Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mental vulnerability as a risk factor for depression: A prospective cohort study in Denmark

Background and Aim: Mental vulnerability (i.e. a tendency to experience psychosomatic symptoms, mental symptoms or interpersonal problems) is associated with various diseases. This study investigated whether mental vulnerability is associated with hospitalization for depression. Methods: A prospective study was conducted of six cohorts from the population of Copenhagen County, Denmark, with baseline information on mental vulnerability, lifestyle, social factors and comorbidity collected in 1976, 1982–84, 1991 and 1997–98 (N = 11,862). By register-linkage information on hospital contacts for affective disorders were obtained from the Danish Psychiatric Central Register. The association between mental vulnerability and depression was examined using Kaplan-Meier plots allowing for death as competing risk and Cox proportional-hazard models adjusting for possible confounders. Results: The cohort of 11,862 persons yielded a mean follow-up time of 12.3 years with 170 persons hospitalized with depression. The adjusted hazard ratio for hospitalization for depression associated with mental vulnerability was 1.23 (95% CI, 1.16–1.31) per step on the most used 12-item scale. Conclusions: Mental vulnerability may be a risk factor for depression. Early identification and treatment of depression are essential for preventing chronic depression, reduced social functioning and disability. Psychiatric interviews should be used to evaluate whether the criteria for depression are fulfilled, but it may furthermore be relevant to identify persons who may be at risk of developing depression in the long term. The possibility of using, for example, the mental vulnerability scale for such purpose should be further investigated.
Traceable Coplanar Waveguide Calibrations on Fused Silica Substrates up to 110 GHz

In this paper, we present a comprehensive uncertainty budget for on-wafer S-parameter measurements of devices on a custom-built fused silica wafer, including instrumentation errors, connector repeatability, and calibration standard uncertainties. All major steps toward achieving traceability with the aid of a multiline thru-reflect-line calibration for the given measurement scenario are explained. For the first time, it is now possible to compare against each other the relative importance of different sources of uncertainty in on-wafer measurements. Results are shown for three typical devices with varying reflection and transmission characteristics.
Web-based survey on the effect of digital storytelling on empowering women to seek help for urogenital atrophy

Objective To evaluate an online digital story aimed to empower women suffering from urogenital atrophy to seek health professional advice. Study design A questionnaire evaluating a digital story on the UK-based menopause website www.menopausematters. co.uk. Main outcome measure Answers to questions on empowerment. Results A total of 539 responses were obtained over the 62 weeks that the questionnaire was online. In women who had not previously sought help for urogenital atrophy, 145 were too embarrassed and 105 did not want to bother the health professional. Having watched the video, 73% (n = 105/143) of women who had been too embarrassed to discuss their symptoms with their doctor would now do so and 87% (n = 89/102) of women who had not wanted to bother their doctor would also make an appointment. Ninety-six percent (n = 138/144) of women would be willing to try treatment. Over two-thirds of women favoured webcast information to written information; however, postmenopausal women were less likely than peri- or premenopausal to favour this method of presenting health information. Conclusion Using digital stories for health promotion is a new area for research. Our data provide preliminary evidence that women can feel more empowered to seek help for urogenital atrophy using digital storytelling.
Unique Type I Interferon Responses Determine the Functional Fate of Migratory Lung Dendritic Cells during Influenza Virus Infection

Migratory lung dendritic cells (DCs) transport viral antigen from the lungs to the draining mediastinal lymph nodes (MLNs) during influenza virus infection to initiate the adaptive immune response. Two major migratory DC subsets, CD103+ DCs and CD11bhigh DCs participate in this function and it is not clear if these antigen presenting cell (APC) populations become directly infected and if so whether their activity is influenced by the infection. In these experiments we show that both subpopulations can become infected and migrate to the draining MLN but a difference in their response to type I interferon (I-IFN) signaling dictates the capacity of the virus to replicate. CD103+ DCs allow the virus to replicate to significantly higher levels than do the CD11bhigh DCs, and they release infectious virus in the MLNs and when cultured ex-vivo. Virus replication in CD11bhigh DCs is inhibited by I-IFNs, since ablation of the I-IFN receptor (IFNAR) signaling permits virus to replicate vigorously and productively in this subset. Interestingly, CD103+ DCs are less sensitive to I-IFNs upregulating interferon-induced genes to a lesser extent than CD11bhigh DCs. The attenuated IFNAR signaling by CD103+ DCs correlates with their described superior antigen presentation capacity for naïve CD8+ T cells when compared to CD11bhigh DCs. Indeed ablation of IFNAR signaling equalizes the competency of the antigen presenting function for the two subpopulations. Thus, antigen presentation by lung DCs is proportional to virus replication and this is tightly constrained by I-IFN. The “interferon-resistant” CD103+ DCs may have evolved to ensure the presentation of viral antigens to T cells in I-IFN rich environments. Conversely, this trait may be exploitable by viral pathogens as a mechanism for systemic dissemination.
Cellular androgen content influences enzalutamide agonism of F877L mutant androgen receptor

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed and second-most lethal cancer among men in the United States. The vast majority of prostate cancer deaths are due to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) – the lethal form of the disease that has progressed despite therapies that interfere with activation of androgen receptor (AR) signaling. One emergent resistance mechanism to medical castration is synthesis of intratumoral androgens that activate the AR. This insight led to the development of the AR antagonist enzalutamide. However, resistance to enzalutamide invariably develops, and disease progression is nearly universal. One mechanism of resistance to enzalutamide is an F877L mutation in the AR ligand-binding domain that can convert enzalutamide to an agonist of AR activity. However, mechanisms that contribute to the agonist switch had not been fully clarified, and there were no therapies to block AR F877L. Using cell line models of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), we determined that cellular androgen content influences enzalutamide agonism of mutant F877L AR. Further, enzalutamide treatment of AR F877L-expressing cell lines recapitulated the effects of androgen activation of F877L AR or wild-type AR. Because the BET bromodomain inhibitor JQ-1 was previously shown to block androgen activation of wild-type AR, we tested JQ-1 in AR F877L-expressing CRPC models. We determined that JQ-1 suppressed androgen or enzalutamide activation of mutant F877L AR and suppressed growth of mutant F877L AR CRPC tumors in vivo, demonstrating a new strategy to treat tumors harboring this mutation.
Knowledge Distance Measure for the Multigranularity Rough Approximations of a Fuzzy Concept

Different rough approximation spaces could be induced for an information system by its different attribute subsets, thus the multigranularity rough approximations of a fuzzy concept could be developed. Research on the uncertainty in multi-granulation spaces becomes a basic issue of uncertainty measure. If the uncertainty measure is not accurate enough, two different rough approximation spaces of a fuzzy concept may have the same uncertainty, and the difference between them for describing a fuzzy concept cannot be reflected. In this case, attribute reduction, granularity selection, and multigranularity measure cannot be conducted effectively. Therefore, establishing an uncertainty measure model with strong distinguishing ability in multi-granulation spaces is a key issue in uncertainty knowledge processing. In this paper, this problem will be solved in the view of knowledge distance. First, a fuzzy knowledge distance measure (FKD) based on the Earth Mover's distance is introduced. Even if two rough approximation spaces possess the same uncertainty when describing a fuzzy concept, they can be discriminated by FKD. Then, by studying the change rules of the FKD in a hierarchical quotient space structure, it is found that the FKD between any two rough approximation spaces in an HQSS is equal to the difference between their granularity measure or information measure. Furthermore, in order to show the applicability of the FKD, the FKD is used in granularity selection, attribute reduct, and multigranularity measure. The experimental results show that the FKD-based attribute significance function has a more powerful ability to obtain shorter reduct and it is more robustness, which show the effectiveness of the FKD.
Physical activity level and incident type 2 diabetes among Chinese adults.

PURPOSE The objective is to examine the association between physical activity level (PAL) and incident type 2 diabetes among middle-age and older Chinese men and women in urban China. METHODS This prospective study included 6348 participants (age 35 to 74 yr) who were free of diabetes and cardiovascular disease at baseline. PAL was estimated on the basis of self-reported overall physical activity on a typical day. According to PAL, participants were classified into four groups: sedentary (PAL, 1.00-1.39), low active (PAL, 1.40-1.59), active (PAL, 1.60-1.89), and very active (PAL, >1.89). The association of PAL with incident diabetes was examined by Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS During 7.9 yr of follow-up (50,293 person-years), 478 incident cases of type 2 diabetes were identified. After adjustment for age, sex, geographic region, educational level, smoking, alcohol use, and family history of diabetes, the HR (95% CI) values for type 2 diabetes across increasing categories of PAL were 1.00 (reference), 0.82 (0.62-1.09), 0.63 (0.47-0.83), and 0.47 (0.36-0.61), respectively (P for trend <0.0001). Additional adjustment for baseline body mass index or waist circumference attenuated the magnitude of risk reduction, but it remained significant. The inverse association between PAL and risk of incident diabetes was persistent in subgroup analyses according to age, sex, hypertension, smoking, body mass index, waist circumference, and fasting plasma glucose level. CONCLUSIONS Higher PAL is associated with substantial reduction in risk of type 2 diabetes. Our findings suggest the importance of a physically active lifestyle in the prevention of diabetes.
Effects of Sorghum Grain Tannins and Dietary Protein on the Activity of Liver UDP-Glucuronyltransferase 1

Abstract The activity of liver microsomal UDP-glucuronyltransferase (EC 2.4.1.17), an enzyme known to detoxify phenolic compounds, was measured in chicks and rats fed high- (HTS) and low-tannin sorghums (LTS). In an initial investigation, activity was significantly elevated in chicks fed HTS-soybean meal diets over those fed the LTS control diet. Other studies were designed to differentiate between the effects due to tannin and those resulting from a protein deficiency which had previously been reported to increase the activity of this enzyme. In general, only a relatively small part of the increased activity observed by feeding HTS to chicks could be attributed to a tannin-induced protein deficiency. The same phenomenon of elevated activity produced by feeding HTS to chicks was not observed in the rat. These results would suggest that sorghum tannins, or their breakdown products, are absorbed and activating UDP-glucuronyltransferase in the chick, but not the rat.
Comparing the Structure, Size, and Performance of Local and Mainstream Food Supply Chains

First paragraphs: Following on the attention generated by a popular local food movement, the necessity—or at least the potential—of growth in local and regional food systems has been widely identified as an important area of focus for food systems analysis and policy.1 The claims about the strengths and benefits of more localized diets and production systems—particularly those made in the promotion of the “locavore” movement—have increasingly come under attack in the mainstream and academic press (Budiansky, 2010; Desrochers & Shimizu, 2008). Much of this debate is grounded in speculative rhetoric and assumptions, as the research needed to support such claims and counterclaims does not yet exist. In North America in particular the debate has suffered from an absence of detailed, comparative research measuring inputs, performance, and outcomes for producers and consumers, in both mainstream and local food systems. 1 See Baker, Campsie, & Rabinowicz, 2010; Harvie & Steffey, 2010; Kirschenmann, Stevenson, Buttel, Lyson, & Duffy, 2008; as well as the special issue of the Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society (Issue 3, 2010) focusing on “food system (re)-regionalization. ”
A Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase Pleckstrin Homology Domain That Binds Phosphatidylinositol 4-Monophosphate*

Pleckstrin homology (PH) domains are found in many proteins involved in signal transduction, including the family of large molecular mass phosphatidylinositol (PI) 4-kinases. Although the exact function of these newly discovered domains is unknown, it is recognized that they may influence enzyme regulation by binding different ligands. In this study, the recombinant PI 4-kinase PH domain was explored for its ability to bind to different phospholipids. First, we isolated partial cDNAs of the >7-kilobase transcripts of PI 4-kinases from carrot (DcPI4Kα) andArabidopsis (AtPI4Kα). The deduced primary sequences were 41% identical and 68% similar to rat and human PI 4-kinases and contained the telltale lipid kinase unique domain, PH domain, and catalytic domain. Antibodies raised against the expressed lipid kinase unique, PH, and catalytic domains identified a polypeptide of 205 kDa in Arabidopsis microsomes and an F-actin-enriched fraction from carrot cells. The 205-kDa immunoaffinity-purified Arabidopsis protein had PI 4-kinase activity. We have used the expressed PH domain to characterize lipid binding properties. The recombinant PH domain selectively bound to phosphatidylinositol 4-monophosphate (PI-4-P), phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI-4,5-P2), and phosphatidic acid and did not bind to the 3-phosphoinositides. The PH domain had the highest affinity for PI-4-P, the product of the reaction. Consideration is given to the potential impact that this has on cytoskeletal organization and the PI signaling pathway in cells that have a high PI-4-P/PI-4,5-P2 ratio.
Does first line antiretroviral therapy increase the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in Indian patients?: A cross sectional study.

CONTEXT Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is associated with a myriad of metabolic complications which are potential cardiovascular risk factors. Early detection of these risk factors could help in alleviating morbidity and mortality in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients on ART. AIMS To study the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in patients on a combination of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and non-NRTIs (NNRTIs) - the standard combination first line ART regimen used in tertiary referral center. SETTINGS AND DESIGN The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in HIV infected subjects with stage 1t disease on standard first line ART for at least 1 year, HIV infected subjects with stage 1 disease and not on ART and HIV negative subjects was assessed. The study was a cross-sectional study design. MATERIALS AND METHODS Basic demographic data was collected and patients were examined for anthropometric data and blood was collected for analysis of blood glucose, serum lipids, and fasting insulin levels. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS Chi-square test was used to calculate significance. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 16.0 was used for data analysis. RESULTS The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia was higher in the patients on ART when compared to patients not on ART (P<0.001). There was no difference in the prevalence of abnormal glycemic status, obesity, abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, and hyperinsulinemia between patients on ART and those not on ART. CONCLUSIONS First line ART is associated with increased prevalence of dyslipidemia. Early detection and treatment of dyslipidemia should help in reducing the cardiovascular morbidity in patients on ART.
Fracturing and foreclosure: A study of shale gas development and foreclosure levels in Pennsylvania

Abstract Despite the considerable attention hydraulic fracturing of shale has generated around the world, few academic studies to date have examined the potential impacts shale development has had on local housing markets. This study aims to partially fill this void by examining the temporal relationship between shale development and foreclosure levels in Pennsylvania zip codes. The empirical models measure how foreclosure levels change in relation to the number of unconventional gas well permits, drill starts, and well completions for all Pennsylvania zip codes from January 2007 to June 2012. Zip code and quarterly fixed effects are included. The results suggest that past shale development was associated with an increase in foreclosure levels in comparison to neighboring and socioeconomically similar zip codes without shale development. The estimates are larger and more consistent after 2009 and in comparison to neighboring zip codes.
2007 Composite Learning Index: Robustness Issues and Critical Assessment

Lifelong learning is crucial to a country’s continued competitiveness, prosperity and social cohesion and yet no country has had a means of gauging the extent of lifelong learning within its population. The Composite Leaning Index (CLI) developed by the Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) shows how this gap might be filled by assessing the state of lifelong learning over time, for individual communities and across Canada using the conceptual four-pillar framework of lifelong learning proposed by UNESCO's International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century. This report aims at validating and critically assessing the methodological approach undertaken by the CCL to build the CLI. Our focus is on the robustness assessment of the index, with a view to identify whether certain methodological choices distort the messages provided by the CLI. Data-driven narratives on lifelong learning issues in Canada are also discussed in this report with a view to show directions of discussions and messages that stem from an index-based analysis of lifelong learning and are related to identifying weaknesses, proposing remedial actions, allowing for easy spatial and temporal comparisons (benchmarking), prioritizing areas in Canada of relatively low lifelong content, monitoring and evaluating policies effectiveness and ultimately funneling resources to provinces through, for example, multilateral and bilateral agreements between Canadian cities. The conceptual and methodological framework of the CLI bear the appealing and necessary features to render the Canadian Composite Learning Index a forerunner to a European counterpart. How to obtain EU publications Our priced publications are available from EU Bookshop (http://bookshop.europa.eu), where you can place an order with the sales agent of your choice. The Publications Office has a worldwide network of sales agents. You can obtain their contact details by sending a fax to (352) 29 29-42758. The mission of the JRC is to provide customer-driven scientific and technical support for the conception, development, implementation and monitoring of EU policies. As a service of the European Commission, the JRC functions as a reference centre of science and technology for the Union. Close to the policy-making process, it serves the common interest of the Member States, while being independent of special interests, whether private or national. LB -N A -2374-EN -C
Overtreatment of enterococcal bacteriuria.

BACKGROUND The purposes of this study were to investigate the clinical outcomes of enterococcal bacteriuria and to determine whether current management is adherent to Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines. METHODS We conducted a retrospective medical record review of patients from 2 academic teaching hospitals for 3 months (September 1 through November 30, 2009). Patients were classified as having urinary tract infection (UTI) or asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) by applying the guidelines. Antibiotic use was deemed appropriate in patients with UTI and inappropriate in ABU. Medical records were reviewed for Enterococcus cultured from another sterile site within 30 days. RESULTS A total of 375 urine cultures growing Enterococcus were reviewed, with 339 cultures meeting inclusion criteria. Of these 339 episodes, 183 (54.0%) were classified as ABU and 156 (46.0%) as UTI. In 289 episodes accompanied by urinalysis, pyuria was associated with UTI in 98 of 140 episodes (70.0%) compared with 63 of 149 episodes of ABU (42.3%) (odds ratio, 3.19; 95% CI, 1.96-5.18). Providers inappropriately treated 60 of 183 episodes of ABU (32.8%) with antibiotics. In multivariate analysis, only pyuria was associated with the inappropriate use of antibiotics (odds ratio, 3.27; 95% CI, 1.49-7.18). Only 7 subsequent infections with Enterococcus occurred in the 339 episodes of bacteriuria overall (2.1%), with 2 of the 183 cases of ABU (1.1%) having distant infection. CONCLUSIONS Providers often overtreat enterococcal ABU with antibiotics, particularly in patients with pyuria. Given the low incidence of infectious complications, efforts should be made to optimize the use of antibiotics in enterococcal bacteriuria.
Sulfated Polysaccharides as Potent Inhibitors of HIV‐Induced Syncytium Formation: A New Strategy Towards AIDS Chemotherapy

Multinucleated giant cell (syncytium) formation induced by the interaction between the gpl20 glycoprotein expressed on the surface of cells infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and the CD4 receptor of uninfected CD4-positive (CD4+ ) cells may play an important role in the depletion of T4 lymphocytes in acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. Using a double fluorescence cell-staining technique and analysis of the cells by the fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS), we have demonstrated that giant cell formation between persistently HIV-1-infected HUT-78 cells and uninfected MOLT-4 cells results in a selective destruction of the uninfected CD4+ MOLT-4 cells. Apparently, bystander CD4+ cells may serve as targets for the killing effect of the HIV-1-infected cells, and this killing effect is preceded by fusion between the target (uninfected) and aggressor (infected) cells. Pentosan polysulfate, dextran sulfate, and various other sulfated polysaccharides, but not heparin, have proved to inhibit this cell fusion process and hence protect the target CD4+ cells against destruction by the killer HIV-1-infected cells. Azidothymidine does not interfere with this process. Assuming that fusion between HIV-infected and uninfected CD4+ cells is a crucial event in the pathogenesis of AIDS, any compounds that specifically interfere with this process may be therapeutically advantageous in the treatment of this disease.