Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Psychiatric and physical rehabilitation intensive approach for suicide attempters by jumping from heights.

Suicide is an important public health problem and one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Suicide behavior is influenced by interacting biological, psychological, environmental and current situational factors. One of the most important components modulating the risk of suicide as well his prevention is mental health: it is estimated that up to 90% of individuals who attempt suicide meets the criteria for a psychiatric disorder. Multiple other factors, such as physical illness, can be related to suicidal behaviors. Medical disorders may themselves be associated with an increased risk of suicide or be consequence of violent suicide attempts such as jumping from height. Providing optimal treatment for patients with suicidal behaviors, especially if violent, involves multiple treatments that may include psychiatric, psychological and physical therapies. Using a case series approach, we describe an acute psychiatric treatment program combined with intensive rehabilitation therapy in patients hospitalized for violent suicide attempts caused by jumping from height. The patients were treated through a multidisciplinary, simultaneous and integrated care program made up of a team of psychiatrists and physiatrists who work dynamically together with a flexible approach based on the specific clinical characteristics of each patient. (www.actabiomedica.it)
Affective and cognitive restoration: comparing the restorative role of indoor plants and guided meditation

Abstract This study investigated whether indoor plants were as effective as a guided meditation for enabling psychological recovery after fatigue induced by the abbreviated vigilance task. Sixty students were randomly assigned to an indoor plant, guided meditation, or control rest-break condition. The psychological processes most in need of recovery were identified as cognitive and affective restoration. Measures of affect, stress, and working memory were taken before and after the vigilance task, and again after a rest intervention. The vigilance task-induced fatigue as shown by a significant vigilance decrement and also significantly lowered positive affect and cognitive engagement, and significantly increased distress across all three conditions. After exposure to the break interventions, distress significantly decreased for participants in the indoor plant break condition while distress significantly decreased and engagement significantly increased in the guided meditation break condition. Indoor plants and guided meditation had a small, but significant positive impact on affective restoration and no significant impact on cognitive restoration. Practitioner summary: Indoor plants are a cost-effective green ergonomics intervention in offices. This study found that a rest break with indoor plants was as effective as a rest break with guided meditation for affective restoration after fatigue from a vigilance task. Abbreviations ART attention restoration theory LCD liquid crystal display PANAS positive and negative affect schedule DSSQ S: dundee stress state questionnaire - short version BDS backward digit span ANOVA analysis of variance CI confidence interval M mean
Determining heavy vehicle suspension health from vibratory wheel loads

A low-cost test bed was made from a modified heavy vehicle (HV) brake tester. By rotating a test HV’s wheel on an eccentric roller, a known vibration was imparted to the wheel under test. A control case for dampers in good condition was compared with two test cases of ineffective shock absorbers. Measurement of the forces at the bearings of the roller provided an indication of the HV wheel-forces. Where the level of serviceability of the shock absorbers varied, differences in wheel load provided a quality indicator corresponding to a change of damper characteristic. Conclusions regarding the levels of damper maintenance beyond which HV suspensions cause road damage and dynamic wheel forces at the threshold of tyre wear at which HV shock absorbers are normally replaced are presented.
Pharmacokinetics and Safety of Intravenous Ferric Pyrophosphate Citrate: Equivalence to Administration via Dialysate

Ferric pyrophosphate citrate (FPC) is indicated to maintain hemoglobin in patients with stage 5 hemodialysis‐dependent chronic kidney disease on chronic hemodialysis by addition to the dialysate. An intravenous (IV) FPC presentation containing 6.75 mg of iron in 4.5 mL was developed. The objective was to establish the equivalence of iron delivery via dialysate and IV infusion using a pharmacokinetic approach. An open‐label, randomized, multiple‐period, single‐dose, crossover study was conducted in 27 patients with CKD‐5HD. Each patient received (1) a basal iron profile over 12 hours, (2) FPC 6.75 mg Fe IV predialyzer, (3) FPC 6.75 mg Fe IV postdialyzer, and (4) FPC 2 μM (110 μg Fe/L of hemodialysate). Serum and plasma iron was analyzed for total Fe and transferrin bound iron (TBI). Equivalence was determined by comparing maximum observed concentration and area under the concentration‐time curve from time 0 to the last observation of 110 μg Fe/L of hemodialysate (reference) and test treatments Fe predialyzer and postdialyzer iron profiles. The main outcome measure was the measurement of bioequivalence between the reference and test treatments. Bioequivalence parameters showed that infusion of FPC iron IV, predialyzer and postdialyzer delivered equivalent iron as via hemodialysate. The increment in serum total Fe from predialysis to postdialysis was the same as observed in the long‐term clinical studies of FPC. FPC IV was well tolerated. IV infusion of 6.75 mg iron as FPC during 3 hours of HD delivers an equivalent amount of iron as when Triferic is delivered via hemodialysate. The IV presentation of FPC extends the ability to provide FPC iron to all patients receiving hemodialysis or hemodiafiltration.
Improving animal welfare: a practical approach

Abstract The third edition of this book contains a total of 20 chapters (including 3 new chapters), including the implementation of an effective animal welfare programme; the importance of measurement to improve the welfare of livestock, poultry and fish; the social and ethical importance of agricultural animal welfare; the implementation of effective animal-based measurements for assessing animal welfare on farms and slaughter plants; how to improve livestock handling and reduce stress; painful husbandry procedures in livestock and poultry; the importance of good stockmanship and its benefits to animals; in-farm considerations of animal behaviour and emotions; improving livestock, poultry and fish welfare in slaughter plants with auditing programmes and animal-based measures; recommended on-farm euthanasia practices; welfare during transport of livestock and poultry; animal well-being on organic farms; a practical approach on sustainability for supply chain managers of meat, dairy and other animal proteins; the effect of economic factors on the welfare of livestock and poultry; practical approaches for changing and improving animal care and welfare; successful technology transfer of behavioural and animal welfare research to the farm and slaughter plant; technological innovations for individualized animal care and welfare; technology designed to enhance poultry welfare; precision livestock farming and technology in swine welfare and practical methods for improving the welfare of horses, donkeys and mules. There is also a list of videos that will allow students to see different types of farms and technology for raising broiler chickens, cattle, laying hens and pigs. This book provides practical information which will enable veterinarians, managers, animal scientists and policy makers to improve welfare. It will be especially useful for training animal welfare specialists.
Development of an immune-related signature for predicting survival outcome and immunotherapy response in osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common bone cancer, mainly diagnosed in children and adolescents. So far, no reliable molecular biomarkers have been identified to effectively evaluate OS prognosis and immune infiltration. Herein, we curated transcriptome profiles and clinical information from the publicly available OS cohorts to establish an immune-related prognostic signature. Besides, immunotherapeutic cohorts of urothelial cancer and melanoma patients were also employed to infer immunotherapy prediction roles of the identified signature. Lymphocytes infiltration, immune response-related pathways and signatures in the microenvironment were assessed according to distinct risk subgroups. Based on the univariate Cox analysis and further feature selection implemented by the LASSO regression model in the TARGET cohort, a 21-immune-gene signature was identified by combing the expression values and corresponding coefficients. We observed that the low-risk score of this signature was significantly linked with the preferable survival outcome (Log-rank test P < 0.001). The consistent results of better prognoses of the low-risk group were also obtained in subsequent two validation cohorts. Immunology analyses showed that favorable immune infiltration and elevated enrichment of immune response signals may contribute to the better outcome of the low-risk OS subgroup. The immunotherapeutic efficacy analyses demonstrated that low-risk patients harbored significantly enhanced response rates and improved immunotherapy survival outcomes. Together, our established signature could evaluate survival risk and represent the immune microenvironment status of OS, which promotes precision treatment and provides a potential biomarker for prognosis prediction and immunotherapy efficacy assessment.
The association between real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction cycle threshold values, symptoms and disease severity among COVID-19 patients in the community: a retrospective cohort study

Abstract Background COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the world. Real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is used to diagnose COVID-19, with its cycle threshold (Ct) value inversely related to the viral load. The association between Ct values and COVID-19 related outcomes has been studied in the hospital setting but less so in the community. We aimed to estimate the association between Ct values and the severity of community-diagnosed COVID-19 to provide evidence on the utility of Ct testing in this setting. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study based on data from Israel’s largest health organization. The study population included 34,658 individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 by RT-PCR and had available Ct values between June 1st and December 21st, 2020. Outcomes included COVID-19 related symptoms, hospitalization, severe disease, and death. Ct values were modelled both as discrete and continuous exposures. Results After adjusting for known risk factors for severe COVID-19, low Ct values were associated with symptomatic disease (odds ratio [OR]: 1.51; 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.21–1.84), hospitalization (OR: 1.27; 95%CI: 1.12–1.49), severe disease (OR: 1.80; 95%CI: 1.43–2.27), and death (OR: 1.64; 95%CI: 1.06–2.59). By modelling the exposure as continuous, we noticed a dose-response relationship, with the risk gradually rising with lower Ct values. Conclusions This study found a significant association between low Ct values and severe COVID-19 related outcomes, with a dose-response relationship. This suggests that Ct values could be helpful in identifying high-risk patients diagnosed in the community.
The Glucocorticoid Receptor in Osterix‐Expressing Cells Regulates Bone Mass, Bone Marrow Adipose Tissue, and Systemic Metabolism in Female Mice During Aging

Hallmarks of aging‐associated osteoporosis include bone loss, bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) expansion, and impaired osteoblast function. Endogenous glucocorticoid levels increase with age, and elevated glucocorticoid signaling, associated with chronic stress and dysregulated metabolism, can have a deleterious effect on bone mass. Canonical glucocorticoid signaling through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) was recently investigated as a mediator of osteoporosis during the stress of chronic caloric restriction. To address the role of the GR in an aging‐associated osteoporotic phenotype, the current study utilized female GR conditional knockout (GR‐CKO; GRfl/fl:Osx‐Cre+) mice and control littermates on the C57BL/6 background aged to 21 months and studied in comparison to young (3‐ and 6‐month‐old) mice. GR deficiency in Osx‐expressing cells led to low bone mass and BMAT accumulation that persisted with aging. Surprisingly, however, GR‐CKO mice also exhibited alterations in muscle mass (reduced % lean mass and soleus fiber size), accompanied by reduced voluntary physical activity, and also exhibited higher whole‐body metabolic rate and elevated blood pressure. Moreover, increased lipid storage was observed in GR‐CKO osteoblastic cultures in a glucocorticoid‐dependent fashion despite genetic deletion of the GR, and could be reversed via pharmacological inhibition of the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). These findings provide evidence of a role for the GR (and possibly the MR) in facilitating healthy bone maintenance with aging in females. The effects of GR‐deficient bone on whole‐body physiology also demonstrate the importance of bone as an endocrine organ and suggest evidence for compensatory mechanisms that facilitate glucocorticoid signaling in the absence of osteoblastic GR function; these represent new avenues of research that may improve understanding of glucocorticoid signaling in bone toward the development of novel osteogenic agents. © 2021 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).
Leviviricetes: expanding and restructuring the taxonomy of bacteria-infecting single-stranded RNA viruses

The vast majority of described prokaryotic viruses have double-stranded or single-stranded DNA or double-stranded RNA genomes. Until 2020, a mere four prokaryotic single-stranded, positive-sense RNA viruses have been classified in two genera (Riboviria; Lenarviricota; Allassoviricetes; Leviviridae). Several recent metagenomic and metatranscriptomic studies revealed a vastly greater diversity of these viruses in prokaryotic soil communities than ever anticipated. Phylogenetic analysis of these newly discovered viruses prompted the reorganization of class Allassoviricetes, now renamed Leviviricetes, to include two orders, Norzivirales and Timlovirales, and a total of six families, 428 genera and 882 species. Here we outline the new taxonomy of Leviviricetes, approved and ratified in 2021 by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, and describe open-access hidden Markov models to accommodate the anticipated identification and future classification of hundreds, if not thousands, of additional class members into this new taxonomic framework.
WATCCH: a multiprofessional approach to widening participation in healthcare careers

ABSTRACT Background Students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are underrepresented in higher education and healthcare careers. Whilst most healthcare-related widening participation schemes focus on one healthcare profession, the Widening Access to Careers in Community Healthcare (WATCCH) programme at Imperial College London supports participation in a range of community healthcare careers. We aim to evaluate the impact of WATCCH on students’ perceptions and aspirations towards community healthcare careers. Method WATCCH provides educational and application support to 16–18 year-old students interested in a variety of community healthcare careers via work experience, educational workshops and mentoring. The programme was evaluated by focus groups using semi-structured questions to explore the impact of WATCCH on students’ healthcare career perceptions and aspirations. Results Five themes were identified from the focus groups: increased awareness and understanding of a range of community healthcare careers; improved insight into the realities of healthcare careers enabling reflection on career aspirations; altered perceptions of healthcare professionals and acquisition of new role models; increased confidence in achieving a career in healthcare; and valued access to previously inaccessible work experience. Discussion WATCCH is a multi-professional widening participation programme that has supported students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds interested in entering healthcare careers by increasing insights into varied healthcare careers, provision of role models, and increasing students’ confidence of ability to enter healthcare careers. Similar programmes in other institutions could support large numbers of aspiring students to enter varied community healthcare careers in the future.
Adjustment of NiSi/n-Si SBH by post-silicide of dopant segregation process

The post-silicide of dopant segregation process for adjusting NiSi/n-Si SBH (Schottky barrier height) is described. Adopting the analysis of the I–V characteristic curve and extrapolating the SBH of NiSi/n-Si Schottky junction diodes (NiSi/n-Si SJDs), the effects of different of process parameters dopant segregation, including segregation anneal temperature and dopant implant dose, on the properties of the NiSi/n-Si SJDs have been studied, and the corresponding mechanisms are discussed.
Acute Effects of Psilocybin After Escitalopram or Placebo Pretreatment in a Randomized, Double‐Blind, Placebo‐Controlled, Crossover Study in Healthy Subjects

The psychedelic psilocybin is being investigated for the treatment of depression and anxiety. Unclear is whether antidepressant treatments interact with psilocybin. The present study used a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, crossover design with two experimental test sessions to investigate the response to psilocybin (25 mg) in healthy subjects after pretreatment with escitalopram or placebo. The treatment order was random and counterbalanced. Pretreatment consisted of 10 mg escitalopram daily for 7 days, followed by 20 mg daily for 7 days, including the day of psilocybin administration, or 14 days of placebo pretreatment before psilocybin administration. Psilocybin treatments were separated by at least 16 days. The outcome measures included self‐rating scales that evaluated subjective effects, autonomic effects, adverse effects, plasma brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, electrocardiogram QTc time, whole‐blood HTR2A and SCL6A4 gene expression, and pharmacokinetics. Escitalopram pretreatment had no relevant effect on positive mood effects of psilocybin but significantly reduced bad drug effects, anxiety, adverse cardiovascular effects, and other adverse effects of psilocybin compared with placebo pretreatment. Escitalopram did not alter the pharmacokinetics of psilocin. The half‐life of psychoactive free (unconjugated) psilocin was 1.8 hours (range 1.1–2.2 hours), consistent with the short duration of action of psilocybin. Escitalopram did not alter HTR2A or SCL6A4 gene expression before psilocybin administration, QTc intervals, or circulating BDNF levels before or after psilocybin administration. Further studies are needed with a longer antidepressant pretreatment time and patients with psychiatric disorders to further define interactions between antidepressants and psilocybin.
Does Ethnic Identity Moderate the Relationship between Racial Discrimination and Cannabis Use among US- and non-US Born Black Emerging Adults?

ABSTRACT Race-based experiences of discrimination (EOD) have been documented as a risk factor for substance use among Black individuals, particularly during emerging adulthood, with ethnic identity serving as a protective influence. Our study extends epidemiologic research on EOD and cannabis use by examining this relation in U.S. and non-U.S. born Black emerging adults across immigrant generations (N = 466, 30% first-generation immigrants, 49% second-generation immigrants, and 21% non-immigrants). Results from self-reported data indicated EOD were associated with an increased likelihood of lifetime cannabis use, while ethnic identity was not significantly related to any odds of lifetime cannabis use. Odds of lifetime use was lower among first-generation immigrants compared to non-immigrants. Although the interaction between ethnic identity and EOD was not significantly associated with cannabis use, the results indicated that for second-generation immigrants, the probability of lifetime use decreased as ethnic identity increased. These findings underscore the importance of ethnic identity as a protective factor for cannabis use, especially among Black immigrants who have been racialized over generations in the United States, providing implications for future study and intervention.
Comparison of Landmark-guided, Nerve Stimulation–guided, and Ultrasound-guided Techniques for Pediatric Caudal Epidural Anesthesia

Objectives: Traditionally, caudal epidurals are performed by a landmark-guided approach using the loss of resistance technique. Improvisations to increase the success rate can be attained by implementing modalities, namely neurostimulation and ultrasound, but there is a paucity of literature comparing these 3 approaches. Here, we compare the 3 techniques in terms of the success rate. Materials and Methods: The primary outcome of this study was to compare the success rate of the 3 techniques, and the secondary outcome was the blood or cerebrospinal fluid aspiration during the procedure. It was a prospective, randomized, open-label parallel-group study. Three hundred children aged 1 to 5 years scheduled for circumcision, hypospadias repair, and minor lower extremity surgeries were enrolled after taking written informed consent from the parents. Results: Demographic profiles were comparable in terms of age, weight, sex distribution, and types of surgeries. Success rates in landmark-guided, neurostimulation-guided, and ultrasound-guided were 97%, 97%, and 98%, respectively which was comparable (P=0.879). There was no significant difference in the incidence of blood or cerebrospinal fluid aspiration. Discussion: We found a similar success rate of the caudal epidural block by using landmark-guided, nerve stimulation–guided, or ultrasound-guided techniques in children aged 1 to 5 years with normal anatomy.
A Tightly-Coupled INS/GPS Integration Using a MEMS IMU

Abstract : Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology holds great promise for future navigation systems because of the reduced size and cost of MEMS inertial sensors relative to conventional devices. Current MEMS devices are much less accurate than standard inertial sensors, but they can still be useful. In this thesis, data was recorded from an inexpensive MEMS inertial measurement unit and integrated with GPS measurements using a tightly-coupled Kalman filter. The overall goal of this research is to investigate the usefulness of MEMS sensors for a small, real-time, low-cost INS/GPS integration. A golf cart was used to collect dynamic data, along with a commercial INS/GPS system to provide reference data. This data was then post-processed, and the filter's performance in the position, velocity, and attitude outputs were evaluated by comparing them to the reference system. The important system features of system alignment, bias feedback, and INS resets are described, and the filter's performance is analyzed using its estimate and covariance outputs and comparing them to the true error. Filter residuals are also shown and discussed. The final results show that, with adequate processing available, the INS/GPS filter using the MEMS instruments provides good position, velocity, and attitude results over a period of up to 15 minutes, as long as the data is at least somewhat dynamic. Without vehicle motion, the vehicle yaw state tends to wander excessively, due to the bias and noise of the MEMS gyroscopes. Over a long static period, the filter's position outputs would most likely diverge and become unstable. Recommendations are made to combat this problem, among them to conduct more characterization of the MEMS sensors, and to add GPS velocity measurements as an input to the filter.