Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Granulomatous-Lymphocytic Interstitial Lung Disease Mimicking Sarcoidosis

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is one of the most common primary immunodeficiency disorders characterized by hypogammaglobulinemia and inadequate antibody response to immunizations. The impaired antibody response occurs due to the failure of B cells to differentiate into plasma cells resulting in low immunoglobulins levels and increased frequency of infections. Granulomatous and Lymphocytic Interstitial Lung Disease (GLILD) is a non-infectious complication of CVID that is seen in 10-30% of cases. GLILD is a multisystem inflammatory disease involving the lungs, lymph node, liver, spleen and gastrointestinal tract that mimics sarcoidosis. This report describes a series of cases who presented with dyspnea, recurrent respiratory infections or autoimmunity and on further evaluation revealed features suggestive of GLILD. There is very limited understanding of GLILD in terms of clinical presentation, the histo-pathological logical findings, and the diagnostic criteria by itself are limited. A diagnosis of GLILD is established in cases of CVID when there is evidence of lymphoproliferation, cytopenia, autoimmune processes and a lung biopsy demonstrating lymphocytic interstitial pneumonia, follicular bronchiolitis, lymphoid hyperplasia, and/or non-necrotizing granulomas. We review the treatment strategies, including replacement of immunoglobulin and agents targeting B and T lymphocytes. Systematic characterization of GLILD cases and long term follow up studies are sorely needed to understand the natural history of GLILD.
Does the COVID-19 pandemic period itself increases early mortality rates of elderly patients with hip fractures in Turkey?

Abstract Hip fractures are common in elderly patients and prone to serious morbidity and mortality particularly when the treatment is delayed. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the early mortality rates of geriatric patients with hip fractures. 281 patients who were followed and operated on with the diagnosis of proximal femur fracture were included in this retrospective study. Patients were divided into 2 groups, that is, 180 patients presenting between March and June 2018 to 2019 (prepandemic period) and 101 patients presenting between March and June 2020 (pandemic period). Age, sex, type of fracture, time from fracture to presentation to hospital, comorbidities, time from admission to operation, length of intensive care unit stay, length of hospital stay, and mortality rates were retrieved from hospital records and evaluated. While there was no significant difference in terms of age, sex, type of fracture, in-hospital mortality, 30-day mortality, time to surgery, Charlson comorbidity index and length of intensive care unit stay through pandemic and prepandemic period (P > .05), significant differences were observed in terms of length of hospital stay, time to admission, refusal of hospitalization and attending outpatient visits regularly (P < .05). Attending outpatient visits and the length of hospital stay were the main significant differences in multivariate analysis. The early mortality rates in patients with hip fractures were similar during the pandemic period to before in Turkey. However, the length of hospital stay was prolonged and more patients refused the treatment and fewer of them attended regular outpatient controls in the pandemic.
Platelet to lymphocyte ratio is associated with tumor localization and outcomes in metastatic colorectal cancer

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive and prognostic value of PLR, and the relationship between PLR and tumor localization. A total of 229 patients with de-novo metastatic CRC were retrospectively analyzed. The cutoff value for PLR was defined by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and threshold value of 196.5 as best cut-off value was found. The higher rate of BRAF mutation was significantly detected for patients with PLRhigh (> 196.5) compared to those with PLRlow (≤196.5) (P = .001). PLR was significantly higher in tumors located on the right colon (P = .012). PLR, tumor localization, the presence of surgery for primary tumor, the presence of curative surgery, the presence of metastasectomy for progression-free survival (PFS) and PLR, gender, BRAF mutation, tumor localization, the presence of surgery for primary tumor, the presence of metastasectomy for overall survival (OS) were found to be prognostic factors by univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis showed that PLR, the presence of curative surgery and the presence of metastasectomy for both PFS and OS were found to be independent prognostic factors. Moreover, a logistic regression analysis indicated that PLR and tumor localization were found to be an independent factors for predicting response to systemic treatment (P < .001 and P = .023 respectively). Our results showed that pretreatment PLR was readily feasible and simple biomarker predicting response to treatment and survival, in addition it was significantly associated with tumor localization.
Low-k Dielectric- A Potential Solution for Crosstalk Induced Signal Integrity issues in SWCNT Interconnects

Crosstalk creates signal integrity issues due to capacitive coupling between adjacent interconnect wires and it is a matter of concern in high frequency interconnects. The reported work on crosstalk induced signal integrity issues in CNT interconnects till date were assuming the value of coupling capacitance as equivalent to the coupling effect between metal interconnects of same dimensions. This work tries to fill that gap; by analyzing crosstalk in bundled SWCNTs with a better model for extracting inter bundle real life coupling capacitances. This work also proposes a novel idea of reducing crosstalk effects by using low-k dielectric materials as isolation between adjacent nets. It is found that compact bundles separated by low-k dielectric can reduce crosstalk effect considerably. Keywords - Crosstalk, signal integrity, SWCNT, MWCNT, Mixed CNT
Analysis and redesign of an antilock brake system controller

Antilock braking (ABS) systems are a combination of hydromechanical braking components with switching solenoids and relays which operate the brakes in response to wheel and vehicle speed information. The control law which calculates the braking is a complex set of logical rules designed to allow for variations in road conditions and the nonlinear nature of tyre friction characteristics. The piecewise linear action of the actuator components (solenoids and relays) and the logical control rules make it difficult to analyse the dynamical behaviour of an ABS using conventional methods. The paper describes the analysis and subsequent redesign of an ABS using a new method for studying the dynamical behaviour of piecewise linear systems. The method is applied to a conventionally designed ABS controller. Undesirable performance features, not evident from conventional simulation and testing procedure, are found and the controller is redesigned to give a satisfactory dynamical performance.
Single-shot autofocus microscopy using deep learning

Maintaining an in-focus image over long time scales is an essential and non-trivial task for a variety of microscopic imaging applications. Here, we present an autofocusing method that is inexpensive, fast, and robust. It requires only the addition of one or a few off-axis LEDs to a conventional transmitted light microscope. Defocus distance can be estimated and corrected based on a single image under this LED illumination using a neural network that is small enough to be trained on a desktop CPU in a few hours. In this work, we detail the procedure for generating data and training such a network, explore practical limits, and describe relevant design principles governing the illumination source and network architecture.
Characteristics of Workplace Psychosocial Resources and Risk of Diabetes: A Prospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE To examine whether characteristics of workplace psychosocial resources are associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes among employees. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Participants were 49,835 employees (77% women, aged 40-65 years, and diabetes free at baseline) from the Finnish Public Sector cohort study. Characteristics of horizontal (culture of collaboration and support from colleagues) and vertical (leadership quality and organizational procedural justice) psychosocial resources were self-reported. Incident type 2 diabetes (n = 2,148) was ascertained through linkage to electronic health records from national registers. We used latent class modeling to assess the clustering of resource characteristics. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the relationship between the identified clusters and risk of type 2 diabetes during 10.9 years of follow-up, adjusting for age, sex, marital status, educational level, type of employment contract, comorbidity, and diagnosed mental disorders. RESULTS We identified four patterns of workplace psychosocial resources: unfavorable, favorable vertical, favorable horizontal, and favorable vertical and horizontal. Compared with unfavorable, favorable vertical (hazard ratio 0.87 [95% CI 0.78; 0.97]), favorable horizontal (0.77 [0.67; 0.88]), and favorable vertical and horizontal (0.77 [0.68; 0.86]) resources were associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, with the strongest associations seen in employees at age ≥55 years (P interaction = 0.03). These associations were robust to multivariable adjustments and were not explained by reverse causation. CONCLUSIONS A favorable culture of collaboration, support from colleagues, leadership quality, and organizational procedural justice are associated with a lower risk of employees developing type 2 diabetes than in those without such favorable workplace psychosocial resources.
Artificial Intelligence in the Diagnosis of Upper Gastrointestinal Diseases

Artificial intelligence (AI) has enormous potential to support clinical routine workflows and therefore is gaining increasing popularity among medical professionals. In the field of gastroenterology, investigations on AI and computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems have mainly focused on the lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract. However, numerous CAD tools have been tested also in upper GI disorders showing encouraging results. The main application of AI in the upper GI tract is endoscopy; however, the need to analyze increasing loads of numerical and categorical data in short times has pushed researchers to investigate applications of AI systems in other upper GI settings, including gastroesophageal reflux disease, eosinophilic esophagitis, and motility disorders. AI and CAD systems will be increasingly incorporated into daily clinical practice in the coming years, thus at least basic notions will be soon required among physicians. For noninsiders, the working principles and potential of AI may be as fascinating as obscure. Accordingly, we reviewed systematic reviews, meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, and original research articles regarding the performance of AI in the diagnosis of both malignant and benign esophageal and gastric diseases, also discussing essential characteristics of AI.
Young children’s overestimation of performance: A cross‐cultural comparison

Abstract Western literature suggests that young children overestimate their performance across a range of tasks. Research in non‐Western cultures, however, is lacking. In 2019, 101 Chinese (52% girls) and 98 Dutch (49% girls) children, ages 4 and 5, were asked to estimate how well they would perform on both a motor and a memory task. Children from both countries overestimated their performance to the same extent (ηp2 = .077 and .027 for the motor and memory tasks, respectively). They generally persevered in doing so despite receiving realistic performance feedback. Yet, children overestimated their peers’ performance about as much as their own performance, in some cases even more. This is the first demonstration of performance overestimation in children growing up in a non‐Western culture.
Analysis of risk factors for venous air embolism in the semisitting position and its impact on outcome in a consecutive series of 740 patients.

OBJECTIVE Routine use of the semisitting position, which offers several advantages, remains a matter of debate. Venous air embolism (VAE) is a potentially serious complication associated with the semisitting position. In this study, the authors aimed to investigate the safety of the semisitting position by analyzing data over a 20-year period. METHODS The incidence of VAE and its perioperative management were analyzed retrospectively in a consecutive series of 740 patients who underwent surgery between 1996 and 2016. The occurrence of VAE was defined by detection of bubbles on transthoracic Doppler echocardiography (TTDE) or transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) studies, a decrease of end-tidal CO2 (ETCO2) by 4 mm Hg or more, and/or an unexplained drop in systolic arterial blood pressure (≥ 10 mm Hg). From 1996 until 2013 TTDE was used, and from 2013 on TEE was used. The possible risk factors for VAE and its impact on surgical performance were analyzed. RESULTS There were 404 women and 336 men with a mean age at surgery of 49 years (range 1-87 years). Surgery was performed for infratentorial lesions in 709 patients (95.8%), supratentorial lesions in 17 (2.3%), and cervical lesions in 14 (1.9%). The most frequent pathology was vestibular schwannoma. TEE had a higher sensitivity than TTDE. While TEE detected VAE in 40.5% of patients, TTDE had a detection rate of 11.8%. Overall, VAE was detected in 119 patients (16.1%) intraoperatively. In all of these patients, VAE was apparent on TTDE or TEE. Of those, 23 patients also had a decrease of ETCO2, 18 had a drop in blood pressure, and 23 had combined decreases in ETCO2 and blood pressure. VAE was detected in 24% of patients during craniotomy before opening the dura mater, in 67% during tumor resection, and in 9% during wound closure. No risk factors were identified for the occurrence of VAE. Two patients had serious complications due to VAE. Surgical performance in vestibular schwannoma surgery was not affected by the presence of VAE. CONCLUSIONS This study shows that the semisitting position is overall safe and that VAE can be managed effectively. Persistent morbidity is very rare. The authors suggest that the semisitting position should continue to have a place in the standard armamentarium of neurological surgery.
An Improved Channel Estimation Algorithm Based on Superimposed Training Sequence

A channel estimation algorithm based on superimposed training sequence is proposed in this paper. The algorithm does not need the allocation of time slot for superimposed training sequence, and it can estimate the channel coefficients without loss of bandwidth. The mean squared difference, Cramer-Rao bound and the lower bound of channel capacity are deduced based on the LS algorithm of channel estimation. It has simple structure, less computational requirement by using the LS algorithm. The result of simulation shows that the performance of system is improved to a large extent by using superimposed training sequence rather than direct training sequence, and the capacity of system is also increased.
Socioeconomic status impacts genetic influences on the longitudinal dynamic relationship between temperament and general cognitive ability in childhood: The Louisville Twin Study

The current analysis investigates genetic and environmental influences on the bidirectional relationships between temperament and general cognitive ability (GCA). Measures of GCA and three temperament factors (persistence, approach, and reactivity) were collected from 486 children ages 4–9 years (80% white, 50% female) from the Louisville Twin Study from 1976 to 1998. The results indicated a bidirectional dynamic model of temperament influencing subsequent GCA and GCA influencing subsequent temperament. The dynamic relationship between temperament and GCA arose primarily from shared genetic variance, particularly in families with higher socioeconomic status, where input from temperament contributed on average 20% to genetic variance in GCA versus 0% in lower SES families.
Evidence for Validity and Reliability, and Development of Performance Standards and Cut-Scores for Job-Related Tests of Physical Aptitude for Structural Firefighters

Objective: This multi-part study aimed to revise an existing battery of physical aptitude tests for firefighter applicants. Test validity and reliability were evaluated and performance thresholds were determined. Methods: In Part I, 49 structural firefighters rated the similarity between the physical demands of the tests and corresponding work activities. In Part II, 23 participants completed the tests on 3 separate days. In Part III, cut-scores were determined using the Bookmark method by an expert panel of 25 firefighter supervisors. Results: Analysis revealed high levels of validity and reliability. The expert panel provided invaluable direction through a combination of independent and group work, leading to consensus on acceptable completion times. Conclusion: Rigorous processes established scientific credibility for the revised battery of tests. Expert knowledge from firefighter supervisors contributed to determining cut-scores following established scientific methods.
Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet during the COVID-19 national lockdowns: a systematic review of observational studies

Background and aim of the work: During the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries adopted restrictive measures to mitigate infection spread, which might have influenced people’s lifestyle and dietary habits. We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the impact of national lockdowns on adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD). Methods: Studies were identified searching Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. Studies published until 4th May 2021 were included. We only considered studies reporting original data from quantitative analysis and assessing changes in adherence to the MD, using validated dietary scores, or in consumption of MD food items. Data extraction, pooling, and quality appraisal of included studies were conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. Results: Forty-two studies were retrieved. After screening, 12 studies met inclusion criteria and were included in the review, of which 4 (33%) were longitudinal studies. Six (85.7%) of the seven studies that measured changes in MD adherence before-during lockdown reported an increase (rate of change of high-adherence to MD ranged between +3.3% and +21.9%). Evidence indicates that consumption of MD food items increased during lockdown but is heterogeneous in study design, quality, and findings. Conclusions: Our results suggest adherence to the MD during lockdown might have increased in some settings, while the determinants of such a trend are to be further explored. We raise awareness of the need to research further the impacts and long-term consequences of COVID-19 containment measures on dietary and lifestyle habits. (www.actabiomedica.it)
Ixazomib Induces Apoptosis and Suppresses Proliferation in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma through Activation of the c-Myc/NOXA Pathway

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the major subtypes of esophageal cancer. More than half of the patients with ESCC in the world are in China, and the 5-year survival rate is less than 10%. As a new oral proteasome inhibitor, ixazomib has shown strong therapeutic effect in many solid tumors. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of ixazomib on the proliferation inhibition and apoptosis of ESCC cells. We used four human ESCC cell lines, cell viability assay, cell cycle and apoptosis assay, reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and ESCC xenografts model to clarify the roles of the therapeutic effect and mechanism of ixazomib in ESCC. Ixazomib significantly inhibited the proliferation and induced apoptosis in ESCC cells. RT-PCR results showed that the expressions of endoplasmic reticulum stress–related gene phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate–induced protein 1 (NOXA) and MYC proto-oncogene (c-Myc) significantly increase after treatment with ixazomib in ESCC cells. When we knocked down the NOXA and c-Myc by small interfering RNA, the therapeutic effect of ixazomib markedly decreased, which confirmed that c-Myc/NOXA pathway played a key role in the treatment of ESCC with ixazomib. In vivo, the xenograft ESCC model mice were given 10 mg/kg of ixazomib every other day for 30 days. The results showed that the tumor size in the treatment group was significantly smaller than the control group. These results suggested that ixazomib is known to suppress proliferation and induce apoptosis in ESCC cell lines, and this effect was likely mediated by increased activation of the c-Myc/NOXA signaling pathways. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the common worldwide malignant tumor, but conventional chemotherapeutics suffer from a number of limitations. In this study, the results suggested that ixazomib suppresses proliferation and induces apoptosis in ESCC cell lines. Therefore, ixazomib may be a potential new strategy for ESCC therapy.
COVID-19 Preventive Practices among Bus Station Workers in Ethiopia

ABSTRACT. As of May 19, 2021, Ethiopia was among the five African countries most affected by COVID-19. A cross-sectional design was used to assess the level of knowledge, perceptions, and practices of bus station workers about COVID-19 between August 25 and September 17, 2020. Face-to-face interviewer-administered questionnaires were used. To identify the factors associated with the dependent variables, simple and multiple binary logistic regression analyses were used. A P value < 0.05 was considered significant. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 software. In this study, 427 workers from three bus stations participated. Approximately 84.5%, 84.8%, and 81.3% of the workers had good knowledge, positive perceptions, and good practices, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that workers with a monthly income of 3,001 to 4,000 birr were about four times more likely to have poor knowledge compared with higher income workers. Those workers with poor knowledge were 2.4 times, and security workers were 3.7 times, more likely to have poor practices compared with workers with good knowledge and drivers, respectively. In conclusion, workers used in security and those who had poor knowledge regarding COVID-19 failed to exhibit effective preventative practices against the virus.