Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetics of serum BDNF: Meta-analysis of the Val66Met and genome-wide association study

Abstract Objectives. Lower levels of serum brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is one of the best known biomarkers of depression. To identify genetic variants associated with serum BDNF, we tested the Val66Met (rs6265) functional variant and conducted a genome-wide association scan (GWAS). Methods. In a community-based sample (N = 2054; aged 19–101, M = 51, SD = 15) from Sardinia, Italy, we measured serum BDNF concentration and conducted a GWAS. Results. We estimated the heritability of serum BDNF to be 0.48 from sib-pairs. There was no association between serum BDNF and Val66Met in the SardiNIA sample and in a meta-analysis of published studies (k = 13 studies, total n = 4727, P = 0.92). Although no genome-wide significant associations were identified, some evidence of association was found in the BDNF gene (rs11030102, P = 0.001) and at two loci (rs7170215, P = 4.8 × 10–5 and rs11073742 P = 1.2 × 10–5) near and within NTRK3 gene, a neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor. Conclusions. Our study and meta-analysis of the literature indicate that the BDNF Val66Met variant is not associated with serum BDNF, but other variants in the BDNF and NTRK3 genes might regulate the level of serum BDNF.
The role of neutrophil activation in determining the outcome of pregnancy and modulation by hormones and/or cytokines

Neutrophils are often exclusively considered as a first‐line innate immune defence, able to rapidly kill or trap pathogens and causing in case of over‐activation tissue damage. In the female reproductive tract, however, the presence and activity of neutrophils seems to be tightly regulated. Major players in orchestrating this regulation are cyclical steroid sex hormones present during the menstrual cycle and pregnancy. This review describes the role of sex hormones in regulating directly or indirectly the functionality of neutrophils, the role of neutrophils during fertilization and pregnancy and in controlling viral, fungal and bacterial infection. This review also discusses the consequence of overt neutrophil activation in pregnancy pathologies.
Bridge Assessment and Health Monitoring with Distributed Long-Gauge FBG Sensors

Most sensors for structural testing and health monitoring are “point” sensors which strongly limit the ability to correct damage detection and structural assessment. In this paper, long-gauge FBG sensor which can sense the whole area within the gauge length is introduced. Bridge assessment and health monitoring with the microstrain distribution acquired by the distributed long-gauge FBG sensor are also studied. Experiments were conducted and application to a real prestressed box bridge was also implemented. Static and dynamic testing results show that distributed long-gage FBG sensing technique can obtain not only the global information such as bridge deflection and natural frequency, but also the local parameters such as strain and modal macrostrain to detect damage of the bridge. It shows that structural assessment and health monitoring based on the proposed technique have great potential in maintenance of civil engineering infrastructures.
The British lsles Network of Expert Centres: A collaborative approach to the digital arts and humanities

The UK's Network of Expert Centres: A collaborative approach to the digital arts and humanities. A Network of Expert Centres has been recently been established with a broad mission to facilitate exchange of expertise and outreach across the community of practice engaged in all aspects of digital arts and humanities research and scholarship, including practice-led research; and to promote and facilitate engagement with digital methodologies within the broader research community. Areas of interest and expertise of members include data creation, curation, preservation, management (including rights and legal issues), access and dissemination, and methodologies of data use and re-use. Its membership is open to all such Centres in Great Britain and Ireland. Since the demise of the Arts and Humanities Data Service and the AHRC ICT Methods Network, there has been no centralized supporting infrastructure and co-oordination of activity in this area. While the Network is by no means a substitute for these services, .
Polynomial Controller Synthesis for Uncertain Large-Scale Polynomial T–S Fuzzy Systems

This paper proposes a novel method to synthesize a controller for stabilizing the nonlinear large-scale system which is represented by a large-scale polynomial Takagi–Sugeno (T–S) fuzzy system. The large-scale system consists of a set of the uncertain polynomial T–S fuzzy system with interconnection terms. Modeling the large-scale nonlinear system under the framework of the polynomial form will decrease both the modeling errors and the number of fuzzy rules with respect to the conventional large-scale T–S fuzzy system. In addition, because of the existence of uncertainties, the synthesizing controller for the large-scale polynomial fuzzy system becomes much more challenging and has not been investigated in the previous studies. In this paper, a controller is synthesized to simultaneously eliminate the impact of the uncertainties and stabilize the system. With the aid of Lyapunov theory, sum-of-square technique, and S-procedure, the conditions for controller synthesis are derived in the main theorems. Finally, two examples are illustrated to show the effectiveness and merit of the proposed method.
The authors reply.

e274 www.ccmjournal. org March 2019 • Volume 47 • Number 3 the information available in their database. Other important confounding factors such as seniority of decision-making and time from onset of injury to damage control surgery have not been included limiting interpretation of the study results. This limitation is especially relevant to interpreting both the timings of and indications for use of vasopressors within the first 24 hours. Initial goals of trauma resuscitation include hemorrhage control, restoration of blood volume, and endorgan perfusion and oxygenation. As the majority of oxygen is bound to hemoglobin, using vasopressors to increase the mean arterial pressure as a surrogate for maintaining organ perfusion especially in hemorrhagic shock would seem to be folly and the increased mortality as a consequence unsurprising. However, if vasopressors were used perioperatively to counter the vasoplegic effects of anesthesia, then their use may be more appropriate. This omission limits our ability to interpret the authors conclusion that vasopressor use is associated with increased mortality. Trauma management has changed significantly over the preceding decade, with the application of research from military wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to the civilian population. Traditionally, advanced trauma life support resuscitation centered on correction of acidosis and hypotension with crystalloids, but the prevailing consensus now aligns with damage control resuscitation, which recommends permissive hypotension correcting coagulopathy with fresh frozen plasma in at least 1:1 ratio with PRBC (2). It is hard to discern what were the blood transfusion triggers in this cohort study between 2004 and 2015. In the United Kingdom, the move toward establishing regional trauma networks has led to better mortality outcomes primarily through organizational change and streamlining (3). This has helped reduced instances of trauma surgeons’ variable availability, which the authors discuss as a problem in the Japanese system. Perhaps the indication bias of delayed transfer of unstable major trauma patients to theater for damage control surgery explains the increased mortality seen with vasopressor use? Although a randomized controlled trial rather than a retrospective cohort study might help to elucidate whether vasopressors are inherently detrimental in traumatic hemorrhagic shock, the difficulties in designing such a trial may preclude us from obtaining the answer. In lieu of this, propensity matching may represent the closest we can get to a true evidence-based answer. The authors have disclosed that they do not have any potential conflicts of interest.
Effects of Ankaferd Hemostat on Helicobacter pylori strains and antibiotic resistance

Background/aim Ankaferd hemostat (ABS; Ankaferd blood stopper, İstanbul, Turkey) is a folkloric medicinal plant extract. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of Ankaferd hemostat (ABS) on the fate of Helicobacter pylori strains. The study also aims to determine alterations in the antimicrobial resistance of three different H. pylori strains in response to ABS exposure. Materials and methods H. pylori Strain 1 was obtained from the culture collection ATCC 43504 and passaged three times for viability. Strain 2 was isolated from a gastric ulcer patient and Strain 3 was isolated from a gastritis patient. 1% of ABS was added to all of the strains and antimicrobial susceptibility was observed on 30 and 60 min after application. Results The efficacy of ABS solutions in achieving significant logarithmic reduction in foodborne pathogens of H. pylori was observed in this study. This study showed that ABS has antibacterial (Anti-H. pylori) effects. Conclusion Our present study indicated, for the first time, that ABS could act against H. pylori. ABS is clinically used for the management of GI bleeding due to benign and malignant GI lesions. Thus, the possible anti-H. pylori effect of ABS shall expand the therapeutic spectrum of the drug in GI lesions in relation to H. pylori infection such as peptic ulser disease (PUD) and lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphomagenesis.
Cytological Diagnosis of Follicular Variant of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma before and after the Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology

Background: The follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma (FVPTC) is the second most common subtype of papillary carcinoma after the classical variant. The Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (TBSRTC) has been introduced to standardize the practice of thyroid fine needle aspiration (FNA) reporting. We evaluated the impact of TBSRTC on the FNA interpretation of histologically proven FVPTCs. Method: Cytology reports of 455 histologically proven FVPTCs were reviewed. The rate of each TBSRTC category was compared between pre- and post-TBSRTC eras. Results: The distribution of FNA diagnoses for pre-TBSRTC cases included suspicious for follicular neoplasm (SFN; n = 51, 28.7%), papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC; n = 47, 26.4%), suspicious for malignancy (SFM; n = 32, 18%), atypia of undetermined significance (AUS; n = 23, 13%), benign (n = 18, 10.1%), and nondiagnostic (ND; n = 7, 4%). Post-TBSRTC diagnoses were: AUS (n = 68, 24.6%), PTC (n = 64, 23.1%), SFM (n = 50, 18%), SFN and benign (n = 42, 15.2%) and ND (n = 11, 4%). SFN rate decreased significantly from 28.7 to 15.2% (p = 0.001) and AUS increased from 12.9 to 24.5% (p = 0.003). Conclusion: Following implementation of TBSRTC, the frequency of AUS diagnoses on FNA prior to surgical resection increased. Given that the rate of FVPTC diagnoses on thyroidectomy increased over the same period, this suggests that the use of AUS has resulted in greater surgical resection of FVPTC.
Impact of Rotavirus Vaccine Introduction in Children Less Than 2 Years of Age Presenting for Medical Care With Diarrhea in Rural Matlab, Bangladesh

Abstract Background Following the conclusion of a human rotavirus vaccine (HRV) cluster-randomized, controlled trial (CRT) in Matlab, Bangladesh, HRV was included in Matlab’s routine immunization program. We describe the population-level impact of programmatic rotavirus vaccination in Bangladesh in children <2 years of age. Methods Interrupted time series were used to estimate the impact of HRV introduction. We used diarrheal surveillance collected between 2000 and 2014 within the 2 service delivery areas (International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh [icddr,b] service area [ISA] and government service area [GSA]) of the Matlab Health and Demographic Surveillance System, administered by icddr,b. Age group–specific incidence rates were calculated for both rotavirus-positive (RV+) and rotavirus-negative (RV–) diarrhea diagnoses of any severity presenting to the hospital. We used 2 models to assess the impact within each service area: Model 1 used the pre-vaccine time period in all villages (HRV– and control-only) and Model 2 combined the pre-vaccine time period and the CRT time period, using outcomes from control-only villages. Results Both models demonstrated a downward trend in RV+ diarrheal incidences in the ISA villages during 3.5 years of routine HRV use, though only Model 2 was statistically significant. Significant impacts of HRV on RV+ diarrhea incidences in GSA villages were not observed in either model. Differences in population-level impacts between the 2 delivery areas may be due to the varied rotavirus vaccine coverage and presentation rates to the hospital. Conclusions This study provides initial evidence of the population-level impact of rotavirus vaccines in children <2 years of age in Matlab, Bangladesh. Further studies are needed of the rotavirus vaccine impact after the nationwide introduction in Bangladesh.
Hyperglycaemia in Acute Stroke – To Treat or Not to Treat

Diabetes is common amongst patients with stroke and is associated with poorer outcome. Post-stroke hyperglycaemia is also recognised in up to half of the patients, and is independently associated with adverse sequelae: both increased mortality and poorer functional outcomes. Neither the aetiology nor the pathophysiology of such hyperglycaemia is fully understood. Both direct neurological toxicity and systemic consequences are postulated to occur. A distinction between occult diabetes and non-diabetic hyperglycaemia seems important as prognosis and effect of intervention differ in these two groups. The optimal management of the milder forms of hyperglycaemia associated with acute stroke is unknown. Randomised trial data remain limited but presently offer no strong support for aggressive intervention in stroke, though in other critical illness settings tight control of blood sugar appears beneficial. Studies based in coronary care and high dependency units have shown a possible beneficial effect of insulin, but evidence for intervention in acute stroke is at best limited. However, if glucose management is to be undertaken, this should be instituted while there is still salvageable tissue and the glucose reduction must be substantial. Intravenous insulin may be more effective than glucose-potassium-insulin infusion. Both interventions carry a risk of hypoglycaemia and any proposed intervention must balance safety, convenience and glycaemic control. Until further trial data are available, consensus guidelines may be followed, which are generally conservative for blood glucose levels below 10 mM (180 mg/dl).
Estimation of the worldwide seroprevalence of cytomegalovirus: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection does not usually produce symptoms when it causes primary infection, reinfection, or reactivation because these three types of infection are all controlled by the normal immune system. However, CMV becomes an important pathogen in individuals whose immune system is immature or compromised, such as the unborn child. Several vaccines against CMV are currently in clinical trials that aim to induce immunity in seronegative individuals and/or to boost the immunity of those with prior natural infection (seropositives). To facilitate estimation of the burden of disease and the need for vaccines that induce de novo immune responses or that boost pre‐existing immunity to CMV, we conducted a systematic survey of the published literature to describe the global seroprevalence of CMV IgG antibodies. We estimated a global CMV seroprevalence of 83% (95%UI: 78‐88) in the general population, 86% (95%UI: 83‐89) in women of childbearing age, and 86% (95%UI: 82‐89) in donors of blood or organs. For each of these three groups, the highest seroprevalence was seen in the World Health Organisation (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean region 90% (95%UI: 85‐94) and the lowest in WHO European region 66% (95%UI: 56‐74). These estimates of the worldwide CMV distribution will help develop national and regional burden of disease models and inform future vaccine development efforts.
Randomized control trial report on the effectiveness of Group Attachment-Based Intervention (GABI©): Improvements in the parent–child relationship not seen in the control group

Abstract This paper reports on a randomized control trial involving children less than 3 years old and their mothers who were regarded at risk of maltreating their children by referral agencies. Mothers’ risk status derived from a heavy trauma burden (average exposure over the first 18 years of their lives to 10 possible adverse childhood experiences [ACEs] was >5), mental health challenges (15%–28% had experienced a prior psychiatric hospitalization), and prior removal of a child to foster care (20%). Mothers were randomly assigned to either a widely used parenting class known as Systematic Training for Effective Parenting (STEP) or the Group Attachment-Based Intervention (GABI), a multifamily 26-week treatment. The resulting mother–child pairs available for consideration in this baseline versus end-of-treatment report were 35 families in the STEP arm and 43 families in the GABI arm. The focus of this paper is the outcome measure of observed parent–child relationship assessed with the Coding of Interactive Behavior (Feldman, 1998) collected at baseline and end of treatment. In comparison to STEP, results indicated that GABI was linked to significant improvements in maternal supportive presence and dyadic reciprocity, and significant declines in maternal hostility and dyadic constriction (proxies for risk of child maltreatment). These medium-to large-sized effects remained significant even after controlling for mothers’ prior ACEs in analysis of covariance procedures. In addition, two small interaction effects of ACEs by treatment type were found, underlining the need for, and value of, treatments that are sensitive to parents’ traumatic histories.
Mobility and mobility-related participation outcomes of powered wheelchair and scooter interventions

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Energetic Radiation From Galactic Cosmic Ray Interactions With Saturn's Main Rings

Saturn's main rings have an energetic particle and gamma ray photon radiation environment produced by ring interactions of galactic cosmic ray (GCR) protons and heavier ions penetrating the planetary dipolar magnetic field. Accurate models of this radiation environment are important for interpretation of Pioneer 11 and Cassini in situ measurements near the rings and for constraints on radiolytic contributions to neutral gas production and ice chemistry. A GEANT (GEometry ANd Tracking) based simulation is used to model flux spectra of protons, electrons, positrons, charged pions, neutrons, and gamma ray photons emitted from GCR interactions with H2O ice spheres approximating the ring material. Dependent on location in the A to D rings within the planetary magnetic field of Saturn, only GCR protons above respective energies of 20 to 72 GeV can reach the rings without being deflected away by the magnetic field. Calculated differential and integral fluxes from our simulations have good agreement with in situ Pioneer‐11 measurements in selected energy channels. The charged particle and neutral radiation measurements are sensitive, respectively, to the sizes and areal mass densities of ring bodies. Computed gamma ray emission fluxes are 8% of our calculated limit for detection from the Earth by the Fermi Large Area Telescope. Addition of charged particle sensors and neutron‐photon imaging spectrometers to a future Saturn Ring Observer mission would provide valuable information on the ring mass structure. The present paper provides a foundation for modeling of Pioneer 11 and Cassini radiation measurements across the main rings and future measurements of radiation from the rings.
Current perspectives for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia

With an annual incidence of 1–2 in a million, Ph*(+) chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a clonal hematopoietic stem cell disease that makes myeloid neoplastic cells breed out of control. This BCR-ABL(+) myeloproliferative disease makes up about 15%–20% of all leukemia cases in adults. CML is seen more in males than females, with a rate of three to two. However, it does not show differences in prevalence in terms of age. CML consists of three clinical phases. The first one is the chronic phase, defined by rising white blood cell levels and also by myeloid proliferation and bone marrow maturation. While this phase does not exhibit complications, in diagnosis, it comprises most of the patients. The second phase is the accelerated phase, which the disease progresses to if it is not treated or does not respond to treatment. This usually takes about 3 years. The third phase is the blastic phase. The chronic phase can still progress to the next two phases within the first 2 years, with a rate of 10%. In the following years, the possibility increases by 15%–20% each year. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are revolutionary drugs for the management of disease course in CML. The aim of this review is to assess current approaches to CML patients’ follow-up and treatment with TKIs. A literature search on CML and TKIs was made in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus with particular focus on randomized clinical trials, recommendations, guidelines, and expert opinions. In managing CML, various treatment methods have been utilized for many decades. Prior to the development of TKIs, interferon alpha was the primary tool, which was then complemented by allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). HSCT was successful in slowing the disease down in the long term and curing up to 50% of patients. Then the coming of the imatinib era opened up different treatment perspectives. For the patients resistant or intolerant to imatinib, second- and third-generation TKIs are successfully used in distinct CML disease states. The survival benefits of TKIs including imatinib, nilotinib, dasatinib, bosutinib, and ponatinib for CML patients are outstanding. TKI-related adverse events could impact the clinical course, especially in long-term drug administrations. The current aim for CML disease management in the TKI era is to provide age- and sex-matched normal life duration to CML patients.