Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Routine health information use among healthcare providers in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction Healthcare policy formulation, programme planning, monitoring and evaluation, and healthcare service delivery as a whole are dependent on routinely generated health information in a healthcare setting. Several individual research articles on the utilisation of routine health information exist in Ethiopia; however, each of them revealed inconsistent findings. Objective The main aim of this review was to combine the magnitude of routine health information use and its determinants among healthcare providers in Ethiopia. Methods Databases and repositories such as PubMed, Global Health, Scopus, Embase, African journal online, Advanced Google Search and Google Scholar were searched from 20 to 26 August 2022. Result A total of 890 articles were searched but only 23 articles were included. A total of 8662 (96.3%) participants were included in the studies. The pooled prevalence of routine health information use was found to be 53.7% with 95% CI (47.45% to 59.95%). Training (adjusted OR (AOR)=1.56, 95% CI (1.12 to 2.18)), competency related to data management (AOR=1.94, 95% CI (1.35 to 2.8)), availability of standard guideline (AOR=1.66, 95% CI (1.38 to 1.99)), supportive supervision (AOR=2.07, 95% CI (1.55 to 2.76)) and feedback (AOR=2.20, 95% CI (1.30 to 3.71)) were significantly associated with routine health information use among healthcare providers at p value≤0.05 with 95% CI. Conclusion The use of routinely generated health information for evidence-based decision-making remains one of the most difficult problems in the health information system. The study’s reviewers suggested that the appropriate health authorities in Ethiopia invest in enhancing the skills in using routinely generated health information. PROSPERO registration number CRD42022352647.
Continuous Self-adaptive Calibration by Reinforcement Learning

It is well-known that hand-eye calibration plays an important role in the application of vision-based robot systems. Despite traditional calibration methods achieved huge success, the reduction in calibration accuracy whenever the relative hand-eye position changes reflects the fact that such methods are only suitable for scenarios where the components of the robot system are relatively fixed. To tackle this problem, a continuous self-adaptive calibration approach is proposed by applying the deep reinforcement learning algorithm to the calibration task. The experimental results demonstrate that our method can calibrate accurately in more flexible situations where the relative position of the hand and eye changes frequently.
Decoding the subjective rotation direction of the spinning dancer from fMRI data

A challenging goal in neuroscience is to decode the mental states from brain activity. Recently, researchers have successfully deciphered the objective and static visual stimuli (such as orientation of stripes and category of objects) from brain activity recorded by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology. However, few studies focused on the decoding of the rotation direction perception of the actual three-dimensional world with two-dimensional representations. In this study, the brain activities when subjects viewed the animation of the spinning dancer in the front were recorded using fMRI, and subjects reported the viewing-from-bottom motion direction (clockwise or counterclockwise) by press different buttons. One multivariate pattern analysis method, support vector machine was trained to predict the rotation direction. The 5-fold cross-validation result showed that the subjective rotation direction reported by the subjects can be predicted from fMRI with a possibility above the chance level, which imply that fMRI activity of the brain contains detailed rotation direction information that can reliably predict the subjective perception.
Efficacy of mecobalamin (vitamin B12) in the treatment of long-term pain in women diagnosed with fibromyalgia: protocol for a randomised, placebo-controlled trial

Introduction Fibromyalgia causes long-term pain. It affects at least 2% of the population, the majority being women. In addition, extended symptoms corresponding to vitamin B12 deficiency occur. Findings from several studies have indicated that vitamin B12 may be a possible treatment for pain in fibromyalgia. The aim of the proposed study is to evaluate whether vitamin B12 decreases pain sensitivity and the experience of pain (ie, hyperalgesia and allodynia) in women with fibromyalgia. Methods and analysis The study is a randomised, placebo-controlled, single-blind, clinical trial with two parallel groups which are administered mecobalamin (vitamin B12) or placebo over 12 weeks. 40 Swedish women aged 20–70 years with an earlier recorded diagnosis of fibromyalgia are randomised into the placebo group or the treatment group, each consisting of 20 participants. Outcomes consist of questionnaires measured at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment. A final re-evaluation will then follow 12 weeks after treatment ends. The primary outcome is tolerance time, maximised to 3 min, which is assessed using the cold pressor test. In order to broaden the understanding of the lived experience of participants, qualitative interviews will be conducted using a phenomenological approach on a lifeworld theoretical basis (reflective lifeworld research approach). Ethics and dissemination The protocol for the study is approved by the local ethical committee at Linkoping (EPM; 2018/294–31, appendices 2019–00347 and 2020–04482). The principles of the Helsinki Declaration are followed regarding oral and written consent to participate, confidentiality and the possibility to withdraw participation from the study at any time. The results will primarily be communicated through peer-reviewed journals and conferences. Trial registration number NCT05008042.
Dislocated time sequences – deep neural network for broken bearing diagnosis

Abstract One of the serious components to be maintained in rotating machinery including induction motors is bearings. Broken bearing diagnosis is a vital activity in maintaining electrical machines. Researchers have explored the use of machine learning for diagnostic purposes, both shallow and deep architecture. This study experimentally explores the progress of dislocated time sequences–deep neural network (DTS–DNN) used to improve multi-class broken bearing diagnosis by using public data from Case Western Reserve University. Deep architectures can be utilized with the purpose of simplifying or avoiding any traditional feature extraction process. DNN is utilized for avoiding the pooling operation in Convolution neural network that could remove important information. The obtained results were compared with the present techniques. The examination resulted in 99.42% average accuracy which is higher than the present techniques.
A new generic processing scheme for large baseline spaceborne bistatic SAR data imaging

Standard synthetic aperture radar (SAR) processors use analytically derived transfer functions that rely on the assumption of hyperbolic range histories of monostatic SARs with straight flight paths. The range histories for bistatic SARs are no longer hyperbolic and simple analytic transforms do not exist. In this article, a bistatic subsection hyperbolic range history (BS-HRH) model is proposed and based on it; a generic processing scheme for bistatic SAR imaging is given with which simple analytic transforms for standard monostatic SARs can still be applied. One-dimensional and two-dimensional signal-level simulations are done using the orbit parameters of Envisat and a classic pendulum-like bistatic configuration under different baselines. It is found that the proposed BS-HRH algorithm performs well for spaceborne bistatic SARs even with extreme bistatic configurations and/or very high azimuth resolution. Compared with the existing analytical ‘method of series reversion (MSR)’ and the numerical ‘NuSAR’ algorithm, easy implementation, high efficiency and accuracy, and mathematical simplicity are among the advantages of the proposed algorithm. The approach of BS-HRH has the potential to solve the general HRH-deviation problem for other new SARs with more complex imaging geometry.
Relativistic electron confined by isotropic parabolic potential

Energies and wave functions for quasibound states of a relativistic particle interacting with the field of a quadratic isotropic potential V(r)=m{omega}{sup 2}r{sup 2}/2 are obtained using a power expansion method. The stabilization of autoionizing resonances is performed by introducing the spherical confinement of finite radius R{sub b}. For comparison, the problem is investigated also in the framework of direct perturbation theory (DPT). It has been shown that the substantial degeneracy of nonrelativistic levels of the isotropic harmonic oscillator is completely removed. The relativistic effects, spin effects, fine-structure splittings, and radial densities of probability for several states are studied.
Axial segmentation by iterative mechanical signaling

In bony fishes, formation of the vertebral column, or spine, is guided by a metameric blueprint established in the epithelial sheath of the notochord. Generation of the notochord template begins days after somitogenesis and even occurs in the absence of somite segmentation. However, patterning defects in the somites lead to imprecise notochord segmentation, suggesting these processes are linked. Here, we reveal that spatial coordination between the notochord and the axial musculature is necessary to ensure segmentation of the zebrafish spine both in time and space. We find that the connective tissues that anchor the axial skeletal musculature, known as the myosepta in zebrafish, transmit spatial patterning cues necessary to initiate notochord segment formation, a critical pre-patterning step in spine morphogenesis. When an irregular pattern of muscle segments and myosepta interact with the notochord sheath, segments form non-sequentially, initiate at atypical locations, and eventually display altered morphology later in development. We determine that locations of myoseptum-notochord connections are hubs for mechanical signal transmission, which are characterized by localized sites of deformation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) layer encasing the notochord. The notochord sheath responds to the external mechanical changes by locally augmenting focal adhesion machinery to define the initiation site for segmentation. Using a coarse-grained mathematical model that captures the spatial patterns of myoseptum-notochord interactions, we find that a fixed-length scale of external cues is critical for driving sequential segment patterning in the notochord. Together, this work identifies a robust segmentation mechanism that hinges upon mechanical coupling of adjacent tissues to control patterning dynamics.
Potassium transporter OsHAK18 mediates shoot-to-root circulation of potassium and sodium and source-to-sink translocation of soluble sugar in rice

High-affinity potassium (K+) transporters HAK/KUP/KT have been identified in all genome-sequenced terrestrial plants. They play important role in K+ acquisition, translocation and enhancing salt tolerance. Here we report that the plasma-membrane-located OsHAK18 functions in K+ and sodium (Na+) circulation and sugar translocation in rice. OsHAK18 is expressed mainly, though not exclusively, in vascular tissues and particularly in the phloem. Knockout (KO) of OsHAK18 reduced K+ concentration in phloem sap and in the root but increased K+ accumulation in the shoot of both Nipponbare and Zhonghua11 cultivars, while overexpression (OX) of OsHAK18 driven by its endogenous promoter increased K+ concentration in phloem sap and in roots, and promoted Na+ retrieval from shoot to root under salt stress. Split-root experimental analysis of rubidium (Rb+) uptake and circulation indicated that OsHAK18-OX promoted Rb+ translocation from shoot to root. In addition, OsHAK18-KO increased while OsHAK18-OX reduced soluble sugar content in the shoot and affected oppositely the sugar concentration in the phloem and its content in the root. Moreover, OsHAK18-OX increased dramatically grain yield and physiological K+ utilization efficiency. Taken together, our results suggest that – unlike other OsHAKs analyzed heretofore – OsHAK18 is critical to K+ and Na+ re-circulation from shoot to root and enhances the source-to-sink translocation of a photo-assimilate. One sentence summary Rice potassium transporter OsHAK18 mediates shoot-to-root circulation of potassium and sodium and source-to-sink translocation of soluble sugar which improves potassium use efficiency and grain yield.
Five years later, with double the demographic data, naked mole-rat mortality rates continue to defy Gompertzian laws by not increasing with age

The naked mole-rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is a mouse-sized rodent species, notable for its eusociality and long lifespan. Previously, we reported that demographic aging, i.e., the exponential increase of mortality hazard that accompanies advancing age in mammals and other organisms, does not occur in naked mole-rats (Ruby et al, 2018). The demographic data supporting that conclusion had taken over three decades to accumulate, starting with the original rearing of H.glaber in captivity. In the five years following that study, we ∼doubled our quantity of demographic data. Here, we re-evaluated our prior conclusions in light of these new data and found them to be supported and indeed strengthened. We additionally provided insight into the social dynamics of captive H.glaber with data and analyses of body weight and colony size versus mortality. Finally, we provide a phylogenetically-proximal comparator in the form of lifespan data from our Damaraland mole-rat (Fukomys damarensis) colony and demographic meta-analysis of those data along with published data from Ansell’s mole-rat (Fukomys anselli). We found Fukomys mortality hazard to increase gradually with age, an observation with implications on the evolution of exceptional lifespan among mole-rats and the ecological factors that may have accompanied that evolution.
Laser cone beam computed tomography scanner geometry for large volume 3D dosimetry

A new scanner geometry for fast optical cone-beam computed tomography is reported. The system consists of a low power laser beam, raster scanned, under computer control, through a transparent object in a refractive index matching aquarium. The transmitted beam is scattered from a diffuser screen and detected by a photomultiplier tube. Modest stray light is present in the projection images since only a single ray is present in the object during measurement and there is no imaging optics to introduce further stray light in the form of glare. A scan time of 30 minutes was required for 512 projections with a field of view of 12 × 18 cm. Initial performance from scanning a 15 cm diameter jar with black solutions is presented. Averaged reconstruction coefficients are within 2% along the height of the jar and within the central 85% of diameter, due to the index mismatch of the jar. Agreement with spectrometer measurements was better than 0.5% for a minimum transmission of 4% and within 4% for a dark, 0.1% transmission sample. This geometry's advantages include high dynamic range and low cost of scaling to larger (>15 cm) fields of view.
Bioregionalization: From Wallace and Humboldt to deep-time paleoregion dynamics

Bioregionalization methods allow us to classify and map biogeographic units using data on species composition and traits. Here, we reviewed the evolution of the field during the last 70 years, seeking to summarize its history, and identify gaps and future avenues for research. Our results show that the aim of the studies using bioregionalization methods changed in time. First, bioregionalization were used to unveil the drivers of the observed spatial patterns of biodiversity on Earth, and to understand the role of dispersal limitations on the evolutionary history of clades, but recently, these methods are mostly used for conservation management. Further, data used to map biodiversity regions, the ones that we are now defining conservation strategies, are taxonomically and geographically biased, with a large percentage of the papers using vertebrate data from developed continents/countries. Finally, we show how key papers in the field, the ones with most citations, heavily depend on expert criteria and non-reproducible workflows, preventing direct comparison of maps of bioregions from different papers. Following our findings, we identified 3 gaps for the advance in the field, 1) We need to move beyond maps of vertebrate composition. Ideally, we need to increase the taxonomic diversity of the studies, but also to add other type of information, like data on species traits, genetic diversity, or phylogenetic distances. 2) we need reproducible and standardized methods 3) we need to further explore the temporal dimension of bioregions, to understand how they evolved through time.
A Conserved Switch Controls Virulence, Sporulation, and Motility in C. difficile

Spore formation is required for environmental survival and transmission of the human enteropathogenic Clostridioides difficile. In all bacterial spore formers, sporulation is regulated through activation of the master response regulator, Spo0A. However, the factors and mechanisms that directly regulate C. difficile Spo0A activity are not defined. In the well-studied Bacillus species, Spo0A is directly inactivated by Spo0E, a small phosphatase. To understand Spo0E function in C. difficile, we created a null mutation of the spo0E ortholog and assessed sporulation and physiology. The spo0E mutant produced significantly more spores, demonstrating Spo0E represses C. difficile sporulation. Unexpectedly, the spo0E mutant also exhibited increased motility and toxin production, and enhanced virulence in animal infections. We uncovered that Spo0E interacts with both Spo0A and the toxin and motility regulator, RstA. Direct interactions between Spo0A, Spo0E, and RstA constitute a previously unknown molecular switch that coordinates sporulation with motility and toxin production. Reinvestigation of Spo0E function in B. subtilis revealed that Spo0E induced motility, demonstrating Spo0E regulation of motility and sporulation among divergent species. Further, we found that Spo0E orthologs are widespread among prokaryotes, suggesting that Spo0E performs conserved regulatory functions in diverse bacteria.
Deep Active Learning for Robust Biomedical Segmentation

Deep learning for medical applications faces many unique challenges. A major challenge is the large amount of labelled data for training, while working in a relatively data scarce environment. Active learning can be used to overcome the vast data need challenge. A second challenged faced is poor performance outside of a experimental setting, contrary to the high requirement for safety and robustness. In this paper, we present a novel framework for estimating uncertainty metrics and incorporating a similarity measure to improve active learning strategies. To showcase effectiveness, a medical image segmentation task was used as an exemplar. In addition to faster learning, robustness was also addressed through adversarial perturbations. Using epistemic uncertainty and our framework, we can cut number of annotations needed by 39% and by 54% using epistemic uncertainty and a similarity metric.
Inhibition of nonsense-mediated mRNA decay reduces the tumorigenicity of human fibrosarcoma cells

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is a eukaryotic RNA degradation pathway that targets for degradation faulty mRNAs with premature termination codons as well as many physiological mRNAs encoding full-length proteins. Consequently, NMD functions in both, quality control and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression, and it has been implicated in the modulation of cancer progression. To investigate the role of NMD in cancer, we knocked out SMG7 in the HT1080 human fibrosarcoma cell line. SMG7 is involved in deadenylation-coupled exonucleolytic mRNA decay, one of the two main degradation pathways in mammalian NMD. Genome-wide proteomic and transcriptomic analyses confirmed that NMD is severely compromised in these SMG7-knockout HT1080 cells. We compared the oncogenic properties between the parental, the SMG7-knockout, and a rescue cell line in which we re-introduced both isoforms of SMG7. In parallel, we tested the effect of a drug inhibiting the NMD factor SMG1 on the HT1080 cells to distinguish NMD-dependent effects from putative NMD-independent functions of SMG7. Using cell-based assays as well as a mouse xenograft tumor model, we show that the oncogenic properties of the parental HT1080 cells are severely compromised when NMD is inhibited. Molecular pathway analysis revealed a strong reduction of the matrix metalloprotease 9 (MMP9) gene expression in NMD-suppressed cells. Since MMP9 expression promotes cancer cell migration and invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis, its downregulation in NMD-suppressed cells explains, at least partially, their reduced tumorigenicity. Collectively, our findings emphasize the therapeutic potential of NMD inhibition for the treatment of certain types of cancer. Significance Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is a eukaryotic RNA decay pathway with reported roles in regulating cellular stress responses, differentiation, and viral defense. NMD has also emerged as a modulator of cancer progression, however, the available evidence supports both, a tumor suppressor as well as a pro-tumorigenic role for NMD. We discovered that NMD inhibition results in impaired tumorigenicity in the HT1080 human fibrosarcoma cell line and uncovered a direct correlation between NMD activity and the expression levels the pro-tumorigenic gene MMP9. Restoring MMP9 expression in NMD-suppressed cells partially improved their oncogenic properties. These results show that the tumorigenicity of the HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells relies on NMD activity and highlights the potential use of NMD inhibition as a therapeutic approach.
Long-term stress shapes dynamic reconfiguration of functional brain networks across multi-task demands

Exposure to sustained stress can have a profound impact on the brain, emotion and cognition, with either adaptive or maladaptive effects. Human functional brain networks are dynamically organized to enable rapid and flexible adaptation to meet ever-changing task demands. Yet, little is known about how long-term stress alters the dynamic reconfiguration of functional brain networks across multi-task demands. Here we show prominent changes in the dynamic reconfiguration of large-scale brain networks during resting-state, emotional and working-memory processing under long-term stress. Hidden Markov Model analysis detected several latent brain states and switching processes involving the default mode, emotional salience and executive-control networks that are dominant to rest, emotion and working memory, respectively. Critically, long-term stress increased persistent time on brain states relevant to goal-directed demands and cognitive control, with more frequent transitions to these brain states when compared to controls. Furthermore, long-term stress led to higher correlations of the occupancy and persistency of brain states linked to psychological distress and behavioral performance. Our findings provide a neurocognitive framework whereby long-term stress shapes the way the brain adapts to varying task demands and increases the sensitivity of functional brain networks to psychological and behavioral responses. These changes can be both adaptive and maladaptive, reflecting the complex effects of long-term stress on brain function.