Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Polymorphisms in the gene encoding CYP1A2 influence prostate cancer risk and progression

The role of the cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) rs2472299, rs2470890 and rs11072508 polymorphisms in prostate cancer risk, disease progression and tumour development remains unclear. The potential associations of these three CYP1A2 polymorphisms and haplotypes with prostate cancer susceptibility and its clinicopathological characteristics were therefore investigated. The present case-control study consisted of 522 patients with prostate cancer and 554 healthy controls. High-resolution melting analysis was used to determine the CYP1A2 polymorphisms. No significant association in prostate cancer risk was seen for CYP1A2 rs2472299 and rs11072508. However, a significantly decreased risk of prostate cancer was found for CYP1A2 rs2470890 [odds ratio (OR), 0.67; P=0.02] in the recessive model. After analysis of the associations of clinical status and these three CYP1A2 polymorphisms, the CYP1A2 rs2470890 and rs11072508 polymorphisms showed a positive association with a higher Gleason score (rs2470890 OR, 1.36, P=0.04 in the allelic model; rs11072508 OR, 1.37, P=0.04 in the allelic model and OR, 1.60, P=0.03 in the dominant model). All three polymorphisms showed a significant positive association with pathological T stage in the additive, allelic and dominant genetic models (P<0.05). Haplotype analysis revealed that the most common haplotypes ‘GTT’ and ‘ACC’ were significantly associated with pathological T stages 3 and 4 (OR, 0.62; P=0.02 and OR, 1.54; P=0.03, respectively). A significant association was found between the ‘GTT’ haplotype and the Gleason score (OR, 0.71; P=0.03). In conclusion, these CYP1A2 polymorphisms and haplotypes have the potential to predict prostate cancer disease progression.
Extraction of the fine structure from x-ray absorption spectra

We propose two methods for obtaining the atomic-like background for the x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS): the methods of smoothing spline and of Bayesian smoothing. Both are capable of using the prior information, calculated or experimental, about the background. The XAFS signals obtained by these techniques are shown to be significantly corrected in comparison with standard methods. The method of Bayesian smoothing is the only method that gives the errors of approximation of the atomic-like background by an artificial smooth function. These errors are shown to be the main source of the uncertainty of the XAFS function.
Polysaccharide-Based Hydrogels and Their Application as Drug Delivery Systems in Cancer Treatment: A Review

Hydrogels are three-dimensional crosslinked structures with physicochemical properties similar to the extracellular matrix (ECM). By changing the hydrogel’s material type, crosslinking, molecular weight, chemical surface, and functionalization, it is possible to mimic the mechanical properties of native tissues. Hydrogels are currently used in the biomedical and pharmaceutical fields for drug delivery systems, wound dressings, tissue engineering, and contact lenses. Lately, research has been focused on hydrogels from natural sources. Polysaccharides have drawn attention in recent years as a promising material for biological applications, due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, and excellent mechanical properties. Polysaccharide-based hydrogels can be used as drug delivery systems for the efficient release of various types of cancer therapeutics, enhancing the therapeutic efficacy and minimizing potential side effects. This review summarizes hydrogels’ classification, properties, and synthesis methods. Furthermore, it also covers several important natural polysaccharides (chitosan, alginate, hyaluronic acid, cellulose, and carrageenan) widely used as hydrogels for drug delivery and, in particular, their application in cancer treatment.
Planar microfluidic processors

The miniaturization and integration of electronic circuitry has not only made the enormous increase in performance of semiconductor devices possible but also spawned a myriad of new products and applications ranging from a cellular phone to a personal computer. Similarly, the miniaturization and integration of chemical and biological processes will revolutionize life sciences. Drug design and diagnostics in the genomic era require reliable and cost effective high throughput technologies which can be integrated and allow for a massive parallelization. Microfluidics is the core technology to realize such miniaturized laboratories with feature sizes on a submillimeter scale. Here, we report on a novel microfluidic technology meeting the basic requirements for a microfluidic processor analogous to those of its electronic counterpart: Cost effective production, modular design, high speed, scalability and programmability.
Lepton loss and entropy generation in stellar collapse

Stellar core collapse is studied with the aim of understanding how sensitive the properties of the core are to variations in the underlying physical and astronomical assumptions made. A homogeneous core model is employed and the collapse is studied from the termination of core Si burning until neutrino trapping and beta equilibrium are attained. This corresponds to evolution from central densities of approx.10/sup 9/ g cm/sup -3/ to approx.10/sup 13/ g cm/sup -3/. It is found that the properties of the core important for the later stages of the collapse, the entropy and lepton fraction, are remarkably insensitive to most variations of the assumptions about the input physics, collapse rate and initial conditions.
Role of nutrients and temperature in shaping distinct summer phytoplankton and microzooplankton population dynamics in the western North Pacific and Bering Sea

Phytoplankton growth and microzooplankton grazing are two critical processes in marine food webs, but they remain understudied in the vast area of the subarctic western Pacific and the Bering Sea. In this study, we measured phytoplankton growth and microzooplankton grazing rates in these less‐explored regions to demonstrate their spatial patterns and investigate underlying mechanisms driving the planktonic food web dynamics. Our results showed that the phytoplankton growth in these regions was determined by nutrient availability and temperature. In the high‐nutrient, low‐chlorophyll regions (HNLC), iron availability was the primary factor limiting phytoplankton growth. In contrast, phytoplankton growth in the Gulf of Anadyr and Kamchatka Strait was mainly limited by inorganic nitrogen exhausted by the summer blooms. We found that microzooplankton grazing rate was affected by temperature and prey availability, highlighting the positive effect of temperature. Strong top‐down control on phytoplankton by microzooplankton in the Gulf of Anadyr and Kamchatka Strait indicated an active microbial food web with high turnover rates. In contrast, the decoupling of phytoplankton growth and microzooplankton grazing in the HNLC regions illustrates a weak role of microzooplankton in the marine food web. These results indicated different food web structures in the areas with and without riverine iron input. By revealing the roles of temperature and nutrient or prey availability in regulating the spatial variability of plankton rates, we expect that the plankton will respond differently to ocean warming between the HNLC and coastal regions of the subarctic Pacific due to different nutrient conditions. Our study helps understand how marine plankton will respond to environmental changes at high latitudes.
Mean and extreme precipitation over Aotearoa New Zealand: A comparison across multiple different estimation techniques

This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of mean and extreme precipitation features over Aotearoa New Zealand (hereafter New Zealand or NZ) in station data and in six merged satellite‐gauge products, five reanalyses and two in situ gridded products over a period of 10 years inclusive (2001–2010). All products show a similar mean precipitation pattern with a clear maximum over alpine regions. However, only the higher spatial resolution datasets capture the details of the west–east gradient across the South Island accurately. For extremes, we used a set of climate indices to examine the wet tail of the precipitation distribution in the different products. The products have significant differences in these indices, especially over the West Coast in the South Island, indicating substantial uncertainty in these gridded precipitation extremes. Overall, MSWEP and BARRA‐R perform well in all the statistical tests, including higher values of the nonparametric Kling Gupta efficiency (NP‐KGE) metric, favouring their utility for capturing the main characteristics of both mean and extreme precipitation across New Zealand.
GEOMETRY AND BIAS DEPENDENCE OF LOW-FREQUENCY RANDOM TELEGRAPH SIGNAL AND 1/f NOISE LEVELS IN MOSFETS

Low-frequency noise in MOSFETs is considered to originate from two distinctive sources: Random Telegraph Signal caused by carrier traps at the border of the SiO2/Si interface and 1/f fluctuation due to inherent nature of lattice scattering in a Si crystal. It is very important to distinguish these two mechanisms. Relative amplitude of RTS and 1/f noise depends on the number of carriers under the gate electrode, which makes it channel size as well as gate-bias dependent. In this paper, we discuss the dependence of the amplitudes of RTS and 1/f noise in MOSFETs on sample geometry and gate bias condition. We discuss low-frequency noise reduction by utilizing low electron-temperature plasma for gate oxidation as well.
Large angle pitch attitude maneuver of a satellite using solar radiation pressure

The force exerted by the solar radiation, though very small in magnitude, produces significant effects, especially in the case of high altitude satellites. The solar radiation pressure represents one freely available environmental force that may be put to use for various purposes. This may lead to enhancement of the life of the satellite since it consumes a very nominal amount of on-board energy. The advantages offered by the solar radiation pressure have drawn the attention of several researchers. Various controllers were proposed for many space missions, particularly for attitude control and stabilization of satellites. A controller for achieving large angle pitch attitude maneuver is described. The proposed control law is very simple in its form and requires a minimum number of on-board computations. Varieties of cases are tried and the effect of various parameters is studied. >
A comparative study of bounding techniques in dynamic shakedown of elasto‐plastic structures

Two conceptually different procedures to obtain upper bounds to displacements and deformations developed in the dynamic evolution of elasto-plastic structures are considered. Computationally, both methods require the dynamic analysis of a linear system and a sequence of constrained optimization problems, each roughly analogous to a limit analysis procedure in the quasi-static range, with a substantial saving in effort when compared to an incremental analysis of the plasto-dynamic response. A discrete model for frames is proposed and the two approaches are reformulated in a convenient matrix form. The approaches are then compared on the basis of the information needed (total or plastic displacements, deformations, dissipated energy), of the usefulness of results obtained and of the computational effort involved. The results seem to indicate the practical usefulness of these techniques and encourage the extension of the study to broader classes of structures.
Universal approach to accurate resistivity measurement for a single nanowire: Theory and application

A universal four-contact method is proposed to accurately determine the resistivity of a single nanowire and other nanostructures. Unlike the conventional four-contact method or two-contact method, the present scheme does not require nonrectifying (Ohmic) contacts to the nanowire and can completely eliminate the systematic error resulting from the contact resistance or the resistance difference between the contacts. The present method has been applied to copper nanowire and can be used as a universal resistivity measurement scheme for all nanowires and other nanostructures.
Impact of corporate governance and ownership concentrations on timelines of financial reporting in Pakistan

Abstract The objective of this paper is to explore the relationship among corporate governance, timelines of financial reporting and ownership concentration taken as a moderating effect among the listed firms on Pakistan Stock Exchange. In this study, we developed hypothesis about the relationship between corporate governance and timelines of financial reporting by using the data of 100 listed firms during the period of 2013 to 2017. By applying ordinary least squares, we find out that auditor brand name decreases the audit report lag and increases the quality of the audit. Audit opinion also has an impact on the audit quality if there is an unqualified report, and then the quality of the audit increases with decrease in lags. A large number of board meeting decreases the lags and increases the audit quality. Independent board decreases the lags and increases the audit quality. Family ownership, the most important variable, decreases the management report lag and increases the audit quality. If ownership concentration is taken as a moderator, then board diligence has a negative relationship with the timelines that show the large number of board meeting decreases the lags and increases the audit quality. The board size is positively related with timelines, which means that larger board increases the lags and the audit quality decreases. The audit committee presence decreases the management report lag and without moderating, the audit committee has no impact on the timelines. However, some hypotheses are fully supported, and some partially support the relationship. Our finding is that corporate governance has an impact on timelines of financial reporting and ownership concentration has moderating effect that enhances the relationship.
Chitosan as an Outstanding Polysaccharide Improving Health-Commodities of Humans and Environmental Protection

Public health, production and preservation of food, development of environmentally friendly (cosmeto-)textiles and plastics, synthesis processes using green technology, and improvement of water quality, among other domains, can be controlled with the help of chitosan. It has been demonstrated that this biopolymer exhibits advantageous properties, such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, antimicrobial effect, mucoadhesive properties, film-forming capacity, elicitor of plant defenses, coagulant-flocculant ability, synergistic effect and adjuvant along with other substances and materials. In part, its versatility is attributed to the presence of ionizable and reactive primary amino groups that provide strong chemical interactions with small inorganic and organic substances, macromolecules, ions, and cell membranes/walls. Hence, chitosan has been used either to create new materials or to modify the properties of conventional materials applied on an industrial scale. Considering the relevance of strategic topics around the world, this review integrates recent studies and key background information constructed by different researchers designing chitosan-based materials with potential applications in the aforementioned concerns.
Fairness Matters: A Tit-For-Tat Strategy Against Selfish Mining

The proof-of-work (PoW) based blockchains are more secure nowadays since profit-oriented miners contribute more computing powers in exchange for fair revenues. This virtuous circle only works under an incentive-compatible consensus, which is found to be fragile under selfish mining attacks. Specifically, selfish miners can conceal and reveal blocks strategically to earn unfairly higher revenue compared to honest behaviors. Previous countermeasures either require incompatible modifications or fail to consider the asynchronous network and multiple honest nodes setting in reality. In this paper, we introduce the unfairness measurement based on the KL-divergence from the computing power distribution to the revenue distribution of miners. To improve fairness with the existence of selfish miners, we propose a novel block promotion strategy namely Tit-for-Tat (TFT), for honest miners. In particular, based on a miner's local observation of forks, we design the suspicious probability measurement of other nodes. Rather than promoting a fresh block instantly, miners withhold it for different time periods according to others' suspicious probability before delivery. Meanwhile, to minimize the attacker's unfair revenue, we formulate the delay vector (DV) problem for honest miners to determine the optimal withholding time. We prove that DV problem is nonconvex, and thus propose two approximation algorithms that yield ϵ-suboptimal solutions. In addition, we extend TFT strategy to support dynamic networks. Extensive experiments validate the efficiency and effectiveness of our strategy and algorithms to reduce unfairness by 54.62% within bounded withholding time.
Which parameterization is suitable for acoustic vertical transverse isotropic full waveform inversion? Part 1: Sensitivity and trade-off analysis

ABSTRACTIn most geologic environments, accounting for anisotropy is necessary to perform acoustic full waveform inversion (FWI) of wide-azimuth and wide-aperture seismic data because of the potential dependence of wave speeds on the direction of the wave propagation. In the framework of multiparameter FWI, the subsurface parameterization controls the influence of the different parameter classes on the modeled seismic data as a function of the scattering angle and hence the resolution with which the parameters can be reconstructed and the potential trade-off between different parameters. We have evaluated a numerical procedure based on computation of the scattering patterns of the different parameters to assess the sensitivity of the seismic data to different parameterizations of vertical transverse isotropic media in the acoustic approximation. Among the different categories we have tested, a monoparametric FWI was found for imaging one wave speed with a broad wavenumber content, keeping the Thomsen param.
A REPRESENTATION FOR THE TURBULENT MASS FLUX CONTRIBUTION TO REYNOLDS-STRESS AND TWO-EQUATION CLOSURES FOR COMPRESSIBLE TURBULENCE

The turbulent mass flux, or equivalently the fluctuating Favre velocity mean, appears in the first and second moment equations of compressible k-varepsilon and Reynolds stress closures. Mathematically it is the difference between the unweighted and density-weighted averages of the velocity field and is therefore a measure of the effects of compressibility through variations in density. It appears to be fundamental to an inhomogeneous compressible turbulence, in which it characterizes the effects of the mean density gradients, in the same way the anisotropy tensor characterizes the effects of the mean velocity gradients. An evolution equation for the turbulent mass flux is derived. A truncation of this equation produces an algebraic expression for the mass flux. The mass flux is found to be proportional to the mean density gradients with a tensor eddy-viscosity that depends on both the mean deformation and the Reynolds stresses. The model is tested in a wall bounded DNS at Mach 4.5 with notable results.
An efficient complex‐frequency shifted‐perfectly matched layer for second‐order acoustic wave equation

In the context of simulations of wave propagations in unbounded domain, absorbing boundary conditions are often used to truncate the simulation domain to a finite space. Perfectly matched layer (PML) has proven to be an excellent absorbing boundary conditions. However, as this technique was primarily designed for the first‐order equation system, it cannot be applied to the second‐order equation system directly. In this paper, based on a complex‐coordinate stretching technique, we developed a novel, efficient auxiliary‐differential equation form of the complex‐frequency shifted‐PML for the second‐order equation system. This facilitates the use of complex‐frequency shifted‐PML in acoustic simulations based upon wave equations of second‐order form. Compared with previous state‐of‐the‐art methods, the proposed one has the advantage of simpler implementation. It is an unsplit‐field scheme that can be extended to higher‐order discretization schemes conveniently. Numerical results from both homogeneous and heterogeneous computational domains are provided to illustrate the validity of the method. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Scattering of Neutrons by Protons

1. The mass defects of the lightest nuclei, particularly the ratio between that of the diplon and the α -particle, make it very probable that the range of the interaction force between proton and neutron is very small, of the order of about 10-13 cm. Therefore, in all experiments in which scattering of neutrons by protons has been observed, their wave-length is larger than the range of the interaction force. In these circumstances it is well known that the scattering intensity will be independent of angle for that co-ordinate system in which the centre of gravity is at rest. For much higher energies, of course, this will no longer be true and one will expect then an anisotropy in the scattered intensity. This effect will become appreciable for energies for which the wave-length is of the same order as the range of the forces. Exact measurements of the angular distribution of scattered fast neutrons would therefore afford a direct check of the assumption of a short range and an estimate of this range. The existing experiments show an isotropic scattering within the limits of error, but are not accurate enough to allow very definite conclusions. 2. The importance of such experiments is further increased by the fact that, as was pointed out by Wick, the sign of the asymmetry in the scattering depends on whether the interaction is of the ordinary type or an exchange force as proposed by Heisenberg and Majorana, and observations of the asymmetry could therefore decide this question.
Efficacy of Caregivers Training in Rehabilitation of Stroke Survivors in Bangladesh: A Quasi-experimental Study

Background: A proper rehabilitation program may prevent post-stroke neurological, structural, and functional disabilities. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of caregiver training in the rehabilitation of stroke survivors and compare rehabilitation interventions done by the therapist. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted among 67 stroke survivors divided into group A (home-based exercise by family caregivers; n=33) and group B (hospital-based supervised exercise by a physiotherapist; n=34). Family caregivers were trained according to “The London Stroke Carers Training Course. ” The functional independence measure (FIM) evaluated all patients after three months of physiotherapy. Results: The mean age of the participants in group A and group B were 56.85 ± 11.49 and 58.65 ± 16.92 years, respectively, where most of the patients in both groups were male. In group A, 17 (51.5%) participants had left-sided involvement, while in group B, 17 (50.0%) participants had left-sided involvement. There was no significant statistical difference in FIM between groups A and B at baseline (p=0.532). At three months, the mean FIM of the participants in group A (98.54 ± 11.85) was significantly higher than in group B (89.85 ± 8.15) (p=0.001). A quasi-significant difference was observed between the right (18.41 ± 9.37) and the left (23.42 ± 11.68) hemisphere involvement regarding mean improvement of FIM (p=0.057). Conclusion: Therapeutic approach provided by trained caregivers was found to be more effective and efficient than that done by a physiotherapist.