Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Treating rural paediatric obesity through telemedicine vs. telephone: Outcomes from a cluster randomized controlled trial

Objective The objective of the current study was to examine the feasibility of telemedicine vs. telephone for the delivery of a multidisciplinary weekly family-based behavioural group intervention to treat paediatric obesity delivered to families living in rural areas using a randomized controlled trial methodology. Methods 103 rural children and their families were recruited. Feasibility measures included participant satisfaction, session attendance and retention. Treatment outcome measures included child Body Mass Index z-score (BMIz), parent BMI, 24-hour dietary recalls, accelerometer data, the child behavior checklist and the behavioral pediatrics feeding assessment scale. Results Participants were highly satisfied with the intervention both via telemedicine and via telephone. Completion rates were much higher than for other paediatric obesity intervention programmes, and both methodologies were highly feasible. There were no differences in telemedicine and telephone groups on primary outcomes. Conclusion Both telemedicine and telephone intervention appear to be feasible and acceptable methods of delivering paediatric obesity treatment to rural children.
Eating Disorders Risk Profiles in the Adolescents in the Abruzzo's Region in Italy: a Cross-Sectional Survey in the Aftermath of an Earthquake

Francesco Masedu1*, Annamaria Cappa Monti2, Mario Di Pietro3, Luigi Gileno4, Marco Valenti5, Maria Chiara Pino6, Melania Mariano7, Mazza Monica8 1Prof. , Section of Environmental Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of l’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy. 2President UNICEF, Delegation of the Abruzzo’s Region, Italy. 3Director of the Unity of Neonatology and Pediatry, Atri Hospital, Italy. 4Psychotherapist UNICEF, Delegation of the Abruzzo’s Region, Italy 5Head of the Section of Environmental Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of l’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy 6PhD student, Health and Environmental Sciences, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of l’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy 7PhD student, Section of Psychology, Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of l’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy 8Prof. , Section of Psychology, Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of l’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy. Journal of Nutritional Health & Food Science Open Access Research Article
Role engineering

Copyright 1996 Association for Computing Machinery. Permission to make digital/hard copy of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage; the copyright notice, the title of the publication, and its date appear; and notice is given that copying is by permission of ACM, Inc. To copy otherwise, to republish, to post on servers, or to redistribute to lists requires prior specific permission and/or a fee.
Promoting oligodendroglial-oriented differentiation of glioma stem cell: a repurposing of quetiapine for the treatment of malignant glioma

As a major contributor of chemotherapy resistance and malignant recurrence, glioma stem cells (GSCs) have been proposed as a target for the treatment of gliomas. To evaluate the therapeutic potential of quetiapine (QUE), an atypical antipsychotic, for the treatment of malignant glioma, we established mouse models with GSCs-initiated orthotopic xenograft gliomas and subcutaneous xenograft tumors, using GSCs purified from glioblastoma cell line GL261. We investigated antitumor effects of QUE on xenograft gliomas and its underlying mechanisms on GSCs. Our data demonstrated that (i) QUE monotherapy can effectively suppress GSCs-initiated tumor growth; (ii) QUE has synergistic effects with temozolomide (TMZ) on glioma suppression, and importantly, QUE can effectively suppress TMZ-resistant (or -escaped) tumors generated from GSCs; (iii) mechanistically, the anti-glioma effect of QUE was due to its actions of promoting the differentiation of GSCs into oligodendrocyte (OL)-like cells and its inhibitory effect on the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Together, our findings suggest an effective approach for anti-gliomagenic treatment via targeting OL-oriented differentiation of GSCs. This also opens a door for repurposing QUE, an FDA approved drug, for the treatment of malignant glioma.
When the fingers do the talking: A study of group participation with varying constraints to a tabletop interface

A user study is presented that investigates how different configurations of input can influence equity of participation around a tabletop interface. Groups of three worked on a design task requiring negotiation in four interface conditions that varied the number (all members can act or only one) and type (touch versus mice) of input. Our findings show that a multi-touch surface increases physical interaction equity and perceptions of dominance, but does not affect levels of verbal participation. Dominant people still continue to talk the most, while quiet ones remain quiet. Qualitative analyses further revealed how other factors can affect how participants contribute to the task. The findings are discussed in terms of how the design of the physical technological set-up can affect the desired form of collaboration.
Free will beliefs predict attitudes toward unethical behavior and criminal punishment

Significance Understanding the bases of moral judgment has been a longstanding goal of social science. Factors undergirding morality are argued to be both globally uniform and regionally variable. The current study found evidence of both. For residents of countries with low levels of corruption and transparent systems of governance, free will beliefs predicted greater support for harsh criminal punishment and an intolerance of unethical behavior. For residents of countries beset with corruption and obfuscation, free will beliefs predicted greater support for criminal punishment but were decoupled from judgments of unethical behavior. These findings confirm causal conclusions from experimental research about the influence of free will beliefs on moral judgments and demonstrate variation by sociopolitical context. Do free will beliefs influence moral judgments? Answers to this question from theoretical and empirical perspectives are controversial. This study attempted to replicate past research and offer theoretical insights by analyzing World Values Survey data from residents of 46 countries (n = 65,111 persons). Corroborating experimental findings, free will beliefs predicted intolerance of unethical behaviors and support for severe criminal punishment. Further, the link between free will beliefs and intolerance of unethical behavior was moderated by variations in countries’ institutional integrity, defined as the degree to which countries had accountable, corruption-free public sectors. Free will beliefs predicted intolerance of unethical behaviors for residents of countries with high and moderate institutional integrity, but this correlation was not seen for countries with low institutional integrity. Free will beliefs predicted support for criminal punishment regardless of countries’ institutional integrity. Results were robust across different operationalizations of institutional integrity and with or without statistical control variables.
Recognition and Structure from one 2D Model View: Observations on Prototypes, Object Classes and Symmetries

In this note we discuss how recognition can be achieved from a single 2D model view exploiting prior knowledge of an object''s structure (e.g. symmetry). We prove that for any bilaterally symmetric 3D object one non- accidental 2D model view is sufficient for recognition. Symmetries of higher order allow the recovery of structure from one 2D view. Linear transformations can be learned exactly from a small set of examples in the case of "linear object classes" and used to produce new views of an object from a single view.
An efficient radix-4 Quasi-cyclic shift network for QC-LDPC decoders

A Radix-4 Quasi-cyclic shift network (QSN) for reconfigurable QC-LDPC decoders is presented in this paper. A complexity reduction technique is described to reduce the total gate count at each stage in addition to the fact that Radix-4 logarithmic barrel shifter naturally offers less number of stages compared to Radix-2. The proposed Radix-4 QSN architecture supports various code rates and all sizes of sub matrices. Moreover, a novel Radix-4 signal generator is proposed which is particularly an essential element for reconfigurable LDPC decoders. The synthesis, placement and routing (P & R) of the proposed network is performed using TSMC 90-nm standard cell CMOS technology. The implementation results shows that the proposed network outperforms its predecessors by about 11% and 38% in terms of area and clock frequency respectively.
Effects of Aromatherapy on Anxiety and Vital Signs of Myocardial Infarction Patients in Intensive Care Units

Introduction: Patients with myocardial infarction (MI) who were admitted to CCU experience anxiety. Anxiety increases the risk of ischemia and worsens the prognosis of MI. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of inhaling lavender oil on anxiety levels and vital signs in MI patients. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was performed. Sixty patients with MI were randomly assigned to the intervention and control group. The intervention group inhaled the essential oil of Lavender for three days (20-30 min/day, 3times/day) using a non absorbent paper which was stained with three drops of lavender oil. In control group steriled water was used. Each patient was assessed before and after intervention for the following clinical parameters: anxiety by state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) and vital sign by Vista monitoring. The data were analyzed using Chi-square, paired t-test and Analysis of Covariance. Results: Results showed statistically significant decrease in state and trait anxiety at the end of study from 60.26±9.29 to 41.56±7.57 (P<0.001) and 55.73±10.22 to 44.53±7.28 (P<0.001) respectively, but in the control group were observed statistically significant increase in state and trait anxiety (P<0.001). Also statistically significant decrease were observed in blood pressure at the end of the intervention (p<0.05). The values for state and trait anxiety and blood pressure decrease in the intervention group in comparison with the control group (P<0.001 and p<0.05, respectively). Conclusion: This study showed that inhalation of lavender oil can reduce state and trait anxiety level and blood pressure in patients with MI.
A formal model for trust in dynamic networks

We propose a formal model of trust informed by the Global Computing scenario and focusing on the aspects of trust formation, evolution, and propagation. The model is based on a novel notion of trust structures which, building on concepts from trust management and domain theory, feature at the same time a trust and an information partial order.
Microbiological safety evaluation of street vended ready-to-eat fruits sold in Ota, Ogun state, Nigeria.

Microbiological safety evaluation of street vended ready to eat fruits was conducted in two vending sites, a local market and a University cafeteria. The mean total aerobic plate count ranges from 2.0x106 to 8.2x108 on Pineapple and Watermelon obtained from the local market and from 6.0x104 to 2.7x107 on apple and fruit salads from the University cafeteria. All the samples were contaminated with coliform and fungi with counts ranging from 2.2x105 to 4.2x106 and 2.0x101 to 1.0x103 in the samples from the cafeteria, and 2.0x105 to 3.5x106 and 2.0x102 to 1.1x103 for samples from the local market. Organisms identified include Bacillus spp 100%, S. aureus and Penicillium spp 80%, Aspergillus niger 60%, E. coli, Enterobacter, Salmonella, Klebsiella, Mucor spp 40%, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus, Micrococcus, and Lactobacillus spp 20%. The presence of coliform, and counts of ≥ 106 in most of the samples is a reflection of the sanitary quality of the processing of the produce and calls for concern. Adequate training of food vendors to maintain high standard of personal and environmental hygiene, proper washing of fruits before consumption, regular washing of hands and effective application of hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) will help control contamination of products.
Number Processing Pathways in Human Parietal Cortex

Numerous studies have identified the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) as an area critically involved in numerical processing. IPS neurons in macaques are tuned to a preferred numerosity, hence neurally coding numerosity in a number-selective way. Neuroimaging studies in humans have demonstrated number-selective processing in the anterior parts of the IPS. Nevertheless, the processes that convert visual input into a number-selective neural code remain unknown. Computational studies have suggested that a neural coding stage that is sensitive, but not selective to number, precedes number-selective coding when processing nonsymbolic quantities but not when processing symbolic quantities. In Experiment 1, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to localize number-sensitive areas in the human brain by searching for areas exhibiting increasing activation with increasing number, carefully controlling for nonnumerical parameters. An area in posterior superior parietal cortex was identified as a substrate for the intermediate number-sensitive steps required for processing nonsymbolic quantities. In Experiment 2, the interpretation of Experiment 1 was confirmed with a connectivity analysis showing that a shared number-selective representation in IPS is reached through different pathways for symbolic versus nonsymbolic quantities. The preferred pathway for processing nonsymbolic quantities included the number-sensitive area in superior parietal cortex, whereas the pathway for processing symbolic quantities did not.
Cpf1-Database: web-based genome-wide guide RNA library design for gene knockout screens using CRISPR-Cpf1

Summary Following the type II CRISPR-Cas9 system, type V CRISPR-Cpf1 endonucleases have been found to be applicable for genome editing in various organisms in vivo. However, there are as yet no web-based tools capable of optimally selecting guide RNAs (gRNAs) among all possible genome-wide target sites. Here, we present Cpf1-Database, a genome-wide gRNA library design tool for LbCpf1 and AsCpf1, which have DNA recognition sequences of 5'-TTTN-3' at the 5' ends of target sites. Cpf1-Database provides a sophisticated but simple way to design gRNAs for AsCpf1 nucleases on the genome scale. One can easily access the data using a straightforward web interface, and using the powerful collections feature one can easily design gRNAs for thousands of genes in short time. Availability and implementation Free access at http://www.rgenome. net/cpf1-database/. Contact sangsubae@hanyang.ac. kr.
Economic costs and health-related quality of life outcomes of hospitalised patients with high HIV prevalence: A prospective hospital cohort study in Malawi

Introduction Although HIV infection and its associated co-morbidities remain the commonest reason for hospitalisation in Africa, their impact on economic costs and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are not well understood. This information is essential for decision-makers to make informed choices about how to best scale-up anti-retroviral treatment (ART) programmes. This study aimed to quantify the impact of HIV infection and ART on economic outcomes in a prospective cohort of hospitalised patients with high HIV prevalence. Methods Sequential medical admissions to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Malawi, between June-December 2014 were followed until discharge, with standardised classification of medical diagnosis and estimation of healthcare resources used. Primary costing studies estimated total health provider cost by medical diagnosis. Participants were interviewed to establish direct non-medical and indirect costs. Costs were adjusted to 2014 US$ and INT$. HRQoL was measured using the EuroQol EQ-5D. Multivariable analyses estimated predictors of economic outcomes. Results Of 892 eligible participants, 80.4% (647/892) were recruited and medical notes found. In total, 447/647 (69.1%) participants were HIV-positive, 339/447 (75.8%) were on ART prior to admission, and 134/647 (20.7%) died in hospital. Mean duration of admission for HIV-positive participants not on ART and HIV-positive participants on ART was 15.0 days (95%CI: 12.0–18.0) and 12.2 days (95%CI: 10.8–13.7) respectively, compared to 10.8 days (95%CI: 8.8–12.8) for HIV-negative participants. Mean total provider cost per hospital admission was US$74.78 (bootstrap 95%CI: US$25.41-US$124.15) higher for HIV-positive than HIV-negative participants. Amongst HIV-positive participants, the mean total provider cost was US$106.87 (bootstrap 95%CI: US$25.09-US$106.87) lower for those on ART than for those not on ART. The mean total direct non-medical and indirect cost per hospital admission was US$87.84. EQ-5D utility scores were lower amongst HIV-positive participants, but not significantly different between those on and not on ART. Conclusions HIV-related hospital care poses substantial financial burdens on health systems and patients; however, per-admission costs are substantially lower for those already initiated onto ART prior to admission. These potential cost savings could offset some of the additional resources needed to provide universal access to ART.
Bacterial persistence by RNA endonucleases

Bacteria form persisters, individual cells that are highly tolerant to different types of antibiotics. Persister cells are genetically identical to nontolerant kin but have entered a dormant state in which they are recalcitrant to the killing activity of the antibiotics. The molecular mechanisms underlying bacterial persistence are unknown. Here, we show that the ubiquitous Lon (Long Form Filament) protease and mRNA endonucleases (mRNases) encoded by toxin-antitoxin (TA) loci are required for persistence in Escherichia coli. Successive deletion of the 10 mRNase-encoding TA loci of E. coli progressively reduced the level of persisters, showing that persistence is a phenotype common to TA loci. In all cases tested, the antitoxins, which control the activities of the mRNases, are Lon substrates. Consistently, cells lacking lon generated a highly reduced level of persisters. Moreover, Lon overproduction dramatically increased the levels of persisters in wild-type cells but not in cells lacking the 10 mRNases. These results support a simple model according to which mRNases encoded by TA loci are activated in a small fraction of growing cells by Lon-mediated degradation of the antitoxins. Activation of the mRNases, in turn, inhibits global cellular translation, and thereby induces dormancy and persistence. Many pathogenic bacteria known to enter dormant states have a plethora of TA genes. Therefore, in the future, the discoveries described here may lead to a mechanistic understanding of the persistence phenomenon in pathogenic bacteria.
Attention on Infection Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation

To the Editor—We have read with interest the study by Shi et al on the incidence and risk factors for infection following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). In their report, 35 of 253 patients had infections during the 30 days after the procedure; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, postprocedural hemorrhage, and procedure-related stroke were identified as variables associated with the development of infection. Although infection has been recognized as one of the most common complications after surgery, its incidence, etiology, and impact following TAVI are not well defined yet. This study, with clear classification of infection types and determination of risk factors, certainly sheds some light on our understanding of this less discussed complication. Compared with issues such as paravalvular leak, conduction disturbances, or stroke after TAVI, infections seem to be somewhat neglected. Although TAVI is minimally invasive, TAVI candidates usually have predisposing factors for infection, including age; poor pulmonary, renal, and immune function; diabetes mellitus; and need for ventilation and central venous access. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was associated with post-TAVI infection in both their univariate and multivariate analyses. In our group’s previous systematic review, infection/sepsis was the most common cause of death both within and beyond 30 days of TAVI in the pooled analysis. In this study, the authors found 8 (22.9%) of those who developed a post-TAVI infection died whereas only 4 (1.8%) of those patients who did not have an infection died (P< .001). Moreover, Tirado-Conte et al also recently contributed research on this issue. During a median follow-up of 21 months, 51 of 303 patients experienced in-hospital infections after TAVI, with respiratory and urinary tract infections being most frequent. Patients with infections also had increased mortality during follow-up, as well as a longer hospital stay and higher readmission rate. These findings altogether demonstrate that infections play a major adverse role in postprocedural management of TAVI recipients. Respiratory and urinary tract infections were the most frequent type of infections in this study, whereas postprocedural hemorrhage requiring transfusion was found to be significantly associated with an increased infection risk. Some of these risk factors are potentially modifiable and emphasize the importance of implementing a standardized postprocedural protocol to offer our patients a quick and smooth recovery. Two recently published articles have recommended early removal of Foley catheters and other hemodynamic lines if possible. Expedited transfer from the critical care area to a cardiac step-down unit and criteria-driven early discharge were also encouraged in suitable patients. Theoretically, infections can be expected to decrease once predisposing factors are modified by those enhanced recovery pathways. However, future randomized trials are needed to verify whether these proposed measures can lower infection rates or not.