Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Data-Gathering, Belief Flexibility, and Reasoning Across the Psychosis Continuum

Abstract Background There is evidence for a group of nonclinical individuals with full-blown, persistent psychotic experiences (PEs) but no need-for-care: they are of particular importance in identifying risk and protective factors for clinical psychosis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether reasoning biases are related to PEs or need-for-care. Method Two groups with persistent PEs (clinical; n = 74; nonclinical; n = 92) and a control group without PEs (n = 83) were compared on jumping-to-conclusions (JTC) and belief flexibility. A randomly selected subset of interviews (n = 104) was analyzed to examine differences in experiential and rational reasoning. Results As predicted JTC was more common in the clinical than the other 2 groups. Unexpectedly no group differences were observed between clinical and nonclinical groups on measures of belief flexibility. However, the clinical group was less likely to employ rational reasoning, while the nonclinical group was more likely to use experiential reasoning plus a combination of both types of reasoning processes, compared to the other 2 groups. Conclusions Reasoning biases differ in groups with PEs with and without need-for-care. JTC is associated with need-for-care rather than with PEs. The ability to invoke rational reasoning processes, together with an absence of JTC, may protect against pathological outcomes of persistent PEs. However, marked use of experiential reasoning is associated with the occurrence of PEs in both clinical and nonclinical groups. Implications for theory development, intervention and further research are discussed.
Evaluation of tumor hypoxia prior to radiotherapy in intermediate-risk prostate cancer using 18F-fluoromisonidazole PET/CT: a pilot study

Purpose Hypoxia is a major factor in prostate cancer aggressiveness and radioresistance. Predicting which patients might be bad candidates for radiotherapy may help better personalize treatment decisions in intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients. We assessed spatial distribution of 18F-Misonidazole (FMISO) PET/CT uptake in the prostate prior to radiotherapy treatment. Materials and Methods Intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients about to receive high-dose (>74 Gy) radiotherapy to the prostate without hormonal treatment were prospectively recruited between 9/2012 and 10/2014. Prior to radiotherapy, all patients underwent a FMISO PET/CT as well as a MRI and 18F-choline-PET. 18F-choline and FMISO-positive volumes were semi-automatically determined using the fuzzy locally adaptive Bayesian (FLAB) method. In FMISO-positive patients, a dynamic analysis of early tumor uptake was performed. Group differences were assessed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Parameters were correlated using Spearman rank correlation. Results Of 27 patients (median age 76) recruited to the study, 7 and 9 patients were considered positive at 2.5h and 3.5h FMISO PET/CT respectively. Median SUVmax and SUVmax tumor to muscle (T/M) ratio were respectively 3.4 and 3.6 at 2.5h, and 3.2 and 4.4 at 3.5h. The median FMISO-positive volume was 1.1 ml. Conclusions This is the first study regarding hypoxia imaging using FMISO in prostate cancer showing that a small FMISO-positive volume was detected in one third of intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients.
Positive Hall coefficients obtained from contact misplacement on evident n-type ZnO films and crystals

We report on the effect of sample non-uniformity on the results of Hall-effect measurements. False positive Hall coefficients were obtained from an evidently n -type ZnO single crystal, although four electrodes with low contact resistance were made and the Van der Pauw parameter for this electrode configuration was close to 1.00. Further position-sensitive characterization revealed that the false positive Hall coefficient was due to non-uniform electrical properties of the sample. To demonstrate a false positive sign of the Hall coefficient due to sample non-uniformity, we devised a model structure made from evident n -type ZnO thin film and successfully reproduced a false positive Hall coefficient from n -type ZnO.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis nuoG Is a Virulence Gene That Inhibits Apoptosis of Infected Host Cells

The survival and persistence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis depends on its capacity to manipulate multiple host defense pathways, including the ability to actively inhibit the death by apoptosis of infected host cells. The genetic basis for this anti-apoptotic activity and its implication for mycobacterial virulence have not been demonstrated or elucidated. Using a novel gain-of-function genetic screen, we demonstrated that inhibition of infection-induced apoptosis of macrophages is controlled by multiple genetic loci in M. tuberculosis. Characterization of one of these loci in detail revealed that the anti-apoptosis activity was attributable to the type I NADH-dehydrogenase of M. tuberculosis, and was mainly due to the subunit of this multicomponent complex encoded by the nuoG gene. Expression of M. tuberculosis nuoG in nonpathogenic mycobacteria endowed them with the ability to inhibit apoptosis of infected human or mouse macrophages, and increased their virulence in a SCID mouse model. Conversely, deletion of nuoG in M. tuberculosis ablated its ability to inhibit macrophage apoptosis and significantly reduced its virulence in mice. These results identify a key component of the genetic basis for an important virulence trait of M. tuberculosis and support a direct causal relationship between virulence of pathogenic mycobacteria and their ability to inhibit macrophage apoptosis.
Sex Differences in Timeliness of Reperfusion in Young Patients With ST‐Segment–Elevation Myocardial Infarction by Initial Electrocardiographic Characteristics

Background Young women with ST‐segment–elevation myocardial infarction experience reperfusion delays more frequently than men. Our aim was to determine the electrocardiographic correlates of delay in reperfusion in young patients with ST‐segment–elevation myocardial infarction. Methods and Results We examined sex differences in initial electrocardiographic characteristics among 1359 patients with ST‐segment–elevation myocardial infarction in a prospective, observational, cohort study (2008–2012) of 3501 patients with acute myocardial infarction, 18 to 55 years of age, as part of the VIRGO (Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young AMI Patients) study at 103 US and 24 Spanish hospitals enrolling in a 2:1 ratio for women/men. We created a multivariable logistic regression model to assess the relationship between reperfusion delay (door‐to‐balloon time >90 or >120 minutes for transfer or door‐to‐needle time >30 minutes) and electrocardiographic characteristics, adjusting for sex, sociodemographic characteristics, and clinical characteristics at presentation. In our study (834 women and 525 men), women were more likely to exceed reperfusion time guidelines than men (42.4% versus 31.5%; P<0.01). In multivariable analyses, female sex persisted as an important factor in exceeding reperfusion guidelines after adjusting for electrocardiographic characteristics (odds ratio, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.15–2.15). Positive voltage criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy and absence of a prehospital ECG were positive predictors of reperfusion delay; and ST elevation in lateral leads was an inverse predictor of reperfusion delay. Conclusions Sex disparities in timeliness to reperfusion in young patients with ST‐segment–elevation myocardial infarction persisted, despite adjusting for initial electrocardiographic characteristics. Left ventricular hypertrophy by voltage criteria and absence of prehospital ECG are strongly positively correlated and ST elevation in lateral leads is negatively correlated with reperfusion delay.
Impact of parents’ physical activity on preschool children’s physical activity: a cross-sectional study

Purpose This study examined the associations of physical activity levels between parents and their pre-school children based on gender and weekday/weekend. Method A total of 247 parent-preschool child triads from Shanghai, China were analyzed. The children had a mean age of 57.5 ± 5.2 months. Both sedentary behavior and physical activity were measured in all participants using an ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometer over seven consecutive days from Monday through the following Sunday. A multivariate regression model was derived to identify significant relationships between parental and child physical activity according to gender and weekday/weekend. Results There was a significant correlation between mothers’ and girls’ moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and total physical activity (TPA) on weekdays. Fathers’ MPVA levels correlated significantly with those of boys and girls, with paternal influence appearing to be stronger than maternal influence. However, there was not a significant correlation between fathers’ and children’s TPA. TPA levels of both mothers and fathers correlated with those of girls, but not with those of boys. Parental sedentary levels on the weekend correlated significantly with girls’ levels, but not with boys’ levels. Children’s physical activity levels on weekends were influenced more by fathers’ activity levels than by mothers’, while the opposite was observed on weekdays. Conclusion Sedentary behavior and physical activity levels of parents can strongly influence those of their preschool children, with maternal influence stronger during the weekdays and paternal influence stronger on the weekends. Parents’ activity levels influence girls’ levels more strongly than they influence boys’ levels.
Climatic niche breadth can explain variation in geographical range size of alpine and subalpine plants

ABSTRACT Understanding the environmental factors determining the distribution of species with different range sizes can provide valuable insights for evolutionary ecology and conservation biology in the face of expected climate change. However, little is known about what determines the variation in geographical and elevational ranges of alpine and subalpine plant species. Here, we examined the relationship between geographical and elevational range sizes for 80 endemic rhododendron species in China using Spearman’s rank-order correlation. We ran the species distribution model – maximum entropy modelling (MaxEnt) – with 27 environmental variables. The importance of each variable to the model prediction was compared for species groups with different geographical and elevational range sizes. Our results showed that the correlation between geographical and elevational range sizes of rhododendron species was not significant. Climate-related variables were found to be the most important factors in shaping the distributional ranges of alpine and subalpine plant species across China. Species with geographically and elevationally narrow ranges had distinct niche requirements. For geographical ranges, the narrow-ranged species showed less tolerance to niche conditions than the wide-ranged species. For elevational ranges, compared with the wide-ranged species, the narrow-ranged species showed an equivalent niche breadth, but occurred at different niche position along the environmental gradient. Our findings suggest that over large spatial extents the elevational range size can be a complementary trait of alpine and subalpine plant species to geographical range size. Climatic niche breadth, especially the range of seasonal variability, can explain species’ geographical range sizes. Changes in climate may influence the distribution of rhododendrons, with the effects likely being felt most by species with either a narrow geographical or narrow elevational range.
Growing Pains in Financial Development: Institutional Weakness and Investment Efficiency

Falling barriers to credit access have had some unexpected consequences. In the developing world, there is little evidence that the rapid expansion of microfinance has had a significant impact on poverty, but is instead increasingly associated with problematic multiple borrowing at high interest rates and high levels of debt and default. We develop a model that rationalizes these outcomes when the institutions supporting financial contracting are weak -- if entrepreneurs cannot commit to exclusive borrowing from a single lender, expanding financial access by introducing multiple sources of credit may severely backfire. Capital allocation can be distorted away from the most productive uses, generating a perverse incentive for micro-entrepreneurs to choose inefficient and limited-growth endeavors. These problems are exacerbated when borrowers have access to more lenders, providing an explanation of why increased access to finance does not always improve outcomes. Optimal policy in the model closely mirrors what was proposed and adopted following the recent microfinance repayment crisis in Andhra Pradesh, India.
Effect of different ceramic primers on shear bond strength of resin-modified glass ionomer cement to zirconia

Abstract Purpose: This study evaluated and compared the effect of different ceramic primers on the shear bond strength of RMGIC to zirconia with and without air-particle abrasion. Material and Methods: 120 zirconia square specimens (5 mm × 5 mm × 2 mm) were fabricated. Half of the specimens were air-particle abraded (A) and the other half were left untreated (NA). Both groups were further divided into six subgroups (n = 10). Composite cylinders (2.9 mm × 3.0 mm) were fabricated and bonded to the zirconia samples with RMGIC (RelyX Plus) after different priming methods: no ceramic primer (group NS); Z-Prime (group ZP); Clearfil ceramic primer (group CP); cleaned with Ivoclean then Monobond plus (IV/MS); Monobond plus (group MS); and Rely X ceramic primer (group RX). Specimens were rinsed, stored in distilled water, and thermocycled (TC) for 10,000 cycles between 5 and 60 °C with a dwell time of 15s. Data were analyzed with two-way ANOVA and the Tukey–Kramer method test (a = .05). Results: air-particle abrasion significantly affected bond strength of RMGIC to zirconia regardless of the primer used (p < 0.001 for all primers and the control). After TC, A-ZP (11.1 ± 0.6 MPa), A-CP (11.9 ± 0.6 MPa), and A-MS (11.9 ± 0.5 MPa) revealed the highest shear bond strength values, while NA-NS (2.9 ± 0.3 MPa) and NA-RX (4.7 ± 0.5 MPa) had the lowest. Failure modes were primarily adhesive. Conclusion: air-particle abrasion with aluminum oxide and application of MDP-based ceramic primers provide the highest bond strength of RMGIC to zirconia.
Relative Vaccine Effectiveness of High-Dose Versus Standard-Dose Influenza Vaccines Among Veterans Health Administration Patients

Background We examined whether a high-dose inactivated influenza vaccine was more efficacious in preventing hospitalizations than a standard-dose vaccine in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) senior population. Methods This study estimated the relative vaccine effectiveness (rVE) of high dose versus standard dose using a retrospective cohort of VHA patients 65 years of age or older in the 2015-2016 influenza season. To adjust for measured confounders, we matched each high-dose recipient with up to 4 standard-dose recipients vaccinated at the same location within a 2-week period and having 2 or more pre-existing medical comorbidities. We used the previous event rate ratio method (PERR), a type of difference-in-differences analysis, to adjust for unmeasured confounders. Results We evaluated 104965 standard-dose and 125776 high-dose recipients; matching decreased the population to 49091 standard-dose and 24682 high-dose recipients. The matched, PERR-adjusted rVE was 25% (95% confidence interval [CI], 2%-43%) against influenza- or pneumonia-associated hospitalization, 7% (95% CI, -2% to 14%) against all-cause hospitalization, 14% (95% CI, -8% to 32%) against influenza- or pneumonia-associated outpatient visit, 5% (95% CI, 2%-8%) against all-cause outpatient visit, and 38% (95% CI, -5% to 65%) against laboratory-confirmed influenza. Conclusions In protecting senior VHA patients against influenza- or pneumonia-associated hospitalization, a high-dose influenza vaccine is more effective than a standard-dose vaccine.
Cognitive work hardening for return to work following depression: An intervention study

Background. Work absences due to depression are prevalent; however, few interventions exist to address the return-to-work challenges following a depressive episode. Purpose. This mixed-methods study aimed to (a) evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive work hardening in preparing people with depression to return to work and (b) identify key elements of the intervention. Method. A single group (n = 21) pretest-posttest study design was used incorporating self-report measures (Work Ability Index, Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue, Beck Depression Inventory II) with interviews at intervention completion and at 3-month follow-up. Descriptive statistics, paired-samples t test, and content analysis were used to analyze the data. Findings. Work ability, fatigue, and depression severity significantly improved postintervention. Participants identified structure, work simulations, realism of simulated work environment, support, and education as key intervention elements. Implications. Findings underscore an occupationally focused return-to-work intervention for people recovering from depression with potential for wider adoption and future research.
Blood Concentrations of Persistent Organic Pollutants and Unhealthy Metabolic Phenotypes in Normal-Weight, Overweight, and Obese Individuals

Factors underlying metabolic phenotypes, such as the metabolically healthy but obese phenotype, remain unclear. Differences in metabolic phenotypes-particularly, among individuals with a similar body mass index-could be related to concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). To our knowledge, no studies have analyzed POPs and metabolic phenotypes in normal-weight persons. We investigated the relationships between serum concentrations of POPs and metabolic phenotypes in 860 normal-weight, overweight, and obese participants in the 2002 Catalan Health Interview Survey (Spain). POP concentrations were significantly higher in metabolically unhealthy than in metabolically healthy individuals. In models adjusting for body mass index and other confounders, hexachlorobenzene, β-hexachlorocyclohexane, and polychlorinated biphenyls were associated with the unhealthy metabolic phenotype and metabolic syndrome. Among normal-weight individuals, the adjusted prevalence ratio of having an unhealthy phenotype for the upper category of the sum of orders of the 6 mentioned POPs (all individually associated with metabolic phenotypes) was 4.1 (95% confidence interval: 1.7, 10.0). Among overweight and obese individuals, the corresponding prevalence ratio for the sum of polychlorinated biphenyls was 1.4 (95% confidence interval: 1.0, 1.8). Our results supported the hypothesis that POP concentrations are associated with unhealthy metabolic phenotypes, not only in obese and overweight individuals but also (and probably more strongly) in normal-weight individuals.
Oropharyngeal Microbiota in Frail Older Patients Unaffected by Time in Hospital

Respiratory tract infections are the commonest nosocomial infections, and occur predominantly in frailer, older patients with multiple comorbidities. The oropharyngeal microbiota is the major reservoir of infection. This study explored the relative contributions of time in hospital and patient demographics to the community structure of the oropharyngeal microbiota in older patients with lower limb fracture. We collected 167 throat swabs from 53 patients (mean age 83) over 14 days after hospitalization, and analyzed these using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We calculated frailty/comorbidity indices, undertook dental examinations and collected data on respiratory tract infections. We analyzed microbial community composition using correspondence (CA) and canonical correspondence analysis. Ten patients were treated for respiratory tract infection. Microbial community structure was related to frailty, number of teeth and comorbidity on admission, with comorbidity exerting the largest effect. Time in hospital neither significantly changed alpha (t = −0.910, p = 0.365) nor beta diversity (CA1 t = 0.022, p = 0.982; CA2 t = −0.513, p = 0.609) of microbial communities in patient samples. Incidence of respiratory pathogens were not associated with time in hospital (t = −0.207, p = 0.837), nor with alpha diversity of the oral microbiota (t = −1.599, p = 0.113). Patient characteristics at admission, rather than time in hospital, influenced the community structure of the oral microbiota.
Aspartame Intake Relates to Coronary Plaque Burden and Inflammatory Indices in Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Abstract Background Dietary sweeteners may contribute to metabolic dysregulation and cardiovascular disease (CVD), but this has not been assessed in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Methods One hundred twenty-four HIV-infected and 56 non-HIV-infected participants, without history of known coronary artery disease were included. Dietary intake was assessed using a 4-day food record. Coronary plaque was determined using cardiac computed tomography angiography. Results Human immunodeficiency virus-infected participants had significantly greater intake of dietary sweeteners, including total sugar (P = .03) and added sugar (P = .009); intake of aspartame (artificial sweetener) was greater among aspartame consumers with HIV versus non-HIV consumers (P = .03). Among HIV-infected participants, aspartame intake was significantly associated with coronary plaque (P = .002) and noncalcified plaque (P = .007) segments, as well as markers of inflammation/immune activation (monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2), which may contribute to increased atherogenesis. In multivariable regression modeling, aspartame remained an independent predictor of plaque in HIV. In contrast, among non-HIV-infected participants, no sweetener type was shown to relate to plaque characteristics. Conclusions We demonstrate increased intake of dietary sweeteners and a potential novel association between aspartame intake, plaque burden, and inflammation in HIV. Our data suggest that aspartame may contribute to CVD risk in HIV. Further studies should address potential mechanisms by which aspartame may contribute to increased plaque burden and cardiovascular benefits of dietary strategies targeting aspartame intake in HIV.
Mixed-Timescale Precoding and Cache Control in Cached MIMO Interference Network

Consider media streaming in MIMO interference networks whereby multiple base stations (BS) simultaneously deliver media to their associated users using fixed data rates. The performance is fundamentally limited by the cross-link interference. We propose a cache-induced opportunistic cooperative MIMO (CoMP) for interference mitigation. By caching a portion of the media files, the BSs opportunistically employ CoMP to transform the cross-link interference into spatial multiplexing gain. We study a mixed-timescale optimization of MIMO precoding and cache control to minimize the transmit power under the rate constraint. The cache control is to create more CoMP opportunities and is adaptive to the long-term popularity of the media files. The precoding is to guarantee the rate requirement and is adaptive to the channel state information and cache state at the BSs. The joint stochastic optimization problem is decomposed into a short-term precoding and a long-term cache control problem. We propose a precoding algorithm which converges to a stationary point of the short-term problem. Based on this, we exploit the hidden convexity of the long-term problem and propose a low complexity and robust solution using stochastic subgradient. The solution has significant gains over various baselines and does not require explicit knowledge of the media popularity.