Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Embryo malposition as a potential mechanism for mercury‐induced hatching failure in bird eggs

We examined the prevalence of embryo malpositions and deformities in relation to total mercury (THg) and selenium (Se) concentrations in American avocet (Recurvirostra americana), black‐necked stilt (Himantopus mexicanus), and Forster's tern (Sterna forsteri) eggs in San Francisco Bay (CA, USA) during 2005 to 2007. Overall, 11% of embryos were malpositioned in eggs ≥18 d of age (n = 282) and 2% of embryos were deformed in eggs ≥13 d of age (n = 470). Considering only those eggs that failed to hatch (n = 62), malpositions occurred in 24% of eggs ≥18 d of age and deformities occurred in 7% of eggs ≥13 d of age. The probability of an embryo being malpositioned increased with egg THg concentrations in Forster's terns, but not in avocets or stilts. The probability of embryo deformity was not related to egg THg concentrations in any species. Using a reduced dataset with both Se and THg concentrations measured in eggs (n = 87), we found no interaction between Se and THg on the probability of an embryo being malpositioned or deformed. Results of the present study indicate that embryo malpositions were prevalent in waterbird eggs that failed to hatch and the likelihood of an embryo being malpositioned increased with egg THg concentrations in Forster's terns. We hypothesize that malpositioning of avian embryos may be one reason for mercury‐related hatching failure that occurs late in incubation, but further research is needed to elucidate this potential mechanism. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010; 29:1788–1794. © 2010 SETAC
A screening study on the fate of fullerenes (nC60) and their toxic implications in natural freshwaters

Increasing usage of fullerenes (C60) increases their opportunities to be released into the environment. For risk assessment, it is important to understand the environmental fate and ecotoxicological effects of C60. In the present study, fullerene settling was measured during a 1‐yr period with 4 different lake waters and an artificial freshwater, and Daphnia magna immobilization and fullerene accumulation was also measured in each of the lake waters. Depending on the characteristics of the lake waters, fullerenes either exhibited extended water stability or settled rapidly; in all waters, there was a fraction that remained stable after 1 yr. Water stability was affected by the quality and molecular size distribution of dissolved natural organic matter (DNOM). Increasing DNOM molecular sizes with high aromatic content enhanced water stability. Immobilization of D. magna was generally quite low (under 20%) and highly variable after 24 h and 48 h at initial fullerene concentrations up to 10 mg/L. Substantial settling occurred during the time period for acute toxicity assays (i.e., 48 h), which should be anticipated when conducting toxicity assays. There were no significant differences in the quantity of accumulated fullerenes among the different lake waters at fullerene concentrations of 0.5 mg/L, but there were differences at 2 mg/L. Environ Toxicol Chem 2013;32:1224‐1232. © 2013 SETAC
Autonomic correlates of attachment insecurity in a sample of women with eating disorders

This study examined associations between attachment insecurity and autonomic response during the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) in a sample of 47 women with eating disorders using a new system for the synchronous acquisition of behavioral and physiological data: the Bio Dual-channel and Representation of Attachment Multimedia System (BioDReAMS; Soares, Cunha, Zhan Jian Li, Pinho, & Neves, 1998). Consistent with the emerging literature on the psychophysiology of adult attachment, insecurity was positively correlated with electrodermal reactivity during the AAI. Furthermore, relatively secure patients showed some evidence of parasympathetic withdrawal, which can be conceptualized as evidence of more effective emotion regulation. Results suggest that, even among women with diagnosed psychopathology, security is associated with moreproductive patterns of psychophysiological response to attachment-related challenges.
What's in a word? Linguistic characteristics of Adult Attachment Interviews

In the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI; George, Kaplan, & Main, 1984), state of mind with respect to attachment is assessed not on the basis of the content of the participant's narrative, but rather on the basis of the narrative's linguistic properties. The present study is the first to further explore linguistic characteristics of attachment state of mind in AAI narratives by examining participants' frequency of word usage within the categories of the Linguistic Inquiry Word Count text analysis program (LIWC; Pennebaker, Booth, & Francis, 2007). LIWC uses an internal dictionary to count words in conceptual categories and creates proportion scores for each category based on the total word count. Results from an examination of the AAI transcripts of 136 first-time mothers of infants indicated that (a) participants with secure, dismissing, and preoccupied AAI classifications significantly differed in their use of 14 of the 44 LIWC categories examined; (b) 10 LIWC categories were significantly correlated with AAI coherence of mind; and (c) AAI group assignment based on LIWC linguistic profiles yielded 71% agreement with AAI coders. We drew from existing AAI and LIWC research to interpret and discuss these intriguing findings.
The reporting of maltreatment experiences during the Adult Attachment Interview in a sample of pregnant adolescents

This present student examines maltreatment experiences reported by 55 high-risk pregnant adolescents in response to a slightly adapted version of the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI; George, Kaplan, & Main, 1996). Previous research has suggested that the rates of unresolved states of mind regarding trauma in response to the AAI may be underestimated due to the lack of direct questions and associated probes regarding physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. We address this concern by including behaviorally phrased questions and probes regarding maltreatment experiences into the original format of the AAI and examine the concordance between reports of maltreatment experiences in response to the AAI and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Maltreatment experiences in response to the AAI were evaluated using the Maltreatment Classification Scale developed by Barnett, Manly, and Cicchetti (1993). We also examine the association between unresolved states of mind and dissociation using the Adolescent Dissociative Experience Scale. Results revealed a significant concordance between reports of maltreatment in response to the AAI and CTQ measures. Reports of maltreatment were prevalent in this sample: across the AAI and CTQ measures, 96% of pregnant adolescents reported some form of emotional abuse, 84% physical abuse, 59% sexual abuse, and 88% reported neglect. Sexual abuse history uniquely predicted unresolved status in response to the AAI. Self-reports of dissociation were significantly associated with unresolved states of mind. Results suggest that the inclusion of behaviorally focused questions and probes regarding maltreatment in the AAI protocol can further contribute to the clinical and theoretical value of this tool.
Teacher–student relationships and school adjustment: progress and remaining challenges

This commentary highlights the ways in which the articles in this special issue contribute to the second generation of research on teacher–student relationships. Second generation research aims to increase our understanding of the development of these relationships, and the processes responsible for their effects, as well as to evaluate theoretically-informed interventions designed to enhance teacher–student interactions. Despite unanswered questions and challenges that confront this field of inquiry, the current state of knowledge is adequate to apply the knowledge gained to the task of increasing teachers’ abilities to provide positive social and emotional learning environments, thereby improving students’ learning and behavioral adjustment.
Using Administrative Datasets to Study Outcomes in Dialysis Patients: A Validation Study

Background:The use of administrative health data and other secondary data sources to conduct research are increasing, and the quality of these data requires careful scrutiny to ensure that findings of studies based on them are accurate. Methods:We conducted a multicenter, chart-abstraction study in Ontario, Canada to evaluate the ability of linked administrative databases to identify important baseline demographic and treatment information, changes in dialysis treatment modality over time, and the occurrence of important outcome events in incident dialysis patients. The medical record was considered the reference standard. Results:Within administrative databases, demographic information was very well coded, as was the location where individuals started dialysis, the first treatment modality, the first outpatient modality, and the treatment that was in use 90 days after the start of therapy. The ability to accurately recreate an individual patient's entire dialysis treatment history using physician billing claims was somewhat limited. The treatment changes were often identified in the correct temporal sequence, but the dates that the events occurred did not agree well. Finally, important outcomes including the death and kidney transplantation were captured well, although the recovery of kidney function could not be evaluated because of poor inter-rater reliability. Conclusions:This validation study provides important information concerning the ability to detect variables related to dialysis care using administrative datasets. Validation work should focus not only on the ability of secondary data to identify baseline comorbidities, but should also attempt to verify that other key variables required to conduct analyses are reliably captured.
Costs Attributable to Healthcare-Acquired Infection in Hospitalized Adults and a Comparison of Economic Methods

Background:Hospitals will increasingly bear the costs for healthcare-acquired conditions such as infection. Our goals were to estimate the costs attributable to healthcare-acquired infection (HAI) and conduct a sensitivity analysis comparing analytic methods. Methods:A random sample of high-risk adults hospitalized in the year 2000 was selected. Measurements included total and variable medical costs, length of stay (LOS), HAI site, APACHE III score, antimicrobial resistance, and mortality. Medical costs were measured from the hospital perspective. Analytic methods included ordinary least squares linear regression and median quantile regression, Winsorizing, propensity score case matching, attributable LOS multiplied by mean daily cost, semi-log transformation, and generalized linear modeling. Three-state proportional hazards modeling was also used for LOS estimation. Attributable mortality was estimated using logistic regression. Results:Among 1253 patients, 159 (12.7%) developed HAI. Using different methods, attributable total costs ranged between $9310 to $21,013, variable costs were $1581 to $6824, LOS was 5.9 to 9.6 days, and attributable mortality was 6.1%. The semi-log transformation regression indicated that HAI doubles hospital cost. The totals for 159 patients were $1.48 to $3.34 million in medical cost and $5.27 million for premature death. Excess LOS totaled 844 to 1373 hospital days. Conclusions:Costs for HAI were considerable from hospital and societal perspectives. This suggests that HAI prevention expenditures would be balanced by savings in medical costs, lives saved and available hospital days that could be used by overcrowded hospitals to enhance available services. Our results obtained by applying different economic methods to a single detailed dataset may inform future cost analyses.
Foster children’s attachment security and behavior problems in the first six months of placement: associations with foster parents’ stress and sensitivity

Both traumatic experiences in their birth families and multiple placement histories lead to increased mental health problems in foster children. The formation of secure attachments to new caregivers could be a protective factor for foster children. The current study focused on the associations between foster parents’ sensitivity, parenting stress and foster children’s attachment behavior as well as behavior problems. The sample consists of 48 children (aged from 1 to 6 years) and their foster caregivers. Attachment behavior and sensitivity were observed during home visits. Furthermore, caregiver reports were used to assess parenting stress and children’s behavior problems. Compared to normative data, foster children showed lower levels of attachment security and more behavior problems. Foster children’s attachment security and behavior problems were predicted significantly or marginally by foster parents’ stress and supportive presence.
What words cannot say: the telling story of video in attachment-based interventions

In this Introduction to the Special Issue The Use of Video in Attachment-Based Interventions, we describe how film and video made their entry in attachment theory and research and ultimately in attachment-based interventions. The role of film in helping to understand attachment had its roots several decades ago with the Robertsons’ footage as a memorable example, while the role of video in helping to support attachment in the context of intervention started later but quickly increased with the rapid growth of smaller video cameras. Today the use of video and video feedback in attachment-based interventions is common, with applications in home-visiting programs, clinical treatment and therapy, and training modalities for parent coaches. In this Special Issue we highlight current work in this field, including illustrative case studies, clinical descriptions and process evaluations as well as rigorous randomized controlled trials.
The mediating role of parenting in the associations between household chaos and children’s representations of family dysfunction

Children’s drawings are thought to reflect their mental representations of self and their interpersonal relations within families. Household chaos is believed to disrupt key proximal processes related to optimal development. The present study examines the mediating role of parenting behaviors in the relations between two measures of household chaos, instability and disorganization, and how they may be evidenced in children’s representations of family dysfunction as derived from their drawings. The sample (N = 962) is from a longitudinal study of rural poverty exploring the ways in which child, family, and contextual factors shape development over time. Findings reveal that, after controlling for numerous factors including child and primary caregiver covariates, there were significant indirect effects from cumulative family disorganization, but not cumulative family instability, on children’s representation of family dysfunction through parenting behaviors. Results suggest that the proximal effects of daily disorganization outweigh the effects of periodic instability overtime.
Relationship Between Oral Antihyperglycemic Medication Adherence and Hospitalization, Mortality, and Healthcare Costs in Adult Ambulatory Care Patients With Type 2 Diabetes in South Korea

BackgroundMedication adherence has been identified as a major factor influencing health outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. ObjectivesWe assessed the relationship between initial adherence to oral antihyperglycemic medications and subsequent health outcomes. Research Design and SubjectsThis was a retrospective cohort study of 40,082 patients enrolled in Korea's national health insurance program, who were 20 years of age or older and first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2004. The patients were followed up for 3 years using claims data to measure adherence to oral antihyperglycemic medications for the initial 2 years after diagnosis and to investigate hospitalization, mortality, and healthcare costs in the third year of follow-up. ResultsAfter adjusting for confounders, nonadherence in the first 2 years after prescription increased the risk for hospitalization in the third year compared with adherence over the same period [odds ratio (OR)=1.26, 95% confidence interval=1.08-1.47]. Nonadherence in at least one of the 2 years increased the risk for hospitalization compared with adherence in both years. In addition, nonadherence during both the first and second years was associated with statistically significantly greater risks for mortality during this period than was adherence (odds ratio=1.40, 95% confidence interval=1.01-1.95). Medication adherence decreased healthcare costs compared with nonadherence (&bgr;=−0.127; P<0.001). ConclusionsBecause improved medication adherence can produce better health outcomes for diabetes patients and also save national healthcare resources, government-sponsored healthcare policies to improve medication adherence among newly diagnosed diabetes patients are urgently required.
The Effects of Outdoor Air Pollutants on the Costs of Pediatric Asthma Hospitalizations in the United States, 1999 to 2007

BackgroundAcute exposure to outdoor air pollutants has been associated with increased pediatric asthma morbidity. However, the impact of subchronic exposures is largely unknown. ObjectiveTo examine the association between subchronic exposure to 6 outdoor air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, ozone, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, carbon monoxide) and pediatric asthma hospitalization length of stay, charges, and costs. MethodsWe linked pediatric asthma hospitalization discharge data from a nationally representative dataset, the 1999-2007 Nationwide Inpatient Sample, with outdoor air pollution data from the Environmental Protection Agency. Hospitals with no air quality data within 10 miles were excluded. Our predictor was the average concentration of 6 pollutants near the hospital during the month of admission. We conducted bivariate analyses using Spearman correlations and multivariable analyses using Poisson regression for length of stay and linear regression for log-transformed charges and costs, controlling for patient demographics, hospital characteristics, and month of admission. ResultsIn unadjusted analyses, all 6 pollutants had minimal correlation with the 3 outcomes (&rgr;<0.1, P<0.001). In multivariable analyses, a 1-unit (&mgr;g/m3) increase in monthly PM2.5 led to a $123 increase in charges (95% confidence interval $40-249) and a $47 increase in costs (95% confidence interval $15-93). No other pollutants were significant predictors of charges or costs or length of stay. ConclusionSubchronic PM2.5 exposure is associated with increased costs for pediatric asthma hospitalizations. Policy changes to reduce outdoor subchronic pollutant exposure may lead to improved asthma outcomes and substantial savings in healthcare spending.
The mediating role of perceived peer support in the relation between quality of attachment and internalizing problems in adolescence: a longitudinal perspective

ABSTRACT The study was aimed to verify, from a longitudinal perspective, whether perceived peer support would mediate the relationship between attachment and internalizing problems. Longitudinal participants included 482 adolescents (245 boys) aged 14–15 years in Wave 1 and 17–18 years in Wave 2. Participants in Wave 1 completed the Relationship Questionnaire, and those in Wave 2 completed the Social Support Questionnaire and the Youth Self-Report. Results showed that secure attachment positively predicted high levels of perceived peer support and negatively predicted internalizing problems, whereas fearful and preoccupied attachment negatively predicted perceived peer support and positively predicted internalizing problems. The mediation models showed that perceived peer support partially mediated the relationship between secure attachment and internalizing problems as well as between preoccupied attachment and internalizing problems and between fearful attachment and internalizing problems. Our results confirm the role of subjective perception of peer support in contributing to the prediction of internalizing problems beyond attachment styles.
Parenting in infancy and self-regulation in preschool: an investigation of the role of attachment history

ABSTRACT Parenting and attachment are critical in the emergence of self-regulation (SR) in preschool. However, most studies use general indexes of parenting quality, failing to explore the unique contributions of sensitivity and home quality to SR. Further, the nature of the interplay between parenting and attachment history is not well understood. Using a sample of 938 children from The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, a series of structural equation models were fit to determine whether sensitivity and home quality concurrently predicted SR at 54 months, and whether attachment mediated or moderated these pathways. Results suggest that both sensitivity and home quality uniquely predict SR. Further, these early parenting variables were each indirectly associated with SR through children’s attachment history. That is, higher levels of sensitivity and home quality predicted secure attachment history, which, along with parenting, predicted more advanced SR skills at 54 months. No moderated pathways emerged, suggesting that attachment history may be best conceptualized as a mediating mechanism.
Urban and agricultural pesticide inputs to a critical habitat for the threatened delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus)

The Cache Slough complex is an area of tidal sloughs in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta of California (USA), and is surrounding by irrigated agricultural lands. Among the species of concern in the area is the delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus), a federally listed threatened species. Releases of the organophosphate insecticide chlorpyrifos and pyrethroid insecticides were examined to determine whether they represented a threat to the copepods on which delta smelt feed (Eurytemora affinis and Pseudodiaptomus forbesi) and to aquatic life in general, represented by the standard testing organism, Hyalella azteca. There was a single incident of toxicity to H. azteca as a result of discharge of agricultural irrigation water containing chlorpyrifos. Pyrethroids were not found in samples collected during the dry season. Following rain events, however, the waters of western Cache Slough repeatedly became toxic to H. azteca because of the pyrethroids bifenthrin and cyhalothrin. The 96‐h median lethal concentrations (LC50s) for E. affinis and P. forbesi for the pyrethroids bifenthrin and cyhalothrin were 16.7 ng/L to 19.4 ng/L when tested at 20 °C. However, their LC50s may be 5 mg/L to 10 ng/L at in situ temperatures of the Cache Slough, comparable to the peak bifenthrin concentration observed. The dominant pyrethroid source appeared to be urban runoff entering a creek 21 km upstream of Cache Slough. Pyrethroids of urban origin were supplemented by agricultural inputs of pyrethroids and chlorpyrifos as the creek flowed toward Cache Slough. Environ Toxicol Chem 2014;33:920–929. © 2014 SETAC