Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transcatheter closure of atrial septal communication: impact on P-wave dispersion, duration, and arrhythmia in mid-term follow-up.

BACKGROUND Atrial septal communications (ASCs) include atrial septal defects (ASDs) and patent foramen ovale (PFO). AIM The purpose of this study was to assess P-wave dispersion (PWD) and the prevalence of arrhythmia in patients before and after ASC closure. METHODS We analysed the clinical history and performed 12-lead electrocardiograms, echocardiograms, and 24-h Holter electrocardiograms in patients with ASC, before and six months after ASC closure. RESULTS We included patients with ASD (n = 56) and PFO (n = 73). PWD before percutaneous ASC closure was predicted by right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) proximal diameter, left atrial area, ASD, smoking, and paroxysmal dyspnoea, R2 = 0.67; p < 0.001. RVOT proximal diameter was an independent predictor of PWD, both in patients with ASD and PFO. Six months after successful closure of ASC, a reduction in PWD was observed in the whole group of patients as well as in patients with ASD and PFO considered separately. A decrease in PWD was associated with reduction of maximum P-wave duration. At the same time, in the whole group, we noticed a reduction in the number of supraventricular and ventricular extrasystolic beats and fewer atrial fibrillation (AF) episodes, p < 0.04 for all variables. Postprocedural AF episodes in patients with ASD were predicted by PWD of 80 ms. CONCLUSIONS Percutaneous closure of ASC is associated with a reduction of PWD and fewer arrhythmia episodes six months after the procedure. PWD predicts AF episodes after ASD closure.
7-Ketocholesterol enhances leukocyte adhesion to endothelial cells via p38MAPK pathway

7-Ketocholesterol is a major dietary cholesterol oxidation product found in high concentrations in atherosclerotic plaques, which contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. This study aimed to investigate the effects of 7-ketocholesterol on endothelial inflammation, as well as the underlying mechanisms. Pretreatment of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) with 7-ketocholesterol significantly enhanced the total interactions between human monocytic cells (THP-1 cell line) and TNFα-activated HUVECs under physiological flow conditions, compared to pretreatment with cholesterol (TNFα+50 μM cholesterol: 13.1 ± 0.54 cells/CPF, TNFα+50 μM 7-ketocholesterol: 18.9 ± 0.35 cells/CPF, p < 0.01). 7-Ketocholesterol enhanced the expression of E-selectin, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1 proteins. It also activated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and treatment with a p38 MAPK inhibitor inhibited both E-selectin expression via ATF-2 activation and 7-ketocholesterol-induced THP-1 adhesion to HUVECs. These findings suggest that 7-ketocholesterol enhances leukocyte–endothelial interactions by upregulating the expression of adhesion molecules, presumably via the p38 MAPK-dependent pathway.
ANALISIS AKSELERASI KONFLIK ORGANISASI KEAGAMAAN ISLAM DI YOGYAKARTA

This article examines the conflict escalation among Islamic organizations in the democratic era in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, a city with high tradition of education, culture city, and tolerance city. The conflict escalation is measured through a survey as well as interviews. Sets of questionnaire has been designed and distributed to 27 sub-districts (Kecamatan) throughout Yogyakarta. This qualitative research is also supplemented by deep interview with more than 23 key figures of Islamic organizations in Yogyakarta. The result depicts that conflict acceleration among Islamic organizations in Yogyakarta is triggered by a provocation through both social media and conventional media. The rise of rumors are somehow blown up by some local influential figures. However, in some extent, the provocation was failed due to some factors such as geography, social-economy, culture and education.
Pericapsular Nerve Group (PENG) Block for Hip Fracture

Fascia iliaca block or femoral nerve block is used frequently in hip fracture patients because of their opioid-sparing effects and reduction in opioid-related adverse effects. A recent anatomical study on hip innervation led to the identification of relevant landmarks to target the hip articular branches of femoral nerve and accessory obturator nerve. Using this information, we developed a novel ultrasound-guided approach for blockade of these articular branches to the hip, the PENG (PEricapsular Nerve Group) block. In this report, we describe the technique and its application in 5 consecutive patients.
Classification of a Naïve Bayesian Fingerprint model to predict reproductive toxicity$

ABSTRACT Using data from the Leadscope database and Procter and Gamble researchers (1172 compounds after data curation) a new classification model to predict reproductive toxicity was developed. The model is based on Naïve Bayesian methods that use the fingerprint “extended connectivity fingerprint 2”. Bits generated by the fingerprint are used from the models as descriptors to discriminate between the two classes. This technique permits the creation of a model without the use of descriptors. After a study on the probability scores, the Naïve Bayesian Fingerprint model shows a good performance on reproductive toxicity. The Matthews Correlation Coefficient value was ≥0.4 in validation. The development of new models to predict complex endpoints such as reproductive toxicity is increasingly requested, with reference also to the REACH legislation in Europe or TSCA in the USA.
Novinari i njihovi izvori: uloga odnosa s medijima pri upravljanju pristupa novinarskim objavama

Živimo u sve više “promocijsko” doba – naime, kako institucije, tako i mnogi pojedinci koji se zauzimaju za različite interese i ciljeve – kako bi dobili i sačuvali javnu legitimnost, žele svoje poruke posredovati koristeći novinarski diskurs. Pitanjima pristupa medijima moramo se baviti želimo li bolje razumjeti ulogu masovnih medija u djelovanju društvene i kulturne moći. Velik i aktivni pristup imaju društvene elite koje služe kao pouzdani izvori informacija (Van Dijk). Mnoga istraživanja pokazuju da se novinari sve češće i bez kritičke distance koriste njihovim “informacijskim subvencijama”, kojima ih opskrbljuju službe za odnose s javnostima sa zadatkom da nadziru i upravljaju pristupom koridorima moći. Autoricu članka zanimaju odnosi između praktičara za odnose s medijima i novinara, kako na teoretskoj razini (samopercepcija i samoregulacija), tako i u svakodnevnoj praksi. Njezina je teza da sve veća rutinizacija novinarskoga rada, kao rezultat teškoga ekonomskog položaja medijskih kuća zbog snažne borbe za dobit ili pukog preživljavanja, potiče objavu informacija elitnih službenih izvora, koje pripremaju njihovi službenici za odnose s medijima. Novinari i urednici izvore tih informacija u novinarskim tekstovima često ne označavaju, premda je riječ o neetičnoj praksi prema odrednicama kodeksa obiju djelatnosti. Ispreplitanje odnosa s javnostima i novinarstva ima ozbiljne posljedice na klasičnu zadaću novinarstva kao djelatnosti za opće javno dobro.
Effects of Measurement Center Shift on Ganglion Cell-inner Plexiform Layer Thickness Measurements.

SIGNIFICANCE Our authors studied the effects of measurement center shift on ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness measurements in Cirrus spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). The measurement center shift affects the GCIPL thickness measurement depending on the distance of shift. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to explore changes in macular GCIPL thicknesses measurements after manual shifting of the measurement center using SD-OCT. METHODS A prospective study was conducted. A total of 30 normal eyes of 30 subjects were included in the study. An experienced examiner obtained two consecutive measurements of GCIPL thickness using SD-OCT. Coefficients of repeatability were calculated for the average, minimum, and sectoral (superotemporal, superior, superonasal, inferonasal, inferior, and inferotemporal) thicknesses. Next, the measurement center was manually shifted from the foveal center. Three measurement centers were horizontally placed at 59-μm intervals from the foveal center, and two further centers were placed 176 μm apart. Also, three measurement centers were vertically placed at 47-μm intervals from the foveal center, and two further centers were placed 142 μm apart. The thickness of GCIPL was measured again at each shift point, and the changes of thickness before and after movement were analyzed. RESULTS When the measurement centers were shifted to positions 59 μm horizontally or 47 μm vertically from the fovea, no significant changes in GCIPL thicknesses were evident. However, upon more pronounced shifting, the average GCIPL thickness of the direction of the shift region was significantly lower than baseline, whereas the GCIPL of the diametrically opposite sector was thicker than baseline. CONCLUSIONS The impact of changes associated with shifting of the measurement center should be taken into consideration when measuring GCIPL thickness in patients with retinal diseases, glaucoma, or neuro-ophthalmological conditions.
Global analysis of H3K4me3/H3K27me3 in Brachypodium distachyon reveals VRN3 as critical epigenetic regulation point in vernalization and provides insights into epigenetic memory.

Vernalization, the requirement of plants for long-term exposure to low environmental temperature for flowering, is an epigenetic phenomenon. Histone modification regulation has been revealed in vernalization, but is limited to key genes. Now, we know that VRN1 is epigenetically critical for monocots. Genome-wide analysis is still unavailable, however. We performed chromatin immunoprecipitation-sequencing for H3K4me3/H3K27me3 in Brachypodium distachyon to obtain a global view of histone modifications in vernalization on a genome-wide scale and for different pathways/genes. Our data showed that H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 play distinct roles in vernalization. Unlike H3K4me3, H3K27me3 exhibited regional regulation, showed main regulation targets in vernalization and contributed to epigenetic memory. For genes in four flowering regulation pathways, only FT2 (functional ortholog of VRN3 in B. distachyon) and VRN1 showed coordinated changes in H3K4me3/H3K27me3. The epigenetic response at VRN3 was weaker under short-day than under long-day conditions. VRN3 was revealed as an epigenetic regulation point integrating vernalization and day length signals. We globally identified genes maintaining vernalization-induced epigenetic changes. Most of these genes showed dose-dependent vernalization responses, revealing a quantitative 'recording system' for vernalization. Our studies shed light on the epigenetic role of VRN3 and H3K4me3/H3K27me3 in vernalization and reveal genes underlying epigenetic memory, laying the foundation for further study.
Suppressive Effect of Quercetin on Nitric Oxide Production from Nasal Epithelial Cells In Vitro

Nitric oxide (NO) is known to play pivotal roles as one of the final effector molecules in the development of allergic diseases, including allergic rhinitis (AR). Although quercetin has been reported to attenuate the clinical conditions of AR, its influence on NO production is not well defined. The present study aimed to examine the influence of quercetin on in vitro NO production from nasal epithelial cells after interleukin- (IL-) 4 stimulation. Human nasal epithelial cells (HNEpCs) at a concentration of 1 x 105 cells/ml were stimulated with 10.0 ng/ml of IL-4 in the presence and absence of quercetin. After 48 hours, the culture supernatants were collected and assayed for NO (NO2 and NO3) using the Griess method. The influences of quercetin on the transcription factor, STAT6, activation, and iNOS mRNA expression were also examined using ELISA and real-time quantitative RT-PCR, respectively. Addition of quercetin to cell cultures caused suppression of NO production from HNEpCs after IL-4 stimulation. The minimum concentration of quercetin that caused significant suppression was 1.0 nM. Treatment of cells with quercetin at more than 1.0 nM suppressed STAT6 activation and iNOS mRNA expression induced by IL-4 stimulation. The present results strongly suggested that quercetin favorably modified the clinical condition of AR through the suppression of NO production from nasal epithelial cells after IL-4 stimulation.
Collagen Type VI Alpha 3 Chain Promotes Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Bladder Cancer Cells via Transforming Growth Factor β (TGF-β)/Smad Pathway

Background Collagen type VI alpha 3 chain (COL6A3) has been proven to be a biomarker in the occurrence and development of bladder cancer, which is the most common malignant tumor in the urinary system. This study aimed to explore the effect and molecular mechanism of COL6A3 on EMT in vitro induced by TGF-β/Smad in bladder carcinoma. Material/Methods There were 42 patients included in the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. A cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and an angiogenesis assay were used to measure cell proliferation and tube formation, respectively. Western blot analysis and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were conducted for the proteins and mRNAs expression. Results COL6A3 was highly expressed in tissues and cells of bladder cancer. COL6A3 silencing could inhibit the cell proliferation and angiopoiesis. In addition, COL6A3 silencing obviously suppressed the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2), Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9), and vimentin. On the contrary, the levels of epithelium-specific cell-cell adhesion molecule (E-cadherin) and tumor inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) were significantly increased. Furthermore, we found that COL6A3 silencing reduced the activity of p-Smad2, p-Smad3, and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β). Conclusions COL6A3 could influence the viability and angiogenesis of bladder cancer cells. COL6A3 may have a certain relationship with the TGF-β/Smad-induced EMT process.
Intestinal cell migration damage induced by enteropathogenic Escherichia coli strains

Epithelial cell migration is an essential response to enteric pathogens such as enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC). This study aimed to investigate the effects of EPEC infection on intestinal epithelial cell migration in vitro, as well as the involvement of type III secretion system (T3SS) and Rho GTPases. Crypt intestinal epithelial cells (IEC-6) were infected with EPEC strains (E2348/69, ΔescF, and the LDI001 strain isolated from a malnourished Brazilian child) and commensal E. coli HS. Wound migration and cell death assays were performed at different time-points. Transcription and expression of Rho GTPases were evaluated using real-time PCR and western blotting. Overall, EPEC E2348/69 reduced migration and increased apoptosis and necrosis levels compared to EPEC LDI001 and E. coli HS strains. Moreover, EPEC LDI001 impaired cell migration at a higher level than E. coli HS and increased necrosis after 24 hours compared to the control group. The different profiles of virulence genes between the two wild-type EPEC strains, characterized by the absence of espL and nleE genes in the LDI001, might explain the phenotypic results, playing significant roles on cell migration impairment and cell death-related events. Moreover, the type III secretion system is determinant for the inhibition of intestinal epithelial cell migration by EPEC 2348/69, as its deletion prevented the effect. Active Rac1 concentrations were increased in E2348/69 and LDI001-infected cells, while the T3SS-deficient strain did not demonstrate this activation. This study contributes with valuable insight to characterize the mechanisms involved in the impairment of intestinal cell migration induced by EPEC.
Prioritisation in digital forensics: a case study of Abu Dhabi Police

The main goal of this research is to investigate prioritization process in digital forensics departments in law enforcement organizations. This research is motivated by the fact that case prioritisation plays crucial role to achieve efficient operations in digital forensics departments. Recent years have witnessed the widespread use of digital devices in every aspect of human life, around the globe. One of these aspects is crime. These devices have became an essential part of every investigation in almost all cases handled by police. The reason behind their importance lies in their ability to store huge amounts of data that can be utilized by investigators to solve cases under consideration. Thus, involving Digital Forensics departments, though often over-burdened and under-resourced, is becoming a compulsory to achieve successful investigations. Increasing the effectiveness of these departments requires improving their processes including case prioritisation. Existing literature focuses on prioritisation process within the context of crime scene triage. The main research problem in literature is prioritising existing digital devices found in crime scene in a way that leads to successful digital forensics. On the other hand, the research problem in this thesis focuses on prioritisation of cases rather than digital devices belonging to a specific case. Normally, Digital Forensics cases are prioritised based on several factors where influence of officers handling the case play one of the most important roles. Therefore, this research investigates how perception of different individuals in law enforcement organization may affect case prioritisation for the Digital Forensics department. To address this prioritisation problem, the research proposes the use of maturity models and machine learning. A questionnaire was developed and distributed among officers in Abu Dhabi Police. The main goal of this questionnaire is to measure perception regarding digital forensics among employees in Abu Dhabi police. Response of the subjects were divided into two sets. The first set represents responses of subjects who are experts in DF; while the other set includes the remaining subjects. Responses in the first set were averaged to produce a benchmark of the optimal questionnaire answers. Then, a reliability measure is proposed to summarize each subject’s perception. Data obtained from the reliability measurement were used in machine learning models, so that the process is automated. Results of data analysis confirmed the severity of problem where the proposed prioritisation process can be a very effective solution as seen in the results provided in this thesis.
Hepatitis B reactivation in patients receiving direct-acting antiviral therapy or interferon-based therapy for hepatitis C: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM To assess the incidence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation in patients receiving direct-acting antiviral agent (DAA)-based therapy or interferon (IFN)-based therapy for hepatitis C and the effectiveness of preemptive anti-HBV therapy for preventing HBV reactivation. METHODS The PubMed, MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched, and 39 studies that reported HBV reactivation in HBV/hepatitis C virus coinfected patients receiving DAA-based therapy or IFN-based therapy were included. The primary outcome was the rate of HBV reactivation. The secondary outcomes included HBV reactivation-related hepatitis and the effectiveness of preemptive anti-HBV treatment with nucleos(t)ide analogues. The pooled effects were assessed using a random effects model. RESULTS The rate of HBV reactivation was 21.1% in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive patients receiving DAA-based therapy and 11.9% in those receiving IFN-based therapy. The incidence of hepatitis was lower in HBsAg-positive patients with undetectable HBV DNA compared to patients with detectable HBV DNA receiving DAA therapy (RR = 0.20, 95%CI: 0.06-0.64, P = 0.007). The pooled HBV reactivation rate in patients with previous HBV infection was 0.6% for those receiving DAA-based therapy and 0 for those receiving IFN-based therapy, and none of the patients experienced a hepatitis flare related to HBV reactivation. Preemptive anti-HBV treatment significantly reduced the potential risk of HBV reactivation in HBsAg-positive patients undergoing DAA-based therapy (RR = 0.31, 95%CI: 0.1-0.96, P = 0.042). CONCLUSION The rate of HBV reactivation and hepatitis flare occurrence is higher in HBsAg-positive patients receiving DAA-based therapy than in those receiving IFN-based therapy, but these events occur less frequently in patients with previous HBV infection. Preemptive anti-HBV treatment is effective in preventing HBV reactivation.
Interaction of Lamb Wave Modes with Weak Material Nonlinearity: Generation of Symmetric Zero-Frequency Mode

The symmetric zero-frequency mode induced by weak material nonlinearity during Lamb wave propagation is explored for the first time. We theoretically confirm that, unlike the second harmonic, phase-velocity matching is not required to generate the zero-frequency mode and its signal is stronger than those of the nonlinear harmonics conventionally used, for example, the second harmonic. Experimental and numerical verifications of this theoretical analysis are conducted for the primary S0 mode wave propagating in an aluminum plate. The existence of a symmetric zero-frequency mode is of great significance, probably triggering a revolutionary progress in the field of non-destructive evaluation and structural health monitoring of the early-stage material nonlinearity based on the ultrasonic Lamb waves.
Learning Collaborative Generation Correction Modules for Blind Image Deblurring and Beyond

Blind image deblurring plays a very important role in many vision and multimedia applications. Most existing works tend to introduce complex priors to estimate the sharp image structures for blur kernel estimation. However, it has been verified that directly optimizing these models is challenging and easy to fall into degenerate solutions. Although several experience-based heuristic inference strategies, including trained networks and designed iterations, have been developed, it is still hard to obtain theoretically guaranteed accurate solutions. In this work, a collaborative learning framework is established to address the above issues. Specifically, we first design two modules, named Generator and Corrector, to extract the intrinsic image structures from the data-driven and knowledge-based perspectives, respectively. By introducing a collaborative methodology to cascade these modules, we can strictly prove the convergence of our image propagations to a deblurring-related optimal solution. As a nontrivial byproduct, we also apply the proposed method to address other related tasks, such as image interpolation and edge-preserved smoothing. Plenty of experiments demonstrate that our method can outperform the state-of-the-art approaches on both synthetic and real datasets.
Neuroprotection in Optic Neuropathy

Abstract: Almost all optic neuropathies are untreatable, motivating the search for new therapies that address the final common pathway of optic nerve disease, retinal ganglion cell loss. These neuroprotective strategies have been primarily studied in glaucoma, the most common optic neuropathy, but increasing also tested at the laboratory and animal model level in nonglaucomatous optic neuropathies. More recently, several clinical trials, most of which are randomized, have begun to examine whether neuroprotection is efficacious in human optic nerve disease. Many of these trials are reviewed, along with the critical issues in the major areas of optic neuropathy, particularly the site of injury, the mechanism of axonal damage, and disease‐specific features relevant to neuroprotection studies.