Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prognostic Value of Different Versions of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease Score in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

The model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score, which can reflect liver and renal function, is associated with poor prognosis. However, the prognostic performance of the modified MELD score in patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has not been fully evaluated and compared. This study retrospectively enrolled 5324 patients. During a median follow-up of 2.85 years, 412 patients died. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves at 3 years indicated that the MELD including albumin (MELD-Albumin) score had the highest prognostic performance (AUC = .721) than the MELD score (AUC = .630), the MELD excluding the international normalized ratio (MELD-XI) score (AUC = .606), and the MELD including sodium (MELD-Na) score (AUC = .656) (all P < .001). The MELD-Albumin score, the MELD score, and the MELD-Na score were independent predictors of long-term mortality; however, the MELD-XI score was not when treated as a categorical variable (P = .254). Adding the MELD-Albumin score to the model of clinical risk factors could improve the prognostic performance. For the subgroup analysis, the association between the MELD-Albumin score and long-term mortality was more pronounced in patients ≤75 years (interaction P value = .005). The MELD-Albumin score showed the strongest prognostic performance than the other versions of the MELD score in patients undergoing elective PCI.
Bidirectional relationships of comorbidity with obstructive sleep apnoea

Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is frequently associated with comorbidities that include metabolic, cardiovascular, renal, pulmonary and neuropsychiatric. There is considerable evidence that OSA is an independent risk factor for many of these comorbidities but, more recently, there is evidence that some of these comorbidities may predispose to the development of OSA. Thus, there is growing evidence of a bidirectional relationship between OSA and comorbidity, especially for heart failure, metabolic syndrome and stroke. Potential mechanisms of bidirectional relationships differ in individual comorbidities with fluid retention and redistribution being especially important in heart failure and end-stage renal disease, whereas neural mechanisms may be more important in diabetes mellitus and stroke. The evidence for other comorbidities, such as hypertension and atrial fibrillation, support these being more a consequence of OSA with limited evidence to support a bidirectional relationship. The present review explores the evidence for such bidirectional relationships with a particular perspective on comorbidities that may predispose to OSA. The impact of therapy in bidirectional relationships is also reviewed, which highlights the clinical importance of accurate diagnosis. This aspect is especially true of COPD, where the identification of co-existing OSA has important implications for optimum therapy. Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is an independent risk factor for comorbidity, especially cardiometabolic. However, some comorbidities may be risk factors for OSA, supporting a bidirectional relationship that may have important implications for treatment. https://bit.ly/3BbJy6V
ARE FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATES PREDICTABLE? A SURVEY FROM ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS PERSPECTIVE *

This study presents a survey on the applications of artificial neural networks (ANNs) in foreign exchange rates forecasting. With their ability to discover patterns in nonlinear systems, ANNs have been widely used as a promising alternative approach to predict foreign exchange rates. In this paper, the predictability of foreign exchange rates is first investigated from neural networks perspective. We examine 45 journal articles about exchange rates prediction with ANNs between 1971 and 2004 in detail, and compare the performances of ANNs and those of other forecasting methods, finding mixed results. Subsequently, the main reasons leading to the inconsistent results are explored by literature analysis and inference. Meanwhile the study summarizes the general situations in which foreign exchange rates are predictable with ANNs in view of previous literature analysis. Finally, some implications and interesting research topics are presented as future research directions in foreign exchange rates forecasting with ANNs.
The impact of long-acting muscarinic antagonists on mucus hypersecretion and cough in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a systematic review

Patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) clinically manifest airway mucus hypersecretion as sputum expectoration and cough. Evidence accumulated in the past decade has shown that the cholinergic system not only regulates airway smooth muscle contraction but also the activity of inflammatory and airway epithelial cells, including goblet cells, and submucosal gland activity. Long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMAs) with the most favourable M3/M2 muscarinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors residency properties are not only excellent bronchodilators but potentially also mucus-modifying agents, able to positively impact on mucus hypersecretion and cough. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the impact of LAMAs on mucus hypersecretion and cough in COPD patients. The evidence confirmed that LAMAs, mainly tiotropium and aclidinium, improved sputum production and cough in moderate to severe COPD. Thus, LAMAs not only antagonise the ACh-induced bronchoconstriction of the airways but also appear to limit the production of mucus secreted in response to ACh by airway goblet cells and/or submucosal glands. Further clinical studies are necessary to evaluate the impact of LAMAs exclusively on sputum symptoms and cough as primary end-points and to investigate whether LAMAs have a modulatory action on the rheological properties of mucus. This systematic review provides evidence that LAMAs, mainly tiotropium and aclidinium, have a beneficial impact on mucus hypersecretion and mucociliary clearance, with consequent improvement of sputum production and cough in moderate to severe COPD. https://bit.ly/3wHXZiZ
Evaluation of the In Vitro Antimicrobial Activities of Delphinium roylei: An Insight from Molecular Docking and MD-Simulation Studies.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE The burden of antimicrobial resistance demands a continued search for new antimicrobial drugs. The synthetic drugs which are used clinically have serious side effects. Natural products or compounds derived from natural sources show diversity in structure and play an essential role in drug discovery and development. OBJECTIVE Delphinium roylei is an important medicinal herb of Kashmir Himalaya, India. Traditionally this medicinal plant treats liver infections, skin problems, and chronic lower back pain. The current study evaluates the antimicrobial potential by various in -vitro and in -silico parameters. METHODS Three extracts and 168 bioactive compounds analysed through LC-MS data, with the vast majority of them having therapeutic applications of D. roylei, have been screened for the antimicrobial activity against bacteria (E. coli, M. luteus, K. pneumoniae, Streptococcus pneumonia, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria mucosa) and fungi (Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida Paropsilosis) species through molecular docking using autodock Vina, MD simulation and broth microdilution method for minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) evaluation. RESULTS The extracts, as well as the compounds analyzed through the LC-MS technique of Delphinium roylie showed significant antimicrobial activity. CONCLUSION Our study established that the leaf extracts of Delphinium roylei exhibit antimicrobial activity and thus confirm its importance in traditional medicine.
A systematic comparison of FOSL1, FOSL2 and BATF-mediated transcriptional regulation during early human Th17 differentiation

Abstract Th17 cells are essential for protection against extracellular pathogens, but their aberrant activity can cause autoimmunity. Molecular mechanisms that dictate Th17 cell-differentiation have been extensively studied using mouse models. However, species-specific differences underscore the need to validate these findings in human. Here, we characterized the human-specific roles of three AP-1 transcription factors, FOSL1, FOSL2 and BATF, during early stages of Th17 differentiation. Our results demonstrate that FOSL1 and FOSL2 co-repress Th17 fate-specification, whereas BATF promotes the Th17 lineage. Strikingly, FOSL1 was found to play different roles in human and mouse. Genome-wide binding analysis indicated that FOSL1, FOSL2 and BATF share occupancy over regulatory regions of genes involved in Th17 lineage commitment. These AP-1 factors also share their protein interacting partners, which suggests mechanisms for their functional interplay. Our study further reveals that the genomic binding sites of FOSL1, FOSL2 and BATF harbour hundreds of autoimmune disease-linked SNPs. We show that many of these SNPs alter the ability of these transcription factors to bind DNA. Our findings thus provide critical insights into AP-1-mediated regulation of human Th17-fate and associated pathologies.
Small molecule generation via disentangled representation learning

MOTIVATION Expanding our knowledge of small molecules beyond what is known in nature or designed in wet laboratories promises to significantly advance cheminformatics, drug discovery, biotechnology, and material science. In-silico molecular design remains challenging, primarily due to the complexity of the chemical space and the non-trivial relationship between chemical structures and biological properties. Deep generative models that learn directly from data are intriguing, but they have yet to demonstrate interpretability in the learned representation, so we can learn more about the relationship between the chemical and biological space. In this paper, we advance research on disentangled representation learning for small molecule generation. We build on recent work by us and others on deep graph generative frameworks, which capture atomic interactions via a graph-based representation of a small molecule. The methodological novelty is how we leverage the concept of disentanglement in the graph variational autoencoder framework both to generate biologically-relevant small molecules and to enhance model interpretability. RESULTS Extensive qualitative and quantitative experimental evaluation in comparison with state of the art models demonstrate the superiority of our disentanglement framework. We believe this work is an important step to address key challenges in small molecule generation with deep generative frameworks. AVAILABILITY Training and generated data are made available at https://ieee-dataport.org/documents/dataset-disentangled-representation-learning-interpretable-molecule-generation. All code is made available at https://anonymous.4open. science/r/D-MolVAE-2799/. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Association analysis for SNPs of MSTN and IGFBP-3 genes with body size and other production traits in Liaoning Cashmere Goats

Abstract Liaoning cashmere goat (LCG) have tall bones, high cashmere production and outstanding meat production performance. In recent years, good breeding progress has not been made in terms of body size, meat yield, milk yield and other properties in terms of production. The study focused on the correlation between the SNPs of MSTN and IGFBP-3 genes with the body size performance, cashmere production and milk performance. The MSTN and IGFBP-3 gene sequence alignment and PCR-Seq polymorphism were used to detect the potential SNPs, and the correlation with production performance was analyzed by SPSS and SHEsis software. The results showed that the TT genotype at the T1662G locus of the MSTN gene is dominant and has significant advantages in body measurements such as sacrum height, chest width, and waist height. The C allele at the C4021T locus of IGFBP-3 gene shows an advantage in the body measurement performance. Among the haplotype combinations, H2H2:TGTC is preponderant combination for body size performance, H2H2:TGTC and H1H2:TGCC are preponderant combinations for cashmere production performance, H1H3:GGCC is preponderant combination for milk production performance. It may be a molecular marker for future selection and breeding.
Extruded Cables For High-Voltage Direct-Current Transmission

The only book on the market that provides current, necessary, and comprehensive technical knowledge of extruded cables and high-voltage direct-current transmission This is the first book to fully address the technical aspects of high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) link projects with extruded cables. It covers design and engineering techniques for cable lines, insulation materials, and accessories, as well as cable performance and life span and reliability issues. Beginning with a discussion on the fundamentals of HVDC cable transmission theory, Extruded Cables for High-Voltage Direct-Current Transmission: Advances in Research and Development covers: Both the cable and the accessories (joints and terminations), each of which affects cable line performance The basic designs of HVDC cables—including a comparison of mass insulated non-draining cables with extruded HVDC cables The theoretical elements on which the design of HVDC cables is based—highlighting the differences between HVAC and HVDC cables Space charge-related problems that have a critical impact on extruded insulation for HVDC application Recent advances in extruded compounds for HVDC cables such as additives and nano-fillers The improved design of extruded HVDC cable systems—with emphasis on design aspects relevant to accessories Cable line reliability problems and the impact on cable system design Including more than 200 illustrations, Extruded Cables for High-Voltage Direct-Current Transmission fills a gap in the field, providing power cable engineers with complete, up-to-date guidance on HVDC cable lines with extruded insulation.
Circulating levels and prognostic cut‐offs of sST2, hs‐cTnT, and NT‐proBNP in women vs. men with chronic heart failure

To define plasma concentrations, determinants, and optimal prognostic cut‐offs of soluble suppression of tumorigenesis‐2 (sST2), high‐sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs‐cTnT), and N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) in women and men with chronic heart failure (HF).
Factors Motivating Citizen Engagement in Mobile Sensing: Insights from a Survey of Non-Participants

Abstract Mobile sensing uses features of mobile technology to monitor the environment and if a community participates in such monitoring, there can be community improvements in the quality of life. Despite the numerous potential benefits, the rate of citizen engagement in mobile sensing is generally low. Using the urban sensing project called “2Loud? ,” this study was designed to uncover the reasons for non-participation and to discuss the motivations for intention to participate. A survey was administered to citizens who had been invited to participate but had decided not to participate. Examining the four motivational factors of “Concern,” “Belief,” “Technology,” and “Time” through a series of Kruskal-Wallis H Tests indicated that respondents had a statistically significant favorable attitude toward “Intention to Participate” if they had some concern and belief, and if they had access to technology and available time, compared to those who did not. However, binary logistic regression analysis indicated that only “Time” and “Technology” were significant predictors of “Intention to Participate. ” These findings are discussed in light of social psychology and information technology theories, and recommendations for improved communication and engagement strategies are suggested.
Cross‐sectional associations between cortical thickness and independent gait domains in older adults

Although the prevalence of gait disturbance is increasing with population aging, our understanding of its underlying neural basis is still limited. The precise brain regions linked to specific gait domains have not been well defined. In this study, we aim to investigate the associations of cortical thickness and different gait domains, and to explore whether these associations could be explained by cerebral small vessel disease.
Valuation of mineral properties without mineral resources: A review of market-based approaches

Comparable transaction analysis is the best known of the market approaches to valuation of exploration-stage mineral properties. The analysis of option and farm-in agreements can also provide useful guidance to valuators. While such approaches can be distorted by incomplete analysis, market-based methods are capable of providing consistent, credible results when carried out carefully with due consideration paid to all factors which buyers and sellers consider when dealing in the real market.
SAUR15 interaction with BRI1 activates plasma membrane H+-ATPase to promote organ development of Arabidopsis

Abstract Brassinosteroids (BRs) are an important group of plant steroid hormones that regulate growth and development. Several members of the SMALL AUXIN UP RNA (SAUR) family have roles in BR-regulated hypocotyl elongation and root growth. However, the mechanisms are unclear. Here, we show in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) that SAUR15 interacts with cell surface receptor-like kinase BRASSINOSTEROID-INSENSITIVE 1 (BRI1) in BR-treated plants, resulting in enhanced BRI1 phosphorylation status and recruitment of the co-receptor BRI1-ASSOCIATED RECEPTOR KINASE 1. Genetic and phenotypic assays indicated that the SAUR15 effect on BRI1 can be uncoupled from BRASSINOSTEROID INSENSITIVE 2 activity. Instead, we show that SAUR15 promotes BRI1 direct activation of plasma membrane H+-ATPase (PM H+-ATPase) via phosphorylation. Consequently, SAUR15–BRI1–PM H+-ATPase acts as a direct, PM-based mode of BR signaling that drives cell expansion to promote the growth and development of various organs. These data define an alternate mode of BR signaling in plants.
Nutritional risk screening in a Danish university hospital is insufficient and may underestimate nutritional risk: A cross‐sectional study

Abstract Background Disease‐related‐malnutrition predicts poor clinical outcomes in elderly patients, and screening is pivotal for identifying patients at nutritional risk. The present study aimed to investigate nutrition screening rates in electronic patient records and validate the scores given. A secondary aim was to investigate whether the proportion of patients at risk differed between patients where screening was documented and those where no screening was documented. Methods This cross‐sectional observational study was conducted in a Danish university hospital during November 2020. Patients aged 65 years or more admitted to a medical department were included. The Nutrition Risk Screening 2002 (NRS‐2002) tool was used to identify patients at nutritional risk, both in routine clinical care, where data were collected retrospectively, and during a validation process in a random patient sample, where data were collected prospectively. Results In total, 817 patients were admitted for more than 24 h. Of these, an NRS‐2002 score was documented in 294 (36%), among whom 177 (60%) were at nutritional risk. In 146 patients where no score was documented, 88 (60%) were at risk. Validation was possible in 91 patients where a record‐based score and a validated score were documented. The specificity of the record‐based score was 100%, whereas the sensitivity was 75%, indicating that routine screening underestimated nutritional risk (p < 0.001, proportion difference 19%; 95% confidence interval = 10%–28%). Conclusions Electronic documentation does not solve issues about compliance with nutritional risk screening. In patients where screening was not documented, the occurrence of nutritional risk was similar, indicating that omission of screening is not related to the score.
Plant-inspired TransfOrigami microfluidics

The healthy functioning of the plants’ vasculature depends on their ability to respond to environmental changes. In contrast, synthetic microfluidic systems have rarely demonstrated this environmental responsiveness. Plants respond to environmental stimuli through nastic movement, which inspires us to introduce transformable microfluidics: By embedding stimuli-responsive materials, the microfluidic device can respond to temperature, humidity, and light irradiance. Furthermore, by designing a foldable geometry, these responsive movements can follow the preset origami transformation. We term this device TransfOrigami microfluidics (TOM) to highlight the close connection between its transformation and the origami structure. TOM can be used as an environmentally adaptive photomicroreactor. It senses the environmental stimuli and feeds them back positively into photosynthetic conversion through morphological transformation. The principle behind this morphable microsystem can potentially be extended to applications that require responsiveness between the environment and the devices, such as dynamic artificial vascular networks and shape-adaptive flexible electronics.
The effect of mating market dynamics on partner preference and relationship quality among Himba pastoralists

Relative mate value has long been believed to be a critical component of mate choice in humans. However, most empirical work focuses on preferences rather than actual pair formation, and data connecting partner preferences, partnership formation, and relationship quality remain rare. Here, we estimate mate value using >12,000 ratings by opposite-sex, in-group members to understand both hypothetical partnership preferences and actualized relationship dynamics. When evaluating hypothetical partnerships, people generally prefer individuals whose mate value is higher than their own, indicating an aspirational matching strategy. However, mate value comparisons of individuals in marital and nonmarital relationships show a positive correlation, suggesting that individuals tend to pair up with similarly desirable individuals. Furthermore, despite aspirational preferences, couples who are more closely matched reported greater relationship quality, measured through frequency of interactions, reported sexual histories, and partnership length.