Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Validation of Normal P-Wave Parameters in a Large Unselected Pediatric Population of North-Western Romania: Results of the CARDIOPED Project

Aims Reference values of the P-wave on 12 lead electrocardiograms are lacking for children and adolescents in Eastern Europe. Hence, the present study is aimed at determining the standard values of the P-wave in children and adolescents based on ECG data from the CARDIOPED project, a large-scale general population of children who participated in a screening program in Transylvania, Romania. Methods and Results A total of 22,411 ECGs of participants aged 6 to 18 years old from a school-based ECG screening were obtained between February 2015 and December 2015 in Transylvania, Romania. Three pediatric cardiologists manually reviewed each ECG. P-wave duration, voltage, axis, and correlation with gender and age were analyzed. The mean P-wave duration was 88 ± 10.7 ms, with a maximum duration of 128 ms. P-wave showed a positive correlation with age but did not differ between sexes. There was a positive correlation between the P-wave duration and the heart rate, but not with the body max index. The mean P-wave axis was 40.4 ± 31.1, and the mean P-wave amplitude was 0.12 ± 0.03 mV. Conclusion In this study on many pediatric subjects, we have provided normal limits for the P-wave in Romanian children aged 6-18 years. Our findings are useful for creating interpretation guidelines for pediatric ECG.
Comparison of Multispectral Image-Processing Methods for Brain Tissue Classification in BrainWeb Synthetic Data and Real MR Images

Accurate quantification of brain tissue is a fundamental and challenging task in neuroimaging. Over the past two decades, statistical parametric mapping (SPM) and FMRIB's Automated Segmentation Tool (FAST) have been widely used to estimate gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes. However, they cannot reliably estimate cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volumes. To address this problem, we developed the TRIO algorithm (TRIOA), a new magnetic resonance (MR) multispectral classification method. SPM8, SPM12, FAST, and the TRIOA were evaluated using the BrainWeb database and real magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. In this paper, the MR brain images of 140 healthy volunteers (51.5 ± 15.8 y/o) were obtained using a whole-body 1.5 T MRI system (Aera, Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). Before classification, several preprocessing steps were performed, including skull stripping and motion and inhomogeneity correction. After extensive experimentation, the TRIOA was shown to be more effective than SPM and FAST. For real data, all test methods revealed that the participants aged 20–83 years exhibited an age-associated decline in GM and WM volume fractions. However, for CSF volume estimation, SPM8-s and SPM12-m both produced different results, which were also different compared with those obtained by FAST and the TRIOA. Furthermore, the TRIOA performed consistently better than both SPM and FAST for GM, WM, and CSF volume estimation. Compared with SPM and FAST, the proposed TRIOA showed more advantages by providing more accurate MR brain tissue classification and volume measurements, specifically in CSF volume estimation.
Some insight into hydrolytic scission mechanisms in bioerodible polyesters

PLLA, PDLLA and PLGA copolymers have been examined for the details of their degradation behaviour. All polymers exhibited a homogeneous mode of degradation, with uniform rates of degradation throughout the film. Crystallinity inhibited water absorption, and hence retarded degradation. Addition of GA units substantially increased degradation rates, and this effect overwhelms the effect due to crystallinity. The glycolide linkage is more susceptible to hydrolytic scission than lactide, as verified quantitatively with the use of 1 HNMR studies. In spite of the faster degradation rate for the GA units, the overall scission is still a random process, as verified by the application of a Monte Carlo model to the degradation results. The details of the mechanistic study of different factors influencing the process of degradation as reported here, may have important implications in terms of selecting the right material for specific biomedical applications.
Underlying mechanisms of the effect of minocycline against Candida albicans biofilms

Minocycline (MH) is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent and semisynthetic tetracycline derivative, which has been widely used in the clinic due to its efficacy. Having the strongest anti-microbial effect, MH exceeded the traditional scope of antibiotics and its previously unknown antifungal activity is also gradually being discovered. To preliminarily investigate the inhibitory effect of MH on Candida albicans (C. albicans), changes of cell growth, hyphal formation and transition, biofilm production and signaling pathway gene expression of C. albicans in the presence of MH were assessed in the present study. An XTT reduction assay was performed to quantitatively detect the metabolic activity of biofilms and evaluate the inhibition of MH on this. The results suggested that biofilm formation was clearly inhibited by 67% (P<0.0001) in the presence of 250 µg/ml MH, while mature biofilms were not significantly affected. In addition, MH inhibited the transition from yeast to hypha in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR revealed that several hyphae- and adhesion-specific genes associated with the Ras/cyclic (c)AMP/protein kinase A (PKA) pathway were differentially expressed following MH treatment, including downregulation of ras family GTPase (RAS1), adenylyl cyclase-associated protein 1 (CAP1), thiamin pyrophosphokinase 1 (TPK1), adenylate cyclase (CDC35), transcription factor (TEC1), agglutinin-like protein 3 (ALS3) and hyphal wall protein 1 (HWP1) and upregulation of EFG1 (enhanced filamentous growth protein 1 gene) and PDE2 (high-affinity phosphodiesterase gene). The most obviously changed genes were TPK1, HWP1 and RAS1, downregulated by 0.33-, 0.48- and 0.55-fold, respectively. It was suggested that MH is associated with alterations in the morphology of C. albicans, such as the repression of hypha and biofilm formation of cells, and MH affected the Ras/cAMP pathway to regulate the expression of cAMP-associated genes.
Cytochromes in Extracellular Electron Transfer in Geobacter

Extracellular electron transfer (EET) is an important biological process in microbial physiology as found in dissimilatory metal oxidation/reduction and interspecies electron transfer in syntrophy in natural environments. EET also plays a critical role in microorganisms relevant to environmental biotechnology in metal-contaminated areas, metal corrosion, bioelectrochemical systems, and anaerobic digesters. Geobacter species exist in a diversity of natural and artificial environments. ABSTRACT Extracellular electron transfer (EET) is an important biological process in microbial physiology as found in dissimilatory metal oxidation/reduction and interspecies electron transfer in syntrophy in natural environments. EET also plays a critical role in microorganisms relevant to environmental biotechnology in metal-contaminated areas, metal corrosion, bioelectrochemical systems, and anaerobic digesters. Geobacter species exist in a diversity of natural and artificial environments. One of the outstanding features of Geobacter species is the capability of direct EET with solid electron donors and acceptors, including metals, electrodes, and other cells. Therefore, Geobacter species are pivotal in environmental biogeochemical cycles and biotechnology applications. Geobacter sulfurreducens, a representative Geobacter species, has been studied for direct EET as a model microorganism. G. sulfurreducens employs electrically conductive pili (e-pili) and c-type cytochromes for the direct EET. The biological function and electronics applications of the e-pili have been reviewed recently, and this review focuses on the cytochromes. Geobacter species have an unusually large number of cytochromes encoded in their genomes. Unlike most other microorganisms, Geobacter species localize multiple cytochromes in each subcellular fraction, outer membrane, periplasm, and inner membrane, as well as in the extracellular space, and differentially utilize these cytochromes for EET with various electron donors and acceptors. Some of the cytochromes are functionally redundant. Thus, the EET in Geobacter is complicated. Geobacter coordinates the cytochromes with other cellular components in the elaborate EET system to flourish in the environment.
How mutualisms influence the coexistence of competing species.

Mutualisms are ubiquitous in nature and are thought to play important roles in the maintenance of biodiversity. For biodiversity to be maintained, however, species must coexist in the face of competitive exclusion. Chesson's coexistence theory provides a mechanistic framework for evaluating coexistence; yet, mutualisms are conspicuously absent from coexistence theory and there are no comparable frameworks for evaluating how mutualisms affect the coexistence of competiting species. To address this conceptual gap, I develop theory predicting how multi-trophic mutualisms mediate the coexistence of species competing for mutualistic commodities and other limiting resources using the niche and fitness difference concepts of coexistence theory. I demonstrate that failing to account for mutualisms can lead to erroneous conclusions. For example, species might appear to coexist on resources alone, when the simultaneous incorporation of mutualisms actually drives competitive exclusion, or competitive exclusion might occur under resource competition when in fact, the incorporation of mutualisms generates coexistence. Existing coexistence theory cannot therefore be applied to mutualisms without explicitly considering the underlying biology of the interactions. By discussing how the metrics derived from coexistence theory can be quantified empirically, I show how this theory can be operationalized to evaluate the coexistence consequences of mutualism in natural communities.
Small Extracellular Vesicles Control Dendritic Spine Development through Regulation of HDAC2 Signaling

The release of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) has recently been reported, but knowledge of their function in neuron development remains limited. Using LC-MS/MS, we found that sEVs released from developing cortical neurons in vitro obtained from mice of both sexes were enriched in cytoplasm, exosome, and protein-binding and DNA/RNA-binding pathways. The latter included HDAC2, which was of particular interest, because HDAC2 regulates spine development, and populations of neurons expressing different levels of HDAC2 co-exist in vivo during the period of spine growth. Here, we found that HDAC2 levels decrease in neurons as they acquire synapses and that sEVs from HDAC2-rich neurons regulate HDAC2 signaling in HDAC2-low neurons possibly through HDAC2 transfer. This regulation led to a transcriptional decrease in HDAC2 synaptic targets and the density of excitatory synapses. These data suggest that sEVs provide inductive cell-cell signaling that coordinates the development of dendritic spines via the activation of HDAC2-dependent transcriptional programs. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT A role of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs; also called exosomes) in neuronal development is of particular interest, because sEVs could provide a major signaling modality between developing neurons when synapses are not fully functional or immature. However, knowledge of sEVs on neuron, and more precisely spine development, is limited. We provide several lines of evidence that sEVs released from developing cortical neurons regulate the development of dendritic spines via the regulation of HDAC2 signaling. This paracrine communication is temporally restricted during development because of the age-dependent decrease in sEV release as neurons mature and acquire spines.
A compact vocabulary of paratope-epitope interactions enables predictability of antibody-antigen binding

Antibody-antigen binding relies on the specific interaction of amino acids at the paratope-epitope interface. It has been a long-standing question of whether antibody-antigen binding is predictable. A fundamental premise for the predictability of paratope-epitope interactions is the existence of structural units that are universally shared among antibody-antigen binding complexes. Here, we screened the largest available set of non-redundant antibody-antigen structures for binding patterns and identified structural interaction motifs, which together compose a vocabulary of paratope-epitope interactions that is universally shared among investigated antibody-antigen structures. The vocabulary (i) is compact, less than 104 motifs, (ii) is immunity-specific and distinct from non-immune protein-protein interactions, (iii) mediates specific oligo- and polyreactive interactions between paratope-epitope pairs, and (iv) enables the machine learnability of paratope-epitope interactions. Collectively, our results demonstrate the predictability of antibody-antigen binding.
Acute-on-chronic liver failure in Egypt: an underestimated complication of liver cirrhosis

Background Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a severe liver cirrhosis complication with high mortality rates. Despite that chronic liver diseases are prevalent in Egypt, there is no available data about patients with ACLF. We aimed to evaluate the pattern of ACLF in Egypt. Methods This prospective cohort study included all patients with ACLF, according to the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the European Association for the Study of the Liver, admitted to Al-Rajhi liver Hospital, Egypt, between November 2018 and October 2019. We recorded data at admission, days 3, 7, 14 and 28, and calculated ACLF grades and Chronic Liver Failure Consortium scores until discharge or death. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used for survival analysis. Results We analyzed 52 patients with ACLF. Liver cirrhosis was secondary to hepatitis C virus in 46 patients (88.9%), and hepatitis B virus in 4 (7.4%). The main ACLF precipitating factors were infection in 38 (73.1%) and variceal bleeding in 9 (17.3%). The most common infections were spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (44.7%) and chest infection (31.6%). The 28 and 90-day mortality rates were 86.5 and 96.2%. None of the patients who survived >28 days had ACLF 3 at admission or day 7. Among those who died <28 days, ACLF 3 was reported in 7 at admission and 19 on day 7. Living donor liver transplantation was not offered in any case. Conclusion In this study, the 28-day mortality rate was higher than in the literature. Egypt urgently needs to develop specific protocols for the proper management of ACLF.
Complete genome analysis of bacteriochlorophyll a -containing Roseicitreum antarcticum ZS2-28 T reveals its adaptation to Antarctic intertidal environment

Aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria (AAPB) are photoheterotrophic prokaryotes able to use both light and dissolved organic matter as energy sources. Roseicitreum antarcticum ZS2-28T was isolated from intertidal sediment in the Larsemann Hills, Princess Elizabeth Land, Antarctica, and was able to produce bacteriochlorophyll a. It is the type strain of the sole species within the genus Roseicitreum. The complete genome sequence of the bacterium was determined using Illumina HiSeq X and PacBio RSII systems. The genome of R. antarcticum ZS2-28T was 4253095 bp and consisted of one chromosome and four plasmids. A number of genes related to the bacteriochlorophyll a production, photosynthetic reaction, cold adaptation, salt adaptation, ultra-violet resistance and DNA damage repairing were found in the genome. In addition to genomic islands and type IV secretion systems, genes related to gene transfer agents were detected in the genome of R. antarcticum ZS2-28T, suggesting that this bacterium can adapt to its environment by acquiring exogenous nucleic acids. The annotated complete genome sequence provides genetic insights into the environmental adaptation and ecological function of R. antarcticum ZS2-28T in Antarctic coastal area. Citation: Zeng Y X, Yu Y, Li H R, et al. Complete genome analysis of bacteriochlorophyll a-containing Roseicitreum antarcticum ZS2-28T reveals its adaptation to Antarctic intertidal environment. Adv Polar Sci, 2021, 32(1): 20-27, doi: 10.13679/j.advps. 2020.0034
Longitudinal transitions in patterns of PTSD symptoms and psychological distress among South Korean adults with traumatic experiences.

This study aimed to investigate transitions in patterns of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and psychological distress among South Koreans with traumatic experiences. This study consists of two parts: In Part 1 the time since trauma ranged between 0 and 41 years, while in Part 2 participants experienced at least one traumatic event within the previous three years. We identified subgroups and transitions between classes over a one-year period using latent profile analysis and latent transition analysis. First, in Part 1, four classes were identified at T1 and T2. Second, we explored whether age, sex, time since trauma, and time perspective (TP) predicted class membership at T1. Age, past-negative, present-fatalistic, and future TPs were significant predictors of class membership at T1. Finally, sex, past-negative, and future TPs were identified as significant predictors of class transition over time. The same analysis was conducted in Part 2 with individuals chosen from the Part 1 participants. Differential effects of TP on class membership and transitions in PTSD symptoms and psychological distress indicated the need for intervention programs that consider the TP profiles of individuals with traumatic experiences. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Prediction of Beta‐Carotene Decolorization in Model System Under Static and Dynamic Conditions of Reduced Oxygen Environment

Predictions of beta-carotene losses were made with model systems stored under conditions simulating storage of dry foodstuff powders. The mathematical model utilized kinetic data collected under static conditions of water activity and oxygen concentration and was extended for the prediction of beta-cartone retention under dynamic conditions. Results showed an excellent agreement between actual and predicted retention of beta-carotene stored under dynamic conditions once the proper correction factor was used. The correction factor was required to compensate for different geometries which affected diffusion limiting reactions.
Isolation of bacterial species capable of hydrolyzi ng pectin

At present, almost all the pectinolytic enzymes us ed for industrial applications are produced by fung i. There are a few reports of pectinase production by bacterial strain s. In the present study, bacterial strains isolated from rotten citrus fruit samples, were screened for polygalacturonase production. Rotten fruit samples were randomly collected which had high amounts of pectin in their peels. Using Kirby Bauer method, two Bacillus strains capable of hydrolyzing pectin were screene d Both strains showed good polygalacturonase activity at neutral pH; henc e, it would be potentially useful to increase the y ield of banana, grape or apple juices, or at alkalinity, it can be used in the tex tile industry for the retting and degumming of fibe r crops, production of good quality paper, fermentation of coffee and tea, oil extractions and treatment of pectin waste water tre atment.
Retrospective Analysis of Presentation, Treatment, and Outcomes of Multiple Myeloma at a Large Public Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya

PURPOSE Treatment patterns and survival outcomes of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) in Kenya have not been adequately characterized. The objectives of this study were to describe the clinical, laboratory, and imaging findings at diagnosis, to describe the treatment offered, and to determine the survival outcomes of patients with MM over an 11-year period. PATIENTS AND METHODS A retrospective chart review was carried out for all patients who were diagnosed and treated for MM at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital from 2009 to 2019. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate survival. Factors affecting survival were identified using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS A total of 221 patient charts were analyzed of which 124 belonged to male patients (56.1%). The median age at diagnosis was 61 years. Bone pain was the most common presenting complaint observed in 69.6% of 194 patients assessed. Out of 102 patients who received imaging studies, 60 (58.8%) had lytic lesions, 30 (29.4%) had fractures, whereas 30 (29.4%) had spinal cord compression. Anemia, renal failure, and hypercalcemia were observed in 87/187 (46.5%), 22/161 (13.7%), and 23/42 (54.8%) patients, respectively. Thalidomide and dexamethasone (65.2%); bortezomib, thalidomide, and dexamethasone (14.6%); and melphalan and prednisolone (11.9%) were the most prescribed initial chemotherapy regimens among 219 patients analyzed. Overall survival at 1 and 5 years was 70% and 21%, respectively; median overall survival was 29.0 months. In multivariate analysis, male sex (hazard ratio [HR] 1.9), baseline anemia (HR 1.8), and baseline renal failure (HR 3.2) were associated with significantly shorter survival. CONCLUSION Survival outcomes were poor despite increased use of multiagent-based chemotherapy regimens. Greater access to available diagnostics and treatments is required to achieve rational treatment and increased survival.
Modified compression therapy in mixed arterial–venous leg ulcers: An integrative review

Leg ulcers remain an increased burden to healthcare cost and morbidity in modern society. While most leg ulcers are venous in origin, recognition and prompt identification of concomitant arterial occlusive disease is critical to determine underlying aetiology and subsequent management. This integrative review presents the current evidence to establish the role of modified compression therapy (MCT) in treatment of mixed arterial venous leg ulcers (MAVLU). A literature search was conducted using the electronic databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, PUBMED, and Embase. Ten studies met the eligibility criteria and were subsequently analysed. Our review concludes that MCT, with compression pressures between 20 and 30 mmHg, can promote healing in MAVLU with moderate arterial insufficiency (0.5 ≤ ABPI ≤0.8). If ABPI is <0.5, MCT can be considered once restoration of acceptable ABPI is achieved. Intolerance, lack of response or further deterioration of disease within 3 months should prompt further arterial imaging and intervention. MCT is generally well tolerated with no adverse outcomes reported. A holistic yet individualised approach is vital in order to account for all factors influencing this patient‐led decision‐making process, ultimately ensuring effective treatment, which improves patient's quality of life and reduces socioeconomic burden of the disease.
New Computational Methods for Long-Range Electromagnetic Interactions on the Nanoscale

The Flexible Local Approximation MEthod (FLAME) proposed recently by one of the authors is shown to be efficient for the simulation of long-range electromagnetic interactions between nanoparticles. Other promising applications of FLAME include charge or dipole interactions in explicit and implicit solvent models in macromolecular simulation. Mathematically, FLAME is a class of difference schemes that admit desirable accurate local approximations. A few simple tutorial-style examples are also given to elucidate the usage of FLAME.