Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinical and pharmacological profile of benznidazole for treatment of Chagas disease

ABSTRACT Introduction: Chagas disease (CD) is one of the most neglected public health problems in the Americas, where <1% of the estimated 6 million people with the infection have been diagnosed and treated. The goal of treatment is to eliminate the parasite, decrease the probability of cardiomyopathy and other complications during the chronic stage of infection, and interrupt the cycle of disease transmission by preventing congenital infection. Currently, only benznidazole (BZN) and nifurtimox are recognized by the World Health Organization as effective drugs for treatment of CD. In this paper, we provide an overview of the clinical pharmacology of BZN. Areas covered: This review covers the historical background, chemistry, mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, preclinical research, resistance, clinical research, toxicology, adverse effects, and current regulatory status of BZN. Expert commentary: Ongoing investigations aim to optimize BZN therapy by adjusting the current standard regimen or by combining BZN with new chemical entities. These studies are assessing alternatives that improve safety while maintaining or increasing the efficacy of BZN. Timely diagnosis and antitrypanosomal treatment are critical components of programs to eliminate CD as a public health problem, and can dramatically reduce the heavy burden of morbidity and mortality caused by the disease.
An Approach to Make Software Testing for Users with Down Syndrome a little more Pleasant

Evaluating software with users implies challenging tasks where users' abilities are sometimes taken to the limit. This process might turn a very unpleasant experience to users susceptible to anxiety and stress, such as users with Down syndrome. By consequence the poor performance of unpleasant users generates unreal results. We propose a gamified approach for software testing, which allows maintaining user's motivation and engagement with the test's activities, reducing anxiety and stress, having by consequence more reliable results. The gamified approach can be applied on any kind of software testing involving users, since it works over how the activities are presented to participants, once they have been defined according with the test goal. Results of the application, over 10 users with Down syndrome, suggest that the gamified approach maintains the emotional state of users in a positive way even when they made errors, got confused, or were forced to change/stop an activity.
The effects of work–family interface on domain‐specific satisfaction and well‐being across nations: The moderating effects of individualistic culture and economic development

Work-family conflict (WFC) and work-family enrichment (WFE) have been shown to be important predictors of employees' domain-specific satisfaction and well-being. In this meta-analysis, we consider how the effects of WFC/WFE on various outcomes differ across different national cultures and economic settings. We hypothesized that WFC would have stronger effects on employees' domain-specific satisfaction and well-being in high individualistic nations and economies with higher levels of economic development, whereas WFE would have stronger effects on employees' domain-specific satisfaction and well-being in low individualistic nations and economies with lower levels of economic development. Results generally supported these hypotheses, suggesting that employees in more individualistic and more developed countries are more sensitive to how work interferes with family life, whereas employees in less individualistic and less developed countries are more sensitive to how work provides material, social, and cognitive resources that help in the fulfillment of family roles. Further research is needed exploring more detailed explanations for these differences and their implications for spillover theory and work-family practices in organizations.
Anaphora With Non-nominal Antecedents in Computational Linguistics: a Survey

This article provides an extensive overview of the literature related to the phenomenon of non-nominal-antecedent anaphora (also known as abstract anaphora or discourse deixis), a type of anaphora in which an anaphor like “that” refers to an antecedent (marked in boldface) that is syntactically non-nominal, such as the first sentence in “It’s way too hot here. That’s why I’m moving to Alaska. ” Annotating and automatically resolving these cases of anaphora is interesting in its own right because of the complexities involved in identifying non-nominal antecedents, which typically represent abstract objects such as events, facts, and propositions. There is also practical value in the resolution of non-nominal-antecedent anaphora, as this would help computational systems in machine translation, summarization, and question answering, as well as, conceivably, any other task dependent on some measure of text understanding. Most of the existing approaches to anaphora annotation and resolution focus on nominal-antecedent anaphora, classifying many of the cases where the antecedents are syntactically non-nominal as non-anaphoric. There has been some work done on this topic, but it remains scattered and difficult to collect and assess. With this article, we hope to bring together and synthesize work done in disparate contexts up to now in order to identify fundamental problems and draw conclusions from an overarching perspective. Having a good picture of the current state of the art in this field can help researchers direct their efforts to where they are most necessary. Because of the great variety of theoretical approaches that have been brought to bear on the problem, there is an equally diverse array of terminologies that are used to describe it, so we will provide an overview and discussion of these terminologies. We also describe the linguistic properties of non-nominal-antecedent anaphora, examine previous annotation efforts that have addressed this topic, and present the computational approaches that aim at resolving non-nominal-antecedent anaphora automatically. We close with a review of the remaining open questions in this area and some of our recommendations for future research.
Rank-order correlation-based feature vector context transformation for learning to rank for information retrieval

As a crucial task in information retrieval, ranking defines the preferential order among the retrieved documents for a given query. Supervised learning has recently been dedicated to automatically learning ranking models by incorporating various models into one effective model. This paper proposes a novel supervised learning method, in which instances are represented as bags of contexts of features, instead of bags of features. The method applies rank-order correlations to measure the correlation relationships between features. The feature vectors of instances, i.e., the 1st-order raw feature vectors, are then mapped into the feature correlation space via projection to derive the context-level feature vectors, i.e., the 2nd-order context feature vectors. As for ranking model learning, Ranking SVM is employed with the 2nd-order context feature vectors as the input. The proposed method is evaluated using the LETOR benchmark datasets and is found to perform well with competitive results. The results suggest that the learning method benefits from the rank-order-correlation-based feature vector context transformation.
Alternatively spliced tissue factor levels are elevated in the plasma of patients with chronic liver diseases

Objectives In patients with chronic liver diseases, hypercoagulability can contribute to the progression of fibrosis and complications of cirrhosis. Tissue factor (TF) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that initiates the extrinsic pathway of blood coagulation. Recent investigations have established that TF is elevated in patients with pancreatic cancer, blood disorders, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Alternatively spliced tissue factor (asTF), a secreted form of TF, induces angiogenesis and exhibits low-level procoagulant activity. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the circulating levels of asTF are elevated in the plasma of patients with liver disease. Materials and methods In a single-center study, we retrospectively analyzed asTF plasma levels in healthy participants and patients having stage F0–F3 liver fibrosis, liver cirrhosis, as well as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). AsTF plasma levels were measured using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Values were expressed as median with interquartile range (IQR). Results The lowest median plasma asTF concentration (94 pg/ml, IQR: 33–275) was found in the healthy control group. The patients with low-grade liver fibrosis (F0–F1 group) displayed the highest median asTF concentration (404 pg/ml, IQR: 277–789). Significant differences between the asTF levels in the plasma of healthy participants and those in patients with grade F0–F1 fibrosis (P<0.001), patients with grade F2–F3 fibrosis (P=0.019), patients with cirrhosis (P=0.004), and patients with HCC (P<0.001) were found using a Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Treatment-naive patients with HCC had significantly higher asTF levels (P=0.018) than those receiving treatment. AsTF levels were found to increase with worsening Child–Pugh scores and heightened liver disease activity. Conclusion AsTF levels are elevated in patients with chronic liver diseases, which increase with worsening Child–Pugh scores and decrease following HCC therapy.
The Prevalence and Risk Factors for Diabetic Retinopathy in Shiraz, Southern Iran

Globally, diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of blindness, that diminishes quality of life. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of DR, and its associated risk factors. This cross-sectional study was carried out among 478 diabetic patients in a referral center in Fars province, Iran. The mean±standard deviation age of the participants was 56.64±12.45 years old and DR prevalence was 32.8%. In multivariable analysis, lower education levels (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.43; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.24 to 0.76), being overweight (aOR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.02 to 2.83) or obese (aOR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.09 to 3.26), diabetes duration of 10 to 20 years (aOR, 2.35; 95% CI, 1.48 to 3.73) and over 20 years (aOR, 5.63; 95% CI, 2.97 to 10.68), receiving insulin (aOR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.27 to 3.10), and having chronic diseases (aOR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.02 to 2.85) were significantly associated with DR. In conclusion, longer diabetes duration and obesity or having chronic diseases are strongly associated with DR suggesting that control of these risk factors may reduce both the prevalence and impact of retinopathy in Iran.
Frailty Phenotypes and Relations With Surgical Outcomes: A Latent Class Analysis

BACKGROUND: Frailty is an important concept in the care of older adults although controversy remains regarding its defining features and clinical utility. Both the Fried phenotype and the Rockwood deficit accumulation approaches cast frailty as a “burden” without exploring the relative salience of its cardinal markers and their relevance to the patient. New multifactorial perspectives require a reliable assessment of frailty that can validly predict postoperative health outcomes. METHODS: In a retrospective study of 2828 unselected surgical patients, we used item response theory to examine the ability of 32 heterogeneous markers capturing limitations in physical, functional, emotional, and social activity domains to indicate severity of frailty as a latent continuum. Eighteen markers efficiently indicated frailty severity and were then subject to latent class analysis to derive discrete phenotypes. Next, we validated the obtained frailty phenotypes against patient-reported 30-day postoperative outcomes using multivariable logistic regression. Models were adjusted for demographics, comorbidity, type and duration of surgery, and cigarette and alcohol consumption. RESULTS: The 18 markers provided psychometric evidence of a single reliable continuum of frailty severity. Latent class analyses produced 3 distinct subtypes, based on patients’ endorsement probabilities of the frailty indicators: not frail (49.7%), moderately frail (33.5%), and severely frail (16.7%). Unlike the moderate class, severely frail endorsed emotional health problems in addition to physical burdens and functional limitations. Models adjusting for age, sex, type of anesthesia, and intraoperative factors indicated that severely frail (odds ratio, 1.89; 95% confidence interval, 1.42–2.50) and moderately frail patients (odds ratio, 1.31; 95% confidence interval, 1.03–1.67) both had higher odds of experiencing postoperative complications compared to not frail patients. In a 3-way comparison, a higher proportion of severely frail patients (10.7%) reported poorer quality of life after surgery compared to moderately frail (9.2%) and not frail (8.3%) patients (P < .001). There was no significant difference among these groups in proportions reporting hospital readmission (5.6%, 5.1%, and 3.8%, respectively; P = .067). CONCLUSIONS: Self-report frailty items can accurately discern 3 distinct phenotypes differing in composition and their relations with surgical outcomes. Systematically assessing a wider set of domains including limitations in functional, emotional, and social activities can inform clinicians on what precipitates loss of physiological reserve and profoundly influences patients’ lives. This information can help guide the current discussion on frailty and add meaningful clinical tools to the surgical practice.
A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Testing the Effectiveness of a Pedestrian Training Program That Teaches Children Where and How to Cross the Street Safely

Objective Pedestrian injury is a leading cause of injury-related mortality for children. This pilot randomized controlled trial tested the efficacy of a training program to teach where and how to cross safely. Methods Using fully immersive virtual reality technology, 142 children 7-10 years of age were recruited, with 130 completing crossing measures before (pretest) and immediately after (posttest) training. Training comprised 1.5 hr, was tailored to each child's performance over trials, and focused on either where to cross (n = 44 children completed testing) or how to cross safely (n = 43); corresponding control groups comprised 22 and 21 children, respectively. Following training, children in the intervention groups completed additional tasks to test conceptual knowledge and generalization of learning. Children in the control groups spent the same time as those in training groups but played a video game that used the same game controller but provided no training in street crossing. Results The primary outcomes were errors in crossing at posttest, controlling for pretest error scores. Children in the intervention group made from 75% to 98% fewer errors at posttest than control children for all pedestrian safety variables related to where and how to cross safely, with effect sizes (incidence rate ratios) varying between 0.02 and 0.25. They also showed a generalization of what they had learned and applied this knowledge to novel posttraining situations. Conclusion Training within a virtual pedestrian environment can successfully improve children's conceptual understanding and crossing behaviors for both where and how to cross streets safely.
Trypanosoma brucei triggers a marked immune response in male reproductive organs

African trypanosomiasis is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei, transmitted between mammals by the bite of a tsetse. It has been recently shown that parasites accumulate in large numbers in various organs and tissues, including the mouse testis. Whether parasites are protected from the immune system in the male reproductive organ or can be transmitted through sexual route remains unknown. Here we show that parasites can be detected by fine needle aspiration cytology of the male reproductive system in mice, and histopathological analysis revealed that T. brucei accumulates in the stroma of the epididymis, epididymal adipose tissue and fibrous tunics of the testis. No parasites were found in the lumen of intact epididymal ducts or seminiferous tubules of the testis, indicating that the large majority of the parasites are not located in immune-privileged sites. In fact, these parasites are associated with marked inflammatory cell infiltration, parasite degeneration, and severe tissue damage and rupture of epididymal ducts, which may be related with reduced fertility. Overall, we show that just like in the bloodstream and most other tissues, in the male reproductive organs, T. brucei are exposed to a strong immune response. The detection of a very high number of parasites in this organ and its accessibility opens the possibility of using fine needle aspiration cytology as a complementary diagnostic tool in Animal African Trypanosomiasis.
Counting dense connected hypergraphs via the probabilistic method

In 1990 Bender, Canfield, and McKay gave an asymptotic formula for the number of connected graphs on [n]={1,2,…,n} with m edges, whenever n→∞ and n−1⩽m=m(n)⩽(n2) . We give an asymptotic formula for the number Cr(n,m) of connected r‐uniform hypergraphs on [n] with m edges, whenever r⩾3 is fixed and m=m(n) with m/n→∞ , that is, the average degree tends to infinity. This complements recent results of Behrisch, Coja‐Oghlan, and Kang (the case m=n/(r−1)+Θ(n) ) and the present authors (the case m=n/(r−1)+o(n) , ie, “nullity” or “excess” o(n)). The proof is based on probabilistic methods, and in particular on a bivariate local limit theorem for the number of vertices and edges in the largest component of a certain random hypergraph. The arguments are much simpler than in the sparse case; in particular, we can use “smoothing” techniques to directly prove the local limit theorem, without needing to first prove a central limit theorem.
Expression of Keap1 and Nrf2 in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and its clinical significance

The present study investigated the expression and clinical significance of kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) and nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) expression in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). These proteins were detected by immunohistochemistry in 39 DLBCL cases and 17 cases of reactive lymph node hyperplasia, and their association with the clinicopathological features of DLBCL patients was analyzed. In DLBCL, the percentage of cells with positive staining for Keap1 and Nrf2 was 46.2 and 35.9%, respectively, which was significantly higher than that in reactive lymph node hyperplasia (17.7 and 5.9%, respectively). There was no correlation between Keap1 and Nrf2 expression according to a Spearman rank correlation analysis (r=0.272; P>0.05). Keap1 and Nrf2 expression was associated with the international prognostic index and Ann-Arbor clinical stage (P<0.05), and Keap1 and Nrf2 expression was higher in DLBCL patients with stage III–IV (68.4 and 52.6%, respectively) compared with in those with stage I–II (25.0 and 20.0%, respectively). The aberrant expression of Keap1 and Nrf2 in DLBCL suggests that these factors may have crucial roles in the development and progression of the disease, and may therefore be used as prognostic indicators.
Retrospective Analysis of Factors Associated With Venous Thromboembolism Among Pancreatic Cancer Patients: A Single Institution Experience.

*The model is controlled for age and sex. aOR indicates adjusted odds ratio. P ancreatic cancer is not only the most thrombogenic of all the malignancies but also more often diagnosed at a metastatic stage, which is an independent risk for increased thrombosis. The neutrophillymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the plateletlymphocyte ratio (PLR) have been associated with the risk of thrombosis in cardiac patients.We conducted a retrospective study of patients with pancreatic cancer to investigate the correlation of NLR, PLR, and other lab indices with the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE). All patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, between December 2005 and November 2014, were included in the study. Venous thromboembolism was defined as acute deep venous
Interleukin 33 Selectively Augments Rhinovirus-Induced Type 2 Immune Responses in Asthmatic but not Healthy People

Interleukin- 33 (IL-33) is an epithelial-derived cytokine that initiates type 2 immune responses to allergens, though whether IL-33 has the ability to modify responses to respiratory viral infections remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of IL-33 on rhinovirus (RV)-induced immune responses by circulating leukocytes from people with allergic asthma, and how this response may differ from non-allergic controls. Our experimental approach involved co-exposing peripheral blood mononuclear cells to IL-33 and RV in order to model how the functions of virus-responsive lymphocytes could be modified after recruitment to an airway environment enriched in IL-33. In the current study, IL-33 enhanced RV-induced IL-5 and IL-13 release by cells from people with allergic asthma, but had no effect on IL-5 and IL-13 production by cells from healthy donors. In asthmatic individuals, IL-33 also enhanced mRNA and surface protein expression of ST2 (the IL-33 receptor IL1RL1), while soluble ST2 concentrations were low. In contrast, IL-33 had no effect on mRNA and surface expression of ST2 in healthy individuals. In people with allergic asthma, RV-activated ST2+ innate lymphoid cells (ST2+ILC) were the predominant source of IL-33 augmented IL-13 release. In contrast, RV-activated natural killer cells (NK cells) were the predominant source of IL-33 augmented IFNγ release in healthy individuals. This suggests that the effects of IL-33 on the cellular immune response to RV differ between asthmatic and healthy individuals. These findings provide a mechanism by which RV infections and IL-33 might interact in asthmatic individuals to exacerbate type 2 immune responses and allergic airway inflammation.
Prepubertal Children Exposed to Maternal Gestational Diabetes Have Latent Low-Grade Inflammation

Background: Maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and overweight are associated with an increased risk of obesity and the metabolic syndrome in the adult offspring. We studied the influence of maternal GDM on prepubertal children’s height, weight, body mass index (BMI), lipid and glucose metabolism, and low-grade inflammation. Methods: A cohort of 135 prepubertal Caucasian children (age range 4.4–9.7 years) was studied in a controlled cross-sectional study. Seventy-seven children had been exposed to maternal GDM, and 58 children born after a normal pregnancy served as controls. The outcomes were height, weight, BMI, blood pressure, and biochemical markers of glucose and lipid metabolism and inflammation. Results: There were no differences in height, weight, BMI, fasting serum insulin, plasma glucose, lipids, or blood pressure between the study groups. However, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) was significantly higher in the GDM group than in the controls (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Higher hs-CRP as a marker of low-grade inflammation was detected in prepubertal children exposed to maternal GDM, but no differences were seen in height, weight, BMI, or markers of glucose and lipid metabolism compared to control children. This finding may reflect an ongoing process of metabolic changes in children born after a GDM pregnancy.