Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Herbal Drugs and Natural Products in the light of Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine for Developing Drug Formulations.

Natural products and medicinal plants have played a vital role in providing healthcare and ensuring wellbeing for many civilisations since antiquity. It is estimated that around 50% of drugs in the market have a natural product origin especially medicinal plants and herbal drugs, animals, fungi, and marine organisms. Some of these biologically active constituents of extracts have low absorption and distribution which, as a result, leads to loss of bioavailability and efficacy and might hamper their applications in the clinic. To overcome these impediments for the formulation of herbal drugs, food supplements and essential oils, several nanomedical approaches such as liposomes, microemulsions, polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), liquid crystal systems (LC), and precursor systems for liquid crystals (PSLCs) have been proposed. Nanoparticles have been used to modify and ameliorate the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of different drugs, thus incorporating biotechnological systems may be useful to enhance the bioavailability and bioactivity of herbal drug formulations. Consequently, essential for any natural compounds is the extent of its absorption after being ingested and its ability to be distributed in various tissues or organs of the body. The present review article aims to give an overview regarding the recent advancements in developing herbal drug formulations based on nanoparticle technologies.
Host range of the defoliator Strepsicrates sp. is too broad for biological control of the invasive weed Rhodomyrtus tomentosa

ABSTRACT In its native range the invasive weed, Rhodomyrtus tomentosa is host to a suite of herbivores. One, Strepsicrates sp. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), was collected in China in 2014, introduced under quarantine in Florida, USA, and tested against related species to determine its host range and suitability for biological control. In no-choice tests, neonates fed and completed development to the pupal stage on several species of Myrtaceae, including the target weed R. tomentosa, the exotics Melaleuca quinquenervia, and Eucalyptus camaldulensis, and three native species, Eugenia axillaris, Mosiera longipes and Morella cerifera (Myricaceae). Due to the broad host range exhibited in quarantine testing, this species will not be pursued as a biological control agent of R. tomentosa.
Patient Portal Barriers and Group Differences: Cross-Sectional National Survey Study

Background Past studies examining barriers to patient portal adoption have been conducted with a small number of patients and health care settings, limiting generalizability. Objective This study had the following two objectives: (1) to assess the prevalence of barriers to patient portal adoption among nonadopters and (2) to examine the association between nonadopter characteristics and reported barriers in a nationally representative sample. Methods Data from this study were obtained from the 2019 Health Information National Trends Survey. We calculated descriptive statistics to determine the most prevalent barriers and conducted multiple variable logistic regression analysis to examine which characteristics were associated with the reported barriers. Results The sample included 4815 individuals. Among these, 2828 individuals (58.73%) had not adopted a patient portal. Among the nonadopters (n=2828), the most prevalent barriers were patient preference for in-person communication (1810/2828, 64.00%), no perceived need for the patient portal (1385/2828, 48.97%), and lack of comfort and experience with computers (735/2828, 25.99%). Less commonly, individuals reported having no patient portal (650/2828, 22.98%), no internet access (650/2828, 22.98%), privacy concerns (594/2828, 21.00%), difficulty logging on (537/2828, 18.99%), and multiple patient portals (255/2828, 9.02%) as barriers. Men had significantly lower odds of indicating a preference for speaking directly to a provider compared with women (odds ratio [OR] 0.75, 95% CI 0.60-0.94; P=.01). Older age (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00-1.02; P<.001), having a chronic condition (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.44-2.33; P<.001), and having an income lower than US $20,000 (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.11-2.34; P=.01) were positively associated with indicating a preference for speaking directly to a provider. Hispanic individuals had significantly higher odds of indicating that they had no need for a patient portal (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.24-2.05; P<.001) compared with non-Hispanic individuals. Older individuals (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.04-1.06; P<.001), individuals with less than a high school diploma (OR 3.15, 95% CI 1.79-5.53; P<.001), and individuals with a household income of less than US $20,000 (OR 2.78, 95% CI 1.88-4.11; P<.001) had significantly higher odds of indicating that they were uncomfortable with a computer. Conclusions The most common barriers to patient portal adoption are preference for in-person communication, not having a need for the patient portal, and feeling uncomfortable with computers, which are barriers that are modifiable and can be intervened upon. Patient characteristics can help predict which patients are most likely to experience certain barriers to patient portal adoption. Further research is needed to tailor implementation approaches based on patients’ needs and preferences.
Association of Age at Myopia Onset With Risk of High Myopia in Adulthood in a 12-Year Follow-up of a Chinese Cohort.

Importance Early-onset myopia is well known to progress to high myopia in adulthood. However, no accurate estimation of how a specific age at myopia onset is associated with the probability of developing high myopia in adulthood is available, and a very-long-term follow-up study with data from annual visits is needed. Objective To estimate the risk of developing high myopia in adulthood associated with a specific age at myopia onset from a data set with a 12-year annual follow-up. Design, Setting, and Participants This ongoing, population-based prospective cohort study of twins was conducted in Guangzhou, China, on July 11, 2006. Data from baseline to August 31, 2018, were analyzed. The first-born twins completed follow-up until 17 years or older, and the 443 participants (after exclusions) who developed myopia were included in the analysis. Data were analyzed from September 1, 2018, to January 20, 2020. Main Outcomes and Measures Age at myopia onset was determined by prospective annual cycloplegic refractions (365 participants [82.4%]) or with a questionnaire. Refraction in adulthood was defined as the cycloplegic refraction measured at the last follow-up visit. Results Among the 443 eligible participants (247 [55.8%] female; mean [SD] age at myopia onset, 11.7 [2.0] years), 54 (12.2%) developed high myopia (spherical equivalent, -6.00 diopters or worse determined by cycloplegic refractions) in adulthood. Among participants with age at myopia onset of 7 or 8 years, 14 of 26 (53.9%; 95% CI, 33.4%-73.4%) developed high myopia in adulthood; among those with onset at 9 years of age, 12 of 37 (32.4%; 95% CI, 18.0%-49.8%); among those with onset at 10 years of age, 14 of 72 (19.4%; 95% CI, 11.1%-30.5%); among those with onset at 11 years of age, 11 of 78 (14.1%; 95% CI, 7.3%-23.8%); and among those with onset at 12 years or older, 3 of 230 (1.3%; 95% CI, 0.2%-3.8%). Results of multivariate logistic regression analysis suggested that the risk of developing high myopia in adulthood decreased significantly with delay in the age at myopia onset (odds ratio, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.36-0.55; P < .001), from greater than 50% for 7 or 8 years of age to approximately 30% for 9 years of age and 20% for 10 years of age. Conclusions and Relevance These findings suggest that the risk of high myopia is relatively high in children with myopia onset during the early school ages. Each year of delay in the age at onset substantially reduces the chance of developing high myopia in adulthood, highlighting the importance of identifying effective prevention strategies under investigation, such as increasing outdoor time.
An insight into osteoarthritis susceptibility: Integration of immunological and genetic background

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive degenerative disease that affects all synovial joints, causing the disability of the main locomotor diarthrodial joints. OA pathogenesis is caused by a complex interplay between a number of genetic and environmental risk factors, involved in the early onset and progression of this chronic inflammatory joint disease. Uncovering the underlying immunological and genetic mechanisms will enable an insight into OA pathophysiology and lead to novel and integrative approaches in the treatment of OA patients, together with a reduction of the disease risk, or a delay of its onset in susceptible patients.
Insurance coverage, stage at diagnosis, and time to treatment following dependent coverage and Medicaid expansion for men with testicular cancer

Introduction We sought to assess the impact of Affordable Care Act Dependent Care Expansion (ACA-DCE), which allowed dependent coverage for adults aged 19–25, and Medicaid expansion on outcomes for men with testicular cancer. Methods Using a US-based cancer registry, we performed adjusted difference-in-difference (DID) analyses comparing outcomes between men aged 19–25 (n = 8,026) and 26–64 (n = 33,303) pre- (2007–2009) and post-ACA-DCE (2011–2016) and between men in states that expanded Medicaid (n = 2,296) to men in those that did not (n = 2,265)pre- (2011–2013) and post-Medicaid expansion (2015–2016). Results In ACA-DCE analysis, rates of uninsurance decreased (DID -5.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] -7.23 to -4.04%, p<0.001) among patients aged 19–25 relative to older patients aged 26–64. There was no significant DID in advanced stage at diagnosis (stage≥II; p = 0.6) or orchiectomy more than 14 days after diagnosis (p = 0.6). For patients who received chemotherapy or radiotherapy as their first course of treatment, treatment greater than 60 days after diagnosis decreased (DID -4.84%, 95% CI -8.22 to -1.45%, p = 0.005) among patients aged 19–25 relative to patients aged 26–64. In Medicaid expansion states, rates of uninsurance decreased (DID -4.20%, 95% CI -7.67 to -0.73%, p = 0.018) while patients receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy greater than 60 days after diagnosis decreased (DID -8.76, 95% CI -17.13 to -0.38%, p = 0.040) compared to rates in non-expansion states. No significant DIDs were seen for stage (p = 0.8) or time to orchiectomy (p = 0.1). Conclusions Men with testicular cancer had lower uninsurance rates and decreased time to delivery of chemotherapy or radiotherapy following ACA-DCE and Medicaid expansions. Time to orchiectomy and stage at diagnosis did not change following either insurance expansion.
VARIOUS METHODS OF MEASURING SHELL QUALITY IN RELATION TO PERCENTAGE OF CRACKED EGGS

Abstract An experiment was conducted to study the relationships among percentage of cracked eggs and percentage shell, shell weight per unit surface area (SWUSA), specific gravity, egg weight, or shell weight. A total of 2,325 eggs were collected from four different flocks of Hy-Line® W36 hens. Eggs were weighed, and specific gravity was measured by flotation method using increments of . 001. The eggs were passed across a small grading machine three times to apply stress to the shells. Then the eggs were candled, broken out, and shell with membranes weighed. Correlation coefficients and simple and multiple regression equations were calculated. Highly negative correlations were found between percentage of cracked eggs and percentage of shell, SWUSA, specific gravity, and shell weight. However, a positive correlation was found between percentage of cracked eggs and egg weight. Because of the errors involved in specific gravity determination, percentage shell or SWUSA is more accurate.
Using UMLS for electronic health data standardization and database design

OBJECTIVE Patients that undergo medical transfer represent 1 patient population that remains infrequently studied due to challenges in aggregating data across multiple domains and sources that are necessary to capture the entire episode of patient care. To facilitate access to and secondary use of transport patient data, we developed the Transport Data Repository that combines data from 3 separate domains and many sources within our health system. METHODS The repository is a relational database anchored by the Unified Medical Language System unique concept identifiers to integrate, map, and standardize the data into a common data model. Primary data domains included sending and receiving hospital encounters, medical transport record, and custom hospital transport log data. A 4-step mapping process was developed: 1) automatic source code match, 2) exact text match, 3) fuzzy matching, and 4) manual matching. RESULTS 431 090 total mappings were generated in the Transport Data Repository, consisting of 69 010 unique concepts with 77% of the data being mapped automatically. Transport Source Data yielded significantly lower mapping results with only 8% of data entities automatically mapped and a significant amount (43%) remaining unmapped. DISCUSSION The multistep mapping process resulted in a majority of data been automatically mapped. Poor matching of transport medical record data is due to the third-party vendor data being generated and stored in a nonstandardized format. CONCLUSION The multistep mapping process developed and implemented is necessary to normalize electronic health data from multiple domains and sources into a common data model to support secondary use of data.
The Efficacy of the Novel TSPO Ligands 2-Cl-MGV-1 and 2,4-Di-Cl-MGV-1 Compared to the Classical TSPO Ligand PK 11195 to Counteract the Release of Chemokines from LPS-Stimulated BV-2 Microglial Cells

The impact of ligands of the 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO) on the release of chemokines is not vastly investigated. In the present study, we assessed the effect of our novel TSPO ligands 2-Cl-MGV-1 and 2,4-Di-Cl-MGV-1 compared to the classical TSPO ligand PK 11195 on chemokine release in LPS-stimulated BV-2 microglial cells. As per the effect of 2-Cl-MGV-1, CCL2, CCL3, and CCL5 were inhibited by 90%, CCL8 by 97%, and IL-2 by 77% (p < 0.05 for all). 2,4-Di-Cl-MGV-1 inhibited CCL2 release by 92%, CCL3 by 91%, CCL5 by 90%, CCL8 by 89%, and IL-2 by 80% (p < 0.05 for all). PK 11195 exhibited weaker inhibitory effects: CCL2 by 22%, CCL3 by 83%, CCL5 by 34%, CCL8 by 41%, and the cytokine IL-2 by 14% (p < 0.05 for all). Thus, it appears that the novel TSPO ligands are potent suppressors of LPS-stimulated BV-2 microglial cells, and their inhibitory effect is larger than that of PK 11195. Such immunomodulatory effects on microglial cells may be relevant to the treatment of neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory diseases.
Spectral–Temporal Receptive Field-Based Descriptors and Hierarchical Cascade Deep Belief Network for Guitar Playing Technique Classification

Music information retrieval is of great interest in audio signal processing. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the playing techniques of musical instruments. This work proposes an automatic system for classifying guitar playing techniques (GPTs). Automatic classification for GPTs is challenging because some playing techniques differ only slightly from others. This work presents a new framework for GPT classification: it uses a new feature extraction method based on spectral–temporal receptive fields (STRFs) to extract features from guitar sounds. This work applies a supervised deep learning approach to classify GPTs. Specifically, a new deep learning model, called the hierarchical cascade deep belief network (HCDBN), is proposed to perform automatic GPT classification. Several simulations were performed and the datasets of: 1) data on onsets of signals; 2) complete audio signals; and 3) audio signals in a real-world environment are adopted to compare the performance. The proposed system improves upon the F-score by approximately 11.47% in setup 1) and yields an F-score of 96.82% in setup 2). The results in setup 3) demonstrate that the proposed system also works well in a real-world environment. These results show that the proposed system is robust and has very high accuracy in automatic GPT classification.
Pharmacological Treatment for Comorbid Bipolar Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Adults

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Comorbidity between bipolar disorder (BD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is fairly common, and the treatment of these conditions when comorbid is challenging. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors, the first option for treatment of OCD, can worsen BD symptoms, and mood stabilizers are generally not efficacious for OCD. Our goal in this article is to assess the clinical effectiveness of pharmacotherapies for comorbid BD-OCD in adults. We searched the Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases on April 30, 2017, and we also searched the reference lists of identified articles. Studies published beginning January 1, 2007 were included, without language restrictions. Narrative and systematic reviews, letters to the editor, and book chapters were excluded. Two authors independently assessed the quality of the studies and extracted data. Seven studies met our inclusion criteria. Findings from double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials were pooled for analysis. Findings from this pooled analysis indicated that augmentation of mood-stabilizer treatment with glutamate modulator agents (topiramate or memantine) may favor full response of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (risk ratio: 2.62, 95% confidence interval: 1.45-4.74) in patients with BD type I and OCD in the manic phase, and that it does not significantly induce adverse effects (risk ratio: 1.26, 95% confidence interval: 0.53-3.01). Results of a narrative synthesis of observational studies indicated greater efficacy of mood-stabilizer treatment, with serotonin reuptake inhibitors less used. Findings from studies employing different designs were not compared, and our results should be interpreted cautiously.
Phylogenetic Relationship among 18 Passerines Based on Mitochondrial Cytochrome b Gene Sequences

In the present study,the molecular systematic relationship among 18 passerines was studied based on sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome b genes.The phylogenetic trees of 18 passerines were made by neighbor joining (NJ) and maximum likelihood (ML) methods.The sequence difference among fringillids and emberizids made them independent and was categorized into different families,but not subfamilies.The Long-tailed Tits could be independent of Paridae and be categorized into Aegithalidae.Leaf Warbler could be categorized into Phylloscopinae and Buth Warbler was categorized into Acrocephalinae.There was a relatively constant molecular clock in the evolution of cyt b gene.Under the assumption of a “standard” molecular clock of 1.6% sequence divergence per million year for mtDNA genes on average,a inter-familiar divergence time was expected to be 10.5 million years and the intra-familiar divergence time was expected to be 9.0 million years.
Reproducibility of the Neurocardiovascular Responses to Common Laboratory-Based Sympathoexcitatory Stimuli in Young Adults.

The magnitude of blood pressure (BP) and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) responses to laboratory stressors is commonly used to compare neurocardiovascular responsiveness between groups and conditions. However, no studies have rigorously examined the reproducibility of BP and MSNA responsiveness. Here, we assess the within-visit reproducibility of BP (finger photoplethysmography) and MSNA (microneurography) responses to isometric handgrip (HG) and post-exercise ischemia (PEI) in young healthy adults (n=30). In a subset (n=21), we also examined the between-visit reproducibility of responsiveness to HG, PEI, and the cold pressor test (CPT). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used as a primary reproducibility measure (e.g., ICC >0.75 is considered very good). Within a visit, the increase in MAP during HG (ICC=0.85 [0.69-0.93]; p<0.001) and PEI (ICC=0.85 [0.69-0.93]; p<0.001) demonstrated very good reproducibility. Further, the between-visit reproducibility of the pressor response to HG (ICC=0.85 [0.62-0.94]; p<0.001), PEI (ICC=0.84 [CI=0.58-0.94]; p<0.001), and the CPT (ICC=0.89 [0.72-0.95] p<0.001) were also very good. However, there was greater variability in both the within- (HG: ICC=0.58 [-0.22-0.85], p=0.001; PEI: ICC=0.33 [-0.24-0.69], p=0.042) and between-visit reproducibility of MSNA responsiveness (HG: ICC=0.87 [0.53-0.96], p=0.001; PEI: ICC=0.24 [-0.62-0.78], p=0.27; CPT: ICC=0.77 [0.29-0.93], p=0.007). The magnitude of the BP response to several standard laboratory stimuli was very good, whereas the variability of the MSNA response to these perturbations was generally less consistent, particularly during PEI. These data provide novel insight for both study design and data interpretation when comparing neurocardiovascular responsiveness between different conditions, groups, or studies, as well as before and after interventions/treatments.
Assessment of Cerebral Collateral Flow With Single-Phase Computed Tomography Angiography–Based Multimodal Scales in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke

Objective Assessing collateral status is important in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The purpose of this study was to establish an easy and rapid method for evaluating collateral flow. Methods A total of 60 patients with AIS were enrolled. The patients were aged 18 to 85 years with endovascular therapy treatment within 10 hours after the appearance of stroke symptoms, prestroke modified Rankin Scale ≤1, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score ≥6, and the occlusion of large vessels in anterior circulation. We reformed imaging strategies by conducting a small-dose group-injection test before normal computed tomography angiography (CTA) scanning and selected the visual collateral score and the regional leptomeningeal score scales as the single-phase CTA collateral flow assessment scales with the replacement of the parasagittal anterior cerebral artery territory by anterior cerebral artery regions adjacent to the longitudinal fissure and then verified, respectively, the consistencies between the 2 single-phase CTA-based collateral scales and the digital subtraction angiography (DSA)–based American Society of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology/Society of Interventional Radiology scale and compared the prognosis of endovascular therapy between the AIS patients in the poor-collateral-flow group and the other patients' group assessed by 2 single-phase CTA-based collateral scales. Results There was a high consistency between the 2 single-phase CTA-based collateral flow scales with DSA-based American Society of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology/Society of Interventional Radiology scale. The assessment by using CTA-based collateral flow assessment methods generated consistent results. Conclusion The single-phase CTA-based visual collateral score scale and regional leptomeningeal score scale can be used as the imaging evidence for the evaluation of collateral flow in AIS patients in the majority of grassroots hospitals where DSA is difficult to carry out.