Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A New Species of Leech from the New York Metropolitan Area

Abstract Placobdella ali, n.sp. , a sanguivorous glossiphoniid leech, is described from material collected in Harriman State Park, approximately 50 km north of the island of Manhattan, New York City. The new species resembles Placobdella ornata and could be easily confused with Placobdella papillifera. Dorsal papillation and internal reproductive anatomy distinguish P. ali from existing descriptions of the latter. Ventral pigmentation and salivary anatomy distinguish it from the former.
A negative association of dietary advanced glycation end products with obesity and body composition in Iranian adults

Abstract Obesity caused by excessive deposited fat is generally classified as BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2. Research regarding the association between dietary advanced glycation end products (dAGE) and obesity is limited. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between dAGE and obesity and body composition in Iranian adults. This cross-sectional study included 265 adults aged 18–75 years from Tehran, Iran. dAGE were estimated using a validated semi-quantitative FFQ, according to the published food carboxymethyl lysine–AGE database for 549 routinely consumed food items for the Northeastern American multiethnic urban population, and were reported by dividing total energy intake. Dietary intake, sociodemographic data and physical activity status were collected using validated questionnaires, and anthropometric characteristics were measured. Body composition was assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis, and obesity was defined based on WHO guidelines. The intake of fat and meat was significantly increased in higher tertiles, compared with the first tertile of dAGE (P < 0·001). No association between dAGE and body composition measures and obesity was observed; however, there was a significant negative association between dAGE and BMI (BMI; P = 0·01), waist circumference (P = 0·01), waist:hip ratio (P = 0·03), fat-free mass (P = 0·02) and muscle mass index (P = 0·01) in non-linear models. In conclusion, higher consumption of dAGE was associated with increased intake of fat and meat and was negatively related to changes in body composition measurements. Therefore, dAGE may connect obesity to diet by energy imbalance.
JENIS KELAMIN, PERSONAL HYGIENE, DAN SANITASI LINGKUNGAN DENGAN KEJADIAN PENYAKIT SCABIES PADA SANTRI DI PONDOK PESANTREN DARUL MA’ARIF KABUPATEN SINTANG

Scabies adalah penyakit kulit yang disebabkan infestasi dan sensitisasi tungau Sarcoptes scabiei. Penyakit scabies umumnya menyerang individu yang hidup berkelompok seperti asrama dan pesantren. Prevalensi scabies di Pondok Pesantren Darul Ma’arif Kabupaten Sintang tahun 2013 sebanyak 24 orang, mengalami peningkatan hingga Maret 2014 menjadi 43 orang. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui hubungan jenis kelamin, personal hygiene dan sanitasi lingkungan. dengan kejadian penyakit scabies. Jenis penelitian adalah observasional dengan pendekatan analitik dan desain cross sectional . Total populasi 439 santri. 90 santri sebagai sampel diambil dengan teknik random sampling. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa 58,9% responden pernah menderita scabies , 56,7% responden memiliki personal hygiene kurang baik dan 68,9% responden memiliki sanitasi lingkungan kurang baik. Hasil uji statistik diketahui ada hubungan jenis kelamin dengan kejadian scabies (p=0,000), ada hubungan personal hygiene dengan kejadian scabies (p=0,018) dan ada hubungan sanitasi lingkungan dengan kejadian scabies (p=0,006). Kesimpulan dari penelitian ini adalah terdapat hubungan bermakna antara jenis kelamin, personal hygiene, dan sanitasi lingkungan dengan kejadian penyakit scabies .
The effectiveness and safety of ixekizumab in psoriasis patients under clinical practice conditions: A Spanish multicentre retrospective study

The objective of the study was to evaluate efficacy and safety of ixekizumab in psoriasis patients under clinical practice conditions. Observational, retrospective, multicentre study that included patients with ixekizumab from March 2017 to March 2019. ≥ 90% reduction in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 90) and absolute PASI <2 were the parameters used to assess treatment response. Adverse events (AEs) were collected. Of the 301 patients included, 111 were women (36.9%), mean age was 48.5 (±13.5) years. Mean baseline PASI score was 13.5 (±7.7). More than half of the patients (68.5%) had received at least one biological drug before. At 3 months, 208 (76.5%) patients achieved PASI <2 and 156 (57.3%) PASI 90. At 12 months, 130 (73.4%) patients achieved absolute PASI <2 and 104 (58.7%) PASI 90. Multivariate analysis revealed that prior use of biologics was influential in achieving PASI <2 at both 3 and 12 months (OR 2.82, P = .006; OR 9.51, P < .001, respectively). Sixty‐five patients (21.59%) exhibited at least one AE, injection site reaction was the most common (39; 36.8%). Likewise in trials, ixekizumab displayed an excellent profile of safety and efficacy also in real‐life. Effectiveness appears superior in biologic‐naive patients.
Post-traumatic growth and value-directed living after acquired brain injury

ABSTRACT Traumatic events can be associated with positive change, termed “post-traumatic growth. ” Existing resesarch suggests some overlap between post-traumatic growth and value-directed living. This study sought to explore the relationship between post-traumatic growth and value-directed living after acquired brain injury. Self-report questionnaires including the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, Valued Living Questionnaire, Engaged Living Scale, Valuing Questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, World Health Organization Well-Being Index, Brief Resilience Scale, Trauma Screening Questionnaire and Glasgow Outcome Scale were posted to 317 individuals who had experienced a head injury, stroke or subarachnoid haemorrhage in the previous 3–13 years, with a hospital admission of minimum 7 days. Questionnaires were completed by 81 participants. Post-traumatic growth was significantly positively associated with two measures of value-directed living (VLQ, r = .269; VQ, r = .215). Higher levels of value-directed living were significantly associated with increased positive outcomes (wellbeing) and reduced negative outcomes (distress, post-traumatic stress symptoms). There was no significant association between post-traumatic growth and any of these outcomes. The association between post-traumatic growth and value-directed living indicates possible common underlying processes. Value-directed living appears to be a more useful concept, as it was associated with clinically relevant outcomes. It is recommended that value-directed living interventions are considered in brain injury rehabilitation.
Therapeutic Duplication in Taiwan Hospitals for Patients With High Blood Pressure, Sugar, and Lipids: Evaluation With a Mobile Health Mapping Tool

Background Cardiovascular disease causes approximately half of all deaths in patients with type 2 diabetes. Duplicative prescriptions of medication in patients with high blood pressure (hypertension), high blood sugar (hyperglycemia), and high blood lipids (hyperlipidemia) have attracted substantial attention regarding the abuse of health care resources and to implement preventive measures for such abuse. Duplicative prescriptions may occur by patients receiving redundant medications for the same condition from two or more sources such as doctors, hospitals, and multiple providers, or as a result of the patient’s wandering among hospitals. Objective We evaluated the degree of duplicative prescriptions in Taiwanese hospitals for outpatients with three types of medications (antihypertension, antihyperglycemia, and antihyperlipidemia), and then used an online dashboard based on mobile health (mHealth) on a map to determine whether the situation has improved in the recent 25 fiscal quarters. Methods Data on duplicate prescription rates of drugs for the three conditions were downloaded from the website of Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Administration (TNHIA) from the third quarter of 2010 to the third quarter of 2016. Complete data on antihypertension, antihyperglycemia, and antihyperlipidemia prescriptions were obtained from 408, 414, and 359 hospitals, respectively. We used scale quality indicators to assess the attributes of the study data, created a dashboard that can be traced using mHealth, and selected the hospital type with the best performance regarding improvement on duplicate prescriptions for the three types of drugs using the weighted scores on an online dashboard. Kendall coefficient of concordance (W) was used to evaluate whether the performance rankings were unanimous. Results The data quality was found to be acceptable and showed good reliability and construct validity. The online dashboard using mHealth on Google Maps allowed for easy and clear interpretation of duplicative prescriptions regarding hospital performance using multidisciplinary functionalities, and showed significant improvement in the reduction of duplicative prescriptions among all types of hospitals. Medical centers and regional hospitals showed better performance with improvement in the three types of duplicative prescriptions compared with the district hospitals. Kendall W was 0.78, indicating that the performance rankings were not unanimous (Chi square2=4.67, P=.10). Conclusions This demonstration of a dashboard using mHealth on a map can inspire using the 42 other quality indicators of the TNHIA by hospitals in the future.
A Comparative Study of the Inflorescence in the Genus Carex (Cyperaceae)

Abstract The inflorescences of 110 species of Carex were studied in the context of the latest phylogenetic framework of the tribe Cariceae, including broad taxonomic coverage by sections. Their structure is analyzed to infer their taxonomic value and to place these structures within a phylogenetic framework based on recent work in the genus. The inflorescence-unit is a paracladium. It consists of a branch composed of a prophyll, peduncle, bract, and pseudospike with one or more spikelets. The particular features and general trends of the inflorescences are analyzed, summarized, and interpreted according to hypotheses of the evolution of the genus. Such evolutionary patterns as ramification, homogenization, reduction, and sexual specialization combine in different ways during the evolution of the Carex inflorescence. Taking into account the inflorescence structure, we discuss the inclusion of the unispicate species of Carex in the Caricoid Clade and the differences among Caricoid, Vignea, and Core Carex clades.
Pediatric meningioma: a clinicopathologic and molecular study with potential grading implications

Meningiomas are common in adults (~35% of brain tumors) but rare in children, where they exhibit unique clinical, pathological and molecular features compared to adult counterparts. Thus, data generated from adult cohorts may be imperfectly suited to guiding diagnostic, prognostic and treatment decisions for children. We studied 50 meningioma patients ≤18 years with available clinical and pathological data to address the need for data obtained in the pediatric setting. As previously described, we noted a slight bias toward male patients and a higher proportion of spinal tumors compared to adults. Thirty‐eight of 50 specimens were further analyzed by next generation sequencing. Loss‐of‐function mutations in NF2 and chromosome 22 losses were common, but pathogenic variants in other genes (SMARCB1, FUBP1, BRAF, TERT promoter, CHEK2, SMAD and GATA3) were identified in a minority of cases. Copy number variants outside of chromosomes 22 and 1 were infrequent. H3K27 hypomethylation, a useful biomarker in adult tumors, was not found in our cohort. In exploring the correlation between mitotic count and recurrence‐free survival, we found a threshold of six mitoses per 10 high powered fields as the optimal cutoff in predicting recurrence‐free survival. If independently validated in larger studies, adjusted grading thresholds could enhance the clinical management of pediatric meningiomas.
Health-related quality of life, work productivity and costs related to patients with inflammatory bowel disease in Austria

Abstract Objective Inflammatory-Bowel-Disease (IBD) is a lifelong illness with significant impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The disease-burden causes work productivity impairment, such as sick-leave and restriction of leisure time activities. From a societal perspective, productivity loss often contributes significantly to the total costs. The aim of the study is to analyze the impact of disease-burden on work productivity, daily activities, and HRQoL. Methods We performed a survey among Austrian patients with IBD to assess general questions about demography and disease pattern, impaired work productivity and reduced daily activities using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire and HRQoL utilizing the Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (SIBDQ). Associations were assessed employing linear regressions. The questionnaire was circulated by the Austrian Crohn’s Disease/Ulcerative Colitis Association. Results In total, 510 patients with median age of 40 years completed the questionnaire. Patients had a median disease-duration of 9 years, 46% were treated with biologics and 64% were employed. The median SIBDQ score was 45 (16–69). Patients in self-assessed remission (n = 319) and relapse (n = 96) differed by 18 points on the SIBDQ score (p value < 0.0001). Mean work productivity reduction amounted to 7 h 17 min (95% CI 6:05–8:29) during the last 7 days. Work absenteeism accounted for 4 h 28 min (95% CI 3:25–5:31) and reduced productivity at the workplace (presenteeism) for 2 h 49 min (95% CI 2:31–3:07). During a relapse, 12 h 9 min were lost (p value < 0.0001). Productivity reduction correlated with HRQoL (r = 0.3964). In total, 143 €per patient per week (95% CI 119–167) were lost (7,411 €per year). On average, patients lost 4 h (95% CI 3:44–4:16) of unpaid daily activities; 3 h 17 min the employed subgroup and 5 h 19 min the not employed. Conclusion IBD leads to a substantial burden of disease, which is associated with indirect costs for society related to work ability reduction. HRQoL significantly influences loss of work productivity. Improving HRQoL should be a key factor to reduce disease burden and societal costs.
Vancomycin Area Under the Curve to Predict Timely Clinical Response in the Treatment of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Complicated Skin and Soft Tissue Infections.

INTRODUCTION Although recent guidelines have recommended monitoring vancomycin (VAN) area under the curve (AUC)/minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) to ensure clinical efficacy and minimize toxicity in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) for various infections, there are no recommendations regarding complicated skin and soft tissue infections (cSSTIs). We aimed to evaluate the association between VAN AUC and clinical outcomes in MRSA cSSTIs. METHODS This was a retrospective cohort study of adult patients treated with ≥ 72 hours of VAN for MRSA cSSTI from 2008-2013 at Detroit Medical Center. The primary outcome was timely clinical success (TCS) defined as 1) resolution of signs and symptoms of infection within 72 hours, 2) stabilization and/or reduction in lesion size, 3) alternative agents not required due to VAN failure or toxicity as elected by the prescribing clinician. Classification and regression tree (CART) analysis was performed to determine the AUC associated with TCS in the cohort. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between VAN-AUC and the primary outcome. RESULTS A total of 154 patients were included in this analysis. CART identifed an AUC ≥435 mg*hr/L for TCS. Overall, 60.9% of patients experienced TCS; 69.7% in the target-AUC group vs. 52.5% in the below-target AUC group, (P=0.013). Target-AUC attainment was independently associated with increased odds of TCS ([aOR], 2.208; 95% [CI], 1.047 -4.659). DISCUSSION In adults treated with VAN for MRSA cSSTI, target-AUC attainment was independently associated with improved clinical outcomes and maybe most warrated for patients at high risk of VAN-failure or VAN-associated toxicity.
A validation study of the WHOOP strap against polysomnography to assess sleep

ABSTRACT The aim of the study was to compare the WHOOP strap – a wearable device that estimates sleep based on measures of movement and heart rate derived from actigraphy and photoplethysmography, respectively. Twelve healthy adults (6 females, 6 males, aged 22.9 ± 3.4 years) participated in a 10-day, laboratory-based protocol. A total of 86 sleeps were independently assessed in 30-s epochs using polysomnography and WHOOP. For WHOOP, bed times were entered by researchers and sleeps were scored by the company based on proprietary algorithms. WHOOP overestimated total sleep time by 8.2 ± 32.9 minutes compared to polysomnography, but this difference was non-significant. WHOOP was compared to polysomnography for 2-stage (i.e., wake, sleep) and 4-stage categorisation (i.e., wake, light sleep [N1 or N2], slow-wave sleep [N3], REM) of sleep periods. For 2-stage categorisation, the agreement, sensitivity to sleep, specificity for wake, and Cohen’s kappa were 89%, 95%, 51%, and 0.49, respectively. For 4-stage categorisation, the agreement, sensitivity to light sleep, SWS, REM, and wake, and Cohen’s kappa were 64%, 62%, 68%, 70%, 51%, and 0.47, respectively. In situations where polysomnography is impractical (e.g., field settings), WHOOP is a reasonable method for estimating sleep, particularly for 2-stage categorisation, if accurate bedtimes are manually entered.
Some genetic consequences of ice ages, and their role in divergence and speciation

The genetic effects of pleistocene ice ages are approached by deduction from paleoenvironmental information, by induction from the genetic structure of populations and species, and by their combination to infer likely consequences. (1) Recent palaeoclimatic information indicate rapid global reversals and changes in ranges of species which would involve elimination with spreading from the edge. Leading edge colonization during a rapid expansion would be leptokurtic and lead to homozygosity and spatial assortment of genomes. In Europe and North America, ice age contractions were into southern refugia, which would promote genome reorganization. (2) The present day genetic structure of species shows frequent geographic subdivision, with parapatric genomes, hybrid zones and suture zones. A survey of recent DNA phylogeographic information supports and extends earlier work. (3) The grasshopperChorthippus parallelusis used to illustrate such data and processes. Its range in Europe is divided on DNA sequences into five parapatric races, with southern genomes showing greater haplotype diversity — probably due to southern mountain blocks acting as refugia and northern expansion reducing diversity. (4) Comparison with other recent studies shows a concordance of such phylogeographic data over pleistocene time scales. (5) The role that ice age range changes may have played in changing adaptations is explored, including the limits of range, rapid change in new invasions and refugial differentiation in a variety of organisms. (6) The effects of these events in causing divergence and speciation are explored usingChorthippusas a paradigm. Repeated contraction and expansion would accumulate genome differences and adaptations, protected from mixing by hybrid zones, and such a composite mode of speciation could apply to many organisms.
Freezing as a solution to preserve the quality of dairy products: the case of milk, curds and cheese

Abstract When thinking of the freezing process in dairy, products consumed in frozen state, such as ice creams come to mind. However, freezing is also considered a viable solutions for many other dairy products, due to increasing interest to reduce food waste and to create more robust supply chains. Freezing is a solution to production seasonality, or to extend the market reach for high-value products with otherwise short shelf life. This review focuses on the physical and chemical changes occurring during freezing of milk, curds and cheeses, critical to maintaining quality of the final product. However, freezing is energy consuming, and therefore the process needs to be optimized to maintain product’s quality and reduce its environmental footprint. Furthermore, the processing steps leading to the freezing stage may require some changes compared to traditional, fresh products. Unwanted reactions occur at low water activity, and during modifications such as ice crystals growth and recrystallization. These events cause major physical destabilizations of the proteins due to cryoconcentration, including modification of the colloidal-soluble equilibrium. The presence of residual proteases and lipases also cause important modifications to the texture and flavor of the frozen dairy product.
Recent developments in enzyme immobilization technology for high-throughput processing in food industries

Abstract The demand for food and beverage markets has increased as a result of population increase and in view of health awareness. The quality of products from food processing industry has to be improved economically by incorporating greener methodologies that enhances the safety and shelf life via the enzymes application while maintaining the essential nutritional qualities. The utilization of enzymes is rendered more favorable in industrial practices via the modification of their characteristics as attested by studies on enzyme immobilization pertaining to different stages of food and beverage processing; these studies have enhanced the catalytic activity, stability of enzymes and lowered the overall cost. However, the harsh conditions of industrial processes continue to increase the propensity of enzyme destabilization thus shortening their industrial lifespan namely enzyme leaching, recoverability, uncontrollable orientation and the lack of a general procedure. Innovative studies have strived to provide new tools and materials for the development of systems offering new possibilities for industrial applications of enzymes. Herein, an effort has been made to present up-to-date developments on enzyme immobilization and current challenges in the food and beverage industries in terms of enhancing the enzyme stability. Graphical Abstract
Allelic polymorphisms of KIRs and antitumor immunity against chronic myeloid leukemia

Abstract The development of BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) markedly improved the prognosis of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Approximately 50% of patients who achieve deep molecular response (DMR) remain in treatment-free remission (TFR) even after discontinuation of TKIs. Although TKIs may achieve clinical “cure” after TKI treatment for specific periods, there are no reliable biomarkers for predicting the response to TKIs and the probability of TFR in CML. An increase in natural killer (NK) cells in the peripheral blood of TKI-treated CML patients is correlated with better outcomes, suggesting that TKIs induce antitumor NK cell immunity against CML cells. Killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are highly polymorphic NK cell receptors that play important roles in the regulation of immune responses. The identification of allelic polymorphisms of KIRs by next-generation sequencing uncovered novel aspects of KIRs. Here we summarize the current knowledge of the genetic and immunological aspects of KIRs and discuss the association between allelic polymorphisms of KIRs and TKI-treated CML.