Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determinants of blood eosinophilia in moderate and severe asthmatic patients during childhood: Evidence from the severe asthma molecular phenotype (SAMP) cohort

Asthma is a heterogeneous disease in which the interaction between genetic and environmental factors plays a major role. The significance of blood eosinophil is unclear. The aim of the study was to determine the significance of blood eosinophil count in moderate‐to‐severe asthmatic children of preschool age and school age.
On the Possibility of Removal of Non-Structural Iron from Kaolinite-Group Minerals

Abstract The efficiency of removal of the free iron from kaolinite-group minerals by means of acid leaching was followed by chemical, AES, XRD and ESR analyses. Structural Fe responsible for the g = 4 ESR signal represented only a small fraction of Fe impurity in the natural samples. The remaining non-structural Fe was found to exist both as forms easily extractable with acid, as well as deposits that were moderately resistant to the acid treatment. At least part of the latter could be associated with the broad g ~- 2 ESR signal typical of clustered Fe 3+ ions, which in most samples persisted even after prolonged acid leaching. The data demonstrate that procedures commonly used to clean kaolinite of free iron are by no means 100% efficient. In particular, frequently encountered quantitative association of the Fe remaining in the deferrated solids with purely structural Fe, homogeneously distributed in the kaolinite matrix, is probably significantly overestimated and should be treated with great caution.
Association of spontaneous abortion with all cause and cause specific premature mortality: prospective cohort study

Abstract Objective To investigate the association of spontaneous abortion with the risk of all cause and cause specific premature mortality (death before the age of 70). Design Prospective cohort study. Setting The Nurses’ Health Study II (1993-2017), United States. Participants 101 681 ever gravid female nurses participating in the Nurses’ Health Study II. Main outcomes measures Lifetime occurrence of spontaneous abortion in pregnancies lasting less than 6 months, determined by biennial questionnaires. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for all cause and cause specific premature death according to the occurrence of spontaneous abortion, estimated with time dependent Cox proportional hazards models. Results During 24 years of follow-up, 2936 premature deaths were recorded, including 1346 deaths from cancer and 269 from cardiovascular disease. Crude all cause mortality rates were comparable for women with and without a history of spontaneous abortion (1.24 per 1000 person years in both groups) but were higher for women experiencing three or more spontaneous abortions (1.47 per 1000 person years) and for women reporting their first spontaneous abortion before the age of 24 (1.69 per 1000 person years). The corresponding age adjusted hazard ratios for all cause premature death during follow-up were 1.02 (95% confidence interval 0.94 to 1.11), 1.39 (1.03 to 1.86), and 1.27 (1.11 to 1.46), respectively. After adjusting for confounding factors and updated dietary and lifestyle factors, the occurrence of spontaneous abortion was associated with a hazard ratio of 1.19 (95% confidence interval 1.08 to 1.30) for premature mortality during follow-up. The association was stronger for recurrent spontaneous abortions (hazard ratio 1.59, 95% confidence interval 1.17 to 2.15 for three or more spontaneous abortions; 1.23, 1.00 to 1.50 for two; and 1.16, 1.05 to 1.28 for one compared with none), and for spontaneous abortions occurring early in a woman’s reproductive life (1.32, 1.14 to 1.53 for age ≤23; 1.16, 1.01 to 1.33 for ages 24-29; and 1.12, 0.98 to 1.28 for age ≥30 compared with none). When cause specific mortality was evaluated, the association of spontaneous abortion with premature death was strongest for deaths from cardiovascular disease (1.48, 1.09 to 1.99). Spontaneous abortion was not related to premature death from cancer (1.08, 0.94 to 1.24). Conclusions Spontaneous abortion was associated with an increased risk of premature mortality, particularly death from cardiovascular disease.
EOCNet:Improving Edge Omni-scale Convolution Networks for Skin Lesion Segmentation

What makes medical imaging detection based on artificial intelligence detection, segmentation and classification to help doctors better diagnose skin cancers particularly important. Due to the different shape, size, structure, occluding hair and skin pigmentation of the lesion area, the lesion segmentation of skin cancer is challenging. We introduce a remarkably I mproving edge segmentation CNN named Edge Omni-scale Convolution Networks (EOCNet), which is represented as an encoder-decoder network. The encoder network is based on ResNet-50. The feature boundary Omni-scale module fused with the last three layers of Resnet-50 is used for the decoder. Experiments on Skin Lesion segmentation dataset achieve excellent performance.
Influence of Potential Gene Polymorphisms on Propofol Dosage Regimen in Patients Undergoing Abdominal Hysterectomy

Abstract Propofol (2,6-diisopropylphenol) is the most common intravenous anesthetic used in modern medicine. It is postulated that individual differences in genetic factors [polymorphism of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)] in the genes encoding metabolic enzymes, molecular targets and molecular binding sites of propofol can be responsible for susceptibility to propofol effects. The aim of our study was to investigate the influence of the cytochrome P450 2B6 isozyme CYP2B6 (rs3745274), γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptor α1 subunit GABRA1 (rs2279020) and ATP-binding cassette subfamily B member 1 ABCB1 (rs1045642) gene polymorphisms on propofol therapeutic outcomes in the patients undergoing abdominal hysterectomy. Ninety patients aged 29-74 years, with different ethnicities were included in this study. The presence of polymorphisms was analyzed using TaqMan SNP genotype analysis on Stratagene MxPro 3005P real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The distribution of all three genetic variants was within the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. There was no significant difference (p >0.05) in the allelic frequencies of polymorphic variants and genotype distributions between adult and older patients and between patients of different ethnicities. Our study did not detect a statistically significant influence of the CYP2B6 (c.516G>A), GABRA1 (c.1059+15G>A) and ABCB1 (c.3435T>C) variants on the variability of clinical parameters (doses for induction in anesthesia, additional doses, induction time and wake time after anesthesia and side effects of propofol). However, the observed trend on the possible influence of the CYP2B6 (c.516G>A) and GABRA1 (c.1059+15G>A) variants warrant an extension of these studies on a larger number of patients.
The Utility of Whole Exome Sequencing in Diagnosing Pediatric Neurological Disorders

Abstract Pediatric neurological disorders have a wide spectrum of clinical presentations and can be challenging to diagnose. Whole exome sequencing (WES) is increasingly becoming an integral diagnostic tool in medicine. It is cost-effective and has high diagnostic yield, especially in consanguineous populations. This study aims to review WES results and its value in diagnosing neurological disorders. A retrospective chart review was performed for WES results between the period of January 2018 to November 2019. Whole exome sequencing was requested for children with unexplained neurological signs and symptoms such as epilepsy, developmental delay, visual impairment, spasticity, hypotonia and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain changes. It was conducted for children in a pediatric neurology clinic of a tertiary center at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Twenty-six children with undiagnosed neurological conditions were identified and underwent WES diagnosis. Nineteen patients (73.0%) of the cohort were diagnosed with pathogenic variants, likely pathogenic variants or variants of unknown significance (VUS). Consanguinity was positive in 18 families of the cohort (69.0%). Seven patients showed homozygous mutations. Five patients had heterozygous mutations. There were six patients with VUS and six patients had negative WES results. Whole exome sequencing showed a high diagnostic rate in this group of children with variable neurological disorders.
Cytotoxic and Inflammatory Effects of Coarse and Fine Particulate Matter in Macrophages and Epithelial Cells

The purpose of our study was to determine the cytotoxic and inflammatory effects of aqueous suspensions of coarse (10–2.5 µm) and fine (<2.5 µm) particulate matter (PM) in NR8383 macrophages and A549 epithelial cells. Weekly samples from four differently polluted locations in Germany were tested at equal mass for lactate dehydrogenase leakage, nitric oxide (NO) production by NR8383 cells and interleukin-8 (IL-8) release from A549 cells. Significant toxicity was observed with coarse PM but not with fine PM in the NR8383 cells as well as the A549 cells. Both fine and coarse PM were found to cause NO production. Coarse PM from all locations caused a significant increase in IL-8 release, whereas for fine PM significant IL-8 release was only observed with samples from the most polluted (industrialized) location. Irrespective of the sampling locations, coarse PM showed stronger NO production and IL-8 release than fine PM. In conclusion, our date indicate a major contribution of the coarse fraction to the toxicity and inflammatory effects of PM in vitro.
The Great Italian Masquerade

ABSTRACT Tuberculosis and sarcoidosis are both granulomatous diseases centered on the lung but capable of myriad extrapulmonary manifestations. Because of substantial similarity in their presentations, these two entities can be notoriously challenging to differentiate. This can be particularly true of countries in which tuberculosis is rarely encountered because of a reflexive tendency to ascribe granulomatous inflammation in the lung to sarcoidosis, especially if the granulomas are non-necrotizing. However, as our case from a non-endemic country reminds, sarcoidosis can be comfortably diagnosed only after convincing exclusion of infectious causes of granulomas. Distinguishing these two diseases is of utmost importance as, despite their overlapping presentations, they have completely non-overlapping treatments which can lead to harm if erroneously applied. At the end of our discussion, we summarize the clinical features favoring one diagnosis over the other.
Pilot Work Related Stress (WRS), Effects on Wellbeing and Mental Health, and Coping Methods

ABSTRACT Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between sources of work-related stress (WRS) for pilots, effects on wellbeing, and coping mechanisms. Background: Recent studies have measured depression levels in pilots but not the relationship between depression levels and coping strategies. Methods: An anonymous web-based survey was conducted with commercial pilots. A regression model was advanced to analyze the relationship between each frequency level of each coping strategy and PHQ-9 Scores, and the Odds ratio was interpreted. Results: Sources of WRS impact on the physical, social, and psychological health of pilots. Not all pilots are suffering. Over half met threshold for mild depression. Nearly 60% are using coping mechanisms to manage WRS and its impact on wellbeing. Pilots using coping mechanisms such as sleep management, taking physical exercise, and diet management were found to have lower depression severity levels. The findings of this study underscore the need to advance new tools to enable pilot self-management of their health and wellbeing. This includes new training tools, enhanced checklists, and new digital tools to support wellbeing awareness, stress coping, and risk identification both inside and outside the cockpit. Conclusions: Airlines and pilots need the right tools to safeguard the wellbeing and mental fitness of pilots and ensure flight safety. Pilots, airlines, and aviation regulators can learn from the existing use of coping strategies by pilots.
Mineral catalyzed organic synthesis in hydrothermal systems: An experimental study using time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry

Hydrothermal fluids enriched in hydrocarbons of apparent abiotic origin vent from Fe‐Ni sulfide bearing chimney structures on the seafloor at slow spreading mid‐ocean ridges. Here we show results from a hydrothermal experiment using carbon isotope labeling techniques and mineral analytical data that indicate that pentlandite ((Fe2Ni7)S8) enhances formation of C2 and C3 alkanes, while also contributing to the formation of other more complex hydrocarbons, such as alcohols and carboxylic acids. ToF‐SIMS data reveal the existence of isotopically anomalous carbon on the pentlandite surface, and thus, for the first time, provide unambiguous evidence that mineral catalyzed surface reactions play a role in carbon reduction schemes under hydrothermal conditions. We hypothesize that hydroxymethylene (‐CHOH) serves as intermediary facilitating formation of more complex organic compounds. The experimental results provide an explanation for organic synthesis in ultramafic‐hosted hydrothermal systems on earth, and on other water‐enriched planetary bodies as well.
A new reciprocal space based treatment of long range interactions on surfaces

A new formalism designed to treat long range interactions on surfaces, systems which are infinitely replicated in two spatial directions but have finite extent in the third, is developed. The new formalism is based in reciprocal space and, thus, permits the facile extension of standard plane-wave based density functional theory, Ewald summation, and smooth particle-mesh Ewald methods to handle surfaces efficiently. The method is tested on both model (body centered cubic lattices) and realistic problems (an ice surface with a defect and the 2×1 surface reconstruction of silicon) and found to be accurate, efficient, and a marked improvement on existing formulations in speed, accuracy, and utility.
Nucleation of Polypropylene Homo- and Copolymers

Abstract The combination of moderately slow crystal growth at large undercoolings together with the practical absence of sporadic nucleation makes isotactic polypropylene (iPP) an ideal material for controlled nucleation. In this review the different types of nucleating agents – inorganic and organic, particulate and soluble – for the different crystal modifications of iPP (α, β and γ) are presented together with their working mechanism and criteria for activity. The interaction between polymer type, nucleating agent and processing conditions in determining mechanical and optical properties conclude the survey.
Land-Based Classification of Herb's Origin Based on Supervised and Unsupervised Pattern Recognition of Plant and Soil Chemical Profiling

In this work, a series of supervised and unsupervised pattern recognition techniques are assessed for the first time as a tool in order to elaborate a common approach able to classify different plant species based on a common pattern determined by their geographical origin. For this reason, soil samples and extracts from various parts of 7 self-sown indigenous Greek plants were collected in nature from two regions (highlands and insular) in NW Greece. Based on the chemical profiling of each species and the respective soil matrix composition, the identification of similarities and dissimilarities on a regional basis were pursued. The results indicate that hierarchical cluster classification and discriminant analysis using the chemical profile of inorganic elements and soil matrix composition provide the basis for the provision of an area-specific geographic marker that enables the classification of different herbs based on their origin with high discrimination efficiency.
Average Convergence for Directed & Undirected Graphs in Distributed Systems

Consensus control of multi-agent systems is an innovative paradigm for the development of intelligent distributed systems. This has fascinated numerous scientific groups for their promising applications as they have the freedom to achieve their local and global goals and make their own decisions. Network communication topologies based on graph and matrix theory are widely used in a various real-time applications ranging from software agents to robotics. Therefore, while sustaining the significance of both directed and undirected graphs, this research emphases on the demonstration of a distributed average consensus algorithm. It uses the harmonic mean in the domain of multi-agent systems with directed and undirected graphs under static topologies based on a control input scheme. The proposed agreement protocol focuses on achieving a constant consensus on directional and undirected graphs using the exchange of information between neighbors to update their status values and to be able to calculate the total number of agents that contribute to the communication network at the same time. The proposed method is implemented for the identical networks that are considered under the directional and non-directional communication links. Two different scenarios are simulated and it is concluded that the undirected approach has an advantage over directed graph communication in terms of processing time and the total number of iterations required to achieve convergence. The same network parameters are introduced for both orientations of the communication graphs. In addition, the results of the simulation and the calculation of various matrices are provided at the end to validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm to achieve consensus.
Seasonal changes in arsenic speciation in Fucus species

Arsenic speciation in a brown alga, Fucus gardneri, collected in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, was carried out by using high-performance liquid chromatography–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (HPLC–ICP–MS). Hydride generation–atomic absorption spectrometry (HG–AAS) was used for total arsenic determination. The relative amounts of some arsenosugars 1 in growing tips are found to be different in comparison with the remainder of the plant. Fucus samples collected in summer contain 9 ppm of total arsenic. Most of the arsenic species are extractable. Fucus samples collected in winter contain relatively higher amounts of arsenic, 16–22 ppm, but only low amounts of this are extractable. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Melatonin Pretreatment Confers Heat Tolerance and Repression of Heat-Induced Senescence in Tomato Through the Modulation of ABA- and GA-Mediated Pathways

Heat stress and abscisic acid (ABA) induce leaf senescence, whereas melatonin (MT) and gibberellins (GA) play critical roles in inhibiting leaf senescence. Recent research findings confirm that plant tolerance to diverse stresses is closely associated with foliage lifespan. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the signaling interaction of MT with GA and ABA regarding heat-induced leaf senescence largely remains undetermined. Herein, we investigated putative functions of melatonin in suppressing heat-induced leaf senescence in tomato and how ABA and GA coordinate with each other in the presence of MT. Tomato seedlings were pretreated with 100 μM MT or water and exposed to high temperature (38/28°C) for 5 days (d). Heat stress significantly accelerated senescence, damage to the photosystem and upregulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), generating RBOH gene expression. Melatonin treatment markedly attenuated heat-induced leaf senescence, as reflected by reduced leaf yellowing, an increased Fv/Fm ratio, and reduced ROS production. The Rbohs gene, chlorophyll catabolic genes, and senescence-associated gene expression levels were significantly suppressed by MT addition. Exogenous application of MT elevated the endogenous MT and GA contents but reduced the ABA content in high-temperature-exposed plants. However, the GA and ABA contents were inhibited by paclobutrazol (PCB, a GA biosynthesis inhibitor) and sodium tungstate (ST, an ABA biosynthesis inhibitor) treatment. MT-induced heat tolerance was compromised in both inhibitor-treated plants. The transcript abundance of ABA biosynthesis and signaling genes was repressed; however, the biosynthesis genes MT and GA were upregulated in MT-treated plants. Moreover, GA signaling suppressor and catabolic gene expression was inhibited, while ABA catabolic gene expression was upregulated by MT application. Taken together, MT-mediated suppression of heat-induced leaf senescence has collaborated with the activation of MT and GA biosynthesis and inhibition of ABA biosynthesis pathways in tomato.
Audiometric Phenotypes of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss by Data-Driven Cluster Analysis and Their Relevant Characteristics

Background: The definition of notched audiogram for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is presently based on clinical experience, but audiometric phenotypes of NIHL are highly heterogeneous. The data-driven clustering of subtypes could provide refined characteristics of NIHL, and help identify individuals with typical NIHL at diagnosis. Methods: This cross-sectional study initially recruited 12,218 occupational noise-exposed employees aged 18–60 years from two factories of a shipyard in Eastern China. Of these, 10,307 subjects with no history of otological injurie or disease, family history of hearing loss, or history of ototoxic drug use were eventually enrolled. All these subjects completed health behavior questionnaires, cumulative noise exposure (CNE) measurement, and pure-tone audiometry. We did data-driven cluster analysis (k-means clustering) in subjects with hearing loss audiograms (n = 6,599) consist of two independent datasets (n = 4,461 and n = 2,138). Multinomial logistic regression was performed to analyze the relevant characteristics of subjects with different audiometric phenotypes compared to those subjects with normal hearing audiograms (n = 3,708). Results: A total of 10,307 subjects (9,165 males [88.9%], mean age 34.5 [8.8] years, mean CNE 91.2 [22.7] dB[A]) were included, 3,708 (36.0%) of them had completely normal hearing, the other 6,599 (64.0%) with hearing loss audiograms were clustered into four audiometric phenotypes, which were replicable in two distinct datasets. We named the four clusters as the 4–6 kHz sharp-notched, 4–6 kHz flat-notched, 3–8 kHz notched, and 1–8 kHz notched audiogram. Among them, except for the 4–6 kHz flat-notched audiogram which was not significantly related to NIHL, the other three phenotypes with different relevant characteristics were strongly associated with noise exposure. In particular, the 4–6 kHz sharp-notched audiogram might be a typical subtype of NIHL. Conclusions: By data-driven cluster analysis of the large-scale noise-exposed population, we identified three audiometric phenotypes associated with distinct NIHL subtypes. Data-driven sub-stratification of audiograms might eventually contribute to the precise diagnosis and treatment of NIHL.