Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Solitary Splenic Tuberculosis in an Immunocompetent Child: A Case Report

Tuberculosis (TB) is a lethal infectious disease that still remains a major threat in developing countries. Solitary splenic tuberculosis is a rare entity and there have been very few cases of it reported in literature. It is mostly encountered in patients who have an immunocompromised state. It may occur with a myriad of non-specific presentations, making it complex to diagnose. Here, we report a case of an eight-year-old female, immunocompetent, who had complaints of fever, abdominal pain and chronic diarrhea. Laboratory data failed to provide any information about the final diagnosis. On physical examination, splenomegaly was present. Imaging studies were conducted with an abdominal ultrasound showcasing mild ascites, splenomegaly, with a homogeneous echo pattern and no focal mass. Computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen showed two hypodense areas in the subcapsular region of the spleen and extending into the capsule, suggestive of a tuberculous abscess with mesenteric lymphadenopathy. The diagnosis was further corroborated when the patient showed remarkable improvement on anti-tuberculous therapy. This is a very uncommon phenomenon, especially in an immunocompetent patient and hence, it is very important to keep this on the list of differentials especially in an area where TB is endemic.
Prognostic 4-lncRNA-based risk model predicts survival time of patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a common malignant disease with high mortality rates. Recently, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been demonstrated to participate in a number of important biological functions and could serve as prognostic biomarkers in the field of oncology. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify an lncRNA-based model that was associated with prognosis. RNA-sequencing data was downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas and R software was used to analyze the data. Univariate analyses, robust likelihood analyses and multivariate analyses were performed to screen out key lncRNA candidates associated with prognosis and construct a risk model. A Kaplan-Meier plot was constructed for survival analysis. LncBase and Starbase were used to identify the miRNA and protein targets. Gene set enrichment analysis was used for functional analysis. As a result, a 4-lncRNA (ALMS1-IT1, RP11-359J14.2, CTB-178M22.2 and RP11-347C18.5) based risk model was identified and patients in the high-risk group were revealed to have a lower survival rate than patients in the low-risk group. A nomogram that could predict the survival of patients was plotted. A total of 79 target miRNAs and 61 target proteins were identified. The gene set enrichment analysis results revealed that nutrient metabolism pathways were enriched in the high-risk group and immune regulation pathways were enriched in the low-risk group. In summary, a 4-lncRNA based risk model was identified that was associated with prognosis, which may serve as a prognosis prediction biomarker for HNSCC.
THE LEFT VENTRICLE DIASTOLIC FUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION UNDER THE USE OF DIFFERENT DRUG GROUPS

The objective: To assess the prevalence of diastolic dysfunction in patients with hypertension and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction under pharmacological correction (monotherapy) with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers and β-blockers. Materials and methods: 82 patients (58 women and 24 men) with stage 2 hypertension were examined. The diastolic function was assessed via echocardiography in accordance with the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging guidelines (2017). Echocardiography was performed before the onset of the treatment and 6 months after its onset. The treatment onset was considered to start after a 2-week period of elimination of previously used pharmacological substance and 2 weeks of assessing tolerability, dose and regimen adjustment. Results: For all selected drugs, target values of blood pressure were achieved, and no adverse effects were identified. The average values of the left atrial volume index before and after the treatment course did not show significant differences. In the majority of the examined patients, this parameter did not exceed the threshold value of 34 ml/m2 . Values exceeding the specified threshold were observed in Group 1 in 4 patients, in Group 2 in 3 patients and in Group 3 in 8 patients. According to the Tissue Doppler echocardiography results on the velocity of myocardial motion at the early diastolic filling, which was measured at the level of the lateral segments of mitral valve and the interventricular septum, positive, but unreliable changes were observed in the Groups of bisoprolol and valsartan, and no changes — in the Group of perindopril. According to the traditional criteria, diastolic dysfunction was observed in 80 % of patients, while according to the criteria of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (2017) — in 21 % of patients. Conclusion: The same efficacy of all three drugs is observed in terms of achieving target blood pressure values. The most pronounced effect on the morphometric parameters of the left atrium and intracardiac hemodynamics is shown in the Groups of bisoprolol and valsartan.
Information density–based energy-limited capacity of ad hoc networks

In this article, the inhomogeneous energy consumption is characterized by the concept of information density, which is defined as the number of bits per unit time passing through a specific region. With information density, it is possible to derive the energy consumption of each region and determine the energy configuration scheme to maximize the network lifetime. The information density of pure ad hoc network and hybrid ad hoc network is derived. It is discovered that the information density of pure ad hoc network is inhomogeneous and the information density of hybrid ad hoc network is homogeneous, except for the regions near the edge of the entire area. With information density, the energy-limited capacity of pure and hybrid ad hoc networks is derived. The information density introduced in this article provides more insights into the information transfer of ad hoc networks, which may be applied in the energy configuration of ad hoc networks.
MicroRNA-101 modulates cisplatin chemoresistance in liver cancer cells via the DNA-PKcs signaling pathway

Due to the high incidence of liver cancer, chemoradiotherapy and prognosis of liver cancer are a primary focus of medical research. microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) serve crucial roles in resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of miR-101 on the chemotherapeutic efficacy of cisplatin (CDDP) in liver cancer. First, human liver cancer cells (HepG2) were transfected with a miR-101 mimic or miR-101 inhibitor to bidirectionally regulate the expression of miR-101. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, intracellular reactive oxygen species and comet assay results indicated that the upregulation of miR-101 sensitized HepG2 cells to CDDP, and downregulation of miR-101 reduced chemosensitivity. A xenograft mouse model further confirmed that miR-101 overexpression increased CDDP sensitivity in liver cancer. Luciferase reporter and western blotting assays demonstrated that transfection of the miR-101 mimic markedly reduced activity of the DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (DNA-PKcs/Akt/mTOR) pathway and increased expression of apoptotic protein caspase 3, which is induced by CDDP treatment. By contrast, miR-101 inhibitors partially reversed these changes. Moreover, the miR-101 mimic suppressed activity of the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway, leading to increased susceptibility of HepG2 cells to chemotherapeutic agents. In conclusion, miR-101 overexpression augmented cytotoxicity and reduced chemoresistance to CDDP in HepG2 cells, and this was associated with negative regulation of DNA-PKcs/Akt/NF-κB signaling.
Burdens of Postoperative Infection in Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography Inpatients

Objectives Our objective in this study is, firstly, to determine postoperative (POI) rates in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedures stratified by patients’ demographic and hospitals’ characteristics in the United States, and secondly, to evaluate the demographic and comorbid risk factors associated with POI in ERCP inpatients, as well as its impact on the length of stay (LOS) and total charges. Methods The total sample of 28,525 inpatients with a principal procedure of ERCP from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) was included and grouped by co-diagnosis of POI (N=300, 1.05%). We used a logistic regression model and descriptive statistics for the POI rate estimates. Results High POI rate was seen in males (1.14%), and adults (36-50 years, 1.25%) with 2.65 times (95% CI 1.69-4.12) higher odds compared to young adults. POI rate in ERCP inpatients varied widely according to geographic region: higher in the West (1.46%) and Northeast (1.20%) and lowest in the Midwest (0.70%). As per the hospital characteristics, inpatients in public (1.26%), urban teaching (1.39%) and small bed-size (1.27%) hospitals had higher POI rates. ERCP inpatients with POI had higher odds of association with comorbid HIV infection (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.13-2.12) and diabetes (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.09-1.85). ERCP inpatients with POI had a significantly longer length of stay (LOS) by 5.2 days and higher total charges by USD 53,966 than inpatients without POI. Conclusions POI is associated with acute inpatient care, with longer hospitalization stays and higher costs, leading to increased healthcare burdens. The main goal is to identify the risk factors and to prevent POI with prophylactic antibiotics.
The efficacy of a functional therapy program for gambling disorder: A Pilot study

GIUSEPPE MANIACIA*, CATERINA LA CASCIAA, LAURA FERRAROA, FRANCESCA PICONEB, LUCIA SIDELIA, FABIO SEMINERIOA, ALESSANDRA SCAGLIONEA, DANIELE LA BARBERAA, CARLA CANNIZZAROC aDepartment of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Palermo, Italy bDept. Pathological Addiction, ASP Palermo cDepartment of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care“Giuseppe D’Alessandro”University of Palermo, Italy
A Comprehensive Theory of Algorithms for Wireless Networks and Mobile Systems

in terms of abstract graph networks, the project has also produced many new graph network algorithms. Other results involve distributed data management and biology-inspired distributed algorithms. More specifically, the project has produced efficient algorithms for both reliable and unreliable radio network wireless platform models, for the rudimentary Beeping model, and for the Signal-to-Noise-and-Interference (SINR) model. These algorithms have solved such problems as local and global broadcast, computing a Maximal Independent Set, and establishing other network structures. The project has developed an Abstract MAC (Local Broadcast) abstraction layer, with efficient implementations over several different wireless platform models, based on reasonable constraints on network geometry. The project has also produced new graph network algorithms for graph connectivity problems, distance computations, coloring, Maximal Independent Set, and various forms of spanning trees. Finally, it has produced an interesting method for running several distributed algorithms concurrently, in the same graph-based network. This work has resulted in six Best Paper and Best Student Paper awards.
Chronic Pain Incidence After Elective and Emergency Caesarean Sections

Objective: Chronic pain is a common health problem that may be associated with surgery. Chronic pain can lead to psychosocial issues and a deterioration in the communication with other people. This study was aimed to investigate the frequency of chronic pain in patients who underwent both elective and emergency caesarean sections. Material and Method: This study was a prospective study enrolled 85 patients. These patients had all undergone caesarean section procedures, and were divided into two groups whether underwent the type of the procedure as elective or emergency. The study comprised of two distinct six-month periods completed in one year. Patients’ data were collected in the first six months, and the patients were called by phone in the second six-month period. The patients’ chronic pain was evaluated with respect to whether the caesarean section was performed elective or emergency. Results: Chronic pain was found in 14.5% of the patients underwent elective caesarean section and in 18.9% of the patients underwent emergency caesarean section. A statistically significant relationship was not shown between groups (p=0.595; p>0.05). Conclusion: No difference is found between emergency or elective caesarean section patients according to chronic pain incidence.
Augmented cAMP Signaling by Co-Administration of Resveratrol and Curcumin: A Cellular Biosensor Kinetic Assessment

Background: Curcumin and resveratrol are two polyphenolic compounds extensively investigated for their medicinal effects on inflammatory signaling. However, there is a paucity of information on the Adenosine-3′, 5′-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) kinetics following administration of curcumin and resveratrol in biological systems. In this study, kinetic modulation of cAMP as a target detection messenger in pro-inflammatory pathways was assessed by co-administration of curcumin and resveratrol using a cellular sensor model. Methods: To evaluate their putative activity, curcumin and resveratrol compounds were administered alone or in combination on the media culture of cAMP EPAC (exchange protein directly activated by cAMP) bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) biosensor. The study was performed at the following two centers at Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS): 1- Biotechnology Research Center, and, 2- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute (EMRI) in 2017. Time course kinetic of cAMP response signals were plotted. Forskolin and IBMX were used to stabilize the cAMP signals. Results: When we treated HEK-293T biosensor cells at 10uM concentration, curcumin and resveratrol upregulated cAMP signaling. Co-administration of resveratrol and curcumin revealed an augmented cAMP level, as compared to treatments with the compounds alone. Conclusion: Co-administration of curcumin and resveratrol leverage cAMP kinetic response in a time-course manner. The presented methodology can be readily adopted for drug development and novel biopharmaceutical functional analyses.
Digital Nomads and Settler Desires: Racial Fantasies of Silicon Valley Imperialism

This paper investigates the coloniality of contemporary digital nomadism, an identity that numerous Western tech workers use to describe lifestyles of location independence in which they travel the world while maintaining Silicon Valley salaries. Specifically, I assess colonial genealogies of digital nomads and more problematically defined “digital Gypsies. ” It was during the height of 19th-century Western European imperialism that Romantic Orientalist texts proliferated, celebrating the racial and sexual “free and wandering Gypsy. ” This deracinated figure was used to allegorize colonial desires and imperial violence alike. As I suggest, nomadic racial fantasy undergirds contemporary freedom desires today emergent from the heart of a new empire—that of Silicon Valley. In describing Silicon Valley imperialism and its posthuman digital avatar, I assess how nomadic fantasy transits technologies of gentrification into new frontiers. For instance, sharing economy platforms such as Airbnb celebrate the digital nomad, bolstering contexts of racial dispossession while continuing to deracinate Roma lifeworlds. Might nomad exotica in fact index coloniality and its ability to traverse time and space? How has this fantasy been abstracted over time, also entangling with posthumanist nomadic onto-epistemologies?
Optical Spectroscopy for Breast Cancer Risk Screening

Breast cancer (BC) has the highest mortality rate among women’s cancers worldwide, and incidence rates are rising in lowand middle-income countries (LMIC). Screening programs are well-established in most high-income countries, but there is much debate about screening frequency and the optimal screening ages. In LMIC screening infrastructure is insufficient. Optical spectroscopy (OS) can be used as a pre-screening technique to measure breast composition and predict mammographic density (MBD), a known BC risk factor. The goal of this thesis was to develop and evaluate an OS device which is portable, low cost and requires minimal operator interaction. The device was based on a research prototype used in previous studies, with two major changes: (1) a 13-laser-wavelength module replaced the broadband light source and (2) the source and detector positions were fixed within rigid holders of different sizes. The wavelengths critical for distinguishing between BC risk groups were selected using a principal components analysis of data from previous studies. Source and detector positions were chosen to match the optically-interrogated volumes of the original device via Monte Carlo simulations of photon
Influence of healthy skin baseline on bruise dynamics parameters as assessed by optical methods

Study of bruise characteristics and evolution is of much interest in forensic sciences, with many objective techniques being researched. In this study we combine the optical methods of diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and pulsed photothermal radiometry (PPTR) to measure signals from healthy and bruised skin. From these measurements we first obtain initial physiological parameters for a four-layer model of healthy skin near the bruised site. A bruise model is constructed by inserting a blood pool into this baseline model to simulate a bruise followed by bruise dynamics simulation for PPTR signals of bruises. Obtained bruise dynamics parameters describe the evolution of the bruise. The results show that the choice of a suitable healthy baseline affects bruise parameters obtained by fitting the simulated signals to the measurements. By using healthy skin baselines with similar melanin and papillary blood fractions during analysis, comparable bruise parameters are obtained. Differences in layer thickness and scattering properties of healthy skin did not significantly influence these parameters. In contrast, higher papillary blood content in one site resulted in considerably different bruise parameters. Our findings show the importance of good determination of a healthy baseline, preferably using the baseline obtained by a simultaneous fitting of multiple measurements.
An Optimized MaxRPC Algorithm with a New Search Strategy

: Max Restricted Path Consistency (maxRPC) is a kind of local consistency for binary constraints in the field. It can achieve noticeably better pruning than arc consistency. Many implementations of maxRPC have been raised in [1]. One of these algorithms (named maxRPC3) has the best time complexity theoretically. However it still has overheads and redundancies for their repeatedly performing constraint checks to some extent. Considering that the process of searching for PC-witnesses can be performed many times and the most constraint checks are performed in this process, the key of improving the performance of maxRPC algorithms is to accelerate this process. In this paper, two algorithms maxRPC3-Alter and maxRPC3 rm -Alter with a new search strategy based on bitwise operation to accelerate the computa-tions of this process are proposed. Experimental results demonstrate that both new algorithms and their light versions have good performance and outperform the best ones among existing algorithms by a large margin, which also constitute a more than viable alternative to arc consistency.
Comparison of Efficacy and Safety of Montelukast Versus Gabapentin in the Treatment of Pruritus, in Patients on Hemodialysis

Introduction: Patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD), frequently present with intractable pruritus. In the recent past, many newer therapies have emerged for its treatment with variable results. We studied the antipruritic efficacy and safety of Montelukast sodium, (a leukotriene receptor antagonist), and compared it with Gabapentin in patients on hemodialysis. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in the Department of Dermatology, Sharif Medical and Dental College Lahore. It was a Quasi experimental study, 60 patients on hemodialysis, with refractory pruritus were enrolled in each group . Patients were given 10mg of tab Montelukast sodium daily and 300mg of Gabapentin thrice a week for four weeks. Severity of pruritus was assessed using pruritus scoring by Duo. Results: Pruritus severity score reduced with both the treatments ,but Montelukast showed comparatively higher relief in pruritus score as compared to Gabapentin ( p<0.05). Patients on Gabapentin complained of increased sedation. Conclusions: Montelukast is more effective and safe treatment option for the refractory pruritus in patients with hemodialysis as compared to Gabapentin in our population.
Prevalence and Risk Factors for Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C Exposure in Iranian Prisoners: A National Study in 2016

Background: People in prisons are at high risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of HBV and HCV exposure and associated risk factors in Iranian prisons. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016, among 29 prisons in Iran, blood samples were collected using multistage sampling. HBV and HCV diagnostic tests were conducted using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used for the evaluation of factors associated with HBV and HCV exposure. Results: Among 6,481 people in prisons, the prevalence of HCV and HBV antibodies were 8.21% (95% CI: 7.55 - 8.90) and 3.06% (95% CI: 2.65 - 3.50), respectively. Based on multivariate analysis, the most important risks associated for HCV exposure were the history of drug use (AOR 5.75, 95% CI 3.54 - 9.35) followed by the age of 30 years and older (AOR: 5.02, 95% CI: 3.65 - 6.9), the history of tattooing (AOR 2.42, 95% CI 1.96 - 3), the history of imprisonment (AOR 2.23, 95%CI 1.76 - 2.82), being single (AOR 1.91, 95% CI 1.54 - 2.37), low education (AOR 1.81, 95%CI 1.01 - 3.27), and the history of piercing (AOR 1.26, 95% CI 1.04 - 1.52). There was no significant association between HBV prevalence and independent variables (P > 0.05). Conclusions: These findings highlight a high prevalence of HCV infection in Iranian prisons. Efforts are needed to improve HCV screening and interventions, particularly among people with a history of drug use, and linkage to care.
Exact Results Regarding the Physics of Complex Systems via Linear Algebra, Hidden Markov Models, and Information Theory

xi Acknowledgments . xiii 1 Complex Systems, Impoverished Observables, and HMMs 1 1.1 Probability, Stochastic Dynamics, and HMMs . 3 1.1.1 Probability . 3 1.1. 2 Shannon Entropy . 4 1.1. 3 Stochastic Processes . 6 1.1. 4 Markovity and Markov order . 8 1.1. 5 HMMs in general . 10 1.1. 6 Welcome to the jungle: Zoology of HMMs . 10 1.1. 7 Probabilities, conditional probabilities, and linear algebra . 11 1.1. 8 Beyond normal: Probabilities invoke non-normal linear operators 13 2 Beyond the Spectral Theorem 14 2.1 Chapter Overview . 14 2.2 Introduction . 16 2.2.1 Spectral Decomposition . 17 2.2.2 Synopsis . 19 2.3 Spectral Primer . 20 2.4 Functional Calculi . 23 2.4. 1 Taylor series . 23 2.4. 2 Holomorphic functional calculus . 24 2.4. 3 Meromorphic functional calculus . 25 2.5 Meromorphic Spectral Decomposition . 26 2.5. 1 Partial fraction expansion of the resolvent . 26 2.5. 2 Decomposing the identity . 28 2.5. 3 Dunford decomposition, decomposed . 28