Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Inpatient Palliative Care for Neurological Disorders: Lessons from a Large Retrospective Series.

BACKGROUND Patients with neurological disorders are the second most common patient population to receive inpatient palliative care services after cancer; however, there have been few reports describing the characteristics and needs of this population. OBJECTIVE To understand which patients with neurological diagnoses utilized these services, reasons for consultation, and whether patterns of use changed over time. DESIGN Retrospective case series. SETTING/SUBJECTS Neurological patients seen by our academic hospital-based palliative care consult service from January 2010 through December 2014. MEASUREMENT Demographics, diagnoses, reasons for consultation, patient characterization, and outcomes were extracted from medical record. METHODS Data extracted from the chart was analyzed using primarily descriptive statistics with Chi-square used to compare group proportions and regression to examine temporal trends. RESULTS A total of 3170 patients received inpatient palliative care consultations, of whom 291 (9.2%) had a neurological diagnosis. Among these patients, 85 were excluded because of insufficient data, leaving 206 patients (mean age 70.0 ± 16.0 years; 111 (54%) female). Of the patients, 49% had a chronic diagnosis and 51% received a new diagnosis during their hospitalization, most commonly ischemic stroke. The proportion of patients with chronic diagnoses increased over time, with dementia representing the most common diagnosis in 2014. The most common reason for consultation was eliciting goals of care (82%). Advance directives were present at admission in 61 (30%), 130 (63%) at the time of consultation, and 190 (92%) patients after consultation. The proportion of people with advance directives after consultation significantly increased over the study period (p = 0.01). DISCUSSION Hospital-based palliative care is primarily utilized to clarify goals of care in neurological patients and that advance directives were commonly not completed prior to consultation. CONCLUSIONS Outpatient and hospital neurologists should routinely address advance directives, particularly as the proportion of patients with chronic neurological diagnoses increases.
Expression of Pluripotency Master Regulators during Two Key Developmental Transitions: EGA and Early Lineage Specification in the Bovine Embryo

Pluripotency genes are implicated in mouse embryonic genome activation (EGA) and pluripotent lineage specification. Moreover, their expression levels have been correlated with embryonic term development. In bovine, however, little information is available about dynamics of pluripotency genes during these processes. In this study, we charted quantitative and/or qualitative spatio-temporal expression patterns of transcripts and proteins of pluripotency genes (OCT4, SOX2 and NANOG) and mRNA levels of some of their downstream targets in bovine oocytes and early embryos. Furthermore, to correlate expression patterns of these genes with term developmental potential, we used cloned embryos, having similar in vitro but different full term development rates. Our findings affirm: firstly, the core triad of pluripotency genes is probably not implicated in bovine EGA since their proteins were not detected during pre-EGA phase, despite the transcripts for OCT4 and SOX2 were present. Secondly, an earlier ICM specification of transcripts and proteins of SOX2 and NANOG makes them pertinent candidates of bovine pluripotent lineage specification than OCT4. Thirdly, embryos with low term development potential have higher transcription rates; nevertheless, precarious balance between pluripotency genes is maintained. This balance presages normal in vitro development but, probably higher transcription rate disturbs it at later stage that abrogates term development.
Sensory nerve conduction in the caudal nerves of rats with diabetes.

PURPOSE To investigate sensory nerve conduction of the caudal nerve in normal and diabetic rats. METHODS Diabetes was induced in twenty 8-weeks old Wistar male rats. Twenty normal rats served as controls. Caudal nerve conduction studies were made before diabetes induction and the end of each week for six consecutive weeks. The caudal nerve was stimulated distally and nerve potentials were recorded proximally on the animal's tail using common "alligator" clips as surface electrodes. RESULTS After induction, nerve conduction velocities (NCV) increased slower in the diabetic than in the control group. Sensory nerve action potentials (SNAP) conduction velocities increased slower in the diabetic than in the control group (slope of regression line: 0.5 vs 1.3m/s per week; NCV in the 15(th) week = 39±3m/s vs 44±4m/s). Tukey's tests showed differences between groups at the 11th, 13(th) and 15(th) weeks old. From the 10(th) week on, SNAP amplitudes increased faster in the diabetic than in the control group (slopes of the regression line: 10 vs 8µV per week; SNAP amplitudes in the 15(th) week: 107±23µV vs 85±13µV). Differences at the 12(th), 13(th) and 15(th) weeks were significant. CONCLUSION In diabetic rats nerve conduction velocities were slower whereas amplitudes were larger than in normal rats.
Cuckoo search for business optimization applications

Cuckoo search has become a popular and powerful metaheuristic algorithm for global optimization. In business optimization and applications, many studies have focused on support vector machine and neural networks. In this paper, we use cuckoo search to carry out optimization tasks and compare the performance of cuckoo search with support vector machine. By testing benchmarks such as project scheduling and bankruptcy predictions, we conclude that cuckoo search can perform better than support vector machine.
Influence of Sex on Suicidal Phenotypes in Affective Disorder Patients with Traumatic Childhood Experiences

Objectives In the current study, we aimed to investigate the impact of childhood trauma on suicidal behaviour phenotypes in a group of patients with diagnosed affective disorder (unipolar or bipolar affective disorder). Patients and Methods Patients with and without a history of childhood abuse, measured by Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), were assessed to explore risks for suicidal behaviour (including suicide attempt, self-harm and non-suicidal self-injury). The tested sample consisted of 258 patients (111 males and 147 females, in-patients and out-patients at the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna and University Hospital Tulln, Lower Austria). Psychiatric diagnoses were derived from the SCAN (Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry) interview. In addition, patients were administered the Lifetime Parasuicidal Count (LPC), Suicidal Behaviour Questionnaire (SBQ-R), and Viennese Suicide Risk Assessment Scale (VISURIAS) questionnaires. Results In contrast to male suicide attempters, female suicide attempters showed both significantly higher total CTQ scores (p<0.001), and higher CTQ subscores (emotional, physical and sexual abuse, as well as emotional and physical neglect) in comparison to the non-suicidal control group. Besides, females with a history of self-harming behaviour (including suicidal intention) and Non-Suicidal-Self Injury (NSSI) had significantly higher CTQ total scores (p<0.001) than the control group. Conclusion These findings suggest gender differences in suicidal behaviour after being exposed to childhood trauma.
Frequency of Blood Pressure and Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate Testing in type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Retrospective Study with 43,509 Patients.

BACKGROUND The goal of this study was to analyze the frequency of blood pressure (BP) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) testing in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients followed in general and diabetological practices in Germany. METHODS The study included individuals who had at least two concultations due to T2DM diagnosis (ICD-10: E11) between January and December 2016. Patients were followed in 557 general and diabetological practices. The primary outcome was the frequency of BP and eGFR testing in T2DM patients in 2016. The association between several demographic and clinical variables and the odds of receiving≥2 BP and≥1 eGFR tests in the year 2016 was analyzed using multivariate logistic regression models. RESULTS A total of 43,509 individuals were available for analysis. The mean age of the population was 68.6 years (SD=12.4 years). The mean number of measurements was 2.9 (SD=3.5) for BP and 0.4 (SD=1.1) for eGFR. 52.3% of patients were tested at least twice for BP and 15.3% of them at least once for eGFR in 2016. Older patients, individuals followed in diabetological practices, people receiving antihyperglycemic medications, and those affected by chronic conditions (i. e. hypertension, renal complications, or neuropathy) displayed higher odds of receiving≥2 BP and≥1 eGFR tests, whereas patients with a diabetes duration of>1 year displayed lower odds. CONCLUSIONS The frequency of BP and eGFR testing was low in T2DM patients in Germany in 2016. Several demographic and clinical variables were associated with this frequency.
Automated Redaction of Private and Personal Data in Collections Toward Responsible Stewardship of Digital Heritage

In order to support digital heritage, collecting institutions must serve as trustworthy and responsible stewards of digital information. This requires not only selecting, acquiring and retaining valuable collections, but also providing appropriate access to their contents. Access provision involves data mediation to provide useful access points, to convey contextual information, and to ensure that private information is protected. Identification and redacting of private information is a significant challenge for collecting institutions providing access to born-digital collections. We describe work in the BitCurator project to provide collecting institutions with reliable, automated software and reporting procedures to address the above issues.
Transformation of Mycosis Fungoides/Sezary Syndrome: Clinical Characteristics and Prognosis

Objective: Transformed mycosis fungoides (T-MF) is a rare variant of MF with an aggressive course. In this study, we aimed to describe characteristics of MF/Sezary syndrome (SS) patients with transformation. Materials and Methods: Patients diagnosed with T-MF among MF/SS patients between 2000 and 2014 in a tertiary single center were evaluated retrospectively. Demographic data, clinical data, laboratory data, immunophenotype features, response to treatment, survival, and histopathologic features were analyzed. Results: Among 254 MF patients, 25 patients with T-MF were identified (10.2%) and included in the study. The male-to-female ratio was 2.6/1. The median time between MF diagnosis and transformation was 32 months (range: 0-192). Nine (36%) patients were diagnosed initially with T-MF. Advanced disease stage and high serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were indicators of poor prognosis and treatment response. Five of the 18 patients with progressive disease had undergone allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Allo-HSCT resulted in complete remission in three (60%) patients. Ten (40%) patients died as a result of disease progression. Mean survival time was 25.2±14.9 (2-56) months after transformation. Conclusion: Advanced stage, high serum LDH levels, and loss of CD26 and CD7 expression in the peripheral blood are poor rognostic factors in T-MF. Treatment-resistant tumors and nodules should be cautionary for T-MF. Patients with T-MF have a shortened survival. Some patients may respond to first-line treatments. However, the majority of patients who do not respond to first-line therapies also are unresponsive to second or third-line therapies. Allo-HSCT may be an alternative option in patients with T-MF.
Fludarabine Modulates Immune Response and Extends In Vivo Survival of Adoptively Transferred CD8 T Cells in Patients with Metastatic Melanoma

Background Adoptive T cell therapy involving the use of ex vivo generated antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes provides a promising approach to immunotherapy. It has become increasingly apparent that anti-tumor efficacy using adoptively transferred T cells is linked to their duration of in vivo persistence and can only be achieved when combined with some form of pre-infusion patient conditioning regimen. An optimal conditioning regimen that provides a positive benefit without serious toxicities has yet to be defined. We have established a unique clinical model that allows for evaluation of a given conditioning regimen on adoptively transferred T cells in humans. In this first-in-human study (FHCRC #1796), we evaluate the use of fludarabine, an FDA-approved reagent with predictable lymphodepleting kinetics and duration of action, as a conditioning regimen that promotes homeostatic upregulation of cytokines and growth signals contributing to in vivo T cell persistence. Methods/Findings We conducted a phase I study in patients with refractory metastatic melanoma. Patients received two infusions of a single tumor-reactive antigen-specific CTL clone expanded to 1010/m2; the first infusion was given without fludarabine conditioning, and the second CTL infusion was given after a course of fludarabine (25 mg/m2/day×5 days). This design permits intra-patient comparison of in vivo T cell persistence pre- and post-fludarabine. Nineteen CTL infusions were administered to ten patients. No serious toxicities were observed. Three of nine evaluable patients experienced minor response or stable disease for periods of 5.8–11.0 months with two additional patients demonstrating delayed disease stabilization. The median overall survival in this heavily pre-treated population was 9.7 months. Fludarabine led to a 2.9 fold improvement in the in vivo persistence of transferred CTL clones from a median of 4.5 days (range 0–38+) to 13.0 days (range 2–63+) (p<0.05). Fludarabine lymphodepletion increased plasma levels of the homeostatic cytokines IL-7 and IL-15. Surprisingly, fludarabine also increased the relative percentage of CD4+ T cells expressing the regulatory protein Foxp3. Conclusions/Significance Lymphodepletion with fludarabine enhances transferred T cell persistence but suggest that additional improvements to optimize T cell survival and address regulatory T cells are critical in providing anti-tumor efficacy. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00317759
Polyaniline-Doped Poly (Methyl Methacrylate) Microfiber for Methanol Sensing

The main objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of Polyaniline (PANI) as a dopant in the fabrication of a polymer microfiber for sensing methanol. A simple direct drawing technique was employed in the preparation of a Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) doped with PANI microfiber. The changes of the power spectrum were measured through an optical spectrum analyzer over a range of 100–500 ppm methanol solution concentrations. It was observed that the sensor utilizing a PANI-doped microfiber had a higher response toward the changes in the methanol solution concentrations compared with its undoped counterpart with an improvement of 41.01% and more than 5 times for the sensitivity and resolution, respectively. A sensitivity of 0.047 dBm/ppm was attained with the use of a PMMA microfiber with a taper diameter and length of $3~\mu \text{m}$ and 3 mm, respectively. The field emission scanning electron microscopy proved the successful doping of PANI into the PMMA microfiber, which contributed to the increase in the performance of the sensor.
The SD1 Subdomain of Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus Capsid Protein Plays a Critical Role in Nucleocapsid and Particle Assembly

ABSTRACT Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV) is an important human and animal pathogen, for which no safe and efficient vaccines or therapeutic means have been developed. Viral particle assembly and budding processes represent potential targets for therapeutic intervention. However, our understanding of the mechanistic process of VEEV assembly, RNA encapsidation, and the roles of different capsid-specific domains in these events remain to be described. The results of this new study demonstrate that the very amino-terminal VEEV capsid-specific subdomain SD1 is a critical player in the particle assembly process. It functions in a virus-specific mode, and its deletion, mutation, or replacement by the same subdomain derived from other alphaviruses has strong negative effects on infectious virus release. VEEV variants with mutated SD1 accumulate adaptive mutations in both SD1 and SD2, which result in a more efficiently replicating phenotype. Moreover, efficient nucleocapsid and particle assembly proceeds only when the two subdomains, SD1 and SD2, are derived from the same alphavirus. These two subdomains together appear to form the central core of VEEV nucleocapsids, and their interaction is one of the driving forces of virion assembly and budding. The similar domain structures of alphavirus capsid proteins suggest that this new knowledge can be applied to other alphaviruses. IMPORTANCE Alphaviruses are a group of human and animal pathogens which cause periodic outbreaks of highly debilitating diseases. Despite significant progress made in understanding the overall structure of alphavirus and VEEV virions, and glycoprotein spikes in particular, the mechanistic process of nucleocapsid assembly, RNA encapsidation, and the roles of different capsid-specific domains in these processes remain to be described. Our new data demonstrate that the very amino-terminal subdomain of Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus capsid protein, SD1, plays a critical role in the nucleocapsid assembly. It functions synergistically with the following SD2 (helix I) and appears to form a core in the center of nucleocapsid. The core formation is one of the driving forces of alphavirus particle assembly.
Psychosocial Factors Related to Lateral and Medial Epicondylitis: Results From Pooled Study Analyses

Objective: The goal is to assess the relationships between psychosocial factors and both medial and lateral epicondylitis after adjustment for personal and job physical exposures. Methods: One thousand eight hundred twenty-four participants were included in pooled analyses. Ten psychosocial factors were assessed. Results: One hundred twenty-one (6.6%) and 34 (1.9%) participants have lateral and medial epicondylitis, respectively. Nine psychosocial factors assessed had significant trends or associations with lateral epicondylitis, the largest of which was between physical exhaustion after work and lateral epicondylitis with and odds ratio of 7.04 (95% confidence interval = 2.02 to 24.51). Eight psychosocial factors had significant trends or relationships with medial epicondylitis, with the largest being between mental exhaustion after work with an odds ratio of 6.51 (95% confidence interval = 1.57 to 27.04). Conclusions: The breadth and strength of these associations after adjustment for confounding factors demonstrate meaningful relationships that need to be further investigated in prospective analyses.
The Use of CYFRA 21-1 for the Detection of Breast Cancer Axillary Lymph Node Metastases in Needle Washouts of Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsies

Background: In the preoperative setting of breast cancer, fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) guided by ultrasonography can be used to detect axillary lymph node metastases. The aim of the current study was to determine whether measurement in needle washouts of CYFRA 21-1, a soluble fragment of cytokeratin 19 (CK19), can improve the diagnosis of lymph node tumor deposits. Materials and Methods: Our prospective study included 329 breast cancer patients eligible for a sentinel node procedure. Eighty-two patients had a ultrasonography-guided FNAB of an abnormal or suspicious axillary node and were included in the current analysis. Samples were processed with smears and cell-block histology; afterwards, needles were washed with saline solution, and the CYFRA 21-1 content in the washouts was measured. The cutoff value for positive samples that expressed CK19, as shown by their immunohistochemistry, was determined by a receiver operating characteristic curve. On the basis of this value, the specificity and the sensitivity, as well as the positive and negative predictive values, were then calculated using cytology results as a reference standard. Results: Of the 82 axillary lymph nodes sampled, 61 were positive on cytology and were metastatic for breast cancer, as confirmed by surgery. The median CYFRA 21-1 concentration of positive samples was 88.94 ng/mL, whereas in the 21 negative nodes, its median concentration was 1.02 ng/mL (P<0.0001). A CYFRA 21-1 cutoff value of 1.98 ng/mL, obtained by the receiver operating characteristic curve, was able to clearly separate negative from positive samples and gave the test a sensitivity of 0.98 and a specificity of 1.00. Positive and negative predictive values were 1.00 and 0.95, respectively. Conclusions: The measurement of CYFRA 21-1 levels in needle washouts after axillary lymph node FNABs represents an accurate, sensitive, and highly predictive procedure in detecting metastatic deposits of breast cancer and is fit to complement cytology and CK19 immunohistochemistry as a diagnostic tool.
Free-Field Virtual Psychoacoustics and Hearing Impairment : Paper ICA 2016-776 Auditory localization of real and virtual sounds by hearing impaired listeners

Many studies have evaluated the performance of virtual audio displays with NH listeners, but very little information is available on the effect that hearing loss has on the localization of virtual sounds. In this study, normal hearing (NH) and hearing impaired (HI) listeners were asked to localize sounds of short (250 ms), medium (1000 ms), and long (4000 ms) duration both in the free field and with a head-tracked virtual audio display. Head-Related Transfer Functions (HRTFs) measured on a KEMAR manikin were used in the virtual display to explore whether HI listeners with high frequency hearing loss might be less susceptible to the distorted pinnae cues present in non-individualized HRTFs than NH listeners. The results show that the HI listeners localized sounds less accurately than the NH listeners, and that both groups consistently localized virtual sounds less accurately than free-field sounds. They also showed that both hearing impairment and the use of non-individualized HRTFs tended to result in a systematic upward bias in response elevation. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, these results suggest that the highfrequency distortions introduced by non-individualized HRTFs are effectively additive with the high-frequency distortions in localization cues introduced by hearing impairment. The results did, however, show a high correlation between free-field and virtual localization performance in the HI listeners, suggesting that virtual audio display systems who have some utility as a clinical tool to identify individuals who have much worse than normal localization performance in the free field.