Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Outcome after transvascular transcatheter aortic valve implantation in 2016

Abstract Aims We analysed the number of procedures, complications, and in-hospital mortality rates of all patients undergoing transvascular transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TV–TAVI) in comparison to isolated surgical aortic valve replacement (iSAVR) from 2014 to 2016 in Germany. Methods and results All aortic valve procedures performed in Germany are mandatorily registered in a quality control program. More than 15 000 TV–TAVI procedures were performed in 2016 in Germany. Especially the number of post-procedural complications declined within the last few years, including new pacemaker implantations (2015: 12.6% vs. 2016: 11.4%, P = 0.002) and vascular complications (2015: 8.5% vs. 2016: 7.1%; P < 0.001). Thus, in 2016 the overall in-hospital mortality rate after TV–TAVI was 2.6%, which is for the first time numerically below that of iSAVR, which was 2.9% (P = 0.19). A stratified analysis according to the German aortic valve score shows a lower observed than expected in-hospital mortality rate for TV–TAVI (O/E 0.68). Additionally, the in-hospital mortality was significantly lower after TV–TAVI than after iSAVR in the very high- (11.3% vs. 23.6%; P < 0.001), in the high- (4.1% vs. 9.2%; P < 0.001), and in the intermediate-risk group (3.0% vs. 4.6%; P = 0.016) and was similar to that of iSAVR in low-risk patients (1.6% vs. 1.4%; P = 0.4). Conclusion The overall in-hospital mortality after TV–TAVI was numerically lower than after iSAVR in 2016 for the first time. In the low risk group in-hospital mortality was similar, whereas in all other risk groups in-hospital mortality after TV–TAVI was significantly lower than after SAVR. This is likely to contribute to a redefinition of the standard of care in the future.
Serine Hydroxymethyltransferase ShrA (PA2444) Controls Rugose Small-Colony Variant Formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes many biofilm infections, and the rugose small-colony variants (RSCVs) of this bacterium are important for infection. We found here that inactivation of PA2444, which we determined to be a serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT), leads to the RSCV phenotype of P. aeruginosa PA14. In addition, loss of PA2444 increases biofilm formation by two orders of magnitude, increases exopolysaccharide by 45-fold, and abolishes swarming. The RSCV phenotype is related to higher cyclic diguanylate concentrations due to increased activity of the Wsp chemosensory system, including diguanylate cyclase WspR. By characterizing the PA2444 enzyme in vitro, we determined the physiological function of PA2444 protein by relating it to S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) concentrations and methylation of a membrane bound methyl-accepting chemotaxis protein WspA. A whole transcriptome analysis also revealed PA2444 is related to the redox state of the cells, and the altered redox state was demonstrated by an increase in the intracellular NADH/NAD+ ratio. Hence, we provide a mechanism for how an enzyme of central metabolism controls the community behavior of the bacterium, and suggest the PA2444 protein should be named ShrA for serine hydroxymethyltransferase related to rugose colony formation.
Films, Buckypapers and Fibers from Clay, Chitosan and Carbon Nanotubes

The mechanical and electrical characteristics of films, buckypapers and fiber materials from combinations of clay, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and chitosan are described. The rheological time-dependent characteristics of clay are maintained in clay–carbon nanotube–chitosan composite dispersions. It is demonstrated that the addition of chitosan improves their mechanical characteristics, but decreases electrical conductivity by three-orders of magnitude compared to clay–CNT materials. We show that the electrical response upon exposure to humid atmosphere is influenced by clay-chitosan interactions, i.e., the resistance of clay–CNT materials decreases, whereas that of clay–CNT–chitosan increases.
Efficient services composition for grid-enabled data-intensive applications

Grids technologies enable the deployment of complex data-intensive scientific applications. Nonspecific scientific codes may benefit from grid computing capabilities by (i) assembling codes in workflows (code parallelism) and (ii) processing large amounts of data (data parallelism). We designed MOTEUR, a service-based workflow manager, to describe data-intensive scientific applications in a compact framework and to efficiently process the resulting computations by transparently exploiting different parallelism levels. Theoretical performances are analyzed and results are shown based on a real application to medical image databases processing
Validation of the Two Standard MODIS Satellite Burned-Area Products and an Empirically-Derived Merged Product in South Africa

The 500-m Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) burned area products, MCD45A1, MCD64A1, and a merged product were validated across six study sites in South Africa using independently-derived Landsat burned-area reference data during the fire season of 2007. The objectives of this study were to: (i) investigate the likelihood of the improved detection of small burns through an empirically-derived merged product; (ii) quantify the probability of detection by each product using sub-pixel burned area measures; and, (iii) compare the mean percent concurrence of burned pixels between the standard products over a ten-year time series in each site. Results show that MCD45A1 presented higher detection probabilities (i.e., 3.0%-37.9%) for small fractions ≤50%, whereas MCD64A1 appeared more reliable (i.e., 12.0%-89.2%) in detecting large fractions >50% of a burned MODIS pixel, respectively. Overall, the merged product demonstrated improved detection of the burned area in all fractions. This paper also demonstrates that, on average, >50% of MODIS burned pixels temporally concur between
Impact of Aerobic Exercise Training on Endothelial Function in Acute Coronary Syndrome

Objective To confirm the improvement in arterial endothelial function by aerobic exercise training, flow-mediated dilation (FMD) was tested by ultrasonography. Methods Patients who received percutaneous coronary intervention due to acute coronary syndrome were included. The patients who participated in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program were categorized as the CR group, and others who did not participate as the control. Both groups underwent initial graded exercise test (GXT) and FMD testing. Subsequently, the CR group performed aerobic exercise training sessions. Patients in control only received advice regarding the exercise methods. After six weeks, both groups received follow-up GXT and FMD testing. Results There were 16 patients in each group. There were no significant differences in the general characteristics between the groups. The VO2peak was 28.6±4.7 mL/kg/min in the CR group and 31.5±7.4 mL/kg/min in the control at first GXT, and was 31.1±5.1 ml/kg/min in the CR group and 31.4±6.0 ml/kg/min in the control at the follow-up GXT in six weeks. There was a statistically significant improvement in VO2peak only for CR group patients. FMD value was 7.59%±1.26% in the CR group, 7.36%±1.48% in the control at first and 9.46%±1.82% in the CR group, and 8.31%±2.04% in the control after six weeks. There was a statistically significant improvement in FMD value in the CR group. Conclusion According to the results of GXT and FMD testing, six-week exercise-based CR program improved VO2peak and endothelial functions significantly. Thus, exercise-based CR program is necessary in patients with coronary artery disease.
Impact of personal and social resources on parenting stress in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder

This study examined the longitudinal associations between child behavior problems, coping strategies, social resources, and parenting stress in mothers of young children with autism spectrum disorder. Participants were 283 mothers who completed self- and child-report measures at the time of diagnosis and 2 years later. Hierarchical multiple regression was conducted to predict overall parenting stress. At diagnosis, the final model indicated that high levels of social support and mothers’ use of active engaged coping strategies were associated with lower levels of parenting stress. Conversely, high levels of child externalizing behavior problems, family dysfunction, and mothers’ use of disengaged coping strategies were associated with higher parenting stress. Two years later, high levels of parenting stress at diagnosis predicted increased parenting stress. In addition, high or increasing levels of social support predicted a decrease in parenting stress, while high or increasing levels of family dysfunction predicted increased stress. Finally, increased use of disengaged coping strategies and decreased use of active coping strategies over time predicted higher levels of parenting stress. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for the provision of targeted supports that are designed to enhance the personal and social resources available to mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder.
Blocking amino acid transporter OsAAP3 improves grain yield by promoting outgrowth buds and increasing tiller number in rice

Summary Amino acid transporters (AATs) play indispensable roles in nutrient allocation during plant development. In this study, we demonstrated that inhibiting expression of the rice amino acid transporter OsAAP3 increased grain yield due to a formation of larger numbers of tillers as a result of increased bud outgrowth. Elevated expression of OsAAP3 in transgenic plants resulted in significantly higher amino acid concentrations of Lys, Arg, His, Asp, Ala, Gln, Gly, Thr and Tyr, and inhibited bud outgrowth and rice tillering. However, RNAi of OsAAP3 decreased significantly Arg, Lys, Asp and Thr concentrations to a small extent, and thus promoted bud outgrowth, increased significantly tiller numbers and effective panicle numbers per plant, and further enhanced significantly grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). The promoter sequences of OsAAP3 showed some divergence between Japonica and Indica rice, and expression of the gene was higher in Japonica, which produced fewer tillers than Indica. We generated knockout lines of OsAAP3 on Japonica ZH11 and KY131 using CRISPR technology and found that grain yield could be increased significantly. These results suggest that manipulation of OsAAP3 expression could be used to increase grain yield in rice.
Electronic structure of carbon nanotubes interacting with Cu and Li atoms

The density functional theory within the Kohn-Sham approach, the pseudopotential method, and sets of plane waves are using to compare the electronic structures of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) interacting with Cu and Li atoms. It has been found that neutral Cu+SWCNT and Li +SWCNT systems (armchair or zigzag) possess the metallic electronic states near the Fermi level. The charged (either negative or positive) Cu +SWCNT and Li+SWCNT armchair systems also have the metallic-like electronic structure. However the charged Cu+SWCNT and Li+SWCNT zigzag systems have energy gaps at the Fermi region; and the negative charged systems are more favorable energetically than the positive charged systems. The Cu-zigzag system has the gap of 1.2 eV; and the gap of the Li-zigzag is 1.7 eV. As the energy gap at the level of Fermi prevents leaving of a charge from the charged Cu+SWCNT and Li+SWCNT systems, the systems can work as negative electrodes for the power accumulator. Thus, the electrical charge can be effectively accumulated in these systems. Electrical characteristics of the Cu+SWCNT system are close to those of the Li+SWCNT system, and at the same time the Cu +SWCNT systems are more stable and cheaper than Li+SWCNT ones, thus they are perspective for production of new power sources.
The environmental fate and effects of antifouling paint biocides

Antifouling (AF) biocides are the active ingredients in AF paints that prevent the settlement, adhesion and growth of organisms to a painted surface. A wide range of chemicals are used as AF biocides, which have very different physico-chemical properties and therefore differing environmental fates, behaviour and effects. Copper has been used as an antifoulant for centuries and extensive research has been performed to understand how copper speciation influences bioavailability and toxicity. For biocides that have been widely used over a number of decades, for example Irgarol 1051 and diuron, there are a large amount of environmental data in the public domain, including for their respective metabolites, that allows their environmental safety and potential risk to the environment to be assessed. For other biocides such as dichlofluanid, DCOIT (SeaNine 211) and zinc/copper pyrithione, there is a good understanding of their fate and effects. However, few monitoring studies have been performed and not so much is known about the fate and effects of their metabolites. There are also new or candidate biocides such as triphenylborane pyridine, Econea, capsaicin and medetomidine for which there is very little information in the public domain. This review provides an overview of the environmental fate and occurrence data that are in the public domain for AF biocides and provides some insight into the effects of these compounds on non-target organisms.
The interaction of moist convection and mid‐level dry air in the advance of the onset of the Indian monsoon

The advance of the onset of the Indian monsoon is here explained in terms of a balance between the low‐level monsoon flow and an overrunning intrusion of mid‐tropospheric dry air. The monsoon advances, over a period of about 6 weeks, from the south of the country to the northwest. Given that the low‐level monsoon winds are westerly or southwesterly, and the mid‐level winds northwesterly, the monsoon onset propagates upwind relative to mid‐level flow, and perpendicular to the low‐level flow, and is not directly caused by moisture flux toward the northwest. Lacking a conceptual model for the advance means that it has been hard to understand and correct known biases in weather and climate prediction models.
Role of Circadian Neuroendocrine Rhythms in the Control of Behavior and Physiology

Hormones play a major role in regulating behavior and physiology, and their efficacy is often dependent on the temporal pattern in which they are secreted. Significant insights into the mechanisms underlying rhythmic hormone secretion have been gained from transgenic rodent models, suggesting that many of the body’s rhythmic functions are regulated by a coordinated network of central and peripheral circadian pacemakers. Some neuroendocrine rhythms are driven by transcriptional-posttranslational feedback circuits comprising ‘core clock genes’, while others represent a cyclic cascade of neuroendocrine events. This review focuses on recent data from the rhesus macaque, a non-human primate model with high clinical translation potential. With primary emphasis on adrenal and gonadal steroids, it illustrates the rhythmic nature of hormone secretion, and discusses the impact that fluctuating hormone levels have on the accuracy of clinical diagnoses and on the design of effective hormone replacement therapies in the elderly. In addition, this minireview raises awareness of the rhythmic expression patterns shown by many genes, and discusses how this could impact interpretation of data obtained from gene profiling studies, especially from nocturnal rodents.
Re-Evaluation of the Action Potential Upstroke Velocity as a Measure of the Na+ Current in Cardiac Myocytes at Physiological Conditions

Background The SCN5A encoded sodium current (INa) generates the action potential (AP) upstroke and is a major determinant of AP characteristics and AP propagation in cardiac myocytes. Unfortunately, in cardiac myocytes, investigation of kinetic properties of INa with near-physiological ion concentrations and temperature is technically challenging due to the large amplitude and rapidly activating nature of INa, which may seriously hamper the quality of voltage control over the membrane. We hypothesized that the alternating voltage clamp-current clamp (VC/CC) technique might provide an alternative to traditional voltage clamp (VC) technique for the determination of INa properties under physiological conditions. Principal Findings We studied INa under close-to-physiological conditions by VC technique in SCN5A cDNA-transfected HEK cells or by alternating VC/CC technique in both SCN5A cDNA-transfected HEK cells and rabbit left ventricular myocytes. In these experiments, peak INa during a depolarizing VC step or maximal upstroke velocity, dV/dtmax, during VC/CC served as an indicator of available INa. In HEK cells, biophysical properties of INa, including current density, voltage dependent (in)activation, development of inactivation, and recovery from inactivation, were highly similar in VC and VC/CC experiments. As an application of the VC/CC technique we studied INa in left ventricular myocytes isolated from control or failing rabbit hearts. Conclusions Our results demonstrate that the alternating VC/CC technique is a valuable experimental tool for INa measurements under close-to-physiological conditions in cardiac myocytes.
Sclerosing mucoepidermoid carcinoma with eosinophilia: Cytologic characterization of a rare distinct entity in the thyroid

Sclerosing mucoepidermoid carcinoma with eosinophilia (SMECE) is an extremely rare thyroid carcinoma with limited cytologic descriptions in the literature. Here, we present a 52‐year‐old woman with a 3.9 cm thyroid nodule. Fine‐needle aspiration smears consisted of a highly cellular specimen with tumor cells in isolated patterns and solid squamoid nests. Tumor cells had round to oval nuclei, prominent nucleoli, smooth nuclear contours, and moderate amounts of dense cytoplasm. In addition to the polymorphous population of lymphocytes, the background contained a striking abundance of eosinophils. The subsequent right thyroidectomy showed histologic features diagnostic for SMECE.
How to Interpret Conventional Anorectal Manometry

Anorectal manometry is the most well established and widely available tool for investigating anorectal function. Anal sphincter tone can be quantified by anorectal manometry. The anorectal sensory response, anorectal reflexes, rectal compliance, and defecatory function are also assessed by anorectal manometry. This report will focus on defining parameters for measurement and interpretation of anorectal manometry tests.
Fibulin-5 is Down-Regulated in Colorectal Cancer and Correlated with Clinicopathologic Characteristics.

BACKGROUND Fibulin-5 has recently been considered as a potential tumor suppressor in human cancers. Several studies have shown that it is down-regulated in a variety of tumor types and inhibits tumor growth and metastasis. In this study, the expression of fibulin-5 in colorectal cancer (CRC) and its clinical significance were assessed. METHODS Fibulin-5 expression was detected in 31 samples of surgically resected CRC and paired noncancerous tissues using western blot, qRT-PCR, and immunoblotting. RESULTS In this study, the expression levels of fibulin-5 protein and mRNA were down-regulated in CRC tissues as compared with those in paired noncancerous tissues. Low expression of fibulin-5 was significantly correlated with poor prognostic features including lymph node metastasis and advanced tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) tumor stage. CONCLUSIONS Fibulin-5 is down-regulated in CRC and the reduced expression of fibulin-5 was correlated with malignant clinicopathological characteristics.
Moment stability of discontinuous stochastic dynamical systems

In the present paper, we establish new Lyapunov and Lagrange stability results in the pth mean for a class of discontinuous stochastic dynamical systems. We apply these results in the qualitative analysis of a class of digital feedback control systems that are subjected to multiplicative and additive disturbances in the plants. The present results constitute natural extensions of our earlier results for discontinuous deterministic dynamical systems.
Xylogenesis: Coniferous Trees of Temperate Forests Are Listening to the Climate Tale during the Growing Season But Only Remember the Last Words!1

In conifers, interactions between the rates and the durations of wood formation prevent the recording of climatic influences in tree-ring structure, except in the last formed cells. The complex inner mechanisms that create typical conifer tree-ring structure (i.e. the transition from large, thin-walled earlywood cells to narrow, thick-walled latewood cells) were recently unraveled. However, what physiological or environmental factors drive xylogenesis key processes remain unclear. Here, we aim to quantify the influence of seasonal variations in climatic factors on the spectacular changes in the kinetics of wood cell differentiation and in the resulting tree-ring structure. Wood formation was monitored in three sites over 3 years for three coniferous species (Norway spruce [Picea abies], Scots pine [Pinus sylvestris], and silver fir [Abies alba]). Cell differentiation rates and durations were calculated and related to tracheid final dimensions and corresponding climatic conditions. On the one hand, we found that the kinetics of cell enlargement and the final size of the tracheids were not explained by the seasonal changes in climatic factors. On the other hand, decreasing temperatures strongly constrained cell wall deposition rates during latewood formation. However, the influence of temperature was permanently written into tree-ring structure only for the very last latewood cells, when the collapse of the rate of wall deposition was no longer counterbalanced by the increase of its duration. Our results show that the formation of the typical conifer tree-ring structure, in normal climatic conditions, is only marginally driven by climate, suggesting strong developmental control of xylogenesis. The late breakage of the compensatory mechanism at work in the wall deposition process appears as a clue to understand the capacity of the maximum latewood density to record past temperature conditions.
Generic text summarization using local and global properties of sentences

With the proliferation of text data on the World-Wide Web, the development of methods for automatically summarizing these data becomes more important. Here, we propose a practical approach for extracting the most relevant sentences from the original document to form a summary. The idea of our approach is to exploit both the local and global properties of sentences. The local property can be considered as clusters of significant words within each sentence, while the global property can be though of as relations of all sentences in the document. These two properties are combined to get a single measure reflecting the informativeness of sentences. Experimental results show that our approach compares favorably to a commercial text summarizer.