Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Suzaku Observations of the Merging Cluster Abell 85: Temperature Map and Impact Direction

To investigate the present situation of the merging in the southern outer region of Abell 85, we carried out long (� 100 ks) observations with Suzaku, and produced an X-ray hardness ratio map. We found a high hardness ratio peak in the east side of a subcluster located in the south of the cluster; an X-ray spectrum of the region including this peak indicates a high temperature of � 8.5 keV. This hot spot has not been reported so far. We consider that this hot spot is a postshock region produced by the infall of the subcluster from the southwest. By using the Rankine–Hugoniot jump conditions for shocks, the Mach number and the infall velocity of the subcluster are obtained as 1.5� 0.2 and 1950 +290280 km s −1 , respectively, in the case of merging with the subcluster from the southwest direction. By using the redshift difference between the A 85 and the subcluster obtained from optical observations, the angle between the line of sight and the direction of the motion of the subcluster is estimated to be 75 +78 degrees. We estimate the kinetic energy of the subcluster and the energy used for intracluster medium (ICM) heating to be � 10 63 and < � 8� 10 60 erg, respectively. This shows that the deceleration of the subcluster by ICM heating has been negligibly
Exploiting Polymeric Films as a Multipurpose Drug Delivery System: a Review

Polymeric films are drug delivery systems that maintain contact with the delivery tissue and sustain a controlled release of therapeutic molecules. These systems allow a longer time of drug contact with the target site in the case of topical treatments and allow the controlled administration of drugs. They can be manufactured by various methods such as solvent casting, hot melt extrusion, electrospinning, and 3D bioprinting. Furthermore, they can employ various polymers, for example PVP, PVA, cellulose derivatives, chitosan, gelling gum, pectin, and alginate. Its versatility is also applicable to different routes of administration, as it can be administered to the skin, oral mucosa, vaginal canal, and eyeballs. All these factors allow numerous combinations to obtain a better treatment. This review focuses on exploring some possible ways to develop them and some particularities and advantages/disadvantages in each case. It also aims to show the versatility of these systems and the advantages and disadvantages in each case, as they bring the opportunity to develop different medicines to facilitate therapies for the most diverse purposes .
de Sitter spaces: topological ramifications of gravity as a gauge theory

We exploit an interpretation of gravity as the symmetry-broken phase of a de Sitter gauge theory to construct new solutions to the first-order field equations. The new solutions are constructed by performing large Spin(4, 1) gauge transformations on the ordinary de Sitter solution and extracting first the tetrad, and then the induced metric. The class of metrics so obtained is an infinite class labeled by an integer, q. Each solution satisfies the local field equations defining constant positive curvature and is therefore locally isometric to de Sitter space wherever the metric is non-degenerate. The degeneracy structure of the tetrad and metric reflects the topological differences among the solutions with different q. By topological arguments we show that the solutions are physically distinct with respect to the symmetries of Einstein–Cartan theory. Ultimately, the existence of solutions of this type may be a distinguishing characteristic of gravity as a metric theory versus gravity as a gauge theory.
Modeling and optimization of multiple tuned mass dampers for a barge-type floating offshore wind turbine

Significant structural responses pose potential hazards to the safe operation of floating offshore wind turbines (FOWTs). To effectively mitigate the motion of FOWTs using conventional passive vibration control methods such as tuned mass damper (TMD) and multiple tuned mass damper (MTMD), an optimization method for TMD and MTMD in a barge-type FOWT is proposed in this study. A simplified dynamic model of a barge FOWT with MTMD, which includes the tower first bending and floating platform degrees of freedom (DOFs), in addition to the simplified DOF of the MTMD, is derived. The corresponding fully coupled numerical model is established using the updated simulation tool FAST-SC. Subsequently, the unknown parameters and accuracy of the simplified dynamic model are validated via comparison with the results of the coupled numerical model. Moreover, an optimization method is proposed based on the simplified dynamic model considering the prominent coupling effects of FOWT and computational expense, and the GA algorithm is used for TMD and MTMD optimization. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the optimized TMDs and MTMD is evaluated based on the reduction in the coupled responses of the barge FOWT under the selected environmental conditions. Compared with the optimized TMD in the nacelle, the optimized TMD in the platform and MTMD are proven to be more feasible for vibration mitigation under complex environmental loads. Moreover, an improved steady output is obtained using the optimized vibration control methods, in addition to the excellent mitigation effects on structural responses.
External validation and clinical application of the predictive model for severe hypoglycemia

Objective An internally validated, one-year risk prediction model for severe hypoglycemia (SH) in type 2 diabetes was evaluated in a general hospital setting to externally verify and validate its performance. Research design and methods Between December 2017 to December 2019, 2,645 adult patients with type 2 diabetes who visited the diabetes center were enrolled. The receiver operating characteristics curve and Harrell C-statistics were compared to identify the discrimination of the model. The predicted and actual incidence of SH for one year in the development and validation cohorts were compared by ranking participants by deciles of predicted risk. Results The concordance index was 0.878 in the external validation cohort. The sensitivity and specificity of the predictive model were 0.833 and 0.847, respectively. Based on the predicted risk, we stratified the groups into four categories: low (<0.05%), intermediate (0.05% to <0.5%), high (0.5% to <2.0%), and very high-risk group (≥2.0%). The actual annual incidence of SH gradually increased with the increased risk score level for the decile group (P for trend <0.001). The actual annual SH incidence significantly increased with increase in SH risk scores, which proportionately increased with age, duration of diabetes, glycated hemoglobin, and albuminuria and decreased with body mass index, renal function (p for trends <0.001 for all) in type 2 diabetes. Conclusion On external validation, the novel one-year SH prediction model showed excellent discrimination in participants with type 2 diabetes and can effectively screen high-risk patients for SH, even in the general hospital setting.
Effects of one long vs. two short resistance training sessions on training volume and affective responses in resistance-trained women

The aim of this study was to compare the acute effects of performing a lower body resistance training program in one long or two shorter sessions in 1 day on training volume and affective measures. Employing a randomized-crossover design, 23 resistance-trained women (22 ± 2 years, 166 ± 6 cm, and 66.4 ± 7.5 kg) performed two training days consisting of (i) one long (46 min) or (ii) two short sessions (total of 43 min) separated by 3.5–5 h. Each training day was separated by 4-6 days and consisted of three sets to failure for six exercises. Training volume (number of repetitions lifted) were recorded during the sessions. Rating of perceived exertion for effort (RPE), rating of perceived exertion for discomfort (RPD), session displeasure/pleasure (sPDF) and exercise enjoyment (EES) were measured 10 min after each session. Participants also completed a readiness to train questionnaire (7 questions), 24 h after each session, and which training protocol they preferred, 48 h after the last session. The long session led to higher RPE (+1 point, p < 0.001, ES = 1.07), RPD (+1 point, p = 0.043, ES = 0.53) and sPDF (p = 0.010, ES = 0.59) compared to the short sessions. There was no difference in EES (p = 0.118, ES = 0.33). The short sessions had 3% higher training volume than the long session (p = 0.002, ES = 0.42). There were no differences in perceived readiness to train 24 h after the sessions (range: p = 0.166–0.856 and ES = 0.08–0.32). Twenty-two participants preferred the long session, while one preferred the short sessions. In conclusion, performing a longer, lower body, resistance training session led to greater perceptions of effort, discomfort and session pleasure than splitting the same program into two shorter sessions among resistance-trained women. However, two shorter sessions led to a greater training volume.
Co-composting of cattle manure with biochar and elemental sulphur and its effects on manure quality, plant biomass and microbiological characteristics of post-harvest soil

Improvement of manure by co-composting with other materials is beneficial to the quality of the amended soil. Therefore, the manure was supplied with either biochar, elemental sulphur or both prior to fermentation in 50 L barrels for a period of eight weeks. The manure products were subsequently analyzed and used as fertilizers in a short-term pot experiment with barley fodder (Hordeum vulgare L.). The experiment was carried out under controlled conditions in a growth chamber for 12 weeks. The sulphur-enriched manure showed the lowest manure pH and highest ammonium content. The co-fermentation of biochar and sulphur led to the highest sulphur content and an abundance of ammonium-oxidizing bacteria in manure. The biochar+sulphur-enriched manure led to the highest dry aboveground plant biomass in the amended soil, whose value was 98% higher compared to the unamended control, 38% higher compared to the variant with biochar-enriched manure and 23% higher compared to the manure-amended variant. Amendment of the sulphur-enriched manure types led to the highest enzyme activities and soil respirations (basal, substrate-induced). This innovative approach to improve the quality of organic fertilizers utilizes treated agricultural waste (biochar) and a biotechnological residual product (elementary sulphur from biogas desulphurization) and hence contributes to the circular economy.
Case report: Different mechanisms of drug resistance in a synchronous multiple primary lung cancer patient after EGFR-TKI treatment

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common cancer in the world. In recent years, the incidence of synchronous multiple primary lung cancer (SMPLC) has gradually increased. Surgery is the preferred method to treat these patients. The management of SMPLC patients who cannot tolerate surgical treatment is controversial. We report a rare case in which a 70-year-old Chinese woman with no history of smoking had three primary lung adenocarcinoma lesions. Two lesions had epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 19 deletion mutations, and one lesion had the L858R mutation. After first-generation EGFR–tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment, the three lesions all showed a good response until disease progression. After the corresponding drug treatments were given based on the different drug resistance mechanisms, good responsiveness was shown in each lessions. This case suggests that in the treatment of SMPLC, it is necessary to learn the molecular-biological information of each lesion due to the differences thereof, and a targeted treatment regimen should be developed on this basis.
Course of psychotic experiences and disorders among apprentice traditional health practitioners in rural South Africa: 3-year follow-up study

Background Culture is inevitably linked with the experience, interpretation and course of what modern biomedicine understands to be psychotic symptoms. However, data on psychoses in low- and middle-income countries are sparse. Our previous study showed that psychotic and mood-related experiences, symptoms and disorders are common among individuals who had received the ancestral calling to become a traditional health practitioner (THP) in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Our related ethnographic study suggested that ukuthwasa (the training to become a THP) may positively moderate these calling-related symptoms. As far as we know, no research has been conducted into the course of psychiatric symptoms among apprentice THPs. Objective We studied the course of psychotic experiences, symptoms and disorders among apprentice THPs. We also assessed their level of functioning and expanded our knowledge on ukuthwasa. Materials and methods We performed a 3-year follow-up of a baseline sample of apprentice THPs (n = 48). Psychiatric assessments (CAPE, SCAN), assessment of functioning (WHODAS) and a semi-structured qualitative questionnaire were completed for 42 individuals. Results At 3-year follow-up, psychotic experiences were associated with significantly less distress and there was a reduction in frequency of psychotic symptoms compared to baseline. The number of participants with psychotic disorders had decreased from 7 (17%) to 4 (10%). Six out of seven participants (86%) with a psychotic disorder at baseline no longer had a psychiatric diagnosis at follow-up. Although the mean level of disability among the (apprentice) THPs corresponded with the 78th percentile found in the general population, 37 participants (88%) reported no or mild disability. Forty-one participants (98%) reported that ukuthwasa had positively influenced their psychiatric symptoms. Conclusion In rural KwaZulu-Natal, psychotic experiences, symptoms and disorders have a benign course in most individuals who are undergoing the process of becoming a THP. Ukuthwasa may be an effective, culturally sanctioned, healing intervention for some selected individuals, potentially because it reframes distressing experiences into positive and highly valued experiences, reduces stigma, and enhances social empowerment and identity construction. This implies that cultural and spiritual interventions can have a positive influence on the course of psychosis.
The effects of indoor plants and traffic noise on English reading comprehension of Chinese university students in home offices

Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home promotes the importance of indoor environment qualities. With the settings and functions of home offices, an experiment was carried out to determine the interaction effects between indoor plants and traffic noise levels (TNLs) on the performance and environmental evaluations of English reading comprehension tasks (ERCTs) and the performance of short-term breaks. A sample of 22 Chinese university students (12 males and 10 females) took part in the experiment. Two visual conditions (with and without plants) and five TNLs (i.e., 35, 45, 50, 55, and 60 dBA TNL) were included. Participants’ accuracy rates, eye movements, mental workload, and feelings about the environment were collected. The mental fatigue recovery (MFR), visual fatigue recovery (VFR), anxiety recovery (AR), and unfriendly recovery (UR) were measured for the analysis of a 5-min short-term break. The results demonstrate (1) plants have significant effects on ERCTs and short-term breaks, especially at 45 and 50 dBA TNL; (2) the effects of TNLs on ERCTs’ eye movements and work environment satisfaction differ by the presence of plants, e.g., the average pupil diameter (APD), lighting and layout satisfaction; (3) The effects of indoor plants on ERCT differ by the range of TNLs. In conclusion, indoor plants are beneficial to home workers engaged in ERCT when TNL does not exceed 50 dBA. The current data highlight the importance of audio-visual interaction in home offices and provide insights into the interaction mechanism between indoor plants and traffic noise.
Myeloid-derived suppressor cells and vaccination against pathogens

It is widely accepted that the immune system includes molecular and cellular components that play a role in regulating and suppressing the effector immune response in almost any process in which the immune system is involved. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are described as a heterogeneous population of myeloid origin, immature state, with a strong capacity to suppress T cells and other immune populations. Although the initial characterization of these cells was strongly associated with pathological conditions such as cancer and then with chronic and acute infections, extensive evidence supports that MDSCs are also involved in physiological/non-pathological settings, including pregnancy, neonatal period, aging, and vaccination. Vaccination is one of the greatest public health achievements and has reduced mortality and morbidity caused by many pathogens. The primary goal of prophylactic vaccination is to induce protection against a potential pathogen by mimicking, at least in a part, the events that take place during its natural interaction with the host. This strategy allows the immune system to prepare humoral and cellular effector components to cope with the real infection. This approach has been successful in developing vaccines against many pathogens. However, when the infectious agents can evade and subvert the host immune system, inducing cells with regulatory/suppressive capacity, the development of vaccines may not be straightforward. Notably, there is a long list of complex pathogens that can expand MDSCs, for which a vaccine is still not available. Moreover, vaccination against numerous bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi has also been shown to cause MDSC expansion. Increases are not due to a particular adjuvant or immunization route; indeed, numerous adjuvants and immunization routes have been reported to cause an accumulation of this immunosuppressive population. Most of the reports describe that, according to their suppressive nature, MDSCs may limit vaccine efficacy. Taking into account the accumulated evidence supporting the involvement of MDSCs in vaccination, this review aims to compile the studies that highlight the role of MDSCs during the assessment of vaccines against pathogens.
Leucophyllum frutescens mediated synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles for catalytic dye degradation

The application of nanotechnology is gaining worldwide attention due to attractive physico-chemical and opto-electronic properties of nanoparticles that can be also employed for catalytic dye degradation. This study reports a phytogenic approach for fabrication of silver (AgNPs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using Leucophyllum frutescens (Berl.) I. M. Johnst (Scrophulariaceae) leaf extract (LFLE). Development of intense dark brown and purple color indicated the synthesis of AgNPs and AuNPs, respectively. Further characterization using UV-visible spectroscopy revealed sharp peak at 460 nm and 540 nm for AgNPs and AuNPs, respectively that were associated to their surface plasmon resonance. High resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) revealed the spherical shape of the AgNPs, whereas anisotropic AuNPs were spherical, triangular and blunt ended hexagons. The majority of the spherical AgNPs and AuNPs were ∼50 ± 15 nm and ∼22 ± 20 nm, respectively. Various reaction parameters such as, metal salt concentration, temperature and concentration of the leaf extract were optimized. Maximum synthesis of AgNPs was obtained when 5 mM for AgNO3 reacted with 10% LFLE for 48 h at 50°C. Likewise, AuNPs synthesis was highest when 2 mM HAuCl4 reacted with 10% LFLE for 5 h at 30°C. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) showed phase purity of both the nanoparticles and confirmed elemental silver and gold in AgNPs and AuNPs, respectively. The average hydrodynamic particles size of AgNPs was 34.8 nm while AuNPs was 140.8 nm as revealed using dynamic light scattering (DLS) that might be due to agglomeration of smaller nanoparticles into larger clusters. ZETA potential of AgNPs and AuNPs were 0.67 mV and 5.70 mV, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the crystallinity of the nanoparticles. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) confirmed that various functional groups from the phytochemicals present in LFLE played a significant role in reduction and stabilization during the biogenic synthesis of the nanoparticles. The bioreduced AgNPs and AuNPs catalytically degraded Rhodamine B dye (RhB) in presence of UV-light with degradation rate constants of 0.0231 s−1 and 0.00831 s−1, respectively. RhB degradation followed a first order rate kinetics with 23.1 % and 31.7% degradation by AgNPs and AuNPs, respectively.
A bi-dimensional compressed Luneburg lens antenna for miniaturization based on transformation optics

Transformed Luneburg lens has been widely employed to provide aberration-free imaging and high-gain antenna system, but whose focal plane and beam scanning range decrease correspondingly. In this paper, a two-dimensional compressed elliptical cylindrical Luneburg lens is presented based on transformation optics (TO) to achieve miniaturization and wide-angle beam steering. The Jacobian matrix and the permittivity tensor are calculated after supposing formulas to compress the focal plane, while maintaining the lens’ inherent performance. The gradient permittivity is achieved by two ring-type periodic unit cells on the basis of the Equivalent Medium Theory. The lens is then attached between a pair of parallel metal plates to further improve its gain and lower the side lobe level (SLL). To demonstrate this assumption, a prototype of this Luneburg lens is manufactured by isotropic material and 3D printing technique. The antenna operates at 3.3–5 GHz with a peak gain of 16.1/15.9 dBi. A 2D beam scanning range of ±50° and ± 20° can be implemented by merely five feeds, the side lobe level keeping less than -16.3/-16 dB. Measured results coincide well with theoretical predictions, offering a beneficial transformation mapping to both microwaves and optics.