Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
“No High Like a Brownie High”: A Content Analysis of Edible Marijuana Tweets

Purpose: To investigate tweets about marijuana edibles for surveillance into the content of edibles-related tweets among individuals socially networking about this topic on Twitter. Design: Cross-sectional analysis of tweets containing edible marijuana-related key words during 1 month. Setting: Twitter. Participants: Tweets sent during January 1 to 31, 2015. Methods: A random sample of 5000 tweets containing edibles-related key words was coded for sentiment (positive, negative, and neutral) by crowdsourced workers. Tweets normalizing or promoting edibles use were further analyzed, and demographic characteristics of the Twitter handles sending these tweets were inferred. Results: Of the 5000 tweets, 4166 (83%) were about marijuana edibles, and of those 75% (3134 of 4166) normalized or encouraged edibles use. Nearly half (48%, 1509 of 3134) of the tweets normalizing edibles mentioned wanting or planning to consume, currently consuming, or recently consuming edibles, and 12% (378 of 3134) described the intense or long-lasting effects following use. Individuals whose tweets promoted/encouraged edibles use were more likely to be young (between 17 and 24 years old) and of a racial/ethnic minority (52% black; 12% Hispanic) when compared to the Twitter average. Conclusion: Tweets that normalize edibles use have the potential to increase their popularity. The prevalence of tweets about edibles’ intense high could have implications for tailoring prevention messages that could be important for youth and young adult minorities who were inferred to be disproportionately socially networking about edibles on Twitter.
Neutralizing formaldehyde in chicken cadaver with urea and urea fertilizer solution

This study demonstrated the potential of using urea and urea fertilizer to neutralize formaldehyde (Fd) in chicken cadavers. Initially, in vitro Fd neutralization with various concentrations of urea solution (US) and urea fertilizer solution (UFS) was conducted; subsequently, 18% US and 27% UFS were selected for infusing into the formalinized chickens. The measurement at 48 hr after infusion showed that both solutions could effectively lower Fd in chicken cadavers to below a permissible exposure limit without affecting cadaveric and histological quality. In addition, neutralizing power of 18% US was approximately 1.3 times that of 27% UFS. This is the first demonstration of neutralizing potential of US and UFS against Fd both in vitro and in vivo.
A rapid bio‐optical sensor for diagnosing Q fever in clinical specimens

Recent zoonotic outbreaks, such as Zika, Middle East respiratory syndrome and Ebola, have highlighted the need for rapid and accurate diagnostic assays that can be used to aid pathogen control. Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by the transmission of Coxiella burnetii that can cause serious illness in humans through aerosols and is considered a potential bioterrorism agent. However, the existing assays are not suitable for the detection of this pathogen due to its low levels in real samples. We here describe a rapid bio‐optical sensor for the accurate detection of Q fever and validate its clinical utility. By combining a bio‐optical sensor, that transduces the presence of the target DNA based on binding‐induced changes in the refractive index on the waveguide surface in a label‐free and real‐time manner, with isothermal DNA amplification, this new diagnostic tool offers a rapid (<20 min), 1‐step DNA amplification/detection method. We confirmed the clinical sensitivity (>90%) of the bio‐optical sensor by detecting C. burnetii in 11 formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded liver biopsy samples from acute Q fever hepatitis patients and in 16 blood plasma samples from patients in which Q fever is the cause of fever of unknown origin.
Altered Macular Microvasculature in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer Disease

Background: The goal of the present study was to analyze the macular microvacular network in mild cognitive impirment (MCI) and Alzheimer disease (AD). Methods: Twelve patients with AD and 19 patients with MCI were recruited together with 21 cognitively normal controls with a similar range of ages. Optical coherence tomography angiography was used to image the retinal microvascular network at the macular region, including retinal vascular network (RVN), superficial vascular plexus (SVP), and deep vascular plexus (DVP). Fractal analysis (box counting, Dbox) representing the microvascular density was performed in different annular zones and quadrantal sectors. The macular ganglion cell–inner plexiform layer (GC-IPL) thickness was measured using Zeiss OCT. The relationship between the retinal microvasculature and clinical manifestations was analyzed. Results: Patients with AD had lower densities of RVN, SVP, and DVP in the annulus, from 0.6 to 2.5 mm in diameter (P < 0.05) in comparison with controls. Patients with MCI had lower density of DVP in the superior nasal quadrant (P < 0.05) than that of the controls. There were no significant differences of GC-IPL thickness among groups (P > 0.05). There was a trend of vascular density loss from control to MCI then AD (P < 0.05). Retinal microvascular density of DVP was correlated with GC-IPL thickness (P < 0.05) in patients with AD, but not in patients with MCI and controls. Conclusions: Patients with AD had less density of retinal microvascular networks than controls. Our findings suggest the presence of retinal microvascular dysfunction in AD.
A novel, view-independent method for strain mapping in myocardial elastography: eliminating angle and centroid dependence

Robust indices of regional and global cardiac function are a key factor in detection and treatment of heart disease as well as understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of a healthy heart. Myocardial elastography provides a noninvasive method for imaging and measuring displacement and strain of the myocardium for the early detection of cardiovascular disease. However, two-dimensional in-plane axial and lateral strains measured depend on the sonographic view used. This becomes especially critical in a clinical setting and may induce large variations in the measured strains, potentially leading to false diagnoses. A novel method in myocardial elastography is proposed for eliminating this view dependence by deriving the polar, principal and classified principal strains. The performance of the proposed methodology is assessed by employing 3D finite-element left-ventricular models of a control and an ischemic canine heart. Although polar strains are angle-independent, they are sensitive to the selected reference coordinate system, which requires the definition of a centroid of the left ventricle (LV). In contrast, principal strains derived through eigenvalue decomposition exhibit the inherent characteristic of coordinate system independence, offering view (i.e., angle and centroid)-independent strain measurements. Classified principal strains are obtained by assigning the principal components in the physical ventricular coordinate system. An extensive strain analysis illustrates the improvement in interpretation and visualization of the full-field myocardial deformation by using the classified principal strains, clearly depicting the ischemic and non-ischemic regions. Strain maps, independent of sonographic views and imaging planes, that can be used to accurately detect regional contractile dysfunction are demonstrated.
Neurophysiological dynamics of phrase-structure building during sentence processing

Significance According to most linguists, the syntactic structure of sentences involves a tree-like hierarchy of nested phrases, as in the sentence [happy linguists] [draw [a diagram]]. Here, we searched for the neural implementation of this hypothetical construct. Epileptic patients volunteered to perform a language task while implanted with intracranial electrodes for clinical purposes. While patients read sentences one word at a time, neural activation in left-hemisphere language areas increased with each successive word but decreased suddenly whenever words could be merged into a phrase. This may be the neural footprint of “merge,” a fundamental tree-building operation that has been hypothesized to allow for the recursive properties of human language. Although sentences unfold sequentially, one word at a time, most linguistic theories propose that their underlying syntactic structure involves a tree of nested phrases rather than a linear sequence of words. Whether and how the brain builds such structures, however, remains largely unknown. Here, we used human intracranial recordings and visual word-by-word presentation of sentences and word lists to investigate how left-hemispheric brain activity varies during the formation of phrase structures. In a broad set of language-related areas, comprising multiple superior temporal and inferior frontal sites, high-gamma power increased with each successive word in a sentence but decreased suddenly whenever words could be merged into a phrase. Regression analyses showed that each additional word or multiword phrase contributed a similar amount of additional brain activity, providing evidence for a merge operation that applies equally to linguistic objects of arbitrary complexity. More superficial models of language, based solely on sequential transition probability over lexical and syntactic categories, only captured activity in the posterior middle temporal gyrus. Formal model comparison indicated that the model of multiword phrase construction provided a better fit than probability-based models at most sites in superior temporal and inferior frontal cortices. Activity in those regions was consistent with a neural implementation of a bottom-up or left-corner parser of the incoming language stream. Our results provide initial intracranial evidence for the neurophysiological reality of the merge operation postulated by linguists and suggest that the brain compresses syntactically well-formed sequences of words into a hierarchy of nested phrases.
Incidence, patterns and risk factors for injuries among Ugandan children

ABSTRACT There is limited epidemiological data on childhood injuries in developing countries. This study assessed the incidence, patterns and risk factors for injuries among children aged 0–5 years in Wakiso District, Uganda. To determine differences, chi-square and Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used. Risk factors were assessed using Poisson regression. Overall, information from 359 children of mean age 32 months (SD: 18.4) was collected. Annual incidence of injuries was 69.8 per 1000 children/year (95% CI 58.8–80.8). One fatal injury due to burns was reported. Incidence of injuries was less associated with being female (IRR: 0.56, 95% CI 0.34–0.90) and increasing age of the caretaker (IRR: 0.96, 95% CI 0.92–0.99). The high incidence of childhood injuries necessitates the need for interventions to reduce injuries among children.
An investigation of the hole machining processes on woven carbon-fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) using abrasive waterjets

ABSTRACT An investigation of the hole cutting and drilling processes on woven carbon-fiber reinforced polymer sheets using abrasive waterjet (AWJ) is presented. The drilling process uses a stationary AWJ to impinge a target material to make a hole, while the cutting process requires an AWJ to penetrate the workpiece before moving in a circular path to cut a hole. It is found that the holes machined by both the processes exhibit similar geometrical features, where the diameter at the top is greater than at the bottom. It is further found that the holes from the drilling process have a better roundness than those from cutting process primarily due to the jet instability during cutting movement. Plausible trends of the hole characteristics (e.g., diameter and wall inclination) and defects (e.g., delamination) with respect to the process parameters are discussed. It is shown that water pressure is the major parameter affecting hole defects. The hole drilling process yields more severe defects than the cutting process because of the initial impact of the jet. Predictive models for machined hole diameter in both processes are developed. The model predictions are in good agreement with the experimental data under the corresponding conditions.
Risk and resiliency factors related to body dissatisfaction and disordered eating: The identity disruption model

OBJECTIVE The current study examined a theoretical model (the identity disruption model) linking negative early life experiences to body dissatisfaction and disordered eating via self-concept clarity and sociocultural factors (internalization of beauty ideals and appearance comparison tendencies). METHOD 1,023 participants (52% women) completed a series of questionnaires online, including measures of negative early life experiences and childhood abuse, self-concept clarity, internalization of beauty ideals, appearance comparison tendencies, sociocultural pressure to improve one's appearance, body dissatisfaction, and disordered eating. RESULTS Structural equation modeling indicated that self-reported early adversity was associated with lower self-concept clarity, which in turn was associated with greater internalization of beauty ideals and more frequent appearance comparisons. Internalization and appearance comparisons were associated with body image concerns, which in turn were associated with disordered eating and exercise behaviors. There were few sex differences in these paths. DISCUSSION These findings provide initial conceptual support for the identity disruption model and extend previous models of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating to include processes that occur earlier in life. This model opens up the possibility for new interventions that are targeted toward those who are most vulnerable to developing body dissatisfaction and disordered eating.
Author ’ s Accepted Manuscript The Effect of Social Networking Sites on the Relationship Between Perceived Social Support and Depression

This study examined whether Social Networking Sites (SNSs) have a negative moderator effect on the established relationship between perceived social support and depression in psychiatric inpatients. Survey instruments assessing for depression, perceived social support, and SNS use, were filled out by 301 psychiatric inpatients. Additional data on age, gender, and primary psychiatric diagnosis were collected. A step-wise multiple regression analysis was performed to determine significant interactions. There was no significant interaction of SNS use on the relationship between perceived social support and depression when measured by Social Media Use Integration Scale or by hours of SNS use per day. There was a significant negative relationship between perceived social support and depression, and a significant positive relationship between hours of SNS use per day and depression, measured by the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Limitations include a gender discrepancy among participants, generalizability, recall bias, and SNS measurement. This is the first study to look at SNS use and depression in psychiatric inpatients. SNS use did not affect perceived social support or the protective relationship between perceived social support and depression. Hours of SNS use per day were correlated with depression scores. Future studies between SNS use and depression should quantify daily SNS use.
Individual Variability of the System‐Level Organization of the Human Brain

Abstract Recent functional magnetic resonance imaging‐based resting‐state functional connectivity analyses of group average data have characterized large‐scale systems that represent a high level in the organizational hierarchy of the human brain. These systems are likely to vary spatially across individuals, even after anatomical alignment, but the characteristics of this variance are unknown. Here, we characterized large‐scale brain systems across two independent datasets of young adults. In these individuals, we were able to identify brain systems that were similar to those described in the group average, and we observed that individuals had consistent topological arrangement of the system features present in the group average. However, the size of system features varied across individuals in systematic ways, such that expansion of one feature of a given system predicted expansion of other parts of the system. Individual‐specific systems also contained unique topological features not present in group average systems; some of these features were consistent across a minority of individuals. These effects were observed even after controlling for data quality and for the accuracy of anatomical registration. The variability characterized here has important implications for cognitive neuroscience investigations, which often assume the functional equivalence of aligned brain regions across individuals.
Postoperative analgesia after pulmonary resection with a focus on video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery is a widespread technique that has been linked to improved postoperative respiratory function, reduced hospital length of stay and a higher level of tolerability for the patients. Acute postoperative pain is of considerable significance, and the late development of neuropathic pain syndrome is also an issue. As anaesthesiologists, we have investigated the available evidence to optimize postoperative pain management. An opioid-sparing multimodal approach is highly recommended. Loco-regional techniques such as the thoracic epidural and peripheral blocks can be performed. Several adjuvants have been employed with varying degrees of success both intravenously and in combination with local anesthetics. Opioids with different pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profiles can be used, either through continuous infusion or on demand. Non-opioid analgesics are also beneficial. Finally, perioperative gabapentinoids may be implemented to prevent the onset of chronic neuropathic pain.
FIB‐4 stage of liver fibrosis predicts incident heart failure among HIV‐infected and uninfected patients

Liver fibrosis is common, particularly in individuals who are infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HIV‐infected individuals have excess congestive heart failure (CHF) risk compared with uninfected people. It remains unknown whether liver fibrosis stage influences the CHF risk or if HIV or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection modifies this association. Our objectives were to assess whether 1) stage of liver fibrosis is independently associated with incident CHF and 2) the association between stage of liver fibrosis and incident CHF is modified by HIV/HCV status. Participants alive on or after April 1, 2003, in the Veterans Aging Cohort Study were included. Those without prevalent cardiovascular disease were followed until their first CHF event, death, last follow‐up date, or December 31, 2011. Liver fibrosis was measured using the fibrosis 4 index (FIB‐4), which is calculated using age, aminotransferases, and platelets. Cox proportional hazards regression models were adjusted for cardiovascular disease risk factors. Among 96,373 participants over 6.9 years, 3844 incident CHF events occurred. FIB‐4 between 1.45 and 3.25 (moderate fibrosis) and FIB‐4 > 3.25 (advanced fibrosis/cirrhosis) were associated with CHF (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval], 1.17 [1.07‐1.27] and 1.65 [1.43‐1.92], respectively). The association of advanced fibrosis/cirrhosis and incident CHF persisted regardless of HIV/HCV status. Conclusion: Moderate and advanced liver fibrosis/cirrhosis are associated with an increased risk of CHF. The association for advanced fibrosis/cirrhosis persists even among participants without hepatitis C and/or HIV infection. Assessing liver health may be important for reducing the risk of future CHF events, particularly among HIV and hepatitis C infected people among whom cardiovascular disease risk is elevated and liver disease is common. (Hepatology 2017;66:1286‐1295)
Caspr Controls the Temporal Specification of Neural Progenitor Cells through Notch Signaling in the Developing Mouse Cerebral Cortex

Abstract The generation of layer‐specific neurons and astrocytes by radial glial cells during development of the cerebral cortex follows a precise temporal sequence, which is regulated by intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The molecular mechanisms controlling the timely generation of layer‐specific neurons and astrocytes remain not fully understood. In this study, we show that the adhesion molecule contactin‐associated protein (Caspr), which is involved in the maintenance of the polarized domains of myelinated axons, is essential for the timing of generation of neurons and astrocytes in the developing mouse cerebral cortex. Caspr is expressed by radial glial cells, which are neural progenitor cells that generate both neurons and astrocytes. Absence of Caspr in neural progenitor cells delays the production cortical neurons and induces precocious formation of cortical astrocytes, without affecting the numbers of progenitor cells. At the molecular level, Caspr cooperates with the intracellular domain of Notch to repress transcription of the Notch effector Hes1. Suppression of Notch signaling via a Hes1 shRNA rescues the abnormal neurogenesis and astrogenesis in Caspr‐deficient mice. These findings establish Caspr as a novel key regulator that controls the temporal specification of cell fate in radial glial cells of the developing cerebral cortex through Notch signaling.
Environmental Pollution by Benzene and PM10 and Clinical Manifestations of Systemic Sclerosis: A Correlation Study

Atmospheric air pollution has been associated with a range of adverse health effects. The environment plays a causative role in the development of Systemic Sclerosis (SSc). The aim of the present study is to explore the association between particulate (PM10) and benzene (B) exposure in Italian patients with systemic sclerosis and their clinical characteristics of the disease. A correlation study was conducted by enrolling 88 patients who suffer from SSc at the Fondazione Policlinico “A. Gemelli” in Rome (Italy) in the period from January 2013 to January 2014. The average mean concentrations of B (in 11 monitoring sites) and PM10 (in 14 sites) were calculated using data from the Regional Environmental Protection Agency’s monitoring stations located throughout the Lazio region (Italy) and then correlated with the clinical characteristics of the SSc patients. Of the study sample, 92.5% were female. The mean age was 55 ± 12.9 years old and the mean disease duration from the onset of Raynaud’s phenomenon was 13.0 ± 9.4 years. The Spearman’s correlation showed that concentrations of B correlate directly with the skin score (R = 0.3; p ≤ 0.05) and inversely with Diffusing Lung Carbon Monoxide (DLCO) results (R = −0.36; p = 0.04). This study suggests a possible role of B in the development of diffuse skin disease and in a worse progression of the lung manifestations of SSc.