Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Maturation of the microglial population varies across mesolimbic nuclei

Microglia play critical roles during CNS development and undergo dramatic changes in tissue distribution, morphology, and gene expression as they transition from embryonic to neonatal to adult microglial phenotypes. Despite the magnitude of these phenotypic shifts, little is known about the time course and dynamics of these transitions and whether they vary across brain regions. Here, we define the time course of microglial maturation in key regions of the basal ganglia in mice, where significant regional differences in microglial phenotype are present in adults. We found that microglial density peaks in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) during the third postnatal week, driven by a burst of microglial proliferation. Microglial abundance is then refined to adult levels through a combination of tissue expansion and microglial programmed cell death. This overproduction and refinement of microglia was significantly more pronounced in the NAc than in the VTA and was accompanied by a sharp peak in NAc microglial lysosome abundance in the third postnatal week. Collectively, these data identify a key developmental window when elevated microglial density in discrete basal ganglia nuclei may support circuit refinement and could increase susceptibility to inflammatory insults.
The Effect of Unilateral Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation on Contralateral Subthalamic Nucleus Local Field Potentials

Unilateral subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) for Parkinson's disease (PD) improves ipsilateral symptoms, but how this occurs is not well understood. We investigated whether unilateral STN DBS suppresses contralateral STN beta activity in the local field potential (LFP), since previous research has shown that activity in the beta band can correlate with the severity of contralateral clinical symptoms and is modulated by DBS.
Delayed diagnosis and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in Sarawak General Hospital.

INTRODUCTION Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune systemic inflammatory disorder characterised by symmetrical polyarthritis which leads to damage of joints if untreated. Early diagnosis and treatment of RA to achieve tight control of the disease will improve outcome and prevent disability. OBJECTIVE We aimed to examine the delays in the diagnosis of RA in patients presenting to the Rheumatology Unit, Sarawak General Hospital (SGH). METHODS Data on demographics and various delays were collected from the medical records from January 2015 until March 2018. Patient delay is defined as from the time onset of symptom to the first primary care presentation. Primary care delay is defined as from the first primary care presentation to referral to rheumatology. Rheumatology delay is defined as from rheumatology referral to appointment at the rheumatology clinic. Disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDS) delay is defined as from the rheumatology clinic appointment to starting DMARDS. Total delay is from symptom onset to starting DMARDS. RESULTS There were 84 new patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, out of which 66 were females (78.6%). The mean age was 54.1±12.0 years. Only 19 patients (22.6%) were treated with DMARDS within 12 weeks of symptom onset. The median time for patient delay was four weeks (Interquartile range (IQR) 2-20 weeks), while the median time primary care delay was 11 weeks (IQR 4-24 weeks). The median time for rheumatology delay was zero weeks (IQR 0- 1 week) and the DMARDS delay was zero week (IQR 0). The median time from symptom onset to DMARDS initiation was 23.5 weeks (IQR 13.25-51 weeks). CONCLUSION The delays in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis were mainly from the patient and primary care.
Pharmacologic inhibition of RGD‐binding integrins ameliorates fibrosis and improves function following kidney injury

Fibrosis is a final common pathway for many causes of progressive chronic kidney disease (CKD). Arginine–glycine–aspartic acid (RGD)‐binding integrins are important mediators of the pro‐fibrotic response by activating latent TGF‐β at sites of injury and by providing myofibroblasts information about the composition and stiffness of the extracellular matrix. Therefore, blockade of RGD‐binding integrins may have therapeutic potential for CKD. To test this idea, we used small‐molecule peptidomimetics that potently inhibit a subset of RGD‐binding integrins in a murine model of kidney fibrosis. Acute kidney injury leading to fibrosis was induced by administration of aristolochic acid. Continuous subcutaneous administration of CWHM‐12, an RGD integrin antagonist, for 28 days improved kidney function as measured by serum creatinine. CWHM‐12 significantly reduced Collagen 1 (Col1a1) mRNA expression and scar collagen deposition in the kidney. Protein and gene expression markers of activated myofibroblasts, a major source of extracellular matrix deposition in kidney fibrosis, were diminished by treatment. RNA sequencing revealed that inhibition of RGD integrins influenced multiple pathways that determine the outcome of the response to injury and of repair processes. A second RGD integrin antagonist, CWHM‐680, administered once daily by oral gavage was also effective in ameliorating fibrosis. We conclude that targeting RGD integrins with such small‐molecule antagonists is a promising therapeutic approach in fibrotic kidney disease.
Burnout, job satisfaction, and work-family conflict among rural medical providers

ABSTRACT Rural medical providers may be particularly susceptible to burnout and additional demands on personal time, due to the increased demands of health-care shortages in rural areas. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of perceived stress and burnout among rural medical providers, and associations with job satisfaction, work-family conflict, and amount of work completed during personal time. Electronic surveys were completed by 151 medical providers. Multiple linear regression was used to further examine associations between work during personal time and work-family conflict, predicted perceived job satisfaction, perceived stress, and burnout. Primary hypotheses were supported, and work-family conflict and work during personal time were negatively correlated with job satisfaction and positively correlated with perceived stress and burnout. Examining these findings could aid in designing interventions that might assist with provider shortages in rural healthcare.
Reducing exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun and indoor tanning: A meta-analysis.

Objective: Skin cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and rates are increasing because of global warming. This article reports a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of behavioral interventions to reduce exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR). The review aimed to (a) quantify the magnitude of intervention effects on indoor tanning, sun exposure, and sunscreen use, and (b) determine which intervention strategies maximize behavior change. Method: Out of 17,437 records identified via literature searches, 190 independent tests (N = 89,365) met the inclusion criteria. Sample, intervention, and methodological characteristics, and change techniques were coded, and random effects meta-analyses and metaregressions were conducted. Results: The sample-weighted average effect size across all studies was d+ = . 193 (95% confidence interval, CI [.161, .226]), and there were significant effects on indoor tanning, sun exposure, and sunscreen use (d+ = .080, .149, and .196, respectively). However, there was evidence of publication bias, and trim and fill analyses indicated that the corrected effects for sun exposure and sunscreen use were of very small magnitude (d+ ~ .06) and were not significantly different from zero for indoor tanning (d+ = -.011, 95% CI [-.096, .074]). Metaregression analyses identified several intervention strategies that predicted effect sizes. For instance, interventions delivered individually that promoted alternatives to tanning were associated with larger effect sizes for indoor tanning. Conclusion: Interventions to date have had only a modest impact on behavioral exposure to UVR. The present findings offer new insights into how the effectiveness of future interventions can be improved. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
A Comprehensive Review of Brain Connectomics and Imaging to Improve Deep Brain Stimulation Outcomes

DBS is an effective neuromodulatory therapy that has been applied in various conditions, including PD, essential tremor, dystonia, Tourette syndrome, and other movement disorders. There have also been recent examples of applications in epilepsy, chronic pain, and neuropsychiatric conditions. Innovations in neuroimaging technology have been driving connectomics, an emerging whole‐brain network approach to neuroscience. Two rising techniques are functional connectivity profiling and structural connectivity profiling. Functional connectivity profiling explores the operational relationships between multiple regions of the brain with respect to time and stimuli. Structural connectivity profiling approximates physical connections between different brain regions through reconstruction of axonal fibers. Through these techniques, complex relationships can be described in various disease states, such as PD, as well as in response to therapy, such as DBS. These advances have expanded our understanding of human brain function and have provided a partial in vivo glimpse into the underlying brain circuits underpinning movement and other disorders. This comprehensive review will highlight the contemporary concepts in brain connectivity as applied to DBS, as well as introduce emerging considerations in movement disorders. © 2020 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
The expanded view of individualism and collectivism: One, two, or four dimensions?

Recent research to analyze and discuss cultural differences has employed a combination of five major dimensions of individualism–collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, femininity–masculinity (gender role differentiation), and long-term orientation. Among these dimensions, individualism–collectivism has received the most attention. Chronologically, this cultural attribute has been regarded as one, then two, and more recently, four dimensions of horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism. However, research on this issue has not been conclusive and some have argued against this expansion. The current study attempts to explain and clarify this discussion by using a shortened version of the scale developed by Singelis et al. ((1995) Horizontal and vertical dimensions of individualism and collectivism: a theoretical and measurement refinement. Cross-Cultural Research 29(3): 240–275). Our analysis of aggregate data from 802 respondents from nine countries supports the expanded view. Data aggregation was based on the Mindscape Theory that proposes inter- and intracultural heterogeneity. This finding is reassuring to scholars who have been using the shortened version of the instrument because confirmatory factor analysis indicated its validity. The findings of the present study provides clarification of some apparent ambiguity in recent research in specifying some cultures such as India, Israel, and Spain as individualists or collectivists. By separating the four constructs, more nuanced classification is possible. Also, such a distinction enables us to entertain such concepts as the Mindscape Theory that proposes a unique intracultural and transcultural heterogeneity that do not stereotype the whole culture as either individualist or collectivist.
Examining emotional tool use in daily life.

Emotions such as anger, gratitude, envy, and pride can be thought of as tools: They tend to serve context-specific functions in daily life. Prior work has shown that people can use emotions as tools in laboratory contexts, yet it is unclear whether people do use emotions as tools in daily life by intentionally trying to feel or express emotions that could yield context-specific beneficial outcomes. We examined this issue in 6 studies (total N = 1,409) in which participants (a) identified scenarios where specific emotions typically function as tools, (b) recalled episodes of emotional tool use, and (c) reported on emotional tool use in daily life via experience-sampling under experimental instructions. We found that people regularly used emotions as tools in daily life, but that people used positive emotions as tools much more frequently than negative emotions. Yet, when people used positive emotions as tools, this led to less beneficial outcomes than when participants felt positive emotions reactively-in part because using positive emotions as tools felt inauthentic-whereas using negative emotions as tools led to more beneficial outcomes than feeling negative emotions reactively. These findings point to a fascinating paradox: Although people are more willing to use positive (vs. negative) emotions as tools, these choices may not lead people to garner maximal possible benefits of positive emotions, while preventing people from capitalizing on the benefits of using negative emotions as tools. We discuss implications of this work for incorporating emotional tool use into theories of emotion regulation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Visual dictionaries as intermediate features in the human brain

The human visual system is assumed to transform low level visual features to object and scene representations via features of intermediate complexity. How the brain computationally represents intermediate features is still unclear. To further elucidate this, we compared the biologically plausible HMAX model and Bag of Words (BoW) model from computer vision. Both these computational models use visual dictionaries, candidate features of intermediate complexity, to represent visual scenes, and the models have been proven effective in automatic object and scene recognition. These models however differ in the computation of visual dictionaries and pooling techniques. We investigated where in the brain and to what extent human fMRI responses to short video can be accounted for by multiple hierarchical levels of the HMAX and BoW models. Brain activity of 20 subjects obtained while viewing a short video clip was analyzed voxel-wise using a distance-based variation partitioning method. Results revealed that both HMAX and BoW explain a significant amount of brain activity in early visual regions V1, V2, and V3. However, BoW exhibits more consistency across subjects in accounting for brain activity compared to HMAX. Furthermore, visual dictionary representations by HMAX and BoW explain significantly some brain activity in higher areas which are believed to process intermediate features. Overall our results indicate that, although both HMAX and BoW account for activity in the human visual system, the BoW seems to more faithfully represent neural responses in low and intermediate level visual areas of the brain.
Identifying consumers’ profile and factors associated with the valorization of pulque: A traditional fermented beverage in Central Mexico

The aims of this work were to (i) identify the consumers’ profile of pulque through their consumption frequency and their sensory perception of this beverage and (ii) identify the factors that contribute to the valorization of pulque among Mexican consumers. A survey was designed and conducted with 221 consumers in pulque-selling locations (pulquerías) in a place of Central Mexico. Consumers were characterized according to their consumption frequency. Factors associated with the valorization of pulque were identified through Binary Logistic Regression model. Two types of consumers were identified: Frequent Consumers and Not Frequent Consumers. Both groups were comprised mostly of men, including students with medium to high levels of education. However, the first group showed more traditional and conservative behavior patterns since there was a higher proportion of consumers with a low educational level (p < 0.05) and they had more years of consumption, spend more time in the selling locations, and preferred “natural pulque. ” The second group of consumers was comprised mostly (p < 0.05) of women, including students with a high educational level who prefer “cured pulque. ” In this sense, our results showed that gender and time spent in the pulquerías together with sensory, cultural, and functional characteristics associated with the beverage influence its valorization among consumers. These results can help both producers and marketers to classify segments of consumers according to their preferences and consumption patterns in order to revalorize the pulque market. Finally, it is necessary to highlight that young consumers with high educational level show interest in this beverage, since for years its consumption has been associated with low-income populations.
Testing Hypotheses for Equivalence and Non-inferiority with Binary and Survival Outcomes

The classic superiority test of comparison of two treatment groups seeks to show that they differ on a measure of their efficacy. However, when a new treatment has a similar therapeutic action to an existing standard treatment, there might be little difference in their efficacy. An equivalence study is designed to show that the difference in a measure of efficacy between the new and standard treatments is within a pre-specified margin of clinical indifference. In another context, the new treatment may offer lower cost and/or better patient compliance but might have a lower efficacy than the standard treatment. A non-inferiority study is designed to show that the new treatment is not less effective than the standard treatment to within a pre-specified margin of clinical indifference. In this paper, we discuss the formulation of tests of hypotheses for equivalence and non-inferiority studies in the context of a two-sample design for binary and survival outcomes. For a binary outcome, the comparison between the new and standard treatments can be assessed by the difference in the probability of response to treatment, the relative risk or odds ratio. For a survival outcome, the comparative assessment can be made using survival probabilities or where appropriate, the hazard ratio. SAS POWER and FREQ procedures offer options for performing the tests of hypotheses, and assessment of statistical power and sample size for conducting equivalence and non-inferiority studies.
Key-Value Storage Engines

Key-value stores are everywhere. They power a diverse set of data-driven applications across both industry and science. Key-value stores are used as stand-alone NoSQL systems but they are also used as a part of more complex pipelines and systems such as machine learning and relational systems. In this tutorial, we survey the state-of-the-art approaches on how the core storage engine of a key-value store system is designed. We focus on several critical components of the engine, starting with the core data structures to lay out data across the memory hierarchy. We also discuss design issues related to caching, timestamps, concurrency control, updates, shifting workloads, as well as mixed workloads with both analytical and transactional characteristics. We cover designs that are read-optimized, write-optimized as well as hybrids. We draw examples from several state-of-the-art systems but we also put everything together in a general framework which allows us to model storage engine designs under a single unified model and reason about the expected behavior of diverse designs. In addition, we show that given the vast number of possible storage engine designs and their complexity, there is a need to be able to describe and communicate design decisions at a high level descriptive language and we present a first version of such a language. We then use that framework to present several open challenges in the field, especially in terms of supporting increasingly more diverse and dynamic applications in the era of data science and AI, including neural networks, graphs, and data versioning.
NLP with BERT: Sentiment Analysis Using SAS ® Deep Learning and DLPy

A revolution is taking place in natural language processing (NLP) as a result of two ideas. The first idea is that pretraining a deep neural network as a language model is a good starting point for a range of NLP tasks. These networks can be augmented (layers can be added or dropped) and then fine-tuned with transfer learning for specific NLP tasks. The second idea involves a paradigm shift away from traditional recurrent neural networks (RNNs) and toward deep neural networks based on Transformer building blocks. One architecture that embodies these ideas is Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT). BERT and its variants have been at or near the top of the leaderboard for many traditional NLP tasks, such as the general language understanding evaluation (GLUE) benchmarks. This paper provides an overview of BERT and shows how you can create your own BERT model by using SAS ® Deep Learning and the SAS DLPy Python package. It illustrates the effectiveness of BERT by performing sentiment analysis on unstructured product reviews submitted to Amazon.
Eﬃcient approximation of kernel functions

Kernels have been found to be extremely useful in basic machine learning tasks like classification, regression and others. A full treatment of the role of kernels in machine learning can be found in the book by Scholköpf and Smola [6]. In these notes, in order to motivate the study of kernel functions, we examine in outline the case of classification, and that too only classification using support vector machines. We will formally define kernels only in Section 2.
Treatment of Long Head of Biceps Tendon Lesions Together With Rotator Cuff Tears: Which Method is Preferred? Tenotomy or Tenodesis

Long head of biceps tendon lesions are associated with rotator cuff tears, and, in large tears, surgery is the treatment of choice. Here, we aimed to evaluate outcomes of tenotomy and tenodesis in such cases. In this randomized clinical trial, patients aged 45 to 60 years, who were candidates for arthroscopic treatment of rotator cuff tears, with at least 1 positive biceps test before surgery, were enrolled. Patients were allocated in tenotomy or tenodesis groups using random block. Therapeutic outcomes were investigated by evaluation of occurrence of Popeye deformity, patient’s satisfaction based on visual analog scale (VAS), shoulder function according to the Constant score and simple shoulder test, and pain intensity based on numerical rating scale (NRS) and were measured before treatment and at 6 months, and 1 and 2 years after operation. All data analyzed using SPSS software version 20. Both Popeye deformity and biceps brachii cramping were significantly higher in the tenotomy group. Values of NRS, simple shoulder test, VAS of patient’s satisfaction, and Constant score significantly changed after operation as a decrease in NRS and increase in all 3 others. However, only VAS of patient’s satisfaction significantly differed between the 2 groups just at 12 and 24 months after operation. Only age, sex, and dominance of the involved limb had a significant association with patient’s satisfaction. Indeed, younger female patients with involvement of the recessive limb had significant higher satisfaction (P<0.05). Both methods produced good clinical outcomes. Although patient satisfaction was higher in the tenodesis group, no significant differences existed in functional outcomes. Level of Evidence: Level II.