Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of biliary fibrosis by transient elastography in patients with PBC and PSC

Noninvasive measurement of liver stiffness with transient elastography has been recently validated for the evaluation of hepatic fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C. The current study assessed the diagnostic performance of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) for the determination of fibrosis stage in chronic cholestatic diseases. One hundred one patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC, n = 73) or primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC, n = 28) were prospectively enrolled in a multicenter study. All patients underwent liver biopsy (LB) and LSM. Histological and fibrosis stages were assessed on LB by two pathologists. LSM was performed by transient elastography. Efficiency of LSM for the determination of histological and fibrosis stages were determined by a receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis. Analysis failed in six patients (5.9%) because of unsuitable LB (n = 4) or LSM (n = 2). Stiffness values ranged from 2.8 to 69.1 kPa (median, 7.8 kPa). LSM was correlated to both fibrosis (Spearman's ρ = 0.84, P < .0001) and histological (0.79, P < .0001) stages. These correlations were still found when PBC and PSC patients were analyzed separately. Areas under ROC curves were 0.92 for fibrosis stage (F) ≥2, 0.95 for F ≥ 3 and 0.96 for F = 4. Optimal stiffness cutoff values of 7.3, 9.8, and 17.3 kPa showed F ≥ 2, F ≥ 3 and F = 4, respectively. LSM and serum hyaluronic acid level were independent parameters associated with extensive fibrosis on LB. In conclusion, transient elastography is a simple and reliable noninvasive means for assessing biliary fibrosis. It should be a promising tool to assess antifibrotic therapies in PBC or PSC. (HEPATOLOGY 2006;43:1118–1124.)
Sharp Decrease of Reported Occupational Blood and Body Fluid Exposures in French Hospitals, 2003–2012: Results of the French National Network Survey, AES-RAISIN

OBJECTIVE To assess the temporal trend of reported occupational blood and body fluid exposures (BBFE) in French healthcare facilities. METHOD Retrospective follow-up of reported BBFE in French healthcare facilities on a voluntary basis from 2003 to 2012 with a focus on those enrolled every year from 2008 to 2012 (stable cohort 2008–12). FINDINGS Reported BBFE incidence rate per 100 beds decreased from 7.5% in 2003 to 6.3% in 2012 (minus 16%). Percutaneous injuries were the most frequent reported BBFE (84.0% in 2003 and 79.1% in 2012). Compliance with glove use (59.1% in 2003 to 67.0% in 2012) and sharps-disposal container accessibility (68.1% in 2003 to 73.4% in 2012) have both increased. A significant drop in preventable BBFE was observed (48.3% in 2003 to 30.9% in 2012). Finally, the use of safety-engineered devices increased from 2008 to 2012. CONCLUSION Of the 415,209 hospital beds in France, 26,158 BBFE could have occurred in France in 2012, compared with 35,364 BBFE in 2003. Healthcare personnel safety has been sharply improved during the past 10 years in France. Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2015;36(8):963–968
Grain Growth Rates of MgSiO3 Perovskite and Periclase Under Lower Mantle Conditions

The grain growth rates of MgSiO3 perovskite and periclase in aggregates have been determined at 25 gigapascals and 1573 to 2173 kelvin. The average grain size (G) was fitted to the rate equation, and the grain growth rates of perovskite and periclase were G10.6 = 1 × 10−57.4 t exp(−320.8/RT) and G10.8 = 1 × 10−62.3 t exp(−247.0/RT), respectively, where t is the time, R is the gas constant, and T is the absolute temperature. These growth rates provide insight into the mechanism for grain growth in minerals relevant to the Earth's lower mantle that will ultimately help define the rheology of the lower mantle.
Bidirectional association of retinal vessel diameters and estimated GFR decline: the Beaver Dam CKD Study.

BACKGROUND Recent cross-sectional studies have reported an association between retinal vessel caliber and chronic kidney disease (CKD), but the direction of the association between these 2 processes is not clear. In a prospective study with multiple measurements of retinal vessel diameters and serum creatinine, we examined whether baseline retinal vessel diameter is associated with future risk of decreased kidney function, or vice versa. STUDY DESIGN Population-based cohort study. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS 3,199 Wisconsin adults aged 43-84 years who were followed up prospectively for 15 years. PREDICTOR Baseline retinal arteriolar and venular diameters for analysis 1 and baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) categories for analysis 2. OUTCOMES & MEASUREMENTS For analysis 1, incident CKD, defined as eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) accompanied by a 25% decrease in eGFR, during follow-up. For analysis 2, incident retinal arteriolar narrowing, defined as a central retinal arteriolar equivalent measurement <144.0 μm, and incident retinal venular dilation, defined as a central retinal venular equivalent measurement >243.8 μm. RESULTS Baseline retinal arteriolar and venular diameters were not associated with 15-year risk of incident CKD. After adjustment for age, sex, diabetes, hypertension, and other confounders, the multivariable HR of incident CKD comparing the narrowest with the widest quartile was 1.15 (95% CI, 0.74-1.80) for retinal arteriolar diameter and 1.05 (95% CI, 0.67-1.67) for retinal venular diameter. Similarly, there was no significant association between eGFR and 15-year risk of incident retinal arteriolar narrowing or retinal venular widening. Compared with eGFR >90 mL/min/1.73 m(2) (referent), the multivariable HR for those with eGFR <45 mL/min/1.73 m(2) was 1.66 (95% CI, 0.93-2.96) for incident retinal arteriolar narrowing and 0.60 (95% CI, 0.17-1.85) for retinal venular widening. LIMITATIONS Lack of data for albuminuria and loss to follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Retinal vessel diameters and CKD may run together through shared mechanisms, but are not causally related.
Resection of pancreatic cancer in Europe and USA: an international large-scale study highlighting large variations

Objective Resection can potentially cure resectable pancreatic cancer (PaC) and significantly prolong survival in some patients. This large-scale international study aimed to investigate variations in resection for PaC in Europe and USA and determinants for its utilisation. Design Data from six European population-based cancer registries and the US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program database during 2003–2016 were analysed. Age-standardised resection rates for overall and stage I–II PaCs were computed. Associations between resection and demographic and clinical parameters were assessed using multivariable logistic regression models. Results A total of 153 698 records were analysed. In population-based registries in 2012–2014, resection rates ranged from 13.2% (Estonia) to 21.2% (Slovenia) overall and from 34.8% (Norway) to 68.7% (Denmark) for stage I–II tumours, with great international variations. During 2003–2014, resection rates only increased in USA, the Netherlands and Denmark. Resection was significantly less frequently performed with more advanced tumour stage (ORs for stage III and IV versus stage I–II tumours: 0.05–0.18 and 0.01–0.06 across countries) and increasing age (ORs for patients 70–79 and ≥80 versus those <60 years: 0.37–0.63 and 0.03–0.16 across countries). Patients with advanced-stage tumours (stage III–IV: 63.8%–81.2%) and at older ages (≥70 years: 52.6%–59.5%) receiving less frequently resection comprised the majority of diagnosed cases. Patient performance status, tumour location and size were also associated with resection application. Conclusion Rates of PaC resection remain low in Europe and USA with great international variations. Further studies are warranted to explore reasons for these variations.
On the reduction of self-other asymmetries: Benefits, pitfalls, and other correlates of social projection

Perceptions of similarity between the self and other individuals or groups are among the most replicable findings in social-perception research. As such, they present an apparent limitation to a variety of self-other asymmetries in social judgment. I first review evidence showing that perceptions of similarity are indeed (as hypothesized) mainly a matter of projection rather than introjection. People are far more likely to project their own attributes and attitudes to others than to "introject" the attributes or attitudes of others into the self. Then, building on the well-established finding that projection improves the accuracy of social perception, I show that projection also reduces various self-other biases, such as false uniqueness, pluralistic ignorance, and self-enhancement. I conclude with a discussion of so-called "empathy gaps," in which projection actually leads to errors.
Escherichia coli glutathionylspermidine synthetase/amidase: phylogeny and effect on regulation of gene expression.

Glutathionylspermidine synthetase/amidase (Gss) and the encoding gene (gss) have only been studied in Escherichia coli and several members of the Kinetoplastida phyla. In the present article, we have studied the phylogenetic distribution of Gss and have found that Gss sequences are largely limited to certain bacteria and Kinetoplastids and are absent in a variety of invertebrate and vertebrate species, Archea, plants, and some Eubacteria. It is striking that almost all of the 75 Enterobacteria species that have been sequenced contain sequences with very high degree of homology to the E. coli Gss protein. To find out the physiological significance of glutathionylspermidine in E. coli, we have performed global transcriptome analyses. The microarray studies comparing gss(+) and Δgss strains of E. coli show that a large number of genes are either up-regulated (76 genes more than threefold) or down-regulated (35 genes more than threefold) by the loss of the gss gene. Most significant categories of up-regulated genes include sulfur utilization, glutamine and succinate metabolism, polyamine and arginine metabolism, and purine and pyrimidine metabolism.
Exploring Social-Historical Ties on Location-Based Social Networks

Location-based social networks (LBSNs) have become a popular form of social media in recent years. They provide location related services that allow users to "check-in'' at geographical locations and share such experiences with their friends. Millions of "check-in'' records in LBSNs contain rich information of social and geographical context and provide a unique opportunity for researchers to study user's social behavior from a spatial-temporal aspect, which in turn enables a variety of services including place advertisement, traffic forecasting, and disaster relief. In this paper, we propose a social-historical model to explore user's check-in behavior on LBSNs. Our model integrates the social and historical effects and assesses the role of social correlation in user's check-in behavior. In particular, our model captures the property of user's check-in history in forms of power-law distribution and short-term effect, and helps in explaining user's check-in behavior. The experimental results on a real world LBSN demonstrate that our approach properly models user's check-ins and shows how social and historical ties can help location prediction.
The N‐domain of the human CD66a adhesion molecule is a target for Opa proteins of Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Using COS (African green monkey kidney) cells transfected with cDNAs encoding human cell surface molecules, we have identified human cellular receptors for meningococcal virulence‐associated Opa proteins, which are expressed by the majority of disease and carrier isolates. These receptors belong to the immunoglobulin superfamily of adhesion molecules and are expressed on epithelial, endothelial and phagocytic cells. Using soluble chimeric receptor molecules, we have demonstrated that meningococcal Opa proteins bind to the N‐terminal domain of biliary glycoproteins (classified as BGP or CD66a) that belong to the CEA (CD66) family. Moreover, the Opa proteins of the related pathogen Neisseriagonorrhoeae, responsible for urogenital infections, also interact with this receptor, making CD66a a common target for pathogenic neisseriae. Over 95% of Opa‐expressing clinical and mucosal isolates of meningococci and gonococci were shown to bind to the CD66 N‐domain, demonstrating the presence of a conserved receptor‐binding function in the majority of neisserial Opa proteins.
Use of Human Patient Simulation in an Undergraduate Critical Care Course

Human patient simulation provides students with experiences and skills they might not otherwise encounter in a clinical rotation. It also offers an experience during which the time is suspended, thus affording students time to think critically, make decisions, and act, as opposed to the fast-paced hospital environment where students may have neither a clear picture of the situation nor adequate time to act. This article presents the design of a simulation center within a school of nursing along with several areas of considerations for successful implementation of the laboratory. A simulation scenario focusing on the acute coronary syndrome used during a final semester critical care nursing course is described and student evaluation of the experience analyzed. The evaluation includes student assessment of the simulation process for the development of necessary patient care skills and the ability to test decision-making and critical thinking skills. The experience with the initial integration of simulation into the nursing curriculum is discussed, inclusive of opportunities for improvement.
Simple and robust audio-based detection of biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease

This paper demonstrates the feasibility of using a simple and robust automatic method based solely on acoustic features to identify Alzheimer’s disease (AD) with the objective of ultimately developing a low-cost home monitoring system for detecting early signs of AD. Different acoustic features, automatically extracted from speech recordings, are explored. Four different machine learning algorithms are used to calculate the classification accuracy between people with AD and a healthy control (HC) group. Feature selection and ranking is investigated resulting in increased accuracy and a decrease in the complexity of the method. Further improvements have been obtained by mitigating the effect of the background noise via pre-processing. Using DementiaBank data, we achieve a classification accuracy of 94.7% with sensitivity and specificity levels at 97% and 91% respectively. This is an improvement on previous published results whilst being solely audio-based and not requiring speech recognition for automatic transcription.
Detailed study of a transition point in the Veneziano-Wosiek model of Planar Quantum Mechanics

Following a model recently investigated by Veneziano and Wosiek we briefly introduce Planar Quantum Mechanics (PQM). Then, we present high precision numerical results in the sectors with two and three fermions. We confirm, that the transition point in the 't Hooft's coupling constant lambda in these sectors occurs at lambda = 1, as was expected.
Preservice Teachers and Self-Assessing Digital Competence

This study compares matched surveys of subjective self-assessment and objective assessment on seven domains of digital competence for preservice teachers at a large Southwest public university. The results, consistent with earlier studies, confirm that the participating preservice teachers inaccurately self-assessed their digital competence. The study concluded that subjective self-assessment lacks appropriate validity and is not an accurate stand-alone predictor of digital competence among preservice teachers. However, if considered in conjunction with other means, self-assessment may prove to be useful for preservice teachers to aid in their reflection of their competence, skills, and knowledge and to aid them in adjusting their perceptions and attitudes regarding technology throughout their professional practice. In addition, self-assessment in conjunction with other means may assist teacher educators in providing opportunities to improve the competence in teacher training programs.
Pulmonary , gastrointestinal and urogenital pharmacology Targeting sphingosine kinase 1 ( SphK 1 ) and apoptosis by colon-speci fi c delivery formula of resveratrol in treatment of experimental ulcerative colitis in rats

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disorder (IBD) that has an elevated risk of developing into colon cancer. In trials to develop new therapeutic alternatives for UC, it is important to fulfill modifying effects on pathogenic targets and to reach the colon in a high concentration. Thus, the current work has investigated a colon-specific delivery formula of resveratrol in targeting sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) and apoptotic pathways to control pathogenesis and its progression to any expected neoplasm. This work was conducted on 40 Wister albino rats equally divided into 4 groups where group I served as the normal control group. The untreated oxazolone-induced colitis in group II exhibited significant increase in SphK1 activity as well as activity of both myeloperoxidase (MPO) and caspase-3 with concomitant mild DNA fragmentation in colonic tissue. Colonic SphK1 activity showed significant positive correlation with the disease activity index (DAI) and histopathological score in this group. Comparable with treatment by the native resveratrol formula, nRes (group III), treatment by the colonspecific delivery resveratrol formula, cRes (group IV) caused significant decrease in the activity of SphK1 and MPO with massive DNA fragmentation in colonic tissue and non significant change in caspase-3 activity. The lowest DAI and histopathological score have been recorded in the group treated by the colon-specific delivery resveratrol formula. In conclusion, the anti-inflammatory and apoptotic effects of resveratrol could be attributed to its inhibitory effect on sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) providing a useful therapeutic tool to break the link between inflammation and carcinogenesis risk in ulcerative colitis. & 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Combining human volitional control with intrinsic controller on robotic prosthesis: A case study on adaptive slope walking

Affording lower-limb amputees the ability to volitionally control robotic prostheses can improve the adaptability to terrain changes as well as enhancing proprioception. However, it also increases amputees' conscious burdens for prosthesis control. Therefore, in this paper, we aim to propose a hybrid controller which combines human volitional control with the intrinsic controller on the robotic transtibial prosthesis, enabling the amputee actively controlling prosthesis with little conscious attention. In this preliminary study, a hybrid controller for adaptive slope walking was designed. A slope estimator was embedded in the intrinsic controller to estimate the ground slope of the previous step using signals measured by prosthetic sensors. And a myoelectric controller allows the amputee subject to convey slope changes to prosthetic controller by volitionally contract his residual muscles, whose electromyography signals were mapped to the slope increment. The hybrid controller combined these two results to obtain the estimated slope. One male transtibial amputee subject was recruited in this research. Experiment results showed that the intrinsic slope estimator produced satisfactory estimation results with an average absolute error of 0.70 ± 0.54 degrees. By adding amputee's volitional control, the hybrid controller is able to predict the upcoming slope changes.
Human MAIT-cell responses to Escherichia coli: activation, cytokine production, proliferation, and cytotoxicity

Mucosa‐associated invariant T cells are a large and relatively recently described innate‐like antimicrobial T‐cell subset in humans. These cells recognize riboflavin metabolites from a range of microbes presented by evolutionarily conserved major histocompatibility complex, class I‐related molecules. Given the innate‐like characteristics of mucosa‐associated invariant T cells and the novel type of antigens they recognize, new methodology must be developed and existing methods refined to allow comprehensive studies of their role in human immune defense against microbial infection. In this study, we established protocols to examine a range of mucosa‐associated invariant T‐cell functions as they respond to antigen produced by Escherichia coli. These improved and dose‐ and time‐optimized experimental protocols allow detailed studies of MR1‐dependent mucosa‐associated invariant T‐cell responses to Escherichia coli pulsed antigen‐presenting cells, as assessed by expression of activation markers and cytokines, by proliferation, and by induction of apoptosis and death in major histocompatibility complex, class I‐related–expressing target cells. The novel and optimized protocols establish a framework of methods and open new possibilities to study mucosa‐associated invariant T‐cell immunobiology, using Escherichia coli as a model antigen. Furthermore, we propose that these robust experimental systems can also be adapted to study mucosa‐associated invariant T‐cell responses to other microbes and types of antigen‐presenting cells.
SELF-ORGANIZING DATA MINING FOR WEATHER FORECASTING

The rate at which organizations are acquiring data is exploding and managing such data so as to infer useful knowledge that can be put to use is increasingly becoming important. Data Mining (DM) is one such technology that is employed in inferring useful knowledge that can be put to use from a vast amount of data. This paper presents the data mining activity that was employed in weather data prediction or forecasting. The self-organizing data mining approach employed is the enhanced Group Method of Data Handling (e-GMDH). The weather data used for the DM research include daily temperature, daily pressure and monthly rainfall. Experimental results indicate that the proposed approach is useful for data mining technique for forecasting weather data.
Geriatric assessment in general practice using a screening instrument: is it worth the effort? Results of a South Tyrol Study.

BACKGROUND geriatric assessment is a well-established instrument to improve the care of the elderly, but little is known about it in general practice although patients often are known for years. METHODS we used STEP-assessment, an instrument developed by European General Practitioners (GPs), which identifies only problems that can be improved; 37 questions had to be answered by the patient and 4 tests had to be done by the GP. Additionally in the study, GP and patient had to indicate separately which of the problems were seen as relevant and what both accepted to do for improvement. A year later, participating GPs were asked by a not-announced questionnaire to report on improvements and reasons for failure. RESULTS of the 220 eligible GPs, 45 enrolled a random sample of 894 patients (average age 77 years). In all 7.8 out of 32 possible problems per patient were found. Of those, 1.4 problems were not known to the GP. More than two-thirds of the 'new problems' are perceived as relevant by GP, patient or by both. GPs assessed medical problems and patients assessed social/psychological problems as more relevant. The length and quality of the relationship with the patient was reflected in the number of new problems, with fewer new problems in those well-known. A year later, GPs had offered treatment for 47% of the newly diagnosed problems, with a success-rate of 81%. CONCLUSION geriatric screening can detect unidentified problems in general practice. Once detected and dealt with, a high proportion of the undetected problems showed improvement. GPs focussed more on medical, while patients more on psychosocial issues. To increase the outcome of screening, it is necessary to discuss the relevance assessed by the patient.