Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A new model for NVSS galaxy catalogue using the redshift distribution and halo minimum mass

In the present paper we study the radio sources in the NRAO VLA SKY Survey (NVSS) analysing its power spectrum and galaxy distribution. There is a discrepancy between the theoretical models in the literature and the data at large scales. A new model for NVSS is proposed combining the power spectrum data from NVSS and the galaxy distribution from the Combined EIS-NVSS Survey Of Radio Sources (CENSORS). Taken into account these two data sets the differences in the power spectrum at large scales are reduced, but there is still some tension between the two data sets. Different models are compared using Bayesian evidence. A model for the galaxy distribution based on a gamma function provides a higher evidence against other models proposed in the literature. In addition, the effect of primordial non-Gaussianity has been also considered. The 2-sigma constraints on the local non-Gaussian f_NL parameter are -43 < f_NL < 142.
Long-term prognostic significance of sarcopenia in acute ischemic stroke

Because sarcopenia is widely distributed in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and has not attracted enough attention, this study aims to explore the relationship between sarcopenia defined by temporal muscle thickness (TMT) and physical function and prognosis of patients with AIS. A total of 265 hospitalized nonsurgical AIS patients from 2015 to 2018, with an age range of 28 ~ 92, were analyzed retrospectively. The median value of TMT was used as the risk classification index of sarcopenia. The main results were the relationship between sarcopenia and Essen Stroke Risk Score, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, modified Rankin Score, water swallow test, venous thromboembolism assessment of medical inpatients, activities of daily living assessed by Barthel Index, and the relationship between TMT and final survival outcome. The mean TMT of men in the study cohort was higher than that of women. The measured values of TMT among different researchers had good consistency (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.980; P < .001). After adjusting for confounding variables, logistic regression showed that sarcopenia was associated with Essen Stroke Risk Score (odds ratio, 1.89; P < .05) and Barthel Index (odds ratio, 1.67; P < .05). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the survival time of low TMT group was significantly lower than that of high TMT group (36 vs 49 months; P < .001). Multivariate Cox regression showed that there was causal correlation between sarcopenia and patient death (hazard ratio, 3.54; 95% confidence interval, 1.46–8.58; P < .01). As a potential comprehensive index, thickness of temporal muscle can be included in baseline evaluation to show the physical status, stroke recurrence, and survival prognosis of AIS patients.
Chromone derivatives suppress neuroinflammation and improve mitochondrial function in the sporadic form of Alzheimer’s disease under experimental conditions

Objective(s): The study aims to estimate the neuroprotective effect of chromone derivatives in the sporadic form of Alzheimer’s disease in the context of the relationship between changes in mitochondrial function and neuroinflammation. Materials and Methods: Alzheimer’s disease was modeled by injecting Aβ 1-42 fragments into the CA1 part of the hippocampus of animals. The test compounds and memantine were administered orally for 60 days from the moment the pathology was reproduced. The change in cognitive deficit in rats was assessed in the Y-maze test. In the hippocampus of rats, intensity of cellular respiration, activity of mitochondrial enzymes (citrate synthase, aconitase, cytochrome-c-oxidase, and succinate dehydrogenase), concentrations of IL - 6; IL -1β; TNF -α; IL – 10, and cardiolipin were determined. Results: Of the 18 substances, only C3AACP6 and C3AACP7 compounds contributed to the recovery of aerobic metabolism, increased activity of mitochondrial enzymes, and reduced neuroinflammation in the hippocampus of rats. Furthermore, administration of these substances reduced the manifestation of cognitive deficit in animals with Alzheimer’s disease to a degree comparable with memantine. Moreover, in terms of the effect on changes in the activity of mitochondrial enzymes and aerobic metabolism, these substances significantly exceeded memantine. Conclusion: The study showed that from the analyzed chromone derivatives, two compounds C3AACP6 and C3AACP7 could have a neuroprotective effect in Alzheimer’s disease, which is realized through the axis: recovery of mitochondrial function, decrease extramitochondrial cardiolipin, decrease neuroinflammation, neuroprotection.
Review: New horizons in retinoblastoma treatment: an updated review article

Retinoblastoma (Rb) is a rare childhood intraocular malignancy with an incidence rate of approximately 9000 children per year worldwide. The management of Rb is inherently complex and depends on several factors. The orders of priorities in the treatment of Rb are saving life, globe salvage and vision salvage. Rarity and the young age at diagnosis impede conducting randomized clinical trials (RCTs) for new therapeutic options, and therefore pre-RCTs studies are needed. This review provides an overview of advances in Rb treatment options, focusing on the emergence of new small molecules to treat Rb. Articles related to the management and treatments of Rb were searched in different databases. Several studies and animal models discussing recent advances in the treatment of Rb were included to have a better grasp of the biological mechanisms of Rb. Over the years, the principles of management and treatment of Rb have changed significantly. Innovations in targeted therapies and molecular biology have led to improved patient and ocular survival. However, there is still a need for further evaluation of the long-term effects of these new treatments.
Bioinformatics analysis of the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network for atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a chronic and progressive disease, with advancing age, the morbidity of which will increase exponentially. Circular ribonucleic acids (RNAs; circRNAs) have gained a growing attention in the development of AF in recent years. The purpose of this study is to explore the mechanism of circRNA regulation in AF, in particular, the intricate interactions among circRNA, microRNA (miRNA), and messenger RNA (mRNA). Three datasets (GSE129409, GSE68475, and GSE79768) were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database to screen differentially expressed (DE) circRNAs, DE miRNAs, and DE mRNAs in AF, respectively. Based on circRNA-miRNA pairs and miRNA-mRNA pairs, a competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) network was built. Then, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional enrichment analysis of DE mRNAs in the network were performed and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were established to identify hub genes. Finally, a circRNA-miRNA-hub gene subnetwork was constructed. A total of 103 DE circRNAs, 16 DE miRNAs, and 110 DE mRNAs were screened in AF. Next, ceRNAs network in AF was constructed with 3 upregulated circRNAs, 2 downregulated circRNAs, 2 upregulated miRNAs, 2 downregulated miRNAs, 17 upregulated mRNAs, and 24 downregulated mRNAs. Thirty GO terms and 6 KEGG pathways were obtained. Besides, 6 hub genes (C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 [CXCR4], C-X-C chemokine receptor type 2 [CXCR2], C-X-C motif chemokine 11 [CXCL11], neuromedin-U, B1 bradykinin receptor, and complement C3) were screened from constructing a PPI network. Finally, a circRNA-miRNA-hub gene subnetwork with 10 regulatory axes was constructed to describe the interactions among the differential circRNAs, miRNA, and hub genes. We speculated that hsa_circRNA_0056281/hsa_circRNA_0006665 -hsa-miR-613-CXCR4/CXCR2/CXCL11 regulatory axes and hsa_circRNA_0003638-hsa-miR-1207-3p-CXCR4 regulatory axis may be associated with the pathogenesis of AF.
A Novel Hybrid Algorithm to Forecast Functional Time Series Based on Pattern Sequence Similarity with Application to Electricity Demand

The forecasting of future values is a very challenging task. In almost all scientific disciplines, the analysis of time series provides useful information and even economic benefits. In this context, this paper proposes a novel hybrid algorithm to forecast functional time series with arbitrary prediction horizons. It integrates a well-known clustering functional data algorithm into a forecasting strategy based on pattern sequence similarity, which was originally developed for discrete time series. The new approach assumes that some patterns are repeated over time, and it attempts to discover them and evaluate their immediate future. Hence, the algorithm first applies a clustering functional time series algorithm, i.e., it assigns labels to every data unit (it may represent either one hour, or one day, or any arbitrary length). As a result, the time series is transformed into a sequence of labels. Later, it retrieves the sequence of labels occurring just after the sample that we want to be forecasted. This sequence is searched for within the historical data, and every time it is found, the sample immediately after is stored. Once the searching process is terminated, the output is generated by weighting all stored data. The performance of the approach has been tested on real-world datasets related to electricity demand and compared to other existing methods, reporting very promising results. Finally, a statistical significance test has been carried out to confirm the suitability of the election of the compared methods. In conclusion, a novel algorithm to forecast functional time series is proposed with very satisfactory results when assessed in the context of electricity demand.
The efficacy of Yiqi Huoxue therapy for chronic heart failure: A meta-analysis in accordance with PRISMA guideline

Background: Chronic heart failure (CHF) is the final destination of most cardiovascular diseases and the most important cause of death. The main clinical manifestations were pulmonary congestion and decreased cardiac output. The purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate the effectiveness of Yiqi Huoxue therapy on CHF. Methods: Seven electronic databases were searched to identify randomized controlled trials of Yiqi Huoxue (YQHX) method for CHF until April 30, 2020. The quality assessment of the included trials was performed by employing the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and Jadad scale. Results: Nineteen randomized controlled trials were included in our review. Most of the included trials were considered as low quality. The aggregated results suggested that experimental group with YQHX therapy got better effect in increasing overall response rate (risk ratio, RR = 1.21, 95% confidence interval, CI 1.15–1.27), traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome response rate (RR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.17–1.36), 6-minute walk test (RR = 2.14, 95% CI 1.05–3.22), left ventricular ejection fraction (RR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.60–1.34), and stroke volume (standardized mean difference, SMD = 0.94, 95% CI 0.23–1.56), and in lowering down the TCM syndrome scores (SMD = –0.78, 95% CI –0.91 to –0.64), Minnesota Living with Heart Failure questionnaire (SMD = –1.01, 95% CI –1.56 to –0.45), 6-month readmission rate (RR = 0.50, 95% CI 0.28–0.89), B-type natriuretic peptide (SMD = –0.89, 95% CI –1.52 to –0.25), NT-proBNP (SMD = –2.07, 95% CI –3.34 to –0.08), and C-reactive protein (SMD = –2.04, 95% CI –4.12 to –0.67) as compared to using conventional Western medicine alone. There were no significant differences found in left ventricular end diastolic diameter and E/E′ between experimental groups and control groups. Moreover, the included sample capacity is small and the trails are all in Chinese. Quality of the evidence for outcomes were “low” and “very low” according to the GRADE assessment. Conclusion: YQHX is a valid complementary and alternative therapy in the management of CHF, especially in improving overall response rate, TCM syndrome response rate, 6-minute walk test, left ventricular ejection fraction, and stroke volume and in decreasing TCM syndrome scores, Minnesota Living with Heart Failure questionnaire, 6-month readmission rate, B-type natriuretic peptide, NT-proBNP, and C-reactive protein levels. Hence, YQHX is a relatively effective and safe therapy for CHF patients, which can be popularized and applied in the clinic. More long-term follow-up studies are still needed to substantiate and confirm the current findings.
Epstein–Barr virus encephalitis with excessive daytime sleepiness as the main manifestation: Two case reports

Rationale: Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a clinical manifestation of various disorders. Here, we report 2 cases of EDS related to Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) encephalitis. Patient concerns: Both the patients were elderly men. Case 1 presented with EDS with headache and fever. Case 2 was presented with EDS only. The 2 patients slept normally at night without taking sleeping pill. They were able to get up and go to the toilet and eat by themselves during the day, but they almost slept at other times. Diagnosis: After admission, a lumbar puncture was performed to collect the cerebrospinal fluid, and next-generation sequencing showed that EBV infection was detected. Combined with the patient’s head magnetic resonance imaging and clinical features, a diagnosis of EBV encephalitis was made. Interventions: Both patients received antiviral therapy. Outcomes: Case 1 had a rapid improvement in headache and fever and was discharged from the hospital after the symptoms of EDS gradually improved. In case 2, EDS symptoms gradually improved. Two patients were followed up for 3 months after discharge, and the outcome was good. Lessons: EDS can also be the main clinical manifestation of viral encephalitis, and we should diagnose and identify it early and treat it promptly.
Probabilities and entropy of some small neural networks for boolean functions

The a priori probabilities of boolean functions with two inputs are calculated for a one-layer neural network and for the 2-2-1 network. The calculations are done both interpreting boolean values as 0 and 1 and as -1 and 1. For the 2-2-1 network the probabilities of the trivial functions (same output for all patterns) are much larger than those of the other functions, while the probabilities of the not linearly separable functions are much smaller. Calculation of the conditional entropy of the neural network based on these probabilities results in an example where the conditional entropy increases while learning examples.
Excellent response of lung adenocarcinoma harboring a rare SLC8A1 downstream intergenic region ALK fusion to ceritinib treatment: A case report

Rationale: Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene fusion, an important driver gene alteration leading to the development of lung cancer, occurs in 5% of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases in China. In addition to echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4)-ALK, which is the most common type of ALK fusion, various fusion partner genes have been identified in recent years. However, ALK intergenic breakpoint fusions confound fusion detection and targeted treatment. Patient concerns: A 40-year-old woman presented to our hospital with a 2-month history of a cough. Diagnosis: Based on the right hilar lymph node biopsy and positron emission tomography computed tomography (PET-CT) examination, the patient was diagnosed with “stage IV lung adenocarcinoma” showing metastases in the mediastina, right hilar lymph nodes, and C7 vertebral body. A rare solute carrier family 8 member A1 (SLC8A1) downstream intergenic region ALK fusion was identified in biopsy specimens using next-generation sequencing (NGS). Interventions: The patient received first-line molecular-targeted therapy (ceritinib). Outcomes: After nearly 9 months, the best evaluation of partial remission (PR) was obtained. Lessons: This is the first clinical evidence of advanced NSCLC due to a rare SLC8A1 downstream intergenic region ALK fusion that has been effectively treated with ceritinib. Whether this finding represents an inherent property of this fusion protein or its unique clinicopathological characteristics in patients carrying this fusion protein remains to be investigated. Moreover, the patient’s durable response to ceritinib and future resistance mechanisms require further follow-up.
Edoxaban: front-line treatment for brachiocephalic vein thrombosis in primitive mediastinal seminoma: A case report and literature review

Rationale: Venous thromboembolism is a feared frequent complication of cancer with a 2-way relationship. Low molecular weight heparin is the mainstay of treatment. The use of direct oral anticoagulants is supported by established evidence for the treatment of deep vein thrombosis also in active cancer and they are prioritized over low molecular weight heparin for cancer-associated thrombosis according to current guidelines. However, upper limb deep vein thrombosis is poorly studied with scant data on the use of direct oral anticoagulants in noncatheter-related deep vein thrombosis. We report the case of a patient with noncatheter-related deep vein thrombosis and a rare tumor site effectively and safely treated with a direct oral anticoagulant, edoxaban, after lack of efficacy with low molecular weight heparin. Patient concerns: A 35-year-old man with primitive mediastinal seminoma presented at our Cardio-Oncology Unit for prechemotherapy assessment. Diagnosis: Persistent brachiocephalic deep vein thrombosis, despite full-dose enoxaparin, was detected at ultrasonography. Intervention: We decided to switch the anticoagulant treatment from enoxaparin to edoxaban. Outcome: The 3-month ultrasonography showed almost total regression of the deep vein thrombosis without any adverse effects and a good patient compliance. Lessons: We conducted a literature review on upper limb deep vein thrombosis, since its management is challenging due to inconsistency of evidence. This report highlights the benefits of direct oral anticoagulants compared to low molecular weight heparins in cancer-associated thrombosis therapy in terms of efficacy, safety and ease of use.
Saroglitazar ameliorates monosodium glutamate-induced obesity and associated inflammation in Wistar rats: Plausible role of NLRP3 inflammasome and NF- κB

Objective(s): Inflammation is the major progenitor of obesity and associated metabolic disorders. The current study investigated the modulatory role of saroglitazar on adipocyte dysfunction and associated inflammation in monosodium glutamate (MSG) obese Wistar rats. Materials and Methods: The molecular docking simulation studies of saroglitazar and fenofibrate were performed on the ligand-binding domain of NLRP3 and NF- κB. Under in vivo study, neonatal pups received normal saline or MSG (4 g/kg, SC) for 7 alternate days after birth. After keeping for 42 days as such, animals were divided into seven groups: Normal control; MSG control; MSG + saroglitazar (2 mg/kg); MSG + saroglitazar (4 mg/kg); saroglitazar (4 mg/kg) per se; MSG + fenofibrate (100 mg/kg); fenofibrate (100 mg/kg) per se. Drug treatments were given orally, from the 42nd to 70th day. On day 71, blood was collected and animals were sacrificed for isolation of liver and fat pads. Results: In silico study showed significant binding of saroglitazar and fenofibrate against NLRP3 and NF- κB. Saroglitazar significantly reduced body weight, body mass index, Lee’s index, fat pad weights, adiposity index, decreased serum lipids, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), leptin, insulin, blood glucose, HOMA-IR values, oxidative stress in the liver and increased hepatic low-density lipoprotein receptor levels. Histopathological analysis of the liver showed decreased inflammation and vacuolization, and reduced adipocyte cell size. Immunohistochemical analysis showed suppression of NLRP3 in epididymal adipocytes and NF- κB expression in the liver. Conclusion: Saroglitazar ameliorated obesity and associated inflammation via modulation of NLRP3 inflammasome and NF- κB in MSG obese Wistar rats.
Evolving mortality rates in people who inject drugs: An Australian tertiary hospital observational study on infective endocarditis

Background Injection drug use (IDU) associated infective endocarditis (IE) is clinically challenging due to social issues this population endures. Rates of IDU are rising globally, however, there is a lack of clear guidelines for IDU associated IE. The aim of this study is to assess the epidemiology of the IDU and non-IDU populations and compare their long-term outcomes to help guide future management. Methods An observational cohort study was conducted on all 350 patients treated for IE at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne between 1999 and 2015. Follow up was performed until death or January 2021. Primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Results IDU patients are younger (p<0.001), more likely to have concurrent infections (p<0.001), and other addiction disorders (p<0.001), while non-IDU patients are older with a higher level of comorbid illnesses (p<0.001). IDU and non-IDU patients received similar management during their admissions and experienced similar levels of in-hospital outcomes, except for non-IDU patient being more likely to develop pneumonia post-surgery (p = 0.03). IDU patients are more likely to become reinfected (p = 0.034) but have better long-term survival, with survival estimates at 15-years being 64.98% (95%CI: 50.94–75.92%) for IDU patients compared to 26.67% (95%CI: 19.76–34.05%) for non-IDU patients (p<0.001). Conclusion Despite having higher levels of reinfection, IDU patients have better long-term survival compared to non-IDU patients. Therefore, we suggest IDU patients should not have blanket restrictions on the management they are offered unless at the individual level there is a contraindication to therapy.
Alleviation of cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity by L-carnitine

Objective(s): To assess the protective effect of L-carnitine in reducing cisplatin toxicity via estimating biochemical tests, histomorphometric, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) of β-catenin and cyclin D. Materials and Methods: Fifteen adult male rabbits were used in this study and allocated into 3 groups; Group 1 (Control negative), rabbits of this group were not given any treatment. In group 2, the animals were injected with cisplatin single-dose/per week. Group 3 rabbits were treated with Cisplatin+L-carnitine orally by gavage tube for 29 days. At the end of the experiments, blood samples from all rabbits were taken from the earlobe, and then the biochemical test was done, the kidney and tissue sections were prepared for both H& E and IHC for both β-catenin and cyclin D genes. Results: Treatment with L-carnitine reduced the injury effect of cisplatin via a decline in serum creatinine, urea, bilirubin, GPT, GOP, and ALP significantly (P<0.05). Also, administration of LC attenuates the histopathologic abnormality in the kidney (15.71% vs 85.18%) and liver (score 3 vs 15 ) induced by cisplatin. L-carnitine elevates the expression of β-catenin and cyclin D in renal and hepatic parenchyma by diffuse, moderate-strong positivity vs cisplatin that showed local-weak staining. Conclusion: These findings imply that L-carnitine, by its pleiotropic actions in activating Wnt signaling, alleviates cisplatin-induced renal and hepatic destruction. It might be a method of preventing cisplatin-related nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity.
Shape signature for recognition process

Most of classical methods for shape recognition depend on classification of the object's features. This paper, gets round these classical methods, and presents a technique to determine a signature for any given closed shape to recognize it. It is simple in calculations, efficient in time and space complexity. It is based on geometrical computations to represent the shape signature. It is found that the proposed technique is proper for the description and recognition process as well is illustrated by numerical examples.