Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Patterns of Psychiatric Outpatient Practice in Taiwan: A Nationwide Survey

(1) Background: Limited studies have utilized nationwide data to assess the patterns of psychiatric practice in other countries. In this study, data from the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan (NHIRD-TW) for 2012 was analyzed to determine the patterns of psychiatric outpatient practice in Taiwan; (2) Methods: To determine the patterns of psychiatric outpatient practice in Taiwan, the data were drawn from the datasets of Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database for 2012, with 619,760 records of outpatient visits representing 1/500 of all the claims in Taiwan for that year. The analysis of psychiatric outpatient visits included patient demographics, diagnoses, and prescribed medications; (3) Results: Neurotic disorders were the most prevalent diagnoses (43.1%, n = 5714). Hypnotics-sedatives and anxiolytics were prescribed in 51.7% (n = 6850) and 39.1% (n = 5181) of psychiatric visits, respectively, with zolpidem being the most commonly prescribed drug (22.6%, n = 2998); and (4) Conclusion: Hypnotics and sedatives were widely prescribed for the outpatient population, and zolpidem had the highest annual prevalence of use. These findings deserve the attention of clinicians and policy makers for monitoring the abuse and dependence of these agents and subsequent adverse events.
Treatment of incidental adnexal masses at cesarean section: a retrospective study

In this study, we evaluated the management of incidental adnexal masses observed at the time of cesarean section in our clinic during January 1992 to January 2005. The number of total live births was 35,153 and 8330 of them were by cesarean section (23.69%). There were 68 cases of incidental adnexal masses greater than 5 cm (68/8330, 0.8%). All of the masses were removed at cesarean section. The pathologic diagnosis of the masses were as follows: benign—benign cystic teratoma 20 (29.4%), simple serous cyst 8 (11.8%), simple mucinous 9 (13.2%), endometrioma 3 (4.4%), cystadenoma 14 (20.6%), and paraovarian–paratubal cyst 13 (19.1%) and malignant—struma ovarii 1 (1.5%). Cystectomy procedure during cesarean section did not alter the morbidity of the operation. So, we recommend resection of such incidental adnexal masses at cesarean section to avoid possible surgical procedures in future for the patient, although there is controversial data in literature
Fluid-Structure Interaction in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: Effect of Modeling Techniques

In this work, the impact of modeling techniques on predicting the mechanical behaviors of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is systematically investigated. The fluid-structure interaction (FSI) model for simultaneously capturing the transient interaction between blood flow dynamics and wall mechanics was compared with its simplified techniques, that is, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) or computational solid stress (CSS) model. Results demonstrated that CFD exhibited relatively smaller vortexes and tends to overestimate the fluid wall shear stress, compared to FSI. On the contrary, the minimal differences in wall stresses and deformation were observed between FSI and CSS models. Furthermore, it was found that the accuracy of CSS prediction depends on the applied pressure profile for the aneurysm sac. A large pressure drop across AAA usually led to the underestimation of wall stresses and thus the AAA rupture. Moreover, the assumed isotropic AAA wall properties, compared to the anisotropic one, will aggravate the difference between the simplified models with the FSI approach. The present work demonstrated the importance of modeling techniques on predicting the blood flow dynamics and wall mechanics of the AAA, which could guide the selection of appropriate modeling technique for significant clinical implications.
Factors affecting learning and decision-making in the Iowa Gambling Task

Damasio's somatic marker hypothesis (SMH; Damasio, 1994, 1996) integrates emotion with rational decision-making using evidence drawn from neurology, neuroscience and performance on a now widely cited decision-making test developed to model real-life in a laboratory setting (the Iowa Gambling Task; Bechara, Damasio, Damasio and Anderson, 1994). The SMH posits a critical input from an embodied emotional system (somatic markers) in making decisions in choice situations. But Damasio's consideration of how the undamaged brain interacts with the body has some interesting and somewhat controversial implications in the context of modern psychological research on choice behaviour. In interpreting behaviour on the IGT in accordance with the SMH three central assumptions have been made: a) that somatic markers indicate the goodness or badness of alternatives and without them decision-making cannot become optimal, b) this somatic biasing or guidance can occur unconsciously or in the absence of explicit knowledge, and c) that the system operates so as to maximize or achieve the best outcome in the long-term. The Experiments described in this thesis have explored the validity of the second and third assumptions and found that they are not accurately reflected in behaviour on the IGT. The importance of information about the IGT in the instructions participants receive suggested that explicit knowledge about the task is a more critical factor than any somatic input. No evidence of a somatic influence prior to the emergence of explicit knowledge sufficient to guide behaviour was found. Instead there were indications that knowledge precedes somatic activity on the IGT. Novel manipulations of the reinforcement contingencies in individual decks also revealed that immediate outcomes of choices are an important determinant of subsequent behaviour. Selection does not solely depend on long-term outcomes.
Dentate Granule Cell Neurogenesis Is Increased by Seizures and Contributes to Aberrant Network Reorganization in the Adult Rat Hippocampus

The dentate granule cell layer of the rodent hippocampal formation has the distinctive property of ongoing neurogenesis that continues throughout adult life. In both human temporal lobe epilepsy and rodent models of limbic epilepsy, this same neuronal population undergoes extensive remodeling, including reorganization of mossy fibers, dispersion of the granule cell layer, and the appearance of granule cells in ectopic locations within the dentate gyrus. The mechanistic basis of these abnormalities, as well as their potential relationship to dentate granule cell neurogenesis, is unknown. We used a systemic chemoconvulsant model of temporal lobe epilepsy and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling to investigate the effects of prolonged seizures on dentate granule cell neurogenesis in adult rats, and to examine the contribution of newly differentiated dentate granule cells to the network changes seen in this model. Pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus caused a dramatic and prolonged increase in cell proliferation in the dentate subgranular proliferative zone (SGZ), an area known to contain neuronal precursor cells. Colocalization of BrdU-immunolabeled cells with the neuron-specific markers turned on after division, 64 kDa, class III β-tubulin, or microtubule-associated protein-2 showed that the vast majority of these mitotically active cells differentiated into neurons in the granule cell layer. Newly generated dentate granule cells also appeared in ectopic locations in the hilus and inner molecular layer of the dentate gyrus. Furthermore, developing granule cells projected axons aberrantly to both the CA3 pyramidal cell region and the dentate inner molecular layer. Induction of hippocampal seizure activity by perforant path stimulation resulted in an increase in SGZ mitotic activity similar to that seen with pilocarpine administration. These observations indicate that prolonged seizure discharges stimulate dentate granule cell neurogenesis, and that hippocampal network plasticity associated with epileptogenesis may arise from aberrant connections formed by newly born dentate granule cells.
Mega-events and their legacy: Image and tourism in Genoa, Turin and Milan

Hosting, or organising, a mega-event is a form of destination branding; it is a way to generate the leveraging process of the event itself and promote the image of a location. Besides, these events allow a destination to attract the attention of the public and the media, enhancing its awareness nationally and internationally. Mega-events promote greater flows of tourists and visitors, especially in the short term. Nevertheless they produce long-lasting effects, such as the attraction and stimulation of investments, urban regeneration, advanced facilities and equipment, in addition to the improvement of accommodation, services and infrastructures. Thanks to those investments and to the growth in tourist arrivals, the mega-events could have a positive impact on the local economy, also over years, but some of their most important outcomes deal with the so-called intangible legacy, or rather social, cultural and political effects, more difficult to identify and measure. They can modify local identity and image, supporting the repositioning of the hosting place at an international level. The above considerations are discussed in this study; most attention is paid to three Italian cities, involved in top events: Genoa, appointed as European Capital of Culture in 2004; Turin, that hosted the XX Olympic Winter Games in 2006; Milan, that is now organising the Universal Expo 2015.
Effects of continuous positive airway pressure on systemic inflammation in patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea: a randomised controlled trial

Background: Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) has been associated with cardiovascular disease in epidemiological and observational studies. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the treatment of choice for OSAS, but the impact of this intervention on systemic inflammation involved in the atherosclerotic process remains unclear. Methods: 100 men with moderate–severe OSAS were randomised to therapeutic (n = 51) or subtherapeutic (n = 49) CPAP treatment for 4 weeks to investigate the effects of active treatment on inflammatory markers such as highly sensitive C reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin (IL)6, interferon γ (IFNγ) and anti-inflammatory adiponectin. Results: 4 weeks of therapeutic CPAP did not significantly change blood levels of hsCRP compared with the subtherapeutic control group (difference between median changes −0.24 mg/l (95% CI −0.88 to +0.24); p = 0.30). Plasma levels of IL6 and IFNγ did not change significantly following therapeutic compared with subtherapeutic CPAP (difference between median changes +0.52 and −0.07 pg/ml (95% CI −0.72 to +1.94 and −0.81 to +0.44); p = 0.45 and p = 0.82, respectively). Furthermore, 4 weeks of therapeutic CPAP did not significantly change levels of adiponectin in plasma compared with the subtherapeutic control group (difference between median changes +0.05 pg/ml (95% CI −0.36 to +0.47); p = 0.84). If patients with hsCRP values above 8 mg/l at baseline were excluded, differences between the changes in hsCRP, IL6, IFNγ and adiponectin after 4 weeks of CPAP were smaller, and again not statistically different between groups. Conclusions: 4 weeks of CPAP treatment has no beneficial effect on blood markers of inflammation and adiponectin in patients with moderate–severe obstructive sleep apnoea.
Fluid intake and risk of bladder cancer in the Nurses' Health Studies

Increase in fluid intake may reduce bladder cancer risk by decreasing the contact time between carcinogens in urine and bladder epithelium. However, this association has not been examined in a large cohort of women. The association between total fluid intake and bladder cancer risk in two large prospective women's cohorts with 427 incident bladder cancer cases was examined. Detailed information on total fluid intake was collected by repeated food frequency questionnaires over time. Multivariable relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated by using Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results from the two cohorts were pooled together using the random‐effects model. Using the average values from the earliest two dietary assessments and lowest quartile as reference, a suggestive inverse association was observed between total fluid intake and overall bladder cancer risk (RR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.61–1.12, p‐value for trend: 0.08), and invasive bladder cancer risk (RR: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.23–0.97, p‐value for trend: 0.04). Among heavy cigarette smokers, women with the highest quartile of total fluid intake had a 38% decrease in bladder cancer risk (RR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.41–0.93, p‐value for trend: 0.02). The findings suggested that total fluid intake may reduce bladder cancer risk for female smokers, as well as reduce the risk of invasive bladder cancer.
Prevalence and seasonality of parasites of fish in Agulu Lake, Southeast, Nigeria

A study was undertaken to assess the prevalence, mean intensity, abundance and seasonality of parasites of fish in a natural, freshwater, tropical lake, southeast Nigeria. A total of 1191 fish specimen belonging to four families ( Cichlidae, Bagridae, Hepsetidae and Channidae ), seven genera and nine species were collected from the lake and examined for parasites. Eleven (11) species of parasites comprising metacercariae of three digenetic trematodes, one cestode, five nematodes and two acanthocephalans were isolated. Clinostomoides sp. showed the highest range of sites of infection, and the operculum carried significantly more worm burden (F = 196.843, d.f. = 5, p = 0.000) than other sites infected by this parasite. Prevalence ranged from 0.7% in Clinostomum tilapiae infection of T. zillii to 71.7% in Neochinorhynchus sp.2 infection of Hepsetidae fasciatus with an overall prevalence of 59.5%. Mean intensity ranged from 1.0 ± 0.0 in Clinostomoides sp. and Proteocephalus sp. infection of P. obscura and Anemone occidentalis , respectively, to 76.5 ± 29.7 in Neoechinorhynchus sp. 2 infection of H. fasciatus. Neoechinorhynchus sp. 2 infection also had the highest mean abundance (54.90 ± 2.74) while the lowest was recorded in the Clinostomoides sp. infection of H. fasciatus . Patterns of infection were significantly different in the prevalence and abundance of Clinostomoides sp; Camallanus sp.3 and Neoechinorhynchus sp.1 while mean intensity was comparable in all cases. Keywords: Natural lake, freshwater, fish parasites, worm burden African Journal of Biotechnology , Vol. 13(3), pp. 502-508, 15 January, 2014
Identi fi cation of New Tumor Suppressor Genes in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Although genomic sequencing has provided a better understating of the genetic landmarks in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), functional validation of candidate cancer genes (CCG) remains unsolved. In this study, we used a transposon mutagenesis strategy based on a two-step sleeping beauty (SB) forward genetic screen to identify and validate new tumor suppressors (TS) in this disease. We generated 120 siRNAs targeting 40 SB-identified candidate breast cancer TS genes and used them to downregulate expression of these genes in four human TNBC cell lines. Among CCG, whose SB-mediated genetic mutation resulted in increased cellular proliferation in all cell lines tested, the genes ADNP, AP2B1, TOMM70A, and ZNF326 showed TS activity in tumor xenograft studies. Subsequent studies showed that ZNF326 regulated expression of multiple epithelial–mesenchymal transition and cancer stem cell (CSC) pathway genes. It alsomodulated expression of TS genes involved in the regulation of migration and cellular invasion and was a direct transcriptional activator of genes that regulate CSC self-renewal. ZNF326 expression associated with TNBC patient survival, with ZNF326 protein levels showing a marked reduction in TNBC. Our validation of several new TS genes in TNBC demonstrate the utility of two-step forward genetic screens in mice and offer an invaluable tool to identify novel candidate therapeutic pathways and targets. Cancer Res; 77(15); 4089–101. 2017 AACR.
Tailored Feature Extraction for Lexical Disambiguation of English Verbs Based on Corpus Pattern Analysis

We give a report on a detailed study of automatic lexical disambiguation of 30 sample English verbs. We were drawing on a lexicon of English verb patterns based on the Corpus Pattern Analysis (CPA), which is a novel lexicographic method that seeks to cluster verb uses according to the morpho-syntactic, lexical and semantic/pragmatic similarity of their contexts rather than to associate them with abstract semantic definitions. We have trained several statistical classifiers to recognize these patterns, using morpho-syntactic as well as semantic features. In this paper we mainly concentrate on the procedures for feature extraction and feature selection and their evaluation. We show that tailoring the features to the verbs respectively, as they are implicitly contained in the pattern definitions (explicitly described in the lexicon), has the potential to significantly improve the accuracy of supervised statistical classifiers. TITLE AND ABSTRACT IN CZECH Rysy site na miru anglickým slovesům pro automatickou lexikalni disambiguaci pomoci Corpus Pattern Analysis Předkladame detailni studii automaticke lexikalni disambiguace na pilotnim vzorku ťriceti anglických sloves za použiti lexikonu vzorů slovesných užiti (patterns), který vychazi z Corpus Pattern Analysis (CPA). Tato inovatorska lexikograficka metoda namisto na abstraktnich definicich jednotlivých významů stavi na souhře morfosyntakticke, lexikalni a semanticke/pragmaticke podobnosti slovesných užiti. Natrenovali jsme několik statistických klasifikatorů na rozpoznavani těchto vzorů. Klasifikatory využivaji jak morfosyntaktických, tak semantických rysů. V nasi studii se sousťredime na procedury pro extrakci rysů, jejich výběr a jejich evaluaci. Ukazujeme, že rysy na miru uzpůsobene jednotlivým slovesům, jež jsou implicitně obsaženy v definici každeho vzoru v lexikonu, maji potencial významně zvýsit přesnost statistických klasifikatorů s ucitelem.
Consistent query answers in inconsistent probabilistic databases

Efficient and effective manipulation of probabilistic data has become increasingly important recently due to many real applications that involve the data uncertainty. This is especially crucial when probabilistic data collected from different sources disagree with each other and incur inconsistencies. In order to accommodate such inconsistencies and enable consistent query answering (CQA), in this paper, we propose the all-possible-repair semantics in the context of inconsistent probabilistic databases, which formalize the repairs on the database as repair worlds via a graph representation. In turn, the CQA problem can be converted into one in the so-called repaired possible worlds (w.r.t. both repair worlds and possible worlds). We investigate a series of consistent queries in inconsistent probabilistic databases, including consistent range queries, join, and top-k queries, which, however, need to deal with an exponential number of the repaired possible worlds at high cost. To tackle the efficiency problem of CQA, in this paper, we propose efficient approaches for retrieving consistent query answers, including effective pruning methods to filter out false positives. Extensive experiments have been conducted to demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of our approaches.
Risk Factors for Invasive Pneumococcal Disease Among Children Less Than 5 Years of Age in a High HIV Prevalence Setting, South Africa, 2010 to 2012

Background: Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) causes significant disease burden, especially in developing countries, even in the era of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and maternal-to-child HIV transmission prevention programs. We evaluated factors that might increase IPD risk in young children in a high HIV prevalence setting. Methods: We conducted a case–control study using IPD cases identified at 24 Group for Enteric, Respiratory and Meningeal disease Surveillance—South Africa program sites (2010–2012). At least 4 controls were matched by age, HIV status and hospital to each case. Potential risk factors were evaluated using multivariable conditional logistic regression. Results: In total, 486 age-eligible cases were enrolled. Factors associated with IPD in HIV-uninfected children (237 cases, 928 controls) included siblings <5 years [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.68, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.16–2.46], underlying medical conditions (aOR = 1.99, CI 1.22–3.22), preceding upper respiratory tract infection (aOR = 1.79, CI 1.19–2.69), day-care attendance (aOR = 1.58, CI 1.01–2.47), perinatal HIV exposure (aOR = 1.62, CI 1.10–2.37), household car ownership (aOR = 0.45, CI 0.25–0.83) and ≥2 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine doses (aOR = 0.67, CI 0.46–0.99). Among HIV-infected children (124 cases, 394 controls), IPD-associated factors included malnutrition (aOR = 2.68, CI 1.40–5.14), upper respiratory tract infection (aOR = 3.49, CI 1.73–7.03), tuberculosis in the last 3 months (aOR = 5.12, CI 1.69–15.50) and current antiretroviral treatment (aOR = 0.13, CI 0.05–0.38). Conclusion: Previously identified factors related to poverty, poor health and intense exposure continue to be risk factors for IPD in children. Ensuring delivery of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and antiretroviral treatment are important for improving disease prevention.
Energy Expenditure in Children After Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

Objective: To evaluate energy expenditure in a cohort of children with severe traumatic brain injury. Design: A prospective observational study. Setting: A pediatric neurotrauma center within a tertiary care institution. Patients: Mechanically ventilated children admitted with severe traumatic brain injury (Glasgow Coma Scale < 9) with a weight more than 10 kg were eligible for study. A subset of children was co-enrolled in a phase 3 study of early therapeutic hypothermia. All children were treated with a comprehensive neurotrauma protocol that included sedation, neuromuscular blockade, temperature control, antiseizure prophylaxis, and a tiered-based system for treating intracranial hypertension. Interventions: Within the first week after injury, indirect calorimetry measurements were performed daily when the patient’s condition permitted. Measurements and Main Results: Data from 13 children were analyzed (with a total of 32 assessments). Measured energy expenditure obtained from indirect calorimetry was compared with predicted resting energy expenditure calculated from Harris-Benedict equation. Overall, measured energy expenditure/predicted resting energy expenditure averaged 70.2% ± 3.8%. Seven measurements obtained while children were hypothermic did not differ from normothermic values (75% ± 4.5% vs 68.9% ± 4.7%, respectively, p = 0.273). Furthermore, children with favorable neurologic outcome at 6 months did not differ from children with unfavorable outcome (76.4% ± 6% vs 64.7% ± 4.7% for the unfavorable outcome, p = 0.13). Conclusions: Contrary to previous work from several decades ago that suggested severe pediatric traumatic brain injury is associated with a hypermetabolic response (measured energy expenditure/predicted resting energy expenditure > 110%), our data suggest that contemporary neurocritical care practices may blunt such a response. Understanding the metabolic requirements of children with severe traumatic brain injury is the first step in development of rational nutritional support goals that might lead to improvements in outcome.