Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Statistical properties of methods based on the Q‐statistic for constructing a confidence interval for the between‐study variance in meta‐analysis

The effect sizes of studies included in a meta‐analysis do often not share a common true effect size due to differences in for instance the design of the studies. Estimates of this so‐called between‐study variance are usually imprecise. Hence, reporting a confidence interval together with a point estimate of the amount of between‐study variance facilitates interpretation of the meta‐analytic results. Two methods that are recommended to be used for creating such a confidence interval are the Q‐profile and generalized Q‐statistic method that both make use of the Q‐statistic. These methods are exact if the assumptions underlying the random‐effects model hold, but these assumptions are usually violated in practice such that confidence intervals of the methods are approximate rather than exact confidence intervals. We illustrate by means of two Monte‐Carlo simulation studies with odds ratio as effect size measure that coverage probabilities of both methods can be substantially below the nominal coverage rate in situations that are representative for meta‐analyses in practice. We also show that these too low coverage probabilities are caused by violations of the assumptions of the random‐effects model (ie, normal sampling distributions of the effect size measure and known sampling variances) and are especially prevalent if the sample sizes in the primary studies are small.
Psychological preconditions for flourishing through ultrabilitation: a descriptive framework

Abstract Purpose: Rehabilitation is commonly portrayed as care that seeks to enable persons who are disabled to recover as normal a state of well-being as their personal and social circumstances allow. In contrast, this article frames psychological preconditions for persons living with disabilities to flourish toward, around or even beyond recovery through health care provision before, during or after injury. Method: This conceptual article uses reasoning and creative word play, informed by experience and literature from disciplines including psychology and philosophy. Results: Ultrabilitation promotes seven psychological preconditions of flourishing by persons with disabilities. These interconnected conditions are: apprehension; appetite; “attitude”; ambiguity; autonomy; accountability and ambiopia. Conclusions: Clinicians could partner with persons living with disabilities to promote these mental preconditions for flourishing, and use ultrabilitation to resist potentially destabilizing forces such as social imperatives to recovery and normalcy. Implications for rehabilitation Clinicians can support persons with disabilities to optimize mental states that enable them to flourish in everyday life. Apprehension, including awareness of and anxiety about disability and its management, can motivate persons to assent to capabilities to flourish. Apprehension and ambiguity can feed an appetite for personal growth and an attitude that trusts in genuine possibilities for growth through autonomy and accountability. Autonomy frees persons to accept what they cannot change; set and implement challenging but achievable goals in creative ways; and learn to lose control without viewing disability as something that they need to get beyond in order to flourish.
A qualitative analysis of pressure injury development among medically underserved adults with spinal cord injury

Abstract Purpose: Medically underserved adults with spinal cord injury (SCI) remain at high risk of incurring medically serious pressure injuries even after receiving education in prevention techniques. The purpose of this research is to identify circumstances leading to medically serious pressure injury development in medically underserved adults with SCI during a lifestyle-based pressure injury prevention program, and provide recommendations for future rehabilitation approaches and intervention design. Methods: This study entailed a qualitative secondary case analysis of treatment notes from a randomized controlled trial. Participants were 25 community-dwelling, medically underserved adults with SCI who developed medically serious pressure injuries during the course of the intervention of the RCT. Results and conclusions: Among the 25 participants, 40 unique medically serious pressure injuries were detected. The six themes related to medically serious pressure injury development were: (1) lack of rudimentary knowledge pertaining to wound care; (2) equipment and supply issues; (3) comorbidities; (4) non-adherence to prescribed bed rest; (5) inactivity; and (6) circumstances beyond the intervention’s reach. Together, these factors may have undermined the effectiveness of the intervention program. Modifications, such as assessing health literacy levels of patients prior to providing care, providing tailored wound care education, and focusing on equipment needs, have potential for altering future rehabilitation programs and improving health outcomes. Implications for rehabilitation To provide patients with spinal cord injury with the necessary information to prevent medically serious pressure injury development, health care providers need to understand their patient’s unique personal contexts, including socio-economic status, language skills, and mental/cognitive functioning. When providing wound care information to patients with spinal cord injury who have developed a medically serious pressure injury, practitioners should take into account the level of health literacy of their patient in order to provide education that is appropriate and understandable. Practitioners should be aware of how to help their patient advocate for outside services and care that address their equipment needs, such as finding funding or grants to pay for expensive medical equipment.
Ray Tracing From The Ground Up

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Rho kinase inhibitors for treatment of glaucoma

Affecting 60 million patients, glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. Despite the availability of multiple medical and surgical treatments with effective intraocular pressure lowering, many patients still progress to become visually handicapped from glaucoma due to therapeutic failure. There is therefore a great need for novel therapies to improve the standard of care, and Rho kinase (ROCK) inhibitors represent a promising new class of drugs for treatment of glaucoma. ROCK inhibitors act by increasing facility of fluid outflow from the eye, thereby reducing intraocular pressure. ROCK inhibitors also have a vasodilatory effect on conjunctival vessels, which can lead to eye redness, a less than desirable cosmetic side effect for patients that would use this medication. Although there is promising data to support the clinical potential of this class of drug, the occurrence of conjunctival hyperemia remains a potential deterrent for use by patients. Studies are underway to assess alternative dosing strategies, delivery methods and prodrug formulations that may circumvent this unwanted side effect. This review provides an up-to-date account of the basic scientific data, as well as nonclinical and clinical studies to support use of ROCK inhibitors for treatment of glaucoma.
LESSON STUDY: Effectief en bruikbaar in het Nederlandse onderwijs?

Met ‘Lesson Study’ doen leraren (vak)didactische en pedagogische kennis en inzichten op. Ook begrijpen leraren beter hoe leerlingen denken. Zo profiteren leerlingen mee van deze professionaliseringsaanpak. Daarnaast vinden leraren het prettig om ervaringen met collega’s te delen, en bevordert deelname aan Lesson Study de onderlinge verbondenheid en solidariteit, zo wijst een onderzoek van de Rijksuniversiteit Groningen uit.
Accurate prediction of nutritional value of sorghum grain using image analysis

ABSTRACT 1. This study evaluated the application of L (lightness)*a (redness) and *b (blueness) colour analysis and chemical compositions to predict the nutritional value of sorghum grain. 2. A total of 12 varieties of sorghum grain were analysed for L*a*b colours, chemical composition, energy and total and digestible amino acid content. Regression models based on the linear, non-linear and the interaction effects of inputs were applied to predict the nutritional value of sorghum grains either using L*a*b colour or chemical composition, as the model inputs. 3. The results illustrated a significant relationship between a*b and/or chemical compositions with energy content in the samples of sorghum grain. The provided estimation equations presented high goodness of fit in terms of R2adj ranging from 0.744 to 0.999. 4. Total and digestible amino acids of sorghum grain were estimated based on a*b and chemical compositions data with the goodness of fit ranging from 0.641 to 0.999 (R2adj). 5. In conclusion, the L*a*b colour analysis may be used for developing equations to predict nutritional value of sorghum grain as an alternative approach to the conventional time-consuming and costly chemical and bioassay methods.
Towards Inertial Sensor Based Mobile Gait Analysis: Event-Detection and Spatio-Temporal Parameters

The aim of this study was to assess the validity and test-retest reliability of an inertial measurement unit (IMU) system for gait analysis. Twenty-four healthy subjects conducted a 6-min walking test and were instrumented with seven IMUs and retroreflective markers. A kinematic approach was used to estimate the initial and terminal contact events in real-time. Based on these events twelve spatio-temporal parameters (STP) were calculated. A marker based optical motion capture (OMC) system provided the reference. Event-detection rate was about 99%. Detection offset was below 0.017 s. Relative root mean square error (RMSE) ranged from 0.90% to 4.40% for most parameters. However, the parameters that require spatial information of both feet showed higher errors. Step length showed a relative RMSE of 6.69%. Step width and swing width revealed the highest relative RMSE (34.34% and 35.20%). Test-retest results ranged from 0.67 to 0.92, except for the step width (0.25). Summarizing, it appears that the parameters describing the lateral distance between the feet need further improvement. However, the results of the validity and reliability of the IMU system encourage its validation in clinical settings as well as further research.
The CLOZE Procedure and the Learning of Programming

Many students find great difficulty with the learning of programming. This paper discusses some of those difficulties and ways in which the cognitive load that students experience can be reduced. One way of reducing the load is to make use of the cloze method that is used in English comprehension testing. When used with the learning of programming, the cloze method requires students to fill-in and complete a part-complete solution to a programming problem that they have been given. A code restructuring tool, CORT, has been built by the author to support this method and utilised by students in an introductory programming course. Initial results suggest that students were encouraged and motivated whilst using CORT and that the time taken to complete problems and the help required were less than for students who did not use the tool.
Improving knowledge about permeability in membrane bioreactors through sensitivity analysis using artificial neural networks

ABSTRACT Membrane bioreactor (MBR) has been widely employed for industrial effluent treatment, as its higher efficiency in removing pollutants makes effluent reuse more feasible. However, membrane fouling remains as a limiting factor for its greater diffusion. This work performed a sensitivity analysis study to investigate the effects of analytical and operating variables on membrane permeability. The case study is a MBR treating oil refinery effluents. After the identification and validation of a predictive neural model for permeability, sensitivity analysis methods based on both connection weights and variable disturbances were used to quantify and rank the variables influence. A comprehensive analysis showed that Suspended solids and Days between cleanings exerted greater effects on permeability, whereas sludge filterability and sludge temperature were less significant. In sequence, a specific analysis revealed distinct dynamics in MBR operation given different solids concentrations. For instance, from higher solids concentrations, among all the evaluated parameters, only COD presented low significance to the permeability. This evidence suggests that permeability is more susceptible to variations when operating with higher concentrations of Suspended solids. The global result of this study contributes to more efficient MBR operations since distinct relations with permeability imply different effects on membrane fouling. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Antrocin Sensitizes Prostate Cancer Cells to Radiotherapy through Inhibiting PI3K/AKT and MAPK Signaling Pathways

Radiotherapy is one of the most common treatment options for local or regional advanced prostate cancer (PCa). Importantly, PCa is prone to radioresistance and often develops into malignancies after long-term radiotherapy. Antrocin, a sesquiterpene lactone isolated from Antrodia cinnamomea, possesses pharmacological efficacy against various cancer types; however, its therapeutic potential requires comprehensive exploration, particularly in radioresistant PCa cells. In this study, we emphasized the effects of antrocin on radioresistant PCa cells and addressed the molecular mechanism underlying the radiosensitization induced by antrocin. Our results showed that a combination treatment with antrocin and ionizing radiation (IR) synergistically inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in radioresistant PCa cells. We further demonstrated that antrocin downregulated PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathways as well as suppressed type 1 insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R)-mediated induction of β-catenin to regulate cell cycle and apoptosis. Using xenograft mouse models, we showed that antrocin effectively enhanced radiotherapy in PCa. Our study demonstrates that antrocin sensitizes PCa to radiation through constitutive suppression of IGF-1R downstream signaling, revealing that it can be developed as a potent therapeutic agent to overcome radioresistant PCa.
Cancer patients hospitalised in the last week of life risk insufficient care quality – a population-based study from the Swedish Register of Palliative Care

Abstract Background: One-quarter of all cancer deaths in Sweden occur in hospitals. If the place of death affects the quality of end-of-life (EOL) is largely unknown. Methods: This population-based, retrospective study included all adults cancer deaths reported to the Swedish Register of Palliative Care in 2011–2013 (N = 41,729). Hospital deaths were compared to deaths occurring in general or specialised palliative care, or in nursing homes with respect to care quality indicators in the last week of life. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated with specialised palliative home care as reference. Results: Preferred place of death was unknown for 63% of hospitalised patients and consistent with the actual place of death in 25% compared to 97% in palliative home care. Hospitalised patients were less likely to be informed when death was imminent (OR: 0.3; CI: 0.28–0.33) as were their families (OR: 0.51; CI: 0.46–0.57). Validated screening tools were less often used in hospitals for assessment of pain (OR: 0.32; CI: 0.30–0.34) or other symptoms (OR: 0.31; CI: 0.28–0.34) despite similar levels of EOL symptoms. Prescriptions of as needed drugs against anxiety (OR: 0.27; CI: 0.24–0.30), nausea (OR: 0.19; CI: 0.17–0.21), or pulmonary secretions (OR: 0.29; CI: 0.26–0.32) were less prevalent in hospitals. Bereavement support was offered after 57% of hospital deaths compared to 87–97% in palliative care units and 72% in nursing homes. Conclusions: Dying in hospital was associated with inferior end-of-life care quality among cancer patients in Sweden.
Dietary intake of vitamin B12 in relation to diet and lifestyle characteristics in a population at high risk for colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVE Besides irreplaceable role in health, vitamin B12 is proposed to have cytoprotective role in colorectal cancer (CRC). So far, studies are inconclusive on the role dietary intake of vitamin B12 has in CRC. The aim of this study was to determine whether total dietary intake of vitamin B12 and contribution from its food sources relates to a low-risk diet and lifestyle in a population at high risk for CRC. METHODS An observational study on 200 healthy adults from Eastern Croatia was conducted during April-May 2013. A typical diet of this population in this region is characterized with all known major dietary risk factors for CRC placing the population at high risk for CRC, yet the incidence of CRC remains relatively low. RESULTS Diet and lifestyle characteristics of 52.2% of participants can be classified as the high-risk for CRC. Women, people in lower BMI category, and urban residents have significantly lower risk of the high-risk diet and lifestyle. Higher intake of vitamin B12 shows positive association with the low-risk diet and lifestyle. Intake of vitamin B12 from milk, dairy and fish represent independent factors for the low-risk diet and lifestyle in this population at high-risk for CRC. CONCLUSIONS Higher intake of vitamin B12, especially intake from milk, dairy and fish are associated with the low-risk diet and lifestyle in a population at high risk for CRC. Further studies should focus on interplay between vitamin B12 and other nutrients that share the same food sources to elucidate their role in the aetiology and pathology of CRC.
Dynamic Characteristics and HIV Infection of Men who have Sex with Men from 2011 to 2017 in Yinchuan, Ningxia, China

Objectives: Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, an important area for ethnic Hui settlement in Northwest China, is a low HIV prevalence region. However, HIV infection rates among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Ningxia have increased to an alarming level, despite scale-up of control measures in recent years. This study aimed to understand the demographical and sexual behavior dy-namics of MSM and to explore the factors associated with HIV infection. Methods: Annual cross-sectional surveys were carried out among MSM during 2011~2017 in Yin-chuan, the capital city of Ningxia. Information regarding social demographics, sexual behavior and HIV prevention knowledge was collected. Blood samples were taken for HIV, HCV serological and genetic analysis, and syphilis serological analysis. The dynamic trend was analyzed with trend χ2 test and factors associated with HIV infection were identified by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: The study found a decreasing trend for mean age of the MSM population over the study peri-od. MSMs with a college education or higher increased significantly, while the proportions that were in a marriage significantly decreased over the study period. The rate of HIV positive among MSM in-creased during the study period (p<0.05), however, the rate of recently diagnosed infections decreased from 2012 (p<0.05). Overall, a very high proportion (98%) of MSM had basic knowledge of HIV prevention, however, only approximately 40% of them used condoms consistently during anal sex with male partners. Unprotected anal sex was identified as a risk factor associated with HIV infection, as was syphilis infection. Local residency status and MSM who received intervention and detection services were the factors that decreased HIV infection risk. Sequence analysis identified the HIV-1 CRF55_01B subtype from MSM for the first time in Yinchuan. Conclusion: The reduction of recent HIV diagnoses is an encouraging sign of successful HIV control measures in MSM in Ningxia. The finding that a high proportion of MSM had knowledge of HIV prevention but still conducted unprotected sex highlights the need for further control measures to change unsafe sexual practices among MSM.
Levels of Mycoplasma genitalium Antimicrobial Resistance Differ by Both Region and Gender in the State of Queensland, Australia: Implications for Treatment Guidelines

Mycoplasma genitalium is frequently associated with urogenital and rectal infections, with the number of cases of macrolide-resistant and quinolone-resistant M. genitalium infection continuing to increase. In this study, we examined the levels of resistance to these two common antibiotic treatments in geographically distinct locations in Queensland, Australia. ABSTRACT Mycoplasma genitalium is frequently associated with urogenital and rectal infections, with the number of cases of macrolide-resistant and quinolone-resistant M. genitalium infection continuing to increase. In this study, we examined the levels of resistance to these two common antibiotic treatments in geographically distinct locations in Queensland, Australia. Samples were screened for macrolide resistance-associated mutations using a commercially available kit (ResistancePlus MG; SpeeDx), and quinolone resistance-associated mutations were identified by PCR and DNA sequencing. Comparisons between antibiotic resistance mutations and location/gender were performed. The levels of M. genitalium macrolide resistance were high across both locations (62%). Quinolone resistance mutations were found in ∼10% of all samples, with a number of samples harboring mutations conferring resistance to both macrolides and quinolones. Quinolone resistance was higher in southeast Queensland than in north Queensland, and this was consistent in both males and females (P = 0.007). The M. genitalium isolates in rectal swab samples from males harbored high levels of macrolide (75.9%) and quinolone (19%) resistance, with 15.5% harboring resistance to both classes of antibiotics. Overall, the lowest observed level of resistance was to quinolones in females from north Queensland (1.6%). These data highlight the high levels of antibiotic resistance in M. genitalium isolates within Queensland and the challenges faced by sexually transmitted infection clinicians in managing these infections. The data do, however, show that the levels of antibiotic resistance may differ between populations within the same state, which has implications for clinical management and treatment guidelines. These findings also support the need for ongoing antibiotic resistance surveillance and tailored treatment.