Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Maternal History of Child Abuse and Obesity Risk in Offspring: Mediation by Weight in Pregnancy.

BACKGROUND Women's experience of childhood adversity may contribute to their children's risk of obesity. Possible causal pathways include higher maternal weight and gestational weight gain, which have been associated with both maternal childhood adversity and obesity in offspring. METHODS This study included 6718 mother-child pairs from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 in the United States (1979-2012). We applied multiple log-binomial regression models to estimate associations between three markers of childhood adversity (physical abuse, household alcoholism, and household mental illness) and offspring obesity in childhood. We estimated natural direct effects to evaluate mediation by prepregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain. RESULTS Among every 100 mothers who reported physical abuse in childhood, there were 3.7 (95% confidence interval: -0.1 to 7.5) excess cases of obesity in 2- to 5-year olds compared with mothers who did not report physical abuse. Differences in prepregnancy BMI, but not gestational weight gain, accounted for 25.7% of these excess cases. There was no evidence of a similar relationship for household alcoholism or mental illness or for obesity in older children. CONCLUSIONS In this national, prospective cohort study, prepregnancy BMI partially explained an association between maternal physical abuse in childhood and obesity in preschool-age children. These findings underscore the importance of life-course exposures in the etiology of child obesity and the potential multi-generational consequences of child abuse. Research is needed to determine whether screening for childhood abuse and treatment of its sequelae could strengthen efforts to prevent obesity in mothers and their children.
Low-Profile Spoof Surface Plasmon Polaritons Traveling-Wave Antenna for Near-Endfire Radiation

This letter proposes a low-profile and highly efficient endfire radiating traveling-wave antenna based on spoof surface plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) transmission line. The aperture is approximately <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$0.32\lambda _0\times 0.01\lambda _0$</tex-math></inline-formula>, where <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\lambda _0$</tex-math></inline-formula> is the space wavelength at the operational frequency 8 GHz. This antenna generates near-endfire radiation beams within 7.5–8.5 GHz. The maximum gain and total efficiency reach 9.2 dBi and <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$96\%$</tex-math> </inline-formula>, respectively. Measurement results are finally given to validate the proposed SSPPs antenna.
Effect of immediate initiation of antiretroviral treatment on the risk of acquired HIV drug resistance

Objective: We estimated and compared the risk of clinically identified acquired drug resistance under immediate initiation [the currently recommended antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation strategy], initiation with CD4+ cell count less than 500 cells/&mgr;l and initiation with CD4+ cell count less than 350 cells/&mgr;l. Design: Cohort study based on routinely collected data from the HIV-CAUSAL collaboration. Methods: For each individual, baseline was the earliest time when all eligibility criteria (ART-naive, AIDS free, and others) were met after 1999. Acquired drug resistance was defined using the Stanford classification as resistance to any antiretroviral drug that was clinically identified at least 6 months after ART initiation. We used the parametric g-formula to adjust for time-varying (CD4+ cell count, HIV RNA, AIDS, ART regimen, and drug resistance testing) and baseline (calendar period, mode of acquisition, sex, age, geographical origin, ethnicity and cohort) characteristics. Results: In 50 981 eligible individuals, 10% had CD4+ cell count more than 500 cells/&mgr;l at baseline, and 63% initiated ART during follow-up. Of 2672 tests for acquired drug resistance, 794 found resistance. The estimated 7-year risk (95% confidence interval) of acquired drug resistance was 3.2% (2.8,3.5) for immediate initiation, 3.1% (2.7,3.3) for initiation with CD4+ cell count less than 500 cells/&mgr;l, and 2.8% (2.5,3.0) for initiation with CD4+ cell count less than 350 cells/&mgr;l. In analyses restricted to individuals with baseline in 2005–2015, the corresponding estimates were 1.9% (1.8, 2.5), 1.9% (1.7, 2.4), and 1.8% (1.7, 2.2). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the risk of acquired drug resistance is very low, especially in recent calendar periods, and that immediate ART initiation only slightly increases the risk. It is unlikely that drug resistance will jeopardize the proven benefits of immediate ART initiation.
Detection of Hepatitis C Core Antigen in the Antibody Negative ‘Window’ Phase of Hepatitis C Infection

Background and Objectives: Despite improvements in assays for anti–HCV, there remains a significant delay before the appearance of antibodies following infection, during which, circulating viral RNA is present. We have evaluated a prototype assay for the serological detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) core antigen with specimens derived from the early phase of HCV infection. Materials and Methods: Serial specimens from 24 individuals undergoing HCV seroconversion were tested for the presence of anti–HCV, HCV RNA and HCV core antigen. Results: HCV antigen was detected at the same time as HCV RNA in 83% (20/24) cases. The mean time to the first detection of HCV antigen was approximately 1 day later than HCV RNA. Overall, 87% of HCV–RNA–positive specimens contained detectable HCV core antigen. Conclusion: These results indicate that HCV core antigen can be identified by routine serological ELISA in specimens from the early antibody–negative phase of HCV infection. A test for HCV core antigen may be a useful test for identifying window phase blood donations from antibody negative donors infected with HCV.
Poststroke Emotional Incontinence and Decreased Sexual Activity

Background: Although poststroke depression has been shown to be related to decreased sexual activity (SA), the relationship between poststroke emotional incontinence (EI) and SA has not been properly investigated. Methods: We examined 70 nondepressed, sexually active patients with first-ever stroke approximately 3 months after stroke and conducted a follow-up interview approximately 2 years after stroke in 55 of them. EI (excessive/inappropriate laughing/crying) and SA (libido, coital frequency, erectile function) were assessed with the use of a standardized questionnaire. Results: Of these 70 patients, 24 (34%) had EI 3 months after stroke, which had resolved 2 years after stroke. Libido, coital frequency and erectile function were reported to have declined in 49, 65 and 26% of the patients, respectively, 3 months after stroke, and in 44, 49 and 20% of the patients 2 years after stroke. Multivariate analyses showed that low coital frequency before stroke (CFBS) was significantly (p < 0.05) related to decreased poststroke coital frequency, while the presence of EI (p < 0.05) and low CFBS (p < 0.05) was significantly associated with decreased erectile function 3 months after stroke. Two years after stroke, the presence of EI 3 months after stroke was significantly related to decreased libido, coital frequency and erectile function (p < 0.05 each). Age, gender, laterality of stroke, Barthel Index score, motor dysfunction and the presence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus were not independently related to SA 3 months and 2 years after stroke. Conclusion: The presence of EI is a factor related to decreased poststroke SA, more so in chronic than in subacute stages.
Inequality of Educational Returns in France. Some Evidence of Change in the Relative Importance of the Effect of Education and Social Background on Occupational Careers

This paper is an extended version of the chapter about France within the comparative volume edited by F. Bernardi and G. Ballarino (2016), Education, Occupation and Social Origin. A Comparative Analysis of the Transmission of Socio-Economic Inequalities, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar Publishing. On the basis of the 1977, 1985, 1993 and 2003 Formation & Qualification Professionnelle surveys and various indicators of labour market success, it establishes three main results: (1) after controlling for education, there still exists a ‘direct’ effect of class origin on labour market success which is visible more at an advanced stage of the occupational career than at its outset; (2) this ‘direct’ origin effect varies in strength over educational categories, being weaker or non-existent among the higher educated, i.e., a higher social background is to a certain extent able to compensate for less prominent educational assets; (3) the ‘direct’ origin effect has strengthened in the recent cohorts or the last decade observed.
The association between monetary and sexual delay discounting and risky sexual behavior in an online sample of men who have sex with men

ABSTRACT Delay discounting is a measure of impulsivity that has been found to be associated with numerous health-related outcomes. To the extent that delay discounting is associated with sexual risk-taking, it might serve as a marker for HIV risk or as the basis for novel HIV prevention interventions. The goal of the current study was to examine the association between monetary and sexual delay discounting and condomless anal intercourse (CAI) in a cross-sectional sample of men who have sex with men. Based on previous findings, we examined whether these associations were age-dependent. Sexual, but not monetary, delay discounting was found to be associated with CAI in the past 12 months. These results suggest that delay discounting is associated with sexual risk-taking. More high risk sexual behaviors and their associations with delay discounting should be investigated in the future.
Happier Healers: Randomized Controlled Trial of Mobile Mindfulness for Stress Management.

PURPOSE Medical students have higher rates of depression and psychologic distress than the general population, which may negatively impact academic performance and professional conduct. This study assessed whether 10-20 min of daily mindfulness meditation for 30 days, using a mobile phone application, could decrease perceived stress and improve well-being for medical students. METHODS Eighty-eight medical students were stratified by class year and randomized to either intervention or control groups to use the mobile application Headspace, an audio-guided mindfulness meditation program, for 30 days. All participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), and General Well-Being Schedule (GWBS) at baseline (T1), 30 days (T2), and 60 days (T3). Repeated measures analysis of variance (rANOVA) was conducted for intervention versus control groups across T1, T2, and T3 to examine differences in stress, mindfulness, and well-being. RESULTS There was a significant interaction between time and treatment group for perceived stress and well-being. Perceived stress significantly decreased for the intervention group from T1 to T3 (F[2,142] = 3.98, p < 0.05). General well-being significantly increased for the intervention group compared to the control group from T1 to T2, and the increase was sustained through T3 (F[2,144] = 3.36, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS These results highlight that a mobile audio-guided mindfulness meditation program is an effective means to decrease perceived stress in medical students, which may have implications on patient care. Integrating mindfulness training into medical school curricula for management of school- and work-related stress may lead to fewer negative physician outcomes (e.g., burnout, anxiety, and depression) and improved physician and patient outcomes. This has implications for a broad group of therapists and healthcare providers, ultimately improving quality of healing and patient care.
Natural Variation Underlies Differences in ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR17 Activity in Fruit Peel Degreening1[OPEN]

ERF17 transcriptional regulation activity in apple fruit peel degreening increases with serine repeat number. Through natural or human selection, many fleshy fruits have evolved vivid external or internal coloration, which often develops during ripening. Such developmental changes in color are associated with the biosynthesis of pigments as well as with degreening through chlorophyll degradation. Here, we demonstrated that natural variation in the coding region of the gene ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR17 (ERF17) contributes to apple (Malus domestica) fruit peel degreening. Specifically, ERF17 mutant alleles with different serine (Ser) repeat insertions in the coding region exhibited enhanced transcriptional regulation activity in a dual-luciferase reporter assay when more Ser repeats were present. Notably, surface plasmon resonance analysis showed that the number of Ser repeats affected the binding activity of ERF17 to the promoter sequences of chlorophyll degradation-related genes. In addition, overexpression of ERF17 in evergreen apples altered the accumulation of chlorophyll. Furthermore, we demonstrated that ERF17 has been under selection since the origin of apple tree cultivation. Taken together, these results reveal allelic variation underlying an important fruit quality trait and a molecular genetic mechanism associated with apple domestication.
Genomic Analysis of Thymic Epithelial Tumors Identifies Novel Subtypes Associated with Distinct Clinical Features

Purpose: To reconcile the heterogeneity of thymic epithelial tumors (TET) and gain deeper understanding of the molecular determinants of TETs, we set out to establish a clinically relevant molecular classification system for these tumors. Experimental Design: Molecular subgrouping of TETs was performed in 120 patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas using a multidimensional approach incorporating analyses of DNA mutations, mRNA expression, and somatic copy number alterations (SCNA), and validated in two independent cohorts. Results: Four distinct molecular subtypes of TETs were identified. The most commonly identified gene mutation was a missense mutation in General Transcription Factor II-I (GTF2I group), which was present in 38% of patients. The next group was identified by unsupervised mRNA clustering of GTF2I wild-type tumors and represented TETs enriched in expression of genes associated with T-cell signaling (TS group; 33%). The remaining two groups were distinguished by their degree of chromosomal stability (CS group; 8%) or instability (CIN group; 21%) based upon SCNA analyses. Disease-free survival and overall survival were favorable in the GTF2I group and unfavorable in the CIN group. These molecular subgroups were associated with TET histology and clinical features including disease-free survival. Finally, we demonstrate high expression of PD1 mRNA and correlation of PD1 and CD8A in the TS subgroup. Conclusions: Molecular subtyping of TETs is associated with disease-free and overall survival. Classification of TETs by a molecular framework could aid in the refinement of staging and in the discovery and development of rational treatment options for patients with TETs. Clin Cancer Res; 23(16); 4855–64. ©2017 AACR.
End-to-end speech recognition for languages with ideographic characters

This paper describes a novel training method for acoustic models using connectionist temporal classification (CTC) for Japanese end-to-end automatic speech recognition (ASR). End-to-end ASR can estimate characters directly without using a pronunciation dictionary; however, this approach was conducted mostly in the English research area. When dealing with languages such as Japanese, we confront difficulties with robust acoustic modeling. One of the issues is caused by a large number of characters, including Japanese kanji, which leads to an increase in the number of model parameters. Additionally, multiple pronunciations of kanji increase the variance of acoustic features for corresponding characters. Therefore, we propose end-to-end ASR based on bi-directional long short-term memory (BLSTM) networks to solve these problems. Our proposal involves two approaches: reducing the number of dimensions of BLSTM and adding character strings to output layer labels. Dimensional compression decreases the number of parameters, while output label expansion reduces the variance of acoustic features. Consequently, we could obtain a robust model with a small number of parameters. Our experimental results with Japanese broadcast programs show the combined method of these two approaches improved the word error rate significantly compared with the conventional character-based end-to-end approach.
The Fit Matters: Influence of Accelerometer Fitting and Training Drill Demands on Load Measures in Rugby League Players.

PURPOSE To determine the relationship between drill type and accelerometer-derived loads during various team-sport activities and examine the influence of unit fitting on these loads. METHODS Sixteen rugby league players were fitted with microtechnology devices in either manufacturer vests or playing jerseys before completing standardized running, agility, and tackling drills. Two-dimensional (2D) and 3-dimensional (3D) accelerometer loads (BodyLoad™) per kilometer were compared across drills and fittings (ie, vest and jersey). RESULTS When fitted in a vest, 2D BodyLoad was higher during tackling (21.5 [14.8] AU/km) than during running (9.5 [2.5] AU/km) and agility (10.3 [2.7] AU/km). Jersey fitting resulted in more than 2-fold higher BodyLoad during running (2D = 9.5 [2.7] vs 29.3 [14.8] AU/km, 3D = 48.5 [14.8] vs 111.5 [45.4] AU/km) and agility (2D = 10.3 [2.7] vs 21.0 [8.1] AU/km, 3D = 40.4 [13.6] vs 77.7 [26.8] AU/km) compared with a vest fitting. Jersey fitting also produced higher BodyLoad during tackling drills (2D = 21.5 [14.8] vs 27.8 [18.6] AU/km, 3D = 42.0 [21.4] vs 63.2 [33.1] AU/km). CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence supporting the construct validity of 2D BodyLoad for assessing collision/tackling load in rugby league training drills. Conversely, the large values obtained from 3D BodyLoad (which includes the vertical load vector) appear to mask small increases in load during tackling drills, rendering 3D BodyLoad insensitive to changes in contact load. Unit fitting has a large influence on accumulated accelerometer loads during all drills, which is likely related to greater incidental unit movement when units are fitted in jerseys. Therefore, it is recommended that athletes wear microtechnology units in manufacturer-provided vests to provide valid and reliable information.
School Segregation and Disparities in Urban, Suburban, and Rural Areas

Much of the literature on racial and ethnic educational inequality focuses on the contrast between black and Hispanic students in urban areas and white suburban students. This study extends the research on school segregation and racial/ethnic disparities by highlighting the importance of rural areas and regional variation. Although schools in rural America are disproportionately white, they nevertheless are like urban schools, and disadvantaged relative to suburban schools, in terms of poverty and test performance. Native Americans are most affected by rural school disadvantage. While they are a small share of students nationally, Native Americans are prominent and highly disadvantaged in rural areas, particularly in certain parts of the country. These figures suggest a strong case for including rural schools in the continuing conversations about how to deal with unfairness in public education.
University of Groningen Pharmacokinetics of 2 , 000 Milligram Ertapenem in Tuberculosis Patients

Ertapenem is a carbapenem antibiotic with activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Dose simulations in a hollow-fiber infection model showed that 2,000 mg once daily is an appropriate dose to be tested in clinical studies. Before using this dose in a phase II study, the aim of this prospective pharmacokinetic study was to confirm the pharmacokinetics of 2,000 mg once daily in tuberculosis (TB) patients. Twelve TB patients received a single intravenous dose of 2,000 mg ertapenem as a 30-min infusion. Blood samples were collected at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 12, and 24 h postadministration. Drug concentrations were measured using a validated liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry assay. A large interindividual variation in the pharmacokinetics of ertapenem was observed. The median (interquartile range) area under the plasma concentration-time curve to infinity (AUC0 –∞) was 2,032 (1,751 to 2,346) mg · h/liter, the intercompartmental clearance (CL12) was 1.941 (0.979 to 2.817) liters/h, and the volume of distribution in the central compartment (V1) was 1.514 (1.064 to 2.210) liters. A more than doseproportional increase in AUC was observed compared to results reported for 1,000 mg ertapenem in multidrug-resistant TB patients. Based on a MIC of 1.0 mg/liter, 11 out of 12 patients would have reached the target value of unbound drug exceeding the MIC over 40% of the time (f40% T MIC). In conclusion, this study shows that 2,000 mg ertapenem once daily in TB patients reached the expected f40% T MIC for most of the patients, and exploration in a phase 2 study can be advocated.
Action of thyroid hormone on the transmembrane potentials from sinoatrial node cells and atrial muscle cells in isolated atria of rabbits.

Transmembrane potentials were recorded from sinoatrial node and muscle cells in atria isolated from euthyroid, hypothyroid and thyrotoxic rabbits. Compared to euthyroid atria, thyrotoxic atria had a higher rate (mean 176 versus 118 beats/min). This was the result of an increased rate of diastolic depolarization (mean 86 versus 55 mV/sec) and a decreased duration of the action potential (mean 72 versus 105 sec) in the sinoatrial node cells. Hypothyroidism has the opposite effect; rate 82 versus 118 beats/ min; diastolic depolarization 35 versus 55 mV/sec; action potential duration 125 versus 105 msec. Changes in atrial rate or in the release of endogenous neurotransmitters could not account for the alterations in transmembrane potentials seen in the various thyroid states. Since both diastolic depolarization as well as repolarization of the action potential in sinoatrial cells are believed to be related to changes in membrane conductance for potassium, thyroid hormone may selectively and directly influence these changes.
Cariogenic bacteria in a longitudinal study of approximal caries.

Two hundred and seventeen approximal spaces, initially caries free, in 58 patients were studied clinically and radiographically, at intervals of 6 months, for 3 years. Samples of approximal dental plaque were removed for culture of Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus, and lactobacilli. During the study approximal caries developed in 16 subjects (27.6%) at 30 sites (13.8%), involving 42 teeth. 56 of 58 (96.7%) subjects harboured S. mutans at some time during the study, 62.1% lactobacilli, and 29.3% had S. sobrinus. The counts of S. mutans were significantly higher in those subjects that also carried S. sobrinus than in the remaining subjects. A persisting high count of S. mutans > 10(5) colony-forming units per millilitre (CFU/ml) or a count that rose by > or = 1 x log10 CFU/ml during the study was seen in 25 of 30 sites that subsequently became carious (p < 0.001). Similarly, counts of lactobacilli that were consistently > 10(3) CFU/ml or rising by > or = 1 x log10 CFU/ml were seen in 17 of 30 sites that became carious (p < 0.001). Although there were strong statistical associations between approximal caries and high or rising counts of these cariogenic bacteria, the bacterial counts were not good predictors of future approximal caries at that particular site.