Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A cross-national study of sexual murderers in France and Canada

Due to the inherent rarity of sexual homicide, most studies have been based on small samples, typically approximately 10 murderers (e.g. Langevin, Ben-Aron, Wright, Marchese, & Handy, 1988), although a few rare samples of hundreds of murderers have also been analysed (e.g. Stefanska, Carter, Higgs, Bishopp, & Beech, 2015). However, even in these cases, only a limited number of domains were considered (e.g. socio-demographics, modus operandi, victimology), and within these domains, only a limited number of factors and indicators were analysed. Furthermore, the small sample sizes have typically limited the analytical techniques available to researchers to case studies or descriptive and bivariate analyses. One strategy to overcoming these obstacles is the construction of cross-national samples of sexual murderers. A prerequisite for the construction of such samples is the validation of the hypothesis that sexual murderers from different countries are sufficiently homogeneous to be merged into a single sample. To date, no empirical study has verified this hypothesis. Consequently, the aim of this study was to compare Canadian and French sexual murderers, in order to identify their similarities and differences. To this end, the developmental antecedents, general and sexual lifestyles, and precrime, crime and postcrime factors of 142 sexual murderers (French sexual murderers, n=56; Canadian sexual murderers, n=86) were analysed. Apart from nationality, French and Canadian sexual murderers are more similar than different. This observation may be the result of the choice-structuring properties of the crime, i.e., that there are only a limited number of ways of committing any given crime. Thus, both angry and sadistic sexual murderers were present in the French and Canadian samples, albeit in different proportions. It therefore appears that country-specific socio-cultural factors may favour different types of homicide, by influencing coping strategies (e.g., drug abuse, deviant sexuality).
Momordica charantia Administration Improves Insulin Secretion in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

An improvement in parameters of glycemic control has been observed with Momordica charantia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). It is unknown whether this improvement is through a modification of insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity, or both. We hypothesized that M. charantia administration can improve insulin secretion and/or insulin sensitivity in patients with T2DM, without pharmacological treatment. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of M. charantia administration on insulin secretion and sensitivity. A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, clinical trial was carried out in 24 patients who received M. charantia (2000 mg/day) or placebo for 3 months. A 2-h oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was done before and after the intervention to calculate areas under the curve (AUC) of glucose and insulin, total insulin secretion (insulinogenic index), first phase of insulin secretion (Stumvoll index), and insulin sensitivity (Matsuda index). In the M. charantia group, there were significant decreases in weight, body mass index (BMI), fat percentage, waist circumference (WC), glycated hemoglobin A1c (A1C), 2-h glucose in OGTT, and AUC of glucose. A significant increase in insulin AUC (56,562 ± 36,078 vs. 65,256 ± 42,720 pmol/L/min, P = .043), in total insulin secretion (0.29 ± 0.18 vs. 0.41 ± 0.29, P = .028), and during the first phase of insulin secretion (557.8 ± 645.6 vs. 1135.7 ± 725.0, P = .043) was observed after M. charantia administration. Insulin sensitivity was not modified with any intervention. In conclusion, M. charantia administration reduced A1C, 2-h glucose, glucose AUC, weight, BMI, fat percentage, and WC, with an increment of insulin AUC, first phase and total insulin secretion.
A case-control association study of the 12 single-nucleotide polymorphisms implicated in Parkinson disease by a recent genome scan.

To the Editor: To validate associations of SNPs that Maraganore et al.1 reported as associated with Parkinson disease (PD [MIM 168600]), we constructed a case-control series from PD cases and matched population/convenience controls that are available through the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Human Genetics Resources at the Coriell Institute. Cases met United Kingdom Brain Bank criteria for idiopathic PD,2 and controls were neurologically normal. This series comprises 311 pairs of age- and sex-matched cases and controls. Cases had an age at disease onset ranging from 50 to 87 years (average [±SD] 63.8 ± 8.9 years) and were sampled at the age of 52–92 years (average [±SD] 70.1 ± 8.5 years). Controls were also sampled at the age of 52–92 years (average [±SD] 70.2 ± 8.5 years). All cases and controls are white, and each group includes 165 females (53.1%) and 146 males (46.9%), respectively. Cases in this series do not carry the Gly2019Ser mutation in LRRK2 [MIM 609007], which may occur in idiopathic PD,3 and several tests did not reveal evidence of significant population stratification for 78 individually genotyped null markers (data not shown). We individually genotyped the 11 SNPs that were reported significant and one of the two SNPs that map to the PARK10 [MIM 606852] locus (the two reported-significant SNPs are highly correlated: r2=0.99), using allele-specific real-time PCR in our PD case-control sample set. Cases and controls were run on the same plate in a blinded fashion. Our genotyping method has an overall accuracy of >99%. 4 As an additional indication of genotyping quality, we calculated deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) in cases and controls. One marker had an HWE exact P value of <. 05 (.017 for rs2245218 in cases), but further examination of our genotype data did not reveal questionable calls. Therefore, these data were included in our analysis. All SNPs were tested for allelic association with PD with the use of χ2 statistics to calculate two-sided P values (table 1). Power calculations were done for a sample size of 311 pairs for each SNP, with the use of a one-sided allelic χ2-hypothesis test at a significance level of 0.05 and with the assumption that the control-allele frequencies of the unrelated controls and odds ratios (ORs) in table 4 in Maraganore et al.1 are true population parameters. Power calculation for rs7520966 was based on the tier 2 OR given in the text of Maraganore et al.,1 since it did not appear in their table 4. Table 1 Allelic Tests of SNPs Associated with Late-Onset PD Two markers, rs10200894 and rs17329669, were replicated in our sample set at P 50 years, whereas the study by Maraganore et al. included both early- and late-onset cases.1 Thus, it is possible that nonreplicated markers are associated with early-onset PD but make a lesser contribution to the more common, late-onset form of the disease. Additional studies are required to further assess the association of these markers with PD.
The Effect of Photoacclimation on Photosynthetic Energy Storage Efficiency, Determined by Photoacoustics

Photosynthesis rates in phytoplankton depend on light intensity and its spectral composition, however their relation changes with photoacclimation. During the photoacclimation process algal cells optimize their har-vesting and utilization of available light through series of related physical, biophysical, biochemical and physiological changes. These changes result in the ability of phytoplankton to survive under dim light when transported to the depth of the water column and avoid photodynamic damage when exposed to the intense radiation at the surface. Any reduction in the efficiency of light utilization results in decreased rates of pho-tosynthesis rate and slow growth. We present here the study of changes in photosynthetic energy storage efficiency of three phytoplankton species upon photoacclimation to low and high light, as measured by photo-acoustics. Our results illustrate the power of photoacoustics as a tool in aquatic ecology and in the physiological research of phytoplankton.
Effect of CO2 enrichment on bacterial metabolism in an Arctic fjord

he anthropogenic increase of carbon dioxide (CO2) alters the seawater carbonate chemistry, with a decline of pH and an increase in the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2). Although bacteria play a major role in carbon cycling, little is known about the impact of rising pCO2 on bacterial carbon metabolism, especially for natural bacterial communities. In this study, we investigated the effect of rising pCO2 on bacterial production (BP), bacterial respiration (BR) and bacterial carbon metabolism during a mesocosm experiment performed in Kongsfjorden (Svalbard) in 2010. Nine mesocosms with pCO2 levels ranging from ca. 180 to 1400 μatm were deployed in the fjord and monitored for 30 days. Generally BP gradually decreased in all mesocosms in an initial phase, showed a large (3.6-fold average) but temporary increase on day 10, and increased slightly after inorganic nutrient addition. Over the wide range of pCO2 investigated, the patterns in BP and growth rate of bulk and free-living communities were generally similar over time. However, BP of the bulk community significantly decreased with increasing pCO2 after nutrient addition (day 14). In addition, increasing pCO2 enhanced the leucine to thymidine (Leu : TdR) ratio at the end of experiment, suggesting that pCO2 may alter the growth balance of bacteria. Stepwise multiple regression analysis suggests that multiple factors, including pCO2, explained the changes of BP, growth rate and Leu : TdR ratio at the end of the experiment. In contrast to BP, no clear trend and effect of changes of pCO2 was observed for BR, bacterial carbon demand and bacterial growth efficiency. Overall, the results suggest that changes in pCO2 potentially influence bacterial production, growth rate and growth balance rather than the conversion of dissolved organic matter into CO2.
HBSP attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory response in human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells by induction of Nrf 2 via PI 3 K / Akt pathway

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of HBSP on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced oxidative stress and cell apoptosis in renal tubular epithelial cells, and explore its signaling mechanisms. Cultured human proximal tubule epithelial cell line HK-2 cells were treated with various concentrations of LPS and HBSP, and the conditioned mediums were collected. Then, cell viability and apoptosis were detected by MTT and flow cytometry; Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation were tested to study the oxidative stress response in renal injury; Western bloting was used to detect the expression of several related proteins. SPSS 14.0 was employed to perform statistical analyses. The results showed that HBSP attenuated LPS-induced injury in HK-2 cells in a dosedependent manner. Oxidative stress was involved in the tubular dysfunction and injury, and HBSP could reversed and attenuated LPS-induced intracellular oxidative stress. Meanwhile, HBSP treatment resulted in the enhanced level of nuclear translocation and transcriptional activity of Nrf2, and further induced the enhanced expression of HO-1 and NQO1. Activation of HO-1 and NQO1 were regulated by Nrf2 via PI3K/Akt pathway. HBSP could be served as a good candidate for renal protection. It can attenuate LPS-induced oxidant damage by activating antioxidative protein via PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
Flexure and shear behavior of RC beams strengthened by external reinforcement

A novel strengthening technique for reinforced concrete beams based on non-prestressed external reinforcing bars anchored at the supports of simply supported beams or slabs is herein considered. External reinforcement can be easily adopted to retrofit existing reinforced concrete structures. The simplicity of the proposed technique offers advantages in ease of installation, quality control on site and future inspections in comparison to other methods. An analytical and numerical evaluation of the available experimental results as well as a parametric study allows investigation of the effect of different percentages of external reinforcement and of different collapse mechanisms (shear and flexure), in order to optimize the amount of external reinforcement that could provide enough bearing capacity and sufficient ductility prior to collapse. The numerical analyses enable to highlight the collapse phenomena, with emphasis to both the arch and the beam action, the ductility and the stiffness in the cracked stage.
Research of Hubs Location Method for Weighted Brain Network Based on NoS-FA

As a complex network of many interlinked brain regions, there are some central hub regions which play key roles in the structural human brain network based on T1 and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) technology. Since most studies about hubs location method in the whole human brain network are mainly concerned with the local properties of each single node but not the global properties of all the directly connected nodes, a novel hubs location method based on global importance contribution evaluation index is proposed in this study. The number of streamlines (NoS) is fused with normalized fractional anisotropy (FA) for more comprehensive brain bioinformation. The brain region importance contribution matrix and information transfer efficiency value are constructed, respectively, and then by combining these two factors together we can calculate the importance value of each node and locate the hubs. Profiting from both local and global features of the nodes and the multi-information fusion of human brain biosignals, the experiment results show that this method can detect the brain hubs more accurately and reasonably compared with other methods. Furthermore, the proposed location method is used in impaired brain hubs connectivity analysis of schizophrenia patients and the results are in agreement with previous studies.
Comparison of ground-based FTIR and Brewer O 3 total column with data from two different IASI algorithms and from OMI and GOME-2 satellite instruments

Abstract. An intercomparison of ozone total column measurements derived from various platforms is presented in this work. Satellite data from Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI), Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME-2) are compared with data from two ground-based spectrometers (Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometer FTIR and Brewer), located at the Network for Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) super-site of Izana (Tenerife), measured during a campaign from March to June 2009. These ground-based observing systems have already been demonstrated to perform consistent, precise and accurate ozone total column measurements. An excellent agreement between ground-based and OMI/GOME-2 data is observed. Results from two different algorithms for deriving IASI ozone total column are also compared: the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT/ESA) operational algorithm and the LISA (Laboratoire Inter-universitaire des Systemes Atmospheriques) algorithm. A better agreement was found with LISA's analytical approach based on an altitude-dependent Tikhonov-Philips regularization: correlations are 0.94 and 0.89 compared to FTIR and Brewer, respectively; while the operational IASI ozone columns (based on neural network analysis) show correlations of 0.90 and 0.85, respectively, compared to the O3 columns obtained from FTIR and Brewer.
The Effect of Kangaroo Care on Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Preterm Infants

Preterm birth is associated with long-term deficits in executive functioning and cognitive performance. As advances in neonatal care enable more preterm infants to survive, development of strategies to address high rates of neurodevelopmental disabilities and poor academic achievement in preterm infants are crucial. Evidence suggests that infants' brains are plastic in nature and, therefore, can be shaped by the environment. Kangaroo care has become popularized as a means of modifying the stress of the NICU environment. However, few studies have examined whether kangaroo care affects neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants. This review examined available literature that investigated the effect of kangaroo care on cognition in preterm infants. Current evidence suggests that short-term benefits of kangaroo care are associated with improved neurodevelopment. However, few studies have examined the long-term impact of kangaroo care on cognitive outcomes in preterm infants. To address neurological disparities in children born preterm, research using kangaroo care as a strategy to improve neurodevelopment in preterm infants is warranted.
Healthcare use for acute gastrointestinal illness in two Inuit communities: Rigolet and Iqaluit, Canada

Background The incidence of self-reported acute gastrointestinal illness (AGI) in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, and Iqaluit, Nunavut, is higher than reported elsewhere in Canada; as such, understanding AGI-related healthcare use is important for healthcare provision, public health practice and surveillance of AGI. Objectives This study described symptoms, severity and duration of self-reported AGI in the general population and examined the incidence and factors associated with healthcare utilization for AGI in these 2 Inuit communities. Design Cross-sectional survey data were analysed using multivariable exact logistic regression to examine factors associated with individuals’ self-reported healthcare and over-the-counter (OTC) medication utilization related to AGI symptoms. Results In Rigolet, few AGI cases used healthcare services [4.8% (95% CI=1.5–14.4%)]; in Iqaluit, some cases used healthcare services [16.9% (95% CI=11.2–24.7%)]. Missing traditional activities due to AGI (OR=3.8; 95% CI=1.18–12.4) and taking OTC medication for AGI symptoms (OR=3.8; 95% CI=1.2–15.1) were associated with increased odds of using healthcare services in Iqaluit. In both communities, AGI severity and secondary symptoms (extreme tiredness, headache, muscle pains, chills) were significantly associated with increased odds of taking OTC medication. Conclusions While rates of self-reported AGI were higher in Inuit communities compared to non-Inuit communities in Canada, there were lower rates of AGI-related healthcare use in Inuit communities compared to other regions in Canada. As such, the rates of healthcare use for a given disease can differ between Inuit and non-Inuit communities, and caution should be exercised in making comparisons between Inuit and non-Inuit health outcomes based solely on clinic records and healthcare use.
Psychosocial correlates of cortisol levels in fingernails among middle-aged workers

Abstract It was recently suggested that cortisol levels in fingernails reflect cumulative hormone exposure over a relatively long period. This exploratory study cross-sectionally investigated the relationships between fingernail cortisol level and psychosocial stress in a sample of middle-aged workers (94 men and 29 women). The participants were asked to grow their fingernails for ∼2 weeks and then provide fingernail samples from every digit by using nail clippers. Further, they completed questionnaires for assessment of exposure to psychosocial stress in the past (stressful life events in the workplace in the previous year; e.g. change to a different line of work) and in the present (job stress and perceived stress). Results of a regression analysis adjusting for the effects of demographic variables showed that experience of stressful life events, but not job stress and perceived stress, was associated with elevated fingernail cortisol level. These findings indicate the potential of fingernail samples to retrospectively reflect individual differences in cortisol levels related to past psychosocial stress.
Incidence and timing of cancer in HIV-infected individuals following initiation of combination antiretroviral therapy.

BACKGROUND Cancer is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but patterns of cancer incidence after combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation remain poorly characterized. METHODS We evaluated the incidence and timing of cancer diagnoses among patients initiating ART between 1996 and 2011 in a collaboration of 8 US clinical HIV cohorts. Poisson regression was used to estimate incidence rates. Cox regression was used to identify demographic and clinical characteristics associated with cancer incidence after ART initiation. RESULTS At initiation of first combination ART among 11 485 patients, median year was 2004 (interquartile range [IQR], 2000-2007) and median CD4 count was 202 cells/mm(3) (IQR, 61-338). Incidence rates for Kaposi sarcoma (KS) and lymphomas were highest in the first 6 months after ART initiation (P < .001) and plateaued thereafter, while incidence rates for all other cancers combined increased from 416 to 615 cases per 100 000 person-years from 1 to 10 years after ART initiation (average 7% increase per year; 95% confidence interval, 2%-13%). Lower CD4 count at ART initiation was associated with greater risk of KS, lymphoma, and human papillomavirus-related cancer. Calendar year of ART initiation was not associated with cancer incidence. CONCLUSIONS KS and lymphoma rates were highest immediately following ART initiation, particularly among patients with low CD4 cell counts, whereas other cancers increased with time on ART, likely reflecting increased cancer risk with aging. Our results underscore recommendations for earlier HIV diagnosis followed by prompt ART initiation along with ongoing aggressive cancer screening and prevention efforts throughout the course of HIV care.
Seed dispersal effectiveness increases with body size in New Zealand alpine scree weta (Deinacrida connectens)

Weta are giant, flightless orthopterans that are endemic to New Zealand. Although they are known to consume fleshy fruits and disperse seeds after gut passage, which is unusual among insects, their effectiveness as seed dispersal mutualists is debated. We conducted a series of laboratory experiments on alpine scree weta (Deinacrida connectens) and mountain snowberries (Gaultheria depressa) to investigate how fruit consumption rates, the proportion of ingested seeds dispersed intact and weta movement patterns vary with weta body sizes. On average weta dispersed 252 snowberry seeds nightly and travelled at a rate of 4 m min -1 . However, seed dispersal effectiveness varied over three orders of magnitude and was strongly associated with body sizes. Smaller weta consumed few snowberry seeds and acted primarily as seed predators. On the other hand, the largest weta consumed and dispersed thousands of seeds each night and appear to be capable of transporting seeds over large distances. Overall results indicate that scree weta shift from being weakly interacting seed predators to strongly interacting, effective seed dispersers as they increase in size.