Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Prospective, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study Assessing the Efficacy of Chinese Herbal Medicine (Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Decoction) in the Treatment of Albumin-Bound Paclitaxel-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu decoction (HGWD), which is composed of five crude drugs (Astragali Radix, Cinnamomi Ramulus, Paeoniae Radix Alba, Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens, and Jujubae Fructus), in the treatment of albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-PTX)-induced peripheral neuropathy (PN) in Chinese patients with breast cancer (BC). Methods: This trial was conducted at the National Cancer Center in China from January 2020 to June 2022. The eligible participants were assigned randomly in a 1:1 ratio to an HGWD group or a control group. The outcome measure was EORTC QLQ-CIPN20 questionnaire. Results: 92 patients diagnosed with BC were enrolled and randomized to either HGWD group (n = 46) or control group (n = 46). There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups (p > 0.05). A statistical analysis of the sensory and motor functions of the EORTC QLQ-CIPN20 scores showed that patients in the HGWD group reported a larger decrease in CIPN sensory scores than those in the control group (p < 0.001). The EORTC QLQ-CIPN20 autonomic scores showed no statistical significance between the two groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions: HGWD packs could significantly improve patients’ nab-PTX-induced PN, increase the tolerance for nab-PTX-containing chemotherapy, and further improve the quality of life of patients with BC.
Biodiversity and Interannual Variation of Harmful Algal Bloom Species in the Coastal Sea of Qinhuangdao, China

For the frequent occurrence of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the Qinhuangdao coastal sea (QCS) of the Bohai Sea in summer, we tested the hypothesis that high-biodiversity HAB species exist in the area, and a series of censuses of HAB species were conducted in the QCS in the summers of 2014–2019. Through morphological identification, we found 100 algae species representing 42 genera in 3 phytoplankton phyla in this study, among which Bacillariophyta was the most dominant phylum. We also found that the population density of Dinoflagellata increased from 2016 to 2019. In total, 59 HAB species were annotated in this study, including 39 of Bacillariophyta, 18 of Dinoflagellata and 2 of Ochrophyta, of which 13 HAB species were reported in the Bohai Sea for the first time, and most HAB species were widely distributed in the QCS in summer. Notably, four dominant HAB species displayed unique temporal and spatial distribution characteristics, while their distribution ranges and population densities increased from 2014 to 2019. The distributions of five environmental factors were different in the QCS, while the temperature, salinity, and dissolved inorganic nitrogen might be the key environmental factors influencing the distribution of dominant HAB species in the summer. In conclusion, this study provides a detailed evaluation of phytoplankton diversity and interannual variation in the QCS. The existence of a high level of biodiversity of algal bloom species suggests the need for long-term monitoring in order to further study and prevent potential HABs.
Divided by the Algorithm? The (Limited) Effects of Content- and Sentiment-Based News Recommendation on Affective, Ideological, and Perceived Polarization

Recent rises in political polarization across the globe are often ascribed to algorithmic content filtering on social media, news platforms, or search engines. The widespread usage of news recommendation systems (NRS) is theorized to drive users in homogenous information environments and, thereby, drive affective, ideological, and perceived polarization. To test this assumption, we conducted an online experiment (n = 750) with running algorithms that enriches content-based NRS with negative or neutral sentiment. Our experiment finds only limited evidence for polarization effects of content-based NRS. Nevertheless, the time spent with an NRS and its recommended articles seems to play a crucial role as a moderator of polarization. The longer participants were using an NRS enriched with negative sentiment, the more they got affectively polarized, whereas participants using an NRS incorporating balanced sentiment ideologically depolarized over time. Implications for future research are discussed.
(Pro)Renin Receptor Antagonism Attenuates High-Fat-Diet–Induced Hepatic Steatosis

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) comprises a spectrum of liver damage directly related to diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. The (pro)renin receptor (PRR) has recently been demonstrated to play a role in glucose and lipid metabolism. Here, we hypothesized that inhibition of the PRR would prevent the development of diet-induced hepatic steatosis and fibrosis. To test our hypothesis, we fed wild-type mice on a C57Bl/6J background either a high-fat diet (HFD; 60% calories from fat) or normal fat diet (NFD; 10% calories from fat) with matching calories for 6 weeks. An 8-week methionine choline-deficient (MCD) diet was used to induce fibrosis in C57BL/6J mice. Two weeks following diet treatment, mice were implanted with a subcutaneous osmotic pump delivering either PRO20, a peptide PRR antagonist, or scrambled peptide (700 μg/kg/d) for 4 or 6 weeks. We found that a 6-week HFD significantly increased liver lipid accumulation, as detected by Oil Red O staining, and liver triglyceride content compared with NFD-fed mice. Importantly, PRO20 treatment significantly reduced hepatic lipid accumulation in HFD-fed mice without affecting body weight or glucose levels. Furthermore, PRR antagonism attenuated HFD-induced steatosis, particularly microvesicular steatosis. In the MCD diet model, the percentage of collagen area detected by Sirius Red staining was reduced in PRO20-treated compared with control mice. PRO20 treatment also significantly decreased levels of liver alanine aminotransferase (ALT), an indicator of liver damage, in MCD-fed mice compared with controls. Mechanistically, we found that PRR antagonism prevented HFD-induced increases in PPARγ and glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase 3 expression in the liver. Taken together, our findings establish the mechanism by which PRR regulates lipid metabolism in the liver and suggest the therapeutic potential of PRR antagonism for the treatment of liver steatosis and fibrosis development in NAFLD.
Model of the mediating effect of team pride in the relationship between transformational leadership and sports activity loyalty

Objective: Athletes participate in sports with affection and attachment. Although the dependence of people's perception of sports activity loyalty on environmental factors has been investigated, the relationship between sports activity loyalty's psycho-sociological variables is not yet well-understood. The current study aims to test the relationships among transformational leadership, pride, and sports activity loyalty perceived by Taekwondo athletes. Methods: Transformational leadership, pride, and sports activity loyalty were measured in 263 college Taekwondo athletes who participated in the 29th National University Taekwondo Individual Championships in 2022. SPSS 23.0, PROCESS Macro (V.2.13), and Amos 23.0 programs were used for data analysis. Results: Transformational leadership exerted a positive influence on sports activity loyalty in Taekwondo athletes and a positive influence on authentic pride; however, it decreased hubristic pride. Authentic pride exerted a positive influence on sports activity loyalty but had no effect on hubristic pride. By verifying the mediating effect based on the direct effect, it was proven that transformational leadership was a factor which positively affected sports activity loyalty by mediating authentic pride. Conclusions: The results of this study imply that it is necessary to strengthen sports activity loyalty by respecting athletes’ opinions, enhancing their autonomy, and improving their authentic pride of the athletes by demonstrating transformational leadership in the Taekwondo community to perceive the athletes’ sports activity loyalty.
Denoising Using Noise2Void for Low-Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Phantom Study

To reduce noise for low-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using Noise2Void (N2V) and to demonstrate the N2V validity. N2V is one of the denoising convolutional neural network methods that allows the training of a model without a noiseless clean image. In this study, a kiwi fruit was scanned using a 0.35 Tesla MRI system, and the image qualities at pre- and postdenoising were evaluated. Structural similarity (SSIM), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast ratio (CR) were measured, and visual assessment of noise and sharpness was observed. Both SSIM and SNR were significantly improved using N2V (P < 0.05). CR was unchanged between pre- and postdenoising images. The results of visual assessment for noise revealed higher scores in postdenoising images than that in predenoising images. The sharpness scores of postdenoising images were high when SNR was low. N2V provides effective noise reduction and is a useful denoising technique in low-field MRI.
siRNA-Mediated MELK Knockdown Induces Accelerated Wound Healing with Increased Collagen Deposition

Skin wounds remain a significant problem for the healthcare system, affecting the clinical outcome, patients’ quality of life, and financial costs. Reduced wound healing times would improve clinical, economic, and social aspects for both patients and the healthcare system. Skin wound healing has been studied for years, but effective therapy that leads to accelerated wound healing remains to be discovered. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of MELK silencing to accelerate wound healing. A vectorless, transient knockdown of the MELK gene using siRNA was performed in a murine skin wound model. The wound size, total collagen, type 3 collagen, vessel size, vessel number, cell proliferation, cell apoptosis, number of mast cells, and immune infiltration by CD45, CD11b, CD45, and CD8a cells were evaluated. We observed that treatment with MELK siRNA leads to significantly faster wound closing associated with increased collagen deposition.
Burnout among ICU Healthcare Workers at Two Tertiary Care Hospitals in Makkah during the Hajj Season

Background: The Hajj season results in increased workload and longer shift hours for healthcare workers at the intensive care units (ICUs), which may result in burnout. Objective: To determine the point prevalence of professional burnout and its predictors among healthcare workers at the ICUs of two tertiary care hospitals in Makkah during the Hajj season. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study included all healthcare professionals working at the ICU departments of two of the largest tertiary care hospitals in the Makkah region during the 1439/2018 Hajj season. The original Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) questionnaire was used to measure burnout. Logistic regression models were fitted to estimate the effect size of the associated risk factors. Results: A total of 354 participants completed the questionnaire. Moderate to severe burnout was found in each of the three subscales: emotional exhaustion, 56%; depersonalization, 82%, and impaired personal achievement, 72%. Nurses were significantly more likely to experience burnout compared with physicians (P = 0.017). Independent predictors of moderate or severe burnout were being aged ≤40 years (odds ratio [OR]: 2.1, 95% CI: 0.395–4.002; P = 0.045), female gender (OR: 2.2, 95% CI: 0.242–4.346; P = 0.037); work having a negative impact on family (OR: 3, 95% CI: 0.164–5.504; P = 0.019); unsatisfaction with salary (OR: 2.8, 95% CI: 0.28–5.056; P = 0.025); and working at the cardiac critical care unit (OR: 2.6, 95% CI: 0.440–4.467; P = 0.035). Conclusion: This study revealed that the point prevalence of burnout is common among ICU healthcare workers during the Hajj season. These findings can be used by policymakers to devise strategies to mitigate the risks of burnout during the Hajj season.
Numerical Study on Heat Transfer and Flow Characteristics of Supercritical CO2 in Printed Circuit Heat Exchangers with Zigzag Channels

Abstract The heat transfer and flow characteristics of supercritical CO2 in zigzag printed circuit heat exchangers (PCHEs) with different arcuate-sectional channels are numerically analyzed in this paper. The influences of channel width and bending angle of PCHE channels were discussed in detail. The upper side length of the arcuate channel ranges from 1.6 to 4.0 mm, and the bending angle varies from 15° to 25°. The inlet temperatures and pressures in cold side and hot side of PCHE are 373 K, 21 MPa and 493 K, 9 MPa, respectively. The mass flux in both sides of PCHE is equal, which ranging from 200 to 600 kg/m2 s. The results show that the characteristics of heat transfer and flow in zigzag PCHEs are extremely complex, which are mainly related to the flow impact and separation in channels. In general, increasing channel width can enhance the heat transfer. In a certain mass flux and bending angle range, increasing the channel width appropriately can reduce the friction factor effectively. However, when the limit is exceeded, increasing the channel width will increase friction factor. Therefore, appropriate channel width and bending angle can simultaneously enhance heat transfer and reduce resistance, which has significance for the design optimization of PCHE structure.
Factors Associated with Unplanned Transfer of Patients with Brain Tumor from Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit to Primary Acute Care Units

Inpatient rehabilitation should be assessed to improve each functional domain in patients with brain tumor. However, no previous study has reported risk factors for unplanned transfer of this patient population to primary acute care units during a comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation. The objective of this study was to investigate the percentage of unplanned transfer of brain tumor rehabilitation inpatients to primary acute care units compared with stroke patients and factors associated with such unplanned transfer. Data of 137 patients with brain tumor who were transferred to the department of physical and rehabilitation medicine were retrospectively reviewed. For comparison, data of 438 patients with subacute stroke were also obtained. Included patients were divided into an unplanned transfer group and a control group based on whether they required a transfer to another department for acute care before completing their comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation. Reasons for unplanned transfers were classified based on medical or surgical conditions. The incidence of unplanned transfers to the medical or surgical department was significantly higher in patients with brain tumor (15.3%) than in stroke patients (7.1%) (p < 0.05). Most of unplanned transfers occurred within two weeks of the comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation for patients with brain tumor. There was a significantly higher incidence of unplanned transfers in patients with a primary tumor than in those with a metastatic tumor (15.9% vs. 4.8%, p < 0.05). In addition, the frequency of chemotherapy or radiotherapy was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the unplanned transfer group than in the control group. The most common cause of an unplanned transfer was a neurologic cause (90.0%) in patients with brain tumor and an infectious disease such as pneumonia (51.6%) in stroke patients. In conclusion, these results demonstrated a higher incidence of unplanned transfers in patients with brain tumor than in stroke patients during intensive inpatient rehabilitation. Proportions of those with neurological problems were relatively higher in patients with brain tumor than in patients with subacute stroke.
Self‐induced phase gratings due to the inhomogeneous structure of acrylamide photopolymer systems used as holographic recording materials

We report the observation of self‐induced gratings or noise gratings in an acrylamide photopolymer for use in real time holography. The possibilities of this noise source as an optimization technique for this type of material are pointed out. Noise gratings in these polymer films were created upon exposure to a He–Ne laser collimated beam at 633 nm without any subsequent processing step. The influence of intensity on recording noise gratings and angular selectivity are reported showing its influence on the recording of this type of noise source in real time holographic materials.
Prediction of Students Performance Level Using Integrated Approach of ML Algorithms

In this paper, the efficacy of machine learning (ML) techniques for predicting the academic success of students is investigated. In issues pertaining to higher education, as well as machine learning, deep learning, and its linkages to educational data, predicting student achievement is essential. The choice of courses and the development of effective future study plans for students can be easier with the help of the capacity to forecast a student's success. In addition to predicting student achievement, it makes it easier for instructors and administrators to keep an eye on children so that they can offer support and integrate trainings for the greatest outcomes. In this study, we define the idea of predicting the student performance in education and its several iterations. We discuss a number of ML approaches, such as the Fuzzy C-Means, the Multi-Layer Perceptron (MPL), the Logistic Regression (LR), and the Random Forest (RF) algorithms, for predicting student achievement in the classroom. The models for forecasting student performance that are now in use and those that have been proposed in this paper are carefully investigated. The paper examines different combinations of the algorithms including FCM – MLP, FCM – LR, and FCM – RF, and provides the detailed results of each combination. These strategies are assessed using quantitative standards including accuracy, detection rate, and false alarm rate.
Measles Outbreak Response Activity in Japan, and a Discussion for a Possible Strategy of Outbreak Response Using Cycle Threshold Values of Real-Time Reverse Transcription PCR for Measles Virus in Measles Elimination Settings

Measles is a highly contagious, but vaccine-preventable disease caused by the measles virus (MeV). Although the administration of two doses of measles vaccines is the most effective strategy to prevent and eliminate measles, MeV continues to spread worldwide, even in 2022. In measles-eliminated countries, preparedness and response to measles outbreaks originating from imported cases are required to maintain elimination status. Under these circumstances, real-time reverse transcription (RT) PCR for MeV could provide a diagnostic method capable of strengthening the subnational capacity for outbreak responses. Real-time RT-PCR can detect MeV RNA from patients with measles at the initial symptomatic stage, which can enable rapid public health responses aimed at detecting their contacts and common sources of infection. Furthermore, low cycle threshold (Ct) values (i.e., high viral load) of throat swabs indicate high infectiousness in patients with measles. The high basic reproduction number of measles suggests that patients with high infectiousness can easily become super-spreaders. This opinion proposes a possible strategy of rapid and intensive responses to counter measles outbreaks caused by super-spreader candidates showing low Ct values in throat swabs. Our strategy would make it possible to effectively prevent further measles transmission, thereby leading to the early termination of measles outbreaks.
Finite element analysis of free edge stresses in non‐linear viscoelastic composites under uniaxial extension, bending and twisting loadings

A finite element procedure for the analysis of time-dependent interlaminar stresses in non-linear viscoelastic laminated composites subjected to arbitrary combinations of axial extension, bending and/or twisting loads has been developed based on Schapery’s non-linear constitutive relations and Pipes and Pagano’s displacement field for laminates under a generalized plane deformation state. Parametric studies are presented to demonstrate the accuracy of the numerical procedures. As illustrative examples, time-dependent non-linear interlaminar stresses for cross-ply and angle-ply laminates subjected to bending and twisting are present. Other layup orientations can be conveniently analysed using the presently developed numerical procedure. ( 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Int. J. Numer. Meth. Engng., 40, 4225—4238 (1997) No. of Figures: 8. No. of Tables: 0. No. of References: 35.
Feature-Based Molecular Networking for the Exploration of the Metabolome Diversity of Common Egyptian Centaurea Species in Relation to Their Cytotoxic Activity

Centaurea is a genus compromising over 250 herbaceous flowering species and is used traditionally to treat several ailments. Among the Egyptian Centaurea species, C. lipii was reported to be cytotoxic against multidrug-resistant cancer cells. In this context, we aimed to explore the metabolome of C. lipii and compare it to other members of the genus in pursuance of identifying its bioactive principles. An LC-MS/MS analysis approach synchronized with feature-based molecular networks was adopted to offer a holistic overview of the metabolome diversity of the Egyptian Centaurea species. The studied plants included C. alexandrina, C. calcitrapa, C. eryngioides, C. glomerata, C. lipii, C. pallescens, C. pumilio, and C. scoparia. Their constitutive metabolome showed diverse chemical classes such as cinnamic acids, sesquiterpene lactones, flavonoids, and lignans. Linking the recorded metabolome to the previously reported cytotoxicity identified sesquiterpene lactones as the major contributors to this activity. To confirm our findings, bioassay-guided fractionation of C. lipii was adopted and led to the isolation of the sesquiterpene lactone cynaropicrin with an IC50 of 1.817 µM against the CCRF-CEM leukemia cell line. The adopted methodology highlighted the uniqueness of the constitutive metabolome of C. lipii and determined the sesquiterpene lactones to be the responsible cytotoxic metabolites.
Practical application of maximum entropy method in electron density and bonding studies

The application of the maximum entropy method (MEM) in crystallography for the determination of electron density distribution and bonding is presented in this paper through studies carried out on several important materials, viz., semiconductors, metals and ionic systems. Both single crystal and powder XRD structure factors are considered for the elucidation of the electronic picture of the bonding in these materials.