Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Meta-analyses of sulodexide and other drugs in prevention and treatment of post-thrombotic syndrome.

OBJECTIVE Post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS) is a common chronic complication of deep vein thrombosis. Elastic compression (ECS) is the common pillar for PTS prevention and treatment, while the pharmacological approach for PTS includes direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) and venoactive drugs (VADs) for prevention and treatment, respectively. Sulodexide can be used both in long-term prevention and in the treatment of PTS. To better understand the efficacy of the main drugs used in the prevention (sulodexide or DOACs) and treatment of PTS (sulodexide or VADs), pairwise meta-analyses of observational studies and RCTs were conducted. MATERIALS AND METHODS A literature search in MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library for observational studies and RCTs was performed. Incidence of PTS, reduction in PTS signs or symptoms and proportion of patients with complete venous ulcers healing were the primary outcomes for prevention and treatment of PTS, respectively. Fixed and Random effect model meta-analyses were performed. Heterogeneity and publication bias were assessed. R® software was used for the analysis. RESULTS 893 articles were identified during the search. 8 observational studies (6 for DOACs and 2 for sulodexide) and 2 RCTs for sulodexide, out of the 11 studies included in the qualitative synthesis, were included for the prevention and treatment of PTS, respectively. Meta-analyses of observational studies showed an overall incidence of PTS of 15% (95% CI, 11-19) for sulodexide, and a 50% reduction of PTS signs and/or symptoms for rivaroxaban compared to warfarin (OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.38-0.65). The overall estimate of the two sulodexide RCTs showed a significant improvement in complete ulcer healing, with an OR of 2.32 (95% CI, 1.49-3.63). CONCLUSIONS In prevention of PTS, sulodexide and rivaroxaban showed a low incidence and reduced risk of PTS respectively, while in PTS treatment, sulodexide was significantly effective in the complete ulcers healing. These results confirm the need to move from the traditional single-pillar approach with elastic compression stockings to a more effective multi-pillar approach, tailoring the treatment to each individual patient.
Characterization of an Aminopeptidase A from Tetragenococcus halophilus CY54 Isolated from Myeolchi-Jeotgal

In this study, a pepA gene encoding glutamyl (aspartyl)-specific aminopeptidase (PepA; E.C. 3.4.11.7) was cloned from Tetragenococcus halophilus CY54. The translated PepA from T. halophilus CY54 showed very low similarities with PepAs from Lactobacillus and Lactococcus genera. The pepA from T. halophilus CY54 was overexpressed in E. coli BL21(DE3) using pET26b(+). The recombinant PepA was purified by using an Ni– NTA column. The size of the recombinant PepA was 39.13 kDa as determined by SDS-PAGE, while its optimum pH and temperature were pH 5.0 and 60°C, respectively. In addition, the PepA was completely inactivated by 1 mM EDTA, indicating its metallopeptidase nature. The Km and Vmax of the PepA were 0.98 ± 0.006 mM and 0.1 ± 0.002 mM/min, respectively, when Glu-pNA was used as the substrate. This is the first report on PepA from Tetragenococcus species.
Estimation of a Normal Covariance Matrix with Incomplete Data under Stein's Loss

Suppose that we have (n ? a) independent observations from Np(0, ? ) and that, in addition, we have a independent observations available on the last (p ? c) coordinates. Assuming that both observations are independent, we consider the problem of estimating ? under the Stein? s loss function, and show that some estimators invariant under the permutation of the last (p ? c) coordinates as well as under those of the first c coordinates are better than the minimax estimators of Eaten. The estimators considered outperform the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) under the Stein? s loss function as well. The method involved here is computation of an unbiased estimate of the risk of an invariant estimator considered in this article. In addition we discuss its application to the problem of estimating a covariance matrix in a GMANOVA model since the estimation problem of the covariance matrix with extra data can be regarded as its canonical form.
Prevalence of sexualized drug use and risk of HIV among sexually active MSM in East and South Asian countries: systematic review and meta‐analysis

Sexualized drug use (SDU), the use of psychoactive drugs in the context of sexual intercourse, has been identified as a risk factor for HIV among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Asia. Given the distinct social and cultural context of same‐sex relationships and drug‐using practice in Asia, we aimed to describe the prevalence of SDU in East and South Asian countries and its associations with condomless anal sex (CAI) and HIV status. Synthesizing SDU research in this region, including SDU definitions, prevalence and outcomes, provides insights to inform future research and improved programme planning, resourcing and advocacy.
Factors related to mortality in patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease on dialysis with COVID-19: An exploratory case series analysis.

Introduction Different studies describe the clinical profile and factors that could explain the evolution and outcome of patients with chronic kidney disease and COVID-19. This study aims to evaluate the factors related to the mortality of patients with stage-5 chronic kidney disease on chronic dialysis hospitalized for COVID-19 at the Hospital Nacional Arzobispo Loayza from April to December 2020. Methods Retrospective case series and exploratory analysis were performed. Patients with stage-5 chronic kidney disease on dialysis, older than 18 years, and hospitalized for COVID-19 disease were included. Hospital medical records were the primary data source. Results A total of 105 medical records were reviewed. 57 were male (54.3%), with a mean age of 58.6 years (standard deviation: 14.3). Eighty-four patients survived (80%), and 21 died (20%). The main cause of hospital admission, present in 80 patients (76.2%), was respiratory failure; the mean hospital stay was of 11.8 days (SD: 7.8). In the bivariate analysis: patients with moderate to severe COVID-19, overweight and obesity, increased levels of leukocytes, D-dimer, ferritin, C-reactive protein, lactate dehydrogenase, as well as, decreased levels of lymphocytes, bicarbonate and arterial oxygen pressure/inspired oxygen fraction were related to mortality risk. In multivariate analysis, only severe COVID-19 disease (OR 1.48; 95% CI 2.24 to 7.77), C-reactive protein > 10 mg/dL (OR: 9.72; 95% CI: 1.41 to 18.58), and arterial oxygen pressure/inspired oxygen fraction ≤ 150 millimeters of mercury (OR: 10.23; 95% CI: 5.87 to 36.06) were factors associated with poor survival. Conclusions In patients with stage-5 chronic kidney disease hospitalized for COVID-19, severe COVID-19 disease, C-protein reactive levels > 10 milligrams per deciliter, arterial oxygen pressure / inspired oxygen fraction ≤ 150 millimeters of mercury and severe COVID-19 disease were the main factors related to mortality.
One-day voiding diary in the evaluation of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in children

ABSTRACT Introduction: Voiding diary (VD) is an important tool in the evaluation of children with voiding symptoms. Voiding frequency, maximal voided volume (MVV), average voided volume (AVV) and nocturnal volume (NV) can be extracted and are valuable in diagnosing and monitoring these disorders. Recently, ICCS has reduced the period of data recording on VD from 3 to 2 days. We hypothesized that one day voiding diary would be enough for guiding treatment. Materials and Methods: Children with overactive bladder (OAB) and primary monosymptomatic enuresis (PMNE) were oriented to fulfill a 3-day VD. Data obtained from VD were evaluated for the first day (1dVD), the first two days (2dVD), and all 3 days (3dVD) and compared according to the MVV, AVV, frequency, NV and expected bladder capacity (EBC). The Friedman, Student's t test and the Fisher's exact was used. ANOVA was used for multiple comparisons. We also used Pearson correlation test. Results: Ninety-eight children were included, 59 had PMNE and 30 OAB. Frequency, AVV and VN were similar regardless how many days the voiding episodes were recorded. Only MVV was higher by a mean of only 32 mL on 3dVD compared to 1dVD. A 1dVD has a sensitivity of 93,9% and a positive likelihood ratio of 2.2. As for the correlation of MVV and EBC it was observed that in 83% of children, MVV was lower than EBC. MVV corresponds to 67% and 69% of EBC in children with PMNE and OAB, respectively. Conclusion: We believe that 1dVD is sufficient to assess these children. It has a high sensitivity and good correlation to 3dVD in evaluating these children. Bladder capacity in this population, evaluated by maximum voided volume, was close to 68% of that obtained by the EBC.
Application of Scaling in Radar Reflectivity for Correcting Range-Dependent Bias in Climatological Radar Rainfall Estimates

Abstract This paper presents a method to correct for the range-dependent bias in radar reflectivity that is a result of partial beam filling and of the increase in observation volume with range. The scaling behavior of reflectivity fields as a function of range from the radar was explored in this study. It was found that a simple scaling paradigm was applicable, and a scale transformation function was proposed to ensure uniformity in the probability distributions of reflectivity at both near and far range. The scaling exponents of the power-law transformation function were estimated using a 6-month sequence of reflectivity maps in a Cartesian grid and two sets of instantaneous reflectivity maps in polar coordinates from 1° C-band and 1.6° S-band radars at Sydney, Australia. The averaging process that transforms the instantaneous polar reflectivity into the hourly Cartesian grid data leads to a lower scaling exponent of the hourly Cartesian reflectivity data compared with the instantaneous plan precipitati.
Time evolution of terrestrial gamma ray flashes

We present a study of the time evolution of TGFs observed by both RHESSI and BATSE and compare the data with Monte Carlo simulations of relativistic runaway electron avalanches that record the time of flight for individual photons. Our analysis of the RHESSI data shows that the average delay between the main, hard peak and the secondary, soft tail in the RHESSI data is 28 ± 3 μs. We show that this is consistent with Compton downscattering of hard photons in the atmosphere in our simulations when the source region is located at or below 21 km, which is consistent with previous spectroscopic analysis of the RHESSI data. We also show that the much longer delays (nominally 100 μs) reported for the BATSE TGFs can be understood by the same simulations that are consistent with the RHESSI data once the effects of instrumental deadtime are considered
Variability studies of Seyfert galaxies – I. Broad-band optical photometry

The results of a four-year campaign to monitor the variations of 35 southern Seyfert galaxies, using UBV(RI) c multi-aperture photometry, are presented. Most of the galaxies are found to be variable. The light curves are displayed and some of their more interesting details are discussed. The relationships between the fluxes through different filters are well described by straight lines, which suggests that the spectral shape of the variable part of the optical continuum stays constant. The values of the slopes are used to derive the shapes of the continua, the extinctions and the luminosities of the Seyfert nuclei
Colloquium: Star-branched polyelectrolytes: The physics of their conformations and interactions

understanding of the physics involved. Experiments, based mostly on scattering, offer insights from a different point of view. Finally, the flexibility in the synthesis of novel types of macromolecules has added to the richness and the increased activity in the field in the last few years. This review puts emphasis on theory and simulation but takes into account the key experimental findings in critically discussing the merits and shortcomings of the former. The perspectives opened for the future, with emphasis on the possibilities to steer the behavior of novel materials, are also discussed.
Isolated Tibial Polyethylene Insert Exchange After Total Knee Arthroplasty for Treatment of Instability and/or Polyethylene Wear.

INTRODUCTION Isolated tibial polyethylene insert exchange (ITPIE) as a treatment for instability and polyethylene wear after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains controversial with studies reporting varied results. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the survival and outcomes of ITPIE performed for treatment of instability with or without polyethylene wear after TKA. MATERIALS AND METHODS A query of a private practice arthroplasty registry revealed 364 patients (390 knees) treated with ITPIE for instability and/or polyethylene wear after TKA between 1997 and 2019. Mean age was 66.8 years, mean body mass index (BMI) was 33.8 kg/m2, and 59% of patients were female. ITPIE for infection, tibiofemoral aseptic loosening, arthrofibrosis, poor wound healing, and extensor mechanism failure were excluded. All patients had well-fixed and well-aligned components prior to surgery. RESULTS Mean follow up was 5.9 years. Knee Society Clinical (KSC) scores improved preoperatively from 55 to 76 postoperatively (p <0.001). Thirty knees (7.7%) required re-revision: 15 (3.8%) for ongoing instability, seven aseptic loosening, three infection, two patellofemoral maltracking, one patellar fracture, one metal allergy, and one revised elsewhere for cause unknown. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed survival of 93.1% (95% CI: ±1.5%) at five years, 84.7% (95% CI: ±3.5%) at 10 years, and 80.5% (95% CI: ±4.4%) at 21 years. CONCLUSIONS ITPIE is a reliable treatment for instability and/or polyethylene wear after TKA in the presence of well-fixed and well-aligned components with good survival and clinical improvement. The less invasive nature and reduced risk for bone loss make it an attractive option versus full revision.
The ecosystem wilting point defines drought response and recovery of a Quercus‐Carya forest

Soil and atmospheric droughts increasingly threaten plant survival and productivity around the world. Yet, conceptual gaps constrain our ability to predict ecosystem‐scale drought impacts under climate change. Here, we introduce the ecosystem wilting point (ΨEWP), a property that integrates the drought response of an ecosystem's plant community across the soil–plant–atmosphere continuum. Specifically, ΨEWP defines a threshold below which the capacity of the root system to extract soil water and the ability of the leaves to maintain stomatal function are strongly diminished. We combined ecosystem flux and leaf water potential measurements to derive the ΨEWP of a Quercus‐Carya forest from an “ecosystem pressure–volume (PV) curve,” which is analogous to the tissue‐level technique. When community predawn leaf water potential (Ψpd) was above ΨEWP (=−2.0 MPa), the forest was highly responsive to environmental dynamics. When Ψpd fell below ΨEWP, the forest became insensitive to environmental variation and was a net source of carbon dioxide for nearly 2 months. Thus, ΨEWP is a threshold defining marked shifts in ecosystem functional state. Though there was rainfall‐induced recovery of ecosystem gas exchange following soaking rains, a legacy of structural and physiological damage inhibited canopy photosynthetic capacity. Although over 16 growing seasons, only 10% of Ψpd observations fell below ΨEWP, the forest is commonly only 2–4 weeks of intense drought away from reaching ΨEWP, and thus highly reliant on frequent rainfall to replenish the soil water supply. We propose, based on a bottom‐up analysis of root density profiles and soil moisture characteristic curves, that soil water acquisition capacity is the major determinant of ΨEWP, and species in an ecosystem require compatible leaf‐level traits such as turgor loss point so that leaf wilting is coordinated with the inability to extract further water from the soil.
Coupled and Self-Adaptive Under-Actuated Finger With a Novel S-Coupled and Secondly Self-Adaptive Mechanism

This paper presents a novel under-actuated (UA) finger with first coupled and secondly self-adaptive (COSA) grasping mode. COSA fingers can adaptively grasp objects with different sizes and shapes while its motions during grasping are anthropopathic. Until now there are two COSA mechanisms available and they are both direct parallel combinations of coupled mechanism and self-adaptive mechanism. These kind of direct combinations lead to complex mechanical structure and high power consumption. This paper proposes a novel single-route transmission mechanism for COSA grasping mode, S-coupled and directly self-adaptive (CDSA) mechanism for short. Compared with available COSA mechanisms, the S-CDSA mechanism has simpler structure and higher grasping force. Design of 2-joint S-CDSA finger is introduced in this paper. Force analysis for 2-joint S-CDSA finger is given. Furthermore, a 2-joint S-CDSA finger is manufactured. The force analysis and experimental results show that the novel S-CDSA mechanism is effective.
Improving the performance of single-cell RNA-seq data mining based on relative expression orderings

Abstract The advent of single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) provides an unprecedented opportunity to explore gene expression profiles at the single-cell level. However, gene expression values vary over time and under different conditions even within the same cell. There is an urgent need for more stable and reliable feature variables at the single-cell level to depict cell heterogeneity. Thus, we construct a new feature matrix called the delta rank matrix (DRM) from scRNA-seq data by integrating an a priori gene interaction network, which transforms the unreliable gene expression value into a stable gene interaction/edge value on a single-cell basis. This is the first time that a gene-level feature has been transformed into an interaction/edge-level for scRNA-seq data analysis based on relative expression orderings. Experiments on various scRNA-seq datasets have demonstrated that DRM performs better than the original gene expression matrix in cell clustering, cell identification and pseudo-trajectory reconstruction. More importantly, the DRM really achieves the fusion of gene expressions and gene interactions and provides a method of measuring gene interactions at the single-cell level. Thus, the DRM can be used to find changes in gene interactions among different cell types, which may open up a new way to analyze scRNA-seq data from an interaction perspective. In addition, DRM provides a new method to construct a cell-specific network for each single cell instead of a group of cells as in traditional network construction methods. DRM’s exceptional performance is due to its extraction of rich gene-association information on biological systems and stable characterization of cells.
Piezoelectric properties of some lead-free ferroelectric ceramics

Abstract The use of lead-free materials in piezoelectric ceramics has recently become a very important issue in environmental protection of the earth. Some lead-free piezoelectric materials, namely bismuth sodium titanate, (Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3 (BNT) – based solid solution ceramics, such as (1-a)BNT-a·BaTiO3 [BNBT], (1-b)BNT-b·NaNbO3 [BNTN] and a(Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3-b KNbO3-c 1/2(Bi2O3·Sc2O3) [KTNS] (a+b+c=1) systems, were studied for their dielectric, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties as candidates for a new family of lead-free piezoelectric ceramics. The electromechanical coupling factor, k 33 in the longitudinal mode was found to be 0.55, 0.43 and 0.47 for BNBT-6. BNTN-3 and KTNS, respectively. On particular, the amount of modified Bi3+ ions has an effect on k 33. Consequently these ceramics are potential candidates as lead-free piezoelectric ceramics.
High mobility field effect transistor based on BaSnO3 with Al2O3 gate oxide

We fabricated an n-type accumulation-mode field effect transistor based on BaSnO3 transparent perovskite semiconductor, taking advantage of its high mobility and oxygen stability. We used the conventional metal-insulator-semiconductor structures: (In,Sn)2O3 as the source, drain, and gate electrodes, Al2O3 as the gate insulator, and La-doped BaSnO3 as the semiconducting channel. The Al2O3 gate oxide was deposited by atomic layer deposition technique. At room temperature, we achieved the field effect mobility value of 17.8 cm2/Vs and the Ion/Ioff ratio value higher than 105 for VDS = 1 V. These values are higher than those previously reported on other perovskite oxides, in spite of the large density of threading dislocations in the BaSnO3 on SrTiO3 substrates. However, a relatively large subthreshold swing value was found, which we attribute to the large density of charge traps in the Al2O3 as well as the threading dislocations.
Active Instability Control of Thermoacoustic Oscillation in Premixed Gas Turbine Combustors

In this investigation, experimental results on combustion control systems to suppress the pressure oscillation and combustion noise were indicated using laboratory scale rigs of premixed gas turbine combustors. As for the way of controlling, two different control approaches were examined. One was a thermoacoustic approach using minute secondary flames. The control system had a simple time-delay algorithm and equipped a microphone as a sensor. The minute secondary flames as an actuator were formed with pulsing supply of the secondary fuel using a piezo valve. The other was a fluid mechanical approach using a secondary injection method. In that case, both fuel and air injections as the secondary jet from the center of nozzle were examined to clarify the control factor to reduce the pressure oscillation and NOx emissions
Impact of PTSD and Obstructive Sleep Apnea on Cognition in Older Adult Veterans

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are highly prevalent and comorbid among older adult male veterans. Both PTSD and OSA are independently associated with cognitive deficits in older adults, but little research regarding the impact of comorbid PTSD and OSA among older adults exists. Purpose: The current study aimed to examine the independent and interactive effects of PTSD and OSA on cognitive functioning in older adult veterans. Study Sample: Older adult male veterans with (n = 106) and without PTSD (n = 69), ranging in age from 55 to 89 (M = 63.35). Data Collection: Participants underwent polysomnography evaluation to assess severity of OSA symptoms and comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation to assess cognitive functioning in 3 domains: attention and processing speed, learning and memory, and executive functioning. Results: Multiple regression analyses showed that the interaction between PTSD and OSA did not predict cognitive performance. However, PTSD significantly predicted poorer attention and processing speed, and increased OSA severity predicted poorer learning and memory. Conclusions: While PTSD and OSA did not have a synergistic detrimental impact on cognition, each independently predicted poorer cognitive functioning within certain domains, suggesting that older adults with these comorbid conditions may experience a wider array of cognitive difficulties.
Crosspolar phase variations at 20 and 30 GHz on a satellite-Earth path

Linearly polarised 30 GHz signals received from the ATS-6 satellite have shown abrupt reversals in the crosspolar phase during lightning. The variations in crosspolar phase in the absence of lightning show a wider spread during heavy rain than during periods when the depolarisation was not accompanied by significant copolar fading.