Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Diabetes Distress Among Dyads of Patients and Their Health Supporters: Links With Functional Support, Metabolic Outcomes, and Cardiac Risk.

BACKGROUND Patients with diabetes (PWD) often experience diabetes distress which is associated with worse self-management and glycemic control. In contrast, PWD who receive support from family and friends (supporters) have better diabetes outcomes. PURPOSE To examine the associations of PWD diabetes distress and supporters' distress about PWDs' diabetes with supporters' roles and PWD cardiometabolic outcomes. METHODS We used baseline data from 239 adults with Type 2 diabetes and their supporters participating in a longitudinal trial. PWD and supporter diabetes distress (high vs. low) were determined using the Problem Areas in Diabetes Scale-5. Outcomes included PWD-reported help from supporters with self-care activities, supporter-reported strain, PWD metabolic outcomes (glycemic control [HbA1c], systolic blood pressure [SBP], and non-HDL cholesterol) and 5 and 10 year risk of cardiac event (calculated using the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study algorithm). RESULTS PWDs with high diabetes distress were more likely to report that their supporters helped with taking medications, coordinating medical care, and home glucose testing (p's < .05), but not more likely to report help with diet or exercise. High supporter distress was associated with greater supporter strain (p < .001). High supporter diabetes distress was associated with higher PWD HbA1c (p = .045), non-HDL cholesterol (p = .011), and 5 (p = .002) and 10 year (p = .001) cardiac risk. CONCLUSIONS Adults with high diabetes distress report more supporter help with medically focused self-management but not with diet and exercise. Supporter distress about PWD diabetes was consistently associated with worse outcomes. PWD diabetes distress had mixed associations with their diabetes outcomes.
The effects of Berberis vulgaris L. and Berberis aristata L. in metabolic syndrome patients: a systematic and meta-analysis study

Abstract Introduction This meta-analysis study assessed the effects of Berberis vulgaris L. and Berberis aristata L. in patients with metabolic syndrome Methods Data were analysed through “random-effects meta-regression” performance Results The findings indicated that LDL was 0.68 and 2.92 lower in the B. vulgaris L. and B. aristata L. -treated groups versus the controls. The HDL was 0.71-fold higher in the B. aristata L. -treated group versus the controls. The total-cholesterol levels were 1.02 and 2.25 folds lower in the B. vulgaris L. and B. aristata L. -treated groups versus the matched control groups. The triglyceride levels were 1.35 and 1.16-fold lower in the B. vulgaris L. and B. aristata L. -treated groups versus the controls. Glucose was 0.96 and 0.54 folds lower in the B. vulgaris L. and B. aristata L. -treated groups versus the control groups, respectively Conclusion B. vulgaris L. and B. aristata L. have beneficial effects in patients with metabolic syndrome.
Integration of Catholic Values and Professional Obligations in the Provision of Family Planning Services

Key Points Question How do Catholic obstetrician-gynecologists integrate their religious beliefs with family planning services? Findings In this qualitative study, 34 Catholic obstetrician-gynecologists were interviewed and demonstrated that their morality is developed and operationalized in a manner consistent with the Social-Cognitive Theory of Moral Thought and Action. Catholic values and professional obligations were differentially integrated and contributed to various practice patterns, ranging from provision of natural family planning only to abortion, and certain medical ethical principles were emphasized over others across these practice patterns. Meaning These findings suggest that physician morality among Catholic obstetrician-gynecologists is not uniform and involves varying reconciliations with respect to religious and professional expectations.
Factors affecting accuracy of estimated effective number of chromosome segments for numerically small breeds

Abstract For numerically small breeds, obtaining a sufficiently large breed‐specific reference population for genomic prediction is challenging or simply not possible, but may be overcome by adding individuals from another breed. To prioritize among available breeds, the effective number of chromosome segments (M e) can be used as an indicator of relatedness between individuals from different breeds. The M e is also an important parameter in determining the accuracy of genomic prediction. The M e can be estimated both within a population and between two populations or breeds, as the reciprocal of the variance of genomic relationships. However, the threshold for number of individuals needed to accurately estimate within or between populations M e is currently unknown. It is also unknown if a discrepancy in number of genotyped individuals in two breeds affects the estimates of M e between populations. In this study, we conducted a simulation that mimics current domestic cattle populations in order to investigate how estimated M e is affected by number of genotyped individuals, single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) density and pedigree availability. Our results show that a small sample of 10 genotyped individuals may result in substantial over or underestimation of M e. While estimates of within population M e were hardly affected by SNP density, between population M e values were highly dependent on the number of available SNPs, with higher SNP densities being able to detect more independent chromosome segments. When subtracting pedigree from genomic relationships before computing M e, estimates of within population M e were three to four times higher than estimates with genotypes only; however, between M e estimates remained the same. For accurate estimation of within and between population M e, at least 50 individuals should be genotyped per population. Estimates of within M e were highly affected by whether pedigree was used or not. For within M e, even the smallest SNP density (~11k) resulted in accurate representation of family relationships in the population; however, for between M e, many more markers are needed to capture all independent segments.
Diagnostic accuracy of non-contact infrared thermometers and thermal scanners: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Infrared thermal screening, via the use of handheld non-contact infrared thermometers (NCITs) and thermal scanners, has been widely implemented all over the world. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate its diagnostic accuracy for the detection of fever. We searched PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, medRxiv, bioRxiv, ClinicalTrials.gov, COVID-19 Open Research Dataset, COVID-19 research database, Epistemonikos, EPPI-Centre, World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, Scopus and Web of Science databases for studies where a non-contact infrared device was used to detect fever against a reference standard of conventional thermometers. Forest plots and Hierarchical Summary Receiver Operating Characteristics curves were used to describe the pooled summary estimates of sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic odds ratio. From a total of 1063 results, 30 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis, of which 19 were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.808 (95%CI 0.656-0.903) and 0.920 (95%CI 0.769-0.975), respectively, for the NCITs (using forehead as the site of measurement), and 0.818 (95%CI 0.758-0.866) and 0.923 (95%CI 0.823-0.969), respectively, for thermal scanners. The sensitivity of NCITs increased on use of rectal temperature as the reference. The sensitivity of thermal scanners decreased in a disease outbreak/pandemic setting. Changes approaching statistical significance were also observed on the exclusion of neonates from the analysis. Thermal screening had a low positive predictive value, especially at the initial stage of an outbreak, while the negative predictive value (NPV) continued to be high even at later stages. Thermal screening has reasonable diagnostic accuracy in the detection of fever, although it may vary with changes in subject characteristics, setting, index test, and the reference standard used. Thermal screening has a good NPV even during a pandemic. The policymakers must take into consideration the factors surrounding the screening strategy while forming ad-hoc guidelines.
The Association of Kidney Disease with Abnormal Cardiac Structure and Function among Ugandans with HIV Infection.

BACKGROUND People with HIV (PWH) are at increased risk of both heart and kidney disease, but the relationship between kidney disease and cardiac structure and function in this population has not been well studied. In particular, whether the relationship between kidney disease and cardiac structure and function is stronger for PWH compared to uninfected controls is unknown. METHODS One hundred PWH on antiretroviral therapy were compared with one hundred age- and sex-matched controls without HIV in Uganda. Multivariable regression models were used to examine associations between creatinine and cystatin C based estimates of glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) and echocardiographic measures of cardiac structure and function. RESULTS PWH had lower eGFRcr (β -7.486, 95% CI -13.868 to -1.104, p=0.022) and higher rate of ACR ≥30 (OR 2.146, 95% CI 1.027 to 4.484, p=0.042) after adjustment for traditional risk factors. eGFR was inversely associated with both LV mass index (LVMI) and diastolic dysfunction in adjusted models, but not with systolic function. Albuminuria was associated with more diastolic dysfunction among PWH but not controls (p for interaction = 0.046). The association of HIV with higher LVMI (p=0.005) was not substantially affected by adjusting for eGFRcr. CONCLUSION Among Ugandans, eGFR is associated with elevated LV mass and diastolic dysfunction. The association between albuminuria and diastolic dysfunction is particularly strong for PWH.
Genetic diversity of yellow-seeded rapeseed lines (Brassica napus L.) based on SSR markers

Genetic diversity of 19 yellow-seeded rapeseed was investigated by forty-two pairs of SSR primers. Three hundred and thirty-six alleles were detected by forty-two polymorphic primer pairs. The number of alleles per primer pair ranged from 2 to 21, with an average of 8 alleles per SSR locus. The value of allelic polymorphism information content (PIC) varied from 0.17~0.85, with an average of 0.73. Cluster analysis based on the molecular polymorphism by UPGAM showed that the 19 lines could be classified into four groups, which generally agrees with pedigree analysis. Furthermore, the 19 lines could be differentiated only with 4 primer pairs, namely NAS99, NAS98, NAS91 and NAS31 and the PIC of them are highly.
Characterizing the Patients, Hospitals, and Data Quality of the eICU Collaborative Research Database.

OBJECTIVES The eICU Collaborative Research Database is a publicly available repository of granular data from more than 200,000 ICU admissions. The quantity and variety of its entries hold promise for observational critical care research. We sought to understand better the data available within this resource to guide its future use. DESIGN We conducted a descriptive analysis of the eICU Collaborative Research Database, including patient, practitioner, and hospital characteristics. We investigated the completeness of demographic and hospital data, as well as those values required to calculate an Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation score. We also assessed the rates of ventilation, intubation, and dialysis, and looked for potential errors in the vital sign data. SETTING American ICUs that participated in the Philips Healthcare eICU program between 2014 and 2015. PATIENTS A total of 139,367 individuals who were admitted to one of the 335 participating ICUs between 2014 and 2015. INTERVENTIONS None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Most encounters were from small- and medium-sized hospitals, and managed by nonintensivists. The median ICU length of stay was 1.57 days (interquartile range, 0.82-2.97 d). The median Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation IV-predicted ICU mortality was 2.2%, with an observed mortality of 5.4%. Rates of ventilation (20-33%), intubation (15-24%), and dialysis (3-5%) varied according to the query method used. Most vital sign readings fell into realistic ranges, with manually curated data less likely to contain implausible results than automatically entered data. CONCLUSIONS Data in the eICU Collaborative Research Database are for the most part complete and plausible. Some ambiguity exists in determining which encounters are associated with various interventions, most notably mechanical ventilation. Caution is warranted in extrapolating findings from the eICU Collaborative Research Database to larger ICUs with higher acuity.
Who Belongs?: An Analysis of Ex-Mental Patients' Subjective Involvement in the Neighborhood.

What causes people with psychiatric disabilities to feel they belong in their neighborhood? This article examines predictors of belonging for a sample of former psychiatric patients in community settings. The authors consider what differentiates ex-patients who feel they belong in their neighborhoods from those who do not. For the sample as a whole, belonging primarily results from satisfaction with the dwelling. It depends neither on reception by neighbors nor on whether they live in sheltered care. Furthermore, there is nothing about sheltered care (i.e., a supervised residence) that makes people feel less belonging. For long-term sheltered care residents, belonging depends on neighbor relations and ease of arranging activities with house residents.
Utility of a Shortened Isometric Midthigh Pull Protocol for Assessing Rapid Force Production in Athletes

Abstract Suarez, DG, Carroll, KM, Slaton, JA, Rochau, KG, Davis, MW, and Stone, MH. Utility of a shortened isometric midthigh pull protocol for assessing rapid force production in athletes. J Strength Cond Res 36(7): 1819–1825, 2022—The purpose of this investigation was to determine the magnitude of difference, reliability, and relationship to performance of a shortened isometric midthigh pull (IMTP) protocol. Fourteen strength-trained men (age: 26.8 ± 5.0 years, height: 176.3 ± 6.9 cm, body mass: 86.8 ± 13.9 kg, and training age: 8.5 ± 6.9 years) performed 1-second (SHORT) and traditional (TRAD) IMTP protocols during consecutive weeks. Peak force (PF), instantaneous force (90 & 200 ms), rate of force development (RFD) (0–90 ms & 0–200 ms), and impulse (0–90 ms & 0–200 ms) from each protocol were collected. Paired samples t test and Hedge's g were calculated to determine the magnitude of difference in each variable between protocols. Within-session and between-session reliability was assessed with intraclass correlation coefficient, coefficient of variation, and 95% confidence intervals. Static jumps were performed to compare relationships of the IMTP variables from each protocol with jumping performance. There was no statistically significant (p > 0.05) difference in PF between the protocols (p = 0.345; g = −0.07). All early force-time variables were significantly higher in the SHORT protocol (p = <0.001–0.018; g = 0.38–0.79). The SHORT protocol resulted in more reliable RFD measures within-session. Correlations with jumping performance were mostly similar between protocols (r = 0.253–0.660). The SHORT IMTP protocol resulted in comparable PF values and considerably higher early force-time characteristics despite a restrained time to produce force and shorter rest. The SHORT protocol allows for an accurate assessment of rapid force-generating abilities while necessitating shorter collection periods than typical IMTP protocols.
Rapid and label‐free identification of different cancer types based on surface‐enhanced Raman scattering profiles and multivariate statistical analysis

Rapid detection and classification of cancer cells with label‐free and non‐destructive methods are helpful for rapid screening of cancer patients in clinical settings. Here, surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) was used for rapid, unlabeled, and non‐destructive detection of seven different cell types, including human cancer cells and non‐tumorous cells. Au nanoparticles were used as enhanced substrates and directly added to cell surfaces. The single cellular SERS signals could be easily and stably collected in several minutes, and the cells maintained structural integrity over one hour. Different types of cells had unique Raman phenotypes. By applying multivariate statistical analysis to the Raman phenotypes, the cancer cells and non‐tumorous cells were accurately identified. The high sensitivity enabled this method to discriminate subtle molecular changes in different cell types, and the accuracy reached 81.2% with principal components analysis and linear discriminant analysis. The technique provided a rapid, unlabeled, and non‐destructive method for the detection and identification of various cancer types.
The “PalliActive Caregivers” Intervention for Caregivers of Patients With Cancer in Palliative Care

This pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility and possible effects of the “PalliActive Caregivers,” nursing intervention, on the uncertainty in illness and quality of life of family caregivers of patients with cancer receiving palliative care. This pilot study used a randomized controlled design. The participants were 80 family caregivers. The experimental group received the novel “PalliActive Caregivers” intervention. Data were collected using a sociodemographic form, the Uncertainty in Illness Scale, the Quality of Life scale, and an Intervention satisfaction questionnaire. The caregivers who received the intervention “PalliActive Caregivers” reported a high degree of satisfaction (9.74 on a 10-point scale). The intervention showed a significant decrease in uncertainty regarding illness in the experimental group (P = .009), as well as a significant decrease in the psychological well-being of quality of life within the experimental and control groups, before and after the intervention (P = .013, P = .010). It is recommended that future studies using the “PalliActive Caregivers” intervention examine the effects on other variables such as the burden of patient's symptoms, caregiver burden and rewards, self-efficacy in symptom management, competence, unmet needs, and satisfaction with care.
Blockade of CCL2 expression overcomes intrinsic PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor-resistance in transglutaminase 2-induced PD-L1 positive triple negative breast cancer.

Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy, as a treatment for many tumors, has shown good efficacy. However, responses to immunotherapy did not always occur or last long. , i.e. primary or acquired resistance, even tumors were PD-L1 positive. Several oncogenic pathways, including PI3K/AKT activation by PTEN loss and NF-κB activation, induce PD-L1 expression and PD-L1 inhibitor-resistance. They also induce expression of CCL2, an inhibitory chemokine that blocks T cell tracking into the tumor by binding to CCR2 on the T cell surface. In this study, we showed that transglutaminase 2 (TG2), a post-translational modification enzyme, induced ubiquitin-proteasome dependent degradation of tumor suppressors including PTEN and IκBα by peptide cross-linking, inducing CCL2 as well as PD-L1 expression via PI3K/AKT and NF-κB activation. It also induced PD-L1 inhibitor-resistance because CCL2 was expressed despite increased PD-L1, which was blocked by PD-L1 inhibitor. We also revealed that inhibition of TG2, instead of PD-L1, restored T cell-dependent killing effect by blocking expression of both PD-L1 and CCL2 in PD-L1(+) triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. In addition, the TG2-expressing TNBC patient group showed higher PD-L1 expression incidence than did the TG2-negative TNBC patient group. In conclusion, TG2 induces primary PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor-resistance by inducing CCL2 expression. TG2 blockade can be utilized as an excellent therapeutic strategy to overcome PD-L1 inhibitor-resistance in PD-L1(+) TNBC patients. Our study suggested that PD-L1 expression alone might not always be a predictive biomarker for PD-L1(+) TNBC, but TG2 could be a useful predictive marker to select PD-L1 inhibitor-resistant TNBC patients.
The Cladophora resurgence in Lake Ontario: characterization and implications for management

Nuisance growth of the alga Cladophora, reported from Lake Ontario since the 1930s, abated in the decades following implementation of phosphorus control measures in the 1970s. Our examination of beach fouling records and historical observations of algal biomass has confirmed literature reports that a resurgence in nuisance growth of Cladophora has occurred since invasion of Great Lakes waters by dreissenids. Our findings indicate that the growth rate of Cladophora (specific rate of net photosynthesis) has decreased by 44% since 1972 in response to phosphorus controls. However, improved transparency, a response to mussel activity, has increased the maximum depth colonizable by Cladophora by a factor of 5 over that same interval. The net result is a sixfold increase in production potential since the late 1980s (the Post-P Management II Period) and a threefold increase since the 1970s (the Pre-P Management Period). Although the Cladophora resurgence has been driven by dreissenid modification of the light env.
Successful liver transplantation in a patient recovered from COVID‐19

Transplantation in potential candidates who have recently recovered from COVID‐19 is a challenge with uncertainties regarding the diagnosis, multi‐organ systemic involvement, prolonged viral shedding in immunocompromised patients, and optimal immunosuppression. A 42 year male with alcoholic hepatitis underwent a successful deceased donor liver transplantation 71 days after the initial diagnosis of COVID‐19. At the time of transplant, he was SARS‐CoV‐2 PCR negative for 24 days and had a MELD score of 33. His post‐operative course was complicated by acute rejection which responded to intense immune‐suppression using T‐cell depletion and steroids. He was discharged with normal end‐organ function and no evidence of any active infection including COVID‐19. Prospective organ transplant recipients who have recovered from COVID‐19 can be considered for transplantation after careful pre‐transplant evaluation, donor selection, and individualized risk‐benefit analysis.
Understanding early uptake of PrEP by female sex workers in Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT Female sex workers (FSW) are prioritised for increased access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), although rates of uptake remain sub-optimal, particularly across Southern Africa. In the first two years of its availability in Zimbabwe, 37.1% of FSW in trial sites initiated PrEP and received at least one re-supply. We conducted a qualitative study on perceptions of PrEP among 19 early users selected from sites with varying rates of PrEP initiation. Narrative interviews examined the pathways taken by FSW from hearing about PrEP, through their decision to start taking it, and early experiences. FSW appreciated PrEP’s introduction within familiar and trusted “friendly” services tailored for sex workers and valued positive encouragement from clinic staff and peers over negative influence from family members. They also found PrEP difficult to understand at first, and feared side effects and rare adverse complications described in information leaflets. While FSW identified individual strategies for remembering to take their medication, they also relied on structured peer adherence support, leading some FSW to actively promote the method to other FSW as “PrEP champions”. Information on how early users experience a new prevention technology such as PrEP can inform design of interventions that leverage existing support structures and target key barriers.