Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Applications of social network analysis to obesity: a systematic review

People's health behaviours and outcomes can be profoundly shaped by the social networks they are embedded in. Based on graph theory, social network analysis is a research framework for the study of social interactions and the structure of these interactions among social actors. A literature search was conducted in PubMed and Web of Science for articles published until August 2017 that applied social network analysis to examine obesity and social networks. Eight studies (three cross‐sectional and five longitudinal) conducted in the US (n = 6) and Australia (n = 2) were identified. Seven focused on adolescents' and one on adults' friendship networks. They examined structural features of these networks that were associated with obesity, including degree distribution, popularity, modularity maximization and K‐clique percolation. All three cross‐sectional studies that used exponential random graph models found individuals with similar body weight status and/or weight‐related behaviour were more likely to share a network tie than individuals with dissimilar traits. Three longitudinal studies using stochastic actor‐based models found friendship network characteristics influenced change in individuals' body weight status and/or weight‐related behaviour over time. Future research should focus on diverse populations and types of social networks and identifying the mechanisms by which social networks influence obesity to inform network‐based interventions.
Offensive Sequences in Youth Soccer: Effects of Experience and Small-Sided Games

The present study aimed to analyze the interaction and main effects of deliberate practice experience and smallsided game format (3 vs. 3 and 6 vs. 6 plus goalkeepers) on the offensive performance of young soccer players. Twentyeight U-15 male players were divided into 2 groups according to their deliberate practice experience in soccer (i.e., years of experience in federation soccer): Non-Experienced (age: 12.84 ± 0.63 years) and Experienced (age: 12.91 ± 0.59 years; experience: 3.93 ± 1.00 years). The experimental protocol consisted of 3 independent sessions separated by one-week intervals. In each session both groups performed each small-sided game during 10 minutes interspersed with 5 minutes of passive recovery. To characterize the recorded offensive sequences we used the Offensive Sequences Characterization System, which includes performance indicators previous applied in other studies. No interaction effects on the offensive performance were found between both factors. Non-parametric MANOVA revealed that the factor “experience level” had a significant effect (p<0.05) on performance indicators that characterize the development of offensive sequences, especially in 6 vs. 6 + GKs. While experienced players produced longer offensive sequences with greater ball circulation between them, the non-experienced participants performed faster offensive sequences with a predominance of individual actions. Furthermore, significant differences were observed (p<0.05) in the development and finalization of offensive sequences within each group, when comparing small-sided game formats. Evidence supports that small-sided games can serve several purposes as specific means of training. However, the manipulation of game format should always consider the players’ individual constraints.
Neonatal circulatory failure due to acute hypertensive crisis: clinical and echocardiographic clues

Objective Circulatory failure due to acute arterial hypertension in the neonatal period is rare. This study was undertaken to assess the clinical and echocardiographic manifestations of circulatory failure resulting from acute neonatal hypertensive crisis. Methods Neonatal and cardiology databases from 2007 to 2010 were reviewed. An established diagnosis of circulatory failure due to neonatal hypertension before the age of 14 days was required for inclusion. Six patients were identified. Results Five patients presented with circulatory failure due to an acute hypertensive crisis. The median age at presentation was 8.5 days (range: 6.0–11.0) with a median body weight of 3.58 kg (range: 0.86–4.70). Echocardiography demonstrated mild left ventricular dysfunction [median shortening fraction (SF) 25%, range 10–30) and mild aortic regurgitation in 83% (5/6) of patients. One patient with left ventricular dysfunction (SF = 17%) had a large apical thrombus. Two patients were hypotensive, and hypertension only became evident after restoration of cardiac output. Administration of intravenous milrinone was successful, with rapid improvement of the clinical condition. Left ventricular function normalised in all survivors. Conclusion Early neonatal circulatory collapse due to arterial hypertension is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition. At presentation, hypotension, especially in the presence of a dysfunctional left ventricle, does not exclude a hypertensive crisis being the cause of circulatory failure. The echocardiographic presence of mild aortic regurgitation combined with left ventricular hypocontractility in a structurally normal heart should alert the physician to the presence of underlying hypertension.
Employment Generation in Rural Africa: Mid-Term Results from an Experimental Evaluation of the Youth Opportunities Program in Northern Uganda

This brief summarizes the results of a gender impact evaluation study, entitled Employment generation in rural Africa : mid-term results from an experimental evaluation of the youth opportunities program in Northern Uganda, conducted in the year 2008, in Uganda. The study observed that mid-term results after two years suggest four main findings. First, despite a lack of central monitoring and accountability, most youth invest the transfer in vocational skills and tools. Second, the economic impacts of the transfer are large. Third, the evidence suggests that poor access to credit is a major reason youth cannot start these vocations in the absence of aid. Finally, these economic gains result in modest improvements in social stability. The outcomes are split into three themes: Economic, Alienation, and Subjective Well-being. For each theme, the results are summed and presented as a z-score. The economic impacts are large with an increase in . 28 standard deviations. The male and female economic impacts are similar. Funding for the study derives from Gender Action Plan, Uganda Social Action Fund, Spanish Impact Evaluation Fund.
HITS-CLIP in various brain areas reveals new targets and new modalities of RNA binding by fragile X mental retardation protein

Abstract Fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most common form of inherited intellectual disability, is due to the functional deficiency of the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), an RNA-binding protein involved in translational regulation of many messenger RNAs, playing key roles in synaptic morphology and plasticity. To date, no effective treatment for FXS is available. We searched for FMRP targets by HITS-CLIP during early development of multiple mouse brain regions (hippocampus, cortex and cerebellum) at a time of brain development when FMRP is most highly expressed and synaptogenesis reaches a peak. We identified the largest dataset of mRNA targets of FMRP available in brain and we defined their cellular origin. We confirmed the G-quadruplex containing structure as an enriched motif in FMRP RNA targets. In addition to four less represented motifs, our study points out that, in the brain, CTGKA is the prominent motif bound by FMRP, which recognizes it when not engaged in Watson–Crick pairing. All of these motifs negatively modulated the expression level of a reporter protein. While the repertoire of FMRP RNA targets in cerebellum is quite divergent, the ones of cortex and hippocampus are vastly overlapping. In these two brain regions, the Phosphodiesterase 2a (Pde2a) mRNA is a prominent target of FMRP, which modulates its translation and intracellular transport. This enzyme regulates the homeostasis of cAMP and cGMP and represents a novel and attractive therapeutic target to treat FXS.
Estimating the National Public Health Burden Associated with Exposure to Ambient PM2.5 and Ozone

Ground‐level ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are associated with increased risk of mortality. We quantify the burden of modeled 2005 concentrations of O3 and PM2.5 on health in the United States. We use the photochemical Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model in conjunction with ambient monitored data to create fused surfaces of summer season average 8‐hour ozone and annual mean PM2.5 levels at a 12 km grid resolution across the continental United States. Employing spatially resolved demographic and concentration data, we assess the spatial and age distribution of air‐pollution‐related mortality and morbidity. For both PM2.5 and O3 we also estimate: the percentage of total deaths due to each pollutant; the reduction in life years and life expectancy; and the deaths avoided according to hypothetical air quality improvements. Using PM2.5 and O3 mortality risk coefficients drawn from the long‐term American Cancer Society (ACS) cohort study and National Mortality and Morbidity Air Pollution Study (NMMAPS), respectively, we estimate 130,000 PM2.5‐related deaths and 4,700 ozone‐related deaths to result from 2005 air quality levels. Among populations aged 65–99, we estimate nearly 1.1 million life years lost from PM2.5 exposure and approximately 36,000 life years lost from ozone exposure. Among the 10 most populous counties, the percentage of deaths attributable to PM2.5 and ozone ranges from 3.5% in San Jose to 10% in Los Angeles. These results show that despite significant improvements in air quality in recent decades, recent levels of PM2.5 and ozone still pose a nontrivial risk to public health.
Replicated ecological landscapes and the evolution of morphological diversity among Gasterosteus populations from an archipelago on the west coast of Canada

We investigated defence and trophic morphology of 40 freshwater stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus L., 1758) populations from the Banks-Estevan archipelago for comparison with the isolated stickleback populations from the nearby Haida Gwaii archipelago. Using 14 size-standardized metric traits and 11 meristic or categorical traits from 1706 individu- als (14-54/site), we found that the first principal component (PC1) defined a defence apparatus characterized by high load- ings for pelvic spine length, number of forks on the ascending process, number of lateral plates, and overlap between lateral and basal plates. The second component (PC2) defined a trophic apparatus characterized by high loadings for gape length, eye diameter, and body depth. Populations with loss of spines, loss of plates, increased gape, increased body depth, and low gill raker number were most prevalent in ponds and shallow lakes with low conductivity. Most traits were sexu- ally dimorphic, with males exhibiting greater armature and increased benthic trophic adaptations. We observed substan- tially less morphological variability among Banks-Estevan stickleback populations than among the Haida Gwaii populations and one instance of common ancestry or convergence to the giant black stickleback of Haida Gwaii. Resume ´ : Nous avons etudieles structures de defense et la morphologie trophique chez 40 populations d'eau douce de l'epinoche atrois epines (Gasterosteus aculeatus L., 1758) de l'archipel de Banks-Estevan pour les comparer acelles des populations isolees de l'archipel voisin Haida Gwaii. Al'etude de 14 caracteristiques metriques standardisees en fonction de la taille et de 11 caracteristiques meristiques ou categoriques chez 1706 individus (etendue de 14-54/site), nous trou- vons que la premiere composante principale (PC1) definit un appareil de defense caracterisepar des poids eleves pour la longueur de l'epine pelvienne, le nombre de fourches sur le processus ascendant, le nombre de plaques laterales et la superposition des plaques laterales et basales. La seconde composante principale (PC2) definit un appareil trophique car- acterisepar des poids elevees pour la longueur de l'ouverture de la bouche, le diametre de l'oeil et la profondeur du corps. Les populations caracterisees par la perte des epines, la perte des plaques, une grande ouverture de la bouche, un grande profondeur du corps et un petit nombre de branchiospines tendent apredominer dans les etangs et les lacs peu profonds de faible conductivite ´. La plupart des caracteristiques sont dimorphes en fonction du sexe: les males possedent une armature plus elaboree et des adaptations trophiques plus importantes pour la vie benthique. Il existe substantiellement moins de variabilitemorphologique chez les populations de Banks-Estevan que dans celles de Haida Gwaii; nous avons observeun cas d'ascendance commune ou de convergence avec l'epinoche noire geante de Haida Gwaii. (Traduit par la Redaction)
CRITERION FOR DETERMINING AGE OF FIN WHALE WITH REFERENCE TO EAR PLUG AND BALEEN PLATE

The age determination is an important problem for the fisheries science as well as for the development of whale biology. In the fisheries science it is a basic study contributing to the human management for natural resources through the stock assessment. In order to estimate the age of the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), various methods have been developed since the early in this century and they are represented by the regular accumulation of corpora in ovaries ("Wheeler, 1930., Laws, 1961), the periodical occurrence of baleen plate ridges (Ruud, 1940), the colouration of crystalline lens (Nishiwaki, 1950a) and the ear plug laminae accumulated in the external auditory meatus of the baleen whale (Purves, 1955). Among these age material, the ear plug laminae which is accumulated throughout the life of whale in both sexes is the most valuable. The report by Purves who found the ear plug an important age indicator for the first time has fascinated me but simultaneously induced me to have some doubts on the formation mechanism of ear plug. My study in a series began in 1959 from the examination on structure which is essential for interpreting the ear plug proper. The alternation of the dark and the bright layer in the ear plug indicates the complicated aspects in most cases. The alternation of layers was counted only by the naked eye and there was no objective measuring method. In order to examine the biological meaning of two different layers, the photometric apparatus* recording the laminae had to be devised in 1963. In 1964, the prenatal development of ear plug and its feature in the structure was examined in relation to its formation in the adult whale. It is necessary to estimate the annual increment rate of laminae to determine the age of whale by means of the ear plug. Since Purves' report, many scientists have estimated the annual increment rate of laminae, assuming factors effecting on the alternation of the ear plug layers. These works, in relation to the ages of the fin whale and the humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), have resulted from the comparison of the ear plug with the other age indicator, particularly from the interrelation between the annual ridge on the baleen plate and the ear plug laminae for the young whale (Laws & Purves, 1956) and between the annual increment of corpora in female ovaries and the ear plug laminae (Laws, 1961). With regard to this point, no work concerning the ear plug proper has been reported and only the elapsed time from fire to recovery in the marking experiment checked the increment rate of laminae in a year (Dawbin, 1959. , Chittleborough, 1960. ,
Lifelong Parenting of Adults With Developmental Disabilities: Growth Trends Over 20 Years in Midlife and Later Life.

This research examined how parenting adults with developmental disabilities affects parental well-being beyond midlife and into old age. Parents of adults with developmental disabilities (n=249) and parents of adults without disabilities (n=9,016) studied in their early 50s and mid-60s, were longitudinally tracked into their early 70s. Compared to parents of adults without disabilities, parents of adults with disabilities showed a pattern of normative functioning in their 50s, followed by poorer well-being in their mid-60s, and further declines in health and well-being into the early 70s. Aging parents who co-resided with their adult child with disabilities were particularly vulnerable, experiencing a steeper increase in depressive symptoms and boy mass index (BMI) than parents whose child with disabilities lived away from home.
Tissue hyaluronan expression, as reflected in the sputum of lung cancer patients, is an indicator of malignancy

Hyaluronan (HA) shows promise for detecting cancerous change in pleural effusion and urine. However, there is uncertainty about the localization of HA in tumor tissue and its relationship with different histological types and other components of the extracellular matrix, such as angiogenesis. We evaluated the association between HA and degree of malignancy through expression in lung tumor tissue and sputum. Tumoral tissue had significantly increased HA compared to normal tissue. Strong HA staining intensity associated with cancer cells was significant in squamous cell carcinoma compared to adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma. A significant direct association was found between tumors with a high percentage of HA and MVD (microvessel density) in tumoral stroma. Similarly significant was the direct association between N1 tumors and high levels of HA in cancer cells. Cox multivariate analysis showed significant association between better survival and low HA. HA increased in sputum from lung cancer patients compared to cancer-free and healthy volunteers and a significant correlation was found between HA in sputum and HA in cancer tissue. Localization of HA in tumor tissue was related to malignancy and reflected in sputum, making this an emerging factor for an important diagnostic procedure in patients suspected to have lung cancer. Further study in additional patients in a randomized prospective trial is required to finalize these results and to validate our quantitative assessment of HA, as well as to couple it to gold standard sputum cytology.
Perceived Stigmatization, Resilience, and Diurnal Cortisol Rhythm Among Children of Parents Living With HIV

Stigmatization often puts at risk the health and well-being of children from marginalized groups. One potential protective factor for such children is resilience—one’s capability to adapt flexibly, persistently, and resourcefully to stressful situations. In this study, we investigated the associations among stigmatization, resilience, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function in a sample of 645 youths affected by parents infected with HIV. Perceived stigmatization was associated with lower cortisol levels at awakening and flatter cortisol slopes, whereas resilience was independently associated with higher levels of salivary cortisol at awakening and steeper cortisol slopes. We found evidence for an indirect effect of resilience on diurnal cortisol through lower perceived stigmatization. These associations remained significant after we controlled for demographic and health factors and stressful life events. Our findings demonstrate that perceived stigmatization and resilience are associated with HPA-axis functioning in childhood. Broadly, the data suggest that resilience-promoting and stigma-reducing efforts should be considered to improve the health of children from disadvantaged groups.
Efficacy of new irrigating solution on smear layer removal in apical third of root canal: A scanning electron microscope study

Aims: The aim of this in vitro study is to evaluate and compare the smear layer removal efficacy of etidronic acid-based irrigating solution with others in the apical third of the root canal. Materials and Methods: Forty human single-rooted mandibular premolar teeth were taken and decoronated to standardize the canal length. After biomechanical preparation, teeth were randomly divided into four groups (n = 10) and the final irrigation was carried out with tested irrigants. Group I: normal saline (negative control); Group II: 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) with surfactant and 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) with surfactant; Group III: freshly mixed BioPure MTAD; and Group IV: freshly mixed Chloroquick solution. The teeth were split into two halves and observed under a scanning electron microscope to analyze the amount of smear layer present. Statistical Analysis: Data were analyzed using the Kruskal–Wallis test and Mann–Whitney test. Results: Group II (5.25% NaOCl with surfactant followed by 17% EDTA with surfactant) showed least smear layer scores (1.1 ± 0.3162). This was followed by Group III (MTAD) (2.2 ± 0.4216) and then Group IV (Chloroquick) (2.4 ± 0.5164). Conclusion: Sequential use of 5.25% NaOCl with surfactant and 17% EDTA with surfactant was found to be the most efficient than MTAD and Chloroquick in the removal of smear layer in the apical third of root canal.
Spine deficiency and polymorphism in a population of Gasterosteus aculeatus : an adaptation to predators ?

REIMCHEN, T. E. 1980. Spine deficiency and polymorphism in a population of Gasterosteus aculeatus: an adaptation to predators? Can. J. Zool. 58: 1232-1244. A population of Gasterost~us acukarus from a muskeg lake on the Queen Charlotte Islands shows a epinc polymorphism, with lacking the second dorsal spine and 68% lacking the pelvic spines. Females were more prevalent among phenotypes with greater spine number. and males were more common among those with fewer spines. Adult females, as well as juveniles of both sexes with pelvic spines. were more frequent in Ihe limnetic hablur, whereas adult malesand juveniles without pelvic spines were common in the tittoral region. Five species of piscivorous birds. each in low numbers. foraged in the lake. Extensive predat~on in the Iimnetic region by Gavia intmrr and. secondarily, Pndiceps spp. is implicated as a selective pressure favouring the greater spined phenotype. OJonate nymphs (Aeshna spp.) consumed juvenile fish in predation experiments and in the lake proper. Nymphs were common in the littoral zone, where submerged debris provided substrate for foraging. Ir i s proposed that spine loss in this population of C. arulearus is an adaphtion ro the hunting rechn~que of Aeshna. whereby reduced external suucturcs such as spines minimize frictional contact for a grappling predator. Experimental data and other gasteroskeid populations are discussed with reference to these propusals.
Effects of various process parameters on struvite precipitation kinetics and subsequent determination of rate constants.

In this paper, struvite (MgNH(4)PO(4). 6H(2)O) precipitation kinetics were studied with different operating conditions (varying supersaturation, pH, Mg:P ratio, degree of mixing and seeding conditions) and relevant rate constants were determined by fitting a slightly modified first-order kinetic model to the experimental data obtained. The rate of change of ortho-P concentration in the bulk solutions increases with increasing supersaturation ratio. The estimated rate constants are 2.034, 1.716 and 0.690 hr(-1) for the supersaturation ratio of 9.64, 4.83, and 2.44, respectively. Kinetic parameters were also evaluated for the Mg:P ratio between the ranges of 1.0 and 1.6, indicating higher phosphorus removal efficiency with increasing Mg:P ratio. The rate constants were found to be 0.942, 2.034 and 2.712 hr(-1) for Mg:P ratios of 1.0, 1.3 and 1.6, respectively. The experimental observations for kinetic study of struvite precipitation with different stirrer speeds clearly show that the mixing intensity used had little effect on the intrinsic rate constants. K values found to be 2.034 and 1.902 h(-1) for 100 and 70 rpm, respectively. Seeding, with 250-500 microm of seed crystals during the struvite precipitation kinetics test, was found to have very little effect on the ortho-P removal.