Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Self-efficacy and fatigue among health care workers during COVID-19 outbreak: A moderated mediation model of posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and negative coping

Background. Health care workers (HCWs) fighting Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) are not immune to fatigue. Self-efficacy has been suggested as a protective factor for fatigue. Nonetheless, less is known regarding the underlying mechanisms behind the association. This research aimed to explore the prevalence of fatigue among HCWs during the pandemic, investigate the mediating effect of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and moderating effect of negative coping in the association between self-efficacy and fatigue.Methods. The cross-sectional study employed a sample of 527 HCWs from Anhui Province, China. Self-efficacy, PTSD symptoms, negative coping and fatigue were measured by General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C), Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (CSCQ) and 14-item Fatigue Scale (FS-14) respectively.Results. The prevalence of fatigue among HCWs was 56.7%. The effect of self-efficacy on fatigue was partially mediated by PTSD symptoms. Additionally, negative coping moderated both the direct effect of self-efficacy on fatigue and the mediating effect of PTSD symptoms. As revealed by Johnson-Neyman technique, when the standard score of negative coping enhanced to 1.49 and over, the direct association between self-efficacy and fatigue was not significant. Likewise, the effect of self-efficacy on PTSD symptoms had no statistical significance when the standard score of negative coping was − 1.40 and lower.Conclusions. More than half HCWs suffer from fatigue during the COVID-19. For HCWs during the COVID-19 epidemic, especially those with higher levels of negative coping, it might be crucial to design program combining the enhancement of self-efficacy and interventions for PTSD to reduce fatigue.
Risk of High-Grade Cervical Lesions in Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance (ASC-US) Cytology: Comparison between HIV-Infected and HIV-Negative Women

Background and objective: Women with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection have an increased risk of HPV infection, cervical neoplasia. This study was undertaken to compare the risk of having high-grade cervical lesions defined as cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+) in HIV-infected versus HIV-uninfected women who had atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) on cervical cytology. Methods: Fifty-seven HIV-positive women aged 25-65 years with ASC-US cytology undergoing colposcopic examination between January 2008 and December 2020 at Chiang Mai University Hospital were reviewed. By matching 1:5 ratio, 285 HIV-negative women with ASC-US cytology in the same period were recruited as controlled subjects for comparison. The patient characteristics, HIV status, CD4 cell count within 6 months of colposcopy, antiretroviral therapy, parity, contraception, smoking history, number of sexual partners, and histopathology on cervical biopsy were analyzed. Results: Mean age ± SD of the HIV-positive and HIV-negative groups was 44.28 ± 8.53 years and 44.28 ± 9.68 years, respectively. HIV-positive women were significantly less likely to use contraceptive methods (36.8 % versus 48.8 % in HIV-negative women; P = 0.002). HIV-infected women significantly had more sexual partners than HIV-uninfected women. Both groups had similar risk for CIN 2+ (5.3 % in HIV-positive women compared with 4.9 % in HIV-negative women; odds ratio [OR] = 1.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.30 –3.87). After adjustment for no contraception use and number of sexual partners, the risk of CIN2+ in HIV-infected women remained unchanged; adjusted OR= 1.15, 95% CI = 0.27-4.92, P= 0.846). Conclusion: The risk of underlying high-grade cervical lesions in women with ASC-US on cervical cytology was approximately 5 %, regardless of HIV status.
Shortcut Design Methods for Hybrid Membrane/Distillation Processes for the Separation of Nonideal Multicomponent Mixtures

In conceptual process design many alternatives can arise for the separation of multicomponent mixtures. Shortcut methods can be used to evaluate and compare all variants in a first step. In this work shortcut methods for hybrid membrane/distillation processes are presented. The distillation is addressed by the rectification body method recently developed by the authors, providing the minimum energy demand of a separation and the optimal sidestream composition. The membrane unit is evaluated using the minimum membrane area. It is a lower bound for the actual membrane area and can be used to estimate the real membrane area and thus the investment cost of the membrane process. The novel method overcomes limitations of previous methods: It can be applied to multicomponent nonideal mixtures and to general flux laws for any membrane. The stated methodology is applied to the purification of ethanol and to the separation of the reactor output stream in methyl tert-butyl ether production.
Rheological behaviour of biscuit dough in relation to water mobility

Summary In this article, we were interested in the study of biscuit dough after kneading. Previous studies have shown that the dynamic properties of water and its distribution within dough influence the rheological behaviour and the machinability of dough. The viscoelastic characteristics of dough were determined with dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, whereas the water mobility in the dough was studied using low-field nuclear magnetic resonance of the proton (1H-NMR). The influence of water content and temperature on both elastic component and proton spin–spin relaxation time was studied. We showed that the evolution of proton relaxation time measurements T2 at a molecular scale can be correlated to the rheological behaviour of dough at a mesoscopic level.
Direct measurement of composition of buried quantum dots using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy

The authors present a direct method to quantitatively measure the indium composition of buried InAs quantum dots embedded in a GaAs matrix. In this method, spatially resolved electron-energy-loss spectroscopy combined with aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy at atomic resolution was employed to measure compositional profiles across the center of a quantum dot and the adjacent wetting layer. The size and shape of the quantum dots were determined using the Z contrast in high angle annular dark field images. A substantial enrichment in indium at the top of the quantum dots was identified, which is consistent with theoretical predictions.
Household COVID-19 risk and in-person schooling

Back to school—safely Severe COVID-19 in children is rare, but many schools remain closed because the transmission risk that school contact poses to adults and the wider community is unknown. Observing the heterogeneity of approaches taken among U.S. school districts, Lessler et al. investigated how different strategies influence COVID-19 transmission rates in the wider community using COVID-19 Symptom Survey data from Carnegie Mellon and Facebook. The authors found that when mitigation measures are in place, transmission within schools is limited and infection rates mirror that of the surrounding community. Science, abh2939, this issue p. 1092 COVID-19 rates were elevated for those connected to schools that implemented few or no mitigation measures. In-person schooling has proved contentious and difficult to study throughout the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Data from a massive online survey in the United States indicate an increased risk of COVID-19–related outcomes among respondents living with a child attending school in person. School-based mitigation measures are associated with significant reductions in risk, particularly daily symptoms screens, teacher masking, and closure of extracurricular activities. A positive association between in-person schooling and COVID-19 outcomes persists at low levels of mitigation, but when seven or more mitigation measures are reported, a significant relationship is no longer observed. Among teachers, working outside the home was associated with an increase in COVID-19–related outcomes, but this association is similar to that observed in other occupations (e.g., health care or office work). Although in-person schooling is associated with household COVID-19 risk, this risk can likely be controlled with properly implemented school-based mitigation measures.
Effects of Irrigation Volume and Nitrogen Fertilization on Redglobe and Michele Palieri Table-Grape Cultivars

The effects of water management and nitrogen fertilization, on yield, quality, and sensory profile of the red table-grape cultivars Redglobe and Michele Palieri were studied. Two irrigation volumes (1000 and 2000 m3/ha) and two nitrogen levels (120 and 180 kg/ha) were imposed. The effects of these parameters were cultivar-dependent. For Redglobe, irrigation resulted in significant increases in soluble solids and titratable acidity and significant decreases in resistance to compression and resistance to penetration. Increased nitrogen fertilization level exerted a significant effect only on titratable acidity (increased) and resistance to compression (decreased). Significant interactions between the two practices were demonstrated for soluble solids, pH, and resistance to compression. For Michele Palieri, increased irrigation resulted in significant decreases in soluble solids and resistance to penetration and significant increases in resistance to compression. Higher nitrogen caused decreases in berry weight but increases in soluble solid content and resistance to mechanical stress. Significant interactive effects were highlighted on yield, cluster weight, titratable acidity, and resistance to penetration. The lack of a significant correlation between physical/chemical and sensory results indicated that the changes induced by the agricultural practices on composition and mechanical behavior of berries were not perceptible by a trained panel.
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURES AND PHONON-LIMITED ELECTRON MOBILITY OF DOUBLE-GATE SILICON-ON-INSULATOR SI INVERSION LAYERS

Electronic structures and the phonon-limited electron mobility of inversion layers have been studied at 300 K for the thin Si (100) layer of double-gate (DG) silicon-on-insulator (SOI) structures by using a one-dimensional self-consistent calculation and a relaxation time approximation. Both symmetric and asymmetric DG SOI systems have been investigated. The self-consistent calculation presents the electronic structures specific to DG SOI Si inversion layers and the range of the specific electronic structures as functions of Si layer thickness tSi and the vertical effective electric field Eeff. Outside this range, the mobility behavior as a function of Eeff is almost identical to that of bulk Si inversion layers. In this range, however, as tSi decreases, the phonon-limited electron mobility μph increases gradually to a maximum around tSi=10 nm, decreases for tSi=10–5 nm, rises rapidly to another maximum in the vicinity of tSi=3 nm and finally falls. The former gradual increase in the mobility μph results .
Active Online Learning with Hidden Shifting Domains

Online machine learning systems need to adapt to domain shifts. Meanwhile, acquiring label at every timestep is expensive. Motivated by these two challenges, we propose a surprisingly simple algorithm that adaptively balances its regret and its number of label queries in settings where the data streams are from a mixture of hidden domains. For online linear regression with oblivious adversaries, we provide a tight tradeoff that depends on the durations and dimensionalities of the hidden domains. Our algorithm can adaptively deal with interleaving spans of inputs from different domains. We also generalize our results to non-linear regression for hypothesis classes with bounded eluder dimension and adaptive adversaries. Experiments on synthetic and realistic datasets demonstrate that our algorithm achieves lower regret than uniform queries and greedy queries with equal labeling budget.
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Catastrophic Cost incurred by Tuberculosis Patients and their Households

Background: As one of the World Health Organization (WHO) End Tuberculosis (TB) Strategy is to reduce the proportion of TB affected families that face catastrophic costs to 0% by 2020. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled proportion of TB affected households who face catastrophic cost. Method: A search of the online database through September 2020 was performed. A total of 5114 articles were found, of which 29 articles got included in quantitative synthesis. Catastrophic cost is defined if total cost related to TB exceeded 20% of annual pre-TB household income. R software was used to estimate the pooled proportion at 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using the fixed/random-effect models. Result: The proportion of patients faced catastrophic cost was 43% (95% CI 34-52, I2= 99%. 32% (95% CI 29 - 35, I2= 70%) among drug sensitive, and 80% (95% CI 74-85, I2=54%) among drug resistant, and 81% (95% CI 78-84%, I2= 0%) among HIV patients. Regarding active versus passive case finding the pooled proportion of catastrophic cost was 12% (95% CI 9-16, I2= 95%) versus 42% (95% CI 35-50, I2= 94%). The pooled proportion of direct cost to the total cost was 45% (95% CI 39-51, I2= 91%). The pooled proportion of patients facing catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) at cut of point of 10% of their yearly income was 45% (95% CI 35-56, I2= 93%) while at 40% of their capacity to pay was 63% (95% CI 40-80, I2= 96%). Conclusion: Despite the ongoing efforts, there is a significant proportion of patients facing catastrophic cost, which represent a main obstacle against TB control.
Interpretation of Crystal‐Field Parameters in the Rare‐Earth‐Substituted Garnets

Crystal‐field parameters of Yb3+, Eu3+, Tm3+, Sm3+, Dy3+, and Er3+ ions in various garnet lattices have been analyzed using a development of the superposition model proposed by Bradbury and Newman. This effects, in principle, the separation of the crystal‐field contributions of the different coordinated O2− ions and determines power laws and the angular distortion near substituted ions. A realistic separation of the contributions to the n = 4 parameters is obtained even when no allowance is made for local distortion. However, owing to their greater angular sensitivity, the contributions to the n = 6 parameters can only be separated if local angular distortions of up to 9° are allowed for. Results derived for single‐ligand parameters and power laws are in good accord with theoretical results obtained for other rare‐earth systems.
Daidzein Induces Intrinsic Pathway of Apoptosis along with ER α/β Ratio Alteration and ROS Production

Background: Low risk of breast cancer is observed among females consuming a moderate quantity of soy throughout their life. The present study was conducted to evaluate the anticancer potential of Daidzein, one of the major Isoflavones in soy using Human breast cancer cells MCF-7. Methods: MCF-7 were subjected to various doses of Daidzein treatment to determine the IC50 value. Onset of apoptosis was ascertained by AnnexinV assay and caspase 3/7 activity post treatment. Expression of pro-apoptotic protein Bax and anti-apoptotic protein Bcl2 was also assessed to further confirm apoptotic mode of cell death. ROS production post treatment with Daidzein was assessed to ascertain the apoptosis via intrinsic pathway. Expression of ER α and ER β was evaluated by western blot analysis. Results: Human breast cancer cells MCF-7 were found to be sensitive to Daidzein treatment, with an IC50 value of 50µM. Increased percentage of treated cells stained with Annexin V confirmed apoptosis mediated cell death. Activity of Caspase 3/7 activity was found to be 1.4-fold higher in Daidzein treated cells than control cells, confirming apoptosis. Daidzein caused over expression of Bax and down-regulated expression of Bcl2. There has been an outburst of ROS in Daidzein treated cells indicating that Daidzein induces apoptosis via intrinsic pathway. A decrease in the expression of ER α and increase in levels of ER β has been observed which are conducive indicator of apoptosis. Conclusions: In conclusion, the present study suggests that Daidzein induces apoptosis in MCF-7 cells by mitochondrial pathway along with lowering the ratio of ER α/β and an outburst of Reactive Oxygen Species(ROS).
Protective effect of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei on encephalomyocarditis-virus-induced disease in mice.

Treatment of mice with Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei enhances their resistance to the encephalomyocarditis virus infection. The protective action of lactobacilli on the course of model viral infection was the strongest in mice to which L. acidophilus and L. casei were given intraperitoneally four days prior to infection. The protective action may be due to a specific action on the immune system.
The Frequency of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) mutations in Iraqi patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

Objective: Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Carcinogenesis could be caused by numerous genetic mutations, one of the most common is the mutation in the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) which was used in the advanced stages of the disease as a therapeutic goal. This study aims to estimate the frequency of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor mutations in Iraqi patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Methods: One hundred thirty-eight patients confirmed with NSCLC have participated in this study, patients were sent for EGFR testing by different oncology centers in Iraq. Data and samples were collected. The Mutation was detected using COBAS® DNA Sample Preparation Kit that designed to detect the following mutations: Exon 19: deletions and complex mutations; Exon 21: L861Q and L858R; Exon 18 mutation: G719X (G719A, G719C, and G719S); Exon 20: S768I, T790M, and insertions, this kit utilizes the technology of the real time Polymerase Chain Reaction. Results: This study was included 79 males and 59 females, with a mean age of 60.1±12.4 years. A positive EGFR mutations were found in 38 (27.53%) of samples. Exon 19 deletions (25/38, 65.8%) and substitution L858R in exon 21 10/38 (26.3%) were the most common mutations. Multiple mutations (Exon 20 and 19 combined together) were founded in 2/38 (5.3%), and 1/38 (2.6%) ALK mutation. Non-significant differences among age groups and gender in the incidence of mutations were found. Conclusion: The current study represents the first epidemiological study in Iraq to find EGFR mutations frequency among NSCLC patients that reveals the incidence rate of 27.53%, which is between the higher prevalence rate in Asian populations and lower rates in western countries. These results explain the genetic differences of NSCLC in the world due to ethnic differences of the population, more studies are needed in Arab countries to study the EGFR mutations, find the effect of ethnicity and environmental factors for lung cancer, and the subsequent therapy.
International, multicenter retrospective trial comparing the efficacy and safety of bi-flanged versus lumen-apposing metal stents for endoscopic drainage of walled-off pancreatic necrosis

Background To compare fully covered bi-flanged metal stents (BFMS) and lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS) for endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided drainage/debridement of pancreatic walled-off necrosis (WON). Methods Patients with WON managed by EUS-guided therapy were divided into those who underwent: 1) drainage using BFMS; and 2) drainage using LAMS and scheduled direct endoscopic necrosectomy (DEN). Clinical success (resolution of the WON), technical success (successful stent placement), and adverse events (AEs) were evaluated. Results 387 patients underwent WON endoscopic drainage, 205 using BFMS and 182 using LAMS. The clinical success in the BFMS or LAMS groups were similar (197 [96.1%] vs. 174 [95.6%]; P=0.81). Median number of procedures required for WON resolution was significantly lower in BFMS compared to LAMS (2 vs. 3, P<0.001). Technical success for stent placement was similar in BFMS and LAMS groups (203 [99%] vs. 180 [99%], P=0.90). Procedure-related AEs were similar in the BFMS and LAMS groups (19 [9.3%] vs. 20 [10.9%], P=0.61). Stent dysfunction with occluding debris was higher in the BFMS group compared to LAMS group (21 [10.2 %] vs. 11 [5.9%], P=0.04). The migration rate was higher in the BFMS group than in the LAMS group (15 [7.3%] vs. 3 [1.6%]; P<0.001). DEN was required in 23 [11.2%] patients in the BFMS group after lack of WON resolution by conservative means. Conclusion BFMS with a “step-up approach” and LAMS with scheduled DEN are both safe and effective for EUS-guided drainage/debridement of WON.
Key Enzymes in Pyrimidine Synthesis, CAD and CPS1, Predict Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Simple Summary Individual patients with liver cancer have a highly variable clinical course. Hence, there is an urgent need to identify new prognostic markers to determine prognosis and select specific therapies. Expression of two key enzymes in pyrimidine synthesis was analyzed in a large, well-characterized cohort of patients with liver cancer. Dysregulated expression of these enzymes was associated with shorter survival of the patients. A combined score of both markers was found to be a statistically independent prognostic marker. Abstract Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have a highly variable clinical course. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify new prognostic markers to determine prognosis and select specific therapies. Recently, it has been demonstrated that dysregulation of the urea cycle (UC) is a common phenomenon in multiple types of cancer. Upon UC dysregulation, nitrogen is diverted toward the multifunctional enzyme carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase 2, aspartate transcarbamoylase, and dihydroorotase (CAD), and increases pyrimidine synthesis. In this study, we investigated the role of CAD and carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1), a rate-limiting enzyme of the UC highly expressed in hepatocytes, in HCC. We created a tissue microarray to analyze expression of both enzymes by immunohistochemistry in a large and well-characterized overall cohort of 871 HCCs of 561 patients that underwent surgery. CAD was induced in recurrent HCCs, and high expression predicted shorter overall survival. CPS1 was downregulated in HCC and further reduced in recurrent tumors and distant metastases. Additionally, low CPS1 was associated with short overall survival. A combined score of both enzymes was an independent prognostic marker in a multivariate Cox regression model (HR = 1.37, 95% confidence interval 1.06–1.75, p = 0.014). Inhibition of pyrimidine synthesis may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for HCC.