Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Laboratory Diagnostics for Histoplasmosis

ABSTRACT The diagnosis of histoplasmosis is based on a multifaceted approach that includes clinical, radiographic, and laboratory evidence of disease. The gold standards for laboratory diagnosis include demonstration of yeast on pathological examination of tissue and isolation of the mold in the culture of clinical specimens; however, antigen detection has provided a rapid, noninvasive, and highly sensitive method for diagnosis and is a useful marker of treatment response. Molecular methods with improved sensitivity on clinical specimens are being developed but are not yet ready for widespread clinical use. This review synthesizes currently available laboratory diagnostics for histoplasmosis, with an emphasis on complexities of testing and performance in various clinical contexts.
Deep Learning–Based Multi-Omics Integration Robustly Predicts Survival in Liver Cancer

Identifying robust survival subgroups of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) will significantly improve patient care. Currently, endeavor of integrating multi-omics data to explicitly predict HCC survival from multiple patient cohorts is lacking. To fill this gap, we present a deep learning (DL)–based model on HCC that robustly differentiates survival subpopulations of patients in six cohorts. We built the DL-based, survival-sensitive model on 360 HCC patients' data using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq), miRNA sequencing (miRNA-Seq), and methylation data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), which predicts prognosis as good as an alternative model where genomics and clinical data are both considered. This DL-based model provides two optimal subgroups of patients with significant survival differences (P = 7.13e−6) and good model fitness [concordance index (C-index) = 0.68]. More aggressive subtype is associated with frequent TP53 inactivation mutations, higher expression of stemness markers (KRT19 and EPCAM) and tumor marker BIRC5, and activated Wnt and Akt signaling pathways. We validated this multi-omics model on five external datasets of various omics types: LIRI-JP cohort (n = 230, C-index = 0.75), NCI cohort (n = 221, C-index = 0.67), Chinese cohort (n = 166, C-index = 0.69), E-TABM-36 cohort (n = 40, C-index = 0.77), and Hawaiian cohort (n = 27, C-index = 0.82). This is the first study to employ DL to identify multi-omics features linked to the differential survival of patients with HCC. Given its robustness over multiple cohorts, we expect this workflow to be useful at predicting HCC prognosis prediction. Clin Cancer Res; 24(6); 1248–59. ©2017 AACR.
“Anonymous Meltdown”: Content Themes Emerging in a Nonfacilitated, Peer-only, Unstructured, Asynchronous Online Support Group for Family Caregivers

By providing care for loved ones in the home, family caregivers save millions of dollars for our overtaxed healthcare system. Support groups can lighten the psychological burden of caregiving. Nonprofessionally facilitated (or peer) online caregiver support groups can help meet a critical need in healthcare as a low-cost resource for caregivers. Online caregiver peer support groups can promote the health and well-being of family caregivers and, by extension, the patients themselves, resulting in cost-savings for society. A better understanding of these types of groups is of critical importance, given the unrelenting pace of demographic shift in the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine content themes emerging from an unstructured, asynchronous online peer support group for family caregivers of people with chronic illness. Qualitative content analysis was used, yielding six themes: “experiencing the emotional toll,” “need for catharsis/venting,” “finding the silver linings,” “seeking specific advice/problem solving,” “realizing home is no longer a haven,” and “adapting to the caregiver role. ” The themes reflect what emerged organically in an online support group that was not professionally facilitated or structured in any way. Heterogeneity in the relationship between caregivers and care recipients may negatively affect outcomes and requires further study.
Katastrofik Sağlık Harcaması ve Yoksullaştırıcı Etki

Katastrofik saglik harcamasi cepten yapilan saglik harcamalarinin hanehalki geliri ya da harcamasinin belirli bir miktarini asmasi durumunda ortaya cikmaktadir. Bu miktar arttikca hanehalklari uzerinde yoksullastirici etkide bulunarak finansal acidan yikici sonuclar meydana getirmektedir. Bu etkinin daha cok orta ve dusuk gelirli ulkelerde goruldugu bilinmekle birlikte, informal ekonomilere sahip gelismis ulkelerde de katastrofik saglik harcamasi insidansinin oldukca yuksek oldugu gorulebilmektedir. Toplumda yoksul kesimlerin saglik hizmeti kullanimini tehdit eden bu harcamalarin azaltilmasina yonelik olarak saglikta politika belirleyicilerin farkindaliklarinin arttirilmasi gerekmektedir. Bu nedenle bu calismada katastrofik saglik harcamasi ve beraberinde ortaya cikan yoksullastirici etkinin tanimi ve anlami aciklanarak, katastrofik saglik harcamasi insidansini belirleyen faktorler ve farkli ulkelerde bu harcamalarin durumu ortaya konulmus, bu harcamalar ile mucadele etmek konusunda politika belirleyicilere yonelik onerilerde bulunulmustur.
Does Height Affect Labor Supply? Implications of Product Variety and Caloric Needs

The positive correlation between hourly wages and height, which results in higher labor supply of tall individuals, is well-documented in the literature. Accepting the utilitarian perspective and assuming that height does not affect utility implies that linking income taxes to height is welfare improving. This paper argues that height might not only affect an individual's income but also utility from consumption. Higher caloric needs of tall individuals should result in higher consumption expenditures for food to satisfy these needs. Size specific products should result in lower product variety for sizes where aggregate demand is low, typically sizes for individuals in the tails of the height distribution. Introducing these two channels into a household's maximization problem we derive a labor supply equation that allows for an empirical test for the relevance of these two channels. We use the German Socio-Economic Panel Study to estimate this labor supply equation. Caloric needs do not have a significant effect on labor supply. Product choice, on the other hand, does increase labor supply significantly. This implies that purely focusing on income might not be optimal under the utilitarian framework for tax analysis.
Hydro-alcoholic media effects on theophylline release from sesamum polysaccharide gum matrices

Abstract Concomitant ingestion of alcohol and medications can greatly affect drug plasma concentrations as dose dumping or failure may occur as a result of the fact that formulation excipients may not always be resistant to alcohol. In this study, a natural polysaccharide (Sesamum radiatum gum) (SG) was extracted, characterized and used to formulate sustained release theophylline compacts to study the effect of varying alcohol concentrations (v/v) in dissolution media on drug release from these compacts. X-ray powder diffraction showed that the extracted gum was amorphous in nature with the powder having excellent compaction properties as observed with its compact being significantly harder than those prepared with pure hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) K4M. X-ray microtomography showed that the compacts produced were homogenous in nature, however, swelling studies showed failure of the compacts at the highest concentration of absolute ethanol used (40% v/v). Dissolution studies showed similarity at all levels of alcohol tested (f2 = 57–91) in simulated gastric (0.1 N HCl, pH 1.2) and intestinal fluids (phosphate buffer, pH 6.8) for the HPMC compacts whereas dissimilarity only occurred for the SG compacts at the highest alcohol concentration in both media (f2 = 35). The suitability of SG as a matrix former that can resist alcoholic effects therefore makes it suitable as an alternative polymer with wider applications for drug delivery.
Flow Cytometry Analysis of Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes from Patients with Bullous Pemphigoid

Background: Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an autoimmune disease observed in elderly subjects in which alteration of peripheral blood lymphocyte subset repartition has been described. Objective: To evaluate peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets from BP patients and identify immunologic changes that can be assigned either to the autoimmune disease or to the ageing process. Methods: Peripheral blood lymphocytes from 24 patients with BP and 24 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals were analyzed by flow cytometry and these results were compared to those obtained from young adults. Results: This study showed: (i) the presence of T-cell lymphopenia with a decreased number of CD8+ and gdγδ T lymphocytes in BP patients compared with younger adult controls; (ii) a high dispersion of the results in the BP population; (iii) the absence of a significant difference of lymphocyte subset levels between BP patients and age- and sex-matched controls. Conclusion: This flow cytometry study suggests that the modifications of lymphocyte subpopulation values observed in BP patients are related to immunologic changes induced by age in elderly people.
"Silence Is Golden": Exploring Ambient Signals for Detecting Motions in a Real-Time Manner

Motion is a critical indicator of human presence and activities. Recent developments in the field of indoor motion detection have the potential to enhance various aspects of our daily experiences like intrusion detection and sleep monitoring. Existing indoor motion detection solutions either are obstructive to use or fail to provide adequate coverage. To overcome these shortages, a noninvasive and cost-effective motion detection system (MoSense) is proposed for periodically detecting motions by exploring channel response in the commodity WiFi devices. The central idea is that signals in a ``silence'' environment serve well as a ``golden'' benchmark for recognizing motions that lead to signal fluctuations. A prototype of MoSense is realized and evaluated in real environments. By comparing MoSense with another state-of-the-art method, i.e., FIMD, we have shown that MoSense outperforms FIMD in terms of computational complexity, detection accuracy and false alarm rate. Considering that MoSense is compatible with existing WiFi infrastructure, it constitutes a low-cost yet promising solution for motion detection.
Increased Galectin-3 Expression in Gastric Cancer: Correlations with Histopathological Subtypes, Galactosylated Antigens and Tumor Cell Proliferation

Galectin-3 represents an endogenous galactoside-binding lectin which may be involved in tumor cell adhesion and proliferation. In order to evaluate its biological significance in human gastric cancer, we investigated its expression in the stomach of a large series of patients (n = 193) by immunohistochemical staining with the monoclonal antibody Mac-2. Compared to normal tissues, primary gastric adenocarcinomas showed a slight increase in galectin-3 expression. However, there was no correlation of membrane-bound and cytoplasmic galectin-3 with histopathological differentiation parameters (according to the WHO and Laurén classifications) or tumor progression (as documented by pTNM staging). Nuclear galectin-3 reactivity was significantly stronger in diffuse-type cancer compared to the intestinal-type tumors. Galectin-3 binds to terminal GalNAcα(1–3) bound to polylactosamine chains and related glycotopes. Therefore, the strong coexpression of membrane/cytoplasmic galectin-3 with Griffonia simplicifolia agglutinin I (GSA I) binding sites (Galα1–3Gal-, GalNAcα–) on carcinoma cells seems to be interesting. On the other hand, nuclear galectin-3 immunoreactivity did not correlate with the incidence of Ki-67-positive tumor cells. A prognostic value of galectin-3 regarding patient survival could not be established.
Head‐to‐head comparison of ranibizumab PRN versus single‐dose dexamethasone for branch retinal vein occlusion (COMRADE‐B)

To compare the efficacy and safety of ranibizumab 0.5 mg versus dexamethasone 0.7 mg according to their European labels in macular oedema secondary to branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) in a 6‐month, phase IIIb, randomized trial.
Cerebrovascular response in infants and young children following severe traumatic brain injury: a preliminary report.

To further describe the pathophysiologic processes that occur in infants and young children after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), we retrospectively reviewed the cerebral blood flow (CBF) values and 6-month Glasgow Outcome Scores (GOS) in 30 children < or = 8 years old (25 were < or = 4 years old) with a Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) on admission of < or = 8. Twelve females and 18 males (mean age 2.1 years, range 1 month to 8 years) underwent 61 CBF studies using stable xenon computed tomography at variable times from admission to 9 days after TBI. In 12 patients, PaCO2 was manipulated an average of 8.4 torr (range 5-11 torr) and a second CBF study performed to determine CO2 vasoreactivity (CO2VR), defined as the percent change in CBF per torr change in PaCO2. CBF on admission (n = 13)was 25.1+/-7.7 ml/100 g/min (mean +/- SEM) and was < or = 20 ml/100 g/min in 10 of 13 patients (77%). By 24 h and for up to 6 days after TBI, the mean CBF increased to 55.3+/-3.4 ml/100 g/min (range 2-95) which differed significantly from the admission CBF value (p < 0.05); a CBF of >70 ml/100 g/min tended to be associated with a good outcome. Poor outcome (GOS < or = 3) was seen uniformly in children under the age of 1 year and in patients with a CBF of < or = 20 ml/100 g/min any time after TBI. Poor outcome was seen in 85% of children under the age of 24 months, but in only 41% of children > or = 24 months old. Mean CO2VR was 2.1+/-0.6%/torr PaCO2 and ranged from 0.02 to 5.98%. Mean CO2VR tended to differ between good and poor outcome children (3.2+/-0.9 and 1.17+/-0.2%, respectively) and a CO2VR of < or = 2% was significantly associated with a poor outcome. Younger age, low CBF in the early period after TBI, and a CO2VR of <2% was associated with a poor outcome in this subgroup of children. Young children (<24 months) may represent a particular high-risk group with early hypoperfusion after severe TBI. This finding may be a key factor in the pathophysiology and outcome in this age group, and may need to be addressed in our future therapeutic protocols.
Unique white matter microstructural patterns in ADHD presentations—a diffusion tensor imaging study

Attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder predominantly inattentive (ADHD‐PI) and combined (ADHD‐C) presentations are likely distinct disorders that differ neuroanatomically, neurochemically, and neuropsychologically. However, to date, little is known about specific white matter (WM) regions differentiating ADHD presentations. This study examined differences in WM microstructure using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data from 20 ADHD‐PI, 18 ADHD‐C, and 27 typically developed children. Voxel‐wise analysis of DTI measurements in major fiber bundles was carried out using tract‐based spatial statistics (TBSS). Clusters showing diffusivity abnormalities were used as regions of interest for regression analysis between fractional anisotropy (FA) and neuropsychological outcomes. Compared to neurotypicals, ADHD‐PI children showed higher FA in the anterior thalamic radiations (ATR), bilateral inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), and in the left corticospinal tract (CST). In contrast, the ADHD‐C group exhibited higher FA in the bilateral cingulum bundle (CB). In the ADHD‐PI group, differences in FA in the left ILF and ATR were accompanied by axial diffusivity (AD) abnormalities. In addition, the ADHD‐PI group exhibited atypical mean diffusivity in the forceps minor (FMi) and left ATR and AD differences in right CB compared to healthy subjects. Direct comparison between ADHD presentations demonstrated radial diffusivity differences in FMi. WM clusters with FA irregularities in ADHD were associated with neurobehavioral performance across groups. In conclusion, differences in WM microstructure in ADHD presentations strengthen the theory that ADHD‐PI and ADHD‐C are two distinct disorders. Regions with WM irregularity seen in both ADHD presentations might serve as predictors of executive and behavioral functioning across groups. Hum Brain Mapp 37:3323–3336, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Longitudinal Evidence for Increased Functional Response in Frontal Cortex for Older Adults with Hippocampal Atrophy and Memory Decline

The functional organization of the frontal cortex is dynamic. Age-related increases in frontal functional responses have been shown during various cognitive tasks, but the cross-sectional nature of most past studies makes it unclear whether these increases reflect reorganization or stable individual differences. Here, we followed 130 older individuals' cognitive trajectories over 20-25 years with repeated neuropsychological assessments every 5th year, and identified individuals with stable or declining episodic memory. Both groups displayed significant gray matter atrophy over 2 successive magnetic resonance imaging sessions 4 years apart, but the decline group also had a smaller volume of the right hippocampus. Only individuals with declining memory demonstrated increased prefrontal functional responses during memory encoding and retrieval over the 4-year interval. Regions with increased functional recruitment were located outside, or on the borders of core task-related networks, indicating an expansion of these over time. These longitudinal findings offer novel insight into the mechanisms behind age-associated memory loss, and are consistent with a theoretical model in which hippocampus atrophy, past a critical threshold, induces episodic-memory decline and altered prefrontal functional organization.
Evolution of magnetic properties and exchange interactions in Ru doped YbCrO3

Magnetic properties of YbCr1−xRuxO3 as a function of temperature and magnetic field have been investigated to explore the intriguing magnetic phenomena in rare-earth orthochromites. A quantitative analysis of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms the mixed valence state (Yb3+ and Yb2+) of Yb ions for the highest doped sample. Field-cooled magnetization reveals a broad peak around 75 K and then becomes zero at about 20–24 K, due to the antiparallel coupling between Cr3+ and Yb3+ moments. An increase of the Ru4+ ion concentration leads to a slight increase of compensation temperature Tcomp from 20 to 24 K, but the Néel temperature remains constant. A larger value of the magnetic moment of Yb ions gives rise to negative magnetization at low temperature. An external magnetic field significantly modifies the temperature dependent magnetization. Simulation of temperature dependent magnetization data, below TN, based on the three (two) magnetic sub-lattice model predicts stronger intra-sublattice exchange interaction than that of inter-sublattice. Thermal hysteresis and Arrot plots suggest first order magnetic phase transition. Random substitution of Ru4+ ion reduces the magnetic relaxation time. Weak ferromagnetic component in canted antiferromagnetic system and negative internal magnetic field cause zero-field-cooled exchange bias effect. Large magnetocrystalline anisotropy associated with Ru creates high coercivity in the Ru doped sample. A maximum value of magnetocaloric effect is found around the antiferromagnetic ordering of Yb3+ ions. Antiferromagnetic transition at about 120 K and temperature induced magnetization reversal lead to normal and inverse magnetocaloric effects in the same material.
Assessment of the fetomaternal circulation in threatened abortion by transvaginal color Doppler.

Transvaginal color Doppler was used to investigate blood flow in the fetomaternal circulation of 60 women with threatened abortion and 90 women with normal intrauterine pregnancy. The obtained Doppler sonograms were analyzed and the resistance index (RI) was calculated in the maternal circulation, while in the fetal circulation the pulsatility index (PI) was used. There was no significant difference in the RI values of the maternal circulation between women with normal pregnancies and pregnancies complicated by bleeding, but with normal pregnancy outcome (p > 0.05). No differences in RI values of the uterine, arcuate and radial arteries were found between pregnancies with threatened abortion and normal pregnancy outcome and women with abnormal outcome (p > 0.05). In 9 of 21 women with visible retrochorionic hematoma, the RI of the spiral arteries was higher on the hematoma side in comparison to the opposite side (p < 0.01). This could be a consequence of the mechanical compression caused by the hematoma. In 3 of 4 cases of missed abortion, the RI of the spiral arteries was lower in comparison to the control group. Such findings could be caused by the vasodilatating products of inflammation which probably exist in such areas. There was no significant difference in terms of the PI of fetal blood vessels between normal pregnancy and threatened abortions with normal outcome, as well as between threatened abortions with normal outcome and subsequent abortions of live fetuses (p > 0.05).
The Effect of Moderate- Versus High-Intensity Resistance Training on Systemic Redox State and DNA Damage in Healthy Older Women

This study investigated effects of a 16-week progressive resistance training program (RTP) with elastic bands at two different intensities on systemic redox state, DNA damage, and physical function in healthy older women. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to the high-intensity group (HIGH; n = 39), moderate-intensity group (MOD; n = 31), or control group (CG; n = 23). The exercise groups performed an RTP twice a week with three to four sets of 6 (HIGH) or 15 (MOD) repetitions of six overall body exercises at a perceived exertion rate of 8–9 on the OMNI-Resistance Exercise Scale for use with elastic bands. Thiol redox state was determined by reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG), and GSSG/GSH in blood mononuclear cells. Degree of DNA damage was assessed by presence of the oxidized DNA base molecule 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) in urine. Physical function monitoring was based on the arm curl, chair stand, up and go, and 6-min walk tests. Results: The HIGH group showed a significant increase in 8-OHdG (+71.07%, effect size [ES] = 1.12) and a significant decrease in GSH (−10.91, ES = −0.69), while the MOD group showed a significant decrease in 8-OHdG levels (−25.66%, ES = −0.69) with no changes in thiol redox state. GSH levels differed significantly between the HIGH and CG groups posttest. The exercise groups showed significant improvements in physical function with no differences between groups. Conclusion: RTP at a moderate rather than high intensity may be a better strategy to reduce DNA damage in healthy older women while also increasing independence.
A comparison of AC and DC partial discharge activity in polymeric cable insulation

The majority of PD monitoring is performed on cables operating under AC conditions, however, the increasing use of high voltage DC links, for subsea, or long land-based connections provides motivation for the increased use of PD monitoring on cables operating under HVDC. However, despite the increased intensity of research into PD in HVDC cables, there are significant knowledge gaps, preventing the practical application of PD monitoring techniques to HVDC cables. This paper seeks to partially address these gaps in knowledge, by presenting results obtained from PD measurements on artificial voids created in polymeric cable insulation under both AC and DC conditions. This work was presented at the 21st IEEE International Pulsed Power Conference.