Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neutrophils Actively Contribute to Obesity-Associated Inflammation and Pathological Complications

Obesity is characterized by an increase in body weight associated with an exaggerated enlargement of the adipose tissue. Obesity has serious negative effects because it is associated with multiple pathological complications such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and COVID-19. Nowadays, 39% of the world population is obese or overweight, making obesity the 21st century epidemic. Obesity is also characterized by a mild, chronic, systemic inflammation. Accumulation of fat in adipose tissue causes stress and malfunction of adipocytes, which then initiate inflammation. Next, adipose tissue is infiltrated by cells of the innate immune system. Recently, it has become evident that neutrophils, the most abundant leukocytes in blood, are the first immune cells infiltrating the adipose tissue. Neutrophils then get activated and release inflammatory factors that recruit macrophages and other immune cells. These immune cells, in turn, perpetuate the inflammation state by producing cytokines and chemokines that can reach other parts of the body, creating a systemic inflammatory condition. In this review, we described the recent findings on the role of neutrophils during obesity and the initiation of inflammation. In addition, we discuss the involvement of neutrophils in the generation of obesity-related complications using diabetes as a prime example.
On the Malleability of Consumer Attitudes toward Disruptive Technologies: A Pilot Study of Cryptocurrencies

The digital transformation of core marketing activities substantially impacts relations between consumers and companies. Novel technologies are usually complex, making their underlying functionality as well as the desirable and undesirable implications hard to grasp for ordinary consumers. Cryptocurrencies are a prominent yet controversial and poorly understood example of an innovation that may transform companies’ future marketing activities. In this study, we investigate how easily consumers’ attitudes toward cryptocurrencies can be shaped by splitting a convenience sample of 100 consumers into two equal groups and exposing them to true, but biased, information about cryptocurrencies (including market forecasts), respectively, highlighting either the advantages or disadvantages of the technology. We subsequently found a significant difference in the trust, security and risk perceptions between the two groups; specifically, more positive attitudes pertaining to trust, security, risk and financial gains prevailed in the group exposed to positively-skewed information, while perceptions regarding trust, risk and the sustainability of cryptocurrencies were weaker among the group exposed to negatively-skewed information. These findings reveal some important insights into how easily consumer attitudes toward new technologies can be shaped through the presentation of lopsided information and call for further in-depth research in this important yet under-researched field.
A Novel and Compact Slotted-Decahedral Antenna for 5G Devices

In this paper, a compact SISO (Single-Input Single-Output) antenna with a novel slotted-decahedral geometry is presented. The design was performed using a full-wave simulator (FWS). A decahedral patch with an eight-pointed star-shaped slot and two rectangular grooves is the main characteristic of the proposed novel radiator. The decagon shape, eight-pointed star-shaped slot, rectangular grooves, and separate section give rise to radiation. The SISO antenna operates from 23.1 to 29.94 GHz covering the proposed frequency bands for 5G wireless communication systems. The radiation pattern stability, moderate to high gain values (6.5 dBi, average), good radiation efficiency (higher than 89.4%), wide impedance bandwidth (6.84 GHz), compactness (13 × 13 × 0.787 mm3) and ease of manufacture are the principles advantages of this novel geometry. The experimental validation of the SISO antenna was performed, and good agreement was obtained with simulation results, and an equivalent circuit model was proposed. The proposed SISO antenna can be easily integrated into wireless sensors, drones, backhaul, and 5G devices which support IoT, working in the n257, n258 and n261 frequency bands.
Osteocutaneous-flap-related osteomyelitis following mandibular reconstruction: a cohort study of an emerging and complex bone infection

Abstract Osteocutaneous flap (OCF) mandible reconstruction is at high risk for surgical site infection. This study aimed to describe diagnosis, management, and outcome of OCF-related osteomyelitis. All patients managed at our institution for an OCF-related osteomyelitis following mandible reconstruction were included in a retrospective cohort study (2012–2019). Microbiology was described according to gold-standard surgical samples, considering all virulent pathogens, and potential contaminants if present on at least two samples. Determinants of treatment failure were assessed by logistic regression and Kaplan–Meier curve analysis. The 48 included patients (median age 60.5 (IQR, 52.4–66.6) years) benefited from OCF mandible reconstruction mostly for carcinoma ( n=27/48 ; 56.3 %) or osteoradionecrosis ( n=12/48 ; 25.0 %). OCF-related osteomyelitis was mostly early ( ≤3 months post-surgery; n=43/48 ; 89.6 %), presenting with local inflammation ( n=28/47 ; 59.6 %), nonunion (wound dehiscence) or sinus tract ( n=28/47 ; 59.6 %), and/or bone or device exposure ( n=21/47 ; 44.7 %). Main implicated pathogens were Enterobacteriaceae ( n=25/41 ; 61.0 %), streptococci ( n=22/41 ; 53.7 %), Staphylococcus aureus ( n=10/41 ; 24.4 %), enterococci ( n=9/41 ; 22.0 %), non-fermenting Gram-negative bacilli ( n=8/41 ; 19.5 %), and anaerobes ( n=8/41 ; 19.5 %). Thirty-nine patients (81.3 %) benefited from surgery, consisting of debridement with implant retention (DAIR) in 25/39 (64.1 %) cases, associated with 93 (IQR, 64–128) days of antimicrobial therapy. After a follow-up of 18 (IQR, 11–31) months, 24/48 (50.0 %) treatment failures were observed. Determinants of treatment outcomes were DAIR (OR, 3.333; 95 % CI, 1.020–10.898) and an early infectious disease specialist referral (OR, 0.236 if ≤2 weeks; 95 % CI, 0.062–0.933). OCF-related osteomyelitis following mandibular reconstruction represents difficult-to-treat infections. Our results advocate for a multidisciplinary management, including an early infectious-disease-specialist referral to manage the antimicrobial therapy driven by complex microbiological documentation.
Secondary Raw Plastic Materials in Applied Design

In modern society, it is impossible to imagine life without plastics. However, managing the waste composed of plastics is one of the most significant environmental issues confronting us today. Recycling plastic waste or recovering the secondary raw materials sources is the most crucial action available to reduce ecological impacts worldwide. With the need to recycle plastic waste, questions also arise about applying new products from recycled plastics and advanced processing technologies. Advanced technologies overlap actively with the applied design, and their implementation enables them to move from extraordinary design ideas to the final object. Therefore, this contribution shows the possibility to prepare the unique textile pattern, interior accessories, and jewelry from the post-consumer use bottle poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) by electrospinning.
Post-Translational Modifications of PCNA: Guiding for the Best DNA Damage Tolerance Choice

The sliding clamp PCNA is a multifunctional homotrimer mainly linked to DNA replication. During this process, cells must ensure an accurate and complete genome replication when constantly challenged by the presence of DNA lesions. Post-translational modifications of PCNA play a crucial role in channeling DNA damage tolerance (DDT) and repair mechanisms to bypass unrepaired lesions and promote optimal fork replication restart. PCNA ubiquitination processes trigger the following two main DDT sub-pathways: Rad6/Rad18-dependent PCNA monoubiquitination and Ubc13-Mms2/Rad5-mediated PCNA polyubiquitination, promoting error-prone translation synthesis (TLS) or error-free template switch (TS) pathways, respectively. However, the fork protection mechanism leading to TS during fork reversal is still poorly understood. In contrast, PCNA sumoylation impedes the homologous recombination (HR)-mediated salvage recombination (SR) repair pathway. Focusing on Saccharomyces cerevisiae budding yeast, we summarized PCNA related-DDT and repair mechanisms that coordinately sustain genome stability and cell survival. In addition, we compared PCNA sequences from various fungal pathogens, considering recent advances in structural features. Importantly, the identification of PCNA epitopes may lead to potential fungal targets for antifungal drug development.
Stochastic Gradient Matching Pursuit Algorithm Based on Sparse Estimation

The stochastic gradient matching pursuit algorithm requires the sparsity of the signal as prior information. However, this prior information is unknown in practical applications, which restricts the practical applications of the algorithm to some extent. An improved method was proposed to overcome this problem. First, a pre-evaluation strategy was used to evaluate the sparsity of the signal and the estimated sparsity was used as the initial sparsity. Second, if the number of columns of the candidate atomic matrix was smaller than that of the rows, the least square solution of the signal was calculated, otherwise, the least square solution of the signal was set as zero. Finally, if the current residual was greater than the previous residual, the estimated sparsity was adjusted by the fixed step-size and stage index, otherwise we did not need to adjust the estimated sparsity. The simulation results showed that the proposed method was better than other methods in terms of the aspect of reconstruction percentage in the larger sparsity environment.
Frequency tuning of piezoelectric energy harvesters thanks to a short-circuit synchronous electric charge extraction

This paper introduces a new electrical strategy for maximizing the energy scavenged from highly coupled and lowly damped piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs). The proposed strategy named Short-circuit synchronous electric charge extraction (SC-SECE) introduces a SC phase whose start time ϕs and duration Δϕ can be adjusted. The control of ϕs and Δϕ allows to electrically adapt the dynamics of the electromechanical harvester. In a first part, we analytically derive the influences of ϕs and Δϕ on the harvester dynamics, and prove that they both affect the damping induced by the electrical interface on the mechanical resonator and its resonant frequency. Thereafter, we numerically evaluate the SC-SECE performances as a function of the intrinsic harvester’s characteristics. We expose that if the coupling and/or mechanical quality factor of the harvester are important enough, the SC-SECE leads to enhanced power frequency responses compared to SECE and SEH strategies. Experimental results on a high coupling PEH associated with the SC-SECE strategy have been realized and are in good agreement with the analytical predictions. Under various vibrations amplitudes, the harvester’s resonant frequency has been tuned on a frequency range as large as 35% of its natural resonant frequency. We have been able to harvest more than 92 μW for vibration frequencies ranging from 90 to 140 Hz, under an external acceleration of 0.2 G.
YOLR: an automatic tooth segmentation and detection network

With the improvement of the quality of human life, more and more people pay more attention to dental health. Panoramic CT image is an important method for studying teeth. The existing technology simply classifies or segment the teeth, and cannot accurately segment each tooth independently. The reason is that they did not consider the relationship between tooth type and location. Therefore, this article proposes a method that combines tooth position and tooth type. Mainly by adding the LSTM network to the extracted features to perform feature screening, and then perform classification, detection, and segmentation tasks. Experimental results show that the effective combination of CNN and RNN can accurately detect and segment teeth.
Investigation of Doppler Indices in Copper Intrauterine Device-induced Heavy Menstrual Bleeding

Background: Copper intrauterine devices (IUDs) are one of the most commonly used methods of contraception all over the world. However, nearly 20% of users have their IUD removed due to increased or irregular uterine bleeding. We aimed to investigate if the occurrence of heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) after application of IUDs could be predicted using transvaginal color Doppler ultrasonography in women without dysmenorrhea. Method: Fifty-five women with regular menstruation without dysmenorrhea who were willing to use an IUD were included in the study. The women were divided into two groups as those whose menstrual characteristics did not change after IUD insertion (group A, n = 31) and those who developed HMB secondary to IUD insertion (group B, n = 24). IUDs were inserted on the 2ndor 3rd day of menstruation in all women and color Doppler assessments of the uterine, arcuate, and utero-ovarian arteries were performed twice; the first measurement was performed just before IUD deployment and the second measurement was performed on the 2nd or 3rd day of menstruation after 2 months. After recording these two measurements, Doppler parameters were compared between the groups. Results: The first and the second pulsatility index (PI) and resistance index (RI) values of the uterine arteries were significantly lower in group B when compared with group A (p< 0.05). Likewise, the first and the second PI values of the arcuate arteries in group B were significantly lower than in group A (p = 0.009 and p = 0.035, respectively). The second RI measurements of the arcuate arteries were significantly lower in group B than in group A (p = 0.037); however, the first RI measurement of the arcuate arteries showed no statistically significant differences between the groups (p = 0.073). The first and the second PI and RI values of the utero-ovarian arteries showed no statistically significant difference between groups A and B. Conclusions: The results propose that low impedance to blood flow in the uterine and arcuate arteries prior to IUD insertion may help predict HMB secondary to IUD insertion in women without
Narrow Urban Vehicles with an Integrated Suspension Tilting System: Design, Modeling, and Control

Narrow urban vehicles are proposed to alleviate urban transportation challenges like congestion, parking, fuel consumption, and pollution. They are designed to seat one or two people in tandem, which saves space in road infrastructures as well as improves the fuel efficiency. However, to overcome the high rollover tendency which comes as a consequence of reduced track-width ratio, tilting systems for vehicle roll motion control are suggested. Existing tilting solutions, which mechanically connect the wheel modules on both sides for motion synchronization, are not space-friendly for the narrow vehicle footprint. The mechanical linkages also add extra weight to those urban vehicles initially designed to be light-weighted. A novel integrated suspension tilting system (ISTS) is proposed in this thesis, which replaces rigid mechanical linkages with flexible hydraulic pipes and cylinders. In addition, combining the suspension and tilting into an integrated system will result in even more compact, light-weighted, and spacious urban vehicles. The concept is examined, and the suspension mechanism for the tilting application is proposed after examining various mechanisms for their complexity and space requirements. Kinematic and dynamic properties of the tilting vehicle under large suspension strokes are analyzed to optimize the mechanism design. Control of the active tilting systems for vehicle roll stability improvement is then discussed. Rather than tilting the vehicle to entirely eliminate the lateral load transfer during cornering, an integrated envelope approach considering both lateral and roll motion is proposed to improve the energy efficiency while maintaining the vehicle stability. A reconfigurable integrated control structure is also developed for various vehicle configurations as well as enhancing the system robustness against actuator failures. The model predictive control (MPC) scheme is adopted considering the non-minimum phase nature of active tilting systems. The predictive feature along with the proposed roll envelope formulation provides a framework to balance the transient and steady-state performances using the tilting actuators. The suggested controller is firstly demonstrated on a vehicle roll model, and then applied to high-fidelity full vehicle models in CarSim including a four-wheeled SUV as well as a three-wheeled narrow urban vehicle. The SUV simulation results indicate the potential of using the developed envelope controller on conventional vehicles with active suspensions, while the narrow urban vehicle simulations demonstrate the feasibility of using the suggested ISTS on narrow tilting vehicles. By adopting the integrated envelope control approach, actuation effort is reduced and the vehicle handling, along with the stability in both lateral and roll, can be further improved.
An Aux/IAA Family Member, RhIAA14, Involved in Ethylene-Inhibited Petal Expansion in Rose (Rosa hybrida)

Flower size, a primary agronomic trait in breeding of ornamental plants, is largely determined by petal expansion. Generally, ethylene acts as an inhibitor of petal expansion, but its effect is restricted by unknown developmental cues. In this study, we found that the critical node of ethylene-inhibited petal expansion is between stages 1 and 2 of rose flower opening. To uncover the underlying regulatory mechanism, we carried out a comparative RNA-seq analysis. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in auxin-signaling pathways were enriched. Therefore, we identified an auxin/indole-3-acetic acid (Aux/IAA) family gene, RhIAA14, whose expression was development-specifically repressed by ethylene. The silencing of RhIAA14 reduced cell expansion, resulting in diminished petal expansion and flower size. In addition, the expressions of cell-expansion-related genes, including RhXTH6, RhCesA2, RhPIP2;1, and RhEXPA8, were significantly downregulated following RhIAA14 silencing. Our results reveal an Aux/IAA that serves as a key player in orchestrating petal expansion and ultimately contributes to flower size, which provides new insights into ethylene-modulated flower opening and the function of the Aux/IAA transcription regulator.
Antibacterial Activity of Synthesized Silver Nanoparticle from Polyherbal Extract against Human Pathogens

Polyherbal formulations are known for various medicinal properties. The aim of this study was to biosynthesis of Silver nanoparticle (AgNps) using polyherbal extract and to evaluate their effect on human bacterial pathogens. Polyherbal extract silver nanoparticles were synthesized and the presence of AgNPs was confirmed by UV-Visible (UV-VIS) spectrophotometer and Scanning Electron Microscopic (SEM) analysis. The effect of polyherbal AgNps were evaluated against human bacterial pathogens by agar well diffusion method. The UV-VIS spectrophotometer, SEM analysis and the agar well diffusion method confirmed the potential antibacterial activity of biosynthesized polyherbal AgNPs against common bacterial pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus cereus, Propionibacteriun acnes, Streptococcus oralis, Enterobacter feacalis, Proteus vulgaris, Aeromonas hydrophila, Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Actinomycetes Sp. Therefore, we suggest that polyherbal AgNPs can be used for the treatment of bacterial diseases. HIGHLIGHTS Preparation of polyherbal formulation from selected traditional medicinal plants (Caesalpinia bonduc, Morinda citrifolia and Nigella sativa) Green synthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles synthesized using polyherbal aqueous extract and evaluate its antibacterial activity against human pathogens The biosynthesized silver nanoparticles that use the extract of polyherbal formulations have proven excellent antibacterial activity against human pathogens through Disc diffusion method The present study demonstrated a quick, rapid, and economical way of synthesizing silver nanoparticles. Synthesized polyherbal nanoparticles can be used against human pathogens acts as antimicrobial drug GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Frequency Invariant Transformation of Periodic Signals (FIT-PS) for Classification in NILM

This paper presents a new signal representation called frequency invariant transformation of periodic signals (FIT-PSs) in the context of non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM). Compared to former approaches where a conglomeration of different signal forms are used, the presented approach is based on a single signal form containing all information. The core idea of this paper is to use the original current waveform relative to the reference voltage as a signature for NILM. In general, the relation of sampling and grid frequency is subject to continuous fluctuations. Therefore, FIT-PS converts uncorrelated sample data to a fixed multiple of the grid frequency. The advantages are that the information of the current signal, as well as the phase shift between voltage and current signal, are completely contained in the FIT-PS signal representation. For classification, a neural net was applied to the home equipment laboratory dataset 1. Features created by FIT-PS are superior to the standard features. With 18 different devices, a detection rate of up to 90% is achieved. In particular, when several consumers are active at the same time, the new signal representation is much more robust and leads to a better detection rate. However, a long short-term memory net with FIT-PS signal representation provides the best results.
Therapeutic Effect and Optimal Electrode Placement of Transcutaneous Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation in Patients with Post-Stroke Dysphagia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background: To date, there is no conclusive evidence that transcutaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation (TNMES) benefits patients with post-stroke dysphagia (PSD). In addition, the optimal TNMES electrode placement has not been well-established. This systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to investigate these two research gaps. Methods: Five major databases were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) through January 2022. Effect sizes were computed using Hedges’ g statistic, which were then entered into the random-effects model to obtain pooled effect estimates. Results: Twenty-four RCTs met the eligibility criteria. On the improvement of swallowing function, TNMES alone was not superior to conventional swallowing therapies (CSTs); combined therapy of TNMES and CSTs significantly surpassed CSTs alone (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.91, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.68 to 1.14, p < 0.0001; I2 = 63%). Moreover, significant pooled effect sizes were observed in subgroups with horizontal electrode placement above the hyoid bone (SMD = 0.94, 95% CI: 0.72 to 1.16; I2 = 0%) and horizontal electrode placement just above and below the hyoid bone (SMD = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.59 to 1.14; I2 = 0%). The largest pooled effect size was observed in the subgroup that individualized electrode placement according to dysphagia evaluation (SMD = 1.65, 95% CI: 0.38 to 2.91; I2 = 90%). Conclusion: TNMES should be used in combination with CSTs for PSD. Horizontal electrode placement should target suprahyoid muscles or both suprahyoid and thyrohyoid muscles.