Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Benefit of Watching a Live Visual Inspection of the Cervix With Acetic Acid and Lugol Iodine on Women’s Anxiety: Randomized Controlled Trial of an Educational Intervention Conducted in a Low-Resource Setting

Background Women undergoing pelvic examination for cervical cancer screening can experience periprocedural anxiety. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the anxiety level experienced by women undergoing a visual inspection with acetic acid and Lugol iodine (VIA and VILI) examination, with or without watching the procedure on a digital screen. Methods This prospective randomized study took place in the district of Dschang, Cameroon. A previous cervical cancer screening campaign tested women aged between 30 and 49 years for human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV-positive women were invited for the 12-month follow-up control visit, including a VIA/VILI examination. During that visit, we recruited women to participate in this study. Before the examination, participants were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to a control group (CG) and an intervention group (IG). Women in both groups underwent a pelvic examination and were verbally informed about the steps undertaken during the gynecological examination. The IG could also watch it live on a tablet screen. Women’s anxiety was assessed before and immediately after the examination, using the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). A paired t test was used to compare the mean STAI score for each question before and after VIA/VILI while a nonpaired, 2-sided t test was used to compare the mean differences of the STAI score between the 2 study groups. Results A total of 122 women were randomized in the study; 4 of them were excluded as they did not undergo the pelvic examination, did not answer to the second STAI questionnaire because of personal reasons, or the cervix could not be properly visualized. Thus, the final sample size consisted of 118 patients of whom 58 women were assigned to the CG and 60 to the IG. The mean age was 39.1 (SD 5.2) years. Before the examination, the mean (SD) STAI score was 33.6 (SD 10.9) in the CG and 36.4 (SD 11.8) in the IG (P=.17). The STAI score after pelvic examination was significantly reduced for both groups (CG: 29.3 [SD 11.2]; IG: 28.5 [SD 12.0]). Overall, the difference of the STAI scores before and after the pelvic examination was lower in the CG (4.2 [SD 9.0]) than in the IG (7.9 [SD 14.3]), although the difference was not significant (P=.10). However, the women’s emotional state, such as I feel secure and I feel strained, was improved in the IG as compared with the CG (CG: P=.01; IG: P=.007). Conclusions Watching the VIA/VILI procedure in real time improved the women’s emotional state but did not reduce the periprocedural anxiety measured by the STAI score. Furthermore, larger studies should assess women’s satisfaction with watching their pelvic examination in real time to determine whether this tool could be included in VIA/VILI routine practice. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02945111; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02945111
Theoretical and Therapeutic Applications of Mental Pain in Childhood cancer Survivors of the Findings of the paper

The paper deals with a review of “Mental Pain in Israeli Adult Childhood Cancer Survivors and Its Effects on their Quality of Life” by H. Raz, N. Tabak, Y. Alkalay, & S. Kreitler (1). The review focuses on theoretical and therapeutic implications of the findings. The major theoretical elaboration of the findings focuses on the construct of mental pain. This seems advisable both because there are several apparently similar concepts which presumably render mental pain superfluous and because mental pain was found to characterize pediatric cancer survivors who otherwise were found to be well adjusted as adults. The new redefinition of mental pain focuses on the components of low self-image and low meaningfulness of life. The constructs of mental pain in the past and of tolerance of mental pain were found to be less useful in this context. The new redefinition points to two new venues of interventions for reducing mental pain: enhancing self-image and increasing meaningfulness of life. The two kinds of interventions, which are based on elaborating meanings, are briefly described.
A review of studies of childhood cancer and natural background radiation

Abstract Purpose The projected existence and magnitude of carcinogenic effects of ionizing radiation at low doses and low-dose rates is perhaps the most important issue in radiation protection today. Studies of childhood cancer and natural background radiation have the potential to throw direct light on this question, into a dose range below a few tens of mSv. This paper describes the studies that have been undertaken and their context, discusses some problems that arise and summarizes the present position. Conclusions Many such studies have been undertaken, but most were too small to have a realistic chance of detecting the small effects expected from such low doses, based on risk projections from higher exposures. Case–control or cohort studies are to be preferred methodologically to ecological studies but can be prone to problems of registration/participation bias. Interview-based studies of the requisite size would be prohibitively expensive and would undoubtedly also run into problems of participation bias. Register-based studies can be very large and are free of participation bias. However, they need to estimate the radiation exposure of study subjects using models rather than individual measurements in the homes of those concerned. At present, no firm conclusions can be drawn from the studies that have been published to date. Further data and perhaps pooled studies offer a way forward.
FIELD NOTES ON BIRDS OF THE EASTERN SOLOMON ISLANDS

Summary. 1 Field notes on the birds of Guadalcanal, San Cristobal, Ugi and Ulawa, based on the work of the Oxford University (Dept. of Zoology) Expedition to the eastern Solomons, are given. These include the first account of the behaviour and nesting habits of Aplonis brunneocapillus. 2 New records for the Solomons are Pelecanus conspicillatus (Guadalcanal), Egretta intermedia (San Cristobal, based on a specimen in the British Museum, Natural History), and Cichlornis whitneyi (Guadalcanal). 3 New records for islands in the Solomons (in addition to the above) are:— Guadalcanal: Cacomantis pyrrhophanus, Coracina caledonica, Turdus poliocephalus, Zoothera margaretae, Petroica multicolor. San Cristobal: Collocalia spodiopygia, C. vanikorensis. Ugi: Collocalia spodiopygia, Hirundo tahitica (others based as yet only on native reports are given for further investigation). 4 A revised list for Ugi, with rejection of some previous records, is given, also a short list of the birds of Ulawa (not investigated before) and a list of species from the Three Sisters, taken from specimens in the British Museum (Natural History).
Gαq‐PROTEIN CARBOXYL TERMINUS IMITATION POLYPEPTIDE GCIP‐27 ATTENUATES CARDIAC HYPERTROPHY IN VITRO AND IN VIVO

1 Various Gq‐protein‐coupled receptors, such as α1‐adrenoceptors, angiotension AT1 receptors, endothelin ETA receptors, neuropeptide Y1 receptors etc., contribute to cardiac hypertrophy. In G‐protein signalling pathways, the carboxyl terminus of the Gα subunit plays a vital role within G‐protein–receptor interaction. The present study was designed to explore the effects of the synthetic Gαq carboxyl terminal imitation peptide GCIP‐27 on cardiac hypertrophy. 2 Hypertrophy of rat cultured cardiomyocytes was induced by noradrenaline (NA) or angiotensin (Ang) II in vitro. Protein content, [3H] incorporation and [Ca2+]i were determined in cardiomyocytes cultured with GCIP‐27. Three in vivo animal models of cardiac hypertrophy were prepared using intraperitoneal injections of NA in mice and rats and suprarenal abdominal aortic stenosis in rats. After treatment with GCIP‐27 (10–100 µg/L) for 15 or 20 days, indices of cardiac hypertrophy were measured. The effect of GCIP‐27 on the mRNA expression of c‐fos and c‐jun was detected using reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction. 3 At 10–100 µg/L, GCIP‐27 significantly decreased protein content and [3H]‐leucine incorporation in cultured cardiomyocytes compared with 1 µmol/L NA‐ and 1 µmol/L AngII‐treated groups. After treatment with GCIP‐27 (10, 30 or 100 µg/kg) for 15 days, the heart index (HI) and left ventricular index (LVI) in mice decreased significantly compared with the NA control group. In rats, GCIP‐27 significantly reduced HI and LVI compared with the NA and aortic stenosis groups. Moreover, [Ca2+]i in cardiomyocytes in the GCIP‐27 (3, 10, 30 µg/L)‐treated groups was lower than that in the control groups. Expression of c‐fos and c‐jun mRNA decreased significantly in the myocardium from 5–45 µg/L GCIP‐27‐treated rats compared with NA controls. 4 The results indicate that GCIP‐27 can attenuate cardiac hypertrophy effectively in various models in vitro and in vivo.
The genetic landscape of the Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) after 30 years of big-game hunting in southern Spain

The Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) suffered a striking collapse of its populations during the first half of the 20th century due to excessive hunting. In Andalusia, southern Spain, re-colonization took place from a few relict populations through natural dispersal, and through artificial reintroductions for big-game hunting. How the population decline influenced genetic diversity, and its current distribution after the re-colonization and intensive hunting practices are unclear. We addressed these questions by analyzing nuclear microsatellite variability from 58 red deer populations distributed throughout Andalusia. Our results showed a relatively high genetic variability spatially structured into 5 clusters, corresponding to the locations of relict populations. This indicates that the red deer's current genetic background has presumably retained much of the genetic variation present in those relict populations. We also found that a substantial portion (32%) of the populations displays some degree of inbreeding. We suggest that new herds should be established using individuals from the different genetic clusters, and a careful monitoring of the breeder's genetic background to prevent further inbreeding and inadvertent hybridization. Failure to do so could lead to loss of genetic diversity and the dilution of the genetic identity of the Iberian red deer. © 2015 The Wildlife Society.
FEATURE SELECTION AND FUZZY EXTREME LEARNING MACHINE (FELM) CLASSIFIER FOR HEART DISEASE DIAGNOSIS

: The considerable growing of cardiovascular disease and its effects and complications as well as the high costs on society makes medical community seek for solutions to prevention, early identification and effective treatment with lower costs. Thus, valuable knowledge can be established by using artificial intelligence and data mining; the discovered knowledge makes improve the quality of service. Until now, different researches have been carried out in order to predict heart disease based on data mining methods such as classification and feature selection methods; however, what has been less noticed is the exact diagnosis of disease with the lowest cost and time. Early detection and treatment of heart disease will reduce the patient mortality rate. Accordingly, herein propose a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and highly accurate hybrid Fuzzy Extreme Learning Machine (FELM) method for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. The proposed FELM based prediction model is able to detect coronary artery disease based on clinical data without the need for invasive diagnostic methods. Making use of such methodology, we achieved good accuracy, sensitivity and specificity rates on Z-Alizadeh Sani dataset.
Many objective optimization and complex network analysis

This thesis seeks to combine two different research topics; Multi-Objective Optimization and Complex Network Analysis. Multi-Objective Optimization aims at finding a set of optimal, non-dominated solutions for optimization problems with multiple (actually, many) conflicting objectives. There is a wide range of applications of multi-objective optimization such as in science, engineering design, network analysis, chemical processes, delivery of products, economics and logistics, medical health and so forth. Since one often faces problems with a larger number of objective functions to be optimized simultaneously, the research topic has shifted to Many-Objective Optimization, which means optimization with (far) more than three objective functions. Complex network analysis is a research field that deals with analyzing large networks. In this research line, there are some active research topics, such as controlling complex networks, finding communities in a network, and measuring the importance of nodes in networks. Due to the bigger amount of data and more difficult problems arising in complex network analysis, research in this field has increased significantly. To this end, more complex networks has given the challenge of finding better approaches in dealing with the problem to yield some adequate result of an analysis.
Relative potency of the forms of GnRH and their analogs on LH release in sea bass

The in vivo and in vitro potency of native and modified forms of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) to release luteotropic hormone (LH) was studied in sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax in particular the hypothalamic fish-specific sea bream GnRH form (sbGnRH) and the general mesoencephalic form chicken GnRH-II (cGnRH-II). The potencies of the natives and their analogs (GnRHas) were referred to that of [D-Ala 6 , Pro 9 Net]-mGnRHa (LHRHa) at equivalent doses. Analogs of the native peptides [D-Arg 6 , Pro 9 Net]-cGnRH-II, [D-Ala 6 , Pro 9 Net]-cGnRH-II, [D-Trp 6 ,P ro 9 Net]-sbGnRH and [D-Ala 6 ,P ro 9 Net]-sbGnRH were effective in inducing in vivo LH release (at 15m gk g � 1 body mass), exhibiting longer lasting activity than their corresponding native forms. Injection of sbGnRH and cGnRH-II provoked a small but significant peak of circulating LH at 1� 5 h after treatment (a.t.) decreasing down to basal levels at 4 h a.t. [D-Arg 6 ,P ro 9 Net]-cGnRH-II, [D-Ala 6 ,P ro 9 Net]-cGnRH-II and [D-Ala 6 , Pro 9 Net]-mGnRHa evoked a higher and a more sustained elevation of LH, peaking at 12 h a.t. and returning to basal levels between 48 and 72 h a.t. [D-Trp 6 ,P ro 9 Net]-sbGnRH and [D-Ala 6 , Pro 9 Net]-sbGnRH also induced a significant surge of LH in plasma at 4 h a.t. turning to the basal levels at 24 h a.t. These rises, however, were of less amplitude and duration than the observed after treatment with cGnRH-II analogs and [D-Ala 6 ,P ro 9 Net]-mGnRHa. The in vitro stimulation of dispersed pituitary cells with the different native and modified forms of GnRH resulted in a dose-dependent increase in the quantity of LH released at 24 h a.t. [D-Arg 6 ,P ro 9 Net]-cGnRH-II and [D-Ala 6 ,P ro 9 Net]-cGnRH-II induced the highest response of LH in vitro release followed by salmon GnRH (sGnRH), [D-Ala 6 ,P ro 9 Net]mGnRHa and [D-Trp 6 ,P ro 9 Net]-sbGnRH. The lowest activity was exhibited by sbGnRH.
Idiopathic Premature Ventricular Contractions From the Outflow Tract Display an Underlying Substrate That Can Be Unmasked by a Type 2 Brugada Electrocardiographic Pattern at High Right Precordial Leads

Background: Patients with premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) from the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) and apparently normal hearts, can have ST elevation similar to type 2 or type 3 Brugada pattern in the electrocardiographic (ECG) performed at a higher position. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), has shown conflicting data regarding existence of structural abnormalities in patients with idiopathic PVCs from the RVOT. Objective: Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of low voltage areas (LVAs) in the RVOT of patients with PVCS from the outflow tract, and in a control group. Secondly, assess for the presence of a non-invasive ECG marker. Methods: A 56 consecutive patients, 45 with frequent PVCs (>10000/24 h) LBBB, vertical axis, negative in aVL and 11 subjects without PVCs. Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy was ruled out in all patients. An ECG was performed with V1–V2 at the level of the second intercostal space and the presence of ST-segment elevation with a Type 2 or 3 Brugada pattern (Type 2 BrP) was assessed. Bipolar voltage map of the RVOT was performed in sinus rhythm (0.5–1.5 mV color display). Areas with electrograms <1.5 mV represented the LVA. The area adjacent to the pulmonary valve usually displays voltage between 0.5 and 1.5 mV and is classified as transitional-voltage zone. Presence of LVAs outside this transitional-voltage zone were estimated. We compared two groups with and without ST-segment elevation and tested for the association between ECG pattern and LVAs. Results: None of the patients in the control group had ST-segment elevation or LVAs. In the PVC group, no patient had type 1 Brugada pattern, 29 patients (64%) had type 2 or 3 ST-segment elevation (Type 2 BrP), and 28 (62%) had LVAs outside the transitional-voltage zone. LVAs were more frequent in patients with Type 2 BrP; 93% versus 4%, p < 0.0001. The ECG pattern was associated with the presence of LVAs, OR (95% CI): 202.50 (16.92–2423), p < 0.0001. Conclusion: Low voltage areas were frequently present in the RVOT of patients with idiopathic PVCs. They were absent in controls and can be unmasked by the presence of Type 2 BrP in high right precordial leads.
Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization Combined With Microwave Ablation vs. Combined With Cryoablation

Background: Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with ablation has been widely used for treating unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the technique with which TACE should be combined for it to be more effective remains unknown. Purpose: To retrospectively evaluate the efficacy and safety of TACE combined with microwave ablation (MWA) vs. TACE combined with cryoablation (CRA) in treating unresectable HCC. Materials and Methods: From January 2011 to December 2018, 108 patients diagnosed with unresectable HCC were divided into either the TACE-MWA group (n = 48) or TACE-CRA group (n = 60). Overall survival (OS) and time to progression (TTP) were compared between the two groups. To reduce potential bias, a propensity score matching (PSM) was performed. Complications were observed. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed and compared using the log-rank test. Results : The baseline characteristics of the two groups were balanced. The median OS was 20.9 months (95% CI 14.3–27.6 months) in the TACE-MWA group and 13.0 months (95% CI 8.8–17.1 months) in the TACE-CRA group (P = 0.096). The median TTP was 8.8 months (95% CI 4.3–13.4 months) in the TACE-MWA group and 9.3 months (95% CI 7.1–11.5 months) in the TACE-CRA group (P = 0.675). After PSM, 48 patients remained in each group. The median OS in the TACE-MWA and TACE-CRA groups was 20.9 months (95% CI 14.3–27.6 months), and 13.5 months (95% CI 8.4–18.6 months, P = 0.100), respectively. The median TTP in the TACE-MWA and TACE-CRA groups was 8.8 months (95% CI 4.3–13.4 months), and 8.6 months (95% CI 3.1–14.2 months, P = 0.909), respectively. The overall incidence rate of ablation-related complications was lower in the TACE-MWA group than in the TACE-CRA group (66.7 vs. 88.3%, P = 0.006). Multivariate analysis showed that the presence of portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) and the maximum diameter of intrahepatic tumor were significant prognostic factors for OS and TTP. Conclusion: The efficacy of TACE-MWA and TACE-CRA in the treatment of unresectable HCC was comparable. TACE-MWA was more promising because of a lower complication rate, especially with regard to thrombocytopenia. Further prospective randomized controlled trials are required to validate our findings.
Learning Clusters through Information Diffusion

When information or infectious diseases spread over a network, in many practical cases, one can observe when nodes adopt information or become infected, but the underlying network is hidden. In this paper, we analyze the problem of finding communities of highly interconnected nodes, given only the infection times of nodes. We propose, analyze, and empirically compare several algorithms for this task. The most stable performance, that improves the current state-of-the-art, is obtained by our proposed heuristic approaches, that are agnostic to a particular graph structure and epidemic model.
Genetic Diversity Among Mycobacterium avium Subspecies Revealed by Analysis of Complete Genome Sequences

Mycobacterium avium comprises four subspecies that contain both human and veterinary pathogens. At the inception of this study, twenty-eight M. avium genomes had been annotated as RefSeq genomes, facilitating direct comparisons. These genomes represent strains from around the world and provided a unique opportunity to examine genome dynamics in this species. Each genome was confirmed to be classified correctly based on SNP genotyping, nucleotide identity and presence/absence of repetitive elements or other typing methods. The Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map) genome size and organization was remarkably consistent, averaging 4.8 Mb with a variance of only 29.6 kb among the 13 strains. Comparing recombination events along with the larger genome size and variance observed among Mycobacterium avium subspecies avium (Maa) and Mycobacterium avium subspecies hominissuis (Mah) strains (collectively termed non-Map) suggests horizontal gene transfer occurs in non-Map, but not in Map strains. Overall, M. avium subspecies could be divided into two major sub-divisions, with the Map type II (bovine strains) clustering tightly on one end of a phylogenetic spectrum and Mah strains clustering more loosely together on the other end. The most evolutionarily distinct Map strain was an ovine strain, designated Telford, which had >1,000 SNPs and showed large rearrangements compared to the bovine type II strains. The Telford strain clustered with Maa strains as an intermediate between Map type II and Mah. SNP analysis and genome organization analyses repeatedly demonstrated the conserved nature of Map versus the mosaic nature of non-Map M. avium strains. Finally, core and pangenomes were developed for Map and non-Map strains. A total of 80% Map genes belonged to the Map core genome, while only 40% of non-Map genes belonged to the non-Map core genome. These genomes provide a more complete and detailed comparison of these subspecies strains as well as a blueprint for how genetic diversity originated.
Computational Experience with Diagonally Structured Linear Algebra in Java

It is a commonly held view that Java's lack of support for true rectangular arrays is one of the main impediments to its widespread applicability in numerical computing. In a recent work, we have proposed efficient implementation of linear algebra kernels such as matrix-vector and matrix-matrix multiplications by formulating arithmetic calculations in terms of diagonals, and thereby giving an orientation-neutral (column-/row-major layout) computational scheme. Diagonally-structured computation is especially suitable for banded matrices. In this paper we show that, using our diagonal framework, Java native arrays can yield superior computational performance. We present two alternative implementations for matrix-matrix multiplication operation in Java. The results from numerical testing demonstrate the advantage of our proposed methods.