Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Virtual Reality for Health Professions Education: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis by the Digital Health Education Collaboration

Background Virtual reality (VR) is a technology that allows the user to explore and manipulate computer-generated real or artificial three-dimensional multimedia sensory environments in real time to gain practical knowledge that can be used in clinical practice. Objective The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of VR for educating health professionals and improving their knowledge, cognitive skills, attitudes, and satisfaction. Methods We performed a systematic review of the effectiveness of VR in pre- and postregistration health professions education following the gold standard Cochrane methodology. We searched 7 databases from the year 1990 to August 2017. No language restrictions were applied. We included randomized controlled trials and cluster-randomized trials. We independently selected studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias, and then, we compared the information in pairs. We contacted authors of the studies for additional information if necessary. All pooled analyses were based on random-effects models. We used the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) approach to rate the quality of the body of evidence. Results A total of 31 studies (2407 participants) were included. Meta-analysis of 8 studies found that VR slightly improves postintervention knowledge scores when compared with traditional learning (standardized mean difference [SMD]=0.44; 95% CI 0.18-0.69; I2=49%; 603 participants; moderate certainty evidence) or other types of digital education such as online or offline digital education (SMD=0.43; 95% CI 0.07-0.79; I2=78%; 608 participants [8 studies]; low certainty evidence). Another meta-analysis of 4 studies found that VR improves health professionals’ cognitive skills when compared with traditional learning (SMD=1.12; 95% CI 0.81-1.43; I2=0%; 235 participants; large effect size; moderate certainty evidence). Two studies compared the effect of VR with other forms of digital education on skills, favoring the VR group (SMD=0.5; 95% CI 0.32-0.69; I2=0%; 467 participants; moderate effect size; low certainty evidence). The findings for attitudes and satisfaction were mixed and inconclusive. None of the studies reported any patient-related outcomes, behavior change, as well as unintended or adverse effects of VR. Overall, the certainty of evidence according to the GRADE criteria ranged from low to moderate. We downgraded our certainty of evidence primarily because of the risk of bias and/or inconsistency. Conclusions We found evidence suggesting that VR improves postintervention knowledge and skills outcomes of health professionals when compared with traditional education or other types of digital education such as online or offline digital education. The findings on other outcomes are limited. Future research should evaluate the effectiveness of immersive and interactive forms of VR and evaluate other outcomes such as attitude, satisfaction, cost-effectiveness, and clinical practice or behavior change.
Triparental inheritance in Dictyostelium

Significance Sex produces a new individual in which genetic material is reassorted and recombined. Most often, nuclear DNA is inherited from two parents, and organelle genomes are transmitted from only one of those parents. We report here genome-wide analysis of sexual recombination in social amoebae and show that inheritance in this protozoan is often triparental. Unusually, more than two gametes frequently fuse together and then split apart, allowing cytoplasm from multiple parents to be mixed. Progeny produced after two nuclei fuse and undergo meiosis thereby inherit nuclear DNA from two parents, and often mitochondrial DNA from a third. Our findings raise questions about mechanisms by which mitochondrial genes can promote self-interested organelle behavior during sex in social amoebae and other eukaryotes. Sex promotes the recombination and reassortment of genetic material and is prevalent across eukaryotes, although our knowledge of the molecular details of sexual inheritance is scant in several major lineages. In social amoebae, sex involves a promiscuous mixing of cytoplasm before zygotes consume the majority of cells, but for technical reasons, sexual progeny have been difficult to obtain and study. We report here genome-wide characterization of meiotic progeny in Dictyostelium discoideum. We find that recombination occurs at high frequency in pairwise crosses between all three mating types, despite the absence of the Spo11 enzyme that is normally required to initiate crossover formation. Fusions of more than two gametes to form transient syncytia lead to frequent triparental inheritance, with haploid meiotic progeny bearing recombined nuclear haplotypes from two parents and the mitochondrial genome from a third. Cells that do not contribute genetically to the Dictyostelium zygote nucleus thereby have a stake in the next haploid generation. D. discoideum mitochondrial genomes are polymorphic, and our findings raise the possibility that some of this variation might be a result of sexual selection on genes that can promote the spread of individual organelle genomes during sex. This kind of self-interested mitochondrial behavior may have had important consequences during eukaryogenesis and the initial evolution of sex.
Spontaneous advent of genetic diversity in RNA populations through multiple recombination mechanisms

There are several plausible abiotic synthetic routes from prebiotic chemical materials to ribonucleotides and even short RNA oligomers. However, for refinement of the RNA World hypothesis to help explain the origins of life on the Earth, there needs to be a manner by which such oligomers can increase their length and expand their sequence diversity. Oligomers longer than at least 10–20 nucleotides would be needed for raw material for subsequent natural selection. Here, we explore spontaneous RNA–RNA recombination as a facile means by which such length and diversity enhancement could have been realized. Motivated by the discovery that RNA oligomers stored for long periods of time in the freezer expand their lengths, we systematically investigated RNA–RNA recombination processes. In addition to one known mechanism, we discovered at least three new mechanisms. In these, one RNA oligomer acts as a splint to catalyze the hybridization of two other oligomers and facilitates the attack of a 5′-OH, a 3′-OH, or a 2′-OH nucleophile of one oligomer onto a target atom of another. This leads to the displacement of one RNA fragment and the production of new recombinant oligomers. We show that this process can explain the spontaneous emergence of sequence complexity, both in vitro and in silico.
Combined sialic acid and histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor treatment up-regulates the neuroblastoma antigen GD2

Neuroblastoma cells highly express the disialoganglioside GD2, a tumor-associated carbohydrate antigen, which is only sparsely expressed on healthy tissue. GD2 is a primary target for the development of immunotherapy for neuroblastoma. Immunotherapy with monoclonal anti-GD2 antibodies has proven safety and efficacy in clinical trials and is included in the standard treatment for children with high-risk neuroblastoma. Strategies to modulate GD2 expression in neuroblastoma could further improve anti-GD2–targeted immunotherapy. Here, we report that the cellular sialylation pathway, as well as epigenetic reprogramming, strongly modulates GD2 expression in human and mouse neuroblastoma cell lines. Recognition of GD2 by the 14G2a antibody is sialic acid–dependent and was blocked with the fluorinated sialic acid mimetic Ac53FaxNeu5Ac. Interestingly, sialic acid supplementation using a cell-permeable sialic acid analogue (Ac5Neu5Ac) boosted GD2 expression without or with minor alterations in overall cell surface sialylation. Furthermore, sialic acid supplementation with Ac5Neu5Ac combined with various histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, including vorinostat, enhanced GD2 expression in neuroblastoma cells beyond their individual effects. Mechanistic studies revealed that Ac5Neu5Ac supplementation increased intracellular CMP–Neu5Ac concentrations, thereby providing higher substrate levels for sialyltransferases. Furthermore, HDAC inhibitor treatment increased mRNA expression of the sialyltransferases GM3 synthase (ST3GAL5) and GD3 synthase (ST8SIA1), both of which are involved in GD2 biosynthesis. Our findings reveal that sialic acid analogues and HDAC inhibitors enhance GD2 expression and could potentially be employed to boost anti-GD2 targeted immunotherapy in neuroblastoma patients.
HUBUNGAN ANTARA JUMLAH LEUKOSIT DENGAN APENDISITIS AKUT DAN APENDISITIS PERFORASI DI RSU DOKTER SOEDARSO PONTIANAK TAHUN 2011

Latar Belakang: Penyakit apendisitis merupakan penyebab nyeri abdomen akut yang paling sering ditemukan di bidang bedah dan memerlukan tindakan pembedahan segera untuk mencegah komplikasi. Pemeriksaan hitung jumlah leukosit dapat membantu menegakkan diagnosis apendisitis dan membedakan antara apendisitis akut dan apendisitis perforasi. Tujuan: Penelitian ini secara umum bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan antara jumlah leukosit dengan apendisitis akut dan apendisitis perforasi di RSU Dokter Soedarso Pontianak. Penelitian ini secara khusus untuk mengetahui gambaran jumlah leukosit pada pasien apendisitis akut dan apendisitis perforasi di RSU Dokter Soedarso Pontianak. Metode: Penelitian ini merupakan studi analitik dengan metode potong lintang. Pengambilan sampel dilakukan secara consecutive sampling dengan jumlah sampel sebanyak 100 rekam medik pasien yang telah menjalani apendektomi dan melakukan pemeriksaan hitung jumlah leukosit preoperasi saat pertama kali datang ke IGD. Data dianalisis menggunakan uji chi-square. Hasil: Pasien apendisitis akut dengan jumlah leukosit 5.000-10.000 sel/mm3 dijumpai pada 20 pasien (33,33%), 10.000-18.000 sel/mm3 dijumpai pada 38 pasien (63,33%) dan >18.000 sel/mm3 dijumpai pada 2 pasien (3,34%). Pasien apendisitis perforasi dengan jumlah leukosit 5.000-10.000 sel/mm3 dijumpai pada 7 pasien (17,5%), 10.000-18.000 sel/mm3 dijumpai pada 16 pasien (40%) dan >18.000 sel/mm3 dijumpai pada 17 pasien (42,5%). Terdapat hubungan yang sangat bermakna secara statistik antara jumlah leukosit dengan apendisitis akut dan apendisitis perforasi (p=0,000). Kesimpulan: Terdapat hubungan yang sangat bermakna antara peningkatan jumlah leukosit dengan kejadian apendisitis akut dan apendisitis perforasi di RSU Dokter Soedarso Pontianak. Kata kunci: Jumlah leukosit, apendisitis akut, apendisitis perforasi
Mouse Cre-LoxP system: general principles to determine tissue-specific roles of target genes

Genetically engineered mouse models are commonly preferred for studying the human disease due to genetic and pathophysiological similarities between mice and humans. In particular, Cre-loxP system is widely used as an integral experimental tool for generating the conditional. This system has enabled researchers to investigate genes of interest in a tissue/cell (spatial control) and/or time (temporal control) specific manner. A various tissue-specific Cre-driver mouse lines have been generated to date, and new Cre lines are still being developed. This review provides a brief overview of Cre-loxP system and a few commonly used promoters for expression of tissue-specific Cre recombinase. Also, we finally introduce some available links to the Web sites that provides detailed information about Cre mouse lines including their characterization.
Effects of in ovo injection of sulfur‐containing amino acids on heat shock protein 70, corticosterone hormone, antioxidant indices, and lipid profile of newly hatched broiler chicks exposed to heat stress during incubation

ABSTRACT This study hypothesizes that in ovo sulfur amino acids (SAA) injection can alleviate the heat or oxidative stress of hatched chicks. Thus, the study aimed to assess the impact of in ovo injection of SAA with heat stress during the incubation on heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), corticosterone hormone, antioxidant indices, and lipid profile of newly hatched broiler chicks. Eggs were incubated under optimal incubation temperature (37.8°C) from days 1 to 10 then under high temperature (39.6°C for 6 h daily) between 10 and 18 D of the incubation. At day 17.5 of incubation, 150 eggs were randomly divided into 3 groups of 50 replicate eggs. The first group served as control (non‐injected group, NIG), the second group was only injected with saline solution (saline‐injected group, SIG), and the third group was injected with a mixture of 5.90 mg L‐methionine plus 3.40 mg L‐cysteine (sulfur amino acids‐injected group, SAAIG). The results exhibited that serum HSP70 and corticosterone concentrations were significantly reduced (P < 0.001) in the SAAIG compared with the NIG and SIG. In ovo SAA injection significantly augmented the antioxidant indices in the serum and tissues compared with the NIG and SIG. HSP70 mRNA relative expression was decreased but glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) mRNA relative expression was augmented in the tested tissues (P < 0.001) in the SAAIG compared with the NIG. The SAAIG had significantly (P < 0.05) lower levels in serum lipid profile compared to those of the control and SIG. In conclusion, in ovo SAA injection (methionine plus cysteine) in the embryonated eggs exposed to heat stress increased GSH‐Px gene expression and antioxidant indices, and reduced HSP70 gene expression, corticosterone concentrations, and lipid profile of newly hatched broiler chicks.
Epidemiology of suicide attempts and deaths: a population-based study in Fars, Iran (2011-16).

Background Suicide is a critical psychological issue worldwide with an increasing trend. This study investigated suicide comprehensively. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we reviewed data of 28 552 suicide attempts during 2011-16, in Southern Iran. To calculate age-standardized incidence rates, population statistics were derived from the Statistical Center of Iran and the National Organization for Civil Registration. We used the standard population of World Health Organization 2012 to adjust the suicide attempts and deaths rates by age. Results The mean age of participants was 26.8 ± 10.6 years with the highest suicide attempts rates in the age groups of 15-24 and 25-34 years (48% and 32.5%, respectively); 58.7% were women and 52.9% were single. Case-fatality rate (CFR) was 6.27%. Annual age-standardized incidence rates of suicide attempts during the 6-year period has increased (P < 0.001), and that of deaths were not incremental (P > 0.05). Logistic regression model showed male sex, rural area, older age, psychological and somatic disorders, and family history of suicide as significant factors. Conclusions In this comprehensive study, although the age-standardized mortality rate of suicide in southern Iran was lower than in other countries, the increasing trend of suicide attempts during the study period served as an alarming sign in this province.
Oxygen and contact with human intestinal epithelium independently stimulate virulence gene expression in enteroaggregative Escherichia coli

Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC) are important intestinal pathogens causing acute and persistent diarrhoeal illness worldwide. Although many putative EAEC virulence factors have been identified, their association with pathogenesis remains unclear. As environmental cues can modulate bacterial virulence, we investigated the effect of oxygen and human intestinal epithelium on EAEC virulence gene expression to determine the involvement of respective gene products in intestinal colonisation and pathogenesis. Using in vitro organ culture of human intestinal biopsies, we established the colonic epithelium as the major colonisation site of EAEC strains 042 and 17‐2. We subsequently optimised a vertical diffusion chamber system with polarised T84 colon carcinoma cells for EAEC infection and showed that oxygen induced expression of the global regulator AggR, aggregative adherence fimbriae, E. coli common pilus, EAST‐1 toxin, and dispersin in EAEC strain 042 but not in 17‐2. Furthermore, the presence of T84 epithelia stimulated additional expression of the mucinase Pic and the toxins HlyE and Pet. This induction was dependent on physical host cell contact and did not require AggR. Overall, these findings suggest that EAEC virulence in the human gut is modulated by environmental signals including oxygen and the intestinal epithelium.
Computer-Aided Archiving of Qualitative Data with the Database System "QBiQ

Im deutschsprachigen Raum werden qualitative Interviewdaten bisher kaum systematisch und umfassend archiviert. Fur die qualitativen Langsschnittdaten des Sonderforschungsbereichs 186 "Statuspassagen und Risikolagen im Lebensverlauf" der Universitat Bremen musste deshalb ein computergestutztes Konzept entwickelt werden, das geeignete Anonymisierungsstrategien und detaillierte Weitergabe- und Zugangsbedingungen fur das sensible Datenmaterial enthalt. Die Archivierung und Weitergabe der Daten sollte computergestutzt erfolgen, da so nicht nur die Lagerkapazitaten der verbalen Daten um ein Vielfaches reduziert, sondern auch der Zugriff auf die elektronisch gespeicherten Dateien sehr schnell erfolgen kann. Mit "QBiQ" (sprich wie im Englischen fur "cubic") wurde schlieslich vom Sfb ein Datenbanksystem entwickelt, mit dem nicht nur qualitative und quantitative Daten gemeinsam verwaltet werden konnen, sondern das auch uber die wichtigsten Grundfunktionen gangiger Textanalysesysteme verfugt (Kodierung des Datenmaterials, Erstellen verschiedener Arten von Textretrieval etc.). Daruber hinaus sollen zukunftig weitere Schnittstellen zu Textanalysesystemen programmiert werden, um einen Datenaustausch zwischen den verschiedenen Programmen zu ermoglichen. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0003111
Crosstalk between FXR and TGR5 controls glucagon-like peptide 1 secretion to maintain glycemic homeostasis

Though bile acids have been well known as digestive juice, recent studies have demonstrated that bile acids bind to their endogenous receptors, including Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and G protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1 (GPBAR1; TGR5) and serve as hormone to control various biological processes, including cholesterol/bile acid metabolism, glucose/lipid metabolism, immune responses, and energy metabolism. Deficiency of those bile acid receptors has been reported to induce diverse metabolic syndromes such as obesity, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance. As consistent, numerous studies have reported alteration of bile acid signaling pathways in type II diabetes patients. Interestingly, bile acids have shown to activate TGR5 in intestinal L cells and enhance secretion of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) to potentiate insulin secretion in response to glucose. Moreover, FXR has been shown to crosstalk with TGR5 to control GLP-1 secretion. Altogether, bile acid receptors, FXR and TGR5 are potent therapeutic targets for the treatment of metabolic diseases, including type II diabetes.
Noninvasive Imaging of Epicardial and Endocardial Potentials With Low Rank and Sparsity Constraints

In this study, we explore the use of low rank and sparse constraints for the noninvasive estimation of epicardial and endocardial extracellular potentials from body-surface electrocardiographic data to locate the focus of premature ventricular contractions (PVCs). The proposed strategy formulates the dynamic spatiotemporal distribution of cardiac potentials by means of low rank and sparse decomposition, where the low rank term represents the smooth background and the anomalous potentials are extracted in the sparse matrix. Compared to the most previous potential-based approaches, the proposed low rank and sparse constraints are batch spatiotemporal constraints that capture the underlying relationship of dynamic potentials. The resulting optimization problem is solved using alternating direction method of multipliers. Three sets of simulation experiments with eight different ventricular pacing sites demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms the existing Tikhonov regularization (zero-order, second-order) and L1-norm based method at accurately reconstructing the potentials and locating the ventricular pacing sites. Experiments on a total of 39 cases of real PVC data also validate the ability of the proposed method to correctly locate ectopic pacing sites.
A Population Pharmacokinetic Analysis Shows that Arylacetamide Deacetylase (AADAC) Gene Polymorphism and HIV Infection Affect the Exposure of Rifapentine

Rifapentine is a rifamycin used to treat tuberculosis. As is the case for rifampin, plasma exposures of rifapentine are associated with the treatment response. ABSTRACT Rifapentine is a rifamycin used to treat tuberculosis. As is the case for rifampin, plasma exposures of rifapentine are associated with the treatment response. While concomitant food intake and HIV infection explain part of the pharmacokinetic variability associated with rifapentine, few studies have evaluated the contribution of genetic polymorphisms. We evaluated the effects of functionally significant polymorphisms of the genes encoding OATP1B1, the pregnane X receptor (PXR), constitutive androstane (CAR), and arylacetamide deacetylase (AADAC) on rifapentine exposure. Two studies evaluating novel regimens among southern African patients with drug-susceptible pulmonary tuberculosis were included in this analysis. In the RIFAQUIN study, rifapentine was administered in the continuation phase of antituberculosis treatment in 1,200-mg-once-weekly or 900-mg-twice-weekly doses. In the Daily RPE study, 450 or 600 mg was given daily during the intensive phase of treatment. Nonlinear mixed-effects modeling was used to describe the pharmacokinetics of rifapentine and to identify significant covariates. A total of 1,144 drug concentration measurements from 326 patients were included in the analysis. Pharmacogenetic information was available for 162 patients. A one-compartment model with first-order elimination and transit compartment absorption described the data well. In a typical patient (body weight, 56 kg; fat-free mass, 45 kg), the values of clearance and volume of distribution were 1.33 liters/h and 25 liters, respectively. Patients carrying the AA variant (65.4%) of AADAC rs1803155 were found to have a 10.4% lower clearance. HIV-infected patients had a 21.9% lower bioavailability. Once-weekly doses of 1,200 mg were associated with a reduced clearance (13.2%) compared to that achieved with more frequently administered doses. Bioavailability was 23.3% lower among patients participating in the Daily RPE study than in those participating in the RIFAQUIN study. This is the first study to report the effect of AADAC rs1803155AA on rifapentine clearance. The observed increase in exposure is modest and unlikely to be of clinical relevance. The difference in bioavailability between the two studies is probably related to the differences in food intake concomitant with the dose. HIV-coinfected patients had lower rifapentine exposures.