Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quantitative Approach to Fragmented QRS in Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy: From Disease towards Asymptomatic Carriers of Pathogenic Variants

Fragmented QRS complexes (fQRS) are common in patients with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM). A new method of fQRS quantification may aid early disease detection in pathogenic variant carriers and assessment of prognosis in patients with early stage ACM. Patients with definite ACM (n = 221, 66%), carriers of a pathogenic ACM-associated variant without a definite ACM diagnosis (n = 57, 17%) and control subjects (n = 58, 17%) were included. Quantitative fQRS (Q-fQRS) was defined as the total amount of deflections in the QRS complex in all 12 electrocardiography (ECG) leads. Q-fQRS was scored by a single observer and reproducibility was determined by three independent observers. Q-fQRS count was feasible with acceptable intra- and inter-observer agreement. Q-fQRS count is significantly higher in patients with definite ACM (54 ± 15) and pathogenic variant carriers (55 ± 10) compared to controls (35 ± 5) (p < 0.001). In patients with ACM, Q-fQRS was not associated with sustained ventricular arrhythmia (p = 0.701) at baseline or during follow-up (p = 0.335). Both definite ACM patients and pathogenic variant carriers not fulfilling ACM diagnosis have a higher Q-fQRS than controls. This may indicate that increased Q-fQRS is an early sign of disease penetrance. In concealed and early stages of ACM the role of Q-fQRS for risk stratification is limited.
Chemical composition, antimicrobial activity and synergistic effects with conventional antibiotics under clinical isolates by essential oil of Hymenaea rubriflora Ducke (FABACEAE)

Abstract This work aimed to investigate the chemical composition, antimicrobial activity, synergistic effect, and structure changes of the essential oil of Hymenaea rubriflora (EOHr). Forty-five constituents were identified in the essential oil, corresponding to 94.43% of the compounds present, being the main components E-Caryophyllene (36.72 ± 1.05%), Germacrene D (16.13 ± 0.31%), α-Humulene (6.06 ± 0.16%), β-elemene (5.61 ± 0.14%) and δ-Cadinene (3.76 ± 0.07%). Antimicrobial activity was evaluated, presenting antibacterial and antifungal activity with MIC ranging from 0.62 to 40 μL/mL. The essential oil had a synergistic effect when combined with gentamicin and fluconazole. Structural changes were also evaluated and it was possible to observe that EOHr action was related to changes in membrane permeability. The findings obtained here suggest that the use of the essential oil of H. rubriflora in the treatment of infectious diseases presents a potential for the future development of pharmaceutical products. Graphical Abstract
Omitted variable bias in studies of plant interactions.

Models of plant-plant interactions underpin our understanding of species coexistence, invasive plant impacts and plant community responses to climate change. In recent studies, models of competitive interactions failed predictive tests, thereby casting doubt on results of many past studies. We believe these model failures owe at least partly to heterogeneity in unmodelled factors (e.g. nutrients, soil pathogens) that affect both target plants and neighboring competitors. Such heterogeneity is ubiquitous, and models that do not account for it will suffer omitted variable bias. We used instrumental variables analysis to test for and correct omitted variable bias in studies that followed common protocols for measuring plant competition. In an observational study, omitted variables caused competition to seem like mutualism. In a quasi-experiment that partially controlled competitor abundances with seeding, omitted variables caused competition to seem about 35% weaker than it really was, even though the experiment occurred in an abandoned agricultural field where environmental heterogeneity was expected to be relatively low. Despite decades of research, consistently accurate estimates of competitive interactions remain elusive. The most foolproof way around this problem is true experiments that avoid omitted variable bias by completely controlling competitor abundances, but such experiments are rare.
A new treatment for eating disorders combining physical exercise and dietary therapy (the PED-t): experiences from patients who dropped out

ABSTRACT Purpose: Eating disorders (ED) are complex and severe illnesses where evidence-based treatment is needed to recover. However, about half of the patients with ED do not respond to treatments currently available, which call for efforts to expand the portfolio of treatments. The aim of this study was to explore experiences from patients who dropped out of a new treatment for bulimia nervosa and binge ED, combining physical exercise and dietary therapy (PED-t). Methods: We conducted open-ended face-to-face interviews. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and the data were analysed with a phenomenological hermeneutical approach. Results: Three themes emerged: “standing on the outside”, “unmet expectations” and “participation not a waste of time”. Feelings of standing on the outside were elicited by being different from other group members and having challenges with sharing thoughts. Unmet expectations were related to treatment content and intensity, as well as the development of unhealthy thoughts and behaviours. Finally, some positive experiences were voiced. Conclusion: A need to clarify pre-treatment expectations and refining criteria for treatment suitability is indicated. The findings have contributed to the chain of clinical evidence regarding the PED-t and may lead to treatment modifications improving the treatment and thereby reducing drop out.
Retrospective assessment of rapid outbreak investigation for gastrointestinal diseases using only cases and background exposure data

Abstract For outbreaks of gastrointestinal disease, rapid identification of the source is crucial to enable public health intervention and prevent further cases. Outbreak investigation comprises analyses of exposure information from cases and, if required, undertaking analytical epidemiological studies. Hypothesis generation has been reliant on empirical knowledge of exposures historically associated with a given pathogen. Epidemiology studies are resource-intensive and prone to bias, one of the reasons being the difficulties in recruiting appropriate controls. For this paper, the information from cases was compared against pre-defined background exposure information. As exemplars, three past outbreaks were used, one of common and two of rare exposures. Information from historical case trawling questionnaires was used to define background exposure having removed any exposures implicated with the outbreak. The case-background approach showed good sensitivity and specificity, identifying correctly all outbreak-related exposures. One additional exposure related to a retailer was identified and four food items where all cases had been exposed. In conclusion, the case-background method, a development of the case-case design, can be used to assist with hypothesis generation or when a case-control study may not be possible to carry out.
Early-term postoperative thoracic outcomes of videothoracoscopic vertebral body tethering surgery.

Background This study aims to discuss the early-term postoperative thoracic complications in videothoracoscopic anterior vertebral body tethering surgery. Methods The study included 56 patients (3 males, 53 females; mean age 12.6 years; range, 10 to 16 years) operated with a total of 65 videothoracoscopic anterior vertebral body tethering surgeries between April 2014 and November 2018. Surgical indications were adolescents with different growth potentials, who had thoracic, thoracolumbar or double curves less than 70°. Surgical details and postoperative thoracic complications were recorded. Results Forty-two patients were administered thoracic tether, whereas five and nine patients were administered thoracolumbar tether and both approaches concomitantly, respectively. Two patients developed ipsilateral total atelectasis, one patient contralateral lobar atelectasis, one patient chylothorax, one patient pleural effusion, and one patient pneumothorax after chest drain removal. Overall thoracic complication rate was 9.2% and 30-day readmission rate was 1.8%. All patients achieved their rehabilitation goals. Conclusion Videothoracoscopy-assisted anterior vertebral body tethering is a safe and efficient technique that yields low complication rates. Early postoperative functional results are promising with high patient satisfaction. Pre- and postoperative respiratory rehabilitation may decrease thoracic complication rates.
Software-Defined Vehicular Cloud Networks: Architecture, Applications and Virtual Machine Migration

Cloud computing supports many unprecedented cloud-based vehicular applications. To improve connectivity and bandwidth through programmable networking architectures, Software- Defined (SD) Vehicular Network (SDVN) is introduced. SDVN architecture enables vehicles to be equipped with SDN OpenFlow switch on which the routing rules are updated from a SDN OpenFlow controller. From SDVN, new vehicular architectures are introduced, for instance SD Vehicular Cloud (SDVC). In SDVC, vehicles are SDN devices that host virtualization technology for enabling deployment of cloud-based vehicular applications. In addition, the migration of Virtual Machines (VM) over SDVC challenges the performance of cloud-based vehicular applications due the highly mobility of vehicles. However, the current literature that discusses VM migration in SDVC is very limited. In this paper, we first analyze the evolution of computation and networking technologies of SDVC with a focus on its architecture within the cloud-based vehicular environment. Then, we discuss the potential cloud-based vehicular applications assisted by the SDVC along with its ability to manage several VM migration scenarios. Lastly, we provide a detailed comparison of existing frameworks in SDVC that integrate the VM migration approach and different emulators or simulators network used to evaluate VM frameworks’ use cases.
Prescribers’ experiences of, and attitudes to, use of morphine for palliative care at a tertiary hospital in Zambia

ABSTRACT Objective To explore medical doctors’ experiences of, and attitudes to, use of morphine for palliative care at a tertiary hospital in Zambia. Methods A qualitative, exploratory case study was undertaken. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from 14 medical doctors working in the fields of oncology, pediatrics, and internal medicine at a tertiary hospital in Lusaka, Zambia, regarding their experiences and attitudes to prescribing morphine for palliative care. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts was carried out to establish common themes in the data. The study was approved by BSMS and UNZA research ethics committees. Results All participants agreed that doctors were becoming more comfortable with the prescribing of morphine, although experiences were notably different for doctors working in oncology, compared to other departments. Themes of difficulty discussing end-of-life, poor recognition of pain, and fear of patient addiction, were more prominent in the responses of non-cancer doctors. Morphine use was generally restricted to cancer and sickle cell disease patients, with most non-cancer doctors stating that they rarely prescribe morphine for outpatient use. Training in pain management and the presence of a palliative care team were perceived to be facilitators to morphine prescribing. Conclusions Although there is an increased willingness to prescribe morphine, limited knowledge of pain management, especially for nonmalignant disease, underlies many of the findings in this study. Opportunity exists for professional development in pain management to further improve the acceptance and use of opioids in palliative care, especially for out-patients.
On-chip MIC by Combining Concentration Gradient Generator and Flanged Chamber Arrays

Minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) of antibiotic is an effective value to ascertain the agent and minimum dosage of inhibiting bacterial growth. However, current techniques to determine MIC are labor intensive and time-consuming, and require skilled operator and high initial concentration of bacteria. To simplify the operation and reduce the time of inhibition test, we developed a microfluidic system, containing a concentration generator and sub-micro-liter chambers, for rapid bacterial growth and inhibition test. To improve the mixing effect, a micropillar array in honeycomb-structure channels is designed, so the steady concentration gradient of amoxicillin can be generated. The flanged chambers are used to culture bacteria under the condition of continuous flow and the medium of chambers is refreshed constantly, which could supply the sufficient nutrient for bacteria growth and take away the metabolite. Based on the microfluidic platform, the bacterial growth with antibiotic inhibition on chip can be quantitatively measured and MIC can be obtained within six hours using low initial concentration of bacteria. Overall, this microfluidic platform has the potential to provide rapidness and effectiveness to screen bacteria and determine MIC of corresponding antibiotics in clinical therapies.
Characterization of a transcriptional TPP riboswitch in the human pathogen Neisseria meningitidis

ABSTRACT Increasing evidence has demonstrated that regulatory RNA elements such as riboswitches (RS) play a pivotal role in the fine-tuning of bacterial gene expression. In this study, we investigated and characterized a novel transcriptional thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) RS in the obligate human pathogen N. meningitidis MC58 (serogroup B). This RS is located in the 5´ untranslated region upstream of thiC gene, encoding a protein involved in TPP biosynthesis, an essential cofactor for all living beings. Primer extension revealed the transcriptional start site of thiC. Northern blot analysis of thiC mRNA and reporter gene studies confirmed the presence of an active TPP-sensing RS. Expression patterns of the wild-type RS and site-specific mutants showed that it is an OFF switch that controls transcription elongation of thiC mRNA. Interestingly, the regulatory mechanism of the meningococcal thiC RS resembles the Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis thiC RS rather than the Gram-negative Escherichia coli thiC RS. Therefore, the meningococcal thiC RS represents a rare example of transcriptional RS in a Gram-negative bacterium. We further observed that the RS is actively involved in modulating gene expression in response to different growth media and to supplemented bacterial and eukaryotic cell lysates as possible sources of nutrients in the nasopharynx. Our results suggest that RS-mediated gene regulation could influence meningococcal fitness, through the fine-tuning of biosynthesis and scavenging of nutrients and cofactors, such as thiamine.
Quantitative volumetric metabolic measurement of solitary pulmonary nodules by F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography.

Background This study aims to evaluate the effect of quantitative volumetric metabolic measurements in F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomographycomputed tomography to distinguish benign and malignant solitary pulmonary nodules. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 78 patients (56 males; 22 females; mean age 61±11.9 years; range, 32 to 82 years) with solitary pulmonary nodules who underwent F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography. Patients were classified as benign, malignant and metastatic lesions according to pathology results. Metabolic volume, maximum standardized uptake value, mean standardized uptake value, maximum metabolic index and mean metabolic index were measured. Mean, median and standard error values were calculated for each group. Nonparametric tests were used for the comparison of each group. Partial correlation analysis was used for the relationship between parameters. For all parameters, cut-off values were obtained with receiver operating characteristic analysis. Results Of 78 lesions, 10 were benign (12.8%), 38 were primary lung carcinoma (48.7%) and 30 were metastatic lung nodules (38.5%). There was a significant difference between benign lesions and primary lung cancer and between primary lung cancer and metastatic groups in all parameters (p<0.05). We determined highly significant positive correlation between maximum standardized uptake value and maximum metabolic index (r=0.73; p<0.05), and moderate positive correlation between mean standardized uptake value and mean metabolic index (r=0.56; p<0.05). In receiver operating characteristic analysis, maximum standardized uptake value and mean standardized uptake value were found to be the most sensitive and specific methods for benign/malignant discrimination. In the cut-off value=2.59, the sensitivity and specificity for maximum standardized uptake value were 98.0% and 91.7%, respectively. In the cut-off value=1.65, the sensitivity and specificity for mean standardized uptake value were 94.0% and 91.7%, respectively. Conclusion Maximum metabolic index value is highly correlated with maximum standardized uptake value in benign/malignant solitary pulmonary nodules discrimination by F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomographycomputed tomography. Maximum metabolic index can also be used for discrimination of primary/metastatic malignant lesions.
The Impact of Spousal Migration on the Mental Health of Nepali Women: A Cross-Sectional Study

Spousal separation, lack of companionship, and increased household responsibilities may trigger mental health problems in left-behind female spouses of migrant workers. This study aimed to examine mental ill-health risk in the left-behind female spouses of international migrant workers in Nepal. A cross-sectional survey was carried out in the Nawalparasi district. Study areas were purposively chosen; however, participants were randomly selected. Nepali versions of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) were used. Mental ill-health risk was prevalent in 3.1% of the participants as determined by GHQ. BDI identified mild or moderate depression in 6.5% of the participants with no one having severe depression. In bivariate analysis, a high frequency of communication with the husband was associated with lower mental ill-health risk and depression, as well as increasing resilience. Reduced return intervals of husbands and a high frequency of remittance were also associated with a low GHQ score. In a multiple regression model, adjusting for potential confounding variables, participants who communicated with their husbands at least once a day had a greater mean CD-RISC score (i.e., high resilience against mental ill-health risk) compared to those who did so at least once a week; a mean difference of 3.6 (95% CI 0.4 to 6.9), P = 0.03. To conclude, a low mental ill-health risk was found in the female spouses of migrants.
Bioprinting 101: Design, Fabrication and Evaluation of Cell-laden 3D Bioprinted Scaffolds.

3D Bioprinting is an additive manufacturing technique that recapitulates the native architecture of tissues. This is accomplished through the precise deposition of cell-containing bioinks. The spatiotemporal control over bioink deposition permits for improved communication between cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM), and facilitates fabrication of anatomically and physiologically relevant structures. The physiochemical properties of bioinks, before and after crosslinking, are crucial for bioprinting complex tissue structures. Specifically, the rheological properties of bioinks determines printability, structural fidelity and cell viability during the printing process, whereas post-crosslinking of bioinks are critical for their mechanical integrity, physiological stability, cell survival, and cell functions. In this review, we critically evaluate bioink design criteria, specifically for extrusion-based bioprinting techniques, to fabricate complex constructs. The effects of various processing parameters on the biophysical and biochemical characteristics of bioinks are also discussed. Furthermore, emerging trends and directions for future development in the area of bioinks and bioprinting are also highlighted.
Factors Associated with Cumulative First-Week Mortality in Broiler Chicks

Simple Summary The first week of life of broiler chicks is a sensitive period where many of the chicks’ systems and organs are considered immature. During this period there are a lot of factors that can negatively influence chick morpho-physiology affecting welfare. A decrease in early life chick welfare could be reflected in first-week mortality. In this study we used data from one hatchery company to identify risk factors that could influence first-week mortality. Risk factors were classified either as internal (individual-dependent) and external (management or environmental) factors. We found that breeder age, chick gender and breed were the internal factors significantly related to chick mortality. Among the 21 external factors considered only type of broiler house, presence or absence of drip cup, egg storage, study year and season were related to chick mortality. In conclusion, the identified housing factors and management routines should be considered to reduce first-week mortality rate, to rearing the chickens and to the construction of new broiler houses. Abstract First-week mortality is an important performance index as well as an important welfare indicator. The aim of the present study was to identify internal (individual-dependent) and external (management or environmental) factors that could influence the cumulative first-week mortality of broilers. To carry out this study, field data obtained from a hatchery company were used, in which 2267 flocks of broiler chicks (from 2015 to 2018), were analyzed. A generalized linear mixed model was used to analyze the data. Farm ID and house by farm were incorporated as random effects. The Odds Ratio was estimated for each factor, determining the effect of each explanatory variable. First-week mortality was significantly related to breeder age (p < 0.0001), chick gender (p < 0.0001) and breed (p < 0.0001) as internal factors, and type of broiler house (p = 0.0129), presence or absence of drip cup (p < 0.0001), egg storage (p < 0.0001), study year (p < 0.0001) and season (p < 0.0001) as external factors. Therefore, these factors should be considered in the decision making of poultry breeding companies, in order to reduce possible welfare problems and increase productive performance.