Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Patient Motivations for Choosing Postmastectomy Breast Reconstruction

IntroductionThe number of women who undergo postmastectomy breast reconstruction is reported to be around 40% and, although increased from previous decades, seems lower than expected. The purpose of this report is to investigate and improve our understanding of women’s motivations for choosing reconstruction. MethodsWe prospectively surveyed consecutive patients referred for possible reconstructive surgery at Emory University Hospital between December 2008 and September 2010. A Likert-scale (1–5) questionnaire was used evaluating body image, femininity and sexuality, and influences regarding reconstruction. Demographic information was collected and analyzed. A PubMed search was also performed evaluating national rates of reconstruction, the demographic disparities, and the decision-making process behind undergoing reconstruction. ResultsAmong the 155 women surveyed, most (63%, n = 99) were 40 to 60 years old, 54.8% (n = 85) were African American, and 41.3% (n = 64) were white. Overall, patients agreed more strongly with questions related to body image as a motivating factor for breast reconstruction than they did with questions related to sexuality or femininity (mean score, 2.85 vs 3.26). When asked about their primary motivation for breast reconstruction, 76% of women agreed it was to maintain a balanced appearance, 34% agreed it was to continue to feel feminine, and 7.7% agreed it was to maintain sexual functioning. When asked about outside influences in pursuing breast reconstruction, the 51.6% of patients reported that they were urged by their referring physician to consider it, and most of the patients (58%) discussed the surgery with other breast cancer patients considering breast reconstruction. ConclusionsWomen pursuing breast reconstruction are motivated more by concerns of body image than issues of sexuality or femininity, which is independent of any demographic characteristics. It is important for referring physicians to recognize their role in initiating the discussion on reconstruction, and women would benefit from being referred to support groups to discuss their treatment and reconstruction with other breast cancer patients.
Metabolism of [carbonyl-14C]mosapride citrate after a single oral administration in rats, dogs and monkeys.

The metabolism of mosapride citrate ((+-)-4-amino-5-chloro-2-ethoxy-N-[[4-(4-fluorobenzyl)-2-morpho li nyl] methyl]benzamide citrate, AS-4370, CAS 112885-42-4) was investigated in rats, dogs and monkeys after a single oral administration. Four metabolites, M-1 to M-4, were isolated from rat urine. Two of them were identified as des-p-fluorobenzyl (M-1) and 5'-oxo-des-p-fluorobenzyl mosapride (M-2) and the other two were considered to be as 3-hydroxy des-p-fluorobenzyl (M-3) and 3-hydroxy 5'-oxo-des-p-fluorobenzyl mosapride (M-4) by mass spectrometry and/or nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. Metabolites in biological specimens such as plasma and urine after oral administration of [14C]mosapride in rats, dogs and monkeys were analyzed by thin layer chromatography (TLC). Unchanged mosapride, M-1, M-2 and some other metabolites were observed in the plasma of male rats. On the other hand, female rat plasma contained mosapride as the major radioactive component with a small amount of M-1 and little other metabolite(s). In rat urine, irrespective of sex, M-1, M-2, M-3, M-4 and a few other metabolites were observed but the unchanged drug was hardly detected. These facts suggested that the metabolic rate of mosapride was different between sexes in rats. In male rat bile, mosapride, M-1 and polar metabolite(s) were observed. In dogs, mosapride and M-1 were observed as major radioactive components in plasma, and M-1 was seen also as the major metabolite in urine but unchanged drug was hardly detected. Similar results were obtained in monkeys. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Prospective randomized study of clinical performance of 3 aspheric and 2 spherical intraocular lenses in 250 eyes.

PURPOSE To compare the quality of vision with aspheric and spherical intraocular lenses (IOLs) in pseudophakic patients. METHODS This prospective, comparative, randomized study included 250 eyes of 125 patients with bilateral cataracts. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either IOLs with a spherical biconvex optic (Acrysof SN6OAT [Alcon] or Sensar AR40e [Advanced Medical Optics, AMO]) or IOLs with an aspheric optic (Acrysof IQ SN6OWF [Alcon], Tecnis Z9000 [AMO], or Sofport L161AO [Bausch & Lomb]). Ophthalmologic examination including best spectacle-corrected visual acuity, pupil size, ocular dominance investigation, contrast sensitivity under mesopic and photopic conditions, and wavefront analysis was performed 2 months postoperatively. RESULTS Aspheric IOLs showed better contrast sensitivity compared to spherical IOLs at spatial frequencies of 6, 12, and 18 cycles per degree (cpd) under photopic conditions and at all spatial frequencies under mesopic conditions. There was no significant difference among the three aspheric IOLs at all spatial frequencies under either photopic or mesopic conditions. Mean total spherical aberration was statistically lower in dominant eyes with aspheric IOLs (0.05 +/- 0.06, 0.11 +/- 0.1, and 0.19 +/- 0.08 pm for the Tecnis Z9000, Acrysof IQ SN6OWF, and Sofport L161AO, respectively) compared with eyes with spherical IOLs (0.62 +/- 0.24 and 0.46 +/- 0.19 microm for the Acrysof SN6OAT and Sensar AR40e, respectively) for a 5-mm pupil diameter. CONCLUSIONS The aspheric IOLs had less wavefront aberrations and performed better under both photopic and mesopic contrast sensitivity compared to the spherical IOLs. These findings confirm it is possible to improve the optical performance of IOLs by modifying the surfaces.
Disk cache performance for distributed systems

The influence of client and server cache sizes and the number of clients on caching performance is studied through trace-driven simulation. The results indicate that the locality of reference in disk block reference patterns allows relatively small caches to reduce significantly the number of disk accesses required. File server cache performance is significantly different from client cache performance owing to the capture of disk block references by the client caches. The major factor influencing overall miss ratio statistics (actual disk reference frequencies) is found to be the maximum of the server cache size and the size of client caches. <<ETX>>
Transcription Factor IID--Not So Basal After All

How does a fertilized egg give rise to the more than 200 types of differentiated cells in our bodies? As Verrijzer explains in his Perspective, different components of the general transcription factor TFIID, such as the TAFs, ensure that crucial developmental genes are switched on in a tissue-specific manner. Thus, TFIID, which has always been considered a general transcription factor, can be tailored by TAFs to the specialist needs of developing tissues.
Operational Feasibility of Using Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification for Diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Microscopy Centers of Developing Countries

ABSTRACT The characteristics of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) make it a promising platform for the molecular detection of tuberculosis (TB) in developing countries. Here, we report on the first clinical evaluation of LAMP for the detection of pulmonary TB in microscopy centers in Peru, Bangladesh, and Tanzania to determine its operational applicability in such settings. A prototype LAMP assay with simplified manual DNA extraction was evaluated for accuracy and ease of use. The sensitivity of LAMP in smear- and culture-positive sputum specimens was 97.7% (173/177 specimens; 95% confidence interval [CI], 95.5 to 99.9%), and the sensitivity in smear-negative, culture-positive specimens was 48.8% (21/43 specimens; CI, 33.9 to 63.7%). The specificity in culture-negative samples was 99% (500/505 specimens; CI, 98.1 to 99.9%). The average hands-on time for testing six samples and two controls was 54 min, similar to that of sputum smear microscopy. The optimal amplification time was 40 min. No indeterminate results were reported, and the interreader variability was 0.4%. Despite the use of a single room without biosafety cabinets for all procedures, no DNA contamination was observed. The assay was robust, with high end-point stability and low rates of test failure. Technicians with no prior molecular experience easily performed the assay after 1 week of training, and opportunities for further simplification of the assay were identified.
INFLUÊNCIA DA LIOFILIZAÇÃO SOBRE OS CAROTENOIDES DE FRUTOS DO CERRADO E COMPORTAMENTO HIGRÓSCOPICO DOS PÓS-LIOFILIZADOS

O marolo e cagaita sao frutos do Cerrado que possuem excelentes caracteristicas nutricionais, mas sao altamente pereciveis e nao estao disponiveis em periodos de entressafra. A liofilizacao e um processo de secagem que oferece produtos de elevada qualidade. Sendo assim, objetivou-se obter pos comestiveis a partir das polpas de marolo e cagaita liofilizadas, avaliar o efeito do processo de secagem sobre a preservacao do conteudo de carotenoides e sobre o comportamento higroscopico dos correspondentes pos-liofilizados. Foram avaliados os parâmetros fisico-quimicos, e o conteudo de carotenoides totais das polpas in natura e liofilizadas. Os produtos liofilizados foram avaliados quanto a atividade de agua, molhabilidade, solubilidade, capacidade de reidratarao e comportamento higroscopico. Os correspondentes pos-liofilizados de marolo e cagaita apresentaram alta solubilidade e molhabilidade. As isotermas de adsorcao dos pos-liofilizados de ambos os frutos apresentaram comportamentos tipicos de materiais com alto teor de acucares. Os parâmetros fisico-quimicos nao foram influenciados pelo processo de liofilizacao, contudo, observou-se uma perda de 39,25% de carotenoides totais para a cagaita liofilizada em relacao a polpa in natura. E viavel a producao de pos comestiveis de marolo e de cagaita, contudo sao necessarios mais estudos visando minimizar a higroscopicidade dos pos obtidos a partir de frutas liofilizadas.
Effect of triple therapy (antibiotics plus bismuth) on duodenal ulcer healing. A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether antimicrobial therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection accelerates the healing of duodenal ulcers. DESIGN Single-blind, randomized, controlled trial. SETTING Veterans Affairs hospital. PARTICIPANTS One hundred and five patients with endoscopically verified duodenal ulcers. INTERVENTION Patients received either ranitidine, 300 mg/d, or ranitidine, 300 mg/d, plus "triple therapy" (2 g/d of tetracycline, 750 mg/d of metronidazole, and 5 or 8 bismuth subsalicylate tablets per day). Triple therapy was administered for only the first 2 weeks of ulcer treatment. MEASUREMENTS Videoendoscopic assessment of ulcer status was done until ulcer healing was complete. Evaluations were done after 2, 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks of therapy. MAIN RESULTS Ulcer healing was more rapid in patients receiving ranitidine plus triple therapy than in patients receiving ranitidine alone (P less than 0.01). The cumulative percentages of patients with healed ulcers in the group receiving ranitidine plus triple therapy and in the group receiving ranitidine alone were as follows: 37% and 18% after week 2; 74% and 53% after week 4; 84% and 68% after week 8; 96% and 80% after week 12; and 98% and 84% after week 16. CONCLUSION Combined therapy with anti-H. pylori agents and ranitidine was superior to ranitidine alone for duodenal ulcer healing. Our results indicate that H. pylori plays a role in duodenal ulcer disease.
Lockeans Maximize Expected Accuracy

The Lockean Thesis says that you must believe p iﬀ you’re suﬃciently conﬁdent of it. On some versions, the ‘must’ asserts a metaphysical connection; on others, it asserts a normative one. On some versions, ‘suﬃciently conﬁdent’ refers to a ﬁxed threshold of credence; on others, it varies with proposition and context. Claim: the Lockean Thesis follows from epistemic utility theory —the view that rational requirements are constrained by the norm to promote accuracy. Diﬀerent versions of this theory generate diﬀerent versions of Lockeanism; moreover, a plausible version of epistemic utility theory meshes with natural language considerations, yielding a new Lockean picture that helps to model and explain the role of beliefs in inquiry and conversation. Your beliefs are your best guesses in response to the epistemic priorities of your context. Upshot: we have a new approach to the epistemology and semantics of belief. And it has teeth. It implies that the role of beliefs is fundamentally diﬀerent than many have thought, and in fact supports a metaphysical reduction of belief to credence.
Analysis of Carry Propagation in Addition: An Elementary Approach

Analysis of Carry Propagation in Addition: An Elementary Approach Nicholas Pippenger Abstract: Our goal in this paper is to analyze carry propagation in addition using only elementary methods (that is, those not involving residues, contour integration, or methods of complex analysis). Our results concern the length of the longest carry chain when two independent uniformly distributed n-bit numbers are added. First, we show using just first- and second-moment arguments that the expected length C_n of the longest carry chain satisfies C_n = log_2 n + O(1). Second, we use a sieve (inclusion-exclusion) argument to give an exact formula for C_n. Third, we give an elementary derivation of an asymptotic formula due to Knuth, C_n = log_2 n + Phi(log_2 n) + O((log n)^4 / n), where Phi(x) is a bounded periodic function of x, with period 1, for which we give both a simple integral expression and a Fourier series. Fourth, we give an analogous asymptotic formula for the variance V_n of the length of the longest carry chain: V_n = Psi(log_2 n) + O((log n)^5 / n), where Psi(x) is another bounded periodic function of x, with period 1. Our approach can be adapted to addition with the "end-around" carry that occurs in the sign-magnitude and 1s-complement representations. Finally, our approach can be adapted to give elementary derivations of some asymptotic formulas arising in connection with radix-exchange sorting and collision-resolution algorithms, which have previously been derived using contour integration and residues.
Asymptotic Stability of Traveling Wave Fronts in the Buffered Bistable System

In this paper, we study a model which describes the propagation of increased calcium concentration wave front in excitable systems with the diffusing species being buffered. Our goal is to prove the global exponential stability of the unique traveling wave front. Comparing with the unbuffered system, we conclude that multiple stationary buffers (buffers do not diffuse) cannot prevent the existence of a global asymptotic stable traveling wave front, or cannot eliminate propagated waves in the buffered bistable equation. Concerning the method of the proof, we will present a method in which only the comparison principle and suitably constructed supersolutions (subsolutions) are involved. The feature of the method is to avoid calculating the spectrum of the associated linear operator.
Shock-synthesized hexagonal diamonds in Younger Dryas boundary sediments

The long-standing controversy regarding the late Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions in North America has been invigorated by a hypothesis implicating a cosmic impact at the Ållerød-Younger Dryas boundary or YDB (≈12,900 ± 100 cal BP or 10,900 ± 100 14C years). Abrupt ecosystem disruption caused by this event may have triggered the megafaunal extinctions, along with reductions in other animal populations, including humans. The hypothesis remains controversial due to absence of shocked minerals, tektites, and impact craters. Here, we report the presence of shock-synthesized hexagonal nanodiamonds (lonsdaleite) in YDB sediments dating to ≈12,950 ± 50 cal BP at Arlington Canyon, Santa Rosa Island, California. Lonsdaleite is known on Earth only in meteorites and impact craters, and its presence strongly supports a cosmic impact event, further strengthened by its co-occurrence with other nanometer-sized diamond polymorphs (n-diamonds and cubics). These shock-synthesized diamonds are also associated with proxies indicating major biomass burning (charcoal, carbon spherules, and soot). This biomass burning at the Younger Dryas (YD) onset is regional in extent, based on evidence from adjacent Santa Barbara Basin and coeval with broader continent-wide biomass burning. Biomass burning also coincides with abrupt sediment mass wasting and ecological disruption and the last known occurrence of pygmy mammoths (Mammuthus exilis) on the Channel Islands, correlating with broader animal extinctions throughout North America. The only previously known co-occurrence of nanodiamonds, soot, and extinction is the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K/T) impact layer. These data are consistent with abrupt ecosystem change and megafaunal extinction possibly triggered by a cosmic impact over North America at ≈12,900 ± 100 cal BP.
Clinical characteristics of uremic pruritus in patients undergoing haemodialysis.

OBJECTIVE To document various characteristics of uremic pruritus in patients undergoing haemodialysis. DESIGN Case series. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY This study was carried out at Sindh Institute of Urology, Karachi, and Departments of Dermatology and Medicine, PNS Shifa, Karachi, over a period of 3 months. PATIENTS AND METHODS One hundred patients of end stage renal disease undergoing haemodialysis were studied. Characteristics of pruritus like occurrence, duration, appearance, intensity, distribution, areas of maximum intensity, relationship to HCV status, effect on mood and sleep were documented. Effect of rest, dry skin, heat, sweat, clothing, cold, tiredness, dialysis, medications, application of lubricants and association of pruritus with different laboratory parameters was also noted. A comprehensive proforma was used to collect the data. RESULTS Pruritus appeared within 2-3 months of start of dialysis in 75%. It occurred daily in 83%, weekly in 11% and monthly in 6%. It was intermittent in 45%, all day in 32%, and exacerbated at night in 23%. It was mild in 48%, moderate in 17%, severe in 27% and intractable in 8%. Areas of maximum intensity were legs (60%) and back (30%), 55% had sleep problems, 21% became agitated, while 11% became depressed. Dry skin and cold environment exacerbated while rest and hot environment ameliorated pruritus. Patients with pruritus did not differ from those without it with regard to laboratory parameters or use of medication. CONCLUSION This study gives us a comprehensive characterization of uremic pruritus which may be a useful guideline for the treating physician.
Metamorphoses of basin boundaries in nonlinear dynamical systems.

A basin boundary can undergo sudden changes in its character as a system parameter passes through certain critical values. In particular, basin boundaries can suddenly jump in position and can change from being smooth to being fractal. We describe these changes ("metamorphoses") and find that they involve certain special unstable orbits on the basin boundary which are accessible from inside one of the basins. The forced damped pendulum (Josephson junction) is used to illustrate these phenomena.
TITLE: Design and Development of Peptides from the Anti-Angiogenic Pigment Epithelial-Derived Factor for the Therapy of Prostate Cancer

Mirochnik Y, Filleur S, Volpert O. Pigment Epithelial derived factor: development of anti-angiogenic peptides. 2006. European J Cancer 4S (12):37 Presentation: Symposium on “Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics”. Prague, Czech Republic 7-10 November 2006 Abstract: Mirochnik Y, Aurora A. , Volpert O. Pigment epithelial derived factor: design and development of anti-angiogenic peptides for the therapy of prostate cancer. Mirochnik Y, Aurora A. , Volpert O. Pigment epithelial derived factor: design and development of anti-angiogenic peptides for the therapy of prostate cancer. Presentation: IMPaCT Meeting. Atlanta, Georgia US Provisional Patent Application NU27084 “Me angiogenesis” Serial# 60/986,124, November 7, 2 CONCLUSIONS: We designed and tested sev epitope of PEDF, a protein with anti-angiogenic, r properties. One of the peptides (18-mer) demonstrated striking anti-angiogenic strongly inhibited prostate tumor growth in viv apoptosis in tumor and endothelial cells. Moreover, it was more effective then the parental r r ed PEDF receptor (6) in rder to generate small molecule non-protein PEDF mimetics. Such agents are more feasible point.
When Do Appointments of Corporate Sustainability Executives Affect Shareholder Value?

Over the last two decades, firms have been appointing corporate sustainability executives (CSEs) to be part of their top management teams. Although there is a vast literature on sustainable practices and their relationships with various measures of firm performance, little is known about the nature of the empirical link between CSE appointments and financial performance. We add to the understanding of this link by estimating the stock market reactions to a sample of 115 announcements of CSE appointments made by firms during the period 2000–2018. Our findings using event study methodology, followed by regression analyses, suggest that although the stock market reaction to CSE appointments is not significantly different from zero, the stock market reacts more, or less positively under certain firm- and industry-specific conditions. We find that the stock market reaction is more positive in instances where the announcing firms faced a prior adverse sustainability-related incident, and less positive when announcing firms operate in industries that face relatively greater levels of regulatory sanctions. Also, we find that the stock market reaction is more positive when firms announce CSE appointments with focused as compared to broad responsibilities. Additionally, we find that CSE appointments are associated with subsequent improvements in operating performance – partly driven by a decrease in total costs and partly by an increase in sales. Overall, our findings support the strategy of appointing CSEs to top management teams and enable executives and stakeholders to more deeply understand the shareholder value and operating performance effects of appointing CSEs.
Risk Factors in Ectopic Pregnancy Results of A Population‐Based Case‐Control Study

In a population‐based case‐control study, possible risk factors for ectopic pregnancy were compared in 119 patients with ectopic pregnancy and in 119 age‐matched controls with intra‐uterine pregnancy from each of the following categories: deliveries, spontaneous abortions and induced abortions. The following factors were found significantly more often in cases of ectopic pregnancy: a history of earlier ectopic pregnancy, a history of salpingitis, a history of earlier operation on the Fallopian tubes, a history of infertility, and a pregnancy that had occurred in spite of an intra‐uterine contraceptive device. A history of appendectomy was also found significantly more often among the cases. There was no significant correlation between ectopic pregnancy and a history of no earlier pregnancy, earlier deliveries, earlier spontaneous or induced abortions or a history of other gynecological operations and increased risk of ectopic pregnancy. One or more of the risk factors were found in 76.5% of cases and 23% of controls.