Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Pilot Observational Study Assessing Long-Term Changes in Clinical Parameters, Functional Capacity and Fall Risk of Patients With Chronic Renal Disease Scheduled for Hemodialysis

Background Patients with end-stage renal disease are known to be particularly frail, and the cause is still widely seen as being directly related to specific factors in renal replacement therapy. However, a closer examination of the transitional phase from predialysis to long-term hemodialysis leads to controversial explanations, considering that the frailty process is already well-described in the early stages of renal insufficiency. This study aims to describe longitudinally and multifactorially changes in the period extending from the decision to start the replacement therapy through to the end of 2 years of hemodialysis. We hypothesized that frailty is pre-existent in the predialysis phase and does not worsen with the beginning of the replacement therapy. Between 2015 and 2018 we recruited 25 patients (72.3 ± 5.7 years old) in a predialysis program, with the expectation that replacement therapy would begin within the coming few months. Methods The patients underwent a baseline visit before starting hemodialysis, with 4 follow-up visits in the first 2 years of treatment. Health status, physical performance, cognitive functioning, hematology parameters, and adverse events were monitored during the study period. Results At baseline, our sample had a high variability with patients ranging from extremely frail to very fit. In the 14 participants that did not drop out of the study, out of 32 clinical and functional measures, a statistically significant worsening was only observed in the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score (p < 0.01, F = 8.50) and the number of comorbidities (p = 0.01, F = 3.94). A careful analysis, however, reveals a quite stable situation in the first year of replacement therapy, for both frail and fit participants and a deterioration in the second year that in frail participants could lead to death. Conclusion Our results should stimulate a reassessment about the role of a predialysis program in reducing complications during the transitional phase, but also about frailty prevention programs once hemodialysis has begun, for both frail and fit patients, to maintain satisfactory health status.
Diffusion Tensor Imaging Technology to Quantitatively Assess Abnormal Changes in Patients With Thyroid-Associated Ophthalmopathy

Objective We aim to investigate the feasibility of using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to evaluate changes in extraocular muscles (EOMs) and lacrimal gland (LG) in patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) and to evaluate disease severity. Materials and Methods A total of 74 participants, including 17 healthy controls (HCs), 22 patients with mild TAO, and 35 patients with moderate-severe TAO, underwent 3-Tesla DTI to measure fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) of the EOMs and LG. Ophthalmological examinations, including visual acuity, exophthalmos, intraocular pressure, and fundoscopy, were performed. FA and MD values were compared among patients with different disease severity. Multiple linear regression was adopted to predict the impact of clinical variables on DTI parameters of orbital soft tissue. Results TAO patients’ EOMs and LG showed significantly lower FA values and higher MD compared to HCs’ (P < 0.05). Moderate-severe TAO patients’ EOMs and LG had dramatically lower FA and higher MD compared with HCs (P < 0.05). In addition, only the DTI parameters of the medial rectus were considerably different between mild and moderate-severe TAO patients (P = 0.017, P = 0.021). Multiple linear regression showed that disease severity had a significant impact on the DTI parameters of orbital soft tissue. Conclusion DTI is a useful tool for detecting microstructural changes in TAO patients’ orbital soft tissue. DTI findings, especially medial rectus DTI parameters, can help to indicate the disease severity in TAO patients.
The Interferon Response Dampens the Usutu Virus Infection-Associated Increase in Glycolysis

The mosquito-borne Usutu virus (USUV) is a zoonotic flavivirus and an emerging pathogen. So far therapeutical options or vaccines are not available in human and veterinary medicine. The bioenergetic profile based on extracellular flux analysis revealed an USUV infection-associated significant increase in basal and stressed glycolysis on Vero and with a tendency for basal glycolysis on the avian cell line TME-R derived from Eurasian blackbirds. On both cell lines this was accompanied by a significant drop in the metabolic potential of glycolysis. Moreover, glycolysis contributed to production of virus progeny, as inhibition of glycolysis with 2-deoxy-D-glucose reduced virus yield on Vero by one log10 step. Additionally, the increase in glycolysis observed on Vero cells after USUV infection was lost after the addition of exogenous type I interferon (IFN) β. To further explore the contribution of the IFN response pathway to the impact of USUV on cellular metabolism, USUV infection was characterized on human A549 respiratory cells with a knockout of the type I IFN receptor, either solely or together with the receptor of type III IFN. Notably, only the double knockout of types I and III IFN receptor increased permissiveness to USUV and supported viral replication together with an alteration of the glycolytic activity, namely an increase in basal glycolysis to an extent that a further increase after injection of metabolic stressors during extracellular flux analysis was not noted. This study provides evidence for glycolysis as a possible target for therapeutic intervention of USUV replication. Moreover, presented data highlight type I and type III IFN system as a determinant for human host cell permissiveness and for the infection-associated impact on glycolysis.
Lockdown Measures Against the Spread of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Negative Effects for People Living With Depression

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated measures to restrict the spread of the virus correlated with limitations in healthcare and changes in depression-related lifestyle elements (loss of daily structure, lack of exercise, and extended bed and sleep time) for depressed patients, both of which are known to negatively affect the course of depression. This paper examines, (i) the reporting of a worsening state of illness as a result of COVID-19-related measures among individuals with depressive disorders; and (ii) whether this worsening was related to restrictions in healthcare for depression or changes in depression-related lifestyle. The analysis was based on a population-representative survey of the German population aged 18–69 years (N = 5,135 respondents, comprising a subgroup of n = 1,038 persons suffering from depression and n = 598 persons who spent the lockdown primarily in home isolation). The key findings were: 49% (n = 505) of respondents with self-reported diagnosed depression reported that the measures against the pandemic had a negative impact on their depressive illness (new depressive episode, worsening of symptoms, suicidal impulses, suicide attempt, and other negative consequences). Of those who reported impaired access to healthcare for their depressive illness, 70% (n = 276) also reported a worsening of their depressive illness. This was a significantly higher percentage than those who did not experience impaired access to healthcare (36%, n = 229, p < 0.001). Of those who reported changes in depression-related lifestyle (loss of daily structure, lack of exercise, or extended bed and sleep time), 58% (n = 308) reported a worsening of their depressive illness. This was a significantly higher percentage than those who did not exhibit any of the outlined behaviours (28%, n = 19, p < 0.001). Worsening of the depressive illness was most common among those who reported a lack of daily structure or extended bedtimes (67%; n = 230 resp. N = 226). People who mentioned a lack of exercise also reported a worsening of their depressive illness (59%; n = 271). These findings reinforce the need to consider the suffering and possible increased suicide risk to people suffering from depression induced by measures designed to constrain the COVID-19 pandemic; an important consideration in identifying the optimal risk-benefit ratio when setting pandemic measures. Our study highlighted the importance of maintaining healthcare, even in crisis situations, and ensuring access to guideline-based treatment for people who need urgent care. It also showed that political interventions can influence individual behaviours that can have negative effects on depressive illness.
Synaptic Role in Facilitating Synchronous Theta Oscillations in a Hybrid Hippocampal Neuronal Network

Theta rhythms (4–12 Hz) in the hippocampus are thought to be associated with cognitive functions such as memory processing and spatial navigation. Rhythmic oscillations in the neural system can be induced by synchronization of neural populations, while physiological mechanisms for the emergence, modulation, and regulation of such rhythms are not fully understood. Conceptual reduced models are promising in promoting current understandings toward neural synchronization because of high computational efficiency, while they appear less straightforward in biological relevance. In this study, we use a hybrid E-I network as a conceptual model of the hippocampus to investigate the dynamics of synchronous theta oscillations. Specifically, experimentally constrained Izhikevich neurons and preferential connections among neural groups specific to hippocampal CA1 are incorporated to enhance the biological relevance of the model network. Based on such a model, synaptic factors related to the balance of network excitation and inhibition are the main focus of present study. By careful parameter exploration, the distinct role of synaptic connections in theta rhythm generation, facilitation of synchronization, and induction of burst activities are clarified. It is revealed that theta rhythms can be present with AMPA mediated weak E-I couplings, or with strong NMDA current. Moreover, counter-inhibition, namely inhibition of inhibition, is found effective in modulating the degree of network synchronization, while has little effect on regulating network frequency in both regimes. Under pathological considerations where the effect of pyramidal sprouting is simulated, synchronized burst patterns are observed to be induced by elevated recurrent excitation among pyramidal cells. In the final part, we additionally perform a test on the robustness of our results under heterogeneous parameters. Our simulation results may provide insights into understanding how brain rhythms are generated and modulated, and the proposed model may serve as a useful template in probing mechanisms of hippocampal-related dynamics.
Imaging Arm Regeneration: Label-Free Multiphoton Microscopy to Dissect the Process in Octopus vulgaris

Cephalopod mollusks are endowed with an impressive range of features that have captured the attention of scientists from different fields, the imaginations of artists, and the interests of the public. The ability to spontaneously regrow lost or damaged structures quickly and functionally is among one of the most notable peculiarities that cephalopods possess. Microscopical imaging techniques represent useful tools for investigating the regenerative processes in several species, from invertebrates to mammals. However, these techniques have had limited use in cephalopods mainly due to the paucity of specific and commercially available markers. In addition, the commonly used immunohistochemical staining methods provide data that are specific to the antigens studied. New microscopical methods were recently applied to vertebrates to investigate regenerative events. Among them, multiphoton microscopy appears promising. For instance, it does not depend on species-related epitopes, taking advantage of the specific characteristics of tissues and allowing for its use in a species-independent way. Here, we illustrate the results obtained by applying this label-free imaging technique to the injured arm of Octopus vulgaris, a complex structure often subject to injury in the wild. This approach allowed for the characterization of the entire tissue arm architecture (muscular layers, nerve component, connective tissues, etc.) and elements usually hardly detectable (such as vessels, hemocytes, and chromatophores). More importantly, it also provided morpho-chemical information which helped decipher the regenerative phases after damage, from healing to complete arm regrowth, thereby appearing promising for regenerative studies in cephalopods and other non-model species.
Stock Price Forecasting by a Deep Convolutional Generative Adversarial Network

Stock market prices are known to be very volatile and noisy, and their accurate forecasting is a challenging problem. Traditionally, both linear and non-linear methods (such as ARIMA and LSTM) have been proposed and successfully applied to stock market prediction, but there is room to develop models that further reduce the forecast error. In this paper, we introduce a Deep Convolutional Generative Adversarial Network (DCGAN) architecture to deal with the problem of forecasting the closing price of stocks. To test the empirical performance of our proposed model we use the FTSE MIB (Financial Times Stock Exchange Milano Indice di Borsa), the benchmark stock market index for the Italian national stock exchange. By conducting both single-step and multi-step forecasting, we observe that our proposed model performs better than standard widely used tools, suggesting that Deep Learning (and in particular GANs) is a promising field for financial time series forecasting.
Indirect effects of the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic on the coverage of essential maternal and newborn health services in a rural subdistrict in Bangladesh: results from a cross-sectional household survey

Objective This paper presents the effect of the early phase of COVID-19 on the coverage of essential maternal and newborn health (MNH) services in a rural subdistrict of Bangladesh. Design Cross-sectional household survey with random sampling. Setting Baliakandi subdistrict, Rajbari district, Bangladesh. Participants Data were collected from women who were on the third trimester of pregnancy during the early phase of the pandemic (111) and pre-pandemic periods (115) to measure antenatal care (ANC) service coverage. To measure birth, postnatal care (PNC) and essential newborn care (ENC), data were collected from women who had a history of delivery during the early phase of the pandemic (163) and pre-pandemic periods (166). Exposure Early phase of the pandemic included a strict national lockdown between April and June 2020, and pre-pandemic was defined as August–October 2019. Outcome of interest Changes in the coverage of selected MNH services (ANC, birth, PNC, ENC) during the early phase of COVID-19 pandemic compared with the pre-pandemic period, estimated by two-sample proportion tests. Findings Among women who were on the third trimester of pregnancy during the early phase of the pandemic period, 77% (95% CI: 70% to 85%) received at least one ANC from a medically trained provider (MTP) during the third trimester, compared with 83% (95% CI: 76% to 90%) during the pre-pandemic period (p=0.33). Among women who gave birth during the early phase of the pandemic period, 72% (95% CI: 66% to 79%) were attended by an MTP, compared with 63% (95% CI: 56% to 71%) during the pre-pandemic period (p=0.08). Early initiation of breast feeding was practised among 38% (95% CI: 31% to 46%) of the babies born during the early phase of the pandemic period. It was 37% (95% CI: 29% to 44%) during the pre-pandemic period (p=0.81). The coverage of ANC, birth, PNC and ENC did not differ by months of pandemic and pre-pandemic periods; only the coverage of at least one ANC from an MTP significantly differed among the women who were 7 months pregnant during the early phase of the pandemic (35%, 95% CI: 26% to 44%) and pre-pandemic (49%, 95% CI: 39% to 58%) (p=0.04). Conclusion The effect of the early phase of the pandemic including lockdown on the selected MNH service coverage was null in the study area. The nature of the lockdown, the availability and accessibility of private sector health services in that area, and the combating strategies at the rural level made it possible for the women to avail the required MNH services.
Ultrasound Piezo-Disk Transducer Model for Material Parameter Optimization

The technology involved in high perf ormance ultrasound imaging probes needs a reliable model to help in new projects development and performance simulations. To achieve a useful model, it is necessary to use correct values for all material parameters involved in the electro-acoustical performances of the piezoelectric material, but unfortunately some of these parameters are known only with high uncertainty and others are not always present in the manufacturer specifications. The present work consists in the development of a simple Finite Elements Model (FEM) for a piezoelectric disk transducer, along with a reliable optimization procedure to determine all parameters for the materials involved in the transducer functioning. The results presented here show that the optimized model can be used to predict measurements results in term of electrical impedance magnitude, frequency response and directivity of emission of the transducer with a high accuracy. Some other intermediate results are briefly discussed like radial resonance modes.
Impact of Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring on the Extent of Resection and Postoperative Neurological Outcomes in Patients with Spinal Cord Ependymoma: A Retrospective Multicenter Comparative Study

Background Data: Spinal cord ependymomas can arise in different locations throughout the spinal cord, with the most frequent location being the cervical spine. Ependymomas usually grow slowly, compressing rather than infiltrating spinal tumors. Among different prognostic and predictor factors, the extent of resection has been the strongest predictor of outcomes. Multimodal intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) helps maximize the extent of resection with minimal postoperative neurological complications. Purpose: To assess the impact of IONM on the extent of surgical resection and outcomes of spinal cord ependymomas. Study Design: A retrospective cohort study. Patients and Methods: Twenty-five patients who underwent spinal cord ependymoma resection in 4 centers between March 2014 and February 2018 were eligible for the inclusion criteria of this study. Patients were divided into two groups: the IONM group and the non-IONM group. IONM consisted of electromyography (EMG), transcranial motor evoked potentials (tcMEP), and somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP). All patients were submitted for full neurological examination and MRI of the spine both preoperatively and at the postoperative routine follow-up. Postoperative radiotherapy was conducted routinely by our radiotherapists. The secondary outcomes were the correlation between the warning criteria of IONM and postoperative neurological outcomes and their impact on the extent of tumor resection. Also, a recurrence rate during the follow-up period was reported. DOI: 10.21608/ESJ.2022. 102265.1197
A cross sectional study to assess the expressed COVID-19 preventive practices among the health care workers and public visiting tertiary care hospital, AIIMS, Jodhpur

BACKGROUND: The corona virus disease-2019 (COVID-19) infection is a current public health crisis, and it is challenging to the world health-care system. As there is no treatment, prevention is the crucial importance to break the chain of transmission of infection and prevent fatality among the high-risk populations. The aim of the study was to assess the Expressed COVID-19 preventive practices among health-care workers (HCWs) and the public visiting tertiary care hospital, AIIMS, Jodhpur. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 406 HCWs and 238 public, recruited by convenient sampling technique. A validated and pretested self-structured practice questionnaire used to collect the data regarding COVID-19 preventive practice. The data were collected through online Google Forms and interview techniques and analyzed by software SPSS 26 version. RESULTS: Majority of 87.7% HCWs and 76.5% public always followed practice of hand wash with soap and water and sanitize for 20 s. Majority of 79.6% HCWs and 49.2% public maintain social distance in public place. Gender (χ2 = 18.806 P ≤ 0.001) and education (χ2 = 43.270 P ≤ 0.001) among HCWs and in public demographic variable income (χ2 = 21.102 P = 0.002), religion (χ2 = 13.302 P = 0.006) and source of information (χ2 = 17.030 P = 0.026) was significantly associated with level of COVID-19 preventive practice. CONCLUSION: The study showed moderate level of COVID-19 preventive practice among HCWs and public. Based on this result, an effective IEC intervention programs can be designed to educate public and HCWs and follow a safe COVID-19 preventive practice.
Pulmonary function test: A critical domain in oral submucous fibrosis patients

INTRODUCTION: The study aims to measure and compare pulmonary function tests (PFTs) in oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) patients (smokers/nonsmokers) and normal individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population included 150 participants that comprised 50 nonsmoker OSMF patients, 50 OSMF patients who smoke as well, and 50 patients with no deleterious habits. Spirometer was used to assess PFT. RESULTS: Results showed that a significant P value was obtained for forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), FEV1/FVC, peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), and maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) and also for the predicted values of FEV, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, PEFR, and MVV in OSMF (smokers/nonsmokers) study groups. CONCLUSION: Thus, the decrease in pulmonary function can be an alarming sign for restrictive type of pulmonary disease.
Inventory development to assess perceptions and metacognition of dental students toward learning in colleges in Pune, India

BACKGROUND: Dental education is considered a challenging and taxing program as on successful completion one is required to attain unique and diverse competencies. There is an established perception that students do not enjoy their experiences in the dental institution and they always demand for certain amendments. Therefore, a dental education perceptions and metacognition assessment tool (DEPMAT) was developed for Indian undergraduate and postgraduate dental students for assessing their learning in Deemed University versus Maharashtra University of Health Sciences in Pune, Maharashtra. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among students of four dental colleges of two types of universities in Pune, India, using a 31-item DEPMAT based on Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure and metacognition awareness inventory using five subscales. Psychometric properties were also tested for this new tool. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software. RESULTS: Of 512 participants, 498 (96.88%) students had duly returned the questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha coefficient value for reliability was found to be 0.87 which indicated good internal consistency and test-retest reliability was found to be kw = 0.76, which indicated substantial agreement. Significant difference was found among undergraduates in domains regarding their perception toward academics, infrastructure and learning environment, and health and stress. CONCLUSION: This study suggested that the general perception toward learning among final year postgraduate students was positive in both the universities. However, the perception of final year undergraduates toward learning was negative and students have suggested certain amendments in both the universities. This study also suggested the new tool was effective in assessing the attitude of practice of both undergraduate and postgraduate students.