Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Occupational aspects of irritable larynx syndrome.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW The aim of this article is to provide an update on occupational aspects of irritable larynx syndrome (ILS). RECENT FINDINGS It is being increasingly recognized that ILS is common amongst certain occupations. This is particularly true of occupations that require frequent voice use such as teachers; where there is exposure to workplace irritants such as World Trade Center responders; or mechanical factors that cause laryngeal dysfunction such as elite athletes. Work associated ILS impacts on quality of life but responds to speech and language therapy focusing on education, vocal hygiene, and laryngeal exercises that reduce cough and treat acute laryngeal obstruction episodes. SUMMARY ILS may be caused or exacerbated by many occupational exposures, causes significant symptoms, and impacts on quality of life. It is potentially treatable and may well be preventable. More research in this important area is required.
ChemBioServer 2.0: an advanced web server for filtering, clustering and networking of chemical compounds facilitating both drug discovery and repurposing

Abstract Summary ChemBioServer 2.0 is the advanced sequel of a web server for filtering, clustering and networking of chemical compound libraries facilitating both drug discovery and repurposing. It provides researchers the ability to (i) browse and visualize compounds along with their physicochemical and toxicity properties, (ii) perform property-based filtering of compounds, (iii) explore compound libraries for lead optimization based on perfect match substructure search, (iv) re-rank virtual screening results to achieve selectivity for a protein of interest against different protein members of the same family, selecting only those compounds that score high for the protein of interest, (v) perform clustering among the compounds based on their physicochemical properties providing representative compounds for each cluster, (vi) construct and visualize a structural similarity network of compounds providing a set of network analysis metrics, (vii) combine a given set of compounds with a reference set of compounds into a single structural similarity network providing the opportunity to infer drug repurposing due to transitivity, (viii) remove compounds from a network based on their similarity with unwanted substances (e.g. failed drugs) and (ix) build custom compound mining pipelines. Availability and implementation http://chembioserver.vi-seem.eu.
Visto, Pero No Escuchado: A Qualitative Arm of a Mixed-Methods Study of Puerto Rican Children With Asthma

Introduction: Communication among health care providers, caregivers, and children with asthma is challenging and sometimes may exclude the child. This may result in delay in recognizing and responding appropriately to asthma symptoms. The purpose was to conduct focus groups among Puerto Rican children with asthma on communication with their health care provider about their asthma symptoms. Method: The qualitative arm (focus groups) of a mixed-method explanatory sequential study that was used to view communication with their health care provider through the lens of a group of Puerto Rican children. The sample included Puerto Rican children ages 8 to 12 years with asthma (N = 23). The goal was to develop a child illness representation questionnaire. Results: The perspective of children with asthma provided enriched information to influence the development of instrument subscale on communication. The children were often not heard during a clinical visit. Most of the children express fear of their health care provider. Conclusions: Although this was a small sample, there were indications that children would like to opportunity to tell the story about their experience with having asthma. Further research will lead to the next step toward developing and computing a reliable measure that includes the child in a discussion during a clinical visit.
Accelerated sparsity based reconstruction of compressively sensed multichannel EEG signals

Wearable electronics capable of recording and transmitting biosignals can provide convenient and pervasive health monitoring. A typical EEG recording produces large amount of data. Conventional compression methods cannot compress date below Nyquist rate, thus resulting in large amount of data even after compression. This needs large storage and hence long transmission time. Compressed sensing has proposed solution to this problem and given a way to compress data below Nyquist rate. In this paper, double temporal sparsity based reconstruction algorithm has been applied for the recovery of compressively sampled EEG data. The results are further improved by modifying the double temporal sparsity based reconstruction algorithm using schattern-p norm along with decorrelation transformation of EEG data before processing. The proposed modified double temporal sparsity based reconstruction algorithm out-perform block sparse bayesian learning and Rackness based compressed sensing algorithms in terms of SNDR and NMSE. Simulation results further show that the proposed algorithm has better convergence rate and less execution time.
Purinergic signaling in cochlear supporting cells reduces hair cell excitability by increasing the extracellular space

Neurons in developing sensory pathways exhibit spontaneous bursts of electrical activity that are critical for survival, maturation and circuit refinement. In the auditory system, intrinsically generated activity arises within the cochlea, but the molecular mechanisms that initiate this activity remain poorly understood. We show that burst firing of mouse inner hair cells prior to hearing onset requires P2RY1 autoreceptors expressed by inner supporting cells. P2RY1 activation triggers K+ efflux and depolarization of hair cells, as well as osmotic shrinkage of supporting cells that dramatically increased the extracellular space and speed of K+ redistribution. Pharmacological inhibition or genetic disruption of P2RY1 suppressed neuronal burst firing by reducing K+ release, but unexpectedly enhanced their tonic firing, as water resorption by supporting cells reduced the extracellular space, slowing K+ clearance. These studies indicate that purinergic signaling in supporting cells regulates hair cell excitability by controlling the volume of the extracellular space.
On the Simulation of Three Phase Induction Machine

Abstract Three phase induction motor is the most popular type AC motor. it is very commonly used for industrial drives. It is cheap, robust, efficient and reliable. It has good speed regulation and high starting torque. It requires little maintenance. It has a reasonable over load capacity. This paper deals with the simulation of three phase induction machine using MATLAB Simulink. The results are obtained for generating mode and motoring mode.
Ancient DNA evidence from China reveals the expansion of Pacific dogs.

The ancestral homeland of Australian dingoes and Pacific dogs is proposed to be in South China. However, the location and timing of their dispersal and relationship to dog domestication is unclear. Here, we sequenced 7,000 to 2,000-year-old complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genomes of 27 ancient canids (one gray wolf and 26 domestic dogs) from the Yellow River and Yangtze River basins (YYRB). These are the first complete ancient mtDNA of Chinese dogs from the cradle of early Chinese civilization. We found that most ancient dogs (18/26) belong to the haplogroup A1b lineage that is found in high frequency in present-day Australian dingoes and pre-colonial Pacific Island dogs, but low frequency in present-day China. Particularly, a 7,000-year-old dog from the Tianluoshan site in Zhejiang province possesses a haplotype basal to the entire haplogroup A1b lineage. We propose that A1b lineage dogs were once widely distributed in the YYRB area. Following their dispersal to South China, and then into Southeast Asia, New Guinea and remote Oceania, they were largely replaced by dogs belonging to other lineages in the last 2,000 years in present-day China, especially North China.
How do small birds evolve in response to climate change? Data from the long-term record at La Brea tar pits.

Biology textbooks describe the small changes in the beaks of the Galápagos finches as exemplars of how birds evolve in response to environmental changes. Yet recent studies of the abundant fossil birds at Rancho La Brea finds no evidence of evolutionary responses to the dramatic climate changes of the glacial-interglacial cycle over the last 35,000 years: none of the large birds exhibit any change in body size or limb proportions, even during the last glacial maximum about 18,000-20,000 years ago, when the southern California chaparral was replaced by snowy coniferous forests. But these are all large birds with large ranges and broad habitat preferences, capable of living in many different environments. Perhaps the smaller birds at La Brea, which have smaller home ranges and narrower habitats, might respond to climate more like Galápagos finches. The only three common small birds at La Brea are the Western Meadowlark, the Yellow-Billed Magpie, and the Raven. In this study, we demonstrate that these birds also show complete stasis over the last glacial-interglacial cycle, with no statistically significant changes between dated pits. Recent research suggests that the small-scale changes over short time scales seen in the Galápagos finches are merely fluctuations around a stable morphology, and rarely lead to long-term accumulation of changes or speciation. Instead, the prevalence of stasis supports the view that long-term directional changes in morphology are quite rare. While directional changes in morphology occur frequently over short (<1ka) timescales, in the long term such changes only rarely remain stable for long enough to appear in the fossil record. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Venous thromboembolism risk with contemporary lenalidomide‐based regimens despite thromboprophylaxis in multiple myeloma: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Thromboprophylaxis is routinely used with lenalidomide‐based regimens in multiple myeloma because of a substantial risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, little is known about the incidence of VTE with contemporary lenalidomide‐based regimens. The objective of the current study was to estimate the incidence of VTE despite thromboprophylaxis with currently used lenalidomide‐based regimens in patients with myeloma.
Comparative Analyses of Vertebrate Gut Microbiomes Reveal Convergence between Birds and Bats

In this comprehensive survey of microbiomes of >900 species, including 315 mammals and 491 birds, we find a striking convergence of the microbiomes of birds and animals that fly. In nonflying mammals, diet and short-term evolutionary relatedness drive the microbiome, and many microbial species are specific to a particular kind of mammal, but flying mammals and birds break this pattern with many microbes shared across different species, with little correlation either with diet or with relatedness of the hosts. This finding suggests that adaptation to flight breaks long-held relationships between hosts and their microbes. ABSTRACT Diet and host phylogeny drive the taxonomic and functional contents of the gut microbiome in mammals, yet it is unknown whether these patterns hold across all vertebrate lineages. Here, we assessed gut microbiomes from ∼900 vertebrate species, including 315 mammals and 491 birds, assessing contributions of diet, phylogeny, and physiology to structuring gut microbiomes. In most nonflying mammals, strong correlations exist between microbial community similarity, host diet, and host phylogenetic distance up to the host order level. In birds, by contrast, gut microbiomes are only very weakly correlated to diet or host phylogeny. Furthermore, while most microbes resident in mammalian guts are present in only a restricted taxonomic range of hosts, most microbes recovered from birds show little evidence of host specificity. Notably, among the mammals, bats host especially bird-like gut microbiomes, with little evidence for correlation to host diet or phylogeny. This suggests that host-gut microbiome phylosymbiosis depends on factors convergently absent in birds and bats, potentially associated with physiological adaptations to flight. Our findings expose major variations in the behavior of these important symbioses in endothermic vertebrates and may signal fundamental evolutionary shifts in the cost/benefit framework of the gut microbiome. IMPORTANCE In this comprehensive survey of microbiomes of >900 species, including 315 mammals and 491 birds, we find a striking convergence of the microbiomes of birds and animals that fly. In nonflying mammals, diet and short-term evolutionary relatedness drive the microbiome, and many microbial species are specific to a particular kind of mammal, but flying mammals and birds break this pattern with many microbes shared across different species, with little correlation either with diet or with relatedness of the hosts. This finding suggests that adaptation to flight breaks long-held relationships between hosts and their microbes.
Interaction of recommended levels of physical activity and protein intake is associated with greater physical function and lower fat mass in older women: Kuopio Osteoporosis Risk Factor- (OSTPRE) and Fracture-Prevention Study

The aim of the study was to investigate whether the interaction of physical activity (PA) and protein intake is associated with physical function (PF). The women from the Osteoporosis Risk Factor and Fracture Prevention Study (n 610) completed a questionnaire on lifestyle factors and PA and underwent PF and body composition measurements at baseline (BL) and over 3 years of follow-up (3y-FU). PA was categorised according to WHO cut-off PA = 0, 0 < PA < 2·5 and PA ≥ 2·5 h/week. Protein intake was calculated from the 3-d food record at baseline and categorised according to the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations <1·1 and ≥1·1 g/kg body weight (BW). The results showed in univariate ANOVA at the baseline and at the 3-year follow-up, women with high PA ≥ 2·5 h/week and protein intake ≥ 1·1 g/kg BW had higher grip strength adjusted for BMI, higher mean number of chair rises, faster mean walking speed, higher modified mean short physical performance battery score and lower mean fat mass compared with other interaction groups. High PA and protein intake were associated with lower BMI despite significantly higher energy intake. In conclusion, higher PA and protein intake interaction was associated with greater PF and lower fat mass, but the association with relative skeletal muscle index and muscle mass was inconclusive. The present study gives noteworthy information for preventing sarcopenia.
Investigating the effect of thyroid nodule location on the risk of thyroid cancer.

BACKGROUND Thyroid nodules are routinely evaluated with ultrasound. Our aim was to determine if thyroid nodule location was a useful feature to predict thyroid cancer Methods: Retrospective review of patients with thyroid nodules from six referral centers during 2006 to 2010. A total of 3313 adult patients included with thyroid nodules and confirmed benign or malignant thyroid diagnoses Results: Mean patient age was 54.2 (18-97) years, women (n= 2635, 79.8%). A total of 3241 nodules were analyzed, 335 (10.3%) of which were malignant. Thyroid nodule location was an independent risk factor in predicting thyroid cancer (P= 0.005). Thyroid cancer odds were highest in the isthmus (OR 2.4 (1.6- 3.6), P< 0.0001). In a multivariate regression model adjusting for age, gender, family history of thyroid cancer, radiation exposure, nodule size, and ACR TI-RADS score, the isthmus nodules had the highest risk of malignancy (OR 2.4 (1.4- 3.8), P = 0.001), followed by upper thyroid nodules (OR 1.8 (1.2- 2.8), P = 0.004), then middle thyroid nodules (OR 1.5 (1.1- 2.1), P = 0.005) compared to lower thyroid nodules. Isthmus nodules were significantly smaller in size compared to middle (P <.0001), and lower (P =0.0004), but not upper nodules (P =0.25), with a mean size of 15.5 mm (±10.7). CONCLUSIONS Thyroid nodule location is an independent risk factor in predicting the risk of thyroid cancer. Isthmic nodules carry the highest risk of cancer diagnosis and lower lobe nodules carry the lowest risk.
To be parametric or non‐parametric, that is the question

compared with the placebo group. A shortening of 5 hours, or nearly 20% of the mean 27 hours between hospital admission and delivery in the placebo group, is arguably an important decrease. Therefore, although the P-value is high (0.37), these data alone should not be considered evidence for the absence of effectiveness of IMN. By contrast, if the 95% CI had been 1.0 to 2.3 hours (with a non-significant Pvalue), the data would be consistent with the lack of a meaningful benefit of IMN (i.e. no more than a 1-hour decrease between hospital admission and delivery). Figure 1 illustrates how CIs can be used to interpret results of RCTs.
Dental caries, diabetes mellitus, metabolic control and diabetes duration: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE To analyze articles aimed at evaluating the association between diabetes, metabolic control, diabetes duration, and dental caries. OVERVIEW A systematic search in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science was conducted to retrieve papers in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, up to April 2019. The research strategy was constructed considering the "PECO" strategy. Only quantitative observational studies were analyzed. The risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. The meta-analyses were performed based on random-effects models using the statistical platform R. A total of 69 articles was included in the systematic review and 40 in the meta-analysis. Type 1 diabetics have a significantly higher DMFT compared to controls. No significant differences were found between type 2 diabetics and controls and between well-controlled and poorly controlled diabetics. Concerning diabetes duration, all authors failed to find differences between groups. CONCLUSION Although there is still a need for longitudinal studies, the meta-analysis proved that type 1 diabetics have a high dental caries risk. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE It is necessary to be aware of all risk factors for dental caries that may be associated with these patients, making it possible to include them into an individualized prevention program.
New opportunities in tuberculosis prevention: implications for people living with HIV

Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of mortality among people living with HIV (PLHIV). An invigorated global END TB Strategy seeks to increase efforts in scaling up TB preventive therapy (TPT) as a central intervention for HIV programmes in an effort to contribute to a 90% reduction in TB incidence and 95% reduction in mortality by 2035. TPT in PLHIV should be part of a comprehensive approach to reduce TB transmission, illness and death that also includes TB active case‐finding and prompt, effective and timely initiation of anti‐TB therapy among PLHIV. However, the use and implementation of preventive strategies has remained deplorably inadequate and today TB prevention among PLHIV has become an urgent priority globally.
Distortion product otoacoustic emission sensitivity to different solvents in a population of industrial painters

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the ototoxic effect of the exposure to different organic solvents and noise using distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs). Design: The exposure to different solvents was evaluated by measuring, before and at the end of the work-shift, the urinary concentrations of solvent metabolites used as dose biomarkers. The urinary concentrations of DNA and RNA oxidation products were also measured as biomarkers of oxidative damage. The simultaneous exposure to noise was also evaluated. DPOAEs and pure tone audiometry (PTA) were used as outcome variables, and were correlated to the exposure variables using mixed effect linear regression models. Study sample: Seventeen industrial painters exposed to a solvent mixture in a naval industry. A sample size of 15 was estimated from previous studies as sufficient for discriminating small hearing level and DPOAE level differences (5 dB and 2 dB, respectively) at a 95% confidence level. Results: Statistically significant associations were found between the DPOAE level and the urinary dose biomarkers and the oxidative damage biomarkers. DPOAE level and the logarithm of the metabolite concentration showed a significant negative correlation. Conclusions: DPOAE are sensitive biomarkers of exposure to ototoxic substances and can be effectively used for the early detection of hearing dysfunction.
First case of compound heterozygous BHLHA9 variants in mesoaxial synostotic syndactyly with phalangeal reduction

Mesoaxial synostotic syndactyly with phalangeal reduction (MSSD) is an extremely rare autosomal recessive limb abnormality characterized by the fusion of third and fourth fingers. To date, only homozygous missense and frameshift mutations have been reported in BHLHA9 associated to MSSD. In this study, we report a patient who presented with clinical and radiological features of MSSD. A customized skeletal dysplasia NGS panel revealed the presence of two novel compounds heterozygous variants in BHLHA9: NM_001164405. 1: c. [226A>T][269G>C]; p.[(Lys76*)][(Arg90Pro)]. Thus, this is the first case of MSSD in a nonconsanguineous family.
Fragment-to-Lead Medicinal Chemistry Publications in 2018.

This Perspective, the fourth in an annual series, summarizes fragment-to-lead (F2L) success stories published during 2018. Topics such as target class, screening methods, physicochemical properties, and ligand efficiency are discussed for the 2018 examples as well as for the combined 111 F2L examples covering 2015-2018. While the overall properties of fragments and leads have remained constant, a number of new trends are noted, for example broadening of target class coverage and application of FBDD to covalent inhibitors. Moreover, several studies make use of fragment hits that were previously described in the literature, illustrating that fragments are versatile starting points that can be optimized to structurally diverse leads. By focusing on success stories, the hope is that this Perspective will identify and inform best practices in fragment-based drug discovery.
In vivo evaluation of posterior eye elasticity using shaker-based optical coherence elastography

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a progressive retinal disease and becomes the leading cause of blindness. It is well established that early detection is the key to preservation of functional vision. However, it is very difficult to diagnose AMD in very early stages, before structural changes are evident. Consequently, investigating the biomechanical properties of the retina maybe essential for understanding its physiological function. In this study, we present a shear wave-based quantitative method for estimating the elasticity of the posterior eye using shaker-based optical coherence elastography. This technique has been developed and validated on both a homogeneous phantom and a healthy rabbit in vivo. The shear wave speed from the ganglion side to the photoreceptor side of the rabbit eye is 4.1 m/s, 4.9 m/s, and 6.7 m/s, respectively. In addition, the most stiff sclera region has an average shear wave speed of 9.1 m/s. The results demonstrate the feasibility of using this technique to quantify biomechanical properties of the posterior eye and its potential translation to the clinical study. Impact statement Herein, we propose a potentially clinical applicable shaker-based optical coherence elastography (OCE) technique to characterize the biomechanical properties of the posterior eye, including different layers of the retina. Compared with either acoustic radiation force OCE or air-puff OCE, the newly developed method can induce sufficient shear wave propagation at the posterior eye with high resolution and large field of view.