Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improved Thermophysical Properties and Energy Efficiency of Aqueous Ionic Liquid/MXene Nanofluid in a Hybrid PV/T Solar System

In recent years, solar energy technologies have developed an emerging edge. The incessant research to develop a power source alternative to fossil fuel because of its scarcity and detrimental effects on the environment is the main driving force. In addition, nanofluids have gained immense interest as superior heat transfer fluid in solar technologies for the last decades. In this research, a binary solution of ionic liquid (IL) + water based ionanofluids is formulated successfully with two dimensional MXene (Ti3C2) nano additives at three distinct concentrations of 0.05, 0.10, and 0.20 wt % and the optimum concentration is used to check the performance of a hybrid solar PV/T system. The layered structure of MXene and high absorbance of prepared nanofluids have been perceived by SEM and UV–vis respectively. Rheometer and DSC are used to assess the viscosity and heat capacity respectively while transient hot wire technique is engaged for thermal conductivity measurement. A maximum improvement of 47% in thermal conductivity is observed for 0.20 wt % loading of MXene. Furthermore, the viscosity is found to rise insignificantly with addition of Ti3C2 by different concentrations. Conversely, viscosity decreases substantially as the temperature increases from 20 °C to 60 °C. However, based on their thermophysical properties, 0.20 wt % is found to be the optimum concentration. A comparative analysis in terms of heat transfer performance with three different nanofluids in PV/T system shows that, IL+ water/MXene ionanofluid exhibits highest thermal, electrical, and overall heat transfer efficiency compared to water/alumina, palm oil/MXene, and water alone. Maximum electrical efficiency and thermal efficiency are recorded as 13.95% and 81.15% respectively using IL + water/MXene, besides that, heat transfer coefficients are also noticed to increase by 12.6% and 2% when compared to water/alumina and palm oil/MXene respectively. In conclusion, it can be demonstrated that MXene dispersed ionanofluid might be great a prospect in the field of heat transfer applications since they can augment the heat transfer rate considerably which improves system efficiency.
Radiotherapy-Induced High Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio is a Negative Prognostic Factor in Patients with Breast Cancer

Radiotherapy (RT) is the standard of care following breast-conserving operation in breast cancer patients. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) reflects the systemic change caused as a result of the radiotherapy. We aimed to evaluate the association between RT and the change in NLR following the receipt of RT, and to investigate the prognostic impact. We retrospectively reviewed NLR values of breast cancer patients taken before the administration of the first and the last session of RT. The cut-off point for the NLR was determined using the Youden index and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve within the training set. Recurrence-free survival (RFS), distant metastasis free survival, and overall survival were the main outcomes. Patients with an NLR higher than 3.49 after RT were classified to an RT-induced high NLR group and showed a significantly higher recurrence rate compared to those with low NLR (p < 0.001). In a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model, RT-induced high NLR remained a significant prognostic factor (HR 2.194, 95% CI 1.230–3.912, p = 0.008 for tumor recurrence. We demonstrated that an increase in NLR over the course of RT has a negative impact on survival, putting these patients with RT-susceptible host immunity at a higher risk of tumor recurrence.
Optimal Resource Allocation for Secure Multi-User Wireless Powered Backscatter Communication with Artificial Noise

In this paper, we consider a wireless powered backscatter communication (WPBC) network in which a full-duplex access point (AP) simultaneously transmits information and energy signals by injecting artificial noise (AN) to secure the backscatter transmission from multiple backscatter devices (BDs). To maximize the minimum throughput and ensure fairness and security, we formulate an optimization problem by jointly considering the power splitting ratio between dedicated information signals and AN, backscatter time and signal power allocation among multiple BDs. For a single BD network, we obtain a closed-form solution and evaluate its validity through proof-of-concept experiments. For the general case with multiple BDs, we present an iterative algorithm by leveraging block coordinate descent (BCD) and successive convex approximation optimization to solve a non-convex problem incurred in WPBC. We further show the convergence of the proposed algorithm and analyze its complexity. Finally, extensive simulation results show that the proposed algorithm achieves an optimal and equitable throughput for all BDs, and our work provides a good perspective of resource allocation to improve the performance of WPBC networks.
Incidents of Sexual Assault Against Older Adults: A Comparison Study

Sexual assault perpetrated against older adults remains understudied. This research examined sexual assault incidents perpetrated against older women and men (aged 60+) reported to law enforcement. It compared these sexual assault incidents with those committed against middle-age (aged 40–59) and younger (aged 18–39) women and men. National Incident-Based Reporting System data (1992–2015) were analyzed using multinomial logistic regression models. Findings showed incidents involving an older woman, relative to a middle-age and/or younger woman, were significantly more likely to involve stranger perpetrators, occur at a private location, and involve additional violent crime or property crime. Incidents involving an older man, relative to a middle-age and/or younger man, were significantly more likely to involve offenders of more than one sex, older offenders, stranger perpetrators, and additional violent crime or property crime. Results are discussed in relation to prior work and future directions.
Investigation of Iranian pomegranate cultivars for wound healing components

One of the most important issues which medical science has been facing is wound healing for the tissue repair with the least complications. In this study, we aimed to isolate, purify and quantitate tannins and phenolic compounds from exocarp and pulp of fruits of Iranian pomegranate cultivars. Our findings demonstrate that the highest amount of tannin extracts from ethanol extract of the black peel exocarp was 201.76 ± 1.93. The highest amount of flavonoids from the ethanol extract of Sweet Alac exocarp was119.69 ± 1.02 as well as antioxidant compounds activity in the exocarp and pulp showed that the highest activity is in the ethanol extract of the black peel was 95.65 ± 3.1. The total phenolic activity indicated that the Sour white peel ethanol extract has the highest phenolic activity 327.05 ± 863. Our data suggest that the ethanol extract of pomegranate exocarp has the higher amounts of tannins and flavonoids, compounds that are known to be beneficial for wound healing. Taken together, these data suggest that compounds isolated from Iranian pomegranate cultivars offer new options for managements of wound healing.
Does virtual reality simulation training result in fewer real-life cataract surgery complications? A systematic literature review.

Virtual reality simulation (VRS) has become progressively popular as a training tool in ophthalmology. However, debate continues as to whether VRS has resulted in better outcomes for patients following cataract surgery. Accordingly, a qualitative systematic literature review was conducted to identify whether VRS training results in a reduced complication rate following real-life cataract surgery. Included studies measured the effect of VRS on real-life patient outcomes following cataract surgery. Databases searched included Medline (Ovid), The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PubMed, and CINAHL. 1917 studies were identified, of which 10 studies were included, spanning from 2011 to 2020. Studies included comprised of 471 ophthalmological residents, with their complication rates assessed after 30,462 cataract surgery procedures. This systematic literature review indicates that VRS appears to be most helpful in reducing the rate of posterior capsular rupture or errant curvilinear capsulorrhexis and had limited evidence in reducing the rate of other complications.
Development of cut-points for determining activity intensity from a wrist-worn ActiGraph accelerometer in free-living adults

ABSTRACT Despite recent popularity of wrist-worn accelerometers for assessing free-living physical behaviours, there is a lack of user-friendly methods to characterize physical activity from a wrist-worn ActiGraph accelerometer. Participants in this study completed a laboratory protocol and/or 3–8 hours of directly observed free-living (criterion measure of activity intensity) while wearing ActiGraph GT9X Link accelerometers on the right hip and non-dominant wrist. All laboratory data (n = 36) and 11 participants’ free-living data were used to develop vector magnitude count cut-points (counts/min) for activity intensity for the wrist-worn accelerometer, and 12 participants’ free-living data were used to cross-validate cut-point accuracy. The cut-points were: <2,860 counts/min (sedentary); 2,860–3,940 counts/min (light); and ≥3,941counts/min (moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA)). These cut-points had an accuracy of 70.8% for assessing free-living activity intensity, whereas Sasaki/Freedson cut-points for the hip accelerometer had an accuracy of 77.1%, and Hildebrand Euclidean Norm Minus One (ENMO) cut-points for the wrist accelerometer had an accuracy of 75.2%. While accuracy was higher for a hip-worn accelerometer and for ENMO wrist cut-points, the high wear compliance of wrist accelerometers shown in past work and the ease of use of count-based analysis methods may justify use of these developed cut-points until more accurate, equally usable methods can be developed.
Transgenesis and animal welfare : implications of transgenic procedures for the well-being of the laboratory mice

Transgenic animals play an important role in biomedical research. Their use as animal model is still increasing. Although the process of transgenesis may contribute to refinement of animal use, the application of the biotechnological procedures that are involved in the production of transgenic animals may also cause unexpected, uncontrolled, and even undetected animal suffering. Therefore, the aim of the present thesis was to study the effects of the biotechnological procedures involved in genetic modification on the welfare of the resulting offspring. The two most frequently used techniques for inserting new genetic material into the mammalian germ line, pronuclear microinjection and embryonic stem (ES) cell-mediated gene transfer, have been studied. Different groups of mice were generated, each of which had undergone different aspects of the microinjection technique (Chapters 2 and 3) or of the gene targeting technique (Chapters 4 and 5), in order to determine whether the specific manipulations have any effect on the development or behaviour of the progeny. In this way, the effects of microinjection, electroporation, embryo-culture or embryo transplantation on the development of (chimeric) mice could be studied separately. All mice of the different groups were tested in their pre-weaning (0-3 weeks of age) and post-weaning period (4-30 weeks of age) for behavioural and morphological/physiological development and for clinical appearance. Thereafter, post-mortem examinations were performed. In addition, the feasibility of the use of score sheets for monitoring the welfare of transgenic mice, as part of the daily care of animals, has been explored (Chapter 6). With both techniques, the biotechnological procedures increased (perinatal) pup mortality and body weight. In addition, with the gene targeting technique, 8% of the chimeric animals was hermaphrodite. The results so far indicate that, under the present conditions, the biotechnological procedures (microinjection; in vitro culture; embryo transfer) mainly affect the viability of the embryos and seem to have no major effects on the development and behaviour of mice that survive the first 2-3 days after birth. However, before drawing general conclusions, more and different transgenic lines should be studied in a comparable way. A scoring system has been developed, containing a limited number of sensitive, easy to determine and non-invasive parameters, selected from our previous studies on implications of transgenesis for the well-being of mice. The feasibility of this scoring system has been tested, to assess the use of score sheets for monitoring the welfare of transgenic mice on a practical basis, as part of the animal technicians daily routine in a transgenic unit. It has been found to be both practical and useful. Therefore, in the production of transgenic animals, the use of score sheets is recommended, in order to detect both the intended and the non-intended (side) effects of the introduced or mutated gene at an early stage of development.
Yield loss prediction for integrated weed management in direct-seeded rice

Abstract The critical period of rice‐weed competition was studied for the rice varieties Oryzica 1 and CICA 8, in 1989 and 1990. Weed species were Eleusine indca, Echinochloa crus‐galli, Echinochloa colonum, Cyperus difformis, Cyperus esculentus, Cyperus iria, Leptochloa filiformis and Eclipta alba. Competition effects were similar for both varieties. Weeds emerging with the crop were the most damaging ones. Rice yields increased with longer weed‐free periods up to 70 days after emergence (d.a.e.). Weed emergence and growth after 70 d.a. e. was suppressed by the crop. Both rice cultivars required a critical height of 44–50 cm to suppress weed growth at 70 d.a. e. Though both varieties were equally weed suppressive by 70 d.a. e. , leaf area index of CICA 8 was much larger than that of Oryzica 1 when rice grew weed‐free after emergence. Economic analysis showed that under heavy weed infestations, in a system where rice cannot be early and continuously flooded, three post‐emergent herbicide applications at 9, 18.
Laparoscopic Repair of Perforated Peptic Ulcer in the Elderly: An Interim Analysis of the FRAILESEL Italian Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION The number of elderly patients requiring emergency surgical intervention has increased dramatically. Perforated peptic ulcer (PPU) complications, such as perforation, have remained relatively stable and associated morbidity remains between 10% and 20%. Advances in perioperative care have greatly improved the outcomes of laparoscopic emergency surgery, allowing increasing numbers of patients, even the elderly, to undergo safe repair. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and outcome of laparoscopic gastric repair in the elderly using the database of the FRAILESEL (Frailty and Emergency Surgery in the Elderly) study. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a retrospective analysis carried out on data of the FRAILESEL study. Data on all the elderly patients who underwent emergency abdominal surgery for PPU from January 2017 to December 2017 at 36 Italian surgical departments were analyzed. Patients who underwent PPU repair were further divided into a laparoscopic gastroduodenal repair (LGR) cohort and an open gastroduodenal repair (OGR) cohort, and the clinicopathologic features of the patients in both the groups were compared. RESULTS Sixty-seven patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Thirty-three patients (47.8%) underwent LGR. The LGR patients had less blood loss and shorter postoperative stay, even if the difference was not statistically significant. The mean operative time was significantively higher in the OGR (OGR 96.5±27.7 vs. LGR 78.6±16.3 P=0.000). The rate of death after laparoscopic surgery was similar to the rate of the open surgery. Multivariate analysis indicated that only age (P=0.018), admission haemoblogbin (Hb) level (P=0.006), platelet count (P=0.16), lactate level (P=0.47), and Mannheim Peritonitis Index (P=0.18) were independent variables associated with the risk of overall mortality. CONCLUSIONS LGR is safe and feasible in elderly patients with PPU and it is associated with better perioperative outcomes. However, patient selection and preoperative frailty evaluation in the elderly population are the key to achieving better outcomes.
Heat stability of milk: further studies on the pH-dependent dissociation of micellar κ-casein

SUMMARY Whey protein complexed and became co-sedimentable with casein micelles after heating milk at ≥ 90°C for 10 min at pH ≤ 6·9 while at higher pH values (7·3) whey proteins and κ-casein-rich protein dissociated from the micelles on heating. κ-Casein-deficient micelles were more sensitive to heat, Ca2+ or ethanol than whey protein-coated or native micelles and were readily coagulable by rennet. Isolated κ-casein added to skim milk before preheating (90°C for 10 min) did not associate with the micelles at pH ≥ 6·9. Sodium dodecyl sulphate increased the level of both non-sedimentable N (NSN) and N-acetylneuraminic acid (NANA) and shifted the NSN-pH and NANA-pH curves to more acidic values while cetyltrimethylammonium bromide had the opposite effect. It is suggested that the pH-dependent dissociation in micellar κ-casein, which appears to be reversible, depends on the surface charge on the micelles; at a certain negative charge, disruption of hydrophobic and electrostatic forces could result in the dissociation of κ-casein from the casein micelles.
The Role of Power in Health Care Conflict: Recommendations for Shifting Toward Constructive Approaches.

PURPOSE The combination of power and conflict is frequently reported to have a detrimental impact on communication and on patient care, and it is avoided and perceived negatively by health care professionals. In view of recent recommendations to explicitly address power and conflict in health professions education, adopting more constructive approaches toward power and conflict may be helpful. METHOD The authors used social bases of power (positional, expert, informational, reward, coercive, referent) identified in the literature to examine the role of power in conflicts between health care professionals in different cultural settings. They drew upon semistructured interviews conducted from 2013 to 2016 with 249 health care professionals working at health centers in the United States, Switzerland, and Hungary, in which participants shared stories of conflict they had experienced with coworkers. The authors used a directed approach to content analysis to analyze the data. RESULTS The social bases of power tended to be comparable across sites and included positional, expert, and coercive power. The rigid hierarchies that divide health care professionals, their professions, and their specialties contributed to negative experiences in conflicts. In addition, the presence of an audience, such as supervisors, coworkers, patients, and patients' families, prevented health care professionals from addressing conflicts when they occurred, resulting in conflict escalation. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that fostering more positive approaches toward power and conflict could be achieved by using social bases of power such as referent power and by addressing conflicts in a more private, backstage, manner.
Changing Clinicoradiologic Spectrum of Intracranial Neurotuberculosis in Children: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Neurotuberculosis is among the most severe type of tuberculosis with high mortality and morbidity in all age groups. Various sociodemographic and disease-/treatment-related factors have emerged over the years that can affect clinical and radiologic features of neurotuberculosis. Objective: To investigate various clinical and neuroradiologic presentations of neurotuberculosis. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was done in a tertiary care center of northern India. The patients between the ages of 3 months and 18 years with newly diagnosed neurotuberculosis were enrolled after taking informed consent. Results: A total of 78 patients (37% males) were enrolled. Fifty-six patients (72%) had tubercular meningitis (TBM) and 22 (28%) isolated tuberculomas. Very high percentage of patients in both the groups was BCG vaccinated. In the tubercular meningitis group, fever (68%), headache (59%), and vomiting (54%) were the most common complaints whereas in the tuberculoma group, seizures (95.5%) were the main complaint and systemic symptoms were rare. In tubercular meningitis patients, cerebrospinal fluid–based studies showed cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test (Xpert MTB/RIF) positivity for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 17.6% cases, whereas on gastric aspirate and sputum examination, acid-fast bacilli were seen in 30.7% and cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification test was positive in 19% patients. On neuroimaging, hydrocephalus was seen in 44.6% of tubercular meningitis patients, infarcts in 32%, and basal exudates in 12% patients only; coexistent tuberculomas were seen in 53%. Conclusion: Compared with the available literature, the present study showed a smaller percentage of children <5 years of age, stage III tubercular meningitis cases, and typical neuroradiologic findings like hydrocephalus and basal exudates and more tuberculomas associated with tubercular meningitis.
A genome database for a Japanese population of the larvacean Oikopleura dioica

The larvacean Oikopleura dioica is a planktonic chordate and is a tunicate that belongs to the closest relatives to vertebrates. Its simple and transparent body, invariant embryonic cell lineages, and short life cycle of 5 days make it a promising model organism for the study of developmental biology. The genome browser OikoBase was established in 2013 using Norwegian O. dioica. However, genome information for other populations is not available, even though many researchers have studied local populations. In the present study, we sequenced using Illumina and PacBio RSII technologies the genome of O. dioica from a southwestern Japanese population that was cultured in our laboratory for 3 years. The genome of Japanese O. dioica was assembled into 576 scaffold sequences with a total length and N50 length of 56.6 and 1.5 Mb, respectively. A total of 18,743 gene models (transcript models) were predicted in the genome assembly, named OSKA2016. In addition, 19,277 non‐redundant transcripts were assembled using RNA‐seq data. The OSKA2016 has global sequence similarity of only 86.5% when compared with the OikoBase, highlighting the sequence difference between the two far distant O. dioica populations on the globe. The genome assembly, transcript assembly, and transcript models were incorporated into ANISEED (https://www.aniseed.cnrs.fr/) for genome browsing and BLAST searches. Mapping of reads obtained from male‐ or female‐specific genome libraries yielded male‐specific scaffolds in the OSKA2016 and revealed that over 2.6 Mb of sequence were included in the male‐specific Y‐region. The genome and transcriptome resources from two distinct populations will be useful datasets for developmental biology, evolutionary biology, and molecular ecology using this model organism.