Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Caregiver outcomes of the REACH-HF multicentre randomized controlled trial of home-based rehabilitation for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction

Background: Caregivers frequently provide support to people living with long-term conditions. However, there is paucity of evidence of interventions that support caregivers in their role. Rehabilitation EnAblement in Chronic Heart Failure (REACH-HF) is a novel home-based, health-professional-facilitated, self-management programme for patients with heart failure (HF) and their caregivers. Methods: Based on the random allocation of individual adult patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and left ventricular ejection fraction <45% within the past five years, the caregiver of patients was allocated to receive the REACH-HF intervention over 12 weeks (REACH-HF group) or not (control group). Caregiver outcomes were generic health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L), Family Caregiver Quality of Life Scale questionnaire (FamQol), Caregiver Burden Questionnaire HF (CBQ-HF), Caregiver Contribution to Self-care of HF Index questionnaire (CC-SCHFI) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Outcomes were compared between groups at 4, 6 and 12 months follow-up. Twenty caregivers receiving REACH-HF were purposively selected for qualitative interviews at 4 and 12 months. Results: Compared with controls (44 caregivers), the REACH-HF group (53 caregivers) had a higher mean CC-SCHFI confidence score at 12 months (57.5 vs 62.8, adjusted mean difference: 9.3, 95% confidence interval: 1.8–16.8, p = 0.016). No significant between group differences were seen in other caregiver outcomes. Qualitative interviews showed that most caregivers who received the REACH-HF intervention made positive changes to how they supported the HF patient they were caring for, and perceived that they had increased their confidence in the caregiver role over time. Conclusion: Provision of the REACH-HF intervention for caregivers of HF patients improved their confidence of self-management and was perceived for some to be helpful in supporting their caregiver role.
Analysis and Design of a Current-Source CLCC Resonant Converter for DBD Applications

This paper presents the analysis and optimal design of a current-source four-element CLCC resonant converter used in dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) field. Mathematically, by analyzing different operating modes, the expressions that accurately describe the behavior of the converter under any load conditions are derived. In addition, the characteristic parameters are expressed as functions of inherent circuit parameters and the control variables to make the analytical results readily employed. Also, an optimal design method is developed to facilitate a decrease of the primary winding current of the transformer and a reduction of the switching frequency variation of the inverter. An 8-kW DBD power supply for the surface treatment (one of the applications of DBD) is designed using the proposed method. The simulation and experimental results are given to verify the proposed analysis and design.
SILAC Quantitative Proteomics and Biochemical Analyses Reveal a Novel Molecular Mechanism by which ADAM12S Promotes the Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells through Upregulating Hexokinase 1.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for ~14% of total lung cancer, which is the worldwide leading cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer. Although SCLC can be treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, its five-year survival rate is still below 7%. Therefore, it is essential to discover new molecules and elucidate the underlying mechanisms modulating the tumorigenesis and metastasis of SCLC for the unmet medical needs. The secreted form of A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase 12 (ADAM12S) is highly expressed in SCLC and promotes the proliferation, migration, and invasion of SCLC cells. However, the underlying molecular mechanism is still elusive. Here, using stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC)-based quantitative proteomics, we identify 82 ADAM12S-regulated proteins in an SCLC cell line. Our proteomic and biochemical analyses discover that ADAM12S overexpression elevates while ADAM12 knockdown reduces the rate-limiting enzyme hexokinase 1 (HK1) in glycolysis. Through bioinformatic analyses, genetic manipulation, and in vitro assays, we further reveal that ADAM12S promotes the proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion through upregulating HK1. This work links ADAM12S to glucose metabolic pathways in its attribution to the tumorigenesis and metastasis of SCLC cells, and might provide valuable information for the exploration of therapeutic intervention for SCLC.
Transcriptome Analysis of Dual FXR and GPBAR1 Agonism in Rodent Model of NASH Reveals Modulation of Lipid Droplets Formation

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a progressive, chronic, liver disease whose prevalence is growing worldwide. Despite several agents being under development for treating NASH, there are no drugs currently approved. The Farnesoid-x-receptor (FXR) and the G-protein coupled bile acid receptor 1 (GPBAR1), two bile acid activated receptors, have been investigated for their potential in treating NASH. Here we report that BAR502, a steroidal dual ligand for FXR/GPBAR1, attenuates development of clinical and liver histopathology features of NASH in mice fed a high fat diet (HFD) and fructose (F). By RNAseq analysis of liver transcriptome we found that BAR502 restores FXR signaling in the liver of mice feed HFD–F, and negatively regulates a cluster of genes including Srebf1 (Srepb1c) and its target genes—fatty acid synthase (Fasn) and Cell death-inducing DFF45-like effector (CIDE) genes, Cidea and Cidec—involved in lipid droplets formation and triglycerides storage in hepatocytes. Additionally, BAR502 increased the intestinal expression of Fgf15 and Glp1 and energy expenditure by white adipose tissues. Finally, exposure to BAR502 reshaped the intestinal microbiota by increasing the amount of Bacteroidaceae. In conclusion, we have shown that dual FXR/GPBAR1 agonism might have utility in treatment of NASH.
A N A NALYSIS ON THE P ERFORMANCE OF N AIVE B AYES P ROBABILISTIC M ODEL B ASED C LASSIFIER FOR C ARDIOTOCOGRAM D ATA

Fetal heart rate (FHR) and uterine contractions (UC) are simultaneously recorded by Cardiotocography (CTG). The CTG, which is one of the most common diagnostic techniques used to evaluate maternal and fetal well-being during pregnancy and before delivery. By observing the Cardiotocography trace patterns doctors can understand the state of the fetus. There are several signal processing and computer programming based techniques for interpreting a typical Cardiotocography data. Even few decades after the introduction of cardiotocography into clinical practice, the predictive capacity of these methods remains controversial and still inaccurate. In this paper, we evaluate machine learning based Naine Bayes probabilistic model based classifier for their suitability towards classifying CTG data. We used Precision, Recall and F-Score as the metric to evaluate the performance. In previous works such as [1], the overall Precision, Recall and F-Score were only considered. But in this evaluation, we are going to measure class wise Precision, Recall and F-Score to make the analysis very specific. They arrived results prove that, even though the traditional clustering methods can identify the Normal CTG patterns, they were incapable of Suspicious and Pathologic patterns. This fact was not highlighted in [1].
The pathways from parental and neighbourhood socioeconomic status to adolescent educational attainment: An examination of the role of cognitive ability, teacher assessment, and educational expectations

Adolescents with high educational attainment generally have better outcomes across the lifespan than adolescents with lower educational attainment. This study investigated how three measures of socioeconomic status (SES)–maternal education, paternal education, and neighbourhood SES–combined to predict adolescent educational attainment (track level at age 17). We proposed three mechanisms for this pathway: cognitive ability (at age 11), primary school teacher assessment (stating the secondary education level suitable for a child at age 11), and educational expectations (at age 14). Using the data of 2,814 Dutch adolescents from the Prevention and Incidence of Asthma and Mite Allergy (PIAMA) study, logistic regressions tested associations between SES and educational attainment. Structural equation modelling (SEM) tested mediational pathways between SES and educational attainment. In models with three SES measures, having a medium-educated mother was associated with higher educational attainment relative to having a low-educated mother (OR; 95% CI: 1.83; 1.41–2.38), and having a high-educated mother was associated with higher educational attainment relative to having a low-educated mother (OR; 95% CI: 3.44; 2.59–4.55). The odds ratios for paternal education showed a similar pattern. We found no association between neighbourhood SES and adolescent educational attainment, so neighbourhood SES was removed from further analyses. Mediational analyses revealed that cognitive ability (30.0%), teacher assessment (28.5%), and educational expectations (1.2%) explained 59.8% of the total association between parental SES and educational attainment. The results showed that mother education and father education were both important for understanding the strong association between parental SES and adolescent educational attainment. In the Netherlands, the association between parental SES and educational attainment can be largely explained by cognitive ability and teacher assessments.
Dietary intake of the citrus flavonoid hesperidin affects stress-resilience and brain kynurenine levels in a subchronic and mild social defeat stress model in mice

ABSTRACT Depressive disorders are partly caused by chronic inflammation through the kynurenine (KYN) pathway. Preventive intervention using anti-inflammatory reagents may be beneficial for alleviating the risk of depression. In this study, we focused on the Japanese local citrus plant, Citrus tumida hort. ex Tanaka (C. tumida; CT), which contains flavonoids such as hesperidin that have anti-inflammatory actions. The dietary intake of 5% immature peels of CT fruits slightly increased stress resilience in a subchronic and mild social defeat (sCSDS) model in mice. Moreover, the dietary intake of 0.1% hesperidin significantly increased stress resilience and suppressed KYN levels in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex in these mice. In addition, KYN levels in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex were significantly correlated with the susceptibility to stress. In conclusion, these results suggest that dietary hesperidin increases stress resilience by suppressing the augmentation of KYN signaling under sCSDS. Graphical abstract Dietary intake of hesperidin increased stress resilience in the subchronic and social defeat stress model of mice.
Simultaneous Clock Enhancing and Demultiplexing for 160-Gb/s OTDM Signal Using Two Bidirectionally Operated Electroabsorption Modulators

We demonstrate a technique for performing optical time-division simultaneous clock enhancing and demultiplexing using two bidirectionally operated electroabsorption modulators (EAMs). The performance of the proposed setup is verified experimentally in a 160-Gb/s 100-km transmission system. The 10-GHz clock component is enhanced before launching into the clock recovery module. The recovered 10-GHz clock signal is featured with low timing jitter ( <;300 fs) and error-free transmission is achieved with the power penalty of ~ 0.9 dB. The proposed setup has merits of simultaneously enhancing base clock component and demultiplexing.
Comparison of support vector machine and support vector regression: An application to predict financial distress and bankruptcy

Lately, many notorious financial distress and bankruptcy events occurred in the world economic. As we known, bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (LEH) is the largest bankruptcy filing in U.S. history in 2008. These events have serious impacted on the socio-economic and investment in public wealth. Due to solve this dilemma, this research collected 68 listed companies as the raw data from Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation (TSEC). The support vector machine (SVM) and support vector regression (SVR) techniques were used to implement the financial distress prediction model. Moreover, we adopted a total of 22 ratios which composed of 13 financial ratios and 9 macroeconomic indexes to be the input variables for these models. Finally, the experiments obtained the accuracy rate, Type II error rate and RMSE (root mean squared error) of these classification methods for the financial distress and bankruptcy prediction.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry

In the present study, we aimed to test the protectiveness of the bioavailability‐normalization procedure, with its associated hazardous concentrations for x% of the species (HCx), that is currently implemented to derive environmental threshold concentrations for nickel (Ni) in European environmental legislative frameworks. We exposed a natural plankton‐ dominated community to 3 constant Ni concentrations, that is, a control with no Ni added (background Ni of 1.2–4 μg/L) and the bioavailability‐normalized HC5 and HC50 of 24 and 97 μg dissolved Ni/L, respectively, during a 56‐d microcosm experiment under high dissolved organic carbon (DOC) conditions (DOC of 14 mg/L at test initiation). The effects of the bioavailability‐normalized HC5 and HC50 values were evaluated at the levels of community structure (community composition and plankton group abundances), community functioning (measured as indirect physicochemical proxies for overnight respiration and carbon fluxes), and individual species abundances. The bioavailability‐normalized HC50 treatment had clear effects (defined as effects occurring on at least 2 consecutive sampling days) on both the structure and functioning of the investigated aquatic community. Through its effect on community functioning (i.e., reduced pH and DOC), Ni also influenced its own bioavailability. Clear direct effects of Ni were observed for only 3 species (the CyanobacteriaOscillatoria sp. 1 and the rotifers Asplanchna/Testidunela sp. and Trichocerca group similis). Most other effects occurring in the plankton community in the HC50 treatment were indirect and likely driven by the direct effect of Ni on the Cyanobacteria Oscillatoria sp. 1, which was the dominant phytoplankton species in the control microcosms. In contrast, the bioavailability‐normalized HC5 did not induce clear effects on community structure and functioning endpoints: these were only affected on individual sampling days. Clear (direct) effects were observed for only 2 plankton species (the rotifer Trichocerca group similis and the CyanobacteriaOscillatoria sp. 1), but their abundances recovered to control levels at the end of the study. In addition, a few species (1 phytoplankton and 3 zooplankton species) were affected in the HC5 treatment only on the last sampling day. It is uncertain whether these species would have shown clear effects over a longer exposure duration. Thus, our study shows that the bioavailability‐normalized HC5 of Ni at high DOC induced clear effects on a few individual species. However, the overall conclusion is that the bioavailability‐normalized HC5 of Ni as derived through the procedure that is currently implemented in European legislative frameworks protects against clear effects on community structure and function. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:1923–1939. © 2019 SETAC
High levels of depression and anxiety among Croatian medical and nursing students and the correlation between subjective happiness and personality traits

Abstract High levels of stress, anxiety, and depression are commonly reported among medical students. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms among medical and nursing students at the University of Osijek, Croatia and their relation to subjective happiness and personality traits. This cross-sectional study included a total of 562 students. To assess the levels of depression and anxiety, the PHQ-9 (The Patient Health Questionnaire), GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder), SHS (Subjective Happiness Scale), and IPIP Big-5 questionnaires were used. A very high prevalence of both anxiety (54.5%) and depressive (60.2%) symptoms was found among medical and nursing students. Subjective happiness most strongly correlated with emotional stability and extraversion, also emotional stability correlated negatively with anxiety and depression. Nursing students scored higher on subjective happiness and in the domain of conscientiousness, but lower on depression. The differences in depression and anxiety could not be attributed to personality traits. Although the reported symptoms were mostly mild in intensity, we believe that this represents a significant public mental health concern. Appropriate measures should be taken to motivate students to seek help for their symptoms and to increase the availability of mental health services for students.
Efficacy and safety of pioglitazone for treatment of plaque psoriasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Abstract Background: A growing number of studies have shown that thiazolidinediones (TZD) can be antipsoriatic. Pioglitazone is a representative of the class of antidiabetic drugs known as TZD. TZD can activate nuclear peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR)-c. PPARs are expressed on epidermal keratinocytes and exert their effects by promoting the terminal differentiation of keratinocytes, inhibiting epidermal growth, and reducing inflammatory responses. These observations suggest that TZD have potential benefits in the treatment of cutaneous and metabolic pathologies associated with psoriasis. Objective: A systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of combined pioglitazone treatment. We point out three controversial side effects from administration of pioglitazone in psoriasis: elevated liver enzymes, weight gain, and nausea. Study selection: Randomized, single blind, or double blind, published studies of pioglitazone compared with placebo given to patients with plaque psoriasis for 10 weeks or 12 weeks were considered for inclusion in this review. The primary outcomes were 75% or greater improvement in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score from baseline (PASI 75) with pioglitazone. Data collection and analysis: The systematic literature search was conducted in the PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases from inception up to December 20 2018. Data analysis was done using Revman 5.3 Haymarket, London, United Kingdom. Main results: We included six studies (three publications of pioglitazone only; three publications of pioglitazone combination therapy) comprising a total of 294 patients (n = 149 with pioglitazone only and n = 145 with pioglitazone combination therapy) in the analysis. There was a significant PASI 75 response, in the pioglitazone only subgroup as compared to placebo (OR = 8.74, 95% CI 3.76–20.31, p < .00001), and the pioglitazone combination subgroup as compared to placebo (OR = 4.64, 95% CI 2.03–10.60, p < .00001), others, the total of pioglitazone as compared to placebo (OR = 6.37, 95% CI 3.55–11.43, p < .00001), and tests of subgroup differences show: p = . 29, I2 = 9.5%. The incidence rate of elevated liver enzymes (OR = 3.70, 95% CI 0.56–24.31, p = .99), weight gain (OR = 1.44, 95% CI 0.60–3.47, p = .41), and nausea (OR = 0.76, 95% CI 0.23–2.49, p = .65) were not significantly different compared with the control group. Conclusion: Pioglitazone has efficacy for the treatment of plaque psoriasis. There is no significant difference between patients treated with pioglitazone only or in combination with other therapies. The incidence rate of side effects associated with pioglitazone treatment such as elevated liver enzymes, weight gain, and nausea were not significantly different compared with the control group.
Risk Factors for Intracardiac Thrombus During Liver Transplantation

Intracardiac thrombus (ICT) is an intraoperative complication with high mortality that occurs during orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Patients with end‐stage liver disease have compromised coagulation pathways, and when combined with stressors of surgery, thrombi can form. However, it is unknown which patients are most likely to develop ICT. We performed a retrospective cohort study of all OLT patients at our hospital from 2010 to 2017 to identify risk factors for ICT. An analysis was performed with conventional bivariate tests and logistic regression. The incidence of ICT during OLT was 4.2% (22/528) with a 45.5% (10/22) mortality. Patients who developed ICT had higher physiologic Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease scores at the time of transplant (25.1 versus 32.4; P = 0.004), received grafts from donors with a higher body mass index (28.1 versus 32.2 kg/m2; P = 0.007), and had longer intraoperative warm ischemia times (53.1 versus 67.5 minutes; P = 0.001). The odds of developing ICT were significantly lower after administration of intravenous (IV) heparin prior to inferior vena cava (IVC) clamping compared with no administration of heparin (odds ratio, 0.25; 95% confidence interval, 0.08‐0.75; P = 0.01). In conclusion, the incidence of ICT at our institution is higher than previously reported, which may be explained by our routine use of transesophageal echocardiography. Although many factors associated with ICT in this study are nonmodifiable, administration of IV heparin prior to IVC cross‐clamping is modifiable and was found to be protective. Further studies will be needed to confirm findings and ultimately aid in preventing these lethal events.
Xenogeneic Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Improve Wound Healing and Modulate the Immune Response in an Extensive Burn Model

Major skin burns are difficult to treat. Patients often require special care and long-term hospitalization. Besides specific complications associated with the wounds themselves, there may be impairment of the immune system and of other organs. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are a recent therapeutic alternative to treat burns, mainly aiming to accelerate the healing process. Several MSC properties favor their use as therapeutic approach, as they promote angiogenesis, stimulate regeneration, and enhance the immunoregulatory function. Moreover, since patients with extensive burns require urgent treatment and because the expansion of autologous MSCs is a time-consuming process, in this present study we chose to evaluate the therapeutic potential of xenogeneic MSCs in the treatment of severe burns in rats. MSCs were isolated from mouse bone marrow, expanded in vitro, and intradermally injected in the periphery of burn wounds. MSC-treated rats presented higher survival rates (76.19%) than control animals treated with PBS (60.86%, p < 0.05). In addition, 60 days after the thermal injury, the MSC-treated group showed larger proportion of healed areas within the burn wounds (90.81 ± 5.05%) than the PBS-treated group (76.11 ± 3.46%, p = 0.03). We also observed that CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in spleens and in damaged skin, as well as the percentage of neutrophils in the burned area, were modulated by MSC treatment. Plasma cytokine (TGF-β, IL-10, IL-6, and CINC-1) levels were also altered in the MSC-treated rats, when compared to controls. Number of injected GFP+ MSCs progressively decreased over time, and 60 days after injection, few MSCs were still detected in the skin of treated animals. This study demonstrates the therapeutic effectiveness of intradermal application of MSCs in a rat model of deep burns, providing basis for future regenerative therapies in patients suffering from deep burn injuries.