Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chronic Health Conditions and Depressive Symptoms Strongly Predict Persistent Food Insecurity among Rural Low-income Families

Longitudinal studies of food insecurity have not considered the unique circumstances of rural families. This study identified factors predictive of discontinuous and persistent food insecurity over three years among low-income families with children in rural counties in 13 U.S. states. Respondents reported substantial knowledge of community resources, food and finance skills, and use of formal public food assistance, yet 24% had persistent food insecurity, and another 41% were food insecure for one or two years. Multivariate multinomial regression models tested relationships between human capital, social support, financial resources, expenses, and food insecurity. Enduring chronic health conditions increased the risk of both discontinuous and persistent food insecurity. Lasting risk for depression predicted only persistent food insecurity. Education beyond high school was the only factor found protective against persistent food insecurity. Access to quality physical and mental health care services are essential to ameliorate persistent food insecurity among rural, low-income families.
Functional and structural optimization of the respiratory system of the bat Tadarida brasiliensis (Chiroptera, Molossidae): does airway geometry matter?

SUMMARY We studied structure and function of the respiratory system in the bat Tadarida brasiliensis and compared it with those of two species of rodents, Abrothrix andinus and A. olivaceus. Tadarida brasiliensis had lower resting oxygen consumption, but higher maximum oxygen consumption and aerobic scope, than the rodents. The blood–gas barrier of the bat was thinner and its relative lung size was larger; however, alveolar surface density was similar among the three species. In consequence, T. brasiliensis has an oxygen diffusion capacity two or three times higher than that of the rodents. In Tadarida brasiliensis the characteristics of the lung were accompanied by geometrical changes in the proximal airway, such as high physical optimization as a consequence of small variations in the symmetry and the scaling ratio of the bronchial diameters. These may constitute an efficient way to save energy in respiratory mechanics and are the first report of airway adjustments to decrease entropy generation in bats.
Impaired KCC2 phosphorylation leads to neuronal network dysfunction and neurodevelopmental pathogenesis

KCC2 is a vital neuronal K+/Cl- co-transporter that is implicated in the etiology of numerous neurological diseases. It is subject to developmental dephosphorylation at threonine 906 and 1007, the functional importance of which remains unclear. We engineered mice with heterozygous phospho-mimetic mutations T906E and T1007E (KCC2E/+) to prevent the normal developmental dephosphorylation of these sites. Immature (P15) but not juvenile (P30) KCC2E/+ mice exhibited altered GABAergic inhibition, an increased glutamate/GABA synaptic ratio, and higher seizure susceptibility. KCC2E/+ mice also had abnormal ultra-sonic vocalizations at P10-P12 and impaired social behavior at P60. Post-natal bumetanide treatment restored network activity at P15 but not social behavior at P60. Our data show that post-translational KCC2 regulation controls the GABAergic developmental sequence in vivo. The post-translational deregulation of KCC2 could be a risk factor for the emergence of neurological pathology and the presence of depolarizing GABA is not essential for manifestation of behavioral changes.
QAM constellation classification based on statistical sampling for linear distortive channels

The classification method for phase-amplitude-modulated signals transmitted through linear, frequency-selective fading channels is presented. Utilizing a Monte Carlo (MC) sampling technique, QAM constellation classification is based on Gibbs sampling. Constellation classification is achieved along with joint estimation of unknown system parameters, including channel taps and data symbols. When all channel parameters are known, direct steps are proposed for classification and data estimation without altering the general approach. Moreover, a multistage classification algorithm is also presented to improve computational efficiency. The proposed QAM classification methods are shown to perform well on various constellations with different cardinalities, as well as constellations with symbols.
A Perioperative Smoking Cessation Intervention with Varenicline: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Trial

Background:The efficacy of perioperative tobacco interventions on long-term abstinence and the safety of smoking cessation less than 4 weeks before surgery is unclear. Our objective was to determine the efficacy and safety of a perioperative smoking cessation intervention with varenicline to reduce smoking in elective surgical patients. Methods:In a prospective, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 286 patients were randomized to receive varenicline or placebo. Both groups received in-hospital and telephone counseling during 12 months. The primary outcome was the 7-day point prevalence abstinence rate 12 months after surgery. Secondary outcomes included abstinence at 3 and 6 months after surgery. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent variables related to abstinence. Results:The 7-day point prevalence abstinence at 12 months for varenicline versus placebo was 36.4% versus 25.2% (relative risk: 1.45; 95%: CI: 1.01–2.07; P = 0.04). At 3 and 6 months, the 7-day point prevalence abstinence was 43.7% versus 31.9% (relative risk: 1.37; 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.86; P = 0.04), and 35.8% versus 25.9% (relative risk: 1.43; 95%: CI 1.01–2.04; P = 0.04) for varenicline versus placebo, respectively. Treatment with varenicline (odds ratio: 1.76; 95% CI: 1.03–3.01; P = 0.04), and preoperative nicotine dependence (odds ratio: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.68 to 0.98; P = 0.03) predicted abstinence at 12 months. The adverse events profile in both groups was similar except for nausea, which occurred more frequently for varenicline versus placebo (13.3% vs. 3.7%, P = 0.004). Conclusions:A perioperative smoking cessation intervention with varenicline increased abstinence from smoking 3, 6, and 12 months after elective noncardiac surgery with no increase in serious adverse events.
Hand is a direct target of Tinman and GATA factors during Drosophila cardiogenesis and hematopoiesis

The existence of hemangioblasts, which serve as common progenitors for hematopoietic cells and cardioblasts, has suggested a molecular link between cardiogenesis and hematopoiesis in Drosophila. However, the molecular mediators that might link hematopoiesis and cardiogenesis remain unknown. Here, we show that the highly conserved basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor Hand is expressed in cardioblasts, pericardial nephrocytes and hematopoietic progenitors. The homeodomain protein Tinman and the GATA factors Pannier and Serpent directly activate Hand in these cell types through a minimal enhancer, which is necessary and sufficient to drive Hand expression in these different cell types. Hand is activated by Tinman and Pannier in cardioblasts and pericardial nephrocytes, and by Serpent in hematopoietic progenitors in the lymph gland. These findings place Hand at a nexus of the transcriptional networks that govern cardiogenesis and hematopoiesis, and indicate that the transcriptional pathways involved in development of the cardiovascular, excretory and hematopoietic systems may be more closely related than previously appreciated.
Cover Song Identification with Metric Learning Using Distance as a Feature

Most of cover song identification algorithms are based on the pairwise (dis)similarity between two songs which are represented by harmonic features such as chroma, and therefore the choice of a distance measure and a feature has a significant impact on performance. Furthermore, since the similarity measure is query-dependent, it cannot represent an absolute distance measure. In this paper, we present a novel approach to tackle the cover song identification problem from a new perspective. We first construct a set of core songs, and represent each song in a high-dimensional space where each dimension indicates the pairwise distance between the given song and the other in the pre-defined core set. There are several advantages to this. First, using a number of reference songs in the core set, we make the most of relative distances to many other songs. Second, as all songs are transformed into the same high-dimensional space, kernel methods and metric learning are exploited for distance computation. Third, our approach does not depend on the computation method for the pairwise distance, and thus can use any existing algorithms. Experimental results confirm that the proposed approach achieved a large performance gain compared to the state-of-the-art methods.
Clinicopathological evaluation of acute appendicitis and the role of ultrasound in diagnosis: a prospective study

Background: Acute appendicitis is the most common acute surgical condition of the abdomen. Delay in treatment of acute appendicitis causes lot of complication. Study was done with the objective to study the clinical and pathological presentations of acute appendicitis, to evaluate the role of ultrasound in early diagnosis of acute appendicitis and to reduce negative appendicectomy in patients.Methods: This is a prospective study done on 100 patients with acute right lower abdominal pain clinically presumed to be of appendicular origin. A thorough history, clinical examination and ultrasound scan, was done for all cases. All ultrasound positive cases were subjected to surgery and some negative cases were also taken for surgery based on clinical suspicion. The ultrasound diagnosis was compared with clinical findings, operative findings and histopathological examination reports.Results: The overall accuracy of clinical diagnosis (Alvarado scoring system) with histopathology findings was 72%. The overall sensitivity and specificity was 70.3% and 81.3% respectively and positive predictive value of was 95.2% whereas the negative predictive value was 34.2%. The overall accuracy of ultrasound with histopathology report was 93%, with a sensitivity of 96.4%, specificity of 75%, and a positive predictive value of 95% and a negative predictive value of 80%. Negative appendicectomy rate was 8.82% in females and 3.63% in males.Conclusions: The Alvarado scoring system combined with ultrasound can therefore be used as a cheap and inexpensive way of confirming acute appendicitis thus reducing negative appendicectomy rate.
The Different Effects of IFN-β and IFN-γ on the Tumor-Suppressive Activity of Human Amniotic Fluid-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Current studies have shown that type I or II interferon-modified mesenchymal stem cells have great potential for the application of tumor-targeted therapy, but the underlying mechanism remains largely elusive. Here, we compared the different effects of IFN-β and IFN-γ on the antitumor activity of human amniotic fluid-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AFMSCs) and revealed the potential mechanism. In detail, AFMSCs primed with IFN-β or IFN-β plus IFN-γ, not IFN-γ, inhibited the proliferation of cancer cells in an immunocompetent mouse H460 subcutaneous model, although they all inhibited the proliferation of cancer cells in an immunocompromised mouse H460 subcutaneous model. TRAIL expressed by IFN-β- or IFN-γ-primed AFMSCs specifically exerted the antitumor effect of AFMSCs. AFMSCs primed with IFN-γ highly expressed immunosuppressive molecule IDO1, but IFN-β counteracted the IFN-γ-initiated IDO1 expression. 1-MT (IDO1 inhibitor) decreased TRAIL, but increased IDO1 expression in AFMSCs primed with interferon. As a result, AFMSCs primed with IFN-β or IFN-γ had the antitumor activity, and 1-MT failed to enhance the antitumor effect of IFN-γ-primed AFMSC in vitro and in the immunocompromised mouse H460 subcutaneous model. Furthermore, the expression of TRAIL in AFMSCs was upregulated by apoptotic cancer cells and this positive feedback intensified the antitumor effects of IFNs-primed AFMSCs. The different target gene expression profiles of AFMSCs regulated by IFN-β and IFN-γ determined the different antitumor effects of IFN-β- and IFN-γ-primed AFMSCs on tumor cells. Our finding may help to explore a clinical strategy for cancer intervention by understanding the antitumor mechanisms of MSCs and interferon.
Brain Activation during Word Identification and Word Recognition

Previous memory research has suggested that the effects of prior study observed in priming tasks are functionally, and neurobiologically, distinct phenomena from the kind of memory expressed in conventional (explicit) memory tests. Evidence for this position comes from observed dissociations between memory scores obtained with the two kinds of tasks. However, there is continuing controversy about the meaning of these dissociations. In recent studies, Ostergaard (1998a, Memory Cognit, 26:40-60; 1998b, J. Int. Neuropsychol. Soc., in press) showed that simply degrading visual word stimuli can dramatically alter the degree to which word priming shows a dissociation from word recognition; i.e., effects of a number of factors on priming paralleled their effects on recognition memory tests when the words were degraded at test. In the present study, cerebral blood flow changes were measured while subjects performed the word identification (reading) and recognition memory tasks used previously by Ostergaard. The results are the direct comparisons of the two tasks and the effects of stimulus degradation on blood flow patterns during the tasks. Clear differences between word identification and word recognition were observed: the latter task evoked considerably more prefrontal activity and stronger cerebellar activation. Stimulus degradation was associated with focal increases in bilateral fusiform regions within the occipital lobe. No task, degradation, or item repetition effects were demonstrated in mesial temporal regions, no repetition effects were observed in any region, and there was no evidence for different effects of stimulus degradation in the priming and recognition memory conditions. Power limitations may have contributed to the null effects.
Executive Functioning in Men with Schizophrenia and Substance Use Disorders. Influence of Lifetime Suicide Attempts

Background Lifetime suicide attempts in patients with comorbidity between psychotic disorders and Substance Use Disorder (SUD), known as dual diagnosis, was associated with a worse clinical and cognitive state, poor prognosis and premature death. However, to date no previous study has examined the cognitive performance of these patients considering as independent the presence or absence of lifetime suicide attempts. Methods We explore executive functioning differences between suicide attempters and non-attempters in dual schizophrenia (DS) patients and the possible related factors for both executive performance and current suicide risk. Fifty DS male patients in remission of SUD and clinically stables, 24 with and 26 without lifetime suicide attempts, were evaluated. We considered Z scores for all neuropsychological tests and a composite summary score for both premorbid IQ and executive functioning. Results DS patients showed low performance in set-shifting, planning and problem solving tasks. Those with suicide attempts presented lower composite summary scores, together with worse problem solving skills and decision-making, compared with non-attempters. However, after controlling for alcohol dependence, only differences in decision-making remained. Executive functioning was related to the premorbid intelligence quotient, and several clinical variables (duration, severity, months of abstinence and relapses of SUD, global functioning and negative symptoms). A relationship between current suicide risk, and first-degree relatives with SUD, insight and positive symptoms was also found. Conclusions Our results suggest that problem solving and, especially, decision-making tasks might be sensitive to cognitive impairment of DS patients related to presence of lifetime suicide attempts. The assessment of these executive functions and cognitive remediation therapy when necessary could be beneficial for the effectiveness of treatment in patients with DS. However, further research is needed to expand our findings and overcome some limitations of this study.
Genetic Characterization of Hantaviruses Transmitted by the Korean Field Mouse (Apodemus peninsulae), Far East Russia

In an epizootiologic survey of 122 rodents captured in Vladivostok, Russia, antibodies positive for hantavirus were found in Apodemus peninsulae (4/70), A. agrarius (1/39), and Clethrionomys rufocanus (1/8). The hantavirus sequences identified in two seropositive A. peninsulae and two patients with hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) from the Primorye region of Far East Russia were designated as Solovey and Primorye, respectively. The nucleotide sequences of the Solovey, Primorye, and Amur (obtained through GenBank) sequences were closely related (>92% identity). Solovey and Primorye sequences shared 84% nucleotide identity with the prototype Hantaan 76-118. Phylogenetic analysis also indicated a close relationship between Solovey, Primorye, Amur, and other viruses identified in Russia, China, and Korea. Our findings suggest that the Korean field mouse (A. peninsulae) is the reservoir for a hantavirus that causes HFRS over a vast area of east Asia, including Far East Russia.
Follow-up of low-risk differentiated thyroid cancer patients who underwent radioiodine ablation of postsurgical thyroid remnants after either recombinant human thyrotropin or thyroid hormone withdrawal.

BACKGROUND We previously demonstrated comparable thyroid remnant ablation rates in postoperative low-risk thyroid cancer patients prepared for administration of 3.7GBq (131)I (100 mCi) after recombinant human (rh) TSH during T(4) (L-T4) therapy vs. withholding L-T4 (euthyroid vs. hypothyroid groups). We now compared the outcomes of these patients 3.7 yr later. PATIENTS AND METHODS Fifty-one of the 63 original patients (28 euthyroid, 23 hypothyroid) participated. Forty-eight received rhTSH and serum thyroglobulin (Tg) sampling. A (131)I whole-body scan was performed in 43 patients, and successful ablation was defined by criteria from the previous study. Based on the criterion of uptake less than 0.1% in thyroid bed, 100% (43 of 43) remained ablated. When no visible uptake instead was used, five patients (four euthyroid, one hypothyroid) had minimal visible activity. When the TSH-stimulated Tg criterion was used, only two of 45 (one euthyroid, one hypothyroid) had a stimulated Tg level greater than 2 ng/ml. RESULTS No patient in either group died, and no patient declared disease free had sustained tumor recurrence. Nine (four euthyroid, five hypothyroid) had received additional (131)I between the original and current studies due to detectable Tg or imaging evidence of disease; with follow-up, all now had a negative rhTSH-stimulated whole-body scan and seven (three euthyroid, four hypothyroid) had a stimulated serum Tg less than 2 ng/ml. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, after a median 3.7 yr, low-risk thyroid cancer patients prepared for postoperative remnant ablation either with rhTSH or after L-T4 withdrawal were confirmed to have had their thyroid remnants ablated and to have comparable rates of tumor recurrence and persistence.
The diffusion of information centers: patterns of innovation adoption by professional subunits

The rapid diffusion of information centers (ICS) since the mid1970s is a striking example of innovation by Information Systems (IS) departments responding as professional organizational subunits to substantial environmental change. This study identifies those characteristics of IS departments that correlate with the establishment of lCS. The IS department has typically provided the services now being provided by the lC and has also typically been the innovating unit associated with the IC adoption dceision. The focus here on the IS department as a professional subunit adds a new dimension to the study of organizational innovation diffusion which has generally focused on the individual or the organization. Using data from 62 firms, we found that what distinguishes adopters from nonadopters apparently and surprisingly differs from what distinguishes early from late adopters. The IS department’s likelihood of IC adoption increases as its staff size and educational background increase, and as the overall size of the host organization increases. Among adopters, the likelihood of early adoption increases with the size of the host organization atthe locations served, and with location in an information intensive industry. We speculate that the adopt/nonadopt decision may be supply driven while the timing decision may be demand driven. Future innovation research should seek to understand innovation hold-outs and how they may differ from the late majority and mere laggards among adopters.
Cyclic ADP Ribose-Dependent Ca2+ Release by Group I Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors in Acutely Dissociated Rat Hippocampal Neurons

Group I metabotropic glutamate receptors (group I mGluRs; mGluR1 and mGluR5) exert diverse effects on neuronal and synaptic functions, many of which are regulated by intracellular Ca2+. In this study, we characterized the cellular mechanisms underlying Ca2+ mobilization induced by (RS)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG; a specific group I mGluR agonist) in the somata of acutely dissociated rat hippocampal neurons using microfluorometry. We found that DHPG activates mGluR5 to mobilize intracellular Ca2+ from ryanodine-sensitive stores via cyclic adenosine diphosphate ribose (cADPR), while the PLC/IP3 signaling pathway was not involved in Ca2+ mobilization. The application of glutamate, which depolarized the membrane potential by 28.5±4.9 mV (n = 4), led to transient Ca2+ mobilization by mGluR5 and Ca2+ influx through L-type Ca2+ channels. We found no evidence that mGluR5-mediated Ca2+ release and Ca2+ influx through L-type Ca2+ channels interact to generate supralinear Ca2+ transients. Our study provides novel insights into the mechanisms of intracellular Ca2+ mobilization by mGluR5 in the somata of hippocampal neurons.
Geographic variation of multiple paternity in the American lobster, Homarus americanus

We studied the frequency of multiple paternity for American lobster (Homarus americanus) at three Canadian sites differing in exploitation rate and mean adult size. The probability of detecting multiple paternity using four microsatellite loci and 100 eggs per female was in excess of 99% under various scenarios of paternal contribution. Overall, 13% of the 108 examined females carried a clutch sired by two or three males. Multiple paternity was observed at the two most exploited sites (11% at Magdalen Islands and 28% at Grand Manan Island), whereas single paternity only was observed at the least exploited site (Anticosti Island). Within populations females with a clutch sired by more than one male tended to be smaller than females with a clutch sired by a single male. Based on these and other findings, we postulate a link between female promiscuity and sperm limitation in the American lobster.