Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Permanent work incapacity, mortality and survival without work incapacity among occupations and social classes: a cohort study of ageing men in Geneva.

BACKGROUND The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to investigate the burden of disability and death in men, from middle age to age of retirement, among occupational groups and classes in Geneva. METHODS Men were included if they resided in the Canton of Geneva, were 45 years of age in 1970-1972, and were not receiving a disability pension at the start of the follow-up. The cohort of 5137 men was followed up for 20 years and linked to national registers of disability pension allowance and of causes of death. RESULTS There was a steep upward trend in incidence of permanent work incapacity with lower social class for all causes as well as for the seven causes of disability studied. Compared with professional occupations (social class I), the relative risk (RR) of permanent work incapacity was 11.4 for partly skilled and unskilled occupations (class IV+V) (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.2-28.0). The social class gradient in mortality was in the same direction as that in work incapacity although much less steep (RR class IV+V to class I = 1.6, 95% CI : 1.1-2.2). Survival without work incapacity at the time of the 65th birthday ranged from only 57% in construction workers and labourers to 89% in science and related professionals. Unemployment in Geneva was below 1.5% during almost all the study period. CONCLUSIONS Medically-ascertained permanent work incapacity and survival without work incapacity have shown considerably greater socioeconomic differentials than the mortality differentials.
Linguistic Complexity in Firm Disclosures: Obfuscation or Information?

Prior research generally interprets complex language in firms’ disclosures as indicative of managerial obfuscation. However, complex language can also reflect the provision of complex information; for example, informative technical disclosure. As a consequence, linguistic complexity commingles two latent components—obfuscation and information—that are related to information asymmetry in opposite directions. We develop a novel empirical approach to estimate these two latent components within the context of quarterly earnings conference calls. We validate our estimates of these two latent components by examining their relation to information asymmetry. Consistent with our predictions, we find that our estimate of the information component is negatively associated with information asymmetry while our estimate of the obfuscation component is positively associated with information asymmetry. Our findings suggest that future research on linguistic complexity can construct more powerful tests by separately examining these two latent components of linguistic complexity.
Longitudinal Multi-Trait-State-Method Model Using Ordinal Data

Multi-trait multi-method (MTMM) models provide a way to assess convergent and discriminant validity when multiple traits are measured by multiple methods. In recent years, longitudinal extensions of MTMM models have been proposed in the structural equation modeling framework to evaluate whether and how the trait as well as method factors change over time. We propose a novel longitudinal ordinal MTMM model that can be used to effectively distinguish volatile “state” processes from “trait” processes that tend to remain stable and invariant over time. The proposed model, termed a longitudinal multi-trait-state-method (LM-TSM) model, combines 3 key modeling components: (a) a measurement model for ordinal data, (b) a vector autoregressive moving average model at the latent level to examine changes in the state as well as the method factors over time, and (c) a second-order factor-analytic model to capture time-invariant traits as shared variances among the state factors across all measurement occasions. Data from the Affective Dynamics and Individual Differences (ADID; Emotions and Dynamic Systems Laboratory, 2010) study was used to illustrate the proposed longitudinal LM-TSM model. Methodological issues associated with fitting the LM-TSM model are discussed.
Rate of forgetting in H.M.: 6-month recognition.

The picture-recognition performance of H.M. and six control subjects was evaluated 6 months after initial learning, using materials from an earlier study in which H.M. received additional study time in order to equate his yes-no and delayed-match-to-sample (DMS) performance 10 min after learning to that of control subjects. In the study detailed here, 6-month recognition performance was assessed with no intervening exposure to the target items. H.M. performed at chance levels when tested using the standard yes-no recognition procedure. When the yes-no procedure was modified so that distractor stimuli required positive responses, H.M. 's performance was comparable with that of control subjects. In addition, H.M. 's DMS and delayed-nonmatch-to-sample (DNMS) performance were comparable with that of control subjects 6 months after learning. Conclusions regarding H.M. 's 6-month recognition performance are thus dependent on the procedures used to assess memory.
Regular Positive-Real Functions and Five-Element Network Synthesis for Electrical and Mechanical Networks

This paper classifies the positive-real biquadratic functions which can be realized by five-element networks. The concept of regular positive-real functions is introduced to facilitate this classification. Networks are grouped into quartets which may sometimes reduce to two or one network(s). It is shown that a biquadratic can be realized by a series-parallel network with two reactive elements if and only if it is regular. Moreover, there are two such network quartets which can realize all regular biquadratics. It is shown that the only five-element networks which can realize nonregular biquadratics can be arranged into three network quartets. The quartets comprise: 1) two bridge networks with two reactive elements; 2) four series-parallel networks with three reactive elements; and 3) two bridge networks with three reactive elements. The necessary and sufficient realizability conditions are derived for each of these networks. The results are motivated by an approach to passive mechanical control which makes use of the inerter device.
Older People's Reasoning About Age-Related Prioritization in Health Care

The aim of this study was to describe the reasoning of people aged 60 years and over about prioritization in health care with regard to age and willingness to pay. Healthy people (n = 300) and people receiving continuous care and services (n = 146) who were between 60 and 101 years old were interviewed about their views on prioritization in health care. The transcribed interviews were analysed using manifest and latent qualitative content analysis. The participants' reasoning on prioritization embraced eight categories: feeling secure and confident in the health care system; being old means low priority; prioritization causes worries; using underhand means in order to be prioritized; prioritization as a necessity; being averse to anyone having precedence over others; having doubts about the distribution of resources; and buying treatment requires wealth.
In vivo imaging of microglia turnover in the mouse retina after ionizing radiation and dexamethasone treatment.

PURPOSE Gamma irradiation and bone marrow transplantation (BMT) are established clinical procedures for the treatment of hematologic malignancies. The radiation targets cells in the bone marrow, but injury to other tissues, including the central nervous system (CNS), have been reported. Here, we examine if anti-inflammatory treatment can mitigate the radiation-induced turnover of retinal microglia and the replacement by bone marrow-derived cells (BMDCs). METHODS Two-color chimeric mice were generated by lethal irradiation of heterozygous CX3CR1-GFP mice that express GFP in microglial cells and bone marrow transplantation from universal DsRed donor mice. Mice were treated with the corticosteroid dexamethasone; a control group received no dexamethasone treatment. The populations of resident microglia (GFP+) and BMDCs (DsRed+) were quantified by serial in vivo imaging for 10 weeks after irradiation with a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope that we custom-built specifically for multicolor imaging of the murine retina. RESULTS Ionizing radiation resulted in loss of 75% of the resident retinal microglia population after 70 days. Recruitment of BMDCs was delayed with respect to the microglia loss, resulting in a transient depletion of the total immune cell number in the retina. With dexamethasone treatment, both the loss of the resident microglia and the infiltration of BMDCs were suppressed by at least 50%. CONCLUSIONS Anti-inflammatory treatment with the corticosteroidal agent dexamethasone preserves resident microglia and minimizes recruitment of BMDCs after ionizing radiation exposure and BMT.
Outcome in patients with colorectal cancer managed by surgical trainees

The surgeon is an important variable that influences outcome following colorectal cancer surgery. Operative training of suitable quality and quantity is essential if intersurgeon variation is to be reduced. The aim of this study was to examine the outcome of colorectal cancer surgery when a high proportion of the operations were performed by trainee surgeons.
The uterine progestational response to cats: changes in morphology and progesterone receptors during chronic administration of progesterone to estradiol-primed and nonprimed animals.

Estradiol-primed ovariectomized-adrenalectomized cats were used to study the role of estradiol and progesterone in eliciting a uterine progestational response. In ovariectomizedadrenalectomized animals, the endometrial glands were short, the epithelial cells were cuboidal with no evidence of secretory activity, and a basal level of progesterone cytosol receptor was present. After 7 days of estradiol treatment the glands were longer, the epithelium was short columnar, and electron dense secretory granules were present in the apex of the cells. Progesterone cytosol receptor levels were significantly higher when compared to untreated ovsriectomized-adrenalectomized values. The chronic administration of progesterone to estradiol-primed animals resulted in the deplaion of progesterone cytosol receptor, a parallel accumulation of progesterone nuclear receptor and the induction of a progestational response in the glands which included hyperplasia, hypertrophy, and glycogen synthesis and storage. With continued progesterone treatment the glycogen deposits disappeared and some cells appeared to die while the remainder differentiated into shorter residual cells containing dense core granules. This progestational response occurred over a 10-14 day period and was correlated with a gradual decrease in progesterone nuclear receptor levels. Progesterone administered to nonprimed animals resulted in the depletion of progesterone cytosol receptor and the induction of a progestational response similar to that observed in the estradiol-primed animals. This response included hyperplasia, hypertrophy, and the development of identical cell types; however, the response was delayed and not as uniform between cells and glands from the same animal. Surprisingly, progesterone nuclear receptor was detected in only 3 of the 12 animals included in the progesterone treated, nonprirned group, and after initial depletion, low levels of progesterone cytosol receptor returned and remained detectable for the duration of the study. This study demonstrates that a progestational response can be induced by progesterone in cat endomeaium with or without estradiol-priming, and that chronic administration of progesterone to estradiol-primed animals results in the depletion of the progesterone receptor system. Also, in the nonprimed animals progesterone has a biological effect even though no change could be detected in progesterone nuclear receptor levels.
Depressive symptoms in patients with epilepsy: analysis of self-rating and physician's assessment.

BACKGROUND Depression has significant negative impact on the quality of life in patients with epilepsy (PWE). AIM This study assessed the prevalence of depression in PWE and the impact of seizure variables on the depression scores. SETTINGS AND DESIGN A case-control study of randomly selected PWE attending a tertiary hospital in a metropolitan, Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 152 randomly selected subjects the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) for quantitative assessment of depression, while the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) was used by the investigators. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS The Student t test assessed statistical significance of differences in the BDI and HRSD scores, whereas the scores were correlated with Pearson's correlation coefficient. Logistic regression analysis and Chi-square test for trend assessed the impact of seizure variables on the scores. The level of significance was taken as P < 0.05. RESULTS The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 42% and 45% using the HRSD and BDI, respectively, with significant differences in the scores of the patients and controls on the both scales (P < 0.001). The PWE scores on both scales yielded a correlation coefficient of 0.8 indicating their utility in detecting depressive symptoms. Seizure control was the most potent predictor of depression (HRSD: P = 0.004; BDI: P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Depressive symptoms are common in epilepsy. Early detection and prompt management are recommended. Good seizure control with an appropriate antiepileptic drug, among other interventional measures, may contribute to the prevention of depression in epilepsy.
Oral Testosterone in Male Rats and the Development of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

Objectives: Considering that sex steroids can influence the immune system, we studied the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a T-cell-mediated autoimmune disease of the central nervous system, and the concomitant cell-mediated immunity in gonadally intact and gonadectomized male Wistar rats given testosterone supplementation. Methods/Results: Sham-operated rats and surgically castrated animals were orally self-administered with vehicle or testosterone added in the water bottle for 20 days before EAE induction. The androgenic effect of oral testosterone self-administration was evidenced by changes in body weight, and in the weights of androgen-dependent testes and seminal vesicles. Testosterone administration reduced the incidence of clinical signs of EAE in sham-operated animals and reversed the clinical symptoms of the disease associated with castrated EAE animals. The clinical signs observed in the different groups correlated with changes in delayed-type hypersensitivity and mononuclear cell-proliferative responses to the encephalitogenic myelin basic protein. Moreover, testosterone but not cholesterol supplementation in vitro suppressed the proliferative response of mononuclear cells to myelin basic protein suggesting that testosterone may affect specific immune functions through direct actions on immune cells. Finally, self-administration of testosterone induced also elevated corticosterone levels that in sham-operated rats correlated with the low incidence of the disease and in gonadectomized animals could be involved in the remission of clinical symptoms of EAE. Conclusions: These results suggest that orally self-administered testosterone can modulate specific cellular immune responses and serum corticosterone levels leading to changes in the development of EAE.
Gram-Negative Bacteremias: Analysis of Factors for Clinical Assessment of Gentamicin Resistance

• We reviewed the charts of 163 patients with 183 episodes of Gram-negative bacillary bacteremia to determine a clinical profile that would select patients at high risk for experiencing gentamicin-sulfate-resistant Gram-negative bacillary bacteremia at our hospital. Gentamicin-resistant Gram-negative bacilli were only associated with institution-acquired bacteremia. Among institution-acquired episodes, urinary tract infection, diagnostic or therapeutic procedures of the lower respiratory tract or urinary tract, presence of pneumonic infiltrate on chest roentgenogram, prior therapy with gentamicin, and prior therapy with other antibiotics were significant risk factors. Because only two of the 29 gentamicin-resistant bacteria that were tested against amikacin base were resistant to amikacin, we advocate initial treatment with amikacin for patients with evidence of an institution-acquired Gram-negative bacteremic episode. Gentamicin is still our initial choice for a community-acquired episode. ( Arch Intern Med 1981;141:582-586)
Isorhapontigenin, a bioavailable dietary polyphenol, suppresses airway epithelial cell inflammation through a corticosteroid‐independent mechanism

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a corticosteroid‐resistant airway inflammatory condition. Resveratrol exhibits anti‐inflammatory activities in COPD but has weak potency and poor pharmacokinetics. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of isorhapontigenin, another dietary polyphenol, as a novel anti‐inflammatory agent for COPD by examining its effects in vitro and pharmacokinetics in vivo.
Major and minor crRNA annealing sites facilitate low stringency DNA protospacer binding prior to Type I-A CRISPR-Cas interference in Sulfolobus

ABSTRACT The stringency of crRNA-protospacer DNA base pair matching required for effective CRISPR-Cas interference is relatively low in crenarchaeal Sulfolobus species in contrast to that required in some bacteria. To understand its biological significance we studied crRNA-protospacer interactions in Sulfolobus islandicus REY15A which carries multiple, and functionally diverse, interference complexes. A range of mismatches were introduced into a vector-borne protospacer that was identical to spacer 1 of CRISPR locus 2, with a cognate CCN PAM sequence. Two important crRNA annealing regions were identified on the 39 bp protospacer, a strong primary site centered on nucleotides 3 – 7 and a weaker secondary site at nucleotides 21 – 25. Multiple mismatches introduced into remaining protospacer regions did not seriously impair interference. Extending the study to different protospacers demonstrated that the efficacy of the secondary site was greatest for protospacers with higher G+C contents. In addition, the interference effects were assigned specifically to the type I-A dsDNA-targeting module by repeating the experiments with mutated protospacer constructs that were transformed into an S. islandicus mutant lacking type III-Bα and III-Bβ interference gene cassettes, which showed similar interference levels to those of the wild-type strain. Parallels are drawn to the involvement of 2 annealing sites for microRNAs on some eukaryal mRNAs which provide enhanced binding capacity and specificity. A biological rationale for the relatively low crRNA-protospacer base pairing stringency among the Sulfolobales is considered.
The role of reading on the health and well-being of people with neurological conditions: a systematic review

Objectives: Little research has been conducted that investigates the benefits of reading for people with neurological conditions despite its age old use to improve well-being. The aim of this study was to identify and review the evidence of the effect of ‘lone’ reading, reading aloud and shared reading groups on the health and well-being of people with neurological conditions in clinical and long-term care settings.Methods: A literature search was conducted incorporating a systematic search of electronic databases, internet searching, ‘snowballing’ technique from references of relevant studies and consultation with clinicians and academics in the field.Results: Twelve studies (five quantitative, three qualitative and four mixed methods) met the criteria for inclusion in the review. No randomised controlled trials were identified. Significant heterogeneity in the results of the quantitative studies precluded statistical data synthesis. Thematic analysis and synthesis was applied to the three qualitative studies and the qualitative data of the mixed-method studies. All but one of the quantitative studies reported that the reading interventions had a positive effect. The evidence from the qualitative studies demonstrated multiple positive effects of shared reading groups.Conclusions: The effect of ‘lone’ reading, reading aloud and shared reading groups on the health and well-being of people with neurological conditions is currently an under-researched area. Although this review reports encouraging results of positive effects, the results should be viewed with caution due to the lack of randomisation, the small numbers of participants involved, and the limited and heterogeneous evidence base.
Jagged-mediated Notch signaling maintains proliferating neural progenitors and regulates cell diversity in the ventral spinal cord

Previous studies have shown that Delta-mediated Notch signaling regulates the number of early differentiating neurons. However, the role of Notch activation and Jagged-mediated signaling during late neurogenesis remains poorly defined. In the developing spinal cord of zebrafish, GABAergic Kolmer–Agduhr (KA′′) cells and motor neurons (MN) emerge sequentially from their progenitors in the p3 domain. Jagged2 is expressed uniformly in the pMN domain during late neurogenesis where Olig2 is required for its expression. We suggest that Jagged2 interacts ventrally with progenitors in the adjacent p3 domain, where it has a critical role in the maintenance of proliferating neural progenitors and in preventing differentiation of these progenitors as GABAergic KA′′ cells or secondary MN. This study identifies a critical role for Jagged–Notch signaling in the maintenance of proliferating neural precursors in a discrete compartment of the neural tube during the continuing growth and development of the vertebrate nervous system.
Preconditioning by light-load eccentric exercise is equally effective as low-level laser therapy in attenuating exercise-induced muscle damage in collegiate men

Background/objective Previous studies have already reported an independent effect of light-load eccentric exercise (10% eccentric exercise contraction [EEC]) and low-level laser therapy (LLLT) as a protective measure against more strenuous eccentric exercise. However, the difference between these two interventions is largely unknown. Therefore, the present study aimed to compare the preconditioning effect of 10% EEC vs. LLLT on subjective, physiological, and biochemical markers of muscle damage in elbow flexors in collegiate men. Methods All 36 enrolled subjects were randomly assigned to either 10% EEC or LLLT group. Subjects in 10% EEC group performed 30 repetitions of an eccentric exercise with 10% maximal voluntary contraction strength 2 days prior to maximal eccentric exercise bout, whereas subjects in LLLT group were given LLLT. All the indirect markers of muscle damage were measured pre-exercise and at 24, 48, and 72 hours after the exercise-induced muscle damage protocol. Results The muscle soreness was reduced in both groups (p = 0.024); however, soreness was attenuated more in LLLT group at 48 hours (33.5 vs. 42.7, p = 0.004). There was no significant difference between the effect of 10% EEC and LLLT groups on other markers of muscle damage like a maximum voluntary isometric contraction (p = 0.47), range of motion (p = 0.16), upper arm circumference (p = 0.70), creatine kinase (p = 0.42), and lactate dehydrogenase (p = 0.08). Within-group analysis showed both interventions provided similar protection over time. Conclusion This study indicated that light-load eccentric exercise confers similar protective effect against subsequent maximal eccentric exercise as LLLT. Both the treatments could be used reciprocally based on the patient preference, costs, and feasibility of the equipment.