Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Antibiotic Therapy for Pulmonary Exacerbations in Cystic Fibrosis—A Single-Centre Prospective Observational Study

People with cystic fibrosis experience bronchopulmonary exacerbations, leading to lung damage, lung function decline, increased mortality, and a poor health-related quality of life. To date, there are still open questions regarding the rationale for antibiotic use and the optimal duration of antibiotic therapy. This prospective single-center study (DRKS00012924) analyzes exacerbation treatment over 28 days in 96 pediatric and adult people with cystic fibrosis who started oral and/or intravenous antibiotic therapy in an inpatient or outpatient setting after clinician diagnosis of bronchopulmonary exacerbation. Biomarkers of exacerbation were examined in terms of their ability to predict response to treatment and the need for antibiotic therapy. The mean duration of antibiotic therapy was 14 days. Inpatient treatment was associated with a poorer health status, but no significant difference was found in the modified Fuchs exacerbation score between inpatients and outpatients. A significant increase of in-hospital FEV1, home spirometry FEV1, and body-mass index and a significant decrease of the modified Fuchs symptom score, C-reactive protein, and 8 out of the 12 domain scores of the revised cystic fibrosis questionnaire were demonstrated after 28 days. However, a trend towards a FEV1 decline in the inpatient group on day 28 could be demonstrated, while FEV1 was maintained in the outpatient group. Correlation analyses of changes between baseline and day 28 show a strong positive correlation between home spirometry and in-hospital FEV1, strong negative correlations between FEV1 and the modified Fuchs exacerbation score and between FEV1 and C-reactive protein, and a moderately negative correlation between FEV1 and the three domains of the revised cystic fibrosis questionnaire. Responders and non-responders to antibiotic therapy were defined in terms of FEV1 improvement after therapy. A higher baseline C-reactive protein, a greater decrease in C-reactive protein, a higher baseline modified Fuchs exacerbation score, and a greater decrease in the score after 28 days could be found in the responder group, while other baseline and follow-up parameters like FEV1 showed no significant differences. Our data show that the modified Fuchs exacerbation score is applicable in a clinical setting and can detect acute exacerbations regardless of health status. Home spirometry is a useful tool for outpatient exacerbation management. A change in C-reactive protein and a modified Fuchs score change are suitable follow-up markers of exacerbation due to their strong correlation with FEV1. Further studies are needed to assess which patients would benefit from a longer duration of antibiotic therapy. C-reactive protein at exacerbation onset and C-reactive protein decline during and after therapy better predict antibiotic therapy success than FEV1 at therapy onset, while the modified Fuchs score indicates exacerbation regardless of the need for antibiotic therapy, suggesting that antibiotic therapy is only part of exacerbation management.
Marginal Bone Loss Compared in Internal and External Implant Connections: Retrospective Clinical Study at 6-Years Follow-Up

The aim of this study was to assess and compare the marginal bone loss between two different categories of implants (Winsix, Biosafin, Ancona, Italy) having the same diameter and belonging to the Torque Type® (TT®) line, in the internal hexagon version (TTi, Group A) and in the external hexagon configuration (TTx, Group B). Patients with one or more straight implants (insertion parallel to the occlusal plane) in the molar and premolar regions in association with tooth extraction at least 4 months prior to implant insertion, who have a fixture diameter of 3.8 mm, who followed up for at least 6 years, and whose radiographic records were available were enrolled in this study. Depending on implant connections (externally or internally), the sample was divided into groups A and B. For externally connected implants (66), the marginal resorption was 1.1 ± 0.17 mm. The subgroup of single and bridge implants showed no statistically significant differences with a marginal bone resorption of 1.07 ± 0.15 mm and 1.1 ± 0.17 mm, respectively. Internally connected implants (69) showed an overall marginal resorption of 0.91 ± 0.17 mm, while the subgroup of single and bridge implants showed resorption of 0.90 ± 0.19 mm and 0.90 ± 0.17 mm, respectively, with no statistically significant differences. According to the obtained results, internally connected implants showed less marginal bone resorption than externally connected implants.
Triple Alliance Prototype Orthotist Network for Long-Tailed Multi-Label Text Classification

Multi-label text classification (MLTC) aims to tag the most relevant labels for the given document. Compared to the standard multi-class case where each document has only one label, it is considerably more difficulty to annotate new coming documents for multi-label text classification. Furthermore, it also suffers from the challenge of highly skewed long-tailed label distribution. Due to the relative infrequency of tail labels, this leads to an imbalance that biases towards predicting more head labels. To address the challenge, we propose a Triple Alliance Prototype Orthotist Network (TAPON) to build a generic meta-mapping from few-shot prototypes to many-shot classifier parameters, which aims to promote the generalizability of tail classifiers. To be specific, TAPON is a two-stage method. At the first stage, TAPON obtains the meta-knowledge between many-shot classifier parameters and few-shot prototype of head labels. Meanwhile, the triple alliance prototype is obtained by adopting an Attentive Prototype with the aid of few-shot documents, label semantic information and label correlation. Additionally, a Prototype Orthotist module is especially designed to capture the meta-knowledge between the many-shot classifier and few-shot prototype. At the second stage of transferring, TAPON aims to transfer the generic meta-mapping from head labels to tail labels. It first uses Attentive Prototype to obtain triple alliance prototype for tail labels, and then uses the meta-knowledge obtained from the first stage to get many-shot classifiers for tail labels. By conducting extensive experiments on benchmark datasets, we show that the proposed TAPON significantly outperforms other state-of-the-art methods for long-tailed multi-label text classification.
Transmitted HIV Drug Resistance in Bulgaria Occurs in Clusters of Individuals from Different Transmission Groups and Various Subtypes (2012–2020)

Transmitted HIV drug resistance in Bulgaria was first reported in 2015 using data from 1988–2011. We determined the prevalence of surveillance drug resistance mutations (SDRMs) and HIV-1 genetic diversity in Bulgaria during 2012–2020 using polymerase sequences from 1053 of 2010 (52.4%) antiretroviral therapy (ART)-naive individuals. Sequences were analyzed for DRM using the WHO HIV SDRM list implemented in the calculated population resistance tool at Stanford University. Genetic diversity was inferred using automated subtyping tools and phylogenetics. Cluster detection and characterization was performed using MicrobeTrace. The overall rate of SDRMs was 5.7% (60/1053), with 2.2% having resistance to nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), 1.8% to non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), 2.1% to protease inhibitors (PIs), and 0.4% with dual-class SDRMs. We found high HIV-1 diversity, with the majority being subtype B (60.4%), followed by F1 (6.9%), CRF02_AG (5.2%), A1 (3.7%), CRF12_BF (0.8%), and other subtypes and recombinant forms (23%). Most (34/60, 56.7%) of the SDRMs were present in transmission clusters of different subtypes composed mostly of male-to-male sexual contact (MMSC), including a 14-member cluster of subtype B sequences from 12 MMSC and two males reporting heterosexual contact; 13 had the L90M PI mutation and one had the T215S NRTI SDRM. We found a low SDRM prevalence amid high HIV-1 diversity among ART-naive patients in Bulgaria during 2012–2020. The majority of SDRMs were found in transmission clusters containing MMSC, indicative of onward spread of SDRM in drug-naive individuals. Our study provides valuable information on the transmission dynamics of HIV drug resistance in the context of high genetic diversity in Bulgaria, for the development of enhanced prevention strategies to end the epidemic.
Perspicuity of Evacuation Behavior in Communities during Hurricanes using Large-scale Mobility Patterns and Communal Characteristics

The announcement of evacuation orders during hurricanes is an integral part of an emergency preparedness and response plan, specifically for reducing social and economic distress. Although such orders are generally assumed to be followed in theory, in practice, evacuation rates in response to an evacuation order vary widely among communities. The purpose of this study is to examine how socioeconomic and demographic factors affect the evacuation decisions of communities in response to government-issued evacuation orders. Particularly, we harness passively collected high-fidelity mobility data in conjunction with the community characteristics to analyze the disparate evacuation pattern of 2, 617 census block groups (CBGs) in Florida during Hurricane Dorian. Our finding suggests that the lead time of evacuation orders, median age, and a racial minority percentage of CBGs affect the shift in evacuation rate once orders are issued. The study results, along with the comprehensive discussion, contribute to a deeper understanding of the factors that influence evacuation behavior during hurricanes. This can assist emergency management stakeholders in making strategic decisions to maximize community response to evacuation orders.
Isentropic Analysis of a Simulated Hurricane

AbstractHurricanes, like many other atmospheric flows, are associated with turbulent motions over a wide range of scales. Here the authors adapt a new technique based on the isentropic analysis of convective motions to study the thermodynamic structure of the overturning circulation in hurricane simulations. This approach separates the vertical mass transport in terms of the equivalent potential temperature of air parcels. In doing so, one separates the rising air parcels at high entropy from the subsiding air at low entropy. This technique filters out oscillatory motions associated with gravity waves and separates convective overturning from the secondary circulation.This approach is applied here to study the flow of an idealized hurricane simulation with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model. The isentropic circulation for a hurricane exhibits similar characteristics to that of moist convection, with a maximum mass transport near the surface associated with a shallow convection and entrainmen.
Coaxial cavity gyrotron- recent experimental results

The feasibility of fabrication of coaxial cavity gyrotrons with an output power up to 2 MW, continuous wave (CW) has been demonstrated and information necessary for a technical design has been obtained. Experiments with a gyrotron equipped with newly designed components-electron gun, cavity, RF output system-have been performed. In short pulses, a maximum radio frequency (RF) output power of 2.2 MW has been reached in stable operation. At the nominal output power of 1.5 MW an efficiency of 30% has been achieved. This has been enhanced to 48% in operation with a single-stage depressed collector. The stability of the coaxial insert has been measured to be within /spl plusmn/0.03 mm under operating conditions. The losses at the coaxial insert have been found to be about 0.1% of the RF output power. Investigations of the microwave stray radiation captured inside the tube have been performed with the following results: (1) the captured stray radiation due to diffraction losses is approximately uniformly distributed inside the mirror box; (2) about 8% of the captured microwave power is radiated through a relief window with 100-mm diameter in the used setup; and (3) the total amount of stray radiation has been found to be about 11% of the RF output power. Parasitic low-frequency oscillations have been successfully suppressed and stable operation has been achieved over a wide parameter range. Fast (/spl sim/0.1-ms) frequency tuning has been demonstrated by applying a rapid variable bias voltage at the coaxial insert. In particular, step frequency tuning by /spl plusmn/2.2 GHz due to switching from the nominal mode at 165 GHz to its azimuthal neighbors has been done and continuous tuning by up to 70 MHz within the bandwidth of the TE/sub 31,17/ mode has been performed.
Interfacial Enzymes Enable Gram-Positive Microbes to Eat Fatty Acids

Exogenous fatty acid (eFA) activation and utilization play key roles in bacterial physiology and confer growth advantages by bypassing the need to make fatty acids for lipid synthesis. In Gram-positive bacteria, eFA activation and utilization is generally carried out by the fatty acid kinase (FakAB) two-component system that converts eFA to acyl phosphate, and the acyl-ACP:phosphate transacylase (PlsX) that catalyzes the reversible conversion of acyl phosphate to acyl–acyl carrier protein. Acyl–acyl carrier protein is a soluble format of the fatty acid that is compatible with cellular metabolic enzymes and can feed multiple processes including the fatty acid biosynthesis pathway. The combination of FakAB and PlsX enables the bacteria to channel eFA nutrients. These key enzymes are peripheral membrane interfacial proteins that associate with the membrane through amphipathic helices and hydrophobic loops. In this review, we discuss the biochemical and biophysical advances that have established the structural features that drive FakB or PlsX association with the membrane, and how these protein–lipid interactions contribute to enzyme catalysis.
Prospective industrial complexes in the Russian Arctic: focus on rare-earth metals

At present, issues related to the development of rare-earth metal industrial complexes are becoming particularly relevant for Russia. Rare-earth metals (REMs) play a vital role in high technology. Therefore, success in technological progress largely depends on the availability of these metals. However, the country’s position remains uncertain – on the one hand, Russia possesses huge REM reserves, on the other hand, they are not exploited, and the existing level of import dependence of metals on supplies from foreign countries exceeds 80%. The main national REM reserves are in the Arctic region. Nevertheless, even rich deposits are still not exploited. This study aims to investigate the prospects for the development of REM industrial complexes in the Russian Arctic, taking into account both opportunities and constraints. The resource potential of REMs in the Russian Arctic is investigated, a comparative analysis of the characteristics of foreign and national REM objects is provided. The factors influencing the prospects of development of REM industrial raw material complexes are determined. Data on the main REM projects are systematized. The study makes it possible to draw some important conclusions about the current prospects for the development of rare-earth metal industrial raw materials complexes in the Russian Arctic.
Role of the Polar Proportion of Compound Collectors in Low-Rank Coal Flotation Upgrading: Insights from the Molecular Scale

The compound collector, composed of polar and nonpolar parts, is a current research hotspot in low-rank coal (LRC) flotation because of its outstanding flotation efficiency and cost-effectiveness. However, the selection of compound proportions lacks theoretical guidance. In this study, we comprehensively investigate the internal mechanism underlying the influence of the compound proportion (oleic acid (OA):dodecane (DD)) on LRC flotation. The molecular dynamics (MD) simulation between bubble and oil film was simultaneously employed to study the surface interactions between three phases in contact. The compound proportion of OA:DD = 1:3 was found to be the most conductive for Zhuanlongwan coal flotation, which provides a robust collecting capacity while minimizing excessive interaction with water. Thus, the spreading area is the largest and the interaction energy between collectors and LRC is the highest. Additionally, the oil film formed at this ratio has the best hydrophobicity, resulting in the fastest adhesion speed of the bubble and the most stable bubble adhesion. Proportions of OA:DD above 1:3 promote self-aggregation of polar collectors, leading to a worsened spreading of the oil film. Conversely, proportions below 1:3 result in weak interaction with LRC, leading to a smaller spreading area and reduced hydrophobicity. Ultimately, we propose the LRC–compound collector matching principle, which suggests that the best proportion of compound collectors fits well with the oxygen-containing sites on the LRC surface.
Logistic Regression with Structured Sparsity

Binary logistic regression with a sparsity constraint on the solution plays a vital role in many high dimensional machine learning applications. In some cases, the features can be grouped together, so that entire subsets of features can be selected or zeroed out. In many applications, however, this can be very restrictive. In this paper, we are interested in a less restrictive form of structured sparse feature selection: we assume that while features can be grouped according to some notion of similarity, not all features in a group need be selected for the task at hand. This is sometimes referred to as a “sparse group” lasso procedure, and it allows for more flexibility than traditional group lasso methods. Our framework generalizes conventional sparse group lasso further by allowing for overlapping groups, an additional flexiblity that presents further challenges. The main contribution of this paper is a new procedure called Sparse Overlapping Sets (SOS) lasso, a convex optimization program that automatically selects similar features for learning in high dimensions. We establish consistency results for the SOSlasso for classification problems using the logistic regression setting, which specializes to results for the lasso and the group lasso, some known and some new. In particular, SOSlasso is motivated by multi-subject fMRI studies in which functional activity is classified using brain voxels as features, source localization problems in Magnetoencephalography (MEG), and analyzing gene activation patterns in microarray data analysis. Experiments with real and synthetic data demonstrate the advantages of SOSlasso compared to the lasso and group lasso.
Preparation of thermally stable organic-inorganic hybrid nanocomposites from chemically functionalized oxidized graphite by in situ catalytic oxidative decarboxylation

ABSTRACT In this study, the preparation of thermally stable organic-inorganic hybrid nanocomposites from chemically functionalized oxidized graphite is carried out by in-situ catalytic oxidative decarboxylation of 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid (reactant) in the presence of potassium persulfate (oxidant), silver nitrate (catalyst) and graphite (support) under thermal or microwave conditions. The effects of heat transfer and dosages of reactant, catalyst and oxidant on the crystalline structure and the morphology of nanocomposites are studied in detail. The prepared nanocomposites are characterized by EDS, elemental mapping, FE-SEM, FT-IR and XRD. The thermal stability of nanocomposites is examined by TGA and DSC. EDS shows that nanocomposites are composed of C, O, N, S, K and Ag elements. FT-IR exhibits that the graphitic layers in nanocomposites are mainly oxidized and functionalized with carboxyl, carbonyl, hydroxyl, epoxy, sulfate, nitrate and nitroaryl groups. Addition of nitroaryl groups to nanocomposites is also supported by an increase found in their C and N contents. XRD demonstrates the coexistence of both oxidized amorphous carbon and graphite in combination with different levels of organic and inorganic phases. The prepared nanocomposites show good thermal stability. The total area of the DSC curve in these nanocomposites compared to graphite is enhanced. Graphical abstract
Hosting friends and relatives as a catalyst for immigrant participation in touristic leisure

Abstract Participation in leisure activities has been broadly shown to have positive impacts on immigrant integration. Hosting Friends and Relatives (HFR) is a highly contextual leisure activity that encourages immigrants to explore their new communities, and helps them forge connections and attachments between old and new worlds. This study surveyed 2,201 panel respondents from Toronto, Canada on their touristic leisure activities while hosting. Findings show that recently-arrived immigrant hosts visit more attractions and areas of their community, and are more likely to be participating in these experiences for the first time than other resident hosts. These results provide quantitative support for the notion, as established through previous qualitative research, that hosting can be a mechanism that pushes immigrants to engage in touristic leisure in their new communities, thereby strengthening place attachment and integration.
Micro 3D Printing Elastomeric IP-PDMS Using Two-Photon Polymerisation: A Comparative Analysis of Mechanical and Feature Resolution Properties

The mechanical properties of two-photon-polymerised (2PP) polymers are highly dependent on the employed printing parameters. In particular, the mechanical features of elastomeric polymers, such as IP-PDMS, are important for cell culture studies as they can influence cell mechanobiological responses. Herein, we employed optical-interferometer-based nanoindentation to characterise two-photon-polymerised structures manufactured with varying laser powers, scan speeds, slicing distances, and hatching distances. The minimum reported effective Young’s modulus (YM) was 350 kPa, while the maximum one was 17.8 MPa. In addition, we showed that, on average, immersion in water lowered the YM by 5.4%, a very important point as in the context of cell biology applications, the material must be employed within an aqueous environment. We also developed a printing strategy and performed a scanning electron microscopy morphological characterisation to find the smallest achievable feature size and the maximum length of a double-clamped freestanding beam. The maximum reported length of a printed beam was 70 µm with a minimum width of 1.46 ± 0.11 µm and a thickness of 4.49 ± 0.05 µm. The minimum beam width of 1.03 ± 0.02 µm was achieved for a beam length of 50 µm with a height of 3.00 ± 0.06 µm. In conclusion, the reported investigation of micron-scale two-photon-polymerized 3D IP-PDMS structures featuring tuneable mechanical properties paves the way for the use of this material in several cell biology applications, ranging from fundamental mechanobiology to in vitro disease modelling to tissue engineering.