Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Efficacy of Albumin Channa Striata Extract Administration in Stabilizing PAI-1 and Platelet Levels in Septic Patients: A Randomized Control Trial Study

BACKGROUND: Recently, sepsis has become a serious problem worldwide. There are many studies trying to find the etiologies of morbidity and mortality of sepsis. One of them is the damage of endothelial glycocalyx layer, which can lead to an increase in plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) level and a decrease in platelets. This damage can be prevented by administering albumin; unfortunately, it is costly. Therefore, an alternative albumin is required. Channa striata extract albumin has been found to be relatively effective in increasing serum albumin levels. However, studies on its effectiveness are still limited. Hence, we analyzed this channa striata extract albumin in stabilizing PAI-1 and platelet levels of septic patients. AIM: This study analyzed channa striata extract albumin in stabilizing PAI-1 and platelet levels of septic patients. METHODS: We conducted a randomized control experimental study in patients with sepsis hospitalized at Dr Moewardi Hospital, Surakarta, Indonesia. The samples were taken by consecutive sampling technique. These patients were allocated into two groups, the albumin extract of channa striata, and human albumin 20% (the control) groups. We examined the PAI-1 and platelet levels on the 1st and 3rd days. We used Mann–Whitney test for statistical analysis with p < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: There were 21 subjects in each group of channa striata (study) and human albumin (control). The increase of PAI-1 level in the study group (0.36 ng/ml) was lower than that of in control group (0.72 ng/ml). More subjects in study group experienced decreased PAI-1 level (n = 5) than those in control group (n = 3), the decrease more profound in control group (p = 0.004) than study group (p = 0.054). The decrease of platelet level was also greater in study group (22 × 103/mcl) than that of in control group (1 × 103.md) despite insignificant difference (p = 0.364 and p = 0.468). CONCLUSION: The administration of channa striata extract effective in stabilizing PAI-1 level in sepsis patient and also had potential benefit as human albumin in stabilizing platelet levels of septic patients.
Surviving the host: Microbial metabolic genes required for growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in physiologically-relevant conditions

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, like other pathogens, adapts to the limiting nutritional environment of the host by altering patterns of gene expression and utilizing alternative pathways required for survival. Understanding the genes essential for survival in the host gives insight into pathways that this organism requires during infection and has the potential to identify better ways to treat infections. Here, we used a saturated transposon insertion mutant pool of P. aeruginosa strain PAO1 and transposon insertion sequencing (Tn-Seq), to identify genes conditionally important for survival under conditions mimicking the environment of a nosocomial infection. Conditions tested included tissue culture medium with and without human serum, a murine abscess model, and a human skin organoid model. Genes known to be upregulated during infections, as well as those involved in nucleotide metabolism, and cobalamin (vitamin B12) biosynthesis, etc., were required for survival in vivo- and in host mimicking conditions, but not in nutrient rich lab medium, Mueller Hinton broth (MHB). Correspondingly, mutants in genes encoding proteins of nucleotide and cobalamin metabolism pathways were shown to have growth defects under physiologically-relevant media conditions, in vivo, and in vivo-like models, and were downregulated in expression under these conditions, when compared to MHB. This study provides evidence for the relevance of studying P. aeruginosa fitness in physiologically-relevant host mimicking conditions and identified metabolic pathways that represent potential novel targets for alternative therapies.
Optical-field calculations for lossy multiple-layer AlxGa1−xN/InxGa1−xN laser diodes

Optical-field profiles in wide-band-gap AlxGa1−xN/InxGa1−xN multiple-quantum well (MQW) separate-confinement heterostructure (SCH) laser diodes (LDs) were calculated using a 2×2 transfer-matrix approach that accommodates complex refractive indices. The refractive indices of AlxGa1−xN and InxGa1−xN were approximated by shifting the refractive index of GaN according to the band-gap energy of the solid solution. Current LDs were analyzed and show reasonable optical confinement. Optimization of the SCH waveguide for a three MQW active region was performed by varying the waveguide and cladding layer thicknesses. For 0. 8μm thick Al0.10Ga0. 90N cladding layers, waveguides on sapphire and SiC substrates had a maximum confinement factor of ∼3.3%. Layers outside of the waveguide strongly affected the optical field for thin (∼0.4 μm) cladding layer thicknesses and resulted in resonant coupling of the light out of the waveguide. Sapphire substrates were found to enhance light confinement, while SiC substrates were fou.
A Scoping Review of COVID-19 in the Context of Informal Settlements

The recent experiences and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic provide a valuable lens for understanding the vulnerabilities of informal settlements and how they are positioned to respond to other large-scale hazards. This article explores the body of knowledge on the pandemic in the context of informal settlements, guided by the scoping review strategy. Our findings reveal that COVID-19 has impacted informal settlements in several ways, including increasing loss of income, food insecurity, increased gender inequality, gender-based violence and forced evictions. While there have been numerous responses to the crisis, several pre-existing factors in informal settlements impeded their implementation. We note that lessons from the pandemic provide an important opportunity to address pre-existing vulnerabilities in informal settlements to make them more resilient to both health and environmental shocks.
Gain-flattened two-stage L-band erbium-doped fiber amplifier by weak gain-clamped technique

Abstract. The gain flatness of an L-band erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) is still an open issue. We improve the conventional single-pass two-stage configuration by placing a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) with the center wavelength at 1529.4 nm. Then, a weak lasing resonance cavity is formed by this FBG and a fiber isolator, which is able to increase the pump conversion efficiency by reflecting the residual amplified spontaneous emission and compressing the raised gain around 1570 nm based on the gain-clamped effect. The experimental results show that by adopting the proposed scheme, the gain un-flatness of the L-band EDFA is controlled within ±0.4 dB in the range of 1570 to 1610 nm, and an ∼29 dB average gain is simultaneously maintained.
Identifying Severity Grading of Knee Osteoarthritis from X-ray Images Using an Efficient Mixture of Deep Learning and Machine Learning Models

Recently, many diseases have negatively impacted people’s lifestyles. Among these, knee osteoarthritis (OA) has been regarded as the primary cause of activity restriction and impairment, particularly in older people. Therefore, quick, accurate, and low-cost computer-based tools for the early prediction of knee OA patients are urgently needed. In this paper, as part of addressing this issue, we developed a new method to efficiently diagnose and classify knee osteoarthritis severity based on the X-ray images to classify knee OA in (i.e., binary and multiclass) in order to study the impact of different class-based, which has not yet been addressed in previous studies. This will provide physicians with a variety of deployment options in the future. Our proposed models are basically divided into two frameworks based on applying pre-trained convolutional neural networks (CNN) for feature extraction as well as fine-tuning the pre-trained CNN using the transfer learning (TL) method. In addition, a traditional machine learning (ML) classifier is used to exploit the enriched feature space to achieve better knee OA classification performance. In the first one, we developed five classes-based models using a proposed pre-trained CNN for feature extraction, principal component analysis (PCA) for dimensionality reduction, and support vector machine (SVM) for classification. While in the second framework, a few changes were made to the steps in the first framework, the concept of TL was used to fine-tune the proposed pre-trained CNN from the first framework to fit the two classes, three classes, and four classes-based models. The proposed models are evaluated on X-ray data, and their performance is compared with the existing state-of-the-art models. It is observed through conducted experimental analysis to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approach in improving the classification accuracy in both multiclass and binary class-based in the OA case study. Nonetheless, the empirical results revealed that the fewer multiclass labels used, the better performance achieved, with the binary class labels outperforming all, which reached a 90.8% accuracy rate. Furthermore, the proposed models demonstrated their contribution to early classification in the first stage of the disease to help reduce its progression and improve people’s quality of life.
The exponential decay of homogeneous turbulence

Similarity equations of the spectral equations for decaying homogeneous turbulence are considered for which the similarity length scale is not allowed to grow. Two types of solutions are found: an inviscid solution and one involving viscosity. For the former, the energy decays asymptotically as t(-2), while for the latter the energy decays exponentially and the ratio of integral scale to Taylor microscale is constant. For both the spectra for fixed initial conditions collapse during decay with simply the energy and a single length scale. The exponentially decaying solution appears to provide an excellent description of the turbulence generated in recent space-filling fractal grid experiments.
Vortex Ring Input in Subsonic Jet Noise

The main goal of the paper is to assess the contribution of large-scale vortices to the noise of the subsonic turbulent jet (M = 0.35, Re = 3.2·105) in the selected frequency bands (Sh∼0.2–0.45). The mechanism of sound radiation according to which a separate vortex structures itself can be a significant sound source is considered. Vortex core eigen-modes are responsible for noise radiation according to this mechanism. The work is subdivided on three coupling items: (i) theoretical investigation of noise radiation of separate vortex ring (especially little-known octupole contribution to sound radiation), (ii) visualization of large vortices in excited jet and (iii) experimental investigation of turbulent jet noise (subsonic jet with velocity 120m/s excited at 2000Hz) decomposed on the separate azimuthal components with the help of azimuthal decomposition technique (ADT). On the final stage the careful comparison of these results gives the quantitative assessment of the contribution of vortex rings to the jet noise in a tone-excited turbulent jet under consideration.
Muons (>or=1 GeV) in large extensive air showers of energies between 1016.5 eV and 1019.5 eV observed at Akeno

The properties of muons (>or=1 GeV) in giant air showers between 1016.5 eV and 1019.5 eV are measured by the Akeno 1 km2, 20 km2 and 100 km2 air shower arrays. The lateral distribution of muons is well fitted by the formula given by Greisen (1960) with parameters beta =2.52+or-0.02 and log(R0)=(0.58+or-0.04) (sec theta -1)+(2.39+or-0.05) between 1016.5 eV and 1019.0 eV within 800 m of the air shower axis, where theta is the zenith angle of the shower arrival direction. The relation between the total number of muons (Nmu ) and the total number of electrons (Ne) derived using these parameters is expressed on average as Nmu =(2:6+or-1.3)*105.0+ alpha (Ne/107)b where alpha =(1.07+or-0.13) (sec theta -1) and b=(0.77+or-0.02)-(0.17+or-0.02) (sec theta -1). The lateral distribution of muons becomes steeper than expected from extrapolation of the above formula for core distances >800 m and is expressed as rho mu =Nmu (C'mu /R02)r-0.75 (1+r)- beta (1+(R/800 m)3)- delta (r=R/R0, where R is a core distance). No deviation from this formula has been observed for sec theta <2.0 up to 1019.0 eV. The relation between the muon density (S(600)) and the charged-particle density on the ground at 600 m from the core (S(600)) is studied between 1016.5 eV and 1019.0 eV. A systematic change in the chemical composition of cosmic rays from a predominantly heavy to a predominantly light composition above 1017.5 eV claimed by the Fly's Eye group has not been detected beyond the present experimental uncertainties. The present experiment suggests a much smaller rate of change of composition between 1017.5 eV and 1018.5 eV than that from the Fly's Eye experiment.
Natural Killer Cells in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Functional Impairment and Therapeutic Potential

Simple Summary Natural killer (NK) cells are immune cells with potent anti-tumor and anti-infection activity. The potential benefit of NK cell therapy against chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has long been recognized, but efforts to develop effective NK cell therapies have been hampered by multiple factors including the immunosuppressive effects of CLL against NK cells. In this review, we first outline the specific NK cell impairment seen in CLL and the known mechanisms causing these defects. We then discuss the NK-altering effects of current CLL therapeutics as well as the past and present progress towards developing NK cell therapy for CLL. Abstract Immunotherapy approaches have advanced rapidly in recent years. While the greatest therapeutic advances so far have been achieved with T cell therapies such as immune checkpoint blockade and CAR-T, recent advances in NK cell therapy have highlighted the therapeutic potential of these cells. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the most prevalent form of leukemia in Western countries, is a very immunosuppressive disease but still shows significant potential as a target of immunotherapy, including NK-based therapies. In addition to their antileukemia potential, NK cells are important immune effectors in the response to infections, which represent a major clinical concern for CLL patients. Here, we review the interactions between NK cells and CLL, describing functional changes and mechanisms of CLL-induced NK suppression, interactions with current therapeutic options, and the potential for therapeutic benefit using NK cell therapies.
First-Principles Calculations for Elastic Properties of ZnS under Pressure

The pressure dependence of elastic properties of ZnS in zinc-blende (ZB) and wurtzite (WZ) structures are investigated by the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) within the plane-wave pseudopotential density functional theory (DFT). Our results are in good agreement with the available experimental data and other theoretical results. From the high-pressure elastic constants obtained, we find that the ZB and WZ structures of ZnS are unstable when the applied pressures are larger than 15.8 GPa and 21.3 GPa, respectively. The sound velocities along different directions for the two structures are also obtained. It is shown that as pressure increases, the sound velocities of the shear wave decrease, and those of all the longitudinal waves increase. An analysis has been made to reveal the anisotropy and highly noncentral forces in ZnS.
Halting the Metabolic Complications of Antipsychotic Medication in Patients with a First Episode of Psychosis: How Far Can We Go with the Mediterranean Diet? A Pilot Study

Patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) often adopt unhealthy dietary patterns, with a risk of weight gain and metabolic and cardiovascular disease. In 21 FEP patients receiving nutritional intervention based on the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), we explored differences in anthropometric and biometric parameters, according to their antipsychotic (AP) medication: AP1, associated with a lower risk, or AP2, associated with a higher risk of weight gain and metabolic complications. The blood biochemical profile was recorded before and after dietary intervention, and dietary habits and body composition were monitored for six months. Following intervention, all of the patients recorded significant increases in the consumption of fruit and vegetables and decreases in red meat and poultry consumption, with closer adherence to the MedDiet and a reduction in the daily intake of calories, carbohydrates, and sodium. Vegetable consumption and energy, protein, and carbohydrate intake were lower in AP1 patients than in AP2 patients. There was no significant weight gain overall. A reduction was demonstrated in total and LDL cholesterol, sodium, urea, and iron (lower in AP1 patients). It was evident that AP medication affected blood levels of lipids, urea, and iron of FEP patients, but MedDiet nutritional intervention led to a significant improvement in their eating habits, with a restriction in weight gain and a decrease in blood sodium and urea.
Design of High Speed and Area Efficient N-Bit Digital Comparator

Abstract: A digital comparator is a hardware electronic device or a combinational logic circuit. It is capable of comparing two numbers as input in binary form and determines the output. In the previous designs like in the design of XOR-XNOR(XE) with cross-coupled p-MOS, even though it occupies less area, the full swing output voltage can’t be able to produce which creates a problem when the bit width increases. To avoid this kind of disadvantages we are designing a N-bit digital comparator in a way such that it produces full swing output voltage with the improved power efficiency as well as the transistor count in the circuit also decreases. So that it can be used in several applications like scientific computations and test circuit applications etc.
Wind-tunnel study of the wake behind a vertical axis wind turbine in a boundary layer flow using stereoscopic particle image velocimetry

Stereo particle image velocimetry is used in a wind-tunnel to study boundary layer effects in the wake behind a vertical axis wind turbine. The turbine is a three-bladed giromill with a solidity of 1.18. The wake is studied for a tip speed ratio of 2 and an average chord Reynolds number of 1.6 × 104. The velocity deficit and turbulence levels in the horizontal plane are observed to be strongly asymmetrical with two strong peaks corresponding to the two halves of the rotor where blades move either towards the oncoming flow or away from it. The stronger peak is measured behind the blades moving upstream, however this region also benefits from a greater rate of re-energization. Due to the incoming boundary layer profile, momentum is also entrained downwards into the wake from above and aids with the recovery of the core of the wake.
A Comparative Study of Several Robust Estimates of Slope, Intercept, and Scale in Linear Regression

Abstract Three classes of M estimates for robust linear regression are investigated for various contaminated normal distributions, sample sizes, and distributions of the independent variable. These are the Lp estimates, the amt estimate, and a new class of estimates (Ea ) with bounded influence function. It is found that the Ea class consistently outperforms the Lp class, performs about as well as the amt estimate, and solutions for Ea estimates can be obtained rapidly and reliably. Results are also reported on a robust scale estimate in the Ea class which has negligible bias for normal distributions.
Robust flow stability: theory, computations and experiments in near wall turbulence

Helmholtz established the field of hydrodynamic stability with his pioneering work in 1868. From then on, hydrodynamic stability became an important tool in understanding various fundamental fluid flow phenomena in engineering (mechanical, aeronautics, chemical, materials, civil, etc.) and science (astrophysics, geophysics, biophysics, etc.), and turbulence in particular. However, there are many discrepancies between classical hydrodynamic stability theory and experiments. In this thesis, the limitations of traditional hydrodynamic stability theory are shown and a framework for robust flow stability theory is formulated. A host of new techniques like gramians, singular values, operator norms, etc. are introduced to understand the role of various kinds of uncertainty. An interesting feature of this framework is the close interplay between theory and computations. It is shown that a subset of Navier-Stokes equations are globally, non-nonlinearly stable for all Reynolds number. Yet, invoking this new theory, it is shown that these equations produce structures (vortices and streaks) as seen in the experiments. The experiments are done in zero pressure gradient transiting boundary layer on a flat plate in free surface tunnel. Digital particle image velocimetry, and MEMS based laser Doppler velocimeter and shear stress sensors have been used to make quantitative measurements of the flow. Various theoretical and computational predictions are in excellent agreement with the experimental data. A closely related topic of modeling, simulation and complexity reduction of large mechanics problems with multiple spatial and temporal scales is also studied. A nice method that rigorously quantifies the important scales and automatically gives models of the problem to various levels of accuracy is introduced. Computations done using spectral methods are presented.
What can asymptotic expansions tell us about large-scale quasi-geostrophic anticyclonic vortices?

The problem of the large-scale quasi-geostrophic anticyclonic vortices is studied in the framework of the baratropic rotating shallow- water equations on the β-plane. A systematic approach based on the multiplescale asymptotic expansions is used leading to a hierarchy of governing equations for the large-scale vortices depending on their characteristic size, velocity and a free surface elevation. Among them are the Charney-Obukhov equation, the intermediate geostrophic model equation, the frontal dynamics equation and some new nonlinear quasi-geostrophic equation. We are looking for steady-drifting axisymmetric anticyclonic solutions and find them in a consistent way only in this last equation. These solutions are soliton-like in the sense that the effects of weak non-linearity and dispersion balance each other. The same regimes on the paraboloidal β-plane are studied, all giving a negative result in what concerns the axisymmetric steady solutions, except for a strong elevation case where any circular profile is found to be steadily propagating within the accuracy of the approximation.
Effective Reading Instruction in ESP: Practical Approaches to Improving Vocational Students’ Content-Area Reading Comprehension

Effective reading instruction in Vocational Higher Education (henceforth VHE) has been criticized as ineffective, as demonstrated by poor reading test results, indicating a deficient students’ reading performance. This article examines and gains insight into the reasons why things occur as they do by discussing the following four topics: (1) describing the context in which reading instruction occurs and why this instructional effort does not work as expected; (2) describing the nature of content area reading; (3) unpacking things that could potentially encourage students’ interests and increase their reading involvement, thereby making their reading more effective; and (4) proposing a set of pedagogical principles that could potentially improve the students optimal reading and comprehension