Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intravenous immunoglobulin in the management of neonatal sepsis: A randomised controlled trial

Sepsis is a leading cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity in low and middle-income countries. We designed a double-blinded randomised controlled trial in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a tertiary care teaching hospital to determine the role of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in decreasing hospital stay. Eighty neonates with clinical features of sepsis were enrolled in the study and placebo groups to receive 500 mg/kg of IVIG for three consecutive days or a placebo. The primary outcome measure was duration of hospital stay in days. The babies in both groups were comparable in terms of birth weight, gestation and sex distribution. There was no significant difference in duration of hospital stay (days) in the study and placebo groups. We found that treatment with IVIG did not shorten the duration of hospital stay in our setting.
MSC‐EXO and tempol ameliorate bronchopulmonary dysplasia in newborn rats by activating HIF‐1α

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a major complication of premature infants and an important cause of morbidity and mortality. This study investigates the effect of the combination of mesenchymal stem cells‐derived exosomes (MSC‐EXO) and tempol on BPD and analyzes its mechanism.
Maximum Likelihood Estimation of the Parameters of the Beta Distribution from Smallest Order Statistics

Numerical methods, useful with high-speed computers, are described for obtaining the maximum likelihood estimat.es of the two (shape) parameters of a beta distribution using the smallest M order statistics, 0 < u 1 ≤ … ≤ ≤ … ≤ u M , in a random sample of size K(≥M). The maximum likelihood estimates are functions only of the ratio, n = M/K, the Mth ordered observation, u M , and the two statistics, G 1 = [II M i=1 u i ]1/M , and G 1 = [II M i=1 (1 – u i )]1/M . For the case of the complete sample (i.e., R = 1), however, the estimates are functions only of G 1 and G 2, and hence, for this case, explicit tables of the estimates are provided. When R < 1, the methods described depend crucially for their usefulness on the availability of a high-speed computer. Some esamples are given of the use of the procedures described for fitting beta distributions to sets of data. In one example, the fit is studied by using beta probability plots.
One Dimensional Covalent Organic Frameworks for 2e- Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

Two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (2D COFs) have been well employed for electrocatalytic systems because of their structural diversities. However, the atomic utilization efficiency was still under improved, because of the catalytic centers located in the basal layers, which is difficult to access the electrolytes. Herein, we have first demonstrated 1D COFs for 2e- oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). With using different four-connectivity blocks, the prepared 1D COFs display good crystallinity, high surface areas, and excellent chemical stability. The more exposed catalytic sites made the 1D COFs showed higher electrochemically active surface areas, 4.8-fold of that of controlled 2D COF, and thus enable to catalyze ORR with higher H2O2 selectivity of 85.8% and activity with TOF value of 0.051 s-1 at 0.2 V, than those of 2D COF (72.9% and 0.032 s-1). This work paves the way to developing COFs with low dimension for electrocatalysis.
Mediating role of self‐efficacy between unmet needs and quality of life in palliative cancer caregivers

Although unmet support needs are associated with health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) in cancer caregivers, little is known about the mechanism underlying the relationship between two variables. The self‐efficacy (SE) theory and literature suggest that caregiving SE is important in the perception of and reaction to caregiving demands, which in turn affects HRQOL. The aim of this study was to examine whether caregiving SE mediates the relationship between unmet support needs and HRQOL in family caregivers of palliative cancer patients.
Integrated people-centered eye care: A scoping review on engaging communities in eye care in low- and middle-income settings

Background Community engagement has been endorsed as a key strategy to achieving integrated people-centered eye care that enables people and communities to receive a full spectrum of eye care across their life-course. Understanding the ways communities are engaged in eye care, to what degree participation is achieved, and the factors associated with intervention implementation is currently limited. Objective The scoping review aimed to assess how community engagement is approached and implemented in eye care interventions in low- and middle-income countries, and to identify the barriers and facilitators associated with intervention implementation. Methods Searches were conducted across five databases for peer-reviewed research on eye care interventions engaging communities published in the last ten years (January 2011 to September 2021). Studies were screened, reviewed and appraised according to Cochrane Rapid Reviews methodology. A hybrid deductive-inductive iterative analysis approach was used. Results Of 4315 potential studies screened, 73 were included in the review. Studies were conducted across 28 countries and 55 targeted populations across more than one life-course stage. A variety of community actors were engaged in implementation, in four main domains of eye care: health promotion and education; drug and supplement distribution and immunization campaigns; surveillance, screening and detection activities; and referral and pathway navigation. With the approaches and level of participation, the majority of studies were community-based and at best, involved communities, respectively. Involving community actors alone does not guarantee community trust and therefore can impact eye care uptake. Community actors can be integrated into eye care programs, although with varying success. Using volunteers highlighted sustainability issues with maintaining motivation and involvement when resources are limited. Conclusion This scoping review provides researchers and policy makers contextual evidence on the breadth of eye care interventions and the factors to be considered when engaging and empowering communities in integrated people-centered eye care programs.
Functionalization of Gold Nanostars with Melamine for Colorimetric Detection of Uric Acid

Gold nanostars (AuNSs) are synthesized using a seed-mediated growth method. The synthesized AuNSs solution is stable and shows a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) band in the visible range, which is confirmed using ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy. Furthermore, the as-synthesized AuNSs were functionalized with melamine and used as a sensor for the colorimetric detection of uric acid (UA). The detection mechanism could be assessed through various analytical techniques such as UV–Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and transmission electron microscopic techniques. These methods exhibited a good linear regression between the absorption ratio of LSPR band of melamine–AuNSs and the concentration of UA (0–120 µM), with the detection limit of 8.50 nm. As a result, UA was quantitatively detected in biofluids by using melamine-AuNSs as a colorimetric sensor, revealing melamine–AuNSs–based colorimetric approach which could be used as a simple platform for UA assay in biofluids. Graphical Abstract This is a visual representation of the abstract.
Alternative Tobacco Use and Cigarette Smoking Transitions among College Students in Texas

Abstract Background : High prevalence of very light cigarette smoking and use of alternative tobacco products (ATPs; i.e. electronic nicotine delivery systems [ENDS], cigars, and hookah) among young adult college students are causes for concern. The purpose of this study is to examine transitions in cigarette smoking (never vs. non-current vs. very light vs. heavier) among college students across 2.5 years and determine if the use of ATPs is related to these transitions. Methods: This study used six waves of data across 2.5 years from Project M-PACT. Participants who were 18–25 years of age at baseline were included in this study (n = 4,806). Cigarette smoking state was categorized as never smoking, non-current smoking [0 cigarettes smoked per day (cpd) in past month], very light smoking (< =5 cpd in past month), and heavier smoking (>5 in past month). Multi-state Markov models were used to examine temporal transitions in the four smoking states and examine the association of time-varying current ATP use with transitions in smoking states. Results: The probabilities of remaining in a smoking state decreased over time. The time-varying current ATP use was significantly related to increased odds of transitioning from never smoking to non-current smoking, from never smoking to very light smoking, and from non-current to very light smoking. Conclusions: Findings highlight the need to prevent ATP use among college students and in turn inhibit initiation and escalation of cigarette smoking.
Assessing population substructure in the Lebanese population: A population study using data on 23 autosomal short tandem repeats

Understanding the genetic substructure of a population is essential for proper forensic genetic analysis. The Lebanese population has a high rate of endogamous and consanguineous marriages and is segregated based on religious belongings. However, no genetic population studies have been performed up to date to estimate the degree of genetic substructure and inbreeding coefficients.
Applications of resonance ionization mass spectrometry

We describe here several types of mass spectrometry in which the mass selectivity is combined with a highly selective laser ionization method to achieve both high sensitivity and very high selectivity. These methods combine the most sensitive and highly selective laser ionization methods with mass selectivity in order to improve on both the sensitivity and the Z and A selectivity previously achievable in detecting atomic species. Applications of these methods include the dating of geophysical specimens, the on line analysis of rare short‐lived isotopes produced in high‐energy collisions, the detection of low levels of heavy metals or radioactive isotopes in biological samples, the detection of impurities in ultrapure materials, and a host of other applications. Because some versions of this method offer sensitivity to a hundred atoms of a particular isotope of an element in a macroscopic sample, there are new possibilities for fundamental studies of rare events. Several types of facilities for elemental and isotopic analysis will be described.
Metal abundances of RR Lyrae stars in globular clusters

The spectroscopic metallicity index . delta.S has been determined for RR Lyrae stars in the globular clusters NGC 362, NGC 4833, NGC 5634, IC 4499, NGC 5897, NGC 5904, NGC 6171, NGC 6205, NGC 6284, NGC 6362, NGC 6402, NGC 6681, and NGC 6981. These determinations, together with previous measures of . delta.S for globular cluster stars, provide (Fe/H) values for 22 globular clusters. These (Fe/H) values argue strongly against a simple rescaling of globular cluster metal abundances to meet the very low iron abundances which have recently been found for M71 and 47 Tuc from high dispersion spectroscopy. At the same time, published globular cluster chemical abundances which are derived from high dispersion spectroscopy are consistent with the contention that . delta.S can be used to predict (Fe/H) along with (Ca/H).
Phosphorylation of TRF2 promotes its interaction with TIN2 and regulates DNA damage response at telomeres

Abstract Protein phosphatase magnesium-dependent 1 delta (PPM1D) terminates the cell cycle checkpoint by dephosphorylating the tumour suppressor protein p53. By targeting additional substrates at chromatin, PPM1D contributes to the control of DNA damage response and DNA repair. Using proximity biotinylation followed by proteomic analysis, we identified a novel interaction between PPM1D and the shelterin complex that protects telomeric DNA. In addition, confocal microscopy revealed that endogenous PPM1D localises at telomeres. Further, we found that ATR phosphorylated TRF2 at S410 after induction of DNA double strand breaks at telomeres and this modification increased after inhibition or loss of PPM1D. TRF2 phosphorylation stimulated its interaction with TIN2 both in vitro and at telomeres. Conversely, induced expression of PPM1D impaired localisation of TIN2 and TPP1 at telomeres. Finally, recruitment of the DNA repair factor 53BP1 to the telomeric breaks was strongly reduced after inhibition of PPM1D and was rescued by the expression of TRF2-S410A mutant. Our results suggest that TRF2 phosphorylation promotes the association of TIN2 within the shelterin complex and regulates DNA repair at telomeres.
Multipolar expansions for closed and open systems of relativistic particles

Dixon’s multipoles for a system of N relativistic positive-energy scalar particles are evaluated in the rest-frame instant form of dynamics. The Wigner hyperplanes (intrinsic rest frame of the isolated system) turn out to be the natural framework for describing multipole kinematics. Classical concepts like the barycentric tensor of inertia turn out to be extensible to special relativity only by means of the quadrupole moments of the isolated system. Two new applications of the multipole technique are worked out for systems of interacting particles and fields. In the rest frame of the isolated system of either free or interacting positive energy particles it is possible to define a unique world line which embodies the properties of the most relevant centroids introduced in the literature as candidates for the collective motion of the system. This is no longer true, however, in the case of open subsystems of the isolated system. While effective mass, 3-momentum and angular momentum in the rest frame can be .
A constitutive model for the prediction of ellipsoidal droplet shapes and stresses in immiscible blends

We report a phenomenological constitutive model with no adjustable parameters appropriate for the transient behavior of droplets and blends. The time evolution of the droplet anisotropy tensor during droplet relaxation under quiescent conditions is described using a frame-invariant formulation that approximately imposes constancy of droplet volume. The Doi–Ohta theory [J. Chem. Phys. 95, 1242 (1991)] is then adapted to transient flows in which breakup and coalescence do not occur by replacing the Doi–Ohta relaxation terms with this relaxation description. Model predictions are compared to results of visualization of single droplets in step shear and startup of steady shear and to measurement of concentrated blend rheology in step shear and startup of steady shear. The model quantitatively described the relaxation after step strain of single droplets to axisymmetric and then to isotropic shapes. With the inclusion of the rational ellipsoidal closure for affine deformation [Wetzel and Tucker, Int. J. Multip.
THERMAL EFFECTS ON FLOW PROPERTIES OF ALUMINUM ALLOYS

The flow properties of aluminum alloys under hot working conditions can be studied by hot torsion testing. However, the properties obtained may be severely affected by the thermal effects generated during testing. In this paper thermal analysis is made by a finite element analysis (FEA) to evaluate the temperature distribution over the test specimen, and the predictions of the flow stresses of an aluminum alloy AA5252 are modified by taking into account the temperature changes. It has been shown that the further flow softening at high strain rates, as a result of heat accumulation during testing can be predicted by the method presented.
Hyposensitive canopy conductance renders ecosystems vulnerable to meteorological droughts

Increased meteorological drought intensity with rising atmospheric demand for water (hereafter vapor pressure deficit [VPD]) increases the risk of tree mortality and ecosystem dysfunction worldwide. Ecosystem‐scale water‐use strategy is increasingly recognized as a key factor in regulating drought‐related ecosystem responses. However, the link between water‐use strategy and ecosystem vulnerability to meteorological droughts is poorly established. Using the global flux observations, historic hydroclimatic data, remote‐sensing products, and plant functional‐trait archive, we identified potentially vulnerable ecosystems, examining how ecosystem water‐use strategy, quantified by the percentage bias (δ) of the empirical canopy conductance sensitivity to VPD relative to the theoretical value, mediated ecosystem responses to droughts. We found that prevailing soil water availability substantially impacted δ in dryland regions where ecosystems with insufficient soil moisture usually showed conservative water‐use strategy, while ecosystems in humid regions exhibited more pronounced climatic adaptability. Hyposensitive and hypersensitive ecosystems, classified based on δ falling below or above the theoretical sensitivity, respectively, achieved similar net ecosystem productivity during droughts, employing different structural and functional strategies. However, hyposensitive ecosystems, risking their hydraulic system with a permissive water‐use strategy, were unable to recover from droughts as quickly as hypersensitive ones. Our findings highlight that processed‐based models predicting current functions and future performance of vegetation should account for the greater vulnerability of hyposensitive ecosystems to intensifying atmospheric and soil droughts.
High PD-L2 Predicts Early Recurrence of ER-Positive Breast Cancer

PURPOSE T-cell–mediated cytotoxicity is suppressed when programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) is bound by PD-1 ligand-1 (PD-L1) or PD-L2. Although PD-1 inhibitors have been approved for triple-negative breast cancer, the lower response rates of 25%-30% in estrogen receptor–positive (ER+) breast cancer will require markers to identify likely responders. The focus of this study was to evaluate whether PD-L2, which has higher affinity than PD-L1 for PD-1, is a predictor of early recurrence in ER+ breast cancer. METHODS PD-L2 protein levels in cancer cells and stromal cells of therapy-naive, localized or locoregional ER+ breast cancers were measured retrospectively by quantitative immunofluorescence histocytometry and correlated with progression-free survival (PFS) in the main study cohort (n = 684) and in an independent validation cohort (n = 273). All patients subsequently received standard-of-care adjuvant therapy without immune checkpoint inhibitors. RESULTS Univariate analysis of the main cohort revealed that high PD-L2 expression in cancer cells was associated with shorter PFS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.8; 95% CI, 1.3 to 2.6; P = .001), which was validated in an independent cohort (HR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.1 to 4.8; P = .026) and remained independently predictive after multivariable adjustment for common clinicopathological variables (HR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.4 to 2.9; P < .001). Subanalysis of the ER+ breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy (n = 197) revealed that high PD-L2 levels in cancer cells associated with short PFS in univariate (HR, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.4 to 4.4; P = .003) and multivariable analyses (HR, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.9 to 6.2; P < .001). CONCLUSION Up to one third of treatment-naive ER+ breast tumors expressed high PD-L2 levels, which independently predicted poor clinical outcome, with evidence of further elevated risk of progression in patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy. Collectively, these data warrant studies to gain a deeper understanding of PD-L2 in the progression of ER+ breast cancer and may provide rationale for immune checkpoint blockade for this patient group.
Loss of the crumbs cell polarity complex disrupts epigenetic transcriptional control and cell cycle progression in the developing retina

The crumbs cell polarity complex plays a crucial role in apical–basal epithelial polarity, cellular adhesion, and morphogenesis. Homozygous variants in human CRB1 result in autosomal recessive Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP), with no established genotype–phenotype correlation. The associated protein complexes have key functions in developmental pathways; however, the underlying disease mechanism remains unclear. Using the oko meduzym289/m289 (crb2a−/−) zebrafish, we performed integrative transcriptomic (RNA‐seq data) and methylomic [reduced representation bisulphite sequencing (RRBS)] analysis of whole retina to identify dysregulated genes and pathways. Delayed retinal cell specification was identified in both the crb2a−/− zebrafish and CRB1 patient‐derived retinal organoids, highlighting the dysfunction of cell cycle modulation and epigenetic transcriptional control. Differential DNA methylation analysis revealed novel hypermethylated pathways involving biological adhesion, Hippo, and transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) signalling. By integrating gene expression with DNA methylation using functional epigenetic modules (FEM), we identified six key modules involving cell cycle control and disturbance of TGFβ, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), Hippo, and SMAD protein signal transduction pathways, revealing significant interactome hotspots relevant to crb2a function and confirming the epigenetic control of gene regulation in early retinal development, which points to a novel mechanism underlying CRB1‐retinopathies. © 2023 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
Training With Simulated Scotoma Leads to Behavioral Improvements Through at Least Two Distinct Mechanisms

Purpose Individuals with central vision loss due to macular degeneration (MD) often spontaneously develop a preferred retinal locus (PRL) outside the area of retinal damage, which they use instead of the fovea. Those who develop a stable PRL are more successful at coping with their vision loss. However, it is unclear whether improvements in visual performance at the PRL are specific to that retinal location or are also observed in other parts of the retina. Perceptual learning literature suggests that the retinal specificity of these effects provides insight about the mechanisms involved. Better understanding of these mechanisms is necessary for the next generation of interventions and improved patient outcomes. Methods To address this, we trained participants with healthy vision to develop a trained retinal locus (TRL), analogous to the PRL in patients. We trained 24 participants on a visual search task using a gaze-contingent display to simulate a central scotoma. Results Results showed retinotopically specific improvements in visual crowding only at the TRL; however, visual acuity improved in both the TRL and in an untrained retinal locus. Conclusions These results suggest that training with an artificial scotoma involves multiple mechanistic levels, some location-specific and some not, and that simulated scotoma training paradigms likely influence multiple mechanisms simultaneously. Eye movement analysis suggests that the non-retinotopic learning effects may be related to improvements in the capability to maintain a stable gaze during stimulus presentation. This work suggests that effective interventions promoting peripheral viewing may influence multiple mechanisms simultaneously.