Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Meta-Analytic Test of Redundancy and Relative Importance of the Dark Triad and Five-Factor Model of Personality.

We examined the relationships between Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy-the three traits of the Dark Triad (DT)-and the Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality. The review identified 310 independent samples drawn from 215 sources and yielded information pertaining to global trait relationships and facet-level relationships. We used meta-analysis to examine (a) the bivariate relations between the DT and the five global traits and 30 facets of the FFM, (b) the relative importance of each of the FFM global traits in predicting DT, and (c) the relationship between the DT and FFM facets identified in translational models of narcissism and psychopathy. These analyses identified consistent and theoretically meaningful associations between the DT traits and the facets of the FFM. The five traits of the FFM, in a relative importance analysis, accounted for much of the variance in Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy, respectively, and facet-level analyses identified specific facets of each FFM trait that were consistently associated with narcissism (e.g., angry/hostility, modesty) and psychopathy (e.g., straightforwardness, deliberation). The FFM explained nearly all of the variance in psychopathy (R(2) c = . 88) and a substantial portion of the variance in narcissism (R(2) c = . 42).
Recent Trends in Childhood Blood Lead Levels

Abstract Blood lead levels in children in the United States have declined through 1994, the date of the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. In this investigation, the authors analyzed whether blood lead levels have changed since 1994 and quantified the magnitude of any change. The authors evaluated blood lead levels from 12 longitudinal data sets from 11 states and 1 city. Geometric mean blood lead levels declined between 4%/year and 14%/year in 8 of the data sets. No differences in decline rates were observed between data sets from states that had universal screening as a goal or that included repeat measures for an individual child and those data sets that did not. The authors' best estimate for these populations was a decline rate of 4–7%/year, which was comparable to the decline rate prior to 1994.
Association of SLP‐65 / BLNK with the B cell antigen receptor through a non‐ITAM tyrosine of Ig‐α 

The cytoplasmic adaptor protein SLP‐65 (BLNK or BASH) is a cricital downstream effector of the B cell antigen receptor (BCR). Tyrosine‐phosphorylated SLP‐65 assembles intracellular signaling complexes such as the Ca2 + initiation complex encompassing phospholipase C‐γ2 and Bruton′s tyrosine kinase. It is, however, unclear how the SLP‐65 signaling module can be recruited to the plasma membrane. Here we show that following B cell stimulation, SLP‐65 associates directly with the BCR signaling subunit, the Ig‐α / Ig‐β heterodimer. The interaction is mediated by theSrc homology 2 domain of SLP‐65 and the phosphorylated Ig‐α tyrosine 204, which is located outside of the immunoreceptor tyrosine‐based activation motif. Our data identify an unexpected BCR phosphorylation pattern and indicate that Ig‐α has the capability to serve as transmembrane adaptor in BCR signaling.
Treatment practices for degedege, a locally recognized febrile illness, and implications for strategies to decrease mortality from severe malaria in Bagamoyo District, Tanzania

Malaria remains one of the chief causes of mortality among young children in sub‐Saharan Africa. Verbal autopsies for cases of childhood mortality in Bagamoyo District, Tanzania demonstrated that degedege, a locally defined illness of children characterized by fever and convulsions, is frequently treated by traditional healers. To investigate this further, an ethnographic study was carried out in one village that included in‐depth interviews with 14 traditional healers and 3 focus groups with parents. Parents and traditional healers were unanimous in their conviction that degedege requires traditional treatments, at least initially, and that these treatments are effective. While traditional healers do refer cases that are not improving to the District Hospital, this frequently occurs late in the course of the illness, after one or more stages of traditional treatments. The prognosis will thus be poor for those children who are suffering from severe malaria. Consideration should be given to enlisting the support of traditional healers in efforts to improve treatment for severe malaria, including teaching them how to distinguish febrile convulsions from cases of severe malaria.
VI. A multivariate analysis of the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale in several samples.

Brazelton's (1973) Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS) provides a rich description of the behavior of the neonate in interaction with another person. Scores are produced by the assessment, which singly and in clusters constructed in various ways have been correlated with a variety of nonbehavioral and behavioral variables for a variety of reasons (see Appendix). Certain a priori ideas about the dimensions or characteristics of neonate behavior which ought to be assessed guided the development of this instrument by Brazelton and his associates. However, the test has been used in ways beyond those originally envisioned by Brazelton, particularly to measure individual differences variables. The pattern of relationships between test and nontest behavior can serve to evaluate and refine ideas about
Effectiveness of a primary school-based intervention to reduce overweight.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a school-based intervention program to reduce overweight and improve fitness in primary school children. METHODS A cluster randomized controlled design was used over one school year with schools as unit of randomization. In total 20 schools and 2,622 children aged 6-12 years (grades 3-8) from multi-ethnic, low income inner-city neighbourhoods in Rotterdam, Netherlands, participated. The intervention, named Lekker Fit! (Enjoy being fit! ) was a multi-component intervention based on behavioural and ecological models. Main components of the intervention are the implementation of three physical education (PE) sessions a week by a professional PE teacher, additional sport and play activities outside school hours and an educational program. Main primary outcome measures were weight status, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and fitness (20 m shuttle run). RESULTS Significant positive intervention effects were found for percentage overweight children (OR 0.53; 95% CI 0.36-0.78), waist circumference (-1.29 cm; 95% CI -2.16 to -0.42 cm) and 20 m shuttle run (0.57 laps; 95% CI 0.13-1.01 laps) among pupils of grades 3-5 (6-9-year olds). The prevalence of overweight in grades 3-5 increased by 4.3% in the control group and by 1.3% in the intervention group. No significant effects were found for BMI or for grades 6-8 (9-12-year olds). CONCLUSIONS Our results provide evidence for the effectiveness of the multi-component intervention Lekker Fit! among pupils of grades 3-5 and adds to the growing body of evidence that school-based programs with a focus on PA are most effective in reducing childhood obesity. [ISRCTN84383524].
Fatigue in the general population: A translation and test of the psychometric properties of the Norwegian version of the fatigue severity scale

Objective: A study was undertaken to test the psychometric properties of the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), and to explore the relationship between fatigue and sociodemographic variables in the general population. Method: A national representative sample of 1893 respondents was randomly selected from a pool of 4,000 Norwegians aged 19—81 years. A mailed questionnaire that included the FSS was used to measure fatigue severity. Results: The FSS showed satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.88). The prevalence of high fatigue (FSS score>=5) was 23.1% in the total sample. More women (26.2%) than men (19.8%) experienced high fatigue (p=0.004). Respondents with chronic illness (more than six months) reported a higher mean (M=4.69, SD=1.35) than the rest of the sample (M=3.67, SD=1.17) (p<0.001). An inverse correlation was found between fatigue and level of formal education (r=0.20, p<0.001). Conclusion: The psychometric properties of the Norwegian version of FSS were satisfactory. To avoid over-diagnosing people for high level of fatigue, the threshold for high fatigue probably should be 5 on the FSS scale instead of 4 as had been suggested originally, but further validation of the cut-off point is needed.
Two-phase survey of eating disorders in gifted dance and non-dance high-school students in Taiwan

ABSTRACT Background Despite a growing body of literature reporting eating disorders (EDs) in non-Western countries in recent years, most of these studies are limited to questionnaire-based surveys or case-series studies. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and correlates of EDs in Taiwanese high-school students. Methods The study subjects consisted of all the female high-school students enrolled in the gifted dance class in 2003 in Taiwan (n=655) and non-dance female students randomly chosen from the same school (n=1251). All the participants were asked to complete self-report questionnaires, including the 26-item Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and the Bulimic Investigatory Test Edinburgh (BITE). All the screen positives and an approximate 10% random sample of the screen negatives were then interviewed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR Axis I Disorders Patient Version (SCID-I/P). Results The prevalence of individual EDs was much higher in the dance [0·7% for anorexia nervosa (AN), 2·5% for bulimia nervosa (BN) and 4·8% for EDs, not otherwise specified (EDNOS)] than in the non-dance (0·1, 1·0 and 0·7% respectively) students. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that being in the dance class, higher concern about body shape and lower family support were correlates of EDs for all students, whereas lower parental education level was associated with EDs only for non-dance students. Conclusion EDs were more prevalent in the weight-concerned subpopulation. Although AN is still rare, BN has emerged as a comparable prevalent disorder in Taiwan, as in Western countries.
Dispositional Optimism and Coping: A Meta-Analytic Review

The relation between dispositional optimism and better adjustment to diverse stressors may be attributable to optimism's effects on coping strategies. A meta-analytic review (K = 50, N = 11,629) examined the impact of dispositional optimism on coping. Dispositional optimism was found to be positively associated with approach coping strategies aiming to eliminate, reduce, or manage stressors or emotions (r = .17), and negatively associated with avoidance coping strategies seeking to ignore, avoid, or withdraw from stressors or emotions (r = -.21). Effect sizes were larger for the distinction between approach and avoidance coping strategies than for that between problem and emotion-focused coping. Meta-analytic findings also indicate that optimists may adjust their coping strategies to meet the demands of the stressors at hand, and that the optimism-coping relationship is strongest in English-speaking samples.
Effect of closed unit policy and appointing an intensivist in a developing country*

Objective:We hypothesized that a dual strategy—instituting a closed intensive care unit (ICU) policy and simultaneously appointing an intensivist—would improve patient outcome in a university hospital of a developing country and that the benefit would increase over time. Design:Data were prospectively collected over 5 months before the policy change (open policy) and over an initial 6 mos (early closed policy) and subsequent 12 mos (late closed policy) after the policy change. Setting:The study was conducted at a medical ICU of a university hospital in Turkey. Patients:Two hundred patients were recruited during open policy, 149 during early closed policy, and 210 during late closed policy. Measurements and Results:Instituting a closed policy and simultaneously appointing a critical care specialist was associated with the admission of sicker patients and more frequent use of invasive procedures. Compared with open policy, patients were approximately 4.5 times more likely to survive their hospital stay during early closed policy (p < .001) and approximately five times more likely during late closed policy (p < .0001). Among patients receiving mechanical ventilation, hospital mortality was lower during the early (57%) and late closed periods (59%) than during open period (91%; p < .01). In multivariate analysis, open policy, mechanical ventilation, central venous catheterization, sepsis, and higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score each independently predicted mortality. The change in policy resulted in the admission of progressively sicker patients over time and increased the use of mechanical ventilation and central venous catheters. Conclusion:A dual strategy of closed policy and simultaneously appointing an intensivist fostered admission of sicker patients and improved the survival of patients requiring admission to an ICU of a developing country.
Source of Aegean Sea harbour porpoises

Documented sightings of harbour porpoises in the Mediterranean are rare, although the species is common in the neighbouring North Atlantic and Black Sea. However, in the past 2 decades, 4 harbour porpoises Phocoena phocoena have been recorded in the northern Aegean Sea in the east- ern Mediterranean Basin. Samples were taken from 2 of these. Both have a genetic signature indica- tive of the Black Sea and their age and small size further suggest they originated from the Black Sea rather than the Atlantic population. These results are the first to indicate probable movement of porpoises out of the Black Sea and into the Mediterranean Sea.
Prevalence and risk factors for intestinal parasites in food handlers, southern Brazil

In this study, the prevalence and risk factors for enteroparasites were determined in food handlers from Maringá, Paraná State, southern Brazil. Fecal and subungual materials of 150 street food vendors were analyzed by the methods of Lutz, Faust, and Mello, respectively. A questionnaire on hygiene and sanitary conditions of the workplace and of domicile was applied. The prevalence of enteroparasites was 28%, and the protozoa infection was more expressive (21.3%) than by helminths (6.7%), but without significant difference (p > 0.05). Entamoeba coli was the most frequent species occurring in 15.3%, while the prevalence of protozoa pathogenic was low (Giardia lamblia: 2.7% and Entamoeba histolytica: 0.7%). The subungual material presented negative results. The presence of pets in domiciles has increased twice the risk of infection. The working conditions of the majority of street food vendors were inappropriate. The results highlight the need for more rigorous programs of continuing education, parasitological examination every six months, and health surveillance. In this way, the quality of the service provided to the population can be improved and the transmission of food-borne diseases can be prevented.
Global and cognate regulators control the expression of the organic solvent efflux pumps TtgABC and TtgDEF of Pseudomonas putida

Pseudomonas putida DOT‐T1E grows on a water–toluene double liquid phase. Toluene tolerance in this microorganism is mainly achieved by at least two efflux pumps that belong to the RND family. The TtgDEF efflux pump is induced by toluene, whereas the other efflux pump, called TtgABC, is expressed at a high level in cells not exposed to toluene and at a lower level in cells grown with toluene. The ttgR gene is adjacent to the ttgABC operon and is transcribed divergently from ttgA. The expression level of ttgR was fourfold higher in cells growing in the presence of toluene than in its absence. In a TtgR‐deficient background, expression from the ttgA promoter increased about 20‐fold, suggesting that TtgR represses expression from the ttgA promoter. In this mutant, background expression of the ttgR gene was also much higher than in the wild‐type background; however, its level of expression increased in the presence of toluene. In a ttgR mutant background, expression from the ttgD promoter followed the same pattern of expression as in the wild type. Analysis of a P. putida pTn5cat mutant that exhibited increased sensitivity to a sudden toluene shock, regardless of whether or not it was previously exposed to low toluene concentrations, revealed that pTn5cat had interrupted an lrp‐like gene. The ttgR gene was expressed at very high levels in this mutant, with concomitant repression of expression of the ttgABC operon. The second ttgDEF efflux pump was expressed at low levels in this mutant strain, suggesting that the Lrp‐like protein is a global regulatory protein involved in the solvent‐tolerant response of this strain.
Capillary blood gases in a pediatric intensive care unit

Objective: To determine if samples obtained from arterial and capillary sources are comparable in children with diverse pathologic conditions during their stay in a pediatric intensive care unit. Study Design: Prospective, descriptive study in patients admitted to a multidisciplinary pediatric intensive care unit. Interventions: Seventy‐five simultaneous paired samples (arterial and capillary) were obtained from patients with different degrees of capillary reperfusion, hemodynamic stability, blood pressure, and temperature. Both samples were analyzed ≤5 mins after collection. Measurements and Main Results: The average correlations between arterial and capillary samples were 0.87 for pH, 0.86 for CO2, and 0.65 for oxygen. Neither poor perfusion nor low temperature altered the correlation for pH or CO2. The only condition that significantly affected the correlation was hypotension. Conclusion: Capillary blood sampling is a useful alternative to gasometric evaluation of critically ill children, even in the presence of hypothermia or hypoperfusion, provided that hypotension is not present.
Cancer incidence in Tehran metropolis: the first report from the Tehran Population-based Cancer Registry, 1998-2001.

BACKGROUND There are no population-based data available for cancer in Tehran, a city that includes almost 10% of the Iranian population. This is the first report of cancer incidence in Tehran from a population-based cancer registry for the period of 1998-2001. METHODS The cancer registry collects data on all new cases of cancer diagnosed in the resident population of Tehran metropolitan area. Data collection is active and trained abstractors visit close to 120 data sources comprising cancer diagnostic laboratories, secondary- and tertiary-care hospitals, and imaging centers to abstract cancer cases. RESULTS During the period of 1998-2001, a total of 34,318 eligible cases were abstracted of which 24% were identified just by death certificates. The overall age-standardized rates (ASR) (adjusted to the world population structure) were 163.0 per 100,000 males and 141.8 per 100,000 females. The most frequently reported malignancies in males were stomach cancer (ASR 19.8), followed by cancers of the prostate (ASR 15.6), lung (ASR 14.9), bladder (ASR 13.3), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (ASR 7.1), and esophagus (ASR 6.8). In females, the most frequently reported malignancies were breast cancer (ASR 31.4), followed by cancers of the stomach (ASR 10.0), lung (ASR 7.0), ovary (ASR 6.8), and esophagus (ASR 5.3). CONCLUSION The data reported by the Tehran Cancer Registry provide information on the cancer profile in Tehran metropolitan area. It clearly shows the breast and stomach, prostate, and tobacco-related cancers as major cancer in this population. The observed cancer rates indicate that Helicobacter pylori eradication, tobacco control measures, and early detection of breast cancer are of importance for cancer control in this population.
The Impact of IL2ra Induction Therapy in Kidney Transplantation Using Tacrolimus- and Mycophenolate-Based Immunosuppression

Background. IL2 receptor antagonist (IL2ra) induction therapy has gained favor due to an excellent safety profile and improved outcomes in randomized trials using cyclosporine-based immunosuppression. However, there have been no large randomized trials or retrospective analyses examining the effect of IL2ra versus no induction using tacrolimus and mycophenolate (TAC/MPA)-based therapy. Methods. A retrospective analysis from the Scientific Renal Transplant Registry of adult, primary kidney transplant recipients from 2000 to 2008 with initial immunosuppression of TAC/MPA and prednisone, who received IL2ra induction therapy or no induction therapy (n=28,686) was performed. The primary outcome was acute rejection at 1 year, and secondary outcomes were graft and patient survival at 1 and 3 years. Multivariable analysis was used to control for factors shown to influence the incidence of acute rejection, and separate analyses were performed for deceased versus living donors. Results. Acute rejection at 1 year was significantly lower with IL2ra (11.6%) versus no induction therapy (13.0%; P=0.001). One-year (95.7% vs. 95.8%) and 3-year (87.5% vs. 87.8%) graft survival, and 1-year (97.4% vs. 97.5%) and 3-year (92.8% vs. 93.2%) patient survival, was not different between those receiving IL2ra and no induction therapy. On multivariable analysis, the relative risk of acute rejection with IL2ra was 0.90 (95% CI, 0.85–0.96; P=0.001), and the effect was greater in living donors (relative risk, 0.82; P<0.001) than deceased donors (relative risk, 0.95; P=0.23). Conclusion. The benefit of IL2ra induction with TAC/MPA/prednisone maintenance immunosuppression is less than previously reported due to a low baseline incidence of acute rejection.
The Inhibition of Autoreactive T Cell Functions by a Peptide Based on the CDR1 of an Anti-DNA Autoantibody Is via TGF-β-Mediated Suppression of LFA-1 and CD44 Expression and Function1

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which is characterized by the increased production of autoantibodies and defective T cell responses, can be induced in mice by immunization with a human anti-DNA mAb that expresses a major Id, designated 16/6Id. A peptide based on the sequence of the CDR1 of the 16/6Id (human CDR1 (hCDR1)) ameliorated the clinical manifestations of SLE and down-regulated, ex vivo, the 16/6Id-induced T cell proliferation. In this study, we examined the mechanism responsible for the hCDR1-induced modulation of T cell functions related to the pathogenesis of SLE. We found that injection of hCDR1 into BALB/c mice concomitant with their immunization with 16/6Id resulted in a marked elevation of TGF-β secretion 10 days later. Addition of TGF-β suppressed the 16/6Id-stimulated T cell proliferation similarly to hCDR1. In addition, we provide evidence that one possible mechanism underlying the hCDR1- and TGFβ-induced inhibition of T cell proliferation is by down-regulating the expression, and therefore the functions, of a pair of key cell adhesion receptors, LFA-1 (αLβ2) and CD44, which operate as accessory molecules in mediating APC-T cell interactions. Indeed, T cells of mice treated with hCDR1 showed a TGF-β-induced suppression of adhesion to the LFA-1 and CD44 ligands, hyaluronic acid and ICAM-1, respectively, induced by stromal cell-derived factor-1α and PMA. The latter suppression is through the inhibition of ERK phosphorylation. Thus, the down-regulation of SLE-associated responses by hCDR1 treatment may be due to the effect of the up-regulated TGF-β on the expression and function of T cell adhesion receptors and, consequently, on T cell stimulation, adhesion, and proliferation.