Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Differences in Women's Use of Medical Help for Becoming Pregnant by the Level of Urbanization of County of Residence in Georgia

PURPOSE Our goal was to determine if there are differences by place of residence in visiting a doctor for help getting pregnant in a population-based study. METHODS Using data from the Furthering Understanding of Cancer, Health, and Survivorship in Adult (FUCHSIA) Women's Study, a cohort study of fertility outcomes in reproductive-aged women in Georgia, we fit models to estimate the association between geographic type of residence and seeking help for becoming pregnant. FINDINGS The prevalence of visiting a doctor for help getting pregnant ranged from 13% to 17% across geographic groups. Women living in suburban counties were most likely to seek medical care for help getting pregnant compared with women living in urbanized counties (adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) = 1.14, 95% CI: 0.74-1.75); among women who reported infertility this difference was more pronounced (aPR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.00-2.53). Women living in rural counties were equally likely to seek fertility care compared with women in urbanized counties in the full sample and among women who experienced infertility. CONCLUSIONS Women living in urban and rural counties were least likely to seek infertility care, suggesting that factors including but not limited to physical proximity to providers are influencing utilization of this type of care. Increased communication about reproductive goals and infertility care available to meet these goals by providers who women see for regular care may help address these barriers.
How does environment influence fighting? The effects of tidal flow on resource value and fighting costs in sea anemones

An animal's decision to enter into a fight depends on the interaction between perceived resource value (V) and fighting costs (C). Both could be altered by predictable environmental fluctuations. For intertidal marine animals, such as the sea anemone Actinia equina, exposure to high flow during the tidal cycle may increase V by bringing more food. It may also increase C via energy expenditure needed to attach to the substrate. We asked whether simulated tidal cycles would alter decisions in fighting A. equina. We exposed some individuals to still water and others to simulated tidal cycles. To gain insights into V, we measured their startle responses before and after exposure to the treatments, before staging dyadic fights. Individuals exposed to flow present shorter startle responses, suggesting that flowing water indicates high V compared with still water. A higher probability of winning against no-flow individuals and longer contests between flow individuals suggests that increased V increases persistence. However, encounters between flow individuals were less likely to escalate, suggesting that C is not directly related to V. Therefore, predictable environmental cycles alter V and C, but in complex ways.
Echocardiographie Criteria for Normal Newborn Infants

Echocardiograms were obtained from 200 normal newborn infants ranging from 6 to 10 pounds in weight and from 10 to 72 hours in age. A continuous recording technique is described employing a 5 MHz transducer. Criteria have been established for a normal echocardiographic profile in the full-term neonate. This profile consists of obtaining quantitative measurements of mitral valve excursion and velocity, tricuspid valve excursion and velocity, pulmonary artery diameter, aortic root diameter, left atrial diameter, and interventricular septal thicknesses. In addition, qualitative assessment is made of the septal contour, position of the aortic root to pulmonary artery, continuity of mitral valve with posterior aortic root, and continuity of tricuspid valve with anterior aortic root. No correlation was found between the magnitude of any one parameter and either body surface area or weight. The establishment of normal echocardiographic criteria for the newborn may be expected to significantly facilitate application of this noninvasive technique to infants born with congenital heart disease.
Blood concentrations of D- and L-lactate in healthy rabbits.

OBJECTIVES To determine whole blood and serum concentrations of l-lactate and serum concentrations of d-lactate in healthy rabbits and compare three methods of analysis for l-lactate measurement. METHODS Prospective study using 25 rabbits. Concentrations of whole blood l-lactate were measured using a portable analyser and a blood gas analyser. The remainder of the sample was allowed to clot for centrifugation. Serum was stored at -20°C for determination of l- and d- lactate by high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS d-lactate values by high-performance liquid chromatography were 0 · 17 ± 0 · 08 mmol/L. l-lactate values were 5 · 1 (±2 · 1) mmol/L by high-performance liquid chromatography, 6 · 9 (±2 · 7) mmol/L with the portable analyser and 7 · 1 (±1 · 6) mmol/L with the blood gas analyser. No significant difference (P > 0 · 05) was found between the two analysers. Significant difference existed between serum l-lactate values obtained by high-performance liquid chromatography and the whole blood values obtained with the blood gas analyser (P < 0 · 01) and portable analyser (P < 0 · 05). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Serum concentrations of d-lactate in healthy rabbits are in the range of those of other mammals. l-lactate values in healthy rabbits are higher compared with other mammals. Good correlation was found between the portable and blood gas analysers for whole blood l-lactate measurement in healthy rabbits.
Isotropic microscale mechanical properties of coral skeletons

Scleractinian corals are a major source of biogenic calcium carbonate, yet the relationship between their skeletal microstructure and mechanical properties has been scarcely studied. In this work, the skeletons of two coral species: solitary Balanophyllia europaea and colonial Stylophora pistillata, were investigated by nanoindentation. The hardness HIT and Young's modulus EIT were determined from the analysis of several load–depth data on two perpendicular sections of the skeletons: longitudinal (parallel to the main growth axis) and transverse. Within the experimental and statistical uncertainty, the average values of the mechanical parameters are independent on the section's orientation. The hydration state of the skeletons did not affect the mechanical properties. The measured values, EIT in the 76–77 GPa range, and HIT in the 4.9–5.1 GPa range, are close to the ones expected for polycrystalline pure aragonite. Notably, a small difference in HIT is observed between the species. Different from corals, single-crystal aragonite and the nacreous layer of the seashell Atrina rigida exhibit clearly orientation-dependent mechanical properties. The homogeneous and isotropic mechanical behaviour of the coral skeletons at the microscale is correlated with the microstructure, observed by electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, and with the X-ray diffraction patterns of the longitudinal and transverse sections.
Directional, passive liquid transport: the Texas horned lizard as a model for a biomimetic ‘liquid diode’

Moisture-harvesting lizards such as the Texas horned lizard (Iguanidae: Phrynosoma cornutum) live in arid regions. Special skin adaptations enable them to access water sources such as moist sand and dew: their skin is capable of collecting and transporting water directionally by means of a capillary system between the scales. This fluid transport is passive, i.e. requires no external energy, and directs water preferentially towards the lizard's snout. We show that this phenomenon is based on geometric principles, namely on a periodic pattern of interconnected half-open capillary channels that narrow and widen. Following a biomimetic approach, we used these principles to develop a technical prototype design. Building upon the Young–Laplace equation, we derived a theoretical model for the local behaviour of the liquid in such capillaries. We present a global model for the penetration velocity validated by experimental data. Artificial surfaces designed in accordance with this model prevent liquid flow in one direction while sustaining it in the other. Such passive directional liquid transport could lead to process improvements and reduction of resources in many technical applications.
Gender role attitudes and sexual risk among adolescents in South Africa

Abstract Adolescents remain the most critical group to target for reducing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, as most infections occur during this period. However, given that the rates of HIV infection continue to rise, South African youth would appear to be unable to protect themselves as well as they should. Gender role attitudes have been implicated in adolescent boys having multiple partners and inconsistent condom use. We examined gender role attitudes among schoolgoing adolescents in a South African township. While partial correlations showed that male gender role attitudes were related to positive condom attitudes, positive attitudes to waiting for sex, peer pressure to have sex, condom self efficacy and intention to use condoms, the effect of this mediational variable was indirect rather than direct. Logistic regression revealed mediating effects of traditional gender roles attitudes for girls in relation to last condom use but not for condom attitudes, condom self-efficacy or negotiation. The complexity of the relationship of gender role attitudes to sexual risk indicates needs to take account of the multiple dimensions of gender role attitudes.
The counterbend dynamics of cross-linked filament bundles and flagella

Cross-linked filament bundles, such as in cilia and flagella, are ubiquitous in biology. They are considered in textbooks as simple filaments with larger stiffness. Recent observations of flagellar counterbend, however, show that induction of curvature in one section of a passive flagellum instigates a compensatory counter-curvature elsewhere, exposing the intricate role of the diminutive cross-linking proteins at large scales. We show that this effect, a material property of the cross-linking mechanics, modifies the bundle dynamics and induces a bimodal L2 − L3 length-dependent material response that departs from the Euler–Bernoulli theory. Hence, the use of simpler theories to analyse experiments can result in paradoxical interpretations. Remarkably, the counterbend dynamics instigates counter-waves in opposition to driven oscillations in distant parts of the bundle, with potential impact on the regulation of flagellar bending waves. These results have a range of physical and biological applications, including the empirical disentanglement of material quantities via counterbend dynamics.
Comparing two sequential Monte Carlo samplers for exact and approximate Bayesian inference on biological models

Bayesian methods are advantageous for biological modelling studies due to their ability to quantify and characterize posterior variability in model parameters. When Bayesian methods cannot be applied, due either to non-determinism in the model or limitations on system observability, approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) methods can be used to similar effect, despite producing inflated estimates of the true posterior variance. Owing to generally differing application domains, there are few studies comparing Bayesian and ABC methods, and thus there is little understanding of the properties and magnitude of this uncertainty inflation. To address this problem, we present two popular strategies for ABC sampling that we have adapted to perform exact Bayesian inference, and compare them on several model problems. We find that one sampler was impractical for exact inference due to its sensitivity to a key normalizing constant, and additionally highlight sensitivities of both samplers to various algorithmic parameters and model conditions. We conclude with a study of the O'Hara–Rudy cardiac action potential model to quantify the uncertainty amplification resulting from employing ABC using a set of clinically relevant biomarkers. We hope that this work serves to guide the implementation and comparative assessment of Bayesian and ABC sampling techniques in biological models.
As epidemias nas notícias em Portugal: cólera, peste, tifo, gripe e varíola, 1854-1918

In severe health crisis like those of 1854-1856, 1899 and 1918, especially in Porto, where cholera morbus, the bubonic plague, typhus fever, pneumonic influenza and smallpox killed high percentages of the population, the images of the epidemics in the press enable us to identify the scientific knowledge in a country considered peripheral, but which had studies and personnel specialized at the most advanced levels for the time. A database of 6,700 news items and announcements reveals the medical and pharmaceutical knowledge of the second half of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the way it was transmitted and disclosed to the public and the solutions offered by the health authorities. Hygiene was consistently highlighted in the news and announcements.
Isotopic evidence for residential mobility of farming communities during the transition to agriculture in Britain

Development of agriculture is often assumed to be accompanied by a decline in residential mobility, and sedentism is frequently proposed to provide the basis for economic intensification, population growth and increasing social complexity. In Britain, however, the nature of the agricultural transition (ca 4000 BC) and its effect on residence patterns has been intensely debated. Some authors attribute the transition to the arrival of populations who practised a system of sedentary intensive mixed farming similar to that of the very earliest agricultural regimes in central Europe, ca 5500 BC, with cultivation of crops in fixed plots and livestock keeping close to permanently occupied farmsteads. Others argue that local hunter–gatherers within Britain adopted selected elements of a farming economy and retained a mobile way of life. We use strontium and oxygen isotope analysis of tooth enamel from an Early Neolithic burial population in Gloucestershire, England, to evaluate the residence patterns of early farmers. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that early farming communities in Britain were residentially mobile and were not fully sedentary. Results highlight the diverse nature of settlement strategies associated with early farming in Europe and are of wider significance to understanding the effect of the transition to agriculture on residence patterns.
An evaluation of nursing development units

The aims of this study, which is still in progress, are to assess the value that nursing development units add to nursing and health care and to describe the essence of an NDU. The areas investigated cover: resources and costs, research and audit activities, networking activities, staff morale, staff development and supervision, and clinical leadership. The research took a staged approach with four phases: consultation, profiling the NDUs, comparing NDUs with units without NDU status and case studies of five high-performing NDUs. This paper provides an overview of the study and findings from Phases 1-3. It was important for clinical leaders to be clinically credible, to have authority and to be free from day-to-day care provision and management. Quantitative differences between NDUs and comparison units emerged for research and dissemination activity (NDUs were more active), and sickness absence (more long-term sickness in NDUs) but not for audit and staff development activity, nor for the financial context. Data from the final phase will give a more detailed understanding of the significance of these differences and the different pathways that can be taken to achieving success as an NDU.
Anatomic and sexual outcomes after vaginoplasty using tissue-engineered biomaterial graft in patients with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome: a new minimally invasive and effective surgery.

INTRODUCTION Recent years have seen continuous reports about the successful reconstruction of numerous organs with the application of tissue-engineering techniques. Thus, we assess the outcomes for vagina reconstruction using tissue-engineered biological material, which we suggested previously as an ideal graft for vaginoplasty. AIM To evaluate the anatomic and sexual outcomes in patients undergoing vaginoplasty using tissue-engineered biomaterial mesh. METHODS This prospective study included 53 patients with Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome admitted to our hospital. Patients underwent vaginoplasty with tissue-engineered biological material (acellular dermal matrix). Postoperatively, a silicone vaginal dilator (length: 10 cm, diameter: 3.5 cm) was advised to be used for the first 3-6 months to prevent contraction of the neovagina. Follow-up was performed at 4 weeks, 12 weeks, 12 months, and then annually. Twenty-four age-matched women who underwent health examinations during the same time period were selected as a health control group and answered Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaires for the purpose of comparing sexuality. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Anatomic success was defined by a vaginal length ≥ 8 cm and a width allowing the easy introduction of two fingers. Sexual outcomes were assessed at the 12-month follow-up according to body image perception and FSFI questionnaires validated for the Chinese-speaking population. RESULTS No severe intra-operative complications occurred. No graft-related infection, rejection, or detachment was recorded. The cost for tissue-engineered biomaterial graft was $1,900 (¥ 12,000) per person. Postoperatively, granulomatous polyps occurred in 6/53 patients (11.3%) at the vaginal vault and were removed in an outpatient clinic. During a mean follow-up of 21.1 months, the anatomic success rate was 100%, and all of the patients were satisfied with their body image. Postoperatively, 42 patients were followed up for more than 1 year, and 32 of them were sexually active. Among the 24/32 patients (75%) who answered the FSFI questionnaire, the mean total FSFI score was 26.7 ± 3.5, which was similar to that of the control group (25.6 ± 7.4, P = 0.46). The similarity was also observed in six separate domains of the functional aspect of female sexuality. CONCLUSIONS Vaginoplasty with tissue-engineered biomaterial graft is a safe, effective, minimally invasive cosmetic procedure that provides near normal sexual function for patients with vaginal aplasia.
Impaired endothelin calcium signaling coupled to endothelin type B receptors in penile arteries from insulin-resistant obese Zucker rats.

INTRODUCTION Erectile dysfunction is considered as an early sign of subclinical vascular disease and endothelial dysfunction and a highly prevalent condition in diabetic patients. AIM The current study assessed whether impaired vascular effects of endothelin (ET)-1 may contribute to the vascular dysfunction of penile arteries from a rat model of insulin resistance. METHODS The effect of ETA and ETB receptor antagonists was assessed on the intracellular Ca(2+) [Ca(2+) ]i and contractile responses to ET-1 in penile arteries from obese Zucker rats (OZR) and lean Zucker rats (LZR), and ET receptor expression in the arterial wall was assessed by immunohistochemistry. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Changes in ET-1 [Ca(2+) ]i and vasoconstriction and ET receptor expression were evaluated in penile arteries from insulin-resistant rats. RESULTS ET-1-induced vasoconstriction was associated with a higher increase in smooth muscle [Ca(2+) ]i in penile arteries from OZR compared with LZR. Removal of the endothelium inhibited and enhanced contractions to the lowest and highest doses of ET-1, respectively, mainly in OZR. The selective ETA receptor antagonist BQ-123 inhibited ET-1 vasoconstriction and [Ca(2+) ]i response in both LZR and OZR. The ETB receptor antagonist BQ-788 had little effect in healthy arteries but markedly inhibited ET-1-induced increases in [Ca(2+) ]i and vasoconstriction in arteries from OZR. ETA receptors were located on the smooth muscle and endothelium of penile arteries, whereas ETB receptors were found on the arterial endothelium in LZR and OZR, and also on the smooth muscle in OZR, immunostaining for both receptors being higher in OZR. CONCLUSION Penile arteries from OZR exhibit an impaired ET-1 Ca(2+) signaling along with changes in the ET receptor profile. Thus, whereas ET-1 contraction and the associated [Ca(2+) ]i increase are mediated by smooth muscle ETA receptors in healthy arteries, ETB receptors contribute to contraction and are coupled to the augmented ET-1 [Ca(2+) ]i response under conditions of insulin resistance.
Morphometry of the pelvic floor muscles in women with and without provoked vestibulodynia using 4D ultrasound.

INTRODUCTION It has been suggested that pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) play an important role in provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) pathophysiology. Controversy in determining their exact contribution may be explained by methodological limitations related to the PFM assessment tools, specifically the pain elicited by the measurement itself, which may trigger a PFM reaction and introduce a strong bias. AIM The aim of this study was to compare PFM morphometry in women suffering from PVD to asymptomatic healthy control women using a pain-free methodology, transperineal four-dimensional (4D) ultrasound. METHODS Fifty-one asymptomatic women and 49 women suffering from PVD were recruited. Diagnosis of PVD was confirmed by a gynecologist following a standardized examination. All the participants were nulliparous and had no other urogynecological conditions. The women were evaluated in a supine position at rest and during PFM maximal contraction. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Transperineal 4D ultrasound, which consists of a probe applied on the surface of the perineum without any vaginal insertion, was used to assess PFM morphometry. Different parameters were assessed in sagittal and axial planes: anorectal angle, levator plate angle, displacement of the bladder neck, and levator hiatus area. The investigator analyzing the data was blinded to the clinical data. RESULTS Women with PVD showed a significantly smaller levator hiatus area, a smaller anorectal angle, and a larger levator plate angle at rest compared with asymptomatic women, suggesting an increase in PFM tone. During PFM maximal contraction, smaller changes in levator hiatus area narrowing, displacement of the bladder neck, and changes of the anorectal and of the levator plate angles were found in women with PVD compared with controls, which may indicate poorer PFM strength and control. CONCLUSION Using a reliable and pain-free methodology, this research provides sound evidence that women with PVD display differences in PFM morphometry suggesting increased tone and reduced strength.