Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
BENEFITS OF PRONE POSITION COMPARED TO BACK DECUBIT IN ADULTS/ELDERLY PEOPLE HOSPITALIZED IN INTENSIVE MEDICINE SERVICES FOR COVID-19 AND IN INVASIVE MECHANICAL VENTILATION: A SCOPING REVIEW

: Prone Position (PP) is widely used in patients diagnosed with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), positive for COVID-19, under Invasive Mechanical Ventilation, in order to improve oxygenation/ventilation and reduce mortality. This technique isquiteused in Intensive Care Units in alternation with the Dorsal Position (PD). ThisScoping Review aims to analyze parameters such as: PaO2/FiO2 ratio, pulmonary compliance, atelectasis/dead space, ARDS severity, PP time and mortality rate, in both positions, in order to verify the benefits of PP relatively to PD existing in the literature. Data collection was performed in the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar. The eligibility criteria were defined as: articles published between 2020 and 2022, with full text and in Portuguese and English, resulting in a total of seven articles. There were no significant differences in the following parameters: lung atelectasis/ dead spaces, ARDS severity and mortality rate. As for the time of PP, it was found that there was unanimity (average of 16 hours per day); and that the PaO2/FiO2 ratio, for the most part, improved during PP compared to PD, which allows for an improvement in the efficiency of oxygenation/ventilation. Thus, it is possible to conclude that the increase in the PaO2/FiO2 ratio is the indicator in which the best benefits are observed. It is suggested that other studies be carried out, with specific criteria, so that other more concrete evidence can be described.
Preconcentration and Separation of Gold Nanoparticles from Environmental Waters Using Extraction Techniques Followed by Spectrometric Quantification

The quantification of gold nanoparticles (AuNP) in environmental samples at ultratrace concentrations can be accurately performed by sophisticated and pricey analytical methods. This paper aims to challenge the analytical potential and advantages of cheaper and equally reliable alternatives that couple the well-established extraction procedures with common spectrometric methods. We discuss several combinations of techniques that are suitable for separation/preconcentration and quantification of AuNP in complex and challenging aqueous matrices, such as tap, river, lake, brook, mineral, and sea waters, as well as wastewaters. Cloud point extraction (CPE) has been successfully combined with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), chemiluminescence (CL), and total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (TXRF). The major advantage of this approach is the ability to quantify AuNP of different sizes and coatings in a sample with a volume in the order of milliliters. Small volumes of sample (5 mL), dispersive solvent (50 µL), and extraction agent (70 µL) were reported also for surfactant-assisted dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (SA-DLLME) coupled with electrothermal vaporization inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ETV-ICP-MS). The limits of detection (LOD) achieved using different combinations of methods as well as enrichment factors (EF) varied greatly, being 0.004–200 ng L−1 and 8–250, respectively.
New Bridge to Cloud: An Ultra-Dense LEO Assisted Green Computation Offloading Approach

Mobile edge computing and cloud computing have emerged as effective technologies to alleviate the increasing computational workload of mobile devices. As a promising enabling 6G technology, the ultra-dense (UD) low earth orbit (LEO) satellite network with low communication latency and high throughput is considered a new bridge for cloud computation offloading. In this paper, we investigate energy-efficient cloud and edge computing in UD-LEO-assisted terrestrial-satellite networks. An optimization problem aiming at minimizing the energy consumption of the computation tasks is formulated. The optimization problem is a mixed-integer non-linear programming problem. To solve this problem, we decompose it into two subproblems, i.e., a joint user association and task scheduling subproblem, and an adaptive computation resource allocation subproblem. For the first subproblem, we model the input of a forward neural network (NN) as the large-scale information (i.e., channel gain and task arrival rates) and obtain the optimal solution by transforming the direct output of the NN. For the second subproblem, we introduce a successive convex approximation method to optimize it iteratively. The simulation results show that our proposed user association and task scheduling strategy outperforms two benchmark algorithms in terms of energy consumption under a strict delay bound and high user density.
Problem Solving as a Means toward Mathematics for All: A Look through a Class Lens.

In this study, a researcher-teacher examined seventh-graders' experiences with a problem-centered curriculum and pedagogy. Analyses of interviews, surveys, teaching journal entries, and audio recordings focused on differences between lowerand higher-socioeconomic status (SES) students' reactions to learning mathematics through problem solving. While higher-SES students displayed confidence and solved problems with an eye toward the intended mathematical ideas, the lower-SES students preferred more external direction and sometimes approached problems in a way that allowed them to miss their intended mathematical point. The lower-SES students more often became "stuck" in the open and contextualized nature of the problems. An examination of sociological literature revealed ways in which these patterns in the data could be related to more than individual differences in temperament or achievement between the children. This study suggests that class cultural differences could relate to students' approaches to learning mathematics through solving open, contextualized problems. This paper discusses equity-related challenges to be faced as well as interventions that could be helpful in our attempts to center mathematics instruction around problem solving. Contains 32 references. (Author) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** Examining Problem Solving Through a Class Lens 1 Problem Solving as a Means Toward Mathematics for All: A Look Through a Class Lens Sarah Theule Lubienski Buffalo State College The author may be contacted at: Mathematics Department 325 Bishop Hall 1300 Elmwood Avenue Buffalo, NY 14222 Lubienst@Buffalostate.edu
Multifractal distribution of spike intervals for two oscillators coupled by unreliable pulses

Two neurons coupled by unreliable synapses are modelled by leaky integrate-and-fire neurons and stochastic on–off synapses. The dynamics is mapped to an iterated function system. Numerical calculations yield a multifractal distribution of interspike intervals. The covering, information and correlation dimensions are calculated as a function of synaptic strength and transmission probability.
Evaluating the Role of Exogenously Applied Ascorbic Acid in Rescuing Soybean Plant Health in The Presence of Pathogen-Induced Oxidative Stress

Charcoal rot, caused by the soilborne hemibiotrophic fungus Macrophomina phaseolina, is a prevalent and economically significant plant disease. It is hypothesized that M. phaseolina induces oxidative stress-mediated senescence in plants. Infection by M. phaseolina results in the host’s accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that contribute toward basal defense. However, the production of ROS could also lead to cellular damage and senescence in host tissue. This study aimed to determine if ascorbic acid, a ROS scavenging molecule, could quench M. phaseolina-induced hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) generation in a soybean-M. phaseolina pathosystem. In vitro sensitivity tests showed that M. phaseolina isolates were sensitive to L-ascorbic acid (LAA) at concentrations of 10.5 to 14.3 mM based on IC50 (half-maximal inhibitory concentration) data. In planta cut-stem assays demonstrated that pre-treatment with 10 mM of either LAA (reduced form) or DHAA (dehydroascorbic acid; oxidized form) significantly decreased lesion length compared to the non-pretreated control and post-treatments with both ascorbic acid forms after M. phaseolina inoculation. Further, H2O2 quantification from ascorbic acid-pretreated tissue followed by M. phaseolina inoculation showed significantly less accumulation of H2O2 than the inoculated control or the mock-inoculated control. This result demonstrated that M. phaseolina not only induced H2O2 after host infection but also increased ROS-mediated senescence. This study shows the potential of ascorbic acid, an effective ROS scavenger, to limit ROS-mediated senescence associated with M. phaseolina infection.
Emulation and Malicious Attacks to Doppler and FMCW Radars for Human Sensing Applications

This article presents emulation and adverse attack scenarios for Doppler radar-based motion sensors and frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) radars employed for noninvasive vital signs measurement and human presence sensing. In contrast to existing radar threat models, the proposed model is tuned to mimic two characteristics of a human target measured by radars, i.e., the motion artifacts generated by a walking human and the inherent chest motion. Electronically synthesizing the abovementioned characteristics can interfere with the normal operation of radar systems used for automation, bioauthentication, and surveillance applications. The attacking/emulation systems were realized using commercially available radio frequency (RF) components. The 5.8-GHz benchtop prototypes of the Doppler- and FMCW-mode systems were designed, and experiments were conducted to validate the threat of these systems. First, a single-sideband (SSB) mixer is utilized to electronically modulate the continuous-wave (CW) signal transmitted by a Doppler radar to resemble a walking human subject. Next, fake human targets are injected into an FMCW radar by using an analog phase shifter that mimics the vital sign motion of a real human subject. In addition to impersonating the human vital sign motion, the FMCW mode spoofing system has the capability to alter the range of the human target without requiring any synchronization with the victim radar. The FMCW mode spoofing system successfully deceived two state-of-the-art human detection algorithms. Finally, a brief discussion is presented on the feasibility of using the proposed Doppler and FMCW mode spoofing device architecture as respective radar target emulators.
Extending SUMO for Lane-Free Microscopic Simulation of Connected and Automated Vehicles

This paper presents some new developments related to TrafficFluid-Sim, a lane-free microscopic simulator that extends the SUMO simulation infrastructure to model lane-free traffic environments, allowing vehicles to be located at any lateral position, disregarding standard notions of car-following and lane-change maneuvers that are typically embedded within a (lanebased) simulator. A dynamic library has been designed for traffic monitoring and lane-free vehicle movement control, one that does not impose any inter-tool “communication” delays that standard practices with the TraCI module introduce; and enables the emulation of vehicleto-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication. We first summarize the various core components that constitute our simulator, and then discuss the new capability to utilize the bicycle kinematic model, additionally to the usual double-integrator model, as a more realistic model of vehicle movement dynamics, particularly for a lane-free traffic environment. Finally, we developed the necessary components so that the bicycle model can alternatively be combined with the use of global coordinates for more realistic simulation in road networks with curvature, such as roundabouts.
Mobile Robot Relocation Method Based on the Combination of Laser and Vision

In order to solve the problem that the mobile robot can not complete the global positioning when no pose information is given manually, and can not quickly recover the correct position after the positioning is lost, this paper proposes a global relocation method of mobile robot based on the combination of laser and vision. At first, while carrying out 2D laser SLAM(Simultaneous Localization and Mapping), the RGB-D camera is used to obtain the map vision information, which is stored in the computer in the form of key frames. After triggering the global positioning or repositioning of the robot, the current frame of the camera and the key frame database are used for image retrieval and matching. The most similar key frames are found with the active search strategy proposed in this paper. Then, the rough pose of the robot is calculated through the pose information saved in the key frames and the offset of the pose estimation. Finally, the covariance matrix of the pose is dynamically adjusted through similarity, and the calculated pose and covariance matrix are sent to the AMCL algorithm node in the form of Topic. The precise pose of the robot will be obtained through the iteration of AMCL(Adaptive Monte Carlo Location) algorithm. Compared with other relocation methods, the experiment shows that the proposed relocation method is more accurate and has higher success rate.
Deteriorated Vascular Homeostasis in Hypertension: Experimental Evidence from Aorta, Brain, and Pancreatic Vasculature

Hypertension, as a primary risk factor for many fatal disorders, is prevalent in the elderly. There is wide literature on hypertension dealing with its biological and/or biochemical aspects; however, limited research is available on the multifactorial nature of hypertension from a mechanobiological standpoint. This study intended to study in parallel histopathological alterations and deviated protein expressions with the mechanical behavior of the hypertensive tissues. The Goldblatt (2K1C) method was chosen for induction of renovascular hypertension in rabbits. The microstructural and immunohistological characteristics of the aortic, pancreatic, and brain vasculature were investigated. The mechanical properties of the aortic tissue were also evaluated using biaxial tensile tests. Our findings indicated severe hypertrophy of the hypertensive vessels and declined content of intact smooth muscle cells. Most of the collagen I content of the wall was compromised and less functional type III collagen was highly expressed. Reversed collagen I to collagen III ratio was the main contributor to the hypertrophic and less stiff hypertensive vessel walls. The multifactorial nature of hypertension is illustrated, and smooth muscle cell detachment is identified as the sign of described degenerative cascades all along the arterial tree.
Change of obesity prevalence and lifestyle patterns before and during COVID-19 among Korean adolescents

Purpose Lockdown measure for limiting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread cause an aggravation of the childhood obesity epidemic through lifestyle changes. The aim is to investigate how social restriction might have changed obesity prevalence and lifestyle patterns in Korean adolescents. We also evaluate the most fragile group and most influencing lifestyle parameters on obesity prevalence. Methods To assess the change in weight status and lifestyle, we compared the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey data 2019 (pre-COVID-19, n=57,303) and 2020 (post-COVID-19, n=54,948). Participants from middle schools and high schools, aged 12 to 18 years, voluntarily reported their weight status and lifestyles. Results The prevalence of obesity of the total subjects was 11.0% in 2019 and 12.1% in 2020. This prevalence difference varied by sex (males 1.8%, females 0.3%, p<0.001), age group (12–15 year 1.6%, 16–18 year 0.4%, p<0.001), and socioeconomic status. Male aged 12–15 years showed highest increase from 12.5% to 15.2%. Physical activities, fruit intake, consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, and stress showed all decrease. Only, nonstudy sedentary time marked increased from 3.3±2.3 hr/day to 4.3±2.8 hr/day. Both moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity physical activity marked decreased especially in male aged 12–15 years, while increased in female aged 16–18 years. Conclusions Korean adolescents showed increasing obesity prevalence after COVID-19 lockdown, with males aged 12–15 years mainly affected, mainly due to a reduced physical activity and increased sedentary time.
Lepton mass effects in weak charged current single pion production

Different approaches to take into account nonzero lepton mass effects in the Rein-Sehgal model are compared. Modification of the axial current due to a pion pole term is included, and it is shown that it leads to large reduction of the antineutrino cross section and a change of the shape of d{sigma}/dQ{sup 2}.
The Incidence, Localization and Clinical Relevance of Arterial Fenestrations and Their Association to Brain Aneurysms: A Case–Control Study Based on the STROBE Guidelines

Background: Fenestrations are rare, but well-known, vascular variations of the cerebral arteries. They are mostly incidental, asymptomatic angiographic findings and might precipitate vascular lesions such as AVM, aneurysmal dilatation, or even ischemic symptoms. However, association between arterial fenestration and brain aneurysms has not been clearly established. Objective: To evaluate whether incidence of arterial fenestrations are associated with brain aneurysm development and investigate the prevalence and most-common localizations of arterial fenestrations of the human brain. Design: Case–control study. Setting: All patients examined by CT angiography in University Hospital No. 4 in Lublin from 2009 to 2019. Patients: Each patient showing at least one cerebral aneurysm was included in the case group and each patient without cerebral aneurysm on CT angiography was included in the control group. Measurements: CT angiography examinations were conducted using the standard protocol used in the 1st Department of Radiology, Medical University of Lublin, Poland. The database and statistical research were conducted by use of the Statistica software (ver. 13.3, Tibco Software Inc., Palo Alto, CA, USA). Results: A total of 6545 CTA examinations were included in the study. Most of the aneurysms were located on the MCA: 629 (38.59%), ICA: 466 (28.59%) and AComA: 192 (11.78%). Cerebral arterial fenestration showed a non-statistically significant elevated risk for brain aneurysms in the entire study population (OR: 1.157; 95% CI: 0.826–1.621; p = 0.39). Among 6545 cranial CTA examinations, cerebral vessel fenestration was found in 49 of them, which constituted 0.75%. The most common vascular fenestrations were those located in the ACA (30.61%), BA (30.61%) and AComA (22.45%), while other fenestrations occurred infrequently. There were no significant differences in the age of patients in the individuals with vascular fenestration (p > 0.05). VA fenestration was slightly more common in men (16.67%) than in women (5.41%). However, these differences were not statistically significant (p = 0.216). Limitations: Our study has several limitations, including selection bias regarding examined population. Second, we assume that the total number of fenestrations detected in our study was underestimated due to the limitations of the CT method in comparison to other radiologic modalities. Conclusions: Cerebral arterial fenestrations are rare vascular malformations. The ACA is the most common localization of fenestrations, followed by BA and AComA. Fenestrations of cerebral arteries insignificantly increase the risk of cerebral aneurysm formation. Further prospective studies are necessary to make this association more precise.
DESI and other Dark Energy experiments in the era of neutrino mass measurements

We present Fisher matrix projections for future cosmological parameter measurements, including neutrino masses, Dark Energy, curvature, modified gravity, the inflationary perturbation spectrum, non-Gaussianity, and dark radiation. We focus on DESI and generally redshift surveys (BOSS, HETDEX, eBOSS, Euclid, and WFIRST), but also include CMB (Planck) and weak gravitational lensing (DES and LSST) constraints. The goal is to present a consistent set of projections, for concrete experiments, which are otherwise scattered throughout many papers and proposals. We include neutrino mass as a free parameter in most projections, as it will inevitably be relevant — DESI and other experiments can measure the sum of neutrino masses to ∼ 0.02 eV or better, while the minimum possible sum is ∼ 0.06 eV. We note that constraints on Dark Energy are significantly degraded by the presence of neutrino mass uncertainty, especially when using galaxy clustering only as a probe of the BAO distance scale (because this introduces additional uncertainty in the background evolution after the CMB epoch). Using broadband galaxy power becomes relatively more powerful, and bigger gains are achieved by combining lensing survey constraints with redshift survey constraints. We do not try to be especially innovative, e.g., with complex treatments of potential systematic errors — these projections are intended as a straightforward baseline for comparison to more detailed analyses.
Technology Acceptance Model in Government Context: A Systematic Review on the Implementation of IT Governance in a Government Institution

Recent trends of studies on technology acceptance in local government had recently been popular; the studies focused on identifying the predictors of human behavior in potential acceptance or rejection of technology. This study investigated the use of information technology/information system (henceforth, IT/IS) acceptance in government as a means to improve the quality of public service and strive for transparent governance. A mixed-methods (quantitative and qualitative) study was conducted, and data were collected through questionnaires involving 125 respondents, interviews, and observations. Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is used as a theoretical framework for behavioral information systems and Smart Partial least square (Smart PLS) analysis was employed in elaborating the complex correlation between the determinants. The result showed that the perceived ease-of-use (PEOU) contributed positively to the perceived usefulness (PU) and attitude towards using technology (ATUT). Moreover, the ATUT significantly contributed to Behavioral Intention of Use (BITU); further, the BITU also contributed to actual technology use (ATU). The PU, however, possessed a negative impact on the ATUT. These results further the information regarding the quality and performance of IT/IS services that can be used as a basis for higher-level decision-making.
Interacting Dark Energy: Dynamical System Analysis

We investigate the impacts of interaction between dark matter and dark energy in the context of two dark energy models, holographic and ghost dark energy. In fact, using the dynamical system analysis, we obtain the cosmological consequence of several interactions, considering all relevant component of universe, i.e. matter (Dark and luminous), radiation and dark energy. Studying the phase space for all interactions in detail, we show the existence of unstable matter dominated and stable dark energy dominated phases. We also show that linear interactions suffer from the absence of standard radiation dominated epoch. Interestingly, this failure resolved by adding the non-linear interactions to the models. We find an upper bound for the value of the coupling constant of the interaction between dark matter and dark energy as b < 0.57 in the case of holographic model, and b < 0.61 in the case of ghost dark energy model, to result in a cosmological viable matter dominated epoch. More specifically, this bound is vital to satisfy instability and deceleration of matter dominated epoch.