Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Variants of Oxidized Regenerated Cellulose and Their Distinct Effects on Neuronal Tissue

Based on oxidized regenerated cellulose (ORC), several hemostyptic materials, such as Tabotamp®, Equicel® and Equitamp®, have been developed to approach challenging hemostasis in neurosurgery. The present study compares ORC that differ in terms of compositions and properties, regarding their structure, solubility, pH values and effects on neuronal tissue. Cytotoxicity was detected via DNA-binding fluorescence dye in Schwann cells, astrocytes, and neuronal cells. Additionally, organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHSC) were analyzed, using propidium iodide, hematoxylin-eosin, and isolectin B4 staining to investigate the cellular damage, cytoarchitecture, and microglia activation. Whereas Equicel® led to a neutral pH, Tabotamp® (pH 2.8) and Equitamp® (pH 4.8) caused a significant reduction of pH (p < 0.001). Equicel® and Tabotamp® increased cytotoxicity significantly in several cell lines (p < 0.01). On OHSC, Tabotamp® and Equicel® led to a stronger and deeper damage to the neuronal tissue than Equitamp® or gauze (p < 0.01). Equicel® increased strongly the number of microglia cells after 24 h (p < 0.001). Microglia cells were not detectable after Tabotamp® treatment, presumably due to an artifact caused by strong pH reduction. In summary, our data imply the use of Equicel®, Tabotamp® or Equitamp® for specific applications in distinct clinical settings depending on their localization or tissue properties.
Method of producing 2,2-dialkyl-4,5-diarylfuran-3(2h)-ones

FIELD: chemistry. SUBSTANCE: invention relates to a novel method of producing 2,2-dialkyl-4,5-diarylfuran-3(2H)-ones of general formula 1 , where Alk and Alk 1 =CH 3 , CH 3 CH 2 or other alkyl or cycloalkyl groups, and Ar and Ar 1 =Ph, p-X-C 6 H 4 (X=H, MeO, MeS, MeSO, MeSO 2 , Hal) and other substituted or unsubstituted aryl groups, the method comprising six-step synthesis based on reaction of 1,1-dialkylprop-2-yn-1-ols and substituted benzophenone, which results in the desired 2,2-dialkyl-4,5-diarylfuran-3(2H)-ones, and comprising as the key step 1,2-nucleophilic rearrangement of 4-diazo-2,2-dialkyl-5,5-diaryldihydrofuran-3(2H)-ones, catalysed by an organic or inorganic acid. Obtained compounds exhibit cyclooxygenase-2 enzyme selective inhibitor properties and can be used as non-steroid anti-inflammatory preparations for a long therapy of joints diseases. EFFECT: simple process and high output of the end product. 10 ex
Segmentação e Data Augmentation em imagens de raio-x de Pacientes com Tuberculose ou COVID-19

O emprego da Inteligência Artificial (IA) tem ganhado importância nas mais diversas áreas da ciência. A tuberculose é uma doença transmissível que está entre uma das 10 principais causas de morte em todo o mundo. O SARS Cov-2 é um tipo de coronavírus que pode atingir diferentes partes do corpo humano, que fez com que a OMS decretasse o estágio de pandemia, com severos impactos em escala global. Este trabalho tem por objetivo empregar redes neurais profundas a fim de avaliar o impacto da segmentação de pulmões e data augmentation na classificação de pacientes com tuberculose ou COVID-19, em base de dados de tamanho reduzido. Desenvolvemos modelos que foram capazes de identificar pacientes com tuberculose (acurácia de 97,7%), ou COVID (acurácia de 99,4%), a partir de data augmentation sugerindo a viabilidade do emprego no diagnóstico assistido por computador.
On the Performance of One-Bit DoA Estimation via Sparse Linear Arrays

Direction of Arrival (DoA) estimation using Sparse Linear Arrays (SLAs) has recently gained considerable attention in array processing thanks to their capability to provide enhanced degrees of freedom in resolving uncorrelated source signals. Additionally, deployment of one-bit Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs) has emerged as an important topic in array processing, as it offers both a low-cost and a low-complexity implementation. In this paper, we study the problem of DoA estimation from one-bit measurements received by an SLA. Specifically, we first investigate the identifiability conditions for the DoA estimation problem from one-bit SLA data and establish an equivalency with the case when DoAs are estimated from infinite-bit unquantized measurements. Towards determining the performance limits of DoA estimation from one-bit quantized data, we derive a pessimistic approximation of the corresponding Cramér-Rao Bound (CRB). This pessimistic CRB is then used as a benchmark for assessing the performance of one-bit DoA estimators. We also propose a new algorithm for estimating DoAs from one-bit quantized data. We investigate the analytical performance of the proposed method through deriving a closed-form expression for the covariance matrix of the asymptotic distribution of the DoA estimation errors and show that it outperforms the existing algorithms in the literature. Numerical simulations are provided to validate the analytical derivations and corroborate the resulting performance improvement.
Tonsillar Cancer with High CD8+ T-Cell Infiltration Features Increased Levels of Dendritic Cells and Transcriptional Regulation Associated with an Inflamed Tumor Microenvironment

Simple Summary Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection is the leading cause of tonsillar cancer (TC), and HPV+ TC has a favorable prognosis as compared to HPV− TC. Further, high levels of CD8+ T-cells in TC are associated with a favorable prognosis. Increased understanding of the tumor immune microenvironment is needed to identify prognostic biomarkers and novel treatment targets. In this study, we assess the immune profiles of fresh TC biopsies and contralateral healthy tissue against a detailed HPV analysis, including DNA quantification and RNA expression analysis. We demonstrate a correlation between levels of CD8+ T-cells and antigen-presenting cells in TC, and we further present differentially expressed biomarkers and signaling pathways in CD8HIGH vs. CD8LOW HPV+ TC. Our study thus describes immune phenotypes and the heterogeneity of the immune compartment in HPV+ TC. Further studies are warranted to assess if this information can be used on an individual basis to aid in prognosis and treatment decisions. Abstract Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main causal agent of tonsillar cancer (TC) and HPV+ TC has a favorable prognosis compared to HPV− disease. In this study, we examined aspects of the tumor microenvironment of TC, focusing on T-cells, dendritic cells (DC), and macrophages. Fresh biopsies of TC and the contralateral healthy tonsil (HT) were obtained from 20 patients, analyzed by multiparameter flow cytometry, and assessed against a detailed HPV-status. Additionally, RNA-sequencing data from 38 TC samples available in the public database, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), were explored, focusing on the same leukocyte populations. HPV+ TC featured increased levels of CD8+ T-cells and antigen-presenting cells (cf. HPV− TC and HT, respectively). In HPV+ TC, CD8+ T-cell frequencies correlated to DC levels independently of tumor stage, HPV 16 copy number, and E7 oncogene expression as well as frequencies of other leukocytes. Similarly, RNA sequencing data were explored by dividing the HPV+ TCs according to predefined CD8+ T-cell scores in silico. Higher levels of genes expressed by antigen-presenting cells and effector T-cells, such as immune checkpoints and cytokines, were detected in the CD8HIGH HPV+ TC samples (cf. CD8LOW HPV+ TC). In conclusion, CD8HIGH HPV+ TC displays a unique inflammatory profile associated with increased effector T-cell functions and the presence of antigen-presenting cells in the tumor microenvironment. Further studies are warranted to assess if this information can be used on an individual basis to aid in prognosis and treatment decisions.
Determination of lead and cadmium in water samples by magnetic solid-phase extraction with iron oxide@silicon oxide-graphene oxide (Fe3O4@SiO2-GO) hybrid magnetic nanoparticles and microinjection sampling flame atomic absorption spectrometry

Abstract Here is described the preparation and characterization of iron oxide@silicon oxide-graphene oxide hybrid nanoparticles to remove and recover lead and cadmium from water samples. The high surface area from sorption capacity and low masses used for recovery and removal studies makes these particles attractive for preconcentration and water treatment. The results show that the method provided 97% recovery and 91% removal for lead and 78% recovery and 93% removal for cadmium from water at pH 8.0. Under the optimized conditions, the limits of detection were 37.0 μg L−1 and 11.7 μg L−1 and limits of quantification were 123.2 μg L−1 and 45.0 μg L−1 for lead and cadmium, respectively. The trueness of the method was confirmed by analyzing a certified reference material (BCR 715) with −11.0% and −15.0% relative error for lead and cadmium, respectively. The results from the certified reference material provided good accuracy (>85%). The method was employed to various water samples using the method of standard addition.
Square Waveguide Polarizer with Diagonally Located Irises for Ka-Band Antenna Systems

This article presents the results of development and optimization of a new square waveguide polarizer with diagonally located square irises. The application of suggested geometrical modification of irises form and location instead of a standard wall-to-wall irises configuration allows to exclude 45-degree twists between wideband waveguide polarizer and orthomode transducer of a dual-polarized antenna feed system. In addition, a waveguide polarizer and polarization duplexer can be manufactured by milling technology as two single details, which makes the proposed engineering solution reliable, simple for simulation, development and application. Suggested new polarizer design was developed for the satellite operating Ka-band. It contains 12 irises, which are symmetrically located in the diagonal corners of a square waveguide. Obtained optimal polarization converter provides excellent matching and polarization performance. The maximum level of VSWR is less than 1.04 for both orthogonal polarizations. Values of cross-polarization discrimination are higher than 32 dB in the operating Ka-band. Developed square waveguide polarizer with diagonally located irises can be applied in modern wideband satellite antennas.
Plant Growth Promoting Endophytic Bacteria for management of stresses in cereal crop productions

Agriculture of the future, which will be challenged by rising global food demand, a scarcity of arable lands and resources, as well as numerous environmental challenges, will need to be handled wisely using sustainable and eco-efficient methods. Cereals are the most essential crops for human nourishment, and they have a wide range of bacteria linked with them. The use of beneficial, plantassociated microbes to improve crop production in agriculture is a long-term strategy. Bacterial endophytes are endosymbiotic bacteria that live in plants, modulate phytohormone signaling, metabolic activity, and plant defense response pathways in their host plant. The application of agricultural techniques that preserve the natural variety of plant endophytic bacteria has emerged as a critical component of sustainable agriculture, ensuring plant production and agricultural quality, and plant response to abiotic and biotic stressors. Hence, using endophytic bacteria to increase cereal crop’s performance under stressful circumstances such as cold, drought, salt, and heavy metal pollution, or to boost disease resistance, holds a lot of promise for long-term agricultural productivity.
Particle Plasmons as Dipole Antennas: State Representation of Relative Observables

The strong interactions between light and plasmons (in metal nanoparticles) allow to observe chemical and physical processes on and around the particle on nanometer length scales as well as they allow to use plasmons for various applications. While electrodynamic theory predicts such effects very accurately, it is too complex to intuitively connect the underlying processes with the observed changes. The much simpler description of particle plasmons as harmonically driven dipole antennas has already been successfully used to describe many plasmonic effects. Here, these insights are combined and complemented to form a coherent and simple description of particle plasmons as dipole antennas. Unlike electrodynamic theory, this description connects fundamental plasmon properties such as shape, charges, environment, or surface coverage with spectroscopic properties like line width or resonance position. Therefore, this connection uniquely allows to identify the chemistry and physics behind the plasmonic response.
Recent progress on sodium ion batteries: potential high-performance anodes

Due to massively growing demand arising from energy storage systems, sodium ion batteries (SIBs) have been recognized as the most attractive alternative to the current commercialized lithium ion batteries (LIBs) owing to the wide availability and accessibility of sodium. Unfortunately, the low energy density, inferior power density and poor cycle life are still the main issues for SIBs in the current drive to push the entire technology forward to meet the benchmark requirements for commercialization. Over the past few years, tremendous efforts have been devoted to improving the performance of SIBs, in terms of higher energy density and longer cycling lifespans, by optimizing the electrode structure or the electrolyte composition. In particular, among the established anode systems, those materials, such as metals/alloys, phosphorus/phosphides, and metal oxides/sulfides/selenides, that typically deliver high theoretical sodium-storage capacities have received growing interest and achieved significant progress. Although some review articles on electrodes for SIBs have been published already, many new reports on these anode materials are constantly emerging, with more promising electrochemical performance achieved via novel structural design, surface modification, electrochemical performance testing techniques, etc. So, we herein summarize the most recent developments on these high-performance anode materials for SIBs in this review. Furthermore, the different reaction mechanisms, the challenges associated with these materials, and effective approaches to enhance performance are discussed. The prospects for future high-energy anodes in SIBs are also discussed.
Household saving and wealth in South Africa

Background: A detailed picture of the saving behaviour of South African households would enable researchers to determine whether households are proactively attempting to safeguard themselves financially.Aim: Of this article is to analyse household saving(s), using both an income-statement (saving) and a balance-sheet (savings or wealth) approach, while investigating the link between the two as well.Setting: The perception that households are ‘dis-savers’ without really delving into the details, definitions, or reasons why this may or may not be the case. This notion is proven superficial as it ignores various interacting definitional and measurement issues.Methods: A descriptive analytical methodology is applied to household saving (flow) and savings (stock or wealth) in the period 1995 to 2018, with the focus on macro-economics, while data are sourced from the South African System of National Accounts (SNA). Results: Findings include a long-term decline in net household saving to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which turned negative in 2006, so that dissaving occurred. In contrast, household wealth recorded an average nominal increase of 10.3% in the period 1995 to 2018. Focusing on the link between the two concepts, it is confirmed that net revaluation of assets plays a prominent role to support the rise in wealth, while the role of saving diminishes over time. Therefore, the need for additional methodological updates is highlighted. More research is required on the various possible factors driving household income and expenditure trends, and their sustainability. The contribution of household saving to total saving should be evaluated in detail.
Employing Keyed Hash Algorithm, Sequential Probability Ratio Test, and Temperature Comparison Test as Security Against Node Capture Attacks of IoT-Based WSNs

The emergence of IoT opened new opportunities for development in various fields. With all the information that it gathers, it became an interesting target for multiple attackers. Thus, this study will enforce security solutions to IoT-based devices specifically in the perception layer by incorporating a Temperature Comparison Test, Keyed Hash Algorithm and evaluating it using SPRT especially in the defense against malicious activities detected in the nodes of a network namely for Mobile and Immobile attacks. For immobile attacks, using the keyed hash algorithm and the SPRT, the hash key of the passcodes was compared to determine the safety of the nodes. Hence, from the functionality test that was conducted, and evaluating the data gathered using SPRT and Bernoulli’s equation, the reliability of the protocol to detect Immobile attacks is concluded to have a 100% detection rate. For mobile node attacks, the study assumes the environment to be under normal, warm, and cold room temperatures. where both mobile and without mobile attack is simulated, the result shows that there is only an overall 3% difference from the temperature measure by the sensor to the ambient temperature. Hence, combining these protocols that are applied in the study eliminates the single points of failure in the nodes that are either applicable only to a distributed scheme or mobility support, the study also compared the tested protocol to the other existing protocols.
An Analysis of LGBTQIA+ University Students’ Perceptions about Sexual and Gender Diversity

The main objective of this study was to explore the perceptions of LGBTQIA+ students regarding sexual and gender diversity in the university context by (1) identifying conceptions about a being LGBTQIA+ student in the higher education context, (2) researching perceptions of the stigma and discrimination against, and inclusion of LGBTQIA+ students and (3) to recognize discourses and scenarios identified by students in the university context regarding sexual diversity and gender diversity, distinguishing their experiences in the classroom as well as in the university, with their peers and with their professors. This research was based on a quantitative method, the sample consisted of 171 students from the School of Medicine of a public university in the United States in the state of Texas. The results showed that there is currently a greater knowledge of the subject of sexual and gender diversity and of the spaces and resources offered by the university on the subject compared to previous years, however, it is found that knowledge is still limited and that this knowledge may possibly be due to the faculty in which they study.
Deep neural networks and visuo-semantic models explain complementary components of human ventral-stream representational dynamics

Deep neural networks (DNNs) are promising models of the cortical computations supporting human object recognition. However, despite their ability to explain a significant portion of variance in neural data, the agreement between models and brain representational dynamics is far from perfect. We address this issue by asking which representational features are currently unaccounted for in neural time series data, estimated for multiple areas of the ventral stream via source-reconstructed magnetoencephalography data acquired in human participants (nine females, six males) during object viewing. We focus on the ability of visuo-semantic models, consisting of human-generated labels of object features and categories, to explain variance beyond the explanatory power of DNNs alone. We report a gradual reversal in the relative importance of DNN versus visuo-semantic features as ventral-stream object representations unfold over space and time. Although lower-level visual areas are better explained by DNN features starting early in time (at 66 ms after stimulus onset), higher-level cortical dynamics are best accounted for by visuo-semantic features starting later in time (at 146 ms after stimulus onset). Among the visuo-semantic features, object parts and basic categories drive the advantage over DNNs. These results show that a significant component of the variance unexplained by DNNs in higher-level cortical dynamics is structured and can be explained by readily nameable aspects of the objects. We conclude that current DNNs fail to fully capture dynamic representations in higher-level human visual cortex and suggest a path toward more accurate models of ventral-stream computations. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT When we view objects such as faces and cars in our visual environment, their neural representations dynamically unfold over time at a millisecond scale. These dynamics reflect the cortical computations that support fast and robust object recognition. DNNs have emerged as a promising framework for modeling these computations but cannot yet fully account for the neural dynamics. Using magnetoencephalography data acquired in human observers during object viewing, we show that readily nameable aspects of objects, such as 'eye', 'wheel', and 'face', can account for variance in the neural dynamics over and above DNNs. These findings suggest that DNNs and humans may in part rely on different object features for visual recognition and provide guidelines for model improvement.
Value and sustainability in technology-enabled care services: a case study from north-east England

IMPACT A critical barrier to the large-scale adoption of technology-enabled care services (TECS) remains a lack of evidence around their business cases that would create sufficient value for the stakeholders involved. Drawing on a case study of telecare service delivery, involving public funding and institutions in north east England, the authors highlight the opportunities that technology provides, as well as a series of challenges that need to be addressed. The findings will be particularly helpful for telecare stakeholders, shaping how services are provided. ABSTRACT Technology-enabled care services (TECS) are primarily provided in the UK as a public service, using public funds and national systems of health and care. The delivery of such services, however, is increasingly market orientated and subject to many challenges. The authors draw on the literature and case study evidence, to explore the value propositions and value co-creation within TECS, highlighting the challenges and obstacles, as well as possible ways forward.
A SIC-Based BS Coordination Scheme for Full Duplex Cellular Networks

Full Duplex (FD) in cellular networks is expected to increase the cell spectral efficiency. However, while the downlink (DL) spectral efficiency (SE) increases with FD, the uplink (UL) SE decreases because of the Base Station to Base Station (BS) interference. In this paper, assuming a three-node model, we propose a method based on Successive Interference Cancellation (SIC) to reduce the BS-to-BS interference present in FD cellular networks. The approach consists in coordinating BSs to enable the decoding and the suppression of undesired signals that impair uplink transmissions. We analyze both distributed and Centralized Radio Access Networks (CRAN) architectures. Stochastic geometry is used to derive the coverage probability and mean data rate of the proposed scheme. In the distributed scenario, the FD UL average data rate is increased by 25% with our solution compared to a classical FD network, while our FD scheme still outperforms Half-Duplex (HD) on the DL. In the centralized scenario, our solution outperforms HD by 10% and classical FD by 78% on the UL, while preserving classical FD gains on the DL.