Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The A2c111nt‐dup variants of human metapneumovirus predominantly circulating in Qingdao, China, during 2018 and 2019

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) plays an important role in acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs), especially in children. We investigated the epidemiology of HMPV associated with ARTIs among pediatric inpatients and identified HMPV genetic variations in Qingdao, China, from January 2018 to June 2019. HMPV‐positive samples were identified from throat swabs by multiplex real‐time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). The G gene sequences of HMPV were obtained, followed by phylogenetic analysis. As a result, 71 out of 1051 (6.76%) patients were HMPV positive, and the HMPV‐positive rate in children under 5 years of age was three times higher than that in those aged 5−17 years. The epidemic season of HMPV was in spring, with a peak mainly in March. Thirty‐two nucleotide sequences of the HMPV G gene successfully obtained were clustered into three genotypes, A2c (25/32, 78.13%), B1 (3/32, 9.38%) and B2 (4/32, 12.50%). In addition, 76% (19/25) of A2c viruses were identified as the emerging A2c111nt‐dup variants, which were predominantly circulating among pediatric inpatients with ARTIs between January 2018 and June 2019 in Qingdao. The emerging A2c111nt‐dup variants have spread between countries and cities and might spread more widely in the future. Further prevalence monitoring of this duplication variant is needed to clarify the potentially expanding transmission and to provide a scientific basis for disease control and vaccine development.
Ex-post Assessment of Genetically Modified (GM) Low Level Presence (LLP) in Canadian Flax

Canada is the world’s largest producer and exporter of flaxseed. In 2009, DNA from a deregistered genetically modified organism (GMO) CDC Triffid was detected in a shipment of Canadian flaxseed exported to Europe, causing a large decrease in the amount of flax planted in Canada and a major shift in export markets. The flax industry in Canada undertook major changes to ensure the removal of transgenic flax from the supply chain. To demonstrate compliance, Canada adopted a protocol involving testing grain samples (post-harvest) using an RT-PCR test for the construct found in CDC Triffid. Efforts to remove the presence of GM flax from the value chain included reconstituting major flax varieties from GM-free plants. The reconstituted varieties represented the majority of planting seed in 2014. This study re-evaluates GM flax presence in Canadian grain stocks for an updated dataset (2009-2015) using a previously described simulation model to estimate low-level GM presence. Additionally, losses to the Canadian economy resulting from the reduction in flax production and export opportunities, costs associated with reconstituting major flax varieties, and testing for the presence of GM flax along the flax value chain are estimated.
Biovalorization of spent Konacha tea leaves via single‐culture fermentation involving wine yeasts and lactic acid bacteria

The objective of this study was to explore the potential of fermentation as a biovalorization strategy for spent tea leaves (STL), a major agrifood waste generated from the tea extraction industry. Fermentation by wine yeasts or lactic acid bacteria (LAB) has shown promising results in previous studies across various substrates.
Hypothyroxinemia in sick term neonates and its risk factors in an extramural neonatal intensive care unit: a prospective cohort study

ABSTRACT Objective: Thyroid functions in the sick newborns may be altered in the first week of life. Transient hypothyroxinemia has been reported in these babies, which could be due to the immaturity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis or to acute illness. We conducted this study to estimate the incidence of hypothyroxinemia and determine its risk factors in sick term newborns. Materials and methods: We analyzed free T4 (FT4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels in sick term neonates (≤7 days of life) admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. FT4 and TSH levels were estimated in the first week of life in all the enrolled neonates (N = 98) and then repeated at 14-21 days of life in 46 babies. Risk analysis was conducted using univariate and multivariate logistic regression, and numerical data was compared using the Mann-Whitney U test and t-test. Results: Hypothyroxinemia was seen in 10 (10.2%) of the admitted term babies. Male gender, vaginal delivery, presence of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, and need for mechanical ventilation (>24 hours) were identified as risk factors. There was a significant negative linear correlation between FT4 level in the first week of life and duration of hospital stay. Conclusion: Hypothyroxinemia is common in sick term neonates.
Development, validation and evaluation of an online medication review tool (MedReview)

Objectives To develop, validate and evaluate a computerized clinical decision support system (MedReview) that aids medication reviewers with pharmacological decision-making. Methods This study included three phases; the development phase included computerizing a consolidated medication review algorithm (MedReview), followed by validation and evaluation of MedReview and responding to a web-based survey designed using patient scenarios. Participants had to be ‘fully registered’ with the Malaysian Pharmacy Board and work full-time at a community pharmacy. Results MedReview was developed as a web app. It was validated among 100 community pharmacists from May-July 2021 using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). There was acceptable content validity and fair inter-rater agreement, and good convergent and discriminant validity. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in five domains to determine the attitude of pharmacists about using MedReview: perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, intention to use, trust, and personal initiatives and characteristics; the total variance explained by five factors was 76.36%. The survey questionnaire had a high overall reliability value of 0.96. Evaluation of MedReview was based on mean scores of survey items. Of all items included in the survey, the highest mean score (out of 7) was achieved for ‘I could use MedReview if it is meaningful/relevant to my daily tasks’ (5.78 ± 1.10), followed by ‘I could use MedReview if I feel confident that the data returned by MedReview is reliable’ (5.77 ± 1.21), and ‘I could use MedReview if it protects the privacy of its users’ (5.73 ± 1.20). Conclusion Community pharmacists generally had a positive attitude towards MedReview. They found that MedReview is trustworthy and they had the intention to use it when conducting medication reviews. The adaptation of the TAM in the survey instrument was reliable and internally valid.
The Effect of Exergame Training on Physical Functioning of Healthy Older Adults: A Meta-Analysis.

Exergames have attracted increasing attention from both the public and researchers. Although previous systematic reviews provided evidence that exergame training is beneficial for improving balance or mobility in older adults, multidimensional physical function measurements, including balance, upper body strength, lower body strength, aerobic endurance, and gait, might help us achieve more robust and reliable results. This meta-analysis aims to quantify the effects of exergame training on overall and specific physical function in healthy older adults. We systematically searched exergame training studies published between January 1985 and June 2021. Forty-eight studies were included in the present meta-analysis, with a total of 1099 participants included in the training group and 1098 participants in the control group. Random-effects meta-analyses found that older adults obtained a small benefit in overall physical function performance (g = 0.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.33 to 0.53), moderate benefits in balance (g = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.46 to 0.71), upper body strength (g = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.20 to 1.10), lower body strength (g = 0.51, 95% CI = 0.37 to 0.65), and aerobic endurance (g = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.44 to 0.86), a small benefit in gait (g = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.08 to 0.59), and negligible effects on upper body flexibility (g = 0.13, 95% CI = -0.06 to 0.32) and lower body flexibility (g = 0.10, 95% CI = -0.45 to 0.67) from exergame training. The mini-mental state examination score was positively associated with the overall training efficacy (β = 0.08, P = 0.01), while body mass index and the sample size in the training group were negatively associated with the overall training efficacy (β = -0.01, P < 0.01; β = -0.004, P < 0.01). The current meta-analytic findings revealed that exergame training produced general benefits for overall physical function and different effects on specific physical function domains in older adults.
Factors Associated With Driving Status Among Brazilian Older Adults

This study analyzed the factors associated with driving status among older adults in Brazil. The sample consisted of 15,221 older adults (≥65 years) residing in Brazilian capitals in 2018. The following question established the participants’ driving status: “Do you drive a car, motorcycle, and/or another vehicle? ” Sociodemographic, health conditions, and health-related behaviors were derived through standard procedures. Poisson regression analysis was performed to estimate prevalence ratios and 95% confidence interval. The prevalence of drivers was 28.83%. We found that being physically active during leisure time and higher daily recreational screen time (>3 h/day) were associated with driving status. Self-perceived negative health and being physically active by commuting showed an inverse association with driving status. The high prevalence of older drivers and the characteristics associated with driving reinforces the importance of public policy strategies for these individuals.
Measurement invariance, selection invariance, and fair selection revisited.

This note contains a corrective and a generalization of results by Borsboom et al. (2008), based on Heesen and Romeijn (2019). It highlights the relevance of insights from psychometrics beyond the context of psychological testing. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
Gene therapy to terminate tachyarrhythmias

ABSTRACT Introduction To date, the treatment option for tachyarrhythmia is classified into drug therapy, catheter ablation, and implantable device therapy. However, the efficacy of the antiarrhythmic drugs is limited. Although the indication of catheter ablation is expanding, several fatal tachyarrhythmias are still refractory to ablation. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator increases survival, but it is not a curable treatment. Therefore, a novel therapy for tachyarrhythmias refractory to present treatments is desired. Gene therapy is being developed as a promising candidate for this purpose, and basic research and translational research have been accumulated in recent years. Areas covered This paper reviews the current state of gene therapy for arrhythmias, including susceptible arrhythmias, the route of administration to the heart, and the type of vector to use. We also discuss the latest progress in the technology of gene delivery and genome editing. Expert opinion Gene therapy is one of the most promising technologies for arrhythmia treatment. However, additional technological innovation to achieve safe, localized, homogeneous, and long-lasting gene transfer is required for its clinical application.
A phase I/II study of ivaltinostat combined with gemcitabine and erlotinib in patients with untreated locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma

This phase I/II study evaluated the safety and efficacy of a new histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, ivaltinostat, in combination with gemcitabine and erlotinib for advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Patients diagnosed with unresectable, histologically confirmed PDAC who had not undergone previous therapy were eligible. Phase I had a 3 + 3 dose escalation design to determine the maximum tolerable dose (MTD) of ivaltinostat (intravenously on days 1, 8 and 15) with gemcitabine (1000 mg/m2 intravenously on days 1, 8 and 15) and erlotinib (100 mg/day, orally) for a 28‐day cycle. In phase II, patients received a six‐cycle treatment with the MTD of ivaltinostat determined in phase I. The primary endpoint was the objective response rate (ORR). Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), disease control rate (DCR) and progression‐free survival (PFS). The MTD of ivaltinostat for the phase II trial was determined to be 250 mg/m2. In phase II, 24 patients were enrolled. The median OS and PFS were 8.6 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.3‐11.2) and 5.3 months (95% CI: 3.7‐5.8). Of the 16 patients evaluated for response, ORR and DCR were 25.0% and 93.8% with a median OS/PFS of 10.8 (95% CI: 8.3‐16.7)/5.8 (95% CI: 4.6‐6.7) months. Correlative studies showed that mutation burden detected by cfDNA and specific blood markers such as TIMP1, pro‐MMP10, PECAM1, proMMP‐2 and IGFBP1 were associated with clinical outcomes. Although the result of a small study, a combination of ivaltinostat, gemcitabine and erlotinib appeared to be a potential treatment option for advanced PDAC.
NECK AND BACK PAIN: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PATIENTS TREATED IN PRIMARY AND SPECIALIST HEALTHCARE

Objective To describe and compare patients with neck or back pain treated by physiotherapists in primary healthcare (PHC) and in departments for physical medicine and rehabilitation in specialist healthcare (SHC) in Norway. Design Cross-sectional study using data from the FYSIOPRIM (FP) database in PHC and the Norwegian Neck and Back Registry (NPR) in SHC. Neck and back pain patients in the period 2014–18 aged ≥ 18 years were included. Demographics, lifestyle and clinical factors were investigated. Results A total of 8,125 patients were included: 584 in PHC and 7,541 in SHC. Mean age was 47.1 and 45.5 years, respectively, with more females in PHC (72% vs 56%). Low levels of education and physical activity, high workload and receiving social benefits were associated with treatment in SHC. Treatment in SHC was most common among patients with pain duration 3 to 12 months. Higher pain intensity and lower health-related quality of life were found in patients treated in SHC, no differences were found for psychological distress. Conclusion This is the first study comparing register data in patients with neck or back pain treated in PHC and SHC. Differences were found in pain and health-related quality of life, but levels of psychological distress were similar between patients treated in PHC and those treated in SHC. LAY ABSTRACT Patients with neck or back pain have high levels of healthcare utilization, both in primary and specialist healthcare. The aim of this study was to investigate patients referred and treated by physiotherapists in primary healthcare and by specialists in specialist healthcare in Norway, to evaluate differences in the demographics, lifestyle and clinical factors of patients treated in each healthcare setting. Included patients had been diagnosed with neck or back pain from 2014 to 2018, and were aged ≥18 years. Patients in specialist care had more pain and lower health-related quality of life, but similar levels of psychological distress to those treated in primary healthcare. Furthermore, patients treated in specialist healthcare had lower socioeconomic status (education, workload, social benefits) compared with those treated in primary healthcare.
Natural history of Sudan ebolavirus infection in rhesus and cynomolgus macaques

ABSTRACT Due to its high mortality rate and continued re-emergence, Ebolavirus disease (EVD) continues to pose a serious threat to global health. A group of viruses within the genus Ebolavirus causes this severe hemorrhagic disease in humans: Ebola virus (EBOV; species Zaire ebolavirus), Sudan virus (SUDV; species Sudan ebolavirus), Bundibugyo virus, and Taï Forest virus. EBOV and SUDV are associated with the highest case fatality rates. While the host response to EBOV has been comprehensively examined, limited data exists for SUDV infection. For medical countermeasure testing, well-characterized SUDV nonhuman primate (NHP) models are thus needed. Here, we describe a natural history study in which rhesus (N = 11) and cynomolgus macaques (N = 14) were intramuscularly exposed to a 1000 plaque-forming unit dose of SUDV (Gulu variant). Time-course analyses of various hematological, pathological, serological, coagulation, and transcriptomic findings are reported. SUDV infection was uniformly lethal in cynomolgus macaques (100% mortality), whereas a single rhesus macaque subject (91% mortality) survived to the study endpoint (median time-to-death of ∼8.0 and ∼8.5 days in cynomolgus and rhesus macaques, respectively). Infected macaques exhibited hallmark features of human EVD. The early stage was typified by viremia, granulocytosis, lymphopenia, albuminemia, thrombocytopenia, and decreased expression of HLA-class transcripts. At mid-to-late disease, animals developed fever and petechial rashes, and expressed high levels of pro-inflammatory mediators, pro-thrombotic factors, and markers indicative of liver and kidney injury. End-stage disease was characterized by shock and multi-organ failure. In summary, macaques recapitulate human SUDV disease, supporting these models for use in the development of vaccines and therapeutics.
How do the determinants of exclusive breast-feeding change over time? A multi-survey quasi-longitudinal study in Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Abstract Objective: The current study aimed to assess trends, associated factors and the changes in these factors for exclusive breast-feeding (EBF) over the past two decades in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). Design: The current study used a quasi-longitudinal design. Descriptive analyses were done with correction for complex survey design. Inferential analyses were done for survey years separately using multiple logistic regression. Finally, pooled logistic regression analysis was done using interaction terms to quantify the difference in association per year. Setting: The current study used data from all provinces of Lao PDR collected in the years 2000, 2006, 2011/2012 and 2017. Participants: Children aged six months or younger from Lao PDR. Results: EBF practice was estimated at 19·03 %, 26·87 %, 40·67 % and 44·89 % in the four survey years, respectively. Factors significantly associated with EBF included: region of residence, ethnicity, wealth index and age of child. Region and ethnicity saw significant changes in association, and the South developing positively over time as well as in the Lao-Thai ethnic group. Having had any antenatal visits was not associated with EBF practice, nor did this change over time. Conclusions: Our study shows how EBF trends, and factors associated with EBF, changed over time. We applied an easily replicable methodology to assess similar public health phenomena. We argue that such analysis is particularly relevant for transitioning countries. In such rapidly evolving settings, it is crucial to take into account changing underlying factors when assessing and developing public health policy.
Patient-Specific Seizure Prediction via Adder Network and Supervised Contrastive Learning

Deep learning (DL) methods have been widely used in the field of seizure prediction from electroencephalogram (EEG) in recent years. However, DL methods usually have numerous multiplication operations resulting in high computational complexity. In addtion, most of the current approaches in this field focus on designing models with special architectures to learn representations, ignoring the use of intrinsic patterns in the data. In this study, we propose a simple and effective end-to-end adder network and supervised contrastive learning (AddNet-SCL). The method uses addition instead of the massive multiplication in the convolution process to reduce the computational cost. Besides, contrastive learning is employed to effectively use label information, points of the same class are clustered together in the projection space, and points of different class are pushed apart at the same time. Moreover, the proposed model is trained by combining the supervised contrastive loss from the projection layer and the cross-entropy loss from the classification layer. Since the adder networks uses the $\ell _{{1}}$ -norm distance as the similarity measure between the input feature and the filters, the gradient function of the network changes, an adaptive learning rate strategy is employed to ensure the convergence of AddNet-CL. Experimental results show that the proposed method achieves 94.9% sensitivity, an area under curve (AUC) of 94.2%, and a false positive rate of (FPR) 0.077/h on 19 patients in the CHB-MIT database and 89.1% sensitivity, an AUC of 83.1%, and an FPR of 0.120/h in the Kaggle database. Competitive results show that this method has broad prospects in clinical practice.
Severity of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 lineage among hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Belgium

Introduction The pathogenesis of COVID-19 depends on the interplay between host characteristics, viral characteristics and contextual factors. Here, we compare COVID-19 disease severity between hospitalized patients in Belgium infected with the SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1. 1.7 and those infected with previously circulating strains. Methods The study is conducted within a causal framework to study the severity of SARS-CoV-2 variants by merging surveillance registries in Belgium. Infection with SARS-CoV-2 B.1. 1.7 (‘exposed’) was compared to infection with previously circulating strains (‘unexposed’) in terms of the manifestation of severe COVID-19, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, or in-hospital mortality. The exposed and unexposed group were matched based on the hospital and the mean ICU occupancy rate during the patient’s hospital stay. Other variables identified as confounders in a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) were adjusted for using regression analysis. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the influence of selection bias, vaccination rollout, and unmeasured confounding. Results We observed no difference between the exposed and unexposed group in severe COVID-19 disease or in-hospital mortality (RR = 1.15, 95% CI [0.93–1.38] and RR = 0.92, 95% CI [0.62–1.23], respectively). The estimated standardized risk to be admitted in ICU was significantly higher (RR = 1.36, 95% CI [1.03–1.68]) when infected with the B.1. 1.7 variant. An age-stratified analysis showed that among the younger age group (≤65 years), the SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1. 1.7 was significantly associated with both severe COVID-19 progression and ICU admission. Conclusion This matched observational cohort study did not find an overall increased risk of severe COVID-19 or death associated with B.1. 1.7 infection among patients already hospitalized. There was a significant increased risk to be transferred to ICU when infected with the B.1. 1.7 variant, especially among the younger age group. However, potential selection biases advocate for more systematic sequencing of samples from hospitalized COVID-19 patients.