Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Utsu aftershock productivity law explained from geometric operations on the permanent static stress field of mainshocks

Abstract. The aftershock productivity law is an exponential function of the form K∝exp(αM) , with K being the number of aftershocks triggered by a given mainshock of magnitude M and α≈ln (10) being the productivity parameter. This law remains empirical in nature although it has also been retrieved in static stress simulations. Here, we parameterize this law using the solid seismicity postulate (SSP), the basis of a geometrical theory of seismicity where seismicity patterns are described by mathematical expressions obtained from geometric operations on a permanent static stress field. We first test the SSP that relates seismicity density to a static stress step function. We show that it yields a power exponent q = 1.96 ± 0.01 for the power-law spatial linear density distribution of aftershocks, once uniform noise is added to the static stress field, in agreement with observations. We then recover the exponential function of the productivity law with a break in scaling obtained between small and large M , with α=1.5ln (10) and ln (10) , respectively, in agreement with results from previous static stress simulations. Possible biases of aftershock selection, proven to exist in epidemic-type aftershock sequence (ETAS) simulations, may explain the lack of break in scaling observed in seismicity catalogues. The existence of the theoretical kink, however, remains to be proven. Finally, we describe how to estimate the solid seismicity parameters (activation density δ+ , aftershock solid envelope r∗ and background stress amplitude range Δo∗ ) for large M values.
Characterization of Extensively Drug-Resistant or Pandrug-Resistant Sequence Type 147 and 101 OXA-48-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae Causing Bloodstream Infections in Patients in an Intensive Care Unit

ABSTRACT Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae causes important health care-associated infections worldwide. An outbreak of sequence type 11 (ST11) OXA-48-producing K. pneumoniae (OXA-48-Kp) isolates occurred in Tzaneio Hospital in 2012 and was contained until 2014, when OXA-48-Kp reemerged. The present study involved 19 bloodstream infection (BSI) OXA-48-Kp isolates recovered from 19 intensive care unit (ICU) patients hospitalized between August 2014 and July 2016. MICs were determined by broth microdilution. Beta-lactamase genes were detected by PCR. All isolates were typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis/multilocus sequence typing (PFGE/MLST), and 10 representative isolates were typed by next-generation sequencing (NGS). Of the 19 study patients, 9 had previous hospitalizations, and 10 carried OXA-48-Kp prior to BSI isolation; median time from ICU admission to BSI was 29 days. Four OXA-48-Kp isolates belonged to PFGE profile A (ST147) and were pandrug resistant (PDR), while 15 isolates exhibited PFGE profile B (ST101) and were extensively drug resistant. Genes detected via NGS resistome analysis accounted for most of the resistance phenotypes, except for tigecycline and fosfomycin. Insertional inactivation of mgrB (distinct per clone) conferred colistin resistance in all 19 isolates. NGS single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis validated the clonal relatedness of the ST147 and ST101 strains and revealed the possible presence of two index ST147 strains and the microevolution of ST101 strains. Distinct, but highly related, IncL OXA-48-encoding plasmid lineages were identified; plasmids of the ST147 strains were identical with the plasmid of ST11 OXA-48-Kp which caused the 2012 outbreak. In conclusion, biclonal circulation of OXA-48-Kp and, alarmingly, emergence of a PDR clone are reported. These observations, along with the challenging phenotypic detection of OXA-48 producers and the high reported transmissibility of blaOXA-48, necessitate intensive efforts to prevent their further spread.
Universal avalanche statistics and triggering close to failure in a mean-field model of rheological fracture.

The hypothesis of critical failure relates the presence of an ultimate stability point in the structural constitutive equation of materials to a divergence of characteristic scales in the microscopic dynamics responsible for deformation. Avalanche models involving critical failure have determined common universality classes for stick-slip processes and fracture. However, not all empirical failure processes exhibit the trademarks of criticality. The rheological properties of materials introduce dissipation, usually reproduced in conceptual models as a hardening of the coarse grained elements of the system. Here, we investigate the effects of transient hardening on (i) the activity rate and (ii) the statistical properties of avalanches. We find the explicit representation of transient hardening in the presence of generalized viscoelasticity and solve the corresponding mean-field model of fracture. In the quasistatic limit, the accelerated energy release is invariant with respect to rheology and the avalanche propagation can be reinterpreted in terms of a stochastic counting process. A single universality class can be defined from such analogy, and all statistical properties depend only on the distance to criticality. We also prove that interevent correlations emerge due to the hardening-even in the quasistatic limit-that can be interpreted as "aftershocks" and "foreshocks. "
A cross‐sectional study of agreement between the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and patient‐ and radiation oncologist–reported single‐item assessment of depression and anxiety

To describe among radiation oncology patients: (1) the proportion likely to be experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety as identified by (a) the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS; standardised tool), (b) patient‐reported single items (ultrashort tool), and (c) radiation oncologist–reported single items (clinician judgement); (2) preferences for being offered psychological support; and (3) agreement between single‐item measures and the HADS.
Do Participatory Learning and Action Women’s Groups Alone or Combined with Cash or Food Transfers Expand Women’s Agency in Rural Nepal?

Abstract Participatory learning and action women’s groups (PLA) have proven effective in reducing neonatal mortality in rural, high-mortality settings, but their impacts on women’s agency in the household remain unknown. Cash transfer programmes have also long targeted female beneficiaries in the belief that this empowers women. Drawing on data from 1309 pregnant women in a four-arm cluster-randomised controlled trial in Nepal, we found little evidence for an impact of PLA alone or combined with unconditional food or cash transfers on women’s agency in the household. Caution is advised before assuming PLA women’s groups alone or with resource transfers necessarily empower women.
Lexical Level Distribution of Metadiscourse in Spoken Language

This paper targets an understanding of how metadiscourse functions in spoken language. Starting from a metadiscourse taxonomy, a set of TED talks is annotated via crowdsourcing and then a lexical grade level predictor is used to map the distri- bution of the distinct discourse functions of the taxonomy across levels. The paper concludes showing how speakers use these functions in presentational settings.
Long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in plasma in British meat-eating, vegetarian, and vegan men.

BACKGROUND Plasma concentrations of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are lower in vegetarians and in vegans than in omnivores. No data are available on whether these concentrations differ between long- and short-term vegetarians and vegans. OBJECTIVES We compared plasma fatty acid composition in meat-eaters, vegetarians, and vegans and examined whether the proportions of eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3; EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n-3; DPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3; DHA) were related to the subjects' duration of adherence to their diets or to the proportions of plasma linoleic acid (18:2n-6; LA) and alpha-linolenic acid (18:3n-3; ALA). DESIGN The present cross-sectional study included 196 meat-eating, 231 vegetarian, and 232 vegan men in the United Kingdom. Information on anthropometry, diet, and smoking habits was obtained through a questionnaire. Total fatty acid composition in plasma was measured. RESULTS The proportions of plasma EPA and DHA were lower in the vegetarians and in the vegans than in the meat-eaters, whereas only small differences were seen for DPA. Plasma EPA, DPA, and DHA proportions were not significantly associated with the duration of time since the subjects became vegetarian or vegan, which ranged from <1 y to >20 y. In the vegetarians and the vegans, plasma DHA was inversely correlated with plasma LA. CONCLUSIONS The proportions of plasma long-chain n-3 fatty acids were not significantly affected by the duration of adherence to a vegetarian or vegan diet. This finding suggests that when animal foods are wholly excluded from the diet, the endogenous production of EPA and DHA results in low but stable plasma concentrations of these fatty acids.
Dual Graph Convolutional Networks for Graph-Based Semi-Supervised Classification

The problem of extracting meaningful data through graph analysis spans a range of different fields, such as the internet, social networks, biological networks, and many others. The importance of being able to effectively mine and learn from such data continues to grow as more and more structured data become available. In this paper, we present a simple and scalable semi-supervised learning method for graph-structured data in which only a very small portion of the training data are labeled. To sufficiently embed the graph knowledge, our method performs graph convolution from different views of the raw data. In particular, a dual graph convolutional neural network method is devised to jointly consider the two essential assumptions of semi-supervised learning: (1) local consistency and (2) global consistency. Accordingly, two convolutional neural networks are devised to embed the local-consistency-based and global-consistency-based knowledge, respectively. Given the different data transformations from the two networks, we then introduce an unsupervised temporal loss function for the ensemble. In experiments using both unsupervised and supervised loss functions, our method outperforms state-of-the-art techniques on different datasets.
Supersolidity of lattice bosons immersed in strongly correlated Rydberg dressed atoms

Recent experiments have illustrated that long range two-body interactions can be induced by laser coupling atoms to highly excited Rydberg states. Stimulated by this achievement, we study supersolidity of lattice bosons in an experimentally relevant situation. In our setup, we consider two-component atoms on a square lattice, where one species is weakly dressed to an electronically high-lying (Rydberg) state, generating a tunable, soft-core shape long-range interaction. Interactions between atoms of the second species and between the two species are characterized by local inter and intra-species interactions. Using a dynamical mean-field calculation, we find that interspecies onsite interactions can stabilize a pronounced region of supersolid phases. This is characterized by two distinctive types of supersolids, where the bare species forms supersolid phases that are immersed in strongly correlated quantum phases, i.e. a crystalline solid or supersolid of the dressed atoms. We show that the interspecies interaction leads to a roton-like instability in the bare species and therefore is crucially important to the supersolid formation. We provide a detailed calculation of the interaction potential to show how our results can be explored under current experimental conditions.
Ratios of torques of antagonist muscle groups in female soccer players.

PURPOSE An increase in the value of the hamstring-to-quadriceps (H/Q) ratio with an increase in angular velocity may effectively prevent injuries of the back of the thigh. Previous studies have found that the conventional H/Q ratio was unaltered along with an increasing angular velocity in females. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationships between the conventional H/Q ratio and angular velocity in a group of female soccer players. METHODS The study was carried out on a group of 16 female soccer players (age: 20.7 ± 3.9 years, body height: 166.1 ± 5.8 cm, body mass: 58.4 ± 6.2 kg, training experience: 8.8 ± 4.1 years). Measurements of peak torque of extensors and flexors of the knee joint under static conditions and under isokinetic conditions (at angular velocities of 30°/s, 60°/s, 90°/s and 120°/s) were carried out using a Biodex dynamometer. RESULTS There was a statistically significant increase in the conventional H/Q ratio with an increase in angular velocity. These differences occurred between measurements at angular velocities of 0°/s and 30°/s, and 30°/s and 60°/s. CONCLUSIONS As previously found for males, an increase in conventional H/Q ratio with increased angular velocity was also present in this group of female players. This phenomenon should reduce the number of injuries of the muscles of back of the thigh. Coaches should pay attention to increasing the level of strength in the group of knee joint flexor muscles so as to make the value of the H/Q ratio appropriately high and increasing with increasing angular velocity.
CSI1, PATROL1, and exocyst complex cooperate in delivery of cellulose synthase complexes to the plasma membrane

Significance Cellulose is synthesized at the plasma membrane by cellulose synthase complexes (CSCs). The ability to deliver CSCs to discrete sites at the cell surface is critical for cellulose synthesis. We discovered that the de novo secretion of CSCs is mediated by cooperation among a recently identified cellulose synthase interacting protein, exocyst complex, and a plant-specific protein PATROL1 in Arabidopsis thaliana. We present a timeline of events for exocytosis of CSCs. CSCs represent unique cargo proteins that are not conserved in the mammalian or yeast system. Plants offer unique opportunities to characterize the function and regulation of exocytosis that may provide insight into the evolution of exocytosis in eukaryotes. Cellulose synthesis occurs exclusively at the plasma membrane by cellulose synthase complexes (CSCs). Therefore, delivery of CSCs to discrete sites at the plasma membrane is critical for cellulose synthesis. Despite their significance, the delivery of CSCs is poorly understood. Here we used proteomics approaches, functional genetics, and live cell imaging to show that the de novo secretion of CSCs is mediated by cooperation among cellulose synthase interactive 1 (CSI1), the plant-specific protein PATROL1, and exocyst complex in Arabidopsis thaliana. We propose that CSI1 plays a role in marking the docking site, which allows CSCs-containing vesicles access to the plasma membrane through its interaction with microtubules. PATROL1 assists in exocytosis by its interaction with multiple components, including CSI1, CSCs, and exocyst subunits. Both PATROL1 and the exocyst complex determine the rate of delivery of CSCs to the plasma membrane. By monitoring the exocyst complex, PATROL1, CSI1, and CSCs dynamics in real time, we present a timeline of events for exocytosis of CSCs. Our findings provide unique insights into the evolution of exocytosis in eukaryotes.
Local protein solvation drives direct down-conversion in phycobiliprotein PC645 via incoherent vibronic transport

Significance To harness sunlight for growth, plants and algae rapidly convey absorbed excitation energy from antennae pigments to a reaction center, where the excitations convert to chemical energy. In deep water environments, cryptophyte algae survive by using the molecular motion of phycobiliprotein antennae to funnel excitations to low-energy pigments. The mechanism of down-conversion in phycobiliproteins remains controversial: Could specific vibrations resonant with pigment energy gaps support coherence between excited states and thereby enhance the rate of transport by transient delocalization? Here, we demonstrate that down-conversion in a specific phycobiliprotein, PC645, is both incoherent and enhanced by a broad range of high-frequency vibrations. We suggest that a similar incoherent mechanism is appropriate across phycobiliproteins. The mechanisms controlling excitation energy transport (EET) in light-harvesting complexes remain controversial. Following the observation of long-lived beats in 2D electronic spectroscopy of PC645, vibronic coherence, the delocalization of excited states between pigments supported by a resonant vibration, has been proposed to enable direct excitation transport from the highest-energy to the lowest-energy pigments, bypassing a collection of intermediate states. Here, we instead show that for phycobiliprotein PC645 an incoherent vibronic transport mechanism is at play. We quantify the solvation dynamics of individual pigments using ab initio quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) nuclear dynamics. Our atomistic spectral densities reproduce experimental observations ranging from absorption and fluorescence spectra to the timescales and selectivity of down-conversion observed in transient absorption measurements. We construct a general model for vibronic dimers and establish the parameter regimes of coherent and incoherent vibronic transport. We demonstrate that direct down-conversion in PC645 proceeds incoherently, enhanced by large reorganization energies and a broad collection of high-frequency vibrations. We suggest that a similar incoherent mechanism is appropriate across phycobiliproteins and represents a potential design principle for nanoscale control of EET.
Changes of Insulin Resistance and Adipokines Following Supplementation with Glycyrrhiza Glabra L. Extract in Combination with a Low-Calorie Diet in Overweight and Obese Subjects: a Randomized Double Blind Clinical Trial

Purpose: Adipose tissue is a highly active endocrine organ which plays a key role in energy homeostasis. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of dried licorice extract along with a calorie restricted diet on body composition, insulin resistance and adipokines in overweight and obese subjects. Methods: Sixty-four overweight and obese volunteers (27 men, 37 women) were recruited into this double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, clinical trial. Participants were randomly allocated to the Licorice (n=32) or the placebo group (n=32), and each group received a low-calorie diet with either 1.5 g/day of Licorice extract or placebo for 8 weeks. Biochemical parameters, anthropometric indices, body composition and dietary intake were measured at baseline and at the end of the study. Results: A total of 58 subjects completed the trial. No side effects were observed following licorice supplementation. At the end of the study, waist circumference, fat mass, serum levels of vaspin, zinc-α2 glycoprotein, insulin and HOMA-IR were significantly decreased in the intervention group, but only the reduction in serum vaspin levels in the licorice group was significant when compared to the placebo group (p<0.01). Conclusion: Supplementation with dried licorice extract plus a low-calorie diet can increase vaspin levels in obese subjects. However, the anti-obesity effects of the intervention were not stronger than a low-calorie diet alone in the management of obesity.
Inguinal Hernia in Infancy and Children

Congenital inguinal hernia is a very important subject for both general and pediatric surgeons, and many issues related to the inguinal hernia in infants and children are still confusing. Herein, the subject of congenital inguinal hernia, including the relevant embryology, related anatomy, the symptoms and signs essential for diagnosis, and the needed examination tests and investigations, is presented in a systematic manner. Also, the updated treatment options were discussed including both open and laparoscopic approaches with spotlight on the very recent single incision laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair in children. Finally, at the end of the chapter, there are many valuable references for more details.
Risk of Dementia in Patients with Insomnia and Long-term Use of Hypnotics: A Population-based Retrospective Cohort Study

Background Hypnotics have been reported to be associated with dementia. However, the relationship between insomnia, hypnotics and dementia is still controversial. We sought to examine the risk of dementia in patients with long-term insomnia and the contribution of hypnotics. Methods Data was collected from Taiwan’s Longitudinal Health Insurance Database. The study cohort comprised all patients aged 50 years or older with a first diagnosis of insomnia from 2002 to 2007. The comparison cohort consisted of randomly selected patients matched by age and gender. Each patient was individually tracked for 3 years from their insomnia index date to identify whether the patient had a first diagnosis of dementia. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results We identified 5693 subjects with long-term insomnia and 28,465 individuals without. After adjusting for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, and stroke, those with long-term insomnia had significantly higher risks of dementia (HR, 2.34; 95% CI, 1.92–2.85). Patients with long-term insomnia and aged 50 to 65 years had a higher increased risk of dementia (HR, 5.22; 95% CI, 2.62–10.41) than those older than 65 years (HR, 2.33; 95% CI, 1.90–2.88). The use of hypnotics with a longer half-life and at a higher prescribed dose predicted a greater increased risk of dementia. Conclusions Patients with long-term use of hypnotics have more than a 2-fold increased risk of dementia, especially those aged 50 to 65 years. In addition, the dosage and half-lives of the hypnotics used should be considered, because greater exposure to these medications leads to a higher risk of developing dementia.
Polymorphisms in BER genes and risk of breast cancer: evidences from 69 studies with 33760 cases and 33252 controls

Recently, numerous studies have reported an association between single nucleotide polymorphisms in base-excision repair genes and the risk of developing breast cancer, however there is no consensus. The aim of this meta-analysis was to review and quantitatively assess the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms in base-excision repair genes and breast cancer risk. The results suggested that a mutation of T to G in rs1760944 may lead to a higher risk of developing breast cancer in the Mongoloid population, and G to A of rs25487 significantly reduced the risk of breast cancer in Mongoloid and Caucasoid populations. In contrast to the CC and CG genotypes, the GG genotype of rs1052133 located on theOGG1 gene appeared to be a protective factor against developing breast cancer in both Mongoloid and Caucasoid populations. There was no evidence to suggest that rs25489, rs1799782, rs1130409, rs1805414 and rs1136410 were associated with breast cancer risk. In conclusion, this study provides evidence to support the theory that DNA repair genes are associated with breast cancer risk, providing information to further understand breast cancer etiology. and The potential biological pathways linking DNA repair, ethnic background, environment and breast cancer require further investigation.
Long‐term efficacy and safety of sucroferric oxyhydroxide in African American dialysis patients

Introduction: Sucroferric oxyhydroxide (SFOH) is a non‐calcium, iron‐based phosphate binder that demonstrated sustained serum phosphorus (sP) control, good tolerability, and lower pill burden, vs. sevelamer carbonate (“sevelamer”), in a Phase 3 study conducted in dialysis patients with hyperphosphatemia. This analysis evaluates the efficacy and safety of SFOH and sevelamer among African American (AA) patients participating in the trial.