Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cycling or swap biologics and small molecules in psoriatic arthritis

Abstract During the last years there has been an increasing availability of drugs (biologics and small molecules) with different mechanisms of action (MoA) in psoriatic arthritis (PsA). New issues about treatment strategies have arisen. The main aim of this study is to verify if there is a difference in terms of clinical efficacy (i.e. retention rate) between cycling (i.e. treating patients with the same MoA after the failure of the previous one) or swap (i.e choosing drugs with a MoA different from the failed previous one) strategies in PsA. In this mono-centric medical records review study, PsA patients treated with biologics, apremilast or tofacitinib were enrolled. Every prescription was clustered in three groups: cycling (CG), swap (SG) or first line group (1LG). Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox test estimated and compared drugs’ retention rate in CG, SG and 1LG. P < . 05 was considered statistically significant. One hundred eighty-three PsA patients were enrolled (9967 patient-months). In CG and 1LG the more prescribed drugs were tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (respectively 99% and 89%), in SG interleukin 17 inhibitor (60%). There were no differences in terms of sex, age, disease duration, and retention rate between CG and SG. The 18-months retention rate of 1LG, SG and CG was 77%, 60%, and 51% respectively. The CG retention rate was lower than in 1LG (P = .03). The findings of this study suggest that in PsA the swap strategy gives no remarkable advantage compared to cycling. However, patients undergoing swap strategy may experience the same failure rate observed in naives.
Evaluation of a deep learning-based computer-aided detection algorithm on chest radiographs

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text Abstract Along with recent developments in deep learning techniques, computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) has been growing rapidly in the medical imaging field. In this work, we evaluate the deep learning-based CAD algorithm (DCAD) for detecting and localizing 3 major thoracic abnormalities visible on chest radiographs (CR) and to compare the performance of physicians with and without the assistance of the algorithm. A subset of 244 subjects (60% abnormal CRs) was evaluated. Abnormal findings included mass/nodules (55%), consolidation (21%), and pneumothorax (24%). Observer performance tests were conducted to assess whether the performance of physicians could be enhanced with the algorithm. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) and the area under the jackknife alternative free-response ROC (JAFROC) were measured to evaluate the performance of the algorithm and physicians in image classification and lesion detection, respectively. The AUCs for nodule/mass, consolidation, and pneumothorax were 0.9883, 1.000, and 0.9997, respectively. For the image classification, the overall AUC of the pooled physicians was 0.8679 without DCAD and 0.9112 with DCAD. Regarding lesion detection, the pooled observers exhibited a weighted JAFROC figure of merit (FOM) of 0.8426 without DCAD and 0.9112 with DCAD. DCAD for CRs could enhance physicians’ performance in the detection of 3 major thoracic abnormalities.
Exploring the effectiveness of a digital voice assistant to maintain driver alertness in partially automated vehicles

Abstract Objective Vehicle automation shifts the driver's role from active operator to passive observer at the potential cost of degrading their alertness. This study investigated the role of an in-vehicle voice-based assistant (VA; conversing about traffic/road environment) to counter the disengaging and fatiguing effects of automation. Method Twenty-four participants undertook two drives– with and without VA in a partially automated vehicle. Participants were subsequently categorized into high and low participation groups (based on their proportion of vocal exchanges with VA). The effectiveness of VA was assessed based on driver alertness measured using Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS), eye-based sleepiness indicators and glance behavior, NASA-TLX workload rating and time to gain motor readiness in response to take-over request and performance rating made by the drivers. Results Paired samples t-tests comparison of alertness measures across the two drives were conducted. Lower KSS rating, larger pupil diameter, higher glances (rear-mirror, roadside vehicles and signals in the drive with VA) and higher feedback ratings of VA indicated the efficiency of VA in improving driver alertness during automation. However, there was no significant difference in alertness or glance behavior between the driver groups (high and low-PR), although the time to resume steering control was significantly lower in the higher engagement group. Conclusion The study successfully demonstrated the advantages of using a voice assistant (VA) to counter these effects of passive fatigue, for example, by reducing the time to gain motor-readiness following a TOR. The findings show that despite the low engagement in spoken conversation, active listening also positively influenced driver alertness and awareness during the drive in an automated vehicle.
Neuromuscular junction instability and altered intracellular calcium handling as early determinants of force loss during unloading in humans

Few days of unloading are sufficient to induce a decline of skeletal muscle mass and function; notably, contractile force is lost at a faster rate than muscle mass. The reasons behind this disproportionate loss of muscle force are still poorly understood. We provide strong evidence of two mechanisms only hypothesized until now for the rapid muscle force loss in only 10 days of bed rest. Our results show that an initial neuromuscular junction instability, accompanied by alterations in the innervation status and impairment of single fibre sarcoplasmic reticulum function contribute to the loss of contractile force in front of a preserved myofibrillar function and central activation capacity. Early onset of neuromuscular junction instability and impairment in calcium dynamics involved in excitation–contraction coupling are proposed as eligible determinants to the greater decline in muscle force than in muscle size during unloading.
The Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based-Stress-Reduction for Military Cadets on Perceived Stress

This study aimed to develop a program of mindfulness-based stress reduction for military cadets (MBSR-MC). On the basis of a pretest–posttest design, participants were assigned to either a control or an experimental group to examine the effectiveness of MBSR-MC. First, 60 volunteering cadets of National Defense University were randomly assigned to the MBSR-MC group (n = 30) and the control group (n = 30). In the pretest, all participants were required to complete the Taiwanese version of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (T-FFMQ) and a perceived stress scale (PSS). Subsequently, the MBSR-MC group participated in the 8-week MBSR-MC program, whereas the control group did not receive any experimental treatment. One week following the completion of the program, a posttest consisted of the same questions as the pretest was conducted. Statistical analysis showed that (1) Comparing with the control group, the MBSR-MC group showed superior performance in three subscales of T-FFMQ, namely Acting with awareness, Non-judgment, and Non-reactivity. However, no significant difference was found in the remaining two facets: Observing and Describing. (2) The perceived stress score of the MBSR-MC group was significantly lower than that of the control group. Furthermore, an analysis of mediating effect showed that Acting with awareness, Non-judgment, and Non-reactivity were mediating variables of the relationship between MBSR-MC and perceived stress. The aforementioned results indicated that MBSR-MC training significantly increased military cadets’ Acting with awareness, Non-judgment, and Non-reactivity, thereby significantly reducing their perceived stress. Therefore, this study supported the effectiveness of the MBSR-MC program on perceived stress.
Trends in Mothers' Parenting Time by Education and Work From 2003 to 2017.

Scholars have been increasingly concerned about the rise in "intensive mothering" and its implications for the well-being of children and women and for inequality more broadly. These concerns, however, reflect a key assumption: that socioeconomic disparities in mothers' parenting time observed in earlier eras have continued to grow. Using the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) from 2003-2005 and 2015-2017 (n = 13,755), we test this assumption by examining whether maternal education gaps in active time spent with children have persisted across the 2000s. We pay particular attention to the continued socioeconomic bifurcation in women's access to full-time stable work, assessing whether changes in the education-related time gap are due to changes in who works and how much. We find that the gap in active childcare time between mothers with a college degree and those without has closed dramatically. Although some of this narrowing was driven by declines in time among college-educated mothers, most was driven by increases among mothers with less education. These trends, however, are observed only among mothers who were not employed full-time. Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition analyses further reveal that although most of the increase in active care time among nonworking mothers with less education was attributable to behavioral change, 58% of the decline among nonworking, college-educated mothers was a result of sociodemographic compositional changes. These findings illuminate population-level trends in mothers' active parenting time, provide insights into the driving factors, and help update theories, qualitative findings, and policy considerations related to mothers' and children's well-being.
Adaptive Neural Network Fixed-Time Control Design for Bilateral Teleoperation With Time Delay

In this article, subject to time-varying delay and uncertainties in dynamics, we propose a novel adaptive fixed-time control strategy for a class of nonlinear bilateral teleoperation systems. First, an adaptive control scheme is applied to estimate the upper bound of delay, which can resolve the predicament that delay has significant impacts on the stability of bilateral teleoperation systems. Then, radial basis function neural networks (RBFNNs) are utilized for estimating uncertainties in bilateral teleoperation systems, including dynamics, operator, and environmental models. Novel adaptation laws are introduced to address systems’ uncertainties in the fixed-time convergence settings. Next, a novel adaptive fixed-time neural network control scheme is proposed. Based on the Lyapunov stability theory, the bilateral teleoperation systems are proved to be stable in fixed time. Finally, simulations and experiments are presented to verify the validity of the control algorithm.
Structural adaption of the nasal conchae of Eurasian common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus chloropus, Linnaeus, 1758)—Histomorphological study

In the current study, the nasal conchae of the Eurasian common moorhen were grossly and histologically examined for 20 healthy adult birds. Rostral (RC), middle (MC), and caudal (CC) conchae in each side of the nasal cavity were observed. The anatomical cross sections revealed that, the RC was noncurved in its rostral and middle parts, and one half turn in its caudal part. The MC was one half turn in its rostral part, one turn in its middle part, and one and one half turns in its caudal part. The CC was like a pouch from the lateral wall of the nasal cavity. Histologically, the distribution of the mucous glands was different among the three conchae; In RC, the ducts of these glands were intraepithelial, while the acini were located in the propria–submucosa toward the convex surface of the concha and absent toward its concave surface. In MC, they were intraepithelial and opened directly on the surface epithelium of the convex and concave surfaces. In CC, they were intraepithelial in few number near the convex surface of the concha and with abundant number in the propria–submucosa and absent near the concave surface. The RC was richer in the vascularity than the other two conchae. The nasal conchae were functioning for conditioning of the inspired air and entrapping the antigens presented in it.
Major cardiovascular events at 5 years in surgical versus percutaneous revascularization for left main stem disease: an updated meta-analysis.

The aim of the present study was to analyse the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events in patients undergoing either coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents for left main stem disease. Five manuscripts publishing 5-year results of 4 trials (SYNTAX, PRECOMBAT, NOBLE and EXCEL) were included. Overall meta-analysis with inclusion of the 5-year results from the EXCEL trial using the protocol definition for myocardial infarction showed that CABG is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (risk ratio = 0.74; 95% confidence interval = 0.68-0.80). When the universal definition was used to define myocardial infarction in the EXCEL trial, the analysis demonstrated a larger benefit of coronary surgery in terms of reduction in the risk of MACE (risk ratio = 0.70; 95% confidence interval = 0.63-0.76). Non-significant differences were detected in terms of risk of overall mortality, cardiac mortality or stroke. In conclusion, this meta-analysis shows that CABG significantly reduces the risk of MACE in patients with left main stem disease. The inclusion of the 5-year results of the EXCEL trial using third universal definition amplifies the benefit of CABG over percutaneous coronary intervention.
Looking back from 2020, how cannabis use and related behaviours changed in Canada.

BACKGROUND The Canadian government legalized non-medical cannabis use by adults in October 2018 to minimize associated harms and redirect profits from criminals. In October 2019, a wider array of products, including edibles, was legalized, with entry into the legal market beginning in December. DATA AND METHODS Three quarters (the first quarters of 2018 and 2019 and the fourth quarter of 2020) of the National Cannabis Survey were used to examine changes in cannabis use (overall use and daily or almost daily (DAD) use), consumption methods, products and sources. RESULTS Cannabis use in the past three months was higher in late 2020 (20.0%) than in 2019 (17.5%) and 2018 (14.0%), and this was particularly the case among: females (for whom rates rose to equal male rates for the first time), adults aged 25 and older, and some provinces. Similarly, DAD use, at 7.9% also increased. Higher percentages of Canadians reported getting at least some of their cannabis from legal sources or growing it, and fewer were relying on friends and family or illegal sources in 2020. DISCUSSION This study spans three years-from before legalization to about two years after. It provides a more complete picture of the law's impact on cannabis use and related behaviours, given the more established legal cannabis industry better equipped to compete with the black market on price, convenience and selection. Findings demonstrate that change is continuing, and, as before, some cautions and assurances remain. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cannabis use continues to be difficult to measure. Monitoring remains important, given the ever-changing provincial retail landscapes; the introduction of new products; and the pressure by the industry to remove or adjust potency limits, and allow widespread delivery, farm-gate sales and cannabis lounges.
Experimental study on hydrogen-rich gas production by co-gasification of coal and biomass in a fluidized bed

The hydrogen-rich gas production by co-gasification of coal and biomass was studied in a bench-scale fluidized bed and the effects of Equivalence Ratio(ER),steam/carbon ratio(Fs/Fc),biomass/coal ratio and biomass type were examined in the temperature range of 850℃～1050℃. The results show that the concentration of carbon dioxide and gas yield increase with the rise of ER,while the concentrations of carbon monoxide,hydrogen and methane decrease.With the increase of Fs/Fc weight ratio,the concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane increase,while those of carbon monoxide and hydrogen decrease,and the gas yield decreases following a slight increase.The concentration of carbon dioxide,hydrogen and methane increases with the increase of biomass/coal ratio,but that of carbon monoxide decreases,and the gas yield increases at first and then decreases.Coal and biomass blend can be co-gasified with as high as 50% of biomass.Among the three types of biomass used,coal/sorghum stalk gasification has the highest hydrogen concentration,and the order of gas yield for various fuels is as follows: coal/pine sawdustcoal/sorghum stalkcoal/rice strawcoal.In this experiment,the maximum volume content of hydrogen in gas and hydrogen yield can reach 37.25% and 0.54m3/kg,respectively.
Measuring optic nerve head perfusion to monitor glaucoma: a study on structure–function relationships using laser speckle flowgraphy

We aimed to describe the global and localized correlations among visual field (VF) sensitivity, optic nerve head (ONH) perfusion measured by laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG) and neural structure measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in open‐angle glaucoma (OAG) and to compare the floor effect for LSFG and OCT.
Intraspecies Transcriptional Profiling Reveals Key Regulators of Candida albicans Pathogenic Traits

Infectious fungal species are often treated uniformly despite clear evidence of genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity being widespread across strains. Identifying the genetic basis for this phenotypic diversity is extremely challenging because of the tens or hundreds of thousands of variants that may distinguish two strains. ABSTRACT The human commensal and opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida albicans displays extensive genetic and phenotypic variation across clinical isolates. Here, we performed RNA sequencing on 21 well-characterized isolates to examine how genetic variation contributes to gene expression differences and to link these differences to phenotypic traits. C. albicans adapts primarily through clonal evolution, and yet hierarchical clustering of gene expression profiles in this set of isolates did not reproduce their phylogenetic relationship. Strikingly, strain-specific gene expression was prevalent in some strain backgrounds. Association of gene expression with phenotypic data by differential analysis, linear correlation, and assembly of gene networks connected both previously characterized and novel genes with 23 C. albicans traits. Construction of de novo gene modules produced a gene atlas incorporating 67% of C. albicans genes and revealed correlations between expression modules and important phenotypes such as systemic virulence. Furthermore, targeted investigation of two modules that have novel roles in growth and filamentation supported our bioinformatic predictions. Together, these studies reveal widespread transcriptional variation across C. albicans isolates and identify genetic and epigenetic links to phenotypic variation based on coexpression network analysis. IMPORTANCE Infectious fungal species are often treated uniformly despite clear evidence of genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity being widespread across strains. Identifying the genetic basis for this phenotypic diversity is extremely challenging because of the tens or hundreds of thousands of variants that may distinguish two strains. Here, we use transcriptional profiling to determine differences in gene expression that can be linked to phenotypic variation among a set of 21 Candida albicans isolates. Analysis of this transcriptional data set uncovered clear trends in gene expression characteristics for this species and new genes and pathways that were associated with variation in pathogenic processes. Direct investigation confirmed functional predictions for a number of new regulators associated with growth and filamentation, demonstrating the utility of these approaches in linking genes to important phenotypes.
Mouvement de passage: Creating connections through movement among persons with dementia

One of the challenging consequences of dementia is the change in relationships that can co-occur with the progression of this condition. Despite this well-documented change, few arts-based interventions target the relational dimension of dementia. This study aims to explore the effects of one arts-based relational intervention: a movement program designed to foster connections within a group of persons with dementia. We used ethnographic methods—including participant observations and informal interviews—to understand the relational effects of this program conducted by two dancers and a musician. The movement sessions were video recorded, and participant movement trajectories were analyzed for different ways in which they created connections. We identified two types of connections—nonreciprocal and reciprocal—and four subtypes of connections—connection to exercise/music, connection to participant, interpersonal connection, and group connection—that participants engaged in during the movement program. Despite most participants not remembering the previous movement sessions, they experienced increasing numbers of connections over the course of the program, particularly reciprocal interpersonal connections. Participants explored new forms of moving and creatively transformed the movement structures proposed by the dancers. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of this program in augmenting connections and fostering exploration and creativity in individuals with dementia, providing a template for further developments of interventions targeting the relational dimensions of dementia. This study also highlights the potential of combining ethnographic methods and video analysis to include the perspectives of persons with dementia in research.
Realization of noncontact confocal optical microsphere imaging microscope

A novel noncontact confocal optical microsphere imaging microscope (COMIM) is proposed to achieve high contrast optical nano‐imaging at a high scanning speed. The developed setup obtains images with significantly higher contrast when compared with conventional bright‐field microsphere nano‐imaging, as well as with a commercial confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). With the image‐by‐image scanning scheme, COMIM takes only 11% time to complete a three‐dimensional (3D) scanning image than using a commercial CLSM, while still offers an outstanding resolving power for the nano‐features on the sample.