Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Radiologic assessment of rupture risk in small (<5 mm) posterior communicating artery aneurysms

Abstract Although previous studies have investigated the predictors of posterior communicating artery (PCoA) aneurysm rupture with clinical and radiologic parameters, the accessibility of “small PCoA aneurysms (<5 mm)” has rarely been reported. Here, we designed a study to identify the factors which are thought to be risky and prone to rupture in small PCoA aneurysms (<5 mm). A total of 114 patients diagnosed with PCoA aneurysm under 5 mm in size on digital subtraction angiography were retrospectively enrolled and divided into ruptured (n = 51) and unruptured (n = 63) groups. Clinical variables were reviewed, and 10 radiologic parameters were obtained, including maximum diameter, height, width, neck width, aspect ratio, dome-to-neck ratio, bleb formation, size ratio, presence of fetal-type PCoA, and inflow angle. Statistical analyses were conducted to compare the groups (ruptured vs unruptured) and identify the risk factors for rupture. High rupture rate of small PCoA aneurysm is noted (51/114, 44.7%). In the comparison analysis, parameters of size ratio (P = .045), aspect ratio (P = .001), and bleb formation (P = .015) were significantly different between the 2 groups. In the regression model, the aspect ratio (P = .045) and bleb formation (P = .004) were significantly associated with the rupture of aneurysm. In respect of small (<5 mm) PCoA aneurysms of our cohort, morphologic parameters of “bleb formation” and “a high aspect ratio” are present more often in ruptured aneurysms as compared to unruptured aneurysms.
Magnetic resonance imaging indicators for neurological outcome after surgery in patients with intramedullary spinal ependymomas

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text Abstract This is a retrospective study. The aim of this study was to determine the indicators of neurological outcome after surgery in patients with intramedullary spinal ependymomas by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A total of 106 consecutive patients (mean age: 42.4 ± 1.3 years; 52.8% male) diagnosed with intramedullary spinal ependymomas were retrospectively recruited. All patients underwent spine MRI and subsequent surgical resection for the spinal tumors. Data regarding clinical symptoms and pathological grades of tumors were collected from clinical records. The McCormick score was used for grading patients’ neurological status before and after surgery at 12 months. Good outcome was defined as stable McCormick score (McC) score (no change of McC score between preoperation and post-operation at 12 months) or improvement in McC score (post-operative McC score at 12 months < preoperative McC score). Poor outcome was determined when there was an increase in McC score at 12 months after surgery. The MRI characteristics of spinal ependymomas between patients with good and poor neurological outcomes were compared. Logistic regression was performed to assess the association between MRI characteristics of tumors and post-operative neurological outcomes. Patients with poor neurological outcomes had larger longitudinal length (4.7 ± 0.5 vs 3.3 ± 0.2, P = .004) and higher enhancement signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) (102.4 ± 12.3 vs 72.8 ± 4.6, P = .022) than those with good neurological outcomes. After adjusting for confounding factors, longitudinal length (OR, 0.768; 95% CI, 0.604–0.976; P = .031) and enhancement SNR (OR, 0.988; 95% CI, 0.978–0.999; P = .026) of spinal ependymomas were significantly associated with poor neurological prognosis. The longitudinal length of tumor and enhancement SNR on T1-weighted images are independently associated with neurological outcome after surgery.
An Integrative Review of Approaches Used to Assess Course Interventions

Objective. The objectives of this review are to describe the utility of approaches used for the assessment of course interventions in pharmacy education and to provide recommendations that may guide faculty members in their scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) efforts that encompass assessment of course interventions. Findings. Thirty-four articles that included educational interventions published between 2016 and 2020 in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education and Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning were selected for analysis. Those articles used various approaches for the assessment of course interventions. In the order of decreasing frequency of use, those methods were surveys, student academic performance, student evaluations, mixed quantitative and qualitative methods, pre- and posttest, and learning analytics. Summary. The use of more than one assessment approach, ie, triangulation, and multiple student cohorts are advantageous. When multiple cohorts are used, it is beneficial to present the students’ demographic information. Student academic performance should be part of an assessment of course interventions whenever relevant. Surveys about student perceptions and confidence may contribute to the assessment of course interventions. However, since the information collected is subjective and is usually unrelated to student learning, such an approach should be coupled with other assessment approaches that reflect student learning, such as academic performance and/or a pre- and a posttest. Depending on the research question, qualitative methods and learning analytics may also be a part of the assessment of course interventions.
Successful treatment of Clostridioidesdifficile infection with single-donorfaecal microbiota transplantation capsules.

INTRODUCTION Treatment of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection with faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is highly effective and is the recommended treatment following a second recurrence. The cure rates of capsule treatment are high (82%-88%). Whether using multi-donor or single-donor FMT capsules affects cure rates remains incompletely understood. METHODS A retrospective case series of patients with recurrent, refractory or fulminant C. difficile infection treated for three days with single-donor FMT capsules from October to December 2020 was conducted. The aim of the study was to investigate the clinical efficacy (cure rate) of the treatment and to compare cure rates with previously reported cure rates of treatment with multi-donor FMT capsules produced at the same stool bank. Clinical cure was defined as absence of diarrhoea or diarrhoea with a C. difficile negative stool sample eight weeks after treatment. RESULTS Clinical cure was observed in 15 of the 18 (83.3%) patients following three days of FMT capsule treatment. Cure rates were comparable (p = 1.0) to previously reported cure rates (88.9%) of multi-donor FMT capsule treatment of recurrent C. difficile infection. CONCLUSIONS Three days of single-donor FMT capsule treatment was effective and safe in the treatment of recurrent, refractory and fulminant C. difficile infection with cure rates comparable to those of multi-donor FMT capsule treatment. FUNDING This work was supported by the Danish Innovation Fund under Grant 7076-00129B, MICROHEALTH. The funders had no role in the study design, data collection or analysis, the decision to publish, or in the preparation of the manuscript. The FMT capsules from the Aleris-Hamlet FMT Stool Bank were supplied to the Copenhagen University Hospital - Hvidovre Hospital free of charge. TRIAL REGISTRATION not relevant.
Venous thromboembolism risk factors and usefulness of a risk scoring system in lower limb orthopedic surgery

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text Abstract We previously developed a computerized clinical decision support system based on national consensus guidelines and previous studies. This system was used to assess the risk of venous thromboembolism. In this study, we examined the risk factors for venous thromboembolism in patients who underwent lower limb orthopedic surgery using our risk scoring system, to investigate the association between the total risk score and the occurrence of venous thromboembolism. We retrospectively evaluated the records of 649 patients who underwent lower limb orthopedic surgery at a tertiary care center in Japan between January 2015 and August 2018. Venous thromboembolism was confirmed using ultrasonography or computed tomography angiography. The computerized clinical decision support system was used throughout the hospitalization period. Independent risk factors for postoperative venous thromboembolism were identified using logistic regression analysis. Age (≥68 years) was significantly associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (adjusted odds ratio: 1.06, 95% confidence interval: 1.03–1.09; P < 0.001). Furthermore, the Cochran–Armitage trend test revealed a significant positive correlation between the total risk score and the occurrence of venous thromboembolism (P < 0.001). Our risk scoring system may be used preoperatively to determine the need for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis. This study suggests that age (≥68 years) may be a risk factor for venous thromboembolism after lower limb orthopedic surgery. Additional studies are needed to validate these results.
SARS-CoV-2 in schools: genome analysis shows that concurrent cases in the second and third wave were often unconnected

Background. The risk of SARS-CoV-2 (SCoV2) infection in schools and student households is typically assessed using classical epidemiology whereby transmission is based on time of symptom onset and contact tracing data. Using such methodologies may be imprecise regarding transmission events of different, simultaneous SCoV2 variants spreading with different rates and directions in a given population. We analysed with high resolution the transmission among different communities, social networks, and educational institutions and the extent of outbreaks using whole genome sequencing (WGS). Methods and Findings. We combined WGS and contact tracing spanning two pandemic waves from October 2020 to May 2021 in the Canton of Basel-City, Switzerland and performed an in-depth analysis of 235 cases relating to 22 educational institutions. We describe the caseload in educational institutions and the public health measures taken and delineate the WGS-supported outbreak surveillance. During the study period, 1,573 of 24,557 (6.4%) children and 410 of 3,726 (11%) staff members from educational institutions were reported SCoV2 positive. Thereof, WGS data from 83 children, 35 adult staff in 22 educational institutions and their 117 contacts (social network, families) was available and analysed. 353 contextual sequences from residents of the Canton of Basel-City sequenced through surveillance were identified to be related to cases in the educational institutions. In total, we identified 55 clusters and found that coinciding SCoV2-cases in individual educational institutions were mostly introduced from different sources such as social networks or the larger community. More transmission chains started in the community and were brought into the educational institutions than vice versa (31 vs. 13). Adolescents (12-19 years old) had the highest case prevalence over both waves compared to younger children or adults, especially for the emerging Alpha variant. Conclusions. Introduction of SCoV2 into schools accounts for most events and reflects transmission closely related to social activity, whereby teenagers and young adults contribute to significant parallel activity. Combining WGS with contact tracing is pivotal to properly inform authorities about SCoV2 infection clusters and transmission directions in educational settings and the effectiveness of enacted public health measures. The gathered data showing more clusters to seed in the community than vice versa as well as few subsequent in-school transmissions indicate that the agilely employed health measures for educational institutions helped to prevent outbreaks among staff and children. The clinical trial accession number is NCT04351503 (clinicaltrials.gov).
SARS-CoV-2 third vaccine immune response in MS patients treated with ocrelizumab

The introduction of a third dose vaccination along with new variants of concerns raises questions regarding serology and T-cell responses in patients with MS (pwMS) treated with B-cell depletion who develop attenuated humoral response to vaccines. The aim of this study is to longitudinally evaluate humoral and cellular response to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine in ocrelizumab-treated pwMS before and following third vaccine dose. Following the third vaccine dose, patients who are low or non-responders following initial vaccination did not increase antibody titers. In HCs and ocrelizumab-treated pwMS, cellular response decreased 6 months following initial vaccination and increased significantly after the third booster.
Using quantitative MRI to track cerebral damage in multiple sclerosis: a longitudinal study

Objectives: Contrary to conventional MRI (cMRI), quantitative MRI (qMRI) quantifies tissue physical microstructural properties and improves the characterization of cerebral damages in relation with various neurological diseases. With a multi-parameter mapping (MPM) protocol, 4 parameter maps are constructed: saturated magnetization transfer (MTsat), proton density (PD), longitudinal relaxation (R1) and effective transverse relaxation (R2*) rates, reflecting tissue physical properties associated with iron and myelin contents. Here, we used qMRI to investigate the microstructural changes happening over time in multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: Seventeen MS patients (age 25-65, 11 RRMS) were scanned on a 3T MRI, with at least one year separation between two acquisition sessions, and the evolution of their parameters was evaluated within several tissue classes: normal-appearing white matter (NAWM), normal-appearing cortical and deep gray matter (NACGM and NADGM) as well as focal white matter (WM) lesions. Brain tissue segmentation was performed using US-with-Lesion, an adapted version of the Unified Segmentation (US) algorithm accounting for the lesion tissue class, based on qMRI and FLAIR images. An individual annual rate of change for each qMRI parameter was computed, and its correlation to clinical status was evaluated. As for WM plaques, three areas were defined within them. A Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) tested the effect of area and time points, as well as their interaction on each median qMRI parameter value. Results: Patients with a better clinical evolution showed positive annual rate of change in MT and R2* within NAWM and NACGM, suggesting repair mechanisms in terms of increased myelin content and/or axonal density. When examining focal WM lesions, qMRI parameters within surrounding NAWM showed modification in terms of reduction in MT, R1 and R2* combined with increased of PD even before any focal lesion is visible on conventional FLAIR MRI. Conclusion: The results illustrate the benefit of multiple qMRI data in monitoring subtle changes within normal appearing brain tissues and plaque dynamics in relation with tissue repair or disease progression.
Factors associated with secondhand smoke exposure among non-smoking employees in the workplace: A cross-sectional study in Qingdao, China

Objective The study was designed to describe secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure among non-smoking employees in the workplace and identify factors that related exposure in Qingdao. Methods The study subjects covered the key non-smoking places stipulated in the "Qingdao City Smoking Control Regulations". Airborne nicotine concentration in the workplace and saliva cotinine concentration of employees were measured. Questionnaire included employees demographics factors, smoke-free measures in the workplace, the employers tobacco hazard knowledge and attitudes towards smoke-free policy. Results A total of 222 non-smoking employees and 46 employees were included in the study. The median concentrations of airborne nicotine and salivary cotinine were 0.389 {micro}g/m 3 and 0.575 ng/ml. Educational status, average number of smokers per day and exposure time of SHS in the workplace, whether to divide smoking and non-smoking areas were related to the airborne nicotine concentration significantly. Age, educational status, exposure time of SHS in the workplace, tobacco control training and publicity and whether the employers support the "Qingdao Tobacco Control Regulation" were related to the salivary cotinine concentration significantly. Conclusions : Exposure to SHS is highly prevalent among non-smoking employees in the workplace. Interventions to reduce SHS exposure in the workplace are urgently needed.
Not all Catholic schools are private schools: does it matter for student performance?

National student assessments from Uganda suggest low levels of proficiency for students in primary and secondary schools. This is confirmed by data for primary schools from the 2013 Service Delivery Indicators survey. The data are used in this article to conduct an assessment of factors affecting student performance. A unique feature of the data is that comparisons can be made not only between public and private schools, but also between Catholic and non-Catholic schools, with most of the Catholic schools being public schools. The analysis looks at student performance on tests for English, numeracy, non-verbal reasoning, and the student’s overall score for the three dimensions combined. Explanatory factors include a wide range of school, teacher, child, and community characteristics. After controlling for these factors, students in private schools, Catholic or not, tend to perform better than those in public schools, Catholic or not. By contrast, differences between Catholic and non-Catholic schools, especially when the schools are public, appear to matter less for student performance.
New methods and devices to improve The complex human being functioning

Abstract The research presents in the first part of the article the proof that humans can change in principle the state of each main energy center. This means self-control. It means otherwise that you can succeed in their alignment. And if you have a very good alignment of the energy centers, you have a very good balance of your body. This means also fewer chances to become ill and also good possibilities to live with a good psychic state. The measurements were realized using a Bio Well device connected to a laptop. Different images presented offer a clear justification of the significant displacement of the fourth energy center of the human being. The second part of the article reveals how the Romanian invention called the therapeutically device with polarized light, can improve a person’s state. The third set of measurements presented in this article was made using another Romanian invention rewarded with six gold medals, one of them in Geneva, and not only receiving other awards, the Bio-Chips Doctor Tech. In this case four chips were placed on a car wheel. The general state of the person was evaluated again by means of a Bio Well device. All the three types of the measurements are very original. The general purpose of the article is to show that we can do more in different ways for us and also for others in order to improve the health, the level of energy and the level of performance for every interested person.
Associations between differing magnitudes of inter-limb asymmetry and linear and change of direction speed performance in male youth soccer players

Abstract Study aim: This study examines the relationship between different magnitudes of asymmetry and their effects on speed performance. Material and methods: Forty-two sub-elite male youth soccer players performed a 30-m sprint, change of direction, single leg countermovement jump and single leg hop. Subjects were divided into groups with vertical and horizontal asymmetry, and both groups were then divided into three groups according to magnitudes of inter-limb asymmetry (<5%, 5–10%, and >10%). Results: The results showed no significant correlation between different jump asymmetry magnitudes and the mentioned outcomes of speed performance (p > 0.05). In addition, larger asymmetries resulted in faster linear speed, even if small differences (g range = 0.00 to 0.57; p > 0.05). But this was not similar for change of direction speed (g range = –0.42 to 0.34; p > 0.05). Conclusions: There are inconsistent findings for the effects of inter-limb asymmetries on speed performance. The results of the present study indicate that the magnitude of asymmetry had no meaningful association with independent measures of performance in soccer players. Therefore, it seems more likely to explain the effects of individual asymmetries on performance rather than the idea that asymmetry negatively affects performance.
A comparative analysis of classification algorithms for consumer credits

Abstract Machine Learning is a constantly growing area which has the capacity to analyze massive amounts of data and find relevant patterns, a very important feature in the era of big data. It has a wide range of application areas, including the financial field, and proved to be efficient in solving various problems, including the prediction of the default probability of a customer to meet their obligations to the bank, using classification algorithms. Their output is further used when deciding whether to approve a loan or no, based on the previous behavior of the customers, hence reduces the loss of the bank. Even though Machine Learning algorithms proved to be efficient in solutioning this type of problems, none was identified for remarkable results. This paper studies 10 different methods applied on the same dataset (Logistic Regression, K-Nearest Neighbor, Support Vector Machine, Kernel Support Vector Machine, Naïve Bayes, Decision Tree, Random Forest, Bagging Classifier, Linear Discriminant Analysis, Neural Network - Multi Layer Perceptron) and performs a comparative analysis aiming to identify the one which outperforms the others. Their performance is evaluated based on some well-known statistical measures such as Accuracy, Misclassification Rate, Precision and Specificity. In addition, this paper also presents and evaluates the impact of feature selection on the overall performance of an algorithm.
The incidence of earnings management on audit quality

Abstract The purpose of this article is to analyse the impact of earnings management on audit quality, taking into consideration the transparency of financial reporting under IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards). The global reporting has undergone important changes in the last decade of time. IFRS represents a revolution concerning the accounting principles and these standards were created to aid the investors and the auditors with the globalisation. Although there is a replete foundation of rules, the high degree of competition has decreased the accuracy of financial reporting through different ways and consequently the level of audit quality. Earnings management has the root in the incentives for management taking into consideration the linkage between the values of entities, the reported earnings figures and the measure of discretionary (abnormal) accruals. The main purpose of the research is represented by the investigation of accuracy of financial reporting concerning the linkage between earnings management and audit quality. The in-depth acquaintance of these elements highlights the actual circumstances of institutional context related to IFRS and ISA framework. In the present survey, a sample of 14 countries, during 2010-2019 was analysed. The study involves a quantitative model based on Jones model in order to verify the incidence of earnings management on audit quality. The results attest that the positive relationship between earnings management and audit quality is highly influenced by the accuracy of financial reporting under IFRS. At the same time, the present paper argues a continuous improvement of the financial reporting under audit inspections by Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOBs).