Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Heterogeneous Nanoassembling: Microfluidically Prepared Poly(methyl methacrylate) Nanoparticles on Ag Microrods and ZnO Microflowers

The heterogeneous assembly of colloidal polymer particles on the nano‐ and microstructures of a metal is a versatile platform for adjusting the mechanical and electrical properties simultaneously. The assemblies of silver (Ag) microrods and flower‐like zinc oxide (ZnO) microparticles with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanospheres are presented to prepare advanced composite materials. PMMA nanoparticles are prepared via the emulsion polymerization technique using a microfluidic preparation step in the presence of cationic surfactant. The surface charge of PMMA particles determines the binding interaction strength with inorganic constituents. Ag microrods and ZnO microparticles are prepared in a batch and in a continuous flow process, respectively. The assembling process can be explained by a particle–particle binding process due to the electrostatic interaction for both types of nanoassemblies. The observed binding pattern reveals certain lateral mobility of the small polymer particles at the surface of larger metal particle. The particle ratios in the nanoassemblies can be tuned over a wide range by changing the reaction parameters.
High performance organic transistors: Percolating arrays of nanotubes functionalized with an electron deficient olefin

Precise control over the electronic properties of carbon nanotubes is key to their application in plastic electronics. In the present work, we have functionalized carbon nanotubes with an electron withdrawing nonfluorinated olefins via a 2−2 cycloaddition reaction. Our results suggest that the formation of cyclobutanelike four-member ring at the functionalization site is a fairly general approach, independent of specifics of the addend, to converting the grown mixture of metal and semiconductor tubes into high mobility semiconducting tubes without tedious separation requirements. Thin film transistors fabricated from such functionalized tubes exhibit mobilities of ∼30 cm2/V s and on/off ratios in excess of 106. This simple functionalization represents a low cost path to high performance semiconducting inks for printable electronics.
Understanding gender segregation through Call Data Records: An Estonian case study

Understanding segregation plays a significant role in determining the development pathways of a country as it can help governmental and other concerned agencies to prepare better-targeted policies for the needed groups. However, inferring segregation through alternative data, apart from governmental surveys remains limited due to the non-availability of representative datasets. In this work, we utilize Call Data Records (CDR) provided by one of Estonia’s major telecom operators to research the complexities of social interaction and human behavior in order to explain gender segregation. We analyze the CDR with two objectives. First, we study gender segregation by exploring the social network interactions of the CDR. We find that the males are tightly linked which allows information to spread faster among males compared to females. Second, we perform the micro-analysis using various users’ characteristics such as age, language, and location. Our findings show that the prime working-age population (i.e., (24,54] years) is more segregated than others. We also find that the Estonian-speaking population (both males and females) are more likely to interact with other Estonian-speaking individuals of the same gender. Further to ensure the quality of this dataset, we compare the CDR data features with publicly available Estonian census datasets. We observe that the CDR dataset is indeed a good representative of the Estonian population, which indicates that the findings of this study reasonably reflect the reality of gender segregation in the Estonian Landscape.
Long-insert clone experimental evidence for assembly improvement and chimeric chromosomes detection in an allopentaploid beer yeast

Abstract Lager beer is made with the hybrid Saccharomyces pastorianus. Many publicly available S. pastorianus genome assemblies are highly fragmented due to the difficulties of assembling hybrid genomes, such as the presence of homeologous chromosomes from both parental types, and translocations between them. To improve the assembly of a previously sequenced lager yeast hybrid Saccharomyces sp. 790 and elucidate its genome structure, we proposed the use of alternative experimental evidence. We determined the phylogenetic position of Saccharomyces sp. 790 and established it as S. pastorianus 790. Then, we obtained from this yeast a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) genomic library with its BAC-end sequences (BESs). To analyze these data, we developed a pipeline (applicable to other assemblies) that classifies BES pairs alignments according to their orientation. For the case of S. pastorianus 790, paired-end BESs alignments validated parts of the assembly and unpaired-end ones suggested contig joins or misassemblies. Importantly, the BACs library was preserved and used for verification experiments. Unpaired-end alignments were used to upgrade the previous assembly and provided an improved detection of translocations. With this, we proposed a genome structure of S. pastorianus 790, which was similar to that of other lager yeasts; however, when we estimated chromosome copy number and experimentally measured its genome size, we discovered that one key difference is the outstanding S. pastorianus 790 ploidy level (allopentaploid). Altogether, our results show the value of combining bioinformatic analyses with experimental data such as long-insert clone information to improve a short-read assembly of a hybrid genome.
The secret lives of single cells

Looking back fondly on the first 15 years of Microbial Biotechnology, a trend is emerging that biotechnology is moving from studies that focus on whole‐cell populations, where heterogeneity exists even during robust growth, to those with an emphasis on single cells. This instils optimism that insights will be made into myriad aspects of bacterial growth in communities.
Transanal minimally invasive approach for early giant rectal tumour – a video‐vignette

The definition of "Early rectal cancer" includes T1 and some selected T2 rectal lesions. They respectively only invade the mucosa, the submucosa or the muscolaris propria of the rectal wall, with no nodal involvement. They may represent a treatment challenge as radical surgery is sometimes avoidable and local treatments may offer the same oncological outcomes, being considered as "full thickness" local biopsies. Pathology will look for "high risk" features, definitively establishing the next steps. For "low risk" T1 tumours, only invading the upper third of the submucosa, without lymphovascular invasion, local treatment will be sufficient; otherwise, a salvage total mesorectal excision is recommended1 .
Time course and heterogeneity of treatment effect of the collaborative chronic care model on psychiatric hospitalization rates: A survival analysis using routinely collected electronic medical records

Background Health systems are undergoing widespread adoption of the collaborative chronic care model (CCM). Care structured around the CCM may reduce costly psychiatric hospitalizations. Little is known, however, about the time course or heterogeneity of treatment effects (HTE) for CCM on psychiatric hospitalization. Rationale Assessment of CCM implementation support on psychiatric hospitalization might be more efficient if the timing were informed by an expected time course. Further, understanding HTE could help determine who should be referred for intervention. Objectives (i) Estimate the trajectory of CCM effect on psychiatric hospitalization rates. (ii) Explore HTE for CCM across demographic and clinical characteristics. Methods Data from a stepped wedge CCM implementation trial were reanalyzed using 5 570 patients in CCM treatment and 46 443 patients receiving usual care. Time-to-event data was constructed from routine medical records. Effect trajectory of CCM on psychiatric hospitalization was simulated from an extended Cox model over one year of implementation support. Covariate risk contributions were estimated from subset stratified Cox models without using simulation. Ratios of hazard ratios (RHR) allowed comparison by trial arm for HTE analysis, also without simulation. No standard Cox proportional hazards models were used for either estimating the time-course or heterogeneity of treatment effect. Results The effect of CCM implementation support increased most rapidly immediately after implementation start and grew more gradually throughout the rest of the study. On the final study day, psychiatric hospitalization rates in the treatment arm were 17% to 49% times lower than controls, with adjustment for all model covariates (HR 0.66; 95% CI 0.51–0.83). Our analysis of HTE favored usual care for those with a history of prior psychiatric hospitalization (RHR 4.92; 95% CI 3.15–7.7) but favored CCM for those with depression (RHR 0.61; 95% CI: 0.41–0.91). Having a single medical diagnosis, compared to having none, favored CCM (RHR 0.52; 95% CI 0.31–0.86). Conclusion Reduction of psychiatric hospitalization is evident immediately after start of CCM implementation support, but assessments may be better timed once the effect size begins to stabilize, which may be as early as six months. HTE findings for CCM can guide future research on utility of CCM in specific populations.
The nature of molecular beam epitaxial growth examined via computer simulations

Abstract Man-made synthetic structures involving epitaxially grown thin films of one or more compound semiconductors have been finding an increasingly important role in semiconductor device technology.1 Remarkable advances have been made over the past decade in the realization of a variety of such structures involving III-V, II-VI. and IV-VI compound semiconductors, as well as combinations of semiconductors with dielectrics and metals. ' The major part of this progress has come about primarily due to the advent of, and refinements in, two vapor phase growth techniques — molecular beam epitaxy (MBE)' and metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MO-CVD). 3 The underlying motivation has been the remarkably altered and potentially useful electronic and optical properties of electrons, holes, and light arising from their confinement in a quasi-two-dimensional environment in the ultrathin films (thickness less than the particle deBroglie wavelength). 4 However, confinement of the par- ticles in such ultrathin laye.
Routes to cubic ice through heterogeneous nucleation

Significance Under typical conditions on Earth, ice exhibits two distinct polytypes: hexagonal and cubic. Yet, despite its importance to nature (e.g., the atmosphere) and technology (e.g., cryopreservation), the crystallization of liquid water to cubic ice has never been achieved in the laboratory. Here, we show how to design substrates to nucleate desired polytypes of ice, including the elusive cubic ice, and show that the process is controlled by the structure of the water in contact with the substrate. By unraveling the interplay of heterogeneous nucleation and polymorphism, we reveal a pathway to cubic ice vital to myriad phenomena and open ways to understand and control polymorphism and stacking disorder in materials in general. The freezing of water into ice is one of the most important processes in the physical sciences. However, it is still not understood at the molecular level. In particular, the crystallization of cubic ice (Ic)—rather than the traditional hexagonal polytype (Ih)—has become an increasingly debated topic. Although evidence for Ic is thought to date back almost 400 y, it is only in the last year that pure Ic has been made in the laboratory, and these processes involved high-pressure ice phases. Since this demonstrates that pure Ic can form, the question naturally arises if Ic can be made from liquid water. With this in mind, we have performed a high-throughput computational screening study involving molecular dynamics simulations of nucleation on over 1,100 model substrates. From these simulations, we find that 1) many different substrates can promote the formation of pristine Ic; 2) Ic can be selectively nucleated for even the mildest supercooling; 3) the water contact layer’s resemblance to a face of ice is the key factor determining the polytype selectivity and nucleation temperature, independent of which polytype is promoted; and 4) substrate lattice match to ice is not indicative of the polytype obtained. Through this study, we have deepened understanding of the interplay of heterogeneous nucleation and ice I polytypism and suggest routes to Ic. More broadly, the substrate design methodology presented here combined with the insight gained can be used to understand and control polymorphism and stacking disorder in materials in general.
Mitigating Environmental Pollution and Impacts from Fossil Fuels: The Role of Alternative Fuels

Abstract Energy has been one of the most important factors in keeping our society running smoothly. However, in the past few decades, terms such as ‘energy crisis’ and ‘green house gases emission’ have been brought to our attention more frequently than ever. It is well recognized that this world will be a different place in the future than it is today with shortages in the energy supply. In order to meet the rising global demand for energy, rapid development of conventional fossil fuels (i.e., coal, oil, and natural gas) have been experienced by many nations, bringing dramatic economic benefit and prosperity to fossil-fuel industries as well as wellbeing of human society. However, various fossil-fuel related activities emit huge quantities of gaseous, liquid, and solid waste materials, posing a variety of impacts, risks, and liabilities to the environment. Therefore, on the one hand, control measures are desired for effectively managing pollution issues; on the other hand, it becomes extremely critical to invest efforts in finding promising alternative energy sources as solutions to the possible energy shortage crisis in future. This article focuses on both aspects through: (1) a discussion of waste materials generated from fossil-fuel industries and waste management measures; and (2) an exploration of some well-recognized alternative fuels in terms of their nature, availability, production, handling, environmental performances, and current and future applications. The conclusion restates the urgency of finding replaceable long-term alternatives to the conventional fuels.
The utility of faecal and urine biomarkers for small bowel diseases

Purpose of review Small bowel diseases pose a unique diagnostic and management challenge and often requires tertiary specialist referral. The use of biomarkers may provide a cheap, noninvasive tool to assess the small bowel in terms of diagnosis, offering a better way to triage referrals and select patients for early management. This review looks at the most recent evidence behind the use of several faecal and urine biomarkers for small bowel diseases. Recent findings Faecal calprotectin shows the most promise, with evidence to support its role in predicting relapse postsurgery and monitoring treatment response in patients with Crohn's disease. A faecal calprotectin less than 50 μg/g may also be used as a cut-off to triage further investigation. Faecal lactoferrin also appears promising as a marker of small bowel inflammation. A positive faecal immunohistochemistry test precapsule may help to prioritize referrals for obscure bleeding. Summary The use of biomarkers in the diagnosis and management of small bowel disease is still controversial and remains unclear. More studies are required to further develop their potential and before societal guidelines can be developed to direct their appropriate use in clinical practice.
Comparative Effectiveness of the Homeopathic Preparation Traumeel S in Third Molar Extraction Surgery: A Preliminary Triple-Blind Clinical Trial

Abstract Background and Aim This preliminary study aimed to evaluate whether a homeopathic preparation (Traumeel S) might be a good option to control post-operative outcomes (pain, edema and trismus) associated with surgical removal of mandibular third molar teeth. The null hypothesis was that Traumeel S is not different from dexamethasone (gold standard) in controlling these post-operative inflammatory complications. Methods A randomized, “split-mouth”, triple-blind clinical trial was conducted. Seventeen healthy patients with a mean age of 20.94 ( ± 5.83) years had their lower asymptomatic bilateral third molars removed. Patients were randomized to receive Traumeel S or dexamethasone pre-operatively by injection into the masseter muscle; each patient acted as his/her own control. At 24, 48, 72 hours and 7 days after the surgery, the pain was evaluated according to a visual analog scale, edema through linear measurements of the face, and trismus through the maximum buccal opening. Wilcoxon statistics or paired t-test were used, and a significance level of 95% was adopted. Results For pain, the results for Traumeel S were not different (p > 0.05) from those of dexamethasone after 24 hours, 72 hours, and 7 days. For edema, the results for Traumeel S were not different (p > 0.05) from those of dexamethasone at all post-operative evaluations. For mouth opening, the results for Traumeel S were not different (p > 0.05) from those of dexamethasone at 72 hours and 7 days after third molar extraction. Conclusion With the exception of some early post-operative findings, the null hypothesis is not rejected. Traumeel S might be a good alternative approach to dexamethasone for controlling pain, edema and trismus after third molar removal.
Multielement analysis of crude oil produced water by ICP OES after acid digestion assisted by microwave

Disposing or reusing crude oil produced water is difficult because of the environmental impacts caused by the presence of high salinity and toxic components, or by the risk of obstruction on the production columns due to crust formation, which causes reduced crude oil production and huge losses to the extraction process. Thus, knowledge of the chemical composition of these waters is very important. The method proposed in this article is intended for determining trace elements (Co, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Se and V) in crude oil produced water samples through inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) using microwave-assisted acid digestion for preparing the samples (15 g of sample and 2 mL of concentrated HNO3). Analytical curve in 2% v/v HNO3 was adopted as a calibration method after verifying that it is not necessary to use salinity for matrix matching. For Ni, there is no need of using internal standard, whereas for Co, Cr, Fe, Mn and V, the best results were achieved using Sc as the internal standard. For Se, the use of Y as the internal standard is recommended. The detection limits obtained were Co 0.67, Cr 1.2, Fe 2.3, Mn 0.49, Ni 1.9, Se 3.7 and V 5.5 μg L−1, and the limits of quantification were Co 2.2, Cr 4.0, Fe 7.7, Mn 1.6, Ni 6.5, Se 12.4 and V 18.3 μg L−1. Procedure accuracy was verified through recovery tests at two concentration levels (namely, 40 and 80 μg L−1) and by the analysis of certified reference materials (SLEW-2 estuarine water and NASS-5 seawater). Good results were achieved from recovery tests. There was no significant difference (at 95% confidence) between the analyzed and certified values for the reference materials.
Acceptor implantation in Fe‐doped, semi‐insulating indium phosphide

Either magnesium or zinc ions have been implanted in (100)‐oriented, Fe‐doped, semi‐insulating indium phosphide at room temperature or at 250 °C. Channeling effect measurements have revealed that the surface layer is transformed to an amorphous state by room‐temperature implants with a dose of mid‐1014/cm2. The implantation‐induced amorphous layers disappear after 700‐°C annealing, but a highly disordered region still remains if these amorphous layers exceed 0.23 μm in thickness. Carrier concentration and mobility profiles for Mg‐ and Zn‐implanted samples have been measured by differential Hall‐measurements. A dead layer, where no free carrier is detected, is formed near the implanted surface. The formation of the dead layer could be explained by the existence of the highly disordered region remaining after anneal and/or by the compensation effect due to n‐type carriers introduced near the surface by room‐temperature implant. It has been also shown that neither the amorphous layer nor the highly disordere.
Prevalence of anemia and its associated factors among children aged 6–59 months in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic: A multilevel analysis

Anemia is a major public health concern among children aged <5 years in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Thus far, no study has determined the factors associated with anemia among children aged <5 years in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic using a nationwide representative sample. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of anemia and its associated factors with multilevel variations among children aged 6–59 months. This quantitative, cross-sectional study used a nationally representative sample from the Lao Social Indicator Survey II, 2017. Children aged 6–59 months tested for anemia were included in this study through multistage sampling approaches. Anemia was defined as a hemoglobin level of <11.0 g/dL. Multilevel binary logistic regression analyses were used to determine the adjusted effect of the factors associated with anemia. Among the 5,087 children included, the overall prevalence of anemia was 43.0%. Three factors were associated with higher odds of developing anemia—male sex (adjusted odds ratio, 1.16; 95% confidence interval, 1.01–1.34), underweight (adjusted odds ratio, 1.30; 95% confidence interval, 1.09–1.55), and residence in central provinces (adjusted odds ratio, 1.59; 95% confidence interval, 1.30–1.95) and southern provinces (adjusted odds ratio, 1.42; 95% confidence interval, 1.11–1.81). However, the other three factors—age, educational level of the household head, and Hmong-Mien ethnicity—were inversely associated with anemia. To resolve the problem regarding the severity of the anemia among children aged <5 years in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Our findings highlight the need for designing an effective approach to address each factor associated with childhood anemia. Interventions should focus on the prevention of childhood anemia, which is considered a major priority of public health intervention in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
The antioxidant response favors Leishmania parasites survival, limits inflammation and reprograms the host cell metabolism

The oxidative burst generated by the host immune system can restrict intracellular parasite entry and growth. While this burst leads to the induction of antioxidative enzymes, the molecular mechanisms and the consequences of this counter-response on the life of intracellular human parasites are largely unknown. The transcription factor NF-E2-related factor (NRF2) could be a key mediator of antioxidant signaling during infection due to the entry of parasites. Here, we showed that NRF2 was strongly upregulated in infection with the human Leishmania protozoan parasites, its activation was dependent on a NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) and SRC family of protein tyrosine kinases (SFKs) signaling pathway and it reprogrammed host cell metabolism. In inflammatory leishmaniasis caused by a viral endosymbiont inducing TNF-α in chronic leishmaniasis, NRF2 activation promoted parasite persistence but limited TNF-α production and tissue destruction. These data provided evidence of the dual role of NRF2 in protecting both the invading pathogen from reactive oxygen species and the host from an excess of the TNF-α destructive pro-inflammatory cytokine.