Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impaired Fasting Plasma Glucose is a Risk indicator of Interventricular Septum Thickening among Non-Diabetic Subjects with Obesity.

AIMS To evaluate whether progressively higher fasting plasma glucose (FPG) is associated to thickening of the interventricular septum (IVS) among non-diabetic subjects with obesity. METHODOLOGY We studied 227 consecutive non diabetic patients (155 women and 72 men, age range 18-72 years) with overweight or obesity (BMI≥25 Kg/m2), taking no medication or supplement. Hormonal, metabolic and routine laboratory parameters were collected. Echocardiography and ultrasonography echo-color Doppler of intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery (IMT-CCA) were performed to evaluate intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery (IVST) and early signs of atherosclerosis, respectively, in all enrolled subjects. RESULTS Of the 227 subjects, 48.9% had higher IVST values. Age (p 0.04), waist circumference (p 0.01), systolic (p <0.01) and diastolic blood pressure (p <0.01), FPG (p <0.01), insulin (p 0.04), HOMA IR (p = 0.01), uric acid (p <0.01) serum levels, IMT-CCA (p <0.01), and left atrial diameter (LAD) (p <0.01) were significantly higher in subjects with pathological IVST. Logistic regression models demonstrated an independent relation of FPG to IVST, both in semi and fully adjusted models (ORs 1.045 and 1.039, respectively). Moreover, graph presentation of the ORs and 95% CIs by FPG quintiles showed a positive risk trend for pathological IVST. CONCLUSIONS Higher FPG levels represent an independent sensitive predictor of IVS thickening in subjects with obesity, even before overt diabetes. These results emphasize the importance of preventive management of the diabetes risk in obesity.
Novel classifications for systemic sclerosis: challenging historical subsets to unlock new doors

Purpose of review Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a severe rheumatic disease characterized by a considerable heterogeneity in clinical presentations and pathophysiological mechanisms. This variability has a substantial impact on morbidity and mortality and limits the generalizability of clinical trial results. This review aims to highlight recent studies that have proposed new innovative approaches to decipher this heterogeneity, in particular, by attempting to optimize disease classification. Recent findings The historical dichotomy limited/diffuse subsets based on cutaneous involvement has been challenged by studies highlighting an underestimated heterogeneity between these two subtypes and showing that presence of organ damage and autoantibody profiles markedly influenced survival beyond skin extension. Advanced computational methods using unsupervised machine learning analyses of clinical variables and/or high-throughput omics technologies, clinical variables trajectories modelling overtime or radiomics have provided significant insights on key pathogenic processes that could help defining new subgroups beyond the diffuse/limited subsets. Summary We can anticipate that a future classification of SSc patients will integrate innovative approaches encompassing clinical phenotypes, variables trajectories, serological features and innovative omics molecular signatures. It nevertheless seems crucial to also pursue the implementation and standardization of readily available and easy to use tools that can be used in clinical practice.
Youth Weigh In: Views on Advanced Neurotechnology for Drug-Resistant Epilepsy

Background: Epilepsy affects over 500,000 children in North America of whom 30% have drug-resistant epilepsy. Advancements with neurotechnologies show promising benefits, but the perceptions of these procedures by youth is unknown. Methods: We conducted semistructured interviews with 10 youth in British Columbia, Canada who underwent procedures for drug-resistant epilepsy involving different forms of neurotechnology (subdural grids, vagus nerve stimulation, responsive neurostimulation). Interviews were analyzed using the constant comparative qualitative method. Results: Four major thematic categories emerged from the interviews. Treatment values, impact of the disorder, personal context, and impact of neurotechnology. Conclusions: Besides the predictable goal of seizure reduction, a desire for autonomy and the importance of trust in the medical team emerged as dominant values within the 4 thematic categories that were explicit to the use of new neurotechnologies for the management of drug-resistant epilepsy.
A cluster analysis of purging disorder: Validation analyses with eating disorder symptoms, general psychopathology and personality.

OBJECTIVES To assess the natural grouping of Purging Disorder (PD) patients based on purging symptomatology and to evaluate the derived classes (a) against each other and (b) to a control group on a range of clinical and psychological measures. METHOD Participants included 223 PD women consecutively admitted to a tertiary ED treatment centre and 822 controls. Purging behaviours (self-induced vomiting, laxative and diuretic use) were used as indicators, while the EDI-2 (ED symptoms), the SCL-90-R (general psychopathology), and the TCI-R (personality traits) were used as validators. RESULTS Three distinct PD clusters emerged: Cluster 1 (only self-induced vomiting), Cluster 2 (self-induced vomiting and laxative use) and Cluster 3 (all purging methods). Significant differences between Cluster 1 and Cluster 3 were found for the EDI-2 drive for thinness and perfectionism subscales, and the TCI-persistence scale. All clusters differed significantly from the controls on all the EDI-2 and the SCL-90-R scales, but findings for the TCI-R scales were less consistent. CONCLUSIONS This study adds to a growing literature on the validity and distinctiveness of PD and provides evidence of dimensional symptom differences amongst PD clusters.
Robo-investment aversion

In five experiments (N = 3,828), we investigate whether people prefer investment decisions to be made by human investment managers rather than by algorithms (“robos”). In all of the studies we investigate morally controversial companies, as it is plausible that a preference for humans as investment managers becomes exacerbated in areas where machines are less competent, such as morality. In Study 1, participants rated the permissibility of an algorithm to autonomously exclude morally controversial stocks from investment portfolios as lower than if a human fund manager did the same; this finding was not different if participants were informed that such exclusions might be financially disadvantageous for them. In Study 2, we show that this robo-investment aversion manifests itself both when considering investment in controversial and non-controversial industries. In Study 3, our findings show that robo-investment aversion is also present when algorithms are given the autonomy to increase investment in controversial stocks. In Studies 4 and 5, we investigate choices between actual humans and an algorithm. In Study 4 –which was incentivized–participants show no robo-investment aversion, but are significantly less likely to choose machines as investment managers for controversial stocks. In contrast, in Study 5 robo-investment aversion is present, but it is not different across controversial and non-controversial stocks. Overall, our findings show a considerable mean effect size for robo-investment aversion (d = –0.39 [–0.45, –0.32]). This suggests that algorithm aversion extends to the financial realm, supporting the existence of a barrier for the adoption of innovative financial technologies (FinTech).
COVID‐19 infection in patients on anti‐complement therapy: The Leeds National Paroxysmal Nocturnal Haemoglobinuria service experience

Following a recent case series in the BJH, we report our experience of COVID-19 from the Leeds Paroxysmal Nocturnal Haemoglobinuria (PNH) national service. Understanding the pathophysiology of the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic is needed to develop effective treatments. Inflammation as a consequence of the host immune response is increasingly recognised in development of serious complications. Critically ill patients develop an ARDS-like illness, with over-activation of complement and coagulation pathways implicated in tissue damage. Consequently, immunomodulatory therapies represent a logical investigational approach. Several complement inhibitors are under investigation (NCT04346797, NCT04355494, NCT04288713, NCT04369469, NCT04390464) and Diurno et al. reported positive outcomes from 4 ITU patients treated with eculizumab. Complement inhibitors already have established roles in treatment of several rare diseases including PNH. Kulasekararaj et al. recently suggested that patients on C5 inhibitors may have a milder disease course based on 4 patients with PNH and COVID-19, 2 of whom were on eculizumab. Our first 4 cases (characteristics in Table 1) were less fortunate, requiring hospitalisation despite complement inhibition; one of these patients died of COVID-19. PNH is a rare clonal haematological disorder due to an acquired PIG-A gene mutation in haematopoietic stem cells, leading to a lack of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins on haematopoietic cells. This leads to risk of thromboembolic disease and complement-mediated haemolysis. Complement inhibitors have revolutionised PNH management and established treatments target terminal complement protein 5 (C5) with the monoclonal antibody eculizumab (Soliris) and latterly the longer acting ravulizumab (Ultomiris). Several other complement inhibitors are in trial or development. C5 is important in innate immune defence against Neisserial infection, thus there is risk of meningococcal sepsis with C5 inhibition. Our centre has 18 years’ experience using complement inhibitors and currently has 618 patients, with 237 on anti-complement therapy.
Clinical factors affecting evoked magnetic fields in patients with Parkinson's disease

Studies on evoked responses in Parkinson’s disease (PD) may be useful for elucidating the etiology and quantitative evaluation of PD. However, in previous studies, the association between evoked responses and detailed motor symptoms or cognitive functions has not been clear. This study investigated the characteristics of the visual (VEF), auditory (AEF), and somatosensory (SEF) evoked magnetic fields in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD), and the correlations between evoked fields and the patient’s clinical characteristics, motor symptoms, and cognitive functions. Twenty patients with PD and 10 healthy controls (HCs) were recruited as participants. We recorded VEF, AEF, and SEF, collected clinical characteristics, performed physical examinations, and administered 10 cognitive tests. We investigated differences in the latencies of the evoked fields between patients with PD and HCs. We also evaluated the correlation of the latencies with motor symptoms and cognitive functioning. There were significant differences between the two groups in 6 of the cognitive tests, all of which suggested mild cognitive impairment in patients with PD. The latencies of the VEF N75m, P100m, N145m, AEF P50m, P100m, and SEF P60m components were greater in the patients with PD than in the HCs. The latencies mainly correlated with medication and motor symptoms, less so with cognitive tests, with some elements of the correlations remaining significant after Bonferroni correction. In conclusion, the latencies of the VEF, AEF, and SEF were greater in PD patients than in HCs and were mainly correlated with medication and motor symptoms rather than cognitive functioning. Findings from this study suggest that evoked fields may reflect basal ganglia functioning and are candidates for assessing motor symptoms or the therapeutic effects of medication in patients with PD.
THE FIRST RECORD OF CYCLOPS BOHATER KOZMINSKI (COPEPODA, CYCLOPOIDA) IN CROATIA AND THE BALKAN PENINSULA

,1996) and measured individuals marked with numbers from 1 to 4. 1. Body length (mm);2. Antennule with 17 segments; 3. Antennule reaching end of the second pedigeroussomite; 4. Length : width of caudal rami; 5. Inner caudal rami margin with hair setae; 6.Terminal accessory seta : caudal rami; 7. Terminal accessory seta : body length; 8. Innerterminal seta : terminal accessory seta; 9. Inner terminal seta : body length; 10. Outerterminal seta : caudal rami; 11. Outer terminal seta % body length; 12. Posterolateralseta : terminal accessory seta; 13. Posterolateral seta : caudal rami; 14. Dorsal seta longerthen posterolateral seta; 15. Spine formula; 16. First segment of the antenna has severalgroups of spines.
Verbal memory dysfunction is associated with alterations in brain transcriptome in dominant temporal lobe epilepsy

Memory dysfunction is prevalent in many neurological disorders and can have a significant negative impact on quality of life. The genetic contributions to memory impairment in epilepsy, particularly temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), remain poorly understood. Here, we compare the brain transcriptome between TLE patients with and without verbal memory impairments to identify genes and signaling networks important for episodic memory.
Learning Long-Term Structural Dependencies for Video Salient Object Detection

Existing video salient object detection (VSOD) methods focus on exploring either short-term or long-term temporal information. However, temporal information is exploited in a global frame-level or regular grid structure, neglecting inter-frame structural dependencies. In this article, we propose to learn long-term structural dependencies with a structure-evolving graph convolutional network (GCN). Particularly, we construct a graph for the entire video using a fast supervoxel segmentation method, in which each node is connected according to spatio-temporal structural similarity. We infer the inter-frame structural dependencies of salient object using convolutional operations on the graph. To prune redundant connections in the graph and better adapt to the moving salient object, we present an adaptive graph pooling to evolve the structure of the graph by dynamically merging similar nodes, learning better hierarchical representations of the graph. Experiments on six public datasets show that our method outperforms all other state-of-the-art methods. Furthermore, We also demonstrate that our proposed adaptive graph pooling can effectively improve the supervoxel algorithm in the term of segmentation accuracy.
An Improved Method for Predicting Structure Class of 27-Class Protein Folds Using Increment of Diversity

The protein secondary structure recognition is an important step to search protein tertiary structure,and the recognition of protein folds and structure class may enhance the prediction accuracy of secondary structure and tertiary structure.According to the primary structure of proteins,an improved method for predicting structure class of 27-class protein folds is proposed.Based on the increment of diversity algorithm,a set of classifieries is built by different characteristic parameters,such as dipeptide composition,predicted secondary structure,pseudo amino acid composition and position weight matrix score.Then the outcomes of various classifieries are fused with weighted factors,and a better result is obtained.
Risk factors of lobar lymph node metastases in non-primary tumor-bearing lobes among the patients of non-small-cell lung cancer

Purpose Lobar lymph node metastases in non-primary tumor-bearing lobes (NTBL) are rarely reported. This study examined the risk factors of lobar lymph node metastasis in NTBL. Methods We retrospectively studied 301 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who underwent surgical pulmonary resection with systematic lymph node dissection plus extended lobar lymph node dissection of NTBL. Patients were classified into positive and negative NTBL groups. Unconditional logistic regression was used to identify the risk factors for lobar lymph node metastasis in NTBL. Results NTBL lobar lymph nodes were identified in 38 patients (12.6%). A higher proportion of adenocarcinomas occurred in the positive NTBL group compared to the negative NTBL group (73.7% vs. 46.4%, P = 0.01). Risk of NTBL lobar lymph node metastases was significantly elevated in the lower lobe of primary site compared to the upper lobe (OR = 2.61, 95% CI = 1.26–5.75, P = 0.01), and with adenocarcinomas compared to squamous cell carcinomas (OR = 2.75, 95% CI = 1.09–7.65, P = 0.04). No differences were observed when comparing left and right lobes. NTBL lobar lymph node metastasis was most often observed among patients with larger tumor size, N1/N2 nodal involvement, with lymph vascular invasion (LVI), and visceral pleural invasion (VPI). Conclusion NTBL lobar lymph node metastases occurred more often in patients with a primary NSCLC tumor in the lower lobe, with adenocarcinomas, larger tumor size, N1/N2 nodal involvement, LVI or VPI. Extended lymphadenectomy including NTBL nodes may be clinically advantageous when these risk factors are present.
Assessing the potential impact of COVID-19 on life expectancy

Background The COVID-19 virus pandemic has caused a significant number of deaths worldwide. If the prevalence of the infection continues to grow, this could impact life expectancy. This paper provides first estimates of the potential direct impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on period life expectancy. Methods From the estimates of bias-adjusted age-specific infection fatality rates in Hubei (China) and a range of six prevalence rate assumptions ranging from 1% to 70%, we built a discrete-time microsimulation model that simulates the number of people infected by COVID-19, the number dying from it, and the number of deaths from all causes week by week for a period of one year. We applied our simulation to four broad regions: North America and Europe; Latin America and the Caribbean; Southeastern Asia; and sub-Saharan African. For each region, 100,000 individuals per each 5-year age group are simulated. Results At a 10% COVID-19 prevalence rate, the loss in life expectancy at birth is likely above 1 year in North America and Europe and in Latin America and the Caribbean. In Southeastern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, one year lost in life expectancy corresponds to an infection prevalence of about 15% and 25%, respectively. Given the uncertainty in fatality rates, with a 50% prevalence of COVID-19 infections under 95% prediction intervals, life expectancy would drop by 3 to 9 years in North America and Europe, by 3 to 8 years in Latin America and the Caribbean, by 2 to 7 years in Southeastern Asia, and by 1 to 4 years in sub-Saharan Africa. In all prevalence scenarios, as long as the COVID-19 infection prevalence rate remains below 1 or 2%, COVID-19 would not affect life expectancy in a substantial manner. Interpretation In regions with relatively high life expectancy, if the infection prevalence threshold exceeds 1 or 2%, the COVID-19 pandemic will break the secular trend of increasing life expectancy, resulting in a decline in period life expectancy. With life expectancy being a key indicator of human development, mortality increase, especially among the vulnerable subgroups of populations, would set a country back on its path of human development.
Multimodal Non-Contact Luminescence Thermometry with Cr-Doped Oxides

Luminescence methods for non-contact temperature monitoring have evolved through improvements of hardware and sensor materials. Future advances in this field rely on the development of multimodal sensing capabilities of temperature probes and extend the temperature range across which they operate. The family of Cr-doped oxides appears particularly promising and we review their luminescence characteristics in light of their application in non-contact measurements of temperature over the 5–300 K range. Multimodal sensing utilizes the intensity ratio of emission lines, their wavelength shift, and the scintillation decay time constant. We carried out systematic studies of the temperature-induced changes in the luminescence of the Cr3+-doped oxides Al2O3, Ga2O3, Y3Al5O12, and YAlO3. The mechanism responsible for the temperature-dependent luminescence characteristic is discussed in terms of relevant models. It is shown that the thermally-induced processes of particle exchange, governing the dynamics of Cr3+ ion excited state populations, require low activation energy. This then translates into tangible changes of a luminescence parameter with temperature. We compare different schemes of temperature sensing and demonstrate that Ga2O3-Cr is a promising material for non-contact measurements at cryogenic temperatures. A temperature resolution better than ±1 K can be achieved by monitoring the luminescence intensity ratio (40–140 K) and decay time constant (80–300 K range).
SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Role for S1P/S1P Receptor Signaling in the Nervous System?

The recent coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is still spreading worldwide. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for COVID-19, binds to its receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), and replicates within the cells of the nasal cavity, then spreads along the airway tracts, causing mild clinical manifestations, and, in a majority of patients, a persisting loss of smell. In some individuals, SARS-CoV-2 reaches and infects several organs, including the lung, leading to severe pulmonary disease. SARS-CoV-2 induces neurological symptoms, likely contributing to morbidity and mortality through unknown mechanisms. Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) is a bioactive sphingolipid with pleiotropic properties and functions in many tissues, including the nervous system. S1P regulates neurogenesis and inflammation and it is implicated in multiple sclerosis (MS). Notably, Fingolimod (FTY720), a modulator of S1P receptors, has been approved for the treatment of MS and is being tested for COVID-19. Here, we discuss the putative role of S1P on viral infection and in the modulation of inflammation and survival in the stem cell niche of the olfactory epithelium. This could help to design therapeutic strategies based on S1P-mediated signaling to limit or overcome the host–virus interaction, virus propagation and the pathogenesis and complications involving the nervous system.