Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Test–Retest Reliability of the Short-Form Survivor Unmet Needs Survey

Objective: Reliable and valid needs assessment measures are important assessment tools in cancer survivorship care. A new 30-item short-form version of the Survivor Unmet Needs Survey (SF-SUNS) was developed and validated with cancer survivors, including hematology cancer survivors; however, test–retest reliability has not been established. The objective of this study was to assess the test–retest reliability of the SF-SUNS with a cohort of lymphoma survivors (n = 40). Methods: Test–retest reliability of the SF-SUNS was conducted at two time points: baseline (time 1) and 5 days later (time 2). Test–retest data were collected from lymphoma cancer survivors (n = 40) in a large tertiary cancer center in Western Australia. Intraclass correlation analyses compared data at time 1 (baseline) and time 2 (5 days later). Cronbach's alpha analyses were performed to assess the internal consistency at both time points. Results: The majority (23/30, 77%) of items achieved test–retest reliability scores 0.45–0.74 (fair to good). A high degree of overall internal consistency was demonstrated (time 1 = 0.92, time 2 = 0.95), with scores 0.65–0.94 across subscales for both time points. Conclusions: Mixed test–retest reliability of the SF-SUNS was established. Our results indicate the SF-SUNS is responsive to the changing needs of lymphoma cancer survivors. Routine use of cancer survivorship specific needs-based assessments is required in oncology care today. Nurses are well placed to administer these assessments and provide tailored information and resources. Further assessment of test–retest reliability in hematology and other cancer cohorts is warranted.
A report on six cases of seagrass-associated gastric impaction in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.)

Marine debris such as plastic and other foreign objects (e.g., nylon fishing line, cigarette wrappers, metal bottle caps) are commonly found in odontocete stomachs (Walker and Coe 1990), but due to the often small amounts and diversity of the debris, the impact on animal health is unclear (Walker and Coe 1990, Laist 1997, Baird and Hooker 2000). Small quantities can however, have large effects if they are capable of intermittently or consistently blocking the pyloric outflow tract (e.g., Tarpley and Marwitz 1993, Stamper et al. 2006, Jacobsen et al. 2010) causing longterm malnutrition and death (Gomerˇci´c et al. 2006); either directly due to acute gastric rupture or complete pyloric obstruction, or indirectly as a result of chronic malnutrition due to partial/intermittent pyloric obstruction. Kastelein and Lavaleije (1992) documented the persistence of undigested algae in the forestomach of a harbor porpoise for at least 3 d. Several other odontocete species (e.g., bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus, e.g., McBride 1940), northern right whale dolphins (Lissodelphus borealis,Walker and Coe 1990), and spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris, Trianni and Kessler 2002)) have been found to ingest marine plants, such as kelp (Egregia sp., Macrocystic pyrifera), seaweed (Fucus vesiculosus) or seagrass (Enhalus acroides, Haldule uninervis). However, death due to gastric impaction by marine plants (high densities of intertwined marine plant(s) preventing efficacious pyloric emptying and gastric evacuation (Santos et al. 2001)) is rarely reported (see McBride 1940, Trianni and Kessler 2002).
Evaluation of thyroid dysfunction in breast cancer before surgery.

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women and is one of the leading causes of death in women. Hence, the study of factors involved in the incidence and progression of disease is of great importance. In this study, the relationship between breast cancer and thyroid disorders will be discussed. Methods: In a case-control study, 86 women with confirmed breast cancer and 50 age-matched healthy women as controls were studied for 12 months in the Cancer Research Center, Imam Reza hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran. After examination of the thyroid, serum level of Thyrotropin (TSH), Thyroxine (T4), Triiodothyronine (T3) and Anti-Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody (anti-Tpo AB) were tested by radioimmunoassay. The results were compared between the two groups and different pathological subtypes of breast cancer. Results: Mean serum TSH level was not significantly different between the two groups, but the mean serum levels of T4 and anti-Tpo AB was higher in patients (p<0.05). Increased levels of TSH and T4 were observed in 5.8% and 2.3% of the patient and 12% and 8% of the control group, respectively. Also, decreased TSH and T4 levels were observed in 7% and 2.3% of the patient and 5% and 0% of the control group, respectively. As well, increased levels of T3 and anti-Tpo AB were observed in 0% and 20.9% of patients and in 4% and 8% of the control group, respectively. Conclusion: Although there was a significant difference between the groups regarding the anti-Tpo AB level, but no obvious connection between thyroid function and breast cancer was found in this study. Therefore, studies with larger sample sizes are required to achieve more qualified results.
Computational Modeling of In Vitro Swelling of Mitochondria: A Biophysical Approach

Swelling of mitochondria plays an important role in the pathogenesis of human diseases by stimulating mitochondria-mediated cell death through apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy. Changes in the permeability of the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) of ions and other substances induce an increase in the colloid osmotic pressure, leading to matrix swelling. Modeling of mitochondrial swelling is important for simulation and prediction of in vivo events in the cell during oxidative and energy stress. In the present study, we developed a computational model that describes the mechanism of mitochondrial swelling based on osmosis, the rigidity of the IMM, and dynamics of ionic/neutral species. The model describes a new biophysical approach to swelling dynamics, where osmotic pressure created in the matrix is compensated for by the rigidity of the IMM, i.e., osmotic pressure induces membrane deformation, which compensates for the osmotic pressure effect. Thus, the effect is linear and reversible at small membrane deformations, allowing the membrane to restore its normal form. On the other hand, the membrane rigidity drops to zero at large deformations, and the swelling becomes irreversible. As a result, an increased number of dysfunctional mitochondria can activate mitophagy and initiate cell death. Numerical modeling analysis produced results that reasonably describe the experimental data reported earlier.
Single-vortex pinning and penetration depth in superconducting NdFeAsO1-xFx

We use a magnetic force microscope (MFM) to investigate single vortex pinning and penetration depth in NdFeAsO1-xFx, one of the highest-Tc iron-based superconductors. In fields up to 20 Gauss, we observe a disordered vortex arrangement, implying that the pinning forces are stronger than the vortex-vortex interactions. We measure the typical force to depin a single vortex, Fdepin ≃ 4.5 pN, corresponding to a critical current up to Jc ≃ 7×105 A/cm2. As a result, our MFM measurements allow the first local and absolute determination of the superconducting in-plane penetration depth in NdFeAsO1-xFx, λab = 320 ± 60 nm, which is larger than previous bulk measurements.
Vocal control by the common marmoset in the presence of interfering noise

SUMMARY The natural environment is inherently noisy with acoustic interferences. It is, therefore, beneficial for a species to modify its vocal production to effectively communicate in the presence of interfering noises. Non-human primates have been traditionally considered to possess limited voluntary vocal control, but little is known about their ability to modify vocal behavior when encountering interfering noises. Here we tested the ability of the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) to control the initiation of vocalizations and maintain vocal interactions between pairs in an acoustic environment in which the length and predictability (periodic or random aperiodic occurrences) of interfering noise bursts were varied. Despite the presence of interfering noise, the marmosets continued to engage in antiphonal calling behavior. Results showed that the overwhelming majority of calls were initiated during silence gaps even when the length of the silence gap following each noise burst was unpredictable. During the periodic noise conditions, as the length of the silence gap decreased, the latency between the end of noise burst and call onset decreased significantly. In contrast, when presented with aperiodic noise bursts, the marmosets chose to call predominantly during long (4 and 8 s) over short (2 s) silence gaps. In the 8 s periodic noise conditions, a marmoset pair either initiated both calls of an antiphonal exchange within the same silence gap or exchanged calls in two consecutive silence gaps. Our findings provide compelling evidence that common marmosets are capable of modifying their vocal production according to the dynamics of their acoustic environment during vocal communication.
Availability of dopamine transporters and auditory P300 abnormalities in adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: preliminary results

Objective Previous studies have indicated that there is dopamine transporter (DAT) dysregulation and P300 abnormality in adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); however, the correlations among the three have not been fully explored. Methods A total of 11 adults (9 males and 2 females) with ADHD and 11 age-, sex-, and education-level-matched controls were recruited. We explored differences in DAT availability using single-photon emission computed tomography and P300 wave of event-related potentials between the two groups. The correlation between DAT availability and P300 performance was also examined. Results DAT availability in the basal ganglia, caudate nucleus, and putamen was significantly lower in the ADHD group. Adults with ADHD had lower auditory P300 amplitudes at the Pz and Cz sites, as well as longer Fz latency than controls. DAT availability was negatively correlated to P300 latency at Pz and Fz. Conclusions Adults with ADHD had both abnormal DAT availability and P300 amplitude, suggesting that ADHD is linked to dysfunction of the central dopaminergic system and poor cognitive processes related to response selection and execution.
What makes an "innovation champion"?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how an “innovation champion” identity is formulated in the context of UK construction sector. A conceptual model of “innovation champion” themes is derived from the literature on social identity and then validated through empirical research. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 30 semi-structured interviews have been conducted with UK construction sector practitioners. The sample was composed active participants within the Constructing Excellence – the UK construction sector’s network-type organisation for driving innovation. Findings – Practitioners socially constructed “innovation champion” identities through narratives about “self” or others. While some practitioners saw themselves as “innovation champions”, many others recognised CEOs as such. “Innovation champions” are commonly recognised as key individuals who promote innovations across businesses. Practical implications – Socially constructed identities are seen important to strategic decisions a.
Male friends, not female company, make a man more attractive

Mate choice is often considered independent, but recently attention has been paid to social influences on mate preference, i.e. non-independent mate choice. Especially in humans, mate preference may be influenced by reactions and opinions of other individuals. One type of non-independent mate choice documented in a wide variety of taxa is copying the choice of other females. Although humans may not be a species in which mate choice copying is most likely to occur, many aspects of the human mating system may have favored mate choice copying, and the possibility of copying in humans has been suggested. Apart from other women's choice, women can use evaluations by other men as a mate choice criterion, because a man's friends can reveal a lot about his social skills and status. We used image processed photographs to study the effect of male friends and the occurrence of mate choice copying in teenage females. We tested if male or female company affected the attractiveness of men in photos or influenced the respondent's willingness to date the men. A positive effect of male company was detected, but no indication of mate choice copying was found. During the evolution of human social skills, a support group and recognized status within it may have been important resources for raising offspring. Although no indication of mate choice copying was found, copying in humans may be a complicated process, and it may appear in circumstances different from our test arrangement.
Synthesis of the state of knowledge about species richness of macroalgae, macroinvertebrates and fishes in coastal and oceanic waters of Easter and Salas y Gómez islands

From the beginning of the 19th century on, several small sampling trips as well as large national and international scientific expeditions have been carried out to Easter Island (EI) and Salas y Gomez Island (SGI). The objective of this study is to compile, synthesize and analyze published information about the biodiversity of macroalgae, macroinvertebrates and fishes associated with EI-SGI, updating the state of knowledge and making it available for the development of conservation plans. We searched all the available sources of information, such as scientific publications, scientific expeditions, fisheries data, technical reports, books, databases and online sources. We found 964 species reported within EI-SGI (143 species of macroalgae, 605 macroinvertebrates and 216 fishes), the majority for EI (923); for SGI 171 species have been reported. Species richness has increased over time, without leveling off, as sampling effort increases. However, seamounts and hydrothermal vents have been poorly studied in Chile´s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). A high percentage of endemism has been determined for the majority of the taxonomic groups, with mollusks and poriferans exhibiting the highest levels of endemism (33-34%). Thus, the Rapanuian biogeographic province can be clearly identified, but information to differentiate between EI and SGI, and direct island-specific conservation efforts, is lacking. Nevertheless, the most vulnerable yet unprotected habitats (hydrothermal vents, higher diversity of seamounts size) are located towards the western limit of the EEZ.
Biochemical but not clinical vitamin A deficiency results from mutations in the gene for retinol binding protein.

BACKGROUND Two German sisters aged 14 and 17 y were admitted to the Tübingen eye hospital with a history of night blindness. In both siblings, plasma retinol binding protein (RBP) concentrations were below the limit of detection (<0.6 micromol/L) and plasma retinol concentrations were extremely low (0.19 micromol/L). Interestingly, intestinal absorption of retinyl esters was normal. In addition, other factors associated with low retinol concentrations (eg, low plasma transthyretin or zinc concentrations or mutations in the transthyretin gene) were not present. Neither sibling had a history of systemic disease. OBJECTIVE Our aim was to investigate the cause of the retinol deficiency in these 2 siblings. DESIGN The 2 siblings and their mother were examined clinically, including administration of the relative-dose-response test, DNA sequencing of the RBP gene, and routine laboratory testing. RESULTS Genomic DNA sequence analysis revealed 2 point mutations in the RBP gene: a T-to-A substitution at nucleotide 1282 of exon 3 and a G-to-A substitution at nucleotide 1549 of exon 4. These mutations resulted in amino acid substitutions of asparagine for isoleucine at position 41 (Ile41-->Asn) and of aspartate for glycine at position 74 (Gly74-->Asp). Sequence analysis of cloned polymerase chain reaction products spanning exons 3 and 4 showed that these mutations were localized on different alleles. The genetic defect induced severe biochemical vitamin A deficiency but only mild clinical symptoms (night blindness and a modest retinal dystrophy without effects on growth). CONCLUSIONS We conclude that the cellular supply of vitamin A to target tissues might be bypassed in these siblings via circulating retinyl esters, beta-carotene, or retinoic acid, thereby maintaining the health of peripheral tissues.
Convolutional Neural Network Architectures for Matching Natural Language Sentences

Semantic matching is of central importance to many natural language tasks [2,28]. A successful matching algorithm needs to adequately model the internal structures of language objects and the interaction between them. As a step toward this goal, we propose convolutional neural network models for matching two sentences, by adapting the convolutional strategy in vision and speech. The proposed models not only nicely represent the hierarchical structures of sentences with their layer-by-layer composition and pooling, but also capture the rich matching patterns at different levels. Our models are rather generic, requiring no prior knowledge on language, and can hence be applied to matching tasks of different nature and in different languages. The empirical study on a variety of matching tasks demonstrates the efficacy of the proposed model on a variety of matching tasks and its superiority to competitor models.
Empirical fitting of forward backscattering models for multitemporal retrieval of soil moisture from radar data at L-band

Abstract. A multitemporal algorithm, originally conceived for the C-band radar aboard the Sentinel-1 satellite, has been updated to retrieve soil moisture from L-band radar data, such as those provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Soil Moisture Active/Passive (SMAP) mission. This type of algorithm may deliver more accurate soil moisture maps that mitigate the effect of roughness and vegetation changes. Within the multitemporal inversion scheme based on the Bayesian maximum a posteriori probability (MAP) criterion, a dense time series of radar measurements is integrated to invert a forward backscattering model. The model calibration and validation tasks have been accomplished using the data collected during the SMAP validation experiment 12 spanning several soil conditions (pasture, wheat, corn, and soybean). The data have been used to update the forward model for bare soil scattering at L-band and to tune a simple vegetation scattering model considering two different classes of vegetation: those producing mainly single scattering effects and those characterized by a significant multiple scattering involving terrain surface and vegetation elements interaction. The algorithm retrievals showed a root mean square difference (RMSD) around 5% over bare soil, soybean, and cornfields. As for wheat, a bias was observed; when removed, the RMSD went down from 7.7% to 5%.
Structural commonalities and deviations in the hierarchical organization of crossed-lamellar shells: A case study on the shell of the bivalve Glycymeris glycymeris

The structural organization of the palliostracum—the dominant part of the shell which is formed by the mantle cells—of Glycymeris glycymeris (Linné 1758) is comprised of five hierarchical levels with pronounced structural commonalities and deviations from other crossed-lamellar shells. The hierarchical level known as second order lamellae, present within other crossed-lamellar shells, is absent highlighting a short-coming of the currently used nomenclature. On the mesoscale, secondary microtubules penetrate the palliostracum and serve as crack arrestors. Moreover, the growth lamellae follow bent trajectories possibly impacting crack propagation, crack deflection, and energy dissipation mechanisms whilst circumventing delamination. Finally, at least two structural elements are related to external circatidal and circaanular stimuli. This emphasizes that endogeneous rhythms may contribute and (co-)control the self-organization of a complex mineralized tissue and that it is insufficient to rely fully on a reductionistic approach when studying biomineralization.
Sonographic evaluation of swallowing biomechanics : a preliminary study

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate, by means of ultrasonography, the spatial parameters of the hyolaryngeal complex in the deglutition dynamics as well the correlation between age and effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present prospective and quantitative study included 39 healthy men and women in the age range between 20 and 70 years (mean, 45.56; standard deviation, 14.53). The swallowing biomechanics corresponding to the measurement of the distance between the upper portion of the hyoid bone and the upper rim of the thyroid cartilage at the moment of maximum laryngeal elevation was evaluated. Measurements were performed with the ingestion of pasty or liquid food. RESULTS: The variation of the distance between the hyoid bone and the larynx presented a positive association with aging only in the swallowing of pasty food that requires a higher lingual propulsive activity than liquid food does. CONCLUSION: An increase in the distance between the hyoid bone and the larynx, corresponding to a poorer laryngeal elevation, may occur during the deglutition of pasty food as a result of aging, a process where a decrease in functional reserves is observed even in healthy individuals. Ultrasonography can detect the swallowing behavior related to foods consistency, demonstrating the diagnostic potentiality of this method in the evaluation of the deglutition.
An operational approach to spacetime symmetries : Lorentz transformations from quantum communication

Inmost approaches to fundamental physics, spacetime symmetries are postulated a priori and then explicitly implemented in the theory. This includes Lorentz covariance in quantum field theory and diffeomorphism invariance in quantum gravity, which are seen as fundamental principles towhich thefinal theory has to be adjusted. In this paper, we suggest, within amuch simpler setting, that this kind of reasoning can actually be reversed, by taking an operational approach inspired by quantum information theory.We consider observers in distinct laboratories, with local physics described by the laws of abstract quantum theory, andwithout presupposing a particular spacetime structure.We ask what information-theoretic effort the observers have to spend to synchronize their descriptions of local physics. If there are ‘enough’ observables that can bemeasured universally on several different quantum systems, we show that the observers’ descriptions are related by an element of the orthochronous Lorentz group ( ) + O 3, 1 , together with a global scaling factor. Not only does this operational approach predict the Lorentz transformations, but it also accurately describes the behavior of relativistic Stern–Gerlach devices in theWKB approximation, and it correctly predicts that quantum systems carry Lorentz group representations of different spin. This result thus hints at a novel information-theoretic perspective on spacetime.