Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Contemporary outcomes from the use of regular imaging to detect relapse in high-risk cutaneous melanoma

Background Agreement on the utility of imaging follow-up in patients with high-risk melanoma is lacking. A UK consensus statement recommends a surveillance schedule of CT or positron-emission tomography-CT and MRI brain (every 6 months for 3 years, then annually in years 4 and 5) as well as clinical examination for high-risk resected Stages II and III cutaneous melanoma. Our aim was to assess patterns of relapse and whether imaging surveillance could be of clinical benefit. Patients and methods A retrospective study of patients enrolled between July 2013 and June 2015 from three UK tertiary cancer centres followed-up according to this protocol was undertaken. We evaluated time-to-recurrence (TTR), recurrence-free survival (RFS), method of detection and characteristics of recurrence, treatment received and overall survival (OS). Results A total of 173 patients were included. Most (79%) had treated Stages IIIB and IIIC disease. With a median follow-up of 23.3 months, 82 patients (47%) had relapsed. Median TTR was 10.1 months and median RFS was 21.2 months. The majority of recurrences (66%) were asymptomatic and detected by scheduled surveillance scan. Fifty-six (68%) patients recurred with Stage IV disease, with a median OS of 25.3 months; 26 (31.7%) patients had a locoregional recurrence, median OS not reached (P=0.016). Patients who underwent surgery at recurrence for either Stage III (27%) or IV (18%) disease did not reach their median OS. The median OS for the 33 patients (40%) who received systemic therapy was 12.9 months. Conclusion Imaging appears to reliably detect subclinical disease and identify patients suitable for surgery, conferring favourable outcomes. The short median TTR provides rationale to intensify imaging schedule in the first year of surveillance. The poor OS of patients treated with systemic therapy probably reflects the relatively inferior treatment options during this time and requires further evaluation in the current era.
Survey of the Literature on Successful Strategies and Practices for Export Promotion by Developing Countries

Export promotion policies refer to the set of foreign trade policies targeted to exports enhancement. The aim of the present paper is reviewing the wide experience collected by the various countries in the past. Our purpose is two-fold. On the one side, our contribution aims at identifying the best practices so far and provide policy guidelines for the future. On the other, it highlights the policy, institutional and economic complementarities that make successful stories context-specific and warn against “one size fits all policy. ”
Molecular dynamics simulations of cellulase homologs in aqueous 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride

Pretreating biomass using ionic liquids (ILs) can decrease cellulose crystallinity and lead to improved hydrolysis. However, cellulase activity is often reduced in even low concentrations of ILs, necessitating complete washing between pretreatment and hydrolysis steps. To better understand how ILs interact with enzymes at the molecular scale, endoglucanase E1 from Acidothermus cellulolyticus was simulated in aqueous 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Emim]Cl). Homologs with differing surface charge were also simulated to assess the role of electrostatic interactions between the enzyme and the surrounding solvent. Chloride anions interacted with the enzyme surface via Coulomb or hydrogen bond interactions, while [Emim] cations primarily formed hydrophobic or ring stacking interactions. Cations strongly associated with the binding pocket of E1, potentially inhibiting the binding of substrate molecules. At elevated temperatures, cations also disrupted native hydrophobic contacts and caused some loss of secondary structure. These observations suggested that both cations and anions could influence enzyme behavior and that denaturing and inhibitory interactions might both be important in aqueous IL systems.
Anthropomorphic Interactions with a Robot and Robot–like Agent

People’s physical embodiment and presence increase their salience and importance. We predicted people would anthropomorphize an embodied humanoid robot more than a robot–like agent, and a collocated more than a remote robot. A robot or robot–like agent interviewed participants about their health. Participants were either present with the robot/agent, or interacted remotely with the robot/agent projected life–size on a screen. Participants were more engaged, disclosed less undesirable behavior, and forgot more with the robot versus the agent. They ate less and anthropomorphized most with the collocated robot. Participants interacted socially and attempted conversational grounding with the robot/agent though aware it was a machine. Basic questions remain about how people resolve the ambiguity of interacting with a humanlike nonhuman. By virtue of our shared global fate and similar DNA, we humans increasingly appreciate our similarity to nature’s living things. At the same time, we want machines, animals, and plants to meet our needs. Both impulses perhaps motivate the increasing development of humanlike robots and software agents. In this article, we examine social context moderation of anthropometric interactions between people and humanlike machines. We studied whether an embodied humanlike robot would elicit stronger anthropomorphic interactions than would a software agent, and whether physical presence moderated this effect. At the outset, robots and agents differ from ordinary computer programs in that they have autonomy, interact with the environment, and initiate tasks (Franklin & Graesser, 1996). The marriage of artificial intelligence and computer science has made possible robots and agents with humanlike capabilities, such as lifelike gestures and speech. Typically, “robot” refers to a physically–embodied system whereas “agent” refers to a software system. Examples of humanlike robots are NASA’s Robonaut—a humanoid that can hand tools to an astronaut (robonaut.jsc.nasa.gov/robonaut.html), Honda’s Asimo, and Hiroshi Ishiguro’s
Differential Survival between Visual Environments Supports a Role of Divergent Sensory Drive in Cichlid Fish Speciation

Identifying the selective forces that initiate ecological speciation is a major challenge in evolutionary biology. Sensory drive has been implicated in speciation in various taxa, largely based on phenotype-environment correlations and signatures of selection in sensory genes. Here, we present a reciprocal transplant experiment revealing species differences in performance in alternative visual environments, consistent with speciation by divergent sensory drive. The closely related cichlids Pundamilia pundamilia and Pundamilia nyererei inhabit different visual environments in Lake Victoria and show associated differences in visual system properties. Mimicking the two light environments in the laboratory, we find a substantial reduction in survival of both species when reared in the other species’ visual environment. This implies that the observed differences in Pundamilia color vision are indeed adaptive and substantiates the implicit assumption in sensory drive speciation models that divergent environmental selection is strong enough to drive divergence in sensory properties.
Epidemiology of ocular trauma in children requiring hospital admission: a 16–year retrospective cohort study

Background To study the epidemiology of ocular trauma requiring hospital admission in children under 18 years in age. Methods This retrospective cohort study included pediatric patients with ocular injuries at the Ophthalmology Department of the Clinical Hospital Centre, Split, Croatia, from 2000 to 2015, classified according to the Birmingham Eye Trauma Terminology. Results There were 353 children hospitalized, 82% of boys (mean age 11 years) and 18% of girls (mean age 10 years). The majority of traumas occurred in the outside environment (70%, n = 249), followed by occurrences at home (17%, n = 60), and at a school/nursery (8%, n = 28). Final visual acuity was 6/18 or better in 286 (96%) patients with closed globe injury and in 26 (49%) patients with open globe injury. Severe impairment of vision was found in 12 (4.4%) patients in the closed globe injury group and 26 (49%) patients in the open globe injury group. A statistically significant difference was found between final visual acuity and initial visual acuity in all patients (χ2 = 12.8; P < 0.001). Conclusion The majority of pediatric eye injuries are happening in the outside environment and are preventable. Implementation of well–established safety precautions would greatly reduce this source of visual disability in children.
Diagnosis of Persistent Infection in Prosthetic Two-Stage Exchange: Evaluation of the Effect of Sonication on Antibiotic Release from Bone Cement Spacers

Introduction: When treating periprosthetic joint infection with a two-stage procedure, antibiotic-impregnated spacers can be used in the interval between prosthetic removal and reimplantation. In our experience, cultures of sonicated spacers are most often negative. The objective of the study was to assess whether that sonication causes an elution of antibiotics, leading to elevated antibiotic concentrations in the sonication fluid inhibiting bacterial growth and thus causing false-negative cultures. Methods: A prospective monocentric study was performed from September 2014 to March 2016. Inclusion criteria were a two-stage procedure for prosthetic infection and agreement of the patient to participate in the study. Spacers were made of gentamicin-containing cement to which tobramycin and vancomycin were added. Antibiotic concentrations in the sonication fluid were determined by mass-spectometry (LC-MS). Results: 30 patients were identified (15 hip and 14 knee and 1 ankle arthroplasties). No cases of culture positive sonicated spacer fluid were observed in our serie. In the sonication fluid median concentrations of 13. 2µg/ml, 392 µg/ml and 16.6 µg/ml were detected for vancomycin, tobramycin and gentamicin, respectively. According to the European Committee on antimicrobial susceptibility testing (EUCAST), these concentrations released from cement spacer during sonication are higher than the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for most bacteria relevant in prosthetic joint infections. Conclusion:Spacer sonication cultures remained sterile in all of our cases. Elevated concentrations of antibiotics released during sonication could explain partly negative-cultured sonicated spacers. Indeed, the absence of antibiotic free interval during the two-stages can also contribute to false-negative spacers sonicated cultures.
The impact of an empowerment intervention on people with schizophrenia: Results of a randomized controlled trial

Aims: The aim of the study was to assess what empowerment intervention has on people with schizophrenia. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was carried out between November 2015 and May 2016 involving 112 participants who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. Patients, who were 18 years and above diagnosed with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-V) schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder from the outpatient mental health clinics in Jordan, were randomly assigned to take part in an intervention that consisted of receiving 6 weeks’ worth of information booklets, with face to face discussions, while receiving their usual medication or allocated treatment as usual. The participants were assessed at baseline, immediately after the intervention and at 3-month follow-up. The primary outcome was a change in the helplessness score. Secondary outcomes were psychiatric symptoms, recovery rate, empowerment and quality of life. Results: This study showed that people with schizophrenia in the intervention group showed more improvement in the helplessness score immediately post-intervention (F = 74.53, p < .001) and at 3-month follow-up (F = 75.56, p < .001), they reported significant improvements in all secondary outcomes. Conclusion: This study indicated that the empowering intervention was an effective intervention when integrated with treatment as usual.
A Practical Model for Preventing Type 2 Diabetes in Minority Youth

PURPOSE This article proposes a model grounded in behavioral theory and empirical evidence for use when developing a program to prevent type 2 diabetes in highrisk minority youth. METHODS The model is based on key concepts of 4 behavioral theories: the Health Belief Model, Social Learning Theory, the Theory of Planned Behavior, and the Ecological Model. Determinants of behavior to target for change are selected based on their theoretical link to behavior change, their success in changing behavior in past programs, and through thorough formative research in the target community. RESULTS Diabetes prevention in children requires modifying a complex set of behavior patterns. Social norms and the environment are especially important in children in whom cognitive processes have not fully developed. Family and community involvement is essential for developing a health program and providing a supportive environment in which to change behavior and ongoing reinforcement to maintain behavior changes. CONCLUSIONS Behavioral theory informs the selection of factors to target in a behavioral intervention. Special considerations apply when working with children. A program to target risk must be based in behavioral theory, supported by practical data, and tailored to the needs and beliefs of the target community.
Executive functioning in adult ADHD: a meta-analytic review

Background. Several theoretical explanations of ADHD in children have focused on executive functioning as the main explanatory neuropsychological domain for the disorder. In order to establish if these theoretical accounts are supported by research data for adults with ADHD, we compared neuropsychological executive functioning and non-executive functioning between adults with ADHD and normal controls in a meta-analytic design. Method. We compared 13 studies that (1) included at least one executive functioning measure, (2) compared the performance of an adult ADHD group with that of an adult normal control group, (3) provided sufficient information for calculation of effect sizes, and (4) used DSM-III-R or DSM-IV criteria to diagnose ADHD. Results. We found medium effect sizes both in executive functioning areas [verbal fluency (d=0·62), inhibition (d=0·64 and d=0·89), and set shifting (d=0·65)] and in non-executive functioning domains [consistency of response (d=0·57), word reading (d=0·60) and color naming (d=0·62)]. Conclusions. Neuropsychological difficulties in adult ADHD may not be confined to executive functioning. The field is in urgent need of better-designed executive functioning tests, methodological improvements, and direct comparisons with multiple clinical groups to answer questions of specificity.
Staging Hemodynamic Failure With Blood Oxygen-Level–Dependent Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Cerebrovascular Reactivity: A Comparison Versus Gold Standard (15O-)H2O-Positron Emission Tomography

Background and Purpose— Increased stroke risk correlates with hemodynamic failure, which can be assessed with (15O-)H2O positron emission tomography (PET) cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurements. This gold standard technique, however, is not established for routine clinical imaging. Standardized blood oxygen-level–dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging+CO2 is a noninvasive and potentially widely applicable tool to assess whole-brain quantitative cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR). We examined the agreement between the 2 imaging modalities and hypothesized that quantitative CVR can be a surrogate imaging marker to assess hemodynamic failure. Methods— Nineteen data sets of subjects with chronic cerebrovascular steno-occlusive disease (age, 60±11 years; 4 women) and unilaterally impaired perfusion reserve on Diamox-challenged (15O-)H2O PET were studied and compared with a standardized BOLD functional magnetic resonance imaging+CO2 examination within 6 weeks (8±19 days). Agreement between quantitative CBF- and CVR-based perfusion reserve was assessed. Hemodynamic failure was staged according to PET findings: stage 0: normal CBF, normal perfusion reserve; stage I: normal CBF, decreased perfusion reserve; and stage II: decreased CBF, decreased perfusion reserve. The BOLD CVR data set of the same subjects was then matched to the corresponding stage of hemodynamic failure. Results— PET-based stage I versus stage II could also be clearly separated with BOLD CVR measurements (CVR for stage I 0.11 versus CVR for stage II −0.03; P<0.01). Hemispheric and middle cerebral artery territory difference analyses (ie, affected versus unaffected side) showed a significant correlation for CVR impairment in the affected hemisphere and middle cerebral artery territory (P<0.01, R2=0.47 and P=0.02, R2= 0.25, respectively). Conclusions— BOLD CVR corresponded well to CBF perfusion reserve measurements obtained with (15O-)H2O-PET, especially for detecting hemodynamic failure in the affected hemisphere and middle cerebral artery territory and for identifying hemodynamic failure stage II. BOLD CVR may, therefore, be considered for prospective studies assessing stroke risk in patients with chronic cerebrovascular steno-occlusive disease, in particular because it can potentially be implemented in routine clinical imaging.
The Effects of Total Motile Sperm Count on Spontaneous Pregnancy Rate and Pregnancy After IUI Treatment in Couples with Male Factor and Unexplained Infertility

Introduction: Male infertility factor is defined if the total number of motile spermatozoa (TMSC) < 20 × 106/ejaculated, and unexplained infertility if spermiogram is normal with normal female factor. The aim: of this study was to determine the predictive value of TMSC for spontaneous pregnancy (ST) and pregnancy after treatment with intrauterine insemination (IUI) in couples with male factor and unexplained infertility. What is known already: According to the WHO qualification system abnormal spermiogram can be diagnosed as oligozoospermia (O), asthenozoospermia (A), teratozoospermia (T) or combination (O+A+T) and azoospermia (A). Although this classification indicates the accuracy of findings its relevance for prognosis in infertile couple and the choice of treatment is questionable. Materials and Methods: The study included 98 couples with male infertility factor (bad spermiogram) and couples with normospermia and normal female factor (unexplained infertility). Testing group is randomized at: group (A) with TMSC> 3,106 / ejaculate and a spontaneous pregnancy, group (B) with TMSCl <3 x 106 / ejaculate and pregnancy after IUI, plus couples who have not achieved SP with TMSC> 3 x 106 / ejaculate and couples who have not achieved pregnancy. Main results: From a total of 98 pairs of men’s and unexplained infertility, 42 of them (42.8%) achieved spontaneous pregnancy, while 56 (57.2%) pairs did not achieve spontaneous pregnancy. TMSC was significantly higher (42.4 ± 28.4 vs. 26.2 ± 24, p <0.05) in the group A compared to group B. Couples with TMSC 1-5 × 106 ejaculate had significantly lower (9.8% vs. 22.2%, p <0.0001) rate of spontaneous pregnancy in comparison to couples after IUI treatment. Couples with unexplained infertility had significantly higher (56.8% vs. 29.9%, p <0.01) spontaneous pregnancy rate compared to couples after IUI treatment. Infertile couples had significant pregnancy rate with TMSC 5-10 x 106 / ejaculate (OR = 1.45, 95% CI:1.26-1.78, <0.01); with TMSC 10-20 x 106 / ejaculate (OR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1:12 to 1:46, <0.0001) with TMSC> 20 x 106 / ejaculate (RR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.56-1.82, <0.001) after treatment with IUI compared to spontaneous pregnancy. Conclusion / interpretation: Based on these results we can conclude that couples with the TMSC> 5 x 106 / ejaculate are indicated for treatment with IUI. TMSC can be used as the method of choice for diagnosis and treatment of male infertility.
The Role of Host Genetics in Susceptibility to Influenza: A Systematic Review

Background The World Health Organization has identified studies of the role of host genetics on susceptibility to severe influenza as a priority. A systematic review was conducted to summarize the current state of evidence on the role of host genetics in susceptibility to influenza (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42011001380). Methods and Findings PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and OpenSIGLE were searched using a pre-defined strategy for all entries up to the date of the search. Two reviewers independently screened the title and abstract of 1,371 unique articles, and 72 full text publications were selected for inclusion. Mouse models clearly demonstrate that host genetics plays a critical role in susceptibility to a range of human and avian influenza viruses. The Mx genes encoding interferon inducible proteins are the best studied but their relevance to susceptibility in humans is unknown. Although the MxA gene should be considered a candidate gene for further study in humans, over 100 other candidate genes have been proposed. There are however no data associating any of these candidate genes to susceptibility in humans, with the only published study in humans being under-powered. One genealogy study presents moderate evidence of a heritable component to the risk of influenza-associated death, and while the marked familial aggregation of H5N1 cases is suggestive of host genetic factors, this remains unproven. Conclusion The fundamental question “Is susceptibility to severe influenza in humans heritable? ” remains unanswered. Not because of a lack of genotyping or analytic tools, nor because of insufficient severe influenza cases, but because of the absence of a coordinated effort to define and assemble cohorts of cases. The recent pandemic and the ongoing epizootic of H5N1 both represent rapidly closing windows of opportunity to increase understanding of the pathogenesis of severe influenza through multi-national host genetic studies.
Muscular responses to testosterone replacement vary by administration route: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

Inconsistent fat‐free mass (FFM) and muscle strength responses have been reported in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) administering testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) to middle‐aged and older men. Our objective was to conduct a meta‐analysis to determine whether TRT improves FFM and muscle strength in middle‐aged and older men and whether the muscular responses vary by TRT administration route.
Self-Efficacy and the Sense of Coherence: Narrative Review and a Conceptual Synthesis

In this study, the authors develop an exploratory synthesis of two major health concepts: Antonovsky's sense of coherence and Bandura's beliefs in one's own efficacy. Reinterpretation of each study in the light of the other can lead to greater conceptual development and expand existing knowledge. The mutual themes are presented with an explanation of their contribution to broader conceptual discussions. The existence of some similarities between the two concepts is suggested. Researchers can obtain valuable and additional arguments through cross-fertilization of ideas across presented studies united by shared assumptions. Further research is recommended among various age groups and social backgrounds in order to verify the possible benefits of such theoretical development. Theoretical and practical implications of such a synthesis are presented.