Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characteristics associated with excessive weight gain after smoking cessation in men.

OBJECTIVES Data from two surveys of the National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council Twin Registry, conducted 16 years apart, were used to determine characteristics of individuals that were predictive of excessive weight gain after smoking cessation. METHODS Over the follow-up, 2179 men quit smoking and averaged a weight gain of 3.5 kg. Quitters were grouped into four categories of weight change: lost weight, no change, gained weight, and excessive weight gain ("super-gainers"). RESULTS In comparison with quitters reporting no change in weight, super-gainers were younger, were of lower socioeconomic status, and differed on a number of health habits before quitting (all Ps < .05). At follow-up, super-gainers reported changes in health habits that were significantly different from those seen in quitters reporting stable weight (all Ps < .05). Pairwise concordance for weight change in 146 monozygotic and 111 dizygotic twin pairs in which both twins quit smoking was significantly greater in monozygotic than dizygotic pairs (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that super-gainers differ in important ways from those who do not gain weight after smoking cessation and that these weight changes may be influenced by underlying genetic factors.
A Pliocene‐Pleistocene stack of 57 globally distributed benthic δ18O records

[1] We present a 5.3-Myr stack (the “LR04” stack) of benthic δ18O records from 57 globally distributed sites aligned by an automated graphic correlation algorithm. This is the first benthic δ18O stack composed of more than three records to extend beyond 850 ka, and we use its improved signal quality to identify 24 new marine isotope stages in the early Pliocene. We also present a new LR04 age model for the Pliocene-Pleistocene derived from tuning the δ18O stack to a simple ice model based on 21 June insolation at 65°N. Stacked sedimentation rates provide additional age model constraints to prevent overtuning. Despite a conservative tuning strategy, the LR04 benthic stack exhibits significant coherency with insolation in the obliquity band throughout the entire 5.3 Myr and in the precession band for more than half of the record. The LR04 stack contains significantly more variance in benthic δ18O than previously published stacks of the late Pleistocene as the result of higher-resolution records, a better alignment technique, and a greater percentage of records from the Atlantic. Finally, the relative phases of the stack's 41- and 23-kyr components suggest that the precession component of δ18O from 2.7–1.6 Ma is primarily a deep-water temperature signal and that the phase of δ18O precession response changed suddenly at 1.6 Ma.
Evaluation of the prevalence of trachoma 12 years after baseline surveys in Kidal Region, Mali

Objective After prevalence surveys in all eight regions, Mali started a national programme to control trachoma in 1998. In the sparsely populated desert region of Kidal, where active trachoma prevalence was 46.2% in children under 10, no interventions beyond routine eye‐care services were implemented. We estimated the prevalence of trachoma in Kidal, 12 years after baseline mapping surveys, to determine whether interventions to control trachoma were warranted.
Trends: Poverty and Public Assistance

The passage of welfare reform legislation in 1996 was purported to "end welfare as we know it. " In this article we ask, What has happened to public opinion over these 5 years of reform? Has welfare reform changed perceptions of poverty and the role of governmeift in providing public assistance in the mind of the American public? Specifically, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program (AFDC, which originated as ADC during the New Deal) with a new block grant program for the states, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). The PRWORA ended the AFDC benefit entitlements and imposed a strict work requirement and a 5year limit on federal benefits. In addition, the law cut immigrants' access to the program, food stamps, and Medicaid. The states were free to provide additional benefits, which were likely to be influenced by national in addition to state economic conditions, as well as what the states have done historically (Lieberman and Shaw 2000). Did public opinion toward welfare and poverty change during the period of prosperity that ended by 2001, even before the September 11,2001, terrorist attack and the ensuing period of national tension? Updating Weaver, Shapiro, and Jacobs (1995), the data presented here show that public attitudes and perceptions did change somewhat, but the jury is still out on whether welfare reform has fundamentally changed the public's disparaging attitudes and opinions toward some aspects of poverty and the plight of the poor. Overall, we see both striking stability in mass opinion along with changes in opinion that do not look fundamentally different from past patterns and cycles of change (see Mayer 1993; Page and Shapiro 1992;
Rapid Public Health Interventions in Response to an Outbreak of Syphilis in Los Angeles

Background Despite national ambitions to eliminate syphilis, occasional outbreaks continue to occur in many areas of the United States. Goal The goal of the study was to describe and evaluate the public health interventions in response to an outbreak of syphilis in Los Angeles County among men who have sex with men. Study Design Reported cases of primary, secondary, and early latent syphilis that occurred during an outbreak period from December 1999 to September 2000 were included in the study. The outbreak components of provider awareness, active surveillance, community-based organization recruitment, media campaign, community-outreach education and screening, and a correctional facility intervention were described. Screening results were reviewed, sexually transmitted disease (STD) hotline calls were counted, and a street-intercept survey was conducted. Results A multifaceted outbreak response was initiated in March 2000. Of the 89 outbreak cases identified, 40% were detected by HIV/AIDS early intervention providers and 26% by private clinicians or health maintenance organizations. Other case identification sources included public STD clinics (10%), STD program case-management contacts (7%), mobile van screening (7%), and correctional facility screening (10%). Screening at high-risk venues detected a syphilis prevalence of <1% and an HIV prevalence of 6%. Weekly calls to the STD hotline increased 600% during the outbreak, and 80% of surveyed individuals cited the media as the source of their awareness of syphilis. Conclusions A multifaceted outbreak response was launched to react to an outbreak of syphilis among men who have sex with men. Prompt provider awareness and a preexisting network of HIV/AIDS providers aided case detection. Although the effectiveness of the response could not be scientifically determined, the diverse components of the response were associated with a faster decline in the outbreak than would have been expected. After 3 months, 89 cases had been identified. Outbreak preparedness should include a focus on communities of men who have sex with men, because the reintroduction of syphilis in this population may threaten national efforts toward syphilis elimination.
Homology of smooth splines: generic triangulations and a conjecture of Strang

For A a triangulated d-dimensional region in Rd, let Sr (A) denote the vector space of all cr functions F on A that, restricted to any simplex in A, are given by polynomials of degree at most m. We consider the problem of computing the dimension of such spaces. We develop a homological approach to this problem and apply it specifically to the case of triangulated manifolds A in the plane, getting lower bounds on the dimension of Sr (A) for all r. For r = 1, we prove a conjecture of Strang concerning the generic dimension of the space of Cl splines over a triangulated manifold in R2. Finally, we consider the space of continuous piecewise linear functions over nonsimplicial decompositions of a plane region.
Risk assessment of musculoskeletal disorders by OVAKO Working posture Analysis System OWAS and evaluate the effect of ergonomic training on posture of farmers

Received: January 2016, Accepted: April 2016 Background: The agricultural sector is one of the most important sectors in production. The safety and health of farmers are important factors that can cause a significant increase in efficiency and productivity. The aim of this study was the assessment of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) using the OVAKO Working Posture Analysis System (OWAS) and evaluation of the effect of ergonomic training on posture of farmers. Materials and Methods: In this study, 400 farms were evaluated in 5 major activities including gathering of pistachios by men, gathering of pistachios by women, spading, gathering of pistachio waste, picking of wheat, and fertilizing regarding MSDs using the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and OWAS. Then, the required ergonomic training was presented as face-toface to farmers and again evaluation was performed after the intervention. Results: Low back pain and knee problems had the highest frequency and can be caused by standin g or sitting for long periods of time, displacement and manual material handling, and undesirable workstations. A significant relationship was found between age and work experience, and MSDs (P ˂ 0.001). Risk level in pistachio and wheat gathering tasks wa s lowered significantly after the ergonomic interventions and required training compared to before the intervention (P ˂ 0.050). However, no significant change was observed in the spading and fertilizing tasks. Conclusions: The results showed that the prevalence of MSDs was relatively high in the studied farmers. Moreover, the level of risk that was obtained according to the OWAS indicated that the working conditions and environment in this industry are harmful. Therefore, t aking corrective actions in order to improve the working conditions is necessary.
A phase II study of lenalidomide in platinum-sensitive recurrent ovarian carcinoma.

BACKGROUND Lenalidomide has dual antiangiogenic and immunomodulatory properties and confirmed antitumor activity in hematologic malignancies. A phase II study investigating the safety and efficacy of continuous lenalidomide in recurrent ovarian cancer patients was initiated. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with histologically confirmed epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube or primary peritoneal carcinoma, with asymptomatic recurrence 6 months after prior therapy were treated with continuous oral lenalidomide (20 mg/day). The primary end point was to evaluate efficacy according to the rate of disease control at 4 months. Secondary objectives were progression-free survival (PFS) and safety. RESULTS Most of the 45 patients enrolled and treated had serous histology (78%) and a single line of prior chemotherapy (73%). Median platinum-free interval (PFI) was 11.3 months (range 6.9-56.8). Clinical benefit at 4 months was 38% [95% confidence interval (CI) 23% to 53%]. A 59% disease control rate was reported in patients with a PFI >12 months versus 24% with PFI of 6-12 months (P = 0.023). Four patients had RECIST partial responses and 21 had stable disease. CA125 responses were reported in eight patients, including one complete response. Median PFS was 3.4 months (95% CI 2.4-4.4). Most frequent toxicity was hematologic, notably grade 3-4 neutropenia in 29% of patients, along with fatigue (69%), gastrointestinal toxicity (constipation 53%, abdominal pain 49%, diarrhea 38%, nausea/vomiting 36%) and thrombosis (11%). Eight patients withdrew due to related toxicity. CONCLUSIONS Lenalidomide shows interesting efficacy in late recurrent ovarian cancer patients. Toxicity was mainly hematologic, gastrointestinal and venous thrombosis. Future studies will evaluate combination of lenalidomide with chemotherapy agents. CLINICALTRIALSGOV NCT01111903.
‘We still have bombings’: school principals and insurgent violence in Southern Thailand

This study explored how principals in Southern Thailand lead schools in areas of violent conflict. In order to better understand principals’ perspectives on working in such a context, the study was guided by Lynn Davies’ Drivers of Fragility Framework, which identifies five ‘drivers’ of conflict in communities: (1) problems of governance; (2) lack of security; (3) weak economy; (4) cultures of power; and (5) environmental degradation. Data were collected through 30 interviews and 6 school site observations. We used Davies’ Drivers of Fragility Framework as a priori analytic codes. Then, using analytic induction, we gathered additional data to identify and then refine emergent categories. Two themes emerged from the analysis of the findings, specifically the misalignment of national education policies to the local context and poor teacher quality. The findings suggested that principals were able to influence local governance, community-based security, and environmental sustainability, but were limited in their ability to influence the weak economy or cultures of power in their communities. This study is a unique contribution to research focused on how leadership is enacted in non-Western cultural contexts and sheds light on what influence principals may have in alleviating social fragility.
Emerging trilingual literacies in rural India: linguistic, marketing, and developmental aspects

This paper examines emerging forms of multilingualism and multiliteracy in rural India (where the term ‘literacy’ is used broadly here to include digital media literacy and marketing literacy as well as literacy in the traditional sense of the knowledge of a writing system). Here forces of globalization and digital communication have created unique communication circumstances that have a serious bearing on our understanding of multilingualism and on theoretical and practical issues concerning literacy in developing and rural societies. The newly emerging form of bimodal communication (man-machine and verbal-visual) is a product of a new village institution called an e-Choupal, a meeting place housing a computer with Internet access, where local farmers meet to learn about developments in farming, crop prices, etc., on the basis of contact with the world beyond the village through the use of computers. Traditionally, communication between members of the rural population and members of the mainstream population has been limited to the use of a mainstream variety – in this case, either Indian English or Standard Hindi – rather than the nonmainstream varieties of the rural population. In many cases in this as well as in other societies, this circumstance has lead to an instance of subtractive bilingualism in which the rural varieties have become less used and, eventually, extinct. In an e-Choupal, the local rural dialect plays a central role in communication between the manager of the e-Choupal and the e-Choupal's rural clientele, thus providing a case of additive multilingualism for the rural population through which the rural varieties will play a major role and will therefore have a chance to avoid extinction. Not only does the use of the local variety improve accuracy of communication, it also creates a high level of trust between the manager and the clientele based on shared sociolinguistic identity. This shared identity leads to a high level of success in the functioning of the e-Choupal as a center for the diffusion of innovations as predicted by Rogers’ general framework for the study of such centers; the paper proposes an analysis in terms of this framework. In addition, we analyze this case in terms of three contemporary theoretical research traditions – Social Identity Theory, Communication Accommodation Theory, and Markedness Theory.
The role of anxiety in the stimulus preference and play patterns

The play patterns and stimulus preference of 20 preschool children were observed during low and high s tress conditions. The stress manipulation was contingent upon the child's preparation for a medical appointment. Heart rate recordings and a questionnaire were used as Indices of stress. Children manifested a preference toward creative-constructive play under conditions of increased stress, with a resultant decrease in manipulative and imaginative play. Play with relevant or irrelevant toys did not change sig­ nificantly during the increased stress condition. Pencil—paper measures of stress used in previous studies were significantly related to the physiological measure of stress. No sex differences were found for play patterns, stimulus preference or for stress.
Use it and boost it with physical and mental activity

One of the now classic tenets of neuroscience is that the brain retains a substantial amount of structural and functional plasticity throughout adulthood and old age. Enriching experiences that stimulate physical and mental activity produce robust changes in subsequent behaviors, including learning and memory, that tap a wide range of neural systems. In this article, we review evidence for cognitive priming with physical and mental exercise through a memory systems lens and present brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling as one candidate neural mechanism for experience‐dependent modulation of learning and memory. We highlight our recent findings showing that priming with voluntary exercise or with spontaneous alternation, a working memory task, enhances new learning of hippocampus‐sensitive place, or striatum‐sensitive response tasks. Blocking BDNF signaling with infusions of a BDNF receptor inhibitor into hippocampus or striatum just before training on place or response tasks, respectively, abrogated the benefits of priming regardless of the type of priming experience. These results suggest that enhanced BDNF signaling during learning may itself produce the cognitive benefits afforded by prior physical or mental activity. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Expression of E-cadherin in pig kidney

E-cadherin is a cell adhesion molecule that plays an important role in maintaining renal epithelial polarity and integrity. The purpose of this study was to determine the exact cellular localization of E-cadherin in pig kidney. Kidney tissues from pigs were processed for light and electron microscopy immunocytochemistry, and immunoblot analysis. E-cadhedrin bands of the same size were detected by immunoblot of samples from rat and pig kidneys. In pig kidney, strong E-cadherin expression was observed in the basolateral plasma membrane of the tubular epithelial cells. E-cadherin immunolabeling was not detected in glomeruli or blood vessels of pig kidney. Double-labeling results demonstrated that E-cadherin was expressed in the calbindin D28k-positive distal convoluted tubule and H+-ATPase-positive collecting duct, but not in the aquaporin 1-positive, N-cadherin-positive proximal tubule. In contrast to rat, E-cadherin immunoreactivity was not expressed at detectable levels in the Tamm-Horsfall protein-positive thick ascending limb of pig kidney. Immunoelectron microscopy confirmed that E-cadherin was localized in both the lateral membranes and basal infoldings of the collecting duct. These results suggest that E-cadherin may be a critical adhesion molecule in the distal convoluted tubule and collecting duct cells of pig kidney.
T cell receptor engagement by peptide–MHC ligands induces a conformational change in the CD3 complex of thymocytes

The T cell receptor (TCR) can recognize a variety of cognate peptide/major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) ligands and translate their affinity into distinct cellular responses. To achieve this, the nonsignaling αβ heterodimer communicates ligand recognition to the CD3 signaling subunits by an unknown mechanism. In thymocytes, we found that both positive- and negative-selecting pMHC ligands expose a cryptic epitope in the CD3 complex upon TCR engagement. This conformational change is induced in vivo and requires the expression of cognate MHC. We conclude that TCR engagement with a cognate pMHC ligand induces a conformational change in the CD3 complex of thymocytes and propose that this marks an initial event during thymic selection that signals the recognition of self-antigen.
Elements Modulating the Prion Species Barrier and Its Passage Consequences

The specific characteristics of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) strains may be altered during passage across a species barrier. In this study we investigated the biochemical and biological characteristics of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) after transmission in both natural host species (cattle, sheep, pigs and mice) and in transgenic mice overexpressing the corresponding cellular prion protein (PrPC) in comparison with other non-BSE related prions from the same species. After these passages, most features of the BSE agent remained unchanged. BSE-derived agents only showed slight modifications in the biochemical properties of the accumulated PrPSc, which were demonstrated to be reversible upon re-inoculation into transgenic mice expressing bovine-PrPC. Transmission experiments in transgenic mice expressing bovine, porcine or human-PrP revealed that all BSE-derived agents were transmitted with no or a weak transmission barrier. In contrast, a high species barrier was observed for the non-BSE related prions that harboured an identical PrP amino acid sequence, supporting the theory that the prion transmission barrier is modulated by strain properties (presumably conformation-dependent) rather than by PrP amino acid sequence differences between host and donor. As identical results were observed with prions propagated either in natural hosts or in transgenic mouse models, we postulate that the species barrier and its passage consequences are uniquely governed by the host PrPC sequence and not influenced by other host genetic factors. The results presented herein reinforce the idea that the BSE agent is highly promiscuous, infecting other species, maintaining its properties in the new species, and even increasing its capabilities to jump to other species including humans. These data are essential for the development of an accurate risk assessment for BSE.
Procedure merging with instruction caches

This paper describes a method of determining which procedures to merge for machines with instruction caches. The method uses profile information, the structure of the program, the cache size, and the cache miss penalty to guide the choice. Optimization for the cache is assumed to follow procedure merging. The method weighs the benefit of removing calls with the increase in the instruction cache miss rate. Better performance is achieved than previous schemes that do not consider the cache. Merging always results in a savings, unlike simpler schemes that can make programs slower once cache effects are considered. The new method also has better performance even when parameters to simpler algorithms are varied to get the best performance. This report is a preprint of a paper that will be presented at the ACM SIGPLAN ’91 Conference on Programming Language Design and Implementation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, June 26-28, 1991. Copyright  1990 ACM.