Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit-based screening program for retinopathy of prematurity and its treatment in an Indian population

Purpose: The purpose was to study the incidence, risk factors, and anatomical outcomes after laser treatment in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Methods: A retrospective observational study was carried out. Infants admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of 12 referral hospitals between April 2016 and September 2017 were screened according to the latest Indian guidelines based on the International Classification of Retinopathy of Prematurity. Results: The incidence of ROP in 1648 eyes screened was 25.36% (418 eyes), out of which high-risk prethreshold ROP (type 1) was observed in 9.95% (164 eyes). Decreased hemoglobin (P < 0.001), oxygen requirement (P = 0.008), and number of blood transfusions (P = 0.037) were significant with type 1 than type 2 (low-risk prethreshold) ROP. Stages 1, 2, and 3 were observed in 82 (32.28%), 154 (60.62%), and 18 (7.08%) eyes, respectively. Aggressive posterior ROP (APROP) was observed in 20.73% eyes with type 1 ROP. Ten eyes showing APROP were treated at an early gestational age of 29 weeks. All infants with type 1 ROP were treated with laser photocoagulation only. Conclusion: One-fourth of the infants showed ROP and one-tenth needed laser photocoagulation, the outcome of which was excellent. Risk factors predisposing to ROP were anemia, high oxygen supplementation, increased number of blood transfusions, and septicemia. ROP screening in infants ≥1700 g birth weight associated with various systemic risk factors may be beneficial in the Indian population.
Digest: Fitness costs of Spiroplasma infection in pea aphids *

Endosymbionts sometimes help their hosts resist parasites, but does infection of pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) with different strains of the endosymbiont Spiroplasma confer fitness benefits that offset the costs? Mathé‐Hubert et al. found that across four life‐history traits, Spiroplasma infection induced negative effects on host fitness when compared to controls. Only two of 12 strains of Spiroplasma showed a marginal protective effect against host parasitism by Aphidius ervi, implying Spiroplasma infection is almost entirely detrimental to pea aphid host fitness.
Access of patients with breast and lung cancer to chemotherapy treatment in public and private hospitals in the city of Buenos Aires.

OBJECTIVES Describe the time elapsed from the diagnosis to treatment with chemotherapy for patients with breast and lung cancer at public and private hospitals in Buenos Aires. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING Three public and three private academic hospitals in Buenos Aires. PARTICIPANTS Patients with breast (n = 168) or lung cancer (n = 100) diagnosis treated with chemotherapy. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES Clinical and sociodemographic data were collected in a stratified sample. We used the Kaplan-Meier estimator to analyse the time elapsed and the log rank test to compare both groups. RESULTS For breast cancer patients, median time elapsed between diagnosis and treatment with chemotherapy was 76 days (95% CI: 64-86) in public and 60 days (95% CI: 52-65) in private hospitals (P = 0.0001). For adjuvant and neoadjuvant treatments, median time was 130 (95% CI: 109-159) versus 64 (95% CI: 56-73) days (P < 0.0001) and 57 days (95% CI: 49-75) versus 26 (95% CI: 16-41) days, respectively (P = 0.0002). There were no significant differences in the time from first consultation to diagnosis. In patients with lung cancer, median time from diagnosis to treatment was 71 days (95% CI: 60-83) in public hospitals and 31 days (95% CI: 24-39) in private hospitals (P = 0.0002). In the metastatic setting, median time to treatment was 63 days (95% CI: 45-83) in public and 33 (95% CI: 26-44) days in private hospitals (P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS There are significant disparity in the access to treatment with chemotherapy for patients in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
In Vitro Examination of the Use of Er:YAG Laser to Retrieve Lithium Disilicate Crowns from Titanium Implant Abutments.

PURPOSE Removal of cement-retained implant crowns can be difficult and often requires sectioning of the prosthesis by rotary instruments. This study aimed to measure how much time is required in crown removal and the temperature changes when erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) laser was used to retrieve lithium disilicate crowns from titanium implant abutments luted with composite resin (CR) cement and resin-modified glass ionomer (RMGI). MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty identical lithium disilicate crowns were fabricated for prefabricated titanium abutments. CR and RMGI cements were used to lute the crowns, 20 specimens for each cement. Specimens were kept in 100% humidity for 48 hours. Er:YAG laser was then used to facilitate the crown retrieval. The retrieval time was recorded. The temperature changes at the abutment level for each type of cement were recorded during irradiation of 10 specimens for each type of cement from 1 to 10 minutes. Data were analyzed using t-test (ɑ = 0.01) and paired t-test (ɑ = 0.05). The surfaces of the crown and the abutment were further examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). RESULTS The average times of crown removal from titanium abutments were 196.5 seconds for CR and 97.5 seconds for RMGI groups with statistical significance (p < 0.001). The temperatures measured from 1 to 10 minutes of irradiation ranged from 18° to 20.8° for CR and 18° to 23° for RMGI at the abutment surface, and 22.1° to 24.6° for CR and 22° to 24.8° for RMGI at the crown surface. No statistical differences were observed between temperature changes at the abutment or the crown for each cement (p = 0.63); however, there was a statistically significant difference between the temperatures at the abutment and crown for both cements (p < 0.001). SEM examination showed no visible damage caused by treatment with Er:YAG laser. CONCLUSIONS It is faster to remove lithium disilicate crowns from titanium implant abutments when luted with RMGI compared to CR cement. The temperature rise was higher in the crown compared to the abutment. The type of cement had no effects on temperature changes. Heat generated from Er:YAG irradiation does not appear to be high enough to have any adverse effect on implant osseointegration.
Genetic linkage map of bay scallop, Argopecten irradians irradians (Lamarck 1819)

The bay scallop (Argopecten irradians irradians Lamarck 1819) has become one of the most important aquaculture species in China. Genetic improvement of cultured bay scallop can benefit greatly from a better understanding of its genome. In this study, we developed amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) and simple sequence repeat markers from expressed sequence tags (EST-SSRs) for linkage analysis in bay scallop. Segregation of 390 AFLP and eight SSR markers was analysed in a mapping population of 97 progeny. Of the AFLP markers analysed, 326 segregated in the expected 1:1 Mendelian ratio, while the remaining 74 (or 19.0%) showed significant deviation, with 33 (44.6%) being deficient in heterozygotes (A/a). Among the eight polymorphic EST-SSR loci, one marker (12.5%) was found skewing from its expected Mendelian ratios. Eighteen per cent of the markers segregating from female parent were distorted compared with 21% of the markers segregating from male parent. The female map included 147 markers in 17 linkage groups (LGs) and covered 1892.4 cM of the genome. In the male map, totally 146 AFLP and SSR markers were grouped in 18 LGs spanning 1937.1 cM. The average inter-marker spacing in female and male map was 12.9 and 13.3 cM respectively. The AFLP and SSR markers were distributed evenly throughout the genome except for a few large gaps over 20 cM. Although preliminary, the genetic maps presented here provide a starting point for the mapping of the bay scallop genome.
On Structure-Based Inconsistency Measures and Their Computations via Closed Set Packing

Measuring conflicts is important for understanding the contradictory status of a knowledge base (KB). In this work, we propose a new framework called closed set packing, an interesting extension of the well-known set packing problem, by which we define a family of fine-grained inconsistency measures exploiting the structure of minimal inconsistent sets of a KB. We show that closed set packing also gives a general encoding for computing this new family of measures.
A selection model of ERP system in mobile ERP design science research: Case study: Mobile ERP usability

Nowadays, mobile apps penetrate in every aspect of our daily life, due to the proliferation of mobile devices, the constant advances in mobile computing, and the enormous leaps of mobile HCI. Thus, these factors have increased the demands to adopt the mobile ERP as a working model in enterprises. Regardless of these demands, mobile ERP has several challenges and issues that need to be addressed through a problem the design science research paradigm, since this paradigm is considered a problem-solving paradigm and it has its roots in engineering and the sciences of the artificial. Accordingly, this paper aims to propose a model for selecting an appropriate ERP system within the mobile ERP's design science research domain. The proposed model was applied to a set of ERP systems that are provided by the dominant ERP vendors. In addition, an integrated overview of the selected ERP system for the proposed use case will be presented in this paper.
Dexamethasone Reduces Postoperative Nausea in Pediatric Upper Endoscopy with Deep Sedation: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVES We aimed to evaluate the effect of a single dose of pre-operative dexamethasone on postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), a frequent complication and a major cause of delayed recovery in pediatric upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGIE) under sedation. METHODS In this double-blind randomized controlled study, 98 children aged 2-14, with ASA status I-II, and undergoing elective UGIE with deep sedation were included and randomly assigned to two groups. Pre-operatively, after anesthesia induction with sodium thiopental and maintenance with sevoflurane, patients in the intervention (n = 49) and control (n = 49) groups respectively received 0.1 mg kg-1 i.v. dexamethasone and 2cc i.v. 0.9% saline. Postoperatively, PONV incidence was measured as the primary outcome. RESULTS PONV incidence was significantly less in dexamethasone group (8.2%) compared to the control group (26.5%), (difference = 18.3%, 95% CI: 3.4% to 33%, P = 0.016). For secondary outcomes, between-group differences were not statistically significant: incidence of bronchospasm or laryngospasm (both 4.1%, P = 1); Emergence delirium assessed with PAED scale (5.9 ± 3.4 vs. 5.7 ± 3.2, P = 0.751); Modified Aldrete score at 0 minutes (9.4 ± 0.8 vs. 9.3 ± 0.9, P = 0.909) and at 5 minutes (9.5 ± 0.7 vs. 9.4 ± 0.9, P = 0.527); and recovery time (21.1 ± 6.6 vs. 23.4 ± 8.6 minutes, P = 0.130). CONCLUSION A single pre-operative dose of i.v. dexamethasone reduces PONV in children undergoing elective UGIE with deep sedation, but has no significant effect on the patient recovery time or the incidence of postoperative bronchospasm or laryngospasm and emergence delirium.
Intratympanic steroids for combined treatment of idiopathic sudden hearing loss: when is it too late?

Abstract Background: Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) requires early treatment. Objective: To describe our experience on intratympanic steroid treatment (ITS) of ISSNHL analyzing the delay to start therapy as prognostic factor. Material and methods: We perform a retrospective study on ISSNHL treated with systemic steroids without full recovery on PTA (pure tone average) according to Siegel criteria. They were divided into two different groups: one group that additionally received ITS as combined therapy (treatment group), and another without it (control group). We analyzed the hearing recovery at 6 months and 2 years, and the influence of the delay to start ITS in the recovery. Results: After ITS was added, further complete recovery was achieved in 10 patients of the treatment group. After 6 months, PTA improvement in the treatment group was 10.84 dB, compared to 1.13 dB in the control group (p<.0001). Nevertheless, patients starting such combination of oral steroids and ITS within 8 days of diagnosis had an additional gain of 15 dB in the first 6 months, that increased to 19.17 dB after 24 months (p<.022). Conclusions: When ITS was added within the first 8 days, a significantly better and more stable response was obtained.
Evaluation of Cancer-Based Criteria for Use in Mainstream BRCA1 and BRCA2 Genetic Testing in Patients With Breast Cancer

Key Points Question How can BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene testing in patients with cancer be increased? Findings In this quality improvement study of 1184 individuals, 5 cancer-based criteria with a 10% mutation detection rate were used by the cancer team to approve genetic testing for patients with cancer. Meaning Mainstreaming genetic testing using simple, cancer-based criteria may provide an efficient way to implement consistent, transparent, equitable, cost-effective, patient-centered genetic testing.
Thirty Years after Bill 101: A Contemporary Perspective on Attitudes Towards English and French in Montreal.

Abstract This paper presents a 2007 study that was conducted amongst 147 young anglophone, francophone and allophone Montrealers in order to shed light on their attitudes towards English and French in terms of status and solidarity. The study made use of both a questionnaire and a matched-guise experiment. The findings indicate that while a certain amount of status was attributed to French, most likely as a result of language policy and planning measures such as Bill 101, significantly more status was attributed to English—most likely a result of the utilitarian value that the language holds as the global lingua franca. Regarding the solidarity dimension, it appears that while the respondents recognised the social desirability of having an affective attachment to the French language, at a more private level, they held more positive attitudes towards English. These can tentatively be explained in terms of the respondents’ social identity. Resume L’article ci-dessous presente une recherche menee en 2007 parmi 147 etudiants montrealais (anglophones, francophones et allophones) qui eut pour objectif d’examiner leurs attitudes envers l’anglais compare au francais en terme de statut et de solidarite. Un questionnaire et une etude des faux-couples furent utilises comme methodes de recherche. Les resultats indiquent qu’un certain statut est attribue au francais, ce qui est probablement une consequence des lois langagieres comme la Loi 101. Neanmoins, un statut plus important est attribue a l’anglais, ce qui est probablement une consequence de sa valeur utilitaire comme lingua franca globale. En ce qui concerne la dimension de la solidarite, bien que les jeunes montrealais semblent conscients de l’importance sociale de se sentir attaches a la langue francaise, lorsque l’on considere un aspect plus personnel, ils tendent a manifester des attitudes plus positives envers l’anglais. Ces attitudes plus positives envers l’anglais peuvent etre expliquees comme resultats de differentes identites sociales.
Phenotype of Arabidopsis thaliana semi-dwarfs with deep roots and high growth rates under water-limiting conditions is independent of the GA5 loss-of-function alleles

Background and Aims The occurrence of Arabidopsis thaliana semi-dwarf accessions carrying inactive alleles at the gibberellin (GA) biosynthesis GA5 locus has raised the question whether there are pleiotropic effects on other traits at the root level, such as rooting depth. In addition, it is unknown whether semi-dwarfism in arabidopsis confers a growth advantage under water-limiting conditions compared with wild-type plants. The aim of this research was therefore to investigate whether semi-dwarfism has a pleiotropic effect in the root system and also whether semi-dwarfs might be more tolerant of water-limiting conditions. Methods The root systems of different arabidopsis semi-dwarfs and GA biosynthesis mutants were phenotyped in vitro using the GROWSCREEN-ROOT image-based software. Semi-dwarfs were phenotyped together with tall, near-related accessions. In addition, root phenotypes were investigated in soil-filled rhizotrons. Rosette growth trajectories were analysed with the GROWSCREEN-FLUORO setup based on non-invasive imaging. Key Results Mutations in the early steps of the GA biosynthesis pathway led to a reduction in shoot as well as root size. Depending on the genetic background, mutations at the GA5 locus yielded phenotypes characterized by decreased root length in comparison with related wild-type ones. The semi-dwarf accession Pak-3 showed the deepest root system both in vitro and in soil cultivation experiments; this comparatively deep root system, however, was independent of the ga5 loss-of-function allele, as shown by co-segregation analysis. When the accessions were grown under water-limiting conditions, semi-dwarf accessions with high growth rates were identified. Conclusions The observed diversity in root system growth and architecture occurs independently of semi-dwarf phenotypes, and is probably linked to a genetic background effect. The results show that there are no clear advantages of semi-dwarfism at low water availability in arabidopsis.
RAS inhibitors’ dose-dependent efficacy: myth or reality?

Abstract Objective: Treatment of hypertension remains challenging in clinical practice. One major problem is incorrect utilization of the principal drug classes. Drugs from each class are currently used in accordance with an assumption that the blood pressure (BP) lowering effect is dose dependent. While this is true for most drugs, it is not appropriate for all drugs that block the renin–angiotensin system (RAS). Methods: This review is based on a PubMed/Cochrane database search for articles on the dose-dependent effect of RAS blockers on BP and cardiovascular protection. Results: Of the RAS blockers, most angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) have a flat dose–response curve for BP decrease, meaning an increase in dose prolongs duration of action, but does not yield greater potency. Perindopril is the only ACE inhibitor to show a real dose–response curve for BP decrease. While the effectiveness of RAS blockers on target organ damage is dose dependent and at least partially unrelated to BP control, there is evidence that the only way to obtain a beneficial effect is to use them at full dose. Thus, RAS blockers need to be used at the correct dose, based on the results of controlled clinical trials and meta-analysis. Furthermore, for all-cause mortality, ACE inhibitors have been shown to be better than ARBs, a specific efficacy supported by perindopril-based studies including ASCOT-BPLA (the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial–BP Lowering Arm), ADVANCE (the Action in Diabetes and Vascular disease: PreterAx and DiamicroN-MR Controlled Evaluation trial) and HYVET (HYpertension in the Very Elderly Trial). Conclusion: In hypertensive patients, a strategy based on ACE inhibitors with dose-dependent efficacy such as perindopril as optimal treatment should lead both to improved BP control and to a better protection from target organ damage, thereby reducing the incidence of cardiovascular events.
Diagnostic performance of core needle biopsy in identifying breast phyllodes tumors.

BACKGROUND A retrospective analysis of diagnoses was performed in patients with phyllodes tumors of the breast (PTB) who received preoperative core needle biopsy (CNB) and had breast surgery at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center from January 1, 2002 to April 1, 2013. The resulting data allowed us to compare the accordance between CNB and excision diagnoses of PTB patients and evaluate the accuracy of CNB in preoperative diagnosis. METHODS Data from 128 patients with PTB who had undergone preoperative CNB and breast surgery were retrospectively analyzed. We reviewed the medical history, clinical follow-up data, and CNB diagnostic data. A diagnostic test was used to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of CNB in diagnosing benign, borderline, and malignant phyllodes tumors. RESULTS The accuracy of CNB for diagnosing PTB was 13.3% (17/128). Of the remaining patients, 98 (75.5% of the PTB patients) were diagnosed with fibroadenoma or fibroepithelial lesions. The sensitivity of CNB at diagnosing benign, borderline, and malignant phyllodes tumors were 4.9% (2/41), 4.2% (3/71), and 25.0% (4/16), respectively, whereas the corresponding specificity were 92.0%, 98.2%, and 100%, respectively. Some clinical features, such as large tumor size, rapid growth, or surgical history of fibroadenomas, were indicative of an increased possibility of PTB. CONCLUSIONS CNB provides a pathological basis for the preoperative diagnosis of PTB, but it has a poor accuracy and offers limited guidance for surgical decisions. Considering CNB along with multiple histologic features may improve the ability to accurately diagnose PTB. An integrated assessment using CNBs in combination with clinical data and imaging features is suggested as a reliable strategy to assist PTB diagnosis.
Injecting, Sexual Risk Behaviors and HIV Infection in Young Cocaine and Heroin Users in Spain

Aim: To evaluate differences between young cocaine users and heroin users (HUs) regarding the prevalence of sexual and injection risk behavior, and HIV, HCV and HBV infection. Methods: Two community cohorts were recruited in Madrid, Barcelona and Seville; 720 cocaine users, of whom 586 had never used heroin (CUs), and 991 HUs were interviewed. Dried blood spot samples were tested. Results: CUs were less marginalized socially than HUs. Only 0.9% had ever injected versus 64.3%; none had ever injected with borrowed syringes versus 25%; 2.2% had an injecting steady partner in the last 12 months versus 24.9%; 4.8% had ever traded sex versus 16.0%. However, 31.0 versus 12.7% had unprotected sex with more than two occasional partners in the last 12 months; 45.0 versus 21.9% had sniffed through tubes used by more than 10 persons. Only 32.3% knew their HIV status versus 80.3%; 0.4 versus 18.1% were HIV positive; 0.9 versus 51.9% were HCV positive, and 1.5 versus 17.0% were HBV positive. Conclusions: The intense cocaine epidemic has hitherto had little impact on either HIV, HBV or HCV in Spain. However, surveillance should be intensified given the high percentage of CUs having unprotected sex with occasional partners.