Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Self-Efficacy Program to Prevent Osteoporosis Among Chinese Immigrants: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background:Recent Chinese immigrants have a low bone mineral density and are at a great risk for developing osteoporosis. The majority of Chinese men and women of all ages have inadequate information about their risks for developing osteoporosis and are seldom involved in preventive activities. Objectives:The aim of this study was to evaluate the preliminary effectiveness of an educational intervention based on the self-efficacy theory aimed at increasing the knowledge of osteoporosis and adoption of preventive behaviors, including regular exercise and osteoporosis medication adherence, designed for Chinese immigrants, aged 45 years or above, living in the United States. Methods:A randomized controlled trial was employed, using a repeated-measure design. Foreign-born Mandarin-speaking Asians (n = 110) were recruited to the study, and 83 of them (mean age = 64.08 years, SD = 9.48 years) were assigned randomly to either the intervention group (n = 42) or the attention control group (n = 41). There were 63 (75.9%) women and 20 (24.1%) men. Data were collected at baseline and 2 weeks after the intervention. Results:The participants who received the intervention had statistically significant improvements (p < .05) at 2 weeks postintervention with respect to osteoporosis-related knowledge, self-efficacy for exercise, and osteoporosis medication adherence. Moreover, the participants in the treatment group spent more time on moderate exercise, had higher energy expenditure on exercise, and had more osteoporosis medication use at 2 weeks postintervention when compared with controls. Discussion:The intervention targeting Mandarin-speaking immigrants was effective in increasing the knowledge of osteoporosis and improving the adoption of preventive behaviors. Future research is needed to explore the long-term effect of this intervention on bone health behavior.
Industrial solidification processes in polybutene-1. Part I—quiescent melts

In the first paper of this series the principles for solidification of crystallizable polymers under heat transfer conditions are discussed for the case of the absence of flow. For industrial polymers, which, in general, are forced to crystallize at large undercoolings, the pertinent kinetic data are extremely rare. In the present paper the growth speeds of spherulites and the number of nuclei per unit volume are presented as functions of temperature for two industrial polybutene-1 grades.
The investigation of hereditary and acquired thrombophilia risk factors in the development of complications in pregnancy in Croatian women

Abstract Objectives: To investigate the genetic and acquired thrombophilic risk factors in pregnancy-associated complications and venous thromboembolism (VTE) and evaluate the association between particular thrombophilic risk factors and thromboembolic complications. Methods: In this study, pregnant women with pregnancy complications and VTE (N = 101) were the study group, and the control group were women with normal pregnancy (N = 102). All women underwent testing for factor V Leiden mutation (FVL), mutation of the coagulation factors II (FII20210), methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, antithrombin III (ATIII), protein C (PC) and protein S, lupus anticoagulant (LAC) antibodies, anticardiolipin antibodies and anti-beta-2-glycoprotein-1. Results: In this study group, mutations of the FVL was 15.8% (16/101), FII20210 5.9% (6/101) and the MTHFR at locus 677 was TT in 19.8% (20/101). Deficiency of ATIII and PC were rare: 3.0% and 1.0%, respectively. LAC were significantly higher in the study group than in the control group: 32.7% versus 3.9%; p < 0.0005. Pregnant women with VTE have been more frequent for FVL (41.7%; p < 0.005), PC deficiency (25.0%; p < 0.005) and LAC (33.3%; p < 0.005). Combination of FVL and MTHFR mutation was related to the risk of recurrent fetal death and habitual abortion. Conclusion: The inherited and the acquired thrombophilic risk factors were found to be up to 10 times more common in the study group than in the control group.
Disentangling conscious and unconscious processing: a subjective trial-based assessment approach

The most common method for assessing similarities and differences between conscious and unconscious processing is to compare the effects of unconscious (perceptually weak) stimuli, with conscious (perceptually strong) stimuli. Awareness of these stimuli is then assessed by objective performance on prime identification tasks. While this approach has proven extremely fruitful in furthering our understanding of unconscious cognition, it also suffers from some critical problems. We present an alternative methodology for comparing conscious and unconscious cognition. We used a priming version of a Stroop paradigm and after each trial, participants gave a subjective rating of the degree to which they were aware of the prime. Based on this trial-by-trial awareness assessment, conscious, uncertain, and unconscious trials were separated. Crucially, in all these conditions, the primes have identical perceptual strength. Significant priming was observed for all conditions, but the effects for conscious trials were significantly stronger, and no difference was observed between uncertain and unconscious trials. Thus, awareness of the prime has a large impact on congruency effects, even when signal strength is controlled for.
A longitudinal–experimental approach to testing theories of antisocial behavior development

A longitudinal study with a nested preventive intervention was used to test five hypotheses generated from developmental theories of antisocial behavior. The longitudinal study followed 909 boys from their kindergarten year up to 17 years of age. The randomized multimodal preventive intervention targeted a subsample of boys who were rated disruptive by their kindergarten teacher. Semiparametric analyses of developmental trajectories for self-reported physical aggression, vandalism, and theft identified more types of trajectories than expected from recent theoretical models. Also, these trajectories did not confirm theoretical models, which suggest a general increase of antisocial behavior during adolescence. The majority of boys were on either a low-level antisocial behavior trajectory or a declining trajectory. Less than 6% appeared to follow a trajectory of chronic antisocial behavior. Comparisons between disruptive and nondisruptive kindergarten boys confirmed the hypothesis that disruptive preschool children are at higher risk of following trajectories of frequent antisocial behavior. Comparisons between treated and untreated disruptive boys confirmed that an intensive preventive intervention between 7 and 9 years of age, which included parent training and social skills training, could change the long-term developmental trajectories of physical aggression, vandalism, and theft for disruptive kindergarten boys in low socioeconomic areas. The results suggest that trajectories of violent behavior can be deflected by interventions that do not specifically target the physiological deficits that are often hypothesized to be a causal factor. The value of longitudinal–experimental studies from early childhood onward is discussed.
The X-Ray System R Aquarii: A Two-sided Jet and Central Source

We report Chandra ACIS-S3 X-ray imaging and spectroscopy of the R Aquarii binary system that show a spatially resolved two-sided jet and an unresolved central source. This is the first published report of such an X-ray jet seen in an evolved ~2-3 M☉ stellar system. At E < 1 keV, the X-ray jet extends to both the northeast (NE) and southwest (SW) relative to the central binary system. At 1 < E < 7.1 keV, R Aqr is a pointlike source centered on the star system. While both 3.5 cm radio continuum emission and X-ray emission appear coincident in projection and have maximum intensities at ~7. ″5 NE of the central binary system, the next strongest X-ray component is located ~30'' SW of the central binary system and has no radio continuum counterpart. The X-ray jets are likely shock-heated in the recent past and are not in thermal equilibrium. The strongest SW X-ray jet component may have been shocked recently since there is no relic radio emission as expected from an older shock. At the position of the central binary, we detect X-ray emission below 1.6 keV consistent with blackbody emission at T ~ 2 × 106 K. There is also a prominent 6.4 keV feature, a possible fluorescence or collisionally excited Fe Kα line from an accretion disk or from the wind of the giant star. For this excitation to occur, there must be an unseen hard source of X-rays or particles in the immediate vicinity of the hot star. Such a source would be hidden from view by the surrounding edge-on accretion disk.
Hydroxyapatite-Coated Schanz Pins in External Fixators Used for Distraction Osteogenesis: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

Background: Complications of external fixation include loosening of the fixation pins and pin-track infection. Laboratory studies and clinical trials have suggested that hydroxyapatite coating improves the osteointegration of various orthopaedic implants. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the prevalence of pin-related complications can be reduced by the use of hydroxyapatite-coated pins in fixators applied for distraction osteogenesis. Methods: Forty-six consecutive patients undergoing segmental transport or lengthening of the tibia were randomized to the use of either standard titanium Schanz pins or hydroxyapatite-coated stainless-steel Schanz pins. The fixators were used for an average of thirty-eight weeks (range, fourteen to seventy-two weeks). All patients were closely monitored for pin loosening and infection, and digitized radiographs were assessed for bone resorption around all pins. When the external fixator was removed, the torque required to extract the pins was determined with use of an electronic torque wrench. Results: In the control group (titanium pins), twenty-two pins (13%) loosened and an infection occurred at the site of twenty pins. An extensive infection of the canal developed in one patient. Twenty-two pins were removed or replaced because of these complications. In the hydroxyapatite group, no clinical or radiographic signs of pin loosening or infection were observed and no pins required early removal or exchange. The mean torque (and standard deviation) required to remove the hydroxyapatite-coated pins was 0.43 0.18 N-m compared with 0.10 0.09 N-m for the uncoated pins (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Coating pins with hydroxyapatite increases their fixation to bone and reduces the rate of infection and loosening during external fixation for distraction osteogenesis. Use of hydroxyapatite-coated pins should be considered in clinical situations requiring prolonged external fixation.
Mitochondrial DNA variation and virologic and immunological HIV outcomes in African Americans

Objective:To evaluate the impact of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplogroups on virologic and immunological outcomes of HIV infection. Design:HAART-naive African American adolescent participants to the Reaching for Excellence in Adolescent Care and Health study. Methods:The mtDNA haplogroups were inferred from sequenced mtDNA hypervariable regions HV1 and HV2 and their predictive value on HIV outcomes were evaluated in linear mixed models, controlled for human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-B27, HLA-B57 and HLA-B35-Px alleles and other covariates. Results:We report data showing that the mtDNA L2 lineage, a group composed of L2a, L2b and L2e mtDNA haplogroups in the studied population, is significantly associated (beta = −0.08; Bonferroni-adjusted P = 0.004) with decline of CD4+ T cells (median loss of 8 ± 1 cells per month) in HAART-naive HIV-infected individuals of African American descent (n = 133). No significant association (P < 0.05) with set-point viral load was observed with any of the tested mtDNA haplogroups. The present data concur with previous findings in the AIDS Clinical Trials Group study 384, implicating the L2 lineage with slower CD4+ T-cell recovery after antiretroviral therapy in African Americans. Conclusions:Whereas the L2 lineage showed an association with unfavorable immunological outcomes of HIV infection, its phylogenetic divergence from J and U5a, two lineages associated with accelerated HIV progression in European Americans, raises the possibility that interactions with common nucleus-encoded variants drive HIV progression. Disentangling the effects of mitochondrial and nuclear gene variants on the outcomes of HIV infection is an important step to be taken toward a better understanding of HIV/AIDS pathogenesis and pharmacogenomics.
Breakthrough Technologies Agrobacterium tumefaciens-Mediated Transformation of Maize Endosperm as a Tool to Study Endosperm Cell Biology 1 [ OA ]

Developing maize (Zea mays) endosperms can be excised from the maternal tissues and undergo tissue/cell-type differentiation under in vitro conditions. We have developed a method to transform in vitro-grown endosperms using Agrobacterium tumefaciens and standard binary vectors. We show that both aleurone and starchy endosperm cells can be successfully transformed using a short cocultivation with A. tumefaciens cells. The highest transformation rates were obtained with the A. tumefaciens EHA101 strain and the pTF101.1 binary vector. The percentage of aleurone cells transformed following this method varied between 10% and 22% whereas up to the eighth layer of starchy endosperm cells underneath the aleurone layer showed transformed cells. Cultured endosperms undergo normal cell type (aleurone and starchy endosperm) differentiation and storage protein accumulation, making them suitable for cell biology and biochemical studies. In addition, transgenic cultured endosperms are able to express and accumulate epitope-tagged storage proteins that can be isolated for biochemical assays or used for immunolabeling techniques.
Genetic and environmental factors affecting weaning-to-first service interval in a landrace-large white swine population in Northern Thailand.

Non-productive sow days measured as weaning-to-first service interval (WSI) is an economically important trait in commercial swine production. A reduction in WSI would increase efficiency and decrease production costs. The aim of this study was to characterize genetic and environmental factors affecting WSI in a Landrace-Large White commercial swine population in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. The dataset contained information from 11,737 litters and 2,468 sows collected from 1989 to 2008. Sows were raised in an open-house system and received the same feeding and management. Four breed groups were represented: Landrace (L), Large White (T), L · T (LT), and T · L (TL). Parity of sow was classified as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and ≥ 7. Seasons were winter (November to February), summer (March to June), and rainy (July to October). Year-season of farrowing was important source of variation (P < 0.0001). The WSI ranged from 4.38 ± 0.67 d (1991-winter) to 9.68 ± 1.14 d (1989-rainy). Gilts had longer WSI (8.54 ± 0.14 d) than multiparous sows (5.80 ± 0.19 d to 6.33 ± 0.14; P < 0.0001). Landrace had similar WSI (6.10 ± 0.10 d) to T sows (6.00 ± 0.09 d). Crossbred LT sows (6.43 ± 0.20 d) and TL sows (7.04 ± 0.20 d) had longer WSI than purebreds sows (P < 0.0001). Heterosis estimates for WSI were 0.31 ± 0.20 d (P < 0.12) for LT sows and 0.91 ± 0.20 d (P < 0.0001) for TL sows. The WSI heritability estimate was low (0.024 ± 0.010) due primarily to a low estimate of additive genetic variance. Introduction of unrelated animal to the population may increase additive genetic
A design of novel damping controller combined with PID for nanopositioners

A design of novel damping controller combined with proportion-integration-differentiation (PID) controller used in signal tracking for nanopositioners such as atomic force microscopes is proposed in this paper. This novel damping controller can damp the first resonant mode of a piezoelectric nanopositioning stage, at the same time, it can get finite-gain stability, rather than the loop gain should be strictly less than 1 by small-gain theorem. But it has big steady-state error. As we know, PID can almost eliminate steady-state error because of the existence of integral term, but the integral term leads to bigger vibrations in the steady-state. So a new control structure which combines a damping controller for a positive feedback with a PID controller for a negative feedback has been proposed. The results have been verified in our experimental platform and show that our method has better tracking effect compared with PID control or damping control alone.
Spodoptera frugiperda X-Tox Protein, an Immune Related Defensin Rosary, Has Lost the Function of Ancestral Defensins

Background X-tox proteins are a family of immune-related proteins only found in Lepidoptera and characterized by imperfectly conserved tandem repeats of several defensin-like motifs. Previous phylogenetic analysis of X-tox genes supported the hypothesis that X-tox have evolved from defensins in a lineage-specific gene evolution restricted to Lepidoptera. In this paper, we performed a protein study in which we asked whether X-tox proteins have conserved the antimicrobial functions of their ancestral defensins and have evolved as defensin reservoirs. Methodology/Principal Findings We followed the outcome of Spod-11-tox, an X-tox protein characterized in Spodoptera frugiperda, in bacteria-challenged larvae using both immunochemistry and antimicrobial assays. Three hours post infection, the Spod-11-tox protein was expressed in 80% of the two main classes of circulating hemocytes (granulocytes and plasmatocytes). Located in secretory granules of hemocytes, Spod-11-tox was never observed in contact with microorganisms entrapped within phagolyzosomes showing that Spod-11-tox is not involved in intracellular pathogen killing. In fact, the Spod-11-tox protein was found to be secreted into the hemolymph of experimentally challenged larvae. In order to determine antimicrobial properties of the Spod-11-tox protein, it was consequently fractionated according to a protocol frequently used for antimicrobial peptide purification. Over the course of purification, the anti-Spod-11-tox immunoreactivity was found to be dissociated from the antimicrobial activity. This indicates that Spod-11-tox is not processed into bioactive defensins in response to a microbial challenge. Conclusions/Significance Altogether, our results show that X-tox proteins have not evolved as defensin reservoirs and have lost the antimicrobial properties of the ancestral insect defensins. The lepidopteran X-tox protein family will provide a valuable and tractable model to improve our knowledge on the molecular evolution of defensins, a class of innate immune effectors largely distributed over the three eukaryotic kingdoms.
ABO blood group: old dogma, new perspectives

Abstract Human blood group antigens are glycoproteins and glycolipids expressed on the surface of red blood cells and a variety of human tissues, including the epithelium, sensory neurons, platelets and the vascular endothelium. Accumulating evidence indicate that ABO blood type is implicated in the development of a number of human diseases, including cardiovascular and neoplastic disorders. In this review, beside its physiologic role in immunohematology and transfusion medicine, we summarize the current knowledge on the association between the ABO blood group and the risk of developing thrombotic events and cancers.
Host-derived diagnostic markers related to soft tissue destruction and bone degradation in periodontitis.

BACKGROUND A major challenge in clinical periodontics is to find a reliable molecular marker of periodontal tissue destruction with high sensitivity, specificity and utility. OBJECTIVES The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate available literature on 'the utility of molecular markers of soft and hard periodontal tissue destruction'. MATERIALS AND METHODS Based on the focused question, 'What is the utility of molecular markers of soft and hard periodontal tissue destruction', an electronic and manual search was conducted for human studies presenting clinical data for the potential of molecular markers of tissue destruction in biofluids; gingival crevicular fluid (GCF), saliva, and serum. RESULTS Papers fulfilling the inclusion criteria were selected. All relevant data from the selected papers were extracted and recorded in separate tables for molecules in GCF, saliva, and serum. CONCLUSION Within the defined limits of the Problem/Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, the present analysis reveals that (a) no single or combination of markers exists that can disclose periodontal tissue destruction adequately; (b) while the most fruitful source of biomarkers for periodontal destruction appears to be in molecules tightly related to bone and soft tissue destruction, this remains to be objectively demonstrated. Currently, clinical measurements are still the most reliable.
Breathing: A Sign of Life and a Unique Area for Reflection and Action

Background and Purpose: The aim of this study was to clarify patients’ experiences of breathing during therapeutic processes in Norwegian psychomotor physical therapy (NPMP). Subjects and Methods: A qualitative approach was used based on interviews with 9 women and 1 man aged between 41 and 65 years. The data were analyzed with the aid of grounded theory. Results: Three categories were identified from the participants’ experiences: (1) “Breathing: An Incomprehensible and Disparate Phenomenon,” (2) “Breathing: Access to Meaning and Understanding,” and (3) “Breathing: Enhancing Feelings of Mastery. ” Initially, breathing difficulties and bodily pains were described as physical reactions that seemed utterly incomprehensible to the participants. Communication, both verbal and nonverbal, between the patient and the physical therapist was described as vitally important, as was conscious attention to occurrences during the treatment sessions. The participants learned to recognize changes in their breathing patterns, and they became familiar with new bodily sensations. Consequently, they acquired new understanding of these sensations. The feeling and understanding of being an entity (ie, “body and soul”) emerged during therapy. The participants increased their understanding of the interaction between breathing and internal and external influences on their well-being. Their feelings of mastery over their daily lives were enhanced. The therapeutic dialogues gave them the chance to explore, reflect, and become empowered. Discussion and Conclusion: In experiencing their own breathing, the participants were able to access and identify the muscular and emotional patterns that, linked to particular thoughts and beliefs, had become their characteristic styles of relating to themselves and the world.
Blend compatibility of waste materials—Cellulose acetate (from sugarcane bagasse) with polystyrene (from plastic cups): Diffusion of water, FTIR, DSC, TGA, and SEM study

In this article, the compatibility of blends produced from recycled materials—cellulose acetate (from sugarcane bagasse) and polystyrene (from plastic cups)—was studied using diffusion of water, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. With these techniques, it was possible to confirm the existence of miscibility microregions in blends produced according to what has already been pointed out in a previous paper (Filho et al., J Appl Polym Sci 2005, 96, 516). In addition, all the results present a transition occurring in blends containing 30% polystyrene. This composition indicates the starting limit for a possible inversion between the matrix and the disperse phase in the system. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 104: 909–914, 2007