Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of change in household environment condition on morbidity in India: Evidence from longitudinal data

Background Household environment condition is an important predictor of morbidity of the household members. Without forming a healthy household environment, creating a healthy population is not possible. In this background, this study assesses the impact of change in household environment conditions on morbidity. Methods For the empirical analysis purpose of this study, we used two waves of longitudinal data from India Human Development Survey (2004–05, 2011–12). This study is based on 34131 re-contacted households in 2011–12 from the base year 2005. The bivariate and ANOVA tests were performed to assess any short-term morbidity (diarrhoea, fever and cough) with respect to change in household environment condition from 2005 to 2011. The multivariate linear regression was performed to assess the impact of change in household environment conditions on morbidity. The multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the impact of change in household environment condition on change in morbidity. Results The results from multivariate linear regression have shown that the share of household members fell sick due to any short-term morbidity (ASM) was significantly lower (β = –0.060, P<0.001) among the households who lived in clean environment condition in both the periods, 2004–05 and in 2011–12 as compared to those who were living in poor environment condition in both periods net of other socio-economic characteristics of the households. The share of household members fell sick due to any short-term morbidity has significantly declined (β = –0.051, P<0.001) among the household whose household environment condition has changed from poor in 2004–05 to clean environment in 2011–12 as compared to the households who have lived in poor environment condition in both periods in 2004–05 and 2011–12. The results of adjusted percentage from multinomial logistic regression have shown that the household members who fell sick with ASM was remained higher (4.9%; P<0.05) among the households whose environment condition was remained poor in both years in 2005 and 2011 as compared to the other households (2.7%) who remained in the better-off condition in both years in 2005 and 2011. Conclusion Considering the findings of the study, we suggest that ongoing government flagships programmes such as Swacch Bharat Mission (Clean India Mission), Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (Prime Minister Clean Energy Scheme) and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Prime Minister Housing Scheme), and Jal Jeevan Mission (Improved Source of Drinking Water Scheme) should work in tandem to improve household environment conditions.
Online Methods in Adolescent Self-Injury Research: Challenges and Recommendations

ABSTRACT Online methods hold promise as effective research tools for adolescent psychopathology research. Such methods may be the most effective way to reach large, representative samples of adolescents and harder-to-reach populations. They also may increase adolescent disclosure of risky behaviors, reduce recruitment costs, and increase the cost and time efficiency of recruitment. Despite these advantages, researchers may be concerned about including measures assessing risky behaviors, like suicidal thoughts and behaviors and nonsuicidal self-injury, in online studies of youth. In addition, parental consent in online studies is impractical and difficult to obtain. Concerns also include potential iatrogenic effects, sample bias, and data quality issues. This review discusses the benefits and challenges for online adolescent self-injury research, proposes strategies to overcome barriers, and provides examples and recommendations for future research.
Coagulations Studies Do Not Correlate With Each Other or With Hematologic Complications During Pediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation*

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. OBJECTIVES: Anticoagulation plays a key role in the management of children supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. However, the ideal strategy for monitoring anticoagulation remains unclear. Our objective was to evaluate the utility of laboratory measures of anticoagulation in pediatric extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Quaternary care academic children’s hospital. PATIENTS: Children in a noncardiac PICU cannulated to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in 2010—2016. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Demographic data, laboratory values, and heparin doses were extracted from the enterprise data warehouse. Primary diagnoses, indications for cannulation, hemorrhagic and thrombotic complications, and survival outcomes were abstracted from the local registry used for Extracorporeal Life Support Organization reporting. Statistical models accounting for repeated measures using generalized estimating equations were constructed to evaluate correlations between heparin doses and laboratory values; among laboratory values; and between heparin dose or laboratory values and clinical outcomes. One hundred thirty-three unique patients—78 neonates and 55 older patients—were included in the study. There was no significant association between antifactor Xa level, activated partial thromboplastin time, activated clotting time, or heparin dose with hemorrhage or thrombosis (odds ratio ≅ 1 for all associations). There was weak-to-moderate correlation between antifactor Xa, activated partial thromboplastin time, and activated clotting time in both neonates and older pediatric patients (R2 < 0.001 to 0.456). Heparin dose correlated poorly with laboratory measurements in both age groups (R2 = 0.010–0.063). CONCLUSIONS: In children supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, heparin dose correlates poorly with common laboratory measures of anticoagulation, and these laboratory measures correlate poorly with each other. Neither heparin dose nor laboratory measures correlate with hemorrhage or thrombosis. Further work is needed to identify better measures of anticoagulation in order to minimize morbidity and mortality associated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
Cost-effectiveness of community health systems strengthening: quality improvement interventions at community level to realise maternal and child health gains in Kenya

Introduction Improvements in maternal and infant health outcomes are policy priorities in Kenya. Achieving these outcomes depends on early identification of pregnancy and quality of primary healthcare. Quality improvement interventions have been shown to contribute to increases in identification, referral and follow-up of pregnant women by community health workers. In this study, we evaluate the cost-effectiveness of using quality improvement at community level to reduce maternal and infant mortality in Kenya. Methods We estimated the cost-effectiveness of quality improvement compared with standard of care treatment for antenatal and delivering mothers using a decision tree model and taking a health system perspective. We used both process (antenatal initiation in first trimester and skilled delivery) and health outcomes (maternal and infant deaths averted, as well as disability-adjusted life years (DALYs)) as our effectiveness measures and actual implementation costs, discounting costs only. We conducted deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Results We found that the community quality improvement intervention was more cost-effective compared with standard community healthcare, with incremental cost per DALY averted of $249 under the deterministic analysis and 76% likelihood of cost-effectiveness under the probabilistic sensitivity analysis using a standard threshold. The deterministic estimate of incremental cost per additional skilled delivery was US$10, per additional early antenatal care presentation US$155, per maternal death averted US$5654 and per infant death averted US$37 536 (2017 dollars). Conclusions This analysis shows that the community quality improvement intervention was cost-effective compared with the standard community healthcare in Kenya due to improvements in antenatal care uptake and skilled delivery. It is likely that quality improvement interventions are a good investment and may also yield benefits in other health areas.
Potent Neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 by Hetero-Bivalent Alpaca Nanobodies Targeting the Spike Receptor-Binding Domain

To date, SARS-CoV-2 has caused tremendous loss of human life and economic output worldwide. Although a few COVID-19 vaccines have been approved in several countries, the development of effective therapeutics, including SARS-CoV-2 targeting antibodies, remains critical. ABSTRACT Cellular entry of SARS-CoV-2 requires the binding between the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the viral Spike protein and the cellular angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). As such, RBD has become the major target for vaccine development, whereas RBD-specific antibodies are pursued as therapeutics. Here, we report the development and characterization of SARS-CoV-2 RBD-specific VHH/nanobody (Nb) from immunized alpacas. Seven RBD-specific Nbs with high stability were identified using phage display. They bind to SARS-CoV-2 RBD with affinity KD ranging from 2.6 to 113 nM, and six of them can block RBD-ACE2 interaction. The fusion of the Nbs with IgG1 Fc resulted in homodimers with greatly improved RBD-binding affinities (KD ranging from 72.7 pM to 4.5 nM) and nanomolar RBD-ACE2 blocking abilities. Furthermore, the fusion of two Nbs with nonoverlapping epitopes resulted in hetero-bivalent Nbs, namely, aRBD-2-5 and aRBD-2-7, with significantly higher RBD binding affinities (KD of 59.2 pM and 0.25 nM) and greatly enhanced SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing potency. The 50% neutralization doses of aRBD-2-5 and aRBD-2-7 were 1.22 ng/ml (∼0.043 nM) and 3.18 ng/ml (∼0.111 nM), respectively. These high-affinity SARS-CoV-2 blocking Nbs could be further developed into therapeutics, as well as diagnostic reagents for COVID-19. IMPORTANCE To date, SARS-CoV-2 has caused tremendous loss of human life and economic output worldwide. Although a few COVID-19 vaccines have been approved in several countries, the development of effective therapeutics, including SARS-CoV-2 targeting antibodies, remains critical. Due to their small size (13 to 15 kDa), high solubility, and stability, Nbs are particularly well suited for pulmonary delivery and more amenable to engineer into multivalent formats than the conventional antibody. Here, we report a series of new anti-SARS-CoV-2 Nbs isolated from immunized alpaca and two engineered hetero-bivalent Nbs. These potent neutralizing Nbs showed promise as potential therapeutics against COVID-19.
Design issues and solutions for stop-signal data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study

The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study is an unprecedented longitudinal neuroimaging sample that tracks the brain development of over 9–10 year olds through adolescence. At the core of this study are the three tasks that are completed repeatedly within the MRI scanner, one of which is the stop-signal task. In analyzing the available stopping experimental code and data, we identified a set of design issues that we believe significantly compromise its value. These issues include but are not limited to variable stimulus durations that violate basic assumptions of dominant stopping models, trials in which stimuli are incorrectly not presented, and faulty stop-signal delays. We present eight issues, show their effect on the existing ABCD data, suggest prospective solutions including task changes for future data collection and preliminary computational models, and suggest retrospective solutions for data users who wish to make the most of the existing data.
Impact of biological and artificial seminal fluids on sperm parameters and DNA status in asthenozoospermic ejaculates

The chemical composition and physiological properties of seminal fluid (SF) affect sperm quality. The objective was to investigate the effects of in vitro exposure of artificial seminal fluid (ASF) and biological seminal fluid (SF) on sperm quality. Asthenozoospermic ejaculates (n = 20) were divided into two aliquots. The first aliquot was centrifuged for obtaining asthenozoospermic SF. The second aliquot was processed with density gradient centrifugation (DGC), and the pellet was diluted separately with following media: (a) ASF; (b) Ham's F10; (c) normozoospermic SF; and (d) asthenozoospermic SF. Sperm parameters and DNA status were assessed after DGC, as well as 2 and 24 hr after incubation. The data showed that sperm progressive motility, viability and DNA integrity were significantly higher in ASF than Ham's F10 medium immediately after DGC. At 2 and 24 hr, the progressive motility was significantly decreased in biological SF compared with ASF and Ham's F10. DNA fragmentation index (DFI) was significantly lower in normozoospermic SF than asthenozoospermic SF and Ham's F10 at time 2 hr. In conclusion, normal SF showed the protective role on sperm DNA structure. Moreover, ASF preserved sperm motility better than biological SF during 24 hr, despite being similar to normal SF regarding DNA integrity preservation in short time.
Additional value of auricular intradermal acupuncture alongside selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors: a single-blinded, randomized, sham-controlled preliminary clinical study

Background: To evaluate the antidepressant effects of auricular intradermal acupuncture (AIA) of areas innervated by both the auricular branch of the vagus nerve and the trigeminal nerve. Methods: Forty-nine patients with depression were randomly allocated into an AIA group (n = 25) and a sham AIA group (n = 24). Both groups received selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) as conventional treatment. The AIA group received AIA stimulation, and the sham AIA group received sham AIA, which constituted being subjected to an attached needle that did not penetrate the skin. The needles were retained for 4 h each session, with five sessions a week for a total duration of 2 weeks. The outcomes were assessed by the 17-item Hamilton depression rating scale (HAMD-17), five factors (sleep disorder, retardation, cognitive dysfunction, anxiety/somatization, and weight) and self-rating depression scale (SDS) at weeks 0, 1, and 2. Results: Fifty-four patients were randomly assigned to the AIA (n = 27) and sham AIA group (n = 27), of whom 25 patients in the AIA and 24 patients in the sham AIA group were analyzed. AIA-treated patients displayed a significantly greater reduction from baseline in HAMD-17 scores (p = 0.03) and SDS scores (p = 0.02) at week 2 compared to patients receiving sham AIA. The AIA intervention also produced a higher rate of clinically significant responses in sleep disorders (p = 0.07) compared to sham AIA. No adverse events occurred in either group. Conclusion: According to the findings of this preliminary study, AIA appears to have additional value compared to SSRIs alone in treating patients with depressive disorder.
Bimodal benefits in Mandarin-speaking cochlear implant users for music perception and tone recognition

Abstract Background Cochlear implant (CI) users have difficulty appreciating music and perceiving lexical tones in Mandarin Chinese. Wearing a hearing aid (HA) in the contralateral ear for bimodal hearing may provide additional benefits. Objectives To measure the bimodal benefits of music perception and tone recognition and to investigate the relationship between the two in Mandarin-speaking bimodal CI subjects. Materials and methods Sixteen Mandarin-speaking bimodal CI subjects (aged between 16 and 49 years) participated in the study. Music perception (pitch discrimination, melody discrimination and instrument identification) and lexical tone recognition were tested with electric stimulation (CI alone) or bimodal stimulation (CI + HA). Results Subjects showed a significant bimodal benefit in tone recognition in quiet and noise, and in all music perception tests. The bimodal benefit for tone recognition in noise was significantly correlated with that of pitch discrimination thresholds and instrument identification scores. Conclusion Mandarin-speaking bimodal CI users achieved better music perception and tone recognition ability with CI + HA than with CI alone. The bimodal benefit of tone recognition was significantly correlated with that of music perception.
Mantis shrimp–inspired organic photodetector for simultaneous hyperspectral and polarimetric imaging

Semitransparent polarization-sensitive organic detectors reveal unprecedented degrees of freedom for multidimensional imaging. Combining hyperspectral and polarimetric imaging provides a powerful sensing modality with broad applications from astronomy to biology. Existing methods rely on temporal data acquisition or snapshot imaging of spatially separated detectors. These approaches incur fundamental artifacts that degrade imaging performance. To overcome these limitations, we present a stomatopod-inspired sensor capable of snapshot hyperspectral and polarization sensing in a single pixel. The design consists of stacking polarization-sensitive organic photovoltaics (P-OPVs) and polymer retarders. Multiple spectral and polarization channels are obtained by exploiting the P-OPVs’ anisotropic response and the retarders’ dispersion. We show that the design can sense 15 spectral channels over a 350-nanometer bandwidth. A detector is also experimentally demonstrated, which simultaneously registers four spectral channels and three polarization channels. The sensor showcases the myriad degrees of freedom offered by organic semiconductors that are not available in inorganics and heralds a fundamentally unexplored route for simultaneous spectral and polarimetric imaging.
A robotically assisted 3D printed quality assurance lung phantom for Calypso

Purpose. Radiation dose delivered to targets located near the upper-abdomen or in the thorax are significantly affected by respiratory-motion. Relatively large-margins are commonly added to compensate for this motion, limiting radiation-dose-escalation. Internal-surrogates of target motion, such as a radiofrequency (RF) tracking system, i.e. Calypso® System, are used to overcome this challenge and improve normal-tissue sparing. RF tracking systems consist of implanting transponders in the vicinity of the tumor to be tracked using radiofrequency-waves. Unfortunately, although the manufacture provides a universal quality-assurance (QA) phantom, QA-phantoms specifically for lung-applications are limited, warranting the development of alternative solutions to fulfil the tests mandated by AAPM’s TG142. Accordingly, our objective was to design and develop a motion-phantom to evaluate Calypso for lung-applications that allows the Calypso® Beacons to move in different directions to better simulate true lung-motion. Methods and Materials. A Calypso lung QA-phantom was designed, and 3D-printed. The design consists of three independent arms where the transponders were attached. A pinpoint-chamber with a buildup-cap was also incorporated. A 4-axis robotic arm was programmed to drive the motion-phantom to mimic breathing. After acquiring a four-dimensional-computed-tomography (4DCT) scan of the motion-phantom, treatment-plans were generated and delivered on a Varian TrueBeam® with Calypso capabilities. Stationary and gated-treatment plans were generated and delivered to determine the dosimetric difference between gated and non-gated treatments. Portal cine-images were acquired to determine the temporal-accuracy of delivery by calculating the difference between the observed versus expected transponders locations with the known speed of the transponders’ motion. Results. Dosimetric accuracy is better than the TG142 tolerance of 2%. Temporal accuracy is greater than, TG142 tolerance of 100 ms for beam-on, but less than 100 ms for beam-hold. Conclusions. The robotic QA-phantom designed and developed in this study provides an independent phantom for performing Calypso lung-QA for commissioning and acceptance testing of Calypso for lung treatments.
Blood pressure, glycemic status and advanced liver fibrosis assessed by transient elastography in the general United States population

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text Objective: Few studies investigated the role of different predictors of advanced liver fibrosis in unselected populations. Here, we estimate the prevalence of steatosis and fibrosis in the general United States population by means of transient elastography and evaluate the impact of blood pressure (BP) and diabetes on disease severity. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of United States adults participating in the 2017–2018 cycle of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Participants underwent a transient elastography examination, and liver steatosis and fibrosis were estimated through the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) score and liver stiffness measurement (LSM), respectively. Results: Four thousand, three hundred and seventy-one participants had reliable transient elastography and BP readings. Steatosis (CAP ≥ 248 dB/m), advanced fibrosis (LSM ≥ 9.6 kPa) and cirrhosis (LSM ≥ 13 kPa) were present in 56.9, 5.5 and 2.9% of participants, respectively. After controlling for potential confounders, risk of steatosis increased proportionally going from participants with optimal (reference) to those with normal [odds ratio (OR) 1.24, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.83–1.86], high normal (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.01–1.97) and elevated BP (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.21–2.21), whereas no significant association was found between BP status and liver fibrosis. Conversely, presence of diabetes increased the risk of both steatosis (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.49–3.11) and advanced fibrosis (OR 2.25, 95% CI 1.36–3.72). Conclusion: Liver steatosis and fibrosis are highly prevalent in the multiethnic United States adult population, raising concerns for future incidence of cirrhosis and its complications. BP status was associated with a progressively higher risk of steatosis, whereas obesity and diabetes were consistently associated with both steatosis and fibrosis.
Effects of scent enrichment on behavioral and physiological indicators of stress in zoo primates

Captive breeding is vital for primate conservation, with modern zoos serving a crucial role in breeding populations of threatened species and educating the general public. However, captive populations can experience welfare issues that may also undermine their reproductive success. To enhance the wellbeing of endangered zoo primates, we conducted a study to assess the effects of a new scent enrichment program on captive red‐ruffed lemurs (Varecia rubra), black howler monkeys (Alouatta caraya), siamangs (Symphalangus syndactylus), lar gibbons (Hylobates lar) and orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus). We combined behavioral observations and fecal endocrinology analyses to evaluate the effects of a series of essential oils (benzoin, lavender, lemongrass) on five captive troops (N = 19) housed at Dudley Zoo & Castle and Twycross Zoo (UK). We recorded observations of natural species‐specific and abnormal stress‐related behaviors for 480 h using instantaneous scan sampling. We collected 189 fecal samples and measured the fecal cortisol concentrations using radioimmunoassay. We found a significant effect of the scent enrichment on behaviors, with red‐ruffed lemurs and black howler monkeys reducing their social interactions, as well as red‐ruffed lemurs and lar gibbons decreasing their stress‐related behaviors after they were exposed to the series of essential oils. We also found that red‐ruffed lemurs displayed a significant increase in fecal glucocorticoids following exposure to essential oils. Our contradictory findings suggest that the effects of this series of essential oils may change depending on the species‐specific social lives and olfactory repertoires of primates. In conclusion, we cannot recommend using these essential oils widely with zoo primates without additional evaluation.