Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Introduction: The benefits of magnesium sulfate for surgical field during endoscopic sinus surgery remain controversial. We conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the influence of magnesium sulfate versus placebo on surgical field during endoscopic sinus surgery. Methods:We search PubMed, EMbase, Web of science, EBSCO, and Cochrane library databases through November 2018 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of magnesium sulfate versus placebo on surgical field during endoscopic sinus surgery. This meta-analysis is performed using the random-effect model. Results: Four RCTs and 404 patients are included in the meta-analysis. Overall, compared with control group endoscopic sinus surgery, magnesium sulfate has remarkably positive impact on surgical field scores (MD= 1.76; 95% CI= 2.33 to 1.18; P< .00001), and intraoperative blood loss (MD= 89.09; 95% CI= 163.20 to 14.97; P= .02), but shows no markedly effect on surgery duration (MD= 7.08; 95% CI= 21.38 to 7.22; P= .33), fentanyl (MD= 0.64; 95% CI= 1.97 to 0.70; P= .35), and vecuronium (MD= 3.64; 95% CI= 10.99 to 3.70; P= .33). Conclusions:Magnesium sulfate exerts positive impact on surgical field and blood loss reduction for endoscopic sinus surgery. Abbreviations: ASA = American Society of Anesthesiologists, CI = confidence interval, RCTs = randomized controlled trials, SMD = standard mean difference.
Indigenous knowledge networks in the face of global change

Significance The knowledge of nonliterate societies may vanish in silence jeopardizing indigenous peoples’ livelihoods. Yet, this cultural component is missed by studies on ecosystem services that have historically emphasized the biological dimension. Here we fill this gap by introducing indigenous knowledge networks representing the wisdom of indigenous people on plant species and the services they provide. This approach allows us to assess how knowledge held by 57 Neotropical indigenous communities is structured locally and regionally, how it is influenced by turnover in biological and cultural heritage, and how the progressive loss of biocultural heritage may undermine the resilience of these communities. Indigenous communities rely extensively on plants for food, shelter, and medicine. It is still unknown, however, to what degree their survival is jeopardized by the loss of either plant species or knowledge about their services. To fill this gap, here we introduce indigenous knowledge networks describing the wisdom of indigenous people on plant species and the services they provide. Our results across 57 Neotropical communities show that cultural heritage is as important as plants for preserving indigenous knowledge both locally and regionally. Indeed, knowledge networks collapse as fast when plant species are driven extinct as when cultural diffusion, either within or among communities, is lost. But it is the joint loss of plant species and knowledge that erodes these networks at a much higher rate. Our findings pave the road toward integrative policies that recognize more explicitly the inseparable links between cultural and biological heritage.
Smoking Cessation and the Risk of Bladder Cancer among Postmenopausal Women

Smoking is the strongest established risk factor for bladder cancer. Former smokers have a lower risk of bladder cancer compared with current smokers, but findings on the dose–response relationship between years after quitting and the risk of bladder cancer are inconsistent. A total of 143,279 postmenopausal women from the Women's Health Initiative Study were included. Cox proportional hazards regression models were applied for estimating age- and multivariable-adjusted HRs and their 95% confidence intervals (CI). There were 870 bladder cancer cases identified over an average of 14.8 years of follow-up. After adjusting for pack-years of smoking, bladder cancer risk among former smokers declined by 25% within the first 10 years of cessation and continued to decrease as cessation time increased but remained higher than never smokers after 30 years of quitting (HR, 1.92; 95% CI, 1.43–2.58). Smokers who quit smoking had a lower risk of bladder cancer compared with current smokers (HR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.40–0.94). We conclude that among postmenopausal women, there is a significant reduction in the risk of bladder cancer after quitting smoking. In addition to primary prevention, smoking cessation is critical to prevent the incidence of bladder cancer in older women.
Relationship of Physical Education Curriculum Implementation and Mathematics Achievement in Chinese Youth

ABSTRACT Purpose: Previous studies indicated a positive association between physical education (PE) and mathematics achievement (MA). This study explored how PE curriculum implementation relates to MA using data from the China National Assessment of Education Quality (CNAEQ) in 2015, including Mathematics (CNAEQ-MA 2015) as well as Physical Education & Health (CNAEQ-PEH 2015). Method: This study included 22,619 students (48.7% girls) age 13.96 ± 0.64 yr. from the national sample of Grade 8 students from CNAEQ. During 2015, MA and cardiorespiratory fitness (CF) were assessed. PE curriculum implementation, personal hygiene, eating habits, PE interest, mathematics interest, and self-confidence were collected via a self-report student survey. Personal hygiene and eating habits were combined to create the latent variable, healthy lifestyle (HL). Structural equation modeling was applied to examine the associations. Socioeconomic status, school location, Body Mass Index (BMI), and sex were all controlled. Results: PE curriculum implementation had an indirect, positive association with MA through CF, HL-mathematics interest, and HL-mathematics self-confidence. Together, the model explained 27.8% of the variance in MA. Conclusion: PE curriculum implementation may benefit mathematics education, and this link is mainly through HL, CF, mathematics interest, and self-confidence.
1 TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY AND ITS DETERMINANTS OF MICRO FINANCE INSTITUTIONS IN ETHIOPIA : A STOCHASTIC FRONTIER APPROACH

By employing the Malmquist productivity index this study attempts to examine the total factor producti vity change in the Ethiopian micro finance institutions (MFIs) using a balanced panel dataset of 114 observations from 19 micro finance institutions ov er the period 2004-2009. The selection of inputs an d outputs for the study is based on the dual objectiv s of MFIs viz outreach and sustainability framewor k which is in line with the prior study of (Gutierrez et al 2007, 2009). Consequently, we specify two inputs and three outputs; the number of employees, and ope rating expenses are specified as inputs whereas the outputs are interests and fee income, gross loan po rtfoli , and number of loans outstanding (number). The result of the study indicated that over the period the malmquist productivity change experienced by th e micro finance industry as a whole has averaged 3.8 % annually. With the exception of the year 2004-200 5 (slight decline in productivity, which was 0.2 perc nt) the micro finance industry has reported productivity progress in the study period(i.e produ ctivity rose of 5.5 percent, 5.8 percent,0.3 percen t and 7.7 percent in the years 2005-2006, 2006-2007, 2007-200 8 and 2008-2009 respectively. It is apparent from t he analysis that the main source of total factor prod uctivity (TFP) growth for the MFIs was attributed t o the technical efficiency change(10.1 percent increase) the result depicted that 16 out of 19 MFIs ( ab out 84 %) has shown improvement in technical efficienc y changes. In contrast, only 5 out of 19 (26.3%) MFIs have shown improvement in technological change but still the industry as a whole has exhibited a decline in technological change (5.8 percent decrea se over the period) and suggested that there has be en a deterioration in the performance of the best practi cing micro finance institutions. Further the result showed that pure technical efficiency increased by 8.9 pe rcent while scale efficiency contributed on average 1.1 percent increase and hence suggested that during th e study period the Ethiopian MFIs have experienced mainly an increment of pure technical efficiency( i mprovement in management practices) rather than an improvement in optimum size(scale efficiency change ). Generally, an important implication for the Ethiopian micro finance industry is that they need to pursue a technological progress in order to meet the dual objectives of reaching many poor people and fi ancial sustainability.
Understanding the Temporal Dynamics of Recommendations across Different Rating Scales

Libraries have large growing book collections and users have difficulty in browsing the whole collection when choosing new books to read, particularly when looking for books without a defined goal. In this case, recommendation systems are useful and play an important role in improving library usability. Recommendations are based on ratings and the quality of recommendations depends on the quality of the ratings. Studies show that users rate more items if scales have smaller granularity. In this paper, we propose a different rating scale for the book recommendation scenario in a collaborative filtering set-up and study how time influences rating relevance. Our findings suggest that the collaborative filtering algorithm benefits from a rating scale with smaller granularity. Moreover, if some conditions are met, rating prediction quality can be improved if we give lower weight to older ratings.
A comparison of minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion and decompression alone for degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis.

OBJECTIVEThe optimal minimally invasive surgery (MIS) approach for grade 1 lumbar spondylolisthesis is not clearly elucidated. In this study, the authors compared the 24-month patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after MIS transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) and MIS decompression for degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis.METHODSA total of 608 patients from 12 high-enrolling sites participating in the Quality Outcomes Database (QOD) lumbar spondylolisthesis module underwent single-level surgery for degenerative grade 1 lumbar spondylolisthesis, of whom 143 underwent MIS (72 MIS TLIF [50.3%] and 71 MIS decompression [49.7%]). Surgeries were classified as MIS if there was utilization of percutaneous screw fixation and placement of a Wiltse plane MIS intervertebral body graft (MIS TLIF) or if there was a tubular decompression (MIS decompression). Parameters obtained at baseline through at least 24 months of follow-up were collected. PROs included the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), numeric rating scale (NRS) for back pain, NRS for leg pain, EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) questionnaire, and North American Spine Society (NASS) satisfaction questionnaire. Multivariate models were constructed to adjust for patient characteristics, surgical variables, and baseline PRO values.RESULTSThe mean age of the MIS cohort was 67.1 ± 11.3 years (MIS TLIF 62.1 years vs MIS decompression 72.3 years) and consisted of 79 (55.2%) women (MIS TLIF 55.6% vs MIS decompression 54.9%). The proportion in each cohort reaching the 24-month follow-up did not differ significantly between the cohorts (MIS TLIF 83.3% and MIS decompression 84.5%, p = 0.85). MIS TLIF was associated with greater blood loss (mean 108.8 vs 33.0 ml, p < 0.001), longer operative time (mean 228.2 vs 101.8 minutes, p < 0.001), and longer length of hospitalization (mean 2.9 vs 0.7 days, p < 0.001). MIS TLIF was associated with a significantly lower reoperation rate (14.1% vs 1.4%, p = 0.004). Both cohorts demonstrated significant improvements in ODI, NRS back pain, NRS leg pain, and EQ-5D at 24 months (p < 0.001, all comparisons relative to baseline). In multivariate analyses, MIS TLIF-as opposed to MIS decompression alone-was associated with superior ODI change (β = -7.59, 95% CI -14.96 to -0.23; p = 0.04), NRS back pain change (β = -1.54, 95% CI -2.78 to -0.30; p = 0.02), and NASS satisfaction (OR 0.32, 95% CI 0.12-0.82; p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONSFor symptomatic, single-level degenerative spondylolisthesis, MIS TLIF was associated with a lower reoperation rate and superior outcomes for disability, back pain, and patient satisfaction compared with posterior MIS decompression alone. This finding may aid surgical decision-making when considering MIS for degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis.
Log Diameter Rounds Algorithms for 2-Vertex and 2-Edge Connectivity

Many modern parallel systems, such as MapReduce, Hadoop and Spark, can be modeled well by the MPC model. The MPC model captures well coarse-grained computation on large data --- data is distributed to processors, each of which has a sublinear (in the input data) amount of memory and we alternate between rounds of computation and rounds of communication, where each machine can communicate an amount of data as large as the size of its memory. This model is stronger than the classical PRAM model, and it is an intriguing question to design algorithms whose running time is smaller than in the PRAM model. In this paper, we study two fundamental problems, $2$-edge connectivity and $2$-vertex connectivity (biconnectivity). PRAM algorithms which run in $O(\log n)$ time have been known for many years. We give algorithms using roughly log diameter rounds in the MPC model. Our main results are, for an $n$-vertex, $m$-edge graph of diameter $D$ and bi-diameter $D'$, 1) a $O(\log D\log\log_{m/n} n)$ parallel time $2$-edge connectivity algorithm, 2) a $O(\log D\log^2\log_{m/n}n+\log D'\log\log_{m/n}n)$ parallel time biconnectivity algorithm, where the bi-diameter $D'$ is the largest cycle length over all the vertex pairs in the same biconnected component. Our results are fully scalable, meaning that the memory per processor can be $O(n^{\delta})$ for arbitrary constant $\delta>0$, and the total memory used is linear in the problem size. Our $2$-edge connectivity algorithm achieves the same parallel time as the connectivity algorithm of Andoni et al. (FOCS 2018). We also show an $\Omega(\log D')$ conditional lower bound for the biconnectivity problem.
Cosmological Implications of the Uncertainty in H– Destruction Rate Coefficients

In primordial gas, molecular hydrogen forms primarily through associative detachment of H- and H, thereby destroying the H-. The H- anion can also be destroyed by a number of other reactions, most notably by mutual neutralization with protons. However, neither the associative detachment nor the mutual neutralization rate coefficients are well determined: both may be uncertain by as much as an order of magnitude. This introduces a corresponding uncertainty into the H2 formation rate, which may have cosmological implications. Here we examine the effect that these uncertainties have on the formation of H2 and the cooling of protogalactic gas in a variety of situations. We show that the effect is particularly large for protogalaxies forming in previously ionized regions, affecting our predictions of whether or not a given protogalaxy can cool and condense within a Hubble time, and altering the strength of the ultraviolet background that is required to prevent collapse.
Synchronization Control of Interconnected Systems with applications to Neuronal Models

Synchronization Control of Interconnected Systems with applications to Neuronal Models Farhan Khan Master of Applied Science Graduate Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering University of Toronto 2015 This thesis investigates the control of synchronization for a general class of compartmental models. The system consists of interconnected compartments. Each compartment is an interconnection of subsystems called species, which are modeled as input-output operators in the extended L2 space. Compartmental models are ubiquitous in biological networks modeling. The distinctive feature of this thesis is the presence of an external feedback loop that can be used to modify the behavior of the network. Our main results provide controllable bounds on the level of synchrony of the network. The problem of selecting the feedback parameters to achieve the desired bounds is also addressed and the approach is applied to a number of neuronal network models. The application is motivated by the feedback control of pathological synchronization of neuron firing in the brain, often responsible for neurological diseases such as Parkinsons.
Pleural effusion as a substitute for tumor tissue in detecting EGFR/ALK mutations in non-small cell lung cancer

Background: Pleural effusion (PE) has been reported useful in many studies for testing epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with variable results. This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to elucidate whether PE could be used as a surrogate for tumor tissue to detect EGFR mutations. Methods: We extracted 2 × 2 diagnostic table from each included study and calculated data on specificity, sensitivity, negative likelihood ratio (NLR), positive likelihood ratio (PLR) ,and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR). We used the area under curve (AUC) and summary receiver operating characteristic curve (SROC) to summarize the overall diagnostic performance and assessed publication bias by Deeks’ funnel plot. Results: Our meta-analysis included 15 eligible publications. The following summary estimates for diagnostic parameters of the EGFR mutations detection in PE were made: sensitivity, 0.86 (95%CI 0.83–0.89); specificity, 0.93 (95%CI 0.91–0.95); PLR, 8.53 (95%CI 5,94–12.25); NLR, 0.18 (95%CI 0.13–0.25); DOR, 63.40 (95%CI 38.83–103.51); and AUC, 0.94. Funnel plot indicated publication bias insignificant. Conclusions: The meta-analysis suggests that EGFR mutation detecting in PE, especially supernatants, is a promising surrogate for tumor tissue in EGFR mutations testing of patients with NSCLC.
Personality traits and negative consequences associated with binge drinking and marijuana use in college students

ABSTRACT Background: Binge drinking is common in college students, and many drink in quantities greater than the standard definition of bingeing. Combined use of additional substances, particularly marijuana, is also common. Objectives: Increased impulsivity and sensation seeking are risk factors for bingeing, and this study was designed to characterize their association with extreme compared to standard bingeing, as well as with combined bingeing and marijuana use. Negative consequences of alcohol use were also investigated. Methods: Self-report personality measures and a measure of the negative consequences of alcohol use were given to a sample of 221 college students (109 females) sorted into a control and 4 binge groups based upon their patterns of bingeing and marijuana use. Narrowly defined, non-overlapping measures of impulsivity and sensation seeking were analyzed to assess the association of these personality measures with substance-use patterns and negative consequences of bingeing. Results: Standard bingers did not differ from non-bingeing controls on either impulsivity or sensation seeking, whereas extreme bingers had significantly higher impulsivity and sensation seeking scores than controls and also significantly higher sensation seeking than standard bingers. Exploratory analyses of a broader set of personality scales showed that a disinhibition scale was also significant predictor of substance use group. A number of personality traits significantly predicted substance use patterns as well as specific negative consequences of bingeing. Conclusions: Impulsivity, sensation seeking and disinhibition are significant associates of substance use patterns and the negative consequences of use in college students.
Personality Trait Predictive Utility and Stability in Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) for Major Depression: Dissociation of Neuroticism and Self-Criticism

Background: Cost-efficient and non-invasive predictors of antidepressant response to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) are required. The personality vulnerabilities—neuroticism and self-criticism—are associated with antidepressant outcomes in other modalities; however, self-criticism has not been examined in response to rTMS, and the literature on neuroticism and rTMS is inconsistent. Methods: This naturalistic, 4-week study involved daily dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLFPC) rTMS for major depression (15 unipolar, 2 bipolar). Participants completed the Big Five Inventory (neuroticism) and the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (self-criticism) at baseline and at the end of treatment. Changes in depressive symptoms, as rated by the clinician, were quantified using the 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Given the inconsistencies in data regarding the stability of neuroticism in patients receiving rTMS, we performed a systematic review and quantitative meta-analysis of trials examining rTMS and neuroticism. Results: rTMS significantly improved depressive symptoms, and this was predicted by higher levels of self-criticism but not neuroticism. Self-criticism was stable over the 4 weeks of rTMS; however, neuroticism decreased, and this was not related to decreases in depressive symptoms. Our quantitative meta-analysis of 4 rTMS trials in major depression (n = 52 patients) revealed decreases in neuroticism, with a moderate effect size. Limitations: Our results are limited by a small sample size, and the absence of a sham-rTMS group. Our meta-analysis included only 4 trials. Conclusion: Highly self-critical patients appear to benefit more from rTMS than less self-critical patients. Neuroticism, a conceptually similar but distinct personality domain, does not appear to predict antidepressant response, yet this vulnerability factor for depression decreases after rTMS.
Effect of dexmedetomidine on postoperative cognitive dysfunction and inflammation in patients after general anaesthesia

Background: Neuroprotective effects of dexmedetomidine are reported in preclinical and clinical studies but evidence regarding the postoperative neurocognitive function is still unclear. This study performed a meta-analysis on outcomes of studies which examined neurocognitive performance and inflammatory factors to investigate the effects of dexmedetomidine on postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) and inflammation in patients after general anaesthesia. Methods: Literatures were searched in several electronic databases and studies were selected by following precise inclusion criteria. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, China Academic Journals full-text database (CNKI), and Google Scholar to find randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of the influence of dexmedetomidine on POCD and inflammation in patients who had undergone general anaesthesia. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and evaluated quality of methodology against inclusion and exclusion criteria. Meta-analyses of pooled ORs of POCD incidences and mean differences in neurocognitive assessment scores and inflammation levels were carried out and subgroup analyses were performed. Stata 12.0 was used to conduct our meta-analysis. Results: Twenty-six RCTs were included. Compared with controls, perioperative dexmedetomidine treatment significantly reduced the incidence of POCD (pooled ORs = 0.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.45–2.95) and improved Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 1.74, 95% CI 0.43–3.05) on the first postoperative day. Furthermore, perioperative dexmedetomidine treatment significantly decreased IL-6 (SMD = −1.31, 95% CI −1.87–0.75, P < .001) and TNF-&agr; (SMD = −2.14, 95% CI −3.14–1.14, P < .001) compared to saline/comparators treatment. In the stratified analysis by surgical type, age, type of control, and study region, the differences were also significant between dexmedetomidine- and saline-treated patients. Conclusion: Perioperative dexmedetomidine treatment is associated with significantly reduced incidence of POCD and inflammation and better neurocognitive function postoperatively in comparison with both saline controls and comparator anaesthetics.