Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Recent Progresses of Superhydrophobic Coatings in Different Application Fields: An Overview

With the development of material engineering and coating industries, superhydrophobic coatings with exceptional water repellence have increasingly come into researchers’ horizons. The superhydrophobic coatings with corrosion resistance, self-cleaning, anti-fogging, drag-reduction, anti-icing properties, etc., meet the featured requirements from different application fields. In addition, endowing superhydrophobic coatings with essential performance conformities, such as transparency, UV resistance, anti-reflection, water-penetration resistance, thermal insulation, flame retardancy, etc. plays a remarkable role in broadening their application scope. Various superhydrophobic coatings were fabricated by diverse technologies resulting from the fundamental demands of different fields. Most past reviews, however, provided only limited information, and lacked detailed classification and presentation on the application of superhydrophobic coatings in different sectors. In the current review, we will highlight the recent progresses on superhydrophobic coatings in automobile, marine, aircraft, solar energy and architecture-buildings fields, and discuss the requirement of prominent functionalities and performance conformities in these vital fields. Poor durability of superhydrophobic coating remains a practical challenge that needs to be addressed through real-world application. This review serves as a good reference source and provides insight into the design and optimization of superhydrophobic coatings for different applications.
Culinary tourism and post-pandemic travel: Ecosystem responses to an external shock

Purpose: The COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) global pandemic forced hospitality and tourism service providers to respond by pivoting business models in line with governmental restrictions to curb the spread of the virus. This paper explores the online responsiveness of tourism-affiliated culinary service providers to a major external disruption. Methods: This study uses ecosystem resilience and Internet marketing theories to analyze 139 web homepages of culinary tourism service providers promoted by the official tourism website of Jamaica, to measure of Jamaica to measure online responsiveness to the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Findings show that web page responses vary between the official tourism web page and the restaurants promoted on its site. Responses also vary across restaurant affiliation clusters and across location clusters. Further, resilient web page responses are more commonly associated with hotel restaurants and eponymous restaurants. Implications: Culinary service providers promoted by the official tourism marketing arm of a destination should consistently practice resilient online marketing response to external shocks. This study provides a novel analysis of online responsiveness to COVID-19 and contributes a summary framework for resilient response by culinary ecosystem providers preparing for post-pandemic travel.
Rigid yet resilient: Firms’ margins of adjustment to demand shocks in regulated labour markets

In this paper we investigate how firms adjust to demand shocks when wages and employment determination are regulated. Using firm-level panel data for the Italian metal engineering industry for the 2009-2015 period, we estimate the elasticity of the overall wage bill and of wage and employment margins to changes in firm’s real sales. We then disentangle the effect on different wage components (base wage and wage cushion) and labour inputs (permanent vs. temporary employment and working hours). The main results, based on an IV-FE empirical strategy, show that resilience of the wage bill to demand shocks mainly works through the working time adjustment margin (especially short-time work), while wages and employment are relatively rigid The industrial relations setting also proves to be an important feature in the firm’s adjustment process: strong unions, within the firm, are more likely to oppose large employment changes, while firm-level agreements allow more flexibility through wage cushion components. Finally we discuss the implications of rent sharing for firm’s profitability.
Photopolymerization of reactive mesogenic schiff bases and related metallomesogens

Mesomorphic salicylaldimines and related Cu(II), Pd(II), Zn(II), and VO(IV) complexes modified with acrylate groups have been synthesized. The liquid crystalline properties of the acrylic monomers are reported and, except for the Zn(II) complex, all are mesogenic. Their free-radical polymerization has been undertaken under several conditions, in solution, by using a thermal initiator or a photoinitiator. Use of visible light and a fluorinated diaryltitanocene photoinitiator (Irgacure 784-DC from Ciba-Geigy) have been proved the most adequate conditions to polymerize either the organic or the metal-containing acrylate Schiff bases. The light-induced polymerization has been investigated by optical microscopy, DSC, and in cells, and only Cu(II) inhibits the process. The process has been applied to the preparation of metal-containing elastomers and networks, but the change of mesophase during polymerization and the high transition temperatures of diacrylates have limited the preparation of macroscopically ori.
A comparison of performance metrics for cloth face masks as source control devices for simulated cough and exhalation aerosols

Abstract Universal mask wearing is recommended to help control the spread of COVID-19. Masks reduce the expulsion of aerosols of respiratory fluids into the environment (called source control) and offer some protection to the wearer. Masks are often characterized using filtration efficiency, airflow resistance, and manikin or human fit factors, which are standard metrics used for personal protective devices. However, none of these metrics are direct measurements of how effectively a mask blocks coughed and exhaled aerosols. We studied the source control performance of 15 cloth masks (face masks, neck gaiters, and bandanas), two medical masks, and two N95 filtering facepiece respirators by measuring their ability to block aerosols ≤7 µm expelled during simulated coughing and exhalation (called source control collection efficiency). These measurements were compared with filtration efficiencies, airflow resistances, and fit factors measured on manikin headforms and humans. Collection efficiencies for the cloth masks ranged from 17% to 71% for coughing and 35% to 66% for exhalation. Filtration efficiencies for the cloth masks ranged from 1.4% to 98%, while the fit factors were 1.3 to 7.4 on headforms and 1.0 to 4.0 on human subjects. The Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients between the source control collection efficiencies and the standard metrics ranged from 0.03 to 0.68 and were significant in all but two cases. However, none of the standard metrics were strongly correlated with source control performance. A better understanding of the relationships between source control collection efficiency, filtration efficiency, airflow resistance, and fit factor is needed.
Seasonal influenza vaccine hesitancy profiles and determinants among Chinese children’s guardians and the elderly

ABSTRACT Objectives Seasonal influenza vaccine coverage remains low in China due to possible influenza vaccine hesitancy (IVH) and practical issues. We sought to investigate IVH and its determinants among children’s guardians and the elderly for a better understanding of the situation and for future intervention. Methods We performed two cross-sectional studies to identify the profiles and determinants of IVH using stratified cluster random sampling in an eastern China province in 2019. Results Of the 1564 guardians and 522 elders, 43.2% (95%CI: 40.4–46.0%) of guardians and 33.5% of elders (95%CI: 29.5–37.6%) had IVH. ‘From rural area’ (odds ratio: 1.36), ‘don’t know government recommendation for flu vaccination’ (1.39), ‘don’t know flu vaccine is vaccinated annually’ (1.93), and ‘family members (0.22), friends and neighbors had positive attitude toward flu vaccine’ (0.58) were related factors of the guardians’ IVH. ‘Aged 70–79 years’ (0.46), ‘had flu before’ (0.35) and ‘once had been vaccinated’ (0.42) were related to the elderly’s IVH. Conclusion Poor awareness of influenza and vaccination, relatives’ negative/positive attitude, lack of government recommendations, anxiety about vaccine quality, and practical issues such as short supply are related to IVH in China. Precision education aimed at hesitancy in wider groups is anticipated to increase vaccine confidence and coverage in influenza-vulnerable groups.
Control of Microbiologically Induced Corrosion in Petroleum Industry Using Various Preventive Strategies

Various inhibitive strategies were used to control Sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB). The traditional treatment of SRB by biocides was compared with other treatments such as exposure to microwaves, ultraviolet, gamma radiation separately and addition of either nitrate or nitrite. Six commercial biocides were tested for SRB control. Champion- A was found to be the most efficient biocide. Addition of nitrate to SRB growth medium did not inhibit the growth at 10 mM/l whereas addition of 6 mM/L nitrite completely inhibited the growth. On the other hand, physical treatments achieved satisfactory results. the lethal doses required for complete inhibition of the growth on using microwave, ultraviolet and gamma radiations were found to be at (50 second, 4 hours and 0.9 KGy) respectively. On studying the effect of the lethal and sublethal doses of different treatment on the growth and sulfide production rates of SRB, it was found that the lethal doses of all studied treatments except nitrate treatment achieved complete inhibition. Also the corrosion aspects and elemental analysis of metal coupons surfaces at such doses showed a clear variation in distribution and composition of the corrosion products adhered to their surfaces.
Short Report: A National E-Cohort Study of Incidence and Prevalence of Autism

Autism Spectrum Disorders (Autism) are thought to be relatively common, with analyses estimating 1-2% in the population could meet diagnostic criteria. There is debate over whether the number of new cases is rising, with some suggesting an increase, whilst other studies finding no change. In this study we take anonymised healthcare record data from more than 3.6 million people in Wales to produce a national estimate of prevalence and incidence. We found the overall prevalence rate of autism in the population was 0.51%. The number of new-recorded cases of autism increased from 0.19% per 1000 person-years in 2001 to 0.64% per 1000 person-years in 2016. The estimate of 0.51% prevalence in the population is lower than suggested by previous studies, potentially due to underdiagnosis or lack of recognition by services. From 2000-2016 the number of autism services for adults has increased, and autism is more widely known in society. We suggest that these extra services and awareness have contributed to the 3.4-fold rise in new autism diagnoses over the study and the >150% increase in the years 2008-2016. Our study suggests that while the number of people being diagnosed with autism is increasing, many are still missed by healthcare services.
Sialyl oligosaccharides in the milk of Japanese women: changes in concentration during the course of lactation

Abstract: The concentrations of the six major sialyl oligosaccharides found in the milk of 24 Japanese women were determined using reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography of the 3-methyl-1-phenyl-5- pyrazolone derivatives of the oligosaccharides. The milk was collected at 4, 10, 30 and 100 days postpartum. The concentrations of all six oligosaccharides decreased during the course of lactation. The concentrations of 6'-sialyllactose, sialyllacto-N-tetraose b and disialyllacto-N-tetraose decreased only after 10 days postpartum, whereas those of sialyllacto-N-tetraose a and sialyllacto-N-neotetraose c as well as 3'-sialyllactose decreased from 4 days postpartum. Large differences were observed between present data and those previously reported for Italian women, both in terms of the content and in the variation pattern of each oligosaccharide during the course of lactation. These differences may be caused by the different ethnicity of the donors as well as the assay methods used in the studies.
The Association of Inflammatory Biomarker of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio with Spontaneous Preterm Delivery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), as an inflammatory biomarker, has been investigated in several studies for early prediction of preterm delivery. However, their findings seem to be controversial. Thus, this systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the role of NLR in predicting preterm delivery as compared to term controls. Methods PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar were systematically searched from inception up to December 2020. Interstudy heterogeneity was assessed using Cochrane's Q test and the I2 statistic. The random-effects model was employed to pool the weighted mean differences (WMDs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results Out of a total of 4369 recodes, fifteen articles including 3327 participants were enrolled. The meta-analysis finding using the random-effects model produced a pooled estimate suggesting a significantly higher NLR (WMD = 1.23, 95% CI: 0.40–2.07) in women with preterm delivery (P = 0.01). We found significant heterogeneity across the included studies (P < 0.001, I2 = 92.33%). However, interstudy heterogeneity exists mainly due to differences in the definition of preterm delivery (I2 = 0.0%). In the metaregression analysis, there was no significant effect of publication year (B = −0.288, P = 0.088), total sample size (B = −0.002, P = 0.276), and the mean age of cases (B = −0.06, P = 0.692) on the association between NLR and preterm delivery. Conclusion The results of this meta-analysis revealed that the NLR value is higher in patients with preterm delivery. The NLR could be a useful biomarker for predicting preterm delivery; however, further prospective case-control studies are required to produce stronger evidence.
Comparison of Black Hole Sign, Satellite Sign, and Iodine Sign to Predict Hematoma Expansion in Patients with Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Purpose To discretely and collectively compare black hole sign (BHS) and satellite sign (SS) with recently introduced gemstone spectral imaging-based iodine sign (IS) for predicting hematoma expansion (HE) in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH). Methods This retrospective study includes 90 patients from 2017 to 2019 who underwent both spectral computed tomography angiography (CTA) as well as noncontrast computed tomography (NCCT) within 6 hours of SICH onset along with subsequent follow-up NCCT scanned within 24 hours. We named the presence of any of BHS or SS as any NCCT sign. Two independent reviewers analyzed all the HE predicting signs. Receiver-operator characteristic curve analysis and logistic regression were performed to compare the predictive performance of HE. Results A total of 61 patients had HE, out of which IS was seen in 78.7% (48/61) while BHS and SS were seen in 47.5% (29/61) and 41% (25/61), respectively. The area under the curve for BHS, SS, and IS was 63.4%, 67%, and 82.4%, respectively, while for any NCCT sign was 71.5%. There was no significant difference between IS and any NCCT sign (P = 0.108). Multivariate analysis showed IS (odds ratio 68.24; 95% CI 11.76-396.00; P < 0.001) and any NCCT sign (odds ratio 19.49; 95% CI 3.99-95.25; P < 0.001) were independent predictors of HE whereas BHS (odds ratio 0.34; 95% CI 0.01-38.50; P = 0.534) and SS (odds ratio 4.54; 95% CI 0.54-38.50; P = 0.165) had no significance. Conclusion The predictive accuracy of any NCCT sign was better than that of sole BHS and SS. Both any NCCT sign and IS were independent predictors of HE. Although IS had higher predictive accuracy, any NCCT sign may still be regarded as a fair predictor of HE when CTA is not available.
Identification of Potential BRAF Inhibitor Joint Therapy Targets in PTC based on WGCAN and DCGA

As the most common mutation in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), B-type Raf kinase V600E mutation (BRAFV600E) has become an important target for the clinical treatment of PTC. However, the clinical application still faces the problem of resistance to BRAF inhibitors (BRAFi). Therefore, exploring BRAFV600E-associated prognostic factors to providing potential joint targets is important for combined targeted therapy with BRAFi. In this study, we combined transcript data and clinical information from 199 BRAF wild-type (BRAFWT) patients and 283 BRAFV600E mutant patients collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and screened 455 BRAFV600E- associated genes through differential analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis. Based on these BRAFV600E-associated genes, we performed functional enrichment analysis and co-expression differential analysis and constructed a core co-expression network. Next, genes in the differential co-expression network were used to predict drugs for therapy in the crowd extracted expression of differential signatures (CREEDS) database, and the key genes were selected based on the hub co-expression network through survival analyses and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses. Finally, we obtained eight BRAFV600E-associated biomarkers with both prognostic and diagnostic values as potential BRAFi joint targets, including FN1, MET, SLC34A2, NGEF, TBC1D2, PLCD3, PROS1, and NECTIN4. Among these genes, FN1, MET, PROS1, and TBC1D2 were validated through GEO database. Two novel biomarkers, PROS1 and TBC1D2, were further validated by qRT-PCR experiment. Besides, we obtained four potential targeted drugs that could be used in combination with BRAFi to treat PTC, including MET inhibitor, ERBB3 inhibitor, anti-NaPi2b antibody-drug conjugate, and carboplatin through literature review. The study provided potential drug targets for combination therapy with BRAFi for PTC to overcome the drug resistance for BRAFi.
Normative Parameters of Gastrocnemius Muscle Stiffness and Associations with Patient Characteristics and Function

Background Quantifying muscle stiffness may aid in the diagnosis and management of individuals with muscle pathology. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to establish normative parameters and variance estimates of muscle stiffness in the gastrocnemius muscle in a resting and contracted state. A secondary aim was to identify demographic, anthropometric, medical history factors, and biomechanical factors related to muscle stiffness. Methods Stiffness of the gastrocnemius muscle was measured in both a resting and contracted state in 102 asymptomatic individuals in this cross-sectional study. Differences based on muscle state (resting vs contracted) and sex (female vs male) were assessed using a 2 X 2 analysis of variance (ANOVA). Associations between muscle stiffness and sex, age, BMI, race, exercise frequency, exercise duration, force production, and step length were assessed using correlation analysis. Results Gastrocnemius muscle stiffness significantly increased from a resting to a contracted state [mean difference: 217.5 (95% CI: 191.3, 243.8), p < 0.001]. In addition, muscles stiffness was 35% greater for males than females in a resting state and 76% greater in a contracted state. Greater muscle stiffness in a relaxed and contracted state was associated with larger plantarflexion force production (r = .26, p < 0.01 and r = .23, p < 0.01 respectively). Conclusion Identifying normative parameters and variance estimates of muscle stiffness in asymptomatic individuals may help guide diagnosing and managing individuals with aberrant muscle function. Level of Evidence 2b Individual Cohort Study Clinical Relevance What is known about the subject: Muscle stiffness has been shown to be related to individuals with pathology such as Achilles tendinopathy; however, research is sparse regarding normative values of muscle stiffness. Measuring muscle stiffness may also be a way to potentially predict individuals prone to injury or to monitor the effectiveness of management strategies. What this study adds to existing knowledge: This study establishes defined estimates of muscle stiffness of the gastrocnemius in both a relaxed and contracted state in healthy individuals. Myotonometry measures of muscle stiffness demonstrated an increase in stiffness during contraction that varies by sex. Greater gastrocnemius muscle stiffness was associated with increased plantarflexion force production.
Baicalin Improves Cardiac Outcome and Survival by Suppressing Drp1-Mediated Mitochondrial Fission after Cardiac Arrest-Induced Myocardial Damage

Myocardial injury after cardiac arrest (CA) often results in severe myocardial dysfunction and death involving mitochondrial dysfunction. Here, we sought to investigate whether baicalin, a natural flavonoid compound, exerts cardioprotection against CA-induced injury via regulating mitochondrial dysfunction. We subjected the rats to asphyxia CA after a daily baicalin treatment for 4 weeks. After the return of spontaneous circulation, baicalin treatment significantly improved cardiac function performance, elevated survival rate from 35% to 75%, prevented necrosis and apoptosis in the myocardium, which was accompanied by reduced phosphorylation of Drp1 at serine 616, inhibited Drp1 translocation to the mitochondria and mitochondrial fission, and improved mitochondrial function. In H9c2 cells subjected to simulated ischemia/reperfusion, increased phosphorylation of Drp1 at serine 616 and subsequently enhanced mitochondrial Drp1 translocation as well as mitochondrial fission, augmented cardiomyocyte death, increased reactive oxygen species production, released cytochrome c from mitochondria and injured mitochondrial respiration were efficiently improved by baicalin and Drp1 specific inhibitor with Mdivi-1. Furthermore, overexpression of Drp1 augmented excessive mitochondrial fission and abolished baicalin-afforded cardioprotection, indicating that the protective impacts of baicalin are linked to the inhibition of Drp1. Altogether, our findings disclose for the first time that baicalin offers cardioprotection against ischemic myocardial injury after CA by inhibiting Drp1-mediated mitochondrial fission. Baicalin might be a prospective therapy for the treatment of post-CA myocardial injury.
Microscopic examinations of human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

The increase in inception rate connected with the cerebrospinal fluid have been observed recently. In the cerebrospinal fluid there are various types of suspension. There are cells and proteins which form different dispersion systems of given the sizes and concentrations among them. Finding out the physical processes occurring in the human cerebrospinal fluid is a problem of high importance. Coagulation, coalescence, aggregation and other physical processes in the cerebrospinal fluid depend on the state of health of the person who the sample was taken from. Thus it influences the concentration of suspension, its type and the sizes of suspended particles as well. In the paper the authors present the results of examinations of suspension in non-coloured human cerebrospinal fluid and the preliminary analysis of concentration of suspension and the sizes of suspended particles. The results were obtained by microscoping.