Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Does marital status matter in an HIV hyperendemic country? Findings from the 2012 South African National HIV Prevalence, Incidence and Behaviour Survey

ABSTRACT South Africa has experienced declining marriage rates and the increasing practice of cohabitation without marriage. This study aims to improve the understanding of the relationship between marital status and HIV in South Africa, an HIV hyperendemic country, through an analysis of findings from the 2012 South African National HIV Prevalence, Incidence and Behaviour Survey. The nationally representative population-based cross-sectional survey collected data on HIV and socio-demographic and behavioural determinants in South Africa. This analysis considered respondents aged 16 years and older who consented to participate in the survey and provided dried blood spot specimens for HIV testing (N = 17,356). After controlling for age, race, having multiple sexual partners, condom use at last sex, urban/rural dwelling and level of household income, those who were married living with their spouse had significantly reduced odds of being HIV-positive compared to all other marital spouses groups. HIV incidence was 0.27% among respondents who were married living with their spouses; the highest HIV incidence was found in the cohabiting group (2.91%). Later marriage (after age 24) was associated with increased odds of HIV prevalence. Our analysis suggests an association between marital status and HIV prevalence and incidence in contemporary South Africa, where odds of being HIV-positive were found to be lower among married individuals who lived with their spouses compared to all other marital status groups. HIV prevention messages therefore need to be targeted to unmarried populations, especially cohabitating populations. As low socio-economic status, low social cohesion and the resulting destabilization of sexual relationships may explain the increased risk of HIV among unmarried populations, it is necessary to address structural issues including poverty that create an environment unfavourable to stable sexual relationships.
Health benefits of serious involvement in leisure activities among older Korean adults

The existing literature suggests that serious engagement in leisure activities leads to happiness, life satisfaction, and successful aging among older adults. This qualitative study was used to examine the benefits of serious involvement in leisure activities among older Korean adults who were members of a sports club. Using an analytic data analysis, we identified three main themes associated with the benefits of serious engagement in leisure activities: 1) the experience of psychological benefits, 2) the creation of social support, and 3) the enhancement of physical health. These themes indicate that, through serious involvement in certain physical activities, participants gain various health benefits, which may contribute to successful aging.
Primary Mixed Adenocarcinoma and Small Cell Carcinoma of the Appendix: A Clinicopathologic, Immunohistochemical, and Molecular Study of a Hitherto Unreported Tumor

Appendiceal carcinoids range from well-differentiated endocrine tumor to well-differentiated endocrine carcinoma, while poorly differentiated (small cell) carcinoma has not been described in this site. We report herein a case of mixed intestinal-type adenocarcinoma associated with a small cell carcinoma arisen in a 35-year-old woman and clinically presenting as an appendiceal abscess. The resected tumor histologically appeared as a biphasic lesion composed of a nonmucinous adenocarcinoma closely juxtaposed with a poorly differentiated (small cell) endocrine carcinoma. The subsequent right hemicolectomy was unremarkable, but one pericolic lymph node showed a metastatic deposit consisting of the adenocarcinoma only. The patient thus underwent a chemotherapeutic protocol for colorectal cancer, and she is alive and well at the 65-month follow-up. Immunohistochemically, the adenocarcinoma strongly stained for cytokeratin 20 and carcinoembryonic antigen, while the endocrine component displayed a dot-like positivity for pan-cytokeratins and chromogranin. Of note, both components did not stain with CDX2 and p53. At genotypic analysis by microsatellite instability, both components shared many microsatellite alterations as well as a normal p53 gene setup, although small cell carcinoma harbored additional alterations. Clinical and molecular findings led us to consider this lesion as a clonal tumor in which the endocrine component seems to derive from a progressive differentiation of the adenocarcinoma following a glandular-to-endocrine sequence.
Sensing, objects, and awareness: Reply to commentators

I am very grateful to my commentators for their interest and their careful attention to A Theory of Sentience. It is particularly gratifying to find other philosophers attracted to the murky domain of pre-attentive sensory processing, an obscure place where exciting stuff happens. I can by no means answer all of their objections or counter-arguments, and some of the problems noted derive from failures in my original exposition. But a theory is a success if it helps spur the creation of better successors. By those lights this one seems to be succeeding admirably. Would that every author could receive such commentaries! Two themes resound through the commentaries, and I will focus most of my efforts on them. The first is the relation between sensory feature-placing and the perception of objects; the second the relation between feature-placing and our conscious perceptual experience. Cohen and Matthen lodge numerous objections under the first heading; Rey and Levine post most of theirs under the second one. Of course each author also adds objections unique to themselves, and I shall address as many as can be fit into the space-time region allotted to this reply.
Children Are Cursed

Young children have problems reasoning about false beliefs. We suggest that this is at least partially the result of the same curse of knowledge that has been observed in adults—a tendency to be biased by one's own knowledge when assessing the knowledge of a more naive person. We tested 3- to 5-year-old children in a knowledge-attribution task and found that young children exhibited a curse-of-knowledge bias to a greater extent than older children, a finding that is consistent with their greater difficulty with false-belief tasks. We also found that children's misattributions were asymmetric. They were limited to cases in which the children were more knowledgeable than the other person; misattributions did not occur when the children were more ignorant than the other person. This suggests that their difficulty is better characterized by the curse of knowledge than by more general egocentrism or rationality accounts.
External Validity of Grammatical Word Category Classification Using an Adaptation and Selection Model

External Validity of Grammatical Word Category Classification Using an Adaptation and Selection Model Michelle Chatterton Department of Communication Disorders, BYU Master of Science The process of acquiring language requires children to learn grammatical categories and apply these categories to new words. Researchers have proposed various explanations of this process in the form of algorithms and computational modeling. Recently, adaptation and selection models have been tested and applied as a possible explanation to the process of acquiring grammatical categories. These studies have proven promising, however, the external validity of this approach has not been examined by grammatically coding samples outside the training corpus. The current thesis applies an adaptation and selection model, which pauses the evolution of dictionaries after every thousand cycles to allow the tagging of 30 outside samples, which are then checked for tagging accuracy. The accuracy across the five training corpora by the six thousandth cycle averaged 76.75%. Additional research is needed to explore the effects of altering the parameters in the model.
Radiotherapy Plus Concurrent or Sequential Temozolomide for Glioblastoma in the Elderly: A Meta-Analysis

Background Many physicians are reluctant to treat elderly glioblastoma (GBM) patients as aggressively as younger patients, which is not evidence based due to the absence of validated data from primary studies. We conducted a meta-analysis to provide valid evidence for the use of the aggressive combination of radiotherapy (RT) and temozolomide (TMZ) in elderly GBM patients. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted using the PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane databases. Studies comparing combined RT/TMZ with RT alone in elderly patients (≥65 years) with newly diagnosed GBM were eligible for inclusion. Results No eligible randomized trials were identified. Alternatively, a meta-analysis of nonrandomized studies (NRSs) was performed, with 16 studies eligible for overall survival (OS) analysis and nine for progression-free survival (PFS) analysis. Combined RT/TMZ was shown to reduce the risk of death and progression in elderly GBM patients compared with RT alone (OS hazard ratio [HR] 0.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.48–0.72; PFS: HR 0.58, 95% CI 0.41–0.84). Evaluable patients were reported to tolerate combined treatment but certain toxicities, and especially hematological toxicities, were more frequently observed. Limited data on O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter status and quality of life were reported. Conclusion The meta-analysis of NRSs provided level 2a evidence (Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine) that combined RT/TMZ conferred a clear survival benefit on a selection of elderly GBM patients who had a favorable prognosis (e.g., extensive resection, favorable KPS). Toxicities were more frequent but acceptable. Future randomized trials are warranted to justify a definitive conclusion.
National Trends and Impact of Acute Kidney Injury Requiring Hemodialysis in Hospitalizations With Atrial Fibrillation

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cause for hospitalization, but there are limited data regarding acute kidney injury requiring dialysis (AKI‐D) in AF hospitalizations. We aimed to assess temporal trends and outcomes in AF hospitalizations complicated by AKI‐D utilizing a nationally representative database. Methods and Results Utilizing the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, AF hospitalizations and AKI‐D were identified using diagnostic and procedure codes. Trends were analyzed overall and within subgroups and utilized multivariable logistic regression to generate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for predictors and outcomes including mortality and adverse discharge. Between 2003 and 2012, 3751 (0.11%) of 3 497 677 AF hospitalizations were complicated by AKI‐D. The trend increased from 0.3/1000 hospitalizations in 2003 to 1.5/1000 hospitalizations in 2012, with higher increases in males and black patients. Temporal changes in demographics and comorbidities explained a substantial proportion but not the entire trend. Significant comorbidities associated with AKI‐D included mechanical ventilation (aOR 13.12; 95% CI 9.88‐17.43); sepsis (aOR 8.20; 95% CI 6.00‐11.20); and liver failure (aOR 3.72; 95% CI 2.92‐4.75). AKI‐D was associated with higher risk of in‐hospital mortality (aOR 3.54; 95% CI 2.81‐4.47) and adverse discharge (aOR 4.01; 95% CI 3.12‐5.17). Although percentage mortality within AKI‐D decreased over the decade, attributable risk percentage mortality remained stable. Conclusions AF hospitalizations complicated by AKI‐D have quintupled over the last decade with differential increase by demographic groups. AKI‐D is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Without effective AKI‐D therapies, focus should be on early risk stratification and prevention to avoid this devastating complication.
Genetic polymorphisms of glutathione S-transferases and disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVES Glutathione S-transferases (GST); GST-mu1 (GSTM1), GST-pi1 (GSTP1) and GST-theta1 (GSTT1) have peroxidase activity towards cytotoxic metabolites produced in inflammatory reactions, the main feature of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Genetic polymorphisms in GSTM1, GSTP1 and GSTT1 modify the enzyme conjugation capacity and may be associated with the activity of RA. METHODS A genotyping approach was used to analyze GSTM1-0, GSTT1-0 and GSTP1 Ile105Val and Ala114Val polymorphisms in 213 RA patients. Disease activity was assessed by the disease activity score of 28 joint counts (DAS28) twice for each patient and mean DAS28 values were calculated. RESULTS The patients with GSTT1-0 genotype had a higher risk for developing high activity RA than the patients with GSTT1 genes present (p=0.028, OR=2.761, 95% CI=1.114-6.843). An interaction between the GSTT1 polymorphism and smoking was observed. In the group of smokers, the carriers of a homozygous deletion GSTT1 had an 8.5-fold higher risk for developing high disease activity than the patients with the GSTT1-1 genotype (p=0.004, OR=8.640, 95% CI=1.995-37.426). GSTM1 and GSTP1 polymorphisms were not associated with the disease activity. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that the presence of the GSTT1-0 genotype contributed to higher disease activity in RA patients. The risk for developing highly active RA was the highest in smokers with the GSTT1-0 genotype.
Learning dialogue strategies for interactive database search

A diode pumped laser is wavelength converted using an intracavity non-linear optical crystal, and the wavelength converted output is passively stabilized by a short cavity using unpolarized laser output. End pumping limits the number of transverse cavity modes, and intracavity etalon effects may be achieved by additional coatings deposited upon the laser or non-linear crystals themselves, further reducing the longitudinal mode spectrum. Wavelength converted output is enhanced by minimizing backward conversion in a linear cavity, or by folding the cavity via an angled face of the non-linear or the laser crystal.
Insulin Sensitivity in Adipose and Skeletal Muscle Tissue of Dairy Cows in Response to Dietary Energy Level and 2,4-Thiazolidinedione (TZD)

The effects of dietary energy level and 2,4-thiazolidinedione (TZD) injection on feed intake, body fatness, blood biomarkers and TZD concentrations, genes related to insulin sensitivity in adipose tissue (AT) and skeletal muscle, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG) protein in subcutaneous AT (SAT) were evaluated in Holstein cows. Fourteen nonpregnant nonlactating cows were fed a control low-energy (CON, 1.30 Mcal/kg) diet to meet 100% of estimated nutrient requirements for 3 weeks, after which half of the cows were assigned to a higher-energy diet (OVE, 1.60 Mcal/kg) and half of the cows continued on CON for 6 weeks. All cows received an intravenous injection of TZD starting 2 weeks after initiation of dietary treatments and for an additional 2 weeks, which served as the washout period. Cows fed OVE had greater energy intake and body mass than CON, and TZD had no effect during the administration period. The OVE cows had greater TZD clearance rate than CON cows. The lower concentration of nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) and greater concentration of insulin in blood of OVE cows before TZD injection indicated positive energy balance and higher insulin sensitivity. Administration of TZD increased blood concentrations of glucose, insulin, and beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) at 2 to 4 weeks after diet initiation, while the concentration of NEFA and adiponectin (ADIPOQ) remained unchanged during TZD. The TZD upregulated the mRNA expression of PPARG and its targets FASN and SREBF1 in SAT, but also SUMO1 and UBC9 which encode sumoylation proteins known to down-regulate PPARG expression and curtail adipogenesis. Therefore, a post-translational response to control PPARG gene expression in SAT could be a counteregulatory mechanism to restrain adipogenesis. The OVE cows had greater expression of the insulin sensitivity-related genes IRS1, SLC2A4, INSR, SCD, INSIG1, DGAT2, and ADIPOQ in SAT. In skeletal muscle, where PPARA and its targets orchestrate carbohydrate metabolism and fatty acid oxidation, the OVE cows had greater glyceroneogenesis (higher mRNA expression of PC and PCK1), whereas CON cows had greater glucose transport (SLC2A4). Administration of TZD increased triacylglycerol concentration and altered expression of carbohydrate- and fatty acid oxidation-related genes in skeletal muscle. Results indicate that overfeeding did not affect insulin sensitivity in nonpregnant, nonlactating dairy cows. The bovine PPARG receptor appears TZD-responsive, with its activation potentially leading to greater adipogenesis and lipogenesis in SAT, while differentially regulating glucose homeostasis and fatty acid oxidation in skeletal muscle. Targeting PPARG via dietary nutraceuticals while avoiding excessive fat deposition might improve insulin sensitivity in dairy cows during times such as the peripartal period when the onset of lactation naturally decreases systemic insulin release and sensitivity in tissues such as AT.
Effect of certolizumab pegol with methotrexate on home and work place productivity and social activities in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of certolizumab pegol (CZP), a novel PEGylated anti-tumor necrosis factor, in combination with methotrexate (MTX) on productivity outside and within the home, and on participation in family, social, and leisure activities in adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS The efficacy and safety of CZP (200 mg and 400 mg) plus MTX were assessed in 2 phase III, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials (Rheumatoid Arthritis Prevention of Structural Damage [RAPID] 1 and RAPID 2). The novel, validated, RA-specific Work Productivity Survey (WPS-RA) was used to assess work place and home productivity. WPS-RA responses were collected at baseline and every 4 weeks until withdrawal/study completion. RESULTS At baseline, 41.6% and 39.8% of subjects were employed outside the home in RAPID 1 and RAPID 2, respectively. Compared with placebo plus MTX, CZP plus MTX significantly reduced work absenteeism and presenteeism among patients working outside the home. Significant reductions in number of household days lost, household days with productivity reduced by >/=50%, and days lost due to RA for participation in family, social, and leisure activities were reported by patients in active treatment relative to placebo plus MTX. Improvements in all measures were observed with CZP plus MTX as early as week 4, and maintained until the study end (12 months in RAPID 1, 6 months in RAPID 2). Findings were consistent with clinical improvements with CZP plus MTX in both trials. CONCLUSION CZP plus MTX improved productivity outside and within the home and resulted in more participation in social activities compared with placebo plus MTX. These observations suggest that considerable indirect cost gains might be achieved with this therapeutic agent in RA.
A Large Scale Analysis of Protein–Protein Interactions in the Nitrogen-fixing Bacterium Mesorhizobium loti

Global viewing of protein–protein interactions (PPIs) is a useful way to assign biological roles to large numbers of proteins predicted by complete genome sequence. Here, we systematically analyzed PPIs in the nitrogen-fixing soil bacterium Mesorhizobium loti using a modified high-throughput yeast two-hybrid system. The aims of this study are primarily on the providing functional clues to M. loti proteins that are relevant to symbiotic nitrogen fixation and conserved in other rhizobium species, especially proteins with regulatory functions and unannotated proteins. By the screening of 1542 genes as bait, 3121 independent interactions involving 1804 proteins (24% of the total protein coding genes) were identified and each interaction was evaluated using an interaction generality (IG) measure and the general features of the interacting partners. Most PPIs detected in this study are novel interactions revealing potential functional relationships between genes for symbiotic nitrogen fixation and signal transduction. Furthermore, we have predicted the putative functions of unannotated proteins through their interactions with known proteins. The results described here represent new insight into protein network of M. loti and provide useful experimental clues to elucidate the biological function of rhizobial genes that can not be assigned directly from their genomic sequence.
Commentary: Synthetic Ubiquinones Specifically Bind to Mitochondrial Voltage-Dependent Anion Channel 1 (VDAC1) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mitochondria

The mitochondrial permeability transition pore (PTP) is an unselective channel that collapses the proton electrochemical gradient of inner mitochondrial membranes. Opening of the PTP results in ATP hydrolysis and is thought to mediate heart and brain injury after periods of ischemia-reperfusion (Biasutto et al., 2016). The PTP or PTP-like structures have been detected in mammals, plants, insects, and yeasts. Although some properties of the mitochondrial channel in each model organism may significantly differ from others (Bernardi et al., 2015; Gutiérrez-Aguilar and Uribe-Carvajal, 2015). Yet, PTP research has been largely hampered by the lack of a definitive molecular identity for this channel. That being said, several protein candidates thought to form part of this pore have not passed rigorous loss-of-function genetic approaches. This has been true for the inner membrane Adenine Nucleotide Translocator (ANT) and Phosphate Carrier as well as for the outer membrane Voltage Dependent Anion Channel (VDAC) (Kwong and Molkentin, 2015). However, the possibility that these (and other) proteins rather modulate the PTP through mitochondrial availability of adenine nucleotides, phosphate and other PTP effectors has remained an open question. In a recent study, Murai and colleagues aim to detail the molecular mechanism by which ubiquinone analogs bind VDAC1 to prevent a Ca 2+-induced, mitochondrial PTP in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Murai et al., 2017). To achieve this, the authors synthesized specific ubiquinone derivatives (PUQ) to perform photoaffinity labeling of VDAC1, and thus studying the docking of these molecules to VDAC1 at the amino acid level. The authors successfully labeled isolated yeast mitochondria with the derivatives PUQ-1 and PUQ-2 and consistently detected a ∼30 kDa band when protein lysates were resolved on an SDS-PAGE setting. Moreover, PUQ binding to ∼30 kDa proteins was also detected in more complex electrophoretic settings and shown to be counteracted by a non-photosensitive PUQ analog, suggesting the selective binding of PUQs to a discrete protein. Mass spectrometric characterization of the protein stained at ∼30 kDa resulted in the detection of the yeast protein Por1, also known as VDAC1. These results were validated by means of VDAC1 purification and labeling
Self-Conscious Emotions and Depression: Rumination Explains Why Shame But Not Guilt is Maladaptive

Feelings of shame and guilt are factors associated with depression. However, studies simultaneously investigating shame and guilt suggest that only shame has a strong unique effect, although it is not yet clear which psychological processes cause shame and not shame-free guilt to be related to depression. The authors hypothesized that shame, in contrast to guilt, elicits rumination, which then leads to depression. Therefore, in this study we investigated event-related shame and guilt, eventrelated rumination, and depression among 149 mothers and fathers following family breakup due to marital separation. Data were analyzed using latent variable modeling. The results confirm that shame but not guilt has a strong unique effect on depression. Moreover, the results show that the effect of shame is substantially mediated by rumination. The results are discussed against the background of self-discrepancies and self-esteem.