Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Texture-Based Radiomic SD-OCT Features Associated With Response to Anti-VEGF Therapy in a Phase III Neovascular AMD Clinical Trial

Purpose The goal of this study was to evaluate the role of texture-based baseline radiomic features (Fr) and dynamic radiomics alterations (delta, FΔr) within multiple targeted compartments on optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans to predict response to anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy in neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). Methods HAWK is a phase 3 clinical trial data set of active nAMD patients (N = 1082) comparing brolucizumab and aflibercept. This analysis included patients receiving 6 mg brolucizumab or 2 mg aflibercept and categorized as complete responders (n = 280) and incomplete responders (n = 239) based on whether or not the eyes achieved/maintained fluid resolution on OCT. A total of 481 Fr were extracted from each of the fluid, subretinal hyperreflective material (SHRM), retinal tissue, and sub–retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) compartments. Most discriminating eight baseline features, selected by the minimum redundancy, maximum relevance feature selection, were evaluated using a quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA) classifier on the training set (Str, n = 363) to differentiate between the two patient groups. Classifier performance was subsequently validated on independent test set (St, n = 156). Results In total, 519 participants were included in this analysis from the HAWK phase 3 study. There were 280 complete responders and 219 incomplete responders. Compartmental analysis of radiomics featured identified the sub-RPE and SHRM compartments as the most distinguishing between the two response groups. The QDA classifier yielded areas under the curve of 0.78, 0.79, and 0.84, respectively, using Fr, FΔr, and combined Fr, FΔr, and Fc on St. Conclusions Utilizing compartmental static and dynamic radiomics features, unique differences were identified between eyes that respond differently to anti-VEGF therapy in a large phase 3 trial that may provide important predictive value. Translational Relevance Imaging biomarkers, such as radiomics features identified in this analysis, for predicting treatment response are needed to enhanced precision medicine in the management of nAMD.
Hierarchical clustering of mixed variable panel data based on new distance

Abstract One of the important aspects of panel data is the poolability of different units in the data set. However, considering that regression parameters (coefficients) are homogeneous across different units, it is normal for the units to be pooled. Clustering may occur in the panel data to solve the problem. In this study, we suggest a new distance for a mixed variable panel data set containing invariant time binary variable, without performing variable conversion to avoid information loss. In this approach, the mixed variable panel data set is divided into pure categorical data and pure numerical data sets. Then, distance measures are calculated using simple matching for the categorical data set and using distance that normalizes all variables in the numerical data set. After distance measures of each data set are combined, the new distance measure is integrated into the agglomerative hierarchical clustering algorithms. The experimental analysis was exemplified by the real data groups using STATA and R software package. The performance of proposed distance is compared with the Gower and K-prototype distances by cluster validation methods. The experimental results demonstrated that the new approach we suggest here provides better clustering results than the Gower and K-prototype approaches.
The role of interoception in reducing trauma-associated distress: a feasibility study

ABSTRACT Background: Altered interoception plays an important role in chronic stress and posttraumatic stress disorder. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of a Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TSY) intervention for improving emotional distress and psychological discomfort in women living under circumstances of social and gender vulnerability. We assessed the effect of the treatment on the interoceptive mechanisms, and whether the psychological improvements were mediated by the changes in these mechanisms. Methods: The study involved a sample of 62 women who attended public community centres dedicated to supporting women victims of gender-based violence or who were socially and economically disadvantaged because of their gender. Participants underwent a six-week TSY programme. We evaluated dropout rate, adherence, and intervention satisfaction. We measured emotional distress, psychological discomfort, interoceptive mechanisms, and two nonequivalent dependent variables to enhance internal validity. We compared pre–post differences using paired samples t-test and a structural equation model (SEM) analysis was performed to compare the changes in the outcomes with the changes in the nonequivalent dependent variables. Mediation models were adjusted to evaluate the role of changes in interoception on outcome changes. Results: Fourteen (23%) women dropped out, mainly after the first intervention session. Intervention adherence (mean attendance 5.3 over 6 sessions) and acceptability were high (mean satisfaction 3.4 over 4). We observed post-intervention improvements in anxiety, depression, psychological discomfort, body responsiveness, and interoceptive awareness. The changes in the outcomes were larger than the changes in the nonequivalent dependent variables. Additionally, we found that the changes in body responsiveness partially mediated the change in anxiety and psychological discomfort but not in depression. Conclusions: TSY could be an interesting therapeutic approach for women experiencing chronic posttraumatic stress symptomatology. Our findings underscore the role of interoceptive mechanisms in traumatic stress and emphasize the importance of addressing these aspects.
A Deep Stochastic Adaptive Fourier Decomposition Network for Hyperspectral Image Classification

Deep learning-based hyperspectral image (HSI) classification methods have recently shown excellent performance, however, there are two shortcomings that need to be addressed. One is that deep network training requires a large number of labeled images, and the other is that deep network needs to learn a large number of parameters. They are also general problems of deep networks, especially in applications that require professional techniques to acquire and label images, such as HSI and medical images. In this paper, we propose a deep network architecture (SAFDNet) based on the stochastic adaptive Fourier decomposition (SAFD) theory. SAFD has powerful unsupervised feature extraction capabilities, so the entire deep network only requires a small number of annotated images to train the classifier. In addition, we use fewer convolution kernels in the entire deep network, which greatly reduces the number of deep network parameters. SAFD is a newly developed signal processing tool with solid mathematical foundation, which is used to construct the unsupervised deep feature extraction mechanism of SAFDNet. Experimental results on three popular HSI classification datasets show that our proposed SAFDNet outperforms other compared state-of-the-art deep learning methods in HSI classification.
Loss of activation by GABA in vertebrate delta ionotropic glutamate receptors

Significance The neurotransmitters glutamate and GABA activate excitatory sodium ion influx and inhibitory chloride flux across neuronal membranes by binding and activating ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) and GABAA receptors, respectively, two superfamilies of ligand-gated ion channels. Curiously, mammalian receptors of the delta iGluR family mediate no sodium influx in response to neurotransmitter binding in most experimental settings, so we investigated delta iGluRs from numerous animal lineages, bioinformatically and experimentally, and found that numerous delta iGluRs are indeed ligand-gated channels. Surprisingly, most are activated by GABA, the classically inhibitory neurotransmitter. Our results identify several amino acid substitutions that occurred during evolution to make mammalian delta iGluRs inactive and reveal a potential excitatory signaling role for GABA in numerous invertebrates.
News Reporting on Terrorism in Malaysia and Singapore

Abstract This comparative study of the English language newspapers, New Straits Times of Malaysia (NST) and The Straits Times of Singapore (ST), looks into the reporting of the bombings in Bali in 2002, the JW Marriott Hotel bombing in 2003, the Australian Embassy bombing in Jakarta in 2004 and the 2005 Bali bombing. These mainstream newspapers are state-influenced and they both cater to local and international readerships. The global discourse on “war on terror” served as the main frame for all the reporting while, at the same time, the publications tailored the coverage of the bombings within their respective government or group’s interest. The reporting reproduced the views that social control is important in the fight against terrorism with the media playing an important role in conveying such a message. The study also reveals how newspapers give more emphasis to some aspects of events while ignoring others.
Electrical resistivity imaging of hydrologic flow through surface coal mine valley fills with comparison to other landforms

Surface coal mining has altered land cover, near‐surface geologic structure, and hydrologic processes of large areas in central Appalachia, USA. These alterations are associated with changes in water quality such as elevated total‐dissolved solids, which is usually measured via its surrogate, specific conductance (SC). The SC of valley fill effluent streams is a function of fill construction methods, materials, and age; yet hydrologic studies that relate these variables to water quality are sparse due to the difficulty of conducting traditional hydrologic studies in mined landscapes. We used electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) to visualize the subsurface geologic structure and hydrologic flow paths within a valley fill. ERI is a noninvasive geophysical technique that maps spatiotemporal changes in resistivity of the subsurface. We paired ERI with artificial rainfall experiments to track infiltrated water as it moved through the valley fill. Results indicate that ERI can be used to identify subsurface geologic structure and track advancing wetting fronts or preferential flow paths. Our results suggest that the upper portion of the fill contains significant fines, whereas the deeper profile is primarily large rocks and void spaces. Water tended to pond on the surface of compacted areas until it reached preferential flow paths, where it appeared to infiltrate quickly down to >15 m depth in 75 min. ERI applications can improve understanding of how fill construction techniques influence subsurface water movement, and in turn may aid in the development of valley fill construction methods to reduce water quality effects.
A cobertura jornalística do Dia Internacional das Mulheres na imprensa portuguesa: mudanças, persistências e

The journalistic field, as an area of debate and framework of certain themes and groups, assumes a central role in the (re)construction of symbolic gender representations. A large part of the analyses developed in the context of feminist media studies has focused their attention on daily news coverage. In this area it is also important to analyse concrete moments, including events, as levers that can provide greater journalistic visibility. This paper aims to analyse the evolution of the news coverage of the International Women"s Day in Portuguese press (1975-2007). We focused on a period that expands over three decades, which were marked by profound transformations in society in general, in the women"s and/or feminist movements and in the media in particular.
Marketing of adventure tourism destination in Nepal

Tampereen ammattikorkeakoulu Tampere University of Applied Sciences Degree Programme in Tourism BARAL, NIRAJAN: Marketing of Adventure Tourism Destination in Nepal Bachelor's thesis 34 pages, appendices 2 pages November 2016 Adventure tourism is one of the key factors of the Nepalese tourism industry. The main aim of this bachelor’s thesis was to clarify the current situation and challenges for developing adventure tourism in Nepal and to evaluate the importance of appropriate marketing strategies. The thesis also focuses on promoting adventure tourism activities and rural tourism destinations. The objective of the thesis was to explore Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve as an adventure tourism destination at international level. Secondary data collection method was used in the research. In the report, the concept of adventure tourism and the scope of adventure tourism in Nepal are described. Current marketing techniques of an organization working in this field have been explored in the thesis. This study describes the present scenario of Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve in more detail, and their development of infrastructure, safety and risk management. Hunting as a special interest sport, feedback from customers and future plans are discussed in the thesis. Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve in Nepal as an adventure tourism destination is a case study in this thesis. In order to do the qualitative research, the author chose the phone interview method to accomplish the research.
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Non-Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Retrospective Study on Survival and Toxicity Profiles

Background and aims: Being one of the most common cancers accounting for approximately 185 million cases globally, colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading derivers of cancer-related mortalities. A high prevalence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus and CRC was noted, together with a causal link between diabetes and CRC development. Thereby, the goal of this study was to properly evaluate type 2 Diabetes mellitus in non-metastatic colorectal cancer patients, and to highlight its impacts on patient’s outcome. Methods: Patients with non-metastatic colorectal cancer diagnosed between January 2016 and December 2020 were studied retrospectively. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether or not they had type II diabetes. The clinico-pathological, laboratory, treatment and survival data were gathered. Results: A total of 318 patients were included in this study. The toxicity of the drugs used in CRC patients receiving the treatment protocols (169 in non-T2DM group and 39 in T2DM group), both groups reported close percentage of side effects and a similar frequency of drug toxicity occurrence as well as grade of toxicity, with the exception of neuropathy, which was more common in the T2DM group (33.3% vs 11.2%). As for prognosis, non-T2DM and T2DM patients had a mean progression free survival of (71.4 and 60.83 months, respectively) (p = 0.019). Overall survival was 73.1% for T2DM and 85.3% for non T2DM cases. The median overall survival was not reached for both groups in terms of overall survival. Conclusion: T2DM is considered a risk factor for poor survival among CRC patients. Treatment related toxicity is not affected by the presence or absence of diabetes, yet neuropathy needs further studies for diabetic patients receiving oxaliplatin.
Complete mitochondrial genome of the Korean spotted seal Phoca largha ( Mammalia , Pinnipedia , Phocidae ) : Genetic difTerences between R largha and Phoca vitulina

The Spotted seal Phoca largha is an endangered marine mammal whose range covers wide regions of the continental shelves of the North Pacific and Arctic Oceans (Shaughnessy and Fay 1977; Mizuno et al. 2003). Very little is known about the genetic diversity of the species, with only a single complete mitochondrial genome from an Alaskan individual so far available (Arnason et al. 2006). Here, we report the complete mitochondrial genome (16,728 bp; GenBank accession number FJ895151) of a Korean specimen of /? largha sampled at the exact opposite end of Alaska within the distribution area of this species. This mitochondrial genome, slightly longer than the Alaskan individual's one (16,701 bp; Arnason et al. 2006; AM181031), exhibits the classic features of mammalian mitochondrial genomes (Figure la; Lee et al. 2008). The nucleotide sequence similarity between large control regions (OH, 120
Midlife sensory and motor functions improve long‐term predictions of cognitive decline and incidence of cognitive impairment

Abstract INTRODUCTION We aimed to assess whether midlife sensory and motor functions improve risk prediction of 10‐year cognitive decline and impairment when added to risk prediction models using the Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Incidence of Dementia Score (CAIDE) and Framingham Risk Score (FRS). METHODS Longitudinal data of N = 1529 (mean age 49 years; 54% women) Beaver Dam Offspring Study (BOSS) participants from baseline, 5 and 10‐year follow‐up were included. We tested whether including baseline sensory (hearing, vision, olfactory) impairment and motor function improves CAIDE or FRS risk predictions of 10‐year cognitive decline or cognitive impairment incidence using logistic regressions. RESULTS Adding sensory and motor measures to CAIDE‐only and FRS‐only models significantly improved areas under the curve for cognitive decline and impairment models. DISCUSSION Including midlife sensory and motor function improved risk predictions of long‐term cognitive decline and impairment in middle‐aged to older adults. Sensory and motor assessments could contribute to cost‐effective and non‐invasive screening tools that identify high‐risk individuals earlier to target intervention and prevention strategies. Highlights Sensory and motor measures improve risk prediction models of cognitive decline. Sensory and motor measures improve risk prediction models of cognitive impairment. Prediction improvements were strongest in midlife (adults < 55 years of age). Sensory and motor changes may help identify high‐risk individuals early.
Modelling of doxycycline-based prevention of bacterial sexually transmitted infections in comparison to condom-based and test-based prevention

Abstract Background Doxycycline-based prevention of bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) has been assessed in various studies and has been recommended by the European AIDS Clinical Society to be proposed to persons with repeated STIs on a case-by-case basis. However, while good preventive effects could be shown for Chlamydia trachomatis and Treponema pallidum in Europe, no reliable prevention against doxycycline resistance-affected bacterial causes of STIs like Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Mycoplasma genitalium was confirmed. Methods In a modelling-approach, we assessed potential beneficial effects even against the latter microorganisms in case of optimized adherence with doxycycline prevention. These effects were modelled for Germany in comparison to traditional prevention schemes like condom-based STI-prevention and testing-as-prevention. Results With estimated risk reduction in the ranges of 86% for N. gonorrhoeae and of 82% for Mycoplasma genitalium, expectable preventive efficacy similar to alternative preventive approaches could be calculated in case of optimized adherence with doxycycline prevention. In case of repeated risk exposure, the preventive potential of condom-based prevention was decreased compared to both optimized doxycycline prevention and testing-as-prevention. Conclusions As suggested by the applied modelling, the preventive effect of optimized doxycycline prevention against bacterial STIs is in a similar range, like other common prevention strategies.
The Effect of Practitioner Empathy on Patient Satisfaction : A Systematic Review of Randomized Trials.

BACKGROUND Practitioners who deliver enhanced empathy may improve patient satisfaction with care. Patient satisfaction is associated with positive patient outcomes ranging from medication adherence to survival. PURPOSE To evaluate the effect of health care practitioner empathy on patient satisfaction, using a systematic review of randomized trials. DATA SOURCES Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycInfo, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Scopus to 23 October 2023. STUDY SELECTION Randomized trials published in any language that evaluated the effect of empathy on improving patient satisfaction as measured on a validated patient satisfaction scale. DATA EXTRACTION Data extraction, risk-of-bias assessments, and strength-of-evidence assessments were done by 2 independent reviewers. Disagreements were resolved through consensus. DATA SYNTHESIS Fourteen eligible randomized trials (80 practitioners; 1986 patients) were included in the analysis. Five studies had high risk of bias, and 9 had some concerns about bias. The trials were heterogeneous in terms of geographic locations (North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa), settings (hospital and primary care), practitioner types (family and hospital physicians, anesthesiologists, nurses, psychologists, and caregivers), and type of randomization (individual patient or clustered by practitioner). Although all trials suggested a positive change in patient satisfaction, inadequate reporting hindered the ability to draw definitive conclusions about the overall effect size. LIMITATIONS Heterogeneity in the way that empathy was delivered and patient satisfaction was measured and incomplete reporting leading to concerns about the certainty of the underpinning evidence. CONCLUSION Various empathy interventions have been studied to improve patient satisfaction. Development, testing, and reporting of high-quality studies within well-defined contexts is needed to optimize empathy interventions that increase patient satisfaction. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE Stoneygate Trust. (PROSPERO: CRD42023412981).
Antimicrobial properties of tomato juice and peptides against typhoidal Salmonella

ABSTRACT Tomatoes are readily available and affordable vegetables that offer a range of health benefits due to their bioactive molecules, such as antioxidants and antimicrobials. In contrast to the widely recognized antioxidant properties of tomatoes, their antimicrobial properties remain largely unexplored. Here, we present our findings on the antimicrobial properties of tomato juice and peptides, namely, tomato-derived antimicrobial peptides (tdAMPs), in relation to their effectiveness against typhoidal Salmonella. Our research has revealed that tomato juice demonstrates significant antimicrobial properties against Salmonella Typhi, a pathogen that specifically affects humans and is responsible for causing typhoid fever. By employing computational analysis of the tomato genome sequence, conducting molecular dynamics simulation, and performing functional analyses, we have successfully identified two tdAMPs, namely, tdAMP-1 and tdAMP-2. These tdAMPs have demonstrated potent antimicrobial properties by effectively disrupting bacterial membranes. The efficacy of tdAMP-2 is shown to be more effective than tdAMP-1. The efficacy of tdAMP-1 and tdAMP-2 has been demonstrated against drug-resistant S. Typhi, as well as hyper-capsular S. Typhi variants that possess hypervirulent characteristics, which are presently circulating in countries with endemicity. Tomato juice, along with the two tdAMPs, has demonstrated effectiveness against uropathogenic Escherichia coli as well. This underscores their potential as viable agents in combating certain Gram-negative pathogens. This study provides valuable insights into the development of effective and sustainable public health strategies that utilize tomato and its derivatives as lifestyle interventions. IMPORTANCE In this study, we investigate the antimicrobial properties of tomato juice, the most widely consumed affordable vegetables, as well as tomato-derived antimicrobial peptides, in relation to their effectiveness against foodborne pathogens with an emphasis on Salmonella Typhi, a deadly human-specific pathogen.