Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Alcohol intake and the risk of coronary heart disease in the Spanish EPIC cohort study

Background: The association between alcohol consumption and coronary heart disease (CHD) has been widely studied. Most of these studies have concluded that moderate alcohol intake reduces the risk of CHD. There are numerous discussions regarding whether this association is causal or biased. The objective of this paper is to analyse the association between alcohol intake and CHD risk in the Spanish cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC). Methods: Participants from the EPIC Spanish cohort were included (15 630 men and 25 808 women). The median follow-up period was 10 years. Ethanol intake was calculated using a validated dietary history questionnaire. Participants with a definite CHD event were considered cases. A Cox regression model adjusted for relevant co-variables and stratified by age was produced. Separate models were carried out for men and women. Results: The crude CHD incidence rate was 300.6/100 000 person-years for men and 47.9/100 000 person-years for women. Moderate, high and very high consumption was associated with a reduced risk of CHD in men: hazard ratio 0.90 (95% CI 0.56 to 1.44) for former drinkers, 0.65 (95% CI 0.41 to 1.04) for low, 0.49 (95% CI 0.32 to 0.76) for moderate, 0.46 (95% CI 0.30 to 0.71) for high and 0.50 (95% CI 0.29 to 0.85) for very high consumers. A negative association was found in women, with p values above 0.05 in all categories. Conclusions: Alcohol intake in men aged 29–69 years was associated with a more than 30% lower CHD incidence. This study is based on a large prospective cohort study and is free of the abstainer error.
Tongue and Lip Forces Exerted during Deglutition in Subjects with and without an Anterior Open Bite

The anterior open-bite malocclusion is one of the most perplexing problems facing the dentist at this time. It is most disconcerting for the clinician to treat an anterior openbite occlusion only to find that in the postretention phases the patient tends to relapse to his former problems. The dentition is subjected to forces acting on the teeth produced by the perioral musculature, by the tongue, and also by mastication via the opposing teeth. The relative importance of these elements in influencing the position of a tooth or group of teeth is not known. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) To devise a technique to determine whether measurable differences existed in magnitude and duration of force exerted by the lingual and perioral musculature of a series of female subjects fourteen to twenty years of age. The subjects had been treated orthodontically and were divided into two groups. Group A relapsed to an anterior open bite after treatment. Group B did not relapse to an anterior open bite but maintained a normal overbite and overjet relationship a minimum of one year after treatment. (2) To define any specific difference between the groups. This study measured the forces exerted by the lingual and perioral musculature on the anterior dentition during the act of swallowing. An effort was made to determine whether a difference existed between two classifications of patients in regard to tongue and upper-lip pressure on the maxillary incisor. The resistance strain gauge, with modifications, has been used to study biting forces, tooth mobility, behavior of prosthetic appliances, pressures exerted on the dentition, and the swallowing pressure exerted on the hard palate and teeth. Alderisio and Lahr' have used strain gauges to study muscle forces of the lip, cheek, and tongue. Pressures recorded were not reported in numerical values. Winders2' 3 has measured with strain gauges the forces exerted on the dentition by the perioral and lingual musculature during the performance of four functional exercises. Studying resting and swallowing pressures on the dentition of 25 subjects, he has concluded that there was no statistically significant correlation between the swallowing pressures and the anterior-posterior position of the teeth. Kydd4 5 has experimented with this technique and has studied the use of a resistance-type strain gauge. He later evaluated the average maximum forces exerted by the tongue and perioral structures on 30 subjects. Kydd and Toda6 studied pressures exerted by the tongue during swallowing on three
Subsampling mathematical relaxations and average-case complexity

We initiate a study of when the value of mathematical relaxations such as linear and semi-definite programs for constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs) is approximately preserved when restricting the instance to a sub-instance induced by a small random subsample of the variables. Let <i>C</i> be a family of CSPs such as 3SAT, Max-Cut, etc., and let Π be a mathematical program that is a <i>relaxation</i> for <i>C</i>, in the sense that for every instance <i>P</i> ∈ <i>C</i>, Π(<i>P</i>) is a number in [0, 1] upper bounding the maximum fraction of satisfiable constraints of <i>P</i>. Loosely speaking, we say that <i>subsampling holds</i> for <i>C</i> and Π if for every sufficiently dense instance <i>P</i> ∈ <i>C</i> and every ε > 0, if we let <i>P</i>' be the instance obtained by restricting <i>P</i> to a sufficiently large constant number of variables, then Π(<i>P</i>') ∈ (1 ± ε)Π(<i>P</i>). We say that <i>weak subsampling</i> holds if the above guarantee is replaced with Π(<i>P</i>') = 1 − θ(γ) whenever Π(<i>P</i>) = 1 − γ, where θ hides only absolute constants. We obtain both positive and negative results, showing that: 1. Subsampling holds for the BasicLP and BasicSDP programs. BasicSDP is a variant of the semi-definite program considered by Raghavendra (2008), who showed it gives an optimal approximation factor for every constraint-satisfaction problem under the unique games conjecture. BasicLP is the linear programming analog of BasicSDP. 2. For tighter versions of BasicSDP obtained by adding additional constraints from the Lasserre hierarchy, <i>weak</i> subsampling holds for CSPs of unique games type. 3. There are non-unique CSPs for which even weak subsampling fails for the above tighter semi-definite programs. Also there are unique CSPs for which (even weak) subsampling fails for the Sherali-Adams <i>linear programming</i> hierarchy. As a corollary of our weak subsampling for strong semi-definite programs, we obtain a polynomial-time algorithm to certify that <i>random geometric graphs</i> (of the type considered by Feige and Schechtman, 2002) of max-cut value 1 − γ have a cut value at most 1 − γ/10. More generally, our results give an approach to obtaining average-case algorithms for CSPs using semi-definite programming hierarchies.
The value of high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy after extubation in patients with acute respiratory failure

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of high-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy after extubation in patients with acute respiratory failure. METHODS: A single-center, prospective, randomized, controlled pilot trial was conducted between January 2013 and December 2014. Sixty enrolled patients were randomized immediately after extubation into either a high-flow nasal cannula group (n=30) or an air entrainment mask group (n=30) at a fixed inspired oxygen fraction (40%). The success rate of oxygen therapy, respiratory and hemodynamic parameters and subjective discomfort (using a visual analogue scale) were assessed at 24h after extubation. RESULTS: The two groups were comparable at extubation. A total of 46 patients were successfully treated including 27 patients in the high-flow nasal cannula group and 19 patients in the air entrainment mask group. Compared to the air entrainment mask group, the success rate of oxygen therapy and the partial pressure of arterial oxygen were significantly higher and the respiratory rate was lower in the high-flow nasal cannula group. In addition, less discomfort related to interface displacement and airway dryness was observed in the high-flow nasal cannula group than in the air entrainment mask group. CONCLUSIONS: At a fixed inspired oxygen fraction, the application of a high-flow nasal cannula after extubation achieves a higher success rate of oxygen therapy and less discomfort at 24h than an air entrainment mask in patients with acute respiratory failure.
Development and Validation of a Scale for Measuring Mathematics Teaching Self-Efficacy for Teachers in the Sultanate of Oman.

Citation: Alkharusi, H. , Aldhafri, S. , Al-Hosni, K. , Al-Busaidi, S. , Al-Kharusi, B. , Ambusaidi, A. & Alrajhi, M. (2017). Development and Validation of a Scale for Measuring Mathematics Teaching SelfEfficacy for Teachers in the Sultanate of Oman. International Journal of Instruction, 10(3), 143-158. https://doi.org/10.12973/iji.2017. 10310a Received: 07/02/2017 Revision: 24/04/2017 Accepted: 28/04/2017
Self-Focused Attention, Perspective-Taking, and False Consensus

A quasi-experimental study examined the effects of self-focused attention on acknowledging or ignoring others’ perspectives. University students scoring high vs. low in private and public self-focus estimated the opinion of a fellow student. For these estimates, a relevant cue for the fellow student’s most probable opinion was provided or not. The results replicate earlier studies that have demonstrated that attention focused on the self enhances perspective-taking and reduces egocentrism when a cue for others’ perspectives is provided: High private self-focus (self-awareness) turned out to further perspective-taking and, thus, to reduce egocentrism under the critical condition of a cue being presented for the other’s perspective. These results, as well as earlier research, contradict findings by Fenigstein and Abrams (1993), which were interpreted as showing that self-focus enhances egocentrism in a false consensus paradigm.
Activated human microglia produce the excitotoxin quinolinic acid

WE aimed to determine the relative role of quinolinic acid synthesis in purified human microglia, monocytederived macrophages and astrocytes in the human brain following immune stimulation. Microglia and macrophages significantly increased quinolinic acid synthesis from tryptophan following activation by either lipopolysaccharide or interferon-γ. Quinolinic acid synthesis by individual microglia was heterogeneous, and its production by activated macrophages was approximately 32-fold greater than its microglial synthesis. Quinolinic acid synthesis by astrocytes was undetectable. Microglia may, therefore, be the primary endogenous cell type responsible for quinolinic acid synthesis in the brain parenchyma. However, under pathological conditions which precipitate blood–brain barrier compromise and/or leukocytic infiltration, intracerebral quinolinic acid may be derived chiefly from cells of the peripheral immune system such as activated macrophages.
Infliximab therapy impacts the peripheral immune system of immunomodulator and corticosteroid naïve patients with Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Infliximab (IFX), an antibody to tumor necrosis factor, (TNF)-α has efficacy in treating Crohn's disease (CD). However, knowledge of the potential effects of IFX on patients' immune profiles is lacking. The purpose of this study was to reveal the immunological effects of IFX. METHODS Twenty-two patients with a CD activity index (CDAI) of 194.2±92.9 and an average duration of disease of 3.26 months and 21 healthy controls were included. Patients were to have their first IFX remission induction therapy with 3 infusions (5 mg/kg) at weeks 0, 2, and 6. Oral 5-aminosalicylic acid was the only ongoing medication in the patient population. Blood samples at baseline, 12 hours after the first infusion and at week 14 were labeled with anti-CD4/CD25 antibodies for immunohistochemical measurement of regulatory T-cells (Treg). Serum cytokines and chemokines were measured by suspension array and ELISA. RESULTS CDAI significantly decreased prior to the second IFX infusion (p<0.001). Clinical remission rates were 77.3% and 91% by the second and third infusions, respectively. At baseline, interleukin (IL)-6 (p<0.03), IL-8 (p<0.03), IL-10 (p=0.050), IL-13 (p<0.01), transforming growth factor-β1 (p<0.01), and 'regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted' (RANTES) (p<0.01) were elevated in patients. After the initial IFX infusion, TNF-α (p<0.04), IL-6 (p<0.03), interferon (IFN)-γ (p<0.04), IFN-γ-inducible protein-10 (p<0.01), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (p<0.01), macrophage inflammatory protein-1β (p<0.01), and RANTES (p<0.01) were decreased. IFX infusion was associated with an increase in Treg (p<0.01) and a decrease in the Th1 (IFN-γ)/Th2 (IL-4) ratio (p<0.03). CONCLUSIONS IFX use was associated with restoration of the Th1/Th2 balance after a single infusion and seemed to promote induction of naïve Th0 lymphocytes to Treg. This knowledge should have clinical relevance.
Reclaiming Indigenous identities: Culture as strength against suicide among Indigenous youth in Canada

In Canada, Indigenous youth suicide represents one of several health disparities burdening Indigenous populations, and like many other of these disparities, can be understood as an expression of societal, historical, cultural and familial trauma. As the number of Indigenous youth who take their own lives every year in Canada continues to far exceed national averages, it appears that conventional suicide prevention efforts remain ineffective among this population. A growing body of research argues that conventional interventions, largely rooted in Western individual-level behavioural change frameworks, are culturally discordant with Indigenous paradigms. In response, some Indigenous communities are turning to cultural revitalization as a holistic community-driven response to suicide prevention and treatment. The following commentary explores the emerging evidence base for “culture as treatment” - a novel approach to suicide that emphasizes the significance of interconnectedness in healing, alongside the revitalization of traditional values to reclaim community wellness. In doing so, we seek to contribute to a changing discourse surrounding Indigenous youth suicide by acknowledging culture as strength against this national crisis. RésuméAu Canada, le suicide chez les jeunes Autochtones n’est que l’une des disparités d’état sanitaire qui écrasent les populations autochtones; comme bien d’autres de ces disparités, il peut être compris comme étant l’expression de traumatismes sociétaux, historiques, culturels et familiaux. Le nombre de jeunes Autochtones qui s’enlèvent la vie chaque année au Canada continue de dépasser largement les moyennes nationales; il semble donc que les efforts classiques de prévention du suicide demeurent inefficaces dans cette population. Un corpus croissant de recherche fait valoir que les interventions classiques, qui s’inscrivent en grande partie dans les cadres occidentaux de modification individuelle des comportements, sont culturellement en décalage avec les paradigmes autochtones. En réaction, certaines communautés autochtones voient dans le renouveau culturel une réponse holistique communautaire à la prévention et au traitement du suicide. Notre commentaire explore les fondements scientifiques émergents de «la culture comme traitement» - une démarche novatrice face au suicide qui met l’accent sur l’importance de l’interdépendance dans la guérison, en plus du renouveau des valeurs traditionnelles, pour recouvrer le mieux-être communautaire. Ce faisant, nous voulons contribuer à changer le discours entourant le suicide chez les jeunes Autochtones en reconnaissant que la culture est une force contre cette crise nationale.
Pressure pain thresholds in the craniofacial region of female patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

AIMS To determine the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pressure pain threshold (PPT) in female patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and TMJ involvement in comparison with healthy females, in order to determine its clinical usefulness for local pain assessment. METHODS Forty-two female patients with the diagnosis of RA, 17 of them positive and 25 negative for rheumatoid factor were investigated, as well as 17 healthy females. A pressure algometer was used to assess the PPT over the TMJ and (as a reference) the center of the glabella. The mean of the second and third TMJ PPT was used in the analysis, and the ratio between the TMJ PPT and the PPT of the reference site (PPT ratio) was calculated. Temporomandibular joint resting pain and pain upon maximum voluntary mouth opening was assessed by a visual analog scale on each side. RESULTS The TMJ PPT (median/10th to 90th percentile) and PPT ratio were significantly lower in the RA patients (148/64 to 220 and 0.63/0.40 to 1.01, respectively) than in the healthy individuals (217/111 to 352 and 0.85/0.51 to 1.25), but the overlap was considerable. CONCLUSION This study shows that the PPT of the TMJ in RA patients is lower than in healthy individuals and that it can be used for pain assessment. However, the clinical use of the TMJ PPT and PPT ratio measurements alone is limited from a diagnostic point of view.
Prevalence, Circumstances, and Management of Acute Pesticide Poisoning in Hospitals in Kampala City, Uganda

This study was aimed at assessing prevalence, circumstance, and management of acute pesticide poisoning in hospitals in Kampala. It was a retrospective cross-sectional study that involved reviewing of 739 poisoning patient records from 5 hospitals in Kampala. Of the 739 patients, 212 were due to pesticide poisoning resulting in a prevalence of 28.8%. About 91.4% (191/210) of the cases were due to organophosphate poisoning, 63.3% (133/210) were intentional, and 98.1% (206/210) were exposed through ingestion. Diagnosis was majorly based on poisoning history 91.2% (187/205), and clinical features such as airways, breathing, and circulation examination 48.0% (95/198); nausea and vomiting 42.9% (91/212); muscle weakness 29.7% (63/212); excessive salivation 23.1% (49/212); and confusion 20.3% (43/212). More than half of the patients admitted were treated using atropine 52.3% (113/212). The prevalence of acute pesticide poisoning was high with most managed based on physical and clinical examination.
Context Effects on the Application of Stereotype Content to Multiple Categorizable Targets

Two studies examined how the content of the stereotype of a multiple categorizable group differs depending on the comparative context in which this group is judged. In the first experiment, participants could categorize the target (either an individual or group) in terms of study major or in terms of university affiliation. The comparative context was manipulated to enhance the salience of one of the two categories. The results revealed that the stereotype content depends on the relative salience of the categories as determined by the comparative context. These results were replicated in a second study employing a checklist procedure showing that people actually assigned different stereotypic traits to the same group depending on the salient comparative context.
Astrocytes Give Rise to New Neurons in the Adult Mammalian Hippocampus

Neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus persists throughout life in many vertebrates, including humans. The progenitors of these new neurons reside in the subgranular layer (SGL) of the dentate gyrus. Although stem cells that can self-renew and generate new neurons and glia have been cultured from the adult mammalian hippocampus, the in vivo primary precursors for the formation of new neurons have not been identified. Here we show that SGL cells, which express glial fibrillary acidic protein and have the characteristics of astrocytes, divide and generate new neurons under normal conditions or after the chemical removal of actively dividing cells. We also describe a population of small electron-dense SGL cells, which we call type D cells and are derived from the astrocytes and probably function as a transient precursor in the formation of new neurons. These results reveal the origins of new neurons in the adult hippocampus.
The role of deception in P300 memory detection

Purpose. P300 memor yd etection test is an euroscientific procedure to assess memories stored in the brain. P300 memor yd etection can and is currently applied to assess criminal suspects on recognition of critical crime information. Contrasting memor yd etection with lie detection, researchers have argued that P300 memor y detection does not involv ed eception. We empirically investigated this argument by manipulating deception between groups. Methods. Thirty-four community volunteers participated in aP 300 memor y detection test, answering either deceptively (deceptiv ec ondition) or truthfully (truth condition) to their own name. Results. P300 memor yd etection was significant in the truth condition, indicating that deceptiv er esponding is not ap rerequisite for valid P300 memor yd etection. However, there wer ec lear indications that deceptiv er esponding improve dm emor y detection. Conclusions. Deception seems involved in the P300 memor yd etection test; and deceptiv er esponding ma ya dd to test accuracy.
Detection of Four Plasmodium Species in Blood from Humans by 18S rRNA Gene Subunit-Based and Species-Specific Real-Time PCR Assays

ABSTRACT There have been reports of increasing numbers of cases of malaria among migrants and travelers. Although microscopic examination of blood smears remains the “gold standard” in diagnosis, this method suffers from insufficient sensitivity and requires considerable expertise. To improve diagnosis, a multiplex real-time PCR was developed. One set of generic primers targeting a highly conserved region of the 18S rRNA gene of the genus Plasmodium was designed; the primer set was polymorphic enough internally to design four species-specific probes for P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malarie, and P. ovale. Real-time PCR with species-specific probes detected one plasmid copy of P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae, and P. ovale specifically. The same sensitivity was achieved for all species with real-time PCR with the 18S screening probe. Ninety-seven blood samples were investigated. For 66 of them (60 patients), microscopy and real-time PCR results were compared and had a crude agreement of 86% for the detection of plasmodia. Discordant results were reevaluated with clinical, molecular, and sequencing data to resolve them. All nine discordances between 18S screening PCR and microscopy were resolved in favor of the molecular method, as were eight of nine discordances at the species level for the species-specific PCR among the 31 samples positive by both methods. The other 31 blood samples were tested to monitor the antimalaria treatment in seven patients. The number of parasites measured by real-time PCR fell rapidly for six out of seven patients in parallel to parasitemia determined microscopically. This suggests a role of quantitative PCR for the monitoring of patients receiving antimalaria therapy.