Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of tobacco advertising and promotion on increasing adolescent smoking behaviours.

BACKGROUND The tobacco industry denies that their marketing is targeted at young nonsmokers, but it seems more probable that tobacco advertising and promotion influences the attitudes of nonsmoking adolescents, and makes them more likely to try smoking. OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of tobacco advertising and promotion on nonsmoking adolescents' future smoking behaviour. SEARCH STRATEGY We searched the Cochrane Tobacco Group specialized register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, Sociological Abstracts, PsycLIT, ERIC, WorldCat, Dissertation Abstracts, ABI Inform and Current Contents to August 2011. SELECTION CRITERIA We selected longitudinal studies that assessed individuals' smoking behaviour and exposure to advertising, receptivity or attitudes to tobacco advertising, or brand awareness at baseline, and assessed smoking behaviour at follow ups. Participants were adolescents aged 18 or younger who were not regular smokers at baseline. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Studies were prescreened for relevance by one reviewer. Two reviewers independently assessed relevant studies for inclusion. Data were extracted by one reviewer and checked by a second. MAIN RESULTS Nineteen longitudinal studies that followed up a total of over 29,000 baseline nonsmokers met inclusion criteria. The studies measured exposure or receptivity to advertising and promotion in a variety of ways, including having a favourite advertisement or an index of receptivity based on awareness of advertising and ownership of a promotional item. One study measured the number of tobacco advertisements in magazines read by participants. All studies assessed smoking behaviour change in participants who reported not smoking at baseline. In 18 of the 19 studies the nonsmoking adolescents who were more aware of tobacco advertising or receptive to it, were more likely to have experimented with cigarettes or become smokers at follow up. There was variation in the strength of association, and the degree to which potential confounders were controlled for. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS Longitudinal studies consistently suggest that exposure to tobacco advertising and promotion is associated with the likelihood that adolescents will start to smoke. Based on the strength and specificity of this association, evidence of a dose-response relationship, the consistency of findings across numerous observational studies, temporality of exposure and smoking behaviours observed, as well as the theoretical plausibility regarding the impact of advertising, we conclude that tobacco advertising and promotion increases the likelihood that adolescents will start to smoke.
Semi-supervised learning of hierarchical representations of molecules using neural message passing

With the rapid increase of compound databases available in medicinal and material science, there is a growing need for learning representations of molecules in a semi-supervised manner. In this paper, we propose an unsupervised hierarchical feature extraction algorithm for molecules (or more generally, graph-structured objects with fixed number of types of nodes and edges), which is applicable to both unsupervised and semi-supervised tasks. Our method extends recently proposed Paragraph Vector algorithm and incorporates neural message passing to obtain hierarchical representations of subgraphs. We applied our method to an unsupervised task and demonstrated that it outperforms existing proposed methods in several benchmark datasets. We also experimentally showed that semi-supervised tasks enhanced predictive performance compared with supervised ones with labeled molecules only.
Are violations to temporal Bell inequalities there when somebody looks?

The possibility of observing violations of temporal Bell inequalities, originally proposed by Leggett and Garg as a mean of testing the quantum-mechanical delocalization of suitably chosen macroscopic bodies, is discussed by taking into account the effect of the measurement process. A general criterion quantifying this possibility is defined and shown not to be fulfilled by the various experimental configurations proposed so far to test inequalities of different forms.
Stars in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field

We identified 46 unresolved source candidates in the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF) down to i775 = 29.5. Unresolved objects were identified using a parameter S, which measures the deviation from the curve of growth of a point source. Extensive testing of this parameter was carried out, including the effects of decreasing signal-to-noise ratio and of the apparent motions of stars, which demonstrated that stars brighter than i775 = 27.0 could be robustly identified. Low-resolution grism spectra of the 28 objects brighter than i775 = 27.0 identify 18 M and later stellar type dwarfs, two candidate L dwarfs, two QSOs, and four white dwarfs. Using the observed population of dwarfs with spectral type M4 or later, we derive a Galactic disk scale height of 400 ± 100 pc for M and L stars. The local white dwarf density is computed to be as high as (1.1 ± 0.3) × 10-2 stars pc-3. On the basis of observations taken 73 days apart, we determined that no object in the field has a proper motion larger than 0. ″027 yr-1 (3 σ detection limit). No high-velocity white dwarfs were identified in the HUDF, and all four candidates appear more likely to be part of the Galactic thick disk. The lack of detected halo white dwarfs implies that if the dark matter halo is 12 Gyr old, white dwarfs account for less than 10% of the dark matter halo mass.
Sizing up long non-coding RNAs

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a key role in many important areas of epigenetics, stem cell biology, cancer, signaling and brain function. This emerging class of RNAs constitutes a large fraction of the transcriptome, with thousands of new lncRNAs reported each year. The molecular mechanisms of these RNAs are not well understood. Currently, very little structural data exist. We review the available lncRNA sequence and secondary structure data. Since almost no tertiary information is available for lncRNAs, we review crystallographic structures for other RNA systems and discuss the possibilities for lncRNAs in the context of existing constraints.
Phytophthora infestans Cholinephosphotransferase with Substrate Specificity for Very-Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

ABSTRACT The effective flux between phospholipids and neutral lipids is critical for a high level of biosynthesis and accumulation of very-long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLCPUFAs), such as arachidonic acid (ARA; 20:4n-6), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5n-3), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3). Here we describe a cDNA (PiCPT1) from Phytophthora infestans, a VLCPUFA-producing oomycete, that may have a role in acyl trafficking between diacylglycerol (DAG) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) during the biosynthesis of VLCPUFAs. The cDNA encodes a polypeptide of 393 amino acids with a conserved CDP-alcohol phosphotransferase motif and approximately 27% amino acid identity to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cholinephosphotransferase (ScCPT1). In vitro assays indicate that PiCPT1 has high cholinephosphotransferase (CPT) activity but no ethanolaminephosphotransferase (EPT) activity. Substrate specificity assays show that it prefers VLCPUFA-containing DAGs, such as ARA DAG and DHA DAG, as substrates. Real-time PCR analysis reveals that expression of PiCPT1 was upregulated in P. infestans organisms fed with exogenous VLCPUFAs. These results lead us to conclude that PiCPT1 is a VLCPUFA-specific CPT which may play an important role in shuffling VLCPUFAs from DAG to PC in the biosynthesis of VLCPUFAs in P. infestans.
Internet Game Addiction, Parental Attachment, and Parenting of Adolescents in South Korea

The adolescent-parent relationship is a major factor influencing juvenile delinquency, and Internet gaming addiction may exacerbate any conflict in that relationship. The aim of this study was to determine the relationships among Internet game addiction, parental attachment, and parental attitude toward the rearing of adolescents in South Korea. The initial selected convenience sample comprised 624 middle school and high school students. Self-reported measures of an Internet Game Addiction Scale, Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment–Revised version, and the modified Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire were analyzed. A significant relationship was found between Internet game addiction and both parental attachment and the adolescents’ perception of parenting of adolescents. Those helping adolescents with an Internet game addiction should consider not only the adolescents’ Internet game usage pattern but also their relationship with their parents.
Effects of bentonite clay solids on poliovirus concentration from water by microporous filter methods

To determine whether suspended solids interfere with enteric virus recovery from water by microporous filter methods, the effects of bentonite clay solids at a concentration of 10 nephelometric turbidity units on the recovery of poliovirus type 1 from seeded, activated carbon-treated, filtered tap water were studied. Volumes (500 ml) of virus-laden water at pH 5.5 or 7.5, with and without 50 mM MgCl2, were filtered through 47-mm-diameter, electropositive (Virosorb 1MDS) and electronegative (Filterite) filters that had been pretreated with Tween 80 to minimize direct virus adsorption to filter surfaces. Bentonite solids enhanced virus retention on both types of filters, even under conditions in which viruses were not solids associated. However, bentonite solids also interfered with elution of retained viruses when eluting with 0.3% beef extract-50 mM glycine (pH 9.5). Under some conditions, overall virus recoveries were lower from water with bentonite solids than from solids-free control water. The results of this study indicate that clay turbidity can interfere somewhat with virus recovery by current microporous filter methods.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Scholastic Achievement: A Model of Mediation via Academic Enablers

The current study examined the influence of symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on student academic achievement in reading and in mathematics in a sample of 146 first- through fourth-grade students, 103 of which were identified as having ADHD and academic problems in reading and/or math. A theoretical model was examined using structural equation modeling wherein student academic enablers (motivation, study skills, interpersonal skills, and engagement) and prior academic achievement served as mediators of the relationship between ADHD and academic achievement in mathematics and reading. Results of these analyses indicate that after controlling for the influence of prior achievement, ADHD influences motivation, which influences study skills to promote academic achievement. The article concludes with a discussion of the practical implications of these findings and how they extend prior research on the relationship between ADHD and academic achievement.
Identifying novice difficulties in object oriented design

We report on a study of novice programmers' object oriented class designs. These designs were analysed to discover what faults they displayed. The two most common faults related to non-referenced classes (inability to integrate them into the solution), and problems with attributes and class cohesion. The paper ends with some implication for teaching that may be indicated by the empirical results.
Appendicostomy in Preschool Children with Anorectal Malformation: Successful Early Bowel Management with a High Frequency of Minor Complications

Aim. The aim of this study is to evaluate postoperatively bowel symptoms of antegrade colon enema through appendicostomies in preschool children with anorectal malformation (ARM). Method. 164 children with ARM operated on with posterior sagittal anorectal plasty were included. The malformations were classified according to Krickenbeck classification. Seventeen children in preschool age had an appendicostomy. The bowel symptoms according to the Krickenbeck follow-up were analysed pre- and postoperatively. All complications were registered. A questionnaire on the use of the appendicostomy was answered. Results. The median age (range) at the time of the appendicostomy was 4 (1–6) years. The observation time was 5 (0.5–14) years. The main indications for appendicostomy were incontinence and noncompliance to rectal enemas. Postoperatively there was a significant decrease in soiling and constipation (P < 0.001). The total complication rate was 43% with infections (29%), stenosis (12%), and retrograde leakage (0). The median time required for giving enema in the appendicostomy was 45 minutes (range: 15–120) once a day varying from 2 times/week to 3 times/day. And: complications are less frequent than in older children. Conclusion. Appendicostomy in preschool children with ARM is a way to achieve fecal cleanness before school start. The infection rate was high, but other complications are less frequent than in older children.
Performance and Emission Characteristics of LPG-Fuelled Variable Compression Ratio SI Engine

The growing concern about the fast depletion of petroleum-based fuels and the environmental pollution caused by their combustion has been a compelling incentive to many researchers to find ways to use environmentally friendly and renewable sources of energy. Research and experiments on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) have demonstrated that this fuel is suitable as an alternative to conventional fuel. Its performance and efficiency parameters are better than the conventional fuel and it can run cleaner at attractive prices and in larger operating range. Among the alternatives found to be superior to the present gasoline is natural gas, hydrogen (H2), and LPG (i.e. liquefied petroleum gas in the form of either propane, C3H8; butane, C4H10; or a mixture of both). In the present paper, LPG in the form of propane as a fuel has been considered. The present paper evaluates the performance and emission characteristics of a single cylinder, 4-stroke, air-cooled, variable compression ratio spark ignition engine when fuelled with LPG at different compression ratios. The results obtained show that the engine running on an LPG fuel system delivered a substantial improvement in power and torque in a high-load condition. Conversion of the engine using LPG as fuel showed an average reduction of CO and HC exhaust gas emissions in comparison to the original fuel.
What is regulation?: An interdisciplinary concept analysis

The concept of regulation is believed to suffer from a lack of shared understanding. Yet, the maturation of the field raises the question whether this conclusion is still valid. By taking a new methodological approach towards this question of conceptual consolidation, this study assesses how regulation is conceived in the most-cited articles in six social science disciplines. Four main conclusions are drawn. First, there is a remarkable absence of explicit definitions. Second, the scope of the concept is vast, which requires us to talk about regulation in rather abstract terms. Third, scholars largely agree that ‘prototype regulation’ is characterised by interventions which are intentional and direct – involving binding standard-setting, monitoring and sanctioning – and exercised by public-sector actors on the economic activities of private-sector actors. Fourth, while there is considerable variation in research concerns, this variation cannot be attributed to disciplinary differences. Instead, our findings support the portrayal of the field as interdisciplinary, including a shared conception of regulation.
Application of Ionic Liquids in the Microwave-Assisted Extraction of Proanthocyanidins from Larix gmelini Bark

Ionic liquid based, microwave-assisted extraction (ILMAE) was successfully applied to the extraction of proanthocyanidins from Larix gmelini bark. In this work, in order to evaluate the performance of ionic liquids in the microwave-assisted extraction process, a series of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium ionic liquids with different cations and anions were evaluated for extraction yield, and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide was selected as the optimal solvent. In addition, the ILMAE procedure for the proanthocyanidins was optimized and compared with other conventional extraction techniques. Under the optimized conditions, satisfactory extraction yield of the proanthocyanidins was obtained. Relative to other methods, the proposed approach provided higher extraction yield and lower energy consumption. The Larix gmelini bark samples before and after extraction were analyzed by Thermal gravimetric analysis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the ILMAE method is a simple and efficient technique for sample preparation.
Reduction of a Dislocation of the Hip Due to Developmental Dysplasia: Implications for the Need for Future Surgery

Background: Recent reports on the treatment of a dislocation of the hip due to developmental dysplasia have documented conflicting data on the importance of the ossific nucleus in the development of postreduction ischemic necrosis. Delaying reduction until the ossific nucleus is present bypasses the time-period of maximal osseous remodeling of the hip, thereby possibly increasing the need for future operations. We hypothesized that hips with an ossific nucleus are more likely to have subsequent reconstructive procedures.Methods: A retrospective review of the medical records at two tertiary-care children's hospitals was completed to identify all patients who had had reduction of a dislocation of the hip due to developmental dysplasia, performed between 1979 and 1993, when they were less than two years old. Patients were excluded if the medical records or radiographs were inadequate, the duration of follow-up was less than three years after the final reduction, a previous reduction had been performed at an outside facility, or the patient had a neuromuscular disease or a teratologic dislocation. We identified 124 patients (153 hips) who satisfied the criteria for inclusion. The average age at the time of the reduction was eleven months, and the average duration of follow-up was 7.2 years.Results: Overall, fourteen of the sixty-three hips without an ossific nucleus had a reconstructive procedure: thirteen had a varus rotational osteotomy of the proximal part of the femur and one had a combined pelvic and varus rotational femoral osteotomy. Forty of the ninety hips with an ossific nucleus had a reconstructive procedure: twenty-seven had a varus rotational osteotomy, eight had a pelvic osteotomy, and five had a combined pelvic and varus rotational osteotomy (p < 0.05). In addition, secondary reconstructive procedures were performed in 17% (ten) of the fifty-nine patients who were less than six months old and in 35% (thirty-three) of the ninety-four patients who were at least six months old, which was a greater than twofold increase. The effect of age was further emphasized at the other age cutoff points.Conclusion: Delaying the reduction of a dislocated hip until the appearance of the ossific nucleus more than doubles the need for future surgery to make the hip as anatomically normal as possible. Despite finding a slight increase in the rate of ischemic necrosis after reduction of the hips without an ossific nucleus, we advocate early reduction of a dislocation of a hip due to developmental dysplasia to optimize the development of the hip with the minimum number of operations.Level of Evidence: Prognostic study, Level II-1 (retrospective study). See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
A-Subclass ATP-Binding Cassette Proteins in Brain Lipid Homeostasis and Neurodegeneration

The A-subclass of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters comprises 12 structurally related members of the evolutionarily highly conserved superfamily of ABC transporters. ABCA transporters represent a subgroup of “full-size” multispan transporters of which several members have been shown to mediate the transport of a variety of physiologic lipid compounds across membrane barriers. The importance of ABCA transporters in human disease is documented by the observations that so far four members of this protein family (ABCA1, ABCA3, ABCA4, ABCA12) have been causatively linked to monogenetic disorders including familial high-density lipoprotein deficiency, neonatal surfactant deficiency, degenerative retinopathies, and congenital keratinization disorders. Recent research also point to a significant contribution of several A-subfamily ABC transporters to neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This review will give a summary of our current knowledge of the A-subclass of ABC transporters with a special focus on brain lipid homeostasis and their involvement in AD.
A quantitative model for membrane fusion based on low-energy intermediates

The energetics of a fusion pathway is considered, starting from the contact site where two apposed membranes each locally protrude (as “nipples”) toward each other. The equilibrium distance between the tips of the two nipples is determined by a balance of physical forces: repulsion caused by hydration and attraction generated by fusion proteins. The energy to create the initial stalk, caused by bending of cis monolayer leaflets, is much less when the stalk forms between nipples rather than parallel flat membranes. The stalk cannot, however, expand by bending deformations alone, because this would necessitate the creation of a hydrophobic void of prohibitively high energy. But small movements of the lipids out of the plane of their monolayers allow transformation of the stalk into a modified stalk. This intermediate, not previously considered, is a low-energy structure that can reconfigure into a fusion pore via an additional intermediate, the prepore. The lipids of this latter structure are oriented as in a fusion pore, but the bilayer is locally compressed. All membrane rearrangements occur in a discrete local region without creation of an extended hemifusion diaphragm. Importantly, all steps of the proposed pathway are energetically feasible.
Novel Human Parechovirus, Sri Lanka

Of 362 fecal samples collected from children with acute gastroenteritis in Sri Lanka during 2005–2006, 30 (8.3%) were positive for human parechovirus (HPeV) by reverse transcription–PCR. A novel HPeV, designated as HPeV10, was identified in 2 samples by sequence analysis of the viral protein 1 gene of the detected HPeVs.
In vitro functional analysis of novel single nucleotide polymorphisms in OATP1B1

The goal of our study is to functionally characterize six nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in human organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B1 (OATP1B1) using in vitro transporter expression technologies. We hypothesize these SNPs will result in a decrease in transport activity compared to wild‐type. OATP1B1 cDNA packaged in pEF6/V5‐His TOPO was used as template, and 6 SNPs — 298G>;A (rs144508550), 419C>;T (rs147450830), 463C>;A (rs11045819), 1007C>;G (rs72559747), 1463G>;C (rs59502379), and 1738C>;T (rs71581941) — were introduced separately to wild‐type templates using QuikChange site‐directed mutagenesis. OATP1B1 variant cDNAs will then be transferred to pAd/CMV/V5‐DEST Gateway vector for further propagation as OATP1B1 variants expressed in adenovirus. We will determine the optimal titre of the OATP1B1‐ variant adenovirus for transporter expression using a monolayer cell lines such as HeLa. Subsequently, we will use prototypical substrates of OATP1B1 such as rosuvastatin to determine the relative affinity (Km) and capacity (Vmax) for uptake, followed by quantification of relative cell surface trafficking. Identification of new functional SNPs in OATP1B1 will give us further insights to genetic heterogeneity in OATP1B1 as a contributor to inter‐subject variation in response to OATP1B1 substrate drug therapy. Research is funded by the Canadian Institute for Health Research.