Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cannabis use in relation to Pulse Pressure and Mean Arterial Pressure in US Adults

Background: Pulse pressure (PP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) have been well-established as markers of cardiovascular risk in clinical settings. We aimed to determine the impact of cannabis use on both PP and MAP in U.S. adults and to assess the modifying role of sex. Methods: We abstracted data from the 2009 to 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination survey (NHANES). Cannabis use was assessed by NHANES professionals in adults aged 18 to 59 years by using computer-assisted self-interviews. We defined PP as the difference between systolic and diastolic BP, and MAP as diastolic BP plus one third of PP. We used multivariable linear models to estimate the covariates-adjusted associations and assessed effect modification by including sexxexposure interaction terms into the model. Results: The mean age of the study population (n=8,942) was 35.0{+/-}11.9 years, with 51% female (n=4,551). Mean{+/-}SD PP and MAP were 46{+/-}13 mm Hg and 82{+/-}13 mm Hg, respectively. We found a significant interaction between sex and cannabis use in relation to PP (P=0.0878) and no interaction when modeling MAP (P=0.2084). The mean difference of PP between cannabis users and never-users increased with the frequency of use per week, being +4.5 mm Hg (P=0.0004) in those who reported 1 use/week, +4.9 mm Hg (P<0.0001) for 2-3 uses/week and +4.9 mm Hg (P<0.0001) for [≥] 4 uses/week. In females, only those who reported [≥] 4 uses/week showed a higher PP (+3.1 mm Hg; P=0.0050) compared with never-users. Conclusions: In US adults aged 18 to 59 years, cannabis use is associated with widening of PP in males.
Clinical Knowledge and Reasoning Abilities of AI Large Language Models in Anesthesiology: A Comparative Study on the ABA Exam

Over the past decade, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has expanded significantly with increased adoption across various industries, including medicine. Recently, AI's large language models such as GPT-3, Bard, and GPT-4 have demonstrated remarkable language capabilities. While previous studies have explored their potential in general medical knowledge tasks, here we assess their clinical knowledge and reasoning abilities in a specialized medical context. We study and compare their performances on both the written and oral portions of the comprehensive and challenging American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) exam, which evaluates candidates' knowledge and competence in anesthesia practice. In addition, we invited two board examiners to evaluate AI's answers without disclosing to them the origin of those responses. Our results reveal that only GPT- 4 successfully passed the written exam, achieving an accuracy of 78% on the basic section and 80% on the advanced section. In comparison, the less recent or smaller GPT-3 and Bard models scored 58% and 47% on the basic exam, and 50% and 46% on the advanced exam, respectively. Consequently, only GPT-4 was evaluated in the oral exam, with examiners concluding that it had a high likelihood of passing the actual ABA exam. Additionally, we observe that these models exhibit varying degrees of proficiency across distinct topics, which could serve as an indicator of the relative quality of information contained in the corresponding training datasets. This may also act as a predictor for determining which anesthesiology subspecialty is most likely to witness the earliest integration with AI.
AI-based Model CRM to Evaluate the Responses of Breast Cancer Patients to CDK4/6 Inhibitors-Based Therapies and Simulate Real-World Clinical Trials

Breast cancer patients exhibit diverse responses to CDK4/6 inhibitor (CDK4/6i)-based therapies, and identifying eligible patients remains a challenge. Artificial intelligence (AI) has demonstrated the potential to address complex clinical problems. Here, we applied a novel AI-based approach, named as CDK4/6i Response Model (CRM), which combined a previously published method and a scoring model based on random forest algorithm for evaluating breast cancer patients' sensitivity to CDK4/6i-based therapies. To train the CRM, we transformed the genomic data of 980 breast cancer patients from the TCGA database into signaling pathway activity profiles (APSP) by utilizing the modified Damage Assessment of Genomic Mutations (DAGM) algorithm. To mimic the mechanism of action of CDK4/6 inhibitors, a scoring model was then trained to classify the HR+/HER2- and HR-/HER2- breast cancer molecular subtypes by the differential APSP features between the two, which reasonably reflected the potential role played by CDK4/6 molecules in HR+/HER2- breast cancer cells. The effectiveness of the CRM's ability was verified by accurately classifying HR+/HER2- and HR-/HER2- breast cancer patients in a separate local patient cohort (n = 343) in Guangdong, China. Significantly, the scores were observed to be distinct (p = 0.025) between CDK4/6i-treated patients with different responses. Furthermore, breast cancer patients belonging to different subtypes were grouped into five distinct populations based on the scores assigned by the CRM. The results showed not only the heterogenetic responses across subtypes but also more than half of HR+/HER2+ patients might be benefited from CDK4/6i-based treatment. The CRM empowered us to conduct in-silico clinical trials (ICT) on different types of cancer patients responding to CDK4/6i-based therapies. In this study, we performed twin ICT of previously disclosed clinical trials (NCT02246621, NCT02079636, NCT03155997, NCT02513394, NCT02675231), and observed concerted results as the real-world clinical outcomes. These findings show the potential of CRM as a companion diagnostic for CDK4/6i-based therapies and demonstrate promising applications by ICT to guide pan-cancer treatment using CDK4/6 inhibitors in the clinical ends.
Systematic review search strategies are poorly described and not reproducible: a cross-sectional meta-research study

Objective: To determine the reproducibility of biomedical systematic review search strategies. Design: Cross-sectional meta-research study. Population: Random sample of 100 systematic reviews indexed in MEDLINE in November 2021. Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome measure is the percentage of systematic reviews for which all database searches can be reproduced. This was operationalized as fulfilling six key PRISMA-S reporting guideline items (database name, multi-database searching, full search strategies, limits and restrictions, date(s) of searches, and total records) and having all database searches reproduced within 10% of the number of original results. Results: The 100 systematic review articles contained 453 database searches. Of those, 214 (47.2%) provided complete database information (named the database and platform; PRISMA-S item 1). Only 22 (4.9%) database searches reported all six PRISMA-S items. Forty-seven (10.4%) database searches could be reproduced within 10% of the number of results from the original search; 6 searches differed by more than 1000% between the originally reported number of results and the reproduction. Only one systematic review article provided the necessary details for all database searches to be fully reproducible. Conclusion: Systematic review search reporting is poor. As systematic reviews and clinical practice guidelines based upon them continue to proliferate, so does research waste. To correct this will require a multi-faceted response from systematic review authors, peer reviewers, journal editors, and database providers.
Determinants of obesity among rural adolescents in Vhembe district, Limpopo Province, South Africa

The increased prevalence of obesity is due to a decreased level of physical activity and increased intake of fast food. Furthermore, obesity among children and adolescent is a risk factor for life-threatening conditions including cardiovascular diseases (CVD), Cardio-metabolic disorders, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cancer and reproductive disorders. The aim of this study is to describe the determinants of obesity. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a total of 377 adolescents aged 13 to 20 years from 16 secondary schools in Thulamela Municipality, Vhembe District Limpopo Province, South Africa. Information about socio-demographic characteristics, household income, disease family history, and level of education of parents was obtained using a self-administered questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements such as weight, height and waist circumference were taken by trained field workers and body mass index (BMI), and the waist-hip ratio were determined. Biochemical measurements and clinical assessment were done by a professional nurse following standard procedures. The prevalence of obesity is 22.2% in males and 32.6% in females by abdominal obesity by (waist circumference), whilst 11.1% (males) and 28.3% (females) by waist to hip ratio (WHR). Gender ({beta}=0.32, p=0.018, 95%CI); age ({beta}=1.28, p=0.015, 95%CI); source of income ({beta}=3.25, p=0.008, 95%CI) and systolic blood pressure ({beta}=1.04, p=0.01, 95%CI) were associated with obesity. Overweight and obesity were more prevalent in females than in males in Thulamela municipality. There is a need to bring up children and adolescents in a health-promoting environment in an effort to reverse and stop the increasing trend of overweight and obesity.
Golf Ball Aerodynamics

A wind tunnel technique has been developed to measure the aerodynamic forces acting on golf balls over a wide range of Reynolds number and spin rate. Balls with round dimples and hexagonal dimples have been investigated. The dimples are found to induce a critical Reynolds number behaviour at a lower value of Reynolds number than that experienced by a smooth sphere and beyond this point, unlike the behaviour of a sand-roughened sphere, there is little dependence of the forces on further increases in Reynolds number. A hexagonally-dimpled ball has a higher lift coefficient and a slightly lower drag coefficient than a conventional round-dimpled ball. Trajectories are calculated using the aerodynamic data and the ranges are compared with data obtained from a driving machine on a golf course.
Increased fluorescence observation intensity during the photodynamic diagnosis of deeply located tumors by fluorescence photoswitching of protoporphyrin IX

Abstract. Significance Photobleaching of the photosensitizer reduces fluorescence observation time and the intensity of fluorescence emitted for tumor detection during 5-aminolevulinic acid-based photodynamic diagnosis. Aim This study aims to utilize the concept of fluorescence photoswitching, which uses the fluorescence emission from photosensitizer excitation followed by the simultaneous excitation of the photosensitizer and its photoproduct to increase the fluorescence detection intensity during PDD of deeply located tumors. Approach The fluorescence photobleaching of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) and the formation of its photoproduct, photoprotoporhyrin (Ppp), caused by exposure to 505 nm light were investigated in solution, ex vivo, and in vivo, and the fluorescence photoswitching was analyzed. The fluorescence observations of PpIX and Ppp were performed with 505 and 450 or 455 nm excitation, respectively, which is the suited wavelength for the primary excitation of each fluorophore. Results Fluorescence photoswitching was observed in all forms of PpIX investigated, and the fluorescence photoswitching time, fluorescence intensity relative to the initial PpIX and Ppp intensity, and fluorescence intensity relative to PpIX after photobleaching were obtained. The dependence of the fluorescence photoswitching time and intensity on the irradiation power density was noted. A fluorescence intensity increase between 1.6 and 3.9 times was achieved with simultaneous excitation of PpIX and Ppp after fluorescence photoswitching, compared with the excitation of PpIX alone. Conclusions We have demonstrated the potential of fluorescence photoswitching for the improvement of the fluorescence observation intensity for the PDD of deeply located tumors.
Inequalities for hyperconvex sets

Abstract An r-hyperconvex body is a set in the d-dimensional Euclidean space 𝔼d that is the intersection of a family of closed balls of radius r. We prove the analogue of the classical Blaschke–Santaló inequality for r-hyperconvex bodies, and we also establish a stability version of it. The other main result of the paper is an r-hyperconvex version of the reverse isoperimetric inequality in the plane.
The Effects of Government Purchases Shocks: Review and Estimates for the EU

In this article, we review the theoretical consequences of government purchases shocks for both closed and open economies, followed by a discussion of the empirical literature. Next, we provide our own estimates for the EU countries. We find that an increase in government purchases raises output, consumption and investment and reduces the trade balance. However, the stimulating effect is weaker and the trade balance reduction is larger for the more open EU economies, consistent with larger leakage effects. Further, we show that government purchases shocks in large EU economies have non-negligible consequences for economic activity in the main trading partners.
A study of optimization and optimal control computation : exact penalty function approach

In this thesis, We propose new computational algorithms and methods for solving four classes of constrained optimization and optimal control problems. In Chapter 1, we present a brief review on optimization and optimal control. In Chapter 2, we consider a class of continuous inequality constrained optimization problems. The continuous inequality constraints are first approximated by smooth function in integral form. Then, we construct a new exact penalty function, where the summation of all these approximate smooth functions in integral form, called the constraint violation, is appended to the objective function. In this way, we obtain a sequence of approximate unconstrained optimization problems. It is shown that if the value of the penalty parameter is sufficiently large, then any local minimizer of the corresponding unconstrained optimization problem is a local minimizer of the original problem. For illustration, three examples are solved using the proposed method. From the solutions obtained, we observe that the values of their objective functions are amongst the smallest when compared with those obtained by other existing methods available in the literature. More importantly, our method finds solutions which satisfy the continuous inequality constraints. In Chapter 3, we consider a general class of nonlinear mixed discrete programming problems. By introducing continuous variables to replace the discrete variables, the problem is first transformed into an equivalent nonlinear continuous optimization problem subject to original constraints and additional linear and quadratic constraints. However, the existing gradient-based optimization techniques have difficulty to solve this equivalent nonlinear optimization problem effectively due to the new quadratic inequality constraint. Thus, an exact penalty function is employed to construct a sequence of unconstrained optimization problems, each of which can be solved effectively by unconstrained optimization techniques, such as conjugate gradient or quasi-Newton types of methods. It is shown that any local optimal solution of the unconstrained optimization problem is a local optimal solution of the transformed nonlinear constrained continuous optimization problem when the penalty parameter is sufficiently large. Numerical experiments are carried out to test the efficiency of the proposed method. In Chapter 4, we investigate the optimal design of allpass variable fractional delay (VFD) filters with coefficients expressed as sums of signed powers-of-two terms, where the
Validation and the associated factors of the Malay version of systemic lupus erythematosus-specific health-related quality of life questionnaires (SLEQoL and LupusQoL)

Objectives To assess the reliability and validity of two disease-specific questionnaires that assess the quality of life (QoL) among patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE); SLEQoL and LupusQoL in Malay language. This study also identified the factors affecting each domain of the questionnaires. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2021 until April 2022, and SLE patients were recruited to complete the SLEQoL, LupusQoL and Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) in Malay language. Disease activity were recorded using the modified SLE Disease Activity Index (M- SLEDAI) and British Isles Lupus Assessment Group 2004 (BILAG-2004) index. Presence of organ damage was determined using the SLICC Damage index. Cronbach’s alpha was calculated to determine internal consistency while exploratory factor analysis was done to determine the construct validity. Concurrent validity was evaluated using correlation with SF-36. Multiple linear regression analysis was deployed to determine the factors affecting each domain of SLEQoL and LupusQoL. Results A total of 125 subjects were recruited. The Cronbach’s α value for the Malay-SLEQoL (M-SLEQoL) and Malay-LupusQOL (M-LupusQoL) was 0.890 and 0.944 respectively. Exploratory factor analysis found formation of similar number of components with the original version of questionnaires and all items have good factor loading of >0.4. Both instruments also had good concurrent validity with SF-36. M-SLEQoL had good correlations with BILAG-2004 and M-SLEDAI scores. Musculoskeletal (MSK) involvement was independently associated with lower M-SLEQoL in physical function, activity and symptom domains. Meanwhile, MSK and NPSLE were associated with fatigue in M-LupusQoL. Conclusion Both M-SLEQoL and M-LupusQoL are reliable and valid as disease -specific QoL instruments for Malaysian patients. The M-Lupus QoL has better discriminative validity compared to the M-SLEQoL. SLE patients with MSK involvement are at risk of poor QoL in multiple domains including physical function, activity, symptoms and fatigue.
Integrating multiple sign types to improve occupancy estimation for inconspicuous species

Abstract Standard occupancy models enable unbiased estimation of occupancy by accounting for observation errors such as missed detections (false negatives) and, less commonly, incorrect detections (false positives). Occupancy models are fitted to data from repeated site visits in which surveyors record evidence of species presence. Use of indirect sign (e.g., scat, tracks) as evidence of presence can vastly improve survey efficiency for inconspicuous species but can also introduce additional sources of error. We developed a “multi‐sign” occupancy approach to model the detection process separately for unique sign types and used this method to improve estimates of occupancy dynamics for an inconspicuous species, the American pika (Ochotona princeps). We investigated how estimates of pika occupancy and environmental drivers differed under four increasingly realistic representations of the observation process: (1) perfect detection (commonly assumed for modeling pika occupancy), (2) standard occupancy model (single observation process without possibility of false detection), (3) multi‐sign with no false detections (non‐false positive model), and (4) multi‐sign with false detections (full model). For the multi‐sign occupancy models, we modeled the detection of each sign type (fresh scat, fresh haypiles, pika calls, and pika sightings) separately as a function of climatic and environmental covariates. Estimates of occupancy processes and inferences about environmental drivers were sensitive to different detection models. Simplified representations of the detection processes generally resulted in higher occupancy estimates and higher turnover rates than the full multi‐sign model. Environmental drivers also varied in their influence on occupancy models, where (e.g.) forb cover was estimated to more strongly influence occupancy in the full multi‐sign model than the simpler models. As has been reported previously in other contexts, unmodeled heterogeneity in the observation process can lead to biases in occupancy processes and uncertainty in the relationships between occupancy and environmental covariates. Overall, our multi‐sign approach to dynamic occupancy modeling, which accounts for spatio‐temporal variation in reliability among sign types, has strong potential to generate more realistic estimates of occupancy dynamics for inconspicuous species.
Hydrophobic cue-induced appressorium formation depends on MoSep1-mediated MoRgs7 phosphorylation and internalization in Magnaporthe oryzae

The rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae forms specialized infectious structures called appressoria that breach host cells to initiate infection. Previous studies demonstrated that the regulator of G-protein signaling (RGS)-like protein MoRgs7 undergoes endocytosis upon fungal sensing of hydrophobic environmental cues to activate cAMP signaling required for appressorium formation. However, the mechanism by which MoRgs7 internalizes and its fate remains undetermined. We here show that MoSep1, a conserved protein kinase of Mitotic Exit Network (MEN), phosphorylates MoRgs7 to regulate its function. MoRgs7 phosphorylation determines its interaction with MoCrn1, a coronin-like actin-binding protein homolog that also modulates the internalization of MoRgs7. Importantly, the endocytic transport of MoRgs7 is critical for its GTPase-activating protein (GAP) function important in cAMP signaling. Together, our findings revealed a novel mechanism by which M. oryzae activates MoRgs7-mediated hydrophobic cue-sensing signal transduction involving protein phosphorylation and endocytic transport to govern appressorium formation and fungal pathogenicity.
The role of cognitive rehabilitation in people with type 2 diabetes: A study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Today, the prevalence of cognitive dysfunction and the prevalence of diabetes are increasing. Research shows that diabetes increases cognitive impairment risk, and cognitive impairment makes diabetes self-management more challenging. Diabetes self-management, essential to good glycemic control, requires patients to assimilate knowledge about their complex disease and to engage in activities such as glucose self-monitoring and the management of their medications. To test a comprehensive cognitive rehabilitation intervention—the Memory, Attention, and Problem-Solving Skills for Persons with Diabetes (MAPSS-DM) program. Our central hypothesis is that participants who take part in the MAPSS-DM intervention will have improved memory and executive function, increased use of compensatory cognitive skills, and improved self-management. We will also explore the role of glucose variability in those changes. This is a randomized controlled trial. Sixty-six participants with cognitive concerns and type 2 diabetes will be assigned to either the full MAPSS-DM intervention or an active control. Participants will use continuous glucose monitoring pre- and post-intervention to identify changes in glycemic variability. All participants will also be evaluated systematically via questionnaires and neuropsychological tests at three timepoints: baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 3 months post-intervention. This study will fill an important gap by addressing cognitive function in the management of diabetes. Diabetes is related to accelerated cognitive aging, cognitive deficits are related to poorer self-management, and improvements in cognitive performance as a result of cognitive rehabilitation can translate into improved performance in everyday life and, potentially, diabetes self-management. The results of the proposed study will therefore potentially inform strategies to support cognitive function and diabetes self-management, as well as offer new mechanistic insights into cognitive function through the use of continuous glucose monitoring. Trial registration: This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04831775).