Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hydrogel Coating Optimization to Augment Engineered Soft Tissue Mechanics in Tissue-Engineered Blood Vessels

Tissue engineering has the advantage of replicating soft tissue mechanics to better simulate and integrate into native soft tissue. However, soft tissue engineering has been fraught with issues of insufficient tissue strength to withstand physiological mechanical requirements. This factor is due to the lack of strength inherent in cell-only constructs and in the biomaterials used for soft tissue engineering and limited extracellular matrix (ECM) production possible in cell culture. To address this issue, we explored the use of an ECM-based hydrogel coating to serve as an adhesive tool, as demonstrated in vascular tissue engineering. The efficacy of cells to supplement mechanical strength in the coating was explored. Specifically, selected coatings were applied to an engineered artery tunica adventitia to accurately test their properties in a natural tissue support structure. Multiple iterations of three primary hydrogels with and without cells were tested: fibrin, collagen, and gelatin hydrogels with and without fibroblasts. The effectiveness of a natural crosslinker to further stabilize and strengthen the hydrogels was investigated, namely genipin extracted from the gardenia fruit. We found that gelatin crosslinked with genipin alone exhibited the highest tensile strength; however, fibrin gel supported cell viability the most. Overall, fibrin gel coating without genipin was deemed optimal for its balance in increasing mechanical strength while still supporting cell viability and was used in the final mechanical and hydrodynamic testing assessments. Engineered vessels coated in fibrin hydrogel with cells resulted in the highest tensile strength of all hydrogel-coated groups after 14 d in culture, demonstrating a tensile strength of 11.9 ± 2.91 kPa, compared to 5.67 ± 1.37 kPa for the next highest collagen hydrogel group. The effect of the fibrin hydrogel coating on burst pressure was tested on our strongest vessels composed of human aortic smooth muscle cells. A significant increase from our previously reported burst pressure of 51.3 ± 2.19 mmHg to 229 ± 23.8 mmHg was observed; however, more work is needed to render these vessels compliant with mechanical and biological criteria for blood vessel substitutes.
Early Holocene Laurentide Ice Sheet Retreat Influenced Summer Atmospheric Circulation in Baffin Bay

Changes in ice‐sheet size impact atmospheric circulation, a phenomenon documented by models but constrained by few paleoclimate records. We present sub‐centennial‐scale records of summer temperature and summer precipitation hydrogen isotope ratios (δ2H) spanning 12–7 ka from a lake on Baffin Island. In a transient model simulation, winds in this region were controlled by the relative strength of the high‐pressure systems and associated anticyclonic circulation over the retreating Greenland and Laurentide ice sheets. The correlation between summer temperature and precipitation δ2H proxy records changed from negative to positive at 9.8 ka. This correlation structure indicates a shift from alternating local and remote moisture, governed by the two ice‐sheet high‐pressure systems, to only remote moisture after 9.8 ka, governed by the strong Greenland high‐pressure system after the Laurentide Ice Sheet retreated. Such rapid atmospheric circulation changes may also occur in response to future, gradual ice‐sheet retreat.
Selection by current compliance of negative and positive bipolar resistive switching behaviour in ZrO2−x/ZrO2 bilayer memory

We report here a ZrO2−x/ZrO2-based bilayer resistive switching memory with unique properties that enables the selection of the switching mode by applying different electroforming current compliances. Two opposite polarity modes, positive bipolar and negative bipolar, correspond to the switching in the ZrO2 and ZrO2−x layer, respectively. The ZrO2 layer is proved to be responsible for the negative bipolar mode which is also observed in a ZrO2 single layer device. The oxygen deficient ZrO2−x layer plays the dominant role in the positive bipolar mode, which is exclusive to the bilayer memory. A systematic investigation of the ZrO2−x composition in the bilayer memory suggests that ZrO1.8 layer demonstrates optimum switching performance with low switching voltage, narrow switching voltage distribution and good cycling endurance. An excess of oxygen vacancies, beyond this composition, leads to a deterioration of switching properties. The formation and dissolution of the oxygen vacancy filament model has been proposed to explain both polarity switching behaviours and the improved properties in the bilayer positive bipolar mode are attributed to the confined oxygen vacancy filament size within the ZrO2−x layer.
A PLS – SEM study to test the role of Social media in influencing Purchase Intention

In light of the growing importance of social networking marketing (SMM) to the profitability of tiny and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) and the relatively modest adoption rate of SMM among SMEs, this study seeks to determine which factors influence SMEs’ adoption of SMM. This study, unlike the majority of others, proposed a two-stage analysis combining the partial least squares (PLS) method with an artificial intelligence technique called an artificial neural network (ANN). Using a deep ANN architecture, the proposed model can make predictions with a 91% success rate. The marketing rate of social networking site adoption was found to be significantly affected by the strength of the relationship between perceived efficiency, user approval of use, perceived expenses, and encouragement from upper management, beneficial conditions, and vendor pressure. The findings of this study contribute to the expanding body of literature on online advertising by shedding light on the role played by technological, corporate, and ecological (TOE) variables in consumers’ adoption of social media promotional activities. Investment choices in digital marketing in comparable and non-competitive industries can benefit from the study’s findings, which can be used by policymakers as well as managers of SMM and consumer behavior.
The L2 proficiency level effect in L3 lexical learning: high-proficiency L2s do not transfer

In this case study we investigate the role of the proficiency level in an earlier formally learned L2 for the transfer source in L3 learning at the lexical level, by comparing two pairs of learners with different proficiency levels in their L2s English, French, Spanish and Italian. The data were gathered with a mirror design: L1 German/L3 Swedish and L1 Swedish/L3 German. The learners were absolute beginners of the L3. Both pairs were recorded over 6 months during conversation with a bilingual German/Swedish interlocutor. The recordings were conducted on a monthly basis. The proficiency levels of all L2s were tested in written tests, based on the CEFR scale. The results show that the proficiency level in the L2s has an impact on the transfer source. The L2s at C1+ level were not transferred, but L2s with lower proficiency levels were. These results confirm what is predicted by the L2 status factor (Bardel & Falk, 2012), namely that a high-proficiency L2 can lose its status as an L2, approaching L1 status, which makes it less susceptible to transfer. The study also confirms the value of case studies in L3 research. Keywords: lexical transfer, proficiency, L3 learning, oral production
Phosphorylation Mimetic of Myosin Regulatory Light Chain Mitigates Cardiomyopathy-Induced Myofilament Impairment in Mouse Models of RCM and DCM

This study focuses on mimicking constitutive phosphorylation in the N-terminus of the myosin regulatory light chain (S15D-RLC) as a rescue strategy for mutation-induced cardiac dysfunction in transgenic (Tg) models of restrictive (RCM) and dilated (DCM) cardiomyopathy caused by mutations in essential (ELC, MYL3 gene) or regulatory (RLC, MYL2 gene) light chains of myosin. Phosphomimetic S15D-RLC was reconstituted in left ventricular papillary muscle (LVPM) fibers from two mouse models of cardiomyopathy, RCM-E143K ELC and DCM-D94A RLC, along with their corresponding Tg-ELC and Tg-RLC wild-type (WT) mice. The beneficial effects of S15D-RLC in rescuing cardiac function were manifested by the S15D-RLC-induced destabilization of the super-relaxed (SRX) state that was observed in both models of cardiomyopathy. S15D-RLC promoted a shift from the SRX state to the disordered relaxed (DRX) state, increasing the number of heads readily available to interact with actin and produce force. Additionally, S15D-RLC reconstituted with fibers demonstrated significantly higher maximal isometric force per cross-section of muscle compared with reconstitution with WT-RLC protein. The effects of the phosphomimetic S15D-RLC were compared with those observed for Omecamtiv Mecarbil (OM), a myosin activator shown to bind to the catalytic site of cardiac myosin and increase myocardial contractility. A similar SRX↔DRX equilibrium shift was observed in OM-treated fibers as in S15D-RLC-reconstituted preparations. Additionally, treatment with OM resulted in significantly higher maximal pCa 4 force per cross-section of muscle fibers in both cardiomyopathy models. Our results suggest that both treatments with S15D-RLC and OM may improve the function of myosin motors and cardiac muscle contraction in RCM-ELC and DCM-RLC mice.
Exploring the Impact of Private Equity-Backed Firms on Strategic Acquirers

: Although selling to a strategic acquirer is the most typical way for private equity firms to exit, there is little proof that the acquirer benefits from such deals. The purpose of this study is to determine whether strategic acquirers profit from buying a private equity (PE) portfolio company. An event study is conducted to assess the value creation of PE-backed transactions and examine both short-run and long-run abnormal returns. Using the data of over 10,000 acquisition deals by U.S. public firms from 2000 to 2019, we find that acquiring a PE portfolio firm benefits strategic acquirers and leads to a positive stock price reaction, providing novel evidence that part of the value creation spills over to the acquirer. Specifically, results of the study reveal that the trade sales using PE compared to other acquisitions, the acquisition announcement return in the (-1/+1) window is about 0.7% greater. The long-term consequences of PE sales to strategic acquirers are also explored, with trade deals including PE being followed by a BHAR that is, on average, 3.1% greater than that of the control group after 1 year. These findings suggest a substantial difference between acquiring a PE-backed target and a non-sponsored target and highlight the value-creation potential of PE firms.
A Study of the Carbon Distribution in Two Carbide-Free Bainite Alloys

Two low carbon (0.22 wt.%) carbide-free bainite (CFB) alloys were prepared by isothermal transformation at three different transformation temperatures. The distribution of carbon in bainitic ferrite (BF), retained austenite (RA) and martensite (M) phases was studied using a combination of in-situ high energy X-ray diffraction (HEXRD), atom probe tomography (APT) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). These complementary techniques provided consistent and unambiguous results confirming the presence of significant excess carbon levels in BF. The carbon concentration in BF increases as the isothermal transformation temperature is decreased. Statistical analysis of the APT and EELS data indicates that the excess carbon content in bainitic laths does not follow a normal distribution. APT reconstructions suggest that only part of this excess carbon is segregated to defects or clusters. No significant evidence of bainite tetragonality was observed. The addition of vanadium, a strong carbide forming element did not influence the carbon distribution in BF. However, the mean dislocation density in the vanadium alloy was found to be systematically higher than the reference steel.
Correlation Analysis and Diagnostic Value of Serum Homocysteine, Cystatin C and Uric Acid Levels with the Severity of Coronary Artery Stenosis in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease

Background Coronary angiography (CAG) is an invasive examination with high risks and costs and various complications may occur. It is necessary to find a diagnostic method, non-invasiveness, inexpensive with low risk. This study aims to analyze the correlation between the levels of serum homocysteine (Hcy), cystatin C (Cys C) and uric acid (UA) and Gensini score in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and assess their diagnostic value for CHD. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 1412 patients underwent CAG from October 2019 to December 2021, and we conducted this study from January to July 2022. A total of 765 patients with CHD confirmed by CAG were selected as the research group, while 647 patients revealed as non-obstructive stenosis by CAG as the control group. The serum Hcy, Cys C and UA levels were detected and the correlation between Gensini score and variables was analyzed. The receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed to assess the diagnostic value of the Hcy, Cys C and UA for CHD. Results The serum Hcy, Cys C and UA levels in the research group were higher as compared with the control group (p<0.05). Spearman correlation and multivariate linear regression analysis showed that there was a significantly positive correlation between Gensini score and serum Hcy, Cys C and UA levels (p<0.05). The ROC curve analysis presented the combined Hcy and Cys C with UA having the highest specificity of diagnostic value for CHD (area under the curve (AUC)=0.768, 95% CI 0.706–0.823, specificity = 72.34%, sensitivity = 67.88%, Youden Index = 0.4022). Conclusion The serum Hcy, Cys C and UA levels in patients with CHD were significantly increased, positive correlation with Gensini score. The combined Hcy and Cys C with UA could be used to assess the severity of coronary artery stenosis and provide predictive and early intervention treatment values for CHD and a new way of diagnosing CHD, which is cheap, safe, effective and deserving of clinical application.
Intronic FGF14 GAA repeat expansions are a common cause of ataxia syndromes with neuropathy and bilateral vestibulopathy

Background Intronic GAA repeat expansions in the fibroblast growth factor 14 gene (FGF14) have recently been identified as a common cause of ataxia with potential phenotypic overlap with RFC1-related cerebellar ataxia, neuropathy and vestibular areflexia syndrome (CANVAS). Our objective was to report on the frequency of intronic FGF14 GAA repeat expansions in patients with an unexplained CANVAS-like phenotype. Methods We recruited 45 patients negative for biallelic RFC1 repeat expansions with a combination of cerebellar ataxia plus peripheral neuropathy and/or bilateral vestibulopathy (BVP), and genotyped the FGF14 repeat locus. Phenotypic features of GAA-FGF14-positive versus GAA-FGF14-negative patients were compared. Results Frequency of FGF14 GAA repeat expansions was 38% (17/45) in the entire cohort, 38% (5/13) in the subgroup with cerebellar ataxia plus polyneuropathy, 43% (9/21) in the subgroup with cerebellar ataxia plus BVP and 27% (3/11) in patients with all three features. BVP was observed in 75% (12/16) of GAA-FGF14-positive patients. Polyneuropathy was at most mild and of mixed sensorimotor type in six of eight GAA-FGF14-positive patients. Family history of ataxia (59% vs 15%; p=0.007) was significantly more frequent and permanent cerebellar dysarthria (12% vs 54%; p=0.009) significantly less frequent in GAA-FGF14-positive than in GAA-FGF14-negative patients. Age at onset was inversely correlated to the size of the repeat expansion (Pearson’s r, −0.67; R2=0.45; p=0.0031). Conclusions GAA-FGF14-related disease is a common cause of cerebellar ataxia with polyneuropathy and/or BVP, and should be included in the differential diagnosis of RFC1 CANVAS and disease spectrum.
Knowledge, Attitude and Practices Adopted by Recreational Runners Towards Core Stability Exercises in Preventing Low Back Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study

The current study intended to determine recreational runners' knowledge, attitude, and practices toward CSE to prevent LBP. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study design was adopted. Two hundred fifty-seven recreational runners were chosen using a simple random sampling approach and administered with a semi-structured questionnaire to evaluate their KAP toward CSE. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS 28.0. Results: The correct response to the knowledge-related items in the questionnaire was from 65% to 91%. Precisely, 91.4% of study participants understood CSE. Furthermore, most participants showed a positive attitude toward CSE, considering that it is essential for running (79%), improving fitness (76%), reducing the risk of injuries (71%), and boosting their appearance (54%). Most participants (>85%) performed CSE for recommended frequency and duration to strengthen their core muscles and prevent LBP. The recreational runners had good practice toward CSE. Conclusion: Recreational runners possess adequate knowledge, a positive attitude, and good practice toward CSE. This study suggested that motivational strategies and awareness programs can be conducted to improve recreational runners' KAP toward CSE preventing LBP.
Comparing the Effectiveness of Role-Play Simulation versus Real Patient Transferal Skills Training in Occupational Therapy Students in Saudi-Arabia- A Quasi-Experimental Study

Purpose To compare the effectiveness of using role-play simulation as a possible alternative to real-patient training to teach transferal skills to occupational therapy students. Patients and Methods Seventy-one occupational therapy students (including those in their second, third and fourth years) participated in a quasi-experimental study. The students were randomly divided into two groups. One group received role-play simulation at the university. The other received training on real patients with mild to moderate stroke and spinal cord injury (one session/week for six weeks) in clinical (inpatient) settings in Jeddah to learn patient transferring skills. Student performance was taken as a measure of teaching method effectiveness, and was evaluated by using a validated OSCE-type assessment tool developed at the end of training. The tool showed good reliability (Cronbach’s α was > 0.7) and inter-reliability (Kappa < 0.001). Results A total number of 71 students participated in the study. The majority of the students were female (66.2%, N=47) and 33.8% (N=24) were male. About 33.8% (N=24) of students were in the second year, 29.6% (N=21) were in the third year and 36.6% (N=26) were in the fourth year. There were 36 (49.3%) students in the simulation group The mean age of the students was 20.70 (SD=1.2). There was no significant difference in the students’ performance in both groups with a P-value of 0.139. Conclusion Role-play simulation can effectively be used for students’ training as there was no difference in the outcome of the students’ performance in patient transferring skills in both groups. This finding can help in designing and implementing training through simulation, especially in situations where training on severely ill patients may be a safety risk.
Conditional mix-GEE models for longitudinal data with unspecified random-effects distributions

ABSTRACT In the longitudinal studies, the mixture generalized estimation equation (mix-GEE) was proposed to improve the efficiency of the fixed-effects estimator for addressing the working correlation structure misspecification. When the subject-specific effect is one of interests, mixed-effects models were widely used to analyze longitudinal data. However, most of the existing approaches assume a normal distribution for the random effects, and this could affect the efficiency of the fixed-effects estimator. In this article, a conditional mixture generalized estimating equation (cmix-GEE) approach based on the advantage of mix-GEE and conditional quadratic inference function (CQIF) method is developed. The advantage of our new approach is that it does not require the normality assumption for random effects and can accommodate the serial correlation between observations within the same cluster. The feature of our proposed approach is that the estimators of the regression parameters are more efficient than CQIF even if the working correlation structure is not correctly specified. In addition, according to the estimates of some mixture proportions, the true working correlation matrix can be identified. We establish the asymptotic results for the fixed-effects parameter estimators. Simulation studies were conducted to evaluate our proposed method.
Affine and bilinear systems on Lie groups

In this paper we study affine and bilinear systems on Lie groups. We show that there is an intrinsic connection between the solutions of both systems. Such relation allows us to obtain some preliminary controllability results of affne systems on compact and solvable Lie groups. We also show that the controllability property of bilinear systems is very restricted and may only be achieved if the state space G is an Euclidean space.
All about Nitrite : Exploring Nitrite Sources and Sinks in the Eastern Tropical North 1 Pacific Oxygen Minimum Zone 2 3

7 1 Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, Guyot Hall, Princeton, NJ, USA 08544 8 2 Department of Biology and Paleo Environment, Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia 9 University, Palisades, NY, USA 10964 10 3 Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of 11 Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA 02138 12 4 Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, CA, USA 94305 13 5 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 14 USA 60208 15 6 Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Bernoullistrasse 30, 4056 Basel, 16 Switzerland 17 18
‘CHERISH’ OR PERISH: THE INEVITABLE OUTCOME OF AN ECONOMY IN CRISIS

We used an integrative qualitative descriptive review methodology to survey the literature on the COVID-19 pandemic to understand how the pandemic devastated businesses as well as emphasise the benefit of understanding the possible opportunities that emerge from a crisis. The discussions are framed within the purview of resilience and vulnerability theory, including the resource-based view. Findings indicate that as a result of the sudden emergence of COVID-19, many businesses' unpreparedness and untested resilience capabilities led to their demise, with others downsizing or ceasing operations. COVID-19 required businesses to adopt a speedy adaptation of business practices, thinking, and processes to capitalise on emerging opportunities. Thus, businesses adopted e-commerce, virtual operations, and the development of new channels. Overall, the study concludes that businesses confronted a mixed bag of COVID-19 consequences. The study, therefore, recommends that developing nations' governments institute radical economic transformation efforts to secure the business ecosystem and overcome business turnaround challenges. Moreover, studies that track the improved fortunes of firms that downscaled during the pandemic in the post-COVID-19 era are recommended. The study's major limitation is that most of the literature reviewed is set in Africa, which may limit the applicability of the findings to other regions. However, the COVID-19 theme retains global relevance. The study contributes to the literature by providing insights into the specific impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on businesses, the importance of resilience mechanisms, the role of government support, and the need for entrepreneurship education in the post-pandemic era.