Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Women’s experiences of birth and birth options counselling after laparoscopic or open myomectomy

Abstract There is emerging evidence that vaginal birth after open and laparoscopic myomectomy may be safe in many pregnancies, however, there are no studies examining the perspectives of women who have given birth post myomectomy and their preferences regarding mode of birth. We performed a retrospective questionnaire survey of women who had an open or laparoscopic myomectomy followed by a pregnancy within 3 maternity units in a single NHS trust in the UK over a 5-year period. Our results revealed only 53% felt actively involved in the decision making for their birth plan and 90% had not been offered a specific birth options counselling clinic. Of those who had either a successful trial of labour after myomectomy (TOLAM) or elective caesarean section (ELCS) in the index pregnancy, 95% indicated satisfaction with their mode of birth however, 80% would prefer vaginal birth in a future pregnancy. Whilst long term prospective data is required to fully establish the safety of vaginal birth after laparoscopic and open myomectomy, this study is the first to explore the subjective experiences of women who had given birth post laparoscopic or open myomectomy and has highlighted the inadequate involvement of these women in the decision-making process. IMPACT STATEMENT What is already known on this subject? Fibroids are the commonest female solid tumours in women of childbearing age with surgical management including open and laparoscopic excision techniques. However, the management of a subsequent pregnancy and birth remains controversial with no robust guidance on which women may be suitable for vaginal birth. What do the results of this study add? We present the first study to our knowledge which explores women’s experiences of birth and birth options counselling after open and laparoscopic myomectomy. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? We provide a rationale for using birth options clinics to facilitate an informed decision-making process and highlight the current inadequate guidance for clinicians on how to advise women having a pregnancy following a myomectomy. Whilst long term prospective data is required to fully establish the safety of vaginal birth after laparoscopic and open myomectomy, this needs to be carried out in a way which promotes the preferences of the women affected by this research.
Coherent point drift method for SAR imagery scattering centers matching

Scattering centers matching is currently the primary technique in SAR Automatic Target Recognition(ATR) using scattering centers.The difficulties in scattering centers matching originate in the inexactness of scattering centers and missing scattering centers.The recently developed Coherent Point Drift(CPD) method solves point pattern matching from the perspective of probability density estimation.In the CPD method,the inexactness of scattering centers and missing scattering centers can be well considered.The CPD method was introduced in this research to solve scattering centers matching.In order to improve the accuracy and stability of scattering center matching,the CPD method was modified to incorporate the prior information of vehicles' azimuth estimation and scattering centers attributes.Experiments on MSTAR dataset show the validity of the proposed method.
Thermodynamic modeling and simulation of stratospheric airship

By analyzing the formation mechanism of thermal character,a thermodynamic model for the stratospheric airship is constructed,including convective heat transfer model as well as solar radiation and long-wave transfer model.Based on the mathematical models,the corresponding simulation software is developed.The temperature change of helium and air in ballonet is simulated,and the results indicate that the helium temperature is mainly affected by solar radiation transfer,and is low at nighttime and high at daytime,which results in the temperature difference of 55 ℃. The air temperature trend is identical with that of helium.Both gases will show super heat of over 40 ℃ at the worst case during cruising.
Asymmetrical trough waveguide antennas

Line source radiators of the leaky wave type may be constructed readily with trough waveguide, which consists of a rectangular trough containing a symmetrically located center fin. Two types of such radiators are investigated: a continuously asymmetrical form suitable for near endfire radiation, and a periodically asymmetrical design permitting radiation through broadside. The propagation characteristics of the leaky wave on the continuously asymmetrical structure are determined theoretically by means of a transverse resonance procedure, and comparison is made with measured values. The influence of finite center fin thickness is also accounted for. Designs and radiation patterns are presented for a typical antenna of each type.
Instability and low-frequency unsteadiness in a shock-induced laminar separation bubble

Three-dimensional direct numerical simulations (DNS) of a shock-induced laminar separation bubble are carried out to investigate the flow instability and origin of any low-frequency unsteadiness. A laminar boundary layer interacting with an oblique shock wave at $M=1.5$ is forced at the inlet with a pair of monochromatic oblique unstable modes, selected according to local linear stability theory (LST) performed within the separation bubble. Linear stability analysis is applied to cases with marginal and large separation, and compared to DNS. While the parabolized stability equations approach accurately reproduces the growth of unstable modes, LST performs less well for strong interactions. When the modes predicted by LST are used to force the separated boundary layer, transition to deterministic turbulence occurs near the reattachment point via an oblique-mode breakdown. Despite the clean upstream condition, broadband low-frequency unsteadiness is found near the separation point with a peak at a Strouhal number of $0.04$ , based on the separation bubble length. The appearance of the low-frequency unsteadiness is found to be due to the breakdown of the deterministic turbulence, filling up the spectrum and leading to broadband disturbances that travel upstream in the subsonic region of the boundary layer, with a strong response near the separation point. The existence of the unsteadiness is supported by sensitivity studies on grid resolution and domain size that also identify the region of deterministic breakdown as the source of white noise disturbances. The present contribution confirms the presence of low-frequency response for laminar flows, similarly to that found in fully turbulent interactions.
Nivolumab + relatlimab for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic melanoma

ABSTRACT Introduction Though melanoma is one of the less common skin malignancies, it accounts for the majority of deaths due to cutaneous cancers. The recent progress and drug approvals in targeted treatment and immunotherapy revolutionized the outcome of patients with metastatic disease, and now is also changing the landscape of adjuvant treatment in melanoma. Area covered A combination of anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 (nivolumab with ipilimumab) has demonstrated superior outcomes in terms of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival with recent data confirming median survival exceeding six years. However, the use of this immunotherapy combination is limited in routine practice to approximately half of the patients due to high toxicity with the majority of patients at risk of severe adverse events. The current efforts are to determine how best to integrate combination immunotherapy in different clinical scenarios and limit these drugs’ toxicity. That is why novel strategies in immunotherapy are needed and one of the examples of such novelty are anti-LAG-3 antibodies (lymphocyte-activation gene 3). LAG-3 inhibitor (relatlimab) in combination with nivolumab significantly improved PFS as compared to anti-PD-1 monotherapy in patients with previously untreated metastatic or unresectable melanoma. We describe the current status of combination of nivolumab+ relatlimab in the treatment of advanced melanoma patients based on the available data coming from pivotal clinical trials. Expert opinion The most important question to be answered is what would be the place of this novel combination in the treatment planning strategy
The impact of temperament on functional and symptomatic relief and satisfaction after carpal tunnel release

The aim of this study was to compare the symptomatic, functional and satisfaction outcomes of patients with different temperaments undergoing carpal tunnel surgery by a single surgeon. Dominant temperaments of 171 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome were determined using the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A). Patients were divided into six temperament groups, and the impact of their respective group measured against preoperative and postoperative symptom severity and functional capacity using the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ] and satisfaction using the Patient Evaluation Measure (PEM). Patients in the depressive group had the largest improvement in symptoms (BCTQ score change, –2.2) as well as a significant improvement in function (BCTQ score change, –2.1), yet had the lowest postoperative satisfaction (mean PEM score 9). Determination of patient temperament before surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) may be useful as an ancillary technique to help predict postoperative satisfaction, which may in turn help guide preoperative communication and expectation setting. Level of evidence: III
Eye-Tracking on Touch Screen - Evaluating User Interaction

This paper suggests a setup for using remote eye-tracking on a touchscreen tablet to evaluate user interaction for older adults interacting with a user-driven hearing test. By using video recordings to support the eye-tracking data, it was possible to evaluate quantitative usability metrics that could be compared to other research findings. The video recordings revealed useful information to distinguish between reasons for gaps in data and missing data and to inform future similar studies of human-computer interaction on a touch screen. Using only portable equipment allows researchers to move to the location of the user and investigate the user interaction of devices in real-world scenarios.
Role of the prefrontal cortex and executive functions in basic emotions recognition: evidence from patients with focal damage to the prefrontal cortex

ABSTRACT Few studies have examined the specific contribution of focal damage of the prefrontal cortex and executive dysfunction to emotion recognition deficits, with results reporting controversial findings. This study investigated the performance of 30 patients with prefrontal cortex damage and 30 matched controls on a battery of executive measures assessing processes of inhibition, flexibility, and planning and a task of emotion recognition with also a particular attention to the examination of the association between these domains. The results showed that compared with control participants, patients with prefrontal cortex damage were impaired in recognizing the three negative emotions of fear, sadness, and anger and were also impaired on all executive measures. Moreover, by examining the association between both these domains, using correlation and regression analyses, we noted that impaired performance in recognizing emotions of fear, sadness, and anger was predicted by impaired performances on the measures of inhibition and flexibility or “set-shifting” suggesting that the ability to recognize emotions could be at least to some extent cognitively mediated. Finally, using a voxel-based lesion technique, we identified a partially common prefrontal network underlying deficits on executive functions and emotions recognition centered on the ventral and medial parts of the prefrontal cortex, reflecting beyond the neural network involved in recognizing negative emotions per se that of the cognitive processes elicited by this emotion task.
Reconsidering the route of drug delivery in refractory multiple sclerosis: Toward a more effective drug accumulation in the central nervous system

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic demyelinating disease with different disease phenotypes. The current FDA‐approved disease‐modifying therapeutics (DMTs) cannot cure the disease, but only alleviate the disease progression. While the majority of patients respond well to treatment, some of them are suffering from rapid progression. Current drug delivery strategies include the oral, intravenous, subdermal, and intramuscular routes, so these drugs are delivered systemically, which is appropriate when the therapeutic targets are peripheral. However, the potential benefits may be diminished when these targets sequester behind the barriers of the central nervous system. Moreover, systemic drug administration is plagued with adverse effects, sometimes severe. In this context, it is prudent to consider other drug delivery strategies improving their accumulation in the brain, thus providing better prospects for patients with rapidly progressing disease course. These targeted drug delivery strategies may also reduce the severity of systemic adverse effects. Here, we discuss the possibilities and indications for reconsideration of drug delivery routes (especially for those “non‐responding” patients) and the search for alternative drug delivery strategies. More targeted drug delivery strategies sometimes require quite invasive procedures, but the potential therapeutic benefits and reduction of adverse effects could outweigh the risks. We characterized the major FDA‐approved DMTs focusing on their therapeutic mechanism and the potential benefits of improving the accumulation of these drugs in the brain.
A microphysiological model of bone development and regeneration

Endochondral ossification (EO) is an essential biological process than underpins how human bones develop, grow, and heal in the event of a fracture. So much is unknown about this process, thus clinical manifestations of dysregulated EO cannot be adequately treated. This can be partially attributed to the absence of predictive in vitro models of musculoskeletal tissue development and healing, which are integral to the development and preclinical evaluation of novel therapeutics. Microphysiological systems, or organ-on-chip devices, are advanced in vitro models designed for improved biological relevance compared to traditional in vitro culture models. Here we develop a microphysiological model of vascular invasion into developing/regenerating bone, thereby mimicking the process of EO. This is achieved by integrating endothelial cells and organoids mimicking different stages of endochondral bone development within a microfluidic chip. This microphysiological model is able to recreate key events in EO, such as the changing angiogenic profile of a maturing cartilage analogue, and vascular induced expression of the pluripotent transcription factors SOX2 and OCT4 in the cartilage analogue. This system represents an advanced in vitro platform to further EO research, and may also serve as a modular unit to monitor drug responses on such processes as part of a multi-organ system.
Sub-microsecond wavelength stabilization of tunable lasers with the internal wavelength locker

We proposed a method of accelerating the wavelength stabilization after wavelength switching of the tunable distributed amplification-distributed feedback (TDA-DFB) laser using the internal wavelength locker to reduce the size and the cost of the wavelength control system. The configuration of the wavelength stabilization system based on this locker was as follows. At the wavelength locker, the light intensity after an optical filter is detected as a current by the photodiodes (PDs). Then, for estimating the wavelength, the current is processed by the current/voltage-converting circuit (IVC), logarithm amplifier (Log Amp) and field programmable gate array (FPGA). Finally, the laser current is tuned to the desired wavelength with reference to the estimated wavelength. With this control system the wavelength is stabilized within 800 ns after wavelength switching, which is even faster than that with the conventional control system.
Cholangioscopy-guided electrohydraulic lithotripsy versus laser lithotripsy for the treatment of choledocholithiasis: a systematic review

Abstract Background Endoscopic management of large bile duct stones may be challenging and refractory to standard endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) techniques. To this end, per-oral cholangioscopy (POC)-guided electrohydraulic lithotripsy (EHL) or laser lithotripsy (LL) has been increasingly utilized during ERCP. There are limited data, however, comparing EHL and LL in the management of choledocholithiasis. Therefore, the aim was to analyze and compare the efficacy of POC-guided EHL and LL for the treatment of choledocholithiasis. Methods A database search on PubMed was performed selecting prospective English-language articles published by September 20th, 2022, in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Studies selected included bile duct clearance as an outcome. Results A total of 21 prospective studies (15 using LL, 4 using EHL, and 2 both) including 726 patients were included for analysis. Complete ductal clearance was achieved in 639 (88%) patients with 87 (12%) patients having incomplete ductal clearance. Patients treated with LL had an overall median stone clearance success rate of 91.0% (IQR, 82.7–95.5), whereas EHL achieved a median stone clearance success rate of 75.8% (IQR, 74.0–82.4), [p = . 03]. Conclusions LL is a highly effective form of POC-guided lithotripsy for the treatment of large bile duct stones, particularly when compared to EHL. However, direct, head-to-head randomized trials are needed to identify the most effective form of lithotripsy for treating refractory choledocholithiasis.
Effect of high intensity interval training on arterial stiffness in obese hypertensive women: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. The study's overarching goal is to evaluate the impact of HIIT on arterial stiffness in obese hypertensive women. PATIENTS AND METHODS Sixty obese hypertensive women aged between 40-50 years were randomized to group A (Intervention group, n = 30) or group B (Control group, n = 30). Intervention group received HIIT (4 minutes of cycling at 85-90% of peak HR interspersed with 3-minute active recovery time at 60 - 70% of peak HR, three times per week). Arteriovenous stiffness indicators, the augmentation index corrected for heart rate 75 (AIx@75HR), and oscillometric pulse wave velocity (o-PWV), as well as cardio-metabolic parameters, were assessed before and after 12 weeks of treatment. RESULTS Finding between-group analysis showed a significant difference in AIx@75HR (95% CI: -8.45 to 0.30) , o-PWV ( 95% CI: -1.14 to 0.15), total cholesterol, (95% CI: -31.25 to -1.12), HDL-cholesterol (95% CI: 8.92 to 0.94), LDL-cholesterol (95% CI: -25.35 to -0.06) , and triglycerides (95% CI: -53.58 to -2.51). CONCLUSIONS High-intensity interval training for 12 weeks has a favorable effect on arterial stiffness in obese hypertensive women and lowers associated cardio-metabolic risk factors.
In vitro and in vivo assessment of extended duration cathodic voltage‐controlled electrical stimulation for treatment of orthopedic implant‐associated infections

Effective treatment of orthopedic implant‐associated infections (IAIs) remains a clinical challenge. The in vitro and in vivo studies presented herein evaluated the antimicrobial effects of applying cathodic voltage‐controlled electrical stimulation (CVCES) to titanium implants inoculated with preformed bacterial biofilms of methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The in vitro studies showed that combining vancomycin therapy (500 µg/mL) with application of CVCES at −1.75 V (all voltages are with respect to Ag/AgCl unless otherwise stated) for 24 h resulted in 99.98% reduction in the coupon‐associated MRSA colony‐forming units (CFUs) (3.38 × 103 vs. 2.14 × 107CFU/mL, p < 0.001) and a 99.97% reduction in the planktonic CFU (4.04 × 104 vs. 1.26 × 108CFU/mL, p < 0.001) as compared with the no treatment control samples. The in vivo studies utilized a rodent model of MRSA IAIs and showed a combination of vancomycin therapy (150 mg/kg twice daily) with CVCES of −1.75 V for 24 h had significant reductions in the implant associated CFU (1.42 × 101 vs. 1.2 × 106 CFU/mL, p < 0.003) and bone CFU (5.29 × 101 vs. 4.48 × 106 CFU/mL, p < 0.003) as compared with the untreated control animals. Importantly, the combined 24 h CVCES and antibiotic treatments resulted in no implant‐associated MRSA CFU enumerated in 83% of the animals (five out of six animals) and no bone‐associated MRSA CFU enumerated in 50% of the animals (three out of six animals). Overall, the outcomes of this study have shown that extended duration CVCES therapy is an effective adjunctive therapy to eradicate IAIs.
Variation in parasite infection between replicates of speciation in Lake Victoria cichlid fish.

Because of potentially strong eco-evolutionary interactions with their hosts, parasites may initiate or enhance host diversification. The adaptive radiation of cichlid fish in Lake Victoria provides a good system to study the role of parasites at different stages of host speciation. We analysed the macroparasite infection of four replicates of sympatric blue and red Pundamilia species pairs that vary in their age and extent of differentiation. Sympatric host species differed in parasite community composition and in the infection levels of some of these parasite taxa. Most infection differences were consistent between sampling years, indicating temporal consistency in parasite-mediated divergent selection between species. Infection differentiation increased linearly with genetic differentiation. However, significant infection differences between sympatric species were only found in the oldest, most strongly differentiated Pundamilia species pair. This is inconsistent with parasite-driven speciation. Next, we identified five distinct species of Cichlidogyrus, a genus of highly specific gill parasites that has radiated elsewhere in Africa. Infection profiles of species of Cichlidogyrus differed between sympatric cichlid species only in the oldest and most differentiated pair, again inconsistent with parasite-mediated speciation. To conclude, parasites may contribute to host differentiation after speciation, but do not initiate host speciation.
The Effective Clustering Partition Algorithm Based on the Genetic Evolution

To the problem that it is hard to determine the clustering number and the abnormal points by using the clustering validity function, an effective clustering partition model based on the genetic algorithm is built in this paper. The solution to the problem is formed by the combination of the clustering partition and the encoding samples, and the fitness function is defined by the distances among and within clusters. The clustering number and the samples in each cluster are determined and the abnormal points are distinguished by implementing the triple random crossover operator and the mutation. Based on the known sample data, the results of the novel method and the clustering validity function are compared. Numerical experiments are given and the results show that the novel method is more effective.