Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neutrinospheres, resonant neutrino oscillations, and pulsar kicks

Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars and are the outcome of the collapse of the core of a massive star with a mass of the order of or larger than eight solar masses. This process releases a huge gravitational energy of about 10^{53} erg, mainly in the form of neutrinos. During the collapse the density increases, and so does the magnetic field due to the trapping of the flux lines of the progenitor star by the high conductivity plasma. When the density reaches a value of around 10^{12} g cm^{-3} neutrinos become trapped within the protoneutron star and a neutrinosphere, characterized inside by a diffusive transport of neutrinos and outside by a free streaming of neutrinos, is formed and lasts for a few seconds. Here we focus on the structure of the neutrinosphere, the resonant flavor conversion that can happen in its interior, and the neutrino flux anisotropies induced by this phenomena in the presence of a strong magnetic field. We present a detailed discussion in the context of the spherical Eddington model, which provides a simple but reasonable description of a static neutrino atmosphere, locally homogenous and isotropic. Energy and momentum are transported by neutrinos and antineutrinos flowing through an ideal gas of nonrelativistic, nondegenerate nucleons and relativistic, degenerate electrons and positrons. We examine the details of the asymmetric neutrino emission driven by active-sterile neutrino oscillations in the magnetized protoneutron star, and the possibility for this mechanism to explain the intrinsic large velocities of pulsars respect to nearby stars and associated supernova remnants.
COMIDA E SAṂSĀRA: Prazer, Desejo Aflitivo e Sofrimento.

Este artigo visa fazer um diálogo a respeito do desejo aflitivo por comida, de um lado dialogando com textos da tradição budista tibetana Geluk, e do outro com pesquisas realizadas na área da saúde, especialmente as voltadas à parte biológica-comportamental da alimentação. Bem como, trazer contribuições para a área da saúde, a respeito do desejo aflitivo, que contribui na problemática crescente do sobrepeso, obesidade e doenças associadas no contexto mundial das sociedades desenvolvidas.
A Retrospective Study From a Single Center in Romania of 36 Patients Aged Between 37 and 59 Years Who Presented With Locally Advanced Colorectal Cancer

Background The incidence of colorectal carcinoma is increasing in younger adults. This retrospective study was conducted at a single center in Romania and included 36 patients aged between 37 and 59 years who presented with locally advanced colorectal cancer. The purpose of this study is to show the importance of colorectal cancer screening in young patients. Materials and methods The study included 36 patients with histologically proven colorectal cancer evaluated in OncoFort Hospital. Disease staging was based on surgical findings and pre or post-operative abdominal CT or MRI of the abdomen and pelvis. The inclusion criteria were defined as a history of adjuvant chemotherapy plus radiotherapy and whether one had locally advanced colorectal cancer or recurrent or metastatic disease. Results Of the 36 patients, 13 (36.11%) were women, and 23 (63.8%) were men. The mean age was 47.4 years (range: 37-59 years). The colon cancers were more frequent than tumours of the rectum (n = 19, 52.77% versus n = 17, 47.23%). A total of 44.44% of patients were classified as stage III-IV. We found no significant correlation between mutation status or histologic grade and age. Conclusion This real-world study from a single center in Romania highlights that colorectal carcinoma may present in advanced stages in younger patients and may support consideration of a need to perform further studies to determine if the current age recommendations for screening should be lowered.
SAMHD1 as a prognostic and predictive biomarker in stage II colorectal cancer: A multicenter cohort study

Background The identification of high-risk population patients is key to the personalized treatment options for the stage II colorectal cancers. The use of proteomics in the prognosis of patients with stage II colorectal cancer remains unclear. Methods Using quantitative proteomics, we analyzed proteins that are differentially expressed in the tumor and adjacent normal tissues of 11 paired colorectal cancer patients with and without recurrence selected by a nested case-control design. Of the 21 identified proteins, we selected one candidate protein. The association of the corresponding gene of the selected protein with overall survival (OS) and adjuvant chemotherapy was analyzed using two independent cohorts of patients with stages II colorectal cancer. Results Sterile α motif and histidine-aspartate domain-containing protein 1 (SAMHD1) was selected as the candidate biomarker. A group of 124 patients (12.5%) were stratified into SAMHD1-high subgroup. The 5-year OS rate of SAMHD1-high patients was lower than that of SAMHD1-low patients with stage II colorectal cancer (discovery cohort: hazard ratio [HR] = 2.89, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17-7.18, P = 0.016; validation cohort: HR = 2.25, 95% CI, 1.17-4.34, P = 0.013). The Cox multivariate analysis yielded similar results. In a pooled database, the 5-year OS rate was significantly different between patients with and without adjuvant chemotherapy among stage II SAMHD1-low tumors than in patients with stage II SAMHD1-high tumors (88% vs. 77%, P = 0.032). Conclusions SAMHD1-high expression could help in identifying patients with stage II colorectal cancer with poor prognosis and less benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.
Bioactive Interpenetrating Hydrogel Networks Based on 2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate and Gelatin Intertwined with Alginate and Dopped with Apatite as Scaffolding Biomaterials

Our goal was to create bioimitated scaffolding materials for biomedical purposes. The guiding idea was that we used an interpenetrating structural hierarchy of natural extracellular matrix as a “pattern” to design hydrogel scaffolds that show favorable properties for tissue regeneration. Polymeric hydrogel scaffolds are made in a simple, environmentally friendly way without additional functionalization. Gelatin and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate were selected to prepare interpenetrating polymeric networks and linear alginate chains were added as an interpenetrant to study their influence on the scaffold’s functionalities. Cryogelation and porogenation methods were used to obtain the designed scaffolding biomaterials. The scaffold’s structural, morphological, and mechanical properties, in vitro degradation, and cell viability properties were assessed to study the effects of the preparation method and alginate loading. Apatite as an inorganic agent was incorporated into cryogelated scaffolds to perform an extensive biological assay. Cryogelated scaffolds possess superior functionalities essential for tissue regeneration: fully hydrophilicity, degradability and mechanical features (2.08–9.75 MPa), and an optimal LDH activity. Furthermore, cryogelated scaffolds loaded with apatite showed good cell adhesion capacity, biocompatibility, and non-toxic behavior. All scaffolds performed equally in terms of metabolic activity and osteoconductivity. Cryogelated scaffolds with/without HAp could represent a new advance to promote osteoconductivity and enhance hard tissue repair. The obtained series of scaffolding biomaterials described here can provide a wide range of potential applications in the area of biomedical engineering.
The Effects of Short- and Long-Term Spinal Brace Use with and without Exercise on Spine, Balance, and Gait in Adolescents with Idiopathic Scoliosis

Background and Objectives: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a prevalent spinal disorder in adolescents. Previous studies have shown biomechanical changes of the gait in the lower limb of AIS patients. To minimize the progression of scoliotic curvature, a spinal brace is used, which has been shown to be efficient. Usually, a brace is worn strictly for 20–22 h every day. To our knowledge, no study has assessed the short- and long-term effects of spinal brace use with or without an exercise program (6 months) to improve clinical and biomechanical parameters. The aim of our study was to verify the effects of short- and long-term spinal brace use, with or without an exercise program on the spine, body balance, and plantar load distribution during gait in AIS. Materials and Methods: A prospective randomized study was conducted with intention-to-treat analysis in forty-five adolescents diagnosed with AIS undergoing conservative treatment at a center specialized in spinal rehabilitation. Adolescents were evaluated at two stages of intervention: (1) spinal orthopedic brace, with acute use 24 h/day (n = 22) and (2) spinal orthopedic brace, with acute use between 15–18 h/day associated with a specific rehabilitation exercise protocol for six consecutive months (six months and 12 total sessions, n = 23). The evaluated parameters were: spine pain, using a visual analog scale (VAS); Cobb angle measurement using radiograph exams, as well as the Risser sign; and static balance and plantar pressure of the feet during gait, carried out using a pressure platform. Results: AIS patients showed significant improvements in the main scoliotic curvature, with a 12-degree reduction in Cobb angle pre- and post-short-term immediate use of spinal brace and a 5.3 degree correction after six months of spinal brace use in combination with specific exercises (long term). In addition, short- and long-term brace use with an exercise program showed a significant increase in anteroposterior and mediolateral balance and a reduction in plantar overload on the heel during gait, with an effect size between moderate and high. Conclusions: Intervention via the short- or long-term use of a spinal brace combined with specific exercises in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis proved to be effective for correcting scoliotic curvature. In addition, intervention also showed improvements to the antero-posterior and mediolateral body balance and a reduction in the plantar load on the rearfoot region during gait, demonstrating effective mechanical action on the spine.
Externalities across advertising markets

ABSTRACT This paper analyzes externalities generated by offline advertising campaigns on the performance of online ads. Using advertising data on a panel of firms in the hotel industry, we estimate how a firm’s offline, display, and competing ad campaigns impact the effectiveness of Google and Facebook advertising. We find a positive effect of traditional mass-media campaigns on Google clicks. Advertising from competitors does not affect Google ad performance but it increases advertising prices, suggesting keyword poaching. Further analyses hint that Google’s monopoly power and auction system allow free-riding on advertising externalities. Although we find similar positive effects on Facebook ads, they are not significant.
The Legal Relevance of Nature-based Solutions for Sustainable Urban Development in South African Secondary Cities

South Africa, like many other countries worldwide, strives for sustainable development. Increasing urbanisation and climate change are two of the main drivers of the global pursuit of sustainable development. Nature-based solutions have been receiving increasing attention as a possible way not only to move cities towards environmental resilience but also to aid them in their efforts to achieve sustainability. Nature-based solutions use natural structures and ecosystems to address certain challenges experienced in and around cities and share a clear link with sustainable urban development. Nature-based solutions further aim to address social issues such as human well-being, environmental issues such as loss of biodiversity, and economic issues such as food insecurity, while sustainable urban development requires the integration of social, ecological and economic factors. Secondary cities in South Africa have been found to be located advantageously to aid development in both urbanised and more rural areas. Sustainable urban development in these cities, and possibly nationally, could be promoted using nature-based solutions, but South African law needs to be receptive thereto. This note aims to highlight briefly how and to what extent the country’s environmental law as applicable to local government is attuned to the idea of nature-based solutions for sustainable urban development with a focus on secondary cities.
Global Mangrove Extent Change 1996-2020: Global Mangrove Watch Version 3.0

Mangroves are a globally important ecosystem that provides a wide range of ecosystem system services, such as carbon capture and storage, coastal protection and fisheries enhancement. Mangroves have significantly reduced in global extent over the last 50 years, primarily as a result of deforestation caused by the expansion of agriculture and aquaculture in coastal environments. However, a limited number of studies have attempted to estimate changes in global mangrove extent, particularly into the 1990s, despite much of the loss in mangrove extent occurring pre-2000. This study has used L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) global mosaic datasets from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for 11 epochs from 1996 to 2020 to develop a long-term time-series of global mangrove extent and change. The study used a map-to-image approach to change detection where the baseline map (GMW v2.5) was updated using thresholding and a contextual mangrove change mask. This approach was applied between all image-date pairs producing 10 maps for each epoch, which were summarised to produce the global mangrove time-series. The resulting mangrove extent maps had an estimated accuracy of 87.4% (95th conf. int.: 86.2–88.6%), although the accuracies of the individual gain and loss change classes were lower at 58.1% (52.4–63.9%) and 60.6% (56.1–64.8%), respectively. Sources of error included misregistration in the SAR mosaic datasets, which could only be partially corrected for, but also confusion in fragmented areas of mangroves, such as around aquaculture ponds. Overall, 152,604 km2 (133,996–176,910) of mangroves were identified for 1996, with this decreasing by −5245 km2 (−13,587–1444) resulting in a total extent of 147,359 km2 (127,925–168,895) in 2020, and representing an estimated loss of 3.4% over the 24-year time period. The Global Mangrove Watch Version 3.0 represents the most comprehensive record of global mangrove change achieved to date and is expected to support a wide range of activities, including the ongoing monitoring of the global coastal environment, defining and assessments of progress toward conservation targets, protected area planning and risk assessments of mangrove ecosystems worldwide.
Efficient Removal of Siloxane from Biogas by Using β-Cyclodextrin-Modified Reduced Graphene Oxide Aerogels

In this study, β-cyclodextrin-modified reduced graphene oxide aerogels (β-CD-rGOAs) were synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal method and were used to remove hexamethyldisiloxane (L2) from biogas. The β-CD-rGOAs were characterized by the Brunner–Emmet–Teller technique, using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle measurements, and X-ray diffraction. The results of the characterizations indicate that β-CD was grafted onto the surface of rGOAs as a cross-linking modifier. The β-CD-rGOA had a three-dimensional, cross-linked porous structure. The maximum breakthrough adsorption capacity of L2 on β-CD-rGOA at 273 K was 111.8 mg g−1. A low inlet concentration and bed temperature facilitated the adsorption of L2. Moreover, the β-CD-rGOA was regenerated by annealing at 80 °C, which renders this a promising material for removing L2 from biogas.
Emerging Roles of the Nervous System in Gastrointestinal Cancer Development

Simple Summary Nerve–cancer cross-talk has increasingly become a focus of the oncology field, particularly in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. The indispensable roles of the nervous system in GI tumorigenesis and malignancy have been dissected by epidemiological, experimental animal and mechanistic data. Herein, we review and integrate recent discoveries linking the nervous system to GI cancer initiation and progression, and focus on the molecular mechanisms by which nerves and neural receptor pathways drive GI malignancy. Abstract Our understanding of the fascinating connection between nervous system and gastrointestinal (GI) tumorigenesis has expanded greatly in recent years. Recent studies revealed that neurogenesis plays an active part in GI tumor initiation and progression. Tumor-driven neurogenesis, as well as neurite outgrowth of the pre-existing peripheral nervous system (PNS), may fuel GI tumor progression via facilitating cancer cell proliferation, chemoresistance, invasion and immune escape. Neurotransmitters and neuropeptides drive the activation of various oncogenic pathways downstream of neural receptors within cancer cells, underscoring the importance of neural signaling pathways in GI tumor malignancy. In addition, neural infiltration also plays an integral role in tumor microenvironments, and contributes to an environment in favor of tumor angiogenesis, immune evasion and invasion. Blockade of tumor innervation via denervation or pharmacological agents may serve as a promising therapeutic strategy against GI tumors. In this review, we summarize recent findings linking the nervous system to GI tumor progression, set the spotlight on the molecular mechanisms by which neural signaling fuels cancer aggressiveness, and highlight the importance of targeting neural mechanisms in GI tumor therapy.
Surgical treatment in primary spinal infections in a pediatric population: illustrative case

BACKGROUND Primary spinal infections (PSIs) are a group of uncommon but serious infectious diseases that are characterized by inflammation of the endplate-disc unit. Pediatric spinal infection is rare and challenging to diagnose due to vague presenting symptoms. Most cases are conservatively managed with surgery rarely indicated. The authors performed a systematic review to study the baseline characteristics, clinical presentation, and outcomes of pediatric patients with PSIs who underwent surgical treatment. OBSERVATIONS PSI in pediatric patients might behave differently in terms of epidemiology, clinical presentation, and outcomes when compared with nonpediatric patients. Overall, PSI ultimately managed surgically in pediatric patients is associated with a high rate of localized pain, neurological compromise, and treatment failure when compared with nonsurgically managed pediatric spinal infections. LESSONS PSIs managed surgically in the pediatric population were found to be caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis in 74.4% of cases and were associated with higher rates of localized pain, neurological compromise, and treatment failure than nonsurgically managed pediatric spinal infections. Thoracic involvement (71.8%) in the spinal infection was reported most commonly in our review. When omitting the cases involving M. tuberculosis infection, it was revealed that 50% of the pediatric cases involved infection in the cervical region, suggesting increased severity and disease course of cervical spinal infections in the pediatric population. Surgical treatment is indicated only in cases of severe neurological compromise and treatment failure.
Long‐term photo‐identification study of fin whales in the Pelagos Sanctuary (NW Mediterranean) as a baseline for targeted conservation and mitigation measures

1. Historical abundance estimates are important for establishing baselines from which trends can be determined using more recent data. Long-term studies based on photo-identification were merged and used to estimate population size, survival rate and sex ratio (biopsy sampling) of fin whales in the North-western Mediterranean. 2. Merging four existing photo-id catalogues yielded a Mediterranean catalogue with 507 individually identified fin whales. Ninety-five (18.7%) individuals were resighted
Post Pandemic Classroom and Students’ Readiness for the Utilisation of Digital Technologies in Ekiti State University, Nigeria

Purpose: Traditionally, face to face approach to teaching and learning had been the system of education adopted in Nigeria but with the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic and the attendant mandatory closure of schools, there was need to shop for new options in order that learning should continue without risks to human and educational standards. The study examined Students’ readiness for the utilisation of digital technologies in post pandemic classroom in Ekiti State University in Nigeria. Methodology: The descriptive research design of the survey type was adopted for the study. Questionnaire was used to collect data. Results showed that digital technologies were available for the students’ use and the students were ready for the transition from face to face to virtual learning. Results: The students’ performance greatly improved as a result of the students’ technology skills acquired with the use of the digital technologies. Though COVID 19 negatively affected education globally, Ekiti State University was not so much affected as to neglect the students. Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: Teaching and learning was going on hence the recommendation that there should be improvement on the provision and availability of the digital technologies and efforts should be intensified by stakeholders on the training and retraining for better performance
A Meta-Regression Analysis of Consumer Willingness to Pay for Aquaculture Products

Abstract This article uses meta-regression analysis to examine variation in willingness to pay (WTP) for farm-raised seafood and aquaculture products. We measure the WTP premiums that consumers have for common product attributes and examine how WTP varies systematically across study design elements, populations of interest, and sample characteristics. Based on metadata from 45 studies, the meta-regression analysis indicates that WTP estimates differ significantly with the availability of attributes such as domestic and environmental certification, but also with sample income and gender representation.
A Secure Hardware Implementation for Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm

Since the end of the 1990s, cryptosystems implemented on smart cards have had to deal with two main categories of attacks: side-channel attacks and fault injection attacks. Countermeasures have been developed and validated against these two types of attacks, taking into account a well-defined attacker model. This work focuses on small vulnerabilities and countermeasures related to the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) algorithm. The work done in this paper focuses on protecting the ECDSA algorithm against fault-injection attacks. More precisely, we are interested in the countermeasures of scalar multiplication in the body of the elliptic curves to protect against attacks concerning only a few bits of secret may be sufficient to recover the private key. ECDSA can be implemented in different ways, in software or via dedicated hardware or a mix of both. Many different architectures are therefore possible to implement an ECDSA-based system. For this reason, this work focuses mainly on the hardware implementation of the digital signature ECDSA. In addition, the proposed ECDSA architecture with and without fault detection for the scalar multiplication have been implemented on Xilinx field programmable gate arrays (FPGA) platform (Virtex-5). Our implementation results have been compared and discussed. Our area, frequency, area overhead and frequency degradation have been compared and it is shown that the proposed architecture of ECDSA with fault detection for the scalar multiplication allows a trade-off between the hardware overhead and the security of the ECDSA.