Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
New roles for public health in cancer screening

Screening tests for the early detection of breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer are prioritized clinical preventive services that can reduce the burden of cancer in the United States. 1 While significant progress has been made in this area, screening rates for breast and cervical cancers have not improved in almost a decade and rates for colorectal cancer are unacceptably low. Lack of insurance has traditionally been the main factor preventing adults from obtaining cancer screening. 2 Components of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will help address this through Medicaid expansion, subsidized state insurance exchanges, and the elimination of cost sharing. However, access to health insurance and medical care are not the only factors that limit participation in cancer screening. Many people who currently have health insurance and regular access to medical care are not being screened. Based on 2010 National Health Interview Survey data, among adults aged 50 to 75 years with a regular source of medical care, only 62% were up to date with screening for colorectal cancer and only 75% of women in this age range had received a mammogram within the preceding 2 years. 3 Analyses of national Medicare data revealed that, despite coverage of cancer screening services, only 66% of eligible women had undergone a mammogram within the past 2 years 4 and only 47% of adults had insurance claims documenting adequate screening for colorectal cancer. 5 To realize the full potential of anticipated improvements in access to care, public health must provide leadership to ensure that cancer screening is proactive, organized, and equitable.
PARTICIPATION OF RURAL YOUTH IN PADDY FARMING IN ANAND DISTRICT OF GUJARAT STATE

India is said to be the land of youth and villages. Its 72 per cent population resides in rural area, with farming as their main occupation and contributes to the extent of 30 per cent national income. However, Indian agriculture still assumes the character of traditional farming because of reluctance of farming population particularly the old aged to accept the modern technology. Rural youth are expected to be more progressive than old people. The number of youth in the age group of 13-35 years, as per the 1991 Census, was estimated at about 34 crores, and about 38 crores in 1997, which is anticipated to increase to about 51 crores by the year 2016. The percentage of youth in the total population, according to the 1996 Census projections is estimated to be about 37 per cent in 1997.It is also likely to increase about 40 per
Decoupled compressed cache: Exploiting spatial locality for energy-optimized compressed caching

In multicore processor systems, last-level caches (LLCs) play a crucial role in reducing system energy by i) filtering out expensive accesses to main memory and ii) reducing the time spent executing in high-power states. Cache compression can increase effective cache capacity and reduce misses, improve performance, and potentially reduce system energy. However, previous compressed cache designs have demonstrated only limited benefits due to internal fragmentation and limited tags. In this paper, we propose the Decoupled Compressed Cache (DCC), which exploits spatial locality to improve both the performance and energy-efficiency of cache compression. DCC uses decoupled super-blocks and non-contiguous sub-block allocation to decrease tag overhead without increasing internal fragmentation. Non-contiguous sub-blocks also eliminate the need for energy-expensive re-compaction when a block's size changes. Compared to earlier compressed caches, DCC increases normalized effective capacity to a maximum of 4 and an average of 2.2 for a wide range of workloads. A further optimized Co-DCC (Co-Compacted DCC) design improves the average normalized effective capacity to 2.6 by co-compacting the compressed blocks in a super-block. Our simulations show that DCC nearly doubles the benefits of previous compressed caches with similar area overhead. We also demonstrate a practical DCC design based on a recent commercial LLC design.
The Alternative Oxidase AOX Does Not Rescue the Phenotype of tko25t Mutant Flies

A point mutation [technical knockout25t (tko25t)] in the Drosophila gene coding for mitoribosomal protein S12 generates a phenotype of developmental delay and bang sensitivity. tko25t has been intensively studied as an animal model for human mitochondrial diseases associated with deficiency of mitochondrial protein synthesis and consequent multiple respiratory chain defects. Transgenic expression in Drosophila of the alternative oxidase (AOX) derived from Ciona intestinalis has previously been shown to mitigate the toxicity of respiratory chain inhibitors and to rescue mutant and knockdown phenotypes associated with cytochrome oxidase deficiency. We therefore tested whether AOX expression could compensate the mutant phenotype of tko25t using the GeneSwitch system to activate expression at different times in development. The developmental delay of tko25t was not mitigated by expression of AOX throughout development. AOX expression for 1 d after eclosion, or continuously throughout development, had no effect on the bang sensitivity of tko25t adults, and continued expression in adults older than 30 d also produced no amelioration of the phenotype. In contrast, transgenic expression of the yeast alternative NADH dehydrogenase Ndi1 was synthetically semi-lethal with tko25t and was lethal when combined with both AOX and tko25t. We conclude that AOX does not rescue tko25t and that the mutant phenotype is not solely due to limitations on electron flow in the respiratory chain, but rather to a more complex metabolic defect. The future therapeutic use of AOX in disorders of mitochondrial translation may thus be of limited value.
Publishing trends and productivity in insect taxonomy from 1946 through 2012 based on an analysis of the Zoological Record for four species-rich families

Insect taxonomy is fundamental to global biodiversity research, but few studies have been conducted to track progress in this field using objective criteria. This study reports publishing trends in the taxonomy of four diverse, globally-distributed insect families from 1946 to 2012 to elucidate recent progress and the current status of insect taxonomy. Publications included in the Zoological Record online literature database were analyzed for Cicadellidae (leafhoppers), Miridae (plant bugs), Pyralidae (moths) and Staphylinidae (rove beetles). Data on numbers of new species, article length, species description length, authorship and collaborations, and taxonomic journals were extracted and compiled for each year. The results showed that (1) the number of taxonomic papers increased before 1980, followed by a steep decline with subsequent partial recovery; (2) the number of papers describing new species generally mirrored the trend in numbers of new species, suggesting no overall change in the proportion of larger, synthetic works (monographs) and more such work is encouraged; (3) the average number of new species described per publication decreased over the time period investigated, but with an increase in the average description pages per new species; (4) researchers from Europe and North America continue to produce the most taxonomic research on three of the four families, but the main center for Cicadellidae taxonomy has recently shifted to Asia; (5) collaboration among authors within and across continents has increased as indicated by increases in coauthored papers; and (6) journal prevalence differed for the four families and the top 10 most utilized journals for each family were given out for reference. Based on the analysis of the publication trend of the four families, we found that the overall trend toward increasing rates of species discovery is encouraging. But more human resources training and financial support on taxonomic work are required in order to complete a global faunistic inventory in a reasonable timeframe. Future study that conducts more in-depth and comprehensive analysis based on more families is required to reflect the overall trend of the insect taxonomy.
Imitation Dynamic and Nash Equilibrium in Cournot Oligopoly with Capacities

The paper considers an imitation dynamic in the context of Cournot oligopoly. The pure "imitate-the-best" behavior can lead to an outcome inconsistent with Cournot-Nash equilibrium. The paper extends purely imitative behavior to imperfect imitation in the two-stage model with capacities and prices. This variation in the imitative behavior improves efficiency and makes the Cournot-Nash equilibrium a possible outcome of the dynamic imitation process.
Thoracoscopy or CT-guided biopsy for residual intrathoracic masses after treatment of lymphoma.

BACKGROUND An intrathoracic mass persists after completion of treatment in 20% of the patients treated for Hodgkin's disease (HD) or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Gallium scan and positron emission tomography allow for diagnosis in most cases. However, in some patients, a pathologic examination of the residual mass (RM) is required. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of a thoracoscopic approach for intrathoracic RM, as compared with image-guided biopsies. PATIENTS AND METHODS From 1996 to 1998, 29 consecutive patients treated for NLH (n = 11) or HD (n = 18) were referred either to radiology (group R; n = 8) or to surgery (group S; n = 21) for biopsy of an intrathoracic RM. There were 13 male and 16 female patients ranging in age from 15 to 56 years (mean, 32 years). The reason for a biopsy was the inability to determine the nature of the RM by means of radiologic examination or scintigraphy. Biopsy was defined as successful when (1) residual lymphoma was found in the specimen, or (2) benign tissue was found and the patient remained disease-free after a minimal follow-up period of 12 months. A biopsy was defined as a failure when a local recurrence occurred in a patient with a diagnosis of benign lesion. RESULTS No significant procedure-related complications occurred in either group. The mean follow-up was 26 months (range, 13 to 72 months). In group R, residual lymphoma was found in only one patient. In group S, residual lymphoma was found in seven patients (p = 0.5). In the seven patients of group R with a diagnosis of benign mediastinal lesion, two patients had a local recurrence and one had a recurrence within the abdomen. In the 15 patients of group S in whom no residual disease was found, 1 patient had an intrathoracic recurrence (p = 0.5) while 2 patients had recurrence in a remote site. CONCLUSION Despite the limited number of patients in this series, results suggest that a thoracoscopic approach yields better data than image-guided biopsies.
Cardiometabolic Risk in US Army Recruits and the Effects of Basic Combat Training

Background Cardiometabolic disease risk in US military recruits and the effects of military training have not been determined. This study examined lifestyle factors and biomarkers associated with cardiometabolic risk in US Army recruits (209; 118 male, 91 female, 23±5 yr) before, during, and after basic combat training (BCT). Methodology/Principal Findings Anthropometrics; fasting total (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol; triglycerides (TG); glucose; and insulin were measured at baseline and every 3 wks during the 10 wk BCT course. At baseline, 14% of recruits were obese (BMI>30 kg/m2), 27% were cigarette smokers, 37% were sedentary, and 34% reported a family history of cardiometabolic disease. TC was above recommended levels in 8%, LDL in 39%, TG in 5%, and glucose in 8% of recruits, and HDL was below recommended levels in 33% of recruits at baseline. By week 9, TC decreased 8%, LDL 10%, TG 13%, glucose 6% and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) 40% in men (P<0.05). In women, TC, LDL, glucose and HOMA-IR were decreased from baseline at weeks 3 and 6 (P<0.05), but were not different from baseline levels at week 9. During BCT, body weight declined in men but not women, while body fat percentage declined in both men and women (P<0.05). Conclusions/Significance At the start of military service, the prevalence of cardiometabolic risk in US military recruits is comparable to that reported in similar, college-aged populations. Military training appears to be an effective strategy that may mitigate risk in young people through improvements in lipid profiles and glycemic control.
Senescent Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Drive Inflammation Through an Interleukin-1α–Dependent Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype

Objective—Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) that become senescent are both present within atherosclerotic plaques and thought to be important to the disease process. However, senescent VSMCs are generally considered to only contribute through inaction, with failure to proliferate resulting in VSMC- and collagen-poor unstable fibrous caps. Whether senescent VSMCs can actively contribute to atherogenic processes, such as inflammation, is unknown. Approach and Results—We find that senescent human VSMCs develop a proinflammatory state known as a senescence-associated secretory phenotype. Senescent human VSMCs release high levels of multiple cytokines and chemokines driven by secreted interleukin-1&agr; acting in an autocrine manner. Consequently, the VSMC senescence-associated secretory phenotype promotes chemotaxis of mononuclear cells in vitro and in vivo. In addition, senescent VSMCs release active matrix metalloproteinase-9, secrete less collagen, upregulate multiple inflammasome components, and prime adjacent endothelial cells and VSMCs to a proadhesive and proinflammatory state. Importantly, maintaining the senescence-associated secretory phenotype places a large metabolic burden on senescent VSMCs, such that they can be selectively killed by inhibiting glucose utilization. Conclusions—Senescent VSMCs may actively contribute toward the chronic inflammation associated with atherosclerosis through the interleukin-1&agr;–driven senescence-associated secretory phenotype and the priming of adjacent cells to a proatherosclerotic state. These data also suggest that inhibition of this potentially important source of chronic inflammation in atherosclerosis requires blockade of interleukin-1&agr; and not interleukin-1&bgr;.
Novel antimicrobial secondary metabolites from a Penicillium sp. isolated from Brazilian cerrado soil.

Electronic Journal of Biotechnology ISSN: 0717-3458 Vol.12 No.4, Issue of October 15, 2009 © 2009 by Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso -- Chile Received May 25, 2008 / Accepted September 6, 2009
Pharmacometabolomic Assessment of Metformin in Non-diabetic, African Americans

Millions of individuals are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), which increases the risk for a plethora of adverse outcomes including cardiovascular events and kidney disease. Metformin is the most widely prescribed medication for the treatment of T2D; however, its mechanism is not fully understood and individuals vary in their response to this therapy. Here, we use a non-targeted, pharmacometabolomics approach to measure 384 metabolites in 33 non-diabetic, African American subjects dosed with metformin. Three plasma samples were obtained from each subject, one before and two after metformin administration. Validation studies were performed in wildtype mice given metformin. Fifty-four metabolites (including 21 unknowns) were significantly altered upon metformin administration, and 12 metabolites (including six unknowns) were significantly associated with metformin-induced change in glucose (q < 0.2). Of note, indole-3-acetate, a metabolite produced by gut microbes, and 4-hydroxyproline were modulated following metformin exposure in both humans and mice. 2-Hydroxybutanoic acid, a metabolite previously associated with insulin resistance and an early biomarker of T2D, was positively correlated with fasting glucose levels as well as glucose levels following oral glucose tolerance tests after metformin administration. Pathway analysis revealed that metformin administration was associated with changes in a number of metabolites in the urea cycle and in purine metabolic pathways (q < 0.01). Further research is needed to validate the biomarkers of metformin exposure and response identified in this study, and to understand the role of metformin in ammonia detoxification, protein degradation and purine metabolic pathways.
Patients' Perceptions of Screening for Health Literacy: Reactions to the Newest Vital Sign

Difficulties in caring for patients with limited health literacy have prompted interest in health literacy screening. Several prior studies, however, have suggested that health literacy testing can lead to feelings of shame and stigmatization. In this study, we examine patient reaction to the Newest Vital Sign (NVS), a screening instrument developed specifically for use in primary care. Data were collected in 2008 in the Morehouse School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine Primary Care Clinics, where health literacy screening was implemented as part of routine intake procedures. Following the visit, patients completed a series of questions assessing their screening experiences. A total of 179 patients completed both the NVS and the reaction survey. Nearly all (> 99%) patients reported that the screening did not cause them to feel shameful. There were also no differences in the reported prevalence of shame (p ≤ .33) by literacy level. Finally, when asked if they would recommend clinical screening, 97% of patients answered in the affirmative. These results suggest that screening for limited health literacy in primary care may not automatically elicit feelings of shame. Even patients with the lowest levels of literacy were both comfortable with and strongly supportive of clinical screening.
The effects of propofol and memantine on erythrocyte deformability.

OBJECTIVE Propofol is an intravenous general anesthetic with a primary hypnotic effect. Memantine is an NMDA receptor antagonist that has been shown to reverse changes in memory and synaptic plasticity in animal models. This study aims to investigates whether propofol and/or memantine has any effects on erythrocyte deformability. METHODS 24 Wistar albino rats were divided randomly into four groups. Group P received 150 mg.kg-1 propofol intraperitoneally (ip); Group M received 1 mg.kg-1 memantine (ip); Group PM received 1 mg.kg-1 memantine mg.kg-1 ip 30 minutes before the administration of 150 mg.kg-1 propofol; and the control group (Group C) received saline ip. Euthanasia was performed in all rats by using intraabdominal blood uptake. The heparinized whole blood samples were used to prepare erythrocyte suspensions, from which erythrocyte suspensions were formed with a PBS buffer solution containing 5% htc, and the deformability parameters were measured. RESULTS Erythrocyte deformability was significantly higher in Groups P, M and PM when compared to the Group C (p = 0.007 and p = 0.001, p <0.0001, respectively); while the erythrocyte deformability indices were similar in groups P, M and PM. CONCLUSION The administration of propofol and memantine altered the erythrocyte deformability in the rats, which may lead to further problems in microcirculation. The administration of memantine to the propofol-treated rats did not alter the erythrocyte deformability; however the early results should be verified through further experimental and clinical studies (Fig. 1, Ref. 23).
The R563Q mutation of the epithelial sodium channel beta-subunit is associated with hypertension

Background A high prevalence of the R563Q mutation of the epithelial sodium channel β-subunit has been reported in South African hypertensives compared with unrelated normotensive controls. To delineate the effects of this mutation against a more uniform genetic background, this study investigated the association of the mutation with hypertension within affected kindreds. Methods Forty-five index patients and members of their kindreds were studied. Blood pressure, serum potassium and the presence of the R563Q mutation were determined. Results Of the 136 individuals studied, 89 were heterozygous for the R563Q mutation and 47 homozygous RR. The mean arterial pressure was significantly higher in the R563Q heterozygous group (p = 0.005) after adjusting for gender, race, age and kindred membership. Of the R563Q heterozygous subjects, 71 (80%) had hypertension, while 17 (36%) of the R563Q homozygous RR subjects were hypertensive. Six R563Q heterozygous subjects had hypokalaemia and one R563Q homozygous RR subject had hypokalaemia, but the difference was not statistically significant. Two heterozygous patients had Liddle’s syndrome, both occurring during pregnancy. Conclusion The R563Q mutation of β-ENaC is associated with hypertension within affected kindreds, but does not usually cause the full Liddle’s syndrome phenotype.
A semantic model of events for integrating photovoltaic monitoring data

Solar plants typically consist of several thousands of passive photovoltaic modules that are connected via thousands of string boxes to hundreds of inverters. In addition, a solar plant has meteo-sensors, power meters and control switches. All these components continuously generate data that is collected by monitoring systems or SCADA systems on-site. From there onwards, this data is pushed to remote analysis servers. The optimal exploitation of this data is hampered by a lack of harmonisation and standardisation in the photovoltaic domain. The data-generating components originate from several different manufacturers, models and versions, and their output is thus not easily commensurable. Crucial for this paper is the fact that conceptually identical failure events are not logged with the same identifying labels. Therefore, every analysis of monitoring system data coming from photovoltaic plants needs an initial integration step to resolve this labeling issue. Our proposal is to facilitate the integration with semantic modelling by means of creating a photovoltaic event ontology with an SWRL reasoning layer.
Moral elevation reduces prejudice against gay men

Disgust is linked to social evaluation. People with higher disgust sensitivity exhibit more sexual prejudice, and inducing disgust increases sexual prejudice. We tested whether inducing moral elevation, the theoretical opposite of disgust, would reduce sexual prejudice. In four studies (N = 3622), we induced elevation with inspiring videos and then measured sexual prejudice with implicit and explicit measures. Compared to control videos that elicited no particular affective state, we found that elevation reduced implicit and explicit sexual prejudice, albeit very slightly. No effect was observed when the target of social evaluation was changed to race (Black–White). Inducing amusement, another positive emotion, did not significantly affect sexual prejudice. We conclude that elevation weakly but reliably reduces prejudice towards gay men.
Sensory mapping of lip representation in brass musicians with embouchure dystonia

Embouchure dystonia is a focal task-specific disorder involving abnormal non-coordinated movements and involuntary muscle contraction around the mouth. In professional brass players it is often so disabling that patients have to limit or give up their occupation. We examined the somatosensory homuncular representation and measured gap detection sensitivity of the lips in eight former professional musicians affected by embouchure dystonia and eight control subjects. Relative to controls, the patients' digit, and especially the thumb, representations were shifted in a lateral direction towards the lip representational zone. Patients' upper lips showed decreased sensitivity compared to their lower lips (p < 0.01). This asymmetry result was absent in controls. Abnormal somatosensory reorganization may contribute to the disorder.