Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Risk Factors of Suicide Attempt among Adolescents with Suicide Ideation in Low- and Middle-Income Countries across the Globe

Abstract Suicide is a serious public health problem for adolescents. Based on the framework of ideation-to-action, it is important to examine the factors associated with the translation from suicide ideation to suicide attempt. The present study aimed to investigate the risk factors of suicide attempts among adolescents with suicide ideation in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We analyzed data of students aged 12–18 years who participated in the 2009–2013 Global School-based Health Surveys (GSHS) in 39 LMICs. The Chi-square test was used to compare the prevalence of suicide attempts among participants with suicide ideation, the multilevel logistic regression model was used to identify significant factors associated with suicide attempts among suicide ideators. Among 22,655 adolescents with suicide ideation, 55.1% of them reported having made a suicide attempt in the past year. Loneliness, anxiety, alcohol use, and drug use were risk factors for suicide attempts among suicide ideators. Strategies should be implemented to reduce the likelihood of adolescents acting on their suicidal thoughts, such as community psychological crisis line, school-based mental health and skills training programs, and family support for adolescents with psychological problems.
CAG repeat expansion in the Huntington’s disease gene shapes linear and circular RNAs biogenesis

Alternative splicing (AS) appears to be altered in Huntington’s disease (HD), but its significance for early, pre-symptomatic disease stages has not been inspected. Here, taking advantage of Htt CAG knock-in mouse in vitro and in vivo models, we demonstrate a correlation between Htt CAG repeat length and increased aberrant linear AS, specifically affecting neural progenitors and, in vivo, the striatum prior to overt behavioral phenotypes stages. Remarkably, a significant proportion (36%) of the aberrantly spliced isoforms are not-functional and meant to non-sense mediated decay (NMD). The expanded Htt CAG repeats further reflect on a previously neglected, global impairment of back-splicing, leading to decreased circular RNAs production in neural progenitors. Integrative transcriptomic analyses unveil a network of transcriptionally altered micro-RNAs and RNA-binding proteins (Celf, hnRNPs, Ptbp, Srsf, Upf1, Ythd2) which might influence the AS machinery, primarily in neural cells. We suggest that this unbalanced expression of linear and circular RNAs might alter neural fitness, contributing to HD pathogenesis.
Neural correlates of successful emotion recognition in healthy elderly: a multimodal imaging study

Abstract The ageing process is associated with reduced emotional recognition (ER) performance. The ER ability is an essential part of non-verbal communication, and its role is crucial for proper social functioning. Here, using the ‘Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience cohort sample’, we investigated when ER, measured using a facial emotion recognition test, begins to consistently decrease along the lifespan. Moreover, using structural and functional MRI data, we identified the neural correlates associated with ER maintenance in the age groups showing early signs of ER decline (N = 283; age range: 58–89 years). The ER performance was positively correlated with greater volume in the superior parietal lobule, higher white matter integrity in the corpus callosum and greater functional connectivity in the mid-cingulate area. Our results suggest that higher ER accuracy in older people is associated with preserved gray and white matter volumes in cognitive or interconnecting areas, subserving brain regions directly involved in emotional processing.
Red blood cell distribution width has a prognostic value for gastric cancer patients after gastrectomy: A pooling-up analysis

Our study aims to investigate whether preoperative red blood cell distribution width (RDW) has a prognostic value for patients after gastric cancer (GC) surgery. We searched articles in 3 databases including PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library on May 16th, 2022. The prognostic indicators included overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). RevMan 5.3 (The Cochrane Collaboration, London, United Kingdom) and Stata V16.0 were used for statistical analysis. The Risk Of Bias In Non-randomized Studies—of Interventions tool was used to assess risk of bias of the included studies. Ten articles involving 2740 patients were included. RDW was a prognostic factor for OS (hazard ratio = 1.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.38–2.37, P < .01) and DFS (hazard ratio = 1.99, I2 = 26%, 95% CI = 1.53–2.58, P < .01) for GC patients. Meanwhile, there were some differences between the high RDW group and the low RDW group. We found more patients older than 60 years old (OR = 2.58, 95% CI = 1.08–6.13, P = .03), larger tumor diameter (OR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.33–2.85, P < .01) and later T stage (OR = 1.91, 95% CI = 1.07–3.42, P = .03) in the high RDW group than the low RDW group. No statistic difference was found in gender, N stage, tumor node metastasis stage, vascular invasion, differentiation, and adjuvant therapy between the 2 groups (P > .05). RDW was an independent prognostic factor for both OS and DFS of GC patients. High RDW level were strongly associated with poor survival.
The Experience of Hearing Voices: Challenges and Coping Mechanisms

Abstract Auditory hallucinations or hearing voices are often associated with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. However, several voice-hearers do not have any mental health issues or diagnoses. The study presented in this paper aimed to explore how voice-hearers understand and react to their concerns by reflecting on and exploring their experiences and interpretations of these experiences. The participants were nine individuals - three females, four males and two others, all experiencing auditory hallucinations for at least five years, residing either at their home or at one of the Hostels run by Richmond Foundation (Malta). A qualitative approach following the principles of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used. In-depth interviews were conducted to explore how the participants perceive their voices, what coping strategies are used, and how their experiences affect their lives. Four super-ordinate themes related to the participants’ perceptions and their interpretation of the experience of hearing voices were identified: ‘A tough experience’, ‘Methods used to cope with voices’, ‘Factors linked to recovery’ and ‘Relationships’. Furthermore, the study elicited the voice-hearers’ recommendations (both for other voice-hearers and mental health professionals).
Microfabrication and lab-on-a-chip devices promote in vitro modeling of neural interfaces for neuroscience researches and preclinical applications

Neural tissues react to injuries through the orchestration of cellular reprogramming, generating specialized cells and activating gene expression that helps with tissue remodeling and homeostasis. Simplified biomimetic models are encouraged to amplify the physiological and morphological changes during neural regeneration at cellular and molecular levels. Recent years have witnessed growing interest in lab-on-a-chip technologies for the fabrication of neural interfaces. Neural system-on-a-chip devices are promising in vitro microphysiological platforms that replicate the key structural and functional characteristics of neural tissues. Microfluidics and microelectrode arrays are two fundamental techniques that are leveraged to address the need for microfabricated neural devices. In this review, we explore the innovative fabrication, mechano-physiological parameters, spatiotemporal control of neural cell cultures and chip-based neurogenesis. Although the high variability in different constructs, and the restriction in experimental and analytical access limit the real-life applications of microphysiological models, neural system-on-a-chip devices have gained considerable translatability for modeling neuropathies, drug screening and personalized therapy.
Vocal cord leukoplakia classification using deep learning models in white light and narrow band imaging endoscopy images

Accurate vocal cord leukoplakia classification is critical for the individualized treatment and early detection of laryngeal cancer. Numerous deep learning techniques have been proposed, but it is unclear how to select one to apply in the laryngeal tasks. This article introduces and reliably evaluates existing deep learning models for vocal cord leukoplakia classification.
Exploring Horizontally Flipped Interaction in Virtual Reality for Improving Spatial Ability

Virtual reality (VR) is a high-fidelity medium that can offer experiences that are close to real-life. Spatial ability plays an important role in human life, including academic achievement and advancement in work settings. Spatial ability is known to be improved by practicing relevant tasks. Mental rotation and spatial perception are among such tasks that improve spatial skills. In this research, we investigated a “mirror-reversed” interaction technique in a cup stacking task in VR and looked into its effects on spatial ability, brain activity regarding spatial processing and attention (measured with EEG), performance, and user experience in male participants. Participants stacked cups according to given patterns using direct manipulation with horizontally flipped controls, similar to looking in a mirror while performing object manipulation in real life. In a between-subjects user study, we compared this novel interaction with a baseline where the participants completed the same task with regular controls. Although there was no significant main effect of group on the mental rotation and perspective taking/spatial orientation tests scores, within-group analysis indicated a trend toward an improvement in the mirror-reversed group in spatial orientation, while both groups showed a trend toward improvement in mental rotation. Participants in both groups got better at the task over time (their task completion durations decreased). EEG data revealed significant theta band power increase in the mirror-reversed group whereas there was no difference in the alpha band power between the two groups. Our results are encouraging for exploring spatially challenging interactions in VR for spatial skills training. We share the implementation and user study results, and discuss the implications.
Wave height and wind direction from the HF coastal ocean surface radar

The biggest difficulty in extracting wind direction from high-frequency (HF) backscatter ground-wave radar data is in not knowing the fundamental shape of the directional spreading function at the Bragg wavelength for the sea-surface gravity waves. In this paper we present data from a deployment of the HF coastal ocean surface radar (COSRAD) which samples the same patch of water from a range of different angles, allowing us to determine the shape of the spectral spreading function for the Bragg resonant gravity waves. The resulting evaluation of wind direction compares favourably with wind-vane measurements in the vicinity. A routine method for extracting root mean square (rms) wave heights from HF backscatter ground-wave radar spectra has been developed based on the theoretical work of D.E. Barrick. This method is reviewed in the paper and a "best practice" procedure is described for routine production of rms wave heights. Results are shown for a recent deployment of the COSRAD HF radar near Cairns in the Great Barrier Reef Region of northeast Australia. The observed rms wave heights agree reasonably well with those given by the JONSWAP model over the same range of wind speeds. A method for obtaining a measure of the spreading of the directional wave spectrum has been developed. Over the period of observation, the wind speeds varied between 2 and 11 m/s, and the S values for the M.S. Longuet-Higgins et al. spreading function were in the range 1.94 ± 0.62. These S values are less than those given by the JONSWAP model, especially at low wind speeds. A sensitivity study was carried out on the spread of wind directions which would arise from this variability in the wave directional spreading function. For single measurements, the error in wind direction is ±25°, but with spectral averaging over time and space the HF radar errors in wind directions are reduced to about ±10°.
Corticolimbic structural connectivity encapsulates real-world emotional reactivity and happiness

Abstract Emotional reactivity to everyday events predicts happiness, but the neural circuits underlying this relationship remain incompletely understood. Here, we combined experience sampling methods and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging to examine the association among corticolimbic structural connectivity, real-world emotional reactivity and daily experiences of happiness from 79 young adults (35 females). Participants recorded momentary assessments of emotional and happiness experiences five times a day for a week, approximately 2 weeks after brain scanning. Model-based emotional reactivity scores, which index the degree to which moment-to-moment affective state varies with the occurrence of positive or negative events, were computed. Results showed that stronger microstructural integrity of the uncinate fasciculus and the external capsule was associated with both greater positive and negative emotional reactivity scores. The relationship between these fiber tracts and experienced happiness was explained by emotional reactivity. Importantly, this indirect effect was observed for emotional reactivity to positive but not negative real-world events. Our findings suggest that the corticolimbic circuits supporting socioemotional functions are associated with emotional reactivity and happiness in the real world.
The safety and efficacy of total mesorectal excision (TME) surgery following dose‐escalation: Surgical outcomes from the organ preservation in early rectal adenocarcinoma (OPERA) trial, a European multicentre phase 3 randomised trial (NCT02505750)

Nonsurgical treatment with chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer is gaining interest as it avoids total mesorectal excision (TME) surgery and stoma. The OPERA trial aims to evaluate whether dose escalation with contact X‐ray brachytherapy (CXB) boost improves organ preservation compared to external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) boost. It has been suggested that dose escalation adversely affects surgical outcomes and therefore we report outcomes following TME in OPERA at 36 months.
El registro Pleistoceno de Equus (Amerhippus)e Hippidion (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) de Brasil. Consideraciones paleoecológicas y biogeográficas

Resumen. Se describen y determinan taxonomicamente los fosiles de Equidae de las localidades brasilenas Se han comparado los restos postcraneales (McIII, MtIII, AS, CAL, 1FIII) de Brasil con los restos de otras localidades de America del Sur mediante analisis multivariados. Los resultados de estos analisis indican que la especie Equus (Amerhippus) neogeus Lund esta representada en todas las localidades de Brasil. Igualmente Hippidion principale(Lund) y H. devillei(Gervais) estan presentes en Brasil, el primero agrupa los restos de gran tamano, y el segundo los mas pequenos en talla. Las tres especies estan representadas en la localidad de Toca dos Ossos (Bahia). Equus (A.) neogeus tambien esta presente en la localidad de Lage Grande (Pesqueira). Nosotros asignamos el material descrito por Souza Cunha como Equus (A.) vandoniia Equus (A.) neogeus Lund. Asi mismo, se actualiza la distribucion y fechados aproximados de las principales localidades con equidos de Brasil. Tambien se discute el papel de la dispersion desde el norte y se examinan sus implicaciones paleobiogeograficas. Abstract. PLEISTOCENE EQUUS (AMERHIPPUS) AND HIPPIDION (MAMMALIA, PERISSODACTYLA) FROM BRAZIL. PALEOECOLOGICAL AND BIOGEOGRAPHICAL CONSIDERATIONS. Fossil remains belonging to Equidae from Brazilian localities are described and taxonomically determined. We compared the postcranial (McIII, MtIII, AS, CAL, 1FIII) remains from Brazil with other remains from several localities of South America using multivariate analysis. The results indicate that Equus (Amerhippus) neogeusLund is represented in all localities of Brazil. In the same way, Hippidion principale (Lund) and H. devillei (Gervais) are present in Brazil, the first grouped the large remains, and the second the smaller ones. The three species are present in Toca dos Ossos. Equus (A.) neogeusis also present in Lage Grande. We assigned the material described by Souza Cunha as Equus (A.) vandoniito Equus (A.) neogeus. We present an up-to-date fossil distribution and approximate date of the main localities. We discuss the role of dispersal from the North and examine the palaeobiogeographical implications.
On Modified Interpolative Almost E-Type Contraction in Partial Modular b-Metric Spaces

The current study attempts to identify a new generalized metric space structure, referred to as partial modular b−metric, that extends both partial modular metric space via b−metric space and explains the topological aspects of the new space implementing examples. In addition, a new contraction mapping referred to as modified interpolative almost E−type contraction is determined, which is an interpretation of interpolative contraction bestowed with almost contraction and E−contraction as well as a simulation function and a fixed point theorem that encompass such mappings in the context of partial modular b−metric space is demonstrated. In conclusion, an example and an application that endorse the main theorem’s outcomes are offered.
UST Research Online UST Research Online

We examine whether underwriters have an information advantage over other institutional investors in new public companies. Focusing on ﬁ rms targeted by IPO ‐ related class action litigation and a matched sample of nonsued ﬁ rms, we ﬁ nd evidence suggesting that lead underwriters retain an information advantage in the ﬁ rms they take public and that they capitalize on this information by closing out or reducing their holdings in sued ﬁ rms prior to the eventual litigation date. An examination of analyst opinions suggests that analysts af ﬁ liated with lead underwriters are reluctant to reduce their earnings forecasts or downgrade sued ﬁ rms before the litigation date.
Equilibrium Labor Market Search and Health Insurance Reform

We present and empirically implement an equilibrium labor market search model where risk averse workers facing medical expenditure shocks are matched with firms making health insurance coverage decisions. Our model delivers a rich set of predictions that can account for a wide variety of phenomenon observed in the data including the correlations among firm sizes, wages, health insurance offering rates, turnover rates and workers' health compositions. We estimate our model by Generalized Method of Moments using a combination of micro data sources including Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Employer Health Insurance Survey. We use our estimated model to evaluate the equilibrium impact of the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) and find that it would reduce the uninsured rate among the workers in our estimation sample from 20.12% to 7.27%. We also examine a variety of alternative policies to understand the roles of different components of the ACA in contributing to these equilibrium changes. Interestingly, we find that the uninsured rate will be even lower (at 6.44%) if the employer mandate in the ACA is eliminated.
PESTICIDAS E SEUS RESPECTIVOS RISCOS ASSOCIADOS À CONTAMINAÇÃO DA ÁGUA

Efetuou-se revisao de literatura sobre os principais tipos de pesticidas, bem como suas toxicidades e riscos associados a contaminacao da agua e do meio ambiente. Os pesticidas podem ser bastante uteis na producao agricola, especialmente quando o clima favorece o desenvolvimento de pragas. Contudo, o seu uso deve ser corretamente orientado por profissionais da area, respeitando-se a legislacao vigente e a saude da populacao. Para esses fins, as pesquisas na area de pesticidas vem caminhando na direcao da obtencao de compostos cada vez menos toxicos para os seres vivos. PESTICIDES AND RESPECTIVE RISKS ASSOCIATED TO WATER CONTAMINATION Abstract Literature revision was made on the main pesticides types, as well as its toxicities and risks associated to the contamination of the water and of the environment. The pesticides can be quite useful in the agricultural production, especially when the climate favors the development of plagues. However, its use should be guided correctly by professionals of the area, being respected the effective legislation and the health of the population. For those ends, the researches in the pesticides area come towards the obtention of less toxic compounds for live beings.
A secondary qualitative analysis to inform understanding of coordination of care for patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction

Background: Patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) are a complex and underserved group. They are commonly older patients with multiple comorbidities, who rely on multiple healthcare services. Regional variation in services and resourcing has been highlighted as a problem in heart failure care, with few teams bridging the interface between the community and secondary care. These reports conflict with policy goals to improve coordination of care and dissolve boundaries between specialist services and the community. Aim: To explore how care is coordinated for patients with HFpEF, with a focus on the interface between primary care and specialist services in England. Methods: We applied Systems Thinking methodology to examine the relationship between work-as-imagined and work-as-done for coordination of care for patients with HFpEF. We analysed clinical guidelines in conjunction with a secondary applied thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews
Export Growth and Factor Market Competition: Theory and Some Evidence

Empirical evidence suggests that sectoral export growth decreases exporters’ survival probability, whereas this is not true for non–exporters. Models with firm heterogeneity in total factor productivity (TFP) predict the opposite. To solve this puzzle, we develop a two–factor framework where firms differ in factor intensities. Thus, export growth increases competition for the factor used intensively by exporters, eliminating some of them, while non–exporters benefit. Interacting heterogeneity in factor shares with heterogeneity in TFP we show that factor market competition reduces the growth in average TFP brought about by trade liberalization. JEL classification numbers: F12, F14, F16, L11
Dual‐site imaging observations of small‐scale wave structures through OH and OI nightglow emissions

Four all‐sky CCD imagers have been simultaneously operated at Shigaraki (34.9°N, 136.1°E) and Murou (34.6°N, 136.0°E), Japan from January to March 1998 to obtain OH and OI (557.7 nm) nightglow images. We determined height of observed small‐scale wave structures (horizontal wavelengths of ∼7–9 km) by a triangulation technique. For an event of January 26, the structures seen in both nightglow images are estimated to have existed at around 91 km, suggesting that the structures occur at altitudes where these emission layers overlap. For another event of January 30, the structures with a height of 82 km were observed only in the OH images. These results indicate that the height extent of the small‐scale wave structures is fairly small, suggesting that such structures are instability features rather than gravity waves. Even if we assume that the structures are gravity waves, their vertical wavelengths estimated by using the dispersion relation are very small.