Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Correlation between central corneal thickness and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in open-angle glaucoma

Background Central corneal thickness (CCT) is an important risk factor in the development and progression of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). The retinal nerve fibers respond to high intraocular pressure (IOP) with irreversible loss. So, there is a great interest to study the correlation between these two factors: CCT and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) using the spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Aim The aim of this study was to correlate the CCT and the RNFLT in POAG patients by using SD-OCT. Patients and methods This study was conducted in Menoufia University Hospitals, Egypt, from October 2017 to October 2018. The study included 116 eyes of 61 patients with POAG receiving antiglaucomatous eye drops with controlled IOP. CCT and peripapillary RNFLT were measured by using SD-OCT (Optovue RTVue-100). Then, we performed a correlation between them. Results The study included 61 (40 males and 21 females) patients. The mean age was 51.5±6 years. A significant positive relationship was found between the CCT and the RNFLT (r=0.6). This means that patients with thick cornea have thicker nerve fiber layer than those with thinner corneas. Conclusion CCT is an important risk factor and predictive factor for both diagnosis and prognosis of POAG. So, it is mandatory to be measured to modify the IOP measurements and to correlate with the nerve fiber layer thickness. This helps us to tailor the plan of treatment.
Profile of Pediatric Chronic Myeloid Leukemia in the Era of Imatinib: A Study from South India

Abstract Introduction: Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a chronic hematologic malignancy, is rare in pediatric patients. Studies of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib are required so that uniform guidelines may focus on disease therapy and follow-up for children. We analyzed the clinicohematologic features of the disease, treatment response to imatinib, follow-up measures, and the impact of the disease on the patients and their family. Materials and Methods: All pediatric patients diagnosed with CML and treated and followed-up were studied regarding demographics, clinical features at presentation, and diagnostic profile, including laboratory parameters, peripheral blood smear test, fluorescent in situ hybridization and karyotyping, and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for the BCR-ABL fusion gene. Treatment modalities, adverse reactions, remedial measures, assessment at every follow-up visit, patient’s education, parents’ socioeconomic status, and economic and psychological stresses were also evaluated. Results: Six patients were administered upfront therapy with a standard dose of imatinib. Hematological and biochemical parameters were monitored after the drug administration. We assessed the treatment response using molecular detection of the BCR-ABL transcripts. All patients who complied with drug therapy showed a complete molecular response and minimal toxic symptoms. However, parents found it difficult to cope socially and economically. Conclusion: Imatinib mesylate is effective and has a good molecular response, minimal toxicity, and good patient compliance. However, due to its cost, families reacquire financial debt, and the disease creates uncertainty about the child’s future, thereby necessitating psychosocioeconomic support for parents. Changes in the policies of cancer support groups are urgently needed to provide lifelong, lifesaving drugs free of cost.
Comparative evaluation of the shear bond strength of adhesive and self-adhesive resin luting agents to three commercially available composite core build-up materials: An in vitro study

Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the shear bond strength of adhesive and self-adhesive resin luting agents (RLAs) to three commercially available composite core build-up materials (CBMs). Settings and Design: Comparative -invitro study. Materials and Methods: Sixty samples, 20 each of self-cure (Incore, Medicept: Group I), light cure (Light-Core, Bisco: Group II), and dual cure (LuxaCore Z-Dual, DMG America: Group III) composite CBMs were made in the lower mold space of a customized stainless steel jig. They were further subdivided into subgroups A and B for bonding with the adhesive (RelyX Ultimate, 3M ESPE) and self-adhesive (RelyX Unicem, 3M ESPE) RLAs respectively. For specimens in subgroup A, the bonding agent (Scotchbond Universal Adhesive, 3M ESPE) was rubbed onto the surface for 20 s prior to bonding with the adhesive RLA. For specimens in subgroup B, no pretreatment of the surface was carried out. The CBM-luting agent sample was tested for the shear bond strength in a universal testing machine. Statistical Analysis Used: ANOVA, Tukey's multiple comparison, and independent t-test. Results: Adhesive RLA showed the highest shear bond strength to light cured composite CBM. Self-adhesive RLA showed the highest shear bond strength to dual-cured composite CBM. Adhesive RLA showed higher shear bond strength to all three composite CBMs as compared to the self-adhesive luting agent. This difference was statistically significant for the self-cure and light cure composite CBMs. Conclusion: Adhesive RLA showed greater shear bond strengths to all the three groups of composite CBMs as compared to self-adhesive RLA.
Bullying in school children: How much do teachers know?

Context: Bullying is an emerging serious problem in schools worldwide resulting in physical and mental health problems in victimized children. Teachers play a critical role in identifying the acts of bullying, assisting the children who are victimized, linking up with healthcare providers for managing physical and emotional consequences of bullying, as well as managing bullying at school. Aims: To determine teachers' knowledge regarding bullying among secondary school children. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study conducted in five public and five private schools of Jamshed Town, Karachi, Pakistan. Methods and Materials: The study continued from October 2012 to February 2013. Stratified random sampling was used to select teachers. Data were collected through a pre-piloted structured questionnaire. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were analyzed using the SPSS v19.0. Descriptive analysis was done by calculating frequencies and percentages of the categorical variables such as teacher's age, educational level, and presence of adequate knowledge regarding bullying. The outcome variable of interest was knowledge about bullying. Results: Almost half of the153 teachers (n = 82, 53.6%) lacked adequate knowledge about bullying in school children. A statistically significant association was present between knowledge of bullying with gender (P-value = 0.02), educational level of the teachers (P-value = 0.05), years of teaching experience (P-value = 0.04), and educational training of teachers (P-value = 0.01). Conclusions: More than half of the teachers were deficient in their knowledge about bullying in school children
Prevalence, characteristics, and predictors of tuberculosis associated anemia

Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is one of the deadliest disease and a major burden on the healthcare system in India. India, a second most populous country in the world, has a very high global annual incidence of tuberculosis. Multiple hematological changes have been reported in patients with tuberculosis such as iron deficiency anemia, folate deficiency, and sideroblastic anemia. Aims and Objectives: The present study was planned to find the prevalence and characteristics of anemia in the new cases of pulmonary tuberculosis. The secondary objective was to assess the predictors of anemia in new cases of pulmonary tuberculosis. Methods: The retrospective study was carried out at a tertiary care hospital of Uttarakhand and included all the new cases of tuberculosis aged more than 18 years attending medicine outpatient and inpatient departments over a period of 1 year. Detailed demographic, clinical, and biochemical data were obtained from the hospital record section and tabulated. Results: Most patients with tuberculosis and anemia were more than 50 years of age. Clearly, males outnumbered females. Approximately, 80% patients were illiterates. A majority (71, 39.2%) of the patients had BMI within the range of 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2. The most common symptoms of tubercular patients with and without anemia were cough, fever, breathlessness, and hemoptysis. However, pallor was the most common sign. Clearly, hematological indices were lower in patients with anemia. In total, 112 (60%) patients had mild anemia and 103 (56.9%) patients had normocytic normochromic anemia. Significant association was found between Body Mass Index (BMI) and anemia in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. Similarly, severity of anemia co-related significantly with BMI of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. BMI showed a significant correlation with hemoglobin, packed cell volume, mean corpuscular cell volume, and red cell distribution width (RDW). In addition, age showed a significant correlation with hemoglobin and RDW.Conclusion: Normocytic normochromic anemia is a common hematological abnormality in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis. Thus, it warrants frequent screening for anemia in all the cases of pulmonary tuberculosis to improve morbidity and mortality in these patients.
Correlation of soft palate morphology to growth pattern: A retrospective cephalometric study

Aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the radiographic length of velum (LV), width of velum (WV), velum angle (AV), depth of pharynx (PD), Need's ratio (NR), inclination angle (AI) in different morphological types of soft palate according to growth patterns in skeletal class I individuals. Methodology: 80 pretreatment lateral cephalograms of patients with skeletal class I malocclusion (ANB 2--4°) were divided on basis of six types of soft palate and further into three subgroups according to growth pattern and evaluation of LV, WV, angle with the palatal plane, and NR was done. Kruskal--Wallis test was used for the comparison between the groups. Results: Statistically significant difference was verified among all groups for measurement of NR. The highest NR was seen in Crook type of soft palate (mean 0.9). Similarly, the vertical growth pattern in all the six types of soft palate exhibited a higher NR than the average and horizontal growth pattern group; the highest being exhibited by vertical group in type VI (crook shaped). Velopharyngeal insufficiency is directly related to NR. Conclusion: Vertical growth pattern has the highest susceptibility to velopharyngeal insuffiency and speech and sleep apnea disorders.
The impact of the fine ambient particle on infertile male's sperm quality

Introduction: Infertility has been a major problem for several years. Previously, infertility was often attributed to female factors. Recently, however, male factors have been found to contribute to 50% of the infertility cases overall. Male infertility is a multifactorial issue. A genetic disorder, abnormal endocrine system, structural anomaly, and environmental causes could lead to male infertility. Studies have revealed a link between fine air particles and decreased fertility. The aim of this study was to discover the effect of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), representing environmental fine particles, on male infertility. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively collected data from patients diagnosed as having infertility and visited National Taiwan University Hospital from January 2015 to October 2017. We recorded each patient's body weight, height, basic blood test, sperm analysis, and sex hormone profile. Air quality data, especially PM2.5 concentration, were acquired from the Environmental Protection Administration of Taiwan. A total of 78 monitoring stations throughout Taiwan record PM2.5 concentrations (μg/m3) each hour automatically. Multivariate linear regression was used to detect independent factors affecting sperm count, concentration, motility, and morphology and sex hormone profile. Results:We observed regional and seasonal differences in the distributions of PM2.5 concentrations. In nearly all cities in Taiwan, the PM2.5 concentrations increased during early winter and continued to increase until next spring, with a peak around January and February. In particular, regional differences were observed in winter. The peak PM2.5 concentrations in southern and northern cities in Taiwan ranged between 35 and 40 μg/m3 and between 18 and 23 μg/m3, respectively. PM2.5 in central Taiwan reached as high as 30 μL/m3. By contrast, the eastern part of Taiwan had the lowest peak PM2.5, which was mostly <15 μg/m3. The average 24-month PM2.5 concentration had a negative effect on sperm count, but the result was nonsignificant. Additionally, the effect of PM2.5 on sperm motility and morphology was minimal. Conclusion: In infertile Taiwanese men, there is a trend of a negative association between exposure to PM2.5 and sperm concentration and total sperm count. Exposure to ambient fine particles, especially PM2.5, might have a negative correlation with sperm quality, sex hormone balance, and the testicular microenvironment through different mechanisms.
Sociodemographic variations in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among elderly individuals in an urban locality in India

Background: Elderly population is growing rapidly in India. To direct public health actions to improve quality of life among elderly, it is important to understand the sociodemographic factors associated with quality of life. The aim of study was to assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among urban elderly in a setting of Assam, India, and to examine how HRQOL varied across different sociodemographic groups among the elderly populations. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried among elderly aged ≥60 involving 300 participants. Eight domains of HRQOL of participants were measured using RAND SF-36. Analysis of variance test was used to examine sociodemographic differences in HRQOL. Results: The BP domain had highest (71.78 ± 22.25) and GH had lowest mean HRQOL score (48 ± 16.93). Males had significantly higher HRQOL score than females only in BP domain. Age gradients were observed with respect to HRQOl scores in five domains, with youngest age group having the best and oldest age group having the poorest HRQOL. Financially dependent subjects had lower HRQOL in five domains than those who were financially independent. Significant associations between education and HRQOL were found only in physical components of HRQOL, with lowest educated group being the most disadvantaged in terms of HRQOL. Marital status was found to be significantly associated with lower HRQOL scores. Conclusion: The study highlights sociodemographic inequalities in HRQOL among urban elderly in an Indian setting. The results may help reducing sociodemographic health inequalities among elderly in this region initiating public health actions paying more attention toward more vulnerable sections of populations.
Bacteriological profile of post-operative orthopedic implant infections and their antibiotic sensitivity pattern in a tertiary care hospital of southern Odisha

Context: Prosthetic replacements and implants are becoming common in orthopedic operations for successfully alleviating the pain and improving the mobility in damaged joints. This sometimes leads to microbial infections contributing to high morbidities and prolonged hospital stay. Aims: This study was aimed to find out (1) the prevalence of bacterial infection in orthopedic implant surgeries; (2) to isolate and identify the bacteriological agents responsible for causing post-operative orthopedic implant infections; and (3) to perform their antimicrobial sensitivity. Methods: This was a prospective study carried out at a tertiary care hospital of southern Odisha, over a period of 24 months. The study was conducted on 112 cases of infected implants from orthopedic wards, from 1st January 2016 to 31st December 2018. Pus samples were collected using three sterile swabs. One was used for Grams stain, one for inoculation on MacConkey and Blood agar, and the 3rd one for inoculation in Robertson's cooked meat (RCM) broth. Blood agar and MacConkey agar plates were processed for culture of aerobic bacteria, while the RCM inoculate was processed for anaerobic bacteria. Biofilm production and Susceptibility testing was performed. Results: Out of the 112 samples processed, culture positivity was observed in 90 specimens. Among them, 78 were aerobic, while 12 were anaerobic infections. Staphylococcus aureus (35.89%) was the predominant aerobic isolate followed by Pseudomonas spp. (28.2%). Among anaerobes, Bacteroides spp. (7.7%) was the most common isolate. Conclusion: The appropriate pre- and post-operative care should be taken to prevent such infections. Staphylococcus spp. was the commonest isolate and its ability to produce biofilm stresses the need for an appropriate antibiotic policy to put in place to eradicate the infection.
Live birth and miscarriage rate following intracytoplasmic morphologically selected sperm injection vs intracytoplasmic sperm injection: An updated systematic review and meta‐analysis

Intracytoplasmic morphologically selected sperm injection (IMSI) is one of the sperm selection techniques used for assisted reproduction which has been applied for a variety of indications including previously failed fertilization with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). A Cochrane review1 found no difference in outcomes between either modality of sperm selection. Since the Cochrane review was published there have been a further two randomized controlled trials comparing IMSI and ICSI. This systematic review and meta‐analysis aims to compare IMSI with ICSI as insemination methods regarding live birth rate and miscarriage rate.
Incidental image memorability

ABSTRACT Recent studies using intentional memory tasks showed that images differ consistently in memorability. Here, we used a surprise recognition memory test. We asked how incidental encoding would affect the consistency and ranking of the memorability scores. If memorability is truly an intrinsic property of the image, one should not expect large differences between incidental and intentional conditions. On the other hand, participants might process images differently when not anticipating a memory test, yielding different results. The study list of our incidental memory task was identical to our previous, intentional study. Participants were to watch the images of this list carefully as they appeared on the screen one by one (free viewing); supposedly for a study about eye movements. Afterwards, a surprise recognition memory test was administered. Despite the free viewing instructions during the study phase, the resulting incidental image memorability scores still showed high levels of consistency across participants. In addition, the overlap between the incidental and intentional memorability ranking was large. These results provide further support for the idea of memorability as an intrinsic image property and add to its ecological validity, as people rarely memorise images intentionally.
miR‐367 as a therapeutic target in stem‐like cells from embryonal central nervous system tumors

Aberrant expression of the pluripotency factor OCT4A in embryonal tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) is a key factor that contributes to tumor aggressiveness and correlates with poor patient survival. OCT4A overexpression has been shown to up‐regulate miR‐367, a microRNA (miRNA) that regulates pluripotency in embryonic stem cells and stem‐like aggressive traits in cancer cells. Here, we show that (a) miR‐367 is carried in microvesicles derived from embryonal CNS tumor cells expressing OCT4A; and (b) inhibition of miR‐367 in these cells attenuates their aggressive traits. miR‐367 silencing in OCT4A‐overexpressing tumor cells significantly reduced their proliferative and invasive behavior, clonogenic activity, and tumorsphere generation capability. In vivo, targeting of miR‐367 through direct injections of a specific inhibitor into the cerebrospinal fluid of Balb/C nude mice bearing OCT4A‐overexpressing tumor xenografts inhibited tumor development and improved overall survival. miR‐367 was also shown to target SUZ12, one of the core components of the polycomb repressive complex 2 known to be involved in epigenetic silencing of pluripotency‐related genes, including POU5F1, which encodes OCT4A. Our findings reveal possible clinical applications of a cancer stemness pathway, highlighting miR‐367 as a putative liquid biopsy biomarker that could be further explored to improve early diagnosis and prognosis prediction, and potentially serve as a therapeutic target in aggressive embryonal CNS tumors.
Candidalysin Is Required for Neutrophil Recruitment and Virulence During Systemic Candida albicans Infection

Abstract Background Candidalysin is a cytolytic peptide toxin secreted by Candida albicans hyphae and has significantly advanced our understanding of fungal pathogenesis. Candidalysin is critical for mucosal C albicans infections and is known to activate epithelial cells to induce downstream innate immune responses that are associated with protection or immunopathology during oral or vaginal infections. Furthermore, candidalysin activates the NLRP3 inflammasome and causes cytolysis in mononuclear phagocytes. However, the role of candidalysin in driving systemic infections is unknown. Methods In this study, using candidalysin-producing and candidalysin-deficient C albicans strains, we show that candidalysin activates mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling and chemokine secretion in endothelial cells in vitro. Results Candidalysin induces immune activation and neutrophil recruitment in vivo, and it promotes mortality in zebrafish and murine models of systemic fungal infection. Conclusions The data demonstrate a key role for candidalysin in neutrophil recruitment and fungal virulence during disseminated systemic C albicans infections.
Boosting Occluded Image Classification via Subspace Decomposition-Based Estimation of Deep Features

Classification of partially occluded images is a highly challenging computer vision problem even for the cutting-edge deep learning technologies. To achieve a robust image classification for occluded images, this article proposes a novel scheme using the subspace decomposition-based estimation (SDBE). The proposed SDBE-based classification scheme first employs a base convolutional neural network to extract the deep feature vector (DFV) and then utilizes the SDBE to compute the DFV of the original occlusion-free image for classification. The SDBE is performed by projecting the DFV of the occluded image onto the linear span of a class dictionary (CD) along the linear span of an occlusion error dictionary (OED). The CD and OED are constructed, respectively, by concatenating the DFVs of a training set and the occlusion error vectors of an extra set of image pairs. Two implementations of the SDBE are studied in this article: 1) the $l_{1}$ -norm and 2) the squared $l_{2}$ -norm regularized least-squares estimates. By employing the ResNet-152, pretrained on the ImageNet Large-Scale Visual Recognition Challenge 2012 (ILSVRC2012) training set, as the base network, the proposed SBDE-based classification scheme is extensively evaluated on the Caltech-101 and ILSVRC2012 datasets. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that the proposed SDBE-based scheme dramatically boosts the classification accuracy for occluded images, and achieves around 22.25% increase in classification accuracy under 20% occlusion on the ILSVRC2012 dataset.