Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Salmeterol, a β2 Adrenergic Agonist, Promotes Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis in a Region-Specific Manner

Neurogenesis persists in the subgranular zone of the hippocampal formation in the adult mammalian brain. In this area, neural progenitor cells (NPCs) receive both permissive and instructive signals, including neurotransmitters, that allow them to generate adult-born neurons which can be functionally integrated in the preexisting circuit. Deregulation of adult hippocampal neurogenesis (ahNG) occurs in several neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases, including major depression, and represents a potential therapeutic target. Of interest, several studies suggested that, both in rodents and in humans, ahNG is increased by chronic administration of classical monoaminergic antidepressant drugs, suggesting that modulation of this process may participate to their therapeutic effects. Since the established observation that noradrenergic innervations from locus coeruleus make contact with NPC in the dentate gyrus, we investigated the role of beta adrenergic receptor (β-AR) on ahNG both in vitro and in vivo. Here we report that, in vitro, activation of β2-AR by norepinephrine and β2-AR agonists promotes the formation of NPC-derived mature neurons, without affecting NPC survival or differentiation toward glial lineages. Additionally, we show that a selective β2-AR agonist able to cross the blood–brain barrier, salmeterol, positively modulates hippocampal neuroplasticity when chronically administered in adult naïve mice. Indeed, salmeterol significantly increased number, maturation, and dendritic complexity of DCX+ neuroblasts. The increased number of DCX+ cells was not accompanied by a parallel increase in the percentage of BrdU+/DCX+ cells suggesting a potential prosurvival effect of the drug on neuroblasts. More importantly, compared to vehicle, salmeterol promoted ahNG, as demonstrated by an increase in the actual number of BrdU+/NeuN+ cells and in the percentage of BrdU+/NeuN+ cells over the total number of newly generated cells. Interestingly, salmeterol proneurogenic effects were restricted to the ventral hippocampus, an area related to emotional behavior and mood regulation. Since salmeterol is commonly used for asthma therapy in the clinical setting, its novel pharmacological property deserves to be further exploited with a particular focus on drug potential to counteract stress-induced deregulation of ahNG and depressive-like behavior.
Trends of Nutritional Anaemia Among Adolescents of Kukna Tribal Community of Gujarat, India

Background: Iron-deficiency anaemia is most common form of anaemia affecting adolescents in rural and urban setting in India. This condition has worsening effects on overall growth and cognitive development of children and adolescents. The paper evaluates sex and age-wise prevalence of anaemia in adolescents of Kukna tribe of Valsad, Gujarat. Methodology: Cross-sectional study on 296 Kukna adolescents(168 females and 128 males)aged 14-18 years was conducted. Dietary preference along with height, weight and haemoglobin status were taken. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS18.0. Result: Overall prevalence was estimated as 61.5%. Sex-wise prevalence was found to be 45.3%(females) and 16.2%(males). Frequency of anaemia was observed to be higher in vegetarians(n=112) than mix-diet individuals(n=68). Frequency of anaemia was reported to be greater in normal body mass index(BMI) females(n=55) and underweight males(n=37) with respect to females and males lying in other BMI categories. Prevalence rates of current study were greater than national prevalence of anaemia(53%) and greater proportion of females were found to be anaemic. Conclusion: There is a dire need for more micro-level and communitybased studies for assessment of anaemia which will enhance the understanding about the vulnerable groups in the country.
THE ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL LIGHT EXPOSURE AND CIRCADIAN TIMING IN SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER

Background: Individuals with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) experience depressive episodes in the winter that remit in the summer. The phase shift hypothesis of SAD suggests that a later sunrise in winter delays circadian phase that then leads to depression. As the circadian system is optimally sensitive to blue wavelengths, blue light exposure may be particularly important for SAD. Thus, the current study aims to investigate whether circadian phase mediates the association between blue light exposure and depressive symptoms in SAD. Methods: Adults (N = 90; 81% women) with varying degrees of seasonality were recruited in winter. Light was measured by an actigraphy watch with a photodiode. Depressive symptoms were measured by a clinical interview while circadian phase was estimated by both self-reported sleep-wake times and melatonin onset. Results: A longer duration and later timing of blue light exposure were both associated with delayed melatonin onset. Neither circadian phase, nor blue light exposure was associated with depressive symptoms in the full sample. When women were analyzed separately, a relatively advanced circadian phase mediated the relationship between reduced blue light exposure centered in the afternoon and greater depressive symptoms. Discussion: Our results contrast previous reports that a relative delay in circadian phase is associated with greater depressive symptoms. In the full sample, this association was not present and when the data were analyzed separately for women, more advanced phase was associated with greater depression. Thus, future studies recruiting more men are necessary to determine whether gender influences the relationship between phase and depressive symptoms in SAD.
Impact of additional abdominal approach to transanal one stage endorectal pull-through in treatment of Hirschsprung’s disease

Background: The transanal one-stage endorectal pull-through (TOSEPT) procedure sometimes requires assistance by an abdominal approach to complete the operation. This study aims to rectify this by evaluating the impact of an assisted abdominal approach in the outcomes of the TOSEPT in children with HD.Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at surgical paediatric department of Hue central hospital. All consecutive medical records of patients operated on for HD in our department between June 2010 and June 2018 were retrieved and analysed.Results: 66/446 (14.79%) patients with HD who required TOSEPT with an additional abdominal approach to complete the operation for inclusion in this retrospective study. Length of the resected colon: 13.30±3.45 cm (open group) and 19.70±4.50 cm (laparoscopic group). Average operative time: 156±12 minutes (open group) and 170±14 minutes (laparoscopic group). No deaths or intra-operative complications were recorded in this study. No postoperative complication occured in the laparoscopic group. Grade II complication based on Dindo-Clavien classification occurred in 14 (21.21%) of the open group and one (1.51%) grade III complication. The length of hospital stay was shorter in the laparoscopic group at 5±1.5 days compared to 7±2.5 days for the open group. All of the complications were grade I or II, mainly enterocolitis at 3-month follow-up.Conclusions: Additional abdominal approach impacts on post-operative results of TOSEPT procedure for HD but not on outcome of disease. Laparoscopic surgery as the additional abdominal approach should be used to reduce the complications.
Predictors of Non-Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy among Adolescents Living with HIV in the Centre Region of Cameroon

Introduction: In spite of progress in antiretroviral therapy (ART) programs, adolescents remain largely vulnerable to poor ART outcomes, due to non-adherence. In the frame of limited evidence on ART adherence during adolescence in resource-constrained settings, we aimed at evaluating the rate of adherence to ART among adolescents and associated factors in Cameroon. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 401 adolescents receiving ART in 13 health facilities of the Centre Region of Cameroon, from April through August 2018. Adherence was evaluated using a composite of both self-reported and pill count assessments. Risk factors of non-adherence were assessed using the socio-ecological model and p<0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Mean age was 14.63 (±2.89) and 55.9 % (224) were female. Rate of adherence was 25.2% (composite-assessment), 38.2% (pill-count) and 60.6% (self-reported). Following the composite-assessment, non-adherence was significantly higher in: vertically vs. horizontally infected adolescents (OR 4.24; 95% CI: 2.16-8.33, p<0.001); facilities with combined adult/adolescent vs. specialized adolescent care (0.32; 95% CI: 0.20-0.52, p<0.001); living beyond 5 km from the heath facility (OR 1.99; 95% CI: 1.26-3.15, p=0.003; inconvenient clinic appointments (OR 3.03; 95% CI: 1.78-5.16, p<0.001); Following multivariate analysis, non-adherence was associated with “living beyond 5 km from the heath facility” (OR 1.84, 95% CI: 1.01-3.33, p=0.045); “adolescents taking medication in the same service with adult” (OR 0.11, 95% CI: 0.03-0.35, p<0.001), managed at a rural health facility (OR 4.29, 95% CI: 1.84-9.96, p=0.001) and not counseled regularly (OR 0.02, 95% CI: 0.01-0.36, p=0.007). Conclusion: In the Centre region of Cameroon, about three-quarters of adolescents might be non-adherent to ART. Interventions towards improved adherence should focus on adolescents managed at the rural health facility and with vertical HIV-infection. Furthermore, convenient clinic appointments, creation of friendly adolescent healthcare centres and decentralising HIV-adolescent care in rural settings would improve adherence to ART program.
Level of Prostate Cancer Diagnosis Using MRI-TRUS Fusion Biopsy in Patients with a Negative History of TRUS Biopsy

Background: Given the popularity of prostate speciﬁc antigen (PSA) testing in recent years, the number of patients undergoing diagnostic prostate biopsy has increased. The transrectal ultrasound-guided (TRUS) biopsy is considered as the gold standard for prostate cancer detection, although has a low sensitivity. Objectives: ThecurrentstudyaimedatenhancingprostatecancerdiagnosisusingMRI-TRUSfusionbiopsyinpatientswithnegative history of TRUS biopsy. Methods: Inthecurrentstudy,patientsundergoneTRUSprostatebiopsywithbenignresultsthatwerecandidatesforrepeatbiopsy wererecruited. Aftermakingthepreparations,patientsunderwentmagneticresonanceimaging(MRI)-TRUSfusionbiopsy. Gleason score, the number of involved cores, perineural invasion, perilymphovascular invasion, and the percentage of core involvement were recorded. Results: Ofthe191patients,70(36.6%)hadpositivebiopsies. Thefrequencyofnon-detectablecancersbytargetedbiopsybasedonthe levelof cancerriskshowedthatattheveryhigh-risklevel,ﬁve(29.4%)andathigh-risklevel,two(11.7%)subjectswerenotrecognized. ThemeanGleasonscoreintargeted(7.47 ± 0.99)andrandom(7.13 ± 1.04)positivebiopsiesshowedasigniﬁcantdiﬀerencebetween the two groups (P = 0.045). Targeted biopsies are better than random ones to detect high-risk (33.9% vs 29.2%, P = 0.013 respectively) and very high-risk cancers (45.3% vs. 41.5%, P = 0.05 respectively). Conclusions: Thecombinationof bothbiopsyapproachesissuggestedtooﬀerareliablemethodwithhighrateof tumordetection.
Keratin filament mechanics and energy dissipation are determined by metal-like plasticity

Cell mechanics is determined by an intracellular biopolymer network, including intermediate filaments that are expressed in a cell-type specific manner. A prominent pair of intermediate filaments are keratin and vimentin as the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition is associated with a switch from keratin to vimentin. The transition coincides with a change in cellular mechanics, and thus dynamic properties of the cells. This observation raises the question of how the mechanical properties already differ on the single filament level. Here we use optical tweezers and a computational model to compare the stretching and dissipation behavior of the two filament types. We find that keratin and vimentin filaments behave in opposite ways: keratin filaments elongate, but retain their stiffness, whereas vimentin filaments soften, but retain their length. This finding is explained by fundamentally different ways to dissipate energy: viscous subunits sliding within keratin filaments and non-equilibrium α helix unfolding in vimentin filaments.
Risk Factors of Idiopathic Language Development Disorders in Children

Background: Language Development Disorders (LDD) is a common idiopathic impairment in children. Numerous risk factors play a role in the emergence of this disorder. Objectives: The present study aimed to examine risk factors of LDD in children aged two to five years. Materials & Methods: In this case-control study, 98 children (aged two to five years) with LDD and 98 children without LDD were selected as case and control groups, respectively. Research population comprised children with language development disorder diagnosed by a pediatric neurologist, and the control group consisted of children without this disorder. Risk factors affecting LDD were examined in both groups, and the two groups were compared using Chi-squared and independent samples t-test in SPSS V. 22. Results: Results showed no significant difference between the two groups in terms of weight at birth and at the last visit; parents’ age, education level, language, and occupation; level and hours of access to television and cell phone; place of residence; birth order of children, and going to the kindergarten (P>0.05). However, the two groups significantly differed in terms of a positive family history. Mean age of the onset of developmental behaviors was significantly higher in the case than that in the control group (P<0.05). A positive family history raised the risk of developing LDD by 4.45-fold. Moreover, a significant correlation was observed between the age of head control and uttering the first word and the incidence of LDD (P<0.05). Conclusion: The identification of risk factors for language development disorders in children, including a positive family history, can help better identify, diagnose, and treat these patients. Also, the age of uttering the first word and head control can affect the emergence of LDD.
THE EFFECT OF MINDFULNESS ON ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY: A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL

This study examined the effect of a brief mindfulness intervention on academic self-efficacy. Twenty-six university students were randomized to a four-day brief mindfulness intervention or a wait-listed control condition. The brief mindfulness intervention took the form of four 30 minute sessions of mindfulness meditation over four consecutive days. Measures of mindfulness, emotional wellbeing, and academic self-efficacy were obtained via a self-report survey prior to the intervention, post-intervention and at a one-month follow-up. Both groups had comparable baseline measures on all three scales. Data analysis revealed that both academic self-efficacy and mindfulness increased between pre- and post-intervention with a medium effect size (d = 0.472 and 0.415 respectively). Emotional wellbeing significantly increased following the intervention with a large effect size (d = 0.652) and remained at this level after one month. Academic self-efficacy also stayed at elevated post-intervention levels after one month while mindfulness continued to increase following the intervention and was significantly higher at follow-up than at baseline (d = 0.564). There were no significant changes in the measured variables for the control group. Regression analysis revealed that increases in emotional wellbeing significantly predicted increases in academic self-efficacy for participants in the experimental group, both increases in mindfulness and emotional wellbeing were significantly correlated with increases in academic self-efficacy. These findings suggest that a brief mindfulness intervention is an effective and practical means to improve academic self-efficacy and emotional wellbeing in university students. Implications, limitations and future directions for research are discussed.
The Impact of Targeted Therapy on Intracranial Metastatic Disease Incidence and Survival

Intracranial metastatic disease (IMD) is a common and severe complication of primary cancers. Current treatment options for IMD include surgical resection and radiation therapy, although there has been recent interest in targeted therapy in the management of IMD. As of yet, insufficient data exist to support the recommendation of targeted therapies in the treatment of IMD. Paradoxically, targeted therapy has been hypothesized to play a role in the development of IMD in patients with primary cancers. This is based on the observations that patients who receive targeted therapy for primary cancer experience prolonged survival, and that prolonged survival has been associated with increased incidence of IMD. Few data exist to clarify if treatment of primary cancers with targeted therapies influences IMD incidence. Here, we discuss the role of targeted therapy in IMD management, review the current literature on IMD incidence and targeted therapy use in primary cancer, and propose the need for future studies to inform physicians in choosing treatment options and counseling patients.
Transforming Large-Size to Lightweight Deep Neural Networks for IoT Applications

Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) have gained unprecedented popularity due to their high-order performance and automated feature extraction capability. This has encouraged researchers to incorporate DNN in different Internet of Things (IoT) applications in recent years. However, the colossal requirement of computation, energy, and storage of DNNs make their deployment prohibitive on resource-constrained IoT devices. Therefore, several compression techniques have been proposed in recent years to reduce the energy, storage, and computation requirements of the DNN. These techniques have utilized a different perspective for compressing a DNN with minimal accuracy compromise. This encourages us to comprehensively overview DNN compression techniques for the IoT. This article presents a comprehensive overview of existing literature on compressing the DNN that reduces energy consumption, storage, and computation requirements for IoT applications. We divide the existing approaches into five broad categories—network pruning, sparse representation, bits precision, knowledge distillation, and miscellaneous—based upon the mechanism incorporated for compressing the DNN. The article discusses the challenges associated with each category of DNN compression techniques and presents some prominent applications using IoT in conjunction with a compressed DNN. Finally, we provide a quick summary of existing work under each category with the future direction in DNN compression.
Quality of Life After Sex Reassignment Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Context: Gender identity disorder (GID) or gender dysphoria is a disorder in which an individual identifies him/herself with the opposite sex. GID following sex reassignment surgery (SRS) is usually associated with severe distress and several limitations in the personal and social aspects of life as a transgender. Objectives: The current systematic review and meta-analysis aimed at evaluating the quality of life (QoL) after SRS in transgender individuals. Data Sources: A search was conducted in English databases, including PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. In addition, the reference lists of the included articles were reviewed without any time limitations. The final literature search was performed on 12 June 2017. Study Selection: All relevant cross sectional and observational studies were evaluated in the current review. The keywords included sex, gender, reassignment surgery, reassignment operation, sex change, sex reversal, transpersonal, sexual transition, gender dysphoria, transsexual, transgender, gender identity, male-to-female transsexual, female-to-male transsexual, quality of life, QoL, quality adjusted, and wellbeing. Data Extraction: After screening 941 articles, 16 studies were reviewed systematically, six of which were included in the meta-analysis. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Software version 2 was used for all meta-analyses. Results: QoL improved after SRS in some dimensions, including bodily pain, emotional role, and mental health in male-to-female (MtF) transsexuals, and physical function and physical role in female-to-male (FtM) transsexuals. Physical role, vitality, and social function in MtF transsexuals were not significantly different from the general population. In other words, bodily pain, general health, social function, vitality, mental health, and emotional role in FtM transsexuals, as well as physical function and general health in MtF transsexuals, were lower than the general population. Conclusions: Based on the findings, SRS could improve some dimensions of QoL, including bodily pain, emotional role, and mental health in MtF transsexuals, and physical function as well as physical role in FtM transsexuals. Nevertheless, further research is necessary in this area.
Inferring Software Update Practices on Smart Home IoT Devices Through User Agent Analysis

Smart home IoT devices are known to be breeding grounds for security and privacy vulnerabilities. Although some IoT vendors deploy updates, the update process is mostly opaque to researchers. It is unclear what software components are on devices, whether and when these components are updated, and how vulnerabilities change alongside the updates. This opaqueness makes it difficult to understand the security of software supply chains of IoT devices. To understand the software update practices on IoT devices, we leverage IoT Inspector's dataset of network traffic from real-world IoT devices. We analyze the User Agent strings from plain-text HTTP connections. We focus on four software components included in User Agents: cURL, Wget, OkHttp, and python-requests. By keeping track of what kinds of devices have which of these components at what versions, we find that many IoT devices potentially used outdated and vulnerable versions of these components---based on the User Agents---even though less vulnerable, more updated versions were available; and that the rollout of updates tends to be slow for some IoT devices.