Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prenatal Phthalate Exposures and Childhood Fat Mass in a New York City Cohort

Background: Experimental animal studies and limited epidemiologic evidence suggest that prenatal exposure to phthalates may be obesogenic, with potential sex-specific effects of phthalates having anti-androgenic activity. Objectives: We aimed to assess associations between prenatal phthalate exposures and childhood fat mass in a prospective cohort study. Methods: We measured phthalate metabolite concentrations in third-trimester maternal urine in a cohort of women enrolled in New York City between 1998 and 2002 (n = 404). Among 180 children (82 girls and 98 boys), we evaluated body composition using a Tanita scale at multiple follow-up visits between ages 4 and 9 years (363 total visits). We estimated associations of standard deviation differences or tertiles of natural log phthalate metabolite concentrations with percent fat mass using linear mixed-effects regression models with random intercepts for repeated outcome measurements. We assessed associations in multiple metabolite models and adjusted for covariates including prepregnancy body mass index, gestational weight gain, maternal smoking during pregnancy, and breastfeeding. Results: We did not observe associations between maternal urinary phthalate concentrations and percent body fat in models examining continuous exposures. Fat mass was 3.06% (95% CI: –5.99, –0.09%) lower among children in the highest tertile of maternal urinary concentrations of summed di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (ΣDEHP) metabolites than in children in the lowest tertile. Though estimates were imprecise, there was little evidence that associations between maternal urinary phthalate concentrations and percent fat mass were modified by child’s sex. Conclusions: Prenatal phthalate exposures were not associated with increased body fat among children 4–9 years of age, though high prenatal DEHP exposure may be associated with lower fat mass in childhood. Citation: Buckley JP, Engel SM, Mendez MA, Richardson DB, Daniels JL, Calafat AM, Wolff MS, Herring AH. 2016. Prenatal phthalate exposures and childhood fat mass in a New York City cohort. Environ Health Perspect 124:507–513; http://dx.doi. org/10.1289/ehp.1509788
The Role of Internet Pornography Use and Cyber Infidelity in the Associations between Personality, Attachment, and Couple and Sexual Satisfaction

Although adults in romantic relationships currently show more openness to online sexual behaviors [1], these behaviors can nevertheless increase couple conflicts and instability [2]. In the current study, we assess the mediating role of Internet pornography use and cyber infidelity in the relationship between 1) personality and attachment, and 2) couple and sexual satisfaction. A total of 779 participants in couple relationships (average age = 29.9 years) completed a series of online questionnaires. According to their responses, 65% of participants visited an adult site at least once during the six months preceding the study, while 16.3% did so multiple times per week. Path model results showed that Internet pornography use and cyber infidelity were sequential mediators between, on the one hand, personality and attachment, and on the other hand, couple and sexual satisfaction. The discussion highlights the importance of properly documenting the correlates of online sexual behavior to better understand new couple realities and dynamics.
Functional inhibition of the human middle temporal cortex affects non-visual motion perception: a repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation study during tactile speed discrimination

The visual motion-responsive middle temporal complex (hMT+) is activated during tactile and aural motion discrimination in both sighted and congenitally blind individuals, suggesting a supramodal organization of this area. Specifically, non-visual motion processing has been found to activate the more anterior portion of the hMT+. In the present study, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) was used to determine whether this more anterior portion of hMT+ truly plays a functional role in tactile motion processing. Sixteen blindfolded, young, healthy volunteers were asked to detect changes in the rotation velocity of a random Braille-like dot pattern by using the index or middle finger of their right hand. rTMS was applied for 600 ms (10 Hz, 110% motor threshold), 200 ms after the stimulus onset with a figure-of-eight coil over either the anterior portion of hMT+ or a midline parieto-occipital site (as a control). Accuracy and reaction times were significantly impaired only when TMS was applied on hMT+, but not on the control area. These results indicate that the recruitment of hMT+ is necessary for tactile motion processing, and thus corroborate the hypothesis of a ‘supramodal’ functional organization for this sensory motion processing area.
Phytoestrogen concentrations in serum from Japanese men and women over forty years of age.

Asian individuals have much lower incidences of prostate and breast cancer than populations from Western developed countries. They also consume a lower fat, higher fiber diet, with a large intake of phytoestrogens. These phytoestrogens may protect against hormone-dependent cancers and other diseases. Our study used established gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) methodologies to measure the concentrations of four phytoestrogens (daidzein, genistein, equol and enterolactone) in serum samples obtained from Japanese men (n = 102) and women (n = 125) > 40 y old. The results were compared with those obtained with samples from the UK. The Japanese men and women had higher (P < 0.001) concentrations of circulating daidzein, genistein and equol than individuals from the UK. The mean concentration of genistein in Japanese men, for example, was 492.7 nmol/L, compared with 33.2 nmol/L in men from the UK. The two populations, however, had similar serum concentrations of enterolactone. Furthermore, 58% of the Japanese men and 38% of the Japanese women had equol concentrations > 20 nmol/L, compared with none of the UK men and 2.2% of the UK women. These results support previously published GC-MS results from studies with low numbers of samples.
Cumulative meta–analysis: a new tool for detection of temporal trends and publication bias in ecology

Temporal changes in the magnitude of research findings have recently been recognized as a general phenomenon in ecology, and have been attributed to the delayed publication of non–significant results and disconfirming evidence. Here we introduce a method of cumulative meta–analysis which allows detection of both temporal trends and publication bias in the ecological literature. To illustrate the application of the method, we used two datasets from recently conducted meta–analyses of studies testing two plant defence theories. Our results revealed three phases in the evolution of the treatment effects. Early studies strongly supported the hypothesis tested, but the magnitude of the effect decreased considerably in later studies. In the latest studies, a trend towards an increase in effect size was observed. In one of the datasets, a cumulative meta–analysis revealed publication bias against studies reporting disconfirming evidence; such studies were published in journals with a lower impact factor compared to studies with results supporting the hypothesis tested. Correlation analysis revealed neither temporal trends nor evidence of publication bias in the datasets analysed. We thus suggest that cumulative meta–analysis should be used as a visual aid to detect temporal trends and publication bias in research findings in ecology in addition to the correlative approach.
Comprehensive analysis of a novel four-lncRNA signature as a prognostic biomarker for human gastric cancer

Emerging evidence indicates that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a crucial role in predicting survival for gastric cancer (GC) patients. This study aims to identify a lncRNA-related signature for evaluating the overall survival of 379 GC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The associations between survival outcome and the expression of lncRNAs were evaluated by the univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. Four lncRNAs (LINC01018, LOC553137, MIR4435-2HG, and TTTY14) were identified as significantly correlated with overall survival. These four lncRNAs were gathered as a single prognostic signature. There was a significant positive correlation between GC patients with low-risk scores and overall survival (P = 0.001). Further analysis suggested that the prognostic value of this four-lncRNA signature was independent in clinical features. Gene set enrichment analysis found that these four lncRNAs were correlated with several molecular pathways of the tumor. Our study indicates that this novel lncRNA expression signature may be a useful biomarker of the prognosis for GC patients, based on bioinformatics analysis.
The associations between the MAPT polymorphisms and Alzheimer’s disease risk: a meta-analysis

Published studies revealed that the microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) gene polymorphisms increased Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk; the associations of 4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, rs242557G/A, rs2471738C/T, rs3785883G/A and rs1467967A/G) of the MAPT gene with AD risk, however, remain inconclusive. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the relationship between the MAPT SNPs and AD risk. A significant association of SNP rs242557 with AD risk was found in a dominant [odds ratio (OR) = 1.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.01, 1.10, P = 0.025] genetic model, and a suggestive association in an allelic (OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.00, 1.06, P = 0.078). When APOE epsilon 4 carrier status was included in stratified analysis, this association was even stronger (allelic model for the APOE epsilon 4 positive individuals: OR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.08, 1.43, P = 0.003). Furthermore, a significant association of SNP rs2471738 with AD risk was found under all the four models (allelic: OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.01, 1.20, P = 0.021; dominant: OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.00, 1.21, P = 0.046; recessive: OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.05, 1.32, P = 0.004; additive: OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.07, 1.34, P = 0.002) models. However, pooled results suggest that the neither rs3785883 nor rs1467967 is associated with AD risk under all the four genetic models. In summary, our study provides further evidence of the associations of the MAPT SNPs with AD risk.
Streptococcus gordonii Challisin protease is required for sensing cell--cell contact with Actinomyces oris

The ability of microorganisms to regulate gene expression is thought to be critical for survival and growth during the development of polymicrobial biofilms such as dental plaque. The commensal dental plaque colonizer, Streptococcus gordonii, responds to cell--cell contact (coaggregation) with Actinomyces oris by regulating >20 genes, including those involved in arginine biosynthesis. We hypothesized that an S. gordonii extracellular protease is critical for sensing by providing amino acids that modulate gene expression. S. gordonii coaggregated strongly with A. oris in buffer, saliva or chemically defined medium (CDM). In wild-type S. gordonii, expression of arginine biosynthesis genes argC and argG increased within two hours' growth in CDM in monocultures, but not following coaggregation with A. oris. By contrast, coaggregation of A. oris with an S. gordonii mutant lacking sgc, encoding the extracellular protease Challisin, resulted in increases in argC and argG gene expression that were similar to monocultures. Genetic complementation of sgc restored the ability of S. gordonii to sense coaggregation with A. oris. Coaggregation enabled growth of S. gordonii in low/no arginine and disruption of sgc did not affect this ability. We propose that extracellular bacterial proteases may be key mediators of cell--cell contact sensing by diverse microbial species.
Prognostic value of HER-2/neu expression in epithelial ovarian cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

This study aimed to conduct a meta-analysis to investigate the association between human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2/neu) expression and survival in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). HER-2/neu is one of the most frequently studied molecular biological parameters in EOC, but its prognostic impact has not been fully assessed. PubMed and Embase were searched for studies that reported HER-2/neu expression and survival in patients with EOC. The primary outcome was overall survival (OS), and the secondary outcome was progression-free survival (PFS). Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were determined using Mantel–Haenszel random-effects model. Publication bias was investigated using funnel plots and Egger’s test. A total of 56 studies (N=7212) were included in the analysis. The results showed that patients possessing HER-2/neu expression had significant disadvantages in OS (HR = 1.41; 95%CI, 1.31 to 1.51; P < 0.001) and PFS (HR = 1.38; 95% CI, 1.23–1.56; P < 0.001). The trim-and-fill method, Copas model, and subgroup analyses stratified by the study characteristics confirmed the robustness of the results. The present study findings provided further indication that HER-2/neu expression in patients with EOC has an adverse impact on OS and PFS.
Explaining variation in cancer survival between 11 jurisdictions in the International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership: a primary care vignette survey

Objectives The International Cancer Benchmarking Partnership (ICBP) is a collaboration between 6 countries and 12 jurisdictions with similar primary care-led health services. This study investigates primary care physician (PCP) behaviour and systems that may contribute to the timeliness of investigating for cancer and subsequently, international survival differences. Design A validated survey administered to PCPs via the internet set out in two parts: direct questions on primary care structure and practice relating to cancer diagnosis, and clinical vignettes, assessing management of scenarios relating to the diagnosis of lung, colorectal or ovarian cancer. Participants 2795 PCPs in 11 jurisdictions: New South Wales and Victoria (Australia), British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario (Canada), England, Northern Ireland, Wales (UK), Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Primary and secondary outcome measures Analysis compared the cumulative proportion of PCPs in each jurisdiction opting to investigate or refer at each phase for each vignette with 1-year survival, and conditional 5-year survival rates for the relevant cancer and jurisdiction. Logistic regression was used to explore whether PCP characteristics or system differences in each jurisdiction affected the readiness to investigate. Results 4 of 5 vignettes showed a statistically significant correlation (p<0.05 or better) between readiness to investigate or refer to secondary care at the first phase of each vignette and cancer survival rates for that jurisdiction. No consistent associations were found between readiness to investigate and selected PCP demographics, practice or health system variables. Conclusions We demonstrate a correlation between the readiness of PCPs to investigate symptoms indicative of cancer and cancer survival rates, one of the first possible explanations for the variation in cancer survival between ICBP countries. No specific health system features consistently explained these findings. Some jurisdictions may consider lowering thresholds for PCPs to investigate for cancer—either directly, or by specialist referral, to improve outcomes.
Regulation of insulin resistance and type II diabetes by hepatitis C virus infection: A driver function of circulating miRNAs

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a serious worldwide healthcare issue. Its association with various liver diseases including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is well studied. However, the study on the relationship between HCV infection and the development of insulin resistance and diabetes is very limited. Current research has already elucidated some underlying mechanisms, especially on the regulation of metabolism and insulin signalling by viral proteins. More studies have emerged recently on the correlation between HCV infection‐derived miRNAs and diabetes and insulin resistance. However, no studies have been carried out to directly address if these miRNAs, especially circulating miRNAs, have causal effects on the development of insulin resistance and diabetes. Here, we proposed a new perspective that circulating miRNAs can perform regulatory functions to modulate gene expression in peripheral tissues leading to insulin resistance and diabetes, rather than just a passive factor associated with these pathological processes. The detailed rationales were elaborated through comprehensive literature review and bioinformatic analyses. miR‐122 was identified to be one of the most potential circulating miRNAs to cause insulin resistance. This result along with the idea about the driver function of circulating miRNAs will promote further investigations that eventually lead to the development of novel strategies to treat HCV infection‐associated extrahepatic comorbidities.
Landscape of immune microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma and its additional impact on histological and molecular classification

Immune cells constitute an important element of tumor tissue. Accumulating evidence indicates their clinicopathological significance in predicting prognosis and therapeutic efficacy. Nonetheless, the combinations of immune cells forming the immune microenvironment and their association with histological findings remain largely unknown. Moreover, it is unclear which immune cells or immune microenvironments are the most prognostically significant. Here, we comprehensively analyzed the immune microenvironment and its intratumor heterogeneity in 919 regions of 158 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), and the results were compared with the corresponding histological and prognostic data. Consequently, we classified the immune microenvironment of HCC into three distinct immunosubtypes: Immune‐high, Immune‐mid, and Immune‐low. The Immune‐high subtype was characterized by increased B‐/plasma‐cell and T cell infiltration, and the Immune‐high subtype and B‐cell infiltration were identified as independent positive prognostic factors. Varying degrees of intratumor heterogeneity of the immune microenvironment were observed, some of which reflected the multistep nature of HCC carcinogenesis. However, the predominant pattern of immunosubtype and immune cell infiltration of each tumor was prognostically important. Of note, the Immune‐high subtype was associated with poorly differentiated HCC, cytokeratin 19 (CK19)+, and/or Sal‐like protein 4 (SALL4)+ high‐grade HCC, and Hoshida's S1/Boyault's G2 subclasses. Furthermore, patients with high‐grade HCC of the predominant Immune‐high subtype had significantly better prognosis. These results provide a rationale for evaluating the immune microenvironment in addition to the usual histological/molecular classification of HCC. Conclusion: The immune microenvironment of HCC can be classified into three immunosubtypes (Immune‐high, Immune‐mid, and Immune‐low) with additional prognostic impact on histological and molecular classification of HCC. (Hepatology 2018)
The neural bases of empathic accuracy

Theories of empathy suggest that an accurate understanding of another's emotions should depend on affective, motor, and/or higher cognitive brain regions, but until recently no experimental method has been available to directly test these possibilities. Here, we present a functional imaging paradigm that allowed us to address this issue. We found that empathically accurate, as compared with inaccurate, judgments depended on (i) structures within the human mirror neuron system thought to be involved in shared sensorimotor representations, and (ii) regions implicated in mental state attribution, the superior temporal sulcus and medial prefrontal cortex. These data demostrate that activity in these 2 sets of brain regions tracks with the accuracy of attributions made about another's internal emotional state. Taken together, these results provide both an experimental approach and theoretical insights for studying empathy and its dysfunction.
Interacting Markov chain Monte Carlo methods for solving nonlinear measure-valued equations

We present a new interacting Markov chain Monte Carlo methodology for solving numerically discrete-time measure-valued equations. The associated stochastic processes belong to the class of self-interacting Markov chains. In contrast to traditional Markov chains, their time evolution may depend on the occupation measure of the past values. This general methodology allows us to provide a natural way to sample from a sequence of target probability measures of increasing complexity. We develop an original theoretical analysis to analyze the behaviour of these algorithms as the time parameter tends to infinity. This analysis relies on measure-valued processes and semigroup techniques. We present a variety of convergence results including exponential estimates and a uniform convergence theorem with respect to the number of target distributions, yielding what seems to be the first results of this kind for this class of self-interacting models. We also illustrate these models in the context of Feynman-Kac distribution flows.
The shortest vector problem in L2 is NP-hard for randomized reductions (extended abstract)

We show that the shortest vector problem in lattices with La norm is NP-hard for randomized reductions. Moreover we also show that there is an absolute constant E > 0 so that to find a vector which is longer than the shortest non-zero vector by no more than a factor of 1 + 2'** (with respect to the Es norm) is also NP-hard for randomized reductions. The corresponding decision problem is NP-complete for randomized reductions. 1. Introduction. A lattice in R* is the set of all integer linear combinations of It fixed linearly independent vectors. T'he question of finding the shortest non-zero vector in a lattice with repsect to the L, norm was proved to be NP-hard by Van Emde Boas. However the corresponding problem for the Lz norm (or any other &norms for 1 5 p < OD) remained unsolved. Van Emde Boas conjectured almost twenty years ago (cf. [vEB]) that the L2 shortest vector problem for lattices in Z* is NP-hard and the corresponding decision problem is NP-complete. The cr-approximate version of the problem is the following: find a non-zero vector 11 in the lattice 1; so that its length is at most ~1]vc]] where ~0 is a shortest non-zero vector of the lattice. It has been shown by J. Lagarias, H.W Lens&a and, C. I? Schnorr (cf. [LLS]) that if the cr-appro,ximate problem is NP-hard for any Q > nl*a (where n is the dimension of the lattice) than NP = co-NP. According to recent a result of 0. Goldreich and S. Goldwasser it is unlikeley that the a-approximation problem is NP-hard even for Q: = $, since this problem is in NP tl coAM (see [GG]). In this paper we show that the shortest vector problem is NP-hard for randomized reductions. That is, there is a prob-abilistic Turing-machine which in polynomial time reduces any problem in NP to instances of the shortest vector problem. In other words this probabilistic 'Ruing machine can solve in polynomial time any problem in NP, provided that it can use an oracle which returns the solution of the shortest vector problem if an instance of it presented (by giving a basis of the corresponding lattice). We prove the same result about the 1 + 2-*'-approximate problem where E > 0 is n sufficiently small absolute constant and n is the dimension ot the lattice. (Recently J.-Y. Cai and A. Nerurkar has …