Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Pathogen Reduction on Total IgG and IgG Subclass Profiles of Convalescent Plasma

Introduction: In case of newly emerging pathogens, convalescent plasma (CP) is often the only early available treatment option. It has been shown that different IgG subclasses contribute differently to CP neutralizing activity. As CP donors often have a risk profile like first-time donors, especially with respect to window-period viral transmission, pathogen reduction (PR) could mitigate that risk. The aim of our study, especially in the light of potential future pandemics, was to evaluate the impact of commercially available PR technologies on total IgG and IgG subclasses quantity and distribution in CP using COVID-19 CP (CCP) as surrogate for CP in a side-by-side comparison approach. Methods: 36 apheresis CCP donations were allocated to three study groups and a side-by-side assessment of the potential impact of amotosalen (AS)/UVA treatment compared to a riboflavin (RB)/UVB treatment, AS against methylene blue (MB) treatment, and RB against MB treatment on the quantity of IgG and IgG subclasses with a nephelometric analyzer was performed. Results: IgG subclass distributions were not significantly changed post PR treatment with all three technologies. There was also no significant difference in the median loss of concentration for IgG1 and IgG2 between the three technologies. We recognized a non-significant trend of a higher IgG4 median loss post RB treatment compared to post AS and MB treatment, respectively. Conclusion: Although the three commercially available PR systems do not significantly alter the distribution of IgG subclasses, we detected a non-significant trend of higher IgG4 loss after RB treatment. The potential impact of that finding needs further investigation.
Small scale turbulence and the finite Reynolds number effect

Failure to recognize the importance of the finite Reynolds number effect on small scale turbulence has, by and large, resulted in misguided assessments of the first two hypotheses of Kolmogorov [“Local structure of turbulence in an incompressible fluid for very large Reynolds numbers,” Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR 30, 299–303 (1941)] or K41 as well as his third hypothesis [A. N. Kolmogorov, “A refinement of previous hypotheses concerning the local structure of turbulence in a viscous incompressible fluid at high Reynolds number,” J. Fluid Mech. 13, 82–85 (1962)] or K62. As formulated by Kolmogorov, all three hypotheses require local isotropy to be valid and the Reynolds number to be very large. In the context of the first hypothesis, there is now strong evidence to suggest that this requirement can be significantly relaxed, at least for dissipative scales and relatively low order moments of the velocity structure function. As the scale increases, the effect of the large scale motion on these moments becomes more.
The Design of Information Acquisition and Sharing

This paper investigates the optimal design of linear compensation schemes that incentivize information acquisition and sharing in multidivisional organizations. When the information shared between divisions is highly correlated and the information acquisition costs are not too high, the optimal strategy for the headquarters manager is to implement a compensation scheme that links the remuneration of each division to the performance of the other division. However, if the information is weakly correlated or the cost of acquisition is prohibitively high, the most effective incentive is to tie each manager’s remuneration solely to the performance of their own division.
Caries Severity, Decayed First Permanent Molars and Associated Factors in 6–7 Years Old Schoolchildren Living in Palermo (Southern Italy)

To date, there are very few epidemiologic studies on caries disease in 6–7 year old children living in Sicily (Southern Italy). The first permanent molar (FPM) is the most commonly affected tooth in this target population, and a one-unit increase in the number of decayed FPMs is predictive of caries in other teeth and in adulthood. The primary aim of this research is to estimate the prevalence of caries in 6–7 year old schoolchildren living in Palermo and, as a secondary aim, to estimate the prevalence of affected FPMs. It was designed as a cluster cross-sectional survey on 995 children from 16 schools, selected based on their geographical location, in one of the eight city districts. Caries data were recorded using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System for each tooth surface. The relation between socio-economic status, behavioural determinants, and clinical information and the number of teeth with initial caries (IC), moderate caries (MC), or extensive caries (SC) was analysed through the ordinal logistic regression. Among the 995 schoolchildren, 662 (66.5%) had at least one lesion and 742 (74.6%) had FPMs. Of the latter, 238 (32.0%) were affected by IC, 86 (11.6%) were affected by MC, and only 3 (0.4%) were affected by SC. During multivariable analysis, there was evidence of an increased risk of MC and SC related to the deprivation of the district in which the children lived and went to school, as well as to the protective role of parental education and employment. The same significant determinants were found for IC and MC FPMs. The study showed the important role of socio-economic determinants, unhealthy behaviours, and social deprivation related to the increased risk of moderate and extensive caries in 6–7 year old schoolchildren. Investigating this target population is very important, as early development of caries in FPMs may have serious consequences in the prognostics of oral health in an adult.
Effect of Preoperative Ivabradine on Hemodynamics during Elective Off-Pump CABG

Background: Ivabradine is a specific heart rate (HR)-lowering agent which blocks the cardiac pacemaker If channels. It reduces the HR without causing a negative inotropic or lusitropic effect, thus preserving ventricular contractility. The authors hypothesized that its usefulness in lowering HR can be utilized in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) surgery. Objective: To study the effects of preoperative ivabradine on hemodynamics (during surgery) in patients undergoing elective OPCAB surgery. Methods: Fifty patients, New York Heart Association (NYHA) class I and II, were randomized into group I (control, n = 25) and group II (ivabradine group, n = 25). In group I, patients received the usual anti-anginal medications in the preoperative period, as per the institutional protocol. In group II, patients received ivabradine 5 mg twice daily for 3 days before surgery, in addition to the usual anti-anginal medications. Anesthesia was induced with fentanyl, thiopentone sodium, and pancuronium bromide as a muscle relaxant and maintained with fentanyl, midazolam, pancuronium bromide, and isoflurane. The hemodynamic parameters [HR and mean arterial pressure (MAP)] and pulmonary artery (PA) catheter-derived data were recorded at the baseline (before induction), 3 min after the induction of anesthesia at 1 min and 3 min after intubation and at 5 min and 30 min after protamine administration. Intraoperatively, hemodynamic data (HR and MAP) were recorded every 10 min, except during distal anastomosis of the coronary arteries when it was recorded every 5 min. Post-operatively, at 24 hours, the levels of troponin T and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were measured. This trial's CTRI registration number is CTRI/005858. Results: The HR in group II was lower when compared to group I (range 59.6–72.4 beats/min and 65.8–80.2 beats/min, respectively) throughout the study period. MAP was comparable [range (78.5–87.8 mm Hg) vs. (78.9-88.5 mm Hg) in group II vs. group I, respectively] throughout the study period. Intraoperatively, 5 patients received metoprolol in group I to control the HR, whereas none of the patients in group II required metoprolol. The incidence of preoperative bradycardia (HR <60 beats/min) was higher in group II (20%) vs. group I (8%). There was no difference in both the groups in terms of troponin T and BNP level after 24 hours, time to extubation, requirement of inotropes, incidence of arrhythmias, in-hospital morbidity, and 30-day mortality. Conclusion: Ivabradine can be safely used along with other anti-anginal agents during the preoperative period in patients undergoing OPCAB surgery. It helps to maintain a lower HR during surgery and reduces the need for beta-blockers in the intraoperative period, a desirable and beneficial effect in situations where the use of beta-blockers may be potentially harmful. Further studies are needed to evaluate the beneficial effects of perioperative Ivabradine in patients with moderate-to-severe left ventricular dysfunction.
Russell and the Neo-Logicists

For the Neo-Fregeans, logicism is ﬁrst and foremost a means to meet Benacerraf’s challenge. The contention is that Hume’s Principle provides us with an attractive semantic and epistemological theory, which avoids both extreme Platonism and ﬁctionalism. This answer does not extend, however, to earlier versions of logicism – the ones defended by the historical Frege and Russell, which do not use any abstraction principle. From the neo-logicist perspective, the old versions of logicism no longer constitute credible philosophies of mathematics. In this paper, I suggest that the central position occupied today by the Benaceraﬀ’s dilemma blinds us to the possibility of other forms of philosophical agenda, which the ancient logicists attempted to fulﬁll. Focusing on geometry and the theory of reals, I show that, beside the uniﬁcation and reduction of all mathematics to logic, another issue was at stake in The Principles as in Principia : how to carve mathematics at its joint? Russell wanted to arbitrate between the various conceptions of mathematical architecture, and found a rational way of doing this. If both mathematics and logic have changed since Russell’s time, there is reason to believe that the architectonic issue is still alive today.
Determinants of Care Pathways for C-PTSD Patients in French Psychotrauma Centers: A Qualitative Study

In 2018, the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) established a novel nosographic category within the stress-specific disorders known as complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD). Characterized by distinctive clinical attributes and a limited response to conventional PTSD treatments, C-PTSD has prompted the reconsideration of care methods. Our study’s purpose was to explore the intricate factors shaping the care pathways for individuals suffering from C-PTSD. We used a grounded theorization technique involving professionals across a range of specialized French psychotraumatology institutions. The resulting comprehensive theoretical model offers valuable insights into the constitution mechanisms of these pathways, helping elucidate the varying care options. Interestingly, we found that differences in clinical perspectives were determined by the care provider’s viewpoint on clinical guidelines, screening tools, and treatment options, but also by structural and organizational factors. The distinctive dynamics and interrelationships identified in our research reveal potential areas of focus for incorporating C-PTSD care more effectively into specialized French trauma centers. This investigation offers a path toward improved understanding and management of C-PTSD, ultimately advancing patient outcomes.
Human CCL3L1 gene expression in blood donors infected with HIV-1

The CCL3L1 gene plays an important role in regulating immunity against many pathogens. The aim of this study, which was conducted in Thi-Qar province from February 2022 to February 2023, was to estimate the gene expression of the CCL3L1 gene in people infected with HIV compared to the control group. There was an increase in the level of gene expression in patients, where it was (17.02778 ) compared to the control group, which was (1.428108) using qPCR. There is a need for more molecular studies and follow-up of genetic and immunological changes in infected patients.
Linear Irreversible Phenomenological Thermodynamics of Polarization Processes in Rigid Unmagnetic Insulators

Abstract We show how classical irreversible thermodynamics is used to derive relaxation equations for dielectric polarization processes in insulators. We calculate susceptibilities for multiple polarization processes and show how coupling arises thermodynamically. Furthermore, we derive evolution equations for electromagnetic fields by combining the dielectric relaxation equations with Maxwell’s equations. Analytical solutions for various frequency regimes will be briefly discussed. A complete analogy exists between the dielectric problem, the Kelvin–Voigt viscoelasticity of solid media, and the non-equilibrium (reactive, vibrational) gasdynamic flow. Also, numerical solutions, using the method of characteristics, are given for a generic signal problem in half-space.
Secular Trends in the Size and Shape of the Scapula among the Portuguese between the 19th and the 21st Centuries

Simple Summary The human body experiences long-term changes mostly associated with environmental conditions, and generational trends for stature or age at menarche are well-known and studied. That is not the case regarding potential anatomical modifications with time in the human scapula. Accordingly, this study intended to assess size and shape diachronic changes in two Portuguese-reference skeletal collections. Results show that scapular shape and size variation in females is minimal to nonexistent, while in males, an unambiguous decline was detected with time of scapular size. Higher standards of living, including better nutrition and universal healthcare, are associated with an increase in height but also with a slender body—this general trend is possibly related to the scapular size decline with time in Portuguese males. Abstract Potential secular changes in the human scapula are fundamentally unbeknownst, with most of the preceding anatomical studies focusing on long-term changes in the long bones and the skull. As such, the cardinal purpose of this study pertains to the evaluation of secular trends on the shape and size of the scapula in a time period spanning from the 19th to the early 21st centuries. The study sample included 211 individuals (100 males and 111 females) from the Coimbra Identified Skeletal Collection and the 21st Century Identified Skeletal Collection. The size and shape of the scapula were evaluated using geometric morphometrics. Results show secular changes over a relatively short period of time in both the shape and size of the scapula in Portuguese nationals. Shape changes were observed in both sexes but expressed minimally, while a significant negative trend in the size of the scapula was detected in males. Scapular size decrement in males conceivably echoes general trends of the overall anatomy towards a narrower body associated with higher standards of living that include enhanced nutrition and universal healthcare, among other factors.
Wing Kinematics-Based Flight Control Strategy in Insect-Inspired Flight Systems: Deep Reinforcement Learning Gives Solutions and Inspires Controller Design in Flapping MAVs

Flying insects exhibit outperforming stability and control via continuous wing flapping even under severe disturbances in various conditions of wind gust and turbulence. While conventional linear proportional derivative (PD)-based controllers are widely employed in insect-inspired flight systems, they usually fail to deal with large perturbation conditions in terms of the 6-DoF nonlinear control strategy. Here we propose a novel wing kinematics-based controller, which is optimized based on deep reinforcement learning (DRL) to stabilize bumblebee hovering under large perturbations. A high-fidelity Open AI Gym environment is established through coupling a CFD data-driven aerodynamic model and a 6-DoF flight dynamic model. The control policy with an action space of 4 is optimized using the off-policy Soft Actor–Critic (SAC) algorithm with automating entropy adjustment, which is verified to be of feasibility and robustness to achieve fast stabilization of the bumblebee hovering flight under full 6-DoF large disturbances. The 6-DoF wing kinematics-based DRL control strategy may provide an efficient autonomous controller design for bioinspired flapping-wing micro air vehicles.
Phage Interactions with the Nervous System in Health and Disease

The central nervous system manages all of our activities (e.g., direct thinking and decision-making processes). It receives information from the environment and responds to environmental stimuli. Bacterial viruses (bacteriophages, phages) are the most numerous structures occurring in the biosphere and are also found in the human organism. Therefore, understanding how phages may influence this system is of great importance and is the purpose of this review. We have focused on the effect of natural bacteriophages in the central nervous system, linking them to those present in the gut microbiota, creating the gut-brain axis network, as well as their interdependence. Importantly, based on the current knowledge in the field of phage application (e.g., intranasal) in the treatment of bacterial diseases associated with the brain and nervous system, bacteriophages may have significant therapeutic potential. Moreover, it was indicated that bacteriophages may influence cognitive processing. In addition, phages (via phage display technology) appear promising as a targeted therapeutic tool in the treatment of, among other things, brain cancers. The information collected and reviewed in this work indicates that phages and their impact on the nervous system is a fascinating and, so far, underexplored field. Therefore, the aim of this review is not only to summarize currently available information on the association of phages with the nervous system, but also to stimulate future studies that could pave the way for novel therapeutic approaches potentially useful in treating bacterial and non-bacterial neural diseases.
Replacement of chicken skin with canola oil in chicken nuggets

ABSTRACT: This study developed chicken nuggets with emulsions with different percentages of canola oil (CO) to replace the chicken skin and evaluating the quality of the final product and the effect of frying. The experiment was set up in a 5x5 factorial scheme with the replacement of skin with different percentages of CO (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) and storage periods (0, 45, 90, 135,and 180 days), and parameters such as pH and oxidation were evaluated. It was considered a 5x2 factorial scheme (replacement of skin with CO and different sample conditions (raw and fried in CO)) for the analyses of the centesimal composition, fatty acid profile, atherogenic (AI), and thrombogenic (IT) indices. The sensory analysis evaluated the chicken nuggets at time zero. The pH values ranged from 6.62 to 6.86, as an effect of frying, there was an increase in lipid content with increasing levels of substitution (T0-raw: 5.36% and fried: 12.11%; T100-raw: 7.93% and fried: 15.43%) and a decrease in moisture content in relation to the raw sample. There was a decrease in AI (T0%-raw vs. T100%-fried, 0.39 vs. 0.10) and IT (T0%-raw vs. T100%-fried, 0.61 vs. 0.18) with CO addition and frying, and lipid oxidation increased with storage. The ω6/ω3 ratio decreased and the PUFA/SFA increased with the replacement of chicken skin with CO, but there was no difference in the sensory analysis. Even though chicken nuggets are prone to lipid oxidation, it is possible to improve their nutritional value either by adding CO to the meat mixture or by frying them.
Investigations of structural modifications, physical and optical properties of lead boro-tellurite glasses doped with europium trioxide for possible optical switching applications

This manuscript intends to the structural modifications, and physical and optical properties of a set of heavy metal alkali boro-tellurite glasses doped with Eu2O3. These glasses were produced by a conservative melt-quenching method. The existence of non-crystalline properties in the glasses was ascertained by X-ray diffraction analysis. The structural modifications were noticed by MAS-NMR spectroscopic investigation. Physical properties such as density, molar volume, oxygen packing density, average boron-boron separation, interionic distance, and polaron radius have been calculated by a suitable approach. The optical absorption studies were made through UV-visible absorption spectroscopy in the 350 nm to 800 nm wavelength range. The optical properties namely, optical energy bandgap, Urbach energy, optical basicity, electronegativity, and electric susceptibility, were also determined by using appropriate methods. The MAS-NMR spectroscopic experiments reveal that fewer BO4 units are converted to BO3 units and those NBOs are turned into bridging oxygen at a lower rate. The optical refractive index values and optical dielectric constant range from 2.241 to 2.358, and 5.0220 to 5.5601, respectively. The obtained energy band gap values (Eg(d): 3.367 eV to 3.597 eV and Eg(ind) 2.109 eV to 2.863 eV) and other significant optical parameters suggest that the investigated glasses are potential candidates for europium-doped fiber amplifier applications and possible optical switching applications.
Semi-Supervised Few-Shot Learning with Prototypical Networks

We consider the problem of semi-supervised few-shot classification (when the few labeled samples are accompanied with unlabeled data) and show how to adapt the Prototypical Networks to this problem. We first show that using larger and better regularized prototypical networks can improve the classification accuracy. We then show further improvements by making use of unlabeled data.
Effect of gap on the vortex-induced vibration suppression of a circular cylinder using two rotating rods

ABSTRACT The vortex-induced vibration suppression of a circular cylinder by means of two counter-rotating rods located at 120° with gap ratio ranging from 0.03 to 1.00 is numerically investigated in the present work. It is observed that the rotating rods at an appropriate gap range (0.07D–0.10D) can lead to a reattachment of the flow on the leeward side of the main cylinder, resulting in a well-organised and narrower wake. Therefore, the vibration is well suppressed in this gap range. However, the vibration amplitude is slightly higher and the flow is not well controlled at too small gap. The effect of the rotating rods becomes weaker when the gap is beyond G = 0.12D. At G = 1.00D, the boundary layer of the main cylinder is almost unaffected by the rotating rods. Therefore, the flow control is not achieved at too large gap due to less injected momentum.