Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Frailty-Adjusted Stratification Score to Predict Surgical Risk, Post-Operative, Long-Term Functional Outcome, and Quality of Life after Surgery in Intracranial Meningiomas

Simple Summary Meningiomas are the most common primary brain tumour and their prevalence increases in the ageing population. Among researchers, predicting surgical outcomes, complications, and quality of life (QoL) after surgery still represents a major subject of debate. The aim of the study hereby presented was to review well known and potential new prognostic factors affecting the early and long-term functional outcomes and quality of life of patients treated for intracranial meningiomas. Our findings might help define tailored surgical and perioperative protocols to maximise the standard of care, relying on a patient-specific multi-domain surgical, biometric, and clinical assessment to be conducted during the pre-operative medical interview. This approach might be beneficial for reducing complications occurrence, predicting surgical and functional outcomes, counselling patients and caregivers on surgical indications, reducing legal issues, and providing a valuable tool to healthcare providers for resources allocation. Abstract Object: To investigate those parameters affecting early and follow-up functional outcomes in patients undergoing resection of meningiomas and to design a dedicated predictive score, the Milan Bio(metric)-Surgical Score (MBSS) is hereby presented. Methods: Patients undergoing transcranial surgery for intracranial meningiomas were included. The most significant parameters in the regression analyses were implemented in a patient stratification score and were validated by testing its classification consistency with a clinical–radiological grading scale (CRGS), Milan complexity scale (MCS), and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) scores. Results: The ASA score, Frailty index, skull base and posterior cranial fossa locations, a diameter of >25 mm, and the absence of a brain–tumour interface were predictive of early post-operative deterioration and were collected in MBSS Part A (AUC: 0.965; 95%C.I. 0.890–1.022), while the frailty index, posterior cranial fossa location, a diameter of >25 mm, a edema/tumour volume index of >2, dural sinus invasion, DWI hyperintensity, and the absence of a brain–tumour interface were predictive of a long-term unfavourable outcome and were collected in MBSS Part B (AUC: 0.877; 95%C.I. 0.811–0.942). The score was consistent with CRGS, MCS, and CCI. Conclusion: Patients’ multi-domain evaluation and the implementation of frailty indexes might help predict the perioperative complexity of cases; the functional, clinical, and neurological early outcomes; survival; and overall QoL after surgery.
Collaborative Learning to Improve the Governance and Performance of Infrastructure Projects in the Construction Sector

Collaborative learning helps construction organizations adapt their governance structures (GS) to maximize project performance (PP). Although previous studies indicated that governance directly influences performance, and that learning directly influences performance, there is little deductive evidence exploring the relationship between all three variables, especially at a high level of disaggregation. A conceptual model is developed based on the literature, which defines collaborative learning capability (CLC) as an absorptive capacity that construction organizations develop to explore, transform, and exploit knowledge through 18 specific learning routines. These routines influence formal and informal governance types and, ultimately, three different performance metrics for projects. This study is based on a survey of 320 experienced practitioners on Australian collaborative infrastructure projects in the construction sector. Statistical tests demonstrated that the CLC measurement scale developed by the authors is reliable and valid. CLC in this context is found to be based on 18 confirmed individual learning routines, organized into six learning factors and three learning phases. The study confirmed CLC influences PP through project GS. However, the usage intensity of individual learning routines was found to be lacking on Australian collaborative infrastructure projects. The specific and important role of CLC in PP has been highlighted for the first time, but construction organizations need to invest more heavily in their CLC through stronger mobilization of individual routines.
Risk Factors for Antimicrobial Resistance of Staphylococcus Species Isolated from Dogs with Superficial Pyoderma and Their Owners

The microbial communities on the skin of dogs include several species of bacteria, which contribute to skin health and disease. Staphylococcus pseudintermedius, cultured at high frequency from the skin of dogs, is an opportunistic pathogen causing superficial pyoderma. Effective treatment against S. pseudintermedius infections is an important issue in veterinary medicine. However, multiple antibiotic-resistant mechanisms gradually developed by bacteria make treatment more challenging nowadays. Drug-resistant genes may have the chance to be transferred from infected dogs to other staphylococci in humans. The objective of this survey is to investigate the bacterial species that cause canine superficial pyoderma and characterize the antibiotic-resistant profiles and drug-resistant genes of isolated S. pseudintermedius. In addition, the possible risk factors causing S. pseudintermedius colonizing owners were also evaluated by a questionnaire survey. Sixty-five bacteria were isolated from dogs with superficial pyoderma, which included 47 S. pseudintermedius (72.3%), 12 other staphylococci (18.5%), 4 other Gram-positive bacteria (6.2%) and 2 Gram-negative bacteria (3.1%). Strains containing mecA and blaZ genes showed multiple-drug resistance characteristics. Dogs that received antimicrobial treatment within a recent month were at significantly higher risk of MRSP infections. Only five S. pseudintermedius strains (8.33%) were isolated from 60 samples of owners. Risk factor analysis indicated there was no significant association between S. pseudintermedius isolated from dogs and owners, but the “Keeping three or more dogs” and “Dogs can lick the owner’s face” have high odds ratios of 3.503 and 5.712, respectively. MRSP isolates belonged to three different dru types, including dt11y (29.41%), dt11a (47.06%) and dt10cp (23.53%). In conclusion, the major pathogen of canine superficial pyoderma is found to be S. pseudintermedius in Taiwan, and isolates which are mecA- or blaZ-positive are generally more resistant to commonly used antibiotics. Although S. pseudintermedius isolated from the owners might be transferred from their dogs, definite risk factors should be examined in the future study.
Populism, public opinion, and the mainstreaming of the far right: The ‘immigration issue’ and the construction of a reactionary ‘people’

While mainstream elite actors with the ability to shape public discourse (politicians, academics, and the media) generally oppose far-right politics, it is widely argued that such politics represent democratic populist grievances, whether cultural or economic: ‘this is what the people want’ and the mainstream should listen. Building on discourse theoretical approaches, this article uses opinion surveys on immigration to argue that rather than following ‘what the people want’, elite actors play an active part in shaping and constructing public opinion and legitimising reactionary politics. This article thus interrogates how public opinion is constructed through a process of mediation, how certain narratives are hyped and others obstructed. What this highlights is that rather than the result of a simple bottom-up ‘democratic’ demand, the rise of the far right must also be studied and understood as a top-down process: public opinion is not only a construction but also an agenda shaper, rather than a simple agenda tester. This article ultimately finds that ‘the people’ can be misrepresented in four principal ways: a people to be followed; a people to be blamed; a people to legitimise reactionary and elitist discourse and politics; and a circumscribed people.
Bioenergetic Status of the Intestinal and Hepatic Cells after Short Term Exposure to Fumonisin B1 and Aflatoxin B1

Fumonisin B1 (FB1) and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) are frequent contaminants of staple foods such as maize. Oral exposure to these toxins poses health hazards by disrupting cellular signaling. However, little is known regarding the multifaced mitochondrial dysfunction-linked toxicity of FB1 and AFB1. Here, we show that after exposure to FB1 and AFB1, mitochondrial respiration significantly decreased by measuring the oxygen consumption rate (OCR), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and reactive oxygen species (ROS). The current work shows that the integrity of mitochondria (MMP and ROS), that is the central component of cell apoptosis, is disrupted by FB1 and AFB1 in undifferentiated Caco-2 and HepG2 cells as in vitro models for human intestine and liver, respectively. It hypothesizes that FB1 and AFB1 could disrupt the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) to induce mitochondrial dysfunction and break the balance of transferring H+ between the mitochondrial inner membrane and mitochondrial matrix, however, the proton leak is not increasing and, as a result, ATP synthesis is blocked. At the sub-toxic exposure of 1.0 µg/mL for 24 h, i.e., a viability of 95% in Caco-2 and HepG2 cells, the mitochondrial respiration was, however, stimulated. This suggests that the treated cells could reserve energy for mitochondrial respiration with the exposure of FB1 and AFB1, which could be a survival advantage.
Broadband Fixed-Beam Leaky-Wave Antenna With Consistent and High Gain Based on Ridge Gap Waveguide

In most communication scenarios, antennas are often required to achieve broadband and directional radiation, and beam squint with frequency is unfavorable for broadband signal transmission. The traditional leaky-wave antennas (LWAs) have beam squint with frequency. In this letter, an LWA with fixed beam direction in a broadband is designed with consistent gain over the band. A ridge gap waveguide (RGW) is adopted to construct a nondispersive structure, and one lateral side is connected to a parallel plate filled with dielectric slab. Thus, leakage radiation is produced at the interface between the RGW and the parallel plate, generating a beam with fixed direction and high gain. The novelty is that in theory the fixed beam can be realized in infinite band owing to the nondispersive waveguide. Finally, a broad band of up to 58% (from 22 to 40 GHz) is achieved due to the limitations of the stopband structure and feeding port. The measured beam is fixed at 41° over the whole band, with a slight beam deviation of 2.6°. The realized gain is consistent over the band with a peak gain of 19.3 dBi. The designing method provides a simple and efficient way to realize the broadband fixed-beam LWAs.
Difficulties and challenges for admission to the position of schools inspector in Spain and early career development

This article presents research that analyzed the most significant needs, difficulties and problems for admission into Spain’s school inspectorates, the expectations of new inspectors and the challenges they face in their assessment of different school settings in the Spanish educational system. Firstly, the research addressed the central questions of school inspection and supervision in the European Union, then a methodology was applied based on virtual ethnography and the reticular-categorical approach to network analysis, with matrix representations and social graphs devised using UCINET and yED Graph Editor visor. This methodological approach was used to analyze the opinions of 140 students between 2017 and 2019 enrolled on the only Masters course in Spain dedicated to schools inspection and supervision, delivered by UNED (Spain’s National Distance Education University). Their open responses to a questionnaire, and course forum interaction, were analyzed from the Social Network Analysis perspective. The results show that the main difficulties, challenges and needs coalesced around four central nodes: the politicization of tribunals and the entrance exam format, the lack of training courses for potential inspectors, the absence of a national study pathway for potential inspectors as an entry requirement, and the need for training in supervision techniques to perform their functions as inspectors.
Microwave Irradiation and Glutamic Acid-Assisted Phytotreatment of Tannery and Surgical Industrial Wastewater by Sorghum

We investigated how different doses of microwave irradiation (MR) affect seed germination in Sorghum, including the level of remediation against textile and surgical wastewater (WW) by modulating biochemical and morpho-physiological mechanisms under glutamic acid (GA) application. The experiment was conducted to determine the impact of foliar-applied GA on Sorghum under wastewater conditions. Plants were treated with or without microwave irradiation (30 s, 2.45 GHz), GA (5 and 10 mM), and wastewater (0, 25, 50, and 100). Growth and photosynthetic pigments were significantly decreased in plants only treated with various concentrations of WW. GA significantly improved the plant growth characteristics both in MR-treated and -untreated plants compared with respective controls. HMs stress increased electrolyte leakage (EL), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and malondialdehyde (MDA) content; however, the GA chelation significantly improved the antioxidant enzymes activities such as ascorbate oxidase (APX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) both in MR-treated and -untreated plants under WW stress compared with respective controls. The results suggested that the MR-treated plants accumulate higher levels of HMs under GA addition in comparison to the WW-only-treated and MR-untreated plants. The maximum increase in Cd accumulation was observed in the range of 14–629% in the roots, 15–2964% in the stems, and 26–4020% in the leaves; the accumulation of Cu was 18–2757% in the roots, 15–4506% in the stems, and 23–4605% in the leaves; and the accumulation of Pb was 13–4122% in the roots, 21–3588% in the stems, and 21–4990% in the leaves under 10 mM GA and MR-treated plants. These findings confirmed that MR-treated sorghum plants had a higher capacity for HMs uptake under GA and could be used as a potential candidate for wastewater treatment.
Class I Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Synthase Increased Polylactic Acid Production in Engineered Escherichia Coli

Polylactic acid (PLA), a homopolymer of lactic acid (LA), is a bio-derived, biocompatible, and biodegradable polyester. The evolved class II PHA synthase (PhaC1 Ps6-19) was commonly utilized in the de novo biosynthesis of PLA from biomass. This study tested alternative class I PHA synthase (PhaC Cs ) from Chromobacterium sp. USM2 in engineered Escherichia coli for the de novo biosynthesis of PLA from glucose. The results indicated that PhaC Cs had better performance in PLA production than that of class II synthase PhaC1 Ps6-19. In addition, the sulA gene was engineered in PLA-producing strains for morphological engineering. The morphologically engineered strains present increased PLA production. This study also tested fused propionyl-CoA transferase and lactate dehydrogenase A (fused Pct Cp /LdhA) in engineered E. coli and found that fused Pct Cp /LdhA did not apparently improve the PLA production. After systematic engineering, the highest PLA production was achieved by E. coli MS6 (with PhaC Cs and sulA), which could produce up to 955.0 mg/L of PLA in fed-batch fermentation with the cell dry weights of 2.23%, and the average molecular weight of produced PLA could reach 21,000 Da.
Towards a Self-Describing Gateway-Based IoT Solution

This paper proposes a solution to the problem of connecting non-interoperable IoT protocols, standards and hardware and to achieve interoperability by providing a unified solution. The main goal is achieved by creating a IoT gateway along with a self-describing protocol which allows interoperability between heterogeneous devices and systems and provides secure communication capabilities. An experimental proof of concept was deployed, combining both hardware and software components, in order to demonstrate the solution’s capabilities and present the possible limitations. The proposed system is designed as a secure, open-source, vendor-agnostic and device-agnostic solution.
Temporal-Spatial Analysis of the Essentiality of Hub Proteins in Protein-Protein Interaction Networks

Hubs are generally defined as nodes with a high degree centrality, and they are important for maintaining the stability of complex networks. Previous studies have shown that hub proteins tend to be essential in protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks, providing us with a new way to analyze the essentiality of proteins. Unfortunately, most of the existing studies leverage static PPI networks that are both incomplete and noisy and ignore the temporal and spatial characteristics of PPI networks. Benefiting from the development of high-throughput technologies, abundant multi-biological datasets have been accumulated and can be used for network analysis. To reexamine the relationship between the network centrality and protein essentiality in PPI networks, in this study, we integrated PPI networks with gene expression data and subcellular localization information to construct temporal-spatial dynamic PPI networks. Based on the constructed temporal-spatial dynamic PPI networks, we introduced the maximum degree centrality (MDC) method to evaluate the essentiality of hub proteins. Our results illustrate that the integration of gene expression data or subcellular localization information can significantly reduce noise effects and improve the identification accuracy of essential proteins through the temporal-spatial analysis with disparate sources of PPI networks. Moreover, we redefined hubs and classified them into two types: temporospatial hubs and static hubs. The results show that temporospatial hub proteins are more likely to be essential.
The Value of First-Order Features Based on the Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Map in Evaluating the Therapeutic Effect of Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound for Acute Traumatic Brain Injury With a Rat Model

Purpose In order to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) for acute traumatic brain injury (TBI), we studied the potential of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values and ADC-derived first-order features regarding this problem. Methods Forty-five male Sprague Dawley rats (sham group: 15, TBI group: 15, LIPUS treated: 15) were enrolled and underwent magnetic resonance imaging. Scanning layers were acquired using a multi-shot readout segmentation of long variable echo trains (RESOLVE) to decrease distortion. The ultrasound transducer was applied to the designated region in the injured cortical areas using a conical collimator and was filled with an ultrasound coupling gel. Regions of interest were manually delineated in the center of the damaged cortex on the diffusion weighted images (b = 800 s/mm2) layer by layer for the TBI and LIPUS treated groups using the open-source software ITK-SNAP. Before analysis and modeling, the features were normalized using a z-score method, and a logistic regression model with a backward filtering method was employed to perform the modeling. The entire process was completed using the R language. Results During the observation time, the ADC values ipsilateral to the trauma in the TBI and LIPUS groups increased rapidly up to 24 h. After statistical analysis, the 10th percentile, 90th percentile, mean, skewness, and uniformity demonstrated a significant difference among three groups. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis shows that the combined LR model exhibited the highest area under the curve value (AUC: 0.96). Conclusion The combined LR model of first-order features based on the ADC map can acquire a higher diagnostic performance than each feature only in evaluating the neuroprotective effect of LIPUS for TBI. Models based on first-order features may have potential value in predicting the therapeutic effect of LIPUS in clinical practice in the future.
Application of Trichoderma viride and Pseudomonas fluorescens to Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) Improves Both Its Seedling Quality and Field Performance

Inoculating cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) plants with bio-control agents and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can considerably improve seedling quality, growth, yield, and yield-related parameters over time. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the bio-fertilizer efficiency of a bio-control agent (Trichoderma viride) alone or in combination with PGPR (Pseudomonas fluorescens). Accordingly, various seedling quality and yield parameters were studied, and the results suggested that all the co-inoculation treatments displayed beneficial effects. Still, the combination of Trichoderma viride and Pseudomonas fluorescens showed the maximum increment in all the parameters considered, i.e., seedling emergence, seedling height, stem diameter, leaf area, root length, seedling vigour index, seedling fresh weight, seedling dry weight, total chlorophyll content, plant height at 30 DAT, plant height at 60 DAT, leaf numbers, leaf area index, root length, root dry weight, number of non-wrapping leaves, number of wrapping leaves, head weight, head diameter, and head yield. The findings appear to offer a viable bio-control technique for crop protection as bio-fertilizers bundled in a single formulation.
Construction and Analysis of Corporate Social Responsibility Report and Equity Capital Cost Algorithm Model Based on Intelligent Computing

In order to study the corporate social responsibility report and equity capital cost algorithm based on Intelligent Computing, this paper explores the relationship between social responsibility reports and the cost of equity capital based on the data of Chinese A-share listed companies from 2016 to 2020 using textual analysis and multiple statistical regression. The research results show that the publication of social responsibility reports by listed companies helps reduce the cost of equity capital and has a “first disclosure” effect; that is, the negative effect on the cost of equity capital tends to be more significant for companies that publish social responsibility reports for the first time; and the higher the quality of social responsibility reports, the more it helps companies to reduce their cost of equity capital.
Green credit, business investment and new bank loans

Based on the entropy weight TOPSIS method, this paper classifies the A-share listed companies from 2007 to 2020 into green enterprises and heavy pollution enterprises, and empirically studies the impact of green credit policy on enterprise investment scale and new bank loans. The results show that the green credit policy has a positive effect on the investment scale and new bank loans of green enterprises, and the hypothesis is still valid after entropy balance and many robustness tests. Secondly, the green credit policy is asymmetric, that is, the policy effect on state-owned enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises and polluted areas is stronger.