Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Observation of Griffiths phase, critical exponent analysis and high magnetocaloric effect near room temperature at low magnetic field in V-doped La0.7Sr0.3MnO3

We report on observation of the Griffiths phase (GP), high magnetocaloric properties at low magnetic fields and temperature-dependent critical exponents of La0.7Sr0. 3V x Mn1−x O3 (x = 0, 0.05 and 0.1) perovskite bulk materials. The Curie temperature (T C) of pure La0.7Sr0. 3MnO3 (LMSO) is seen to be 368.7 K and decreases toward room temperature (RT) (342.2 K) by 10 mol% V doping at the Mn site. V doping leads to an enhancement in magnetic entropy change (−ΔS M) from 1 J kg−1 K−1to 1.41 J kg−1 K−1. V doping at a Mn site leads to the formation of GP, a magnetic disorder due to the coexistence of a paramagnetic (PM) matrix and short-range ferromagnetic (FM) clusters. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis confirms the presence of mixed-valence V4+/V5+along with Mn3+/Mn4+ ions contributing to various double exchange interactions. The natures of phase transitions and magnetic interactions are analyzed by evaluating critical exponents δ, β, and γ. All the samples show second-order FM to PM phase transition, confirmed from the modified Arrott plots and critical exponent analysis carried out using the Kouvel–Fisher method. The enhancement in magnetic entropy change along with the decrease in Curie temperature toward RT by V doping in the LMSO oxides indicates the possible application of these materials in magnetic refrigeration at low magnetic fields.
Polarity Directed Appraisal of Pharmacological Potential and HPLC-DAD Based Phytochemical Profiling of Polygonum glabrum Willd

The present study was designed to evaluate polarity-dependent extraction efficiency and pharmacological profiling of Polygonum glabrum Willd. Crude extracts of leaves, roots, stems, and seeds, prepared from solvents of varying polarities, were subjected to phytochemical, antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antidiabetic, and cytotoxicity assays. Maximum extraction yield (20.0% w/w) was observed in the case of an acetone:methanol (AC:M) root extract. Distilled water:methanol (W:M) leaves extract showed maximum phenolic contents. Maximum flavonoid content and free radical scavenging potential were found in methanolic (M) seed extract. HPLC-DAD quantification displayed the manifestation of substantial quantities of quercetin, rutin, gallic acid, quercetin, catechin, and kaempferol in various extracts. The highest ascorbic acid equivalent total antioxidant capacity and reducing power potential was found in distilled water roots and W:M leaf extracts, respectively. Chloroform (C) seeds extract produced a maximum zone of inhibition against Salmonella typhimurium. Promising protein kinase inhibition and antifungal activity against Mucor sp. were demonstrated by C leaf extract. AC:M leaves extract exhibited significant cytotoxic capability against brine shrimp larvae and α-amylase inhibition. Present results suggest that the nature of pharmacological responses depends upon the polarity of extraction solvents and parts of the plant used. P. glabrum can be considered as a potential candidate for the isolation of bioactive compounds with profound therapeutic importance.
Short periods of bipolar anodal TDCS induce no instantaneous dose-dependent increase in cerebral blood flow in the targeted human motor cortex

Anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (aTDCS) of primary motor hand area (M1-HAND) can enhance corticomotor excitability, but it is still unknown which current intensity produces the strongest effect on intrinsic neural firing rates and synaptic activity. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) combined with pseudo-continuous Arterial Spin Labeling (pcASL MRI) can map regional cortical blood flow (rCBF). The measured rCBF signal is sensitive to regional changes in neuronal activity due to neurovascular coupling. Therefore, concurrent TDCS and pcASL MRI may reveal the relationship between current intensity and TDCS-induced changes in overall firing rates and synaptic activity in the cortical target. Here we employed pcASL MRI to map acute rCBF changes during short-duration aTDCS of left M1-HAND. Using the rCBF response as a proxy for regional neuronal activity, we investigated if short-duration aTDCS produces an instantaneous dose-dependent rCBF increase in the targeted M1-HAND that may be useful for individual dosing. Nine healthy right-handed participants received 30 s of aTDCS at 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mA with the anode placed over left M1-HAND and cathode over the right supraorbital region. Concurrent pcASL MRI at 3 T probed TDCS-related rCBF changes in the targeted M1-HAND. Movement-induced rCBF changes were also assessed. Apart from a subtle increase in rCBF at 0.5 mA, short-duration aTDCS did not modulate rCBF in the M1-HAND relative to no-stimulation periods. None of the participants showed a dose-dependent increase in rCBF during aTDCS, even after accounting for individual differences in TDCS-induced electrical field strength. In contrast, finger movements led to robust activation of left M1-HAND before and after aTDCS. Short-duration bipolar aTDCS does not produce consistant instantaneous dose-dependent rCBF increases in the targeted M1-HAND at conventional intensity ranges. Therefore, the regional hemodynamic response profile to short-duration aTDCS may not be suited to inform individual dosing of TDCS intensity.
Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in Conjunctival Swab Samples Among Patients Presenting with Conjunctivitis During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Purpose To investigate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2-associated conjunctivitis among patients presenting with conjunctivitis to ophthalmology clinics in the absence of respiratory symptoms suggesting COVID-19 during the first year of the pandemic. Patients and Methods This prospective, observational, cross-sectional study enrolled patients aged 18 years and older who presented with acute conjunctivitis between May 2020 and May 2021. After reviewing demographics, ocular and systemic symptoms, a slit lamp examination was performed. Five samples were collected (conjunctival swab from each eye, nasal swab from each nostril, and a nasopharyngeal swab) in separate tubes for a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test for SARS-CoV-2. Patients were called at 1 and 2 weeks to follow up on their ocular and systemic symptoms and collect information about conjunctival adenovirus test results and COVID-19 test results if performed outside of the study. Results A total of 36 patients were enrolled. The most common ocular symptom was redness (35/36, 97%), and 14 patients (39%) had symptoms in both eyes at the time of the presentation. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was not detected in any samples collected during the study visit (95% confidence interval [CI] from 0 to 0.08). None of the study participants were diagnosed with COVID-19 following conjunctivitis during the 2-week follow-up period. We found that 25 patients had a conjunctival adenovirus test done on the day of their study visit, 9 of which reported positive results. Conclusion Our data suggest that it may not be valuable to obtain routine testing of SARS-CoV-2 in patients presenting with conjunctivitis in the absence of COVID-19.
SARS‐CoV‐2 triggers complement activation through interactions with heparan sulfate

The complement system has been heavily implicated in severe COVID-19 with clinical studies revealing widespread gene induction, deposition, and activation. However, the mechanism by which complement is activated in this disease remains incompletely understood. Herein we examined the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 and complement by inoculating the virus in lepirudin-anticoagulated human blood. This caused progressive C5a production after 30 minutes and 24 hours, which was blocked entirely by inhibitors for factor B, C3, C5, and heparan sulfate. However, this phenomenon could not be replicated in cell-free plasma, highlighting the requirement for cell surface deposition of complement and interactions with heparan sulfate. Additional functional analysis revealed that complement-dependent granulocyte and monocyte activation was delayed. Indeed, C5aR1 internalisation and CD11b upregulation on these cells only occurred after 24 hours. Thus, SARS-CoV-2 is a non-canonical complement activator that triggers the alternative pathway through interactions with heparan sulfate.
Fast Gelation of Poly(ionic liquid)-Based Injectable Antibacterial Hydrogels

Traditional antibacterial hydrogels have a broad-spectrum bactericidal effect and are widely used as wound dressings. However, the biological toxicity and drug resistance of these antibacterial hydrogels cannot meet the requirements of long-term clinical application. Imidazolium poly(ionic liquids) (PILs) are polymeric antibacterial agents exhibiting strong antibacterial properties, as they contain a strong positive charge. In this study, two imidazolium PILs, namely poly(N-butylimidazolium propiolic acid sodium) (PBP) and poly(N-(3,6-dioxaoctane) imidazolium propiolic acid sodium) (PDP), as high efficiency antibacterial agents, were synthesized by polycondensation reaction. Then, the PILs were compounded with polyethylene glycol (PEG) by a thiol-yne click reaction to prepare injectable antibacterial hydrogels. An in vitro assay showed that the injectable antibacterial hydrogels could not only quickly kill Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), but also had low toxicity for human skin fibroblasts cells (HSFs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), respectively. Additionally, the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) inflammation model revealed that the injectable antibacterial hydrogels also had anti-inflammatory effects, which would be advantageous to accelerate wound healing.
PRCTC: a machine learning model for prediction of response to corticosteroid therapy in COVID-19 patients

Corticosteroid has been proved to be one of the few effective treatments for COVID-19 patients. However, not all the patients were suitable for corticosteroid therapy. In this study, we aimed to propose a machine learning model to forecast the response to corticosteroid therapy in COVID-19 patients. We retrospectively collected the clinical data about 666 COVID-19 patients receiving corticosteroid therapy between January 27, 2020, and March 30, 2020, from two hospitals in China. The response to corticosteroid therapy was evaluated by hospitalization time, oxygen supply duration, and the outcomes of patients. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) was applied for feature selection. Five prediction models were applied in the training cohort and assessed in an internal and an external validation dataset, respectively. Finally, two (C reactive protein, lymphocyte percent) of 36 candidate immune/inflammatory features were finally used for model development. All five models displayed promising predictive performance. Notably, the ensemble model, PRCTC (prediction of response to corticosteroid therapy in COVID-19 patients), derived from three prediction models including Gradient Boosted Decision Tree (GBDT), Neural Network (NN), and logistic regression (LR), achieved the best performance with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.810 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.760–0.861) in internal validation cohort and 0.845 (95% CI 0.779–0.911) in external validation cohort to predict patients’ response to corticosteroid therapy. In conclusion, PRCTC proposed with universality and scalability is hopeful to provide tangible and prompt clinical decision support in management of COVID-19 patients and potentially extends to other medication predictions.
Evaluation of Lead Deposit and Fertility Indices of Lowland Rice Fields in Rock Mining Areas of Ishiagu, Southeastern Nigeria

The present study assessed the effect of quarrying on topsoil lead deposit and selected soil fertility indices of lowland rice fields in Ishaigu, Ebonyi State. A purposeful sampling technique was used in selecting the locations evaluated in this study. The locations were: Danger zone, which is where industrial waste waters/ effluents are discharged to, Ngwogwo and Okue locations are the mining areas, while Ovumte served as the control location. Two sets of factors used in this study were: four locations (Factor A) which constitute the main plot and three toposequence positions (upper, middle and bottom) (Factor B) which served as the sub-plots. Nine soil auger samples were collected randomly from each of the locations at 0 to 40 cm depth. Soil parameters were evaluated; soil pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen, cation exchange capacity, and lead concentration. Results showed that lowlands of danger zone had the highest (0.075 mg/kg, p < 0.05) lead deposit while Ovumte recorded the least (0.015 mg/kg, p < 0.05) lead deposit. Results also revealed that other soil parameters studied were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in Ovumte lowland area than those other lowlands around the Crush Rock Industry. Based on Bowen (1979) and EU lead recommended level (35 mg/kg), lead contamination is no threat to lives and agricultural production across the study locations. However, the soil quality for crop production is compromised. This suggests that mining operations by Crush Rock industry impact negatively on the fertility indices of the study area.
Implementation and comparison of existing occupant behaviour models in EnergyPlus

To incorporate occupant behaviour in building performance simulation (BPS), researchers have developed a number of occupant behaviour and presence models based on long-term field observations. This paper describes the implementation of models from the literature for predicting occupancy and use of operable windows, blinds, lighting, and clothing for offices in the BPS tool EnergyPlus. In order to make the occupant models from the literature more widely available to researchers and practitioners, the EnergyPlus energy management system scripts are made publicly available. The paper then presents a comparison of the model predictions based on a typical office and demonstrates how differences in these models influence BPS results. In general, the window, blinds, and lighting use model predictions vary significantly from model to another. Despite these significant variations, the BPS models with different occupant behaviour model combinations provided consistent load reduction predictions in response to design changes.
Investment Risk Tolerance amongst South African University Students in the Vaal Triangle Area

Analysing students risk tolerance during the investor life cycle is imperative to students and financial planners alike, to facilitate the implementation of suitable investments and investment strategies. Students in universities do not have the required knowledge to invest and this is why an investment framework was created to assist, guide and inform students of what stage of the individual investor life cycle that they are in and suggest suitable investment strategies. The article implemented a quantitative approach, using secondary data analysis. The data used for the analysis is from a self-administered questionnaire in 2017 that was distributed to a sample of 396 students from two higher education institutions in the Vaal Triangle region. Two validated risk tolerance scales were used to analyse students risk tolerance levels. The objective of this paper was to determine the risk tolerance levels of students in the Vaal Triangle region. The two results from the 13-item scale and the single-item scale for measuring risk tolerance indicated that the students have a medium risk tolerance level.
Characterization of a Mobile Urban Radio Channel with an Improved Multicarrier Sounding Technique

This paper presents results of temporal dispersion characteristics of a broadband channel measured at 2.5 GHz in a dense urban environment. The cumulative distributions of the number of multipath components and the rms delay spread were obtained, as well as the mean value and the standard deviation of the rms delay spread. A new sounding technique was employed that combines characteristics of the multicarrier sounding and pulse compression sounding techniques by using a pseudo-noise (PN) sequence as input to a multicarrier OFDM modulator. It was found that it provides improvement over the traditional multicarrier sounding technique by allowing better synchronization of the received signal and the capture of a higher number of multipath components.
Anodic Activity of Hydrated and Anhydrous Iron (II) Oxalate in Li-Ion Batteries

We discuss the applicability of the naturally occurring compound Ferrous Oxalate Dihydrate (FOD) (FeC2O4·2H2O) as an anode material in Li-ion batteries. Using first-principles modeling, we evaluate the electrochemical activity of FOD and demonstrate how its structural water content affects the intercalation reaction and contributes to its performance. We show that both Li0 and Li+ intercalation in FOD yields similar results. Our analysis indicates that fully dehydrated ferrous oxalate is a more promising anodic material with higher electrochemical stability: it carries 20% higher theoretical Li storage capacity and a lower voltage (0.68 V at the PBE/cc-pVDZ level), compared to its hydrated (2.29 V) or partially hydrated (1.43 V) counterparts.
Ductility Estimation of Concrete Beams Longitudinally Reinforced with Hybrid FRP-Steel Bars

An experimental study was carried out to evaluate the ductility of reinforced concrete beams longitudinally reinforced with hybrid FRP-Steel bars. The specimens were fourteen reinforced concrete beams with and without hybrid reinforcement. The test variables were bars position, the ratio of longitudinal reinforcement, and the type of FRP bars. The beams were loaded up to failure using a four-point bending test. The performance of the tested beams was observed using the load-deflection curve obtained from the test. Numerical analysis using the fiber element model was used to examine the growth of neutral axis depth due to the effect of test variables. The neutral axis curves were then used to further estimate the neutral axis angle and neutral axis displacement index. The test results show that the position of the reinforcement greatly influences the flexural behavior of the beam with hybrid reinforcement. It was observed from the test that the flexural capacity of beams with hybrid reinforcement is 4% to 50% higher than that of the beams with conventional steel bars depending on bars position and the ratio of longitudinal reinforcement. The ductility decreases as the hybrid reinforcement ratio (Af/As) increases. This study also showed that a numerical model developed can predict the flexural behavior of beams with hybrid reinforcement with reasonable accuracy.
Impact of COVID-19 on Online Interest in Urologic Conditions: An Analysis of Google Trends

Background With COVID-19 leading to several isolation measures for preventative care, health care utilization, especially within urology, decreased substantially. The impact of COVID-19 on the population’s interests in urologic conditions remains to be established. By using the platform of Google Trends, which allows search behaviors and interest in healthcare topics to be quantified over time, we investigated the impact of COVID-19 on online search behaviors relating to common urologic conditions in the US. Methods The platform of Google Trends was utilized to analyze online interest in twelve common urologic conditions in the US from October 1, 2018 to August 1, 2021 (divided into “pre-COVID” and “COVID” periods at March 1, 2020). Search volume index (SVI), a measure of relative search volume on Google, data sets for the US, top queried and populated states, rising queries, and top queries were retrieved and analyzed for all conditions. Pre-COVID and COVID median SVIs were compared using the Mann Whitney U test, and correlations were analyzed using Spearman’s rank-order correlation test. Results For all twelve urologic conditions, rising and top queries were often related to symptoms, treatments, and COVID-19. COVID showed higher SVIs for erectile dysfunction (p=0.04) and lower SVIs for bladder cancer (p<0.01), hematuria (p<0.01), kidney cancer (p<0.01), kidney stones (p=0.03), and prostate cancer (p<0.01). Correlations to COVID-19 searches were seen for bladder cancer (RS=-0.36, p<0.01), erectile dysfunction (RS=0.20, p=0.04), hematuria (RS=-0.31, p<0.01), overactive bladder (RS=-0.23, p=0.04), and prostate cancer (RS=-0.33, p<0.01). No correlations were found for benign prostatic hyperplasia, interstitial cystitis, low testosterone, urinary incontinence, and urinary tract infections. Conclusions Online interest in many urologic conditions, especially cancers, decreased during COVID. Given the internet’s increasing role in healthcare, a reduced interest could translate to delayed diagnosis and treatment of these conditions. Only erectile dysfunction showed increasing interest, potentially due to research or misinformation linking it to COVID-19.
Systematic review of the efficacy, effectiveness and impact of high-valency pneumococcal conjugate vaccines on otitis media

ABSTRACT Otitis media (OM) is a common disease of childhood and available pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs), with different compositions, could have different impact on OM reduction. This systematic literature review evaluated available data describing the efficacy, effectiveness, and impact of 10-valent pneumococcal Haemophilus influenzae protein D conjugate vaccine (PHiD-CV) and 13-valent PCV (PCV13) on OM outcomes. Statistically significant reductions in all-cause and complicated OM, tympanostomy tube placement and OM-related hospitalizations were consistently observed after the introduction of PHiD-CV and PCV13. Impact studies with data in children <2 years of age using PCV13 report 47–51% and PHiD-CV 34–43% reduction of all-cause OM (primary care, outpatient, ambulatory, emergency department visits) compared to periods before PCV introduction. When the impact of both vaccines is assessed in comparable settings, some studies suggest PHiD-CV may offer better protection against some OM outcomes. Well-designed, head-to-head comparisons are needed to better understand the differences and guide vaccination policies. Video Abstract Read the transcript Watch the video on Vimeo Plain Language Summary What is the context? Pneumococcal vaccines are highly effective in preventing pneumonia and meningitis in children. The two main pneumococcal vaccines are PHiD-CV (Synflorix, GSK) and PCV13 (Prevenar 13, Pfizer). Both vaccines have been shown to provide protection against otitis media despite differing in their composition. However, it is currently unknown if both vaccines confer similar level of protection against otitis media. What is new? We conducted a literature review to evaluate the effects of PHiD-CV and PCV13 on otitis media. From 33 articles, we found that: ‡Both vaccines were effective in reducing doctor visits for otitis media as well as the number of severe cases and cases requiring hospitalization. ‡Four studies suggested a higher level of protection provided by PHiD-CV compared to PCV13, although more data is needed to confirm this finding. What is the impact? Available information shows that PHiD-CV and PCV13 are effective in preventing a proportion of otitis media during childhood. Given the remaining substantial burden associated with the disease and the related significant usage of antibiotics, the development of improved vaccines with higher impact on otitis media would be welcome.