Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ST-segment elevation versus non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction in current smokers after newer-generation drug-eluting stent implantation

Abstract We compared the 2-year major clinical outcomes between ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-STEMI (NSTEMI) in patients who are current smokers who underwent successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with newer-generation drug-eluting stents (DESs). The availability of data in this regard is limited. A total of 8357 AMI patients were included and divided into 2 groups: the STEMI group (n = 5124) and NSTEMI group (n = 3233). The primary endpoint was the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE), defined as all-cause death, recurrent myocardial infarction (re-MI), or coronary repeat revascularization. The secondary endpoints were the cumulative incidences of the individual components of MACE and stent thrombosis (definite or probable). After propensity score-matched (PSM) analysis, 2 PSM groups (2250 pairs, C-statistics = 0.795) were generated. In the PSM patients, both for 1 month and at 2 years, the cumulative incidence of MACE (P = .183 and P = .655, respectively), all-cause death, cardiac death, re-MI, all-cause death or MI, any repeat revascularization, and stent thrombosis (P = .998 and P = .341, respectively) was not significantly different between the STEMI and NSTEMI groups. In addition, these results were confirmed using multivariate analysis. In the era of contemporary newer-generation DESs, both during 1 month and at 2 years after index PCI, the major clinical outcomes were not significantly different between the STEMI and NSTEMI groups confined to the patients who are current smokers. However, further research is needed to confirm these results.
Positive body perception and its link to sexual satisfaction in aging women - findings from the Women 40+ Healthy Aging Study

ABSTRACT Research on the relation between physical appearance and sexual satisfaction in aging women is scarce. This study uniquely links attractiveness, body perception, and sexual satisfaction in 124 healthy aging women. Two-thirds reported being highly sexually satisfied. BMI and fat mass correlated significantly with sexual satisfaction. Weight and shape concerns moderated this relationship, affecting sexual satisfaction beyond the effect of body size and composition. Given the “unattractive stereotype” of older women related to the enduring social beauty ideal of a youthful and thin body, positive body perceptions in light of age-associated bodily changes should be promoted.
Recent advances in processing and characterization of edgeless detectors

During past five years VTT has actively developed edgeless detector fabrication process. The straightforward and high yield process relies on ion-implantation to activate the edges of the detector. A recent fabrication process was performed at VTT to provide p-on-n edgeless detectors. The layout contained DC- and AC-coupled strip detector and pixel detectors for Medipix/Timepix readouts. The fabricated detector thicknesses were 50, 100 and 150 μm. Electrical characterization was done for 5 × 5 mm2 edgeless diodes on wafer level. All measured electrical parameters showed a dramatic dependence on the diode thickness. Leakage current was measured below 10 nA/cm2 at full depletion. Calculation using a theoretical approximation indicates the diode surface generation current of less than 300 pA. The breakdown voltages were measured to be above 140 V and increased as a function of diode thickness. Reverse bias of 10 V is enough to fully deplete designed edgeless diodes. Leakage current dependence of temperature was investigated for both p-on-n and previous n-on-n edgeless detectors and results show that the leakage current doubles for every 8.5 degree Celsius rise in temperature. TCAD device simulations reveal that breakdown occurs at the lateral p-n junction where the electric field reaches its highest value. Thick edgeless diodes have wider bulk space that allows electric potential to drop and causes smaller curvature of the equipotential lines. This releases the accumulation of electric field at the corner of anode and increases the breakdown voltage. A good match of the simulated and the measured capacitance-voltage curves enables identification of proper parameters used in the simulation.
A Large-scale Approach to Modeling Molecular Biosignatures: The Diatomics

This work presents the first steps to modeling synthetic rovibrational spectra for all molecules of astrophysical interest using a new approach implemented in the Prometheus code. The goal is to create a new comprehensive source of first-principles molecular spectra, thus bridging the gap for missing data to help drive future high-resolution studies. Our primary application domain is for molecules identified as signatures of life in planetary atmospheres (biosignatures), but our approach is general and can be applied to other systems. In this work we evaluate the accuracy of our method by studying four diatomic molecules, H2, O2, N2, and CO, all of which have well-known spectra. Prometheus uses the transition-optimised shifted Hermite (TOSH) theory to account for anharmonicity for the fundamental ν = 0 → ν = 1 band, along with thermal-profile modeling for the rotational transitions. To this end, we expand TOSH theory to enable the modeling of rotational constants. We show that our simple model achieves results that are a better approximation of the real spectra than those produced through an harmonic approach. We compare our results with high-resolution HITRAN and ExoMol spectral data. We find that modeling accuracy tends to diminish for rovibrational transition away from the band origin, thus highlighting the need for the theory to be further adapted.
Plasma therapy: a passive resistance against the deadliest

ABSTRACT Convalescent plasma therapy provides a useful therapeutic tool to treat infectious diseases, especially where no specific therapeutic strategies have been identified. The ongoing pandemic puts back the spotlight on this age-old method as a viable treatment option. In this review, we discuss the usage of this therapy in different diseases including COVID-19, and the possible mechanisms of action. The current review also discusses the progress of therapeutic applications of blood-derivatives, from the simple transfer of immunized animal sera, to the more target-specific intravenous administration of human immunoglobulins from a pool of convalescent individuals, in both infectious and non-infectious diseases of various etiologies.
The effect of transglutaminase-2 inhibitor on pulmonary vascular remodeling in rats with pulmonary arterial hypertension

ABSTRACT To investigate the relationship between transglutaminase type 2 (TG2) and pulmonary vascular remodeling in the formation of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and to investigate the effect of the inhibitor cystamine dihydrochloride on pulmonary vascular remodeling in rats with PAH. Thirty healthy male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group, a PAH model group, and an intervention group. The mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP), the right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVHI), the percentage wall thickness of the pulmonary artery (WT%), and the degree of neointimal proliferation were measured, and the pathological changes in the pulmonary tissues were observed.Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein expressions of TG2, 5-hydroxytryptamine transporter (5-HTT), and Rho-associated protein kinase 2 (ROCK2) in the pulmonary tissues of the three groups of rats were detected. Compared with the control group, the mPAP, RVHI, and WT% were significantly higher in the model group, the degree of neointimal proliferation was significantly increased, and the mRNA and protein expressions of TG2, 5-HTT, and ROCK2 in the pulmonary tissue were significantly increased. Compared with the model group, the mPAP, RVHI, WT%, and the degree of neointimal proliferation were significantly lower in the intervention group, as were the mRNA and protein expressions of TG2, 5-HTT, and ROCK2 in the pulmonary tissue. The TG2 inhibitor cystamine dihydrochloride can prevent the formation of PAH to some extent. This might be due to the inhibition of the TG2 activity, 5-HTT expression, and possibly the inhibition of RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway activation.
Early Life Influences on Hearing in Adulthood: a Systematic Review and Two-Step Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis

Objectives: Adverse prenatal and early childhood development may increase susceptibility of hearing loss in adulthood. The objective was to assess whether indices of early development are associated with adult-onset hearing loss in adults ≥18 years. Design: In a systematic review and meta-analysis, four electronic databases were searched for studies reporting associations between indices of early development (birth weight and adult height) and adult-onset hearing loss in adults ≥18 years. We screened studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. Authors were contacted to provide adjusted odds ratios from a logistic regression model for relationships between birth weight/adult height and normal/impaired hearing enabling a two-step individual patient data random-effects meta-analysis to be carried out. The study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42020152214. Results: Four studies of birth weight and seven of adult height were identified. Three studies reported smaller birth weight associated with poorer adult hearing. Six studies reported shorter height associated with poorer hearing. Risk of bias was low to moderate. Four studies provided data for two-step individual patient data random-effects meta-analysis. Odds of hearing impairment were 13.5% lower for every 1 kg increase in birth weight [OR: 0.865 (95% confidence interval: 0.824 to 0.909)] in adulthood over two studies (N=81,289). Every 1 cm increase in height was associated with a 3% reduction in the odds of hearing impairment [OR: 0.970 (95% confidence interval: 0.968 to 0.971)] over four studies (N=156,740). Conclusions: Emerging evidence suggests that adverse early development increases the likelihood of hearing impairment in adulthood. Research and public health attention should focus on the potential for prevention of hearing impairment by optimizing development in early life.
Radiation-induced voltage on spacecraft internal surfaces

The charging of the surfaces of insulators beneath the thermal control blankets on spacecraft has been numerically simulated. Such insulators are found on wiring harnesses, bulkhead feed-throughs, component mounting hardware, tiewraps, thermal sensors, etc. These insulators are shielded from the low-energy space plasma by the grounded solar blankets. It is determined that the surfaces of these insulators rise to many tens of kV in the Earth's electron belts unless sufficient conduction to the spacecraft frame is established. Secondary electron emission is not sufficient to hold the potential to low values. The dependence of charging on insulator thickness, electron energy spectra, and material properties is investigated. This phenomenon is posited as an explanation for the anomalies seen on many spacecraft, and on the CRRES (Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite) in particular. >
Pulse‐Exposure Toxicity of Ammonia and Propoxur to the Tropical Copepod Acartia sinjiensis

Toxicity risk assessments of short‐term discharges of contaminated waters to the aquatic environment have shown that receptor organisms can tolerate higher pulse‐exposure than continuous‐exposure concentrations of some contaminants. However, these observations are influenced by the mode of toxicity of the contaminants present and the concentration–time profile of the exposure. For common metal contaminants, the time‐weighted average concentration (TAC) of the exposure has been useful for predicting risk of toxicity to multiple species, including the tropical, euryhaline copepod Acartia sinjiensis. To increase our understanding of the application and limitations of the TAC approach, the present study examined how varied pulse‐exposure durations affect the toxicity of fast‐acting contaminants, ammonia, and the common pesticide propoxur to this copepod species. Copepod larvae were exposed under continuous‐exposure conditions (all life stages from eggs to nauplii to copepodites exposed) and as 6‐ and 18‐h pulse exposures applied during the most sensitive life stage only (24‐h‐old nauplii) within 78‐h tests. Larval development ratio and population size were assessed as test endpoints. Generally, increased exposure duration resulted in increased toxicity. Trends observed for ammonia and propoxur were slightly different for larval development and population size. Larvae tolerated greater concentrations of contaminants in a 6‐h pulse (higher 10% effect concentration) than in an 18‐h pulse, or a continuous 78‐h exposure, whereas toxicity responses converged for the 18‐ and 78‐h exposures. Continuous toxicity thresholds were always protective of pulse exposures, providing a conservative toxicity threshold for all durations of pulse exposures. Although generalizations for predictions of risk based on TACs are frequently effective for common metal contaminants, the TAC approach was not effective for ammonia and propoxur. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:208–218. © 2021 SETAC
Molecular mechanisms for environmentally induced and evolutionarily rapid redistribution (plasticity) of meiotic recombination

Abstract It has long been known (circa 1917) that environmental conditions, as well as speciation, can affect dramatically the frequency distribution of Spo11/Rec12-dependent meiotic recombination. Here, by analyzing DNA sequence-dependent meiotic recombination hotspots in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, we reveal a molecular basis for these phenomena. The impacts of changing environmental conditions (temperature, nutrients, and osmolarity) on local rates of recombination are mediated directly by DNA site-dependent hotspots (M26, CCAAT, and Oligo-C). This control is exerted through environmental condition-responsive signal transduction networks (involving Atf1, Pcr1, Php2, Php3, Php5, and Rst2). Strikingly, individual hotspots modulate rates of recombination over a very broad dynamic range in response to changing conditions. They can range from being quiescent to being highly proficient at promoting activity of the basal recombination machinery (Spo11/Rec12 complex). Moreover, each different class of hotspot functions as an independently controlled rheostat; a condition that increases the activity of one class can decrease the activity of another class. Together, the independent modulation of recombination rates by each different class of DNA site-dependent hotspots (of which there are many) provides a molecular mechanism for highly dynamic, large-scale changes in the global frequency distribution of meiotic recombination. Because hotspot-activating DNA sites discovered in fission yeast are conserved functionally in other species, this process can also explain the previously enigmatic, Prdm9-independent, evolutionarily rapid changes in hotspot usage between closely related species, subspecies, and isolated populations of the same species.
Penalty Function Improvement of Waveguide Solution by Finite Elements

The finite element method is a well-established method for the solution of a wide range of guided wave problems. One drawback associated with the powerful vector formulation is the appearance of spurious or nonphysical solutions. A penalty function method has been introduced to the finite element formulation, to reduce or eliminate spurious solutions. It also improves the quality of the physical field solutions. The method has been applied for the solution of metallic homogeneous and inhomogeneous guides, and integrated optics guides.
Therapeutic Effect of Cyclin‐Dependent Kinase 4/6 Inhibitor on Dermal Fibrosis in Murine Models of Systemic Sclerosis

One of the histologic characteristics of systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an increased number of dermal myofibroblasts, and transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) plays a crucial role in the promotion of myofibroblast differentiation from fibroblasts, leading to dermal fibrosis. This study was undertaken to 1) examine whether inhibition of the cell cycle with a cyclin‐dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6) inhibitor suppresses the proliferation of fibroblasts and their differentiation into myofibroblasts, and 2) assess the therapeutic effects of a CDK4/6 inhibitor, administered as monotherapy or in combination with a TGFβ receptor (TGFβR) inhibitor, on dermal fibrosis in murine models of SSc.
Determining whether Public Communications Campaigns Based on the The Social Norms Approach are a Viable COVID-19 Prevention Strategy for College Campuses

The purpose of this study is to (a) outline the formative steps that universities can follow to determine if a media campaign based on the social norms approach (SNA) is a viable method for increasing COVID-19 prevention behaviors among their students, (b) present formative research data collected at a large public land-grant university in the U.S., and (c) as a test case, apply that data to assess the SNA’s viability for promoting COVID-19 prevention behaviors among students at that institution. Over time, a series of fast-track surveys were conducted to determine the descriptive and injunctive norms for four COVID-19 prevention strategies: wearing a mask in public, physical distancing, limiting the size of indoor gatherings, and receiving or planning to get a vaccination. The results demonstrated that, at this particular university, an SNA-based public communications campaign would be a promising strategy for promoting these protective behaviors. First, a clear majority of the survey respondents reported engaging in the behaviors. Second, the respondents perceived the behaviors to be less common than was actually the case, with one exception: wearing a mask. In all four cases, they perceived the behaviors to be less approved of than what the surveys documented.
Ultra-compact monolithically integrated photonic switches in InP

We report development activities towards realization of fully integrated 1×2, 2×2 and 4×4 cross-point optical switches for WDM-packet based data networking. Two enabling technologies, quantum well intermixing and etched turning mirrors, are developed and demonstrated in InGaAs/InAlGaAs InP-based material at a wavelength of 1.55 &mgr;m. We describe the use of both technologies to fabricate switch chips with different port counts.
HCV reinfection after HCV therapy among HIV/HCV‐coinfected individuals in Europe

Although direct‐acting antivirals (DAAs) can clear HCV in nearly all HIV/HCV‐coinfected individuals, high rates of reinfection may hamper efforts to eliminate HCV in this population. We investigated reinfection after sustained virological response (SVR) in HIV/HCV‐coinfected individuals in Europe.
Reliability Evaluation of Cross-Hole Sonic Logging for Bored Pile Integrity

Defects present in a pile may not be encountered during a cross-hole sonic logging (CSL) test. Even when defects are indeed encountered, they may not always be detected. This paper proposes a probabilistic analysis procedure for evaluating the reliability of CSL, thereby providing a theoretical supplement to existing experimental evaluations of CSL. The reliability of this integrity testing method is represented by the inspection probability, which is expressed as the product of the encountered probability and the detection probability. Mathematical models to calculate the encountered probability are formulated and a detection probability model is suggested based on existing CSL test data. Several examples are presented to illustrate the proposed procedure. The results indicate that there exists a minimum detectable defect size below which the defect cannot be inspected. For a given number of access tubes, the minimum detectable defect size, as a percentage of the pile cross-sectional area, decreases with the pile diameter. The encountered probability can be taken as an index to determine the required number of access tubes. When the target encountered probability is specified as 0.95, three and four access tubes will be sufficient to encounter defects larger than 15 and 5% of the pile cross-sectional area, respectively.
Evaluation of a Web-Based Stress Management Program for Persons Experiencing Work-Related Stress in Sweden (My Stress Control): Randomized Controlled Trial

Background Stress is one of the most common reasons for sick leave. Web-based interventions have the potential to reach an unlimited number of users at a low cost and have been shown to be effective in addressing several health-related problems. Handling stress on an individual level is related to behavior change. To support behavioral changes in stress management, My Stress Control (MSC) was developed. The development of MSC was based on several health psychology theories and models; however, central in the development were Social Cognitive Theory, Theory of Reasoned Action, Theory of Planned Behavior, Transactional Theory of Stress and Coping, and the Transtheoretical Model and Stages of Change. MSC is a fully automated program. The program is tailored to the user’s specific needs for stress management and behavior change. Objective In this study, we aim to conduct a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the extent to which MSC affects perceived stress in persons experiencing work-related stress. Methods This was a randomized controlled trial with 2 arms. Study participants were recruited by visiting the worksites and workplace meetings. Participants were assigned to the intervention or wait-list group. Web-based questionnaires were used before and after the intervention to collect data. Perceived stress measured using the Perceived Stress Scale-14 was the primary outcome measurement. Analyses were conducted for both between-group and within-group changes. Results A total of 92 participants were included in this study: 48 (52%) in the intervention group and 44 (48%) in the wait-list group. Overall, 25% (12/48) of participants in the intervention group and 43% (19/44) of participants in the wait-list group completed the postintervention assessment. There were no significant effects on perceived stress between the intervention and wait-list groups or within the groups. A small effect size (Cohen d=0.25) was found when comparing mean change over time on the primary outcome measure between the intervention and wait-list groups. In addition, a small effect size was found between pre- and postintervention assessments within the intervention group (Cohen d=0.38) as well as within the wait-list group (Cohen d=0.25). Conclusions The effect of MSC on perceived stress remains uncertain. As adherence was low in the intervention group, elements or features that facilitate adherence and engagement must be further developed before firmer conclusions regarding the effect of MSC can be made. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03077568; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03077568