Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical profile of patients with posterior scleritis: A report from Eastern India

Purpose: This study aimed to report the clinical profile of patients with posterior scleritis at a tertiary eye center in Eastern India. Methods: This was a single-center retrospective case series of patients who were diagnosed as posterior scleritis between January 2010 and December 2014, with a follow-up period of at least 6 months. Results: The study included 18 patients of posterior scleritis with a mean age of 41.2 ± 10.6 years (range: 26–63 years). With female preponderance (55.6%), majority of the posterior scleritis cases were unilateral (88.9%). Sixteen patients reported with diminution of vision, eleven patients (61.1%) had ocular pain on presentation, and five patients complained of headache. Concurrent anterior scleritis was found in three eyes (15%) with posterior scleritis. Choroidal folds and subretinal fluid at the posterior pole were the most common fundus findings and were seen in seven eyes (35%) each. No systemic association was detected in any patient even after extensive laboratory workup and multidisciplinary consultation. All patients received oral steroid, and 11 (61.1%) of them required intravenous pulse steroid therapy. Immunosuppressive was used in 6 (33.3%) patients, and oral azathioprine was the most common immunosuppressive used in the study. Recurrence was noted in eight eyes (40%). The mean best-corrected visual acuity improved to logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) 0.06 ± 0.051 at the final follow-up from 0.47 ± 0.45 logMAR at presentation (P = 0.00608). Conclusion: Posterior scleritis is relatively rare but can occur without systemic involvement. Aggressive immunomodulatory therapy is required to treat vision-threatening condition.
Changing Pattern of Acute Alcohol Intoxications in Children

Background In many countries, the number of children hospitalized for alcohol intoxication is increasing. This study analyzed changes in the number of hospitalizations for alcohol intoxication in children aged 0–18 years at the Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Split, from 2008 to 2015. Material/Methods Data were collected retrospectively from hospital medical records. Risk groups were classified according to sex, age, drinking habits, and possible benefits of early psychological or psychiatric interventions. Children were divided into 4 age groups: 0–5 years, 6–9 years, 10–13 years, and 14–18 years. Statistics 12.00 was used for statistical analyses, with P-value <0.05 considered as statistically significant. Results Out of 24 651 hospitalized children, 488 were treated for acute intoxication: 36.40% were girls and 63.60% were boys. Among them, 272 children (55.74%) were acutely intoxicated with alcohol, with the average age of 15.95 years and the average blood alcohol concentration of 2.00%. The proportion of children hospitalized for alcohol intoxication decreased from 1.33% in 2008 to 0.75% in 2015. Alcohol intoxications occurred in most cases outside children’s homes (92.42%, P=0.001), and on weekends and holidays (81.62%). Among all intoxicated children, 17 children (6.25%) were positive for drugs. A total of 51.29% of children received psychological support (58.59% of girls and 47.09% of boys). Conclusions In this study, the number of children hospitalized for alcohol intoxication decreased, possibly as a result of preventive, educational, and psychotherapeutic measures or changing drinking habits. Acute alcohol intoxication was most common in the group of children aged 14 to 18 years, and a significant number of these children were positive for drugs, thus, further preventive interventions should be provided.
Alcohol, Marijuana, and Dating Abuse Perpetration by Young Adults: Results of a Daily Call Study

The purpose of this study was to investigate same-day alcohol or marijuana use and dating abuse (DA) perpetration in a sample of 60 noncollege-attending young adults. Participants reported daily data for 3 months. DA perpetration was more likely on days when participants also reported alcohol use (odds ratio [OR] = 2.17, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.38, 3.42]), but analyses of the temporal order indicated that alcohol use was not a proximal predictor of DA. Same day marijuana use was not associated with elevated risk of DA perpetration (OR = 1.40, 95% CI = [0.89, 2.21]). Results suggest the alcohol–DA relationship may vary by sample and context.
Tethered multifluorophore motion reveals equilibrium transition kinetics of single DNA double helices

Significance Understanding cellular functions and dysfunctions often begins with quantifying the interactions between the binding partners involved in the processes. Learning about the kinetics of the interactions is of particular importance to understand the dynamics of cellular processes. We created a tethered multifluorophore motion assay using DNA origami that enables over 1-hour-long recordings of the statistical binding and unbinding of single pairs of biomolecules directly in equilibrium. The experimental concept is simple and the data interpretation is very direct, which makes the system easy to use for a wide variety of researchers. Due to the modularity and addressability of the DNA origami-based assay, our system may be readily adapted to study various other molecular interactions. We describe a tethered multifluorophore motion assay based on DNA origami for revealing bimolecular reaction kinetics on the single-molecule level. Molecular binding partners may be placed at user-defined positions and in user-defined stoichiometry; and binding states are read out by tracking the motion of quickly diffusing fluorescent reporter units. Multiple dyes per reporter unit enable singe-particle observation for more than 1 hour. We applied the system to study in equilibrium reversible hybridization and dissociation of complementary DNA single strands as a function of tether length, cation concentration, and sequence. We observed up to hundreds of hybridization and dissociation events per single reactant pair and could produce cumulative statistics with tens of thousands of binding and unbinding events. Because the binding partners per particle do not exchange, we could also detect subtle heterogeneity from molecule to molecule, which enabled separating data reflecting the actual target strand pair binding kinetics from falsifying influences stemming from chemically truncated oligonucleotides. Our data reflected that mainly DNA strand hybridization, but not strand dissociation, is affected by cation concentration, in agreement with previous results from different assays. We studied 8-bp-long DNA duplexes with virtually identical thermodynamic stability, but different sequences, and observed strongly differing hybridization kinetics. Complementary full-atom molecular-dynamics simulations indicated two opposing sequence-dependent phenomena: helical templating in purine-rich single strands and secondary structures. These two effects can increase or decrease, respectively, the fraction of strand collisions leading to successful nucleation events for duplex formation.
The Effect of Poor Source Code Lexicon and Readability on Developers' Cognitive Load

It has been well documented that a large portion of the cost of any software lies in the time spent by developers in understanding a program's source code before any changes can be undertaken. One of the main contributors to software comprehension, by subsequent developers or by the authors themselves, has to do with the quality of the lexicon, (i.e., the identifiers and comments) that is used by developers to embed domain concepts and to communicate with their teammates. In fact, previous research shows that there is a positive correlation between the quality of identifiers and the quality of a software project. Results suggest that poor quality lexicon impairs program comprehension and consequently increases the effort that developers must spend to maintain the software. However, we do not yet know or have any empirical evidence, of the relationship between the quality of the lexicon and the cognitive load that developers experience when trying to understand a piece of software. Given the associated costs, there is a critical need to empirically characterize the impact of the quality of the lexicon on developers' ability to comprehend a program. In this study, we explore the effect of poor source code lexicon and readability on developers' cognitive load as measured by a cutting-edge and minimally invasive functional brain imaging technique called functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS). Additionally, while developers perform software comprehension tasks, we map cognitive load data to source code identifiers using an eye tracking device. Our results show that the presence of linguistic antipatterns in source code significantly increases the developers' cognitive load.
The association of LRP6 rs2302685 (V1062I) polymorphism with the risk of hyperlipidemia in Iranian children and adolescents

Wnt signaling/LRP6 plays a critical role in metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis, and variation in this pathway may lead to hyperlipidemia, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and coronary artery disease. In the present study, we investigated the effect of LRP6 rs2302685 (V1062I) on hyperlipidemia in Iranian children and adolescents. The population in this study consisted of 200 children (101 boys, 99 girls) aged 9–18 years old. Total cholesterol, high‐density lipoprotein (HDL), low‐density lipoprotein (LDL), non‐HDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were measured. Body composition was evaluated by the Hologic DXA system. PCR/restriction fragment length polymorphism was performed for LRP6 rs2302685 (V1062I) genotyping. Logistic regression analysis was done to find the association between LRP6 rs2302685 (V1062I) and categorized lipid parameters in the adjusted model for confounding factors (age, sex, and puberty).
The Efficacy of Transcranial Current Stimulation Techniques to Modulate Resting-State EEG, to Affect Vigilance and to Promote Sleepiness

Transcranial Current Stimulations (tCSs) are non-invasive brain stimulation techniques which modulate cortical excitability and spontaneous brain activity by the application of weak electric currents through the scalp, in a safe, economic, and well-tolerated manner. The direction of the cortical effects mainly depend on the polarity and the waveform of the applied current. The aim of the present work is to provide a broad overview of recent studies in which tCS has been applied to modulate sleepiness, sleep, and vigilance, evaluating the efficacy of different stimulation techniques and protocols. In recent years, there has been renewed interest in these stimulations and their ability to affect arousal and sleep dynamics. Furthermore, we critically review works that, by means of stimulating sleep/vigilance patterns, in the sense of enhancing or disrupting them, intended to ameliorate several clinical conditions. The examined literature shows the efficacy of tCSs in modulating sleep and arousal pattern, likely acting on the top-down pathway of sleep regulation. Finally, we discuss the potential application in clinical settings of this neuromodulatory technique as a therapeutic tool for pathological conditions characterized by alterations in sleep and arousal domains and for sleep disorders per se.
Small‐scale spatial variation in infection risk shapes the evolution of a Borrelia resistance gene in wild rodents

Spatial variation in pathogen‐mediated selection is predicted to influence the evolutionary trajectory of host populations and lead to spatial variation in their immunogenetic composition. However, to date few studies have been able to directly link small‐scale spatial variation in infection risk to host immune gene evolution in natural, nonhuman populations. Here, we use a natural rodent–Borrelia system to test for associations between landscape‐level spatial variation in Borrelia infection risk along replicated elevational gradients in the Swiss Alps and Toll‐like receptor 2 (TLR2) evolution, a candidate gene for Borrelia resistance, across bank vole (Myodes glareolus) populations. We found that Borrelia infection risk (i.e., the product of Borrelia prevalence in questing ticks and the average tick load of voles at a sampling site) was spatially variable and significantly negatively associated with elevation. Across sampling sites, Borrelia prevalence in bank voles was significantly positively associated with Borrelia infection risk along the elevational clines. We observed a significant association between naturally occurring TLR2 polymorphisms in hosts and their Borrelia infection status. The TLR2 variant associated with a reduced likelihood of Borrelia infection was most common in rodent populations at lower elevations that face a high Borrelia infection risk, and its frequency changed in accordance with the change in Borrelia infection risk along the elevational clines. These results suggest that small‐scale spatial variation in parasite‐mediated selection affects the immunogenetic composition of natural host populations, providing a striking example that the microbial environment shapes the evolution of the host's immune system in the wild.
Undifferentiated Endometrial Carcinomas: Clinicopathologic Characteristics and Treatment Outcomes

Objective Undifferentiated endometrial carcinoma (UEC) represents a recently recognized and rare diagnosis that is commonly misclassified on histopathologic evaluation. These cancers account for less than 10% of carefully reviewed series of endometrial cancers from academic medical centers. We reviewed a single-institutional experience with the management of UEC focusing on clinicopathologic characteristics and treatment outcomes. Methods The medical records of all patients treated for histologically proven endometrial carcinoma between 2007 through 2016 were reviewed. Analysis was limited to 24 consecutive patients with histologically proven endometrial carcinomas that had at least a component of undifferentiated carcinoma on central pathology review. All patients were initially treated by definitive surgical resection. Grade 3 endometrioid carcinomas treated over the same period were used as a control group. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate survival outcomes. Results The median age at diagnosis was 66 years (range, 37–74 years). Ten patients presented with locally advanced or metastatic disease (42%). Fifteen patients (63%) received adjuvant chemotherapy with carboplatin and paclitaxel, 12 patients (50%) received adjuvant pelvic external beam radiation, and 10 patients (42%) received adjuvant vaginal cuff brachytherapy. With a median follow-up of 14 months (range, 0.5–115 months), 4 patients (21%) had developed disease recurrence and/or progression, 2 patients (11%) had died of disease, and 1 patient died of treatment complications. Twelve patients (63%) were alive with no evidence of disease at last contact. Outcomes were comparable to those with grade 3 endometrioid carcinoma. Conclusions Our data are consistent with prior studies demonstrating that UEC represents a rare clinical entity characterized by high rates of locally advanced disease at presentation. However, survival outcomes appear to be comparable to other high-grade endometrial cancers. Further studies investigating optimal adjuvant therapy in these patients are warranted.
Identification of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome-associated DNA methylation patterns

Background Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex condition involving multiple organ systems and characterized by persistent/relapsing debilitating fatigue, immune dysfunction, neurological problems, and other symptoms not curable for at least 6 months. Disruption of DNA methylation patterns has been tied to various immune and neurological diseases; however, its status in ME/CFS remains uncertain. Our study aimed at identifying changes in the DNA methylation patterns that associate with ME/CFS. Methods We extracted genomic DNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 13 ME/CFS study subjects and 12 healthy controls and measured global DNA methylation by ELISA-like method and site-specific methylation status using Illumina MethylationEPIC microarrays. Pyrosequencing validation included 33 ME/CFS cases and 31 controls from two geographically distant cohorts. Results Global DNA methylation levels of ME/CFS cases were similar to those of controls. However, microarray-based approach allowed detection of 17,296 differentially methylated CpG sites in 6,368 genes across regulatory elements and within coding regions of genes. Analysis of DNA methylation in promoter regions revealed 307 differentially methylated promoters. Ingenuity pathway analysis indicated that genes associated with differentially methylated promoters participated in at least 15 different pathways mostly related to cell signaling with a strong immune component. Conclusions This is the first study that has explored genome-wide epigenetic changes associated with ME/CFS using the advanced Illumina MethylationEPIC microarrays covering about 850,000 CpG sites in two geographically distant cohorts of ME/CFS cases and matched controls. Our results are aligned with previous studies that indicate a dysregulation of the immune system in ME/CFS. They also suggest a potential role of epigenetic de-regulation in the pathobiology of ME/CFS. We propose screening of larger cohorts of ME/CFS cases to determine the external validity of these epigenetic changes in order to implement them as possible diagnostic markers in clinical setting.
The Palliative Effects of System Justification on the Health and Happiness of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Individuals

Across three studies, we examine the correlates of subjective well-being and mental and physical health among members of a historically disadvantaged group, namely, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals. Results show those who minimize (vs. acknowledge) the extent to which their group is the target of discrimination report better well-being across myriad indicators (Studies 1-3). We also demonstrate that this effect is mediated by perceived system fairness (Study 1); holds above and beyond internalized homonegativity (Studies 1 and 3) and ingroup identification (Studies 2-3); and is true regardless of whether individuals reside in hostile or accepting environments (Study 2), and regardless of whether individuals had personally experienced discrimination (Study 3). For some indicators (namely, body mass index [BMI], social well-being, self-esteem, depression, and mental illness diagnosis), the relationship between minimization of discrimination and well-being was stronger among those who had frequent (vs. rare) discriminatory experiences.
TRPC4/TRPC5 channels mediate adverse reaction to the cancer cell cytotoxic agent (-)-Englerin A

(-)-Englerin A (EA) is a natural product which has potent cytotoxic effects on renal cell carcinoma cells and other types of cancer cell but not non-cancer cells. Although selectively cytotoxic to cancer cells, adverse reaction in mice and rats has been suggested. EA is a remarkably potent activator of ion channels formed by Transient Receptor Potential Canonical 4 and 5 proteins (TRPC4 and TRPC5) and TRPC4 is essential for EA-mediated cancer cell cytotoxicity. Here we specifically investigated the relevance of TRPC4 and TRPC5 to the adverse reaction. Injection of EA (2 mg.kg-1 i.p.) adversely affected mice for about 1 hour, manifesting as a marked reduction in locomotor activity, after which they fully recovered. TRPC4 and TRPC5 single knockout mice were partially protected and double knockout mice fully protected. TRPC4/TRPC5 double knockout mice were also protected against intravenous injection of EA. Importance of TRPC4/TRPC5 channels was further suggested by pre-administration of Compound 31 (Pico145), a potent and selective small-molecule inhibitor of TRPC4/TRPC5 channels which did not cause adverse reaction itself but prevented adverse reaction to EA. EA was detected in the plasma but not the brain and so peripheral mechanisms were implicated but not identified. The data confirm the existence of adverse reaction to EA in mice and suggest that it depends on a combination of TRPC4 and TRPC5 which therefore overlaps partially with TRPC4-dependent cancer cell cytotoxicity. The underlying nature of the observed adverse reaction to EA, as a consequence of TRPC4/TRPC5 channel activation, remains unclear and warrants further investigation.
The Road to Rio: A Brief Report of Training-Load Distribution of Open-Water Swimmers During the Olympic Season.

PURPOSE The 10-km open-water swimming race is an endurance event that takes place in lakes, rivers, or sea and has been an Olympic event since 2008. The aim of the present brief report is to describe training volume and intensity distribution of elite open-water swimmers during the 2016 Olympic season, verifying if, in order to maximize performance, most of the training would be performed at low intensities. METHODS Eight elite Italian open-water swimmers (3 male and 5 female; 25 [2] y, 1.74 [0.05] m, 68.26 [8.17] kg) specialized in distances between 5 and 25 km participated in the study. Training load was determined using an online training diary. Training intensity was categorized according to the 3-zone model: Z1, light intensity; Z2, moderate intensity; and Z3, high intensity. Session rating of perceived exertion was used to quantify training-intensity distribution. This method assigns the entire session into a single intensity zone based on the rating of perceived exertion recorded 30 min posttraining. RESULTS Total yearly training volume was 3576.93 (272.390) km (3220.80-4041.97), distributed across 446 (37) (397-484) sessions monitored during the 2016 Olympic season. Training-intensity distribution in each zone was 76.83% (8.11%) in Z1, 17.70% (6.79%) in Z2, and 5.47% (5.93%) in Z3. CONCLUSIONS High volumes in Z1 appear to be an important training method used by elite open-water swimmers. However, future research is necessary to study the effects of different training-intensity distribution on open-water swimming performances.
Pathogenic characteristics of Aeromonas veronii isolated from the liver of a diseased guppy (Poecilia reticulata)

Despite the significant development on their diagnoses and control, aeromonad infection is still a problem in aquaculture. This study described the key bacteriological and pathogenic features of a presumptive Aeromonas sp. isolated from the liver of a diseased guppy (Poecilia reticulata). Molecular identification revealed that the isolate was an Aeromonas veronii (A. veronii PR). It was able to grow in a wide range of temperatures and salt concentrations, and was capable of auto‐aggregation and biofilm formation, with temperature as an influencing factor. Some of the extracellular enzymes that may be involved in its virulence include caseinase, gelatinase and lipase. The infection rate was relatively progressive, and fish with prior infection showed marginal resistance to secondary infection. Handling stress differentially influenced the infection kinetics at the early stages; however, the final mortality rates did not significantly differ between the groups. A comparative infection trial revealed that zebrafish (Danio rerio) were more susceptible to A. veronii PR than guppy. The presented intrinsic and extrinsic factors influencing the pathogenicity of A. veronii PR lay the foundation for future research to better understand this pathogen in freshwater ornamental fish aquaculture.