Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Time Perspective on Physical Activity Intentions and Behaviors Among Adolescents Residing in Central Appalachia.

Obesity and inactivity are prevalent among central Appalachian adolescents. Appalachian residents have been labeled " fatalistic, " a time perspective unsupportive of health-promoting behaviors such as regular participation in physical activity. The theory of planned behavior has been used extensively to explain the physical activity behaviors of adolescents. Constructs within the theory of planned behavior include attitudes toward the behavior, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention to perform the behavior. The purpose of this study was to determine the time perspective of central Appalachian adolescents and examine the relationship between time perspective and the constructs within the theory of planned behavior. A descriptive, correlational design was used to examine time perspective and the physical activity behaviors of a convenience sample of 185 central Appalachian adolescents. Data collection occurred in school. Results indicate central Appalachian adolescents are hedonistic with positive attitudes toward the past. Females were more future-oriented than males. Future oriented students were more likely to plan to attend college. Constructs within the theory of planned behavior were moderate predictors of physical activity that lasted long enough or was intense enough to produce sweat. 3 DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my dear sister, Michele Fleming, who lost a courageous battle with cancer while I was completing this work. She was never fatalistic but always optimistic and realistic regarding her diagnosis and treatment. I will never forget you or your courageous spirit. I love you, always. To my mother, thank you for so many years of love and support. You will be in my heart forever. I love you dearly. 4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The aetiology of the bloodstream infections in the patients who presented to a tertiary care teaching hospital in kathmandu, Nepal.

BACKGROUND Bloodstream infections are associated with a significant patient morbidity and mortality. The detection of microorganisms in the patients' blood has a great diagnostic and prognostic significance. The early positive results provide valuable diagnostic information, based on which the appropriate antimicrobial therapy can be initiated. OBJECTIVE To know the aetiology of the bloodstream infections in the Kathmandu Medical College, Nepal and the antibiotic sensitivity patterns of the causative organisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS The blood specimens which were received from May 2010 to October 2010 in Kathmandu Medical College and Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal, were processed and all the positive isolates were included in the study. The isolates were identified by the standard laboratory procedures. The antibiotic susceptibility patterns were determined by the modified Kirby Bauer antibiotic sensitivity method. RESULT Of the 1089 blood cultures which were received with the suspected cases of blood stream infections, 138 (12.6 %) were bacteriologically positive. Salmonella serotypes were isolated in 42.7% cases of blood stream infections, followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae in 19.5%, Staphylococcus aureus in 15.9% and others in the rest of the cases. All the gram-negative bacilli isolates showed lower degrees of resistance to amikacin and ofloxacin. All the gram positive isolates were sensitive to amikacin, oxacillin and vancomycin. CONCLUSION This study stresses on the need for a continued screening and surveillance in the routine blood culture technique for starting with the empiric therapy for blood borne infections.
Reaction-Driven Cracking During Mineral Hydration, Carbonation and Oxidation

In this paper we present recent and ongoing results of research on crystallization pressure and the reaction-driven cracking process that can result when hydration, carbonation, and/or oxidation reactions produce large changes in volume, viscosity is high (low temperature) and reaction rates are fast (large chemical potential, catalysts present, etc). Our focus is on natural processes involving reaction of olivine – the primary mineral constituent in the Earth’s upper mantle – with surface waters, and on analogue experiments intended to maximize reaction rates at low temperature (up to ~ 300°C) in a laboratory setting. We show that crystallization pressures can reach 100’s of MPa, enough to fracture rocks in the upper crust. Studies of natural and laboratory systems show that reaction-driven cracking produces fracture spacing down to 10’s or 100’s of microns, less than the diffusion distance on time scales of years, sufficient to produce 100% alteration of mantle rocks.
A New Directional Weighted Median Filter for Removal of Random-Valued Impulse Noise

The known median-based denoising methods tend to work well for restoring the images corrupted by random-valued impulse noise with low noise level but poorly for highly corrupted images. This letter proposes a new impulse detector, which is based on the differences between the current pixel and its neighbors aligned with four main directions. Then, we combine it with the weighted median filter to get a new directional weighted median (DWM) filter. Extensive simulations show that the proposed filter not only can provide better performance of suppressing impulse with high noise level but can preserve more detail features, even thin lines. As extended to restoring corrupted color images, this filter also performs very well
Genetic variation of platelet function and pharmacology: An update of current knowledge

Summary Platelets are critically involved in atherosclerosis and acute thrombosis. The platelet phenotype shows a wide variability documented by the inherited difference of platelet reactivity, platelet volume and count and function of platelet surface receptors. Several candidate genes have been put into focus and investigated for their functional and prognostic role in healthy individuals and patients with cardiovascular (CV) disease treated with antiplatelet agents. In addition to genetic variation, other clinical, disease-related and demographic factors are important so-called non-genetic factors. Due to the small effect sizes of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in candidate genes and due to the low allele frequencies of functional relevant candidate SNPs, the identification of genetic risk factors with high predictive values generally depends on the sample size of study cohorts. In the post-genome era new array and bioinformatic technologies facilitate high throughput genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for the identification of novel candidate genes in large cardiovascular cohorts. One of the crucial aspects of platelet genomic studies is the precise definition of a specific clinical phenotype (e.g. stent thrombosis) as this will impact importantly the findings of genomic studies like GWAS. Here, we provide an update on genetic variation of platelet receptors and drug metabolising enzymes under specific consideration of data derived by GWAS. The potential impact of this information and the role in personalised therapeutic concepts will be discussed.
Stairs instead of elevators at workplace: cardioprotective effects of a pragmatic intervention

Background Population strategies to increase physical activity are an essential part of cardiovascular disease prevention. However, little data exist on lifestyle interventions that are easy to integrate into everyday life such as using stairs instead of elevators at the workplace. Design Pre and postintervention study. Methods A 12-week promotional campaign for stair use consisting in posters and floor stickers at the point of choice between stairs and elevators at each hospital floor was organized in a university hospital building. In 77 selected employees with an inactive lifestyle, physical activity, aerobic fitness, anthropometrics, blood pressure, lipids, insulin sensitivity, and C-reactive protein were assessed at baseline, 12 weeks, and 6 months. Results During the intervention median daily number of ascended and descended one-story staircase units was 20.6/day (14.2–28.1) compared with 4.5/day (1.8–7.2) at baseline (P<0.001). At 12 weeks, estimated maximal aerobic capacity had increased by 9.2±15.1% (P<0.001) corresponding with approximately 1 MET. There were significant declines in waist circumference (–1.7 ± 2.9%), weight (– 0.7 ± 2.6%), fat mass (–1.5 ± 8.4%), diastolic blood pressure (–1.8 ± 8.9%), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (– 3.0 ± 13.5%). At 6 months, the median daily number of ascended and descended one-story staircase units had decreased to 7.2 (3.5–14.0). Benefits on estimated maximal aerobic capacity (+ 5.9 ±12.2%, P= 0.001) and fat mass (–1.4 ± 8.4%, P = 0.038) persisted. Conclusion Encouraging stair use at work is effective for improving fitness, body composition, blood pressure, and lipid profile in asymptomatic individuals with an inactive lifestyle and thus may be a simple way to significantly reduce cardiovascular disease risk at the population level.
Elevation of 20-carbon long chain bases due to a mutation in serine palmitoyltransferase small subunit b results in neurodegeneration

Significance Sphingolipids are essential in eukaryotes and are particularly important in neural tissues. Generally, sphingolipids have an 18-carbon (C18) long chain base (LCB) backbone. However, low-abundance sphingolipids containing LCBs of 16 or 20 carbons have also been discovered. Yet their specific functions and biological significance is not known. This work demonstrates that elevation of 20-carbon LCBs and/or sphingolipids containing C20 LCBs has detrimental neurodegenerative effects in the brain and the retina, leading to perturbation of protein homeostasis. This work describes, for the first time to our knowledge, the specific pathological roles of a class of low-abundance LCBs in vivo. Sphingolipids typically have an 18-carbon (C18) sphingoid long chain base (LCB) backbone. Although sphingolipids with LCBs of other chain lengths have been identified, the functional significance of these low-abundance sphingolipids is unknown. The LCB chain length is determined by serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT) isoenzymes, which are trimeric proteins composed of two large subunits (SPTLC1 and SPTLC2 or SPTLC3) and a small subunit (SPTssa or SPTssb). Here we report the identification of an Sptssb mutation, Stellar (Stl), which increased the SPT affinity toward the C18 fatty acyl-CoA substrate by twofold and significantly elevated 20-carbon (C20) LCB production in the mutant mouse brain and eye, resulting in surprising neurodegenerative effects including aberrant membrane structures, accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins on membranes, and axon degeneration. Our work demonstrates that SPT small subunits play a major role in controlling SPT activity and substrate affinity, and in specifying sphingolipid LCB chain length in vivo. Moreover, our studies also suggest that excessive C20 LCBs or C20 LCB-containing sphingolipids impair protein homeostasis and neural functions.
Human Platelet Lysate Improves Bone Forming Potential of Human Progenitor Cells Expanded in Microcarrier‐Based Dynamic Culture

Xenogeneic‐free media are required for translating advanced therapeutic medicinal products to the clinics. In addition, process efficiency is crucial for ensuring cost efficiency, especially when considering large‐scale production of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Human platelet lysate (HPL) has been increasingly adopted as an alternative for fetal bovine serum (FBS) for MSCs. However, its therapeutic and regenerative potential in vivo is largely unexplored. Herein, we compare the effects of FBS and HPL supplementation for a scalable, microcarrier‐based dynamic expansion of human periosteum‐derived cells (hPDCs) while assessing their bone forming capacity by subcutaneous implantation in small animal model. We observed that HPL resulted in faster cell proliferation with a total fold increase of 5.2 ± 0.61 in comparison to 2.7 ± 02.22‐fold in FBS. Cell viability and trilineage differentiation capability were maintained by HPL, although a suppression of adipogenic differentiation potential was observed. Differences in mRNA expression profiles were also observed between the two on several markers. When implanted, we observed a significant difference between the bone forming capacity of cells expanded in FBS and HPL, with HPL supplementation resulting in almost three times more mineralized tissue within calcium phosphate scaffolds. FBS‐expanded cells resulted in a fibrous tissue structure, whereas HPL resulted in mineralized tissue formation, which can be classified as newly formed bone, verified by μCT and histological analysis. We also observed the presence of blood vessels in our explants. In conclusion, we suggest that replacing FBS with HPL in bioreactor‐based expansion of hPDCs is an optimal solution that increases expansion efficiency along with promoting bone forming capacity of these cells. Stem Cells Translational Medicine 2019;8:810&821
Effects of boundary regulation on children's academic performance: a systems perspective of family functioning

Systems theory was used to link family functioning in the task of boundary regulation to adolescents' academic performance. Boundary regulation, a family task defined in terms of proximity and generation hierarchy, is believed to be the most critical to family functioning because it sets a precondition for the execution of other family tasks. Data from Wave II of the National Survey of Families and Household (NSFH) were used to identify family interaction patterns that reflect proximity and generation hierarchy aspects of boundary regulation, utilizing both parent and adolescent responses. Proximity was measured by items representing physical and emotional closeness of family members, while generation hierarchy was measured by reciprocal role enactment by parents and adolescent children. Exploratory principal component factor analysis was performed separately for parents and adolescents, to identify the items loading on the proximity and generation hierarchy. Secondorder factor analysis, performed to further reduce the factors, combined proximity and generation hierarchy to form the family functioning variables for the regression analysis. Results indicated that boundary regulation was a strong predictor of academic performance and that second order factors were better predictors of academic performance for both the parents and adolescents. Contribution and significance of the findings to the field of family studies and to the general academic performance literature were discussed. Suggestions for further research as well as the implication of the research findings for policy in family life education and school and community interventions were also outlined.
Defective support network: a major obstacle to coping for patients with heart failure: a qualitative study

Background Heart failure as a chronic disease poses many challenges for a patient in his or her everyday life. Support in various aspects of life positively affects coping strategies and influences the well-being and health outcomes of heart failure patients. Inadequate support may lead to a worsening of symptoms, increased hospital readmissions, psychological disorders, and a reduced quality of life. Objective This study explored obstacles to coping related to support for heart failure patients as viewed by the patients themselves and their family members and caregivers. Design This qualitative study was conducted using content analysis. The 20 Iranian participants included 11 patients with heart failure, three cardiologists, three nurses, and three family members of heart failure patients selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the Lundman and Graneheim qualitative content analysis method. Results During data analysis, ‘defective support network’ developed as the main theme along with four other categories of ‘inadequate family performance’, ‘inadequate support by the healthcare team’, ‘distorted societal social support’, and ‘inadequate welfare support’. Conclusion The findings of the current study can assist health authorities and planners in identifying the needs of patients with heart failure so as to focus and plan on facilitating their coping as much as possible by obviating the existing obstacles.
Precise engineering of targeted nanoparticles by using self-assembled biointegrated block copolymers

There has been progressively heightened interest in the development of targeted nanoparticles (NPs) for differential delivery and controlled release of drugs. Despite nearly three decades of research, approaches to reproducibly formulate targeted NPs with the optimal biophysicochemical properties have remained elusive. A central challenge has been defining the optimal interplay of parameters that confer molecular targeting, immune evasion, and drug release to overcome the physiological barriers in vivo. Here, we report a strategy for narrowly changing the biophysicochemical properties of NPs in a reproducible manner, thereby enabling systematic screening of optimally formulated drug-encapsulated targeted NPs. NPs were formulated by the self-assembly of an amphiphilic triblock copolymer composed of end-to-end linkage of poly(lactic-co-glycolic-acid) (PLGA), polyethyleneglycol (PEG), and the A10 aptamer (Apt), which binds to the prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) on the surface of prostate cancer (PCa) cells, enabling, respectively, controlled drug release, “stealth” properties for immune evasion, and cell-specific targeting. Fine-tuning of NP size and drug release kinetics was further accomplished by controlling the copolymer composition. By using distinct ratios of PLGA-b-PEG-b-Apt triblock copolymer with PLGA-b-PEG diblock copolymer lacking the A10 Apt, we developed a series of targeted NPs with increasing Apt densities that inversely affected the amount of PEG exposure on NP surface and identified the narrow range of Apt density when the NPs were maximally targeted and maximally stealth, resulting in most efficient PCa cell uptake in vitro and in vivo. This approach may contribute to further development of targeted NPs as highly selective and effective therapeutic modalities.
Ex Machina: Personal Attacks Seen at Scale

The damage personal attacks cause to online discourse motivates many platforms to try to curb the phenomenon. However, understanding the prevalence and impact of personal attacks in online platforms at scale remains surprisingly difficult. The contribution of this paper is to develop and illustrate a method that combines crowdsourcing and machine learning to analyze personal attacks at scale. We show an evaluation method for a classifier in terms of the aggregated number of crowd-workers it can approximate. We apply our methodology to English Wikipedia, generating a corpus of over 100k high quality human-labeled comments and 63M machine-labeled ones from a classifier that is as good as the aggregate of 3 crowd-workers, as measured by the area under the ROC curve and Spearman correlation. Using this corpus of machine-labeled scores, our methodology allows us to explore some of the open questions about the nature of online personal attacks. This reveals that the majority of personal attacks on Wikipedia are not the result of a few malicious users, nor primarily the consequence of allowing anonymous contributions from unregistered users.
Amphotericin B and itraconazole for treatment of disseminated Penicillium marneffei infection in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients.

Disseminated infection with Penicillium marneffei is common in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Southeast Asia. Treatment with amphotericin B alone is effective but requires a prolonged hospital stay. We conducted an open-label nonrandomized study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of treatment with amphotericin B at a dosage of 0.6 mg/(kg.d) intraveneously for 2 weeks, followed by a 400-mg/d dosage of oral itraconazole for 10 weeks. Of the 74 HIV-infected patients we studied who had disseminated P. marneffei infection, diagnosed by positive fungal culture and clinical evidence of infection, 72 (97.3%) responded to the treatment. There were no serious adverse drug effects. It was concluded that the regimen was effective and safe for treatment of disseminated P. marneffei infection in HIV-infected patients.
Embodying self-compassion within virtual reality and its effects on patients with depression

Background Self-criticism is a ubiquitous feature of psychopathology and can be combatted by increasing levels of self-compassion. However, some patients are resistant to self-compassion. Aims To investigate whether the effects of self-identification with virtual bodies within immersive virtual reality could be exploited to increase self-compassion in patients with depression. Method We developed an 8-minute scenario in which 15 patients practised delivering compassion in one virtual body and then experienced receiving it from themselves in another virtual body. Results In an open trial, three repetitions of this scenario led to significant reductions in depression severity and self-criticism, as well as to a significant increase in self-compassion, from baseline to 4-week follow-up. Four patients showed clinically significant improvement. Conclusions The results indicate that interventions using immersive virtual reality may have considerable clinical potential and that further development of these methods preparatory to a controlled trial is now warranted. Declaration of interest None. Copyright and usage © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2016. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence.
Placental Weight and Risk of Invasive Epithelial Ovarian Cancer with an Early Age of Onset

Background: Epithelial ovarian cancer is associated with reproductive factors, but we lack knowledge if hormonal factors during pregnancy influence the mother's risk. Because pregnancy hormones are primarily produced by the placenta, placental weight may be an indirect marker of hormone exposure during pregnancy. Methods: In a nationwide Swedish cohort study, we included women with singleton births from 1982 to 1989. Women were followed for occurrence of invasive epithelial ovarian cancer, death, or emigration through 2004. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) from Cox models were used to estimate associations between pregnancy exposures and epithelial ovarian cancer. Results: Among 395,171 women with information on placental weight in their first recorded birth, 316 women developed invasive epithelial ovarian cancer. Mean age at diagnosis was 44 years. Compared with women with a placental weight of 500 to 699 g, women with a high (≥700 g) placental weight had an increased risk of developing epithelial ovarian cancer (HR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.14-1.90). Compared with women with term pregnancies (40-41 weeks), women with post-term (≥42 weeks) pregnancies had an increased risk of developing epithelial ovarian cancer (HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.00-2.19). These associations were slightly stronger when we included information about women's overall first birth, and slightly weaker when we included information about last recorded birth or ever last birth from 1982 to 1989. Conclusions: Because pregnancy hormone levels increase with placental weight, our study supports the hypothesis that hormone exposures during pregnancy influence the risk of invasive epithelial ovarian cancer among young women. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2008;17(9):2344–9)