Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Safety and efficacy of etomidate in combination with oxycodone in painless gastroscopic procedures in the elderly: A prospective randomized controlled trial study

Objective: Etomidate is often combined in rapid succession during induction of anesthesia. However, the effect of pretreatment with oxycodone on recovery of cognitive function and adverse effects has rarely been studied. We conducted a prospective randomized controlled trial to compare etomidate alone with etomidate combined with oxycodone in elderly patients undergoing painless gastroscopy. Methods: Hundred elderly patients undergoing painless gastroscopy were divided into a control and an observation group, with 50 cases in each group. The age, gender, height, weight, body mass index and American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status (I/II) of patients in both groups were recorded. The recovery of cognitive function was compared in both groups using the Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Examination. Adverse events, including somatic motor reactions, hypotension, bradycardia, myocardial tremor, nausea and vomiting, and injection pain, were also recorded in both groups. Moreover, heart rate, peripheral capillary oxygen saturation, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure were evaluated in the 2 groups at different time points. Results: A total of 100 patients were enrolled in this study. The demographic characteristics in the 2 groups were not significantly different (P > .05). Regarding the recovery of cognitive functions, more subjects in the observation group passed the memory, arithmetic and orientation test than in the control group (P < .05). Fewer adverse events such as dynamic body reactions, cardiac tremor, nausea and vomiting, and injection pain occurred in the observation group than in the control group (P < .05). During anesthesia and after awakening, the results of peripheral capillary oxygen saturation, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure were better in the observation group than in the control group (P < .05). Conclusion: Etomidate in combination with oxycodone for painless gastroscopic operation in the elderly is a safe and effective anesthetic strategy.
An Investigation of Factored Regression Missing Data Methods for Multilevel Models with Cross-Level Interactions

Abstract A growing body of literature has focused on missing data methods that factorize the joint distribution into a part representing the analysis model of interest and a part representing the distributions of the incomplete predictors. Relatively little is known about the utility of this method for multilevel models with interactive effects. This study presents a series of Monte Carlo computer simulations that investigates Bayesian and multiple imputation strategies based on factored regressions. When the model’s distributional assumptions are satisfied, these methods generally produce nearly unbiased estimates and good coverage, with few exceptions. Severe misspecifications that arise from substantially non-normal distributions can introduce biased estimates and poor coverage. Follow-up simulations suggest that a Yeo–Johnson transformation can mitigate these biases. A real data example illustrates the methodology, and the paper suggests several avenues for future research.
Variable selection in high-dimensional partly linear additive models

Semiparametric models are particularly useful for high-dimensional regression problems. In this paper, we focus on partly linear additive models with a large number of predictors (can be larger than the sample size) and consider model estimation and variable selection based on polynomial spline expansion for the nonparametric part with adaptive lasso penalty on the linear part. Convergence rates as well as asymptotic normality of the linear part are shown. We also perform some Monte Carlo studies to demonstrate the performance of the estimator.
Web-Based Harm Reduction Intervention for Chemsex in Men Who Have Sex With Men: Randomized Controlled Trial

Background Men who have sex with men (MSM) who practice chemsex have a higher likelihood of engaging in risky sexual behaviors and higher rates of HIV infection and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) than those who do not. Objective This trial aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a web-based intervention in reducing the sexual harms of chemsex among MSM. Methods The study was a 2-arm, assessor-blinded, randomized, parallel-group trial with a 3-month follow-up period. The study was conducted in the year 2021 in Hong Kong. Underpinned by the theory of planned behaviors and a harm reduction approach, the intervention consisted of interactive components and knowledge-based information about chemsex. Participants in the control group received brief information and content about sexual violence. The primary outcome was self-efficacy in refusing risky sexual behaviors and chemsex, as measured by the Condom Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES), Self-Efficacy for Sexual Safety (SESS) instrument, and Drug Avoidance Self-Efficacy Scale (DASES). The secondary outcomes included intentions to have chemsex, actual engagement in chemsex, HIV and other STI testing, and condom use in the last 3 months. All outcomes were self-reported. An online structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Results In total, 316 MSM enrolled in the study. The intervention group demonstrated a significantly larger improvement in condom-use self-efficacy (as measured by CSES scores; time-by-group interaction: β=4.52, 95% CI 2.03-7.02; P<.001), self-efficacy for sexual safety (as measured by SESS scores; time-by-group interaction: β=2.11, 95% CI 0.66-3.56; P=.004), and drug avoidance self-efficacy (as measured by DASES scores; time-by-group interaction: β=6.98, 95% CI 1.75-12.22; P=.009). Regarding the secondary outcomes, participants in the intervention group demonstrated a significantly larger reduction in the likelihood of having engaged in chemsex in the last 3 months (time-by-group interaction: odds ratio [OR]=0.23, 95% CI 0.10-0.53; P=.001) and likelihood of having had the intention to engage in chemsex in the last 3 months (time-by-group interaction: OR=0.37, 95% CI 0.18-0.78; P=.009). Participants in the intervention group also showed a significantly larger increase in the likelihood of having undergone HIV testing in the last 3 months (time-by-group interaction: OR=3.08, 95% CI 1.72-5.54; P<.001). Conclusions This study suggests that a web-based intervention with a harm reduction approach can enhance the self-efficacy of MSM in refusing risky sexual behaviors and chemsex and improve the uptake of HIV testing. We also provide initial evidence that such interventions can reduce both the intention of MSM to engage in chemsex and their actual engagement in chemsex. Trial Registration ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN20134522; https://www.isrctn. com/ISRCTN20134522. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) RR2-10.1186/s12889-021-10742-8
U.S. Naval Observatory CCD parallaxes of faint stars. I - Program description and first results

The U.S. Naval Observatory CCD trigonometric parallax program is described in detail, including the instrumentation employed, observing procedures followed, and reduction procedures applied. Astrometric results are presented for 72 stars ranging in apparent brightness from V = 15.16 to 19.58. Photometry (V and V−I on the Kron-Cousins system) is presented for the parallax stars and for all 426 individual reference stars employed in the astrometric solutions. Corrections for differential color refraction, calibrated to the observed V−I colors, have been applied to all astrometric measures
The Jovian Stratosphere after Comet Shoemaker-Levy/9: Unusual Isotopic Ratios in Molecular Trace Constituents

Since the collision of comet Shoemaker-Levy/9 with Jupiter in 1994 July, a number of minor molecular species have been observed to persist in the stratosphere of the planet. Here we report observations acquired in 1998 September at frequencies near 350 GHz (wavelength 850 μm) of HCN and CS and their respective isotopomers H13CN, HC15N, and C34S. Through radiative transfer modeling of the observed lines, we find that the isotopic abundance ratios 12C/13C, 14N/15N, and 32S/34S are considerably elevated with respect to their terrestrial values. We speculate that this result indicates an unusual composition for comet Shoemaker-Levy/9, or that cometary grains evaporated in the collisions significantly modified the isotope ratios.
The flail-arm syndrome: the influence of phenotypic features

Abstract Objective: The flail-arm syndrome (FAS), one of the Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) phenotypes, is characterized by slow progression and predominantly lower motor neuron (LMN) involvement with proximal upper limb (UL) weakness. We aim to characterize the clinical features, progression and survival of FAS associated with distal or proximal onset and presence or absence of upper motor neuron signs (UMN) signs at diagnosis. Methods: Data from 704 ALS patients was analyzed. Of the 190 patients with UL onset; 134 were excluded as not respecting the published criteria for FAS. The included patients were divided into four groups according to distal/proximal onset and presence/absence of UMN signs. Results: 56 FAS patients (8% of the population), median age at onset 59.9 years (Q1/Q3, 50.3–68.1), 75% men, were studied. Distal onset with UMN signs occurred in 37.5%, distal onset without UMN signs in 28.6%, proximal onset with UMN signs in 8.9% and proximal onset without UMN signs in 25%. Age of onset, sex, fasciculations at onset, diagnostic delay, progression rate, time to respiratory involvement and survival were similar among the four groups. Sex ratio was more balanced in patients with UMN signs (p = 0.032) and survival was shorter (69.5 months, 95% CI: 55.4–110.4 vs 152.6 months, 95% CI: 69.0–177.3; p = 0.035). The Cox regression identified rate of progression (p < 0.001) and UMN signs (p = 0.003) as independent predictors of shorter survival. Conclusions: Distal or proximal onset had no influence on clinical characteristics and prognosis but UMN signs at diagnosis are a negative prognostic predictor.
Astrophysical determination of optical oscillator strengths for Ti II

An internally consistent set of relative oscillator strengths for 109 spectral lines of Ti II in the range 3800-5500 A has been derived. These oscillator strengths have been obtained by combining available laboratory data and theoretical calculations with new astrophysical oscillator strengths determined from both published photographic equivalent width lists and spectral synthesis of a number of available Reticon spectra of several sharp-lined stars. The accuracy of our astrophysical oscillator strengths has been tested by determining astrophysical gf-values for a number of lines of Fe II by the same methods
Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Microdroplet Impingement on Solid Surface

Impingement process of a nanoscale liquid droplet on solid wall was studied with a molecular dynamics simulation technique in order to investigate one of the elementary processes in inkjet printing technology. We proposed a new wall model consisting of Lennard-Jones (LJ) particles with fixed position, which shows a virtual friction between the wall and the droplet. A droplet consisting of about 14,000 LJ particles was projected with a given speed onto the model wall, and change of the droplet shape was analyzed. After the collision, the droplet spreads on a “hydrophilic” or strongly interacting wall, but bounces on a “hydrophobic” wall. Next we investigated the impinging dynamics on “pre-patterned” walls, which is a promising technique for electronic circuit fabrication with inkjet printing. When the wall is patterned with hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions, the droplet tends to spread only on the hydrophilic area. The droplet is able to trace much complicated patterns when the impinging speed is sufficiently large. In the case that the speed exceeds a certain threshold, however, the droplet breaks up.
Identification of deleterious nsSNPs in human HGF gene: in silico approach

Abstract HGF is a protein that binds to the hepatocyte growth factor receptor to regulate cell growth, cell motility and morphogenesis in different cells and tissues. Several bioinformatics tools and in silico methods were used to identify most deleterious nsSNPs that might change the structure and function of HGF protein. The in silico tools such as SIFT, SNP&GO and PolyPhen2 were used to distinguish deleterious nsSNPs from neutral ones. Protein stability is analysed by I‐Mutant, MUpro and iStable. The functional and structural effects are predicted by other tools like MutPred2, Maestro, DUET etc. Analysis of structure was performed by HOPE and Mutation3D. SWISS-MODEL. server, was used for wild type and mutant proteins 3‐D Modelling. Gene–gene and protein–protein interaction were predicted by GeneMANIA and STRING, respectively. The wildtype HGF protein and these three variants were independently docked with their close interactor protein MET by the use of ClusPro. Our study suggested that out of 392 missense nsSNPs of the HGF gene, five nsSNPs (D358G, G648R, I550N, N175S and R220Q), are the most deleterious in HGF gene. Gene–gene interactions showed relation of HGF with other genes depicting its importance in several pathways and co‐expressions. The protein–protein interacting network is composed of 11 nodes. Analysis of protein stability by different tools indicated that the five nsSNPS decreased the stability of the protein. Anyway these nsSNPs need a confirmation analysis by experimental investigation and GWAS studies Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma
Measurement of the power distribution during stimulated Brillouin scattering with focused Gaussian beams

Abstract We show both theoretically and experimentally that, when stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) is produced using focused Gaussian beams, the spatial extent of the pump depletion region changes significantly with the input power. We also show that the location of the SBS interaction region depends on the ratio of the input power to the SBS threshold power. Only below and near SBS threshold is the interaction region largely located within several confocal parameters of the beam waist, as is often assumed in simplified treatments of the SBS process.
Enhanced optical limiting effects in a double-decker bis(phthalocyaninato) rare earth complex using radially polarized beams

Optical limiting (OL) effects can be enhanced by exploiting various limiting mechanisms and by designing nonlinear optical materials. In this work, we present the large enhancement of OL effects by manipulating the polarization distribution of the light field. Theoretically, we develop the Z-scan and nonlinear transmission theories on a two-photon absorber under the excitation of cylindrical vector beams. It is shown that both the sensitivity of Z-scan technique and the OL effect using radially polarized beams have the large enhancement compared with that using linearly polarized beams (LPBs). Experimentally, we investigate the nonlinear absorption properties of a double-decker Pr[Pc(OC8H17)8]2 rare earth complex by performing Z-scan measurements with femtosecond-pulsed radially polarized beams at 800 nm wavelength. The observed two-photon absorption process, which originates from strong intramolecular π–π interaction, is exploited for OL application. The results demonstrate the large enhancement of OL effects using radially polarized beams instead of LPBs.
Structural and functional connectivity of the inferior temporal numeral area

Abstract A growing body of evidence suggests that in adults, there is a spatially consistent “inferior temporal numeral area” (ITNA) in the occipitotemporal cortex that appears to preferentially process Arabic digits relative to non-numerical symbols and objects. However, very little is known about why the ITNA is spatially segregated from regions that process other orthographic stimuli such as letters, and why it is spatially consistent across individuals. In the present study, we used diffusion-weighted imaging and functional magnetic resonance imaging to contrast structural and functional connectivity between left and right hemisphere ITNAs and a left hemisphere letter-preferring region. We found that the left ITNA had stronger structural and functional connectivity than the letter region to inferior parietal regions involved in numerical magnitude representation and arithmetic. Between hemispheres, the left ITNA showed stronger structural connectivity with the left inferior frontal gyrus (Broca’s area), while the right ITNA showed stronger structural connectivity to the ipsilateral inferior parietal cortex and stronger functional coupling with the bilateral IPS. Based on their relative connectivity, our results suggest that the left ITNA may be more readily involved in mapping digits to verbal number representations, while the right ITNA may support the mapping of digits to quantity representations.
Deoxyarbutin attenuates severe acute pancreatitis via the HtrA2/PGC-1α pathway

Abstract Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) is an inflammatory disorder of the exocrine pancreas associated with high morbidity and mortality. SAP has been proven to trigger mitochondria dysfunction in the pancreas. We found that Deoxyarbutin (dA) recovered impaired mitochondrial function. High-temperature requirement protein A2 (HtrA2), a mitochondrial serine protease upstream of PGC-1α, is charge of quality control in mitochondrial homeostasis. The molecular docking study indicated that there was a potential interaction between dA and HtrA2. However, whether the protective effect of dA against SAP is regulated by HtrA2/PGC-1α remains unknown. Our study in vitro showed that dA significantly reduced the necrosis of primary acinar cells and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, recovered mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) and ATP exhaustion, while UCF-101 (HtrA2 inhibitor), and SR-18292 (PGC-1α inhibitor) eliminated the protective effect of dA. Moreover, HtrA2 siRNA transfection efficiently blocked the protective of dA on HtrA2/PGC-1α pathway in 266-6 acinar cells. Meanwhile, dA also decreased LC3II/I ration, as well as p62, and increased Parkin expression, while UCF-101 and Bafilomycin A1 (autophagy inhibitor) reversed the protective effect of dA. Our study in vivo confirmed that dA effectively alleviated severity of SAP by reducing pancreatic edema, plasma amylase, and lipase levels and improved the HtrA2/PGC-1α pathway. Therefore, this is the first study to identify that dA inhibits pancreatic injury caused by oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and impaired autophagy in a HtrA2/PGC-1α dependent manner.
Cortical Thinning in High-Grade Asymptomatic Carotid Stenosis

Background and Purpose High-grade carotid artery stenosis may alter hemodynamics in the ipsilateral hemisphere, but consequences of this effect are poorly understood. Cortical thinning is associated with cognitive impairment in dementia, head trauma, demyelination, and stroke. We hypothesized that hemodynamic impairment, as represented by a relative time-to-peak (TTP) delay on MRI in the hemisphere ipsilateral to the stenosis, would be associated with relative cortical thinning in that hemisphere. Methods We used baseline MRI data from the NINDS-funded Carotid Revascularization and Medical Management for Asymptomatic Carotid Stenosis–Hemodynamics (CREST-H) study. Dynamic contrast susceptibility MR perfusion-weighted images were post-processed with quantitative perfusion maps using deconvolution of tissue and arterial signals. The protocol derived a hemispheric TTP delay, calculated by subtraction of voxel values in the hemisphere ipsilateral minus those contralateral to the stenosis. Results Among 110 consecutive patients enrolled in CREST-H to date, 45 (41%) had TTP delay of at least 0.5 seconds and 9 (8.3%) subjects had TTP delay of at least 2.0 seconds, the maximum delay measured. For every 0.25-second increase in TTP delay above 0.5 seconds, there was a 0.006-mm (6 micron) increase in cortical thickness asymmetry. Across the range of hemodynamic impairment, TTP delay independently predicted relative cortical thinning on the side of stenosis, adjusting for age, sex, hypertension, hemisphere, smoking history, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and preexisting infarction (P=0.032). Conclusions Our findings suggest that hemodynamic impairment from high-grade asymptomatic carotid stenosis may structurally alter the cortex supplied by the stenotic carotid artery.
Psychophysical and cognitive limitations to speech perception by cochlear implant users

Deaf listeners with cochlear implants (CIs) achieve significant levels of speech recognition, but their performance range remains wide. Unfortunately, our understanding of the speech perception mechanisms employed by CI users is still incomplete. In particular, we do not know the exact combination of acoustic cues that are employed by CI users to understand speech, nor do we understand how sensory information is represented and combined, and how that information is used to perform speech identification. We have attempted to address this issue by developing mathematical models (Multidimensional Phoneme Identification or MPI models) that aim to predict phoneme identification for individual cochlear implant users based on their discrimination along specified acoustic dimensions. Mathematically, the MPI model is a multidimensional extension of the Durlach–Braida model of loudness perception. The MPI model can explain most of the vowel pairs or consonant pairs that should be more frequently confused by groups .
Interactions between impurities and nonlinear waves in a driven nonlinear pendulum chain

The influence of impurities on envelope waves in a driven nonlinear pendulum chain is investigated under a continuum-limit approximation. The impurities studied here are a single defect in pendulum length, that is, one of the pendulums has a slight longer or shorter length than the other pendulums in the chain. Numerical results show that impurities exert a strong influence on localized envelop waves including breathers and phase-mismatched (nontopological) kinks, and also on nonlocalized envelop waves including periodic waves and spatiotemporal chaos. We find that a short defective pendulum at higher driving frequency exerts a similar influence on nonlinear waves as a long defective pendulum does at low driving frequency [N. V. Alexeeva et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 3053 (2000)]. They possess a clear symmetry and equality.
Walking Pattern Generation for a Biped Walking Robot Using Convolution Sum

This paper describes a novel walking pattern generation method for a biped humanoid robot using a convolution sum. For a biped walking model, a single mass inverted pendulum model is generally used and the zero moment point (ZMP) equation is described by a decoupled linear differential equation. As a walking pattern generation method for the robot model, a novel method using a convolution sum is proposed in this paper. From the viewpoint of the linear system response, walking pattern generation can be regarded as a convolution of an arbitrary reference ZMP and the walking pattern for an impulse reference ZMP. For the calculation of convolution, the walking pattern for an impulse reference ZMP is first derived from the analytic walking pattern for a step reference ZMP. The convolution sum is then derived in two recursive forms, which can be applied online and offline, respectively. The proposed algorithm requires low computation power, since the walking pattern equation is composed of a recursive form. As the algorithm is expressed in analytic form, it is not necessary to solve optimization problems or calculate the fast Fourier transform, contrary to previous approaches. A computer simulation of walking demonstrates that the proposed algorithm yields excellent accuracy compared to the preview control method — one of the most highly regarded walking pattern generation methods. In addition, the application on the multi-point mass model is shown with the computer simulation.