Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mobile Displays: Technology and Applications (Wiley Series in Display Technology)

The mobile display industry has witnessed rapid growth, in both volume and diversification, in recent years. This trend is expected to persist with continued consumer demand for mobile communications and computing applications. Mobile displays are now integral to a wide range of devices such as MP3 players, digital cameras, PDAs, GPS map readers, portable DVD players, and electronic books, as well as the ubiquitous mobile phone and laptop computers. This proliferation of products has fuelled a significant investment into the research and development of the mobile display, with key research laboratories across the display industry and academia producing many exciting technological advancements. With contributions from well-known experts, in both industry and academia, this book presents a comprehensive coverage of the mobile display in a single volume. Ranging from an in-depth analysis of the requirements that the displays must meet, through current devices, to emerging technologies, the text features: mobile environment and human-factor considerations for the display; advances in the incumbent active matrix liquid crystal display (AMLCD) technologies; backlighting and light manipulation techniques; mobile display driver electronics and interface technologies; emerging technologies including active matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED), electronic paper displays, and system-on-glass (SOG) developments; application developments in eyewear, mobile projector, and 3D displays. Mobile Displays: Technology and Applications presents, in addition to the fundamentals, a detailed update on state-of-the-art advancements. It is an invaluable resource for practicing electronics and display engineers working on the development of mobile displays and their applications. It is also an extensive reference for graduates taking special courses in display technologies.
Downstream Semantic Segmentation Model for Low-Level Surface Crack Detection

As surface crack detection is essential for roads and other building structures in most countries, this has been a very popular topic in computer vision for automating structural health monitoring. Recently, many deep learning engineers have attempted to find solutions to the problem. However, to the best of our knowledge, most previous methods were about designing and experimenting with a deep learning model from scratch, which is highly technical and very time-consuming. This study proposes a new approach of using downstream models to accelerate the development of deep learning models for pixel-level crack detection. An off-the-shelf semantic segmentation model named DeepLabV3-ResNet101 is used as a base model and then experimented with different loss functions and training strategies. Our experimental results have revealed that the downstream models trained by the classic cross-entropy loss function cannot provide reasonable results in pixel-level crack detection. The most successful downstream model we found is trained by the focal loss function without using the pretrained weights that are accompanied by the base model. Our selected downstream model is generalized well across different test datasets and yields the optimal dataset scale F-measures of 84.49% on CrackTree260, 80.29% on CRKWH100, 72.55% on CrackLS315, and 75.72% on Stone331.
Evaluating the Influence of ipRGCs on Color Discrimination

To investigate the influence of intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) on color discrimination, it is necessary to create two metameric light stimuli (metameric ipRGC stimuli) with the same amount of cone and rod stimulation, but different amounts of ipRGC stimulation. However, since the spectral sensitivity functions of cones and rods overlap with those of ipRGCs in a wavelength band, it has been difficult to independently control the amount of stimulation of ipRGCs only. In this study, we first propose a method for calculating metameric ipRGC stimulation based on the orthogonal basis functions of human photoreceptor cells. Then, we clarify the controllable range of metameric ipRGC stimulation within a color gamut. Finally, to investigate the color discrimination by metameric ipRGC stimuli, we conduct subjective evaluation experiments on 24 chromaticity coordinates using a multispectral projector. The results reveal a correlation between differences in the amount of ipRGC stimulation and differences in color appearance, indicating that ipRGCs may influence color discrimination.
Assessment of the Current Endodontic Practices among General Dental Practitioners in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

A contemporary knowledge of root canal treatment (RCT) is a prerequisite for a successful outcome. Studies observed that General Dental Practitioners (GDPs) were not abreast of current endodontic knowledge due to a lack of continuing dental education, not following the treatment protocols that they had learned in their undergraduate program, and overlooking the evidence-based current endodontic practices. Therefore, this study was intended to assess the awareness, attitude, and clinical endodontic practices among General Dental Practitioners in Saudi Arabia. This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among all 312 GDPs working in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire consisted of socio-demographic details and 23 questions regarding current endodontic practices. The collected data was analyzed using the SPSS Version 21 (Chicago, IL, USA). The chi-square test was applied to explore the influence of gender, workplace, and the years of professional activity on the materials and techniques employed in the RCT procedure. The study results showed that of all respondents, 159 (51.0%) were males, 153 (49.0%) were females, and 286 (91.7%) were Saudi nationals. Most of the GDPs, i.e., 204 (65.4%) practiced in private hospitals or clinics whereas 108 (34.6%) practiced in Government hospitals. Root canal treatment on all teeth had been performed by 196 (62%) of the practitioners. Association of gender with demographic details and endodontic practices revealed a statistically significant difference between both genders with respect to region, nationality, type of RCT treated on the tooth, and the technique used to measure the working length (p < 0.05). Furthermore, years of professional experience and workplace significantly affect endodontic practices (p < 0.05). This study concluded that most of the general dental practitioners complied with quality standard guidelines showing a positive attitude toward endodontic practices. Furthermore, irrespective of gender, most of the steps in endodontic procedures revealed a significant association with years of professional experience and the workplace.
Home-Based Frailty Prevention Program for Older Women Participants of Kayoi-No-Ba during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Feasibility Study

This study presents a single-arm intervention that aimed to determine the feasibility of a three-month home-based exercise program to prevent the progression of frailty during COVID-19. We recruited four groups of Kayoi-no-ba, or community salons for frailty prevention, and a total of 69 community-dwelling older women who belonged to one of the Kayoi-no-ba in a preliminary study for a follow-up study. The intervention program was developed on the basis of the 5A approach, and the focus group by the volunteer leaders of Kayoi-no-ba. We adapted the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology Home Exercise Program for Older People for 10-min daily home-based exercise. For feasibility outcomes, 91.3% of the participants completed the intervention program, whereas the percentage of exercise performed was 86.5% during the intervention period. For health-related outcomes, the five times sit-to-stand test exhibited significant improvement after the intervention. The results of feasibility outcomes indicate that the program may be feasible due to the high rates of completion and exercise performed. Additionally, improvement was noted for the health indicators of the five times sit-to-stand test, which may help prevent frailty. The feasibility trial has provided the necessary data to design a future-cluster randomized controlled trial.
Group-Based Physical Activity Interventions Targeting Enjoyment in Older Adults: A Systematic Review

In previous research, older adults reported they preferred enjoyable exercise programmes. The aim of this systematic review is to identify the components of enjoyable group-based physical activity interventions for older adults. Eleven electronic databases were searched in May 2021. Inclusion criteria were: Community-dwelling, ≥60 years of age, group-based physical activity, controlled intervention studies, designed to promote enjoyment, and included a measure of enjoyment or physical activity. Characteristics of the studies, intervention content, and enjoyment outcomes were extracted. Six studies, involving 1205 participants (Mean = 72.9 years old, 71.3% female, 67% European countries) were included. While enjoyment outcomes (n = 3) appeared to improve, there was wide heterogeneity in measurement tools, making it difficult to compare studies. Enjoyable group-based physical activity for older adults may consist of a supportive instructor and peers, creating a shared positive experience. Components included confidence building through competence, and courage experienced in the company of others. Within a physically supportive environment, older adults have the potential to generate social support to enjoy being physically active together. Future studies should include measures of enjoyment and device-based physical activity. Furthermore, a standardised definition of enjoyable physical activity for older adults is needed to inform the design of future interventions.
The Impact of Obesity and Associated Comorbidities on the Outcomes after Renal Transplantation with a Living Donor vs. Deceased Donor Grafts

Background: Obesity among kidney transplant (KT) recipients can lead to metabolic comorbidity-associated deaths. This study compares post-KT survival between obese and non-obese patients and outcomes of living donor (LD) and deceased donor (DD) grafts. Methods: Between January 2005–May 2019, 1403 KT recipients from a single center were included in the study, as well as 314 patients (22.4%) with obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m2), 137 DD transplants, and 177 LD transplants. Of the 1089 (77.6%) in the control group (BMI ≤ 30 kg/m2), 384 were DD transplants and 705 LD transplants. The Kaplan–Meier method was used for survival analysis and a Cox regression was used to identify risk factors for graft loss and mortality. Propensity score matching analysis adjusting for age, IHD, and T2DM was performed. Results: The study group had higher incidence of obesity related comorbidities, delayed graft function and primary non function (p < 0.001). One-, 5-and 10-year patient and graft survival were lower in the study group (p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis of graft survival according to type of graft shows a difference in the DD (p = 0.002) but not in the LD group (p = 0.220). However, mortality was higher in both groups (LD, p = 0.045; DD, p = 0.004). Risk factors for mortality were age, T2DM, IHD, and DD, and for graft failure: IHD, BMI, donor age, re-transplant, and DD. Propensity score analysis shows an odds ratio of 0.81 for graft failure and 0.93 for death in the study group (95% CI = 0.55, 1.21, p = 0.3 and CI = 0.59, 1.46, p = 0.7, respectively). Conclusions: Recipient age and metabolic comorbidities should be emphasized when evaluating patients with obesity. We suggest considering weight loss interventions using the new GLP-1 inhibitors and bariatric procedures in selected patients to prepare overweight patients for transplant.
Biological Potential, Gastrointestinal Digestion, Absorption, and Bioavailability of Algae-Derived Compounds with Neuroprotective Activity: A Comprehensive Review

Currently, there is no known cure for neurodegenerative disease. However, the available therapies aim to manage some of the symptoms of the disease. Human neurodegenerative diseases are a heterogeneous group of illnesses characterized by progressive loss of neuronal cells and nervous system dysfunction related to several mechanisms such as protein aggregation, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and neurotransmission dysfunction. Neuroprotective compounds are essential in the prevention and management of neurodegenerative diseases. This review will focus on the neurodegeneration mechanisms and the compounds (proteins, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), polysaccharides, carotenoids, phycobiliproteins, phenolic compounds, among others) present in seaweeds that have shown in vivo and in vitro neuroprotective activity. Additionally, it will cover the recent findings on the neuroprotective effects of bioactive compounds from macroalgae, with a focus on their biological potential and possible mechanism of action, including microbiota modulation. Furthermore, gastrointestinal digestion, absorption, and bioavailability will be discussed. Moreover, the clinical trials using seaweed-based drugs or extracts to treat neurodegenerative disorders will be presented, showing the real potential and limitations that a specific metabolite or extract may have as a new therapeutic agent considering the recent approval of a seaweed-based drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease.
Long Jump Action Recognition Based on Deep Convolutional Neural Network

Long jump is a test item of national student physical health monitoring, which can reflect the quality of students' lower limb strength. Long jump is a highly technical activity, which includes four basic movements: running aid, jumping, vacating, and landing. Many students have problems with the technical aspects, resulting in test scores that do not objectively reflect the true physical condition of the students, which affects the accuracy of the test results. From the perspective of rapid diagnostic feedback of students' long jump movements, we design and develop a long jump movement recognition method based on deep convolutional neural network. In this paper, we firstly summarize the traditional visual action recognition algorithm, then apply 3D convolution to extract the spatiotemporal features of long jump action from three directions of the video block, and fuse the spatiotemporal features of the three directions in different ways to achieve feature complementation; finally, using the multimodality of long jump action data, we use 3D convolutional neural network to train the RGB images and then train the depth. This joint training method can accelerate the convergence speed and improve the accuracy of the network on both depth and edge images. The experiments compared the recognition effects of the tandem fusion of features, the maximum fusion, and the multiplicative fusion in the scoring layer, and the highest accuracy of 82.3% was achieved by the tandem fusion of features with the fusion of three modalities.
The Effect of Support Grid Features on Local, Single-Phase Heat Transfer Measurements in Rod Bundles

Local, average heat transfer measurements in a rod bundle downstream of support grids with and without flow-enhancing features are investigated for Reynolds numbers of 28,000 and 42,000. Support grids with disc blockage flow-enhancing features and support grids with split-vane pair flow enhancing features are examined. Grid pressure loss coefficients and feature loss coefficients are determined based on pressure drop measurements for each support grid design. Results indicate the highest heat transfer enhancement downstream of the support grid designs with disc blockages. In addition, the local heat transfer downstream of the split-vane pair grid designs indicates a region of decreased heat transfer below that of the hydrodynamically fully-developed value. This decreased region of heat transfer is more pronounced for the lower Reynolds number case. A correlation for the local Nusselt numbers downstream of the standard support grid designs is developed based on the blockage of the support grid. In addition, a correlation for the local Nusselt numbers downstream of support grids with flow-enhancing features is developed based on the blockage ratio of the grid straps and the normalized feature loss coefficients of the support grid designs. The correlations demonstrate the tradeoff between initial heat transfer enhancement downstream of the support grid and the pressure drop created by the support grid.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Duality of bone morphogenetic proteins in cancer: A comprehensive analysis

Over 20 different growth factors belonging to the bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) family have been identified, that were initially discovered as growth factors that promote osteogenesis, and play a vital role in bone remodeling and various developmental processes. Numerous studies have explored the aberrance level of BMPs in various cancer types, questioning their role in tumorigenesis. These growth factors have been studied extensively over the decades to define their function during cancer progression and metastasis. Nonetheless, the BMP expression profiles in clinical samples correlate with cancer prognosis. Based on clinical data, various in vitro, and in vivo findings, it has been reported that BMPs have dual roles, that is, they can act as a tumor suppressor, tumor promoter, and both. On contrary, some studies have reported that BMPs have an oncogenic role while others reported their tumor‐suppressive role. So, this creates a knowledge gap in the behavior of different types of BMPs. Thus, this review updates and bridges the knowledge gap while considering the dual behavior of various BMPs including BMP‐2, 4, 6, 7, 9, and 10. Moreover, the comprehensive analysis provides insight into the role of different BMPs in cancer potential and how the behavior of BMPs alters in the tissue‐dependent context in various cancers by modulating canonical SMAD signaling, various noncanonical pathways such as PI3K/AKT, NF‐κB, MAPK, STAT, cMYC, cJUN, and so forth. This review also enlightens the role of BMP heterodimers, several ligand‐binding proteins (agonists and antagonists), mutational status of BMP receptors, and the tumor microenvironment in relating to the bi‐functional aspects of the BMPs in various cancerous tissues by regulating the levels of BMP's canonical and noncanonical signals.
Genetic Profiling of Glucocorticoid (NR3C1) and Mineralocorticoid (NR3C2) Receptor Polymorphisms before Starting Therapy with Androgen Receptor Inhibitors: A Study of a Patient Who Developed Toxic Myocarditis after Enzalutamide Treatment

Enzalutamide is a nonsteroidal inhibitor of the androgen receptor (AR) signaling pathway and is used to treat patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. However, the risk of cardiovascular-related hospitalization in patients with no contraindications for the use of enzalutamide is about 1–2%. To date, the underlying molecular basis of this has not been established. The androgen receptor, glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) are nuclear receptors that share structural similarities and have closely related DNA-binding sites and coregulators. In non-epithelial cells, a fine balance of the activities of these receptors is essential to ensure correct cellular function. In this study, we present a molecular characterization of these nuclear receptors in a prostate cancer patient who developed congestive heart failure after enzalutamide treatment. White cell RNAseq revealed a homozygous rs5522 MR polymorphism and both the rs143711342 and rs56149945 GR polymorphisms, carried in different alleles. No different specific splice isoforms were detected. Recent research suggests that AR inhibition by enzalutamide makes available a coregulator that specifically interacts with the rs5522-mutated MR, increasing its activity and producing adverse effects on cardiovascular health. We suggest an evaluation of the MR rs5522 polymorphism before starting therapy with AR inhibitors.
Role of Plasminogen Activation System in Platelet Pathophysiology: Emerging Concepts for Translational Applications

Traditionally, platelets have been exclusively considered for their procoagulant and antifibrinolytic effects during normal activation of hemostasis. Effectively, activated platelets secrete coagulation factors, expose phosphatidylserine, and promote thrombin and fibrin production. In addition to procoagulant activities, platelets confer resistance of thrombi to fibrinolysis by inducing clot retraction of the fibrin network and release of huge amounts of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, which is the major physiologic inhibitor of the fibrinolytic cascade. However, the discovery of multiple relations with the fibrinolytic system, also termed Plasminogen Activation System (PAS), has introduced new perspectives on the platelet role in fibrinolysis. Indeed, the activated membrane surface of platelets provides binding sites on which fibrinolytic enzymes can be activated. This review discusses the evidence of the profibrinolytic properties of platelets through the description of PAS components and related proteins that are contained in or bind to platelets. Our analyses of literature data lead to the conclusion that in the initial phase of the hemostatic process, antifibrinolytic effects prevail over profibrinolytic activity, but at later stages, platelets might enhance fibrinolysis through the engagement of PAS components. A better understanding of spatial and temporal characteristics of platelet-mediated fibrinolysis during normal hemostasis could improve therapeutic options for bleeding and thrombotic disorders.
Recent Trends in Folic Acid (Vitamin B9) Encapsulation, Controlled Release, and Mathematical Modelling

ABSTRACT Folic acid (FA), a water-soluble vitamin (B9), is crucial for metabolic activities and regulatory processes of cells. Mammalian cells cannot synthesize any form of folate, thereby necessitating their exogenous supply. Further, FA is degraded by light, heat, oxidation, and external conditions. Therefore, the need for micro- and nano-encapsulation techniques for FA arises. The present work deals primarily with various encapsulation techniques for FA, including coacervation, electrospraying, electrospinning, nanoemulsions, biopolymer nanoparticles, nanohydrogels, and mesoporous silica particles from research studies, elaborately described with relevant justifications and other novel techniques. An overview of FA is provided and its structural aspects and factors affecting its degradation are discussed. The review also comprehensively discusses the controlled release mechanisms and factors affecting FA release from encapsulation systems. Pharmacokinetic studies conducted to assess the bioavailability of FA post oral administration are mentioned. The novel techniques with the highest encapsulation efficiency of FA were proliposomes, electrospinning, and double emulsification. Additionally, the highest FA serum concentration obtained in oral bioavailability studies was found in a novel desolvation process cum ultrafiltration encapsulation method using zein as the encapsulant. The positive impact of specific techniques and the future scope along with suggestions for FA encapsulation systems are examined.