Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increased Proportion of CD226+ B Cells Is Associated With the Disease Activity and Prognosis of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Background CD226, an activating receptor expressed on the surface of natural killer (NK) cells and T cells, is also seen on B cells and CD226 polymorphism is associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Because the specific roles of CD226+ B cells in SLE are still unknown, we investigated the association of CD226+ B cells with SLE. Methods We measured CD226 expression on B cells and its subsets using flow cytometry in 48 SLE patients and 24 healthy controls (HCs). We assessed the relationships between CD226+ B cells and SLE Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K), clinical manifestations, laboratory data, and prognosis after 12 months. Results The proportions of CD226+ cells in whole B cells and all its subsets were significantly higher in SLE patients than HCs. In SLE patients, the proportions of CD226+ B cells and CD226+ switched-memory (SM) B cells were significantly correlated with SLEDAI-2K scores and anti-dsDNA antibody titers, and negatively correlated with serum complement levels. Moreover, basal percentages of CD226+ B cells and CD226+ SM B cells were low in patients who were in Lupus Low Disease Activity State after 12 months. In patients with renal involvement, the proportion of CD226+ B cells increased. Additionally, the proportion of CD226+ B cells was higher in patients who were not in complete renal remission after 12 months. Conclusions Increased proportion of CD226+ B cells was associated with disease activity and prognosis of SLE. CD226+ B cells may be a useful biomarker for the management of SLE.
Slurry flow, gravitational settling and a proppant transport model for hydraulic fractures

Abstract The goal of this study is to analyse the steady flow of a Newtonian fluid mixed with spherical particles in a channel for the purpose of modelling proppant transport with gravitational settling in hydraulic fractures. The developments are based on a continuum constitutive model for a slurry, which is approximated by an empirical formula. It is shown that the problem under consideration features a two-dimensional flow and a boundary layer, which effectively introduces slip at the boundary and allows us to describe a transition from Poiseuille flow to Darcy’s law for high proppant concentrations. The expressions for both the outer (i.e. outside the boundary layer) and inner (i.e. within the boundary layer) solutions are obtained in terms of the particle concentration, particle velocity and fluid velocity. Unfortunately, these solutions require the numerical solution of an integral equation, and, as a result, the development of a proppant transport model for hydraulic fracturing based on these results is not practicable. To reduce the complexity of the problem, an approximate solution is introduced. To validate the use of this approximation, the error is estimated for different regimes of flow. The approximate solution is then used to calculate the expressions for the slurry flux and the proppant flux, which are the basis for a model that can be used to account for proppant transport with gravitational settling in a fully coupled hydraulic fracturing simulator.
Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Musical Aesthetic Emotion Processing

Mindfulness meditation is a form of self-regulatory training for the mind and the body. The relationship between mindfulness meditation and musical aesthetic emotion processing (MAEP) remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the effect of temporary mindfulness meditation on MAEP while listening to Chinese classical folk instrumental musical works. A 2 [(groups: mindfulness meditation group (MMG); control group (CG)] × 3 (music emotions: calm music, happy music, and sad music) mixed experimental design and a convenience sample of university students were used to verify our hypotheses, which were based on the premise that temporary mindfulness meditation may affect MAEP (MMG vs. CG). Sixty-seven non-musically trained participants (65.7% female, age range: 18–22 years) were randomly assigned to two groups (MMG or CG). Participants in MMG were given a single 10-min recorded mindfulness meditation training before and when listening to music. The instruments for psychological measurement comprised of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Self-report results showed no significant between-group differences for PANAS and for the scores of four subscales of the FFMQ (p > 0.05 throughout), except for the non-judging of inner experience subscale. Results showed that temporary mindfulness meditation training decreased the negative emotional experiences of happy and sad music and the positive emotional experiences of calm music during recognition and experience and promoted beautiful musical experiences in individuals with no musical training. Maintaining a state of mindfulness while listening to music enhanced body awareness and led to experiencing a faster passage of musical time. In addition, it was found that Chinese classical folk instrumental musical works effectively induced aesthetic emotion and produced multidimensional aesthetic experiences among non-musically trained adults. This study provides new insights into the relationship between mindfulness and music emotion.
Case Report: Changes in Cytokine Kinetics During the Course of Disease in a Japanese Patient With Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a severe disease that is reportedly linked to coronavirus disease 2019. Affected patients present with gastrointestinal symptoms and cardiovascular dysfunction, in addition to Kawasaki disease-like features, suggesting the potential for overlapping disease mechanisms. Kawasaki disease has been reported among individuals of East Asian ethnicities, whereas there is minimal clinical literature regarding the occurrence of MIS-C among individuals of Asian ethnicities. A few reports thus far have described changes in cytokine kinetics during the course of disease in patients with MIS-C. We followed the temporal cytokine kinetics in a 9-year-old Japanese girl who exhibited a classical trajectory of MIS-C. The patient exhibited right cervical swelling and pain, abdominal pain, vomiting, and lip reddening, which developed 31 days after she was diagnosed with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection. The patient was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease on her fifth day of illness; because she fulfilled the criteria for MIS-C, she was also diagnosed with this disease on her fifth day of illness. Her fever rapidly resolved upon administration of intravenous immunoglobulin, aspirin, and prednisolone. On the patient's sixth day of illness, she developed acute myocarditis, which was treated with two diuretics and one vasodilator; the myocarditis ameliorated within a few days. Analyses of temporal kinetics for 71 serum cytokines revealed several patterns of cytokine changes that were consistent with the patient's clinical course of disease. Importantly, there was a clear distinction between cytokines that did and did not decrease rapidly following post-treatment fever resolution. These findings may be useful for the assessment of disease status and selection of therapy in patients with similar symptoms; they may also provide insights for basic and clinical research regarding MIS-C.
Transformation Inside a Null-Space Region and a DC Magnetic Funnel for Achieving an Enhanced Magnetic Flux with a Large Gradient

The idea of transformation inside a null-space region is introduced for the flrst time, and used to design a novel DC magnetic compressor that concentrates DC magnetic ∞ux greatly and behaves as a DC magnetic funnel. The proposed device can be used as a passive DC magnetic lens to achieve an enhanced DC magnetic fleld (e.g., 7.9 times or more depending on the size and other parameters of the compressor) with a large gradient (e.g., 450T/m or more) in free space. After some theoretical approximation, the proposed device can be easily constructed by using a combination of superconductors and ferromagnetic materials. Numerical simulations are given to verify the performance of our device. The proposed method (use a null-space region as the reference space) can be extended to reduce the material requirement when designing other devices with transformation optics.
Simulation of Ascorbic Acid Release from Alginate‐Whey Protein Concentrates Microspheres at the Simulated Gastrointestinal Condition Using Netlogo Platform

In this article, our earlier researches were applied for ascorbic acid (AA) release study from Alginate-Whey Protein Concentrate (AL-WPC-AA) microcapsule at the simulated gastrointestinal media. So, we created an agent-based simulator using NetLogo platform to develop the virtual release tools. Diffusion equation is then fitted to the experimental release data, and finally diffusion coefficient and permeability funded for each condition. Results indicated that this agent-based model can simulate the AA release process well, and there is a good R2 values (above 88.3%) between experimental and model release data. Conversely, results also show that the presence of the shear force and enzymes (pepsin and pancreatin) at the simulated gastrointestinal conditions significantly increase diffusion coefficients and release rate. Finally, this research suggested that we can easily use this agent-based model for various nutrients and different situations. Practical Applications In this work, we developed an efficient agent-based simulator for release study of the encapsulated AA using NetLogo platform. Our model was built in the NetLogo platform, which is a multiagent programming language and modeling environment with a good documentation, user-friendly environment and visualization abilities. Our simulation model is accessible for nonexpert users, and it is possible to change or adjust parts of our agent-based model to adapt the virtual release process to a specific real process. This model is the first version of a release simulator using the NetLogo platform. This article demonstrated that NetLogo model can simulate the AA release from AL-WPC-AA microcapsules well with the high correlation coefficient value. Our research also depicted that this simulation model can provide a strong tool for AA release prediction.
Star formation and disk properties in Pismis 24

Context. Circumstellar disks are expected to evolve quickly in massive young clusters harboring many OB-type stars. Two processes have been proposed to drive the disk evolution in such cruel environments: (1) gravitational interaction between circumstellar disks and nearby passing stars (stellar encounters); and (2) photoevaporation by UV photons from massive stars. The relative importance of both mechanisms is not well understood. Studies of massive young star clusters can provide observational constraints on the processes of driving disk evolution.
Expression and clinical significance of inhibitory receptor Leukocyte-associated immunoglobulin-like receptor-1 on peripheral blood T cells of chronic hepatitis B patients

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text Abstract Leukocyte-associated immunoglobulin-like receptor-1 (LAIR-1) is an inhibitory receptor that is expressed on the surface of multiple immune cells and plays key roles in immune modulation. In patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), T cell number and functions are abnormal and the expression of inhibitory receptors is elevated. However, the expression of LAIR-1 on T cells in patients with CHB is still undetermined. We recruited 320 patients with CHB in different disease phases and 17 healthy donors. Serum biochemical and virological examinations were performed for each participant, and their demographic and clinical data were collected. According to the latest American Association for the Study of Liver Disease guidelines, we categorized the patients into 4 groups: immune active, immune tolerant, inactive CHB, and gray zone. Additionally, we tested the expression of LAIR-1 on T cells and T cell subsets using flow cytometry. We observed a significant decrease in LAIR-1 expression on CD3+ T cells and its two subsets (CD4+ and CD8+ T cells) in patients with CHB. LAIR-1 expression on T cells was the lowest in the immune active group. LAIR-1 expression levels on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells showed a significant negative association with hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA load and were lower in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive patients than in HBeAg-negative patients (P < .05). In addition, LAIR-1 expression levels on CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T cells were all negatively associated with liver inflammation and fibrosis parameters, such as alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels, FibroScan value, and aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index score. LAIR-1 expression levels on T cells were associated with HBV DNA load and liver inflammation and fibrosis parameters, indicating that LAIR-1 may play an important regulatory role in HBV-induced T cell immune pathogenesis and may be a therapeutic target for CHB.
Bladder endocervicosis: Recurrent presentations during pregnancy

Bladder endocervicosis describes the ectopic presence of endocervical tissue within the bladder. It is a rare condition with an unclear aetiology. We report the case of a 29-year-old woman who presented with bladder endocervicosis during her first pregnancy with recurrence during her second pregnancy. On both occasions, the patient was treated with transurethral resection and the lesion recurred. This is the first case in the literature of bladder endocervicosis presenting during pregnancy and suggests a hormonal stimulus is important in its development.
Efficacy of tranexamic acid in decreasing primary hemorrhage in transurethral resection of the prostate: A novel combination of intravenous and topical approach

Background: Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is the gold standard for benign prostatic enlargement; however, hemorrhage still remains one of the major complications. Objective: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of tranexamic acid (TXA) in reducing intraoperative blood loss and need for blood transfusion. Secondary parameters compared were operating time, volume of irrigation fluid used, and reduction in hemoglobin concentration. Subjects and Methods: A total of 70 eligible patients undergoing TURP were randomized based on computer generated table into two groups. The study group (1) received IV TXA 500 mg after induction of anesthesia and 500 mg in each irrigation fluid bottle (dual mode) and the control group (2) received none. Results: The mean age (68.20 vs. 66.5 years), prostate size (57 vs. 51 g), and preoperative hemoglobin (13.3 vs. 13.5 g/dl) were similar between the groups. Intraoperative blood loss in the TXA group was found to be significantly reduced (174.60 ± 125.38 ml vs. 232.47 ± 116.8; P = 0.04). Blood transfusion was required in 2.8% of cases as compared to 14.2% in controls. Operating time, volume of irrigation fluid, and postoperative reduction of hemoglobin were not significant between the groups. No complications were observed in both groups. Conclusion: In this study, we observed that TXA, when used as a combination of Intravenous and topical route, effectively reduced intra-operative blood loss and the need for transfusion.
Exploring diagnostic and prognostic predictive values of microRNAs for acute myocardial infarction

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text Abstract Objective: Previous investigations yielded inconsistent results for diagnostic and prognostic predictive values of MicroRNAs (miRNAs) for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods and results: We systematically searched on PubMed and Web of Science for articles explored association of miRNAs and AMI published from January 1989 to March 2019. For diagnostic studies, a summary of sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratios (PLR), negative likelihood ratios (NLR), and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), which indicated the accuracy of microRNAs in the differentiation of AMI and no AMI, were calculated from the true positive (TP), true negative (TN), false positive (FP), and false negative (FN) of each study. In addition, the summary receive-operating characteristics (SROC) curve was constructed to summarize the TP and FP rates. For follow-up study, we computed hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for individual clinical outcomes. The meta-analysis showed a sensitivity [0.72 (95% CI: 0.61--0.81)] and specificity [0.88 (95% CI: 0.79--0.94)] of miR-1 for AMI. In addition, miR-133 showed a sensitivity [0.73 (95% CI: 0.55--0.85)] and specificity [0.88 (95% CI: 0.74--0.95)] for AMI. Moreover, the present study showed a sensitivity [0.83 (95% CI: 0.74--0.89)] and specificity [0.96 (95% CI: 0.82--0.99)] of miR-208 for AMI. A significant association was found between miR-208 and mortality after AMI (HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.01--1.18). It also indicated a sensitivity [0.84 (95% CI: 0.70--0.92)] and specificity [0.97 (95% CI: 0.87--0.99)] of miR-499 for AMI. Conclusions: Circulating miR-1, miR-133, miR-208, and miR-499 showed diagnostic values in AMI.
Faculty members' perception of the challenges and prospects of online learning in dental institutes in India during the COVID-19 pandemic scenario

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the impact and challenges of emergency remote teaching faced by the dental faculty during the first and the second wave of COVID-19 in India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive questionnaire study was carried out consisting of two surveys. Data for the first questionnaire was recruited from 135 faculty members engaged in online teaching and comprised details about sociodemographic, designation, teaching experience, online teaching practices, perceptions, and challenges faced by the faculty members during online teaching during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic in India. Categorical variables were reported as counts and percentages. Group comparisons were made with the Chi-square test. The same participants were given the second questionnaire to access their efficacy in overcoming the challenges faced by them during the second wave. Results: 54.8% of the participants were female. 46.7% of respondents were Professors by designation. Variation was evident for the personal, technical, financial barriers and challenges caused by students' attitude with designation as a variable. 67.4% of the participants devoted extra time to prepare their lectures. 62.2% of the faculty faced network issues. 53.3% of the faculty reported increased expenditure on data. Maximum challenges were seen in the category based on students' attitude which deteriorated the quality of the lectures. 74.1% of the teachers agreed that online teaching was better for theoretical learning. There was not much difference observed in the response regarding personal barriers among faculty members with gender as a variable in the first wave, but notable differences were seen for technical barriers, especially lack of formal training. During second-wave study, Internet connectivity still remained a barrier. Conclusion: Challenges faced by the faculty members regarding online learning decreased in the second wave as compared to the first wave, but network connectivity and students' attitude remained an issue. Scope of theoretical online teaching was perceived to be better as compared to practical teaching.
A survey of PM2.5 preventive behavioral intention and related factors among community elderly in Northern Taiwan

Abstract Population aging and air pollution are global concerns. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship among particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5) knowledge, PM2.5 preventive attitude, and PM2.5 preventive behavioral intention in the elderly. A cross-sectional survey design was applied in this study, including usage intention and snowball sampling. A total of 617 elderly people aged over 65 participated, and the collected data were quantitatively analyzed. The results showed that the mean score of PM2.5 knowledge of the elderly was 10.34 (79.53%) with the standard deviation (SD) of 3.42, the mean score of PM2.5 preventive attitude was 4.58 (91.60%) with SD of 0.49, and the mean score of PM2.5 preventive behavioral intention was 4.72 (94.40%) with SD of 0.40. Elderly people's characteristics regarding PM2.5 knowledge and PM2.5 preventive attitude explained 22% (adjusted R2 = 0.22, F = 30.44, P < .001) of the variance in PM2.5 preventive behavioral intention. It is concluded that we found no difference in PM2.5 knowledge, PM2.5 preventive attitude, or PM2.5 preventive behavioral intention among the elderly with or without chronic diseases. In our opinion, health education regarding the threat of PM2.5 to the health of the elderly should be strengthened, to enhance their knowledge, preventive attitude, and preventive behavioral intention of PM2.5.
Is radical cystectomy an overtreatment for T1 high-grade transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder? Lesson learnt from case series

The introduction of intravesical bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) made a breakthrough in the treatment of high-grade nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer. Indeed, the intravesical immunotherapy helped many patients in preserving their bladder for a period of time. However, many studies revealed that <50% of the patient will be able to maintain their bladder in 5 years of follow-up. The shortage of BCG adds to the odds of cancer progression and patient suffering. We present a series of three cases of disease progression despite the confirmed pathologic local staging of the bladder cancer to be nonmuscle disease. The message we would like to address from this review is that radical cystectomy is not an overtreatment of this potentially lethal disease.
Success of Migratory Songbirds Breeding in Harvested Boreal Forests of Northwestern Newfoundland

Abstract. The consequences of forest harvest to birds nesting in spatially and temporally dynamic landscapes are poorly understood. The boreal forests of Newfoundland have a low density of nesting birds, are naturally heterogeneous, and experience extreme annual variation in weather. Against this backdrop, we tested whether breeding success of passerines was affected by forest harvest or whether natural heterogeneity masked potential consequences of harvesting. During 2004 and 2005, we monitored 98 nests and banded 439 hatch-year (HY) birds of three migratory passerines in landscapes that varied in the extent of natural or human-induced heterogeneity: the White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis), Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata), and Blackpoll Warbler (Dendroica striata), We monitored nest-initiation date, clutch size, hatching success, nests' daily survival rates, fledging success, and productivity (ratio of HY to adults captured) relative to proportion of forest harvested within radii of 20 m (local scale), 115 m (neighborhood scale), and 1250 m (landscape scale). Local habitat and year significantly predicted nest-initiation date. Hatching success, fledging success, and productivity were significantly influenced by year and proportion of harvest at all scales, although associations varied by species. Nests' daily survival rates were significantly related to proportion of harvest at all three scales for the White-throated Sparrow; for all species they were consistently higher in 2005, and the direction of the harvest's effect differed by species. Our results reveal that larger scales are important later in breeding and that spatial and temporal heterogeneity may not only conceal consequences of forest harvest, they may also have complex interactions that make predictions difficult in these dynamic landscapes.