Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electrospun nanofibre bundles and yarns for tissue engineering applications: A review

Nanofibre membranes produced through the electrospinning process have been studied extensively over the past decade for a number of high demand applications including use as tissue engineered scaffolds. Despite possessing desirable properties including high surface area to volume ratios and enhanced mechanical properties, they ultimately suffer from a lack of cellular infiltration. Variations on the process include the production of highly aligned filaments of electrospun fibres referred to as bundles and yarns. Nanofibre bundle and yarn-based scaffolds have been shown to demonstrate superior cell infiltration rates compared to traditional electrospun nonwovens while also offering the capability to be incorporated into a wider array of post-processing technologies. In this review, fibre collection techniques currently employed within the literature for the fabrication of electrospun bundles and yarns along with their applications in the field of tissue engineering will be discussed.
Virtual flow-diverter treatment planning: The effect of device placement on bifurcation aneurysm haemodynamics

Bifurcation aneurysms account for a large fraction of cerebral aneurysms and often present morphologies that render traditional endovascular treatments, such as coiling, challenging and problematic. Flow-diverter stents offer a potentially elegant treatment option for such aneurysms, but clinical use of these devices remains controversial. Specifically, the deployment of a flow-diverter device in a bifurcation entails jailing one or more potentially vital vessels with a low-porosity mesh designed to restrict the flow. When multiple device placement configurations exist, the most appropriate clinical decision becomes increasingly opaque. In this study, three bifurcation aneurysm geometries were virtually treated by flow-diverter device. Each aneurysm was selected to offer two possible device deployment positions. Flow-diverters similar to commercially available designs were deployed with a fast-deployment algorithm before transient and steady state computational fluid dynamics simulations were performed. Reductions in aneurysm inflow, mean wall shear stress and maximum wall shear stress, all factors often linked with aneurysm treatment outcome, were compared for different device configurations in each aneurysm. In each of the three aneurysms modelled, a particular preferential device placement was shown to offer superior performance with the greatest reduction in the flow metrics considered. In all the three aneurysm geometries, substantial variations in inflow reduction (up to 25.3%), mean wall shear stress reduction (up to 14.6%) and maximum wall shear stress reduction (up to 12.1%) were seen, which were all attributed to device placement alone. Optimal device placement was found to be non-trivial and highly aneurysm specific; in only one-third of the simulated geometries, the best overall performance was achieved by deploying a device in the daughter vessel with the highest flow rate. Good correspondence was seen between transient results and steady state computations that offered a significant reduction in simulation run time. If accurate steady state computations are combined with the fast-deployment algorithm used, the modest run time and corresponding hardware make a virtual treatment pipeline in the clinical setting a meaningful possibility.
Hybrid Hydrogel with High Water Vapor Harvesting Capacity for Deployable Solar-Driven Atmospheric Water Generator.

The Earth's atmosphere holds approximately 12 900 billion tons of fresh water distributed all over the world with fast replenishment. Atmospheric water harvesting is emerging as a promising strategy for clean water production in arid regions, land-locked areas, and remote communities. The water vapor sorbent is the key component for atmospheric water harvesting devices based on absorbing-releasing process. In this work, a flexible hybrid photothermal water sorbent composed of deliquescent salt and hydrogel was rationally fabricated. It possesses superior water sorption capacity even in low humidity air thanks to the deliquescent salt and maintains a solid form after it sorbs a large amount of water owing to the hydrogel platform. The harvested water could be easily released under regular sunlight via the photothermal effect, and it can be directly reused without noticeable capacity fading. An "easy-to-assemble-at-household" prototype device with 35 g of the dry hydrogel was tested outdoors under field conditions and delivered 20 g of fresh water within 2.5 h under natural sunlight. It is estimated that the material cost of making such a device to supply minimum daily water consumption for an adult (i.e., 3 kg) is only $3.20 (USD). This type of atmospheric water generator (AWG) is cheap and affordable, works perfectly with a broad range of humidity, does not need any electricity, and thus is especially suitable for clean water production in remote areas.
Dynamic instrumented palpation – a new method for soft tissue quality assessment: application to prostate disease diagnosis

The objective is to establish the feasibility of using dynamic instrumented palpation, a novel technique of low-frequency mechanical testing, applied here to diagnose soft tissue condition. The technique is applied, in vitro, to samples of excised prostate gland affected by benign prostate hyperplasia and/or prostate cancer. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between the histological structure of the tissue and the dynamic mechanical properties in an attempt to separate patient-specific aspects from histopathological condition (i.e. prostate cancer or benign prostate hyperplasia). The technique is of clinical interest because it is potentially deployable in vivo. Prostate samples were obtained from a total of 36 patients who had undergone transurethral resection of the prostate to relieve prostatic obstruction and 4 patients who had undergone radical cystoprostatectomy for bladder cancer. Specimens (chips) recovered from transurethral resection of the prostate were of nominal size 5 mm × 8 mm and thicknesses between 2 and 4 mm, whereas those from the cystoprostatectomy were in the form of transverse slices of thickness approximately 6 mm. Specimens were mechanically tested by a controlled strain cyclic compression technique, and the resulting dynamic mechanical properties expressed as the amplitude ratio and phase difference between the cyclic stress and cyclic strain. After mechanical testing, the percentage areas of glandular and smooth muscle were measured at each probe point. Good contrast between the dynamic modulus of chips from benign prostate hyperplasia and prostate cancer patients was demonstrated, and absolute values similar to those published by other authors are reported. For the slices, modulus values were considerably higher than for chips, and good in-patient mechanical contrast was revealed for predominantly nodular and predominantly stromal areas. Extending this classification between patients required pattern recognition techniques. Overall, the study has demonstrated that dynamic mechanical properties can potentially be used for diagnosis of prostate condition using in vivo measurements.
Whole-Genome Data Not Anonymous, Challenging Assumptions

GENETIC PRIVACYThe discovery that a type of genetic data that is widely shared and often posted online can be traced back to individuals has prompted the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Wellcome Trust to strip some genetic data from their publicly accessible Web sites and NIH to recommend that other institutions do the same.
Quasi-static scheduling for concurrent architectures

We present a synthesis approach for reactive systems that aims at minimizing the overhead introduced by the operating system and the interaction among the concurrent tasks, while considering multiple concurrent execution resources. A formal model based on the notion of scheduling of Petri nets is used to perform the synthesis. We show how the notion of projections of a schedule for the complete system onto the components implemented on separate resources is essential to define the correctness of the partitioned schedule.
Care of HIV-positive women aged 50 and over – can we do better?

A sample of 123 HIV-positive women aged 50 years and over showed high rates of late diagnosis with CD4 count <350 (71%), significant co-morbidities (90%), high rates of premature menopause (6.8%) and early menopause (6.8%) and cervical cytological abnormalities (47%). Specific interventions to improve care in this group should include yearly cervical cytology, early counselling with regard to reproductive options, menopause management and screening for sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Homogeneous phenotype of the gypsy limb-girdle MD with the γ-sarcoglycan C283Y mutation

Objective: To characterize the clinical phenotype of LGMD2C in gypsies. Background: Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) in gypsies of Western Europe is caused by a homozygous C283Y mutation on the same haplotype, suggesting a founder effect. Methods: We performed clinical, laboratory, and muscle imaging studies of 40 patients. Results: Mean age at onset was 5.3 years. One half of the patients had loss of ambulation by the age of 12; 13% still could walk after age 16. Calf hypertrophy, scapular winging, macroglossia, and lumbar hyperlordosis were common. Girdle, trunk, and proximal limb flexor muscles had earlier and more severe involvement. Cardiomyopathy was not observed. Five patients in the third decade of life required mechanical ventilation. Scoliosis was common in the nonambulatory stage. Conclusions: LGMD2C in gypsy patients with C283Y mutation presents a rather homogeneous phenotype, characterized by an initial Duchenne-like progressive course followed by a more prolonged survival rate possibly due to the absence of early respiratory impairment and cardiac failure.
Distribution Profiles of Melamine and Its Derivatives in Indoor Dust from 12 Countries and the Implications for Human Exposure.

Melamine and its derivatives (i.e., ammeline, ammelide, and cyanuric acid) are extensively used in household products, such as furniture, dinnerware, and food utensils. Nevertheless, limited information is available on human exposures, other than dietary sources, to melamine and its derivatives. In this study, the occurrence of melamine and its derivatives was determined, for the first time, in 341 samples of indoor dust, collected from 12 countries. All of the dust samples contained target analytes, with global median concentrations of 1800, 1100, 48, and 45 ng/g for melamine, cyanuric acid, ammelide, and ammeline, respectively. The total concentrations of melamine and its derivatives varied among countries in the following decreasing order: United States (median: 17 000 ng/g) > Japan (8400) > China (8000) > South Korea (7300) > Saudi Arabia (4400) > Romania (4300) > Greece (3400) > Kuwait (2400) > Vietnam (2300) > Colombia (1300) > Pakistan (820) > India (430). Correlation analysis indicated the existence of multiple and varied sources for melamine and cyanuric acid. Estimated daily intakes of melamine via indoor dust ingestion were at least 2 orders of magnitude below the current tolerable daily intake.
Os Sistemas de Gestão em Segurança e Saúde no Trabalho em Auxílio à Prevenção de Acidentes e Doenças Ocupacionais

E cada vez mais notoria a necessidade das organizacoes em inserir boas praticas de seguranca e higiene ocupacional, pois alem de serem importantes para evitar acidentes e garantir a saude dos trabalhadores, tem como “produtos” a motivacao e o comprometimento dos colaboradores. O objetivo da atual pesquisa e identificar a importância dos sistemas de gestao no auxilio a prevencao de acidentes e doencas ocupacionais, tendo como base a analise da composicao dos principais sistemas de gestao em seguranca e saude e principais normas referentes ao tema, tais como a OHSAS 18001 e o BS 8800. Para tanto foi realizado uma analise da composicao desses dois sistemas e a forma que as inspecoes podem ser utilizadas nas organizacoes a fim de identificar os perigos e contribuir para a protecao da saude dos trabalhadores. Como resultado obteve-se a relevância dos parâmetros pro-ativos frente aos parâmetros de sinistralidade, comumente utilizados nas organizacoes para fins de seguranca no trabalho. Pode-se observar que tais parâmetros pro-ativos incentivam a busca das causas dos problemas, controlando nao apenas os acidentes, mas verificando a conformidade das atividades de controle da SST da organizacao. DOI: 10.5585/rgss.v1i2. 23
Assisted Colonization Won't Help Rare Species

The Policy Forum “Assisted colonizaion and rapid climate change” (O. Hoegh-Guldberg et al. , 18 July, p. [345][1]) spells hope for our attempt to avert the worst of today's climate-induced extinction crisis. Unfortunately, the framework that the authors proposed and the discussions preceding
Probability of a false-negative HIV antibody test result during the window period: a tool for pre- and post-test counselling

Failure to understand the risk of false-negative HIV test results during the window period results in anxiety. Patients typically want accurate test results as soon as possible while clinicians prefer to wait until the probability of a false-negative is virtually nil. This review summarizes the median window periods for third-generation antibody and fourth-generation HIV tests and provides the probability of a false-negative result for various days post-exposure. Data were extracted from published seroconversion panels. A 10-day eclipse period was used to estimate days from infection to first detection of HIV RNA. Median (interquartile range) days to seroconversion were calculated and probabilities of a false-negative result at various time periods post-exposure are reported. The median (interquartile range) window period for third-generation tests was 22 days (19–25) and 18 days (16–24) for fourth-generation tests. The probability of a false-negative result is 0.01 at 80 days’ post-exposure for third-generation tests and at 42 days for fourth-generation tests. The table of probabilities of falsely-negative HIV test results may be useful during pre- and post-test HIV counselling to inform co-decision making regarding the ideal time to test for HIV.
Biodiversity improves life cycle sustainability metrics in algal biofuel production.

Algal biofuel has yet to realize its potential as a commercial and sustainable bioenergy source, largely due to the challenge of maximizing and sustaining biomass production with respect to energetic and material inputs in large-scale cultivation. Experimental studies have shown that multi-species algal polycultures can be designed to enhance biomass production, stability, and nutrient recycling compared to monocultures. Yet, it remains unclear whether these impacts of biodiversity make polycultures more sustainable than monocultures. Here, we present results of a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) for algal bio-refineries to compare the sustainability metrics of monocultures and polycultures of six fresh-water algal species. Our results showed that when algae were grown in outdoor experimental ponds, certain bicultures improved the energy return on investment (EROI) and greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by 20% and 16%, respectively, compared to the best monoculture. Bicultures outperformed monocultures by performing multiple functions simultaneously (e.g. improved stability, nutrient efficiency, biocrude characteristics), which outweighed the higher productivity attainable by a monoculture. Our results demonstrate that algal polycultures with optimized multi-functionality lead to enhanced life cycle metrics, highlighting the significant potential of ecological engineering for enabling future environmentally sustainable algal bio-refineries.
Cytomegalovirus infection associated hemophagocytic syndrome

Virus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (VAHS) is a rare complication in early cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. It is a life-threatening condition characterized by prolonged fever, hepatosplenomegaly, and cytopenia. There is no standard therapy for VAHS and the clinical course is variable. Herein, we report a 3-month-old boy whose clinical and laboratory findings were consistent with CMV infection-associated hemophagocytic syndrome. In spite of prompt diagnosis and treatment, the infant expired due to progressive respiratory failure.
Intracellular Dissolution of Silver Nanoparticles: Evidence from Double Stable Isotope Tracing.

To track transformations of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in vivo, HepG2 and A549 cells were co-cultured with two enriched stable Ag isotopes (107AgNPs and 109AgNO3) at nontoxic doses. After enzymatic digestion, 107AgNPs, ionic 107Ag+ and 109Ag+ in exposed cells could be separated and quantified by liquid chromatography combined with ICP-MS. We found that ratios of 107Ag+ to total 107Ag and proportions of 107Ag+/ 109Ag+ in cells increased gradually after exposure, proving that the Trojan-horse mechanism occurred, i.e. AgNPs released high contents of Ag+ after internalization. While the presence of 109Ag+ (5 and 100 µg/L) have little influences on the uptake of 107AgNPs (0.1 and 2 mg/L), the presence of 107AgNPs at a high dose (2 mg/L) dramatically increases the ingestion of 109Ag+, even though 107AgNPs at a low dose (100 µg/L) showed negligible effects on the internalization of 109Ag+. Cellular homeostasis may be perturbed under sublethal exposure of 107AgNPs, and thus enhanced uptake of 109Ag+. Our findings suggest that the widely adopted control experiments in toxicology studies, culturing organisms with AgNO3 at the same concentration of Ag+ in the AgNP exposure medium, may underestimate uptake of Ag+ and thus cannot exclude suspected toxic effects of Ag+ at high AgNP exposure doses.
Realistic Simulation of Deformation for Medical Training Applications

Many computational applications for virtual medical training manipulate 3D objects that represent organs and human tissues. These representations, in function of the training requirements, may include parameters such as shape, topology, color, volume, texture and, in certain cases, physical properties such as elasticity and stiffness. An approach is presented in this paper, combining methods and models that are efficient to simulate elastic deformation, obtaining equilibrium between visual and haptic realism. Based on this model, visual and/or haptic outputs are generated for users in order to provide to learner sensations close enough to those they would have if the training were provided with real objects. The results regarding deformation processing time are compatible with those required for haptic interaction and provide adequate visual feedback from using meshes composed of a large number of polygons.
Restructuring Variability in Software Product Lines using Concept Analysis of Product Configurations

The management of variability plays an important role in successful software product line engineering. As the set of products that is derived from the product line and their requirements are constantly changing, the variability in the product line needs to evolve as well. A typical problem in in such an evolution scenario is that the number of variable features and variants will explode, and thus become unmanageable. One of the reasons for this explosion is that obsolete variable features are not removed. In order to address this problem, we present a new method for restructuring and simplifying the provided variability in a software product line. Our method is based on concept analysis. It analyzes the realized variability in a software product line, and constructs a lattice that provides a classification of the usage of variable features in real products derived from the product line. We show how this classification can be used to derive restructuring strategies for variability that solve the problem of variability explosion. The effectiveness of our method is demonstrated by presenting a case study of restructuring the variability in a large industrial software product line
Diffuse Infiltrative Lung Disease Associated with Flecainide

We present two patients who developed subacute diffuse infiltrative lung disease while receiving flecainide for supraventricular arrhythmia. They had bilateral subpleural lung opacities on computed tomography. Bronchoalveolar lavage revealed increased numbers of lymphocytes and eosinophils, and a low CD4/CD8 ratio. Nonspecific interstitial pneumonia was documented by open lung biopsy in patient 1. The outcome was favorable after flecainide withdrawal and prednisone treatment. Drug-induced pneumonitis should be suspected in patients treated with flecainide presenting with subacute diffuse infiltrative lung disease.
Consolidation of Episodic Memories During Sleep

Two experiments investigated the long-term effects of retrieval practice. In the retrieval-practice procedure, selected items from a previously studied list are repeatedly recalled. The typical retrieval-practice effects are considerably enhanced memory for practiced items accompanied by low levels of recall, relative to baseline, for previously studied items that are associated with the practiced items but were not themselves practiced. The two experiments demonstrated that the former effect persisted over 12 hr; the latter effect also persisted over 12 hr, but only if a period of nocturnal sleep occurred during the retention interval. We propose that consolidation processes occurring during sleep, and possibly featuring some form of off-line rehearsal, mediate these long-term effects of retrieval practice.
Deconstructing Early Life Experiences

In rodents, a pup’s experiences in utero and during postnatal development shape its sexual behavior as an adult and how it is perceived by potential mates. We show that the male rat’s sexuality is primarily influenced by the postnatal sex ratio of its litter, but not by the litter’s prenatal intrauterine sex ratio or the behavior of its mother. Pups from litters with differing prenatal sex ratios were divided into litters with differing postnatal sex ratios. We found that males raised in a female-biased litter exhibited less mounting than males raised in either a male-biased litter or one with an equal sex ratio, and were less attractive to sexually receptive females, eliciting fewer soliciting behaviors, such as hop-darts, and fewer lordosis behaviors. However, the number of intromissions and ejaculations did not differ across groups, which suggests that males from female-biased litters mate as efficiently as males raised in other sex ratios, but do not require as many mounts to do so. The reported differences in sexual behavior did not vary with the quality of maternal behavior or with sexual experience in adulthood.
Infinite sequences and finite machines

A regular set may also be thought of as a projection of a se't of paths in a finite directed linear graph. This linear graph model is the one which is often most convenient to use. For example, if we regard a regular set as the. set of possible state sequences of an inputless, nondeterministic machine,. then the linear graph model is quite natural. Such machines are considered in the theory of speed-independent circuits. However, state sequences of inputless, nondeterministic mach~nes may either terminate in some equilibrium condition, or else the machine may pass from one state to another without ever reaching equ~librium.