Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Uptake of Cervical Cancer Screening in Ethiopia by Self-Sampling HPV DNA Compared to Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid: A Cluster Randomized Trial

In Ethiopia, the standard method of cervical cancer screening is using Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA). Self-collection–based human papillomavirus (HPV) testing is assumed to improve the uptake of screening, especially for hard to reach populations. We investigated whether HPV DNA testing with the self-collection of cervical samples would be associated with increased uptake and adherence to procedures at the population level compared with VIA within defined rural population in Ethiopia. A total of 22 clusters (comprising 2,356 women ages 30–49 years) were randomized in two arms. Following the community mobilization, women of the clusters were invited to go either to the local health post for a self-collection–based HPV DNA testing (arm A) or Butajira Hospital for VIA screening (arm B). In the HPV arm, of the 1,213 sensitized women, 1,020 (84.1%) accessed the health post for self-sampling compared with the VIA arm, where 575 of 1,143 (50.5%) visited the hospital for VIA (P < 0.0001). Of those women who attended the VIA and HPV arms, 40% and 65.4% adhered to all procedures expected after screening, respectively. Out of women positive for high risk HPV, 122 (85%) attended VIA as a follow-up test. The trial demonstrated significantly higher levels of population-based uptake and adherence for self-collection HPV testing. Women were more receptive for VIA after their HPV testing result was positive. Self-collection HPV testing can be done at the local health facility and may significantly improve the uptake of cervical cancer screening in Ethiopia.
In Silico Analysis of Gene Expression Change Associated with Copy Number of Enhancers in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Understanding the gene regulatory network governing cancer initiation and progression is necessary, although it remains largely unexplored. Enhancer elements represent the center of this regulatory circuit. The study aims to identify the gene expression change driven by copy number variation in enhancer elements of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD). The pancreatic tissue specific enhancer and target gene data were taken from EnhancerAtlas. The gene expression and copy number data were taken from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and copy number variations (CNVs) were identified between matched tumor-normal samples of PAAD. Significant CNVs were matched onto enhancer coordinates by using genomic intersection functionality from BEDTools. By combining the gene expression and CNV data, we identified 169 genes whose expression shows a positive correlation with the CNV of enhancers. We further identified 16 genes which are regulated by a super enhancer and 15 genes which have high prognostic potential (Z-score > 1.96). Cox proportional hazard analysis of these genes indicates that these are better predictors of survival. Taken together, our integrative analytical approach identifies enhancer CNV-driven gene expression change in PAAD, which could lead to better understanding of PAAD pathogenesis and to the design of enhancer-based cancer treatment strategies.
Behavior Change Techniques Incorporated in Fitness Trackers: Content Analysis

Background The use of fitness trackers as tools of self-management to promote physical activity is increasing. However, the content of fitness trackers remains unexplored. Objective The aim of this study was to use the Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy v1 (BCTTv1) to examine if swim-proof fitness trackers below Aus $150 (US$ 105) incorporate behavior change techniques (BCTs) that relate to self-management strategies to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior and to determine if content of the fitness trackers correspond to physical activity guidelines. Methods A total of two raters used the BCTTv1 to code 6 fitness trackers that met the inclusion criteria. The inclusion criteria were the ability to track activity, be swim proof, be compatible with Android and Apple operating systems, and cost below Aus $150. Results All fitness trackers contained BCTs known to promote physical activity, with the most frequently used BCTs overlapping with self-management strategies, including goal setting, self-monitoring, and feedback on behavior. Fitbit Flex 2 (Fitbit Inc) contained the most BCTs at 20. Huawei Band 2 Pro (Huawei Technologies) and Misfit Shine 2 (Fossil Group) contained the least BCTs at 11. Conclusions Fitness trackers contain evidence-based BCTs that overlap with self-management strategies, which have been shown to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behavior. Fitness trackers offer the prospect for physical activity interventions that are cost-effective and easily accessed by a wide population.
Design and implementation of augmented reality system

A dynamic video tracking method based on planar structure is studied.By calculating the homography of the initial frame between the real and virtual object,homography of any frame between the real and virtual object can be obtained.The purpose of dynamic tracking can be achieved.On this basis this paper designs and implements dynamic tracking system based on planar structure and realizes dynamic tracking of the video.The augmented reality system has the characteristics of simplicity, convenience and efficiency.
Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for human immunodeficiency virus associated gastric Burkitt lymphoma

Abstract Rationale: HIV-related lymphoma, especially non-Hodgkin lymphoma, is one of the most common malignant tumors in HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) for the patients with Burkitt lymphoma (BL) is needed to be further explored. Patient concerns: A 57-year-old man was hospitalized with intermittent pain on upper abdomen and melena for >1 month. Diagnosis: HIV antibody testing was positive. The upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed and histopathology and immunohistochemistry revealed BL. Interventions: Highly effective antiretroviral therapy and sixth cycles of chemotherapy were administered, followed by autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Outcomes: The patient has had tumor-free survival for >6 years with normal CD4+ T cell counts and HIV viral load below the lowest detection Lessons: The patient was treated with AHSCT followed complete remission after chemotherapy and achieved long-term disease-free survival. AHSCT may be a promising way for clinical cure of HIV-related BL.
How can we prevent overload of the driver

This chapter describes the Generic Intelligent Driver Support (GIDS) project on driver-car interfaces that adapt to the workload of car drivers. 'Workload' is here defined in terms of the load on a driver's perceptual, cognitive and motor resources. An adaptive interface must ensure that these resources are not overloaded. Workload can be reduced by: (1) postponing or cancelling messages; (2) changing the modality, format and content of messages; (3) allocating tasks to a driver when workload is low, but to an automatic system when it is high. Before a driver-car interface can adapt to driver workload, a system should know when to intervene, by having an indication of that workload, and be able to estimate loads on various human processing resources. The author conducted a preliminary study, which determined the levels of visual and cognitive load as a function of the road situation, driving experience and traffic density. Twenty-four drivers drove an instrumented car along a specific route in The Netherlands, while performing one of three secondary tasks. The route had six locations where performance was analysed. The results suggest that the visual resources of inexperienced drivers are slightly more loaded than those of experienced drivers. The author concludes that there is a need for an interface that integrates information from in-car devices, schedules them according to their priority, and adapts information presentation to current demands on the driver. For the covering abstract see IRRD 861934.
Rescue of Rod Synapses by Induction of Cav Alpha 1F in the Mature Cav1.4 Knock-Out Mouse Retina

Purpose Cav1.4 is a voltage-gated calcium channel clustered at the presynaptic active zones of photoreceptors. Cav1.4 functions in communication by mediating the Ca2+ influx that triggers neurotransmitter release. It also aids in development since rod ribbon synapses do not form in Cav1.4 knock-out mice. Here we used a rescue strategy to investigate the ability of Cav1.4 to trigger synaptogenesis in both immature and mature mouse rods. Methods In vivo electroporation was used to transiently express Cav α1F or tamoxifen-inducible Cav α1F in a subset of Cav1.4 knock-out mouse rods. Synaptogenesis was assayed using morphologic markers and a vision-guided water maze. Results We found that introduction of Cav α1F to knock-out terminals rescued synaptic development as indicated by PSD-95 expression and elongated ribbons. When expression of Cav α1F was induced in mature animals, we again found restoration of PSD-95 and elongated ribbons. However, the induced expression of Cav α1F led to diffuse distribution of Cav α1F in the terminal instead of being clustered beneath the ribbon. Approximately a quarter of treated animals passed the water maze test, suggesting the rescue of retinal signaling in these mice. Conclusions These data confirm that Cav α1F expression is necessary for rod synaptic terminal development and demonstrate that rescue is robust even in adult animals with late stages of synaptic disease. The degree of rod synaptic plasticity seen here should be sufficient to support future vision-restoring treatments such as gene or cell replacement that will require photoreceptor synaptic rewiring.
Deciphering Biosignatures in Planetary Contexts

Abstract Microbial life permeates Earth's critical zone and has likely inhabited nearly all our planet's surface and near subsurface since before the beginning of the sedimentary rock record. Given the vast time that Earth has been teeming with life, do astrobiologists truly understand what geological features untouched by biological processes would look like? In the search for extraterrestrial life in the Universe, it is critical to determine what constitutes a biosignature across multiple scales, and how this compares with “abiosignatures” formed by nonliving processes. Developing standards for abiotic and biotic characteristics would provide quantitative metrics for comparison across different data types and observational time frames. The evidence for life detection falls into three categories of biosignatures: (1) substances, such as elemental abundances, isotopes, molecules, allotropes, enantiomers, minerals, and their associated properties; (2) objects that are physical features such as mats, fossils including trace-fossils and microbialites (stromatolites), and concretions; and (3) patterns, such as physical three-dimensional or conceptual n-dimensional relationships of physical or chemical phenomena, including patterns of intermolecular abundances of organic homologues, and patterns of stable isotopic abundances between and within compounds. Five key challenges that warrant future exploration by the astrobiology community include the following: (1) examining phenomena at the “right” spatial scales because biosignatures may elude us if not examined with the appropriate instrumentation or modeling approach at that specific scale; (2) identifying the precise context across multiple spatial and temporal scales to understand how tangible biosignatures may or may not be preserved; (3) increasing capability to mine big data sets to reveal relationships, for example, how Earth's mineral diversity may have evolved in conjunction with life; (4) leveraging cyberinfrastructure for data management of biosignature types, characteristics, and classifications; and (5) using three-dimensional to n-D representations of biotic and abiotic models overlain on multiple overlapping spatial and temporal relationships to provide new insights.
An Exploratory Analysis of Real-World End Points for Assessing Outcomes Among Immunotherapy-Treated Patients With Advanced Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

PURPOSE This pilot study examined the ability to operationalize the collection of real-world data to explore the potential use of real-world end points extracted from data from diverse health care data organizations and to assess how these relate to similar end points in clinical trials for immunotherapy-treated advanced non–small-cell lung cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS Researchers from six organizations followed a common protocol using data from administrative claims and electronic health records to assess real-world end points, including overall survival (rwOS), time to next treatment, time to treatment discontinuation (rwTTD), time to progression, and progression-free survival, among patients with advanced non–small-cell lung cancer treated with programmed death 1/programmed death-ligand 1 inhibitors in real-world settings. Data sets included from 269 to 6,924 patients who were treated between January 2011 and October 2017. Results from contributors were anonymized. RESULTS Correlations between real-world intermediate end points (rwTTD and time to next treatment) and rwOS were moderate to high (range, 0.6 to 0.9). rwTTD was the most consistent end points as treatment detail was available in all data sets. rwOS at 1 year post–programmed death-ligand 1 initiation ranged from 40% to 57%. In addition, rwOS as assessed via electronic health records and claims data fell within the range of median OS values observed in relevant clinical trials. Data sources had been used extensively for research with ongoing data curation to assure accuracy and practical completeness before the initiation of this research. CONCLUSION These findings demonstrate that real-world end points are generally consistent with each other and with outcomes observed in randomized clinical trials, which substantiates the potential validity of real-world data to support regulatory and payer decision making. Differences observed likely reflect true differences between real-world and protocol-driven practices.
Natural History of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Diagnosed During Observation of Other Organ Cancers

Case series Patient: Male, 66 • Male, 72 • Male, 70 Final Diagnosis: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma Symptoms: None Medication: — Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Diagnostics • Laboratory Objective: Educational purpose Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a rapidly progressive malignancy that exhibits an extremely poor prognosis, with most cases diagnosed at an advanced stage. To date, few reports have explored the natural history of PDAC, and the period leading up to the detection of PDAC as a tumor with contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) remains unclear. Here, we report 3 PDAC cases diagnosed incidentally by repeating imaging examinations during observation of other organ cancers. Case Report: Two patients were undergoing postoperative follow-up for colorectal cancer; owing to the elevation of serum CA19-9 or dilatation of the main pancreatic duct, both cases were finally diagnosed with PDAC. Another patient was administered neoadjuvant chemotherapy for a gastrointestinal stromal tumor; the fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the pancreas with fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography for the treatment assessment led to the diagnosis of PDAC. All patients underwent frequent CECT for assessment of other diseases, and PDAC became visible with CECT within 3–4 months of the appearance of indirect findings of PDAC. Conclusions: The period leading up to the detection of PDAC as a tumor with CECT was approximately 3–4 months. These cases suggest that additional imaging examinations should be performed when the indirect findings of PDAC are noted. This report adds value to the literature by elucidating the natural course of PDAC.
Quantitative Structure–Retention Relationships with Non-Linear Programming for Prediction of Chromatographic Elution Order

In this work, we employed a non-linear programming (NLP) approach via quantitative structure–retention relationships (QSRRs) modelling for prediction of elution order in reversed phase-liquid chromatography. With our rapid and efficient approach, error in prediction of retention time is sacrificed in favor of decreasing the error in elution order. Two case studies were evaluated: (i) analysis of 62 organic molecules on the Supelcosil LC-18 column; and (ii) analysis of 98 synthetic peptides on seven reversed phase-liquid chromatography (RP-LC) columns with varied gradients and column temperatures. On average across all the columns, all the chromatographic conditions and all the case studies, percentage root mean square error (%RMSE) of retention time exhibited a relative increase of 29.13%, while the %RMSE of elution order a relative decrease of 37.29%. Therefore, sacrificing %RMSE(tR) led to a considerable increase in the elution order predictive ability of the QSRR models across all the case studies. Results of our preliminary study show that the real value of the developed NLP-based method lies in its ability to easily obtain better-performing QSRR models that can accurately predict both retention time and elution order, even for complex mixtures, such as proteomics and metabolomics mixtures.
Spatial Clusters of Children with Cleft Lip and Palate and Their Association with Polluted Zones in the Monterrey Metropolitan Area

This study examines the spatial structure of children with cleft lip and palate (CLP) and its association with polluted areas in the Monterrey Metropolitan Area (MMA). The Nearest Neighbor Index (NNI) and the Spatial Statistical Scan (SaTScan) determined that the CLP cases are agglomerated in spatial clusters distributed in different areas of the city, some of them grouping up to 12 cases of CLP in a radius of 1.2 km. The application of the interpolation by empirical Bayesian kriging (EBK) and the inverse distance weighted (IDW) method showed that 95% of the cases have a spatial interaction with values of particulate matter (PM10) of more than 50 points. The study also shows that 83% of the cases interacted with around 2000 annual tons of greenhouse gases. This study may contribute to other investigations applying techniques for the identification of environmental and genetic factors possibly associated with congenital malformations and for determining the influence of contaminating substances in the incidence of these diseases, particularly CLP.
The Role of Leukotrienes as Potential Therapeutic Targets in Allergic Disorders

Leukotrienes (LTs) are lipid mediators that play pivotal roles in acute and chronic inflammation and allergic diseases. They exert their biological effects by binding to specific G-protein-coupled receptors. Each LT receptor subtype exhibits unique functions and expression patterns. LTs play roles in various allergic diseases, including asthma (neutrophilic asthma and aspirin-sensitive asthma), allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, allergic conjunctivitis, and anaphylaxis. This review summarizes the biology of LTs and their receptors, recent developments in the area of anti-LT strategies (in settings such as ongoing clinical studies), and prospects for future therapeutic applications.
Effectiveness of Percutaneous Adhesiolysis in Post Lumbar Surgery Syndrome: A Systematic Analysis of Findings of Systematic Reviews.

BACKGROUND Post lumbar surgery syndrome is common and often results in chronic, persistent pain and disability, which can lead to multiple interventions. After failure of conservative treatment, either surgical treatment or a nonsurgical modality of treatment such as epidural injections, percutaneous adhesiolysis are often contemplated in managing post lumbar surgery syndrome. Multiple previous systematic reviews have reached discordant conclusions about the level of evidence for the effectiveness of percutaneous adhesiolysis in managing post lumbar surgery syndrome and other conditions. STUDY DESIGN A systematic review of previously published systematic reviews assessing efficacy of percutaneous adhesiolysis in managing post lumbar surgery syndrome. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the value and validity of previous systematic reviews performed after 2015 on effectiveness of percutaneous adhesiolysis in managing chronic refractory low back and lower extremity pain secondary to post lumbar surgery syndrome. METHODS Previous systematic reviews on percutaneous adhesiolysis were evaluated. The quality of each systematic review was assessed by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR). The randomized trials included in the available systematic reviews were assessed by Cochrane review criteria and Interventional Pain Management techniques - Quality Appraisal of Reliability and Risk of Bias Assessment (IPM-QRB) for methodologic quality.Data sources included relevant systematic reviews and the randomized trials included in those systematic reviews published since 2015 with searches of PubMed, Cochrane reviews, and Google Scholar through February 2019. OUTCOME MEASURES Outcome measures were significant improvement defined as 50% pain relief and improvement in functional status. Short-term efficacy was defined as improvement of 6 months or less, whereas long-term efficacy was defined as more than 6 months. RESULTS Three systematic reviews and 4 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of post lumbar surgery syndrome with chronic refractory low back and lower extremity pain showed notable evidence of significant pain relief. Only one systematic review, which was of low quality with inappropriate analysis, showed lack of evidence. CONCLUSION Overall, the present analysis shows Level I evidence for percutaneous adhesiolysis based on significant evidence from published RCTs and 3 of the 4 systematic reviews. KEY WORDS Post lumbar surgery syndrome, epidural fibrosis, percutaneous adhesiolysis, systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials.
Cardiac Sodium Channel Dysfunction and Dilated Cardiomyopathy: A Contemporary Reappraisal of Pathophysiological Concepts

A key emerging theme in translational cardiovascular medicine is the need to identify specific causes of arrhythmias and heart failure, defined by phenotype and/or genotype that will respond to a particular intervention. Unlike other genes implicated in hereditary arrhythmias and cardiomyopathies, pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants in the cardiac sodium channel alpha subunit gene (SCN5A) produce a remarkably diverse set of electrical and structural phenotypes, one of them being dilated cardiomyopathy. There has been debate about whether left ventricular remodeling is a bona fide phenotypic feature of cardiac sodium channel dysfunction, or a consequence of tachyarrhythmias or conduction disturbances. In light of recent findings, a critical digest of the available experimental and medical literature is necessary. This paper provides a critical appraisal of the evidence linking a dysfunctional cardiac sodium channel to ventricular dysfunction, and discusses the potential mechanisms involved in shaping this phenotype along with implications for precision therapy.
New Approach to Hardware Implementation of Neural Circuits Using Superconductive Devices

We report the implementation of neural circuits using superconductive devices. Superconductive devices have large potential for the integration of artificial neural networks, because of their ultra-high speed operation with very low power dissipation. The neural circuits, a neuron and a synapse, have been designed and fabricated in a Nb/AlOr/Nb Josephson junction technology. A 3-bit neural-based A/D converter, which contains three neurons and three synapses, has been successfully operated in liquid helium.