Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Personalized Hypertension Prevention

Background: While a population-wide strategy involving lifestyle changes and a high-risk strategy involving pharmacological interventions have been described, the recently proposed personalized medicine approach combining both strategies for the prevention of hypertension has increasingly gained attention. However, a cost-effectiveness analysis has been hardly addressed. This study was set out to build a Markov analytical decision model with a variety of prevention strategies in order to conduct an economic analysis for tailored preventative methods. Methods: The Markov decision model was used to perform an economic analysis of four preventative strategies: usual care, a population-based universal approach, a population-based high-risk approach, and a personalized strategy. In all decisions, the cohort in each prevention method was tracked throughout time to clarify the four-state model-based natural history of hypertension. Utilizing the Monte Carlo simulation, a probabilistic cost-effectiveness analysis was carried out. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was calculated to estimate the additional cost to save an additional life year. Results: The incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER) for the personalized preventive strategy versus those for standard care were -USD 3317 per QALY gained, whereas they were, respectively, USD 120,781 and USD 53,223 per Quality-Adjusted Life Year (QALY) gained for the population-wide universal approach and the population-based high-risk approach. When the ceiling ratio of willingness to pay was USD 300,000, the probability of being cost-effective reached 74% for the universal approach and was almost certain for the personalized preventive strategy. The equivalent analysis for the personalized strategy against a general plan showed that the former was still cost-effective. Conclusions: To support a health economic decision model for the financial evaluation of hypertension preventative measures, a personalized four-state natural history of hypertension model was created. The personalized preventive treatment appeared more cost-effective than population-based conventional care. These findings are extremely valuable for making hypertension-based health decisions based on precise preventive medication.
Gas Exchange in Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis: Relationships with Pulmonary Poorly Communicating Fraction and Alveolar Volume

Tuberculosis-related lung damage is very different. Lung ventilation disorders have been studied in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) during the active process and after treatment, but the main causes of gas exchange changes have not been sufficiently studied. Investigation of diffusing lung capacity in combination with bodyplethysmography is useful for the interpretation of pulmonary gas exchange disorders. The aim was to determine the relationship of gas exchange with the value of alveolar volume (VA) and pulmonary poorly communicating fraction (PCF) in patients with pulmonary TB. A total of 292 patients (117/175 M/W) with verified pulmonary TB with smoking age less than 10 packs-years underwent spirometry, bodyplethysmography, and DLCO by the single-breath method. PCF was estimated calculating the difference between total lung capacity (TLC) and VA (% TLC). Patients with low DLCO had statistically significantly lower spirometric values (FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, MMEF), lower TLC, higher airway resistance, RV/TLC, air-trapping volume, and PCF. The patients with low level of DLCO were divided into four groups depending on level VA and PCF. In most patients with infiltrative tuberculosis (50%), the leading syndrome of the DLCO decrease was alveolar-capillary damage. In patients with tuberculomas, the syndromes of alveolar capillary damage and pulmonary ventilation inhomogeneity were with the same frequency (43%). In patients with disseminated tuberculosis, the most frequent syndrome of the DLCO decrease was pulmonary ventilation inhomogeneity (33%), then alveolar-capillary damage (29%) and mixed (24%). In patients with cavernous tuberculosis, the leading syndrome of the DLCO decrease was mixed (39%), then alveolar capillary damage (25%) and pulmonary ventilation inhomogeneity (23%). The syndrome of gas exchange surface reduction in patients with disseminated and cavernous tuberculosis was less common (14%). In conclusion, an additional evaluation of the combination of PCF and VA increases the amount of clinical information obtained using the diffusion lung capacity measurements, since it allows identifying various syndromes of gas exchange impairment. The leading causes of diffusing capacity impairment vary by different types of pulmonary TB.
Operation optimization of distillation column based on reduced SQP algorithm and hybrid derivative method

Distillation is a very important process in the large-scale production of ethylene and other refining and petrochemical processes.Based on the rigorous model of MESH and SRK equation of state, the optimization strategy for the operation of distillation column was studied.Since the open form equation-based model of distillation column has relatively small degrees of freedom, special structure and strong sparsity, a method based on the reduced sequential quadratic programming(SQP) algorithm and hybrid derivative method was presented to solve this kind of problems.The first order gradient information was obtained by the analytical method and preconditioned automatic differentiation.Because the objective was simple and relate to small number of variables, the analytical gradient function was obtained to get gradient information of objective.To utilize the sparsity and structure of the distillation column model, the sparse structure and compress pattern were obtained firstly by preconditioning procedures, and then gradient information of constraints was obtained through preconditioned automatic differentiation technology at each iteration.Computing results demonstrated that the proposed method was more efficient than the standard SQP algorithm, and the economic benefit could be improved significantly with optimal operation obtained under different conditions.
Teratogen Potential Evaluation of the Aqueous and Hydroalcoholic Leaf Extracts of Crataegus oxyacantha in Pregnancy Rats

Crataegus oxyacantha is used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the transplacental genotoxicity effect of aqueous (AE) and hydroalcoholic extract (HE) of leaves C. oxyacantha in a rat model and the quantification of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the liver. Three different doses of the AE and HE of the C. oxyacantha leaf were administered orally (500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg) to Wistar rats during 5 days through the pregnancy term (16–21 days), and sampling in rats occurred every 24 h during the last 6 days of gestation, while only one sample was taken in neonates at birth. A sample of the mother’s and the neonate’s liver was taken for the determination of MDA. The results show that, at the hepatic level, the evaluated doses of extracts C. oxyacantha in pregnant rats and their pups did not show cytotoxicity. However, the AE and HE generated cytotoxic and genotoxic damage in the short term. On the other hand, only the AE showed a teratogenic effect. Based on these results, the AE and HE of the C. oxyacantha leaf should not be administered during pregnancy.
Relationships between Serum Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress and Tobacco Smoke Exposure in Patients with Mental Disorders

The role of cigarette smoking as an aggravating factor of systemic oxidative stress in patients with mental disorders has not been extensively investigated, although significantly higher rates of smoking are recorded in these subjects in comparison with the general population. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that smoking might be an exacerbator of systemic oxidative stress, being directly correlated with the degree of exposure to tobacco smoke. We analyzed, in 76 adult subjects from a public health care unit, the relationships between serum cotinine levels as a marker of tobacco smoke exposure, and three biomarkers of oxidative stress: the serum glutathione (GSH), the advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs), and the total serum antioxidant status (FRAP). The results indicate that the degree of tobacco smoke exposure was inversely associated with GSH levels in both passive and active smokers, suggesting that smoke particulate components’ toxicity is associated with a systemic GSH depletion. Paradoxically, the lowest AOPP levels which were positively associated with GSH, were recorded in active smoking patients whereas in passive smokers individual values of AOPPs decreased along with the increase in GSH levels. Our data suggest that an enhanced inhalation of particulate constituents of cigarette smoke could induce critical changes in systemic redox homeostasis and GSH can no longer exert its antioxidant role.
Incidence and Risk Factors for Postpartum Hemorrhage: A Case-Control Study in a Tertiary Hospital in Greece

Background and Objectives: Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is an obstetrical emergency and although the mortality rate from PPH has decreased, it is still considered a challenge in obstetrics. This study aimed to estimate the rate of primary PPH, as well as to investigate the potential risk factors and management options. Material and methods: This was a retrospective case-control study of all cases with PPH (blood loss > 500 mL, irrespective of the mode of delivery) managed in the Third Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, from 2015 to 2021. The ratio of cases to controls was estimated to be 1:1. The chi-squared test was used to examine if there was any relationship between several variables and PPH, while subgroup multivariate logistic regression analyses of certain causes of PPH were also conducted. Results: During the study period, from a total of 8545 births, 219 (2.5%) pregnancies were complicated with PPH. A maternal age > 35 years (OR: 2.172; 95% CI: 1.206–3.912; p = 0.010), preterm delivery (<37 weeks) (OR: 5.090; 95% CI: 2.869–9.030; p < 0.001) and parity (OR: 1.701; 95% CI: 1.164–2.487; p = 0.006) were identified as risk factors for PPH. Uterine atony was the main cause of PPH in 54.8% of the women, followed by placental retention in 30.5% of the sample. Regarding management, 57.9% (n = 127) of the women received uterotonic medication, while in 7.3% (n = 16), a cesarean hysterectomy was performed to control PPH. Preterm delivery (OR: 2.162; 95% CI: 1.138–4.106; p = 0.019) and delivery via a cesarean section (OR: 4.279; 95% CI: 1.921–9.531; p < 0.001) were associated with a higher need for multiple treatment modalities. Prematurity (OR: 8.695; 95% CI: 2.324–32.527; p = 0.001) was identified as an independent predictor for an obstetric hysterectomy. From the retrospective analysis of the births complicated by PPH, no maternal death was identified. Conclusions: Most of the cases complicated with PPH were managed with uterotonic medication. An advanced maternal age, prematurity and multiparity had a significant impact on the occurrence of PPH. More research is needed on the risk factors of PPH, while the establishment of validated predictive models would be of value.
The Ubiquitin-Proteasome System Participates in Sperm Surface Subproteome Remodeling during Boar Sperm Capacitation

Sperm capacitation is a complex process endowing biological and biochemical changes to a spermatozoon for a successful encounter with an oocyte. The present study focused on the role of the ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS) in the remodeling of the sperm surface subproteome. The sperm surface subproteome from non-capacitated and in vitro capacitated (IVC) porcine spermatozoa, with and without proteasomal inhibition, was selectively isolated. The purified sperm surface subproteome was analyzed using high-resolution, quantitative liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) in four replicates. We identified 1680 HUGO annotated proteins, out of which we found 91 to be at least 1.5× less abundant (p < 0.05) and 141 to be at least 1.5× more abundant (p < 0.05) on the surface of IVC spermatozoa. These proteins were associated with sperm capacitation, hyperactivation, metabolism, acrosomal exocytosis, and fertilization. Abundances of 14 proteins were found to be significantly different (p < 0.05), exceeding a 1.5-fold abundance between the proteasomally inhibited (100 µM MG132) and vehicle control (0.2% ethanol) groups. The proteins NIF3L1, CSE1L, NDUFB7, PGLS, PPP4C, STK39, and TPRG1L were found to be more abundant; while BPHL, GSN, GSPT1, PFDN4, STYXL1, TIMM10, and UBXN4 were found to be less abundant in proteasomally inhibited IVC spermatozoa. Despite the UPS having a narrow range of targets, it modulated sperm metabolism and binding by regulating susceptible surface proteins. Changes in CSE1L, PFDN4, and STK39 during in vitro capacitation were confirmed using immunocytochemistry, image-based flow cytometry, and Western blotting. The results confirmed the active participation of the UPS in the extensive sperm surface proteome remodeling that occurs during boar sperm capacitation. This work will help us to identify new pharmacological mechanisms to positively or negatively modulate sperm fertilizing ability in food animals and humans.
Uniform Treatment of Integral Majorization Inequalities with Applications to Hermite-Hadamard-Fejér-Type Inequalities and f-Divergences

In this paper, we present a general framework that provides a comprehensive and uniform treatment of integral majorization inequalities for convex functions and finite signed measures. Along with new results, we present unified and simple proofs of classical statements. To apply our results, we deal with Hermite-Hadamard-Fejér-type inequalities and their refinements. We present a general method to refine both sides of Hermite-Hadamard-Fejér-type inequalities. The results of many papers on the refinement of the Hermite-Hadamard inequality, whose proofs are based on different ideas, can be treated in a uniform way by this method. Finally, we establish a necessary and sufficient condition for when a fundamental inequality of f-divergences can be refined by another f-divergence.
Towards a New Paradigm of Project Management: A Bibliometric Review

The advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has triggered a digital transformation across several industries, including the project management (PM) profession. To achieve competitive advantages, construction industry employers must now utilise technology and data for strategy development, project execution, and delivery. This study reviews the concept of PM through research published on the Elsevier Scopus database from 2010 to date using a sequence of bibliometric analyses. Keywords such as “project management” AND “project management tools” AND “project management techniques” AND “construction industry” AND “built environment” were used for article extraction. VOSviewer, a text-mining tool, was used to analyse the bibliometric connection in PM research within the built environment discipline. Through the sequencing of cluster analysis, the findings revealed that research focus is placed on sustainable development (SD), construction safety (CS), engineering education (EE), project management stakeholders (PMS), risk management (RM), and building information modelling (BIM). More so, the current research focus in PM studies is tending towards knowledge management (KM) and construction innovation (CI). Based on a critical review of extant literature, very few studies have bibliometrically analysed and visualised PM studies. This study sets out to fill this gap by examining the key areas of concentration in published works on the PM concept from 2010 to date. Despite the valuable contribution of this study to the PM body of knowledge, generalisations of the results must be made cautiously due to the use of a single database, which in this case is Elsevier Scopus.
Fabrication of Co-Assembly from Berberine and Tannic Acid for Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria Infection Treatment

Long-term antibiotic use induces drug resistance in bacteria. This has given rise to the challenge of refractory infections, which have become a global health threat. Berberine (BBR) and tannic acid (TA) from plants exhibit promising antibacterial activities and may overcome antibiotic resistance. However, poor solubility and/or low penetration capability have limited their application. Carrier-free co-assembled nanocomposites composed entirely of BBR and TA exhibit improved or new properties and produce improved efficacy. Herein, we demonstrated that an ordered nanostructure could be spontaneously co-assembled by the solvent evaporation method using the two natural products. These co-assembled berberine–tannic acid nanoparticles (BBR-TA NPs) exhibited the best antibacterial effect compared with the corresponding physical mixture, pristine BBR, and some first-line antibiotics (benzylpenicillin potassium-BP and ciprofloxacin-Cip) against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Even if the concentration of BBR-TA NPs was as low as 15.63 μg/mL, the antibacterial rate against S. aureus and MRSA was more than 80%. In addition to the synergistic effect of the two compounds, the antibacterial mechanism underlying the nanostructures was that they strongly adhered to the surface of the bacterial cell wall, thereby inducing cell membrane damage and intracellular ATP leakage. Furthermore, the in vivo wound healing effect of BBR-TA NPs was verified using an MRSA wound infection mouse model. The BBR-TA NPs achieved the best efficacy compared with BP and Cip. Moreover, cytotoxic and histopathological evaluations of mice revealed that the nanodrug had good biological safety. This facile and green co-assembly strategy for preparing nanoparticles provides a feasible reference for the clinical treatment of bacterial infection.
Observer-Based Control of Inductive Wireless Power Transfer System Using Genetic Algorithm

In this paper, we studied the feedback stabilization of an inductive power transfer system based on available output measurement. The proposed controller relies on a full-order state observer in order to estimate the unmeasured state. The control design problem is challenging due to the large dimension of the closed-loop system, which requires too many tuning parameters to be determined when conventional control methods are employed. To solve this issue, we propose an LQR methodology based on a genetic algorithm such that the weighing coefficients of the cost function matrices can be automatically computed in an optimized manner. The proposed approach combines the method of eigenstructure assignment and the LQR technique in order to design both the controller and the observer gain matrices. The design methodology provides a systematic way to compute the parameters of the LQR technique for a wireless power transfer system in an optimized manner, which can be a useful design tool for many other applications. The effectiveness of the approach was verified by numerical simulation on the dynamic model of the wireless power transfer system. The results show that the proposed design outperforms conventional design methods in terms of a better performance and reduced design iterations effort.
A Survey of Deep Learning for Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer’s and related diseases are significant health issues of this era. The interdisciplinary use of deep learning in this field has shown great promise and gathered considerable interest. This paper surveys deep learning literature related to Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment, and related diseases from 2010 to early 2023. We identify the major types of unsupervised, supervised, and semi-supervised methods developed for various tasks in this field, including the most recent developments, such as the application of recurrent neural networks, graph-neural networks, and generative models. We also provide a summary of data sources, data processing, training protocols, and evaluation methods as a guide for future deep learning research into Alzheimer’s disease. Although deep learning has shown promising performance across various studies and tasks, it is limited by interpretation and generalization challenges. The survey also provides a brief insight into these challenges and the possible pathways for future studies.
Molecular Structures and Intermolecular Hydrogen Bonding of Silylated 2-Aminopyrimidines

A series of silylated 2-aminopyrimidines Me(4−n)Si(NHpyr)n (Me = methyl, NHpyr = pyrimid-2-ylamino, n = 1, 2, 3, 4), i.e., compounds 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively, was prepared from a series of the respective chlorosilanes Me(4−n)SiCln and 2-aminopyrimidine. Triethylamine was used as a sacrificial base. Compounds 1, 2, 3, and 4 are solid at room temperature. They were analyzed using 1H, 13C, 29Si NMR, and Raman spectroscopy, and their molecular structures were confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. All structures exhibit intramolecular van der Waals contacts between the silicon atom and one nitrogen atom of the pyrimidine moiety. Thus, their Si coordination spheres can be interpreted as [4+n] coordinated capped tetrahedra. Intermolecular hydrogen bonds (N–H···N bridges between the Si-bound amino groups and the non-Si-capping pyrimidine N atoms) are a constant contributor to the solid-state structures of these compounds. Furthermore, compounds 2 and 4 exhibit N–H···N bridges which involve 50% of their Si-capping N atoms as hydrogen bridge acceptors. Consequently, 50% of the non-Si-capping pyrimidine N atoms are stabilized by C–H···N contacts. As a result of a particularly dense network of intermolecular hydrogen bridges, the melting point of Si(NHpyr)4 (compound 4) is higher than 300 °C.
The Mediating Role of Brand Trust and Brand Love between Brand Experience and Loyalty: A Study on Smartphones in China

Smartphones have become increasingly essential in people’s daily lives. Studying the enablers that influence students’ smartphone buying intentions can inform technology-enhanced learning development, whereas research on brand loyalty and experience is important for marketing strategies. While prior research has acknowledged the importance of brand experience and customer loyalty, little literature has investigated the specific dimensions of brand loyalty and their connection to brand love and trust. This study investigates the effects of brand attributes on loyalty and word-of-mouth engagement in choosing smartphones in China, including the mediating role of brand trust and brand love between brand experience and loyalty. The study adopted a research framework based on the previous literature and tested it empirically. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey method, collecting 369 questionnaires from Chinese students in mainland China. The collected data were analyzed with the help of structural equation modelling by applying AMOS software version 26. The results showed that brand experience had a significant influence on brand trust, brand love, attitudinal loyalty, and word-of-mouth, except for behavioral loyalty. Likewise, the link between brand trust and attitudinal loyalty, behavioral loyalty, and brand love was found to be significant. The effect of brand love on attitudinal loyalty and behavioral loyalty became significant. Additionally, the study confirmed that behavioral trust and brand love significantly mediates the relationship between brand experience–attitudinal loyalty, and brand experience–behavioral loyalty, respectively. The study results provide numerous theoretical and managerial implications to help academicians and practitioners provide better customer and brand relationship management.