Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Biodegradation, Antibacterial Performance, and Cytocompatibility of a Novel ZK30-Cu-Mn Biomedical Alloy Produced by Selective Laser Melting

In the present study, an antibacterial biomedical magnesium (Mg) alloy with a low biodegradation rate was designed, and ZK30-0.2Cu-xMn (x = 0, 0.4, 0.8, 1.2, and 1.6 wt%) was produced by selective laser melting, which is a widely applied laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing technology. Alloying with Mn evidently influenced the grain size, hardness, and biodegradation behavior. On the other hand, increasing Mn content to 0.8 wt% resulted in a decrease of biodegradation rate which is attributed to the decreased grain size and relatively protective surface layer of manganese oxide. Higher Mn contents increased the biodegradation rate attributed to the presence of the Mn-rich particles. Taken together, ZK30-0.2Cu-0.8Mn exhibited the lowest biodegradation rate, strong antibacterial performance, and good cytocompatibility.
SEPARATION OF ACTINIDES AND LANTHANIDES FROM ACIDIC NUCLEAR WASTES BY SUPPORTED LIQUID MEMBRANES

ABSTRACT Supported liquid membranes, SLM, consisting of a solution of 0.25 M octyl(phenyl)-N,N-diisobutylcarbamoylmethylphosphine oxide (CMPO) and 0.75 μ tributylphosphate (TBP) in decalin absorbed on thin micropocous polypropylene supports, have been studied for their ability to perform selective separations and concentrations of actinide and lanthanide ions from synthetic acidic nuclear wastes. The permeability coefficients of selected actinides (Am, Pu, U, Np) and of some of the other major components of the wastes have been measured using SLMs in flat-sheet and hollow- fiber configurations. The results have shown that with the thin (25 μm) flat-sheet SLMs, using Celgard® 2500 as support, the membrane permeation process is mainly controlled by the rate of diffusion through the aqueous boundary layers. With the thicker (430 μmpar; hollow-fiber SLMs, using Accurel® hollow-fibers as support, the membrane permeation process Is controlled by the rate of diffusion through both the SLM and the aqueous boundar.
Fast and Robust Stability Region Estimation for Nonlinear Dynamical Systems

A linear quadratic regulator can stabilize a nonlinear dynamical system with a local feedback controller around a linearization point, while minimizing a given performance criteria. An important practical problem is to estimate the region of attraction of such a controller, that is, the region around this point where the controller is certified to be valid. This is especially important in the context of highly nonlinear dynamical systems. In this paper, we propose two stability certificates that are fast to compute and robust when the first, or second derivatives of the system dynamics are bounded. Associated with an efficient oracle to compute these bounds, this provides a simple stability region estimation algorithm compared to classic approaches of the state of the art. We experimentally validate its application to both polynomial and non-polynomial systems of various dimensions, including standard robotic systems, for estimating region of attractions around equilibrium points, as well as for trajectory tracking.
Semi-Quantitative Dermal Exposure Assessment of Lead with DREAM Model in a Lead Mine in Iran

Occupational exposure to toxic substances occurs in a variety of ways. The DREAM model is suggested for assessing skin exposure using preset values. The purpose of this study is to investigate the exposure of lead in workers at a mine lead using the DREAM model. This research was done in several steps. First, collect information about people and the work environment. Then design the model in Excel2016 by the authors. This research was descriptive-analytic research and included 46 miners. The DREAM model has a total of 33 variables included. In the DREAM model, exposure assessment was performed for 9 body parts at task level 2. The DREAM model was completed for 5 jobs. Jobs were in the lab, tunnel-74, tunnel-34, entrance to the tunnel and flotation workshop. The results were calculated for each of the 9 parts of the site for propagation, transfer, deposition, and potential and actual exposures, and eventually total exposures. The DREAM model, in comparison with similar methods, estimates the skin exposure level in a semi-quantitative fashion. This method has been used to estimate skin exposure in a variety of industries. This method was used to assess the skin exposure of workers in a mine, which resulted in training workers and providing personal protective equipment appropriate to the environment.
International Marketing in the Modern Era

This paper aimed to explain and define the term of International Marketing and How the firms can have an access to new markets in the world. Also, it focuses on how the marketers create a new strategy to gain new customers at both the local and global levels, and to promote their new products and services. International Marketing is characterized as less costing and using technology( i.e. the social media apps and the internet websites)in promoting the products and services. Several international companies including Amazon company have been ubiquitous all over the world through its website. In 2017, its profit went all the way up to $3.03 billion, which means it has penetrated the global markets and achieved its objectives.
Macromarketing Metrics of Consumer Well-Being: An Update

This commentary updates much of the research related to the various constructs and metrics of consumer well-being. Specifically, I review the research to date concerning several conceptualizations and metrics of consumer well-being from both public and academic sectors. Public sector metrics include Cost of Living, Total Consumption Expenditure, Consumer Complaint, and Quality. Selected contributions to consumer well-being metrics from the academic sector include Shopping Satisfaction, Shopping Well-Being, Possession Satisfaction, Acquisition/Possession Satisfaction, Consumption Life Cycle, Community, Need Satisfaction, Perceived Value in Life, and Bottom-up Spillover. I then provide some thoughts about how these metrics can be improved and ideas that may spur future research. In doing so, I address issues related to construct validity to public sector metrics by demonstrating association with human development measures. Metrics from the academic sector can also be improved by testing association with newly established constructs of well-being (e.g., eudaimonia, social well-being) and introducing moderating effects of individual differences (e.g., consumer involvement, consumer lifestyle) as well as product-related differences (e.g., experiential versus material consumption; marketplace activities related to luxury versus nonluxury goods and services; and products beneficial to society versus “sin” products).
Restoration of rapids habitat in a Great Lakes connecting channel, the St. Marys River, Michigan

Aquatic habitat has been extensively altered throughout the Laurentian Great Lakes to increase navigation connectivity. In particular, the St. Marys River, a Great Lakes connecting channel, lost >50% of its historic rapids habitat over the past century. In 2016, the natural flow was restored to the Little Rapids area of the St. Marys River. The goal of our study was to evaluate physical and ecological responses to the restoration of the Little Rapids area. Extensive habitat and biological data were collected prior to restoration (2013 and 2014), and after restoration (2017 and 2018). Measured parameters included total suspended solids, current velocity, benthic macroinvertebrates, and larval, juvenile, and adult fishes. Total suspended solids stayed low (<4 mg/L) following restoration, with the exception of a single construction‐related event. Pre‐restoration data indicated that all measured velocities were below the target flow rate of 0.24 m/s, whereas 70% of the measured habitat was above the target flow post‐restoration. Abundance and richness of benthic macroinvertebrates were reduced following restoration (>90% reduction). We observed a 45% increase in richness of larval fish 2 years after restoration and a 131% increase in catch per unit effort. For adult fishes, the proportion of individuals with a preference for fast‐moving waters increased from 1.5 to 45% in the restored area, and from 7 to 15% upstream of the restored area; a similar response was observed for lithophilic spawners. The physical and biological conditions of the Little Rapids improved and resembled conditions typical of rapids habitat extent in other areas of the river and other systems.
Pre‐implantation genetic testing: Past, present, future

Pre‐implantation genetic testing (PGT) has been performed worldwide since it was first used by Handyside et al in the United Kingdom to sex embryos in 1990. Until about 2010, cleavage stage embryo biopsy and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) were mainstream; however, in 2012, blastocyst biopsy (trophectoderm; TE biopsy) became mainstream. In addition, array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) was used for analysis and further evolved to next‐generation sequencing (NGS), which is used worldwide.
Commercial Diatomite for Adsorption of Tetracycline Antibiotic from Aqueous Solution

Extensive use of antibiotics in human therapy and farming industry has resulted in their accumulation and potential hazards to the environment. In this study, diatomite, which is a siliceous rock with large surface area and high adsorptivity towards organic compounds, was used to adsorb the antibiotic tetracycline (TC) from aqueous media. The adsorption kinetics, isotherms, thermodynamics, and effects of the adsorbent amount and ionic strength were evaluated in batch adsorption experiments. The adsorption of TC onto diatomite followed the pseudo-second-order kinetics model, and the sorption equilibrium was reached in 120 min. The perfect adsorbent amount could be selected within the range of 1 ˜ 20 g·L−1. The equilibrium data at different temperatures was satisfactorily fitted to the Langmuir isotherm equation with high R2 above 0.999, and the maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 303.03 mg·g−1 was obtained at 318 K using 1 g·L−1 diatomite. Thermodynamic parameters showed that the adsorption reaction was spontaneous and endothermic. Moreover, the adsorption of TC was insignificantly affected by the ionic strength of 0.05-1% NaCl and CaCl2, indicating that diatomite has a potential practical application as adsorbent media for removing TC from real water.
Respuestas fiscales asimétricas frente al COVID-19 en Europa

Durante la pandemia del COVID-19, los países de la Unión Europea han desplegado una amplia gama de medidas económicas para hacer frente a la emergencia sanitaria y garantizar los ingresos a los hogares y la viabilidad de las empresas. Los paquetes de medidas han sido similares en cuanto a tipología de instrumentos, pero diferentes en tamaño y alcance. Además, los países parten de situaciones diferentes y las características de su estructura laboral y productiva también redundan en impactos económicos diferentes. Este artículo compara los paquetes económicos aprobados por nueve Estados miembros de la UE en tres dimensiones: la fiscal, la laboral y la de ayudas de Estado, y los evalúa en el contexto al que responden.
Simultaneous determination of sweeteners and preservatives in beverages by HPLC-DAD-ELSD

People suffering from diabetes or being overweight must severely reduce their sugar use, often seeking food with sweeteners. Often, sugar is replaced by non-nutritious sweeteners in beverages, which also contain several other substances like vitamins, caffeine, amino acids, phenolic compounds and thus increasing the shelf life of the beverages is additionally treated with the addition of preservatives. As the concentration of additives in food (including beverages) is determined by the legislation in force, it is necessary to have an appropriate analytical method for food control. Since artificial sweeteners and preservatives are very different substances, they are determined separately using different HPLC methods. In this work HPLC method combining the advantages of specific (diode array detector, DAD) and universal (evaporative light scattering detector, ELSD) detector was validated and used for simultaneous determination of benzoic acid, sorbic acid, aspartame, acesulfame K, saccharin, sucralose and steviol glycosides in sugar-free beverages. The proposed analytical method showed good linearity, precision, and accuracy. Measured limits of detection (0.6 – 11.8 mg.dm -3 depending on the analyte) were sufficient to analyze 5-times diluted beverage samples. The validated method has been successfully used for the simultaneous analysis of artificial sweeteners and preservatives in beverage samples (energy drinks, ice teas, carbonated drinks). Except for steviol glycosides, the concentration of monitored substances in beverages did not exceed the maximum permitted concentrations given in the valid legislation.
Microbial Diversity and Antibiotic Susceptibility Pattern of Bacteria Associated with Motorcycle Helmets

Background Motorcycle helmets can serve as a potential vehicle for the transmission of pathogenic bacteria and fungi with serious health implications. The main aim of this study was to explore the microbial diversity associated with the motorcycle helmets and determine the antibiotic susceptibility profile of the bacterial isolates. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among the teaching staffs of Birendra Multiple Campus, Bharatpur, Nepal. A total of 130 motorcycle helmets worn by the teaching staffs of the Birendra Multiple Campus, Bharatpur, were included in the study for microbiological investigations. Results Of the total 130 motorcycle helmets analyzed, 392 bacteria and 346 fungi belonging to seven different genera were recovered. Staphylococcus aureus 89 (22.7%) was the predominant bacteria followed by S. epidermidis 77 (19.6%) and E. coli 54 (13.8%), whereas Aspergillus niger 67 (19.4%) was the predominant fungi followed by A. fumigatus 49 (14.2%). Antibiotic susceptibility test was performed by the disc diffusion method for all the bacterial isolates. Tetracycline, gentamycin, and cotrimoxazole were the most effective antibiotics for Gram-positive isolates, whereas Gram-negative isolates were sensitive towards imipenem and ciprofloxacin. Of the total bacterial isolates, 153 (39.0%) were multidrug-resistant (MDR), 10.4% were extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers, and 4.3% were metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) producers and, out of 89 isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, 30 (33.7%) were detected as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Conclusion The findings suggest that motorcycle riders should follow good hygiene practices and regularly clean their helmets with suitable sterilants to avoid the risk of microbial contamination and reduce the associated risks.
The pivotal role of tumour necrosis factor α in the development of inflammatory hyperalgesia

1 The hyperalgesic activities in rats of interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), IL‐6, IL‐8, tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) and carrageenin were investigated. 2 IL‐6 activated the previously delineated IL‐1/prostaglandin hyperalgesic pathway but not the IL‐8/sympathetic mediated hyperalgesic pathway. 3 TNFα and carrageenin activated both pathways. 4 Antiserum neutralizing endogenous TNFα abolished the response to carrageenin whereas antisera neutralizing endogenous IL‐1β, IL‐6 and IL‐8 each partially inhibited the response. 5 The combination of antisera neutralizing endogenous IL‐1β + IL‐8 or IL‐6 + IL‐8 abolished the response to carrageenin. 6 These results show that TNFα has an early and crucial role in the development of inflammatory hyperaglesia. 7 The delineation of the roles of TNFα, IL‐1β, IL‐6 and IL‐8 in the development of inflammatory hyperalgesia taken together with the finding that the production of these cytokines is inhibited by steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs provides a mechanism of action for these drugs in the treatment of inflammatory hyperalgesia.
AR Guidance System for Traffic Circumvention and Collision Avoidance: Emergency Services Case Study

Circumventing motorway traffic can be a challenging task for the Emergency Services’ vehicles. This work presents a preliminary Human-Computer Interface (HCI) design which employs Augmented Reality (AR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to provide in real-time the best manoeuvring and speed options to the ES driver, through a full-windscreen Head-Up Display (HUD). The system design was presented to 30 ES drivers from Africa and Europe. Their subjective feedback and expectations of the proposed feedback were analysed and offered an insight into the similarities and differences of requirements for the two groups that perform the same activities in different environments.
Obesidad abdominal y perfil lipídico en pacientes con hiperplasia suprarrenal congénita por déficit de 21 hidroxilasa

Introduccion: Existen discrepancias en relacion con el aumento de la adiposidad abdominal de los pacientes con hiperplasia suprarrenal congenita (HSC) y la influencia sobre ella de factores clinicos, hormonales y relacionados con la dosis y el tiempo de uso del tratamiento esteroideo. Objetivo: Describir la relacion entre la obesidad abdominal, la dosis, el tiempo de tratamiento esteroideo los niveles de androgenos circulantes y el perfil lipidico en los pacientes tratados por este padecimiento. Metodos: Estudio descriptivo, transversal, que incluyo a todos los ninos y adolescentes con hiperplasia suprarrenal congenita por deficit de 21 hidroxilasa que recibian tratamiento esteroideo sustitutivo, atendidos en el departamento de endocrinologia pediatrica del Instituto Nacional de Endocrinologia durante el periodo 2000-2015. Se estudiaron variables clinicas, bioquimicas y hormonales. Para las variables cualitativas se calcularon frecuencias absolutas y porcentajes, media y desviacion estandar para las variables cuantitativas. Se evaluaron asociaciones utilizando el coeficiente de correlacion de Spearman y la prueba chi cuadrado para evaluar la significacion estadistica de la posible asociacion, considerada cuando p < 0,05. Resultados: Fueron estudiados 29 pacientes, 24 (82,8%) con sexo social femenino, una edad promedio de 10,9 ± 6,27 anos, edad al diagnostico de 1,9 anos ± 2,7 anos y edad de inicio del tratamiento 2,03 ± 2,7 anos. Las formas clasicas predominaron con 23 pacientes (79,3 %), 11 perdedoras de sal (47,8 %) y 12 formas virilizantes simples, solo 6 correspondieron a las formas no clasicas (20,7 %). En los tres grupos se comprobo adiposidad abdominal incrementada segun el indice abdomen/talla (0,52 vs . 0,51 vs . 0,51). La utilizacion de mayores dosis de esteroides se correlaciono de manera positiva con mayor circunferencia de cintura ( p < 0,05) y abdomen ( p < 0.01). En 13 (44,8%) pacientes se comprobo obesidad abdominal y el perfil lipidico mostro valores normales en todos los casos estudiados. Conclusiones: La obesidad abdominal constituye un signo frecuente en los pacientes con HSC. Es preciso monitorear con precision las dosis de esteroides empleadas, establecer estrategias de seguimiento mas completas y estimular estilos de vida saludables, lo que redundara a largo plazo en menores consecuencias cardiometabolicas.
SARS-CoV-2 replication triggers an MDA-5-dependent interferon production which is unable to efficiently control replication

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the third highly pathogenic coronavirus to spill over to humans in less than 20 years, after SARS-CoV-1 in 2002-2003 and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV in 2012. SARS-CoV-2 is the etiologic agent of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), which ranges from mild respiratory symptoms to severe lung injury and death in the most severe cases. The COVID-19 pandemic is currently a major health issue worldwide. Immune dysregulation characterized by altered innate cytokine responses is thought to contribute to the pathology of COVID-19 patients, which is a testimony of the fundamental role of the innate immune response against SARS-CoV-2. Here, we further characterized the host cell antiviral response against SARS-CoV-2 by using primary human airway epithelia and immortalized model cell lines. We mainly focused on the type I and III interferon (IFN) responses, which lead to the establishment of an antiviral state through the expression of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). Our results demonstrate that both primary airway epithelial cells and model cell lines elicit a robust immune response characterized by a strong induction of type I and III IFN through the detection of viral pathogen molecular patterns (PAMPs) by melanoma differentiation associated gene (MDA)-5. However, despite the high levels of type I and III IFNs produced in response to SARS-CoV-2 infection, the IFN response was unable to control viral replication, whereas IFN pre-treatment strongly inhibited viral replication and de novo production of infectious virions. Taken together, these results highlight the complex and ambiguous interplay between viral replication and the timing of IFN responses.
Fast-locking PLL based on a novel PFD-CP structure and reconfigurable loop filter

In this study, the design routine of a novel phase frequency detector and charge-pump (PFD-CP) is discussed. The main advantage of the proposed circuit is its improved dead zone performance as the circuits of PFD-CP have been merged to reduce the latency of the structure. To justify this, by means of a reconfigurable loop filter, a fast-locking low-power phase-locked loop (PLL) has been implemented which can operate at the range of 100 MHz–1.2 GHz while its power consumption is 2.53 mW at 1.2 GHz operating frequency. The whole PLL is implemented in 0.18 µm complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor technology with a 1.8 V power supply. The post-layout simulation results are provided to show the conformity of theoretical assumptions and circuit-level implementations which depict the locking time of 0.54 µs at 1.2 GHz operating frequency.
Wear of Ceramics Systems with Different Surface Applications in a Chewing Simulator

Received 04-10-2020 Accepted 15-10-2020 Available Online 16-10-2020 Published 30-10-2020 1 Kütahya Tavşanlı Oral Health Center, Kütahya, TR 2 Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Faculty of Dentistry, Dept of Prosthodontics, Sivas, TR 3 Çukurova University, Faculty of Dentistry, Dept of Prosthodontics, Adana, TR * Corresponding Author: Giray Bolayır E-mail: giraybolayir@hotmail.com Wear of ceramics systems with different surface applications in a
An Overview and Efficiency Analysis of Dominant Frequencies Estimation Methods with the Application of DIRECT Global Minimization Method

: This report discusses the application of the following methods that are used to calculate maximum frequency of a spectrum: parabolic, modified parabolic by Rife and Vincent, the method according to Quinn from 1994 and the method according to Quinn from 1997. After introducing DIRECT global minimization method, the results obtained using previously mentioned methods are compared with the results obtained using DIRECT global minimization of the Lipschitz function. Determining vibration frequency and comparing to previously collected data or knowledge base data is a common procedure. In engineering practice it is often necessary to determine not one, but several so - called dominant frequencies or local maxima; the procedure is sometimes called multi peak detection and here we propose an algorithm for computerised multi peak detection.