Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Role of Luteal Phase Fallopian Tube Epithelium in High-grade Ovarian Serous Carcinoma

Studies of prophylactic salpingectomy specimens from BRCA1/2 mutation carriers, at risk for tubal and ovarian high-grade serous carcinoma (SerCa), have consistently revealed occult carcinomas and putative histological cancer precursors in the distal fallopian tube epithelium (FTE), supporting the FTE as the source of SerCa. In this thesis I molecularly characterized and compared non-malignant FTE from mutation carriers (FTEb) and control patients (FTEn) to identify alterations that may predispose to malignant transformation. Gene expression profiling of laser capture microdissected FTEn, FTEb and SerCa indicated that SerCa have similar molecular profiles whether of presumed ovarian or tubal origin, supporting the notion they share a common cell of origin within the FTE. Furthermore, FTEb samples obtained during the post-ovulatory luteal phase showed gene expression profiles closely resembling SerCa samples, suggesting that the luteal phase milieu may contribute to serous carcinogenesis. An initial hypothesis was that FTEb may respond differently to luteal progesterone compared to FTEn, via differential expression of progesterone receptor (PR) isoforms. However, similar relative isoform expression in FTEn and FTEb samples suggested that a luteal phase-associated factor other than progesterone directs gene expression changes in FTEb. The possibility that FTEb respond differently to ovulation-associated inflammatory cytokines that are locally elevated during the luteal phase was next investigated. Importantly, FTEb specimens previously found to cluster with SerCa based on their global gene expression
Epidemiology of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Fayoum Governorate-EgyptEpidemiology of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Fayoum Governorate-Egypt

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, and the burden is expected to increase in coming years. HCC has become the second most prevalent cancer among men in Egypt. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence; identify the risk factors and detect clinical features of HCC in Fayoum governorate. The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study with a convenient sample conducted at Tropical & Hepatology Medicine Department in Fayoum University Teaching Hospital. An interview structured questionnaire was used; thorough clinical examination with biochemical and serological investigation. The majority of cases came from rural area, farmers constituted 39.3% of cases. More than 90% of cases suffering from Most of focal lesions were in right lobe 57.1% and in the form of single lesion 57.1%. AFP was found to be a weak diagnostic predictor with low sensitivity. HCC was multifactorial pathogenesis with many risk factors (cirrhosis, HCV and schistosomiasis). HBV infection has a declining role in hepatocarcinogenesis. Proper surveillance program is needed for early detection and diagnosis of HCC.
Novel Ex Vivo Ablation Test Model for Monopolar Hot Biopsy Forceps

3 Dedication . 4 Acknowledgments . 5 List of Tables . 7 List of Figures . 8 List of Acronyms . 9
RESIDUAL EFFECT OF LAMBDACYHALOTHRIN (ICON 10% WP) ON DIFFERENT SURFACES IN SOUTH OF IRAN

An investigation was made to study the residual activity and air-borne effect of lambdacyhalothrin (Icon 10 WP) at 30, 40 and 50 a.i. mg/rn2 against An.stephensi in hut scale trials on different surfaces in Mamasani, and Rudan, south of Iran. Bio-assay contact mortality test with Icon at 30 a.i. mgl/m2 on plaster, cement and wood surfaces decreased from 100% to 51.4%, 53% and 63.8% after 84, 80 and 107 days of hut spraying, respectively. At 40 a.i mg/m2 Icon showed longer residual activity than the 30 mg/rn2, i.e. the mortality rate deceased from 100% to 50.7% for plaster, to 52.5% for cement and to 53.5% for wood surfaces, after 105, 105 and 124 days of hut spraying, respectively. Icon at 50 a.i. mg/m2 showed longer residual activity than the former dosages, i.e. the mortality dropped from 100% to 62.1% for plaster, to 50.7% for cement and to 90.4% for wooden surfaces, after 124 days of hut spraying, respectively. The result of air home tests showed that Icon has negligible or slight killing effect on An.stephensi, i.e. at 30. 40 and 50 a.i. mg/m2, the mortality rates dropped from 100% to about 60% after 10, 15 and 25 days of hut spraying, respectively. Based on the results of this study lambdacyhalothrin at 50/m2 had a residual activity for more than 4 months on different surface. It could be concluded that, lambdacyhalothrin at 50 mg/m2 might be a candidate dosage for continuation of study in village scale vial in south of Iran.
Determination of the foot strike pattern in runners belonging to a running team

Background : The number of runners has been increasing as well as the number of injuries related to this sport. Knowing the foot strike patterns of the runners has become necessary since there is a possible relationship between the landing pattern of the foot against the ground during running and the increased incidence of musculoskeletal injuries in runners. Research question : The objective of this study was to determine the distribution of the foot strike patterns in recreational runners during typical training running pace. Type of study : Cross-sectional study. Methods : This is a cross-sectional study conducted with recreational runners who practice with running coach. A high-speed camera (image acquisition frequency of 250 Hz) was used to analyse the foot strike pattern and photocells were used to register the runners' speed. The foot strike patterns were classified into three categories: rearfoot, midfoot and forefoot. The description of the foot strike pattern and the characteristics of participants were done through descriptive statistics. Intra-class and inter-class confiability was evaluated by agreement percentage. Results : Fifty-three runners, with an average speed of 12.6 km/h, were evaluated, and 98.1% of the runners showed a rearfoot strike pattern. Only one runner touched the ground with the midfoot first, and none were forefoot strikers. The evaluation method for determining foot strike pattern showed an agreement percentage of 96.2% and 100% intra-class and inter-class confiability, respectively. Conclusion : The results of the study showed that the adult recreational runners who train with a one running coach, almost exclusively demonstrate a rearfoot strike pattern during running.
ER Stress is Involved in Epithelial-To-Mesenchymal Transition of Alveolar Epithelial Cells Exposed to a Hypoxic Microenvironment

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive and fatal interstitial lung disease of unknown origin. Alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) play an important role in the fibrotic process as they undergo sustained endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and may acquire a mesenchymal phenotype through epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), two phenomena that could be induced by localized alveolar hypoxia. Here we investigated the potential links between hypoxia, ER stress and EMT in AECs. Methods: ER stress and EMT markers were assessed by immunohistochemistry, western blot and qPCR analysis, both in vivo in rat lungs exposed to normoxia or hypoxia (equivalent to 8% O2) for 48 h, and in vitro in primary rat AECs exposed to normoxia or hypoxia (1.5% O2) for 2–6 days. Results: Hypoxia induced expression of mesenchymal markers, pro-EMT transcription factors, and the activation of ER stress markers both in vivo in rat lungs, and in vitro in AECs. In vitro, pharmacological inhibition of ER stress by 4-PBA limited hypoxia-induced EMT. Calcium chelation or hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) inhibition also prevented EMT induction under hypoxic condition. Conclusions: Hypoxia and intracellular calcium are both involved in EMT induction of AECs, mainly through the activation of ER stress and HIF signaling pathways.
Sterilization Methods and Their Influence on Physicochemical Properties and Bioprinting of Alginate as a Bioink Component

Bioprinting has emerged as a valuable three-dimensional (3D) biomanufacturing method to fabricate complex hierarchical cell-containing constructs. Spanning from basic research to clinical translation, sterile starting materials are crucial. In this study, we present pharmacopeia compendial sterilization methods for the commonly used bioink component alginate. Autoclaving (sterilization in saturated steam) and sterile filtration followed by lyophilization as well as the pharmacopeia noncompendial method, ultraviolet (UV)-irradiation for disinfection, were assessed. The impact of the sterilization methods and their effects on physicochemical and rheological properties, bioprinting outcome, and sterilization efficiency of alginate were detailed. Only sterile filtration followed by lyophilization as the sterilization method retained alginate’s physicochemical properties and bioprinting behavior while resulting in a sterile outcome. This set of methods provides a blueprint for the analysis of sterilization effects on the rheological and physicochemical pattern of bioink components and is easily adjustable for other polymers used in the field of biofabrication in the future.
Drug utilization, adherence and occurrence of Resistant Hypertension among hypertensive patients visiting community based screening and management program in Eastern Nepal

Objectives: To access the drug utilization pattern, drug adherence and occurrence of resistant hypertension in hypertensive patients. Methods: In this prospective crossover study, data was collected from 140 hypertensive patients visiting community program (KHDC) held on first Saturday of every month for follow-up. KHDC is a community based program for early detection and management of K idney disease, H ypertension, D iabetes and C ardiovascular diseases, using structured self-constructed questionnaire (translated in Nepali also) which have been prepared after reviewing multiple literatures.For descriptive statistics, percentage, mean, Standard deviation was calculated along with graphical and tabular presentation. Results: Out of 140 patients enrolled 52.1% were male. Majority of the patient were aged between 40-59 years of age 50.7 %. Most of them were Aryans 55.7 %( followed by Mongolians 44.3% . Mean of Systolic Blood Pressure was 131.48(SD ± 16.57) and Mean of Diastolic Blood Pressure was 81.7(SD ± 9.57). The Mean Drug prescribed per patients was 2.16(1.321) with maximum number of drug prescribed to be 7 and minimum 1. Amlodipine was commonly prescribed antihypertensive 57.8%. Metformin was the most common drug prescribed among non-antihypertensive drugs.Drug adherence was seen among 76.4% of patients. The common adverse seen among these patients was fatigue (Figure 3). The occurrence of other adverse effects was low. Resistant hypertension was seen in 2 out of 140 patients. Conclusion: The common group of antihypertensive prescribed was CCB, ARB and Diuretics consistent with JNC VII.The adherence to the prescribed drugs was good amongst the patients. The occurrence of resistant hypertension was low.
Stem Cell Therapy to Improve Burn Wound Healing

Abstract : Thermal injuries are a significant source of morbidity in times of war, constituting 5% to 20% of all injuries and 4% of all deaths. Although these are usually not life threatening, they cause significant morbidity to the patient and disruption of a deployed military unit. Hypertrophic scaring occurs frequently in operative (grafted) and non-operative burn wounds and can lead to the formation of scar contractures. Contractures represent a great source of morbidity to burn patients. Scar contracture rates have not evolved with improvements of burn care despite the use of treatments designed to mitigate the effects of hypertrophic scarring including scar massage, topical treatments, steroid injections, and compression garments. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been used in a variety of clinical applications to repair and regenerate damaged tissue. Previous work by our group has demonstrated the safety and efficacy of delivering bone marrow cells including MSCs to chronic wounds with significant improvement in healing and scarring. Application of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy to severe burn wounds represents the opportunity for improved outcomes where alternate therapies are limited and often ineffective.
Hypospadias Risk from Maternal Residential Exposure to Heavy Metal Hazardous Air Pollutants

Objective: Investigate whether residential prenatal exposure to heavy metal hazardous air pollutants (HMHAPs) is associated with an increased risk of hypospadias. Methods: Data on non-syndromic hypospadias cases (n = 8981) and control patients delivered in Texas were obtained from the Texas Birth Defects Registry and matched 1:10 by birth year. Average exposure concentrations of HMHAPs were obtained from the 2005 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National-Scale Air Toxics Assessment and categorized into quintiles. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated. STROBE reporting guidelines were followed. Results: We observed associations between hypospadias and prenatal HMHAP exposure. Manganese demonstrated significant increased risk of hypospadias at the medium, medium-high and high exposure quintiles; lead in the medium-high and high exposure quintiles. Cadmium, mercury and nickel demonstrated a significant inverted “U-shaped” association for exposures with significant associations in the medium and medium-high quintiles but not in the medium-low and high quintiles. Arsenic and chromium demonstrated a significant bivalent association for risk of hypospadias in a lower quintile as well as a higher quintile with non-significant intermediate quintiles. Conclusions: Using data from one of the world’s largest active surveillance birth defects registries, we identified significant associations between hypospadias and HMHAP exposures. These results should be used in counseling for maternal demographic risk factors as well as avoidance of heavy metals and their sources.
Insufficient Sleep is a Contributor to Overweight and Type 2 Diabetes in Adults: Any Contribution from Caffeine?

Objective: To test if sleep insufficiency has a direct impact on being overweight and the 10 years-risk of developing type 2 diabetes in non-diabetic adults. Also to test if there is any possible impact of caffeine consumption on the occurrence of type 2 diabetes in the same population. Research Design and Method: We conducted a cross-sectional study on 504 non-diabetic participants, aged between 18 and 64 years. This study took place in North Lebanon between December 2016 and June 2017. Study subjects completed a self-administered questionnaire concerning sleep duration and sleep quality using the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) and the 10 years risk of developing type 2 diabetes using the American Diabetes Association Questionnaire. In addition, the participants underwent later on a full analysis of their body fatness, body muscles percentages and their resting energy expenditure (REE). Results: Sleep duration of more than 6 hours per day is associated with the lowest risk of developing diabetes and overweight (p=0.03 and p=0.004) respectively. This was observed in women (p<0.001 and p=0.003 respectively) but not in men. When stratifying our data by gender and according to the Body Mass Index (BMI) cutoff classification, we observed that women with healthy body weight (BMI<25 Kg/m2) and those having a slight obesity, and who both sleep more than 6 hours per day, do not present a risk of developing type 2 diabetes (p=0.03 and p=0.089 respectively). However, as measured by the Athens Insomnia Scale, Insomnia was not associated with nor diabetes type 2 neither obesity (p=0.859 and p=0.871 respectively). No association was found when splitting this data by gender. Using binary logistic regression, the subjects who sleep more than 6 hours per day have 0.61 times less risk of developing diabetes compared to those who sleep less than 6 hours per day (0.61 and 95% CI [0.39-0.97]). However, when testing the association between Insomnia and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in 10 years, no association was found (1 and 95% CI [0.66-1.62]). Despite being a stimulator factor, caffeine, in our study, shows that subjects who drink caffeine had 3.6 times lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to non-drinkers (3.6 and 95% CI [1.5-3.6]). This association was so strong in women (0.3 and 95% CI [0.24-0.63]) compared to men. Conclusion: Based on our study results, we conclude that sleeping duration of 6 hours per day or more could be a protective factor against developing diabetes and overweight mainly in women. Also, caffeine consumption is a must to prevent the high risk of developing type 2 diabetes in women, but in the right time to avoid sleep insufficiency.
Highly Sensitive Tactile Shear Sensor Using Spatially Digitized Contact Electrodes

In this article, we report on a highly sensitive tactile shear sensor that was able to detect minute levels of shear and surface slip. The sensor consists of a suspended elastomer diaphragm with a top ridge structure, a graphene layer underneath, and a bottom substrate with multiple spatially digitized contact electrodes. When shear is applied to the top ridge structure, it creates torque and deflects the elastomer downwards. Then, the graphene electrode makes contact with the bottom spatially digitized electrodes completing a circuit producing output currents depending on the number of electrodes making contact. The tactile shear sensor was able to detect shear forces as small as 6 μN, detect shear direction, and also distinguish surface friction and roughness differences of shearing objects. We also succeeded in detecting the contact slip motion of a single thread demonstrating possible applications in future robotic fingers and remote surgical tools.
Urban Tree Species Classification Using a WorldView-2/3 and LiDAR Data Fusion Approach and Deep Learning

Urban areas feature complex and heterogeneous land covers which create challenging issues for tree species classification. The increased availability of high spatial resolution multispectral satellite imagery and LiDAR datasets combined with the recent evolution of deep learning within remote sensing for object detection and scene classification, provide promising opportunities to map individual tree species with greater accuracy and resolution. However, there are knowledge gaps that are related to the contribution of Worldview-3 SWIR bands, very high resolution PAN band and LiDAR data in detailed tree species mapping. Additionally, contemporary deep learning methods are hampered by lack of training samples and difficulties of preparing training data. The objective of this study was to examine the potential of a novel deep learning method, Dense Convolutional Network (DenseNet), to identify dominant individual tree species in a complex urban environment within a fused image of WorldView-2 VNIR, Worldview-3 SWIR and LiDAR datasets. DenseNet results were compared against two popular machine classifiers in remote sensing image analysis, Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM). Our results demonstrated that: (1) utilizing a data fusion approach beginning with VNIR and adding SWIR, LiDAR, and panchromatic (PAN) bands increased the overall accuracy of the DenseNet classifier from 75.9% to 76.8%, 81.1% and 82.6%, respectively. (2) DenseNet significantly outperformed RF and SVM for the classification of eight dominant tree species with an overall accuracy of 82.6%, compared to 51.8% and 52% for SVM and RF classifiers, respectively. (3) DenseNet maintained superior performance over RF and SVM classifiers under restricted training sample quantities which is a major limiting factor for deep learning techniques. Overall, the study reveals that DenseNet is more effective for urban tree species classification as it outperforms the popular RF and SVM techniques when working with highly complex image scenes regardless of training sample size.
Molecular classification of IDH-mutant glioblastomas based on gene expression profiles

Abstract Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutant glioblastoma (GBM), accounts for ~10% GBMs, arises from lower grade diffuse glioma and preferentially appears in younger patients. Here, we aim to establish a robust gene expression-based molecular classification of IDH-mutant GBM. A total of 33 samples from the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas RNA-sequencing data were selected as training set, and 21 cases from Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas microarray data were used as validation set. Consensus clustering identified three groups with distinguished prognostic and molecular features. G1 group, with a poorer clinical outcome, mainly contained TERT promoter wild-type and male cases. G2 and G3 groups had better prognosis differed in gender. Gene ontology analysis showed that genes enriched in G1 group were involved in DNA replication, cell division and cycle. On the basis of the differential genes between G1 and G2/G3 groups, a six-gene signature was developed with a Cox proportional hazards model. Kaplan–Meier analysis found that the acquired signature could differentiate the outcome of low- and high-risk cases. Moreover, the signature could also serve as an independent prognostic factor for IDH-mutant GBM in the multivariate Cox regression analysis. Gene ontology and gene set enrichment analyses revealed that gene sets correlated with high-risk group were involved in cell cycle, cell proliferation, DNA replication and repair. These finding highlights heterogeneity within IDH-mutant GBMs and will advance our molecular understanding of this lethal cancer.
An Investigation of Women’s Experiences Seeking Pregnancy-Related Nutrition Information in Ontario, with an Emphasis on Online Resources

AN INVESTIGATION OF WOMEN’S EXPERIENCES SEEKING PREGNANCY-RELATED NUTRITION INFORMATION IN ONTARIO, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON ONLINE RESOURCES Alexandra Snyder Advisors: University of Guelph, 2017 Dr. Laura Forbes & Dr. Hannah Tait Neufeld This thesis investigates women’s information-seeking behaviours regarding nutrition during pregnancy and describes their experiences seeking this information online. A total of 97 pregnant women completed an online survey and six of these women participated in one-on-one semistructured telephone interviews. The surveys were analysed using descriptive statistics and the interviews using thematic analysis. Prenatal nutrition information was most commonly sought online during the first trimester of pregnancy. Convenience was a major motivator for seeking information online. Positive changes were made to women’s diets after reading nutrition information online, however the participants indicted a lack of trust in online sources and seeking nutrition information online was sometimes related to feelings of frustration, confusion and worry. Nutritional support from health care providers is still desirable but is currently not meeting women’s needs. Suggestions are made to improve online sources of prenatal nutrition information and increase provision of prenatal nutrition education by health professionals.