Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development of fluorescent epoxy composite with carbon‐based nanomaterial additives derived from agricultural waste

Fluorescent polymers have exciting applications in sensing, imaging, and probes. Agricultural waste is increasingly being used to develop fluorescent nanomaterials due to technology, cost, and waste management advantages. This study developed fluorescent carbon‐based nanomaterials, that is, potassium doped graphene oxide (K‐GO) from Quercus ilex waste and used them to optimize fluorescent epoxy nanocomposites. The resulting nanocomposites showed significant enhancement in tensile strength with only 0.05 wt% of the renewable nanomaterial. The developed fluorescent epoxy nanocomposites have enhanced thermal and mechanical properties and can be used in sensing, imaging, and other applications.
Task Class Partitioning for Mobile Computation Offloading

This article introduces algorithms for static task class partitioning in mobile computation offloading (MCO). The objective is to partition a given set of task classes into two sets that are either executed locally by the mobile device (MD) or those classes that are permitted to contend for remote edge server (ES) execution. The goal is to find the task class partition that gives the minimum mean MD power consumption subject to task completion deadlines. This article generates these partitions for both soft and hard task completion deadlines. Two variations of the problem are considered. The first assumes that the wireless and computational capacities are given and the second generates both capacity assignments subject to an additional resource cost budget constraint. The proposed partitioning algorithms are based on heuristic class ordering methods. This article introduces two class ordering methods, a simpler one based on a task latency criterion, and an hierarchical version that first sorts and groups classes based on a mean power consumption criterion and then orders the task classes within each group based on a task completion time criterion. A variety of simulation results are presented that demonstrate the excellent performance of the proposed solutions for both given and optimized network resource assignments.
Richard Price, the First Bayesian

Roughly half of Bayes’s famous essay was written by Richard Price, including the Appendix with all of the numerical examples. A study of this Appendix reveals Price (1) unusually for the time, felt it necessary to allow in his analysis for a hypothesis having been suggested by the same data used in its analysis, (2) was motivated (covertly in 1763, overtly in 1767) to undertake the study to refute David Hume on miracles, and (3) displayed a remarkable sense of collegiality in scientific controversy that should stand as a model for the present day. Price’s analysis of the posterior in one particular example, including locating the posterior median and giving and interpreting credible regions, qualifies him as the first person to apply Bayes’s theory.
Improved mixed-integer linear programming model and heuristics for bi-objective single-machine batch scheduling with energy cost consideration

ABSTRACT This article addresses bi-objective single-machine batch scheduling under time-of-use electricity prices to minimize the total energy cost and the makespan. The lower and upper bounds on the number of formed batches are first derived and a continuous-time mixed-integer linear programming model is proposed, which improves an existing discrete-time model in the literature. Two improved heuristics are proposed based on the improved model. Computational experiments demonstrate that the improved model and heuristics can run hundreds of times faster than the existing ones for large-size instances.
The effect of parenting styles on Chinese undergraduate nursing students’ academic procrastination: the mediating role of causal attribution and self-efficacy

Background Academic procrastination is common among college students, but there is a lack of research on the influencing mechanism of academic procrastination among nursing students. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of parental rearing patterns on academic procrastination of nursing students, and the mediating role of causal attribution and self-efficacy. Methods Using Parental Bonding Instrument, Aitken Procrastination Inventory, Multidimensional Multi-Attribution Causality Scale and General Self-Efficiency Scale, the data of 683 nursing undergraduates from two universities in China were collected. Moreover, path analysis for structural equation modeling via AMOS 26.0 to evaluate mediation path model. Results Positive parenting style was negatively associated with academic procrastination (r = –0.350) and negative parenting style was positively associated with academic procrastination (r = 0.402). Positive parenting style directly or indirectly predicted academic procrastination through the mediating effect of internal attributional style (β = –0.10, 95% CI: –0.18 to –0.04) and self-efficacy (β = –0.07, 95% CI: –0.11 to –0.03), and this mediating effect accounted for 41.46% of the total effect. Positive parenting style directly or indirectly predicted academic delay through the mediating effect of external attributional style (β = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.07 to 0.17) and self-efficacy (β = 0.05, 95% CI: 0.03 to 0.08), and this mediating effect accounted for 42.5% of the total effect. In addition, causal attribution and self-efficacy of nursing students play a chain intermediary role between parenting style and academic procrastination. Conclusion Parents should give students more care and autonomy and reduce control. In addition, educators should give students attribution training, which is helpful to improve students’ self-efficacy and reduce academic procrastination.
Chlamydia trachomatis TmeB antagonizes actin polymerization via direct interference with Arp2/3 activity

Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular pathogen that actively promotes invasion of epithelial cells. A virulence-associated type III secretion system contributes to chlamydial entry and at least four effectors have been described that are deployed during this time. Two of these invasion-related effectors, the translocated membrane-associated effectors A and B (TmeA and TmeB), are encoded in a bi-cistronic operon. TmeA directly activates host N-WASP to stimulate Arp2/3-dependent actin polymerization. According to current working models, TmeA-mediated N-WASP activation contributes to invasion. TmeB has not been functionally characterized. Unlike a tmeA null strain, loss of tmeB does not impact invasion efficiency of C. trachomatis. Using strains deficient for multiple genes, we provide evidence that TmeA is dispensable for invasion in the absence of TmeB. Our data indicate that overabundance of TmeB interferes with invasion and that this activity requires active Arp2/3 complex. We further show that TmeB is capable of interfering with Arp2/3-mediated actin polymerization. In aggregate, these data point to opposing functions for TmeA and TmeB that manifest during the invasion process. These studies raise intriguing questions regarding the dynamic interplay between TmeA, TmeB, and branched actin polymerization during chlamydial entry.
Frequency-domain electromagnetic induction for the prediction of electrical conductivity and magnetic susceptibility using geostatistical inversion and randomized tensor decomposition

High-resolution characterization of near-surface systems is crucial for a variety of subsurface applications. Frequency-domain electromagnetic induction (FDEM) has been widely used in near-surface characterization when compared with other geophysical methods due to its flexibility in acquisition and the ability to survey large areas with high-resolution but with relatively low costs. FDEM measurements are sensitive to subsurface electrical conductivity and magnetic susceptibility. However, the prediction of these properties requires solving a geophysical inverse problem. We combine ensemble smoother with multiple data assimilation (ES-MDA) and model re-parameterization via randomized tensor decomposition (RTD) to simultaneously predict electrical conductivity and magnetic susceptibility from measured FDEM data. ES-MDA is an iterative data assimilation method, which can be applied to nonlinear forward operators and provides multiple posterior realizations conditioned on the geophysical measurements to evaluate the model uncertainty. However, its application is usually computationally prohibitive for large-scale three-dimensional problems. To overcome this limitation, we reduce the model parameters using RTD and then perform the inversion in the low-dimensional model space. The method is applied to synthetic and noisy real data sets. In the synthetic application example, the predicted posterior realizations do recover the true models of EC and MS accurately. The real case application comprises FDEM data acquired over an arable land characterized by quaternary siliciclastic deposits with geoarchaeological features. We assess the performance of the inversion method at a borehole location not used to constrain the inversion. The inverted models do capture the available log data, illustrating the applicability of the inversion method to noisy real data. #xD;
Power System Fault Diagnosis Method Based on Intuitionistic Fuzzy Sets and Incidence Matrices

Fault diagnosis is critical to ensuring the stable and reliable operation of power systems. Currently, power system fault diagnosis faces two challenges. One is that fault diagnosis methods do not fully consider power system scale and topology changes. The other is that the uncertainty of alarm information yields inaccurate fault diagnosis results. To address the above problems, this article proposes a fault diagnosis method based on intuitionistic fuzzy sets and incidence matrices. First, the fault area is searched, and its incidence matrices are constructed. Then, the intuitionistic fuzzy numbers are assigned to the incidence matrices using proposed assignment rules to form intuitionistic fuzzy incidence matrices while considering the missing alarm information. Finally, the fault diagnosis model based on intuitionistic fuzzy incidence matrices and its reasoning process are utilized to diagnose the fault area. The case studies illustrate that the proposed method has high accuracy and fault tolerance. The fault diagnosis model is independent of the power system scale and can adapt to topology changes. Moreover, the reasoning process is low-complexity and easy to implement. The proposed method is demonstrated to satisfy the demand for online fault diagnosis in large-scale power systems.
Physical Burden and Perceived Stress of Personal Protective Equipment During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Study in the United Arab Emirates

Introduction Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, personal protective equipment (PPE) has become necessary. According to published research, PPE-related physical impacts were probably underreported during the pandemic. Objective To examine the physical burden and perceived stress associated with prolonged PPE wearing among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods This was a cross-sectional retrospective study of 209 nurses working in two hospitals in the UAE. A convenience sampling technique was applied, and the data were collected using an online questionnaire. Data collection was completed within three months (April 2022 to June 2022). The completed questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS version 21. Chi-square statistics was used to test the association of categorical variables at a 5% level of significance. Results A total of 209 nurses had a mean age of 38.4 ± 8.7 years. More than 65.1% wore PPE continuously for 4 hrs per day. The most common physical burdens reported were difficulty in breathing (62.2%), excessive thirst (41.6%), and facial itchiness (39.2%). Most participants (95.2%) reported high-stress levels. There was no significant association between the level of stress and the duration of wearing PPE (p = .43 > .05). However, the authors found a statistically significant association between breathing difficulty with face masks and the duration of wearing them (p < .05). In addition, itchiness/rash related to gloves was significantly associated with wearing duration (p < .05). Conclusion Findings show that nurses experienced adverse effects from PPE use, which increased with the number of hours of wearing. Further studies with a larger sample size will allow for generalization of the study results.
Multimodality Treatment and Salvage Surgery for the Treatment of Lung Cancer

Simple Summary There is a broad variety of treatment options for lung cancer, which include medical therapy and surgical resection. Opinion varies as to the optimal treatment options and combinations in different contexts of the disease, which has an impact on the prognosis of the disease—relapse and survival. This is a descriptive study on patients who underwent multimodality therapy (a combination of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgical resection) and an evaluation of patient and disease characteristics that may have an impact on the treatment pathway. Abstract Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in the United Kingdom. For locally advanced disease, multimodality treatment is recommended, which includes a combination of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery and, more recently immunotherapy. Options depend on the resectability of the cancer and there has been debate about the optimal treatment strategy: surgery may be planned to follow chemoradiotherapy (CRT), be offered for residual disease after CRT, or given as salvage therapy for patients treated with CRT who have later relapse of their disease. We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients who underwent CRT and surgical resection under a single surgical team and performed a descriptive study after dividing the patients into these three groups. For the planned trimodality group, 30-day mortality this was 7% (n = 1) and 1-year survival was 78.6%; the residual disease group had a 30-day mortality rate of 0% and 1-year survival of 81.3%; for the salvage group, the figures were 0% and 62.5%, respectively. The median overall survival of the study population was 35.8 months. Median overall survival in the trimodality group was 35.4 months (20.1–51.7 interquartile range IQR), for the residual group was 34.2 months (18.5–61.0 IQR). and for the salvage group was 35.8 months (32.4–52.7 IQR). )
Comprehensive excited state carrier dynamics of 2D selenium: One-photon and multi-photon absorption regimes

Semiconductors play a critical role in optoelectronic applications, and recent research has identified group-VI 2D semiconductors as promising materials for this purpose. Here, we report the comprehensive excited state carrier dynamics of bilayer, two-dimensional (2D) selenium (Se) in one-photon and multi-photon absorption regimes using transient reflection (TR) spectroscopy. Carrier lifetime obtained from TR measurement is used to theoretically predict the photo-responsivity for 2D Se photo-detectors operating in the one-photon-absorption regime. We also calculate a giant two-photon absorption cross section of 2.9×105 GM at 750 nm hinting possible application of 2D Se as a sub-bandgap photo-detector. The carrier recombination process is dominated by surface and sub-surface defect states in one- and multi-photon absorption regimes, respectively, resulting nearly one order increased carrier lifetime in a three-photon-absorption regime (1700 ps) compared to a one-photon-absorption regime (103 ps). Femtosecond Z-scan measurement shows saturation behavior for above bandgap excitation, further indicating the possibility of 2D Se as a saturable absorber material for passive Q-switching. Our study provides comprehensive insight into the excited state carrier dynamics of bilayer 2D Se and highlights its potential as a versatile material for various linear and non-linear optoelectronic applications.
The Business Model as a technique for problem identification and scoping: a case study of Brazilian drinking water quality assessment sector

In this case study, a Business Model Canvas (BMC) was used as a technique for problem identification and scoping for the introduction of a new technology or methodology for water quality assessment. Therefore, information about the Brazilian water supply sector was used for the application of a BMC based on technological innovations for coliform analysis. The innovations proposed in the study include faster results, internet connection, and portability. To populate the model, data regarding the drinking water quality from Brazil were used from public data banks and reports. Also, a group of accountable representatives from diverse water supply systems and water quality laboratories reported their experience with the new coliform analysis and their perception of its technological improvement. The major gaps identified in this study were simplicity and faster results. These may be associated with technological improvements such as portability and internet connection. It was possible to conclude that the segment is diverse, and the BMC highlighted that value might differ for different niches. The results emphasized that the application of a BMC may be more than a business tool. It can also be used by developers or scientists to understand and improve both, technology concepts and applications.
Experience of Pediatric Nurses in Parent-Child Isolation Units of COVID-19 Designated Hospitals: A Qualitative Study

Background The omicron pandemic in Shanghai has created unprecedented challenges for pediatric medical institutions, and the work of pediatric nurses has changed rapidly due to the introduction of parent-child treatment. This study aimed to explore the experiences of pediatric nurses in the parent-child isolation unit of COVID-19-designated hospitals and provide a basis for developing feasible interventions as the next step. Methods Using phenomenological research methods, 12 nurses working in the parent-child isolation unit of Shanghai Children’s Medical Center affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine from April 1, 2022, to June 15, 2022, were selected by purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews and data analysis were conducted using Colaizzi’s 7-step analysis. Results Data analysis revealed three major themes and 11 subthemes. The main themes were “risk factors”, “protection factors”, and “resilience strategies”. The sub-themes were “challenge of caring for both adults and children simultaneously”, “lack of adult expertise leads to inadequate coping skills”, “change in the care population increased communication difficulties”, “physical and psychological distress”, “social support”, “social recognition”, “awareness of responsibilities and roles”, “team coming together”, “hunger for knowledge”, “health promotion”, and “psychological adjustment strategies”. Conclusion Hospital managers should optimize hospital management strategies, pay attention to multi-departmental and multidisciplinary team cooperation, reduce the burden on pediatric nurses, improve the work and rest environment, mobilize the hospital support system, and maintain nurse’s physical and mental health, establish a warm parent-child isolation unit encourages nurses to listen to the patients’ voices and adopt diversified communication methods, and strengthen the publicity of the nursing profession, improve social support and recognition, and enhance the sense of self-worth and mission.
Role of Endoscopic Procedure in Foreign Body (Button Battery) Ingestion in Children: A Case Report

Abstract: Foreign body (FB) ingestion is a common problem especially in children below the age of 5 years. Due to the extensive use of batteries as power supply in electronic gadgets, cases of button battery ingestion have become more common. If a button battery was found in the stomach of a child under the age of five, it should be assessed for esophageal injury and removed endoscopically, if at all possible, within 24 to 48 hours. We reported a 3-year-old boy who swallowed a foreign body three hours before being admitted to the hospital. Initially the patient was playing with robot toys that used batteries, then a battery of the robots was accidently swallowed. The patient had no symptoms and physical examinations showed no abnormalities. Abdominal X-ray examination revealed a foreign body located in the stomach. The patient underwent endoscopic foreign body removal but no foreign body was found until the second part of duodenum. Therefore, an exploratory laparotomy was performed, and the foreign body, a button battery, was removed from the ileum. In conclusion, since endoscopic foreign body removal failed to remove the foreign body in this patient, an exploratory laparotomy was performed and through antimesenterial ileotomy, the foreign body, a button battery, was successfully removed. Keywords: foreign body; endoscopic foreign body removal; exploratory laparotomy
Remaining Useful Life Estimation Based on a Segmental Hidden Markov Model With Continuous Observations

In this paper, a segmental hidden Markov model (SHMM) with continuous observations, is developed to tackle the problem of remaining useful life (RUL) estimation. The proposed approach has the advantage of predicting the RUL and detecting the degradation states simultaneously. As the observation space is discretized into N segments corresponding to N hidden states, the explicit relationship between actual degradation paths and the hidden states can be depicted. The continuous observations are fitted by Gaussian, Gamma and Lognormal distribution, respectively. To select a more suitable distribution, model validation metrics are employed for evaluating the goodness-of-fit of the available models to the observed data. The unknown parameters of the SHMM can be estimated by the maximum likelihood method with the complete data. Then a recursive method is used for RUL estimation. Finally, an illustrate case is analyzed to demonstrate the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed method. The result also suggests that SHMM with observation probability distribution which is closer to the real data behavior may be more suitable for the prediction of RUL.Copyright © 2017 by ASME
In Silico Comparative Genomic Analysis Revealed a Highly Conserved Proteolytic System in Lactobacillus delbrueckii

Lactobacillus delbrueckii, the type species of the genus Lactobacillus, is widely recognized as the primary starter culture in the dairy industry due to its proteolytic activity, which enables it to growth in milk. In this study, a comprehensive genomic analysis of the proteolytic system was conducted on L. delbrueckii strains. The analysis included 27 genomes of L. delbrueckii, with a specific focus on the key enzyme involved in this system, the cell envelope-associated proteinase (CEP). The amino acid sequences, as well as the protein-structure prediction of the CEPs, were compared. Additionally, syntenic analysis of the genomic locus related to the CEPs revealed high conservation in L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus strains, while L. delbrueckii subsp. lactis strains exhibited greater variability, including the presence of insertion sequences, deletions, and rearrangements. Finally, the CEP promoter region and putative regulatory elements responsible for controlling the expression of the proteolytic system in lactobacilli were investigated. Our genomic analysis and in silico characterization of the CEPs contribute to our understanding of proteolytic activity and the potential applications of these lactic acid bacteria in the dairy industry. Further research in this area will expand our knowledge and potential practical uses of these findings.