Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Health needs assessment of the residents of the informal settlements in South-Eastern Iran: A case study of Bam city

BACKGROUND: Informal settlements are considered as one of the social problems in societies. As the residents do not have adequate access to basic services, including health services, their health is at risk. This study was conducted to evaluate the access to health services and determine the health needs of informal settlements in Bam city. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out in the spring of 2020 in Bam. The sample size was 400 residents of informal settlements in Bam, and the multi-stage random cluster sampling was used. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect the required data. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed using the content validity, and its reliability was 85% by Cronbach's alpha. The data were analyzed using the SPSS version 23 software and descriptive statistics (frequency, mean, standard deviation, and percentage) as well as analytical statistics (Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests). RESULTS: More than 50% of the individuals had good access to general practitioners and health centers. However, over 50% had poor access to dental, para-clinical, specialist, and hospital services. Furthermore, 49.3% of the people assessed their health status as poor in the previous year. A total of 46 items in the areas of communicable and non-communicable diseases, women's health, mental and social health and addiction, environmental health, etc., were identified as the most important health needs of the informal settlement residents. CONCLUSION: Informal settlements are facing various health problems including environmental health, mental and social health, and addiction, meeting which requires collaboration of all stakeholders as well as provision of a comprehensive program and appropriate service packages.
Reading and Calculation Neural Systems and Their Weighted Adaptive Use for Programming Skills

Software programming is a modern activity that poses strong challenges to the human brain. The neural mechanisms that support this novel cognitive faculty are still unknown. On the other hand, reading and calculation abilities represent slightly less recent human activities, in which neural correlates are relatively well understood. We hypothesize that calculus and reading brain networks provide joint underpinnings with distinctly weighted contributions which concern programming tasks, in particular concerning error identification. Based on a meta-analysis of the core regions involved in both reading and math and recent experimental evidence on the neural basis of programming tasks, we provide a theoretical account that integrates the role of these networks in program understanding. In this connectivity-based framework, error-monitoring processing regions in the frontal cortex influence the insula, which is a pivotal hub within the salience network, leading into efficient causal modulation of parietal networks involved in reading and mathematical operations. The core role of the anterior insula and anterior midcingulate cortex is illuminated by their relation to performance in error processing and novelty. The larger similarity that we observed between the networks underlying calculus and programming skills does not exclude a more limited but clear overlap with the reading network, albeit with differences in hemispheric lateralization when compared with prose reading. Future work should further elucidate whether other features of computer program understanding also use distinct weights of phylogenetically “older systems” for this recent human activity, based on the adjusting influence of fronto-insular networks. By unraveling the neural correlates of program understanding and bug detection, this work provides a framework to understand error monitoring in this novel complex faculty.
Epiphora before and after upper eyelid functional blepharoplasty: A retrospective cohort study

Epiphora and dermatochalasis are common presentations in the ophthalmology clinic. To evaluate the change of epiphora before and after functional blepharoplasty, this retrospective cohort study reviewed 39 medical records of epiphora patients who underwent upper blepharoplasty. Severity of epiphora using MUNK score was collected and compared between before and at 6 months after blepharoplasty. The analysis model was performed to measure tear breakup time (TBUT) and frequency of artificial tears use. Subgroups of subjects before blepharoplasty to short baseline TBUT (≤ 10 seconds) and long TBUT (≥ 10 seconds) were also evaluated for the MUNK score change. From the analysis of 39 patients, the results showed a statistically significant decrease in post blepharoplasty MUNK score compared to the baseline (all P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between baseline and post-operative TBUT (P > 0.05). Twenty patients were in the short TBUT group and 19 in the long TBUT group. The reduction of MUNK score after blepharoplasty in the short TBUT group was not different to the long TBUT group (P = 0.50, 95% CI -0.84 to 0.41). However, in short TBUT group, frequency of artificial tears use after surgery was less than pre-operation. From the study, upper eyelid blepharoplasty might be one technique reducing the bothersome epiphora in dermatochalasis patients.
Collaborative method consisting lecture, problem-based learning and weblog for clinical courses of medical students in comparison with lecture method

BACKGROUND: Lecture is a common teaching method, which is not considered efficient for the development of critical and intellectual acquisition in the students of clinical courses. Although in theory combined methods are known acceptable, in practice, they are not commonly applicable. The present study aimed to compare the combination of problem-based learning (PBL), weblogs, and lectures with lecture alone to achieve an advantageous teaching method for clinical courses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 63 medical students (5th year) taking obstetrics and gynecology clinical courses at Sabzevar University of medical sciences, Iran. The participants were selected via census sampling. Based on the Student's number and using the random number table, the students were randomly assigned to two groups of interventions. The exclusion criteria were unwillingness to participate and absence for more than two sessions. Initially, the similarity of obstetrics and gynecology knowledge in both groups was confirmed based on a pretest (P > 0.05). A conventional lecture was performed for both groups. In the intervention group (B), the researcher asked each student (32 persons) to provide a case/problem from mentioned subjects outside the class concerning the given lecture and upload it to the lecturer's weblog to show commonalty. In the next session, the presented cases were initially discussed, and another lecture was carried out. Finally, two methods were compared through identical theoretical and practical exams and scored based on a Likert scale using a questionnaire. Data analysis was performed in SPSS 19 using t-test and Chi-square at the significance level of P < 0.05. Results: Group B achieved higher grades in the scientific exams (P < 0.001), especially in the domains of perception, learning and memorizing of subjects, motivation, and communication with the classmates and tutor (P = 010). Therefore, satisfaction was higher in the intervention group compared to the control group (P = 0.001). Conclusion: The training of pensive, creative, and active experts for the future of medicine requires the combination of new collaborative methods with lectures, which are undoubtedly effective learning techniques. According to the results, PBL and weblogs could be invaluable for the improvement of students’ knowledge, as well as the relations between tutors and students.
Cancer Genomic Profiling in Colorectal Cancer: Current Challenges in Subtyping Colorectal Cancers Based on Somatic and Germline Variants

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a heterogeneous disease caused by the accumulation of multistep genetic alterations under the influence of genomic instability. Different backgrounds of genomic instability, such as chromosomal instability, microsatellite instability, hypermutated-single nucleotide variants, and genome stable-induced transformation in the colonic epithelium, can result in adenomas, adenocarcinomas, and metastatic tumors. Characterization of molecular subtypes and establishment of treatment policies based on each subtype will lead to better treatment outcomes and an improved selection of molecularly targeted agents. In Japan, cancer precision medicine has been introduced in the National Health Insurance program through the addition of the cancer genomic profiling (CGP) examination. It has also become possible to access a large amount of genomic information, including information on pathogenic somatic and germline variants, incomparable to conventional diagnostic tests. This information enables us to apply research data to clinical decision-making, benefiting patients and their healthy family members. In this article, we discuss the important molecules and signaling pathways presumed to be the driver genes of CRC progression and the signal transduction system in which they are involved. Molecular subtypes of CRC based on CGP examinations and gene expression profiles have been established in The Cancer Genome Atlas Network with the advent of next-generation sequencing technology. We will also discuss the recommended management of secondary/germline findings, pathogenic germline variants, and presumed germline pathogenic variants obtained from CGP examination and review the current challenges to better understand these data in a new era of cancer genomic medicine.
Body Muscle-to-Fat Ratio, Rather Than Fat-to-Muscle Ratio, Significantly Correlates With Measured Insulin Resistance in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Background Insulin resistance (IR) assessment is important in treating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We thus compared body muscle-to-fat ratio (BMFR) and fat-to-muscle ratio (FMR) values against M/I values as clinical index of IR. Methods Subject included 118 untreated T2DM patients. Hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp examination was performed to calculate the M/I as index of IR. Body composition was measured by impedance analysis using InBody770. Results Simple linear regression analyses confirmed correlations between M/I and BMFR (B: 0.756 (P < 0.01), coefficients of determination (R2): 0.572, mean absolute error (MAE): 3.19, and root mean squared error (RMSE): 4.14), and between M/I and FMR (B: -0.601 (P < 0.01), R2: 0.362, MAE: 3.97, and RMSE: 5.05). Against the M/I values, BMFR also showed better goodness-of-fit than did FMR. In comparing correlation coefficients, the BMFR absolute B value was significantly larger than that of FMR (P = 0.027). Conclusions BMFR is more useful than FMR in quantifying IR in patients with T2DM because the correlation between BMFR and the insulin sensitivity index M/I is significantly greater than that between FMR and M/I.
Psychosocial distress amongst Canadian intensive care unit healthcare workers during the acceleration phase of the COVID-19 pandemic

Intensive care unit healthcare workers (ICU HCW) are at risk of mental health issues during emerging disease outbreaks. A study of ICU HCW from France revealed symptoms of anxiety and depression in 50.4% and 30.4% of workers at the peak of the first wave of the pandemic. The level of COVID-19 exposure of these ICU HCW was very high. In Canada, ICU HCW experienced variable exposure to COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic, with some hospitals seeing large numbers of patients while others saw few or none. In this study we examined the relationship between COVID-19 exposure and mental health in Canadian ICU HCW. We conducted a cross-sectional cohort study of Canadian ICU HCW in April 2020, during the acceleration phase of the first wave of the pandemic. Psychosocial distress was assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Participants were asked about sources of stress as well as about exposure to COVID-19 patients and availability of personal protective equipment (PPE). Factors associated with clinically-relevant psychosocial distress were identified. Responses were received from 310 Canadian ICU HCW affiliated with more than 30 institutions. Of these, 64.5% scored ≥ 3 points on the GHQ-12 questionnaire, indicating clinically-relevant psychosocial distress. The frequency of psychosocial distress was highest amongst registered nurses (75.7%) and lowest amongst physicians (49.4%). It was also higher amongst females (64.9%) than males (47.6%). Although PPE availability was good (> 80% of participants reported adequate availability), there was significant anxiety with respect to PPE availability, with respect to the risk of being infected with COVID-19, and with respect to the risk of transmitting COVID-19 to others. In multivariable regression analysis, Anxiety with respect to being infected with COVID-19 (OR 1.53, CI 1.31–1.81) was the strongest positive predictor of clinically-relevant psychosocial distress while the Number of shifts with COVID-19 exposure (OR 0.86, CI 0.75–0.95) was the strongest negative predictor. In summary, clinically-relevant psychosocial distress was identified amongst a majority of ICU HCW during the acceleration phase of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, including those with minimal or no exposure to COVID-19. Strategies to support mental health amongst ICU HCW are required across the entire healthcare system.
Empathy: A clue for prosocialty and driver of indirect reciprocity

Indirect reciprocity has been proposed to explain prosocial behavior among strangers, whereby the prosocial act is returned by a third party. However, what happens if the prosocial act cannot be observed by the third party? Here, we examine whether empathy serves as a clue for prosociality and whether people are more generous toward more empathetic people. In a laboratory study, we measured prosocial behavior as the amount sent in the dictator game and empathy based on the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). By using an incentivized task, we find that people believe that more empathetic participants send more money in the dictator game. Thus, people see empathy as a clue for prosocial behavior. Furthermore, in a second dictator game, participants indirectly reciprocate by sending more money to more empathetic recipients. Therefore, we suggest that empathy can replace a reputation derived from observable prosocial behavior in triggering indirect reciprocity.
Gender differences in perceived stress and coping among college students

Background Many college students register each semester for courses, leading to productive careers and fulfilled lives. During this time, the students have to manage many stressors stemming from academic, personal, and, sometimes, work lives. Students, who lack appropriate stress management skills, may find it difficult to balance these responsibilities. Objectives This study examined stress, coping mechanisms, and gender differences in undergraduate students towards the end of the semester. Design and method University students (n = 448) enrolled in three different undergraduate exercise science courses were assessed. Two instruments, the Perceived Stress Scale and Brief Cope, were administered during the twelfth week of the semester, four weeks prior to final exams. T-tests were used to detect gender differences for the stress levels and coping strategies. Results Overall, females indicated higher levels of stress than their male counterparts. Gender differences were evident in both coping dimensions and individual coping strategies used. Females were found to utilize the emotion-focused coping dimension and endorsed the use of four coping strategies more often than males. These included self-distraction, emotional support, instrumental support, and venting. Conclusions This research adds to the existing literature by illuminating the level of perceived stress and different coping strategies used by undergraduate female and male students. In turn, students may need educational interventions to develop effective and healthy coping strategies to last a lifetime. Faculty and other university officials may want to highlight and understand these various factors to protect the students’ wellbeing in their classes.
The effect of group cognitive-behavioral counseling on optimism and self-esteem of women during the 1st month of marriage that referring to marriage counseling center

BACKGROUND: Quality of relationship marital status affects all aspects of family functioning, including sustainability of cohabit living, supporting children, and happiness of couples. This study was conducted to examine the effect of group cognitive-behavioral counseling on optimism and self-esteem of women during the 1st month of marriage that referring to marriage counseling center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A semi-experimental study was designed by a test, posttest, and follow-up. Participants consisted of 30 women admitted to premarriage counseling center of Farsan city in 2018 with using purposive sampling by random numbers’ table into experimental and control groups. The experimental group participated in eight consecutive 2-h group counseling sessions. Data collection tools were demographic questionnaire, Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale, and optimism designed by Mir Ahmadi (reliability and validity are calculated and was 0.96) and completed in three rounds. Women's self-esteem retested was done after 1 month. Data were analyzed with independent t-test and repeated measures ANOVA (significance level <0.005). Quantitative variables were analyzed using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between optimism scores in the experimental (M = 150.47, standard deviation [SD] = 22.07) and control groups (M = 149.2, SD = 21.54) prior to intervention (P = 0.875). The mean optimism score was significantly different in intervention (M = 169.33, SD = 17.01) and control (M = 147.2, SD = 22.22) groups immediately after counseling (P = 0.005) and 1 month after counseling (P = 0.002, M = 171.08, SD = 17.98). The mean self-esteem scores were statistically significant in both groups immediately after counseling (P = 0.023, I: M = 37.06, SD = 8.69, C: M = 31.4, SD = 4.83) and 1 month after counseling (P = 0.028, I: M = 34.73, SD = 4.93, C: M = 30.06, SD = 4.8). CONCLUSION: Cognitive-behavioral counseling enhances women's optimism by emphasizing the training of communication and conflict resolution skills, which leads to positive attitude and life satisfaction. Therefore, using cognitive-behavioral counseling in marriage counseling sessions can improve couples’ relationships.
Gender differences in physical activity and sedentary behavior: Results from over 200,000 Latin-American children and adolescents

More physical activity and less sedentary behavior is beneficial for children and adolescents. Worldwide, gender differences are >8% favorable for men and the Latin-American region presents an even higher level of insufficient physical activity among women, with a lack of information in young population. Thus, the aim of the current study was to describe the gender differences in physical activity and recreational sedentary behavior in children and adolescents from Latin-American countries. The targeted age range was 5 to 17 years and included 219,803 participants (106,698 boys and 113,105 girls) from 33 out of 47 Latin-American countries identified. Physical activity guidelines from the World Health Organization (≥60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity seven days of the week) and <3 hours recreational sedentary behavior daily were the references. In general, boys showed a higher prevalence of meeting physical activity guidelines in comparison with girls. A higher proportion of girls met the <3 hours recreational sedentary behavior cut-point in only ten countries. Thirty percent of the identified countries had no available data. The majority had data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey with data principally on adolescents and only 11/33 countries reported data in the last 5-year period. In conclusion, gender differences in the compliance with physical activity guidelines and the <3 hours recreational sedentary behavior cut-point are evident among children and adolescents from Latin-American countries, with boys being more active than girls.
An Overview of Outcomes Associated With Early Versus Late Tracheostomy From a National Standpoint

Tracheostomy is a procedure that is commonly used in critically ill patients who require prolonged mechanical ventilation due to acute respiratory failure or airway problems. The best tracheostomy timing (early vs. late) and techniques (percutaneous dilatational, other new percutaneous procedures, open surgery) have been hotly debated. This research aimed to evaluate the outcome of early versus late tracheostomy in terms of in-hospital mortality, patient length of stay in the hospital, and cost after a detailed analysis and review using National Inpatient Survey (NIS) data. This study indicates that early tracheostomy greatly reduces in-hospital mortality, the need to transfer to skilled nursing facilities as well as direct variables, length of stay, and potentially overall hospital cost in the ICU.
Ion Exchange Kinetics of Mg(II) from Aqueous Solutions with 732 Cation-exchange Resin

The hydrogen type sulfonic resin 732 cation-exchange resin (732-CR) was applied to exchange Mg(II) from aqueous solution. The ion exchange kinetics were studied in batch experiments at temperature range of 298-328 K and Mg(II) concentration range of 5-40 mol·m -3 . The kinetic data were first treated by Nernst-Planck equation for the exchange of univalent and bivalent ions, and also treated and compared by shrinking-core model that takes into account diffusion of metal ions within resin pores. The values and relationships of diffusion coefficients of counter ions (DM and DH) and effective diffusion coefficients of magnesium ions (De) were evaluated and discussed. Other useful ion exchange kinetic parameters such as self-diffusion coefficient (D0), energy of activation (ΔEa) and entropy of activation (ΔS*) were evaluated. The results show that the ion exchange process is favored under particle diffusion control mechanism and above two models can both describe kinetics of the removal of Mg(II) from aqueous solution by 732-CR. Original Research Article Qian et al.; CSIJ, 17(2): 1-10, 2016; Article no.CSIJ. 29509 2
Edible transparent coating of irradiated oligo-chitosan to preserve aesthetic view and taste of litchi fruit.

In this research, the effect of radiation-processed oligo-chitosan on post-harvest loss of litchi fruit was investigated. Different concentrations of irradiated (40 kGy) chitosan solution (500, 1000 and 1500 ppm) were sprayed on litchi fruits both in stalked and stalkless form. Then the treated and untreated litchis were stored in different atmospheric conditions such as at (a) room environment (open and polythene covered) and (b) at 4°C in zip-bag. Fruits coated with irradiated chitosan showed significant delays in the change of weight loss, aesthetic view and microbial count as compared with the uncoated control fruits. The best result was achieved for storage in room temperature at 1500 ppm irradiated chitosan sprayed litchis, where up to 7 days litchis were in good quality. Further improvement was achieved by keeping the litchis in zip lock bag at 4°C. In this case, litchis maintained edible quality with proper aesthetic view up to 21 days. Peeled litchis were also stored at 4°C in air-tight jar in formulated chitosan solution where they maintained edible quality up to 4 months.