Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Romantic relationships and sexual activities of the first generation of youth living with HIV since birth

Abstract HIV-infected children, now maturing into adolescence and adulthood, must cope not only with adolescent developmental issues, but also with a chronic, socially stigmatised and sexually transmittable illness. Little research on this first generation of survivors has focused on romantic involvement and sexuality. This study, which employs a mixed-method embedded strategy (qualitative supported by quantitative), describes the perspectives of youth living with HIV since birth concerning: (1) romantic involvement and sexuality; and (2) risk management including the risk of HIV transmission and partner serostatus disclosure. Eighteen adolescents aged 13–22 from Montreal, Canada, participated in individual semi-structured interviews and completed self-report questionnaires. Most youths participated in non-penetrative sexual activities. Ten participants reported having had vaginal and three anal intercourses, at an average age of 14 for girls and 15 for boys. All sexually active youth reported having used a condom at least once. Of those who reported that their first sexual relationship was protected, over half had taken risks in subsequent relationships (e.g., unprotected sex, multiple partners, etc.). Interviews conducted with sexually inactive youths illustrate the interrelatedness of romantic involvement, sexual initiation and potential serostatus disclosure. Involvement in a sexual relationship would not be conceivable unless the partner was informed of their serostatus. For sexually active participants, risk management implies HIV transmission and partner disclosure. These youths have emotional issues regarding disclosure in romantic relationships and few risked potential rejection by disclosing. Condom use acts as a reminder of the infection and a barrier to intimacy. The narratives illustrate how risk perception changes and becomes relative with time and experience, especially when the viral load is undetectable and when past experience has convinced the adolescent that his/her partner might not become infected. Findings reinforce the need to prioritise sexual health issues for young people with perinatally acquired HIV.
Provocation of hypotension during head-up tilt testing in subjects with no history of syncope or presyncope.

BACKGROUND Head-up tilt test is increasingly being used to evaluate patients with syncope. This study was designed to evaluate the specificity of head-up tilt testing using different tilt angles and isoproterenol infusion doses in normal volunteers with no prior history of syncope or presyncope. METHODS AND RESULTS One hundred fifty volunteers were randomized to two groups of 75 each. In group 1, subjects were further randomized to have head-up tilt testing at a 60, 70, or 80 degree angle at baseline followed by repeat tilt testing during a low-dose isoproterenol infusion that increased the heart rate by an average of 20%. In group 2, after having a baseline head-up tilt test at a 70 degree angle for a maximum of 20 minutes, subjects were randomized to have a repeat tilt table testing at a 70 degree angle during a low-dose, 3 micrograms/min, or 5 micrograms/min isoproterenol infusion. In group 1, syncope or presyncope along with hypotension developed in 2 subjects during the baseline test at 60 and 70 degrees of tilt and in 5 subjects during tilting at 80 degrees. The addition of low-dose isoproterenol reduced the specificity minimally from 92% to 88% at both 60 and 70 degrees of tilt but substantially to 60% at an 80 degrees angle. However, 6 of the 10 subjects with a positive test at an 80 degree angle had an abnormal response after 10 minutes of tilt testing. In group 2, using various isoproterenol doses with tilt table testing at a 70 degree angle, low-dose (mean infusion dose, 1.5 +/- 0.45 microgram/min), 3 micrograms/min, and 5 micrograms/min isoproterenol infusions elicited an abnormal response in 1 (4%), 5 (20%), and 14 (56%) of the subjects, respectively. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, head-up tilt testing at an 80 degree angle (P = .01) or during 3 micrograms/min (P = .02) and 5 micrograms/min isoproterenol infusion rates (P < .001) was the most significant predictor of an abnormal response. CONCLUSIONS Head-up tilt testing at a 60 or 70 degree angle with or without low-dose isoproterenol infusion provides an adequate specificity. Caution is needed, however, in interpreting the results if the head-up tilt test at 80 degrees is extended beyond 10 minutes or if high doses of isoproterenol are used.
A Novel Surface-Wave-Based High-Impedance Surface Multibeam Antenna With Full Azimuth Coverage

This paper presents a novel surface-wave (SW)-based high-impedance surface (HIS) multibeam antenna with 360° scanning capability in azimuth. The proposed antenna consists of four rotationally symmetric beamforming networks (BFNs) and a microstrip patch array-based HIS. Regarding to the BFN, it is formed by a planar offset parabolic reflector fed by multiple substrate integrated waveguides. Through proper design, the proposed BFN can efficiently launch guided SWs with TM0 mode. With the perturbation of the HIS structure, the bounded SWs can be transformed to $m=-1$ space harmonic mode leaky-wave radiation. Combining the feature of the leaky-wave radiation in the elevation plane and the manipulation of the propagation direction of the SWs by switching the feeding ports, beam scanning in the azimuth direction with a tilted elevation angle can be realized. As the HIS is shared by the four BFNs, the size of the antenna can be reduced and a broadened antenna scanning range is achieved. In this paper, a prototype of the proposed antenna with 28 feeding ports, 7 in each BFN, is numerically analyzed and experimentally demonstrated. The proposed antenna features low-cost, low-profile, and single layer configuration.
Eradication of osteosarcoma by fluorescence‐guided surgery with tumor labeling by a killer‐reporter adenovirus

In a previous study, we developed fluorescence‐guided surgery (FGS) for osteosarcoma using an orthotopic model with 143B human osteosarcoma cells expressing red fluorescent protein (RFP) implanted into the intramedullary cavity of the tibia in nude mice. The FGS‐treated mice had a significantly higher disease‐free survival (DFS) rate than the bright‐light surgery (BLS). However, although FGS significantly reduced the recurrence of the primary tumor, it did not reduce lung metastasis. In the present study, we utilized the OBP‐401 telomerase‐dependent killer‐reporter adenovirus, carrying green fluorescent protein (GFP), to label human osteosarcoma in situ in orthotopic mouse models. OBP‐401‐illuminated human osteosarcoma cell lines, 143B and MNNG/HOS cells in vitro and in vivo. OBP‐401 tumor illumination enabled effective FGS of the 143B‐derived orthotopic mouse model of human osteosarcoma model as well as FGS eradication of residual cancer cells after BLS. OBP‐401‐assisted FGS significantly inhibited local recurrence and lung metastasis after surgery, thereby prolonging DFS and overall survival (OS), achieving a very important improvement of therapeutic outcomes over our previously reported FGS study. These therapeutic benefits of FGS were demonstrated using a clinically‐viable methodology of direct labeling of human osteosarcoma in situ with the OBP‐401 killer‐reporter adenovirus in contrast with previous reports, which used genetically engineered labeled cells or antibody‐based fluorescent labels for FGS. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 34:836–844, 2016.
Clinical research on the ophthalmic factors affecting 3D asthenopia.

PURPOSE Watching three-dimensional (3D) images is known to induce ocular and non-ocular symptoms, such as eye discomfort, fatigue, headache, and nausea, which can be referred to as "3D asthenopia". This study investigated ophthalmic factors associated with 3D asthenopia. METHODS One hundred fifteen volunteers, aged 18 to 55 years, were enrolled in this study. 3D images were shown to all volunteers with 3D high-definition television for 90 minutes. Subjects who felt eyestrain were assigned to the asthenopia group (14 subjects) and subjects without symptoms were assigned to the control group (22 subjects). Ophthalmic factors including visual acuity, refractive errors, interpupillary distance, intraocular pressure, tear break-up time, near point of accommodation, presence of strabismus, stereoacuity, and retinal abnormalities were evaluated and compared between the two groups. RESULTS Six subjects in the asthenopia group had exophoria and 1 subject in the control group had constant exotropia. None of these participants had previously noticed symptoms of strabismus. Only the presence of strabismus was significantly different between the groups (P = .008). CONCLUSION The presence of exophoria may be a risk factor for 3D asthenopia, and 3D television may induce asthenopia by exacerbating this latent problem.
Hyaluronic acid targeting of CD44 for cancer therapy: from receptor biology to nanomedicine*

Abstract Cluster of differentiation-44 (CD44) is a ubiquitously present glycoprotein on the surface of mammalian cells that plays a significant role in a number of biological functions. Since the discovery that the receptor is over-expressed in a variety of solid tumors, such as pancreatic, breast and lung cancer, many studies have focused on methods for targeting CD44 in an attempt to improve drug delivery and discrimination between healthy and malignant tissue, while reducing residual toxicity and off-target accumulation. In this review, we describe CD44 receptor biology and its involvement in the different stages of tumor growth and metastasis, as well as methods currently used for targeting the receptor. Hyaluronic acid, the primary CD44 binding molecule, has proved a significant ally in developing nanocarriers that demonstrate preferential tumor accumulation and increased cell uptake. We outline a number of research approaches from the current literature that take advantage of hyaluronic acid’s targeting ability and describe the possible advantages for each approach. The value of CD44 targeting can be easily appreciated from the number of different approaches that have reached clinical trials.
Presurgical lateralization of seizure focus and language dominant hemisphere with O‐15 water PET imaging

Objectives– The purpose of this study was to assess the value of same day blood flow PET in both the identification of the language dominant hemisphere and in the lateralization of the epileptic focus in patients who were preoperatively evaluated for complex partial seizures. Methods– The charts of 24 patients who had temporal lobectomies for seizures were retrospectively reviewed. All PET scans were acquired by using O‐15 water tracer (H215O) in both resting and language activation conditions. PET language laterality results were compared to Intracarotid amytal procedure (IAP) results. For epileptic focus lateralizations, regions of interest (ROI) analysis of temporal lobes was performed on resting scans. Results– IAP testing was discordant with PET language mapping in 1 out of 24 cases. This patient had a decline in cognitive abilities as measured by postoperative neuropsychologic testing. For epileptic focus lateralization, the PET was highly sensitive (87%) and specific (100%). Lateralizations with the PET were in agreement with surgical sites in all cases. Eighteen patients (75%) were seizure free and 4 patients (17%) were significantly improved after surgery. Conclusion– The results suggest that O‐15 water PET is sensitive and specific in both the lateralization of epileptic focus and the language dominant hemisphere and can be a cost‐effective and noninvasive method in presurgical evaluation of patients with complex partial seizures.
Unexpected Specificity of Interspecies Cobamide Transfer from Geobacter spp. to Organohalide-Respiring Dehalococcoides mccartyi Strains

ABSTRACT Dehalococcoides mccartyi strains conserve energy from reductive dechlorination reactions catalyzed by corrinoid-dependent reductive dehalogenase enzyme systems. Dehalococcoides lacks the ability for de novo corrinoid synthesis, and pure cultures require the addition of cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12) for growth. In contrast, Geobacter lovleyi, which dechlorinates tetrachloroethene to cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cis-DCE), and the nondechlorinating species Geobacter sulfurreducens have complete sets of cobamide biosynthesis genes and produced 12.9 ± 2.4 and 24.2 ± 5.8 ng of extracellular cobamide per liter of culture suspension, respectively, during growth with acetate and fumarate in a completely synthetic medium. G. lovleyi-D. mccartyi strain BAV1 or strain FL2 cocultures provided evidence for interspecies corrinoid transfer, and cis-DCE was dechlorinated to vinyl chloride and ethene concomitant with Dehalococcoides growth. In contrast, negligible increase in Dehalococcoides 16S rRNA gene copies and insignificant dechlorination occurred in G. sulfurreducens-D. mccartyi strain BAV1 or strain FL2 cocultures. Apparently, G. lovleyi produces a cobamide that complements Dehalococcoides' nutritional requirements, whereas G. sulfurreducens does not. Interestingly, Dehalococcoides dechlorination activity and growth could be restored in G. sulfurreducens-Dehalococcoides cocultures by adding 10 μM 5′,6′-dimethylbenzimidazole. Observations made with the G. sulfurreducens-Dehalococcoides cocultures suggest that the exchange of the lower ligand generated a cobalamin, which supported Dehalococcoides activity. These findings have implications for in situ bioremediation and suggest that the corrinoid metabolism of Dehalococcoides must be understood to faithfully predict, and possibly enhance, reductive dechlorination activities.
A twin study for serum leptin, soluble leptin receptor, and free insulin-like growth factor-I in pubertal females.

CONTEXT Leptin and IGF-I are two peripheral metabolic signals linking body energy status to hypothalamus GnRH generator and involved in the pubertal development and metabolic disorders. The changes of their biological activity through puberty and the genetic basis are not clear. OBJECTIVE To determine the genetic and environmental influences to the variations of basal leptin, soluble leptin receptor (SOB-R), free leptin index (FLI), and free IGF-I levels in pubertal females. DESIGN A twin study was performed in 2003. SETTING Participants were recruited from the Qingdao Twin Registry, a school-based registry. PARTICIPANTS A total of 360 twin girls aged 6-18 yr were enrolled, consisting of 132 pairs of monozygotic and 48 pairs of dizygotic twins. INTERVENTIONS Anthropometric and sexual characteristics were examined. Serum total leptin and free IGF-I were measured by immunoradiometric assay, and SOB-R was measured by ELISA. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Estimates of genetic and environmental components of variance were based on the theory of normal maximum likelihood in Mx package, a computer program specifically designed for the analysis of twin and family data. RESULTS Serum leptin concentrations increased persistently throughout puberty, especially from Tanner stage III to Tanner stage IV (P < 0.05), which in consistent with the increase of percentage of body fat. However, SOB-R decreased significantly from Tanner stage I to Tanner stage II (P < 0.05), which results in a continuous rise of FLI (ratio of leptin to SOB-R), especially from Tanner stage I to Tanner stage II (P < 0.05). Serum free IGF-I increased dramatically from Tanner stage I to II and declined since then. Results of correlation analysis suggest that FLI predicts the pubertal growth and sexual maturation more effectively, whereas leptin sensitively reflects the fat mass of body composition. Quantitative genetic model fittings showed that SOB-R and free IGF-I have higher heritability (0.62-0.77, 0.54-0.66) and leptin and FLI have lower heritability (0.38-0.48, 0.44-0.55). CONCLUSIONS Fast increase of FLI and free IGF-I from Tanner stage I to II might be involved in the onset of puberty and the onset of thelarche. The peak of free IGF-I in Tanner stage II might be presumed as an indicator of the peak of pubertal growth spurt in females, and the significant rise of leptin along with percentage of body fat from Tanner stage III to IV might be as a predictor of the forthcoming menarche. Our results stress the importance of research into the genetic regulation on the endocrine regulators involved in the pubertal development and metabolic disorders, including pubertal obesity and diabetes.
Socioeconomic Inequality in Concurrent Tobacco and Alcohol Consumption

Background: Whilst several studies have examined inequity of tobacco use and inequity of alcohol drinking individually, comparatively little is known about concurrent tobacco and alcohol consumption. The present study therefore investigated inequity of concurrent tobacco and alcohol consumption in Thailand. Methods: The 2015 Health and Welfare Survey was obtained from Thailand’s National Statistical Office and used as a source of national representative data. Concurrent tobacco and alcohol consumption was defined as current and concurrent use of both tobacco and alcohol. The wealth assets index was used as an indicator of socioeconomic inequity. Socioeconomic status included 5 groups ranging from poorest (Q1) to richest (Q5). A total of 55,920 households and 113,705 participants aged 15 years or over were included and analyzed. A weighted multiple logistic regression was performed. Results: The prevalence of concurrent tobacco and alcohol consumption, tobacco consumption only, and alcohol consumption only were 15.2% (95% CI: 14.9, 15.4), 4.7% (95% CI: 4.5, 4.8), and 18.9% (95% CI: 18.7, 19.1), respectively. Weighted multiple logistic regression showed that concurrent tobacco and alcohol consumption was high in the poorest socioeconomic group (P for trend <0.001), and tobacco consumption only was also high in the poorest group (P for trend <0.001). A high prevalence of alcohol consumption was observed in the richest group (P for trend <0.001). Conclusions: These findings suggest that tobacco and alcohol consumption prevention programs would be more effective if they considered socioeconomic inequities in concurrent tobacco and alcohol consumption rather than focusing on single drug use.
School Psychology in Portugal: Practitioners' Characteristics and Practices

Little empirical evidence is available on the professional characteristics and practices of school psychologists in Portugal. This study surveyed a total of 477 Portuguese school psychologists employed in public (80%) and private schools (20%). Portuguese school psychologists are described with regard to demographic, professional, and educational backgrounds, school settings, roles performed, and main target populations served. Evaluating and counseling regular education students, vocational guidance, and special education-related activities emerged as the most time-consuming professional practices. A professional practice primarily focused on students, mainly from the highest education levels, was also observed. Results are compared with findings of previous surveys and reviewed in the context of the current literature on the school psychologist's role. Implications for the field are also provided.
An interpretative phenomenological analysis of living with chronic low back pain.

OBJECTIVES A predominantly quantitative approach to the psychological study of chronic low back pain (CLBP) has shown that enduring negative emotional responses and passive coping strategies contribute towards disability. The main objective of this study was to extend existing knowledge by providing a detailed and contextualized understanding of the meaning of CLBP for participants with long-standing experiences of chronic pain. DESIGN This is a qualitative, semi-structured interview study. The data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). This is the first of three sets of individual interviews comprising a longitudinal study of the same participants over 3 years. METHODS Ten patients with CLBP were interviewed prior to their attendance at a medically staffed chronic pain clinic. The sample comprised seven females and three males. Ages ranged between 39 and 66 years. All had experienced CLBP for at least 4 years. CONCLUSIONS The participants' experiences are represented by three main themes: 'maintaining integrity', 'the crucial nature of the pain' and 'managing the pain' that highlight participants' understanding of their pain within a biomedical framework. The findings are discussed with reference to the role of illness beliefs in the management of CLBP.
Factors Influencing Saudi Consumers Loyalty Toward B2C E-Commerce

Previous research found that e-retailers experience difficulty to maintain customer loyalty despite of the recent rapid growth in Business to Customer e-commerce applications. Developing and managing customer loyalty and customer retention is very important for the long-term growth of a firm. Numerous studies have empirically examined consumer’s loyalty and attitudes in various countries toward the Business to Customer e-commerce. Nevertheless, empirical research on the e-commerce consumer loyalty in the developing Arab countries, are generally limited. Thus, the main objective of this paper is to identify the key factors that influence the extent to which Saudi consumers are loyal towards Business to Customer e-commerce. Next, we draw on extant literatures about hypothesized relationships between e-commerce consumer loyalty and its antecedents to build a conceptual framework on Saudi consumer's loyalty. Then, a survey was conducted among Saudi e-commerce customers in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia using a structured selfadministered questionnaire. The study found that amongst other factors, customer trust and satisfaction influence consumer's loyalty towards B2C e-commerce in Saudi Arabia. The findings assist firms to understand what key factors/areas in e-commerce applications they ought to focus on in order to improve customer loyalty thereby improving revenue.
[New recommendations for contact tracing in tuberculosis. German Central Committee against Tuberculosis].

In 2007, the German Central Committee against Tuberculosis (DZK) published recommendations for contact tracing that introduced the new interferon gamma release assays (IGRAs). Meanwhile, substantial progress has been made in documenting the utility of IGRAs. Because IGRAs are usually superior to the tuberculin skin test (TST) in detecting latent TB infection (LTBI) with respect to sensitivity and specificity in adult contact populations that are at least partially BCG vaccinated, it is now recommended that instead of two-step testing only IGRAs be used. [nl]As the literature does not yet provide sufficient data on the accuracy of IGRAs in children younger than 5 years, the TST remains the method of choice in that age group. To date, also, no clear body of data exists to substantiate better performance for IGRAs than for the TST in older children, thus in this age group using of either test is recommended. The new recommendations also underscore the importance of a diligent preselection of close contacts in order to achieve a high probability that positive test results represent recent infection and to thus increase the benefit of chemopreventive treatment for those identified as requiring it. In a third point of update, it is noted that re-testing of contacts individuals found positive for LTBI may produce a considerable number of false-negative results and should thus be avoided in case of documented exposure.
c‐myb mediates inflammatory reaction against oxidative stress in human breast cancer cell line, MCF‐7

Emerging evidence suggests that oncogenes play an important role in the inflammatory reactions in cancer cells, but the precise molecular and cellular mechanisms linking the oncogenes to inflammation is unclear. This study examined the contribution of proto‐oncogene c‐myb to inflammation in MCF‐7 breast cancer cells.