Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Supraclavicular Brachial Plexus Block with or without Dexamethasone

Aim: To assess the effect of supraclavicular brachial plexus block in patients with or without dexamethasone. Study design: Double blind randomized controlled trial Place and duration of study: Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, The Indus Hospital a free of cost tertiary care hospital in Karachi from 9th May 2019 to 19th February 2020. Methodology: Sixty patients were enrolled with 30 patients in each intervention group. Patients who came for elective or emergency surgery of the upper limb below shoulder were included in the study. Block performed on patients lying supine at 45 degree. The dexamethasone group received 0.25% plain bupivacaine 18 ml with 2ml dexamethasone (0.4mg/ml) and control group received 0.25% plain bupivacaine 18 ml with 2 ml normal saline. Results: The age of the group B patients was higher than the group A patients such as 43.4±15.7 years vs 38.6±14.2 years. The ASA level presented higher scoring than II in patients from Group B with 63.3% those patients who called for pain. In this study the intra operative vital signs showed an insignificant variance in both groups.However, a significant increase in duration of analgesia was observed in group A. Conclusion: Perineural administration of dexamethasone with clinical bupivacaine concentration can prolong the duration of anesthesia. Keywords: Supraclavicular, Brachial plexus block, Dexamethasone
Reconstruction and Deformation of 3D Complex Models Based on Semantic Parameters

To quickly redesign the 3D complex models including free-form surfaces, a method is proposed based on semantic parameters which facilitates the deformation of such models. To extend the model types, by calculating Euclidean distance between feature descriptors that represent the component attributes, the smallest Euclidean distance thus-obtained is used as a standard to choose the model that is the most similar to the target component from a set of components. Parametric deformation regards deformation handles as basic elements, and the hierarchical deformation can be realized by setting the semantic parameters: the 3D models can be redesigned with the deformation of components by configuring the deformation handle. First, the freeform surfaces of each component are replaced by the quadric surfaces with Hausdorff distance and the cluster analysis method. Then, the constraints of the internal and external components are calculated with the relationship between deformation handles and the relation to vertices of each component. Finally, the 3D model can be deformed based on editing and modifying the semantic parameters which are defined on the deformation handles. Experimental results which are verified through 3D vehicle models show that the above methods support users to achieve the deformation of 3D models with a few parameters and keep better efficiency of custom design.
450 × 580 µm
 2
 Pixel incorporating TX and coherent RX in CMOS for mm‐wave active imaging using a single reflector

A transceiver pixel for active imaging incorporating a transmitter (TX) and a coherent receiver (RX) is demonstrated in 65 nm CMOS at 260 GHz. The pixel occupies an area of 450 × 580µm2 and is the first demonstration of pixels incorporating a TX and a coherent RX which are smaller than λ/2 × λ/2. The pixel exhibits −21.3 dBm total radiated power and −79.5 dBm sensitivity at a 1 kHz noise bandwidth. This sensitivity is about 10 dB better than the state-of-the-art pixel with only a coherent RX. The pixel consumes 18.7 mW of DC power.
The Transcriptional Landscape of BRAF Wild Type Metastatic Melanoma: A Pilot Study

Melanoma is a relatively rare disease worldwide; nevertheless, it has a great relevance in some countries, such as in Europe. In order to shed some light upon the transcriptional profile of skin melanoma, we compared the gene expression of six independent tumours (all progressed towards metastatic disease and with wild type BRAF) to the expression profile of non-dysplastic melanocytes (considered as a healthy control) in a pilot study. Paraffin-embedded samples were manually micro-dissected to obtain enriched samples, and then, RNA was extracted and analysed through a microarray-based approach. An exhaustive bioinformatics analysis was performed to identify differentially expressed transcripts between the two groups, as well as enriched functional terms. Overall, 50 up- and 19 downregulated transcripts were found to be significantly changed in the tumour compared to the control tissue. Among the upregulated transcripts, the majority belonged to the immune response group and to the proteasome, while most of the downregulated genes were related to cytosolic ribosomes. A Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), along with the RNA-Seq data retrieved from the TCGA/GTEx databases, confirmed the general trend of downregulation affecting cytoribosome proteins. In contrast, transcripts coding for mitoribosome proteins showed the opposite trend.
Composting and Anaerobic Digestion of Food Waste and Sewage Sludge for Campus Sustainability: A Review

Composting and anaerobic digestion have emerged as better options for managing food waste and sewage sludge at the campus level. This review highlights the characteristics of food waste and sewage sludge from various global higher education institutions. The composting and anaerobic digestion processes of food waste and sewage sludge will be reviewed and evaluated. Also, the adoption of composting and anaerobic digestion at various campus levels has been reviewed. The challenges and future direction, focusing on managing university campus composting and anaerobic digestion, are discussed as well. This review paper will significantly contribute to the understanding of the potential for managing and handling campus waste in a natural-friendly manner.
On the Nonlinear Impact of Tourism on Environment Quality in South Asia: Evidence from the NARDL Approach

The current study inspects the nonlinear effects of tourism (TOR), energy use, and output growth on carbon emissions in the selected South Asian (SA) countries, namely Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and India. The empirical results are obtained by implementing the recently developed nonlinear autoregressive distributive lag (NARDL) technique covering the data spanning from 1990 to 2019. The empirical findings suggest the nonlinear effect of TOR on carbon emissions in the long run. Further, the results revealed that positive shocks in TOR have a positive and significant effect on carbon emissions in the SA region. In contrast, negative shocks in TOR mitigate carbon emissions in all SA economies except Nepal. Moreover, the results demonstrate that energy use and output growth also have a meaningful impact on carbon emissions. Based on the findings, the directions for future research and policy implications are proposed.
Suspected Adenovirus Causing an Emerging HEPATITIS among Children below 10 Years: A Review

In October 2021, a case of acute hepatic failure without any known cause was identified in the United States of America. Upon further investigation, other children aged 1–6 years were reported to have the same liver failure, and some of them were positive for adenovirus 41 type F. On 21 April 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released an alert after 74 cases were identified in United Kingdom (UK) between 5 and 8 April in children below 10 years of age, some of whom were also found to be positive for SARS-CoV-2. All the patients showed symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, and abdominal pain. The patients’ liver enzymes were remarkably increased. A total of 650 cases had been reported from 33 countries as of 27 May 2022, among which 222 cases were reported in the UK alone. No connection with SARS-CoV-2 or its vaccine has been found so far. However, the suspected cause is adenovirus, including its genomic variations, because its pathogenesis and laboratory investigations have been positively linked. Until further evidence emerges, hygiene precautions could be helpful to prevent its spread.
An Isolated Power Factor Corrected Power Supply Utilizing the Transformer Leakage Inductance

The widespread use of electronic devices increases the need for compact power factor corrected power supplies. This paper describes an isolated power factor corrected power supply that utilizes the leakage inductance of the isolation transformer to provide boost inductor functionality. The bulk capacitor is in the isolated part of the power supply allowing for controlled startup without dedicated surge limiting components. A control method based on switch timing and input/output voltage measurements is developed to jointly achieve voltage regulation and input power factor control. A prototype design is implemented with detailed measurements and waveforms shown to confirm the desired functionality.
Team-based design for Design and Technology

Schools and universities are under pressure to develop team working capability in pupils and students. This pressure comes from: a. Industry and commerce, as there are strong indications that well-designed team working improves performance (Hoerr, 1989; Saba, 1989) and working relationships (Buchanan, 1989). b. Education, as there is evidence that cooperative work can support learning generally (Cowie & Rudduck, 1988). This article reviews some of the relevant literature. The development of team-based design capability is illustrated over the four years of teacher training in Design and Technology at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom. Finally, issues in developing team-based design capability in schools are identified. In this article a team is defined as a number of individuals cooperating in the production of a single outcome; a group as individuals cooperating, but producing individual outcomes.
Spatial and Seasonal Variations in the Stable Isotope Values and Trophic Positions of Dominant Zooplankton Groups in Jiaozhou Bay, China

The spatial and seasonal distributions of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) in dominant zooplankton groups were investigated in Jiaozhou Bay. Zooplankton δ13C values ranged from −22.89‰ to −15.86‰, and δ15N values ranged from 3.18‰ to 13.57‰, respectively. The δ13C and δ15N values generally followed the order of small zooplankton < large calanoids < small Sagitta < large Sagitta. Spatial distribution patterns of zooplankton δ13C and δ15N values varied in different seasons. Our results suggested that the spatial variation of δ13C was mainly controlled by terrigenous organic matter (OM) input and phytoplankton biomass, but water temperature may have played a key role in the seasonal variation of δ13C. In spring, the high phytoplankton biomass might increase the δ13C value of small zooplankton in the inner bay. During other seasons, the δ13C values of zooplankton generally increased from the inner bay to the outer bay, which might be associated with the influence of 13C-depleted terrigenous OM carried by the river discharge. Small zooplankton stable isotope values were significantly correlated with that of particulate organic matter (POM). The influence of anthropogenic nutrient input on isotopic baseline can be cascaded to the zooplankton, and the effect might be weak at higher trophic levels. The Bayesian standard ellipse areas of dominant zooplankton groups were generally smallest in the winter, suggesting a narrow niche width during that time. The niche partition between small zooplankton, large calanoids, and Sagitta was most distinct in winter, and followed by summer. The relative trophic level of Sagitta ranged from 2.23 to 4.01, which generally declined from the inner bay to the outer bay during the spring, autumn, and winter seasons. High anthropogenic nutrient loading might reduce the difference in trophic niches among zooplankton groups. This study provided detailed information on the distribution of zooplankton δ13C and δ15N in a coastal bay, which will be useful for understanding the anthropogenic influence on the ecosystem structure and function.
Development and evaluation of Deferasirox loaded nanoparticles for the treatment of Breast cancer: evaluation in-vitro and cell line study

Introduction: The aim of the present study was to study the potential efficacy of antitumor activity of nanoparticles loaded with Deferasirox In the current research work, nanoparticle loaded with Deferasirox were developed and evaluated to study its efficacy using breast cancer cell line. Nanoparticles of Deferasirox were prepared by solvent evaporation method using EthocelTM as a polymer and Kolliphor® P 188 as a surfactant. 23 factorial design used with concentration of polymer, concentration of surfactant and rpm as independent variables and percentage of entrapment efficiency and percentage of drug release as dependent variables. All formulations were prepared and evaluated for particle size, spectral studies, thermal studies, drug entrapment efficiency and in-vitro drug dissolution studies. In-vitro cell viability study on breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) was performed by MTT assay Developed nanoparticles possess the particle size 428.3 nm and PDI 0.626. Optimized formulation showed 82.62±1.04 maximum drug release after 6 h in a controlled manner and entrapment efficiency 72.64±0.24. The FTIR spectral studies and DSC thermogram indicated that there was no interaction between the drug and polymers used. Thus, Deferasirox nanoparticle formulation showed the anti-tumoral activity against human breast cancer cell line (MCF7) as per outcome of cell line study Nanoparticles of Deferasirox were stable and could be promising drug delivery for cancerous cells.
Balanced Wideband Quasi-Schiffman Phase Shifters Based on Slotlines

This brief presents a quasi-design about balanced wideband Schiffman phase shifters based on slotlines, which can achieve phase shift with relatively small phase equiripple and high common mode (CM) rejection. The proposed balanced phase shifters are mainly composed of a microstrip/slotline transition structure and a C-section coupling slotline. C-section coupling slotline consisting of two long parallel coupling slotlines and two short parallel coupling slotline can achieve the phase shift function. The microstrip/slotline transition structure is employed as a balanced port, so that the differential mode (DM) response and CM one are independent of each other. Different from the traditional Schiffman phase shifter: two methods are used to compensate the different phase velocity between the odd and even modes. In order to decrease the DM transmission loss, sandwich structure is also employed in this design. To the best of authors’ knowledge, the balanced wideband Schiffman phase shifter based on slotline may be the first ever reported. Finally, 45°, 90° and 180° phase shifters with a central frequency at 2.37 GHz are achieved to verify the design method. The measured results agree well with the simulation.
SAR Despeckling Based on CNN and Bayesian Estimator in Complex Wavelet Domain

We propose a hybrid algorithm for despeckling the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images using the convolutional neural network (CNN) denoising and complex wavelet shrinkage. In particular, we perform the speckle reduction process in the complex wavelet domain. We first despeckled the approximation complex wavelet coefficients using the MUlti-channel LOgarithm with Gaussian denoising (MuLoG) algorithm based on a pretrained CNN model named fast and flexible denoising convolutional neural network (FFDNet). Next, we despeckled the log-transformed details of the complex wavelet coefficients using the averaged version of the maximum a posteriori (AMAP) estimator. The experimental results on simulated and real SAR images showed that the proposed method achieved better speckle suppression in the homogeneous areas while preserving edges and point targets than other state-of-the-art methods.
Comparative Mitochondrial Genomic Analysis Robustly Supported That Cat Tapeworm Hydatigera taeniaeformis (Platyhelminthes: Cestoda) Represents a Species Complex

Hydatigera taeniaeformis is one of the most common intestinal tapeworms that has a worldwide distribution. In this study, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of H. taeniaeformis from the leopard cat (designated HTLC) and compared it with those of H. taeniaeformis from the cat in China (designated HTCC) and Germany (designated HTCG). The complete mt genome sequence of HTLC is 13,814 bp in size, which is 167 bp longer than that of HTCC and is 74 bp longer than that of HTCG. Across the entire mt genome (except for the two non-coding regions), the sequence difference was 3.3% between HTLC and HTCC, 12.0% between HTLC and HTCG, and 12.1% between HTCC and HTCG. The difference across both nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the 12 protein-coding genes was 4.1 and 2.3% between the HTLC and HTCC, 13.3 and 10.0% between the HTLC and HTCG, and 13.8 and 10.6% between the HTCC and HTCG, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on concatenated amino acid sequences of 12 protein-coding genes showed the separation of H. taeniaeformis from different hosts and geographical regions into two distinct clades. Our analysis showed that the cat tapeworm H. taeniaeformis represents a species complex. The novel mt genomic datasets provide useful markers for further studies of the taxonomy and systematics of cat tapeworm H. taeniaeformis.
Genetic Analyses of Discrete Geographic Samples of a Golden Chanterelle in Canada Reveal Evidence for Recent Regional Differentiation

The wild edible mushroom Cantharellus enelensis is a recently described species of the golden chanterelles found in eastern North America. At present, the genetic diversity and population structure of C. enelensis are not known. In this study, we analyzed a total of 230 fruiting bodies of C. enelensis that were collected from three regions of Canada: near the east and west coasts of Newfoundland (NFLD), with 110 fruiting bodies each, and around Hamilton, Ontario (10 fruiting bodies). Among the 110 fruiting bodies from each coast in NFLD, 10 from 2009 were without specific site information, while 100 sampled in 2010 were from each of five patches separated by at least 100 m from each other. Each fruiting body was genotyped at three microsatellite loci. Among the total 28 multilocus genotypes (MLGs) identified, 2 were shared among all three regions, 4 were shared between 2 of the 3 regions, and the remaining 22 were each found in only 1 region. Minimal spanning network analyses revealed several region-specific MLG clusters, consistent with geographic specific mutation and expansion. Though the most frequently observed MLGs were shared among local (patch) and regional populations, population genetic analyses revealed that both local and regional geographic separations contributed significantly to the observed genetic variation in the total sample. All three regional populations showed excess heterozygosity; for the eastern NFLD population, we reject the null hypothesis of Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) at all three loci. However, the analyses of clone-corrected samples revealed that most loci were in HWE. Together, our results suggest that the three discrete regional populations of C. enelensis were likely colonized from a common refugium since the last ice age. However, the local and regional populations are diverging from each other through mutation, drift, and selection at least partly due to heterozygous advantage.
An Examination of Risk and Protective Factors on the Mental Health of First- and Second-generation Immigrant Adults during an Exclusionary Policy Context in the United States

Purpose: This cross-sectional study was designed to examine the impacts of three risk factors (i.e., Trump-era policy stress, incidents of discrimination, and COVID-19 exposure) and two protective factors (i.e., resilience and social support) on mental health status. Methods: Data were collected via an online survey with first- and second-generation immigrant adults (n = 447). Hierarchical linear regression was employed to assess the risk and protective factors, in addition to demographic characteristics, on anxiety and depression scores. Results: Trump-era policy stress and discrimination predicted higher symptoms of both anxiety and depression. In terms of protective factors, resilience and social support each had a significant inverse relationship with anxiety and depression scores. Conclusion: Findings contribute to the knowledge base of risk and protective factors during a stringent immigration policy context and pandemic in the United States. Discussion: Implications for practice, research, and policymaking are presented. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
Misconfiguration-Free Compositional SDN for Cloud Networks

Cloud computing provides a new paradigm to offer flexible IT infrastructures. In IaaS clouds, tenants deploy software-defined networking (SDN) policies to simplify network management and customize network behaviors. However, programming SDN networks is error-prone no matter using low-level APIs or high-level programming languages. Specifically, SDN policies may contain misconfigurations that do not break the pre-defined network invariants (e.g., black holes), but either degrade the deployment efficiency or mistakenly translate tenants intents. Prior studies for checking either traditional access control policies or network-wide invariants, are thus fail to detect these misconfigurations. To address this gap, this paper presents PMM, a misconfiguration checking tool for compositional SDN that works at the data plane of cloud networks. We first propose a new data structure, minimal interval set, to represent the match patterns of rulesets. This representation serves the basis for composition algebra construction and misconfiguration checking. We then propose the principles, algorithms and also optimisations for fast and accurate checking. We finally implement PMM in Covisor. Experiments with both real-world rulesets and synthetic rulesets show that PMM can detect misconfigurations of SDN policies in cloud networks within hundreds of milliseconds.
Oral Sensory Sensitivity Influences Attentional Bias to Food Logo Images in Children: A Preliminary Investigation

Background Children’s sensory processing patterns are linked with their eating habits; children with increased sensory sensitivity are often picky eaters. Research suggests that children’s eating habits are also partially influenced by attention to food and beverage advertising. However, the extent to which sensory processing influences children’s attention to food cues remains unknown. Therefore, we examined the attentional bias patterns to food vs. non-food logos among children 4–12 years with and without increased oral sensory sensitivity. Design Children were categorized into high (n = 8) vs. typical (n = 36) oral sensory sensitivity by the Sensory Profile-2. We used eye-tracking to examine orientation and attentional bias to food vs. non-food logos among children with high vs. typical oral sensory sensitivity. We used a mixed model regression to test the influence of oral sensory sensitivity to attentional biases to food vs. non-food logos among children. Results Results showed that children with high oral sensory sensitivity showed attentional biases toward non-food logos; specifically, children with high oral sensory sensitivity oriented more quickly to non-food logos as compared to food logos (p < 0.05), as well as spent more time looking at non-food logos as compared to food logos (p < 0.05). Findings were in the opposite direction for children with typical oral sensory sensitivity. Conclusion Sensory sensitivity may be an individual characteristic that serves as a protective mechanism against susceptibility to food and beverage advertising in young children.