Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hermeticity Analysis on SiC Cavity Structure for All-SiC Piezoresistive Pressure Sensor

The hermeticity performance of the cavity structure has an impact on the long-term stability of absolute pressure sensors for high temperature applications. In this paper, a bare silicon carbide (SiC) wafer was bonded to a patterned SiC substrate with shallow grooves based on a room temperature direct bonding process to achieve a sealed cavity structure. Then the hermeticity analysis on the SiC cavity structure was performed. The microstructure observation demonstrates that the SiC wafers are tightly bonded and the cavities remain intact. Moreover, the tensile testing indicates that the tensile strength of bonding interface is ~8.01 MPa. Moreover, the quantitative analysis on the airtightness of cavity structure through leakage detection shows a helium leak rate of ~1.3 × 10−10 Pa⋅m3/s, which satisfies the requirement of the specification in the MIL-STD-883H. The cavity structure can also avoid an undesirable deep etching process and the problem caused by the mismatch of thermal expansion coefficients, which can be potentially further developed into an all-SiC piezoresistive pressure sensor employable for high temperature applications.
Mobilome Analysis of Achromobacter spp. Isolates from Chronic and Occasional Lung Infection in Cystic Fibrosis Patients

Achromobacter spp. is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause lung infections in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Although a variety of mobile genetic elements (MGEs) carrying antimicrobial resistance genes have been identified in clinical isolates, little is known about the contribution of Achromobacter spp. mobilome to its pathogenicity. To provide new insights, we performed bioinformatic analyses of 54 whole genome sequences and investigated the presence of phages, insertion sequences (ISs), and integrative and conjugative elements (ICEs). Most of the detected phages were previously described in other pathogens and carried type II toxin-antitoxin systems as well as other pathogenic genes. Interestingly, the partial sequence of phage Bcep176 was found in all the analyzed Achromobacter xylosoxidans genome sequences, suggesting the integration of this phage in an ancestor strain. A wide variety of IS was also identified either inside of or in proximity to pathogenicity islands. Finally, ICEs carrying pathogenic genes were found to be widespread among our isolates and seemed to be involved in transfer events within the CF lung. These results highlight the contribution of MGEs to the pathogenicity of Achromobacter species, their potential to become antimicrobial targets, and the need for further studies to better elucidate their clinical impact.
Heterofullerene MC59 (M = B, Si, Al) as Potential Carriers for Hydroxyurea Drug Delivery

As a representative nanomaterial, C60 and its derivatives have drawn much attention in the field of drug delivery over the past years, due to their unique geometric and electronic structures. Herein, the interactions of hydroxyurea (HU) drug with the pristine C60 and heterofullerene MC59 (M = B, Si, Al) were investigated using the density functional theory calculations. The geometric and electronic properties in terms of adsorption configuration, adsorption energy, Hirshfeld charge, frontier molecular orbitals, and charge density difference are calculated. In contrast to pristine C60, it is found that HU molecule is chemisorbed on the BC59, SiC59, and AlC59 molecules with moderate adsorption energy and apparent charge transfer. Therefore, heterofullerene BC59, SiC59, and AlC59 are expected to be promising carriers for hydroxyurea drug delivery.
Achondroplasia: A form of disproportionate dwarfism - A case report

Achondroplasia is a genetic disorder that is due to mutation of fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR3) gene and it results in dwarfism. It is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. The classical clinical features seen are disproportionate dwarfism, rhizomelic shortening (proximal limbs), short fingers and toes with trident hands, large head with prominent forehead (frontal bossing), small mid face with flattened nasal bridge, spinal kyphosis or lordosis, varus (bowleg), and valgus (knock knee) deformities. Oral findings include macroglossia, tongue thrust swallowing pattern, posterior crossbite, anterior open bite, anterior reverse overjet, etc., This case report present the features and oral treatment protocol for Achondroplasia.
Inertial Load Power Cycling Training Increases Muscle Mass and Aerobic Power in Older Adults

ABSTRACT Purpose Reductions in skeletal muscle mass, beginning after the third decade of life, reduce maximal neuromuscular power (Pmax). Maximal aerobic power generation is also reduced. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of maximal power cycling (PC) training using an inertial load ergometer on skeletal muscle mass and cardiovascular function in untrained 50- to 68-yr-old participants. Methods The study used a pre- or postoutcome exercise intervention testing untrained 50- to 68-yr-old adults (n = 39, M = 15, mean ± SE = 58.5 ± 0.8, range = 50–68 yr). Over the course of 8 wk, participants performed 15 min of training 3 times per week. Each session involved repeated (15–30 times) 4-s sprints of PC. Measurements were thigh muscle volume, total body lean mass, Pmax, peak oxygen consumption, cardio-ankle vascular index, performance on functional tests of living (FTLChair and FTLRamp), and intermuscular fat volume. Results Training for 8 wk increased thigh muscle volume (3.7% ± 0.9%, P < 0.001) and total body lean mass (1.5% ± 0.4%, P < 0.01) while increasing total body mass (TBM) (1.4% ± 0.3%, P < 0.01). Physical performance measures increased significantly (all P < 0.05) with improvements in Pmax (12.0% ± 1.5%); peak oxygen consumption (9.8% ± 1.8%), and FTL (8.5% ± 1.3% to 17.2% ± 2%). Cardio-ankle vascular index was significantly decreased −2.3% ± 1.1% (P < 0.05), indicating reduced arterial stiffness. Conclusions These results demonstrate that 8 wk of PC training at true maximal power was effective at increasing muscle mass and maximal power, as well as maximal cardiovascular capacity and functional tasks in untrained 50- to 68-yr-olds.
Transport Time and Mortality in Critically Ill Patients with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

ABSTRACT: Purpose: Severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. Pre-hospital care and transportation time may impact their outcomes. Methods: Using the British Columbia Trauma Registry, we included 2,860 adult (≥18 years) patients with severe TBI (abbreviated injury scale head score ≥4), who were admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) in a centre with neurosurgical services from January 1, 2000 to March 31, 2013. We evaluated the impact of transportation time (time of injury to time of arrival at a neurosurgical trauma centre) on in-hospital mortality and discharge disposition, adjusting for age, sex, year of injury, injury severity score (ISS), revised trauma score at the scene, location of injury, socio-economic status and direct versus indirect transfer. Results: Patients had a median age of 43 years (interquartile range [IQR] 26–59) and 676 (23.6%) were female. They had a median ISS of 33 (IQR 26–43). Median transportation time was 80 minutes (IQR 40–315). ICU and hospital length of stay were 6 days (IQR 2–12) and 20 days (IQR 7–42), respectively. Six hundred and ninety-six (24.3%) patients died in hospital. After adjustment, there was no significant impact of transportation time on in-hospital mortality (odds ratio 0.98, 95% confidence interval 0.95–1.01). There was also no significant effect on discharge disposition. Conclusions: No association was found between pre-hospital transportation time and in-hospital mortality in critically ill patients with severe TBI.
Multitarget Biological Profiling of New Naphthoquinone and Anthraquinone-Based Derivatives for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease

Two series of naphthoquinone and anthraquinone derivatives decorated with an aromatic/heteroaromatic chain have been synthesized and evaluated as potential promiscuous agents capable of targeting different factors playing a key role in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathogenesis. On the basis of the in vitro biological profiling, most of them exhibited a significant ability to inhibit amyloid aggregation, PHF6 tau sequence aggregation, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and monoamine oxidase (MAO) B. In particular, naphthoquinone 2 resulted as one of the best performing multitarget-directed ligand (MTDL) experiencing a high potency profile in inhibiting β-amyloid (Aβ40) aggregation (IC50 = 3.2 μM), PHF6 tau fragment (91% at 10 μM), AChE enzyme (IC50 = 9.2 μM) jointly with a remarkable inhibitory activity against MAO B (IC50 = 7.7 nM). Molecular modeling studies explained the structure–activity relationship (SAR) around the binding modes of representative compound 2 in complex with hMAO B and hAChE enzymes, revealing inhibitor/protein key contacts and the likely molecular rationale for enzyme selectivity. Compound 2 was also demonstrated to be a strong inhibitor of Aβ42 aggregation, with potency comparable to quercetin. Accordingly, atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed that the most promising naphthoquinones 2 and 5 and anthraquinones 11 and 12 were able to impair Aβ42 fibrillation, deconstructing the morphologies of its fibrillar aggregates. Moreover, the same compounds exerted a moderate neuroprotective effect against Aβ42 toxicity in primary cultures of cerebellar granule cells. Therefore, our findings demonstrate that these molecules may represent valuable chemotypes toward the development of promising candidates for AD therapy.
Bilateral stenting for hilar biliary obstruction: a meta-analysis of side-by-side versus stent-in-stent

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the efficacy of stent-in-stent (SIS) and side-by-side (SBS) bilateral stenting for treating malignant hilar biliary obstruction (MHBO). Material and methods Relevant studies in Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane Library were identified through June 2020. This meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan v5.3, using relevant endpoint data relating to clinical and technical success, complications, stent dysfunction, and overall survival (OS) rates extracted from these studies. Results We identified six relevant studies which included 315 MHBO patients treated with either SBS (n = 161) or SIS bilateral (n = 154) stenting. We saw no significant difference between these two groups with respect to clinical success (OR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.46, 2.49, p = .87), complication (HR: 0.12; 95% CI: −0.04, 0.27, p = .15), stent dysfunction (OR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.42, 1.10, p = .11), or OS (HR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.82, 1.16, p = .74). However, the SBS group exhibited significantly lower technical success rates (OR: 6.55; 95% CI: 1.10, 38.83, p = .04). Significant heterogeneity was only detected for the endpoint of complication rates (I2 = 60%). Conclusion These results suggest that SIS bilateral stenting yields better rates of technical success than does SBS bilateral stenting in MHBO patients.
Presenting Symptoms and Disease Severity in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Introduction: The study aims to determine an association between presenting symptoms in multiple sclerosis and measures of disease severity, including the expanded disability status score (EDSS) and MRI based lesion volumes. Methods: Data was collected as part of a larger 3 year MS study, from 2014 to 2017, to compare Vitamin A levels and MS progression. All data was collected from a single clinical site. Demographic data as well as date of diagnosis and use of disease modifying therapies. Patients not able to obtain MRIs or lab tests and histories of vitamin abnormalities were excluded from the study. 29 patients met inclusion criteria. We chose presenting symptoms of vision, balance, sensory function, and motor function as these represented the most common manifestations of the disease and mirror the domains of the EDSS, which is the most commonly used scale for MS disease severity. We also included neuroimaging based lesion volume as another objective measure for comparison. Results: Although duration of disease was different between comparator groups, no significant difference was found between them when EDSS and lesion volumes were compared. There was a difference in lesion volumes when comparing those patients that had presenting symptoms of visual changes or balance symptoms with those presenting with sensory changes. Conclusions: This study supports the notion that presenting symptoms are not associated with EDSS independent disease duration. It also verifies that severity of disease is not associated with lesion volumes. However, sensory symptoms as a presenting symptom was associated with less lesion volumes in our study.
Seasonal and inter-annual drivers of yellow fever transmission in South America

In the last 20 years yellow fever (YF) has seen dramatic changes to its incidence and geographic extent, with the largest outbreaks in South America since 1940 occurring in the previously unaffected South-East Atlantic coast of Brazil in 2016–2019. While habitat fragmentation and land-cover have previously been implicated in zoonotic disease, their role in YF has not yet been examined. We examined the extent to which vegetation, land-cover, climate and host population predicted the numbers of months a location reported YF per year and by each month over the time-period. Two sets of models were assessed, one looking at interannual differences over the study period (2003–2016), and a seasonal model looking at intra-annual differences by month, averaging over the years of the study period. Each was fit using hierarchical negative-binomial regression in an exhaustive model fitting process. Within each set, the best performing models, as measured by the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), were combined to create ensemble models to describe interannual and seasonal variation in YF. The models reproduced the spatiotemporal heterogeneities in YF transmission with coefficient of determination (R2) values of 0.43 (95% CI 0.41–0.45) for the interannual model and 0.66 (95% CI 0.64–0.67) for the seasonal model. For the interannual model, EVI, land-cover and vegetation heterogeneity were the primary contributors to the variance explained by the model, and for the seasonal model, EVI, day temperature and rainfall amplitude. Our models explain much of the spatiotemporal variation in YF in South America, both seasonally and across the period 2003–2016. Vegetation type (EVI), heterogeneity in vegetation (perhaps a proxy for habitat fragmentation) and land cover explain much of the trends in YF transmission seen. These findings may help understand the recent expansions of the YF endemic zone, as well as to the highly seasonal nature of YF.
Vestibular Dysfunction and Gross Motor Milestone Acquisition in Children With Hearing Loss: A Systematic Review

Objective To describe the impact of vestibular dysfunction on gross motor development in children with hearing loss. Data Sources MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase (Elsevier), Web of Science (Clarivate), and the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (EBSCO). Review Methods A systematic review was reported in concordance with the PRISMA guidelines (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses). Articles on children with hearing loss who underwent at least 1 instrumented measure of vestibular function and had gross motor milestones assessed were included. The Downs and Black checklist was used to assess risk of bias and methodological quality. Results Eleven articles were included in the systematic review. Three articles stratified quantitative results of gross motor milestone acquisition by severity of vestibular impairment. Over half of studies were case series published within the last 5 years. This systematic review showed that children with hearing loss and severe, bilateral vestibular dysfunction demonstrate delayed gross motor milestones. However, it was difficult to draw conclusions on whether milder forms of vestibular dysfunction significantly affect gross motor milestone acquisition in children with hearing loss. The reason is that most studies were of low to moderate quality, used different assessment methods, and contained results that were descriptive in nature. Conclusions This emerging area would benefit from future research, such as higher-quality studies to assess vestibular function and gross motor milestones. This would allow for better characterization of the impacts of vestibular impairment, especially milder forms, in children with hearing loss.
A network meta-analysis of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants versus warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation and diabetes mellitus

Abstract Purpose With the aim of recommending proper anticoagulation for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and diabetes mellitus, we performed the network meta-analysis comparing the non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) and warfarin in terms of efficacy (stroke or systemic embolism) and safety (major bleeding) outcome. Methods A systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Cochrane Library was performed with the items “dabigatran, edoxaban, apixaban, rivaroxaban, warfarin, AF and diabetes mellitus”. On the basis of R (version 3.5.1, R Foundation for Statistical Computing) and JAGS (version 4.3.0) to perform the network meta-analysis, our work was also conducted with the help of NetMetaXL (version1.6.1) and winBUGS (version1.4.3) to obtain the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) of treatments. Results With respect to the most effective drug for preventing systemic embolism or stroke, there was a high probability that dabigatran150 (SUCRA 0.88) would ranked first, followed by apixaban (SUCRA 0.63), dabigatran110 (SUCRA 0.59) and rivaroxaban (SUCRA 0.51). In comparison, probability of ranking the safest drug for preventing major bleeding was edoxaban (SUCRA 0.94), followed by dabigatran110 (SUCRA 0.59) and rivaroxaban (SUCRA 0.52). Conclusion In patients suffering from AF and diabetes, dabigatran 110 mg (bid) was more likely to become the choice for its performance on preventing systemic embolism or stroke and major bleeding, followed by rivaroxaban 20 mg (QD).
Gut Microbiota and Short-Chain Fatty Acid Profile between Normal and Moderate Malnutrition Children in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Malnutrition has been associated with the gut microbiota composition and the gastrointestinal environment. This study aimed to evaluate whether there is a difference in the gut microbiota profile between the normal and undernutrition (considered moderate malnutrition) children and evaluate the gastrointestinal environment observed from the short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) profile. Ten days’ observations were done between normal (n:13) and undernutrition (n:15) children. The subject’s diet was recorded using a food record. Analysis of the gut microbiota was performed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing targeting the V3-V4 variables region, while the SCFA profile was analyzed using gas chromatography. The result shows that the undernutrition group’s energy intake was lower than in the normal group. Although there was no difference in diversity index and overall gut composition, overexpression of the genera Methanobrevibacter, Anaerococcus, Eubacterium, and Succinivibrio was observed in the undernutrition group. Meanwhile, in the normal group, Ruminococcus and Fusobacterium were found. In both groups, there was also the dominant of Prevotella enterotype. Gastrointestinal conditions in the normal group tended to be more acidic compared to the undernutrition group. It occurs due to the high concentration of propionate and butyric acids.
Photocatalytic degradation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in contaminated water by ZnO nanoparticles

BACKGROUND: Over the past several decades methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) as additive to gasoline, intended to either boost ratings of fuel or to reduce air pollution, has been accepted worldwide. Since MTBE has high water solubility, the occurrence of fuel spills or leaks from underground storage tanks or transferring pipeline has led to the contamination of natural waters. In this study the degradation of aqueous MTBE at relatively high concentrations was investigated by a UV-visible/ZnO/H2O2 photocatalytic process. The effects of important operational parameters such as pH, amount of H2O2, catalyst loading and irradiation time were also investigated. Concentration of MTBE and intermediates such as tert-butyl formate and tert-butyl alcohol were measured. RESULTS: Time required for complete degradation increased from 20 to 150 min when the initial concentration was increased from 10 to 500 mg L−1. The first-order rate constants for degradation of MTBE were estimated to be 0.183–0.022 min−1 as the concentration increased from 10 to 500 mg L−1. Study of the overall mineralization monitored by total organic carbon analysis showed that at an initial concentration of 100 mg L−1 MTBE complete mineralization was obtained after 100 min under UV-visible/ZnO/H2O2 photocatalysis. CONCLUSION: The data presented in this paper clearly indicated that UV-visible/ZnO/O2 as an advanced oxidation process provides an efficient treatment alternative for the remediation of MTBE-contaminated waters. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry
ß-COP mutants show specific high sensitivity to chloride ions

ABSTRACT Coat Protein I (COPI) consists of a complex (coatomer) formed by seven subunits (α-, β-, β’-, γ-, δ-, ε-, and ζ-COP) that is recruited to Golgi membranes to form vesicles that shuttle from the Golgi apparatus to the ER and between Golgi stacks. Recently, it has been described that loss of function mutants of the two Arabidopsis β-COP genes, β1-COP and β2-COP, showed increased sensitivity to salt stress (NaCl). Using a mixture of either Na+ or Cl− salts, we have now found that β-COP mutants are specifically and highly sensitive to chloride ions.
Clinical characteristics and stratification of the cerebrovascular accident risk among patients with atrial fibrillation in Colombia, 2011-2016

ABSTRACT Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common type of cardiac arrhythmia worldwide. This study aimed to determine the sociodemographic and clinical features of AF in a Colombian population. Methods: An observational, retrospective study was conducted using a sample of patients diagnosed with AF. Electronic medical records were reviewed to determine specific sociodemographic, clinical, risk stratification, outcome, and pharmacological variables. Results: A total of 357 patients with a mean age of 69.4 ± 13.3 years were included; 52.4% (n = 187) were women. Most patients (84.0%; n = 300) had an elevated risk of thromboembolism and an indication for anticoagulation, but 72 (24.0%) of these patients did not receive such treatment. Among the patients, 23.2% had HAS-BLED scores ≥3. During the study period, 76 patients (21.3%) had 121 adverse events, of which 75.2% (n = 91) were any bleeding events (major, minor, etc.) and 24.8% (n = 30) were thrombosis events (i.e., stroke). At the end of the follow-up period, the number of prescriptions for direct anticoagulants had increased, and warfarin decreased. Conclusions: AF primarily affects Colombian adults >65 years old. A high burden of comorbidities and a risk of thromboembolism were found in most patients; however, lack of treatment was evident in a large percentage of cases.