Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multicenter Trial of a Combination Probiotic for Children with Gastroenteritis

Background Gastroenteritis accounts for approximately 1.7 million visits to the emergency department (ED) by children in the United States every year. Data to determine whether the use of probiotics improves outcomes in these children are lacking. Methods We conducted a randomized, double‐blind trial involving 886 children 3 to 48 months of age with gastroenteritis who presented to six pediatric EDs in Canada. Participants received a 5‐day course of a combination probiotic product containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus R0011 and L. helveticus R0052, at a dose of 4.0×109 colony‐forming units twice daily or placebo. The primary outcome was moderate‐to‐severe gastroenteritis, which was defined according to a post‐enrollment modified Vesikari scale symptom score of 9 or higher (scores range from 0 to 20, with higher scores indicating more severe disease). Secondary outcomes included the duration of diarrhea and vomiting, the percentage of children who had unscheduled physician visits, and the presence or absence of adverse events. Results Moderate‐to‐severe gastroenteritis within 14 days after enrollment occurred in 108 of 414 participants (26.1%) who were assigned to probiotics and 102 of 413 participants (24.7%) who were assigned to placebo (odds ratio, 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.77 to 1.46; P=0.72). After adjustment for trial site, age, detection of rotavirus in stool, and frequency of diarrhea and vomiting before enrollment, trial‐group assignment did not predict moderate‐to‐severe gastroenteritis (odds ratio, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.76 to 1.49; P=0.74). There were no significant differences between the probiotic group and the placebo group in the median duration of diarrhea (52.5 hours [interquartile range, 18.3 to 95.8] and 55.5 hours [interquartile range, 20.2 to 102.3], respectively; P=0.31) or vomiting (17.7 hours [interquartile range, 0 to 58.6] and 18.7 hours [interquartile range, 0 to 51.6], P=0.18), the percentages of participants with unscheduled visits to a health care provider (30.2% and 26.6%; odds ratio, 1.19; 95% CI, 0.87 to 1.62; P=0.27), and the percentage of participants who reported an adverse event (34.8% and 38.7%; odds ratio, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.62 to 1.11; P=0.21). Conclusions In children who presented to the emergency department with gastroenteritis, twice‐daily administration of a combined L. rhamnosus–L. helveticus probiotic did not prevent the development of moderate‐to‐severe gastroenteritis within 14 days after enrollment. (Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and others; PROGUT ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01853124.)
Long lead time flood warnings: reality or fantasy?

This paper reviews recent advances in weather forecasting capability in the United Kingdom and their implications for increasing the lead time with which flood warnings can be issued. The events of summer 2007 have highlighted the vulnerability of parts of the United Kingdom to flooding and the need for long lead time flood warnings to enable the protection of people and critical infrastructure. Historically, computer weather forecasting models have been unable to forecast at the scales of importance for flood warning, and so the warning processes have been forced to rely on measurements on the ground. Examples are presented to demonstrate that new forecasting technologies, currently being implemented, enable warnings to be produced much earlier, provided they are couched in probabilistic terms and interpreted appropriately. Crown Copyright © 2009. Reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Seven steps to success: a handout for parents of overweight children and adolescents.

© Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. February 2009 Obesity Management 29 The Expert Panel recommended four stages of treatment for overweight children (and their families). 1 They used the principle of least intervention, starting slowly with a basic educational approach and then adding stages (steps) if necessary to achieve substantial improvement. That step-wise method is sensible and clear. However, we believe an expanded set of steps, from four to seven, will prove more useful, making it even clearer to parents of overweight children and teens what they can do to help their children. The seven steps defined below all make one very important assumption: pediatric obesity is a family affair. Parents who want their children to succeed must become fully involved, knowledgeable, and participate very actively in major lifestyle changes for themselves as well as their children. The illustration, “Seven Steps to Success,” can serve as a useful handout for the families with whom you work, summarizing seven levels of intensity of intervention. As shown in the illustration, each step could lead to favorable outcomes (notice the directional arrow pointing to “Health and Wellness” from each step), for some families some of the time. For example, by providing explicit feedback about BMI percentile and category (e.g., 97%–obese), clear suggestions for changing diet and activities, and appropriate parent guidebooks, some highly motivated families may be able to make substantial lifestyle changes and produce significant weight loss in their overweight children. However, most families with obese children or teens will find it necessary to go from the first step up to the second and often higher, adding levels of intensity to get the knowledge, skills, and support necessary to master this challenging problem. You will help your families with overweight children tremendously by doing what you can to promote an attitude of persistence. One, two, or even five steps may not produce healthier weights (and modified lifestyles), but you can make the following points:
Relationship between Dietary n-6 Fatty Acid Intake and Hypertension: Effect of Glycated Hemoglobin Levels

The relationship between dietary n-6 fatty acids and hypertension is not clear. The metabolic products of n-6 fatty acids include those that control blood pressure, such as prostaglandin and thromboxane, and that differ depending on the extent of glucose tolerance. This cross-sectional study investigated the association of dietary n-6 fatty acid intake on hypertension, and the effects of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) value in 633 Japanese subjects aged 40 years and older. Dietary intake was measured using a validated brief self-administered diet history questionnaire. We defined hypertension as the use of antihypertensive medication or a blood pressure of 140/90 mmHg. The prevalence of hypertension was 55.3%. A high n-6 fatty acids intake inversely correlated with hypertension in subjects with HbA1c values less than 6.5% (odds ratio, 0.857; 95% confidence interval, 0.744 to 0.987). On the contrary, in subjects with an HbA1c value of 6.5% or higher, the n-6 fatty acids intake was significantly associated with hypertension (odds ratio, 3.618; 95% confidence interval, 1.019 to 12.84). Regular dietary n-6 fatty acid intake may contribute to the prevention and treatment of hypertension in a healthy general population. By contrast, in subjects with diabetes, regular n-6 fatty acids intake may increase the risk of hypertension.
The Meaning of Gardening and the Effects on Perceived Well Being of a Gardening Project on Diverse Populations of Elders

Abstract This pilot pre- and post-test study sought to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of horticulture therapy and the perceived meaning and outcome on well being of a structured gardening intervention on two groups of elders in two culturally diverse settings. The total sample of 24 volunteers (age range 63-90) participated in a three month gardening project. The personal meaning framework and the instrumentation developed based on that framework was utilized (Reker, Peacock, & Wong, 1987; Reker & Wong, 1988, 1984). Paired t-tests demonstrated a significant improvement in psychological well being (p < .000). Content analysis of a semi-structured interview elicited the meaning of gardening. Themes that emerged included Legacy of Gardening, Gardening as Spiritual Healing and Therapy, and Remembering a Favorite Tree. The results of this study suggest that the psychological and spiritual benefits of gardening for older adults transcend socioeconomic, educational and cultural boundaries and is a cost-effective therapeutic option.
Intraepithelial antigen‐presenting cells in the keratitied mucosa around teeth and osseointegrated implants

The presence and distribution of intraepithelial antigen-presenting cells was studied in the keratinized mucosa around healthy osseointegrated implants and teeth. Vimentin, cytokeratins, HLA-Dr, CD18, ICAM-I and CDla-positive cells were assessed by a 3-stage ABC immunoperoxidase system in serial sections from clinically characterized sites. A total of 11 biopsies (7 adjacent to osseointegrated dental implants and 4 adjacent to teeth in healthy volunteers) were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. All biopsies displayed the presence of a small inflammatory infiltrate subjacent to themost coronal portion of the junctional epithelium. Intraepithelial antigen-presenting cell markers were present both around implants and teeth. The observations were consistent with the presence of functional local major histocompatibility complex Class II restricted antigen presentation. Quantitative differences were observed by analysis of variance in terms of different locations within the same section (i.e. junctional epithelium vs oral epithelium) and in terms of the source of the biopsy (i.e. implants vs teeth). The significance, if any, of the observed quantitative difference is discussed in terms of different maturity of the local immune response and possible environmental differences. It is concluded that clinically healthy keratinized mucosa around osseointegrated dental implants shares functional similarities with normal gingiva in terms ofantigen presentation. These results further contribute to the characterization of a functional local immune response that represents the basis for long-term clinical success of osseointegrated dental implants.
Expression of neuropilin-1 is linked to glioma associated microglia and macrophages and correlates with unfavorable prognosis in high grade gliomas

High grade gliomas, including glioblastoma (GB), are devastating malignancies with very poor prognosis. Over the course of the last decade, there has been a failure to develop new treatments for GB. Reasons for this failure include the lack of validation of novel molecular targets, which are often characterized in animal models and directly transposed to human trials. Here we build on our previous findings, which describe how the multi-functional co-receptor Neuropilin-1 (NRP1) signals through glioma associated microglia/macrophages (GAMS) to promote murine glioma, and investigate NRP1 expression in human glioma. Clinical and gene expression data were obtained via The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and analyzed using R statistical software. Additionally, CIBERSORT in silico deconvolution was used to determine fractions of immune cell sub-populations within the gene expression datasets. We find that NRP1 expression is correlated with poor prognosis, glioma grade, and associates with the mesenchymal GB subtype. In human GB, NRP1 expression is highly correlated with markers of monocytes/macrophages, as well as genes that contribute to the pro-tumorigenic phenotype of these cells.
Metabolomics and proteomics identify the toxic form and the associated cellular binding targets of the anti-proliferative drug AICAR

5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide 1-β-d-ribofuranoside (AICAR, or acadesine) is a precursor of the monophosphate derivative 5-amino-4-imidazole carboxamide ribonucleoside 5′-phosphate (ZMP), an intermediate in de novo purine biosynthesis. AICAR proved to have promising anti-proliferative properties, although the molecular basis of its toxicity is poorly understood. To exert cytotoxicity, AICAR needs to be metabolized, but the AICAR-derived toxic metabolite was not identified. Here, we show that ZMP is the major toxic derivative of AICAR in yeast and establish that its metabolization to succinyl-ZMP, ZDP, or ZTP (di- and triphosphate derivatives of AICAR) strongly reduced its toxicity. Affinity chromatography identified 74 ZMP-binding proteins, including 41 that were found neither as AMP nor as AICAR or succinyl-ZMP binders. Overexpression of karyopherin-β Kap123, one of the ZMP-specific binders, partially rescued AICAR toxicity. Quantitative proteomic analyses revealed 57 proteins significantly less abundant on nuclei-enriched fractions from AICAR-fed cells, this effect being compensated by overexpression of KAP123 for 15 of them. These results reveal nuclear protein trafficking as a function affected by AICAR.
Where are we at with model-based economic evaluations of interventions for dementia? a systematic review and quality assessment

ABSTRACT Objective: To identify, review, and critically appraise model-based economic evaluations of all types of interventions for people with dementia and their carers. Design: A systematic literature search was undertaken to identify model-based evaluations of dementia interventions. A critical appraisal of included studies was carried out using guidance on good practice methods for decision-analytic models in health technology assessment, with a focus on model structure, data, and model consistency. Setting: Interventions for people with dementia and their carers, across prevention, diagnostic, treatment, and disease management. Results: We identified 67 studies, with 43 evaluating pharmacological products, 19 covering prevention or diagnostic strategies, and 5 studies reporting non-pharmacological interventions. The majority of studies use Markov models with a simple structure to represent dementia symptoms and disease progression. Half of all studies reported taking a societal perspective, with the other half adopting a third-party payer perspective. Most studies follow good practices in modeling, particularly related to the decision problem description, perspective, model structure, and data inputs. Many studies perform poorly in areas related to the reporting of pre-modeling analyses, justifying data inputs, evaluating data quality, considering alternative modeling options, validating models, and assessing uncertainty. Conclusions: There is a growing literature on the model-based evaluations of interventions for dementia. The literature predominantly reports on pharmaceutical interventions for Alzheimer's disease, but there is a growing literature for dementia prevention and non-pharmacological interventions. Our findings demonstrate that decision-makers need to critically appraise and understand the model-based evaluations and their limitations to ensure they are used, interpreted, and applied appropriately.
The RNA helicase DDX3X is an essential mediator of innate antimicrobial immunity

DExD/H box RNA helicases, such as the RIG-I-like receptors (RLR), are important components of the innate immune system. Here we demonstrate a pivotal and sex-specific role for the heterosomal isoforms of the DEAD box RNA helicase DDX3 in the immune system. Mice lacking DDX3X during hematopoiesis showed an altered leukocyte composition in bone marrow and spleen and a striking inability to combat infection with Listeria monocytogenes. Alterations in innate immune responses resulted from decreased effector cell availability and function as well as a sex-dependent impairment of cytokine synthesis. Thus, our data provide further in vivo evidence for an essential contribution of a non-RLR DExD/H RNA helicase to innate immunity and suggest it may contribute to sex-related differences in resistance to microbes and resilience to inflammatory disease.
A historical review of investigations on laterality of emotions in the human brain

ABSTRACT Different models of emotional lateralization, advanced since the first clinical observations raised this issue, will be reviewed following their historical progression. The clinical investigations that have suggested a general dominance of the right hemisphere for all kinds of emotions and the experimental studies that have proposed a different hemispheric specialization for positive vs. negative emotions (valence hypothesis) or for approach vs. withdrawal tendencies (motivational hypothesis) will be reviewed first and extensively. This historical review will be followed by a short discussion of recent anatomo-clinical and activation studies that have investigated (a) emotional and behavioral disorders of patients with asymmetrical forms of fronto-temporal degeneration and (b) laterality effects in specific brain structures (amygdala, ventro-medial prefrontal cortex, and anterior insula) playing a critical role in different components of emotions. Overall, these studies support the hypothesis of a right hemisphere dominance for all components of the emotional system.
Parasitic Helminths in Wild Boars (Sus scrofa) in Mazandaran Province, Northern Iran

Background: Wild boars (Sus scrofa) are distributed worldwide and found in many parts of Iran. Although S. scrofa is reservoirs for many parasites, there is little data on helminthic prevalence in them. We aimed to survey the status of helminthic infections in S. scrofa in the Mazandaran Province of northern Iran. Methods: Twenty-one wild boars were captured and examined for helminth infection during Dec 2012–Mar 2014. Adult worms such as Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus were identified by helminth size and shape, and the arrangement of the proboscis hooks. The sedimentation and flotation techniques were used to detect parasite eggs and larvae in faecal samples. Muscle samples were also surveyed for Trichinella larvae by artificial digestion method. Results: Of the 21 samples, 13 (61.9%) were infected with one or more helminth species. Seven helminth types were identified in the alimentary track, comprising 5 nematodes, 1 trematode, and 1 acanthocephalan, with prevalence rates of Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus (57.14%), Globocephalus spp. (33.33%), Trichuris suis (19.04), Gongylonema pulchrum (14.28%), Fasciola hepatica (14.28%), Dioctophyma renale (4.76%), and Ascaris suum (4.76%). Conclusion: Wild boars might be involved in transmitting zoonotic parasites to humans. The abundance of these animals near human habitation creates favorable conditions for infection. So the risk of parasitic helminth diseases increases in other animals and humans.
InstaNAS: Instance-aware Neural Architecture Search

Conventional Neural Architecture Search (NAS) aims at finding a single architecture that achieves the best performance, which usually optimizes task related learning objectives such as accuracy. However, a single architecture may not be representative enough for the whole dataset with high diversity and variety. Intuitively, electing domain-expert architectures that are proficient in domain-specific features can further benefit architecture related objectives such as latency. In this paper, we propose InstaNAS—an instance-aware NAS framework—that employs a controller trained to search for a “distribution of architectures” instead of a single architecture; This allows the model to use sophisticated architectures for the difficult samples, which usually comes with large architecture related cost, and shallow architectures for those easy samples. During the inference phase, the controller assigns each of the unseen input samples with a domain expert architecture that can achieve high accuracy with customized inference costs. Experiments within a search space inspired by MobileNetV2 show InstaNAS can achieve up to 48.8% latency reduction without compromising accuracy on a series of datasets against MobileNetV2.
Evolutionary-Neural Hybrid Agents for Architecture Search

Neural Architecture Search has shown potential to automate the design of neural networks. Deep Reinforcement Learning based agents can learn complex architectural patterns, as well as explore a vast and compositional search space. On the other hand, evolutionary algorithms offer higher sample efficiency, which is critical for such a resource intensive application. In order to capture the best of both worlds, we propose a class of Evolutionary-Neural hybrid agents (Evo-NAS). We show that the Evo-NAS agent outperforms both neural and evolutionary agents when applied to architecture search for a suite of text and image classification benchmarks. On a high-complexity architecture search space for image classification, the Evo-NAS agent surpasses the accuracy achieved by commonly used agents with only 1/3 of the search cost.
Being Overweight or Obese and the Development of Asthma

In this study, we use the PEDSnet clinical data research network to measure the excess risk that overweight and obesity status contribute to new asthma cases in US children. OBJECTIVES: Adult obesity is linked to asthma cases and is estimated to lead to 250 000 new cases yearly. Similar incidence and attributable risk (AR) estimates have not been developed for children. We sought to describe the relationship between overweight and obesity and incident asthma in childhood and quantify AR statistics in the United States for overweight and obesity on pediatric asthma. METHODS: The PEDSnet clinical data research network was used to conduct a retrospective cohort study (January 2009–December 2015) to compare asthma incidence among overweight and/or obese versus healthy weight 2- to 17-year-old children. Asthma incidence was defined as ≥2 encounters with a diagnosis of asthma and ≥1 asthma controller prescription. Stricter diagnostic criteria involved confirmation by spirometry. We used multivariable Poisson regression analyses to estimate incident asthma rates and risk ratios and accepted formulas for ARs. RESULTS: Data from 507 496 children and 19 581 972 encounters were included. The mean participant observation period was 4 years. The adjusted risk for incident asthma was increased among children who were overweight (relative risk [RR]: 1.17; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10–1.25) and obese (RR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.18–1.34). The adjusted risk for spirometry-confirmed asthma was increased among children with obesity (RR: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.16–1.42). An estimated 23% to 27% of new asthma cases in children with obesity is directly attributable to obesity. In the absence of overweight and obesity, 10% of all cases of asthma would be avoided. CONCLUSIONS: Obesity is a major preventable risk factor for pediatric asthma.
Reflections on emerging trends in clinical work with gender diverse children and adolescents

Gender is a fast-evolving and topical field which is often the centre of attention in the media and in public policy debates. The current cultural and social climate provides possibilities for young people to express themselves. Gender diverse young people are not only developing new ways of describing gender, but they are also shaping what is required of clinical interventions. Emerging cultural, social and clinical trends, such as increases in referrals, shifts in sex ratio and diversification in gender identification, illustrate that gender diverse individuals are not a homogeneous group. How do evolving concepts of gender impact the clinical care of gender diverse young people presenting to specialist gender clinics today?