Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PREVALENCE OF PHARYNGEAL AND RECTAL CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS AND NEISSERIA GONORRHOEAE INFECTIONS AMONG MSM IN SOFIA, BULGARIA

Abstract: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) caused by Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae continue to be a major public health problem. Although they mainly affect the urogenital tract, N. gonorrhoeae and C. trachomatis can also be found in the pharynx and rectum. As data on extragenital chlamydia and gonorrhea in Bulgaria are still scarce, this study aimed to (1) determine the prevalence of pharyngeal and rectal infections with C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae among men who have sex with men (MSMs) from Sofia and (2) to identify risk factors related to these infections to support screening recommendations based on scientific evidence. One hundred and fifteen MSM aged 16-50 were tested by systematic sampling during a visit to a sexual health center for voluntary and confidential HIV testing in Sofia. A questionnaire was used to collect demographics and risk factors, and clinical material from three anatomical sites: pharynx, rectum, and urogenital tract (first void urine or urethral swab) was examined to detect C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoeae infections. The prevalence of C. trachomatis was 8.7% in the rectal samples tested, and the prevalence of N. gonorrhoeae was 0.9% and 5.2% in the pharyngeal and rectal samples, respectively. Local symptoms were reported in only 16.6% of rectal gonococcal infections and in 20% of C. trachomatis rectal infections. Patients reporting multiple partners had a significantly higher risk of being positive (OR = 3.8, 95% CI 1.03-14). The risk of HIV-positive MSM and those having unsafe sex was also higher (OR = 1.9 95% CI 0.19-20 and OR = 4.6 95% CI 0.98-21, respectively), but the findings were not statistically significant. Overall, more than 80% of extragenital infections would remain undetected and therefore transmissible if only symptomatic cases were investigated. These results suggest that in Bulgaria HIV-positive MSM and those having multiple sexual partners and unprotected sex would benefit from screening for extragenital STIs. Larger sample surveys could provide a better characterization of risk factors to guide screening choices.
Synthesis of New Ester Derivatives of Salicylic Acid and Evaluation of Their COX Inhibitory Potential

Salicylic acid is an NSAID with serious side effects on the GIS. The side effects of salicylic acid on the GIS are slightly reduced by acetylating salicylic acid. 12 new ester analogs of salicylic acid were synthesized with high yields in this study. The chemical structures of the synthesized compounds were characterized by 1H‐NMR, 13C‐NMR, and HRMS spectra. The inhibitory potential of the compounds was evaluated on COXs by in vitro and in silico studies. The COX2 inhibitory activity of the most potent inhibitor MEST1 (IC50: 0.048 μM) was found to be much higher than the COX2 inhibitory activity of aspirin (IC50: 2.60 μM). In docking studies, the strongest inhibitor among the compounds synthesized was predicted to be MEST1, with the lowest binding energy. Docking studies revealed that MEST1 extends from the hydrophobic channel to the top of the cyclooxygenase active site, forming various interactions with residues in the binding pocket.
On the multivariate distributions of order statistics of discrete-state processes

The authors consider the problem of determining the multivariable joint probability distributions of the order statistics of discrete-state processes whose elements are independent and identically distributed. Two methods, the indirect and direct methods, are presented and compared in terms of their inherent computational complexity. Recursive formulae are derived which give the number of floating point multiplications required. Utilizing these formulae, it was found that, in order to calculate the m-variate distribution of a discrete-state process with L elements, the indirect method was more efficient than the direct method for L>10 (m-1). <<ETX>>
Spin-current interaction with a monodomain magnetic body: A model study

I examined the consequence of a spin-current-induced angular momentum deposition in a monodomain Stoner-Wohlfarth magnetic body. The magnetic dynamics of the particle are modeled using the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation with a phenomenological damping coefficient $\ensuremath{\alpha}. $ Two magnetic potential landscapes are studied in detail: One uniaxial, the other uniaxial in combination with an easy-plane potential term that could be used to model a thin-film geometry with demagnetization. Quantitative predictions are obtained for comparison with experiments.
Event-Triggered Adaptive Model Predictive Control of Oxygen Content for Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Process

Oxygen content in flue gas is a key variable in the operation of the municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) process. However, the control performance of oxygen content could not be guaranteed due to the inherent nonlinearity and uncertainty of the MSWI process. Furthermore, frequent operations of actuators in the conventional time-triggered system may also increase the computational burden and energy consumption. In this study, an event-triggered adaptive model predictive control (ET-AMPC) scheme is developed to solve the above problems. First, an improved long short-term memory (ILSTM) neural network is designed to construct the prediction model, in which the parameters are determined by the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. Besides, during the control process, the model parameters can be adjusted adaptively by an online updating strategy to tackle the uncertainty. Second, an event-triggered strategy is proposed to reduce the computational burden and energy consumption, wherein the control laws are updated only when certain triggering conditions are satisfied. Third, the gradient descent method is applied to obtain the optimized control law. Moreover, the convergence of the prediction model and the stability of the whole ET-AMPC are analyzed. Finally, the proposed ET-AMPC scheme is evaluated by real industrial data. The experimental results demonstrate that the ET-AMPC scheme can achieve satisfactory tracking control performance with fewer triggering events. Note to Practitioners—The proposed ET-AMPC is an intelligent control scheme of oxygen content for the MSWI process. The proposed control scheme has adequate tracking performance with varied set-points and less computational burden. In practice, practitioners should obtain accurate historical input and output data, and preset event-triggered thresholds. The hyperparameters of the LSTM neural network are automatically determined by the PSO algorithm, and the uncertainty can be captured with the online updating strategy. The accurate prediction model is beneficial for improving the control quality. Moreover, the optimized control law is obtained with the intuitive gradient descent method. In addition, the event-triggered strategy can further reduce unnecessary control optimization operations with better practicality and ease of usage. The superiority and practicability of the proposed method are verified against actual industrial data.
Periodic-review inventory systems with random yield and demand: Bounds and heuristics

We revisit the infinite-horizon decision problem of a single-stage single-item periodic-review inventory system under uncertain yield and demand. It is known that under some mild conditions the optimal replenishment policy is of the threshold type: an order is placed if and only if the starting inventory is below a threshold value. Although the structure of the optimal policy is well known, there has been little discussion about the optimal order quantities and the order threshold. In this paper, we construct upper and lower bounds for the optimal threshold value and the optimal order quantities through solving one-period problems with different cost parameters. These bounds provide interesting insights into the impact of yield uncertainty on the optimal policy. Heuristics are developed based on these bounds. Detailed computational studies show that, under some conditions, the performance of the heuristics is very close to that of the optimal solution and better than that of existing heuristics in the literature.
IRAS observations of southern molecular clouds.

A report is given of a project to use IRAS Band 3 (60 microns) and Band 4 (100 microns) observations to investigate the far-infrared properties of southern galactic molecular clouds. A method by which dust temperature and total gas column density can be estimated is presented. Results are tabulated for 65 prominent southern far-infrared sources. The dust temperatures are closely grouped between 30 and 50 K, while the column densities range between 2 x 10 to the 20th and 10 to the 22nd/sq cm. Maps of dust temperature and gas column density have been generated for two fields containing far-infrared sources to illustrate the effectiveness of this form of presentation.
Alternative Psychotherapeutic Approaches to the Treatment of Eczema

Introduction Patients with eczema suffer from high psychological burden, often caused and exacerbated by chronic pruritus, which leads to a vicious itch-scratch cycle. Although much of the literature focuses on treating the physiological factors that lead to pruritus, little attention has been given to the cognitive, behavioral, and social factors associated with the itch-scratch cycle. We conducted a literature review to investigate whether treatments aimed at psychosocial factors could be effective for patients with eczema. Methods A systematic literature review was conducted through PubMed and EMBASE. Original investigative articles that focused on psychotherapeutic interventions for eczema and/or eczema-related psychological morbidities were reviewed. Results Psychotherapeutic interventions alongside standard medical care are shown to be beneficial compared to conventional treatments alone, both for eczema and for eczema-associated psychological symptoms. Such interventions include meditation and mindfulness, stress-reduction, habit-reversal training, hypnotherapy, music therapy, massage therapy, and standard psychological treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy. Conclusion It is important to recognize the reciprocal relationship between eczema and psychosocial distress. Alternative treatment options to address psychological factors associated with eczema can improve disease trajectory and quality of life.
Detection of pico-Tesla magnetic fields using magneto-electric sensors at room temperature

The measurement of low-frequency (10−2–103Hz) minute magnetic field variations (10−12Tesla) at room temperature in a passive mode of operation would be critically enabling for deployable neurological signal interfacing and magnetic anomaly detection applications. However, there is presently no magnetic field sensor capable of meeting all of these requirements. Here, we present new bimorph and push-pull magneto-electric laminate composites, which incorporate a charge compensation mechanism (or bridge) that dramatically enhances noise rejection, enabling achievement of such requirements.
Novel foods: allergenicity assessment of insect proteins

Abstract Insects represent a promising source of proteins and have been reported as a great potential for being used as novel food and feed proteins. This makes them a valuable source of nutrients to face the increasing demand of food necessitated by the growing global population. The current European food legislation on novel food (EU Reg. 2015/2283), which entered into force in 2018, provides the provisions that should be considered in the applications for the authorisation of novel foods in the European market. Insects, intended as an alternative source of food proteins for human consumption, are considered novel foods. Since food allergens are mostly proteins, the analysis and identification of the potential allergenicity of novel proteins should be a fundamental activity that enables the applicants to fulfil the requirements for the application and authorisation to bring a novel food into the European market and ensures a high level of food safety for the European consumers. The main aims of the work of the EU‐FORA fellow were to: (i) Review, assess and identify gaps in the current strategies for predicting allergenicity of novel foods and new alternative protein sources; and (ii) Familiarise, understand and perform an allergenicity assessment of a novel food protein source by: (a) Working on an allergenicity assessment case study of insect proteins from black soldier fly larva (Hermetia Illucens); and (b) Taking into consideration other risk assessment aspects of insects as novel food, including toxicological, nutritional and microbial risks. The project contributed to the continuous learning of the fellow on practical assays and methodologies for the in silico, in vitro and in vivo analysis principles and complemented personal skills related to the food risk assessment requirement for the preparation and submission of an application for authorisation of a novel food.
Abnormal Influence of Ions on Shock-Induced Polarization in Binary Electrolytes

Abnormal Influence of Ions on Shock-Induced Polarization in Binary Electrolytes The study is aimed at modeling the shock-induced polarization of liquid superdiluted binary (KF) electrolytes at low (<10-4 mole fraction) concentration of K+ and F- ions (i.e. not making direct contribution to the polarization current). It is supposed that at such a small concentration of electrolyte only the dipole polarization of water occurs, while the indirect influence of ions is expressed in its reduced conductivity in the compressed region at increasing concentration of the dissolved ions. In the authors' opinion, this influence is connected with suppression of the transition of water into high-conductivity phase by the ions of electrolyte. Anomālā Jonu Ietekme Uz Trieciena Izraisīto Polarizāciju Binārajos Elektrolītos Šis pētījums ir veltīts trieciena izraisītās polarizācijas modelēšanai šķidros stipri atšķaidītos bināros (KF) elektrolītos ar zemu (<10-4) K+ un F- jonu molāro koncentrāciju, kuriem nav tiešas ietekmes uz polarizācijas strāvu. Tiek pieņemts, ka pie tik zemām elektrolīta koncentrācijas vērtībām notiek ūdens dipolu polarizācija un ka joni netieši ietekmē vadāmības samazināšanos un šķīduma jonu koncentrācijas pieaugumu spiedienam pakļautā apgabalā. Autori secina, ka šī ietekme ir saistīta ar trieciena izraisītās vadāmības samazināšanos, pateicoties jonu piemaisījumam.
Ionized gas in the nuclear regions of nearby non-Seyfert spiral galaxies

A study of the distribution of ionized gas in the nuclear regions of a statistically significant sample of 91 non-Seyfert spirals is reported. CCD interference band images isolating the bright emission-lines of H-alpha + forbidden N II (6548, 6583 A) have been used to map the distribution of ionized gas in the inner 1-2 kpc of these galaxies. The galaxies exhibit a rich variety of nuclear and circumnuclear emission-line structures ranging from no-detectable emission to bright stellar nuclei with complicated circumnuclear emission regions extending for many kiloparsecs. Trends with Hubble-type and low-ionization nuclear emission-line spectral type (LINER or H II region) have been discerned. In galaxies with nuclear H II regions, those regions are on average the brightest H II regions in their host galaxies. It appears that nonthermal nuclear activity and nuclear star formation prefer different nuclear environments, with active nuclei tending to be found in intermediate-type galaxies, and nuclear H II regions preferring late-type spirals. It is speculated that this preference may be related to the dynamical properties of the host galaxies. 53 refs.
Phase factors and point splitting for non-Abelian gauge theories

Path-dependent phase factors for non-Abelian gauge theories are studied, in particular the differential and integral equations they satisfy and their transformation properties under the gauge group. As an illustration of its use, this work is applied to deriving the well known axial anomaly for a non-Abelian gauge theory, using a point-splitting method in which phase factors are inserted in such a way as to preserve gauge transformation properties at all stages of the regularisation procedure.
An augmented Lagrangian origin-based algorithm for link-capacitated traffic assignment problem

Summary The origin-based algorithm is embedded into the augmented Lagrangian method for the link-capacitated traffic assignment problem. In order to solve the “nonexistence” problem due to the second partial derivatives of the augmented Lagrangian function at some specific points, the approximate expressions of the second partial derivatives are amended in the origin-based algorithm. The graph of last common nodes is developed on the basis of the restricted single-origin network. A method is proposed for finding n–1 last common nodes of the restricted single-origin network, resulting in computational complexity of O(n2) in finding last common nodes. Numerical analysis on the Sioux Falls network and Chicago Sketch network demonstrated the effectiveness and characteristics of the proposed algorithm. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Effect of Stacking on the Accuracy of 3D-Printed Full-Arch Dental Models

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of stacking on the dimensional and full-arch accuracy of 3D-printed models, utilising a standardised assessment methodology. A previously validated methodology involving a standard tessellation language image (STL) reference model, comprising seven spheres on a horseshoe base resembling a dental arch, was used. Six 3D-designed STL models were prepared, optimised, and stacked horizontally using 3D Sprint software. The stacking file was transferred to the NextDent 5100 printer to build the physical models. To assess accuracy, a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) measured the diameter of the spheres n=210, and twenty-one vectors extended between the centres of each of the seven spheres (n = 630). When compared to the reference model, significant differences were observed for dimensional (p = 0.006) and full-arch accuracy (p = 0.006) for all stacked models. Additionally, significant differences were observed between the stacked models for the dimensional accuracy between the posterior (p = 0.015), left posterior (p = 0.005) and anteroposterior (p = 0.002). The maximum contraction was observed in the fourth stacked model, which demonstrated the highest median deviation and least precision within the full-arch (MD = 666 μm, IQR = 55 μm), left posterior (MD = 136 μm, IQR = 12 μm), posterior (MD = 177 μm, IQR = 14 μm) and anteroposterior (MD = 179 μm, IQR = 16 μm) arch segments. In general, the anterior and left posterior arch segments recorded the highest contractions with a median deviation of 34 μm and 29 μm, and precision of 32 μm and 22 μm, respectively. Statistically significant differences were observed between the stacked models in terms of dimensional accuracy that were within clinically acceptable thresholds. The greatest contraction was noted in the fourth model, displaying the least full-arch accuracy compared to the other models. Stacked, additively manufactured, full arch models are a viable alternative for diagnostic, orthodontic, and single-unit prosthodontic applications. In contrast, caution should be exercised when utilising stacked models for full arch high accuracy prosthodontic applications. Further research is needed to assess the impact of additional variables including different printers and resins.
Interferon Family Cytokines in Obesity and Insulin Sensitivity

Obesity and its associated complications are global public health concerns. Metabolic disturbances and immune dysregulation cause adipose tissue stress and dysfunction in obese individuals. Immune cell accumulation in the adipose microenvironment is the main cause of insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction. Infiltrated immune cells, adipocytes, and stromal cells are all involved in the production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in adipose tissues and affect systemic homeostasis. Interferons (IFNs) are a large family of pleiotropic cytokines that play a pivotal role in host antiviral defenses. IFNs are critical immune modulators in response to pathogens, dead cells, and several inflammation-mediated diseases. Several studies have indicated that IFNs are involved in the pathogenesis of obesity. In this review, we discuss the roles of IFN family cytokines in the development of obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance.
Dynamics and factors controlling regularity of thermomagnetically written domains

The reproducibility of thermomagnetically written domains in rare earth–transition metal thin films was studied and as a result films capable of supporting very regular domains were fabricated. To understand the origins of the domains’ size and shape variations, we first studied the nucleation and growth of domains by using a high‐speed magneto‐optical sampling camera having a 10‐ns exposure time. It is observed that the domain is nucleated within 20 ns after the leading edge of the write pulse. The domain grows in size until 50–150 ns after termination of the write pulse, then shrinks, and finally reaches an equilibrium size. For very short write pulses, no shrinkage of the domain is observed after termination of the write pulse. It is found that increased laser power or longer laser pulse duration increases the final domain size, but not in proportion to total energy applied. The domain growth rate varies from film to film, indicating it is influenced by the intrinsic magnetic parameters. The reproducibility and regularity of the final stable domains were then studied as a function of writing and magnetic parameters. Although both influence the regularity of nucleated domains, the latter have been found to have more profound influences than the former. Films with compensation temperature above ambient temperature, larger perpendicular anisotropy constant, smaller magnitude of magnetization, and smaller domain aspect ratio nucleate domains with a higher degree of reproducibility. Higher coercivity films also support more regular domains. Photographs of domains nucleated with different parameters demonstrate these trends. The experimental observations can be qualitatively explained by analyzing the stiffness of the domain wall defining the domains. The wall stiffness is determined by the two competing forces derived from wall energy and demagnetizing energy. When wall energy dominates, the stiffness is large and domains tend to be circular and highly reproducible. When demagnetizing energy dominates, wall stiffness is low and domains become irregular and less reproducible in shape.