Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessing Safety of Direct Thrombin Inhibitors, Direct Factor Xa Inhibitors and Vitamin K Antagonists in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: A Nation-Wide Propensity Score Matched Cohort from Sweden

Purpose To evaluate associations between first-time use of direct oral anticoagulants or vitamin K antagonists and bleeding risk or mortality in the elderly with atrial fibrillation in a real-world setting in Sweden. Patients and Methods The study population comprises first-time users, above age 60, of dabigatran, apixaban, rivaroxaban, or warfarin, with first atrial fibrillation occurrence within 6 months before dispensing (2012–2016). Outcomes were gastrointestinal, any, or intracranial bleeding, and mortality. Exposure started at first dispensing of a study drug. Follow-up continued until outcome, end of drug supply, dispensing of another study drug, death or end of study (December 2016). We conducted a propensity score matched, nationwide register-based cohort study including three treatment groups: direct thrombin inhibitors, direct factor Xa inhibitors and vitamin K antagonists, each compared to the other two, focusing on subgroups of age and sex. Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for CHA2DS2VASc and HAS-BLED scores provided hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Results The matched study populations consisted of 7,264 patients for the direct thrombin inhibitors vs vitamin K antagonists comparison, 12,566 patients for the direct factor Xa inhibitors vs vitamin K antagonists comparison and 6,606 patients for the direct factor Xa inhibitors vs direct thrombin inhibitors comparison, in total 26,436 patients. Numerically high, but imprecise, hazard ratios for gastrointestinal bleeding were observed for women aged 75–80, 80–85, or above 85 years, eg 6.00 (1.02, 113.47) for direct thrombin inhibitors vs vitamin K antagonists. For both sexes, numerically high hazard ratios for any bleeding were observed in ages 80–85, or above 85 years, eg 2.90 (1.01, 10.41) for direct thrombin inhibitors vs vitamin K antagonists. Numerically high HRs for intracranial bleeding were observed for women aged 75–80 or 80–85 years, eg 2.70 (0.65, 18.19) for direct factor Xa inhibitors vs vitamin K antagonists. Excess mortality was observed in both sexes, across age groups, for naive and experienced anticoagulant users. Conclusion The observed increased gastrointestinal bleeding risk in first-time users of direct thrombin inhibitors or direct factor Xa inhibitors is consistent with previous studies. The possible risk of excess mortality merits further studies.
Growing Teachers from Within: Implementation, Impact, and Cost of an Alternative Teacher Preparation Program in Three Urban School Districts

TNTP, an organization committed to ending educational inequities by promoting the recruitment, training, and retention of high-quality teachers, implemented its Teacher Effectiveness and Certification (TEACh) initiative in three urban school districts. The authors investigated each district program's implementation and costs, the effects of TEACh on the recruitment and retention of teachers, and the relative performance of those teachers.
Comparative Persistence and Mobility of Pyridine and Phenoxy Herbicides in Soil

Bioassays with soybeans and lentils were used to compare the persistence of 2,4,5-T, triclopyr, and picloram in soil after applying 0.038, 0.38, and 3.8 kg ae/ha under field conditions. Soil samples were collected from 1 to 269 days after spraying and were kept frozen until growth room bioassays were conducted. Triclopyr was slightly less persistent than 2,4,5-T, but neither herbicide was biologically active during the next season. At least 90% of picloram disappeared within 7 months, but its biological activity was more persistent than that of either triclopyr or 2,4,5-T. Nine months after treatment, neither lentils nor soybeans could be grown in soil treated with picloram at 3.8 kg/ka. Triclopyr and 2,4-D had smiilar soil thin layer chromatographic mobilities in four different scils. Picloram was significantly more mobile than either triclopyr or 2,4,5-T, primarily due to its lower adsorption in the soils examined.
Modeling of a Quasi-Resonant DC Link Inverter Dedicated to Common-Mode Voltage and Ground Current Reduction

In this paper, the modeling methodology of the AC drive system with a Parallel Quasi-Resonant DC Link Inverter (PQRDCLI) is described. A presented modeling approach is an attractive tool used for the effective evaluation of a common-mode (CM) voltage and grounds current reduction methods. Designed models of inverter, induction machine (IM), and cable are simple, thus the methods for parameter extraction are not complicated. Verification of the proposed modeling approach was realized with the use of the the Synopsys (Mountain View, CA, USA) SABER simulator, while simulation results were experimentally verified. Operation principles of the proposed PQRDCLI converter topology are also described. Based on simulation and experimental results, it was confirmed that the proposed PQRDCLI solution represents required performance within the reduction of common-mode voltage and ground current in electric drives. Moreover, comparisons from a simulation complexity point of view have been performed to the existing methods. The evaluation is being shown at the end of the paper. It is confirmed that the presented method is simple, fast, accurate, and robust as well.
Prophylactic cranial irradiation in SCLC

Prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) has well established place in therapy for patients with limited-disease small cell lung cancer who responded to treatment. The data from randomized trials document that PCI reduces brain metastases rate from approximately 60% to 30%, and increases 3-year overall survival by approximately 5%. Currently, the dose of 25 Gy in 10 fractions is considered as standard. In attempt to reduce neuropsychological sequelae attributable to PCI hippocampal sparing techniques are employed. The existing studies suggest the benefit of hippocampal sparing in limiting memory and higher neurocognitive function losses, but with a risk of failures in the spared region. Ongoing studies will further validate the role of hippocampal sparing, both in terms of toxicity reduction and metastases prevention. PCI for patients who have undergone resection for stage I small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is not recommended, PCI may be, however, associated with a favourable outcome in SCLC patients who have undergone complete surgery in stages II−III. The role of PCI in extensive-disease (ED) SCLC has been evolving. Most recent evidence indicate that PCI is controversial in ED patients with response to initial chemotherapy and absence of brain metastases confirmed by contrast-enhanced MRI. The patients who do not receive PCI, must, however, receive periodic MRI examination during follow-up, i.e., remain under active surveillance with access to radiotherapy at brain relapse. The assessment of safety and effectiveness of hippocampal-sparing PCI, with or without drug neuroprotection in consideration of diverse combinations of radiotherapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy create a background for future directions of research.
Stable Methane Isotopologues From Northern Lakes Suggest That Ebullition Is Dominated by Sub‐Lake Scale Processes

Stable isotopes have emerged as popular study targets when investigating emission of methane (CH4) from lakes. Yet little is known on how isotopic patterns conform to variations in emission magnitudes—a highly relevant question. Here, we present a large multiyear data set on stable isotopes of CH4 ebullition (bubbling) from three small adjacent subarctic lakes. The δ13C‐CH4 and δD‐CH4 range from −78.4‰ to −53.1‰ and from −369.8‰ to −218.8‰, respectively, and vary greatly among the lakes. The signatures suggest dominant hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis, particularly in the deep zones, but there are also signals of seemingly acetoclastic production in some high fluxing shallow areas, possibly fueled by in situ vegetation, but in‐sediment anaerobic CH4 oxidation cannot be ruled out as an alternative cause. The observed patterns, however, are not consistent across the lakes. Neither do they correspond to the spatiotemporal variations in the measured bubble CH4 fluxes. Patterns of acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic production plus oxidation demonstrate that gains and losses of sediment CH4 are dominated by sub‐lake scale processes. The δD‐CH4 in the bubbles was significantly different depending on measurement month, likely due to evaporation effects. On a larger scale, our isotopic data, combined with those from other lakes, show a significant difference in bubble δD‐CH4 between postglacial and thermokarst lakes, an important result for emission inventories. Although this characteristic theoretically assists in source partitioning studies, most hypothetical future shifts in δD‐CH4 due to high‐latitude lake area or production pathway are too small to lead to atmospheric changes detectable with current technology.
Oxygen and carbon stable isotope composition of the weathering Mg‐carbonates formed on the surface of the LEW 85320 ordinary chondrite: Revisited

New δ13C and δ18O values were measured to constrain the formation mechanisms of two previously identified generations (Antarctica and Houston) of terrestrial weathering carbonates, nesquehonite, which formed on the surface of the Lewis Cliff 85320 ordinary chondrite. These two nesquehonite generations exhibit a characteristic carbon and oxygen isotopic trend which starts with a linear δ13C‐δ18O covariation followed by a continuous increase in δ18O with little to no change in δ13C. Based on the newly developed nesquehonite‐water oxygen isotope thermometry and the measured δ18O value of melted ice from Antarctica, the formation temperature of the Antarctic nesquehonite generation was estimated to be −1.9 ± 3 °C. Houston nesquehonite generation was most likely formed from an evaporative residue of the melted Antarctic ice at 30 ± 4 °C. Modeling the isotopic trend of the two generations suggests that evaporation created large δ18O variations in the nesquehonite while carbon isotopes were stabilized by exchange between the parent liquid and atmospheric CO2. Thus, we suggest that carbonates formed by terrestrial weathering in Antarctica should possess a wide spread in δ18O values and a narrow range in δ13C values under dry and cold conditions. Finally, the observed wide spread of δ18O in Martian carbonates (e.g., Allan Hills 84001 and Nakhla) can be explained by evaporation near 0 °C and may have formed by a similar mechanism to that of the nesquehonite in the LEW 85320. Meanwhile, the wide spread of δ13C suggests that two carbon reservoirs with distinct isotope compositions on Mars (e.g., the atmospheric carbon and magmatic carbon) may be actively participating in the formation process.
Effect of soil and water characteristics on yield and properties of ‘Spunta’ potatoes

Soil texture and its characteristics besides water characteristics can play an eminent role in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) production. Therefore, a soil and water quality index (SWQI, %) was derived to investigate the effect of combination of soil and water characteristics (sodium adsorption ratio for water and soil, electric conductivity of water and soil, pH for water and soil, organic matter in the soil, and soil texture index) on yield and properties of ‘Spunta’ potatoes produced under center pivot irrigation system. This index was formed studying separately the effect of irrigation water quality and soil texture on yield, water use efficiency, tuber modulus of elasticity, and tuber shape index of ‘Spunta’ potatoes. Field results demonstrated that the lowest potato yield was approximately 34.12 t ha-1 at SWQI 79.63%, and the highest potato yield was 37.79 t ha-1 at SWQI of 30.93%. The lowest water use efficiency was approximately 6.09 kg m-3 at SWQI 30.93%, and the highest water use efficiency was 6.83 kg m-3 at SWQI 79.63%. The lowest tuber modulus of elasticity was approximately 3.98 N mm-1 at SWQI 21.7%, and the highest tuber modulus of elasticity was 4.74 N mm-1 at SWQI 79.63%. Finally, the tuber shape index was approximately 342% at SWQI 79.63%, 418% at SWQI 21.72%, and 403% at SWQI 30.93%, which belongs to long and very long shapes. The soil and water quality index could be a useful tool to get relationships among water and soil characteristics, yield, and other properties of the potato crop.
Genetic divergence among provenances of Mimosa scabrella Benth. based on seed analysis.

It was aimed through this work to evaluate the genetic divergence among four provenances of bracatinga (Mimosa scabrella Benth.) belonging to the state of Santa Catarina, namely: Abelardo Luz (AB), Chapadão do Lageado (CL), Lages (PB) and Três Barras (TB) by means of multivariate analyses, they are the principal components analysis and hierarchical clustering based on the Euclidian distance. Seeds of 40 mother trees, ten from each site, were evaluated as to the biometric aspects of seeds and variables coming from germination test. The traits which contributed for the most toward divergence among the provenances were the length and breadth of seeds, % of normal seedlings, % of germination and germination velocity index. Genetic divergence among the provenances was found and separated into two groups. The cross between the superior individuals of the provenances Abelardo Luz and with the superior individuals from the provenances of group I (CL and PB) are the most promising for future genetic breeding programs.
Favourable combination of axial coordination and inclusion for effective chiral transfer from metal porphyrin to nematic liquid crystals

ABSTRACT The nickel octasubstituted tetraporphyrinate (Ni-S(+)TPP) was studied as a dopant of nematic mixtures based on alkoxycyanobiphenyls (CB-6) and Schiff bases (SB-2). An analysis of the textures allowed to establish the formation of chiral nematic phases, to measure their clearance temperatures, the degree of dopants influence on the LC, and helical pitch. High helical twisting power was calculated (126.5 μm-1 for CB-6 and 63.5 μm-1 for SB-2). Anomalous temperature dependences of the LC dielectric permittivity were obtained, due to competition between the chiral dopant, which twisted the mesophase, and the magnetic field, which untwisted LC helix. On the base of quantum chemical calculations, the formation of stable solvates of Ni-S(+)TPP with 1 and 2 alkoxycyanobiphenyl molecules due to axial coordination and inclusion was established. Solvates involving Schiff bases are less stable due to the impossibility of axial coordination. These conclusions were confirmed by 1H NMR and ROESY. Graphical abstract
Vegetation of Croatia: Phytosociological classification of the high-rank syntaxa

Abstract Croatia is among the most ecologically diverse and floristically rich countries in Europe, with a great variety of communities. The vegetation elaboration according to the standard central European method was initiated in Croatia at the beginning of the 20th century. In previous overviews of Croatian vegetation, the number of classes and alliances was underrepresented in relation to the country’s floristic richness. Furthermore, the level of knowledge and the amount of available data varied greatly among the various types of vegetation. The aims of this paper are mainly to compile a stabile syntaxonomic list of classes, orders and alliances dominated by vascular plants in Croatia and to adjust Croatian vegetation to the new European syntaxonomic system (EuroVegChecklist). It introduces a consistent description of high-rank syntaxa in Croatian. In conclusion, the vegetation of Croatia comprises 66 classes, 121 orders and 201 alliances. The number of syntaxa shows vegetation diversity that is rather high compared to most other European countries; this is related to the high floristic richness and endemism. The list points out the obvious problems and gaps in our knowledge of vegetation in Croatia and can serve as a baseline for the future vegetation studies.
Investigation of Programmed Cell Death-1 (PD-1) Gene Variations at Positions PD1.3 and PD1.5 in Iranian Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Background: Tumor cells express PD-1 ligands to bind PD-1 on immune cells and escape immune responses. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether single nucleotide polymorphisms at positions PD1.3 (+7146, rs11568821) G/A, and PD1.5 (+7785 C/T, rs2227981) may be considered risk factors for susceptibility to nonsmall cell lung cancer in the Iranian population. Methods: This study enrolled 206 histopathologically confirmed lung cancer patients and 173 age/sex matched healthy controls. We performed PCR-RFLP to determine the genotypes of the extracted genomic DNA.Results: The frequencies of PD1.3 GG, GA and AA genotypes were 171 (83%), 31 (15%) and 4 (1.9%) out of 206 patients, and 144 (83.2%), 26 (15%), and 3 (1.7%) out of 173 controls, respectively. The frequencies of PD1.5 CC, CT and TT genotypes were 78 (37.9%), 100 (48.5%), and 28 (13.6%) in patients, and 60 (34.7%), 89 (51.4%), and 24 (13.9%) in controls. There were no significant differences in genotype analysis between patients and controls at positions PD1.3 (P=0.98) or PD1.5 (P=0.80). No significant differences existed in the frequencies of alleles and haplotypes between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: Our data have indicated no association between PD1.3 (+7146) G/A and PD1.5 (+7785) C/T with susceptibility to non-small cell lung cancer. Investigation of other PD1 genetic variations and emerged haplotypes are required to completely define the role of PD1 genetic variations in susceptibility to lung cancer.
NUTRIENT RETURN THROUGH LITTERFALL IN A Eucalyptus dunnii Maiden STAND IN SANDY SOIL

A producao de serapilheira e a principal responsavel pela retencao e devolucao de nutrientes para o solo em um povoamento florestal. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a devolucao de nutrientes por meio da serapilheira produzida em um povoamento de Eucalyptus dunnii, no bioma Pampa. Para a quantificacao da serapilheira produzida, foram demarcadas quatro parcelas de 420 m2, e no interior de cada parcela foram distribuidos quatro coletores de 0,50 m2. Para a coleta dos galhos grossos demarcou-se quatro sub-parcelas de 7,00 m2. O material coletado foi separado nas fracoes folhas, galhos grossos, galhos finos e miscelânea, com posterior analise quimica. A serapilheira produzida foi de 6,99 Mg ha-1 ano-1, distribuida em 61,57%, 17,34%, 13,83% e 7,26%, nas folhas, galhos finos, galhos grossos e miscelânea, respectivamente. A quantidade de macronutrientes na serapilheira foi de 160,22 kg ha-1 ano-1, sendo que, a ordem de transferencia foi a mesma para as fracoes folhas, galhos finos e galhos grossos (Ca > N > K > Mg > S > P). Para os micronutrientes a quantidade foi 7,55 kg ha-1 ano-1, seguindo a ordem decrescente de Mn > Fe > B > Zn > Cu. A manutencao da serapilheira no sitio, principalmente em solos degradados ou de baixa fertilidade natural, como e o caso da regiao do bioma Pampa, podera contribuir com possiveis melhorias nas caracteristicas do solo.
Evaluation of Some Volatile Plant Oils and Mavrik Against Varroa destructor in Honey Bee Colonies

Different concentrations (25%, 50%and 100%) of Citrus aurantium L (Sour Orange), Cymbopagon flexuosus (Lemon grass) and Citronella volatile oils and Mavrik were used against varroa mites in honey bee colonies. The percentage of infestation by varroa mites on worker brood and adult workers, number of dead varroa fallen on the sheet and amount of brood rearing were determined in the tested colonies. The highest concentrations (100%) of tested volatile oils caused a highly effective in controlling varroa mites. The mean percentage of varroa infestation on the worker brood and adult workers reduced to 100% after the fourth week of treatment with Citrus aurantium L (Sour Orange), Cymbopagon flexuosus (Lemon grass) and after the third week of treatment with Citronella oils. Mavrik strips caused highest reduction of varroa in the worker brood cells. The highest concentrations of tested volatile oils caused highly amount of sealed worker brood particularly in Citronella oil as well as in Mavrik strips
Cancer immunotherapy: accelerating the immune response without releasing the brakes

Immuno-oncology, or oncoimmunology, is an area of research that has developed rapidly in recent years. This development has been fueled by the deep basic knowledge generated by studying immune regulation to induce positive or negative signals to improve immune responses or stop those responses when necessary. On the other hand, multiple mechanisms of escape, as well as basic knowledge on carcinogenesis and metastasis, have also reached new heights, so that putting such knowledge together may help to fight against different types of cancer.
Differences in Photosynthesis of Variegated Temple Bamboo Leaves with Various Levels of Variegation are Related to Chlorophyll Biosynthesis and Chloroplast Development

A BSTRACT . Variegated temple bamboo ( Sinobambusa tootsik f. luteoloalbostriata ) is a species of ornamental bamboo (Bambusoideae) that has gained popularity because of its striped or variegated leaves. In this study, a series of experiments was conducted to determine the factors contributing to the leaf color of this species, which included the content of the photosynthetic pigments and the chlorophyll biosynthetic precursors, the photosynthetic parameters, and the microstructure and ultrastructure of the different phenotypes. Discoloration in the leaves of variegated temple bamboo plants is attributed to two possible pathways. One was a block in chlorophyll biosynthesis, which led to the failure in biosynthesis of the thylakoid membrane. The other one was a disruption in chloroplast development. The lack of thylakoid membrane may have inhibited the conversion of coproporphyrinogen III (Coprogen III) to protoporphyrin IX (Proto IX) during the chlorophyll biosynthesis because the enzyme responsible for this conversion, protogen oxidase, is bound to the thylakoid membrane. The abnormalities in chloroplasts and a low concentration of chlorophyll in the variegated leaves led to a signiﬁcantly lower photosynthetic rate than in the entirely green leaves, as demonstrated in the light-response curve.
Efficacy of insecticides against melon fruit fly Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett) in bitter gourd

Field experiments conducted to evaluate the efficacy of selected insecticides against melon fruit fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae in bitter gourd, revealed that Deltamethrin 2.8 EC + jaggery bait (0.0028 + 0.015 %) was the most effective treatment resulting in minimum fruit infestation (13.15%, 8.61%), as well as lowest number of maggots per fruit (12.58, 9.58). The next superior treatment was deltamethrin 2.8 EC (0.0028 %), azadirachtin 1 EC (0.005 %) and malathion 50 EC (0.1 %) which were on par in terms of reduction of fruit infestation. However, the number of maggots per infested fruits was significantly lower in deltamethrin and azadirachtin treatment as compared to malathion. However, spinosad 45 SC (0.014 %) and dichlorovos 76 SC (0.152 %) were found to be inferior with comparatively lesser reduction in fruit infestation as well as number of maggots per infested fruit as compared to the other treatments, except untreated control. The combination consisting of deltamethrin + jaggery bait (0.0028 + 0.015 %) spray was found to be the most superior.