Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genome-wide epigenetic regulation by early-life trauma.

CONTEXT Our genome adapts to environmental influences, in part through epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation. Variations in the quality of the early environment are associated with alterations in DNA methylation in rodents, and recent data suggest similar processes in humans in response to early-life adversity. OBJECTIVE To determine genome-wide DNA methylation alterations induced by early-life trauma. DESIGN Genome-wide study of promoter methylation in individuals with severe abuse during childhood. PATIENTS, SETTING, AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Promoter DNA methylation levels were profiled using methylated DNA immunoprecipitation followed by microarray hybridization in hippocampal tissue from 41 French-Canadian men (25 with a history of severe childhood abuse and 16 control subjects). Methylation profiles were compared with corresponding genome-wide gene expression profiles obtained by messenger RNA microarrays. Methylation differences between groups were validated on neuronal and nonneuronal DNA fractions isolated by fluorescence-assisted cell sorting. Functional consequences of site-specific promoter methylation were assessed by luciferase assays. RESULTS We identified 362 differentially methylated promoters in individuals with a history of abuse compared with controls. Among these promoters, 248 showed hypermethylation and 114 demonstrated hypomethylation. Validation and site-specific quantification of DNA methylation in the 5 most hypermethylated gene promoters indicated that methylation differences occurred mainly in the neuronal cellular fraction. Genes involved in cellular/neuronal plasticity were among the most significantly differentially methylated, and, among these, Alsin (ALS2) was the most significant finding. Methylated ALS2 constructs mimicking the methylation state in samples from abused suicide completers showed decreased promoter transcriptional activity associated with decreased hippocampal expression of ALS2 variants. CONCLUSION Childhood adversity is associated with epigenetic alterations in the promoters of several genes in hippocampal neurons.
Crimes of obedience: Toward a social psychology of authority and responsibility.

The My Lai massacre, Watergate, the Iran-Contra affair: these are examples of the tendency for people to commit illegal acts when so ordered by authority. This book examines these events and the public's response to them, presenting a major analysis of the rationale behind "crimes of obedience. " "This book explains how individuals in authority can abuse their power by failing to distinguish between discipline and blind obedience. CRIMES OF OBEDIENCE should be required reading for every American citizen. "-Senator Daniel K. Inouye "This is a major book in social psychology that deserves the attention of both sociological and psychological traditions. With its focus on concepts such as legitimacy and responsibility that bridge the individual and the social system, it is firmly rooted in an interdisciplinary vision of social psychology. In its recognition that resistance to crimes of obedience depends on collective processes, it makes a major contribution to the social psychology of social movements. "-William A. Gamson, American Journal of Sociology "A patently original, socially compelling, thoroughly scholarly dissection of actions in response to commands by authorities that are morally repugnant to some or many of the participants and the rest of us. "-Leonard W. Doob, The Key Reporter
Iron state in association with retinoid metabolism in non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease

Aim: We have recently reported that hyperdynamic state of retinoid metabolism, which may lead to the shortage of retinoid, is observed in patients with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Hepatic iron overload, which causes production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), is also frequently seen in NAFLD patients. The aim of the study is to examine iron state and retinoid metabolic state simultaneously, and to clarify the relationship between two disorders.
The evolution of the V − K colours of single stellar populations

ABSTRA C T Models of evolutionary population synthesis of galaxies rely on the properties of the so-called single stellar populations (SSP). In this paper, we discuss how the integrated near-infrared colours, and especially V π K, of SSPs evolve with age and metallicity. Some of the uncertainties associated with the properties of the underlying stellar models are thoroughly discussed. Our models include all the relevant stellar evolutionary phases, with particular attention being dedicated to the asymptotic giant branch (AGB), which plays a fundamental role in the evolution of the near-infrared part of the spectrum. First, we present the effects that different formulations for the mass-loss rates produce on the final remnant mass (i.e., on the initial‐final mass relation), and hence on the AGB-termination luminosity and the relative contribution of these stars to the integrated light. The results for the evolution of the V π K colour are very different depending on the choice of the mass-loss prescription; the same is true also for the B π V colour in the case of low-metallicity SSPs. Secondly, we describe the changes occurring in the integrated colours at the onset of the AGB and red giant (RGB) branches. According to the classical formalism for the AGB evolution, the onset of this evolutionary phase is marked by a colour jump to the red, the amplitude of which is shown here to be highly dependent on the metallicity and mass-loss rates adopted in the models. We then consider the effect of the overluminosity with respect to the standard core mass‐luminosity relation that occurs in the most massive AGB stars. Different simplified formulations for this effect are tested in the models; they cause a smoothing of the colour evolution in the age range at which the AGB starts to develop, rather than a splitting of the colour jump into two separate events. On the other hand, we find that a temporary red phase takes place ,1:5 〈 10 8 yr after the RGB develops. Thanks to the transient nature of this feature, the onset of the RGB is probably not able to cause marked features in the spectral evolution of galaxies. We then discuss the possible reasons for the transition of V π K colours (from ,1: 5t o 3) that takes place in LMC clusters of SWB type IV. A revision of the ages attributed to the single clusters reveals that the transition may not be as fast as originally suggested. The comparison of the data with the models indicates that the transition results mainly from the development of the AGB. A gradual (or delayed) transition of the colours, as predicted by models which include the overluminosity of the most massive AGB stars, seems to describe the data better than the sudden colour jump predicted by classical models.
Preoperative CTLA-4 Blockade: Tolerability and Immune Monitoring in the Setting of a Presurgical Clinical Trial

Purpose: Cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated antigen (CTLA-4) blockade is being explored in numerous clinical trials as an immune-based therapy for different malignancies. Our group conducted the first preoperative clinical trial with the anti–CTLA-4 antibody ipilimumab in 12 patients with localized urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. Experimental Design: Six patients were treated with 3 mg/kg/dose of anti–CTLA-4 and six patients were treated with 10 mg/kg/dose of antibody. Primary end points of the study were safety and immune monitoring. Results: Most drug-related adverse events consisted of grade 1/2 toxicities. All patients had measurable immunologic pharmacodynamic effects, consisting of an increased frequency of CD4+ICOShi T cells in tumor tissues and the systemic circulation. To determine if CD4+ICOShi T cells could be a correlative marker for clinical outcome after treatment with anti–CTLA-4, a cohort of metastatic melanoma patients was studied retrospectively for frequency of CD4+ICOShi T cells and survival. Data from this small cohort of patients indicated that an increased frequency of CD4+ICOShi T cells, sustained over a period of 12 weeks of therapy, correlates with increased likelihood of clinical benefit consisting of overall survival. Conclusions: Our trial shows that anti–CTLA-4 therapy has a tolerable safety profile in the presurgical setting and that a preoperative model can be used to obtain biological data on human immune responses, which can efficiently guide the monitoring of patients treated in the metastatic disease setting. Clin Cancer Res; 16(10); 2861–71. ©2010 AACR.
Chlorhexidine-containing chewing gum

Summary A clinical documentation on chlorhexidine containing chewing gum is presented on the occasion of the launch of CHewX ® , a chewing gum containing 5 mg of chlorhexidine diacetate in Switzerland. Following an overview on functional chewing gum, the mechanism of action of chlorhexidine (CHX), its toxicity and safety are summarized and a review of clinical studies performed with CHX-containing chewing gum given. Indication, dosage, precautions and benefi ts of CHX chewing gum are described.
Identifying circulating microRNAs as biomarkers of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review

The aim of the present study is to identify microRNAs (miRs) with high potential to be used as biomarkers in plasma and/or serum to clinically diagnose, or provide accurate prognosis for survival in, patients with atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, and acute coronary syndrome (ACS). A systematic search of published original research yielded a total of 72 studies. After review of the risk of bias of the published studies, according to Cochrane Collaboration and the QUADUAS Group standards, 19 studies were selected. Overall 52 different miRs were reported. In particular, miR-133a/b (5 studies), miR-208a/b (6 studies), and miR-499 (7 studies) were well studied and found to be significant diagnostic and/or prognostic markers across different cardiovascular disease progression stages. miR-1 and miR-145b are potential biomarkers of ACS; miR-1 with higher sensitivity for all acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and miR-145 for STEMI and worse outcome of AMI. But when miRs were studied across different ACS study populations, patients had varying degrees of coronary stenosis, which was identified as an important confounder that limited the ability to quantitatively pool the study results. The identified miRs were found to regulate endothelial function and angiogenesis (miR-1, miR-133), vascular smooth muscle cell differentiation (miR-133, miR-145), communication between vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cell to stabilize plaques (miR-145), apoptosis (miR-1, miR-133, miR-499), cardiac myocyte differentiation (miR-1, miR-133, miR-145, miR-208, miR-499), and to repress cardiac hypertrophy (miR-133). Their role in these processes may be explained by regulation of shared RNA targets such as cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (or p21), ETS proto-oncogene 1, fascin actin-bundling protein 1, hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated potassium channel 4, insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor LIM and SH3 protein 1, purine nucleoside phosphorylase, and transgelin 2. These mechanistic data further support the clinical relevance of the identified miRs. miR-1, miR-133a/b, miR-145, miR-208a/b, and miR-499(a) in plasma and/or serum show some potential for diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. However, biased selection of miRs in most studies and unexplained contrasting results are major limitations of current miR research. Inconsistencies need to be addressed in order to definitively identify clinically useful miRs. Therefore, this paper presents important aspects to improve future miR research, including unbiased selection of miRs, standardization/normalization of reference miRs, adjustment for patient comorbidities and medication, and robust protocols of data-sharing plans that could prevent selective publication and selective reporting of miR research outcomes.
Right to refuse work becomes another SARS issue.

Should a hospital be allowed to force professional staff to work with SARS patients? Lucy Smith says no. St. Michael's Hospital says yes. Smith, a nurse with 17 years' experience who works in the Toronto hospital's dialysis unit, rebelled when she was “drafted” into St. Mike's special SARS team
Prejudice and Politics Re-Examined The Political Significance of Implicit Racial Bias*

As part of a general inquiry into mental mechanisms that operate outside conscious awareness, experimental psychology has recently established the presence and importance of “implicit attitudes. ” The purpose of our paper is to compare the roles played by implicit and explicit prejudice in politics. Relying on two national surveys of the American electorate that included standard measures of implicit and explicit prejudice, we provide a systematic comparison of prejudice’s political effects: for the candidates Americans choose, the policies they favor, the assessments they make of government performance, and the racialized information they absorb. We find that implicit and explicit prejudice provide radically different pictures of racial politics in America.
Self‐expanding metal stents for acute refractory esophageal variceal bleeding: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Esophageal variceal bleeding is a severe complication of portal hypertension with significant morbidity and mortality. A substantial portion of cirrhotics fail to respond to conventional medical therapy and band ligation, necessitating alternative treatments including self‐expanding metal stent (SEMS) placement for acute refractory esophageal variceal bleeding. In the present study, we carried out a systematic review and structured meta‐analysis of all eligible studies to evaluate the technical feasibility, safety, clinical efficacy, and survival advantage of SEMS placement for the treatment of of acute esophageal variceal bleeding.
Credential Privilege or Cumulative Advantage?: Prestige, Productivity, and Placement in the Academic Sociology Job Market

Using data on the population of US sociology doctorates over a five-year period, we examine different predictors of placement in research-oriented, tenure-track academic sociology jobs. More completely than in prior studies, we document the enormous relationship between PhD institution and job placement that has, in part, prompted a popular metaphor likening academic job allocation processes to a caste system. Yet, we also find comparable relationships between PhD program and both graduate student publishing and awards. Overall, we find results more consistent with PhD prestige operating indirectly through mediating achievements or as a quality signal than as a “pure prestige” effect. We suggest sociologists think of stratification in their profession as not requiring exceptionalist historical metaphors, but rather as involving the same ordinary but powerful processes of cumulative advantage that pervade contemporary life.
A Conceptual Scheme for Organizational Analysis

Studies of work behavior have been primarily processual as opposed to factorial. There has been a great concentration on the one-case study and little systematic attempt to relate behavior to contextual and organizational settings. A survey of the literature on bureaucracy leads to an analysis of organizational structure in terms of a set of variables (specialization, standardization, formalization, centralization, configuration, and flexibility) that are capable of empirical verification. Comparative studies will establish organizational "profiles" along these variables and relate them to contextual variables such as size, ownership and control, charter, and technology. The profiles will also allow comparative studies of individual and group behavior to be undertaken in clear relation to organizational settings. The authors are members of the Industrial Administration Research Unit, College of Advanced Technology, Birmingham, England. Industrial research conducted by this unit is jointly supported by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and The College.
US-guided percutaneous microwave coagulation of small breast cancers: a clinical study.

PURPOSE To determine the feasibility of percutaneous microwave coagulation (PMC) for the treatment of small solitary breast cancers. MATERIALS AND METHODS With approval of the institutional ethics committee and written informed consent, 41 patients with core-needle-biopsy-proved breast cancers 3.0 cm or less in diameter accessed by using ultrasonography (US) were recruited. US-guided PMC was performed with general anesthesia, followed immediately by mastectomy. Histochemical staining with α-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, reduced (NADH)-diaphorase was used to determine cell viability and the extent of PMC lesions. RESULTS The mean tumor volume was 5.26 cm(3) ± 3.80 (standard deviation), with a range from 0.09 to 14.14 cm(3). PMC was successfully performed in all cases, with complete tumor ablation as assessed by using US. The mean time to reach complete ablation was 4.48 minutes, ranging from 3 to 10 minutes. With microscopic examination, 37 of 41 cases (90%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 76.9%, 97.3%) showed complete tumor coagulation, as observed by using α-NADH-diaphorase staining. Of 38 cases diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, 36 cases (95%; 95% CI: 82.3%, 99.4%) showed complete tumor coagulation. Slight thermal injuries to the skin and pectoralis major muscle, which proved reversible, were found in three cases. CONCLUSION US-guided PMC of small solitary breast cancers is feasible. Nevertheless, larger-scale clinical trials are still needed to validate PMC for adoption into a standard clinical practice.
Use of Abacavir and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Among HIV-Infected Individuals

Background:Evidence is conflicting about the association of abacavir use and cardiovascular disease (CVD) among HIV-infected individuals. Previous studies may have been biased by the preferential initiation or continuation of abacavir in patients with renal dysfunction. Methods:We conducted a cohort study in Kaiser Permanente California during 1998–2011, following HIV-infected adults initiating antiretroviral therapy until the earliest of CVD (ie, coronary heart disease or ischemic stroke), health plan disenrollment, death, or end of study. We used inverse-probability weighting to fit marginal structural models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for CVD comparing regimens with and without abacavir. Propensity score models included demographics, HIV-specific factors, and CVD risk factors, including alcohol/drug use, smoking, overweight/obesity, diabetes, lipid-lowering and hypertension therapy, and renal dysfunction (ie, estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL·min−1·1.73 m−2). Results:Among 8154 subjects, 178 had ≥1 CVD event, with 24/704 (3.4%) in the abacavir group and 154/7450 (2.1%) in the group initiating regimens without abacavir. Abacavir users had more renal dysfunction at antiretroviral therapy initiation (7.0% vs. 3.3%, P < 0.001). Compared with patients initiating regimens without abacavir, abacavir users had a 2.2-fold higher risk of CVD in intention-to-treat analysis [HR 2.2, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.4 to 3.5], a 2.7-fold higher risk when remaining on their initial regimens for ≥1 year (HR 2.7, 95% CI: 1.5 to 5.0), and a 2.1-fold higher risk in per-protocol analysis (HR 2.1, 95% CI: 0.9 to 5.0). Conclusions:Abacavir was associated with an over 2-fold increased risk of CVD, which was not explained by renal dysfunction or other CVD risk factors.
Estudio sociolingüistico de una variante sintáctica : El fenómeno dequeísmo en el español canario

Le dequeismo est l'introduction systematique de la preposition de dans les complements verbaux avec une forme de substantif fonctionnel (ex : Pienso de que.). Ce phenomene est de plus en plus frequent en espagnol d'Espagne et d'Amerique. Il est lie au niveau socio-culturel, a l'âge et au sexe du locuteur, ainsi qu'a la propriete deictique de la preposition de d'introduire les expressions, jugements et pensees du locuteur. Le dequeismo est analyse quantitativement dans la variete d'espagnol parle aux iles Canaries
For What It's Worth: Organizations, Occupations, and the Value of Work Done by Women and Nonwhites

Economic penalties against jobs employing disproportionate numbers of women or nonwhites vary across organizational context and occupational type. Analyses of prescribed pay rates for jobs in the California state civil service in 1985 suggest that work done disproportionately by women and nonwhites is devalued most in positions that are older, not represented by activist unions, have ambiguous performance criteria, or are most generic across organizational settings. We conclude that the extent of ascription depends on propensities toward devaluation in a given setting, prospects for collective action by disadvantaged groups, and the organizational costs and benefits (economic and otherwise) of recalibrating job worth to achieve pay equity.
A geographic gradient in small rodent density fluctuations: a statistical modelling approach

The patterns of density dependence in Fennoscandian rodents are investigated statistically using a linear autoregressive scheme. Nineteen time series of microtine abundances along a latitudinal gradient in Fennoscandia from 60° N to 69° N are analysed. We provide statistical evidence that there exists a latitudinal gradient in density dependence in Fennoscandian microtines. Southern populations experience significantly stronger direct density dependence than northern populations. Delayed density dependence was significantly negative throughout the region and appeared constant across the latitudinal gradient. The populations consistently exhibit dynamics of second order throughout the region. Together, the clinal direct density dependence and constant delayed density dependence give rise to a cline in cycle period from 3 to 4.5 years. The statistical results are compared to assumptions and predictions made in previous studies on the geographic gradient in the population dynamics of these rodents. The results are in agreement with the predictions of the ‘generalist predator hypothesis’.
The Media and Foreign Policy

The conduct of international relations is greatly influenced by how relationships between countries are perceived, which in turn depends upon communications between countries. Among the main stumbling blocks to improved international relations is the fact, as one of the world's foremost authorities on communications has concluded, 'that the flow of news among nations is thin, that it is unbalanced, with heavy coverage of a few highly developed countries and light coverage of many less-developed ones, and that, in some cases at least, it tends to ignore important events and to distort the reality it presents/1 This was written in 1964. To what extent is it still the case? What are present trends? How does foreign news influence foreign policy? The nature that is, the amount, the quality, the flow of foreign news directly affects those sectors which formulate, carry out, or comment on foreign policy. What are the difficulties facing those who, at various stages, have a say in presenting reporting on foreign affairs? What are the problems arising from the general flow of information in the world and what are their potential effects on international relations?