Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risk factors for mortality in COVID‐19 patients in a community teaching hospital

As of December 2020, there were over 450,000 confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) cases in New York City (NYC) with approximately 25,000 deaths. Previous literature identified advanced age, higher severity of illness, elevated inflammatory biomarkers, acute organ dysfunction, comorbidities, and presentation from long‐term care facility as risk factors for mortality in patients from Wuhan, China, and the United States. Additional studies conducted in NYC are warranted to confirm these findings. The objective of this study was to assess the risk factors for in‐hospital mortality in patients with confirmed COVID‐19 infections. This was a retrospective case‐control study at The Brooklyn Hospital Center, a 464‐bed community teaching hospital. Adult patients with a confirmed COVID‐19 infection and who received at least 24 h of COVID‐19 therapy were included. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the risk factors for in‐hospital mortality. Two‐hundred and eighty four patients were included, of whom 95 (33.5%) were nonsurvivors and 189 (66.5%) patients were survivors. Multivariate analysis showed higher in‐hospital mortality with advanced age (odds ratio [OR] 6.476; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.827–22.953), presentation from long‐term care facility (OR 4.259; 95% CI 1.481–12.250), elevated total bilirubin (OR 4.947; 95% CI 1.048–23.350), vasopressor initiation (OR 36.262; 95% CI 5.319–247.216), and development of renal failure (OR 36.261; 95% CI 2.667–493.046). Risk factors associated with mortality for patients with COVID‐19 in a community teaching hospital included advanced age, vasopressor initiation, development of renal failure, elevated total bilirubin, and presentation from long‐term care facility.
The Effect of Release Velocity and Geometry on Burning Times for Non-Premixed Fuel Gas Clouds

Abstract Release velocity has a large effect on the burning time of a fuel gas cloud, changing it by a factor of up to four. Previous studies have usually ignored this aspect, as direct measurement of the velocity is difficult, due to the transient nature of the release. We measured the fuel gas release velocity from the impulse given to a ballistic pendulum. The mean velocity of the fuel gas is the impulse divided by the mass of fuel. Using this method, we studied fireballs with velocities up to 88m/sec, with fuel masses from IS to 13 grams. The release geometry was varied to simulate the flow from a ruptured fuel tank. The fireballs acted as scale models for much larger releases with velocities up to the sonic region. The results were correlated using dimensional analysis, which defines the conditions for results to be scaled to larger fuel masses. This gave an equation relating the burning time to the fuel mass and initial fuel release velocity. Burning times of other workers using pressurised LPG obey.
Anxiety Mediates the Link Between Psychopathy and Aggression in NGRI Acquittees

Psychopathy has been long associated with anxiety, and anxiety has been argued to play an important role in psychopathy-related behaviors, such as aggression. However, these associations have not yet been explored in Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI) Acquittees. The goals of the present study were to test the correlations between the 4-facet psychopathy construct and anxiety, and to assess whether anxiety mediates the association between psychopathy and aggression. In a sample of 81 NGRI acquittees, anxiety was positively related to the lifestyle facet. When testing the mediating role of anxiety on the psychopathy-aggression link, the results showed that low anxiety mediated the link between the interpersonal facet and aggression. By contrast, high anxiety mediated the link between the lifestyle facet and aggression. These results highlight the disparate associations between specific psychopathy features and anxiety in predicting aggressive behavior. The present findings demonstrate that violence reduction strategies may need to become more tailored to individual needs when it comes to reducing risk among people with varying levels of psychopathic traits and serious mental illness.
Synthesis, molecular structure and properties of oxo-vanadium(IV) complexes containing the oxydiacetate ligand

The complex [V(O)(oda)(H2O)2] 1 [oda = O(CH2COO−)2] has been obtained by reaction of aqueous solutions of [V(O)(acac)2] with oxydiacetic acid. The coordination geometry around the vanadium in 1 is distorted octahedral with mutually trans water ligands and a planar conformation of the oda ligand (mer). The relative stability of the experimentally determined structure and that of the alternative isomer with a puckered oda conformation (fac) has been investigated by DFT calculations. The latter confirms that the mer geometry is more stable by 35.6 kJ mol−1. The complex [V(O)(oda)(μ-OMe)]2[Na(H2O)]22a is obtained by reaction of 1 with NaOH in methanol. The anions feature two V(O)(oda) units symmetrically bridged by methoxy groups in a syn-orthogonal arrangement, while the oda ligands have the fac conformation. Similar complexes [V(O)(oda)(μ-OMe)]2[K(H2O)]22b and [V(O)(oda)(μ-OMe)]2[HL]22c–2g are obtained from reaction with KOH or with selected N-donor bases (L), respectively. An excess of pyridine, however, causes the simple substitution of the water molecules in 1 and generates the monomer [V(O)(oda)(py)2] 3. Antiferromagnetic behaviour of binuclear compounds 2a, 2d and 2e is suggested by a variable-temperature study. Finally, the reaction of 1 with bidentate N-donor ligands allows the synthesis of the complexes [V(O)(oda)(N–N)]·H2O (N–N = 2,2′-bipyridine, 4; o-phenanthroline, 5). X-Ray characterization of 4 shows that the conformation of oda has changed from mer (as in the reactant 1) to fac.
Mathematical assessment of the impact of cohort vaccination on pneumococcal carriage and serotype replacement

ABSTRACT Although pneumococcal vaccines are quite effective in reducing disease burden, factors such as imperfect vaccine efficacy and serotype replacement present an important challenge against realizing direct and herd protection benefits of the vaccines. In this study, a novel mathematical model is designed and used to describe the dynamics of two Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP) serotypes, in response to the introduction of a cohort vaccination program which targets one of the two serotypes. The model is fitted to a pediatric SP carriage prevalence data from Atlanta, GA. The model, which is rigorously analysed to investigate the existence and asymptotic stability properties of the associated equilibria (in addition to exploring conditions for competitive exclusion), is simulated to assess the impact of vaccination under different levels of serotype-specific competition and illustrate the phenomenon of serotype replacement. The calibrated model is used to forecast the carriage prevalence in the pediatric cohort over 30 years.
NHP2 downregulation counteracts hTR‐mediated activation of the DNA damage response at ALT telomeres

About 10% of cancer cells employ the “alternative lengthening of telomeres” (ALT) pathway instead of re‐activating the hTERT subunit of human telomerase. The hTR RNA subunit is also abnormally silenced in some ALT+ cells not expressing hTERT, suggesting a possible negative non‐canonical impact of hTR on ALT. Indeed, we show that ectopically expressed hTR reduces phosphorylation of ssDNA‐binding protein RPA (p‐RPAS33) at ALT telomeres by promoting the hnRNPA1‐ and DNA‐PK‐dependent depletion of RPA. The resulting defective ATR checkpoint signaling at telomeres impairs recruitment of the homologous recombination protein, RAD51. This induces ALT telomere fragility, increases POLD3‐dependent C‐circle production, and promotes the recruitment of the DNA damage marker 53BP1. In ALT+ cells that naturally retain hTR expression, NHP2 H/ACA ribonucleoprotein levels are downregulated, likely in order to restrain DNA damage response (DDR) activation at telomeres through reduced 53BP1 recruitment. This unexpected role of NHP2 is independent from hTR’s non‐canonical function in modulating telomeric p‐RPAS33. Collectively, our study shines new light on the interference between telomerase‐ and ALT‐dependent pathways and unravels a crucial role for hTR and NHP2 in DDR regulation at ALT telomeres.
Measuring Public Speaking Anxiety: Self-report, behavioral, and physiological

Self-reports are typically used to assess public speaking anxiety. In this study, we examined whether self-report, observer report, and behavioral and physiological reactivity were associated with each other during a speech challenge task. A total of 95 university students completed a self-report measure of public speaking anxiety before and after the speech challenge. Speech duration (i.e., behavioral measure), physiological reactivity, as well as speech performance evaluated by the participants and observers were also recorded. The results suggest that self-reported public speaking anxiety predicts speech duration, as well as speech quality, as rated by the participants themselves and observers. However, the physiological measures were not associated with self-reported anxiety during the speech task. Additionally, we observed that socially anxious participants underrate their speech performance in comparison to their observers’ evaluations.
Exposure to Baby-Friendly Hospital Practices and Breastfeeding Outcomes of WIC Participants in Maryland

Background The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative is an effective intervention to support maternal practices around breastfeeding. However, adherence of hospitals to the Baby-Friendly 10 Steps, as determined from the perspective of women participating in the United States Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, has not been assessed. Research Aims (1) To compare maternal perceptions about maternity practices in Baby-Friendly Hospitals and non-Baby-Friendly Hospitals; (2) to evaluate the associations between degree of exposure to the Baby-Friendly 10 Steps and breastfeeding practices through the first 6 months; and (3) to evaluate whether the receipt of specific Steps was associated with breastfeeding practices through 6 months. Methods This study was a cross-sectional 2 group comparison, using prospective data collected through a self-report telephone survey and retrospective data gathered from participants’ records. Women (N = 182) participating in four Maryland Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children agencies were recruited. One hundred and eight (59%) participants delivered at designated Baby-Friendly Hospitals; 74 (41%) delivered in non-Baby-Friendly designated hospitals. Logistic regression models were utilized to determine the influence of perceived Step adherence on exclusive breastfeeding. Results Reported adherence to 10-Steps policies ranged from 10%–85% (lowest for Step 9, highest for Step 10) and only Step 9 (give no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants) differed according to Baby-Friendly Hospital status. Greater exposure to the 10 Steps was positively associated with exclusive breastfeeding during hospitalization. The lack of perceived adherence to Step 6 (no food or drink other than human milk), Step 9, and the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (no formula, bottles, or artificial nipples) significantly decreased the likelihood of exclusive breastfeeding through 6 months. Conclusion Maternal perception of Baby-Friendly Step adherence was associated with exclusive breastfeeding.
What Drives Racial Attitudes in Elementary School Children: Skin Tone, Facial Physiognomy, or Both?

This work examines whether racial attitudes—when measured by both explicit and implicit measures— are driven primarily by skin tone, facial physiognomy, or both in 5 to 12-year-old children. Participants evaluated faces varying in skin tone (from dark to light) and facial physiognomy (from Afrocentric to Eurocentric). In an explicit task, children rated how much they liked each face. In an implicit task, participants completed a child-friendly version of the Affect Misattribution Procedure, where they rated a Chinese character as “good” or “bad” following a racial prime. Results suggest that pro-White attitudes (especially those measured by the explicit task) are driven by both factors, vary by perceivers’ race, and are present in both White and non-White children, though skin tone exerts a larger influence than other features, at least in explicit evaluations. Our results also raise the possibility that pro-White biases might be more internalized by non-White children in the American South.
'Maturing Out' as dilemmatic: Transitions towards relatively light drinking practices among UK University students.

OBJECTIVES University students in the UK engage in relatively high alcohol consumption levels, yet young adults, including students, now drink less than previously and abstain more. Against this cultural backdrop, our objective was to further understanding of 'maturing out' of excessive drinking practices among students by focusing on drinking transitions that had taken place during university years. DESIGN A qualitative interview study. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten 18- to 27-year-old UK undergraduate university students who self-identified as light or non-drinkers. Interviews were audio-recorded, and anonymized interview transcripts were subjected to an experience-focused application of thematic analysis. RESULTS Participants reported dilemmas involved in transitions from relatively high to low levels of alcohol consumption. One dilemma was characterized by managing to drink less (or nothing) without cutting off social options with university friends/peers. A second dilemma concerned not wishing to fully abandon the pleasures and increased social confidence that alcohol consumption could afford. Results also demonstrated that self-reported drinking could contradict participants' self-defined 'light drinker' status. CONCLUSIONS This study reinforces the view that 'maturing out' involves more than simply having gained new responsibilities during young adulthood. Recognition of these dilemmatic features of drinking transitions could be drawn on in novel campus-based interventions. Such interventions may help strengthen realistic and sustainable moderate drinking by guiding students to anticipate potential difficulties involved in planned reductions in personal drinking but may also help foster students' ability to view drinking choices as in transition rather than as permanent and enduring.
Anonymized location data reveals trends in legal Cannabis use in communities with increased mental health risks at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to increases in felt negative affect for many. This is concerning as individuals at increased risk for mental health issues are often more likely to use substances to cope with stressors. Objectives The aim of the current study is to examine whether communities reporting an increased risk for developing mental health issues showed differential patterns of legal cannabis use as the pandemic began. A secondary goal is to examine the feasibility of using anonymized location data to uncover community consumption patterns of potential concern. Methods Anonymized location data from approximately 10% of devices in the United States provided a count of the number of visitors to 3,335 cannabis retail locations (medical and recreational) each day from December 1st 2019 through April 2020. Visitor counts were merged with the average number of mentally unhealthy days (aMUDs) reported in the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) county the retailer was located along with FIPS county population and poverty rate estimates. A Poisson spline regression predicting visitors by day, aMUDs, as well as their interaction was performed, entering population and poverty rate as covariates. Results As the pandemic began communities reporting a greater aMUDs showed greater visitation to cannabis retailers. Conclusions These results suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic may have led to increased legal cannabis use in at risk communities. They also highlight the value anonymized location data can provide policymakers and practitioners in uncovering community level trends as they confront an increasingly uncertain landscape.
Ferroptosis‐related gene signature as a prognostic marker for lower‐grade gliomas

Ferroptosis is a newly discovered form of programmed cell death, which has unique biological effects on metabolism and redox biology. In this study, the prognostic value of ferroptosis‐related genes was investigated in lower‐grade gliomas (LGG). We downloaded the ferroptosis‐related genes from the FerrDb dataset. Univariate Cox and LASSO regression analyses were applied to identify genes correlated with overall survival (OS). Subsequently, 12 ferroptosis‐related genes were screened to establish the prognostic signature using stepwise multivariate Cox regression. According to the median value of risk scores, patients were divided into low‐ and high‐risk subgroups. The Kaplan‐Meier curves showed the high‐risk group had a lower OS. The predictive power of the risk model was validated using the CGGA. Functional analysis revealed that the terms associated with plasma membrane receptor complex, immune response and glutamate metabolic process were primarily related to the risk model. Moreover, we established a nomogram that had a strong forecasting ability for the 1‐, 3‐ and 5‐year OS. In addition, we compared the risk scores between different clinical features. We also detected infiltration of macrophages and monocytes in different subgroups. Overall, our study identified the prognostic signature of 12 ferroptosis‐related genes, which has the potential to predict the prognosis of LGG.
Genetic variation analyses indicate conserved SARS‐CoV‐2–host interaction and varied genetic adaptation in immune response factors in modern human evolution

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), is a pandemic as of early 2020. Upon infection, SARS‐CoV‐2 attaches to its receptor, that is, angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), on the surface of host cells and is then internalized into host cells via enzymatic machineries. This subsequently stimulates immune response factors. Since the host immune response and severity of COVID‐19 vary among individuals, genetic risk factors for severe COVID‐19 cases have been investigated. Our research group recently conducted a survey of genetic variants among SARS‐CoV‐2‐interacting molecules across populations, noting near absence of difference in allele frequency spectrum between populations in these genes. Recent genome‐wide association studies have identified genetic risk factors for severe COVID‐19 cases in a segment of chromosome 3 that involves six genes encoding three immune‐regulatory chemokine receptors and another three molecules. The risk haplotype seemed to be inherited from Neanderthals, suggesting genetic adaptation against pathogens in modern human evolution. Therefore, SARS‐CoV‐2 uses highly conserved molecules as its virion interaction, whereas its immune response appears to be genetically biased in individuals to some extent. We herein review the molecular process of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection as well as our further survey of genetic variants of its related immune effectors. We also discuss aspects of modern human evolution.
Preparation of protein microarrays on non‐fouling and hydrated poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogel substrates using photochemical surface modification

BACKGROUND: Conventional protein microarrays prepared on hard, dry substrates, such as glass and silicone, have several limitations, as proteins may easily denature and lose their structure. To overcome such problems, the fabrication of wet protein microarrays on non-fouling and hydrated PEG-based hydrogels was investigated. RESULT: Bovine serum albumin (BSA) and glucose oxidase (GOX), chosen as model proteins, were covalently immobilized on PEG hydrogel surfaces via 5-azidonitrobenzoyloxy N-hydroxysuccinimide, a photoreactive bifunctional linker. Successful fixation of the bifunctional linker and subsequent immobilization of the proteins on the PEG hydrogel surfaces were confirmed with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) studies. GOX immobilized on the hydrogel surface maintained approximately 50% of its initial activity after 24 h when left in dry conditions, but maintained only 20% when immobilized on a dry substrate. Photochemical fixation combined with photolithography produced well-defined protein micropatterns with sizes ranging from 50–500 µm, and molecular recognition-mediated specific binding between biotin and streptavidin was successfully assayed using microarrays on PEG hydrogels. CONCLUSION: A protein-repellent PEG hydrogel surface was photochemically modified to covalently immobilize proteins and create protein microarrays. The use of hydrated hydrogels as substrates for protein microarrays could minimize the deactivation of proteins in dry conditions, and the non-fouling property of PEG hydrogels allows the passivation step of protein microarray preparation to be skipped. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry
Identification and Molecular Dissection of IMC32, a Conserved Toxoplasma Inner Membrane Complex Protein That Is Essential for Parasite Replication

The IMC is an important organelle that apicomplexan parasites use to maintain their intracellular lifestyle. While many IMC proteins have been identified, only a few central players that are essential for internal budding have been described and even fewer are conserved across the phylum. ABSTRACT The inner membrane complex (IMC) is a unique organelle of apicomplexan parasites that plays critical roles in parasite motility, host cell invasion, and replication. Despite the common functions of the organelle, relatively few IMC proteins are conserved across the phylum and the precise roles of many IMC components remain to be characterized. Here, we identify a novel component of the Toxoplasma gondii IMC (IMC32) that localizes to the body portion of the IMC and is recruited to developing daughter buds early during endodyogeny. IMC32 is essential for parasite survival, as its conditional depletion results in a complete collapse of the IMC that is lethal to the parasite. We demonstrate that localization of IMC32 is dependent on both an N-terminal palmitoylation site and a series of C-terminal coiled-coil domains. Using deletion analyses and functional complementation, we show that two conserved regions within the C-terminal coiled-coil domains play critical roles in protein function during replication. Together, this work reveals an essential component of parasite replication that provides a novel target for therapeutic intervention of T. gondii and related apicomplexan parasites. IMPORTANCE The IMC is an important organelle that apicomplexan parasites use to maintain their intracellular lifestyle. While many IMC proteins have been identified, only a few central players that are essential for internal budding have been described and even fewer are conserved across the phylum. Here, we identify IMC32, a novel component of the Toxoplasma gondii IMC that localizes to very early daughter buds, indicating a role in the early stages of parasite replication. We then demonstrate that IMC32 is essential for parasite survival and pinpoint conserved regions within the protein that are important for membrane association and daughter cell formation. As IMC32 is unique to these parasites and not present in their mammalian hosts, it serves as a new target for the development of drugs that exclusively affect these important intracellular pathogens.