Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the Efficacy, Side Effects, and Cost of Modafinil and Intranasal Mometasone Furoate in Obstructive Sleep Apnea-Hypopnea Syndrome: A Preliminary Clinical Study

Background Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is characterized by repeated episodes of reduction in airflow due to the collapse of the upper airway during sleep. The aim of this study was to compare clinical outcome, side effects, and cost of treatment between modafinil and intranasal mometasone furoate in patients with OSAHS. Material/Methods Patients with OSAHS (N=250) were divided into two groups: the modafinil group (MG) (N=125) were treated with 100 mg modafinil twice a day; the intranasal mometasone furoate group (IMFG) (N=125) were treated with 100 μg of intranasal mometasone furoate in the evening. Quality of life, grading of OSAHS, plain-film radiography, the adenoidal-nasopharyngeal ratio (AN ratio), side effects, cost of treatment, and beneficial effects after discontinuation of treatment were evaluated for all patients. Results Duration of sleep apnea was significantly reduced in the IMFG compared with the MG (p=0.0145, q=9.262). Modafinil and intranasal mometasone furoate both had moderate effects on improvement of the OSAHS score. The IMFG showed a significantly greater beneficial effect on the AN ratio when compared with the MG (p=0.0001, q=6.584). No adverse events of treatment with modafinil and intranasal mometasone furoate were reported. Cost of treatment and beneficial effect after discontinuation were both significantly greater for the IMFG compared with the MG. Conclusions The findings of this preliminary clinical study were that for patients diagnosed with OSAHS, night-time treatment with intranasal mometasone furoate was more effective than modafinil.
Osteopontin Splice Variants Differentially Exert Clinicopathological Features and Biological Functions in Gastric Cancer

Purpose: Gastric cancer (GC) remains a leading cause of death worldwide, and an elevated expression of osteopontin (OPN) may correlate with its poor survival. Alternative splicing of OPN can result in three isoforms, OPN-a, OPN-b and OPN-c. The aim of our current study is to examine the expression pattern and biological functions of OPN splice variants in GC. Methods: Firstly, we evaluated the expression of OPN splice variants in 7 gastric cell lines, 101 pairs of GC tissues and their adjacent non-tumor tissues by Quantative real-time PCR (QT-PCR). Gain-of-function experiments were subsequently performed to determine their diverse roles in malignant behaviors of GC. Besides, their differential effects on the regulation of crucial downstream molecules were further explored in the anti-apoptotic and pro-metastatic process. Results: We found that OPN-b is the dominant kind of OPN isoform in GC cell lines. Although the expression levels of three variants were all elevated in GC tissues, increased OPN-b or OPN-c expression could correlate with clinicopathological features. Functional analyses further showed that OPN-b most strongly promoted GC cell survival possibly by regulation of Bcl-2 family proteins and CD44v expressions. Moreover, OPN-c most effectively stimulated GC metastatic activity by increasing secretion of MMP-2, uPa, and IL-8. Conclusions: Our results suggest that OPN splice variants differentially exert clinicopathological features and biological functions in GC. Therefore, focusing on specific OPN isoform could be a novel direction for developing diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in GC.
Vaccination practices in dialysis patients: A narrative review

In a period of turmoil concerning vaccination practices, there is a serious conflict between scientifically reasonable, evidence‐based guidelines and the far‐fetched rumors or misconceptions concerning the vaccination practices in the general population. When a significant portion of the medical and paramedical personnel may be deliberately unvaccinated against common biological agents, achieving effective vaccination rates in the dialysis population may be complicated. Vaccination rates are unacceptably low in dialysis patients and seroconversion rates are even lower; further, serological follow‐up is generally poor. The particularly anergic immune system of the advanced chronic kidney disease patients is partly a cause of both high rates of infection and low rates of seroconversions. This narrative review is an effort to summarize current knowledge concerning the vaccination practices in dialysis patients with some specific recommendations based on these facts. Of particular interest is a new vaccine, the Zoster Recombinant, Adjuvanted Vaccine (Shingrix), which we will include in our discussion.
KCNJ2 mutation in short QT syndrome 3 results in atrial fibrillation and ventricular proarrhythmia

We describe a mutation (E299V) in KCNJ2, the gene that encodes the strong inward rectifier K+ channel protein (Kir2.1), in an 11-y-old boy. The unique short QT syndrome type-3 phenotype is associated with an extremely abbreviated QT interval (200 ms) on ECG and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Genetic screening identified an A896T substitution in a highly conserved region of KCNJ2 that resulted in a de novo mutation E299V. Whole-cell patch-clamp experiments showed that E299V presents an abnormally large outward IK1 at potentials above −55 mV (P < 0.001 versus wild type) due to a lack of inward rectification. Coexpression of wild-type and mutant channels to mimic the heterozygous condition still resulted in a large outward current. Coimmunoprecipitation and kinetic analysis showed that E299V and wild-type isoforms may heteromerize and that their interaction impairs function. The homomeric assembly of E299V mutant proteins actually results in gain of function. Computer simulations of ventricular excitation and propagation using both the homozygous and heterozygous conditions at three different levels of integration (single cell, 2D, and 3D) accurately reproduced the electrocardiographic phenotype of the proband, including an exceedingly short QT interval with merging of the QRS and the T wave, absence of ST segment, and peaked T waves. Numerical experiments predict that, in addition to the short QT interval, absence of inward rectification in the E299V mutation should result in atrial fibrillation. In addition, as predicted by simulations using a geometrically accurate three-dimensional ventricular model that included the His–Purkinje network, a slight reduction in ventricular excitability via 20% reduction of the sodium current should increase vulnerability to life-threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmia.
When Winning is Everything: The Relationship between Competitive Worldviews and Job Applicant Faking

Job applicant faking, that is, consciously misrepresenting information during the selection process, is ubiquitous and is a threat to the usefulness of various selection tools. Understanding antecedents of faking is thus of utmost importance. Recent theories of faking highlight the central role of various forms of competition for understanding why faking occurs. Drawing on these theories, we suggest that the more applicants adhere to competitive worldviews (CWs), that is, the more they believe that the social world is a competitive, Darwinian-type of struggle over scarce resources, the more likely they are to fake in employment interviews. We tested our hypothesis in three independent studies that were conducted in five different countries. Results show that CWs are strongly associated with faking, independently of job applicants’ cultural and economic context. More specifically, applicants’ CWs explain faking intentions and self-reported past faking above and beyond the Dark Triad of personality (Study 1), competitiveness and the six facets of conscientiousness (Study 2). Also, when faking is measured using a response randomisation technique to control for social desirability, faking is more prevalent among applicants with strong vs. less strong CWs (Study 3). Taken together, this research demonstrates that competition is indeed strongly associated with undesirable applicant behaviors.
Exploring French adolescents’ and adults’ comprehension of the greenhouse effect

The aim of the present study was to gain an insight into French young people’s conceptual development regarding the greenhouse effect. Because this effect cannot be directly manipulated, we can assume that its conceptualization is mainly shaped through the sharing of information. Eighty French students from Grade Seven through to adulthood responded to statements in a questionnaire on the greenhouse effect’s causes, consequences and solutions. Unlike in previous studies, participants were asked to justify their choices, as some of the statements were quite complex. Results showed that performances improved with grade, mainly between Grade Nine and adulthood, although participants continued to have a weaker grasp of the causes of the greenhouse effect than of its consequences and solutions. Participants’ justifications also showed that they misunderstood some of the statements.
Surface characterization, hemo- and cytocompatibility of segmented poly(dimethylsiloxane)-based polyurethanes

Segmented polyurethanes based on poly(dimethylsiloxane), currently used for biomedical applications, have sub-optimal biocompatibility which reduces their efficacy. Improving the endothelial cell attachment and blood-contacting properties of PDMS-based copolymers would substantially improve their clinical applications. We have studied the surface properties and in vitro biocompatibility of two series of segmented poly(urethane-dimethylsiloxane)s (SPU-PDMS) based on hydroxypropyl- and hydroxyethoxypropyl- terminated PDMS with potential applications in blood-contacting medical devices. SPU-PDMS copolymers were characterized by contact angle measurements, surface free energy determination (calculated using the van Oss-Chaudhury-Good and Owens-Wendt methods), and atomic force microscopy. The biocompatibility of copolymers was evaluated using an endothelial EA.hy926 cell line by direct contact assay, before and after pre-treatment of copolymers with multicomponent protein mixture, as well as by a competitive blood-protein adsorption assay. The obtained results suggested good blood compatibility of synthesized copolymers. All copolymers exhibited good resistance to fibrinogen adsorption and all favored albumin adsorption. Copolymers based on hydroxyethoxypropyl-PDMS had lower hydrophobicity, higher surface free energy, and better microphase separation in comparison with hydroxypropyl-PDMS-based copolymers, which promoted better endothelial cell attachment and growth on the surface of these polymers as compared to hydroxypropyl-PDMS-based copolymers. The results showed that SPU-PDMS copolymers display good surface properties, depending on the type of soft PDMS segments, which can be tailored for biomedical application requirements such as biomedical devices for short- and long-term uses. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 172062]
Mid-upper arm circumference, calf circumference and mortality in Chinese long-term care facility residents: a prospective cohort study

Objective To investigate the association between mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), calf circumference (CC) and all-cause mortality in a Chinese population. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Eight long-term care facilities in central Taiwan. Participants A total of 329 residents age 60 years and older (median 79.0 years, range 60–101; 139 men, 190 women) were enrolled. Methods Anthropometrics and metabolic parameters were measured at the time of enrolment to the study. Mean MUAC and CC were 24.2±3.4 cm and 27.5±4.3 cm, respectively. Mortality data were obtained from the Department of Health in Taiwan. Main outcome measure To identify the association between all-cause mortality and MUAC or CC. Results There were 255 deaths during the 7-year follow-up period. After adjusting for age, sex, cigarette smoking, betel nut chewing, alcohol use, Karnofsky Performance Status Scale score, serum albumin level, hypertension and diabetes mellitus, subjects in the highest tertile of MUAC (27.8±2.2 cm) and CC (32.1±2.6 cm) had a significantly lower mortality rate than did subjects in the lowest tertile (MUAC 20.6±1.7 cm; CC 22.8±1.9 cm). The adjusted HR for all-cause mortality in the highest versus lowest MUAC tertile was 0.64 (95% CI 0.45 to 0.90). The adjusted HR for all-cause mortality in the highest versus lowest CC tertile was 0.51 (95% CI 0.35 to 0.74). Conclusions MUAC and CC are negative predictors for all-cause mortality in older Chinese adults living in long-term care facilities. Participants with higher MUAC and CC had lower all-cause mortality.
Delayed intravenous immunoglobulin treatment increased the risk of coronary artery lesions in children with Kawasaki disease at different status

ABSTRACT Objective: Kawasaki disease (KD) is a systemic vasculitis with serious complications, especially the development of coronary artery lesions (CALs). The aim of this study was to identify the risk for the development of CALs with IVIG treatment of KD >10 days after illness onset in patients with different KD status, and explore potential moderators of the association between delayed treatment and CALs. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of the medical records of KD patients. All patients were divided into two groups (conventional therapy group and delayed therapy group, IVIG treatment ≤10 days vs >10 days). We compared the demographic and clinical characteristics, laboratory data, and analyzed risk factors for CALs in patients who received IVIG treatment >10 days, and determined whether different status of KD modified the effects of delayed IVIG treatment on CALs. Results: In the delayed IVIG treatment group, children were more likely to develop CALs and the proportion of incomplete KD was higher, compared with the conventional therapy group. The number of children younger than 12 months or older than 61 months was higher and children had higher BMI and were more likely to receive steroids before diagnosis in the delayed IVIG treatment group compared with the conventional therapy group. Delayed IVIG treatment was an independent risk factor for the development of CALs (adjusted OR = 2.90, 95%CI = 1.42, 5.91). Delayed therapy children with higher levels of C-reactive protein (>79 mg/L) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (>34 mm/h) had the highest risk for developing CALs (OR = 5.68, 95%CI: 1.17, 27.59; OR = 4.11, 95%CI: 1.62, 10.46, respectively). Conclusion: Delayed IVIG treatment was an independent risk factor for the development of CALs. Children in the delayed IVIG treatment group with higher levels of CRP and ESR (CRP >79 mg/L, ESR >34 mm/h) had the greatest likelihood of developing CALs.
A study on the immediate effects of plantar vibration on balance dysfunction in patients with stroke

The aim of this study was to estimate the immediate effects of plantar vibration, applied to the more affected foot, on balance impairment in patients post-stroke. This pretest-posttest clinical study included 18 patients (13 men) poststroke; mean age 56.0±8.9 years (range, 41–71 years). One session of 5-min vibratory stimuli (frequency, 100 Hz) was applied to the plantar region of the more affected foot of all participants. The plantar vibration significantly improved the Timed UP and Go test (P=0.03, Cohen d=0.15), ankle plantar flexor muscle spasticity (P=0.008), and ankle passive range of motion (P<0.001, Cohen d=0.74). The posturography measures and Functional Reach Test did not improve significantly (P>0.05). Vibration stimuli applied to the plantar region of the more affected foot had significant effects on spasticity, ankle passive range of motion and dynamic balance as evaluated by the Timed Up and Go test in patients poststroke. There was no effect on static balance performance. Based on the results, the focal vibratory stimuli applied directly to the plantar region of the more affected foot may be recommended to improve the functional mobility and dynamic balance in patients with stroke.
“Bladder Effect” - An Urodynamic Parameter to Distinguish Subtypes of Urinary Incontinence in Women

BACKGROUND: Urinary incontinence (UI) is defined by the International Continence Society (ICS) as the involuntary loss of urine that represents a hygienic or social problem to the individual. The aetiology is multifactorial. The diagnosis of UI is important because it can result in the application of appropriate therapy. Urodynamics is a golden standard, without which every UI diagnosis is insufficient. AIM: The goal of this study was, based on urodynamic results, to prove the existence of evident differences between the subtypes of UI. METHODS: Eighty patients with UI were evaluated (50 with urinary stress incontinence-USI and 30 with detrusor instability-DI) according to a standard evaluation protocol. Exclusion criteria were: mixed UI and diseases that simulated UI. All patients were 36-65 years of age (mean 56). The following parameters were measured: maximal and average flow, maximal and average voiding pressure. These parameters were compared between both groups, to determine the diagnostic significance of the parameter “Bladder Effect” (BE). It is a product of the urine flow and the pressure during voiding. RESULTS: The results showed a significant difference with a high confidence interval. Mean BEmax was 577 units in the patient group with USI, and 1014 in the DI group. Similarly, BEav was 313 units in the USI group, and 499 units in the DI group, with a significant difference and a high interval of confidence. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the results of the study suggested that BE could be a useful diagnostic parameter to distinguish between USI and DI.
Manuka honey inhibits adhesion and invasion of medically important wound bacteria in vitro.

AIM To characterize the effect of manuka honey on medically important wound bacteria in vitro, focusing on its antiadhesive properties. MATERIALS & METHODS Crystal violet biofilm assays, fluorescent microscopy, protein adhesion assay and gentamicin protection assay were used to determine the impact of manuka honey on biofilm formation, human protein binding and adherence to/invasion into human keratinocytes. RESULTS Manuka honey effectively disrupted and caused extensive cell death in biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus pyogenes. Sublethal doses of manuka honey inhibited bacterial adhesion to the fibronectin, fibrinogen and collagen. Manuka honey impaired adhesion of laboratory and clinical isolates of S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and S. pyogenes to human keratinocytes in vitro, and inhibited invasion by S. pyogenes and homogeneous vancomycin intermediate S. aureus. CONCLUSION Manuka honey can directly affect bacterial cells embedded in a biofilm and exhibits antiadhesive properties against three common wound pathogens.
"I wasn't sure it was normal to watch it"

These papers make up the final report of a quantitative and qualitative piece of research for the NSPCC and Children's Commissioner for England, regarding young people's feelings about and experiences of online pornography. You can access either the full report or a version prepared for young people (age 13+). These versions were revised in May, 2017.
Comparable Study Of Modeling Units For End-To-End Mandarin Speech Recognition

End-to-end speech recognition has become increasingly popular in Mandarin speech recognition and achieved delightful performance. Mandarin is a tonal language which is different from English and requires special treatment for the acoustic modeling units. There have been several different kinds of modeling units for Mandarin such as phoneme, syllable and Chinese character. In this work, we explore two major end-to-end models: connectionist temporal classification (CTC) model and attention based encoder-decoder model for Mandarin speech recognition. We compare the performance of three different scaled modeling units: context dependent phoneme (CDP), syllable with tone and Chinese character. We find that all types of modeling units can achieve similar character error rate (CER) in CTC model and the performance of Chinese character attention model is better than syllable attention model. Furthermore, we find that Chinese character is a reasonable unit for Mandarin speech recognition. On HKUST task, Chinese character attention model achieves a CER of 35.2% and CTC model gets a CER of 35.7%, on internal Callcenter task, CERs are 5.68% and 7.29%, respectively, on internal Reading task, CERs are 4.89% and 5.79%, respectively. Moreover, attention model achieves a better performance than CTC model on these datasets.
SALINOMYCIN TOXICOSIS IN BROILER BREEDERS AND TURKEYS: REPORT OF THE FIRST CASE

The objective of this study was to describe two clinical cases of toxicosis by accidental administration of salinomycin in feed in broiler breeders and turkeys. In the first clinical case, a 32000 broiler breeders flock, 30 weeks of age, suffered a severe mortality during the first week, a sharp decrease in egg production and a dramatic reduction in food consumption together with an increase of eating time. The pathological condition manifested itself mainly with leg paralysis and reluctance to move. In necropsy, signs of bile hyper-secretion, absence of feed in the digestive tract, liver degeneration, egg peritonitis, enlarged kidneys and spleen atrophy were found. Serological examinations for IBV, IBD, NDV, Mg, Ms, Ort, TRT, AE and CAA were negative. The broiler breeders flock was finally euthanized due to an irreversible condition, slow recovery and poor production indicators. In the second clinical case, a flock of 27000 turkeys fatteners, aged from 20 to 35 days, showed an increased daily mortality up to 10 and a 88% total death loss in 2 weeks period. The turkeys showed great growth retardation, reluctance to move and eat, ataxia and absence of gross lesions, except atrophy of the spleen and pica. Serological examinations for NDV and AI were negative. After removal and change of feed, the remaining flock recovered normally. These two clinical cases were initially associated with incorrect diet and, after obtaining detailed clinical history, laboratory tests and food analysis, the by error administration of salinomycin in feed was confirmed. The final concentrations of salinomycin in feed analysis reached 64.6-124 mg kg-1 for the broiler breeders and 298-944 mg kg-1 for turkeys. While salinomycin toxicosis has been reported worldwide in the literature in a number of animal species, including turkey breeders and fatteners with similar symptoms, in broiler breeders has never been reported on the field.
Real-time eye tracking for the assessment of driver fatigue

Eye-tracking is an important approach to collect evidence regarding some participants’ driving fatigue. In this contribution, the authors present a non-intrusive system for evaluating driver fatigue by tracking eye movement behaviours. A real-time eye-tracker was used to monitor participants’ eye state for collecting eye-movement data. These data are useful to get insights into assessing participants’ fatigue state during monotonous driving. Ten healthy subjects performed continuous simulated driving for 1–2 h with eye state monitoring on a driving simulator in this study, and these measured features of the fixation time and the pupil area were recorded via using eye movement tracking device. For achieving a good cost-performance ratio and fast computation time, the fuzzy K-nearest neighbour was employed to evaluate and analyse the influence of different participants on the variations in the fixation duration and pupil area of drivers. The findings of this study indicated that there are significant differences in domain value distribution of the pupil area under the condition with normal and fatigue driving state. Result also suggests that the recognition accuracy by jackknife validation reaches to about 89% in average, implying that show a significant potential of real-time applicability of the proposed approach and is capable of detecting driver fatigue.