Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Correlation of Prostate Volume and Intravesical Prostatic Protrusion with Detrusor Wall Thickness using Transabdominal Ultrasonography in Benign Prostate Enlargement: A Preliminary Study

Aim: Assessed the correlation between prostate volume and intravesical prostatic protrusion with detrusor wall thickness through transabdominal sonographic examination of benign prostate enlargement (BPE). Methods: The study is a paired-group analytical observational cross-sectional study during April – July 2020. Measurements were made of prostate volume, intravesical prostatic protrusion, and detrusor wall thickness using transabdominal sonography. An analysis was carried out to determine the correlation with bivariate analysis and the calculation of the research power. Results: Thirty-four BPE patients with a mean age of 62.41 years were included in the study. The mean value of prostate volume obtained was 44.24 cc; 8.66 mm for intravesical prostatic protrusion; and detrusor wall thickness is 1.49 mm. The correlation value between prostate volume and detrusor wall thickness was 0.12 (p=0.46), while the intravesical prostatic protrusion and detrusor wall thickness were 0.37 (p=0.03). The research power for correlating prostate volume with detrusor wall thickness and intravesical prostatic protrusion with detrusor wall thickness was 10-20% and 50-60%, respectively. Conclusion: There is a very weak correlation between prostate volume and detrusor wall thickness and a weak correlation between the intravesical prostatic protrusion and detrusor wall thickness. Other variables may influence the thickness of the detrusor wall.
Energy-Neutral Data Collection Rate Control for IoT Animal Behavior Monitors

Energy-neutral operation (ENO) is a major concern for Internet of things (IoT) sensor systems. Animals can be tagged with IoT sensors to monitor their movement and behavior. These sensors wirelessly upload collected data and can receive parameters to change their operation. Typically, the behavior monitors are powered by a battery where the system relies upon harvesting solar radiation for sustainable operation. Solar panels typically are used as the harvesting mechanism and can have a level of uncertainty regarding consistent energy delivery due to factors such as adverse weather, foliage, time of day, and individual animal behavior. The variability of available energy inevitably creates a trade-off in the rate at which data can be collected with respect to incoming and stored energy. The objective of this research was to investigate and simulate methods and parameters that can control the data collection rate of an IoT behavior monitor to achieve sustained operation with unknown and random energy harvesting. Analysis and development of a control system were performed by creating a software model of energy consumption and then simulating using different initial conditions and random energy harvesting rates for evaluation. The contribution of this effort was the exploration into the usage of a discrete-time gain scheduled Proportional–Integral–Derivative (PID) that was tuned to a specific device configuration, using battery state of charge as an input, and found to maintain a battery level set-point, reject small solar harvesting energy disturbances, and maintain a consistent data collection rate throughout the day.
Cytarabine delivered by CD44 and bone targeting redox-sensitive liposomes for treatment of acute myelogenous leukemia

Abstract Acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) remains a serious fatal disease for the patients and effective treatment strategies are urgently needed. Based on the characteristics of the AML, we developed the CD44 and bone targeting liposomes delivery system decorated with the redox-cleavable polymer. First, ALN-HA was obtained by amination between alendronate (ALN) and hyaluronic acid (HA), and cholesterol (Chol) was coupled by a disulfide linker (-SS-) with biological reducibility to obtain the goal polymer, ALN-HA-SS-Chol, decorated the liposomes loaded with the Cytarabine (AraC). ALN-HA-SS-AraC-Lip exhibited a spherical morphology with the diameter of 117.5 nm and expanded at the environment of 10 mM dithiothreitol. Besides, compared with other groups, ALN-HA-SS-AraC-Lip showed benign hydroxyapatite affinity in vitro and bone targeting in C57/BL6 mice, also, ALN-HA-SS-AraC-Lip exhibited encouraging antitumor which significantly reduced the white blood cell amount in bone marrow and blood smear caused by AML model, besides, the dual targeting liposomes also prolong the survival time of mice. In conclusion, the bone and CD44 dual targeting liposomes with redox sensitivity could target to the leukemia stem cells regions and then uptake by the tumor cells, which would be a valuable target for the treatment of the AML.
Anti-Inflammatory Activity of an In Vitro Digested Anthocyanin-Rich Extract on Intestinal Epithelial Cells Exposed to TNF-α

Background: The consumption of foods rich in anthocyanins (ACN) have been associated with beneficial properties in chronic inflammatory disorders such as intestinal bowel diseases (IBD). These effects were attributed not only to a direct antioxidant mechanism but also to the modulation of cell redox-dependent signaling. However, ACN bioavailability is low for their poor stability in the digestive tract, so ACN gastrointestinal digestion should be considered. Methods: To have a more realistic knowledge of the effects of ACN, we performed an in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion of an ACN-rich purified and standardized bilberry and blackcurrant extract (BBE), followed by an evaluation of ACN composition modification (HPLC-DAD and pH differential method) and antioxidant activity (FRAP assay). Then, we studied the effects of BBE gastrointestinal extract on Caco-2 exposed to TNF-α. Results: The results confirmed the high instability of ACN in the mild alkaline environment of the small intestine (17% recovery index). However, the digested BBE maintained part of its bioactivity. Additionally, BBE gastrointestinal extract inhibited the TNF-α-induced NF-κB pathway in Caco-2 and activated the Nrf2 pathway. Conclusions: Although ACN stability is affected by gastrointestinal digestion, the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of digested extracts were confirmed; thus, the loss of ACN can probably be counterweighed by their metabolites. Then, ACN introduced by diet or food supplements could represent an approach for IBD prevention.
Antibiotic Therapy and Complete Oral Feeding Tolerance in Premature Neonates

Background: There is a relative lack of information about the consequences of antibiotic therapy during pregnancy or the first postnatal days on brain development, function, and subsequent issues. Objectives: This study investigated the correlation between antibiotic therapy and the timing of complete oral feeding in premature neonates admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Methods: In this descriptive-retrospective study conducted in Mahdieh Hospital in Tehran, the duration of antibiotic therapy and the date of complete oral feeding tolerance were obtained through electrical patient records. Antibiotic exposure was divided into three categories: less than 24 hours, between 3 and five days, and more than five days. Results: A total of 340 neonates aged 30 to 37 weeks were reviewed. In 2.9% of neonates, no antibiotics were prescribed, and 62.1% received antibiotics for less than five days and 35% for more than five days. There was a significant inverse correlation between the duration of antibiotic therapy and neonatal weight when complete oral feeding tolerance occurs. When taking complete oral feeding, neonates who took antibiotics for more than five days weigh less than neonates in the other two groups. However, there was no significant correlation between the duration of antibiotic therapy and the duration of oral feeding. There was a significant correlation between the type of antibiotics and the duration of his/her oral feeding. Thus, the duration of oral feeding was longer in neonates who had taken cefotaxime, amikacin, and vancomycin than other antibiotics. Yet, there was no significant correlation between the type of antibiotic and the process of neonatal weight gain. Conclusions: The findings of the present study showed that the type of antibiotics and the duration of antibiotic therapy are correlated to neonatal feeding, neonatal weight, and neonate's one-minute Apgar score.
Risk Perceptions and Public Acceptance of Autonomous Vehicles: A Comparative Study in Japan and Israel

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are rapidly transforming the automotive industry due to rising consumer interest in these vehicles worldwide. However, few studies have compared different countries in terms of public acceptance of AVs. This study compares public acceptance of AVs as a function of risk perceptions in two countries leading the AV industry—Japan and Israel. We set our study within the risk-as-feelings framework. In contrast to “risk as analysis,” which invokes factual reasoning to bear on risk assessment and decision making, “risk as feelings” takes affective cues such as the sense of dread and unfamiliarity into judgments of risk. To this end, we conducted two web-based surveys in Japan in 2017 and Israel in 2021. In a between-subjects design, we manipulated introductory video information to portray various combinations of risk factors commonly associated with AVs: system errors, external interferences with car controls (e.g., hacking), and the inability of the AV to cope with unexpected events. Next, participants were surveyed about how they perceive the risks of AVs and other well-known technologies and activities. Results showed that acceptable risk, perceived risk, and perceived benefit of AVs were all generally higher in Israel than in Japan. The opposite pattern was found for a “risk adjustment factor,” suggesting that the Japanese seek more safety before acceptance than Israelis. Furthermore, we conducted a factor analysis on seven risk dimensions, resulting in a two-factor model of dread and unfamiliarity. Cognitive mapping of AVs and other technologies and activities in the two-factor plane revealed that the AV technologies we studied (i.e., AV-car levels 3 and 4; AV-bus levels 3 and 4) have high unfamiliarity risk but moderate dread risk compared to technologies and activities such as smoking, flying, and handguns. After exposure to video-based educational content, unfamiliarity risk was less influential but dread risk—in particular, related to human-made risks—became more influential. The results indicated that manufacturers and policymakers should emphasize mitigating human-made risks instead of focusing on improving public familiarity with AVs to garner trust and improve public acceptance of the technology.
Fast Sampling and Reconstruction for Linear Inverse Problems: From Vectors to Tensors

Signals typical in the real world have different modes, expressed as vectors, matrices, or higher-order tensors. In practice, a target signal is commonly assumed to be linear in the residing factor mode(s) with low-dimensional parameters, and thus can be recovered from partial samples by solving a linear inverse problem (LIP). Sampling for LIPs is to partially query signals for better recovery. There exist many fast sampling methods for vector signals, but they are not applicable for higher-order tensors due to high computation and storage costs. In this paper, we propose a fast sampling algorithm for vector signals first and then extend it to sample tensors with low complexity. Specifically, a tensor signal with <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$R$</tex-math></inline-formula> modes is modelled as multilinear on <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$R$</tex-math></inline-formula> factor matrices <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\lbrace \mathbf {U}_{i}\rbrace ^{R}_{i=1}$</tex-math></inline-formula>, whose vectorized version is linear on a matrix <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">${\mathbf{\Phi }}$</tex-math></inline-formula>—the Kronecker product of <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathbf {U}_{i}$</tex-math></inline-formula>'s. Thus, it can be estimated from partial noisy samples via the least-squares (LS) method, where the mean square error (MSE) depends on chosen samples and matrix <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">${\mathbf{\Phi }}$</tex-math></inline-formula>. Instead of MSE, we minimize a modified MSE problem and prove it has the same optimal and greedy solutions to a problem with a sample-dependent sub-matrix of <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">${\mathbf{\Phi }}{\mathbf{\Phi }}^\top$</tex-math></inline-formula>. For one-order vector signals, where <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">${\mathbf{\Phi }}=\mathbf {U}_{1}$</tex-math></inline-formula> is given, we propose a fast algorithm to solve the sampling problem via simple vector-vector multiplications based on a matrix inversion formula and greedy solution reuse. For higher-order tensors, we extend our sampling algorithm to select entries by addressing matrices <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathbf {U}_{i}$</tex-math></inline-formula>'s directly, thus removing the burden of obtaining <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">${\mathbf{\Phi }}$</tex-math></inline-formula> explicitly. Accompanying our sampling strategy, we propose an iterative reconstruction scheme to estimate the LS solution. Experiments on synthetic and real-world signals from vectors to tensors validated the performance and efficacy of our strategy compared to previous methods.
Repositioning potentials of smallpox vaccines and antiviral agents in monkeypox outbreak: A rapid review on comparative benefits and risks

There is a sought for vaccines and antiviral agents as countermeasures for the recent monkeypox outbreak. Here, we aimed to review and discuss the repurposing potentials of smallpox vaccines and drugs in monkeypox outbreaks based on their comparative benefits and risks. Therefore, we conducted this rapid review and discussed the repurposing potentials of smallpox vaccines and drugs in monkeypox infection.
Effects of Low-Concentration Nitrous Oxide Anesthesia on Patient Anxiety During Cataract Surgery: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Purpose We investigated the effects of 30% low-concentration nitrous oxide (N2O) anesthesia on anxiety, pain, and vital signs and the patient population that would benefit from low-concentration N2O anesthesia during cataract surgery. Patients and Methods Sixty-three patients who underwent cataract surgery due to visual impairment from cataracts were included in this single-center retrospective cohort study conducted at the Ophthalmology Department of Shinseikai Toyama Hospital, Japan. Fifty eyes of 39 patients received a combination of local and N2O anesthesia (N2O group), and 30 eyes of 24 patients received local anesthesia without N2O anesthesia (Air group). The primary outcome measures were visual analogue scale (VAS) scores for patient anxiety, pain, and vital signs. The secondary outcome measures were the patient population. Results The change in the VAS scores for anxiety and pain decreased significantly (p = 0.002 and p = 0.014, respectively) in the N2O group (−15.6 ± 22.9 and 12.4 ± 14.9, respectively) compared with that in the Air group (1.2 ± 20.6 and 24.2 ± 22.4, respectively). The systolic and diastolic blood pressure changes did not significantly differ between both groups (p = 0.093 and p = 0.23, respectively). The change in heart rate decreased significantly (p = 0.001) in the N2O group (−4.8 ± 4.8 bpm) compared with that in the Air group (−0.6 ± 5.8 bpm). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that the change in anxiety level in the N2O group correlated significantly with patient age (p = 0.045) and preoperative VAS score for anxiety (p = 0.0001), whereas the change in anxiety level in the Air group did not correlate with any factor. Conclusion Low-concentration N2O anesthesia showed beneficial effects on intraoperative anxiety and pain during cataract surgery; this may aid the stabilization of intraoperative vital signs. Moreover, low-concentration N2O anesthesia during cataract surgery could benefit young patients and patients with high levels of preoperative anxiety.
Challenges in Estimating the Information Capacity of the Fiber-Optic Channel

Since its early commercial deployment in the late 1980s, optical fiber has evolved to become the predominant carrier of the globe’s communications. Yet, after accommodating the world’s exponentially growing appetite for transmitted data for more than three decades, its ability to continue doing so is being challenged by fundamental factors. In this article, we review these factors and examine their consequences in terms of information capacity. In particular, we review the difficulties that are imposed by the nonlinear nature of fiber-optic transmission on the assessment of the capacity and on the definition of fundamental concepts, such as bandwidth and spectral efficiency. We discuss relevant approximations and regimes of operation in which bounds for the capacity can be effectively assessed while covering a broad range of applications ranging from interdatacenter communications to links spanning transoceanic distances. We relate to a broad variety of transmission schemes and discuss the potential benefits of spatial multiplexing with multimode and multicore fibers. State-of-the-art transmission experiments are also reviewed and compared with theoretical capacity bounds.
An Adaptive Single/Multiple Symbol Flipping Decoding Algorithm for Non-Binary LDPC Codes

This letter presents an adaptive single/multiple distance-symbol flipping decoding algorithm with prediction (ASMD-SFDP). Different from the D-SFDP, the presented algorithm consider both the global maximization and sec-maximization values of the reliability fluctuation quantity (RFQ). Flipping operation is performed only when the global maximization is greater than or equal to zero. Furthermore, a new flipping strategy is introduced based on the numerical gap between the global maximization and sec-maximization. The flipping operation is performed adaptively: 1) If the gap is greater than or equal to a designed threshold, only single symbol is flipped; 2) Otherwise, multiple symbols are flipped. Simulation results show that the presented algorithm can achieve a significant performance gain of 0.4 $\sim $ 0.5 dB compared with the original D-SFDP algorithm. More interestingly, the presented algorithm also shows a much faster convergence speed.
A Real-World Multicentre Retrospective Study of Low-Dose Apatinib for Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer

Simple Summary There are limited treatments for patients with HER2-negative breast cancer, especially for patients with metastatic breast cancer. This study aimed to observe the efficacy and safety of low-dose apatinib combined with chemotherapy in real-world clinical diagnosis and treatment of HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer. A total of 128 patients were treated with 250 mg apatinib, and we observed the median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 4.7 months and 15.3 months, respectively. This observation also indicated that the breast cancer susceptibility gene (BRCA) mutation predicted a better response to apatinib and that combination of immunotherapy or paclitaxel-platinum regimens might be an optimal treatment option. Importantly, a lower dose of apatinib showed mild side effects that improved the patients’ life quality. Abstract Treatment options for human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2)-negative breast cancer patients are limited in comparison to the HER2-positive patients, particularly for metastatic breast cancer patients. Apatinib is a small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor that targets the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2). Here, we reported the apatinib-based therapy data in HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer. Apatinib was taken at a dose of 250 mg orally once per day and combined with standard chemotherapy regimens. The PFS and OS of 128 patients were 4.7 months and 15.3 months, respectively. The objective response rate (ORR) and the disease control rate (DCR) were 22.7% and 80.5%, respectively. Patients with breast cancer susceptibility gene (BRCA) mutations were found to have a longer PFS and OS. Moreover, combination immunotherapy or paclitaxel-platinum regimens shared an improved response to other regimens. Most of the adverse effects (hypertension, anaemia, and hand-foot syndrome) were grade 1 to 2. Metastatic breast cancer patients could benefit from apatinib therapy at a low dosage, and the adverse effects are mild in real-world clinical practice. Furthermore, BRCA may be a putative biomarker for apatinib in HER2-negative breast cancer. Immunotherapy or paclitaxel-platinum regimens may be recommended to combine with apatinib therapy.
Health and Nutritional Status of Postmenopausal Women Living in Rural Area of Tamil Nadu

The health of postmenopausal women especially living in rural areas is neglected. A cross sectional study was conducted among 45 to 70 years old postmenopausal women living in Barugur Taluk of Tamil Nadu, India, using a pretested, structured questionnaire with an objective of identifying the postmenopausal women with poor health and nutritional status. Majority of the selected women were 45 to 50 years old (40%) and illiterates (87.45%). More than 60 percent of them had ≥ 3 children. More than 90 percent were non vegetarians and 80.39 percent of them were taking tea. Nearly 25 percent of them were overweight or obese and only 35.29 percent had normal Hemoglobin. TBF (%) and VF (%) were above normal for 20.83 percent and 18.18 percent of the selected women respectively. The W/H ratio of 65.28 percent showed central obesity. The blood pressure and blood sugar level was high for 11.8 percent and 19.44 percent of the women respectively. The nutritional and health status of the selected postmenopausal women were poor. Special health camps can be conducted in rural areas to identify the women who are at risk of malnutrition and at risk of developing MS.
Dividend Policy of Banking Firms in Nepal: A Survey of Managerial Perspectives

This paper analyses the views of managers of banking firms in Nepal to understand their perceptions towards dividend theories and factors affecting dividend policy. Based on a mail survey among 79 directors and CEOs of banking firms in Nepal during the months January to March 2022, the study suggests that managers prefer at most the combination of cash and stock dividend to be distributed to their shareholders. With respect to their preferences towards given form of dividend payments, managers claim that they generally go with shareholders’ preferences in deciding the forms of dividend payments. The study results further demonstrate strong support for signalling and bird-in-hand explanations of dividend theories. Among the 14 factors affecting dividend policy, the study reveals that firm’s level of current earnings, including the pattern of past earnings and stability of earnings are important factors in determining dividend policy of banking firms in Nepal. The survey evidence documented in this study further verifies the significance of signalling hypothesis in recent period in case of Nepal to explain why managers prefer to pay dividend. The main implication of the findings of this study is that it explores, in the changing context of meeting regulatory capital requirements, how the banking managers perceive about dividend policy of Nepalese banking firms. The finding of the study is primarily useful to investors seeking for investment in dividend paying banking firms in Nepal