Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How universal is preference for visual curvature? A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Evidence dating back a century shows that humans are sensitive to and exhibit a preference for visual curvature. This effect has been observed in different age groups, human cultures, and primate species, suggesting that a preference for curvature could be universal. At the same time, several studies have found that preference for curvature is modulated by contextual and individual factors, casting doubt on this hypothesis. To resolve these conflicting findings, we conducted a systematic meta‐analysis of studies that have investigated the preference for visual curvature. Our meta‐analysis included 61 studies which provided 106 independent samples and 309 effect sizes. The results of a three‐level random effects model revealed a Hedges’ g of 0.39—consistent with a medium effect size. Further analyses revealed that preference for curvature is moderated by four factors: presentation time, stimulus type, expertise, and task. Together, our results suggest that preference for visual curvature is a reliable but not universal phenomenon and is influenced by factors other than perceptual information.
IDENTIFYING RESTRICTIONS FOR FINITE PARAMETER CONTINUOUS TIME MODELS WITH DISCRETE TIME DATA

This paper revisits the question of parameter identification when a linear continuous time model is sampled only at equispaced points in time. Following the framework and assumptions of Phillips (1973), we consider models characterized by first-order, linear systems of stochastic differential equations and use a priori restrictions on the model parameters as identifying restrictions. A practical rank condition is derived to test whether any particular collection of at least $\left\lfloor {n/2} \right\rfloor$ general linear restrictions on the parameter matrix is sufficient for identification. We then consider extensions to incorporate prior restrictions on the covariance matrix of the disturbances, to identify the covariance matrix itself, and to address identification in models with cointegration.
Modeling time‐varying recruitment rates in multicenter clinical trials

Multicenter phase II/III clinical trials are large‐scale operations that often include hundreds of recruiting centers in several countries. Therefore, the operational aspects of a trial must be thoroughly planned and closely monitored to ensure better oversight and study conduct. Predicting patient recruitment plays a pivotal role in trial monitoring as it informs how many people are expected to be recruited on a given day. As such, study teams may rely on predictions to assess progress and detect any deviations from the original plan that might put the study and potentially, patients at risk. Recruitment predictions are often based on a Poisson‐Gamma model that assumes that centers have a constant recruitment rate throughout the trial. The model has useful features and has extensively been used, yet its main assumption is often unrealistic. A nonhomogeneous Poisson process has been recently proposed that can incorporate time‐varying recruitment rates. In this work, we predict patient recruitment using both approaches and assess the impact of said assumption in a real‐world setting where studies may not necessarily have constant center‐specific recruitment rates. The paper showcases experience from modeling recruitment in trials sponsored by AstraZeneca between 2005 and 2018. In these data, there is evidence of time‐varying recruitment rates. The predictive performance of models that account for both constant and time‐varying recruitment effects is presented. Following a descriptive analysis of data, we assess model performance and investigate the impact of model misspecification.
Microwave versus cryoablation and radiofrequency ablation for small renal mass: a multicenter comparative analysis.

BACKGROUND Ablative techniques emerged as effective alternative to nephron-sparing surgery for treatment of small renal masses. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and cryoablation (CRYO) are the two guidelines-recommended techniques. Microwave ablation (MWA) represents a newer technology, less described. Aim of the study was to compare outcomes of MWA to those of CRYO and RFA. METHODS Retrospective investigation of patients who underwent MWA, CRYO, or RFA from seven high-volume US and European centers was performed. The first group included patients who underwent CRYO or RFA; the second MWA. We collected baseline characteristics, clinical, intraoperative and post-operative data. Oncological data included technical success, local recurrence, and progression to metastasis. Multivariate analysis was performed to find predictors for postoperative complications. A composite outcome of "trifecta" was used to assess surgical, functional, and oncological outcomes. RESULTS 739 patients underwent CRYO or RFA and 50 MWA. CRYO/RFA group had significantly longer operative time (p<.001), but no difference in LOS, post-procedural Hb mean, intra-procedural complications (p=0.180), overall post-procedural complication rates (p=0.126), and in the 30-day re-admission rate (p=0.853) were detected. No predictive parameter of postprocedural complications was found. Concerning functional outcome no differences were detected in terms of eGFR at 1yr (p=0.182), ΔeGFR at 1-yr (p= 0.825) and eGFR at latest follow-up (p=0.070). "Technical success" was achieved in 98.6% of the cases (MWA= 100%, CRYO/RFA= 98.5%; p=0.775), and there was no significant difference in terms of 2-yr recurrence rate (p= 0.114) and metastatic progression (p= 0.203). Trifecta was achieved in 73.0% of CRYO/RFA vs 69.6% of MWA cases (p = 0.719). CONCLUSIONS MWA is a safe and effective treatment option for small renal masses. Compared with CRYO/RFA, it seems to offer low complication rates, shorter operation time, and equivalent surgical and functional outcomes.
Sickness absence and disability pension three years before and seven years after first childbirth: A Swedish population-based cohort study

Aims: There is a widely held belief, in Sweden and internationally, that women with children are more likely to be on sickness absence (SA) than their nulliparous counterparts. However, empirical findings in the field are limited and inconsistent. We aimed to explore initially nulliparous women’s patterns of SA and disability pension (DP) three years before and seven years after 2009, by later parity. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal cohort study of nulliparous women in Sweden on 31 December 2009 (N=426,918). We compared crude and standardized numbers of SA/DP net days in the three years before (Y–3 to Y–1) and the seven years (Y+1 to Y+7) after the date of the first birth in 2010 or 2 July 2010 in the following three groups: (1) women with no childbirth during the seven-year follow-up and an additional nine months (i.e. 7.8 years), (2) women with a first childbirth in 2010 and no additional childbirth during the next 7.8 years, and (3) women with their first childbirth in 2010 and minimum one more during the next 7.8 years. Results: Women remaining nulliparous had consistently more standardized mean SA/DP days than women giving birth. Compared with women with one birth, women with several births had similar mean numbers of standardized SA/DP days during Y–3 and Y–2, more during Y+1 to Y+3 and fewer during Y+4 to Y+7. Conclusions: In contrast to the widely held societal belief, we found that in all years women who gave birth had fewer SA/DP days than those remaining nulliparous.
Generating log-normal mock catalog of galaxies in redshift space

We present a public code to generate a mock galaxy catalog in redshift space assuming a log-normal probability density function (PDF) of galaxy and matter density fields. We draw galaxies by Poisson-sampling the log-normal field, and calculate the velocity field from the linearised continuity equation of matter fields, assuming zero vorticity. This procedure yields a PDF of the pairwise velocity fields that is qualitatively similar to that of N-body simulations. We check fidelity of the catalog, showing that the measured two-point correlation function and power spectrum in real space agree with the input precisely. We find that a linear bias relation in the power spectrum does not guarantee a linear bias relation in the density contrasts, leading to a cross-correlation coefficient of matter and galaxies deviating from unity on small scales. We also find that linearising the Jacobian of the real-to-redshift space mapping provides a poor model for the two-point statistics in redshift space. That is, non-linear redshift-space distortion is dominated by non-linearity in the Jacobian. The power spectrum in redshift space shows a damping on small scales that is qualitatively similar to that of the well-known Fingers-of-God (FoG) effect due to random velocities, except that the log-normal mock does not include random velocities. This damping is a consequence of non-linearity in the Jacobian, and thus attributing the damping of the power spectrum solely to FoG, as commonly done in the literature, is misleading.
Path integral quantum Monte Carlo simulations of coulomb correlations in semiconductor nanostructures

In this work the Path Integral quantum Monte Carlo (PI-QMC) method has been used to study exciton complexes in semiconductor nanostructures. This powerful technique allows for coulomb correlations in these complexes to be correctly treated, and at the same time allowing for finite temperature simulations in an arbitrary external potential without the need for complicated trial function or basis set information. Quantum dots and rings were modelled using both analytic potentials, and by potentials derived from atomistic models of these structures, including strain and piezoelectric effects. The effect of strain and the piezoelectric potential on quantum rings is explored, and rings are shown to have a unique strain and piezoelectric profile which directly impacts observables. This unique piezoelectric potential in quantum rings is exploited by use of vertical electric fields, to induce a novel lateral switching of the exciton and biexciton probability distributions when the direction of the applied field is switched. Calculations of in-plane polarizability suggest the switching would be observable experimentally. The diamagnetic susceptibility of quantum rings and dots are investigated, and accurate reproduction of experimental results are shown – which require the proper treatment of coulomb correlations. Finally, the transition between a bound and anti-bound biexciton in a core/shell Type-II colloidal quantum dot, with increasing shell thickness is for the first time theoretically shown. Excellent agreement with experimental results are seen, and these results are contrasted with previous perturbative results which miss this transition from the literature.
CT images-based 3D convolutional neural network to predict early recurrence of solitary hepatocellular carcinoma after radical hepatectomy

PURPOSE The high rate of recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after radical hepatectomy is an important factor that affects the long-term survival of patients. This study aimed to develop a computed tomography (CT) images-based 3-dimensional (3D) convolutional neural network (CNN) for the preoperative prediction of early recurrence (ER) (≤2 years) after radical hepatectomy in patients with solitary HCC and to compare the effects of segmentation sampling (SS) and non-segmentation sampling (NSS) on the prediction performance of 3D-CNN. METHODS Contrast-enhanced CT images of 220 HCC patients were used in this study (training group = 178 and test group = 42). We used SS and NSS to select the volume-of-interest to train SS-3D-CNN and NSS-3D-CNN separately. The prediction accuracy was evaluated using the test group. Finally, gradient-weighted class activation mappings (Grad-CAMs) were plotted to analyze the difference of prediction logic between the SS-3D-CNN and NSS-3D-CNN. RESULTS The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) of the SS-3D-CNN and NSS-3D-CNN in the training group were 0.824 (95% CI: 0.764-0.885) and 0.868 (95% CI: 0.815-0.921). The AUC of the SS-3D-CNN and NSS-3D-CNN in the test group were 0.789 (95% CI: 0.637-0.941) and 0.560 (95% CI: 0.378-0.742). The SS-3D-CNN could stratify patients into low- and high-risk groups, with significant differences in recurrence-free survival (RFS) (P < .001). But NSS-3D-CNN could not effectively stratify them in the test group. According to the Grad-CAMs, compared with SS-3D-CNN, NSS-3D-CNN was obviously interfered by the nearby tissues. CONCLUSION SS-3D-CNN may be of clinical use for identifying high-risk patients and formulating individualized treatment and follow-up strategies. SS is better than NSS in improving the performance of 3D-CNN in our study.
Screening for metabolic complications of childhood and adolescent obesity: A scoping review of national and international guidelines

The rise in prevalence of childhood obesity is paralleled by an increase in obesity‐related metabolic complications, which add significantly to the population burden of cardiovascular morbidity in the long term. Early detection of obesity‐related metabolic complications through appropriate screening strategies forms a crucial aspect of obesity management. We performed a scoping review of international and national guidelines on the management of pediatric obesity to evaluate the recommendations on screening for metabolic complications, namely, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease. Thirty guidelines were included, 23 (76.7%) of which had some guidance on screening for metabolic complications. However, there were significant variations in the extent and details of recommendations for screening for these metabolic complications. There has been no consensus on the body mass index (BMI) thresholds, age of onset, frequency, and screening tests recommended for detecting hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease between guidelines. These variations did not appear to be polarized based on geographical location or population ethnicity. We provide our recommendations on metabolic screening based on the strength of evidence in the guidelines, also incorporating recommendations from key childhood hypertension, diabetes, and lipid guidelines. Appropriate implementation of screening strategies is crucial to improve detection of metabolic complications, to allow for earlier or more intensified interventions for affected children with obesity.
Implications of Concurrent IDH1 and IDH2 Mutations on Survival in Glioma—A Case Report and Systematic Review

Both IDH1 (isocitrate dehydrogenase 1) and IDH2 (isocitrate dehydrogenase 2) mutations play a vital role in the development of gliomas through disruption of normal cellular metabolic processes. Here we describe a case of a patient with an IDH-mutant astrocytoma, in which both IDH1 and IDH2 mutations were detected within the same tumour. The patient remains disease-free, nine and a half years after her initial diagnosis. Interrogation of cancer genomic databases and a systematic review was undertaken, demonstrating the rarity of the co-occurrence of IDH1 and IDH2 mutations in a variety of cancer types, and in glioma specifically. Due to the favourable outcome observed in this patient, the potential effect of concurrent IDH1 and IDH2 mutations on survival was also investigated.
Variable-Frequency Quasi-periodic Oscillations from the Galactic Microquasar GRS 1915+105

We show that the galactic microquasar GRS 1915+105 exhibits quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) whose frequency varies continuously from 1 to 15 Hz during spectrally hard dips when the source is in a flaring state. We report here analyses of simultaneous energy spectra and power density spectra at 4 s intervals. The energy spectrum is well fit at each time step by an optically thick accretion disk plus power-law model, while the power density spectrum consists of a varying red noise component plus the variable-frequency QPO. The features of both spectra are strongly correlated with one another. The 1-15 Hz QPOs appear when the power-law component becomes hard and intense and themselves have an energy spectrum consistent with the power-law component (with rms amplitudes as high as 10%). The frequency of the oscillations, however, is most strikingly correlated with the parameters of the thermal disk component. The tightest correlation is between QPO frequency and disk X-ray flux. This fact indicates that the properties of the QPO are not determined solely by a disk or solely by a corona.
Post-intensive care syndrome

Abstract: Post-intensive care syndrome is a costly and complicated collection of physical, cognitive, and mental health problems experienced by survivors of critical illness. The primary care NP is uniquely positioned to assess, monitor, manage, and treat patients with this syndrome following hospital discharge. Post-intensive care syndrome is a costly and complicated collection of physical, cognitive, and mental health problems experienced by survivors of critical illness. The primary care NP is uniquely positioned to assess, monitor, manage, and treat patients with this syndrome following hospital discharge.
Differential Response to the Course of Cryptosporidium parvum Infection and Its Impact on Epithelial Integrity in Differentiated versus Undifferentiated Human Intestinal Enteroids

Cryptosporidium is a leading cause of diarrhea and death in young children and untreated AIDS patients and causes waterborne outbreaks. Pathogenic mechanisms underlying diarrhea and intestinal dysfunction are poorly understood. ABSTRACT Cryptosporidium is a leading cause of diarrhea and death in young children and untreated AIDS patients and causes waterborne outbreaks. Pathogenic mechanisms underlying diarrhea and intestinal dysfunction are poorly understood. We previously developed stem-cell derived human intestinal enteroid (HIE) models for Cryptosporidium parvum which we used in this study to investigate the course of infection and its effect on intestinal epithelial integrity. By immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy, there was robust infection of undifferentiated and differentiated HIEs in two and three-dimensional (2D, 3D) models. Infection of differentiated HIEs in the 2D model was greater than that of undifferentiated HIEs but lasted only for 3 days, whereas infection persisted for 21 days and resulted in completion of the life cycle in undifferentiated HIEs. Infection of undifferentiated HIE monolayers suggest that C. parvum infects LGR5+ stem cells. Transepithelial electrical resistance measurement of HIEs in the 2D model revealed that infection resulted in decreased epithelial integrity which persisted in differentiated HIEs but recovered in undifferentiated HIEs. Compromised epithelial integrity was reflected in disorganization of the tight and adherens junctions as visualized using the markers ZO-1 and E-cadherin, respectively. Quantitation using the image analysis tools Tight Junction Organizational Rate and Intercellular Junction Organization Quantification, measurement of monolayer height, and RNA transcripts of both proteins by quantitative reverse transcription PCR confirmed that disruption persisted in differentiated HIEs but recovered in undifferentiated HIEs. These models, which more accurately recapitulate human infection, will be useful tools to dissect pathogenic mechanisms underlying diarrhea and intestinal dysfunction in cryptosporidiosis.
Note on Blocks of Symmetric Groups

A conjecture concerning characterization of blocks of representations of symmetric groups by means of Young diagrams, given formerly by one of the writers, was affirmed recently by R. Brauer and G. de B. Robinson jointly. Namely, it was proved in Brauer’s paper, relying on his general, and profound, theory of blocks in finite groups, that the number of p-blocks in a symmetric group of degree n, is exactly equal to the number of p-cores, or p-kernels in the terminology of NI, with n- Ip (l= 0, 1, 2,…) nodes, and that certain statements designated as (A), (B) and (C) would secure that two irreducible representations with a same p-core belong to a same block (whence the conjecture itself when combined with the estimate of the number of blocks). Then these statements (A), (B), (C) were proved actually in Robinson’s paper.
Bioactivity and Cell Imaging of Antitumor Fluorescent Agents (Curcumin Derivatives) Coated by Two‐Way Embedded Cyclodextrin Strategy

Curcumin has a wide range of pharmacological activities, which can be used to treat tumors, inflammation and other diseases. However, curcumin's poor solubility and low bioavailability limit its application. In this article, the structure of curcumin was modified with boron trifluoride ether to change fluorescent labeling. The compounds were then embedded into the hydrophobic cavity of α‐cyclodextrin and hydroxypropyl β‐cyclodextrin to form inclusion complexes. The two inclusion complexes have excellent photophysical properties, and the maximum emission wavelength is in the range of 550–565 nm. In addition, the two compounds were applied to the fluorescence imaging of HCT‐116 cells and HeLa cells, and the proliferation toxicity of the compounds was detected. Both compounds showed certain inhibitory effects on the proliferation of cancer cells. In short, the fluorescent drug molecule synthesized in this article has great reference value for the development of new dosage forms of curcumin.
Intermittent Manual Carotid Compression as a Treatment Option for Indirect Low Flow Carotid Cavernous Fistula

ABSTRACT Purpose To evaluate the efficacy of intermittent manual carotid compression (IMCC) in the management of low-flow carotid cavernous fistulae (CCF). Materials and methods Patients diagnosed with low-flow CCF and treated with IMCC over a period of 13 years were retrospectively analyzed. Data analyzed included demographic details, clinical features, type of CCF, and response to therapy. Outcomes were categorized as complete cure, partial cure, and no cure or worsening. Patients with complete and partial cure were grouped as good outcome whereas those with no cure or worsening as poor outcome. Results A total of 44 patients were advised IMCC for low-flow CCF, of whom five were lost to follow-up. Results of the remaining 39 patients were analyzed, of whom 21 (53.8%) were males. The mean age at presentation was 54.38 ± 14.54 years. The median duration between the onset of symptoms and presentation was 5.0 ± 4.10 months. The common presenting features were episcleral congestion and proptosis (89.7%), extraocular motility restriction (66.7%), and diplopia (48.7%). Most common CCF type was type D (34, 87.2%). All patients were advised to undergo IMCC. Good outcome was seen in 35 patients (89.7%, 95% CI: 80.2% to 99.2%), whereas poor outcome was seen in four (10.3%) patients. The mean duration of follow-up was 15.91 ± 21.87 months. Conclusion The present study found a good outcome with IMCC in 89.7% cases of indirect low-flow CCF with no major complications. It should be considered the management of choice in patients who are systemically unfit or cannot afford endovascular embolization.