Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ocular Accommodative Response is Modulated as a Function of Physical Exercise Intensity

ABSTRACT Purpose: The present study aimed (1) to examine the impact of two high-intensity interval training (HIIT) protocols differing in exercise intensity (low intensity and high intensity) on the dynamic accommodative response (AR), and (2) to elucidate whether the ocular accommodation changes are associated with the function of the autonomic nervous system during stimulus processing, as measured by the heart rate variability (HRV). Methods: Twenty physically active university students (9 women; age = 23.9 ± 3.3 years) were tested on three separate sessions. The lag of accommodation and the root mean square of successive R-R interval differences (RMSSD) parameter of HRV were obtained at the beginning and at the end of each testing session, while one of the following protocols was applied in a randomized order between the measurements, low-intensity HIIT (8 sprints with 60 s of rest), high-intensity HIIT (8 sprints with 30 s of rest), and Control (walking for 8 min). Results: Our data demonstrated a higher lag of accommodation after the high-intensity HIIT compared to the low-intensity HIIT (p = 0.006, d = 0.798) and control (p = 0.007, d = 0.741), but no significant differences were observed between the low-intensity HIIT protocol and control condition (p = 0.598, d = 0.12). As expected, lower HRV values were observed with higher exercise intensity, but the changes of AR and HRV were not significantly correlated (p > 0.05 in all cases). Conclusions: The present findings indicate that the acute effects of exercise on ocular accommodation depend on exercise intensity, showing that highly demanding physical effort induces a greater lag of accommodation, which may be of relevance when performing near activities after physical efforts.
The Effects of Group Prenatal Care on Infant Birthweight and Maternal Well-Being: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION Group prenatal care models have been in use in the USA for over 20 years and have shown benefits in reducing rates of preterm birth and low birth weight infants in high-risk civilian populations. Group prenatal care has been widely implemented at military treatment facilities, despite a lack of high-quality evidence for improved perinatal outcomes in this population. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this randomized, controlled trial, 129 patients at a military treatment facility received either traditional one-on-one prenatal care or group prenatal care using the CenteringPregnancy model. CenteringPregnancy care was administered by certified nurse midwives and family medicine residents and faculty. The primary outcomes were infant birthweight appropriateness for gestational age, maternal anxiety (as measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) and depression (as measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale), and patient satisfaction (as measured by the Short-Form Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire). Infant birthweights were compared using Chi-square tests for the categorical variables of small for gestational age (SGA), appropriate for gestational age (AGA), or large for gestational age. Maternal mood and satisfaction scores were evaluated before, during, and after the intervention and analyzed using rank sum tests. Additional demographic and outcome data were collected directly from participants and extracted from patient records. RESULTS Patients receiving group care were more likely to deliver an infant that was appropriate for gestational age, with an incidence ratio of 1.12 [CI = 1.01-1.25, p = 0.04]. Depression and anxiety levels remained similar between groups throughout the study. Satisfaction was similar between groups, though patients receiving group care reported higher satisfaction with the accessibility and convenience of their care at the study's end [p = 0.048]. There were no differences between groups in preterm births, maternal or neonatal morbidity, mode of delivery, maternal weight gain, or breastfeeding rates. CONCLUSIONS Military parturients receiving group prenatal care in the CenteringPregnancy model were less likely to deliver an small for gestational age or large for gestational age newborn and were more likely to be satisfied with their access to care. Group prenatal care is well received by patients and may positively influence neonatal metabolic status.
Genetics of rheumatoid arthritis: 2018 status

Study of the genetics of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) began about four decades ago with the discovery of HLA-DRB1. Since the beginning of this century, a number of non-HLA risk loci have been identified through genome-wide association studies (GWAS). We now know that over 100 loci are associated with RA risk. Because genetic information implies a clear causal relationship to the disease, research into the pathogenesis of RA should be promoted. However, only 20% of GWAS loci contain coding variants, with the remaining variants occurring in non-coding regions, and therefore, the majority of causal genes and causal variants remain to be identified. The use of epigenetic studies, high-resolution mapping of open chromatin, chromosomal conformation technologies and other approaches could identify many of the missing links between genetic risk variants and causal genetic components, thus expanding our understanding of RA genetics.
The epidemiology of HCV infection in patients with advanced CKD/ESRD: A global perspective

Liver disease in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is most commonly due to hepatitis C virus (HCV) and contributes to increased rates of mortality. Among the pre‐dialysis population, the estimated prevalence of anti‐HCV positivity is based on few, limited‐size studies. In hemodialysis patients however, HCV remains very prevalent despite large declines in seropositivity rates in dialysis facilities in developed countries after preventive measures were adopted in the 1990s. Recent surveys indicate that the HCV seropositivity prevalence ranges from 1.4%‐28.3%, and 4.7%‐41.9%, among maintenance dialysis patients in developed and developing countries respectively. Although the full extent of dialysis unit‐associated HCV transmission is unknown, outbreaks continue to occur, regardless of health system infrastucture. According to US Centers for Disease Control data, over 50% of health care‐associated HCVoutbreaks reported from 2008 to 2015 occurred within dialysis facilities. Strict adherence to infection control procedures and routine serologic screening plays a pivotal role in preventing transmission of HCV within hemodialysis units, even in the setting of low HCV prevalence. With the advent of directly acting antivirals, cure of HCV‐infected patients on maintenance hemodialysis will help reduce transmission within units and further lower the frequency of HCV infection.
SMT vs NMT: A Comparison over Hindi and Bengali Simple Sentences

In the present article, we identified the qualitative differences between Statistical Machine Translation (SMT) and Neural Machine Translation (NMT) outputs. We have tried to answer two important questions: 1. Does NMT perform equivalently well with respect to SMT and 2. Does it add extra flavor in improving the quality of MT output by employing simple sentences as training units. In order to obtain insights, we have developed three core models viz., SMT model based on Moses toolkit, followed by character and word level NMT models. All of the systems use English-Hindi and English-Bengali language pairs containing simple sentences as well as sentences of other complexity. In order to preserve the translations semantics with respect to the target words of a sentence, we have employed soft-attention into our word level NMT model. We have further evaluated all the systems with respect to the scenarios where they succeed and fail. Finally, the quality of translation has been validated using BLEU and TER metrics along with manual parameters like fluency, adequacy etc. We observed that NMT outperforms SMT in case of simple sentences whereas SMT outperforms in case of all types of sentence.
Overcoming Target Driven Fratricide for T Cell Therapy

Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cells expressing the fusion of the NKG2D protein with CD3ζ (NKG2D-CAR T Cells) acquire a specificity for stress-induced ligands expressed on hematological and solid cancers. However, these stress ligands are also transiently expressed by activated T cells implying that NKG2D-based T cells may undergo self-killing (fratricide) during cell manufacturing or during the freeze thaw cycle prior to infusion in patients. To avoid target-driven fratricide and enable the production of NKG2D-CAR T cells for clinical application, two distinct approaches were investigated. The first focused upon the inclusion of a Phosphoinositol-3-Kinase inhibitor (LY294002) into the production process. A second strategy involved the inclusion of antibody blockade of NKG2D itself. Both processes impacted T cell fratricide, albeit at different levels with the antibody process being the most effective in terms of cell yield. While both approaches generated comparable NKG2D-CAR T cells, there were subtle differences, for example in differentiation status, that were fine-tuned through the phasing of the inhibitor and antibody during culture in order to generate a highly potent NKG2D-CAR T cell product. By means of targeted inhibition of NKG2D expression or generic inhibition of enzyme function, target-driven CAR T fratricide can be overcome. These strategies have been incorporated into on-going clinical trials to enable a highly efficient and reproducible manufacturing process for NKG2D-CAR T cells.
Incidence, severity, longitudinal trends and predictors of acute and chronic oxaliplatin‐induced peripheral neuropathy in Taiwanese patients with colorectal cancer

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the longitudinal incidence, severity, pattern of changes or predictors of oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (OXAIPN) in Taiwanese patients with colorectal cancer. A longitudinal repeated measures study design was employed, and 77 participants were recruited from the colorectal and oncology departments of two teaching medical centres in Taiwan. Physical examinations were performed, and self-reports regarding adverse impacts of OXAIPN and quality of life were obtained at five time points throughout 12 cycles of chemotherapy (C/T). The incidence of OXAIPN increased with C/T cycles (31.1%-81.9%), and the upper limb numbness and cold sensitivity were most significant acute OXAIPN symptoms (29.9%-73.6%). Findings also documented significant increases in overall severity, symptom distress, interference and physical results associated with OXAIPN over the course of C/T. Predictors of OXAIPN severity varied by treatment cycle, including younger patient, higher cumulative dose of oxaliplatin, greater body surface area, receipt of chemotherapy in winter and the occurrence of OXAIPN during prior C/T cycles. The results from this study might help healthcare providers to recognise the symptom characteristics, degree of influences, trends and high-risk group of OXAIPN, facilitating early evaluation and potential interventions to mitigate or prevent negative effects of OXAIPN on patients.
Melatonin inhibits the migration of human gastric carcinoma cells at least in part by remodeling tight junction

The recurrence and metastasis is one of the major reasons for malignant tumor treatment failure. Melatonin, a naturally occuring hormone, could reduce the recurrence and metastasis of various tumors. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of melatonin on tumor metastasis inhibition have not been fully elucidated. In the present study, we explored the impact of melatonin on the migratory capability of human gastric carcinoma cells using wound healing assay, and further investigated if the inhibition on migration ability of melatonin was embodied by relocating tight junction proteins zo‐1 and occludin onto the cells surface to remodel tight junction structure. Immunofluorescence assay and Western blot analysis were performed to detect the expression and cell location of the tight junction proteins. The migration distance was decreased as the cells were treated with melatonin. And melatonin increased the membrane location of tight junction proteins, zo‐1 and occludin, showed by immunofluorescence staining and Western blot analysis. The results we got show that melatonin makes tight junction proteins anchored more on the cells membrane to remodel cells tight junction, which increase cells adhesion and decrease motility, resulting in the inhibition of gastric cancer cells migration and metastasis ability.
Prazosin for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Dysregulation of the adrenergic system was first identified as a contributing mechanism in PTSD decades ago (Kosten, Mason, Giller, Ostroff, & Harkness, 1987), and it is hypothesized that dysregulation of noradrenergic neurons is specifically associated with hyperarousal and re-experiencing symptoms (Southwick et al., 1997). Prazosin, an α1-adrenergic receptor antagonist, is thought to counteract the noradrenergic hyperactivity that results in the intrusive and hyperarousal symptoms characteristic of PTSD. Similarly, α1-adrenergic receptor stimulation is thought to contribute to sleep disruption and trauma nightmares (Boehnlein & Kinzie, 2007; Mellman, Kumar, Kulick-Bell, Kumar, & Nolan, 1995). What are the potential mechanisms of action underlying prazosin?
Culture Care Beliefs and Practices of Ethiopian Immigrants

Introduction: The purposes of this mini study were to identify and describe the culture care beliefs and practices of Ethiopian immigrants in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States and to advance the science of transcultural nursing. Methodology: Leininger’s theory of culture care diversity and universality guided the research and was the framework for the design of this qualitative ethnonursing mini study. Data were collected from 15 participants through in-depth interviews. Results: Five themes and 14 care patterns merged from the data, including preserving cultural heritage, supporting family and friends, importance of religion and prayer, valuing freedom, cultural caring, and therapeutic communication. Discussion: Participants valued health care and medical technology in the United States. They wanted nurses to inquire about their culture, language preference, food and dietary practices, and family dynamics. Perceived lack of caring by nurses and unavailability of interpreters in health care settings negatively affected access to care.
Perception of obese schoolchildren regarding their participation in the Physical Education class and their level of self-esteem: comparison according to corporal status.

BACKGROUND adequate exposure to Physical Education (PE) classes contributes to a healthier lifestyle among children during their lifespan. OBJECTIVE the main objective of this research was to evaluate the perception of obese schoolchildren regarding their participation in PE class and to determine their self-esteem compared with overweight and normal weight groups. METHOD in total, 656 schoolchildren (284 females and 372 males), between eleven and 14 years of age, participated in this study. Assessments were made regarding age, sex, anthropometric variables, children's self-esteem, and perception of participation in the PE class. RESULTS: obese schoolchildren presented significantly lower values of self-esteem (p < 0.001), and exhibited the highest proportion of schoolchildren with low self-esteem (53%). There was a significant relationship between obesity and the following sentence: "I am the last one they choose for games and in games and sports"; 48.53% of schoolchildren with obesity responded positively. With the following sentence: "I look instead of playing", 57.4% of schoolchildren with obesity responded positively. CONCLUSION the results revealed that schoolchildren with obesity feel excluded from PE classes and show low levels of self-esteem, compared with normal weight schoolchildren.
THE EFFECT OF KNEE JOINT COOLING ON ISOKINETIC TORQUE PRODUCTION OF THE KNEE EXTENSORS: CONSIDERATIONS FOR APPLICATION.

Background Cryotherapy is commonly used in sport for the management of injury or during recovery, however the effects on concentric isokinetic strength appear unclear when considering the effect of joint cooling distal to the anterior thigh. Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of cooling of the knee joint on quadriceps concentric isokinetic torque production. The results will inform the use of cryotherapy in practice. Study Design Observational cohort, Repeated Measures. Methods Fourteen healthy male participants volunteered to take part in the study, all of whom regularly played competitive sports (mean age 20.24 ± 1.51years; body mass 80.34 ± 11.34Kg and height 179.45 ± 6.59cm). 800 g of crushed ice was applied over the anterior knee joint for 20 minutes. Concentric quadriceps strength was measured using an isokinetic dynamometer (IKD) by measuring concentric peak (PkT) and average torque (AvT) outputs at pre-, immediately post and 20 minutes post cooling intervention. Additionally, skin surface temperature (T sk ), was measured using a hand-held thermometer at the patella at the same time intervals. Measurement was taken at the mid-point of each participant's patella, which was ascertained by measuring between the base and apex. Results Significant main effects reported for PkT, for time post-ice application (p = 0.02, ≤ 2=0.161). Post-hoc analysis revealed pre-ice application PkT to be significantly higher (p ≤ 0.003) than all other timepoints. Quadratic regression analysis revealed a strong correlation between reductions in quadriceps torque production and time post application (r=0.82). The quadratic pattern of recovery displays a minima of 17.28-minutes and maxima of 34.56-minutes post ice application. AvT post-ice application demonstrated significant main effects for time post-ice application (p=0.03, ≤ 2=0.152). Post-hoc analysis revealed pre-ice application AvT to be significantly higher (p ≤ 0.005) than at all other timepoints. Quadratic regression analysis revealed a strong correlation between reductions in quadriceps torque production and time post application (r=0.80). The quadratic pattern of recovery displays a minima of 18.38-minutes and maxima of 36.76-minutes post ice application. T sk reduced significantly, immediately post intervention (p ≤ 0.05) without returning to baseline measures at 20-minutes post (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusions Isokinetic peak torque values of the quadriceps diminish after cryotherapy application to the knee joint and are not fully recovered at 20 minutes post application on the knee. These findings could have potential implications for participation in activity immediately following ice application. Level of Evidence 2b.
Distinction of 3D Objects and Scenes via Classification Network and Markov Random Field

An importance measure of 3D objects inspired by human perception has a range of applications since people want computers to behave like humans in many tasks. This paper revisits a well-defined measure, distinction of 3D surface mesh, which indicates how important a region of a mesh is with respect to classification. We develop a method to compute it based on a classification network and a Markov Random Field (MRF). The classification network learns view-based distinction by handling multiple views of a 3D object. Using a classification network has an advantage of avoiding the training data problem which has become a major obstacle of applying deep learning to 3D object understanding tasks. The MRF estimates the parameters of a linear model for combining the view-based distinction maps. The experiments using several publicly accessible datasets show that the distinctive regions detected by our method are not just significantly different from those detected by methods based on handcrafted features, but more consistent with human perception. We also compare it with other perceptual measures and quantitatively evaluate its performance in the context of two applications. Furthermore, due to the view-based nature of our method, we are able to easily extend mesh distinction to 3D scenes containing multiple objects.
How Do Race and Insurance Status Affect the Care of Pediatric Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries?

OBJECTIVE To identify associations between race or insurance status and preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative findings in a large cohort of pediatric anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING Division of Orthopaedics at an urban tertiary care children's hospital. PATIENTS 915 pediatric (<21) patients undergoing primary ACL reconstruction between January 2009 and May 2016. INDEPENDENT VARIABLES Insurance status and race. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Delay to surgery, concurrent meniscal injury, sports clearance, postoperative complications, physical therapy, range of motion, and isokinetic strength reduction. RESULTS Multivariate analysis revealed a significantly longer delay to surgery for black/Hispanic and publicly insured children compared to their counterparts (P = 0.02 and P = 0.001, respectively). Black/Hispanic patients were more likely to sustain irreparable meniscus tears resulting in meniscectomy than white/Asian patients (odds ratio 2.16, 95% confidence interval, 1.10-2.29, P = 0.01). Black/Hispanic and publicly insured children averaged fewer physical therapy (PT) visits (P < 0.001 for both). Nine months after surgery, black/Hispanic patients had significantly greater strength reduction than white/Asian patients. There were no differences in postoperative complications, including graft rupture, contralateral ACL injury, or new meniscus tear along the lines of race, although privately insured patients were more likely to suffer a graft rupture than publicly insured patients (P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS After ACL rupture, black/Hispanic children and publicly insured children experience a greater delay to surgery. Black/Hispanic patients have more irreparable meniscus tears and less PT visits. Black/Hispanic patients have greater residual hamstrings and quadriceps weakness 9 months after surgery.
Kinetics, Thermodynamics, and Competitive Adsorption of Heavy Metals from Water Using Orange Biomass

Adsorption of heavy metals on modified orange biomass has been studied. This biomass was treated with NaOH and CaCl2 to improve its adsorption properties. Kinetic and thermodynamic studies of the adsorption of Cd2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, and Zn2+ were performed at different operating conditions, including competitive adsorption studies with binary metallic mixtures. Results show that this adsorption process was endothermic where an ion exchange mechanism played a relevant role. Adsorbent effectiveness decreased in binary solutions, indicating a strong antagonistic adsorption behavior caused by counter‐ions. This antagonistic adsorption was highly dependent on the counter‐ion type and its concentration. Multicomponent adsorption of Cu2+ ions was not significantly affected by the presence of other metallic counter‐ions, whereas the adsorption of Ni2+ could be totally suppressed by the other ions. The modeling of binary adsorption isotherms was successful using the modified Langmuir equation, which outperformed the Ideal Absorbed Solution Theory‐Sips and modified Redlich‐Peterson models.