Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Imaging of neuroinflammation in migraine with aura

Objective To determine if migraine with aura is associated with neuroinflammation, which has been suggested by preclinical models of cortical spreading depression (CSD) as well as imaging of human pain conditions. Methods Thirteen migraineurs with aura and 16 healthy controls received integrated PET/MRI brain scans with [11C]PBR28, a radioligand that binds to the 18 kDa translocator protein, a marker of glial activation. Standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) was compared between groups, and regressed against clinical variables, using region of interest and whole-brain voxelwise analyses. Results Compared to healthy controls, migraineurs demonstrated SUVR elevations in nociceptive processing areas (e.g., thalamus and primary/secondary somatosensory and insular cortices) as well as in areas previously shown to be involved in CSD generation (visual cortex). SUVR levels in frontoinsular cortex, primary/secondary somatosensory cortices, and basal ganglia were correlated with frequency of migraine attacks. Conclusions These findings demonstrate that migraine with aura is associated with neuroimmune activation/neuroinflammation, and support a possible link between CSD and glial activation, previously observed in animals.
Subjective sleep quality as a mediator in the relationship between pain severity and sustained attention performance in patients with fibromyalgia

Pain severity and sleep are associated with cognitive performance in patients with fibromyalgia. This study examined whether sleep mediates the relationships of pain severity with psychomotor vigilance and attention in patients with fibromyalgia by analysing 80 patients with fibromyalgia. Cognitive performance, pain severity and sleep parameters were determined using the Psychomotor Vigilance Task, Brief Pain Inventory–Short Form and sleep diaries of seven consecutive nights, respectively. The patients’ demographic data were analysed for potential confounding factors. After adjustment for these confounders, a series of regression analyses was performed to examine the mediating role of sleep. The results indicated that higher pain severity was strongly associated with poorer sustained attention and lower sleep quality, the total effects of pain severity on psychomotor vigilance and attention were significant (c path: β = 0.23, p = 0.04), and pain severity was a significant sleep quality predictor (a path: β = −0.33, p < 0.01). When sleep quality was entered into the regression model (a × b path), the effects of pain severity on psychomotor vigilance and attention became non‐significant (c′ path: β = 0.15, p = 0.20) after adjustment of age, indicating a complete mediating effect of sleep quality in the pain severity–cognitive performance relationship. In conclusion, sleep quality mediates the pain severity–cognitive performance relationship: pain affects sleep quality, which in turn impairs sustained attention. Our findings provide further insight into the processes underlying the relationship between pain and poor cognitive function. Improved sleep quality may offset the detrimental effects of pain on sustained attention.
Becoming electro‐hypersensitive: A replication study

Idiopathic Environmental Intolerance attributed to Electromagnetic Fields (IEI‐EMF) is an emerging environmental illness that is characterized by the attribution of various symptoms to electromagnetic fields (EMF). To date, research has not succeeded in objectifying the illness’ semiology or etiology. IEI‐EMF remains impossible to define other than in terms of the attributions of the persons affected. Yet, the genesis of these attributions is still not well understood. This study's objective is to replicate previous results relating to them, while correcting their limitations. Sixteen electro‐hypersensitive (EHS) subjects lent themselves to both a sociological interview and a medical interview, and completed a set of standardized questionnaires. Three distinct types of biographical trajectories leading to persons becoming convinced of their hypersensitivity were identified, which were called the Reticent Attribution model, the Prior Attribution model, and the By Proxy Attribution model. These three models of EHS attribution process do not appear to lead to clinically distinct forms of IEI‐EMF. What distinguishes them is the way in which the initial suspicion of the electromagnetic environment emerges. They demonstrate a diversification of the pathways to IEI‐EMF. Nonetheless, in each model, the learning process that enables the EHS attribution to be materialized and operationalized is identical. The ability to establish causation between the electromagnetic environment and their condition is therefore the result of EHS subjects’ trajectories, rather than their starting point. This observation is not congruent with models attributing IEI‐EMF to nocebo reactions, which raises the question of these models’ ecological validity. Bioelectromagnetics. 2019;9999:XX–XX. © 2019 Bioelectromagnetics Society.
Assessment of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET Accuracy in Localizing Recurrent Prostate Cancer: A Prospective Single-Arm Clinical Trial.

Importance In retrospective studies, 68Ga-PSMA-11 positron emission tomographic (PET) imaging improves detection of biochemically recurrent prostate cancer compared with conventional imaging. Objective To assess 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET accuracy in a prospective multicenter trial. Design, Setting, and Participants In this single-arm prospective trial conducted at University of California, San Francisco and University of California, Los Angeles, 635 patients with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer after prostatectomy (n = 262, 41%), radiation therapy (n = 169, 27%), or both (n = 204, 32%) underwent 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET. Presence of prostate cancer was recorded by 3 blinded readers on a per-patient and per-region base. Lesions were validated by histopathologic analysis and a composite reference standard. Main Outcomes and Measures Endpoints were positive predictive value (PPV), detection rate, interreader reproducibility, and safety. Results A total of 635 men were enrolled with a median age of 69 years (range, 44-95 years). On a per-patient basis, PPV was 0.84 (95% CI, 0.75-0.90) by histopathologic validation (primary endpoint, n = 87) and 0.92 (95% CI, 0.88-0.95) by the composite reference standard (n = 217). 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET localized recurrent prostate cancer in 475 of 635 (75%) patients; detection rates significantly increased with prostate-specific antigen (PSA): 38% for <0.5 ng/mL (n = 136), 57% for 0.5 to <1.0 ng/mL (n = 79), 84% for 1.0 to <2.0 ng/mL (n = 89), 86% for 2.0 to <5.0 ng/mL (n = 158), and 97% for ≥5.0 ng/mL (n = 173, P < .001). Interreader reproducibility was substantial (Fleiss κ, 0.65-0.78). There were no serious adverse events associated with 68Ga-PSMA-11 administration. PET-directed focal therapy alone led to a PSA drop of 50% or more in 31 of 39 (80%) patients. Conclusions and Relevance Using blinded reads and independent lesion validation, we establish high PPV for 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET, detection rate and interreader agreement for localization of recurrent prostate cancer. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifiers: NCT02940262 and NCT03353740.
Convolutional neural network acoustic model for robust Indonesian speech recognition in noisy environment

Noise causes the decreasing accuracy of automatic speech recognition (ASR). Several techniques have been developed and proposed to overcome this problem. Using artificial neural network (ANN) as acoustic model is one of the techniques. Convolutional neural network (CNN) is a variant of ANN that has been used for acoustic modeling. Another approach is to do pre-processing to the speech signal or to the extracted acoustic feature from speech signal, such as cepstral mean and variance normalization (CMVN). On this work, CNN acoustic models were trained by using CMVN pre-processed acoustic feature to make a noise-robust speech recognition system. Two group of models were made, each to handle 2 kinds of noise (babble noise and street noise). Those acoustic models were tested with noisy speech at different SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) value. Testing results from CNN acoustic models were compared with the ones from Gaussian Mixture Model-Hidden Markov Model (GMM-HMM) acoustic models. Testing results showed the increasing accuracy scores of acoustic models when models were trained using more variation of training data. CNN acoustic models that were trained using FBANK feature have higher accuracy scores than GMM-HMM models that were built using the same feature.
Psychological contribution to understanding the nature of dry eye disease: a cross-sectional study of anxiety sensitivity and dry eyes

ABSTRACT Dry eye disease (DED) represents a common health problem in the general population. Previous studies have demonstrated that the subjective symptoms of dry eye are associated with several psychological factors, including depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. However, there is a lack of empirical information about the mechanisms underlying the relationships between DED and various psychological symptoms. In light of emerging evidence of its trans-diagnostic nature, anxiety sensitivity (i.e. AS) represents one promising factor for further understanding DED. The present study aimed to explore whether anxiety sensitivity plays a role in the perception of DED symptoms in a community-based sample of adults aged 20–89 years (N = 381; M = 39.72, SD = 12.6). A dry ocular surface was reported by 22.8% of the participants. As expected, women more often reported symptoms of dry eye that could be categorized as moderate to severe. The findings demonstrated that AS, and the AS-psychological concerns dimension in particular, predict the intensity of dry eye symptoms above and beyond depressive and anxiety symptoms. These findings add to a growing body of work underscoring the relevance of AS in increasing the risk of chronic medical conditions.
Evaluation of quality of life in patients after cochlear implantation surgery in 2014-2017.

INTRODUCTION Profound hearing loss significantly affects the quality of life of deaf people as well as their families. Observation of the benefit from the use of cochlear implants in deaf patients allows to assess the success of treatment with this method and its impact on the quality of life of these patients. The aim of this study was to determine the quality of life in patient after the cochlear implantation in the material of Department of Phoniatrics and Audiology of the Medical University in Poznań. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study involved implanted patients who voluntarily joined to the project entitled "Observational study of the implanted patient (Cochlear-IROS)". It has a prospective character, it is an international and long-term study, covering the observation of patients up to three years after implantation. Standardized HUI and SSQ questionnaires were used. 70 patients were included in the analysis, the mean age at the time of the cochlear implantation was 47.6 years. In the research group there were 33 men and 37 women. In the whole group, the patients' age at implantation was at least 18 years, max. 80 years. RESULTS The results of the SSQ questionnaire, which deals with the self-assessment of hearing ability in everyday situations, indicate that in the subjective assessment of patients one year after surgery the speech hearing improved by 77%, spatial hearing by 84%, and the quality of hearing by 49%. The general quality of life before the first connection of the sound processor according to the HUI questionnaire, the patients rated at 0.49 (0-1 scale, where 0 - corresponds to the death condition and 1 - full health). After one year from the implantation, this rating increased to 0.56. CONCLUSIONS The implantation of the cochlear implant significantly increases the patient's quality of life, its physical and emotional functioning. Statistically significant better self-assessment of patients mainly concerned hearing speech and spatial hearing - especially after 1 year of connecting the speech processor.
Emerging technologies in organ preservation, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine: a blessing or curse for transplantation?

Since the beginning of transplant medicine in the 1950s, advances in surgical technique and immunosuppressive therapy have created the success story of modern organ transplantation. However, today more than ever, we are facing a huge discrepancy between organ supply and demand, limiting the potential for transplantation to save and improve the lives of millions. To address the current limitations and shortcomings, a variety of emerging new technologies focusing on either maximizing the availability of organs or on generating new organs and organ sources hold great potential to eventully overcoming these hurdles. These advances are mainly in the field of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. This review gives an overview of this emerging field and its multiple sub‐disciplines and highlights recent advances and existing limitations for widespread clinical application and potential impact on the future of transplantation.
Comparison of Modern and Pleistocene (MIS 5e) Coastal Boulder Deposits from Santa Maria Island (Azores Archipelago, NE Atlantic Ocean)

Modern and palaeo-shores from Pleistocene Marine Isotope Substage 5e (MIS 5e) featuring prominent cobble/boulder deposits from three locations, on the southern and eastern coast of Santa Maria Island in the Azores Archipelago, were compared, in order to test the idea of higher storminess during the Last Interglacial. A total of 175 basalt clasts from seven transects were measured manually in three dimensions perpendicular to one another. Boulders that exceeded the minimum definitional diameter of 25 cm contributed to 45% of the clasts, with the remainder falling into the category of large cobbles. These were sorted for variations in shape, size, and weight pertinent to the application of two mathematical formulas to estimate wave heights necessary for traction. Both equations were based on the “Nott-Approach”, one of them being sensitive to the longest axis, the other to the shortest axis. The preponderance of data derived from the Pleistocene deposits, which included an intertidal invertebrate fauna for accurate dating. The island’s east coast at Ponta do Cedro lacked a modern boulder beach due to steep rocky shores, whereas raised Pleistocene palaeo-shores along the same coast reflect surged from an average wave height of 5.6 m and 6.5 m. Direct comparison between modern and Pleistocene deposits at Ponta do Castelo to the southeast and Prainha on the island’s south shore produced contrasting results, with higher wave heights during MIS 5e at Ponta do Castelo and higher wave heights for the modern boulder beach at Prainha. Thus, our results did not yield a clear conclusion about higher storminess during the Last Interglacial compared to the present day. Historical meteorological records pit the seasonal activity of winter storms arriving from the WNW-NW against the scant record of hurricanes arriving from the ESE-SE. The disparity in the width of the marine shelf around Santa Maria Island with broad shelves to the north and narrow shelves to the south and east suggested that periodic winter storms had a more regular role in coastal erosion, whereas the rare episodic recurrence of hurricanes had a greater impact on southern and southeastern rocky shores, where the studied coastal boulder deposits were located.
A Hierarchical Multilevel Approach in Assessing Factors Explaining Country-Level Climate Change Vulnerability

Assessing vulnerability is key in the planning of climate change adaptation policies and, more importantly, in determining actions increasing resilience across different locations. This study presents the results of a hierarchical linear multilevel modeling approach that utilizes as dependent variable the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN) Climate Change Vulnerability Index and explores the relative impact of a number of macro-level characteristics on vulnerability, including GDP, public debt, population, agricultural coverage and sociopolitical and institutional conditions. A 1995–2016 annual time series that yields a panel dataset of 192 countries is employed. Findings suggest that country-level climate change vulnerability is responding (strongly) to the majority of the explanatory variables considered. Findings also confirm that less-developed countries demonstrate increased vulnerability compared to the developed ones and those in transition stages. While these results indeed warrant further attention, they provide a background for a more nuanced understanding of aspects defining country-level patterns of climate vulnerability.
Faecal microbiota from patients with cirrhosis has a low capacity to ferment non‐digestible carbohydrates into short‐chain fatty acids

Cirrhosis is associated with dysbiosis, but its functional consequences are still largely unknown. Short‐chain fatty acids (SCFAs) account for physiological interactions between the gut microbiota and host. Our aim was to assess the impact of cirrhotic dysbiosis on the production of SCFAs.
Outcomes of patients lost to follow‐up after antiretroviral therapy initiation in rural north‐eastern South Africa

The vital status of patients lost to follow‐up often remains unknown in antiretroviral therapy (ART) programmes in sub‐Saharan Africa because medical records are no longer updated once the patient disengages from care. Thus, we aimed to assess the outcomes of patients lost to follow‐up after ART initiation in north‐eastern South Africa.
Metal and Nonmetal Codoped 3D Nanoporous Graphene for Efficient Bifunctional Electrocatalysis and Rechargeable Zn–Air Batteries

Developing bifunctional electrocatalysts with high activities and long durability for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is crucial toward the practical implementation of rechargeable metal–air batteries. Here, a 3D nanoporous graphene (np‐graphene) doped with both N and Ni single atoms/clusters is reported. The predoping of N by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) dramatically increases the Ni doping amount and stability. The resulting N and Ni codoped np‐graphene has excellent electrocatalytic activities for both the ORR and the OER in alkaline aqueous solutions. The synergetic effects of N and Ni dopants are revealed by density functional theory calculations. The free‐standing Ni,N codoped 3D np‐graphene shows great potential as an economical catalyst/electrode for metal–air batteries.
Veterans as Students in Higher Education: A Scoping Review.

AIM The aim of this study was to determine what is known about military veterans as students in higher education and inform nurse educators. BACKGROUND Military veterans are increasingly enrolling in higher education and in nursing programs and may provide a recruitment source for nursing education. METHOD A scoping review of literature published after 2011 was performed to determine characteristics of military veterans as students. Twelve sources were identified. RESULTS Military veterans have multiple strengths yet may also experience barriers to success. As a result, veterans may struggle to transition from the rigid military environment to the more relaxed college setting. CONCLUSION Military veterans may provide a recruitment source for the nursing workforce. Gaining knowledge of the strengths and barriers faced by these students may help nurse educators plan strategies for achieving academic success.
Text Engagement & Reading Strategy Use: A Case Study of Four Early Adolescent Students

Abstract To address the needs of middle school students who experience difficulty with reading, students are often placed in reading intervention programs to improve literacy skills. This study explores the question: in what ways do students successfully and unsuccessfully use self-initiated comprehension strategies in their efforts to engage with challenging texts? A case study of four seventh-grade students gives insight to how students engage with difficult texts through self-selected strategies. Placing an emphasis on students’ strengths, building positive student relationships, and valuing students’ abilities can encourage adolescents to transcend beyond deficit labels.
Rivaroxaban and the EINSTEIN clinical trial programme

&NA; Rivaroxaban, a direct oral anticoagulant, is widely used for the treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in adult patients. The approval of rivaroxaban for the treatment of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism and the extended secondary prevention of recurrent VTE is based on the results of the EINSTEIN DVT and EINSTEIN PE trials, and the EINSTEIN EXT and EINSTEIN CHOICE trials, respectively. This review provides an updated overview of these completed EINSTEIN studies in adult patients, including results of subanalyses in patients at high risk of recurrent VTE, and discusses the emerging data from the EINSTEIN Junior programme, which is evaluating the use of rivaroxaban for the treatment of paediatric VTE. In the EINSTEIN DVT and EINSTEIN PE trials, rivaroxaban (15 mg twice daily for 21 days, followed by 20 mg once daily thereafter) was shown to be an effective and safe alternative to standard anticoagulation for the treatment of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in a broad range of adult patients. These results are supported by increasing amounts of real-world data from patients treated with rivaroxaban in routine clinical practice worldwide. In the EINSTEIN EXT and EINSTEIN CHOICE trials, rivaroxaban was superior to placebo and acetylsalicylic acid, respectively, for the extended treatment of VTE – physicians can now choose between two doses of rivaroxaban (20 mg once daily or 10 mg once daily) for the extended prevention of recurrent VTE, based on a patient's risk of recurrence, bleeding and personal preferences.
Tissue-specific Hi-C analyses of rice, foxtail millet and maize suggest non-canonical function of plant chromatin domains

Chromatins are not randomly packaged in the nucleus and their organization plays important roles in transcription regulation. Using in situ Hi-C, we have compared the 3D chromatin architectures of rice mesophyll and endosperm, foxtail millet bundle sheath and mesophyll, and maize bundle sheath, mesophyll and endosperm tissues. We have also profiled their DNA methylation, open chromatin, histone modification and gene expression to investigate whether chromatin structural dynamics are associated with epigenome features changes. We found that plant global A/B compartment partitions are stable across tissues, while local A/B compartment has tissue-specific dynamic that is associated with differential gene expression. Plant domains are largely stable across tissues, while rare domain border changes are often associated with gene activation. Genes inside plant domains are not conserved across species, and lack significant co-expression behavior unlike those in mammalian cells. When comparing synteny gene pairs, we found those maize genes involved in gene island chromatin loops have shorter genomic distances in smaller genomes without gene island loops such as rice and foxtail millet, suggesting that they have conserved functions. Our study revealed that the 3D configuration of the plant chromatin is also complex and dynamic with unique features that need to be further examined.