Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sex and survival following pulmonary endarterectomy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: a Scandinavian observational cohort study

Studies have suggested sex-related survival differences in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). Whether long-term prognosis differs between men and women following pulmonary endarterectomy for CTEPH remains unclear. We investigated sex-specific survival after pulmonary endarterectomy for CTEPH. We included all patients who underwent pulmonary endarterectomy for CTEPH at two Scandinavian centers and obtained baseline characteristics and vital statuses from patient charts and national health-data registers. Propensity scores and weighting were used to account for baseline differences. Flexible parametric survival models were employed to estimate the association between sex and all-cause mortality and the absolute survival differences. The expected survival in an age-, sex-, and year of surgery matched general population was obtained from the Human Mortality Database, and the relative survival was used to estimate cause-specific mortality. A total of 444 patients were included, comprising 260 (59%) men and 184 (41%) women. Unadjusted 30-day mortality was 4.2% in men versus 9.8% in women (p = 0.020). In weighted analyses, long-term survival did not differ significantly in women compared with men (hazard ratio: 1.36; 95% confidence interval: 0.89–2.06). Relative survival at 15 years conditional on 30-day survival was 94% (79%–107%) in men versus 75% (59%–88%) in women. In patients who underwent pulmonary endarterectomy for CTEPH, early mortality was higher in women compared with men. After adjustment for differences in baseline characteristics, female sex was not associated with long-term survival. However, relative survival analyses suggested that the observed survival in men was close to the expected survival in the matched general population, whereas survival in women deviated notably from the matched general population.
Reproductive cycle of two Modiolus capax (Bivalvia: Mytilidae) beds at different depths at Ensenada de La Paz, Gulf of California, Mexico

Background: The fat horsemussel Modiolus capax is a commercially important resource in northwest Mexico; however, few studies evaluate its reproduction. Goals: Compare the reproductive cycle of M. capax in two beds at different depths in Ensenada de La Paz, B.C.S. , Mexico, and its relationships with the environmental variables. Methods: Approximately 25 (±4.5) specimens were collected between October 2008 and December 2010, in a shallow bed in the intertidal zone (Bed A), and 23 (±4) at a five meters deep bed (Bed B), in Ensenada de La Paz, B.C.S. , Mexico. Monthly assessments of individual biological information were complemented by histological analyses of the gonads at different moments of the reproductive cycle, taking in environmental changes. The size at the first sexual maturity (L50) was estimated using a logistic model to obtain the size at 50% maturity. The relationship between gonad development stages and the gonadosomatic index was estimated, as well as the relationship between these stages with temperature and chlorophyll. Results: A peak spawning occurred in March in Bed A and in January in Bed B. In both beds, mature and post-spawning females showed follicular atresia, up to 82% in Bed B. The estimated L50 was 74.12 mm for Bed A and 71.74 mm for Bed B. The gonadosomatic index differed between beds, and was positively correlated with the increase in chlorophyll-a (Bed A). A significant negative correlation was observed between temperature and the frequency of the maturing stage (Bed A). Conclusions: The reproduction of M. capax revealed that the beds have a different reproductive periodicity and that environmental changes affect the activity and favor the development of follicular atresia.
Corporate governance and carbon emissions performance: empirical evidence from Australia

ABSTRACT There is a growing volume of literature on corporate governance and sustainability. Despite this, the relationship between corporate governance (CG) and carbon emissions performance (CEP) is an unresolved issue. This motivates us to examine the impact of CG on CEP, using a sample of all Australian firms that have participated in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) questionnaire survey. This study employs fixed-effects modelling for an unbalanced panel of 425 firm-year observations from 2010–2018. We find that firms with higher board independence and the presence of an environmental committee show enhanced CEP. Further, frequency of board meetings and gender diversity lead to improved CEP. However, ownership concentration does not appear to improve CEP. Our article provides valuable insight for corporate directors and regulators to help them recognize the vital role that board meetings, board gender diversity, board independence, and the presence of an environmental committee play in driving the carbon performance of companies. They can also use these results to identify positive elements of CG that may deserve additional regulatory focus to achieve carbon policy objectives. This study contributes to the increasing literature on the association between CG and climate change and presents a new direction for related research on whether and how CEP is influenced by CG.
Distress Levels of Parents of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparison between Italy and Australia

Parents of children with a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) report higher levels of distress compared to those of typically developing children. Distress levels may be heightened by the restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is unclear whether distress levels of parents varied by the diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorder in children during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to investigate whether parental distress was influenced by the type of NDD. Participants were from Australia (N = 196) and Italy (N = 200); the parents of children aged 3–18 were invited to complete an online self-reported survey which included the 6-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) to determine parental distress. The results show that intellectual or learning disorder (ILD) is a major contributor to parental distress compared to other NDDs in both Australia and Italy. Moreover, the worsening of symptomatic changes in children with NDDs was significantly associated with parental distress. The differences between the two countries in terms of the pandemic impact, however, were not statistically significant. The results suggest that intervention strategies need to be tailored for individual clinical information and factor in the society’s stringency level of anti-contagion policies to improve parental wellbeing.
Vegetation Recovery Patterns in Burned Areas Assessed with Landsat 8 OLI Imagery and Environmental Biophysical Data

Vegetation recovery after the large wildfires that occurred in central Portugal in 2017 is assessed in the present study. These wildfires had catastrophic consequences, among which were human losses and a vast extent of forest devastation. Landsat 8 OLI images were used to obtain the land use and cover (LUC) classification and to determine the Normalized Burned Ratio index (NBR) for different times. NBR results were used to determine the difference between the NBR (dNBR) before the fire (pre-fire) and after the fire (post-fire), and the results obtained were cross-checked with the LUC. The dNBR results were cross-referenced with biophysical data to identify the characteristics of the most important burned areas in need of vegetative recovery. The results showed the spatial differentiation in vegetation recovery, highlighting different factors in this process, in particular the type of vegetation (the predominant species and bank of seeds available), the biophysical characteristics of burned areas (for example, the soil type in burned areas), the continentality gradient, and the climate conditions. The vegetation recovery was differentiated by time according to the species present in the burned areas pre-fire. In general, shrubland recovery was faster than that of tree species, and the recovery was more marked for species that were regenerated by the rhizomes after fire. The recovery process was also influenced by the season in the study area. It was more efficient in the spring and at the beginning of the summer, highlighting the importance of optimal conditions needed for vegetation regeneration, such as the temperature and precipitation (soil humidity and water availability for growing plants). The results of this research are important to forest planning: the definition of the strategies for the ecosystems’ recovery, the adoption of preventive measures to avoid the occurrence of large wildfires, the modification of anthropogenic practices, etc.
Systematic identification of yeast mutants with increased rates of cell death reveals rapid stochastic necrosis associated with cell division

Cell death plays a major role in development, pathology and aging and can be triggered by various types of acute external and internal stimuli, such as chemicals or mutations. However, little is known about chronic cell death in the context of continuing cell division. Here, we performed a genome-wide search for mutants with this type of death in dividing bakers yeast by assaying the accumulation of phloxine B, which stains dead cells. We identified 83 essential and 43 non-essential gene mutants. Surprisingly, three distinct types of spatial distribution of dead cells in colonies were observed which corresponded to gene ontology enrichments for (i) DNA replication and repair, RNA processing, chromatin organization, and nuclear transport; (ii) mitosis and cytokinesis; and (iii) vesicular transport and glycosylation/cell wall homeostasis. We further developed methods for analyzing the death of newborn cells (DON) and cell death in real time using microfluidics-based microscopy which revealed rapid stochastic necrosis during bud generation or cytokinesis without prior division arrest. This coincided with commonality of sensitivity to some plasma membrane and cell-wall perturbing agents, as well as mitigating effects of increasing external pH for most of the tested mutants. Our results suggest that rapid stochastic necrosis during cell division is a common type of cell death resulting from the dysfunction of different genes, and that this type of death seems to have a common proximal cause which might be related to the properties of the cell wall and/or plasma membrane.
In/visibility in Social Media Work: The Hidden Labor Behind the Brands

Despite the staggering uptick in social media employment over the last decade, this nascent category of cultural labor remains comparatively under-theorized. In this paper, we contend that social media work is configured by a visibility paradox: while workers are tasked with elevating the presence—or visibility—of their employers’ brands across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more, their identities—and much of their labor—remains hidden behind branded social media accounts. To illuminate how this ostensible paradox impacts laborers’ conditions and experiences of work, we present data from in-depth interviews with more than 40 social media professionals. Their accounts make clear that social media work is not just materially concealed, but rendered socially invisible through its lack of crediting, marginal status, and incessant demands for un/under-compensated emotional labor. This patterned devaluation of social media employment can, we show, be situated along two gender-coded axes that have long structured the value of labor in the media and cultural industries: 1). technical-communication and 2). creation-circulation. After detailing these in/visibility mechanisms, we conclude by addressing the implications of our findings for the politics and subjectivities of work in an increasingly digital media economy.
Changes in Sugar Accumulation and Related Enzyme Activities of Red Bayberry (Myrica rubra) in Greenhouse Cultivation

The harvest period of bayberry fruit cultivated in the open field is short and often suffers from continuous cloudy and rainy days, leading to a decrease in yield and a decline in fruit quality. However, cultivating bayberries in greenhouses could avoid the harm due to rain, improve fruit quality and prolong the supply period, thus significantly increasing economic returns. Bayberry fruit quality, assessed by single fruit weight, vertical and horizontal diameters, soluble solids content and sugar-acid ratios, was significantly superior in fruit produced under greenhouse conditions than in fruit produced in the open field. Analysis of the soluble sugar components and the related enzyme activities indicated that the sucrose accumulation and metabolism of bayberry fruit were significantly improved by greenhouse cultivation, possibly owing to differences in sucrose-phosphate synthase and acid invertase activities.
Predictive Model of Preventive Behaviors against COVID-19 in the Older Adult: The PREASOC-COVID-19 Study

Background: The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between COVID-19 preventive behaviors, as the dependent variable, with risk perception, coping style and sense of coherence, as independent variables, in older people living in the community. Methods: An observational design for predictive model development. This study was reported following the STROBE statement. The subjects were people over 65 years of age living in the community. Data collection included sociodemographic variables related to COVID-19, risk perception and types, coping styles in the face of contagion, sense of coherence, and preventive behaviors in the face of COVID-19. The data collection period was from November 2020 to January 2021. Results: A total of 305 people participated in this study (71.5% women, mean age 71.34 years; 6.9% suffered from COVID-19 and 44.3% knew someone close to them who suffered from the virus). The coping style variables problem-focused, emotion-focused, and sense of coherence subscales Significance and manageability explained 17% of the variable preventive behaviors against COVID-19. There were statistically significant differences by gender in all subscales, with women scoring higher in all of them; Conclusions: Men with low risk perception, extrinsic risk perception, and low sense of coherence presented worse COVID-19 preventive behaviors. It would be interesting to develop specific prevention and health education campaigns for this population.
Understanding Rural Women’s Domestic Work Experiences (DWE) in Ibadan, Nigeria: Development of a Measurement Tool Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Gender norms prescribe domestic labor as primarily a female’s responsibility in developing countries. Many domestic tasks depend on access to water, so the physical, emotional, and time demands of domestic labor may be exacerbated for women living in water-insecure environments. We developed a set of domestic work experience (DWE) measures tailored to work in rural areas in developing countries, assessed rural Nigerian women’s DWE, and examined relationships among the measures. Interviewer-administered survey data were collected between August and September from 256 women in four rural Nigerian communities. Latent factors of DWE were identified by analyzing survey items using confirmatory factor analysis. Pearson’s correlation was used to examine relationships among latent factor scores, and multivariate linear regression models were used to determine if factor scores significantly differed across socio-demographic characteristics. The DWE measures consisted of latent factors of the physical domain (frequency of common domestic tasks, water sourcing and carriage, experience of water scarcity), the psychosocial domain (stress appraisal and demand–control), and the social domain (social support). Significant correlations were observed among the latent factors within and across domains. Results revealed the importance of measuring rural Nigerian women’s DWE using multiple and contextual approaches rather than relying solely on one exposure measure. Multiple inter-related factors contributed to women’s DWE. Water insecurity exacerbated the physical and emotional demands of domestic labor DWE varied across age categories and pregnancy status among rural Nigerian women.
Drivers of Entrepreneurial Intentions in the Context of the Covid-19 Pandemic

This study investigated the effect of the personality factors, creativity, risk-taking, and locus of control, on the entrepreneurial intentions of U.S. business college students, employing the theoretical lens of the theory of planned behavior. We surveyed 353 student respondents, comparing those with self-reported entrepreneurial intentions (n=213) versus those without entrepreneurial intentions (n=140). Our results indicated that the personality characteristics of risk-taking and creativity both significantly and positively predicted entrepreneurial intentions, but locus of control did not have a significant impact. Contextually, this study was undertaken during the extensive difficulties of the Covid-19 pandemic. One positive consequence of the pandemic has been a heightened interest in entrepreneurship. We advise business school educators to pursue activities that encourage nascent entrepreneurship by fostering creativity and providing educational initiatives that help students reduce the perceived risk of starting their own businesses.
Body Fat Percentage and Availability of Oral Food Intake: Prognostic Factors and Implications for Nutrition in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Adequate nutritional support and high body mass index (BMI) are good prognostic factors for disease progression and survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, whether the composition of body weight, such as body fat percentage, has an independent effect on ALS prognosis remains unclear. The clinical data of 53 ALS patients were collected by medical record review. The data included: disease onset, sex, age, time of diagnosis, survival duration, presence of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG), nasogastric tube, tracheostomy, and availability of oral intake throughout the course of the disease, and interval measurement values of body mass by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). The interval change (∆) of the BIA parameters was calculated by subtracting the follow-up values from the baseline values. Change in body fat percentage/interval between BIA measurements (months) (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.374, p = 0.0247), and availability of oral food intake (HR = 0.167, p = 0.02), were statistically significant for survival duration in multivariate hazard proportional regression analysis. Survival analysis and Kaplan–Meier curves showed similar results. Higher average monthly change in body fat percentage and availability of oral food intake are prognostic factors in ALS survival.
The Effect of Nursing Support on Drug Compliance in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

Background: The main goal of the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is to achieve complete and permanent remission of the disease. A multidisciplinary team approach is also required to make the remission period long-term. IBD nursing in Turkey, Although these patients have begun a new specialization has been made about the pursuit of drug administration, did not find any work. It is thought that this study will provide a wellorganized nursing counseling for IBD patients and support patients in drug management. Objectives: To examine the effect of nurse support on drug compliance in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease. Method: After selecting the patients who are suitable for the sampling criteria included in the study, the study group was determined, and the patient information form and drug compliance information assessment form were administered to the individuals in the study group as a pre-test (month 0). The information included in the IBD Medical Education Booklet was given by the nurse twice a month in every 15 days on days suitable for the patients in the study group. One month after the training, the patient drug compliance assessment form was applied to the study group again and the scores of the group were analyzed by the nurse. Results: The average age of the patients is 41.37 years, 53.3% female, 36.67% secondary school graduate and 66.67% married. Post-training scores of the patients participating in the study increased. It was determined that the drug compliance of individuals with IBD who received nurse support for all other demographic features, except for patients with a maximum disease duration of 2 years, was high. Conclusion: In this study, it was observed that nurse support given to individuals with IBD in drug management increased the effectiveness of drug use.
A Regime Shift in the Interhemispheric Teleconnection between the Yellow and East China Seas and The Southeastern Tropical Pacific in The Southern Hemisphere during The Boreal Summer

Through statistical estimations on reconstructed datasets for the period 1982−2020 after removing a long-term trend, we observed that there was a drastic regime shift in the early summer’s connection between the YECS and the tropical Pacific in the early 2000s. The summer YECS SSTs had seemed to be modulated by local oceanic and atmospheric processes along with their marginal coupling to the tropical Pacific during the pre-2003 period before the regime shift. In contrast, an interhemispheric YECS−tropical southeastern Pacific (SEP) coupling appeared after the regime shift. This teleconnection was at least partially attributed to a reduced El Niño signature in the tropical Pacific, which favors the emergence of the South Pacific meridional mode (SPMM) independently from ENSO signals. Precipitation anomalies in the western tropical Pacific act as an atmospheric bridge to mediate the air-sea interacted variability associated with the SPMM into the North Pacific. The susceptibility of the YECS to atmospheric forcing may highlight the role of SST over the YECS as a potential indicator of basin-scale climate changes.
Study of heat and sound insulation for polymeric composites reinforced with nano clay

Composite materials were prepared using epoxy as a matrix and nanoclay as a reinforcement with weight fractions 5% and 10%, using hand lay-up as a preparation technique. An unreinforced epoxy cast was also prepared for comparison. Heat and acoustic insulation were studied, in addition to tensile, compression, and impact tests. The results showed that the sound levels were the highest in the unreinforced specimen, and decreased gradually with nanoclay, suggesting that the nanoclay have impeded the path for sound waves transmission. The same behavior was observed with thermal conductivity. The tensile strength for the 5% wt. specimens were about 40% higher than that of the 10% wt. specimens, and about 60% higher than the unreinforced epoxy. The Young's modulus was 1.899 MPa, 3.25 MPa, and 4.143 MPa for the 5%, 10%, and unreinforced epoxy, respectively. Impact and compressive strengths were directly proportional with nano clay content. Scanning electron microscopy was used to reveal the microscopic details. The results prove that the addition of nanoparticles must be optimized to get the desired results.