Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bacterial co-infection and early mortality among pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Manila, The Philippines.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the prevalence of bacterial co-infection and its effect on early mortality among hospitalised human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) negative pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) patients in Manila, the Philippines. DESIGN A prospective observational study was conducted at a national infectious disease hospital. HIV-negative PTB patients aged 13 years hospitalised from November to December 2011 and from December 2012 to May 2013 were enrolled. Sputum samples were tested for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and six respiratory bacterial pathogens using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS Of 466 patients, 228 (48.9%) were TB-PCR-positive. Overall, bacterial pathogens in purulent sputum were detected in 135 (29.0%) patients: Haemophilus influenzae was the most common bacterium (21.2%), followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae (7.9%). The prevalence of bacterial co-infection did not differ between TB-PCR-positive and -negative patients. A total of 92 (19.7%) patients died within 2 weeks. Bacterial co-infection was significantly associated with an increased risk of 2-week mortality among TB-PCR-positive patients (adjusted risk ratio [aRR] 1.67, 95%CI 1.03-2.72). This association was also observed but did not reach statistical significance among TB-PCR-negative patients (aRR1.7, 95%CI 0.95-3.02). CONCLUSION Bacterial co-infection is common and contributes to an increased risk of early mortality among HIV-negative PTB patients.
Cholesteryl ester transfer protein expression attenuates atherosclerosis in ovariectomized mice Published, JLR Papers in Press, October 1, 2002. DOI 10.1194/jlr.M100440-JLR200

Reduced estrogen levels result in loss of protection from coronary heart disease in postmenopausal women. Enhanced and diminished atherosclerosis have been associated with plasma levels of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP); however, little is known about the role of CETP-ovarian hormone interactions in atherogenesis. We assessed the severity of diet-induced atherosclerosis in ovariectomized (OV) CETP transgenic mice crossbred with LDL receptor knockout mice. Compared with OV CETP expressing (+), OV CETP non-expressing (−) mice had higher plasma levels of total, VLDL-, LDL-, and HDL-cholesterol, as well as higher antibodies titers against oxidized LDL. The mean aortic lesion area was 2-fold larger in OV CETP− than in OV CETP+ mice (147 ± 90 vs. 73 ± 42 × 103 μm2, respectively). Estrogen therapy in OV mice blunted the CETP dependent differences in plasma lipoproteins, oxLDL antibodies, and atherosclerosis severity. Macrophages from OV CETP+ mice took up less labeled cholesteryl ether (CEt) from acetyl-LDL than macrophages from OV CETP− mice. Estrogen replacement induced a further reduction in CEt uptake and an elevation in HDL mediated cholesterol efflux from pre-loaded OV CETP+ as compared with OV CETP− macrophages. These findings support the proposed anti-atherogenic role of CETP in specific metabolic settings.
Race and self assessed health status: the role of socioeconomic factors in the USA.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To estimate relative odds ratios and to ascertain the relative contribution of each socioeconomic covariate in explaining racial disparities in self assessed health status (for example, global health perceptions and functional limitations of daily activities). DESIGN: National representative data from the 1987-88 national survey of families and households, a multistage, stratified probability sample of non-institutionalised American adults age 19 and older, were used. Logistic regression models enabled a multistage building strategy to be used in the analyses. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: The study included three racial groups: whites (n = 9419), blacks (n = 2391), and Hispanics (n = 1004). While face to face interviews were carried out with each respondent, some portions of the interview were self administered to collect sensitive information. MAIN RESULTS: Compared with whites, blacks and Hispanics were more likely to assess health as poor and report having functional limitations of daily activities. Socioeconomic factors tended to play a different role in explaining racial disparities in self assessed health status. In global health, education tended to play a significant role in accounting for health disparities between whites and Hispanics. In functional limitations, none of the covariates explained racial differences for blacks, whereas for Hispanics, education and marital status explained racial differences. CONCLUSIONS: The debate over whether race is a proxy for socioeconomic conditions or race influences health independent of socioeconomic factors depends on the measure of health and racial group included in the study. Future studies should examine separately the differential impacts of various socioeconomic factors on varying domains of health.
Intentional sun exposure in infancy in Sakarya, Turkey.

OBJECTIVE To determine the extent of intentional sun exposure in infancy, and the prevalence of maternal belief that potentially increases the children's harm risk from ultraviolet radiation. The major determinants of mothers' beliefs and behaviors regarding sunning were also assessed. METHODS Three hundred and ninety six Caucasian women mothering 0-12 month old infants, attending to Sakarya State Hospital Healthy Infant outpatient clinic in November 2003, filled in the questionnaire after giving their informed consent. Each mother was asked 11 structured questions regarding maternal education, beliefs regarding benefits or harms of sun exposure, use of sunlight for therapeutic purposes, use of sun protection, and source of knowledge. RESULTS The mean age of the mothers was 27.37 +/- 5.36 years and the children was 5.71 +/- 3.53 months. Two hundred and thirty-five mothers (64.1%) believed that sunlight is harmful, but 296 (79.7%) named one benefit of intentional baby sunning. Sun causes cutaneous diseases was the most frequently (n=83/126) mentioned harm and sun strengthens bones and teeth was the number one (n=250/296) benefit according to the mothers. The leading source of knowledge for the beneficial effects of the sun was health care professionals (physician, midwife, nurse) 45.7% (130/284). There was no significant correlation between mothers' sunning behavior and age, education level, being advised so by a health care professional or believing that the sun was harmful. CONCLUSION As these results display being the leading source of knowledge and initiative of healthy/risky behaviors, primary health care physicians/workers have to be informed regarding the vitamin D supplementation and risks of sun exposure.
The visibility of illicit drugs: implications for community-based drug control strategies.

OBJECTIVES This study examined differences between the visibility of drugs and drug use in more than 2100 neighborhoods, challenging an assumption about drug use in poor, minority, and urban communities. METHODS A telephone survey assessed substance use and attitudes across 41 communities in an evaluation of a national community-based demand reduction program. Three waves of data were collected from more than 42 000 respondents. RESULTS Measures of neighborhood disadvantage, population density, and proportion of minority residents explained more than 57% of the variance between census tracts in visibility of drug sales but less than 10% of tract-to-tract variance in drug use. Visible drug sales were 6.3 times more likely to be reported in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods than in the least disadvantaged, while illicit drug use was only 1.3 times more likely. CONCLUSIONS The most disadvantaged neighborhoods have the most visible drug problems, but drug use is nearly equally distributed across all communities. Thus, efforts to address drug-related problems in poorer areas need to take into account the broader drug market served by these neighborhoods.
Effects of gender, apolipoprotein E phenotype and cholesterol‐lowering by plant stanol esters in children: The STRIP study

Aim: To evaluate the effects of gender, apolipoprotein E phenotype and cholesterol absorption and synthesis (estimated as serum plant sterol and cholesterol precursor sterol concentrations) on the cholesterol‐lowering effect of plant stanol esters in children. Methods: Eighty‐one healthy, normocholesterolaemic 6‐y‐old children (45 boys) were recruited from the Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project (STRIP), a randomized prospective trial aiming at atherosclerosis prevention in childhood. This placebo‐controlled, double‐blind, cross‐over study comprised two 3‐mo study periods and a 6‐wk wash‐out period. During the study periods, 20 g of the children's daily dietary fat intake was replaced with plant stanol ester margarine or control margarine. Results: In boys, plant stanol esters reduced serum total and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations by 6% (0.09 to 0.42mmol/L) and 9% (0.09 to 0.36mmol/L), respectively (p > 0.01 for both). In girls, the decreases in concentrations were 4% (0.03 to 0.38 mmol/L) and 6% (0.02 to 0.32 mmol/1) (p > 0.05 for both). The response rate did not differ between the genders. Serum total and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations decreased by 6% and 8% (p > 0.01 for both), respectively, in both children with the apolipoprotein E 3/4 or 4/4 (apoE4+) phenotype and the apolipoprotein E 2/3 or 3/3 (apoE4—) phenotype. Cholesterol absorption decreased both in the apoE4+ children and in the apoE4— children, but cholesterol synthesis consistently increased in the apoE4+ children only.
Heat wave exposure in India in current, 1.5 °C, and 2.0 °C worlds

Heatwaves with large impacts have increased in the recent past and will continue to increase under future warming. However, the implication for population exposure to severe heatwaves remains unexplored. Here, we characterize maximum potential human exposure (without passive/active reduction measures) to severe heatwaves in India. We show that if the global mean temperature is limited to 2.0 °C above pre-industrial conditions, the frequency of severe heatwaves will rise by 30 times the current climate by the end-21st century. In contrast, the frequency is projected to be about 2.5 times more (than the low-warming scenario of 2 °C) under conditions expected if the RCP8.5 ‘business-as-usual’ emissions scenario is followed. Under the 2.0 °C low-warming target, population exposure to severe heatwaves is projected to increase by about 15 and 92 times the current level by the mid and end-21st century respectively. Strategies to reduce population growth in India during the 21st century may provide only limited mitigation of heatwave exposure mostly late in the century. Limiting global temperatures to 1.5 °C above preindustrial would reduce the exposure by half relative to RCP8.5 by the mid-21st century. If global temperatures are to exceed 1.5 °C then substantial measures will be required to offset the large increase in exposure to severe heatwaves in India.
Developing a multisource feedback tool for postgraduate medical educational supervisors

Purpose: Supervisors play a key role in the development of postgraduate medical trainees both in the oversight of their day-to-day clinical practice but also in the support of their learning experiences. In the UK, there has been a clear distinction made between these two activities. In this article, we report on the development of a web-based multisource feedback (MSF) tool for educational supervisors in the London Deanery, an organisation responsible for 20% of the UK's doctors and dentists in training. Methods: A narrative review of the literature generated a question framework for a series of focus groups. Data were analysed using an interpretative thematic approach and the resulting instrument piloted online. Instrument performance was analysed using a variety of tools including factor analysis, generalisability theory and analysis of performance in the first year of implementation. Results: Two factors were initially identified. Three questions performed inadequately and were subsequently discarded. Educational supervisors scored well, generally rating themselves lower than they were by their trainees. The instrument was launched in July 2010, requiring five respondents to generate a summated report, with further validity evidence collated over the first year if implementation. Conclusions: Arising out of a robust development process, the London Deanery MSF instrument for educational supervisors is a tool that demonstrates considerable evidence of validity and can provide supervisors with useful evidence of their effectiveness.
Sensitization of ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons to the stimulating effects of ethanol.

BACKGROUND Previous studies indicated that chronic alcohol drinking increased the sensitivity of the posterior ventral tegmental area (p-VTA) to the reinforcing effects of ethanol. The current study tested the hypothesis that local exposure of the p-VTA to ethanol would increase the sensitivity of dopamine (DA) neurons to the stimulating effects of ethanol. METHODS Experiment 1 examined the stimulating effects of ethanol in the p-VTA after a 7-day ethanol pretreatment in the p-VTA. Adult female Wistar rats were pretreated with microinjections of 200 mg% ethanol or artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) into the p-VTA once a day for 7 days. On the eighth day, rats received a challenge injection of ethanol (100, 200, or 300 mg%) or aCSF into the p-VTA, and extracellular DA levels were measured in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell with microdialysis. Experiment 2 examined the stimulating effects of ethanol (200 mg%) after a 3- or 5-day ethanol (200 mg%) pretreatment in the p-VTA. Experiment 3 examined the stimulating effects of ethanol (200 mg%) 7 days after the last of the 7-day ethanol (200 mg%) pretreatments in the p-VTA. RESULTS Experiment 1: in both aCSF- and ethanol-pretreated rats, the challenge microinjection of ethanol dose-dependently increased DA release in the NAc shell, with significantly greater increases in ethanol-pretreated groups. Experiment 2: the 5-day, but not 3-day, ethanol pretreatment protocol increased the response of p-VTA dopamine neurons to the ethanol challenge. Experiment 3: the increased stimulating effects of ethanol were still evident after 7 days. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that repeated local ethanol exposure of the p-VTA produced neuroadaptations in DA neurons projecting to the NAc shell, resulting in a persistent increase in the sensitivity of these neurons to the stimulating effects of ethanol.
Acetogenesis from H2 plus CO2 and nitrogen fixation by an endosymbiotic spirochete of a termite-gut cellulolytic protist

Symbiotic associations of cellulolytic eukaryotic protists and diverse bacteria are common in the gut microbial communities of termites. Besides cellulose degradation by the gut protists, reductive acetogenesis from H2 plus CO2 and nitrogen fixation by gut bacteria play crucial roles in the host termites’ nutrition by contributing to the energy demand of termites and supplying nitrogen poor in their diet, respectively. Fractionation of these activities and the identification of key genes from the gut community of the wood-feeding termite Hodotermopsis sjoestedti revealed that substantial activities in the gut—nearly 60% of reductive acetogenesis and almost exclusively for nitrogen fixation—were uniquely attributed to the endosymbiotic bacteria of the cellulolytic protist in the genus Eucomonympha. The rod-shaped endosymbionts were surprisingly identified as a spirochete species in the genus Treponema, which usually exhibits a characteristic spiral morphology. The endosymbionts likely use H2 produced by the protist for these dual functions. Although H2 is known to inhibit nitrogen fixation in some bacteria, it seemed to rather stimulate this important mutualistic process. In addition, the single-cell genome analyses revealed the endosymbiont's potentials of the utilization of sugars for its energy requirement, and of the biosynthesis of valuable nutrients such as amino acids from the fixed nitrogen. These metabolic interactions are suitable for the dual functions of the endosymbiont and reconcile its substantial contributions in the gut.
Decreased Zinc Affinity of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis‐Associated Superoxide Dismutase Mutants Leads to Enhanced Catalysis of Tyrosine Nitration by Peroxynitrite

Abstract: Mutations to Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) linked to familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) enhance an unknown toxic reaction that leads to the selective degeneration of motor neurons. However, the question of how >50 different missense mutations produce a common toxic phenotype remains perplexing. We found that the zinc affinity of four ALS‐associated SOD mutants was decreased up to 30‐fold compared to wild‐type SOD but that both mutants and wild‐type SOD retained copper with similar affinity. Neurofilament‐L (NF‐L), one of the most abundant proteins in motor neurons, bound multiple zinc atoms with sufficient affinity to potentially remove zinc from both wild‐type and mutant SOD while having a lower affinity for copper. The loss of zinc from wild‐type SOD approximately doubled its efficiency for catalyzing peroxynitrite‐mediated tyrosine nitration, suggesting that one gained function by SOD in ALS may be an indirect consequence of zinc loss. Nitration of protein‐bound tyrosines is a permanent modification that can adversely affect protein function. Thus, the toxicity of ALS‐associated SOD mutants may be related to enhanced catalysis of protein nitration subsequent to zinc loss. By acting as a high‐capacity zinc sink, NF‐L could foster the formation of zinc‐deficient SOD within motor neurons.
Misperceptions of Uncertainty and Their Applications to Prevention

markdownabstractThis thesis studies how people misperceive risk and uncertainty, and how this cognitive bias affects individuals' preventive actions. Chapter 1, in a lab experiment, shows that how we present rare events affects how big people perceive those events. I show by means of a lab experiment that people perceive rare events bigger than what they actually are when those events are presented to them separately rather than all together. Chapter 2 shows theoretically that it is actually the same phenomenon that makes people both overinsure and prevent little, namely probability weighting. Chapter 3, with an application to cybersecurity, analyses an intervention aiming at increasing prevention at the organizational level in a field experiment. I test whether communicating information in a more effective way or letting employees experience a simulated phishing attack help to reduce falling for phishing attacks. Chapter 4 deals with the issue that people’s judgements of risk might differ in different contexts. In a lab experiment, it shows that sexual context has an impact on ambiguity attitudes.
Our farmers at risk: behaviour and belief system in pesticide safety.

BACKGROUND The study was done in three villages in Nueva Ecija, Philippines. It surveys farmers' belief system and pesticide practices relative to health and safety. METHODS Initially it used a simulated market study on willingness to pay for personal protective equipment in the form of gloves and masks. Then a combination of semi-structured, formal, informal, and key-informant interviews, as well as focus groups, and field observations was done intermittently in a span of approximately 12 years. RESULTS The farmers perceive illness in terms of inability to function. Pesticide to them may not be a threat because (i) they are immune, (ii) it is regarded as a medicine that is needed by the plants rather than poison, and (iii) exposure is only through inhalation and ingestion not through dermal contact. Added to that, they put value on pasma, and try to prevent it at the cost of exposure to pesticides. These perceptions lead to their practices showing inadequate protection. CONCLUSION There is the need for more health education programs that tap farmers' belief system and cognitive categories to stress the need for precautions.
Association between Antihypertensive Drug Use and the Incidence of Cognitive Decline and Dementia: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies

Background Antihypertensive drug use is inconsistently associated with the risk of dementia, Alzheimer's disease, cognitive impairment, and cognitive decline. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis of available prospective cohort studies to summarize the evidence on the strength of these relationships. Methods Three electronic databases including MedLine, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched to identify studies from inception to April 2017. Only prospective cohort studies that reported effect estimates with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of dementia, Alzheimer's disease, cognitive impairment, and cognitive decline for antihypertensive drug use versus not using antihypertensive drugs were included. Results We included 10 prospective cohort studies reporting data on 30,895 individuals. Overall, participants who received antihypertensive drugs had lower incidence of dementia (relative risk [RR]: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.75–0.99; p = 0.033), while there was no significant effect on the incidence of Alzheimer's disease (RR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.64–1.09; p = 0.154), cognitive impairment (RR: 0.89; 95% CI: 0.57–1.38; p = 0.596), and cognitive decline (RR: 1.11; 95% CI: 0.86–1.43; p = 0.415). Further, the incidence of Alzheimer's disease might be affected by antihypertensive drug use in participants with specific characteristics. Conclusions Antihypertensive drug use was associated with a significantly reduced risk of dementia, but not with the risk of Alzheimer's disease, cognitive impairment, and cognitive decline.
Joint Interference Alignment and Power Allocation for Multi-User MIMO Interference Channels Under Perfect and Imperfect CSI

We present centralized-based iterative algorithms that jointly determine the optimal transceiver filters as well as the optimum power allocation for a $K$ -user multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) interference channel (IC). The optimality criterion is developed on the basis of the average per user multiplexing gain and the achievable sum-rate in the MIMO IC. By allowing channel state information (CSI) exchanged between base stations (BSs) and a central unit (CU), we design a feedback topology where CU collects local CSIs from all BSs, computes all transceiver filters and sends them to corresponding user-BS pairs. Note that the local CSIs at BSs are obtained from the estimation of the channel states during the so-called uplink-training phase. At the CU, using the alternating optimization strategy, various iterative algorithms are proposed to design the filters. In other related studies, the equal transmit power policy for all user-BS pairs is chosen ignoring the essential need to search for the optimal power allocation policy; they do not take the full advantage of the system’s total power. Thus, another key aspect of this paper is to make optimal power allocation decisions for all the user-BS pairs based on the sum-rate maximization strategy and under a sum power constraint.