Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficacy and Safety of HepaSphere Drug-Eluting Bead Transarterial Chemoembolization Combined with Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy as the Second-Line Treatment in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Purpose Recently, hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) has also gained popularity for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Several studies have compared HAIC and Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). However, comparisons between TACE plus HAIC and HAIC are rarely reported. Here, we evaluated the performance of HepaSphere DEB-TACE combined with HAIC (Hepa-HAIC) compared to HAIC in patients with advanced HCC. Patients and Methods In this retrospective study, we enrolled 167 patients diagnosed with advanced HCC and treated at Peking University Cancer Hospital from May 2018 to May 2022. The cohort comprised 74 patients who received HepaSphere DEB-TACE combined with HAIC-FOLFOX (Hepa-HAIC) and 93 patients who received HAIC-FOLFOX. Over 60% of patients received prior treatments. To avoid selection bias, propensity score matching was applied to the efficacy and safety analyses. The primary endpoints are progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS); the secondary endpoints include objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and safety. Results Propensity-matching yielded 48 pairs, and group baselines were almost equal after matching. Median PFS and median OS were both higher in the matched Hepa-HAIC cohort (median PFS: 8.9 vs 5.8 months, p = 0.035; median OS: 22.4 vs 9.5 months, p = 0.027), which was consistent with pre-matching analysis. The ORR in the Hepa-HAIC and HAIC cohorts was 75.0% and 37.5%, respectively; the DCR was 93.8% after Hepa-HAIC and 81.3% after HAIC. There was no treatment-related death. Grade 3–4 ALT elevation was more frequent in the Hepa-HAIC group (33.3% vs 8.3%, p = 0.003), while vomiting was more frequent in the HAIC group (29.2% vs 12.5%, p = 0.084). Conclusion The Hepa-HAIC group is superior to the HAIC group in metrics of PFS, OS, ORR, and DCR, which indicates the combination of HepaSphere DEB-TACE and HAIC may lead to improved outcomes with a comparable safety profile in advanced HCC.
Association Between Self-Perception of Aging and Long-Term Mortality in Elderly Patients with Hypertension in Rural China: A Possible Beneficial Effect of Nut Intake

Purpose Previous research has consistently shown that self-perception of aging (SPA) is an important predictor of health and longevity, while Chinese rural elderly patients with hypertension had poorer SPA. Whether it was associated with their mortality kept unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate the long-term mortality and analyze the association between SPA and this mortality in the specific context of rural elderly patients with hypertension. Patients and Methods This study is a longitudinal investigation of the mortality in elderly patients with hypertension in rural Suzhou, China. Sociodemographic and clinical data, SPA, and six-year mortality were investigated. We used binary logistic regression and subgroup analyses to assess the effect of SPA at baseline on six-year mortality. Results A total of 280 hypertensive patients aged 60 years and older participated in the study, of whom 21 died, with a six-year mortality rate of 7.5%. After controlling for covariates, the “Emotional representation” dimension (OR=2.824, 95% CI:1.034–7.712) in SPA remained a risk factor for death. In subgroup analyses of the group aged 75 years and older, high scores on the “Timeline cyclical” (OR=14.125, 95% CI: 1.258–158.593) and “Emotional representations” (OR=2.567, 95% CI:1.066–6.182) dimensions were associated with a higher risk of death, while weekly nut intake may have mitigated the negative SPA effect on mortality. Conclusion Poorer self-perception of aging was associated with a high risk of mortality in rural elderly patients with hypertension, while the habit of weekly nut intake might help reduce this risk in the group aged 75 years or older.
Time-frequency analysis reveals an association between the specific nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal properties of serum samples and arteriosclerotic lesion progression in a diabetes mouse model

Diabetes causes arteriosclerosis, primarily due to persistent hyperglycemia, subsequently leading to various cardiovascular events. No method has been established for directly detecting and evaluating arteriosclerotic lesions from blood samples of diabetic patients, as the mechanism of arteriosclerotic lesion formation, which involves complex molecular biological processes, has not been elucidated. “NMR modal analysis” is a technology that enables visualization of specific nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal properties of blood samples. We hypothesized that this technique could be used to identify changes in blood status associated with the progression of arteriosclerotic lesions in the context of diabetes. The study aimed to assess the possibility of early detection and evaluation of arteriosclerotic lesions by NMR modal analysis of serum samples from diabetes model mice. Diabetes model mice (BKS.Cg db/db) were bred in a clean room and fed a normal diet. Blood samples were collected and centrifuged. Carotid arteries were collected for histological examination by hematoxylin and eosin staining on weeks 10, 14, 18, 22, and 26. The serum was separated and subjected to NMR modal analysis and biochemical examination. Mice typically show hyperglycemia at an early stage (8 weeks old), and pathological findings of a previous study showed that more than half of mice had atheromatous plaques at 18 weeks old, and severe arteriosclerotic lesions were observed in almost all mice after 22 weeks. Partial least squares regression analysis was performed, which showed that the mice were clearly classified into two groups with positive and negative score values within 18 weeks of age. The findings of this study revealed that NMR modal properties of serum are associated with arteriosclerotic lesions. Thus, it may be worth exploring the possibility that the risk of cardiovascular events in diabetic patients could be assessed using serum samples.
Mutational landscape of TP53 and CDH1 in gastric cancer

In this editorial we comment on an article published in a recent issue of the World J Gastrointest Surg. A common gene mutation in gastric cancer (GC) is the TP53 mutation. As a tumor suppressor gene, TP53 is implicated in more than half of all tumor occurrences. TP53 gene mutations in GC tissue may be related with clinical pathological aspects. The TP53 mutation arose late in the progression of GC and aided in the final switch to malignancy. CDH1 encodes E-cadherin, which is involved in cell-to-cell adhesion, epithelial structure maintenance, cell polarity, differentiation, and intracellular signaling pathway modulation. CDH1 mutations and functional loss can result in diffuse GC, and CDH1 mutations can serve as independent prognostic indicators for poor prognosis. GC patients can benefit from genetic counseling and testing for CDH1 mutations. Demethylation therapy may assist to postpone the onset and progression of GC. The investigation of TP53 and CDH1 gene mutations in GC allows for the investigation of the relationship between these two gene mutations, as well as providing some basis for evaluating the prognosis of GC patients.
Formononetin and Dihydroartemisinin Act Synergistically to Induce Apoptosis in Human Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cell Lines

Objective: Enhanced cell survival and drug resistance in tumor cells have been linked to the overexpression of antiapoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family proteins, including Bcl-2 and Mcl-1. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of formononetin and dihydroartemisinin combination on the growth and apoptosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, the cell survival and cell proliferation were tested by MTT assay and trypan blue staining. The evaluation of cell apoptosis was conducted using Hoechst 33342 staining and a colorimetric assay to measure caspase-3 activity. To determine the mRNA levels of Mcl-1, Bcl-2, Bax, and Cyclin D1, a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed. Results: We showed that treatment with either formononetin or dihydroartemisinin alone, led to significant decrease in the cell survival and growth, and triggered apoptosis in U937 and KG-1 AML cell lines. Moreover, treatment with each of the compounds alone significantly decreased the mRNA levels of Mcl-1, Bcl-2 and Cyclin D1 mRNA, while, the expression level of Bax mRNA was enhanced. Combination of two compounds showed a synergistic anti-cancer effect. Conclusion: The anti-leukemic potential of formononetin and dihydroartemisinin is exerted through the effect on cell cycle progression and intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Therefore, they can be considered as a potential anti-leukemic agent alone or along with existing chemotherapeutic drugs.
Land Surface Phenologies and Seasonalities Using Cool Earthlight in Temperate and Tropical Croplands

LAND SURFACE PHENOLOGIES AND SEASONALITIES USING COOL EARTHLIGHT IN TEMPERATE AND TROPICAL CROPLANDS WOUBET GASHAW ALEMU 2017 In today’s world of increasing food insecurity due to more frequent and extreme events (droughts, floods), a comprehensive understanding of global cropland dynamics is critically needed. Land surface parameters derived from the passive microwave Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer on EOS (AMSR-E) and AMSR2 data enable monitoring of cropland dynamics and they can complement visible to near infrared (VNIR) and thermal infrared (TIR) data. Passive microwave data are less sensitive to atmospheric effects, cloud contamination, and solar illumination constraints resulting in finer temporal resolution suitable to track the temporal progression of cropland cover development compared to the VNIR data that has coarser temporal resolution due to compositing to lessen the atmospheric effects. Both VNIR and TIR data have moderate to fine spatial resolution compared to passive microwaves, due to the faint microwave flux from the planetary surface. I used AMSR, MODIS, TRMM, and simplified surface energy balance (SSEB) data to study cropland dynamics from 2003-2015 in North Dakota, USA, the Canadian Prairie Provinces, Northern Eurasia, and East Africa: a contrast between crop exporting regions and a food insecure region. Croplands in the temperate region are better studied compared to that of the tropics. The objective of this research was to characterize cropland dynamics in the tropics based on the knowledge gained about the microwave products in the temperate croplands. This study also aimed at assessing the utility of passive microwave data for cropland dynamics study, especially for tropical cropland regions that are often cloud-obscured during the growing season and have sparse in situ data networks. Using MODIS land cover data, I identified 162 AMSR grid cells (25km*25km=625km) dominated by croplands within the study regions. To fit
Good while it lasted? Estimating the long-term and withdrawal effects of results-based financing in Malawi on maternal care utilisation using routine data

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the effect of introduction and subsequent withdrawal of the Results-based Financing for Maternal and Newborn Health Initiative (RBF4MNH) in Malawi on utilisation of facility-based childbirths, antenatal care (ANC) and postnatal care (PNC). Design A controlled interrupted time series design was used with secondary data from the Malawian Health Management Information System. Setting Healthcare facilities at all levels identified as providing maternity services in four intervention districts and 20 non-intervention districts in Malawi. Participants Routinely collected, secondary data of total monthly service utilisation of facility-based childbirths, ANC and PNC services. Interventions The intervention is the RBF4MNH initiative, introduced by the Malawian government in 2013 to improve maternal and infant health outcomes and withdrawn in 2018 after ceasing of donor funding. Outcome measures Differences in total volume and trends of utilisation of facility-based childbirths, ANC and PNC services, compared between intervention versus non-intervention districts, for the study period of 90 consecutive months. Results No significant effect was observed, on utilisation trends for any of the three services during the first 2.5 years of intervention. In the following 2.5 years after full implementation, we observed a small positive increase for facility-based childbirths (+0.62 childbirths/month/facility) and decrease for PNC (−0.55 consultations/month/facility) trends of utilisation respectively. After withdrawal, facility-based childbirths and ANC consultations dropped both in immediate volume after removal (−10.84 childbirths/facility and −20.66 consultations/facility, respectively), and in trends of utilisation over time (−0.27 childbirths/month/facility and -1.38 consultations/month/facility, respectively). PNC utilisation levels seemed unaffected in intervention districts against a decline in the rest of the country. Conclusions Concurrent with wider literature, our results suggest that effects of complex health financing interventions, such as RBF4MNH, can take a long time to be seen. They might not be sustained beyond the implementation period if measures are not adopted to reform existing health financing structures.
Axonal stimulation affects the linear summation of single-point perception in three Argus II users.

PURPOSE Retinal implants use electrical stimulation to elicit perceived flashes of light ("phosphenes"). Single-electrode phosphene shape has been shown to vary systematically with stimulus parameters and the retinal location of the stimulating electrode, due to incidental activation of passing nerve fiber bundles. However, this knowledge has yet to be extended to paired-electrode stimulation. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed 3548 phosphene drawings made by three blind participants implanted with an Argus II Retinal Prosthesis. Phosphene shape (characterized by area, perimeter, major and minor axis length) and number of perceived phosphenes were averaged across trials and correlated with the corresponding single-electrode parameters. In addition, the number of phosphenes was correlated with stimulus amplitude and neuroanatomical parameters: electrode-retina and electrode-fovea distance as well as the electrode-electrode distance to ("between-axon") and along axon bundles ("along-axon"). Statistical analyses were conducted using linear regression and partial correlation analysis. RESULTS Simple regression revealed that each paired-electrode shape descriptor could be predicted by the sum of the two corresponding single-electrode shape descriptors (p<.001). Multiple regression revealed that paired-electrode phosphene shape was primarily predicted by stimulus amplitude and electrode-fovea distance (p<.05). Interestingly, the number of elicited phosphenes tended to increase with between-axon distance (p<.05), but not with along-axon distance, in two out of three participants. CONCLUSIONS The shape of phosphenes elicited by paired-electrode stimulation was well predicted by the shape of their corresponding single-electrode phosphenes, suggesting that two-point perception can be expressed as the linear summation of single-point perception. The notable impact of the between-axon distance on the perceived number of phosphenes provides further evidence in support of the axon map model for epiretinal stimulation. These findings contribute to the growing literature on phosphene perception and have important implications for the design of future retinal prostheses.
Artificial intelligence driven malnutrition diagnostic model for patients with acute abdomen based on GLIM criteria: a cross-sectional research protocol

Background Patients with acute abdomen often experience reduced voluntary intake and a hypermetabolic process, leading to a high occurrence of malnutrition. The Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria have rapidly developed into a principal methodological tool for nutritional diagnosis. Additionally, machine learning is emerging to establish artificial intelligent-enabled diagnostic models, but the accuracy and robustness need to be verified. We aimed to establish an intelligence-enabled malnutrition diagnosis model based on GLIM for patients with acute abdomen. Method This study is a single-centre, cross-sectional observational investigation into the prevalence of malnutrition in patients with acute abdomen using the GLIM criteria. Data collection occurs on the day of admission, at 3 and 7 days post-admission, including biochemical analysis, body composition indicators, disease severity scoring, nutritional risk screening, malnutrition diagnosis and nutritional support information. The occurrence rate of malnutrition in patients with acute abdomen is analysed with the GLIM criteria based on the Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 and the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short-Form to investigate the sensitivity and accuracy of the GLIM criteria. After data cleansing and preprocessing, a machine learning approach is employed to establish a predictive model for malnutrition diagnosis in patients with acute abdomen based on the GLIM criteria. Ethics and dissemination This study has obtained ethical approval from the Ethics Committee of the Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences and Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital on 28 November 2022 (Yan-2022–442). The results of this study will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals, at scientific conferences and directly to study participants. Trial registration number ChiCTR2200067044.
Further studies on the 1988 MW 5.9 Saguenay, Quebec, earthquake sequence

Many small earthquakes occur annually in Eastern Canada, but moderate to strong earthquakes are infrequent. The 25 November 1988 MW 5.9 Saguenay mainshock remains the largest earthquake in the last 80 years in eastern North America. In this article, some aspects of that earthquake sequence were re-analyzed using several modern methods. The regional depth-phase modeling procedure was used to refine the focal depths for the foreshock, the aftershocks, and other MN ≥ 2.5 regional earthquakes. The hypocenters of 10 earthquakes were relocated using hypoDD. The spatial distribution of eight relocated hypocenters defines the rupture plane of the mainshock. The moment tensor for the mainshock was retrieved using three-component long-period surface wave records at station HRV (Harvard seismograph station) with additional constraints from P-wave polarities. One nodal plane is conclusively identified to be close to the rupture plane, and its strike is similar to the trend of the south wall of the Saguenay Graben. Based on the consistency between the strike of the nodal plane and the trend of the Graben, as well as the deep focal depth distribution, we suggest that the Saguenay earthquake sequence is related to the reactivation of one of the faults of the Saguenay Graben.
Sensitivity analysis of seismic waveforms to upper-mantle discontinuities using the adjoint method

Using spectral-element simulations of wave propagation, we investigated the sensitivity of seismic waveforms, recorded on transverse components, to upper-mantle discontinuities in 1-D and 3-D background models. These sensitivity kernels, or Frechet derivatives, illustrate the spatial sensitivity to model parameters, of which those for shear wave speed and the surface topography of internal boundaries are discussed in this paper. We focus on the boundaries at 400 and 670 km depth of the mantle transition zone. SS precursors have frequently been used to infer the topography of upper-mantle discontinuities. These seismic phases are underside reflections off these boundaries and are usually analysed in the distance range of 110°–160°. This distance range is chosen to minimize the interference from other waves. We show sensitivity kernels for consecutive time windows at three characteristic epicentral distances within the 110°–160° range. The sensitivity kernels are computed with the adjoint method using synthetic data. From our simulations we can draw three main conclusions: (i) The exact Frechet derivatives show that in all time windows, and also in those centred on the SS precursors, there is interference from other waves. This explains the difficulty reported in the literature to correct for 3-D shear wave speed perturbations, even if the 3-D structure is perfectly known. (ii) All studies attempting to map the topography of the 400 and 670 km discontinuities to date assume that the traveltimes of SS precursors can be linearly decomposed into a 3-D elastic structure and a topography part. We recently showed that such a linear decomposition is not possible for SS precursors, and the sensitivity kernels presented in this paper explain why. (iii) In agreement with previous work, we show that other parts of the seismograms have greater sensitivity to upper-mantle discontinuities than SS precursors, especially multiply bouncing S waves exploiting the S-wave triplications due to the mantle transition zone. These phases can potentially improve the inference of global topographic variations of the upper-mantle discontinuities in the context of full waveform inversion in a joint inversion for (an)elastic parameters and topography.
Equifinality in glacial geomorphology: instability theory examined via ribbed moraine and drumlins in Sweden

Abstract A contemporary trend in glacial geomorphology is the quest for a unifying theory of drumlin and ribbed moraine formation. Three Swedish example areas of each are here newly mapped, using high-resolution Light Detecting and Ranging (LiDAR) data. From previous ribbed moraine studies in these areas, we know that they formed differently, one by melt-out of stagnant debris-zonated ice, another by remoulding of pre-existing landforms and the third by active subglacial stacking and folding of sediment into proto ridges, contemporaneously with lee-side cavity sediment infill. Through previous work on streamlined terrain in Sweden we know that rock-cored drumlins dominate, while soft-cored drumlins are much less common. The morphology of both types varies along a continuum, whereas their processes of formation differ. Our field examples from ribbed moraine tracts and streamlined terrain suggest that the subglacial environment contains a suite of different ice-sediment physics that, irrespective of this, leads to an equifinality of shape of some subglacial landforms (ribbed moraine and streamlined terrain) despite the differences in the detail of their process of formation. We thus argue that different processes, on their own or in combination, lead to a similar form of morphometric expression, that is, equifinality, and the quest for a unifying process of formation is a misleading one. Furthermore, we argue that large morphological data-sets of subglacial landforms can only be used to classify features as part of a formation continuum – or not – when they are used in conjunction with the sedimentology of said landforms.