Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effect of waveform asymmetry on perception with epiretinal prostheses

Retinal prosthetic implants have helped improve vision in patients blinded by photoreceptor degeneration. Retinal implant users report improvements in light perception and performing visual tasks, but their ability to perceive shapes and letters is limited due to the low precision of retinal activation, which is exacerbated by axonal stimulation and high perceptual thresholds. A previous in vitro study in our lab used calcium imaging to measure the spatial activity of mouse retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in response to electrical stimulation. Based on this study, symmetric anodic-first (SA) stimulation effectively avoided axonal activation and asymmetric anodic-first stimulation (AA) with duration ratios (ratio of the anodic to cathodic phase) greater than 10 reduced RGC activation thresholds significantly. Applying these novel stimulation strategies in clinic may increase perception precision and improve the overall patient outcomes. We combined human subject testing and computational modeling to further examine the effect of SA and AA stimuli on perception shapes and thresholds for epiretinal stimulation of RGCs. Threshold measurement in three Argus II participants indicated that AA stimulation could increase perception probabilities compared to a standard symmetric cathodic-first (SC) pulse, and this effect can be intensified by addition of an interphae gap (IPG). Our in silico RGC model predicts lower thresholds with AA and asymmetric cathodic-first (AC) stimuli compared to a SC pulse. This effect was more pronounced at shorter pulse widths. The most effective pulse for threshold reduction with short pulse durations (≤0.12 ms) was AA stimulation with small duration ratios (≤5) and long IPGs (≥2 ms). For the 0.5 ms pulse duration, SC stimulation with IPGs longer than 0.5 ms, or asymmetric stimuli with large duration ratios (≥20) were most effective in threshold reduction. Phosphene shape analysis did not reveal a significant change in percept elongation with SA stimulation. However, there was a significant increase in percept size (P < 0.01) with AA stimulation compared to the standard pulse in one participant. Including asymmetric waveform capability will provide more flexible options for optimization and personalized fitting of retinal implants.
Local and migratory movements of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) satellite-tracked in the North Atlantic Ocean

North Atlantic humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski, 1781)) migrate from high-latitude summer feeding grounds to low-latitude winter breeding grounds along the Antillean Island chain. In the winters and springs of 2008 through 2012, satellite tags were deployed on humpback whales on Silver Bank (Dominican Republic) and in Guadeloupe (French West Indies) breeding areas. Whales were monitored, on average, for 26 days (range = 4–90 days). Some animals remained near their tagging location for multiple days before beginning their northerly migration, yet some visited habitats along the northwestern coast of the Dominican Republic, northern Haiti, the Turks and Caicos islands, and off Anguilla. Individuals monitored during migration headed towards feeding grounds in the Gulf of Maine (USA), Canada, and the eastern North Atlantic (Iceland or Norway). One individual traveled near Bermuda during the migration. This study provides the first detailed description of routes used by North Atlantic humpback.
Reliability of an Assessment Tool and Outcomes of a Comprehensive Worksite Wellness Intervention.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of a comprehensive worksite-level assessment and identify which worksite wellness best practices were implemented following a workshop. METHODS Kansas worksites attended a WorkWell Kansas Phase I workshop from 2012 through 2014 and completed a 155-item assessment before the workshop and one year later. Cronbach's alpha measured the internal consistency of the WorkWell KS Phase I Assessment, and McNemar's test assessed differences in proportions from baseline to follow-up. RESULTS 285 worksites completed a baseline assessment, of which, 109 completed the follow-up assessment (32%). The internal consistency of the instrument was 0.96, and worksites reported significant improvements at follow-up from baseline for nine variables. CONCLUSIONS Improvements predominantly included creating a wellness committee, assessing needs, and developing goals. There was a lack of policy and systems level improvements at the worksite.
The Relative Importance of Groundwater and its Ecological Implications in Diverse Glacial Wetlands

Abstract The hydrogeomorphic approach, which assesses a wetland's geomorphic setting, water sources, and hydrodynamics, has proven to be a useful framework for characterizing wetlands. Yet, estimating wetland water sources quantitatively across more than a few study sites remains impractical for larger comparative studies due to the time-intensive measurements required. In this research we tested the efficacy of using dissolved magnesium (Mg2+) as a semiconservative tracer of wetland water sources in southern Lower Michigan. Because concentrations of magnesium in groundwater are high due to equilibrium with dolomite in the glacial deposits, dissolved magnesium distinguished the relative importance of groundwater vs. precipitation as wetland water sources. We examined a set of 24 wetlands to consider relationships between a wetland's water sources and its geomorphic setting, water level variation, and biogeochemistry. Fens and swamps were generally groundwater-dominated, whereas wetlands dominated by Sphagnum mosses (“bogs”) were all strongly precipitation-dominated; few wetlands exhibited relatively equitable contributions of groundwater and precipitation. In terms of geomorphic setting, precipitation-dominated acidic bogs were restricted to isolated basins that were positioned higher on the landscape. In contrast, groundwater-dominated circumneutral fens and swamps occurred in basins that spanned the range of landscape position and were associated with surface inlets and outlets. Mean and maximum water levels were lower in more groundwater-dominated wetlands associated with outflow streams. Mean nutrient (ammonium and phosphate) availability was generally higher in more groundwater-dominated wetlands, whereas all precipitation-dominated wetlands had low nutrient availability. We conclude in the southern Great Lakes region: (1) dissolved magnesium can be used to characterize wetland water sources, and (2) the relative importance of groundwater vs. precipitation is strongly linked to a wetland's geomorphic setting, water level variation, and biogeochemistry.
Biological agents for severe asthma: the evolution of the at-home self-injection approach.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW New biological agents, in addition to the well-established omalizumab, have been nowadays introduced into clinical practice for severe asthma. This suggested the possibility of an at-home self-administration, as currently happening for other biological agents for immune-mediated diseases. RECENT FINDINGS In the very recent years, there were structured clinical trials investigating the self at home administrations of biologicals for severe asthma, showing with different principles, a possible advantage and convenience for the patient, and a socioeconomic saving. SUMMARY The literature analysis currently shows that the at-home self-administration of biologicals for severe asthma is a promising approach to improve the treatment of such disease.
Orbitofrontal involvement in a neuroCOVID‐19 patient

Neurological manifestations of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID‐19) such as encephalitis and seizures have been reported increasingly, but our understanding of COVID‐19‐related brain injury is still limited. Herein we describe prefrontal involvement in a patient with COVID‐19 who presented prior anosmia, raising the question of a potential trans‐olfactory bulb brain invasion.
Desempenho agronómico e dissimilaridade genética entre genótipos de soja

O objetivo do trabalho consistiu em avaliar o desempenho agronomico de cultivares de soja e quantificar a variabilidade genetica por meio do agrupamento dos cultivares e a contribuicao relativa das variaveis para a dissimilaridade genetica, identificando-se, assim, as combinacoes promissoras. Os estudos foram desenvolvidos no setor de Fitotecnia da Universidade Estadual de Mato Grosso do Sul - Unidade de Aquidauana, no Cerrado brasileiro. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos casualizados, com seis tratamentos e quatro repeticoes. Os tratamentos foram constituidos por seis cultivares transgenicas de soja: P98Y70, CD 238, CD 241, BRS 255, VMAX e NK 7059. As variaveis medidas foram: altura das plantas na maturacao, altura da insercao da primeira vagem (AIV), numero de ramificacoes, numero de vagens (NV), massa de 100 graos e produtividade de graos. Os dados obtidos foram submetidos a analise de variância e as medias comparadas ao teste de Tukey a 5% de probabilidade, sendo posteriormente utilizada a distância Euclidiana media como medida de dissimilaridade. O genotipo P98Y70 foi o mais produtivo. Os caracteres NV e AIV foram os que mais contribuiram para a divergencia entre os genotipos. Cruzamentos entre os genotipos NK7059 e P98Y70 podem resultar em um hibrido com alto vigor heterotico.
A study on the impact of poor medication adherence on health status and medical expense for diabetes mellitus patients in Taiwan

Abstract Medication adherence plays an important role in disease management, especially for diabetes. The aim of this study was to examine the impacts of demographic characteristics on medication nonadherence and the impacts of nonadherence on both health status and medical expenses for diabetic patients in Taiwan. A total of 1 million diabetes mellitus patients were randomly selected from the National Health Insurance Research Database between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2004. All records with missing values and those for participants under 18 years of age were then deleted. Because many patients had multiple clinical visit records, all records within the same calendar year were summarized into 1 single record for each person. This pre-processing resulted in 14,602 total patients with a combined 73,010 records over the course of 5 years. Generalized estimating equation models were then constructed to investigate the effects of demographic characteristics on medication nonadherence and the effects of nonadherence on patient health status and medical expenses. The demographic characteristics examined for each patient include gender, age, residential area, and socioeconomic status. Our analysis of how demographic variables impacted nonadherence revealed that elderly patients exhibited better overall medication adherence, but that male patients exhibited poorer medication adherence than female patients. Next, our analysis of how nonadherence impacted health status revealed that patients who exhibited medication nonadherence had poorer health status than patients with proper medication adherence. Finally, our analysis of how nonadherence impacted medical expenses revealed that patients who exhibited medication nonadherence incurred more medical expenses than those who exhibited proper medication adherence. This study's empirical results corroborate the general relationships expressed in the current literature regarding medication nonadherence. However, this study's results were statistically more reliable and revealed the precise impact on health status in terms of the Charlson comorbidity index and increased annual medical expenses. This indicates the need to improve patient attitudes toward medication adherence, which can have substantial effects both medically and economically.
Plasma lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 as a potential biomarker for diagnosis of non-small-cell lung carcinoma

Abstract Diagnosis of numerous cancers has been closely linked to the expression of certain long non-coding RNAs. This study aimed to evaluate levels of plasma FEZ family zinc finger 1 antisense RNA 1 (FEZF1-AS1) relative to non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) diagnosis. The level of FEZF1-AS1 in the blood plasma of 126 NSCLC patients and 62 healthy controls was examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Plasma FEZF1-AS1 of the NSCLC group was increased compared with that in the control group (P < .0001). Plasma FEZF1-AS1 could distinguish patients with NSCLC from healthy individuals via the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.855 (95% CI = 0.800–0.909; P = .000). FEZF1-AS1 combined with neuron-specific enolase increased the area under the (ROC) curve to 0.932 (95% CI = 0.897–0.968; P = .018). A high expression level of plasma FEZF1-AS1 was associated with some clinical features of NSCLC. Increased expression of FEZF1-AS1 greatly improved the risk of NSCLC (adjusted OR = 2.42; 95% CI = 1.23–4.76). A significant concentration–dependent relationship was noted between risk of NSCLC and higher FEZF1-AS1 expression (P for trend <.001). Plasma FEZF1-AS1 could potentially be used as a biomarker for NSCLC diagnosis.
Application of intra-operative magnetic resonance imaging for intracranial epidermoid cysts

Abstract The effectiveness and safety of intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) are evident from many reports over the past decade. However, these reports have mainly concerned surgeries for glioma and other intra-axial tumours, and applications of this approach for extra-axial tumours are poorly documented. We retrospectively examined three cases in which iMRI was used to assist in the removal of epidermoid cysts. T2-weighted images and diffusion-weighted images were acquired during the surgeries. The value to surgeons of images generated by iMRI, the length of interruption of surgery, and the safety of the patients were assessed. In this study, the images obtained through iMRI provided were clear representations of remnant tumours, even with a low-field system (0.4 Tesla). These images generated enough information to help surgeons decide whether to use an assistance device, such as an endoscope, to remove remnant tumours and whether further retraction of the brain was safe for patients and useful in tumour removal. Intraoperative MRI has long been thought unnecessary for surgery for tumours that are well demarcated and clearly visible under a surgical microscope; in this study, however, intraoperative MRI proved to be useful and safe for patients undergoing epidermoid cyst resection.
What should the C (‘congestive heart failure’) represent in the CHA2DS2‐VASc score?

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) require anticoagulation therapy when at least two clinical risk factors for stroke or thromboembolism are present, as defined in the CHA2DS2-VASc score. 1 In this score the C stands for ‘congestive heart failure’ and nowadays the criteria to qualify for a C in clinical practice are more or less synonymous to the presence of signs/symptoms of heart failure.1 The criteria for the CHA2DS2-VASc score were, however, defined and developed at a time when heart failure was more or less restricted to patients who had left ventricular systolic dysfunction [or reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)]. Whether these criteria also apply to patients who have heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), i.e. whether the C in the CHA2DS2-VASc score also ‘counts’ in this population, is however unknown.2 This is of interest as an increasing proportion of patients with heart failure have HFpEF, AF is more common in HFpEF and these patients have a similar increased risk for stroke or cardiovascular events.3–5 Diagnosing HFpEF has been increasingly important but remains challenging as compared to diagnosing a heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). This viewpoint will focus on the history of the C in the CHA2DS2-VASc score and why it may or may not be considered to extrapolate the CHA2DS2-VASc criteria to patients with HFpEF and AF as well.
Reproductive health of Roma women in Slovakia.

OBJECTIVE In most indicators of the way of life, the Roma community is generally different from the majority population and dominant culture. The objective of the study was to describe factors affecting the health of the Roma living in Slovakia, with an emphasis on the sexual and reproductive health of Roma women, and report on the results of analysis of high-risk pregnancies of Roma women in the district of Rimavská Sobota, Slovakia. METHODS A retrospective study of medical documentation was used. The results were analyzed using the absolute and relative frequencies. Statistical methods were used. RESULTS A total of 1,256 high-risk pregnancies were analyzed, of which 622 (49.52%) were in Roma women. The average age of Roma respondents was lower by 5 years compared to non-Roma. The age of Roma women at the first pregnancy was statistically significantly lower compared to non-Roma (p < 0.001). The Roma respondents achieved statistically significantly lower levels of education than non-Roma. There was a demonstrably higher number of pregnancies as well as a higher number of artificial and spontaneous abortions per Roma woman. These results were statistically significant. For Roma women, pregnancy began to be risky demonstrably earlier than for non-Roma (p < 0.001). There was a statistically significant difference in attending prenatal counselling. Roma women attended prenatal counselling statistically significantly less frequently than non-Roma (p < 0.001). A significant statistical dependence was found between attending prenatal counselling and the onset of pregnancy problems in Roma women. There was no significant difference in the incidence of other diseases associated with high-risk pregnancy among Roma and non-Roma respondents. CONCLUSION The findings indicate that Roma women are exposed to health problems in the area of sexual and reproductive health in Slovakia. In the approach to the Roma, it is essential to focus on improving accessibility to health care, prevention, knowledgeableness and effectively preventing, eradicating and strongly penalizing all forms of discrimination in access to health care, especially for Roma women, who are more likely to receive health care.
Effect of different concentrations of GA3 and NAA and their methods of application on growth and yield of onion (Allium cepa L.)

The experiment was conducted in rabi season during the year 2000–2001 at Horticultural Research Farm at IGKV, Raipur (CG). There were 18 different plant growth regulators treatments comprising of two PGR (GA and NAA) each in three doses (20, 40, and 60 ppm of GA3 and 200,300 and 400 ppm of NAA) and applied through three different application methods (seed soaking, root dipping and foliar spray). Results indicates that growth characters viz., plant height, leaf length and culm width were influenced by different doses and application methods of PGRs. Root dipping with GA3 40 or 60 ppm was found superior than other treatments for above characters. Number of leaves, culm length, bulb length and bulb diameter were not influenced by different treatments. Root dipping with GA3 at 20 ppm produced highest bulb weight (43.90 g). Marketable yield and total yield of onion bulb were significantly higher in root dipping with GA3 at 40 ppm followed by root dipping with GA3 at 60 and at 20 ppm treatments.
ESTIMATION OF VARIATION IN SOME ECONOMIC PLANT TRAITS OF UPLAND COTTON (G. HIRSUTUM L.)

A study was conducted in the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan during 2008-09 to find out the genetic inheritance of some economic plant traits in upland cotton (G. hirsutum L.). The characters studied were: plant height, number of monopodial branches, number of sympodial branches, number of bolls per plant and boll weight. Five varieties viz. AC-134, MS-39, CIM-473, 124-F and LA85-52-2 were crossed in complete diallel fashion to make 20 F1 hybrids including reciprocals. The results manifested that additive type of gene action with partial dominance was involved in the inheritance of all above traits. Nonallelic interaction was found to be absent. These characters may be improved through simple selection procedures from F2 generation to onward till the desired objective is achieved.
Estimativa da produção microbiana em cabras lactantes alimentadas com diferentes teores de proteína na dieta

The objective of this trial was to study the effects of increasing dietary levels of crude protein (CP) on microbial protein synthesis of lactating dairy goats. The microbial markers purines bases and purine derivatives (PD), measured in spot urine samples or in urine samples from total collection, were used to estimate microbial protein synthesis. Sixteen lactating goats (four fitted with ruminal cannula) were randomly assigned to four replicated 4 x 4 Latin squares and were fed the following dietary CP levels [dry matter (DM) basis]: 11.5, 13.5, 15.5 or 17.5%. No significant differences were observed between techniques for estimating microbial protein synthesis. Therefore, 12 non-cannulated goats were used to evaluate the effect of dietary CP level on PD excretion, microbial nitrogen flow and microbial efficiency using either total or spot collection of urine. Because creatinine excretion did not differ among treatments, the average value 26.05 mg of urinary creatinine excreted per kg of body weight was used for estimating the volume of urine using spot samples. Urinary volume estimated using spot samples was similar to that measured with total urine collection. In both cases, an increase on the amount of absorbed purines was observed when the dietary CP level increased in the diet. In brief, PD can be used for estimating microbial protein synthesis in lactating goats and spot samples were a good alternative for total collection of urine.
Yield and Physiological Response of Nontransgenic Cotton to Simulated Glyphosate Drift1

Field studies were conducted in 2001 in Lewiston, NC, and in 2002 at Clayton and Lewiston, NC, to investigate the response of nontransgenic cotton to simulated glyphosate drift in a weed-free environment. Nontransgenic cotton variety ‘Fibermax 989’ was planted in a conventional seedbed at all locations. Glyphosate treatments were applied early postemergence (EPOST) at the four-leaf growth stage of cotton at 0, 8.7, 17.5, 35, 70, 140, 280, 560, and 1,120 g ai/ha and represent 0, 0.78, 1.55, 3.13, 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, and 100% of the commercial use rate, respectively. Rates as low as 140 g/ha caused lint yield reductions depending on year and location. When averaged over all locations, lint yield reductions of 4, 49, 72, and 87% compared with nontreated cotton were observed with glyphosate rates of 140, 280, 560, and 1,120 g/ha, respectively. Visual injury and shikimic acid accumulation were evident at glyphosate rates greater or equal to 70 g/ha. Collectively, visual injury and shikimic acid accumulation at 7 d after EPOST treatment might be used as a diagnostic indicator to predict potential yield reductions from simulated glyphosate drift. Nomenclature: Glyphosate; cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. ‘Fibermax 989’. Additional index words: Shikimic acid. Abbreviations: DAT, days after early postemergence treatment; DD, degree-day; EPOST, early postemergence; EPSPS, 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase [EC 2.5. 1.19]; HPLC, high-performance liquid chromatography; PDS, postemergence-directed; POST, postemergence; PRE, preemergence.