Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reference growth curves to identify weight status (underweight, overweight or obesity) in children and adolescents: systematic review

Abstract The identification of somatic growth, through reference curves, can be used to create strategies and public policies to reduce public health problems such as malnutrition and obesity and to identify underweight, overweight and obesity. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify studies providing reference growth curves for weight status in children and adolescents. A systematic search was conducted in eight databases and in gray literature (Google scholar). To assess the risk of bias/methodological quality of studies, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-sectional Studies (NHLBI) was used. Overall, 86 studies that met the inclusion criteria were included. Through the values of reference growth curves for the identification of underweight, overweight and obesity, it was possible to verify that there is great variability among percentiles for the identification of underweight, overweight and obesity. The most prevalent percentiles for underweight were P3 and P5; for overweight, the most prevalent was P85 and the most prevalent percentiles for obesity were P95 and P97. The most prevalent anthropometric indicators were Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist Circumference (WC), Body Mass (BM) for age and height for age. Conclusion: Such data can demonstrate that the optimal growth must be reached, through the standard growth curves, but that the reference curves demonstrate a cut of the population growth, raising possible variables that can influence the optimal growth, such as an increase in the practice of physical activities and an awareness of proper nutrition.
Outcomes after cryoballoon ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation with the PolarX or the Arctic Front Advance Pro: a prospective multicentre experience

Abstract Aims The aim of this study was to compare procedural efficacy and safety, including 1-year freedom from AF recurrence, between the novel cryoballoon system PolarX (Boston Scientific) and the Arctic Front Advance Pro (AFA-Pro) (Medtronic), in patients with paroxysmal AF undergoing PVI. Methods and results This multicentre prospective observational study included 267 consecutive patients undergoing a first cryoablation procedure for paroxysmal AF (137 PolarX, 130 AFA-Pro). Kaplan-Meier curves with the log-rank test was used to compare the 1-year freedom from AF recurrence between both groups. Multivariate Cox model was performed to evaluate whether the type of procedure (PolarX vs. AFA-Pro) had an impact on the occurrence of AF recurrences after adjustment on potentially confounding factors. The PolarX reaches lower temperatures than the AFA-Pro (LSPV 52 ± 5, vs. 59 ± 6; LIPV 49 ± 6 vs. 56 ± 6; right superior pulmonary vein: 49 ± 6 vs. 57 ± 7; right inferior pulmonary vein: 52 ± 6 vs. 59 ± 6; P < 0.0001). A higher rate of transient phrenic nerve palsy was found in patients treated with the PolarX system (15% vs. 7%, P = 0.05). After a mean follow-up of 15 ± 5 months, 20 patients (15%) had recurrences in AFA-Pro group and 27 patients (19%) in PolarX group (P = 0.35). Based on survival analysis, no significant difference was observed between both groups with a 12-month free of recurrence survival of 91.2% (85.1–95.4%) vs. 83.7% (76.0%–89.1%) (log-rank test P = 0.11). In multivariate Cox model hazard ratio of recurrence for PolarX vs. AFA-Pro was not significant [HR = 1.6 (0.9–2.8), P = 0.12]. Conclusion PolarX and AFA-Pro have comparable efficacy and safety profiles for pulmonary veins isolation in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
Pre-Paid Phone Distribution: A Tool for Improving Healthcare Engagement for People with Substance Use Disorder

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic drove significant disruptions in access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and harm reduction services. Healthcare delivery via telemedicine has increasingly become the norm, rendering access to a phone essential for engagement in care. Methods Adult patients with SUD who lacked phones (n = 181) received a free, pre-paid phone during encounters with inpatient and outpatient SUD programs. We evaluated changes in healthcare engagement including completed in-person and telemedicine outpatient visits and telephone encounters 30 days before and after phone receipt. We used descriptive statistics, where appropriate, and paired t-tests to assess the change in healthcare engagement measures. Results Patients were predominantly male (64%) and white (62%) with high rates of homelessness (81%) and opioid use disorder (89%). When comparing 30 days before to 30 days after phone receipt, there was a significant increased change in number of telemedicine visits by 0.3 (95% CL [0.1,0.4], p < 0.001) and telephone encounters by 0.2 (95% CL [0.1,0.3], p = 0.004). There was no statistically significant change in in-person outpatient visits observed. Conclusions Pre-paid phone distribution to patients with SUD was associated with an increased healthcare engagement including telemedicine visits and encounters.
Long-term tumor growth and hearing after conservative management of vestibular schwannomas

Abstract Background There has been no report of a detailed long-term study of hearing at defined frequencies. Aims/Objectives This study aimed to evaluate long-term vestibular shwannoma (VS) growth and long-term changes in hearing thresholds at defined frequencies. Methods We retrospectively retrieved the medical records of 67 VS patients. Cases that were followed up for more than 5 years were analyzed. Results Tumor growth was observed in 15 cases (22.4%) and 6 cases underwent gamma knife treatment (9.0%). The longest case of tumor growth and gamma knife treatment was observed 11 years after the initial diagnosis. Hearing thresholds at 500–2000 Hz was significantly different between the no growth and growth group (p < .05). Particularly at 1000 Hz, there was a significant difference between the two groups from an early time-point. Conclusions and Significance Even a 10-year or longer follow-up of VS may show an increase in tumor growth. Moreover, hearing thresholds, particularly at 1000 kHz, may predict tumor growth when following-up VS patients.
An effect of the curvature induced anisotropy on the spectrum of spin waves in a curved magnetic nanowire

Within the framework of the solid state theory, an expression for the spectrum of spin waves propagating in a thin magnetic nanowire curled into a helix (spiral) is obtained. Its modification under the effect of a periodic modulation of the helical pitch is analyzed. In particular, it is shown that the periodic modulation of the helix pitch leads to the appearance of band gaps in the spectrum of spin waves. The influence of the modulation depth of the helical pitch on a size of the first gap is considered.
Antibiotic appropriateness for Gram-negative bloodstream infections: impact of infectious disease consultation

Abstract Background We investigated the role of infectious disease consultation (IDC) on therapeutic appropriateness in Gram-negative bloodstream infections (GNBSIs) in a setting with a high proportion of antibiotic resistance. Secondary outcomes were in-hospital mortality and the impact of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). Methods Retrospective study on hospitalised patients with GNBSIs. Therapy was deemed appropriate if it had the narrowest spectrum considering infection and patients’ characteristics. Interventional-IDC (I-IDC) group included patients with IDC-advised first appropriate or last non-appropriate therapy. Time to first appropriate therapy and survival were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier curves. Factors associated with therapy appropriateness were assessed by multivariate Cox proportional-hazard models. Results 471 patients were included. High antibiotic resistance rates were detected: quinolones 45.5%, third-generation cephalosporins 37.4%, carbapenems 7.9%. I-IDC was performed in 31.6% of patients (149/471), RDTs in 70.7% (333/471). The 7-day probability of appropriate treatment was 91.9% (95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 86.4–95.8%) vs. 75.8% (95%CI: 70.9–80.4%) with and without I-IDC, respectively (p-value = 0.0495); 85.5% (95%CI: 81.3–89.1%) vs. 69.4% (95%CI: 61.3–77.2%) with and without RDTs, respectively (p-value = 0.0023). Compared to RDTs alone, the combination with I-IDC was associated with a higher proportion of appropriate therapies at day 7: 81.9% (95%CI: 76.4–86.7%) vs. 92.6% (95%CI: 86.3–96.7%). At multivariate analysis, I-IDC and RDTs were associated with time to first appropriate therapy [adjusted hazard-ratio 1.292 (95%CI: 1.014–1.647) and 1.383 (95%CI: 1.080–1.771), respectively], with no impact on mortality. Conclusions In a setting with a high proportion of antibiotic resistance, IDC and RDTs were associated with earlier prescription of appropriate therapy in GNBSIs, without impact on mortality.
Cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light chains and CXCL13 as predictive factors for clinical course of multiple sclerosis.

AIM The aim of this study was to identify whether NfL and CXCL13 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations at diagnostic lumbar puncture can predict the course of multiple sclerosis (MS) in terms of relapses, higher expanded disability status scale (EDSS) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) activity. METHODS We conducted a single-centre prospective observational cohort study at the MS center, University Hospital Ostrava, Czech Republic. CSF NfL (cNfL) and CXCL13 concentrations were examined (ELISA method) in patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) at the time of diagnostic lumbar puncture. RESULTS A total of 44 patients with CIS or early RRMS were enrolled, 31 (70.5%) of whom were women. The median age at the time of CSF sampling was 31.21 years (IQR 25.43-39.32), and the follow-up period was 54.6 months (IQR 44.03 - 59.48). In the simple and multiple logistic regression models, CXCL13 levels did not predict relapses, MRI activity or EDSS > 2.5. Similarly, cNfL concentrations did not predict relapses or MRI activity in either model. In the multiple regression, higher cNfL levels were associated with reaching EDSS > 2.5 (odds ratio [OR] 1.002, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.000 to 1.003). CONCLUSIONS Our data did not confirm cNfL and/or CXCL13 CSF levels were predictive factors for disease activity such as relapses and MRI activity at the time of diagnostic lumbar puncture in patients with RRMS. While cNfL CSF levels predicted higher disability only after adjustment for other known risk factors, elevated CSF CXCL13 did not predict higher disability at all.
An integral equation model for radiowave propagation over inhomogeneous smoothly irregular terrain

This work introduces an integral equation formulation to model the radiowave propagation over inhomogeneous smoothly irregular terrain. The ground energy loss is estimated via the Leontovich boundary condition and the fast far‐field algorithm accelerating technique is applied in order to improve the computational performance when solving the integral equation. The proposed formulation was implemented in a prediction software named SPRad, which was numerically tested with two measurement campaigns performed in Denmark and Brazil. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:26–31, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26473
Live births from urine derived cells

Here we report urine-derived cell (UDC) culture and subsequent use for cloning which resulted in the successful development of cloned canine pups, which have remained healthy into adulthood. Bovine UDCs were used in vitro to establish comparative differences between cell sources. UDCs were chosen as a readily available and noninvasive source for obtaining cells. We analyzed the viability of cells stored in urine over time and could consistently culture cells which had remained in urine for 48hrs. Cells were shown to be viable and capable of being transfected with plasmids. Although primarily of epithelial origin, cells were found from multiple lineages, indicating that they enter the urine from more than one source. Held in urine, at 4°C, the majority of cells maintained their membrane integrity for several days. When compared to in vitro fertilization (IVF) derived embryos or those from traditional SCNT, UDC derived embryos did not differ in total cell number or in the number of DNA breaks, measured by TUNEL stain. These results indicate that viable cells can be obtained from multiple species’ urine, capable of being used to produce live offspring at a comparable rate to other cell sources, evidenced by a 25% pregnancy rate and 2 live births with no losses in the canine UDC cloning trial. This represents a noninvasive means to recover the breeding capacity of genetically important or infertile animals. Obtaining cells in this way may provide source material for human and animal studies where cells are utilized.
Change in Insomnia and Depressive Symptoms During COVID-19: A Prospective Longitudinal Study of Iranian Women with Multiple Sclerosis

ABSTRACT Background There is some evidence that sleep patterns and psychological health have worsened in the general population as a result of the COVID-19-pandemic. Persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) represent a particularly vulnerable population for COVID-19 infections and effects of restrictions. The present study investigated whether insomnia and depressive symptoms, as well as other MS-related symptoms (i.e. fatigue and paresthesia), changed from before to during the COVID-19-pandemic among persons with diagnosed MS. Method A sample of 90 Iranian females with MS (mean age; 37.62 years; median EDSS score: 2.5) completed a series of self-rating scales at two time points: Nine months before the COVID-19 outbreak in May 2019 (baseline) and then again during the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020 (study end). Self-rating questionnaires covered sociodemographic and disease-related information, insomnia, depressive symptoms, fatigue, and paresthesia. Results Depressive symptoms increased over time with a significant p-value and medium effect size. Symptoms of insomnia increased over time (significant p-value, but small effect size), while no significant changes were observed in fatigue and paresthesia (very small effect sizes). The only predictor for insomnia during the COVID-19 pandemic was insomnia before the COVID-19 pandemic; the only predictor for depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic was insomnia before the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic and its related social restrictions had significant effects on symptoms of depression and insomnia in this sample of Iranian women with MS, but had no effect on fatigue and paresthesia.
Computation of partial derivatives of Rayleigh-wave phase velocity using second-order subdeterminants

SUMMARY Rayleigh-wave propagation in a layered, elastic earth model is frequency-dependent (dispersive) and also function of the S-wave velocity, the P-wave velocity, the density and the thickness of the layers. Inversion of observed surface wave dispersion curves is used in many fields, from seismology to earthquake and environmental engineering. When normal-mode dispersion curves are clearly identified from recorded seismograms, they can be used as input for a so-called surface wave ‘modal’ inversion, mainly to assess the 1-D profile of S-wave velocity. When using ‘local’ inversion schemes for surface wave modal inversion, calculation of partial derivatives of dispersion curves with respect to layer parameters is an essential and time-consuming step to update and improve the earth model estimate. Accurate and high-speed computation of partial derivatives is recommended to achieve practical inversion algorithms. Analytical methods exist to calculate the partial derivatives of phase–velocity dispersion curves. In the case of Rayleigh waves, they have been rarely compared in terms of accuracy and computational speed. In order to perform such comparison, we hereby derive a new implementation to calculate analytically the partial derivatives of Rayleigh-mode dispersion curves with respect to the layer parameters of a 1-D layered elastic half-space. This method is based on the Implicit Function Theorem and on the Dunkin restatement of the Haskell recursion for the calculation of the Rayleigh-wave dispersion function. The Implicit Function Theorem permits calculation of the partial derivatives of modal phase velocities by partial differentiation of the dispersion function. Using a recursive scheme, the partial derivatives of the dispersion function are derived by a layer stacking procedure, which involves the determination of the analytical partial derivatives of layer matrix subdeterminants of order two. The resulting algorithm is compared with methods based on the more widely used variational theory in terms of accuracy and computational speed.
Fission fragment yields in the fission of /sup 232/Th by protons of energies 8 to 22 MeV

Excitation functions of fission products for 22 fragment masses and neutron-evaporation products, (p,n), (p,2n), and (p,3n), were measured in detail for the system of /sup 232/Th+p in proton energy range of 8 to 22 MeV. It was found that the excitation functions of symmetrically divided fission fragments were apparently different from those of asymmetrically divided ones. For the interpretation of the experimental results, a statistical evaporation-and-fission calculation was performed by taking into consideration symmetric and asymmetric fission barriers. The experimental data could be reproduced by this statistical calculation, with fission barrier heights that were in accord with the reported experimental ones for the asymmetric fragments and the theoretically predicted one for the symmetric mass division. The level density parameter at the symmetric saddle had to be about 13% larger than that for the asymmetric saddle in order to reproduce the energy dependence of the cross section ratios of asymmetric to symmetric product yields.
Quantifying the Relationship Between Physical Activity Energy Expenditure and Incident Type 2 Diabetes: A Prospective Cohort Study of Device-Measured Activity in 90,096 Adults

OBJECTIVE To investigate the association between accelerometer-derived physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) and incident type 2 diabetes (T2D) in a cohort of middle-aged adults and within subgroups. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Data were from 90,096 UK Biobank participants without prevalent diabetes (mean 62 years of age; 57% women) who wore a wrist accelerometer for 7 days. PAEE was derived from wrist acceleration using a population-specific method validated against doubly labeled water. Logistic regressions were used to assess associations between PAEE, its underlying intensity, and incident T2D, ascertained using hospital episode and mortality data up to November 2020. Models were progressively adjusted for demographic, lifestyle factors, and BMI. RESULTS The association between PAEE and T2D was approximately linear (n = 2,018 events). We observed 19% (95% CI 17–21) lower odds of T2D per 5 kJ · kg−1 · day−1 in PAEE without adjustment for BMI and 11% (9–13) with BMI adjustment. The association was stronger in men than women and weaker in those with obesity and higher genetic susceptibility to obesity. There was no evidence of effect modification by genetic susceptibility to T2D or insulin resistance. For a given level of PAEE, odds of T2D were lower among those engaging in more moderate-to-vigorous activity. CONCLUSIONS There was a strong linear relationship between PAEE and incident T2D. A difference in PAEE equivalent to an additional daily 20-min brisk walk was associated with 19% lower odds of T2D. The association was broadly similar across population subgroups, supporting physical activity for diabetes prevention in the whole population.
Early Lensectomy in Patients With Pseudoexfoliation: Long-Term Effectiveness and Safety Outcomes

Précis: Early lensectomy in patients presenting pseudoexfoliation (PXF) in an asymmetric clinical stage resulted in effective, safe, and predictable long-term results. Good intraocular pressure (IOP) was found, thus it might be considered as a possible surgical approach in these patients. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess the long-term effectiveness, predictability, and safety of cataract surgery performed in patients with capsular PXF at an early stage of the disease. Materials and Methods: This retrospective, comparative study included PXF patients who underwent phacoemulsification with hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lens implantation in both eyes with a postoperative follow-up ≥5 years. Patients were classified in 2 groups: symmetric PXF (n=102) and asymmetric PXF (n=59). Preoperative and postoperative uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuity, manifest refraction, IOP, number of hypotensive drugs, visual field mean deviation, and the incidence of complications were registered. Results: The mean follow-up time was 8.5±2.8 years. Six months after cataract surgery, monocular uncorrected and corrected distance visual acuity were 0.3±0.4 and 0.1±0.3 logMAR, respectively, for the symmetric PXF, and 0.2±0.2 and 0.1±0.2 logMAR, respectively, for the asymmetric group. Total 95% and 96% of eyes were within ±1.00D in symmetric and asymmetric groups, respectively. At the final follow-up, IOP decreased only in the asymmetric group (P=0.004), with a reduction in the number of medications in both eyes (P<0.001). Mean deviation changed from −8.8 to −11.6 dB in the symmetric group (P<0.001), and from −5.0±6.2 to −7.9±10.6 dB (P=0.42) in the asymmetric group. Intraoperative complications were only registered in the symmetric group: 7 (3.4%; P=0.04). Ten cases (4.9%) of late intraocular lens dislocation were found, all from the symmetric group (P=0.03). Conclusions: Early lensectomy in patients with PXF before its symmetric presentation resulted in effective, safe, and predictable long-term results.