Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of levosimendan on renal function in background of left ventricular dysfunction: a meta-analysis of randomized trials

ABSTRACT Objective Levosimendan, an inotrope, is widely used in the management of heart failure (HF) and cardiac surgery, but it remains uncertain whether levosimendan can improve renal function in patients with left ventricular dysfunction (LVD). Methods PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL from the inception to June 2020 were systematically screened for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to investigate whether levosimendan offers kidney-related advantages in cardiovascular patients with LVD. We pooled the effects using a random-effect model. Results Twenty-eight studies enrolling 5069 patients were included. Levosimendan reduced the sCr (SMD −0.28, 95% CI (−0.48, −0.09), P = 0.005, I2 = 52.5%, high quality) and the risk of ARF (relative risk 0.75, 95%CI (0.60, 0.95), P = 0.017, I2 = 11.3%, moderate-quality) in patients with LVD compared with control group. The reduction of sCr was more pronounced in patients with a relatively higher baseline sCr level. For secondary outcomes, levosimendan therapy was associated with the improvement of GFR (SMD 0.32, 95%CI (−0.05, 0.68), P = 0.092, I2 = 55.1%, low-quality) and urine output (SMD 0.42, 95%CI (0.06, 0.79), P = 0.024, I2 = 50.0%, very low-quality), but there was no significant reduction in BUN (SMD −0.14, 95%CI (−0.97, 0.70), P = 0.774, I2 = 77.9%, very low-quality). Conclusions Levosimendan might improve renal function of patients with LVD.
Does greater patient involvement in healthcare decision-making affect malpractice complaints? A large case vignette survey

Background Although research findings consistently find poor communication about medical procedures to be a key predictor of patient complaints, compensation claims, and malpractice lawsuits (“complaints”), there is insufficient evidence to determine if greater patient involvement could actually affect the inclination to complain. Objectives We conducted an experimental case vignette survey that explores whether greater patient involvement in decision-making is likely to influence the intention to complain given different decisions and consequences. Methods Randomized, national case vignette survey with various levels of patient involvement, decisions, and outcomes in a representative Danish sample of men. We used prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening in men aged 45 to 70 years as the intervention illustrated in 30 different versions of a mock clinical encounter. Versions differed in the amount of patient involvement, the decision made (PSA test or no PSA test), and the clinical outcomes (no cancer detected, detection of treatable cancer, and detection of non-treatable cancer). We measured respondents’ inclination to complain about care in response to the scenarios on a 5-point Likert scale (from 1: very unlikely to 5: very likely). Results The response rate was 30% (6,756 of 22,288). Across all scenarios, the likelihood of complaint increased if the clinical outcome was poor (untreatable cancer). Compared with scenarios that involved shared decision-making (SDM), neutral information, or nudging in favor of screening, the urge to complain increased if the patient was excluded from decision-making or if the doctor had nudged the patient to decline screening (mean Likert differences .12 to .16, p < .001). With neutral involvement or nudging in favor of intervention, the desire to complain depended highly on the decision reached and on the patient’s course. This dependence was smaller with SDM. Conclusions Greater patient involvement in decision-making appears to be associated with less intention to complain about health care, with SDM resulting in the greatest reduction in complaint likelihood.
Association between Alzheimer’s disease genes and trajectories of cognitive function decline in Han Chinese in Taiwan

Genetic background has been considered one of the important contributors to the rate of cognitive decline among patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We conducted a 4-year longitudinal follow-up study, recruited 255 AD and 44 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients, and used a data-driven trajectory analysis to examine the influence of selected AD risk genes on the age for and the rate of cognitive decline in Han Chinese population. Genotyping of selected single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the APOE, ABCA7, SORL1, BIN1, GAB2, and CD33 genes was conducted, and a Bayesian hierarchical model was fitted to analyze the trajectories of cognitive decline among different genotypes. After adjusting for sex and education years, the APOE ε4 allele was associated with an earlier mean change of −2.39 years in the age at midpoint of cognitive decline, the G allele in ABCA7 rs3764650 was associated with an earlier mean change of −1.75 years, and the T allele in SORL1 rs3737529 was associated with a later mean change of 2.6 years. Additionally, the rate of cognitive decline was associated with the APOE ε4 allele and SORL1 rs3737529. In summary, APOE and SORL1 might be the most important genetic factors related to cognitive decline in Han Chinese population.
Targeted tDCS Mitigates Dual‐Task Costs to Gait and Balance in Older Adults

Among older adults, the ability to stand or walk while performing cognitive tasks (ie, dual‐tasking) requires coordinated activation of several brain networks. In this multicenter, double‐blinded, randomized, and sham‐controlled study, we examined the effects of modulating the excitability of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (L‐DLPFC) and the primary sensorimotor cortex (SM1) on dual‐task performance “costs” to standing and walking.
Determination of tetrandrine and fangchinoline in Qingshenjianfei Tablets by RP-HPLC

AIM: To determine the contents of tetrandrine and fangchinoline in Qingshenjianfei Tablets by RP-HPLC. METHODS:In this method Zorbax C 18 column was used, and methanol—0.3%diethylamine (75∶25) as a mobile phase , the detection wavelength was at 242 nm. RESULTS:The recovery of tetrandrine was 103.65% and RSD was 1.59% . The recovery of fangchinoline was 97.11% and RSD was 1.91% (n=6). CONCLUSION: This method is simple,quick,reproducible and can be used for the quantitative analysis。
Optimum Condition of Phosphonic Acid Inhibitor Under A Flowing Solution

Phosphonic acid is used as a corrosion inhibitor in cooling water in chemical plants. To determine the optimum conditions for its use, a corrosion test was carried out using a flowing solution, in conjunction with a jet-in-slit testing apparatus. An immersion test was also carried out for comparison. The test involved the exposure of carbon steel to a solution of amino-trimethyl phosphonic acid (ATMP) and zinc sulfate, to simulate industrial water. The anticorrosive effect was the highest at an ATMP concentration of 150ppm and a molar ratio of Zn2+/ATMP of 4, under flowing conditions, but, in the immersion test, this ratio was set at 2. In general, the presence of NaCl and NaClO accelerate corrosion, in that they function as anticorrosive agents, under both immersion and flowing conditions, when an inhibitor is present at optimum concentrations. The film that forms on the material surface is a complex film, consisting of ATMP and Zn2+. The presence of NaCl makes the film homogeneous and NaClO improves the adhesion of the film to the surface of the material, by affecting the early stage of film formation.
Effect of Polysaccharides on the Properties of the Mucoadhesive Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Multicore–Shell Microparticles

ABSTRACT This study discusses about the effect of polysaccharides (agar, gum tragacanth, and guar gum) on the properties of the core (organogel)–shell [poly(vinyl alcohol)] microparticles. The size, swelling, and mucoadhesive properties of the poly(vinyl alcohol) microparticles were altered in the presence of the polysaccharides. Thermal analysis confirmed the presence of organogels within the microparticles. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed the presence of the polysaccharides within the microparticles. The microparticles were biocompatible in nature. Drug release indicated that an alteration in the shell composition can be used for altering drug release. Ciprofloxacin-loaded microparticles showed sufficient antimicrobial efficiency. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Image-to-image Transformation with Auxiliary Condition

The performance of image recognition like human pose detection, trained with simulated images would usually get worse due to the divergence between real and simulated data. To make the distribution of a simulated image close to that of real one, there are several works applying GAN-based image-to-image transformation methods, e.g., SimGAN and CycleGAN. However, these methods would not be sensitive enough to the various change in pose and shape of subjects, especially when the training data are imbalanced, e.g., some particular poses and shapes are minor in the training data. To overcome this problem, we propose to introduce the label information of subjects, e.g., pose and type of objects in the training of CycleGAN, and lead it to obtain label-wise transforamtion models. We evaluate our proposed method called Label-CycleGAN, through experiments on the digit image transformation from SVHN to MNIST and the surveillance camera image transformation from simulated to real images.
INVESTIGATIONS OF THE STRUCTURE AND DYNAMICS OF NOVEL MUONIATED RADICALS

Muoniurn (Mu) can be considered as a light isotope of hydrogen in which the nucleus is a positive muon. Radicals labelled with Mu are used to probe the effect of isotopic substitution on the structure and dynamics of radicals. Novel muoniated radicals have been produced in which the muon is attached directly to the radical centre (a-muoniated radical) or the unpaired electron is in a o orbital. The CH2Mu and CD2Mu isotopomers of the methyl radical were produced by the reaction of Mu with ketene and deuterated ketene, respectively, and the hyperfine coupling constants (hfcs) were measured between approximately 80 and 230 K. The temperature dependence of the hfcs is due to interactions with the solvent which dominate because the large out-of-plane vibrational frequency, compared with CH3, results in negligible population of the excited vibrational level. Relaxation in the liquid phase is interpreted to be dominated by the spin-rotation mechanism. The reduced muon hfc (given by the muon hfc divided by the ratio of the muon and proton gyromagnetic ratios) is 3% larger than the proton hfc, consistent with the larger zero-point energy of the C-Mu bond compared with the C-H bond. An additional radical was observed just below the boiling point of ketene. Investigation revealed that this radical resulted fiom Mu addition to the ketene dimer, which forms at temperatures above 200 K. Alpha-muoniated radicals were by the reaction of Mu with stable singlet carbenes. Four stable carbenes (1,3-bis(isopropyl)-4,5-dimethylimidazol-2-ylidene~ 1,3bis(2,4,6-trimethylpheny1)-imidazol-2-yl, 1,3,4-triphenyl-4,5-dihydro1 H-1,2,4triazol5 -ylidene and 1,3 -bis(2,4,6-trimethylpheny1)imidazolin-Zylidene) were studied, and in every case Mu added exclusively to the carbeneic carbon. The radicals were identified by a comparison of the experimental hfcs with values obtained &om density hnctional theory calculations. The temperature dependence of the muon hfcs cannot be accounted for by only considering vibrational motion at the radical centre. The N-muono-N-tert-butylcarbamoyl and N-muono-N-tert-butylthiocarbamoyl radicals were generated by the reaction of Mu with tert-butylisocyanate and tert-
The Power of Schadenfreude: Predicting Behaviors and Perceptions of Trolling Among Reddit Users

Trolling is an uncivil behavior that is increasingly prevalent in online social interactions. This study sought to understand trolling by examining the psychological predictors that motivate trolling behaviors, as well as perceptions of trolling among 438 Reddit users. A path analysis indicated the motivation of schadenfreude mediates the relationship between personality traits (i.e., the dark triad) and trolling. Outspokenness neither directly nor indirectly predicted trolling. Results also showed that Reddit users motivated by schadenfreude and users who exhibit trolling behaviors view trolling as not being a dysfunctional or undesirable response to online discourse. In addition, those with schadenfreude considered the practice of trolling to be functional/comprehensible. Those who merely observe trolling on Reddit did not consider trolling to be a functional part of online discourse. Age, time spent on Reddit, and the dark triad did not predict functional or dysfunctional perceptions of trolling, but gender played a role.
From “Nasa Lies” to “Reptilian Eyes”: Mapping Communication About 10 Conspiracy Theories, Their Communities, and Main Propagators on Twitter

In recent years, conspiracy theories have pervaded mainstream discourse. Social media, in particular, reinforce their visibility and propagation. However, most prior studies on the dissemination of conspiracy theories in digital environments have focused on individual cases or conspiracy theories as a generic phenomenon. Our research addresses this gap by comparing the 10 most prominent conspiracy theories on Twitter, the communities supporting them, and their main propagators. Drawing on a dataset of 106,807 tweets published over 6 weeks from 2018 to 2019, we combine large-scale network analysis and in-depth qualitative analysis of user profiles. Our findings illustrate which conspiracy theories are prevalent on Twitter, and how different conspiracy theories are separated or interconnected within communities. In addition, our study provides empirical support for previous assertions that extremist accounts are being “deplatformed” by leading social media companies. We also discuss how the implications of these findings elucidate the role of societal and political contexts in propagating conspiracy theories on social media.
The potential of SERS as an AST methodology in clinical settings

Abstract The ability to identify and characterize microorganisms from tiny sample volumes in a rapid and reliable way is the first and crucial step in the diagnostics of microbial infections. Ideal analytical techniques would require minimal and low-cost sample preparation, permit automatic analysis of many serial samples, and allow rapid classification of present microorganisms against a stable database. Current practice, however, is far from this ideal; a typical analytical procedure might require a few days. Delayed laboratory results might lead, for example, to progress/spread of the infection, more serious condition of the patient, even death, prescription of inappropriate antibiotics that could be ineffective against causative agents and may as well contribute to the emerging problem of drug resistance in microorganisms. Several studies confirmed that surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is capable of a rapid identification and discrimination of biological samples including medically relevant bacteria. A typical spectrum contains a wealth of information indicative of the cellular content of nucleic acids, purine bases, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids. Such a spectrum functions as a cellular ‘fingerprint’ and serves as a sensitive indicator of the physiological state of the cell which in turn enables to differentiate cell types, actual physiological states, nutrient conditions, and phenotype changes. Consequently, the focus of this review is on the SERS spectra of bacteria which result from secreted metabolic substances – the purine bases – which are a common feature in the label-free SERS research related to clinical diagnostics of pathogens. Here is the review of the current status of SERS applications on bacteria. A special attention is given to the efforts of profiling antimicrobial susceptibility at clinically relevant species, which in turn has a great potential for use in routine point-of-care (POC) tests. Thus, early and accurate infection disease management can be provided at the bedside or at remote care centres.
A Social Network Analysis of the Oceanographic Community: A Fragmented Digital Community of Practice

Abstract What does a digital Social Network Analysis reveal about online oceanographic communities on Twitter? We examine the structure of a digital community of practice of oceanographers and ocean-related stakeholders on Twitter using a Social Network Analysis (SNA) approach to understand digital aspects of information production and information flow in oceanography, mapping the social ties between members of a community of practice concerned with the study of the oceans. We carried out the SNA using Docteur Tweety TwExList for data collection, and Gephi to visualize scraped data, and found that although the oceanographic community on Twitter is an active vibrant community, fragmentation between sub-communities exist. Further qualitative sampling revealed where these fragmentations occur between individual researchers, institutions, funding bodies, government agencies, and news outlets as a result of practice, time zones, and geography. The findings also revealed which groups are utilizing Twitter consistently, and which accounts have the potential to connect isolated groups. We recommend that if training were available to assist ocean scientists in understanding the affordances of Twitter, it would be possible to utilise it for better collaboration, community integration, and more effective public outreach.
Inconsistent Patterns of Microbial Diversity and Composition Between Highly Similar Sequencing Protocols: A Case Study With Reef-Building Corals

16S rRNA gene profiling (amplicon sequencing) is a popular technique for understanding host-associated and environmental microbial communities. Most protocols for sequencing amplicon libraries follow a standardized pipeline that can differ slightly depending on laboratory facility and user. Given that the same variable region of the 16S gene is targeted, it is generally accepted that sequencing output from differing protocols are comparable and this assumption underlies our ability to identify universal patterns in microbial dynamics through meta-analyses. However, discrepant results from a combined 16S rRNA dataset prepared by two labs whose protocols differed only in DNA polymerase and sequencing platform led us to scrutinize the outputs and challenge the idea of confidently combining them for standard microbiome analysis. Using technical replicates of reef-building coral samples from two species, Montipora aequituberculata and Porites lobata, we evaluated the consistency of alpha and beta diversity metrics between data resulting from these highly similar protocols. While we found minimal variation in alpha diversity between platform, significant differences were revealed with most beta diversity metrics, dependent on host species. These inconsistencies persisted following removal of low abundance taxa and when comparing across higher taxonomic levels, suggesting that bacterial community differences associated with sequencing protocol are likely to be context dependent and difficult to correct without extensive validation work. The results of this study encourage caution in the statistical comparison and interpretation of studies that combine rRNA sequence data from distinct protocols and point to a need for further work identifying mechanistic causes of these observed differences. Importance Amplicon sequencing remains a popular technique for characterizing organism and environmental microbiomes. The publication of sequence data from microbiome studies on open-access repositories provides an opportunity to identify universal patterns in microbial dynamics. To this end, it has been widely accepted that sequencing output from differing protocols are comparable and can be combined for analysis, so long as the same gene region is targeted. While most protocols for amplicon sequencing follow standardized pipelines, they can differ slightly between laboratory facility and user. In this study, we compared technical replicates of coral samples to evaluate the efficacy of combining organism-associated microbial datasets derived from two differing protocols. We found inconsistencies in the differences between bacterial communities, which persisted following data manipulations intended to increase comparability. These results suggest caution must be taken in the statistical comparison and interpretation of studies that combine data derived from distinct protocols.
Rethinking habitat occupancy modeling and the role of diel activity in an anthropogenic world

Current methods to model species habitat use through space and diel time are limited. Development of such models is critical when considering rapidly changing habitats where species are forced to adapt to anthropogenic change, often by shifting their diel activity across space. We use an occupancy modeling framework to develop a new model, the multi-state diel occupancy model (MSDOM), which can evaluate species diel activity against continuous response variables which may impact diel activity within and across seasons or years. We used two case studies, fosa in Madagascar and coyote in Chicago, USA, to conceptualize the application of this model and to quantify the impacts of human activity on species spatial use in diel time. We found support that both species varied their habitat use by diel states—in and across years, and by human disturbance. Our results exemplify the importance of understanding animal diel activity patterns and how human disturbance can lead to temporal habitat loss. The MSDOM will allow more focused attention in ecology and evolution studies on the importance of the short temporal scale of diel time in animal-habitat relationships and lead to improved habitat conservation and management.
A supergene in seaweed flies modulates male traits and female perception

Supergenes, tightly linked allelic combinations that underlie complex adaptive phenotypes represent a critical mechanism protecting intra-specific polymorphism [1, 2]. Supergenes represent some of the best examples of balancing selection in nature and there is increasing evidence that disassortative mating, when individuals preferentially mate with dissimilar phenotypes, is a key force stabilizing supergene polymorphisms. Yet, the underlying biological mechanisms and genetic basis of disassortative mating remain poorly known. Here, we examine a possible mechanism of disassortative mating driven by female mate choice in relation to the overdominant Cf-Inv(1) supergene in the seaweed fly Coelopa frigida by investigating chemical communication and its genomic architecture. We show that Cf-Inv(1) strongly affects chemical signaling; cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) composition differed between genotypes in males but not females across two continents. In tandem, Cf-Inv(1) affected female perception of these compounds; females are able to sense 36 compounds from the male CHC cocktail but show differential perception between genotypes for almost half of them. This indicates that the genetic underpinnings of male traits and female perceptions are tightly linked within Cf-Inv(1) which likely facilitates disassortative mating [3]. A differential expression approach based on candidate genes for CHC biosynthesis and odorant detection revealed differential expression for CHC biosynthesis in males alone but broad changes in odorant receptors across both sexes. Furthermore, odorant genes clustered together within Cf-Inv(1), with some of them differing between arrangements by 8.3% at the protein level, suggesting evolution via tandem duplication then divergence. We propose that the tight linkage between overdominant loci, male traits, and female perception has helped to maintain the Cf-Inv(1) polymorphism across its range in the face of supergene degeneration.