Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dry eye disease: A Canadian quality of life and productivity loss survey

Aim: To capture the direct and indirect cost estimates of dry eye disease (DED), stratified by disease severity, in patients from Canada and to understand the impact of DED on quality of life (QoL) in this group. Methods: A prospective, multi-centre, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted at six optometry and ophthalmology sites across Canada. Eligible patients completed a 20-minute survey on demography, general health, disease severity, QoL, and direct and indirect costs. Results: A total of 151 patients participated in the study and 146 were included in the analysis. Mean (standard deviation [SD]) age was 49.8 (11.4) years and most patients were female (89.7%). DED was considered moderate or severe by 19.2% and 69.2% of patients, respectively. Sjogren's syndrome was reported by 8.2% of patients. Total mean annual costs of DED were $24,331 (Canadian dollars [CAD]) per patient and increased with disease severity. Mean (SD) indirect costs for mild, moderate, and severe disease were $5,961 ($6,275), $16,525 ($11,607), and $25,485 ($22,879), respectively. Mean (SD) direct costs were $958 ($1,216), $1,303 ($1,574), and $2,766 ($7,161), respectively. QoL scores were lowest in patients with Sjogren's syndrome and those with severe DED. Conclusions: This study provides important insights into the negative impact of DED in a Canadian setting. Patients with severe DED reported higher direct and indirect costs and lower QoL compared with those with mild or moderate disease. Increased costs and poorer QoL were also evident for patients with DED plus Sjogren's syndrome versus DED alone.
Mental health symptoms in a cohort of hospital healthcare workers following the first peak of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

Background The Covid-19 pandemic is likely to lead to a significant increase in mental health disorders amongst healthcare workers (HCW). Aims We evaluated the prevalence of anxiety, depressive and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in a HCW population in the United Kingdom (UK), to identify subgroups most at risk. Methods An electronic survey was conducted between the 05/06/2020 and 31/07/2020 of all hospital HCW in the West Midlands, UK using clinically validated questionnaires: Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). Univariate analyses and adjusted logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the strengths in associations. Results There were 2638 eligible participants who completed the survey (female: 79.5%, median age: 42 [IQR: 32-51] years). The prevalence rates of clinically significant symptoms of anxiety, depression and PTSD were 34.3%, 31.2% and 24.5% respectively. In adjusted analysis a history of mental health conditions was associated with clinically significant symptoms of anxiety (odds ratio 2.3 [95% CI 1.9-2.7]; p<0.001), depression (2.5 [2.1-3.0]; p<0.001) and PTSD (2.1 [1.7-2.5]; p<0.001). The availability of adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), wellbeing support and lower exposure to moral dilemmas at work demonstrated significant negative associations with former symptoms (p[≤]0.001). Conclusions We report a high prevalence of clinically significant symptoms of anxiety, depression and PTSD in hospital HCW following the initial Covid-19 pandemic peak in the UK. Those with a history of mental health conditions were most at risk. Adequate PPE availability, access to wellbeing support and reduced exposure to moral dilemmas may protect hospital HCW from mental health symptoms.
Developing a Discrete Choice Experiment to Understand Patient Preferences in Resource-Limited Settings: a Six-Step Guide

A discrete choice experiment (DCE) is a method to quantify preferences for goods and services in a population. Participants are asked to choose between sets of 2 hypothetical scenarios that differ in terms of particular characteristics. Their selections reveal the relative importance of each "attribute", or characteristic, and the extent to which people consider trade-offs between characteristics. DCEs are increasingly used in healthcare and public health settings as they can inform the design of health-related interventions to achieve maximum impact. Specific efforts must be made in the development process to ensure relevance of DCEs to the communities in which they are administered. Herein, we build upon gaps in the prior literature by offering researchers a step-by-step process to guide DCE development for resource-limited settings, including detailed methodological considerations for each step and a specific actionable approach that we hope will simplify the process for other researchers. We present the 6 steps we followed to develop a DCE to evaluate patient preferences for management of hypertension and diabetes in rural Uganda. These steps are: 1) formative work; 2) attribute selection; 3) attribute level selection; 4) DCE design selection; 5) determination of attribute level combinations; and 6) assessment and enhancement of tool comprehensibility. We describe each of these steps in detail to ease the development process for researchers looking to develop locally contextualized, end-user-centric health interventions.
Development and Validation of a Highly Generalizable Deep Learning Pulmonary Embolism Detection Algorithm

Several algorithms have been developed for the detection of pulmonary embolism, though generalizability and bias remain potential weaknesses due to small sample size and sample homogeneity. We developed and validated a highly generalizable deep-learning algorithm, Emboleye, for the detection of PE by using a large and diverse dataset, which included 30,574 computed tomography (CT) exams sourced from over 2,000 hospital sites. On angiography exams, Emboleye demonstrates an AUROC of 0.79 with a specificity of 0.99 while maintaining a sensitivity of 0.37 and PPV of 0.77. On non-angiography CT exams, Emboleye demonstrates an AUROC of 0.77 with a specificity of 0.99 while maintaining a sensitivity of 0.18 and PPV of 0.35.
Perfil sorológico dos anticorpos colostrais para Neospora caninum em bezerros livres da infecção

Neospora caninum is considered the main cause of bovine abortion worldwide. The correct laboratorial diagnose is very important to identify the infected animals and to apply control measure. The objetive of this study was to show the persistence period of colostral antibodies in calves. Eight newborn Holstein Friesan calves, males, were selected from N. caninum soronegative dams. Pre-colostral blood samples were collected of these calves and all of them were seronegative to N. caninum. They were fed with two liters of pooled colostrum from seropositive cows within two hours after birth. Blood samples were collected and tested weekly until the animals turned negative. Serum samples were tested for antibodies to N. caninum using indirect fluorescence antibody test at 1:50; 1: 100 and 1:200 dilutions. Antibodies were not detected from three out of eight calves and they were excluded from the study. The remaining 5 calves seroconverted in all dilutions at the fifth day after colostrums ingestion. At 1:50 dilution, one calf remained positive for 21 weeks, two for 20 weeks and one for 13 weeks. At 1:100, one calf was positive for 15 weeks and the remaining 4 calves for 13 weeks. At 1:200, each calf was positive for 1, 7, 12, 12 and 13 weeks, respectively. These results demonstrate that the colostral antibody to N. caninum may persist until 21 weeks after birth in calves and it's very important to exclud the calves at the first month of age in the seroprevalence studies to avoid the false-positive results.
Detecting and Monitoring Brain Disorders Using Smartphones and Machine Learning

The ubiquity of smartphones in modern life suggests the possibility to use them to continuously monitor patients, for instance to detect undiagnosed diseases or track treatment progress. Such data collection and analysis may be especially beneficial to patients with i. ) mental disorders, as these individuals can experience intermittent symptoms and impaired decision-making, which may impede diagnosis and care-seeking, and ii. ) progressive neurological diseases, as real-time monitoring could facilitate earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment. This paper presents a new method of leveraging passively-collected smartphone data and machine learning to detect and monitor brain disorders such as depression and Parkinson's disease. Crucially, the algorithm is able learn accurate, interpretable models from small numbers of labeled examples (i.e., smartphone users for whom sensor data has been gathered and disease status has been determined). Predictive modeling is achieved by learning from both real patient data and 'synthetic' patients constructed via adversarial learning. The proposed approach is shown to outperform state-of-the-art techniques in experiments involving disparate brain disorders and multiple patient datasets.
Datation par les méthodes K/Ar et Rb/Sr de quelques roches de la partie orientale de l'Ile d'Elbe (Province de Livourne, Italie)

Des datations nouvelles de la quartz˗monzonite de Porto-Azzurro (Ile d'Elbe, Italie) ont donne des âges de 5,9 ± 0,5 M.a. (K/Ar) et de 5,1 M.a. (Rb/Sr), concordants avec les âges K/Ar obtenus sur la biotite (6,2 ± 0,5 M.a.) et le feldspath potassique (5,4 ± 1,1 M.a.) d'un echantillon de cette roche. L'intrusion de quartz˗monzonite a ete accompagnee d'un metamorphisme hydrothermal (amphibolite hydrothermale : 6,6 ± 0,9 M.a. — K/Ar) et d'un metamorphisme thermique donne par les âges K/Ar des Schistes de Calamita (5,1 ± 0,6 M.a.) et de trois essaims d'aplites (5,2 ± 0,7 ; 5,7 ± 0,4 et 6,1 ± 1,1 M.a. respectivement).
Factors Associated with an Abnormal Ankle-Brachial Index in Patients with Resistant Hypertension

The ankle-brachial index (ABI) has been used to identify peripheral arterial occlusive disease and is a marker of macrovascular complications in patients with hypertension.nbsp The objective of the present study was to investigate factors associated with an abnormal ABI in patients with resistant hypertension.nbsp A cross-sectional study with a consecutively selected sample was conducted in a referral cardiology outpatient clinic in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.nbsp Sociodemographic, anthropometric, clinical, laboratory and echocardiographic data were collected.nbsp The association between abnormal ABI and possible risk factors was evaluated using odds ratios (OR), with their respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). nbsp Next, logistic regression analysis was performed, using a hierarchical model.nbsp The prevalence of an abnormal ABI was 19.0%. nbsp Most patients were female (74.8%), black (57.1%), overweight or obese (85.8%), of 40-65 years of age (60.3%), and with education above primary school level (63.8%). nbsp In addition, 44.0% were diabetics 29.9% had hypercholesterolemia, 21.9% had hypertriglyceridemia and 18.1% had had a cerebrovascular accident.nbsp The factors that remained significantly associated with abnormal ABI in the final model were diabetes (OR=4.11 95%CI: 1.10-15.50), age gt65 years (OR=3.30 95%CI: 1.13-9.69) and hypercholesterolemia (OR=4.18 95%CI: 1.12-15.58). nbsp The prevalence of abnormal ABI, albeit not as high as in groups of patients with specific pathologies, was found to be significantly associated with the risk factors traditionally described in the literature.nbsp Therefore, the ABI should be used routinely to evaluate patients with severe hypertension as a method of screening for vascular alterations.
Evaluation of Changes in Insulin Sensitivity in Prepubertal Small for Gestational Age Children Treated with Growth Hormone

Background: Although growth hormone (GH) therapy for children born small for gestational age (SGA) has been approved for many years, there are still concerns about increasing their risk for insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus type 2. Monitoring of glucose homeostasis is therefore generally recommended, but there is no consensus on either the methods or consequences. Methods and Aims: The aim of our study was to analyze the oral Glucose Tolerance Tests (oGTTs) which were performed yearly from baseline to 4 years of GH therapy in a collective of 93 SGA children, who were prepubertal during the whole follow-up. We looked for correlations with auxological and laboratory data as well as predictive baseline results for glucose homeostasis during further treatment. Results: While glucose levels remained constant, insulin secretion increased from baseline to the first year of GH therapy. Insulin sensitivity index (ISI) showed no significant change afterwards; HOMA1, HOMA2, and QUICKI stabilized after the second year. For all indices mean values never reached pathological levels and no cases of diabetes mellitus were induced. Higher gestational age, lower birth length, and older age at start of GH therapy were associated with lower insulin sensitivity. No predictive factors for later insulin resistance could be found. Conclusion: As expected, in GH-treated prepubertal SGA children insulin resistance was induced, but not to pathological levels. No special risk factors for disturbed glucose homeostasis could be identified. Based on our opinion, performing oGTTs in GH-treated SGA children at baseline and in puberty should remain mandatory, but the current study recommendations regarding further surveillance of glucose homeostasis are questionable.
Directed evolution of phosphotriesterase for stereoselective detoxification of organophosphate nerve agents

Directed Evolution of Phosphotriesterase for Stereoselective Detoxification of Organophosphate Nerve Agents. (December 2009) Ping-Chuan Tsai, B.S., National Tsing-Hua University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Frank M. Raushel The bacterial phosphotriesterase (PTE) from Pseudomonas diminuta possess very broad substrate specificity for organophosphorus compounds. It is capable of hydrolyzing several insecticides including paraoxon and various chemical warfare agents such as sarin (GB), soman (GD), cyclosarin (GF) and VX. The catalytic ability of PTE for the hydrolysis of paraoxon is close to the limit of diffusion of the reactant in solution. However, the catalytic activity of PTE for the organophosphate nerve agents is lower than that for paraoxon. It was reported that the wild-type PTE preferentially catalyze the hydrolysis of the less toxic Rpenantiomers of organophosphate nerve agents and their analogues than the more toxic Spenantiomers. The first generation of PTE mutants that contains a modified substrate binding pocket was identified and it was observed that their catalytic activity towards the more toxic Spenantiomers organophosphate nerve agent analogues was enhanced. The H254G/H257W/L303T mutant was shown to have a reversed stereoselectivity. The kcat/Km values of this mutant towards the hydrolysis of the SpRcand SpSc-enantiomers of the GD analogue and the Sp-enantiomer of the GF
Sage grouse use of nest sites in southeastern Idaho

We investigated nest site selection by sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in southeastern Idaho from 1987 to 1989. During 3 breeding seasons, 79% of 84 nest sites were found under sagebrush (Artemisia spp.). Nest success averaged 53% for grouse that used sagebrush and 22% for birds that used nonsagebrush nest sites. Total vegetative cover for sagebrush and nonsagebrush nest sites was similar. However, grass height was shorter (P = 0.01) at sagebrush compared to nonsagebrush nest sites. Herbaceous cover was important to nesting sage grouse but the relatively low nest success of nonsagebrush nest sites indicated they might provide less than optimal nesting habitat. J. WILDL. MANAGE. 55(3):521-524 Most studies that have examined sage grouse nest site selection reported that >90% of nests were found under sagebrush (Patterson 1952: 114, Gill 1965, Wallestad and Pyrah 1974, Braun et al. 1977, Gates 1983). Other species of shrubs commonly grow in sagebrush habitats (Tisdale and Hironaka 1981) but are seldom used by nesting sage grouse. Only Hulet et al. (1984) reported a relatively high incidence (34%) of sage grouse use of shrubs other than sagebrush (hereafter called nest shrub species) for nest sites. Unfortunately, Hulet et al. (1984) did not address the relationship of nest shrub species to habitat quality and nesting success. Our purpose is to describe the use of nest shrub species by sage grouse in southeastern Idaho and to test the hypothesis that nesting success for grouse nesting under sagebrush is greater than that of grouse nesting under other plant species. We thank E. F. Cassirer, J. F. Kennedy, R. R. Spahr, C. M. Stinson, and D. W. Stinson for aid in collecting nest data. We also acknowledge the support of the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, and Idaho Department of Fish and Game. This manuscript was improved by reviews provided by J. J. Beecham, C. E. Braun, J. A. Crawford, R. L. Eng, T. P. Hemker, J. W. Hupp, T. E. Remington, and an anonymous referee. This paper is a contribution from Idaho Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Project W-160-R and contribution No. 560 of the Idaho Forest, Wildlife, and Range Experiment Station.
Haematology and Blood Chemistry of the Conscious Platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus (Shaw) (Monotremata: Ornithorhynchidae)

Blood was collected under ether anaesthesia from a bill sinus in 45 platypuses, Ornithorhynchus anatinus, caught in southeastern New South Wales. Sexual dimorphisms in haematological and blood chemical values were not found, but there were age-related changes. Juvenile animals had greater erythrocyte counts, lower mean corpuscular volumes, higher potassium, calcium, inorganic phosphate, alkaline phosphatase, cholesterol and albumin, but lower sodium, bicarbonate, urea and protein levels than adults. Reasons for these differences are discussed. Compared to other mammals, the platypus had high haematocrit, erythrocyte count and haemoglobin levels, together with low mean corpuscular volume and high mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, which may indicate adaptation to hypoxia. Reticulocytes were not observed. All animals had a small parasite in fewer than 1% of their red cells. Total leukocyte counts were also higher than in other mammals, the mean for adults being 42.84 X 10*9.l-¹. The ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes was approximately 0 5. Metamyelocyte neutrophils were present in low numbers in 14 healthy platypuses. Levels of serum potassium and creatinine were lower, while those of urea, alkaline phosphatase, aspartateaminotransferase and alanineaminotransferase were higher than those usually reported for healthy mammals.
The food, fecundity and gonadal maturity of Valamugil Cunnnesius (Pisces; Mugilidae) in the Negombo lagoon, Sri Lanka

Investigations on reproductive biology and feeding of Valamugil cunnesius (Valenciennes) were carried out for a period of two years on the specimens collected fromNegombo lagoon (7°10/N and79° 50'E) in the west coast of Sri Lanka. V. cunnesius was found to be spawning in March, June, August and December. The percentage of females in the population was about 80 %. The mean lengths at maturity for males and females were 16.9 and 16.0 cm respectively. The absolute fecundity ranged from 80,000 to 1,40,000 for the fish of 15-20 cm in total length. The most important food item was observed to be benthic polychaetes. High overlap in the dietary composition was evident among the individuals of different size groups.
Boulenger's Catalogue of Snakes in the British Museum

the depth and comprehensiveness ofan exhaustive treatise, nor should an elaborate work on original investigation be supposed to cover the details of elementary science. The present book is intended to serve as an introduction to the elements of phytotomy. This purpose is effected more than ordinarily well. It is no mean task to distinguish between the relevant and the irrelevant, between the essential and the non-essential inthe construction of an elementary text. In these very points, the author has been particularly happy, and deserves congratulation upon the coherency and the coordination manifested in the text. A striking feature of the book is its prevailing clearness. Many otherwise well written and helpful text-books are marred by the fact that too much is written between the lines, a thing deplorable in any scientific writing, but especially so in an elementary one. The author has succeeded, however, not only in establishing delightful perspicacity of style, but also in maintaining it throughout he work. In consequence, the beginner may find here a text which presents in a remarkably easily assimilated condition those rudiments of plant anatomy which should serve as a foundation for advanced botanical study inall lines. The merits of the book are many and obvious, and warrant passing its few defects in silence. Its inspiration is readily recognizable as of the German school, an additional point in its favor were it not for a prefatory remark to which the reviewer must enter serious objection. The author states that " it is quite certain that the measure of our progress in any science may be found in our ability to adapt the thought and experience of other nations to our special needs and resources," a statement of such a very peculiar nature that comment is superfluous. The book is divided into two parts, the first of which treats of cytology, or, as the author terms it, the anatomy of the cell. Under this, the first chapter treats of the cell as a unit, the second and third present the subjects of cell-wall and cell-contents intheir modern aspects. The second part discusses the anatomy of tissues, first generally, and then more specially, with reference to the thoroughly antiquated ivisions, Thallophytes and Coirmophytes. The last chapter, the irrelevancy of which is excused by its importance, is devoted to an exposition of the secondary growth of stems and roots. -FREDERIC E. CLEMENTS.
Phanerozoic biodiversity, macrotaxa and families

Traditionally, global Phanerozoic diversity patterns of eukaryotes have been studied by analyzing the variation of the number of taxa at family or genus rank in time. The question of which global processes these diversity patterns reflect remains unanswered. We show that for understanding Phanerozoic biodiversity an ecological-taxonomic approach is preferable to a purely taxonomic approach. Consequently, an ecologically modified taxonomic unit, the macrotaxon, is introduced. This approach allows us to exploit the potential of complex diversity indices, as well as the richness and evenness components.
Experimental test of the law of gravitation

The inverse square law of gravitation is tested with a low-frequency dynamic field in a range of distance $R=2.6\ensuremath{-}10.7$ m. The result confirms the law within the experimental error, giving the deviation $\ensuremath{\delta}=(2.1\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}6.2)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ from the harmonic potential where a form of the potential $\frac{1}{{R}^{1+\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ is assumed.
Isolation and Properties of Ferromanganese-Depositing Budding Bacteria from Baltic Sea Ferromanganese Concretions

Hyphal budding bacteria were observed by electron microscopy in thin sections of surface material from Baltic Sea ferromanganese concretions. Similar bacteria were also observed in and isolated from enrichment cultures prepared from the same concretion material. Three morphologically similar strains of Mn-Fe-depositing budding bacteria were isolated from the enrichment cultures. Strain B-4 possessed extracellular anionic polymers that accumulated Mn oxides. Mn deposition by B-4 was inhibited by elevated concentrations of Mn, 0.05% glutaraldehyde, 0.1 mM HgCl2, and heating at 93�C for 15 min, suggesting the participation of an enzyme protein in the Mn-depositing activity.