Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Financial Incentives for Linkage to Care and Viral Suppression Among HIV-Positive Patients

Importance Achieving linkage to care and viral suppression in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients improves their well-being and prevents new infections. Current gaps in the HIV care continuum substantially limit such benefits. Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of financial incentives on linkage to care and viral suppression in HIV-positive patients. Design, Setting, and Participants A large community-based clinical trial that randomized 37 HIV test and 39 HIV care sites in the Bronx, New York, and Washington, DC, to financial incentives or standard of care. Interventions Participants at financial incentive test sites who had positive test results for HIV received coupons redeemable for $125 cash-equivalent gift cards upon linkage to care. HIV-positive patients receiving antiretroviral therapy at financial incentive care sites received $70 gift cards quarterly, if virally suppressed. Main Outcomes and Measures Linkage to care: proportion of HIV-positive persons at the test site who linked to care within 3 months, as indicated by CD4+ and/or viral load test results done at a care site. Viral suppression: proportion of established patients at HIV care sites with suppressed viral load (<400 copies/mL), assessed at each calendar quarter. Outcomes assessed through laboratory test results reported to the National HIV Surveillance System. Results A total of 1061 coupons were dispensed for linkage to care at 18 financial incentive test sites and 39 359 gift cards were dispensed to 9641 HIV-positive patients eligible for gift cards at 17 financial incentive care sites. Financial incentives did not increase linkage to care (adjusted odds ratio, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.73-1.67; P = .65). However, financial incentives significantly increased viral suppression. The overall proportion of patients with viral suppression was 3.8% higher (95% CI, 0.7%-6.8%; P = .01) at financial incentive sites compared with standard of care sites. Among patients not previously consistently virally suppressed, the proportion virally suppressed was 4.9% higher (95% CI, 1.4%-8.5%; P = .007) at financial incentive sites. In addition, continuity in care was 8.7% higher (95% CI, 4.2%-13.2%; P < .001) at financial incentive sites. Conclusions and Relevance Financial incentives, as used in this study (HPTN 065), significantly increased viral suppression and regular clinic attendance among HIV-positive patients in care. No effect was noted on linkage to care. Financial incentives offer promise for improving adherence to treatment and viral suppression among HIV-positive patients. Trial Registration clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01152918
Generalization of Phonetic Detail: Cross-Segmental, Within-Category Priming of VOT

The current study examined whether fine-grained phonetic detail (voice onset time (VOT)) of one segment (/p/ or /k/) generalizes to a different segment (/t/) within the same natural class. Two primes were constructed to exploit the natural variation of VOT: a velar stop followed by a high vowel (keen) resulting in a naturally long VOT and a labial stop followed by a low vowel (pan) resulting in a naturally shorter VOT. Two experiments were conducted, one in which the speakers produced both the prime and the target, and a second in which the speakers heard the primes and then produced the targets. In Experiment 1, VOTs for initial /t/ were shorter following pan than following keen. In Experiment 2 where participants heard the primes, priming was found only when the primes had unexpected relative VOT values (short for keen and long for pan). These results provide evidence for cross-segmental generalization of phonetic detail and also suggest that natural, within-category variability is encoded during language processing.
Robust stability and H/sub /spl infin// performance analysis of interval-dependent time delay systems

Robust stability and performance analysis techniques are presented for time-delay systems consisting of the feedback interconnection of a linear time-delay system, with a bounded and casual linear operator. This linear operator features all the parameter and/or dynamical uncertainties excluding the delay elements. The delays considered are non-commensurate, time-invariant but uncertain, residing within a bounded interval excluding zero. A (sufficient) delay-free comparison system is formed by replacing the delay elements with parameter-dependent filters, satisfying certain properties. It is shown that robust stability of this finite dimensional comparison system, guarantees stability of the original time-delay system. A (necessary) comparison system is also provided. It is shown that the worst case H/sub /spl infin// performance of the sufficient (necessary) comparison system provides an upper (a lower) bound for the H/sub /spl infin// performance of the time-delay system. An LMI formulation is given for calculating an upper bound for the worst-case H/sub /spl infin// performance of the time-delay system.
The aesthetics of verticality: A gravitational contribution to aesthetic preference

Verticality plays a fundamental role in the arts, portraying concepts such as power, grandeur, or even morality; however, it is unclear whether people have an aesthetic preference for vertical stimuli. The perception of verticality occurs by integrating vestibular-gravitational input with proprioceptive signals about body posture. Thus, these signals may influence the preference for verticality. Here, we show that people have a genuine aesthetic preference for stimuli aligned with the vertical, and this preference depends on the position of the body relative to the gravitational direction. Observers rated the attractiveness of lines that varied in inclination. Perfectly vertical lines were judged to be more attractive than those inclined clockwise or anticlockwise only when participants held an upright posture. Critically, this preference was not present when their body was tilted away from the gravitational vertical. Our results showed that gravitational signals make a contribution to the perception of attractiveness of environmental objects.
Ezetimibe inhibits the incorporation of dietary oxidized cholesterol into lipoproteins Published, JLR Papers in Press, August 7, 2006.

Oxidized cholesterol is present in significant quantities in the typical Western diet. When ingested, oxidized cholesterol is absorbed by the small intestine and incorporated into both chylomicrons and LDL, resulting in LDL that is more susceptible to further oxidation. Feeding studies in animal models and epidemiological studies in humans have suggested that oxidized cholesterol in the diet increases the development of atherosclerosis. In this study, we determined the effect of ezetimibe, a drug that inhibits small intestinal absorption of cholesterol, on the levels of oxidized cholesterol in the serum after a test meal containing oxidized cholesterol. We demonstrate that ezetimibe, 10 mg per day for 1 month, markedly reduced the levels (50% decrease) of oxidized cholesterol in the serum after feeding a test meal containing either α-epoxy cholesterol or 7-keto cholesterol, two of the predominant oxidized cholesterols found in the diet. Moreover, the decrease in oxidized cholesterol in the serum was attributable to a decrease in the incorporation of dietary oxidized cholesterol into both chylomicrons and LDL. Because there was no decrease in postprandial triglyceride levels, we conclude that this decrease in oxidized cholesterol levels in the serum is attributable to decreased absorption and not to enhanced clearance. Whether this decrease in oxidized cholesterol absorption prevents or delays the development of atherosclerosis remains to be determined.
Lifespan nutrition and changing socio-economic conditions in China.

BACKGROUND Twenty-five years ago, China introduced sweeping reforms in the structure of its rural economy, family planning program, and financial accountability within enterprises and service sector organizations. A rapid rise in economic productivity has resulted in continuing increases in income and changes to the traditional Chinese diet. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to examine how the social and economic transformation of China affects dietary patterns and nutritional status of people. DESIGN The data from a prospective study, China Health and Nutrition Survey, begun in 1989 and followed up in 1991, 1993, 1997, 2000 and 2004. The population used in this study included 5000 subjects aged 18-45 from 4280 households in nine provinces. Dietary intakes were measured using a combination of the weighing method and three consecutive 24-h recalls. All other data were directly measured or obtained by in-depth interviews. RESULT The average consumption of all animal source foods except milk and eggs increased by 34g per capita per day, while the average intake of cereals decreased by 130g per capita per day. The proportion of animal source protein increased greatly and fat contributed an increasing proportion of energy. However, vitamin A and calcium intake did not increase from their low levels of intake during this period. Child height and weight increased and were linked with a decline in under-nutrition. For example, the prevalence of overweight increased from 11.4% to 22.8% in women and from 6.4% to 25.1% in men in the same period, climbing much faster than before. The rapid shift in diet and obesity linked with social and economic changes in China continues unabated. CONCLUSIONS In association with the economic reform, the dietary pattern changed rapidly in these years.
Corporate Governance and Pyramidal Ownership: The Role of Novo
 Mercado

The literature has not reached a consensus on the motivation and implications of pyramidal ownership schemes. For some, such arrangements make it easier for controlling shareholders to expropriate outside investors. More recently, some studies have challenged this view and emphasized that their rationale lies in overcoming financial constraints. This paper focuses on whether firms owned through pyramidal schemes are more likely to be listed on the “Novo Mercado,” the Brazilian stock exchange’s premium listing segment created in 2000, which prohibits firms from issuing non-voting shares. We built a dataset of ownership data with annual observations for a panel of firms over the period 2003-2010 by hand-collecting data drawn from reports that firms submit periodically to the Brazilian securities regulator (CVM). Estimating fixed effects non-linear panel data models of a binary dependent variable, we find that firms listed on the Novo Mercado are less likely to be owned through a pyramid arrangement, result which appears to be consistent with the expropriation view.
3D imaging of the fetal face – Recommendations from the International 3D Focus Group

Three-dimensional and four-dimensional ultrasound (3D/4D US) technology can be easily applied to routine prenatal diagnosis and can provide images of the fetal face that cannot be achieved with two-dimensional ultrasound (2D US) [1–7]. The most recent 3D/4D US technology facilitates the 3D/4D US examinations even for the less trained sonographer and gives the examiner the opportunity to identify the normal and abnormal fetal face in the most appropriate imaging mode [8]. The purpose of publishing these recommendations was to demonstrate the different possibilities of assessing the normal and abnormal fetal face with 3D/4D ultrasound and to give the operator an overview of the benefit resulting from the application of that technology.
Optical Aberrations and the Aging Eye

We present a review of recent studies of the changes of optical aberrations in the aging eye. During normal aging, the retinal image quality gradually decreases in average. This is due to increases in both aberrations and amount of scattered light. This deterioration of retinal image quality has an impact on vision and, therefore, in the design of ophthalmic optics for the aging population. The underlying mechanisms explaining this decline of retinal image quality with age are also presented in this chapter. Normal aging largely affects different aspects of the visual system in humans. Specifically, the contrast sensitivity function (CSF) declines throughout the life span. Several reasons are responsible for this deterioration, ranging from purely optical degradation to retinal and neural losses. The relative contribution of optical and postoptical (retinal and neural) factors to the deterioration in spatial vision aroused some controversy, although it is now accepted that optical factors play the major important role in normal eyes. In the aging eye, there are a larger light absorption by the ocular media, a smaller pupil diameter (senile miosis), and a nearly complete reduction of the accommodation capability. In addition, Artal and coworkers first showed that the mean ocular modulation transfer function (MTF) in a group of older patients was lower than the average MTF for a group of younger patients. This result, although it was obtained in a rather small population, suggested that the ocular aberrations, besides intraocular scattering, increase with age. Burton and associates, by comparing CSFs obtained both with laser interferometry
Expression and function of the K+ channel KCNQ genes in human arteries

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE KCNQ‐encoded voltage‐gated potassium channels (Kv7) have recently been identified as important anti‐constrictor elements in rodent blood vessels but the role of these channels and the effects of their modulation in human arteries remain unknown. Here, we have assessed KCNQ gene expression and function in human arteries ex vivo.
Food Safety Policies and Procedures for Student-Led Food Events at Colleges and Universities in the United States

The purpose of this study was to assess similarities and differences in food safety policies and procedures related to student-led food events at colleges and universities (CUs) in the United States. The data were collected from public or land grant CUs through a web-based questionnaire. From 231 CU personnel receiving the questionnaire, 75 personnel responsible for overseeing student-led food events provided information about current food safety policies and procedures at their respective institutions. The findings of this study may serve as a guide for developing a food safety policies and procedures template for student-led food events.
Objectively Measured Sedentary Time, Physical Activity, and Metabolic Risk

OBJECTIVE—We examined the associations of objectively measured sedentary time and physical activity with continuous indexes of metabolic risk in Australian adults without known diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—An accelerometer was used to derive the percentage of monitoring time spent sedentary and in light-intensity and moderate-to-vigorous–intensity activity, as well as mean activity intensity, in 169 Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study (AusDiab) participants (mean age 53.4 years). Associations with waist circumference, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, resting blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, and a clustered metabolic risk score were examined. RESULTS—Independent of time spent in moderate-to-vigorous–intensity activity, there were significant associations of sedentary time, light-intensity time, and mean activity intensity with waist circumference and clustered metabolic risk. Independent of waist circumference, moderate-to-vigorous–intensity activity time was significantly beneficially associated with triglycerides. CONCLUSIONS—These findings highlight the importance of decreasing sedentary time, as well as increasing time spent in physical activity, for metabolic health.
Cognitive decline among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

RATIONALE Prior research has suggested an association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and the development of cognitive decline; however, these studies have been cross-sectional or small case series. OBJECTIVES To determine whether COPD increases the risk of cognitive decline among older adults surveyed in a large, population-based longitudinal cohort. METHODS We included data from the 1996 to 2002 waves of the Health and Retirement Study, a biennial nationally representative survey. We studied respondents who completed cognitive testing in 1996 and at least one subsequent survey, and excluded those with unknown history of COPD. Clinical history of COPD was based on self-report; severity was categorized based on use of oxygen or disease-related activity limitations. Our primary outcome was cognitive performance, measured using a validated 35-point scale. We examined the effect of COPD on cognition using multivariable mixed linear models accounting for repeated measurements, adjusted for sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS A total of 4,150 adults were included in our study. Among them, 12% reported a history of COPD (29% severe, 71% nonsevere disease). On repeated measurement, mean cognition scores of older adults with both severe and nonsevere COPD were significantly lower when compared with adults without COPD (2.6 points [P < 0.001] and 0.9 points [P < 0.001], respectively). After multivariable adjustment, mean scores of adults with severe COPD remained lower (0.9 point [P < 0.001]), whereas mean score of adults with nonsevere COPD was no longer different (P = 0.39) when compared with adults without COPD. CONCLUSIONS Severe COPD was associated with lower cognitive performance on standardized measurement over time.
Fecal loading in the cecum as a new radiological sign of acute appendicitis.

AIM Although the radiological features of acute appendicitis have been well documented, the value of plain radiography has not been fully appreciated. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of the association of acute appendicitis with images of fecal loading in the cecum. METHODS Plain abdominal radiographs of 400 patients operated upon for acute appendicitis (n = 100), acute cholecystitis (n = 100), right acute pelvic inflammatory disease (n = 100) and right nephrolithiasis (n = 100) were assessed. The presence of fecal loading was recorded and the sensitivity and specificity of this sign for acute appendicitis were calculated. RESULTS The presence of fecal loading in the cecum occurred in 97 patients with acute appendicitis, 13 patients with acute cholecystitis, 12 patients with acute inflammatory pelvic disease and 19 patients with nephrolithiasis. The sensitivity of this sign for appendicitis was 97% and its specificity to this disease was 85.3%. Its positive predictive value for appendicitis was 68.7%; however, its negative predictive value for appendicitis was 98.8%. CONCLUSION The present study suggests that the presence of radiological images of fecal loading in the cecum may be a useful sign of acute appendicitis, and the absence of this sign probably excludes this disease. This is the first description of fecal loading as a radiological sign for acute appendicitis.
Effect of visfatin on blood glucose and serum lipids in normal and streptozotocin induced diabetic Rats

Visfatin is a novel adipokine showing altered plasma levels in different disorders, for example type-2 diabetes mellitus, obesity fetal growth retardation and gestational diabetes mellitus. We found that no study demonstrated the effect of visfatin on blood glucose and serum lipids in rats. Therefore, we investigated the effect of visfatin on blood glucose and serum lipids in rats. We found that visfatin produced an inhibitory effect on blood glucose level in a dose dependent manner and it caused further reduction in blood glucose level when combined with oral hypoglycemic drugs. We also found that visfatin produced a significant inhibitory effect on triglycerides, LDL and VLDL. These data are the first to show that visfatin can inhibit blood glucose in a dose dependent manner and the first to find an inhibitory effect on some serum lipids.
Use of monoclonal antibodies to human immunoglobulin M in "capture" assays for measles and rubella immunoglobulin M

Monoclonal antibodies to human immunoglobulin M (IgM) were used in a four-phase enzyme immunofluorescence "capture" assay for determination of IgM antibodies to measles and rubella viruses. Little or no background reactivity was seen in the test system, and interfering effects of rheumatoid factor were avoided by preabsorption of test sera with aggregated human IgG. Virus-specific IgM antibody was demonstrable in 23 of 24 patients with serological evidence of measles virus infections and in 36 of 36 patients with serological evidence of postnatal rubella infection. A few of the rubella patients did not show IgM antibody until 5 days after onset of illness. The enzyme immunofluorescence assay was able to demonstrate rubella IgM antibody in congenitally infected newborns, whereas indirect immunofluorescence results for virus-specific IgM were negative. Viral IgM antibody was not detected in persons with past infections with the test viruses, in young children without evidence of past infection, or in patients infected with heterotypic viruses, rickettsiae, chlamydiae, or mycoplasmas.
Probing for Binding Regions of the FtsZ Protein Surface through Site-Directed Insertions: Discovery of Fully Functional FtsZ-Fluorescent Proteins

ABSTRACT FtsZ, a bacterial tubulin homologue, is a cytoskeletal protein that assembles into protofilaments that are one subunit thick. These protofilaments assemble further to form a “Z ring” at the center of prokaryotic cells. The Z ring generates a constriction force on the inner membrane and also serves as a scaffold to recruit cell wall remodeling proteins for complete cell division in vivo. One model of the Z ring proposes that protofilaments associate via lateral bonds to form ribbons; however, lateral bonds are still only hypothetical. To explore potential lateral bonding sites, we probed the surface of Escherichia coli FtsZ by inserting either small peptides or whole fluorescent proteins (FPs). Among the four lateral surfaces on FtsZ protofilaments, we obtained inserts on the front and back surfaces that were functional for cell division. We concluded that these faces are not sites of essential interactions. Inserts at two sites, G124 and R174, located on the left and right surfaces, completely blocked function, and these sites were identified as possible sites for essential lateral interactions. However, the insert at R174 did not interfere with association of protofilaments into sheets and bundles in vitro. Another goal was to find a location within FtsZ that supported insertion of FP reporter proteins while allowing the FtsZ-FPs to function as the sole source of FtsZ. We discovered one internal site, G55-Q56, where several different FPs could be inserted without impairing function. These FtsZ-FPs may provide advances for imaging Z-ring structure by superresolution techniques. IMPORTANCE One model for the Z-ring structure proposes that protofilaments are assembled into ribbons by lateral bonds between FtsZ subunits. Our study excluded the involvement of the front and back faces of the protofilament in essential interactions in vivo but pointed to two potential lateral bond sites, on the right and left sides. We also identified an FtsZ loop where various fluorescent proteins could be inserted without blocking function; these FtsZ-FPs functioned as the sole source of FtsZ. This advance provides improved tools for all fluorescence imaging of the Z ring and may be especially important for superresolution imaging.