Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cathelicidin LL-37 in Health and Diseases of the Oral Cavity

The mechanisms for maintaining oral cavity homeostasis are subject to the constant influence of many environmental factors, including various chemicals and microorganisms. Most of them act directly on the oral mucosa, which is the mechanical and immune barrier of the oral cavity, and such interaction might lead to the development of various oral pathologies and systemic diseases. Two important players in maintaining oral health or developing oral pathology are the oral microbiota and various immune molecules that are involved in controlling its quantitative and qualitative composition. The LL-37 peptide is an important molecule that upon release from human cathelicidin (hCAP-18) can directly perform antimicrobial action after insertion into surface structures of microorganisms and immunomodulatory function as an agonist of different cell membrane receptors. Oral LL-37 expression is an important factor in oral homeostasis that maintains the physiological microbiota but is also involved in the development of oral dysbiosis, infectious diseases (including viral, bacterial, and fungal infections), autoimmune diseases, and oral carcinomas. This peptide has also been proposed as a marker of inflammation severity and treatment outcome.
There is no place like home: home satisfaction and customer satisfaction in online grocery retailing

ABSTRACT This study acknowledges that home is a central and valenced place for most people, and therefore it is assumed that (a) the content in people’s general category for home issues can be activated easily, particularly by various home-related stimuli, and that (b) the affective charge of such content can have a valence-congruent impact on evaluations of home-related stimuli. These assumptions were the basis for two empirical studies carried out in an online grocery shopping context with respect to home delivery. Both studies indicate that home satisfaction had a positive influence on satisfaction with home delivery – and that home satisfaction had an indirect and positive influence of overall satisfaction with the retailer that provides home delivery. These findings, then, emphasize the need to ‘emplace’ the contemporary online shopper: although the shopper faces an abundance of alternatives only a mouse-click away, he or she is still emplaced in an environment when orders are placed and when goods are received. And when this environment is home, it is particularly likely to influence home-related offers.
Effects of tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and selective serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors on the ocular surface.

PURPOSE This study aimed to investigate the effects of tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and selective serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors on the ocular surface. METHODS The study included 330 eyes of 165 patients using antidepressants and 202 eyes of 101 controls. Tear fluid breakup time, Schirmer I test, and Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire were administered. Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory were applied to record drug use, dosages, psychiatric disease duration, and remission time. RESULTS Mean tear fluid breakup time was 14.29 ± 4.81 (4-26) sec, and Schirmer I test value was 16.05 ± 5.89 (2-28) mm in study group. Tear fluid breakup time was 18.16 ± 2.12 (15-24) sec and Schirmer I test value was 16.64 ± 2.31 (15-24) mm in control group (p<0.001 and p=0.005, respectively). In study group, 38.18% (n=63) of patients had dry eye, and 17% (n=18) of patients in control group had dry eye (p<0.001). The mean OSDI score was 82.56 ± 16.21 (66-100) in the tricyclic antidepressants Group, 60.02 ± 29.18 (10-100) in the serotonin reuptake inhibitors Group, and 22.30 ± 20.87 (0-75) in the serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors Group (p<0.001). Mean tear fluid breakup time was 14.36 ± 3.35 (10-20) sec in tricyclic antidepressants Group, 13.94 ± 5.81 (4-26) sec in the serotonin reuptake inhibitors Group, and 14.93 ± 4.20 (6-20) sec in serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors Group (p=0.730). The mean Schirmer I test value was 9.90 ± 7.22 (2-30) mm in tricyclic antidepressants Group, 15.55 ± 5.15 (2-25) mm in serotonin reuptake inhibitors Group and 17.71 ± 4.21 (10-30) mm in serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors Group (p<0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between OSDI score, tear fluid breakup time, and Schirmer I test values in serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin-no-radrenaline reuptake inhibitors subgroups. CONCLUSIONS Dry eye is common in antidepressant users, but considering the ocular surface, serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors may be more reliable than other antidepressants. Patients using serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors have lower OSDI scores. Serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors, which are useful in chronic pain syndromes, may also have a corrective effect on dry eye symptoms.
Ansiedade pré-competitiva e desempenho percebido em atletas de Futsal: efeito do local de jogo

A relação entre a ansiedade pré-competitiva e desempenho esportivo ainda encontra-se pouco explorada pela literatura científica, principalmente nas modalidades coletivas. Assim o objetivo do estudo foi analisar as respostas de ansiedade pré-competitiva e desempenho percebido em relação ao local de jogo em atletas de futsal. Foram avaliados 19 atletas do sexo masculino (20,64±3,93 anos de idade) de uma equipe de futsal em um jogo dentro e um jogo fora de casa. A ansiedade pré-competitiva foi avaliada pelo questionário Revised Competition State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2R) antes de cada jogo e o desempenho percebido pela escala Likert (0 à 4) após cada jogo. Como principais resultados foram observados o tamanho de efeito moderado e incerto (unclear) entre as condições fora e dentro de casa para a ansiedade somática (TE=0,75; CL= -0,19; 1,62) e cognitiva (TE=0,70; CL=-0,23; 1,52). Para a auto-confiança um efeito pequeno e incerto (TE=0,20; CL=-0,69; 1,70). A percepção de desempenho não diferiu entre os jogos (P=0,564). Conclui-se que o local de jogo afeta moderadamente nas respostas pré-competitivas de ansiedade somática e cognitiva, porém de maneira incerta. Essa variação nas respostas de ansiedade entretanto parecem não impactar diretamente nas respostas de desempenho desses atletas, sugerindo assim que o local de jogo pode ter efeito na ansiedade pré-competitiva, de maneira morada e sem um possível impacto na percepção de desempenho dos atletas.
Neural Networks for Financial Time Series Forecasting

Financial and economic time series forecasting has never been an easy task due to its sensibility to political, economic and social factors. For this reason, people who invest in financial markets and currency exchange are usually looking for robust models that can ensure them to maximize their profile and minimize their losses as much as possible. Fortunately, recently, various studies have speculated that a special type of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) called Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) could improve the predictive accuracy of the behavior of the financial data over time. This paper aims to forecast: (i) the closing price of eight stock market indexes; and (ii) the closing price of six currency exchange rates related to the USD, using the RNNs model and its variants: the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and the Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU). The results show that the GRU gives the overall best results, especially for the univariate out-of-sample forecasting for the currency exchange rates and multivariate out-of-sample forecasting for the stock market indexes.
Islamic banks credit risk performance for home financing: Before and during Covid-19 pandemic

Purpose ― This study aims to assess the home financing credit risk performed by Islamic banks in Indonesia. Methods ― A panel dynamic analysis is adopted to measure the bad loan performance before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. The observation period started from January 2016 to September 2020 with 1,881 observation periods of monthly panel data from the province level. Findings ― The study finds a difference in bad loan performance before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. Before this pandemic, inflation has a positive and significant influence on non-performing financing in real estate, rental business, and company service. However, during the Covid-19 pandemic, a substantial and positive effect of inflation is found on the bad loan for personal flat and apartment ownership. On the other hand, a significant and negative impact of inflation is found on the bad home loan for personal business shop ownership. Implication ― This analysis could trigger the government to provide financial assistance for those affected by the Covid-19 crisis. In addition to that, an Islamic bank is also expected to give financing allowances for them by providing an option of debt restructuration and rescheduling. Originality ― This paper analyses the Islamic bank’s credit risk performance for home financing before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. This issue has not been presented in the literature to the best of our knowledge.
Transcriptome Revealed Exposure to the Environmental Ammonia Induced Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Injury in Spleen of Fattening Pigs

Simple Summary Ammonia is a major environmental pollutant. Previous estimates of ammonia emissions have focused on livestock sources in agricultural systems. Livestock continues to be the main source of ammonia emissions. Exposure to high concentrations of ammonia can cause varying degrees of damage to tissues and organs. However, the damage of ammonia exposure to the spleen of pigs in the fattening pigs is unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore the mechanism at the gene level of exogenous ammonia-induced spleen toxicity by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), spleen histomorphological observation, and transcriptome technology. The results showed that ammonia exposure led to oxidative stress, activation of inflammatory pathways, and splenic injury. In addition, the genes that encode histone methyltransferase were found to be significantly upregulated. Therefore, histone methylation may be the epigenetic mechanism of splenic poisoning induced by ammonia. Our findings provide a novel direction for exploring the underlying molecular mechanisms of ammonia toxicity. Abstract Ammonia is one of the major environmental pollutants that seriously threaten human health. Although many studies have shown that ammonia causes oxidative stress and inflammation in spleen tissue, the mechanism of action is still unclear. In this study, the ammonia poisoning model of fattening pigs was successfully established. We examined the morphological changes and antioxidant functions of fattening pig spleen after 30-day exposure to ammonia. Effects of ammonia in the fattening pig spleen were analyzed from the perspective of oxidative stress, inflammation, and histone methylation via transcriptome sequencing technology (RNA-seq) and real-time quantitative PCR validation (qRT-PCR). We obtained 340 differential expression genes (DEGs) by RNA-seq. Compared with the control group, 244 genes were significantly upregulated, and 96 genes were significantly downregulated in the ammonia gas group. Some genes in Gene Ontology (GO) terms were verified and showed significant differences by qRT-PCR. The KEGG pathway revealed significant changes in the MAPK signaling pathway, which is strongly associated with inflammatory injury. To sum up, the results indicated that ammonia induces oxidative stress in pig spleen, activates the MAPK signaling pathway, and causes spleen necrosis and injury. In addition, some differential genes encoding epigenetic factors were found, which may be involved in the response mechanism of spleen tissue oxidative damage. The present study provides a transcriptome database of ammonia-induced spleen poisoning, providing a reference for risk assessment and comparative medicine of ammonia.
Perilymph Fistula as a Complication of Eustachian Tube Dilation and Tympanoplasty

Eustachian tube dilation (ETD) is an established, minimally invasive therapeutic approach for chronic eustachian tube dysfunction. The complications associated with performing a ETD are rare. A 22-year-old female patient presented with chronic otitis media on the right side and chronic obstructive tube dilation disorder on both sides. A type I tympanoplasty was performed on the right side because of a tympanic membrane perforation after a ETD on both sides without apparent complications. On the 5th postoperative day, she presented with headache, dizziness and hearing loss on the right side. There was a decrease of hearing threshold on the right side in the pure-tone audiogram and vHIT, cVEMP, and SVV were irregular. The β-2-transferrin test was positive. Since a right-sided perilymph fistula was suspected, an emergency tympanotomy was performed with a round window membrane cover with fascia on the right side. Intraoperatively, a regular, intact ossicular chain was found with a slightly moist middle ear mucosa. The round window membrane was covered by the promontorial lip. Under these measures, the patient's dizziness regressed. The right ear pure-tone threshold vHIT, cVEMP, and SVV normalized.
Assessment of Trust in Automation in the “Real World”: Requirements for New Trust in Automation Measurement Techniques for Use by Practitioners

Trust in automation is a foundational principle in Human Factors Engineering. An understanding of trust can help predict and alter much of human-machine interaction (HMI). However, despite the utility of assessing trust in automation in applied settings, there are inherent and unique challenges in trust assessment for those who seek to do so outside of the confines of the sterile lab environment. Because of these challenges, new approaches for trust in automation assessment need to be developed to best suit the unique demands of trust assessment in the real world. This paper lays out six requirements for these future measures: they should (1) be short, unobtrusive, and interaction-based, (2) be context-specific and adaptable, (3) be dynamic, (4) account for autonomy versus automation dependency, (5) account for task dependency, and (6) account for levels of risk. For the benefits of trust assessment to be realized in the “real world,” future research needs to leverage the existing body of literature on trust in automation while looking toward the needs of the practitioner.
Dengue - The Breakbone Fever: A Crisis within a Crisis

Dengue is one of the most critical and rapidly spreading vector borne disease in the world. It is caused by an RNA virus that belongs to the Flaviviridae family. The dengue virus is transmitted by mosquitoes (arthropods) and thus is an arbovirus. Dengue spreads through the bite of female Aedes mosquitoes. Aedes mosquitoes also serve as vectors of chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika viruses. The symptoms may range from asymptomatic fever to dreaded complications such as hemorrhagic fever and shock. Dengue is an endemic disease, which means that it occurs regularly, in tropical regions of the world. According to World Health Organization (WHO), almost half of the world’s population lives in areas with a risk of contracting dengue virus [1]. The risk of contracting dengue infection has increased dramatically since the 1940s. This upward trend is due to increases in long-distance travel, population growth and urbanization, lack of sanitation, ineffective mosquito control, and increases in the surveillance and official reporting of dengue cases.
Universal Flu mRNA Vaccine: Promises, Prospects, and Problems

The seasonal flu vaccine is, essentially, the only known way to prevent influenza epidemics. However, this approach has limited efficacy due to the high diversity of influenza viruses. Several techniques could potentially overcome this obstacle. A recent first-in-human study of a chimeric hemagglutinin-based universal influenza virus vaccine demonstrated promising results. The coronavirus pandemic triggered the development of fundamentally new vaccine platforms that have demonstrated their effectiveness in humans. Currently, there are around a dozen messenger RNA and self-amplifying RNA flu vaccines in clinical or preclinical trials. However, the applicability of novel approaches for a universal influenza vaccine creation remains unclear. The current review aims to cover the current state of this problem and to suggest future directions for RNA-based flu vaccine development.
The Evolutionary Dance between Innate Host Antiviral Pathways and SARS-CoV-2

Compared to what we knew at the start of the SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic, our understanding of the interplay between the interferon signaling pathway and SARS-CoV-2 infection has dramatically increased. Innate antiviral strategies range from the direct inhibition of viral components to reprograming the host’s own metabolic pathways to block viral infection. SARS-CoV-2 has also evolved to exploit diverse tactics to overcome immune barriers and successfully infect host cells. Herein, we review the current knowledge of the innate immune signaling pathways triggered by SARS-CoV-2 with a focus on the type I interferon response, as well as the mechanisms by which SARS-CoV-2 impairs those defenses.
Invasive Management of Vertebrobasilar Artery Stenosis and Occlusion: A Meta-Analysis on Efficacy and Safety Endpoints

Vertebrobasilar angioplasty and stenting or mechanical thrombectomy (MT) using a stent retriever or suction thrombectomy are effective interventions in managing acute ischemic stroke caused by vertebrobasilar artery occlusion (VBAO). This study aims to investigate the safety and efficacy of self-expanding stents and balloon angioplasty in managing ischemic stroke. We reviewed the literature for relevant clinical trials and included those reporting the following primary outcomes: successful recanalization, favorable clinical outcome, and stenosis degree change. We included 24 studies (858 patients). In the subgroup analysis, participants were divided into three main subgroups based on the type of intervention: mechanical thrombectomy (MT), percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting (PTAS), and MT+PTAS. Regarding overall mortality, the incidence was 34.5%, 9.9%, and 28.9% in the MT, PTAS, and MT+PTAS groups, respectively. The incidence of arterial dissection was 3.6% in the MT group, 3.1% in the PTAS group, and 16.7% in the MT+PTAS group. Incidence of distal embolization, MT, PTAS, and MT+PTAS groups had 3.4%, 5.8%, and 9.5% incidence rates, respectively. Favorable clinical outcomes were reported in 42.8% of subjects in the MT+PTAS group, 64.7% in the PTAS group, and 39.2% in the MT group. The incidence of intracranial hemorrhage was 5.2%, 4.5%, and 15.3% in the MT, PTAS, MT + PTAS groups, respectively. The incidence of successful recanalization was 85.3% in the MT group, 99.4% in the PTAS group, and 92.7% in the MT+PTAS group. Our analysis concludes that PTAS is the most effective intervention for VBAO and is associated with a lower rate of mortality compared to mechanical thrombectomy alone.
Day-Ahead Strategic Operation of Hydrogen Energy Service Providers

The green hydrogen provides a pathway to the 100% sustainable energy future, rendering hydrogen energy service providers (HESPs) an important role in energy supply. Different from the conventional electricity service providers, HESP is not only responsible for the production, purchase and retailing but also the transportation of hydrogen, which makes its operation a challenging problem. To this end, this paper proposes a bi-level strategic operation model for HESPs. In the operation level, the bidding, hydrogen production and hydrogen transportation are coordinated to minimize the overall cost of HESPs. In the market level, the market clearing is simulated to estimate the influence of HESP behavior on electricity prices in the market. Then, a model reformulation technique is developed to connect the discrete-time based hydrogen production and continuous-time based hydrogen transportation. The bi-level optimization model is transformed into a single-level mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) problem with Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) conditions. The case studies with the modified IEEE-RTS-79 system were given to validate the proposed model and confirm the necessity to coordinate the hydrogen production and transportation in the strategic operation of HESPs. Sensitivity analysis is also conducted to study the potential influencing factors.
Microstrip antennas for X‐band and MM‐wave frequencies based on diamond shape defected ground structure and size extension method

A diamond shape defected ground structure (DGS) is deployed on a higher mode rectangular microstrip patch antenna (RMPA) to improve the antenna return loss (S11) bandwidth and fabrication tolerance at X‐band and millimeter wave (mm‐wave) frequencies. The DGS dimensions have been analyzed to study their effects on the antenna's performance. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:2836–2841, 2016
Polymer Processing under Microwaves

Over the last decades, microwave heating has experienced a great development and reached various domains of application, especially in material processing. In the field of polymers, this unusual source of energy showed important advantages arising from the direct microwave/matter interaction. Indeed, microwave heating allows regio-, chemio-, and stereo-selectivity, faster chemical reactions, and higher yields even in solvent-free processes. Thus, this heating mode provides a good alternative to the conventional heating by reducing time and energy consumption, hence reducing the costs and ecological impact of polymer chemistry and processing. This review states some achievements in the use of microwaves as energy source during the synthesis and transformation of polymers. Both in-solution and free-solvent processes are described at different scales, with comparison between microwave and conventional heating.