Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Abusive advertising of food and drink products on Brazilian television

Abstract In Brazil, any advertising strategies that take advantage of the child’s judgment or induce consumers to make harmful health choices are considered abusive. However, the efficacy of restrictions on their use on television (TV) food advertising remains poorly understood. This study analysed the extent and nature of abusive techniques according to national regulations and patterns in their use in food-related ads. Cross-sectional studyrecorded the programming of the three most popular TV channels (6 am–12 am), during eight non-consecutive days, in April 2018. Data collection was based on the INFORMAS protocol and two national regulations. Descriptive analyses were used to describe the types of food ads and abusive techniques used in ultra-processed products (UPP) ads. Principal component analysis was applied to identify patterns of abusive marketing techniques and to relate them to specific food groups. More than 90% of food ads included at least one UPP. Overall, 10.1% of UPP ads targeted children and 57.7% used some kind of abusive technique directed to children and adolescents. Most ads contained messages inducing harmful health choices did not present adequate and clear information about the product and contained more than one type of abusive technique. Four out of five patterns in the use of abusive techniques in UPP ads were specifically directed to children, and fast-food meals were associated with three out of five patterns. The high abusiveness of food advertising in UPP ads should be considered a public health concern given their impact on children’s food choices and health.
Sociodemographic disparities in the management of advanced lung cancer: a narrative review

Treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has markedly changed in the past decade with the integration of biomarker testing, targeted therapies, immunotherapy, and palliative care. These advancements have led to significant improvements in quality of life and overall survival. Despite these improvements, racial and socioeconomic disparities in lung cancer mortality persist. This narrative review aims to assess and synthesize the literature on sociodemographic disparities in the management of advanced NSCLC. A narrative overview of the literature was conducted using PubMed and Scopus and was narrowed to articles published from January 1, 2010, until July 22, 2020. Articles relevant to sociodemographic variation in (I) chemoradiation for stage III NSCLC, (II) molecular biomarker testing, (III) systemic treatment, including chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, and (IV) palliative and end of life care were included in this review. Twenty-two studies were included. Sociodemographic disparities in the management of advanced NSCLC varied, but recurring findings emerged. Across most treatment domains, Black patients, the uninsured, and patients with Medicaid were less likely to receive recommended lung cancer care. However, some of the literature was limited due to incomplete data to adequately assess appropriateness of care, and several studies were out of date with current practice guidelines. Sociodemographic disparities in the management of advanced lung cancer are evident. Given the rapidly evolving treatment paradigm for advanced NSCLC, updated research is needed. Research on interventions to address disparities in advanced NSCLC is also needed.
Response to: effect of vasa vasorum in cerebrovascular compensation: 2 case reports

Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Neuroradiology & Neurointervention Service, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Interventional Neuroradiology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China Correspondence to: Liqun Jiao. Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 45, Changchun Street, Beijing 100053, China. Email: liqunjiao@sina.cn. Response to: Wang R, Weng L, Li M. Effect of vasa vasorum in cerebrovascular compensation: 2 case reports. Ann Transl Med 2020;8:508.
Rate and Predictors of Failure in the Conservative Management of Stable Thoracolumbar Burst Fractures: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Study Design: Systematic review. Objectives: Management of stable traumatic thoracolumbar burst fractures in neurologically-intact patients remains controversial. Conservative management fails in a subset of patients who require subsequent surgical fixation. The aim of this review is to (1) determine the rate of conservative management failure, and (2) analyze predictive factors at admission influencing conservative management failure. Methods: A systematic review adhering to PRISMA guidelines was performed. Studies with data pertaining to traumatic thoracolumbar burst fractures without posterior osteoligamentous injury (e.g. AO Type A3/A4) and/or the rate and predictive factors of conservative management failure were included. Risk of bias appraisal was performed. Pooled analysis of rates of failure was performed with qualitative analysis of predictors of conservative management failure. Results: 16 articles were included in this review (11 pertaining to rate of conservative management failure, 5 pertaining to predictive risk factors). Rate of failure of conservative management from a pooled analysis of 601 patients is 9.2% (95% CI: 4.5%-13.9%). Admission factors predictive of conservative management failure include age, greater initial kyphotic angle, greater initial interpedicular distance, smaller initial residual canal size, greater Load Sharing Classification (LSC) score and greater admission Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain scores. Conclusion: A proportion (9.2%) of conservatively managed, neurologically-intact thoracolumbar burst fractures fail conservative management. Among other factors, age, kyphotic angle, residual canal area and interpedicular distance should be investigated in prospective studies to identify the subset of patients prone to failure of conservative management. Surgical management should be carefully considered in patients with the above risk factors.
Caregivers’ Perspectives of Pharmacist Intervention in Children’s Antibiotic Prescriptions for Upper Respiratory Tract Infections

Background: Community pharmacists can help fight antimicrobial resistance by intervening in children’s antibiotic prescriptions for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). However, caregivers’ attitudes and perspectives on this are unknown. Objective: To evaluate children’s caregivers’ acceptability of pharmacists intervening in their antibiotic prescriptions for URTIs with respect to their knowledge of and attitude toward pharmacists and knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors related to antibiotics. Methods: A 69-item survey was created and sent to a panel of caregivers. ANCOVA and path analysis were used to evaluate the relationship between caregiver characteristics and their acceptability of pharmacists intervening in children’s antibiotic prescriptions for URTIs. Results: Responses from 246 caregivers who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were analyzed. Mean caregivers’ acceptability of pharmacists intervening in children’s antibiotic prescriptions for URTIs was 3.25 out of 5 (±1.01). The ANCOVA model (adjusted R2 = .636) showed positive attitude toward pharmacists and being more accepting of health advice from pharmacists since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with higher caregiver acceptability of pharmacists intervening in children’s antibiotic prescriptions. Caregivers with better relationships with their pharmacist also tend to have better attitudes toward pharmacists. Not wanting antibiotics for symptom relief was associated with decreased acceptability scores. Conclusion: Overall caregiver acceptability of pharmacists intervening in antibiotic prescriptions was slightly above neutral. Building a relationship with caregivers could help change their attitude and increase the acceptability of pharmacists intervening in children’s antibiotic prescriptions. Caregivers seeking symptomatic relief may be more open to non-antibiotic alternatives.
Neurodevelopment Following Exposure to Antiseizure Medications in Utero: A Review

Exposure in the womb to antiseizure medications and their potential impact on the brain of the developing child has long been researched. Despite this long period of interest, this review highlights that above the well-known risks associated with valproate exposure, there are more data required for conclusions regarding all other antiseizure medications. Limited experience with phenytoin and phenobarbital in monotherapy makes clearly defining the risk to later child postnatal functioning difficult, although the evidence of an impact is stronger for phenobarbital than for phenytoin. The widely prescribed lamotrigine is limited in its investigation in comparison to unexposed control children, and whilst it has been demonstrated to carry a lower risk than valproate for certain outcomes, whether it is associated with a more moderate impact on wider aspects of neurodevelopmental functioning is still to be understood. Data for levetiracetam, topiramate and oxcarbazepine are too limited to confidently draw conclusions for most neurodevelopmental outcomes. This slow accumulation of evidence impacts on the safest use of medications in pregnancy and makes counseling women regarding the risks and benefits of specific antiseizure medications difficult. Improved focus, funding, and research methodologies are urgently needed.
Surgical treatment of locally recurrent rectal cancer: a narrative review

Objective To summarize the recent literature on surgical treatment of locally recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC). Background LRRC is a heterogeneous disease that requires a multidisciplinary treatment approach. The treatment and prognosis depend on the site and type of recurrence. Radical resection remains the primary method for achieving long-term survival and improving symptom control. Preoperative chemoradiotherapy can reduce tumor volume and improve the R0 resection rate. Surgeons must clearly understand pelvic anatomy, develop a detailed preoperative plan, adopt a multidisciplinary approach for the surgical resection of the tumor as well as any invaded soft tissues, vessels, and bones, and ensure proper reconstruction. However, extended radical surgery often leads to a higher risk of postoperative complications and a low quality of life. Methods We searched English-language articles with keywords “locally recurrent rectal cancer”, “surgery” and “multidisciplinary team” in PubMed published between January 2000 to October 2020. Conclusions LRRC is a complex problem. Long-term survival is not impossible following multidisciplinary treatment in appropriately selected LRRC patients. The management of LRRC relies on a specialist team that determines the biological behavior of the tumor and evaluates treatment options through multidisciplinary discussions, thereby balancing the surgical costs and benefits, alleviating postoperative complications, and improving patients’ quality of life.
LncRNA-TCONS_00034812 is upregulated in atherosclerosis and upregulates miR-21 through methylation in vascular smooth muscle cells

Background LncRNA-TCONS_00034812 is a critical player in the proliferation of aortic smooth muscle cells. It is known that artery injury plays an important role in atherosclerosis. However, the potential implication of LncRNA-TCONS_00034812 in atherosclerosis remains unclear. In this study, we collected artery specimens from patients with atherosclerosis and healthy controls to investigate the involvement of LncRNA-TCONS_00034812 in atherosclerosis. Methods Sixty patients with atherosclerosis and 60 controls, admitted at The First Hospital of Changsha (Changsha, China), between March 2017 and March 2019, were included. An artery biopsy was performed on all participants to obtain the artery specimens. Real-time quantitative PCR were performed to quantify the relative expression level of LncRNA-TCONS_00034812. Its role in atherosclerotic lesion was evaluated in (high fat diet) HFD-induced ApoE−/− mice. Moreover, human aortic smooth muscle cells (HAOSMCs) was employed to study functional role of LncRNA-TCONS_00034812 overexpression and knockdown by methylation-specific PCR and cell proliferation assay. Results Overexpression of TCONS_00034812 resulted in miR-21 upregulation and a decrease of miR-21 gene methylation. In contrast, silencing of TCONS_00034812 caused miR-21 downregulation and an increase of miR-21 gene methylation. Cell proliferation analysis indicated that the overexpression of TCONS_00034812 and miR-21 promoted cell proliferation, while silencing of TCONS_00034812 played an opposite role. Moreover, miR-21 overexpression weakened the effects of silencing TCONS_00034812 on cell proliferation. Conclusions In summary, LncRNA-TCONS_00034812 is upregulated in atherosclerotic samples, and its overexpression upregulates miR-21 through methylation in human aortic smooth muscle cells (HAOSMCs). Our study indicates that LncRNA-TCONS_00034812 could serve as a potential biomarker for diagnosis of atherosclerosis.
Sense of Purpose in Life Is Associated with Lower Risk of Incident Dementia: A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND A sense of purpose in life has been associated with healthier cognitive outcomes across adulthood, including risk of dementia. The robustness and replicability of this association, however, has yet to be evaluated systematically. OBJECTIVE To test whether a greater sense of purpose in life is associated with lower risk of dementia in four population-based cohorts and combined with the published literature. METHODS Random-effect meta-analysis of prospective studies (individual participant data and from the published literature identified through a systematic review) that examined sense of purpose and risk of incident dementia. RESULTS In six samples followed up to 17 years (four primary data and two published; total N = 53,499; n = 5,862 incident dementia), greater sense of purpose in life was associated with lower dementia risk (HR = 0.77, 95%CI = 0.73-0.81, p < 0.001). The association was generally consistent across cohorts (I2 = 47%), remained significant controlling for clinical (e.g., depression) and behavioral (e.g., physical inactivity) risk factors, and was not moderated by age, gender, or education. CONCLUSION Sense of purpose is a replicable and robust predictor of lower risk of incident dementia and is a promising target of intervention for cognitive health outcomes.
Endothelin receptor antagonism improves glucose handling, dyslipidemia, and adipose tissue inflammation in obese mice.

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is elevated in patients with obesity; however, its contribution to the pathophysiology related to obesity is not fully understood. We hypothesized that high ET-1 levels cause dyslipidemia, inflammation, and insulin resistance within the adipose tissue of obese mice. To test this hypothesis, male C57BL/6J mice were fed either normal diet (NMD) or high fat diet (HFD) for 8 weeks followed by 2 weeks of treatment with either vehicle, atrasentan (ETA receptor antagonist, 10mg/kg/day), or bosentan (ETA/ETB receptor antagonist, 100mg/kg/day). Atrasentan and bosentan lowered circulating non-esterified free fatty acids and triglycerides seen in HFD mice, while atrasentan-treated mice had significantly lower liver triglycerides compared to non-treated HFD mice. ET-1 receptor blockade significantly improved insulin tolerance compared to insulin resistant HFD mice and lowered expression of genes in epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) associated with insulin resistance and inflammation. Flow cytometric analyses of eWAT indicated that HFD mice had significantly higher percentages of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells compared to NMD mice, which was attenuated by treatment with atrasentan or bosentan. Atrasentan treatment also abolished the decrease in eosinophils seen in HFD mice. Taken together, these data indicate that ETA and ETA/ETB receptor blockade improves peripheral glucose homeostasis, dyslipidemia, and liver triglycerides, and also attenuates the proinflammatory immune profile in eWAT of mice fed a HFD. These data suggest a potential use for ETA and ETA/ETB receptor blockers in the treatment of obesity-associated dyslipidemia and insulin resistance.
Prospective Memory Training for Healthy Older Adults: A Systematic Review

ABSTRACT Objectives This review systematically synthesizes existing evidence of prospective memory training for healthy older adults (> 55 years). Existing prospective memory training include strategy-based, process-based and combined regimens. Strategy-based training focuses on different mnemonics to compensate for aging declines in prospective memory. Process-based training aims to restore related cognitive processes to support prospective memory. Combined training utilizes both strategy-based and process-based regimens to enhance prospective memory performance. Methods A total of 349 studies were identified from the Cochrane Library, EBSCO, PsycINFO and PubMed databases. Results Using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 11 studies were included in the review. There were six studies of strategy-based training, two studies of process-based training and three studies of combined training. Conclusions Overall, strategy-based training appears to facilitate prospective memory for healthy older adults. However, it is impossible to draw conclusions for process-based and combined training due to the preliminary nature of current evidence. Clinical Implications Mental imagery or the use of external aids can be useful strategy-based approaches to facilitate prospective memory in older adults. Strategy-based training should target multiple prospective memory phases simultaneously to encourage transfers. Further studies will be required to draw conclusions on the effectiveness of process-based and combined training.
Fractionating Pentosans and Hexosans in Hybrid Poplar

In this paper, a study on the fractionation of pentosans and hexosans from poplar chips was performed using a circulation reactor. The study’s methodology created kinetic models of both pentosan and hexosan hydrolysis/degradation to predict the fractionation yield of both substances. The conditions were varied to include a temperature range of 140–170 °C, a sulfuric acid concentration range of 0.1–0.9 wt %, and a constant liquor-to-wood ratio of 6:1. The yields of both substances were favored at high acid concentration and temperature, with pentosan being considerably more reactive. Under optimal conditions, 91% of pentosan (as monomers, oligmers, and degradation products) could be recovered, with more than 93% of hexosan retained in the solids. This study demonstrates that pentosans and hexosans may be fractionated from this biomass using acid hydrolysis, which will enable further processing of relatively homogeneous saccharide streams to create fuels or chemicals.
Vessel sealing system for video-assisted lung resection for cancer reduces chylothorax and bleeding

Background The objective of this study was to analyze the efficacy of the LigaSureTM vessel sealing system for lung cancer resection with node dissection, as this has not been sufficiently evaluated. Methods From 2004 to 2018, 948 patients underwent anatomical pulmonary resection with node dissection for non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) via the video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) approach. Medical records of these patients were reviewed retrospectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to determine the risk factors for chylothorax and blood loss. Results Of the 948 patients, 318 (33.5%) who underwent anatomical lung resection with node dissection by conventional methods without vessel sealing system and 630 (66.5%) who underwent lung resection with node dissection with the vessel sealing system were included. The median intraoperative blood loss was 100 mL. Postoperative chylothorax occurred in 9 (2.8%) patients in the conventional method group with 2 (0.3%) patients in the vessel sealing system group (P=0.001). Patients in the vessel sealing group who developed chylothorax were cured by conservative treatment. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified male sex [odds ratio (OR) 2.053; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.494–2.820; P<0.001] and the use of vessel sealing system (OR 0.342; 95% CI: 0.256–0.457; P<0.001) as independent predictors of intraoperative blood loss. The univariate and multivariate analyses identified the use of the vessel sealing system (OR 0.108; 95% CI: 0.023–0.504; P=0.005) as an independent predictor of chylothorax incidence. Conclusions Vessel sealing system for lung cancer resection could decrease chest tube duration, amount of intraoperative bleeding, and incidence of chylothorax in patients who undergo lung resection with node dissection.
Toward an asthma patient-reported outcome measure for use in digital remote monitoring

Abstract Objective To develop and test a patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) for suitability in digital remote asthma symptom monitoring to identify uncontrolled asthma. Methods We modified a 5-item PROM that does not require a license, the asthma control measure (ACM), from a one-month to one-week lookback period, and evaluated it using the 5-item asthma control questionnaire (ACQ-5). We recruited subjects with asthma through MTurk, an online platform. Results In a sample of 498 subjects, the ACM identified uncontrolled asthma with sensitivity 0.99 and specificity 0.65. The two measures correlated with r = 0.81. Conclusion The ACM modified to a weekly lookback period can differentiate patients with well-controlled asthma from those with uncontrolled asthma. This PROM does not require a license and can be used in digital remote monitoring interventions.
Speciation and bioavailability of mercury in sediments from Mokolo River, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract The presence of coal-based power plants and coal mine in the Waterberg area subjects the Mokolo River to potentially toxic elements (PTEs) such as mercury (Hg). Mercury is an extremely toxic element. Thus, monitoring and chemical speciation of Hg in water bodies; particularly in sediments is a vital tool for assessing water quality. The objective of this study was to investigate the levels of Hg(II) and methyl Hg (MeHg(I)) in sediment samples collected from Mokolo River in different seasons, as well as examining factors such as pH, temperature and organic matter content, which could affect Hg methylation rates. An ultrasonic based method was used for the extraction of Hg species in sediments. This was followed by the chromatographic separation and detection of Hg(II) and MeHg(I) by the on-line coupling of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). A solution containing HCl and 2-mercaptoethanol was employed for the extraction of Hg species in sediments. Separation of the two species of Hg was achieved using isocratic elution mode with a mobile phase containing L-cysteine, 2-mercaptoethanol, ammonium acetate and methanol. The accuracy of the method was checked and yielded a percentage recovery of 86%. The Hg(II) concentrations ranged from 38.4 to 89.05 ng g−1 and 34.8 to 57.3 ng g−1 in low and high flow seasons, respectively. The concentrations of MeHg(I) ranged from 0.702 to 4.5 ng g−1 and 0.5 to 2.5 ng g−1 in the low and high flow seasons, respectively. Factors such as pH and temperature were found to influence the methylation rates, however correlation couldn’t be established to organic matter content due to similar amount of organic matter in all the samples.