Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Commentary: SARS-CoV-2 in tears: It really matters

Airborne respiratory droplet transmission is well recognized in coronavirus infection; however, ocular secretions, although being held responsible for the spread in many studies, have yet to be proven conclusively. [1,2] Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) spike proteins bind with the host cellular receptor, human angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2, and gain entry into the cell in the presence of transmembrane serine protease 2, a cell surface‐associated protease. [2] Angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 is known to be expressed on epithelial cells in the lungs, intestines, and kidneys. Recent reports indicate that both angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 and transmembrane serine protease 2 are present in human conjunctival and corneal cells, making the ocular surface cells a potential entry point and reservoir for transmission of the virus. [3] The shedding of viral RNA in tears has been observed in both the presence and the absence of ocular manifestations. [3]
Antimicrobial prescribing and outcomes of community-acquired pneumonia in Australian hospitalized patients: a cross-sectional study

Objective We aimed to assess prescribing practices, compliance with guidelines, and outcomes for patients who were admitted to the authors’ institution with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Methods We performed a single-center retrospective cross-sectional study of adults with CAP presenting during the 2019 influenza season. CAP severity was assessed using the CURB-65 risk score. The effect of CURB-65 risk score use on the rate of appropriate antimicrobial prescribing was assessed using the chi-square test and reported as odds ratio (OR). Fisher’s exact test was used to assess the relationship between prescribing appropriateness and patient outcomes. Results Patients with low-risk CAP were most likely to be inappropriately prescribed antimicrobials (OR: 4.77; 95% confidence interval: 2.44–10.47). In low-risk CAP, the most common prescribing error was overuse of ceftriaxone. In high-risk CAP, the most common errors were ceftriaxone underdosing and missed atypical coverage with azithromycin. Overall, 80% of patients were considered to have been inappropriately prescribed antimicrobials. No effect on mortality was observed. Conclusions In this study, we found low use of CAP risk scores and low adherence to antimicrobial prescribing guidelines for CAP at the authors’ institution.
Effect of antitranspirants application on yield and yield components in soybean (Glycine max L.) under limited irrigation

In order to evaluate the effect of some antitranspirants on plant traits, yield and yield components in soybean (Glycine max L.) under limited irrigation an experiment was conducted in the research field of Urmia university in 2010. The experiment was arranged in a complete randomized block design with four replications. Antitranspirants consisted of Kaolin (6%), Chitosan (0.1%), castorbean oil (1%), magnetic water and control ( without antitranspirant ). These materials applied 60 days after planting (flowering stage) and in seed formation stage. After spraying the plants with antitranspirants, irrigation in these stages were interrupted in all plots and irrigation intervals increased from 10 days to 20. The results showed that the application of antitranspirants significantly increased stem height, node number, stem diameter, number of pods and number of seeds per plant, thousand seed weight, seed yield, biological yield and harvest index in treated plants but the number of seeds per pod was not affected by these antitranspirants. Among the materials used kaolin had the most influence on seed yield thus seed yield increased %23/85 compared to control . Findig this experiment suggest that using antitranspirants can be effective by reducing the effect of water stress in soybean product.
A classification based on tumor-stroma ratio and tumor budding for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer

ABSTRACT Background Tumor-stroma ratio (TSR) and tumor budding (TB) play important roles in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). We developed a rating system (TSR-TB type) based on the morphological evaluation of TSR and TB for predicting patient outcome and using individualized care. Methods TSR and TB were assessed in publicly accessible MIBC tumor slides from the TCGA database. MIBC patients were classified as low stromal or high stromal type based on TSR, and high stromal type was further classified as compartmentalized or mixed stromal type based on TB. Results TSR-TB type was an independent adverse prognostic factor for OS (P < 0.001). Low stromal type had a greater prognosis (P < 0.001) and were enriched for FGFR3 mutations (P = 0.001). The mixed stromal type was distinguished by increased M2 macrophage penetration (P < 0.001), anti-tumor immune activity, DNA repair pathway mutations, and poor survival. GSEA showed that certain cancer-related pathways, such as mitotic spindle, PI3K-AKT-MTOR signalingwere hyperactivated in high stromal type (all FDR<0.05). Furthermore, mixed stromal type demonstrated enhanced activation of epithelial mesenchymal transformation (EMT), inflammatory response (all FDR<0.05). Conclusion TSR and TB-based MIBC classification coincides with patient survival and molecular alterations. The identified subtypes may have important implications for individualized MIBC therapy.
Application of anisotropic absorbers to the analysis of MMIC devices by the finite element method

Anisotropic material characteristics can be exploited to construct absorbers that provide reflectionless interfaces for waves at arbitrary incident angles. Since their computer implementation requires the specification of appropriate material characteristics only, these perfectly matched layers (PMLs) allow for simple but accurate mesh truncation schemes for the finite element method. The present paper extends the concept of PMLs to waveguides of inhomogeneous cross-sections and layered media. We describe the use of generalized PMLs in a software package for (M)MIC devices and demonstrate the benefits of the suggested approach by two numerical examples.
Association of methicillin resistance with mortality of hospital-acquired Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia

Objective Methicillin-resistant (MR) Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) is associated with higher mortality rates than methicillin-susceptible (MS) SAB. This study assessed potential predictors of mortality and evaluated the association of methicillin resistance with mortality in patients with SAB. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study in patients with hospital-acquired SAB, from 2009 to 2018. Clinical features of patients with MR-SAB were compared with those of patients with MS-SAB and predictors of 30-day mortality were determined using Cox regression analysis. Results Among 162 patients, 56.8% had MR-SAB. Overall 30-day mortality was 19.1%; MR-SAB had higher mortality (25.0%) than MS-SAB (11.4%). Univariate analysis highlighted long-term hospitalization, prior antibiotics use, and delayed initiation of appropriate antibiotics as risk factors. Cox regression analysis showed that respiratory tract source, Pitt bacteremia score, Charlson comorbidity index, and appropriate antibiotic therapy within 24 hours were independently and significantly associated with 30-day mortality outcome. Conclusions Methicillin resistance was not an independent risk factor for mortality in patients with SAB. Early, appropriate antibiotic treatment is an important prognostic factor.
General Hypernetwork Framework for Creating 3D Point Clouds

In this work, we propose a novel method for generating 3D point clouds that leverages the properties of hypernetworks. Contrary to the existing methods that learn only the representation of a 3D object, our approach simultaneously finds a representation of the object and its 3D surface. The main idea of our HyperCloud method is to build a hypernetwork that returns weights of a particular neural network (target network) trained to map points from prior distribution into a 3D shape. As a consequence, a particular 3D shape can be generated using point-by-point sampling from the prior distribution and transforming the sampled points with the target network. Since the hypernetwork is based on an auto-encoder architecture trained to reconstruct realistic 3D shapes, the target network weights can be considered to be a parametrization of the surface of a 3D shape, and not a standard representation of point cloud usually returned by competitive approaches. We also show that relying on hypernetworks to build 3D point cloud representations offers an elegant and flexible framework. To that point, we further extend our method by incorporating flow-based models, which results in a novel HyperFlow approach.
Illustrative Tutorials for ProThermDB: Thermodynamic Database for Proteins and Mutants

ProThermDB (https://web.iitm.ac.in/bioinfo2/prothermdb/index.html) is a primary resource for protein stability, which contains experimentally determined thermodynamic data for proteins and their mutants. The most recent version of ProThermDB accumulates the data obtained from both high‐ and low‐throughput experimental biophysical methods. It includes comprehensive information at four different levels, i.e.: (i) protein sequence and structure; (ii) experimental conditions; (iii) thermodynamic parameters such as Gibbs free energy, melting temperature, enthalpy, etc.; and (iv) literature. In the following protocols, we present detailed tutorials for retrieving data using different search, display and sorting options, interpretation of search results, description of each entry‐level information category, data upload and download, cross‐links with other databases, and visualization options. This protocol consists of six pictorial exercises, which are useful for biologists/users to understand the contents and organization of data in ProThermDB. Further, potential applications of ProThermDB in protein engineering are discussed. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Low cyclic fatigue and hysteretic behavior of U‐shaped steel dampers for seismically isolated buildings under dynamic cyclic loadings

Energy dissipation devices are necessary for base‐isolated buildings to control the deformation in the isolation system and to dissipate the earthquake‐induced energy. U‐shaped steel dampers (also known as U‐dampers) dissipate energy through plastic deformation of specially designed U‐shaped steel elements. This type of device can be installed at several locations in the isolation system. U‐dampers have been widely used in Japan for different types of isolated structures, such as hospitals, plants and residential buildings, since the 1995 Kobe Earthquake. Previous research has used static tests to estimate the performance of U‐dampers. However, the ultimate plastic deformation capacities and hysteretic behaviors of full‐scale U‐dampers under dynamic excitations still remain unclear. In addition, it is unclear whether the initial temperature has an effect on the hysteretic behavior and plastic deformation capacity of U‐dampers. In this paper, two series of dynamic loading tests of U‐dampers were conducted to evaluate the issues described earlier. The major findings of the study are (i) the loading speed has little effect on the plastic deformation capacity of U‐dampers; (ii) method to evaluate the ultimate plastic deformation capacities of U‐shaped steel dampers of different sizes is established using a Manson–Coffin relation‐based equation that is based on the peak‐to‐peak horizontal shear angle γt, which is defined as the lateral deformation amplitude (peak‐to‐peak amplitude) divided by the height of the dampers; (iii) the loading rate and the initial temperature have a minimal effect on the hysteretic behavior of the U‐dampers; and (iv) a bilinear model is proposed to simulate the force‐deformation relationships of the U‐dampers. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Enhanced β-mannanase production by Bacillus licheniformis by optimizing carbon source and feeding regimes

Abstract Bacillus licheniformis HDYM-04 was isolated in flax retting water and showed β-mannanase activity. Carbon sources for β-mannanase production, as well as the fermentation conditions and feeding strategy, were optimized in shake flasks. When glucose or konjac powder was used as the carbon source, the β-mannanase activity was 288.13 ± 21.59 U/mL and 696.35 ± 23.47 U/mL at 24 h, respectively, which was approximately 4.4- to 10.68-fold higher than the values obtained with wheat powder. When 0.5% (w/v) glucose and 1% (w/v) konjac powder were added together, maximum enzyme activities of 789.07 ± 25.82 U/mL were obtained, an increase of 13.35% compared to the unoptimized cultures with only 1% (w/v) konjac powder. The enzyme activity decreased in the presence of 1% (w/v) konjac powder, but the highest enzyme activity was 1,533.26 ± 33.74 U/mL, a 1.2-fold increase compared with that in nonoptimized cultures; when 0.5% (w/v) glucose was used, the highest enzyme activity was 966.53 ± 27.84 U/mL, an increase in β-mannanase activity of 38.79% compared with control cultures. In this study, by optimizing fed-batch fermentation conditions, the yield of β-mannanase produced by HDYM-04 was increased, laying the foundation for the industrial application and further research of B. licheniformis HDYM-04.
Evaluating a complex intervention addressing ability to perform activities of daily living among persons with chronic conditions: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial (ABLE)

Introduction The need to develop and evaluate interventions, addressing problems performing activities of daily living (ADL) among persons with chronic conditions, is evident. Guided by the British Medical Research Council’s guidance on how to develop and evaluate complex interventions, the occupational therapy programme (A Better everyday LifE (ABLE)) was developed and feasibility tested. The aim of this protocol is to report the planned design and methods for evaluating effectiveness, process and cost-effectiveness of the programme. Methods and analysis The evaluation is designed as a randomised controlled trial with blinded assessors and investigators. Eighty participants with chronic conditions and ADL problems are randomly allocated to ABLE or usual occupational therapy. Data for effectiveness and cost-effectiveness evaluations are collected at baseline (week 0), post intervention (week 10) and follow-up (week 26). Coprimary outcomes are self-reported ADL ability (ADL-Interview (ADL-I) performance) and observed ADL motor ability (Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS)). Secondary outcomes are perceived satisfaction with ADL ability (ADL-I satisfaction); and observed ADL process ability (AMPS). Explorative outcomes are occupational balance (Occupational Balance Questionnaire); perceived change (Client-Weighted Problems Questionnaire) and general health (first question of the MOS 36-item Short Form Survey Instrument). The process evaluation is based on quantitative data from registration forms and qualitative interview data, collected during and after the intervention period. A realist evaluation approach is applied. A programme theory expresses how context (C) and mechanisms (M) in the programme may lead to certain outcomes (O), in so-called CMO configurations. Outcomes in the cost-effectiveness evaluation are quality-adjusted life years (EuroQool 5-dimension) and changes in ADL ability (AMPS, ADL-I). Costs are estimated from microcosting and national registers. Ethics and dissemination Danish Data Protection Service Agency approval: Journal-nr. : P-2020-203. The Ethical Committee confirmed no approval needed: Journal-nr. : 19 045 758. Dissemination for study participants, in peer-reviewed journals and conferences. Trial registration number NCT04295837
Response of airline pilots to variations in flight simulator motion algorithms

The use of physical motion in flight simulation is still a much debated topic. This paper investigates the more narrow issue of its application in commercial jet transport simulators. We have attempted to quantify the perceptions of airline pilots about the quality of motion possible when a number of different motion-drive algorithms are tested on a simulator employing a state-of-the-art six-degrees-of-freedom motion-base. Four broad categories of algorithms were tested: classical washout, optimal control, coordinated adaptive, and no-motion. It was found that although there was little impact of algorithm type on performance arid control activity, there was a definite effect on how the pilots perceived the simulation environment. Based on these findings, it appears that the coordinated adaptive algorithm is generally preferred by the pilots over the other algorithms tested, there was almost unanimous dislike of the no-motion case.
Sprinkler rotation and water application rate for the new type complete fluidic sprinkler and impact sprinkler

Abstract: One important indicator of the good performance of rotating sprinklers is the uniformity of rotation. The objective of this experimental study was to investigate the rotation uniformity and water application rate of the newly designed complete fluidic sprinkler in comparison to the widely used impact sprinkler, with the goal to offer recommendations to improve the fluidic sprinkler’s operation performance. Single-sprinkler water application experiments were conducted in accordance with the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers standard. Sprinkler completion time through the four quadrants of rotation and water delivery in catch cans were measured at different operating pressures for each sprinkler-nozzle size configuration. The capabilities of Matrix Laboratory were employed to simulate the overlap of adjacent quadrants and to visualize the effect of sprinkler rotation speed variation on water application rate. Quadrant completion time variations were small for both impact and fluidic sprinklers. However, variations in completion time through the quadrants were higher for the fluidic sprinkler compared to the impact sprinkler. Relatively higher variations in water application rates were also observed for the fluidic sprinkler. The optimization of the design features of the fluidic component is necessary to improve rotation stability and to minimize variability in water application rate of the fluidic sprinkler. The study significantly highlighted some performance qualities of the complete fluidic sprinkler in comparison to that of the impact sprinkler. The findings of this research will help to improve the efficiency of the new type complete fluidic sprinkler. Keywords: sprinkler rotation, variation, water application rate, complete fluidic sprinkler, impact sprinkler, rotation uniformity DOI: 10.3965/j.ijabe. 20140704.005 Citation: Dwomoh F A, Yuan S Q, Li H. Sprinkler rotation and water application rate for the newly invented wall attachment fluidic sprinkler and impact sprinkler. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2014; 7(4): 38－46.
High-performance a-Si:H thin-film transistor using lightly doped channel

The fabrication of amorphous silicon thin-film transistors (TFTs) using a lightly phosphorus-doped channel is discussed. The transistors achieve an on-off current ratio exceeding six orders of magnitude and a field effect mobility of 0.4 cm/sup 2//V-s. These characteristics are found to be much better than those using an undoped channel with the same device structure. It is found that the incorporation of phosphorus in the channel can compensate the interface states and improve the transconductance of the TFT. It is shown that the fabrication of a depletion-mode TFT is fully compatible with the conventional enhancement-mode TFT process. >
Strategic planning practice of construction firms in Ghana

In Ghana, the operating environment for construction firms is constantly changing in the face of a volatile economic environment, shifting political climate and a highly competitive market. Confronted with such instability, companies need strategic planning to combat the threat to their survival. A survey was conducted to determine how widespread strategic planning is used as a management tool by contractors in Ghana. Construction firms with classification A1B1, A2B2, D1 and D2 were used in the survey. Only 8.5% of D2 firms use strategic planning. The other firms have a combined average of 86.7%. Civil engineering contractors are far ahead of the building contractors in the practice of strategic planning. Strategic plans are drawn to cover an average of three years. There is an urgent need for contractors in the D2 class to be encouraged to seek insight into strategic planning and employ the technique to enhance their chances of surviving risks in the business environment.
Footprints of a microbial toxin from the gut microbiome to mesencephalic mitochondria

Objective Idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterised by alpha-synuclein (aSyn) aggregation and death of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain. Recent evidence posits that PD may initiate in the gut by microbes or their toxins that promote chronic gut inflammation that will ultimately impact the brain. In this work, we sought to demonstrate that the effects of the microbial toxin β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) in the gut may trigger some PD cases, which is especially worrying as this toxin is present in certain foods but not routinely monitored by public health authorities. Design To test the hypothesis, we treated wild-type mice, primary neuronal cultures, cell lines and isolated mitochondria with BMAA, and analysed its impact on gut microbiota composition, barrier permeability, inflammation and aSyn aggregation as well as in brain inflammation, dopaminergic neuronal loss and motor behaviour. To further examine the key role of mitochondria, we also determined the specific effects of BMAA on mitochondrial function and on inflammasome activation. Results BMAA induced extensive depletion of segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB) that regulate gut immunity, thus triggering gut dysbiosis, immune cell migration, increased intestinal inflammation, loss of barrier integrity and caudo-rostral progression of aSyn. Additionally, BMAA induced in vitro and in vivo mitochondrial dysfunction with cardiolipin exposure and consequent activation of neuronal innate immunity. These events primed neuroinflammation, dopaminergic neuronal loss and motor deficits. Conclusion Taken together, our results demonstrate that chronic exposure to dietary BMAA can trigger a chain of events that recapitulate the evolution of the PD pathology from the gut to the brain, which is consistent with ‘gut-first’ PD.
Short- and Mid-Term Intravascular Ultrasound Analysis of the New Zotarolimus-Eluting Stent With Durable Polymer

he Resolute zotarolimus-eluting stent (Resolute, Medtronic CardioVascular Inc, Santa Rosa, CA, USA) is a new generation of the Endeavor zotarolimus-eluting stent (Endeavor, Medtronic CardioVascular Inc). The Resolute zotarolimus-eluting stent system utilizes a newly developed biodurable polymer (BioLinx), which enables both biohistocompatibility and programmed sustained drug elution. Compared with the Endeavor zotarolimus-eluting stent, only the polymer is different while stent platform (Driver: a thin-strut, cobalt-chromium alloy stent) and drug (zotarolimus) are identical. Editorial p 2054
Aerodynamic Loss in a Gas Turbine Stage with Film Cooling

Experiments have been performed to measure the total pressure loss of the flow through a two-dimensional turbine cascade with “coolant” injection from a single row of holes on the suction or pressure side of the blades. The tests were performed in a low speed tunnel. Air and carbon dioxide were used as secondary fluids, the latter to provide a large density difference between the gas in the mainstream and the injected gas. Both gas streams had the same temperature. The measured pressure loss is in good agreement with analytical predictions based on a model introduced by Hartsel. The results thus provide information which can be incorporated in a program which predicts the influence of injection on the aerodynamic efficiency of a gas turbine.