Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Greater skeletal muscle fat infiltration is associated with higher all-cause mortality among men of African ancestry.

BACKGROUND fat infiltration within and around skeletal muscle (i.e. myosteatosis) increases with ageing, is greater in African versus European ancestry men and is associated with poor health. Myosteatosis studies of mortality are lacking, particularly among African ancestry populations. METHODS in the Tobago Health study, a prospective longitudinal study, we evaluated the association of all-cause mortality with quantitative computed tomography (QCT) measured lower leg myosteatosis (intermuscular fat (IM fat) and muscle density) in 1,652 African ancestry men using Cox proportional hazards models. Date of death was abstracted from death certificates and/or proxy. RESULTS one hundred and twelve deaths occurred during follow-up (mean 5.9 years). In all men (age range 40-91 years), higher all-cause mortality was associated with greater IM fat (HR (95% CI) per SD: 1.29 (1.06-1.57)) and lower muscle density (HR (95% CI) per SD lower: 1.37 (1.08-1.75)) in fully adjusted models. Similar mortality hazard rates were seen in the subset of elderly men (aged ≥65 years) with greater IM fat (1.40 (1.11-1.78) or lower muscle density (1.66 (1.24-2.21)) in fully adjusted models. CONCLUSIONS our study identified a novel, independent association between myosteatosis and all-cause mortality in African ancestry men. Further studies are needed to establish whether this association is independent of other ectopic fat depots and to identify possible biological mechanisms underlying this relationship.
Mild phenotypes and proper supercomplex assembly in human cells carrying the homoplasmic m.15557G > A mutation in cytochrome b gene

Respiratory complex III (CIII) is the first enzymatic bottleneck of the mitochondrial respiratory chain both in its native dimeric form and in supercomplexes. The mammalian CIII comprises 11 subunits among which cytochrome b is central in the catalytic core, where oxidation of ubiquinol occurs at the Qo site. The Qo‐ or PEWY‐motif of cytochrome b is the most conserved through species. Importantly, the highly conserved glutamate at position 271 (Glu271) has never been studied in higher eukaryotes so far and its role in the Q‐cycle remains debated. Here, we showed that the homoplasmic m.15557G > A/MT‐CYB, which causes the p.Glu271Lys amino acid substitution predicted to dramatically affect CIII, induces a mild mitochondrial dysfunction in human transmitochondrial cybrids. Indeed, we found that the severity of such mutation is mitigated by the proper assembly of CIII into supercomplexes, which may favor an optimal substrate channeling and buffer superoxide production in vitro.
Relationship between bovine oocyte morphology and in vitro developmental potential

We investigated the relationship between the morphology of oocytes collected from small antral follicles and their developmental capacity. Immature oocytes were classified into seven groups and cultured in vitro for maturation (IVM), fertilization (IVF) and development to blastocysts (IVC). After IVF, sperm penetration and normal fertilization rates were higher in the oocytes whose cytoplasm appeared brown. The rate of polyspermy was highest in the oocytes whose cytoplasm was black. After IVC, the rates of cleavage and of development to the blastocyst stage were also higher in the brown oocytes. Although the oocytes with dark clusters in a pale cytoplasm showed lower cleavage rates, cleaved zygotes had high developmental rates the same as the oocytes with a brown cytoplasm. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the oocytes with a pale or black cytoplasm had organelles arranged differently from other oocytes before IVM. Most of the oocytes with a brown and homogeneous cytoplasm or small diameter had the characteristics of immature cytoplasm (large clusters of cortical granules) even after IVM. On the other hand, the brown oocytes with a dark zone at the periphery or with dark clusters showed the same arrangement of organelles as in vivo matured oocytes. The oocytes with a pale or black cytoplasm appeared to be degenerating and/or ageing. In conclusion, a dark ooplasm indicates an accumulation of lipids and good developmental potential, while a light-coloured ooplasm indicates a low density of organelles and poor developmental potential. A black ooplasm indicates ageing and low developmental potential.
Somatosensory fovea in the star‐nosed mole: Behavioral use of the star in relation to innervation patterns and cortical representation

Eleven fleshy appendages, or rays, surround each of the nostrils of the star‐nosed mole. Each ray is covered with tactile sensory organs, and each ray is represented in the cortex by a stripe of tissue visible in brain sections processed for cytochrome oxidase. Here we report that the 11th, ventral ray is the behavioral focus of the nose. This ray is preferentially used to explore prey items by touch, in a behavior pattern similar to the use of a fovea in the visual system. After prey is first contacted with any nasal ray, subsequent touches are centered on the 11th ray. Although the 11th ray is small and has relatively few sensory organs on its surface, it has the largest cortical representation, greatest area of cortex per sensory organ, and the highest innervation density per sensory organ. In addition, the average area of cortex per primary afferent is highest for this ray. We refer to the differential magnification of first‐order afferents in the cortical representation as “afferent magnification. ” The patterns of both cortical magnification (cortical area per sensory organ) and afferent magnification (cortical area per afferent) of the rays correlated highly with the distribution of touches across the nose scored from videotaped behavior. A simple model of star‐nosed mole behavior predicts the distribution of touches across the rays and also correlates highly with both the actual pattern of behavior and the patterns of cortical magnification observed. J. Comp. Neurol. 387:215–233, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Role of Intestinal Microbiota in Transformation of Bismuth and Other Metals and Metalloids into Volatile Methyl and Hydride Derivatives in Humans and Mice

ABSTRACT The present study shows that feces samples of 14 human volunteers and isolated gut segments of mice (small intestine, cecum, and large intestine) are able to transform metals and metalloids into volatile derivatives ex situ during anaerobic incubation at 37°C and neutral pH. Human feces and the gut of mice exhibit highly productive mechanisms for the formation of the toxic volatile derivative trimethylbismuth [(CH3)3Bi] at rather low concentrations of bismuth (0.2 to 1 μmol kg−1 [dry weight]). An increase of bismuth up to 2 to 14 mmol kg−1 (dry weight) upon a single (human volunteers) or continuous (mouse study) administration of colloidal bismuth subcitrate resulted in an average increase of the derivatization rate from approximately 4 pmol h−1 kg−1 (dry weight) to 2,100 pmol h−1 kg−1 (dry weight) in human feces samples and from approximately 5 pmol h−1 kg−1 (dry weight) to 120 pmol h−1 kg−1 (dry weight) in mouse gut samples, respectively. The upshift of the bismuth content also led to an increase of derivatives of other elements (such as arsenic, antimony, and lead in human feces or tellurium and lead in the murine large intestine). The assumption that the gut microbiota plays a dominant role for these transformation processes, as indicated by the production of volatile derivatives of various elements in feces samples, is supported by the observation that the gut segments of germfree mice are unable to transform administered bismuth to (CH3)3Bi.
Plasticity of the Pjunc Promoter of ISEc11, a New Insertion Sequence of the IS1111 Family

ABSTRACT We describe identification and functional characterization of ISEc11, a new insertion sequence that is widespread in enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC), in which it is always present on the virulence plasmid (pINV) and very frequently also present on the chromosome. ISEc11 is flanked by subterminal 13-bp inverted repeats (IRs) and is bounded by 3-bp terminal sequences, and it transposes with target specificity without generating duplication of the target site. ISEc11 is characterized by an atypical transposase containing the DEDD motif of the Piv/MooV family of DNA recombinases, and it is closely related to the IS1111 family. Transposition occurs by formation of minicircles through joining of the abutted ends and results in assembly of a junction promoter (PjuncC) containing a −10 box in the interstitial sequence and a −35 box upstream of the right IR. A natural variant of ISEc11 (ISEc11p), found on EIEC pINV plasmids, contains a perfect duplication of the outermost 39 bp of the right end. Upon circularization, ISEc11p forms a junction promoter (PjuncP) which, despite carrying −10 and −35 boxes identical to those of PjuncC, exhibits 30-fold-greater strength in vivo. The discovery of only one starting point in primer extension experiments rules out the possibility that there are alternative promoter sites within the 39-bp duplication. Analysis of in vitro-generated transcripts confirmed that at limiting RNA polymerase concentrations, the activity of PjuncP is 20-fold higher than the activity of PjuncC. These observations suggest that the 39-bp duplication might host cis-acting elements that facilitate the binding of RNA polymerase to the promoter.
Merton problem in an infinite horizon and a discrete time with frictions

We investigate the problem of optimal investment and consumption of Merton in the case of discrete markets in an infinite horizon. We suppose that there is frictions in the markets due to loss in trading. These frictions are modeled through nonlinear penalty functions and the classical transaction cost and liquidity models are included in this formulation. In this context, the solvency region is defined taking into account this penalty function and every investigator have to maximize his utility, that is derived from consumption, in this region. We give the dynamic programming of the model and we prove the existence and uniqueness of the value function.
Nasalance during use of pharyngeal and glottal place of production.

PURPOSE This study obtained nasalance scores during use of compensatory articulation (CA) and compared nasalance between groups with and without hypernasality and with and without CA. METHODS Speech samples were obtained from 43 individuals with and without velopharyngeal dysfunction during repetition of 20 phrases originating 860 audio recordings and their respective nasometric values. After excluding 143 recordings due to low quality, the remaining 717 samples were rated by three speech language pathologists (SLPs), independently, for presence or absence of hypernasality and CA. Nasalance scores for the 553 samples rated with 100% agreement among the SLPs were grouped according to the auditory-perceptual ratings: Group 1 (G1) - included samples without hypernasality and without CA (n=191); Group2 (G2) - included samples with hypernasality and without CA (n=288); Group 3 (G3) - included samples with hypernasality and with pharyngeal fricative (n=33); Group 4 (G4) - included samples with hypernasality and with glottal stop (n=41). RESULTS Analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed significant difference nasalance scores which were significantly higher for G2, G3, and G4 (p<0.0001) when compared to G1. The use of pharyngeal fricative (G3), particularly during /f/ (p=0.0018) and /s/ (p=0.0017) productions resulted in nasalance scores significantly higher than scores found for G2. CONCLUSION Significantly higher nasalance values where identified during use of pharyngeal fricative.
Adverse effect of excess body weight on survival in cervical cancer patients after surgery and radiotherapy

Purpose This study aimed to assess the effects of body mass index (BMI) on survival in cervical cancer patients who had undergone surgery and radiotherapy (RT). Materials and Methods We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 70 cervical cancer patients who underwent surgery and RT from 2007 to 2012. Among them, 40 patients (57.1%) had pelvic lymph node metastases at the time of diagnosis. Sixty-seven patients (95.7%) had received chemotherapy. All patients had undergone surgery and postoperative RT. Median BMI of patients was 22.8 kg/m2 (range, 17.7 to 35.9 kg/m2). Results The median duration of follow-up was 52.3 months (range, 16 to 107 months). Twenty-four patients (34.3%) showed recurrence. Local failure, regional lymph nodal failure, and distant failure occurred in 4 (5.7%), 6 (8.6%), and 17 (24.3%) patients, respectively. The 5-year actuarial pelvic control rate was 83.4%. The 5-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 85.1% and 65.0%, respectively. The presence of pelvic lymph node metastases (n = 30) and being overweight or obese (n = 34, BMI ≥ 23 kg/m2) were poor prognostic factors for CSS (p = 0.003 and p = 0.045, respectively). Of these, pelvic lymph node metastasis was an independent prognostic factor (p = 0.030) for CSS. Conclusion Overweight or obese cervical cancer patients showed poorer survival outcomes than normal weight or underweight patients. Weight control seems to be important in cervical cancer patients to improve clinical outcomes.
Association between perceived discrimination and racial/ethnic disparities in problem behaviors among preadolescent youths.

OBJECTIVES We examined the contribution of perceived racial/ethnic discrimination to disparities in problem behaviors among preadolescent Black, Latino, and White youths. METHODS We used cross-sectional data from Healthy Passages, a 3-community study of 5119 fifth graders and their parents from August 2004 through September 2006 in Birmingham, Alabama; Los Angeles County, California; and Houston, Texas. We used multivariate regressions to examine the relationships of perceived racial/ethnic discrimination and race/ethnicity to problem behaviors. We used values from these regressions to calculate the percentage of disparities in problem behaviors associated with the discrimination effect. RESULTS In multivariate models, perceived discrimination was associated with greater problem behaviors among Black and Latino youths. Compared with Whites, Blacks were significantly more likely to report problem behaviors, whereas Latinos were significantly less likely (a "reverse disparity"). When we set Blacks' and Latinos' discrimination experiences to zero, the adjusted disparity between Blacks and Whites was reduced by an estimated one third to two thirds; the reverse adjusted disparity favoring Latinos widened by about one fifth to one half. CONCLUSIONS Eliminating discrimination could considerably reduce mental health issues, including problem behaviors, among Black and Latino youths.
The Gender Gap in Early Career Wage Growth: The Role of Children, Job Mobility, and Occupational Mobility

During the first 10 years in the Swedish labor market, male university graduates experience a faster wage growth than their female counterparts. This paper investigates the role of job mobility and upward occupational mobility in explaining the gender gap in early career wage growth. The analysis reveals that although job mobility and upward occupational mobility significantly contribute to the early career wage growth of both men and women, the size of the wage growth effect of both types of mobility is significantly lower for women. This female mobility penalty persists even after accounting for gender differences in observed individual and job characteristics, as well as unobserved individual specific heterogeneity. We further investigate to what extent this mobility penalty of women is explained by parental status. We find that the female penalty in returns to upward occupational mobility is largely linked to the timing of childbirth and childcare, which suggests the presence of a trade-off between work and family. Regarding job mobility, a significant female penalty is found among the childless as well as among parents, and anticipation of parenthood within the next year is found to exacerbate the female penalty in returns to job mobility even further.
Prevalence of Trachoma in Bauchi State, Nigeria: Results of 20 Local Government Area-Level Surveys

ABSTRACT Purpose: To determine the prevalence of trachomatous inflammation – follicular (TF) and trichiasis in each of the 20 local government areas (LGAs) of Bauchi State, Nigeria. Methods: We undertook a population-based prevalence survey in each LGA in Bauchi State, employing the Global Trachoma Mapping Project methodology. We used a 2-stage, systematic and quasi-random sampling strategy. Using probability proportional to size, we selected 25 clusters, in each of which 25 households were selected by random walk. All residents of selected households 1 year and older were examined for TF, trachomatous inflammation – intense, and trichiasis, using the World Health Organization simplified grading scheme. Results: Only two LGAs in Bauchi State had TF prevalences in 1–9-year-olds over 5%, with none having TF prevalences of 10% or greater. Only one LGA had a trichiasis prevalence in adults below the elimination threshold; all the others had trichiasis at levels suggestive of public health significance. In all 20 LGAs, more than 60% of households were within 1 km of an improved source of water for hygiene. Conclusion: Efforts need to be made in Bauchi State to provide trichiasis surgery in order to avert trachomatous blindness. Water supplies needs to be sustained and good personal hygiene practices assured so that elimination of trachoma as a public health problem will be achieved and sustained.
Work-poor and work-rich families: Influence on youth labour market outcomes

This working paper sets out to examine trends in the distribution of work between households and how this affects the employment likelihood of young people in Europe. A significant body of literature has indicated the growth of work-poor and work-rich households. These are households where either nobody is in employment in contrast to households were at least two people, usually the parents, are both working. The central policy concern about this observable trend since the 1990s is to develop policies to reduce the number of households were no one is working. Concern with this development is due to the consequences and legacies of intergenerational transmission of the disadvantages associated with unemployment alongside the increased risks faced by children living in poverty. The causes of these family legacies has been contested between those who claim that this is a product of 'cultures of dependency' in contrast to those who attribute this phenomena to structural explanations such as the educational background of the parents or these households being located in areas of regional deprivation with high levels of unemployment. This research paper sets out to map these trends across Europe in recent years, before and after the financial crisis, in order to provide a background to these debates. This paper provides an initial summary of several pieces of research conducted by the partners in work package 8 Task 1, and is organised in the following way. • First, we briefly outline the theoretical debates accounting for generations of work-poor households and the policy implications from these different approaches for young people; • Second, we compare the distribution of these trends across Europe using the EU-SILC data; • Third, we examine the longer term family legacies of coming from different households and how these are associated with labour market outcomes for young people in Europe; • Fourth, we compare the impact of both parents and other siblings on the transitions around employment drawing on EU-SILC data and SHARE data; • Fifth, we examine the macro context and the effect of unemployment and housing benefits on youth employment trajectories; • Sixth, we focus on gender, ethnic and age differences in the context of the UK which has historically had high levels of jobless households; • We conclude by summarising the key findings and suggesting how these might inform policy concerns arising from this analysis.
Early Predictors of Reading in Three Groups of Native Spanish Speakers: Spaniards, Gypsies, and Latin Americans

The main purpose of the study reported here was to examine the early linguistic predictors of reading (e.g., Knowledge About Print, Listening Comprehension, Receptive Vocabulary, Rapid Naming of Objects and Letters, and Phonological Awareness), for a sample of 77 Spaniards, 48 Latinos, and 30 Gypsies kindergartens (mean age = 5 years 9 months) living in Spain. The relative contribution of ethnic background, neighbourhood socioeconomic status (SES), age, and gender was assessed. Findings revealed that ethnic background, neighborhood SES, and age differentially predicted children's pre-literacy skills. The implications of these results for understanding the role played by these demographic and socio-cultural variables in alphabetic literacy acquisition are discussed. The second purpose of this study was to add to the growing literature on the nature of reading challenges in children who are learning to read a transparent orthography-Spanish. Cross-linguistic research between different subtypes of readers will add to understand the impact of language characteristics in reading acquisition. Finally, the present study suggested that early assessment of pre-literacy skills can be a highly effective way to determine the instructional needs of students who are at risk for reading failure before formal reading instruction begins. El objetivo principal del presente estudio fue examinar los predictores tempranos de la lectura (ej.: conocimiento sobre el material impreso, comprensión oral, vocabulario receptivo, denominación rápida de objetos y letras y conciencia fonológica), en una muestra de niños de educación infantil (edad media = 5 años y 9 meses), de los cuales 77 eran madrileños, pertenecientes a la cultura mayoritaria, 48 inmigrantes latinos y 30 madrileños de etnia gitana. La contribución relativa a la adquisición lectora del grupo étnico, estatus socioeconómico, edad y género fue evaluada. Los hallazgos revelan que el grupo étnico, estatus socioeconómico y la edad predicen de modo diferente la habilidad prelectora de los niños. Las implicaciones de estos resultados son discutidas. El segundo objetivo de este estudio fue añadir nuevos datos a la creciente literatura sobre los retos que afrontan los niños que aprenden a leer en una ortografía transparente, como es el caso del español. La investigación entre lenguas y diferentes subtipos de lectores hará que comprendamos mejor el impacto que las características de una lengua tiene en la adquisición lectora. Por último, el presente estudio sugiere que el diagnóstico temprano de las habilidades prelectoras, antes de que la instrucción formal de la lectura comience, puede ser muy efectivo para determinar las necesidades de estudiantes que se encuentran en situación de riesgo de padecer dificultades en la lectura.