologists, and orthopaedic surgeons, respectively), moderate OA (50.0%, 47.1% and 48.1%) and severe OA (43.6%, 41.2% and 44.4%). Prescribing changes were attributed to the CDC guidelines for 58.9% of primary care physicians, 59.1% of rheumatologists, and 73.3% of orthopaedic surgeons. Strong opioids were mostly reserved as third-line treatment. Although treatment effectiveness post-CDC guidelines was not assessed, perceptions of efficacy and quality of life with opioids significantly differed across specialties, whereas perceptions of safety, convenience/acceptability and costs did not. Physicians generally agreed on the barriers to opioid prescribing, with fear of addiction and drug abuse being the most important. Across specialties, physicians reported decreased opioid prescribing for OA, irrespective of OA severity, and in most cases attributed changes in prescribing to the CDC guideline.
Cantilever transducers as a platform for chemical and biological sensors

Since the late 1980s there have been spectacular developments in micromechanical or microelectro-mechanical (MEMS) systems which have enabled the exploration of transduction modes that involve mechanical energy and are based primarily on mechanical phenomena. As a result an innovative family of chemical and biological sensors has emerged. In this article, we discuss sensors with transducers in a form of cantilevers. While MEMS represents a diverse family of designs, devices with simple cantilever configurations are especially attractive as transducers for chemical and biological sensors. The review deals with four important aspects of cantilever transducers: (i) operation principles and models; (ii) microfabrication; (iii) figures of merit; and (iv) applications of cantilever sensors. We also provide a brief analysis of historical predecessors of the modern cantilever sensors.
Peptide Variant Detection by a Living Yeast Biosensor via an Epitope-Selective Protease

We previously demonstrated that we could hijack the fungal pheromone signaling pathway to provide a living yeast biosensor where peptide biomarkers were recognized by G-protein-coupled receptors and engineered to transcribe a readout. Here, we demonstrated that the protease could be reintroduced to the biosensor to provide a simple mechanism for distinguishing single-amino-acid changes in peptide ligands that, otherwise, would likely be difficult to detect using binding-based assays. We characterized the dose–response curves for five fungal pheromone G-protein-coupled receptors, peptides, and proteases—Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida albicans, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Schizosaccharomyces octosporus, and Schizosaccharomyces japonicus. Alanine scanning was carried out for the most selective of these—S. cerevisiae and C. albicans—with and without the protease. Two peptide variants were discovered, which showed diminished cleavage by the protease (CaPep2A and CaPep2A13A). Those peptides were then distinguished by utilizing the biosensor strains with and without the protease, which selectively cleaved and altered the apparent concentration of peptide required for half-maximal activation for 2 peptides—CaPep and CaPep13A, respectively—by more than one order of magnitude. These results support the hypothesis that the living yeast biosensor with a sequence-specific protease can translate single-amino-acid changes into more than one order of magnitude apparent shift in the concentration of peptide required for half-maximal activation. With further engineering by computational modeling and directed evolution, the biosensor could likely distinguish a wide variety of peptide sequences beyond the alanine scanning carried out here. In the future, we envision incorporating proteases into our living yeast biosensor for use as a point of care diagnostic, a scalable communication language, and other applications.
Antibiotic Resistance and Therapeutic Efficacy of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Pediatric Patients—A Tertiary Center Experience

One of the most widespread bacterial infections worldwide, Helicobacter pylori is thought to affect almost half of the world’s population. Due to rising antibiotic resistance, treatment should be tailored according to antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST). This study aims to evaluate Helicobacter pylori antibiotic resistance and its therapeutic efficacy in children. We conducted a prospective, single-center study, that evaluated 68 children referred for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGE) following chronic dyspeptic syndrome. Each patient underwent multiple biopsies to perform bacterial cultures with AST and histopathological examinations for the diagnosis. Patients without antibiotic resistance or negative cultures received a 10-day sequential therapy, while the others had the antibiotic regimen tailored based on AST. Fifty-nine patients with a positive biopsy-based diagnosis (24 males) were finally included. Bacterial cultures with AST were positive for 13 patients (22.03%) and the antibiotic resistance for clarithromycin was 15.38%. Fifty-seven patients were administered sequential therapy with an eradication rate of 94.73%. Clarithromycin-resistant patients were successfully treated with 10-day triple therapy of esomeprazole, amoxicillin, and metronidazole. Although bacterial cultures had a low positivity rate, sequential therapy had a successful eradication rate. Further studies are necessary to better assess Helicobacter pylori antibiotic resistance to provide tailored treatment and identify children that need closer monitoring.
Organisations adjusting to change: A discussion of the impact of an Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service on the organisational dynamics of an existing psychological therapies department

Health systems are typical examples of what Halton (1995) describes as ‘dependency cultures’. People who chose to work in such cultures are, it is argued, vocationally motivated by a desire to help those in the ‘dependent’ position. The primary value of this culture is to maximise the development, health and welfare of the people who need these services. The introduction of market forces into the National Health Service (NHS) has gradually undermined this value as scarce resources dictate to who and how much service could be given. Re-evaluation and restructuring of therapeutic services is necessary to ensure they are run efficiently and effectively; however, problems arise when lack of recognition or matching of the ‘dependency values’ and the implicit primary task of ‘caring for others’ obstructs the vocational motivation of practitioners. This has the potential to introduce conflict between the values of the different staff groups within and between services leading to confusion and stress. The introduction of Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) has been criticised for promoting an idealised culture of ‘cure’ which has failed to acknowledge the real complexity, and often comordidity of mental health problems (Fairfax, 2008). This change of emphasis from ‘care’ to ‘cure’ denigrates both the primary task and the morale of staff whose abilities to care and to act realistically by accepting the often complex and chronic nature of mental health problems, are undermined (Stokes, 1994). Bion’s (1961) concept of unconscious processes within groups and organisations is used to provide a psychodynamic understanding of how the introduction of IAPT into an NHS psychological therapies department created tensions between the non-IAPT and IAPT services, disrupting the organisations ability to work towards its primary task of care. Using the author’s observations and experiences as a trainee counselling psychologist within this service, the paper concludes with a discussion of how counselling psychology’s humanistic values and pluralistic training provides a unique perspective from which to arbitrate professional conflicts, and facilitate adjustment to organisational change.
Complex Effects of Hemp Fibers and Impact Modifiers in Multiphase Polypropylene Systems

Natural fibers-reinforced polymer composites have progressed rapidly due to their undeniable advantages. Most of the commercial polypropylene (PP)-based materials are characterized by either high impact toughness or high stiffness, while the manufacture of PP composites with both good toughness and stiffness is challenging at present. In this work, poly[styrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-styrene] (SEBS) and poly(styrene-b-butadiene-b-styrene) (SBS) copolymers were used in different amounts as modifiers in PP/hemp fibers (HF) composites, with the aim to use them for electrical vehicle parts. The interface in these multiphase systems was controlled by the addition of maleated polypropylene (MAPP). SEBS and SBS showed different effects on the elongation at break of the blends and the corresponding composites due to the HF that stiffened the multiphase systems. Similarly, a different action of MAPP was observed in the composites containing SEBS or SBS: higher Young’s and storage moduli were obtained for the composite containing SBS, while greater elongation at break and impact strength values were recorded for the SEBS-containing system. In addition, a remarkable dispersion in the MAPP-containing composite and two times smaller average particle size were revealed by the SEM analysis for the SEBS particles compared to the SBS ones. The higher affinity of SEBS for PP compared to that for SBS and the different morphological characteristics of the systems containing SEBS and SBS may explain the different effects of these impact modifiers on the mechanical properties of the composites. The composites developed in this work were designed as substitutes for the fully synthetic polymeric materials or metal components used in the manufacturing of automotive parts.