Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Examination of Articulatory Precision in Autistic Children and Adults.

PURPOSE According to the speech attunement framework, autistic individuals lack the ability and/or motivation to "tune up" their speech to the same level of precision as their neurotypical peers. However, previous studies exploring the articulatory patterns of autistic individuals have yielded disparate findings. One reason contrasting conclusions exist may be because studies have relied on perceptual measures of articulation. Here, we use an objective acoustic measure of articulatory precision to explore the articulatory patterns of autistic children and adults. METHOD This was a retrospective analysis of an existing corpus of 900 recorded speech samples taken from 30 adult and 30 child participants across two different population groups: autistic individuals (autism spectrum disorder [ASD] group) and neurotypical individuals (neurotypical [NT] group). Articulatory precision scores were calculated using an automated metric that compares observed acoustics to the expected acoustics for each phoneme production. Linear mixed-effects models were used to compare the articulatory precision scores across population group (i.e., ASD group vs. NT group) and to see if these differences were moderated by age group (i.e., children vs. adult). RESULTS The speech of autistic individuals was characterized by reduced articulatory precision relative to their neurotypical peers. This pattern was not significantly moderated by age, indicating it occurred in both the children and adult groups. CONCLUSIONS Our preliminary findings indicate that imprecise articulation may be a characteristic of the speech of autistic individuals in both childhood and adulthood. These findings are in line with predictions posited by the speech attunement framework. Given the current lack of speech markers for this clinical population and the importance of speech quality in the social integration of autistic individuals, our results advance articulatory precision as a viable and important target for future research.
New developments of biofluid‐based biomarkers for routine diagnosis and disease trajectories in frontotemporal dementia

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) covers a spectrum of neurodegenerative disorders with different phenotypes, genetic backgrounds, and pathological states. Its clinicopathological diversity challenges the diagnostic process and the execution of clinical trials, calling for specific diagnostic biomarkers of pathologic FTD types. There is also a need for biomarkers that facilitate disease staging, quantification of severity, monitoring in clinics and observational studies, and for evaluation of target engagement and treatment response in clinical trials. This review discusses current FTD biofluid‐based biomarker knowledge taking into account the differing applications. The limitations, knowledge gaps, and challenges for the development and implementation of such markers are also examined. Strategies to overcome these hurdles are proposed, including the technologies available, patient cohorts, and collaborative research initiatives. Access to robust and reliable biomarkers that define the exact underlying pathophysiological FTD process will meet the needs for specific diagnosis, disease quantitation, clinical monitoring, and treatment development.
Modifying the Renal Angina Index for Predicting AKI and Related Adverse Outcomes in Pediatric Heart Surgery

Background:Reliable prediction of severe acute kidney injury (AKI) and related poor outcomes has the potential to optimize treatment. The purpose of this study was to modify the renal angina index in pediatric cardiac surgery to predict severe AKI and related poor outcomes. Methods: We performed a multicenter retrospective study with the population divided into a derivation and validation cohort to assess the performance of a modified renal angina index assessed at 8 h after cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) admission to predict a complex outcome of severe day 3 AKI or related poor outcomes (ventilation duration >7 days, CICU length of stay >14 days, and mortality). The derivation sample was used to determine the optimal cut-off value. Results: There were 298 and 299 patients in the derivation and validation cohorts, respectively. The incidence of severe day 3 AKI and the complex outcome was 1.7% and 28% in the derivation and validation cohort. The sensitivity analysis for fulfillment of renal angina was a score >8 with a sensitivity of 63%, specificity of 73%, and negative predictive value of 83%. The cardiac renal angina index predicted the composite outcome with an area under the curve of 0.7 (95% confidence interval: 0.62-0.78). Renal angina patients had a significantly higher probability of the complex outcome when compared to individual risk and injury categories. Conclusions: We operationalized the renal angina index for use after cardiac surgery. Further revision and modification of the construct with integration of biomarkers in a prospective cohort are necessary to refine the prediction model.
Titanium Surface Decontamination: A Systematic Review of In Vitro Comparative Studies.

PURPOSE To achieve high plaque removal around peri-implant tissues, noninvasive cleaning methods that guarantee the long-term success and survival of titanium implants should be established. This systematic review aimed to systematically evaluate in vitro investigations assessing different treatment modalities to decontaminate titanium surfaces, with special focus on the most effective cleaning procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS PRISMA guidelines were adopted in an electronic search conducted through MEDLINE, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases to identify studies on mechanical, chemical, or laser decontamination modalities up to November 2019. RESULTS The search resulted in 326 articles; after removing duplicates and reading titles, abstracts, and full texts, 38 articles were ultimately processed for data extraction. Mechanical decontamination provided better results in comparison to laser and chemical procedures. Among mechanical modalities, air abrasion showed the best cleaning effectiveness. Conversely, upon comparison of the chemical methods, chlorhexidine demonstrated comparable results with all tested substances and even with photodynamic therapy. Among different lasers, the results showed that the diode was more promising compared with the other tested lasers. CONCLUSION This review demonstrated that there is still no consensus on which technique performs better. However, mechanical decontamination yielded more favorable results than laser and chemical methods. This aspect would support the hypothesis that decontamination procedures adopted in a combination fashion, which includes mechanical procedures, may provide better clinical results than when used alone.
Evaluation of packaging systems with O2-absorbers on quality of minimally processed soybean sprouts

This study evaluated the influence of O2-absorbing sachets into different packages polyethylene terephthalate (PET – E1), low density polyethylene (LDPE – E2), and PET/LDPE (E3) on the quality of minimally processed soybean sprouts (MP-sprouts). The MP-sprouts were stored up to 12 days and characterized for physicochemical, microbiological and sensory attributes. The O2-absorbing sachet showed changes during exposure to the environment by the formation of amorphous iron hydroxide, which was observed by the analysis of functional groups and XRD. The packaging used in the study showed high transmittance and clarity, and low Haze, being a good feature for storing the MP product. All packaging systems showed an increase in the volume of absorbed oxygen (cm3) up to 9 days of storage. The physic-chemical characteristics of the MP-sprouts stored for 12 days were preserved in the different packages, showing no difference regarding the use of the O2-absorbing sachet. The O2-absorbing sachet not influenced the quality of MP-sprouts during the stored (12 days). The best visual aspect was observed in PET package (with and without O2-absorbing sachet) being classified as excellent, without color change. The MP-sprouts also fulfilled the microbiological quality standards and presented 75.11% acceptability and 72.40% purchase intention.
The limits of human microRNA annotation have been met

Over the last few years, the number of microRNAs in the human genome has become a controversially debated issue. Several publications reported thousands of putative novel microRNAs not included in the curated microRNA gene database MirGeneDB and the repository miRBase. Recently, by using sequencing of ∼300 human tissues and cell lines, the human RNA atlas, an expanded inventory of human RNA annotations, was published, reporting thousands of putative microRNAs. We, the developers of established microRNA prediction tools and hosts of MirGeneDB, raise concerns about the frequently applied prediction and functional validation strategies, briefly discussing the drawbacks of false positive detections. By means of quantifying well-established biogenesis-derived features, we show that the reported novel microRNAs essentially represent false-positives and argue that the human microRNA complement, at about 550 microRNA genes, is already near complete. Output of available tools must be curated as false predictions will misguide scientists looking for biomarkers or therapeutic targets.
A man in his fifties with recurrent urticaria, fever and joint pain

E-post: Hans.Erling. Simonsen@nordlandssykehuset.no Department of Infectious Diseases Nordland Hospital Trust Bodø and University of Tromsø Hans Erling Simonsen, specialist in internal medicine and infectious diseases, senior consultant, head of unit in the Department of gastroenterology, infectious diseases, geriatrics and dermatology, and university lecturer. The author has completed the ICMJE form and declares no conflicts of interest.
Venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation experience in a community level I trauma center

Background There is limited literature of venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation use in a community, non-university, setting in the trauma population. Methods We reviewed our cases over 2 years from March 2018 to March 2020. This study was conducted in a community hospital with a General Surgery residency with no direct affiliation to a medical school. Primary outcome reviewed was survival to discharge. Secondary outcomes included duration of extracorporeal membranous oxygenation (ECMO) support, blood transfusion requirement, complications, and disposition. Results Five patients were cannulated during this time period. All patients survived to discharge. Mean time on ECMO was 153.4 h or 6.4 days (range 60–216 h). All patients required a transfusion while cannulated, with a mean of 10 units PRBC transfused (range 3–24). One patient required CPR, one required cessation of heparin drip for bleeding, and one had clinical signs of a stroke. Three patients were discharged to long-term acute care facilities and the other two to acute rehab. Conclusions Community level I trauma centers are capable of handling trauma patients requiring ECMO. It does require a multi-disciplinary team of surgical intensivists and cardiothoracic surgeons along with the support of nursing, respiratory therapists, and perfusionists. The outcomes in this limited series show that ECMO can be a tool utilized in the community setting.
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery in the Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing Hemihepatectomy

Background This study aims to compare the effectiveness and safety of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing hemihepatectomy. Methods From January 2017 to June 2019, 54 and 56 patients were enrolled into the control and ERAS group, retrospectively. All the indicators related to operation, liver functions, and postoperative outcomes were included in the analysis. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis identified 72 patients for further analysis. Results The clinicopathological characteristics were well-matched after PSM, and there were no significant differences in the operative duration, blood loss, blood transfusion, hospital costs, and most postoperative indicators in these 2 groups. In the ERAS group, D-dimer and fibrin degradation product values were significantly reduced (3.57 (2.874.60) μg/ml vs 4.81 (3.948.29) μg/ml and 11.90 (10.0418.02) μg/ml vs 15.80 (11.5529.24) μg/ml; P = . 002 and P = . 023, respectively). The days that semiliquid diet was allowed after surgery (2.00 (2.003.00) days vs 5.00 (4.006.00) days, P < . 001), abdominal drainage tube indwelling duration (5.00 (4.005.00) days vs 5.00 (4.756.25) days, P = . 004), and hospital stay after surgery (6.00 (6.007.00) days vs 8.00 (7.0010.00) days, P < . 001) were also significantly shorter. The proportion of patients requiring analgesic treatment was significantly lower in the postoperative day 2 and day 4 (P < .001 and P = .025, respectively). The morbidity was significantly less (36.11% vs 69.44%, P = .005). Conclusions ERAS programs are feasible and safe in HCC patients undergoing hemihepatectomy. Postoperative anticoagulant therapy may be one of the necessary steps.
Are the Insertion Torque Value and Implant Stability Quotient Correlated, and If So, Can Insertion Torque Values Predict Secondary Implant Stability? A Prospective Parallel Cohort Study.

PURPOSE Primary stability is the most important prognostic index for predicting osseointegration. It is generally thought that to achieve high primary stability, it is necessary to insert an implant with a high insertion torque (IT). To date, it has not yet been determined whether IT and implant stability quotient (ISQ) values are correlated. The primary aim of the study was to determine the correlation between IT and ISQ values at the time of implant insertion (T0); at 2 months, the time of healing (T1); and at 6 (T2) and 12 months (T3) after loading. The secondary aims were to determine the influence of different macroscopic implant designs and of a different insertion arch on this correlation; and to assess whether implants inserted with a high IT, that is, > 50 Ncm, had higher levels of implant stability at 2-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups. MATERIALS AND METHODS STROBE guidelines were followed. Partially or monoedentulous patients were randomly assigned to receive taper thread on straight-body implants with microthreads (group A) or without microthreads (group B). At implant insertion, IT and ISQ values were recorded. At 2-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups, the ISQ values were recorded. A spring-style torque wrench was used to assess the IT. The Osstell device was used to determine the ISQ values. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and t test were used. P was set at ≤ . 005. RESULTS Two hundred fifty subjects were assessed; 142 were included. Two hundred sixty-eight implants were inserted (group A, 137 implants; group B, 131 implants). No subject dropped out, and no implant failed. A statistically significant correlation between ISQ and IT was determined at the time of implant insertion (T0; P = .000). The implant morphology and arch did not influence the correlation. An IT > 50 did not determine a higher secondary stability. CONCLUSION There is a strong correlation between IT and primary stability, but IT is not correlated with the secondary stability. A different implant macroscopic design and a different arch of insertion did not influence this correlation. Moreover, implants inserted with IT > 50 Ncm do not result in greater secondary stability.
Fibrinogen levels and thrombosis prevention.

3. Dun MD, Mannan A, Rigby CJ, et al. Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond syndrome (SBDS) protein is a direct inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) activity and overexpressed in acute myeloid leukaemia. Leukemia. 2020;34(12):3393-3397. 4. Roberts KG, Smith AM, McDougall F, et al. Essential requirement for PP2A inhibition by the oncogenic receptor c-KIT suggests PP2A reactivation as a strategy to treat c-KIT1 cancers. Cancer Res. 2010;70(13):5438-5447.
Antiemetic effects of baclofen in a shrew model of postoperative nausea and vomiting: Whole‐transcriptome analysis in the nucleus of the solitary tract

The molecular genetic mechanisms underlying postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in the brain have not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to determine the changes in whole transcriptome in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) in an animal model of PONV, to screen a drug candidate and to elucidate the molecular genetic mechanisms of PONV development.
Discriminating cell line specific features of antibiotic‐resistant strains of Escherichia coli from Raman spectra via machine learning analysis

While Raman spectroscopy can provide label‐free discrimination between highly similar biological species, the discrimination is often marginal, and optimal use of spectral information is imperative. Here, we compare two machine learning models, an artificial neural network and a support vector machine, for discriminating between Raman spectra of 11 bacterial mutants of Escherichia coli MDS42. While we find that both models discriminate the 11 bacterial strains with similarly high accuracy, sensitivity and specificity, it is clear that the models form different class boundaries. By extracting strain‐specific (and function‐specific) spectral features utilized by the models, we find that both models utilize a small subset of high intensity peaks while separate subsets of lower intensity peaks are utilized by only one method or the other. This analysis highlights the need for methods to use the complete spectral information more effectively, beginning with a better understanding of the distinct information gained from each model.
Developmental trajectories of sensory patterns from infancy to school age in a community sample and associations with autistic traits.

This prospective study examined the latent growth trajectories of sensory patterns among a North Carolina birth cohort (N = 1517; 49% boys, 87% White) across infancy (6-19 months), preschool (3-4 years), and school years (6-7 years). Change rates of sensory hyper- and hyporesponsiveness better differentiated children with an autism diagnosis or elevated autistic traits from those with other developmental conditions, including non-autistic children with sensory differences. More sensory hyper- and hyporesponsiveness at infancy followed by steeper increases differentially predicted more autistic traits at school age. Further, children of parents with higher education tended to show stable or improving trajectories. These findings highlight the importance of tracking sensory patterns from infancy for facilitating early identification of associated challenges and tailored support for families.
Finerenone in patients with chronic kidney disease and type 2 diabetes with and without heart failure: a prespecified subgroup analysis of the FIDELIO‐DKD trial

This prespecified analysis of the FIDELIO‐DKD trial compared the effects of finerenone, a selective non‐steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, on cardiorenal outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) by history of heart failure (HF).
Current Understanding of the Effects and Potential Clinical Utility of Kratom: A Review

Objective: The increasingly widespread use of kratom in the United States has raised concerns about its safety as well as spurring research into potential applications of its active ingredients in medical treatments. Methods: We reviewed the literature published over the past 20 years, including peer-reviewed publications and data released by United States government health agencies to provide an overview of this topic. Results: A variety of potentially beneficial and adverse effects of kratom use related to its opioid and stimulant properties have been documented, including addiction and withdrawal. Preliminary research in animals and case reports in humans have suggested medical utility for kratom in treating alcohol and opioid use disorders, pain, depression, and anxiety. However, the lack of controlled, standardized studies limits the clinical utility of this agent and is a barrier to safe consumption. Conclusions: Historically, kratom has been used for medical purposes and for the treatment of alcohol and substance use disorders. The currently available literature suggests a potential for similar clinical applications. However, without controlled research studies or regulation, kratom poses numerous health risks to consumers.
Improvement of Automatic Glioma Brain Tumor Detection Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks

This article introduces automatic brain tumor detection from a magnetic resonance image (MRI). It provides novel algorithms for extracting patches and segmentation trained with Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)'s to identify brain tumors. Further, this study provides deep learning and image segmentation with CNN algorithms. This contribution proposed two similar segmentation algorithms: one for the Higher Grade Gliomas (HGG) and the other for the Lower Grade Gliomas (LGG) for the brain tumor patients. The proposed algorithms (Intensity normalization, Patch extraction, Selecting the best patch, segmentation of HGG, and Segmentation of LGG) identify the gliomas and detect the stage of the tumor as per taking the MRI as input and segmented tumor from the MRIs and elaborated the four algorithms to detect HGG, and segmentation to detect the LGG works with CNN. The segmentation algorithm is compared with different existing algorithms and performs the automatic identification reasonably with high accuracy as per epochs generated with accuracy and loss curves. This article also described how transfer learning has helped extract the image and resolution of the image and increase the segmentation accuracy in the case of LGG patients.
Nintedanib ameliorates oxidized low-density lipoprotein -induced inflammation and cellular senescence in vascular endothelial cells

ABSTRACT Atherosclerosis (AS) is a life-threatening cardiovascular disease and it has been reported that endothelial dysfunction is the initial inducer of AS. Recent reports suggest that inflammation and oxidative stress-induced cell senescence are main inducers of endothelial dysfunction. Nintedanib is an effective inhibitor of multityrosine kinase receptors developed for the treatment of fibrosis, which was recently reported to exert inhibitory effects against inflammation and oxidative stress. The present study plans to study the effect and mechanism of Nintedanib on endothelial dysfunction. We found that in oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), the increased production of total cholesterol (TC), free cholesterol (FC), and pro-inflammatory cytokines were observed, reversed by 10 μM and 25 μM Nintedanib. The elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, as well as the declined activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in ox-LDL-treated HUVECs, were significantly abolished by 10 μM and 25 μM Nintedanib. Increased proportion of senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) positive staining cells, activated p53/p21 pathway, and promoted cell fraction in the G0/G1 phase were observed in ox-LDL-treated HUVECs, all of which were dramatically reversed by 10 μM and 25 μM Nintedanib. Lastly, the increased expression level of Arginase-II (Arg-II) in HUVECs by ox-LDL was repressed by Nintedanib. The protective effects of Nintedanib on ox-LDL- induced cellular senescence were pronouncedly blocked by the overexpression of Arg-II. Collectively, our data suggest that Nintedanib mitigates ox-LDL-induced inflammation and cellular senescence in vascular endothelial cells by downregulating Arg‐II. Graphical abstract