Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Populist politics and vaccine hesitancy in Western Europe: an analysis of national-level data.

BACKGROUND Parents' reluctance to vaccinate their children undermines the effectiveness of vaccination programmes in Western Europe. There is anecdotal evidence suggesting a connection between the rise of political populism and vaccine hesitancy. METHODS This paper analyses national-level data to examine the link between political populism and vaccine hesitancy in Western Europe. Political populism is operationalised as the percentage of people in a country who voted for populist parties in the 2014 European Parliament elections. Vaccine hesitancy is operationalised as the percentage of people in a country who believe that vaccines are not important, safe and effective according to data from the Vaccine Confidence Project (2015). RESULTS There is a highly significant positive association between the percentage of people in a country who voted for populist parties and who believe that vaccines are not important (R = 0.7923, P = 0.007) and effective (R = 0.7222, P = 0.0035). The percentage of people who think vaccines are unsafe just misses being significant at the 5% level (R = 0.5027, P = 0.0669). CONCLUSIONS Vaccine hesitancy and political populism are driven by similar dynamics: a profound distrust in elites and experts. It is necessary for public health scholars and actors to work to build trust with parents that are reluctant to vaccinate their children, but there are limits to this strategy. The more general popular distrust of elites and experts which informs vaccine hesitancy will be difficult to resolve unless its underlying causes-the political disenfranchisement and economic marginalisation of large parts of the Western European population-are also addressed.
A Sparse Autoencoder and Softmax Regression Based Diagnosis Method for the Attachment on the Blades of Marine Current Turbine

The development and application of marine current energy are attracting more and more attention around the world. Due to the hardness of its working environment, it is important and difficult to study the fault diagnosis of a marine current generation system. In this paper, an underwater image is chosen as the fault-diagnosing signal, after different sensors are compared. This paper proposes a diagnosis method based on the sparse autoencoder (SA) and softmax regression (SR). The SA is used to extract the features and SR is used to classify them. Images are used to monitor whether the blade is attached by benthos and to determine its corresponding degree of attachment. Compared with other methods, the experiment results show that the proposed method can diagnose the blade attachment with higher accuracy.
High incidence and prevalence of visual problems after acute stroke: An epidemiology study with implications for service delivery

Background Visual problems are an under-reported sequela following stroke. The aim of this study is to report annual incidence and point prevalence of visual problems in an acute adult stroke population and to explore feasibility of early timing of visual assessment. Methods and findings Multi-centre acute stroke unit, prospective, epidemiology study (1st July 2014 to 30th June 2015). Orthoptists reviewed all patients with assessment of visual acuity, visual fields, ocular alignment, ocular motility, visual inattention and visual perception. 1033 patients underwent visual screening at a median of 3 days (IQR 2) and full visual assessment at a median of 4 days (IQR 7) after the incident stroke: 52% men, 48% women, mean age 73 years and 87% ischaemic strokes. Excluding pre-existent eye problems, the incidence of new onset visual sequelae was 48% for all stroke admissions and 60% in stroke survivors. Three quarters 752/1033 (73%) had visual problems (point prevalence): 56% with impaired central vision, 40% eye movement abnormalities, 28% visual field loss, 27% visual inattention, 5% visual perceptual disorders. 281/1033 (27%) had normal eye exams. Conclusions Incidence and point prevalence of visual problems in acute stroke is alarmingly high, affecting over half the survivors. For most, visual screening and full visual assessment was achieved within about 5 days of stroke onset. Crucial information can thus be provided on visual status and its functional significance to the stroke team, patients and carers, enabling early intervention.
Design and In Vivo Verification of a CMOS Bone-Guided Cochlear Implant Microsystem

Objective: To develop and verify a CMOS bone-guided cochlear implant (BGCI) microsystem with electrodes placed on the bone surface of the cochlea and the outside of round window for treating high-frequency hearing loss. Methods: The BGCI microsystem consists of an external unit and an implanted unit. The external system-on-chip is designed to process acoustic signals through an acquisition circuit and an acoustic DSP processor to generate stimulation patterns and commands that are transmitted to the implanted unit through a 13.56 MHz wireless power and bidirectional data telemetry. In the wireless power telemetry, a voltage doubler/tripler (2X/3X) active rectifier is used to enhance the power conversion efficiency and generate 2 and 3 V output voltages. In the wireless data telemetry, phase-locked loop based binary phase-shift keying and load-shift keying modulators/demodulators are adopted for the downlink and uplink data through high-Q coils, respectively. The implanted chip with four-channel high-voltage-tolerant stimulator generates biphasic stimulation currents up to 800 μA. Results: Electrical tests on the fabricated BGCI microsystem have been performed to verify the chip functions. The in vivo animal tests in guinea pigs have shown the evoked third wave of electrically evoked auditory brainstem response waveforms. It is verified that auditory nerves can be successfully stimulated and acoustic hearing can be partially preserved. Conclusion and Significance: Different from traditional cochlear implants, the proposed BGCI microsystem is less invasive, preserves partially acoustic hearing, and provides an effective alternative for treating high-frequency hearing loss.
Beverage Intake and Drinking Patterns—Clues to Support Older People Living in Long-Term Care to Drink Well: DRIE and FISE Studies

Low-intake dehydration, due to insufficient beverage intake, is common in older people and associated with increased mortality and morbidity. We aimed to document the drinking patterns of older adults living in long-term care and compared patterns in those drinking well with those not drinking enough. One-hundred-and-eighty-eight people aged ≥ 65 years living in 56 UK long-term care homes were interviewed and hydration status was assessed in the Dehydration Recognition In our Elders (DRIE) study. In 22 DRIE residents, the Fluid Intake Study in our Elders (FISE) directly observed, weighed and recorded all drinks intake over 24 h. Twenty percent of DRIE participants and 18% of FISE participants had low-intake dehydration (serum osmolality > 300 mOsm/kg). Mean total drinks intake was 1787 mL/day (SD 693) in FISE participants (2033 ± 842 mL/day in men; 1748 ± 684 mL/day in women). Most drinks intake was between meals (59%, including 10% with medications). Twelve (55%) FISE participants achieved European Food Safety Authority drinks goals (3/6 men drank ≥ 2.0 L/day, 9/16 women drank ≥ 1.6 L/day). Those drinking well were offered beverages more frequently and drank more with medications and before breakfast (beverage variety did not differ). Promising strategies to support healthy drinking include offering drinks more frequently, particularly before and during breakfast and with medication.
Temsirolimus-Induced Glomerulopathy

A 58-year-old man with advanced renal cell carcinoma developed grade 3 proteinuria (8.5 g/24 h) without microscopic hematuria or renal insufficiency five days after temsirolimus infusion. Kidney biopsy revealed ischemic glomeruli and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis lesion. Proteinuria level decreased to 2.80 g per day two weeks after temsirolimus withdrawal. Clinicians should be aware to this complication.
Sulforaphane and Epigallocatechin Gallate Restore Estrogen Receptor Expression by Modulating Epigenetic Events in the Breast Cancer Cell Line MDA-MB-231: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background/Aims: Epigenetics refers to modifications in gene activity and expression without alteration at the DNA sequence. Environment and diet could influence gene expression. Diet modifications may be meaningful in preventing and treating chronic diseases, cancer included. Dietary bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols (e.g., curcumin, resveratrol, or epigallocatechin gallate [EGCG]) or isothiocyanate (e.g., sulforaphane [SFN]), can regulate histone acetylation. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effect of SFN and EGCG on breast cancer (BC) cells cultured in vitro. Methods: Due to the enormous variability observed in study protocols and the innumerable genes involved, only studies analyzing the number of apoptotic cells in the MDA-MB-231 cell line were evaluated. The effect size (ES) was computed as the ratio of means. Results: We identified 7 studies, 4 regarding the effect of 10 µM SFN on MDA-MB-231 cells (ES = 4.59, 95% confidence interval 4.05-5.20) and 3 focusing on the impact of 20 µM EGCG (ES = 2.84, 95% confidence interval 2.60-3.10). Conclusion: The findings suggest beneficial effects of dietary bioactive compounds such as SFN and EGCG and their effect on BC cells by restoring estrogen receptor gene expression, modulating epigenetic changes and events, and interfering with tumor growth rate. Publication bias limits the generalizability of the conclusions. High-quality studies are needed.
Structural effects of variation in the human clavicle.

OBJECTIVES Purported evolutionary shifts in shoulder structure have been linked to changes in hominin behavior and adaptation. Researchers use clavicle morphology to infer these shifts. However, there is a lack of empirical data underlying such predictive relationships. This study investigates how clavicle morphology affects articulated shoulder girdle and upper thorax configuration in humans. MATERIALS AND METHODS Landmarks and scalar measurements on the clavicle, scapula, and ribs 1-3 were collected from three-dimensional computed tomographic scans of living humans. Covariation between disarticulated and articulated morphology was assessed using partial least squares and regression analyses. RESULTS We found support for hypotheses linking combined dimensions of the clavicle, ribs, and scapula to resting protraction. Individuals with relatively short clavicles tend to exhibit protracted and elevated resting positions of the scapula. It is more difficult to predict superoinferior configuration, which is only minimally affected by clavicle curvature. Instead, the superoinferior position of the scapula on the thorax is governed equally by clavicle orientation and rib declination. Shoulder breadth is determined primarily by clavicle length, but orientation has a comparable effect. Therefore, reliable reconstructions of shoulder breadth can be established using clavicle length, together with consideration of orientation. Relationships between clavicle and thorax morphology are weaker. DISCUSSION Understanding the determinants of variation in human shoulder structure informs interpretation of skeletal remains. Our investigations describe how important aspects of shoulder structure can be inferred from disarticulated clavicles and we provide the attendant predictive equations. Future work on interspecific variation will improve skeletal reconstruction for more ancient hominins.
Favorable Neurocognitive Outcome with Low Tidal Volume Ventilation after Cardiac Arrest

Rationale: Neurocognitive outcome after out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is often poor, even when initial resuscitation succeeds. Lower tidal volumes (Vts) attenuate extrapulmonary organ injury in other disease states and are neuroprotective in preclinical models of critical illness. Objective: To evaluate the association between Vt and neurocognitive outcome after OHCA. Methods: We performed a propensity‐adjusted analysis of a two‐center retrospective cohort of patients experiencing OHCA who received mechanical ventilation for at least the first 48 hours of hospitalization. Vt was calculated as the time‐weighted average over the first 48 hours, in milliliters per kilogram of predicted body weight (PBW). The primary endpoint was favorable neurocognitive outcome (cerebral performance category of 1 or 2) at discharge. Measurements and Main Results: Of 256 included patients, 38% received time‐weighted average Vt greater than 8 ml/kg PBW during the first 48 hours. Lower Vt was independently associated with favorable neurocognitive outcome in propensity‐adjusted analysis (odds ratio, 1.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13‐2.28 per 1‐ml/kg PBW decrease in Vt; P = 0.008). This finding was robust to several sensitivity analyses. Lower Vt also was associated with more ventilator‐free days (&bgr; = 1.78; 95% CI, 0.39‐3.16 per 1‐ml/kg PBW decrease; P = 0.012) and shock‐free days (&bgr; = 1.31; 95% CI, 0.10‐2.51; P = 0.034). Vt was not associated with hypercapnia (P = 1.00). Although the propensity score incorporated several biologically relevant covariates, only height, weight, and admitting hospital were independent predictors of Vt less than or equal to 8 ml/kg PBW. Conclusions: Lower Vt after OHCA is independently associated with favorable neurocognitive outcome, more ventilator‐free days, and more shock‐free days. These findings suggest a role for low‐Vt ventilation after cardiac arrest.
Trends in surgical and catheter interventions for isolated congenital shunt lesions in the UK and Ireland

Objective To evaluate time trends in the use of catheter and surgical procedures, and associated survival in isolated congenital shunt lesions. Methods Nationwide, retrospective observational study of the UK National Congenital Heart Disease Audit database from 2000 to 2016. Patients undergoing surgical or catheter procedures for atrial septal defect (including sinus venosus defect), patent foramen ovale, ventricular septal defect and patent arterial duct were included. Temporal changes in the frequency of procedures, and survival at 30 days and 1 year were determined. Results 40 911 procedures were performed, 16 604 surgical operations and 24 307 catheter-based interventions. Transcatheter procedures increased over time, overtaking surgical repair in 2003–2004, while the number of operations remained stable. Trends in interventions differed according to defect type and patient age. Catheter closure of atrial septal defects is now more common in children and adults, although surgical interventions have also increased. Patent foramen ovale closure in adults peaked in 2009–2010 before falling significantly since. Surgery remains the mainstay for ventricular septal defect in infants and children. Duct ligation is most common in neonates and infants, while transcatheter intervention is predominant in older children. Excluding duct ligation, survival following surgery was 99.4% and ≈98.7%, and following catheter interventions was 99.7% and ≈99.2%, at 30 days and 1 year, respectively. Conclusions Trends in catheter and surgical techniques for isolated congenital shunt lesions plot the evolution of the specialty over the last 16 years, reflecting changes in clinical guidelines, technology, expertise and reimbursement, with distinct patterns according to lesion and patient age.
Current state of knowledge in Chorea-Acanthocytosis as core entity of Neuroacanthocytosis syndromes

Neuroacanthocytosis (NA) syndromes are a group of r are diseases characterized by neurological disorders and misshaped spiky red bloo d cells (acanthocytes) including ChoreaAcanthocytosis (ChAc), McLeod syndrome (MLS), Huntington’s disease-like 2 (HDL 2), pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneratio n (PKAN), abetaand hypobetalipoproteinaemia and aceruloplasminemia. Th is clinical and genetically heterogeneous group of diseases share main clinical features presenting most often as a hyperkinetic movement disorder. Even though these a re long noted disease conditions, we still know only little on the underlying disease me chanisms. The current review focuses upon ChAc as the core en tity of NA syndromes caused by mutations in the VPS13A gene. The support of pati ent organizations and the ERA-NET initiative yielded to different multidisciplinary e fforts with significant progress on our understanding of ChAc. By this, disturbances in two pathways are currently considered to be significantly invovled in the pathophysiology of Ch Ac, namely elevated Lyn kinase phosphorylation and decreased signaling via Phospho inositide 3-kinase (PI3K). These recent developments may reveal potential drugable targets for causative therapies of ChAc.
Expert Systems With Applications

Content-based travel recommender systems suggest touristic attractions based on a best match between users’ preferences and a given set of points of interests, called POIs for short. When designing such systems, a critical aspect is to equip them with a rich enough knowledge base that, for each POI, indicates how much the POI is relevant for a set of possible topics of interests, also called TOIs for short. This paper focuses on the problem of designing the Content Analyzer of a content-based travel recommender system. The Content Analyzer is a module that receives as input a set of POIs and a set of TOIs and it computes the relevance of each POI with respect to each TOI. The proposed approach is unsupervised, fully automatic, and it relies on publicly available sources of information. We describe an implementation of the technique in a system called Cicero and present an experimental evaluation of its effectiveness against a ground truth generated by experts.
Short bowel syndrome in children and adults: from rehabilitation to transplantation

ABSTRACT Introduction: Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is a dramatic clinical condition in both children and adults; the residual bowel length is not sufficient to avoid intestinal failure, with subsequent malnutrition and growth retardation, and intravenous support is required to provide the nutrients normally coming from the intestine. Apart from the primary disease, the medical status can be worsened by complications of intestinal failure: if there are irreversible, the prognosis is poor unless a successful intestinal rehabilitation is achieved. Areas covered: The rescue of the remnant small bowel requires a multidisciplinary expertise to achieve digestive autonomy. The use of intestinal trophic factors has shown encouraging results in improving the intestinal adaptation process. Whenever the residual bowel length is inadequate, in a well-selected population weaning parenteral nutrition (PN) off could be attempted by surgery through lengthening procedures. A further subset of patients, with total and irreversible intestinal failure and severe complications on PN, may have an indication to intestinal transplantation. This procedure is still affected by poor long-term results. Expert commentary: Novel approaches developed through a multidisciplinary team work, such as manipulation of microbiota or tissue bioengineering, should be added to current therapies to treat successfully SBS.
Conversion of MoS2 to a Ternary MoS2- xSe x Alloy for High-Performance Sodium-Ion Batteries.

MoS2 has attracted tremendous attention as an anode for Na-ion batteries (NIBs) owing to its high specific capacity and layered graphite-like structure. Herein, MoS2 is converted to a ternary MoS2- xSe x alloy through the selenizing process in order to boost the electrochemical performance for Na-ion batteries. Conversion of MoS2 to MoS2- xSe x expands interlayer spacing, improves electronic conductivity, and creates more defects. The expanded interlayer spacing decreases Na+ diffusion resistance and facilitates Na+ fast transfer. The integrated graphene as a conductive network offers effective pathway for electron migration and maintains structural stability of electrodes during cycles. The ternary MoS1.2Se0. 8/graphene (MoS1.2Se0.8/G) electrode demonstrates an extremely high reversible capacity of 509 mA h g-1 after 200 cycles at 0.1 A g-1 (capacity retention of 109%) as an anode for sodium-ion batteries. Even at 2 A g-1 and after 700 cycles, the MoS1.2Se0. 8/G electrode also displays a relatively high reversible capacity of 178 mA h g-1. Full cells assembled with Na3V2(PO4)2F3 cathodes and MoS1.2Se0. 8/G anodes reveal high charge/discharge capacities. This work demonstrates that the ternary MoS2- xSe x alloy could be a potential anode material for Na-ion storage.
Broad-spectrum coronavirus antiviral drug discovery

ABSTRACT Introduction: The highly pathogenic coronaviruses severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) are lethal zoonotic viruses that have emerged into human populations these past 15 years. These coronaviruses are associated with novel respiratory syndromes that spread from person-to-person via close contact, resulting in high morbidity and mortality caused by the progression to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). Areas covered: The risks of re-emergence of SARS-CoV from bat reservoir hosts, the persistence of MERS-CoV circulation, and the potential for future emergence of novel coronaviruses indicate antiviral drug discovery will require activity against multiple coronaviruses. In this review, approaches that antagonize viral nonstructural proteins, neutralize structural proteins, or modulate essential host elements of viral infection with varying levels of efficacy in models of highly pathogenic coronavirus disease are discussed. Expert opinion: Treatment of SARS and MERS in outbreak settings has focused on therapeutics with general antiviral activity and good safety profiles rather than efficacy data provided by cellular, rodent, or nonhuman primate models of highly pathogenic coronavirus infection. Based on lessons learned from SARS and MERS outbreaks, lack of drugs capable of pan-coronavirus antiviral activity increases the vulnerability of public health systems to a highly pathogenic coronavirus pandemic.
Is cesarean section delivery associated with autism spectrum disorder?

Objectives: To investigate a correlation between birth by caesarean section and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods: A case-control study with a case to control ratio of 1:2 was performed in Al-Madina Al-Munawarah city, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the year 2016. The cases were selected according to the eligibility criteria and children attending a well-baby clinic in the same hospital, were chosen as the control group subjects. Data was collected from the medical records and an interview-based questionnaire was administered to the mothers. The chi-square test was used for bivariate analysis and logistic regression to estimate the crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs). Results: Eighty-seven cases of ASD and 174 control group subjects were included in the current study. Approximately 39% (n=34) of the 87 children with ASD were delivered by cesarean section compared to 21% (n=36) of the 174 children in the control group. After adjusting for potentially confounding factors, the adjusted OR was 2.9 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.57-5.35). Conclusion: An association between delivery by cesarean section and ASD was found in this study, in support of the findings of other studies. It is recommended that preventive measures are adopted to avoid unnecessary cesarean sections.