Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Racial Disparities in Nephrology Consultation and Disease Progression among Veterans with CKD: An Observational Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND Incident rates of ESRD are much higher among black and Hispanic patients than white patients. Access to nephrology care before progression to ESRD is associated with better clinical outcomes among patients with CKD. However, it is unknown whether black or Hispanic patients with CKD experience lower pre-ESRD nephrology consultation rates compared with their white counterparts, or whether such a disparity contributes to worse outcomes among minorities. METHODS We assembled a retrospective cohort of patients with CKD who received care through the Veterans Health Administration from 2003 to 2015, focusing on individuals with incident CKD stage 4 who had an initial eGFR≥60 ml/min per 1.73 m2 followed by two consecutive eGFRs<30 ml/min per 1.73 m2. We repeated analyses among individuals with incident CKD stage 3. Outcomes included nephrology provider referral, nephrology provider visit, progression to CKD stage 5, and mortality. RESULTS We identified 56,767 veterans with CKD stage 4 and 640,704 with CKD stage 3. In both cohorts, rates of nephrology referral and visits were significantly higher among black and Hispanic veterans than among non-Hispanic white veterans. Despite this, both black and Hispanic patients experienced faster progression to CKD stage 5 compared with white patients. Black patients with CKD stage 4 experienced slightly lower mortality than white patients, whereas black patients with CKD stage 3 had a small increased risk of death. CONCLUSIONS Black or Hispanic veterans with CKD are more likely than white patients to see a nephrologist, yet are also more likely to suffer disease progression. Biologic and environmental factors may play a bigger role than nephrology consultation in driving racial disparities in CKD progression.
Molecular Identification of Agents of Human Cutaneous Leishmaniasis and Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis in Different Areas of Iran Using Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 PCR-RFLP

Background: Leishmaniasis is a major medical health problem and distributes in nearly half of 31 provinces of Iran. We aimed to identify cutaneous and visceral Leishmania spp. isolated from infected humans and domestic dogs in various regions of Iran, 2010–2013. Methods: DNA was extracted from 108 lesion exudate samples of suspected patients to cutaneous leishmaniasis and nine liver and spleen aspirates of infected dogs cultured in RPMI-1640 and amplified using partial sequence of ITS1 gene. The PCR amplicons were digested using HaeIII endonuclease enzyme and used in restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay. Then, 48 amplicons representing various hosts were sequenced and compared to sequences from GenBank databases using BLAST. Results: PCR-RFLP analysis showed that 60 and 48 CL patients were infected by Leishmania tropica and L. major, respectively. From nine canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) isolates, eight isolates were identified as L. infantum and one as L. tropica. The greatest similarity of 95.7% in ITS1 region was seen between L. infantum and L. major. Furthermore, the lowest similarity with 65.7% was seen between L. tropica and L. major. Intra-species comparison of ITS1 region in L. infantum, L. major and L. tropica isolates were showed 100%, 98.2% and 72.4 % similarities, respectively. Conclusion: PCR-RFLP based on ITS1 region is an appropriate method to distinguish three Leishmania spp. of L. major, L. tropica, and L. infantum. In intra-species comparison of ITS1 region, genotypic variations showed that L. tropica isolates were more heterogeneous than L. major and L. infantum isolates.
A comparison of gingival depigmentation by Er:YAG laser and Kirkland knife: osmotic pressure and visual analog scale

ABSTRACT Background: The aim of this study was to compare osmotic pressure (OP) 1 week after the gingival depigmentation in two diffeent methods: Er: YAG laser and Kirkland knife. Methods: This study included 20 patients, 13 women, and 7 men who had esthetic complaints of gingival melanin hyperpigmentation. The left side of the maxilla and mandible were depigmented with Er:YAG laser using air and water spray and the right side was removed with a Kirkland knife. Gingival biopsies were obtained from attached gingiva of operation sides with approximate dimensions of 2 mm × 2 mm before and 1 week after the depigmentation. The visual analog scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the pain level experienced by each patient. Results: Patients reported no pain at the gingivoplasty sides after 4 days and at the laser sides after 3 days. There were not statistical differences between laser and gingivoplasty groups according to values of OP (P > 0.05). Conclusion: According to results of wound healing, OP and VAS, two depigmentation procedures can be used safely and effectively.
Need for Affect, Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide, and Suicide Proneness

The present study expands upon the Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide (IPTS), examining its relationship with the need for affect (NFA), a construct explaining attitudes toward seeking both positive and negative emotions. A sample of 576 emerging adults completed measures of NFA, IPTS, suicide proneness, and demographics online. Findings include NFA accounting for a small significant amount of suicide proneness, a positive association between approaching emotions and one indicator of suicide proneness, negative association between approaching emotions and thwarted belongingness, and positive associations between avoidance of emotions with both perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. Findings are discussed concerning NFA as a theoretically and practically relevant factor for understanding suicide.
Wettability in complex porous materials, the mixed-wet state, and its relationship to surface roughness

Significance In many important processes that control CO2 storage in aquifers, oil recovery, and gas exchange in leaves, for instance, flow is controlled by the interaction of immiscible fluids with a rough surface. We use micrometer-resolution X-ray imaging to look inside millimeter-sized porous structures, obtaining millions of measurements of contact angle and interfacial curvature. We quantify the relationship between surface roughness and wettability. Rougher surfaces are associated with lower contact angles and higher interfacial curvatures. We identify a distinct mixed-wet state where two fluid phases remain connected over a wide range of saturation. This state can be designed to improve oil recovery or the performance of fuel cells, catalysts, and other porous materials. A quantitative in situ characterization of the impact of surface roughness on wettability in porous media is currently lacking. We use reservoir condition micrometer-resolution X-ray tomography combined with automated methods for the measurement of contact angle, interfacial curvature, and surface roughness to examine fluid/fluid and fluid/solid interfaces inside a porous material. We study oil and water in the pore space of limestone from a giant producing oilfield, acquiring millions of measurements of curvature and contact angle on three millimeter-sized samples. We identify a distinct wetting state with a broad distribution of contact angle at the submillimeter scale with a mix of water-wet and water-repellent regions. Importantly, this state allows both fluid phases to flow simultaneously over a wide range of saturation. We establish that, in media that are largely water wet, the interfacial curvature does not depend on solid surface roughness, quantified as the local deviation from a plane. However, where there has been a significant wettability alteration, rougher surfaces are associated with lower contact angles and higher interfacial curvature. The variation of both contact angle and interfacial curvature increases with the local degree of roughness. We hypothesize that this mixed wettability may also be seen in biological systems to facilitate the simultaneous flow of water and gases; furthermore, wettability-altering agents could be used in both geological systems and material science to design a mixed-wetting state with optimal process performance.
Spatial and temporal proteome dynamics of glioma cells during oncolytic adenovirus Delta-24-RGD infection

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive type of malignant glioma. Oncolytic adenoviruses are being modified to exploit the aberrant expression of proteins in tumor cells to increase the antiglioma efficacy. E1A mutant adenovirus Delta-24-RGD (DNX-2401) has shown a favorable toxicity profile and remarkable efficacy in a first-in-human phase I clinical trial. However, the comprehensive modulation of glioma metabolism in response to Delta-24-RGD infection is poorly understood. Integrating mass spectrometry based-quantitative proteomics, physical and functional interaction data, and biochemical approaches, we conducted a cell-wide study of cytosolic, nuclear, and secreted glioma proteomes throughout the early time course of Delta-24-RGD infection. In addition to the severe proteostasis impairment detected during the first hours post-infection (hpi), Delta-24-RGD induces a transient inhibition of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), and transcription factor AP-1 (c-JUN) between 3 and 10hpi, increasing the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) activity at 6hpi. Furthermore, Delta-24-RGD specifically modulates the activation dynamics of protein kinase C (PKC), extracellular signal–regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) pathways early in infection. At extracellular level, Delta-24-RGD triggers a time –dependent dynamic production of multitasking cytokines, and chemotactic factors, suggesting potential pleiotropic effects on the immune system reactivation. Taken together, these data help us to understand the mechanisms used by Delta-24-RGD to exploit glioma proteome organization. Further mining of this proteomic resource may enable design and engineering complementary adenoviral based-vectors to increase the specificity and potency against glioma.
Social robots for education: A review

A review of social robots in education discusses expected outcomes, technical challenges, and directions for future research. Social robots can be used in education as tutors or peer learners. They have been shown to be effective at increasing cognitive and affective outcomes and have achieved outcomes similar to those of human tutoring on restricted tasks. This is largely because of their physical presence, which traditional learning technologies lack. We review the potential of social robots in education, discuss the technical challenges, and consider how the robot’s appearance and behavior affect learning outcomes.
The impact of LSVT BIG therapy on postural control for individuals with Parkinson disease: A case series

ABSTRACT Background and Purpose LSVT BIG therapy may improve motor function and gait in those with early Parkinson disease (PD), but its impact on postural control for those with moderate PD has not been investigated. The purpose of this case series is to describe the impact of LSVT BIG therapy on postural control and gait in three individuals with moderate PD. Intervention Three individuals with moderate PD, classified as stage 3 on the Hoehn and Yahr Scale, participated in the LSVT BIG therapy program. Intervention included 16–18 individual physical therapy sessions, provided within 4 weeks, focused on increasing amplitude of movement and a daily home exercise program. Outcomes, including balance, gait, dual-task performance, quality of life, and balance confidence, were examined after program completion, 1- and 4-months later. Outcomes Clinically meaningful improvements in balance and gait, including performance under dual-task conditions, were achieved by all patients and many of these improvements were maintained up to 4 months later. Changes in quality of life were not observed during the length of the intervention. Conclusion LSVT BIG therapy may improve postural control, gait, and dual-task performance, and therefore reduce fall risk for individuals with moderate PD.
Aberrant cortical thickness in neurologically asymptomatic patients with end-stage renal disease

Purpose The aim of this study is to investigate the morphology of cortical gray matter in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and the relationship between cortical thickness and kidney function. Patients and methods Three-dimensional high-resolution brain structural magnetic resonance imaging data were collected from 35 patients with ESRD (28 men, 18–61 years old) and 40 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (HCs, 32 men, 22–58 years old). Vertex-wise analysis was then performed to compare the brains of the patients with ESRD with those of HCs to identify abnormalities in the brains of the former. Multiple biochemical measures of renal metabolin, vascular risk factors, general cognitive ability, and dialysis duration were correlated with brain morphometry alterations for the patients. Results Patients with ESRD showed lesser cortical thickness than the HCs. The most significant cluster with decreased cortical thickness was found in the right prefrontal cortex (P<0.05, random-field theory correction). In addition, the four local peak vertices in the prefrontal cluster were lateral prefrontal cortex (Peaks 1 and 2), medial prefrontal cortex (Peak 3), and ventral prefrontal cortex (Peak 4). Significant negative correlations were observed between the cortical thicknesses of all four peak vertices and blood urea nitrogen; a negative correlation, between the cortical thickness in three of four peaks and serum creatinine; and a positive correlation, between cortical thickness in the medial prefrontal cortex (Peak 3) and hemoglobin. Conclusion These results provided compelling evidence for cortical abnormality of ESRD patients and suggested that kidney function may be the key factor for predicting changes of brain tissue structure.
The role of biotic factors during plant establishment in novel communities assessed with an agent-based simulation model

Background Establishment success of non-native species is not only influenced by environmental conditions, but also by interactions with local competitors and enemies. The magnitude of these biotic interactions is mediated by species traits that reflect competitive strength or defence mechanisms. Our aim was to investigate the importance of species traits for successful establishment of non-native species in a native community exhibiting biotic resistance in the form of competition and herbivory. Methods We developed a trait-based, individual-based simulation model tracking the survival of non-native plants in a native community. In the model, non-native plants are characterized by high or low values of competition and defence traits. Model scenarios included variation of initial number of non-natives, intensity of competitive interaction, density of herbivores and density as well as mixture of the native community. Results Traits related to competition had a much greater impact on survival of non-native species than traits related to defence. Survival rates of strong competitors never fell below 50% while survival of weak competitors averaged at about 10%. Weak competitors were also much more susceptible to competitive pressures such as community density, composition and competition intensity. Strong competitors responded negatively to changes in competition intensity, but hardly to composition or density of the native community. High initial numbers of non-native individuals decreased survival rate of strong competitors, but increased the survival rate of weak competitors. Survival under herbivore attack was only slightly higher for plants with high defensive ability than for those with low defensive ability. Surprisingly, though, herbivory increased survival of species classified as weak competitors. Discussion High survival rates of strong non-native competitors relate to a higher probability of successful establishment than for weak competitors. However, the reduced survival of strong competitors at high initial numbers indicates a self-thinning effect, probably mediated by a strongly competitive milieu. For weak competitors, our model emphasizes positive effects of high propagule pressure known from field studies. General effects of herbivory or defence abilities on survival were not supported by our model. However, the positive effect of herbivory on survival of weak competitors indicated side effects of herbivory, such as weakening resident competitors. This might play an important role for establishment of non-natives in a new community.
Mapping user search queries to product categories

Gathering detailed information about user product in-terests is becoming increasingly important for online advertisers. However, when gathering this information, maintaining the privacy of online users is a concern. This research is part of a larger project aiming to provide privacy preserving advertising. Specifically, this research aims to provide a method for mapping user search queries to actual product categories while pre-serving the users' privacy by storing user information on the local host. Product information gathered from two large shopping websites and real user search queries from a log file are used to match user search queries with the most relevant product categories. In matching search queries to product categories, we explore several issues including the algorithm used to rank product categories, the index size, which fields in the index are searched (product description or product name), and what type of product categories are used. Our findings indicate that the most successful algorithms on the user's computer, which preserve privacy, can match the results of those where information is sent to a central server. In addition, the description field of products is the most useful, particularly when searched as a phrase. Having specific fine-grained product categories would help advertisers, search engines and marketers by providing them more information about users while pre-serving user privacy.
Sequence-programmable covalent bonding of designed DNA assemblies

Site-specific ultraviolet “point welding” makes designed DNA objects much more durable. Bottom-up fabrication of custom nanostructures using the methods of DNA nanotechnology has great potential for applications in many areas of science and technology. One obstacle to applications concerns the constrained environmental conditions at which DNA objects retain their structure. We present a general, site-selective, and scalable method for creating additional covalent bonds that increase the structural stability of DNA nanostructures. Placement of thymidines in close proximity within DNA nanostructures allows the rational creation of sites for covalent cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) bonds induced via ultraviolet irradiation. The additional covalent bonds may be used in a sequence-programmable fashion to link free strand termini, to bridge strand breaks at crossover sites, and to create additional interhelical connections. Thus designed multilayer DNA origami objects can remain stable at temperatures up to 90°C and in pure double-distilled water with no additional cations present. In addition, these objects show enhanced resistance against nuclease activity. Cryo–electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structural analysis of non–cross-linked and cross-linked objects indicated that the global shape and the internal network of crossovers are preserved after irradiation. A cryo-EM map of a CPD-stabilized multilayer DNA origami object determined at physiological ionic strength reveals a substantial swelling behavior, presumably caused by repulsive electrostatic forces that, without covalent stabilization, would cause disassembly at low ionic strength. Our method opens new avenues for applications of DNA nanostructures in a wider range of conditions.
Diffractive and Total pp Cross Sections at LHC

The single-diffractive and total pp cross sections at the LHC are predicted in a phenomenological approach that obeys all unitarity constraints. The approach is based on the renormalization model of diffraction and a saturated Froissart bound for the total cross section yielding σt = (π/so) · ln 2(s/sF ) for s > sF , where the parameters so and sF are experimentally determined from the √ s-dependence of the single-diffractive cross section.
What Are the Top Variables Leading to Strategic Investment Decision Making Performance

 Abstract—We study the gap between theory and practise on the strategic investment decision (SID) due to its immense impact on finance and strategy by deriving a theoretical framework on successful SIDs from current SID making literature. The theoretical framework summarises the top variables leading to SID making performance. To determine if theory is justified by practise, we assess the usage and influence of financial and strategic management accounting techniques versus control pertaining to the influence of accounting practises on SIDs in the Singaporean context. We examine the actual practises of manufacturing companies in the unique Singaporean context and find out what is the highest influence on their strategic practises: accounting versus strategy through a detailed case study approach obtained from 10 Singaporean companies. From the empirical results, we derive a conceptual framework that denotes the top variables leading to SID performance.
A network science and document similarity based hybrid job recommendation system

: Job recommendation systems mainly use different sources of data in order to give the better content for the end user. Developing the well-performing system requires complex hybrid approaches of representing similarity based on the content of job postings and resumes as well as interactions between them. We develop an efﬁcient hybrid network-based job recommendation system which uses Personalized PageRank algorithm in order to rank vacancies for the users based on the similarity between resumes and job posts as textual documents, along with previous interactions of users with vacancies. Our approach achieved the recall of 50% and generated more applies for the jobs during the online A/B test than previous algorithms.