Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Beyond hearing aid fitting: improving communication for older adults

Many older adults with hearing impairment continue to have substantial communication difficulties after being fitted with hearing aids, and many do not choose to wear hearing aids. Two group communication education programs aimed at such older people are described. The ‘Keep on Talking’ program has a health promotion focus, and is aimed at maintaining communication for older adults living in the community. An experimental group (n=120) attended the program, and a control group (n = 130) received a communication assessment but no intervention. Significant improvements were found in the experimental participants in terms of knowledge about communication changes with age and about strategies to maintain communication skills. At the follow-up evaluation at 1 year, 45% of the experimental group, compared to 10% of the control group, had acted to improve their communication skills. The ‘Active Communication Education’ program focuses on the development of problem-solving strategies to improve communication in everyday life situations. Preliminary outcomes have been assessed on a small scale (n=14) to date. It is concluded that communication programs represent an important adjunct to, or supplement for, the traditional approach that focuses on hearing aid fitting.
Comparative functional analysis of skull morphology of tree-gouging primates.

Many primates habitually feed on tree exudates such as gums and saps. Among these exudate feeders, Cebuella pygmaea, Callithrix spp. , Phaner furcifer, and most likely Euoticus elegantulus elicit exudate flow by biting into trees with their anterior dentition. We define this behavior as gouging. Beyond the recent publication by Dumont ([1997] Am J Phys Anthropol 102:187-202), there have been few attempts to address whether any aspect of skull form in gouging primates relates to this specialized feeding behavior. However, many researchers have proposed that tree gouging results in larger bite force, larger internal skull loads, and larger jaw gapes in comparison to other chewing and biting behaviors. If true, then we might expect primate gougers to exhibit skull modifications that provide increased abilities to produce bite forces at the incisors, withstand loads in the skull, and/or generate large gapes for gouging. We develop 13 morphological predictions based on the expectation that gouging involves relatively large jaw forces and/or jaw gapes. We compare skull shapes for P. furcifer to five cheirogaleid taxa, E. elegantulus to six galagid species, and C. jacchus to two tamarin species, so as to assess whether gouging primates exhibit these predicted morphological shapes. Our results show little morphological evidence for increased force-production or load-resistance abilities in the skulls of these gouging primates. Conversely, these gougers tend to have skull shapes that are advantageous for creating large gapes. For example, all three gouging species have significantly lower condylar heights relative to the toothrow at a given mandibular length in comparison with closely related, nongouging taxa. Lowering the height of the condyle relative to the mandibular toothrow should reduce the stretching of the masseters and medial pterygoids during jaw opening, as well as position the mandibular incisors more anteriorly at wide jaw gapes. In other words, the lower incisors will follow a more vertical trajectory during both jaw opening and closing. We predict, based on these findings, that tree-gouging primates do not generate unusually large forces, but that they do use relatively large gapes during gouging. Of course, in vivo data on jaw forces and jaw gapes are required to reliably assess skull functions during gouging.
Expansion on specific substrates regulates the phenotype and differentiation capacity of human articular chondrocytes

In this study, we investigated if monolayer expansion of adult human articular chondrocytes (AHAC) on specific substrates regulates cell phenotype and post‐expansion multilineage differentiation ability. AHAC isolated from cartilage biopsies of five donors were expanded on plastic dishes (PL), on dishes coated with collagen type II (COL), or on slides coated with a ceramic material (Osteologic™, OS). The phenotype of expanded chondrocytes was assessed by flow cytometry and real‐time RT‐PCR. Cells were then cultured in previously established conditions promoting differentiation toward the chondrogenic or osteogenic lineage. AHAC differentiation was assessed histologically, biochemically, and by real‐time RT‐PCR. As compared to PL‐expanded AHAC, those expanded on COL did not exhibit major phenotypic changes, whereas OS‐expanded cells expressed (i) higher bone sialoprotein (BSP) (22.6‐fold) and lower collagen type II (9.3‐fold) mRNA levels, and (ii) lower CD26, CD90 and CD140 surface protein levels (1.4–11.1‐fold). Following chondrogenic differentiation, COL‐expanded AHAC expressed higher mRNA levels of collagen type II (2.3‐fold) and formed tissues with higher glycosaminoglycan (GAG) contents (1.7‐fold), whereas OS‐expanded cells expressed 16.5‐fold lower collagen type II and generated pellets with 2.0‐fold lower GAG contents. Following osteogenic differentiation, OS‐expanded cells expressed higher levels of BSP (3.9‐fold) and collagen type I (2.8‐fold) mRNA. In summary, AHAC expansion on COL or OS modulated the de‐differentiated cell phenotype and improved the cell differentiation capacity respectively toward the chondrogenic or osteogenic lineage. Phenotypic changes induced by AHAC expansion on specific substrates may mimic pathophysiological events occurring at different stages of osteoarthritis and may be relevant for the engineering of osteochondral tissues. J. Cell. Biochem. 98: 1140–1149, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Acute and chronic hormonal responses to resistance training designed to promote muscle hypertrophy.

Acute and chronic hormonal responses to resistance training were evaluated in 11 college men who completed 12 weeks (33 sessions) of high volume resistance training. No differences in resting concentrations of growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor-I, testosterone, or sex hormone-binding globulin occurred from pre- and posttraining in the trained vs. nontrained control group. However, cortisol (c) decreased 17% for both groups (p < 0.05). There were no differences in exercise-induced responses between Sessions 10 and 20, with all hormone concentrations increasing (p < 0.05) from pre- at mid- and post exercise session. However, after correction for plasma volume decreases, only C and GH showed differences, with C increased from mid- to postsession (48% 10th; 49% 20th), and GH increased from pre- at mid- and postsession for both sessions 10 (0.16 +/- 0.42 pre; 4.77 +/- 6.24 mid; 6.26 +/- 5.19 post; microg x L-1) and 20 (0.33 +/- 0.85 pre; 5.42 +/- 9.08 mid; 8.24 +/- 7.61 post; microg x L-1). Significant correlations (p< 0.05) existed only between absolute mean GH increases from presession and the degree of muscle fiber hypertrophy for type I (r = 0.70 mid, 0.74 post) and type II (r = 0.71 post) fibers. In conclusion, resistance training had no effect on resting serum hormone concentrations, whereas similar acute exercise responses occurred between the 10th and 20th training sessions.
The deceptive nature of UVA tanning versus the modest protective effects of UVB tanning on human skin

The relationship between human skin pigmentation and protection from ultraviolet (UV) radiation is an important element underlying differences in skin carcinogenesis rates. The association between UV damage and the risk of skin cancer is clear, yet a strategic balance in exposure to UV needs to be met. Dark skin is protected from UV‐induced DNA damage significantly more than light skin owing to the constitutively higher pigmentation, but an as yet unresolved and important question is what photoprotective benefit, if any, is afforded by facultative pigmentation (i.e. a tan induced by UV exposure). To address that and to compare the effects of various wavelengths of UV, we repetitively exposed human skin to suberythemal doses of UVA and/or UVB over 2 weeks after which a challenge dose of UVA and UVB was given. Although visual skin pigmentation (tanning) elicited by different UV exposure protocols was similar, the melanin content and UV‐protective effects against DNA damage in UVB‐tanned skin (but not in UVA‐tanned skin) were significantly higher. UVA‐induced tans seem to result from the photooxidation of existing melanin and its precursors with some redistribution of pigment granules, while UVB stimulates melanocytes to up‐regulate melanin synthesis and increases pigmentation coverage, effects that are synergistically stimulated in UVA and UVB‐exposed skin. Thus, UVA tanning contributes essentially no photoprotection, although all types of UV‐induced tanning result in DNA and cellular damage, which can eventually lead to photocarcinogenesis.
Income Inequality, Social Cohesion, and Health: Clarifying the Theory—A Reply to Muntaner and Lynch

Statistical evidence suggests that social cohesion provides the link between income inequality and health, but it is not clear how it might do so. The vagueness of the concept of cohesion and the difficulty of seeing how something so apparently ephemeral could exert a major influence on health has led to skepticism about its role in the relation between income distribution and mortality. The author suggests that social cohesion is indicative of underlying psychosocial risk factors that are known to be closely associated with health. Attention is drawn to the strong inverse relationships between measures of social inequality and measures of the quality of social relations in numerous different data sets. Given that social status and social affiliations, in terms of population-attributable risks, are among the most powerful influences on population health in the developed world, this is a potentially potent mixture for health. An antipathy between hierarchical relations across inequalities of power, income, and status on the one hand, and supportive social relations between equals on the other, is likely to exert a powerful influence on health.
How Mastery Learning Works at Scale

Nearly every adaptive learning system aims to present students with materials personalized to their level of understanding (Enyedy, 2014). Typically, such adaptation follows some form of mastery learning (Bloom, 1968), in which students are asked to master one topic before proceeding to the next topic. Mastery learning programs have a long history of success (Guskey and Gates, 1986; Kulik, Kulik & Bangert-Drowns, 1990) and have been shown to be superior to alternative instructional approaches. Although there is evidence for the effectiveness of mastery learning when it is well supported by teachers, mastery learning's effectiveness is crucially dependent on the ability and willingness of teachers to implement it properly. In particular, school environments impose time constraints and set goals for curriculum coverage that may encourage teachers to deviate from mastery-based instruction. In this paper we examine mastery learning as implemented in Carnegie Learning's Cognitive Tutor. Like in all real-world systems, teachers and students have the ability to violate mastery learning guidance. We investigate patterns associated with violating and following mastery learning over the course of the full school year at the class and student level. We find that violations of mastery learning are associated with poorer student performance, especially among struggling students, and that this result is likely attributable to such violations of mastery learning.
Preventing weight gain by lifestyle intervention in a general practice setting: three-year results of a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND Weight regain after initial loss of weight is common, which indicates a need for lifestyle counseling aimed at preventing weight gain instead of weight loss. This study was conducted to determine whether structured lifestyle counseling by nurse practitioners (NPs) group compared with usual care by general practitioners (GP-UC) in overweight and obese patients can prevent (further) weight gain. METHODS A randomized controlled trial in 11 general practice locations in the Netherlands of 457 patients (body mass index, 25-40 [calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared]; mean age, 56 years; 52% female) with either hypertension or dyslipidemia or both. The NP group received lifestyle counseling with guidance of the NP using a standardized software program. The GP-UC group received usual care from their GP. Main outcome measures were changes in body weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, and fasting glucose and blood lipid levels after 3 years. RESULTS In both groups, approximately 60% of the participants achieved weight maintenance after 3 years. There was no significant difference in mean (SD) weight change and change of waist circumference between the NP and GP-UC groups (weight change: NP group, -1.2% [5.8%], and GP-UC group, -0.6% [5.6%] [P = .37]; and change of waist circumference: NP group, -0.8 [7.1] cm, and GP-UC group, 0.4 [7.2] cm [P = .11]). A significant difference occurred for mean (SD) fasting glucose levels (NP group, -0.02 [0.49] mmol/L, and GP-UC group, 0.10 [0.53] mmol/L [P = .02]) (to convert to milligrams per deciliter, divide by 0.0555) but not for lipid levels and blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS Lifestyle counseling by NPs did not lead to significantly better prevention of weight gain compared with GPs. In the majority in both groups, lifestyle counseling succeeded in preventing (further) weight gain. TRIAL REGISTRATION trialregister.nl Identifier: NTR1365.
Pharmacokinetics and Resistance Mutations Affect Virologic Response to Ritonavir/Saquinavir-Containing Regimens

The authors assessed the impact of protease and reverse transcription (RT) mutations and individual pharmacokinetic parameters on virologic response to a four-drug regimen including ritonavir/saquinavir. Treatment was given at the start of the study (M0) to 22 HIV-1 protease inhibitor-naive or pretreated patients. Protease and RT genes were sequenced at M0, at the time of virologic failure, or at the end of the follow-up. Plasma ritonavir and saquinavir peak Cmax, Cmin, and area under the curve (AUC) were determined based on samples taken 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 12 hours after administration. HIV-1 RNA decreased to less than 50 copies/mL in 11 patients (group 1). At M0, five of them had no RT mutation and 10 had three or fewer secondary protease mutations with no new mutation during follow-up. Ritonavir and saquinavir pharmacokinetics showed wide interindividual variability. Treatment failed in 11 patients (group 2): 9 had three to eight protease mutations and a mean of 5.8 RT mutations at M0, with emergence of new mutations during follow-up. Pharmacokinetics was similar to those of group 1. The other two patients with virologic failure showed no baseline primary mutation but were the only patients with insufficient saquinavir and ritonavir AUC. The authors showed the complementarity between drug-resistance genotype and individual pharmacokinetics and the potential utility of AUC and Cmax to manage treatment.
ADS and CDS Streamer Generation as Function of Pulse Parameters

Streamer plasmas can be used to remove pollutants from gases. As a result of the complex mechanisms involved during streamer initiation and propagation, the related knowledge is incomplete. During the last few years, extensive research was performed to determine typical streamer properties (such as velocity and dimensions) as a function of various pulse parameters. During the study, as presented in this paper, typical streamer velocities and diameters in the range of 105-106 m/s and 0.5-3.0 mm, respectively, were found.
The Potential of Dual Camera Systems for Multimodal Imaging of Cardiac Electrophysiology and Metabolism

Fluorescence imaging has become a common modality in cardiac electrodynamics. A single fluorescent parameter is typically measured. Given the growing emphasis on simultaneous imaging of more than one cardiac variable, we present an analysis of the potential of dual camera imaging, using as an example our straightforward dual camera system that allows simultaneous measurement of two dynamic quantities from the same region of the heart. The advantages of our system over others include an optional software camera calibration routine that eliminates the need for precise camera alignment. The system allows for rapid setup, dichroic image separation, dual-rate imaging, and high spatial resolution, and it is generally applicable to any two-camera measurement. This type of imaging system offers the potential for recording simultaneously not only transmembrane potential and intracellular calcium, two frequently measured quantities, but also other signals more directly related to myocardial metabolism, such as [K+]e, NADH, and reactive oxygen species, leading to the possibility of correlative multimodal cardiac imaging. We provide a compilation of dye and camera information critical to the design of dual camera systems and experiments.
The role of ethnicity and diagnosis in rates of adolescent psychiatric admission and compulsory detention: a longitudinal case-note study

Objectives To explore whether ethnic variations in psychiatric admission and detention reported for adults also apply to adolescents and to establish the influence of diagnosis. Design A longitudinal, case-note study over a 10-year period. Setting An adolescent inpatient psychiatric unit in London. Participants All adolescents admitted to the unit. Main outcome measures Rates of admission and detention under the Mental Health Act, according to catchment area population. Results Young Black people were nearly six times more likely than the White group to be admitted with psychosis but showed no increase in admission for non-psychotic conditions. Young people in the Other group were over three times more likely to be admitted with psychosis but showed only a modest increase in admission with non-psychotic conditions. Young Asians were over twice as likely to be admitted with psychosis but were only one-third as likely to be admitted with non-psychotic conditions. Young people with psychosis in the Black and Other groups were around three times more likely to have been detained, but there were no significant differences for non-psychotic conditions. Conclusions Significant ethnic variation was found in the rates of admission and detention for adolescents. However, diagnosis was also an important consideration and must be taken into account when examining for evidence of ethnic bias in the use of mental health services by young people. Further investigation is required to establish whether adolescent care pathways are providing a safe and appropriate level of inpatient care for all ethnic groups.
Sphericity and symmetry breaking in the formation of Frank–Kasper phases from one component materials

Significance Understanding how particles fill space has challenged mathematicians, scientists, and technologists since antiquity. This article rationalizes the spontaneous organization of single-component diblock copolymers into multimolecular nanoscale domains that order into a low-symmetry Frank–Kasper (FK) phase with short-range tetrahedral close packing and a giant unit cell that contains 30 particles. This class of crystal structures bridges conventional periodic crystals and low symmetry aperiodic crystals often termed “quasicrystals. ” Surprising analogies are thus drawn between the heretofore unexplained formation of FK structures in soft materials, and in certain elemental metals (including manganese and uranium), alloys, and intermetallic compounds, highlighting opportunities to better understand space filling in hard and soft materials by investigation of block polymers with precisely tuned molecular architectures. Frank–Kasper phases are tetrahedrally packed structures occurring in numerous materials, from elements to intermetallics to self-assembled soft materials. They exhibit complex manifolds of Wigner–Seitz cells with many-faceted polyhedra, forming an important bridge between the simple close-packed periodic and quasiperiodic crystals. The recent discovery of the Frank–Kasper σ-phase in diblock and tetrablock polymers stimulated the experiments reported here on a poly(isoprene-b-lactide) diblock copolymer melt. Analysis of small-angle X-ray scattering and mechanical spectroscopy exposes an undiscovered competition between the tendency to form self-assembled particles with spherical symmetry, and the necessity to fill space at uniform density within the framework imposed by the lattice. We thus deduce surprising analogies between the symmetry breaking at the body-centered cubic phase to σ-phase transition in diblock copolymers, mediated by exchange of mass, and the symmetry breaking in certain metals and alloys (such as the elements Mn and U), mediated by exchange of charge. Similar connections are made between the role of sphericity in real space for polymer systems, and the role of sphericity in reciprocal space for metallic systems such as intermetallic compounds and alloys. These findings establish new links between disparate materials classes, provide opportunities to improve the understanding of complex crystallization by building on synergies between hard and soft matter, and, perhaps most significantly, challenge the view that the symmetry breaking required to form reduced symmetry structures (possibly even quasiperiodic crystals) requires particles with multiple predetermined shapes and/or sizes.
Gaseous Oxidized Mercury Dry Deposition Measurements in the Southwestern USA: A Comparison between Texas, Eastern Oklahoma, and the Four Corners Area

Gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM) dry deposition measurements using aerodynamic surrogate surface passive samplers were collected in central and eastern Texas and eastern Oklahoma, from September 2011 to September 2012. The purpose of this study was to provide an initial characterization of the magnitude and spatial extent of ambient GOM dry deposition in central and eastern Texas for a 12-month period which contained statistically average annual results for precipitation totals, temperature, and wind speed. The research objective was to investigate GOM dry deposition in areas of Texas impacted by emissions from coal-fired utility boilers and compare it with GOM dry deposition measurements previously observed in eastern Oklahoma and the Four Corners area. Annual GOM dry deposition rate estimates were relatively low in Texas, ranging from 0.1 to 0.3 ng/m2h at the four Texas monitoring sites, similar to the 0.2 ng/m2h annual GOM dry deposition rate estimate recorded at the eastern Oklahoma monitoring site. The Texas and eastern Oklahoma annual GOM dry deposition rate estimates were at least four times lower than the highest annual GOM dry deposition rate estimate previously measured in the more arid bordering western states of New Mexico and Colorado in the Four Corners area.
Interventions to increase HPV vaccination coverage: A systematic review

ABSTRACT We reviewed intervention studies designed to increase human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination coverage to further understand the impact interventions can have on HPV vaccination coverage. We searched 5 databases for intervention studies published from June 2006 to May 2015. Studies were included if they quantitatively measured HPV vaccination coverage as an outcome and were conducted in the United States. We abstracted outcomes, methods, and results from each study and classified by type of intervention conducted. Findings from 34 studies suggest many types of intervention strategies can increase HPV vaccination coverage in different settings, and with modest cost. Interventions were effective especially when implemented in combination at both provider and community levels. However, not all interventions showed significant effects on coverage. More research is needed to identify the best methods for widespread implementation of effective strategies.