Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
National Hospital-Based Sentinel Surveillance for Cholera in Bangladesh: Epidemiological Results from 2014 to 2021

ABSTRACT. Despite focusing on cholera burden, epidemiologic studies in Bangladesh tend to be limited in geographic scope. National-level cholera surveillance data can help inform cholera control strategies and assess the effectiveness of preventive measures. Hospital-based sentinel surveillance among patients with suspected diarrhea in different sites across Bangladesh has been conducted since 2014. We selected an age-stratified sample of 20 suspected cholera cases each week from each sentinel site, tested stool for the presence of Vibrio cholerae O1/O139 by culture, and characterized antibiotic susceptibility in a subset of culture-positive isolates. We estimated the odds of being culture positive among suspected cholera cases according to different potential risk factors. From May 4, 2014 through November 30, 2021, we enrolled 51,414 suspected cases from our sentinel surveillance sites. We confirmed V. cholerae O1 in 5.2% of suspected cases through microbiological culture. The highest proportion of confirmed cholera cases was from Chittagong (9.7%) and the lowest was from Rangpur Division (0.9%). Age, number of purges, duration of diarrhea, occupation, and season were the most relevant factors in distinguishing cholera-positive suspected cases from cholera-negative suspected cases. Nationwide surveillance data show that cholera is circulating in Bangladesh and the southern region is more affected than the northern region. Antimicrobial resistance patterns indicate that multidrug resistance (resistance to three or more classes of antibiotics) of V. cholerae O1 could be a major threat in the future. Alignment of these results with Bangladesh’s cholera-control program will be the foundation for future research into the efficacy of cholera-control initiatives.
LİSE ÖĞRENCİLERİNİN EGZERSİZ BAĞIMLILIK DURUMLARINA GÖRE FİZİKSEL AKTİVİTE DÜZEYLERİNİN İNCELENMESİ (ERZİNCAN ÖRNEĞİ)

Bu calisma lise ogrencilerinin egzersiz bagimlilik durumlarinin belirlenmesi ve cesitli degiskenlere gore fiziksel aktivite duzeylerinin (FAD) incelenmesi amaciyla yapildi. Arastirmaya 360 erkek ve 120 kadin olmak uzere toplam 480 lise ogrencisi gonullu olarak katildi. Ogrencilerin egzersiz yapma sureleri, sikliklari ve kisisel bilgilerinin tespit edilmesi icin "Kisisel Bilgi Formu", egzersiz aliskanlik ve tutumlarinin tespit edilmesi icin "Egzersiz Bagimliligi Olcegi-21 (Exercise Dependence Scale-21) ve Fiziksel Aktivite Anketi kullanilmistir. Elde edilen veriler SPSS 22.0 for Windows programinda incelendi. Ikili grup karsilastirmalarinda Mann Whitney U testi, coklu grup karsilastirmalarinda Kruskal Wallis H testi kullanildi. Tum testlerde anlamlilik duzeyi. 05 olarak kabul edildi. Arastirmada erkek lise ogrencilerinin %13,3’u, kadin ogrencilerin %7.2’si genel olarak %9.2’sinin egzersiz bagimlisi olduklari, egzersiz bagimlisi ve bagimli adayi olan hem erkek hem de kadin lise ogrencilerinin FAD duzeylerinin bagimli olmayanlara gore anlamli derecede yuksek oldugu, duzenli spor yapan ve yapmayan lise ogrencilerinin egzersiz bagimlilik durumlarina gore FAD degerlerinde anlamli bir fark olmadigi, birisi tarafindan spor yapmaya tesvik edilen lise ogrencilerinin FAD degerleri karsilastirildiginda bagimli olanlarin hem bagimli adaylari hem de bagimli olmayanlara gore ayrica bagimli adaylarinin da bagimli olmayanlara gore anlamli derecede yuksek oldugu tespit edildi. Lise ogrencilerin az bir kisminin egzersiz bagimlisi oldugu, bagimlilik duzeyi yuksek olan ogrenciler ile birisi tarafindan spor yapmaya tesvik edilen ogrencilerin FAD degerlerinin yuksek oldugu sonuclarina ulasildi.
A Wearable Biofeedback Device for Monitoring Tibial Load During Partial Weight-Bearing Walking

Patients with tibial fractures are usually advised to follow a partial weight-bearing gait rehabilitation program after surgery to promote bone healing and lower limb functional recovery. Currently, the biofeedback devices used for gait rehabilitation training in fracture patients use ground reaction force (GRF) as the indicator of tibial load. However, an increasing body of research has shown that monitoring GRF alone cannot objectively reflect the load on the lower limb bones during human movement. In this study, a novel biofeedback system was developed utilizing inertial measurement units and custom instrumented insoles. Based on the data collected from experiments, a hybrid approach combining a physics-based model and neural network architectures was used to predict tibial force. Compared to the traditional physics-based algorithm, the physical guided neural networks method showed better predictive performance. The study also found that regardless of the type of weight-bearing walking, the peak tibial force was significantly higher than the peak tibial GRF, and the time at which the peak tibial compression force occurs may not be consistent with the time at which the peak vertical GRF occurs. This further supports the idea that during gait rehabilitation training for patients with tibial fractures, monitoring and providing feedback on the actual tibial force rather than just the GRF is necessary. The developed device is a non-invasive and reliable portable device that can provide audio feedback, providing a viable solution for gait rehabilitation training outside laboratory and helping to optimize patients’ rehabilitation treatment strategies.
Natural aging and ovariectomy induces parallel phosphoproteomic alterations in skeletal muscle of female mice

The loss of skeletal muscle strength mid-life in females is associated with the decline of estrogen. Here, we questioned how estrogen deficiency might impact the overall skeletal muscle phosphoproteome after contraction, as force production induces phosphorylation of several muscle proteins. Phosphoproteomic analyses of the tibialis anterior muscle after contraction in two mouse models of estrogen deficiency, ovariectomy (Ovariectomized (Ovx) vs. Sham) and natural aging-induced ovarian senescence (Older Adult (OA) vs. Young Adult (YA)), identified a total of 2,593 and 3,507 phosphopeptides in Ovx/Sham and OA/YA datasets, respectively. Further analysis of estrogen deficiency-associated proteins and phosphosites identified 66 proteins and 21 phosphosites from both datasets. Of these, 4 estrogen deficiency-associated proteins and 4 estrogen deficiency-associated phosphosites were significant and differentially phosphorylated or regulated, respectively. Comparative analyses between Ovx/Sham and OA/YA using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) found parallel patterns of inhibition and activation across IPA-defined canonical signaling pathways and physiological functional analysis, which were similarly observed in downstream GO, KEGG, and Reactome pathway overrepresentation analysis pertaining to muscle structural integrity and contraction, including AMPK and calcium signaling. IPA Upstream regulator analysis identified MAPK1 and PRKACA as candidate kinases and calcineurin as a candidate phosphatase sensitive to estrogen. Our findings highlight key molecular signatures and pathways in contracted muscle suggesting that the similarities identified across both datasets could elucidate molecular mechanisms that may contribute to skeletal muscle strength loss due to estrogen deficiency.
Comparing COVID-19 Response Behaviors between a Cancer Patient Sample and a Population-Based Cancer-Free Sample in a Rural Midwestern State

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic caused an increase in fear, anxiety, and depressive symptoms globally. For populations at increased risk for adverse outcomes due to illness, such as cancer patients, these worries may have been exacerbated. Understanding how the pandemic impacted cancer patients will inform better preparation for future events that cause disturbances to cancer care delivery. Methods: This study analyzed data from two surveys to determine whether cancer patients’ responses differed from a cancer-free population-based sample in terms of concerns, preventive behaviors, and thoughts on their healthcare provider’s communication regarding COVID-19 in a US Midwestern state. In August 2020, a survey was sent to 10,009 Iowans aged 18 and older, randomly selected from the 2018 Iowa voter registration file. In September 2020, a survey was emailed to 2,954 cancer patients aged 18 and older who opted into the University of Iowa Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Patients Enhancing Research Collaborations at Holden program. Previously validated and pretested Likert-type and multiple-choice items assessed concern regarding COVID-19, social distancing perception and behaviors, and demographic characteristics of respondents. We used χ2 tests and logistic regression to examine differences between the cancer patient and general population survey responses. Results: We included 3,622 responses from the general population survey and 780 responses from the cancer patient survey in this analysis. Cancer patient survey respondents were more frequently older, lived in urban areas, had Medicare insurance coverage, had a college degree or higher, and were married. Cancer patients were more likely to report engaging in social distancing behaviors and greater concern regarding the pandemic. Conclusion: This study suggests differences in the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer patients compared to cancer-free members of the general population. These results indicate the need for consideration of cancer patients’ physical and mental health during large-scale disruptions to cancer care.
Augmentative biological control for squash bug (Hemiptera: Coreidae) using the egg parasitoid, Hadronotus pennsylvanicus (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae)

The squash bug, Anasa tristis (De Geer) (Hemiptera: Coreidae), is a serious pest of cucurbit crops across the United States. Conventional growers commonly use broad-spectrum insecticides to manage squash bugs, however organic growers lack these effective chemical tools and must rely on alternative management strategies. Biological control of A. tristis is largely understudied, specifically the potential of natural enemy, Hadronotus pennsylvanicus (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), as an augmentative biological control agent. For this reason, we performed early-season field releases of H. pennsylvanicus on organic farms in southeastern Virginia to test if this would improve A. tristis egg parasitism. We chose organic vegetable farms growing summer squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) as release sites and nearby Virginia Tech Agricultural Research Extension Centers (AREC) as no-release sites. Parasitoids were reared in the lab and deployed as parasitized egg masses (∼2–3 females wasps/plant) in June 2020 and 2021. Before parasitoid deployment, host eggs collected from release and no-release sites displayed low levels of H. pennsylvanicus parasitism in 2020 (<21%) and 2021 (<8%). In both years, the percentage of A. tristis eggs parasitized within 2 weeks post deployment was significantly greater at release sites (∼60%) than at no-release sites (∼14%). High rates of H. pennsylvanicus parasitism (>72%) were further observed at release sites 4, 6, 8, and 10 weeks following parasitoid deployment. Our study demonstrates that releases of lab-reared H. pennsylvanicus can increase A. tristis egg parasitism rates and subsequently decrease successful nymph hatch rates in early summer squash plantings.
The evolving therapeutic landscape of diabetic retinopathy

ABSTRACT Introduction Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of blindness worldwide. Recent decades have seen rapid progress in the management of diabetic eye disease, evolving from pituitary ablation to photocoagulation and intravitreal pharmacotherapy. The advent of effective intravitreal drugs inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) marked a new era in DR therapy. Sustained innovation has since produced several promising biologics targeting angiogenesis, inflammation, oxidative stress, and neurodegeneration. Areas covered This review surveys traditional, contemporary, and emerging therapeutics for DR, with an emphasis on anti-VEGF therapies, receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors, angiopoietin-Tie2 pathway inhibitors, integrin pathway inhibitors, gene therapy ‘biofactory’ approaches, and novel systemic therapies. Some of these investigational therapies are being delivered intravitreally via sustained release technologies for extended durability. Other investigational agents are being delivered non-invasively via topical and systemic routes. These strategies hold promise for early and long-lasting treatment of DR. Expert opinion The evolving therapeutic landscape of DR is rapidly expanding our toolkit for the effective and durable treatment of blinding eye disease. However, further research is required to validate the efficacy of novel therapeutics and characterize real world outcomes.
Appraisal of evidence reliability and applicability of Paxlovid as treatment for SARS‐COV‐2 infection: A systematic review

This study aimed to clarify the beneficial effect and the clinical application value of Paxlovid in the treatment of coronavirus disease‐19 (COVID‐19) through a systematic review. Databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, and ClinicalTrials.gov were systematically searched for interventional or observational studies on the efficacy and safety of Paxlovid in the treatment of SARS‐COV‐2. The relative and absolute effect sizes for the outcomes were calculated based on the data reported in the original intervention literature. The external applicability of the evidence was analysed in terms of clinical application scenarios, patient willingness, and cost utility. One interventional and three observational studies were conducted. Four studies published in 2022, had participation sample sizes ranging 1780–109,254. Based on the randomised controlled trial data, the risk of all‐cause mortality, all‐cause death, and hospitalisation was significantly reduced in the Paxlovid group. Serious adverse events were reduced during the study. Based on observational studies, Paxlovid can significantly reduce the risk of death and hospitalisation in older patients with COVID‐19 (moderate certainty) and improve in‐hospital disease progression, composite disease progression, and viral load (low certainty). Paxlovid did not improve the outcomes of death and hospitalisation (low certainty) in patients aged <65 years. As per the economic utility analysis, the economic cost of reducing one death dramatically decreased with increasing age. Early use of Paxlovid in the older adult population with COVID‐19 is beneficial. However, in the setting of limited resources, Paxlovid should be prioritised for older patients.
How to reduce conjunctival cyst formation after strabismus surgery?

ABSTRACT Purpose To determine our rate of conjunctival cyst developing after strabismus surgery and to minimize its formation Materials and Methods The data of 4026 eyes of 2662 patients were included in our retrospective analysis of, those that underwent strabismus surgery at the Beyoğlu Eye Training and Research Hospital Strabismus Unit between 2015 and 2021. Clinical characteristics and follow-up data of patients were recorded together with age, sex, and operation type. All patients were examined postoperatively on 1st day, 1st month and 6th month. Results The mean age of the patients was 15.66 ± 11.81 (1–59 years). While two eyes were operated on in 1494 patients, one eye was operated on in 1168 patients. The surgeries performed were recession and/or resection of the horizontal and vertical rectus muscles and inferior and superior oblique procedures. The conjunctival cyst was detected in 11 patients postoperatively between 20 days and 8 months. The cyst was detected on the nasal side in 7 cases and temporal in 4. Conclusion Conjunctival cyst is a rare complication after strabismus surgery and it is thought to be caused by a proliferation of the conjunctival epithelium. In addition to proper closure of the conjunctiva, attention to personal hygiene, avoidance of contacts that may increase suture contamination, and attention to the fact that the operation period is not long are actions that can help prevent conjunctival cyst formation.
Endorsement of alternative medicine and vaccine hesitancy among physicians: A cross-sectional study in four European countries

ABSTRACT Vaccine hesitancy has become a threat to public health, especially as it is a phenomenon that has also been observed among healthcare professionals. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between endorsement of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and vaccination attitudes and behaviors among healthcare professionals, using a cross-sectional sample of physicians with vaccination responsibilities from four European countries: Germany, Finland, Portugal, and France (total N = 2,787). Our results suggest that, in all the participating countries, CAM endorsement is associated with lower frequency of vaccine recommendation, lower self-vaccination rates, and being more open to patients delaying vaccination, with these relationships being mediated by distrust in vaccines. A latent profile analysis revealed that a profile characterized by higher-than-average CAM endorsement and lower-than-average confidence and recommendation of vaccines occurs, to some degree, among 19% of the total sample, although these percentages varied from one country to another: 23.72% in Germany, 17.83% in France, 9.77% in Finland, and 5.86% in Portugal. These results constitute a call to consider health care professionals’ attitudes toward CAM as a factor that could hinder the implementation of immunization campaigns.
Observations on shoals of the Javanese Cownose Ray Rhinoptera javanica Muller & Henle from the Gulf of Mannar, with additional notes on the species

Four species of'Rhinoptera were recorded from Indian waters (Misra, 1951) of which R. javanica appears to be the common species in the Gulf of Mannar. The natural distribution of this species from India, Ceylon, Malay Peninsula, Siam, China and Malay Archipelago (Misra, 1947) has been extended by definite records to western Indian Ocean (South Africa) by Smith (1961). In this context it may be mentioned that R. javanica has been reported from east Atlantic as well (Fowler, 1946), but as pointed out by Bigelow and Schroeder (1953) comparisons of Atlantic and Indian Ocean material is lacking and in the absence of which, with our present knowledge, "it will be desirable to consider the range of distribution of the species as Indian Ocean and western Pacific.
Treatment outcomes after radiofrequency ablation in patients with non-B non-C hepatocellular carcinoma within Milan criteria: comparison with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract Purpose This study aims to evaluate the treatment outcomes of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for patients with non-B non-C hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (NBNC-HCC) within Milan criteria, as well as to compare them with those of patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related HCC (HBV-HCC). Methods From January 2007 to February 2020, 303 patients with primary HCC who underwent RFA were retrospectively reviewed, including 259 patients with HBV-HCC (HBV-HCC group) and 44 patients with NBNC-HCC (NBNC-HCC group). The clinical characteristics and treatment survivals were evaluated and compared. Moreover, the propensity score matching was used to reduce selection bias. Results A significantly lower proportion of cirrhosis was observed in the NBNC-HCC group (p = .048). Before propensity score matching, local tumor progression, disease-free survival, and overall survival after RFA showed no significant differences between the two groups (all p > .05). After matching, the overall survival rates in the NBNC-HCC group were significantly better than those in the HBV-HCC group (p = .042). Moreover, for patients with NBNC-HCC, tumor size (hazard ratio = 8.749, 95% confidence interval, 1.599–47.849; p = .012) was the only independent predictor of local tumor progression. Conclusions Patients with NBNC-HCC within the Milan criteria after RFA had better long-term survival than patients with HBV-HCC, although larger, prospective and multicenter trials are required to validate these results.
Effect of Exercise Training on Some Anti-Inflammatory Adipokines, High Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein, and Clinical Outcomes in Sedentary Adults With Metabolic Syndrome

Objective This study aimed to investigate the effects of aerobic interval training and resistance training on anti-inflammatory adipokines, high sensitivity C-reactive protein, and clinical outcomes in sedentary men with metabolic syndrome. Methods A total of 33 sedentary men with metabolic syndrome (age: 46.2 ± 4.6 years; body mass index: 35.4 ± 1.9 kg.m2) were randomly assigned to one of 3 groups: aerobic interval training (n = 12), resistance training (n = 10), or control (n = 11). Participants in the exercise groups completed a 12-week training program, 3 sessions per week, while those in the control group maintained their sedentary lifestyle. The levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), omentin-1, adiponectin, lipid profiles, blood pressure, glucose metabolism, body composition, and peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) were measured at baseline and after the intervention. Results Both aerobic interval training and resistance training significantly improved the levels of omentin-1 and adiponectin, as well as reduced inflammation, as indicated by a decrease in hs-CRP levels. Exercise training also led to significant improvements in lipid profiles, blood pressure, glucose metabolism, and body composition. Specifically, the aerobic interval training group had significantly greater increases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and VO2peak, as well as greater reductions in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and total cholesterol compared to the resistance training group. Conclusion Exercise training, particularly aerobic interval training and resistance training, can be an effective non-pharmacological intervention for managing inflammation and improving cardiovascular health in metabolic syndrome patients.
Scaling of Components in Critical Geometric Random Graphs on 2-dim Torus

We consider random graphs on the set of $N^2$ vertices placed on the discrete $2$-dimensional torus. The edges between pairs of vertices are independent, and their probabilities decay with the distance $\rho$ between these vertices as $(N\rho)^{-1}$. This is an example of an inhomogeneous random graph which is not of rank 1. The reported previously results on the sub- and super-critical cases of this model exhibit great similarity to the classical Erd\H{o}s-R\'{e}nyi graphs. Here we study the critical phase. A diffusion approximation for the size of the largest connected component rescaled with $(N^2)^{-2/3}$ is derived. This completes the proof that in all regimes the model is within the same class as Erd\H{o}s-R\'{e}nyi graph with respect to scaling of the largest component.