Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The adult respiratory distress syndrome cognitive outcomes study: long-term neuropsychological function in survivors of acute lung injury.

RATIONALE Cognitive and psychiatric morbidity is common and potentially modifiable after acute lung injury (ALI). However, practical measures of neuropsychological function for use in multicenter trials are lacking. OBJECTIVES To determine whether a validated telephone-based neuropsychological test battery is feasible in a multicenter trial. To determine the frequency and risk factors for long-term neuropsychological impairment. METHODS As an adjunct study to the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Clinical Trials Network Fluid and Catheter Treatment Trial, we assessed neuropsychological function at 2 and 12 months post-hospital discharge. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Of 406 eligible survivors, we approached 261 to participate and 213 consented. We tested 122 subjects at least once, including 102 subjects at 12 months. Memory, verbal fluency, and executive function were impaired in 13% (12 of 92), 16% (15 of 96), and 49% (37 of 76) of long-term survivors. Long-term cognitive impairment was present in 41 of the 75 (55%) survivors who completed cognitive testing. Depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or anxiety was present in 36% (37 of 102), 39% (40 of 102), and 62% (63 of 102) of long-term survivors. Enrollment in a conservative fluid-management strategy (P = 0.005) was associated with cognitive impairment and lower partial pressure of arterial oxygen during the trial was associated with cognitive (P = 0.02) and psychiatric impairment (P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS Neuropsychological function can be assessed by telephone in a multicenter trial. Long-term neuropsychological impairment is common in survivors of ALI. Hypoxemia is a risk factor for long-term neuropsychological impairment. Fluid management strategy is a potential risk factor for long-term cognitive impairment; however, given the select population studied and an unclear mechanism, this finding requires confirmation.
Investigation of Sexual Dysfunction, Quality of Life, and Depression Variables in Turkish Hemodialysis Patients and Their Comparison Between Gender

Abstract The aim of the study was to measure quality of life, depression and sexual function in patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis treatment and to assess gender differences in these three variables. The sample consisted of 84 volunteer Turkish dialysis patients who had been on hemodialysis for at least 6 months. The results showed that 51.2% of the participants were currently experiencing sexual dysfunction. Sexual dysfunction was more common in women (66.7%) than in men (41.2%). We found that women had statistically lower quality of life scores than men (p = 0.02 < 0.05).
Regional Hydrological Impacts of Climatic Change - Hydroclimatic Variability

Climate variability and change represent key threats to water resources systems. The provision of adequate water supply is of fundamental importance to social and economic security worldwide. As greater demands are placed upon limited resources, it becomes increasingly important to safeguard water resources systems from pollution, over-exploitation and the vagaries of climate variability and change. The challenges of water security are most acutely felt in the less developed countries. In this light, the hydrological sciences have a key role to play in providing deeper insights into the sustainability and suitable management of water resources systems. In this volume, 30 papers are presented where the main emphasis is on the quantification of climate variability and apparent change. These papers document hydroclimatic variability from a diverse range of regional areas, presenting a fair sample of climatic zones and climate threats, as well as the inherent variability of hydrological systems themselves.
Risk Factors for Relapses in Children with Steroid Sensitive Nephrotic Syndrome

Background: Nephrotic syndrome (NS) is the most common glomerular disease seen in the pediatric age group. Objective: To study demographic, socioeconomic, disease related characteristics and the physical examination including height, weight and blood pressure correlation with frequency of relapses in children with steroid sensitive NS (SSNS). Methods: This is a cross sectional study that was conducted at Nephrology Consultation Clinic, in Al-Imamein Al-kadhimein (peace on them) Medical City, Baghdad, Iraq starting from 1st of January, 2020 to 31 July, 2021. Results: Total number of patients was 60 children with SSNS, 24 (40%) patients were frequent relapsers and 36 patients (60%) were infrequent relapsers. Most of the children at onset of the disease were less than 5 yr (76.7%) and males were more than females (78.3%). Fifty-three patients were responder to steroid in less than 2 weeks (88.3%). Ten patients with low body weight (16.7%) and 6 patients with low body height (10%), 25 patients presented with elevated blood pressure (41.7%). A significant correlation was found between future relapses and following characteristics; response to steroid in less than 2 weeks, urinary tract infection (UTI) and gross hematuria, low body weight, short stature and elevated blood pressure. Conclusion: Comparing frequent with infrequent relapsers, the following factors found to be statically significant: response to steroid less than 2 weeks, UTI, gross hematuria, low body weight, short stature and elevated blood pressure. Keywords: Relapse, steroid, nephrotic syndrome, frequency Citation: Ali SH, Ali HA, Neamah AM. Risk factors for relapses in children with steroid sensitive nephrotic syndrome. Iraqi JMS. 2022; 20(2): 226-232. doi: 10.22578/IJMS.20. 2.9
Coefficients of Bi-Univalent Functions Involving Pseudo-Starlikeness Associated with Chebyshev Polynomials

In the present paper, a new subclass of analytic and bi-univalent functions by means of pseudo starlike function, activation function and Chebyshev polynomials are introduced. Coefficient bounds for functions belonging to the said subclass are obtained. Relevance connection of our class to second Hankel determinants is established.
Sequential mediation of early temperament and eating behaviors in the pathways from feeding practices to childhood overweight and obesity

Introduction Childhood eating behaviors and temperament may have important implication for constructing the pathways from maternal feeding practices to childhood overweight and obesity (OW/OB). Examining multiple feeding styles simultaneously to childhood OW/OB is critical through the mediators of early childhood temperament and eating behaviors. Methods This cross-sectional study recruited mothers mainly responsible for child care from two hospitals and two healthcare centers in eastern China. Sociodemographic characteristics, and data from the Infant Feeding Style Questionnaire (IFSQ), the short form of Children Behavior Questionnaire [Revised (IBQ-RSF)], and the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire for toddler (CEBQ-T) were collected. Weight and recumbent length were measured to calculate the age- and sex-specific body mass index (BMI) z-scores (BMIz). The structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was used to examine direct and indirect pathways from five maternal feeding styles to childhood OW/OB through temperament and eating behaviors. Results A total of 486 children were recruited, 73 (15.02%) children were OW/OB; the age of the children was 14.55 (SD = 5.14) months, and the age of the mothers was 29.90 (SD = 3.63) years. The responsive feeding exerted significant direct (β = −0.098), indirect (β = −0.136) and total (β = −0.234) effects on childhood OW/OB. Restrictive feeding had significant direct (β = 0.222), indirect (β = 0.102) and total (β = 0.324) effects on childhood OW/OB. Indulgent feeding had significant direct (β = 0.220), indirect (β = 0.063), and total (β = 0.283) effects on childhood OW/OB. Pressuring feeding had significant direct (β = −0.116), indirect (β = −0.096) and total (β = −0.212) effects on childhood OW/OB. Discussion There was a direct effect of feeding practices on childhood OW/OB; feeding practices indirectly predicted childhood OW/OB through temperament and eating behaviors in children aged 6–23 months. This study could help governments agencies, policymakers, and healthcare workers to establish optimal intervention programs targeting feeding practices through childhood eating behaviors and temperament to prevent childhood OW/OB.
Exaggerated Death of Distance : Revisiting Distance Effects on Regional Price Dispersions Kazuko Kano

This paper empirically establishes the significant roles of transport costs in price dispersions across regions. We identify and estimate the iceberg-type distance-elastic transport costs as a parameter of a structural model of cross-regional price differentials featuring product delivery decisions. Utilizing a data set of wholesale prices and product delivery patterns of agricultural products in Japan, our structural estimation approach finds large distance elasticities of the transport costs. The result confirms that geographical barriers are an economically significant contributor to the failures of the law of one price.
Mosquitos (Diptera, Culicidae) de las vegas del río Guadiana (Extremadura, España)

espanolSe presentan los resultados del estudio de la distribucion de los mosquitos (Culicidae) en las vegas del Guadiana (SO de Espana). Los muestreos de larvas y adultos revelaron la presencia de 11 especies de mosquitos en el area de estudio, pertenecientes a cuatro generos (Anopheles, Culiseta, Ochlerotatus y Culex). La especie de mayor distribucion fue Culex pipiens. No se detectaron especies invasoras de mosquitos en la zona estudiada. EnglishInformation on the distribution of mosquitoes (Culicidae) in Guadiana River Valley (SW Spain) is presented. Larval and adult surveys over a two-year period detected 11 species, belonging to four genera (Anopheles, Culiseta, Ochlerotatus, and Culex). The most widely distributed species was Culex pipiens. Invasive species of mosquitoes were not found in this study.
PROCALCITONIN GUIDED ANTIBIOTIC STEWARDSHIP: A BALKAN EXPERT CONSENSUS STATEMENT

SUMMARY Sepsis as a consequence of infection is a frequent cause of death among critically ill patients. The most common sites of infection are lover respiratory tract, abdominal, urinary tract and catheter-associated blood stream infections. Early empiric, broad-spectrum therapy in those with severe sepsis and/or shock with the aim of reducing mortality may lead to antibiotic overuse, resistance and increased costs. Among numerous serum biomarkers, procalcitonin (PCT) has proved to be one of the most reliable ones in the diagnosis of sepsis. An important means of limiting antibiotic resistance is the antibiotic stewardship program, especially in intensive care units with critically ill patients and prevalence of multiple drug-resistant pathogens. The PCT-guided antibiotic stewardship was first started in Western Europe and Asia-Pacific countries, as well as in the United States. Considering that this method has proven to be effective in reducing antibiotic consumption while improving clinical outcome, a group of experts from the Balkan region decided to make their own recommendations and PCT protocol. When creating this protocol for initiation and duration of antibiotic treatment, they especially reviewed the literature for lower respiratory tract infection and sepsis. In the protocol, they have included the severity of illness, clinical assessment, and PCT levels. Developing a consensus on the clinical algorithm by eminent experts/specialists in various fields of medicine should enable clinicians to use PCT for initiation of antibiotic therapy and monitoring PCT to stop antibiotics earlier. It is crucial that the PCT-guided algorithm becomes an integral part of institutional stewardship program.
Antitrypanosomal Activity of 1,2,3-Triazole-Based Hybrids Evaluated Using In Vitro Preclinical Translational Models

Simple Summary Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is a neglected tropical disease that affects 6–7 million people worldwide. It is a global disease, due to migration from Latin America to other regions of the world, and a recognized worldwide public health problem. Clinical treatment is based on two fifty-year-old drugs, nifurtimox and benznidazole. These drugs have low efficacy in the chronic phase of the disease and have severe adverse effects, making the search for new drugs essential. This study aimed to evaluate the trypanocidal potential of 1,2,3-triazole analogs. Our data highlight three analogs with potent activity against trypomastigotes and similar efficacy to benznidazole, the reference drug, against intracellular parasites. These analogs showed high efficacy in 3D cardiac microtissue. However, despite potentially reducing parasite load, the promising candidates did not inhibit the resurgence of the parasite in the absence of the drug. Newly designed analogs will be screened against T. cruzi to identify potentially active and safe drugs for Chagas disease therapy. Abstract Chagas disease therapy still relies on two nitroderivatives, nifurtimox and benznidazole (Bz), which have important limitations and serious adverse effects. New therapeutic alternatives for this silent disease, which has become a worldwide public health problem, are essential for its control and elimination. In this study, 1,2,3-triazole analogues were evaluated for efficacy against T. cruzi. Three triazole derivatives, 1d (0.21 µM), 1f (1.23 µM), and 1g (2.28 µM), showed potent activity against trypomastigotes, reaching IC50 values 10 to 100 times greater than Bz (22.79 µM). Promising candidates are active against intracellular amastigotes (IC50 ≤ 6.20 µM). Treatment of 3D cardiac spheroids, a translational in vitro model, significantly reduced parasite load, indicating good drug diffusion and efficacy. Oral bioavailability was predicted for triazole derivatives. Although infection was significantly reduced without drug pressure in a washout assay, the triazole derivatives did not inhibit parasite resurgence. An isobologram analysis revealed an additive interaction when 1,2,3-triazole analogs and Bz were combined in vitro. These data indicate a strengthened potential of the triazole scaffold and encourage optimization based on an analysis of the structure–activity relationship aimed at identifying new compounds potentially active against T. cruzi.
Asymmetric influence of the Pacific meridional mode on tropical cyclone formation over the western North Pacific

This study investigates the asymmetric response of western North Pacific (WNP) tropical cyclone (TC) formation during August–November to the Pacific meridional mode (PMM) from 1961 to 2021. Basinwide WNP TC frequency significantly increases (slightly decreases) during positive (negative) PMM years, implying a nonlinear PMM–TC frequency relationship. Only small spatial changes in TC formation occur during negative PMM years, while there is nearly a basinwide enhancement of TC formation during positive PMM years, particularly over the region of 5°–30°N and 135°–155°E. This region is characterized by significantly enhanced low‐level vorticity, mid‐level updrafts and upper‐level divergence during positive PMM years, all favouring TC development. By contrast, environmental anomalies are of a smaller magnitude and mostly insignificant over the WNP during negative PMM years. These distinct environmental changes during different PMM phases can be explained by differences in PMM strength. Positive PMM events are of a greater strength and are associated with a stronger wind–evaporation–sea surface temperature feedback than negative PMM events, leading to a notable anomalous large‐scale low‐level cyclonic circulation over the WNP in positive PMM events.
An Econometric Analysis of the Impact of the Self-Sufficiency Project on the Employment Behaviour of Former Welfare Recipients

An Econometric Analysis of the Impact of the Self-Sufficiency Project on the Employment Behaviour of Former Welfare Recipients The Self-Sufficiency Project (SSP) was a Canadian research and demonstration project that attempted to “make work pay” for long-term income assistance (IA) recipients by supplementing their earnings. The long-term goal of SSP was to get lone parents permanently off IA and into the paid labour force. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of SSP on employment and non-employment durations and its overall effect on employment rates. We focus on generating estimates of the “effect of the treatment on the treated” (TOT) where the “treated” are those in the program group who qualified for the earnings supplement by finding a full-time job during the qualifying period (a group we call the “take-up” group). To obtain a consistent estimate of TOT we follow the work of Ham and LaLonde (1996) and Eberwein, Ham and Lalonde (1997) in estimating a joint model of nonemployment and employment durations that controls for unobserved heterogeneity and nonrandom selection into work and into the take-up group. We find evidence of significant impacts of SSP on non-employment and employment durations. Simulation results show a TOT on the employment rate at 52 months after baseline of approximately 4 percentage points; a 10 percent increase compared to the control group. Further, this estimate of TOT using the results from our econometric model is 5 percentage points higher than the estimate from the raw data. JEL Classification: I38, J64
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The aim of this prospective study was to examine the relation of a positive personal characteristic, i.e., dispositional optimism, to physical and emotional well-being and positive affect in a sample of chronic cardiac patients and their partners. One hundred and four cardiac patients (25 women; mean age = 64.36 years) and their spouses (mean age = 60.04; all couples were married) participated in the study. Patient and partner dispositional optimism was assessed at baseline; well-being and positive affect, four months later. Τ he Actor-Partner Interdependence Model was used to examine the dyadic effects of optimism on physical and emotional well-being and positive affect. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to run these analyses. In almost all cases, patient and spouse baseline optimism was positively related to their own well-being and positive emotions. Furthermore, patient optimism positively predicted spouse outcomes. However, spouse optimism was not related to any of the patients’ indicators of well-being or positive emotions. These findings provide further support to the beneficial role of optimism, at an intra-and also inter-personal level. Furthermore, they indicate that, even when dealing with severe chronic disease, there are still positive personal characteristics, like dispositional optimism, which may help patients and their partners achieve better adaptation and higher levels of well-being.
Next-Generation Sequencing-Based Analysis of Urine Cell-Free mtDNA Reveals Aberrant Fragmentation and Mutation Profile in Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND Many studies have demonstrated the high efficacy of cell-free nuclear DNA in cancer diagnostics. Compared to nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) exhibits distinct characteristics, including multiple copies per cell and higher mutation frequency. However, the potential applicability of cell-free mtDNA (cf-mtDNA) in plasma and urine remains poorly investigated. METHODS Here, we comprehensively analyzed the fragmentomic and mutational characteristics of cf-mtDNA in urine and plasma samples from controls and cancer patients using next-generation sequencing. RESULTS Compared to plasma cf-mtDNA, urine cf-mtDNA exhibited increased copy numbers and wider spread in fragment size distributions. Based on 2 independent animal models, urine cf-mtDNA originated predominantly from local shedding and transrenal excretion. Further analysis indicated an enhanced fragmentation of urine cf-mtDNA in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Using the mtDNA sequence of peripheral blood mononuclear cells for reference, the mutant fragments were shorter than wild-type fragments in urine cf-mtDNA. Size selection of short urine cf-mtDNA fragments (<150 bp) significantly enhanced the somatic mutation detection. Our data revealed remarkably different base proportions of fragment ends between urine and plasma cf-mtDNA that also were associated with fragment size. Moreover, both RCC and CRC patients exhibited significantly higher T-end and lower A-end proportions in urine cf-mtDNA than controls. By integrating the fragmentomic and mutational features of urine cf-mtDNA, our nomogram model exhibited a robust efficacy for cancer diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS Our proof-of-concept findings revealed aberrant fragmentation and mutation profiles of urine cf-mtDNA in cancer patients that have diagnostic potential.
DELAYED HYPERSENSITIVITY II. INDUCTION OF HYPERSENSITIVITY IN GUINEA PIGs

In the previous paper (1) it was reported that guinea pigs infected intraderreally with a living toxigenic strain of C. diphtheria~ developed delayed hypersensitivity to diphtheria toxin even when treated with antitoxin before infection. The present paper describes experiments which show that small amounts of diphtheria toxoid or of ovalbumin are capable of inducing a high degree of tuberculin type hypersensitivity in guinea pigs ff the antigen is injected intradermally in the form of a complex with excess homologous antibody. Maximum sensitization is achieved several weeks before circulating antibody can be detected.
Developing a SARIMAX model for monthly wind speed forecasting in the UK

Wind is a fluctuating source of energy and, therefore, it can cause several technical impacts. These can be tackled by forecasting wind speed and thus wind power. The introduction of several statistical models in this field of research has brought to light promising results for improving wind speed predictions. However, there is not converging evidence on which is the optimal method. Over the last three decades, significant research has been carried out in the field of short-term forecasting using statistical models though less work focuses on longer timescales. The first part of this work concentrated on long-term wind speed variability over the UK. Two subsets have been used for assessing the variability of wind speed in the UK on both temporal and spatial coverage over a period representative of the expected lifespan of a wind farm. Two wind indices are presented with a calculated standard deviation of 4% . This value reveals that such changes in the average UK wind power capacity factor is equal to 7%. A parallel line of the research reported herein aimed to develop a novel statistical forecasting model for generating monthly mean wind speed predictions. It utilised long-term historic wind speed records from surface stations as well as reanalysis data. The methodology employed a SARIMAX model that incorporated monthly autocorrelation of wind speed and seasonality, and also included exogenous inputs. Four different cases were examined, each of which incorporated different independent variables. The results disclosed a strong association between the independent variables and wind speed showing correlations up to 0.72. Depending on each case, this relationship occurred from 4− up to 12−month lags. The inter comparison revealed an improvement in the forecasting accuracy of the proposed model compared to a similar model that did not take into account exogenous variables. This finding demonstrates the indisputable potential of using a SARIMAX for long-term wind speed forecasting.