Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists on visceral fat and liver ectopic fat in an adult population with or without diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Aim To uncover the effect of GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) on the visceral- and hepatic fat content of adults. Methods PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched from inception until November 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of GLP-1Ras was extracted, including reports of effects on visceral adipose tissue and hepatic fat content in individuals with type 2 diabetes, non-type 2 diabetes, NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), and non-NAFLD. Meta-analyses used random-effects models. Results 1736 individuals in the 30 qualified RCTs were included, comprising 1363 people with type 2 diabetes and 318 with NFLD. GLP-1 RAs reduced visceral adipose tissue (standard mean difference [SMD] = -0.59, 95% CI [-0.83, -0.36], P<0.00001) and hepatic fat content (weighted mean difference [WMD] = -3.09, 95% CI [-4.16, -2.02], P<0.00001) compared to other control treatment. Subgroup analysis showed that GLP-1Ras dramatically decreased visceral fat in patients with type 2 diabetes (SMD = -0.49, 95% CI [-0.69, -0.29] P<0.00001), NAFLD (SMD = -0.99, 95% CI [-1.64, -0.34] P = 0.003), non-type 2 diabetes (SMD = -1.38, 95% CI [-2.44, -0.32] P = 0.01), and non-NAFLD (SMD = -0.53, 95% CI [-0.78, -0.28] P<0.0001). GLP-1Ras reduced the liver fat level of type 2 diabetes (WMD = -3.15, 95% CI [-4.14, -2.15] P<0.00001), NAFLD (WMD = -3.83, 95% CI [-6.30, -1.37] P = 0.002), and type 2 diabetes with NAFLD (WMD = -4.27, 95% CI [-6.80, -1.74] P = 0.0009), while showed no impact on the hepatic fat content in non-Type 2 diabetes (WMD = −12.48, 95% CI [−45.19, 20.24] P = 0.45). Conclusions LP-1 RAs significantly reduce visceral- and liver fat content in adults.
EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS/INDUCED PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS Concise Review: Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Progress Toward Safe Clinical Products

Adult stem cell therapies have provided success for more than 50 years, through reconstitution of the hematopoietic system using bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, and mobilized peripheral blood transplantation. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-mediated therapy is a fast-growing field that has proven safe and effective in the treatment of various degenerative diseases and tissue injuries. Since the first derivation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), there has been impressive progress toward developing safe clinical applications from PSCs. Recent successes in transgene-free iPSC reprogramming have brought attention to the potential of clinical applications of these pluripotent cells, but key hurdles must be overcome, which are discussed in this review. Looking to the future, it could be advantageous to derive MSC from iPSC or human ESC in cases where genetic engineering is needed, since in the PSCs, clones with ‘‘safe harbor’’ vector integration could be selected, expanded, and differentiated. Here, we describe the status of the progress of the use of MSC and PSCs in clinical trials and analyze the challenges that should be overcome before iPSC-derived MSC therapy can be used widely in the clinic. STEM CELLS 2012;30:42–47 Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Starling: Introducing a mesoscopic scale with Confluence for Graph Clustering

Given a Graph G = (V, E) and two vertices i, j ∈ V, we introduce Confluence(G, i, j), a vertex mesoscopic closeness measure based on short Random walks, which brings together vertices from a same overconnected region of the Graph G, and separates vertices coming from two distinct overconnected regions. Confluence becomes a useful tool for defining a new Clustering quality function QConf(G, Γ) for a given Clustering Γ and for defining a new heuristic Starling to find a partitional Clustering of a Graph G intended to optimize the Clustering quality function QConf. We compare the accuracies of Starling, to the accuracies of three state of the art Graphs Clustering methods: Spectral-Clustering, Louvain, and Infomap. These comparisons are done, on the one hand with artificial Graphs (a) Random Graphs and (b) a classical Graphs Clustering Benchmark, and on the other hand with (c) Terrain-Graphs gathered from real data. We show that with (a), (b) and (c), Starling is always able to obtain equivalent or better accuracies than the three others methods. We show also that with the Benchmark (b), Starling is able to obtain equivalent accuracies and even sometimes better than an Oracle that would only know the expected overconnected regions from the Benchmark, ignoring the concretely constructed edges.
Early haemodynamic predictors of poor functional outcomes in patients with acute ischaemic stroke receiving endovascular therapy: a single-centre retrospective study in China

Background Changes in cerebral haemodynamics following endovascular therapy (EVT) for large-vessel occlusion stroke may affect the outcomes of patients with acute ischaemic stroke (AIS); however, evidence supporting this belief is limited. This study aims to identify the early haemodynamic predictors of poor outcomes in patients with AIS caused by anterior circulation large-artery occlusion after undergoing EVT and to evaluate the usefulness of these indicators in predicting functional outcomes at 90 days. Methods This retrospective study was conducted at a single academic hospital, using prospectively collected data. We enrolled adult patients with acute anterior circulation stroke who underwent EVT. Transcranial colour-coded sonography (TCCS) examinations of the recanalised and contralateral middle cerebral artery (MCA) were performed within 12 h after undergoing EVT. Haemodynamic indicators were analysed to determine their association with poor functional outcomes (modified Rankin Scale: 3–6) 90 days after stroke. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the usefulness of haemodynamic indicators in predicting functional outcomes. Results In total, 108 patients (median age: 66 years; 69.4% males) were enrolled in this study. Complete recanalization was achieved in 93 patients (86.1%); however, 60 patients (55.6%) had a poor 90-day outcome. The peak systolic velocity (PSV) ratio, adjusted PSV ratio, mean flow velocity (MFV) ratio, and adjusted MFV ratio of the MCA were significantly higher in patients with poor prognosis than in patients with good prognosis (p < 0.02). A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that higher PSV ratio, adjusted PSV ratio, MFV ratio, and adjusted MFV ratio were independently associated with a poor 90-day outcomes (adjusted odds ratio: 1.11–1.48 for every 0.1 increase; p < 0.03). Furthermore, adding the adjusted MFV ratio significantly improved the prediction ability of the basic model for the 90-day poor functional outcome using the ROC analysis, the areas under ROC curves increased from 0.75 to 0.85 (p = 0.013). Conclusions Early TCCS examination may help in predicting poor functional outcomes at 90 days in patients with AIS who underwent EVT. Moreover, combining novel TCCS indicators (adjusted MFV ratio) with conventional parameters improved the prediction ability of the base model.
An efficient quasi-Monte Carlo method with forced fixed detection for photon scatter simulation in CT

Detected scattered photons can cause cupping and streak artifacts, significantly degrading the quality of CT images. For fast and accurate estimation of scatter intensities resulting from photon interactions with a phantom, we first transform the path probability of photons interacting with the phantom into a high-dimensional integral. Secondly, we develope a new efficient algorithm called gQMCFFD, which combines graphics processing unit(GPU)-based quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC) with forced fixed detection to approximate this integral. QMC uses low discrepancy sequences for simulation and is deterministic versions of Monte Carlo. Numerical experiments show that the results are in excellent agreement and the efficiency improvement factors are 4 ∼ 46 times in all simulations by gQMCFFD with comparison to GPU-based Monte Carlo methods. And by combining gQMCFFD with sparse matrix method, the simulation time is reduced to 2 seconds in a single projection angle and the relative difference is 3.53%.
The effects of type and workload of internal tasks on voluntary saccades in a target-distractor saccade task

When we engage in internally directed cognition, like doing mental arithmetic or mind wandering, fewer cognitive resources are assigned for other activities like reacting to perceptual input—an effect termed perceptual decoupling. However, the exact conditions under which perceptual decoupling occurs and its underlying cognitive mechanisms are still unclear. Hence, the present study systematically manipulated the task type (arithmetic, visuospatial) and workload (control, low, high) of the internal task in a within-subject design and tested its effects on voluntary saccades in a target-distractor saccade task. As expected, engagement in internal tasks delayed saccades to the target. This effect was moderated by time, task, and workload: The delay was largest right after internal task onset and then decreased, potentially reflecting the intensity of internal task demands. Saccades were also more delayed for the high compared to the low workload condition in the arithmetic task, whereas workload conditions had similarly high effects in the visuospatial task. Findings suggests that perceptual decoupling of eye behavior gradually increases with internal demands on general resources and that perceptual decoupling is specifically sensitive to internal demands on visuospatial resources. The latter may be mediated by interference due to eye behavior elicited by the internal task itself. Internal tasks did not affect the saccade latency-deviation trade-off, indicating that while the internal tasks delayed the execution of the saccade, the perception of the saccade stimuli and spatial planning of the saccade continued unaffected in parallel to the internal tasks. Together, these findings shed further light on the specific mechanisms underlying perceptual decoupling by suggesting that perceptual decoupling of eye behavior increases as internal demands on cognitive resources overlap more strongly with demands of the external task.
A novel piecewise-linear method for detecting associations between variables

Detecting the association between two variables is necessary and meaningful in the era of big data. There are many measures to detect the association between them, some detect linear association, e.g., simple and fast Pearson correlation coefficient, and others detect nonlinear association, e.g., computationally expensive and imprecise maximal information coefficient (MIC). In our study, we proposed a novel maximal association coefficient (MAC) based on the idea that any nonlinear association can be considered to be composed of some piecewise-linear ones, which detects linear or nonlinear association between two variables through Pearson coefficient. We conduct experiments on some simulation data, with the results show that the MAC has both generality and equitability. In addition, we also apply MAC method to two real datasets, the major-league baseball dataset from Baseball Prospectus and dataset of credit card clients’ default, to detect the association strength of pairs of variables in these two datasets respectively. The experimental results show that the MAC can be used to detect the association between two variables, and it is computationally inexpensive and precise than MIC, which may be potentially important for follow-up data analysis and the conclusion of data analysis in the future.
Depth-dependent attenuation and backscattering characterization of optical coherence tomography by stationary iterative method

Abstract. Significance Extracting optical properties of tissue [e.g., the attenuation coefficient (μ) and the backscattering fraction] from the optical coherence tomography (OCT) images is a valuable tool for parametric imaging and related diagnostic applications. Previous attenuation estimation models depend on the assumption of the uniformity of the backscattering fraction (R) within layers or whole samples, which does not accurately represent real-world conditions. Aim Our aim is to develop a robust and accurate model that calculates depth-wise values of attenuation and backscattering fractions simultaneously from OCT signals. Furthermore, we aim to develop an attenuation compensation model for OCT images that utilizes the optical properties we obtained to improve the visual representation of tissues. Approach Using the stationary iteration method under suitable constraint conditions, we derived the approximated solutions of μ and R on a single scattering model. During the iteration, the estimated value of μ can be rectified by introducing the large variations of R, whereas the small ones were automatically ignored. Based on the calculation of the structure information, the OCT intensity with attenuation compensation was deduced and compared with the original OCT profiles. Results The preliminary validation was performed in the OCT A-line simulation and Monte Carlo modeling, and the subsequent experiment was conducted on multi-layer silicone-dye-TiO2 phantoms and ex vivo cow eyes. Our method achieved robust and precise estimation of μ and R for both simulated and experimental data. Moreover, corresponding OCT images with attenuation compensation provided an improved resolution over the entire imaging range. Conclusions Our proposed method was able to correct the estimation bias induced by the variations of R and provided accurate depth-resolved measurements of both μ and R simultaneously. The method does not require prior knowledge of the morphological information of tissue and represents more real-life tissues. Thus, it has the potential to help OCT imaging based disease diagnosis of complex and multi-layer biological tissue.
Risk factors for mortality in patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome after the Norwood procedure

Abstract OBJECTIVES Several studies have reported mortality risk factors associated with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). However, these data are ambiguous and mainly focused on the independent effects of these factors. We examined both the independent and the cumulative effects of preoperative risk factors for poor outcome in patients undergoing the Norwood procedure. Moreover, we studied the risk factors associated with prolonged initial hospital stays in these patients. METHODS We performed a retrospective national 18-year observational study of preoperative risk factors for 1 year, as well as total follow-up mortality or need for transplant in patients with HLHS (N = 99) born in Finland between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2021. RESULTS Overall, one-year survival was 85.6%. In a multivariable analysis, having a major extracardiac anomaly and being small for gestational age were significant predictors of one-year mortality or the need for a transplant. Aortic atresia was a predictor of total follow-up mortality. An analysis of the cumulative effect indicated that the presence of 2 risk factors was associated with higher mortality. CONCLUSIONS HLHS remains the defect with the highest procedural risks for mortality in paediatric cardiac surgery. From a prognostic point of view, recognition of independent preoperative risk factors as well as the cumulative effect of risk factors for mortality is essential. The results of this study were presented orally at the 55th Annual Meeting of the Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology, Geneva, Switzerland, 28 May 2022.
Effects of Measurement Errors on Population Estimates from Samples Generated from a Stratified Population through Systematic Sampling Technique

In various surveys, presence of measurement errors has led to misleading results in estimation of various population parameters. This study indicates the effects of measurement errors on estimates of population total and population variance when samples are drawn using systematic sampling technique from a stratified population. A finite population was generated through simulation. The population was then stratified into four strata followed by generation of ten samples in each of them using systematic sampling technique. In each stratum a sample was picked at random. The findings of this work indicated that systematic errors affected the accuracy of the estimates by overestimating both the population total and the population variance. Random errors only added variability to the data but their effect on the estimates of the population total and population variance was not that profound.
Methods for Ecological Monitoring of Coral Reefs - A Resource for Managers.

VERSION 1 ii This compendium of methods contains those known to be in common use for coral reef monitoring or were provided by coral reef resource managers and researchers from around the world. Much of the information is based on questionnaires distributed widely and from the coral reef literature. This should not be considered as a definitive list. Interested persons are invited to contact the authors for information or to indicate errors and omissions. Acknowledgements Special thanks go to those people who provided method descriptions and assessments from a management perspective through discussions and responses to questionnaires. We are particularly grateful to those who provided financial support for the GCRMN and this publication: are thanked for their suggestions and proof reading. Finally special thanks go to the production staff at AIMS, Wendy Ellery and Tim Simmonds; again a very professional job under a tight schedule. 1 The aim of this book is to help managers of coral reefs select appropriate ecological monitoring programs, protocols and methods for your coral reef management needs. This book was written in response to requests from coral reef managers for advice on monitoring, especially: m How monitoring can help management; m How to choose the best methods to suit your needs; and m The good and bad points and associated costs of a wide range of monitoring methods. Monitoring can be specifi c or general. There are different management information needs for each coral reef area, so monitoring programs must be designed to include a selection of protocols and methods to meet those needs. The protocols and methods outlined in this book represent the ones most commonly used on coral reefs around the world. Our advice is to use the standard and frequently used methods to monitor your reefs because these have been extensively tested. Using standard methods also means that you will be able to compare the status of your coral reefs with other reefs at regional and global scales. Coral reef managers around the world have similar problems and questions that monitoring can answer. For example, managers need to know if: m Coral reefs are healthy and improving; m Threats are damaging the corals or other organisms; m Fish populations are increasing in a protected area; m Management actions have been successful; m Economies of local communities are maintained or improved; m Communities understand the need for management and want to assist; m …
Transplant Trial Watch

Aims This study aimed to evaluate the ef ﬁ cacy of pre-emptive treatment of De Novo DSA (dnDSA) using combination ofhigh-dose intravenous immunoglobulin and rituximab (IVIG+) or rituximab alone (IVIG-) in reduction of dnDSA titre at 3 and 12 months after treatment compared to retrospective controls.
A human immune system (HIS) mouse model that dissociates roles for mouse and human FcR+ cells during antibody‐mediated immune responses

Human immune system (HIS) mice provide a model to study human immune responses in vivo. Currently available HIS mouse models may harbor mouse Fc Receptor (FcR)‐expressing cells that exert potent effector functions following administration of human Ig. Previous studies showed that the ablation of the murine FcR gamma chain (FcR‐γ) results in loss of antibody‐dependent cellular cytotoxicity and antibody‐dependent cellular phagocytosis in vivo. We created a new FcR‐γ‐deficient HIS mouse model to compare host (mouse) versus graft (human) effects underlying antibody‐mediated immune responses in vivo. FcR‐γ‐deficient HIS recipients lack expression and function of mouse activating FcRs and can be stably and robustly reconstituted with human immune cells. By screening blood B‐cell depletion by rituximab Ig variants, we found that human FcγRs‐mediated IgG1 effects, whereas mouse activating FcγRs were dominant in IgG4 effects. Complement played a role as an IgG1 variant (IgG1 K322A) lacking complement binding activity was largely ineffective. Finally, we provide evidence that FcγRIIIA on human NK cells could mediate complement‐independent B‐cell depletion by IgG1 K322A. We anticipate that our FcR‐γ‐deficient HIS model will help clarify mechanisms of action of exogenous administered human antibodies in vivo.
p62 and NBR1 functions are dispensable for aggrephagy in mouse ESCs and ESC-derived neurons

This work shows a robust and stable aggrephagy regulation in mouse ESCs and ESC-derived neurons in absence of p62 and NBR1 functions. Accumulation of protein aggregates is a hallmark of various neurodegenerative diseases. Selective autophagy mediates the delivery of specific cytoplasmic cargo material into lysosomes for degradation. In aggrephagy, which is the selective autophagy of protein aggregates, the cargo receptors p62 and NBR1 were shown to play important roles in cargo selection. They bind ubiquitinated cargo material via their ubiquitin-associated domains and tether it to autophagic membranes via their LC3-interacting regions. We used mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) in combination with genome editing to obtain further insights into the roles of p62 and NBR1 in aggrephagy. Unexpectedly, our data reveal that both ESCs and ESC-derived neurons do not show strong defects in the clearance of protein aggregates upon knockout of p62 or NBR1 and upon mutation of the p62 ubiquitin-associated domain and the LC3-interacting region motif. Taken together, our results show a robust aggregate clearance in ESCs and ESC-derived neurons. Thus, redundancy between the cargo receptors, other factors, and pathways, such as the ubiquitin-proteasome system, may compensate for the loss of function of p62 and NBR1.
The correlation of left atrial diameter with preserved ejection fraction, reduced ejection fraction, and mid‐range ejection fraction

In patients with heart failure, left atrial remodeling often occurs to varying degrees. Left atrial enlargement has been proved to be an important predictor of cardiovascular‐related adverse events. However, the relationship between left atrial diameter (LAD) with heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and mid‐range ejection fraction (HFmrEF) remains unclear.
Using Stable Isotope Analysis of Zooplankton to Document Trophic and Biogeochemical Changes in the San Francisco Estuary

This material is based upon work supported by the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation and by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0952013. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation or the National Science Foundation. This project has also been made possible with support of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. The STAR program is administered by the Cal Poly Center for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education (CESaME) on behalf of the California State University (CSU). Steven Westbrook Robert Noyce Scholarship grant number 0833358.