Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characteristics and severity of motorcycle crashes resulting in hospitalization in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Abstract Objective: This study aims to describe the crash characteristics, injury outcomes, and risk factors associated with injury severity for motorcycle crashes resulting in hospitalization in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam. Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken of motorcyclists who were injured as the result of a crash and were admitted to hospital for more than 24 h. Information was collected using a researcher-administered questionnaire and a medical record review. Descriptive statistics and a multiple logistic regression model were undertaken. The outcome of interest was severity of the injury, measured using the Injury Severity Score (ISS). Results: A total of 352 hospitalized motorcyclists were included in the study, of which 6.8% (n = 24) were classified as severe injuries (ISS > 15). At the time of the crash, 41% of participants were not licensed to drive a motorcycle, 26% were speeding, 13% were not wearing a helmet, and 9% were using their mobile phone. The results of the multiple logistic regression model found that not being licensed to drive a motorcycle (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18–9.34) and crashing at nighttime (AOR = 4.28; 95% CI, 1.33–13.78) were significantly associated with increased injury severity among hospitalized motorcyclists. Conclusions: This study highlighted several high-risk behaviors among hospitalized motorcyclists in Vietnam. In addition, the study found that being unlicensed and crashing at night were associated with higher injury severity among hospitalized motorcyclists. The findings suggest that prevention and enforcement interventions targeting high-risk behaviors may reduce the significant morbidity and mortality associated with motorcycle crashes in Vietnam.
Bacteriologically Determined De Novo Tuberculosis during Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Inhibitor Therapy

A 58-year-old man with Crohn's disease received adalimumab for 13 months after screening results for tuberculosis were found to be negative. He was diagnosed with de novo mediastinal lymph-node tuberculosis, which was proved to be bacteriologically identical to that of an individual with smear positive lung tuberculosis by a variable number of tandem repeat analyses. After initiating anti-tuberculosis therapy, the patient developed immune reconstitution syndrome, which was improved by the re-administration of adalimumab. Even in countries with an intermediate tuberculosis burden, including Japan, we need to be alert for de novo tuberculosis as well as its reactivation during tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitor therapy.
MicroRNA-15a Regulates the Differentiation of Intramuscular Preadipocytes by Targeting ACAA1, ACOX1 and SCP2 in Chickens

Our previous studies showed that microRNA-15a (miR-15a) was closely related to intramuscular fat (IMF) deposition in chickens; however, its regulatory mechanism remains unclear. Here, we evaluated the expression characteristics of miR-15a and its relationship with the expression of acetyl-CoA acyltransferase 1 (ACAA1), acyl-CoA oxidase 1 (ACOX1) and sterol carrier protein 2 (SCP2) by qPCR analysis in Gushi chicken breast muscle at 6, 14, 22, and 30 weeks old, where we performed transfection tests of miR-15a mimics in intramuscular preadipocytes and verified the target gene of miR-15a in chicken fibroblasts (DF1). The miR-15a expression level at 30 weeks increased 13.5, 4.5, and 2.7-fold compared with the expression levels at 6, 14, and 22 weeks, respectively. After 6 days of induction, miR-15a over-expression significantly promoted intramuscular adipogenic differentiation and increased cholesterol and triglyceride accumulation in adipocytes. Meanwhile, 48 h after transfection with miR-15a mimics, the expression levels of ACAA1, ACOX1 and SCP2 genes decreased by 56.52%, 31.18% and 37.14% at the mRNA level in intramuscular preadipocytes. In addition, the co-transfection of miR-15a mimics and ACAA1, ACOX1 and SCP2 3′UTR (untranslated region) dual-luciferase vector significantly inhibited dual-luciferase activity in DF1 cells. Taken together, our data demonstrate that miR-15a can reduce fatty acid oxidation by targeting ACAA1, ACOX1, and SCP2, which subsequently indirectly promotes the differentiation of chicken intramuscular preadipocytes.
Validation of an LC-MS/MS Method for the Quantification of 13 Designer Benzodiazepines in Blood.

The misuse of designer benzodiazepines, as an alternative to prescription benzodiazepines and for drug-facilitated sexual assaults, has emerged as a growing threat, due in part to the ease of purchasing these drugs on the internet at low prices. Causing concern for safety is the lack of dosage information resulting in users self-medicating, often leading to unintended overdoses, coma or death at higher doses. With limited published data regarding the quantification of designer benzodiazepines in forensic cases, a method was validated for the determination of 13 designer benzodiazepines in postmortem blood, to add to the in-house method that already included a limited number of common designer benzodiazepines. The developed method included 3-hydroxyphenazepam, clobazam, clonazolam, delorazepam, deschloroetizolam, diclazepam, flualprazolam, flubromazepam, flubromazolam, flunitrazolam, meclonazepam, nifoxipam and pyrazolam in 0.5 mL postmortem blood using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The analytes were treated with solid phase extraction before undergoing separation on a C18 column and analyzed on the mass spectrometer in electrospray positive mode using multiple reaction monitoring. The linear range of the calibration curve was 1-200 ng/mL and up to 500 ng/mL for 3-hydroxyphenazepam, clobazam, flubromazepam and pyrazolam. The limits of detection and quantitation were 0.5 ng/mL (signal-to-noise ratio >3) and 1 ng/mL, respectively. The calculated bias, intra-day imprecision, relative standard deviation (RSD) and inter-day imprecision RSD were ±12%, 3-20% and 4-21%. Matrix effects ranged from -52% to 33% with RSD values ranging from 3-20%, indicating consistent effects throughout multiple sources. Recovery ranged from 35 to 90%, where only two compounds were <50%. Other parameters tested included carryover, stability, interference and dilution integrity, which all yielded acceptable results. With the application of this method to blood specimens from the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner, this validated method proved to be simple, reproducible, sensitive and robust.
Behavioral and cardiovascular effects of a single dose of gabapentin or melatonin in cats: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Objectives The aim of this study was to verify whether a single oral dose of gabapentin (100 mg) or melatonin (3 mg) given 60 mins before a cardiac evaluation would reduce anxiety without interfering with heart rate (HR), systemic blood pressure (SBP), electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiographic indexes. Methods Seventy-five client-owned healthy cats underwent two sets of cardiac assessments 60 mins apart, randomly divided into gabapentin, melatonin and placebo groups. The interval between treatment and the second ECG and SBP measurement was 60 mins, and 70 mins for echocardiography. A compliance score (CS) classified the behavior, focusing on the ease of handling. Results Most variables did not change between the examinations. The placebo group showed more significant changes (SBP, tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion, HR during echocardiography, aortic flow velocity, S′ wave from lateral mitral annulus), but they were not considered to be hemodynamically relevant. Gabapentin and melatonin significantly increased the cats’ compliance without interfering with cardiac assessment. Eight cats presented with mild sedation, seven after gabapentin and one after melatonin. No major side effects were observed. Conclusions and relevance Gabapentin tranquilized the cats when it was given 60 mins prior to ECG and SBP measurement, and 70 mins prior to echocardiography, without interfering with systolic echocardiographic indexes. Melatonin also decreased the CS, but without sedation in most cases. The waiting period may have relaxed the cats in the placebo group, resulting in lower SBP measurements. However, this tranquility did not last as some echocardiographic changes signaled a sympathetic predominance.
Type D personality, medication adherence and peritonitis in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis patients

ABSTRACT The present study attempted to investigate the association among Type D, medication adherence and peritonitis in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients. Type D personality was assessed by the Chinese 14-item Type D Personality Scale (DS14) in CAPD patients. Patients’ medication adherence was assessed by the Medication Adherence Report Scale, retrospectively. Of the 385 CAPD patients who were investigated, 137 (35.6%) patients had a Type D personality. The medication adherence was significantly poorer in the Type Ds compared with that of the non-Type Ds (21.5 ± 2.8 vs. 22.5 ± 2.5 score, p = 0.002). Using multiple linear regression analysis, we found that Type D personality was independently associated with medication adherence (β = 0.56, p < 0.05). Furthermore, the overall peritonitis-free survival rate of non-Type Ds was significantly higher than that of Type Ds (X2 = 4.41, p = 0.025). Using Cox regression, Type D personality (HR 1.67; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07–2.59; p = 0.022) and adherence to bag exchange procedure (HR 1.54; 95% CI 1.11–2.14; p = 0.009) predicted the development of the first peritonitis, even after adjustment for confounders. The current study is the first to identify a strong association among Type D, medication adherence and peritonitis in CAPD patients.
Carpal tunnel decompression in patients with normal nerve conduction studies

Some patients present with typical clinical features of carpal tunnel syndrome despite normal nerve conduction studies. This study compared the preoperative and 1-year postoperative QuickDASH scores in patients with normal and abnormal nerve conduction studies, who underwent carpal tunnel decompression. Of the 637 patients included in the study, 19 had clinical features of carpal tunnel syndrome but normal nerve conduction studies, and underwent decompression after failure of conservative management. Preoperative QuickDASH scores were comparable in both groups (58 vs 54.8). However, there were significant differences between the normal and abnormal nerve conduction study groups in the QuickDASH at 1 year (34.9 vs 21.5) and change in QuickDASH postoperatively (23.1 vs 33.4). Patients with normal nerve conduction studies had comparable preoperative disability scores compared with those with abnormal studies. Although they had a significant improvement in QuickDASH at 1 year, this was significantly less than those with abnormal nerve conduction studies. Level of evidence: III
The PERSONS score: A new tool for cancer patients’ symptom assessment in simultaneous care and home care settings

Abstract Background Scientific societies recommend early interaction between oncologic and supportive care, but there is still a lack of systematic evaluations regarding symptoms from the perspective of oncologists. Patients and methods The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the PERSONS score, in both “simultaneous care” and “supportive care” settings using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) as a comparator. Results From November 2017 to April 2018, 67 and 110 consecutive patients were enrolled in outpatient and home care cohorts, respectively. The final study population comprised 163 patients. There were no significant changes over time in the total PERSONS scores and total ESAS scale. The intra-interviewer reliability (ICC2,1) and inter-interviewer reliability (ICC2,k) showed good reproducibility (test-retest) in each group of patients: 0.60 (0.49–0.70) and 0.82 (0.75–0.87), respectively, for the home care patients and 0.73 (0.62–0.81) and 0.89 (0.83–0.93), respectively, for the outpatient cohort. There were high correlations between PERSONS and ESAS, both at the baseline and final assessments. The mean PERSONS and ESAS scores between the home care patients and outpatients were not different at the baseline and final assessments. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve for the PERSONS total score revealed good diagnostic ability. Area under the curve (AUC) was 0.825 and 0.805 for improvement and deterioration, respectively. Conclusions The PERSONS score is an easy to apply tool for symptom assessment. Importantly, the PERSONS score showed high concordance with the established ESAS scale and, therefore, provides an alternative for everyday use in supportive care assessment.
Microarray Analysis of circRNA Expression Pattern in Corneal Neovascularization.

PURPOSE To identify differentially expressed circular RNAs (circRNAs) in corneal neovascularization. METHODS We established an alkali burn-induced corneal neovascularization model and performed circRNA expression profiling to identify differentially expressed circRNAs between avascular corneas and vascularized corneas. Gene ontology enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses of the host genes of dysregulated circRNAs were performed to determine the related biological modules and pathological pathways. Real-time polymerase chain reactions were performed to detect the expression pattern of circRNAs in the clinical samples. In vitro experiments were performed to determine the role of circRNAs in vascular endothelial angiogenic effects. RESULTS Two hundred twenty-nine circRNAs were differentially expressed between avascular corneas and vascularized corneas. The host genes of dysregulated circRNAs were targeted to cell cycle (biologic process), cytoplasm (cellular component), and protein binding (molecular function). Rap1 signaling was identified as the most enriched signaling pathway. Clinical studies showed that the human ortholog of cZFP609 and cKifap3 was dysregulated in the vascularized human corneas. cKifap3 silencing facilitated vascular endothelial angiogenic effects by regulating endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that circRNAs are involved in the pathogenesis of corneal neovascularization. cZFP609 and cKifap3 may serve as promising targets for the treatment of corneal neovascularization.
Through the Lens of Postcolonial Theory: Establishing Global North-South Partnerships.

AIM This study used postcolonial theory as a critical lens to examine the factors that supported or hindered equitable partnership formation within an innovative international service-learning (ISL) program in nursing education. BACKGROUND As ISL programs proliferate, ethical concerns have arisen as minimal attention has been given to both the host and visiting partners' experience and perceptions and how these impact partnership development and outcomes. METHOD A hybrid intrinsic, instrumental, single embedded case study design, including observations, interviews (n = 70), and document analysis, was used to analyze in depth varied partnerships within a US-Kenyan ISL program. RESULTS Central themes of dispelling assumptions, making connections, revealing privilege, and sharing power emerged and formed a theoretical model, Establishing and Strengthening Partnerships. CONCLUSION Attention needs to be given to preconceived assumptions, imbalances in privilege, and issues surrounding power and decision-making for equitable, impactful, partnership development. Leadership philosophy, style, and approach make a difference.
Supplementing glycine, serine, and threonine in low protein diets for meat type chickens

Reducing dietary protein has been of interest to the global poultry industry to improve bird health, welfare, and industry sustainability. Low protein (LP) diets are typically glycine (Gly) deficient and produce poor performance. Supplementing the diet with Gly or precursors of Gly can overcome this deficiency. A feeding experiment was conducted with 330 Ross 308 off-sex males across 5 treatments in a randomized design using 11 birds per pen replicated 6 times. Grower and finisher treatments were fed from day 7 to 21 and day 21 to 35, respectively. The objective was to test the efficacy of supplementation with Gly and Gly equivalents (Glyequiv), serine (Ser) and threonine (Thr), in plant-based LP diets on bird performance against a standard protein (SP) diet containing meat and bone meal. Glycine, Ser, or Thr were supplemented on Glyequiv basis to an approximately 3% lower CP diet to achieve the same digestible Gly and Ser level as the SP diet. Nitrogen efficiency, serum uric acid, blood plasma amino acids (AA) and AA digestibility were also investigated to monitor potential metabolic effects. Birds fed the LP diet were only 3.3% lower in final body weight than the SP treatment (2,556 vs. 2,641 g) while the supplementation of Gly or Ser had no effect. Supplementation of Thr reduced final body weight by 9.5% (P < 0.05). Reducing CP increased N efficiency by 9.6% (P < 0.05) and decreased blood serum uric acid by 26.9% (P < 0.001) in the finisher treatments. Glycine and Ser supplementation in LP diets had no effect on these parameters. The LP diet reduced AA digestibility and blood plasma AA while the supplementation with either Gly, Ser, or Thr increased overall AA digestibility (P < 0.05) but had no overall effect on blood plasma AA. Further research is required into Gly metabolism; however, Thr supplementation depressed growth and therefore is not feasible to cover Gly deficiency in LP diets on a Glyequiv basis.
Zebrafish as a Model for the Study of Live in vivo Processive Transport in Neurons

Motor proteins are responsible for transport of vesicles and organelles within the cell cytoplasm. They interact with the actin cytoskeleton and with microtubules to ensure communication and supply throughout the cell. Much work has been done in vitro and in silico to unravel the key players, including the dynein motor complex, the kinesin and myosin superfamilies, and their interacting regulatory complexes, but there is a clear need for in vivo data as recent evidence suggests previous models might not recapitulate physiological conditions. The zebrafish embryo provides an excellent system to study these processes in intact animals due to the ease of genetic manipulation and the optical transparency allowing live imaging. We present here the advantages of the zebrafish embryo as a system to study live in vivo processive transport in neurons and provide technical recommendations for successful analysis.
Health-related Quality of Life in Newly Diagnosed Pediatric Celiac Disease Patients.

OBJECTIVES Celiac disease (CD) is a common chronic condition with potential adverse physical and psychosocial implications for affected children. The study purpose was to characterize health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in a large sample of pediatric patients with newly diagnosed CD using the PedsQL™ 4.0 Generic Core Scales, and compare it to that of healthy children and children with non-celiac GI conditions using historic data. METHODS The PedsQL™ was administered to 159 children with newly diagnosed CD and their parents at either the time of diagnostic esophagogastroduodenoscopy or prior to their initial dietitian appointment for gluten-free diet teaching. Mean parent-report and self-report PedsQL™ summary and subscale scores were calculated, then compared to published means from a sample of healthy children and a sample of children with non-celiac GI symptoms using one-sample t-tests. RESULTS Compared to the healthy children, those with newly diagnosed CD had lower Total Scores, Physical Health, Psychosocial Health, Emotional Functioning, and School Functioning on parent-report (p < 0.008) with similar findings on self-report. Within the CD sample, clinically significant scores were found in 55.9% for School Functioning, 62.7% for Physical Health, 54.4% for Emotional Functioning, 43.7% for Social Functioning, and 49% for Total Score. CONCLUSIONS Children and adolescents with newly diagnosed CD had lower HRQOL than healthy children and similar HRQOL to that of patients with non-celiac GI conditions. Patients with deficits in domains such as school or emotional functioning may benefit from early interventions including a Section 504 plan or meeting with a psychologist or social worker.
Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial with clinical, neurophysiological, laboratory and radiological outcome for surgical versus non-surgical treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis: the Uppsala Spinal Stenosis Trial (UppSten)

Introduction Symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis is the most common indication for spinal surgery. However, more than one-third of the patients undergoing surgery for lumbar stenosis report dissatisfaction with the results. On the other hand, conservative treatment has shown positive results in some cases. This trial will compare the outcomes of surgical versus non-surgical treatment for lumbar stenosis. The study includes a multidimensional follow-up, aiming to study the association between outcome and other studied parameters, mainly electromyography and nerve conduction. Moreover, it may contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of lumbar stenosis and to the development of future pharmacological treatments. Methods and analysis UppSten is a single-centre randomised controlled trial in which 150 patients with symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis will be randomised into one of two treatment arms. The patients in the surgical arm will undergo laminectomy; the patients in the non-surgical arm will be given a structured physical training programme. The primary outcome of the study will be the Oswestry Disability Index. Secondary outcomes will include motor amplitude and degree of denervation activity obtained by means of nerve conduction studies and electromyography. Patient-reported outcome measures will be also used as secondary outcomes. Blood sample analysis and the investigation of potential inflammation markers are the additional secondary outcome parameters. Laboratory evaluation will include blood sample collection before the treatment initiation and after 6 months. Flavum ligament biopsies will be performed in the surgical group. Finally, tertiary outcomes will include neurophysiological measures, the objective walking ability and radiological evaluation. Ethics and dissemination The study is approved by the Local Ethics Committee (Dnr 2017–506), the Hospital’s Clinical Trials Committee (2018–0001) and the National Biobank Council and Uppsala Biobank (BbA-827-2018-025). The results will be presented in peer-reviewed journals and at international conferences. Trial registration number NCT03495661