Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
APOE genotype influences triglyceride and C-reactive protein responses to altered dietary fat intake in UK adults.

BACKGROUND The response of plasma lipids to dietary fat manipulation is highly heterogeneous, with some indications that APOE genotype may be important. OBJECTIVE The objective was to use a prospective recruitment approach to determine the effect of dietary fat quantity and composition on both lipid and nonlipid cardiovascular disease biomarkers according to APOE genotype. DESIGN Participants had a mean (±SD) age of 51 ± 9 y and a BMI (in kg/m²) of 26.0 ± 3.8 (n = 44 E3/E3, n = 44 E3/E4) and followed a sequential dietary intervention (the SATgenε study) in which they were assigned to a low-fat diet, a high-fat high-SFA (HSF) diet, and the HSF diet with 3.45 g DHA/d (HSF-DHA), each for 8 wk. Fasting blood samples were collected at the end of each intervention arm. RESULTS An overall diet effect was evident for all cholesterol fractions (P < 0.01), with no significant genotype × diet interactions observed. A genotype × diet interaction (P = 0.033) was evident for plasma triglycerides, with 17% and 30% decreases in APOE3/E3 and APOE3/E4 individuals after the HSF-DHA diet relative to the low-fat diet. A significant genotype × diet interaction (P = 0.009) was also observed for C-reactive protein (CRP), with only significant increases in concentrations after the HSF and HSF-DHA diets relative to the low-fat diet in the APOE3/E4 group (P < 0.015). CONCLUSIONS Relative to the wild-type APOE3/E3 group, our results indicate a greater sensitivity of fasting triglycerides and CRP to dietary fat manipulation in those with an APOE3/E4 genotype (25% population), with no effect of this allelic profile on cholesterol concentrations.
Chromosomal Abnormalities in Patients With Autism Spectrum Disorders From Taiwan

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are childhood‐onset neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by verbal communication impairments, social reciprocity deficits, and the presence of restricted interests and stereotyped behaviors. Genetic factors contribute to the incidence of ASD evidently. However, the genetic spectrum of ASD is highly heterogeneous. Chromosomal abnormalities contribute significantly to the genetic deficits of syndromic and non‐syndromic ASD. In this study, we conducted karyotyping analysis in a sample of 500 patients (447 males, 53 females) with ASD from Taiwan, the largest cohort in Asia, to the best of our knowledge. We found three patients having sex chromosome aneuploidy, including two cases of 47, XXY and one case of 47, XYY. In addition, we detected a novel reciprocal chromosomal translocation between long arms of chromosomes 4 and 14, designated t(4;14)(q31.3;q24.1), in a patient with Asperger's disorder. This translocation was inherited from his unaffected father, suggesting it might not be pathogenic or it needs further hits to become pathogenic. In line with other studies, our study revealed that subjects with sex chromosomal aneuploidy are liable to neurodevelopmental disorders, including ASD, and conventional karyotyping analysis is still a useful tool in detecting chromosomal translocation in patients with ASD, given that array‐based comparative genomic hybridization technology can provide better resolution in detecting copy number variations of genomic DNA. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
THE SURVEY OF ACCOUNTING VARIABLES EFFECT ON INCOMESMOOTHING IN STOCK EXCHANGE COMPANIES

In the present study the effects of company size, income-ability, institutional proprietorship, financial leverage and income rate have been surveyed as accounting variables on the income smoothing of the companies accepted in Tehran’s securities market. The study has investigated 146 companies accepted in Tehran’s securities market during the years from 2001 to 2013. Firstly, the sample companies were classified into smoothed and non-smoothed according to the Eckel’s index and then it has been dealt with the study hypotheses test by taking advantage of Hussmann and Lamer tests. The results of the study indicated that the relationship between the company size, income-ability, institutional proprietorship and financial leverage with income smoothing has been confirmed but the relationship between income-ability and income smoothing has not been confirmed. Keywords: income smoothing, company size, income-ability, institutional proprietorship
Wistar Kyoto rats have impaired gastric accommodation compared to Sprague Dawley rats due to increased gastric vagal cholinergic tone

Objective. Gastric balloon distension shows that, in comparison with Sprague Dawley (SD) rats, Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats have a decreased volume response owing to a lower accommodation rate. The aim of this study was to compare the role of the vagal cholinergic and nitrergic pathways in the accommodation reflex in these rat strains. Material and methods. The volume response to ramp-tonic gastric balloon distension was pharmacologically manipulated by using L-NAME 25 mg/kg i.v. , molsidomine 20 mg/kg i.p., atropine 1 mg/kg i.v. and clonidine 0.7 mg/kg s.c. Results. Following L-NAME, the maximal volume response to distension was significantly decreased in WKY rats (0.74±0.11 ml versus 1.18±0.13 ml) whereas only a tendency to such a decrease was seen in SD rats. The NO donor molsidomine significantly increased the volume in SD rats (4.91±0.46 ml versus 1.81±0.50 ml) but only weakly in WKY rats. Atropine significantly increased the gastric volume in WKY rats (2.78±0.29 ml versus 1.00±0.17 ml) but not in SD rats. Clonidine increased the accommodation rate in the WKY rat, resulting in increased maximal volume (1.69±0.26 ml versus 0.65±0.11 ml) indicating a reduction in acetylcholine release as a consequence of stimulated presynaptic adrenergic receptors on cholinergic neurons. Conclusions. The results indicate that WKY rats may have an increased gastric vagal cholinergic drive, which, during distension, masks the relaxing effect of NO-releasing neurons. The findings in WKY rats could be of relevance for functional dyspeptic patients with impaired gastric accommodation to meals.
Use of antibiotics in children younger than two years in eight countries: a prospective cohort study

Abstract Objective To describe the frequency and factors associated with antibiotic use in early childhood, and estimate the proportion of diarrhoea and respiratory illnesses episodes treated with antibiotics. Methods Between 2009 and 2014, we followed 2134 children from eight sites in Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Peru, South Africa and the United Republic of Tanzania, enrolled in the MAL-ED birth cohort study. We documented all antibiotic use from mothers’ reports at twice-weekly visits over the children’s first two years of life. We estimated the incidence of antibiotic use and the associations of antibiotic use with child and household characteristics. We described treatment patterns for diarrhoea and respiratory illnesses, and identified factors associated with treatment and antibiotic class. Findings Over 1 346 388 total days of observation, 16 913 courses of antibiotics were recorded (an incidence of 4.9 courses per child per year), with the highest use in South Asia. Antibiotic treatment was given for 375/499 (75.2%) episodes of bloody diarrhoea and for 4274/9661 (44.2%) episodes of diarrhoea without bloody stools. Antibiotics were used in 2384/3943 (60.5%) episodes of fieldworker-confirmed acute lower respiratory tract illness as well as in 6608/16742 (39.5%) episodes of upper respiratory illness. Penicillins were used most frequently for respiratory illness, while antibiotic classes for diarrhoea treatment varied within and between sites. Conclusion Repeated antibiotic exposure was common early in life, and treatment of non-bloody diarrhoea and non-specific respiratory illnesses was not consistent with international recommendations. Rational antibiotic use programmes may have the most impact in South Asia, where antibiotic use was highest.
Rapid on-site evaluation and low registration error enhance the success of electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy

BACKGROUND: Electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (EMN) is a novel technology which allows localizing peripheral lung lesions and mediastinal lymph nodes for sampling and thus increasing diagnostic yield of Flexible Bronchoscopy. OBJECTIVES: A prospective study was conducted to investigate the diagnostic yield of EMN with lower average fiducial target registration error (AFTRE) and rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE). METHODS: Consecutive patients with peripheral lung lesion (PL) or enlarged mediastinal lymph node (MLN) which could not be diagnosed by conventional techniques and/or if the patients were not suitable for such interventions were included. The navigation procedure was continued once registration error was reached below/equal to the absolute value of 5 mm. ROSE was performed by an expert cytopathologist. RESULTS: A total of 76 patients; 22 having only PLs, 41 having only MLNs, and 13 having both PLs and MLNs together were enrolled. Thirty-two of 35 PLs (91.4%) and 85 of 102 MLNs (83.3%) were successfully sampled. Overall diagnostic yield was 89.5%. PLs and MLNs were further grouped according to their size (PLs: <20 mm vs ≥20 mm, MLNs: <15 mm vs ≥15 mm). The sampling yield was independent of size for both PL and MLN (P = 1.00, P = 0.38). In diagnostic EMN cases, mean AFTRE was 4.33 ± 0.71 mm, whereas it was 5.16 ± 0.05 mm (P = 0.008) in nondiagnostics. The total duration of procedure was 36.17 ± 9.13 min. Pneumothorax was observed in three patients (3.9%). CONCLUSION: EMN with low AFTRE in combination with ROSE is a reliable method with high sampling and/or diagnostic rate in PLs and MLNs.
Superoxide Generation by Human Fetal Granulocytes

Summary: Phagocytic leukocytes such as granulocytes and macrophages form an essential part of human host defense against infection by invading microorganisms. The present study demonstrates that normal fetal granulocytes undergo normal activation (i.e., the transition from the resting state to the respiratory burst) with a 75 ± 23 sec lag time and generate superoxide at 6.7 ± 2.3 nmole O2-/min/106 cells, a rate similar to that of adult granulocytes. Fetal granulocytes also resemble adult cells in the response of the superoxide generating system to temperature change and to the chemical inhibitors N-ethyl maleimide and 2-deoxyglucose. They show the same pattern of differential effects of these perturbations on the lag time and on the rate of superoxide generation as that previously described for adult granulocytes. The process of activation, expressed as the lag time, shows no inhibition at a high temperature that diminishes by 64% the rate of superoxide production. The metabolic inhibitor 2-deoxyglucose affects only the rate and not the lag time. Both cyanide (in the presence of 2-deoxyglucose) and the sulfhydryl reagent N-ethyl maleimide inhibit the rate equally when added before or after completion of the activation process.Speculation: These fmdings provide a rationale for the observed feasibility of the prenatal diagnosis of chronic granulomatous disease and indicate that even a 16-wk fetus possesses at least this one mechanism of host defense.
Why people rehearse their memories: Frequency of use and relations to the intensity of emotions associated with autobiographical memories

People may choose to rehearse their autobiographical memories in silence or to disclose their memories with other people. This paper focuses on five types of memory rehearsal: involuntary rehearsal, rehearsal to maintain an event memory, rehearsal to re-experience the emotion of an event, rehearsal to understand an event, or rehearsal for social communication. A total of 337 participants recalled event memories, provided estimates of how often each event was rehearsed and for what reason, and rated the affective characteristics of the events. Rehearsal frequency was highest for social communication and lowest for rehearsals aimed at understanding events. For many rehearsal types, rehearsal was more frequent for positive than negative events. Frequently rehearsed events tended to show less affective fading. The pattern changed when events were socially rehearsed. For positive events, increased social rehearsal was related to a reduction in affective fading. For negative events, increased social rehearsal was associated with increased affective fading.
Financial Development and Economic Growth in Developing Asia

Economic theory suggests that sound and efficient financial systems - banks, equity markets, and bond markets - which channel capital to its most productive uses are beneficial for economic growth. Sound and efficient financial systems are especially important for sustaining growth in developing Asia because efficiency of investment will overshadow quantity of investment as the driver of growth in the region. The data indicate that the region’s financial systems have become deeper and more diversified since the early 1990s. A more formal econometric analysis on a panel data of 125 countries confirms that financial development has a significant positive effect on growth, especially in developing countries. The results also indicate that the impact of financial development on the region’s growth is not noticeably different than elsewhere, and the impact has weakened since the Asian financial crisis. Overall, our evidence supports the notion that further development of the financial sector matters for sustaining developing Asia’s growth in the postcrisis period. However, the primary role of financial sector development in growth is likely to shift away from mobilizing savings, thus augmenting the quantity of investment toward improving the efficiency of investment, and thereby contributing to higher economywide productivity.
A Metaphorical Synthesis of the Impact of Ownership on Consumer Behavior

The experience of ownership is a constituent of the human condition and is woven into the entire spectrum of consumer behaviors. Despite its overarching impact, the literature on the experience of ownership and, in particular, on its consequences on consumer behavior presents a rather fragmented picture. This review focuses on the way in which ownership brings about measurable consumer perceptions and behaviors. It synthesizes the main existing streams of research on the effects of ownership and advances the state of the art by deriving basic tenets of ownership and condensing existing knowledge into the conceptual metaphor of a person holding a balloon (symbolizing the ownership target) on a leash. The theory-generating potential of the metaphor is established by using it to propose that ownership can be viewed in terms psychological distance and by showcasing how the metaphor can be used to address multiple open questions around the experience of ownership. The result is a fresh perspective on a fundamental human phenomenon. Applying this perspective leads to theoretically and practically relevant implications and may prove useful in coming to grips with socio-economic developments such as a surge in virtual goods.
Ocular abnormalities in multi-transfused beta-thalassemia patients

Aims: The aim of this study was to assess ocular changes in thalassemia patients who have received multiple transfusions and chelate binding therapy in order to avoid iron accumulation. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study. Subjects and Methods: A total of 54 thalassemia major patients were selected as case group, and 54 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects were regarded as a control group. Ocular examination included visual acuity, refraction testing, slit lamp examination, funduscopy, tonometry, perimetry, tear break-up time test, and color vision testing were performed for all the participants. We computed the frequency and duration of blood transfusion, the mean serum ferritin level, pretransfusion hemoglobin concentration, and type, duration, and daily dose of chelation therapy for thalassemia patients based on their records. Statistical Analysis Used: All data analysis was performed using SPSS, version 19. Results: All the thalassemic patients were asymptomatic, but abnormal ocular findings (dry eye (33.3%), cataract (10.2%), retinal pigment epithelium degeneration (16.7%), color vision deficiency (3.7%), and visual field defects (33.7%)) were seen in 68.5% of thalassemic group. The prevalence of ocular abnormalities in normal group was 19.4%, which was significantly lower than that in thalassemia patients (P = 0.000). No significant correlation was found between ocular abnormalities and mean serum ferritin level (P = 0.627) and mean hemoglobin concentration (P = 0.143). Correlation of number of blood transfusion with the presence of ocular abnormalities was found to be statistically significant (P = 0.005). Conclusions: As life expectancy for beta-thalassemia patients extends, regular ophthalmological evaluation to detect early changes in their ocular system is recommended.
Diagnosis of GH deficiency in the transition period: accuracy of insulin tolerance test and insulin-like growth factor-I measurement.

OBJECTIVE A consensus exists that severe growth hormone deficiency (GHD) in adults is defined by a peak GH response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia (insulin tolerance test, ITT) of less than 3 microg/l based on a cohort of subjects with a mean age of 45 years. DESIGN AND METHODS By considering one of the following two criteria for the diagnosis of probable permanent GHD, i.e. the severity of GHD (suggested by the presence of multiple pituitary hormone deficiencies (MPHD)) or the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging identification of structural hypothalamic-pituitary abnormalities, 26 patients (17 males, 9 females, mean age 20.8 +/- 2.3 years, range 17-25 years) were selected for re-evaluation of the GH response to ITT and their IGF-I concentration. Eight subjects had isolated GHD (IGHD) and 18 had MPHD. Normative data for peak GH were obtained after ITT in 39 healthy subjects (mean age 21.2 +/- 4.4 years, range 15.1-30.0 years) and the reference range for IGF-I was calculated using normative data from 117 healthy individuals. RESULTS Mean peak GH response to ITT was significantly lower in the 26 patients (1.8+/-2.0 microg/l, range 0.1-6.1 microg/l) compared with the 39 controls (18.5 +/- 15.5 microg/l, range 6.1-84.0 microg/l; P < 0.0001). One subject with septo-optic dysplasia had a peak GH response of 6.1 microg/l that overlapped the lowest peak GH response obtained in normal subjects. There was an overlap for IGF-I SDS between subjects with IGHD and MPHD, as well as with normal controls. The diagnostic accuracy of a peak GH response of 6.1 microg/l showed a 96% sensitivity with 100% specificity. The maximum diagnostic accuracy with IGF-I SDS was obtained with a cut-off of -1.7 SDS (sensitivity 77%, specificity 100%) while an IGF-I < or = - 2.0 SDS showed a sensitivity of 62%. CONCLUSION Our data show that the cut-off value of the peak GH response to ITT of less than 3 microg/l or 5 microg/l and of IGF-I of less than -2.0 SDS are too restrictive for the diagnosis of permanent GH deficiency in the transition period. We suggest that permanent GHD could be investigated more accurately by means of an integrated analysis of clinical history, the presence of MPHD, IGF-I concentration and the MR imaging findings of structural hypothalamic-pituitary abnormalities.
Efficacy of the De Novo-Derived Antimicrobial Peptide WLBU2 against Oral Bacteria

ABSTRACT The efficacy of a novel synthetic antimicrobial peptide (WLBU2) was evaluated against three oral microorganisms (grown planktonically): Streptococcus gordonii, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Porphyromonas gingivalis. WLBU2 killed all three species, with F. nucleatum being the most susceptible. WLBU2 also reduced the bacterial burden of S. gordonii and F. nucleatum biofilms.
Factors Influencing the Use of Instructional Materials by Agriculture Teachers among Public and Private Secondary Schools in Botswana

This paper examined and compared factors influencing the use of instructional materials (IMs) among agriculture teachers in public and private secondary schools in Gaborone, Botswana. The results show that teachers in public schools were younger and had fewer years of teaching experience, but had higher qualifications than those in private schools. The availability of IMs was higher in private than public schools, but teachers in public schools were more favorably disposed to IMs use than teachers in private school. Significant differences exist between public and private schools teachers for availability of IMs (t = -2.33, p < 0.05) and attitude towards the use of IMs (t = 2.91, p < 0.05). Important predictors of the use of IMs are availability of IMs (t = 3.65), teaching position (t = 2.51), and teaching experience (t = -2.45). Educational policy makers and planners should pay proper attention to these variables to improve the use of IMs in schools.
Autobiographical Memory as a Predictor of Depression Vulnerability in Girls

Overgeneral autobiographical memory (AM), the tendency to recall categories of events when asked to provide specific instances from one's life, is purported to be a marker of depression vulnerability that develops in childhood. Although early adolescence is a period of risk for depression onset especially among girls, prospective examination of this putative risk factor is lacking. The current study examined the prospective associations between AM recall and depressive symptomatology in an enriched community sample of predominantly African American girls. Girls (n = 195) were interviewed about depressive symptoms at ages 11 and 12 years, and AM recall was assessed at age 11. The findings showed that overgeneral retrieval to positive, but not negative, cue words predicted subsequent depressive symptoms after controlling for age 11 symptoms, race, poverty, and Verbal IQ. A moderating effect of race was also shown, whereby overgeneral AM bias predicted depressive symptoms more strongly among European American girls.
Missing the Millennium Development Goal targets for water and sanitation in urban areas

This paper reviews progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for water and sanitation in urban areas. Drawing on UN data, it shows the disastrous performance of many low- and middle-income nations in relation to the goal of halving the proportion without drinking water sources piped on premises and improved sanitation between 1990 and 2015. It also describes how even such a poor performance is actually understating the problem because of deficiencies in the data available. For water, there are no data sources with global coverage on who has “sustainable access to safe drinking water” (what the MDGs specify). UN statistics record whether households have drinking water sources piped on premises, but this does not necessarily mean the water is safe to drink or that there is a regular, reliable supply (what is implied by sustainable access). For what is termed “improved” or “basic” sanitation, the bar is set too low in the quality of provision needed in urban areas, so large numbers of urban dwellers said to have improved or basic sanitation still lack sanitation that greatly reduces health risks. The paper emphasizes that assessments of provision for water and sanitation need to make allowances for different contexts; what can work well in rural contexts does not do so in large and dense urban agglomerations. The paper ends with a discussion of what the experience with the MDGs for water and sanitation implies for the Sustainable Development Goals.