Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Role of fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 in cancer

Fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFR) play a significant role in both embryonic development and in adults. Upon binding with ligands, FGFR signaling is activated and triggers various downstream signal cascades that are implicated in diverse biological processes. Aberrant regulations of FGFR signaling are detected in numerous cancers. Although FGFR4 was discovered later than other FGFR, information on the involvement of FGFR4 in cancers has significantly increased in recent years. In this review, the recent findings in FGFR4 structure, signaling transduction, physiological function, aberrant regulations, and effects in cancers as well as its potential applications as an anticancer therapeutic target are summarized.
Effect of a School-Based Activity Tracker, Companion Social Website, and Text Messaging Intervention on Exercise, Fitness, and Physical Activity Self-Efficacy of Middle School Students

This study examined the effect of a 10-week activity tracker, companion social website, and text messaging intervention on body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, physical fitness, and physical activity (PA) self-efficacy of children. Children (n = 98) were assigned to one of three groups: activity tracker group, text messaging group, and activity tracker + text messaging group. Pre-/posttest fitness, BMI, PA self-efficacy, and body fat percentage were measured. The activity tracker group had a significant increase in fitness, no significant difference in PA self-efficacy, and an increase in body fat percentage and BMI (p < .05). The text messaging group had a significant increase in BMI (p < .05). The activity tracker + text messaging group had no significant differences in fitness, BMI, PA self-efficacy, or body fat percentage. This study gives no clear support to the hypothesis that use of activity trackers and a text messaging intervention have a positive effect on fitness, PA self-efficacy, or body fat percentage.
Habitat, species richness and hantaviruses of sigmodontine rodents within the Interior Atlantic Forest, Paraguay

Four of the nine sigmodontine tribes have species that serve as reservoirs of rodent-borne hantaviruses (RBO-HV), few have been studied in any depth. Several viruses have been associated with human cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome often through peridomestic exposure. Jabora (JABV) and Juquitiba (JUQV), harbored by Akodon montensis and Oligoryzomys nigripes, respectively, are endemic and sympatric in the Reserva Natural de Bosque Mbaracayú (RNBM), Paraguay, a protected area of the Interior Atlantic Forest. Rodent communities were surveyed along a 30 km stretch of the RNBM in eight vegetation classifications (Low, High, Bamboo, Riparian and Liana Forests, Bamboo Understory, Cerrado, and Meadow/Grasslands). We collected 417 rodents from which 11 species were identified; Akodon montensis was the predominant species (72%; 95%CI: 64.7%-76.3%), followed by Hylaeamys megacephalus (15% (11.2%-18.2%)) and Oligoryzomys nigripes (9% (6.6%-12.4%)). We examined the statistical associations among habitat (vegetation class) type, rodent species diversity, population structure (age, sex, and weight), and prevalence of RBO-HV antibody and/or viral RNA (Ab/RNA) or characteristic Leishmania tail lesions. Ab/RNA positive rodents were not observed in Cerrado and Low Forest. A. montensis had an overall Ab/RNA prevalence of 7.7% (4.9%-11.3%) and O. nigripes had an overall prevalence of 8.6% (1.8%-23.1%). For A. montensis, the odds of being Ab/RNA positive in High Forest was 3.73 times of the other habitats combined. There was no significant difference among age classes in the proportion of Ab/RNA positive rodents overall (p = 0.66), however, all 11 RNA-positive individuals were adult. Sex and habitat had independent prognostic value for hantaviral Ab/RNA in the study population; age, presence of tail scar/lesion (19% of the rodents) and weight did not. Adjusting for habitat, female rodents had less risk of becoming infected. Importantly, these data suggest habitat preferences of two sympatric rodent reservoirs for two endemic hantaviruses and the importance of including habitat in models of species diversity and habitat fragmentation.
Toward a Nuanced Understanding of Nondisclosure in Psychotherapy Supervision

Previous research indicates that trainees often withhold important information related to their clients’ progress and their reactions to supervision. Moreover, factors associated with the occurrence of supervisee nondisclosure (SND) are not well established. As one of the few studies to compare clinically related with supervision-related nondisclosure, we tested the relation of these two dimensions of the construct, as measured by Siembor and Ellis’s (2012) Supervisee Nondisclosure Scales, to three important process variables: perceptions of (a) the supervisory alliance, as measured by Bahrick’s (1989) Working Alliance Inventory-Trainee; (b) collaborative supervision, as measured by Rousmaniere and Ellis’s (2013) Collaborative Supervision Behavior Scale; and (c) explicitly relational supervisor behaviors, as measured by Shaffer and Friedlander’s (2017) Relational Behavior Scale. Participants were 257 North American trainees, predominately White female doctoral students receiving supervision in a practicum or internship setting. As hypothesized, the three process variables inversely contributed to the multivariate composite of SND, jointly accounting for roughly one quarter of the variability; alliance and relational behavior were uniquely significant contributors (24.5% and 7%, respectively). Follow-up analyses indicated that only alliance perceptions contributed unique variance (23%) to supervision-related nondisclosures, which were endorsed much more frequently than clinically related nondisclosures in this sample.
Promoting Creativity Through Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS). A Critical Review

Creativity, meant as the ability to produce novel, original and suitable ideas, has received increased attention by research in the last years, especially from neuroaesthetics and social neuroscience. Besides the research conducted on the neural correlates of such capacities, previous work tried to answer the question of whether it is possible to enhance creativity through cognitive and neural stimulation. In particular, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been applied to increase neuronal excitability in those areas related to creativity. However, being a complex construct that applies to a huge variety of situations, available results are often confusing and inconsistent. Thus, in the present critical review, after selecting original research articles investigating creativity with tDCS, results will be reviewed and framed according to the different effects of tDCS and its underlying mechanisms, which can be defined as follows: the promotion of self-focused attention; the disruption of inhibiting mechanisms; the enhancement of creative thinking; the promotion of artistic enactment. Finally, a theoretical perspective, the creative on/off model, will be provided to integrate the reported evidence with respect to both anatomical and functional issues and propose a cognitive explanation of the emergence of creative thinking.
Comparative analysis of early immune responses induced by two strains of Newcastle disease virus in chickens

Newcastle disease, caused by virulent strain of Newcastle disease virus (NDV), is an acute, highly contagious disease that is prevalent worldwide and is responsible for serious economic losses to the poultry industry. In the current study, we compared the early immune responses in chickens infected with two strains of velogenic NDV, a duck origin, named GD strain (Md/CH/LGD/1/2005, genotype VIId), and an chicken origin, F48E9 strain (genotype IX). The viral RNA level of GD strain was significantly higher than those of F48E9 in most tissues of chicken. Furthermore, the high level of viral RNA of the GD strain was associated with a stronger immune response compared to that of F48E9, characterized by upregulated expression of some of avian β‐defensins and cytokines, most of toll‐like receptors, and some of the other immune‐related genes investigated. This study thus demonstrated differences in host early immune responses to the two NDV strains. Further studies are needed to characterize the basic molecular mechanisms involved in the host responses in chickens infected by the two NDV strains.
The use of subfascial drains after multi-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: does the data support its use?

Background Subfascial drains are routinely used after multi-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) procedures despite little evidence to support their use. Proponents of drain use argue that drain placement reduces the incidence of post-operative hematomas and surgical site infections (SSI). The aim of this study is to determine whether the use of subfascial drains after multi-level ACDFs are associated with a decreased incidence of hematomas and SSIs. Methods This is a retrospective study of 321 consecutive adult patients (18 years and older) with degenerative cervical stenosis that undergoing an index multi-level ACDF procedure. Only patients undergoing multilevel ACDF were included in the study. Patients were separated into one of two groups depending whether a subfascial drain was placed during surgery. The decision to place a drain was based on surgeon preference. Baseline characteristics, operative details, as well as rates of hematoma formation and SSIs were gathered by direct medical record review. Results Of the 321 patients enrolled in the study, 58 (18%) patients had subfascial drains placed at the time of surgery. Baseline demographics and co-morbidities were similar between both cohorts; however, on average, patients in the "Drain Use" cohort were older when compared to those in the "No Drain" cohort (64 vs. 56 years old, P<0.0001). There was no observed difference between both groups in the incidence of post-operative hematoma formation (P=0.99) or SSI (P=0.99). Five percent of patients in the "Drain Use" cohort required a post-operative allogenic blood transfusion compared to less than 1% (0.4%) in the comparison cohort. The duration of hospital stay was almost 2-fold longer in the in the "Drain use" cohort compared to the comparison cohort ("Drain Use": 2.82 days vs. "No Drain": 1.58 days, P<0.0001). Conclusions The use of subfascial drains after multi-level ACDF procedures were not associated with a decreased incidence of hematoma formation or SSIs. In fact, patients in which a subfascial drain was used were 14 times more likely to require a post-operative blood transfusion and with an almost 2-fold increase in the duration of in-hospital stay.
A 9-Month Jumping Intervention to Improve Bone Geometry in Adolescent Male Athletes

Purpose Sports have different effects on bone development and effective interventions to improve bone health of adolescent athletes are needed. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of a 9-month jumping intervention on bone geometry and metabolism in adolescent male athletes. Methods Ninety-three adolescent (14.1 yr old) male swimmers (SWI), footballers (FOO), and cyclists (CYC) were randomized to intervention and sport (INT-SWI = 19, INT-FOO = 15, and INT-CYC = 14) or sport only (CON-SWI = 18, CON-FOO = 15, and CON-CYC = 12) groups. Cross-sectional area, cross-sectional moment of inertia (CSMI), and section modulus (Z) at the femoral neck were assessed using hip structural analysis and trabecular texture of the lumbar spine using trabecular bone score. Bone mineral content (BMC) at femoral neck and lumbar spine was assessed using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Serum N-terminal propeptide of procollagen type I, isomer of the carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen, total serum calcium, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D were analyzed. Results INT-CYC acquired significantly higher lumbar spine BMC (4.6%) and femoral neck BMC (9.8%) than CON-CYC. INT-CYC acquired significantly higher cross-sectional area (11.0%), CSMI (10.1%), and trabecular bone score (4.4%) than CON-CYC. INT-SWI acquired significantly higher femoral neck BMC (6.0%) and CSMI (10.9%) than CON-SWI. There were no significant differences between INT-FOO and CON-FOO in any bone outcomes. N-terminal propeptide of procollagen type I significantly decreased in CON-SWI, INT-FOO, CON-FOO, and CON-CYC. Carboxy-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen significantly decreased in CON-SWI and CON-CYC. The 25-hydroxyvitamin D significantly increased in INT-CYC, CON-CYC, INT-FOO, and CON-FOO. Conclusions A 9-month jumping intervention improved bone outcomes in adolescent swimmers and cyclists, but not in footballers. This intervention might be used by sports clubs to improve bone health of adolescent athletes.
The 2016 Singapore Zika virus outbreak did not cause a surge in Guillain‐Barré syndrome

Although individuals with Zika virus (ZIKV) antibodies were reported in Malaya in mid‐1950s, entomological and human surveillance in Singapore did not identify autochthonous transmission until the outbreak of August‐November, 2016. A total of 455 cases from 15 separate clusters were identified. We asked if this ZIKV outbreak increased the incidence of Guillain‐Barré syndrome (GBS) and aimed to characterize these cases. Eleven GBS cases, consecutively enrolled into our prospective GBS database from onset to 4 weeks after outbreak, and six controls, comprising three GBS patients enrolled before outbreak and three non‐GBS patients, were examined for evidence of recent ZIKV infection. We performed serum, urine ZIKV RT‐PCR, ZIKV serology, and virus neutralization assays, accounting for cross‐reaction and co‐infection with dengue (DENV). We found five GBS cases with only serological evidence of recent ZIKV infection (including one ZIKV‐DENV co‐infection). A temporal relationship with ZIKV outbreak was unlikely as two cases were GBS controls enrolled 3 months before outbreak. None reported symptoms of ZIKV infection. In addition, compared to last 10 years the national number of GBS hospitalizations did not increase during and immediately after outbreak. We conclude the 2016 Singapore ZIKV outbreak did not cause a change in GBS epidemiology.
Sticks and Stones: The Impact of Language in Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation.

Throughout the often complex and challenging process of musculoskeletal rehabilitation, the words that we use can have a significant impact on the clinical outcome. Words contain both the ability to heal and harm. Gaining an improved understanding of the frequently hidden influence that language can have on musculoskeletal rehabilitation is of paramount importance. This Viewpoint article highlights the powerful consequences of the words that we use in clinical practice and discusses the practical considerations for adapting the current language of musculoskeletal rehabilitation. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2018;48(7):519-522. doi:10.2519/jospt.2018. 0610.
Discharge to skilled-care or rehabilitation following elective anterior cervical discectomy and fusion increases the risk of 30-day re-admissions and post-discharge complications.

Background With a shift toward value-based and bundled-payment models, identification of areas of cost and quality improvement will be required. Though abundant literature is present on the predictors of discharge destinations, few studies have studied the impact of discharge to a skilled-care or rehabilitation facility on post-discharge outcomes following elective spine surgery. Methods The 2015-2016 ACS-NSQIP database was queried using Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes 22551 and 22552 to retrieve records of patients undergoing ACDF (≤3 levels). Patients who had concurrent posterior cervical spine procedures and surgery for malignancy and spinal deformity were excluded. Results A total of 15,624 patients were finally included for analysis, 459 (2.9%) patients were discharged to a skilled care or rehabilitation facility. Age of ≥65 years, Black or African-American race, partially dependent or totally dependent functional health status, a LOS ≥3 days, a total operative time >150 min, ASA grade > II and inpatient surgery were significant predictors for a discharge to skilled care/rehabilitation facility. Following adjustment for pre-discharge clinical characteristics, discharge to skilled care or rehabilitation was an independent significant risk factor for renal complications (OR =8.22; 95% CI, 1.84-36.7; P=0.006) and 30-day readmissions (OR =1.63; 95% CI, 1.09-2.42; P=0.016). Conclusions Discharge to skilled-care or rehabilitation facilities following elective ACDF is associated with higher odds of renal complications and 30-day readmissions. These results stress the importance of careful patient selection prior to discharge to inpatient care facilities to minimize the risk of complications.
Optimizing biomass estimates of savanna woodland at different spatial scales in the Brazilian Cerrado: Re-evaluating allometric equations and environmental influences

Cerrado is the second largest biome in South America and accounted for the second largest contribution to carbon emissions in Brazil for the last 10 years, mainly due to land-use changes. It comprises approximately 2 million km2 and is divided into 22 ecoregions, based on environmental conditions and vegetation. The most dominant vegetation type is cerrado sensu stricto (cerrado ss), a savanna woodland. Quantifying variation of biomass density of this vegetation is crucial for climate change mitigation policies. Integrating remote sensing data with adequate allometric equations and field-based data sets can provide large-scale estimates of biomass. We developed individual-tree aboveground biomass (AGB) allometric models to compare different regression techniques and explanatory variables. We applied the model with the strongest fit to a comprehensive ground-based data set (77 sites, 893 plots, and 95,484 trees) to describe AGB density variation of cerrado ss. We also investigated the influence of physiographic and climatological variables on AGB density; this analysis was restricted to 68 sites because eight sites could not be classified into a specific ecoregion, and one site had no soil texture data. In addition, we developed two models to estimate plot AGB density based on plot basal area. Our data show that for individual-tree AGB models a) log-log linear models provided better estimates than nonlinear power models; b) including species as a random effect improved model fit; c) diameter at 30 cm above ground was a reliable predictor for individual-tree AGB, and although height significantly improved model fit, species wood density did not. Mean tree AGB density in cerrado ss was 22.9 tons ha-1 (95% confidence interval = ± 2.2) and varied widely between ecoregions (8.8 to 42.2 tons ha-1), within ecoregions (e.g. 4.8 to 39.5 tons ha-1), and even within sites (24.3 to 69.9 tons ha-1). Biomass density tended to be higher in sites close to the Amazon. Ecoregion explained 42% of biomass variation between the 68 sites (P < 0.01) and shows strong potential as a parameter for classifying regional biomass variation in the Cerrado.
Data augmentation instead of explicit regularization

Contrary to most machine learning models, modern deep artificial neural networks typically include multiple components that contribute to regularization. Despite the fact that some (explicit) regularization techniques, such as weight decay and dropout, require costly fine-tuning of sensitive hyperparameters, the interplay between them and other elements that provide implicit regularization is not well understood yet. Shedding light upon these interactions is key to efficiently using computational resources and may contribute to solving the puzzle of generalization in deep learning. Here, we first provide formal definitions of explicit and implicit regularization that help understand essential differences between techniques. Second, we contrast data augmentation with weight decay and dropout. Our results show that visual object categorization models trained with data augmentation alone achieve the same performance or higher than models trained also with weight decay and dropout, as is common practice. We conclude that the contribution on generalization of weight decay and dropout is not only superfluous when sufficient implicit regularization is provided, but also such techniques can dramatically deteriorate the performance if the hyperparameters are not carefully tuned for the architecture and data set. In contrast, data augmentation systematically provides large generalization gains and does not require hyperparameter re-tuning. In view of our results, we suggest to optimize neural networks without weight decay and dropout to save computational resources, hence carbon emissions, and focus more on data augmentation and other inductive biases to improve performance and robustness.
Carnivores as Important Reservoirs of Intestinal Helminthic Infections in Mazandaran Province, Northern Iran

Background: Intestinal parasites are the most common causes of gastrointestinal disease in canine. Stray dogs and wild candies can represent potential reservoirs of enteropathogens to other hosts. Therefore, present study determined the prevalence of intestinal parasites in canine in Mazandaran Province, northern, Iran. Methods: Overall, 58 small intestinal samples of animals (42 stray dogs and 16 jackals) were collected from Oct 2012 to Dec 2013. The intestine contents were studied to detect and identify helminth infections. Then, the helminths were collected and their morphological traits were identified. Results: Overall among infected stray dogs and jackals, 11 species were found. Three species of nematodes, seven species of cestodes and one trematode were observed. The prevalence of gastrointestinal helminths of stray dogs and jackals were 59.5% and 50%, respectively. Among registered zoonotic helminths A. caninum was the predominant parasite both stray dogs and jackals. Interestingly, Spirometra spp. was reported in these animals. Moreover, A. caninum showed a higher percentage rate in center region of province. Conclusion: There are the clear risks of zoonotic helminths parasites infection in this region. Therefore, understanding the epidemiology of zoonotic parasite infection is useful for health care access both domestic animals and humans health.