Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Exploring the Association Between Health Literacy and Psychological Well-Being Among Industry Managers in Germany

Objective: Industry managers are typically exposed to high work demands but have received limited attention by research, particularly concerning the issue of health literacy and how this relates to their psychological well-being. The aim of this study was to explore the association between health literacy and psychological well-being among managers in Germany. Methods: An online survey of a sample of 126 commercial industry managers was conducted. Effects of health literacy on psychological well-being (WHO-5 index) were investigated using path analysis. Results: The findings show a quarter of managers were classified as having poor well-being. Health literacy, namely the facets self-regulation (&bgr; = 0.40, P < 0.001), self-perception (&bgr; = 0.26, P < 0.001), self-control (&bgr; = 0.25, P < 0.01), and proactive approach to health (&bgr; = 0.09, P < 0.05), were positively associated with psychological well-being. Conclusion: The study indicates that higher health literacy is associated with decreased risk of poor well-being.
Naturopathic Oncology Care for Thoracic Cancers: A Practice Survey

Background and Objectives: There is a lack of information on therapies recommended by naturopathic doctors (NDs) for lung and gastroesophageal cancer care. Study objectives were to: (1) identify the most common interventions considered for use by NDs; (2) identify interventions NDs recommend to support key therapeutic goals; and (3) identify potential contraindications between integrative and conventional therapies. Methods: Oncology Association of Naturopathic Physicians (OncANP) members (n = 351) were invited to complete an electronic survey. Respondents provided information on interventions considered for thoracic cancer pre- and postoperatively across 4 therapeutic domains (supplemental natural health products, physical, mental/emotional, and nutritional), therapeutic goals, and contraindications. This survey was part of the development of the Thoracic Perioperative Integrative Surgical Evaluation trial. Results: Forty-four NDs completed the survey (12.5% response rate), all of whom were trained at accredited colleges in North America and the majority of whom were Fellows of the American Board of Naturopathic Oncology (FABNO) (56.8%). NDs identified significantly more interventions in the postoperative compared to preoperative setting. The most frequently identified interventions included modified citrus pectin, arnica, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, probiotics, exercise, acupuncture, meditation, stress reduction, low glycemic index diet, and Mediterranean diet. Potential contraindications with conventional treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy) differed across natural health products. Conclusions: These findings highlight naturopathic interventions with a high level of use in thoracic cancer care, describe and characterize therapeutic goals and the interventions used to achieve these goals, and provide insight on how practice changes relative to conventional cancer treatment phase.
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma: A review of current updates

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a rare malignancy worldwide, but it is endemic in a few areas including Southern China, Southeast Asia, North Africa and the Arctic. The underlying mechanisms behind this remarkable geographic distribution remain unclear. Although Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection has been suggested as a necessary cause of undifferentiated NPC, EBV itself is not sufficient to cause this malignancy. Other co-factors, such as environmental risk factors, and/or genetic susceptibility, may interact with EBV to play a role in the carcinogenesis of NPC. Survival rates differ significantly between NPC patients in early stages and late stages. Due to the close associations between EBV infection and NPC risk, EBV-related biomarkers have been used for early detection and screening for NPC in a few high-incidence areas. In the present review article the latest updates are discussed.
E-PBT—Bead foaming of poly(butylene terephthalate) by underwater pelletizing

Foams from engineering thermoplastics like poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) are a new generation of polymer foams and, probably, the future for lightweight, insulation and damping materials. By means of foam extrusion or bead foaming, it is possible to achieve low-to-medium density foams (< 500 kg/m3). However, foam extrusion of PBT is quite challenging due to its low melt strength and drawability combined with a small temperature-processing window, which is a characteristic of semi-crystalline thermoplastics. This work proves that the problem of cell coalescence and insufficient cell stabilisation can be reduced by choosing the right material and processing parameters in foam extrusion with underwater pelletizing. Therefore, expanded PBT beads could be realised for the first time using CO2 as supercritical blowing agent. To obtain spherical low-density PBT beads with a homogenous foam structure, different process parameters were systematically studied with two different commercial extrusion grades and different blowing agent concentrations. The influence of water pressure and cutting speed of the underwater pelletizer on foam morphology of E-PBT and bead structure was studied. It was shown that using a polymer grade with a sufficiently high-melt viscosity helps to reduce cell coalescence. The lowest achieved density was 230 kg/m3. An increase of the blowing agent concentration did not help in reducing the density. The melting range was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and yielded reasonable moulding temperatures of 205–215 ℃. This corresponds to steam pressures of 17–21 bar in a steam-moulding machine.
Survival after percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic total occlusion in elderly patients.

AIMS Few data are available on outcomes of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for coronary chronic total occlusions (CTO) in very elderly patients in the drug-eluting stent (DES) era. We aimed to investigate long-term survival in a single-centre cohort of elderly patients following CTO PCI using DES. METHODS AND RESULTS A total of 2,002 consecutive patients who underwent PCI of a CTO at our centre between January 2005 and December 2013 were followed for a median of 2.6 years (interquartile range 1.1-3.1 years). Four hundred and nine (409) patients were older than 75 years. The absolute reduction in all-cause mortality by successful CTO PCI was numerically greater in elderly patients as compared to younger patients (22.1% vs. 7.2% at three years). In multivariate models, successful CTO PCI was significantly associated with improved survival in both elderly (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 0.58, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.39 to 0.87; p=0.009) and younger patients (adjusted HR 0.59, 95% CI: 0.40 to 0.86; p=0.006). CONCLUSIONS In the DES era, elderly patients (≥75 years) derive a similar survival benefit from successful CTO PCI to younger patients. These findings suggest that CTO PCI, when indicated, should not be withheld from the elderly.
Association of Toll-Like Cell Receptors TLR2 (p.Arg753GLN) and TLR4 (p.Asp299GLY) Polymorphisms with Indicators of General and Local Immunity in Patients with Atopic Dermatitis

A whole group of polymorphisms of genes involved in the formation of the epidermal barrier, immune responses, and their regulation is important in the formation of atopic phenotype. The purpose of the study is to determine the relationship of polymorphisms of genes of Toll-like receptors TLR2 and TLR4 with clinical and immunological parameters in atopic dermatitis patients in a “case-control” study. Polymorphisms of genes TLR2 (p.Arg753Gln) and TLR4 (Asp299Gly) were detected by PCR. Parameters of the state of innate and adaptive immunity were assessed by the level of local production of sIgA, cytokine profile of blood serum for IL-4, IL-10, and IFN-γ. Biological samples from 50 people with allergic pathology, aged 4.5 to 35 years, and 100 healthy individuals (controls) were analyzed. Observed dysregulation of cytokine production (IL-4, IL-10) in patients with heterozygous polymorphic genotypes probably reflects an imbalance of Th1/Th2/Th17 regulation of immune system response in these individuals.
Emergency Department Use across 88 Small Areas after Affordable Care Act Implementation in Illinois

Introduction This study analyzes changes in hospital emergency department (ED) visit rates before and after the 2014 Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance expansions in Illinois. We compare the association between population insurance status change and ED visit rate change between a 24-month (2012–2013) pre-ACA period and a 24-month post-ACA (2014–2015) period across 88 socioeconomically diverse areas of Illinois. Methods We used annual American Community Survey estimates for 2012–2015 to obtain insurance status changes for uninsured, private, Medicaid, and Medicare (disability) populations of 88 Illinois Public Use Micro Areas (PUMAs), areas with a mean of about 90,000 age 18–64 residents. Over 12 million ED visits to 201 non-federal Illinois hospitals were used to calculate visit rates by residents of each PUMA, using population-based mapping weights to allocate visits from zip codes to PUMAs. We then estimated n=88 correlations between population insurance-status changes and changes in ED visit rates per 1,000 residents comparing the two years before and after ACA implementation. Results The baseline PUMA uninsurance rate ranged from 6.7% to 41.1% and there was 4.6-fold variation in baseline PUMA ED visit rates. The top quartile of PUMAs had >21,000 reductions in uninsured residents; 16 PUMAs had at least a 15,000 person increase in Medicaid enrollment. Compared to 2012–2013, 2014–2015 average monthly ED visits by the uninsured dropped 42%, but increased 42% for Medicaid and 10% for the privately insured. Areas with the largest increases in Medicaid enrollment experienced the largest growth in ED use; change in Medicaid enrollment was the only significant correlate of area change in total ED visits and explained a third of variation across the 88 PUMAs. Conclusion ACA implementation in Illinois accelerated existing trends towards greater use of hospital ED care. It remains to be seen whether providing better access to primary and preventive care to the formerly uninsured will reduce ED use over time, or whether ACA insurance expansion is a part of continued, long-term growth. Monitoring ED use at the local level is critical to the success of new home- and community-based care coordination initiatives.
EFFECT OF DIFFERENT RATES OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS FERTILIZERS ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF MAIZE

Response of maize crop to various NP levels was studied at Maize and Millets Research Institute, Yusafwala, Sahiwal, Pakistan during kharif 2009. Six NP rates (0 - 0, 200-100, 250-125, 300-150, 350-175 and 400-200 kg/ha) were tried on two maize hybrids (YH-1898 and YH-1921) for growth and yield. Results showed that all fertilizer rates significantly increased the plant height, 1000grain weight, grain number per ear, grains weight per ear and grains yield of both hybrids over control. NP rate of 250-125 kg gave maximum 1000-grain weight (430.0 g), grain number (658/ear), grain weight per ear (281.3 g) and grain yield (8.237 t/ha), followed by 300-150 kg NP. The highest level of NP (400-200 kg) declined all these parameters except plant height which attained maximum value (230.50 cm). It means that higher NP doses beyond optimum level delayed crop maturity which ultimately reduced the yield.
Aspergillus fumigatus Detection and Risk Factors in Patients with COPD–Bronchiectasis Overlap

The role of Aspergillus fumigatus in the airways of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with bronchiectasis is currently unclear. We searched for a sensitive and noninvasive method for A. fumigatus detection in the sputum of COPD patients and addressed potential risk factors for its presence. Induced sputum samples of 18 COPD patients and 17 COPD patients with bronchiectasis were analyzed for the presence of A. fumigatus by culture, galactomannan detection, and PCR. Of the patients with COPD–bronchiectasis overlap, 23.5% had a positive culture for A. fumigatus versus 10.5% of COPD patients without bronchiectasis (p = 0.39). The median sputum galactomannan optical density index was significantly higher in patients with COPD and bronchiectasis compared with patients with COPD alone (p = 0.026) and ranged between the levels of healthy controls and A. fumigatus-colonized cystic fibrosis patients. Both the presence of bronchiectasis and the administration of systemic corticosteroids were associated with sputum galactomannan (p = 0.0028 and p = 0.0044, respectively) and showed significant interaction (p interaction = 0.022). PCR for Aspergillus was found to be a less sensitive method, but was critically dependent on the extraction technique. The higher sputum galactomannan levels suggest a more abundant presence of A. fumigatus in the airways of patients with COPD–bronchiectasis overlap compared with patients with COPD without bronchiectasis, particularly when systemic corticosteroids are administered.
Exploring the role of Paraoxonase-2 in bladder cancer: analyses performed on tissue samples, urines and cell culturess

The enzyme paraoxonase-2 (PON2) is ubiquitously expressed and exerts its antiapoptotic and antioxidative functions in several intracellular compartments. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of PON2 in bladder cancer (BC). The expression levels of PON2 in paired tumor and normal bladder tissue samples and in urinary exfoliated cells from patients affected with BC and healthy donors were evaluated. Moreover, the effect of PON2 overexpression on tumor cell proliferation and susceptibility to oxidative stress was investigated in human bladder cancer cell line T24. Our results showed that PON2 expression levels were significantly higher in BC compared with non-tumor tissue. In urinary exfoliated cells from BC patients, PON2 mRNA levels showed an inverse correlation with tumor stage (pT). Moreover, PON2 overexpression in T24 cells led to a significant increase in tumor cell proliferation and resistance to oxidative stress. The results obtained showed that PON2 could represent a molecular biomarker for bladder cancer and suggest a potential role of the enzyme as a prognostic factor for this neoplasm.
Posttraumatic Growth Among Japanese Parentally Bereaved Adolescents: A Web-Based Survey

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the factors associated with posttraumatic growth (PTG) among adolescents bereaved owing to parental cancer in Japan. Methods: An anonymous cross-sectional Web-based survey was conducted, enrolling adolescents bereaved because of parental cancer in the previous 5 years. Posttraumatic growth, number of social support members, support from medical staff, and behaviors after bereavement were measured. Multiple linear regression was performed to explore the association between total PTG score and possible related factors. Results: We assessed 57 participants in this study. Mean age was 19.3 (standard deviation [SD] = 2.0) years, and most participants were female (75.4%). Mean total score of the Japanese version of the PTG inventory was 43.0 (SD = 25.6). Participants’ mean number of social support members was 2.1 (SD = 1.3), and these support members were the surviving parent (66.7%), friends (38.6%), and siblings (36.8%). The multiple linear regression model explained 45% of the variance in PTG. In this model, the following 3 behaviors after bereavement were associated with PTG: “putting palms together in front of a parent’s picture or an altar” (β = .36, P = .006), “visiting a parent’s grave” (β = .29, P = .03), and “having fun with friends” (β = .25, P = .04). Conclusion: Parentally bereaved adolescents in Japan experience PTG. Specific behaviors after bereavements might be recommended for PTG among Japanese adolescents bereaved because of parental cancer.
A Constructivist Approach to Game-Based Language Learning: Student Perceptions in a Beginner-Level EFL Context

This﻿article﻿provides﻿information﻿on﻿an﻿action﻿research﻿project﻿in﻿a﻿low-level﻿EFL﻿setting﻿in﻿Japan. ﻿ The﻿project﻿aims﻿were﻿to﻿1)﻿foster﻿spoken﻿communication﻿skills﻿and﻿2)﻿help﻿students﻿engage﻿with﻿ their﻿own﻿learning. ﻿The﻿project﻿investigated﻿the﻿applicability﻿of﻿board﻿games﻿as﻿a﻿mediating﻿tool﻿for﻿ authentic﻿communication﻿as﻿part﻿of﻿a﻿wider﻿TBLT﻿approach﻿to﻿language﻿developmen. ﻿Quantitative﻿ and﻿qualitative﻿data﻿was﻿collected﻿from﻿115﻿first﻿and﻿second﻿year﻿Japanese﻿university﻿students﻿via﻿ a﻿questionnaire﻿at﻿the﻿end﻿of﻿a﻿seven-week﻿course﻿using﻿the﻿experimental﻿methodology. ﻿Responses﻿ to﻿ the﻿questionnaire﻿ indicated﻿ that﻿ the﻿ framework﻿was﻿perceived﻿ to﻿be﻿valuable﻿ in﻿both﻿ fostering﻿ communicative﻿skills﻿and﻿improving﻿student﻿engagement. ﻿Methodological﻿improvements﻿were﻿also﻿ suggested. ﻿Implications﻿applicable﻿to﻿teachers﻿working﻿in﻿similar﻿contexts﻿are﻿discussed,﻿as﻿well﻿as﻿ possible﻿improvements﻿for﻿future﻿implementations. KEywoRdS Analog Games, English as a Foreign Language, Game-Based Language Learning, Tabletop Games, Task-Based Language Teaching
Clinical decision-making to address poor outcomes in persistent horizontal semicircular canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: A case study

ABSTRACT Background: Horizontal semicircular canal BPPV (HSC-BPPV) can occur in 10–30% of BPPV cases. Lower success rates are reported for HSC-BPPV. The apogeotropic form of HSC-BPPV is more difficult to treat, as 5–40% of cases are described to be refractory to repositioning maneuvers. Purpose: To describe the assessment and treatment of a patient presenting with HSC-BPPV and to demonstrate the potential use of Forced-Prolonged Positioning (FPP) as a home exercise program (HEP) for persistent HSC-BPPV in an elderly patient. Case Description: An 89-year-old female referred to physical therapy with a diagnosis of BPPV. She experienced dizziness with positional changes and was found to have apogeotropic form of HSC-BPPV. Intervention: To supplement maneuvers performed in the clinic, the patient was provided instructions for the FPP as her HEP. With continued symptoms and positive positional tests by week four of treatment, the patient was instructed to switch the FPP with the opposing ear directed toward the floor. Outcome: Following 2 weeks of performing FPP on the opposite side, the patient reported symptoms had resolved and positional testing confirmed resolution of HSC-BPPV. Discussion: There is a potential benefit of using FPP as a HEP to supplement maneuvers used in the clinic to improve outcomes in patients with HSC-BPPV that are refractory to traditional repositioning maneuvers. Prescribing the FPP maneuver as a HEP is feasible, and clinicians should consider the FPP technique as a HEP to adjunct repositioning maneuvers performed in the clinic to address persistent HSC-BPPV.
Perforin Expression by CD8 T Cells Is Sufficient To Cause Fatal Brain Edema during Experimental Cerebral Malaria

ABSTRACT Human cerebral malaria (HCM) is a serious complication of Plasmodium falciparum infection. The most severe outcomes for patients include coma, permanent neurological deficits, and death. Recently, a large-scale magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study in humans identified brain swelling as the most prominent predictor of fatal HCM. Therefore, in this study, we sought to define the mechanism controlling brain edema through the use of the murine experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) model. Specifically, we investigated the ability of CD8 T cells to initiate brain edema during ECM. We determined that areas of blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability colocalized with a reduction of the cerebral endothelial cell tight-junction proteins claudin-5 and occludin. Furthermore, through small-animal MRI, we analyzed edema and vascular leakage. Using gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted MRI, we determined that vascular permeability is not homogeneous but rather confined to specific regions of the brain. Our findings show that BBB permeability was localized within the brainstem, olfactory bulb, and lateral ventricle. Concurrently with the initiation of vascular permeability, T2-weighted MRI revealed edema and brain swelling. Importantly, ablation of the cytolytic effector molecule perforin fully protected against vascular permeability and edema. Furthermore, perforin production specifically by CD8 T cells was required to cause fatal edema during ECM. We propose that CD8 T cells initiate BBB breakdown through perforin-mediated disruption of tight junctions. In turn, leakage from the vasculature into the parenchyma causes brain swelling and edema. This results in a breakdown of homeostatic maintenance that likely contributes to ECM pathology.
Improvement of the nutritional value of high‐protein sunflower meal for broiler chickens using multi‐enzyme mixtures

ABSTRACT Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of replacing soybean meal (SBM) with a high‐protein sunflower meal (HiSFM) without or with multi‐enzyme mixtures on growth performance, nutrient utilization, jejunal digesta viscosity, and excreta moisture in broiler chickens. In experiment 1, 400 chicks were divided into 40 replicates of 10 birds and fed for 35 d a corn‐soybean meal (CSBM) control diet or CSBM with 25 (HiSFM25), 50 (HiSFM50), 75 (HiSFM75), or 100% (HiSFM100) of total SBM replaced by HiSFM. During d 0 to 35, increasing HiSFM content in diets linearly reduced (P < 0.0001) BW, FI, and BW gain (BWG). Feeding HiSFM25 or HiSFM50 resulted in similar growth performance as CSBM (P > 0.05). In experiment 2, 120 chicks were divided into 24 replicates of 5 birds and fed CSBM or HiSFM75 diet without or with enzyme A (supplying 4,000, 500, and 8,000 U/kg of xylanase, alpha‐amylase, and protease, respectively) or enzyme B (supplying 1,700, 1,100, 240, 30, 1,200, 360, 1,500, and 120 U/kg of cellulase, pectinase, mannanase, galactanase, xylanase, glucanase, amylase, and protease, respectively) for 21 days. Excreta moisture content was determined weekly, and birds were euthanized on d 22 to collect jejunal and ileal digesta for viscosity and apparent ileal digestibility (AID) measurements, respectively. Compared with CSBM, feeding HiSFM75 reduced (P < 0.05) BWG and G: F, enzymes A and D alleviated BWG and G: F reduction (P < 0.05), and enzyme A reduced (P = 0.037) the excreta moisture content, whereas the treatments did not influence AID or jejunal digesta viscosity measurements. In conclusion, experiment 1 results show that HiSFM can replace up to 50% of SBM without depressing growth performance in either the starter or finisher phase, whereas experiment 2 shows that enzymes A and B supplementation can alleviate the growth depression associated with feeding HiSFM75. These results suggest that enzyme supplementation can enhance HiSFM inclusion in broiler diets without affecting productivity or barn hygiene management.