Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
‘Possessed’: Acute Confusional Migraine in an Adolescent, Prevented by Topiramate

Acute confusional migraine (ACM) is recognized as a rare, but highly disabling migraine equivalent, mostly reported in children and adolescents. Herein we describe the case of a 12-year-old girl admitted to hospital for an acute confusional state and severe psychomotor agitation, associated with a pulsating headache and nausea, which turned out to be a manifestation of ACM. The girl was discharged on topiramate prophylaxis, titrated up to 75 mg/die; no recurrence of confusional and/or headache episodes has been reported over the last 14 months to date. Due to the rarity of this clinical entity, only anecdotal reports about acute and prophylactic treatment of ACM are available in the literature. The case reported herein suggests that topiramate seems to be effective in ACM prophylaxis, although a longer observation period in our patient and more cases are needed to confirm any long-term clinical benefit.
Changes in Diet Quality Scores and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Among US Men and Women

Background— Adherence to several diet quality scores, including the Alternative Healthy Eating Index, Alternative Mediterranean Diet score, and Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension, has been associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), but little is known about how changes in these scores over time influence subsequent CVD risk. Methods and Results— We analyzed the association between 4-year changes in the 3 diet quality scores (Alternative Healthy Eating Index, Alternative Mediterranean Diet score, and Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) and subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among 29 343 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and 51 195 women in the Nurses’ Health Study (1986–2010). During 1 394 702 person-years of follow-up, we documented 11 793 CVD cases. Compared with participants whose diet quality remained relatively stable in each 4-year period, those with the greatest improvement in diet quality scores had a 7% to 8% lower CVD risk in the subsequent 4-year period (pooled hazard ratio, 0.92 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.87–0.99] for the Alternative Healthy Eating Index; 0.93 [95% CI, 0.85–1.02] for the Alternative Mediterranean Diet score; and 0.93 [95% CI, 0.87–0.99] for the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension; all P for trend <0.05). In the long term, increasing the diet scores from baseline to the first 4-year follow-up was associated with lower CVD risk during the next 20 years (7% [95% CI, 1–12] for the Alternative Healthy Eating Index, and 9% [95% CI, 3–14] for the Alternative Mediterranean Diet score). A decrease in diet quality scores was associated with significantly elevated risk of CVD in subsequent time periods. Conclusions— Improving adherence to diet quality scores over time is associated with significantly lower CVD risk in both the short term and long term.
Real-Time Condition Monitoring of LOCA via Time–Frequency Domain Reflectometry

The maintenance of control and instrumentation (C&I) cables is crucial to safety of operating nuclear power plants. Therefore, when an accident occurs, there is a need for an accurate assessment of the impact on the cable's integrity. Unfortunately, most cable diagnostic methods are destructive and real-time assessment of the effect of accidents is not possible. Thus, in this paper, we present an analysis of a specific type of accident, a loss of coolant accident (LOCA), on C&I cables in real-time, based on time–frequency domain reflectometry (TFDR). Because the TFDR is sensitive to the signal-to-noise ratio and distortion of a reflected signal, we apply postprocessing techniques that compensate the dispersion based on the estimated propagation constant and a denoising method using singular value decomposition. The approach is verified by experimentally monitoring condition changes of localized LOCA hot spot in different C&I cables. The results are also validated by comparing with elongation at break test results.
Nerve Ultrasound in Peripheral Neuropathies: A Review

Peripheral neuropathies are one of the most common reasons for seeking neurological care in everyday practice. Electrophysiological studies remain fundamental for the diagnosis and etiological classification of peripheral nerve impairment. The recent technological development though of high resolution ultrasound has allowed the clinician to obtain detailed structural images of peripheral nerves. Nerve ultrasound mainly focuses on the evaluation of the cross sectional area, cross sectional area variability along the anatomical course, echogenity, vascularity and mobility of the peripheral nerves. An increase of the cross sectional area, hypervascularity, disturbed fascicular echostructure and reduced nerve mobility are some of the most common findings of entrapments neuropathies, such as the carpal or cubital tunnel syndrome. Both the cross‐sectional area increase and the hypervascularity detected with the Doppler technique seem to correlate significantly with the clinical and electrophysiological severity of the later mononeuropathies. Significantly greater cross sectional area values of the clinically affected cervical nerve root are often detected in cases of cervical radiculopathy. In such cases, the ultrasound findings seem also to correlate significantly with disease duration. On the other hand, multifocal cross sectional area enlargement of cervical roots and/or peripheral nerves is often documented in cases of immune‐mediated neuropathies. None of the later pathological ultrasound findings seem to correlate significantly with the electrophysiological parameters or the functional disability. The aim of this review is to provide a timely update on the role of neuromuscular ultrasound in the diagnostic of the most common entrapment and immune‐mediated peripheral neuropathies in clinical practice.
Virulence determinants in a natural butterfly-parasite system

SUMMARY Much evolutionary theory assumes that parasite virulence (i.e. parasite-induced host mortality) is determined by within-host parasite reproduction and by the specific parasite genotypes causing infection. However, many other factors could influence the level of virulence experienced by hosts. We studied the protozoan parasite Ophryocystis elektroscirrha in its host, the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus. We exposed monarch larvae to wild-isolated parasites and assessed the effects of within-host replication and parasite genotype on host fitness measures, including pre-adult development time and adult weight and longevity. Per capita replication rates of parasites were high, and infection resulted in high parasite loads. Of all host fitness traits, adult longevity showed the clearest relationship with infection status, and decreased continuously with increasing parasite loads. Parasite genotypes differed in their virulence, and these differences were maintained across ecologically relevant variables, including inoculation dose, host sex and host age at infection. Thus, virulence appears to be a robust genetic parasite trait in this system. Although parasite loads and genotypes had strong effects on virulence, inoculation dose, host sex and age at infection were also important. These results have implications for virulence evolution and emphasize the need for a detailed understanding of specific host-parasite systems for addressing theory.
Eltrombopag in the management of aplastic anaemia: real-world experience in a non-trial setting

ABSTRACT Objective: The thrombopoietin mimetic eltrombopag has been used in clinical trials for the frontline and salvage treatment of aplastic anaemia (AA). Eltrombopag was investigated in AA patients on a non-trial all-comer basis. Methods: Consecutive newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory AA patients were treated with eltrombopag. Results: In a 4.5-year period, 20 consecutive AA patients (newly diagnosed, N = 10; relapsed/refractory, N = 10) at a median age of 47 (22–84) years were treated with eltrombopag. For newly diagnosed patients, the frontline use of eltrombopag (concomitant medications: anti-thymocyte globulin, ATG, and ciclosporin, N = 4; ciclosporin, N = 5; nil, N = 1) at a median maximum dose of 150 (50–300) mg/day led to an overall response rate (ORR) of 90% (trilineage: 60%; neutrophil: 20%; platelet: 10%). After a median follow-up of 47 (14–179) weeks, responses were maintained in all cases. In relapsed/refractory patients, eltrombopag at a median maximum dose of 150 (50–300) mg/day led to an ORR of 50% (trilineage: 40%; neutrophil: 10%), with responses maintained after a median follow-up of 115 (53–253) weeks. Adverse effects included reversible skin pigmentation (observed in all patients taking eltrombopag at ≥150 mg/day), dyspepsia, and liver function derangement. Conclusion: In a routine haematological practice, the use of eltrombopag in AA patients was feasible, safe, and associated with very favourable responses.
Experiences from Employing Evernote as a Tool for Documenting Collaborative Design Processes

In this paper we report from a case study investigating the use of digital tools for documenting collaborative design processes. We employed the note-taking system Evernote in interaction design projects with six teams of students over a period of four months. By observing the use and appropriation of the tool and by questioning participants we strived toward understanding collaborative documentation and communication activities in more detail. Our experiences show that the core functionality of such tools seems adequate for most documentation tasks, but improvements seem necessary regarding support for more informal information management, visualization as well as communication and collaboration. Author Keywords Design process, documentation, tool, case study
Letter: proton pump inhibitor usage still seems to reduce the risk of high‐grade dysplasia and/or oesophageal adenocarcinoma in Barrett's oesophagus – authors’ reply

1. Hvid-Jensen F, Pedersen L, Funch-Jensen P, et al. Proton pump inhibitor use may not prevent high-grade dysplasia and oesophageal adenocarcinoma in Barrett’s oesophagus: a nationwide study of 9883 patients. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2014; 39: 984–91. 2. Singh S, Garg SK, Singh PP, et al. Acid-suppressive medications and risk of oesophageal adenocarcinoma in patients with Barrett’s oesophagus: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Gut 2014; 63: 1229–37. 3. Kastelein F, Spaander MC, Steyerberg EW, et al. Proton pump inhibitors reduce the risk of neoplastic progression in patients with Barrett’s esophagus. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2013; 11: 382–8. 4. De Jonge PJF, Steyerberg EW, Kuipers EJ, et al. Risk factors for the development of esophageal adenocarcinoma in Barrett’s esophagus. Am J Gastroenterol 2006; 101: 1421–9. 5. Hillman LC, Chiragakis L, Shadbolt B, et al. Proton-pump inhibitor therapy and the development of dysplasia in patients with Barrett’s oesophagus. Med J Aust 2004; 180: 387–91. 6. Nguyen DM, Richardson P, El-Serag HB. Medications (NSAIDs, statins, proton pump inhibitors) and the risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma in patients with Barrett’s esophagus. Gastroenterology 2010; 138: 2260–6. 7. Altawil JIB, Jinjuvadia R, Antaki F, et al. Can progression to dysplasia in Barrett’s esophagus be prevented by proton pump inhibitors? Am J Gastroenterol 2011; 106: S31. 8. Jung KW, Talley NJ, Romero Y, et al. Epidemiology and natural history of intestinal metaplasia of the gastroesophageal junction and Barrett’s esophagus: a population-based study. Am J Gastroenterol 2011; 106: 1447–55.
Corporate Philanthropy, Political Influence, and Health Policy

Background The Framework Convention of Tobacco Control (FCTC) provides a basis for nation states to limit the political effects of tobacco industry philanthropy, yet progress in this area is limited. This paper aims to integrate the findings of previous studies on tobacco industry philanthropy with a new analysis of British American Tobacco's (BAT) record of charitable giving to develop a general model of corporate political philanthropy that can be used to facilitate implementation of the FCTC. Method Analysis of previously confidential industry documents, BAT social and stakeholder dialogue reports, and existing tobacco industry document studies on philanthropy. Results The analysis identified six broad ways in which tobacco companies have used philanthropy politically: developing constituencies to build support for policy positions and generate third party advocacy; weakening opposing political constituencies; facilitating access and building relationships with policymakers; creating direct leverage with policymakers by providing financial subsidies to specific projects; enhancing the donor's status as a source of credible information; and shaping the tobacco control agenda by shifting thinking on the importance of regulating the market environment for tobacco and the relative risks of smoking for population health. Contemporary BAT social and stakeholder reports contain numerous examples of charitable donations that are likely to be designed to shape the tobacco control agenda, secure access and build constituencies. Conclusions and Recommendations Tobacco companies' political use of charitable donations underlines the need for tobacco industry philanthropy to be restricted via full implementation of Articles 5.3 and 13 of the FCTC. The model of tobacco industry philanthropy developed in this study can be used by public health advocates to press for implementation of the FCTC and provides a basis for analysing the political effects of charitable giving in other industry sectors which have an impact on public health such as alcohol and food.
Action and object processing in brain-injured speakers of Chinese.

OBJECTIVE To see whether action and object processing across different tasks and modalities differs in brain-injured speakers of Chinese with varying fluency and lesion locations within the left hemisphere. METHOD Words and pictures representing actions and objects were presented to a group of 33 participants whose native and/or dominant language was Mandarin Chinese: 23 patients with left-hemisphere lesions due to stroke and 10 language-, age- and education-matched healthy control participants. A set of 120 stimulus items was presented to each participant in three different forms: as black and white line drawings (for picture-naming), as written words (for reading) and as aurally presented words (for word repetition). Patients were divided into groups for two separate analyses: Analysis 1 divided and compared patients based on fluency (Fluent vs. Nonfluent) and Analysis 2 compared patients based on lesion location (Anterior vs. Posterior). RESULTS Both analyses yielded similar results: Fluent, Nonfluent, Anterior, and Posterior patients all produced significantly more errors when processing action (M = 0.73, SD = 0.45) relative to object (M = 0.79, SD = 0.41) stimuli, and this effect was strongest in the picture-naming task. CONCLUSIONS As in our previous study with English-speaking participants using the same experimental design (Arévalo et al., 2007, Arévalo, Moineau, Saygin, Ludy, & Bates, 2005), we did not find evidence for a double-dissociation in action and object processing between groups with different lesion and fluency profiles. These combined data bring us closer to a more informed view of action/object processing in the brain in both healthy and brain-injured individuals.
Naturally occurring mutations in the reverse transcriptase region of hepatitis B virus polymerase from treatment-naïve Korean patients infected with genotype C2

AIM To report naturally occurring mutations in the reverse transcriptase region (RT) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) polymerase from treatment naïve Korean chronic patients infected with genotype C2. METHODS Here, full-length HBV reverse transcriptase RT sequences were amplified and sequenced from 131 treatment naïve Korean patients chronically infected with hepatitis B genotype C2. The patients had two distinct clinical statuses: 59 patients with chronic hepatitis (CH) and 72 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The deduced amino acids (AAs) at 42 previously reported potential nucleos(t)ide analog resistance (NAr) mutation positions in the RT region were analyzed. RESULTS Potential NAr mutations involving 24 positions were found in 79 of the 131 patients (60.3%). Notably, AA substitutions at 2 positions (rt184 and rt204) involved in primary drug resistance and at 2 positions (rt80 and rt180) that functioned as secondary/compensatory mutations were detected in 10 patients (1 CH patient and 9 HCC patients) and 7 patients (1 CH and 6 HCC patients), respectively. The overall mutation frequencies in the HCC patients (3.17%, 96/3024 mutations) were significantly higher than the frequencies in the CH patients (2.09%, 52/2478 mutations) (P = 0.003). In addition, a total of 3 NAr positions, rt80, rt139 and rt204 were found to be significantly related to HCC from treatment naïve Korean patients. CONCLUSION Our data showed that naturally occurring NAr mutations in South Korea might contribute to liver disease progression (particularly HCC generation) in chronic patients with genotype C2 infections.
Dependence Makes You Vulnberable: Differential Privacy Under Dependent Tuples

Differential privacy (DP) is a widely accepted mathematical framework for protecting data privacy. Simply stated, it guarantees that the distribution of query results changes only slightly due to the modification of any one tuple in the database. This allows protection, even against powerful adversaries, who know the entire database except one tuple. For providing this guarantee, differential privacy mechanisms assume independence of tuples in the database – a vulnerable assumption that can lead to degradation in expected privacy levels especially when applied to real-world datasets that manifest natural dependence owing to various social, behavioral, and genetic relationships between users. In this paper, we make several contributions that not only demonstrate the feasibility of exploiting the above vulnerability but also provide steps towards mitigating it. First, we present an inference attack, using real datasets, where an adversary leverages the probabilistic dependence between tuples to extract users’ sensitive information from differentially private query results (violating the DP guarantees). Second, we introduce the notion of dependent differential privacy (DDP) that accounts for the dependence that exists between tuples and propose a dependent perturbation mechanism (DPM) to achieve the privacy guarantees in DDP. Finally, using a combination of theoretical analysis and extensive experiments involving different classes of queries (e.g., machine learning queries, graph queries) issued over multiple large-scale real-world datasets, we show that our DPM consistently outperforms state-of-the-art approaches in managing the privacy-utility tradeoffs for dependent data.
Characterization of Ca2+-dependent Phospholipase A2 Activity during Zebrafish Embryogenesis*

We have developed a simple fluorescent assay for detection of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity in zebrafish embryos that utilizes a fluorescent phosphatidylcholine substrate. By using this assay in conjunction with selective PLA2 inhibitors and Western blot analysis, we identified the principal activity in zebrafish embryogenesis as characteristic of the Ca2+-dependent cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2) subtype. Embryonic cPLA2 activity remained constant from the 1-cell stage until the onset of somitogenesis, at which time it increased sharply. This increase was preceded by the expression of a previously identified zebrafish cPLA2 homologue (Nalefski, E., Sultzman, L., Martin, D., Kriz, R., Towler, P., Knopf, J., and Clark, J. (1994)J. Biol. Chem. 269, 18239–18249). By using a quenched BODIPY-labeled phosphatidylcholine that fluoresces only upon cleavage by PLA2, lipase activity was visualized in the cells of living embryos where it localized to perinuclear membranes.
CMMI Simulation of Multibody Dynamics Leveraging New Numerical Methods and Multiprocessor Capabilities

This paper describes an approach for the dynamic simulation of computer-aided engineering models where large collections of rigid bodies interacting throug h millions of frictional contacts and bilateral mechanical constraints. Thanks to the massive parallelism available on modern GPUs, we are able to simulate sand, granular materials, and other complex physical scenarios with one order of magnitude speedup when compared to a sequential CPU–based implementation of the discussed algorithms.
Psychopathology in First-Episode Schizophrenia and Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii

Objective: Environmental factors such as infectious agents may contribute to the psychopathology and aetiology of schizophrenia. Toxoplasma gondii (TG) is a candidate infectious agent as it is known to replicate within the human central nervous system and to alter behaviour in experimental animals. Method: The relationship between antibodies to TG and psychopathological symptoms was examined in 34 first-episode patients with schizophrenia. Results: Results of regression analyses revealed that symptoms on admission, predictors of outcome, age and family history of psychiatric disease influenced the levels of antibodies to TG. Conclusions: These results indicate that TG infections may play a role in the clinical manifestation of psychopathology in a subgroup of patients with schizophrenia.
The Impacts of Aligned Teaching on Students Perceived Engagement in Independent Learning and Satisfaction : An Empirical Investigation in Hong Kong

In response to the move towards Outcomes-based Education in Hong Kong, our paper aims at investigating the impacts of the Outcomes-based Teaching and Learning approach (OBTL) on studentsâ€™ satisfaction and perceived engagement in independent learning in the context of higher education. Building upon the principle of "constructive alignment", we propose a theoretical model to examine the impacts of constructively aligned teaching and learning that is conceptualized as the constructive alignment Index in our paper. An empirical study of undergraduate students (n=253) found that the constructive alignment index (CAI) positively predicted students' satisfaction and their perceived engagement in independent learning. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Dynamic weaving for aspect-oriented programming

When using Aspect Oriented Programming in the development of software components, a developer must understand the program units actually changed by weaving, how they behave, and possibly correct the aspects used. Support for rapid AOP prototyping and debugging is therefore crucial in such situations. Rapid prototyping is difficult with current aspect weaving tools because they do not support dynamic changes. This paper describes PROSE (PROgrammable extenSions of sErvices), a platform based on Java which addresses dynamic AOP. Aspects are expressed in the same source language as the application (Java), and PROSE allows aspects to be woven, unwoven, or replaced at run-time.