Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ultrasound Study of Layer-specific Strain and Perfusion of Left Ventricular Myocardium in Patients With Dilated Cardiomyopathy

BackgroundTo investigate the changes in deformation and myocardial microcirculation perfusion of left ventricular three-layer myocardium in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) by using speckle tracking imaging (STI) and myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE). MethodsTwenty-four patients with DCM and 19 healthy controls were selected. Two-dimensional and MCE dynamic images of apical four-chamber, two-chamber, and three-chamber sections and left ventricular mitral valve, papillary muscle and apex sections were collected. The peak values of longitudinal strain (LS), circumferential strain (CS), cross-sectional area of a microvessel (A) and average myocardial microvascular lesion (β) were obtained by Qlab 10.8 workstation values, and myocardial blood flow (MBF) was calculated with A×β to evaluate the deformation and coronary microvascular perfusion of left ventricular three-layer myocardium.ResultsThe brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), left ventricular mass index (LVMI), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVEDS), left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV), left atrial volume index (LAVI), E peak in early diastolic period/A peak velocity in late diastolic period (E/A) and average E/e' in the DCM group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05); left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular fractional shortening (FS) rate, stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO), cardiac index (CI), A peak, and the e' and a' velocities of both the lateral wall and interventricular septum were smaller than those in the control group (P<0.05). The LS, CS, A, β, and A×β of the DCM group were all lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05). The pattern of myocardial strain and perfusion among myocardial layers was subendocardial>middle>subepicardial. The correlation coefficients of LS with A, β, and A×β were -0.500, -0.279 and -0.190, respectively, and the correlation coefficients of CS with A, β, and A×β were -0.383, -0.255 and -0.208, respectively.ConclusionsThe deformation of the three-layer myocardium and coronary microcirculation perfusion in DCM patients were diffusely damaged from the endocardium to the epicardium, layer by layer. The longitudinal function of the left ventricular myocardium was closely related to changes in myocardial microcirculation perfusion.
Financing Constraints and Stock Price Volatility Empirical Evidence from Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share listed Companies

Based on the theoretical analysis of financing constraints and stock price volatility, the hypothesis of “corporate financing constraints inhibiting corporate stock price volatility” is proposed. After data cleaning, the cross-sectional data based on A-share was used to make an empirical analysis of the relationship between financing constraints and stock price volatility of listed companies in 2018 through regression model. The study found that when companies relax financing constraints, due to widespread overinvestment, the stock price of companies will fluctuate more. In addition, we have shown that by replacing the return of financing constraint indicators and the regression of subsamples based on enterprise size, market type and ownership, the conclusion of the study is more robust. The research reveals the mechanism of the impact of financing constraints on the volatility of corporate stock prices. The conclusions have practical significance for investors, corporations and relevant regulatory authorities.
Drought and Salinization Stress Induced by Stand Development Alters Mineral Element Cycling in a Larch Plantation

Grassland afforestation promotes carbon sequestration at the expense of consuming water resources. With the development of forest plantations, the increase in aboveground biomass could aggravate the limitations of soil moisture and nutrients, and thus alter understory succession. However, it is unclear how these changes influence the mineral element cycle in plant‐soil systems. We conducted a four‐year experiment in young, middle‐aged, and mature stands in a larch plantation and investigated how stand development affects macronutrient (K, Ca, and Mg) and micronutrient (Na, Fe, and Zn) concentrations in soils and leaves of larch and understory plants. Our results showed that as stand age increased, soil moisture and soil pH decreased. The reduced soil moisture directly led to an increase in soil total sodium (Na) and potassium (K) concentrations. There was no significant difference in mineral element concentrations in the larch leaves among the three stands. However, the understory vegetation in the mature stands had higher foliar K concentration but lower foliar Na concentration than in the young stands. Furthermore, plant calcium (Ca) concentration was positively correlated with plant K:Na ratio. The stoichiometric coupling between leaf [Ca] and K:Na ratio became tighter with increased stand age, which could improve the tolerance of plants to drought and soil salinization. Our findings suggested that water limitation and soil salinization caused by grassland afforestation intensified with increased stand age. To adapt to these stresses, understory vegetation often shifts to species with high K but low Na leaf concentrations.
Nitric oxide as a therapeutic option for COVID-19 treatment: a concise perspective

In the prevailing coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) times, scientists are eager to develop vaccines against COVID-19, and careful measures are being taken to develop an effective drug. Meanwhile, several antiviral compounds have been repurposed for COVID-19 treatment, and drug repurposing has yielded satisfactory results. In the meantime, nitric oxide (NO) is also under clinical trials to find its potentiality as anticoronavirus. This work aims to describe the therapeutic potential of NO for the treatment of deadly COVID-19. The significance of NO in mitigating COVID-19-associated symptomatic complications has also been addressed. NO being a molecule of significant biological interest is naturally synthesized in mammals and is the first member of the “gasotransmitters”. Biosynthesis and biological target studies reveal that this molecule bears the potential to stabilize oxidation stress and on the other hand oxidation stress has been the major cause of co-morbidity deaths of COVID-19. NO has already been reported to be an effective anticorona (first strains of corona virus). Within the past two months there has been an increased focus on the potential of NO for treatment of coronavirus and COVID-19 infection. R-107 and COViNOX are the two famous forms of NO-based prodrugs under clinical investigation against COVID-19. Therefore, it is worth presenting a literature survey based on the view to find utility of this simple molecule in treating COVID-19, a possible mechanism of action against coronavirus and future perspectives entailed with the research. It also becomes fruitful to introduce the use of NO boosters and clinically approved NO-releasing compounds purposeful in supplying NO if its bioavailability is found to be less than the optimal level. So, the profound antiviral effects of NO against coronavirus, and also the role it plays in relieving symptomatic severity of COVID-19 are supportive of the fact to declare NO as a therapeutic option for this disease.
Low-Temperature Chlorite Geothermometry and Related Recent Analytical Advances: A Review

Chlorite, a 2:1:1 phyllosilicate, has all the required attributes to form the basis of a geothermometer: this mineral is ubiquitous in metamorphic, diagenetic, and hydrothermal systems with a broad field of stability and a chemical composition partly dependent on temperature (T) and pressure (P) conditions. These properties led to the development of a multitude of chlorite thermometers, ranging from those based on empirical calibrations (linking T to AlIV content) to thermodynamic or semi-empirical models (linking T to chlorite + quartz + water equilibrium constant). This present study provides an overview of these geothermometers proposed in the literature for low-temperature chlorite (T < 350 °C), specifying the advantages and limitations of each method. Recent analytical developments that allow for circumventing or responding to certain criticisms regarding the low-temperature application of thermometers are also presented. The emphasis is on micrometric and nanometric analysis, highlighting chemical intracrystalline zoning—which can be considered as evidence of a succession of local equilibria justifying a thermometric approach—and mapping ferric iron content. New perspectives in terms of analysis (e.g., Mn redox in Mn-chlorite) and geothermometer (molecular solid-solution model, oxychlorite end-member) are also addressed.
Theoretical modeling and computer simulations of protein adsorption onto soft polymeric layers

Protein adsorption is ubiquitous in many biotechnological applications and has become a central research field in soft matter. Understanding the driving forces behind protein adsorption would allow a better control of the adsorption process and the development of biosystems with unprecedented functionality. In this thesis, protein adsorption onto soft polymeric biomaterials and their physical interactions is studied theoretically by using two different and newly developed approaches: 1) continuum binding models based on Langmuir and Boltzmann models in direct comparison to experiments and 2) Langevin dynamics computer simulations to characterize pair interactions on microscopic scales. In the first part, a novel multi-component cooperative binding model is developed to describe the equilibrium adsorption of proteins onto microgels. The well-defined microgel system consists of a solid polystyrene core and a thermosensitive shell of cross-linked poly N-isopropylacrylamide with acrylic acid as a copolymer to introduce charge. Proteins of interest are lysozyme from chicken egg white, cytochrome c from bovine heart, papain from papaya latex, and ribonuclease A from bovine pancreas. In contrast to the Langmuir model, the application of this approach to experimental adsorption isotherms enables a more quantitative interpretation of the binding affinity in terms of separate physical interactions. It was thus possible to correctly identify the true driving force behind the protein adsorption which was found to be mainly of electrostatic origin. A key achievement by the cooperative binding model is the prediction of competitive protein adsorption and desorption onto the microgel that is based on thermodynamic parameters related to single-type protein adsorption without any variable parameters. Comparisons between experimental data of binary protein mixtures and theoretical calculations have shown excellent agreements. The second part is focused on protein interactions with polyelectrolyte materials to elucidate adsorption processes on a microscopic level. For this purpose, charged patchy particles are constructed and used as protein models while a simple bead-spring model is employed for the polyelectrolyte and polyelectrolyte brush. A central aspect was the determination of the associated free energy, the potential of mean force (PMF), on the complex formation between the two constituents with comparisons to theoretical model developments. In particular the influence of important physical parameters, such as the degree of patchiness, the salinity, and the chain length on the complexation, were systematically investigated. The simulation results evidenced a complex interplay of electrostatic forces and ion release mechanisms to be responsible for the strong attractive interactions observed in the PMFs. Results from this thesis have provided precious insights into the interactions in protein adsorption processes. This findings may serve as a basis not only for further experiments but also for testing approximative theories.
Segmentation based on gastronomic motivations in a coastal destination

ABSTRACT The objectives of the present study are: i) to identify the segments of tourism demand, based on gastronomic motivations in coastal destinations, and ii) to find the relationship between demand segments and satisfaction and service variables. The investigation was carried out in General Villamil Playas city, a renowned coastal destination in Ecuador. Factor analysis and the K-means clustering method were used to analyze the data. The findings show three segments: “Enjoyers,” highly motivated to eat typical seafood dishes on the beach. “Survivors,” with low motivations for all variables, and who consider local gastronomy only a means to satisfy a physiological need. The third “Experimenters,” have high motivations for all motivational variables and believe that gastronomy, in general, is very important.
A Modified Electrochemical Model to Account for Mechanical Effects Due to Lithium Intercalation and External Pressure

For a battery cell, both the porosity of the electrodes/separator and the transport distance of charged species can evolve due to mechanical deformation arising from either lithium intercalation-induced swelling and contraction of the active particles or externally applied mechanical loading. To describe accurately the coupling between mechanical deformation and the cell’s electrochemical response, we extend Newman’s DualFoil model to allow variable, non-uniform porosities in both electrodes and the separator, which are dynamically updated based on the electrochemical and mechanical states of the battery cell. In addition, the ﬁnite deformation theory from continuum mechanics is used to modify the electrochemical transport equations to account for the change of the charged species transport distance. The proposed coupled electrochemomechanical model is tested with a parameterized commercial cell. Our simulation results conﬁrm that mass conservation is satisﬁed with the new formulation. We further show that mechanical effects have a signiﬁcant impact on the cell’s electrochemical response at high
The potential of energy production and greenhouse gases emissions reduction of dairy farm biogas production

Dairy farming continues to grow in Indonesia as a result of high demand of meat and dairy products. On the one hand, dairy farming has the potential benefits for farmers, rural development and national food security. On the other hand, dairy farming generates the amount of waste causing adverse impact on environment. The uptake of biogas technology provides an effective method in managing waste as well producing sustainable energy. In addition, biogas technology has the potential to reduce greenhouse gases emissions due to dairy farming activities. Biogas adoption in dairy farming potentially prevents greenhouse gases emission through manure management and fuel substitution. This paper analysed emission reduction and energy production of 5 biogas digesters which is installed in dairy farming in Pati regency, Indonesia. Results show potential energy from all biogas digesters was estimated 266,286.6 MJ year−1 while greenhouse gases emissions reduction was estimated to be 0.084 GgCO2-eq. year−1 due to biogas utilization. The emission consisted of 0.028 GgCO2-eq.year−1 from manure storage and 0.084 GgCO2-eq.year−1 from fuel replacement. Producing less emission can be an indicator that biogas is a cleaner and more efficient method compared to previous methods used by farmers in managing waste as well as in using fuels.
New Gen Controlling Variable Using Dragonfly Algorithm in PV Panel

In the present scenario the depletion of conventional sources causes an energy crisis. The energy crisis causes load demand with respect to electricity. The use of renewable energy sources plays a vital role in reducing the energy crisis and in reduction of CO2 emission. The use of solar energy is the major source of power in generation as this is the root cause for the development of wind, tides, etc. However, due to climatic condition the availability of PV sources varies from time to time. Hence it is essential to track the maximum source of energy by implementing different types of MPPT algorithms. However, use of MPPT algorithms has the limitation of using the same during partial shadow conditions. The issue of tracking power under partial shadow conditions can be resolved by implementing an intelligent optimization tracking algorithm which involves a computation process. Though many of nature’s inspired algorithms were present to address real world problems, Mirjalili developed the dragonfly algorithm to provide a better optimization solution to the issues faced in real-time applications. The proposed concept focuses on the implementation of the dragonfly optimization algorithm to track the maximum power from solar and involves the concept of machine learning, image processing, and data computation.
Percepção dos médicos do serviço de medicina interna, dos Hospitais de referência da província do Huambo, em relação a abordagem da insuficiência cardíaca

Heart failure, being a pandemic, must be properly addressed to avoid poor outcomes. A clinical, provincial and institutional investigation, of a descriptive, obsevational and transversal nature, was carried out to assess the perception of doctors in internal medicine services, in reference hospitals in Huambo province, in relation to the approach of Heart Failure through a questionnaire modified. Dyspnea (80%), lower limb oedema (70%), tiredness and / or jugular turgency (12%) were the most common signs and symptoms. Chest X-ray is the main exam (84%). Of the sample, 46% use the NYHA functional class and 40% use the Framigham criteria. Loop diuretics are the drugs most prescribed by doctors (48%). To relieve symptoms, use loop diuretics, and ACE inhibitors to reduce mortality. Therefore, in general, it was found that the perception of doctors is reasonable. Key-words: perception; Cardiac insufficiency; approach; doctors.
Measuring community disaster resilience using Q-methods: a physical resilience perspective

PurposeDecision-makers, practitioners and community members have a need to assess the disaster resilience of their communities and to understand their own capacities in disaster situations. There is a lack of consensus among researchers as to what resilience means and how it can be measured. This paper proposes a novel technique to achieve consensus among stakeholders on definitions, objectives and indicators for measuring a key dimension of community disaster resilience (CDR), physical infrastructure (PI). Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a five-step approach utilizing Q-methods to contextualize a resilience index for PI. Interviews, focus groups and Q-sorting workshops were conducted to develop a tool that ranked measures according to stakeholder preference. A total of 84 participants took part in the workshops across four countries (United Kingdom, Malaysia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka). FindingsThe initial set of 317 measures was reduced to 128 and divided into the three community capacities of anticipatory, absorptive and restorative. The physical infrastructure capacity assessment tool (PI-CAT) was then finalized to have 38 indicators that were also ranked in order of importance by the participants.Practical implicationsThe PI-CAT can be useful for local governments and communities to measure their own resilience. The tool allows stakeholders to be confident that the metrics being used are ones that are relevant, important and meet their requirements.Originality/valueThe Q-method approach helps stakeholders to develop and use a community capacity assessment tool that is appropriate for their context. The PI-CAT can be used to identify effective investments that will enhance CDR.
Gamified money: exploring the effectiveness of gamification in mobile payment adoption among the silver generation in China

PurposeThis study investigates the use of gamification in promoting the silver generation's adoption of mobile payment technology through the gamified cultural practice of gifting red packets. It considers the effectiveness of using gamification in a cultural context to promote technology acceptance among older adults. This crossover between digital technology and cultural traditions brings unique gaming elements to the adoption of technology.Design/methodology/approachDrawing upon technology acceptance Model (TAM) and prospect theory, a research model is evaluated using structural equation modeling. Data were collected via survey from elderly consumers who are current users of WeChat but are yet to use its mobile payment functions.FindingsThe results reveal the perceived effectiveness of gamification is determined by the perceived enjoyment of the game and contributes to users' attitude development, directly and through its perceived usefulness. Perceived risks were identified as a barrier to converting positive attitude into adoption intention.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings contribute to the conceptualization and understanding of the effectiveness of gamification in technology adoption, specifically among the silver generation.Originality/valueIn contrast with previous gamification studies on gamified experience, this study introduces a new conceptualization of the perceived effectiveness of gamification and its measurement. This study validates game engagement as being effective in encouraging seniors to adopt a technology. In an era of an aging population where digitization is a norm, improving the digital literacy and digital inclusion of elders by encouraging them to adopt technology is essential to developing a more accessible and inclusive social environment.
Dictators Differ From Democratically Elected Leaders in Facial Warmth

Despite the many important considerations relevant to selecting a leader, facial appearance carries surprising sway. Following numerous studies documenting the role of facial appearance in government elections, we investigated differences in perceptions of dictators versus democratically elected leaders. Participants in Study 1 successfully classified pictures of 160 world leaders as democrats or dictators significantly better than chance. Probing what distinguished them, separate participants rated the affect, attractiveness, competence, dominance, facial maturity, likability, and trustworthiness of the leaders’ faces in Study 2. Relating these perceptions to the categorizations made by participants in Study 1 showed that democratically elected leaders looked significantly more attractive and warmer (an average of likability and trustworthiness) than dictators did. Leaders’ facial appearance could therefore contribute to their success within their respective political systems.