Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Binge eating disorder and eating self‐efficacy in adults seeking bariatric surgery

This study assessed the relationships between binge eating disorder (BED) and eating self‐efficacy in a sample of patients prior to bariatric surgery. The study also examined the extent that BED status accounted for variance in self‐efficacy after controlling for demographic factors (age, sex and race), physical variables (comorbidities and body mass index [BMI]) and depressive symptoms. This was a cross‐sectional study of pre‐surgical data from patients seeking bariatric surgery at a university‐based healthcare system (N = 98; mean ± SD age of 46.2 ± 12.5 years; BMI of 45.4 ± 7.2 kg/m2; 86.7% female; and 60.2% of patients self‐identified as White). Patients completed the Weight and Lifestyle Inventory (WALI), Beck Depression Inventory‐II (BDI‐II) and Weight Efficacy Lifestyle Questionnaire. Of the total sample, 15.3% met criteria for BED, 33.7% had subthreshold BED and 51.0% were free of this disorder. In adjusted analyses, total self‐efficacy was significantly lower in patients with subthreshold BED (B ± SE = −15.88 ± 7.23, p = .03) and individuals with BED (B ± SE = −35.07 ± 10.23, p = .001) than in those without BED. Patients with BED, compared to those without, had significantly worse scores (in adjusted analyses) on the self‐efficacy subscales of negative emotions (p = .003), availability of food (p < .001), social pressure (p = .004) and positive activities (p = .03). In patients seeking bariatric surgery, total self‐efficacy scores were significantly lower in patients with BED and subthreshold BED than those without BED. The results suggest that eating self‐efficacy may be an important factor to target in patients with BED who seek bariatric surgery.
“I Was Always Trying to Figure It Out… on My Own Terms”: Structural Barriers, the Internet, and Sexual Identity Development among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Queer People of Different Generations

ABSTRACT Recognizing the historical grounding of sexual identity development, we examined the spontaneous narration of the internet’s significance among a diverse sample of three distinct birth cohorts of sexual minority adults (n = 36, ages 18–59) in the United States. Thematic analysis revealed two structural barriers and four roles of the internet in sexual identity development. Structural barriers were being in a heterosexual marriage (exclusive to members of the older cohort), and (2) growing up in a conservative family, religion, or community (which cut across cohorts). Roles of the internet included: learning about LGBQ+ identities and sex; watching pornography (which appeared only in narratives of the younger cohort); finding affirming community; and facilitating initial LGBQ+ romantic and sexual experiences (which appeared mostly in narratives of the younger cohort). Most participants who described the internet as playing a role in sexual identity development were members of the younger (ages 18–25) and middle (ages 34–41) cohorts. We discuss how the internet has assumed a unique role in history in the development of sexual minority people. Further, our findings highlight that sexual identity development occurs across the lifespan, and how that process and the roles of the internet vary by generation and structural realities.
Predictors and outcomes of peritoneal dialysis-related infections due to filamentous molds (MycoPDICS)

Introduction We sought to evaluate the predictors and outcomes of mold peritonitis in patients with peritoneal dialysis (PD). Methods This cohort study included PD patients from the MycoPDICS database who had fungal peritonitis between July 2015-June 2020. Patient outcomes were analyzed by Kaplan Meier curves and the Log-rank test. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards model regression was used to estimating associations between fungal types and patients’ outcomes. Results The study included 304 fungal peritonitis episodes (yeasts n = 129, hyaline molds n = 122, non-hyaline molds n = 44, and mixed fungi n = 9) in 303 patients. Fungal infections were common during the wet season (p <0.001). Mold peritonitis was significantly more frequent in patients with higher hemoglobin levels, presentations with catheter problems, and positive galactomannan (a fungal cell wall component) tests. Patient survival rates were lowest for non-hyaline mold peritonitis. A higher hazard of death was significantly associated with leaving the catheter in-situ (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 6.15, 95%confidence interval [CI]: 2.86–13.23) or delaying catheter removal after the diagnosis of fungal peritonitis (HR = 1.56, 95%CI: 1.00–2.44), as well as not receiving antifungal treatment (HR = 2.23, 95%CI: 1.25–4.01) or receiving it for less than 2 weeks (HR = 2.13, 95%CI: 1.33–3.43). Each additional day of antifungal therapy beyond the minimum 14-day duration was associated with a 2% lower risk of death (HR = 0.98, 95%CI: 0.95–0.999). Conclusion Non-hyaline-mold peritonitis had worse survival. Longer duration and higher daily dosage of antifungal treatment were associated with better survival. Deviations from the 2016 ISPD Peritonitis Guideline recommendations concerning treatment duration and catheter removal timing were independently associated with higher mortality.
“Appreciate the Little Things”: A Qualitative Survey of Men’s Coping Strategies and Mental Health Impacts During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a suite of circumstances that will simultaneously affect mental health and mobilize coping strategies in response. Building on a lack of research specifically exploring men’s mental health impacts during the COVID-19 pandemic, this study presents the results of a qualitative survey exploring men’s self-reported aspects of the pandemic giving rise to mental health challenges, alongside their diverse coping strategies applied during this time. The sample comprised 555 men from North America (age M = 38.8 years; SD = 13.5 years), who participated via an online survey with two open-ended qualitative questions assessing, respectively, the aspects of the pandemic affecting their mental health, and the strategies used to manage these challenges. Free-text responses were coded using inductive content analysis. Results pertaining to the mental health impacts of COVID-19 were categorized into two overarching themes: far-reaching ramifications of COVID-19 encompassing consequences for lifestyle, work, and functioning, alongside novel anxieties related to health risks and daily uncertainty. In addition, coping strategies reported were categorized into two broad themes: efforts to avoid, dull or distract oneself from distress, alongside adapting and doing things differently, which encompassed largely approach-oriented efforts to flexibly ameliorate distress. Results signal the far-reaching impacts of COVID-19, alongside profound flexibility and diverse enactments of resilience among men in adapting to unprecedented challenges. Findings have implications for mental health promotion that should aim to leverage men's adaptive coping to encourage opportunities for social connectedness in response to the mental health impacts of the various psychosocial challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Impact of artificial intelligence on colorectal polyp detection for early-career endoscopists: an international comparative study

Abstract Background Artificial intelligence (AI) for polyp detection is being introduced to colonoscopy, but there is uncertainty how this affects endoscopists’ ability to detect polyps and neoplasms. We performed a video-based study to address whether AI improved the endoscopists’ performance to detect polyps. Methods We established a dataset of 200 colonoscopy videos (length 5 s; 100 without polyps and 100 with one polyp). About 33 early-career endoscopists (50–400 colonoscopies performed) from 10 European countries classified each video as either ‘polyp present’ or ‘polyp not present’. The video assessment was performed twice with a four-week interval. The first assessment was performed without any AI tool, whereas the second was performed with an AI tool for polyp detection. The primary endpoint was early-career endoscopists’ sensitivity to detect polyps. Gold standard for presence and histology of polyps were confirmed by two expert endoscopists and pathologists, respectively. McNemar’s test was used for statistical significance. Results There were 86 neoplastic and 14 non-neoplastic polyps (mean size 5.6 mm) in the 100 videos with polyps. Early-career endoscopists’ sensitivity to detect polyps increased from 86.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 85.1–87.5%) to 91.7% (95%CI: 90.7–92.6%) with the AI aid (p < .0001). Their sensitivity to detect neoplastic polyps increased from 85.4% (95% CI: 84.0–86.7%) to 92.1% (95%CI: 91.1–93.1%) with the AI aid (p < .0001). Conclusion The polyp detection AI tool helped early-career endoscopists to increase their sensitivity to identify all polyps and neoplastic polyps during colonoscopy.
Evidence From Human Placenta, Endoplasmic Reticulum–Stressed Trophoblasts, and Transgenic Mice Links Transthyretin Proteinopathy to Preeclampsia

Background: We have demonstrated that protein aggregation plays a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of preeclampsia and identified several aggregated proteins in the circulation of preeclampsia patients, the most prominent of which is the serum protein TTR (transthyretin). However, the mechanisms that underlie protein aggregation remain poorly addressed. Methods: We examined TTR aggregates in hypoxia/reoxygenation-exposed primary human trophoblasts (PHTs) and the preeclampsia placenta using complementary approaches, including a novel protein aggregate detection assay. Mechanistic analysis was performed in hypoxia/reoxygenation-exposed PHTs and Ttr transgenic mice overexpressing transgene-encoded wild-type human TTR or Ttr−/− mice. High-resolution ultrasound analysis was used to measure placental blood flow in pregnant mice. Results: TTR aggregation was inducible in PHTs and the TCL-1 trophoblast cell line by endoplasmic reticulum stress inducers or autophagy-lysosomal disruptors. PHTs exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation showed increased intracellular BiP (binding immunoglobulin protein), phosphorylated IRE1α (inositol-requiring enzyme-1α), PDI (protein disulfide isomerase), and Ero-1, all markers of the unfolded protein response, and the apoptosis mediator caspase-3. Blockade of IRE1α inhibited hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced upregulation of Ero-1 in PHTs. Excessive unfolded protein response activation was observed in the early-onset preeclampsia placenta. Importantly, pregnant human TTR mice displayed aggregated TTR in the junctional zone of the placenta and severe preeclampsia-like features. High-resolution ultrasound analysis revealed low blood flow in uterine and umbilical arteries in human TTR mice compared with control mice. However, Ttr−/− mice did not show any pregnancy-associated abnormalities. Conclusions: These observations in the preeclampsia placenta, cultured trophoblasts, and Ttr transgenic mice indicate that TTR aggregation is an important causal contributor to preeclampsia pathophysiology.
Incidence, Risk Factors, and Prognosis of Bloodstream Infections in COVID-19 Patients in Intensive Care: A Single-Center Observational Study

Background Critically ill COVID-19 patients are prone to bloodstream infections (BSIs). Aim To evaluate the incidence, risk factors, and prognosis of BSIs developing in COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods Patients staying at least 48 h in ICU from 22 March 2020 to 25 May 2021 were included. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were analyzed. Results The median age of the sample (n = 470) was 66 years (IQR 56.0-76.0), and 64% were male. The three most common comorbidities were hypertension (49.8%), diabetes mellitus (32.8%), and coronary artery disease (25.7%). Further, 252 BSI episodes developed in 179 patients, and the BSI incidence rate was 50.2 (95% CI 44.3-56.7) per 1000 patient-days. The source of BSI is central venous catheter in 42.5% and lower respiratory tract in 38.9% of the episodes. Acinetobacter baumannii (40%) and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (21%) were the most common pathogens. CRP levels were lower in patients receiving tocilizumab. Multivariable analysis revealed that continuous renal replacement therapy, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and treatment with a combination of methylprednisolone and tocilizumab were independent risk factors for BSI. The estimated cumulative risk of developing first BSI episode was 50% after 6 days and 100% after 25 days. Of the 179 patients, 149 (83.2%) died, and a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) was found in the survival distribution in favor of the group without BSI. Conclusion BSI is a common complication in COVID-19 patients followed in the ICU, and it can lead to mortality. Failure in infection control measures, intensive immunosuppressive treatments, and invasive interventions are among the main factors leading to BSIs.
Biochemical mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy and other diabetic complications in humans: the methanol-formaldehyde-formic acid hypothesis

Hyperglycemia in diabetic patients is associated with abnormally-elevated cellular glucose levels. It is hypothesized that increased cellular glucose will lead to increased formation of endogenous methanol and/or formaldehyde, both of which are then metabolically converted to formic acid. These one-carbon metabolites are known to be present naturally in humans, and their levels are increased under diabetic conditions. Mechanistically, while formaldehyde is a cross-linking agent capable of causing extensive cytotoxicity, formic acid is an inhibitor of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase, capable of inducing histotoxic hypoxia, ATP deficiency and cytotoxicity. Chronic increase in the production and accumulation of these toxic one-carbon metabolites in diabetic patients can drive the pathogenesis of ocular as well as other diabetic complications. This hypothesis is supported by a large body of experimental and clinical observations scattered in the literature. For instance, methanol is known to have organ- and species-selective toxicities, including the characteristic ocular lesions commonly seen in humans and non-human primates, but not in rodents. Similarly, some of the diabetic complications (such as ocular lesions) also have a characteristic species-selective pattern, closely resembling methanol intoxication. Moreover, while alcohol consumption or combined use of folic acid plus vitamin B 6/12 is beneficial for mitigating acute methanol toxicity in humans, their use also improves the outcomes of diabetic complications. In addition, there is also a large body of evidence from biochemical and cellular studies. Together, there is considerable experimental support for the proposed hypothesis that increased metabolic formation of toxic one-carbon metabolites in diabetic patients contributes importantly to the development of various clinical complications.
Efficacy of probiotics against dental caries in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Dental caries causes serious consequences and the financial burden of society especially in children with high morbidity rate. Here we carried out a meta-analysis to systematically evaluate the efficacy of probiotics against dental caries in children. Forty-three RCTs were eligible for this meta-analysis after searching the PubMed, Cochrane and Web of Science from the inception through October 2021. Pooled estimates demonstrated that treatment with probiotics significantly reduced noncavitated (dicdas2–6mft) (SMD = −0.18, 95% CI: −0.3 to −0.06, p = 0.002) and cavitated (dicdas5–6mft) carious lesions in children (SMD = −0.32, 95% CI: −0.5 to 0.14, p = 0.0004). Probiotics also reduced prevalence of noncavitated (dicdas2–6mft) carious lesions (RR = 0.8, 95% CI: 0.67 to–0.97, p = 0.02). Salivary Streptococcus mutans was declined after intervention (SMD = −1.17, 95% CI: −1.85 to −0.5, p = 0.0007), while Lactobacillus counts were upregulated (SMD = 1.19, 95% CI: 0.46–1.92, p = 0.001). However, no significant effects in total bacteria counts and salivary pH were observed. Our findings suggest that probiotics especially Lactobacillus could be a promising therapeutic strategy for clinical applications in children dental caries.
A study on the potential of insect protein and lipid as a food source

Propositions Propositions belonging to the thesis, entitled:‘A study on the potential of insect protein and lipid as a food source’. Liya Yi Wageningen, 9 February 2015.High protein quality is, next to high protein content, a major argument to use insects as an alternative protein source. (this thesis) With respect to aqueous extraction, proteins from Tenebrio molitor behave similarly as proteins from meat and fish. (this thesis) In contrast to what Pascucci & Magistris (2013) claim, consumer information is not enough to achieve consumer acceptance of novel food. Pascucci, S. , & Magistris, T. d. (2013). International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 16, 1-16. Reducing environmental impact by changing human diet into a plant-based diet ( Joyce, Dixon, Comfort, & Hallett, 2012 ) will not result in meeting the increasing global food demand.Joyce, A. , Dixon, S. , Comfort, J., & Hallett, J. (2 012). Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2012, 7. Scientific evidence and the availability of technology are not guarantees for a change in human behaviour. The statement of the Finnish writer Sebastyne Young “We all want to be extraordinary and we all just want to fit in. Unfortunately, extraordinary people rarely fit in. ” applies to science where generation of extraordinary knowledge results in less fitting in.
Quantifying senescence-mediated nutrient loss processes in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) biomass

The annual senescence that occurs in many perennial grass species is not a terminal event, and multiple internal processes are occurring as a plant enters winter or dry-season dormancy. When grown as bioenergy feedstocks, end-season nutrient conservation and loss processes taking place in perennial grasses are of interest to producers attempting to maximize yield while reducing residual nutrient content in the harvestable biomass. The residual nutrient content in these bioenergy feedstocks can reduce conversion efficiency, damage biorefinery equipment, and even cause pollution. In order to better understand nutrient cycling in perennial grasses as well as improve harvest management decisions for bioenergy feedstock producers, I quantified three nutrient loss processes in the model perennial grass species Panicum virgatum L. : 1) end-season nutrient resorption, 2) biomass nutrient leaching, and 3) mass loss due to overwinter leaf drop (litterfall). Over two autumn seasons in 2014 and 2015, I established a baseline of macronutrient reduction in senescing, undamaged in situ switchgrass plots and compared those baselines to plots exposed to heavy simulated rainfall in order to quantify potential foliar nutrient leaching. I found that leaf-level resorption may drive the bulk of phloem mobile nutrient (i.e., N, P, K) reduction from aboveground biomass during senescence, but phloem immobile nutrients (i.e., Ca) tend to remain behind in the standing biomass. From a practical point of view, foliar leaching was not observed to be a significant driver of nutrient loss during senescence. During the winter of 2015 – 2016, in situ switchgrass biomass samples were harvested monthly from undamaged stands. The harvested material was analyzed by aboveground morphological component (stem, leaf, panicle) for mass and macronutrient content to quantify nutrient
Analysis and prediction on topic diffusion in social media: An Interior Dimensions Approach

The strand of research this thesis follows goes back at least to Bush’s As We May Think essay. In this essay, Bush envisioned that electronic repositories of information would not only record each scholar’s additions, but would also subsequently provide for their disciples the entire scaffolding by which the repositories were erected. Our research in this thesis is rooted in social data mining that seeks to uncover usage patterns in the computationally recorded behavior.
The Green Computing Book: Tackling Energy Efficiency at Large Scale

State-of-the-Art Approaches to Advance the Large-Scale Green Computing Movement Edited by one of the founders and lead investigator of the Green500 list, The Green Computing Book: Tackling Energy Efficiency at Large Scale explores seminal research in large-scale green computing. It begins with low-level, hardware-based approaches and then traverses up the software stack with increasingly higher-level, software-based approaches. In the first chapter, the IBM Blue Gene team illustrates how to improve the energy efficiency of a supercomputer by an order of magnitude without any system performance loss in parallelizable applications. The next few chapters explain how to enhance the energy efficiency of a large-scale computing system via compiler-directed energy optimizations, an adaptive run-time system, and a general prediction performance framework. The book then explores the interactions between energy management and reliability and describes storage system organization that maximizes energy efficiency and reliability. It also addresses the need for coordinated power control across different layers and covers demand response policies in computing centers. The final chapter assesses the impact of servers on data center costs.
RCC-GAN: Regularized Compound Conditional GAN for Large-Scale Tabular Data Synthesis

This paper introduces a novel generative adversarial network (GAN) for synthesizing large-scale tabular databases which contain various features such as continuous, discrete, and binary. Technically, our GAN belongs to the category of class-conditioned generative models with a predefined conditional vector. However, we propose a new formulation for deriving such a vector incorporating both binary and discrete features simultaneously. We refer to this noble definition as compound conditional vector and employ it for training the generator network. The core architecture of this network is a three-layered deep residual neural network with skip connections. For improving the stability of such complex architecture, we present a regularization scheme towards limiting unprecedented variations on its weight vectors during training. This regularization approach is quite compatible with the nature of adversarial training and it is not computationally prohibitive in runtime. Furthermore, we constantly monitor the variation of the weight vectors for identifying any potential instabilities or irregularities to measure the strength of our proposed regularizer. Toward this end, we also develop a new metric for tracking sudden perturbation on the weight vectors using the singular value decomposition theory. Finally, we evaluate the performance of our proposed synthesis approach on six benchmarking tabular databases, namely Adult, Census, HCDR, Cabs, News, and King. The achieved results corroborate that for the majority of the cases, our proposed RccGAN outperforms other conventional and modern generative models in terms of accuracy, stability, and reliability.