Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tropical Cyclone Damages in China 1983–2006

Based on damage records released by the Department of Civil Affairs of China, direct economic losses and casualties associated with tropical cyclones that made landfall over China during 1983–2006 are examined. In an average year, landfalling tropical cyclones cause 472 deaths and 28.7 billion yuans (2006 RMB) in direct economic losses, accounting for 0.38% of the annual total gross domestic product (GDP) of China. As the deadliest landfalling tropical cyclone, Super Typhoon Fred killed 1,126 people in 1994, making it the deadliest year (1,815 deaths). The costliest landfalling tropical cyclone was Super Typhoon Herb, which caused 73.3 billion yuans (2006 RMB) in direct economic losses in 1996, making it the costliest year (107.9 billion yuans). The direct economic losses and casualties of a landfalling tropical cyclone tend to increase with the northward shift in landfall track. Over the past 24 yr the direct economic losses have had a significant upward trend, but no trend can be found if the losses are.
Additive energetic contributions of multiple peptide positions determine the relative promiscuity of viral and human sequences for PDZ domain targets

Protein–protein interactions that involve recognition of short peptides are critical in cellular processes. Protein–peptide interaction surface areas are relatively small and shallow, and there are often overlapping specificities in families of peptide‐binding domains. Therefore, dissecting selectivity determinants can be challenging. PDZ domains are a family of peptide‐binding domains located in several intracellular signaling and trafficking pathways. These domains are also directly targeted by pathogens, and a hallmark of many oncogenic viral proteins is a PDZ‐binding motif. However, amidst sequences that target PDZ domains, there is a wide spectrum in relative promiscuity. For example, the viral HPV16 E6 oncoprotein recognizes over double the number of PDZ domain‐containing proteins as the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) in the cell, despite similar PDZ targeting‐sequences and identical motif residues. Here, we determine binding affinities for PDZ domains known to bind either HPV16 E6 alone or both CFTR and HPV16 E6, using peptides matching WT and hybrid sequences. We also use energy minimization to model PDZ–peptide complexes and use sequence analyses to investigate this difference. We find that while the majority of single mutations had marginal effects on overall affinity, the additive effect on the free energy of binding accurately describes the selectivity observed. Taken together, our results describe how complex and differing PDZ interactomes can be programmed in the cell.
Acceptability and Preference for Human Papillomavirus Self-Sampling among Thai Women attending National Cancer Institute

Background: Cervical cancer screening is an important public health strategy to reduce cervical cancer incidence and mortality. Human papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling is the alternative method that can potentially increase participation in cervical cancer screening. This study aimed to evaluate the acceptability of HPV self-sampling as a primary cervical cancer screening among Thai women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at National Cancer Institute, Thailand, between March and September 2021. Eligible women were invited to collect their own samples with a vaginal cotton swab for cervical screening. The data on demographics, acceptability, and preference for HPV self-sampling were collected via a self-administered questionnaire. A Likert scale was used to assess the response of self-sampling acceptability. The multivariable logistic regression determined factors that influence preference for HPV self-sampling. Results: A total of 265 participants were recruited. Over 70% agreed that self-sampling was easy, less embarrassing, and not painful. They also felt confident in their ability to self-sample correctly and would recommend this method to a friend or relative. For their next screening round, 66.4% preferred self-sampling whereas 33.6% preferred clinician-collected samples as routine screening. The factors that influence preference for self-sampling were age, marital status, feeling less embarrassed, and confidence in performing the tests. Conclusions: Most of the study participants accepted HPV self-sampling. This suggests that the self-sampling method will be an additional option to increase cervical cancer screening coverage which leads to improving the effectiveness of the national program.
The Relationship between Gene Polymorphisms od the XRCC1 and TP53 with the Gender of Children with Acute Leukemia

Background: The relevance of the study lies in the fact that although the role of polymorphism of some genes that are responsible for cell apoptosis and deoxyribonucleic acid repair in the development of acute leukemia has already been established, its relationship with the gender of patients has not been studied enough. This study was aimed at studying the relationship between the Arg399Gln polymorphism in the XRCC1 deoxyribonucleic acid repair gene and the Arg72Pro polymorphism in the TP53 tumor suppressor gene encoding the p53 protein with the gender of children with acute leukemia. Material and methods: The study included 100 newly diagnosed pediatric patients of Kyrgyz nationality (69 boys and 31 girls), among which there were 77 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, 22 patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia and 1 patient with a biphenotypic variant. Determination of polymorphisms was carried out by PCR-RFLP analysis or polymerase chain reaction followed by an analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphism. The interrelation of the results obtained with the patients’ gender was assessed using statistical methods. Results: The study showed that there were no gender differences for all three genotypes of the Arg72Pro polymorphic marker of the tumor suppressor p53 (ТР53). Three Arg399Gln genotypes of the XRCC1 gene also did not depend on gender. However, with a separate analysis of each polymorphism, there was a tendency for a greater proportion of the Arg/Gln genotype in the group of boys compared to girls. The Gln/Gln polymorphism relationship requires further study due to insufficient data for analysis. Conclusion: The study has expanded the understanding of genetic changes and their relationship with gender, which have diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic implications in acute leukemia. The conducted research of the relationship between individual phenotypes of acute lymphoblastic leukemia with risky polymorphisms in some genes contributes to the study of AL.
Anisotropic Turbulence in Two-dimensional Electron Magnetohydrodynamics

Spectral anisotropy within decaying incompressible electron magnetohydrodynamics turbulence is investigated by two-dimensional fluid simulations. An initially isotropic turbulent spectrum exhibits anisotropy in the spectral cascade because of the presence of a self-consistent large-scale or an externally imposed magnetic field. Our simulations show that the anisotropy scales linearly with the strength of the ambient magnetic field. The linear scaling of the anisotropic spectral cascades appears to be rather generic as turbulent excitation scales larger than kde < 1 as well as those smaller than kde > 1, the collisionless electron inertial or skin depth length scale (de), follow a similar trend.
Postoperative trachomatous trichiasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis study

Abstract Background Trachomatous trichiasis is the potential stage of trachoma in which the eyelashes scratch the surface of the globe, ultimately causing corneal opacity, visual impairment and blindness. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to obtain the pooled prevalence and associated factors of postoperative trachomatous trichiasis (PTT) in World Health Organization (WHO) trachoma-endemic regions. Methods An inclusive literature search was undertaken using PubMed, Cochrane Library, Science Direct and Google Scholar databases from 30 May 2022 to 28 June 2022. I2 statistics and funnel plots were used to determine heterogeneity and publication bias among included studies. A random effects model was used to estimate pooled prevalence, incidence and odds ratios (ORs) with the respective 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using RevMan 5.4 software. Results Eighteen articles were included in this meta-analysis and systematic review. The pooled prevalence of PTT was 19% (range 18–21). PTT was lower among young adults compared with old adults (OR 0.63 [95% CI 0.44 to 0.92]), single-dose oral azithromycin as compared with tetracycline eye ointment users (OR 0.82 [95% CI 0.69 to 0.99]) and minor trichiasis before surgery as compared with major trichiasis (OR 0.63 [95% CI 0.47 to 0.85]). Conclusions The incidence of PTT was higher than the WHO’s recommendation. Prescribing single-dose oral azithromycin after surgery, periodic training for trichiasis surgeons, close follow-up and health education after surgery are crucial to minimize the recurrence. Study protocol registration on PROSPERO: CRD42022336003
Emergence of Carbapenemase-Producing Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae in Switzerland

Increasing occurrence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and hypervirulent (hv) Klebsiella pneumoniae (MDR-hvKp) convergent clones is being observed. Those strains have the potential of causing difficult-to-treat infections in healthy adults with an increased capacity for mortality. ABSTRACT Increasing occurrence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and hypervirulent (hv) Klebsiella pneumoniae (MDR-hvKp) convergent clones is being observed. Those strains have the potential of causing difficult-to-treat infections in healthy adults with an increased capacity for mortality. It is therefore crucial to track their dissemination to prevent their further spread. The aim of our study was to investigate the occurrence of carbapenemase-producing hvKp isolates in Switzerland and to determine their genetic profile. A total of 279 MDR carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae from patients hospitalized all over Switzerland was investigated, and a rate of 9.0% K. pneumoniae presenting a virulence genotype was identified. Those isolates produced either KPC, NDM, or OXA-48 and had been either recovered from rectal swabs, urine, and blood. A series of previously reported K. pneumoniae clones such as ST23-K1, ST395-K2, and ST147-K20 or ST147-K64 were identified. All the isolates defined as MDR-hvKp (4.7%) possessed the aerobactin and the yersiniabactin clusters. The ST23-K1s were the only isolates presenting the colibactin cluster and achieved higher virulence scores. This study highlights the occurrence and circulation of worrisome MDR-hvKp and MDR nonhypervirulent K. pneumoniae (MDR-nhv-Kp) isolates in Switzerland. Our findings raise an alert regarding the need for active surveillance networks to track and monitor the spread of such successful hybrid clones representing a public health threat worldwide.
Updated Percentiles for the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test in Adults 50 Years of Age and Older

Background and Objectives The University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) is commonly used to assess olfaction and screen for early detection of disorders including Parkinson (PD) and Alzheimer disease. Our objective was to develop updated percentiles, based on substantially larger samples than previous norms, to more finely discriminate age- and sex-specific UPSIT performance among ≥50-year-old adults who may be candidates for studies of prodromal neurodegenerative diseases. Methods The UPSIT was administered cross-sectionally to participants recruited between 2007–2010 and 2013–2015 for the Parkinson Associated Risk Syndrome (PARS) and Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) cohort studies, respectively. Exclusion criteria included age <50 years and a confirmed or suspected PD diagnosis. Demographics, family history, and prodromal features of PD including self-reported hyposmia were collected. Normative data including mean, SDs, and percentiles were derived by age and sex. Results The analytic sample included 9,396 individuals (5,336 female and 4,060 male), aged 50–95 years, who were predominantly White, non-Hispanic US residents. UPSIT percentiles were derived and are provided across 7 age categories (50–54, 55–59, 60–64, 65–69, 70–74, 75–79, and ≥80 years) for female and male participants separately; relative to existing norms, subgroups included between 2.4 and 20 times as many participants. Olfactory function declined with age and was better among women than men; accordingly, the percentile corresponding to a given raw score varied markedly by age and sex. UPSIT performance was comparable among individuals with vs without first-degree family history of PD. Comparisons of self-reported hyposmia vs UPSIT percentiles indicated a strong association (χ2 p < 0.0001) but minimal agreement (Cohen simple kappa [95% CI]: = 0.32 [0.28–0.36] for female participants; 0.34 [0.30–0.38] for male participants). Discussion Updated age/sex-specific UPSIT percentiles are provided for ≥50-year-old adults who reflect a population likely to be recruited into studies of prodromal neurodegenerative diseases. Our findings highlight the potential advantages of evaluating olfaction relative to age and sex instead of in absolute terms (i.e., based on raw UPSIT scores) or based on subjective (i.e., self-reported) measures. This information addresses the need to support studies of disorders including PD and Alzheimer disease by providing updated normative data from a larger sample of older adults. Trial Registration Information NCT00387075 and NCT01141023.
Obesity and gestational diabetes independently and collectively induce specific effects on placental structure, inflammation and endocrine function in a cohort of South African women

Maternal obesity and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are associated with insulin resistance and health risks for mother and offspring. Obesity is also characterized by low‐grade inflammation, which in turn, impacts insulin sensitivity. The placenta secretes inflammatory cytokines and hormones that influence maternal glucose and insulin handling. However, little is known about the effect of maternal obesity, GDM and their interaction, on placental morphology, hormones and inflammatory cytokines. In a South African cohort of non‐obese and obese pregnant women with and without GDM, this study examined placental morphology using stereology, placental hormone and cytokine expression using real‐time PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry, and circulating TNFα and IL‐6 concentrations using ELISA. Placental expression of endocrine and growth factor genes was not altered by obesity or GDM. However, LEPTIN gene expression was diminished, syncytiotrophoblast TNFα immunostaining elevated and stromal and fetal vessel IL‐6 staining reduced in the placenta of obese women in a manner that was partly influenced by GDM status. Placental TNFα protein abundance and maternal circulating TNFα concentrations were reduced in GDM. Both maternal obesity and, to a lesser extent, GDM were accompanied by specific changes in placental morphometry. Maternal blood pressure and weight gain and infant ponderal index were also modified by obesity and/or GDM. Thus, obesity and GDM have specific impacts on placental morphology and endocrine and inflammatory states that may relate to pregnancy outcomes. These findings may contribute to developing placenta‐targeted treatments that improve mother and offspring outcomes, which is particularly relevant given increasing rates of obesity and GDM worldwide.
Visual Outcomes With Intraocular Trifocal Lens Implant.

BACKGROUND Cataract surgery has become one of the most common surgeries in the world with one in every four surgeries performed being a cataract extraction and the numbers are expected to increase by 16 percent in the USA alone by 2024 as compared to the current statistics. The aim of the study is to analyze the visual outcomes of intraocular lens implants for various visual ranges. METHODS This non-comparative interventional study was conducted at the Ophthalmology department of Al Ehsan Eye Hospital from Jan to Dec 2021. It included patients who underwent uneventful phacoemulsification with an intraocular lens implant and analysis of the visual outcomes for uncorrected distance (UDVA), uncorrected intermediate distance (UIVA), and uncorrected near distance (UNVA). RESULTS Independent sample t-test was applied to observe the mean values of recorded far vision on the 1stday, 1 week, and 1 month after the trifocal intraocular lens implantation. It showed a significant difference with a p-value of 0.00 on 1st day, 1 week, and 1 month after was 0.3±0.1, 0.17±0.09, and 0.14±0.08 respectively. Mean improvement in near vision after 1 month was N6 with S.D 1.03 and in intermediate vision was N8±1.4 respectively. CONCLUSIONS Trifocal Intraocular lens implantation offers an improved vision for near, intermediate, and distant visual ranges without the need for correction.
Relations between Fracture Tensor Parameters and Jointed Rock Hydraulics

The fracture tensor is a combined measure of joint geometry parameters. The possible relations between the properties of the fracture tensor and the hydraulic properties of jointed rock including the equivalent continuum behavior are investigated in this paper through numerical experiments performed at the two-dimensional level incorporating joint networks with two joint sets. The possibility of a nonzero average block permeability and the equivalent continuum behavior of a joint system can be expressed with the help of the first invariant of fracture tensor (\iF\d0). A threshold value of \iF\d0 (to achieve nonzero block permeability) between 3 and 6 and a cutoff value of \iF\d0 (to achieve equivalent continuum behavior) between 10 and 30 were obtained for the joint geometry configurations studied in the investigation. Both the threshold value and the cutoff value of \iF\d0 were found to depend on the relative orientation of joint sets. Joint systems with low relative orientation angles (for systems with only two joint sets) and low densities do not show hydraulically equivalent continuum behavior. A nonlinear relation seems to exist between the directional permeability and the fracture tensor component for the connected joint configuration when rock blocks contain only minor discontinuities. For rock blocks containing major discontinuities, this relation becomes linear.
Slip systems and misfit dislocations in InGaN epilayers

We have studied the microstructure of InGaN layers grown on two different GaN substrates: a standard GaN film on sapphire and an epitaxial lateral overgrown GaN (ELOG) structure. These two materials exhibit two distinct mechanisms of strain relaxation. InGaN epilayers on GaN are typically pseudomorphic and undergo elastic relaxation by the opening of threading dislocations into pyramidal pits. A different behavior occurs in the case of epitaxy on ELOG where, in the absence of threading dislocations, slip occurs with the formation of periodic arrays of misfit dislocations. Potential slip systems responsible for this behavior have been analyzed using the Matthews-Blakeslee model and taking into account the Peierls forces. This letter presents a comprehensive analysis of slip systems in the wurtzite structure and considers the role of threading dislocations in strain relaxation in InGaN alloys.
Shot Talk: Development and Pilot Test of a Theory of Planned Behavior Campaign to Combat College Student COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy

Among college students, evidence of relatively lower levels of concern of COVID-19 infection, rapid rates of transmission, and lagging vaccination rates substantiates a need to combat college student COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. This two-phase study comprised formative research, development, and pilot testing of a campaign to combat COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among college students. In phase one, focus group discussions with college students (N = 48) uncovered their specific attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control toward the COVID-19 vaccine. Thematic analysis revealed concerns about vaccine safety, efficacy, cost, and politicization, as well as perceived barriers to accessing information and the vaccine itself. Guided by formative research from phase one and the theory of planned behavior, phase two comprised campaign development and pilot testing. Participants (N = 30) completed a pretest and posttest survey assessing TPB constructs and awareness of information toward COVID-19 vaccination surrounding a two-week peer-to-peer campaign called Shot Talk. Results revealed increases in safety-related attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and awareness of information regarding COVID-19 vaccination. Practical implications for theory-driven campaigns and strategic messaging for primary COVID-19 vaccination and beyond are discussed.
Perceived Marriage Squeeze and Subjective Well-Being Among Unmarried Rural Men in China: The Mediating Role of Sense of Coherence

The marriage-squeeze unmarried rural men perceive during their daily life is one of the main stressors severely affecting their subjective well-being under the universal marriage culture. The mechanism of this relationship is still unknown. Based on the Stress Process Model, using data from the “Survey on Rural Family Martial Status,” this study examines the relationship between perceived marriage squeeze (PMS) and subjective well-being (SWB) and the mediating effect of sense of coherence (SOC). A sample of 417 Chinese unmarried rural men with an average age of 28.88 years was enrolled in this cross-sectional. Ordinary least square regressions and Bootstrap-mediated effect analysis methods were used to examine the association between PMS, SWB, and SOC. The results show that PMS has significant negative effects on both SWB and SOC of unmarried rural men, and SOC has a significant positive impact on SWB; the more perceived marriage squeeze they have, the lower SWB and SOC they have. The mediated analysis shows that SOC plays a mediating role in the influence of PMS on the SWB of unmarried rural men. This is to say, SOC can mitigate PMS’s negative effects on the SWB of unmarried rural men. Our findings highlight the importance of SOC in protecting the SWB of unmarried rural men. Considering the propounding influence of the marriage squeeze, policies that enhance the level of SOC should be implemented to relieve the influence of PMS on vulnerable unmarried rural men’s SWB.
Resolution and structure of the wall pressure field beneath a turbulent boundary layer

The power spectrum of the wall pressure that would be measured by a transducer of vanishingly small size and the corrections to the power spectra measured by finite-size transducers are determined from the spectra measured by four transducers of different diameters. The root-mean-square wall pressure measured by a transducer of vanishingly small size is $\sqrt {p^2}| \tau_w = 2 \cdot 66$, approximately 13% higher than the root-mean-square pressure measured by the transducer used in the earlier investigations of Willmarth & Wooldridge (1962). Corrections to the power spectrum measured by a finite-size transducer are computed using the theory of Uberoi & Kovasznay (1952, 1953). The computations require information about the correlation of the wall pressure for very small spatial separation of the transducers. Unfortunately, these measurements have never been made. Corcos's (1964) similarity of the cross-spectral density is assumed to represent the missing information, but the computed corrections fail at high frequencies because the similarity expression is not valid when the spatial separation is small. The range of validity of the similarity is determined, and the average radial derivative of the cross-spectral density is inferred from the measured power spectra.