Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ultrasound interstitial applicator for digestive endoscopy: in vivo destruction of bilary tissues

The frequent late diagnosis and the poor efficiency of systemic therapy such as radiotherapy generate huge difficulties in the treatment of ducts cancers. Palliative techniques of bilary debulking, either surgical or by endoscopic route, are actually performed. A light invasive local treatment would allow to fill up this therapeutic gap. Thus, the authors developed an ultrasound applicator for interstitial thermal therapy compatible with classical techniques of digestive endoscopy. The applicator is fitted with a water-cooled plane transducer, operating at 10 MHz, to produce rapid and deep coagulation necroses in a perfused environment. The rotation of the applicator around its axis is necessary to necrose the tissues surrounding the bilary lumen. A flexible metallic shaft (2 m long and 3.8 mm outer diameter), joining the active head with the transducer to the connecting end, enables the remote rotational motion control from the outside of the endoscope. In vivo experiments were conducted on pigs. An abdominal laparotomy was carried out to perform surgically the sphincterotomy of the bilary ducts. Then, the duodenoscope was slid, through the oesophagus, into the duodenum in front of the opened ampulla of Vater. A guide wire was positioned to drive the applicator through the endoscope operating channel into the bilary ducts. Sharp and repetitive coagulation necroses, 8-10 mm in depth, were generated both in the bilary ducts and the liver. These results demonstrated encouraging possibilities for the bilary ducts cancers treatment thanks to the authors' applicator.
Foundations of Free Noncommutative Function Theory

Introduction NC functions and their difference-differential calculus Higher order nc functions and their difference-differential calculus The Taylor-Taylor formula NC functions on nilpotent matrices NC polynomials vs. polynomials in matrix entries NC analyticity and convergence of TT series Convergence of nc power series Direct summands extensions of nc sets and nc functions (Some) earlier work on nc functions Similarity invariant envelopes and extension of nc functions Bibliography Index
Quantum Kinetic Theory and Applications: Electrons, Photons, Phonons

Elements of Quantum Dynamics. - Electron-Impurity System. - Linear Response Theory. - Bosons Interacting with Electrons. - Interacting Phonon Systems. - Effects of Electron-Electron Interaction. - Non-Equilibrium Electrons. - Non-Equilibrium Diagram Technique. - Kinetics of Bounded Systems. - Quantum Magnetotransport. - Photoexcitation. - Ballistic and Hopping Transport. - Multi-Channel Kinetics. - Fluctuations.
The Bioaccessibility and Antioxidant Activities of Fermented Mango Cultivar Juices after Simulated In Vitro Digestion

The purpose of this study was to investigate the bioaccessibilities of total phenolic compounds, carotenoid profile, antioxidant activity, and Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) survival in fermented mango juice (MJs) obtained from three mango cultivars after exposure to an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion model. The MJs from three cultivars (‘Sabre’, ‘Peach’, and ‘Tommy Atkins’) were fermented using Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 75 (L75), Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides 56 (L56), and their combination (L56 + 75). Fermented MJs were digested and fractions: gastric (GF), intestinal (IF), and dialysis (DF) were analyzed for total polyphenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity (FRAP), 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and 2.2-azinobis-3-ethyl-benzothiazoline–6-sulfonic acid (ABTS). In addition, the carotenoid content and the LAB population were determined from the GF and IF. After digestion, TPC decreased while fermentation improved its bioaccessibility. L75-fermented ‘Sabre’ MJs had the highest bioaccessible TPC in the GF (75.65%), IF (50.10%), and DF (32.52%) while L56 ‘Peach’ MJs increased the β-carotene bioaccessibility by 1.32-fold at GF and IF (1.21-fold). When compared to the other two juices, ‘Sabre’ and ‘Peach’ MJs fermented with L75 showed the highest IC50 values for DPPH and ABTS. Generally, L75-fermented ‘Sabre’ MJs had the highest LAB survival at both GF (7.57 Log CFU/mL) and IF (7.45 Log CFU/mL) and hold potential as probiotic juices. L56-fermented ‘Sabre’ MJs would ensure the delivery of four times the carotenoid recommended dietary allowance (RDA) to a target site in the body while L75-fermented ‘Peach’ MJs could be used to effectively counteract oxidants in the body system.
Promising Roles of Circular RNAs as Biomarkers and Targets for Potential Diagnosis and Therapy of Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection, remains one of the most threatening infectious diseases worldwide. A series of challenges still exist for TB prevention, diagnosis and treatment, which therefore require more attempts to clarify the pathological and immunological mechanisms in the development and progression of TB. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a large class of non-coding RNA, mostly expressed in eukaryotic cells, which are generated by the spliceosome through the back-splicing of linear RNAs. Accumulating studies have identified that circRNAs are widely involved in a variety of physiological and pathological processes, acting as the sponges or decoys for microRNAs and proteins, scaffold platforms for proteins, modulators for transcription and special templates for translation. Due to the stable and widely spread characteristics of circRNAs, they are expected to serve as promising prognostic/diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for diseases. In this review, we briefly describe the biogenesis, classification, detection technology and functions of circRNAs, and, in particular, outline the dynamic, and sometimes aberrant changes of circRNAs in TB. Moreover, we further summarize the recent progress of research linking circRNAs to TB-related pathogenetic processes, as well as the potential roles of circRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers and miRNAs sponges in the case of Mtb infection, which is expected to enhance our understanding of TB and provide some novel ideas about how to overcome the challenges associated TB in the future.
Metformin and the Risk of Chronic Urticaria in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

We conducted this study to determine the effect of metformin use on the risk of new-onset chronic urticaria in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). In total, 24,987 pairs of metformin users and nonusers were identified with propensity score-matching from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database from 1 January 2000, to 31 December 2017. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare the risks of chronic urticaria development, severe chronic urticaria, and hospitalization for chronic urticaria between metformin users and nonusers. Compared with metformin nonuse, the aHRs (95% CI) for metformin use in chronic urticaria development, severe chronic urticaria, and hospitalization for chronic urticaria were 1.56 (1.39–1.74), 0.40 (0.12–1.30), and 1.45 (0.82–2.56), respectively. The cumulative incidence of chronic urticaria development was significantly higher in metformin users than in nonusers (p < 0.0001). A longer average cumulative duration of metformin use was associated with higher risks of new-onset and hospitalization for chronic urticaria than metformin nonuse. This nationwide cohort study showed that metformin use was associated with a significantly higher risk of chronic urticaria development. A longer average cumulative duration of metformin use was associated with a higher risk of outcomes. More prospective studies are needed to verify our results.
EFFECT OF EXOGENOUSLY APPLIED NITRIC OXIDE ON WATER RELATIONS AND IONIC COMPOSITION OF RICE ( ORYZA SATIVA L . ) PLANTS UNDER SALT STRESS

The aim of present experiment was to assess the effect of exogenously applied nitric oxide on water relation attributes and pattern of uptake of inorganic ions in rice plants under salt stress. The experiment comprised four rice cultivars, two coarse (KS-282 and IRRI-6) and two fine (Shaheen Basmati and Basmati PB-95) rice cultivars, two NaCl levels (0 and 80 mM), and three levels (0, 0.1, and 0.2 mM) of nitric oxide. Salt stress caused a significant increase in leaf water and osmotic potentials while decreased leaf turgor potential and relative water content in all four rice cultivars. Of inorganic ions, shoot and root Cl and Na concentrations increased significantly, while in contrast, K and Ca concentrations and K/Na ratio decreased markedly. Pre-sowing seed treatment with nitric oxide significantly decreased leaf osmotic and water potentials and shoot and root Cl and Na concentrations, while it increased leaf relative water content, leaf turgor potential, K and Ca concentrations and K/Na ratio in both shoots and roots of salt stressed rice plants. Of nitric oxide levels, 0.1 mM was more effective, while of the four rice cultivars, Shaheen basmati and IRRI-6 performed better as compared to the other two cultivars.
A Control Chart for the Coefficient of Variation

Monitoring variability is a vital part of modern statistical process control. The conventional Shewhart R and S charts address the setting where the in-control process readings have a constant variance. In some settings, however, it is the coefficient of variation, rather than the variance, that should be constant. For example, this setting is common in clinical chemistry, and then conventional R and S charts cannot be used. This paper develops a chart, equivalent to the S chart, for monitoring the coefficient of variation using rational groups of observations.
Good Corporate Governance Model in Indonesian Islamic Banking

This study aims to examine the concept and implementation of Good Corporate Governance in Islamic banking in Indonesia. This research is a field research which is sharpened by the literature. This research is descriptive in nature, seeks to examine GCG policies and find ideas to strengthen regulations in compliance with sharia aspects and describes the implementation of GCG in Islamic banking in Indonesia. The method used in data analysis is a qualitative method, namely by presenting it in the form of descriptions and concepts. The performance of Islamic bank management, namely the implementation of GCG consisting of Transparency (Openness), Accountability, Responsibility, Professionalism, Independence, and Fairness, as well as being committed to Sharia Compliance, However, the author only focuses on Sharia Compliance. Then the assessment is carried out periodically and continuously and efforts are made so that it can be carried out properly in accordance with applicable regulations. This research focuses more on the concept and implementation of GCG in Islamic banking.Keywords: Good Corporate Governance (GCG), Sharia Bank Management Performance, Sharia Compliance.
Optimization of Signal Peptide via Site-Directed Mutagenesis for Enhanced Secretion of Heterologous Proteins in Lactococcus lactis

Secretion efficiency of heterologous proteins in the Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) Lactococcus lactis is often reported to be insufficiently low due to limitations such as poor targeting and translocation by the signal peptide or degradation by the host proteases. In this study, the secretion efficiency in the host was enhanced through the utilization of a heterologous signal peptide (SP) SPK1 of Pediococcus pentosaceus. The SPK1 was subjected to site-directed mutations targeting its tripartite N-, H-, and C-domains, and the effect on secretion efficiency as compared to the wild-type SPK1 and native lactococcal USP45 was determined on a reporter nuclease (NUC) of Staphylococcus aureus. A Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) analysis indicated that four out of eight SPK1 variants successfully enhanced the secretion of NUC, with the best mutant, SPKM19, showing elevated secretion efficiency up to 88% (or by 1.4-fold) and an improved secretion activity yield of 0.292 ± 0.122 U/mL (or by 1.7-fold) compared to the wild-type SPK1. Modifications of the SPK1 at the cleavage site C-domain region had successfully augmented the secretion efficiency. Meanwhile, mutations in the H-domain region had resulted in a detrimental effect on the NUC secretion. The development of heterologous SPs with better efficacy than the USP45 has been demonstrated in this study for enhanced secretion of heterologous production and mucosal delivery applications in the lactococcal host.
On exotic orders in strongly correlated systems

The key to understanding interacting many-body systems at low temperatures is often to identify their dominant ordering pattern. Though some types of order seem extremely robust and prevalent in nature, those which lie at the frontier of our understanding are often the result of subtle competition between interactions, and hence can be delicate and difficult to identify. This competition can lead to intricate phase diagrams, as varying parameters favors different orders. They often also exhibit surprising emergent properties, including deconfined gauge fields or topological order not present in the microscopic model. Understanding the nature and scope of these novel orders is one of the key tools in mastering the vast practical and intellectual potential of low-temperature correlated materials. In this thesis, we explore intricate orders, both classical and quantum, which emerge in several strongly correlated systems at low temperature. In Chapter 2, we investigate magnetic ordering in classical antiferromagnets on a class of dilutions of the face-centered cubic lattice. Exploiting the fact that the magnetic Hamiltonian is that of a particular stacking of triangular planes, we find a 120 degree order for Heisenberg andXY magnets, and an entropically driven 3-sublattice order in the Ising case. In Chapter 3, we propose a (topologically ordered) gapless spin liquid state in the highly frustrated pyrochlore antiferromagnet. We find the energetically favored symmetric spin liquid state using a large Nf expansion, and present arguments for its stability to fluctuations about the infinite Nf mean-field state. Chapter 4 explains
Derivation of Lindblad master equation for the quantum Ising model interacting with a heat bath

Starting from the Liouville-von Neumann equation, under a weak coupling limit we derive the Lindblad master equation for the one-dimensional quantum Ising model in a Markov approximation and a rotating wave approximation. We also prove that the steady solution of the Lindblad equation is the canonical distribution independent of the dissipation rate.
With status decline in sight, voters turn radical right: how do experience and expectation of status decline shape electoral behaviour?

Abstract We distinguish between the experience and expectation of subjective status decline in relation to electoral behaviour. Studies often link support for radical parties, especially radical right ones, to voters’ experience of status decline. A few other studies argue that voters’ expectation of status decline also triggers radical right support. Without precise measures of both perceptions, it has been difficult to distinguish which (or both) is most relevant for radical right support in Western Europe and the USA. Using survey data from 2018 (n = 4,076) and 2020 (n = 2,106) in Finland, we could precisely measure and distinguish between voters’ experience and expectation of status decline. Descriptively, voters who have experienced status decline have low income, whereas voters who expect status decline have (lower)middle income. Using multivariate analyses, we find that voters who expect status decline consistently prefer radical right parties more than voters who expect status improvement. However, there is no robust evidence of radical right support among voters who have experienced status decline. These findings suggest that the expectation, not experience, of status decline drives radical right support. If these expectations trigger radical right support in Nordic welfare states, they may be even more pertinent in less comprehensive welfare states.
Remission and relapses of myasthenia gravis on long-term tacrolimus: a retrospective cross-sectional study of a Chinese cohort

Objective: To identify the factors that predict the remission and relapses in myasthenia gravis (MG) patients improved by prednisone and tacrolimus treatment. Methods: A retrospective, observational cohort analysis of MG patients who achieved remission after receiving prednisone and tacrolimus were performed at Tongji Hospital. The main outcome measures were the time to remission, prednisone discontinuation, tacrolimus reduction–associated relapse, and treatment outcome. Results: After adding tacrolimus, 256 patients were able to achieve remission with a mean time to remission of 2.1 ± 1.4 months. After a median follow-up of 2.9 years, 167 patients (65.2%) discontinued prednisone, and 20 patients (7.8%) achieved complete stable remission. Moreover, 53 of the 109 patients who were tapering tacrolimus experienced relapses. In multivariable analysis, female sex, low tacrolimus concentrations, and quantitative myasthenia gravis (QMG) scores have a positive correlation with the time to remission; concomitant additional autoimmune disease (AID) and high anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody (AChR-ab) levels were significantly associated with low probabilities of prednisone discontinuation [odds ratio (OR) = 0.312–0.912, respectively]; rapid tacrolimus decrement speed (⩾0.76 mg/year) was an independent predictor for the development of relapse during tapering tacrolimus (OR = 5.662). Conclusion: Sex, tacrolimus concentrations, and QMG scores can be used as potential predictors of the time to remission in MG patients treated with tacrolimus and prednisone. Prednisone should be tapered slowly, especially in patients with additional AID or high serum titers of AChR-ab. To avoid symptoms recurrence, the dose of tacrolimus should reduce slowly, not exceeding 0.76 mg/year.
The Role of Personality and Top Management Support in Continuance Intention to Use Electronic Health Record Systems among Nurses

This study examines nurses’ Continuance Intention (CI) to use electronic health records (EHRs) through a combination of three conceptual frameworks: the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), the theory of expectation-confirmation (ECT), and the Five-Factor Model (FFM). A model is developed to examine and predict the determinants of nurses’ CI to use EHRs, including top management support (TMS) and the FFM’s five personality domains. Data were collected from a survey of 497 nurses, which were analyzed using partial least squares. No significant relationship was found between TMS and CI. The study revealed that performance expectancy significantly mediated the influences of two different hypotheses of two predictors: agreeableness and openness to testing CI. A significant moderating impact of conscientiousness was found on the relationship between performance expectancy and CI and the relationship between social influence and CI. The findings of this study indicated that rigorous attention to the personality of individual nurses and substantial TMS could improve nurses’ CI to use EHRs. A literature gap was filled concerning the mediating effects of performance expectancy on the FFM-CI relationship, and the moderation effects of Conscientiousness on UTAUT constructs and CI are another addition to the literature. The results are expected to assist government agencies, health policymakers, and health institutions all over the globe in their attempts to understand the post-adoption use of EHRs.
Calculation of CFIE impedance matrix elements with RWG and n/spl times/RWG functions

The method of moments (MoM) solution of combined field integral equation (CFIE) for electromagnetic scattering problems requires calculation of singular double surface integrals. When Galerkin's method with triangular vector basis functions, Rao-Wilton-Glisson functions, and the CFIE are applied to solve electromagnetic scattering by a dielectric object, both RWG and n/spl times/RWG functions (n is normal unit vector) should be considered as testing functions. Robust and accurate methods based on the singularity extraction technique are presented to evaluate the impedance matrix elements of the CFIE with these basis and test functions. In computing the impedance matrix elements, including the gradient of the Green's function, we can avoid the logarithmic singularity on the outer testing integral by modifying the integrand. In the developed method, all singularities are extracted and calculated in closed form and numerical integration is applied only for regular functions. In addition, we present compact iterative formulas for computing the extracted terms in closed form. By these formulas, we can extract any number of terms from the singular kernels of CFIE formulations with RWG and n/spl times/RWG functions.
Limits of compact decorated graphs

Following a general program of studying limits of discrete structures, and motivated by the theory of limit objects of converge sequences of dense simple graphs, we study the limit of graph sequences such that every edge is labeled by an element of a compact second-countable Hausdorff space K. The "local structure" of these objects can be explored by a sampling process, which is shown to be equivalent to knowing homomorphism numbers from graphs whose edges are decorated by continuous functions on K. The model includes multigraphs with bounded edge multiplicities, graphs whose edges are weighted with real numbers from a finite interval, edge-colored graphs, and other models. In all these cases, a limit object can be defined in terms of 2-variable functions whose values are probability distributions on K.