Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Melatonin Treatment on Perioperative Sleep Quality: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis with Trial Sequential Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Purpose Perioperative sleep disorders have attracted much attention due to their high prevalence and severe harm, and the current treatment methods are insufficient. Some randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have produced controversial results on whether melatonin can improve perioperative sleep quality. This review aimed to evaluate the effects of melatonin treatment on perioperative sleep quality. Patients and Methods A systematic search of six databases was performed to identify RCTs investigating melatonin and perioperative sleep. The outcomes analyzed were subjective sleep quality, sleep latency (SL), total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency (SE), the behavior of awakenings and daily naps, and the incidence of poor sleep quality. RevMan 5.4 and Stata 16 software was used for the meta-analysis and sensitivity analysis, and trial sequential analysis was conducted using TSA 0.9. 5.10 Beta software. This study was registered in PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42022311378). Results 10 studies containing 725 participants were included. Melatonin improved postoperative subjective sleep quality (SMD: −0.30; 95% CI: [−0.47, −0.14]; P = 0.0004) but not preoperative sleep quality (MD: −2.76; 95% CI: [−10.44, 4.91]; P = 0.48). In the postoperative period, 6mg dose had the best efficacy (SMD: −0.31; 95% CI: [−0.57, −0.04]; P = 0.02). Melatonin increased postoperative TST (P = 0.02) and SE (P = 0.002) and decreased the incidence of postoperative poor sleep quality (P = 0.002) but had no effect on SL (P = 0.11), the number and duration of awakenings (P = 0.28; P=0.55), and the number and duration of daily naps (P = 0.26; P = 0.38). The trial sequential analysis showed that the accumulated Z value crossed both the traditional boundary value and the TSA boundary value, further confirming the stability of the result of the meta-analysis. Conclusion Melatonin treatment can improve postoperative sleep quality. A 6mg daily dose of melatonin may have a better beneficial effect, which needs further exploration. This study supports the application of melatonin for improving postoperative sleep quality.
A Numerical Study on Statistical Diagnostics in Cox Proportional Hazards Models for Survival Data Analysis

There have been proposed so far many methods of statistical diagnostics in Cox regression for checking the goodness of the estimated model or checking the adequacy of the data. The former type contains the checking of the overall goodness of fit, the validity of the assumption of proportional hazards and the proper functional forms of the effects of covariates. While the latter type contains the checking whether there exist singly and/or jointly influential observations in the data set. In the present paper we study numerically the performances of various methods of diagnostics including our method of influence analysis for multiple-case diagnostics (Sung and Tanaka, 2003) by analyzing a real data set of lung cancer patients.
DESIGN THROUGH COMMON GRAPH REPRESENTATIONS

Current paper introduces a new technique that enables to solve design problems through their discrete mathematical models called – graph representations. When different engineering fields are represented by the same (common) graph representation, channels for knowledge transformation are paved between these fields. Current paper employs these knowledge transformation channels for design, by transforming a design problem into a design problem in another (secondary) engineering domain. Then, a search is performed in the secondary domain for existent solution. Once such solution is found, it is transformed back to the original domain through the same graph representation based channel. The paper provides a thorough design case study demonstrating the idea behind the proposed technique.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Vaginal Nanoformulations for the Management of Preterm Birth

Preterm birth (PTB) is a leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality in the world. In 2020, 1 in 10 infants were born prematurely in the United States. The World Health Organization estimates that a total of 15 million infants are born prematurely every year. Current therapeutic interventions for PTB have had limited replicable success. Recent advancements in the field of nanomedicine have made it possible to utilize the vaginal administration route to effectively and locally deliver drugs to the female reproductive tract. Additionally, studies using murine models have provided important insights about the cervix as a gatekeeper for pregnancy and parturition. With these recent developments, the field of reproductive biology is on the cusp of a paradigm shift in the context of treating PTB. The present review focuses on the complexities associated with treating the condition and novel therapeutics that have produced promising results in preclinical studies.
How Does the Spatial Misallocation of Land Resources Affect Urban Industrial Transformation and Upgrading? Evidence from China

Industrial transformation and upgrading is a key variable for developing countries to become developed countries. In China’s institutional environment, the central government’s decisions regarding the spatial allocation of land resources cause a differentiation in the evolution of industrial structures and formats among regions, generating significant impacts on urban industrial transformation and upgrading (UITU), with important policy implications. Using panel data from 276 prefecture-level cities in China from 2007 to 2019, this study constructs a spatial panel econometric model and a mediating effect model to reveal how land spatial misallocation (LSM) affects UITU. The results show that, LSM is not conducive to UITU, and this adverse effect is greater in cities with a relative land supply shortage than in cities with a relative land supply surplus. Further research finds that the LSM caused by the relative land supply shortage affects the UITU mainly through intermediate mechanisms that crowd out the investments and financing for real industries and inhibit residents’ demand and innovation, and the LSM caused by the relative land supply surplus affects the UITU mainly through intermediate mechanisms that enhance the survival of low-end industries and disrupt the institutional environment. From these findings, this study not only puts forward specific policy recommendations for optimizing the allocation of land resources in China to promote UITU, but also discusses the implications for related research and practice in other countries.
Evolution of Genetics Organisations’ Strategies through the Implementation of Genomic Selection: Learnings and Prospects

Since its initial description in 2001, and with falling costs of genotyping, genomic selection has been implemented in a wide range of species. Theory predicts that the genomic selection approach to genetic improvement offers scope both for faster progress and the opportunity to make change in traits formerly less tractable to selection (hard-to-measure traits). This paper reports a survey of organisations involved in genetic improvement, across species, countries, and roles both public and private. While there are differences across organisations in what have been the most significant outcomes to date, both the increased accuracy of breeding values that underpins potentially faster progress, and the re-balancing of genetic change to include real progress in the hard-to-measure traits, have been widely observed. Across organisations, learnings have included the increasing importance of investment in phenotyping, and opportunities to evolve business models to engage more directly with a wider range of stakeholders. Genomic selection can be considered a more modular approach to genetic improvement, and its simplicity and effectiveness can transform both genetic improvement and the effectiveness of multi-disciplinary approaches to improving livestock and plant production, enabling potentially very significant increases in agricultural productivity, profitability and sustainability.
Analysis of an Elasto-Hydrodynamic Seal by Using the Reynolds Equation

This paper reports numerical studies of an Elasto-Hydrodynamic (EHD) seal, which is being developed for supercritical CO2 (sCO2) turbomachinery applications. Current sCO2 turbomachinery suffers from high leakage rates, which is creating a major roadblock to the full realization of sCO2 power technology. The high leakage rates not only penalize the efficiencies but also create environmental concerns due to greenhouse effects caused by the increased CO2 discharge to the atmosphere. The proposed EHD seal needs to work at elevated pressures (10–35 MPa) and temperatures (350–700 °C) with low leakage and minimal wear. The unique mechanism of the EHD seal provides a self-regulated constriction effect to restrict the flow without substantial material contact, thereby minimizing leakage and wear. This work utilizes a physics-based modeling approach. The flow through the gradually narrowing seal clearance is modeled by the well-known Reynolds equation in EHD lubrication theory, while the deformation of the seal is modeled by using the governing equations of three-dimensional solid mechanics. As for the solution methodology, COMSOL’s Thin-Film Flow and Solid Mechanics modules were employed with their powerful capabilities. The numerical results were presented and discussed. It was observed that the Reynolds equation fully coupled with the surface deformation was able to successfully capture the constriction effect. The maximum and minimum leakages were calculated to be 2.25 g/s and 0.1 g/s at P = 5.5 MPa and P = 11 MPa for the design seal, respectively. It was interesting to observe that the seal leakage followed a quadratic trend with increasing pressure differential, which can become advantageous for high-pressure applications such as sCO2 power generation technology.
PROGRAMMING EXPERIENCES OF PRE-SERVICE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS WITH SCRATCH

Within the framework of the rapid change and development of technology, the emphasis on the importance of programming is increasing. It is stated that programming education supports individual development and learning processes in various fields such as 21st century skills. With this importance given to programming and its positive effect on learning processes, it is seen that programming courses are added to the curricula in many countries. The purpose of this study is to determine the views of pre-service elementary teachers about programming after the implementation process has been experienced with Scratch. This study was carried out with 54 senior students studying in the department of primary education at a public university in Turkey. The implementation process conducted on distance education system carried out 10 weeks. This study, which consists of qualitative data, was designed based on case study. Research data was collected through a structured interview form. The data collection process was carried out through interviews held at the beginning of the implementation process and at the end of the process. Two different interview forms were used, consisting of four open-ended questions in the pre-interview process and seven open-ended questions in the final interview process. According to the results of the research, it was determined that at the end of the implementation process, the participants mostly started to show a positive tendency towards programming. In addition, most pre-service teachers reported their desire to improve themselves in this field and that they plan to use programming technologies in their future professional lives.
Low-Cost Digital Phase-Shifting Technique Using Delta-Sigma Modulation for Satellite Communication Antenna Systems

A low-cost digital phase-shifting technique using delta-sigma modulation is proposed in this article for satellite communication. The design methodology and working mechanism of the proposed phase-shifting scheme are presented. By employing delta-sigma modulation to tune the local oscillator (LO) phase-locked loop (PLL) reference’s phase, very precise phase resolution (theoretical 26 bits over 360°) can be achieved without digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The proposed scheme is simulated and verified using Simulink and shows good phase-shifting characteristics. As a proof-of-concept example, an eight-element active phased array receiver system prototype was designed, fabricated, and measured to confirm the feasibility of the proposed technique. The measured sidelobe level was approximately −12 dB and the gain flatness of less than 3 dB was obtained within the ±50° beam scanning range. Merits of low power consumption, low cost, and ease of integration can be achieved due to the removal of DACs, thus making this proposed technique possible to be implemented in programmable logic devices or application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and promising for future wireless communication systems, especially for the satellite communications.
Three-Phase Grid-Connected Inverter Power Control under Unbalanced Grid Conditions Using a Time-Domain Symmetrical Components Extraction Method

Presented in this paper is a method of bidirectional real and reactive power control of a three-phase grid-connected inverter under unbalanced grid situations. Unbalanced three-phase load and unbalanced grid impedance are illustrations of unbalanced grid issues that have been investigated. As a result, both grid currents and point-of-common-coupling (PCC) voltages will be unbalanced. The real and reactive power that is delivered to the grid oscillates by a significant amount in these unbalanced conditions. A time-domain symmetrical components extraction approach is used to calculate the inverter’s reference currents from the negative- and zero-sequence components of the measured currents. The suggested approach corrects unbalanced grid currents and unbalanced PCC voltages, and provides the desired real and reactive power to the grid when unbalanced situations exist. As a consequence, power oscillations will be eliminated, and power control will be possible. The suggested method’s performance is supported by simulation, and various experimental results are obtained utilizing the dSPACE DS1202 real-time interface platform.
Identification of Inflammation-Related Genes and Exploration of Regulatory Mechanisms in Patients with Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head

Background Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a disabling orthopedic disease, which is impacted by infiltration of immune cells. Thus, the aim of the current research was to determine the inflammation-related biomarkers in ONFH. Methods GSE123568 dataset with control and steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (SONFH) samples were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected by limma R package and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to explore the co-expression genes and modules. We obtained inflammation-related genes (IRGs) from the Molecular Signatures Database (MSigDB). Then, the IRGs associated with SONFH (IRGs-SONFH) were screened out and analyzed by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was established using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) database, and hub genes were identified by the MCODE algorithm. Based on the hub genes, we constructed a lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network. Results We identified 535 DEGs between control and SONFH samples. The WGCNA clearly indicated that the brown module was most significantly associated with SONFH. We identified 25 IRGs-SONFH through WGCNA module genes, DEGs and IRGs. A total of 4 hub genes (CD14, CYBB, NOD2, and TLR1) were identified by Cytoscape. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis determined that the expressions of the four genes could distinguish SONFH from controls as evidenced by the area under the curve (AUC) greater than 0.7. Finally, we constructed a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network which included 67 lncRNAs, 1 miRNA (hsa-miR-320a), and 1 mRNA (NOD2). Conclusions Our study identified 4 hub genes as potential inflammation-related biomarkers of SONFH. Moreover, we proposed a ceRNA network of lncRNAs targeting hsa-miR-320a, hsa-miR-320a, and NOD2 as a potential RNA regulatory pathway that controls disease progression in ONFH.
Assessment of the relationship between tooth inclination and gingival and alveolar bone dimensions using computed tomography of the maxillary anterior teeth: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between tooth inclination and gingival and bone dimensions in maxillary anterior teeth. Methods: This cross-sectional study included cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images of 160 maxillary anterior teeth (30 individuals). Tooth inclination, gingival and bone thickness, and distances from cementoenamel junction to alveolar bone crest and gingival margin were measured in the labial surface. The correlations were analyzed using Pearson and partial correlation tests (p≤0.05). Results: In the central incisors, tooth inclination was positively and significantly related to apical bone thickness (R = 0.34, p= 0.001). In the canines, tooth inclination was negatively and significantly related to cervical bone thickness (R = - 0.34, p= 0.01) and positively associated to apical bone thickness (R = 0.36, p= 0.01) and to gingival margin-cementoenamel junction distance (R = 0.31, p= 0.03). In the lateral incisors, tooth inclination was not associated with gingival or bone dimensions. Conclusions: In the central incisors, the greater the labial tooth inclination, the greater is the apical bone thickness. In the canines, the greater the labial tooth inclination, the smallest is the cervical bone thickness, the greater is the apical bone thickness, and the greater is the gingival margin. Gingival and bone dimensions should be assessed when planning orthodontic treatment involving buccal movement of central incisors and canines.
Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccines over 13 Months Covering the Period of the Emergence of the Omicron Variant in the Swedish Population

Background: We estimated real-world vaccine effectiveness (VE) against COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, ICU admission, and death up to 13 months after vaccination. VE before and after the emergence of Omicron was investigated. Methods: We used registered data from the entire Swedish population above age 12 (n = 9,153,456). Cox regression with time-varying exposure was used to estimate weekly/monthly VE against COVID-19 outcomes from 27 December 2020 to 31 January 2022. The analyses were stratified by age, sex, and vaccine type (BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, and AZD1222). Results: Two vaccine doses offered good long-lasting protection against infection before Omicron (VE were above 85% for all time intervals) but limited protection against Omicron infection (dropped to 43% by week four and no protection by week 14). For severe COVID-19 outcomes, higher VE was observed during the entire follow-up period. Among individuals above age 65, the mRNA vaccines showed better VE against infection than AZD1222 but similar high VE against hospitalization. Conclusions: Our findings provide strong evidence for long-term maintained protection against severe COVID-19 by the basic two-dose schedule, supporting more efforts to encourage unvaccinated persons to get the basic two doses, and encourage vaccinated persons to get a booster to ensure better population-level protection.
Predictive power of retirement resources in retirement adjustment and quality of life among male retirees: a cross-sectional study in central Iran

ABSTRACT Achieving the optimal Quality of Life (QoL) has been the expected outcome of all evolutionary periods in human life, including retirement. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between QoL, retirement resources, and retirement adjustment among retirees. This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 220 Iranian retirees who had been retired for 1–10 years. The study data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire, which was completed in person by 112 retirees and online using a WhatsApp or Telegram link by the rest. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was utilized to determine the bivariate correlation between the study constructs. Additionally, multiple linear regression was used to assess the retirement resources predicting QoL and retirement adjustment. The study results revealed that the mean scores for retirement adjustment were not the same at different levels of education. Moreover, there was a significant positive relationship between retirement adjustment and retirement resources. A significant positive relationship was also observed between retirement resources, retirement adjustment, and QoL. In addition, mental and financial resources were assumed as better predictors of retirement adjustment, while physical resources could better forecast the QoL. The results indicated that having access to various resources during retirement could lead to a higher QoL and retirement adjustment among retirees. Therefore, paying much more attention to these results can help design interventions to gain access to different resources and improve retirement adjustment and QoL in these individuals.
Public Space Usage and Well-Being: Participatory Action Research With Vulnerable Groups in Hyper-Dense Environments

The importance of neighbourhood-level public space and its benefits have been discussed at large during the Covid-19 pandemic. While demands for public space increase, restrictions imposed by the containment policies such as social distancing and public space use have made profound health impacts on the general public. Such impact may further widen the gaps of existing health and social inequalities and engender well-being issues in vulnerable populations living in dense urban environments. To better understand vulnerable groups’ perception and experience of access to public spaces and its association with well-being, we conducted participatory action research during the pandemic (October 2020 to April 2021) via surveys, focus group discussions, mapping, and co-creation workshops in Sham Shui Po, a hyper-dense and poverty-stricken district in Hong Kong. Participants reported demands for public space use and its significance to well-being and pointed to several environmental and social factors that hindered their usage, including perceived safety, hygiene concerns, and issues between different genders and ethnic groups in the neighbourhood. Pandemic-containment measures and the fear of infections may contribute to heightened anxiety and stress to some degree among the participants. Directions for local interventions of spatial improvement were identified. Our study further highlights the strength of participatory action research for the development of more user-oriented planning solutions and the potential of community mapping and co-creation activities to empower vulnerable groups and enhance their spatial competence.