Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In siblings with similar genetic susceptibility for inflammatory bowel disease, smokers tend to develop Crohn's disease and non-smokers develop ulcerative colitis

Background and aims: Smoking tobacco has opposite effects on the different forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It predisposes to the development of Crohn's disease (CD) yet is associated with a reduced incidence of ulcerative colitis (UC). We have studied sib pairs discordant for both smoking and IBD phenotype (UC or CD) to investigate whether smoking determines the type of IBD that develops in individuals with very similar genetic susceptibility. Patients: Smoking habits and disease characteristics were analysed in 242 IBD pedigrees (658 patients). Within this group there were 339 affected sibling pairs of whom 89 were discordant for smoking when diagnosed. Results: Smoking at diagnosis was associated with development of CD (odds ratio (OR) 3.55; 95% confidence limits 2.50–5.02; p<0.001) in all of the familial patients, with increases when analysed for ileocaecal disease, fibrostenosis, and intestinal resection. Smokers were also protected from UC (OR 0.28; 0.2–0.4; p<0.001). Of 89 sibling pairs discordant for smoking at diagnosis, 23 were also discordant for disease type—in 21 of these, CD occurred in the smoker and UC in the non-smoker (OR 10.5; 2.6–92; p<0.0001). Conclusions: Smoking is a strong environmental risk factor for Crohn's disease and increases the likelihood of needing surgery. However, sib pairs who are discordant for both smoking and IBD type almost always show CD in the smoker and UC in the non-smoker, and so in some cases tobacco consumption acts on IBD genetic predisposition to shift the phenotype from UC towards CD. The explanation of part of the apparent “protective” effect of smoking on sporadic UC may be that the form of IBD that develops in a proportion of smokers is not UC but CD.
Fluctuating asymmetry, size and mating success in males of Ischnura elegans (Vander Linden) (Odonata: Coenagrionidae)

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is thought to be an indicator of developmental stability and negatively related to male mating success in many animal taxa. We investigated the relationships between mating success of males, body size and FA for both wing length and number of setae on the legs in the damselfly Ischnura elegans. Males were classified as mated or unmated at the time of sampling. Fluctuating asymmetry, expressed as right-left differences, showed normal distributions without evidence of directional asymmetry or antisymmetry. Univariate analyses showed a significant negative correlation between size and mating success, and significant negative correlations between FA and mating success for both characters. On the other hand, with a multivariate analysis, new to studies on FA, the effect of body size was still significant but FA did not reach significance for either character. We conclude that the multivariate analysis should be used to assess the role of the different factors affecting mating success. Copyright 2000 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.
A qualitative study of the attitudes of patients in an early intervention service towards antipsychotic long-acting injections

Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate attitudinal themes to antipsychotic long-acting injections (LAIs) in patients in an early intervention team (EIT). Methods: Interviews were carried out with outpatients purposively sampled from an EIT to represent patients currently prescribed antipsychotic LAIs, oral antipsychotics and those not prescribed antipsychotic medication. Interviews were conducted and analysed according to grounded theory. Recruitment stopped when saturation of themes was reached. Results: Interviews from 11 patients were analysed (median age 24 years). Attitudes to LAIs were condensed into three key categories: therapeutic alliance and the psychiatrists’ recommendation of antipsychotic medication; patients’ knowledge and beliefs about LAIs; and patients’ views regarding the appropriateness of LAIs. Participants valued their psychiatrist’s recommendation as to the most appropriate antipsychotic. Attitudes to LAIs varied but were most positive among those currently receiving a LAI. Among those not prescribed LAIs, some were open to considering a LAI if their clinician recommended it but others were opposed to such treatment and preferred tables. There was a lack of awareness of LAIs as a treatment option among those not prescribed a LAI. Delay in being offered a LAI was reported in the group currently prescribed a LAI. Several participants associated oral antipsychotics, LAIs and mental illness with stigma. Some not prescribed a LAI had misperceptions about the nature of this treatment. Participants regarded the advantages of LAIs as convenience and avoiding forgetting to take tablets, while disadvantages included injection pain, fear of needles and coercion. Conclusion: Lack of knowledge, misperceptions and stigma related to LAIs and other treatment options should be addressed by providing patients with accurate information. This will facilitate patients being involved in choices about treatment, and should they decide to accept medication, which drug and formulation is most appropriate for their needs. Clinicians should avoid making assumptions about patients’ attitudes to LAIs; attitudes vary but some early intervention patients not prescribed LAIs are open to considering this treatment. Antipsychotic prescribing should result from a shared decision-making process in which clinicians and patients openly discuss the pros and cons of different formulations and drugs. The themes identified in this qualitative study require further exploration using quantitative methodology.
The Neural Substrates of Drawing: A Voxel-based Morphometry Analysis of Constructional, Hierarchical, and Spatial Representation Deficits

Deficits in the ability to draw objects, despite apparently intact perception and motor abilities, are defined as constructional apraxia. Constructional deficits, often diagnosed based on performance on copying complex figures, have been reported in a range of pathologies, perhaps reflecting the contribution of several underlying factors to poor figure drawing. The current study provides a comprehensive analysis of brain–behavior relationships in drawing disorders based on data from a large cohort of subacute stroke patients (n = 358) using whole-brain voxel-wise statistical analyses linked to behavioral measures from a complex figure copy task. We found that (i) overall poor performance on figure copying was associated with subcortical lesions (BG and thalamus), (ii) lateralized deficits with respect to the midline of the viewer were associated with lesions within the posterior parietal lobule, and (iii) spatial positioning errors across the entire figure were associated with lesions within visual processing areas (lingual gyrus and calcarine) and the insula. Furthermore, deficits in reproducing global aspects of form were associated with damage to the right middle temporal gyrus, whereas deficits in representing local features were linked to the left hemisphere lesions within calcarine cortex (extending into the cuneus and precuneus), the insula, and the TPJ. The current study provides strong evidence that impairments in separate cognitive mechanisms (e.g., spatial coding, attention, motor execution, and planning) linked to different brain lesions contribute to poor performance on complex figure copying tasks. The data support the argument that drawing depends on several cognitive processes operating via discrete neuronal networks and that constructional problems as well as hierarchical and spatial representation deficits contribute to poor figure copying.
Diabetes Diagnosis Using Artificial Neural Network

In this paper, we present a study on the diagnosis of diabetes using different supervised learning algorithms of Artificial Neural Network. The network is trained using the data of about 250 diabetes patients between the age group,25 to 78 years. The performance of each algorithm is further compared through regression analysis. The prediction accuracy of the best algorithm is computed to validate accurate prediction.
Brain activity during transient sadness and happiness in healthy women.

OBJECTIVE The specific brain regions involved in the normal emotional states of transient sadness or happiness are poorly understood. The authors therefore sought to determine if H2(15)O positron emission tomography (PET) might demonstrate changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) associated with transient sadness or happiness in healthy adult women. METHOD Eleven healthy and never mentally ill adult women were scanned, by using PET and H2(15)O, during happy, sad, and neutral states induced by recalling affect-appropriate life events and looking at happy, sad, or neutral human faces. RESULTS Compared to the neutral condition, transient sadness significantly activated bilateral limbic and paralimbic structures (cingulate, medial prefrontal, and mesial temporal cortex), as well as brainstem, thalamus, and caudate/putamen. In contrast, transient happiness had no areas of significantly increased activity but was associated with significant and widespread reductions in cortical rCBF, especially in the right prefrontal and bilateral temporal-parietal regions. CONCLUSIONS Transient sadness and happiness in healthy volunteer women are accompanied by significant changes in regional brain activity in the limbic system, as well as other brain regions. Transient sadness and happiness affect different brain regions in divergent directions and are not merely opposite activity in identical brain regions. These findings have implications for understanding the neural substrates of both normal and pathological emotion.
Fetuin‐A‐containing calciprotein particle levels can be reduced by dialysis, sodium thiosulphate and plasma exchange. Potential therapeutic implications for calciphylaxis?

Calciprotein particles (CPP) are a novel marker of mineral stress. High levels of CPP are found in patients with calciphylaxis, a condition associated with marked vascular calcification and a poor prognosis. We report substantial reductions in CPP levels in a dialysis patient having combined haemodialysis (HD) and plasma exchange (PEx) prior to an ABO‐incompatible kidney transplant. We also report the effects of the same treatments combined with sodium thiosulphate (STS) in a patient newly diagnosed with calciphylaxis. Combining HD with intra‐dialytic STS and PEx we achieved a significant reduction in CCP with the least rebound between treatment sessions. After 6 weeks of treatment, the CPP reduction was paralleled by clinical improvement. Measurement of CPP may be an attractive marker for monitoring the effectiveness of calciphylaxis therapy.
A Multi(bio)sensor Acquisition System With Integrated Processor, Power Management, $8 \times 8$ LED Drivers, and Simultaneously Synchronized ECG, BIO-Z, GSR, and Two PPG Readouts

A battery-powered multisensor acquisition system with five dedicated channels [electrocardiograph (50 μW), bioimpedance (46 μW), galvanic skin response (15 μW), and 2× photoplethysmogram (134 μW)] is presented. It includes an ARM Cortex M0, analog and digital filters, timestamp converter and sample rate converter (SRC), and generic interfaces to support additional sensor modalities. The timestamp module makes precise synchronization between the data streams possible. The SRC module makes the sample rates of data from the internal and external sensor readouts compatible with each other, and is up to a factor 35 more energy efficient compared with a software solution. These modules enable performing accurate and reliable (correlation) techniques. The power management includes two buck converters, an LDO, and eight LED drivers, supporting up to 64 LEDs in an 8 × 8 matrix organization. It makes this system the most complete and versatile sensor readout system with state-of-the-art performance (1073 μW with all channels enabled).
A Hybrid Convolutional Variational Autoencoder for Text Generation

In this paper we explore the effect of architectural choices on learning a variational autoencoder (VAE) for text generation. In contrast to the previously introduced VAE model for text where both the encoder and decoder are RNNs, we propose a novel hybrid architecture that blends fully feed-forward convolutional and deconvolutional components with a recurrent language model. Our architecture exhibits several attractive properties such as faster run time and convergence, ability to better handle long sequences and, more importantly, it helps to avoid the issue of the VAE collapsing to a deterministic model.
The Leverage Effect on Wealth Distribution in a Controllable Laboratory Stock Market

Wealth distribution has always been an important issue in our economic and social life, since it affects the harmony and stabilization of the society. Under the background of widely used financial tools to raise leverage these years, we studied the leverage effect on wealth distribution of a population in a controllable laboratory market in which we have conducted several human experiments, and drawn the conclusion that higher leverage leads to a higher Gini coefficient in the market. A higher Gini coefficient means the wealth distribution among a population becomes more unequal. This is a result of the ascending risk with growing leverage level in the market plus the diversified trading abilities and risk preference of the participants. This work sheds light on the effects of leverage and its related regulations, especially its impact on wealth distribution. It also shows the capability of the method of controllable laboratory markets which could be helpful in several fields of study such as economics, econophysics and sociology.
Improving efficiency in meat production

Selective breeding and improved nutritional management over the past 20–30 years has resulted in dramatic improvements in growth efficiency for pigs and poultry, particularly lean tissue growth. However, this has been achieved using high-quality feed ingredients, such as wheat and soya that are also used for human consumption and more recently biofuels production. Ruminants on the other hand are less efficient, but are normally fed poorer quality ingredients that cannot be digested by human subjects, such as grass or silage. The challenges therefore are to: (i) maintain the current efficiency of growth of pigs and poultry, but using more ingredients not needed to feed the increasing human population or for the production of biofuels; (ii) improve the efficiency of growth in ruminants; (iii) at the same time produce animal products (meat, milk and eggs) of equal or improved quality. This review will describe the use of: (a) enzyme additives for animal feeds, to improve feed digestibility; (b) known growth promoting agents, such as growth hormone, β-agonists and anabolic steroids, currently banned in the European Union but used in other parts of the world; (c) recent transcriptomic studies into molecular mechanisms for improved growth efficiency via low residual feed intake. In doing so, the use of genetic manipulation in animals will also be discussed.
Subjective quality ratings and physiological correlates of synthesized speech

Evaluating the quality of text-to-speech systems (TTS) is usually achieved by subjective methods where participants have to rate the stimulus on multiple scales, such as naturalness, prosody, and overall quality. In the present study, we aim towards evaluating TTS system quality using not only conventional subjective methods, but also via a neurophysiological approach based on obtaining neural correlates of TTS quality perception using electroencephalography (EEG). Such an approach allows for better insight into the perception processes involved during the human quality judgement process, and may open doors to innovative subjective testing methods and/or objective measurement tools. In our experiments, we have shown an inverse relationship between TTS speech quality and the amplitude of an EEG evoked response called the `P300,' suggesting an increase in cognitive load as TTS quality decreases, likely due to reduction in speech intelligibility.
Impact of general versus epidural anesthesia on early post-operative cognitive dysfunction following hip and knee surgery

Background: Post-operative cognitive dysfunction is the subtle cerebral complication temporally seen following surgery. The aim of this study was to compare the influence of either general anesthesia (GA) or epidural anesthesia (EA) on the early post-operative neurocognitive outcome in elderly (>59 years) subjects undergoing hip and knee surgery. Methods: A total of 60 patients were recruited in a prospective, randomized, parallel-group study, comparable by age and sex. They were enrolled and randomized to receive either EA (n = 30) or GA (n = 30). All of them were screened using the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), with components of the Kolkata Cognitive Screening Battery. The operated patients were re-evaluated 1 week after surgery using the same scale. The data collected were analyzed to assess statistical significance. Results: We observed no statistical difference in cognitive behavior in either group pre-operatively, which were comparable with respect to age, sex and type of surgery. Grossly, a significant difference was seen between the two groups with respect to the perioperative changes in verbal fluency for categories and MMSE scores. However, these differences were not significant after the application of the Bonferroni correction for multiple analyses, except the significant differences observed only in the MMSE scores. Conclusions: We observed a difference in cognitive outcome with GA compared with EA. Certain aspects of the cognition were affected to a greater extent in this group of patients undergoing hip and knee surgery.
Cryoelectron microscopy structures of the ribosome complex in intermediate states during tRNA translocation

mRNA–tRNA translocation is a central and highly regulated process during translational elongation. Along with the mRNA, tRNA moves through the ribosome in a stepwise fashion. Using cryoelectron microscopy on ribosomes with a P-loop mutation, we have identified novel structural intermediates likely to exist transiently during translocation. Our observations suggest a mechanism by which the rate of translocation can be regulated.
Influence of Cellulose Ethers on Fresh State Properties of Lime Mortars

Cellulose ethers (CEs) are widely used as viscosity enhancing, water retaining additives in cement based mortars. Nevertheless, studies about the effect of cellulose ethers on the properties of aerial lime-based mortars are very lack. The use of water retaining additives in lime mortars can influence not only their fresh state properties but also the pore structure and strength of hardened mortars. In this work, four different commercial cellulose ethers were added to lime mortars in order to test their influence on properties of mortars in the fresh state. Mortar rheological parameters (relative yield stress, consistency coefficient and fluidity index) were correlated with flow table tests, relative density measurements, water retention and air content in the mortars. It was found that CEs reduce the spread of lime mortars and increase air content in the mortars. The CEs are not so effective in water retention compared with other types of water retention agents. Most dosages of CEs change the behaviour of mortars from pseudoplastic to dilatant. In contrast to the effect of CEs in cement-based materials, their viscosity enhancing behavior in lime mortars is denied, due to the presence of large amounts of calcium hydroxide. From this point of view, the CEs are not so suitable to use as viscosity enhancing admixtures in lime mortars like derivatives of chitosan or guar gum.
Polymerase chain reaction for Mycobacterium tuberculosis: impact on clinical management of refugees with pulmonary infiltrates.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Screening for pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in war refugees entering low-prevalence countries for TB is a common policy, but workup strategies are difficult and expensive. DESIGN Prospective screening of war refugees for TB by chest radiograph and evaluation of the impact of additional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTB) on clinical management in case of pulmonary infiltrates suspicious for TB. SETTING Academic university medical center. PATIENTS A total of 3,119 adult war refugees from the Kosovo war were screened by chest radiograph on arrival. Refugees with pulmonary infiltrates suspicious for TB were hospitalized, and a standardized diagnostic workup was performed. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS Of 3,119 adult war refugees screened for TB, 29 patients (0.9%) were identified with pulmonary infiltrates suspicious for TB; 103 specimens (76 sputa; 27 BAL fluids) were collected for acid-fast smear (AFS), PCR, and culture. The prevalence of culture-proven TB infection in this population was 27.6%. Sensitivity for PCR was higher compared with AFS for all specimens (64% vs 20%; p < 0.01) and also for each refugee with at least one positive specimen finding (100% vs 37.5%; p = 0.025). More important, the negative predictive value for three consecutive PCRs (in two sputa and one BAL) was 100%. CONCLUSIONS Repeated PCR testing for MTB in a population of asymptomatic war refugees with pulmonary infiltrates highly suggestive of TB is significantly more sensitive than AFS. Three negative PCR results allow discharge from isolation, thus reducing the economic burden of isolation strategies.
The effectiveness of 3T time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography for follow-up evaluations after the stent-assisted coil embolization of cerebral aneurysms

Background Artifacts introduced by stents limit the value of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging as a follow-up modality after the stent-assisted coil embolization of cerebral aneurysms. Purpose To investigate the usefulness of 3 Tesla (3T) time-of-flight (TOF) MR angiography (MRA) for the follow-up evaluation. Material and Methods Twenty-two aneurysms of 20 patients treated with stent-assisted coil embolization were followed up with 3T TOF MRA and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) with three-dimensional rotational angiography (3DRA). The status of coiled aneurysms was compared with 3T TOF MRA and DSA with 3DRA in terms of complete occlusion, residual neck, and residual aneurysm. TOF MRA at 3T was performed 1 day before DSA with 3DRA, with a mean follow-up period of 20.1 ± 10.8 months. Results Twenty (90.9%) of 22 cases were concordant between the two modalities. The degree of agreement and correlation between them were high (κ = 0.771, P < 0.001; r = 0.832 and P < 0.001). When evaluating the status of residual neck, the sensitivity was 80% (4/5 cases); specificity was not available because there were no cases of complete occlusion. For the status of residual aneurysm, the sensitivity and specificity were 94.1% (16/17 cases) and 100% (all 5 cases), respectively. Conclusion TOF MRA at 3T with source images could be useful as a non-invasive follow-up modality after the stent-assisted coil embolization of cerebral aneurysms. Further study with a larger patient sample is needed to confirm the effectiveness of 3T TOF MRA.