Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Early Rhythm-Control Therapy in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation.

BACKGROUND Despite improvements in the management of atrial fibrillation, patients with this condition remain at increased risk for cardiovascular complications. It is unclear whether early rhythm-control therapy can reduce this risk. METHODS In this international, investigator-initiated, parallel-group, open, blinded-outcome-assessment trial, we randomly assigned patients who had early atrial fibrillation (diagnosed ≤1 year before enrollment) and cardiovascular conditions to receive either early rhythm control or usual care. Early rhythm control included treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs or atrial fibrillation ablation after randomization. Usual care limited rhythm control to the management of atrial fibrillation-related symptoms. The first primary outcome was a composite of death from cardiovascular causes, stroke, or hospitalization with worsening of heart failure or acute coronary syndrome; the second primary outcome was the number of nights spent in the hospital per year. The primary safety outcome was a composite of death, stroke, or serious adverse events related to rhythm-control therapy. Secondary outcomes, including symptoms and left ventricular function, were also evaluated. RESULTS In 135 centers, 2789 patients with early atrial fibrillation (median time since diagnosis, 36 days) underwent randomization. The trial was stopped for efficacy at the third interim analysis after a median of 5.1 years of follow-up per patient. A first-primary-outcome event occurred in 249 of the patients assigned to early rhythm control (3.9 per 100 person-years) and in 316 patients assigned to usual care (5.0 per 100 person-years) (hazard ratio, 0.79; 96% confidence interval, 0.66 to 0.94; P = 0.005). The mean (±SD) number of nights spent in the hospital did not differ significantly between the groups (5.8±21.9 and 5.1±15.5 days per year, respectively; P = 0.23). The percentage of patients with a primary safety outcome event did not differ significantly between the groups; serious adverse events related to rhythm-control therapy occurred in 4.9% of the patients assigned to early rhythm control and 1.4% of the patients assigned to usual care. Symptoms and left ventricular function at 2 years did not differ significantly between the groups. CONCLUSIONS Early rhythm-control therapy was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular outcomes than usual care among patients with early atrial fibrillation and cardiovascular conditions. (Funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research and others; EAST-AFNET 4 ISRCTN number, ISRCTN04708680; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01288352; EudraCT number, 2010-021258-20.).
Effects of Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Routine Care for Adults in Treatment for Depression and Anxiety: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background Although there is evidence for the efficacy of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT), the generalizability of results to routine care is limited. Objective This study systematically reviews effectiveness studies of guided iCBT interventions for the treatment of depression or anxiety. Methods The acceptability (uptake, participants’ characteristics, adherence, and satisfaction), effectiveness, and negative effects (deterioration) of nonrandomized pre-post designs conducted under routine care conditions were synthesized using systematic review and meta-analytic approaches. Results A total of 19 studies including 30 groups were included in the analysis. Despite high heterogeneity, individual effect sizes of investigated studies indicate clinically relevant changes, with effect sizes ranging from Hedges’ g=0.42-1.88, with a pooled effect of 1.78 for depression and 0.94 for anxiety studies. Uptake, participants’ characteristics, adherence, and satisfaction indicate a moderate to high acceptability of the interventions. The average deterioration across studies was 2.9%. Conclusions This study provides evidence supporting the acceptability and effectiveness of guided iCBT for the treatment of depression and anxiety in routine care. Given the high heterogeneity between interventions and contexts, health care providers should select interventions that have been proven in randomized controlled clinical trials. The successful application of iCBT may be an effective way of increasing health care in multiple contexts.
The use of community advisory boards in pragmatic clinical trials: The case of the adult day services plus project

ABSTRACT Community advisory boards (CABs) have become increasingly common and important in translational research in health care including studies focusing on home and community-based services. CABs are composed of stakeholders who share interest in research projects and typically include patients/clients, practitioners, community members, policymakers, and researchers. CABs advise researchers on issues ranging from research design and recruitment to implementation and dissemination. In this article, the researchers detail their experiences with the CAB for a pragmatic clinical trail of Adult Day Services (ADS) Plus, an education and support intervention for family caregivers of older adults with dementia using adult day services. Lessons learned, guidelines, and best practices are then presented for developing and working with a CAB in healthcare research.
SEED GERMINATION CRITERIA AND SEEDLING CHARACTERISTICS OF MAGNOLIA GRANDIFLORA L. TREES AFTER COLD STRATIFICATION TREATMENTS

Magnolia grandiflora L. , belongs to Magnoliaceae family, is one of the most important landscape trees and consider a rare ornamental tree in Egypt as their numbers is in shortage due the low propagation ability under the local conditions. Magnolia seeds exhibit double dormancy, embryos will not develop until seeds are exposed to warm, moist temperatures after cold moist temperatures. During the after ripening period, the oil and proteins are converted to reducing sugars and the water content of a seed increases (Del Tredici, 1981). Stratification enables seeds to germinate more quickly and completely. Even when the total germination percentage does not change, the germination of most trees seeds is more rapid after they have been stratified (Leadem, 1997). ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 3 Number 3 (2014) pp. 235-241 http://www.ijcmas. com
Practical learnings from an epidemiology study on TDI-related occupational asthma: Part I—Cumulative exposure is not a good indicator of risk

The anonymized data of an epidemiology study on incidence of toluene diisocyanate (TDI)-related occupational asthma in three US-based TDI production facilities have been reanalyzed to identify where to best focus exposure reduction efforts in industrial practice to reduce the risk of sensitization to TDI. Since the induction of sensitization has sometimes been attributed to cumulative exposure, this relationship was examined first. Gross cumulative exposure values (i.e. not taking into account whether respiratory protection was used or not) and net cumulative exposure values (i.e. accounting for the use of respiratory protection) per participant were calculated based on the duration of their study participation and the average time-weighted average value of the exposure group to which they belonged. These two sets of cumulative exposure data were compared with asthma incidence using logistic regression. Incidence was zero among workers who rarely come into contact with open plant systems (e.g. during maintenance or spills). Notwithstanding, no statistically significant relationship between asthma incidence and either gross or net cumulative exposure could be determined. This is shown to be consistent with the results of several other epidemiology studies on TDI-related occupational asthma. In conclusion, cumulative exposure values are not a good indicator of the risk of developing TDI-related occupational asthma.
Institutional results of OncoOVARIAN Dx - a novel algorithm for the preoperative evaluation of adnexal masses.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the predictive performance of OncoOVARIAN Dx algorithm, which takes into account tumor markers (beta HCG, CA 19.9, CEA, AFP, CA 125, HE4), general biochemistry and clinical data (age, menopause, comorbidities) in patients scheduled for surgical removal of a suspicious adnexal tumor in comparison with the Risk of Malignancy Algorithm (ROMA) model. METHODS Consecutive women diagnosed with an adnexal tumor mass and scheduled for surgical intervention at a single tertiary cancer between October 2018 - June 2019 were enrolled. Preoperative values of tumor markers and general biochemistry (ASAT, ALAT, GGT, total bilirubin, creatinine) were determined. Following surgery with adequate surgical staging, a definite pathological diagnosis was made and used as reference. RESULTS A total of 50 patients were selected, including 20 benign, 5 borderline and 25 malignant epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) cases on final pathology. Borderline tumors comprised 3 serous and 2 mucinous FIGO stage I cases. Malignant tumors included 17 high grade serous, 4 endometrioid and 4 mucinous types, FIGO stage IA-IIIC. The two models demonstrated very good correlation (Phi 0.78, p<0.001). The sensibility (Se), specificity (Sp), positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) of OncoOVARIAN Dx versus ROMA model were 76.66% vs. 60%, 95% vs. 100%, 95.83% vs. 100%, 73.07% vs. 62.5%, respectively. In postmenopausal patients higher Se (85.71%), Sp (100%) and PPV (100%) were observed for OncoOVARIAN Dx. CONCLUSIONS OncoOVARIAN Dx model demonstrated higher Se and NPV compared to ROMA and could be a useful marker in the preoperative management of adnexal masses; however larger studies are warranted to validate and further refine this algorithm.
An outbreak of Neospora caninum abortion in a dairy herd from the State of Georgia, United States

Abstract An outbreak of 92 abortions out of 1,700 pregnant cows (5.41%) in a period of 3 weeks (19 May to 05 June 2019) occurred in a Georgia Dairy, USA, in cattle that were between 3 and 7 months of gestation. Two sets of samples (aborted fetuses’ organs, placental tissues, aborted cows blood) were submitted for laboratory investigations at the Tifton Veterinary Diagnostic and Investigational Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia (TVDIL, Tifton, GA, USA). An abortion panel testing for the major abortion‐causing agents [e.g. Bovine Viral Diarrhoea Virus (BVDV), Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis Virus/ Bovine Herpes Virus‐I (IBR/ BHV‐I), Brucella spp. , Leptospira spp. ] was conducted on several of the samples. On the first set of samples, microbial cultures, serology and PCR tests for the common abortifacient agents revealed the presence of Neospora caninum (N. caninum) DNA, which was positive by PCR on the placenta and fetal tissues. The second set of diagnostic investigations also identified two out of three submitted freshly aborted fetuses to be positive for N. caninum by PCR and immunohistochemistry. Moreover, all three dams were also sero‐positive for N. caninum. The entire herd was being fed on grass silage harvested from a pasture where feral pigs were hunted previously and carcasses were left behind. As a consequence of this action a large population of wild coyotes were attracted to these carcasses, and likely contaminated the pasture with potential N. caninum‐infected feces. After the abortion outbreak was resolved, it was recommended that the farmers should avoid disposal of cadavers of hunted animals in the wild, as it could attract carnivorous and omnivorous animals that may potentially spread the disease to the cattle and other wildlife.
Impact of the source of fermentable carbohydrate on SCFA production by human gut microbiota in vitro - a systematic scoping review and secondary analysis

Abstract Short chain fatty acids (SCFA) are produced by bacterial fermentation of non-digestible carbohydrates (NDC) and have many potential tissue and SCFA specific actions, from providing fuel for colonic cells to appetite regulation. Many studies have described the fermentation of different carbohydrates, often using in vitro batch culture. As evidence-based critical evaluation of substrates selectively promoting production of individual SCFA is lacking, we performed a systematic scoping literature review. Databases were searched to identify relevant papers published between 1900 and 12/06/2016. Search terms included In vitro batch fermentation and In vitro short chain fatty acid production. Articles were considered for essential criteria allowing equivalent comparison of SCFA between NDC. Seventy seven articles were included in the final analysis examining 29 different carbohydrates. After 24-hour fermentation, galacto-oligosaccharide ranked highest for butyrate and total SCFA production and second for acetate production. Rhamnose ranked highest for propionate production. The lowest SCFA production was observed for kiwi fiber, polydextrose, and cellulose. This review demonstrates that choosing a substrate to selectively enhance a specific SCFA is difficult, and the molar proportion of each SCFA produced by individual substrates may be misleading. Instead the rate and ratio of SCFA production should be evaluated in parallel.
Limited vertical CO2 transport in stems of mature boreal Pinus sylvestris trees.

Several studies have suggested that CO2 transport in the transpiration stream can considerably bias estimates of root and stem respiration in ring-porous and diffuse-porous tree species. Whether this also happens in species with tracheid xylem anatomy and lower sap flow rates, such as conifers, is currently unclear. We infused 13C-labeled solution into the xylem near the base of two 90-year-old Pinus sylvestris trees. A custom-built gas exchange system and an online isotopic analyzer were used to sample the CO2 efflux and its isotopic composition continuously from four positions along the bole and one upper canopy shoot in each tree. Phloem and needle tissue 13C enrichment was also evaluated at these positions. Most of the 13C label was lost by diffusion within a few meters of the infusion point indicating rapid CO2 loss during vertical xylem transport. No 13C enrichment was detected in the upper bole needle tissues. Furthermore, mass balance calculations showed that c. 97% of the locally respired CO2 diffused radially to the atmosphere. Our results support the notion that xylem CO2 transport is of limited magnitude in conifers. This implies that the concerns that stem transport of CO2 derived from root respiration biases chamber-based estimates of forest carbon cycling may be unwarranted for mature conifer stands.
Participant Satisfaction with Computer-Delivered Intervention Components and Its Relation to Alcohol Outcomes

Abstract Background Few computer-delivered brief intervention (CDBI) studies have evaluated participant satisfaction with individual elements of the intervention, or whether participant satisfaction impacts intervention outcomes. Purpose: This factorial trial examined whether subjective reactions to a CDBI for heavy drinking (1) varied depending on the presence versus absence of an animated narrator, a spoken voice, empathic reflections, and motivational interviewing (MI) strategies and (2) were associated with drinking outcomes at 3-month follow-up. Methods: Participants were 352 heavy drinking university students. All participants were randomly assigned to one of 16 versions of a CDBI. After finishing the CDBI, participants completed measures of intervention likability and perceived empathy. Alcohol use outcomes were assessed at 3-month follow-up. Results: CDBI characteristics had minimal effects on participant ratings of likeability and perceived empathy. However, higher likeability ratings were associated with decreases in alcohol use outcomes over the 3-month assessment period. Conclusions: Results indicate that subjective reactions to CDBIs can have important effects on alcohol use outcomes.
Genetic Analysis of Stem Composition Variation in Sorghum Bicolor

Genetic Analysis of Stem Composition Variation in Sorghum bicolor. (August 2012) Joseph Patrick Evans, B.S., Pacific University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. John Mullet Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench) is the world’s fifth most economically important cereal crop, grown worldwide as a source of food for both humans and livestock. Sorghum is a C4 grass that is well adapted to hot and arid climes and is popular for cultivation on lands of marginal quality. Recent interest in development of biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass has drawn attention to sorghum, which can be cultivated in areas not suitable for more traditional crops, and is capable of generating plant biomass in excess of 40 tons per acre. While the quantity of biomass and low water consumption make sorghum a viable candidate for biofuels growth, the biomass composition is enriched in lignin, which is problematic for enzymatic and chemical conversion techniques. The genetic basis for stem composition was analyzed in sorghum populations using a combination of genetic, genomic, and bioinformatics techniques. Utilizing acetyl bromide extraction, the variation in stem lignin content was quantified across several sorghum cultivars, confirming that lignin content varied considerably among sorghum cultivars. Previous work identifying sorghum reduced-lignin lines has involved
OsPIN9, an auxin efflux carrier, is required for the regulation of rice tiller bud outgrowth by ammonium.

The degree of rice tillering is an important agronomic trait that can be remarkably affected by nitrogen supply. However, less is known about how nitrogen-regulated rice tillering is related to polar-auxin transport. Compared with nitrate, ammonium induced tiller development and was paralleled with increased 3 H-IAA transport and greater auxin into the junctions. OsPIN9, an auxin efflux carrier, was selected as the candidate gene involved in ammonium-regulated tillering based on the GeneChip data. Compared to wild-type plants, ospin9 mutants had fewer tillers, and OsPIN9 overexpression increased the tiller number. Additionally, OsPIN9 was mainly expressed in vascular tissue of the junction and tiller buds, and encodes a membrane-localized protein. Heterologous expression in Xenopus oocytes and yeast demonstrated that OsPIN9 is a functional auxin-efflux transporter. More importantly, its RNA and protein levels were induced by ammonium but not by nitrate, and tiller numbers in mutants didn't respond to nitrogen forms. Furthermore, greater advantages, including increased tiller number and grain yield, were observed in overexpression lines grown in the paddy field at a low-nitrogen rate than at a high-nitrogen rate. Our data reveal that ammonium supply and an auxin efflux transporter coordinately control tiller bud elongation in rice.
A Novel Potent and Selective Histamine H3 Receptor Antagonist Enerisant: In Vitro Profiles, In Vivo Receptor Occupancy, and Wake-Promoting and Procognitive Effects in Rodents

Histamine H3 receptor antagonists/inverse agonists are known to enhance the activity of histaminergic neurons in the brain, thereby promoting arousal and cognition. Here, we report the in vitro and in vivo pharmacological profiles for a newly synthesized histamine H3 receptor antagonist/inverse agonist: [1-(4-{3-[(2R)-2-methylpyrrolidin-1-yl]propoxy}phenyl)-1H-pyrazol-4-yl](morpholin-4-yl)methanone monohydrochloride (enerisant hydrochloride). In vitro assays showed that enerisant was a competitive antagonist/inverse agonist with a high affinity and selectivity for human and rat histamine H3 receptors. Enerisant showed antagonist activity in vivo, as assessed using R-α-methylhistamine (a histamine H3 receptor agonist)–induced dipsogenia, and occupied the histamine H3 receptor in the frontal cortex in a dose-dependent manner. Enerisant also enhanced the extracellular levels of histamine in the posterior hypothalamus and the levels of dopamine and acetylcholine in the medial prefrontal cortex of rats. Enerisant exerted a procognitive effect or reversed scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment in a social recognition test and a novel object recognition test in rats at doses at which less than 50% of the histamine H3 receptor were occupied (0.03–0.3 mg/kg, p.o.). In contrast, higher doses (3–10 mg/kg, p.o.) at which nearly all the histamine H3 receptors were occupied were needed to exert wake-promoting effects in rats. These results indicate that enerisant is a potent and selective histamine H3 receptor antagonist/inverse agonist with the potential to promote arousal and procognition in rats. Moreover, the results also suggest that the histamine H3 receptor occupancy required to exert a pharmacological effect may vary depending on the domain that is being tested. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Enerisant is a novel histamine H3 receptor antagonist/inverse agonist that exerts wake-promoting and procognitive effects in addition to increasing the release of neurotransmitters related to these pharmacological effects in rodents. Moreover, an in vivo receptor binding study revealed that the in vivo occupancy of the histamine H3 receptor required to exert the pharmacological effects of enerisant varied, and such variations in required occupancy should be taken into account when performing dose selection in clinical studies.
Initial validation of the diagnostic performance of Thymic-Thoracic Ratio as a marker of conotruncal abnormalities and for prediction of surgical prognosis in fetuses without 22q11.2 deletion

Abstract Aim The present study aimed to perform an initial validation of the Thymic-Thoracic Ratio as a sonographic marker of conotruncal defects in non-syndromic fetuses and to assess the possible correlation between the grade of thymic hypoplasia and the severity of conotruncal defects. Methods The study was conducted between January and June 2018 on singleton pregnant women who underwent fetal echocardiography at our institution. Fetuses with a diagnosis of conotruncal defects without 22q11.2 deletion composed the study group, while healthy appropriate for gestational age fetuses composed the control group. The Thymic-Thoracic Ratio was measured in all included fetuses and compared between the study and control group. A ROC curve analysis to evaluate the diagnostic performance of Thymic-Thoracic Ratio toward the diagnosis of conotruncal defects was performed, with determination of sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio. The severity of conotruncal defects was defined with the Aristotle score in each newborn who underwent a surgical operation. The correlation between Thymic-Thoracic Ratio and Aristotle score was assessed. Results During the study period, 23 fetuses with conotruncal defects without 22q11.2 deletion constituted the study group, and 67 healthy appropriate for gestational age fetuses were included in the control group. The T-T ratio of the study group was significantly lower than the control group (0.32 ± 0.08 vs. 0.41 ± 0.08, p < .001). The ROC curve analysis showed an AUC of 0.80 (95% CI, 0.71–0.89, p < .001) and a T-T ratio cutoff value of 0.35 for the identification of a CTD, with a sensibility of 73.9% (95% CI: 51.6–89.8%), a specificity of 79.1% (95% CI: 67.4–88.1%) a PPV of 54.8% (95% CI: 41.8–67.3%), a NPV of 89.8% (95% CI: 81.5–94.7), a positive likelihood ratio of 3.54 (95% CI 2.09–5.98), and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.33 (95% CI 0.16–0.66). A negative correlation between Aristotle score and T-T ratio was found, with a Kendall-Tau coefficient of −0.41, p = . 04. Conclusion T-T ratio measurement could be useful to identify fetuses at higher risk of conotruncal heart diseases, even without chromosomic deletion, with a cutoff of 0.35. Since a lower T-T ratio seems to be related to a worse surgical neonatal prognosis, it could be possible to provide effective counseling and refer patients to high-specialized centers for fetal echocardiography and cardiac surgery.