Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Componentes descriptivos y explicativos de la accidentalidad vial en Colombia: incidencia del factor humano

Problem: The influence of the human factor on accident rates in the Colombian territory was analyzed, and empirical evidence was identified for the formulation of public traffic policy. Methodology: The design is descriptive-correlational. Instruments: A behavior questionnaire (the D.B.Q.) for car drivers and motorcyclists, and a Likert-type survey. An intentional non-probabilistic sample: 16,322 individuals (8,631 vehicle drivers, 5,133 motorcyclists and 2,558 pedestrians, passengers, and accompanying persons). Results: a) drivers with a higher educational level have a lower impact on the accident rate; b) pedestrians with a lower educational level exhibit more risky behaviors: c) women have a positive attitude and perceive the effectiveness of prevention campaigns; d) angry, anxious, risky and high-speed driving result in more traffic offenses and accidents; e) disobeying traffic signs is the main cause of accidents; f) aggressiveness, hostility and stress are factors tending to increase the likelihood of traffic accidents; g) prevention campaigns are not being heard by the more affected population. Conclusions and recommendations: The accident rate factors correspond to the Road Safety Triangle established by the UNO -human factor prominent in accident levels-. Public policy guidelines based on educational and corporative processes leading to reduce the accident rate.
Relationship Between Pesticide Exposure Factors and Health Symptoms Among Chili Farmers in Northeast Thailand

Objectives: The unsafe use of pesticides in agriculture represents a major hazard to human health. This study was conducted to investigate the association between pesticide exposure and health symptoms among chili farmers in northeast Thailand. Methods: This cross-sectional analytic study included 141 chili farmers in Sakon Nakhon Province, in northeast Thailand. Data regarding health symptoms were gathered using a self-report questionnaire. A medical technician tested blood cholinesterase activity using an erythrocyte method, and an occupational medicine specialist at Ramathibodi Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand reviewed the results. Associations between personal characteristics, pesticide exposure factors, and health symptoms were analyzed using multiple logistic regression. Results: Of the 141 chili farmers studied, 66.7% experienced pesticide poisoning, as indicated by below-normal cholinesterase levels. Fatigue was the most frequently reported symptom associated with pesticide exposure, affecting 37.6% of participants. This was followed by nausea and vomiting (31.9%), dizziness (14.9%), and dry throat (14.9%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that several factors were significantly associated with adverse symptoms: amount of work experience, volume of pesticides used, use of chemical pesticides, use of leaking containers during spraying, direct pesticide exposure while working, contact with pesticide-soaked clothing, consumption of food and drinks in the fields, and blood cholinesterase level indicating risk. Conclusions: This study suggests potential health risks for chili farmers stemming from exposure to and contamination by pesticides used in agricultural practices. To mitigate these risks, it is essential to supply personal protective equipment and to implement educational programs aimed at improving protective behaviors among farmers.
Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis in children

Background: Pediatric bronchiectasis is a common respiratory disease in children. The use of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for its treatment remains controversial. Objectives: The objective of our study was to compare and analyze the clinical efficacy of thoracoscopic surgery and thoracotomy in the treatment of pediatric bronchiectasis and summarize the surgical treatment experience of VATS in children with bronchiectasis. Design: Retrospective single-center cohort study. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 46 pediatric patients who underwent surgery with bronchiectasis at the Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from May 2015 to May 2023. The patients were divided into two groups: the VATS group (25 cases) and the thoracotomy group (21 cases). Comparative analysis was performed on various parameters including basic clinical data, surgical methods, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, transfusion status, postoperative pain, postoperative mechanical ventilation time, chest tube drainage time, length of hospital stay, incidence of complications, and follow-up information. Results: There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups of patients in terms of age, weight, gender, etiology, duration of symptoms, site of onset, and comorbidities (p > 0.05). The operation time in the VATS group was longer than that in the thoracotomy group (p < 0.001). However, the VATS group had better outcomes in terms of intraoperative blood loss, transfusion status, postoperative pain, postoperative mechanical ventilation time, chest tube drainage time, and length of hospital stay (p < 0.05). The incidence of postoperative complications in the VATS group was lower than that in the thoracotomy group, although the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.152). Follow-up data showed no statistically significant difference in the surgical treatment outcomes between the two groups (p = 0.493). Conclusion: The incidence of complications and mortality in surgical treatment of bronchiectasis is acceptable. Compared with thoracotomy surgery, VATS has advantages such as smaller trauma, less pain, faster recovery, and fewer complications. For suitable pediatric patients with bronchiectasis, VATS is a safe and effective surgical method.
Conditional Probabilities of AIDS Disease Transitions Using Semi-Markov Models

Analyzing progression of diseases is vital to monitor patient's traversal over time through a disease. Clinical study settings present modeling challenges, as patients' disease trajectories are only partially observed, and patients' disease statuses are only assessed at clinic visit times. HIV disease is a continuum of progressive damage to the immune system from the time of infection to the manifestation of severe immunologic damage. We proposed a semi-Markov model and collected data at Yirgalem General Hospital. Our study found that for an HIV/AIDS patient the transition probability from a given state to the next worse state increases within the good states as time gets optimum and then decreases with increasing time during a follow up. In a specific state of the disease a patient will stay in that state with a non- zero probability in good states and a patient will transit to the next state either to the worst or to the good state with a non-zero probability. The probability of being in same state decreases over time. With the good or alive states, the probability of being in a better state is non-zero, but less than the probability of being in worst states. The survival probabilities are decreasing with increasing time. Therefore, we recommend that increased clinical care for patients on ART services should be strengthen and patients need to regularly check their CD4 T cell count in the appropriate day based on physician order to timely know and monitor their disease status to improve the survival probability and to reduce mortality.
Bowel health, defecation patterns and nutrient intake following adoption of a vegan diet: a randomized-controlled trial

Abstract Background The beneficial effects of a plant-based diet on gut microbiota diversity are well documented, however, its impact on clinical bowel health and defecation patterns are less well understood. Vegetarian diets have been associated with a higher bowel movement (BM) frequency as well as softer stools in cross-sectional studies. The effects of the de-novo adoption of a vegan diet on bowel health, however, have never been investigated in a randomized-controlled trial. Materials and Methods The present study examined bowel health and defecation patterns in relation to diet and nutrient intake in a young and healthy sample of n = 65 physically-active German university students who were randomly assigned to either a vegan or a meat-rich diet for eight weeks. Bowel health assessment included the Bristol Stool Form Scale (BSFS), the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI) and the Cleveland Clinic Fecal Incontinence Score (CCFIS). Nutrient intake was assessed using weighed food diaries. The study was prospectively registered at the German Clinical Trial Register (DRKS00031541). Results Weekly BM frequency slightly increased in vegans, whereas it remained unaltered in participants assigned to a meat-rich diet. Fiber intake increased significantly in vegans (34.89 (18.46) g/d) whereas it decreased in those assigned to the meat-rich group (22.79 (12.5) g/d). No significant intergroup differences in BSFS and CCFIS patterns were observed. Adoption of a vegan diet neither resulted in a transient increase in abdominal discomfort nor in a decreased gastrointestinal quality of life, which was comparable across the diet groups. Conclusions The short-term de-novo adoption of a vegan diet did not negatively affect markers of bowel health in this study.
Association between dementia diagnosis at dialysis initiation and mortality in older patients with end-stage kidney disease in South Korea.

Background The prevalence of dementia is 2- to 7-fold higher among patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) than among the general population; however, its clinical implications in this population remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether comorbid dementia increases mortality among older patients with ESKD undergoing newly initiated hemodialysis. Methods We analyzed data from the Korean Society of Geriatric Nephrology retrospective cohort, which included 2,736 older ESKD patients (≥70 years old) who started hemodialysis between 2010 and 2017. Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox regression analyses were used to examine all-cause mortality between the patients with and without dementia in this cohort. Results Of the 2,406 included patients, 8.3% had dementia at the initiation of dialysis; these patients were older (79.6 ± 6.0 years) than patients without dementia (77.7 ± 5.5 years) and included more women (male:female, 89:111). Pre-ESKD diagnosis of dementia was associated with an increased risk of overall mortality (hazard ratio, 1.503; p < 0.001), and this association remained consistent after multivariate adjustment (hazard ratio, 1.268; p = 0.009). In subgroup analysis, prevalent dementia was associated with mortality following dialysis initiation in female patients, those aged <85 years, those with no history of cerebrovascular accidents or severe behavioral disorders, those not residing in nursing facilities, and those with no or short-term hospitalization. Conclusion A pre-ESKD diagnosis of dementia is associated with mortality following dialysis initiation in older Korean population. In older patients with ESKD, cognitive assessment at dialysis initiation is necessary.
PATIENT EXPERIENCES OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND INACTIVITY IN THE STROKE UNIT: AN INTERVIEW STUDY

Objective Stroke unit care is highly recommended after stroke, but patients in these units are often physically inactive. The aim of this study was to explore patient experiences of physical activity and inactivity in the stroke unit. Design Qualitative interview study. Subjects Sixteen participants with stroke; a heterogeneous sample with differences in sex, age, and stroke severity from 8 Swedish stroke units. Methods In-depth interviews 1–2 weeks after discharge analysed using thematic analysis. Results The analysis resulted in three themes: 1: Dealing with the challenges of a changed body while striving to become independent; 2: The stroke unit is crucial for physical activity; and 3: Physical activity is important for interaction with others, autonomy, and feeling seen. Participants described how they coped with a new situation when finding new ways to move and function. In addition, they wanted to be involved in their own stroke rehabilitation. Conclusion The participants expressed the following experiences of being in the stroke unit: movement is more important than physical activity and involves being seen and respected; physical activity and exercise are necessary to achieve independence; process involvement is of importance to regain abilities; physical activity offers the possibility of choosing between community and being alone and influences the ability to connect with others and the outside world. LAY ABSTRACT Stroke unit care is considered best practice after stroke. However, patients tend to become inactive for reasons unknown. To describe physical activity and inactivity at the stroke unit from the patient perspective, 16 patients with stroke were interviewed. The interviews were analysed using a qualitative method, resulting in 3 themes: 1: Dealing with the challenges of a changed body while striving to become independent; 2: The stroke unit is crucial for physical activity; and 3: Physical activity is important for interaction with others, autonomy, and feeling seen. Participants expressed that movement means more to them than physical activity and involves being seen and respected. They described how they coped with a new situation when finding new ways to move and function. Participants expressed that physical activity is necessary to achieve independence and that they wanted involvement in their stroke rehabilitation. These results contribute with important insights into patient experiences that can be used to improve the quality of stroke unit care and rehabilitation.
Age shock index and age-modified shock index are valuable bedside prognostic tools for postdischarge mortality in ST-elevation myocardial infarction patients

Abstract Background The incidence of mortality is considerable after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) hospitalization; risk assessment is needed to guide postdischarge management. Age shock index (SI) and age modified shock index (MSI) were described as useful prognosis instruments; nevertheless, their predictive effect on short and long-term postdischarge mortality has not yet been sufficiently confirmed. Methods This analysis included 3389 prospective patients enrolled from 2016 to 2018. Endpoints were postdischarge mortality within 30 days and from 30 days to 1 year. Hazard ratios (HRs) were evaluated by Cox proportional-hazards regression. Predictive performances were assessed by area under the curve (AUC), integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), net reclassification improvement (NRI) and decision curve analysis (DCA) and compared with TIMI risk score and GRACE score. Results The AUCs were 0.753, 0.746 for age SI and 0.755, 0.755 for age MSI for short- and long-term postdischarge mortality. No significant AUC differences and NRI were observed compared with the classic scores; decreased IDI was observed especially for long-term postdischarge mortality. Multivariate analysis revealed significantly higher short- and long-term postdischarge mortality for patients with high age SI (HR: 5.44 (2.73–10.85), 5.34(3.18–8.96)), high age MSI (HR: 4.17(1.78–9.79), 5.75(3.20–10.31)) compared to counterparts with low indices. DCA observed comparable clinical usefulness for predicting short-term postdischarge mortality. Furthermore, age SI and age MSI were not significantly associated with postdischarge prognosis for patients who received fibrinolysis. Conclusions Age SI and age MSI were valuable instruments to identify high postdischarge mortality with comparable predictive ability compared with the classic scores, especially for events within 30 days after hospitalization.
Progradation of the Borden Delta; new evidence from crinoids

A low diversity crinoid fauna from the Nada Member of the Borden Formation in northeastern Kentucky includes species typical of the upper Burlington Limestone of the standard Mississippian section in eastern Iowa. The Nada Member records a delta platform environment stratigraphically above delta slope beds of the Cowbell Member of the Borden and is thus environmentally equivalent to the Edwardsville Formation of the Borden Group farther west in north-central Kentucky and southern Indiana. The Edwardsville is equivalent to the Keokuk Limestone of the standard section and is thus younger than the Nada, demonstrating time-transgressive progradation of the Borden Delta from east to west. Important crinoid species from the Nada include Uperocrinus pyriformis (Shumard), Macrocrinus konincki (Shumard), Dorycrinus quinquelobus (Hall), Eretmocrinus calyculoides (Hall) and Gilbertsocrinus tuberculosus (Hall), all typical upper Burlington species. --Modified journal abstract.
VirulenceFinder for Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus lactis: an enhanced database for detection of putative virulence markers by using whole-genome sequencing data

ABSTRACT Enterococcus faecium (Efm) is a leading cause of hospital-associated (HA) infections, often enriched in putative virulence markers (PVMs). Recently, the Efm clade B was assigned as Enterococcus lactis (Elts), which usually lack HA-Efm infection markers. Available databases for extracting PVM are incomplete and/or present an intermix of genes from Efm and Enterococcus faecalis, with distinct virulence profiles. In this study, we constructed a new database containing 27 PVMs [acm, scm, sgrA, ecbA, fnm, sagA, hylEfm, ptsD, orf1481, fms15, fms21-fms20 (pili gene cluster 1, PGC-1), fms14-fms17-fms13 (PGC-2), empA-empB-empC (PGC-3), fms11-fms19-fms16 (PGC-4), ccpA, bepA, gls20-glsB1, and gls33-glsB] from nine reference genomes (seven Efm + two Elts). The database was validated against these reference genomes and further evaluated using a collection of well-characterized Efm (n = 43) and Elts (n = 7) control strains, by assessing PVM presence/absence and its variants together with a genomic phylogeny constructed as single-nucleotide polymorphisms. We found a high concordance between the phylogeny and in silico findings of the PVM, with Elts clustering separately and mostly carrying Elts-specific PVM gene variants. Based on our validation results, we recommend using the database with raw reads instead of assemblies to avoid missing gene variants. This newly constructed database of 27 PVMs will enable a more comprehensive characterization of Efm and Elts based on WGS data. The developed database exhibits scalability and boasts a range of applications in public health, including diagnostics, outbreak investigations, and epidemiological studies. It can be further used in risk assessment for distinguishing between safe and unsafe enterococci. IMPORTANCE The newly constructed database, consisting of 27 putative virulence markers, is highly scalable and serves as a valuable resource for the comprehensive characterization of these closely related species using WGS data. It holds significant potential for various public health applications, including hospital outbreak investigations, surveillance, and risk assessment for probiotics and feed additives.
Performance evaluation of Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equations for estimated glomerular filtration rate compared to inulin clearance in Koreans.

Background A race-free glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimation equation has recently been developed. However, the performance of the new Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equations needs to be evaluated in Asian populations. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study at a single center in South Korea. The measured GFR (mGFR) was determined based on systemic inulin clearance. The GFR was estimated using the five CKD-EPI equations: 2009 CKD-EPIcr, 2012 CKD-EPIcr-cys, 2012 CKD-EPIcys, 2021 CKD-EPIcr, and 2021 CKD-EPIcr-cys. The performances of five estimated GFR (eGFR) equations were assessed by bias, precision, and accuracy (percentage of estimates within 30% of mGFR). Results The median mGFR and interquartile range (IQR) was 53.5 (32.4-80.0) mL/min/1.73 m2. The mGFR better correlated with 2009 CKD-EPIcr (ρ = 0.628) and 2021 CKD-EPIcr-cys (ρ = 0.806) than with 2021 CKD-EPIcr (ρ = 0.623) and 2012 CKD-EPIcr-cys (ρ = 0.801). The median bias of 2009 CKD-EPIcr and 2012 CKD-EPIcr-cys were lower than those of 2021 CKD-EPI equations (2009 CKD-EPIcr, 2.24 [IQR, -8.83 to 17.39] vs. 2021 CKD-EPIcr, 5.40 [IQR, -6.04 to 20.40]; 2012 CKD-EPIcr-cys, 6.74 [IQR, -2.81 to 20.80] vs. 2021 CKD-EPIcr-cys, 10.54 [IQR, 0.30-24.37]; all in mL/min/1.73 m2). The percentage of eGFR values within 30% of mGFR was higher in 2009 CKD-EPIcr and 2012 CKD-EPIcr-cys equations than 2021 CKD-EPI equations. The CKD prevalence in 2009 CKD-EPIcr, 2021 CKD-EPIcr, 2012 CKD-EPIcr-cys, and 2021 CKD-EPIcr-cys was 54.8%, 51.0%, 47.7%, and 44.8%, respectively. Conclusion Our study demonstrated better performance of the original CKD-EPIcr and CKD-EPIcr-cys equations than the 2021 new CKD-EPI equations. We do not recommend the adoption of the new CKD-EPI equations in Korea.
Multicenter evaluation of BioCode GPP for syndromic molecular detection of gastrointestinal pathogens from stool specimens

ABSTRACT Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide across all age groups that disproportionally affects young children in low- and middle-income countries and immunocompromised patients in high-income countries. Regional outbreaks of AGE are typically detected by traditional microbiological detection methods that target limited organisms and are associated with low sensitivity and lengthy time-to-results. Combined, these may result in repeat testing, imprecise or delayed treatment, and delayed recognition of outbreaks. We conducted a multi-site prospective study comparing the BioCode Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel (BioCode GPP) for the detection of 17 common bacterial, viral, and protozoan causes of gastroenteritis with reference methods, including stool culture, enzyme immunoassays, pathogen-specific PCR assays, and sequencing. One thousand five hundred fifty-eight residual, de-identified stool samples (unpreserved stool and stool in Cary-Blair transport medium) were enrolled and tested for 11 bacterial, 3 viral, and 3 protozoan pathogens. BioCode GPP and reference methods were positive for 392 (25.2%) and 283 (18.2%) samples, respectively (P < 0.0001). In this study, the BioCode GPP and reference methods detected 69 and 65 specimens positive for Clostridioides difficile, 51 and 48 for enteroaggregative Escherichia coli, 33 and 27 for enterotoxigenic E. coli, 50 and 47 for norovirus GI/GII, and 30 and 22 for rotavirus A, respectively. The BioCode GPP showed good positive and negative agreements for each pathogen ranging from 89.5% to 100%, with overall sensitivity and specificity of 96.1% and 99.7%, post adjudication. The BioCode GPP detected >1 pathogens in 49 samples, representing 12.5% of the total 392 positive specimens. IMPORTANCE This study highlights performance of a novel technology for timely and accurate detection and differentiation of 17 common bacterial, viral, and protozoan causes of gastroenteritis. Utilizing molecular tests such as the BioCode Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel may improve the detection of gastrointestinal pathogens and provide actionable results, particularly for patient populations at most risk.