Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The impact of childhood obesity on morbidity and mortality in adulthood: a systematic review

The objective of this study was to evaluate the evidence on whether childhood obesity is a risk factor for adult disease, independent of adult body mass index (BMI). Ovid MEDLINE (1948–May 2011), EMBASE (1980–2011 week 18) and the Cochrane Library (1990–2011) were searched for published studies of BMI from directly measured weight and height in childhood (2–19 years) and disease outcomes in adulthood. Data were synthesized in a narrative fashion. Thirty‐nine studies (n 181–1.1 million) were included in the review. There was evidence for associations between childhood BMI and type 2 diabetes, hypertension and coronary heart disease. Few studies examined associations independent of adult BMI; these showed that effect sizes were attenuated after adjustment for adult BMI in standard regression analyses. Although there is a consistent body of evidence for associations between childhood BMI and cardiovascular outcomes, there is a lack of evidence for effects independent of adult BMI. Studies have attempted to examine independent effects using standard adjustment for adult BMI, which is subject to over‐adjustment and problems with interpretation. Studies that use more robust designs and analytical techniques are needed to establish whether childhood obesity is an independent risk factor for adult disease.
Implementation of a Pediatric Posttonsillectomy Pain Protocol in a Large Group Practice

Objective In response to the increased risk of respiratory failure and death after tonsillectomy related to codeine use, Kaiser Permanente Northwest restricted use of opioids in patients <7 years old via electronic health record (EHR). However, opioids could be prescribed at physician discretion by overriding the EHR. This study aims to examine protocol compliance in a large group practice using EHR order sets and complication rates as compared with historical data. Study Design Case series with chart review. Setting Ambulatory care within a health maintenance organization. Subjects and Methods Procedural codes were used to identify children <7 years old who underwent tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy approximately 1.5 years before and after implementation of EHR protocol (n = 437). Primary outcome was opioid pain prescriptions received by patients. Secondary outcomes were emergency or urgent care utilization, postoperative bleeding, nausea, vomiting, dehydration, death, and reasons for prescribing opioid pain medication after EHR protocol implementation. Chi-square analysis and Fischer’s exact testing were used to compare differences in event rates. Results Implementation of an age-based narcotic protocol significantly decreased physician narcotic prescribing from 82.2% to 15.4% (P < .0001). The most common reason for narcotic prescription after the intervention was the report of inadequate pain control by phone call (35%). There was no significant difference in rate of emergency or urgent care utilization between pre- and postimplementation groups (4% vs 6%, P = .29). Conclusions Implementation of an age-based narcotic restriction for posttonsillectomy patients using an EHR order set is an effective and safe way to influence physician prescription practices.
Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the WPPSI, WPPSI-R, and WISC-R: Evaluation of a Model Based on Knowledge-Dependent and Processing-Dependent Subtests

Previous factor analyses of the Wechsler scales have supported a two-factor (WPPSI and WPPSI-R) and three-factor solution (WISC-R). The present paper explores the validity of a four-factor model across these three instruments. The four-factor model maintains Wechsler's original distinction between verbal and nonverbal domains but distinguishes between “knowledge dependent” and “processing dependent” factors within each domain. Four separate LISREL maximum likelihood confirmatory factor analyses were performed on the WPPSI, WPPSI-R, and WISC-R standardization samples. A best-fitting model was determined by comparing the present four-factor model to the traditional two-factor model that distinguished between Verbal and Performance and a three-factor model that parallels the WISCR factor structure. The new four-factor model resulted in a significant improvement of fit compared to both the two-factor and three-factor models across the three samples. The clinical validity of the model was examined by analyzing the profile patterns of language-impaired children (N = 198) tested with the WPPSI and reading-impaired children (N= 230) tested with the WISC-R. Because processing-dependent tests require more mapping than knowledge-dependent tests, the pattern “knowledge dependent” > “processing dependent” is predicted. This pattern was confirmed in both samples.
Lexical Inferencing in Listening: Patterns of Knowledge Source Use across L2 Listening Proficiency Levels

Lexical inferencing as an efficient strategy to deal with unfamiliar words has attracted much attention in the comprehension literature. While literature abounds with studies focusing on the nature of lexical inferencing in reading, few studies have delved into the processes involved, the knowledge sources used and the factors influencing lexical inferencing in listening. This study sought to investigate the role of listening proficiency in lexical inferencing success and identify knowledge source patterns used by Iranian EFL learners for making inferences. To this end, a total of fifty-six Iranian EFL learners were assigned into three levels of listening proficiency and were required to infer the meanings of unknown words in listening excerpts. In the qualitative phase and to identify the patterns of knowledge source use, data were collected from 9 participants in individual interview sessions. Verbal reporting method was used where the subjects were asked to report the meanings of the unknown words in think-aloud sessions. The findings revealed the profound impact of listening proficiency on lexical inferencing. In-depth analysis of the protocols demonstrated the contribution of listening proficiency to making correct guesses and using more combinations of knowledge sources.
Gut Microbiota Modification: Another Piece in the Puzzle of the Benefits of Physical Exercise in Health?

Regular physical exercise provides many health benefits, protecting against the development of chronic diseases, and improving quality of life. Some of the mechanisms by which exercise provides these effects are the promotion of an anti-inflammatory state, reinforcement of the neuromuscular function, and activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. Recently, it has been proposed that physical exercise is able to modify gut microbiota, and thus this could be another factor by which exercise promotes well-being, since gut microbiota appears to be closely related to health and disease. The purpose of this paper is to review the recent findings on gut microbiota modification by exercise, proposing several mechanisms by which physical exercise might cause changes in gut microbiota.
Caring about learning: The nature and nurturing of subject-matter appreciation

Many observers despair of the prospects of encouraging intrinsic values among students in a world controlled by extrinsic rewards. The purpose of this article is to explore the question of whether intrinsic objectives such as subject-matter appreciation can coexist to any degree, let alone flourish, in the face of competing, if not higher, loyalties that involve a performance ethic based on scrambling for extrinsically oriented rewards, such as high grades, and avoiding punishments in the form of failing grades. Based on research conducted in ongoing classroom contexts at the college level, it is concluded that the pursuit of high grades and valuing what one is learning are not necessarily incompatible goals as long as certain conditions prevail. More specifically, students are more likely to value what they are learning and to enjoy the achievement process more: (a) when they are attaining their grade goals. (b) when what they are studying is of personal interest, and (c) when the dominant reasons for le.
An empirical study of the obstacles to evidence-based practice

This paper reports a summary of results from the largest and arguably the most representative study (a) of the attitudes of professional-grade social care staff to the idea of evidence-based practice; (b) of the facilities to encourage this which are available to them (or not); and (c) of their reading habits and levels of knowledge of basic research matters. It makes suggestions for improvement but also raises some concerns regarding the current content of professional training in our field.
Genetic dissection of the mood-psychosis interface.

Since Kraepelin first dichotomised the functional psychoses into dementia praecox and manic-depressive insanity at the end of the 19th century, the validity of the distinction has been challenged. Phenomenological, neurobiological, family, and molecular-genetic studies suggest that there is no neat biological distinction between these entities which are now known as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The aim of this thesis was to explore the familial correlation of clinical measures within a large harmonised clinical dataset comprising samples of (a) families enriched for bipolar disorder, and (b) families enriched for schizophrenia. Analyses were performed across traditional diagnostic boundaries. I carried out systematic clinical ratings on 835 individuals previously collected as part of ongoing molecular genetic studies. After an intensive training period, which included reliability exercises, I rated each case on approximately 200 variables, including a new set of rating scales developed as part of the PhD project. I performed mixed-effects regression analysis on the data to estimate the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and significance for each variable. After controlling for sample-of-origin and gender, thirty-one variables were significantly correlated within families. Amongst the most significant were age at onset (ICC=0.287, p=0.0006), longest admission (ICC=0.287, p=0.0006) and cannabis abuse/dependence (ICC=0.639, p=0.0007). Such variables may be influenced by genetic factors and may therefore be used to identify subgroups of patients more likely to share common underlying genetic susceptibilities. In an analysis of a subset of sibling-pairs that were enriched for schizoaffective disorder I found that genetic similarity at chromosome lq42 was significantly associated with phenotypic similarity for the most severe depressive episode. I also undertook clinical ratings on a sample of previously-collected patients with Velo-Cardio-Facial Syndrome (VCFS) and found high-rates of both mood-disturbance and psychosis. My findings show that clinical ratings can be a useful adjunct to categorical diagnoses and identify specific phenotypes to consider in genetic studies.
Circulating Levels of Neutrophil Gelatinase–Associated Lipocalin (NGAL) Correlate With the Presence and Severity of Preeclampsia

Objective: Neutrophil gelatinase–associated lipocalin (NGAL) has emerged as a reliable marker of acute renal injury and is produced at the maternal–fetal interface but its role in preeclampsia has not been systematically examined. This study investigated whether plasma NGAL concentrations changed in patients with preeclampsia at diagnosis compared to normotensive controls. Study Design: A case–control study was performed. Plasma was collected from women with preeclampsia and normotensive controls matched for age, gestational age, and body mass index. Plasma NGAL concentrations were measured by specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Patients with preeclampsia had significantly higher NGAL concentrations than controls (median [range]: 203.8 ng/mL [66.1-575.4] vs 122.8 ng/mL [7.0-669.7]; P = .047). In subgroup analysis, patients with severe preeclampsia had significantly higher NGAL concentrations than those with mild preeclampsia. Plasma NGAL concentrations were positively correlated with the amount of proteinuria in women with preeclampsia (P = .003). Conclusions: Plasma NGAL concentrations were significantly elevated in women with preeclampsia versus normotensive controls, and concentrations appear to be associated with the severity of the disease.
Measuring hedonia and eudaimonia as motives for activities: cross-national investigation through traditional and Bayesian structural equation modeling

Two major goals of this paper were, first to examine the cross-cultural consistency of the factor structure of the Hedonic and Eudaimonic Motives for Activities (HEMA) scale, and second to illustrate the advantages of using Bayesian estimation for such an examination. Bayesian estimation allows for more flexibility in model specification by making it possible to replace exact zero constraints (e.g., no cross-loadings) with approximate zero constraints (e.g., small cross-loadings). The stability of the constructs measured by the HEMA scale was tested across two national samples (Polish and North American) using both traditional and Bayesian estimation. First, a three-factor model (with hedonic pleasure, hedonic comfort and eudaimonic factors) was confirmed in both samples. Second, a model representing the metric invariance was tested. A traditional approach with maximum likelihood estimation reported a misfit of the model, leading to the acceptance of only a partial metric invariance structure. Bayesian estimation—that allowed for small and sample specific cross-loadings—endorsed the metric invariance model. The scalar invariance was not supported, therefore the comparison between latent factor means was not possible. Both traditional and Bayesian procedures revealed a similar latent factor correlation pattern within each of the national groups. The results suggest that the connection between hedonic and eudaimonic motives depends on which of the two hedonic dimensions is considered. In both groups the association between the eudaimonic factor and the hedonic comfort factor was weaker than the correlation between the hedonic pleasure factor and the eudaimonic factor. In summary, this paper explained the cross-national stability of the three-factor structure of the HEMA scale. In addition, it showed that the Bayesian approach is more informative than the traditional one, because it allows for more flexibility in model specification.
Identification and Functional Clustering of Genes Regulating Muscle Protein Degradation from amongst the Known C. elegans Muscle Mutants

Loss of muscle mass via protein degradation is an important clinical problem but we know little of how muscle protein degradation is regulated genetically. To gain insight our labs developed C. elegans into a model for understanding the regulation of muscle protein degradation. Past studies uncovered novel functional roles for genes affecting muscle and/or involved in signalling in other cells or tissues. Here we examine most of the genes previously identified as the sites of mutations affecting muscle for novel roles in regulating degradation. We evaluate genomic (RNAi knockdown) approaches and combine them with our established genetic (mutant) and pharmacologic (drugs) approaches to examine these 159 genes. We find that RNAi usually recapitulates both organismal and sub-cellular mutant phenotypes but RNAi, unlike mutants, can frequently be used acutely to study gene function solely in differentiated muscle. In the majority of cases where RNAi does not produce organismal level phenotypes, sub-cellular defects can be detected; disrupted proteostasis is most commonly observed. We identify 48 genes in which mutation or RNAi knockdown causes excessive protein degradation; myofibrillar and/or mitochondrial morphologies are also disrupted in 19 of these 48 cases. These 48 genes appear to act via at least three sub-networks to control bulk degradation of protein in muscle cytosol. Attachment to the extracellular matrix regulates degradation via unidentified proteases and affects myofibrillar and mitochondrial morphology. Growth factor imbalance and calcium overload promote lysosome based degradation whereas calcium deficit promotes proteasome based degradation, in both cases myofibrillar and mitochondrial morphologies are largely unaffected. Our results provide a framework for effectively using RNAi to identify and functionally cluster novel regulators of degradation. This clustering allows prioritization of candidate genes/pathways for future mechanistic studies.
Group-Based Emotional Distress: An Extension of Self-Discrepancy Theory

The authors examined whether discrepancies related to the group-based aspects of the self are differentially associated with distinct group-based emotional distress. Perceived actual, ideal, and ought attributes; group-based dejection and agitation-related emotions; and collective self-esteem and fear of negative evaluation of Israelis were assessed among 118 native Israelis. The actual-ideal group discrepancy was uniquely related to dejection-related emotions and to private collective self-esteem (CSE). In contrast, the actual-ought group discrepancy was uniquely linked to agitation-related emotions and to fear of negative Israeli evaluation. Furthermore, the actual-ought discrepancy association with fear of negative group evaluation was present only among low identifiers. Overall, the findings suggest the applicability of self-discrepancy theory in explaining emotional distress resulting from group membership.
Cloning and sequencing of a novel gene (recG) that affects the quinolone susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus

In a study of the quinolone resistance genes in Staphylococcus aureus, a recG homolog was cloned as a gene affecting quinolone susceptibility. Sequencing analysis revealed that the gene consists of 2,061 nucleotides and encodes a 686-amino-acid polypeptide, which shows 38, 39, and 50% amino acid identity with the RecGs of Escherichia coli, Haemophilus influenzae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae, respectively. Seven helicase motifs are well conserved in the gene product. A plasmid carrying the gene complemented a recG-deficient mutant of E. coli with respect to mitomycin hypersusceptibility, demonstrating that the gene product is functionally equivalent to E. coli RecG. These results indicate that the gene is the recG gene of S. aureus. S. aureus RCM101 (recG::Tn551), designated S. aureus 3f33, is four to eight times more susceptible to quinolones than the parent strain, RCM101. The transformation of strain 3f33 with a plasmid carrying the S. aureus recG gene made it as quinolone resistant as strain RCM101. These results suggest that the recG gene is involved in the repair of DNA damage resulting from quinolone treatment in S. aureus.
Design study of dual stator Radial Field Permanent Magnet generator for small wind turbine

The Radial Field Permanent Magnet(RFPM) generator has numerous advantages such as high output voltage and high output power, high efficiency. In addition, the manufacturing is easier than AFPM generator. However, the slotted RFPM generator produces the cogging torque. It would increase torque ripple and generate vibration and noise. In this paper, the design analysis of the electromagnetic structure and the cogging torque reduction of RFPM generator for wind turbine is studied. Firstly, the design of the pole-arc ratio to increase the output generated voltage and to reduce the cogging torque is studied. Secondly, the design of the displacement angle of the inner stator and the outer stator to reduce the cogging torque is studied. The design of RFPM generator was calculated by 2D FEM(Finite Element Method).
A NEIGHBORHOOD ANALYSIS OF TREE GROWTH AND SURVIVAL IN A HURRICANE‐DRIVEN TROPICAL FOREST

We present a likelihood-based regression method that was developed to an- alyze the effects of neighborhood competitive interactions and hurricane damage on tree growth and survival. The purpose of the method is to provide robust parameter estimates for a spatially explicit forest simulator and to gain insight into the processes that drive the patterns of species abundance in tropical forests. We test the method using census data from the 16-ha Luquillo Forest Dynamics Plot in Puerto Rico and describe effects of the spatial configuration, sizes, and species of neighboring trees on the growth and survival of 12 dominant tree species representing a variety of life history strategies. Variation in size- dependent growth and mortality suggests a complex relationship between size, growth, and survival under different regimes of light availability. Crowding effects on growth and survival appear to be idiosyncratic to each individual species, and with the exception of pioneers, there is little commonality among species that share similar life histories. We also explain the implications of differential susceptibility to hurricane damage on species' growth and survival and on their ability to respond to damage to neighboring trees. Tree species in the Luquillo Forest Dynamics Plot differ strikingly in both their susceptibility to hurricane disturbance and the nature of their recovery from wind disturbance, through response of both adult plants and juveniles to enhanced resource availability. At the stand level, intense competitive thinning of densely packed saplings that grew after hurricane damage accounted for the majority of post-hurricane mortality, particularly for shade- intolerant species. At the individual species level, effects of previous hurricane damage on growth and survival depended primarily on variation in the quantity and quality of hurricane damage sustained by target species and their interaction with life history characteristics of these individual species. Finally, we compare models that make different assumptions about the effects of com- peting species on tree growth and survival (e.g., equivalence of competitors vs. distinct species-specific effects). Size effects alone could not account for growth and survival for the majority of target species. Our results also demonstrate that competing species have distinct per capita effects on growth of dominant target species. In contrast, we found moderate support for a model that assumed functional equivalence of competitors on sur- vival. Key words: competitive coefficient; equivalent competitors; growth, size-dependent; hurricane disturbance; Luquillo Forest Dynamics Plot, Puerto Rico; mortality, size-dependent; neighborhood effects; neutral theory.
The ‘Drug–Crime Link’ from a Self-Control Perspective

The present paper explores to what extent low self-control can account for the ‘drug–crime link’, i.e. the correlation between substance use and delinquency. Based on a large representative sample of Swiss 9th grade students, we reassess the dimensionality of Grasmick et al.'s self-control scale and propose a fivedimensional second-order factor model. This model is then used as a predictor of two correlated behavioural continua, one measuring overall delinquency and the other overall substance use. Results indicate that self-control is a strong and stable predictor of both types of behaviour. However, although self-control substantially accounts for the correlation between delinquency and substance use, a considerable residual correlation remains. It is argued that dynamic or ‘state-dependent’ factors are most likely to account for this residual correlation. Analyses of the predictive power of individual sub-dimensions of self-control further indicate that self-control might be reduced to the sub-dimensions of ‘risk-seeking’ and ‘impulsivity’. Results are discussed in the broader context of past research and of the ongoing theoretical debate.