Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Noncontraceptive estrogen use and cardiovascular disease.

To summarize, estrogens have powerful effects on certain biologic parameters, the alteration of which could influence cardiovascular disease risk. Estrogens have long been known to influence lipid and lipoprotein levels by decreasing LDL (the atherogenic lipoprotein) and by increasing HDL (the protective lipoprotein). THese lipid alterations could favorably influence the risk of cardiovascular disease. Estrogens also temporarily increase glucose intolerance and lower fasting glucose levels; although the former event could adversely affect cardiovascular disease risk, the clinical significance of increased glucose intolerance with low fasting levels has not been determined. There is no consistent evidence that menopausal estrogens adversely affect coagulation or blood pressure levels, although both of these parameters could be affected in selected individuals. Overall, the estrogenic effects on lipid/lipoprotein levels appear to be the most consistent and the most powerful; given this assumption, estrogens should protect against cardiovascular disease. There is another interpretation of the biologic effect of estrogens on cardiovascular risk. It is possible that estrogens may increase the risk of a thromboembolic event due to an adverse influence on coagulation parameters and, at the same time, decrease the risk of an atherogenic event (via favorably altered lipid/lipoprotein levels). This proposed dual action of estrogens may explain the apparently conflicting results of increased risks of thromboembolism and decreased risks of atherosclerosis or myocardial infarction in men treated with high doses of estrogen (36, 196, 197). In women, there is some suggestion that (low-dose) postmenopausal estrogens may increase the risk of thromboembolism (79, 204), although the majority of studies report no such increase. The difference in risk of thromboembolism between men and women using estrogens may be due to several factors. First, the dose (potency) of the estrogen used by men is usually higher than that used by postmenopausal women, and the risk of estrogen-induced thrombus formation may be dose-dependent. Second, men tend to have more atherosclerotic lesions than women and thus would have more substrate available for thrombus formation. (This hypothesis is supported by the observation that the increased risk of thromboembolism was evident in men using estrogens for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.) Indirect evidence supporting the hypothesis that endogenous estrogen levels are protective against cardiovascular disease is most consistent for women. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Genetic Alterations in Gastric Adenomas of Intestinal and Foveolar Phenotypes

Gastric adenomas are unusual neoplasms that can constitute one of the direct precursors to gastric adenocarcinoma. Most gastric adenomas are comprised of polypoid projections of dysplastic epithelium with at least focal intestinal-type differentiation (containing goblet cells and/or Paneth cells), whereas adenomas comprised entirely of dysplastic foveolar-type epithelium are rare. It has been shown that nearly all intestinal-type adenomas arise in association with background intestinal metaplasia and gastric atrophy, approximately 40% harbor high-grade dysplasia, and nearly one fourth progress to adenocarcinoma. In contrast, foveolar-type adenomas tend to occur in otherwise normal, nonatrophic gastric mucosa and rarely harbor high-grade dysplasia or carcinoma. Potential differences in the genetic alterations between intestinal-type and foveolar-type gastric adenomas have not been systematically studied. We investigated 11 intestinal-type and 7 foveolar-type gastric adenomas (all from patients without familial adenomatous polyposis) for alterations in APC (using 5q allelic loss assays and direct DNA sequencing of the mutation cluster region), β-catenin (using direct DNA sequencing of the phosphorylation region in exon 3), K-ras (using direct DNA sequencing of codons 12 and 13), and microsatellite instability (MSI; using fluorescent-based PCR amplification of a standard panel of 5 microsatellite markers). Overall, 10 of 11 (91%) intestinal-type adenomas harbored at least one detectable genetic alteration, whereas only 3 of 7 (43%) of foveolar-type adenomas did (P = .047). However, no statistically significant differences in any particular genetic alteration were found. Among intestinal-type adenomas, APC alterations were present in seven (64%), high-level MSI in three (27%), and K-ras mutations in two (18%). Among foveolar-type adenomas, APC alterations were present in three (43%) and a K-ras mutation in one of six amplifiable polyps (17%). Neither APC nor MSI correlated with the size of the adenoma, but K-ras mutations were found only in lesions of ≥1 cm. β-catenin mutations were not present in any gastric adenoma, irrespective of the presence or absence of APC alterations. These results suggest that the types and frequencies of genetic alterations occurring in gastric and colorectal adenomas are similar. Although intestinal-type and foveolar-type gastric adenomas display divergent biologic behavior, the specific genetic events accounting for these differences in morphology and biologic behavior are unclear.
Women’s Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Anal Pap Testing

Objective The objectives of this study were to determine women’s knowledge of human papillomavirus (HPV) and anal cancer and knowledge and attitudes toward the anal Pap test. Materials and Methods A convenience sample of 370 women from the general population 21 years or older completed a 48-question preintervention survey; read an informational pamphlet about anal cancer, HPV, and anal Pap tests; and then completed a 21-question postintervention survey in Augusta, Atlanta, and Savannah, GA. The survey assessed their knowledge about anal cancer, HPV, and the anal Pap test and determined their attitudes toward the anal Pap test. Only preintervention results were considered in this article. Descriptive statistics were determined for all variables. Results Only 17.6% of women had previously heard of anal Pap tests, and the majority knew nothing (48.9%) or only a little (38.5%) about anal cancer. Yet, most women (78.6%) knew that anal Pap tests help to prevent anal cancer, and 86.2% knew that anal Pap tests are not only for people who have anal sex. Only a minority of women recognized known risk factors for anal cancer. Lack of knowledge about anal Pap tests (43.8%), pain or discomfort (41.3%), cost (24.0%), and embarrassment (21.2%) were the main reasons cited for not wanting an anal Pap test. Conclusions Although most women had limited knowledge about anal cancer and anal Pap tests and few recognized known risk factors for anal cancer, women were receptive to screening. Further implementation of anal Pap testing for women may be improved by understanding women’s limited knowledge and concerns.
The Impact of Automatic Enrollment in 401(k) Plans on Future Retirement Accumulations: A Simulation Study Based on Plan Design Modifications of Large Plan Sponsors

SIGNIFICANCE OF AUTO-ENROLLMENT: Automatic enrollment of participants in 401(k) plans, which was encouraged by provisions in the Pension Protect Act of 2006, is designed to overcome the drawbacks of voluntary enrollment by getting more workers to save in their work place retirement plan. Auto-enrollment for 401(k) plans has been demonstrated by previous EBRI research to have substantial potential benefits for some employees. NEW EBRI RESEARCH: This EBRI study analyzes plan-specific data of 1,000 large defined contribution plans for salaried employees from Benefit SpecSelect (Hewitt Associates LLC) in 2005 and 2009 to compare a subsample of plan sponsors that did not have auto-enrollment in 2005 but that had adopted it in 2009. Actual plan information on both actual auto-enrollment and actual match rate information were coded both before and after adoption of auto-enrollment from 225 large 401(k) plan sponsors and found that the average change was positive under auto-enrollment in each of the following three categories: The first-tier match rate, the effective match rate, the average total employer contribution rate. MODELING ANALYSIS: This analysis created a series of simulation programs using these data. The analysis indicates that the adoption of automatic enrollment in 401(k) plans is likely to have a very significant positive impact (even greater than EBRI projected in 2008) in generating additional retirement savings for many workers, especially for young and low-income workers: Under baseline assumptions, the median 401(k) accumulations for the lowest-income quartile of workers currently age 25-29 (assuming all 401(k) plans were voluntary enrollment plans as typified by the 225 large plan sponsors described above) would only be 0.08 times final earnings at age 65. However, if all 401(k) plans are assumed to be using the large plan sponsor auto-enrollment provisions, the median 401(k) accumulations for the lowest-income quartile jumps to 4.96 times final earnings (if 401(k) participants revert back to the default contribution when they change jobs) and 5.33 times final earnings (if they retain their previous contribution level when they change jobs). There are also large increases even for high-income workers: The multiple under a voluntary enrollment scenario is 2.41 times final earnings compared with 9.15 or 9.81 under auto-enrollment, depending on the assumptions for employee reversion to default contribution rates upon job change. Future EBRI research will examine the extent to which the increased 401(k) generosity resulted from modifications to defined benefit plans as pension plans were closed or frozen.
Regional Neocortical Gray Matter Structure and Sleep Fragmentation in Older Adults.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To test the hypothesis that greater sleep fragmentation is associated with regionally decreased cortical gray matter volume in older community-dwelling adults without cognitive impairment. METHODS We studied 141 community-dwelling older adults (median age 82.9; 73% female) without cognitive impairment or stroke, and not using sedative/ hypnotic medications, participating in the Rush Memory and Aging Project. We quantified sleep fragmentation from 7 d of actigraphy using the metric kRA and related this to total cortical gray matter volume, and regional gray matter volume in 34 cortical regions quantified by automated segmentation of magnetic resonance imaging data. We determined statistical significance and accounted for multiple comparisons by empirically estimating the false discovery rate by permutation. RESULTS Lower total cortical gray matter volume was associated with higher sleep fragmentation (coefficient +0.23, standard error [SE] 0.11, P = 0.037). Lower gray matter volumes in four cortical regions were accompanied by higher sleep fragmentation with a false discovery rate < 0.05: the left (coefficient +0.36, SE 0.10, P = 2.7 × 10(-4)) and right (coefficient +0.31, SE 0.10, P = 4.0 × 10(-3)) lateral orbitofrontal cortices, and the adjacent left (coefficient +0.31, SE 0.10, 5.4 × 10(-4)) and right (coefficient +0.39, SE 0.10, P = 1.2 × 10(-4)) inferior frontal gyri pars orbitalis. These associations were unchanged after accounting for age, sex, education, depression, cognitive function, and a number of medical comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS Lower cortical gray matter volume in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex and inferior frontal gyrus pars orbitalis is associated with greater sleep fragmentation in older community-dwelling adults. Further work is needed to clarify whether this is a consequence of or contributor to sleep fragmentation. COMMENTARY A commentary on this article appears in this issue on page 15.
Relationship between periodontal disease and osteoporosis.

BACKGROUND For many years an association between the low bone density of osteoporosis and increased risk of periodontal bone loss has been suspected. In this review the relationship between osteoporosis and periodontal disease is considered. METHODS For this narrative review a very broad search strategy of the literature was developed using both PubMed and Scopus databases using the search words "perio" and "osteoporosis". The reference lists from the selected papers were also scanned and this provided an additional source of papers for inclusion. The inclusion/exclusion criteria, were also quite liberal with only those papers dealing with bisphosphonates and osteonecrosis of the jaws, osteoporosis in edentulous individuals, as well as those not written in English being excluded. RESULTS The data available suggest that reduced bone mineral density is a shared risk factor for periodontitis rather than a causal factor. However, more prospective studies are required to fully determine what, if any, relationship truly exists between periodontitis and reduced bone mineral density. CONCLUSIONS More prospective studies are required to determine what, if any, relationships exist between periodontal disease and reduced bone mineral density.
Children's perception of dialect variation*

ABSTRACT A speaker's regional dialect is a rich source of information about that person. Two studies examined five- to six-year-old children's perception of regional dialect: Can they perceive differences among dialects? Have they made meaningful social connections to specific dialects? Experiment 1 asked children to categorize speakers into groups based on their accent; Experiment 2 asked them to match speakers to (un)familiar cultural items. Each child was tested with two of the following: the child's Home dialect, a Regional variant of that dialect, and a Second-Language variant. Results showed that children could successfully categorize only with a Home vs. Second-Language dialect contrast, but could reliably link cultural items with either a Home vs. Second-Language or a Regional vs. Second-Language dialect contrast. These results demonstrate five- to six-year-old children's developing perceptual skill with dialect, and suggest that they have a gradient representation of dialect variation.
Differential Diagnosis between Pendred and Pseudo-Pendred Syndromes: Clinical, Radiologic, and Molecular Studies

The disease gene for Pendred syndrome has been recently characterized and named PDS. It codes for a transmembrane protein called pendrin, which is highly expressed at the apical surface of the thyroid cell and functions as a transporter of chloride and iodide. Pendrin is also expressed at the inner ear level, where it appears to be involved in the maintenance of the endolymph homeostasis in the membranous labyrinth, and in the kidney, where it mediates chloride-formate exchange and bicarbonate secretion. Mutations in the PDS gene and the consequent impaired function of pendrin leads to the classic phenotype of Pendred syndrome, i.e. dyshormonogenic goiter and congenital sensorineural hearing loss. In the present study, we performed a detailed clinical, radiologic, and molecular analysis of six families presenting with clinical diagnosis of Pendred syndrome. In two families a homozygous pattern for PDS mutations was found, whereas the affected members of the other four families were compound heterozygotes. One family did not harbor PDS mutations. Among the four novel mutations described, one is a transversion in exon 2 (84C>A), leading to the substitution S28R. Two other novel mutations lie in exon 4 (398T>A) and in exon 16 (1790T>C), leading to the substitutions S133T and L597S, respectively. The fourth novel mutation (1614+1G>A) is located in the first base pair of intron 14, probably affecting the splicing of the PDS gene. Clinically, all patients had goiter with positive perchlorate test, hypothyroidism, and severe or profound sensorineural hearing loss. In all the individuals harboring PDS mutations, but not in the family without PDS mutations, inner ear malformations, such as enlargement of the vestibular aqueduct and of the endolymphatic duct and sac, were documented. The pseudo-Pendred phenotype exhibited by the family without PDS mutations is likely caused by an autoimmune thyroid disease associated with a sensorineural hearing loss of different origin.
Multispectral image fusion for illumination-invariant palmprint recognition

Multispectral palmprint recognition has shown broad prospects for personal identification due to its high accuracy and great stability. In this paper, we develop a novel illumination-invariant multispectral palmprint recognition method. To combine the information from multiple spectral bands, an image-level fusion framework is completed based on a fast and adaptive bidimensional empirical mode decomposition (FABEMD) and a weighted Fisher criterion. The FABEMD technique decomposes the multispectral images into their bidimensional intrinsic mode functions (BIMFs), on which an illumination compensation operation is performed. The weighted Fisher criterion is to construct the fusion coefficients at the decomposition level, making the images be separated correctly in the fusion space. The image fusion framework has shown strong robustness against illumination variation. In addition, a tensor-based extreme learning machine (TELM) mechanism is presented for feature extraction and classification of two-dimensional (2D) images. In general, this method has fast learning speed and satisfying recognition accuracy. Comprehensive experiments conducted on the PolyU multispectral palmprint database illustrate that the proposed method can achieve favorable results. For the testing under ideal illumination, the recognition accuracy is as high as 99.93%, and the result is 99.50% when the lighting condition is unsatisfied.
High-Assurance SPIRAL: End-to-End Guarantees for Robot and Car Control

Cyberphysical systems (CPSs), ranging from critical infrastructures such as power plants, to modern (semi) autonomous vehicles, are systems that use software to control physical processes. CPSs are made up of many different computational components. Each component runs its own piece of software that implements its control algorithms, based on its model of the environment. Every component then interacts with other components through the signals and values it sends out. Collectively, these components, and the code they run, drive the complex behaviors modern society has come to expect and rely on. Due to these intricate interactions between components, managing the hundreds to millions of lines of software to ensure that the system, as a whole, performs as desired can often be unwieldy.
Step Length Variability at Gait Initiation in Elderly Fallers and Non-Fallers, and Young Adults

Background: Normal aging is characterized by functional changes in the sensory, neurological and musculoskeletal systems. These changes affect several motor tasks including postural balance and gait. Gait variability has been suggested to be an important predictor of the risk of falling: the age-related increased variability may result of errors in the control of foot placement and/or center of mass displacement. Falls occur most frequently in elderly populations who scored poorly during transfer of quasi-static to dynamic situations, turning and reaching tasks in clinical tests. This suggests that gait initiation, which is a transient phase between standing and walking, could contribute to an increase in variability because, for elderly, muscular synergies associated with gait initiation occur less frequently than for young adults. Objective: To examine if gait initiation and more particularly the variability of the first step length and the duration of the first double support period are more important for elderly fallers than for eldery non-fallers and young adults. Methods: Elderly fallers, elderly non-fallers, and young adults were asked to initiate gait and walk at least 3 strides. Spatio-temporal characteristics of the first step and following strides were collected and across-trials variability analysed. Results: Elderly fallers showed a much smaller first step length and a longer duration of the double support period. The first step length variability of elderly fallers was more than twice greater than that observed for elderly non-fallers. Conclusion: Considering the importance of proper initial foot placement for gait initiation and for stepping recovery responses, the first step length variability observed for the elderly fallers may be an important predictor of postural problems.
The Ganglioside GM‐1 Inhibits Bupivacaine‐Induced Neurotoxicity in Mouse Neuroblastoma Neuro2a Cells

Studies indicate that bupivacaine‐induced neurotoxicity results from apoptosis. Gangliosides have been shown to promote neuronal repair and recovery of neurological function after spinal cord injury. Previously, we confirmed that in vivo administration of the ganglioside GM‐1 attenuated bupivacaine‐induced neurotoxicity in various animal models; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear.
Perceived Susceptibility to Illness and Perceived Benefits of Preventive Care: An Exploration of Behavioral Theory Constructs in a Transcultural Context

This article describes how the social context of transculturation (cultural change processes) and transmigration (migration in which relationships are sustained across national boundaries) can directly influence use of mammography screening. The authors conducted semistructured interviews with Latino and Filipino academics and social service providers and with U.S.-born and immigrant Latinas and Filipinas to explore direct and indirect influences of social context on health behavior (Behavioral Constructs and Culture in Cancer Screening study). Iterative analyses identified themes of the transcultural domain: colonialism, immigration, discrimination, and therapeutic engagement. In this domain, the authors examine two key behavioral theory constructs, perceptions of susceptibility to illness and perceptions of benefits of preventive medical care. The findings raise concerns about interventions to promote mammography screening primarily based on provision of scientific information. The authors conclude that social context affects behavior directly rather than exclusively through beliefs as behavioral theory implies and that understanding contextual influences, such as transculturation, points to different forms of intervention.
Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses' Outcomes of Care: A Pilot Study

This pilot study evaluated the effectiveness of the Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurse (APPN) in improving clinical outcomes of depressed clients and measured their clients’ level of satisfaction with APPN care. A longitudinal study design using repeated measures was conducted to evaluate clinical outcomes and satisfaction with care of depressed clients treated by APPNs. The findings suggest that APPNs are highly effective in treating clients with depression and that clients are very satisfied with the care they receive from APPNs.