Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Surface/Interface Engineering for Constructing Advanced Nanostructured Photodetectors with Improved Performance: A Brief Review

Semiconductor-based photodetectors (PDs) convert light signals into electrical signals via a photon–matter interaction process, which involves surface/interface carrier generation, separation, and transportation of the photo-induced charge media in the active media, as well as the extraction of these charge carriers to external circuits of the constructed nanostructured photodetector devices. Because of the specific electronic and optoelectronic properties in the low-dimensional devices built with nanomaterial, surface/interface engineering is broadly studied with widespread research on constructing advanced devices with excellent performance. However, there still exist some challenges for the researchers to explore corresponding mechanisms in depth, and the detection sensitivity, response speed, spectral selectivity, signal-to-noise ratio, and stability are much more important factors to judge the performance of PDs. Hence, researchers have proposed several strategies, including modification of light absorption, design of novel PD heterostructures, construction of specific geometries, and adoption of specific electrode configurations to modulate the charge-carrier behaviors and improve the photoelectric performance of related PDs. Here, in this brief review, we would like to introduce and summarize the latest research on enhancing the photoelectric performance of PDs based on the designed structures by considering their surface/interface engineering and how to obtain advanced nanostructured photo-detectors with improved performance, which could be applied to design and fabricate novel low-dimensional PDs with ideal properties in the near future.
Intra-articular Corticosteroid Injections in the Hip and Knee: Perhaps Not as Dangerous as They Want You to Believe?

Radiology: Volume 295: Number 1—April 2020 n radiology.rsna. org 249 3. Lifetime risk of malignancy in a patient with a genetic mutation or other risk factor is not relevant to our system. Our low-risk category (O-RADS 3; risk of malignancy, 1% to <10%) refers to the risk of a lesion being malignant on the basis of imaging features, not an individual’s lifetime risk of developing a malignancy. We agree that a risk of malignancy ranging from 1% to less than 10% is not negligible. Many of these patients will be selected for a surgical procedure, but perhaps rather by minimally invasive access. 4. All study sites involved in the International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) project are not high-risk referral populations. In IOTA phases 1–3, 12 of 24 centers are general hospitals and gynecology US departments not linked to a high-risk oncology department (4). Whereas specific risks in this surgical population may be elevated, we are confident that the ranges within the risk categories will not substantially change once validated on data from the IOTA phase 5 study in which 49% of patients with a newly diagnosed adnexal mass were deemed suitable for conservative management (5). We strongly believe that the ORADS risk stratification shows great promise as an appropriate classification system for adnexal lesions in patients without acute symptoms although the management schemes may vary in those at high risk. We look forward to future validation studies that include a broad patient population and a variety of observer skill levels.
Matrix Metalloproteinases Expressed in Response to Bacterial Vaginosis Disrupt the Endocervical Epithelium, Increasing Transmigration of HIV

Bacterial vaginosis (BV), a disorder of the female reproductive tract (FRT) in which a healthy Lactobacillus-dominant microflora is replaced by BV-associated bacteria (BVAB), can significantly increase the incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquisition. Discerning the effect of BV on the mucosal epithelium of the FRT may yield novel preventatives and therapeutics for HIV infection. Here, we investigated barrier dysfunction of the endocervix by host-derived factors, secreted in response to BV, as a potential cause of HIV infection. ABSTRACT Bacterial vaginosis (BV), a disorder of the female reproductive tract (FRT) in which a healthy Lactobacillus-dominant microflora is replaced by BV-associated bacteria (BVAB), can significantly increase the incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) acquisition. Discerning the effect of BV on the mucosal epithelium of the FRT may yield novel preventatives and therapeutics for HIV infection. Here, we investigated barrier dysfunction of the endocervix by host-derived factors, secreted in response to BV, as a potential cause of HIV infection. Using a polarized endocervical cell culture system, we determined that conditioned media (CM) from endocervical cells cocultured with BVAB (endocervical+BVAB CM), as well as cervicovaginal fluid (CVF) from women with BV, disrupted epithelial polarization. We assessed host matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) as the BV-associated secreted factors which disrupt the endocervical epithelium. MMPs were overexpressed in endocervical+BVAB CM and CVF from women with BV and were capable of disrupting endocervical epithelial polarization. When we cocultured polarized endocervical cells with HIV-1-infected lymphocyte-derived cells, we discovered endocervical+BVAB CM and MMPs significantly increased the transmigration of virus through the epithelium, and treatment with an MMP inhibitor decreased these effects. When we examined the effect of CVF on HIV-1 transmigration through endocervical epithelium, we demonstrated that CVF samples with greater concentrations of BV-associated MMPs increased viral transmigration. Our results suggest MMPs increase HIV-1 infection by disrupting the endocervical epithelium, permitting transmigration of virus through the epithelium to infect underlying target cells.
Scalp ripples as prognostic biomarkers of epileptogenicity in pediatric surgery

To assess the ability of high‐density Electroencephalography (HD‐EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) to localize interictal ripples, distinguish between ripples co‐occurring with spikes (ripples‐on‐spike) and independent from spikes (ripples‐alone), and evaluate their localizing value as biomarkers of epileptogenicity in children with medically refractory epilepsy.
Experimental Philosophical Bioethics

There is a rich tradition in bioethics of gathering empirical data to inform, supplement, or test the implications of normative ethical analysis. To this end, bioethicists have drawn on diverse methods, including qualitative interviews, focus groups, ethnographic studies, and opinion surveys to advance understanding of key issues in bioethics. In so doing, they have developed strong ties with neighboring disciplines such as anthropology, history, law, and sociology. Collectively, these lines of research have flourished in the broader field of “empirical bioethics” for more than 30 years. More recently, philosophers from outside the field of bioethics have similarly employed empirical methods—drawn primarily from psychology, the cognitive sciences, economics, and related disciplines—to advance theoretical debates. This approach, which has come to be called experimental philosophy (or x-phi), relies primarily on controlled experiments to interrogate the concepts, intuitions, reasoning, implicit mental processes, and empirical assumptions about the mind that play a role in traditional philosophical arguments. Within the moral domain, for example, experimental philosophy has begun to contribute to long-standing debates about the nature of moral judgment and reasoning; the sources of our moral emotions and biases; the qualities of a good person or a good life; and the psychological basis of moral theory itself. We believe that experimental philosophical bioethics—or “bioxphi”—can similarly contribute to bioethical scholarship and debate. Here, we introduce this emerging discipline, explain how it is distinct from empirical bioethics more broadly construed, and attempt to characterize how it might advance theory and practice in this area.
Brain network dynamics correlates with personality traits

Identifying the neural substrates underlying the personality traits is a topic of great interest. On the other hand, it is now established that the brain is a dynamic networked system which can be studied using functional connectivity techniques. However, much of the current understanding of personality-related differences in functional connectivity has been obtained through the stationary analysis, which do not capture the complex dynamical properties of brain networks. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the feasibility of dynamic network measures to predict personality traits. Using the EEG-source connectivity method combined with a sliding window approach, dynamic functional brain networks were reconstructed from EEG data acquired from 45 subjects during resting state. Then, several dynamic functional connectivity metrics were evaluated. Results showed a negative correlation between neuroticism and the dynamic variability of temporal lobe regions in terms of strength. In addition, a positive correlation was found between agreeableness and centrality variability of the posterior cingulate, which is known as a key hub in resting state networks. Results also revealed that extraversion is positively correlated with the dynamics of the superior parietal region. These findings highlight the importance of tracking the dynamics of functional brain networks to improve our understanding about the neural substrates of personality.
18q12.3‐q21.1 microdeletion detected in the prenatally alcohol‐exposed dizygotic twin with discordant fetal alcohol syndrome phenotype

A pair of dizygotic twins discordantly affected by heavy prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) was reported previously by Riikonen, suggesting the role of genetic risk or protective factors in the etiology of alcohol‐induced developmental disorders. Now, we have re‐examined these 25‐year‐old twins and explored genetic origin of the phenotypic discordancy reminiscent with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Furthermore, we explored alterations in DNA methylation profile of imprinting control region at growth‐related insulin‐like growth factor 2 (IGF2)/H19 locus in twins' white blood cells (WBC), which have been associated earlier with alcohol‐induced genotype‐specific changes in placental tissue.
Functionalized Microstructured Optical Fibers: Materials, Methods, Applications

Microstructured optical fiber-based sensors (MOF) have been widely developed finding numerous applications in various fields of photonics, biotechnology, and medicine. High sensitivity to the refractive index variation, arising from the strong interaction between a guided mode and an analyte in the test, makes MOF-based sensors ideal candidates for chemical and biochemical analysis of solutions with small volume and low concentration. Here, we review the modern techniques used for the modification of the fiber’s structure, which leads to an enhanced detection sensitivity, as well as the surface functionalization processes used for selective adsorption of target molecules. Novel functionalized MOF-based devices possessing these unique properties, emphasize the potential applications for fiber optics in the field of modern biophotonics, such as remote sensing, thermography, refractometric measurements of biological liquids, detection of cancer proteins, and concentration analysis. In this work, we discuss the approaches used for the functionalization of MOFs, with a focus on potential applications of the produced structures.
Longitudinal Associations Between Early Childhood Externalizing Behavior, Parenting Stress, and Child Media Use

Limited research has examined bidirectional associations between modern media (e.g., smartphone, tablet) use and behavior in early childhood. This study aimed to test the hypotheses that, over 6 months, (H1) child externalizing behavior would predict later media use, mediated by parenting stress, and (H2) media use would predict later externalizing behavior. Participants included mothers and fathers from 183 heterosexual couples with a child 1-5 years old, followed for 6 months-assessed at baseline, 1, and 6 months. Frequency of child media use was assessed at baseline and 6 months through parent report across eight items (e.g., television [TV], smartphone, tablet use). Child externalizing behavior was assessed through the Child Behavioral Checklist, and parent stress through the Parenting Stress Index. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. Mothers were 31.8 (standard deviation [SD] = 4.2), fathers 33.3 (SD = 4.9), and children 3.0 years old (SD = 1.2). Structural equation models showed good overall fit. As hypothesized, we found that (H1) greater child externalizing behavior predicted greater parenting stress (β = 0.48, p < 0.001), which predicted increases in child media use (β = 0.15, p < 0.05); however, (H2) child media use did not predict later externalizing behavior (β = 0.06, p = 0.23). In post hoc analyses, results differed slightly by specific type of media; for example, externalizing behavior was associated with later tablet and game use, whereas TV use predicted increases in externalizing behavior. Our results suggest that child behavior problems associate with later media use habits, possibly as a parent coping strategy, which should be considered when providing clinical guidance.
Structural asymmetry does not indicate hemiphosphorylation in the bacterial histidine kinase CpxA

Histidine protein kinases (HKs) are prevalent prokaryotic sensor kinases that are central to phosphotransfer in two-component signal transduction systems, regulating phosphorylation of response regulator proteins that determine the output responses. HKs typically exist as dimers and can potentially autophosphorylate at each conserved histidine residue in the individual protomers, leading to diphosphorylation. However, analyses of HK phosphorylation in biochemical assays in vitro suggest negative cooperativity, whereby phosphorylation in one protomer of the dimer inhibits phosphorylation in the second protomer, leading to ∼50% phosphorylation of the available sites in dimers. This negative cooperativity is often correlated with an asymmetric domain arrangement, a common structural characteristic of autophosphorylation states in many HK structures. In this study, we engineered covalent dimers of the cytoplasmic domains of Escherichia coli CpxA, enabling us to quantify individual species: unphosphorylated, monophosphorylated, and diphosphorylated dimers. Together with mathematical modeling, we unambiguously demonstrate no cooperativity in autophosphorylation of CpxA despite its asymmetric structures, indicating that these asymmetric domain arrangements are not linked to negative cooperativity and hemiphosphorylation. Furthermore, the modeling indicated that many parameters, most notably minor amounts of ADP generated during autophosphorylation reactions or present in ATP preparations, can produce ∼50% total phosphorylation that may be mistakenly attributed to negative cooperativity. This study also establishes that the engineered covalent heterodimer provides a robust experimental system for investigating cooperativity in HK autophosphorylation and offers a useful tool for testing how symmetric or asymmetric structural features influence HK functions.
Application value of real-time shear wave elastography in differential diagnosis of testicular torsion.

AIM To evaluate the clinical value of real-time shear wave elastography (SWE) in differential diagnosis of testicular torsion and acute orchiditis. MATERIAL AND METHODS During a 3-year period, 14 cases of testicular torsion and 16 cases of acute orchiditis met the inclusion criteria. Young's modulus maximum hardness (Emax) of testicular capsule region, middle testicular parenchyma, warped spermatic segment or inferior spermatic segment was measured in each group. SWE "stiff ring sign" of testis refers to the appearance of a red ring in the testicular capsule area and "stiff knot sign" of spermatic cord refers to the appearance of a red knot in the lower segment of the spermatic cord. RESULTS Emax value of the testicular capsule in the torsion group was higher than in the acute inflammation group (138.76±58.27 vs 16.40±4.71 kPa, p=0.0001). Emax value in the middle parenchyma of the testis showed no statistically significant difference between groups (p=0.053). Emax value in the twisted spermatic segment was higher than that in the lower spermatic segment with acute inflammation (166.61±60.07 vs 14.14±4.93, p=0.0001). In the torsion group, 12 testicular capsule areas showed "stiff ring sign" and all twisted segments of spermatic cord showed "stiff knot sign" but no signs were found in the inflammatory group. CONCLUSIONS "Stiff ring sign" of testis, "stiff knot sign" of spermatic cord, high stiffness of the testicular capsule and in the twisted spermatic segment are the typical SWE findings of testicular torsion, with important clinical value in the differential diagnosis of testicular torsion and acute orchiditis.
Functions of Jasmonic Acid in Plant Regulation and Response to Abiotic Stress

Jasmonic acid (JA) is an endogenous growth-regulating substance, initially identified as a stress-related hormone in higher plants. Similarly, the exogenous application of JA also has a regulatory effect on plants. Abiotic stress often causes large-scale plant damage. In this review, we focus on the JA signaling pathways in response to abiotic stresses, including cold, drought, salinity, heavy metals, and light. On the other hand, JA does not play an independent regulatory role, but works in a complex signal network with other phytohormone signaling pathways. In this review, we will discuss transcription factors and genes involved in the regulation of the JA signaling pathway in response to abiotic stress. In this process, the JAZ-MYC module plays a central role in the JA signaling pathway through integration of regulatory transcription factors and related genes. Simultaneously, JA has synergistic and antagonistic effects with abscisic acid (ABA), ethylene (ET), salicylic acid (SA), and other plant hormones in the process of resisting environmental stress.
Colistin-Resistant Acinetobacter Baumannii Bacteremia: A Serious Threat for Critically Ill Patients

The prevalence of acinetobacter baumannii (AB) as a cause of hospital infections has been rising. Unfortunately, emerging colistin resistance limits therapeutic options and affects the outcome. The aim of the study was to confirm our clinically-driven hypothesis that intensive care unit (ICU) patients with AB resistant-to-colistin (ABCoR) bloodstream infection (BSI) develop fulminant septic shock and die. We conducted a 28-month retrospective observational study including all patients developing AB infection on ICU admission or during ICU stay. From 622 screened patients, 31 patients with BSI sepsis were identified. Thirteen (41.9%) patients had ABCoR BSI and 18/31 (58.1%) had colistin-susceptible (ABCoS) BSI. All ABCoR BSI patients died; of them, 69% (9/13) presented with fulminant septic shock and died within the first 3 days from its onset. ABCoR BSI patients compared to ABCoS BSI patients had higher mortality (100% vs. 50%, respectively (p = 0.001)), died sooner (p = 0.006), had lower pH (p = 0.004) and higher lactate on ICU admission (p = 0.0001), and had higher APACHE II (p = 0.01) and Charlson Comorbidity Index scores (p = 0.044). In conclusion, we documented that critically ill patients with ABCoR BSI exhibit fulminant septic shock with excessive mortality. Our results highlight the emerging clinical problem of AB colistin resistance among ICU patients.
Personalization as a promise: Can Big Data change the practice of insurance?

The aim of this article is to assess the impact of Big Data technologies for insurance ratemaking, with a special focus on motor products.The first part shows how statistics and insurance mechanisms adopted the same aggregate viewpoint. It made visible regularities that were invisible at the individual level, further supporting the classificatory approach of insurance and the assumption that all members of a class are identical risks. The second part focuses on the reversal of perspective currently occurring in data analysis with predictive analytics, and how this conceptually contradicts the collective basis of insurance. The tremendous volume of data and the personalization promise through accurate individual prediction indeed deeply shakes the homogeneity hypothesis behind pooling. The third part attempts to assess the extent of this shift in motor insurance. Onboard devices that collect continuous driving behavioural data could import this new paradigm into these products. An examination of the current state of research on models with telematics data shows however that the epistemological leap, for now, has not happened.
DCU at the TREC 2019 Conversational Assistance Track

We describe the DCU-ADAPT team’s participation in the TREC 2019 Conversational Assistance Track (CAsT) track. The CAsT track focuses on two main aspects: i) system understanding of information needs in a conversational format, and ii) ﬁnding relevant responses using contextual information. In our participation in the CAST track, we focused on the second aspect of ﬁnding relevant information using contextual information from the queries for a conversational search sys-tem. We carried out two main investigations: i) Query formulation using syntactic analysis, and ii) Data Fusion of results for re-ranking top candidates retrieved from three diﬀerent data sources used in the CAsT track. We ﬁnd that using only query formulation and data fusions techniques attains average results in comparison to other submissions, which are not suﬃcient to answer questions in a conversational setting reliably.
F BURSTING STRENGTH OF ON MODIFIED ASME B31G

Although literature on fracture mechanics of the abundant, there is no assessment method that is largely acknowledged. Most popular failure press for pressurized pipes with active corrosion defect B31G [1], DNV-RP-F101 [2], SHELL-92 [3], RS These methods were applied for the assessment 305 and 316 stainless pipes [5-8]. The role of a corrosion engineer in selecting suitable material more complex, controversial and difficult. The p lection includes identifying the most costeffec for the specified operating life, bearing in mind safety and environmental aspects.