Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hysteroscopy after repeated implantation failure of assisted reproductive technology: A meta‐analysis

We conducted this meta‐analysis to explore the prognostic value of outpatient (or office) hysteroscopy (OH) preceding in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles in women who had experienced repeated implantation failure (RIF), particularly in regard to the conflicting evidence reported by previous studies. Two reviewers independently searched Pubmed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Embase to identify all publications of clinical trials of hysteroscopy with or without endometrial biopsy in RIF patients. The primary outcome measures were clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and live birth rate (LBR). Pooled relative ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Publication bias was detected using funnel plots and Egger's regression tests. Six eligible studies comprising 4143 patients were included. The CPR and LBR were both significantly higher in RIF patients with OH than RIF patients without OH (CPR: RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.14–1.57, P < 0.05; LBR: RR 1.29, 95% CI 1.03–1.62, P < 0.05). Subgroup analysis revealed a significant association between OH and CPR in Asia (CPR: RR 1.49, 95% CI 1.31–1.69; P < 0.05) rather than in Europe (CPR: RR 1.08, 95% CI 0.93–1.26; P = 0.291). However, there was no evidence of a significant difference in either CPR or LBR between the normal and abnormal OH groups (CPR: RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.83–1.02, P = 0.12; LBR: RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.37–1.56, P = 0.450). Hysteroscopy may potentially improve pregnancy outcomes in patients with RIP.
Prevalence and Correlates of Smoking Among People Living With HIV in South Africa

Introduction Smoking likely exacerbates comorbidities which people living with HIV (PLWH) are predisposed. We assessed prevalence and correlates of smoking among PLWH in South Africa, which has 7 million PLWH but inadequate reporting of smoking. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among randomly selected adults with HIV infection in Klerksdorp, South Africa. Current smoking was assessed by questionnaire, exhaled carbon monoxide (eCO), and urine cotinine. Results Of 1210 enrolled adults, 753 (62%) were women. In total, 409 (34%) self-reported ever smoking: 301 (74%) were current and 108 (26%) were former smokers. Using eCO and urine cotinine tests, 239 (52%) men and 100 (13%) women were defined as current smokers. Nearly all smokers (99%) were receiving ART, and had a median (IQR) CD4 count of 333 cells/μL (181-534), viral load of 31 IU/mL (25-4750), and BMI of 21 kg/m2 (19-24). Adjusted analysis among men showed higher odds of smoking with marijuana use (OR = 7.5, 95% CI = 4.1 to 14.6). Among women, 304 (43%) reported using snuff, compared to only 11 (3%) of men, and snuff use was inversely associated with smoking (OR = 0.1; 95% CI = 0.05 to 0.2). A subset of participants (n = 336) was asked about alcohol use, which was positively associated with smoking for men (OR = 8.1, 95% CI = 2.8 to 25.9) and women (OR = 8.5, 95% CI = 2.9 to 26.8). Conclusion Smoking prevalence among PLWH in South Africa is alarmingly high. Prevention and cessation strategies that consider marijuana and alcohol use are needed. Implications As long-term HIV care continues to improve, more people living with HIV (PLWH) will die of diseases, including tuberculosis, for which smoking plays an important causal role. The prevalence of smoking is markedly higher among PLWH in high-resource settings, but data for Africa and other low-resource settings that shoulder the brunt of the HIV epidemic has previously not been well documented. We report an alarmingly high prevalence of smoking among PLWH in South Africa, particularly among men, and a strong association between current smoking and use of other substances.
Deep sequencing-based microRNA expression signatures in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: dual strands of pre-miR-150 as antitumor miRNAs

We adopted into RNA-sequencing technologies to construct the microRNA (miRNA) expression signature of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Our signature revealed that a total of 160 miRNAs (44 upregulated and 116 downregulated) were aberrantly expressed in cancer tissues. Expression of miR-150-5p (guide strand miRNA) and miR-150-3p (passenger strand miRNA) were significantly silenced in cancer tissues, suggesting both miRNAs act as antitumor miRNAs in HNSCC cells. Ectopic expression of mature miRNAs, miR-150-5p and miR-150-3p inhibited cancer cell aggressiveness. Low expression of miR-150-5p and miR-150-3p predicted significantly shorter overall survival in patients with HNSCC (P = 0.0091 and P = 0.0386) by Kaplan–Meier survival curves analyses. We identified that integrin α3 (ITGA3), integrin α6 (ITGA6), and tenascin C (TNC) were coordinately regulated by these miRNAs in HNSCC cells. Knockdown assays using siRNAs showed that ITGA3, ITGA6 and TNC acted as cancer promoting genes in HNSCC cells. Moreover, ITGA3, ITGA6, and TNC alterations were associated with significantly poorer overall survival (P = 0.0177, P = 0.0237, and P = 0.026, respectively). Dual strands of pre-150 (miR-150-5p and miR-150-3p) functioned as antitumor miRNAs based on the miRNA expression signature of HNSCC. Identification of antitumor miR-150-mediated RNA networks may provide novel insights into pathogenesis of HNSCC.
Health status of long-term sick leave and working female teachers in Germany: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES Limited research on the health situation of teachers on long-term sick leave is available. The aim of this study has been to describe the health status of female teachers on long-term sick leave (LSFT) in comparison to working female teachers (WFT) and to determine predictors for their state of mental health (MH) and cardiovascular fitness (CF). MATERIAL AND METHODS Twenty-eight LSFT and 300 WFT (average age: 53±5 years old) participated in a screening diagnostic inventory. Mental health, CF, blood pressure (BP), body mass index (BMI), body fat mass (BFM), health behavior (smoking, alcohol intake, physical activity) and disease burden (DB - number of medical diagnoses) were analyzed for the purpose of characterization of the health status. The multiple linear regression analysis was performed to identify predictors for the state of MH and CF. RESULTS Adverse values for the MH but also for CF, BFM and the DB (median of medical diagnoses: LSFT: 5; WFT: 2) among the LSFT in comparison to the WFT were confirmed. Additionally, the part of smokers among LSFT (25%) was higher (WFT: 8%). In contrast, the WFT (61%) were much more affected by an elevated BP (LSFT: 26%). Disease burden proved as the strongest predictor for MH of the female teachers. Age, BMI and DB proved as predictors for CF. CONCLUSIONS Health-related differences between long-term sick leave and working teachers were particularized and a link between physical and mental health among teachers was quantified. Therefore, health-related concepts for teachers should equally focus on physical and psychological aspects. The relevance of regular well-structured occupational health check-ups should be brought to the attention of the profession to prevent diseases and early retirements. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2018;31(2):227-242.
Cross-country evidence on the relation between stock prices and the current account

This article explores the relation between stock prices and the current account for 17 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in 1980–2007. A panel Vector Autoregressive (VAR) model is used to compare the effects of stock price shocks to those originating from monetary policy and exchange rates. While monetary policy shocks have little effects, shocks to stock prices and exchange rates have sizeable effects. A 10% contraction in stock prices improves the current account by 0.3% after 2 years. Hence a channel – in addition to the traditional exchange rate channel – is found through which external balance for an OECD country with a current account imbalance can be restored.
Impact of CYP2C19 Polymorphisms on Clinical Outcomes and Antiplatelet Potency of Clopidogrel in Caucasian Poststroke Survivors

Background: Variable response after clopidogrel is well documented and may affect major adverse clinical events after stroke. Impact of CYP2C19 genetic polymorphisms is an established marker linked to variable response after clopidogrel. However, the association of certain genetic polymorphisms with prediction of major adverse clinical events following stroke still remains controversial, especially in Caucasians. Study Question: The primary aim was to evaluate the impact of CYP2C19 allele *2 in heterozygote form on major adverse clinical events in Caucasian poststroke survivors treated with clopidogrel. The secondary aim was to analyze the potential link between CYP2C19 genetic polymorphism and variable response after clopidogrel. Study Design: One hundred thirty patients of Caucasian origin following documented ischemic stroke were included. Platelet reactivity was assessed by light transmittance aggregometry (LTA) and matched with various CYP2C19 loss-of-function genetic polymorphisms and major adverse clinical events (composite of vascular deaths, stroke/transient ischemic attack, and myocardial infarction). Results: Over the mean follow-up of 14.9 months, 19 patients experienced major adverse clinical events. The risk of major adverse clinical events was nearly 3-fold in loss-of-function allele carriers (hazard ratio = 2.904; 95% confidence interval, 1.083–7.786; P = 0.013), whereas the risk of ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack alone was also higher (hazard ratio = 3.170; 95% confidence interval, 1.281–7.849; P = 0.034). Platelet activity was strongly associated with allele *2 status (rs = 0.21, P = 0.016) but not with other genetic polymorphisms. Carriers of allele*2 exhibited lower platelet response to adenosine diphosphate—mean LTA (30.1% vs. 42.0%; P = 0.017). There were no significant differences in LTA results with other agonists. Strong association of increase in adenosine diphosphate–induced aggregation with diabetes mellitus (rs = 0.20, P = 0.023), increasing age (rs = 0.23, P = 0.008), and conversely diminishing over increased weight (rs = 0.23, P = 0.009) was also detected. The carriers of other gene allele variants lack uniformed impact on variable response after clopidogrel. Conclusions: Even heterozygous CYP2C19*2 allele carriers among Caucasian patients after ischemic stroke had a higher risk of major adverse clinical events. The LTA, however, did not predict major adverse clinical events. The exact clinical utility of these findings is still uncertain and requires large outcome-driven randomized trial in Caucasians for proof of concept.
Prognostic value of mean pulmonary artery pressure in the stable phase after heart transplantation

OBJECTIVES In heart transplant recipients, elevated mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) shortly before or after transplantation represents a powerful predictor for an adverse short‐term outcome. Less is known on cardiac and pulmonary pressures measured in the stable phase after heart transplantation. The aim of this study was to assess the predictive value of mPAP, mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and mean central venous pressure in the stable phase after transplantation. METHODS All patients (n = 260, mean age 47.4 ± 12.7 years, 224 males) who received a cardiac allograft at the University Hospital Zurich between September 1985 and August 2014 and who had undergone at least 1 right heart catheterization after transplantation (median 358 days after transplantation) were included and survival analysis was performed (median follow‐up 11.9 years). RESULTS The median mPAP, mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and mean central venous pressure were 15 mmHg (interquartile range 12‐19 mmHg), 8 mmHg (interquartile range 6‐11 mmHg) and 3 mmHg (interquartile range 1‐5 mmHg), respectively. In mPAP median split survival analysis, patients with an mPAP above the median had a significantly lower long‐term survival than patients with or below median mPAP (P = 0.012). mPAP but not mean central venous pressure or mean pulmonary capillary wedge pressure was independently associated with long‐term mortality in multivariable Cox‐hazard survival analysis (hazard ratio 1.10, confidence interval 1.04‐1.16, P = 0.001). Other factors independently associated with mortality were age at transplantation (hazard ratio 1.03 per year, confidence interval 1.01‐1.04, P = 0.002) and serum creatinine (&mgr;mol/l) (hazard ratio 1.003, confidence interval 1.001‐1.010, P = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that mPAP measured in the stable phase after heart transplantation is an independent prognostic factor for long‐term mortality.
EFFECT OF FLY ASH AND TEMPERATURE ON PROPERTIES OF BURNT CLAY BRICKS

In the quest for economy, quality and sustainable development ; it is imperative to find suitable alternative to existing materials and methods of brick manufacturing. With this in mind, some experiments were carried out in laboratory to reduce consumption of soil in bricks by adding fly ash and to investigate the effect of fly ash on properties of bricks. Different proportions of fly ash and different baking temperatures were tried to investigate their effects on compressive strength and water absorption quality of bricks by casting and testing about 1000 bricks in laboratory. The test results show that the compressive strength of bricks can be improved by 4 to 5 times for certain proportion of fly ash and certain baking temperature. The property of water absorption of bricks can also be improved. This advocates the use offly ash as a supplementary material to soil by reducing consumption of soil in brick manufacturing towards the efforts of maintaining ecological balance through sustainable development of natural resources. Further, consumption of fly ash will reduce the problem of its disposal to some extent.
In vivo toxicity assessment of aflatoxin B1-contaminated corn after ozone degradation

ABSTRACT Corn is an important food and feedstuff in China and worldwide. The problems caused by aflatoxin B1-contaminated corn (ACC) are of great concern. Our previous studies have demonstrated that ozone can effectively degrade AFB1 in corn, prompting us to investigate the in vivo toxicity of treated ACC. In this study, 35 Kunming mice were used to assess the in vivo toxicity of ozone treated ACC. Results indicated that compared to mice fed with basal feedstuff (provided by the Shanghai SLAC Laboratory), those fed with ACC have significantly decreased mean weight as well as total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), and globulin (GLB) contents (p < 0.05). On the other hand, the liver and kidney/body weight ratio as well as the serum alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels significantly increased (p < 0.05). Obvious histopathological changes were found in the liver and kidney. When mice were fed with the ozone-treated ACC, no significant differences were observed in the mean weight, the liver and kidney/body weight ratio and in the major serum indexes ALT, TP, ALB, and GLB (p > 0.05). However, AST and ALP significantly increased (p < 0.05), and slight histopathological changes were found in liver tissues. This study indicated that ACC may lead to significant changes in various physiological characteristics and biochemical indexes in liver and kidney tissues, but ozone treatment of ACC could significantly reduce these changes.
Mechanical Properties Of Concrete Mixed With Waste Glass

The study of waste glass (WG) concrete mix was done to study mechanical properties of concrete mix with target characteristics strength 30MPa at 28 days age. The laboratory experimental study was conducted at Muhammadiyah University between October and December 2014,to find out the high strength and amount for Waste Glass as fine aggregates replacement in a concrete mix. Also alkali silica reaction (ASR) was determined by expansion test. For mechanical properties compressive strength, flexural strength and modulus of elasticity (MOE) were determined. All measurement was done in accordance to ASTM standard methods. Three sample content types of 10%, 15% and 20% concrete mix containing waste glass and control 0% concrete mix were prepared, casted and cured for 28 days before determination of mechanical properties, and mortar bar were caste and cured for 14 days for ASR determination. Results showed that highest measured characteristics strength was 30.72MPa, for flexural strength was 6.8MPa and for modulus of elasticity was 37.42MPa, and the high expansion test was 28% compared to control concrete mix. For the amount waste glass replacement was determined in relation to high characteristics strength yield which was found at 10% WG replacement. The conclusion reached to this study were; Maximum characteristic strength for glass concrete mix was reached with 10% fine aggregate replaced was 30.72Mpa at 28 days age. While for ASR ,fine aggregate replacement by waste glass showed expansion at all amount replaced.
Family Relationships and Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese Older Immigrants in the United States

Background Given the growth in the number of older Chinese immigrants in the United States and the importance of family support in Chinese culture, this study examines how supportive and negative relationships with family members (children and spouse) influence depressive symptom severity among this population. Methods Using data from the Population Study of Chinese Elderly in Chicago, we carried out multivariate negative binomial regression analysis using a sample of 3,159 Chinese older immigrants. Depressive symptom severity was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire. Intergenerational and marital relationships were characterized using self-reported measures of two supportive features (confiding and aiding) and two negative features (demanding and criticizing). Results Confiding and aiding relationships with children (incident rate ratio [IRR] = .70, confidence interval [CI]: 0.57, 0.85; IRR = .70, CI: 0.56, 0.88, respectively) and spouses (IRR = .61, CI:0.47, 0.79; IRR = .66, CI: 0.52, 0.83, respectively) were significantly associated with lower depressive symptom severity among the older Chinese immigrants sampled. Demanding (IRR = 1.39, CI: 1.16, 1.68) and criticizing (IRR = 1.37, CI: 1.17, 1.60) intergenerational relationships significantly predicted higher depressive symptom severity, and spousal criticism (IRR = 1.41, CI: 1.24, 1.59) was related to higher depressive symptom severity. Aiding relationships with children appears to be more important for older women than men (IRR = .69, CI: 0.47, 1.01). Conclusions The findings reveal the importance of both positive and negative interactions with spouses and children in shaping mental well-being among older Chinese immigrants. Future geriatric practice and research should consider both supportive and negative features in examining and addressing interpersonal relationships and mental health.
Costs and Rewards in Priced Timed Automata

We consider Pareto analysis of reachable states of multi-priced timed automata (MPTA): timed automata equipped with multiple observers that keep track of costs (to be minimised) and rewards (to be maximised) along a computation. Each observer has a constant non-negative derivative which may depend on the location of the MPTA. We study the Pareto Domination Problem, which asks whether it is possible to reach a target location via a run in which the accumulated costs and rewards Pareto dominate a given objective vector. We show that this problem is undecidable in general, but decidable for MPTA with at most three observers. For MPTA whose observers are all costs or all rewards, we show that the Pareto Domination Problem is PSPACE-complete. We also consider an epsilon-approximate Pareto Domination Problem that is decidable without restricting the number and types of observers. We develop connections between MPTA and Diophantine equations. Undecidability of the Pareto Domination Problem is shown by reduction from Hilbert's 10th Problem, while decidability for three observers is shown by a translation to a fragment of arithmetic involving quadratic forms.
Perineural Invasion and Risk of Lethal Prostate Cancer

Background: Prostate cancer has a propensity to invade and grow along nerves, a phenomenon called perineural invasion (PNI). Recent studies suggest that the presence of PNI in prostate cancer has been associated with cancer aggressiveness. Methods: We investigated the association between PNI and lethal prostate cancer in untreated and treated prostate cancer cohorts: the Swedish Watchful Waiting Cohort of 615 men who underwent watchful waiting, and the U.S. Health Professionals Follow-Up Study of 849 men treated with radical prostatectomy. One pathologist performed a standardized histopathologic review assessing PNI and Gleason grade. Patients were followed from diagnosis until metastasis or death. Results: The prevalence of PNI was 7% and 44% in the untreated and treated cohorts, respectively. PNI was more common in high Gleason grade tumors in both cohorts. PNI was associated with enhanced tumor angiogenesis, but not tumor proliferation or apoptosis. In the Swedish study, PNI was associated with lethal prostate cancer [OR 7.4; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.6–16.6; P < 0.001]. A positive, although not statistically significant, association persisted after adjustment for age, Gleason grade, and tumor volume (OR 1.9; 95% CI, 0.8–5.1; P = 0.17). In the U.S. study, PNI predicted lethal prostate cancer independent of clinical factors (HR 1.8; 95% CI, 1.0, 3.3; P =0.04). Conclusions: These data support the hypothesis that perineural invasion creates a microenvironment that promotes cancer aggressiveness. Impact: Our findings suggest that PNI should be a standardized component of histopathologic review, and highlights a mechanism underlying prostate cancer metastasis. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(5); 719–26. ©2017 AACR.
Quasi-analytic modal expansion methods for optical modelling of cylindrical nanostructures in GaN LEDs

Gallium nitride (GaN)-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with cylindrical nanostructures have been the subject of significant research interest in the past decade, due to the potential of such structures to increase light extraction efficiency and deliver highly directional light emission. Nanorod LEDs, where the light emission is within the nanocylinder, have the additional potential to increase internal quantum efficiency and emit in colours previously thought impractical with GaN-based LEDs. Optical modelling of nanostructured LEDs is usually carried out using finite-difference time-domain methods, which are computationally intensive and do not always provide sufficient insight into the physics underlying the simulation results. This thesis proposes an intuitive, quasi-analytic method based on modal expansion. It is found that it is possible to calculate the far field diffraction patterns of all guided modes supported by a single nanorod, with full consideration of Fabry-Perot effects, in minutes using a standard office desktop computer. Focus is placed on the case of a nanorod of radius 140 nm, for which angular photoluminescence measurements were available to provide a means of validating the model. Consideration of the guided modes alone provides a compelling explanation for gross features in the measured data where none previously existed. It is shown that, using a standard equation from a textbook, it is possible to calculate how much each of the guided and radiation modes of a single nanorod is excited by a Hertzian dipole of known position and orientation with respect to the nanorod geometry. When interference between these modes is considered, it is possible to calculate the total far field angular emission pattern due to that dipole. Comparing these patterns with photoluminescence measurements allows one to infer the locations and orientations of dipole current sources; the results are found to be consistent with those of cathodoluminescence studies.