Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Serum alkaline phosphatase levels as a simple and useful test in screening for significant fibrosis in treatment-naive patients with hepatitis B e-antigen negative chronic hepatitis B

Background Staging of liver fibrosis is critical in guiding the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) virus. Many efforts have been made toward the research of noninvasive techniques, mostly focusing on hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg)-positive [HBeAg(+)] CHB patients, whereas HBeAg(+) and HBeA-negative [HBeAg(−)] represent different stages of hepatitis B virus infection. Thus, in this study, we aimed to search for routinely available clinical noninvasive liver fibrosis markers and separately analysed the markers in HBeAg(+) and HBeAg(−) CHB patients. Methods Patients with CHB who were treatment naive and who underwent a liver biopsy at our hospital from 1 January 2016 to 31 April 2017 were enrolled. Liver histology was scored using the Scheuer classification system. The area under the receiver operator curve was used to determine the diagnostic accuracy. Results A total of 191 patients, including 104 HBeAg(+) and 87 HBeAg(−) treatment-naive CHB patients, were enrolled in this study. Serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels increased gradually in all patients and separately in HBeAg(−) CHB patients, but not in HBeAg(+) CHB patients. ALP was an independent factors predicting significant fibrosis (S≥2) in all of the patients and separately in HBeAg(−) patients, with area under the receiver operator curves of 0.651 and 0.717, respectively. Further, the optimal cut-off value of ALP (>69.5 IU/l) for distinguishing HBeAg(−) CHB patients with significant fibrosis was determined (S≥2). Conclusion Serum ALP levels can identify significant fibrosis (S≥2) in treatment-naive HBeAg(−) CHB patients and could potentially reduce the need for liver biopsies and help to guide the clinical treatment of CHB.
Comparison of implant survivability in primary 1- to 2-level lumbar fusion amongst opioid abusers and non-opioid abusers.

Background Primary lumbar fusion (LF) is a treatment option for degenerative disc disease. The literature is limited regarding postoperative complications in opioid abusers undergoing LF. The purpose of this study was to compare 2-year short term implant-related complications, infection rates, 90-day readmission rates, in-hospital length of stay, and cost of care amongst opioid abusers (OAS) and non-opioid abusers (NAS) undergoing primary 1- to 2-level primary lumbar fusion (1-2LF). Methods A retrospective review was performed using the Medicare Standard Analytical Files from an administrative database. Patients undergoing LF were queried using the International Classification of Disease, ninth revision (ICD-9) procedure codes 81.04-81.08. Patients who underwent 1-2LF were filtered using ICD-9 procedure code 81.62. Inclusion criteria for the study group consisted of patients undergoing primary 1-2LF with a diagnosis of opioid abuse and dependency 90-day prior to the procedure. NAS undergoing 1-2LF served as controls. Patients in the study group were matched to controls according to age, gender, and Charlson-Comorbidity Index (CCI). Two mutually exclusive cohorts were formed and outcome measures analyzed and compared were implant complications, infection rates, 90-day readmission rates, LOS, and cost of care. Results After the matching process 13,342 patients were identified with equal cohort distribution. OAS had higher odds implant related complications (OR: 2.78, P<0.001) such as prosthetic joint dislocation (OR: 3.83, P<0.001), requiring revision (OR: 2.89, P<0.001), pseudarthrosis (OR: 2.50, P<0.001), and spine related infections (OR: 1.58, P<0.001) compared to NAS. OAS had higher 90-day readmission rates, (OR: 1.29, P<0.001), higher hospital costs ($143,057.38 vs. $121,450.45, P<0.001), and greater in-hospital LOS (P<0.001). Conclusions OAS are susceptible to complications following primary 1-2LF. Appropriate patient counseling regarding the effects of opioids on lumbar fusion should be given priority to maximize patient outcomes. Future studies should investigate the impact of pre-operative opioid abuse versus post-operative opioid use.
Artificial Intelligence and Big Data in Public Health

Artificial intelligence and automation are topics dominating global discussions on the future of professional employment, societal change, and economic performance. In this paper, we describe fundamental concepts underlying AI and Big Data and their significance to public health. We highlight issues involved and describe the potential impacts and challenges to medical professionals and diagnosticians. The possible benefits of advanced data analytics and machine learning are described in the context of recently reported research. Problems are identified and discussed with respect to ethical issues and the future roles of professionals and specialists in the age of artificial intelligence.
NURSES' AND PATIENTS' VIEWPOINTS REGARDING QUALITY OF NURSING CARE IN THE TEACHING HOSPITALS OF SEMNAN UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES

Introduction: Nursing care is an essential component of health services. Patient's health and improvement depends on the quality of nursing care. Nurses and patients views as well as their active participation for making decision have an important role in quality of services, so it must be regarded as a principle. The purpose of this research was to study nurses' and patients' viewpoints regarding quality of nursing care in teaching hospital of Semnan (Iran). Materials and Methods: In this descriptive-comparative study, 52 nurses and 300 patients from internal, surgical, gynecology and pediatric wards of Fatemieh and Amir Hospitals were selected by systematic sampling. Nursing care quality was assessed in psychotic, social and communicative aspects using a Quality Patient Care Scale questioner. The questioner had 41 questions with 3 answer choices (rarely, occasionally and usually) that marked from 1 to 3. Mean scores were calculated for all subjects and then were categorized in undesirable (less than 1.5), low desirable (1.5-2.49) and desirable (2.5-5) groups. Results: 31.6 % of patients and 92.6% of nurses evaluated psychotic-social aspect of care quality as desirable. The desirability percent for communicative aspect of care quality was 24.7% in patients and 56.8% in nurses. There was a significant statistical difference between patients and nurses views in both aspects (P<0.001). In psychosocial aspect, 73.5% of patients expressed that nurses do not introduce themselves and 77.9% of them expressed that nurses rarely introduce new patients to other patients. In communicative aspect, 42.5% of patients declared that they ensured about their secrets rarely. Conclusion: Nurses' and patients' viewpoints on quality of nursing care were different because of their various experiences and insight. Thus, re-evaluation of the quality standards of nursing care based on client approach, choosing some strategies to increase nurse-patient communication and considering psycho-social patients needs seems to be a necessity. Keywords: Quality of care, Nursing care, Viewpoint, Patient, Nurse
How news content influences anti-immigration attitudes: Germany, 1993-2005

Immigration is an increasingly important political issue in Western democracies and a crucial question relates to the antecedents of public attitudes towards immigrants. It is generally acknowledged that information relayed through the mass media plays a role in the formation of anti-immigration attitudes. This study considers whether news coverage of immigrants and immigration issues relates to macro-level dynamics of anti-immigration attitudes. It further explores whether this relationship depends on variation in relevant real world contexts. The models simultaneously control for the effects of established contextual explanatory variables. Drawing on German monthly time-series data and on ARIMA time-series modeling techniques, it is shown that both the frequency and the tone of coverage of immigrant actors in the news significantly influence dynamics in anti-immigration attitudes. The strength of the effect of the news, however, depends on contextual variation in immigration levels and the number of asylum seekers. Implications of these findings are discussed in the light of the increasing success of extreme right parties and growing opposition to further European integration.
From mRNA Expression of Drug Disposition Genes to In Vivo Assessment of CYP-Mediated Biotransformation during Zebrafish Embryonic and Larval Development

The zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo is currently explored as an alternative for developmental toxicity testing. As maternal metabolism is lacking in this model, knowledge of the disposition of xenobiotics during zebrafish organogenesis is pivotal in order to correctly interpret the outcome of teratogenicity assays. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess cytochrome P450 (CYP) activity in zebrafish embryos and larvae until 14 d post-fertilization (dpf) by using a non-specific CYP substrate, i.e., benzyloxy-methyl-resorufin (BOMR) and a CYP1-specific substrate, i.e., 7-ethoxyresorufin (ER). Moreover, the constitutive mRNA expression of CYP1A, CYP1B1, CYP1C1, CYP1C2, CYP2K6, CYP3A65, CYP3C1, phase II enzymes uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) and sulfotransferase 1st1 (SULT1ST1), and an ATP-binding cassette (ABC) drug transporter, i.e., abcb4, was assessed during zebrafish development until 32 dpf by means of quantitative PCR (qPCR). The present study showed that trancripts and/or the activity of these proteins involved in disposition of xenobiotics are generally low to undetectable before 72 h post-fertilization (hpf), which has to be taken into account in teratogenicity testing. Full capacity appears to be reached by the end of organogenesis (i.e., 120 hpf), although CYP1—except CYP1A—and SULT1ST1 were shown to be already mature in early embryonic development.
Smoking, age, nodal disease, T stage, p16 status, and risk of distant metastases in patients with squamous cell cancer of the oropharynx

With an expectation of excellent locoregional control, ongoing efforts to de‐intensify therapy for patients with human papillomavirus–associated squamous cell oropharyngeal cancer necessitate a better understanding of the metastatic risk for patients with this disease. The objective of this study was to determine what factors affect the risk of metastases in patients with squamous cell cancers of the oropharynx.
Towards Clinico-Pathological Application of Raman Spectroscopy

textabstractAs the possibilities in the treatment of diseases continue to evolve, early detection and correct diagnosis of pathological changes have become increasingly important. Pathology literally means the study (logos) of suffering (pathos), and it is essentially the discipline that bridges basic science and clinical practice by studying the structural and functional changes in diseased cells, tissues and organs. The focus of diagnostic pathology is to label the morphological and molecular changes in cells and tissues so that the appropriate therapeutic action can be taken. Histopathology is still the “gold standard” of assessing abnormal changes in tissues. In order to make a pathological diagnosis, it is required that changes in the tissues available for evaluation are representative of the disease. Tissue samples are usually obtained by biopsy procedures. Because usually only limited real-time information is available regarding the nature of the tissues to be sampled, sampling errors tend to occur. Another risk induced by lack of real-time information about the nature of diseased tissues, as compared to their normal environment, is incomplete surgical removal of tumor tissue. Therefore, the identification of biochemical characteristics of tissues which are indicative of a particular abnormality or disease and subsequent incorporation of such characteristics in sampling procedures will improve diagnostic accuracy. The same accuracy may assist surgeons in more precise targeting and removing of lesions.
Use of Recycle for H2s Removal by Mdea Scrubbing in Igcc Systems

This work focuses on the analysis of the H2S removal section of an Acid Gas Removal (AGR) station in an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) plant. The AGR station is composed of one absorption section for H2S and one absorption section for CO2. The first section aims at removing most of the hydrogen sulfide from the syngas in order to obtain, in the following unit for the CO2 removal, a CO2-rich stream containing less than 200 ppmv of H2S on a dry basis. The H2S-rich stream obtained from the regeneration and exiting the H2S removal section is sent for sulfur recovery in a Claus plant, which needs a minimum content of H2S in the feed. The acid gas removal is performed by using an aqueous solution of MethylDiEthanolAmine (MDEA). Although it selectively absorbs hydrogen sulfide, part of carbon dioxide is co-absorbed with H2S, and the minimum content in H2S required for feeding the Claus plant may be not achieved. A recycle of the H2S-rich stream exiting the regeneration to the absorption section is not usually employed in these systems, but it has been considered for increasing the amount of hydrogen sulfide absorbed and therefore present in the H2S-rich stream at the outlet. A sensitivity assessment has been performed in this work to determine the influence of the recycle stream on the overall absorption process and the minimum amount of the flowrate necessary to accomplish the required specifications.
Susceptible and protective HLA‐DR and HLA‐DQ alleles for Fya alloimmunization in the Croatian population

Alloimmunization is a known risk of transfusion therapy caused by exposure to foreign RBC antigens. However, alloimmunization is not observed in all transfused patients. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules may contribute to the recognition and presentation of foreign antigens and to the potency of immune responses that result in the production of antibodies. The aim of this study was to determine the association of HLA‐DR and HLA‐DQ polymorphisms with alloimunization to Fya antigen in Croatian patients.
Google Scholar Usage: An Academic Library's Experience

Google Scholar is a free service that provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly works and to connect patrons with the resources libraries provide. The researchers in this study analyzed Google Scholar usage data from 2006 for three library tools at San Francisco State University: SFX link resolver, Web Access Management proxy server, and ILLiad interlibrary loan server. Overall, the data suggested that Google Scholar had become a very useful resource in the library and was a significant addition to the library's collection of research databases. SFX data revealed requests from Google Scholar grew ten-fold from 2006 to 2011, and that Google Scholar became the top-ranked SFX source for requests in 2011. Library patrons favored Google Scholar over San Francisco State University's federated search tool, MetaLib, and it has become an important source for interlibrary loan requests. Analysis of San Francisco State University usage data will assist other libraries in their decisions about the implementation of Google Scholar.
Greek Tragedy: Suffering Under the Sun

Introduction: What is Greek Tragedy? 1. Play Makers 2. Community Identities 3. Confrontations 4. Minds 5. Aeschylean Drama 6. Euripidean Drama 7. Sophoclean Drama Postscript: Greek Tragedy and Greek Tragic Fragments Today
Diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension

A revised diagnostic algorithm provides guidelines for the diagnosis of patients with suspected pulmonary hypertension, both prior to and following referral to expert centres, and includes recommendations for expedited referral of high-risk or complicated patients and patients with confounding comorbidities. New recommendations for screening high-risk groups are given, and current diagnostic tools and emerging diagnostic technologies are reviewed. State of the art and research perspectives in the diagnostic procedures of patients with pulmonary hypertension including a comprehensive diagnostic algorithm http://ow.ly/Ow9730mknM6
Facial Sadness Recognition is Modulated by Estrogen Receptor Gene Polymorphisms in Healthy Females

Polymorphisms of the estrogen receptor ESR1 and ESR2 genes have been linked with cognitive deficits and affective disorders. The effects of these genetic variants on emotional processing in females with low estrogen levels are not well known. The aim was to explore the impact of the ESR1 and ESR2 genes on the responses to the facial emotion recognition task in females. Postmenopausal healthy female volunteers were genotyped for the polymorphisms Xbal and PvuII of ESR1 and the polymorphism rs1256030 of ESR2. The effect of these polymorphisms on the response to the facial emotion recognition of the emotions happiness, sadness, disgust, anger, surprise, and fear was analyzed. Females carrying the P allele of the PvuII polymorphism or the X allele of the Xbal polymorphism of ESR1 easily recognized facial expressions of sadness that were more difficult for the women carrying the p allele or the x allele. They displayed higher accuracy, fast response time, more correct responses, and fewer omissions to complete the task, with a large effect size. Women carrying the ESR2 C allele of ESR2 showed a faster response time for recognizing facial expressions of anger. These findings link ESR1 and ESR2 polymorphisms in facial emotion recognition of negative emotions.
Diffusion et utilisation des Tic en France et en Europe

L’exploitation par le Deps des enquetes communautaires sur l’utilisation des Tic par les menages et les particuliers, coordonnees, harmonisees et publiees par Eurostat, permet de dresser un portrait comparatif et en tendances de l’equipement en Tic, des modes d’acces a l’internet des menages dans l’UE-27 selon leurs caracteristiques socio-demographiques. Elle met en lumiere l’intensification des usages numeriques des particuliers, elucide les facteurs de developpement des Tic que sont les usages culturels et le commerce electronique de produits culturels, mais aussi la forte liaison entre acces aux Tic et commerce electronique dans l’Union europeenne. Enfin, sont etablis des tendances et facteurs d’usages convergents sur l’internet, la television et la telephonie : disponibilite, temps d’usages, generations, praticite, etc. Dans cette cartographie de l’acces et de l’utilisation des Tic dans l’UE, la France occupe une position intermediaire : plutot en dessous de la moyenne de l’UE en termes d’acces ou de telephonie mobile, elle est plutot au-dessus de cette moyenne en termes d’usages et de commerce electronique.
A Meta-Analysis on Randomised Controlled Clinical Trials Evaluating the Effect of the Dietary Supplement Chitosan on Weight Loss, Lipid Parameters and Blood Pressure

Background and objectives: Erratic results have been published concerning the influence of the dietary supplement chitosan used as a complementary remedy to decrease the body weight of overweight and obese people. The published articles mention as secondary possible benefits of usage of chitosan the improvement of blood pressure and serum lipids status. We performed a meta-analysis evaluating body weight, body mass index, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, systolic and diastolic blood pressure among overweight and obese patients. Materials and Methods: Searching MEDLINE, Cochrane up to December 2017 on clinical trials that have assessed the influence of chitosan used as a dietary supplement on overweight and obese patients. An additional study was identified in the References section of another meta-analysis. A total of 14 randomised control trials (RCT) were used to assess the effect on body weight, serum lipids and blood pressure. Results: The usage of chitosan as a dietary supplement up to 52 weeks seems to slightly reduce the body weight (−1.01 kg, 95% CI: −1.67 to −0.34). Considering the other parameters studied, the most significant improvement was observed in systolic and diastolic blood pressure: −2.68 mm Hg (95% CI: −4.19 to −1.18) and −2.14 mm Hg (95% CI: −4.14 to −0.14) in favour of chitosan versus a placebo. Conclusions: Based on the meta-analysis realized with 14 RCT we concluded that the usage of chitosan as a dietary supplement can lead to a slight short- and medium-term effect on weight loss and to the improvement of serum lipid profile and cardiovascular factors.
Noninvasive evaluation of the effects of coronary artery bypass grafting on myocardial function

4 ABBREVIATIONS 5 LIST OF ORIGINAL PAPERS 7 INTRODUCTION 9 Atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease 9 Cardiac function: mechanisms of cardiac contraction and relaxation 10 Coronary artery bypass grafting 12 Effects of CABG on LV and RV function 14 The relationship between preoperative inflammatory parameters and CABG 15 AIMS OF THE THESIS 17 PATIENTS AND METHODS 18 Patients 18 Methods 21 Ethics 27 Statistics 27 RESULTS 28 General results 28 Study I: The effect of CABG on LV function and perfusion at rest and during stress 30 Study II: Improvement in diastolic LV function after CABG as assessed by DTI 34 Study III: Decreased RV function after CABG and its relation to exercise capacity 36 Study IV: Can preoperative inflammatory parameters predict early graft occlusion and late cardiovascular events after CABG? 38 GENERAL DISCUSSION 41 The effect of CABG on cardiac function 41 CABG and systolic LV function 41 CABG and diastolic LV function 42 CABG and the RV function 44 Inflammation prior to CABG. Its relation to early graft occlusion and late cardiovascular events.45 CONCLUSIONS 48 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 49 REFERENCES 52 7 LIST OF ORIGINAL PAPERS This thesis is based on the following original papers, which will be referred to by their Roman