Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Platelet Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Superficial Digital Flexor Tendon Core Lesion in Donkeys: Histopathological Assessment

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of platelet rich plasma (PRP) on the healing of created core lesions in the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) in donkeys. Serial histopathological specimens were taken from normal and at 5th, 15th, 30th, 60th and 90th days post PRP treatment. Histopathological findings showed early rapid healing process with early angiogenesis, increased fibroblastic condensation, the nuclei appeared more elongated, flattened arranged in the peripheral collagen fibers. The collagen fibers changed from randomly arranged to semi-parallel and finally highly reoriented parallel closely packed collagen fibers at 90th days of PRP treatment. Compared to saline control displayed few scattered fibroblasts and angiogenesis. As well as less regularly arranged collagen fibers. Histopathological evaluation 90 days after three successive PRP treatment proved a more rapid tendon tissue reconstruction and maturation similar to the healthy tendons.
Initial Stage Sintering of Polycrystalline Spheres: A Model and Experiments

Abstract Conventional models for initial stage sintering consider sintering to occur between two single crystal spheres, although most powder particles are polycrystalline in reality. The conventional Coble model is modified to take into account multiple grain boundaries intersecting a neck in sintering between polycrystalline particles. The exponents N and M in the rate equation (x/R)N α (t/RM), for polycrystals were found to be 4 and 2, respectively, in contrast to 6 and 4 in single crystals; here x, R and t are the neck radius, particle radius and time, respectively. In addition there is a 1/d2 dependence, where d is the grain size. Analysis reveals that initial stage sintering will be enhanced in polycrystalline particles when the neck is large and there are a large number of grains within a particle. Accompanying experiments on close packed irregular 2D arrays of polycrystalline zirconia spheres showed that the neck growth rate was higher for the particles containing a large number of grains, compared to those with only a few grains.
Switch of Optical Nonlinear Absorption in Black Phosphorous

Abstract Nonlinear absorption of multi-layer black phosphorus nanosheets (BPs) were investigated using open aperture Z-scan method with 6 ns nanosecond laser pulses at 532 nm. It was found that, at lower intensities, BPs behave as saturable absorbers, but at higher intensities a shift from saturable absorption to reverse saturable absorption occurs. The transition process was analyzed in terms of the bleaching of ground-state and the excited-state absorption. We investigate the ultrafast dynamics by using pump − probe technique. The investigation implies that BPs has great potential applications in both mode-locking and optical liming in the visible range for ultrafast laser pulses.
IMPORTANCE OF FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGY IMPLICATIONS FOR PROFESSIONALS IN INDONESIA

The focus of the study was to test the financial technology for professionals and its influence on the financial system. The study notes that those professionals who fails to align with the ever-changing technology will not be able to survive their field. Therefore, it is recommended that professionals must be proactive to use financial technology. Furthermore, the regulators in particular field must be technologically inclined with regard to financial technology. Based on regulators pressure and personal motivation, the professionals and firms must take efforts to develop workers for financial technology such as data protections of customers. The government can also develop policies to boost financial technology in Indonesia.
Gabapentinoids: pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and considerations for clinical practice

The gabapentinoids are often recommended as first-line treatments for the management of neuropathic pain. The differing pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profiles can have implications for clinical practice. This article has summarised these key differences. In addition to their use in managing neuropathic pain, gabapentinoids are increasingly being used for off-label conditions despite the lack of evidence. Prescription rates for off-label conditions have overtaken that for on-label use. Similarly, the use of gabapentinoids in the perioperative period is now embedded in clinical practice despite conflicting evidence. This article summarises the risks associated with this increasing use. There is increasing evidence of the potential to cause harm in vulnerable populations such as the elderly and increasing prevalence of abuse. The risk of respiratory depression in combination with opioids is of particular concern in the context of the current opioid crisis. This article describes the practical considerations involved that might help guide appropriate prescribing practices.
Addiction aux Réseaux Sociaux et son Impact sur la Performance Scolaire des Lycéens D’Antananarivo

[Social Network Addiction and its Impact on School Performance of High School Students in Antananarivo] Introduction : The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of social network’s use and its effects on school result within high school student. Methods : This cross-sectional study was conducted between 1 March 2017 to 30 June 2017 by 8 high school located in Antananarivo town. Internet Addiction Test was used to evaluate internet addiction. Results : In this study, we obtained 365 students between age of 13 and 21 years old with sex ratio 0,66. Prevalence of social network use was 40,55%. Annual school note ranges from 7,01 to 16,85 out of 20. The average note of networking users was significantly lower than non-users (p = 7,636E-25). IAT-score vary from 15 to 98 with an average of score of 53,95. IAT-score ≥ 75 is a factor of bad academic performance (p = 6,29E-12). Conclusion : Our study was showed a significant association between school performance decline and problematical internet use. Therefore, increase awareness about efficient control of this means of communication is essential to prevent another form of behavioral dependence.
Biogeography of fire regimes in western U.S. conifer forests: A trait‐based approach

AIM: Functional traits are a crucial link between species distributions and the ecosystem processes that structure those species’ niches. Concurrent increases in the availability of functional trait data and our ability to model species distributions present an opportunity to develop functional trait biogeography (i.e., the mapping of functional traits across space). Functional trait biogeography can improve process‐based predictions about the resistance of certain species assemblages to changing environmental conditions across landscape scales. We illustrate this concept by developing the first trait‐based, quantitative ranking of fire resistance (adult tree survival) in North American conifer species and mapping that fire resistance across space. LOCATION AND TIME PERIOD: Western continental USA, present day. MAJOR TAXA STUDIED: Twenty‐nine common conifer tree species. METHODS: We compiled six traits for each species: three relating to tree morphology and three relating to litter flammability. We combined these traits into a single fire resistance score and used community‐weighted averaging to estimate the fire resistance scores of different forest communities, using interpolated species distribution and relative abundance data. RESULTS: Species associated historically with frequent fire have high fire resistance scores (e.g., Pinus ponderosa), reflected by thick bark, tall crowns and flammable litter. Species associated with subalpine or arid conditions have low fire resistance scores (e.g., Picea engelmannii and Pinus edulis), reflected by thin bark, short stature, poor self‐pruning and low litter flammability. A map of forest community fire resistance across the western USA reveals agreement with independent assessments of historical fire regimes, while also identifying areas where community‐wide species traits might be mismatched with historical fire regimes. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Quantifying the functional traits that confer resistance to tree‐killing fire provides a direct link between ecosystem disturbance and community resistance. Understanding this link is crucial to evaluation of the long‐term resilience of different forest types under dynamic fire regimes. Our work represents the first known spatial representation of fire resistance traits at a regional scale and, as such, provides a link between functional traits and biogeography relevant to a critical ecosystem process.
Plasma Nitriding of TiO2 Nanotubes: N-Doping in Situ Investigations Using XPS

The nitrogen doping of titanium dioxide nanotubes (TiO2 NTs) was investigated as a result of well-controlled plasma nitriding of TiO2 NTs at a low temperature. This way of nitrogen doping is proposed as an alternative to chemical/electrochemical methods. The plasma nitriding process was performed in a preparation chamber connected to an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectrometer, and the nitrogen-doped TiO2 NTs were next investigated in situ by XPS in the same ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) system. The collected high-resolution (HR) XPS spectra of N 1s, Ti 2p, O 1s, C 1s, and valence band (VB) revealed the formation of chemical bonds between titanium, nitrogen, and oxygen atoms as substitutional or interstitial species. Moreover, the results provided a characterization of the electronic states of N–TiO2 NTs generated by various plasma nitriding and annealing treatments. The VB XPS spectrum showed a reduction in the TiO2 band gap of about 0.6 eV for optimal nitriding and heat-treated conditions. The TiO2 NTs annealed at 450 or 650 °C in air (ex situ) and nitrided under UHV conditions were used as reference materials to check the formation of Ti–N bonds in the TiO2 lattice with a well-defined structure (anatase or a mixture of anatase and rutile). Scanning electron microscopy microscopic observations of the received materials were used to evaluate the morphology of the TiO2 NTs after each step of the nitriding and annealing treatments.
A High Gain Multiport DC–DC Converter for Integrating Energy Storage Devices to DC Microgrid

Interfacing multiple low-voltage energy storage devices with a high-voltage dc bus efficiently has always been a challenge. In this article, a high gain multiport dc–dc converter is proposed for low voltage battery-supercapacitor based hybrid energy storage systems. The proposed topology utilizes a current-fed dual active bridge structure, thus providing galvanic isolation of the battery from the dc bus, wide zero voltage switching (ZVS) range of all the switches, and bidirectional power flow between any two ports. The dc bus side bridge uses voltage multiplier cells to achieve a high voltage conversion ratio between the supercapacitor (SC) and the dc bus. Moreover, as the proposed topology employs only one two-winding transformer to achieve a three-port interface, the number of control variables are reduced, which decreases control complexities. The operation of the proposed converter is analyzed in detail, including the derivation of ZVS conditions for the switches and transformer power flow equations. A decoupled closed-loop control strategy is implemented for the dc bus voltage control and energy management of the storage devices under different operating conditions. A 1-kW laboratory prototype is built to verify the effectiveness of the proposed converter, along with the control scheme.
Low-complexity companding function design for PAPR reduction in OFDM systems

In this study, the authors have proposed a low complexity companding function for peak-to-average-power ratio (PAPR) reduction in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing systems. This function transforms the signals into a probability density function with a cumulative distribution function an anti-trigonometric function. By carefully choosing the transform parameters, the bit error rate (BER) performance can be improved significantly during the reduction of PAPR. In addition, the proposed companding function offers design flexibility. Simulation results show that for the same PAPR performance, the proposed companding scheme can offer better BER performance. For example, upon assigning BER = 10−4 in an additive white Gaussian noise channel without a solid-state power amplifier, the minimum required bit energy to noise power spectral ratio (E b/N o) for the proposed companding scheme with c = 0 and A = 1.414 is 11 dB. It is 5, 4.2, and 3 dB lower than exponential companding function, root-based μ-law companding function, and amplitude limiting companding schemes, respectively. Also, their PAPR performance is the same.
Chapter 7. Indirect Land Use Change and Bio-based Products

This chapter provides insights into those mechanisms leading to undesirable land use changes associated with the expansion of all biologically-based products, thus including biofuels and bio-based materials. The chapter conducts a reconnaissance of the land use change effects which are climate relevant, reversible in the long run or irreversible and, in some cases, synergetic with climate change. It reviews the main causes and presents evidence, as an example, of indirect land use changes – still ongoing – due to the biofuel policy in the US. The analysis of thresholds and certification criteria in the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) revealed that a major role will be played by certification schemes and methods of certification of low iLUC risk biomass. Causal-descriptive models are presented as an appropriate class of models to support certification schemes and a dynamic system model generated through the European H2020 project STAR-ProBio project, named SydiLUC, is introduced. The model can be applied to various categories of bio-based products and estimates the annual land expansion per functional unit of bio-based product as well as the risk associated with a specific production route, in line with the most recent regulatory measures.
The American Society of Retina Specialists Artificial Intelligence Task Force Report

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a growing area that relies on the heavy use of diagnostic imaging within the field of retina to offer exciting advancements in diagnostic capability to better understand and manage retinal conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema, age-related macular degeneration, and retinopathy of prematurity. However, there are discrepancies between the findings of these AI programs and their referral recommendations compared with evidence-based referral patterns, such as Preferred Practice Patterns by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The overall focus of this task force report is to first describe the work in AI being completed in the management of retinal conditions. This report also discusses the guidelines of the Preferred Practice Pattern and how they can be used in the emerging field of AI.
Investment in Relationship Intangible Resources and Performance in the Agribusiness Sector: Analysis of the JBS-Friboi Case

Having intangible relationship resources can result in superior organizational performance. Considering this theoretical assumption, this study analyzes the relationship between investments in intangible assets/relationship assets (reputation, brands, loyalty, long-term relationships and distribution channels), carried out by the JBS-Friboi Group, and the performance of that organization. The documentary and content analysis of JBS SA's annual reports and of performance indicators from 2008 to 2016 allowed us to observe that the organization's performance has evolved positively, especially since 2011, showing a possible relationship between investments performed on intangible relationship resources and the performance obtained. When comparing JBS 'performance with Marfrig, the main competitor, it was noticed that JBS stood out during the analyzed period.
Socio-economic Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Smallholder Livelihoods in Zimbabwe

The article revisits previous viruses such as Ebola to extrapolate the socio-economic implications of the COVID-19. Using secondary sources and the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework (SLF) to guide understanding, the article argues that unless measures are put in place to safeguard smallholder activities in Zimbabwe, COVID-19 has the potential to reproduce the same catastrophic implications created by Ebola in West African countries where peasant food systems where shattered and livelihoods strategies maimed. With a perceptible withdrawal of the government from small-scale farming towards large-scale capital intensive operations, smallholders could now be even more vulnerable. The article concludes that social assistance should now be intensified to protect its vulnerable population from the ravages of COVID-19.
DNA Extraction with DNAzol and LAMP, Performed in a Heating Block as a Simple Procedure for Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Sputum Specimens

Tuberculosis (TB) remains as a major public health issue in developing countries. Accurate detection is essential for the proper management of patients with active disease. Here, we present a simple DNAzol-LAMP (loop-mediated isothermal amplification) procedure for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum specimens. Twenty smear-positive sputum samples were analyzed as follows: (i) Genetic material was extracted by a standard DNAzol protocol, and (ii) mycobacterial DNA was detected by a typical TB-specific loop-mediated isothermal amplification method. Results and diagnostic test performance attests to the suitability of the proposed procedure.
Test of a safety culture model from a management perspective

Purpose – The importance of developing theoretical models and their empirical validation, capable of explaining safety performance within organizations, has been pointed out by the scientific community. Fernandez-Muniz, Montes-Peon, and Vazquez-Ordaz (2007) proposed a model that integrates dimensions considered as determinants of safety culture to explain safety performance, which was tested with Occupational Health and Safety technicians of Spanish companies. This study aims to verify if that theoretical model obtains empirical support in the Portuguese context, considering the supervisors’ perspective. In addition, it also aims to contribute to the adaptation of the measurement instrument, which allowed for the empirical test of the model in the Portuguese context. Design/methodology/approach – The study conducted is quantitative with a cross-sectional study design. In total, 174 supervisors at different levels of supervision, in different Portuguese companies from different activity sectors, participated in the study. Data were gathered through the Portuguese version of the instrument developed by the authors of the model (Fernandez-Muniz et al., 2007). Findings – The results partially confirm the proposed model wherein supervisors play a determinant role in the development of safety culture and thus in the safety performance of organizations. Originality/value – This study addresses one of the demands present in the literature, having empirically tested a model that aims to explain the safety performance of organizations, expanding its application to the management perspective and to a different national context. The results emphasize the role supervisors may play in the development of safer organizations.
Inmunologa de los peces seos. Revisin Teleost fish immunology. Review

Bony fishes possess immune systems capable of humoral and cellular responses, both innate and specific; essentially, defense systems of teleost fishes have the same components as vertebrate defense systems, which they antecede evolutionarily. This review describes the components of teleost immune systems, emphasizing particularities present in fish but not in mammals, whose defensive mechanisms are known in greater detail. The study of fish immunity is relevant for both basic and applied purposes. On the one hand, knowledge of fish immunology is important to elucidate the origin and evolution of the immune system of higher vertebrates. On the practical side, although some commercial vaccines are available to protect fishes against viruses and bacteria, rising knowledge of fish immunology would enable increasing the yield and inocuity of aquaculture, through the development of novel methods of immune stimulation and vaccination.
Individual or Enterprise Liability? The Roles of Sanctions and Liability Under Contractible and Non-contractible Safety Efforts

Abstract This paper analyzes the social effectiveness of fines (sanctions) and awards (liability) where accident risks are influenced by decisions made by both the enterprise and the employees of the enterprise (individuals). The regulator observes a proportion of accidents and the safety decision of the individual can be contractible or non-contractible for the enterprise. All sanction regimes yield the first best, given contractible individual care. The liability regimes, however, produce sub-optimal solutions. Given non-contractible individual care, the combined use of an individual sanction and an enterprise sanction (joint use) produces the first best. The exclusive use of an individual sanction produces the first best if the enterprise does not suffer any direct harm. The exclusive use of an enterprise sanction does not, however, produce the first best. If both decision-makers are solvent and have similar liability probabilities, then individual and enterprise liability do equally well under contractible individual care. Individual liability does, however, best for non-contractible individual care.
The 50s Are the New 30s: And You Can Still Have Kids due to Oocyte Cryopreservation

Women in Western societies have been progressively postponing the birth of their first child. However, the human body has not always accommodated the new professional and personal challenges women have faced. It has therefore not been uncommon for women to discover that it is simply too late for them to become pregnant. To overcome the obstacles that biology imposes on female reproduction, women have resorted to oocyte cryopreservation. This procedure was originally used by patients with a risk of becoming infertile from medical treatments. Now it is increasingly being used to expand reproductive age. Although oocyte cryopreservation presents several advantages in light of other possible reproductive options for older women, such as oocyte donation and embryo cryopreservation, it still raises many legal, medical and ethical concerns. From a medical perspective the main concerns are the risks for the woman (oocyte extraction) and for offspring (oocyte cryopreservation). Ethically it has been argued that this medical procedure is nothing but the fulfilment of a whim, at the expenses of the violation of natural boundaries to human reproduction, resulting in contra natura practices. From a juridical standpoint it is clear that there are still many questions that need to be legally solved: time limit for oocyte cryopreservation, consequences of the oocytes’ holder death, lawfulness of oocyte donation (in life or after death), compensation in case of oocyte destruction, requirements of patients’ informed consent and legal limitations that may prevent women from using cryopreserved oocytes. All these are issues which are addressed in the paper.