Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EFFICACY OF SUPPLEMENTAL HEMOADSORPTION THERAPY ON SEVERE AND CRITICAL PATIENTS WITH COVID-19: AN EVIDENCE-BASED ANALYSIS

ABSTRACT Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a disproportionately high threat to the global health system and social stability. COVID-19 damage can lead to hyperinflammation and tissue damage due to a “cytokine storm,” which in turn contributes to an increase in the mortality rate. Extracorporeal hemoadsorption therapy (HAT) in patients with severe COVID-19 may improve organ function and stabilize hemodynamic status; however, the effects of supplemental HAT remain controversial. Methods: The Cochrane Library, Embase, and PubMed databases were comprehensively searched from inception to August 20, 2022, for potential studies. Results: A total of 648 patients with severe COVID-19 in three randomized controlled trials and 11 observational studies met the inclusion criteria. A meta-analysis indicated that supplemental HAT significantly improved the mortality rate of patients with severe COVID-19 compared with conventional therapy (relative risk [RR] = 0.74, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.56 to 0.96, P = 0.026). In subgroup analyses, supplemental HAT significantly decreased mortality rates in patients without extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support (RR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.44–0.79, P < 0.0001), while a significant difference was not observed in patients requiring ECMO support (RR = 1.61, 95% CI = 0.63–4.09, P = 0.316). Standardized mean difference (SMD) meta-analysis showed that IL-6 removal was more significant in HAT group than conventional therapy group (SMD = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.01 to 0.91, P = 0.043), followed by C-reactive protein (SMD = 0.70, 95% CI = −0.04 to 1.44, P = 0.065) and IL-8 (SMD = 0.36, 95% CI = −0.34 to 1.07, P = 0.311). No evidence of substantial publication bias concerning mortality was observed. Conclusion: Given the better mortality outcomes, HAT confers clinical benefits to patients with severe COVID-19, which correlated with cytokine removal by HAT. Cytokine adsorption may not provide clinical benefits for patients with severe COVID-19 requiring ECMO and should be used with caution. However, because of the very low quality of evidence, multicenter randomized trials with large sample sizes are required to verify these findings.
Secrecy Performance Evaluation of Scalable Cell-Free Massive MIMO Systems: A Stochastic Geometry Approach

This paper presents the first performance analysis of physical layer downlink secure transmissions in a scalable cell-free massive MIMO (SCF-mMIMO) system. A stochastic geometry approach is used to model the locations of the access points (APs), user equipments (UEs), and eavesdroppers (Eves) as independent homogeneous Poisson point processes (HPPPs). In addition to applying maximum ratio transmission (MRT) to send the confidential messages, null-space artificial noise is also injected for secrecy enhancement. We analytically characterize the secrecy performance in terms of both the outage-based secrecy transmission rate (STR) and the ergodic secrecy rate (ESR), appropriate for slow quasi-static fading channels and fast block-fading channels, respectively. By utilizing moment matching and Gil-Pelaez inversion theorem, we are able to obtain mathematically tractable approximations for the performance metrics. These approximations are shown to have high accuracy as compared to simulation results. Our numerical results reveal useful design insights that cannot be inferred from existing studies. These insights answer important questions such as whether it is best to deploy as many APs each with fewer antennas and to what extent the artificial noise insertion is beneficial.
Molecular Screening of Haemogregarine Hemoparasites (Apicomplexa: Adeleorina: Haemogregarinidae) in Populations of Native and Introduced Pond Turtles in Eastern Europe

Haemogregarines (Apicomplexa: Adeleorina) are the most common and widespread reptilian blood parasites. Haemogregarina stepanowi was the first haemogregarine described from a reptile, the European pond turtle Emys orbicularis, and initial assessments indicated it was widespread across different pond turtle host species across much of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. However, recent molecular assessments have indicated the presence of multiple genetically distinct forms in North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, and extensive mixed infections which may be associated with a negative impact on the hosts. Here, we screened two native species, E. orbicularis and Mauremys rivulata, and the introduced Trachemys scripta from Serbia and North Macedonia for haemogregarines by amplifying and sequencing part of the 18S rRNA gene of these parasites, and used a standard DNA barcoding approach to identify leeches, the final host, attached to pond turtles. Our results again demonstrate the occurrence of considerable diversity of parasites in the analysed pond turtle species, and that T. scripta are likely infected by local haemogregarine parasites, and not those that are found in its native range. Leeches were identified as Placobdella costata, part of a lineage from Northern Europe. Mixed infections within pond turtles were again common. Current haemogregarine taxonomy does not reflect the genetic diversity identified, and a full taxonomic reassessment is needed.
Search for Higgs bosons decaying to aa in the μμττ final state in pp collisions at √s = 8 TeV with the ATLAS experiment

A search for the decay to a pair of new particles of either the 125 GeV Higgs boson (h) or a second charge parity (CP)-even Higgs boson (H) is presented. The data set corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 20.3 fb−1 of pp collisions at √s=8 TeV recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC in 2012. The search was done in the context of the next-to-minimal supersymmetric standard model, in which the new particles are the lightest neutral pseudoscalar Higgs bosons (a). One of the two a bosons is required to decay to two muons while the other is required to decay to two τ leptons. No significant excess is observed above the expected backgrounds in the dimuon invariant mass range from 3.7 to 50 GeV. Upper limits are placed on the production of h→aa relative to the standard model gg→h production, assuming no coupling of the a boson to quarks. The most stringent limit is placed at 3.5% for ma=3.75 GeV. Upper limits are also placed on the production cross section of H→aa from 2.33 to 0.72 pb, for fixed ma=5 GeV with mH ranging from 100 to 500 GeV.
Possible Misidentification of Rain Type by TRMM PR over Tibetan Plateau

Abstract Rain-type statistics derived from Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) precipitation radar (PR) standard product show that some 70% of raining pixels in the central Tibetan Plateau summer are stratiform—a clear contradiction to the common knowledge that rain events during summer in this region are mostly convective, as a result of the strong atmospheric convective instability resulting from surface heating. In examining the vertical distribution of the stratiform rain-rate profiles, it is suspected that the TRMM PR algorithm misidentifies weak convective rain events as stratiform rain events. The possible cause for this misidentification is believed to be that the freezing level is close to the surface over the plateau, so that the ground echo may be mistakenly identified as the melting level in the PR rain classification algorithm.
Polarimetric Signatures of Habitable Planets Oral Session

Body: Life on Earth is aware of light polarization and makes good use of it for its survival and growth. For example, scattering polarization of the sky provides reliable directions, while specular reflection from water and plants help find healthy environment. Plants were found grow faster if illuminated by left-handed circularly polarized light, and insects use polarized light to recognize their mates. In all cases, it is the solar light that is reflected, processed and analyzed by life forms, and the same circumstances are expected to exist on all habitable planets. Recently, we have demonstrated that polarized reflected light can be detected from exoplanetary atmospheres. While improving the sensitivity of our astronomical polarimetric measurements, we focus now on identifying biological polarization effects, e.g., selective light absorption or scattering by plants and microorganisms due to chirality of life molecules. This helps to enhance other biomarkers for distant detection of life which can be contaminated by non-biological sources. Here we present a study of relevant polarization mechanisms and systematize results of various lab experiments. We develop an optimized detection strategy for first probes of bright targets in the Solar system and beyond.
Micro- and Nanoplastics Breach the Blood–Brain Barrier (BBB): Biomolecular Corona’s Role Revealed

Humans are continuously exposed to polymeric materials such as in textiles, car tires and packaging. Unfortunately, their break down products pollute our environment, leading to widespread contamination with micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs). The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is an important biological barrier that protects the brain from harmful substances. In our study we performed short term uptake studies in mice with orally administered polystyrene micro-/nanoparticles (9.55 µm, 1.14 µm, 0.293 µm). We show that nanometer sized particles—but not bigger particles—reach the brain within only 2 h after gavage. To understand the transport mechanism, we performed coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations on the interaction of DOPC bilayers with a polystyrene nanoparticle in the presence and absence of various coronae. We found that the composition of the biomolecular corona surrounding the plastic particles was critical for passage through the BBB. Cholesterol molecules enhanced the uptake of these contaminants into the membrane of the BBB, whereas the protein model inhibited it. These opposing effects could explain the passive transport of the particles into the brain.
Optimizing the Probability of Flying in High Ice Water Content Conditions in the Tropics Using a Regional-Scale Climatology of Convective Cell Properties

AbstractIn this paper, statistical properties of rainfall are derived from 14 years of Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission data to optimize the use of flight hours for the upcoming High Altitude Ice Crystals (HAIC)/High Ice Water Content (HIWC) program. This program aims to investigate the convective processes responsible for the generation of the high ice water content that has been recognized as a threat to civil aviation. The probability that convective cells are conducive to HIWC is also further investigated using three years of C-band polarimetric radar data. Further insights into the variability of convective rainfall and favorable conditions for HIWC are also gained using two different methods to characterize the large-scale atmospheric conditions around Darwin, Australia (the Madden–Julian oscillation and the Darwin atmospheric regimes), and the underlying surface type (oceanic vs continental). The main results from the climatology relevant to flight-plan decision making are (i) convective cells c.
Association of Pre-Pregnancy Obesity and COVID-19 with Poor Pregnancy Outcome

Background and Objectives: During the COVID-19 pandemic, a possible overlap of obesity and COVID-19 infection has raised concerns among patients and healthcare professionals about protecting pregnant women from developing a severe infection and unwanted pregnancy outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the associations of body mass index with clinical, laboratory, and radiology diagnostic parameters as well as pregnancy complications and maternal outcomes in pregnant patients with COVID-19. Materials and Methods: Clinical status, laboratory, and radiology diagnostic parameters and pregnancy outcomes were analyzed for pregnant women hospitalized between March 2020 and November 2021 in one tertiary-level university clinic in Belgrade, Serbia, due to infection with SARS-CoV-2. Pregnant women were divided into the three sub-groups according to their pre-pregnancy body mass index. For testing the differences between groups, a two-sided p-value <0.05 (the Kruskal–Wallis and ANOVA tests) was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of 192 hospitalized pregnant women, obese pregnant women had extended hospitalizations, including ICU duration, and they were more likely to develop multi-organ failure, pulmonary embolism, and drug-resistant nosocomial infection. Higher maternal mortality rates, as well as poor pregnancy outcomes, were also more likely to occur in the obese group of pregnant women. Overweight and obese pregnant women were more likely to develop gestational hypertension, and they had a higher grade of placental maturity. Conclusions: Obese pregnant women hospitalized due to COVID-19 infection were more likely to develop severe complications.
Effect of Selenium on Growth, Physio-Biochemical and Yield Traits of Lettuce under Limited Water Regimes

Climate change has become one of the most complicated challenges of the twenty-first century. Water scarcity is a significant threat to food security, and climate change has adversely affected the likelihood of extreme events such as drought. Selenium (Se) has been reported to mitigate abiotic stress effects, such as drought, on various plant species. The purpose of the current study was to observe the effects of foliar-applied Se to minimize the detrimental effects of water-deficient conditions. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the exogenous application of Se at various levels (0, 3, 6 and 9 mg L−1) on the growth, physio-biochemical attributes and antioxidant defense system of lettuce plants growing under an irrigation water deficit from 85 ± 5% (control) to 35 ± 5% (drought stress). The results revealed that increasing water deficit stress linearly reduced plant growth and biomass by reducing relative water content (19.49%) and chlorophyll contents (23.95%) through increased electrolyte leakage (20.67%). However, foliar-applied Se significantly increased fresh and dry biomass under control and water-stressed conditions. Under drought stress, Se supply increased free proline content and the activities of SOD, POD and CAT in leaf tissues. The exogenous application of Se partly alleviated the effects of drought on lettuce by the upregulation of the antioxidant system and leaf soluble sugars and a simultaneous decrease in electrolyte leakage. This study further suggests that the upregulation of antioxidants and osmoprotectants is positively associated with the drought tolerance of lettuce. In conclusion, the exogenous application of Se (6 mg L−1) has more potential to improve lettuce growth, physiological attributes and modulation of enzymatic antioxidant potential, which can be recommended for use to maximize lettuce productivity and quality in a dry environment. This research provides a promising, technically feasible strategy for mitigating drought stress in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of good health and zero hunger.
Influence of Molecular Structure and Physicochemical Properties of Immunosuppressive Drugs on Micelle Formulation Characteristics and Cutaneous Delivery

The aim of this study was to investigate whether subtle differences in molecular properties affected polymeric micelle characteristics and their ability to deliver poorly water-soluble drugs into the skin. D-α-tocopherol-polyethylene glycol 1000 was used to prepare micelles containing ascomycin-derived immunosuppressants—sirolimus (SIR), pimecrolimus (PIM) and tacrolimus (TAC)—which have similar structures and physicochemical properties and have dermatological applications. Micelle formulations were prepared by thin-film hydration and extensively characterized. Cutaneous delivery and biodistribution were determined and compared. Sub-10 nm micelles were obtained for the three immunosuppressants with incorporation efficiencies >85%. However, differences were observed for drug loading, stability (at the highest concentration), and their in vitro release kinetics. These were attributed to differences in drug aqueous solubility and lipophilicity. Differences between the cutaneous biodistribution profiles and drug deposition in the different skin compartments pointed to the impact of differences in thermodynamic activity. Therefore, despite their structural similarities, SIR, TAC and PIM did not demonstrate the same behaviour either in the micelles or when applied to the skin. These outcomes indicate that polymeric micelles should be optimized even for closely related drug molecules and support the hypothesis that drugs are released from micelles prior to skin penetration.
Brauer’s height conjecture for $p$-solvable groups

We complete the proof of the height conjecture for p-solvable groups, using the classification of finite simple groups. Introduction. The height conjecture is the statement that a p-block of a finite group has an abelian defect group if and only if all ordinary irreducible characters in the block have height zero. While a proof of this conjecture for general finite groups seems remote, considerable progress has been made toward proving it for p-solvable groups. Fong [5] proved that all characters in a block with abelian defect group have height zero in a p-solvable group, and he proved the converse direction for the principal block [5] and for solvable groups in the case that p is the largest prime divisor of the group order [6]. Recently [24, 8], the converse direction has been established for all solvable groups. In this paper we prove the converse direction for all p-solvable groups, assuming the classification of finite simple groups. In its general outline this paper resembles [8], where we proved the height conjecture for solvable groups. The reader is assumed to have some familiarity with [8]. Now we state our main results, the analogs of the main results of [8]. THEOREM A. Suppose that N < G, that G/N is p-solvable, that T E Irr(N), and that p 1 (x(I)/w(l)) for all x E Irr(G I p). Then the p-Sylow subgroups of G/N are abelian. THEOREM B. Let B be a p-block of a p-solvable group with defect group D. If every ordinary irreducible character in B has height zero, then D is abelian. THEOREM C. Suppose that N < G, that G/N is p-solvable, and that w E Irr(N). Suppose that e is an integer such that pe? l does not divide X(I)/w(l) for all X E Irr(G Ip). Then the derived length of a p-Sylow subgroup of G/N is at most 2e + 1. THEOREM D. Let B and D be as in Theorem B. If every ordinary irreducible character in B has height at most e, then the derived length of D is at most 2e + 1. Received by the editors January 10, 1983. 1980 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 20C20, 20C 15. 1984 American Mathematical Society 0002-9947/84 $1.00 + $. 25 per page
Population Genetic Analysis of Six Chinese Indigenous Pig Meta-Populations Based on Geographically Isolated Regions

Simple Summary Whole-genome SNP data from 613 Chinese indigenous pigs were collected to comprehensively estimate the genetic diversity, genetic relationship, and population genetic structure of the indigenous pig meta-populations. These Chinese meta-populations were characterized by genetic distance, genetic difference index, and runs of homozygosity (ROH). The contribution of genetic diversity of each meta-population was scaled based on genetic and allelic diversity, which provides a basis for improving the conservation project. Further, a selective sweep analysis revealed that genes related to fat deposition and heat stress may contribute to the adaptability of the indigenous pigs to cold and heat. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the improvement of conservation strategies and insights into the environmental adaptability of Chinese indigenous pigs. Abstract The diversification of indigenous pig breeds in China has resulted from multiple climate, topographic, and human cultural influences. The numerous indigenous pig breeds can be geographically divided into six meta-populations; however, their genetic relationships, contributions to genetic diversity, and genetic signatures remain unclear. Whole-genome SNP data for 613 indigenous pigs from the six Chinese meta-populations were obtained and analyzed. Population genetic analyses confirmed significant genetic differentiation and a moderate mixture among the Chinese indigenous pig meta-populations. The North China (NC) meta-population had the largest contribution to genetic and allelic diversity. Evidence from selective sweep signatures revealed that genes related to fat deposition and heat stress response (EPAS1, NFE2L2, VPS13A, SPRY1, PLA2G4A, and UBE3D) were potentially involved in adaptations to cold and heat. These findings from population genetic analyses provide a better understanding of indigenous pig characteristics in different environments and a theoretical basis for future work on the conservation and breeding of Chinese indigenous pigs.
Analysis of Cumulus Cloud Updrafts as Observed with 1-Min Resolution Super Rapid Scan GOES Imagery

AbstractA study was undertaken to examine growing cumulus clouds using 1-min time resolution Super Rapid Scan Operations for Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R (GOES-R) (SRSOR) imagery to diagnose in-cloud processes from cloud-top information. SRSOR data were collected using GOES-14 for events in 2012–14. Use of 1-min resolution SRSOR observations of rapidly changing scenes provides far more insights into cloud processes as compared to when present-day 5–15-min time resolution GOES data are used. For midday times on five days, cloud-top temperatures were cataloged for 71 cumulus clouds as they grew to possess anvils and often overshooting cloud tops, which occurred over 33–152-min time periods. Characteristics of the SRSOR-observed updrafts were examined individually, on a per day basis, and collectively, to reveal unique aspects of updraft behavior, strength, and acceleration as related to the ambient stability profile and cloud-top glaciation. A conclusion is that the 1-min observations.
Stabilization of sawteeth with third harmonic deuterium ICRF-accelerated beam in JET plasmas

Sawtooth stabilisation by fast ions is investigated in deuterium (D) and D-helium 3 (He3) plasmas of JET heated by deuterium Neutral Beam Injection combined in synergy with Ion Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ICRH) applied on-axis at 3rd beam cyclotron harmonic. A very significant increase in the sawtooth period is observed, caused by the ICRH-acceleration of the beam ions born at 100 keV to the MeV energy range. Four representative sawteeth from four different discharges are compared with Porcelli's model. In two discharges, the sawtooth crash appears to be triggered by core-localized Toroidal Alfven Eigenmodes inside the q = 1 surface (also called “tornado” modes) which expel the fast ions from within the q = 1 surface, over time scales comparable with the sawtooth period. Two other discharges did not exhibit fast ion-driven instabilities in the plasma core, and no degradation of fast ion confinement was found in both modelling and direct measurements of fast ion profile with the neutroncamera. The developed sawtooth scenario without fast ion-driven instabilities in the plasma core is of high interest for the burning plasmas. Possible causes of the sawtooth crashes on JET are discussed.