Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antibacterial Effect of Topically Administered Tranexamic Acid in Large Joint Arthroplasty

Tranexamic acid (TXA) is a synthetic derivative of the amino acid lysine and is commonly used as an antifibrinolytic agent in large joint surgery, such as knee arthroplasty, to minimize blood loss and its associated complications. Some studies have suggested that perioperative intravenous TXA application lowers the incidence of postoperative infections after hip and knee arthroplasty. While its effects on bacteria are not its primary purpose, more research is needed further to elucidate the extent of TXA’s impact on bacterial inhibition and its clinical relevance. In order to determine possible inhibitory effects, 22 clinically relevant bacterial strains were exposed to different TXA concentrations. Two different assays were performed: a microdilution assay with traditional endpoint measurements and a kinetic growth assay for a time-dependent susceptibility assessment. With the microdilution technique, a growth inhibitory effect became evident at higher TXA concentrations (50 and 100 mg/mL) on eight tested bacterial strains, of which four demonstrated absence of growth at 100 mg/mL, suggesting minimal inhibitory concentration. However, the kinetic growth assay revealed more specific TXA-induced dynamic changes in the bacterial growth of all tested bacterial strains. This study showed that TXA affects the growth dynamics of bacteria by altering their lag phase duration, exponential growth rate, and population density and may contribute to the prevention of implant-associated infections.
Exploring the Category and Use Cases on Digital Therapeutic Methodologies

Objectives As the Fourth Industrial Revolution advances, there is a growing interest in digital technology. In particular, the use of digital therapeutics (DTx) in healthcare is anticipated to reduce medical expenses. However, analytical research on DTx is still insufficient to fuel momentum for future DTx development. The purpose of this article is to analyze representative cases of different types of DTx from around the world and to propose a classification system. Methods In this exploratory study examining DTx interaction types and representative cases, we conducted a literature review and selected seven interaction types that were utilized in a large number of cases. Then, we evaluated the specific characteristics of each DTx mechanism by reviewing the relevant literature, analyzing their indications and treatment components. A representative case for each mechanism was provided. Results Cognitive behavioral therapy, distraction therapy, graded exposure therapy, reminiscence therapy, art therapy, therapeutic exercise, and gamification are the seven categories of DTx interaction types. Illustrative examples of each variety are provided. Conclusions Efforts from both the government and private sector are crucial for success, as standardization can decrease both the expense and the time required for government-led DTx development. The private sector should partner with medical facilities to stimulate potential demand, carry out clinical research, and produce scholarly evidence.
The Role of Magnetic Reconnection–associated Processes in Local Particle Acceleration in the Solar Wind

Recent studies of unusual or atypical energetic particle flux events (AEPEs) observed at 1 au show that another mechanism, different from diffusive shock acceleration, can energize particles locally in the solar wind. The mechanism proposed by Zank et al. is based on the stochastic energization of charged particles in regions filled with numerous small-scale magnetic islands (SMIs) dynamically contracting or merging and experiencing multiple magnetic reconnection in the super-Alfvénic solar wind flow. A first- and second-order Fermi mechanism results from compression-induced changes in the shape of SMIs and their developing dynamics. Charged particles can also be accelerated by the formation of antireconnection electric fields. Observations show that both processes often coexist in the solar wind. The occurrence of SMIs depends on the presence of strong current sheets like the heliospheric current sheet (HCS), and related AEPEs are found to occur within magnetic cavities formed by stream–stream, stream–HCS, or HCS–shock interactions that are filled with SMIs. Previous case studies comparing observations with theoretical predictions were qualitative. Here we present quantitative theoretical predictions of AEPEs based on several events, including a detailed analysis of the corresponding observations. The study illustrates the necessity of accounting for local processes of particle acceleration in the solar wind.
Laser Light as an Emerging Method for Sustainable Food Processing, Packaging, and Testing

In this review article, we systematically investigated the diverse applications of laser technology within the sphere of food processing, encompassing techniques such as laser ablation, microbial inactivation, state-of-the-art food packaging, and non-destructive testing. With a detailed exploration, we assess the utility of laser ablation for the removal of surface contaminants from foodstuffs, while also noting the potential financial and safety implications of its implementation on an industrial scale. Microbial inactivation by laser shows promise for reducing the microbial load on food surfaces, although concerns have been raised about potential damage to the physio-characteristics of some fruits. Laser-based packaging techniques, such as laser perforation and laser transmission welding, offer eco-friendly alternatives to traditional packaging methods and can extend the shelf life of perishable goods. Despite the limitations, laser technology shows great promise in the food industry and has the potential to revolutionize food processing, packaging, and testing. Future research needs to focus on optimizing laser equipment, addressing limitations, and developing mathematical models to enhance the technology’s uses.
Enabling Secure and Efficient Data Analytics Pipeline Evolution with Trusted Execution Environment

Modern data analytics pipelines are highly dynamic, as they are constantly monitored and fine-tuned by both data engineers and scientists. Recent systems managing pipelines ease creating, deploying, and tracking their evolution. However, privacy concerns emerge as many of them are deployed on the public cloud with less or no trust. Unfortunately, the unique nature of pipelines prevents the adoption of existing confidential computing techniques with different computational patterns and large performance overhead. Being a potential approach, trusted execution environments (TEEs) are efficient in protecting the confidentiality and integrity of data and computation. However, fast-changing pipelines with latency requirements bring the challenge of reducing the cold start overhead --- the main bottleneck in the latest TEE. To support end-to-end private pipeline evolution, we present SecCask, a TEE-based data analytics pipeline management system. SecCask overcomes the problems of a naive design that isolates complete pipeline execution in one enclave by administering enclaves and runtimes. To reduce cold start overheads, our approach consists of reusing trusted runtimes for different pipeline components and caching them to avoid the cost of initialization. We leverage the latest Intel SGX to conduct experiments on representative workloads. The results demonstrate that SecCask reduces the total execution time by 68.4% compared to not reusing, is faster than running all components in one enclave, and incurs a modest average performance overhead of 29.9% over insecure baselines.
Identification of Potential Bioactive Peptides in Sheep Milk Kefir through Peptidomic Analysis at Different Fermentation Times

Sheep farming is an important socioeconomic activity in most Mediterranean countries, particularly Spain, where it contributes added value to rural areas. Sheep milk is used in Spain mainly for making cheese, but it can be used also for making other dairy products, such as the lactic-alcoholic fermentation product known as kefir. Dairy products have health benefits because, among other reasons, they contain molecules with biological activity. In this work, we performed a proteomics strategy to identify the peptidome, i.e., the set of peptides contained in sheep milk kefir fermented for four different periods of time, aiming to understand changes in the pattern of digestion of milk proteins, as well as to identify potential bioactive peptides. In total, we identified 1942 peptides coming from 11 different proteins, and found that the unique peptides differed qualitatively among samples and their numbers increased along the fermentation time. These changes were supported by the increase in ethanol, lactic acid, and D-galactose concentrations, as well as proteolytic activity, as the fermentation progressed. By searching in databases, we found that 78 of the identified peptides, all belonging to caseins, had potential biological activity. Of these, 62 were not previously found in any milk kefir from other animal species. This is the first peptidomic study of sheep milk kefir comprising time-course comparison.
A Global Gridded Dataset of the Characteristics of the Rainy And Dry Seasons

The Rainy and Dry Seasons (RADS) dataset, a new compilation of precipitation statistics available to the public, is described. The dataset contains the dates of onset and demise of the rainy season (one date per year), the duration of the rainy and dry seasons, and the accumulated precipitation during the rainy and dry seasons. The methodology for detecting the characteristics of the rainy season is based solely on precipitation data. RADS was developed from multiple global gridded daily precipitation datasets [Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), 1998–2015; Climate Prediction Center Unified Gauge-Based Analysis of Global Daily Precipitation (CPC_UNI), 1979–present; and Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, version 2 (MERRA-2), 1980–present] and therefore shares the spatial resolution, temporal range, and limitations of the original precipitation datasets. This is the first free public dataset of the characteristics of the rainy and dry seasons created using a consistent methodology across the globe, including all major monsoonal regions. We expect that the RADS dataset will contribute to our understanding of the sources of variability of the timing of rainy seasons (on local to regional scales) and monsoons (on large scales) and their impacts on water resource management and other aspects of geosciences and human activities.
Subduction of Submarine Arc Volcanoes Beneath the Solomon Islands Arc

In the Solomon Islands, arc magmas are erupting on the subducting Australia Plate. These island (Simbo) and submarine arc volcanoes (Kana Keoki, Coleman and Pavuvu) are about to be recycled by rapid subduction. We identify eight of their former equivalents beneath the forearc by the morphologies and deformation structures that are characteristic of seamount subduction. Tsunamigenic earthquakes recently nucleated just ahead of two of the subducting seamounts. A third (Pavuvu), that has indented the subduction front and uplifted the lower forearc, is associated with a historic earthquake gap. It is positioned such that a rupture there has the potential for tsunami waves to impact the capital, Honiara.
Role of the Australian High in Seasonal Phase Locking of the Indian Ocean Dipole

This paper analyzes the effect of the Australian High (AH) on the seasonal phase locking of Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) events. The anomalous strong AH associated with the positive phase of the Antarctic Oscillation can cause significant easterly wind anomalies and northward cross‐equatorial flow over the western Maritime Continent (MC) by strengthening the Australian winter monsoon during May–August. The AH‐associated easterly anomalies and northward cross‐equatorial flow can create thermodynamic air‐sea feedback and contribute to a significant cooling anomaly in the western MC and the tropical eastern Indian Ocean. Without considering the effect of ENSO, these processes contribute to the occurrence of positive IOD events, which begin in early summer, peak in late summer, and decay rapidly thereafter. The effect of ENSO can extend the peak period of IOD into the boreal autumn of that year. An anomalous weak AH corresponds to the occurrence and seasonal phase locking of negative IOD events. Through combined empirical orthogonal function analysis, we find that the effect of the AH can well explain the seasonal phase locking of 34 IOD events (40 in total), which provides an important theoretical basis for the prediction of IOD events.
Lepton Flavour Violation searches and scintillating fibre tracker testing in LHCb

This thesis presents new results on searches for lepton-flavour-violating particle decays, performed in the LHCb experiment at CERN. Two analyses are discussed in detail. The first one concerns the B 0 (s)→ e±μ∓ decay. No evidence of signal is observed and two upper limits are set, respectively for the B 0 and B 0 s mesons: B(B 0 → e±μ∓) < 1.0(1.3)× 10−9 and B(B 0 s → e±μ∓) < 6.0(7.2)× 10−9. The second analysis concerns the baryon sector: the Λb →Λ0e±μ∓ decay is searched. This study is currently under review in the LHCb collaboration. The whole procedure is described here in detail and its final results will be added when available. Furthermore, the present thesis contains a description and the results of the quality assurance process for the production of mats of scintillating fibres for the SciFi, a new tracker for the LHCb detector developed in view of the Run III of LHC.
Thermal Analysis of Power Transformers Under Geomagnetically Induced Current

Temperature distribution in the power transformers is investigated in this study under Geomagnetically Induced Current (GIC) conditions. Thermal stress can significantly reduce the insulation life, and in the case of excessive hot spot temperature (HST), catastrophic failure of transformers is likely, as happened in the past Geomagnetic Disturbance (GMD) events. Although a few reports emphasize the impact of GIC on the local heating within the transformers, especially in the structural parts, the effect of GIC on the thermal condition of transformers has not been investigated profoundly. This article studies the power transformer HST during the GIC. Since finding stray losses under GIC conditions is challenging, a hybrid approach, including a topological transformer model and 3D finite element method (FEM), is implemented. The detailed topological transformer model is utilized in the EMTP time-domain simulations to determine the harmonic currents at different GIC levels. Additionally, FEM is employed to calculate the temperature distribution within the transformer. The simulation results reveal that the structural parts are saturated with low GIC magnitudes, resulting in high stray losses and local hot spot heating in those areas. Furthermore, the tank can reach high temperatures at mid-GIC levels. These results clearly show that the transformer structural parts are highly vulnerable under severe GIC situations.
Using penalty function method in identification of elastic fixed stiffness of frame - pile structure

This paper studies a method to identify the elastic fixed stiffness of the frame structure. The model of the problem is three dimensionals structure, linear elastic deformation, pile - soil link is replaced by elastic fixed with stiffness. The problem will be solved by the penalty function method - the minimum of the objective function (which is the total squared error between the measured value and the calculated values particular) - combined with the finite element method. The numerical calculations show that the model, algorithm and calculation program are reliable. The program can be used to identify the elastic fixed stiffness of the frame structure in three dimensions, serving to determine the actual working state of the structure, to propose solutions for reinforcement, repairing, improving bearing capacity, prolonging the life of the structure.
A Pliocene goodeid fish of the Paleolake Amajac, Sanctórum, Hidalgo, Mexico

The splitfin fossil species Paleocharacodon guzmanae gen. and sp. nov. is erected based on the osteological study of 14 fossil male and female specimens recovered in the Pliocene deposits of the Paleolake Amajac, in Sanctórum, Hidalgo, Mexico. This new cyprinodontiform fish exhibits the diagnostic features of the family Goodeidae and subfamily Goodeinae; like all the goodeids, its premaxilla has a straight distal end, and its premaxillary ascending process is small; and, like the goodeines, this new species was viviparous, its first anal fin ray is rudimentary, and the males show an andropodium. Although P. guzmanae displays numerous primitive features, it is not possible to place it in any of the goodeine tribes, which currently are vaguely defined by osteological features. This new species seems to be closely related to Characodon; both share a peculiar osteological character; the articular facet for the quadrate is a donut-like structure, in which the retroarticular forms the central region, and a couple of semicircular anguloarticular processes form the surrounding part. This species differs from other goodeids mainly in two features; it has a posttemporal bone with small anteroventral processes, and the openings of its supraorbital canal show the formula12a, 2b-3a, 3b-4a, 4b-5a, and 5b-7. The discovery of this extinct goodeid species in the great Pánuco-Salado Basin on the eastern slope of Mexican territory represents an unexpected historical element. Carmen Caballero-Viñas. Departamento de Paleontología, Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Circuito de la Investigación S/N, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México, 04510, Mexico. c-caballero@live.com. mx Jesús Alvarado-Ortega. Departamento de Paleontología, Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Circuito de la Investigación S/N, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México, 04510, México. alvarado@geología. unam.mx Kleyton Magno Cantalice Severiano. Departamento de Paleontología, Instituto de Geología, Universidad CABALLERO-VIÑAS ET AL.: PLIOCENE GOODEID FROM MEXICO 2 Nacional Autónoma de México. Circuito de la Investigación S/N, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México, 04510, México. kleytonmc@geologia.unam.mx
Multi-Probe RFA vs. Single-Probe MWA in an Ex Vivo Bovine Liver Model: Comparison of Volume and Shape of Coagulation Zones

Simple Summary The aim of this study was to compare the volumes and shapes of the coagulation zone (CZ) of a multi-probe RFA system (three RFA electrodes) and a single-probe MWA system from the same vendor in an ex vivo bovine liver model. Radiofrequency ablation and microwave ablation are both minimally invasive treatment options for liver cancer. A total of 48 CZs were obtained in bovine liver specimens in three different ablation system configurations and compared at different ablation times using a fixed ablation protocol. Ablation diameters were measured and ellipticity indices (EIs) and volumes calculated. Volumes and diameters increased with ablation time for all configurations. The single-probe MWA could not reach the volumes of the RFA setups for any of the ablation times evaluated. EI were very similar and almost round for RFA with 20 mm inter-probe distance and single-probe MWA and differed significantly to the three individual, more ovoid ones for the RFA 50 mm configuration. In this ex vivo study, the multi-probe RFA system employing three electrodes achieved significantly larger ablation volumes in both configurations (confluent CZ and three individual CZ) per time as compared with a single-probe MWA system. Abstract Objectives: To compare the volumes and shapes of the coagulation zone (CZ) of a multi-probe RFA system (three RFA electrodes) and a single-probe MWA system from the same vendor in an ex vivo bovine liver model. Material & Methods: A total of 48 CZs were obtained in bovine liver specimens with three different ablation system configurations (single-probe MWA vs. multi-probe RFA with 20 mm inter-probe distance [confluent CZ] vs. multi-probe RFA with 50 mm inter-probe distance [three individual CZs]) at 4, 6, 8, and 10 min ablation time using a fixed ablation protocol. Ablation diameters were measured and ellipticity indices (EIs) and volumes calculated. Calculations for all systems/configurations were compared. Results: Volumes and diameters increased with ablation time for all configurations. At 4 and 6 min ablation time volumes obtained with the RFA 50 mm setup, and at 8 and 10 min with the RFA 20 mm setup were the largest at 26.5 ± 4.1 mL, 38.1 ± 5.8 mL, 46.3 ± 4.9 mL, 48.4 ± 7.3 mL, respectively. The single-probe MWA could not reach the volumes of the RFA setups for any of the ablation times evaluated. EI were very similar and almost round for RFA 20 mm and single-probe MWA, and differed significantly to the more ovoid ones for the RFA 50 mm configuration. Conclusions: The multi-probe RFA system employing three electrodes achieved significantly larger ablation volumes in both configurations (confluent CZ and three individual CZs) per time as compared with a single-probe MWA system in this ex vivo bovine liver model.
A call for a fragility fractures centralised care pathway in Australia: A qualitative study among healthcare professionals

Introduction Osteoporosis remains unrecognised and untreated in patients with fragility fractures, which leads to higher mortality rate, increasing social and economic burden related to subsequent fractures. However, the presence of a coordinated and centralised care pathway for fragility fractures is lacking. The purpose of this paper is to explore the perspectives of health professionals regarding the current management for distal radius fragility fractures, how the care pathway can be optimised for patients with distal radius fragility fractures, and where occupational therapists can contribute. Methods This paper uses a phenomenological qualitative methodology with selective and purposeful sampling, consisting of health professionals from an Australian Health Service (N = 20). Online surveys (N = 18) and semi-structured interviews (N = 16) were conducted. Content analysis was applied, followed by thematic analysis to identify emerging themes. Results Eighteen health professionals participated in the presurvey of which 16 were interviewed. The identified themes presented the gaps in the knowledge and awareness of fragility fractures and osteoporosis, as well as a lack of coordination in the system, especially the referral process. Discussion These findings are consistent with previous studies which also highlight the importance of communication, coordination, collaboration, cooperation, responsibility, and a population approach in achieving integrated care. This study contributes to the global call for a centralised and coordinated care pathway for fragility fractures. The study explores personal experiences of health professionals who expressed interest in fragility fractures management. Exploring patients’ perspectives on their journey of fragility fractures management provides opportunity for future research.