Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DNA Damage Response and Repair Gene Alterations Are Associated with Improved Survival in Patients with Platinum-Treated Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma

Purpose: Platinum-based chemotherapy remains the standard treatment for advanced urothelial carcinoma by inducing DNA damage. We hypothesize that somatic alterations in DNA damage response and repair (DDR) genes are associated with improved sensitivity to platinum-based chemotherapy. Experimental Design: Patients with diagnosis of locally advanced and metastatic urothelial carcinoma treated with platinum-based chemotherapy who had exon sequencing with the Memorial Sloan Kettering–Integrated Mutation Profiling of Actionable Cancer Targets (MSK-IMPACT) assay were identified. Patients were dichotomized based on the presence/absence of alterations in a panel of 34 DDR genes. DDR alteration status was correlated with clinical outcomes and disease features. Results: One hundred patients were identified, of which 47 harbored alterations in DDR genes. Patients with DDR alterations had improved progression-free survival (9.3 vs. 6.0 months, log-rank P = 0.007) and overall survival (23.7 vs. 13.0 months, log-rank P = 0.006). DDR alterations were also associated with higher number mutations and copy-number alterations. A trend toward positive correlation between DDR status and nodal metastases and inverse correlation with visceral metastases were observed. Different DDR pathways also suggested variable impact on clinical outcomes. Conclusions: Somatic DDR alteration is associated with improved clinical outcomes in platinum-treated patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma. Once validated, it can improve patient selection for clinical practice and future study enrollment. Clin Cancer Res; 23(14); 3610–8. ©2017 AACR.
Gastroenterological endpoints in drug trials for cystic fibrosis

The phenotype of cystic fibrosis includes a wide variety of clinical and biochemical gastrointestinal presentations. These gastrointestinal characteristics of the disease have come under renewed interest as potential outcome measures and clinical endpoints for therapeutic trials in cystic fibrosis. Established gastrointestinal clinical endpoints, like e.g. fecal elastase‐1, are already used in trials. Other potential gastrointestinal outcome measures gather more scientific interest for evaluation in future trials. Gastrointestinal outcome measures look particularly relevant and promising for trials in CF patients with normal lung function or therapeutic studies in young children and infants.
Liposomal amphotericin B (AmBisome) therapy in invasive fungal infections. Evaluation of United Kingdom compassionate use data.

BACKGROUND Invasive fungal infections in the immunocompromised patient are associated with substantial mortality. The use of conventional amphotericin B, the main-stay of treatment, has often been limited by its adverse effects. The incorporation of amphotericin B into liposomes enables more drug to be given without an increase in adverse reactions. We examined the efficacy of AmBisome (Vestar Inc, San Diego, Calif), a small unilamellar liposomal formulation of amphotericin B, in the treatment of mycologically proven systemic fungal diseases. METHODS A retrospective analysis of the "Compassionate Use of AmBisome" in 58 patients who were treated in 34 centers throughout the United Kingdom between July 1990 and August 1992, before licensure of the drug. RESULTS Thirty patients had a definite or probable mycologic diagnosis, including 17 who had invasive aspergillosis, nine with Candida infections (three with mucosal disease only), three with zygomycosis, and one with cryptococcal meningitis. The overall response rate was 59% for patients with aspergillosis (80% for those who had had no prior therapy with amphotericin B) and 56% for those with candidosis. More than 40% of those in whom AmBisome was used as "salvage therapy" responded. A daily dose of up to 5 mg/kg was tolerated with minimal side effects. CONCLUSIONS AmBisome is efficacious in the treatment of invasive fungal infections and provides an alternative therapy for those who fail to respond or become intolerant to conventional amphotericin B therapy.
HIV/AIDS and Minority Men Who Have Sex With Men: A Meta-Ethnographic Synthesis of Qualitative Research

The World Health Organization (2009) estimates that there are as many as 33 million people currently living with HIV/AIDS throughout the world. Studies also reveal that racial disparities significantly influence HIV/AIDS diagnoses within the U.S. men who have sex with men population (MSM). In recent years, the burden of HIV/AIDS has shifted from White MSM to younger men of color, particularly African Americans and Latinos. The disproportionate effect of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in African American and Latino MSM populations requires that scholars and practitioners work diligently to address cultural and structural factors that uniquely influence such populations. The goal of this article is to synthesize qualitative findings that address cultural and structural factors that influence HIV/AIDS risk in African American and Latino MSM populations using a qualitative meta-synthesis procedure. Ultimately, our analysis suggests that “structure-centered” approaches (Dutta & Basu, 2011) are needed to address this health disparity in meaningful ways.
Yueju Pill Rapidly Induces Antidepressant-Like Effects and Acutely Enhances BDNF Expression in Mouse Brain

The traditional antidepressants have a major disadvantage in delayed onset of efficacy, and the emerging fast-acting antidepressant ketamine has adverse behavioral and neurotoxic effects. Yueju pill, an herb medicine formulated eight hundred years ago by Doctor Zhu Danxi, has been popularly prescribed in China for alleviation of depression-like symptoms. Although several clinical outcome studies reported the relative short onset of antidepressant effects of Yueju, this has not been scientifically investigated. We, therefore, examined the rapid antidepressant effect of Yueju in mice and tested the underlying molecular mechanisms. We found that acute administration of ethanol extract of Yueju rapidly attenuated depressive-like symptoms in learned helpless paradigm, and the antidepressant-like effects were sustained for at least 24 hours in tail suspension test in ICR mice. Additionally, Yueju, like ketamine, rapidly increased the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus, whereas the BDNF mRNA expression remained unaltered. Yueju rapidly reduced the phosphorylation of eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2), leading to desuppression of BDNF synthesis. Unlike ketamine, both the BDNF expression and eEF2 phosphorylation were revered at 24 hours after Yueju administration. This study is the first to demonstrate the rapid antidepressant effects of an herb medicine, offering an opportunity to improve therapy of depression.
A Study of Teacher Beliefs on the Efficacy of Block Scheduling

Unless there is a clear picture of instructional practices under altered bell schedules, restructuring efforts may stall as a result of disappointment and disaffection by staff members who see them as merely another wave of change that will soon disappear. Unless teachers embrace the concepts of change that follow restructuring instructional time, we face the possibility of failure.
The Situation × Trait Adaptive Response (STAR) Model of Drug Use, Effects, and Craving

This review examines situational and trait factors that influence drug use, craving, and the affect‐modulating effects of drugs. Situation‐ and personality‐dependent cognitive, emotional, and biological effects of psychoactive drugs are addressed within the context of the recently developed Situation by Trait Adaptive Response (STAR) model. It is argued that drugs do not have inherent (situation‐ and trait‐independent) effects on emotion and related affective processes. Emotion modulation is accomplished by three overall mechanisms: (1) enhanced goal achievement via cognitive performance enhancement; (2) alteration of cognitive capacity and/or attentional processes; and (3) cognitive‐affective information priming/biasing towards positive associations and away from negative schemas. Further, the lateralized neural network hypothesis of the STAR model is extended from previous formulations to provide an integrative framework for understanding relationships of cognitive, affective, and learning mechanisms underlying drug use urges and behaviour. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF SINGLE‐ VS. MULTIPLE‐SET PROGRAMS IN RESISTANCE TRAINING

The purpose of this study was to examine the existing research on single-set vs. multiple-set resistance training programs. Using the meta-analytic approach, we included studies that met the following criteria in our analysis: (a) at least 6 subjects per group; (b) subject groups consisting of single-set vs. multiple-set resistance training programs; (c) pretest and posttest strength measures; (d) training programs of 6 weeks or more; (e) apparently “healthy” individuals free from orthopedic limitations; and (f) published studies in English-language journals only. Sixteen studies generated 103 effect sizes (ESs) based on a total of 621 subjects, ranging in age from 15–71 years. Across all designs, intervention strategies, and categories, the pretest to posttest ES in muscular strength was (x = 1.4 ± 1.4; 95% confidence interval, 0.41–3.8; p < 0.001). The results of 2 X 2 analysis of variance revealed simple main effects for age, training status (trained vs. untrained), and research design (p < 0.001). No significant main effects were found for sex, program duration, and set end point. Significant interactions were found for training status and program duration (6–16 weeks vs. 17–40 weeks) and number of sets performed (single vs. multiple). The data indicated that trained individuals performing multiple sets generated significantly greater increases in strength (p < 0.001). For programs with an extended duration, multiple sets were superior to single sets (p < 0.05). This quantitative review indicates that single-set programs for an initial short training period in untrained individuals result in similar strength gains as multiple-set programs. However, as progression occurs and higher gains are desired, multiple-set programs are more effective.
Relation between children’s attachment to kindergarten teachers, personality characteristics and play activities

The purpose of this study was to develop the observational scheme of child’s free play in kindergarten (OFP) and examine the associations between child’s attachment to his/her kindergarten teacher (CAKT) and: (1) cognitive and social play behaviour, (2) child’s contacts with his/her peers and teacher during free play session in kindergarten, and (3) child’s personality characteristics. One hundred and one children (57.4% male) participated in the research. Children’s ages ranged from 24 to 74 months (M = 51.4; SD = 12.0). Trained observers filled in the OFP, CAKT and the inventory of child individual differences (ICID). Play behaviour was observed at kindergarten during free play sessions of 60 minutes, and cognitive and social play categories were coded. Metric characteristics of the OFP appeared to be satisfactory. Results revealed significant correlations between children’s secure and resistance attachment to their kindergarten teachers and cooperative play, the contacts with their peers and teachers during free play session in kindergarten and their personality characteristics. In future, it will be necessary to analyse the causational associations between discovered variables.
Measuring the effectiveness of offensive match-play in professional soccer

Abstract The broader measures of offensive effectiveness, such as scoring opportunities and shots at goal, are commonly used as an alternative to goals scored due to the naturally low probability of scoring (about 1%) in soccer match-play. These measures may enable soccer practitioners to objectively see behind single match results, which are often influenced by chance. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between broader measures (scoring opportunities and score box possessions) and the ultimate measure (goals scored) of offensive effectiveness. We analysed data from videotapes of 163 of 182 (90%) matches played in the Norwegian men's professional league during the 2004 season. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed very similar results when comparing the effectiveness of different offensive tactics, regardless of which outcome was used. For example, counterattacks were more effective than elaborate attacks in producing goals (odds ratio OR=2.07, 95% confidence interval: 1.40 to 3.05), scoring opportunities (OR=2.30, 95% confidence interval: 1.28 to 4.15), and score box possessions (OR=2.12, 95% confidence interval: 1.39 to 3.25). The receiver-operating characteristic function statistical procedure was used to examine the association between each of the three measures of offensive effectiveness: scoring opportunities, score box possessions, and goals scored. No significant difference was observed between the area under the curve (AUC) for the broader measures (scoring opportunities and score box possessions) and the ultimate measure (goals scored) of offensive effectiveness. The 95% confidence interval of the AUC for both scoring opportunities (0.74–0.84) and score box possessions (0.68–0.76) includes the AUC for goals scored (0.74). Thus, the results are very similar regardless of which outcome measure for offensive effectiveness is used. This indicates that scoring opportunities and score box possessions (shooting opportunities) can be used as a proxy for goals scored when comparing the effectiveness of different playing tactics in soccer. Compared with goals scored, using scoring opportunities or score box possessions requires smaller match samples for meaningful analyses, and may therefore be more feasible alternatives.
Study of Acute Genotoxic Potential of an Aqueous Extract of Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi: an in vivo Micronucleus Assay

The in vivo Micronucleus Assay is a genotoxicity assessment system used for testing chemicals and herbal medicines that can induce chromosomal damage, acting as a biomarker. Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Anacardiaceae) is an evergreen tree that occurs on the Brazilian coast and several papers have shown the use of this plant in therapeutic approaches. The aim of this study is to analyze the genotoxic potential of Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi extract in Wistar rats bone marrow through the frequency of micronuclei in polychromatic erythrocytes. The results indicate that there was no genotoxic effects in all tested concentration, showing only an increase in the ratio of polychromatic and normochromatic erythrocytes.
Promoting Physical Activity Participation among Adolescents: The Barriers and the Suggestions

Background: Physical activity is a complex behavior. To designing the effective intervention, qualitative researches may be allowed for greater understanding of the reasons behind the adolescences’ physical activity-related behaviors’. Methods: Using the grounded theory approach, including semi-structured focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews, we conducted a quantitative study to elicit the adolescents and key informants’ opinion regarding the satiation, needs, social and environmental barriers of adolescents’ physical activity. For FGDs, participants were selected from volunteered adolescent (aged 10–19 years) of the populated western part of Tehran, which was selected as a research field. Key informants were invited from the health professionals and experts in the field of adolescents’ health. Results: According to findings, although the majority of participants agreed on the important role of physical activity, the lack of essential motivation and the pressure of educational assignments remove it from the daily program priorities. Lack of a safe environment for girls’ physical activity and high cost of professional sports were two first mentioned barriers. It was also suggested that future interventions should focus on improving more parents’ engagement and their direct participation in physical activities with their adolescents. Conclusions: We proposed the participatory strategies for adolescent's physical activity promotion. Through which target groups participation during the designing, development, and implementation of health programs led to more effective interventions.
Cross-cultural Deception Detection

In this paper, we address the task of cross-cultural deception detection. Using crowdsourcing, we collect three deception datasets, two in English (one originating from United States and one from India), and one in Spanish obtained from speakers from Mexico. We run comparative experiments to evaluate the accuracies of deception classifiers built for each culture, and also to analyze classification differences within and across cultures. Our results show that we can leverage cross-cultural information, either through translation or equivalent semantic categories, and build deception classifiers with a performance ranging between 60-70%.
ARBITRATION AT A LARGE NONUNION HOSPITAL

This study examines the experience of a large nonunion hospital that adopted arbitration as the final step of its grievance procedure. It focuses on the reasons for the adoption of the process despite the usual opposition of nonunion employers to arbitration and looks at the operation of the procedure, including the role of the employee advisor, who was hired and paid by the hospital to represent employees in arbitration. The study considers the reasons for the demise of arbitration after 25 years of apparently successful operation. It ends with a number of conclusions about nonunion arbitration procedures based on the experience at the hospital as well as reports regarding other nonunion arbitration systems. The arbitration of workplace disputes has been the rule for union-represented employees for many years. A significant reason for the adoption of the process was the National War Labor Board’s policy during World War II of encouraging employers and unions to include binding arbitration in their contracts. This practice is reflected by the fact that the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 1949 83% of the contracts in its files required the arbitration of unresolved grievances [1, p. 18]. At the same time a very limited number of nonunion employers adopted arbitration for employment-related matters. In 1950, Bambrick and Speed studied 57 nonunion companies that had grievance procedures and found only two that included arbitration [2]. Thirty-six years later, McCabe surveyed 78 nonunion members of the National Association of Manufacturers and found that six had arbitration [3].
Those Confounded Moderators in Meta-Analysis: Good, Bad, and Ugly

One of the more revealing aspects of meta-analysis is the relationship between effect sizes and moderator variables representing differences among studies in their methods, samples, and interventions. However, interesting moderator variables are generally related to each other as well as to effect sizes. This confounding among moderator variables can make the results of any analysis focusing on a single moderator variable misleading. Despite the ambiguity of such results, this form of analysis is common in meta-analytic studies of intervention. The hazards and complexities of investigating and interpreting confounded moderator variables are illustrated in this article by the author's examining the difference in effect sizes associated with randomized versus nonrandomized designs in a large meta-analytic database of delinquency intervention studies.
Impact of HLA Diversity on Donor Selection in Organ and Stem Cell Transplantation

The human major histocompatibility complex is a multigene system encoding polymorphic human leucocyte antigens (HLA) that present peptides derived from pathogens to the immune system. The high diversity of HLA alleles and haplotypes in the worldwide populations represents a major barrier to organ and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, because HLA incompatibilities are efficiently recognized by T and B lymphocytes. In organ transplantation, pre-transplant anti-HLA antibodies need to be taken into account for organ allocation. Although HLA-incompatible transplants can be performed thanks to immunosuppressive drugs, the de novo production of anti-HLA antibodies still represents a major cause of graft failure. The HLAMatchmaker computer algorithm determines the immunogenicity of HLA mismatches and allows to define HLA antigens that will not induce an antibody response. Because of the much higher stringency of HLA compatibility criteria in stem cell transplantation, the best donor is a HLA genotypically identical sibling. However, more than 50% of the transplants are now performed with hematopoietic stem cells from volunteer donors selected from the international registry. The development of European national registries covering populations with different HLA haplotype frequencies is essential for optimizing donor search algorithms and providing the best chance for European patients to find a fully compatible donor.
Youth Recidivism Twelve Months After a Family Empowerment Intervention

Abstract We report the results of a study of the impact of a Family Empowerment Intervention (FEI) on twelve-month recidivism among 303 youths processed at the Hillsborough County Juvenile Assessment Center who entered the project between September 1, 1994 and December 31, 1997. The FEI seeks to improve family functioning by empowering parents. Families involved in the project were randomly assigned to receive either an Extended Services Intervention (ESI) or the FEI. Families in the ESI group received monthly phone contacts and, if indicated, referral information; FEI families received three one-hour, home-based meetings per week from a clinician-trained paraprofessional. Final twelve month follow-up analysis indicated that youths who completed the FEI experienced significantly lower rates of new charges and significantly fewer new arrests than youths not completing the FEI. Further, considerable juvenile justice system direct costs savings were projected to be associated with providing FEI services to diversion cases over a two-year period.