Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The association of objectively measured physical activity on blood pressure and the prevalence of hypertension in African ancestry men

Background: Hypertension is a causal risk factor for cardiovascular disease and accounts for 7.5 million deaths per year, globally, with disproportionately high rates in African ancestry populations. This study aimed to test the association of duration and intensity of objectively measured physical activity with blood pressure and prevalent hypertension in a sample of 310 Afro-Caribbean men. Methods: Men for this study were from the Tobago Health Study and aged 50-89 years (mean 63 years). Systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP and DBP, respectively) were measured using an automated cuff, and hypertension was defined as SBP ≥ 140 mmHg, DBP ≥ 90 mmHg, or current use of antihypertensive medication. Physical activity was measured using the SenseWear Pro armband (SWA) worn at home for 4-7 days. We calculated daily step count and duration of waking time engaged in sedentary behavior (SB), light physical activity (LPA), and moderate to vigorous activity (MVPA). Multiple linear or logistic regressions were used to test for associations using the isotemporal substitution framework. Models were adjusted for SWA wear time, age, hypertension medication, alcohol consumption, smoking, comorbidities, family history of hypertension, and salt intake, and, additionally, for adiposity. Results: Compared to SB, greater time spent engaged in LPA was associated with lower SBP adjusted for wear time (p<0.05), but this was attenuated after adjustment for age. Compared to SB, greater time spent engaged in LPA was associated with lower DBP and lower odds of hypertension, adjusted for wear time and age (p<0.05 for both). In unmedicated men, results for SBP and DBP were similar, but were also significant after adjustment for adiposity (p<0.05 for both). Greater step count was associated with lower odds of hypertension after full adjustment (p<0.05), but not after further adjustment for adiposity. Conclusions: Replacing sedentary time with light activity was associated with lower blood pressures and odds of hypertension in older Afro-Caribbean men. The results are important to public health, adding evidence that increased physical activity could be beneficial in blood pressure management in this population.
HUBUNGAN MEKANISME KOPING DENGAN TINGKAT DEPRESI PADA PASIEN GAGAL GINJAL KRONIK YANG MENJALANI HEMODIALISA DI RSUDDr. H. SOEWONDO KENDAL

Individu dengan hemodialisis jangka panjang sering merasa khawatir akan kondisi sakitnya yang tidak dapat diramalkan dan gangguan dalam kehidupannya. Pasien dengan gagal ginjal kronik mengalami perubahan fisik seperti mulai dari urine output sedikit sampai tidak dapat BAK, gelisah sampai penurunan kesadaran, tidak selera makan (anoreksi), mual, muntah, mulut terasa kering, rasa lelah, napas berbau (ureum), dan gatal pada kulit. Mereka biasanya menghadapi masalah finansial, kesulitan dalam mempertahankan pekerjaan, dorongan seksual, yang menghilang serta impotensi, depresi akibat sakit yang kronis dan ketakutan terhadap kematian.Depresi merupakan masalah psikologis yang paling sering dihadapi oleh pasien penyakit ginjal kronik dan yang menjalani hemodialisis. Mekanisme koping diartikan sebagai cara yang dilakukan individu dalam menyelesaikan masalah, menyesuaikan diri dengan perubahan, serta respons terhadap situasi yang mengancam. Penelitian ini menganalisis hubungan antara mekanisme koping dengan tingkat depresi pada individu yang menjalani hemodialisis. Jenis penelitian ini adalah penelitian kuantitatif dengan korelasi yaitu penelitian yang dilakukan untuk menghubungkan dua variabel atau lebih. Menggunakan pendekatan cross sectional dengan instrumen kuesioner mekanisme koping dan kuesioner tingkat depresi. Jumlah sampel pada penelitian ini sebanyak 33 responden dengan teknik pengambilan sampel menggunakan teknik purposive sampling . Uji statistik yang digunakan adalah uji Chi Square . Hasil yang didapatkan p value sebesar 0,046 (<0,05) maka dapat diambil kesimpulan bahwa Ho ditolak dan Ha diterima yang artinya ada hubungan yang signifikan antara mekanisme koping dengan tingkat depresi pada pasien gagal ginjal kronik yang menjalani hemodialisa di RSUD Dr. H. Soewondo Kendal. Saran untuk peneliti selanjutnya diharapkan dapat menganalisis gambaran mekanisme koping individu dan mekanisme koping keluarga.
Application of evidence-informed deliberative processes in health technology assessment in low- and middle-income countries

Objectives Evidence-informed deliberative processes (EDPs) were introduced to guide health technology assessment (HTA) agencies to improve their processes toward more legitimate decision making. A survey among members of the International Network of Agencies for HTA (INAHTA) showed that EDPs can also be relevant for countries that have not (yet) established such an agency. Therefore, we explored to what extent low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) applied the steps and elements stipulated in the EDP framework and their need for guidance. Methods The survey among INAHTA members was slightly adapted to address LMIC context and sent to 416 experts identified through several HTA sources. The questions focused on contextual factors and the EDP steps (installation of an appraisal committee, selecting technologies and criteria, assessment, appraisal, communication and appeal). Data collection took place between 21 May and 1 September 2019. Descriptive statistics and qualitative analyses were used to summarize the findings. Results We received sixty-six meaningful responses from experts in thirty-two LMIC. We found that contextual factors to support HTA development are overall not present or only present to some extent. Respondents indicated that guidance was needed for specific elements related to selecting technologies and criteria, assessment, appraisal, as well as communication and appeal. Conclusions EDPs have the potential to provide steps for improving HTA processes. The results of this study can serve as a baseline measurement for future monitoring and evaluation of EDP application in the responding LMIC. This could support the countries in improving their processes and enhancing legitimate decision making when using HTA.
Effectiveness of beetroot juice derived nitrates supplementation on fatigue resistance during repeated-sprints: a systematic review

Abstract In recent decades, the search for non-doping substances that enhance sports performance has increased. Ergogenic aids such as beetroot juice (BRJ) and BRJ rich in nitrates (NO3 −) are widely used to cause physiological benefits that may lead to physical improvements. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review was to explore the knowledge reported to date on the NO3 − derived from BRJ intake effect on fatigue resistance during repeated sprints. A digital search was conducted following systematic review guidelines, and 18 studies met inclusion criteria from a total of 209 articles. In a third of the selected studies, the consumption of beet juice rich in NO3 − contributes to an increase in nitrites in plasma that led to the rise in peak power, mean power, number of sprint repetitions, total work and time to task failure, and causes a decrease in fatigue index and sprints times. Some different dose has been proposed for both chronic and acute protocols. It seems that a chronic intake of ∼5–6 mmol of NO3 − in 70 ml of BRJ, twice a day, for a minimum of 3–6 days could lead to a fatigue resistance improvement during repeated sprints. Besides, acute intake of NO3 − 2.5–3 h before physical exertion or a dose of 250 ml/d to 500 ml/d of BRJ could lead to similar effective results. This systematic review presents some improvements (1.2–5.38%) in fatigue resistance during repeated sprints when consuming BRJ derived NO3 −. The in-field practical meaning of these results should be explored.
Vision by alignment

Human visual intelligence is robust. Vision is versatile in its variety of tasks and operating conditions, it is exible, adapting facilely to new tasks, and it is introspective, providing compositional explanations for its ndings. Vision is fundamentally underdetermined, but it exists in a world that abounds with constraints and regularities perceived not only through vision but through other senses as well. These observations suggest that the imperative of vision is to exploit all sources of information to resolve ambiguity. I propose an alignment model for vision, in which computational specialists eagerly share state with their neighbors during ongoing computations, availing themselves of neighbors’ partial results in order to ll gaps in evolving descriptions. Connections between specialists extend across sensory modalities, so that the computational machinery of many senses may be brought to bear on problems with strictly-visual inputs. I anticipate that this alignment process accounts for vision’s robust attributes, and I call this prediction the alignment hypothesis. In this document I lay the groundwork for evaluating the hypothesis. I then demonstrate progress toward that goal, by way of the following contributions: • I performed an experiment to investigate and characterize the ways that high-performing computer-vision models fall short of robust perception, and evaluated whether alignment models can address the shortcomings. The experiment, which relied on a procedure to remove signal energy from natural images while preserving high classi cation con dence by a neural network, revealed that the type of object depicted in the original image is a strong predictor of whether humans recognize the reduced-energy image. • I implemented an alignment model based on a network of propagators. The model can use constraints to infer locations and heights of pedestrians and locations of occluding objects in an outdoor urban scene. I used the results of the e ort to re ne the requirements of mechanisms to use in building alignment models. • I implemented an alignment model based on neural networks. Alignment-motivated design empowers the model, trained to estimate depth maps from single images, to perform the additional task of depth super-resolution without retraining. The design thus demonstrates exibility, a property of robust vision systems. Thesis Supervisor: Patrick H. Winston Title: Ford Professor of Arti cial Intelligence and Computer Science
Changes in prefrontal cerebral oxygenation and microvascular blood volume in hypoxia and possible association with acute mountain sickness

What is the central question of this study? The role of the cerebral haemodynamic response to either normobaric or hypobaric hypoxia in people susceptible to acute mountain sickness (AMS) is still under debate. Prefrontal cortex near‐infrared spectroscopy‐derived parameters were monitored in normobaric hypoxia at rest and during moderate‐intensity exercise in AMS‐prone and non‐AMS individuals. What is the main finding and its importance? The AMS‐prone individuals did not increase microvascular blood volume and showed lower prefrontal cerebral oxygenation in normobaric hypoxia both at rest and during exercise compared with non‐AMS subjects, suggesting that these changes might underpin later development of AMS at altitude.
Safety of aerosol‐generating procedures in COVID‐19 negative patients: binomial probability modelling of intubateCOVID registry data

A central response to the COVID-19 pandemic was to create NHS capacity in part by suspension of elective services, as has been described elsewhere [1]. Now that the pandemic's peak appears to have passed, attention has focused on restoring these services. Common to most hospital plans is the separation of patient pathways into COVID-19 test-positive (red) and test-negative (green) cohorts; patients in the latter also as a precaution having been in isolation for 14 days.
Morphology of the tongue and laryngeal entrance in the Common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus); a light and scanning electron microscopic study

The present work was carried out to describe morphological features of the tongue and laryngeal entrance of the Common pheasantPhasianus colchicus, using light and scanning electron microscopy. The lingual apex was taper‐shaped with a shallow median sulcus. A V‐shaped papillary crest with 15–20 caudally directed conical papillae was located between the radix and corpus linguae. The second row of papillae consisting of three caudolaterally directed conical papillae was arranged caudal to the main papillary crest. The mons laryngealis was equipped caudally with a double‐layer of large conical papillae as pharyngeal crest, and few small conical papillae were seen around the glottis. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation showed that the apex linguae and corpus were covered with compact filiform papillae, while the radix linguae were free of papillae. Numerous openings of salivary gland can be seen on the radix linguae and mons laryngealis at higher magnification. On histological sections, all parts of the tongue and mons laryngealis were covered with a keratinised stratified squamous epithelium. The keratinised layer became thinner rostro‐caudally. The simple alveolar salivary glands were distributed in the submucosa from the apex linguae to the radix linguae as well as the mons laryngealis. PAS staining revealed mucin‐secreting activity of this glands. According to the findings, although the tongue and laryngeal entrance of the Common pheasant is characteristics of a galliform bird, it has some features similar to passeriformes and falconiformes.
Hyperdiluted calcium hydroxylapatite for skin laxity and cellulite of the skin above the knee: A pilot study

Despite an increasing request for skin rejuvenation above the knee, very few treatment options have been reported in literature. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of 1:4 hyperdiluted calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) in the treatment of skin laxity and dimples of the skin above the knees. A retrospective evaluation of hyperdiluted CaHA treatment for skin laxity and dimples above the knee was performed. Efficacy was classified as blinded evaluation of pre (T0) and 3‐month post‐treatment (T1) photographs by three investigators according to the validated knee cellulite severity score (KCSS) and patient satisfaction. Safety was evaluated through pain scores and adverse events evaluation. A significant reduction of KCSS at T1, as compared to T0, mainly in subjects with lower KCSS at T0, was observed (P < .05). All blinded assessments resulted in a correct identification of T0 and T1 pictures and evaluations of all investigators were found to be consistent and reliable. All patients were satisfied. Only minor adverse events (swelling, erythema, bruising, and skin irregularities) were reported, lasting 2 to 3 weeks after treatment. Our preliminary results highlight the efficacy and safety of hyperdiluted CaHA in the treatment of skin laxity and cellulite above the knees.
Phylogenetic positions of Lithophyllum incrustans and Titanoderma pustulatum (Corallinaceae, Rhodophyta) based on 18S rRNA gene sequence analyses, with a revised classification of the Lithophylloideae

Abstract This study was initiated to reexamine phylogenetic relationships among coralline algae having secondary pit connections and lacking cell fusions. Nuclear small-subunit ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene sequences were determined for the nongeniculate species Lithophyllum incrustans Philippi and Titanoderma pustulatum (Lamouroux) Nageli and aligned with 18S rRNA sequences for 35 other coralline species. Parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses of these data yielded congruent trees in which four major lineages were resolved. In these trees, geniculate and nongeniculate species having secondary pit connections and lacking cell fusions formed a well-supported clade within the Corallinaceae. Within this clade, the geniculate genera Amphiroa and Lithothrix do not form a monophyletic group. Results suggest that the genicula of Amphiroa and Lithothrix are probably not homologous; these genera are more closely related to nongeniculate species than they are to one another. A close relationship inferred between.
A Validity-Based Framework for Understanding Replication in Psychology

In recent years, psychology has wrestled with the broader implications of disappointing rates of replication of previously demonstrated effects. This article proposes that many aspects of this pattern of results can be understood within the classic framework of four proposed forms of validity: statistical conclusion validity, internal validity, construct validity, and external validity. The article explains the conceptual logic for how differences in each type of validity across an original study and a subsequent replication attempt can lead to replication “failure. ” Existing themes in the replication literature related to each type of validity are also highlighted. Furthermore, empirical evidence is considered for the role of each type of validity in non-replication. The article concludes with a discussion of broader implications of this classic validity framework for improving replication rates in psychological research.
Incremental Benefits of Multiple Tobacco Control Interventions: A Factorial Randomized Control Trial

Tobacco control requires a comprehensive approach. The present study aims to examine the incremental effectiveness of health systems intervention when combined with other interventions in enhancing knowledge and practices of physicians in tobacco cessation. Methods: A randomized control trial was conducted among 437 physicians in 12 districts of two states of India in 2011-13. The interventions consisted of Health Systems (H), Community (C) and Youth intervention (Y). Administrative Blocks /Mandals were randomly assigned to one of the three interventions (HC /HCY/HY) and control units. The health system intervention consisted of training physicians and developing a system of patient support and supervision for tobacco cessation. The primary outcome was change in knowledge and practices of physicians in tobacco cessation. Logistic regression model was applied to assess the impact of single and combination of interventions. Results: An increase in knowledge was observed on effects of tobacco on adverse birth outcomes, advice on NRT and, information provided on chronic disease management among physicians in HC, HY and HCY intervention units compared to control units from pre-intervention to post-intervention. Statistically significant change was observed in knowledge of physicians on effects of tobacco on adverse birth outcomes in HC (OR- 4.75, p-0.02) and HCY (OR- 5.08, p-0.04) intervention units. Conclusions: HCY intervention was most effective in enhancing knowledge and practices of physicians in tobacco cessation. Our study suggests that individual tobacco control interventions when combined together has an incremental effect and increases the likelihood of provision of tobacco cessation services in primary care.
Nitrogen Credits in Soybean‐Corn Crop Sequences on Three Soils

Economic and environmental incentives to accurately predict corn (Zea mays L.) N requirements emphasize the need to assign appropriate N credits for soybean (Glycine max L.) in soybean-corn crop sequences. This study was conducted to determine corn response to N and N credits for soybean in crop sequences. The effects of corn-corn (CC), soybean-corn (SbC), and soybean-corn-corn (SbCC) crop sequences and applied N (0 to 225 kg N ha −1 ) on corn grain yield, N uptake, and soil NO 3 and NH 4 concentrations were determined for 4 yr at three sites differing in climatic and soil characteristics. Four-year mean yields in SbC were 1.4 and 2.2 Mg ha −1 higher than in CC at two sites with nonirrigated silt loam soils, but yield erects due to crop sequence were small on an irrigated sandy soil [. ]
Soft Tissue Sarcomas of the Thoracic Wall: More Prone to Higher Mortality, and Local Recurrence—A Single Institution Long-Term Follow-up Study

Objectives This study aims to assess the impact of surgical margin and malignancy grade on overall survival (OS) and local recurrence free rate (LRFR) for soft tissue sarcomas (STS) of the thoracic wall. Methods This retrospective cohort study identified 88 patients, diagnosed and treated surgically for a nonmetastatic STS located in the thoracic wall between 1995 and 2013, using the population based and validated Aarhus Sarcoma Registry and Danish Sarcoma Registry. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate OS and LRFR. Multivariate Cox analyses were used to determine prognostic factors for OS and LRFR. Results The 5-year OS was 55% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.44-0.65) and 5-year LRFR was 77% (95% CI: 0.67-0.85). High malignancy grade and intralesional/marginal resection were identified as negative predictors for OS. High grade was the only prognostic factor associated with a lower LRFR. Conclusions In this large, single institution, study tumor grade was the key predictor for OS and LRFR. Surgical margin only statistically significantly influenced mortality, not local recurrence.
Systematic review of barriers to, and facilitators of, the provision of high-quality midwifery services in India.

BACKGROUND The Indian government has committed to implementing high-quality midwifery care to achieve universal health coverage and reduce the burden of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. There are multiple challenges, including introducing a new cadre of midwives educated to international standards and integrating midwifery into the health system with a defined scope of practice. The objective of this review was to examine the facilitators and barriers to providing high-quality midwifery care in India. METHODS We searched 15 databases for studies relevant to the provision of midwifery care in India. The findings were mapped to two global quality frameworks to identify barriers and facilitators to providing high-quality midwifery care in India. RESULTS Thirty-two studies were included. Key barriers were lack of competence of maternity care providers, lack of legislation recognizing midwives as autonomous professionals and limited scope of practice, social and economic barriers to women accessing services, and lack of basic health system infrastructure. Facilitators included providing more hands-on experience during training, monitoring and supervision of staff, utilizing midwives to their full scope of practice with good referral systems, improving women's experiences of maternity care, and improving health system infrastructure. CONCLUSIONS The findings can be used to inform policy and practice. Overcoming the identified barriers will be critical to achieving the Government of India's plans to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality through the introduction of a new cadre of midwives. This is unlikely to be effective until the facilitators described are in place.
Mexico and the COVID-19 Response

ABSTRACT Mexico has been one of the most affected countries in the world by the COVID-19 pandemic. The true impact of the pandemic has probably been underestimated, and President López Obrador, as well as the Ministry of Health, has struggled to lead the country since the beginning. While cases and deaths continue to rise, stronger leadership and unity are needed to limit the impact of COVID-19 on the health of millions of Mexicans.