Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploring palatal and dental shape variation with 3D shape analysis and geometric deep learning.

Palatal shape varies significantly among individuals and is related to a wide range of factors of interest to orthodontists including breathing pattern1 and occlusion2 . Moreover, there is evidence that palatal shape is related to facial pattern3,4 . Clinically, the objective evaluation of palate shape has the potential to aid in the evaluation and outcome prediction for orthodontic/dentofacial orthopedic procedures such as maxillary expansion and those involving tooth extractions5-8 .
Balancing Benefits and Risks of Long-Term Antiplatelet Therapy in Noncardioembolic Transient Ischemic Attack or Stroke

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Background and Purpose: Lifelong treatment with antiplatelet drugs is recommended following a transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke. Bleeding complications may offset the benefit of antiplatelet drugs in patients at increased risk of bleeding and low risk of recurrent ischemic events. We aimed to investigate the net benefit of antiplatelet treatment according to an individuals’ bleeding risk. Methods: We pooled individual patient data from 6 randomized clinical trials (CAPRIE [Clopidogrel Versus Aspirin in Patients at Risk of Ischemic Events], ESPS-2 [European Stroke Prevention Study-2], MATCH [Management of Atherothrombosis With Clopidogrel in High-Risk Patients], CHARISMA [Clopidogrel for High Atherothrombotic Risk and Ischemic Stabilization, Management, and Avoidance], ESPRIT [European/Australasian Stroke Prevention in Reversible Ischemia Trial], and PRoFESS [Prevention Regimen for Effectively Avoiding Second Strokes]) investigating antiplatelet therapy in the subacute or chronic phase after noncardioembolic transient ischemic attack or stroke. Patients were stratified into quintiles according to their predicted risk of major bleeding with the S2TOP-BLEED score. The annual risk of major bleeding and recurrent ischemic events was assessed per quintile for 4 scenarios: (1) aspirin monotherapy, (2) aspirin-clopidogrel versus aspirin or clopidogrel monotherapy, (3) aspirin-dipyridamole versus clopidogrel, and (4) aspirin versus clopidogrel. Net benefit was calculated for the second, third, and fourth scenario. Results: Thirty seven thousand eighty-seven patients were included in the analyses. Both risk of major bleeding and recurrent ischemic events increased over quintiles of predicted bleeding risk, but risk of ischemic events was consistently higher (eg, from 0.7%/y (bottom quintile) to 3.2%/y (top quintile) for major bleeding on aspirin and from 2.5%/y to 10.2%/y for risk of ischemic events on aspirin). Treatment with aspirin-clopidogrel led to more major bleedings (0.9%–1.7% per year), than reduction in ischemic events (ranging from 0.4% to 0.9/1.0% per year) across all quintiles. There was no clear preference for either aspirin-dipyridamole or clopidogrel according to baseline bleeding risk. Conclusions: Among patients with a transient ischemic attack or ischemic stroke included in clinical trials of antiplatelet therapy, the risk of recurrent ischemic events and of major bleeding increase in parallel. Antiplatelet treatment cannot be individualized solely based on bleeding risk assessment.
Individual and community factors associated with unintended pregnancies among women of advanced reproductive age in Nigeria

ABSTRACT Studies have examined individual and community level factors associated with unintended pregnancies. However, existing studies tends to focus the general population of reproductive age women without isolating women of advanced reproductive age (women at the age range of 35–49 years) for specific research attention. There is need for specific attention on this group of women because pregnancies among them whether intended or unintended elevate obstetric risks for both mother and child. This study examines associated individual and community factors of unintended pregnancies among women of advanced reproductive age in Nigeria. Data were extracted from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. A weighted sample of 12,509 women was analyzed. Three multilevel logistic regression models were estimated. The study revealed a 10.3% prevalence of unintended pregnancies. Individual characteristics such as maternal age, number of living children, delayed marriage, and community characteristics such as high community poverty and high community unmet contraceptive need were significantly associated with unintended pregnancies. Variations in unintended pregnancies across the communities were more attributable to individual factors. Interventions should develop specific strategies tailored toward women of advanced reproductive age.
The serum CK17 and CK19 expressions in cervical cancer patients and their prognostic value.

OBJECTIVE This study was designed to quantify the serum CK17 and CK19 expressions in cervical cancer (CC) patients and determine their predictive value. METHODS A total of 124 CC patients admitted to Zhejiang North Medical Center (Huzhou Central Hospital) between November 2014 and November 2017 were recruited for the study and placed in a research group (the Res group), and 99 healthy individuals during the same period were also recruited for the study and placed in a control group (the Con group). Their serum CK17 and CK19 expressions were quantified, and the diagnostic significance of the two for CC was analyzed. Additionally, the patients were followed up for three years. The patients were then assigned to favorable and unfavorable prognosis groups, and then the predictive significance of CK17 and CK19 for such patients was evaluated. RESULTS The Res group presented significantly higher serum CK17 and CK19 expression levels than the Con group, and the two factors were positively associated. Additionally, neither of the AUCs for serum CK17 and CK19 in identifying CC were less than 0.800, and the AUC of the combination of the two in identifying it was not smaller than 0.900. The AUC of the combination of serum CK17 and CK19 in identifying unfavorable CC prognoses was approximate 0.850, and high expression levels CK17 and CK19 were closely related with low three-year overall survival rates. CONCLUSION Serum CK17 combined with serum CK19 is of great diagnostic and predictive significance for CC.
Effects of mindfulness decompression therapy combined with transcranial magnetic stimulation in generalized anxiety disorder.

OBJECTIVE To explore the clinical effects of mindfulness decompression therapy combined with transcranial magnetic stimulation in generalized anxiety disorder. METHODS In the present prospective study, ninety-two patients with generalized anxiety disorder were randomly divided into two groups, with 46 cases in each group. On the basis of drug treatment, patients in the control group received transcranial magnetic stimulation, and patients in the research group were treated with mindfulness decompression therapy combined with transcranial magnetic stimulation. The total effective rate, anxiety degree (evaluated by the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) score), severity of condition (evaluated by the clinical global impression (CGI) score), comfort degree score (Psychology, physiology, environment, social culture), neuroelectrophysiological parameters and sleep quality (Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) factors) before and after treatment were compared between the two groups. RESULTS After treatment, the research group had higher total effective rate than that of the control group (P<0.05); the HAMA score and CGI score of two groups were both decreased, and the research group decreased much more than the control group (P<0.05); mismatch negativity (MMN) latency, target N2 latency and target P3 latency of two groups were all decreased, MMN amplitude and none-target P2 amplitude were both increased, and the research group improved much more than the control group (P<0.05); the scores of social comfort, environmental comfort, physiological comfort and psychological comfort of two groups were all increased, and the corresponding scores of the research group were all higher than those of the control group (P<0.05); PSQI scores of two groups were all decreased, and the research group had lower PSQI scores than the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Mindfulness decompression therapy combined with transcranial magnetic stimulation effectively relieve anxiety symptoms and improve comfort degree and sleep quality in patients with generalized anxiety disorder.
Essential oils as natural antimicrobials applied in meat and meat products—a review

Abstract Meat and meat products are highly susceptible to the growth of micro-organism and foodborne pathogens that leads to severe economic loss and health hazards. High consumption and a considerable waste of meat and meat products result in the demand for safe and efficient preservation methods. Instead of synthetic additives, the use of natural preservative materials represents an interest. Essential oils (EOs), as the all-natural and green-label trend attributing to remarkable biological potency, have been adopted for controlling the safety and quality of meat products. Some EOs, such as thyme, cinnamon, rosemary, and garlic, showed a strong antimicrobial activity individually and in combination. To eliminate or reduce the organoleptic defects of EOs in practical application, EOs encapsulation in wall materials can improve the stability and antimicrobial ability of EOs in meat products. In this review, meat deteriorations, antimicrobial capacity (components, effectiveness, and interactions), and mechanisms of EOs are reviewed, as well as the demonstration of using encapsulation for masking intense aroma and conducting control release is presented. The use of EOs individually or in combination and encapsulated applications of EOs in meat and meat products are also discussed.
An analysis of the 28-day mortality risk factors in acute respiratory distress syndrome patients and the establishment of prediction models.

OBJECTIVE To explore the risk factors and prediction models of 28-day mortality in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients. METHODS A total of 215 ARDS patients treated in our hospital were enrolled in this prospective observational study, including 70 patients who died within 28 days and were placed in the death group, and the remaining 145 patients who survived and were placed in the survival group. The laboratory examination indexes and critical scoring system scores were compared between the two groups. A Cox regression analysis was used to analyze the factors associated with 28-day mortality, and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the performance of the prediction models. RESULTS The ROC curve analysis showed that the erythrocyte distribution width (RDW), the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), the procalcitonin to albumin ratio (PAR), and the Murray lung injury score (MLIS) were effective at diagnosing the 28-day mortality, each with an area under the curve (AUC) of >0.5 (P<0.001). A multivariate Cox analysis showed that the RDW, NLR, PAR, and MLIS were independent predictors of 28-day mortality. The results of the multi-index joint prediction showed that the AUC of RDW+NLR+PAR+MLIS was 0.945 (95% CI: 0.910-0.979), and the sensitivity was as high as 94.25%. CONCLUSION NLR, PAR, RDW, and MLIS are independent predictors of 28-day mortality, and their combined prediction can significantly improve the predictive ability of the 28-day mortality in ARDS patients.
On the move: sloths and their epibionts as model mobile ecosystems

Sloths are unusual mobile ecosystems, containing a high diversity of epibionts living and growing in their fur as they climb slowly through the canopies of tropical forests. These epibionts include poorly studied algae, arthropods, fungi, and bacteria, making sloths likely reservoirs of unexplored biodiversity. This review aims to identify gaps and eliminate misconceptions in our knowledge of sloths and their epibionts, and to identify key questions to stimulate future research into the functions and roles of sloths within a broader ecological and evolutionary context. This review also seeks to position the sloth fur ecosystem as a model for addressing fundamental questions in metacommunity and movement ecology. The conceptual and evidence‐based foundation of this review aims to serve as a guide for future hypothesis‐driven research into sloths, their microbiota, sloth health and conservation, and the coevolution of symbioses in general.
Synthesis and Photochromic Properties of Unsymmetry Diarylethene1-[2-methyl-5- (4-n-amyl-phenyl)-3-thienyl]-2-[2-methyl-1-phenyl] Perfluorocyclopentene

An unsymmetrical photochromic diarylethene, 1-[2methyl-5-(4-n-amyl-phenyl)-3-thienyl]-2-[2-methyl-1-phenyl] perfluorocyclopentene (1o), has been synthesized. Its photochromic properties were examined. The results showed that this compound exhibited reversible photochromism and undergo reversible cyclization and cycloreversion reactions upon alternating irradiation with UV and visible light in solution. Keywords-diarylethene; photochromism; fluorescence
Critical transitions and ecological resilience of large marine ecosystems in the Northwestern Pacific in response to global warming

Natural systems can undergo critical transitions, leading to substantial socioeconomic and ecological outcomes. “Ecological resilience” has been proposed to describe the capacity of natural systems to absorb external perturbation and reorganize while undergoing change so as to still retain essentially the same function, structure, identity, and feedbacks. However, the mere application of ecological resilience in theoretical research and the lack of quantitative approaches present considerable obstacles for predicting critical transitions and understanding their mechanisms. Large marine ecosystems (LMEs) in the Northwestern Pacific are characterized by great biodiversity and productivity, as well as remarkable warming in recent decades. However, no information is available on the critical transitions and ecological resilience of LMEs in response to warming. Therefore, we applied an integrated resilience assessment framework to fisheries catch data from seven LMEs covering a wide range of regions, from tropical to subarctic, in the Northwestern Pacific to identify critical transitions, assess ecological resilience, and reconstruct folded stability landscapes, with a specific focus on the effects of warming. The results provide evidence of the occurrence of critical transitions, with fold bifurcation and hysteresis in response to increasing sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the seven LMEs. In addition, these LMEs show similarities and synchronies in structure variations and critical transitions forced by warming. Both dramatic increases in SST and small fluctuations at the corresponding thresholds may trigger critical transitions. Ecological resilience decreases when approaching the tipping points and is repainted as the LMEs shift to alternative stable states with different resilient dynamics. Folded stability landscapes indicate that the responses of LMEs to warming are discontinuous, which may be caused by the reorganization of LMEs as their sensitivity to warming changes. Our study clarifies the nonlinear responses of LMEs to anthropogenic warming and provides examples of quantifying ecological resilience in empirical systems at unprecedented spatial and temporal scales.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of effect of vitamin D levels on the incidence of COVID-19

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease primarily affecting the respiratory tract, however due to the nature of the pathogenesis it is able to affect the whole body. So far, no causative treatment has been found and the main strategy when dealing with COVID-19 relies on widespread vaccination programs and symptomatic treatment. Vitamin D due to its ability to modulate the immunological system has been proposed as a factor playing role in the organism response to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Therefore, we decided to perform this meta-analysis which aimed to establish a connection between vitamin D status and COVID-19 infection. Methods Study was designed as a systematic review and meta-analysis. PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Collaboration Databases and Scopus electronic databases were searched for relevant studies from database inception to May 10th, 2021. Mean differences (MDs) with their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Results Thirteen studies providing data for 14,485 participants met the inclusion criteria. Mean vitamin D levels in SARS-CoV-2 negative patients was 17.7 ± 6.9 ng/mL compared to SARS-CoV-2 positive patients 14.1 ± 8.2 ng/mL (MD = 3.93; 95% CI 2.84–5.02; I2 = 99%; p < 0.001). Conclusions Low serum vitamin D levels are statistically significantly associated with the risk of COVID-19 infection. Supplementation of vitamin D especially in the deficiency risk groups is indicated.
Mast cell tryptase enhances wound healing by promoting migration in human bronchial epithelial cells

ABSTRACT Epithelial damage and increase of intraepithelial mast cells (MC) are characteristics of asthma. The role of MC mediator tryptase and the protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR2) on epithelial wound healing is not fully investigated. Stimulation of bronchial epithelial cells (BECs) with tryptase promoted gap closure, migration and cellular speed compared to controls. Stimulated BECs had higher expression of migration marker CD151 compared to controls. Proliferation marker KI67 was upregulated in tryptase-stimulated BECs compared to controls. Treatment with PAR2 antagonist I-191 reduced gap closure, migration and cell speed compared to BECs stimulated with tryptase. We found that tryptase enhances epithelial wound healing by increased migration and proliferation, which is in part regulated via PAR2. Our data suggest that tryptase might be beneficial in tissue repair under baseline conditions. However, in a pathological context such as asthma with increased numbers of activated MCs, it might lead to epithelial remodeling and loss of function.
Electrodeposition of Bi2Te3 and Bi2Te3 Derived Alloy Nanotube Arrays

Stoichiometric Bi2Te3 and its derived alloy nanotube arrays such as n-type Bi2Te3−ySey and p-type Bi2−xSbxTe3 were successfully electrodeposited into the nanochannel of anodic alumina oxide (AAO) by a potentiostatic or galvanostatic method at room temperature. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy were employed to characterize the nanotube arrays. The outer diameter of the nanotubes ranges from 200 to 220 nm, and the wall thickness is about from 40 to 70 nm. The possible formation mechanism of the nanotube arrays was discussed, and several significant factors, such as the AAO nanochannel diameter, the thickness of Au layer, and the rate of reaction, were also studied.
Etomidate ameliorated advanced glycation end-products (AGEs)-induced reduction of extracellular matrix genes expression in chondrocytes

ABSTRACT Osteoarthritis (OA) is a rheumatic disease common in the elderly. AGEs are the end products of glycation reactions and play an important role in the development of OA. Etomidate is a general anesthesia-inducing agent recently reported to exert significant anti-inflammatory effects. The present study aims to explore the protective effect of Etomidate against advanced glycation end-products (AGEs)-induced reduction of extracellular matrix gene expression in chondrocytes. In the present study, we found that AGEs significantly reduced the expression of Collagen II (COL2A1) and Aggrecan (ACAN) at the gene level. Furthermore, AGEs inhibited the expression of SRY-related high mobility group-box gene 9 (SOX-9), promoting the expression of COL2A1 and ACAN. COL2A1, ACAN, and SOX-9 in chondrocytes were significantly elevated by treatment with Etomidate alone. Consistently, Etomidate ameliorated AGEs-induced downregulation of COL2A1, ACAN, and SOX-9 in a dose-dependent manner. Importantly, we found that knockdown of SOX-9 eliminated the beneficial effects of Etomidate against AGEs-induced decrease in COL2A1 and ACAN genes. Based on these findings, we demonstrated that Etomidate could ameliorate AGEs-induced reduction of extracellular matrix gene expression in chondrocytes by upregulating SOX-9. Graphical abstract
“Core” RxLR effectors in phytopathogenic oomycetes: A promising way to breeding for durable resistance in plants?

ABSTRACT Phytopathogenic oomycetes are known to successfully infect their hosts due to their ability to secrete effector proteins. Of interest to many researchers are effectors with the N-terminal RxLR motif (Arginine-any amino acid-Leucine-Arginine). Owing to advances in genome sequencing, we can now comprehend the high level of diversity among oomycete effectors, and similarly, their conservation within and among species referred to here as “core” RxLR effectors (CREs). Currently, there is a considerable number of CREs that have been identified in oomycetes. Functional characterization of these CREs propose their virulence role with the potential of targeting central cellular processes that are conserved across diverse plant species. We reason that effectors that are highly conserved and recognized by the host, could be harnessed in engineering plants for durable as well as broad-spectrum resistance.
Séparation et pré-concentration du Pb(II) et du Cu(II) par la technique de membrane liquide émulsionnée (MLE)

Theexperimentsofextractionandpre concentrationofthePb(II)andCu(II)ionsbythequaternaryamineextractant(Aliquat336)werecarried out. Thechemicalprocessusedisthetechniqueofemulsionliquidmembrane (ELM). Then,thereagentsofdispersionandemulsion usedarethenon-ionicsurfactantssuch as:Twen20andTritonX100. Theoptimizationoftheprocessrevealedthekinetics studyofmetalions extraction,each onetakenseparately.Theselectivitywas madestarting fromtheirsyntheticmixture. Someexperimentalparametersallowedtheevaluationoftheextraction yield ofthese metal ions.From wherePb(II)andCu(II)arepre-concentrated at of 92%and82% respectively,in the presence of TOPO as cocarrier.Thethermodynamic quantities showedtheexothermiccharacteroftheextractionofmetalionsby ELM.Thecorrelationoftheexperimentaldataofmetal extractionshowedthatthedeterminingstage of theextraction speedofCu(II)isgovernedbydiffusion-film.Whilethechemical reaction between Pb(II)andAliquat336 has controlledthe extraction speed.Themodelingofthetechniqueof ELM extraction,bytheexperimental designsmade it possibleto establishapolynomialmodelwhichdescribesourresults,inanexactandlinearwayintheintervalsofthefactors.