Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Corticosteroid Use and Incident Myocardial Infarction in Adults Hospitalized for Community‐acquired Pneumonia

Rationale: Adults hospitalized for community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP) have an increased risk of myocardial infarction. Corticosteroid treatment lowers CAP morbidity and mortality, but it is not known whether it influences in‐hospital myocardial infarction. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential interplay between corticosteroid treatment and in‐hospital myocardial infarction in adults with CAP. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed adults with CAP referred to the University Hospital Policlinico Umberto I (Rome, Italy), consecutively recruited, and prospectively followed until discharge. The primary outcome was the occurrence of myocardial infarction during hospitalization. We used propensity score‐adjusted Cox models to examine the association between corticosteroid use and myocardial infarction. Results: Seven hundred fifty‐eight patients (493 males, 265 females; mean ± standard deviation age, 71.7 ± 14.4 yr) were included in the study. Of these, 241 (32%) were treated with systemic corticosteroids (methylprednisolone, betamethasone, or prednisone). During follow‐up, 62 (8.2%) had a myocardial infarction during their hospitalization (incidence, 0.72 per 100 person‐days; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.55 to 0.92). Those treated with corticosteroids had a lower incidence of myocardial infarction (0.42 per 100 person‐days) than those not treated with corticosteroids (0.89 per 100 person‐days; absolute rate difference, −0.48 per 100 person‐days; 95% CI, −0.85 to −0.10). In a propensity score‐adjusted Cox model, corticosteroid use was associated with a lower incidence of myocardial infarction (hazard ratio, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.24 to 0.88; P = 0.02). Conclusions: We found that in‐hospital corticosteroid treatment was associated with a lower incidence of myocardial infarction in adults hospitalized with CAP.
Machine learning as applied intrinsically to individual dimensions of HDR Display Quality

This study builds on previous work exploring machine learning and perceptual transforms in predicting overall display quality as a function of image quality dimensions that correspond to physical display parameters. Previously, we found that the use of perceptually transformed parameters or machine learning exceeded the performance of predictors using just physical parameters and linear regression. Further, the combination of perceptually transformed parameters with machine learning allowed for robustness to parameters outside of the data set, both for cases of interpolation and extrapolation. Here we apply machine learning at a more intrinsic level. We first evaluate how well the machine learning can develop predictors of the individual dimensions of the overall quality, and then how well those individual predictors can be consolidated across themselves to predict the overall display quality. Having predictions of individual dimensions of quality that are closely related to specific hardware design choices enables more nimble cost trade-off design options.
Sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological characteristics identify groups of Italian cancer patients with high rates of unmet needs

Purpose: Although an optimal goal remains the routine assessment of unmet needs of all patients with cancer, particular attention should be paid to those groups of patients with characteristics known to be more frequently associated with unmet needs in general or with specific areas of need. This report aims to describe the sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological characteristics associated with higher unmet needs in Italian cancer patients. Methods: A total of 835 cancer patients from different care settings (ward, day hospital, follow-up ambulatory, rehabilitation unit, and palliative care) filled out the Needs Evaluation Questionnaire (NEQ), the Psychological Distress Inventory, and the Sense of Coherence Scale. Association of NEQ scores with the clinical and demographic variables were tested using analysis of variance. Results: Higher NEQ total score was associated with lower educational level, inpatient care setting, radiotherapy treatment, psychological distress, and lower resilience trait sense of coherence. Different predictors were identified for different areas of unmet needs. Care setting, psychological distress, and resilience trait were the strongest indicators of unmet needs in every area: information/communication, assistance/care, material needs, relational needs, and psychoemotional support. Conclusions: Clinicians should consider that inpatients with a high distress and a low resilience trait sense of coherence represent a group of cancer patients to be investigated with particular attention regarding unmet needs.
Diurnal rhythms of heart and respiratory rates in donkeys of different age groups during the cold‐dry and hot‐dry seasons in a tropical savannah

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of season on diurnal rhythms of heart (HR) and respiratory rates (RespR) in the adult, yearling, and foal donkeys during the cold‐dry and hot‐dry seasons under natural light/dark cycle. The resting HR and RespR were recorded bihourly for 24 consecutive hours from 06:00 to 06:00 h (GMT +1) in 30, clinically healthy donkeys (10 adults,10 yearlings, and 10 foals). Dry‐bulb temperature (DBT), relative humidity (RH), temperature‐humidity index (THI) and wet‐bulb globe temperature index (WBGT) inside the pen were recorded bihourly from 06:00 to 06:00 h. Values of DBT, THI, and WBGT obtained during the hot‐dry season were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than corresponding values recorded during the cold‐dry season. Application of single‐cosinor procedure showed that HR and RespR exhibited daily rhythmicity in both seasons. The mesors of the HR in adult (41.51 ± 0.34 beats/min [bpm]), yearling (40.80 ± 0.43 bpm), and foal (47.55 ± 0.40 bpm) donkeys during the cold‐dry season were significantly (P < 0.01) lower, compared to the corresponding values of 48.4 ± 0.40 bpm, 50.42 ± 0.52 bpm and 58.10 ± 0.50 bpm, respectively during the hot‐dry season. The mesors of RespR in adult, yearling, and foal donkeys during the hot‐dry season were higher (P < 0.05), when compared to the corresponding values recorded in the cold‐dry season. The HR and RespR of foals were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those of the adult and yearling donkeys. Amplitudes of HR and RespR were higher during the hot‐dry season than the cold‐dry season. In conclusion, seasonal changes affect diurnal rhythmicity of HR and RespR of adult, yearling, and foal donkeys during the cold‐dry and hot‐dry seasons. The HR and RespR of donkeys vary with age, with higher values in the foals than the adult and yearling donkeys in both seasons.
Transanal anastomotic techniques for rectal cancer: the reverse air leak test – a video vignette

Anastomotic leaks result in considerable morbidity which can affect function and quality of life(1) . "Air leak" testing is widely performed to assess anastomotic integrity during surgery (2-4) but there is ongoing debate about its' reliability particularly after low rectal dissections. Concerns relate to an inability to perform the test or false negative results (5) . This video shows how to perform an effective leak test for ultra low anatomoses (e.g. after transanal TME, (TaTME) (reverse air leak test) and how to repair the defect. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Autoimmune Aspects of Kawasaki Disease.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is classified as a medium-sized vasculitis of systemic vasculitis syndrome characterized by hypercytokinemia. Although the etiology of KD remains unidentified, epidemiological features point to the role of infection and genetic predisposition. Recent studies revealed endothelial damage and resultant thrombin generation, as well as B-cell activation during the acute phase of KD. Several anti-endothelial cell autoantibodies (AECAs) have been identified in KD patients. Taken together with the recently developed concept of immunothrombosis, a potential pathogenic mechanism for KD emerges. First, some polyclonal antibodies generated against invading microorganisms would exhibit cross-reactivity toward endothelial cell components and become dominant during affinity maturation. AECA binding to endothelial cells would cause endothelial activation or damage, with proinflammatory cytokine release, fostering a hypercoagulable state by leukocyte activation by proinflammatory cytokines. This, in turn, would lead to coronary artery lesions. KD vasculitis might be initiated upon AECA binding to the vasa vasorum and progress to panvasculitis and a vulnerable vessel wall, resulting in an aneurysm. The aneurysm would cause flow recirculation and alteration of wall shear stress. Consequently, platelets activated by shear stress, along with ultra-large von Willebrand factor (VWF) released by endothelial cells, would cause platelet-driven arterial thrombosis. Autoimmunity-associated thrombosis initiated by AECA binding to endothelial cells might play a major role in the pathogenesis of certain subtypes of KD. The notion of KD consisting of subtypes, the major one of which is AECA-associated vasculitis, will help facilitate a better understanding of KD and further promote early and accurate diagnosis, which remains challenging.
Altered T‐cell subpopulations in recurrent pregnancy loss patients with cellular immune abnormalities

Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a multifactorial disorder of women in reproductive age, which in some cases is caused by immunologic abnormalities. In this study, we aimed to evaluate cellular and molecular components of the immune system like different T‐cell subsets and their regulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in RPL women and control group. Fifty RPL and 50 healthy subjects were recruited. Subsets of T cells, including regulatory T (Treg) cells, helper T (Th) 17 cells, exhausted T cells, exhausted Treg cells were evaluated by flow cytometry. Transcription factors of T cells and related miRNA profile were quantified using real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). Assessment showed that Treg and exhausted T cells, were decreased in RPL patients (p = 0.009 and 0.02, respectively), while an increase was observed in Th17 and exhausted Treg frequency ( p = 0.013 and 0.0037, respectively). Messenger RNA expression level of T‐bet and IRF4 was upregulated in RPL patients ( p = 0.011 and 0.0001, respectively), while Th2‐ and Treg‐related transcription factors, GATA3 and GITR, were downregulated in these patients compared with the healthy subjects ( p = 0.0008 and <0.000, respectively). Treg‐associated miRNAs, the miR‐106b‐25–93 cluster, showed a higher rate in RPL patients ( P = 0.007, 0.001, and 0.029, respectively), however, we observed no significant difference in the expression level of Th17‐associated miRNA, mir‐326. According to the results, we concluded that unbalanced immune responses and deregulated function of T‐cell subsets may lead to reproduction‐related failure like a miscarriage. Therefore, evaluation of immune cells and related miRNA profile may serve as prognostic biomarker for the treatment of RPL patients.
Death anxiety in Lebanese college students in 1998 and 2015

Abstract The present investigation sought to explore the difference in death anxiety between two different samples of students who studied at the same university in Lebanon in 1998 and 2015. Based on the changes in the social, economic, and political conditions that took place over these 17 years, it is possible to predict the change in death anxiety during this period. The participants in the 1998 study included 228 undergraduates, whereas the 2015 sample consisted of 292 students. All participants responded to Templer’s Death Anxiety Scale (DAS). Sex-related differences on the DAS were statistically significant in the 1998 group where women obtained a higher mean than the men. The t-test was significant at 0.001. Among women, the 2015 group obtained a significantly lower mean score than did their female counterparts in the 1998 group, whereas the difference between the two years in men was not significant. In sum, the hypothesis of the study was partially verified, i.e., a change in death anxiety level in some groups has happened as a result of the passage of time and other factors. In this case, death anxiety may be considered a fluid entity influenced by different environmental conditions.
Locally produced CD19 CAR T cells leading to clinical remissions in medullary and extramedullary relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Autologous CD19 chimeric‐antigen receptor (CAR) T cells demonstrated remarkable remission rates in relapsed and refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia (R/R ALL). Here, we report results from a phase 1b/2 study of in‐house produced CD19 CAR with a CD28 costimulatory domain. Twenty‐one patients with R/R ALL were enrolled, and 20 infused. The median age was 11 years (range, 5‐48). Patients had a median of 4 prior regimens, including blinatumomab in 6 and prior stem–cell transplantation in 10. In total 8 patients had extramedullary (EM) leukemic involvement, and prior to lymphodepletion and CAR 7 had active lesions, a group underrepresented in previous trials. In vivo expansion of CAR T cells was observed in 18 patients. In total 16 patients developed cytokine release syndrome, and 11 patients developed neurotoxicity, with no toxic deaths. All responding patients were referred to an allogeneic hematopoietic stem‐cell transplantation. The remission rate was 90%, including resolution of all refractory EM sites. Four responding patients relapsed, 3 who had a PCR‐MRD positive remission at 28 days following CAR‐T cells and 1 patient 21 months after an MRD‐negative response. The estimated 1‐year event‐free survival and overall survival are 73% and 90%, respectively. Patients with R/R EM ALL may also benefit from CAR‐T cell therapy.
Expression and significance of autophagy genes LC3, Beclin1 and MMP-2 in endometriosis

Expression of autophagy-related proteins, microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3) and Beclin1, and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) was investigated in serum and peritoneal fluid of patients with endometriosis (EM). The messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression levels of MMP-2, LC3 and Beclin1 in endometrial tissues of EM patients and correlation of these genes with EM and their significance were evaluated. The serum, peritoneal fluid and endometrial tissues of 84 patients treated in The First Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical University (Qiqihar, China) from March 2016 to March 2017 were collected. The serum, peritoneal fluid and endometrial tissues of 42 EM patients were used as the experimental group, while those of 42 non-EM patients were used as the control group. The levels of LC3, Beclin1 and MMP-2 in serum and peritoneal fluid of EM patients and non-EM patients were quantitatively detected via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), followed by comparative analysis based on data in both groups. In addition, mRNA expression of LC3, Beclin1 and MMP-2 in the endometrium in both groups were detected via reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and differences in expression of these genes between the groups were analyzed and evaluated. Correlation of LC3, Beclin1 and MMP-2 with EM was explored. Results of ELISA showed that levels of LC3 and Beclin1 in the EM group were significantly lower than those in the control group, while levels of MMP-2 in serum and peritoneal fluid of the EM group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). Results of RT-qPCR revealed that mRNA expression of LC3 and Beclin1 in the endometrium of patients in the EM group were obviously decreased compared with those in the control group, while the expression of MMP-2 was high, and differences in expression were statistically significant (P<0.05). The expression of MMP-2 is high, and expression of LC3 and Beclin1 is low in serum, peritoneal fluid and endometrium of EM patients, and investigating the expression of MMP-2, LC3 and Beclin1 in EM is helpful to further clarify the pathogenesis of EM, and guide the clinical diagnosis and treatment.
An FSS Based Correlation Reduction Technique for MIMO Antennas

This communication presents a new technique to reduce the correlation coefficient value between adjacent antenna elements in multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) configurations. Unlike the conventional works which utilize port isolation enhancement methods for this purpose, the proposed approach adopts decorrelation of the radiation patterns of individual elements. To achieve this, a phase-gradient frequency selective surface is used as a superstrate above the antenna elements in a low profile Fabry–Perot cavity configuration. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated by designing the system for a two-element MIMO antenna at 5.25 GHz. The proposed technique results in more than 95% reduction in the correlation coefficient value, thus projecting a better MIMO performance.
Conceptual Demography in Upper Secondary Chemistry and Biology Textbooks’ Descriptions of Protein Synthesis: A Matter of Context?

This study investigates how the domain-specific language of molecular life science is mediated by the comparative contexts of chemistry and biology education. We study upper secondary chemistry and biology textbook sections on protein synthesis to reveal the conceptual demography of concepts central to the communication of this subject. The term “conceptual demography” refers to the frequency, distribution, and internal relationships between technical terms mediating a potential conceptual meaning of a phenomenon. Data were collected through a content analysis approach inspired by text summarization and text mining techniques. Chemistry textbooks were found to present protein synthesis using a mechanistic approach, whereas biology textbooks use a conceptual approach. The chemistry texts make no clear distinction between core terms and peripheral terms but use them equally frequently and give equal attention to all relationships, whereas biology textbooks focus on core terms and mention and relate them to each other more frequently than peripheral terms. Moreover, chemistry textbooks typically segment the text, focusing on a couple of technical terms at a time, whereas biology textbooks focus on overarching structures of the protein synthesis. We argue that it might be fruitful for students to learn protein synthesis from both contexts to build a meaningful understanding.
Changes in f-wave characteristics during cryoballoon catheter ablation

Objective: Changes in ECG-derived parameters are studied in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients undergoing cryoballoon catheter ablation. Approach: Parameters characterizing f-wave frequency, morphology by phase dispersion, and amplitude are estimated using a model-based statistical approach. These parameters are studied before, during, and after ablation, as well as for AF type (paroxysmal/persistent). Seventy-seven (49/28 paroxysmal/persistent) AF patients undergoing de novo catheter ablation are included in the study, out of which 31 (16/15 paroxysmal/persistent) were in AF during the whole procedure. A signal quality index (SQI) is used to identify analyzable segments. Main results: f-wave frequency decreased significantly during ablation (p = 0.001), in particular after ablation of the inferior right pulmonary vein (p < 0.05). Frequency and phase dispersion differed significantly between paroxysmal and persistent AF (p = 0.001 and p < 0.05, respectively). Significance: This study demonstrates that a decrease in f-wave frequency can be distinguished during catheter ablation. The use of an SQI ensures reliable analysis and produces results significantly different from those obtained without an SQI.
On-Chip Brillouin Filtering of RF and Optical Signals

High-resolution signal processing will be a key aspect in current and future communication networks in crowded spectral environments. Signal processing based on the nonlinear optical process known as stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) are applicable in high-performance analog signal filtering for radio frequency (RF) communications and in coherent optical communication systems for carrier amplification. To meet the requirements of small size, low weight, and low power, the development of chip-based devices is critical. In this paper, we present an overview of on-chip SBS demonstrations of RF bandpass and bandstop filter functionalities with large frequency tuning and reconfigurability from tens of MHz to almost 0.5 GHz, applicable in RF communications. We also present our recent results on chip-based SBS filtering for optical communications. While traditionally SBS has been deemed to be incompatible with phase-sensitive communications, these latest results highlight the viability of SBS-enhanced high-capacity digital communication networks. We finally discuss the limitations of SBS filtering and also present some strategies to overcome them.
Improving Socially-Aware Recommendation Accuracy Through Personality

In order to innovatively solve cold-start problems, research involving trust and socially aware recommender systems is currently proliferating. The relative importance of academic conferences has led to the necessity of recommender systems that seek to generate recommendations for conference attendees. In this paper, we aim to improve the recommendation accuracy of socially-aware recommender systems by proposing a linear hybrid recommender algorithm called Personality and Socially-Aware Recommender (PerSAR). PerSAR hybridizes the social and personality behaviours of smart conference attendees. Our recommendation methodology mainly aims to employ an algorithmic framework that computes the personality similarities and tie strengths of conference attendees so that effective and reliable recommendations can be generated for them using a relevant dataset. The experimental results substantiate that our proposed recommendation method is favorable and outperforms other related and contemporary recommendation methods and techniques.
Public Cloud Adoption in Multinational Companies: A Survey

Cloud Computing is radically changing the way of providing and managing IT services. Big enterprises are continuously investing on Cloud technologies to streamline IT processes and substantially reduce the time to market of new services. The current Cloud service model enables companies, with a low initial investment, to easily test new services and technologies, like IoT and Big Data, on a "ready to go" virtualized infrastructure. However, large organizations are still facing multiple challenges in migrating business-critical services and sensitive data to Public Cloud environments. To investigate the current adoption of Public Cloud services, we interviewed IT managers and cloud architects of over sixty multinational organizations. The survey assesses both business and technical issues and requirements of current and future Cloud strategies. Our analysis shows that Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) are not yet perceived as fully able to address critical points in security, regulatory constraints and performance management. Hence, to control their public cloud services and to overcome such limitations, multinational organizations must adopt structured SLM approaches.