Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Endoscopic Balloon Dilatation-Based Membrane Resection for Membranous Duodenal Stenosis: A Feasibility and Safety Study (With Video)

Objectives: Surgery is generally considered as the first-line therapy for membranous duodenal stenosis (MDS) in children. However, abdominal surgery leaves permanent scars and may even cause intestinal adhesion. Therefore, an effective, safe, and minimally invasive method is urgently needed. This study aimed to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and feasibility of endoscopic balloon dilatation-based membrane resection (EBD-MR) to treat MDS in children. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with MDS treated with EBD-MR in Shanghai Children’s Hospital from May 2016 to August 2021. Primary study outcome was clinical success, defined as weight gain and complete remission of vomiting, without the need for repeat endoscopic or surgical intervention during follow-up. Secondary outcomes included technical success, diameter changes of the membrane opening, and adverse events. Results: Nineteen children (9 females, mean age 14.5 ± 11.2 months) received endoscopic treatment for MDS, and clinical success was achieved in 18 of 19 patients (94.7%). No bleeding, perforation, and jaundice occurred. Diameters of the membrane opening increased from 2.97 ± 2.87 mm to 9.78 ± 1.27 mm after the treatment, symptoms of vomiting did not reappear during 10–73 months of follow-up, and body mass index of the children increased from 14.9 ± 2.2 kg/m2 (pre-operation) to 16.2 ± 3.7 kg/m2 (6 months after operation). One patient required surgical revision because of existence of a second web; three patients received 2–3 sessions of endoscopic treatment to obtain the final remission. Conclusions: The EBD-MR technique is safe, effective, and feasible for MDS, which provided an excellent alternative to surgical management for the disease in pediatric patients.
Vanishing viscosity limit for the 3D magnetohydrodynamic system with generalized Navier slip boundary conditions

In this paper, we investigate the vanishing viscosity limit problem for the 3D incompressible magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) system in a general bounded smooth domain of R3 with the generalized Navier slip boundary conditions. We also obtain rates of convergence of the solution of viscous MHD to the corresponding ideal MHD. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A recessive ACTL7A founder variant leads to male infertility due to acrosome detachment in Pakistani Pashtuns

Male infertility affects more than 20 million men worldwide and is a major public health concern. Male infertility has a strong genetic basis, particularly for those unexplained cases. Here, through genetic analysis of three Pakistani families having eight infertile men with normal parameters in routine semen analysis, we identified a novel ACTL7A variant (c.149_150del, p.E50Afs*6), recessively co‐segregating with infertility in these three families. This variant leads to the loss of ACTL7A proteins in spermatozoa from patients. Transmission EM analyses revealed acrosome detachment from nuclei in 98.9% spermatozoa of patients. Interestingly, this ACTL7A variant was frequently detected in our sequenced Pakistani Pashtuns with a minor allele frequency of ~0.021 and all the carriers shared a common haplotype of about 240 kb flanking ACTL7A, indicating that it is likely originated from a single founder. Our findings reveal that a founder ACTL7A pathogenic variant confers a high genetic susceptibility for male infertility with normal routine semen parameters but acrosomal ultrastructural defects in Pakistani Pashtun descendants, and highlight that variants not rare should also be considered when trying to identify disease‐causing variants in ethnic groups with the tradition of intra‐ethnic marriages.
The 60-μ and far-infrared luminosity functions of IRAS galaxies

Une etude d'un echantillon de 2818 galaxies IRAS est realisee. La fonction de luminosite a 60 μm independante des variations de flux, et la distribution de densite radiale, independante de la fonction de luminosite, sont determinees avec une methode du maximum de vraisemblance
Overtreatment and associated risk factors among multimorbid older patients with diabetes

In multimorbid older patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the intensity of glucose‐lowering medication (GLM) should be focused on attaining a suitable level of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) while avoiding side effects. We aimed at identifying patients with overtreatment of T2DM as well as associated risk factors.
Incidence and risk factors for second cancers after autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation for aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHCT) for relapsed/refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) results in long-term disease-free survival in 40–50% of patients. The incidence of and risk factors for second cancer development in these patients have not been well studied. We analysed 372 patients with relapsed/refractory aggressive NHL who underwent AHCT from 1987 to 2006. Median age at AHCT was 50 years (range 19–70). Most patients (74%) received two chemotherapy regimens before transplant. High-dose chemotherapy consisted of etoposide and melphalan in 95% of patients and 16% received total body irradiation. Thirty-two patients (9%) developed a second cancer (19 hematologic, 13 solid tumors). The probability of second cancer at 3 and 10 years post-AHCT was 4.4% and 12.9%, respectively. When compared with the general population, the relative-risk of acute myeloid leukemia and new solid tumor was 13.2 (p < 0.0001) and 2.3 (p = 0.0013). Salvage therapy using mini-BEAM was significantly associated with second cancer development (p = 0.004). In conclusion, second cancers are a significant cause of late morbidity and mortality patients treated with AHCT with curative intent, and appear increased in patients exposed to mini-BEAM chemotherapy.
Mobile metal adatoms on single layer, bilayer, and trilayer graphene: An ab initio DFT study with van der Waals corrections correlated with electron microscopy data

The plane-wave density functional theory code CASTEP was used with the Tkatchenko-Scheffler van der Waals correction scheme and the generalized gradient approximation of Perdew, Burke, and Ernzerhof (GGA PBE) to calculate the binding energy of Au, Cr, and Al atoms on the armchair and zigzag edge binding sites of monolayer graphene, and at the high-symmetry adsorption sites of single layer, bilayer, and trilayer graphene. All edge site binding energies were found to be substantially higher than the adsorption energies for all metals. The adatom migration activation barriers for the lowest energy migration paths on pristine monolayer, bilayer, and trilayer graphene were then calculated and found to be smaller than or within an order of magnitude of ${k}_{B}T$ at room temperature, implying very high mobility for all adatoms studied. This suggests that metal atoms evaporated onto graphene samples quickly migrate across the lattice and bind to the energetically favorable edge sites before being characterized in the microscope. We then prove this notion for Al and Au on graphene with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) images showing that these atoms are observed exclusively at edge sites, and also hydrocarbon-contaminated regions, where the pristine regions of the lattice are completely devoid of adatoms. Additionally, we review the issue of fixing selected atomic positions during geometry optimization calculations for graphene/adatom systems and suggest a guiding principle for future studies.
PtdIns4P exchange at endoplasmic reticulum-autolysosome contacts is essential for autophagy and neuronal homeostasis

ABSTRACT Inter-organelle contacts enable crosstalk among organelles, facilitating the exchange of materials and coordination of cellular events. In this study, we demonstrated that, upon starvation, autolysosomes recruit Pi4KIIα (Phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase II α) to generate phosphatidylinositol−4-phosphate (PtdIns4P) on their surface and establish endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-autolysosome contacts through PtdIns4P binding proteins Osbp (Oxysterol binding protein) and cert (ceramide transfer protein). We found that the Sac1 (Sac1 phosphatase), Osbp, and cert proteins are required for the reduction of PtdIns4P on autolysosomes. Loss of any of these proteins leads to defective macroautophagy/autophagy and neurodegeneration. Osbp, cert, and Sac1 are required for ER-Golgi contacts in fed cells. Our data establishes a new mode of organelle contact formation – the ER-Golgi contact machinery can be reused by ER-autolysosome contacts by re-locating PtdIns4P from the Golgi apparatus to autolysosomes when faced with starvation. Abbreviations: Atg1: Autophagy-related 1; Atg8: Autophagy-related 8; Atg9: Autophagy-related 9; Atg12: Autophagy-related 12; cert: ceramide transfer protein; Cp1/CathL: cysteine proteinase−1; CTL: control; ER: endoplasmic reticulum; ERMCS: ER-mitochondria contact site; fwd: four wheel drive; GM130: Golgi matrix protein 130 kD; Osbp: Oxysterol binding protein; PG: phagophore; PtdIns4K: phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase; Pi4KIIα: Phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase II α; Pi4KIIIα: Phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase III α; PtdIns4P: phosphatidylinositol−4-phosphate; PR: photoreceptor cell; RT: room temperature; Sac1: Sac1 phosphatase; Stv: starvation; Syx17: Syntaxin 17; TEM: transmission electron microscopy; VAP: VAMP-associated protein.
Outcomes With Belatacept Exposure During Pregnancy in Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Case Series

Background. Posttransplant fertility returns quickly, and female recipients of child-bearing age may conceive while on immunosuppression. However, pregnancy after transplantation confers risks to the recipient, transplant, and fetus, including gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, transplant dysfunction, preterm labor, and low birthweight infants. Additionally, mycophenolic acid (MPA) products are teratogenic. Literature evidence regarding belatacept, a selective T-cell costimulation blocker, during pregnancy and while breastfeeding is extremely limited. When female transplant recipients on a belatacept-based regimen are desirous of pregnancy or at the time of conception, transplant providers manage the immunosuppression regimen in 1 of 2 ways: (1) switch both belatacept and MPA to a calcineurin inhibitor–based regimen with or without azathioprine, which is the more common practice but requires several modifications, having potential negative outcomes; or (2) only switch MPA to azathioprine while continuing belatacept. Methods. This case series includes 16 pregnancies in 12 recipients with exposure to belatacept throughout pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Patient information was obtained from several sources, including Transplant Pregnancy Registry International, providers at Emory University, and Columbia University, as well as literature review. Results. Pregnancy outcomes included 13 live births and 3 miscarriages. No birth defects or fetal deaths were reported in any of the live births. Seven infants were breastfed while their mothers continued belatacept. Outcomes appear comparable to those documented with the administration of calcineurin inhibitors. Conclusions. This case series provides data supporting the continued administration of belatacept during pregnancy. Additional research will assist in developing better guidelines to counsel female transplant recipients on belatacept desiring to pursue pregnancy.
Experimental modal analysis of a barrel

In order to understand the vibration characteristic of a barrel,modal experiments are carried out to get parameters such as natural frequency,damping ratio and vibration pattern.Additionally,the finite element modal analysis of the barrel is conducted to guide modal experiment.The results of modal experiment and finite element analysis are compared,and they are in good agreement.
Associations of formal childcare use with health and human capital development for adolescent mothers and their children in South Africa: A cross‐sectional study

Abstract Aim This study aims to investigate associations of formal childcare with maternal and child outcomes in a large sample of adolescent mothers. Background Forty percent of adolescent girls in Africa are mothers. Increasing evidence shows positive impacts of formal childcare use for adult women, but no known studies in the Global South examine associations for adolescent mothers and their children. Methods We interviewed 1046 adolescent mothers and completed developmental assessments with their children (n = 1139) in South Africa's Eastern Cape between 2017 and 2019. Questionnaires measured childcare use, maternal and child outcomes and socio‐demographic background variables. Using cross‐sectional data, associations between formal childcare use and outcomes were estimated in multivariate multi‐level analyses that accounted for individual‐level and family‐level clustering. Results Childcare use was associated with higher odds of being in education or employment (AOR: 4.01, 95% CIs: 2.59–6.21, p < .001), grade promotion (AOR: 2.08, 95% CIs: 1.42–3.05, p < .001) and positive future ideation (AOR: 1.58, 95% CIs: 1.01–2.49, p = .047) but no differences in mental health. Childcare use was also associated with better parenting on all measures: positive parenting (AOR: 1.66, 95% CIs: 1.16–2.38, p = .006), better parental limit‐setting (AOR: 2.00, 95% CIs: 1.37–2.93, p < .001) and better positive discipline (AOR: 1.77, 95% CIs: 1.21–2.59, p = .003). For the children, there were no differences in temperament or illness, but a significant interaction showed stronger associations between childcare use and better cognitive, language and motor scores with increasing child age (AOR: 5.04, 95% CIs: 1.59–15.96, p = .006). Conclusions Adolescent mothers might benefit substantially from formal childcare, but causal links need to be explored further. Childcare use was also associated with improved parenting and better child development over time, suggesting positive pathways for children. At an average of $9 per month, childcare provisions for adolescent mothers may offer low‐cost opportunities to achieve high returns on health and human capital outcomes in Sub‐Saharan African contexts.
Refugee visa insecurity disrupts the brain’s default mode network

ABSTRACT Background: Research has largely focused on the psychological consequences of refugee trauma exposure, but refugees living with visa insecurity face an uncertain future that also adversely affects psychological functioning and self-determination. Objective: This study aimed to examine how refugee visa insecurity affects the functional brain. Method: We measured resting state brain activity via fMRI in 47 refugees with insecure visas (i.e. temporary visa status) and 52 refugees with secure visas (i.e. permanent visa status) residing in Australia, matched on key demographic, trauma exposure and psychopathology. Data analysis comprised independent components analysis to identify active networks and dynamic functional causal modelling tested visa security group differences in network connectivity. Results: We found that visa insecurity specifically affected sub-systems within the default mode network (DMN) – an intrinsic network subserving self-referential processes and mental simulations about the future. The insecure visa group showed less spectral power in the low frequency band in the anterior ventromedial DMN, and reduced activity in the posterior frontal DMN, compared to the secure visa group. Using functional dynamic causal modelling, we observed positive coupling between the anterior and posterior midline DMN hubs in the secure visa group, while the insecure visa group displayed negative coupling that correlated with self-reported fear of future deportation. Conclusions: Living with visa-related uncertainty appears to undermine synchrony between anterior-posterior midline components of the DMN responsible for governing the construction of the self and making mental representations of the future. This could represent a neural signature of refugee visa insecurity, which is marked by a perception of living in limbo and a truncated sense of the future. HIGHLIGHTS Refugee visa insecurity disrupts default mode network (DMN) connectivity – a core network that supports the internal construction of the self. Refugees living with insecure visa status showed decreased connectivity in the DMN and more negative coupling between midline anterior–posterior hubs of the DMN, compared to refugees living with secure visas. Diminished DMN connectivity may represent a neural basis for the psychological effects of refugee visa insecurity, which is associated with prolonged uncertainty regarding the future self and increased risk for psychological distress.
Falls Among Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic Compared to a Pre-pandemic Period: A Case-Control Study

Background Little is known about how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted older adults admitted to the hospital with fall-related injuries. This research sought to determine if there was a difference in patient characteristics and hospital outcomes among older adults with fall-related injuries during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to a non-pandemic period. Methods A retrospective chart review of patients 65 years or older admitted for traumatic falls before and during COVID-19 was undertaken. Data abstracted included demographics, fall details, injury data, and hospital course. Results Of 1598 patients, 50.5% presented during COVID-19 (cases), and 49.5% presented pre-pandemic (controls). Fewer cases fell in rural areas (28.6% vs 34.1%, P = .018) and were transferred from outside hospitals (32.1% vs 38.2%, P = .011). More cases experienced alcohol (4.6% vs 2.4%, P = .017) and substance use disorders (1.4% vs .4%, P = .029). Fewer cases had subdural hemorrhages (11.8% vs 16.4%, P = .007), and more had pneumothoraxes (3.5% vs 1.8%, P = .032). More patients admitted during COVID-19 experienced acute respiratory failure (2.0% vs .0%, P < .001), hypoxia (1.5% vs .3%, P = .005), and delirium (6.3% vs 1.0%, P < .001). Fewer cases were discharged to skilled nursing facilities (50.8% vs 57.3%, P = .009) and more to home with services (13.1% vs 8.3%, P = .002). Discussion This study suggested there was a similar frequency of presentation for falls among older adults during the two study periods. Older adults with fall-related injuries experienced differences in presenting comorbidities, injury patterns, complications, and discharge locations during the study periods.
‘Undoing a knot’: a qualitative study of massed 1-week Cognitive Processing Therapy

ABSTRACT Introduction: Intensive or massed Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been found to result in significant PTSD symptom reductions. However, few studies to date have used qualitative approaches to systematically evaluate client reflections about massed treatment approaches for PTSD. To address this gap, the present study aimed to improve our understanding of trauma survivors’ reflections following the completion of 1-week CPT. Method: We conducted semi-structured interviews with seven trauma survivors within 3-months of the completion of 1-week CPT. We used the scissor-and-sort technique to identify themes and subthemes in the qualitative data. Results: Using the scissor-and-sort technique, we generated five main themes and associated subthemes from the data. The main themes were: (a) tangible skills, (b) feasibility, (c) therapeutic process, (d) symptom presentation, and (e) treatment expectations. Conclusion: Collectively, our results suggested that 1-week CPT was feasible and led to changes in PTSD symptoms and improved cognitive and affective coping skills. HIGHLIGHTS Scant research has examined client reflections about massed treatment approaches for PTSD. Among participants who completed a semi-structured interview about their experiences with 1-week CPT for PTSD, we generated five themes: (a) tangible skills, (b) feasibility, (c) therapeutic process, (d) symptom presentation, and (e) treatment expectations. Collectively, our results suggested that 1-week CPT was feasible and led to changes in PTSD symptoms and improved cognitive and affective coping skills.
Health-enhancing physical activity interventions in non-ambulatory people with severe motor impairments – a scoping review

Abstract Purpose Non-ambulatory people with severe motor impairments due to chronic neurological diagnoses are forced into a sedentary lifestyle. The purpose of this scoping review was to understand the type and amount of physical activity interventions performed in this population as well as their effect. Methods PubMed, Cochran and CINAHL Complete were systematically searched for articles describing physical activity interventions in people with a chronic, stable central nervous system lesion. The outcome measures needed to include physiological or psychological variables, measures of general health or quality of life. Results Of the initial 7554 articles, 34 were included after the title, abstract, and full-text screening. Only six studies were designed as randomized-controlled trials. Most interventions were supported by technologies, mainly functional electrical stimulation (cycling or rowing). The duration of the intervention ranged from four to 52 weeks. Endurance and strength training interventions (and a combination of both) were performed and over 70% of studies resulted in health improvements. Conclusions Non-ambulatory people with severe motor impairments may benefit from physical activity interventions. However, the number of studies and their comparability is very limited. This indicates the need for future research with standard measures to develop evidence-based, specific recommendations for physical activity in this population. Key messages Physical activity interventions can have health benefits in non-ambulatory people with severe motor impairments. Even simple, low-tech interventions allow for health-enhancing training.
The Ffowcs Williams–Hawkings equation for hydroacoustic analysis of rotating blades. Part 1. The rotpole

This paper deals with the use of the Ffowcs Williams–Hawkings equation for hydroacoustic analysis of rotating blades, and the deep difference between the acoustic fields generated by aeronautical and marine devices in air and underwater. This dissimilarity does not depend on either the different fluid or the (although existing) geometric and structural difference of the blade: it is an intrinsic feature of the generating noise mechanisms related to rotating sources and is essentially due to the remarkable diversity of the rotational speed. It will be shown how the usual assumption of believing the flow nonlinear sources to be negligible for blades rotating at low subsonic speed (coming from decades of research strictly limited to aeroacoustics) is totally wrong when applied to hydroacoustics. Such a goal is achieved through a practical approach, by analysing the general behaviour of the surface integral kernels of the solution for a rotating point source (here named rotpole), and by showing its relationship with a general multibladed device. This analysis suggests that the underwater noise prediction from a marine propeller is an inherently nonlinear problem and, contrary to analogous aeronautical configurations, it always requires an accurate estimation of the nonlinear flow sources just by virtue of the very low rotational speed.
In vitro study of a triple‐secured von Willebrand factor concentrate

Background and Objectives Patients suffering from von Willebrand disease who are not responsive to desmopressin require substitutive treatment. This study was part of the development of a second‐generation plasma‐derived von Willebrand factor (VWF) concentrate, the manufacturing process of which includes two complementary viral‐inactivation/elimination steps that are effective against non‐enveloped viruses.