Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hepatic expression of programmed death-1 (PD-1) and its ligand, PD-L1, in children with autoimmune hepatitis: relation to treatment response

Aim of the study Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is characterized histologically by aggressive inflammation with interface hepatitis and prominent lymphoplasmacytic infiltration. Programmed death-1 (PD-1) is expressed on activated lymphocytes. Engagement of PD-1 by its ligand PD-L1 leads to cell apoptosis and death. We aimed to evaluate the immunohistochemical expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 in children with AIH, and its relation to treatment outcome. Material and methods Pre-treatment liver biopsies of 31 children with AIH were compared to 30 children with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection as a control group. PD-1 was evaluated in lymphocytes, while PD-L1 was evaluated in lymphocytes, hepatocytes, biliary epithelial cells, sinusoidal endothelial cells and Kupffer cells. All AIH patients received the standard treatment. Results The mean PD-1 was significantly higher in AIH than HCV patients (29.19 ±18.5% vs. 15.2 ±10.1%; p = 0.002) while there was no statistically significant difference as regards PD-L1 on lymphocytes (p = 0.853). Neither PD-1 nor PD-L1 correlated with either liver fibrosis or the inflammatory activity (p > 0.05 for all). PD-1/PD-L1 ratio was significantly higher in AIH compared to HCV patients and in non-responder AIH patients compared to responders (46.9 vs. 6.58). PD-1 expression was comparable in both responders and non-responders (p = 0.813), while PD-L1 was significantly upregulated in responders (4.17 ±3.15% vs. 0.63 ±1.3%; p = 0.046). PD-L1 expression on hepatocytes, biliary epithelial cells, sinusoidal endothelial cells and Kupffer cells was comparable in AIH and HCV groups. Conclusions PD-1/PD-L1 ratio, which reflects immune aggression, was significantly higher in AIH compared to HCV patients and in non-responder AIH patients compared to responders.
Morphology of saphenous nerve in cadavers: a guide to saphenous block and surgical interventions

The knowledge about detailed morphology and relation of saphenous nerve is important to obtain successful saphenous nerve regional blocks to achieve pre- and post-operative anesthesia and analgesia, nerve entrapment treatments and to avoid damage of saphenous nerve during knee and ankle surgeries. The literature describing detailed morphology of saphenous nerve is very limited. We dissected 42 formalin fixed well embalmed cadaveric lower limbs to explore detailed anatomy, relation and mode of termination of saphenous nerve and measured the distances from the nearby palpable bony landmarks. The average distance of origin of saphenous nerve from inguinal crease was 7.89±1.42 cm, the distance from upper end of medial border of patella to saphenous nerve at that level was 8.11±0.85 cm, distance from tibial tuberosity was 7.53±0.98 cm and from midpoint of anterior border of medial malleolus was 0.45±0.14 cm. Saphenous nerve provided two infrapatellar branches at the level of mid to lower limit of patellar ligament in 90% cases. It was in close contact or adhered to great saphenous vein across the lower 2/3rd of leg lying either anterior, posterior or deep to the vein. The saphenous nerve terminated by bifurcating proximal to medial malleolus in majority of cases though no obvious bifurcation was observed in 9.52% cases. The detailed morphology, relations and the distances from palpable bony landmarks may be helpful for clinicians to achieve successful saphenous nerve block and to avoid saphenous nerve damage and related complications during orthopedic procedures.
Loss of Ambulatory Independence Following Low-Energy Pelvic Ring Fractures

Introduction: Lateral compression type 1 (LC1) pelvic ring fractures make up 63% of all pelvic ring injuries. This fracture pattern is typically seen in older patients. The purpose of this study is to assess the ambulatory status of individuals sustaining LC1 fractures at long-term follow-up and what specific characteristics, if any, effect this status or functional outcomes. Methods: Over a 2-year period, all pelvic ring injury at 2 hospitals within one academic institution was queried. One hundred sixty-one low-energy LC1 pelvic fractures were identified. Results: Fifty patients were available for long-term outcomes (mean: 36 months). Long-term functional outcomes (mean follow-up: 36 months) as measured by SMFA subgroup scores were demonstrated to be 3 times higher in patients currently using assistive devices for walking (P = .012). Increased age (P = .050) was associated with the continued use of assistive walking devices. Of the patients who did not use an ambulatory device prior to LC1 injury, 5 (11.6%) sustained a fall or medical complication within 30 days of the index pelvic fracture; this was associated with the current use of an assistive ambulatory device (P = .010). Forty-three (86%) patients didn’t use an assistive ambulatory device prior to sustaining the LC1 fracture. Seven (14%) patients utilized assistive devices both before and after the LC1 injury. Thirteen (26%) patients, who did not utilize assistive ambulatory devices prior to their injury, necessitated them at long-term follow-up. Discussion: Surgeons should be aware of these associations, as they can implement early interventions aimed at patients at risk, for assistive device use, following LC1 pelvic fractures. Conclusion: More than a quarter of the patients sustaining an LC1 pelvic fracture continue to use an aid for ambulation at long-term follow-up. Older age, complications, and falls within 30 days of this injury are associated with the utilization of an assistive ambulatory device.
Comparison of Diagnosis and Prescribing Practices Between Virtual Visits and Office Visits for Adults Diagnosed With Sinusitis Within a Primary Care Network

Abstract Background Many antibiotics prescribed in the outpatient setting result from upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs); however, these infections are often viral. Virtual visits have emerged as a popular alternative to office visits for URTIs and may be an important target for antimicrobial stewardship programs. Methods This retrospective cohort study evaluated adult patients diagnosed with sinusitis treated within a single primary care network. The primary objective was to compare guideline-concordant diagnosis between patients treated via virtual visits vs in-office visits. Guideline-concordant bacterial sinusitis diagnosis was based on national guideline recommendations. Secondary objectives included comparing guideline-concordant antibiotic prescribing between groups and 24-hour, 7-day, and 30-day revisits. Results A total of 350 patients were included in the study, with 175 in each group. Patients treated for sinusitis were more likely to receive a guideline-concordant diagnosis in the virtual visit group (69.1% vs 45.7%; P < .001). Additionally, patients who completed virtual visits were less likely to receive antibiotics (68.6% vs 94.3%; P < .001). Guideline-concordant antibiotic selection was similar between groups (67.5% vs 64.8%; P = .641). The median duration of therapy in both groups was 10 days (P = .88). Patients completing virtual visits were more likely to revisit for sinusitis within 24 hours (8% vs 1.7%; P = .006) and within 30 days (14.9% vs 7.4%; P = .027). Conclusions In adult patients presenting with sinusitis, care at a virtual visit was associated with an increase in guideline-concordant diagnosis and a decrease in antibiotic prescribing compared with in-office primary care visits. Virtual visit platforms may be a valuable tool for antimicrobial stewardship programs in the outpatient setting.
Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in stroke rehabilitation: review of the current evidence and pitfalls

Acute brain ischemia causes changes in several neural networks and related cortico-subcortical excitability, both in the affected area and in the apparently spared contralateral hemisphere. The modulation of these processes through modern techniques of noninvasive brain stimulation, namely repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), has been proposed as a viable intervention that could promote post-stroke clinical recovery and functional independence. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the current evidence from the literature on the efficacy of rTMS applied to different clinical and rehabilitative aspects of stroke patients. A total of 32 meta-analyses published until July 2019 were selected, focusing on the effects on motor function, manual dexterity, walking and balance, spasticity, dysphagia, aphasia, unilateral neglect, depression, and cognitive function after a stroke. Only conventional rTMS protocols were considered in this review, and meta-analyses focusing on theta burst stimulation only were excluded. Overall, both HF-rTMS and LF-rTMS have been shown to be safe and well-tolerated. In addition, the current literature converges on the positive effect of rTMS in the rehabilitation of all clinical manifestations of stroke, except for spasticity and cognitive impairment, where definitive evidence of efficacy cannot be drawn. However, routine use of a specific paradigm of stimulation cannot be recommended yet due to a significant level of heterogeneity of the studies in terms of protocols to be set and outcome measures that have to be used. Future studies need to preliminarily evaluate the most promising protocols before going on to multicenter studies with large cohorts of patients in order to achieve a definitive translation into daily clinical practice.
Public Health Aspects in the Prevention and Control of Vitamin Deficiencies

ABSTRACT Vitamin deficiencies remain major etiological factors in the global burden of disease, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The purpose of this state-of-the-art review was to update current information on deficiencies of vitamins and public health approaches to addressing them. Some stages of life present a higher risk of deficiency than others: risks are higher in pregnant women, children (from conception to young childhood), adolescents, the elderly, and all of the over 800 million people globally who are undernourished. At risk are approximately 125 million preschool children with vitamin A deficiency, as well as sub-populations at risk of deficiencies of folate, thiamin, vitamin B12, niacin, riboflavin, other B vitamins. and vitamin D. Addressing micronutrient deficiencies requires identifying those at risk and then working to prevent and manage that risk. Public health approaches include improved, diversified diets; supplementation; fortification and biofortification; and other supportive public health measures. Historically, as with pellagra and beriberi and, in the last 3 decades, with vitamin A and folic acid, there has been encouraging progress, but much remains to be done.
Thermodynamic Analysis of Heat Pump Heating Supply Systems With Circulating Water Heat Recovery

Heat recovery from circulating water based on absorption heat pump can achieve the energy cascade utilization.Take a certain 300MW regulated extraction steam turbine as an example,this paper studied the feasibility of heat pump heating supply system(HPHSS) with circulating water heat recovery.The thermodynamic model,which considered the influence of heat recovery on condenser vacuum,was proposed to simulate the HPHSS design and off-design performance from the perspective of the overall system.The results indicate that at design condition,the heat pump coefficient of performance(COP) is 1.706,and HPHSS increases exergy efficient by 11.17 percentage points and increases the unit output power by 4.63 MW compared to traditional mode.With the increase in condenser outlet heating network water temperature,it declines the heat pump COP,but increases HPHSS exergy efficient gradually.With the reduction of return water temperature,it increases the heat pump COP,but increases firstly and then decreases HPHSS exergy efficient.Enhancing the evaporator outlet temperature of circulating water or reducing the circulating water temperature drop in the evaporator increase heat pump COP,unit output power and HPHSS exergy efficient.HPHSS with circulating water heat recovery possesses the good thermodynamic performance and social benefits.
The Relationship of Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio and Platelet-Lymphocyte Ratio with Bone Mineral Density in Korean Postmenopausal Women

The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are known to be markers of the systemic inflammatory response. However, the few studies that have been done on the relationship between the NLR and PLR and osteoporosis have yielded inconsistent results. Therefore, we assessed the relationship between the NLR and PLR and bone mineral density (BMD). This study was conducted with postmenopausal patients admitted to an orthopaedic hospital. Data including BMD, NLR, PLR and covariates were obtained from the subjects' medical records. In total, 407 postmenopausal patients were enrolled in this study. Analysis of covariance was performed to identify significant differences in BMD according to NLR and PLR. After adjusting for other covariates, a quartile of NLR was negatively associated with the mean value of lumbar BMD (p=0.040, p for trend=0.005) but not with the mean value of femur neck BMD. However, there were no significant associations among the PLR, the BMD of the lumbar and the femur neck. In conclusion, the quartile of NLR was negatively associated with the mean value of lumbar BMD in Korean postmenopausal patients.
Impact of psychoeducation program on quality of life of schizophrenic patients and their caregivers

Background Psychoeducation is an evidence-based therapeutic intervention for patients and their families that provides information and support to better understand and cope with illness. Aim The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of patient and caregiver schizophrenia psychoeducation program and its impact on improvement of psychopathology and quality of life (QoL). Patients and methods This study was carried out on 116 consented schizophrenic patients and their primary caregivers. Severity of the symptoms was rated using Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. QoL was measured using World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire-short version (WHOQoL-BREF) scale. Results There is a statistically significant difference between patients who received psychoeducation and those treated as usual regarding question 1, question 2, domain 1 (physical), domain 2 (psychological), domain 3 (social relation), and domain 4 (environment) measured by WHOQoL scale with higher score in received psychoeducation patients. Conclusion Psychoeducation should be considered as an important intervention for the management of schizophrenic patients as it improves their QoL and supports the caregiver.
Investigating Irrational Beliefs, Cognitive Appraisals, Challenge and Threat, and Affective States in Golfers Approaching Competitive Situations

On approach to competitive situations, affective states (emotions and anxiety) occur through the complex interaction of cognitive antecedents. Researchers have intimated that irrational beliefs might play an important role in the relationship between cognitive appraisals and affective states, but has ignored challenge and threat. In the current research, we examine the interaction between cognitive appraisals, irrational beliefs, and challenge and threat to predict golfers’ pre-competitive affective states. We adopted a cross-sectional atemporal design to examine how golfers approached two different competitive situations: imagined imminent golf competition (phase 1), and actual future golf competition (phase 2). Path analysis revealed how cognitive appraisals, irrational beliefs, and challenge and threat interact to predict affective states among golfers. Serial atemporal multiple mediation analysis indicated that the relationships between cognitive appraisals and affective states were mediated by irrational beliefs and challenge and threat. Further, some differences were revealed between phase 1 and phase 2 in the serial multiple atemporal mediation results with regard to challenge. That is, at phase 1 no significant serial mediation was found for any affective outcomes, but at phase 2 significant serial mediation was found for all affective states, showing that irrational beliefs and challenge serial mediated the associations between cognitive appraisals and affective states. The finding that mediation and bivariate associations differed across phase 1 and phase 2 is echoed in the phase 1-phase 2 tests of differences. The current research makes a theoretical advancement by elucidating in more detail the complex interaction between cognitive antecedents and mediators of affective states. Specifically, the inclusion of challenge and threat alongside irrational beliefs and cognitive appraisals is an important theoretical advancement that builds on work inside of sport literature (e.g., Dixon et al., 2016) and outside of sport literature (e.g., David et al., 2002, 2005), as this constellation of theoretically related antecedents of affective states has not been examined together in the extant research.
Shared Demands Between Cognitive and Physical Tasks May Drive Negative Effects of Fatigue: A Focused Review

Over the last decade, there has been increasing interest in the effects of cognitive fatigue on physical performance. This review aims to provide an understanding of these effects with an emphasis on different types of physical tasks requiring different cognitive loads. We specifically focus on understanding the similarity or difference between the cognitive and physical task to help formulate a hypothesis for when there is a decline in the subsequent physical task and when there is not. Taken together, the research shows that endurance performance and perceptual-cognitive skills seem to decline following the completion of a cognitive task, while anaerobic performance remains unaffected. Consistent with the limited-resource model of self-control, the completion of a cognitively demanding task may deplete or inhibit cognitive resources, resulting in impaired performance on a subsequent physical task that relies on similar resources. In other words, physical tasks involving central executive functioning may be significantly more impaired by cognitive fatigue compared to tasks that utilize an all-out strategy. It is recommended that future research continues examining the impact of cognitive fatigue on different types of physical tasks while controlling for other variables.
The Application of Machine Learning Techniques to Improve El Niño Prediction Skill

We review prediction efforts of El Ni\~no events in the tropical Pacific with particular focus on using modern machine learning (ML) methods based on artificial neural networks. With current classical prediction methods using both statistical and dynamical models, the skill decreases substantially for lead times larger than about 6 months. Initial ML results have shown enhanced skill for lead times larger than 12 months. The search for optimal attributes in these methods is described, in particular those derived from complex network approaches, and a critical outlook on further developments is given.
Conversion Prediction from Clickstream: Modeling Market Prediction and Customer Predictability

As 98 percent of shoppers do not make a purchase on the first visit, we study the problem of predicting whether they would come back for a purchase later (i.e., conversion prediction). This problem is important for strategizing “retargeting”, for example, by sending coupons for customers who are likely to convert. For this goal, we study the following two problems, prediction of market and predictability of customer. First, prediction of market aims at identifying a conversion rate for a given product and its customer behavior modeling, which is an important analytics metric for retargeting process. Compared to existing approaches using either of customer or product-level conversion pattern, we propose a joint modeling of both patterns based on the well-studied buying decision process. Second, we can observe customer-specific behaviors after showing retargeting ads, to predict whether this specific customer follows the market model (high predictability) or not (low predictability). For the former, we apply the market model, and for the latter, we propose a new customer-specific prediction based on dynamic ad behavior features. To evaluate the effectiveness of our methods, we perform extensive experiments on the simulated dataset generated based on a set of real-world web logs and retargeting campaign logs. The evaluation results show that conversion predictions and predictability by our approach are consistently more accurate and robust than those by existing baselines in dynamic market environment.
Body Shape and Alzheimer’s Disease: A Mendelian Randomization Analysis

Obesity has been reported to be related to memory impairment and decline in cognitive function, possibly further leading to the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, observational studies revealed both negative and positive associations between body shape (BS) and AD, thereby making it difficult to confirm causality due to residual confounds and reverse causation. Thus, using genome-wide association study summary data, two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were applied to identify whether there exists a causal association between BS and AD. BS was measured using anthropometric traits (ATs) in this study, including body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-hip ratio adjusted by body mass index (WHRadjBMI), and waist circumference (WC). The associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) with each AT and AD were obtained separately from aggregated data from the Genetic Investigation of Anthropometric Traits (GIANT) consortium and International Genomics of Alzheimer’s Project (IGAP) summary data (17,008 cases with AD and 37,154 controls). An inverse-variance weighted method was applied to obtain the overall causal estimate for multiple instrumental SNPs. The odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] for AD risk per 1-SD difference in BMI was 1.04 (0.88, 1.23), in WHR was 1.01 (0.77, 1.33), in WHRadjBMI was 1.12 (0.89, 1.41), and in WC was 1.02 (0.82, 1.27). Furthermore, simulation analyses of survivor bias indicated the overall causal effect of BMI on risk of AD was not biased. In conclusion, the evidence from MR analyses showed no casual effect of BS on AD risk, which is inconsistent with the results from previous observational studies. The biological mechanism underlying the findings warrants further study.
Cell Suspension Culture of Neem Tree

The establishment of suspension culture system for neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) cells and the suspension culture condition was studied. It shows that the neem cell suspension culture system was best in B5 liquid medium, 2.0~4.0mg/L NAA with direct spill method. Based on the integrated analysis of cell biomass, Azadirachtin content and productivity, the optimum culture conditions were B5 liquid medium, 2.0-4.0 mg/L NAA, 3% sucrose at 25 ℃. The optimum rotating speed of the shaker and broth content depends on the size of the cultural vessel and loading volume.
Evaluation of Distributional Semantic Models for the Extraction of Semantic Relations for Named Rivers from a Small Specialized Corpus

This research was carried out as part of project FFI2017-89127-P, Translation-Oriented Terminology Tools for Environmental Texts (TOTEM), funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. Funding was also provided by an FPU grant given by the Spanish Ministry of Education to the first author.