Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Diesel Exhaust in Miners study: a cohort mortality study with emphasis on lung cancer.

BACKGROUND Current information points to an association between diesel exhaust exposure and lung cancer and other mortality outcomes, but uncertainties remain. METHODS We undertook a cohort mortality study of 12 315 workers exposed to diesel exhaust at eight US non-metal mining facilities. Historical measurements and surrogate exposure data, along with study industrial hygiene measurements, were used to derive retrospective quantitative estimates of respirable elemental carbon (REC) exposure for each worker. Standardized mortality ratios and internally adjusted Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate REC exposure-associated risk. Analyses were both unlagged and lagged to exclude recent exposure such as that occurring in the 15 years directly before the date of death. RESULTS Standardized mortality ratios for lung cancer (1.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09 to 1.44), esophageal cancer (1.83, 95% CI = 1.16 to 2.75), and pneumoconiosis (12.20, 95% CI = 6.82 to 20.12) were elevated in the complete cohort compared with state-based mortality rates, but all-cause, bladder cancer, heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mortality were not. Differences in risk by worker location (ever-underground vs surface only) initially obscured a positive diesel exhaust exposure-response relationship with lung cancer in the complete cohort, although it became apparent after adjustment for worker location. The hazard ratios (HRs) for lung cancer mortality increased with increasing 15-year lagged cumulative REC exposure for ever-underground workers with 5 or more years of tenure to a maximum in the 640 to less than 1280 μg/m(3)-y category compared with the reference category (0 to <20 μg/m(3)-y; 30 deaths compared with eight deaths of the total of 93; HR = 5.01, 95% CI = 1.97 to 12.76) but declined at higher exposures. Average REC intensity hazard ratios rose to a plateau around 32 μg/m(3). Elevated hazard ratios and evidence of exposure-response were also seen for surface workers. The association between diesel exhaust exposure and lung cancer risk remained after inclusion of other work-related potentially confounding exposures in the models and were robust to alternative approaches to exposure derivation. CONCLUSIONS The study findings provide further evidence that exposure to diesel exhaust increases risk of mortality from lung cancer and have important public health implications.
Vitamin D Supplementation in Adults with Vitamin D Deficiency and Its Effect on Metabolic Syndrome - A Randomized Controlled Study.

BACKGROUND Inverse relationship between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH) D) levels is controversial. Hypovitaminosis-D has long been suspected as a risk factor for glucose intolerance. AIM A randomized double blind placebo controlled study to evaluate effects of vitamin D supplementation on insulin resistance in subjects with hypovitaminosis-D and MetS. MATERIALS AND METHODS Subjects were randomized to receive either oral 25(OH) D3 supplement (60000 (IU) per week for 8 weeks followed by 60,000 IU monthly for 4 months) or a placebo for six months. The parameters measured were blood pressure, vitamin D, fasting blood sugar (FBS), insulin, homeostasis model assessment (HOMA), quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI), body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference (WC). RESULTS There were no significant changes in parameters of vitamin-D group compared to placebo group except serum vitamin-D was significantly increased in vitamin-D group (p < 0.0001). In vitamin-D group, mean WC at baseline was 95.9 ± 6.66, which significantly changed to 94.6 ± 7.47 (p = 0.001). Mean BMI at baseline was 29.1 ± 4.06 which significantly changed to 28.5 ± 4.16 (p = 0.001). The mean vitamin-D concentration at baseline was 15.4 ± 9.03 which significantly (p < .0001) increased to 26.1 ± 11.8. In placebo group mean insulin levels was 10.7 ± 4.81IU / L which increased significantly (p = 0.03) to 15.4 ± 14.0. Mean QUICKI at baseline was 0.34 ± 0.03 which decreased significantly (p = 0.02) to 0.32 ± 0.03. CONCLUSION In this study the relationship between vitamin D supplementation and MetS or IR was not established. Whether achieving vitamin D sufficiency in large population-based trials with a longer duration would produce more favorable results needs to be assessed.
Symptoms of common mental disorders and related stressors in Danish professional football and handball

Abstract The aim of the study was twofold, namely (i) to determine the prevalence of symptoms of common mental disorders (CMDs) among current and retired professional football and handball players and (ii) to explore the relationship of psychosocial stressors with the outcome measures under study. A total of 1155 players were enrolled in an observational study based on a cross-sectional design. Questionnaires based on validated scales were set up and distributed among current and retired professional football and handball players by the Danish football and handball players’ union. In professional football, the highest prevalence (4 weeks) of symptoms of CMDs was 18% and 19% for anxiety/depression among current and retired players, respectively. In professional handball, the highest prevalence (4 weeks) of symptoms of CMDs was 26% and 16% for anxiety/depression among current and retired players, respectively. For both the current and retired professional football and handball players, a higher number of severe injuries and recent adverse life events (LE) were related to the presence of symptoms of CMD. Players exposed to severe injuries and/or recent adverse LE were 20–50% times more likely to report symptoms of CMD. The results suggest that it is possible to recognize the population of professional athletes that are more likely to develop symptoms of CMD. This could create the opportunity to intervene preventively on athletes that suffered from severe injury and/or recent adverse LE that could lead to a faster and safer recovery and psychological readiness to return to play.
Degradation of a-InGaZnO TFTs Under Synchronized Gate and Drain Voltage Pulses

Instability of a-InGaZnO thin-film transistors is experimentally investigated under synchronized <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${V}_{g}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${V}_{d}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> pulses’ stress. Degradation of the transfer characteristic in the forward measurement mode is much smaller than that in the reverse mode, if a typical drain bias of 5 V is applied. The degradation is found to depend on the equivalent dc stress time rather than the pulse transition edge. Larger pulse period and/or duty ratio of the voltage pulses cause more severe degradation. The degradation is affected by the recovery phenomenon, which occurs transiently when the pulsed stress is in the “OFF” phase, and enhanced by Joule heating-induced channel temperature rise. A degradation model is proposed, in which electrons’ trapping occurs at the channel/gate oxide interface, while extra electrons’ injection via thermal-assisted tunneling and interface defects’ generation occurs within a narrow region near the drain, forming a potential barrier therein. The model explains the observed degradation satisfactorily, and the result is verified by a 2-D simulation.
RNA-Seq reveals a central role for lectin, C1q and von Willebrand factor A domains in the defensive glue of a terrestrial slug

Abstract The tough, hydrogel glue produced by the slug Arion subfuscus achieves impressive performance through metal-based, protein cross-links. The primary sequence of these proteins was determined through transcriptome sequencing and proteome analysis by tandem mass spectrometry. The main proteins that correlate with adhesive function are a group of 11 small, highly abundant lectin-like proteins. These proteins matched the ligand-binding C-lectin, C1q or H-lectin domains. The variety of different lectin-like proteins and their potential for oligomerization suggests that they function as versatile and potent cross-linkers. In addition, the glue contains five matrilin-like proteins that are rich in von Willebrand factor A (VWA) and EGF domains. Both C-lectins and VWA domains are known to bind to ligands using divalent cations. These findings are consistent with the double network mechanism proposed for slug glue, with divalent ions serving as sacrificial bonds to dissipate energy.
Robust object tracking by interleaving variable rate color particle filtering and deep learning

We propose an effective combination of discriminative and generative tracking approaches in order to take the benefits from both. Our algorithm exploits the discriminative properties of Faster R-CNN which helps to generate target specific region proposals. A new proposal distribution is formulated to incorporate information from the dynamic model of moving objects and the detection hypotheses generated by deep learning. We construct the generative appearance model from the region proposals and perform tracking through sequential Bayesian filtering by variable rate color particle filtering (VRCPF). Test results reported on CVPR2013 benchmarking data set demonstrate that the interleaving of tracker and detector enables us to effectively update the target distribution that significantly improves robustness to illumination changes, scale changes, high motion and occlusion.
Pharmaceutical Industry-Sponsored Meals and Physician Prescribing Patterns for Medicare Beneficiaries.

IMPORTANCE The association between industry payments to physicians and prescribing rates of the brand-name medications that are being promoted is controversial. In the United States, industry payment data and Medicare prescribing records recently became publicly available. OBJECTIVE To study the association between physicians' receipt of industry-sponsored meals, which account for roughly 80% of the total number of industry payments, and rates of prescribing the promoted drug to Medicare beneficiaries. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Cross-sectional analysis of industry payment data from the federal Open Payments Program for August 1 through December 31, 2013, and prescribing data for individual physicians from Medicare Part D, for all of 2013. Participants were physicians who wrote Medicare prescriptions in any of 4 drug classes: statins, cardioselective β-blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin-receptor blockers (ACE inhibitors and ARBs), and selective serotonin and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs and SNRIs). We identified physicians who received industry-sponsored meals promoting the most-prescribed brand-name drug in each class (rosuvastatin, nebivolol, olmesartan, and desvenlafaxine, respectively). Data analysis was performed from August 20, 2015, to December 15, 2015. EXPOSURES Receipt of an industry-sponsored meal promoting the drug of interest. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Prescribing rates of promoted drugs compared with alternatives in the same class, after adjustment for physician prescribing volume, demographic characteristics, specialty, and practice setting. RESULTS A total of 279 669 physicians received 63 524 payments associated with the 4 target drugs. Ninety-five percent of payments were meals, with a mean value of less than $20. Rosuvastatin represented 8.8% (SD, 9.9%) of statin prescriptions; nebivolol represented 3.3% (7.4%) of cardioselective β-blocker prescriptions; olmesartan represented 1.6% (3.9%) of ACE inhibitor and ARB prescriptions; and desvenlafaxine represented 0.6% (2.6%) of SSRI and SNRI prescriptions. Physicians who received a single meal promoting the drug of interest had higher rates of prescribing rosuvastatin over other statins (odds ratio [OR], 1.18; 95% CI, 1.17-1.18), nebivolol over other β-blockers (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.69-1.72), olmesartan over other ACE inhibitors and ARBs (OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.51-1.53), and desvenlafaxine over other SSRIs and SNRIs (OR, 2.18; 95% CI, 2.13-2.23). Receipt of additional meals and receipt of meals costing more than $20 were associated with higher relative prescribing rates. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Receipt of industry-sponsored meals was associated with an increased rate of prescribing the brand-name medication that was being promoted. The findings represent an association, not a cause-and-effect relationship.
Is prostate cancer screening cost‐effective? A microsimulation model of prostate‐specific antigen‐based screening for British Columbia, Canada

Prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) screening for prostate cancer may reduce mortality, but it incurs considerable risk of over diagnosis and potential harm to quality of life. Our objective was to evaluate the cost‐effectiveness of PSA screening, with and without adjustment for quality of life, for the British Columbia (BC) population. We adapted an existing natural history model using BC incidence, treatment, cost and mortality patterns. The modeled mortality benefit of screening derives from a stage‐shift mechanism, assuming mortality reduction consistent with the European Study of Randomized Screening for Prostate Cancer. The model projected outcomes for 40‐year‐old men under 14 combinations of screening ages and frequencies. Cost and utility estimates were explored with deterministic sensitivity analysis. The incremental cost‐effectiveness of regular screening ranged from $36,300/LYG, for screening every four years from ages 55 to 69 years, to $588,300/LYG, for screening every two years from ages 40 to 74 years. The marginal benefits of increasing screening frequency to 2 years or starting screening at age 40 years were small and came at significant cost. After utility adjustment, all screening strategies resulted in a loss of quality‐adjusted life years (QALYs); however, this result was very sensitive to utility estimates. Plausible outcomes under a range of screening strategies inform discussion of prostate cancer screening policy in BC and similar jurisdictions. Screening may be cost‐effective, but the sensitivity of results to utility values suggests individual preferences for quality versus quantity of life should be a key consideration.
Biomechanical Analysis of Suspension Training Push-Up

Abstract Giancotti, GF, Fusco, A, Varalda, C, Capranica, L, and Cortis, C. Biomechanical analysis of suspension training push-up. J Strength Cond Res 32(3): 602–609, 2018—The aims of this study were to evaluate the load distribution between upper and lower extremities during suspension training (ST) push-up at different lengths of ST device and to predict useful equations to estimate the training load. After giving informed consent for participation, 25 subjects (17 men and 8 women; age = 28.1 ± 5.2 years; body mass = 69.4 ± 14.3 kg; height = 171.6 ± 11.3 cm; body mass index (BMI) = 23.4 ± 3.3 kg·m−2) were involved in the study. Each subject performed 14 static push-ups at 7 different lengths of ST device in 2 different elbow positions. The load distribution between upper and lower extremities was evaluated through a load cell and a force platform, respectively. To evaluate body inclination, all tests were recorded and analyzed through motion analysis software. To estimate the training load, a multilevel model regression (p ⩽ 0.05) was used. Results showed that when the length of the ST device increased, the body inclination decreased, whereas the ground reaction force decreased and the load on the ST device increased. Moreover, when subjects moved from extended to flexed elbow, the ground reaction force decreased and the load on the ST device increased. In the created regression model (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.24), the reaction force was the dependent variable, whereas the length of the ST device, BMI, and elbow position were the independent variables. The main findings were that the load distribution between upper and lower extremities changes both when modifying the body inclination and the length of the straps. The use of predicted equations could help practitioners to personalize the workouts according to different specific aims by modifying the length of the ST device to guarantee load progression.
Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Regulate Th Cell Responses through OX40 Ligand and Type I IFNs1

Dendritic cells (DCs) show a functional plasticity in determining Th responses depending on their maturational stage or on maturational signals delivered to the DCs. Human plasmacytoid DCs (PDCs) can induce either Th1- or Th2-type immune responses upon exposure to viruses or IL-3, respectively. In this study we have investigated the Th-polarizing capacity of PDCs after short (24-h) or long (72-h) culture with stimuli and have assessed the expression and function of OX40 ligand (OX40L) in PDC-mediated Th polarization in addition to type I IFN-dependent responses. IL-3-treated PDCs expressed OX40L, but produced almost no IFN-α in response to T cell stimulation (CD40 ligand or T cell interaction), resulting in the preferential priming of Th2 cells through OX40L-dependent mechanisms. Meanwhile, PDCs were rapidly endowed by viral infection (Sendai virus) with a high potency to develop IFN-γ-producing Th cells depending on their capacity to residually produce IFN-α. Although Sendai virus-stimulated PDCs simultaneously expressed OX40L in their maturational process, the Th1-inducing effect of endogenous type I IFNs may overcome and thus conceal the OX40L-dependent Th2 responses. However, during maturation in response to Sendai virus over the longer 72-h period, the expression level of OX40L was up-regulated, whereas the residual IFN-α-producing ability was down-regulated, and consequently, the PDCs with prolonged Sendai virus stimulation induced Th2 responses to some extent. Thus, PDCs have the distinct means to dictate an appropriate response to environmental stimuli.
Durability Assessment of Styrene- and Epoxy-based Shape-memory Polymer Resins

The present study is a baseline assessment of the durability of styrene- and epoxy-based shape memory polymer resin materials being considered for morphing applications when exposed to service environment. The approach for the experimental evaluation is a measurement of the shape memory properties and elastomeric response before and after separate environmental exposure to (i) water at 49°C for 4 days, (ii) in lube oil at room temperature and at 49°C for 24 h, and (iii) after exposure to xenon arc (63°C, 18 min water and light/102 min light only) and spectral intensity of 0.3—0.4 watts/m2 for 125 cycles (250 h exposure time). Parameters being investigated include modulus in the rubbery and glassy state, stored strain, shape fixity, stress recovery ratio, and linear shape recovery. In addition, we monitor changes in specimen color, weight, and dimensions along with onset of damage due to conditioning and subsequent thermomechanical cycling.
Glycemic index, glycemic load and invasive breast cancer incidence in postmenopausal women: The PREDIMED study

The objective of this study was to evaluate the prospective associations between dietary glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL) and the risk for invasive breast cancer incidence in postmenopausal women at high cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. This study was conducted within the framework of the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED) study, a nutritional intervention trial for primary cardiovascular prevention. We included 4010 women aged between 60 and 80 years who were initially free from breast cancer but at high risk for CVD disease. Dietary information was collected using a validated 137-item food frequency questionnaire. We assigned GI values using the International Tables of GI and GL values. Cases were ascertained through yearly consultation of medical records and through consultation of the National Death Index. Only cases confirmed by results from cytology tests or histological evaluation were included. We estimated multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios for invasive breast cancer risk across tertiles of energy-adjusted dietary GI/GL using Cox regression models. We repeated our analyses using yearly repeated measures of GI/GL intakes. No associations were found between baseline dietary GI/GL and invasive breast cancer incidence. The multivariable hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the top tertile of dietary GI was 1.02 (95% CI: 0.42–2.46) and for dietary GL was 1.00 (95% CI: 0.44–2.30) when compared with the bottom tertile. Repeated-measures analyses yielded similar results. In sensitivity analyses, no significant associations were observed for women with obesity or diabetes. Dietary GI and GL did not appear to be associated with an increased risk for invasive breast cancer in postmenopausal women at high CVD risk.
Differential attention to faces in infant siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder and associations with later social and language ability

A growing body of literature has begun to explore social attention in infant siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with hopes of identifying early differences that are associated with later ASD or other aspects of development. The present study used eye-tracking to familiar (mother) and unfamiliar (stranger) faces in two groups of 6-month-old infants: infants with no family history of ASD (low-risk controls; LRC), and infants at high risk for ASD (HRA), by virtue of having an older sibling with ASD. HRA infants were further characterized based on autism classification at 24 months or older as HRA- (HRA without an ASD outcome) or HRA+ (HRA with an ASD outcome). For time scanning faces overall, HRA+ and LRC showed similar patterns of attention, and this was significantly greater than in HRA-. When examining duration of time spent on eyes and mouth, all infants spent more time on eyes than mouth, but HRA+ showed the greatest amount of time looking at these regions, followed by LRC, then HRA-. LRC showed a positive association between 6-month attention to eyes and 18-month social-communicative behavior, while HRA- showed a negative association between attention to eyes at 6 months and expressive language at 18 months (all correlations controlled for non-verbal IQ; HRA- correlations held with and without the inclusion of the small sample of HRA+). Differences found in face scanning at 6 months, as well as associations with social communication at 18 months, point to potential variation in the developmental significance of early social attention in children at low and high risk for ASD.
Individualized Piano Instruction enhances executive functioning and working memory in older adults

This study evaluates transfer from domain-specific, sensorimotor training to cognitive abilities associated with executive function. We examined Individualized Piano Instruction (IPI) as a potential cognitive intervention to mitigate normal age-related cognitive decline in older adults. Thirty-one musically naïve community-dwelling older adults (ages 60–85) were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n = 16) or control group (n = 15). Neuropsychological assessments were administered at three time points: pre-training, following six months of intervention, and following a three-month delay. The experimental group significantly improved performance on the Trail Making Test and Digit Symbol measures as compared to healthy controls. Results of this study suggest that IPI may serve as an effective cognitive intervention for age-related cognitive decline.