Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Cross-Sectional Study on University Students’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Toward COVID-19 in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract. The unprecedented coronavirus pandemic is hitting the whole world, including the United Arab Emirates. Public awareness and adherence to the recommendations play a major role in managing a crisis of this magnitude which is largely affected by knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP). Hence, the aim of this study was to assess COVID-19–related KAP of the University of Sharjah (UOS) students and compare between health-related (HR) and non-HR (NHR) majors. A cross-sectional study was conducted in May 2020 in which 1,012 (481 health-related and 531 NHR) students participated via an online KAP questionnaire. The students’ sociodemographic characteristics and sources of information were also recorded, and data were analyzed. Students were aged 20–25 years, with an overall knowledge score of 72.4%, and the main source of their information was the Internet and social media (85.2%). Those in HR majors had a higher knowledge score (76%) than those in NHR students (69%). Regarding attitudes, both HR and NHR students demonstrated comparable and positive attitudes to curb the spread. With respect to practices, more NHR students used masks (92.3%), almost all the time than HR students (88.4%). HR students (99.4%) avoided crowded places and practiced social distancing more than NHR students (99.4% versus 97.4% and 97.7% versus 93.2%, respectively). In conclusion, UOS students demonstrated adequate knowledge, and possessed good attitudes and low-risk practices toward prevention of COVID-19. It is recommended that universities including UOS continue to use digital university communication platforms to regularly disseminate vital information in such emergencies.
International consensus statement on allergy and rhinology: rhinosinusitis 2021

The 5 years since the publication of the first International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Rhinosinusitis (ICAR‐RS) has witnessed foundational progress in our understanding and treatment of rhinologic disease. These advances are reflected within the more than 40 new topics covered within the ICAR‐RS‐2021 as well as updates to the original 140 topics. This executive summary consolidates the evidence‐based findings of the document.
Alcohol consumption increases non-adherence to ART among people living with HIV enrolled to the community-based care model in rural northern Uganda

Background Non-adherence to anti-retroviral therapy (ART) is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality among people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (PLHIV). Community-based ART delivery model offers a decentralized and patient-centered approach to care for PLHIV, with the advantage of improved adherence to ART hence good treatment outcomes. However, data are limited on the magnitude of non-adherence to ART among PLHIV enrolled to the community-based ART model of care. In this study, we determined the frequency of non-adherence to ART and the associated factors among PLHIV enrolled to the community-based ART delivery model in a large health facility in rural northern Uganda. Methods This analytic cross-sectional study randomly sampled participants from 21 community drug distribution points at the AIDS Support Organization (TASO) in Gulu district, northern Uganda. Data were collected using a standardized and pre-tested questionnaire, entered in Epi-Data and analyzed in Stata at univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses levels. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors independently associated with non-adherence to ART, reported using odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence level (CI). The level of statistical significance was 5%. Results Of 381 participants, 25 (6.6%) were non-adherent to ART and this was significantly associated with alcohol consumption (Adjusted (aOR), 3.24; 95% CI, 1.24–8.34). Other factors namely being single/or never married (aOR, 1.97; 95% CI, 0.62–6.25), monthly income exceeding 27 dollars (aOR, 1.36; 95% CI, 0.52–3.55), being on ART for more than 5 years (aOR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.23–1.59), receipt of health education on ART side effects (aOR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.12–1.05), and disclosure of HIV status (aOR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.04–3.20) were not associated with non-adherence in this setting. Conclusion Non-adherence to ART was low among PLHIV enrolled to community-based ART delivery model but increases with alcohol consumption. Accordingly, psychosocial support programs should focus on alcohol consumption.
Blood Neurofilament Light Chain: The Neurologist’s Troponin?

Blood neurofilament light chain (NfL) is a marker of neuro-axonal injury showing promising associations with outcomes of interest in several neurological conditions. Although initially discovered and investigated in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the recent development of ultrasensitive digital immunoassay technologies has enabled reliable detection in serum/plasma, obviating the need for invasive lumbar punctures for longitudinal assessment. The most evidence for utility relates to multiple sclerosis (MS) where it serves as an objective measure of both the inflammatory and degenerative pathologies that characterise this disease. In this review, we summarise the physiology and pathophysiology of neurofilaments before focusing on the technological advancements that have enabled reliable quantification of NfL in blood. As the test case for clinical translation, we then highlight important recent developments linking blood NfL levels to outcomes in MS and the next steps to be overcome before this test is adopted on a routine clinical basis.
Dual GIP and GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Tirzepatide Improves Beta-cell Function and Insulin Sensitivity in Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract Context Novel dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist (RA) tirzepatide demonstrated substantially greater glucose control and weight loss (WL) compared with selective GLP-1RA dulaglutide. Objective Explore mechanisms of glucose control by tirzepatide. Design Post hoc analyses of fasting biomarkers and multiple linear regression analysis. Setting Forty-seven sites in 4 countries. Patients or other Participants Three hundred and sixteen subjects with type 2 diabetes. Interventions Tirzepatide (1, 5, 10, 15 mg), dulaglutide (1.5 mg), placebo. Main Outcome Measures Analyze biomarkers of beta-cell function and insulin resistance (IR) and evaluate WL contributions to IR improvements at 26 weeks. Results Homeostatic model assessment (HOMA) 2-B significantly increased with dulaglutide and tirzepatide 5, 10, and 15 mg compared with placebo (P ≤ .02). Proinsulin/insulin and proinsulin/C-peptide ratios significantly decreased with tirzepatide 10 and 15 mg compared with placebo and dulaglutide (P ≤ .007). Tirzepatide 10 and 15 mg significantly decreased fasting insulin (P ≤ .033) and tirzepatide 10 mg significantly decreased HOMA2-IR (P = .004) compared with placebo and dulaglutide. Markers of improved insulin sensitivity (IS) adiponectin, IGFBP-1, and IGFBP-2 significantly increased by 1 or more doses of tirzepatide (P < .05). To determine whether improvements in IR were directly attributable to WL, multiple linear regression analysis with potential confounding variables age, sex, metformin, triglycerides, and glycated hemoglobin A1c was conducted. WL significantly (P ≤ .028) explained only 13% and 21% of improvement in HOMA2-IR with tirzepatide 10 and 15 mg, respectively. Conclusions Tirzepatide improved markers of IS and beta-cell function to a greater extent than dulaglutide. IS effects of tirzepatide were only partly attributable to WL, suggesting dual receptor agonism confers distinct mechanisms of glycemic control.
Effect of air-abrasion at pre- and/or post-sintered stage and hydrothermal aging on surface roughness, phase transformation, and flexural strength of multilayered monolithic zirconia.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of air-abrasion/sintering order and autoclave aging on the surface roughness (Ra), phase transformation, and biaxial flexural strength (BFS) of monolithic zirconia. A total of 104 monolithic zirconia specimens (Katana ML) were divided into eight groups according to airborne-particle abrasion protocols and hydrothermal aging: control (non-aged: C-, aged: C+), air-abrasion before sintering (BS-, BS+), air-abrasion after sintering (AS-, AS+), and air-abrasion before and after sintering (BAS-, BAS+). A steam autoclave was used for accelerated aging, and Ra values were measured with a surface profilometer. All specimens were analyzed by X-ray diffraction to determine any phase transformation on the zirconia surface. BFS was measured by using the piston-on-three-balls method. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy were performed on one specimen per group. BS and BAS groups showed higher Ra values compared with groups C and AS. The aging process significantly increased the monoclinic phase content of all specimens. Lower monoclinic levels were found in AS+ and BAS+ compared with other aged groups. The AS groups exhibited higher flexural strength values relative to control groups, whereas BS groups exhibited significantly lower flexural strength values (p < .05). There was no reduction in flexural strength by using the BAS protocol. Air-abrasion of zirconia at the pre-sintered stage only is not recommended in clinical use because of the remarkable decrease in flexural strength.
Meeting of Minds around Food Addiction: Insights from Addiction Medicine, Nutrition, Psychology, and Neurosciences

This review, focused on food addiction (FA), considers opinions from specialists with different expertise in addiction medicine, nutrition, health psychology, and behavioral neurosciences. The concept of FA is a recurring issue in the clinical description of abnormal eating. Even though some tools have been developed to diagnose FA, such as the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) questionnaire, the FA concept is not recognized as an eating disorder (ED) so far and is even not mentioned in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental Disorders version 5 (DSM-5) or the International Classification of Disease (ICD-11). Its triggering mechanisms and relationships with other substance use disorders (SUD) need to be further explored. Food addiction (FA) is frequent in the overweight or obese population, but it remains unclear whether it could articulate with obesity-related comorbidities. As there is currently no validated therapy against FA in obese patients, FA is often underdiagnosed and untreated, so that FA may partly explain failure of obesity treatment, addiction transfer, and weight regain after obesity surgery. Future studies should assess whether a dedicated management of FA is associated with better outcomes, especially after obesity surgery. For prevention and treatment purposes, it is necessary to promote a comprehensive psychological approach to FA. Understanding the developmental process of FA and identifying precociously some high-risk profiles can be achieved via the exploration of the environmental, emotional, and cognitive components of eating, as well as their relationships with emotion management, some personality traits, and internalized weight stigma. Under the light of behavioral neurosciences and neuroimaging, FA reveals a specific brain phenotype that is characterized by anomalies in the reward and inhibitory control processes. These anomalies are likely to disrupt the emotional, cognitive, and attentional spheres, but further research is needed to disentangle their complex relationship and overlap with obesity and other forms of SUD. Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment must rely on a multidisciplinary coherence to adapt existing strategies to FA management and to provide social and emotional support to these patients suffering from highly stigmatized medical conditions, namely overweight and addiction. Multi-level interventions could combine motivational interviews, cognitive behavioral therapies, and self-help groups, while benefiting from modern exploratory and interventional tools to target specific neurocognitive processes.
Physician Practice Patterns in Holding Inflammatory Bowel Disease Medications due to COVID-19, in the SECURE-IBD Registry

Abstract Background We aimed to describe physician practice patterns in holding or continuing IBD therapy in the setting of COVID-19 infection, using the Surveillance Epidemiology of Coronavirus Under Research Exclusion for Inflammatory Bowel Disease [SECURE-IBD] registry. Methods IBD medications that were stopped due to COVID-19 were recorded in the SECURE-IBD registry in addition to demographic and clinical data. We conducted descriptive analyses to understand characteristics associated with stopping IBD medications in response to active COVID-19 infection. Results Of 1499 patients, IBD medications were stopped in 518 [34.6%] patients. On bivariate and multivariable analyses, a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis or IBD-unspecified was associated with a lower odds of stopping medication compared with Crohn’s disease (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.48, 0.75). When evaluating specific medications, 5-aminosalicylic acid was more likely to be continued [p <0.001] whereas anti-tumour necrosis factor therapy and immunomodulator therapy were more likely to be stopped [global p <0.001]. Other demographic and clinical characteristics did not affect prescription patterns. Conclusions IBD medications other than immunomodulators were continued in the majority of IBD patients with COVID-19, in the international SECURE-IBD registry. Future studies are needed to understand the impact of stopping or continuing IBD medications on IBD- and COVID-19 related outcomes.
A Systematic Literature Review on Depopulation Methods for Swine

Simple Summary Mass depopulation involves ending the life of large numbers of animals due to emergency situations, for example, disease epidemics and environmental disasters. Depopulation should be conducted in a way that assures rapid and reliable unconsciousness followed by death. Our review article aimed to summarize depopulation methods available for swine and to highlight gaps in knowledge to guide the focus of future research. Our findings showed that the majority of research has been conducted with inhalable gaseous formulations (e.g., CO2) and that there was a lack of research in methods such as the use of captive bolts, electrocution, and oral formulations. Furthermore, our literature review showed a lack of research in the areas of worker safety, worker emotional health, and on validation of animal-based measures to be used for depopulation welfare assessments. Finally, a safe and reliable manner to induce unconsciousness and death for large populations of swine is lacking and urgently needed for preparedness purposes. Abstract Swine mass depopulation refers to the destruction of large numbers of pigs and may include not only animals affected with a disease but also healthy pigs in a facility or surrounding areas. Emerging applications of mass depopulation include reducing welfare issues associated with slaughter delays, which was observed in the United States in 2020 as a result of the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The objectives of this review were to summarize the available literature on swine depopulation methods and to highlight critical gaps in knowledge. Peer-reviewed articles were identified through a systematic search in electronic databases including Web of Science, MEDLINE, and PubMed. A total of 68 publications were assessed. Gaseous carbon dioxide inhalation was the most commonly reported depopulation method for both small- and large-scale trials. Measurements of consciousness state, which serves to assess suffering and humaneness, appeared to be lacking in a high proportion of the studies. None of the published studies demonstrated an ideally reliable and safe way to induce rapid unconsciousness in large groups of pigs. Development of rapid mass depopulation methods applicable to large groups of pigs is necessary to provide industry partners with suitable and low-cost emergency preparedness procedures while adhering to personnel safety and animal welfare standards. Lastly, there is an urgent need to standardize comprehensive reporting guidelines for depopulation studies.
Barriers to HIV testing as reported by individuals newly diagnosed with HIV infection in Sweden

ABSTRACT Despite the availability of free and anonymous HIV testing almost 60% of Swedish patients are diagnosed late. Identifying predictors of different types of barriers could inform policy makers and health care of interventions to increase testing where needed. This cross-sectional study aimed to describe and analyze barriers to HIV testing as reported by Swedish patients newly diagnosed with HIV infection. N = 285 patients completed the 18-item Barriers to HIV Testing Scale – Karolinska Version. Descriptive analysis and logistic regressions were performed to assess the prevalence of barriers and to identify predictors for the different investigated barriers. Barriers to testing were reported by 60%. Approximately 67% of patients originating from Sweden, 50% from Sub-Saharan Africa and 75% from Eastern European/East Asian countries reported barriers. Patients who were younger and patients who self-initiated HIV testing, had greater odds of reporting a barrier than older individuals and those who were offered a test through screening or by a healthcare professional. To counteract barriers that still exist on an individual level, healthcare-initiated HIV testing could be offered more broadly and information about risks for transmission and effectiveness of HIV treatment still needs to be disseminated among both people born in Sweden and different migrant groups.
How decisions about fitting species distribution models affect conservation outcomes

Species distribution models (SDMs) are increasingly used in conservation and land‐use planning as inputs to describe biodiversity patterns. These models can be built in different ways, and decisions about data preparation, selection of predictor variables, model fitting, and evaluation all alter the resulting predictions. Commonly, the true distribution of species is unknown and independent data to verify which SDM variant to choose are lacking. Such model uncertainty is of concern to planners. We analyzed how 11 routine decisions about model complexity, predictors, bias treatment, and setting thresholds for predicted values altered conservation priority patterns across 25 species. Models were created with MaxEnt and run through Zonation to determine the priority rank of sites. Although all SDM variants performed well (area under the curve >0.7), they produced spatially different predictions for species and different conservation priority solutions. Priorities were most strongly altered by decisions to not address bias or to apply binary thresholds to predicted values; on average 40% and 35%, respectively, of all grid cells received an opposite priority ranking. Forcing high model complexity altered conservation solutions less than forcing simplicity (14% and 24% of cells with opposite rank values, respectively). Use of fewer species records to build models or choosing alternative bias treatments had intermediate effects (25% and 23%, respectively). Depending on modeling choices, priority areas overlapped as little as 10–20% with the baseline solution, affecting top and bottom priorities differently. Our results demonstrate the extent of model‐based uncertainty and quantify the relative impacts of SDM building decisions. When it is uncertain what the best SDM approach and conservation plan is, solving uncertainty or considering alterative options is most important for those decisions that change plans the most.
The Early Impact of the Covid-19 Emergency on Mental Health Workers: A Survey in Lombardy, Italy

Lombardy was the epicenter of the Covid-19 outbreak in Italy, and in March 2020 the rapid escalation in cases prompted the Italian Government to decree a mandatory lockdown and to introduce safety practices in mental health services. The general objective of the study is to evaluate the early impact of the Covid-19 emergency and quarantine on the well-being and work practices of mental health service personnel and professionals. Data were collected through an online survey of workers and professionals working with people with mental health problems in Lombardy in several outpatient and inpatient services. Their socio-demographic characteristics, professional background, description of working conditions during lockdown and psychological distress levels were collected. All analyses were performed on a sample of 241. Approximately, 31% of the participants obtained a severe score in at least one of the burnout dimensions, 11.6% showed moderate or severe levels of anxiety, and 6.6% had a moderate or severe level of depression. Different work conditions and patterns of distress were found for outpatient service workers and inpatient service workers. The overall impact of the Covid-19 emergency on mental health workers’ level of distress was mild, although a significant number of workers experienced severe levels of depersonalization and anxiety. More research is needed to assess specific predictive factors.
A case study of improved cook stoves in primate conservation from Democratic Republic of Congo

Human communities living near nonhuman primate habitats often depend on wood from forests for their energy needs. Improving the efficiency of local cook stoves is a potential “win‐win” solution that is commonly promoted to protect forests and improve human health and development. Despite the popularity of improved stove projects in primate conservation, few outcomes have been formally published. As a result, it is currently unclear whether this approach is a wise investment of limited conservation funds. This paper describes a pilot study conducted by the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center to evaluate the potential for using improved stoves for the conservation of an important habitat for Grauer's gorillas and chimpanzees in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Community surveys and observations of human forest use revealed a heavy local reliance on forest‐derived wood. Wood was the main source of fuel used in households, the most highly valued forest resource, and the primary resource extracted during forest observations. It was primarily collected by women and children. The use of traditional, inefficient three‐stone hearths for cooking was also widespread. A 2‐year campaign using a community‐based social marketing approach resulted in an increase in improved stove installations from 18% to 78% of households in one village. After stove adoption, weekly household wood consumption was reduced by half. Campaign elements that showed promise include promotion using women's networks and intensive follow‐up assessment and support. We conclude that, if scaled up, improved stoves may be a useful strategy for reducing encroachment into our target protected area but that successful implementation will require a significant long‐term commitment with evaluation and oversight. It is recommended that before investing in improved stoves, primate conservation projects take long‐term and evaluation requirements into consideration.