Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Efficacy of Psychoeducational Support Group for Saudi Breast Cancer Survivors

Background: The adverse effects of psychological distress and quality of life are common outcomes in breast cancer survivors. Psychoeducational interventions have been widely used to reduce these adverse outcomes among those patients. This study aims to assess the impact of the Blossom support group on psychological distress and quality of life in breast cancer patients in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This study is a retrospective cohort study for the Blossom program, which was held yearly for eight weeks from 2014 until 2018. Data was collected from the survivors’ records at the Zahra Breast Cancer Association in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Outcome measurements: include the quality of life scale (SF-36) and Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS) with both were available in the Arabic translated version. Both tools were used as the screening measurement for the assessment of the quality of life, depression, and anxiety before and after the program. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Analytical Software (SAS), version 9.4. Statistical differences in median scores of SF-36 and HADS before and after the program was tested using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Result: A total of 54 breast cancer survivors were enrolled in the Blossom support program over the period 2014 to 2018. Of these participants, only 25 participants completed the full eight weeks program. There were statistically significant differences in the overall quality of life (SF-36) before and after the 8 weeks from baseline of the experiment (W = 60, P-value =0.0125). Moreover, the overall anxiety and depression scores were tested separately and the results reveal statistically significant differences in both dimensions before and after the program (Anxiety: W=132, P-value = 0.0059; depression: W=157, P-value = 0.0002). Conclusion: The Blossom support program showed a positive impact on the quality of life and the psychological well-being of breast cancer survivors. It is recommended to utilize this support program across a wide range of health organizations with breast cancer survivors as a baseline of psychological care to improve the quality of life.
Lurasidone in first-episode psychosis with predominant depressive symptoms: a case report

Lurasidone is an atypical antipsychotic approved for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar depression. It seems to have an antidepressant effect due to 5-HT7 as well as 5-HT2A and 5-HT1a receptor affinity. Here we present a case of a 19-year-old male patient with first-episode psychosis (FEP) and predominant depressive symptoms. Remarkable clinical and functional improvement was observed 3 months after the beginning of lurasidone treatment. The patient’s depressive symptoms disappear with a dramatic reduction of psychotic ones, with good tolerance of the drug and without adverse effects. Lurasidone seems to be a promising treatment option for FEP with predominant depressive symptoms.
Exploring engagement with the CBT-informed Actissist smartphone application for early psychosis

Abstract Background Individuals with psychosis report favourable attitudes towards psychological interventions delivered via smartphone apps. Evidence for acceptability, safety, feasibility and efficacy is promising but in-depth reporting of app engagement in trials is sparse. Aims To examine how people with psychosis engaged with the cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)-informed Actissist app over a 12-week intervention period, and to examine factors associated with app engagement. Methods Secondary data from participants in the intervention arm (n = 24) of a proof-of-concept randomised controlled trial of the Actissist app were analysed. The app prompted participants to engage with app-based CBT-informed material in five domains (voices, socialization, cannabis use, paranoia, perceived criticism) at pseudo-random intervals (three notifications per day, six days per week). Participants could self-initiate use any time. App use was financially incentivised. Results Participants responded to 47% of app notifications. Most app engagements (87%) were app-initiated rather than self-initiated. Participants engaged most with the voices domain, then paranoia. Age and employment status were significantly associated with overall app engagement. Conclusion Individuals with psychosis engaged well with Actissist, particularly with areas focussing on voice-hearing and paranoia. App-generated reminders successfully prompted app engagement. As financial incentives may have increased app engagement, future studies of non-incentivized engagement in larger samples are needed.
The Prevalence of Plasmid-Mediated Colistin Resistance Gene mcr-1 and Different Transferability and Fitness of mcr-1-Bearing IncX4 Plasmids in Escherichia coli from Pigeons

The emergence of plasmid-mediated colistin resistance gene mcr-1 incurs great concerns. Since the close proximity of pigeons with humans, it is significant to understand the prevalence and molecular characterization of mcr-1-positive isolates in pigeons, to provide a rationale for controlling its spread. ABSTRACT The prevalence of colistin-resistant bacteria limited the usage of colistin in the treatment of clinical multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections. Here, we aimed to investigate the prevalence and molecular characterization of mcr-1-carrying isolates from pigeons close to humans following the ban on the use of colistin as an animal feed additive in China. Methods, including PCR, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, conjugation experiments, plasmid replicon typing, genome sequencing, bioinformatics analysis, measurement of growth curves, competition experiments, and plasmid stability assays were used to identify and characterize mcr-1-positive isolates. In total, 45 mcr-1-positive E. coli isolates were acquired from 100 fecal samples, and MICs of colistin ranged from 4 to 8 mg/L. The prevalence of mcr-1-positive E. coli isolates from pigeons was mainly mediated by IncX4 plasmids (39/45), including transferable mcr-1-bearing IncX4 plasmids with fitness advantage in 21 isolates, and nontransferable mcr-1-bearing IncX4 plasmids with fitness disadvantage in 18 isolates. There is a similar structure among the 6 mcr-1-bearing nontransferable IncX4 plasmids and 10 mcr-1-bearing transferable IncX4 plasmids in 16 E. coli isolates that have been sequenced. Plasmid transferability evaluation indicated that the same IncX4 plasmid has different transferability in different E. coli isolates. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that pigeons could act as potential reservoirs for the spread of mcr-1-positive E. coli in China. Transferability of IncX4 plasmids may be influenced by host chromosome in the same bacterial species. Additional research on the factors influencing the transferability of IncX4 plasmids in different bacterial hosts is required to help combat antimicrobial resistance. IMPORTANCE The emergence of plasmid-mediated colistin resistance gene mcr-1 incurs great concerns. Since the close proximity of pigeons with humans, it is significant to understand the prevalence and molecular characterization of mcr-1-positive isolates in pigeons, to provide a rationale for controlling its spread. Here, we found that the prevalence of mcr-1-positive E. coli from pigeons was mainly mediated by IncX4 plasmids. However, different transferability and fitness of mcr-1-bearing IncX4 plasmids in E. coli were observed, which demonstrated that transferability of IncX4 plasmids could be affected not only by genes on plasmids, but also by chromosomal factors in the same bacterial species. Our finding provided a new insight on studying the factors influencing the transferability of plasmids.
Theoretical Studies of Convectively Forced Mesoscale Flows in Three Dimensions. Part II: Shear Flow with a Critical Level

Convectively forced mesoscale flows in a shear flow with a critical level are theoretically investigated by obtaining analytic solutions for a hydrostatic, nonrotating, inviscid, Boussinesq airflow system. The response to surface pulse heating shows that near the center of the moving mode, the magnitude of the vertical velocity becomes constant after some time, whereas the magnitudes of the vertical displacement and perturbation horizontal velocity increase linearly with time. It is confirmed from the solutions obtained in present and previous studies that this result is valid regardless of the basic-state wind profile and dimension. The response to 3D finite-depth steady heating representing latent heating due to cumulus convection shows that, unlike in two dimensions, a low-level updraft that is necessary to sustain deep convection always occurs at the heating center regardless of the intensity of vertical wind shear and the heating depth. For deep heating across a critical level, little change occurs in the perturbation field below the critical level, although the heating top height increases. This is because downward-propagating gravity waves induced by the heating above, but not near, the critical level can hardly affect the flow response field below the critical level. When the basic-state wind backs with height, the vertex of V-shaped perturbations above the heating top points to a direction rotated a little clockwise from the basic-state wind direction. This is because the V-shaped perturbations above the heating top is induced by upward-propagating gravity waves that have passed through the layer below where the basic-state wind direction is clockwise relative to that above.
Layering, melting, and recrystallization of a close-packed micellar crystal under steady and large-amplitude oscillatory shear flows

The rheology and three-dimensional microstructure of a concentrated viscoelastic solution of the triblock copolymer poly(ethylene oxide)106-poly(propylene oxide)68-poly(ethylene oxide)106 (Pluronic F127) in the protic ionic liquid ethylammonium nitrate are measured by small angle neutron scattering (SANS) under flow in three orthogonal planes. This solution's shear-thinning viscosity is due to the formation of two-dimensional hexagonal close-packed (HCP) sliding layer structure. Shear-melting of the crystalline structure is observed without disruption of the self-assembled micelles, resulting in a change in flow properties. Spatially resolved measurements in the 1–2 plane reveal that both shear-melting and sliding are not uniform across the Couette gap. Melting and recrystallization of the HCP layers occur cyclically during a single large amplitude oscillatory shear (LAOS) cycle, in agreement with the “stick-slip” flow mechanism proposed by Hamley et al. [Phys. Rev. E 58, 7620–7628 (1998)]. Analysis of 3D.
A randomized trial comparing percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) and radiologically inserted percutaneous gastrostomy (RIG)

Background and objective: At present, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is the procedure of choice in establishing a permanent feeding tube in patients with chronic severe dysphagia. This is the first prospective randomized study in adults comparing PEG with radiologically inserted gastrostomy (RIG). Methods: Randomization of 106 patients, eligible for both techniques, to PEG (pull method) or RIG. The groups were comparable in terms of age, body mass index, and underlying diseases. Adverse events were reported 10 and 30 days after the operative procedure, and mortality was up until 6 months. The validated European Quality of life 5 Dimensions 3 level version (EQ-5D) questionnaire was used for health status measurements. Results: The procedures were successfully completed in all patients. The median operative time was 10 min for PEG and 20 min for RIG (p < 0.001). The overall rate of adverse events was lower for PEG (22%) than for RIG (51%, p = 0.002), mostly due to less local self-limiting stoma reactions and tube problems. The 30-day mortality was lower after PEG (2% versus 14%, p = 0.020). Patient-scored health status remained low for the entire cohort, with an EQ-5D utility index of 0.164. Self-rated health was low but improved in the RIG group (52.5 from 41.1, out of 100). Conclusion: PEG can be recommended as the primary procedure in patients in need of a feeding gastrostomy, mainly due to a lower frequency of tube complications. However, as the two techniques complement each other, RIG is also a valid alternative method. Clinical trial registration: International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number ISRCTN17642761. https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN17642761
Predictive Factors for Post-Hepatectomy Liver Failure in Patients with Cholangiocarcinoma

Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a cancer of biliary tract with a different incidence across the globe. The northeast part of Thailand has the highest incidence of CCA. Post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) is the most severe and life-threatening complication in CCA patients. The aim of this study was to identify factors related to PHLF incidence in patients with CCA. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was performed in a university hospital in northeast Thailand between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2020. PHLF grading criteria was used according to the international study group of liver surgery definition for PHLF. Multiple Logistic Regression with a stepwise forward method was employed to identify the predictive factors related to PHLF. Result: The study findings revealed that 185 patients developed PHLF, of whom 56.22% experience grade A, 36.76% grade B, and 7.06% grade C PHLF. Based on our findings, seventeen factors were significantly correlated with PHLF incidence, namely age, cholangiocarcinoma type, hepatectomy type, preoperative biliary drainage, cholangitis, Child-Turcotte-Pugh grade, operation time, total blood loss, total blood transfusion, level of serum albumin, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, prothrombin time, and level of international normalized ratio. Total bilirubin (adjusted OR=14.07, 95% CI 7.54-26.27), Child-Turcotte-Pugh grade (adjusted OR=3.34, 95% CI 1.43-7.81), total blood transfusion (adjusted OR=2.32, 95% CI 1.19-4.54), and operation time (adjusted OR=1.77, 95% CI 1.05-2.97) could significantly predict PHLF incidence with a positive predictive value of 86.03% and a negative predictive value of 80.23%, while the accuracy of prediction was 81.88%. Conclusion: The findings of this study identified total bilirubin, Child-Turcotte-Pugh grade, total blood transfusion, and operation time as clinical predictive factors of PHLF. Therefore, modification of these factors is recommended to reduce the probability of liver failure in CCA patients.
Repressive C2H2 zinc finger ZAT proteins promote programmed cell death in the Arabidopsis columella root cap

Developmental programmed cell death (dPCD) controls a plethora of functions in plant growth and reproduction. In the root cap of Arabidopsis thaliana, dPCD functions to control organ size in balance with the continuous stem cell activity in the root meristem. Key regulators of root cap dPCD including SOMBRERO/ANAC033 (SMB) belong to the NAC family of transcription factors. Here we identify the C2H2 zinc finger protein ZAT14 as part of the gene regulatory network of root cap dPCD acting downstream of SMB. Similar to SMB, ZAT14 inducible misexpression leads to extensive ectopic cell death. Both thecanonical EARmotif and a conserved L-box motif of ZAT14 act as transcriptional repression motifs and are required to trigger cell death.While a single zat14 mutant does not show a cell death-related phenotype, a quintuple mutant knocking out five related ZAT paralogs shows a delayed onset of dPCD execution in the columella and the adjacent lateral root cap. While ZAT14 is co-expressed with established dPCD-associated genes, it does not activate their expression. Our results suggest that ZAT14 acts as a novel transcriptional repressor controlling a so far uncharacterized sub-section of the dPCD gene regulatory network active in specific root cap tissues.
Parainfectious autoimmune encephalitis related to SARS-CoV-2 infection, presenting with catatonia

Objective SARS-CoV-2 infection commonly affects both the central and peripheral nervous systems, resulting in a variety of neurological and psychiatric symptoms. Whereas the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on neuronal structures in the short and long-term are still controversial, neurological involvement secondary to SARS-CoV- 2 is heterogeneous in terms of clinical presentation, treatment response, and prognosis. Method A case of autoimmune encephalitis developing after SARS-CoV-2 is described in this article. Results The patient was admitted to the clinic with classical signs of catatonia and encephalopathy. The emergence of neuropsychiatric problems after the relief of SARS-CoV-2 symptoms suggests that symptoms were primarily related to immune processes. This patient demonstrated a good clinical response to symptomatic catatonia treatment and immune-modulatory agents and recovered both physically and cognitively without sequelae. Conclusion SARS-CoV-2 infection may involve encephalitic involvement and psychological symptoms (including catatonia) after the infection by triggering autoimmune pathways.
Effect of CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 genotypes on atomoxetine serum levels: A study based on therapeutic drug monitoring data

Atomoxetine is mainly metabolized by CYP2D6 while CYP2C19 plays a secondary role. It is known that patients carrying genotypes encoding decreased/absent CYP2D6 metabolism obtain higher atomoxetine concentrations and are at increased risk of adverse effects. Here, we aimed to investigate the added effects of reduced‐function CYP2C19 genotype on atomoxetine concentrations in real‐world settings.
An Evaluation of Intraobserver Reliability versus Interobserver Agreement

Videotapes of humans driving a vehicle in the context of normal traffic were used to compare intraobserver reliability versus interobserver agreement of human observations. All observers were first trained and deemed to be at least 85% accurate in coding the occurrence of vehicle-following events (tailing), the duration of these events, and opportunities to use the appropriate turn signal. Intraobserver sessions, coded 48 hours apart, yielded consistently higher levels of agreement on the occurrence of each of the three target events than interobserver sessions coded 48 hours apart. Implications of the findings for the development of observation procedures sensitive to identifying sources of measurement error, such as observer drift and reactivity, are discussed. Comments about the susceptibility to measurement error of continuous versus discrete target behaviors are also presented.
Modeling of Heat and Mass Transfer in a Fractured Porous Medium

Abstract While fractured formations are possibly the most important contributors to the production of oil worldwide, modeling fractured formations with rigorous treatments has eluded reservoir engineers in the past. To date, one of the most commonly used fractured reservoir models remains the one that was suggested by Warren and Root nearly four decades ago. In this paper, a new model for fractures embedded in a porous medium is proposed. The model considers the Navier-Stokes equation in the fracture (channel flow) while using the Brinkman equation for the porous medium. Unlike the previous approach, the proposed model does not require the assumption of orthogonality of the fractures (sugar cube assumption) nor does it impose incorrect boundary conditions for the interface between the fracture and the porous medium. Also, the transfer coefficient between the fracture and matrix interface does not need to be specified, unlike the cases for which Darcy's law is used. In order to demonstrate the usefulness of the approach, a two-dimensional model of a fractured formation is developed and numerical simulation runs conducted. The proposed model is derived through a series of finite element modeling runs for various cases using the Navier-Stokes equation in the channel while maintaining the Brinkman equation in the porous medium. Various cases studied include different fracture orientations, fracture frequencies, and thermal and solutal constraints. The usefulness of the proposed model in modeling complex formations is discussed. Finally, a series of numerical runs also provided validity of the proposed model for the cases in which thermal and solutal effects are important. Such a study of double diffusive phenomena, coupled with forced convection, in the context of fractured formations has not been reported before.
Clinical Results After Intra-Cavitary Drainage Of Giant Bullae In Patients With Poor Pulmonary Reserves.

BACKGROUND Giant bullae (GB) are space occupying lesions associated with chronic respiratory symptoms. The aim of this study is to evaluate outcome of intra-cavitary tube drainage procedures (ITDP) in terms of clinical and radiological benefits. METHODS A prospective study was conducted in The Department of Thoracic Surgery, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi, from February 2021 to April 2022 after ethical approval. Patients above 12 years, with poor reserve and GB underwent clinical, radiological and laboratory assessment before and after ITDPs to document various studied parameters. RESULTS A total of 48 patients were included; thirty-two (66.7%) were males. Mean age was 46.7±12.14 years. Most common aetiology was COPD (28; 58.3%). GB were ≥10 cm in size in 36 (75%) with right upper lobe involvement in 20 (41.7%). Preoperative dyspnoea score of IV was seen in 41 (85.4%) and chest pain in 42(87.5%) patients. In 34(70.8%) patients, Monaldi procedure and in 14 (29.2%) Brompton technique was used. Dyspnoea score improved from grade IV to II (24/41; p=0.004) along with reduction in pain and cough (p=0.012; p=0.002), respectively. Improvement post operatively in oxygen saturation, forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (6.08±1.36%, 0.73±0.516 L and 0.57±0.07 L, respectively, p<0.001) was seen. Partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) and carbon dioxide improved by 40.6±4.82 (p=0.009) and 13.22±3.62mmHg (p=0.7). Improvement of PaO2 was associated with reduction in the size of bullae (9.33±5.13cm; p=0.006). Radiographical resolution was seen in 41 (87.5%) majorly within 2 months (21; 51.2%). Duration of hospital stay was 4.20±0.92 days with no mortality. Complications were seen in 25 (52.1%) patients. CONCLUSIONS Intra-cavitary tube drainage procedures allow both clinical and physiological improvement in patients with GB. They allow resolution of bullae in patients with poor reserves and help in expansion of underlying compressed lung, improving both the clinical symptoms and radiological picture.