Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
REMINERALIZING EFFECT OF SILVER NANOPARTICLES ADDED TO FLUORIDATED PIT AND FISSURE SEALANT ON CARIES LIKE LESIONS IN PERMANENT TEETH: IN VITRO STUDY

BACKGROUND: The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of silver nanoparticles addition to fluoridecontaining pits and fissure sealant (PFS) on the remineralization of enamel caries-like lesions in permanent teeth in comparison to fluoridated and non-fluoridated PFS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fourty four sound human premolars with standardized occlusal window were immersed in the demineralizing solution for 96 hours to create initial carious lesions on the exposed enamel surface. They were randomly assigned into four groups according to the sealant used: GroupI: silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) added to fluoridated PFS Group II: fluoridated PFS Group III: non-fluoridated PFS Group IV: negative control (received no treatment). The specimens underwent pH cycling for 10 consecutive days. The enamel mineral content in weight % at baseline, after demineralization and pH cycling were evaluated quantitatively by Energy Dispersive Xray (EDX) and five teeth from each group were randomly selected for qualitative assessment of enamel sealant interface topography by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). RESULTS: Post-treatment quantitative results revealed statistically significant higher mean Calcium (Ca), Phosphorous (P) content, and Ca/P ratio in the AgNPs group than the fluoridated PFS group (33.23 ± 1.09, 16.20 ± 0.51, and 2.03 ± 0.12 respectively) with no significant difference regarding the fluoride (F) content (P<0.05). However, the fluoridated PFS group showed higher mean Ca, P content, and Ca/P ratio as compared with the non-fluoridated and negative control groups (29.68 ± 1.31, 13.32 ± 0.93, and 1.95 ± 0.11 respectively). While the last two groups did not show any significant mineral gain. The qualitative finding revealed a white zone formed in both the AgNps and the Fluoride added PFS groups. However, no such zone was noticed in the Non-fluoridated PFS group. CONCLUSION: AgNPs addition enhanced the remineralization potential of fluoridated PFS.
The Molecular Gut-Brain Axis in Early Brain Development

Millions of nerves, immune factors, and hormones in the circulatory system connect the gut and the brain. In bidirectional communication, the gut microbiota play a crucial role in the gut-brain axis (GBA), wherein microbial metabolites of the gut microbiota regulate intestinal homeostasis, thereby influencing brain activity. Dynamic changes are observed in gut microbiota as well as during brain development. Altering the gut microbiota could serve as a therapeutic target for treating abnormalities associated with brain development. Neurophysiological development and immune regulatory disorders are affected by changes that occur in gut microbiota composition and function. The molecular aspects relevant to the GBA could help develop targeted therapies for neurodevelopmental diseases. Herein, we review the findings of recent studies on the role of the GBA in its underlying molecular mechanisms in the early stages of brain development. Furthermore, we discuss the bidirectional regulation of gut microbiota from mother to infant and the potential signaling pathways and roles of posttranscriptional modifications in brain functions. Our review summarizes the role of molecular GBA in early brain development and related disorders, providing cues for novel therapeutic targets.
Blind CFO Compensation for Next Gen WLAN Systems

With the next Gen Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) all geared up to enhance the network wireless capacity in gigabits with utmost reliability for mixed environments utilizing the MIMO OFDM/OFDMA technique with reduced subcarrier spacing and denser modulation schemes. These stern requirements make the system to be highly susceptible to Carrier Frequency Offset (CFO) and the IEEE standard specifies a very stringent frequency offset limit to be well within ±20ppm which is a demanding ask to be met to keep all the WiFi stations to operate within their specified channels with minimum spectral leakage. The current article proposes a novel blind carrier frequency offset compensation method which efficiently computes the CFO. The simulation results prove that the performance of the proposed algorithm not only satisfies the prescribed limits of ±20ppm but it is also robust to even higher offsets like ±25ppm. The proposed algorithm can be utilized in WiFi standards such as IEEE 802.11 n/ax. Rayleigh interference with additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel was applied to analyze the algorithm’s performance. This technique offers better synchronization and reliable communication.
Effects of Aerobic Training in Patients with Subacute COVID-19: A Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial

Many clinical practice recommendations indicate rehabilitation as essential for patients with sequelae of severe or critical COVID-19 and suggest the prompt initiation of a multicomponent rehabilitation program focused on aerobic and endurance training. However, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding aerobic exercise are lacking. Therefore, we aimed to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of the addition of aerobic training to standard rehabilitation in subjects with subacute COVID-19. Participants were 32/214 patients with the sequelae of severe or critical COVID-19 in the acute phase who were eligible and agreed to participate in the study (eligibility = 15%, recruitment = 100%). After randomization and assessment with functional and strength tests, all the participants underwent an inpatient-tailored rehabilitation program (50 min/day, 5 days/week, 10 sessions); in addition, the experimental group performed a low- to moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (30 min/day, 10 sessions). No dropouts or severe adverse events were reported, with an attendance rate of 95.6%. Most of the secondary outcomes significantly improved in both groups, but the improvement in the Functional Independence Measure and Cumulated Ambulation Score—Italian version was significantly greater in the experimental group (at least, p < 0.05). This RCT showed that aerobic exercise is feasible and safe in subacute COVID-19. Moreover, it appears to be beneficial and useful in improving patients’ independence and mobility.
Determinants of Banks’ Stability in Jordan

This paper aims to examine the determinants of financial stability in Jordanian commercial banks based on annual data for the period from 2011 to 2018. Based on the pooled effect model, this study shows that SME loans and capital adequacy positively and statistically affect the stability of Jordanian commercial banks, while financial inclusion, liquidity risk and credit risk negatively and statistically affect the stability of Jordanian commercial banks. The study recommends increasing the directing of bank loans towards small and medium enterprises, and the necessity for bank managers to commit to capital adequacy requirements because of their positive impact on banks’ stability. This study recommends that banks experiencing financial stability accelerate the increase in the rate of financial inclusion because financial inclusion ratios are very low in most of these stable banks. On the other hand, Jordanian commercial banks that have relatively high rates of financial inclusion should reduce the operating expenses resulting from financial inclusion. Bank managers also have to maintain sufficient liquidity in their banks and enhance credit standards by increasing collateral requirement from customers.
Compressive Sensing Recovery of Natural Images Using Smooth Residual Error Regularization

압축센싱은 성긴 (sparse) 신호에 대해 Nyquist rate 미만의 샘플링으로도 신호 획득이 가능하다는 것을 수학적으로 증명한 새로운 개념이다. 그동안 영상분야 압축센싱을 위한 수많은 복원 알고리즘들이 제안되어 왔으나, 낮은 측정률 하에서는 복원 화질 측면에서 아직 개선할 점이 많다. 일례로, 자연 영상의 압축센싱 복원 화질 향상을 위해, 영상과 관련한 사전 정보들로부터 정규화 식을 도출하여 복원에 적용해 볼 수 있을 것이다. 따라서, 본 논문에서는 Dantzig selector 및 평활 필터(가우시안필터 및 nonlocal 평균 필터)기반의 평활 잔차 오류 정규화 방법을 제안한다. 또한, 복원 영상의 객체 및 배경에서 발생하는 edge 정보를 우수하게 보전하는 것으로 알려진 Total variation 기반 최소화 알고리즘에 적용하여 복원 영상의 화질을 향상시키는 방법을 제안한다. 제안하는 구조는 잔차신호의 평활화를 활용한다는 측면에서 새로운 압축센싱 복원 방식이라고 할 수 있다. 실험 결과, 제안방법은 기존 방법들에 비해 객관적 및 주관적 화질 측면에서 더 높은 성능 향상을 보여주었으며, 특히 기존 Bayesian 압축센싱 복원 방식과 비교 시 최대 9.14 dB 성능이 향상되었다.
Acne Vulgaris Severity Correlation with Serum Calprotectin: A Prospective Case-Controlled Study

Background: Acne vulgaris is an inflammatory skin disease which is extremely common. Acne affects around 85% of teenagers, and its effects can persist into adulthood for some. It has been hypothesized that calprotectin plays an inflammatory function in acne vulgaris, and so contributes to its etiopathogenesis. Objective: The aim of the current study was to measure serum calprotectin in patients with acne vulgaris and finds any links between that measure and the severity of the underlying condition. Patients and methods: A total of 45 people with a diagnosis of acne vulgaris and 45 controls of the same age and sex participated in the study. They were selected from the Dermatology, Andrology, and STDs outpatient clinic at Mansoura University Hospitals between May 2021 and May 2022. Results: Acne vulgaris patients had considerably higher serum calprotectin levels with median of 18.9 compared with a median of 11 of the healthy volunteers (P <0.001). The GAGS (Global Acne Grading System) score was positively correlated with age (r= 0.341, P =0.022), body mass index (r= 0.538, P <0.001), acne duration (r= 0.461, P <0.001), and serum calprotectin (r= 0.874, P <0.001). GAGS scores was also positively correlated with serum calprotectin (r= 0.943, P <0.001), acne duration (r= 0.523, P <0.001), and age (r= 0.392, P =0.008). Conclusion: Acne vulgaris patients had increased serum calprotectin levels compared to control subjects, and they have a statistically significant relationship with disease severity, suggesting that calprotectin may be used as a chemical biomarker to determine disease severity.
Tracing the stellar mass in M51

We present optical and IR surface photometry of M51 (NGC 5194) at B, V, R, I, J, K, and CO(2.3 μm). These data are used to establish whether K band (2.2 μm) images of spiral galaxies provide reliable maps of stellar surface mass density features such as massive spiral arms or bars. The main distorting agents in the mapping at shorter wavelengths are dust extinction and luminous young stars. From modeling the color changes across the main dust lanes in M51, we find the optical depths to be ∼0.5 in the K band. For these optical depths the K band flux is attenuated by only ≤10% even in the dust lanes
Manipulating Dual Bound States in the Continuum for Efficient Spatial Light Modulator.

Spatial light modulators (SLMs) that could control diverse optical properties are highly demanded by many optoelectronic systems. Recently, the integration of nonlinear χ(2) materials and metasurfaces has been recognized as a promising strategy for next-generation SLMs. However, their modulation efficiency still encounters challenges due to low quality factor and weak light-matter interaction. Here, we demonstrate an efficient SLM by manipulating the dual bound state in continuum (BIC) with the assistance of a binary-pore anodic alumina oxide template technique. The coexistence of symmetry-protected BIC and Fabry-Pérot BIC is obtained by a desirable sandwich configuration with a BIC metasurface and EO polymer, which efficiently restrain radiative loss and generate a strong quasi-BIC resonance. The assembled SLM with large absorption and Q-factor delivers a modulation depth of 77% and an f3 dB of nearly 100 MHz. This dual BIC metasurface provides potential for applications including switches, LIDAR, augmented and virtual reality, and so on.
Adaptive hypothesis testing using wavelets

Let a function f be observed with a noise. We wish to test the null hypothesis that the function is identically zero, against a composite nonparametric alternative: functions from the alternative set are separated away from zero in an integral (e.g., L 2 ) norm and also possess some smoothness properties. The minimax rate of testing for this problem was evaluated in earlier papers by Ingster and by Lepski and Spokoiny under different kinds of smoothness assumptions. It was shown that both the optimal rate of testing and the structure of optimal (in rate) tests depend on smoothness parameters which are usually unknown in practical applications. In this paper the problem of adaptive (assumption free) testing is considered. It is shown that adaptive testing without loss of efficiency is impossible. An extra log log-factor is inessential but unavoidable payment for the adaptation. A simple adaptive test based on wavelet technique is constructed which is nearly minimax for a wide range of Besov classes.
More Absorbing Dust Aerosol Inferred from Sky Radiometer Measurements at Anmyeon, Korea

In this paper we present evidence that Asian dusts can become more absorbing aerosols when mixed with pollutants. Spectral direct/diffuse solar radiations were measured on April 7, 2000 at Anmyeon-Do, Korea, when a narrow and heavy dust band moved through the Anmyeon measurement site. Lowest SSA values (about 0.91) are found within the dust band, while comparatively high values (up to 0.97) are found outside over the non-dust area at about 300 km away from the dust band. Considering that the air masses passed through the Anmyeon site took nearly the same path through the Beijing area, obtained results strongly suggest that there may be interactions between air pollutants and mineral dust aerosols that lead to the decreased SSA and thus to the more solar absorption by dust aerosols. In other words, Asian dusts tend to become darkened after mixing with pollutant particles produced over the industrial /urban area of China.
STALITA: Innovative Platform for Bank Transactions Analysis

Acts of fraud have become much more prevalent in the financial industry with the rise of technology and the continued economic growth in modern society. Fraudsters are evolving their approaches continuously to exploit the vulnerabilities of the current prevention measures in place, many of whom are targeting the financial sector. To overcome and investigate financial frauds, this paper presents STALITA, which is an innovative platform for the analysis of bank transactions. STALITA enables graph-based data analysis using a powerful Neo4j graph database and the Cypher query language. Additionally, a diversity of other supporting tools, such as support for heterogeneous data sources, force-based graph visualisation, pivot tables, and time charts, enable in-depth investigation of the available data. In the Results section, we present the usability of the platform through real-world case scenarios.
Budget transparency and internal revenue mobilisation at sub-national government level: evidence from Nigeria

Internal revenue mobilisation by governments at the sub-national level has been low in Nigeria. In view of the rise in the level of budget transparency at the sub-national level in recent times, this study examines the hypothesis that improved budget transparency leads to greater revenue mobilisation. The study adopts both cross-sectional and panel regression analyses based on data for 2015, 2018 and 2020. The findings suggest that the hypothesis that improved budget transparency improves revenue mobilisation cannot be rejected, but population density (urban-isation), poverty and unemployment are the dominant factors that explain revenue mobilisation by the state governments in Nigeria. The study also reiterates the need to control corruption in order to make sustainable progress in revenue mobi - lisation at sub-national level.
Effects of Shifting Spring Phenology on Growing Season Carbon Uptake in High Latitudes

Phenological shifts not only alter the growing season length, but also modify land‐atmosphere exchanges of water and energy, which in turn affects ecosystem carbon uptake. However, how changes in the start of the growing season (SOS) affect carbon uptake throughout growing season has not been fully explored for high‐latitude ecosystems. Here, we investigated the impacts of SOS shifts on carbon uptake and the mechanisms over 2000–2020 in the northern high latitudes (>50°N) using multiple satellite and climate data sets. We found a contrasting response of gross primary productivity (GPP) in the early (April–June) and late (July–September) growing season to SOS shifts. Advanced SOS resulted in increased early‐season GPP, whereas slightly decreased late‐season GPP. The earlier SOS resulted from a warmer early season, which induced a decline of snow to precipitation ratio, therefore drier soil and atmosphere. In the early season, when water requirement of vegetation was low, the warm and dry conditions ensured favorable solar radiation and improved vegetation water use efficiency (WUE), thus enhancing photosynthesis. The dry soil and atmosphere conditions extended to the late season due to less snow and excessive water utilization by vegetation in the early season, which therefore slightly suppressed photosynthesis by weakening WUE. Conversely, the delayed SOS resulted in reduced early‐season GPP and slightly enhanced late‐season GPP due to the opposite thermal and moisture conditions to that of advanced SOS. The SOS is likely to be further advanced as warming continues in the high latitudes, intensifying seasonal contrasts in vegetation photosynthesis capacity.
A boundary-element analysis of flagellar propulsion

The swimming of a flagellar micro-organism by the propagation of helical waves along its flagellum is analysed by a boundary-element method. The method is not restricted to any particular geometry of the organism nor does it assume a specific wave motion for the flagellum. However, only results for an organism with a spherical or ellipsoidal cell body and a helically beating flagellum are presented here. With regard to the flagellum, it is concluded that the optimum helical wave (amplitude α and wavenumber k) has αk ≈ 1 (pitch angle of 45°) and that for the optimum flagellar length L/A = 10 (L being the flagellar length, A being the radius of the assumed spherical cell body) the optimum number of wavelengths Nλ is about 1.5. Furthermore there appears to be no optimal value for the flagellar radius a, with the thinner flagella being favoured. These conclusions show excellent quantitative agreement with those of slender-body theory. For the case of an ellipsoidal cell body, the optimum aspect ratios B/A and C/A of the ellipsoid are about 0.7 and 0.3 respectively; A, B and C are the principal radii of the ellipsoid. These and all of the above conclusions show good qualitative agreement with experimental observations of efficiently swimming micro-organisms.
Influence of V:YAG saturable absorber orientation on linearly polarized laser Q-switching

The impact of the V:YAG saturable absorber nonlinear transmission polarization anisotropy on Q-switched laser system was investigated. Two various cuts ([111] and [100]) of V:YAG crystal with the same initial transmission 87% @ 1.3 μm were used as a passive Q-switch for longitudinaly diode pumped linearly polarized Nd:YAP laser operating at 1342 nm. This laser consisted of 8.2mm long Nd:YAP crystal placed in 100mm long semihemisferical resonator. The flat mirror in vicinity of Nd:YAP crystal was transparent for pumping radiation at 805nm and highly reflecting at operating wavelength 1342 nm. The curved output coupler (radius of curvature 146mm) had reflectivity 92% @ 1342 nm. The laser was tested under pulsed pumping for the duty-cycle 9% and under CW pumping. The laser output parameters (mean output power, pulse width, repetition rate, energy, and peak power) were measured for absorber turning around longitudinal crystal axis. In this configuration for [111]-cut of V:YAG the pulse energy and pulse width (FWHM) varied from 27 up to 38 μJ and from 50 to 40 ns, respectively. This corresponds to peak power rise from 0.55 up to 0.95kW. In case of [100]-cut the proper orientation of V:YAG in respect to oscillating radiation polarization allowed to increase pulse energy from 37 to 60 μJ and peak power from 1.3 to 3 kW. Simultaneously, the pulse width decreased from 28 to 20 ns. The results showed that proper choice of saturable absorber cut and orientation can significantly improve giant pulse parameters.
Reconfigurable Power Divider-Enabled Dynamic Hybrid m-MIMO Transmitter

A promising solution for massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (m-MIMO) systems is Hybrid digital-analogue (HDA) beamforming as it offers a balanced trade-off between energy efficiency (EE) and spectral efficiency (SE). The lack of practical demonstrations in the open literature is primarily because those most existing works require a large number of phase shifters (PSs), radio frequency (RF) switches, power dividers (PDs), and power combiners which contribute to high hardware complexity and energy consumption (due to insertion loss). In this paper, we introduce a practical dynamic subarray m-MIMO structure that is based on reconfigurable power dividers (RPDs). The extensive system simulation results, considering hardware imperfection extracted from a practical RPD implementation, indicate that the proposed RPD-based dynamic HDA m-MIMO outperforms the fixed subarray counterpart.
Variational Correction of Aircraft Temperature Bias in the NCEP’s GSI Analysis System

AbstractVarious studies have noted that aircraft temperature data have a generally warm bias relative to radiosonde data around 200 hPa. In this study, variational aircraft temperature bias correction is incorporated in the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation analysis system at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction. Several bias models, some of which include information about aircraft ascent/descent rate, are investigated. The results show that the aircraft temperature bias correction cools down the atmosphere analysis around 200 hPa, and improves the analysis and forecast fits to the radiosonde data. Overall, the quadratic aircraft ascent/descent rate bias model performs better than other bias models tested here, followed closely by the aircraft ascent/descent rate bias model.Two other issues, undocumented in previous studies, are also discussed in this paper. One is the bias correction of aircraft report (AIREP) data. Unlike Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay (AMDAR) data, where unique corre.
Post-COVID-19 Psychiatric Symptoms in the Elderly: The Role of Gender and Resilience

Abstract: Background COVID-19 represents an overwhelming stressor to mental health. Elderly individuals are particularly at risk, but it is still unclear whether the risk is equally distributed among men and women. The aim of this study was to define gender differences in persistent psychiatric symptoms after COVID-19 illness and to test their association with resilience factors. Methods: We assessed 348 individuals aged >65 years at a multidisciplinary post-COVID-19 service. Mood and anxiety symptoms were investigated, as well as psychological distress and resilience, as assessed with the Kessler-10 (K10) Scale and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), respectively. Multivariate and linear regression analyses were used to test the distribution patterns of psychiatric symptoms and resilience factors. Results: In the total sample, 214 (61.5%) were men (a mean age of 73.25 years ±6.04) and 134 (38.5%) were women (a mean age of 72.69 years ±6.43; p = 0.407). Men and women significantly differed in marital status (χ2 = 25.17; p < 0.001, more men were married), living alone (χ2 = 11.62; p < 0.01, fewer men were living alone), hospitalization during COVID-19 illness (χ2 = 12.35; p < 0.001, more men were hospitalized during COVID-19), and subjective health status before COVID-19 infection (χ2 = 4.32; p < 0.001, men reporting better subjective health than women). Women reported more psychiatric symptoms and fewer resilience factors than men. Low resilience levels significantly predicted psychological distress in both men and women. Conclusions: The female elderly population affected by COVID-19 showed a greater vulnerability to psychiatric symptoms. Our data point to the need to strengthen resilience resources, especially in women.