Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A remark on low rank matrix recovery and noncommutative Bernstein type inequalities

A problem of estimation of a large Hermitian nonnegatively definite matrix of trace 1 (a density matrix of a quantum system) motivated by quantum state tomography is studied. The estimator is based on a modified least squares method suitable in the case of models with random design with known design distributions. The bounds on Hilbert-Schmidt error of the estimator, including low rank oracle inequalities, have been proved. The proofs rely on Bernstein type inequalities for sums of independent random matrices.
The deleterious effects of anabolic androgenic steroid abuse on sexual and reproductive health and comparison of recovery between treated and untreated patients: Single‐center prospective randomized study

Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) abuse is a global health‐related concern, as most of the related studies showed increasing trends and deleterious effects, mostly on sexual and fertility health. Unfortunately, there are no consensuses about the management pathways due to the lack of specific guidelines. We aimed to confirm the deleterious effects of AAS abuse, monitor the spontaneous recovery, and demonstrate the effects of treatment regimens on recovery. We enrolled 520 patients with a confirmed history of AAS intake within 1 year of presentation and evaluated their symptoms, hormones levels, and semen every 3 months until 12 months. All patients were monitored for spontaneous recovery in the first 3 months; if they showed no recovery, they were randomized to undergo either continued observation or commence medications. The most common presentation (84%) was a combination of sexual symptoms while some patients (18%) were infertile. Most patients (90%) reported low levels of luteinizing hormone, follicle‐stimulating hormone, and total testosterone. After the 3‐month observation, most patients (89%) started treatment, but some (11%) continued observation only. Treated patients showed faster improvement regarding the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) values, hormone levels, testicular size and semen parameters compared to non‐treated patients (p < 0.005). Among the 94 patients who presented with infertility (18%), 61 had oligospermia and 33 had azoospermia. All received treatment, but only 14 (15%) achieved successful pregnancy at 12 months while all azoospermic's patients continued to have infertility at the end of the follow‐up period. These findings demonstrated the significant negative impact of AAS abuse on sexual health and fertility, and the need for medical treatment to have faster recovery from their adverse effect.
Time-dependent Effects of Moderate- and High-intensity Exercises on Myocardial Transcriptomics

Abstract The heart is a highly adaptable organ that responds to changes in functional requirements due to exposure to internal and external stimuli. Physical exercise has unique stimulatory effects on the myocardium in both healthy individuals and those with health disorders, where the effects are primarily determined by the intensity and recovery time of exercise. We investigated the time-dependent effects of different exercise intensities on myocardial transcriptional expression in rats. Moderate intensity exercise induced more differentially expressed genes in the myocardium than high intensity exercise, while 16 differentially expressed genes were down-regulated by moderate intensity exercise but up-regulated by high intensity exercise at 12 h post- exercise. Both Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis indicated that moderate intensity exercise specifically regulated gene expression related to heart adaptation, energy metabolism, and oxidative stress, while high intensity exercise specifically regulated gene expression related to immunity, inflammation, and apoptosis. Moreover, there was increased expression of Tbx5, Casq1, Igsf1, and Ddah1 at all time points after moderate intensity exercise, while there was increased expression of Card9 at all time points after high intensity exercise. Our study provides a better understanding of the intensity dependent effects of physical exercise of the molecular mechanisms of cardiac adaptation to physical exercise.
Workforce Trends of Underrepresented Minority Nurses in the United States Over the Last Decade: Progress Towards Equal Representation?

A healthcare workforce representative of the race/ethnicity composition of the population it serves is central to addressing systemic health inequities. The aim of this study was to assess workforce trends of underrepresented minority (URM) nurses using the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses years 2008 and 2018 and the American Community Survey years 2010 and 2019. We examined changes over time in URM composition (Black/African American (B/AA), Latine, American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN), Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (NH/PI)) for registered nurses (RN), nurse practitioners (NPs), educational attainment (diploma/associate, BSN, MS(N)/PhD), job type (patient care, research, administration/supervision, teaching, other), and rural/urban location using descriptive statistics and bivariate regressions. While the proportion of the URM RN workforce grew significantly, the only URM group demonstrating proportional gains in the APRN workforce were Latine nurses. URM representation in educational attainment grew across all degree types. By 2018/2019, Latine nurses have their largest representation in the Dipl. /ASN degree group and saw a proportional decline for PhD educated nurses. B/AA nurses have their largest representation at the MS(N)/PhD level. However, smaller proportions of B/AA nurses were working as APRNs compared to their non-URM colleagues. At the PhD level, few B/AA nurses were represented in research and teaching positions. A subgroup analysis of unemployed nurses seeking work revealed that B/AA and AI/AN nurses were overrepresented among unemployed nurses. While today's nursing workforce is more representative of the nation than ever before, results show unequal representation of URM and non-URM nurses across the ranks of the nursing professions that suggest unequal career and labor market opportunities.
Imaging of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma: An Update on Recent Advances

Pancreatic ductal carcinoma (PDAC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Computed tomography (CT) remains the primary imaging modality for diagnosis of PDAC. However, CT has limitations for early pancreatic tumor detection and tumor characterization so that it is currently challenged by magnetic resonance imaging. More recently, a particular attention has been given to radiomics for the characterization of pancreatic lesions using extraction and analysis of quantitative imaging features. In addition, radiomics has currently many applications that are developed in conjunction with artificial intelligence (AI) with the aim of better characterizing pancreatic lesions and providing a more precise assessment of tumor burden. This review article sums up recent advances in imaging of PDAC in the field of image/data acquisition, tumor detection, tumor characterization, treatment response evaluation, and preoperative planning. In addition, current applications of radiomics and AI in the field of PDAC are discussed.
Functional data analysis with covariate‐dependent mean and covariance structures

Functional data analysis has emerged as a powerful tool in response to the ever‐increasing resources and efforts devoted to collecting information about response curves or anything that varies over a continuum. However, limited progress has been made with regard to linking the covariance structures of response curves to external covariates, as most functional models assume a common covariance structure. We propose a new functional regression model with covariate‐dependent mean and covariance structures. Particularly, by allowing variances of random scores to be covariate‐dependent, we identify eigenfunctions for each individual from the set of eigenfunctions that govern the variation patterns across all individuals, resulting in high interpretability and prediction power. We further propose a new penalized quasi‐likelihood procedure that combines regularization and B‐spline smoothing for model selection and estimation and establish the convergence rate and asymptotic normality of the proposed estimators. The utility of the developed method is demonstrated via simulations, as well as an analysis of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children concerning parental effects on the growth curves of their offspring, which yields biologically interesting results.
Examining the concordance of retinal ganglion cell counts generated using measures of structure and function

There are several indirect methods used to estimate retinal ganglion cell (RGC) count in an individual eye, but there is limited information as to the agreement between these methods. In this work, RGC receptive field (RGC‐RF) count underlying a spot stimulus (0.43°, Goldmann III) was calculated and compared using three different methods.
Adapting SIMEX to correct for bias due to interval‐censored outcomes in survival analysis with time‐varying exposure

Many clinical and epidemiological applications of survival analysis focus on interval‐censored events that can be ascertained only at discrete times of clinic visits. This implies that the values of time‐varying covariates are not correctly aligned with the true, unknown event times, inducing a bias in the estimated associations. To address this issue, we adapted the simulation‐extrapolation (SIMEX) methodology, based on assessing how the estimates change with the artificially increased time between clinic visits. We propose diagnostics to choose the extrapolating function. In simulations, the SIMEX‐corrected estimates reduced considerably the bias to the null and generally yielded a better bias/variance trade‐off than conventional estimates. In a real‐life pharmacoepidemiological application, the proposed method increased by 27% the excess hazard of the estimated association between a time‐varying exposure, representing the 2‐year cumulative duration of past use of a hypertensive medication, and the hazard of nonmelanoma skin cancer (interval‐censored events). These simulation‐based and real‐life results suggest that the proposed SIMEX‐based correction may help improve the accuracy of estimated associations between time‐varying exposures and the hazard of interval‐censored events in large cohort studies where the events are recorded only at relatively sparse times of clinic visits/assessments. However, these advantages may be less certain for smaller studies and/or weak associations.
Evolutionary Perspective on Self-Concept: The Effects of Interpersonal Motivations and Inclusionary Status on Spontaneous Self-Descriptions of Communion and Agency

Evolutionary models suggest that self-concept is a dynamic structure shaped jointly by interpersonal motivations and social challenges. Yet, empirical data assessing this claim are sparse. We examined this question in two studies. In study 1, participants (N = 386) generated spontaneous self-descriptions and filled out questionnaires assessing dominance and affiliation motivations. We found that self-descriptions categorized as communion or agency were associated with affiliation and dominance motivations, respectively. In study 2, participants (N = 360) underwent an inclusionary manipulation (exclusion, inclusion, popularity) and completed self-description and motivation measures. We found that exclusion (compared to inclusion/popularity) enhanced the salience of communion self-descriptions such that participants described themselves using more communion traits. Finally, in the popularity condition (compared to exclusion/inclusion), an enhanced positive association between salience of agency self-descriptions and dominance motivation was found. Our results support evolutionary models suggesting that self-concept organization shapes and is being shaped by social motivations to enhance interpersonal functioning.
An insight into the prevalence rates of obesity and its related risk factors among the Saudi community in the Hai'l Region.

OBJECTIVE Obesity/overweight is a major preventable cause of morbidity responsible for various health disorders. Thus, the present investigation aimed to estimate the prevalence rates of obesity and its related risk factors among the Saudi community in the Hai'l Region. PATIENTS AND METHODS In this study, 2,438 participants were randomly recruited in the Hai'l region during a cross-sectional survey. Participants were included based on their body mass index (BMI). Only those with BMI >25 weight (kg)/height (m)2 were included. RESULTS The overall prevalence rates of overweight and obesity were 61% and 39%. The prevalence rates of males' overweight, obesity, and morbid obesity were 69%, 19%, and 12%, respectively. The prevalence rates of overweight, obesity and morbid obesity among females were 50%, 28%, and 22%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Overweight, obesity, and morbid obesity are prevalent in Hai'l region, Northern Saudi Arabia. Overweight/obesity is more prevalent among women, rural inhabitants, less educated people, and adults aged 26-40 years. Hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) are significantly obesity-associated risk factors in Saudi Arabia.
Eye-Fitting of Straight Lines.

Abstract : Because little is known about properties of lines fitted by eye, we designed and carried out an empirical investigation. Inexperienced graduate and post-doctoral students instructed to locate a line for estimating y from x for four sets of points tended to choose slopes near that of the first principal component (major axis) of the data and their lines passed close to the centroids. Students had a slight tendency to choose consistently either steeper or shallower slopes for all sets of data. (Author)
O-arm CT for Confirmation of Successful Navigation During Robotic Assisted Bronchoscopy

Background: Robotic assisted bronchoscopy (RAB) is designed to increase bronchoscopic accessibility for difficult to reach pulmonary lesions. One limitation to success of RAB is computed tomography (CT) to body divergence. Real time imaging with cone beam CT is increasingly utilized for confirmation of correct navigation and tool-in-lesion during RAB. O-arm CT is a 3-dimensional imaging modality, which has not previously been described for use with RAB. Our purpose is to display the feasibility, ease of use, and high rate of confirmation of tool-in-lesion when using O-arm CT during RAB. Methods: Single center, retrospective review of 75 patients undergoing RAB with intraprocedural use of O-arm CT. Results: Median patient age was 65 years. Forty-nine percent of cases involved nodules ≤2 cm. Bronchus sign was absent in 44% of cases. Median procedure time was 80 minutes. Median number of O-arm CT runs per case was 2. The median effective dose of radiation was 7.2 millisieverts. Tool-in-lesion was confirmed in 97% (77 of 79) of cases. Definitive diagnosis was reached in 61 to 68 of 79 cases (77% to 86%). There were 2 cases of pneumothorax (2.5%), one of which needed intervention with tube thoracostomy. Conclusions: O-arm CT is an effective, and convenient alternative to other 3-dimensional imaging modalities for intraprocedural confirmation of tool-in-lesion during RAB.
Inhibition of monocarboxylate transporters (MCT) 1 and 4 reduces exercise capacity in mice

The concept of lactate shuttle is widely accepted in exercise physiology. Lactate transport is mediated by monocarboxylate transporters (MCT), which enable cells to take up and release lactate. However, the role of lactate during exercise has not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated the effects of lactate transport inhibition on exercise capacity and metabolism in mice. Here, we demonstrated that MCT1 inhibition by α‐cyano‐4‐hydroxycinnamate administration (4‐CIN, 200 mg/g of body weight) reduced the treadmill running duration at 20 m/min. The administration of 4‐CIN increased the blood lactate concentration immediately after exercise. With matched exercise duration, the muscle lactate concentration was higher while muscle glycogen content was lower in 4‐CIN‐administered mice. Further, we showed that MCT4 inhibition by bindarit administration (50 mg/kg of body weight) reduced the treadmill running duration at 40 m/min. Bindarit administration increased the muscle lactate but did not alter the blood lactate and glucose concentrations, as well as muscle glycogen content, immediately after exercise. A negative correlation was observed between exercise duration at 40 m/min and muscle lactate concentration immediately after exercise. Our results suggest that lactate transport via MCT1 and MCT4 plays a pivotal role in sustaining exercise.
Symptoms of problematic pornography use among help-seeking male adolescents: Latent profile and network analysis

Abstract Background and aims Little data exist on exploring the subgroups and characteristics of problematic pornography use (PPU) in help-seeking adolescents. The aims of the study were to classify the subgroups among help-seeking male adolescents, explore their similarities and differences, and uncover their core symptoms. Methods A total of 3,468 Chinese male adolescents (M age = 16.64 years, SD = 1.24) who were distressed about their pornography use were recruited. The Problematic Pornography Consumption Scale, the Brief Pornography Screen Scale, and Moral Disapproval of Pornography Use were used to classify them. The General Health Questionnaire, the Pornography Craving Questionnaire, and the Sexual Compulsivity Scale were used to investigate participants' negative consequence related to their pornography use; and the Online Sexual Activity Questionnaire (OSAs) and time spent on pornography use every week were considered as quantitative indicators. Results Help-seeking male adolescents could be divided into 3 profiles, namely, self-perceived problematic (SP, n = 755), impaired control (IC, n = 1,656), and problematic use groups (PPU, n = 1,057). Frequency of OSAs was important for the identification of SP individuals, while negative consequences were more effective in identifying individuals with objective dysregulated behavior. Salience and mood modification were shared by all groups; however, in addition to this, the SP and PPU groups also showed withdrawal symptoms. Discussion and conclusion This study's results provide support for the presence of different profiles of help-seeking individuals and information on potential intervention targets among adolescents which is lacking in the literature.
Health‐related quality of life after restrictive versus liberal RBC transfusion for cardiac surgery: Sub‐study from a randomized clinical trial

Transfusion Requirements in Cardiac Surgery III (TRICS III), a multi‐center randomized controlled trial, demonstrated clinical non‐inferiority for restrictive versus liberal RBC transfusion for patients undergoing cardiac surgery. However, it is uncertain if transfusion strategy affects long‐term health‐related quality of life (HRQOL).
Police Officers’ Attributions of Victim Culpability in Scenarios of Same-Sex Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) has garnered the attention of scholars, policymakers, and social justice actors for several decades. Shortcomings in police response to IPV may be related to police attributions of victim culpability. A dearth of research has assessed police officers’ assignment of blame, responsibility, and causality directed toward IPV victims, particularly those who identify as LGBTQ+. Using a randomly assigned, experimental vignette design, the current study employed surveys from a sample of 305 police officers commissioned at a sizeable police department in one of the most populous and diverse U.S. cities to (1) assess culpability attributions directed toward same-sex IPV (SSIPV) victims, (2) determine whether culpability attributions differed between male and female SSIPV victims, (3) examine officer demographic, occupational, attitudinal, and experimental predictors of IPV culpability attributions directed toward SSIPV victims, and (4) assess differences in predictors of culpability between male and female SSIPV victims. Results from the current study suggest police officers attributed average levels of culpability toward SSIPV victims and levels were not significantly different between male and female SSIPV victims. Adherence to heteronormative IPV myths and trauma misperceptions increased police officers’ attributions of culpability directed toward same-sex victims. Presence of physical evidence decreased culpability attributions among police officers. Educational programming developed for police officers should focus on the dynamics of IPV and cultural competency. Future research should continue to explore police officers’ perceptions of and responses to SSIPV incidents.
The antiretroviral agents azidothymidine, stavudine, and didanosine have the identical mutational fingerprint in the rpoB region of Escherichia coli

We looked at the mutational fingerprints of three antiretroviral (anti‐HIV) agents, azidothymidine (AZT), stavudine (STAV), and didanosine (DIDA) in the rpoB system of Escherichia coli and compared them with each other and with the fingerprints of trimethoprim and of spontaneous mutations in a wild‐type and a mutT background. All three agents gave virtually identical fingerprints in the wild‐type background, causing only A:T→C:G changes at 3 of the 12 A:T→C:G possible sites among the total of 92 possible base substitution mutations, even though AZT and STAV are thymidine analogs but DIDA is an adenosine analog. As all three agents are reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and act as chain blockers, the common fingerprint may be a property of chain blocking agents.
Automatic Upper-Limb Brunnstrom Recovery Stage Evaluation via Daily Activity Monitoring

Motor function assessment is crucial for post-stroke rehabilitation. Conventional evaluation methods are subjective, heavily depending on the experience of therapists. In light of the strong correlation between the stroke severity level and the performance of activities of daily living (ADLs), we explored the possibility of automatically evaluating the upper-limb Brunnstrom Recovery Stage (BRS) via three typical ADLs (tooth brushing, face washing and drinking). Multimodal data (acceleration, angular velocity, surface electromyography) were synchronously collected from 5 upper-limb-worn sensor modules. The performance of BRS evaluation system is known to be variable with different system parameters (e.g., number of sensor modules, feature types and classifiers). We systematically searched for the optimal parameters from different data segmentation strategies (five window lengths and four overlaps), 42 types of features, 12 feature optimization techniques and 9 classifiers with the leave-one-subject-out cross-validation. To achieve reliable and low-cost monitoring, we further explored whether it was possible to obtain a satisfactory result using a relatively small number of sensor modules. As a result, the proposed approach can correctly recognize the stages of all 27 participants using only three sensor modules with the optimized data segmentation parameters (window length: 7s, overlap: 50%), extracted features (simple square integral, slope sign change, modified mean absolute value 1 and modified mean absolute value 2), the feature optimization method (principal component analysis) and the logistic regression classifier. According to the literature, this is the first study to comprehensively optimize sensor configuration and parameters in each stage of the BRS classification framework. The proposed approach can serve as a factor-screening tool towards the automatic BRS classification and is promising to be further used at home.