Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intraoperatively Observed Lacrimal Obstructive Features and Surgical Outcomes in External Dacryocystorhinostomy

Purpose To analyze the features of lacrimal drainage system obstruction confirmed during external dacryocystorhinostomy surgeries and report the surgical outcomes. Methods We reviewed the medical records of a total of 769 cases who underwent external dacryocystorhinostomy for primary lacrimal drainage obstruction between 2005 and 2014. Data about detailed location and extent of obstruction were collected intraoperatively. The sites of obstruction were classified into nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO), common canalicular obstruction (CCO), and canalicular obstruction. Lacrimal sac mucosa and lumen were grossly inspected, and the frequency of lacrimal sac changes, such as significant inflammation or fibrosis, was analyzed in cases of CCO or canalicular obstruction. The surgical success rate was also evaluated including effect of lacrimal sac status in the CCO and canalicular obstruction groups. Results Of 769 cases, primary NLDO with patent canaliculi was diagnosed intraoperatively in 432 cases (56.2%), CCO in 253 (32.9%), and canalicular obstruction in 84 (10.9%). Of 253 cases with CCO, 122 (48.2%) showed clear lacrimal sac lumen, and the other 131 (51.8%) showed significant inflammation or fibrosis of the lacrimal sac. In cases with canalicular obstruction, 35 of 84 (41.7%) showed a clear lacrimal sac, and the other 49 cases (58.3%) cases revealed mucosal changes of the lacrimal sac. The functional success rate was 87.5% for primary NLDO, 75.5% for CCO, and 72.6% for canalicular obstruction. In the CCO group, the functional success rate was lower in cases with significant lacrimal sac change (p = 0.044). Conclusions Even in patients with CCO or canalicular obstruction, a large number of cases have lacrimal sac changes, and those changes were associated with lower functional success rate.
Sex Steroids and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Transgender Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

Background: Transgender individuals receive cross‐sex hormonal therapy to induce desired secondary sexual characteristics despite limited data regarding its effects on cardiovascular health. Methods: A comprehensive search of several databases up to 7 April 2015 was conducted for studies evaluating the effect of sex steroid use on lipids, myocardial infarction, stroke, venous thromboembolism (VTE), and mortality in transgender individuals. Pairs of reviewers selected and appraised the studies. A random‐effects model was used to pool weighted mean differences and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: We found 29 eligible studies with moderate risk of bias. In female‐to‐male (FTM) individuals, sex steroid therapy was associated with statistically significant increases in serum triglyceride (TG) levels at 3 to 6 months and at ≥24 months (21.4 mg/dL; 95% CI: 0.14 to 42.6) and in low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) levels at 12 months and ≥24 months (17.8 mg/dL; 95% CI: 3.5 to 32.1). High‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C) levels decreased significantly across all follow‐up periods (highest at ≥24 months, −8.5 mg/dL; 95% CI: −13.0 to −3.9). In male‐to‐female (MTF) individuals, serum TG levels were significantly higher at ≥24 months (31.9 mg/dL; 95% CI: 3.9 to 59.9) without any changes in other parameters. Few myocardial infarction, stroke, VTE, and death events were reported (more frequently in MTF individuals). Conclusions: Low‐quality evidence suggests that sex steroid therapy may increase LDL‐C and TG levels and decrease HDL‐C level in FTM individuals, whereas oral estrogens may increase TG levels in MTF individuals. Data about important patient outcomes remain sparse.
Ercc1 Deficiency Promotes Tumorigenesis and Increases Cisplatin Sensitivity in a Tp53 Context-Specific Manner

KRAS-mutant lung adenocarcinoma is among the most common cancer entities and, in advanced stages, typically displays poor prognosis due to acquired resistance against chemotherapy, which is still largely based on cisplatin-containing combination regimens. Mechanisms of cisplatin resistance have been extensively investigated, and ERCC1 has emerged as a key player due to its central role in the repair of cisplatin-induced DNA lesions. However, clinical data have not unequivocally confirmed ERCC1 status as a predictor of the response to cisplatin treatment. Therefore, we employed an autochthonous mouse model of Kras-driven lung adenocarcinoma resembling human lung adenocarcinoma to investigate the role of Ercc1 in the response to cisplatin treatment. Our data show that Ercc1 deficiency in Tp53-deficient murine lung adenocarcinoma induces a more aggressive tumor phenotype that displays enhanced sensitivity to cisplatin treatment. Furthermore, tumors that relapsed after cisplatin treatment in our model develop a robust etoposide sensitivity that is independent of the Ercc1 status and depends solely on previous cisplatin exposure. Our results provide a solid rationale for further investigation of the possibility of preselection of lung adenocarcinoma patients according to the functional ERCC1- and mutational TP53 status, where functionally ERCC1-incompetent patients might benefit from sequential cisplatin and etoposide chemotherapy. Implications: This study provides a solid rationale for the stratification of lung adenocarcinoma patients according to the functional ERCC1- and mutational TP53 status, where functionally ERCC1-incompetent patients could benefit from sequential cisplatin and etoposide chemotherapy. Mol Cancer Res; 14(11); 1110–23. ©2016 AACR.
Error Awareness Revisited: Accumulation of Multimodal Evidence from Central and Autonomic Nervous Systems

The differences between erroneous actions that are consciously perceived as errors and those that go unnoticed have recently become an issue in the field of performance monitoring. In EEG studies, error awareness has been suggested to influence the error positivity (Pe) of the response-locked event-related brain potential, a positive voltage deflection prominent approximately 300 msec after error commission, whereas the preceding error-related negativity (ERN) seemed to be unaffected by error awareness. Erroneous actions, in general, have been shown to promote several changes in ongoing autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity, yet such investigations have only rarely taken into account the question of subjective error awareness. In the first part of this study, heart rate, pupillometry, and EEG were recorded during an antisaccade task to measure autonomic arousal and activity of the CNS separately for perceived and unperceived errors. Contrary to our expectations, we observed differences in both Pe and ERN with respect to subjective error awareness. This was replicated in a second experiment, using a modified version of the same task. In line with our predictions, only perceived errors provoke the previously established post-error heart rate deceleration. Also, pupil size yields a more prominent dilatory effect after an erroneous saccade, which is also significantly larger for perceived than unperceived errors. On the basis of the ERP and ANS results as well as brain–behavior correlations, we suggest a novel interpretation of the implementation and emergence of error awareness in the brain. In our framework, several systems generate input signals (e.g., ERN, sensory input, proprioception) that influence the emergence of error awareness, which is then accumulated and presumably reflected in later potentials, such as the Pe.
THE INVISIBLE GAZE: THREE ATTEMPTS TO REPLICATE SHELDRAKE'S STARING EFFECTS

Sheldrake has reported a large number of studies on the feeling of being stared at from behind, mostly conducted in school settings with children aged between 8 and 18. Almost all these studies show that people guess consistently above chance. We did three studies to attempt to replicate Sheldrake’s staring studies under conditions of sensory shielding. Participant input their responses in the computer. In total 188 sessions resulted in 4784 trials. The over-all hitrates were 50.6% (N=53), 52.1% (N=45), and 49.7% (N=37) respectively. Because response bias is believed to confound results for stare and non-stare trials, these are not analyzed separately here, in contrast to Sheldrake’s reports. In study 1 two skeptics and two believers acted as starer. Participants never met the starer who was behind a one-way screen in an adjacent room. Hitrate was marginally significant only for skeptic starers. Extraversion of the participant was irrelevant. It was observed that the most extraverted starer, who was a skeptic, produced the best results. In study 2 participants were being looked at through a hidden camera. Participants never met the starer. The over-all hitrate of 52.1% was not statistically significant. In this study, skin conductance level of the participant was also used as dependent variable. Initially, when participants were not informed of the staring, skin conductance level showed no difference between stare and non-stare trials. After informing the participants, skin conductance level was shown to be marginally higher during stare trials. Study 3 compared hitrates for bonded pairs (friends) with non-bonded (strangers) pairs. All participants acted as starer and staree at either side of a one-way screen, once with a friend and once with a stranger. In neither condition, not the slightest sign of a staring effect could be established. From the results of these three studies we conclude that the staring paradigm is not the easily replicable paradigm that it is claimed to be. Apart from one internal effect all hitrates were very close to chance. Simulations with target sequences identical to those used in earlier studies involving feedback to the starees showed that results of these earlier studies can be explained by a combination of response bias and response strategies rather than psi. Other possible explanations of the failure to replicate concern difference in participants population, type of experimental setting, and rigor of the experimental procedures.
Mineralized soft-tissue structure and chemistry in a mummified hadrosaur from the Hell Creek Formation, North Dakota (USA)

An extremely well-preserved dinosaur (Cf. Edmontosaurus sp.) found in the Hell Creek Formation (Upper Cretaceous, North Dakota) retains soft-tissue replacement structures and associated organic compounds. Mineral cements precipitated in the skin apparently follow original cell boundaries, partially preserving epidermis microstructure. Infrared and electron microprobe images of ossified tendon clearly show preserved mineral zonation, with silica and trapped carbon dioxide forming thin linings on Haversian canals within apatite. Furthermore, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) of materials recovered from the skin and terminal ungual phalanx suggests the presence of compounds containing amide groups. Amino acid composition analyses of the mineralized skin envelope clearly differ from the surrounding matrix; however, intact proteins could not be obtained using protein mass spectrometry. The presence of endogenously derived organics from the skin was further demonstrated by pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry (Py-GCMS), indicating survival and presence of macromolecules that were in part aliphatic (see the electronic supplementary material).
Multimodal smartphone user authentication using touchstroke, phone-movement and face patterns

Recently, researches have shown to employ implicit behavioral biometrics via built-in sensors (e.g., gyroscope) for user identification on smartphones. The majority of prior studies are based on unimodal systems, which suffer from low accuracy, spoofing and lower usability. In this paper, we present an unconstrained and implicit multimodal biometric system for smartphones using touchstroke, phone-movement and face patterns. The proposed framework authenticates the user by taking silently into account micro-movements of the phone1, movements of the user's finger during typing on the touchscreen, and user's face features. We also collected a mobile multimodal dataset of touchstroke and phone-movement patterns in the wild from 95 subjects. Preliminary experimental analysis on accuracy and usability show promising results.
Prevalence and causes of musculoskeletal impairment in Mahabubnagar District, Telangana State, India: results of a population-based survey

Background Musculoskeletal impairments (MSI) are the leading contributor to global years lived with disability. Comparable epidemiological data on MSI is lacking, and are needed to inform health and rehabilitative services. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and causes of MSI in Telangana State, India. Method A population-based survey used probability proportionate to size and compact-segment sampling to select 51 clusters of 80 individuals (all ages). Participants were screened using seven questions and any participant who screened positive underwent standardized examination by a physiotherapist for MSI presence, severity and diagnosis. Data were also collected on vision and hearing impairment, depression and self-reported difficulties with physical functioning. Results The prevalence of MSI was 19.6% (95% CI: 16.7-22.8%) and this increased with age. The majority (82%; 574/699) of MSI was classified as mild, 11% as moderate and 7% as severe. Over half (57%) of MSI diagnoses were acquired non-traumatic causes, with degenerative joint disease being the most common. There was a high unmet need for physiotherapy services (3% attended vs. 40% recommended). One-fifth (21%) of MSI cases also had at least one of vision (10%) or hearing (11%) impairment or depression (3%). Conclusions MSI is common among persons living in Mahabubnagar District, particularly older adults. These estimates can inform public health initiatives for the planning of health and rehabilitation services.
Taking Ecological Function Seriously: Soil Microbial Communities Can Obviate Allelopathic Effects of Released Metabolites

Background Allelopathy (negative, plant-plant chemical interactions) has been largely studied as an autecological process, often assuming simplistic associations between pairs of isolated species. The growth inhibition of a species in filter paper bioassay enriched with a single chemical is commonly interpreted as evidence of an allelopathic interaction, but for some of these putative examples of allelopathy, the results have not been verifiable in more natural settings with plants growing in soil. Methodology/Principal findings On the basis of filter paper bioassay, a recent study established allelopathic effects of m-tyrosine, a component of root exudates of Festuca rubra ssp. commutata. We re-examined the allelopathic effects of m-tyrosine to understand its dynamics in soil environment. Allelopathic potential of m-tyrosine with filter paper and soil (non-sterile or sterile) bioassays was studied using Lactuca sativa, Phalaris minor and Bambusa arundinacea as assay species. Experimental application of m-tyrosine to non-sterile and sterile soil revealed the impact of soil microbial communities in determining the soil concentration of m-tyrosine and growth responses. Conclusions/Significance Here, we show that the allelopathic effects of m-tyrosine, which could be seen in sterilized soil with particular plant species were significantly diminished when non-sterile soil was used, which points to an important role for rhizosphere-specific and bulk soil microbial activity in determining the outcome of this allelopathic interaction. Our data show that the amounts of m-tyrosine required for root growth inhibition were higher than what would normally be found in F. rubra ssp. commutata rhizosphere. We hope that our study will motivate researchers to integrate the role of soil microbial communities in bioassays in allelopathic research so that its importance in plant-plant competitive interactions can be thoroughly evaluated.
Head‐to‐head comparison of 18F‐FP‐CIT and 123I‐FP‐CIT for dopamine transporter imaging in patients with Parkinson's disease: A preliminary study

123I‐FP‐CIT and 18F‐FP‐CIT are radiotracers which are widely used to diagnose Parkinson's disease (PD). However, to our knowledge, no studies to date have made head‐to‐head comparisons between 123I‐FP‐CIT and 18F‐FP‐CIT. Therefore, in this study, 123I‐FP‐CIT SPECT/CT was compared with 18F‐FP‐CIT PET/CT in the same cohort of subjects. Patients with PD and essential tremor (ET) underwent 123I‐FP‐CIT SPECT/CT and 18F‐FP‐CIT PET/CT. Visual and semiquantitative analyses were conducted. The specific binding ratio (SBR) and putamen to caudate ratio (PCR) were compared between subjects who underwent 123I‐FP‐CIT SPECT/CT and 18F‐FP‐CIT PET/CT. Visual analysis showed that the striatal uptake of both radiotracers was decreased in the PD group, whereas striatal uptake was intact in the ET group. The SBR between 123I‐FP‐CIT SPECT/CT and 18F‐FP‐CIT PET/CT showed a positive correlation (r = .78, p < .01). However, the mean SBRs on 18F‐FP‐CIT PET/CT were higher than those on 123I‐FP‐CIT SPECT/CT (2.19 ± .87 and 1.22 ± .49, respectively; p < .01). The PCRs in these two modalities were correlated with each other (r = .71, p < .01). The mean PCRs on 18F‐FP‐CIT PET/CT were not significantly higher than those on 123I‐FP‐CIT SPECT/CT (1.31 ± .19 and 0.98 ± .06, respectively; p = .06). These preliminary results indicate that the uptake of both 123I‐FP‐CIT and 18F‐FP‐CIT was decreased in the PD group when compared with the ET controls. Visual analyses using both methods did not affect the diagnostic accuracy in this study. However, semiquantitative analysis indicated a better contrast of 18F‐FP‐CIT PET/CT relative to 123I‐FP‐CIT SPECT/CT.
Incidence and treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding in general practice

Background Heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) is a common problem in women of reproductive age. In 2008, the Dutch guideline for general practitioners (GPs) was revised to recommend the levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) as a first-choice treatment for HMB. However, GP prescribing practices have not been studied in depth. Objectives To investigate the incidence and initial treatment of HMB in general practice, and to identify if there were changes in prescribing practices after the revision of the national guideline in 2008. Methods Retrospective analysis of data from the Registration Network Groningen, the Netherlands. We selected data for prescriptions and referrals related to women consulting their GP for HMB between 2004 and 2013. We calculated the incidence rates and investigated potential trends in prescribing over time, with particular attention to the prescribing of LNG-IUS. Results Over 10 years, 881 women consulted their GP for HMB, with a mean annual incidence of 9.3 per 1000 person years (95% confidence interval: 8.5-10.2). Most women received hormonal treatment (406/881; 46%) within three months of diagnosis, but many (387/881; 44%) received no medication. The LNG-IUS was prescribed for 2.4%, but there was no significant increase in the number of prescriptions over time. Conclusion In this cohort, most women with HMB were treated with oral hormone therapy, and few received the LNG-IUS. If patients are to benefit from the LNG-IUS, further research is needed into the reasons for this lack of change in prescribing practices.
One-Year Developmental Outcomes for Infants of Mothers With Bipolar Disorder.

OBJECTIVE Few data about the development of infants born to women with bipolar disorder have been published. We hypothesized that infants of women with bipolar disorder (by DSM-IV criteria) treated with psychotropics (BD+) or untreated with psychotropics (BD-) would demonstrate poorer cognitive and behavioral development than infants of controls. On the basis of previous studies, we expected that psychotropic-exposed infants of women in the BD+ group would have poorer neuromotor performance during infancy. METHODS This longitudinal study included 197 mother-infant dyads recruited to participate between July 2006 and March 2011: 81 with prenatal maternal bipolar disorder without psychotropic treatment (BD-, n = 27) or bipolar disorder with psychotropic exposure (BD+, n = 54) and 116 in which infants were exposed to neither bipolar disorder nor psychotropics. Maternal psychopathology and pharmacotherapy exposure assessments were completed at 20, 30, and 36 prenatal weeks and 12, 26, and 52 weeks postpartum. Infants were evaluated with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, Second Edition, which included the psychomotor (Psychomotor Development Index [PDI]), cognitive (Mental Development Index [MDI]), and behavioral (Behavioral Rating Scale [BRS]) components. RESULTS Neither prenatal exposure to BD- or BD+ significantly impacted overall PDI (P = .2449), MDI (P = .7886), or BRS (P = .6072) scores. However, we observed a significant effect of BD+ exposure-by-time interaction for the BRS Motor Quality index (F₂₄₅ = 3.16, P = .0441), with BD+ exposed infants less likely to be above the 75th percentile at the 52-week assessment (mean = 11.5%) compared with BD- (mean = 40.0%) and nonexposed infants (mean = 48.4%). CONCLUSIONS We found no significant impact of prenatal BD- or BD+ exposure on infant PDI, MDI, or overall BRS scores at 12, 26, or 52 weeks of age, with most scores remaining within normal limits. Consistent with previous studies, we found a specific effect of prenatal BD+ exposure on quality of motor functioning at 1 year. However, the majority of infants were within normal limits on this developmental outcome. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00585702.
Comparison of Enterococcus faecium Bacteremic Isolates from Hematologic and Non-hematologic Patients: Differences in Antimicrobial Resistance and Molecular Characteristics

Background Enterococcus faecium, especially vancomycin-resistant E. faecium (VREfm), is a major concern for patients with hematologic diseases. Exposure to antibiotics including fluoroquinolone, which is used as a routine prophylaxis for patients with hematologic (MH) diseases, has been reported to be a risk factor for infection with vancomycin-resistant eneterocci. We compared the characteristics of E. faecium isolates according to their vancomycin susceptibility and patient group (MH vs non-MH patients). Methods A total of 120 E. faecium bacteremic isolates (84 from MH and 36 from non-MH patients) were collected consecutively, and their characteristics (susceptibility, multilocus sequence type [MLST], Tn1546 type, and the presence of virulence genes and plasmids) were determined. Results Among the vancomycin-susceptible E. faecium (VSEfm) isolates, resistance to ampicillin (97.6% vs 61.1%) and high-level gentamicin (71.4% vs 38.9%) was significantly higher in isolates from MH patients than in those from non-MH patients. Notably, hyl, esp, and pEF1071 were present only in isolates with ampicillin resistance. Among the VREfm isolates, ST230 (33.3%) and ST17 (26.2%) were predominant in MH patients, while ST17 (61.1%) was predominant in non-MH patients. Plasmid pLG1 was more prevalent in E. faecium isolates from MH patients than in those from non-MH patients, regardless of vancomycin resistance. Transposon analysis revealed five types across all VREfm isolates. Conclusions The antimicrobial resistance profiles and molecular characteristics of E. faecium isolates differed according to the underlying diseases of patients within the same hospital. We hypothesize that the prophylactic use of fluoroquinolone might have an effect on these differences.