Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perceived discrimination and use of preventive health services

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the relation between perceptions of health care discrimination and use of health services. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of perceived discrimination in health care, its association with use of preventive services, and the contribution of perceived discrimination to disparities in these services by race/ethnicity, gender, and insurance status. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Cross-sectional study of 54,968 respondents to the 2001 California Health Interview Survey. MEASUREMENTS: Subjects were asked about experience with discrimination in receiving health care and use of 6 preventive health services, all within the previous 12 months. METHODS: We used multivariate logistic regression with propensity-score methods to examine the adjusted relationship between perceived discrimination and receipt of preventive care. RESULTS: Discrimination was reported by 4.7% of respondents, and among these respondents the most commonly reported reasons were related to type of insurance (27.6%), race or ethnicity (13.7%), and income (6.7%). In adjusted analyses, persons who reported discrimination were less likely to receive 4 preventive services (cholesterol testing for cardiovascular disease, hemoglobin A1c testing and eye exams for diabetes, and flu shots), but not 2 other services (aspirin for cardiovascular disease, prostate specific antigen testing). Adjusting for perceived discrimination did not significantly change the relative likelihood of receipt of preventive care by race/ethnieity, gender, and insurance status. CONCLUSIONS: Persons who report discrimination may be less likely to receive some preventive health services. However, perceived discrimination is unlikely to account for a large portion of observed disparities in receipt of preventive care.
Childhood Victimization and Crime Victimization

The purpose of this study is to determine whether abused and neglected children are at increased risk for subsequent crime victimization. We ask four basic questions: (a) Does a history of child abuse/neglect increase one’s risk of physical, sexual, and property crime victimization? (b) Do lifestyle characteristics (prostitution, running away, homelessness, criminal history, drug abuse, and alcohol abuse) increase a person’s risk for crime victimization? (c) Do lifestyle characteristics mediate the relationship between child abuse/ neglect and crime victimization? (d) Do these relationships vary by a person’s sex or race/ethnicity? Using data from a prospective cohort design study, children with documented histories of physical and sexual abuse and/or neglect (n = 497) were matched with nonabused and nonneglected children ( n = 395), followed up, and interviewed in middle adulthood (approximate age 39.5). Logistic and ordinary least square regressions were conducted to assess risk for crime victimization and test for mediation. Child abuse and/ or neglect increased a person’s risk for physical (OR = 2.56, p < .001) and sexual (OR = 2.28, p < .001) but not for property crime victimization. For the sample overall, running away served as a partial mediator between child abuse and neglect and physical and sexual crime victimization. In addition, results revealed sex and race/ethnicity differences in patterns of mediation. Implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.
Depression, Anxiety and Stress among Undergraduate Students: A Cross Sectional Study

Background: The prevalence of moderate to extremely severe level of depression, anxiety and stress among undergraduate students in Malaysia was ranging from 13.9% to 29.3%, 51.5% to 55.0% and 12.9% to 21.6% respectively. Medical students have been shown to be more inclined to emotional disorders, especially stress and depression, as compared to their non-medical peers. Therefore, the objective of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress among undergraduate students in Melaka Manipal Medical College. Methods: Self-administered questionnaires consisted of 3 sections: demographic data, socioeconomic data and DASS 21 questions. Data processing was performed using Microsoft Excel 2010. The psychological status was categorized according to the presence or absence of depression, anxiety and stress. The data were analyzed using Epi InfoTM 7.1. 4 and SPSS. Student’s t-test, Fisher Exact and Chi-square test were used to analyze the associations. P-value of <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Multiple logistic regression was used to calculate the adjusted Odd Ratio. Results: A total of 397 undergraduates participated in this study. The prevalence of the depression, anxiety and stress, ranging from moderate to extremely severe, was 30.7%, 55.5%, and 16.6% respectively. Multiple logistic regression shows significant associations between relationship status, social life and total family income per month with depression. Only ethnicity has been shown to be significantly associated with anxiety. There are significant associations between ethnicity and total family income per month with stress. No other factors have been found to be significantly associated. Conclusion: Depression, anxiety and stress have a high detrimental effect to individual and society, which can lead to negative outcomes including medical dropouts, increased suicidal tendency, relationship and marital problems, impaired ability to work effectively, burnout and also existing problems of health care provision. With that, there is a need for greater attention to the psychological wellbeing of undergraduate students to improve their quality of life.
A study of a population of house dust mite in its natural environment

A study was made of the house dust mite, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, in its natural surroundings for a year. Records of the relative humidity inside and outside the bed and of the temperature outside the bed were kept. An estimate of the number of mites on the surface of the mattress was made by brushing the mattress dust into a container at monthly intervals and then counting the mites. Suction cleaning of the mattress was also carried out to ascertain whether it is possible to control the number of mites by such measures. It was found that suction cleaning and brushing of the mattress considerably reduced the numbers of live and dead mites. The number of live mites remained low during the winter, but increased during the late spring and summer when temperature and relative humidity became higher. It is suggested that, for effective control, cleaning of mattresses should be carried out more frequently in the spring and summer than in the winter.
A Real-Time Classification System of Thalassemic Pathologies Based on Artificial Neural Networks

Thalassemias are pathologies that derive from genetic defects of the globin genes. The most common defects among the population affect the genes that are involved in the synthesis of α and β chains. The main aspects of these pathologies are well explained from a biochemical and genetic point of view. The diagnosis is fundamentally based on hematologic and genetic tests. A genetic analysis is particularly important to determine the carriers of α-thalassemia, whose identification by means of the hematologic parameters is more difficult in comparison with heterozygotes for β-thalassemia. This work investigates the use of artificial neural networks (ANNs) for the classification of thalassemic pathologies using the hematologic parameters resulting from hemochromocytometric analysis only. Different combinations of ANNs are reported, which allow thalassemia carriers to be discriminated from normals with 94% classification accuracy, 92% sensitivity, and 95% specificity. On the basis of these results, an automated system that allows real-time support for diagnoses is proposed. The automated system interfaces a hemochromo analyzer to a simple PC.
“Injuries are Beyond Love”: Physical Violence in Young South Africans' Sexual Relationships

South Africa's complex social and political history has produced conditions for interpersonal violence of multiple kinds to flourish. Violence experienced by girls and young women, including within their sexual relationships, has become an area of intense research and policy interest since the end of apartheid. Drawing on a long-term ethnographic study of young people in an urban township, this article explores how violent practices are variously construed, differentiated, and legitimated, in particular through the assignment of blame and the significance accorded to bodily marking. Pointing to the cultural embeddedness of disciplining techniques in this setting, the article examines local understandings of gender hierarchy and power, young men's vulnerabilities in relation to their partners' actions, and the links between disciplining action and notions of anger, love, and shame. Violence is shown to configure lives and subjectivities and to be productive of relationships, in particular playing a part in the organization of inequality within sexual relationships.
Management of Cutaneous and Extracutaneous Side Effects of Smoothened Inhibitor Therapy for Advanced Basal Cell Carcinoma

Smoothened inhibitors represent the first class of targeted drugs approved for use in advanced and metastatic basal cell carcinoma. For many patients with limited treatment options, this drug class has led to significant clinical improvements, but is not without side effects. In this review, we outline the basic mechanism of smoothened inhibitors and the most commonly observed cutaneous and extracutaneous side effects. We also highlight possible mechanisms for these adverse events and current management strategies. Clin Cancer Res; 21(12); 2677–83. ©2015 AACR.
Differential expression patterns and developmental roles of duplicated scinderin‐like genes in zebrafish

Scinderin, the closest homologue of the actin‐severing protein, gelsolin, has two similar paralogs (Scinla and Scinlb) in zebrafish. Scinla is abundant in the adult cornea; Scinlb comprises considerably less corneal protein. Here, we show that scinla is expressed in the nose, lens, brain, cornea and annular ligament of the iridocorneal angle; by contrast, scinlb is expressed in the hatching gland, floor plate, notochord, otic vesicle, brain, pharynx, cartilage, swim bladder and cornea. Activity of scinla and scinlb promoter fragments driving the EGFP reporter gene in transgenic zebrafish resembled scinla or scinlb expression. Previously, we showed that reduction of scinla by injection of antisense morpholino oligonucleotides ventralized embryos; here, specific reduction of scinlb expression led to subtle brain abnormalities associated with increased cell death, decreased shhb expression in the floor plate, and slightly reduced eye distance. Thus, scinla and scinlb have different expression patterns and developmental roles during zebrafish development. Developmental Dynamics 238:2633–2640, 2009. Published 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Acute and 14-day hepatic venous pressure gradient response to carvedilol and nebivolol in patients with liver cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Alternative drug therapies are needed for the treatment of portal hypertension. The aim of this randomized study was to evaluate and compare the effects of carvedilol and nebivolol on the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) response in the patients with liver cirrhosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS In total, 20 cirrhotic patients were randomized into 2 groups and treated with carvedilol (n=10) or nebivolol (n=10). HVPG was measured at baseline, 60 minutes after the administration of carvedilol (25 mg) or nebivolol (5 mg), and after 14 days of carvedilol (25 mg) or nebivolol (5 mg) administered daily. RESULTS. Carvedilol significantly reduced HVPG from 22.2 mm Hg (SD, 4.4) to 15.2 mm Hg (SD, 3.7) after 60 minutes and to 16.4 mm Hg (SD, 2.9) after 14 days (P<0.01). Nebivolol reduced HVPG from 19.7 mm Hg (SD, 2.5) to 15.7 mm Hg (SD, 2.6) and 16.7 mm Hg (SD, 3.2), respectively (P<0.02). Carvedilol effectively decreased HVPG in a greater proportion of the patients after an acute probe (88% vs. 57%) and after 14 days of the treatment (88% vs. 28%, P<0.05) in comparison with nebivolol. CONCLUSION Carvedilol and nebivolol reduce HVPG in cirrhotic patients; however, the effect of carvedilol on the HVPG reduction might be superior to that of nebivolol, especially after 14 days of treatment.
Developing asthma in childhood from exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke: insights from a meta-regression.

Studies have shown links between household secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) exposure and induction of childhood asthma. But the true nature of this link remains unclear in many studies. We conducted a meta-analysis of studies published from 1970 to 2005 to uncover consistent patterns of relative risk estimates (RRs), and found substantial heterogeneity within initial summary RRs of 1.48 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.32-1.65], 1.25 (1.21-1.30), and 1.21 (1.08-1.36), for ever, current, and incident asthma, respectively. Lack of control for type of atopy history (familial or child) and child's own smoking status within studies and age category altered summary RRs in separate metaregressions. After adjustments, consistent patterns of association emerged between SHS exposure and childhood asthma induction. Our summary RR of 1.33 (95% CI, 1.14-1.56) from studies of incident asthma among older children (618 years old) is 1.27 times the estimate from studies of younger children and higher than estimates from earlier meta-analyses. This showns that exposure duration may be a more important factor than previously understood, and suggests that SHS could be a more fundamental cause of childhood asthma than some previous meta-analyses have indicated.
Linguistic acculturation and skin cancer-related behaviors among Hispanics in the southern and western United States.

OBJECTIVE To examine the association between linguistic acculturation (assessed using the Language Use and Linguistic Preference subscales from the Bidimensional Acculturation Scale for Hispanics) and skin cancer-related behaviors among US Hispanic adults to determine whether, compared with Hispanics denoted as Spanish-acculturated, English-acculturated Hispanics would report less frequent shade seeking and use of sun protective clothing and higher rates of sunscreen use, sunbathing, and indoor tanning. DESIGN Online survey study conducted in September 2011. SETTING Five southern and western US states. PARTICIPANTS A population-based sample of 788 Hispanic adults drawn from a nationally representative web panel. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Self-reported sunscreen use, shade seeking, use of sun protective clothing, sunbathing, and indoor tanning. RESULTS Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to examine predictors of the skin cancer-related behaviors. As hypothesized, English-acculturated Hispanics had lower rates of shade seeking and use of sun protective clothing and reported higher rates of sunbathing and indoor tanning than Spanish-acculturated Hispanics. English-acculturated Hispanics and bicultural Hispanics (ie, those with high Spanish and high English acculturation) reported comparably high rates of sunbathing and indoor tanning. Results suggested that bicultural Hispanics seek shade and wear sun protective clothing less often than Spanish-acculturated Hispanics but more often than English-acculturated Hispanics. Acculturation was not associated with sunscreen use. CONCLUSIONS Hispanic adults do not routinely engage in behaviors that reduce their risk of skin cancer. Bicultural and English-acculturated Hispanics are particularly in need of skin cancer prevention interventions.
Fertility Decision-Making Among Kenyan HIV-Serodiscordant Couples Who Recently Conceived : Implications for Safer Conception Planning

HIV-serodiscordant couples often choose to attempt pregnancy despite their HIV transmission risk. Optimizing delivery of HIV risk reduction strategies during peri-conception periods (i.e., safer conception) requires understanding how HIV-serodiscordant couples approach fertility decisions. We conducted 36 in-depth individual interviews with male and female partners of Kenyan heterosexual HIV-serodiscordant couples who recently conceived. Transcripts were analyzed by gender and HIV serostatus using open coding. Matrices were used to identify patterns and emerging themes. Most participants expressed acceptance of being in an HIVserodiscordant couple and affirmed their resilience to live with serodiscordance and achieve their fertility goals. Overall, while the goal for childbearing was unchanged, conception became an urgent desire so that both partners could experience childrearing together while the HIV-infected partner was still healthy. Children also add value to the relationship, and multiple children were a commonly expressed desire. Couples’ desires dominated those of individual partners in fertility decision-making, but male preferences were more influential when the individual desires differed. Values and preferences of the couple as a unit may mediate fertility decision-making in HIV-discordant couples. Thus, it is important that safer conception programs include both partners when appropriate and consider the relationship context during risk reduction counseling and when recommending risk reduction interventions.
Characterization of two isoalleles and three mutations in both isoforms of purified recombinant human porphobilinogen deaminase

Defects in the enzyme porphobilinogen deaminase (PBG‐D) are associated with acute intermittent porphyria (AIP). Human PBG‐D is transcribed into a housekeeping or an erythroid form as a result of differential promoter usage and splicing. In addition, three pairs of isoallelic forms have been described. However, whether the enzymatic properties of housekeeping and erythroid forms differ is unknown. In this study the two isoallelic forms, K210 and E210, were cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli together with three mutations associated with a clinical AIP phenotype. The mutations were introduced in the K210 isoallelic background and expressed as both the housekeeping and the erythroid form. The proteins were expressed as GST fusions and purified to homogeneity. Initial experiments revealed that the GST‐PBG‐D fusions and the purified PBG‐D obtained by proteolytic removal of the GST moiety had enzymatic properties that were indistinguishable. Consequently, all analyses with mutant PBG‐D were performed on the GST‐fusion proteins. Comparison of the wild‐type proteins revealed a significant difference in Km between isoalleles with a Km of 9 µM for K210 and 7 µM for E210, whereas no significant difference in activity or kinetics between the housekeeping and the erythroid isoforms was observed. The mutant proteins showed 0.3–1.0% wild‐type activity, depending on mutation. There was a clear correlation between yield of recombinant protein and CRIM status of patients. Furthermore, co‐expression of the mutant proteins with the bacterial chaperone GroESL did not affect protein yield or function to any significant extent, supporting the view that the investigated mutations primarily influence structure and function and not folding of the proteins.
Anomaly Detection in Smart Metering Infrastructure with the Use of Time Series Analysis

The article presents solutions to anomaly detection in network traffic for critical smart metering infrastructure, realized with the use of radio sensory network. The structure of the examined smart meter network and the key security aspects which have influence on the correct performance of an advanced metering infrastructure (possibility of passive and active cyberattacks) are described. An effective and quick anomaly detection method is proposed. At its initial stage, Cook’s distance was used for detection and elimination of outlier observations. So prepared data was used to estimate standard statistical models based on exponential smoothing, that is, Brown’s, Holt’s, and Winters’ models. To estimate possible fluctuations in forecasts of the implemented models, properly parameterized Bollinger Bands was used. Next, statistical relations between the estimated traffic model and its real variability were examined to detect abnormal behavior, which could indicate a cyberattack attempt. An update procedure of standard models in case there were significant real network traffic fluctuations was also proposed. The choice of optimal parameter values of statistical models was realized as forecast error minimization. The results confirmed efficiency of the presented method and accuracy of choice of the proper statistical model for the analyzed time series.
Safety and efficacy of topiramate in neonates with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy treated with hypothermia (NeoNATI): a feasibility study

Abstract Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of a study based on treatment with topiramate (TPM) added to moderate hypothermia in newborns with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Materials and methods: Multicenter randomized controlled trial. Term newborns with precocious metabolic, clinical and electroencephalographic (EEG) signs of HIE were selected according to their amplified integrated EEG pattern and randomized to receive either TPM (10 mg/kg once a day for the first three days of life) plus moderate hypothermia or hypothermia alone. Safety was assessed by monitoring cardiorespiratory parameters and blood samples collected to check renal, liver, metabolic balance and TPM pharmacokinetics. Efficacy was evaluated by the combined frequency of mortality and severe neurological disability as primary outcome. Incidence of magnetic resonance injury, epilepsy, blindness, hearing loss, neurodevelopment at 18–24 months of life was assessed as secondary outcomes. Results: Forty-four asphyxiated newborns were enrolled in the study. Twenty one newborns (10 with moderate and 11 with severe HIE) were allocated to hypothermia plus TPM and 23 (12 moderate and 11 severe HIE) to hypothermia. No statistically or clinically significant differences were observed for safety, primary or secondary outcomes. However, a reduction in the prevalence of epilepsy was observed in newborns co-treated with TPM. Conclusions: Results of this pilot trial suggest that administration of TPM in newborns with HIE is safe but does not reduce the combined frequency of mortality and severe neurological disability. The role of TPM co-treatment in preventing subsequent epilepsy deserves further studies.
Epidermal cytokines in murine cutaneous irritant responses

Investigations on cytokines in skin irritancy or non‐immunological irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) should improve our understanding of their complex mechanism. Numerous studies showed, however, that similar epidermal cytokines have been detected in irritant and allergic reactions, suggesting a lack of specific cytokines that clearly differentiate allergic from irritant reactions even though the pathomechanisms between allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) and ICD are distinguished. Recent data, however, indicate that some mediators may be restricted to allergic responses (contact hypersensitivity). This could provide the impetus to study their implication on irritant reactions. We overview the epidermal cytokines involved in irritant responses compared to those in contact hypersensitivity based on published results of studies using in vitro cell‐cultured murine keratinocytes and in vivo murine models. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.