Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency among Iranian Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background The prevention and correction of vitamin D deficiency requires a precise depiction of the current situation and identification of risk factors in each region. The present study attempted to determine these entities using a systematic review and meta-analysis in Iran. Methods Articles published online in Persian and English between 2000 and November 1, 2016, were reviewed. This was carried out using national databases such as SID, IranMedex, Magiran, and IranDoc and international databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus. The heterogeneity index among the studies was determined using the Cochran (Q) and I2 test. Based on the heterogeneity results, the random-effect model was applied to estimate the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency. In addition, meta-regression analysis was used to determine heterogeneity-suspected factors, and the Egger test was applied to identify publication bias. Results The meta-analysis of 48 studies identified 18531 individuals with vitamin D deficiency. According to the random-effect model, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among male, female, and pregnant women was estimated to be 45.64% (95% CI: 29.63 to 61.65), 61.90% (95% CI: 48.85 to 74.96), and 60.45% (95% CI: 23.73 to 97.16), respectively. The results of the meta-regression analysis indicated that the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was significantly different in various geographical regions (β=4.4; P=0.023). Conclusion The results obtained showed a significant prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among the Iranian population, a condition to be addressed by appropriate planning.
Impact of Competing Risk of Mortality on Association of Cognitive Impairment With Risk of Hip Fracture in Older Women

Previous studies examining the association of cognitive impairment and dementia with fracture outcomes in older adults have usually used standard approaches that did not take into account the competing risk of mortality. However, ignoring mortality may not provide accurate estimates of risk of fracture because dementia in older adults strongly predicts death, making mortality a competing risk. A total of 1491 women (mean age 87.6 years) participating in the prospective Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF) Year 20 exam were cognitively assessed and followed to ascertain vital status (deaths verified by death certificates) and hip fractures (confirmed by radiographic reports). Cognitive status was categorized as normal, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or dementia, based on a standardized evaluation. Absolute probability of hip fracture by category of cognitive function was estimated using traditional Kaplan‐Meier method and cumulative incidence function accounting for competing mortality risk. Risk of hip fracture by cognitive function category was determined using conventional Cox proportional hazards regression and subdistribution hazards models with death as a competing risk. During an average follow‐up of 5.6 years, 139 (9.3%) women experienced a hip fracture and 990 (66.4%) died before experiencing this outcome. Among women with dementia, the risk of hip fracture was 11.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 7.3–17.2) at 5 years and 18.6% (95% CI 9.1–30.9) at 10 years using traditional survival analysis versus 7.9% (95% CI 5.1–11.6) at 5 years and 8.8% (95% CI 5.8–12.8) at 9.8 years using a competing risk approach. Results were similar for women with MCI. Women with MCI and dementia have a higher risk of hip fractures than women with normal cognition. However, not taking into account the competing risk of mortality significantly overestimates the risk of hip fracture in women in the ninth and tenth decades of life with cognitive impairment. © 2018 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Weibo or WeChat? Assessing Preference for Social Networking Sites and Role of Personality Traits and Psychological Factors

Research trying to understand individual difference in the use of different social networking sites (SNSs) is minimal. In the present study, we collected data from 714 college students in China (273 males) to assess how personality traits and psychological factors relate to excessive use of WeChat and Weibo. We found that excessive use of Weibo and WeChat correlated positively with neuroticism, loneliness, and external locus of control and negatively with agreeableness, social support, and social interaction. Furthermore, people that scored high on loneliness, lack of social support, and poor social interaction skills excessively used Weibo more than WeChat. These results entail that by fulfilling different needs, WeChat and Weibo attract different kinds of people; significant lesson for future development of SNSs.
Effects of health insurance on birth weight in Mexico

This paper estimates the effect of mother's insurance coverage on neonatal outcomes in Mexico using hospital-based administrative data. Using an instrumental variable approach to identify the causal effects of health insurance on infant health, we find that mother's insurance coverage has positive impacts on neonatal outcomes. Children born to insured mothers weighed 108 g higher and had reduced probability of low birth weight by 7.5 percentage points. These effects appear to be stronger for mothers with higher levels of education and in municipalities with a higher development index. Findings indicate that expanding insurance coverage could be helpful in improving neonatal outcomes in resource-constrained countries.
Cancer Diagnosis Using a Liquid Biopsy: Challenges and Expectations

The field of cancer diagnostics has recently been impacted by new and exciting developments in the area of liquid biopsy. A liquid biopsy is a minimally invasive alternative to surgical biopsies of solid tissues, typically achieved through the withdrawal of a blood sample or other body fluids, allowing the interrogation of tumor-derived material including circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) fragments that are present at a given time point. In this short review, we discuss a few studies that summarize the state-of-the-art in the liquid biopsy field from a diagnostic perspective, and speculate on current challenges and expectations of implementing liquid biopsy testing for cancer diagnosis and monitoring in the clinical setting.
Nanometer-precision linear sorting with synchronized optofluidic dual barriers

Researchers explore loosely overdamped system with extreme low stiffness for nanoparticle sorting with nanometer precision. The past two decades have witnessed the revolutionary development of optical trapping of nanoparticles, most of which deal with trapping stiffness larger than 10−8 N/m. In this conventional regime, however, it remains a formidable challenge to sort out sub–50-nm nanoparticles with single-nanometer precision, isolating us from a rich flatland with advanced applications of micromanipulation. With an insightfully established roadmap of damping, the synchronization between optical force and flow drag force can be coordinated to attempt the loosely overdamped realm (stiffness, 10−10 to 10−8 N/m), which has been challenging. This paper intuitively demonstrates the remarkable functionality to sort out single gold nanoparticles with radii ranging from 30 to 50 nm, as well as 100- and 150-nm polystyrene nanoparticles, with single nanometer precision. The quasi-Bessel optical profile and the loosely overdamped potential wells in the microchannel enable those aforementioned nanoparticles to be separated, positioned, and microscopically oscillated. This work reveals an unprecedentedly meaningful damping scenario that enriches our fundamental understanding of particle kinetics in intriguing optical systems, and offers new opportunities for tumor targeting, intracellular imaging, and sorting small particles such as viruses and DNA.
Molecular identification and characterization of Sarcocystis spp. in horsemeat and beef marketed in Japan

Human Sarcocystis infections are known to be caused by the ingestion of raw or undercooked beef or pork containing mature sarcocysts of Sarcocystis hominis or S. suihominis, respectively. In addition, several cases of parasitic food poisoning in Japan have recently been reported after consumption of raw horsemeat containing sarcocysts of S. fayeri. In this study, the presence of sarcocysts in 28 horsemeat and 121 beef samples collected in Tokyo was investigated. Sarcocysts of S. fayeri were found in 16 horsemeat samples. Sarcocysts of S. hominis were not detected in beef samples, while sarcocysts of S. cruzi were detected in 60 beef samples. In addition, S. hirsuta and S. bovini were isolated only from New Zealand beef samples. Bradyzoites in sarcocysts collected from 62/73 sarcocyst-positive refrigerated horsemeat and beef samples were determined to be viable. Molecular analysis of S. fayeri 18S rRNA gene sequences revealed that intraspecific variation among eight individual bradyzoites from a single sarcocyst was as high as 9.8%. In contrast, mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (mtDNA cox1) gene sequences from the six fragments of a single sarcocyst were 100% identical. Sarcocysts of S. bovini isolated from beef also exhibited intraspecific variation in 18S rRNA gene sequences and had to be cloned before sequencing, while mtDNA cox1 gene sequences were obtained by direct sequencing. Therefore, we conclude that molecular analysis of the mtDNA cox1 gene is the most useful for identification of Sarcocystis species. This study provides the first published partial sequence of the S. fayeri mtDNA cox1 gene.
Pengaruh Kualitas Layanan dan Produk terhadap Kepuasan serta Loyalitas Pelanggan KFC di Tangerang Selatan

PT. Fast Food Indonesia adalah pemegang lisensi tunggal restoran cepat saji terkemuka di dunia yaitu Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). Tujuan penelitian ini adalah menganalisis atribut-atribut kualitas pelayanan dan produk yang dapat mempengaruhi kepuasan dan loyalitas pelanggan KFC. Hasil penelitian dengan Important Performance Analysis (IPA) dan Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) menunjukan tingkat kepuasan pelanggan KFC sebesar 81.26% yang mengindikasikan pelanggan merasa sangat puas. Berdasarkan hasil analisis Partial Least Squares (PLS), Kualitas Layanan tidak berpengaruh signifikan terhadap kepuasan namun berpengaruh signifikan terhadap loyalitas pelanggan pada model total pengunjung, pelajar dan non pelajar. Kualitas produk berpengaruh signifikan terhadap kepuasan pada semua model. Kualitas produk tidak berpengaruh signifikan terhadap loyalitas pelanggan pada model total pengunjung namun kualitas produk berpengaruh signifikan terhadap loyalitas pada model pelajar dan non pelajar, serta kepuasan berpengaruh signifikan terhadap loyalitas pada seluruh model. Kata kunci: customer satisfaction index, kentucky fried chicken, important performance analysis, loyalty, satisfaction, partial least squares
Parent Knowledge and Perceptions of Concussion Related to Youth Football

Introduction There is increased concern about concussion in youth athletes, yet there is little research on parent knowledge of concussion. Purpose The purpose of the current study was to investigate attitudes to and knowledge of concussion among parents of youth football players. Methods We surveyed 180 parents/guardians of youth football players, ages 5-12, regarding their knowledge and beliefs concerning concussion. Results We found that the vast majority of respondents (86%) had confidence in their ability to recognize concussions. Yet, a significant number also held misconceptions about concussions, such as ‘too much sleep’ (48%) or ‘eating certain foods’ (26%) make concussion symptoms worse. Most (82%) had not heard of the Zurich guidelines, and less than half (44%) were aware that sustained mental activity could worsen symptoms. Parents were concerned about their child sustaining a concussion, but a substantial minority also reported ‘serious concern’ about their children losing playing time or their position. Discussion Results are somewhat positive in terms of parents’ general knowledge of concussions; yet, response variability and misconceptions point to a continued need for concussion education for parents. Medical professionals can play an important role in informing families about concussion symptoms, management, and recovery.
Dissemination of Multidrug-Resistant, Class I and II Integrons and Molecular Typing of CTX-M-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae

Introduction: Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) is an important opportunistic pathogen causes serious community and hospital-acquired infections, which is highly resistant to antibiotics. We aimed to determine the frequency of multidrug resistant (MDR) and molecular typing of clinical isolates of K. pneumoniae. Methodology: One hundred isolates of K. pneumoniae were collected from clinical samples in three general hospitals in Kermanshah. The antimicrobial susceptibility and extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL) production of isolates were determined using disk diffusion and combined disk methods, respectively. The blaCTX-Mgene, class I and II integrons were detected using polymerase chain reaction. The blaCTX-Mpositive isolates were selected for genotyping using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Results: MDR phenotype was observed in 56% of isolates. The 40% of isolates were ESBL positive and 35 isolates contained blaCTX-M. Class I and II of integrons were detected in 50 (89.2%) and 39 (69.6%) of MDR isolates, respectively. PFGE patterns of K. pneumoniae blaCTX-Mpositive isolates indicated 19 clusters (X1-19) with different genotype patterns. Conclusions: The study findings highlight the concern of circulating MDR strains of K. pneumoniae with blaCTX-Mand class I and II integrons in Kermanshah hospitals. The presence of integrons among isolates may facilitate the spread of new resistance genes in this bacterium. Therefore, surveillance for the spread of MDR strains of this bacterium is recommended in hospitals.
Healthcare for Veterans in the Era of Patient Protection and the Affordable Care Act of 2010

On June 28, 2012 the United States Supreme Court upheld the Patient Rights and Affordable Care Act (ACA), which was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2010. The individual mandate and the extension of Medicaid eligibility are the primary components of ACA and have drawn a great deal of attention from the media and public. However, little attention has focused on how ACA will affect veteran healthcare access, particularly for Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) veterans. The lack of attention in this area may be due to the fact that the vast majority of veterans are already insured through employer-based insurance or government sponsored providers such as the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and TRICARE. Although most veterans are eligible for some form of healthcare coverage, a significant number struggle with lack of access to care and loss of eligibility for such benefits (Himmelstein et al., 2007). A recent study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (2012) estimated that 1.3 million veterans are currently uninsured. Fifty percent of uninsured veterans with income less than 138% of the Federal Poverty Level are likely to be eligible for Medicaid. An additional 40% of uninsured veterans will be able to purchase affordable individual coverage through government-subsidized health insurance exchanges, regardless of pre-existing conditions (Haley & Kenney, May 2012). Therefore, ACA will undoubtedly have far-reaching effects on veteran healthcare access. This policy brief aims to discuss the anticipated opportunities and challenges that ACA will have for veteran healthcare, particularly with respect to integrated care for both medical and behavioral health. The Veteran Healthcare System Veterans have multiple healthcare options. Of the 22 million veterans living in the United States, roughly 90% have some form of health insurance either through their employer, VHA, or other government program such as Medicare or TRICARE. More than 50% of veterans have access to private insurance, while almost 40% are covered by VHA health insurance (Kizer, 2012). Eighty percent of VHA-insured veterans are also covered by other forms of health insurance (Congressional Budget Office, 2010). For veterans who have multiple health insurance plans, deciding what type of healthcare provider to utilize can depend on several factors: cost of services, preference for specific doctors , perceived quality of care, and distance to a local VHA facility (CBO, 2010). Even though veterans may access multiple systems of care, the VHA—which administers and implements the healthcare program within the …
Knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding leptospirosis among residents of riverside settlements of Santa Fe, Argentina

Background Leptospirosis is a global and re-emerging zoonotic disease caused by Leptospira spirochetes that are shed into the environment by infected animals. Humans can get infected via contact with animal hosts or contaminated environment. In Argentina, the highest annual incidences were reported in the province of Santa Fe, where epidemic outbreaks occurred during flooding events. This study examined the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding leptospirosis among residents of riverside slum settlements from Santa Fe after a major flood. Methods and findings A cross-sectional questionnaire was administered to 113 residents of 3 riverside settlements from Santa Fe. The influence of knowledge and attitudes regarding leptospirosis on the likelihood that an individual will use preventive practices were evaluated using linear mixed-effects models. The majority of respondents (83.2%) had previously heard about leptospirosis; however specific knowledge about leptospirosis was limited. The results of the modeling efforts, show that the likelihood of using preventive practices was associated with having greater knowledge score, but not with more positive attitudes. We also found that females were more likely to use safer practices than males. Conclusions Even though the majority of respondents had heard about leptospirosis, a high percentage of them had limited knowledge regarding the severity of the disease and its prevalence in the region. Our results suggest that public health interventions in these riverside communities should focus on educating the public on the multiple dimensions of leptospirosis in order to attain greater adherence to preventive practices instead of intending to change the perceptions or attitudes towards the disease, which did not have a significant influence. The key challenge lies in identifying effective strategies to reach the high risk group for leptospirosis here that is male fishermen, who spend most of the time in precarious campsites on the river islands.
The Opioid Epidemic in NC

Like many states, North Carolina faces an opioid crisis that has rapidly intensified in recent years. Addressing this epidemic requires interventions such as judicious prescribing of opioids, community based prevention efforts, broader naloxone distribution, law enforcement efforts to curb drug trafficking, and harm reduction efforts like safe syringe programs. Expanding access to treatment and recovery services, as well as affordable health insurance for individuals with substance use disorder or at risk for developing a disorder, is also critical. North Carolina has made significant progress, but we have much more work to do.
Robust low-rank matrix estimation

Many results have been proved for various nuclear norm penalized estimators of the uniform sampling matrix completion problem. However, most of these estimators are not robust: in most of the cases the quadratic loss function and its modifications are used. We consider robust nuclear norm penalized estimators using two well-known robust loss functions: the absolute value loss and the Huber loss. Under several conditions on the sparsity of the problem (i.e. the rank of the parameter matrix) and on the regularity of the risk function sharp and non-sharp oracle inequalities for these estimators are shown to hold with high probability. As a consequence, the asymptotic behavior of the estimators is derived. Similar error bounds are obtained under the assumption of weak sparsity, i.e. the case where the matrix is assumed to be only approximately low-rank. In all our results we consider a high-dimensional setting. In this case, this means that we assume $n\leq pq$. Finally, various simulations confirm our theoretical results.
Phase Ib Trial With Birabresib, a Small-Molecule Inhibitor of Bromodomain and Extraterminal Proteins, in Patients With Selected Advanced Solid Tumors.

PURPOSE Birabresib (MK-8628/OTX015) is a first-in-class bromodomain inhibitor with activity in select hematologic tumors. Safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics of birabresib were evaluated in patients with castrate-resistant prostate cancer, nuclear protein in testis midline carcinoma (NMC), and non-small-cell lung cancer in this phase Ib study. PATIENTS AND METHODS Forty-seven patients were enrolled to receive birabresib once daily at starting doses of 80 mg continuously (cohort A) or 100 mg for 7 consecutive days (cohort B) in 21-day cycles using a parallel dose escalation 3 + 3 design. The primary objective was occurrence of dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs) and determination of the recommended phase II dose. RESULTS Of 46 treated patients, 26 had castrate-resistant prostate cancer, 10 NMC, and 10 non-small-cell lung cancer. For cohort A, four of 19 (21%) evaluable patients had DLTs at 80 mg once daily (grade 3 thrombocytopenia [n = 3], ALT/hyperbilirubinemia [n = 1]) and two of three had DLTs at 100 mg once daily (grade 2 anorexia and nausea with treatment delay > 7 days [n = 1], grade 4 thrombocytopenia [n = 1]). No DLTs occurred in cohort B. Of 46 patients, 38 (83%) had treatment-related adverse events (diarrhea, 17 [37%]; nausea, 17 [37%]; anorexia, 14 [30%]; vomiting, 12 [26%]; thrombocytopenia 10 [22%]). Three patients with NMC (80 mg once daily) had a partial response (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors [RECIST] version 1.1) with duration of 1.4 to 8.4 months. Pharmacokinetic analysis indicated a dose-proportional increase in birabresib exposure and rapid absorption. CONCLUSION The recommended phase II dose of birabresib in patients with select solid tumors is 80 mg once daily with continuous dosing. Birabresib has dose-proportional exposure and a favorable safety profile, with clinical activity observed in NMC. Future studies of birabresib must consider intermittent scheduling to possibly mitigate the toxicities of chronic dosing.
Smart Humanitarianism: Re-imagining Human Rights in the Age of Enterprise

A paradigmatic shift around the central role of ‘social entrepreneurs’ is captivating a broad, diverse range of social actors refashioning the institutional landscape of human rights and humanitarian practices. For this special issue dedicated to ‘Re-imagining Human Rights’, we explore some of the implications of these revolutionary changes in human rights practices, and their consequences for sociological study and political critique in the 21st century. Following a discussion of the state of the sociology of human rights practices, we describe the remaking of the human rights arena into a site of technocratic organizations with an emphasis on the ‘triple bottom line’ (financial, social and environmental sustainability). This market-led rights paradigm also promotes a new kind of empathy required for social problem-solving and humanitarian action – one less sentimental, much more technocratic and managerial. We offer some critical observations on this ‘smart humanitarianism’, which emphasizes the human-machine partnership via online technologies, apps, and expert systems management strategies; they redistribute the cognitive responsibilities of determining and delivering goods for greatest measurable impact with a quid-pro-quo of reframing inequality. We introduce the other contributing articles, signposting notable elements and the implications for wider socio-political critique, especially regarding ‘smart humanitarianism’.