Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using Odontoblasts Derived from Dog Endometrial Stem Cells Encapsulated in Fibrin Gel Associated with BMP-2 in a Rat Pulp-Capping Model

This study aimed to treat dental injuries by utilizing one of the most advanced tissue engineering techniques. In this study, an in vitro model was employed to investigate the proliferation and odontogenic differentiation of canine endometrial stem cells (C-EnSCs). Furthermore, the dentin regeneration potential of odontoblast like-cells (OD) derived from C-EnSCs was assessed in rats. The C-EnSCs were isolated by the enzymatic method and identified by flow cytometry. The C-EnSCs were encapsulated in fibrin gel associated with signaling factors to create the proper conditions for cell growth and differentiation. Then, the OD cells were associated with bone morphologic protein-2 (BMP-2) to promote dentin formation in vivo. The animal model used to evaluate the regenerative effect of cells and biomaterials included the preparation of the left maxillary first molar of rats for direct pulp capping operation. Animals were divided into four groups: group 1, a control group without any treatment, group 2, which received fibrin, group 3, which received fibrin with ODs (fibrin/ODs), and group 4, which received fibrin with ODs and BMP-2 (fibrin/ODs/BMP-2). The morphological observations showed the differentiation of C-EnSCs into adipose, bone, neural cells, and ODs. Furthermore, the histomorphometric data of the treated teeth showed how fibrin gel and BMP2 at a concentration of 100 ng/mL provided an optimal microenvironment for regenerating dentin tissue in rats, which was increased significantly with the presence of OD cells within eight weeks. Our study showed that using OD cells derived from C-EnSCs encapsulated in fibrin gel associated with BMP2 can potentially be an appropriate candidate for direct pulp-capping and dentin regeneration.
Documentation, conservation, and reuse planning activities for disused cultural heritage

The present contribution illustrates the documentation and setting up of a digital database of a portion of Bellisomi-Vistarino Palace in Pavia (Italy), a relevant historical asset due to its artistic value. Despite recent restoration work, there are still disused portions of the complex, including the garden, the loggia and the rooms on the ground floor that overlook it. These portions are the elements this paper deals with. The approach to a small portion of the building is a pilot case from the perspective of a broader work of integral documentation of the whole complex. The aim is to define digital support for diagnostic and restoration planning activities from the perspective to enhance and create a new cultural attraction for the city, using the Foundation of the University of Pavia, already settled in the Palace and their organizational skills and networks. This is achieved by structuring a tridimensional digital twin and database connected to it to monitor the assets and generate digital environments for cultural and touristic valorisation.
Cover selection for image steganography based on image characteristics

Steganography is an important branch of information hiding techniques.Different from other information hiding techniques,the embedder has the freedom to choose a cover images which results in the improvement of the undetectability of image steganography.This paper explores the relation between cover image characteristics(variance,complexity,entropy,histogram and function of histogram)and steganography performance(relative entropy and change of histogram)to find whether image characteristics affect or decide the steganography performance.The results provide basis for cover selection of image steganography.Experiments show that the selection of the proper cover image is a more effective way to improve the undetectbility of steganographic systems.
Protective Effect of Glycomacropeptide on the Inflammatory Response of U937 Macrophages

Macrophages play crucial roles in inflammation and oxidative stress associated with noncommunicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. Glycomacropeptide (GMP) is a bioactive peptide derived from milk κ-casein that contains abundant sialic acid and has shown anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, anti-obesity, and anti-diabetic properties when is orally administered. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of GMP on the regulation of the inflammatory response in human macrophages and the participation of sialic acid in this activity. GMP pretreatment decreased by 35%, 35%, and 49% the production of nitrites, interleukin (IL)-1β, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, respectively, in activated human macrophages U937. The same effect was obtained when cells were pretreated with asialo GMP, and no change on the gene expression of the lectins associated with the recognition of sialic acids, SIGLEC5, 7, and 9, was induced by GMP on macrophages, which suggests that sialic acid might not be involved in this immunoregulatory effect. Interestingly, GMP increased 8.9- and 3.5-fold the gene expression of the canonical anti-inflammatory protein SOCS3 and the antioxidant enzyme HMOX1, respectively, in U937 cells. Thus, GMP exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities on activated macrophages in a sialic acid-independent manner, which might be related to its in vivo reported bioactivity.
State-of-the-Art of Deep Space Communication

The fundamental concept and system composition of deep space communication are introduced firstly,the basic tasks and characteristics are analyzed and the key technologies are summarized.Then,the Lagrange points for deep space communication application and the architecture of interplanetary Internet are described,and the network protocols for deep space communication are analyzed in detail.The trends in development and facing challenges are proposed lastly.
Application of the wave and finite element method to predict the acoustic performance of double-leaf cross-laminated timber panels

This paper presents a wave and finite element method for predicting the sound transmission loss of double-leaf walls comprising panels of arbitrary complexity separated by a cavity which can contain air or an insulating material. The method is verified against analytical models and validated against a number of different experimental measurements. The method is then used to investigate the effect of various parameters on the sound transmission performance of a double-leaf cross-laminated timber (CLT) wall construction. Parameters investigated include the flow resistivity of the insulating layer separating the wall panels and the effect of panel thickness and orientation. The effect of a neoprene rubber layer in between the CLT panels is also investigated.
Listening with Elephant Ears

This article addresses Listening with Elephant Ears, a contemporary music composition and performance created by the author together with the Elefantöra (Elephant Ear) ensemble. Elefantöra is a norm-critical music ensemble that includes both disabled and non-disabled musicians. When musicians are defined as disabled, normative assumptions regarding the correct use of musical instruments and expert definitions of good sound generate rehabilitative approaches to music that perpetuate exclusions of ableism. This article examines the intersections that exist between exclusions of ableism and exclusions based on musical virtuosity. It focuses on the ways in which Elefantöra contests both exclusions of ableism and virtuosity in their creative reappropriations of sound technology. Composed in the fall of 2020 as a collaborative artistic research engagement, Listening with Elephant Ears was first performed at the Lund Contemporary Music Festival in Sweden, October 2021. The article draws on ethnographic and sound material generated from my artistic research engagement with Elefantöra. Created during the COVID-19 pandemic, Listening with Elephant Ears actively reappropriates the Zoom video conference software as a music technology. The piece embraces Zoom’s limitations and emphasizes the aesthetic value of the audio distortions and digital interference that Zoom introduces into musical performance. Critiquing regimes of regulation that situate disabled musicians differently to non-disabled musicians, Listening with Elephant Ears applies care as a theoretical perspective from which to reflect critically on rehabilitative approaches to music and the associated exclusions of ableism and musical virtuosity.
A novel robust maximum power extraction framework for sustainable PV system using incremental conductance based MRAC technique

This study proposes a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) approach with two components: an Incremental Conductance (INC) MPPT for reference voltage regulation and a Model Reference Adaptive Controller (MRAC) for adjusting the duty cycle of the DC‐DC converter switch. A robustness test is performed on the system considering real‐world situations that involve an abrupt change in atmospheric conditions with load uncertainties. The probabilistic load distribution analysis is accomplished through levels of uncertainty (i.e., Probabilistic DOWN and UP) to guarantee the operation of the proposed INC‐MRAC controller while generating unexpected disturbances in the system. Using MATLAB/Simulink, the performances of the novel INC‐MRAC MPPT are comparatively analyzed with PO, INC, VSSPO, and ANN under realistic case studies in seven states. After comparative analysis, it is evident that the proposed MPPT offers less tracking time, i.e., 3.8 ms, to track maximum power point (MPP) with negligible steady‐state oscillation and ripples. It is about 3, 7, 9, and 10 times faster than ANN, VSSPO, INC and PO, respectively. Moreover, the tracking efficiency of the proposed controller is up to 99.63% as well as overall efficiency of the system is more than 98%. The tracking power loss and error rate in finding MPP for the proposed controller is the lowest among all state‐of‐the‐art MPPT approaches. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed INC‐MRAC approach is experimentally validated by employing a real‐time simulator OPAL‐RT (OP4510). The study helps in environmental protection and participation in sustainable development.
Can New-Type Urbanization Promote Enterprise Green Technology Innovation?—A Study Based on Difference-in-Differences Model

China proposed a new-type urbanization (NTU) strategy in 2012 to solve ecological and environmental problems caused by the traditional rapid and rough urbanization development model. Focusing on the policy’s important goal of building green and smart cities, it is crucial to explore whether the pilot of NTU promotes green innovation at the enterprise level, and thus achieves green environmental protection. Based on data from 1717 Chinese listed companies’ green patent applications between 2011 and 2020, this paper studies the impact effect of NTU on enterprises’ green technology innovation utilizing the difference-in-difference model combined with the PSM-DID method. The findings indicate that: NTU has a substantial effect on enterprise innovation in green technologies. The mechanism analysis shows that NTU can encourage green technology innovation in enterprises by easing their financial restrictions. This requires the government to encourage enterprises to engage in green technology innovation by alleviating their financing constraints and reducing their debt financing costs through policy incentives and financial subsidies. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the impact of the policy on green innovation is more significant in the central and western regions, highly marketable areas, non-heavy-polluting industries, and among enterprises with higher levels of green innovation.
Lutein Encapsulated in PLGA–Phospholipid Nano-Carrier Effectively Mitigates Cytokines by Inhibiting Tumor Necrosis Factor TNF-α and Nuclear Factor NF-κB in Mice Retina

Lutein, a photo- and thermo-labile macular pigment, prevents the retina from suffering ocular inflammation with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. However, its biological activity is poor due to poor solubility and bioavailability. Therefore, we developed a PLGA NCs (+PL), (poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanocarrier with phospholipid) to improve the biological availability and bioefficacy of lutein in the retina of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lutein-devoid (LD) mice. The effect of lutein-loaded NCs with/without PL was studied in comparison with micellar lutein. The induction of inflammation by LPS significantly increased the production of nitrites in the LPS-induced group, revealing higher levels of nitric oxide (NO) in the serum (760%) and retina (891%) compared to the control group. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the serum (93%) and retina (205%) of the LPS-induced group were higher compared to the control group. LPS induction resulted in increased protein carbonyls in the serum (481%) and retina (487%) of the LPS group compared to the control group. Further, to conclude, lutein-PLGA NCs (+PL) effectively down-regulated inflammatory complications in the retina.
Muti-mode coupled transverse vibration of the axially moving viscoelastic sandwich plate

Based on the theory of small deflection of thin plate and the constitutive description of Kelvin-Viogt viscoelastic material,the controlling equation which dominates the transverse vibration of the axially moving viscoelastic sandwich plate was established,followed by the study of the transverse vibration characteristic.One-mode and two-mode eigenequation were obtained by using 1-term and 2-term Galerkin truncation.The influence of the ratio of the core and axially moving velocity on the transverse vibration characteristic was discussed.It is found that both 1-term and 2-term Galerkin truncation results fit well when the axially moving velocity doesn′t exceed the critical velocity.However,1-term Galerkin truncation will not suit any more when the axially moving velocity exceeds the critical velocity.For simply supported plate at four sides,the critical velocity and coupled mode flutter velocity increase with the decrease of ratio of core.
M . Finger Assessing Stakeholders ’ Interests in Postal Security

The events of October 2010, where terrorists managed to get explosive devices onboard of three passenger aircrafts and two air freighters, demonstrated weaknesses of the international air cargo and airmail security. Ever since, postal security has gained interest among policymakers and authorities. This study augments the limited body of academic literature on the topic by demarcating areas of postal security, identifying relevant stakeholders in each area, and investigating why these stakeholders engage in postal security. Research is based on a case study on Swiss Post’s mail service. Keywords—Dangerous goods, mail bombs, postal security, supply chain security, theft of mail, trafficking.
Blood Kallikrein-8 and Non-Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: An Exploratory Study

Background: Blood kallikrein-8 is supposed to be a biomarker for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a precursor of AD dementia. Little is known about the association of kallikrein-8 and non-AD type dementias. Objective: To investigate whether blood kallikrein-8 is elevated in individuals with non-amnestic MCI (naMCI), which has a higher probability to progress to a non-AD type dementia, compared with cognitively unimpaired (CU) controls. Methods: We measured blood kallikrein-8 at ten-year follow-up (T2) in 75 cases and 75 controls matched for age and sex who were participants of the population-based Heinz Nixdorf Recall study (baseline: 2000–2003). Cognitive performance was assessed in a standardized manner at five (T1) and ten-year follow-up. Cases were CU or had subjective cognitive decline (SCD) at T1 and had naMCI at T2. Controls were CU at both follow-ups. The association between kallikrein-8 (per 500 pg/ml increase) and naMCI was estimated using conditional logistic regression: odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were determined, adjusted for inter-assay variability and freezing duration. Results: Valid kallikrein-8 values were measured in 121 participants (45% cases, 54.5% women, 70.5±7.1 years). In cases, the mean kallikrein-8 was higher than in controls (922±797 pg/ml versus 884±782 pg/ml). Kallikrein-8 was not associated with having naMCI compared to being CU (adjusted; OR: 1.03 [95% CI: 0.80–1.32]). Conclusion: This is the first population-based study that shows that blood kallikrein-8 tends not to be elevated in individuals with naMCI compared with CU. This adds to the evidence of the possible AD specificity of kallikrein-8.
Mesoporous GaN for Photonic Engineering-Highly Reflective GaN Mirrors as an Example

A porous medium is a special type of material where voids are created in a solid medium. The introduction of pores into a bulk solid can profoundly affect its physical properties and enable interesting mechanisms. In this paper, we report the use of mesoporous GaN to address a long-standing challenge in GaN devices: tuning the optical index in epitaxial structures without compromising the structural and electrical properties. By controlling the doping and electrochemical etching bias, we are able to control the pore morphology from macro- to meso- and microporous. The meso- and microporous GaN can be considered a new form of GaN with unprecedented optical index tunability. We examine the scattering loss in a porous medium quantitatively using numerical, semiempirical, and experimental methods. It is established that the optical loss due to scattering is well within the acceptable range. While being perfectly lattice-matched to GaN, the porous GaN layers are found to be electrically highly conductive. As a.
Digital Application for Promoting Evidence-Based Children’s Oral Health to Control Early Childhood Caries: Randomized Control Trial on Parental Acceptance and Efficacy

Background: Early childhood caries (ECC) remains a major global health problem. Various measures to prevent it have been implemented in the past, including those using digital applications. Aim: To evaluate the acceptance and efficacy of a digital application (FU-APP) based on evidence-based caries control recommendations for parents of children aged 6–72 months. Methods: Part 1, prospective questionnaire-based survey to test FU-APP (usage, acceptance, content information, usefulness, and satisfaction) filled out by parents (n = 22); Part 2, two-armed (test n = 20; control n = 23) care-based, randomized controlled trial, where the test arm received instructions verbally and via FU-APP, and the control arm received them only verbally. At baseline and follow-up (4 weeks), intraoral clinical indices (plaque index-API and caries-dmft) were recorded. Results: FU-APP was considered by parents to be a suitable tool for gaining knowledge about oral health practices for their children (all criteria >86%). No differences in the dmft levels were expected. However, API was significantly better at the follow-up in the test-arm (p = 0.01), with no differences in the control-arm (p = 0.72). Conclusion: A digital application can serve as an innovative tool to promote evidence-based oral hygiene recommendations among parents of children to control ECC. Its long-term usability and functionality should be tested.
Antenatal Education Services in Oman: A Descriptive Qualitative Inquiry of Healthcare Provider's Perspective

Introduction To ensure positive pregnancy and birth outcomes, healthcare providers working in antenatal clinics are expected to provide regular antenatal education to enable early detection and timely treatment of pregnancy-related morbidities to prevent complications during labor, birth, and postnatal period. Although antenatal education and services are provided through standard programs in developed countries, presently there are no well-structured programs in many developing countries. The study compares the current service with the national and international guidelines. Objective To identify the current practices of healthcare providers in antenatal education service in Oman with the aim of identifying any major implementation gaps. Methods A qualitative inquiry was implemented through semi-structured in-depth interviews guided by open-ended questions. The study population were healthcare providers who routinely provide antenatal services at healthcare facilities. A purposive non-probability sampling technique was used to select the key informants. Data was analyzed manually using the thematic analysis framework. Results The antenatal education services provided fall under four themes: In relation to “Education for safe pregnancy,” the findings revealed that healthcare providers did not adequately address the needs. In relation to “Education for Safe labor and Birth,” the pregnant women are briefed with inadequate information about labor and birth during the antenatal period. In relation to “Education related to Postpartum,” healthcare providers generally do not provide information regarding pregnant women's psychological wellbeing, breastfeeding, family planning, hygiene, and nutrition during antenatal visits. In relation to “Education related to Newborn Care,” the study findings indicate that contrary to what was stipulated by the WHO (2016) to establish antenatal educational programs to help pregnant women gain the skills and knowledge regarding proper newborn care, our findings demonstrated a lack of education about newborn care by providers. Conclusion The findings have the capacity to contribute towards the development of remedial strategies to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes in Oman. This can be achieved by addressing the practice gaps identified when comparing the current practices with international standards.
Prolonged Piezo1 Activation Induces Cardiac Arrhythmia

The rhythmical nature of the cardiovascular system constantly generates dynamic mechanical forces. At the centre of this system is the heart, which must detect these changes and adjust its performance accordingly. Mechanoelectric feedback provides a rapid mechanism for detecting even subtle changes in the mechanical environment and transducing these signals into electrical responses, which can adjust a variety of cardiac parameters such as heart rate and contractility. However, pathological conditions can disrupt this intricate mechanosensory system and manifest as potentially life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias. Mechanosensitive ion channels are thought to be the main proponents of mechanoelectric feedback as they provide a rapid response to mechanical stimulation and can directly affect cardiac electrical activity. Here, we demonstrate that the mechanosensitive ion channel PIEZO1 is expressed in zebrafish cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, chemically prolonging PIEZO1 activation in zebrafish results in cardiac arrhythmias. indicating that this ion channel plays an important role in mechanoelectric feedback. This also raises the possibility that PIEZO1 gain of function mutations could be linked to heritable cardiac arrhythmias in humans.
A novel blind separation algorithm for overlapped chaotic signals

A novel particle-filtering-based method for blind separation of overlapped chaotic signals was proposed.According to the state space model for the chaotic signals,the blind separation was changed into the estimation of the signals and parameters,and it was achieved by estimating the joint posterior probability density of these states using particle filtering.Adaptive iteration algorithm was used to estimate the additive Gaussian noise and the kernel smoothing method was adopted to iteratively estimate the parameters.The simulation results show that the proposed method can solve the blind separation of overlapped chaotic signals with noise effectively.