Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) over the Intraparietal Sulcus Does Not Influence Working Memory Performance

Mixed results of the impact of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on working memory have been reported. Contrarily to previous studies who focused mainly on stimulating the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, we modulated the left intraparietal sulcus (IPS) area which is considered to support attentional control aspects of working memory. Using a within-participant experimental design, participants completed three different conditions: anodal stimulation of the IPS, cathodal stimulation of the IPS, and sham stimulation of the IPS. Both visual and verbal working memory tasks were administered. In the visual task, participants had to memorize a random set of colored figures. In the verbal task, participants had to memorize a string of letters. Working memory load was manipulated in both tasks (six figures/letters vs. two figures/letters). No significant differences in accuracy or reaction time between the anodal, cathodal and sham conditions were found. Bayesian analysis supported evidence for an absence of effect. The results of the present study add to the growing body of contradictory evidence regarding the modulatory effects of single session tDCS on working memory performance.
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Complications in Heparin- and Bivalirudin-Treated Patients

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. OBJECTIVES: Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is a potentially life-saving intervention in refractory cardiopulmonary failure, but it requires anticoagulation to prevent circuit thromboses, which exposes the patient to hemorrhagic complications. Heparin has traditionally been the anticoagulant of choice, but the direct thrombin inhibitor bivalirudin is routinely used in cases of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and has been suggested as a superior choice. We sought to examine the timing of hemorrhagic and thrombotic complications after extracorporeal membrane oxygenation cannulation and to compare the rates of such complications between patients anticoagulated with heparin versus bivalirudin. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Johns Hopkins Hospital patients between January 2016 and July 2019. PATIENTS: Adult (> 18 yr) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were anticoagulated either with heparin or bivalirudin. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We compared rates of hemorrhagic and thrombotic complications by time on heparin versus bivalirudin and characterized the average time to each complication. Of 144 extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients (mean age 55.3 yr; 58% male), 41% were on central venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, 40% on peripheral venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and 19% on venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Thirteen patients (9%) received bivalirudin during their extracorporeal membrane oxygenation run, due to concern for (n = 8) or diagnosis of (n = 4) heparin-induced thrombocytopenia or for heparin resistance (n = 1). The rate of hemorrhagic or thrombotic complications did not differ between heparin (0.13/d) and bivalirudin (0.06/d; p = 0.633), but patients on bivalirudin received significantly fewer blood transfusions (1.0 U of RBCs/d vs 2.9/d on heparin; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm the safety and efficacy of bivalirudin as an alternative anticoagulant in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and suggest a potential benefit in less blood product transfusion, although prospective studies are needed to evaluate the true effect of bivalirudin versus the disease processes that prompted its use in our study population.
Cannabis Use in Muslim Youth

Cannabis is the most used illicit drug in the world. It causes impaired executive functioning, psychosis, and schizophrenia, among other impairments. It also affects reaction time, awareness, and motivation. These side effects can lead to decreased academic performance as well as social setbacks. Variance in the interpretation of whether cannabis is forbidden fuels the ongoing debate on the religious stance of cannabis use among Muslim communities across the globe. Stigma is the biggest barrier for open discussion about cannabis usage and also acts as a barrier to the implementation of harm-reductive programs in the Islamic world. There is clear evidence that due to stigma, religious beliefs, and social factors, Muslim youth are at a higher risk than their adult counterparts and that they feel unable to seek help with regard to cannabis and other drug abuse. By reviewing studies on the harmful effects of cannabis use and comparing them against notions of what is considered forbidden in the Islamic tradition and other communities, this paper explores the best ways to reduce harm from cannabis usage in the global Muslim community.
Development of a Phenomenological Soot Model Coupled with a Skeletal PAH Mechanism for Practical Engine Simulation

A new chemical mechanism with 12 species and 26 reactions for formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was developed and integrated into a skeletal mechanism for oxidation of primary reference fuel (PRF). Coupled with the new skeletal PRF-PAH mechanism, an improved phenomenological soot model was further constructed based on our previous work. By validating against the experimental data on the related PAHs in four premixed laminar flames of n-heptane/iso-octane and three counterflow diffusion flames of n-heptane, it is indicated that the major species concentrations were well reproduced by the model. Moreover, validations of the new soot model show that the soot yield, particle diameter, and number density were predicted with reasonable agreement with the experimental data in a rich n-heptane shock tube over wide temperature and pressure ranges. Compared with the soot model with acetylene as precursor species, the new model agrees better with the measurement, which proves the necessity of incl.
Fabrication of Thermal Plasma Sprayed NiTi Coatings Possessing Functional Properties

Thick NiTi shape memory alloy coatings (300–500 µm) were produced on graphite and AISI 304 substrates by radio frequency inductively-coupled plasma spray technology (RF-ICP) from feedstock NiTi powders. Their microstructure as well as chemical and phase composition were characterized and a methodology for the characterization of functional shape memory properties of the thick coatings was developed. The coatings exhibited cubic to monoclinic martensitic transformation and shape memory effect. The presented results prove that NiTi coatings with functional thermomechanical properties can be easily produced on structural materials by RF-ICP. Further optimization will be needed to prepare NiTi coatings with better microstructural and chemical homogeneity.
Optical properties of GaAsBi/GaAs quantum wells: Photoreflectance, photoluminescence and time-resolved photoluminescence study

Photoreflectance (PR), photoluminescence (PL) and time-resolved PL were applied to study the optical properties, particularly the localized and delocalized states and carrier dynamics, in GaAs1−xBix/GaAs quantum wells. With increasing Bi concentration the ground state transition (i.e., the transition between the first heavy hole and the first electron subband) red shifts due to Bi-related reduction of the GaAs1−xBix energy gap. Additionally, the transition related to the excited states in the quantum wells is clearly observed for the sample with high Bi concentration of 5.6%, confirming these quantum wells are type I. The PL measurements show the S-shape behavior and indicate the strong localization effect below 150 K for all measured samples, while the PL emission above 150 K is related to delocalized states. The localized character of emission at low temperatures is confirmed by time-resolved PL studies. At 10 K the decay time has strong spectral dispersion (i.e. the decay time increases from ∼10 ns to ∼400 ns going from the high to low energy side of the PL peak). This dispersion disappears above 190 K. At room temperature the decay time is in the order of a few ns.
RNF213 gene silencing upregulates transforming growth factor β1 expression in bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and is involved in the onset of Moyamoya disease

Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a chronic and progressive cerebrovascular occlusion disease, the precise etiology of which is poorly understood. Ring finger protein 213 (RNF213) has been previously identified as a susceptibility gene that serves an important role in angiogenesis, where it has been shown to be closely associated with the onset of MMD. Patients with MMD exhibit increased expression levels of various pro-inflammatory molecules and angiogenic factors. Under certain conditions, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have the ability to differentiate to form neuron-like and microglia-like cells. In the present study, a total of 40 MMD patients and 40 healthy individuals were enrolled. ELISA assays revealed that the expression of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) were higher than that in healthy controls. Furthermore, rat BMSCs (rBMSCs) were isolated and cultured using the whole bone marrow adherence method, which were then phenotyped using flow cytometry. Osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation were determined by using Alizarin red and oil red O staining, respectively. RNF213 was knocked-down using a lentivirus-mediated short hairpin RNA system in passage three rBMSCs, and successful transfection of the RNF213 was confirmed by RT-qPCR and fluorescence imaging. The expression levels of VEGF and TGF-β1 in these rBMSCs were measured on days 7 and 14, respectively. The results demonstrated that RNF213 knockdown upregulated TGF-β1 at both protein and mRNA levels, but did not exert any effect on VEGF gene expression. In conclusion, these findings suggested that that RNF213 knockdown may contribute to aberrant TGF-β1 expression via a pathway that remains to be unidentified, indicating that quantitative changes in RNF213 gene expression may serve an important role in the pathogenesis of MMD.
Characterization of the Upper Ordovician and Lower Silurian Marine Shale in Northwestern Guizhou Province of the Upper Yangtze Block, South China: Implication for Shale Gas Potential

A detailed study of the upper Ordovician Wufeng shale and lower Silurian Longmaxi shale in northwestern Guizhou province of the upper Yangtze block was conducted on the basis of systematic analyses of a series of experimental measurements on core samples. Trace element ratios V/Cr, U/Th, and V/(V + Ni) reveal that variable paleoredox conditions existed during the deposition of the shale and the degree of anoxia decreased upward. The shale has high thermal maturity with an average Ro value of 3.38% (ranging from 2.94 to 3.65%) and high amounts of organic matter with an average total organic carbon (TOC) content of 2.02% (ranging from 0.36 to 6.73%), the type of which is sapropelic (I) to humic–sapropelic (II1). This indicates that the shale is good gas-producing shale in terms of geochemistry. The mineralogy of the shale is composed of 44.7% quartz and 32.6% clay minerals on average. The shale is characterized by low porosity ranging from 0.6 to 4.4% (averaging 1.8%) and low permeability varying from 0.006.
OPTO_A_217645 129..133

1Southern California College of Optometry, Marshall B. Ketchum University, Fullerton, CA, USA; 2Hoopes Vision, Draper, UT, USA; 3John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; 4Utah Lions Eye Bank, Murray, UT, USA Purpose: To determine the current scope of practice with regards to cycloplegic examinations, specifically in the pediatric population. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed, ScienceDirect, Elsevier, and Google Scholar databases using keywords such as “cyclopentolate”; “tropicamide”; “pediatric”; “cycloplegia”; “atropine”; and “cycloplegic” from inception to October 2019. Results: Atropine has the strongest cycloplegic effect and is recommended for cases of large accommodative esotropia. Because of the undesired side effects and risks from atropine, cyclopentolate has been found to offer a very effective cycloplegia even for moderate to high hyperopia and has become the standard of care for traditional pediatric cycloplegic exams. Tropicamide has also been shown to offer adequate cycloplegia with less toxicity and side effects. Of all agents, tropicamide presents the least side effects and toxicity, whereas atropine presents the greatest. Cyclopentolate is a very safe cycloplegic agent that has risk of toxicity which increases with higher doses and concentrations. Conclusion: The American Optometric Association’s current pediatric cycloplegic guidelines have proven both safe and effective, as they recommend a conservative approach of using cyclopentolate 0.5% in infants and cyclopentolate 1% in those older than one-year old to avoid undesired side effects. Topical ophthalmic drops and spray instillation have both proved equally efficacious and therefore each have their place within a clinical setting. Using Cycolmydril under six months old and cyclopentolate 1% over 6 months old as recommended by the AAO, also provides a safe and effective guideline for cycloplegic examinations within the pediatric population.
NDT_A_312648 2129..2139

1Department of Neurology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical University, Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, 161000, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Science and Education, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical University, Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, 161000, People’s Republic of China; 3College of Medical Technology, Qiqihar Medical University, Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, 161000, People’s Republic of China Purpose: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder, which is characterized by memory loss and cognitive deficits. The neuroprotective role of milrinone on the injury of spinal cord or cerebral ischemia-reperfusion has been confirmed. However, the accurate function of milrinone on AD pathogeny is still unclear. Methods: APP/PS1 transgenic mouse was used to explore the role of milrinone in behaviour tests, and the effects on histopathologic features of AD such as the formation of neuronal amyloid-β (Aβ) plaque, microglial activation, tau protein hyperphosphorylation, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/Aβ-treated BV-2 cells were used to understand the anti-inflammation mechanism of milrinone on AD in vitro. Results: Our in vivo results showed that milrinone ameliorates the memory functions of AD mice. Meanwhile, milrinone reduced Aβ deposits, repressed microglial activation and tau protein hyperphosphorylation, attenuated the oxidative stress, and decreased the levels of inflammatory cytokines. The in vitro results demonstrated that milrinone could inhibit the secretion of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α via regulation of NLRP3 inflammasomes and TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signalling pathway. Conclusion: Overall, milrinone could ameliorate the memory loss and cognitive deficits through repressing the multiple pathological processes of AD, suggesting that milrinone may be an underlying and effective drug for treating AD clinically.
Occupational insecticide exposure and risk of non‐Hodgkin lymphoma: A pooled case‐control study from the InterLymph Consortium

Evidence for the human health effects of pesticides is needed to inform risk assessment. We studied the relationship between occupational insecticide use and risk of non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) by pooling data from nine case‐control studies participating in the InterLymph Consortium, including 7909 cases and 8644 controls from North America, the European Union and Australia. Insecticide use was coded using self‐report or expert assessment, for insecticide groups (eg, organophosphates, pyrethroids) and active ingredients (eg, malathion, permethrin). Associations with insecticides were estimated using logistic regression to produce odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for all NHL and NHL subtypes, with adjustment for study site, demographic factors and use of other pesticides. Occupational insecticide use, overall, was not associated with risk of NHL. Use of organophosphate insecticides was associated with increased risk of all NHL and the subtype follicular lymphoma, and an association was found with diazinon, in particular (ever use: OR = 2.05, 95%CI: 1.24‐3.37). The carbamate insecticide, carbaryl, was associated with risk of all NHL, and the strongest associations were found with T‐cell NHL for ever‐use (OR = 2.44, 95%CI: 1.13‐5.28) and longer duration (>8 years vs never: OR = 2.90, 95%CI: 1.02‐8.25). There was no association of NHL with other broad groups of insecticides, including organochlorines and pyrethroids, and some inverse associations were estimated in relation to historical DDT use. Our findings contribute to the totality of evidence available to help inform risk decisions by public health and regulatory agencies of importance given continued, widespread use of organophosphate and carbamate insecticides.
Mapping the global research output on Ebola vaccine from research indexed in web of science and scopus: a comprehensive bibliometric analysis

ABSTRACT Introduction: The Ebola Virus outbreak in Africa is believed to be one of the deadliest viral infections that causes severe hemorrhagic fever in human and nonhuman primates, which has resulted in increased mortality rates in the affected African countries. Thus, the current study mapped and quantified global research output and trends in the EBOV vaccine publications via a bibliometric analysis. Methods: Publications about the Ebola virus vaccine were extracted from the Web of Science and Scopus databases. HistCite, Bibliometrix, an R package, and VOSviewer.Var1. 6.6 were used for data mapping and analysis. Results: A total of 541 (WoS) and 511 (Scopus) documents were included, with a cumulation of 24,611 citations in both databases. These documents were published in 141 journals in the Wos and 185 in Scopus. The USA was the most productive country with 206 (38.08%) publications in the Wos. Although the top-cited authors are from the USA, the United Kingdom, and Canada, only one author from Africa “Samai M” from the University of Sierra Leone contributed 13 publications. Meanwhile, the Journal of Infectious Diseases was the most productive (45, 8.32%) in this field. Conclusion: The study provides insight for researchers and health policy on the trends and progress of the EBOV vaccine research and development, focusing on the hot topics, research collaboration, and research dearth that requires urgent redress to fast-track an all-inclusive EBOV vaccine development.
Altered sense of self during seizures in the posteromedial cortex

Significance In this manuscript, we report a rare case of a patient with localized seizures originating from the right anterior and dorsal posteromedial cortex (PMC). We mapped the electrophysiological and neuroimaging connectivity of the ictal onset site and replicated seizure auras by stimulating the homotopical PMC site in the left hemisphere. Our findings provide a causal link between PMC and the sense of self and provide unique clues about the pathophysiology of self-dissociation in neuropsychiatric conditions. The posteromedial cortex (PMC) is known to be a core node of the default mode network. Given its anatomical location and blood supply pattern, the effects of targeted disruption of this part of the brain are largely unknown. Here, we report a rare case of a patient (S19_137) with confirmed seizures originating within the PMC. Intracranial recordings confirmed the onset of seizures in the right dorsal posterior cingulate cortex, adjacent to the marginal sulcus, likely corresponding to Brodmann area 31. Upon the onset of seizures, the patient reported a reproducible sense of self-dissociation—a condition he described as a distorted awareness of the position of his body in space and feeling as if he had temporarily become an outside observer to his own thoughts, his “me” having become a separate entity that was listening to different parts of his brain speak to each other. Importantly, 50-Hz electrical stimulation of the seizure zone and a homotopical region within the contralateral PMC induced a subjectively similar state, reproducibly. We supplement our clinical findings with the definition of the patient’s network anatomy at sites of interest using cortico-cortical–evoked potentials, experimental and resting-state electrophysiological connectivity, and individual-level functional imaging. This rare case of patient S19_137 highlights the potential causal importance of the PMC for integrating self-referential information and provides clues for future mechanistic studies of self-dissociation in neuropsychiatric populations.
Effects of Dapagliflozin in Stage 4 Chronic Kidney Disease

Significance Statement Relatively little is known about the relative safety and efficacy of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors in patients with advanced (stage 4) CKD. The Dapagliflozin and Prevention of Adverse Outcomes in Chronic Kidney Disease (DAPA-CKD) trial enrolled patients with CKD with or without type 2 diabetes (mean eGFR 43 ± 12 ml/min per 1.73m2), finding that patients receiving the drug had lower risks of major kidney and cardiovascular events and an attenuation of progressive eGFR loss compared with patients receiving placebo. In this analysis within a subgroup of patients with stage 4 CKD and albuminuria, the authors found that the benefits of the SGLT2 inhibitor dapagliflozin in patients with baseline eGFR<30 ml/min per 1.73m2 were consistent with those observed in the DAPA-CKD trial overall, with no evidence of increased risks. Background In the Dapagliflozin and Prevention of Adverse Outcomes in Chronic Kidney Disease (DAPA-CKD) randomized, placebo-controlled trial, the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor dapagliflozin significantly reduced risk of kidney failure and prolonged survival in patients with CKD with or without type 2 diabetes. Methods Adults with eGFR of 25–75 ml/min per 1.73 m2 and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio of 200–5000 mg/g had been randomized to receive dapagliflozin 10 mg/d or placebo. Here, we conducted a prespecified analysis of dapagliflozin’s effects in patients with stage 4 CKD (eGFR,30 ml/min per 1.73 m2) at baseline. The primary end point was a composite of time to ≥50% sustained decline in eGFR, ESKD, or kidney or cardiovascular death. Secondary end points were a kidney composite (same as the primary end point but without cardiovascular death), a composite of cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization, and all-cause death. Results A total of 293 participants with stage 4 CKD received dapagliflozin and 331 received placebo. Patients with stage 4 CKD randomized to dapagliflozin experienced a 27% (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: −2 to 47%) reduction in the primary composite endpoint, and 29% (−2 to 51%), 17% (−53 to 55%), and 32% (−21 to 61%) reductions in the kidney, cardiovascular and mortality endpoints, respectively, relative to placebo. Interaction P-values were 0.22, 0.13, 0.63, and 0.95, respectively, comparing CKD stages 4 versus 2/3. The eGFR slope declined by 2.15 and 3.38 ml/min per 1.73 m2 per year in the dapagliflozin and placebo groups, respectively (P=0.005). Patients treated with dapagliflozin or placebo had similar rates of serious adverse events and adverse events of interest. Conclusions Among patients with stage 4 CKD and albuminuria, the effects of dapagliflozin were consistent with those observed in the DAPA-CKD trial overall, with no evidence of increased risks.