Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intention to Try Tobacco Among Middle School Students in a Predominantly Rural Environment of Central Appalachia

Abstract Background: Disparities in tobacco use exist across regions in the United States. The Central Appalachian region carries some of the very high rates of tobacco use prevalence but research on tobacco use initiation is sparse. Objective: To investigate the intention to try tobacco and its associated factors among nonsmoking youth. Method: Data were obtained from school-based tobacco surveys (n = 539) conducted in 11 middle schools (6th–8th grades; aged 10–15 years) in Northeast Tennessee in 2015–2016. Nonsmoking participants without firm commitment to abstain from trying tobacco in the next year were considered to have an intention to try tobacco. The Full Information Maximum Likelihood estimation (FIML) method in Mplus was employed to conduct a multivariable logistic regression analysis to delineate correlates of intention to try tobacco. Results: Overall, 20.0% of participants had intention to try tobacco. Among participants with intention to try tobacco, 53.7% owned tobacco-branded item(s), 86.1% believed that tobacco users have more friends, and 88.9% lived with tobacco users. In the adjusted logistic model, ever use of tobacco products, home smoking rules, owning tobacco-branded item(s), living with tobacco users, believing that tobacco users have more friends, and perception of easy access to tobacco products were significantly associated with intention to try tobacco (p < .02). Conclusion: This study suggests that individual, interpersonal, and community level factors influence intention to try tobacco in this environment where tobacco pre-emption laws impede development of local tobacco control policies and regulations. Thus, efforts should focus on tobacco use initiation preventive programs, including school-based tobacco control programs.
Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series.

CONTEXT Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of many cannabinoid compounds found in cannabis. It does not appear to alter consciousness or trigger a "high. " A recent surge in scientific publications has found preclinical and clinical evidence documenting value for CBD in some neuropsychiatric disorders, including epilepsy, anxiety, and schizophrenia. Evidence points toward a calming effect for CBD in the central nervous system. Interest in CBD as a treatment of a wide range of disorders has exploded, yet few clinical studies of CBD exist in the psychiatric literature. OBJECTIVE To determine whether CBD helps improve sleep and/or anxiety in a clinical population. DESIGN A large retrospective case series at a psychiatric clinic involving clinical application of CBD for anxiety and sleep complaints as an adjunct to usual treatment. The retrospective chart review included monthly documentation of anxiety and sleep quality in 103 adult patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Sleep and anxiety scores, using validated instruments, at baseline and after CBD treatment. RESULTS The final sample consisted of 72 adults presenting with primary concerns of anxiety (n = 47) or poor sleep (n = 25). Anxiety scores decreased within the first month in 57 patients (79.2%) and remained decreased during the study duration. Sleep scores improved within the first month in 48 patients (66.7%) but fluctuated over time. In this chart review, CBD was well tolerated in all but 3 patients. CONCLUSION Cannabidiol may hold benefit for anxiety-related disorders. Controlled clinical studies are needed.
Ovarian structure, folliculogenesis and oogenesis of the annual killifish Millerichthys robustus (Cyprinodontiformes: Cynolebiidae)

Cellular aspects of oocyte development of the Mexican rivulus Millerichthys robustus were morphologically described in order to analyze ovarian function and the cellular recruitment dynamics associating it with life history strategies of annual killifishes. Millerichthys is an iteroparous batch spawner with continuous oocyte recruitment and indeterminate fecundity with asynchronous development of the follicles. It has two ovaries of cystovarian type, with a central lumen, which communicates with the outside through the caudal region of the ovary, that is, the gonoduct. From the walls of the ovary, irregular lamellae composed of germinal epithelium and vascularized stroma project. Oogenesis starts with oogonial proliferation, found alone or in nests within the germinal epithelium. The oogonia come into meiosis becoming oocytes and advancing to the chromatin nucleolus stage and to early primary growth stage. Folliculogenesis is completed in the primary growth stage and cortical alveoli step. Follicles moves toward the stroma, but they continue to be attached to the germinal epithelium through the basement membrane until ovulation. The inclusion of fluid yolk in the follicles during the secondary growth stage was observed. During ovulation, the follicle collapsed, the oocyte was released into the lumen, and the constitutive elements of the post‐ovulatory follicle complex remained in the stroma.
Circuit Dysfunction in SOD1-ALS Model First Detected in Sensory Feedback Prior to Motor Neuron Degeneration Is Alleviated by BMP Signaling

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease for which the origin and underlying cellular defects are not fully understood. Although motor neuron degeneration is the signature feature of ALS, it is not clear whether motor neurons or other cells of the motor circuit are the site of disease initiation. To better understand the contribution of multiple cell types in ALS, we made use of a Drosophila Sod1G85R knock-in model, in which all cells harbor the disease allele. End-stage dSod1G85R animals of both sexes exhibit severe motor deficits with clear degeneration of motor neurons. Interestingly, earlier in dSod1G85R larvae, motor function is also compromised, but their motor neurons exhibit only subtle morphological and electrophysiological changes that are unlikely to cause the observed decrease in locomotion. We analyzed the intact motor circuit and identified a defect in sensory feedback that likely accounts for the altered motor activity of dSod1G85R. We found cell-autonomous activation of bone morphogenetic protein signaling in proprioceptor sensory neurons which are critical for the relay of the contractile status of muscles back to the central nerve cord, completely rescues early-stage motor defects and partially rescue late-stage motor function to extend lifespan. Identification of a defect in sensory feedback as a potential initiating event in ALS motor dysfunction, coupled with the ability of modified proprioceptors to alleviate such motor deficits, underscores the critical role that nonmotor neurons play in disease progression and highlights their potential as a site to identify early-stage ALS biomarkers and for therapeutic intervention. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT At diagnosis, many cellular processes are already disrupted in the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patient. Identifying the initiating cellular events is critical for achieving an earlier diagnosis to slow or prevent disease progression. Our findings indicate that neurons relaying sensory information underlie early stage motor deficits in a Drosophila knock-in model of ALS that best replicates gene dosage in familial ALS (fALS). Importantly, studies on intact motor circuits revealed defects in sensory feedback before evidence of motor neuron degeneration. These findings strengthen our understanding of how neural circuit dysfunctions lead to neurodegeneration and, coupled with our demonstration that the activation of bone morphogenetic protein signaling in proprioceptors alleviates both early and late motor dysfunction, underscores the importance of considering nonmotor neurons as therapeutic targets.
A Comparison of Pregnancy Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Donor Egg Single Embryo Transfers With and Without Preimplantation Genetic Testing

Two of the many milestone developments in the field of assisted reproduction have been oocyte donation and preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A). Because it has been demonstrated that even young women produce a meaningful proportion of aneuploid embryos, screening out such abnormalities could potentially increase the efficacy of donor egg (DE) cycles. In this retrospective cohort study, we investigated the effect of PGT-A on DE cycle outcomes, including implantation rate (IR), spontaneous abortion rate (SABR), and ongoing pregnancy/live birth rate. We used fresh and frozen donor cycles not using PGT-A as comparison groups; all cases involved single embryo transfer. Data analysis revealed that PGT-A did not improve pregnancy outcome metrics in DE cycles, although there was a trend toward decreasing the SABR. There was a significant increase in IR with fresh cycles outperforming all frozen cycles. Overall, these results suggest that the benefits of performing PGT-A on embryos derived from young DEs may be limited and that there is an effect of the freezing process on pregnancy outcomes. These findings may provide useful insights into the science and practice of PGT-A across all of its applications.
Clinical Practice Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Cough-Chinese Thoracic Society (CTS) Asthma Consortium.

Cough is the most common symptom in respiratory specialist clinics of tertiary hospitals and outpatient clinics of primary health care facilities. In China, patients with chronic cough account for at least one third of all patients referred to respiratory specialist clinics. Chronic cough without significant abnormal chest radiographic findings is often misdiagnosed as chronic bronchitis or chronic pharyngitis. Misdiagnosis of cough results in unnecessary repetitive testing, such as chest radiographs or computed tomography (CT), and widespread abuse of antibiotics or antitussives with little improvement, and potential adverse effects. Chronic cough impair quality of life badly cause severe economic burden in China (1-5).
The blinding bug found in the eye

Tubercular uveitis is a common manifestation of tuberculosis (TB) in TB-endemic countries. Due to lack of gold standard diagnostic tests for confirming intraocular TB, it is often either underdiagnosed or rarely over diagnosed. We report a case of a 28-year-old woman with diminution of vision in the left eye. She was started on antitubercular treatment (ATT) and steroids but she did not comply with the treatment. She developed progressive painful loss of vision consequently and was treated with vitrectomy and silicone oil tamponade. After a complete course of ATT, she recovered, salvaging of eye and restoration of some vision was possible. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is rarely demonstrated in the ocular fluid samples of the suspected cases of TB due to the paucibacillary nature of the disease. A vitreous sample can be obtained from these patients. Surgical intervention in the form of vitrectomy and silicone oil tamponade can help in avoiding enucleation/evisceration.
Core Elements of Family Therapy for Adolescent Behavior Problems: Empirical Distillation of Three Manualized Treatments

Family therapy has the strongest evidence base for treating adolescent conduct and substance use problems, yet there remain substantial barriers to widespread delivery of this approach in community settings. This study aimed to promote the feasibility of implementing family-based interventions in usual care by empirically distilling the core practice elements of three manualized treatments. The study sampled 302 high-fidelity treatment sessions from 196 cases enrolled in 1 of 3 manualized family therapy models: multidimensional family therapy (102 sessions/56 cases), brief strategic family therapy (100 sessions/94 cases), or functional family therapy (100 sessions/46 cases). Adolescents were 57% male; 41% were African American, 31% White non-Hispanic, 9% Hispanic American, 6% another race/ethnicity, and 13% unknown. The observational fidelity measures of all three models were used to code all 302 sessions. Fidelity ratings were analyzed to derive model-shared treatment techniques via exploratory factor analyses on half the sample; the derived factors were then validated via confirmatory factor analyses supplemented by Bayesian structural equation modeling on the remaining half. Factor analyses distilled 4 clinically coherent practice elements with strong internal consistency: Interactional Change (6 treatment techniques; Cronbach’s α = .93), Relational Reframe (7 techniques; α = .79), Adolescent Engagement (4 techniques; α = .68), and Relational Emphasis (4 techniques; α = .67). The 4 empirically derived factors represent the core elements of 3 manualized family therapy models for adolescent behavior problems, setting the foundation of a more sustainable option for delivering evidence-based family interventions in routine practice settings. Public Health Significance: Increasing implementation of high-fidelity family-based interventions would improve the quality of treatment services for adolescent conduct and substance use problems.
Male Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators’ Perceptions of the Positives and Negatives of Peer Interactions in Group Batterer Intervention Programs

Seventy-six adult male perpetrators of intimate partner violence enrolled in a batterer intervention program (BIP) were interviewed on their perspectives of the intra-BIP group peer interactions. A majority of participants endorsed positives aspects of working with peers in the group context. Only one negative aspect arose, namely, other group members who disrupted the BIP process in some way. More importantly, a minority of participants expressed indifference toward the group process. This study has implications for training of BIP facilitators and for future research on BIPs that helps to tailor the approaches these groups use to maximize client engagement.
Vitamin and mineral status of children with autism spectrum disorder in Hainan Province of China: associations with symptoms

ABSTRACT Objective: This study was designed to compare the vitamin and mineral levels of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) with those of age-matched typically developing (TD) children and to investigate their effects on the symptoms of autistic children. Methods: The Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC), Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) and Gesell Developmental Scale (GDS) were completed for 274 children diagnosed with ASD. Vitamins and minerals were compared for all ASD children and 97 age-matched TD children. Serum levels of vitamin A (VA) were detected with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); those of vitamin D (VD), folate, vitamin B12 (VB12), and ferritin were measured with immunoassay methods; and those of minerals were detected using atomic absorption spectrophotometry in two groups. Results: The VD and folate levels of children with ASD were significantly lower than those of TD children. The levels of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), and zinc (Zn) in children with ASD were significantly lower than those in TD children, and no significant difference was found in copper (Cu) levels. Correlation analysis showed that VA and Ca levels were negatively correlated with ASD symptoms. Folate, Ca, Fe and Zn were positively correlated with the GDS scores of autistic children. There were no significant interactions among VD, VB12 and ferritin and symptoms. Conclusion: We found that children with autism had more vitamin and mineral insufficiencies than TD children, and their levels were related to ASD symptoms. Therefore, it is essential to formulate a detailed nutritional evaluation for ASD children and provide timely and intensive interventions.
Association of Serum Calcium and Insulin Resistance With Hypertension Risk: A Prospective Population‐Based Study

Background The temporal sequence between serum calcium and insulin resistance (IR) and their effects on hypertension are unclear. We studied the association between serum calcium and IR, with risk of hypertension events in a longitudinal cohort conducted in China. Methods and Results Data from 8653 subjects aged 20 to 74 years with an average follow‐up of 5.3 years were analyzed. Serum calcium, and fasting and 2‐hour serum glucose and insulin were measured at baseline and follow‐up. Cross‐lagged panel and mediation analysis were used to examine the temporal relationship between serum calcium and IR and its impact on hypertension incidence. The conjoint effects of serum calcium and IR at baseline on hypertension at follow‐up were observed (P=0.029 for HOMA_IR [hepatic IR] and P=0.009 for Gutt index [peripheral IR]). The cross‐lagged path coefficient (β2) from baseline serum calcium to follow‐up peripheral IR were significantly greater than path coefficient (β1) from baseline peripheral insulin resistance to follow‐up serum calcium (β2 =−0.354 versus β1=−0.005; P=0.027). However, no directional relationships were observed in the serum calcium↔hepatic IR analysis. The mediation effect of peripheral IR on the association of serum calcium at baseline with hypertension at follow‐up was estimated at 16.4% (P<0.001). Conclusions Our findings demonstrate that higher serum calcium levels probably precede peripheral IR, and this 1‐directional relation plays a role in the development of hypertension.
Need for Policy to Reduce Sugar Consumption in Trinidad and Tobago

In a recent recommendation The World Health Organization (WHO) advises that adults and children reduce free sugars to less than 10% of total daily energy intake. This guidance is based on research evidence for the relationship between sugar and chronic non-communicable diseases, specifically obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), cardiovascular disease as well as dental caries. Overconsumption of free sugars has been attributed largely to the availability and popularity of sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs). Recent data have shown that the Caribbean region as a whole has high consumption of SSBs and Trinidad and Tobago has been singled out for having the highest daily intake in the world. The need to implement the new WHO guidance on sugar consumption is urgent given the high and apparently increasing prevalence of obesity, T2D and dental caries particularly among the nation’s children. This paper recommends that national policy for Trinidad and Tobago aimed at reducing sugar consumption, should be developed and implemented and that such policy should be based on strategies that have been shown to be effective internationally and regionally but leave ample room for locally relevant, culturally sensitive and socially acceptable innovative models of intervention.
Structured On‐The‐Job Training (SOJT) as Perceived by HRD Professionals

On-the-job training(OJT) is defined as training that occurs on or near the work site. It is typically structured or unstructured. Surprisingly little research has been conducted on structured on-the-job training (SOJT), even though the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) estimates that employers spend between three and six times more on OJT each year than they spend on planned in-house training. This article reviews available research on SOJT and summarizes the results of an exploratory study of training and development professionals about SOJT issues and practices in their organizations.
Campus Law Enforcement Resources for Rape Prevention and Responses to Stalking

Although the past few decades have taught us much about college and university responses to various forms of interpersonal violence affecting campus communities, this has largely not extended to campus law enforcement agencies. The lack of attention to this area is unfortunate given the role that these officers play on the campuses that they serve. The current study builds upon previous research using the Survey of Campus Law Enforcement Agencies data to examine the change in individual campus law enforcement resources (i.e., personnel) dedicated to rape prevention and stalking over time (2004-2011) across 4-year institutions of higher education. Of the 352 campus law enforcement agencies under study, over 31%, 24%, and roughly 22% increased their resources/dedicated personnel for stalking, general rape prevention, and date rape prevention, respectively. In fact, the largest percentage of agencies increased their resources/dedicated personnel for stalking compared with 12 other agency-involved campus issues or tasks. Taken together, regardless of their reported resources in 2004, in 2011 a large percentage of agencies reported full-time personnel/units and personnel dedicated to rape prevention and stalking on an as-needed basis, and far fewer relied only on policies and procedures or did not officially address the campus issue or task. These findings are important in light of continued changes in campus responses to crimes affecting their campus communities.
Impact of hepatitis B core‐related antigen on the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients treated with nucleos(t)ide analogues

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is an aetiologic factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Baseline HBV DNA is a known independent predictor of HCC, and the serum hepatitis B core‐related antigen (HBcrAg) level corresponds to intrahepatic covalently closed circular DNA.
Cardiac Phase Detection in Echocardiograms With Densely Gated Recurrent Neural Networks and Global Extrema Loss

Accurate detection of end-systolic (ES) and end-diastolic (ED) frames in an echocardiographic cine series can be difficult but necessary pre-processing step for the development of automatic systems to measure cardiac parameters. The detection task is challenging due to variations in cardiac anatomy and heart rate often associated with pathological conditions. We formulate this problem as a regression problem and propose several deep learning-based architectures that minimize a novel global extrema structured loss function to localize the ED and ES frames. The proposed architectures integrate convolution neural networks (CNNs)-based image feature extraction model and recurrent neural networks (RNNs) to model temporal dependencies between each frame in a sequence. We explore two CNN architectures: DenseNet and ResNet, and four RNN architectures: long short-term memory, bi-directional LSTM, gated recurrent unit (GRU), and Bi-GRU, and compare the performance of these models. The optimal deep learning model consists of a DenseNet and GRU trained with the proposed loss function. On average, we achieved 0.20 and 1.43 frame mismatch for the ED and ES frames, respectively, which are within reported inter-observer variability for the manual detection of these frames.
Molecular mechanisms of gating in the calcium-activated chloride channel bestrophin

Bestrophin (BEST1–4 in humans) channels are ligand gated chloride (Cl−) channels that are activated by calcium (Ca2+). Mutations in BEST1 cause retinal degenerative diseases. Partly because these channels have no sequence or structural similarity to other ion channels, the molecular mechanisms underlying gating are unknown. Here, we present a series of cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of chicken BEST1, determined at 3.1 Å resolution or better, that represent the principal gating states of the channel. Unlike other channels, opening of the pore is due to the repositioning of tethered pore-lining helices within a surrounding protein shell that dramatically widens a “neck” of the pore through a concertina of amino acid rearrangements within the protein core. The neck serves as both the activation and the inactivation gate. The binding of Ca2+ to a cytosolic domain instigates pore opening and the structures reveal that, unlike voltage-gated Na+ and K+ channels, similar molecular rearrangements are responsible for inactivation and deactivation. A single aperture within the 95 Å-long opened pore separates the cytosol from the extracellular milieu and controls anion permeability. The studies define the basis for Ca2+-activated Cl− channel function and reveal a new molecular paradigm for gating in ligand-gated ion channels.