Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In silico prediction of siRNA ionizable-lipid nanoparticles In vivo efficacy: Machine learning modeling based on formulation and molecular descriptors

In silico prediction of the in vivo efficacy of siRNA ionizable-lipid nanoparticles is desirable as it can save time and resources dedicated to wet-lab experimentation. This study aims to computationally predict siRNA nanoparticles in vivo efficacy. A data set containing 120 entries was prepared by combining molecular descriptors of the ionizable lipids together with two nanoparticles formulation characteristics. Input descriptor combinations were selected by an evolutionary algorithm. Artificial neural networks, support vector machines and partial least squares regression were used for QSAR modeling. Depending on how the data set is split, two training sets and two external validation sets were prepared. Training and validation sets contained 90 and 30 entries respectively. The results showed the successful predictions of validation set log (siRNA dose) with Rval 2= 0.86–0.89 and 0.75–80 for validation sets one and two, respectively. Artificial neural networks resulted in the best Rval 2 for both validation sets. For predictions that have high bias, improvement of Rval 2 from 0.47 to 0.96 was achieved by selecting the training set lipids lying within the applicability domain. In conclusion, in vivo performance of siRNA nanoparticles was successfully predicted by combining cheminformatics with machine learning techniques.
Inexpensive organic dyes-sensitized zinc oxide nanoparticles photoanode for solar cells devices

Abstract. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were synthesized using a hydrothermal route. The prepared ZnO NPs were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), UV–vis spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The XRD patterns confirmed the standard hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO NPs, and the calculated value of the average particle size was 23.34 nm. HR-TEM micrographs of ZnO NPs showed semispherical particle morphologies and their sizes lie between 10 and 40 nm. The estimated average size distribution of ZnO NPs was 21.35±6.01 nm. UV–vis spectrum of ZnO NPs revealed the highest absorption band at 360.5 nm, and the Eg was 3.70±0.01 eV. The PL spectrum emission was deconvoluted by eight peaks into two regions [near-ultraviolet (NUV) and visible that caused from the defects]. Two groups of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) thin film devices based on ZnO NPs were sensitized in different concentration solutions of 0.1, 0.32, and 0.5 mM of eosin B (EB) and eosin Y (EY) dyes. The sensitized DSSCs device with 0.32-mM dye of EY displayed higher efficiency and its performance parameters are much better among all other fabricated DSSCs devices. The short current density (Jsc) increased from 1.59 to 4.97 mA/cm2 and the Voc enhanced from 0.36 to 0.46 V. The conversion efficiency from light to electricity showed a significant improvement from 0.29% to 0.94%. The transient open circuit photovoltage decay (TOCPVD) was measured to estimate the apparent electron lifetime or response time (τn) or the electron recombination rate (krec), using the double exponential function for first time to fit the experiment data of TOCPVD. The results revealed that the EY dye can be used as an efficient and an inexpensive dye for DSSCs.
Circulation of Respiratory Viruses in Hospitalized Adults before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Brescia, Italy: A Retrospective Study

Different preventive public health measures were adopted globally to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2, such as hand hygiene and the use of masks, travel restrictions, social distance actions such as the closure of schools and workplaces, case and contact tracing, quarantine and lockdown. These measures, in particular physical distancing and the use of masks, might have contributed to containing the spread of other respiratory viruses that occurs principally by contact and droplet routes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of different respiratory viruses (influenza viruses A and B, respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza viruses 1, 2, 3 and 4, rhinovirus, adenovirus, metapneumovirus and human coronaviruses) after one year of the pandemic. Furthermore, another aim was to evaluate the possible impact of these non-pharmaceutical measures on the circulation of seasonal respiratory viruses. This single center study was conducted between January 2017–February 2020 (pre-pandemic period) and March 2020–May 2021 (pandemic period). All adults >18 years with respiratory symptoms and tested for respiratory pathogens were included in the study. Nucleic acid detection of all respiratory viruses was performed by multiplex real time PCR. Our results show that the test positivity for influenza A and B, metapneumovirus, parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus and human coronaviruses decreased with statistical significance during the pandemic. Contrary to this, for adenovirus the decrease was not statistically significant. Conversely, a statistically significant increase was detected for rhinovirus. Coinfections between different respiratory viruses were observed during the pre-pandemic period, while the only coinfection detected during pandemic was between SARS-CoV-2 and rhinovirus. To understand how the preventive strategies against SARS-CoV-2 might alter the transmission dynamics and epidemic patterns of respiratory viruses is fundamental to guide future preventive recommendations.
Crowdsourced Investors' Recommendations and Stock Return Synchronicity

In this paper, we investigate whether disagreement on StockTwits provides firm-specific information. Using supervised machine learning approaches and a novel dataset, we predict investors' recommendations and measure disagreement among investors on StockTwits. Our findings suggest that an increase in investors' disagreement results in a drop in return synchronicity. The negative impact of investors' disagreement on return synchronicity suggests higher inflows of firm-specific information. In line with this view, we find that disagreement improves price informativeness by increasing price leads of earnings. Further empirical evidence suggests that the negative impact of disagreement on return synchronicity is more pronounced for firms with less transparent information environment and higher salience on StockTwits.
On the distributed backward reachability problem for large scale systems

Backward reachability (also termed controllability) has been extensively studied in control theory, and tools for a wide class of systems have been developed. Nevertheless, assessing a backward reachability analysis or synthesis remains challenging as the system dimension grows. In this paper we study the backward reachability problem for large scale networked nonlinear systems with coupled dynamics and subject to states and inputs nonlinear constraints. We propose a theory for completely general nonlinear constrained large scale controllability problems. We demonstrate that it is always possible to recast such problems for the overall large scale system into an equivalent distributed form where, without introducing any conservativeness, each node of the network iteratively solves a local reachability subproblem by exchanging information with the adjacent nodes. Although the proposed algorithm is completely decentralized, the solution of the backward reachability problem for the overall system is equivalently determined by the local ones and satisfies all the given constraints. Not being linked to any specific assumption on the system dynamics nor static constraints, the proposed results hold irrespectively of any possible analytical/numerical solver to be adopted for backward reachability computation.
Formation Characteristics of PCDD/Fs in the Co-combustion and Pyrolysis Process of Coal and Sewage Sludge

Co-combustion technology of coal and sewage sludge (SS) was encouraged and recommended in China. Previous studies most focused on its influence on combustion characteristics, migration characteristics of heavy metals in fly ash, and emission of conventional pollutants, etc., but less reported the formation characteristics of polychlorinated-ρ -dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). To well reveal it, this study carried out five parallel experiments, including the pyrolysis of SS, the combustion of SS, the co-combustion of coal and SS with the proportion of 0%, 2.5% and 5%, respectively. The emission concentration of PCDD/Fs respectively increased from 0.42 ng g – 1 (0.0022 ng I-TEQ g – 1 ) to 0.54 ng g – 1 (0.0030 ng I-TEQ g – 1 ) and 1.70 ng g – 1 (0.0305 ng I-TEQ g – 1 ) with increasing blending proportion of SS. The dominant part was also changed from PCDF (0.32 ng g – 1 in M-0%, 0.38 ng g – 1 in M-2.5%) to PCDD (1.11 ng g – 1 in M-5%). The formation concentration of PCDD/Fs in the combustion process of SS was about 0.34 ng g – 1 (0.0019 ng I-TEQ g – 1 ). In the pyrolysis process of SS, the concentration of PCDD/Fs was 0.59 ng g – 1 (0.0037 ng I-TEQ g – 1 ). The de novo synthesis should be the major formation pathway of PCDD/Fs in the co-combustion process of coal and SS. On the basis of sufficient carbon sources, the PCA analysis revealed the chlorine source (Cl) and metal catalyst (Fe) should contribute a lot on the formation of PCDD/Fs. The results paved the way for further optimization on the operation of co-combustion of coal and SS and assist in controlling the PCDD/F emission from co-combustion process.
Anomalous Mesh Dependence of Adjoint Solutions Near Walls in Inviscid Flows Past Configurations with Sharp Trailing Edges

We show that 2D and 3D inviscid continuous and discrete drag and lift adjoint solutions past sharp trailing edges are generically strongly mesh dependent at and near the wall and do not converge as the mesh is refined. Lift-based adjoint solutions are affected for any flow condition, while drag-based adjoint solutions are affected for transonic lifting flows. This anomalous behavior appears to be linked to the adjoint singularity at the trailing edge.
Taurolock versus saline 5% on preventing infection and dysfunction of hemodialysis catheters; a randomized, double blind controlled clinical trial

Implication for health policy/practice/research/medical education: In a randomized, double blind controlled clinical trial on patients undergoing hemodialysis to find the efficacy of Taurolock versus saline 5% for preventing infection and dysfunction of hemodialysis catheters; we found saline 5% is at least as effective as the Taurolock solution for prevention of infections and catheter dysfunction. Saline is an effective, inexpensive, safe and readily available in various settings. Therefore, it could be considered as a proper alternative solution for reduction of dialysis-related side effects and costs. Please cite this paper as: Ghorbani A, Hayati F, Dargahi-MalAmir M, Afkane M. Taurolock versus saline 5% on preventing infection and dysfunction of hemodialysis catheters; a randomized, double blind controlled clinical trial. J Renal Inj Prev. 2021; 10(3): e25. doi: 10.34172/jrip.2021. 25. O rig in al
Trends in Maize Grain Yields across Five Maturity Groups in a Long-Term Experiment with Changing Genotypes

Combining experimental studies on grain yield variability with crop model simulations in maize could assist in choosing the optimum maturity group for a certain location, counteracting the effect of climate change. However, studies considering specificities in Southeast Europe are lacking. The objectives were to put various environmental covariates including stress degree days (SDD) into FAO maturity settings to determine the impact of climate change on maize growing in Southeast Europe and to compare trends for grain yields over twenty years of maize experimental and simulation data grouped in five FAO maturity groups (FAO 200–FAO 600). Pre-registration yield trials of maize planted in one location in Croatia grown from 1996 to 2015 were used to determine “potential yield”. Correlation coefficients between 12 climate covariates and grain yield (GY) across the maturity groups revealed the tightest negative associations between SDD and GY that were weakened by later-maturity groups. Similar trends in GY were obtained by both experimental and simulation data, highlighting FAO 600 as a nearly no yield-reducing FAO group over the two decades. Our results indicate that choosing early maize hybrids in Southeast Europe does not seem to be an optimum option in the future, since these hybrids are more sensitive to omnipresent heat stress than late hybrids.
Anopheles salivary antigens as serological biomarkers of vector exposure and malaria transmission: A systematic review with multilevel modelling

Background: Entomological surveillance for malaria is inherently resource-intensive and produces crude population-level measures of vector exposure which are insensitive in low-transmission settings. Antibodies against Anopheles salivary proteins measured at the individual-level may serve as proxy biomarkers for vector exposure and malaria transmission, but their relationship is yet to be quantified. Methods: A systematic review of studies measuring antibodies against Anopheles salivary antigens (PROSPERO: CRD42020185449). Multilevel modelling estimated associations between seroprevalence with Anopheles human biting rate (HBR) and malaria transmission measures. Results: From 3981 studies identified in literature searches, 42 studies across 16 countries were included contributing 393 meta-observations of anti-Anopheles salivary antibodies determined in 42,764 samples. A positive non-linear association between HBR and seroprevalence was found; overall a 50% increase in HBR was associated with a 13% increase in odds of seropositivity (OR: 1.13, 95%CI: 1.06-1.20, p<0.001). The association between HBR and Anopheles salivary antibodies was strongest with concordant, rather than discordant Anopheles species. Seroprevalence was also significantly positively associated with established epidemiological measures of malaria transmission: entomological inoculation rate, Plasmodium spp. prevalence, and malarial endemicity class. Conclusions: Anopheles salivary antibody biomarkers can serve as a proxy measure for HBR and malaria transmission, and could monitor vectorial capacity and malaria receptivity of a population to sustain malaria transmission. Validation of Anopheles species-specific biomarkers are important given the global heterogeneity in the distribution of Anopheles species. Salivary biomarkers have the potential to transform surveillance by replacing impractical, inaccurate entomological investigations, especially in areas progressing towards malaria elimination. Funding: Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust.
The distribution and evolution of supraglacial lakes on 79° N Glacier (north-eastern Greenland) and interannual climatic controls

Abstract. The Nioghalvfjerdsfjorden glacier (also known as the 79∘ North Glacier) drains approximately 8 % of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Supraglacial lakes (SGLs), or surface melt ponds, are a persistent summertime feature and are thought to drain rapidly to the base of the glacier and influence seasonal ice velocity. However, seasonal development and spatial distribution of SGLs in the north-east of Greenland are poorly understood, leaving a substantial error in the estimate of meltwater and its impacts on ice velocity. Using results from an automated detection of melt ponds, atmospheric and surface mass balance modelling, and reanalysis products, we investigate the role of specific climatic conditions in melt onset, extent, and duration from 2016 to 2019. The summers of 2016 and 2019 were characterised by above-average air temperatures, particularly in June, as well as a number of rainfall events, which led to extensive melt ponds to elevations up to 1600 m. Conversely, 2018 was particularly cold, with a large accumulated snowpack, which limited the development of lakes to altitudes less than 800 m. There is evidence of inland expansion and increases in the total area of lakes compared to the early 2000s, as projected by future global warming scenarios.
Rosuvastatins effects on ischemic skin flaps: Facts about statins effects on skin flap viability

Aim: Statins are considered to be protective against ischemic injury because of their pleiotropic effects. In this animal study, theeffects of high dose (40 mg/kg) rosuvastatin on ischemic skin flaps were investigated.Materials and Methods: Eighteen Wistar Albino male rats randomly divided into the treatment and the sham groups in equal numbers(n=9 in each group). Orogastric tubes were used both in the treatment and the sham group. Differently, in our study orogastric feedingstarted one day before the surgery and ended on the postoperative day seven. By this way we aimed to have enough circulatinglevels of agent in acute ischemia. Only the treatment group received rosuvastatin-supplemented water. Twenty-four hours after thefirst gavage application, caudally based, modified McFarlane flaps were elevated in 3x10 cm in size. After flap elevation procedure,the flaps were returned to their original location immediately.Results: The day after the last gavage application on postoperative day seven animals were sacrificed. Thereafter the digital imageswere obtained. The skin biopsies were taken by pathologist from three zones on each flap for histopathological assessment. Skinflap viability rate (p=0.508) and necrosis rate (p=0.453) did not show any difference between the groups Interestingly, the finalweights of the animals were lower than their initial weights, but this was only significant for the study group (p=0.008), not for thesham group (p=0.400). There were no any expectations related with weight change of the animals before the statistical analysis.Conclusion: On the other hand, there are literature studies claiming that the statins are effective to increase ischemic skin flapsviability, this study contradicts earlier studies. Statins were not observed to have favorable effects on critically ischemic skin flapviability through their pleiotropic activity.
Leverage determinants: a new analysis on G7 countries

We improve Rajan and Zingales’ (1995) theory through more recent data analysis and more robust statistical techniques. We show that the theoretical model proposed by Rajan and Zingales is still valid, taking into consideration serial autocorrelation and the fi rm’s initial leverage. However, the level of tangibility is not shown to be signifi cant, which is attributed to a structural change in fi rms located in developed countries. Th us, this study contributes to the timely modifi cation of determinants of leverage in G7 countries. KeYWOrDs: Leverage. Tangibility. Market-to-book ratio.
Eﬃcient Exploration of Body Surface with Tactile Sensors on Humanoid Robots

Sense of touch plays an important role in the life of a person, however it is un-derutilised and understudied in the ﬁeld of robotics. Tactile sensory modality has large potential in many areas, from robots building and calibrating models of their bodies using tactile feedback, to enabling safe human-robot interaction. Although rich literature exists on the topics of active learning and intrinsic motivation, authors rarely test their hypotheses on robots with the sense of touch. And when they do, they often prefer to use extremely simple simulations of planar manipulators. In this thesis, I address this problem by developing an artiﬁcial skin simulator for the iCub humanoid robot used for research in cognitive developmental robotics, and using it for experiments in eﬃcient exploration of the robot’s body. I have successfully implemented the artiﬁ-cial skin simulator for the iCub humanoid robot and used it to perform a set of experiments in body surface exploration. I have applied the goal babbling exploration framework and exploration by disagreement algorithm to eﬃciently explore the simulated robot’s body surface. I have also compared several inverse body models suitable for the task of tactile exploration. Once the artiﬁcial skin simulator is accepted into the iCub codebase, it will make it easier for other researchers to perform experiments involving the sense
Update of Risk Factors on Clostridium difficile Infection amongst Orthopaedic Trauma Patients in a High Volume Tertiary Care Emergency Center

The presence of Clostridium difficile in the human digestive system may manifest itself as asymptomatic colonization, or incidences of diarrhea with different levels of clinical severity or pseudomembranous colitis. The onset of Clostridium difficile infection is most often associated with prolonged hospital stay or broad-spectrum antibiotic use during hospitalization. This open prospective cohort study comprising 47 out of 1627 hospitalized patients for whom the presence of diarrhea was reported and thus were suspected for Clostridium difficile infection. The diagnosis of the CDI was based on clinical and microbiological findings. The incidence of infections caused by CDI in our study was 2.75/1000 patient days. Clostridium difficile infection was eventually proven in 27 out of the 47 patients with reported diarrhea, which represents almost 60% of the entire cohort. Univariate analysis of risk factors related to CDI showed that the infection depended on age, number of hospitalizaton days and lenght of use of cephalosporins, while multivariate analysis showed that the only independent risk factor for CDI was age over 50. Careful and limited use of cephalosporin antibiotics, especially in patients over the age of 50, should be implemented in the antibiotic stewardship policy.
The Bluest Changing-Look QSO SDSS J224113-012108

In this manuscript, we report a new changing-look QSO (CLQSO) SDSS J2241 at z = 0.059. Based on the multi-epoch Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectra from 2011 to 2017, the flux ratio of broad Hα to broad Hβ has changed from 7 in 2011 to 2.7 in 2017, leading SDSS J2241 with a spectral index α λ ∼ −5.21 ± 0.02 (λ < 4000) in 2017 to be, so far, the bluest CLQSO. Based on the SDSS spectrum in 2011, the host galaxy contribution with a stellar velocity dispersion of ∼86 km s−1 can be well determined, leading to the M–sigma relation expected central black hole (BH) mass of ∼3 × 106 M ⊙. However, based on properties of the broad Hα emission, the virial BH mass is ∼108 M ⊙, about two magnitudes larger than the mass found through the M–sigma relation. The different BH masses found using different methods indicate that SDSS J2241 is one unique CLQSO. The long-term photometric light curve shows interesting variability that is not expected assuming the Damped Random Walk process commonly applied to active galactic nuclei but probably connected to a central tidal disruption event. Furthermore, based on continuum emission properties in 2017 with no dust obscuration, the moving dust clouds scenario alone cannot be preferred to explain the CLQSO SDSS J2241, because the expected intrinsic reddening-corrected continuum emission was unreasonably higher than the unobscured continuum emission in 2017.