Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Study Level Meta-Analysis of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation With the ACURATE neo Self-Expanding Transcatheter Heart Valve

The ACURATE neo transcatheter aortic valve is a self-expanding device. Several studies have investigated safety and efficacy, but meta-analysis and pooled data are lacking. We aimed to provide a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis on the clinical outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve implantation with the ACURATE neo valve. A systematic literature search for eligible records was conducted. The primary endpoint was device success as designated by Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 criteria. The secondary endpoints (time frame: 30 days) were all-cause mortality, stroke, myocardial infarction, need for new permanent pacemaker, major vascular complications, major bleeding, acute kidney injury stage II or III, and paravalvular regurgitation grade moderate or severe (II or III). Our search yielded a total of 355 records, 20 of those (n = 5858 ACURATE neo receivers) were included in our meta-analysis. Device success was achieved in 94.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 91.4–96.5%) of the patients. The 30-day all-cause mortality incidence proportion was 1.8% (95% CI, 1.3–2.4%). New pacemaker implantation was required in 7.7% (95% CI, 6.4–9.2%) of the patients, stroke occurred in 1.9% (95% CI, 1.6–2.3%), myocardial infarction in 0.5% (95% CI, 0.3–0.7%), major bleeding in 5.0% (95% CI, 3.9–6.5%), major vascular complication in 5.6% (95% CI, 4.0–7.8%), acute kidney injury stage ≥2 in 2.5% (95% CI, 1.8–3.4%), and paravalvular leak grade ≥moderate was observed in 4.3% (95% CI, 3.0–6.2%). Balloon predilatation and postdilatation incidence was 93.9% (95% CI, 87.0–97.3%) and 43.2% (95% CI, 37.9–48.6%), respectively. ACURATE neo appears to be safe and effective in our analysis with high device success incidence, low mortality, and low new pacemaker implantations.
Determination center of percussion for hammer mill hammers

Herbaceous biomass potential is considered as a valuable local renewable energy resource in Latvia. Cereal crop straw (mainly wheat straw), common reeds, rape straw and reed canary grass are the most prospective stalk materials for solid biofuel production. The main biomass conditioning operation in solid biofuel production technology is shredding. Hammer mills are the essential equipment for this operation. Hammers and their articulation are rapidly wearing during hammer mill lifetime. It is recommended to design hammers so that collisions with biomass particles are applied in the hammer centre of percussion. Then the hammer articulation hole is less wearing, unbalance and vibration of the hammer mill rotor are avoided. The main objective of this paper is to determine compliance with this rule for different size rectangular style manufactured hammers. Calculations were made using the Mathcad program for four different size hammers. Only for one size hammer positioning of articulation partly accomplished the mentioned recommended condition of the hammer centre of percussion. The recommended positions and sizes of articulation holes were determined for the mentioned four size hammers. If the hammer design accomplishes the recommended condition of the hammer centre of percussion, it is possible for collisions with particles during milling in different points of the hammer. Then some impact forces in the hammer articulation hole will appear. Therefore, it can be concluded that, if the centre of percussion is designed at the end part of the hammer, the impact forces in hammer articulation would be minimized. The results of calculation in compliance of four sizes of manufactured hammers with the condition of the centre of percussion at the end point of the hammer show that only one hammer size partly satisfies this condition. This shows that the hammer mill hammer design so that interaction between the hammer and material occur at the percussion centre of the hammer is still actual. The sizes of articulation holes have to be also calculated in accordance with the pin shaft strength conditions. Changing the size of the articulation holes the articulation position must be changed.
Plasma metabolomics reveals disrupted response and recovery following maximal exercise in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome

Post-exertional malaise (PEM) is a hallmark symptom of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). We monitored the evolution of 1157 plasma metabolites in 60 ME/CFS (45 female, 15 male) and 45 matched healthy control participants (30 female, 15 male) before and after 2 maximal cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) challenges separated by 24 hours, with the intent of provoking PEM in patients. Four time points allowed exploration of the metabolic response to maximal energy-producing capacity and the recovery pattern of participants with ME/CFS compared with the healthy control group. Baseline comparison identified several significantly different metabolites, along with an enriched percentage of yet-to-be identified compounds. Additionally, temporal measures demonstrated an increased metabolic disparity between cohorts, including unknown metabolites. The effects of exertion in the ME/CFS cohort predominantly highlighted lipid-related as well as energy-related pathways and chemical structure clusters, which were disparately affected by the first and second exercise sessions. The 24-hour recovery period was distinct in the ME/CFS cohort, with over a quarter of the identified pathways statistically different from the controls. The pathways that are uniquely different 24 hours after an exercise challenge provide clues to metabolic disruptions that lead to PEM. Numerous altered pathways were observed to depend on glutamate metabolism, a crucial component of the homeostasis of many organs in the body, including the brain.
Salivary microbiota analysis of patients with membranous nephropathy

The oral microbiota are closely related to human health. Nonetheless, to the best of our knowledge, their relationship with membranous nephropathy (MN) remains unstudied. The saliva microbiota collected from 22 patients with MN and 15 healthy controls were analyzed by next-generation sequencing, and bioinformatics analysis of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene was subsequently carried out. The Chao1 and Shannon indices in patients with MN were higher than those in healthy controls. Analysis of similarities revealed that the oral microbiota in the patient group were significantly different from those in the healthy controls. At the genus level, the abundance of Alloprevotella, Granulicatella, Prevotella, Streptococcus and Prevotella_7 was markedly higher in patients with MN than in healthy controls. Six operational taxonomic units (OTUs; OTU5, OTU28, OTU9, OTU15, OTU33 and OTU38) were found to be markedly correlated with the clinical factors creatinine, proteinuria in 24 h, estimated glomerular filtration rate and systolic blood pressure. A total of 28 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways were obtained from the significant OTUs. The oral microbiota of patients with MN were investigated and it was found that OTU5, OTU28, OTU9, OTU15, OTU33 and OTU38 may be used as biomarkers. The present findings may assist in the diagnosis of patients with MN.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa post‐translational responses to elevated c‐di‐GMP levels

C‐di‐GMP signaling can directly influence bacterial behavior by affecting the functionality of c‐di‐GMP‐binding proteins. In addition, c‐di‐GMP can exert a global effect on gene transcription or translation, for example, via riboswitches or by binding to transcription factors. In this study, we investigated the effects of changes in intracellular c‐di‐GMP levels on gene expression and protein production in the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We induced c‐di‐GMP production via an ectopically introduced diguanylate cyclase and recorded the transcriptional, translational as well as proteomic profile of the cells. We demonstrate that rising levels of c‐di‐GMP under growth conditions otherwise characterized by low c‐di‐GMP levels caused a switch to a non‐motile, auto‐aggregative P. aeruginosa phenotype. This phenotypic switch became apparent before any c‐di‐GMP‐dependent role on transcription, translation, or protein abundance was observed. Our results suggest that rising global c‐di‐GMP pools first affects the motility phenotype of P. aeruginosa by altering protein functionality and only then global gene transcription.
Impact of COVID-19 spread on road safety indices of Turkey

Abstract Little is known about the effect of the COVID-19 on road safety indicators (RSIs) in developing countries, and conducted studies provide limited information regarding this impact. These prompted the author to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on RSIs in Turkey. RSIs and related indices of Turkey between 2016 and 2020 were collected. For evaluating the impact, RSIs whose 2020 measures differed significantly from the pre-COVID era were identified using the outlier detection technique and Regression analysis. K-means clustering was used to group RSIs according to their variation patterns in the study period. Results show that COVID-19 led to significant decreases in 26 RSIs, especially ones related to non-fatal road traffic injuries. COVID-19 resulted in a significant drop in road traffic crashes and related indices. Also, considerable changes in monthly and daily fatalities and injuries in 2020 were observed. Clustering results revealed that COVID-19 significantly impacts variation patterns of studied RSIs, especially ones related to non-fatal injuries. Clustering aided in identifying affected RSIs by COVID-19, which other used methods were unable to detect. COVID-19 led to significant changes in road safety indices in Turkey. Road authorities and researchers should be aware of these significant fluctuations in road safety data.
Anopheles gambiae strain (Ag55) cultured cells originated from Anopheles coluzzii and are phagocytic with hemocyte‐like gene expression

Anopheles gambiae and Anopheles coluzzii are closely related species that are predominant vectors of malaria in Africa. Recently, A. gambiae form M was renamed A. coluzzii and we now conclude on the basis of a diagnostic PCR‐restriction fragment length polymorphism assay that Ag55 cells were derived from A. coluzzii. We established an Ag55 cell transcriptome, and KEGG pathway analysis showed that Ag55 cells are enriched in phagosome pathway transcripts. The Ag55 transcriptome has an abundance of specific transcripts characteristic of mosquito hemocytes. Functional E. coli bioparticle uptake experiments visualized by fluorescence microscopy and confocal microscopy and quantified by flow cytometry establish the phagocytic competence of Ag55 cells. Results from this investigation of Ag55 cell properties will guide researchers in the use and engineering of the Ag55 cell line to better enable investigations of Plasmodium, other microbes, and insecticidal toxins.
Effects of movement speed and predictability in human–robot collaboration

Human–robot collaboration (HRC) is characterized by a spatiotemporal overlap between the workspaces of the human and the robot and has become a viable option in manufacturing and other industries. However, for companies considering employing HRC it remains unclear how best to configure such a setup, because empirical evidence on human factors requirements remains inconclusive. As robots execute movements at high levels of automation, they adapt their speed and movement path to situational demands. This study therefore experimentally investigated the effects of movement speed and path predictability of an industrial collaborating robot on the human operator. Participants completed tasks together with a robot in an industrial workplace simulated in virtual reality. A lower level of predictability was associated with a loss in task performance, while faster movements resulted in higher‐rated values for task load and anxiety, indicating demands on the operator exceeding the optimum. Implications for productivity and safety and possible advancements in HRC workplaces are discussed.
Computation by Convective Logic Gates and Thermal Communication

Abstract We demonstrate a novel computational architecture based on fluid convection logic gates and heat flux-mediated information flows. Our previous work demonstrated that Boolean logic operations can be performed by thermally driven convection flows. In this work, we use numerical simulations to demonstrate a different , but universal Boolean logic operation (NOR), performed by simpler convective gates. The gates in the present work do not rely on obstacle flows or periodic boundary conditions, a significant improvement in terms of experimental realizability. Conductive heat transfer links can be used to connect the convective gates, and we demonstrate this with the example of binary half addition. These simulated circuits could be constructed in an experimental setting with modern, 2-dimensional fluidics equipment, such as a thin layer of fluid between acrylic plates. The presented approach thus introduces a new realm of unconventional, thermal fluid-based computation.
Nano-liposomal zein hydrolysate for improved apoptotic activity and therapeutic index in lung cancer treatment

Abstract Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world with a high mortality rate. Zein is a protein compound whose protein isolate is not useful and whose protein hydrolysis produces biological activity. By encapsulating this bioactive compound inside the nanoparticles (NPs), it causes itself to reach the tumor site and destroy it rapidly. In this study, the effects of zein hydrolysate (ZH) and nano-liposomal ZH (N-ZH) were investigated on the human A549 cell line. Western blotting and cell cycle analyses showed that ZH and N-ZH caused cytotoxicity. They induced apoptosis via cell cycle arrest at the G0 phase, as well as significant increases in pro-apoptotic genes, such as Bax, caspase-3, -8, -9, and p53, accompanied with significant decreases in the anti-apoptotic marker Bcl-2. Based on the results, the cytotoxic and anticancer effects of N-ZH were higher than those of free ZH. In conclusion, liposomes improved the performance of ZH and dramatically reduced the IC50 value of ZH. These findings provided the experimental evidence that N-ZH with favorable anticancer activity can be used as a therapeutic agent and strategy for lung cancer treatment in future clinical trials.
α1‐Adrenoceptors activate the NLRP3 inflammasome through downregulation of Kir2.1 in cardiac inflammation

What is the central question of this study? What is the mechanism of cardiac inflammation induced by α1‐adrenoceptor stimulation by NLRP3 inflammasome activation? What is the main finding and its importance? In the mechanism of cardiac inflammation induced by α1‐adrenoceptor overactivation, Kir2.1 exerts cardioprotective and anti‐inflammatory effects by inhibiting the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome.
The art economies value chain reports: art centre finances

Funding from Federal and State/Territory sources reaches more than 90% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists in remote Australia. Funding for the sector is dominated by Federal sources (79%), though in some regions this is nearly 100%. Eighty-seven Art Centres in remote Australia shared $26.1 million of funding in 2012/13. In 2010/11, grant income equalled and then overtook sales as the main income source for Art Centres. The percentage of Art Centres whose funding income exceeds their sales income has almost tripled since the early 2000s; over 60% of Art Centres are now in this category. A quarter of total funding to the sector is for peak bodies and industry development. Peak body funding is evenly shared by Federal and State/Territory governments, though there is significant variation in the levels of funding between State and Territory agencies. From 2009/10 to 2012/13, the Indigenous Employment Initiative (IEI) added over $35.3 million to remote area visual arts funding – a similar amount ($39.5 million) to the other Federal funding for art activities. In 2012/13, the IEI program was the largest funding contributor to Art Centres. A large part of the growth in reliance on funding for Art Centres is due to the IEI. Since the IEI program started, 57% of Art Centres pay more in wages than in artists’ payments, compared to 29% before the program. This increase in funding for employment activities has meant that, overall, Art Centres’ roles are changing, becoming more focused on employment, training and community activities. Blaming the global financial crisis (GFC) is an over-simplification of a complex situation. Art Centre mean sales began falling several years before the GFC. While the falls have been sustained, there are some recent signs of sales growth. There has been a fall in retained earnings (profit/loss) over the last ten years, from a mean $106,000 surplus in 2004/05 to a mean $27,000 deficit in 2012/13. A small number of large, established Art Centres dominate the sector’s sales. Fewer than 20 Art Centres make 70% of art sales in remote Australia. Almost 60% of Art Centres make $250,000 or less in sales per year. Financial and operational circumstances vary markedly between art regions and among Art Centres in the same regions. All regions have seen fluctuating sales in recent years; some regions have seen large declines turn into significant growth the following year. In other regions, the reverse has happened. A counterpoint to this volatility is the stable commission arrangements with artists: the artists’ share of Art Centre sales has remained consistently close to the ‘industry standard’ of 60%. In 2011/12 and 2012/13, mean Art Centre sales have seen modest growth. The number of art regions recording falling sales has also halved. This corresponds to other signs of recovery in the secondary art market.
Assessing meaning violations in Syrian refugees: A mixed-methods cross-cultural adaptation of the Global Meaning Violations Scale-ArabV.

Refugees are disproportionately affected by extreme traumatic events that can violate core beliefs and life goals (i.e., global meaning) and cause significant distress. This mixed-methods study used an exploratory sequential design to assess meaning violations in a sample of Syrian refugees living in Portugal. For this purpose, we cross-culturally adapted the Global Meaning Violations Scale (GMVS) for use with Arabic-speaking refugees. In total, 43 war-affected Syrian adults participated in the two-phase study. Participants completed measures of trauma and narrated violations as they filled out the newly adapted GMVS-ArabV. GMVS-ArabV validity evidence based on response processes was investigated through Phase 1 focus groups (FGs; n = 2), whereas data from Phase 2 cognitive interviews (n = 38) were used to preliminarily explore the measure's internal structure through descriptive statistics as well as culture- and trauma-informed content evidence through thematic analysis. The results suggested highest goal (M = 3.51, SD = 1.46) and lowest belief (M = 2.38, SD = 1.59) violations of educational goals and religious beliefs, respectively. Themes related to stressors, item formulation, response scale, and the global meaning construct suggested that (a) beliefs and goals can be differentially violated by different stressors; (b) much like war trauma, including torture, daily stressors can additionally shatter pretrauma global meaning; and (c) refugees reappraise meaning and suffer violations anew throughout their migration journeys. The GMVS-ArabV offers a promising tool for exploring shattered cognitions in refugees and informs evidence-based approaches to trauma recovery and psychological adjustment in postmigration settings (the Arabic abstract and keywords are available in the Supplementary Materials).
Beware of serotonin syndrome during the COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, patients with unknown fever require a careful differential diagnosis, and serotonin syndrome is one of the differential diseases in febrile patients taking antidepressants. A 74-year-old man developed depression last year and was in remission with fluvoxamine 150 mg/day. However, anorexia with tremor of the lower limbs appeared, which was diagnosed as an exacerbation of depression, and mirtazapine 30 mg/day was additionally administered. Two days later, high fever, anosmia and convulsions in the lower limbs appeared, and the patient was brought to our emergency room on suspicion of COVID19. On arrival, his temperature was 38.9°C, blood pressure 170/90 mm Hg, and he had tachycardia and sweating. Hyperreflexia in the lower extremities was noted, but head computed tomography (CT) showed no obvious lesions, and repeated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for COVID19 were performed, all of which were negative. The patient was diagnosed as having serotonin syndrome according to the Hunter criteria (Dunkley et al., 2003), and all medications were discontinued and intravenous infusions were administered. A few days after discontinuation of antidepressants, tremor disappeared and body temperature became normal. Appetite and sense of smell recovered within a month after discontinuation of antidepressants, and a score of 5 on the Naranjo scale suggested the possibility of a relationship between serotonergic drugs and this adverse reaction. The patient’s family gave permission for the presentation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, fever, general malaise and olfactory disturbances should be considered COVID-19 infection. However, when increasing serotonergic agents, the possibility of serotonin syndrome should be considered (Silins et al., 2007). The diagnosis of serotonin syndrome is difficult, but one of the key diagnostic features is tremor with hyperreflexia. Serotonin regulates a variety of physiological functions, including food intake, reward, reproduction, sleep–wake cycle, memory, cognition, emotion and mood. Therefore, there is a danger that an excess of serotonin will alter all of these functions. The anorexia and decreased odor in the present case may be due to excess serotonergic neurotransmission rather than depression or COVID-19 symptoms. The serotonin controls the appetite center, so excess serotonin decreases appetite. Although there are no reports of transient olfactory loss in serotonin syndrome, the olfactory bulb is regulated by serotonergic neurotransmission with adult neurogenesis throughout life (Fomin-Thunemann and Garaschuk, 2022). Excess serotonin affects the neurogenesis of the olfactory bulb and may cause transient olfactory abnormalities. In conclusion, serotonin syndrome is also similar to the symptoms of COVID-19 and requires careful differential diagnosis in this pandemic situation.