Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experimental Study of Laminar Burning Speed for Premixed Biomass/Air Flame

Biomass has been considered as a valuable alternative fuel recently. A fundamental property of biomass/air flame, laminar burning speed, is measured in this research. Experiments have been made in a cylindrical combustion vessel with two end windows. Central ignition has been used to start the combustion process. A high-speed CMOS camera capable of taking pictures of 40,000 frames per second has been used to study morphology of flame front. Flames are initially smooth, and as pressure and flame radius increase, cracks and cells appear on the flame surface. In this paper, experimental results have only been reported for smooth flames. A multishell thermodynamic model to measure laminar burning speed of biomass/air mixture with varying CO2 concentrations (0%–60%), based on the pressure rise data collected from a cylindrical chamber during combustion, has been developed in this paper. Burning speed has been only reported for flame radii larger than 4 cm in radius in order to have negligible stretch effect. Power law correlations, to predict burning speed of biomass/air mixtures, based on the measured burning speeds, have been developed for a range of temperatures of 300–661 K, pressures of 0.5–6.9 atmospheres, equivalence ratios of 0.8–1.2, and CO2 concentrations 0%–60%. Moreover, the measured laminar burning speeds have been compared with simulation results using a one-dimensional steady-state laminar premixed flame program with GRI-Mech 3.0 mechanism and other available data from literatures. Comparison with existing data has been excellent.
Did Usage of Mental Health Apps Change during COVID-19? A Comparative Study Based on an Objective Recording of Usage Data and Demographics

This paper aims to objectively compare the use of mental health apps between the pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19 periods and to study differences amongst the users of these apps based on age and gender. The study utilizes a dataset collected through a smartphone app that objectively records the users’ sessions. The dataset was analyzed to identify users of mental health apps (38 users of mental health apps pre-COVID-19 and 81 users during COVID-19) and to calculate the following usage metrics; the daily average use time, the average session time, the average number of launches, and the number of usage days. The mental health apps were classified into two categories: guidance-based and tracking-based apps. The results include the increased number of users of mental health apps during the COVID-19 period as compared to pre-COVID-19. Adults (aged 24 and above), compared to emerging adults (aged 15–24 years), were found to have a higher usage of overall mental health apps and guidance-based mental health apps. Furthermore, during the COVID-19 pandemic, males were found to be more likely to launch overall mental health apps and guidance-based mental health apps compared to females. The findings from this paper suggest that despite the increased usage of mental health apps amongst males and adults, user engagement with mental health apps remained minimal. This suggests the need for these apps to work towards improved user engagement and retention.
Theory of planned behaviour for physical activity of adults living with physical disabilities: A replication systematic review

: Programme interventionists often determine best practices from systematic reviews of the literature. Interpretations of findings from systematic reviews, however, are susceptible to subjective decisions of the authors. Replication of systematic reviews by different authors on the same topic can increase the authenticity of findings, analysis, and interpretations. The purposes of the current paper were to (a) replicate a systematic literature review using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to understand the intention of adults living with physical disabilities to participate in PA, and (b) compare the findings with a published systematic literature review on the same topic. CINAHL, ERIC, SPORTDiscus, Medline, Psycinfo, and Pubmed databases were searched for eligible studies. A total of 11 articles were included for the current review. Intention was the strongest predictor for PA behaviour, with attitude and perceived behavioural control were also significant predictors for intention. Subjective norm had less influence but a distinct role shaping intention. A total of six of 11 studies overlapped with the comparison review. Selection of different studies were due to differences in search databases, search strategy, and inclusion and exclusion criteria. Inconsistency was also found in relationships among other components in the theory, with different interpretations made between the two reviews. The current replication review provides practical and research related implications that add to the understanding of the TBP for persons living with physical disabilities and the findings of the comparative review. PA (b) How well do components of to PA with
Reduced Graphene Oxide-Extracellular Matrix Scaffolds as a Multifunctional and Highly Biocompatible Nanocomposite for Wound Healing: Insights into Characterization and Electroconductive Potential

The development of novel regenerative technologies based on the implementation of natural extracellular matrix (ECM), or individual components of ECM combined with multifunctional nanomaterials such as graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide, has demonstrated remarkable results in wound healing and tissue engineering. However, the synthesis of these nanocomposites involves great challenges related to maintaining the biocompatibility with a simultaneous improvement in their functionalities. Based on that, in this research we developed novel nanoengineered ECM-scaffolds formed by mixing small intestinal submucosa (SIS) with graphene oxide (GO)/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to improve electrical conductivity while maintaining remarkable biocompatibility. For this, decellularized SIS was combined with GO to form the scaffold precursor for subsequent lyophilization, chemically crosslinking and in situ reduction. The obtained GO and rGO were characterized via Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), electrical conductivity testing and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results confirm the suitable synthesis of GO, the effective reduction to rGO and the significant increase in the electrical conductivity (more than four orders of magnitude higher than bare GO). In addition, the graphene oxide/reduced graphene oxide-SIS scaffolds were characterized via Raman spectroscopy, FTIR, TGA, SEM, porosity assay (higher than 97.5% in all cases) and protein secondary structural analysis. Moreover, the biocompatibility of scaffolds was studied by standardized assays of hemolysis activity (less than 0.5%), platelet activation and deposition, and cell viability in Vero, HaCat and HFF-1 cells (higher than 90% for all evaluated cell lines on the different scaffolds). The obtained results confirm the remarkable biocompatibility, as supported by high hemocompatibility, low cytotoxicity and no negative impact on platelet activation and deposition. Finally, structural characteristics such as pore size and interconnectivity as well as superior cell attachment abilities also corroborated the potential of the developed nanoengineered ECM-scaffolds as a multifunctional nanoplatform for application in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.
Oxidative and Inflammatory Imbalance in Placenta and Kidney of sFlt1-Induced Early-Onset Preeclampsia Rat Model

Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-specific disorder characterized by the new onset of hypertension plus proteinuria and/or end-organ dysfunction. Here, we investigate the role of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase system as a major component of reactive oxygen species generation, in a rodent model of early-onset preeclampsia induced by excess sFlt1 (soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1). Placenta and kidney samples were obtained from normal pregnant and PE rats to measure the sFlt1/PlGF (placental growth factor) ratio in addition to oxidative stress-related parameters, including the activities and expressions of NADPH oxidase isoforms (NOX1, NOX2, and NOX4), components of nitric oxide (NO) metabolism, and antioxidant enzymes. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARα, PPARγ) and cytokines IL1β, IL3, IL6, IL10, and IL18 were also measured to evaluate the inflammation status in our experimental setting. Excessive O2●− production was found in rats that were treated with sFlt1; interestingly, this alteration appears to be mediated mainly by NOX2 in the placenta and by NOX4 in the kidney. Altered NO metabolism and antioxidant defense systems, together with mitochondrial dysfunction, were observed in this model of PE. Preeclamptic animals also exhibited overexpression of proinflammatory biomarkers as well as increased collagen deposition. Our results highlight the role of NADPH oxidase in mediating oxidative stress and possibly inflammatory processes in the placenta and kidney of an sFlt1-based model of early-onset preeclampsia.
Combined cell-based therapy strategies for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease: focus on mesenchymal stromal cells

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative condition characterized by motor impairments caused by the selective loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Levodopa is an effective and well-tolerated dopamine replacement agent. However, levodopa provides only symptomatic improvements, without affecting the underlying pathology, and is associated with side effects after long-term use. Cell-based replacement is a promising strategy that offers the possibility to replace lost neurons in Parkinson’s disease treatment. Clinical studies of transplantation of human fetal ventral mesencephalic tissue have provided evidence that the grafted dopaminergic neurons can reinnervate the striatum, release dopamine, integrate into the host neural circuits, and improve motor functions. One of the limiting factors for cell therapy in Parkinson’s disease is the low survival rate of grafted dopaminergic cells. Different factors could cause cell death of dopaminergic neurons after grafting such as mechanical trauma, growth factor deprivation, hypoxia, and neuroinflammation. Neurotrophic factors play an essential role in the survival of grafted cells. However, direct, timely, and controllable delivery of neurotrophic factors into the brain faces important limitations. Different types of cells secrete neurotrophic factors constitutively and co-transplantation of these cells with dopaminergic neurons represents a feasible strategy to increase neuronal survival. In this review, we provide a general overview of the pioneering studies on cell transplantation developed in patients and animal models of Parkinson’s disease, with a focus on neurotrophic factor-secreting cells, with a particular interest in mesenchymal stromal cells; that co-implanted with dopaminergic neurons would serve as a strategy to increase cell survival and improve graft outcomes.
Tropical Cyclone Intensification and Fullness: The Role of Storm Size Configuration

The relationships between the intensification rate (IR) and the size configuration of tropical cyclones (TCs) are investigated. Theoretically, the intensity, size configuration, and relative vorticity of TCs are intrinsically linked. TC fullness (TCF) is used to quantify the size configuration of TCs and can be expressed as the product of the critical fullness (TCF0) and the ratio of fullness (Rf). TCF0 represents the fundamental constraint on size configuration shared by TCs at a given intensity and is the lower limit of fullness, whereas Rf reveals a TC's unique wind structural feature. Intermediate TCF0 (∼0.55), moderate Rf (∼1.4), and thus high TCF (∼0.8) collectively facilitate the occurrence of a large IR of TC. Obtaining a stable and moderate Rf at low TCF0 favors the subsequent intensification of a TC. The TCF‐TCF0 diagram is proposed to illustrate the co‐evolution of TC size configuration and intensity, and to reveal how they modulate intensification.
H2O2 electrochemical sensing properties of size-tunable triangular Ag nanoplates

In this paper, we investigate the hydrogen peroxide $(\mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{O}_{2})$ sensing characteristics of shape-tunable triangular Ag nanoplates (NPT) thin films. To fabricate the electrochemical sensor, the Ag NPT colloidal solutions, synthesized using the seed-mediated growth method, were deposited by drop casting onto commercial screen printed carbon electrodes (SPCE). The developed sensor showed good performances for the electro-reduction of $\mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{O}_{2}$, selected as a model analyte of reactive oxygen species (ROS) involved in the regulation of metabolic/inflammatory diseases. The electroanalytical behavior of the various Ag modified-electrodes in the presence of $\mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{O}_{2}$ has been studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV). LSV data show a sensor sensitivity of 0.046 $\mu \mathrm{A}/\mu \mathrm{M}$ for $\mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{O}_{2}$ concentrations lower than 100 $\mu \mathrm{M}$, and of 0.0085 $\mu \mathrm{A}/\mu \mathrm{M}$ for higher concentrations up to 1 mM of $\mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{O}_{2}$. The electrochemical sensing response to this analyte has been correlated with the Ag NPT aspect ratio and Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) peak position, changing from 3 up to 18 and from 485 to 900 nm, respectively. We have observed that the plasmon-enhanced hydrogen peroxide reduction reaction leads to a kinetic improvement and the improved sensitivity is wavelength-dependent. The reported results suggest that these Ag-based nanomaterials can play a key role in the production of disposable, portable and on-site devices for the detection of $\mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{O}_{2}$.
H3K27me3 Immunohistochemical Loss Predicts Lower Response to Neo-Adjuvant Chemo-Radiotherapy in Rectal Carcinoma

A watch-and-wait approach was suggested to avoid the possible complications related to surgery in patients with rectal carcinoma showing clinical complete response after neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy (CRT). Since clinical response may not correlate with pathological response, markers with higher accuracy are needed to identify patients who are likely responders and could be spared surgery. This study aims to assess whether H3K27me3 immunohistochemical expression in pre-treatment rectal carcinoma predicts response to neoadjuvant CRT or shows prognostic relevance. We assessed H3K27me3 immunostaining in 46 endoscopic biopsies of rectal carcinomas treated with neoadjuvant CRT and surgery. H3K27me3 immunostaining was lost in 20, retained in 19, and inconclusive (absent in neoplastic and non-neoplastic cells) in 7 cases. Retained H3K27me3 immuno-expression was significantly associated with ypTNM stage 0 (p = 0.0111) and high tumor regression, measured using either five-tiered (p = 0.0042) or two-tiered Dworak tumor regression grade (p = 0.0009). Poor differentiation, determined counting the number of poorly differentiated clusters (PDC grade) or tumor budding (TB) foci (TB grade), in the pre-treatment biopsy, was significantly associated with a shorter time to progression after surgery (p = 0.008; p = 0.0093). However, only PDC grade (p = 0.0023), together with radial margin involvement (p = 0.0001), retained prognostic significance in the multivariate analysis. The assessment of H3K27me3 immunostaining in pre-treatment endoscopic biopsy of rectal carcinoma could be useful to predict response to neo-adjuvant CRT and to identify patients who could safely undergo watch-and-wait approach. PDC and TB grade in the pre-treatment biopsy could provide additional prognostic information in patients with rectal carcinoma treated with neoadjuvant CRT and surgery.
Interaction of Extracellular Vesicles with Si Surface Studied by Nanomechanical Microcantilever Sensors

We report on the interaction of small (<150 nm) extracellular vesicles (EVs) with silicon surface. The study is conducted by leveraging Si nanomechanical microcantilever sensors actuated in static and dynamic modes, that allow tracking of EV collective adsorption energy and adsorbed mass. Upon incubation for 30 min at about 10 nM concentration, EVs isolated from human vascular endothelial cell (HVEC) lines form a patchy layer that partially covers the Si total surface. Formation of this layer releases a surface energy equal to (8 ± 1) mJ/m2, typical of weak electrostatic interactions. These findings give a first insight into the EV-Si interface and proof the possibility to realize new hybrid biointerphases that can be exploited as advanced models to investigate properties of biological membranes and/or biosensing platforms that take advantage of biomolecules embedded/supported in membranes.
Differential Ganglioside and Cholesterol Depletion by Various Cyclodextrin Derivatives and Their Effect on Synaptosomal Glutamate Release

Gangliosides are glycosphingolipids of the plasma membrane and are highly enriched in the nervous system where they play a vital role in normal cell functions. Furthermore, several studies suggest their potential involvement in the pathogenesis of neurological conditions. Since cyclodextrins (CDs) can form inclusion complexes with various lipids, methylated beta-CDs are widely used in biomedical research to extract cholesterol from the membrane and study its cellular role. Despite CDs being known to interact with other membrane lipid components, their effect on gangliosides is poorly characterized. The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of dimethyl-beta-cyclodextrin (DIMEB), hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HPBCD), randomly methylated-alpha-cyclodextrin (RAMEA), and hydroxypropyl-alpha-cyclodextrin (HPACD) on ganglioside and cholesterol levels in rat brain synaptosomes. Their effect on membrane integrity and viability was also assessed. We examined the role of lipid depletion by CDs on the release of the major excitatory neurotransmitter, glutamate. Selective concentration range for cholesterol depletion was only found with HPBCD, but not with DIMEB. Selective depletion of gangliosides was achieved by both RAMEA and HPACD. The inhibition of stimulated glutamate release upon ganglioside depletion was found, suggesting their potential role in neurotransmission. Our study highlights the importance of the characterization of the lipid depleting capability of different CDs.
The Eastern European Automotive Industry in a Post-Pandemic World: What Drives Performance?

The automotive industry is one of the key drivers of economic growth in countries in Central and South-Eastern Europe, with contributions of up to 15% of gross domestic product. At the same time, the automotive industry is at the heart of key transformations: new technologies on the horizon at the verge of the global “green deal”; supply chain uncertainties because of the effects of pandemics in Asia; and unpredictable demand side factors ranging from purchasing power to consumer preferences. These aspects, coupled with large, fixed investments and costly distribution channels, put the industry at the core of (radical) change initiatives. Ahead of these changes, our paper investigated the presence of firm, industry, and country effects on the profitability of firms in the automotive industry in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern European countries, considering different industry definitions and firm size. We found that firm effects are significant for profitability variation across companies, but differ in intensity based on the size of the company, which signals that firm size matters significantly as a driver of operational profitability, as it is converted into sustained competitive advantages. While industry effects bear very little significance for profitability variation in the automotive industry, our most surprising finding was that country effects are important for profitability and have more of an impact for smaller companies. This may be the consequence of “historical” factors that led to large Original Equipment Manufacturers setting up their manufacturing facilities in the region, but also of specific economic policies in the form of state aid addressed to the automotive industry. Keywords: automotive industry, profitability, Central and South-Eastern Europe, variance components, industry effects, country effects
Augmented Therapeutic Potential of EC-Synthetic Retinoids in Caco-2 Cancer Cells Using an In Vitro Approach

Colorectal cancer therapies have produced promising clinical responses, but tumor cells rapidly develop resistance to these drugs. It has been previously shown that EC19 and EC23, two EC-synthetic retinoids, have single-agent preclinical anticancer activity in colorectal carcinoma. Here, isobologram analysis revealed that they have synergistic cytotoxicity with retinoic acid receptor (RAR) isoform-selective agonistic retinoids such as AC261066 (RARβ2-selective agonist) and CD437 (RARγ-selective agonist) in Caco-2 cells. This synergism was confirmed by calculating the combination index (lower than 1) and the dose reduction index (higher than 1). Flow cytometry of combinatorial IC50 (the concentration causing 50% cell death) confirmed the cell cycle arrest at the SubG0-G1 phase with potentiated apoptotic and necrotic effects. The reported synergistic anticancer activity can be attributed to their ability to reduce the expression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters including P-glycoprotein (P-gp1), breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) and multi-drug resistance-associated protein-1 (MRP1) and Heat Shock Protein 70 (Hsp70). This adds up to the apoptosis-promoting activity of EC19 and EC23, as shown by the increased Caspase-3/7 activities and DNA fragmentation leading to DNA double-strand breaks. This study sheds the light on the possible use of EC-synthetic retinoids in the rescue of multi-drug resistance in colorectal cancer using Caco-2 as a model and suggests new promising combinations between different synthetic retinoids. The current in vitro results pave the way for future studies on these compounds as possible cures for colorectal carcinoma.
Mechanisms of Sports Concussion in Taekwondo: A Systematic Video Analysis of Seven Cases

Sports-related traumatic brain injuries are the most common injury in adolescents and young adults due to recurrent concussion experiences and head shock. Therefore, this study was designed to describe player characteristics and situational factors associated with concussions in the World Taekwondo Championships using systematic video analysis. Athlete injury data were collected using a web-based injury surveillance system at the World Taekwondo Championships organized by World Taekwondo from 2017 to 2019. Seven video footage were independently analyzed by four analysts using a modified Heads-Up Checklist. Descriptive statistical analysis was used. The incidence of concussion was 3.21 per 1000 games. Most players with concussions were shorter than their opponents, and most concussions were caused by a roundhouse kick on the front of the face. Regarding the acceleration direction of the head after the impact, transverse and multiplane directions were the most common. Most players with a concussion have used a closed stance and did not use blocking techniques during the defense. The rate of concussions caused by penalties was 42.9%. Based on our findings, no other injury mechanisms, except for direct blows to the head, were observed. Therefore, education on the risk and symptoms of concussion, the appropriate management and blocking techniques should be emphasized in TKD-S to reduce incidence of concussion.