Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determinants of hepatitis B vaccination status in health care workers of two secondary care hospitals of Sindh, Pakistan: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT Background Health care workers (HCWs) are at high risk of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission. Hepatitis B vaccination is effective in protecting against HBV infection. Different factors influence HCW vaccination status such as lack of knowledge & awareness, cost, availability, and hesitancy. This study aimed to determine Hepatitis B vaccination status and factors influencing vaccination status in HCWs of two secondary care hospitals at Sindh, Pakistan. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in two secondary care hospitals of Sindh, Pakistan. A total of 252 doctors, nurses, laboratory, and other HCWs were asked about the HBV vaccination coverage using a structured tool. Multivariable ordinal logistic regression was used to determine the association of participant’s characteristics, vaccination knowledge with HBV vaccination coverage considering p-value ≤0.05 significant. Odds ratios with 95% confidence interval (CI) were reported. Results Our study found that 64.9% doctors, 75.18% nurses, 58.3% allied HCWs, 40.0% laboratory staff, and 70.8% housekeeping staff were completely vaccinated. HCWs stated job entry requirement as the primary reason for complete vaccination (AOR 4.6, 95% CI 1.5–5.3) from the disease. HCWs working in Aga Khan hospital Karachi and who have received vaccination before working in that hospital had four-time higher odds for hepatitis B vaccination (AOR 4.3, 95% CI 1.7–4.9). Conclusion Two-third of the HCWs were completely vaccinated in secondary care hospitals in Sindh, Pakistan. Hepatitis B vaccination should be made a job entry requirement to achieve more complete vaccination numbers. Vaccination policies require to implement for all part-timers and full-timer health care workers.
Anti-C2 Antibody ARGX-117 Inhibits Complement in a Disease Model for Multifocal Motor Neuropathy

Background and Objectives To determine the role of complement in the disease pathology of multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN), we investigated complement activation, and inhibition, on binding of MMN patient-derived immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies in an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived motor neuron (MN) model for MMN. Methods iPSC-derived MNs were characterized for the expression of complement receptors and membrane-bound regulators, for the binding of circulating IgM anti-GM1 from patients with MMN, and for subsequent fixation of C4 and C3 on incubation with fresh serum. The potency of ARGX-117, a novel inhibitory monoclonal antibody targeting C2, to inhibit fixation of complement was assessed. Results iPSC-derived MNs moderately express the complement regulatory proteins CD46 and CD55 and strongly expressed CD59. Furthermore, MNs express C3aR, C5aR, and complement receptor 1. IgM anti-GM1 antibodies in serum from patients with MMN bind to MNs and induce C3 and C4 fixation on incubation with fresh serum. ARGX-117 inhibits complement activation downstream of C4 induced by patient-derived anti-GM1 antibodies bound to MNs. Discussion Binding of IgM antibodies from patients with MMN to iPSC-derived MNs induces complement activation. By expressing complement regulatory proteins, particularly CD59, MNs are protected against complement-mediated lysis. Yet, because of expressing C3aR, the function of these cells may be affected by complement activation upstream of membrane attack complex formation. ARGX-117 inhibits complement activation upstream of C3 in this disease model for MMN and therefore represents an intervention strategy to prevent harmful effects of complement in MMN.
International Journal of Emerging Electric Power Systems Dynamic Economic Emission Dispatch Using Evolutionary Programming and Fuzzy Satisfying Method

Dynamic economic emission dispatch is an extension of the conventional economic emission dispatch problem that takes into consideration the ramp rate limits of the generators. Evolutionary programming based fuzzy satisfying method has been proposed to determine the optimal noninferior generation schedule. This paper treats economy and emission as competing objectives for optimal dispatch, which requires some form of conflict resolution to arrive at a solution. The multi-objective problem is configured as a minimax problem under the assumption that the decision-maker has fuzzy goals for each of the objective functions. The present algorithm employs evolutionary programming technique in solving this problem. The solution methodology can offer a global or near-global noninferior solution for the decision-maker. Numerical results of a sample test system have been presented to demonstrate the performance and applicability of the proposed method. Results obtained from the proposed method are compared to those obtained by fuzzy satisfying method based on simulated annealing technique.
Severe acute hypoxia impairs recovery of voluntary muscle activation after sustained submaximal elbow flexion

The purpose of this study was to determine how severe acute hypoxia alters neural mechanisms during, and following, a sustained fatiguing contraction. Fifteen participants (25 ± 3.2 years, six female) were exposed to a sham condition and a hypoxia condition where they performed a 10 min elbow flexor contraction at 20% of maximal torque. For hypoxia, peripheral blood oxygen saturation ( SpO2 ) was titrated to 80% over a 15 min period and maintained for 2 h. Maximal voluntary contraction torque, EMG root mean square, voluntary activation, rating of perceived muscle fatigue, and corticospinal excitability (motor‐evoked potential) and inhibition (silent period duration) were then assessed before, during and for 6 min after the fatiguing contraction. No hypoxia‐related effects were identified for neuromuscular variables during the fatigue task. However, for recovery, voluntary activation assessed by motor point stimulation of biceps brachii was lower for hypoxia than sham at 4 min (sham: 89% ± 7%; hypoxia: 80% ± 12%; P = 0.023) and 6 min (sham: 90% ± 7%; hypoxia: 78% ± 11%; P = 0.040). Similarly, voluntary activation (P = 0.01) and motor‐evoked potential area (P = 0.002) in response to transcranial magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex were 10% and 11% lower during recovery for hypoxia compared to sham, respectively. Although an SpO2 of 80% did not affect neural activity during the fatiguing task, motor cortical output and corticospinal excitability were reduced during recovery in the hypoxic environment. This was probably due to hypoxia‐related mechanisms involving supraspinal motor circuits.
Bridging the Functional and Wiring Properties of V1 Neurons Through Sparse Coding

Abstract The functional properties of neurons in the primary visual cortex (V1) are thought to be closely related to the structural properties of this network, but the specific relationships remain unclear. Previous theoretical studies have suggested that sparse coding, an energy-efficient coding method, might underlie the orientation selectivity of V1 neurons. We thus aimed to delineate how the neurons are wired to produce this feature. We constructed a model and endowed it with a simple Hebbian learning rule to encode images of natural scenes. The excitatory neurons fired sparsely in response to images and developed strong orientation selectivity. After learning, the connectivity between excitatory neuron pairs, inhibitory neuron pairs, and excitatory-inhibitory neuron pairs depended on firing pattern and receptive field similarity between the neurons. The receptive fields (RFs) of excitatory neurons and inhibitory neurons were well predicted by the RFs of presynaptic excitatory neurons and inhibitory neurons, respectively. The excitatory neurons formed a small-world network, in which certain local connection patterns were significantly overrepresented. Bidirectionally manipulating the firing rates of inhibitory neurons caused linear transformations of the firing rates of excitatory neurons, and vice versa. These wiring properties and modulatory effects were congruent with a wide variety of data measured in V1, suggesting that the sparse coding principle might underlie both the functional and wiring properties of V1 neurons.
The emerging role of mycophenolate mofetil in interstitial lung diseases

ABSTRACT Introduction Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), initially approved to prevent rejection in solid organ allograft, is now being increasingly used for other conditions. Over the last decade, MMF has emerged as a useful therapy for a variety of immune-mediated diseases. Areas Covered There has been a growing interest in the clinical use of MMF in the treatment of ILDs due to its versatile anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-fibrotic and anti-proliferative properties. In this focussed review, we summarize the available literature using the Pubmed, Science Direct and EMBASE databases published until June 2021 on the efficacy and tolerability of MMF in various ILDs. Expert Opinion Other than idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and its broader category of progressive fibrosing ILD, there have been no drugs approved by relevant regulatory agencies for the treatment of the multiple other forms of ILD. Though results are limited, immunosuppressants such as MMF have shown promise as an effective and well-tolerated steroid-sparing agent, providing hope that the limited treatment armamentarium for ILDs can be expanded.
Utilization and Efficacy of Resuscitation Endpoints in Trauma and Burn Patients: A Review Article

Shock is a sequelae in trauma and burn patients that substantially increases the risk for morbidity and mortality. The use of resuscitation endpoints allows for improved management of these patients, with the potential to prevent further morbidity/mortality. We conducted a review of the current literature on the efficacy of hemodynamic, metabolic, and regional resuscitation endpoints for use in trauma and burn patients. Hemodynamic endpoints included mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), urinary output (UO), compensatory reserve index (CRI), intrathoracic blood volume, and stroke volume variation (SVV). Metabolic endpoints measure cellular responses to decreased oxygen delivery and include serum lactic acid (LA), base deficit (BD), bicarbonate, anion gap, apparent strong ion difference, and serum pH. Mean arterial pressure, HR, UO, and LA are the most established markers of trauma and burn resuscitation. The evidence suggests LA is a superior metabolic endpoint marker. Newer resuscitation endpoint technologies such as point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS), thromboelastography (TEG), and rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) may improve patient outcomes; however, additional research is needed to establish the efficacy in trauma and burn patients. The endpoints discussed have situational strengths and weaknesses and no single universal resuscitation endpoint has yet emerged. This review may increase knowledge and aid in guideline development. We recommend clinicians continue to integrate multiple endpoints with emphasis on MAP, HR, UO, LA, and BD. Future investigation should aim to standardize endpoints for each clinical presentation. The search for universal and novel resuscitation parameters in trauma and burns should also continue.
Mapping the Microstructure and Striae of the Human Olfactory Tract with Diffusion MRI

The human sense of smell plays an important role in appetite and food intake, detecting environmental threats, social interactions, and memory processing. However, little is known about the neural circuity supporting its function. The olfactory tracts project from the olfactory bulb along the base of the frontal cortex, branching into several striae to meet diverse cortical regions. Historically, using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) to reconstruct the human olfactory tracts has been prevented by susceptibility and motion artifacts. Here, we used a dMRI method with readout segmentation of long variable echo-trains (RESOLVE) to minimize image distortions and characterize the human olfactory tracts in vivo. We collected high-resolution dMRI data from 25 healthy human participants (12 male and 13 female) and performed probabilistic tractography using constrained spherical deconvolution (CSD). At the individual subject level, we identified the lateral, medial, and intermediate striae with their respective cortical connections to the piriform cortex and amygdala (AMY), olfactory tubercle (OT), and anterior olfactory nucleus (AON). We combined individual results across subjects to create a normalized, probabilistic atlas of the olfactory tracts. We then investigated the relationship between olfactory perceptual scores and measures of white matter integrity, including mean diffusivity (MD). Importantly, we found that olfactory tract MD negatively correlated with odor discrimination performance. In summary, our results provide a detailed characterization of the connectivity of the human olfactory tracts and demonstrate an association between their structural integrity and olfactory perceptual function. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This study provides the first detailed in vivo description of the cortical connectivity of the three olfactory tract striae in the human brain, using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI). Additionally, we show that tract microstructure correlates with performance on an odor discrimination task, suggesting a link between the structural integrity of the olfactory tracts and odor perception. Lastly, we generated a normalized probabilistic atlas of the olfactory tracts that may be used in future research to study its integrity in health and disease.
[Cortisol concentrations in sheep before, during and after sham foot trimming on a tilt table - the suitability of different matrices].

INTRODUCTION Matrices that can be collected non-invasively for quantification of a stress response in sheep have received little attention in the veterinary literature. This study examines the suitability of blood, tears and saliva for determining a stress response in sheep undergoing sham foot trimming on a tilt table. The cortisol concentration of blood, tears and saliva and the concentration of cortisol metabolites in faeces were measured in 13 healthy Meat Merino ewes once a day for six days. Sham foot trimming on a tilt table was used as the stressor and was done during a one-hour period on day 4; cortisol concentrations of blood and tears were measured at 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 60 minutes. Cortisol concentrations of blood (maximum at 30 minutes) and tears (maximum at 40 minutes) increased during the procedure and then decreased. There were significant correlations between cortisol concentrations of blood and tears (p = 0,04) during sham foot trimming (area under the curve, 0 to 60 minutes). Over the entire 6-day study period, significant correlations were seen between the cortisol concentrations of blood and tears (r = 0,55; p.
Shear and fatigue strength of grout-type transverse joints

Grout-type transverse joints between precast concrete slabs were tested to study their static and fatigue behaviours. The tests were performed with loading equipment especially designed and constructed in the laboratory to introduce shear force on the joints of the test specimens. The aim of this study was to improve the shear and fatigue strength of grout-type transverse joints by identifying the effects of prestressing the specimens. The results indicated that longitudinal prestressing was an effective method to increase both the shear and fatigue strengths of grout-type transverse joints. Rational methods to estimate the cracking and ultimate loads for grout-type transverse joints are proposed based on the static loading tests. An estimation of the fatigue strength with respect to the amount of prestress is also suggested to aid in design of the grout-type transverse joint.Key words: grout-type transverse joints, precast concrete slabs, shear and fatigue strength, prestressing.
76.4: A Simple Technology for Realizing Self‐Aligned Zinc Oxide Thin‐Film Transistor

A simple process technology, combining in one step the etching of the gate‐stack and the doping of the source/drain regions, is developed for realizing a polycrystalline zinc oxide thin‐film transistor. The resulting transistor exhibits a field‐effect mobility of ∼280cm2/Vs, a linearly extrapolated threshold voltage of ∼1V, a pseudo sub‐threshold slope of ∼185mV/decade and an on/off current ratio of ∼4×107. These characteristics are found to behave nicely with reducing channel length, exhibiting short‐channel effects only when the channel length is scaled to ∼1μm.
Inflammatory-nutritional scores in the diagnosis of NASH and liver fibrosis.

BACKGROUND The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible correlation between various inflammation-nutritional scores to histological determined Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) and other liver injury suggestive for Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in a bariatric population. METHODS We evaluated consecutively and retrospectively all the patients referred to the department of bariatric surgery in Trieste, Italy. Inflammation-nutritional scores were calculated starting from pre-operative hematologic data. Liver biopsy was performed at the time of bariatric surgery (sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass) and pathological assessment was performed using Kleiner-Brunt staging system (NAS score). RESULTS Glasgow Prognostic Score/modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS/ mGPS) and Prognostic Index (PI) were associated to the diagnosis of NASH (p= 0,024 and p=0,03 respectively). The presence of perisinusoidal and/or periportal fibrosis was correlated to Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) and Platelet-to-Lymphocyte ratio (PLR) values (p=0,02 and p=0,009 respectively). CONCLUSIONS GPS/mGPS and PI are statistically associated to the histological diagnosis of NASH. Further studies on large series are needed to better understand the relationship between these serum markers and liver injury in obese patients.
Buccal bone dimensional changes at immediate implant sites in the maxillary esthetic zone within a 4-12-month follow-up period: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the changes in buccal bone dimensions (CBD) following immediate implant placement in the maxillary esthetic zone and to identify the factors influencing the degree of buccal bone resorption for different placement and restoration protocols. MATERIAL AND METHODS An electronic search was conducted using the EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and MEDLINE (PubMed) databases, combined with a manual and gray literature search, up to January 2021. Selected clinical studies had to report the changes in horizontal buccal bone dimension in maxillary immediate implantation sites (premolar to premolar) at baseline and at follow-up visits within a year of implantation. A meta-analysis was conducted to calculate the mean value of the changes in horizontal and vertical buccal bone dimensions (CHBD and CVBD) around implants. To further investigate the heterogeneity and identify factors associated with buccal bone loss after immediate implant placement, subgroup analysis and univariate meta-regression were performed. RESULTS From a total of 3498 articles, 4 randomized controlled trials and 12 nonrandomized controlled trials were included for analysis. The mean survival rate of 568 implants was 99.6%. The mean CHBD and CVBD values were 0.71 mm (95% confidence interval: [0.56, 0.86]) and 0.58 mm (95% confidence interval: [0.43, 0.72]), respectively. For possible factors that related to bone resorption, including buccal bone thickness, flap design, bone grafting, horizontal defect dimension, and restoration protocol, bone grafting was the only variable that significantly influenced CHBD. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that immediate implant placement in the esthetic zone does not prevent buccal bone from resorption. Due to data heterogeneity and the small sample size of the studies included in the analysis, further well-conducted, randomized controlled trials with homogeneous samples are required to investigate the correlation of CBD with different variables.
[Posttraumatic growth after the Fukushima nuclear disaster: Examination of free descriptions among Fukushima residents].

Objectives Posttraumatic growth (PTG) refers to a positive psychological transformation experienced as a result of struggling with a major life crisis or traumatic event. In recent times, PTG has been used as a form of psychological support for those who have experienced trauma. In this study, we classified the free descriptions of PTG in Fukushima residents who experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE). We examined the relationship between basic characteristics and PTG clusters, and between "recovery from radiation anxiety" and PTG clusters.Methods A mail survey was conducted in August 2016 among 2,000 Fukushima residents, aged 20-79 years. We asked the participants for a free description of the specific content of their PTG. We also asked about their age, gender, and education, as well as about radiation anxiety immediately after the GEJE and at the time of the survey. Participants were divided into the following groups: "no anxiety," "recovered from anxiety," and "unrecovered from anxiety". The PTG free descriptions were classified into eight categories, including five dimensions based on the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996) ("relating to others," "new possibilities," "personal strength," "spiritual change," and "appreciation of life") and three categories created according to Nishino et al. (2013) ("increased awareness of disaster prevention," "renewed recognition of nuclear-related issues," and "critical examination of information from authorities"). Results Of the 916 collected responses, data from 786 responses with no missing values were analyzed. Among women and young people, the proportion of those who answered "relating to others" and "appreciation of life" was high. For those with higher education, the proportion of those who answered "relating to others," "renewed recognition of nuclear issues," "critical examination of information from authorities," "personal strength," "spiritual change," and "appreciation of life" was high. In the "recovered from anxiety" group, the proportion of those who answered "renewed recognition of nuclear issues" was high.Conclusion In assessing PTG, women and young people were more likely to report that they felt closely connected to family or friends, as well as to the community, and that they were grateful for their daily lives. Those with higher education tended to recognize that they have come to critically examine information provided by the national government, electric power companies, and national newspapers; they felt mental strength and growth after the earthquake. Those who recovered from radiation anxiety were more likely to report forming a heightened awareness of issues relating to nuclear power plants and energy.