Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging as an Adjunct to the Evaluation of Cardiovascular Involvement in Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a new epidemic which has presented an immense increase in recent decades, due to the rapid increase in obesity. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) significantly reduces life expectancy and is the main cause of death in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Strict glycemic control is a well-established method to combat microvascular CVD of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM); its role against CVD of the T2DM risk has not been well documented. Therefore, the most efficient prevention is multifactorial risk factor reduction. Recently, the European Society of Cardiology published its 2019 recommendations on CVD in DM. Although all clinical points were discussed in this document, only a few comments were presented about when and how we should recommend cardiovascular (CV) imaging. Currently, CV imaging is the “must” in CV noninvasive evaluation. Alterations in CV imaging parameters can lead to early recognition of various types of CVD. In this paper, we briefly discuss the role of noninvasive imaging modalities, emphasizing the benefits of including cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) in the evaluation of DM. CMR, in the same examination, can provide an assessment of tissue characterization, perfusion and function, with excellent reproducibility and without radiation or limitations, due to the body habitus. Therefore, it can play a dominant role in the prevention and risk stratification of DM. The suggested protocol for DM evaluation should include routine annual echocardiographic evaluation of all DM patients and CMR assessment of those with poorly controlled DM, microalbuminuria, heart failure, arrhythmia and recent alterations in clinical or echocardiographic evaluation.
The Complexity of Teacher Identity: Perceptions of Pre-Service Teachers

Teacher identity is complex, dynamic, ongoing, and worthy of examination. This study examined the perceptions of preservice teachers’ personal identity (e.g., gender, race, religious background, etc.) and how they influence preservice teachers’ professional identity as a subject, pedagogical, and professional expert. Participants (N = 81) were preservice teachers from two different Christian-based institutions, one in Canada and one in the United States, who were completing the requirements for initial licensure. Findings from a survey measured the preservice teachers’ perceptions based on two scales examining personal and professional identity. Results suggested that preservice teachers did not perceive race as impacting their personal identity as a teacher, nor did they perceive religion as an influence on their professional identity, even though they had chosen Christian institutions. However, preservice teachers did perceive teacher preparation as impacting their understanding of professionalism as they transitioned from learner to teacher in the field.
Unsteady Euler Calculations in 2-D Internal Aerodynamics With Introduced Vorticity

This paper presents an implicit finite difference algorithm which solves the unsteady Euler equations in two-dimensional ducts. The unsteady nature of the flow is due to the time dependent inflow and outflow boundary conditions, while the geometry does not change in time. The present work is based on the Helmholtz decomposition of the unsteady velocity field into a potential and a rotational part. Vorticity is introduced at the inlet by means of velocity, total enthalpy or even entropy slope. The presented results cover a wide range of reduced frequencies in the subsonic regime.Copyright © 1991 by ASME
Control of single quantum dot emission characteristics and fine structure by lateral electric fields

The spontaneous emission characteristics of individual self‐assembled (In,Ga)As/GaAs quantum dots have been investigated under the application of a tunable electric field in the lateral growth plane. For the neutral excitonic and bi‐excitonic as well as a singly‐charged (trionic) QD carrier configuration, similar quantum‐confined Stark effects could be observed, thus enabling a direct and comparative determination of corresponding polarizability values α. In addition we have applied a refined detection technique of high‐resolution Fabry–Pérot interferometry on single QDs to investigate the anisotropy‐induced excitonic fine structure and to monitor its tunability under a lateral electric field. Whereas most quantum dots reveal an oscillatory‐type modulation and partial reduction in fine structure under the applied field, we also demonstrate the case of a selected QD where the initial fine structure could even be reversibly tuned down to zero. This fine structure tunability of single QDs represents an essential prerequisite for the realization of individually controlled entangled photon sources in the future. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Characterization of the Intelligibility of Vowel–Consonant–Vowel (VCV) Recordings in Five Languages for Application in Speech-in-Noise Screening in Multilingual Settings

The purpose of this study is to characterize the intelligibility of a corpus of Vowel–Consonant–Vowel (VCV) stimuli recorded in five languages (English, French, German, Italian and Portuguese) in order to identify a subset of stimuli for screening individuals of unknown language during speech-in-noise tests. The intelligibility of VCV stimuli was estimated by combining the psychometric functions derived from the Short-Time Objective Intelligibility (STOI) measure with those derived from listening tests. To compensate for the potential increase in speech recognition effort in non-native listeners, stimuli were selected based on three criteria: (i) higher intelligibility; (ii) lower variability of intelligibility; and (iii) shallower psychometric function. The observed intelligibility estimates show that the three criteria for application in multilingual settings were fulfilled by the set of VCVs in English (average intelligibility from 1% to 8% higher; SRT from 4.01 to 2.04 dB SNR lower; average variability up to four times lower; slope from 0.35 to 0.68%/dB SNR lower). Further research is needed to characterize the intelligibility of these stimuli in a large sample of non-native listeners with varying degrees of hearing loss and to determine the possible effects of hearing loss and native language on VCV recognition.
Deep learning algorithms for delaminations identification on composite panels by wave propagation signal analysis

Performances are a key concern in aerospace vehicles, requiring safer structures with as little consumption as possible. Composite materials replaced aluminum alloys even in primary structures to achieve higher performances with lighter components. However, random events such as low-velocity impacts may induce damages that are typically more dangerous and mostly not visible than in metals. Structural health monitoring deals mainly with sensorised structures providing signals related to their “health status” aiming at lower maintenance costs and weights of aircrafts. Much effort has been spent during last years on analysis techniques for evaluating metrics correlated to damages’ existence, location and extensions from signals provided by the sensors networks. Deep learning techniques can be a very powerful instrument for signals patterns reconstruction and selection but require the availability of consistent amount of both healthy and damaged structural configuration experimental datasets, with high materials and testing costs, or data reproduced by validated numerical simulations. Within this work will be presented two supervised deep neural networks trained by experimental measurements as well as numerically generated strain propagation signals. The final scope is the detection of delaminations into composites plates for aerospace employ. The first type is based directly on the processing trough a convolutional autoencoder of the rough signals of both healthy and damaged structural configurations. The second approach is instead based on the production of images trough signal processing techniques and on employ of an image recognition convolutional network. Both networks are trained and tested on combinations of experimental and numerical data.
Identifying Redox-Sensitive Cysteine Residues in Mitochondria

The mitochondrion is the primary energy generator of a cell and is a central player in cellular redox regulation. Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) are the natural byproducts of cellular respiration that are critical for the redox signaling events that regulate a cell’s metabolism. These redox signaling pathways primarily rely on the reversible oxidation of the cysteine residues on mitochondrial proteins. Several key sites of this cysteine oxidation on mitochondrial proteins have been identified and shown to modulate downstream signaling pathways. To further our understanding of mitochondrial cysteine oxidation and to identify uncharacterized redox-sensitive cysteines, we coupled mitochondrial enrichment with redox proteomics. Briefly, differential centrifugation methods were used to enrich for mitochondria. These purified mitochondria were subjected to both exogenous and endogenous ROS treatments and analyzed by two redox proteomics methods. A competitive cysteine-reactive profiling strategy, termed isoTOP-ABPP, enabled the ranking of the cysteines by their redox sensitivity, due to a loss of reactivity induced by cysteine oxidation. A modified OxICAT method enabled a quantification of the percentage of reversible cysteine oxidation. Initially, we assessed the cysteine oxidation upon treatment with a range of exogenous hydrogen peroxide concentrations, which allowed us to differentiate the mitochondrial cysteines by their susceptibility to oxidation. We then analyzed the cysteine oxidation upon inducing reactive oxygen species generation via the inhibition of the electron transport chain. Together, these methods identified the mitochondrial cysteines that were sensitive to endogenous and exogenous ROS, including several previously known redox-regulated cysteines and uncharacterized cysteines on diverse mitochondrial proteins.
A 60-Year-Old Man with a 34-Year History of Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome and 3 Previous Surgical Fasciotomies, Successfully Treated with Injection of Botulinum Toxin

Patient: Male, 60-year-old Final Diagnosis: Chronic exertional compartment syndrome Symptoms: Pain (bilateral posterior leg/calf) • subjective weakness Clinical Procedure: Intramuscular injection of Onabotulinumtoxin A Specialty: Rehabilitation Objective: Unusual clinical course Background: Patients with post-fasciotomy CECS recurrence can experience significant mobility issues at baseline that limit independent living. For these patients, a repeat fasciotomy is not ideal because they are older and post-surgical scar tissue will make the fasciotomy technically challenging. Therefore, post-fasciotomy patients with CECS recurrence require new, non-surgical treatment options. Recent studies show botulinum toxin injections can be effective for the initial management of chronic exertional compartment syndrome (CECS) prior to surgery, especially in young patients primarily experiencing pain on exertion with minimal lower-extremity symptoms at rest. However, the ability to treat CECS recurrence status after fasciotomy with botulinum toxin injections of the legs has not been studied. Case Report: We present the first case where botulinum toxin was applied to this patient population. Our patient was a 60-year-old man with a 34-year history of CECS who, 8 years after his third bilateral fasciotomy, progressively developed rest pain in his calves bilaterally, paresthesias, and difficulties when walking or descending stairs, with multiple near-falls due to his toes catching on stair steps. OnabotulinumtoxinA (BTX-A) injections into the posterior and lateral compartments resolved baseline symptoms: within 2 weeks, he was able to walk, negotiate stairs symptom-free, and enjoy an overseas vacation without complications. Conclusions: Symptoms related to recurrent CECS status after multiple fasciotomies can successfully be treated with BTX-A injections. Our patient’s baseline mobility issues resolved within 2 weeks after the injection and remained that way for over 31 months. However, his exertional symptoms and rest pain recurred at 9 months, suggesting that BTX-A injections are not completely curative.
Optimization of a Mucoadhesive Vaginal Gel Containing Clotrimazole Using a D-Optimal Experimental Design and Multivariate Analysis

The aim of this study was to develop a suitable clotrimazole (CLT)-loaded mucoadhesive vaginal gel (CLT-MVG) for topical applications in vaginal candidiasis. Ten CLT-MVG formulations were prepared, consisting of mixtures of acid polyacrylic (Carbopol 940) and polyethene oxides, Sentry Polyox WSRN 1105 or 750, according to an experimental D-optimal design, and CLT was suspended at a ratio of 1%. The prepared CLT-MVG formulations were studied in vitro, and the formulation containing Carbopol 940 0.89% combined with PEO 1105 1.39% was identified with the optimal rheological and in vitro bioadhesion properties, ensuring the prolonged release of CLT, with a similarity factor greater than 50, indicating dissolution profile similarity for three batches of the optimized formulation. This optimized formulation showed a pH in the tolerance range, and an adequate ex vivo mucoadhesion time, while the FT-IR studies revealed no interactions between the excipients and CLT. The microscopic analysis identified a mean particle size of suspended CLT of 5.24 ± 0.57 μm. The in vitro antifungal activity of the optimized formulation was tested on twenty strains of Candida albicans and proved to be better compared to a marketed clotrimazole preparation, showing a greater inhibition effect (p < 0.05). The optimized formulation could be a good candidate for the local treatment of vaginal mycosis.
Partial nitrification in entrapped-cell-based reactors with two different cell-to-matrix ratios: performance, microenvironment, and microbial community

Abstract In this study, we investigated the effect of different cell-to-matrix ratios (1% and 4%) on the partial nitrification of phosphorylated polyvinyl alcohol-entrapped-cell-based reactors and evaluated the microenvironment, microbial community, and microbial localization within the gel matrices. The results indicated that the reactor with a 1% cell-to-matrix ratio required 184 days of operation to reach partial nitrification that produced anaerobic ammonium oxidation-suitable effluent. In contrast, partial nitrification was achieved from the beginning of the operation of the reactor with the 4% cell-to-matrix ratio. The oxygen-limiting zone (dissolved oxygen = 0.5–1.5 mg L−1), where nitrite-oxidizing activity has been suggested to be suppressed and ammonia-oxidizing activity was reported to be maintained, occurred at 10–230 µm from the gel matrices surface. In addition, the layer of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria observed in this zone is likely to have played a role in obstructing oxygen penetration into the inner region of the gel matrices. The next-generation sequencing results indicated that members of the family Nitrosomonadaceae accounted for 16.4–20.7% of the relative abundance of bacteria at the family level, while members of the family Bradyrhizobiaceae, to which the genus Nitrobacter belongs, accounted for approximately 10% of the relative abundance of bacteria at the genus level in the gel matrices.
GENERAL CIRCULATION EXPERIMENTS WITH THE PRIMITIVE EQUATIONS

Abstract An extended period numerical integration of a baroclinic primitive equation model has been made for the simulation and the study of the dynamics of the atmosphere's general circulation. The solution corresponding to external gravitational propagation is filtered by requiring the vertically integrated divergence to vanish identically. The vertical structure permits as dependent variables the horizontal wind at two internal levels and a single temperature, with the static stability entering as a parameter. The incoming radiation is a function of latitude only corresponding to the annual mean, and the outgoing radiation is taken to be a function of the local temperature. With the requirement for thermal equilibrium, the domain mean temperature is specified as a parameter. The role of condensation is taken into account only as it effectively reduces the static stability. All other external sources and sinks of heat are assumed to balance each other locally, and are thus omitted. The kinematics are th.
Exploring the impact of covid-19 lockdown on learning among higher education students on the copperbelt province, Zambia

Abstract Many educational institutions were closed following COVID-19 lockdown. The closure disrupted the smooth running of teaching in educational institutions. Although the impact was felt across the world, it impacted more in low- and middle-income countries due to poor resources for virtual learning. This study explored the barriers to Learning among Higher Education Students during COVID-19 pandemic. The research study utilized an explorative qualitative study approach. Twenty semi-structured interviews were carried out with higher education students. Data were thematically analyzed using the four phases of data analysis in The Silences Framework (TSF) which included researcher review, Silence dialogue, Collective voices, and Researcher reflection. The study found that poor digital literacy, lack of digital learning resources, poor internet connectivity, lack of opportunities for practical lessons and burden of domestic chores were barriers to learning among higher education students during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. There is need for higher education institutions to invest in ICT to enhance online lesson delivery in challenging pandemic times like COVID-19.
Molecular Mechanisms Driving and Regulating the AAA+ ATPase VCP/p97, an Important Therapeutic Target for Treating Cancer, Neurological and Infectious Diseases

p97/VCP, a highly conserved type II ATPase associated with diverse cellular activities (AAA+ ATPase), is an important therapeutic target in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. p97 performs a variety of functions in the cell and facilitates virus replication. It is a mechanochemical enzyme that generates mechanical force from ATP-binding and hydrolysis to perform several functions, including unfolding of protein substrates. Several dozens of cofactors/adaptors interact with p97 and define the multifunctionality of p97. This review presents the current understanding of the molecular mechanism of p97 during the ATPase cycle and its regulation by cofactors and small-molecule inhibitors. We compare detailed structural information obtained in different nucleotide states in the presence and absence of substrates and inhibitors. We also review how pathogenic gain-of-function mutations modify the conformational changes of p97 during the ATPase cycle. Overall, the review highlights how the mechanistic knowledge of p97 helps in designing pathway-specific modulators and inhibitors.
Generalized space-translated Dirac and Pauli equations for superintense laser-atom interactions

We obtain a generalization of the nonrelativistic space-translation transformation to the Dirac equation in the case of a unidirectional laser pulse. This is achieved in a quantum-mechanical representation connected to the standard Dirac representation by a unitary operator T transforming the Foldy-Wouthuysen free-particle basis into the Volkov spinor basis. We show that a solution of the transformed Dirac equation containing initially low momenta p (p/mc 1) will maintain this property at all times, no matter how intense the field or how rapidly it varies (within present experimental capabilities). As a consequence, the transformed four-component equation propagates independently electron and positron wave packets, and in fact the latter are propagated via two two-component Pauli equations, one for the electron, the other for the positron. These we shall denote as the Pauli low-momentum regime (LMR) equations, equivalent to the Dirac equation for the laser field. Successive levels of dynamical accuracy appear depending on how accurately the operator T is approximated. At the level of accuracy considered in this paper, the Pauli LMR equations contain no spin matrices and are in fact two-component Schrodinger equations containing generalized time-dependent potentials. The effects of spin are nevertheless included in the theory because, in the calculation of observables which are formulated in the laboratory frame, use is made of the spin-dependent transformation operator T . In addition, the nonrelativistic limit of our results reproduces known results for the laboratory frame with spin included. We show that in intense laser pulses the generalized potentials can undergo extreme distortion from their unperturbed form. The Pauli LMR equation for the electron is applicable to one-electron atoms of small nuclear charge (αZ 1) interacting with lasers of all intensities and frequencies ω mc2.
Good fences make good neighbours: territorial male Cape fur seals use spatial acoustic map of neighbours

In territorial species, individual recognition among neighbouring males is likely to reduce energy expenses and risk of injury associated with the costly period of maintaining territory during the breeding season. This study explored neighbour–stranger vocal recognition in male Cape fur seals, one of the most colonial and polygynous mammals. Playback experiments revealed that territorial males were able to recognise the calls of their neighbours, in combination with their relative spatial position to their own harem. No ‘dear-enemy’ nor ‘nasty neighbour’ effects were detected. However, the strongest responses observed were towards the calls of familiar neighbours played back from an incongruent location, simulating a situation in which a neighbour is outside its own territory. The colony structure and movements of the seals across the day could explain such results. This study has implications for understanding how vocal signals regulate interactions among males in polygynous mammals, particularly during the competitive mating period.
Evaluation of the Cross-Platform Framework Flutter Using the Example of a Cancer Counselling App

The advance of digitalization is constantly bringing new solutions to various areas of life in our society. The COVID-19 pandemic, among other things, brought increased attention to the application and support of treatments through digital solutions in the healthcare sector due to contact restrictions. However, the development of digital solutions comes at a high cost in terms of time and expenses. Mobile app development requires the development of two separate apps for the two respective market-leading mobile operating systems iOS and Android. Cross-platform frameworks make it possible to develop apps for both operating systems on a single code base, thus saving the development and maintenance of two separate codes. Flutter is currently the most popular cross-platform framework for the development of mobile apps. This paper has evaluated Flutter based on an existing criteria catalogue. As a usage context for the evaluation, a prototype for Cancer Counselling App of the University Medical Center Freiburg was implemented. According to the gained own prototyping experience with Flutter and a thorough literature analysis in this area, the criteria catalogue was filled out and the result was compared with other mobile App development paradigms. Copyright © 2023 by SCITEPRESS - Science and Technology Publications, Lda. Under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)