Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Adjuvant Stem Cell Patch with Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery Improves Diastolic Recovery in Porcine Hibernating Myocardium

Diastolic dysfunction persists despite coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) in patients with hibernating myocardium (HIB). We studied whether the adjunctive use of a mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) patch during CABG improves diastolic function by reducing inflammation and fibrosis. HIB was induced in juvenile swine by placing a constrictor on the left anterior descending (LAD) artery, causing myocardial ischemia without infarction. At 12 weeks, CABG was performed using the left-internal-mammary-artery (LIMA)-to-LAD graft with or without placement of an epicardial vicryl patch embedded with MSCs, followed by four weeks of recovery. The animals underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) prior to sacrifice, and tissue from septal and LAD regions were collected to assess for fibrosis and analyze mitochondrial and nuclear isolates. During low-dose dobutamine infusion, diastolic function was significantly reduced in HIB compared to the control, with significant improvement after CABG + MSC treatment. In HIB, we observed increased inflammation and fibrosis without transmural scarring, along with decreased peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator (PGC1α), which could be a possible mechanism underlying diastolic dysfunction. Improvement in PGC1α and diastolic function was noted with revascularization and MSCs, along with decreased inflammatory signaling and fibrosis. These findings suggest that adjuvant cell-based therapy during CABG may recover diastolic function by reducing oxidant stress–inflammatory signaling and myofibroblast presence in the myocardial tissue.
Quorum Quenchers from Reynoutria japonica in the Battle against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

Over the past decade, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has become a major source of biofilm formation and a major contributor to antimicrobial resistance. The genes that govern biofilm formation are regulated by a signaling mechanism called the quorum-sensing system. There is a need for new molecules to treat the infections caused by dangerous pathogens like MRSA. The current study focused on an alternative approach using juglone derivatives from Reynoutria japonica as quorum quenchers. Ten bioactive compounds from this plant, i.e., 2-methoxy-6-acetyl-7-methyljuglone, emodin, emodin 8-o-b glucoside, polydatin, resveratrol, physcion, citreorosein, quercetin, hyperoside, and coumarin were taken as ligands and docked with accessory gene regulator proteins A, B, and C and the signal transduction protein TRAP. The best ligand was selected based on docking score, ADMET properties, and the Lipinski rule. Considering all these parameters, resveratrol displayed all required drug-like properties with a docking score of −8.9 against accessory gene regulator protein C. To further assess the effectiveness of resveratrol, it was compared with the commercially available antibiotic drug penicillin. A comparison of all drug-like characteristics showed that resveratrol was superior to penicillin in many aspects. Penicillin showed a binding affinity of −6.7 while resveratrol had a score of −8.9 during docking. This was followed by molecular dynamic simulations wherein inhibitors in complexes with target proteins showed stability inside the active site during the 100 ns simulations. Structural changes due to ligand movement inside the cavity were measured in the protein targets, but they remained static due to hydrogen bonds. The results showed acceptable pharmacokinetic properties for resveratrol as compared to penicillin. Thus, we concluded that resveratrol has protective effects against Staphylococcus aureus infections and that it suppresses the quorum-sensing ability of this bacterium by targeting its infectious proteins.
PointSLOT: Real-Time Simultaneous Localization and Object Tracking for Dynamic Environment

The applicability of SLAM algorithms is largely limited to the assumption of scene rigidity. Moreover, dynamic object perception is an essential technique for many robotic applications such as autonomous driving and multi-robot collaboration. In this letter, we present PointSLOT, an online, real-time and general stereo system that simultaneously performs SLAM and dynamic object tracking without any artificial priors. Unlike previous SLOT systems, we explicitly identify moving and static objects by computing the object motion probabilities, such that features from static objects are utilized to improve the camera pose estimation instead of treating all object regions as outliers. Based on the camera-centric parameterization for the object pose, the trajectories and dynamic landmarks of multi-keyframe objects are efficiently computed through an object-based bundle adjustment approach. The evaluations on KITTI datasets and real-world experiments show that the proposed system achieves comparable results to state-of-the-art solutions on both camera motion estimation and dynamic object tracking. The open-source code is available at https://github.com/pkzhou/PointSLOT.
High Energy Astroparticle Physics at Ooty and the GRAPES-3 experiment

The astroparticle studies at Ooty have their roots going way back into the fifties, when studies using cosmic rays were initiated with cloud chambers of progressively lar ger sizes as the primary detector and measuring device to obtain properties of hadrons at high ener gies. This study was subsequently strengthened with the installation of a total absorption calorimeter and a modest extensive air shower array to probe the composition of the primary cosmic rays to very high ener gies. The discovery of pulsars provided a thrust for the exploration of these compact objects as the sources of γ-rays at TeV ener gies with the aid of atmospheric Cerenkov detectors in the seventies. With the rapid technological advances occurring during the subsequent years in detectors, electronics and computers, physicists world-wide were able to set up very lar ge and remarkably sensitive experiments that were hard to imagine a decade earlier . With the increasing sophistication and complexity the modern experiments require participation of very lar ge teams of scientists. This development has made the formation of collaboration of lar ge number of physicists both experimental and theoretical, engineers, technicians etc., from a number of institutions and universities, a prerequisite for setting up any major experimental facility . The GRAPES3 experiment is a collaboration of 34 scientists from 13 institutions, including 8 from India and 5 from Japan. The GRAPES-3 experiment contains a dense extensive air shower array operating with ~ 400 scintillator detectors and a 560 m tracking muon detector (E m > 1 GeV), at Ooty in India. 25 % of scintillator detectors are instrumented with two fast photomultiplier tubes (PMT s) for extending the dynamic range to ~ 5x10 3 particles m. The scintillators, signal processing electronics and data recording systems were fabricated in-house to cut costs and optimize performance. The muon multiplicity distribution of the EAS is used to probe the composition of primary cosmic rays below the ‘ knee’, with an overlap with direct measurements. Search for multi-T eV γ-rays from point sources is done with the aid of the muon detector . A good angular resolution of 0.7 o at 30 TeV, is measured from shadow of the Moon on the isotropic flux of cosmic rays. Sensitive limit on the difuse flux of 100 TeV γ-rays is placed by using muon detector to filter out the char ged cosmic ray background. The tracking muon detector allows sensitive measurements on the coronal mass ejections and solar flares through Forbush decrease events. We have major expansion plans to enhance the sensitivity of the GRAPES-3 experiment in the areas listed above.
The electrical propulsion of space vehicles

Abstract This article discusses electrical propulsion, principally in connection with satellite station-keeping, and indicates the optimum conditions for meeting a specific requirement. Different types of propulsion, and the performances which they have currently achieved, are reviewed. Recent developments in colloid thrusters are described in detail, together with the diagnostic equipment for measuring their performance and efficiency.
Amylo-AFFECT-QOL, a self-reported questionnaire to assess health-related quality of life and to determine the prognosis in cardiac amyloidosis

Background and aims Self-reported questionnaires are useful for estimating the health-related quality of life (HR-QoL), impact of interventions, and prognosis. To our knowledge, no HR-QoL questionnaire has been developed for cardiac amyloidosis (CA). This study aimed to validate Amylo-AFFECT-QOL questionnaire to assess HR-QoL and its prognostic value in CA. Methods A self-reported questionnaire, “Amylo-AFFECT” had been designed and validated for CA symptoms evaluation and screening by physicians. It was adapted here to assess HR-QoL (Amylo-AFFECT-QOL) and its prognostic value in CA. To validate the theoretical model, internal consistency and convergent validity were assessed, particularly correlations between Amylo-AFFECT-QOL and the HR-QoL Minnesota Living Heart Failure (MLHF) questionnaire. Results Amylo-AFFECT-QOL was completed by 515 patients, 425 of whom (82.5%) had CA. Wild-type and hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTRwt and ATTRv) and immunoglobulin light-chain amyloidosis (AL) were diagnosed in 47.8, 14.7, and 18.8% of cases, respectively. The best HR-QoL evaluation was obtained with five dimensions: “Heart failure,” “Vascular dysautonomia,” “Neuropathy,” “Ear, gastrointestinal, and urinary dysautonomia,” and “Skin or mucosal involvement. ” The global Amylo-AFFECT-QOL and MLHF scores showed significant positive correlations (rs = 0.72, p < 0.05). Patients with a final diagnosis of CA had a global Amylo-AFFECT-QOL score significantly higher than the control group composed by patients with other diagnoses (22.2 ± 13.6 vs. 16.2 ± 13.8, respectively, p-value < 0.01). According to the Amylo-AFFECT-QOL global results, ATTRv patients’ QoL was more affected than AL patients’ QoL or ATTRwt patients’ QoL. Patients with a higher HR-QoL score had a greater risk of death or heart transplant after 1 year of follow-up (log-rank < 0.01). Conclusion Amylo-AFFECT-QOL demonstrates good psychometric properties and is useful for quantifying HR-QoL and estimating CA prognosis. Its use may help to improve overall management of patients with CA.
Image-based time series analysis to establish differential disease progression for two Fusarium head blight pathogens in oat spikelets with variable resistance

Oat-based value-added products have increased their value as healthy foodstuff. Fusarium head blight (FHB) infections and the mycotoxins accumulated to the oat seeds, however, pose a challenge to oat production. The FHB infections are predicted to become more prevalent in the future changing climates and under more limited use of fungicides. Both these factors increase the pressure for breeding new resistant cultivars. Until now, however, genetic links in oats against FHB infection have been difficult to identify. Therefore, there is a great need for more effective breeding efforts, including improved phenotyping methods allowing time series analysis and the identification of molecular markers during disease progression. To these ends, dissected spikelets of several oat genotypes with different resistance profiles were studied by image-based methods during disease progression by Fusarium culmorum or F. langsethiae species. The chlorophyll fluorescence of each pixel in the spikelets was recorded after inoculation by the two Fusarium spp. , and the progression of the infections was analyzed by calculating the mean maximum quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm) values for each spikelet. The recorded values were (i) the change in the photosynthetically active area of the spikelet as percentage of its initial size, and (ii) the mean of Fv/Fm values of all fluorescent pixels per spikelet post inoculation, both indicative of the progression of the FHB disease. The disease progression was successfully monitored, and different stages of the infection could be defined along the time series. The data also confirmed the differential rate of disease progression by the two FHB causal agents. In addition, oat varieties with variable responses to the infections were indicated.
Acculturation and Intercultural Learning of Missionaries, Their Families, and the Role of Women in the Christian Mission—A Review of Literature from 1954 to 2010

This literature review summarises a wide range of empirical and systematic studies published between 1954 and 2010, including anthropological, cultural, historical, psychological, and sociological perspectives still underrepresented in cross-cultural communication and competence. Missionaries’ adaptation and acculturation, as well as of their families to new social and cultural environments and during reintegration at home are characterised by stressful experiences such as critical life events, premature termination, and upcoming retirements. Other studies highlight that certain personality traits and an ability to cope with psychological stress can predict the effectiveness of a mission assignment, e.g., spiritual and organisational commitment and expectations. Additionally, the review brings to light different role orientations of missionary wives, the psychological well-being within marriage, and the role of women in the Christian mission. Eventually, all findings will be subject to critical analysis and be instrumental in providing future research perspectives.
Functional brain connectivity analysis based on the solution of the inverse problem and on covariance analysis

The Linearly Constrained Minimum Variance (LCMV) beamformer is one of the most accepted techniques used to estimate the solution of the inverse problem in functional brain dynamics studies, using magnetoencephalograms (MEG). However, since it is based on the assumption of uncorrelated brain sources, its performance decreases in the presence of correlated brain activity, compromising the accuracy of estimates of brain interactions. This problem has not stopped the use of the beamformer in techniques such as Dynamic Imaging of Coherent Sources (DICS), which estimates the functional brain dynamics in a more direct way than the LCMV, and with less computational cost. In this work it is proposed to use a modified version of the well known Minimum Norm Estimates (MNE) spatial filter to estimate the functional brain dynamics of highly correlated activity. This is achieved by using the filter to estimate the cross-spectral density matrices for the brain activity in the same way that DICS does with the LCMV beamformer. The MNE spatial filter is used as a basis because it is not affected by the presence of correlated brain activity. The results obtained from simulations shown that it is possible to estimate highly correlated brain interactions using the proposed method. However, additional methods and constraints need to be applied because of the distorted and weighted output characteristic of the MNE spatial filter. Methods such as the FOcal Undetermined System Solution (FOCUSS) and Singular Value Decomposition Truncation (SVDT) are used to reduce the distorted output, while the estimation of brain dynamics is limited to cortical surface interactions to avoid weighted solutions.
Nonlinear multi-scale complex wavelet diffusion based speckle reduction approach for 3D ultrasound images

3D ultrasound imaging has advantages as a non-invasive and a faster examination procedure capable of displaying volume information in real time. However, its resolution is affected by speckle noise. Speckle reduction and feature preservation are seemingly opposing goals. In this paper, a nonlinear multi-scale complex wavelet diffusion based algorithm for 3D ultrasound imaging is introduced. Speckle is suppressed and sharp edges are preserved by applying iterative multi-scale diffusion on the complex wavelet coefficients. The proposed method is validated using synthetic, real phantom, and clinical 3D images, and it is found to outperform other methods in both qualitative and quantitative measures.
Increasing Students' Physics Learning Outcomes through Experiential Learning Model

This research is a classroom action research which involves planning, action, observation, reflection, and re-planning. This study aims to find out: 1) the application of the experiential learning model to physics learning at MAN Pinrang; and 2) the improvement of students’ physics learning outcomes at MAN Pinrang through the application of the Experiential Learning Model. The location of this study is MAN Pinrang, Paleteang District, Pinrang Regency. The subjects of the study were students of class X MIPA MAN Pinrang consisting of 40 people. This research was conducted through 2 cycles. The results show that the in the first cycle, 72.5% of the students’ scores exceeded the Minimum Completion Criteria (KKM) score with the highest score of 90 and the average score of 74.1. This result indicates that the students’ physics learning outcomes improved compared to the test results on the pretest. Furthermore, the students' physics learning outcomes increased again in cycle II, with the highest score of 98 and the average score of 84.05 while the minimum completion percentage was 95%. Having the success in fulfilling the learning indicators and the completion value of 80%, it can be concluded that the experiential learning model was effective for improving the students’ Physics Learning outcomes at MAN Pinrang. Hence, this experiential learning model should be applied to improve student physics learning outcomes in the future.
Overdiagnosis Due to Screening Mammography for Breast Cancer among Women Aged 40 Years and Over: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The current systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the incidence of overdiagnosis due to screening mammography for breast cancer among women aged 40 years and older. A PRISMA systematic search appraisal and meta-analysis were conducted. A systematic literature search of English publications in PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Scopus, and Google Scholar was conducted without regard to the region or time period. Generic, methodological, and statistical data were extracted from the eligible studies. A meta-analysis was completed by utilizing comprehensive meta-analysis software. The effect size estimates were calculated using the fail-safe N test. The funnel plot and the Begg and Mazumdar rank correlation tests were employed to find any potential bias among the included articles. The strength of the association between two variables was assessed using Kendall’s tau. Heterogeneity was measured using the I-squared (I2) test. The literature search in the five databases yielded a total of 4214 studies. Of those, 30 articles were included in the final analysis, with sample sizes ranging from 451 to 1,429,890 women. The vast majority of the articles were retrospective cohort designs (24 articles). The age of the recruited women ranged between 40 and 89 years old. The incidence of overdiagnosis due to screening mammography for breast cancer among women aged 40 years and older was 12.6%. There was high heterogeneity among the study articles (I2 = 99.993), and the pooled event rate was 0.126 (95% CI: 15 0.101–0.156). Despite the random-effects meta-analysis showing a high degree of heterogeneity among the articles, the screening tests have to allow for a certain degree of overdiagnosis (12.6%) due to screening mammography for breast cancer among women aged 40 years and older. Furthermore, efforts should be directed toward controlling and minimizing the harmful consequences associated with breast cancer screening.
Influence of laboratory conditions on two species Dictyotaceae family (Phaeophyceae): Diterpenoid profile and physiological response

The seaweed Dictyotaceae family has a great wealth of diterpenes with important biological activities. Information on these diterpenes qualitative and quantitative aspects in conjunction with physiological data and abiotic parameters are essential to obtain an effective algal culture system that is a sustainable resource. In this study, the diterpene profile of Dictyota menstrualis and Canistrocarpus cervicornis were analyzed as a function of in vitro maintenance time and the influence of culture medium. The algae were collected in the state of Rio de Janeiro and subjected to an acclimation period in the laboratory. Then, the species were acclimated in aquaria containing seawater from the collection sites. Then biomass algal was divided into (i) control experiment (CC): Growth in sterilized seawater; (ii) enriched experiment (EE): Growth in sterilized seawater enriched with Provasoli/2. Triplicate experiments were maintained in vitro (2.4% m/v), and the medium was changed every 7 days. Diterpenes were monitored using dichloromethane extracts from dried algae: (a) collected in the field, (b) after the acclimation period, and (c) from experimental units taken every 7 days for a total of 21 days. Among the main results, we found response variables such as specific growth rate (SGR); moreover, positive data were obtained for the alga C. cervicornis in CC, and this was evident showing after 7 days of cultivation in the experimental control unit (CU). For D. menstrualis, the SGRs for the treatments were negative at the monitored time, which was due to biomass losses, frond breakage, and rapid decomposition of some individuals that did not withstand the stress conditions during their collection. The analysis of the chemical profile by GC-MS made it possible to monitor 12 diterpenes and one sterol in the alga D. menstrualis and 7 diterpenes in C. cervicorni. The correlations found by Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) and redundancy analysis (RDA) statistical analyzes between the diterpene profile with the monitored variables (Nitrate, ammonia and pH), showed correlations for 10 diterpenes of the species D. menstrualis and 1 of the C. cervicornis, our analyses are important for the discussion of metabolic plasticity of the Dictyotaceae family
Amphiphilic Polyethylene-b-poly(L-lysine) Block Copolymer: Synthesis, Self-Assembly, and Responsivity

Polyethylene-b-polypeptide copolymers are biologically interesting, but studies of their synthesis and properties are very few. This paper reports synthesis and characterization of well-defined amphiphilic polyethylene-block-poly(L-lysine) (PE-b-PLL) block copolymers by combining nickel-catalyzed living ethylene polymerization with controlled ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of ε-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-lysine-N-carboxyanhydride (Z-Lys-NCA) and sequential post-functionalization. Amphiphilic PE-b-PLL block copolymers self-assembled into spherical micelles with a hydrophobic PE core in aqueous solution. The pH and ionic responsivities of PE-b-PLL polymeric micelles were investigated by means of fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, UV-circular dichroism, and transmission electron microscopy. The variation of pH values led to the conformational alteration of PLL from α-helix to coil, thereby changing the micelle dimensions.