Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association of Race/Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Status, Acculturation, and Environmental Factors with Risk of Overweight Among Adolescents in California, 2003

Introduction Little has been published about racial/ethnic differences in the prevalence of overweight among adolescents that accounts in detail for socioeconomic status, acculturation, and behavioral and environmental factors. Increased understanding of factors associated with overweight can provide a rational basis for developing interventions to address the obesity epidemic in the United States. Methods Using a cross-sectional analysis of data from adolescents who participated in the California Health Interview Survey 2003, we estimated the prevalence of overweight and at risk of overweight, combined as a single measure (AROW, body mass index ≥85th percentile). We used logistic regression models to examine associations between AROW and risk factors. Results Twenty-nine percent of California adolescents were AROW. The prevalence of AROW differed significantly by sex and race. Boys were more likely than girls to be AROW (33% vs 25%). American Indians/Pacific Islanders/others (39%) were at highest risk, followed by Hispanics (37%), blacks (35%), whites (23%), and Asians (15%). For boys, older age, Hispanic or American Indian/Pacific Islander/other race/ethnicity, lower education of parents, and longer residence in the United States were significantly associated with AROW. For girls, Hispanic or black race/ethnicity, lower education of parents, and poor dietary habits were significantly associated with AROW. Conclusion The high prevalence of AROW among California adolescents in most racial/ethnic groups indicates the need for culturally specific and appropriate interventions to prevent and treat overweight.
Bereaved Parents’ Health Status During the First 6 Months After Their Child’s Death

Purpose: To examine bereaved parents’ physical, mental, and social health during the first 6 months after their child’s (<12 years) death from a life-threatening illness. Background and Significance: Bereaved parents have higher mortality and morbidity rates when compared to nonbereaved parents. Acute illnesses, hospitalizations, and medication changes are highest in the first 6 months. An understanding of bereaved parents’ health risk indicators can help inform development of health promotion and disease prevention measures. Methods and Analysis: A prospective descriptive study examined 8 parent dyads. Parents completed health surveys (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System–global, social, and sleep; Brief Symptom Inventory [BSI] 18), which are used to assess parents’ health at 3 and 6 months after their child’s death. Demographic data included a medical history, hospital or emergency department visits, and smoking and alcohol intake. Descriptive statistics were used to compare parents’ scores to US general population scores. Findings: Mothers’ and fathers’ physical, mental, and sleep health scores were typically within 1 to 2 standard deviations of the population norms. However, their social health scores were as low as 3 standard deviations and all parents’ scores were below population norms. Four (25%) of the 16 parents had new diagnosis during the first 6 months. Based on the BSI-18, 3 parents had their scores above population cutoffs, which warranted a need for further clinical evaluation. Conclusions: Health data highlight the “at-risk” health status of bereaved parents. Further validation of these data is required to support the development of health promotion and disease prevention programs.
The Comorbidity of Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders Among Hispanic Adolescents

ABSTRACT Objective: The comorbidity of psychiatric disorders and substance abuse disorders among adolescents and adults is well-documented in the literature. The current study investigates the relationship between psychiatric and substance use disorders in a sample of treatment-seeking Hispanic adolescents. Methods: The study uses baseline data (N = 190) from a randomized control trial testing the effectiveness of a family-based treatment for Hispanic adolescents with substance abuse disorder to examine the relationship between psychiatric disorders and substance use patterns at baseline, including types of substances used (both lifetime use and past-month use) and age at onset of substance use, controlling for age and gender. Results: Linear regression models were used to examine predictors of age at onset, while logistic regression models examined predictors of lifetime substance use. Significant findings predicting age at onset for marijuana and alcohol are discussed. In addition, psychiatric profiles were differentially associated with lifetime use of sedatives, stimulants, and hallucinogens, but not alcohol or marijuana. Conclusions: Findings from this study can be used to help inform the treatment of adolescents seeking mental health and substance use services.
New Approaches and Therapeutics Targeting Apoptosis in Disease

Apoptosis, the major form of cellular suicide, is central to various physiological processes and the maintenance of homeostasis in multicellular organisms. Presumably, even more important is a causative or contributing role of apoptosis to various human diseases. These include situations with unwanted cell accumulation (cancer) and failure to eradicate aberrant cells (autoimmune diseases) or disorders with an inappropriate loss of cells (heart failure, stroke, AIDS, neurodegenerative diseases, and liver injury). The past decade has witnessed a tremendous progress in the knowledge of the molecular mechanisms that regulate apoptosis and the mediators that either prevent or trigger cell death. Consequently, apoptosis regulators have emerged as key targets for the design of therapeutic strategies aimed at modulating cellular life-and-death decisions. Numerous novel approaches are currently being followed employing gene therapy and antisense strategies, recombinant biologics, or classical organic and combinatorial chemistry to target specific apoptotic regulators. Convincing proof-of-principle evidence obtained in several animal models confirms the validity of strategies targeting apoptosis and revealed an enormous potential for therapeutic intervention in a variety of illnesses. Although numerous apoptotic drugs are currently being developed, several therapeutics have progressed to clinical testing or are already approved and marketed. Here we review the recent progress of apoptosis-based therapies and survey some highlights in a very promising field of drug development.
SEAL: a framework for developing SEmantic PortALs

The core idea of the Semantic Web is to make information accessible to human and software agents on a semantic basis. Hence, Web sites may feed directly from the Semantic Web exploiting the underlying structures for human and machine access. We have developed a domain-independent approach for developing semantic portals, viz. SEAL (SEmantic portAL), that exploits semantics for providing and accessing information at a portal as well as constructing and maintaining the portal. In this paper we focus on semantics-based means that make semantic Web sites accessible from the outside, i.e. semantics-based browsing, semantic querying, querying with semantic similarity, and machine access to semantic information. In particular, we focus on methods for acquiring and structuring community information as well as methods for sharing information.As a case study we refer to the AIFB portal - a place that is increasingly driven by Semantic Web technologies. We also discuss lessons learned from the ontology development of the AIFB portal.
Distinct Cell Guidance Pathways Controlled by the Rac and Rho GEF Domains of UNC-73/TRIO in Caenorhabditis elegans

The cytoskeleton regulator UNC-53/NAV2 is required for both the anterior and posterior outgrowth of several neurons as well as that of the excretory cell while the kinesin-like motor VAB-8 is essential for most posteriorly directed migrations in Caenorhabditis elegans. Null mutations in either unc-53 or vab-8 result in reduced posterior excretory canal outgrowth, while double null mutants display an enhanced canal extension defect, suggesting the genes act in separate pathways to control this posteriorly directed outgrowth. Genetic analysis of putative interactors of UNC-53 or VAB-8, and cell-specific rescue experiments suggest that VAB-8, SAX-3/ROBO, SLT-1/Slit, and EVA-1 are functioning together in the outgrowth of the excretory canals, while UNC-53 appears to function in a parallel pathway with UNC-71/ADAM. The known VAB-8 interactor, the Rac/Rho GEF UNC-73/TRIO operates in both pathways, as isoform specific alleles exhibit enhancement of the phenotype in double-mutant combination with either unc-53 or vab-8. On the basis of these results, we propose a bipartite model for UNC-73/TRIO activity in excretory canal extension: a cell autonomous function that is mediated by the Rho-specific GEF domain of the UNC-73E isoform in conjunction with UNC-53 and UNC-71 and a cell nonautonomous function that is mediated by the Rac-specific GEF domain of the UNC-73B isoform, through partnering with VAB-8 and the receptors SAX-3 and EVA-1.
Why is it so Hard to Govern Higher Education? The University as a Public Corporation

In order to function, higher education has to rely on the sectarian individualism of academics who seek wider intellectual and social reputation as a substitute for the private distribution of residuals. This frames governance as a positive sum game, and makes collective action possible. Since there are no veritable standards of operating performance, the governance process is contingent more on generalized trust and less on administrative fiat. Collegial governance is also required by the nature of the critical assets, represented by human capital. The separation between ownership and control, which represents the hallmark of the public corporation, is untenable in higher education, unless academics are denied the right to self-ownership. The main agency costs of academic autonomy is posturing and intellectual patronage. The managerial impetus has produced debatable results so far. While focus, operating performance, and student satisfaction appear to have improved, the scope for opportunism and expropriation of taxpayers might have also increased.
Structural characterization of shale oil obtained by Soxhlet extraction

Organic matter recovery by solvent extraction has been the focus of numerous research area. In this work, recovery of organic matter from oil shale was evaluated by using Soxhelt extraction. Better oil extraction was reported after preheating of the shale to 300°C in inert atmosphere. The extracted oil was fractionated to asphaltenes, aliphatics, aromatics, and polar compounds with percentages of 4.2%, 52.6%, 20.9%, and 22.3% respectively. Compared with thermal retorting, the oil obtained by solvent extraction has higher aliphatics and polar compounds. Following a proper design of experiments, oil recovery was correlated with the following experimental factors:Extraction OM% = 7.39 + 2.23 Temp + 0.20 Mass – 0.34 PS − 0.022 Ext Time + 0.13 Temp × Mass – 0.28 Temp × PS – 0.30 Mass × PS. The results indicated that preheating temperature and mass of oil shale were positively correlated with oil extraction. However, particle size/preheating temperature and mass/particle size were negatively interacted for better oil extraction. Optimum conditions for oil recovery were accomplished using tetrahydrofuran at solid‐to‐liquid ratio of 50:1 g/mL, particle size 200−250 μm, and extraction time of 8.0 hr.
Competing causes of death and medical comorbidities among patients with human papillomavirus-positive vs human papillomavirus-negative oropharyngeal carcinoma and impact on adherence to radiotherapy.

IMPORTANCE Survival of patients with head and neck cancer can be affected by competing causes of mortality, as well as comorbidities that result in radiation treatment interruptions. OBJECTIVE To discern how differences in preexisting medical and psychosocial comorbidities potentially influence adherence to radiation therapy according to human papillomavirus (HPV) status. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Retrospective analysis at a comprehensive cancer center of 162 consecutive patients with locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx treated with primary chemoradiation (n = 95) or primary surgery followed by adjuvant radiation (n = 67). Immunostaining for p16 was used to determine HPV status. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Difference in alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use was compared between patients with HPV-positive and HPV-negative tumors, as well as the prevalence of the following comorbidities: diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), anxiety disorder, and major depression. The number of total missed treatment days was analyzed as both a continuous and categorical variable. RESULTS Rates of self-reported heavy alcohol use (47% vs 16%; P = .02) and any marijuana use (47% vs 23%; P = .003) were significantly higher among HPV-negative patients. Fifty-four percent of HPV-positive patients self-identified as never smokers, compared with only 12% of HPV-negative patients (P < .001). HPV-negative patients had more missed treatment days (mean, 2.8 vs 1.7 days; P = .02), as well as an increased rate of at least 5 missed days (24% vs 10%; P = .04), and higher prevalences of COPD (12% vs 7%; P = .37) and anxiety disorder (12% vs 6%; P = .35). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Pronounced differences exist in lifestyle habits between patients with HPV-negative and HPV-positive oropharyngeal cancer at diagnosis. These differences, as well as those of medical and psychosocial burden, may contribute to observed discrepancies in treatment adherence and need to be considered in outcomes reporting and clinical trial design.
Allyl isothiocyanate depletes glutathione and upregulates expression of glutathione S-transferases in Arabidopsis thaliana

Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) is a phytochemical associated with plant defense in plants from the Brassicaceae family. AITC has long been recognized as a countermeasure against external threats, but recent reports suggest that AITC is also involved in the onset of defense-related mechanisms such as the regulation of stomatal aperture. However, the underlying cellular modes of action in plants remain scarcely investigated. Here we report evidence of an AITC-induced depletion of glutathione (GSH) and the effect on gene expression of the detoxification enzyme family glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) in Arabidopsis thaliana. Treatment of A. thaliana wild-type with AITC resulted in a time- and dose-dependent depletion of cellular GSH. AITC-exposure of mutant lines vtc1 and pad2-1 with elevated and reduced GSH-levels, displayed enhanced and decreased AITC-tolerance, respectively. AITC-exposure also led to increased ROS-levels in the roots and loss of chlorophyll which are symptoms of oxidative stress. Following exposure to AITC, we found that GSH rapidly recovered to the same level as in the control plant, suggesting an effective route for replenishment of GSH or a rapid detoxification of AITC. Transcriptional analysis of genes encoding GSTs showed an upregulation in response to AITC. These findings demonstrate cellular effects by AITC involving a reversible depletion of the GSH-pool, induced oxidative stress, and elevated expression of GST-encoding genes.
α2‐Adrenergic Receptors in Neuronal and Glial Cultures: Characterization and Comparison

Abstract: Membranes prepared from either neuronal or glial cultures contain α2‐adrenergic receptors as determined by the characteristics of [3H]yohimbine ([3H]YOH) binding. The binding was rapid, reversible, saturable, dependent on the protein concentration used, and reached equilibrium by 5 min in membranes from both neuronal and glial cultures. Scatchard analyses of saturation isotherms revealed similar KD values of 13.7 ± 1.35 nM (n = 10) for neuronal cultures and 18.42 ± 2.34 nM (n = 10) for glial cultures. Glial cultures contained many more binding sites for [3H]YOH than neuronal cultures, having a 5max of 1.6 ± 0.33 pmol/mg protein (n = 10) compared with 0.143 ± 0.018 pmol/mg protein (n = 10) in neurons. Drugs selective for α2‐adrenergic receptors were the most effective displacers of [3H]YOH binding in both neuronal and glial cultures, i.e., the α2‐adrenergic antagonists rauwolscine and yohimbine were better displacers than the other catecholamine antagonists prazosin, corynan‐thine, or propranolol. The agonists showed the same pattern with the α2‐selective drugs clonidine and naphazoline being the most effective competitors for the [3H]YOH site. GTP and its nonhydrolyzable analog, 5′‐guanylyl‐imidodiphos‐phate, were able to lower the affinity of the α2‐receptors for agonists but not antagonists in membranes from both neuronal and glial cultures, suggesting that the receptors are linked to a G protein in both cell types. The presence of α2‐adrenergic receptors in neuronal cultures was also substantiated by light microscopic autoradiography of [3H]YOH binding. In summary, we have demonstrated that both neuronal and glial cultures contain α‐adrenoceptors.
Crizotinib – a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that stimulates immunogenic cell death

ABSTRACT Crizotinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) approved for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancers (NSLCL) and lymphomas expressing activating translocations or mutations of oncogenic tyrosine kinases (in particular ALK and ROS1). We recently observed that high-dose (final concentration in vivo: ~10 µM) crizotinib can induce immunogenic cell death (ICD) in cancer cells lacking ALK/ROS1 activation through off-target effects that require the inhibition of several other tyrosine kinases. When combined with cisplatin (which alone does not induce ICD), crizotinib sensitizes NSCLC models to subsequent immunotherapy with PD-1 blockade, allowing to cure more than 90% of established orthotopic cancers. Of note, simultaneous treatment of mice with cisplatin, crizotinib and PD-1 blocking antibodies causes acute hepatotoxicity that can be avoided by a sequential regimen involving initial treatment with cisplatin plus crizotinib, followed by PD-1 blockade one week later. It will be important to translate these results obtained in mice into a clinical trial in NSCLC patients.
AutoBlackTest: Automatic Black-Box Testing of Interactive Applications

Automatic test case generation is a key ingredient of an efficient and cost-effective software verification process. In this paper we focus on testing applications that interact with the users through a GUI, and present AutoBlackTest, a technique to automatically generate test cases at the system level. AutoBlackTest uses reinforcement learning, in particular Q-Learning, to learn how to interact with the application under test and stimulate its functionalities. The empirical results show that AutoBlackTest can execute a relevant portion of the code of the application under test, and can reveal previously unknown problems by working at the system level and interacting only through the GUI.
Anti-inflammatory activity of elicited soybean (Glycine max) extract on Balb/C mice (Mus musculus) with high-fat and -fructose diet

Obesity causes adipocyte hypertrophy, which leads to cell death. Consequently, macrophages and lymphocytes infiltrate into the adipose tissue and elevate pro-inflammatory cytokine production through TLR activation. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of soybean extract, which was elicited by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and light, as an anti-inflammatory agent in mice with a high-fat and -fructose diet (HFFD). The elicited soybean extract (ESE) was administered orally to mice for four weeks after being given an HFFD for 20 weeks. Three different doses were used: (1) low-dose (78 mg/kg BW); (2) normal dose (104 mg/kg BW); and (3) high dose (130 mg/kg BW). HFFD mice model treated with simvastatin 2.8 mg/kg BW considered as drug control. After 24 weeks, the lymphocytes were isolated and the relative number of CD4+TLR3+ T, CD4+TLR4+ T, CD4+TNF-α+ T, and CD4+IFN-γ+ T cells were analysed using flow cytometry. The results showed that the HFFD mouse model had an increased number of CD4+TLR3+ T, CD4+TLR4+ T, CD4+TNF-α+ T, and CD4+IFN-γ+ T cells. ESE administration decreased the relative number of CD4+TLR3+ T, CD4+TLR4+ T, CD4+TNF-α+ T, and CD4+IFN-γ+ T cells. The normal dose of ESE is the most effective dose in suppressing inflammation compared to positive controls. ESE 104 mg/kg BW can be considered as an alternative herbal medicine that may suppress inflammation in HFFD mice.
Psychometric Properties of the French Adaptation of the Multidimensional Body Self Relations Questionnaire–Appearance Scales

The present study investigated the psychometric properties of the French adaptation of the Multidimensional Body Self Relations Questionnaire–Appearance Scales, a widely used instrument in body image research. The questionnaire is composed of five subscales: Appearance Orientation, Appearance Evaluation, Overweight Preoccupation, Self-classified Weight, and the Body Areas Satisfaction Scale. Exploratory factor analyses were conducted on a sample of 765 subjects for the first two subscales. As expected, the analyses yielded two factors: Appearance Orientation and Appearance Evaluation. Internal consistencies ranged between . 66 and . 88 and test-retest reliabilities ranged between . 78 and . 85 for the five subscales. Appearance evaluation and the Body Areas Satisfaction Scale showed good convergent validity with the Body Image Questionnaire. Validity was supported by comparing scores for sex, for groups according to body mass index (underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese), and by exploring the influence of social desirability.
Low concentrations of intravenous polygelines promote low‐molecular weight proteinuria

Background Previously we observed that atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP)‐induced albuminuria was accompanied by an increase in urinary excretion of the low‐molecular weight protein (LMW protein) β2‐microglobulin (β2‐m), suggesting that the albuminuria may at least partly be the result of blockade of tubular protein reabsorption. However, in our experiments ANP was dissolved in the polygeline Haemaccel® (Hoechst, Behring‐Werke, Marburg Germany) to prevent adhesion of ANP to the infusion system. Anecdotal reports have shown that high dosages of polygelines such as Haemaccel® or Gelofusine® (Braun NPBI Oss, the Netherlands) may influence tubular protein handling. In the present study we have evaluated the effect of a low and high doses of the polygeline Haemaccel® on proteinuria. In addition, we have reassessed the effects of ANP.