Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of nurse‐led care on quality of care and level of HbA1C in patients with diabetic foot ulcer: A randomized clinical trial

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a serious and costly complication in diabetes which affects different aspects of life and can reduce patient's quality of life. Various views to manage DFU have been introduced. The nurse‐led team, as a multidisciplinary team, can be effective due to a holistic approach to some disease management; but in patients with DFU it has not been assessed. Therefore, this study was designed to determine the effect of nurse‐led care on quality of care (QOC) and improvement of HbA1C in Patients with DFU. This was a randomized clinical trial study performed on 52 patients with DFU. Patients were randomly assigned into two groups: nurse‐led care intervention and standard care. The study was conducted in one of the hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Data were collected using two questionnaires: Demographic characteristics and Quality Patient Care Scale (QUALPACS) and taking a blood sample for HbA1C. The nurse‐led Care interventions were conducted in three stages: Integrated, Interdisciplinary, and Comprehensive. Descriptive and analytic statistical methods were used to analyze the data. P < . 05 was considered significant. The results demonstrated that according to repeated measures test, (before, 4 and 12 weeks after the intervention), the level of QOC dimensions (Psychosocial, communication and physical aspect) in the nurse‐led group had a significant difference with control group (P < .0001). Also, according to the results of Independent t test, there was a significant difference in total QOC scoring and HbA1c between intervention and control groups after the intervention and follow up (P < .0001). Considering the burden of diabetes and DFUs, it seems that the establishment of a nurse‐led care approach can be an effective strategy to manage and treat these patients, and eliminate the disruption of care and achieve optimal care quality.
Defect generation, advanced crystallization, and characterization methods for high‐quality solar‐cell silicon

Silicon is the dominant material for production of solar cells. Research work constantly aims at improving the quality of the silicon materials to achieve higher solar‐cell conversion efficiencies. It has been demonstrated that defects and impurities, often rising during the silicon ingot production and due to the presence of impurity sources throughout the silicon solar‐cell value chain (e.g. silicon feedstock, crucible and coating, furnace atmosphere, etc.), have a detrimental effect on device performances. Crystallization is the first step in the solar‐cell value chain. During crystallization, crystal defects, such as grain boundaries and dislocations, develop, and impurities, such as dopants and metals, distribute. By controlling the process, we can also control the defect formation and impurity segregation. In this study, we review some of the work carried out at NTNU to understand the role of defects and impurities on materials properties. Specifically, we report on some of the work done on defects, crystallization, and characterization.
Electron impact ionization cross sections of hydrogen fluoride molecule

Partial and total ionization cross sections of hydrogen fluoride molecule are determined from the ionization threshold to high energy (5 KeV) by using a modified Jain–Khare semiempirical approach. Partial single and double differential cross sections with their sums (total) through direct and dissociative ionization have been also evaluated at fixed primary electron energies 100 eV, 200 eV, and 500 eV. There is no other data for partial ionization cross sections and differential ionization cross sections for comparison. In this paper, the total ionization cross sections data have compared with available experimental data and/or with other theoretical data which are available from intermediate to high energy. It is found that the present result gives a better account for the ionization cross sections up to higher energies.
Urinary Oxalate Excretion and Long-Term Outcomes in Kidney Transplant Recipients

Epidemiologic studies have linked urinary oxalate excretion to risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression and end-stage renal disease. We aimed to investigate whether urinary oxalate, in stable kidney transplant recipients (KTR), is prospectively associated with risk of graft failure. In secondary analyses we evaluated the association with post-transplantation diabetes mellitus, all-cause mortality and specific causes of death. Oxalate excretion was measured in 24-h urine collection samples in a cohort of 683 KTR with a functioning allograft ≥1 year. Mean eGFR was 52 ± 20 mL/min/1.73 m2. Median (interquartile range) urinary oxalate excretion was 505 (347–732) µmol/24-h in women and 519 (396–736) µmol/24-h in men (p = 0.08), with 302 patients (44% of the study population) above normal limits (hyperoxaluria). A consistent and independent inverse association was found with all-cause mortality (HR 0.77, 95% CI 0.63–0.94, p = 0.01). Cause-specific survival analyses showed that this association was mainly driven by an inverse association with mortality due to infection (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.38–0.83, p = 0.004), which remained materially unchanged after performing sensitivity analyses. Twenty-four-hour urinary oxalate excretion did not associate with risk of graft failure, post-transplant diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular mortality, mortality due to malignancies or mortality due to miscellaneous causes. In conclusion, in KTR, 24-h urinary oxalate excretion is elevated in 44% of KTR and inversely associated with mortality due to infectious causes.
Atlas-based automated surgical planning for total hip arthroplasty

This paper describes a 3-dimensional (3D) automated preoperative planning method of femoral component (stem) for total hip arthroplasty (THA). The stem planning is formulated as a optimization problem which determines implant parameters such as size, position, and rotation. An objective function is defined using the fitness between the femoral canal and the stem surface. In addition to the objective function, constraints of position and orientation derived from conventional studies of femoral anatomy is also defined. Since the objective function consists of several parameters, a parameter tuning was performed in advance of the performance evaluation. Optimization of the objective function was performed using the Powell method. The proposed method was applied to 17 cases and the errors of the planning results between the automated planning results and the experienced surgeon’s plans were compared. Stem size error was within one size in all cases. Mean positional error and mean orientation error were 3.4 mm and 5.0 deg. , respectively. According to a qualitative evaluation performed by an experienced surgeon, 14 cases out of 17 cases were accepted and three cases were rejected. The surgeon commented that the rejected three cases can be accepted after some minor modification. Therefore, the author consider the proposed method would be useful as an automated stem planning method.
The Prognostic Effect of Circadian Blood Pressure Pattern on Long-Term Cardiovascular Outcome Is Independent of Left Ventricular Remodeling

We aimed to investigate the predictive value of 24 h blood pressure (BP) patterns on adverse cardiovascular (CV) outcome in the initially untreated hypertensive patients during long-term follow-up. This study included 533 initially untreated hypertensive patients who were involved in this study in the period between 2007 and 2012. All participants underwent laboratory analysis, 24 h BP monitoring, and echocardiographic examination at baseline. The patients were followed for a median period of nine years. The adverse outcome was defined as the hospitalization due to CV events (atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction, myocardial revascularization, heart failure, stroke, or CV death). During the nine-year follow-up period, adverse CV events occurred in 85 hypertensive patients. Nighttime SBP, non-dipping BP pattern, LV hypertrophy (LVH), left atrial enlargement (LAE), and LV diastolic dysfunction (LV DD) were risk factors for occurrence of CV events. However, nighttime SBP, non-dipping BP pattern, LVH, and LV DD were the only independent predictors of CV events. When all four BP pattern were included in the model, non-dipping and reverse dipping BP patterns were associated with CV events, but only reverse-dipping BP pattern was independent predictor of CV events. The current study showed that reverse-dipping BP pattern was predictor of adverse CV events independently of nighttime SBP and LV remodeling during long-term follow-up. The assessment of BP patterns has very important role in the long-time prediction in hypertensive population.
Inner retinal preservation in the photoinducible I307N rhodopsin mutant mouse, a model of autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa

Rod‐cone degenerations, for example, retinitis pigmentosa are leading causes of blindness worldwide. Despite slow disease progression in humans, vision loss is inevitable; therefore, development of vision restoration strategies is crucial. Among others, promising approaches include optogenetics and prosthetic implants, which aim to bypass lost photoreceptors (PRs). Naturally, the efficacy of these therapeutic strategies will depend on inner retinal structural and functional preservation. The present study shows that in photoinducible I307N rhodopsin mice (Translational Vision Research Model 4 [Tvrm4]), a 12k lux light exposure eliminates PRs in the central retina in 1 week, but interneurons and their synapses are maintained for as long as 9 weeks postinduction. Despite bipolar cell dendritic retraction and moderate loss of horizontal cells, the survival rate of various cell types is very high. Significant preservation of conventional synapses and gap junctions in the inner plexiform layer is also observed. We found the number of synaptic ribbons to gradually decline and their ultrastructure to become transiently abnormal, although based on our findings intrinsic retinal architecture is maintained despite complete loss of PRs. Unlike common rodent models of PR degeneration, where the disease phenotype often interferes with retinal development, in Tvrm4 mice, the degenerative process can be induced after retinal development is complete. This time course more closely mimics the timing of disease onset in affected patients. Stability of the inner retina found in these mutants 2 months after PR degeneration suggests moderate, stereotyped remodeling in the early stages of the human disease and represents a promising finding for prompt approaches of vision restoration.
3D Printed Titanium Prosthetic Reconstruction of the C2 Vertebra: Techniques and Outcomes of 3 Consecutive Cases.

STUDY DESIGN 3 patients were treated at our centre with patient-specific 3D-printed titanium prostheses for the reconstruction of structurally compromised C2 vertebrae. OBJECTIVE To describe our surgical and device design approach to these clinical scenarios and evaluate their outcomes. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA There are a limited but increasing number of case reports and series describing the use of 3D printed prostheses for high cervical surgery. METHODS We have collated and reviewed three cases using patient-specific 3D printed prostheses. RESULTS We report two cases arising from neoplastic destruction; one resulting from metastatic medullary thyroid carcinoma, and the other from multiple myeloma. We additionally describe a case of C2 compromise as a complication of rheumatoid arthritis. All patients included in this report achieved successful surgical outcomes and symptom relief without significant complication. Clinical and radiological follow up has demonstrated good outcomes in all cases up to 14-months post-procedure. CONCLUSIONS These cases describe successful use of custom 3D-printed prostheses for reconstruction of the anterior vertebral column through C2, and add to the emerging body of literature detailing the use of custom prostheses for complex spinal surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4.
Use of Nonselective β-Blockers in Patients With End-Stage Liver Disease and Select Complications

Objective: To review the literature and recommendations for nonselective β-blockers (NSBBs) in the setting of variceal bleeding prophylaxis and decompensated liver disease. Data Sources: Literature search of MEDLINE was performed (1988 to October 2019) using the following search terms: cirrhosis, advanced cirrhosis, β-blocker, decompensation, prophylaxis. Abstracts, peer-reviewed publications, clinical practice guidelines, and product monographs were reviewed. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Relevant English language studies and those conducted in humans were considered for analysis and inclusion. Data Synthesis: Evidence that suggests that NSBBs are harmful in advanced cirrhosis is overshadowed by confounding variables and small patient populations. The majority of the available evidence suggests neutral or beneficial effects on mortality with continuation of NSBBs despite liver disease progression. Based on the available literature, guidelines, and expert consensuses, NSBBs can be considered within this patient population and may have a positive impact on the majority of these patients. Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice: This review summarizes current place in therapy for NSBBs in the setting of cirrhosis and variceal bleeding prophylaxis. It also includes a discussion of the literature for use of NSBBs within the setting of different acute decompensations in which the data and recommendations for use are less clear. Conclusions: Recent evidence shows neutral or positive results for NSBB use in particular decompensation subgroups, which suggests that NSBBs can be used cautiously with close monitoring in patients with advanced cirrhosis. Questions still remain regarding optimal agent and dose and whether agents can be safely restarted after an acute decompensation episode.
Melatonin mends adverse temporal effects of bright light at night partially independent of its effect on stress responses in captive birds

ABSTRACT Ecological artificial light at night (ALAN) has been increasingly associated with negative effects on the behavior and ecology of wild birds. However, the impacts of short-term bright ALAN on the temporal biology of companion animals and the underlying mediating mechanism are unknown. We evaluated impacts of 1X60-min/middle night ALAN (200 lux, λDominant = 460 nm) nightly with or without melatonin administration on growth performance, reproductive capacity, food and water intake, and stress responses in Australian budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) under captivity. 36 birds were housed in pairs under natural photoperiod and were equally divided into three groups: control, natural conditions; ALAN, control + ALAN; and melatonin, ALAN + melatonin in the drinking water during the dark period. Birds were regularly monitored for body mass, egg production, and hatchability over four months. Food intake, water consumption, and daily rhythm of fecal corticosterone were also evaluated. ALAN increased mass gain, food intake, water consumption, and drastically decreased reproductive capacity, whereas stress responses were markedly augmented. Melatonin restored food and water intake to control levels but partly reversed mass gain. Melatonin failed to ameliorate the impaired reproductive capacity despite reducing the stress responses to basal levels. These results suggest that the ALAN-induced negative impacts cannot be attributed solely to direct effects of melatonin suppression or/and exacerbated stress responses and the involvement of other photoperiodic pathway components warrant further studies. Finally, the results of our study may be of importance for improving the housing conditions of companion animals at least as concern bright ALAN exposures.
Prophylactic phenylephrine and fluid co‐administration to reduce spinal hypotension during elective caesarean section in a resource‐limited setting: a prospective alternating intervention study

Spinal hypotension is a common and clinically important problem during caesarean section. Current consensus recommendations for resource‐rich settings suggest the use of a titrated phenylephrine infusion, in combination with fluid coloading, for prevention of maternal hypotension. In resource‐limited settings, where syringe drivers are unavailable, these recommendations advise the addition of 500 μg phenylephrine to the first 1 l of intravenous fluid given after initiation of spinal anaesthesia, with additional vasopressor boluses as required. This prospective, alternating intervention study compared the use of a conventional phenylephrine rescue bolus strategy for prevention of hypotension, defined as systolic arterial pressure < 90 mmHg, with a phenylephrine infusion given according to the consensus recommendation. We studied 300 women having elective caesarean section. There were 77 (51%) women who developed hypotension in the bolus group vs. 55 (37%) in the phenylephrine infusion group (p = 0.011). This represented a 29% reduction in hypotension, with a number needed to treat of 6.8. The six highest systolic arterial pressure readings occurred in the phenylephrine infusion group (range 166–188 mmHg), and there were four instances of bradycardia (heart rate < 50 beats.min−1) with preserved systolic arterial pressure in each group. There were no adverse clinical sequelae, and no differences in neonatal Apgar scores in either group. The consensus recommendation for phenylephrine and fluid co‐administration in resource‐limited settings appears effective in preventing maternal hypotension, but at the cost of sporadic systolic hypertension.
Smoking Cessation: Barriers, Motivators and the Role of Physicians — A Survey of Physicians and Patients

Objective: To identify the motivators of and barriers to smoking cessation and to evaluate the dynamics of the patient-physician visit. Methods: A total of 175 physicians and 347 patient-smokers completed a written questionnaire about their attitudes and behaviours toward smoking cessation. Physicians were additionally queried on their level of involvement in the smoking cessation efforts of their patients. Results: Patient smokers had an average age of 42 years and had been smoking for 15 years. Males and females smoked 17 and 8 cigarettes a day respectively. About 50% of the subjects had made 2–5 attempts to quit smoking in the past and one-third of the subjects had tried to quit once. The top 2 motivators to quit smoking citied by both smokers and physicians were concern about their own health and concern about the health of family members and friends. The third reason given by patient-smokers was the cost of cigarettes. Physicians felt it was their advice that had persuaded/convinced patient-smokers to quit. Both physicians and patient-smokers agreed that the key barriers to smoking cessation were craving/physical addiction and smokers' concern of withdrawal symptoms if they attempted quitting. While both physicians and patients identified similar barriers to smoking cessation, there was a difference in perception about the role physicians play: 55% of physicians said that they discussed smoking cessation with their patients, but only 15% of the patients agreed with this statement. In addition, 78% of physicians said they started the initial discussion while 63% of patient-smokers said they themselves started the initial discussion. Conclusion: Smokers and physicians identified similar motivators of and barriers to smoking cessation. However, there were differences in perception over the roles physicians play.
Efficient Device-to-Device Service Invocation Using Arrowhead Orchestration

The Internet of Things (IoT) enables interaction from real-world physical objects using sensors to the virtual world of computers and the Internet. The use of service-oriented architecture (SOA) is one step in the creation of basic and complex interactions between several sensors and actuators. However, the use of SOA-enabled technologies alone does not meet all requirements of how sensor and actuator systems could be integrated to create distributed monitoring and control applications. The centralized, traditional method of communication in wireless sensor networks via a gateway presents drawbacks that have to be addressed; device-to-cloud communication adds higher latency and higher power consumption and is less robust than the device-to-device (D2D) communication approach. Moreover, all these characteristics reduce the scalability of the network, thus limiting the use of IoT in the industry. In this article, the proposed method utilizes the arrowhead framework orchestration system to generate service composition within a (wireless) network formed by IoT devices. The aim is to achieve efficient D2D service invocation to reduce the drawbacks of today’s widely used device-to-cloud approach. The method in this article performs efficient service composition for industrial IoT, including mapping SOA service composition in very small resource-constrained devices using the arrowhead orchestration. The results presented in this article at the service level can increase performance and robustness in fog computing on resource-constrained devices.
Why Should Growth Hormone (GH) Be Considered a Promising Therapeutic Agent for Arteriogenesis? Insights from the GHAS Trial

Despite the important role that the growth hormone (GH)/IGF-I axis plays in vascular homeostasis, these kind of growth factors barely appear in articles addressing the neovascularization process. Currently, the vascular endothelium is considered as an authentic gland of internal secretion due to the wide variety of released factors and functions with local effects, including the paracrine/autocrine production of GH or IGF-I, for which the endothelium has specific receptors. In this comprehensive review, the evidence involving these proangiogenic hormones in arteriogenesis dealing with the arterial occlusion and making of them a potential therapy is described. All the elements that trigger the local and systemic production of GH/IGF-I, as well as their possible roles both in physiological and pathological conditions are analyzed. All of the evidence is combined with important data from the GHAS trial, in which GH or a placebo were administrated to patients suffering from critical limb ischemia with no option for revascularization. We postulate that GH, alone or in combination, should be considered as a promising therapeutic agent for helping in the approach of ischemic disease.
The relationship between childhood obesity and educational outcomes

This chapter investigates the relationship between childhood obesity and a variety of educational outcomes. A data analysis covering 32 countries explores the association between performance at school and obesity in children aged 11 to 15, and assesses the degree of inequality across countries. A longitudinal analysis investigates a potential causal relationship between childhood obesity and academic performance as well as education attainment in five countries. Finally, the chapter discusses the broader consequences of the relationship between obesity and educational outcomes, for individuals and the economy.
Magnetism and Magnetocystalline Anisotropy of Localized 1H/1T by S Atom Sliding

Monolayered MoS2 is energetically most stable when it has a 1H phase, but 1H to 1T phase transition (1H→1T) is easily realized by various ways. Even though magnetic moment is not observed during 1H1T, 0.049 μB/MoS2 is obtained in local 1T phase; 75% 2H and 25% 1T phases are mixed in (2 × 2) supercell. Furthermore, non-negligible magnetocrystalline anisotropy (MCA) energy is occured. Most magnetic moment as well as MCA are originated by 1T phased Mo atom in the supercell, while electronic structures of other atoms are similar to non-magnetic. Due to this, magnetic/non-magnetic boundary is created in the monolayered MoS2. Our result suggests that MoS2 can be applied for spintronics such as a spin transistor.