Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cancer genetics knowledge and beliefs and receipt of results in Ashkenazi Jewish individuals receiving counseling for BRCA1/2 mutations.

BACKGROUND Genetic counseling for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations (mutations associated with increased risk of breast-ovarian cancer) endeavors to communicate information that will help individuals make informed decisions regarding genetic testing. METHODS This repeated-measures study examined cancer genetics knowledge and beliefs before and after counseling and their relationship to receipt of results for BRCA1/2 mutations in 120 highly educated Ashkenazi Jewish individuals. RESULTS A repeated-measures analysis examined change in knowledge and beliefs regarding personal behavior, mechanisms of cancer inheritance, meaning of a positive result, practitioner knowledge, frequency of inherited cancer, and meaning of a negative result from pre- to post-counseling with the between subjects variables of education (with/without graduate training) and personal history of breast or ovarian cancer (yes/no), and risk of having a mutation entered as a covariate. Mechanisms of cancer inheritance, meaning of a positive result, and practitioner knowledge increased from pre- to post-counseling. Those with graduate training had higher ratings of mechanisms of cancer inheritance ratings and lower ratings of frequency of inherited cancers than those without. Mann-Whitney U tests found those testing had higher ratings in mechanisms of cancer inheritance, specifically in the association of multiple primary cancers with hereditary cancer, than those not testing. CONCLUSIONS Genetic counseling is helpful in improving overall knowledge of cancer genetics even for highly educated individuals. Particular areas of knowledge improvement should be explored in relation to receipt of results, especially to further elucidate the relationship of knowledge of the association of multiple primary cancers with hereditary cancer to receipt of test results.
Induction profile of rat organic anion transporting polypeptide 2 (oatp2) by prototypical drug-metabolizing enzyme inducers that activate gene expression through ligand-activated transcription factor pathways.

Knowledge of regulation of transporters would aid in predicting pharmacokinetics and drug-drug interactions. Treatment of rats with pregnenolone-16alpha-carbonitrile (PCN) and phenobarbital increases hepatic uptake of cardiac glycosides. Rat organic anion transporting polypeptide 2 (oatp2; Slc21a5) transports cardiac glycosides with high affinity. Levels of rat hepatic oatp2 protein and mRNA are regulated by PCN and phenobarbital treatment; however, the effects of other microsomal enzyme inducers on oatp2 have not been investigated. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to further determine whether oatp2 is regulated by a broader scale of drug-metabolizing enzyme inducers that are ligands or activators for the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), pregnane X receptor (PXR), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR), and antioxidant/electrophile response element (ARE/EpRE). Oatp2 protein levels determined by Western blot were decreased 56 to 72% by the AhR ligands, increased 84 to 132% by the CAR ligands, and increased 230 to 360% by PXR ligands. The PPAR ligands and ARE/EpRE activators generally had minimal effects on oatp2 protein levels. Oatp2 mRNA levels, determined by the bDNA technique, generally did not show a correlation with the altered oatp2 protein levels, e.g., among PXR ligands, only PCN increased oatp2 mRNA levels, but spironolactone and dexamethasone did not. Furthermore, only PCN, but not spironolactone and dexamethasone, increased the transcription of the oatp2 gene as the amount of hnRNA was increased when determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. In conclusion, some drug-metabolizing enzyme inducers regulate oatp2 protein levels, especially the CYP3A inducers. However, there is no correlation between their ability to increase levels of oatp2 protein and mRNA, suggesting that regulation of oatp2 by drug-metabolizing enzyme inducers occurs at both the transcriptional and post-translational levels.
Risk factors for ectopic pregnancy in Germany: a retrospective study of 100,197 patients

Aim: The goal of this study was to identify potential risk factors for ectopic pregnancy in women followed in German gynecological practices. Methods: The present study included pregnant women diagnosed with ectopic pregnancy and pregnant women without ectopic pregnancy followed in 262 gynecological practices between January 2012 and December 2016. The effects of demographic and clinical variables on the risk of developing ectopic pregnancy were estimated using a multivariate logistic regression model. Results: This study included 3,003 women with ectopic pregnancy and 97,194 women without ectopic pregnancy. The mean age was 31.4 years (SD=5.9 years) in ectopic pregnancy patients and 31.1 years (SD=5.6 years) in non-ectopic pregnancy patients. Women aged 36–40 (OR=1.12) and 41–45 years (OR=1.46) were at a higher risk of ectopic pregnancy than women aged 31–35 years. Prior ectopic pregnancy was strongly associated with a risk of recurring ectopic pregnancy (OR=8.17). Prior genital surgery (OR=2.67), endometriosis (OR=1.51), and eight other gynecological diseases were also positively associated with ectopic pregnancy (ORs ranging from 1.19 to 2.06). Finally, there was a 1.80-fold increase in women previously diagnosed with psychiatric disorders. Conclusions: Prior ectopic pregnancy and prior genital surgery were strongly associated with ectopic pregnancy in women followed in German gynecological practices. Psychiatric diseases had an additional impact on the risk of ectopic pregnancy.
Caractérisation de la végétation ligneuse du bassin versant de la Maggia dans la commune rurale de Bagaroua (région de Tahoua)

Le bassin versant de la Maggia est situee dans la region de Tahoua. La presente etude vise a caracteriser la vegetation ligneuse du bassin versant sur le plan de sa composition floristique et de sa structure. Les donnees ont ete collectees au moyen des releves floristiques, de mesures de diametres a 1,30 m pour les arbres et 0,5 m pour les individus ayant un diametre inferieur a 5 m. La richesse specifique de ce bassin versant est de 22 especes reparties en 10 familles et 18 genres dont les plus importants sont les Leguminoseae- Mimosoideae et les Combretaceae. L’analyse des structures en diametre et en hauteur montre que le peuplement ligneux de cette zone est domine par des individus jeunes, les individus âges sont tres rares. En ce qui est des types biologiques, la flore du bassin versant de la Maggia est dominee par des microphanerophytes suivis des nanophanerophytes. Pour les types phytogeographiques ce sont les especes Soudano-Zambeziennes (SZ) suivis des especes Soudano-Zambeziennes-Saharo-Sindiennes (SZ-Sah.S) qui sont dominantes dans cette zone ensuite viennent les Guineo-Congolaises-Soudano-Zambeziennes-Saharo-Sindienne ((GC-SZ-Sah.S). Mots cles : Vegetation ligneuse, formes biologiques, types phytogeographique, bassin versant, vallee.
The role of ketotifen in the prevention of testicular damage in rats with experimental unilateral undescended testes

The aims of this study conducted on rats were to determine mast cell (MC) proliferation on undescended testes (UDTs); whether there is a correlation between MC proliferation and testicular damage; and whether testicular damage can be prevented with administration of an MC blocker. Sixty-five newborn male rats were divided into three groups. During the neonatal period, unilateral UDTs were experimentally induced in Group 2 and Group 3. The rats in Group 3 were given 1 mg/kg/day ketotifen orally until the end of the study. Groups 2 (n=30) and 3 (n=15) were divided into groups of ten and five rats, respectively, each of which underwent bilateral orchiectomy in either the prepubertal, pubertal, or adult period. Group 1 (n=15) underwent a sham operation followed by bilateral orchiectomy, with five rats in each of the prepubertal, pubertal, and adult periods. Testicular MCs in the interstitial and subtubular areas, biopsy scores, interstitial connective tissue, seminiferous tubule (ST) diameters, and the basement membrane thickness of STs were evaluated. In Group 2 the ST diameters in the UDTs decreased, the number of MCs in the interstitial and subtubular areas increased, ST basement membranes thickened, and spermatogenesis decreased. The number of MCs in the interstitial and subtubular areas of the descended testes increased and spermatogenesis decreased. In Group 3, the number of MCs in the interstitial and subtubular areas decreased. In unilateral UDTs, the number of MCs in the interstitial and subtubular areas increased in both testes. Fibrosis developed in the ST basement membranes and interstitial areas, and spermatogenesis deteriorated. Testicular fibrosis may be prevented with administration of an MC blocker.
Collecting Reliable Human Judgements on Machine-Generated Language: The Case of the QG-STEC Data

Question generation (QG) is the problem of automatically generating questions from inputs such as declarative sentences. The Shared Evaluation Task Challenge (QG-STEC) Task B that took place in 2010 evaluated several state-of-the-art QG systems. However, analysis of the evaluation results was affected by low inter-rater reliability. We adapted Nonaka & Takeuchi’s knowledge creation cycle to the task of improving the evaluation annotation guidelines with a preliminary test showing clearly improved inter-rater reliability.
Seismic velocity structure in the source region of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake sequence, Japan

We investigate seismic wave velocity structure and spatial distribution of the seismicity in the source region of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake sequence. A one‐dimensional mean velocity shows that the seismogenic zone has a high‐velocity and low‐Vp/Vs ratio relative to the average velocity structure of Kyushu Island. This indicates that the crust is relatively strong, capable of sustaining sufficiently high strain energy to facilitate two large (Mj > 6.5) earthquakes in close proximity to one another in rapid succession. Three‐dimensional tomography of the seismogenic zone around the source of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake sequence yields Vp = 6 km/s and Vs = 3.5 km/s. Most large‐displacement areas (asperities) of the Mj 7.3 event overlap with the seismogenic zone and the overlying surface layer. Aftershock seismicity is distributed deeper than the conventional seismogenic zone, which suggests decreased strength due to fluids or increased stress, both caused by coseismic slip.
Patterns of care related to age of men with prostate cancer

A chart review study was done of 242 Stages A2 to D1 cancer patients to determine whether the age of patients with prostate cancer influenced their physicians' management strategies. Ten hospitals of varying size, medical‐school affiliation, and patient socioeconomic status participated in this study. Patterns of prostate cancer care were examined using sets of branching logic standards in the form of criteria maps. A chart‐based comorbidity index was used to control for the effect of coexisting diseases on cancer management. Regression models indicated that patient age affected the intensity of both the diagnostic evaluation and therapy, even after controlling for independent factors such as comorbid disease and individual hospital differences. Patients aged 75 years and older had significantly less intensive clinical staging workups and use of surgical and radiation therapies compared with patients aged 65 to 74 years and patients aged 50 to 64 years. In conjunction with similar results noted in studies of elderly patients with other malignancies, these results suggest that age bias is likely to be widespread. Physicians need to consider life expectancy, the ability of the patient to tolerate diagnostic procedures and therapies, and the quality of life in making treatment decisions.
Diet and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: independent beneficial effects of fruits, whole grains, and alcohol (the MORGEN study)

Background In recent years antioxidants, foods rich in antioxidants (e.g. fruits, vegetables) and fish have been suggested to protect against chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). There are also indications for a protective effect of whole grain intake and of consuming moderate amounts of alcohol. It is, however, not clear whether the effects of the different dietary factors on COPD are independent of each other and if so, whether their effects are additive.
Knowledge about the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease among Adults with Type 2 Diabetes in Taif City, Saudi Arabia: A Cross sectional study

Background: Diabetes patients are significantly more likely to develop cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Lack of understanding about the disease’s risk for CVDs would increase morbidity and mortality. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to ascertain the level of awareness among persons with type 2 diabetes in Taif, Saudi Arabia, regarding their risk of CVDs. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on 300 type 2 diabetic patients through an online survey. Results: The mean knowledge of risk of cardiovascular disease among adults in Taif was 15.4 ± 5.4. 26% of the participants had an age range from 50-59 years and 57.1% were females. Most of the participants had an age at diabetes diagnosis more than 30 years and 41.7% had a duration of disease less than 5 years. Regarding knowledge of participants it was reported that, a family history of heart disease 55.8%, old age 66%, smoking 79.5%, high blood pressure 76.9% and bad cholesterol (LDL) 74.4% at higher risk for developing heart disease. 64.4% knew\ they should keep their blood pressure under control and 80.1% knew regular exercise can reduce their risk of developing heart disease. There was a positive relationship between participants education level and knowledge. Conclusion: This study found that adults with type 2 diabetes in Taif have a high level of knowledge about the risk of cardiovascular disease. Education and preventive measures for patients about CVD risk factors and diabetes management can improve health and reduce the risk of CVD. Keywords: knowledge, risk, CVD, DM, adults, Taif
Investigation of Prediction Accuracy, Sensitivity, and Parameter Stability of Large-Scale Propagation Path Loss Models for 5G Wireless Communications

This paper compares three candidate large-scale propagation path loss models for use over the entire microwave and millimeter-wave (mmWave) radio spectrum: the alpha-beta-gamma (ABG) model, the close-in (CI) free-space reference distance model, and the CI model with a frequency-weighted path loss exponent (CIF). Each of these models has been recently studied for use in standards bodies such as 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and for use in the design of fifth-generation wireless systems in urban macrocell, urban microcell, and indoor office and shopping mall scenarios. Here, we compare the accuracy and sensitivity of these models using measured data from 30 propagation measurement data sets from 2 to 73 GHz over distances ranging from 4 to 1238 m. A series of sensitivity analyses of the three models shows that the four-parameter ABG model underpredicts path loss when relatively close to the transmitter, and overpredicts path loss far from the transmitter, and that the physically based two-parameter CI model and three-parameter CIF model offer computational simplicity, have very similar goodness of fit (i.e., the shadow fading standard deviation), exhibit more stable model parameter behavior across frequencies and distances, and yield smaller prediction error in sensitivity tests across distances and frequencies, when compared to the four-parameter ABG model. Results show the CI model with a 1-m reference distance is suitable for outdoor environments, while the CIF model is more appropriate for indoor modeling. The CI and CIF models are easily implemented in existing 3GPP models by making a very subtle modification - by replacing a floating non-physically based constant with a frequency-dependent constant that represents free-space path loss in the first meter of propagation. This paper shows this subtle change does not change the mathematical form of existing ITU/3GPP models and offers much easier analysis, intuitive appeal, better model parameter stability, and better accuracy in sensitivity tests over a vast range of microwave and mmWave frequencies, scenarios, and distances, while using a simpler model with fewer parameters.
General--to--Specific Reductions of Vector Autoregressive Processes

Unrestricted reduced form vector autoregressive (VAR) models have become a dominant research strategy in empirical macroeconomics since Sims (1980) critique of traditional macroeconometric modeling. They are however subjected to the curse of dimensionality. In this paper we propose general-to-specific reductions of VAR models and consider computer-automated model selection algorithms embodied in PcGets (see Krolzig and Hendry, 2000) for doing so. Starting from the unrestricted VAR, standard testing procedures eliminate statistically-insignificant variables, with diagnostic tests checking the validity of reductions, ensuring a congruent final selection. Since jointly selecting and diagnostic testing eludes theoretical analysis, we evaluate the proposed strategy by simulation. The Monte Carlo experiments show that PcGets recovers the DGP specification from a large unrestricted VAR model with size and power close to commencing from the DGP itself. The application of the proposed reduction strategy to a US monetary system demonstrates the feasibility of PcGets for the analysis of large macroeconomic data sets.
Revisiting the iris effect of tropical cirrus clouds with TRMM and A‐Train satellite data

Just as the iris of human eye controls the light influx (iris effect), tropical anvil cirrus clouds may regulate the Earth's surface warming by controlling outgoing longwave radiation. This study examines this possible effect with monthly satellite observations such as Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) precipitation, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer cirrus fraction, and Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System top‐of‐the‐atmosphere radiative fluxes averaged over different tropical domains from March 2000 to October 2014. To confirm that high‐level cirrus is relevant to this study, Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization high cloud observations were also analyzed from June 2006 to December 2015. Our analysis revealed that the increase in sea surface temperature in the tropical western Pacific tends to concentrate convective cloud systems. This concentration effect very likely induces the significant reduction of both stratiform rain rate and cirrus fraction, without appreciable change in the convective rain rate. This reduction of stratiform rain rate and cirrus fraction cannot be found over its subregion or the tropical eastern Pacific, where the concentration effect of anvil cirrus is weak. Consistently, over the tropical western Pacific, the higher ratio of convective rain rate to total rain rate (i.e., precipitation efficiency) significantly correlates with warmer sea surface temperature and lower cirrus fraction. The reduced cirrus eventually increased outgoing longwave radiation to a greater degree than absorbed solar radiation. Finally, the negative relationship between precipitation efficiency and cirrus fraction tends to correspond to a low global equilibrium climate sensitivity in the models in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5. This suggests that tropical anvil cirrus clouds exert a negative climate feedback in strong association with precipitation efficiency.
Asymptotic analysis of the conventional decision feedback receiver in fading channels

Spectral efficiency presents the ultimate limit on data rate per unit bandwidth of a certain communication system. For direct-sequence code-division multiple access systems, the spectral efficiency has been derived in case of synchronous reception for optimal and linear multiuser receivers, flat-fading and nonfading environments, as well as single and multicell cellular networks. The most pervasive model employed in all these analyses is the large system random signature model. For the decision feedback receivers, previous research handled only the nonfading case while the case of fading channels remained unknown. This paper analyzes the spectral efficiency of the popular conventional decision feedback receiver (CDFR) in flat- and frequency-selective fading channels with and without power ordering. Results show that in the case of power ordering before cancellation and very large system loads, the spectral efficiency of this receiver in fading channels can be even larger than in the case of channels with no fading. We also discuss and identify optimal power control laws for the CDFR with and without power ordering. The power control law which equalizes single-user capacities in the case of power ordering is also discussed.
Multiscale Analysis of Spatiotemporal Relationship Between Injection and Seismicity in Oklahoma

Many previous studies have suggested that wastewater disposal is the most probable factor affecting increased seismicity in Oklahoma since 2009. While this relationship is clear at the state scale, a systematic quantitative analysis of the spatiotemporal relationships between injection and seismicity is needed. We first apply multiscale analyses to assess the temporal correlation between injection rate and seismicity rate at a range of different grid sizes, which demonstrate clear temporal correlations within the two main seismic regions at variable time delays. The time delay variability decreases with larger grid sizes, whereby the average time delay ranges from 150 to 220 days. The average time delay at large scales is consistent with inferred large‐scale diffusive migration away from areas of high injection rates with diffusivities of 0.5 to 2.0 m2/s. The inferred large‐scale diffusivities are consistent with an expected range of diffusivity within the Arbuckle Group where wastewater disposals are occurring. However, individual earthquake clusters have diffusivities that are about one to two orders lower than the large‐scale models. We interpret this as a manifestation of a two‐layered diffusion model with high diffusivity within the injection layer above basement, which facilitates stress transfer at a larger spatial footprint, triggering seismic slip at multiple seismogenic faults within the crystalline basement with low diffusivity, similar to fluid‐driven clusters in other tectonic regions.
Large-scale purification of presynaptic plasma membranes from Torpedo marmorata electric organ

The presynaptic plasma membrane (PSPM) of cholinergic nerve terminals was purified from Torpedo electric organ using a large-scale procedure. Up to 500 g of frozen electric organ were fractioned in a single run, leading to the isolation of greater than 100 mg of PSPM proteins. The purity of the fraction is similar to that of the synaptosomal plasma membrane obtained after subfractionation of Torpedo synaptosomes as judged by its membrane-bound acetylcholinesterase activity, the number of Glycera convoluta neurotoxin binding sites, and the binding of two monoclonal antibodies directed against PSPM. The specificity of these antibodies for the PSPM is demonstrated by immunofluorescence microscopy.