Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Autologous Adipose-Derived Tissue Matrix Part I: Biologic Characteristics

Background Autologous collagen is an ideal soft tissue filler and may serve as a matrix for stem cell implantation and growth. Procurement of autologous collagen has been limited, though, secondary to a sufficient source. Liposuction is a widely performed and could be a source of autologous collagen. Objectives The amount of collagen and its composition in liposuctioned fat remains unknown. The purpose of this research was to characterize an adipose-derived tissue-based product created using ultrasonic cavitation and cryo-grinding. This study evaluated the cellular and protein composition of the final product. Methods Fat was obtained from individuals undergoing routine liposuction and was processed by a 2 step process to obtain only the connective tissue. The tissue was then evaluated by scanning electronic microscope, Western blot analysis, and flow cytometry. Results Liposuctioned fat was obtained from 10 individuals with an average of 298 mL per subject. After processing an average of 1 mL of collagen matrix was obtained from each 100 mL of fat. Significant viable cell markers were present in descending order for adipocytes > CD90+ > CD105+ > CD45+ > CD19+ > CD144+ > CD34+. Western blot analysis showed collagen type II, III, IV, and other proteins. Scanning electronic microscope study showed a regular pattern of cross-linked, helical collagen. Additionally, vital staing demonstrated that the cells were still viable after processing. Conclusions Collagen and cells can be easily obtained from liposuctioned fat by ultrasonic separation without alteration of the overall cellular composition of the tissue. Implantation results in new collagen and cellular growth. Collagen matrix with viable cells for autologous use can be obtained from liposuctioned fat and may provide long term results. Level of Evidence 5.
Seen through the patients’ eyes: quality of chronic illness care

Background Most well-developed healthcare systems are facing the challenge of managing the increasing prevalence of patients with chronic diseases. Comprehensive frameworks, such as the chronic care model (CCM), receive widespread acceptance for improving care processes, clinical outcomes and costs. Objective The purpose of this study was to explore chronic patients' perceptions of the quality of chronic care and the alignment with the CCM. Since previous research indicated that a patient's assessment may depend on socio-demographic or disease-related characteristics, the relationship between the mean Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC) score and possible aforementioned predictors was also explored. Methods An observational, cross-sectional study design was applied, and participants were recruited from the Flemish Patients' Platform (Belgium). An online questionnaire was designed to assess chronic patients' socio-demographic characteristics, medical consumption, quality of life (EuroQol-5D survey) and the perspective of chronic illness care PACIC survey. Results The mean overall PACIC score was 2.87 on a maximum score of 5. The highest mean score for the PACIC subscales was found for 'patient activation' (3.26), followed by 'delivery system design/decision support' (3.23), 'problem solving/contextual counselling' (2.86), 'goal setting/tailoring' (2.70) and 'follow-up/coordination' (2.59). Quality of life, as measured by the EuroQol Visual Analogue Scale, had a significantly positive correlation with the mean PACIC score (P = 0.005). Conclusion The CCM is considered an important step towards improved care for patients with chronic diseases. However, the findings of this study showed that elements from the CCM have not yet been fully implemented. Aspects such as dealing with problems which interfered with achieving predefined goals, helping patients to set specific goals for their care delivery and arranging follow-ups are less common in today's care of chronic diseases.
Detecting Intrinsic Dissimilarities in Large Image Databases through Skylines

In this paper we try to detect dissimilar images in image databases without defining a similarity ranking function by capturing the intrinsic dissimilarities of image descriptor vectors. To this end, we apply the skyline operation using their multi-dimensional descriptor vectors. We implemented a number of skyline methods, combined with four hashing state-of-the-art algorithms for data partitioning to create efficient indexing to secondary memory. We compared and evaluated their results by using two real image datasets to measure the performance and the effectiveness of the implemented algorithms. Detailed results show the efficiency and effectiveness of our approach.
Transperineal prostate biopsy – tips for analgesia

The modern transperineal prostate biopsy (TPB) technique was first described in 1983(1). Since its introduction, TPB has become favorable over transrectal ultrasound prostate biopsy (TRUS-PB) approach due to higher cancer detection rates particularly in the anterior and transition zones, lower rates of sepsis, and decreased risk of rectal bleeding(2). Using a standardized template for prostate biopsy – sampling of the prostate is improved with TP prostate biopsy when compared to transrectal-guided biopsy(2). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Circulating levels of interleukin-17A, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-18, interleukin-10, and cognitive performance of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

Abstract Multiple sclerosis (MS) is associated with cytokine imbalance and high rate (40–70%) of cognitive impairment. The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interleukin (IL)-17A, IL-18, IL-10, and cognitive performance in patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS). Methods The study comprised 159 patients with RRMS (mean age 40.08 ± 8.48 years) in remission phase and 86 age-, gender-, and education-matched healthy controls. Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT), Symbol Digit Modalities test (SDMT), and Isaacs test were used for assessment of working memory, attention, visuo-perceptual abilities, information processing speed, and executive functions. Serum cytokine concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results Patients had significantly increased serum concentrations of TNF-alpha and IL-17A and decreased levels of IL-10 compared to the controls (p < 0.05). Negative correlation was found between serum TNF-alpha and SDMT score in patients with disease evolution longer than 10 years (rxy = −0.258 p = 0.033); PASAT and SDMT scores were in negative correlation with concentration of IL-17A (rxy = −0.229 p = 0.004; rxy = −0.166 p = 0.041). Cognitive impairment was established in 46.5% (n = 74) of the patients. Cognitively impaired patients had significantly higher serum IL-17A than cognitively preserved individuals (p = 0.007). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed IL-17A as a significant predictor of cognitive performance in RRMS patients. Conclusion The results from this study suggest that pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-17A and TNF-alpha simultaneously with decreased IL-10 are involved in cognitive deterioration in RRMS.
Evaluation of various functional skin parameters using a topical cream of Calendula officinalis extract

This study was conducted in Khyber Teaching Hospital, to evaluate antimicrobial susceptibility pattern among pathogens isolated in a tertiary care hospital. Specimens were collected in sterile containers and cultured for a period ranging from 24-48 h at 37°C aerobically, using appropriate bacteriological isolation media. Isolates were identified using Gram staining and biochemical reactions. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined by standard disc diffusion (Kirby-Bauer) Method. Among gram-negative rods, Escherichia coli was the predominant pathogen 315 (34.5%), followed by Citrobacter spp. 124 (13.6%), Enterobacter spp. 80 (8.8%), Pseudomonas spp. 51 (5.6%) Proteus spp. 35 (3.8%) Morganella morganii 16 (1.8%) and Salmonella spp. 8 (0.9%). Staphylococcus aureus was the predominant gram positive pathogen 196 (21.4%) followed by Staph epidermidis 32 (3.5%) and Streptococci 7 (0.7%). Pseudomonas spp. and E. coli were the most common pathogens recovered from mixed polymicrobial growth. Out of 16 antimicrobial agents tested, only 6 were effective, inhibiting growth of >50% of the strains of each isolated pathogen. The rest of the 10 antimicrobial agents tested were ineffective to inhibit growth of even 50% of the strains of recovered pathogens. Although the susceptibility pattern to some of the antibiotics such as Imipenem and Meropenem is very good but they are very expensive. The cheaper and affordable antibiotics were least effective. The increasing level of resistance in microorganisms to these cheaper low cost agents is a matter of significant concern. Key words: Antimicrobial susceptibility, antibiotic resistance, bacterial isolates.
GE‐mini: a mobile APP for large‐scale gene expression visualization

Summary: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype‐Tissue Expression (GTEx) projects produced large‐scale RNA sequencing data, which provides an opportunity for performing integrated expression analysis for all genes across tens of thousands of tumor and normal tissue specimens. Rapid access to and easy visualization of such valuable data could facilitate research in a wide biological area. Here, we present the GE‐mini APP for smart phones, a mobile visualization tool for integrated gene expression data based on both TCGA and GTEx. This gene‐centric expression viewer provides a convenient method for displaying expression profiles of all available tumor and tissue types, while allowing drilling down to detailed views for specific tissue types. Availability and Implementation: Both the iOS and Android APPs are freely available to all non‐commercial users in App Store and Google Play. The QR codes of App store and Google play are also provided for scanning and download. The GE‐mini web server is also available at http://gemini.cancer‐pku.cn/. Contacts: tangzefang@pku.edu. cn or huxueda@pku.edu. cn Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Product diffusion through on-demand information-seeking behaviour

Most models of product adoption predict S-shaped adoption curves. Here we report results from two country-scale experiments in which we find linear adoption curves. We show evidence that the observed linear pattern is the result of active information-seeking behaviour: individuals actively pulling information from several central sources facilitated by modern Internet searches. Thus, a constant baseline rate of interest sustains product diffusion, resulting in a linear diffusion process instead of the S-shaped curve of adoption predicted by many diffusion models. The main experiment seeded 70 000 (48 000 in Experiment 2) unique voucher codes for the same product with randomly sampled nodes in a social network of approximately 43 million individuals with about 567 million ties. We find that the experiment reached over 800 000 individuals with 80% of adopters adopting the same product—a winner-take-all dynamic consistent with search engine driven rankings that would not have emerged had the products spread only through a network of social contacts. We provide evidence for (and characterization of) this diffusion process driven by active information-seeking behaviour through analyses investigating (a) patterns of geographical spreading; (b) the branching process; and (c) diffusion heterogeneity. Using data on adopters' geolocation we show that social spreading is highly localized, while on-demand diffusion is geographically independent. We also show that cascades started by individuals who actively pull information from central sources are more effective at spreading the product among their peers.
A new denoising method for improved parameter estimation in DCE-US

The major role of angiogenesis in cancer growth has led to the development of dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) imaging methods to probe tumor angiogenic vasculature. In DCE-ultrasound (DCE-US), fitting mathematical perfusion models to measured time intensity curves (TICs) describing the echo power as a function of time enables the estimation of quantitative hemodynamic parameters. Quantification is facilitated by the linear relationship between contrast concentration and echo power (TIC) at typical contrast concentrations found in tissue [1]. When log-compression is applied by the scanner, data linearization is still possible, provided that sufficient dynamic range is used for acquisition [2]. However, parameter estimation remains challenging due to the noisy nature of DCE-US data. As a result, prior to applying curve fitting
Effect of Treating Acute Optic Neuritis With Bioequivalent Oral vs Intravenous Corticosteroids: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Intravenous (IV) administration of corticosteroids is the standard of care in the treatment of acute optic neuritis. However, it is uncertain whether a bioequivalent dose of corticosteroid administered orally, which may be more cost-efficient and convenient for patients, is as effective as IV administration in the treatment of acute optic neuritis. Objective To determine whether recovery of vision following treatment of acute optic neuritis with a high-dose IV corticosteroid is superior to that with a bioequivalent dose of an oral corticosteroid. Design, Setting, and Participants This single-blind (participants unblinded) randomized clinical trial with 6-month follow-up was conducted at a single tertiary care center in London, Ontario, Canada. Participants were enrolled from March 2012 to May 2015, with the last participant’s final visit occurring November 2015. Patients 18 to 64 years of age presenting within 14 days of acute optic neuritis onset, without any recovery at time of randomization and without history of optic neuritis in the same eye, were screened. Inclusion criteria included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of 20/40 or worse and corticosteroids deemed required by treating physician. In total, 89 participants were screened; 64 were eligible, but 9 declined to participate. Thus, 55 participants were enrolled and randomized. Primary analysis was unadjusted and according to the intention-to-treat principle. Interventions Participants were randomized 1:1 to the IV methylprednisolone sodium succinate (1000-mg) or oral prednisone (1250-mg) group. Main Outcomes and Measures Primary outcome was recovery of the latency of the P100 component of the visual evoked potential at 6 months. Secondary outcomes were the P100 latency at 1 month and BCVA as assessed with Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letter scores on the alphabet chart and scores on low-contrast letters at 1 and 6 months. Results Of 55 randomized participants, the final analyzed cohort comprised 23 participants in the IV and 22 in the oral treatment groups. The mean (SD) age of the cohort was 34.6 (9.5) years, and there were 28 women (62.2%). At 6 months’ recovery, P100 latency in the IV group improved by 62.9 milliseconds (from a mean [SD] of 181.9 [53.6] to 119.0 [16.5] milliseconds), and the oral group improved by 66.7 milliseconds (from a mean [SD] of 200.5 [67.2] to 133.8 [31.5] milliseconds), with no significant difference between groups (P = .07). Similarly, no significant group difference was found in the mean P100 latency recovery at 1 month. For BCVA, recovery between the groups did not reach statistical significance at 1 month or 6 months. In addition, improvements in low-contrast (1.25% and 2.5%) BCVA were not significantly different between treatment groups at 1 or 6 months’ recovery. Conclusions and Relevance This study finds that bioequivalent doses of oral corticosteroids may be used as an alternative to IV corticosteroids to treat acute optic neuritis. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01524250
Delayed and decreased LV untwist and unstrain rate in mutation carriers for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Background The echocardiographic focus to detect abnormalities in genetically hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) affected subjects without left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (G+/LVH-) has been on diastolic abnormalities in transmitral flow and longitudinal myocardial function with tissue Doppler imaging. The aim of this study was to assess diastolic LV unstrain and untwist. Methods and results Forty-one consecutive genotyped family members of HCM patients (mean age 37 ± 11 years, 16 men) and 41 age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers underwent speckle-tracking echocardiography to measure untwist and unstrain. No significant differences between G+/LVH- and control subjects were seen in maximal systolic twist and global longitudinal strain. In diastole, the early peak untwist rate was significantly lower in G+/LVH- subjects compared with control subjects (62 ± 19°s - 1 vs. 76 ± 30°s - 1, P <0.05), whereas the late peak untwist rate tended to be higher. Untwist from maximal twist until the first 20% of diastole was delayed in G+/LVH- subjects (39.3 ± 12.9% vs. 51.3 ± 15.6%, P <0.005). Late diastolic unstrain rate was significantly higher in G+/LVH- subjects in the inferoseptal wall (111 ± 33 s - 1 vs. 94 ± 32 s - 1, P = 0.024), the inferolateral wall (105 ± 42 vs. 75 ± 35 s - 1, P = 0.007) and the anteroseptal wall (97 ± 26 vs. 80 ± 23 s - 1, P = 0.010). Unstrain from maximal twist until the first 20% of diastole was delayed in G+/LVH- subjects in the inferoseptal (18.9 ± 14.0% vs. 30.1 ± 17.7%, P = 0.005), inferolateral (27.1 ± 16.3% vs. 39.2 ± 18.0%, P = 0.015) and anteroseptal (19.1 ± 14.7% vs. 35.8 ± 18.5%, P = 0.0003) segments. Conclusions In mutation carriers, for HCM LV, untwist and unstrain are delayed and untwist rate and unstrain rate are decreased.
Ontology Mapping with domain specific agents in the AQUA Question Answering System

This paper describes a domain specific multi-agent ontology-mapping solution in the AQUA query answering system. In order to incorporate uncertainty inherent to the mapping process, the system uses the Dempster-Shafer model for dealing with incomplete and uncertain information produced during the mapping. A novel approach is presented how specialized agents with partial local knowledge of the particular domain achieve ontology mapping without creating global or reference ontology. Our approach is particularly fit for a query-answering scenario, where answer needs to be created in real time to satisfy a query posed by the user.
The SENSOR Study: Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Study of Self-Management Checks to Predict Exacerbations of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa in Patients with Long-Term Respiratory Conditions

Background There are an estimated three million people in the United Kingdom with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and the incidence of bronchiectasis is estimated at around 0.1% but is more common in COPD and severe asthma. Both COPD and bronchiectasis are characterized by exacerbations in which bacteria play a central role. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is isolated from sputum samples from 4% to 15% of adults with COPD and is more likely to be isolated from patients with severe disease. Earlier detection of exacerbations may improve morbidity and mortality by expediting treatment. Aseptika Ltd has developed a system for patients to self-monitor important physiological measurements including levels of physical activity, peak flow, forced expiratory volume (FEV1), and biomarkers for P aeruginosa in sputum. Objective We aim to test this system in 20 participants with P aeruginosa colonization and 10 controls with Haemophilus influenzae. Methods We plan to recruit 30 adult participants with COPD or non-CF bronchiectasis who have cultured P aeruginosa or H influenzae during an exacerbation in the last 6 months. They must produce sputum on most days and should have been stable for 4 weeks prior to entry. Daily data collected will include symptoms, health care usage, medication, weight, FEV1, physical activity level, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and temperature. Sputum and urine samples will be provided daily. These data will be analyzed to assess predictive value in detecting upcoming exacerbations. Qualitative data will be gathered through self-administered questionnaires and semistructured interviews to gather information on participant coping and their use of the technology involved. Results Recruitment has been completed and results from the study should be available at the end of 2017. Conclusions The SENSOR study aims to test a home-monitoring system in people with chronic airway infection and is currently underway.
Gender and Sex Trading Among Active Methamphetamine Users in Cape Town, South Africa

ABSTRACT Background: South Africa has experienced a tremendous rise in methamphetamine use since the year 2000. Sex trading is a global phenomenon that has been observed in active drug users and has been associated with risks for HIV infection and violence. Objectives: This paper describes and examines the correlates of sex trading among active methamphetamine users in Cape Town, South Africa. Methods: Through peer referral, 360 (201 male; 159 female) active methamphetamine users were recruited in a peri-urban township. Demographics, sex trading, drug use, trauma, and mental health were assessed by a structured clinical interview and computer survey. Logistic regression models were used to examine predictors of sex trading for men and women. Results: In the past 3 months, 40% of men and 33% of women endorsed trading sex for methamphetamine or money. Among these, they reported trading with same sex partners (33%), high rates of inconsistent condom use (73%), and incidences of physical (23%) and sexual (27%) assault when sex trading. Increased drug use severity was correlated with sex trading. Women with experiences of violence and trauma were also more likely to trade sex. Conclusions/importance: The results stress a need for linkage to drug treatment, as addiction may be fueling sex trading. Targeted interventions geared towards safe sex practices may reduce risky sexual behaviors. Women need interventions that are attuned to their specific vulnerabilities. More research is needed to explore the experiences of men who have sex with men given their particularly high rates of sex trading behavior.