Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hepatitis B virus infection and associated factors among antenatal care attendees in Dessie City Administration, North-East Ethiopia: a case-control study

ABSTRACT The hepatitis B virus remains a major public health problem due to a variety of risk factors, which we aimed to investigate in Dessie City Administration, Ethiopia. Unmatched case-control study was conducted from February to May 2021 using systematic random sampling. The data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire, then cleaned using EpiData version 4.6. 0 and exported to SPSS version 25.0 for analysis. The odds ratio with a 95 percent CI was used to determine the association between the independent and outcome variables. A total of 421 participants (105 cases and 316 controls) were enrolled. A history of having multiple sexual partners (AOR = 4.64; 95 percent CI: 2.64–8.14); a history of abortion (AOR = 3.18; 95 percent CI: 1.78–5.66); the presence of a hepatitis B carrier in the family (AOR = 8.70; 95 percent CI: 4.26–17.77); a history of hospitalization (AOR = 2.98; 95 percent CI: 1.56–5.69); and retroviral seropositivity (AOR = 3.68; 95 percent CI: 1.55–8.74) were independent risk factors for having hepatitis B virus infection. In conclusion, antenatal infection with the virus was found to be determined by the number of sexual partners, abortion and hospitalization, hepatitis B carriers in the family, and retroviral seropositivity, which dictates the need for integrated community-wide intervention.
Paediatric heart transplantation during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Iran: single‐centre experience

Transplant services were imposed to the multiple challenges of insufficient facilities and resources during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Thus, each centre modified and altered its routine practice to maintain the service. We report our experience in Iran's single‐centre paediatric heart transplantation unit during the 2 year pandemic in transplant rate and early transplant outcomes.
FGF19‐Induced Inflammatory CAF Promoted Neutrophil Extracellular Trap Formation in the Liver Metastasis of Colorectal Cancer

Liver metastasis is the main cause of death in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC); thus, necessitating effective biomarkers and therapeutic targets for colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRLM). Fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) is a protumorigenic gene in numerous human malignancies. In this study, it is shown that FGF19 plays an indispensable role in CRLM. FGF19 expression and secretion are markedly correlated with liver metastasis and lower overall survival rates of patients with CRC. An in vivo metastasis model shows that FGF19 overexpression confers stronger liver‐metastatic potential in CRC cells. Mechanistically, FGF19 exerts an immunomodulatory function that creates an environment conducive for metastasis in CRLM. FGF19 mediates the polarization of hepatic stellate cells to inflammatory cancer‐associated fibroblasts (iCAFs) by activating the autocrine effect of IL‐1α via the FGFR4‐JAK2‐STAT3 pathway. FGF19‐induced iCAFs promote neutrophil infiltration and mediate neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation in liver metastatic niches via the production of complement C5a and IL‐1β, which in turn accelerates the liver colonization of CRC cells. Importantly, targeting FGF19 signaling with fisogatinib efficiently suppresses FGF19‐induced liver metastasis in a mouse model. In summary, this study describes the mechanism by which FGF19 regulates CRLM, thereby providing a novel target for CRLM intervention.
The effects of Capsicum annuum supplementation on lipid profiles in adults with metabolic syndrome and related disorders: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials

The electiveness of Capsicum annuum supplementation in controlling dyslipidemia in adults has been unclear. Therefore, this meta‐analysis focuses on the relationship between C. annuum supplementation and lipid profile in adults with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and related disorders. PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched up to March 2021. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) studying the administration of C. annuum compared to control on lipid markers in adults with MetS and related disorders were examined. Pooled effect sizes were reported as weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The results of four eligible RCTs showed that C. annuum supplementation could significantly reduce total cholesterol (TC) (WMD: −4.98 mg/dL, 95% CI: −7.08 to −2.88, p ≤ 0.001) levels, but did not regulate triglyceride, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. In summary, the present findings suggest the beneficial effects of C. annuum supplementation on the reduction of plasma levels of TC. However, to draw a firm link between C. annuum supplementation and lipid profile, more trials with adequate sample sizes, specifically in subjects with dyslipidemia are warranted.
Practical Utilization of Prediction Equations in Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common and can lead to kidney failure, cardiovascular complications, and early mortality. While nephrologists can provide valuable insights for patients at all stages of CKD, these scarce resources should be targeted at patients with the highest risk of progression and adverse outcomes. Prediction models are tools that can help providers risk stratify patients if they are effectively implemented into the clinical workflow. We believe these equations should demonstrate (1) clinical utility: where they can provide useful information to the physician and patients; and (2) clinical usability: where they are able to be easily integrated into clinical workflow and do not result in unnecessary costs or visits. CKD often remains unrecognized until later stages when a large window of opportunity to delay progression has already passed. Models to determine progression of CKD using thresholds such as a 40% decline in eGFR can provide clinical utility in risk stratifying patients at all stages of CKD, an endpoint that has been recommended by the FDA for the evaluation of drug approvals for disease-modifying therapies. For patients at more advanced stages of CKD with a greater risk of kidney failure, tools such as the kidney failure risk equation can be implemented to help guide most costly decisions, such as referral to multidisciplinary care, commencing dialysis modality education, or planning for vascular access placement surgery. In addition, models focused on determining outcomes following dialysis initiation can help inform shared decision-making between patient and provider to better inform decisions around conservative care. To ensure widespread adoption of these tools, it is important to ensure that they are broadly generalizable to many health settings and easily implemented into existing clinic workflows with minimum disruption.
Human Detection in Depth Image Sequences Based on CoHOD Features

The spatial clues in the new medium of depth image sequences ofier the potential opportunities to solve di‐cult problems in human detection, such as varying illumination, approximate appearance and occlusions. Therefore, object detection based on depth image sequences has attracted much attention in recent years. The key problem of human detection based on depth images is the e‐cient extraction of discriminating features. Some existing methods have shown e‐cient performance in human detection in a given scene, such as torque characteristics, geodesic features and histogram features. However, these methods still have some disadvantages in robustness, accuracy and computational complexity because a depth image always contains noise and the human body includes detailed structures. In this paper, we propose a human feature representation method, called CoHOD (Co-occurrence Histograms of Oriented Depths), which combines the advantages of HOG (Histograms of Oriented Gradients) and co-occurrence matrix methods. In the proposed framework, a co-occurrence matrix is used to represent the human body in a depth image, through which the human body ultimately is e‐ciently and accurately detected. Experiments are conducted to demonstrate the efiectiveness of our proposed method.
Extension and Comparative Study of AUSM-Family Schemes for Compressible Multiphase Flow Simulations

Several recently developed AUSM-family numerical flux functions (SLAU, SLAU2, AUSMM + -up2, and AUSMPW+) have been successfully extended to compute compressible multiphase flows, based on the stratified flow model concept, by following two previous works: one by M. -S. Liou, C. -H. Chang, L. Nguyen, and T.G. Theofanous [AIAA J. 46:2345-2356, 2008], in which AUSM + -up was used entirely, and the other by C. -H. Chang, and M. -S. Liou [J. Comput. Phys. 225:840-873, 2007], in which the exact Riemann solver was combined into AUSM+-up at the phase interface. Through an extensive survey by comparing flux functions, the following are found: (1) AUSM + -up with dissipation parameters of K p and K u equal to 0.5 or greater, AUSMPW+, SLAU2, AUSM+-up2, and SLAU can be used to solve benchmark problems, including a shock/water-droplet interaction; (2) SLAU shows oscillatory behaviors [though not as catastrophic as those of AUSM + (a special case of AUSM + -up with Kp = K u = 0)] due to insufficient dissipation arising from its ideal-gas-based dissipation term; and (3) when combined with the exact Riemann solver, AUSM + -up ( K p = K u = 1), SLAU2, and AUSMPW+ are applicable to more challenging problems with high pressure ratios.
A fine balance among key biophysical factors is required for recovery of bipolar mitotic spindle from monopolar and multipolar abnormalities

During mitosis, equal partitioning of chromosomes into two daughter cells requires assembly of a bipolar mitotic spindle. Because the spindle poles are each organized by a centrosome in animal cells, centrosome defects can lead to monopolar or multipolar spindles. However, the cell can effectively recover the bipolar spindle by separating the centrosomes in monopolar spindles and clustering them in multipolar spindles. To interrogate how a cell can separate and cluster centrosomes as needed to form a bipolar spindle, we developed a biophysical model, based on experimental data, which uses effective potential energies to describe key mechanical forces driving centrosome movements during spindle assembly. Our model identified general biophysical factors crucial for robust bipolarization of spindles that start as monopolar or multipolar. These factors include appropriate force fluctuation between centrosomes, balance between repulsive and attractive forces between centrosomes, exclusion of the centrosomes from the cell center, proper cell size and geometry, and a limited centrosome number. Consistently, we found experimentally that bipolar centrosome clustering is promoted as mitotic cell aspect ratio and volume decrease in tetraploid cancer cells. Our model provides mechanistic explanations for many more experimental phenomena and a useful theoretical framework for future studies of spindle assembly.
Sampling to Comply with a Maximum Pest Limit

SUMMARY When importing a consignment of fruit, a maximum pest limit might still be exceeded despite treatment if the initial prevalence is too large. One option is to sample the consignment and reject it if too many pests are detected. This paper considers the risk to an importer for any particular initial pest prevalence and uses the maximum such risk to derive a formula for a suitable sample size. For many practical cases, the sample size is proportional to the size of the consignment, the number of pests per infestation, the efficacy of the treatment, and a constant that depends on the maximum pest limit to be met, the confidence desired, and the number of consignments simultaneously at the destination. 1. Background Quarantine is inherently conservative from the point of view of taking risks. Nonetheless, the days of a no risk approach are over, and current requirements in world trade require that risk assessments be more transparent. Better tools to manage risk and better ways of determining acceptable risks need to be developed. A wider range of options means, e.g., that a lower treatment level might be possible with benefits such as lower cost, reduced chemical use, and improved fruit quality. In considering one proposed approach to managing pest risk, we shall use as an example a consignment of fruit being shipped from an exporting to an importing country. Some of the fruit might be infested with pests, most likely in their immature form and usually with many pests in an infested fruit rather than just one or two pests. A phytosanitary certificate would accompany the consignment, confirming that the protocol between the exporting and importing countries had been followed. Among its various requirements, the protocol might specify that the exporter must treat the fruit. If so, an almost de facto requirement is that the treatment is at probit nine level, meaning that, on average, no more than 32 pests per million pests will survive. The exporter (possibly) and the importer (quite likely) might also inspect a sample of fruit for pests.
Switching to long-acting injectable antipsychotics: pharmacological considerations and practical approaches

ABSTRACT Introduction Long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) are an effective, but potentially underutilized treatment option in schizophrenia and other severe mental illnesses. Prescribing information typically focuses on how to initiate treatment from the corresponding oral formulations. However, in clinical practice other scenarios, such as switching from other oral antipsychotics or other LAIs, occur frequently, requiring guidance. Areas covered Pharmacodynamic properties of antipsychotics and their relation to rebound symptoms. Pharmacokinetic properties of LAIs and their implications for switching approaches. Specific approaches to switching to LAIs. Expert opinion The LAI landscape has evolved significantly in the last decade with more formulations available, longer dosing intervals, and extended indications. However, currently available LAIs have various shortcomings, e.g. short dosing intervals, need for oral supplementation, loading regimens, deep intramuscular injection and/or restricted indications. Recent improvements include a one-day initiation option for aripiprazole lauroxil, aripiprazole monohydrate once-monthly, risperidone in situ microparticles and subcutaneous risperidone. Future LAI developments should focus on longer dosing intervals, subcutaneous administration, expansion of LAIs beyond currently available antipsychotic agents and indications beyond schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. In the future, LAIs might become a first-line treatment after initial oral stabilization for chronic mental disorders with need for maintenance treatment and presence of significant non-adherence.
Metabolic Signatures of Cardiac Dysfunction, Multimorbidity, and Post–Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation Death

Background Studies in mice and small patient subsets implicate metabolic dysfunction in cardiac remodeling in aortic stenosis, but no large comprehensive studies of human metabolism in aortic stenosis with long‐term follow‐up and characterization currently exist. Methods and Results Within a multicenter prospective cohort study, we used principal components analysis to summarize 12 echocardiographic measures of left ventricular structure and function pre–transcatheter aortic valve implantation in 519 subjects (derivation). We used least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression across 221 metabolites to define metabolic signatures for each structural pattern and measured their relation to death and multimorbidity in the original cohort and up to 2 validation cohorts (N=543 for overall validation). In the derivation cohort (519 individuals; median age, 84 years, 45% women, 95% White individuals), we identified 3 axes of left ventricular remodeling, broadly specifying systolic function, diastolic function, and chamber volumes. Metabolite signatures of each axis specified both known and novel pathways in hypertrophy and cardiac dysfunction. Over a median of 3.1 years (205 deaths), a metabolite score for diastolic function was independently associated with post–transcatheter aortic valve implantation death (adjusted hazard ratio per 1 SD increase in score, 1.54 [95% CI, 1.25–1.90]; P<0.001), with similar effects in each validation cohort. This metabolite score of diastolic function was simultaneously associated with measures of multimorbidity, suggesting a metabolic link between cardiac and noncardiac state in aortic stenosis. Conclusions Metabolite profiles of cardiac structure identify individuals at high risk for death following transcatheter aortic valve implantation and concurrent multimorbidity. These results call for efforts to address potentially reversible metabolic biology associated with risk to optimize post–transcatheter aortic valve implantation recovery, rehabilitation, and survival.
Neural gut-to-brain communication for postprandial control of satiation and glucose metabolism.

The brain is tuned to integrate food-derived signals from the gut, allowing it to accurately adjust behavioral and physiological responses in accordance to nutrient availability. A key element of gut-to-brain communication is the relay of neural cues via peripheral sensory neurons (PSN) which harbor functionally specialized peripheral endings innervating the muscular and mucosal layers of gastrointestinal (GI) tract organs. In this review, we detail the properties of GI tract innervating PSN and describe their roles in regulating satiation and glucose metabolism in response to food consumption. We discuss the complex anatomical organization of vagal and spinal PSN subtypes, their peripheral and central projection patterns, and describe the limitations of unselective lesion and ablation approaches to investigate them. We then highlight the recent identification of molecular markers that allow selective targeting of PSN subtypes that innervate GI tract organs. This has facilitated accurately determining their projections, monitoring their responses to gut stimuli, and manipulating their activity. We contend that these recent developments have significantly improved our understanding of PSN-mediated gut-to-brain communication, which may open new therapeutic windows for the treatment of metabolic disorders, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Parents’ perspectives on the role of kin in child-rearing: a qualitative study on Greenland’s universal parenting programme MANU

ABSTRACT Nurturing care and protection from parents and community in the early years of life are fundamental for a child’s development. The article aims to explore what relations parents see as meaningful in their child’s upbringing and how these are shaped, and how these perspectives are reflected in MANU. MANU is a universal parenting programme in Greenland. Ten of 40 interviews with parents were selected for the analysis of this article’s objective. Five grandparents were interviewed. Grandparents are the child’s closest extended family members and provide support to parents. Parents placed between one to 19 extended family members in their child’s network. Eating and being in nature together, along with familial and intergenerational connectedness, were deemed valuable and important aspects in child-rearing. Parents’ own experiences in childhood can influence and complicate how parents place their new family within the extended family. The MANU materials address aspects in the role of kin that parents and grandparents described in interviews. The format and delivery of MANU aims to be universal and mostly addresses Western epistemologies, but both Western and Inuit epistemologies coexists in Greenland. This article creates a window into the existing context parents navigate in. It is important that initiatives are built within this context to ensure they are relevant to families
LSTM-enhanced multi-view dynamical emotion graph representation for EEG signal recognition

Objective and Significance: This paper proposes an LSTM-enhanced multi-view dynamic emotion graph representation model, which not only integrates the relationship between electrode channels into electroencephalogram (EEG) signal processing to extract multi-dimensional spatial topology information but also retains abundant temporal information of EEG signals. Approach: Specifically, the proposed model mainly includes two branches: a dynamic learning of multiple graph representation information branch and a branch that could learn the time-series information with memory function. First, the preprocessed EEG signals are input into these two branches, and through the former branch, multiple graph representations suitable for EEG signals can be found dynamically, so that the graph feature representations under multiple views are mined. Through the latter branch, it can be determined which information needs to be remembered and which to be forgotten, so as to obtain effective sequence information. Then the features of the two branches are fused via the mean fusion operator to obtain richer and more discriminative EEG spatiotemporal features to improve the performance of signal recognition. Main results: Finally, extensive subject-independent experiments are conducted on SEED, SEED-IV, and Database for Emotion Analysis using Physiological Signals datasets to evaluate model performance. Results reveal the proposed method could better recognize EEG emotional signals compared to other state-of-the-art methods.
Zinc improves sexual performance and erectile function by preventing penile oxidative injury and upregulating circulating testosterone in lead-exposed rats

ABSTRACT Aim: The present study evaluated the effect of lead exposure with and without zinc therapy on male sexual and erectile function. Methods: Twenty male Wistar rats were randomly assigned into four groups; the control, zinc-treated, lead-exposed, lead + zinc-treated groups. Administrations were per os daily for 28 days. Results: Zinc co-administration significantly improved absolute and relative penile weights and the latencies and frequencies of mount, intromission, and ejaculation in lead-exposed rats. Also, zinc ameliorated lead-induced reductions in motivation to mate and penile reflex/erection. These findings were accompanied by attenuation of lead-induced suppression of circulating nitric oxide (NO), penile cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), dopamine, serum luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and testosterone. In addition, zinc alleviated lead-induced upregulation of penile activities of acetylcholinesterase and xanthine oxidase (XO), and uric acid (UA) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Furthermore, zinc ameliorated the lead-induced decline in penile nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels, and catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activities. Conclusion: This study revealed that co-administration of zinc improves lead-induced sexual and erectile dysfunction by suppressing XO/UA-driven oxidative stress and upregulating testosterone via Nrf2-mediated signaling.