Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tuberculosis-specific antigen stimulated and unstimulated interferon-γ for tuberculous meningitis diagnosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is one of the most devastating TB. Accurate identification of TBM is helpful to eliminate TB. Therefore, we assessed the performance of TBAg stimulated IFN-γ (IGRA) and unstimulated IFN-γ in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for diagnosing TBM. Methods We searched Web of Science, PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library databases until March 2022. Bivariate and hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic models were employed to compute summary estimates for diagnostic accuracy parameters of IGRA and unstimulated IFN-γ in blood and CSF for diagnosing TBM. Results 28 studies including 1,978 participants and 2,641 samples met the inclusion criteria. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and area under the curve (AUROC) of blood IGRA were separately as 0.73, 0.83, 4.32, 0.33, 13.22 and 0.86, indicating a good diagnostic accuracy of blood IGRA for detecting TBM. The summary sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, DOR and AUROC of CSF IGRA were separately as 0.77, 0.91, 8.82, 0.25, 34.59 and 0.93, indicating good diagnostic accuracy of CSF IGRA for detecting TBM. The summary sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, DOR and AUROC of CSF IFN-γ were separately as 0.86, 0.92, 10.27, 0.16, 65.26 and 0.95, suggesting CSF IFN-γ provided excellent accuracy for diagnosing TBM. Conclusions For differentiating TBM from non-TBM individuals, blood and CSF IGRA are good assays and unstimulated CSF IFN-γ is an auxiliary excellent marker.
Gender-diverse teams produce more novel and higher-impact scientific ideas

Significance Science teams made up of men and women produce papers that are more novel and highly cited than those of all-men or all-women teams. These performance advantages increase the greater the team’s gender balance and appear nearly universal. On average, they hold for small and large teams, the 45 subfields of medicine, and women- or men-led teams and generalize to published papers in all science fields over the last 20 y. Notwithstanding these benefits, gender-diverse teams remain underrepresented in science when compared to what is expected if the teams in the data had been formed without regard to gender. These findings reveal potentially new gender and teamwork synergies that correlate with scientific discoveries and inform diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Neighborhood deprivation and severe maternal morbidity in a medicaid-Insured population in Georgia

Abstract Background Despite growing acceptance of the role of context in shaping perinatal risk, data on how neighborhood factors may identify high-risk obstetric patients is limited. In this study, we evaluated the effect of neighborhood deprivation and neighborhood racial composition on severe maternal morbidity (SMM) among persons delivered in a large public health system in Atlanta, Georgia. Methods We conducted a population cohort study using electronic medical record data on all deliveries at Grady Memorial Hospital during 2011–2020. Using residential zip codes, we calculated neighborhood deprivation index based on data from the US Census. We used log-binomial regression with generalized estimating equations to estimate crude and adjusted relative risks (aRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between tertile of neighborhood deprivation and SMM, adjusting for demographic, clinical, and neighborhood-level (racial composition, food desert, and transit access) covariates. Results Among 25,257 deliveries, 6.2% (1566) experienced SMM. Approximately 24.0%, 32.0%, and 44.0% of women lived in the lowest, middle, and highest tertile of neighborhood deprivation, respectively and 64.9% lived in a neighborhood with majority non-Hispanic Black residents. After adjustment, there was no association between neighborhood deprivation and SMM (aRR: 1.0 (0.8, 1.1)) or residence in a majority Black neighborhood and SMM (aRR:1.0 (0.9, 1.2)). Conclusion In this safety-net hospital, residence in a high deprivation or majority Black neighborhood did not predict SMM at or following delivery. Individual-level social determinants may better explain variation in risk, particularly in high-burden populations.
A Study of Wake Development and Structure in Constant Pressure Gradients

Motivated by the application to high-lift aerodynamics for commercial transport aircraft, a systematic investigation into the response of symmetric/asymmetric planar turbulent wake development to constant adverse, zero, and favorable pressure gradients has been conducted. The experiments are performed at a Reynolds number of 2.4 million based on the chord of the wake generator. A unique feature of this wake study is that the pressure gradients imposed on the wake flow field are held constant. The experimental measurements involve both conventional LDV and hot wire flow field surveys of mean and turbulent quantities including the turbulent kinetic energy budget. In addition, similarity analysis and numerical simulation have also been conducted for this wake study. A focus of the research has been to isolate the effects of both pressure gradient and initial wake asymmetry on the wake development. Experimental results reveal that the pressure gradient has a tremendous influence on the wake development, despite the relatively modest pressure gradients imposed. For a given pressure gradient, the development of an initially asymmetric wake is different from the initially symmetric wake. An explicit similarity solution for the shape parameters of the symmetric wake is obtained and agrees with the experimental results. The turbulent kinetic energy budget measurements of the symmetric wake demonstrate that except for the convection term, the imposed pressure gradient does not change the fundamental flow physics of turbulent kinetic energy transport. Based on the turbulent kinetic energy budget measurements, an approach to correct the bias error associated with the notoriously difficult dissipation estimate is proposed and validated through the comparison of the experimental estimate with a direct numerical simulation result.
Identifying putative ventilation-perfusion distributions in COVID-19 pneumonia

Busana et al. (doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00871.2020) published 5 patients with COVID-19 in whom the fraction of non-aerated lung tissue had been quantified by computed tomography. They assumed that shunt flow fraction was proportional to the non-aerated lung fraction, and, by randomly generating 106 different bimodal distributions for the ventilation-perfusion (V˙/Q˙) ratios in the lung, specified as sets of paired values {V˙i,Q˙i}, sought to identify as solutions those that generated the observed arterial partial pressures of CO2 and O2 (PaCO2 and PaO2). Our study sought to develop a direct method of calculation to replace the approach of randomly generating different distributions, and so provide more accurate solutions that were within the measurement error of the blood-gas data. For the one patient in whom Busana et al. did not find solutions, we demonstrated that the assumed shunt flow fraction led to a non-shunt blood flow that was too low to support the required gas exchange. For the other four patients, we found precise solutions (prediction error < 1x10-3 mmHg for both PaCO2 and PaO2), with distributions qualitatively similar to those of Busana et al. These distributions were extremely wide and unlikely to be physically realisable, because they predict the maintenance of very large concentration gradients in regions of the lung where convection is slow. We consider that these wide distributions arise because the assumed value for shunt flow is too low in these patients, and we discuss possible reasons why the assumption relating to shunt flow fraction may break down in COVID-19 pneumonia.
Behavior of cumulus activity and the structures of circulations in an "aqua-planet" model. Part I : The structure of the super clusters.

As an extension of the 'aqua planet' experiments by Hayashi and Sumi (1986, HS86), GCM experiments with various SST distributions and cumulus parameterizations are performed in order to examine the structure of cumulus activity and its parameter dependence. In part I, the results of the analyses concentrating on the super clusters are described. The super clusters, which were named by HS86, are expressed in the model as continuously moving precipitating areas of the grid scale. The associated circulation structure can be explained in terms of the wave-CISK dynamics of Kelvin waves. The super clusters become more active when a warmer SST is used. On the other hand, the 30 day oscillation, that is an eastward-moving planetary scale structure, is more distinct when a colder SST is used. The behavior of cumulus activity is highly sensitive to the choice of cumulus parameterization. When the moist convective adjustment scheme is used instead of Kuo's (1974) scheme, the eastwardmoving structure of the grid scale is no longer observed at the equator. However, the planetary scale structure still clearly appears in the experiment with the moist convective adjustment scheme.
A Mathematical Theory of Hints: An Approach to the Dempster-Shafer Theory of Evidence

1. Introductory Examples. - 2. The Mathematical Concept of a Hint. - 3. Support, Credibility, Plausibility and Possibility. - 4. Combining Hints. - 5. Probabilistic Assumption-Based Reasoning. - 6. Rule-Based Systems With Unreliable Rules. - 7. Compatible Frames of Discernment. - 8. Reasoning on Compatible Frames. - 9. Statistical Inference. - 10. Describing Uncertainty in Dynamical Systems. - 11. Diagnostics. - 12. Temporal and Spatial Reasoning. - 13. The General Model of a Hint. - 14. Structure of Support and Plausibility. - 15. Dempster's Rule in the General Case. - 16. Closed Random Intervals. - References.
Genetic treatment for autosomal dominant inherited retinal dystrophies: approaches, challenges and targeted genotypes

Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) have been in the front line of gene therapy development for the last decade, providing a useful platform to test novel therapeutic approaches. More than 40 clinical trials have been completed or are ongoing, tackling autosomal recessive and X-linked conditions, mostly through adeno-associated viral vector delivery of a normal copy of the disease-causing gene. However, only recently has autosomal dominant (ad) disease been targeted, with the commencement of a trial for rhodopsin (RHO)-associated retinitis pigmentosa (RP), implementing antisense oligonucleotide (AON) therapy, with promising preliminary results (NCT04123626). Autosomal dominant RP represents 15%–25% of all RP, with RHO accounting for 20%–30% of these cases. Autosomal dominant macular and cone-rod dystrophies (MD/CORD) correspond to approximately 7.5% of all IRDs, and approximately 35% of all MD/CORD cases, with the main causative gene being BEST1. Autosomal dominant IRDs are not only less frequent than recessive, but also tend to be less severe and have later onset; for example, an individual with RHO-adRP would typically become severely visually impaired at an age 2–3 times older than in X-linked RPGR-RP. Gain-of-function and dominant negative aetiologies are frequently seen in the prevalent adRP genes RHO, RP1 and PRPF31 among others, which would not be effectively addressed by gene supplementation alone and need creative, novel approaches. Zinc fingers, RNA interference, AON, translational read-through therapy, and gene editing by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas are some of the strategies that are currently under investigation and will be discussed here.
The relationship between daily stressors, social support, depression and anxiety among dementia family caregivers: a micro-longitudinal study

Abstract Objectives: This study aimed to examine the relationships between daily stress, social support, and the mental health of dementia family caregivers. Methods: A national sample of family caregivers (N = 165) completed daily diary surveys over 21 days (n = 2,841). Mixed-level models were used to examine the daily odds of experiencing depression and anxiety-related symptoms when risk factors, such as the stress of managing behavioral symptoms of dementia (BSDs) exhibited by the person living with dementia, and protective factors, such as social support, were reported on a given day. Results: Dementia caregivers were more likely to report depression and anxiety-related symptoms when BSDs were present and perceived as more bothersome than usual. Specific BSDs, including restless behaviors and intense emotions, were also found to increase the daily odds of experiencing depression and anxiety symptoms. The daily odds of depression symptoms decreased on days when caregivers reported receiving instrumental support, while the daily odds of anxiety symptoms increased on days when caregivers reported receiving emotional support. Conclusions: The daily odds of experiencing depression and anxietyvary based on the presence of specific BSDs and social support. These findings support the need for targeted interventions to improve the day-to-day well-being of dementia family caregivers.
Hemoglobin-to-Platelet Ratio in Predicting the Incidence of Trismus after Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy.

OBJECTIVE The significance of pre-hemoglobin-to-platelet ratio (HPR) in predicting the occurrence of radiation-induced trismus (RIT) in locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients (LA-NPC) who received concurrent chemoradiotherapy (C-CRT). METHODS Records of LA-NPC patients with oral examination before and after C-CRT were analyzed. Maximum mouth openings (MMO) were measured before and after C-CRT to confirm RIT status, with an MMO of ≤35 mm defined as RIT. HPR values were calculated on the first day of C-CRT. The relationship between the HPR values and RIT status was discovered using the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. RESULTS A total of 43 patients RIT cases among 198 individuals were diagnosed. The optimal HPR cutoff that stratified the patients into two groups was 0.54. RIT incidence was found to be significantly higher in the HPR≤0.54 group than its HPR>0.54 counterpart(P<0.001). Univariately T3-4 stage, mean masticator apparatus dose>57.2Gy, and pre-C-CRT MMO≤40.7 mm was found as the other significant correlates of increased RIT rates(P<0.05). All four variables seemed to be independently connected to greater RIT incidence in multivariate analysis (P<0.05, for each). CONCLUSION The risk of post-C-CRT RIT may be significantly increased when pre-treatment HPR levels are low.
SARS-CoV-2 Secondary Attack Rates in Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Household Contacts during Replacement of Delta with Omicron Variant, Spain

We performed a prospective, cross-sectional study of household contacts of symptomatic index case-patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection during the shift from Delta- to Omicron-dominant variants in Spain. We included 466 household contacts from 227 index cases. The secondary attack rate was 58.2% (95% CI 49.1%–62.6%) during the Delta-dominant period and 80.9% (95% CI 75.0%–86.9%) during the Omicron-dominant period. During the Delta-dominant period, unvaccinated contacts had higher probability of infection than vaccinated contacts (odds ratio 5.42, 95% CI 1.6–18.6), but this effect disappeared at ≈20 weeks after vaccination. Contacts showed a higher relative risk of infection (9.16, 95% CI 3.4–25.0) in the Omicron-dominant than Delta-dominant period when vaccinated within the previous 20 weeks. Our data suggest vaccine evasion might be a cause of rapid spread of the Omicron variant. We recommend a focus on developing vaccines with long-lasting protection against severe disease, rather than only against infectivity.
Expression of Osteopontin and Integrin αvβ3 Receptor in Retina of Diabetic Guinea Pigs with High Myopia

Introduction: The study aimed to investigate the effect of high myopia on the expression of retinal osteopontin (OPN) and integrin αvβ3 receptor in guinea pigs and determine the relationship between high myopia and diabetic retinopathy (DR). Methods: Ninety-three-week-old male guinea pigs were randomly divided into four groups that included normal control group (NOR, n = 18), high myopia group (HM, n = 24), diabetes group (DR, n = 24), and diabetes with high myopia group (DR+HM, n = 24). HM was induced by form deprivation (FDHM) in the right eye. The DR group was injected with 5% streptozotocin 280 mg/kg intraperitoneally in the lower left abdomen of guinea pigs. The DRHM group was subjected to the same treatment as the HM and DR groups. Eighteen guinea pigs in each group were randomly selected to complete the experimental measurement. After enucleation of eyeballs, HE and immunohistochemical staining were performed to observe the retina morphology and count the positive rate of OPN and integrin αvβ3 receptor. Results: Diabetic retinal changes were found in group DR and HM+DR. The degree of retinal change in group HM+DR was less than that in group DR. In the DR group, the morphology of retinal tissue was loose, the number of cells decreased, retinal microaneurysms were increased, and a small amount of small artery embolism and venous thrombosis were observed. Although the retinal structure in the HM+DR group also became thinner, looser, and disordered, only a small number of microaneurysms were observed compared with the diabetic group. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the expression of OPN and integrin αvβ3 receptors in the diabetic groups (DR, HM+DR) was significantly higher than in the HM and NOR groups. The positive expression rates of OPN and integrin αvβ3 receptors in group HM+DR were significantly lower than those in group DR (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The expression of OPN and integrin αvβ3 receptor in the retina of diabetic guinea pigs with high myopia was lower than that of diabetic models, which may be due to the influence of high myopia on neovascularization in DR.
Environmental Impact of Triclopyr on Habitat Quality in Boreal Rights‐of‐Way

The indirect effects of herbicides on habitat quality in boreal ecoregions remain poorly understood. Herbicides are commonly applied on boreal rights‐of‐way to control vegetation below power lines, where they can indirectly enter the soil ecosystem after leaf abscission. Key soil processes such as litter decomposition and soil nutrient cycling can be influenced by altering litter chemistry and/or impacting decomposer species. Disruption of these soil processes could lead to changes in ecosystem health of boreal systems. The indirect impacts of triclopyr on habitat quality of treated boreal rights‐of‐way were examined through litter mass loss and quality (carbon‐to‐nitrogen ratios) and the response of boreal invertebrates (Folsomia candida and Oppia nitens) in microcosms and avoidance tests. Litter breakdown rates were not significantly different within a year of treatment. However, we did observe nitrogen profile differences between field‐treated and untreated samples, which likely resulted from triclopyr‐induced repression of natural leaf senescence processes. At field application rates, there were no differences in survival and reproduction rates of F. candida, which is key in litter breakdown. The triclopyr concentrations that caused 50% of tested F. candida and O. nitens to avoid treated litter were above field application rates. Therefore, field application rates of triclopyr are not expected to impair habitat quality and ecosystem services of boreal ecoregions based on the parameters we evaluated. Our study improves understanding of the effects of herbicide application on habitat quality and is critical for responsible herbicide use on boreal rights‐of‐way. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:2955–2967. © 2022 SETAC
Sexual Function and Help-Seeking Behaviors following Childbirth: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract This study examined 573 postpartum women’s perceptions of changes in their sexual function and their help-seeking behaviors. Women residing in Ohio, Michigan, or Pennsylvania, USA, completed an online survey. Most women reported decreased postpartum sexual desire and/or arousal. Among women reporting decreased sexual function, most did not seek help from informal sources of support or health care professions (HCPs). Of those who did seek help from an HCP, in each domain of sexual function, only around half received helpful treatment. Women who did not seek help for their decreased sexual desire or arousal reported greater negative perceived impact of pregnancy/childbirth on their sexual function than women who did seek help.
Intensive care unit resources and patient‐centred outcomes in severe COVID‐19: a prospective single‐centre economic evaluation

During the COVID‐19 pandemic, ICU bed shortages sparked a discussion about resource allocation. We aimed to analyse the value of ICU treatment of COVID‐19 from a patient‐centred health economic perspective. We prospectively included 49 patients with severe COVID‐19 and calculated direct medical treatment costs. Quality of life was converted into aggregated quality‐adjusted life years using the statistical remaining life expectancy. Costs for non‐treatment as the comparator were estimated using the value of statistical life year approach. We used multivariable linear or logistic regression to identify predictors of treatment costs, quality of life and survival. Mean (SD) direct medical treatment costs were higher in patients in ICU with COVID‐19 compared with those without (£60,866 (£42,533) vs. £8282 (£14,870), respectively; p < 0.001). This was not solely attributable to prolonged ICU length of stay, as costs per day were also higher (£3115 (£1374) vs. £1490 (£713), respectively; p < 0.001), independent of overall disease severity. We observed a beneficial cost‐utility value of £7511 per quality‐adjusted life‐year gained, even with a more pessimistic assumption towards the remaining life expectancy. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy provided no additional quality‐adjusted life‐year benefit. Compared with non‐treatment (costs per lost life year, £106,085), ICU treatment (costs per quality‐adjusted life‐year, £7511) was economically preferable, even with a pessimistic interpretation of patient preferences for survival (sensitivity analysis of the value of statistical life year, £48,848). Length of ICU stay was a positive and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation a negative predictor for quality of life, whereas costs per day were a positive predictor for mortality. These data suggest that despite high costs, ICU treatment for severe COVID‐19 may be cost‐effective for quality‐adjusted life‐years gained.
A review of cardiac blackleg in cattle, and report of 2 cases without skeletal muscle involvement in Argentina

Blackleg is an infectious disease caused by Clostridium chauvoei. Cardiac blackleg has been reported in ruminants as an uncommon presentation of the disease; its pathogenesis is not understood completely. We include here a literature review of cardiac blackleg and a description of 2 cases in 12–15-mo-old feedlot steers in Argentina. Fourteen of 1,190 steers died suddenly over a period of 10 d. Postmortem examinations were performed on 5 of these animals. Grossly, severe, diffuse, fibrinous pericarditis and pleuritis, multifocal necrohemorrhagic myocarditis, diffuse pulmonary congestion, mild splenomegaly, and moderate congestion of meningeal vessels were observed. No significant gross lesions were observed in the skeletal muscles of any animal. Histology was performed on 2 of the steers. The main microscopic features were necrotizing myocarditis with myriad intralesional gram-positive rods with subterminal spores plus fibrinosuppurative pericarditis and pleuritis. C. chauvoei was detected by immunohistochemistry and PCR in the myocardium of both animals. These findings confirm a diagnosis of cardiac blackleg in these 2 steers and presumptively in the other affected animals.