Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Community understanding of the use of alternative water sources for irrigation of golf courses: Ku-ring-gai council case study

As Australian cities have grown, the demand for potable water has gone close to matching, and in more recent times has exceeded, the sustainable supply. Whilst many water authorities procrastinate on constructing new supply schemes, others are increasingly turning to demand management and alternative supply options to achieve a more sustainable balance. New initiatives rely on customer acceptance, understanding and appreciation of the limited supply of potable water and the proposed alternatives. This research project assessed community awareness of and receptivity toward a proposal to use alternative water sources to irrigate two golf courses. The project was based in the Ku-ring-gai Council local government area, located in the northern region of Sydney. The results were also compared against a 2004 social research study that investigated community receptivity to using rainwater and grey water as alternative domestic water services. The results reveal very strong support for the use of alternative water supplies for irrigation of golf courses. Public health was the major issue identified by respondents that could affect the feasibility of the proposed water recycling scheme. Users of the golf course were slightly more supportive than residents, and were also more concerned with the cost of such a proposal. A comparison of data from this project with the 2004 study showed slightly higher levels of acceptance of the use of alternative water as a potable supply. While the use of recycled water for various domestic purposes was not specifically examined in this current study, the results suggest a growing understanding, awareness and confidence in the use of new technologies to meet urban water demands.
Novel Control Effectors for Truss Braced Wing

At cruise flight conditions very high aspect ratio/low sweep truss braced wings (TBW) may be subject to design requirements that distinguish them from more highly swept cantilevered wings. High aspect ratio, short chord length and relative thinness of the airfoil sections all contribute to relatively low wing torsional stiffness. This may lead to aeroelastic issues such as aileron reversal and low flutter margins. In order to counteract these issues, high aspect ratio/low sweep wings may need to carry additional high speed control effectors to operate when outboard ailerons are in reversal and/or must carry additional structural weight to enhance torsional stiffness. The novel control effector evaluated in this study is a variable sweep raked wing tip with an aileron control surface. Forward sweep of the tip allows the aileron to align closely with the torsional axis of the wing and operate in a conventional fashion. Aft sweep of the tip creates a large moment arm from the aileron to the wing torsional axis greatly enhancing aileron reversal. The novelty comes from using this enhanced and controllable aileron reversal effect to provide roll control authority by acting as a servo tab and providing roll control through intentional twist of the wing. In this case the reduced torsional stiffness of the wing becomes an advantage to be exploited. The study results show that the novel control effector concept does provide roll control as described, but only for a restricted class of TBW aircraft configurations. For the configuration studied (long range, dual aisle, Mach 0.85 cruise) the novel control effector provides significant benefits including up to 12% reduction in fuel burn.
Renoprotective Effect of Fucoidan from Seaweed Sargassum angustifolium C. Agardh 1820 on Gentamicin-Induced Nephrotoxicity: From Marine Resources to Therapeutic Uses

Background: Nephrotoxicity is a major side effect of aminoglycoside antibiotics, caused by oxidative damage and inflammation. Fucoidan, a group of sulfated polysaccharides derived from different species of brown algae, are well recognized for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Objectives: In the present study, we aimed to investigate, for the first time, the efficacy of fucoidan extracted from Sargassum angustifolium C. Agardh 1820 against gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. Methods: Twenty-eight male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups of control, gentamicin (100 mg/kg), and gentamicin plus 50- and 100-mg/kg/day fucoidan pretreatment. In the end, all rats were killed, and then urine, blood, and tissue samples were prepared. Kidney weight (KW), body weight (BW), and 24-hour urine volume, as well as serum creatinine (Cr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), Cr clearance, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, were measured. Kidney samples were also evaluated for histopathological changes. Results: Gentamicin significantly increased KW, KW/BW ratio, 24-hour urine volume, serum Cr, MDA, and BUN levels; however, fucoidan pretreatment, especially at a dose of 50 mg/kg, significantly returned these variables near to the control group values. Gentamicin also decreased BW gain, Cr clearance, SOD activity, and the degree of renal tissue damage compared to the control group, while treatment with fucoidan significantly reversed these alterations. Conclusions: The results show that fucoidan from S. angustifolium C. Agardh 1820 ameliorates gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity by alleviating oxidative stress and augmenting antioxidant enzymes activity in renal tissue, suggesting the potential use of this fucoidan in a clinical setting.
Effects of Rapid Environmental Change and Speed of Decline on Distressed Firms and Turnaround Outcomes

This paper examines the effects of two specific contextual factors: environmental velocity and decline speed, and timing of response on a firm’s turnaround performance. We conducted a 12-year longitudinal study on a sample of U.S.-based, publicly traded firms that experienced a significant decline in performance. We find that environmental velocity impacts the swiftness and nature of the response to performance decline, and that, in turn, affects turnaround outcomes. Firms in high-velocity environments undergo rapid declines and are more likely to undertake a retrenchment strategy. Speed in implementing a retrenchment strategy is linked to turnaround for firms experiencing rapid declines. These results further our knowledge of the nature of the multifaceted association between the nature of change in the environment, managerial action, and performance outcomes. One of the few longitudinal studies to include both industryand firm-level variables in advancing interpretations of strategic turnarounds.
Singularity of Contact Resistance at Very Low Temperature

For low-temperature applications of electrical contacts such ' as cryogenic semiconductor devices and superconduction coils, contact resistance properties must be studied. Moreover, the cryogenical properties of contact resistance are important in clarifying basic contact mechanisms and controlling the contact resistance. From these standpoints, low-temperature dependences of the contact resistance of clean surfaces were examined over a range from room temperature to liquid helium temperature. As results, singular phenomena of increasing contact resistance with decreasing temperature and hysteresis of the contact resistance at low temperature were found. The causes of these phenomena were clarified from thermal properties of the contacts. Namely, as constriction resistance is generally given by resistivity of the contact metal and true contact area, temperature dependence of those was examined. The constriction resistance as a function of the temperature, which explained the measured singular phenomena of the constriction resistance was deduced.
Validation of SFRP1 Promoter Hypermethylation in Plasma as a Prognostic Marker for Survival and Gemcitabine Effectiveness in Patients with Stage IV Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Simple Summary Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a disease with an incredibly grim prognosis. Most patients die within one year of receiving the diagnosis. There are currently very few tools to help the clinician decide between treatment options and evaluate prognosis at an individual level. The aim of the current study was to assess the effect of promoter hypermethylation of secreted frizzled-related protein 1 (phSFRP1) as an independent prognostic blood-based biomarker in gemcitabine-treated patients with advanced PDAC. The study was conducted as a combined discovery and validation study. Analysis in both cohorts confirmed that patients with phSFRP1 had overall poorer survival compared to those without hypermethylation. Thus, phSFRP1 shows promise as an independent prognostic biomarker in this patient group and can hopefully aid the clinician and patient find the correct balance between quantity and quality of life. Abstract No reliable predictive blood-based biomarkers are available for determining survival from pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC). This combined discovery and validation study examines promoter hypermethylation (ph) of secreted frizzled-related protein 1 (SFRP1) in plasma-derived cell-free DNA as an independent prognostic marker for survival and Gemcitabine effectiveness in patients with stage IV PDAC. We conducted methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction analysis of the promoter region of the SFRP1 gene, based on bisulfite treatment. Survival was analyzed with Kaplan–Meier curves, log-rank test, and Cox regression. The discovery cohort included 40 patients, 25 receiving Gem. Gem-treated patients with phSFRP1 had a shorter median overall survival (mOS) (4.4 months) than unmethylated patients (11.6 months). Adjusted Cox-regression yielded a hazard rate (HR) of 3.48 (1.39–8.70). The validation cohort included 58 Gem-treated patients. Patients with phSFRP1 had a shorter mOS (3.2 months) than unmethylated patients (6.3 months). Adjusted Cox regression yielded an HR of 3.53 (1.85–6.74). In both cohorts, phSFRP1 was associated with poorer survival in Gem-treated patients. This may indicate that tumors with phSFRP1 are more aggressive and less sensitive to Gem treatment. This knowledge may facilitate tailored treatment of patients with stage IV PDAC. Further studies are planned to examine phSFRP1 in more intensive chemotherapy regimens.
Full wave analysis of the iris coupled T-junction

The rectangular-waveguide iris coupled T-junction is analyzed using the mode matching method associated with two different formulations (generalised scattering matrix and the generalised admittance matrix) and the results obtained are compared with previously published data. There are some differences that reveal the presence of some difficulties when MM is applied to discontinuities with large aspect ratios.
Implementation of a direct control algorithm for induction motors based on discrete space vector modulation

The basic concept of direct torque control of induction machines is investigated in order to emphasize the effects produced by a given voltage vector on stator flux and torque variations. The low number of voltage vectors which can be applied to the machine using the basic DTC scheme may cause undesired torque and current ripple. An improvement of the drive performance can be obtained using a new DTC algorithm based on the application of the space vector modulation (SVM) for prefixed time intervals. In this way a sort of discrete space vector modulation (DSVM) is introduced. Numerical simulations and experimental tests have been carried out to validate the proposed method.
The relationship between ethical climate and moral distress from the perspective of operating room staff: A correlational study

Background The organizational climate in the operating room is special due to the specific conditions of the patient, and the ethical climate may affect moral distress of the operating room staff. Objective This study determined the relationship between ethical climate and moral distress from staff working in operating rooms of hospitals affiliated to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. Method This analytical study was performed on 169 operating room staff in Mashhad, Iran. The operating room staff was selected using stratified random sampling. The data were collected via Olson's Hospital Ethical Climate Survey and the Corley Moral Distress Scale and analyzed with IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 21. Results The results showed no relationship between the ethical climate, the frequency, and intensity of moral distress of the operating room staff (p > 0.05). In addition, the mean score of the ethical climate was 3.32 ± 0.48, indicating the average ethical climate in the operating room. The mean frequency and intensity of moral distress were 36.36 ± 11.68 and 48.8 ± 15.92, showing a moderate rate. There was a significant inverse relationship between the dimensions of ethical climate, the relationship with physicians, and the intensity of moral distress (p <0.05). A significant relationship was found between the intensity of moral distress, the level of education, and field of study (p <0.05). Conclusion The results of the current study showed that interventional programs should be implemented to reduce moral distress and improve the ethical climate in the operating room.
Surface tension effects in microrobotics.

The work presented in this manuscript finds its origin in the switch from assembly toward microassembly, which turned out to be not just a matter of size, but required a much deeper insight on physics governing the considered scales. Therefore, it was necessary to get into knowledges which are usually not familiar to mechanical engineers, such as adhesion science. This document is driven by the underlying idea of using surface tension effects in Microsystems, and falls into three parts. The first part positions our contributions with respect to existing literature, mainly topics such as capillary forces (axial vs. lateral capillary forces, statics vs. dynamics, at scales from millimeter to nanometer). The second part describes the experimental set ups which have been designed to experimentally validate our theoretical work: it essentially consists in force measurement set ups, from nanonewton to newton. The third part describes case studies, including for example assembly watch products, grippers, feeders, hybrid assembly, soil mechanics, electrosprays. The goal was to develop models which are useful to the micromechanical and microrobotician communities. In that sense, we hope that we contributed to feed these communities with capillary forces models which can now be applied in various domains: assembly and packaging, microrobotics, soil mechanics, microfluidics.
Tumor Hybrid Cells: Nature and Biological Significance

Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer death and can be realized through the phenomenon of tumor cell fusion. The fusion of tumor cells with other tumor or normal cells leads to the appearance of tumor hybrid cells (THCs) exhibiting novel properties such as increased proliferation and migration, drug resistance, decreased apoptosis rate, and avoiding immune surveillance. Experimental studies showed the association of THCs with a high frequency of cancer metastasis; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Many other questions also remain to be answered: the role of genetic alterations in tumor cell fusion, the molecular landscape of cells after fusion, the lifetime and fate of different THCs, and the specific markers of THCs, and their correlation with various cancers and clinicopathological parameters. In this review, we discuss the factors and potential mechanisms involved in the occurrence of THCs, the types of THCs, and their role in cancer drug resistance and metastasis, as well as potential therapeutic approaches for the prevention, and targeting of tumor cell fusion. In conclusion, we emphasize the current knowledge gaps in the biology of THCs that should be addressed to develop highly effective therapeutics and strategies for metastasis suppression.
The Modeling, Characterization, and Design of Monolithic Inductors for Silicon RF IC's

The results of a comprehensive investigation into the characteristics and optimization of Inductors fabricated with the top-level metal of a submicron silicon VLSI process are presented. A computer program which extncts a physics-based model of microstrip components that is suitable for circuit (SPICE) simulation has been used to evaluate the effect of variations in melallization, layout geometry, and substrate parameters upon monolithic inductor performance. Three-dimensional (3-D) numerical simulations and experimental measurements of inductors were also used to benchmark the model aecuncy. It is shown in this work that low inductor Q is primarily due to the restrictions imposed by the thin interconnect metallization available in most very large scale integration (VLSI) technolocies, and that computer optimization of the inductor layout can be used to achieve a 50% improvement in component Q-factor over unoptimized designs.
Nanotechnology for Topical Drug Delivery to the Anterior Segment of the Eye

Topical drug delivery is one of the most challenging aspects of eye therapy. Eye drops are the most prevalent drug form, especially for widely distributed anterior segment eye diseases (cataracts, glaucoma, dry eye syndrome, inflammatory diseases, etc.), because they are convenient and easy to apply by patients. However, conventional drug formulations are usually characterized by short retention time in the tear film, insufficient contact with epithelium, fast elimination, and difficulties in overcoming ocular tissue barriers. Not more than 5% of the total drug dose administered in eye drops reaches the interior ocular tissues. To overcome the ocular drug delivery barriers and improve drug bioavailability, various conventional and novel drug delivery systems have been developed. Among these, nanosize carriers are the most attractive. The review is focused on the different drug carriers, such as synthetic and natural polymers, as well as inorganic carriers, with special attention to nanoparticles and nanomicelles. Studies in vitro and in vivo have demonstrated that new formulations could help to improve the bioavailability of the drugs, provide sustained drug release, enhance and prolong their therapeutic action. Promising results were obtained with drug-loaded nanoparticles included in in situ gel.
Oh, no, Pokémon GO! Media panic and fear of mobility in news coverage of an augmented reality phenomenon

Media panics research is concerned with widespread social anxiety formed around a new technology or medium. This study adds to existing research by characterizing a new form of media panic around augmented reality applications, and specifically that which erupted concerning Pokémon GO, a popular augmented reality game. Based on a content analysis of items related to the game published in Israel's major print and online media in the period immediately following the game's launch, we classify the negative media coverage as a media panic and propose an explanation for its emergence. We argue that the negative reactions to the game stem specifically from the game's unique features and its mobile infrastructure, and especially its use of augmented reality that combines users’ virtual experiences and their interactions in actual physical space. We identify a third wave of mobile panic in this current phenomenon, one which takes into account the unique features of mobile technology as infrastructure for augmented reality applications. In contrast to previous incidents of media panic that focused on the harmful effects of increased technology use by young users, and their detachment from their physical environment, this wave represents an essentially opposite phenomenon, in which physical mobility itself, facilitated by the use of augmented reality, is deemed dangerous to players’ health and safety.
Frequency and Duration Methods for Power System Reliability Calculations: I - Generation System Model

As a goal, the evaluation and computation of electric power system reliability requires that a consistent technique be used for all portions? generation, transmission, and distribution. At present, a number of different methods are used for the generation system, while the frequency and duration of outages seems to be developing as a standard measure for the analysis of the distribution system. This paper and a subsequent one will present a reliability calculation method for the generation system that incorporates the frequency and duration of unit outages and includes consideration of the loads. This method leads to calculated generation reliability measures which are the availability, frequency of occurence, and mean duration of reserve states. These are cumulative states in that they specify system reserve conditions of a given magnitude or less. This paper is concerned with the procedure for calculating the availability, frequency, and outage duration for a number of generating units connected in parallel to form a single system. Numerical data are used to illustrate the technique and make comparisons with other methods.
Tipping cancer cells over the edge: the context-dependent cost of high ploidy.

Tetraploidy is an aneuploidy-permissive condition that can fuel tumorgenesis. The tip-over hypothesis of cytotoxic therapy-sensitivity proposes that therapy is eﬀective if it pushes a cell's aneuploidy above a viable tipping point. But elevated aneuploidy alone may not account for this tipping point. Tissue micro-environments (TMEs) that lack sufficient resources to support tetraploid cells can explain the fitness cost of aneuploidy. Raw materials needed to generate deoxynucleotides, the building blocks of DNA, are candidate rate-limiting factors for the evolution of high-ploidy cancer cells. Understanding the resource cost of high ploidy is key to uncover its therapeutic vulnerabilities across tissue sites with versatile energy supplies.
Epidemiology and Pattern of Resistance of Gram-Negative Bacteria Isolated from Blood Samples in Hospitalized Patients: A Single Center Retrospective Analysis from Southern Italy

Background: Blood culturing remains the mainstream tool to inform an appropriate treatment in hospital-acquired bloodstream infections and to diagnose any bacteremia. Methods: A retrospective investigation on the prevalence of Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) and their resistance in hospitalized patients by age, sex, and units from blood cultures (BCs) was conducted from January 2018 to April 2020 at Sant’Elia hospital, Caltanissetta, southern Italy. We divided the patient age range into four equal intervals. Results: Multivariate demographic and microbiological variables did not show an association between bacteria distributions and gender and age. The distribution by units showed a higher prevalence of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii in the intensive care unit (ICU) and Escherichia coli in the non-intensive care units (non-ICUs). The analysis of antibiotic resistance showed that E. coli was susceptible to a large class of antibiotics such as carbapenem and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. K. pneumoniae showed a significant susceptibility to colistin, tigecycline, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. From the survival analysis, patients with E. coli had a higher survival rate. Conclusions: The authors stress the importance of the implementation of large community-level programs to prevent E. coli bacteremia. K. pneumoniae and E. coli susceptibility patterns to antibiotics, including in the prescription patterns of general practitioners, suggest that the local surveillance and implementation of educational programs remain essential measures to slow down the spread of resistance and, consequently, increase the antibiotic lifespan.