Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Artificial intelligence: improving the efficiency of cardiovascular imaging

ABSTRACT Introduction Artificial intelligence (AI) describes the use of computational techniques to mimic human intelligence. In healthcare, this typically involves large medical datasets being used to predict a diagnosis, identify new disease genotypes or phenotypes, or guide treatment strategies. Noninvasive imaging remains a cornerstone for the diagnosis, risk stratification, and management of patients with cardiovascular disease. AI can facilitate every stage of the imaging process, from acquisition and reconstruction, to segmentation, measurement, interpretation, and subsequent clinical pathways. Areas covered In this paper, we review state-of-the-art AI techniques and their current applications in cardiac imaging, and discuss the future role of AI as a precision medicine tool. Expert opinion Cardiovascular medicine is primed for scalable AI applications which can interpret vast amounts of clinical and imaging data in greater depth than ever before. AI-augmented medical systems have the potential to improve workflow and provide reproducible and objective quantitative results which can inform clinical decisions. In the foreseeable future, AI may work in the background of cardiac image analysis software and routine clinical reporting, automatically collecting data and enabling real-time diagnosis and risk stratification.
Improving Pediatrician’s Behavioral Health Competencies Through the Project ECHO Teleconsultation Model

Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is a teleconsultation model for enhancing the treatment of underserved patients in primary care. Previous behavioral health (BH) adaptations of Project ECHO have primarily focused on adults or specific diagnoses and have relied on self-reported outcomes. The purpose of this pilot was to adapt Project ECHO to support pediatric primary care providers in addressing common BH needs and to conduct an initial evaluation of its effectiveness. Overall, participants reported high levels of satisfaction and a statistically significant improvement in their overall knowledge and skills (P = 0.001). Participation was also associated with a reduction in the use of psychotropic polypharmacy. This pilot adds to a growing body of literature suggesting that Project ECHO is a promising workforce development approach to build competencies for the management of BH issues in primary care.
Increased expression of genes in a radioresistant cell strain: modulation of hnRNP E2, Hsp90 and SSBP2 genes in γ-irradiated Chinese hamster V79 cells

The methotrexate-resistant cell strain M5, derived from Chinese hamster lung fibroblast cell line V79, provides a good model to study differential gene expression in response to stress. Genes coding for human homologues of myosin phosphatase (AF458589), filamin-like protein (AAA92644), phosphate transporter 1 (AAH199441) and hnRNP E2 (NP_035172.1) were upregulated in M5 as determined by RAP-PCR. The Gene Expression Array (GEArray) analysis showed increased expression of caspase-6 and Hsp90 in M5 cells compared to that observed in V79 cells. Genomic amplification of SSBP2 as well as its transcriptional upregulation was also detected in M5 cells. Following γ-irradiation, expressions of SSBP2, Hsp90 and hnRNP E2 increased steadily in V79 cells. However, expression of hnRNP K and hnRNP A2 genes decreased at first and then increased, while hnRNP C1 gene expression remained unaffected up to the time studied. Thus, SSBP2, Hsp90 and hnRNP E2 are involved in the radiation response of V79 cells.
Resin Impregnation Behavior in Processing of Unidirectional Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites

Abstract In order to fabricate composite components more rapidly, a micro-braiding technique has been proposed and investigated. In the present study, a simple model is proposed to predict resin impregnation process based on Darcy’s law and the continuity equation. Bending modulus was also modeled considering the difference between tensile and compressive moduli of a carbon fiber and resin impregnation. To confirm the validity of the models, carbon fiber reinforced polypropylene composites were molded under various molding conditions. Cross-sectional observation results indicated that, by using the model proposed, it was possible to predict resin impregnation. Four-point bending tests were also conducted on the composites. It is confirmed that bending moduli were well predicted based on the proposed model.
Two-dimensional video gait analysis: A systematic review of reliability, validity, and best practice considerations

Background: Motion capture systems are widely used to quantify human gait. Two-dimensional (2D) video systems are simple to use, easily accessible, and affordable. However, their performance as compared to other systems (i.e. three-dimensional (3D) gait analysis) is not well established. Objectives: This work provides a comprehensive review of design specifications and performance characteristics (validity and reliability) of two-dimensional motion capture systems. Study design: Systematic review. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in three databases from 1990 to 2019 and identified 30 research articles that met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. Results: Reliability of measurements of two-dimensional video motion capture was found to vary greatly from poor to excellent. Results relating to validity were also highly variable. Comparisons between the studies were challenging due to differences in protocols, instrumentation, parameters assessed, and analyses performed. Conclusions: Variability in performance could be attributed to study design, gait parameters being measured, and technical aspects. The latter includes camera specifications (i.e. resolution and frame rate), setup (i.e. camera position), and analysis software. Given the variability in performance, additional validation testing may be needed for specific applications involving clinical or research-based assessments, including specific patient populations, gait parameters, mobility tasks, and data collection protocols. Clinical relevance This review article provides guidance on the application of 2D video gait analysis in a clinical or research setting. While not suitable in all instances, 2D gait analysis has promise in specific applications. Recommendations are provided about the patient populations, gait parameters, mobility tasks, and data collection protocols.
Splash erosion and infiltration in relation to mulching and polyvinyl alcohol application in semi-arid tropics

Splash erosion, caused due to structural instability, leads to the formation of soil crust, which hampers infiltration rate of soils and affects the germination of seeds. To ensure the optimum infiltration rate and better germination, it is important that splash erosion and crusting are prevented. A study was carried out in sandy loam and silt loam soils to monitor the splash loss and infiltration rates in relation to application of straw mulch and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) under simulated rainfall. The treatments included spreading chopped wheat straw on tilled soil at a rate of 6 t ha−1 and spraying of 0.1 and 0.5% PVA solutions on tilled soil surface, in addition to an untreated tilled soil as control. The treatments were replicated four times. The straw mulch application decreased the mean splash loss by 68% compared to unmulched soil. The mean basic infiltration rate (IR) measured, as an index of soil crusting, was 54% higher in soils with mulch cover than in soils without mulching. The average splash loss decreased by 56% with 0.1% PVA and 84% with 0.5% PVA application compared to untreated soil. The mean basic IR did not increase significantly, when treated with 0.1% PVA solution compared to untreated soils, whereas 0.5% PVA application increased the basic IR by 77%. The effect of mulch and PVA in decreasing splash loss and increasing IR was more effective in sandy loam than in silt loam.
Genetic structure of Verticillium dahliae isolates infecting olive trees in Tunisia using AFLP, pathogenicity and PCR markers

Since 2006, verticillium wilt of olive induced by Verticillium dahliae has caused considerable economic losses in olive orchards in Tunisia. The genetic structure of V. dahliae isolates collected from different olive growing regions was investigated using virulence tests, vegetative compatibility grouping (VCG) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analyses. In total, 42 isolates of V. dahliae from diseased olive trees were tested. Cluster analysis and principal coordinate analysis revealed that geographic origin was the main factor determining the genetic structure of V. dahliae populations and both methods indicated a genetic separation between the central and coastal isolates. Isolates were divided into two major groups: the AFLP-I group included all isolates from Sidi Bouzid, Kairouan, Kasserine and Sfax (centre of the country) and the AFLP-II group included isolates from Monastir, Zaghouane, Sousse, Mahdia (coastal region), and two isolates from Sfax. Analysis of the molecular variance (amova) indicated a significant level of genetic differentiation among (76%) and within (23%) the two populations. Analyses of both the defoliating (D) and non-defoliating (ND) pathotypes and VCG markers indicated that most of the isolates belong to VCG 2A and 4B/ND pathotype. The disease severity was highly variable among the isolates tested (P < 0·05) with no evidence of association between aggressiveness and geographical origin of the isolates. Overall, results of this study revealed a clear association between the genetic diversity of the isolates and their geographic origin, but not between genetic diversity and virulence patterns.
Epstein–Barr virus‐positive inflammatory follicular dendritic cell sarcoma presenting as a solitary colonic mass: two rare cases and a literature review

Follicular dendritic cell (FDC) sarcoma is a rare neoplasm originating from follicular dendritic cells in germinal centres. It is classified as conventional and Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)‐positive inflammatory FDC sarcoma according to the 2019 World Health Organization classification of digestive system tumours; the latter is rarer. So in view of the rarity and difficulty in diagnosis, the aim of the manuscript is to share our experience of diagnosing EBV‐positive inflammatory FDC sarcoma.
Acute myeloid leukemia with NPM1 mutation and favorable European LeukemiaNet category: outcome after preemptive intervention based on measurable residual disease

In the European LeukemiaNet favourable risk category, allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) is not indicated in first complete remission for patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) with NPM1 mutations (ELNfav NPM1 AML), although a proportion of these patients will relapse. Given the prognostic importance of measurable residual disease (MRD), CETLAM‐12 considered a pre‐emptive intervention in patients with molecular failure (MF). We analyzed 110 ELNfav NPM1 AML patients achieving complete remission (CR) after induction chemotherapy. Two‐year cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR), overall survival (OS) and leukaemia‐free survival (LFS) were 17%, 81·5% and 82%, respectively. Forty‐six patients required additional therapy for MF (n = 33) or haematological relapse (HemR; n = 13), resulting in a molecular LFS (molLFS) and a cumulative incidence of MF at two years of 61% and 38% respectively. Two‐year OS for these 46 patients was 66%, with a different outcome between patients with MF (86%) and HemR (42%) (P = 0·002). Quantitative NPM1 detection at different timepoints was predictive of molLFS; an MRD ratio (NPM1mut/ABL1 × 100) cut‐off of 0·05 after first consolidation identified two cohorts with a two‐year molLFS of 77% and 40% for patients below and above 0·05, respectively. In conclusion, MRD‐based pre‐emptive intervention resulted in a favourable outcome for ELNfav NPM1 AML patients.
Identification of the diterpene esters in Arabica and Canephora coffees

Etude de la distribution des esters gras du cafestol et du kahweol dans du cafe Arabica et Canephora. La plupart des esters sont des derives du kahweol. Mise en evidence, dans le cafe Canephora, d'un autre diterpene, etant probablement le methoxy-16-cafestol. Application a la determination de l'origine geographique du cafe
Vitamin D status and vitamin D receptor genotypes in celiac disease: a meta-analysis

Abstract Background There have been various articles reporting relationship between Vitamin D (VitD) and celiac disease (CeD), but results remain controversial. This study aimed to conduct a meta‐analysis to systematically review and quantify the relationship between VitD and CeD. Moreover, difference in Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) genotypes between CeD patients and controls was also analyzed. Methods Articles published until July 20, 2019 in the PubMed, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases were searched. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, relevant statistical data were collated and extracted, which were finally analyzed by STATA15.1. Results 27 articles and 28 sets of data were included. It showed that average 25(OH)D level in CeD patients was 8.36 nmol/L lower than controls (Weighted Mean Difference (WMD) = −8.36, 95% CI = [−14.63, −2.09] nmol/L). After gluten-free diet treatment, we found that average 25(OH)D level in treated patients was 15.6 nmol/L higher than untreated patients (WMD = 15.6, 95% CI = [5.96, 25.23] nmol/L). In addition, 25(OH)D level in treated patients was close to healthy controls (WMD = −2.82, 95% CI = [−6.45, 0.73] nmol/L). However, genetic polymorphism analysis showed that there is no difference in VDR genotypes between CeD and control. Conclusions CeD had decreased serum 25(OH)D levels, which returned to normal after treatment, suggesting that VitD may play a role in the development of CeD. The directionality of this association cannot be confirmed from cross-sectional studies. Demonstration of a causal role of VitD deficiency in CeD development in future studies could have important therapeutic implications.
Macular crystalline inclusions in Sjögren-Larsson syndrome are dynamic structures that undergo remodeling

ABSTRACT Background Sjögren-Larsson syndrome (SLS) is a rare genetic neurocutaneous disease caused by mutations in ALDH3A2 that results in deficiency of fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase and accumulation of fatty aldehydes and alcohols. The disease is associated with ichthyosis, spasticity, and intellectual disability. Patients exhibit a characteristic retinopathy with macular crystalline inclusions that first appear in early childhood and increase with age. Once formed, the inclusions are thought to be inert and irreversible. We sought to document how the crystalline inclusions change over time. Materials and Methods Serial retinal photographs of 4 SLS subjects (9–23 years old) were taken over a period of 1–3 years. Images were compared by visual inspection and analyzed using ImageJ/Fiji software to observe changes. Results Visual inspection of retinal photographs of SLS subjects taken over time demonstrated distinctive changes in crystalline inclusions. New inclusions were formed and some established inclusions regressed. These changes were conveniently demonstrated with software-based photographic image analysis. Conclusions We conclude that macular inclusions in SLS are not simply inert deposits, but are dynamic structures that form over time and are subject to remodeling. This conclusion provides new insight into the interplay between the metabolic defect and retinal pathology in SLS, and raises the potential for new therapeutic approaches to reverse some aspects of the maculopathy.
Radiotracking of Myotis myotis (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) in South Tyrol and implications for its conservation

In Central Europe, greater mouse eared bats (Myotis myotis, Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) are simultaneously reliant on man (for maternity roosts) and adversely affected by him (e.g. landscape destruction). This is a common situation for most of the Central-European bat species. In South Tyrol, however, large maternity colonies of mouse eared bats are often situated amidst zones of intensive apple growing and they usually thrive. A radiotracking study conducted in July 2000 and 2001 shows strong foraging activity in the valley bottom and nearby slopes. The elongation of the home range was 15 km, core areas ranged from 2 to 6 km away from the nursery. The greater mouse eared bats mainly used intensively cultivated orchards and deciduous shrub forests. Mature forests, meadows and pastures were scarcely used. Unfortunately intensification in apple growing; eliminating high trees and covering orchards with hail nets, is an ongoing process. To preserve greater mouse eared bats it is necessary for them to continue using the orchards in the future. So it seems necessary to convince farmers that bats in the orchards are beneficial.
Alternative causes for range limits: a metapopulation perspective

All species have limited distributions at broad geographical scales. At local scales, the distribution of many species is influenced by the interplay of the three factors of habitat availability, local extinctions and colonization dynamics. We use the standard Levins metapopulation model to illustrate how gradients in these three factors can generate species’ range limits. We suggest that the three routes to range limits have radically different evolutionary implications. Because the Levins model makes simplifying assumptions about the spatial coupling of local populations, we present numerical studies of spatially explicit metapopulation models that complement the analytical model. The three routes to range limits give rise to distinct spatiotemporal patterns. Range limits in one species can also arise because of environmental gradients impinging upon other species. We briefly discuss a predator–prey example, which illustrates indirect routes to range limits in a metacommunity context.
The interactive effects of dietary protein and energy on feed intake, growth and protein utilization of juvenile mulloway (Argyrosomus japonicus)

The objectives of this study were to describe the interactive effects of varying digestible protein (DP) and digestible energy (DE) contents on the feed intake, growth, protein utilization and whole body composition of juvenile mulloway (Argyrosomus japonicus) and to determine the optimal DP : DE ratio for growth. This was achieved by feeding mulloway diets containing one of four different DP levels (250–550 g kg−1) at two DE levels (16 or 21 MJ kg−1). Juvenile mulloway were stocked at each of two different sizes (70 or 200 g) in triplicate groups for each dietary treatment and fed twice daily to apparent satiation over 58 days. The results indicated that feed intake was not governed solely by energy demands but was also dependant on the DP content of the diet. Protein utilization did not improve with diets containing decreasing protein and increasing lipid content indicating that mulloway have a limited capacity to spare DP. Optimal DP content was found to be 444–491 g kg−1 depending on the DE content of the diet and the size of mulloway and is within the range reported for other sciaenid species. The use of formulated diets with 28.6 g of DP MJ DE−1 will achieve optimal growth and protein deposition for 70–275 g mulloway.
Clearance of activity‐evoked K+ transients and associated glia cell swelling occur independently of AQP4: A study with an isoform‐selective AQP4 inhibitor

The mammalian brain consists of 80% water, which is continuously shifted between different compartments and cellular structures by mechanisms that are, to a large extent, unresolved. Aquaporin 4 (AQP4) is abundantly expressed in glia and ependymal cells of the mammalian brain and has been proposed to act as a gatekeeper for brain water dynamics, predominantly based on studies utilizing AQP4‐deficient mice. However, these mice have a range of secondary effects due to the gene deletion. An efficient and selective AQP4 inhibitor has thus been sorely needed to validate the results obtained in the AQP4−/− mice to quantify the contribution of AQP4 to brain fluid dynamics. In AQP4‐expressing Xenopus laevis oocytes monitored by a high‐resolution volume recording system, we here demonstrate that the compound TGN‐020 is such a selective AQP4 inhibitor. TGN‐020 targets the tested species of AQP4 with an IC50 of ~3.5 μM, but displays no inhibitory effect on the other AQPs (AQP1‐AQP9). With this tool, we employed rat hippocampal slices and ion‐sensitive microelectrodes to determine the role of AQP4 in glia cell swelling following neuronal activity. TGN‐020‐mediated inhibition of AQP4 did not prevent stimulus‐induced extracellular space shrinkage, nor did it slow clearance of the activity‐evoked K+ transient. These data, obtained with a verified isoform‐selective AQP4 inhibitor, indicate that AQP4 is not required for the astrocytic contribution to the K+ clearance or the associated extracellular space shrinkage.
The Fixed Childfree Subjectivity: Performing Meta-Facework about Sterilization on Reddit

ABSTRACT Although sterilization is the most common and effective form of birth control available, childfree individuals often report difficulty actually obtaining the procedure. The ideological and material constraints that impede access have been well documented, including physicians’ pronatalist perceptions that childless women will regret sterilization when they mature or meet the right partner. However, researchers have demonstrated that childfree women experience low levels of regret after sterilization, indicating that physicians’ reluctance is empirically unfounded. In order to mitigate physicians’ hesitancy, childfree individuals organize and communicate online in order to share health-related information, seek support, and engage in identity work to more effectively procure the procedure. The current study contributes to critical health, interpersonal, and family communication conversations by employing performative face theory to study online interactions on the childfree subreddit, the largest and most active online forum dedicated to child freedom. Through critical-qualitative analysis of a cross-section of subreddit posts about sterilization, this study demonstrates how subreddit discourse draws upon ideological and metaphorical associations to articulate the fixed childfree subjectivity, which rejects negative significations of regret in favor of positive notions of repair and permanence. Users further engage in subversive meta-facework, or facework presented online about facework users engaged in offline, which maintains shared face and denaturalizes taken-for-granted linkages between gender, identity, and parenthood. Implications for health activism across individual, relational, communal, and cultural levels are discussed.