Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nintedanib in Progressive Pulmonary Fibrosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: To inform an American Thoracic Society, European Respiratory Society, Japanese Respiratory Society, and Asociación Latinoamericana del Tórax clinical practice guideline, this systematic review evaluated existing interstitial lung disease (ILD) literature to determine whether patients with progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) should be treated with the antifibrotic nintedanib. Methods: A literature search was conducted across MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases through December 2020 for studies using nintedanib to treat patients with PPF. Mortality, disease progression, and adverse event data were extracted, and meta-analyses performed when possible. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) Working Group approach was used to assess the quality of evidence. Results: Two relevant studies were selected. The annual decline in FVC was less in the nintedanib arm in the overall study population [mean difference (MD) 107 milliliters (mL)/year (yr) (95% CI 65.4-148.5 mL/yr)] and in the subgroups with usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern of pulmonary fibrosis [MD 128.2 mL/yr (95% CI 70.8-185.6 mL/yr)], non-UIP patterns of pulmonary fibrosis [MD 75.3 mL/yr (95% CI 15.5-135.0 mL/yr)], fibrotic connective tissue disease-related ILD [MD 106.2 mL/yr (95% CI 10.6-201.9 mL/yr)], fibrotic idiopathic non-specific interstitial pneumonia [MD 141.7 mL/yr (95% CI 46.0-237.4 mL/yr)], and fibrotic occupational ILD [MD 252.8 mL/yr (95% CI 79.2-426.5 mL/yr)], but not fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis [MD 72.9 mL/yr (95% CI -8.9-154.7 mL/yr)], fibrotic sarcoidosis [MD -20.5 mL/yr (95% CI -337.1-296.1 mL/yr)], or unclassified fibrotic ILD [MD 68.5 mL/yr (95% CI -31.3-168.4 mL/yr)] when compared to placebo. Gastrointestinal (GI) side effects were common. Quality of evidence for the outcomes ranged from very low to moderate GRADE. Conclusions: Nintedanib use in patients with PPF is associated with a statistically significant decrease in disease progression but increase in GI side effects regardless of the radiographic pattern of pulmonary fibrosis. However, limitations in the available evidence lead to low certainty in these effect estimates and make definitive conclusions about the differential effects by subtype of ILD difficult to determine.
Pressure vessel-oriented visual inspection method based on deep learning

The detection of surface parameters of pressure vessel welds guarantees safe operation. To address the problems of low efficiency and poor accuracy of traditional manual inspection methods, a method for welding morphological parameters combined with vision and structured light is proposed in this study. First, a feature point extraction algorithm for weld parameters based on deep convolution was proposed. An accurate extraction method of weld image feature point coordinates was designed based on the combination of the loss function via seam undercut feature recognition and weld feature point extraction network structure. Second, a training data enhancement method based on the third-order non-uniform rational B-spline (NURBS) curve was proposed to reduce the amount of data collection for training. Finally, a pressure vessel measurement device was designed, and the feature point extraction performance of the deep network and common feature point extraction networks, DeepLabCut and HR-net, proposed in this study were compared to analyze the theoretical accuracy of the surface parameter measurement. The results indicated that the theoretical accuracy of the parameter measurements was within 0.065 mm.
Therapeutic effect of paeoniflorin on chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve via the inhibition of Schwann cell apoptosis

Therapeutic drugs of chronic neuralgia have a high risk of addiction, making it crucial to identify novel drugs for chronic neuralgia. This study aimed to explore the therapeutic effect of paeoniflorin on chronic sciatica via inhibiting Schwann cell apoptosis. 28 SD rats were randomly divided into four groups, including the sham operation group, chronic constriction injury (CCI) group, mecobalamin group, and paeoniflorin group. The therapeutic effect and mechanism of paeoniflorin were evaluated via rat and cell experiments. Mechanical, hot, or cold hyperalgesia was induced in the rats after CCI operation, while paeoniflorin relieved chronic neuralgia. Besides, paeoniflorin decreased the levels of IL1, IL6, TNF‐α, CRP, and LPS and increased the level of IL10 in serum. As for the sciatic nerve, the number of inflammatory cells was decreased, and Schwann cells were present after paeoniflorin treatment, and paeoniflorin promoted the recovery of nerve structure. In cell experiments, LPS induced Schwann cell apoptosis via the TLR4/NF‐kB pathway. And paeoniflorin attenuated LPS‐induced Schwann cell apoptosis by decreasing the levels of TLR4, p‐NF‐kB, caspase3, cleaved‐caspase3, and cleaved‐caspase7. Overall, these results suggest that paeoniflorin alleviates chronic sciatica by decreasing inflammatory factor levels and promotes the repair of damaged nerves by reducing Schwann cell apoptosis.
Evaluation of Match Results of Five Successful Football Clubs With Ensemble Learning Algorithms

ABSTARCT Purpose: Football, one of the most popular and loved sports branches, always keeps its excitement, ambition, passion, joy and sadness together. European football, the football capital, is an attraction for fans and footballers. In this study, the official match results (league, country cup, European cup) of five successful football clubs (Bayern Munchen, Barcelona, Juventus, Manchester City, Paris Saint Germain) in the five major leagues of European football (La Liga, Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1) were evaluated. Method: For this analysis, ensemble learning algorithms (AdaBoost, Bagging) and machine learning algorithms (Naive Bayes, artificial neural networks, K-nearest neighbor, C4.5/Random forest/Reptree decision tree) were used. In addition, the attributes that play an active role in the classification of the match results of five successful football clubs were determined with the Symmetrical Uncertainty feature selection algorithm. Results: As effective attributes, “Conceded goal,” “Half time result,” “Scoring first” and “Shooting accuracy” attributes revealed to be common for five successful football clubs. In general, it was observed that ensemble learning algorithms gave successful results and AdaBoost/ANN algorithm was determined as the most successful. On the basis of football clubs, the most successful classification result was achieved for Barcelona with a rate of 99.3%. Conclusions: Obtained outputs from Ensemble learning and feature selection help sport researchers and football club planners understand and revise the match results of current football match strategies. The study has mainly twofold: to find best performer ensemble and machine learning algorithm(s) for classifying match results and to extract important features on match results.
Stabilising the Grid Voltage and Frequency in Isolated Power Systems Using a Flywheel Energy Storage System

This paper describes the control strategy and performance of a grid connected flywheel energy storage system (FESS) installed to stabilise an isolated grid. The paper aims to demonstrate the concept of introducing a flywheel and assisting its potential. The isolated power system studied includes diesel generators, hydro and wind turbines. The results from this study show that the stabilisation of an isolated power system is possible by the employment of a flywheel energy storage system. The simulation and measured results showed clearly the affirmative influence of the energy storage on the transient system performance. The energy transfer from the flywheel into the grid increases the stability of the isolated power system. The simulation results were verified on a real system.
Synchronized Auditory Gamma Response to Frontal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) and its Inter-Individual Variation in Healthy Humans

In schizophrenia, a disorder associated with N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) hypofunction, auditory cortical plasticity deficits have been indexed by the synchronized electroencephalographic (EEG) auditory steady-state gamma-band (40-Hz) response (ASSR) and the early auditory evoked gamma-band response (aeGBR), both considered to be target engagement biomarkers for NMDAR function, and potentially amenable to treatment by NMDAR modulators. As transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is likely dependent on NMDAR neurotransmission, this preliminary study, conducted in 30 healthy volunteers, assessed the off-line effects of prefrontal anodal tDCS and sham (placebo) treatment on 40-Hz ASSR and aeGBR. Anodal tDCS failed to alter aeGBR but increased both 40-Hz ASSR power, as measured by event-related spectral perturbations (ERSP), and phase locking, as measured by inter-trial phase consistency (ITPC). Inter-individual differences in tDCS-induced increases in ERSP were negatively related to baseline ERSPs. These findings provide tentative support for further study of tDCS as a potential NMDAR neuromodulatory intervention for synchronized auditory gamma response deficits.
Prediction of lung cancer risk in Chinese population with genetic‐environment factor using extreme gradient boosting

Detecting early‐stage lung cancer is critical to reduce the lung cancer mortality rate; however, existing models based on germline variants perform poorly, and new models are needed. This study aimed to use extreme gradient boosting to develop a predictive model for the early diagnosis of lung cancer in a multicenter case–control study.
Ultrasmall Gold Nanoclusters-Enabled Fabrication of Ultrafine Gold Aerogels as Novel Self-Supported Nanozymes.

Metal aerogels represent an emerging type of functional porous materials with promising applications in diverse fields, but the fabrication of metal aerogels with specific structure and property still remains a challenge. Here, the authors report a new approach to fabricate metal aerogels by using ultrasmall metal nanoclusters (NCs) as functional building blocks. By taking D-penicillamine-stabilized gold NCs (AuNCs) with a diameter of 1.4 nm as an example, Au aerogels with ultrafine ligament size (3.5 nm) and good enzyme-mimic properties are synthesized. Detailed characterization shows that the obtained Au aerogels possess typical 3D self-supported porous network structure with high gold purity and surface area. Time-lapse spectroscopic and microscopic monitoring of the gelation process reveal that these ultrasmall AuNCs first grow into large nanoparticles before fusion into nanowire networks, during which both pH and the precursor concentration are identified to be the determining factor. Owing to their highly porous structure and abundant metal nodes, these self-supported Au aerogels display excellent peroxidase-like properties. This work provides a strategy for fabricating advanced metal aerogels by taking ultrasmall-sized metal NCs as building blocks, which also opens new avenues for engineering the structure and properties of metal aerogels for further advancing their applications.
Predictors of Mortality in 433 Nonagenarians Inside the Mugello Study: A 10 Years Follow-Up Study

Objective to identify the predictors of mortality in a cohort of nonagenarians inside the “Mugello study” after 10 years follow-up. Methods Information on sociodemographic data, cognitive and functional status, lifestyle, medical history, and drug use was collected from 433 non-selected participants aged 90-99 years, living in the Mugello area (Italy). Participants were followed over 10 years and their dates of death were retrieved from the municipal registers. Cox regression analysis was used to determine significant potential prognostic factors. Results The mortality rate was 96.5%. Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that a lower cognitive status was significantly associated with higher mortality as well as a poorer functional status, a higher comorbidity, and a higher number of drugs consumption. Discussion Impaired cognitive function, loss of functional independence, higher comorbidity, and higher drugs intake were the stronger predictors of mortality.
A group resilience training program for people with multiple sclerosis: Study protocol of a multi-centre cluster-randomized controlled trial (multi-READY for MS)

Introduction REsilience and Activities for every DaY (READY) is an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-based group resilience-training program that has preliminary empirical support in promoting quality of life and other psychosocial outcomes in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). Consistent with the Medical Research Council framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions, we conducted a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT), followed by a phase III RCT. The present paper describes the phase III RCT protocol. Methods and analysis This is a multi-centre cluster RCT comparing READY with a group relaxation program (1:1 ratio) in 240 PwMS from eight centres in Italy (trial registration: isrctn.org Identifier: ISRCTN67194859). Both interventions are composed of 7 weekly sessions plus a booster session five weeks later. Resilience (primary outcome), mood, health-related quality of life, well-being and psychological flexibility will be assessed at baseline, after the booster session, and at three and six month follow-ups. If face-to-face group meetings are interrupted because of COVID-19 related-issues, participants will be invited to complete their intervention via teleconferencing. Relevant COVID-19 information will be collected and the COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress scale will be administered (ancillary study) at baseline and 3-month follow-up. Analysis will be by intention-to-treat to show superiority of READY over relaxation. Longitudinal changes will be compared between the two arms using repeated-measures, hierarchical generalized linear mixed models. Conclusion It is expected that his study will contribute to the body of evidence on the efficacy and effectiveness of READY by comparing it with an active group intervention in frontline MS rehabilitation and clinical settings. Results will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and at other relevant conferences.
Application of Discrete Element Methods to the Problem of Rock Bumps

This paper is a continuation of a previous paper by the authors. Applications of two discrete element methods (DEM) to several fields of geotechnics are discussed. The free hexagon element method is considered a powerful discrete element method, and is widely used in mechanics of granular media. It substitutes the methods for solving continuum problems. In order to complete the study, other discrete element methods are discussed. The second method starts with the classical particle flow code (PFC, which uses dynamic equilibrium), but we apply static equilibrium in our case. The second method is called the static particle flow code (SPFC). The numerical experiences and comparison with experimental results from scaled models are discussed.
Identifying candidate structured RNAs in CRISPR operons

ABSTRACT Noncoding RNAs with secondary structures play important roles in CRISPR-Cas systems. Many of these structures likely remain undiscovered. We used a large-scale comparative genomics approach to predict 156 novel candidate structured RNAs from 36,111 CRISPR-Cas systems. A number of these were found to overlap with coding genes, including palindromic candidates that overlapped with a variety of Cas genes in type I and III systems. Among these 156 candidates, we identified 46 new models of CRISPR direct repeats and 1 tracrRNA. This tracrRNA model occasionally overlapped with predicted cas9 coding regions, emphasizing the importance of expanding our search windows for novel structure RNAs in coding regions. We also demonstrated that the antirepeat sequence in this tracrRNA model can be used to accurately assign thousands of predicted CRISPR arrays to type II-C systems. This study highlights the importance of unbiased identification of candidate structured RNAs across CRISPR-Cas systems.
Stomatal opening ratio mediates trait coordinating network adaptation to environmental gradients.

A trait coordination network is constructed through intercorrelations of functional traits, which reflect trait-based adaptive strategies. However, little is known about how these networks change across spatial scales, and what drivers and mechanisms mediate this change. This study bridges that gap by integrating functional traits related to plant carbon gain and water economy into the coordination network of Siberian elm (Ulmus pumila), an eurybiont that survives along 3800 km of environmental gradients from humid forest to arid desert. Our results demonstrated that both stomatal density and stomatal size reached a physiological threshold at which adjustments in these traits were not sufficient to cope with the increased environmental stress. Network analysis further revealed that the mechanism for overcoming this threshold, the stomatal opening ratio, gratio , was represented by the highest values for centrality across different spatial scales, and therefore mediated the changes in the trait coordination network along environmental gradients. The mediating roles manifested as creating the highest maximum theoretical stomatal conductance (gsmax ) but lowest possible gratio for pathogen defense in humid regions, while maintaining the gratio 'sweet spot' (c. 20% in this region) for highest water use efficiency in semi-humid regions, and having the lowest gsmax and highest gratio for gas exchange and leaf cooling in arid regions. These results suggested that the stomatal traits related to stomatal movement control play fundamental roles in balancing gas exchange, leaf cooling, embolism resistance and pathogen defense. These insights will allow more accurate model parameterization for different regions, and therefore, better predictions of species' responses to global change.
Ecological information and approaches needed for risk communication dialogs for acute or chronic environmental crises

Scientists, social scientists, risk communicators, and many others are often thrust into a crisis situation where they need to interact with a range of stakeholders, including governmental personnel (tribal, U.S. federal, state, local), local residents, and other publics, as well as other scientists and other risk communicators in situations where information is incomplete and evolving. This paper provides: (1) an overall framework for thinking about communication during crises, from acute to chronic, and local to widespread, (2) a template for the types of ecological information needed to address public and environmental concerns, and (3) examples to illustrate how this information will aid risk communicators. The main goal is providing an approach to the knowledge needed by communicators to address the challenges of protecting ecological resources during an environmental crisis, or for an on‐going, chronic environmental issue. To understand the risk to these ecological resources, it is important to identify the type of event, whether it is acute or chronic (or some combination of these), what receptors are at risk, and what stressors are involved (natural, biological, chemical, radiological). For ecological resources, the key information a communicator needs for a crisis is whether any of the following are present: threatened or endangered species, species of special concern, species groups of concern (e.g., neotropical bird migrants, breeding frogs in vernal ponds, rare plant assemblages), unique or rare habitats, species of commercial and recreational interest, and species/habitats of especial interest for medicinal, cultural, or religious activities. Communication among stakeholders is complicated with respect to risk to ecological receptors because of differences in trust, credibility, empathy, perceptions, world view valuation of the resources, and in many cases, a history of misinformation, disinformation, or no information. Exposure of salmon spawning in the Columbia River to hexavalent chromium from the Hanford Site is used as an example of communication challenges with different stakeholders, including Native Americans with Tribal Treaty rights to the land.
Cholecystectomy is associated with dysglycaemia: Cross‐sectional and prospective analyses

Cholecystectomy has been reported to be associated with increased risk of diabetes in cross‐sectional studies. In the current study, we performed both cross‐sectional and prospective analyses to examine the association between cholecystectomy and dysglycaemia in Chinese community‐dwelling adults. A total of 1612 participants (n = 1564 without cholecystectomy and n = 48 with cholecystectomy) were evaluated for glycaemic status (according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 1999 criteria) and then followed up over ~3.2 years. Percent changes (Δ) in fasting blood glucose and HbA1c from baseline at the follow‐up visit were calculated to define glycaemic control as stable (−10% ≤ Δ < 10%), improved (Δ < −10%), or worsened (Δ ≥ 10%). The baseline cross‐sectional analyses indicated that cholecystectomy was associated with an increased risk of both prediabetes and diabetes, while the prospective analysis indicated that cholecystectomy was also associated with a greater risk of deterioration in glycaemic control (ΔFPG ≥10% and ΔHbA1c ≥10%) (P < 0.05 for each, both before and after adjusting for potential confounding covariates). These observations suggest that individuals in the Chinese community‐dwelling population who have undergone cholecystectomy are at increased risk of dysglycaemia. Further studies are warranted to both delineate the underlying mechanisms and to clarify whether more intense surveillance for future development of diabetes is needed in this group.
Strategies Associated with Retaining Participants in the Longitudinal National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set Study

Background: Best approaches for retaining research participants in Alzheimer’s disease cohort studies are understudied. Objective: Using data from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set, we evaluated the associations of unique strategies with participant retention across Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers and explored potential effect modification by race, ethnicity and diagnostic group. Methods: We examined retention at the first follow-up visit among participants enrolled during 2015–2017. Structured surveys ascertained 95 retention tactics among 12 strategies. Strategy-specific summary scores were created based on the number of implemented tactics for each strategy and grouped into tertiles. Generalized estimating equations were constructed to evaluate associations between strategy scores and the odds of retention, controlling for age, sex, education, study partner type, marital status, visit length, battery length, diagnostic group, race and ethnicity. Separate models were stratified by race, ethnicity and diagnostic group. Effect modification was formally tested with interaction terms. Results: Among 5,715 total participants enrolled, 4,515 were Non-Hispanic White (79%), 335 were Hispanic/Latino (6%), 651 were Non-Hispanic Black (11%), and 214 were Non-Hispanic Asian (4%). Compared to the lowest tertile of scores, the highest tertile of scores involving improvement in study personnel and communication of study requirements and details were associated with 61% higher odds of retention in fully adjusted models (adjusted Odds Ratios [aOR] = 1.61, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.05–2.47 and aOR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.03–2.35, respectively). We did not find evidence for effect modification. Conclusion: In the setting of limited resources, specific retention strategies may be more valuable than others.