Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association between early bronchiolitis and the development of childhood asthma: a meta-analysis

Objective Early life bronchiolitis has been hypothesised to be associated with the subsequent risk of persistent wheezing or asthma. However, the link remains controversial. The objective of our study was to evaluate the association between bronchiolitis before 2 years of age and the late-onset wheezing/asthma. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases were systematically searched for studies published between 1955 and January 2020. Meanwhile, we also checked through the reference lists of relevant articles to see whether these references included reports of other studies that might be eligible for the review. Cohort and case–control studies assessing the association between early-life bronchiolitis and late-onset wheezing/asthma were included in this meta-analysis. Data were extracted by two independent reviewers. Results were pooled using a random-effects model or fixed-effects model according to the heterogeneity among studies. Results 32 original articles with 292 844 participants, which met the criteria, were included in this meta-analysis. Bronchiolitis before 2 years of age was associated with an increased risk of subsequent wheezing/asthma (relative risk=2.46, 95% CI 2.14 to 2.82, p<0.001). After categorising studies into different groups based on age at the end of follow-up, geographical region and study quality, the association still remained significant. Conclusions The meta-analysis indicates an association between bronchiolitis before 2 years of age and the wheezing/asthma in later life. Well-designed and highly standardised prospective studies that better address bias due to potential confounding factors are needed to validate the risk identified in our meta-analysis. PROSPERO registration number CRD42018089453.
Interactive virtual reality assessment of aggressive social information processing in boys with behaviour problems: A pilot study

Abstract Children's aggressive behaviour is partly determined by how they process social information (e.g., making hostile interpretations or aiming to seek revenge). Such aggressive social information processing (SIP) may be most evident if children are emotionally engaged in actual social interactions. Current methods to assess aggressive SIP, however, often ask children to reflect on hypothetical vignettes. This pilot study therefore examined a new method that actually involves children in emotionally engaging social interactions: interactive virtual reality (VR). We developed a virtual classroom where children could play games with virtual peers. A sample of boys (N = 32; ages 8–13) from regular and special education reported on their SIP in distinct VR contexts (i.e., neutral, instrumental gain and provocation). They also completed a standard vignette‐based assessment of SIP. Results demonstrated good convergent validity of interactive VR assessment of SIP, as indicated by significant moderate to large correlations of VR‐assessed SIP with vignette‐assessed SIP for all SIP variables except anger. Interactive VR showed improved measurement sensitivity (i.e., larger variances in SIP compared to vignettes) for aggressive responding, but not for other SIP variables. Discriminant validity (i.e., distinct SIP patterns across contexts) of interactive VR was supported for provocation contexts, but not for instrumental gain contexts. Last, children were more enthusiastic about the VR assessment compared to the vignette‐based assessment. These findings suggest that interactive VR may be a promising tool, allowing for the assessment of children's aggressive SIP in standardized yet emotionally engaging social interactions.
The Mindfulness and the Emotional Regulation Skills in Italian Nurses During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Descriptive Survey-Correlational Study

Purpose: To analyze the differences in mindfulness level and emotional regulation skills, as cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression subdimensions, according to sex and years of work experience in a sample of Italian nurses directly involved in the care of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Then, correlations were also performed in order to evidence relationships between the mindfulness tendency and the emotional regulation skills, both in cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression, too. Design of study: Descriptive correlational study. Methods: In June 2020, an online questionnaire was administered. Data relating to sex and years of work experience, the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), and the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) in the cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression subdimensions were collected. Findings: Two hundred nurses were enrolled. Males recorded higher MAAS values compared to females (p = .001). No significant differences were registered in the MAAS scores according to years of work experience and regarding the ERQ subscales according to sex and work of experience, too. Also, any correlations were reported between MAAS and ERQ subscales. Conclusions: Future training on the basic principles of mindfulness and Emotion Regulation were considered a priority in nurses to better self-modulate their own beings, particularly during the pandemic period.
Economic Evaluations of Breast Cancer Care in Low‐ and Middle‐Income Countries: A Scoping Review

Abstract Background Understanding the cost of delivering breast cancer (BC) care in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) is critical to guide effective care delivery strategies. This scoping review summarizes the scope of literature on the costs of BC care in LMICs and characterizes the methodological approaches of these economic evaluations. Materials and Methods A systematic literature search was performed in five databases and gray literature up to March 2020. Studies were screened to identify original articles that included a cost outcome for BC diagnosis or treatment in an LMIC. Two independent reviewers assessed articles for eligibility. Data related to study characteristics and methodology were extracted. Study quality was assessed using the Drummond et al. checklist. Results Ninety‐one articles across 38 countries were included. The majority (73%) of studies were published between 2013 and 2020. Low‐income countries (2%) and countries in Sub‐Saharan Africa (9%) were grossly underrepresented. The majority of studies (60%) used a health care system perspective. Time horizon was not reported in 30 studies (33%). Of the 33 studies that estimated the cost of multiple steps in the BC care pathway, the majority (73%) were of high quality, but studies varied in their inclusion of nonmedical direct and indirect costs. Conclusion There has been substantial growth in the number of BC economic evaluations in LMICs in the past decade, but there remain limited data from low‐income countries, especially those in Sub‐Saharan Africa. BC economic evaluations should be prioritized in these countries. Use of existing frameworks for economic evaluations may help achieve comparable, transparent costing analyses. Implications for Practice There has been substantial growth in the number of breast cancer economic evaluations in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) in the past decade, but there remain limited data from low‐income countries. Breast cancer economic evaluations should be prioritized in low‐income countries and in Sub‐Saharan Africa. Researchers should strive to use and report a costing perspective and time horizon that captures all costs relevant to the study objective, including those such as direct nonmedical and indirect costs. Use of existing frameworks for economic evaluations in LMICs may help achieve comparable, transparent costing analyses in order to guide breast cancer control strategies.
Outpatient Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Infection to Prevent COVID-19 Progression

Abstract As of March 2021, COVID-19 has caused more than 123 million infections, and almost 3 million deaths worldwide. Dramatic advances have been made in vaccine development and non-pharmaceutical interventions to stop the spread of infection. But treatments to stop the progression of disease are limited. A wide variety of "repurposed" drugs explored for treatment of COVID-19 have had little or no benefit. More recently, intravenous monoclonal antibody (mAb) combinations have been authorized by the US FDA for emergency use (EUA) for outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19 including some active against emerging SARS-COV-2 variants of concern (VOC). Easier to administer therapeutics including intramuscular and subcutaneous mAbs and oral antivirals are in clinical trials. Reliable, safe, effective COVID-19 treatment for early infection in the outpatient setting is of urgent and critical importance. Availability of such treatment should lead to reduced progression of COVID-19.
First evidence of deviation from Mendelian proportions in a conservation programme

Classic Mendelian inheritance is the bedrock of population genetics and underpins pedigree‐based management of animal populations. However, assumptions of Mendelian inheritance might not be upheld in conservation breeding programmes if early viability selection occurs, even when efforts are made to equalise genetic contributions of breeders. To test this possibility, we investigated deviations from Mendelian proportions in a captive metapopulation of the endangered Tasmanian devil. This marsupial population is ideal for addressing evolutionary questions in conservation due to its large size, range of enclosure types (varying in environmental conditions), good genomic resources (which aid interpretation), and the species’ biology. Devil mothers give birth to more offspring than they can nurse in the pouch, providing the potential for intense viability selection amongst embryos. We used data from 140 known sire‐dam‐offspring triads to isolate within‐family selection from population‐level mechanisms (such as mate choice or inbreeding), and compared observed offspring genotypes at 123 targeted SNPs to neutral (i.e., Mendelian) expectations. We found lower offspring heterozygosity than expected, and subtle patterns that varied across a gradient of management intensity from zoo‐like enclosures to semi‐wild environments for some loci. Meiotic drive or maternal‐foetal incompatibilities are consistent with our results, although we cannot statistically confirm these mechanisms. We found some evidence that maternal genotype affects annual litter size, suggesting that family‐level patterns are driven by differential offspring mortality before birth or during early development. Our results show that deviations from Mendelian inheritance can occur in conservation programmes, despite best‐practice management to prevent selection.
Sprouty4 negatively regulates ERK/MAPK signaling and the transition from in situ to invasive breast ductal carcinoma

Breast ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a non-obligate precursor of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). It is still unclear which DCIS will become invasive and which will remain indolent. Patients often receive surgery and radiotherapy, but this early intervention has not produced substantial decreases in late-stage disease. Sprouty proteins are important regulators of ERK/MAPK signaling and have been studied in various cancers. We hypothesized that Sprouty4 is an endogenous inhibitor of ERK/MAPK signaling and that its loss/reduced expression is a mechanism by which DCIS lesions progress toward IDC, including triple-negative disease. Using immunohistochemistry, we found reduced Sprouty4 expression in IDC patient samples compared to DCIS, and that ERK/MAPK phosphorylation had an inverse relationship to Sprouty4 expression. These observations were reproduced using a 3D culture model of disease progression. Knockdown of Sprouty4 in MCF10.DCIS cells increased ERK/MAPK phosphorylation as well as their invasive capability, while overexpression of Sprouty4 in MCF10.CA1d IDC cells reduced ERK/MAPK phosphorylation, invasion, and the aggressive phenotype exhibited by these cells. Immunofluorescence experiments revealed reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton and relocation of E-cadherin back to the cell surface, consistent with the restoration of adherens junctions. To determine whether these effects were due to changes in ERK/MAPK signaling, MEK1/2 was pharmacologically inhibited in IDC cells. Nanomolar concentrations of MEK162/binimetinib restored an epithelial-like phenotype and reduced pericellular proteolysis, similar to Sprouty4 overexpression. From these data we conclude that Sprouty4 acts to control ERK/MAPK signaling in DCIS, thus limiting the progression of these premalignant breast lesions.
COVID-19 pandemic fears and obsessive-compulsive symptoms in adolescents with pre-existing mental disorders: An exploratory cross-sectional study

Background: Previous research has established an association between pandemic fears and the development of obsessive-compulsive symptoms mainly in the general population. Aim: To explore whether COVID-19 pandemic fears are associated with obsessive-compulsive symptoms and vice versa in adolescents with preexisting mental and behavioural disorders. Methods: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study among adolescents with pre-existing mental disorders. The extent of worrying related to the COVID-19 pandemic was measured using the COVID-19 inventory whereas obsessive-compulsive symptoms were assessed using the obsessive-compulsive inventory-revised (OCI-R). Pearson correlation coefficient (r) was used to explore the relationship between COVID-19 pandemic fears and the development of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Results: A total of 57 patients out of 63 participants (90.4%) had a COVID-19 inventory score of 12 or higher suggesting that a vast majority of young people with mental disorders had significant pandemic-related worries. Out of these 57 patients, over half (31) had an OCI-R modified score of 17 or higher indicating significant obsessive-compulsive symptoms. A positive correlation was found between the means of the two scores. This relationship was statistically significant – {r = 0.405, Sig. (two-tailed) = 0.001}. Conclusion: Adolescents with mental disorders can exhibit significant pandemic fears and this is likely to be associated with obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
Effects of two different emotion-inducing methods on the emotional memory of non-clinically depressed individuals

In the study of emotional memory bias in depressed individuals, most previous studies have used emotional materials, but there were significant differences in the effects of different emotion-inducing methods on face memory. In the present study, two experiments were conducted to explore the effects of different emotion-inducing methods on memory between healthy participants and non-clinically depressed participants. The results from experiment 1 showed that when feedback was used as induction, the memory performance of the non-clinical depression group was significantly higher than that of the healthy group under the condition of negative feedback. Under positive and neutral feedback, there were no significant differences between the two groups. In experiment 2, when emotional materials were used as a mode of induction, no significantly difference in each emotional condition between the healthy and depressed groups was found. The results of the present study show that different methods of emotional induction have different effects on depressed participants. Compared with the emotion induced by the emotional material, the non-clinical depressed participants had a better memory effect induced by negative emotional events.
Two problems in viscous flow: Fluid -structure interaction and contact drop formation

of “Two Problems in Viscous Flow: Fluid-Structure Interaction and Contact Drop Formation” by Bian Qian, Ph.D., Brown University, May 2010 This thesis deals with two problems in viscous flow. In the first part, fluid-structure interactions were investigated, with connections to swimming microorganisms. Motivated by a numerically proposed swimming mechanism, we studied an elastic straight rod rotating on an imaginary cone. The shapes of the rod which rotates at either prescribed torques or speeds were experimentally measured and theoretically calculated. The rod undergoes a discontinuous transition to a helical shape at a critical torque, with increased propulsion force. A simple model was presented to capture and explain the essential physics. In addition, the longstanding hypothesis of hydrodynamic synchronization was investigated using a scale model experiment. We demonstrated that hydrodynamic interactions can cause synchronization between rotating paddles driven at constant torque if the shafts supporting the paddles have some flexibility. The synchronization state depends on the symmetry of the paddles and the torque mismatch. Excellent agreements were shown between the experiments and the regularized stokeslets simulations. And a simple analytic theory was built to predict the synchronization time as a function of paddle separation. In the second part, contact drop formation on a hydrophobic surface was examined experimentally and theoretically. A wide range of droplet sizes can result from the same syringe by varying the dispensing speed. Three dispensing regimes were identified according to the motion of the contact line, a line coexisting between liquid/vapor/solid interfaces. In the fixed and the expanding contact-line regimes, a power dependence of the drop sizes on the dispensing speeds was observed experimentally and obtained theoretically. In the receding contact-line regime, the contact-line motion consists of two stages: a slow retraction at the beginning and a rapid retreation immediately prior to drop breakup. The dispensing process was modeled as a stretching liquid bridge with a free moving contact-line. A quasi-static analysis and numerical calculations were performed to accurately predict the initial evolution of the liquid bridge and the final breakup respectively. The influences of the contact-line movement on the onset instabilities of liquid bridges and thus the deposited drop sizes were discussed.
Nasal Chondrocyte–Based Engineered Grafts for the Repair of Articular Cartilage “Kissing” Lesions: A Pilot Large-Animal Study

Background: Bipolar or “kissing” cartilage lesions formed on 2 opposite articular surfaces of the knee joint are commonly listed as exclusion criteria for advanced cartilage therapies. Purpose: To test, in a pilot large-animal study, whether autologous nasal chondrocyte (NC)–based tissue engineering, recently introduced for the treatment of focal cartilage injuries, could provide a solution for challenging kissing lesions. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Osteochondral kissing lesions were freshly introduced into the knee joints of 26 sheep and covered with NC-based grafts with a low or high hyaline-like extracellular matrix; a control group was treated with a cell-free scaffold collagen membrane (SCA). The cartilage repair site was assessed at 6 weeks and 6 months after implantation by histology, immunohistochemistry, and magnetic resonance imaging evaluation. Results: NC-based grafts, independently of their composition, induced partial hyaline cartilage repair with stable integrity in surrounding healthy tissue at 6 months after treatment. The SCA repaired cartilage to a similar degree to that of NC-based grafts. Conclusion: Kissing lesion repair, as evidenced in this sheep study, demonstrated the feasibility of the treatment of complex cartilage injuries with advanced biological methods. However, the potential advantages of an NC-based approach over a cell-free approach warrant further investigations in a more relevant preclinical model. Clinical Relevance: NC-based grafts currently undergoing phase II clinical trials have a high potential to replace existing cartilage therapies that show significant limitations in the quality and reproducibility of the repair method. We have brought this innovative concept to the next level by addressing a new clinical indication.
Overseas immigration of fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), invading Korea and Japan in 2019

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), spread rapidly in Africa and Asia recently, causing huge economic losses in crop production. Fall armyworm caterpillars were first detected in South Korea and Japan in June 2019. Here, the migration timing and path for FAW into the countries were estimated by a trajectory simulation approach implementing the insect's flight behavior. The result showed that FAWs found in both South Korea and Japan were estimated to have come from eastern China by crossing the Yellow Sea or the East China Sea in 10–36 h in three series of migrations. In the first series, FAW moths that arrived on Jeju Island during 22–24 May were estimated to be from Zhejiang, Anhui and Fujian Provinces after 1–2 nights’ flights. In the second series, it was estimated that FAW moths landed in southern Korea and Kyushu region of Japan simultaneously or successively during 5–9 June, and these moths mostly came from Guangdong and Fujian Provinces. The FAW moths in the third series were estimated to have immigrated from Taiwan Province onto Okinawa Islands during 19–24 June. During these migrations, southwesterly low‐level jets extending from eastern China to southern Korea and/or Japan were observed in the northwestern periphery of the western Pacific Subtropical High. These results, for the first time, suggested that the overseas FAW immigrants invading Korea and Japan came from eastern and southern China. This study is helpful for future monitoring, early warning and the source control of this pest in the two countries.
Endothelial Dysfunction as a Component of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2–Related Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children With Shock

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT04420468. OBJECTIVES: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2–related multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children is frequently associated with shock; endothelial involvement may be one of the underlying mechanisms. We sought to describe endothelial dysfunction during multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children with shock and then assess the relationship between the degree of endothelial involvement and the severity of shock. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: A PICU in a tertiary hospital. PATIENTS: Patients aged under 18 (n = 28) with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2–related multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children and shock, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Correlations between endothelial marker levels and shock severity were assessed using Spearman coefficient. The median (interquartile range) age was 9 years (7.5–11.2 yr). Sixteen children presented with cardiogenic and distributive shock, 10 presented with cardiogenic shock only, and two presented with distributive shock only. The median left ventricular ejection fraction, troponin level, and lactate level were, respectively, 40% (35–45%), 261 ng/mL (131–390 ng/mL), and 3.2 mmol/L (2–4.2 mmol/L). Twenty-five children received inotropes and/or vasopressors; the median Vasoactive and Inotropic Score was 8 (5–28). Plasma levels of angiopoietin-2 (6,426 pg/mL [2,814–11,836 pg/mL]), sE-selectin (130,405 pg/mL [92,987–192,499 pg/mL]), von Willebrand factor antigen (344% [288–378%]), and the angiopoietin-2/angiopoietin-1 ratio (1.111 [0.472–1.524]) were elevated and significantly correlated with the Vasoactive and Inotropic Score (r = 0.45, p = 0.016; r = 0.53, p = 0.04; r = 0.46, p = 0.013; and r = 0.46, p = 0.012, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Endothelial dysfunction is associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2–related multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children with shock and may constitute one of the underlying mechanisms.