Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Materials for Orthopedic Bioimplants: Modulating Degradation and Surface Modification Using Integrated Nanomaterials

Significant research and development in the field of biomedical implants has evoked the scope to treat a broad range of orthopedic ailments that include fracture fixation, total bone replacement, joint arthrodesis, dental screws, and others. Importantly, the success of a bioimplant depends not only upon its bulk properties, but also on its surface properties that influence its interaction with the host tissue. Various approaches of surface modification such as coating of nanomaterial have been employed to enhance antibacterial activities of a bioimplant. The modified surface facilitates directed modulation of the host cellular behavior and grafting of cell-binding peptides, extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, and growth factors to further improve host acceptance of a bioimplant. These strategies showed promising results in orthopedics, e.g., improved bone repair and regeneration. However, the choice of materials, especially considering their degradation behavior and surface properties, plays a key role in long-term reliability and performance of bioimplants. Metallic biomaterials have evolved largely in terms of their bulk and surface properties including nano-structuring with nanomaterials to meet the requirements of new generation orthopedic bioimplants. In this review, we have discussed metals and metal alloys commonly used for manufacturing different orthopedic bioimplants and the biotic as well as abiotic factors affecting the failure and degradation of those bioimplants. The review also highlights the currently available nanomaterial-based surface modification technologies to augment the function and performance of these metallic bioimplants in a clinical setting.
Core–Shell Upconversion Nanoparticle@Metal–Organic Framework Nanoprobes for Targeting and Drug Delivery

Abstract Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are permanently microporous materials. MOFs have become promising candidates as drug delivery hosts because of high specific surface area. In this work, we control preparation of a new core–shell microsphere NaYF4:Yb,Er@NaYF4:Nd@MIL-53 by layer-by-layer self-assembly method. Here upconverting fluorescent nanoparticles (UCNPs) NaYF4:Yb,Er@NaYF4:Nd has potential for bioimaging due to excellent NIR optical property. MIL-53 as a drug carrier for DOX delivery. Folic acid as targeting agent is encapsulated into the above core-shell structured to form new nanocomposite (UCNPs@ MIL-53/FA). We have found that the new core–shell nanocomposites are nontoxic toward human cervix adenocarcinoma (HeLa) and can simultaneously achieve targeted therapy and drug delivery are used for the treatment of cancer. This result is expected to provide new ideas and perspectives for the treatment of cancer of the tumor.
SPIDERnet: Attention Network For One-Shot Anomaly Detection In Sounds

We propose a similarity function for one-shot anomaly detection in sounds (ADS) called SPecific anomaly IDentifiER network (SPI- DERnet). In ADS systems, since overlooking an anomaly may re- sult in serious incidents, we need to update such systems using an (often only one) overlooked anomalous sample. A previous study proposed the use of memory-based one-shot learning. A problem with this previous method is that it can detect only short anomalous sounds such as collision sounds because its similarity function is based on a naive mean-squared-error between the input and memo- rized spectrogram. To detect various anomalous sounds, SPIDERnet consists of (i) a neural network-based feature extractor for measur- ing similarity in embedded space and (ii) attention mechanisms for absorbing time-frequency stretching. Experimental results on two public datasets indicate that SPIDERnet outperforms conventional methods and robustly detects various anomalous sounds.
Exploring assertiveness in Indian adolescents: A qualitative inquiry

Background: Communication with others is often a challenging task, particularly for adolescents. Some situations of their lives can leave them in despair. This study has explored the nature and dynamics of assertiveness among Indian adolescents. Method: University students from both rural and urban family background (N =29, Male =13, Female=16, age range =16-18 years) participated in the study. Findings: Four major themes were derived using thematic analysis along with various sub-themes. These themes were: assertiveness is person and situation-specific, after-effects of non-assertive communication styles, lack of awareness about assertiveness, and need of change in the communication style. Conclusion: Adolescents exhibit different levels of assertiveness consequent to their culture, which plays a crucial role in determining the communication styles of adolescents. Some contexts may act as barriers resulting in difficulty in managing the stress associated with social interactions.
Social Media and its Effects on Mental Health

There is no doubt that varioussocial media platforms have transformed the new generation. The social media has resulted in the transformation of not only how this generation communicates, but has also transformed business, education and above all, the entertainment. Not only that the social media has made a lot of positive impacts on the human life, it has a lot of negative impacts on all age group as well, especially the youth. Addiction of social media is in trend and is a major contributing factor to rapid increase in several mental health issues. Some of the examples of the issues arising from the excessive use of social media that are on rise include: disturbed circadian rhythm, sleep disorders, reproductive health, phantom vibration, and ringing syndrome. Therefore, thisstudy surveyed the extent to which the mental health is being hampered by excessive use ofsocial media. This study was conducted in two stages surveying 263 participants from India, Russia, Nepal, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Georgia. A questionnaire was used as a research instrument, which was sent to the random respondents to study their indulgence in social media. Findings from these responses showed that the mental health issues are associated to the social media usage. Therefore, stakeholders must take remedial action to prevent rampancy of social media usage. From the study conducted, the effects of the social media are not only taking toll on the social life, life style, and physical heath of the users but, also over their mental health. There are urgent needs to take immediate remedial measures to counter this growing menace in the society.
Phosphorylation of β-Catenin at S33, S37, or T41 Can Occur in the Absence of Phosphorylation at T45 in Colon Cancer Cells

Several previous studies in a variety of systems have suggested that phosphorylation at S45 of β-catenin is essential for subsequent phosphorylation at more NH 2 -terminal residues. Using genetic models expressing β-catenin under endogenous regulation, we find that phosphorylation of β-catenin at S45 is not required for phosphorylation at residues S33, S37, or T41 in human colon cancer cells, in contrast to prevailing models. These findings suggest that there are important cell- and organism-specific differences in even the most highly conserved signaling pathways and emphasize the importance of examining these pathways in the cancer cell types in which the pathways are actually deregulated.
Prolonged and continuous heat stress in cattle: Physiology, welfare, and electrolyte and nutritional interventions.

The live export of cattle is an important industry for Australia. Concerns have arisen about animal welfare and in particular heat stress which may cause production losses and death. Cattle shipped live to the Middle East from a southern Australian winter can face continuous and prolonged periods of high heat and humidity as they cross the equator and arrive into a northern hemisphere summer, leading to heat stress and excessive heat load. Some live animal exporters treat heat stressed cattle with electrolyte supplements, but no scientific data exists as to whether this is beneficial to cattle in these unique environmental conditions. In response to industry's concerns, the experiments described here monitored the physiological responses of Bos taurus and Bos indicus to conditions similar to those experienced by cattle being shipped from southern Australian to the Middle East. Initial experiments were conducted in climate controlled rooms at Murdoch University where intensive monitoring was possible. In the Bos taurus, increases in core body temperature, reductions in feed intake, and increased water intake were measured. There were also changes in blood gas variables consistent with the observed panting causing a compensated respiratory alkalosis. Following the heating period, there were decreases in blood and urinary pH. Bos indicus showed similar responses to the heat, but the changes were less pronounced at the temperatures tested. A pair feeding experiment was conducted to separate the effects of heat from the reductions in feed intake, and this indicated that the major measured effects were due to the responses to heat. On the basis of the measured responses, an electrolyte supplement was formulated and tested on Bos taurus, in the climate controlled rooms, and then on a commercial live export vessel. Results from these experiments indicated improved buffering capacity and a weight advantage for supplemented cattle, even in the absence of extreme heat stress. A final experiment investigated the effects of amount and quality of roughage in a pelleted feed on core and rumen temperature and feed intakes in Bos taurus subjected to hot environmental conditions in climate controlled rooms at Murdoch University. Both pelleted feeds had approximately the same metabolisable energy and crude protein but differed in content and type of roughage. There were no differences in feed intake, core temperature or rumen temperature between diets. This work has led to a greater understanding of the physiological responses of cattle to prolonged and continuous high heat and humidity, the requirements and effects of supplemental electrolytes in these conditions, and the effect of manipulating export diets. The demonstration of advantages in weight and buffering capacity with the electrolyte supplement highlights future areas of research to investigate electrolyte doses, route and types of supplementation, and dietary manipulation.
Hyper‐Resolution Continental‐Scale 3‐D Aquifer Parameterization for Groundwater Modeling

Groundwater is the world's most important freshwater resource. Despite this importance, groundwater flow and interactions between groundwater and other parts of the hydrological cycle are often neglected or simplified in large‐scale hydrological models. One of the challenges in simulating groundwater flow and continental to global scales is the lack of consistent globally available hydrogeological data. These input data are needed for a more realistic physical representation of the groundwater system, enabling the simulation of groundwater head dynamics and lateral flows. A realistic representation of the subsurface is especially important as large‐scale hydrological models move to finer resolutions and aim to provide accurate and locally relevant hydrologic information everywhere. In this study, we aim at improving and extending on current available large‐scale data sets providing information of the subsurface. We present a detailed aquifer representation for the continental United States and Canada at hyper resolution (250 × 250 m). We integrate local hydrogeological information, including observations of aquifer layer thickness, conductivity, and vertical structure, to obtain representative aquifer parameter values applicable to the continental scale. The methods used are simple and can be expanded to other parts of the world. Hydrological simulations were performed using the integrated hydrological model ParFlow and demonstrated improved model performance when using the new aquifer parameterization. Our results support that more detailed and accurate aquifer parameterization will advance our understanding of the groundwater system at larger scales.
Effects of Eating While Walking on Blood Glucose Concentrations

Eating while walking is a commonly growing practice in the United States, in part due to an increase in the number of convenient dietary products (i.e., snack bars, shakes, drinks, etc.). Although eating while walking has been shown to increase total food consumption and weight gain, the acute effects of eating while walking on blood glucose (BG) concentrations are still unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute effects of eating while walking on BG. Twenty-two apparently healthy, male, physically active (PA, n = 10) and sedentary (Sed, n = 12) individuals volunteered for this study. Participants randomly performed the control [sit+snack (SS)] and experimental [walk+snack (WS)] protocol, with one week between protocols. Both protocols showed a significant increase in post-BG concentrations [SS (p < 0.001); WS (p < 0.01)], but post-BG concentrations for WS were significantly lower (p < 0.001) than SS. During SS, significantly higher post-BG concentrations were exhibited for the PA (p < 0.05) and Sed (p < 0.01) groups, whereas the WS protocol post-BG concentrations were significantly increased for the Sed group (p < 0.01). Lastly, individuals who exercised more and had a lower body mass index (BMI) were significantly correlated to lower BG concentrations in response to the 47 g carbohydrate (CHO) snack. However, these data are preliminary and may need further investigation.
The Displaced as ‘Ordinary Citizens’: Exploring Variation in the Political Attitudes of the Displaced from Donbas

Abstract Based on original survey data, this essay analyses the political attitudes of individuals displaced by the war in eastern Ukraine. We systematically compare attitudinal differences and similarities along three axes: the displaced relative to the resident population; the displaced in Ukraine relative to the displaced in Russia; and the displaced from the (non-)government-controlled areas relative to the resident population in the (non-)government-controlled areas of Donbas. This fine-grained comparative analysis highlights the variety of attitudes held by the displaced, similarities in attitudes across displacement locations, and the effect of war casualties on attitudes and self-declared political interest.
MPC-Based Local Voltage Control Strategy of DGs in Active Distribution Networks

The increasing penetration of distributed generators (DGs) exacerbates the voltage violations in active distribution networks (ADNs). The commonly used centralized voltage control may aggravate the burden of computation and communication. Local voltage control can realize fast response to frequent voltage fluctuations. However, effective local control for DGs still needs to be further investigated. In this paper, a model predictive control (MPC)-based local voltage control strategy of DGs is proposed to cope with voltage violation problems and enhance the adaptation to the DG volatility. DGs are regulated with local $Q-V$ control curves to respond to voltage fluctuations rapidly. Based on the dynamic network partition, a unified control curve for DGs is set in the same area to realize efficient operation. To further improve the performance of voltage control, the parameter tuning of control curves is regularly conducted based on decentralized inter-area coordination with the rolling of the control horizon. Finally, case study is verified on the modified IEEE 33-node distribution system. The proposed local control strategy of DGs can effectively improve the voltage profile and reduce power losses of the whole network without high computation and communication burden.
Finding a Balance: A Systematic Review of the Biomechanical Effects of Vestibular Prostheses on Stability in Humans

The vestibular system is located in the inner ear and is responsible for maintaining balance in humans. Bilateral vestibular dysfunction (BVD) is a disorder that adversely affects vestibular function. This results in symptoms such as postural imbalance and vertigo, increasing the incidence of falls and worsening quality of life. Current therapeutic options are often ineffective, with a focus on symptom management. Artificial stimulation of the vestibular system, via a vestibular prosthesis, is a technique being explored to restore vestibular function. This review systematically searched for literature that reported the effect of artificial vestibular stimulation on human behaviours related to balance, using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) technique. A total of 21 papers matched the inclusion criteria of the literature search conducted using the PubMed and Web of Science databases (February 2019). The populations for these studies included both healthy adults and patients with BVD. In every paper, artificial vestibular stimulation caused an improvement in certain behaviours related to balance, although the extent of the effect varied greatly. Various behaviours were measured such as the vestibulo-ocular reflex, postural sway and certain gait characteristics. Two classes of prosthesis were evaluated and both showed a significant improvement in at least one aspect of balance-related behaviour in every paper included. No adverse effects were reported for prostheses using noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation, however, prosthetic implantation sometimes caused hearing or vestibular loss. Significant heterogeneity in methodology, study population and disease aetiology were observed. The present study confirms the feasibility of vestibular implants in humans for restoring balance in controlled conditions, but more research needs to be conducted to determine their effects on balance in non-clinical settings.
Bacteria-based self-healing concrete: evaluation of full scale demonstrator projects

Bacteria-based self-healing concrete is an innovative concrete that contains a self-healing agent that provides the material with enhanced autonomous crack-sealing performance. A specific type of this concrete, based on a healing agent composed of bacterial spores and lactate as carbon source, has been developed and applied by the Delft University of Technology for over ten years. Under laboratory conditions it was proven that, depending on the dosage of healing agent, self-healing of cracks up to 0.8 mm widths occurs. As such the material potentially allows reduction of steel reinforcement used for crack width limitation in watertight constructions. Application of self-healing concrete would therefore not only result in a reduction of costs but also in improvement of environmental performance (lower CO2 footprint) and ease of in situ casting due to reduction of use of steel in waterproof applications. However, according to the EN 1990 Eurocode (Basis of structural design), customary application of a novel type of concrete must be preceded by full scale demonstrators proving evidence for safe and functional performance. In this contribution we portray full scale application of bacteria-based self-healing agent as developed by the Delft research group in two repair mortar- and in two concrete construction demonstrator projects. These demonstrator projects show that addition of the bacteria-based self-healing agent to the concrete mix is safe as no negative side effects on construction performance was observed. However, it also proved difficult to find evidence for increased crack-healing performance as cracking in the demonstrator constructions hardly occurred. In further full scale demonstrators we therefore plan to drastically reduce amount of crack width-restraining reinforcement to show crack-healing capacity and potential to save on use of reinforcement steel in watertight concrete constructions.
Human-caused mortality and injury of NMFS-managed Alaska marine mammal stocks 2013-2017

Section 117 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) requires the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to estimate human-caused marine mammal mortality and serious injury. Data from documented interactions between human activities and pinnipeds or cetaceans belonging to stocks which appear in the Alaska Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports (SARs) were compiled for the 5-year period from 2013 through 2017. A total of 922 unique interactions with evidence of human-caused mortality or injury are summarized in this report. Details for all reported human-marine mammal interactions (approximately 3,500) were first assessed for evidence of human-caused injury or mortality to the marine mammal; injuries and mortalities that could not be attributed with high confidence to human causes were excluded from further analysis. Injury severity determinations were then made for those injuries considered to be human-caused with high confidence. Injury determination details, including the injury source, type, severity, and criteria supporting the determination are presented in the appendices. Records of human-caused mortality are also included in this report and assigned to source. Mortality and injury values were assigned to each interaction for comparison with the potential biological removal (PBR) levels for each stock calculated under the MMPA and appearing within the Alaska SARs. The mortality and serious injury values included in this report are derived solely from documented interactions. Not all human-caused mortality and serious injury to marine mammals is documented, so this report represents a minimum count of human-caused mortality and serious injury to Alaska marine mammal stocks.
A Review on 3D Printed Sensors

Industry 4.0 is a revolution that has greater potential to connect machines to monitor and control them through data acquisition and analysis. It helps the industries in getting quality products at economic cost with flexibility and processability incorporated in it. 3D printing is a subset of Industry 4.0, which can support the digital manufacturing and sensors are devices, which can measure the physical parameters from the environment and play key role in implementing Industry 4.0. Thus, this paper aims to review the recent works carried out in 3D printed sensors. Here an overview of sensors and their fabrication methods practiced using 3D printing technology for various applications are discussed. From the review, it is found that there is major scope for fabricating the complete sensor with 3D printing.
Medical Tourism Destination Image and its Relationship with the Intention to Revisit: A Study of Chinese Medical Tourists in Malaysia

ABSTRACT Medical tourism in Malaysia has grown over the years and has become a promising industry. However, due to the establishment of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), we see a spill-over effect where more Chinese people visit and seek medical treatments in Malaysia. Attracting these Chinese medical tourists has become a great competition as Malaysia is not the sole player in the South East Asia region. The objective of this study is to examine the factors influencing Malaysia as a medical tourism destination among Chinese medical tourists. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data from a sample of 600 respondents to test the hypothesized relationships. The data were analyzed using a structural equation modeling approach via AMOS and SPSS. The results show that country-specific factors (country knowledge, safety and security, accessibility, and price reasonableness) and social factors (word-of-mouth and social media) are significant predictors of the image of Malaysia as a medical tourism destination, which in turn, affect perceived value and intention to revisit. This study is one of the few that examines the perception of Chinese medical tourists, a lucrative market that contributes significantly to the global medical tourism industry. Theoretical and managerial implications of the research are discussed.