Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Post-transplant Diabetes Mellitus in Renal Transplant Recipients-Experience in Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital

Objectives: To analyze the incidence of post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) in renal transplant recipients, we evaluated the related risk factors of PTDM and clinical outcome in those patients. Materials and Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical results of 43 renal transplant recipients followed in Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, which included patient demographics, type of transplant, regimen of immunosuppressant, as well as the development of acute allograft rejection, cytomegalovirus infection (CMV), and PTDM. The incidence, management and risk factors of PTDM were determined. A multivariate analysis of the risk factors of PTDM, which included age at transplantation, family history of diabetes, acute allograft rejection, CMV infection and regimen of immunosuppressant, was performed using logistic regression analysis. Results: The incidence of PTDM was 20.9%. In terms of risk factors analysis for PTDM, there were five patients aged over 45 years, and one patient had family history of diabetes. Four patients were diagnosed with acute allograft rejection and three patients had CMV infection. In the multivariate analysis, only the patients with CMV infection had a higher incidence of PTDM compared with those without CMV infection (odds ratio (OR)=9.56; P=0.04). Although there was a trend for developing PTDM in patients using tacrolimus-based immunosuppressants, it was statistically not significant when the data were compared with those using cyclosporine-based regimens (OR=7.30; P=0.06). Importantly, the PTDM patients who used tacrolimus-based immunosuppressants all had high trough levels of serum tacrolimus (＞15ng/mL) when PTDM was diagnosed. In regard to the initial management of PTDM, four recipients took insulin to control their blood glucose and three took oral hypoglycemic agents (OHA). The blood glucose was controlled simply by diet and reducing dosage of immunosuppressants in two patients. None of the PTDM patients were insulin-dependent after the initial treatment. Conclusions: The pre-transplant evaluation of patients' risk factors, the choice and adjustment of immunosuppressants, scheduled monitoring of blood glucose level after renal transplantation and prompt treatment of hyperglycemia showed promise in decreasing the incidence and severity of PTDM in renal transplant recipients.
Clinical and Radiological Performance of Three Endodontic Sealers

Calcium hydroxide is commonly used in endodontics as an interappointment root canal dressing. The object of this study was to compare the clinical/radiographic treatment of 3 sealers, 2 of which contain calcium hydroxide. The clinical/radiological performance of three endodontic sealers was assessed in a prospective study of endodontic treatment in 150 roots. The roots were treated by undergraduate students according to a standardized procedure, and were filled with laterally condensed guttapercha and sealer. The patients were recalled yearly for 4 years for a clinical and radiographic control examination, and the radiographs were scored using the periapical index (PAI) scoring system. The difference was significant after 1 year and persisted through the 4-year observation period. The difference was also evident after stratification of the material with regard to preoperative pulpal and periapical diagnosis. The influence of the sealer on treatment outcome was small.
Low Frequency Forced Oscillation Lung Function Test Can Distinguish Dynamic Tissue Non-linearity in COPD Patients

This paper introduces the use of low frequencies forced oscillation technique (FOT) in the presence of breathing signal. The hypothesis tested is to evaluate the sensitivity of FOT to various degrees of obstruction in COPD patients. The measurements were performed in the frequency range 0–2 Hz. The use of FOT to evaluate respiratory impedance has been broadly recognized and its complementary use next to standardized method as spirometry and body plethysmography has been well-documented. Typical use of FOT uses frequencies between 4–32 Hz and above. However, interesting information at frequencies below 4 Hz is related to viscoelastic properties of parenchyma. Structural changes in COPD affect viscoelastic properties and we propose to investigate the use of FOT at low frequencies with a fourth generation fan-based FOT device. The generator non-linearity introduced by the device is separated from the linear approximation of the impedance before evaluating the results on patients. Three groups of COPD obstruction, GOLD II, III, and IV are evaluated. We found significant differences in mechanical parameters (tissue damping, tissue elasticity, hysteresivity) and increased degrees of non-linear dynamic contributions in the impedance data with increasing degree of obstruction (p < 0.01). The results obtained suggest that the non-linear index correlates better with degrees of heterogeneity linked to COPD GOLD stages, than the currently used hysteresivity index. The protocol and method may prove useful to improve current diagnosis percentages for various COPD phenotypes.
Antibiotic abuse during endodontic treatment: A contributing factor to antibiotic resistance

Antibiotic resistance is one of our most serious global health threats. The adverse effects of overusing and misusing antibiotics are highly publicized in the health professional literature. Antibiotic abuse occurs during routine endodontic treatment and there are deficiencies in knowledge regarding prescribing antibiotic and appropriate prophylactic antibiotic use. Multidisciplinary coordination and cooperation among dentists, pharmacists, and patients is needed to curb antibiotic abuse. As endodontists, we can become part of the solution to the antibiotic resistance crisis and deal with it conclusively. This review article discusses antibiotic resistance resulting from antibiotic abuse during endodontic treatment, various factors contributing to it, and measures required for stopping antibiotic abuse in endodontic treatment. A web-based research on MedLine was performed with terms Review Articles published in the last 10 year's dental journals in English for literature researching, extracting, and synthesizing data. Relevant articles were shortlisted. Important cross-reference articles were also reviewed.
The In-Flight Social Calls of Insectivorous Bats: Species Specific Behaviors and Contexts of Social Call Production

Bats could be a useful study system for studying the evolution of social communication, as they exhibit a high diversity of social group size and complexity. However, the study of bat social calls has been limited, as they are nocturnal, volant animals that produce predominately ultrasonic vocalizations. Passive acoustic monitoring studies occasionally capture bat in-flight social calls. The information from surrounding echolocation calls can provide information on species identity, activity level, and foraging behavior. We used passive acoustic monitoring in Greensboro, North Carolina, to identify seven types of in-flight social calls from Eptesicus fuscus, Lasiurus borealis, Lasiurus cinereus, Nycticeius humeralis, Perimyotis subflavus, and Tadarida brasiliensis. Eptesicus fuscus, N. humeralis, and T. brasiliensis differed in total social call production, and the proportional use of call types. Shared called types exhibited species-specific signatures, indicating the potential for bats to discern signaler identity. Social call production was positively correlated with bat activity. Social calls were often temporally clustered into independent social calling bouts. The complex and upsweep bouts of E. fuscus were associated with foraging, and the likelihood of complex bouts was negatively correlated with heterospecific activity. The production of N. humeralis downsweep, downsweep-upsweep, and upsweep bouts varied by season and site, but not according to bat activity, foraging, or time of night. Species differed in which call types were most commonly emitted, and these calls are associated with different contexts, suggesting that bats exhibit species-specific differences in in-flight social behavior.
Genetic and Environmental Influences on Decoding Skills – Implications for Music and Reading

Music education is associated with increased speech perception abilities and anecdotal evidence suggests musical training is also beneficial for performance in a variety of academic areas. In spite of this positive association, very little empirical evidence exists to support this claim except for a few studies linking musical training to improvements in verbal tasks. We evaluated the relationships between specific aspects of musical training/ability and scores on a series of standardized reading assessments in a sample of twins. There was a significant and positive relationship between self-reported sight-reading ability for sheet music and performance on passage comprehension – a standardized reading measure that relies on decoding and working memory. This effect was specific to sight reading ability, as other musical variables, such as number of years of practice or music theory, were not related to performance on this reading measure. Surprisingly, the verbal working memory ability we tested did not mediate this relationship. To determine whether there is a genetic component to these skills, we compared these relationships in pairs of monozygotic twins compared to dizygotic twins. Interestingly, intraclass correlations (ICCs) for sight reading and passage comprehension were both higher in monozygotic twins compared to dizygotic twins, though this effect was larger for passage comprehension than for sight reading. These results together suggest a familial and potentially partially shared inherited mechanism for success in both musical sight-reading ability and passage comprehension.
A study to assess correlation between maternal weight gain and fetal outcome among primigravidae registered in antenatal clinics

Context: Inadequate prenatal weight gain is a significant risk factor for adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Nutrient intake and weight gain during pregnancy are the two main modifiable factors influencing maternal and infant outcomes. Aim: To assess the social and demographic factors affecting weight gain of pregnant women and to determine the correlation between maternal weight and fetal outcome. Setting and Design: Observational prospective study. Materials and Methods: Two different groups and settings of populations were studied, one enrolled in the antenatal clinic of a tertiary care hospital (sample size 197) and the other suburban antenatal clinic located in a slum community (sample size 97) of the same metro city. Statistical Analysis: Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and Pearson's correlation coefficient were used for analysis. Result: In the tertiary care hospital, 16.75%, 75.13%, and 8.12%, whereas in the suburban hospital 47.42%, 46.39%, and 6.19% primigravidae gained less than or equal to 8, 8.1–16 kg, and more than 16 kg weight, respectively. In the tertiary care hospital, the percentages of preterm birth, low birth weights, special attention needed, and no immediate cry after birth were 5.1%, 19.80%, 4.1%, and 4.1%, respectively, while in the urban health center they were 9.3%, 41.24%, 21.65%, and 11.3%, respectively. A significant association was found between maternal weight gain and birth weight of neonate and special attention needed by baby in both groups. Conclusion: Monitoring the maternal weight during the antenatal period epidemiologically determines the strength of association between maternal weight gain and birth weight of child.
Randomized clinical trial of four adhesion strategies: A 42 month study

Context: The adhesives clinical effectiveness has been extensively reported for noncarious cervical lesions (NCCLs). However, there is a lack of information about the adhesive systems strategies and their effect on NCCL restoration longevity. Aims: This study aims to evaluate a 42-month performance of four dentin adhesive systems used for the restorative treatment of NCCLs. Settings and Design: NCCLs were randomly divided into four groups: (1) Scotchbond multi-purpose (MP); 2: Single bond plus (SB); 3: Scotchbond SE (SE); and 4: Easy bond (EB). Subjects and Methods: NCCLs (125) were randomly distributed: (1) MP; (2) SB; (3) SE; and (4) EB and were restored with a nanofilled resin-composite, evaluated along 18-36-42 months. Statistical Analysis Used: Kruskal–Wallis test: Comparison among the adhesive systems in each period. Friedman analysis: Comparison along the periods. Kaplan–Meier: Survival analysis. Results: Baseline and 42-month retention (RET) rates (%) were 100/100 for MP; 100/94.74 for SB; 100/87.5 for SE; and 100/100 for EB. The cumulative failure percentage was 9.52% for MP, 9.52% SB, 15.8% SE, and 10% EB. Restorations survival was not dependent on the used adhesive type. Marginal adaptation (MA) was similar to each group, but EB presented noticeable marginal deterioration. Wear was noticed in the 3-step etch-and-rinse (MP) restorations evaluated after 42 months. For the EB, baseline and 18-month wear evaluation were statistically similar. After 36 and 42 months, wear was also similar for EB. Conclusions: Adhesive systems showed similar performance within most important adhesive bonding efficiency achievement parameters: RET, MA, interfacial staining, recurrent caries, and postoperative sensitivity evaluated during 42 months.
Machine Learning for Cancer Immunotherapies Based on Epitope Recognition by T Cell Receptors

In the last years, immunotherapies have shown tremendous success as treatments for multiple types of cancer. However, there are still many obstacles to overcome in order to increase response rates and identify effective therapies for every individual patient. Since there are many possibilities to boost a patient’s immune response against a tumor and not all can be covered, this review is focused on T cell receptor-mediated therapies. CD8+ T cells can detect and destroy malignant cells by binding to peptides presented on cell surfaces by MHC (major histocompatibility complex) class I molecules. CD4+ T cells can also mediate powerful immune responses but their peptide recognition by MHC class II molecules is more complex, which is why the attention has been focused on CD8+ T cells. Therapies based on the power of T cells can, on the one hand, enhance T cell recognition by introducing TCRs that preferentially direct T cells to tumor sites (so called TCR-T therapy) or through vaccination to induce T cells in vivo. On the other hand, T cell activity can be improved by immune checkpoint inhibition or other means that help create a microenvironment favorable for cytotoxic T cell activity. The manifold ways in which the immune system and cancer interact with each other require not only the use of large omics datasets from gene, to transcript, to protein, and to peptide but also make the application of machine learning methods inevitable. Currently, discovering and selecting suitable TCRs is a very costly and work intensive in vitro process. To facilitate this process and to additionally allow for highly personalized therapies that can simultaneously target multiple patient-specific antigens, especially neoepitopes, breakthrough computational methods for predicting antigen presentation and TCR binding are urgently required. Particularly, potential cross-reactivity is a major consideration since off-target toxicity can pose a major threat to patient safety. The current speed at which not only datasets grow and are made available to the public, but also at which new machine learning methods evolve, is assuring that computational approaches will be able to help to solve problems that immunotherapies are still facing.
Smile changes after intrusion of maxillary incisors with temporary anchorage devices (TADs) or accentuated compensating curve arch wire

Objective: The aim is to evaluate changes of smile and gingival line after intrusion of maxillary incisors using mini-implant anchorage system or conventional accentuated compensating curve archwire. Materials and Methods: Twenty participants having deep overbite with age ranged from 18 to 24 years were enrolled in this study and were divided into two groups of 10 each. Intrusion of maxillary incisors was performed using mini-implant anchorage system in group 1 and by conventional accentuated compensating curve archwire in group 2. For each participant, lip position, dental and skeletal measurements related to the gingival line were recorded from standardized photographs and cephalometric analyses. Statistical analyses including t-test and Chi-square were used to evaluate differences between groups. Results: There was an improvement of smile arc (consonance) from 30% smile consonance pretreatment to 90% consonance postintrusion in group 1, but the change was insignificant in Group 2. There was an increase in the outer intercommisural width in Group 2 compared to group 1 with a significant difference between both groups (P < 0.046). A significant decrease in the upper lip to upper incisal edge relationship in Group 1 and an insignificant decrease in Group 2 (P = 0.03 and P = 0.262, respectively) was detected. A significant decrease in overbite in Group 1and in Group 2 (P = 0.001) with an insignificant difference between both groups (P > 0.05) was also observed. Conclusion: Smile improvement in the mini-implant group was mainly the result of improved smile arc, increase in outer intercommisural width, decrease in upper lip to upper incisal edge relationship, and decrease in overbite. With the use of accentuated compensating archwires, the only significant change was increase in the interlabial gap.
The Balance in T Follicular Helper Cell Subsets Is Altered in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder Patients and Restored by Rituximab

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a rare and severe auto-immune disease of the central nervous system driven by pathogenic antibodies mainly directed against aquaporin-4 (AQP4-Ab). Treatment of NMOSD currently relies on immunosuppressants (mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine) or B-cell-depleting therapy (rituximab). B-cell differentiation into antibody-producing cells requires T follicular helper cells (Tfh). There are several Tfh subsets that differentially affect B-cell differentiation; Tfh2 and Tfh17 subsets strongly support B-cell differentiation. By contrast, Tfh1 lack this capacity and T follicular regulatory cells (Tfr), inhibit B-cell differentiation into antibody-producing cells. We performed a broad characterization of circulating Tfh subsets in 25 NMOSD patients and analyzed the impact of different treatments on these subsets. Untreated NMOSD patients presented a Tfh polarization toward excessive B-helper Tfh subsets with an increase of Tfh17 and (Tfh2+Tfh17)/Tfh1 ratio and a decrease of Tfr and Tfh1. Rituximab restored the Tfh polarization to that of healthy controls. There was a trend toward a similar result for azathioprine and mycophenolate mofetil. Our results suggest that NMOSD patients present an impaired balance in Tfh subsets favoring B-cell differentiation which may explain the sustained antibody production. These findings provide new insights into the pathophysiology of NMOSD, and further suggest that Tfh and Tfr subsets could be considered as potential therapeutic target in NMOSD because of their upstream role in antibody production.
Impact of training on community health worker regarding newborn care

level can prevent a large proportion of these deaths. Objective: To assess the impact of training on knowledge and skill regarding newborn care among Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM). Methods: A total of 180 ANMs who attended skilled birth attendant training program under RCH were included in the study. The study was conducted over a period of 2 years from May 2013 to June 2015. A 14 training sessions each lasting for 15 days were conducted in 2 years and each session had a batch of 12-15 ANMs. They were assessed for the impact of training at the end of training on semi-structured and pretested schedule. Results: The knowledge of health workers related to the care of a newborn at birth was not adequate. An average of 94.8 ANMs responded correctly to pre-test questions whereas after training there was a significant improvement in the post-test score. After training an average of 160.5 ANMs (p=0.001) responded correctly. A mean of 84 ANMs had adequate knowledge related to danger signs in the neonatal period before training. After training significant number of ANMs (mean=156, p=0.002) responded correctly. Baseline knowledge related to feeding of the newborn was also inadequate (mean=120), but after training there was a significant improvement, 164 ANMs respond correctly (p=0.02). Conclusion: Knowledge of ANMs in the rural area regarding essential newborn care is inadequate. The training of health workers need to be remodeled and updated to improve neonatal outcome. Key words: Auxiliary nurse midwife, Newborn care, Skilled birth attendant.
Automated Estimation of Food Type from Body-worn Audio and Motion Sensors in Free-Living Environments

Nutrition is fundamental to maintaining health, managing chronic diseases, and preventing illness, but unlike physical activity there is not yet a way to unobtrusively and automatically measure nutrition. While recent work has shown that body-worn sensors can be used to identify meal times, to have an impact on health and fully replace manual food logs, we need to identify not only when someone is eating, but what they are consuming. However, it is challenging to collect labeled data in daily life, while lab data does not always generalize to reality. To address this, we develop new algorithms for semi-supervised hierarchical classification that enable higher accuracy when training on data with weak labels. Using this approach, we present the first results on automated classification of foods consumed in data collected from body-worn audio and motion sensors in free-living environments. We show that by exploiting a mix of lab and free-living data, we can achieve a classification accuracy of 88% on unrestricted meals (e.g. stir fry, pizza, salad) in unrestricted environments such as home and restaurants. Ultimately, this lays the foundation for body-worn devices that can calculate calories and macronutrients by identifying food type and quantity.