Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Digital Self-Management Support Tools in the Care Plan of Patients With Cancer: Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Background Digital self-management support tools (DSMSTs)—electronic devices or monitoring systems to monitor or improve health status—have become increasingly important in cancer care. Objective The aim of this review is to analyze published randomized clinical trials to assess the effectiveness of DSMSTs on physical and psychosocial symptoms or other supportive care needs in adult patients with cancer. Methods Five databases were searched from January 2013 to January 2020. English or Dutch language randomized controlled trials comparing DSMSTs with no intervention, usual care, alternative interventions, or a combination and including patients aged ≥18 years with pathologically proven cancer in the active treatment or survivorship phases were included. The results were summarized qualitatively. Results A total of 19 publications describing 3 types of DSMSTs were included. Although the content, duration, and frequency of interventions varied considerably across studies, the commonly used elements included an assessment component, tailored symptom self-management support, an information section, a communication section, and a diary. Significant positive effects were observed on quality of life in 6 (out of 10) studies, on anxiety in 1 (out of 5) study and depression in 2 (out of 8) studies, on symptom distress in 5 (out of 7) studies, on physical activity in 4 (out of 6) studies, on dietary behavior in 1 (out of 4) study, and on fatigue in 2 (out of 5) studies. Moreover, significant negative effects were observed on anxiety in 1 (out of 5) study and depression in 1 (out of 8) study. Most interventions were web-based interventions; 2 studies used mobile apps, and 1 study used a game as a DSMST. The overall quality of the studies was found to be good, with 13 out of 19 studies classified as high quality. Conclusions This review suggests that DSMSTs have a beneficial effect on the quality of life. For effects on other patient outcomes (eg, anxiety and depression, symptom distress, physical activity, dietary behavior, and fatigue), the evidence is inconsistent and limited or no effect is suggested. Future research should focus on specific tumor types, study different types of interventions separately, and assess the effects of specific interventions at different stages of disease progression.
Aerodynamic integration produces a vehicle shape with a negative drag coefficient

Negative drag coefficients are normally associated with a vessel outfitted with a sail to extract energy from the wind and propel the vehicle forward. Therefore, the notion of a heavy vehicle, that is, a semi truck, that generates negative aerodynamic drag without a sail or any external appendages may seem implausible, especially given the fact that these vehicles have some of the largest drag coefficients on the road today. However, using both wind tunnel measurements and computational fluid dynamics simulations, we demonstrate aerodynamically integrated vehicle shapes that generate negative body-axis drag in a crosswind as a result of large negative frontal pressures that effectively “pull” the vehicle forward against the wind, much like a sailboat. While negative body-axis drag exists only for wind yaw angles above a certain analytical threshold, the negative frontal pressures exist at smaller yaw angles and subsequently produce body-axis drag coefficients that are significantly less than those of modern heavy vehicles. The application of this aerodynamic phenomenon to the heavy vehicle industry would produce sizable reductions in petroleum use throughout the United States.
The effectiveness of computerized cognitive remediation therapy (CCRT) for deficits in attention and executive functions in depression: A pilot study

Abstract Depression is associated with cognitive deficits and changes in the brain. Major depression is often associated with cognitive problems; however, there are only a few studies that have focused on the systematic use of cognitive remediation in depression. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of computerized cognitive remediation in depressed patients with cognitive dysfunction. Patients (n = 20) with depression were randomly assigned to the active or control group. The active intervention (computerized cognitive remediation) comprised 12 sessions focused on the remediation of attention and executive functions through the CogniPlus software. All participants completed neuropsychological testing before and after the intervention. A mixed-design analysis of variance revealed a significant time × group interaction in the attention and planning task, on the Beck Depression Inventory and on the Shifting, Emotional Control and Initiating sub-scales of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult. The results showed that patients undergoing cognitive remediation improved in domains related to attention and executive functions and scored significantly lower on the Beck Depression Inventory. The findings provide some evidence that cognitive remediation could be an efficient approach to dealing with cognitive deficits in depression.
A review of hydroxyurea-related cutaneous adverse events

ABSTRACT Introduction: Hydroxyurea (HU) is an S-phase specific oral chemotherapeutic agent that inhibits ribonucleotide diphosphate reductase. It is the most common used cytoreductive drug in patients (pts) with BCR-ABL1 negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) and sickle cell disease (SCD). The World Health Organization lists HU as an „essential drug“. Although most patients tolerate HU well, cutaneous adverse events (CAE) are frequent side effects and may limit its long-term use. This has become increasingly evident in recent years, especially in MPN patients, where CAE were previously underestimated and underdiagnosed. Areas covered: In this review, we present the available literature on HU-related CAE in MPN patients. In particular, data from a recently published and so far, only prospective non-interventional study investigating CAE in 172 MPN patients will be discussed in detail and compared with previously available data. Finally, we give an overview of the management of HU-related CAE in MPN patients and provide recommendations on the practical clinical approach. Expert opinion: In clinical practice, HU associated CAE are common and have important diagnostic and therapeutic consequences. Therefore, they should be considered in all MPN patients treated with HU in the future.
Striking between-population floral divergences in a habitat specialized plant

When the habitat occupied by a specialist species is patchily distributed, limited gene flow between the fragmented populations may allow population differentiation and eventual speciation. ‘Sky islands’—montane habitats that form terrestrial islands—have been shown to promote diversification in many taxa through this mechanism. We investigate floral variation in Impatiens lawii, a plant specialized on laterite rich rocky plateaus that form sky islands in the northern Western Ghats mountains of India. We focus on three plateaus separated from each other by ca. 7 to 17 km, and show that floral traits have diverged strongly between these populations. In contrast, floral traits have not diverged in the congeneric I. oppositifolia, which co-occurs with I. lawii in the plateaus, but is a habitat generalist that is also found in the intervening valleys. We conducted common garden experiments to test whether the differences in I. lawii are due to genetic differentiation or phenotypic plasticity. There were strong differences in floral morphology between experimental plants sourced from the three populations, and the relative divergences between population pairs mirrored that seen in the wild, indicating that the populations are genetically differentiated. Common garden experiments confirmed that there was no differentiation in I. oppositifolia. Field floral visitation surveys indicated that the observed differences in floral traits have consequences for I. lawii populations, by reducing the number of visitors and changing the relative abundance of different floral visitor groups. Our results highlight the role of habitat specialization in diversification, and corroborates the importance of sky islands as centres of diversification.
The Relation Between Adult Weight Gain, Adipocyte Volume, and the Metabolic Profile at Middle Age

Abstract Context Weight gain during adulthood increases cardiometabolic disease risk, possibly through adipocyte hypertrophy. Objective We aimed to study the specific metabolomic profile of adult weight gain, and to examine its association with adipocyte volume. Methods Nuclear magnetic resonance–based metabolomics were measured in the Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity (NEO) study (n = 6347, discovery) and Oxford Biobank (n = 6317, replication). Adult weight gain was calculated as the absolute difference between body mass index (BMI) at middle age and recalled BMI at age 20 years. We performed linear regression analyses with both exposures BMI at age 20 years and weight gain, and separately with BMI at middle age in relation to 149 serum metabolomic measures, adjusted for age, sex, and multiple testing. Additionally, subcutaneous abdominal adipocyte biopsies were collected in a subset of the Oxford Biobank (n = 114) to estimate adipocyte volume. Results Mean (SD) weight gain was 4.5 (3.7) kg/m2 in the NEO study and 3.6 (3.7) kg/m2 in the Oxford Biobank. Weight gain, and not BMI at age 20 nor middle age, was associated with concentrations of 7 metabolomic measures after successful replication, which included polyunsaturated fatty acids, small to medium low-density lipoproteins, and total intermediate-density lipoprotein. One SD weight gain was associated with 386 μm3 (95% CI, 143-629) higher median adipocyte volume. Adipocyte volume was associated with lipoprotein particles specific for adult weight gain. Conclusion Adult weight gain is associated with specific metabolomic alterations of which the higher lipoprotein concentrations were likely contributed by larger adipocyte volumes, presumably linking weight gain to cardiometabolic disease.
Leveraging Upward Social Comparison in Social Media to Promote Healthy Parenting

ABSTRACT Children’s health is heavily influenced by parenting practices that promote healthy eating and physical activities. The present study examined how upward social comparison in social media may facilitate parents’ motivation to perform healthy parenting practices. We conducted a 2 (social comparison direction: upward vs. downward) x 2 (similarity: similar vs. dissimilar) experiment. The results indicated that parents who saw upward comparison targets, that is, other children with better eating and exercising practices on social media, were more likely to assimilate their own children with them than parents who saw downward comparison targets. This, in turn, increased the parents’ self-evaluation and positively impacted their intention to engage in healthy parenting practices in the future. The study expands the research of social comparison to the domain of comparison of extended self. The empirical evidence demonstrates the positive impact of upward social comparison through assimilation and self-evaluation.
Internet-delivered cognitive processing therapy for individuals with a history of bullying victimization: a randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to test an internet-delivered version of cognitive processing therapy (CPT) for the psychological distress associated with bullying victimization. The sample comprised 52 adults (i.e. 69.20% women; mean age = 43.37 (SD = 12.47); 3.85% ethnic minority) who self-identified as having a lifetime history of bullying victimization. Participants were randomized into three groups, which received 12 sessions of internet-delivered, therapist-guided, and content-modified version of CPT, 12 sessions of internet-delivered and therapist-guided stress management (SM), or a waitlist. Treatment outcomes included maladaptive trauma appraisals, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, general anxiety and stress, social anxiety, and anger. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyse the data. Findings indicated that CPT was effective in reducing the strength of maladaptive appraisals related to bullying victimization and symptoms of PTSD compared to the waitlist and SM. SM outperformed CPT and the waitlist in reducing symptoms of depression, general anxiety, and stress. In conclusion, the results of this trial suggest that internet-delivered CPT is effective for the psychological distress and maladaptive appraisals associated with bullying victimization but that adaptions might be needed to target more effectively symptoms of anxiety and depression.
HSD17B7 gene in self‐renewal and oncogenicity of keratinocytes from Black versus White populations

Human populations of Black African ancestry have a relatively high risk of aggressive cancer types, including keratinocyte‐derived squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). We show that primary keratinocytes (HKCs) from Black African (Black) versus White Caucasian (White) individuals have on average higher oncogenic and self‐renewal potential, which are inversely related to mitochondrial electron transfer chain activity and ATP and ROS production. HSD17B7 is the top‐ranked differentially expressed gene in HKCs and Head/Neck SCCs from individuals of Black African versus Caucasian ancestries, with several ancestry‐specific eQTLs linked to its expression. Mirroring the differences between Black and White HKCs, modulation of the gene, coding for an enzyme involved in sex steroid and cholesterol biosynthesis, determines HKC and SCC cell proliferation and oncogenicity as well as mitochondrial OXPHOS activity. Overall, the findings point to a targetable determinant of cancer susceptibility among different human populations, amenable to prevention and management of the disease.
A two‐stage neural network prediction of chronic kidney disease

Abstract Accurate detection of chronic kidney disease (CKD) plays a pivotal role in early diagnosis and treatment. Measured glomerular filtration rate (mGFR) is considered the benchmark indicator in measuring the kidney function. However, due to the high resource cost of measuring mGFR, it is usually approximated by the estimated glomerular filtration rate, underscoring an urgent need for more precise and stable approaches. With the introduction of novel machine learning methodologies, prediction performance is shown to be significantly improved across all available data, but the performance is still limited because of the lack of models in dealing with ultra‐high dimensional datasets. This study aims to provide a two‐stage neural network approach for prediction of GFR and to suggest some other useful biomarkers obtained from the blood metabolites in measuring GFR. It is a composite of feature shrinkage and neural network when the number of features is much larger than the number of training samples. The results show that the proposed method outperforms the existing ones, such as convolutionneural network and direct deep neural network.
Effect of renal impairment on arsenic accumulation, methylation capacity, and safety in acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) patients treated with arsenic trioxide

ABSTRACT Background: Arsenic trioxide (ATO) was successfully applied to treat acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Methods: Inorganic arsenic (iAs), monomethylarsonic acid (MMAV) and dimethyarsinic acid (DMAV) in plasma of 143 APL patients with different renal function were determined. Arsenic methylation capacity was evaluated by iAs%, MMAV%, DMAV%, primary methylation index (PMI, MMAV/iAs), and secondary methylated index (SMI, DMAV/MMAV). Arsenic accumulation with administration frequency were explored. Moreover, safety assessments were performed. Results: Compared with normal renal function, MMAV and DMAV concentrations increased 1.5–4 fold in moderate and severe renal impairment groups, iAs increased 1.3–1.7 fold. APL patients with renal impairment showed lower iAs%, but higher DMAV% and PMI in plasma than those with normal renal function (P < 0.05). MMAV, DMAV, and tAs apparently accumulated with administration frequency in moderate and severe renal dysfunction groups. The incidence of QTc interval prolongation and liver injury increased with the increasing severity of renal impairment. Conclusion: Renal dysfunction may increase exposure to arsenic and arsenic accumulation and affect methylation capacity, then the clinical safety in APL patients treated with ATO. Arsenic-level monitoring and dosing regimen adjustment should be considered in APL patients with moderate and severe renal dysfunction.
Young black women demonstrate impaired microvascular but preserved macrovascular function compared to white women

What is the central question of this study? Is there a racial disparity in macrovascular and/or microvascular function between young black and white women? What is the main finding and its importance? Black women (BLW) demonstrated impaired microvascular function but similar macrovascular function compared to white women (WHW). These findings suggest an identifiable racial disparity in microvascular function between BLW and WHW as early as young adulthood. Microvascular dysfunction is predictive of future cardiovascular disease (CVD) and generally precedes the development of macrovascular dysfunction. Therefore, these findings also suggest that evaluating microvascular function and CVD risk in young, otherwise healthy BLW are important, as there are known racial disparities in CVD morbidity and mortality in black adults.
Asymmetric-flow field-flow fractionation of prions reveals a strain-specific continuum of quaternary structures with protease resistance developing at a hydrodynamic radius of 15 nm

Prion diseases are transmissible neurodegenerative disorders that affect mammals, including humans. The central molecular event is the conversion of cellular prion glycoprotein, PrPC, into a plethora of assemblies, PrPSc, associated with disease. Distinct phenotypes of disease led to the concept of prion strains, which are associated with distinct PrPSc structures. However, the degree to which intra- and inter-strain PrPSc heterogeneity contributes to disease pathogenesis remains unclear. Addressing this question requires the precise isolation and characterization of all PrPSc subpopulations from the prion-infected brains. Until now, this has been challenging. We used asymmetric-flow field-flow fractionation (AF4) to isolate all PrPSc subpopulations from brains of hamsters infected with three prion strains: Hyper (HY) and 263K, which produce almost identical phenotypes, and Drowsy (DY), a strain with a distinct presentation. In-line dynamic and multi-angle light scattering (DLS/MALS) data provided accurate measurements of particle sizes and estimation of the shape and number of PrPSc particles. We found that each strain had a continuum of PrPSc assemblies, with strong correlation between PrPSc quaternary structure and phenotype. HY and 263K were enriched with large, protease-resistant PrPSc aggregates, whereas DY consisted primarily of smaller, more protease-sensitive aggregates. For all strains, a transition from protease-sensitive to protease-resistant PrPSc took place at a hydrodynamic radius (Rh) of 15 nm and was accompanied by a change in glycosylation and seeding activity. Our results show that the combination of AF4 with in-line MALS/DLS is a powerful tool for analyzing PrPSc subpopulations and demonstrate that while PrPSc quaternary structure is a major contributor to PrPSc structural heterogeneity, a fundamental change, likely in secondary/tertiary structure, prevents PrPSc particles from maintaining proteinase K resistance below an Rh of 15 nm, regardless of strain. This results in two biochemically distinctive subpopulations, the proportion, seeding activity, and stability of which correlate with prion strain phenotype.
Early Lactate-Guided Resuscitation of Elderly Septic Patients

Background: Early lactate-guided resuscitation was endorsed in the guidelines of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign as a key strategy to decrease the mortality of patients admitted to the ICU department with septic shock. However, its effectiveness in elderly Asian patients is uncertain. Method: We conducted a single-center trial to test the effectiveness of the early lactate-guided resuscitation of older Asian patients at the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University. Eligible septic shock patients who consented to participation in the study were randomly assigned to receive early lactate-guided treatment or regular treatment as controls. Result: A total of 82 patients met the hyperlactatemia criteria and participated in the trial. Forty-two patients received early lactate-guided treatment (lactate group) and 40 received regular treatment (control group). The lactate group received more fluids at initial 6 hours (3.3 ± 1.4 vs 2.4 ± 1.7 L, P = 0.01), but similar proportions of patients in both groups required the use of vasopressors and vasodilators. Patients in the lactate group showed significantly reduced ICU needs compared to the control group, which were weaned from mechanical ventilation more quickly (median 7, IQR 4 to 14 vs median 9, IQR 4.3 to 17.8, P = 0.02) and transferred out of the ICU earlier (median 4.5, IQR 2.8 to 7.3 vs median 6, IQR 3.2 to 8, P = 0.01). However, the hospital mortality (35.7% vs 42.5%, P = 0.35) and ICU mortality (31.0% vs 37.5%, P = 0.38) for both groups were not reduced. Conclusion: For critically ill patients (elderly Asian patients) admitted to the ICU department with hyperlactatemia, early lactate-guided treatment reduced ICU needs but did not reduce mortality.
Experimental Solubility of Ketoconazole, Validation Models, and In vivo Prediction in Human Based on GastroPlus

The study aimed to identify a suitable cosolvent + water mixture for subcutaneous (sub-Q) delivery of ketoconazole (KETO). The solubility was assessed for several dimethyl acetamide (DMA) + water mixtures at T = 293.2 to 318.2 K and pressure P = 0.1 MPa. The experimental solubility (xe) was validated using the Van ʼt Hoff and Yalkowsky models and functional thermodynamic parameters (enthalpy ΔsolH°, entropy ΔsolS°, and Gibbs free energy ΔsolG°). The in vitro drug release study was performed at physiological pH, and the data served as the input to GastroPlus, which predicted the in vivo performance of KETO dissolved in a DMA + water cosolvent mixture for sub-Q delivery in human. The maximum solubility (mole fraction) of KETO (9.81 × 10−1) was obtained for neat DMA at 318.2 K whereas the lowest value (1.7 × 10−5) was for pure water at 293.2 K. An apparent thermodynamic analysis based on xe gave positive values for the functional parameters. KETO dissolution requires energy, as evidenced by the high positive values of ΔsolH° and ΔsolG°. Interestingly, ΔsolG° progressively decreased with increasing concentration of DMA in the DMA + water mixture, suggesting that the DMA-based molecular interaction improved the solubilization. Positive values of ΔsolG° and ΔsolS° for each DMA + water cosolvent mixture corroborated the endothermic and entropy-driven dissolution. GastroPlus predicted better absorption of KETO through sub-Q delivery than oral delivery. Hence, the DMA + water mixture may be a promising system for sub-Q delivery of KETO to control topical and systemic fungal infections.