Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimized preoperative planning of double outlet right ventricle patients by 3D printing and virtual reality: a pilot study

Abstract OBJECTIVES In complex double outlet right ventricle (DORV) patients, the optimal surgical approach may be difficult to assess based on conventional 2-dimensional (2D) ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT) imaging. The aim of this study is to assess the added value of 3-dimensional (3D) printed and 3D virtual reality (3D-VR) models of the heart used for surgical planning in DORV patients, supplementary to the gold standard 2D imaging modalities. METHODS Five patients with different DORV subtypes and high-quality CT scans were selected retrospectively. 3D prints and 3D-VR models were created. Twelve congenital cardiac surgeons and paediatric cardiologists, from 3 different hospitals, were shown 2D-CT first, after which they assessed the 3D print and 3D-VR models in random order. After each imaging method, a questionnaire was filled in on the visibility of essential structures and the surgical plan. RESULTS Spatial relationships were generally better visualized using 3D methods (3D printing/3D-VR) than in 2D. The feasibility of ventricular septum defect patch closure could be determined best using 3D-VR reconstructions (3D-VR 92%, 3D print 66% and US/CT 46%, P < 0.01). The percentage of proposed surgical plans corresponding to the performed surgical approach was 66% for plans based on US/CT, 78% for plans based on 3D printing and 80% for plans based on 3D-VR visualization. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that both 3D printing and 3D-VR have additional value for cardiac surgeons and cardiologists over 2D imaging, because of better visualization of spatial relationships. As a result, the proposed surgical plans based on the 3D visualizations matched the actual performed surgery to a greater extent.
Ferroelectricity from coupled cooperative Jahn-Teller distortions and octahedral rotations in ordered Ruddlesden-Popper manganates

Density functional theory and group theoretical methods are used to explore the origin for ferroelectricity in cation ordered LaSrMnO 4 with the Ruddlesden-Popper structure. The equilibrium phase exhibits the polar, Pca 2 1 space group, where small polar displacements of d 4 Mn 3+ coexist with antiferrodistortive octahedral rotations and Jahn-Teller distortions. We ﬁnd that the octahedral rotations and Jahn-Teller distortion stabilize the polar structure and induce polar displacements through high-order anharmonic interactions among the three modes, making LaSrMnO 4 a hybrid-improper ferroelectric material. The rotations result from the ionic size mismatch between the A cations and Mn whereas the Jahn-Teller distortions are energetically favored owing to the coupling between the local e g orbital polarization of the two nearest neighboring Mn cations in the two dimensional MnO 2 sheets. Our results indicate that anharmonic interactions among multiple centric modes can be activated by cation ordering to induce polar displacements in layered oxides, making it a reliable approach for realizing acentric responses in artiﬁcially constructed materials.
Long-term outcomes of ultrasound guided high intensity focused ultrasound ablation for patients with uterine fibroids classified by T2WI: a multicenter retrospective study

Abstract Objective To evaluate the long-term outcomes of ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (USgHIFU) ablation of uterine fibroids classified by T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (T2WI-MRI). Materials and methods The data of 1427 premenopausal women with symptomatic uterine fibroids who underwent USgHIFU at four teaching hospitals in China were analyzed retrospectively. The uterine fibroids were classified based on their T2WI-MRI signal intensities relative to that of skeletal muscle, myometrium and endometrium as: hypointense, isointense, heterogeneous hyperintense fibroids (HHF), slightly HHF (sHHF) and markedly HHF (mHHF), respectively. The rates of symptom relief and reintervention post-USgHIFU ablation were compared between the classified groups. Results A total of 1303 patients were followed up for 44 (40, 49) months. The symptom relief rate of the hypointense and isointense fibroids was 83.3% and 79.5%, respectively, which were significantly higher (p < .05) compared to that of HHF, sHHF and mHHF (58.3%, 44.2% and 60.4%), respectively. sHHF had the lowest symptom relief rate (p < .05). The cumulative reintervention rate for hypointense, isointense, HHF, sHHF and mHHF types were 8.8%, 10.8%, 21.4%, 39.9% and 19.8%, respectively. The reintervention rate of hypointense/isointense fibroids was significantly lower than that of HHF/mHHF/sHHF (p < .01), while sHHF had the highest re-intervention rate (p < .01). Thus, reintervention rate is inversely correlated to the rate of symptom relief. Conclusions USgHIFU ablation is effective for hypointense, isointense, HHF and mHHF with acceptable long-term follow-up outcomes. However, sHHF is associated with a higher reintervention rate.
Introduction and spread of NDM-producing Enterobacterales and Acinetobacter baumannii into Middle Eastern countries: a molecular-based hypothesis

ABSTRACT Introduction The goal of this review is to provide a plausible explanation for the dissemination of NDM-producing Enterobacterales (NDME) and Acinetobacter baumannii (NDMAb) across the ME. Areas covered We described and analyzed (1) the initial reports of NDME and NDMAb in ME countries; (2) the most contemporary data regarding the epidemiology of NDME and NDMAb in ME countries; and (3) the molecular features of NDME and NDMAb in ME countries. Expert opinion NDMAb first appeared in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Gulf States in 2009–2010. Although no connection to the Indian subcontinent could be traced, evidence for transmission within the region was found. The spread of NDMAb was mainly by clonal transmission, and it remained limited to less than 10% of the total CRAb population. NDME most likely had evolved from NDMAb and appeared later in the ME. Subsequently, the spread of NDME was mainly via the transmission of the blaNDM gene into several Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli successful clones that had served before as recipient to various blaESBLgenes. The most recent epidemiological situation varied widely, from 20.7% of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) in Saudi Arabia to 80.5% in Egypt.
Metabolic effects of early life stress and pre‐pregnancy obesity are long lasting and sex specific in mice

Early life stress (ELS) is associated with metabolic, cognitive, and psychiatric diseases and has a very high prevalence, highlighting the urgent need for a better understanding of the versatile physiological changes and identification of predictive biomarkers. In addition to programming the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, ELS may also affect the gut microbiota and metabolome, opening up a promising research direction for identifying early biomarkers of ELS‐induced (mal)adaptation. Other factors affecting these parameters include maternal metabolic status and diet, with maternal obesity shown to predispose offspring to later metabolic disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate the long‐term effects of ELS and maternal obesity on the metabolic and stress phenotype of rodent offspring. To this end, offspring of both sexes were subjected to an adverse early‐life experience, and their metabolic and stress phenotypes were examined. In addition, we assessed whether a prenatal maternal and an adult high‐fat diet (HFD) stressor further shape observed ELS‐induced phenotypes. We show that ELS has long‐term effects on male body weight (BW) across the lifespan, whereas females more successfully counteract ELS‐induced weight loss, possibly by adapting their microbiota, thereby stabilizing a balanced metabolome. Furthermore, the metabolic effects of a maternal HFD on BW are exclusively triggered by a dietary challenge in adult offspring and are more pronounced in males than in females. Overall, our study suggests that the female microbiota protects against an ELS challenge, rendering them more resilient to additional maternal‐ and adult nutritional stressors than males.
Severity of the Omicron SARS‐CoV‐2 variant compared with the previous lineages: A systematic review

The Omicron variant was first detected in October 2021, which evolved from the original SARS‐CoV‐2 strain and was found to possess many mutations. Immune evasion was one of the notable consequences of these mutations. Despite Omicron exhibiting increased transmissibility, the rates of hospitalizations and deaths among patients infected with this variant were substantially lower when compared to other strains. However, concluding that the Omicron variant is less severe than other variants of SARS‐CoV‐2 requires consideration of multiple factors, including the vaccination status of infected patients as well as any previous infections with other variants. This review compiled data about any reported indicators of severity in Omicron‐infected patients, including studies comparing Omicron with other variants while adjusting for confounders. A comprehensive search was conducted using different databases to target any studies about Omicron. In total, 62 studies met our inclusion criteria and were included in this study. Many studies reported a significantly reduced risk of hospitalization, ICU admission, need for oxygenation/ventilation, and death in Omicron‐infected patients compared to patients infected with other variants, such as Delta. Some studies, however, reported comparable severity in Omicron infected patients as to other variants emphasizing a substantial risk for severe illness. Furthermore, the COVID‐19 vaccines were less effective against Omicron relative to previous lineages, except after receiving the booster dose. One study recommended vaccination during pregnancy, which may help prevent future cases of severe SARS‐CoV‐2 pneumonia in neonates and young infants due to the transfer of humoral response from the mother.
Perceived Barriers and Social Cultural Factors Associated With Advance Care Planning Conversations Among Chinese American Older Adults

Despite the well-documented benefits of advance care planning (ACP), persistent racial and ethnic disparities continue to exist in ACP engagement. Guided by a social ecological model, this study examined perceived barriers and sociocultural factors associated with informal ACP conversations among Chinese American older adults. A purposive sample of 281 community-dwelling older Chinese Americans aged 55 years or older in Arizona and Maryland completed a survey in 2018. Hierarchical logistic regression models were conducted. There were 26.5% of participants who engaged in advance care planning. Lower perceived barriers and sociocultural factors (i.e., length of stay in the U.S. and English language proficiency) were positively associated with ACP conversations. Social support had a significant moderation effect. Findings highlighted the importance of language services and social support in facilitating ACP discussions among older Chinese immigrants. Effective strategies are needed to reduce the barriers to ACP at various levels for older Chinese American populations.
Advances with the discovery and development of novel sigma 1 receptor antagonists for the management of pain

ABSTRACT Introduction Interest in sigma-1 receptors (S1Rs) has significantly increased in the last 25 years and more recently for their role in pain modulation. S1Rs are novel chaperone proteins that modulate several cellular processes and can modulate the activity of many ion channels and receptors. They are heavily localized in pain pathways, leading to the development of S1R antagonists for pain modulation. Although the exact mechanism by which S1R antagonists act is unclear, there has been marked advances in the preclinical and clinical development of S1R antagonists. Areas Covered This review covers the brief history of S1Rs and the research leading to the development of S1R antagonists in clinical trials for chronic pain. Focus is given to E-52862 and [18F]FTC-146 (aka CM-304) as their clinical development has broken ground for S1R antagonists- with both being first-in-class ligands for treatment and diagnostic imaging, respectively. Expert opinion S1R antagonists represent a unique intracellular target for pain modulation, due to the receptor’s chaperone activity in modulating various proteins in pain pathways. The research on S1R has grown exponentially in the last 20 years, and as more is understood about the basic science of the receptor, the drug development in this field will also flourish.
A technology evaluation of the Onyx Frontier drug-eluting stent

ABSTRACT Introduction Onyx FrontierTM represents the latest iteration within the family of zotarolimus-eluting stents (ZES), designed for the treatment of coronary artery disease. Approval by the Food and Drug Administration was granted in May 2022, and Conformité Européenne marking followed in August 2022. Areas covered We hereby review the principal design features of Onyx Frontier, highlighting differences and similarities with other currently available drug-eluting stents. In addition, we focus on the refinements of this newest platform as compared with previous ZES versions, including the attributes yielding its exceptional crossing profile and deliverability. The clinical implications related to both its newest and inherited characteristics will be discussed. Expert opinion The nuances of the latest Onyx Frontier, together with the continuous refinement previously witnessed throughout the development of ZES, lead to a latest generation device ideal for a diverse spectrum of clinical and anatomical scenarios. In particular, its peculiarities will be of benefit in the settings often offered by a progressively aging population, such as high bleeding risk patients and complex coronary lesions.
Motion segmentation and activity representation in crowds

Video surveillance of large facilities, such as airports, rail stations, and casinos, is developing rapidly. Cameras installed at such locations often overlook large crowds, which makes problems such as activity and scene understanding very challenging. Traditional activity understanding techniques, which rely on input from lower level processing units dealing with background subtraction, human detection, and tracking, are unable to cope with frequent occlusions in such scenes. We propose a novel spatiotemporal segmentation and activity recognition framework that bypasses these commonly used low-level modules. We model each local spatiotemporal patch as a dynamic texture. Using a suitable distance metric to compare two local patches based on their estimated dynamic texture parameters, we segment a video into spatiotemporal regions that show similar motion patterns. We are also able to temporally stitch together local regions to form activity streamlines and represent each streamline by its constituent dynamic textures. This allows us to seamlessly perform activity recognition without explicitly detecting individuals in the scene. We demonstrate our framework on multiple datasets and show favorable results compared with the state of the art. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 19, 80–90, 2009.
MHC class II genes mediate susceptibility and resistance to coronavirus infections in bats

Understanding the immunogenetic basis of coronavirus (CoV) susceptibility in major pathogen reservoirs, such as bats, is central to inferring their zoonotic potential. Members of the cryptic Hipposideros bat species complex differ in CoV susceptibility, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are the best understood genetic basis of pathogen resistance, and differences in MHC diversity are one possible reason for asymmetrical infection patterns among closely related species. Here, we aimed to link asymmetries in observed CoV (CoV‐229E, CoV‐2B and CoV‐2Bbasal) susceptibility to immunogenetic differences amongst four Hipposideros bat species. From the 2072 bats assigned to their respective species using the mtDNA cytochrome b gene, members of the most numerous and ubiquitous species, Hipposideros caffer D, were most infected with CoV‐229E and SARS‐related CoV‐2B. Using a subset of 569 bats, we determined that much of the existent allelic and functional (i.e. supertype) MHC DRB class II diversity originated from common ancestry. One MHC supertype shared amongst all species, ST12, was consistently linked to susceptibility with CoV‐229E, which is closely related to the common cold agent HCoV‐229E, and infected bats and those carrying ST12 had a lower body condition. The same MHC supertype was connected to resistance to CoV‐2B, and bats with ST12 were less likely be co‐infected with CoV‐229E and CoV‐2B. Our work suggests a role of immunogenetics in determining CoV susceptibility in bats. We advocate for the preservation of functional genetic and species diversity in reservoirs as a means of mitigating the risk of disease spillover.
Prediction algorithm for fast fading channels based on the chaotic attractor

A new algorithm for fast fading channel prediction is presented.This algorithms is based on the chaotic behavior of the mobile multipath fading channel.The phase space of these mobile multipath fading channel coefficients is reconstructed by the theory of time delays.Based on the stability and the fractal of the chaotic attractor,the coefficients are predicted in their phase space.Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm is a better candidate for long range prediction of the fading channel in the noise context.The experiment is carried out by utilizing fading channel data which span 63.829 milliseconds.Simulation results show that the better prediction performance is acquired than the AR algorithm when the signal to noise ratio is (12 dB).
Advances in Acute Ischemic Stroke Treatment: Current Status and Future Directions

SUMMARY: The management of acute ischemic stroke has undergone a paradigm shift in the past decade. This has been spearheaded by the emergence of endovascular thrombectomy, along with advances in medical therapy, imaging, and other facets of stroke care. Herein, we present an updated review of the various stroke trials that have impacted and continue to transform stroke management. It is critical for the radiologist to stay abreast of the ongoing developments to provide meaningful input and remain a useful part of the stroke team.
Predictors of Long-Term Visual Acuity in a Modern Cohort of Patients With Acute Idiopathic and Multiple Sclerosis–Associated Optic Neuritis

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Background: For patients with idiopathic or multiple sclerosis (MS)–associated optic neuritis (ON), the largest multicenter clinical trial (Optic Neuritis Treatment Trial [ONTT]) showed excellent visual outcomes and baseline high-contrast visual acuity (HCVA) was the only predictor of HCVA at 1 year. We aimed to evaluate predictors of long-term HCVA in a modern, real-world population of patients with ON and compare with previously published ONTT models. Methods: We performed a retrospective, longitudinal, observational study at the University of Michigan and the University of Calgary evaluating 135 episodes of idiopathic or MS-associated ON in 118 patients diagnosed by a neuro-ophthalmologist within 30 days of onset (January 2011–June 2021). Primary outcome measured was HCVA (Snellen equivalents) at 6–18 months. Multiple linear regression models of 107 episodes from 93 patients assessed the association between HCVA at 6–18 months and age, sex, race, pain, optic disc swelling, symptoms (days), viral illness prodrome, MS status, high-dose glucocorticoid treatment, and baseline HCVA. Results: Of the 135 acute episodes (109 Michigan and 26 Calgary), median age at presentation was 39 years (interquartile range [IQR], 31–49 years), 91 (67.4%) were women, 112 (83.0%) were non-Hispanic Caucasians, 101 (75.9%) had pain, 33 (24.4%) had disc edema, 8 (5.9%) had a viral prodrome, 66 (48.9%) had MS, and 62 (46.6%) were treated with glucocorticoids. The median (IQR) time between symptom onset and diagnosis was 6 days (range, 4–11 days). The median (IQR) HCVA at baseline and at 6–18 months were 20/50 (20/22, 20/200) and 20/20 (20/20, 20/27), respectively; 62 (45.9%) had better than 20/40 at baseline and 117 (86.7%) had better than 20/40 at 6–18 months. In linear regression models (n = 107 episodes in 93 patients with baseline HCVA better than CF), only baseline HCVA (β = 0.076; P = 0.027) was associated with long-term HCVA. Regression coefficients were similar and within the 95% confidence interval of coefficients from published ONTT models. Conclusions: In a modern cohort of patients with idiopathic or MS-associated ON with baseline HCVA better than CF, long-term outcomes were good, and the only predictor was baseline HCVA. These findings were similar to prior analyses of ONTT data, and as a result, these are validated for use in conveying prognostic information about long-term HCVA outcomes.
Functional screening of lysosomal storage disorder genes identifies modifiers of alpha-synuclein neurotoxicity

Heterozygous variants in the glucocerebrosidase (GBA) gene are common and potent risk factors for Parkinson’s disease (PD). GBA also causes the autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder (LSD), Gaucher disease, and emerging evidence from human genetics implicates many other LSD genes in PD susceptibility. We have systemically tested 86 conserved fly homologs of 37 human LSD genes for requirements in the aging adult Drosophila brain and for potential genetic interactions with neurodegeneration caused by α-synuclein (αSyn), which forms Lewy body pathology in PD. Our screen identifies 15 genetic enhancers of αSyn-induced progressive locomotor dysfunction, including knockdown of fly homologs of GBA and other LSD genes with independent support as PD susceptibility factors from human genetics (SCARB2, SMPD1, CTSD, GNPTAB, SLC17A5). For several genes, results from multiple alleles suggest dose-sensitivity and context-dependent pleiotropy in the presence or absence of αSyn. Homologs of two genes causing cholesterol storage disorders, Npc1a / NPC1 and Lip4 / LIPA, were independently confirmed as loss-of-function enhancers of αSyn-induced retinal degeneration. The enzymes encoded by several modifier genes are upregulated in αSyn transgenic flies, based on unbiased proteomics, revealing a possible, albeit ineffective, compensatory response. Overall, our results reinforce the important role of lysosomal genes in brain health and PD pathogenesis, and implicate several metabolic pathways, including cholesterol homeostasis, in αSyn-mediated neurotoxicity.