Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Asian enigma.

This article discusses the disparity between the extent in child malnutrition in South Asia compared to sub-Saharan Africa. The aim is to challenge South Asian countries to improve child health through some measures suggested in this article. There should be no complacency regarding sub-Saharan malnutrition which is much lower than in South Asia. The proportion of malnourished children is rising due to structural adjustment programs rising poverty deteriorating infrastructure and AIDS. South Asia currently has the worst child nutritional levels in the world due to gender inequalities. Progress will be manifested for women in 1) better health education nutrition; 2) reduced incidence of low birth weight; 3) improved access to basic services; and 4) increasing control over fertility. Child malnutrition can be treated by addressing the aforementioned four development goals. The most powerful intervention is the education of girls. The issue of malnutrition should not be moved from the agenda of welfare to the agenda of rights. The agenda of womens rights and status improvement is a priority for solving child malnutrition and is an end itself. The "rights" approach is appropriate because it views the poor as key actors in the development process. Community awareness and understanding is necessary for change. Knowledge of the nutritional causes of malnutrition must be integrated into policy decisions. Dietary intake and adequate health are particularly important in the first 2 years of life. Most feeding programs target older children. Information must be disseminated about how best to feed a growing child and how to prevent and manage childhood illness in order to promote normal growth. Communities need access to safe water safe sanitation and primary health care. Confidence and support are needed to translate public health measures and information into a reduced disease burden.
Thulium Laser Vapoenucleation of the Prostate (ThuVEP) in Men at High Cardiovascular Risk and on Antithrombotic Therapy: A Single-Center Experience

Bleeding is the most common complication of transurethral resection of the prostate and simple open prostatectomy, especially in men on antiplatelet/anticoagulant therapy. The present study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of thulium laser vapoenucleation of the prostate (ThuVEP) for benign prostatic hyperplasia in patients on chronic antithrombotic medications. Between January 2015 and December 2019, 88 men underwent the procedure under antithrombotic agents in our center. The mean age was 74.7 ± 6.1 years. Median prostate volume was 66.5 mL. Patients on oral anticoagulants were bridged to low-molecular-weight heparin (n = 35). Aspirin (n = 39), clopidogrel (n = 10), and ticlopidine (n = 4) were maintained. Of the patients, 69.3% had an American Society of Anesthesiologists score ≥ 3. Blood loss at 24 h was comparable in all groups. Median catheterization length and postoperative stays were 2 and 3 days respectively. Acute cardiovascular events occurred in 2 patients (2.3%). Of the patients, 4 required prolonged bladder irrigation, 2 required blood transfusions, 1 required a cystoscopy for bleeding control, and 1 required a suprapubic cystostomy for blood clot evacuation. No patients died within 30 days of being discharged. Late complications occurred in 3 (3.8%) patients (1 optical urethrotomy and 1 bladder neck incision for stenosis; 1 acute myocardial infarction). All follow-up visits (1, 6, and 12-month) showed a significant improvement in all urinary parameters compared to baseline. ThuVEP appears to be a feasible surgical option in high-risk patients on antithrombotic regimens, with acceptable postoperative morbidity, good functional outcome, and low incidence of medium-term reoperation rate.
EEG Theta Power Activity Reflects Workload among Army Combat Drivers: An Experimental Study

We aimed to evaluate the effects of mental workload variations, as a function of the road environment, on the brain activity of army drivers performing combat and non-combat scenarios in a light multirole vehicle dynamic simulator. Forty-one non-commissioned officers completed three standardized driving exercises with different terrain complexities (low, medium, and high) while we recorded their electroencephalographic (EEG) activity. We focused on variations in the theta EEG power spectrum, a well-known index of mental workload. We also assessed performance and subjective ratings of task load. The theta EEG power spectrum in the frontal, temporal, and occipital areas were higher during the most complex scenarios. Performance (number of engine stops) and subjective data supported these findings. Our findings strengthen previous results found in civilians on the relationship between driver mental workload and the theta EEG power spectrum. This suggests that EEG activity can give relevant insight into mental workload variations in an objective, unbiased fashion, even during real training and/or operations. The continuous monitoring of the warfighter not only allows instantaneous detection of over/underload but also might provide online feedback to the system (either automated equipment or the crew) to take countermeasures and prevent fatal errors.
A comparative study of efficacy of febuxostat and allopurinol regimens in patients of hyperuricemia

Gout, an old known disease which was restricted upto the royalties, has broken itself from barriers of class and socioeconomic factors. Nowadays, it is the most common form of inflammatory arthritis in the elderly irrespsective of class and strata. Its name means ‘drop’ in Latin, thus implying that a toxin falling drop by drop at the joint tissue induced the disease. The current increment in the prevalence of gout is primarily due to changes in our lifestyle which consists of, lack of exercise, obesity, increased consumption of non-vegetarian foods accompanied with alcoholic beverages, specially Beer. These factors are solely behind the generation/progression of this disease. Many drugs are associated with decreased uric acid excretion, drug like thiazide diuretics, low-dose aspirin and cyclosporine have been a risk factor in the progression of this disease. Cardiovascular diseases can also be related with Hyperuricemia. Association of hypertension and renal pathologies also leads to an increased risk for Hyperuricemia. The term “Hyperuricemia” means that normal levels of Uric acid ABSTRACT
Hyaluronan Mediated Motility Receptor (HMMR) Encodes an Evolutionarily Conserved Homeostasis, Mitosis, and Meiosis Regulator Rather than a Hyaluronan Receptor

Hyaluronan is an extracellular matrix component that absorbs water in tissues and engages cell surface receptors, like Cluster of Differentiation 44 (CD44), to promote cellular growth and movement. Consequently, CD44 demarks stem cells in normal tissues and tumor-initiating cells isolated from neoplastic tissues. Hyaluronan mediated motility receptor (HMMR, also known as RHAMM) is another one of few defined hyaluronan receptors. HMMR is also associated with neoplastic processes and its role in cancer progression is often attributed to hyaluronan-mediated signaling. But, HMMR is an intracellular, microtubule-associated, spindle assembly factor that localizes protein complexes to augment the activities of mitotic kinases, like polo-like kinase 1 and Aurora kinase A, and control dynein and kinesin motor activities. Expression of HMMR is elevated in cells prior to and during mitosis and tissues with detectable HMMR expression tend to be highly proliferative, including neoplastic tissues. Moreover, HMMR is a breast cancer susceptibility gene product. Here, we briefly review the associations between HMMR and tumorigenesis as well as the structure and evolution of HMMR, which identifies Hmmr-like gene products in several insect species that do not produce hyaluronan. This review supports the designation of HMMR as a homeostasis, mitosis, and meiosis regulator, and clarifies how its dysfunction may promote the tumorigenic process and cancer progression.
Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis of P-Type Plasma Membrane H+-ATPase Sub-Gene Family in Sunflower and the Role of HHA4 and HHA11 in the Development of Salt Stress Resistance

The P-type plasma membrane (PM) H+-ATPase plays a major role during the growth and development of a plant. It is also involved in plant resistance to a variety of biotic and abiotic factors, including salt stress. The PM H+-ATPase gene family has been well characterized in Arabidopsis and other crop plants such as rice, cucumber, and potato; however, the same cannot be said in sunflower (Helianthus annuus). In this study, a total of thirteen PM H+-ATPase genes were screened from the recently released sunflower genome database with a comprehensive genome-wide analysis. According to a systematic phylogenetic classification with a previously reported species, the sunflower PM H+-ATPase genes (HHAs) were divided into four sub-clusters (I, II, IV, and V). In addition, systematic bioinformatics analyses such as gene structure analysis, chromosome location analysis, subcellular localization predication, conserved motifs, and Cis-acting elements of promoter identification were also done. Semi-quantitative PCR analysis data of HHAs in different sunflower tissues revealed the specificity of gene spatiotemporal expression and sub-cluster grouping. Those belonging to sub-cluster I and II exhibited wide expression in almost all of the tissues studied while sub-cluster IV and V seldom showed expression. In addition, the expression of HHA4, HHA11, and HHA13 was shown to be induced by salt stress. The transgenic plants overexpressing HHA4 and HHA11 showed higher salinity tolerance compared with wild-type plants. Further analysis showed that the Na+ content of transgenic Arabidopsis plants decreased under salt stress, which indicates that PM H+ ATPase participates in the physiological process of Na+ efflux, resulting in salt resistance of the plants. This study is the first to identify and analyze the sunflower PM H+ ATPase gene family. It does not only lay foundation for future research but also demonstrates the role played by HHAs in salt stress tolerance.
Assessment of the Efficacy of Lowering LDL Cholesterol with Rosuvastatin 10 mg in Four Korean Statin Benefit Groups as per ACC/AHA Guidelines (NewStaR4G)

The American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) guidelines identified four statin benefit groups on the basis of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk reduction and proposed statin therapy by evidence-based intensity. Although these guidelines used randomized controlled trials with hard outcomes as exclusive evidence for its recommendations, a limited number of studies conducted in Asian countries makes its application of treatment strategy, intensity, and statin doses uncertain in these population. This prospective, multicenter study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of rosuvastatin 10 mg in the four statin benefit groups requiring high- or moderate-intensity statin therapy according to the ACC/AHA guidelines in the Korean population. The primary endpoint was percentage reduction in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Secondary endpoints were percentage reduction in other lipids and achievement of ≥50% reduction in LDL cholesterol. Rosuvastatin 10 mg lowered LDL cholesterol by 61.4 mg/dL, a 44.9% decrease from baseline after eight weeks. Reduction of LDL cholesterol ≥50% was achieved in 46.3% of patients. Rosuvastatin 10 mg was generally well tolerated. In the Korean population, rosuvastatin 10 mg was favorable and tolerant in lowering LDL cholesterol in the four statin benefit groups requiring high- or moderate-intensity statin therapy according to the ACC/AHA guidelines.
Switching from Thoracoscopic to Robotic Platform for Lobectomy: Report of Learning Curve and Outcome

Objective The optimal minimally invasive surgical management for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is unclear. For experienced video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) surgeons, the increased costs and learning curve are strong barriers for adoption of robotics. We examined the learning curve and outcome of an experienced VATS lobectomy surgeon switching to a robotic platform. Methods We conducted a retrospective review to identify patients who underwent a robotic or VATS lobectomy for NSCLC from 2016 to 2018. Analysis of patient demographics, perioperative data, pathological upstaging rates, and robotic approach (RA) learning curve was performed. Results This study evaluated 167 lobectomies in total, 118 by RA and 49 by VATS. Patient and tumor characteristics were similar. RA had significantly more lymph node harvested (14 versus 10; P = 0.004), more nodal stations sampled (5 versus 4; P < 0.001), and more N1 nodes (8 versus 6; P = 0.010) and N2 nodes (6 versus 4; P = 0.017) resected. With RA, 22 patients were upstaged (18.6%) compared to 5 patients (10.2%) with VATS (P = 0.26). No differences were found in perioperative outcome. Operative time decreased significantly with a learning curve of 20 cases, along with a steady increase in lymph node yield. Conclusions RA can be adopted safely by experienced VATS surgeons. Learning curve is 20 cases, with RA resulting in superior lymph node clearance compared to VATS. The potential improvement in upstaging and oncologic resection for NSCLC may justify the associated investments of robotics even for experienced VATS surgeons.
Affordance-based versus current-future accounts of choosing whether to pursue or abandon the chase of a moving target

Affordance-based control and current-future control offer competing theoretical accounts of the visual control of locomotion. The aim of this study was to test predictions derived from these accounts about the necessity of self-motion (Experiment 1) and target-ground contact (Experiment 2) in perceiving whether a moving target can be intercepted before it reaches an escape zone. We designed a novel interception task wherein the ability to perceive target catchability before initiating movement was advantageous. Subjects pursued a target moving through a field in a virtual environment and attempted to intercept the target before it escaped into a forest. Targets were catchable on some trials but not others. If subjects perceived that they could not reach the target, they were instructed to immediately give up by pressing a button. After each trial, subjects received a point reward that incentivized them to pursue only those targets that were catchable. On the majority of trials, subjects either pursued and successfully intercepted the target or chose not to pursue at all, demonstrating that humans are sensitive to catchability while stationary. Performance also degraded when the target was floating rather than in contact with the ground. Both findings are incompatible with the current-future account and support the affordance-based account of choosing whether to pursue moving targets.
Physical Activity Trajectories and Associated Changes in Physical Performance in Older Men: The MrOS Study.

BACKGROUND Physical activity (PA) is important to maintaining functional independence. It is not clear how patterns of change in late-life PA are associated with contemporaneous changes in physical performance measures. METHODS Self-reported PA, gait speed, grip strength, timed chair stand, and leg power were assessed in 3,865 men aged ≥ 65 years at baseline (2000-02) and Year 7 (2007-09). Group-based trajectory modeling, using up to four PA measures over this period, identified PA trajectories. Multivariate linear regression models (adjusted least square mean [95% CI]) described associations between PA trajectories and concurrent changes in performance. RESULTS Three discrete PA patterns were identified, all with declining PA. Linear declines in each performance measure (baseline to Year 7) were observed across all three PA groups, but there was some variability in the rate of decline. Multivariate models assessing the graded response by PA trajectory showed a trend where the high-activity group had the smallest declines in performance while the low-activity group had the largest (p-for trend<.03). Changes in the high-activity group were: gait speed (-0.10 m/s [-0.12, -0.08]), grip strength (-3.79kg [-4.35, -3.23]), and chair stands (-0.38 [-0.50, -0.25]); while changes in the low-activity group were: gait speed (-0.16 [-0.17, -0.14]), grip strength (-4.83kg [-5.10, -4.55]), and chair stands (-0.53 [ -0.59, -0.46]). Between-group differences in leg power trajectories across PA patterns were not significant. CONCLUSIONS Declines in functional performance were higher among those with lower PA trajectories, providing further evidence for the interrelationship between changes in PA and performance during old age.
Saskatoon Berry Amelanchier alnifolia Regulates Glucose Metabolism and Improves Cardiovascular and Liver Signs of Diet-Induced Metabolic Syndrome in Rats

Saskatoon berry (Amelanchier alnifolia) is a potential functional food containing anthocyanins and flavonols, as well as ellagitannins and phenolic acids. We have determined the potential therapeutic effects of Saskatoon berry in diet-induced metabolic syndrome. Nine- to ten-week-old male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to four groups. Two groups were fed on control diets, either corn starch (C) or high-carbohydrate, high-fat diet (H) respectively, for 16 weeks. Two further groups were fed on C or H diet for 16 weeks with Saskatoon berry powder added to the diet for the final 8 weeks (CSSK, HSSK). After 16 weeks, H rats showed symptoms of metabolic syndrome, including increased body weight, visceral adiposity, systolic blood pressure, cardiac fibrosis, plasma concentrations of triglycerides and non-esterified fatty acids, and plasma activities of alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase. Saskatoon berry intervention normalised body weight and adiposity, improved glucose tolerance, decreased systolic blood pressure, improved heart and liver structure and function with decreased infiltration of inflammatory cells, and decreased plasma total cholesterol. Further, Saskatoon berry normalised liver expression of hexokinase 1 and glycogen phosphorylase and increased glucose 6-phosphatase relative to H rats. These results suggest that Saskatoon berry regulates glycolysis, gluconeogenesis and glycogenesis to improve metabolic syndrome.
Evaluation of the Training Program for p16/ Ki-67 Dual Immunocytochemical Staining Interpretation for Laboratory Staff Without Experience in Cervical Cytology and Immunocytochemistry

Abstract Background p16/Ki-67 dual immunocytochemical staining (DS) is considered easy to interpret if evaluators are properly trained, however, there is no consensus on what constitutes proper training. In the present study we evaluated a protocol for teaching DS evaluation on students inexperienced in cervical cytology. Methods Initial training on 40 DS conventional smears was provided by a senior cytotechnologist experienced in such evaluation. Afterwards, two students evaluated 118 cases. Additional training consisted mainly of discussing discrepant cases from the first evaluation and was followed by evaluation of new 383 cases. Agreement and accuracy of students’ results were compared among the participants and to the results of the reference after both evaluations. We also noted time needed for evaluation of one slide as well as intra-observer variability of the teacher’s results. Results At the end of the study, agreement between students and reference was higher compared to those after initial training (overall percent agreement [OPA] 81.4% for each student, kappa 0.512 and 0.527 vs. OPA 78.3% and 87.2%, kappa 0.556 and 0.713, respectively). However, accuracy results differed between the two students. After initial training sensitivity was 4.3% points and 2.9% points higher, respectively compared to the reference, while specificity was 30.6% points and 24.4% points lower, respectively, compared to the reference. At the end of the study, the sensitivity reached by one student was the same as that of the reference, while it was 2.6% points lower for the other student. There was a statistically significant difference in specificity between one student and the reference and also between students (16.7 and 15.1% points). Towards the end of the study, one student needed 5.2 min for evaluating one slide while the other needed 8.2 min. The intra-observer variability of the senior cytotechnologist was in the range of “very good” in both arms of the study. Conclusions In teaching DS evaluation, the students’ progress has to be monitored using several criteria like agreement, accuracy and time needed for evaluating one slide. The monitoring process has to continue for a while after students reach satisfactory results in order to assure a continuous good performance. Monitoring of teacher’s performance is also advisable.
Adjusting Daily Inpatient Bed Allocation to Smooth Emergency Department Occupancy Variation

Study Objective: Overcrowding in emergency departments (ED) is an increasingly common problem in Taiwanese hospitals, and strategies to improve efficiency are in demand. We propose a bed resource allocation strategy to overcome the overcrowding problem. Method: We investigated ED occupancy using discrete-event simulation and evaluated the effects of suppressing day-to-day variations in ED occupancy by adjusting the number of empty beds per day. Administrative data recorded at the ED of Taichung Veterans General Hospital (TCVGH) in Taiwan with 1500 beds and an annual ED volume of 66,000 visits were analyzed. Key indices of ED quality in the analysis were the length of stay and the time in waiting for outward transfers to in-patient beds. The model is able to analyze and compare several scenarios for finding a feasible allocation strategy. Results: We compared several scenarios, and the results showed that by reducing the allocated beds for the ED by 20% on weekdays, the variance of daily ED occupancy was reduced by 36.25% (i.e., the percentage of reduction in standard deviation). Conclusions: This new allocation strategy was able to both reduce the average ED occupancy and maintain the ED quality indices.
Effects of Recessed-Gate Structure on AlGaN/GaN-on-SiC MIS-HEMTs with Thin AlOxNy MIS Gate

This study investigated the effects of a thin aluminum oxynitride (AlOxNy) gate insulator on the electrical characteristics of AlGaN/GaN-on-SiC metal-insulator-semiconductor high electron mobility transistors (MIS-HEMTs). The fabricated AlGaN/GaN-on-SiC MIS-HEMTs exhibited a significant reduction in gate leakage and off-state drain currents in comparison with the conventional Schottky-gate HEMTs, thus enhancing the breakdown voltage. The effects of gate recess were also investigated while using recessed MIS-HEMT configuration. The Johnson’s figures of merit (= fT × BVgd) for the fabricated MIS-HEMTs were found to be in the range of 5.57 to 10.76 THz·V, which is the state-of-the-art values for GaN-based HEMTs without a field plate. Various characterization methods were used to investigate the quality of the MIS and the recessed MIS interface.