Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Naples Prognostic Score Is a Useful Tool to Assess Surgical Treatment in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Different prognostic scores have been applied to identify patients with non-small cell lung cancer who have a higher probability of poor outcomes. In this study, we evaluated whether the Naples Prognostic Score, a novel index that considers both inflammatory and nutritional values, was associated with long-term survival. This study presents a retrospective propensity score matching analysis of patients who underwent curative surgery for non-small cell lung cancer from January 2016 to December 2021. The score considered the following four pre-operative parameters: the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio, serum albumin, and total cholesterol. The Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression analysis were performed to evaluate the relationship between the score and disease-free survival, overall survival, and cancer-related survival. A total of 260 patients were selected for the study, though this was reduced to 154 after propensity score matching. Post-propensity Kaplan–Meier analysis showed a significant correlation between the Naples Prognostic Score, overall survival (p = 0.018), and cancer-related survival (p = 0.007). Multivariate Cox regression analysis further validated the score as an independent prognostic indicator for both types of survival (p = 0.007 and p = 0.010, respectively). The Naples Prognostic Score proved to be an easily achievable prognostic factor of long-term survival in patients with non-small cell lung cancer after surgical treatment.
Discussion on the Cretaceous–Tertiary biotic transition

J. D. Hudson writes: Anybody reading the recent paper on the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinctions in this Journal (MacLeod et al. 1997) should also read the papers in Geological Society of America Special Paper 307 (Ryder et al. 1996), including especially the commentaries by Ryder and by Glen. These authors summarize the background to the debate over the nature and timing of events around the boundary, and they point to some of the biases that have affected almost all contributors to it. I believe that MacLeod et al. have got it wrong in denying the reality of an abrupt and impact-related catastrophe at the K–T boundary as the major cause of the extinctions at that time, and that their presentation reveals a gradualistic bias in its choice of quotations. But first, in order to acknowledge the points made by Glen, in his exposé of the tendency we all have to prefer corroborative to inconvenient evidence, I should make my own prior standpoint clear. I have written nothing about the K–T boundary previously apart from a brief mention in a review of palaeo-atmospheres (Hudson 1989). I have given many lectures about it, mainly to undergraduate classes. I was long ago intrigued by the attempts by Bramlette (1965), Tappan (1968) and Gartner & Keany (1978) to explain large-scale turnovers in evolutionary history in terms of world-wide events affecting the ocean–atmosphere system, surely one of the most important endeavours historical geologists can undertake. In the post-Alvarez debate, I have been impressed
The scheduling techniques in the Hadoop and Spark of smart cities environment: a systematic review

Processing extensive and diverse data in real-time is a significant challenge in the context of smart cities. Timely access to information and efficient analytics is essential for smart city services to make data-driven decisions and enhance urban living. Scheduling algorithms play a crucial role in ensuring the prompt delivery of services and efficient task completion. This paper explores various scheduling techniques, including static, dynamic, and hybrid schedulers, and compares their objectives and performance. Additionally, the study examines two prominent data processing frameworks, Hadoop and Spark, and compares their capabilities in handling big data in smart cities. With its ability to process large amounts of data quickly and efficiently, Spark has shown superiority over Hadoop in real-time data processing and performance optimization. The paper concludes by highlighting the strengths and limitations of each framework. It discusses the need for further research in optimizing scheduling techniques and exploring hybrid artificial intelligence scheduling for Spark. Overall, the findings contribute to a better understanding of data processing in real-time and provide insights for researchers and practitioners in smart cities.
Health Risk Assessment of Occupational Exposure to Chemical Materials in a Combined-Cycle Power Plant

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the occupational exposure of workers at a combined-cycle power plant located in the southwestern region of Iran. The assessment focuses on the inhalation exposure route to workplace emissions. Methods: The primary locations for potential pollutant emissions were identified in close proximity to the areas where chemicals were introduced and utilized within the production process. Sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide, ammonia, oil mist, toluene, hydrogen sulfide, hydrazine, and tetrachloromethane were measured and analyzed using the NIOSH standard. Dose-response assessment was estimated using inhalation unit risk (IUR) for cancer risks and reference concentration (RFC) and reference exposure levels (REL) for non-cancer risks. Risk assessment was performed based on the Environmental Health Hazard Assessment guideline. Results: The results showed that ammonia and toluene had the highest and lowest concentration of pollutants emitted in workplace, respectively. The inhalation of ammonia and sulfuric acid and their daily absorption were at high risk level (HQ>1). Other noncancerous compounds had HQ<1. While the hazard index (HI) for total non-cancer risks was 5.34E+01 (HI>1), it was likely to have non-cancerous risks. For carcinogenic risks, they were calculated to be 9.58E-03 and 5.47E-04 for hydrazine and tetrachloromethane, respectively. The total carcinogenic risk of the emissions was calculated at 1.01E-02, which was in the significant range (more than 10-4) (i.e. in the range of hazardous cancer effects). Conclusion: This study confirmed the presence of non-carcinogenic risks, while the quantity of cancer risks fell within the Significant range, indicating a potential for carcinogenic risks.
AN ASSESSMENT APPROACH FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN AMASRA’S RURAL AREA

Sustainable rural tourism indicates a common relationship between tourism and rural landscape. Rural landscape, on the other hand, is the combination of natural and cultural landscape, which are among the main elements that attract tourists to a destination. Using rural landscape in a protective way for future generations also means successful sustainable tourism. In terms of rural tourism, Turkey attracts attention both with its coasts and back coast landscapes. With its natural beauties such as the mountains, highlands, water resources, plant cover Black Sea Region within the country has significant resources for tourism. Amasra, the field of this study, is one of the rural tourist attractions on the foothills of West Black Sea Mountains. The continuity of the natural and cultural values of rural landscape is of great importance for the sustainability of rural tourism in Amasra. In this context, the existing rural landscape features were assessed with the findings obtained through rapid rural assessment, face to face meetings with experts and authorities and field observations. Solution suggestions were made for the transfer of landscape values examined in Amasra rural area with a protection-utilization balance and the requirements for a successful sustainable tourism development were explained.
The Effect of Mice Adaptation Process on the Pathogenicity of Influenza A/South Africa/3626/2013 (H1N1)pdm09 Model Strain

Influenza virus strain A/South Africa/3626/2013 (H1N1)pdm09 (SA-WT) is a non-mouse-adapted model strain that has naturally high pathogenic properties in mice. It has been suggested that the high pathogenicity of this strain for mice could be due to the three strain-specific substitutions in the polymerase complex (Q687R in PB1, N102T in PB2, and E358E/K heterogeneity in PB2). To evaluate the role of these replacements, SA-WT was passaged five times in mouse lungs, and the genome of the mouse-adapted version of the SA-WT strain (SA-M5) was sequenced. SA-M5 lost E358E/K heterogeneity and retained E358, which is the prevalent amino acid at this position among H1N1pdm09 strains. In addition, in the hemagglutinin of SA-M5, two heterogeneous substitutions (G155G/E and S190S/R) were identified. Both viruses, SA-M5 and SA-WT, were compared for their toxicity, ability to replicate, pathogenicity, and immunogenicity in mice. In mice infected with SA-M5 or SA-WT strains, toxicity, virus titer in pulmonary homogenates, and mouse survival did not differ significantly. In contrast, an increase in the immunogenicity of SA-M5 compared to SA-WT was observed. This increase could be due to the substitutions G155G/E and S190S/R in the HA of SA-M5. The prospects for using SA-M5 in studying the immunogenicity mechanisms were also discussed.
Quality characteristics of low-fat chicken sausages formulated with whey protein isolate and guar gum at different storage conditions

ABSTRACT We aimed to explore the physiochemical and microbiological attributes of cooked chicken sausages, incorporating sesame seeds, whey protein isolate (WPI), and guar gum (GG) as non-meat replacers. Both control and sausage samples were subjected to storage under refrigeration (4°C ±1°C) and frozen (−8°C ±1°C) conditions. The pH values of the chicken sausages exhibited a significant upward trend (p < .05) under both refrigeration and frozen storage conditions. The formulated sausages exhibited elevated average cooking losses of 13.26% (p < .05). Importantly, peroxide values remained below the acceptable threshold for oily food. Furthermore, the inclusion of WPI and GG in the sausages led to a lower average water activity value of 0.55 Aw (p < .05) under frozen conditions than the water activity of 0.90 Aw (p < .05) under refrigerated conditions. The total viable count was not significantly affected (p > .05) by the addition of WPI and GG under freezer conditions. Consequently, it can be inferred that the cooked chicken sausages can be safely stored under frozen conditions for a duration of 60 days.
A Half-Bridge Gate Driver With Self-Adjusting and Tunable Dead-Time Modes for Efficient Switched-Mode Power Systems

The design of high-voltage (HV) switched-mode power systems (SMPSys) poses multiple challenges, such as minimizing the switching losses and preventing possible shoot-through currents, to achieve efficient and reliable operation. This article introduces a reconfigurable half-bridge gate driver (GD) for SMPSys, with an open-drain output configuration, electrostatic discharge self-protection, and two dead-time management modes to address these challenges. The first mode is an externally tunable fixed dead-time generator (FDTG) capable of achieving a wide dead-time range from 5 to 200 ns. The second mode is a self-adjusting dead-time generator (SDTG), designed to adapt to delay mismatches between the GD's channels, regardless of process, voltage, and temperature (PVT) variations, while minimizing dead-time and preventing cross-conduction. The GD was fabricated in an HV 0.18-μm silicon-on-insulator CMOS process technology, supporting a high-side floating bias voltage rail up to 100 V and occupying a core area of 0.285 mm2. It was tested in a buck converter system using a gallium nitride (GaN)-based half-bridge with a switching frequency of 0.5 to 1 MHz. It achieves a total propagation delay of 11.4 ns and a minimum dead-time of 3.6 ns (3× smaller than state-of-the-art) using its SDTG mode. The system achieved a peak efficiency of 90.5% at an output load of 8 W. Notably, the SDTG mode improves the overall efficiency by up to 20% over the FDTG mode, specifically at higher switching frequencies, showing its effectiveness in enhancing the performance of SMPSys.
Monitoring Void Fatigue in Solder Layer of IGBT Module Based on Common Mode Interference Spectrum

Solder voids are one of the most important aging forms of insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules. This article presents an online monitoring method of void fatigue in the solder layer of an IGBT module based on common mode (CM) interference signal spectrum. First, the variation law in collector voltage during the switching process of an IGBT module is analyzed. The cause of CM interference signal in the system where the IGBT module is located is studied, and the relationship between solder layer void fraction and CM interference signal is explored. Second, the study examined the influence of the solder layer void fraction on the parasitic parameters of the IGBT module packaging. It was found that the inductance of the solder layer of the IGBT chip increases with the increase in void fraction of the solder layer, reducing the amplitude of CM interference signals. Finally, taking the buck converter composed of an IGBT module as the tested object, the CM interference signals of IGBT modules with different void fraction are measured, and the void fatigue of the solder layer of an IGBT module is monitored online. The experimental results show that, compared with the healthy IGBT module, the amplitude of CM interference signal decreases with an increase in void fraction.
Bidirectional associations between hearing difficulty and cognitive function in Chinese adults: a longitudinal study

Background Middle-aged and older adults frequently experience hearing loss and a decline in cognitive function. Although an association between hearing difficulty and cognitive function has been demonstrated, its temporal sequence remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated whether there are bidirectional relationships between hearing difficulty and cognitive function and explored the mediating role of depressive symptoms in this relationship. Method We used the cross-lagged panel model and the random-intercept cross-lagged panel model to look for any possible two-way link between self-reported hearing difficulty and cognitive function. To investigate depressive symptoms’ role in this association, a mediation analysis was conducted. The sample was made up of 4,363 adults aged 45 and above from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS; 2011–2018; 44.83% were women; mean age was 56.16 years). One question was used to determine whether someone had a hearing impairment. The tests of cognitive function included episodic memory and intelligence. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, which consists of 10 items, was used to measure depressive symptoms. Results A bidirectional association between hearing and cognition was observed, with cognition predominating (Wald χ2 (1) = 7.241, p < 0.01). At the between-person level, after controlling for potential confounders, worse hearing in 2011 predicted worse cognitive function in 2013 (β = −0.039, p < 0.01) and vice versa (β = −0.041, p < 0.01) at the between-person level. Additionally, there was no corresponding cross-lagged effect of cognitive function on hearing difficulty; rather, the more hearing difficulty, the greater the cognitive decline at the within-person level. According to the cross-lagged mediation model, depressive symptoms partially mediates the impact of cognitive function on subsequent hearing difficulty (indirect effect: −0.003, bootstrap 95% confidence interval: −0.005, −0.001, p < 0.05), but not the other way around. Conclusion These results showed that within-person relationships between hearing impairment and cognitive function were unidirectional, while between-person relationships were reciprocal. Setting mental health first may be able to break the vicious cycle that relates hearing loss to cognitive decline. Comprehensive long-term care requires services that address depressive symptoms and cognitive decline to be integrated with the hearing management.
Angelica gigas extract inhibits acetylation of eNOS via IRE1α sulfonation/RIDD-SIRT1-mediated posttranslational modification in vascular dysfunction

Angelica gigas NAKAI (AG) is a popular traditional medicinal herb widely used to treat dyslipidemia owing to its antioxidant activity. Vascular disease is intimately linked to obesity-induced metabolic syndrome, and AG extract (AGE) shows beneficial effects on obesity-associated vascular dysfunction. However, the effectiveness of AGE against obesity and its underlying mechanisms have not yet been extensively investigated. In this study, 40 high fat diet (HFD) rats were supplemented with 100–300 mg/kg/day of AGE to determine its efficacy in regulating vascular dysfunction. The vascular relaxation responses to acetylcholine were impaired in HFD rats, while the administration of AGE restored the diminished relaxation pattern. Endothelial dysfunction, including increased plaque area, accumulated reactive oxygen species, and decreased nitric oxide (NO) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) Ser1177 phosphorylation, were observed in HFD rats, whereas AGE reversed endothelial dysfunction and its associated biochemical signaling. Furthermore, AGE regulated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and IRE1α sulfonation and its subsequent sirt1 RNA decay through controlling regulated IRE1α-dependent decay (RIDD) signaling, ultimately promoting NO bioavailability via the SIRT1-eNOS axis in aorta and endothelial cells. Independently, AGE enhanced AMPK phosphorylation, additionally stimulating SIRT1 and eNOS deacetylation and its associated NO bioavailability. Decursin, a prominent constituent of AGE, exhibited a similar effect in alleviating endothelial dysfunctions. These data suggest that AGE regulates dyslipidemia-associated vascular dysfunction by controlling ROS-associated ER stress responses, especially IRE1α-RIDD/sirt1 decay and the AMPK-SIRT1 axis.
Effects of soil composition and preparation on the prediction of particle size distribution using mid-infrared spectroscopy and partial least-squares regression

Soil composition and preparation can affect prediction accuracy using diffuse reflectance mid-infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS). In the present study, we evaluated the effect of soil composition, preparation and carbonate content on the accuracy of particle size distribution (PSD) predictions in four contrasting sets of soils, including calcareous soils, using partial least-squares regression (PLSR). The soils were scanned as <2- and <0.1-mm fine-ground samples. Regression calibrations were derived for individual soil sets, as well as a composite of the four sets. Predictions for clay and sand for the <2-mm composite calibration resulted in good accuracy (coefficient of determination R2=0.78; ratio of the standard deviation of reference values to the prediction error (RPD)=2.2), but were less accurate for clay in the calcareous soils (R2=0.70–0.78; RPD=1.8–1.1) and similarly accurate for sand (R2=0.68–0.80; RPD=1.7–2.2). Predictions for silt were poor. Accuracies improved by fine grinding (R2=0.88, RPD=2.9 for clay; R2=0.84, RPD=2.9 for sand). It was concluded that single, large and highly variable sets rather than site-specific calibrations could be used for the PSD predictions of specific soil sets. Changes in the PLSR loading weights, resulting from grinding, could be linked to an improved access of the infrared beam to the soil matrix by removal or dilution of surface coatings, resulting in a reduction of inter- and intraparticulate heterogeneity.
Determination of Heavy Metals in Various Tissues of Locally Reared (Country) Chicken in major districts of Karnataka, India: Assessment of Potential Health Risks

Food is one of the most prevalent ways that humans are exposed to metals. Heavy metals including Cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) are harmful to humans and have a detrimental impact on health because they accumulate in biological organs. The concentration levels of these heavy metals were tested in different edible parts of country (locally raised) chicken from various districts in Karnataka, India, namely Bengaluru, Tumakuru, Mangaluru, and Udupi, using an Atomic-Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). Heavy metal concentrations in various chicken parts were found to be below detectable limits (BDL)-0.0062, 0.027-3.178, and 0.262-2.103 ppm for Cd, Fe, and Zn, respectively, whereas Hg and Pb were BDL. Zinc contents were found to be significantly higher in all chicken samples from all examined districts, followed by iron and cadmium. Mercury and lead concentrations, on the other hand, were below the detection level in all samples. The estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of the observed metals from country chicken consumption were found to be lower than their respective FAO/WHO reference oral doses (RfD). The non-carcinogenic health hazards posed by the tested metals to the target population were estimated using the Hazard Quotient (HQ) and Hazard Index (HI) values. The HQ and HI values observed in this estimation were less than one, indicating that exposure to these heavy metals through consumption of country chicken is unlikely to provide possible health concerns to the examined region's human population.
Do private and public sector banks respond to ESG in the same way? Some evidences from India

PurposeThe banking industry faces increasing scrutiny from stakeholders regarding its environmental and social impacts, given its crucial role in fostering economic growth. Banks have been encouraged to adopt environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices to mitigate risks and safeguard their reputation. However, the effectiveness of ESG sensitivity within the banking industry is contingent upon ownership and structural factors. The extent to which banks can integrate ESG considerations into their operations and decision-making processes may vary based on their ownership structures. Therefore, this study aims to examine if the impact of ESG on the performance of Indian banks varies between private and public sector banks.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs six years of panel data from two separate samples of 12 private sector banks and 10 public sector banks in India. It utilises fixed and random effect estimation techniques with robust standard errors to derive accurate and reliable econometric results.FindingsThe main findings of this study reveal intriguing insights into the relationship between ESG factors and bank performance, considering the influence of ownership structure. For private sector banks, the ESG composite score, particularly the social dimension, negatively impacts financial performance. However, there is a contrasting positive effect on efficiency. In contrast, public sector banks demonstrate a positive and significant association between the environmental score and return on equity and non-performing assets.Practical implicationsThe findings highlight the need for tailored strategies that align with ownership structure to achieve sustainable financial and societal outcomes in the banking industry. Furthermore, it emphasises the need for private-sector banks to streamline their ESG initiatives, especially in the social dimension, to mitigate negative impacts on their financial performance.Originality/valueThis study introduces a novel dimension by addressing the “one size fits all” bias in prior research that overlooked bank ownership differences when examining the impact of ESG factors on bank performance.