Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Age-Related Psychosocial Distress among Slovak Breast Cancer Patients Surviving Three Years after Breast-Conserving Surgery

Objective : The objective of this prospective study was to evaluate the age-related long-term psychosocial morbidity development and health-related quality of life outcomes among diseasefree outdoor breast cancer patients previously treated for early-stage breast cancer by breast conserving surgery (BCS). Methods: 140 eligible disease-free breast cancer patients previously treated by BCS or modified radical mastectomy (MRM) and surviving without tumor recurrence and any comorbidities for three years after surgery were recruited for the survey. The assessment was conducted one and three years after surgery using the standardised EORTC Quality of Life QLQ C3O.3 questionnaire, the breast cancer specific module QLQ BR-23 and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire. Results: Scoring of cancer-specific quality of life and psychosocial morbidity over the time between one and three years after surgery have shown that patients with advanced breast cancer previously treated by modified radical mastectomy (MRM) suffered from steady-state level of psychosocial distress and low quality of life perception during the entire period of observation. On the other hand, nearly 70% of breast cancer patients treated by BCS were surviving without profound impact onto psychosocial status and health-related quality of life during the entire observation period. However, scoring of distress symptoms brought evidence indicating that nearly one third of patients surviving more than three years after BCS were suffering from emotional distress due to increasing anxiosity, nervousness, uncertainty and fear about future. Patients with higher psychosocial burden mainly belong to younger population aging between 35 to 50 years. In these patients, the health-related quality of life scores were lower and sometimes comparable with those of MRM-treated patients. The low quality of life and increased psychosocial distress in young
Continuous Positive Airway Pressure-A Gentler Approach to Ventilation

1. The use of nasal CPAP has dramatically brought down the need for intubation and mechanical ventilation. There are several commercially available CPAP devices, e.g., Hudson CPAP, Argyle CPAP, INCA prongs, Infant Flow Driver (IFD), Aladdin II etc. The Hudson Prongs system (Hudson-RCI, Temecula, CA 92589) was created and used at Columbia in 1973. Biggest prongs that comfortably fit the nostrils are used to avoid loss of pressure. Flow required is affected by the degree of “leak” of gas from the infant’s nose and mouth and can be 6 L/min or greater. The advantage is that the adequacy of flow can be seen and heard. If the leak is high the flow causing bubbling is too low which then stops. If the flow is too high the bubbling becomes very vigorous. IFD needs flows in excess of 8 L/min to generate pressures around 5 cm H2O. The “expiratory” limb of the IFD is unusual in that it is open to the atmosphere. Potentially, the baby can inspire with a higher flow than that delivered through the inspiratory limb, reducing possibility of the pressure falling with large inspirations. More research is needed to clarify its clinical importance. Our experience favors HP system, probably due to the high frequency like effect. 2. The general effect of mouth closure is to raise pharyngeal pressure and it may fall significantly if the mouth is open even slightly. Our unit uses special caps, which come along with a chinstrap to avoid the fluctuations in the delivered pressure seen with intermittent mouth opening. CPAP sometimes causes gaseous distension, but this is uncommon, as the tone in the upper and lower esophageal sphincters is higher than the applied CPAP. It seems approthe child’s mouth after birth as a religious custom.
Ostracism Increases Automatic Aggression: The Role of Anger and Forgiveness

While research on the “ostracism-aggression” link has focused on controlled processes in aggression, little effort has been devoted to examining the relation between ostracism and automatic aggression. Based on theories of aggression, we found that ostracized participants reported higher levels of automatic aggression than included participants (Studies 1 and 2). Furthermore, the association between ostracism and automatic aggression was mediated by anger and was especially prominent for people low in forgiveness (as compared to people high in forgiveness; Study 3). The implications of these findings are discussed.
The 2014 South African Defence Review: Rebuilding after Years of Abuse, Neglect and Decay

After three tortuous years, cabinet approved the Defence Review in March 2014. The review is a huge improvement on the previous public document. Its 15 chapters include considerable background material that may not all have been necessary – but given the state of the SANDF, this is as much a manual to fix the department as it is a path towards the future. The result is a mixture of matters that relate to internal administration, policy, strategy, military doctrine, discipline and human resources. Although it does not set out alternative force design options, the review does present the costs of its preferred option. This policy brief interprets a number of the review’s key conclusions and presents associated policy considerations, with a focus on the financial affordability of the expenditure targets.
Coping with the burden of thalassemia: Aiming for a thalassemia free world

Organizations like the Asian Network for Thalassemia Control are also focusing on education, screening, and prenatal diagnosis in Asia. [10] The Iran National Thalassemia Prevention Program, a combination of extended family and mandatory premarital screening, reduced the birth rate of a thalassemic child by 30% between 1997 and 2004. [12] In Thailand, more than 85% of all pregnant women are screened annually. [10]
Method for Structural Damage Identification of Reinforced Concrete of Sea-crossing Bridge

ABSTRACT Qi, Y. and Wang, F. , 2019. Method for structural damage identification of reinforced concrete of sea-crossing bridge. In: Hoang, A.T. and Aqeel Ashraf, M. (eds.), Research, Monitoring, and Engineering of Coastal, Port, and Marine Systems. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 97, pp. 88–92. At the present stage, there is no unified and effective quantitative indicator for the damage identification of bridge structures. The measurement error is so large that the results of the structural damage identification are inaccurate. In view of this, the finite element analysis method for the structural damage identification of reinforced concrete of sea-crossing bridge is proposed. After summarizing and analyzing the principle of structural damage of reinforced concrete of sea-crossing bridge, fuzzy mathematics theory is introduced into the comprehensive damage identification of concrete structures. Combined with the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method, the judging model is established to evaluate the damage of the reinforced concrete structure of the sea-crossing bridge. Through analysis of the existing test data and evaluation results, the Midas FEA finite element analysis software is used to establish the damage finite element analysis model, and the strain modality difference is obtained through the central difference method to realize damage identification. The experimental results show that the identification results are basically consistent with the static and dynamic load test data, which indicates that the proposed method is feasible.
Sotetsuflavone Induces Autophagy in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Through Blocking PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway in Vivo and in Vitro

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a globally scaled disease with a high incidence and high associated mortality rate. Autophagy is one of the important physiological activities that helps to control cell survival, influences the dynamics of cell death, and which plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of NSCLC. Sotetsuflavone is a naturally derived and occurring flavonoid, and previous studies have demonstrated that sotetsuflavone possesses potential anti-cancer activities. However, whether or not sotetsuflavone induces autophagy, as well as has effects and influences cell death in NSCLC cells remains unclear. Thus, in our study, we examined and elucidated the roles and underlying mechanisms of sotetsuflavone upon the dynamics of autophagy in NSCLC in vivo and in vitro. The results indicated that sotetsuflavone was able to inhibit proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells. Mechanistically, sotetsuflavone was able to induce apoptosis by increasing the levels of expression of cytochrome C, cleaved-caspase 3, cleaved-caspase 9, and Bax, and contrastingly decreased levels of expression of Bcl-2. In addition, we also found that decreased levels of expression of cyclin D1 and CDK4 caused arrest of the G0/G1 phases of the cell cycle. Furthermore, we also found that sotetsuflavone could induce autophagy which in turn can play a cytoprotective effect on apoptosis in NSCLC. Sotetsuflavone-induced autophagy appeared related to the blocking of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. Our in vivo study demonstrated that sotetsuflavone significantly inhibited the growth of xenograft model inoculated A549 tumor with high a degree of safety. Taken together, these findings suggest that sotetsuflavone induces autophagy in NSCLC cells through its effects upon blocking of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathways. Our study may provide a theoretical basis for future clinical applications of sotetsuflavone and its use as a chemotherapeutic agent for treatment of NSCLC.
Assessing Oromotor Capacity in ALS: The Effect of a Fixed-Target Task on Lip Biomechanics

Alternating motion rate (AMR) is a standard measure often included in neurological examinations to assess orofacial neuromuscular integrity. AMR is typically derived from recordings of patients producing repetitions of a single syllable as fast and clear as possible on one breath. Because the task places high demands on oromotor performance, particularly articulatory speed, AMRs are widely considered to be tests of maximum performance and, therefore, likely to reveal underlying neurologic deficits. Despite decades of widespread use, biomechanical studies have shown that speakers often circumvent the presumed speed challenge of the standard AMR task. Specifically, speakers are likely to manipulate their displacements (movement amplitude) instead of speed because this strategy requires less motor effort. The current study examined the effectiveness of a novel fixed-target paradigm for minimizing the truncation of articulatory excursions and maximizing motor effort. We compared the standard AMR task to that of a fixed-target AMR task and focused specifically on the tasks' potential to detect decrements in lip motor performance in persons with dysarthria due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Our participants were 14 healthy controls and 17 individuals with ALS. For the standard AMR task, participants were instructed to produce the syllable /bα/ as quickly and accurately as possible on one breath. For the fixed-target AMR task, participants were given the same instructions, but were also required to strike a physical target placed under the jaw during the opening phase of each syllable. Lip kinematic data were obtained using 3D electromagnetic articulography. 16 kinematic features were extracted using an algorithmic approach. Findings revealed that compared to the standard task, the fixed-target AMR task placed increased motor demands on the oromotor system by eliciting larger excursions, faster speeds, and greater spatiotemporal variability. In addition, participants with ALS exhibited limited ability to adapt to the higher articulatory demands of the fixed-target task. Between the two AMR tasks, the maximum speed during the fixed-target task showed a moderate association with the ALSFRS-R bulbar subscore. Employment of both standard and fixed-target AMR tasks is, however, needed for comprehensive assessment of oromotor function and for elucidating profiles of task adaptation.
Interleukin 12induction ofinterferon y-dependent protection against malaria

ABSTRACT Intraperitoneal injection of recombinant In- terleukin 12(rIL-12)at30ng/dayfor5days nnin 1 to2 daysbeforesporozoite challenge oradminitration of a singledoseof150ngofrIL-12 2 daysbeforechallenge protected 100% of BALB/c mice againstchallenge with 102Plasmodium yoelii sporozoites. rIL-12-induced protection was e ed in allmice by adMinistration of a monoclonal antibody againstinterferon y and in 50% of mice by administration of N0- monomethyl-L-arginlne, a competitiveinhibitorofnitric oxide synthase. rIL-12 protected BALB/cmice treated with cyto-toxicanti-CD4andanti-CD8monoclonalantibodies, aswellas T-cell-andB-cell-defcientseverecombiedIn munodeficiencymice. ThesedatasuggestthatrIL-12stimulates non-B, non-Tcellsto produceinterferon ythatkillsintrahepaticparasitesbystimulatingnitric oxide production. If rIL-12proves tobewell tolerated by hans, our fin support consideration ofrIL-12 as animmunoprophylactic against malaria.Malariaisoneofthe most importantinfectiousdiseasesintheworld(1) andduringthepast30yr, manyofthedrugs
Adverse effects of statins – Myths and facts

Treatment with statins for dyslipidemia is confronted by both patient and doctor and social media-related myths. The common myths and the relevant facts in light of the recent ACC/AHA guidelines on the management of blood cholesterol 2018 are interesting. Most common side effects listed with statins are statin-associated muscular symptoms, new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus, intracranial hemorrhage, and elevation of liver enzymes. The current article reviews the myths and the facts about the side effects associated with statins and how to tackle the side effects practically.
Leclercia adecarboxylata From Human Gut Flora Carries mcr-4.3 and blaIMP-4-Bearing Plasmids

A clinical Leclercia adecarboxylata strain harboring the mcr-4.3 and blaIMP-4 genes was isolated from active rectal screening of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in a patient. The isolate was found to harbor seven plasmids, including a 94,635 bp blaIMP-4-bearing IncN plasmid and a 9,782 bp mcr-4.3-bearing ColE10-type plasmid. The isolate was susceptible to colistin despite carrying the mcr-4.3 gene, suggesting that this MCR-4 variant may not be functional. Carriage of antibiotic resistance genes in human gut L. adecarboxylata strain suggests that close surveillance of resistance strains in the human gut flora should be included as a routine clinical practice to prevent occurrence of infections, especially among immunocompromised patients.
Deep Microbial Colonization in Saponite-Bearing Fractures in Aged Basaltic Crust: Implications for Subsurface Life on Mars

One of the most promising planetary bodies that might harbor extraterrestrial life is Mars, given the presence of liquid water in the deep subsurface. The upper crust of Mars is mainly composed of >3.7-billion-year-old basaltic lava where heat-driven fluid circulation is negligible. The analogous crustal environment to the Martian subsurface is found in the Earth's oceanic crust composed of basaltic lava. The basaltic crust tends to cool down for 10–20-million-years after formation. However, microbial life in old cold basaltic lava is largely unknown even in the Earth's oceanic crust, because the lack of vigorous circulation prevents sampling of pristine crustal fluid from boreholes. Alternatively, it is important to investigate deep microbial life using pristine drill cores obtained from basaltic lava. We investigated a basaltic rock core sample with mineral-filled fractures drilled during Integral Ocean Drilling Project Expedition 329 that targeted 104-million-year-old oceanic crust. Mineralogical characterizations of fracture-infilling minerals revealed that fractures/veins were filled with Mg-rich smectite called saponite and calcium carbonate. The organic carbon content from the saponite-rich clay fraction in the core sample was 23 times higher than that from the bulk counterpart, which appears to be sufficient to supply energy and carbon sources to saponite-hosted life. Furthermore, a newly developed method to detect microbial cells in a thin-section of the saponite-bearing fracture revealed the dense colonization of SYBR-Green-I stained microbial cells spatially associated with saponite. These results suggest that the presence of saponite in old cold basaltic crust is favorable for microbial life. In addition to carbonaceous chondrite, saponite is a common product of low-temperature reactions between water and mafic minerals on Earth and Mars. It is therefore expected that deep saponite-bearing fractures could host extant life and/or the past life on Mars.
Limiting state space explosion of model checking using discrete event simulation: combining DEVS and PROMELA

In this paper we propose an approach combining discrete event simulation and model checking. Indeed, methods like model checking suffer from the state space explosion when the modeled system is complex. Consequently, we propose an approach that allows the model checking procedure to focus on a subset of the total state space that is more likely to contain an erroneous state regarding a property. To do so, a simulation run that allows us to observe some qualitative metrics is performed, and stopped when a predefined "critical state" is reached. This state is then projected as the initial state of the non-deterministic finite automaton used by the model checking procedure. Thus, the search will only explore states reachable from this critical state, limiting state space explosion. We finally illustrate the proposed approach through a Network-On-Chip system, and compare it with the ad hoc classical model checking approach.
A conversation with CHCCS 2018 achievement award winner Alla Sheffer

A 2018 CHCCS Achievement Award from the Canadian Human-Computer Communications Society is presented to Dr. Alla Sheffer for her numerous highly impactful contributions to the field of computer graphics research. Her diverse research addresses geometric modeling and processing problems both in traditional computer graphics settings and in multiple other application domains, including product design, mechanical and civil engineering, and fashion design. CHCCS invites a publication by the award winner to be included in the proceedings, and this year we continue the tradition of an interview format rather than a formal paper. This permits a casual discussion of the research areas, insights, and contributions of the award winner. What follows is an edited transcript of a conversation between Alla Sheffer and Paul Kry that took place on 13 March, 2018, via Skype.
ANÁLISIS DE RESIDUOS DE PLAGUICIDAS EN TOMATE MEDIANTE EL USO DE QuEChERS Y CROMATOGRAFÍA LÍQUIDA ULTRARRÁPIDA ACOPLADA A ESPECTROMETRÍA DE MASAS

Se desarrollo un metodo multirresiduo para la determinacion de 24 plaguicidas de diferentes caracteristicas fisicoquimicas en tomate. El proceso de extraccion se baso en el metodo QuEChERS y la determinacion de los compuestos se realizo mediante cromatografia liquida ultrarrapida acoplada a espectrometria de masas. Los resultados de la validacion indicaron que el metodo presenta porcentajes de recuperacion de entre el 71,3 y el 114%, coeficientes de variacion inferiores al 20%, limites de deteccion entre 0,002 y 0,225 mg/kg, limites de cuantificacion entre 0,009 y 0,750 mg/kg. En los estudios de linealidad, para todos los parametros evaluados, se obtuvieron resultados adecuados en los rangos de trabajo. Para probar la metodologia desarrollada, se evaluaron muestras de frutos de tomate provenientes del departamento de Boyaca y se hallo indoxacarb en cantidades inferiores al limite maximo de residuos.
Distinct Neural Processes for Memorizing Form and Meaning Within Sentences

In order to memorize sentences we use both processes of language comprehension during encoding and processes of language production during maintenance. While the former processes are easily testable via controlled presentation of the input, the latter are more difficult to assess directly as language production is typically initiated and controlled internally. In the present event-related potential (ERP) study we track subvocal rehearsal of sentences, with the goal of studying the concomitant planning processes with the help of a silent cued-production task. Native German participants read different types of sentences word-by-word, then were prompted by a visual cue to silently repeat each individual word, in a rehearsal phase. In order to assess both local and global effects of sentence planning, we presented correct sentences, syntactically or semantically violated sentences, or random word order sequences. Semantic violations during reading elicited an N400 effect at the noun violating the selectional restrictions of the preceding verb. Syntactic violations, induced by a gender incongruency between determiner and noun, led to a P600 effect at the same position. Different ERP patterns occurred during the silent production phase. Here, semantically violated sentences elicited an early fronto-central negativity at the verb, while syntactically violated sentences elicited a late right-frontal positivity at the determiner. Random word order was accompanied by long-lasting slow waves during the production phase. The findings are consistent with models of hierarchical sentence planning and further indicate that the ongoing working memory processes are qualitatively distinct from comprehension mechanisms and neurophysiologically specific for syntactic and lexical-semantic level planning. In conclusion, active working memory maintenance of sentences is likely to comprise specific stages of sentence production that are indicated by ERP correlates of syntactic and semantic planning at the phrasal and clausal level respectively.
Cross-Bioaugmentation Among Four Remote Soil Samples Contaminated With Oil Exerted Just Inconsistent Effects on Oil-Bioremediation

Soil samples were collected from Kuwait, Lebanon, Egypt, and Germany, and artificially polluted with 3% (w/w) crude oil. Cross-bioaugmentation was done among them, and the oil-consumption and the constituent communities of hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria were monitored periodically through 6 months. The results showed that cross-bioaugmentation did not bring about reproducible effects on oil-removal in the four soils. After 6 months, oil-removal values reached between 82 and 95% in most of the samples including the unbioaugmented controls. The numbers of hydrocarbonoclastic bacteria showed significant increases followed by significant decreases during the course of bioremediation also in the unbioaugmented controls. In most cases, the inoculated bacterial taxa failed to colonize the soils, and oil-removal was achieved mainly by the native (autochthonous) soil bacterial communities. those belonged to the genera Mycolicibacterium, Mycobacterium, Xanthobacter, Pseudoxanthomonas, Pseudomonas, Zavarzinia, and others. The microbial communities in the four soils also comprised nitrogen fixing bacteria belonging to the genera Gordonia, Rhizobium, Kocuria, and Azospirillum. Such diazotrophs are known to enrich the soils with fixed nitrogen and thus, contribute to enhancing the microbiological hydrocarbon-consumption. It was concluded that cross-bioaugmentation leads to unpredictable and inconsistent effects on oil removal. Therefore, it could not beregarded as the technology of choice for oil-bioremediation.