Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effect of the Composition of a Concrete Mixture on Its Volume Changes

The presented research aims to clarify the specific effect of the individual components of concrete with Portland cement CEM I 42.5 R on the volume changes of concrete. The effect of the filler component was evaluated from the point of view of the composition and type of aggregate (crushed versus mined) and from the point of view of the mineralogical composition of the aggregate. Concrete formulas with a maximum aggregate grain size of 16 and 22 mm were assessed. The effect of the binder component on the shrinkage of the concrete was monitored on the concrete mixtures produced using the same aggregate and maintaining the same strength class of concrete, C 45/55. The effect of the addition of finely ground limestone, finely ground granulated blast furnace slag and coal high-temperature fly ash was monitored. It was found that the maximum aggregate grain and the type of grading curve do not have a significant effect on the volume changes of concrete. Concretes with mined aggregates showed lower shrinkage than concretes with crushed aggregates. The most significant is the effect of the type of aggregate on the volume changes in the first 24 h. Mineral additives have a positive effect on the elimination of the volume changes of concrete, while the addition of high-temperature fly ash proved to be the most suitable.
Cultural values as a resilience resource for Latino/a adolescents and young adults coping with parental cancer

Abstract Purpose: Although research on how adolescents and young adults (AYAs) cope with their own cancer is expanding, there is little knowledge on how AYAs cope with a parent’s cancer. And, thus, little evidence-based knowledge for how to deliver services. Moreover, most research has been with majority White populations. To fill this gap, we examined whether the cultural values of familismo (familism) and espíritu (spirit) moderate the association between stress appraisals and coping with psychological distress among Latino/AYAs facing a parent’s cancer. Design: Cross-sectional, observational. Sample: Thirty eight adolescents and young adults between the ages of 12 and 25 whose mother had breast cancer. Methods: Participants completed standardized measures. Generalized estimating equation analysis was used to analyze the nested data. Results: There was a protective pattern of familismo and espíritu against symptoms of depression. AYAs experienced psychological distress, but those with higher levels of familismo and espíritu fared better than those with lower levels, regardless of the coping strategies they used. Implications: Psychosocial interventions for Latino/a AYAs coping with parental cancer should incorporate or strengthen these values.
Acceptance of a Nordic, Protein-Reduced Diet for Young Children during Complementary Feeding—A Randomized Controlled Trial

Early life is critical for developing healthy eating patterns. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a Nordic, protein-reduced complementary diet (ND) compared to a diet following the current Swedish dietary guidelines on eating patterns and food acceptance. At 4–6 months (mo) of age infants were randomized to a Nordic group (NG, n = 41) or a Conventional group (CG, n = 40), and followed until 18 mo of age. Daily intake of fruits and vegetables (mean ± sd) at 12 mo was significantly higher in the NG compared to the CG: 341 ± 108 g/day vs. 220 ± 76 g/day (p < 0.001), respectively. From 12 to 18 mo, fruit and vegetable intake decreased, but the NG still consumed 32% more compared to the CG: 254 ± 99 g/day vs. 193 ± 67 g/day (p = 0.004). To assess food acceptance, both groups were tested with home exposure meals at 12 and 18 mo. No group differences in acceptance were found. We find that a ND with parental education initiates healthy eating patterns during infancy, but that the exposure meal used in the present study was insufficient to detect major differences in food acceptance. This is most likely explained by the preparation of the meal. Nordic produce offers high environmental sustainability and favorable taste composition to establish healthy food preferences during this sensitive period of early life.
Advancements in mRNA Encoded Antibodies for Passive Immunotherapy

Monoclonal antibodies are the fastest growing therapeutic class in medicine today. They hold great promise for a myriad of indications, including cancer, allergy, autoimmune and infectious diseases. However, the wide accessibility of these therapeutics is hindered by manufacturing and purification challenges that result in high costs and long lead times. Efforts are being made to find alternative ways to produce and deliver antibodies in more expedient and cost-effective platforms. The field of mRNA has made significant progress in the last ten years and has emerged as a highly attractive means of encoding and producing any protein of interest in vivo. Through the natural role of mRNA as a transient carrier of genetic information for translation into proteins, in vivo expression of mRNA-encoded antibodies offer many advantages over recombinantly produced antibodies. In this review, we examine both preclinical and clinical studies that demonstrate the feasibility of mRNA-encoded antibodies and discuss the remaining challenges ahead.
High temperature thermal energy storage an experimental study

This experimental study deals with the thermal energy storage based on phase change effects of melting and vaporization in the storage medium. The phase change materials considered are chloride and fluoride salts having a melting point within the 600-1300 °C temperature range. These salts are known to have extremely low Thermal conductivity resulting in a substantially large heat exchanger surface embedded in the storage medium. Thermal performance enhancements of the storage systems can be obtained, however, by introducing an intermediate medium of high thermal conductivity to transfer heat from the salt to the heat exchanger. Liquid sodium Na has been selected for this purpose, on the analogy of pool boilers. The experimental results of this work have successfully demonstrated the effect of reflux evaporation - condensation heat transfer employed. It was shown that a storage system containing NaCl-Na could be operated for a prolonged time at a stable outlet working gas temperature of 780 °C while the storage temperature was as high as 800 °C. The factor that controlled the process of heat discharge was heat and mass transfer occurring on the NaCl-Na interface.
A Modified FlowDroid Based on Chi-Square Test of Permissions

Android devices are currently widely used in many fields, such as automatic control, embedded systems, the Internet of Things and so on. At the same time, Android applications (apps) always use multiple permissions, and permissions can be abused by malicious apps that disclose users’ privacy or breach the secure storage of information. FlowDroid has been extensively studied as a novel and highly precise static taint analysis for Android applications. Aiming at the problem of complex detection and false alarms in FlowDroid, an improved static detection method based on feature permission and risk rating is proposed. Firstly, the Chi-square test is used to extract correlated permissions related to malicious apps, and mutual information is used to cluster the permissions to generate feature permission clusters. Secondly, risk calculation method based on permissions and combinations of permissions are proposed to identify dangerous data flows. Experiments show that this method can significantly improve detection efficiency while maintaining the accuracy of dangerous data flow detection.
Evaluation of a lower-extremity robotic exoskeleton for people with knee osteoarthritis

ABSTRACT A multi-site study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of the Keeogo™ exoskeleton as a mobility assist device for use in the clinic and at home in people with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Twenty-four participants were randomized in a two-stage cross-over design that evaluated the immediate effects of using the exoskeleton in the clinic and the cumulative effects of training and home use. Immediate effects were quantified by comparing 1) physical performance with|without (W|WO) the device during a battery of mobility tests, and 2) physical activity levels at home (actigraphy) for one month, two weeks W|WO the device. Cumulative effects were quantified as change in physical performance W and WO over time. WOMAC and other self-report scales were measured and usability assessed. There were no immediate effects on physical performance or physical activity at home; however, there were cumulative effects as indicated by improved stair time (p = .001) as well as improved WOMAC pain (p = .004) and function (p = .003). There was a direct relationship between improved physical function and improved WOMAC pain (r = −.677, p < .001) and stiffness (r = .537, p = .007). Weight and battery life were identified as important to usability. A full-scale RCT with more participants, longer study period, and better usage monitoring is warranted.
Sharing of Verified Information about COVID-19 on Social Network Sites: A Social Exchange Theory Perspective

Background: Verified and authentic information about coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on social networking sites (SNS) could help people make appropriate decisions to protect themselves. However, little is known about what factors influence people’s sharing of verified information about COVID-19. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the factors that influence people’s sharing of verified information about COVID-19 on social networking sites. Methods: Based on social exchange theory, we explore the factors that influence sharing of verified information about COVID-19 from two perspectives: benefits and costs. We employed the survey method to validate our hypothesized relationships. By using our developed measurement instruments, we collected 347 valid responses from SNS users and utilized the partial least squares method to analyze the data. Results: Among the benefits of sharing verified information about COVID-19, enjoyment in helping (β = 0.357, p = 0.000), altruism (β = 0.133, p = 0.029) and reputation (β = 0.202, p = 0.000) were significantly associated with verified information sharing about COVID-19. Regarding the costs of sharing verified information about COVID-19, both verification cost (β = −0.078, p = 0.046) and executional cost (β = −0.126, p = 0.011) also significantly affect verified information sharing about COVID-19. All the proposed hypotheses were supported. Conclusions: By exploring factors from both benefits and costs perspectives, we could understand users’ intention to share verified information about COVID-19 comprehensively. This study not only contributes to the literature on information sharing, but also has implications concerning users’ behaviors on SNS.
Current Status of Genetic Diagnosis Laboratories and Frequency of Genetic Variants Associated with Cystic Fibrosis through a Newborn-Screening Program in Turkey

Background: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common worldwide, life-shortening multisystem hereditary disease, with an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene. The national newborn screening (NBS) program for CF has been initiated in Turkey since 2015. If the immunoreactive trypsinogen (IRT) is elevated (higher than 70 μg/L in the second control) and confirmed by sweat test or clinical findings, genetic testing is performed. The aims of this study are to emphasize the effect of NBS on the status of genetic diagnosis centers with the increasing numbers of molecular testing methods, and to determine the numbers and types of CFTR mutations in Turkey. Methods: The next-generation sequencing (NGS) and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) results of 1595 newborns, who were referred to Cukurova University Adana Genetic Diseases Diagnosis and Treatment Center (AGENTEM) for molecular genetic testing, were evaluated with positive CF NBS program results since 2017. Results: According to the results; 560 (35.1%) of the 1595 patients carried at least 1 (one) CF-related variant, while 1035 patients (64.9%) had no mutation. Compound heterozygosity for two mutations was the most common in patients, while two detected variants were homozygote in 14 patients. A total of 161 variants were detected in 561 patients with mutations. Fifteen novel variants that have not been previously reported were found. Moreover, p.L997F was identified as the most frequent pathogenic mutation that might affect the IRT measurements used for the NBS. The distribution of mutation frequencies in our study showed a difference from those previously reported; for example, the well-known p.F508del was the third most common (n = 42 alleles), rather than the first. The most striking finding is that 313 cases had a pathogenic variant together with the V470M variant, which might have a cumulative effect on CF perpetuation. Conclusion: This study is the first to determine the mutational spectrum of CFTR in correlation with the NBS program in the Turkish population. NBS for CF raises issues regarding screening in diverse populations, both medical and non-medical benefits, and carrier identification. Through the lens of NBS, we focused on the integrated diagnostic algorithms and their effect on the results of genetic testing.
Effects of Different Planting Densities on Photosynthesis in Maize Determined via Prompt Fluorescence, Delayed Fluorescence and P700 Signals

The mutual shading among individual field-grown maize plants resulting from high planting density inevitably reduces leaf photosynthesis, while regulating the photosynthetic transport chain has a strong impact on photosynthesis. However, the effect of high planting density on the photosynthetic electron transport chain in maize currently remains unclear. In this study, we simultaneously measured prompt chlorophyll a fluorescence (PF), modulated 820 nm reflection (MR) and delayed chlorophyll a fluorescence (DF) in order to investigate the effect of high planting density on the photosynthetic electron transport chain in two maize hybrids widely grown in China. PF transients demonstrated a gradual reduction in their signal amplitude with increasing planting density. In addition, high planting density induced positive J-step and G-bands of the PF transients, reduced the values of PF parameters PIABS, RC/CSO, TRO/ABS, ETO/TRO and REO/ETO, and enhanced ABS/RC and N. MR kinetics showed an increase of their lowest point with increasing high planting density, and thus the values of MR parameters VPSI and VPSII-PSI were reduced. The shapes of DF induction and decay curves were changed by high planting density. In addition, high planting density reduced the values of DF parameters I1, I2, L1 and L2, and enhanced I2/I1. These results suggested that high planting density caused harm on multiple components of maize photosynthetic electron transport chain, including an inactivation of PSII RCs, a blocked electron transfer between QA and QB, a reduction in PSI oxidation and re-reduction activities, and an impaired PSI acceptor side. Moreover, a comparison between PSII and PSI activities demonstrated the greater effect of plant density on the former.
The group-reference effect and soldiers’ recognition memory

ABSTRACT Previous research has consistently found that the self-reference effect (SRE) is equal to, or stronger than, the group-reference effect (GRE) for memory performance. The military strongly emphasises group identity; this study investigated whether the GRE was stronger than the SRE for soldiers. Soldiers were recruited to participate in Experiments 1 and Experiment 2. Experiment 1 revealed that recognition was better under the group-reference condition than the self-reference condition. Experiment 2 was identical to Experiment 1, with the exception that the recognition test required participants to use “remember” / “know” / “guess” judgments. The results were consistent with those of Experiment 1, that is, the GRE contributed to better recognition than the SRE, but the difference was statistically significant only for “know” responses. Using a less cohesive group (university students) as participants, Experiment 3 found that the GRE was not superior to the SRE for memory recognition, which indicated that the results of Experiments 1 and 2 were exclusive to soldiers. The ﬁndings suggest that soldiers’ sense of self might be unique, and that an ingroup sense of self might be dominant for soldiers.
Lead-Free Metal Halide Perovskites for Hydrogen Evolution from Aqueous Solutions

Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) exploitation represents the next big frontier in photovoltaic technologies. However, the extraordinary optoelectronic properties of these materials also call for alternative utilizations, such as in solar-driven photocatalysis, to better address the big challenges ahead for eco-sustainable human activities. In this contest the recent reports on MHPs structures, especially those stable in aqueous solutions, suggest the exciting possibility for efficient solar-driven perovskite-based hydrogen (H2) production. In this minireview such works are critically analyzed and classified according to their mechanism and working conditions. We focus on lead-free materials, because of the environmental issue represented by lead containing material, especially if exploited in aqueous medium, thus it is important to avoid its presence from the technology take-off. Particular emphasis is dedicated to the materials composition/structure impacting on this catalytic process. The rationalization of the distinctive traits characterizing MHPs-based H2 production could assist the future expansion of the field, supporting the path towards a new class of light-driven catalysts working in aqueous environments.
A Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly of the Dark Sleeper Odontobutis potamophila

Abstract The dark sleeper, Odontobutis potamophila, is a commercially valuable fish that widely distributed in China and Southeast Asia countries. The phenomenon of sexual dimorphism in growth is conspicuous, which the males grow substantially larger and faster than the females. However, the high-quality genome resources for gaining insight into sex-determining mechanisms to develop sex-control breeding are still lacking. Here, a chromosomal-level genome assembly of O. potamophila was generated from a combination of Illumina reads, 10× Genomics sequencing, and Hi-C chromatin interaction sequencing. The assembled genome was 1,134.62 Mb with a contig N50 of 22.25 Mb and a scaffold N50 of 24.85 Mb, representing 94.4% completeness (Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs). Using Hi-C data, 96.49% of the total contig bases were anchored to the 22 chromosomes, with a contig N50 of 22.25 Mb and a scaffold N50 of 47.68 Mb. Approximately 54.18% of the genome were identified as repetitive elements, and 23,923 protein-coding genes were annotated in the genome. The assembled genome can be used as a valuable resource for molecular breeding and functional studies of O. potamophila in the future.
The Feasibility and Reliability of a Digits-in-Noise Test in the Clinical Follow-Up of Children With Mild to Profound Hearing Loss

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Objectives: Speech perception in noise is an important aspect of the rehabilitation of children with hearing loss. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility and reliability of the Dutch digits-in-noise (DIN) test in the clinical follow-up of children with hearing aids (HAs) and/or cochlear implants (CIs). A second aim of the study was to gain insight in the speech perception in noise performance of children with different degrees of hearing loss. Design: We retrospectively analyzed DIN test data of Dutch-speaking children with hearing loss (N = 188; 5 to 18 years old). A free-field version of the DIN-test was used. Children with open-set phoneme recognition in quiet of >70% at 65 dB SPL (best aided condition) were included. Ages ranged from 5 to 18 years old. All were experienced HA or CI users and had used their device(s) for at least 1 year before the measurement in the study. The DIN-test was performed in the framework of a clinical rehabilitation program. During testing, children wore their own devices with normal daily programs. Results: The average speech reception threshold (SRT) was −3.6 dB (SD 3.6) for the first list and significantly improved to −4.0 dB (SD 3.1) for the second list. HA users had a 4-dB better SRT compared with CI users. The larger the child’s hearing loss, the worse the SRT is. However, 15% of the children who completed a first list of 24 trials were unable to complete a second list. Mean adaptive staircase trajectories across trials suggested that learning occurred throughout the first list, and that loss of sustained attention contributed to response variability during the second list. Conclusion: The DIN test can be used to assess speech perception in noise abilities for children with different degrees of hearing loss and using HAs or CIs. The children with hearing loss required a higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) than did normal-hearing children and the required SNR is larger as the hearing loss increases. However, the current measurement procedure should be optimized for use in standard pediatric audiological care, as 15% of the children were unable to conduct a second list after the first list to reach a more stable SNR.
Viral Nanoparticle System: An Effective Platform for Photodynamic Therapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising therapy due to its efficiency and accuracy. The photosensitizer is delivered to the target lesion and locally activated. Viral nanoparticles (VNPs) have been explored as delivery vehicles for PDT in recent years because of their favorable properties, including simple manufacture and good safety profile. They have great potential as drug delivery carriers in medicine. Here, we review the development of PDT photosensitizers and discuss applications of VNP-mediated photodynamic therapies and the performance of VNPs in the treatment of tumor cells and antimicrobial therapy. Furthermore, future perspectives are discussed for further developing novel viral nanocarriers or improving existing viral vectors.
Hot melt extrusion and its pharmaceutical applications

The purpose of this article is to appraise the published scientific literature related to the technique of hot-melt extrusion and provide an insight en route for the operation and the process involved in this technology. This article reviews the advantages and limitations of the hot-melt extrusion process, equipment and materials used with a focus on the applications of this technique in relevance to the pharmaceutical industry. Hot-melt extrusion provides a continuous manufacturing process for moisture sensitive thermostable drugs. Extruders are of different types and twin screw extruder is the most widely used. Commonly used materials for hot-melt extrusion include polymeric carriers like ethyl cellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, polyethylene glycol, polyethylene oxide, poly methacrylates and plasticizers like triethyl citrate, triacetin, propylene glycol, dibutyl sebacate, diethyl phthalate and glycerol monostearate. This technology offers an opportunity of earning immense intellectual property wealth as is evident from an increasing number of patents and publications using hot-melt extrusion since last few years in a variety of applications like sustained/ delayed release systems, films for transdermal or trans-mucosal drug delivery, solubility and bioavailability enhancement, taste masking and also for making amorphous materials. In near future, hot-melt extrusion would certainly emerge as an extremely preferred technology for various new chemical compounds in the pipeline.