Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association of the Youth-Nominated Support Team Intervention for Suicidal Adolescents With 11- to 14-Year Mortality Outcomes: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance The prevalence of suicide among adolescents is rising, yet little is known about effective interventions. To date, no intervention for suicidal adolescents has been shown to reduce mortality. Objective To determine whether the Youth-Nominated Support Team Intervention for Suicidal Adolescents–Version II (YST) is associated with reduced mortality 11 to 14 years after psychiatric hospitalization for suicide risk. Design, Setting, and Participants This post hoc secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial used National Death Index (NDI) data from adolescent psychiatric inpatients from 2 US psychiatric hospitals enrolled in the clinical trial from November 10, 2002, to October 26, 2005. Eligible participants were aged 13 to 17 years and presented with suicidal ideation (frequent or with suicidal plan), a suicide attempt, or both within the past 4 weeks. Participants were randomized to receive treatment as usual (TAU) or YST plus TAU (YST). Evaluators and staff who matched identifying data to NDI records were masked to group. The length of NDI follow-up ranged from 11.2 to 14.1 years. Analyses were conducted between February 12, 2018, and September 18, 2018. Interventions The YST is a psychoeducational, social support intervention. Adolescents nominated “caring adults” (mean, 3.4 per adolescent from family, school, and community) to serve as support persons for them after hospitalization. These adults attended a psychoeducational session to learn about the youth’s problem list and treatment plan, suicide warning signs, communicating with adolescents, and how to be helpful in supporting treatment adherence and positive behavioral choices. The adults received weekly supportive telephone calls from YST staff for 3 months. Main Outcomes and Measures Survival 11 to 14 years after index hospitalization, measured by NDI data for deaths (suicide, drug overdose, and other causes of premature death), from January 1, 2002, through December 31, 2016. Results National Death Index records were reviewed for all 448 YST study participants (319 [71.2%] identified as female; mean [SD] age, 15.6 [1.3] years; 375 [83.7%] of white race/ethnicity). There were 13 deaths in the TAU group and 2 deaths in the YST group (hazard ratio, 6.62; 95% CI, 1.49-29.35; P < .01). No patients were withdrawn from YST owing to adverse effects. Conclusions and Relevance The findings suggest that the YST intervention for suicidal adolescents is associated with reduced mortality. Because this was a secondary analysis, results warrant replication with examination of mechanisms. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00071617
Physical activity levels of women with breast cancer during and after treatment, a comparison with the Dutch female population

Abstract Background: Physical activity has been shown to reduce side-effects of breast cancer and its treatment. As physical activity levels of patients with breast cancer are largely unknown, we investigated these levels and compared them to women from the general population. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, physical activity levels of women with breast cancer participating in the UMBRELLA cohort were assessed at radiotherapy intake and thereafter every 6 months up to 3 years with the SQUASH questionnaire, which was also used in a random sample of the Dutch population. We compared physical activity levels (no activity, low, moderate or high levels of sports, leisure time or total activity) between patients and the Dutch female population using multinomial logistic regression. Standardized Prevalence Ratios (SPR) were calculated to compare adherence to Dutch physical activity guidelines. Results: Women with breast cancer (nbaseline = 1655, n6 months = 1414, n12 months = 1186, n18 months = 957, n24 months = 744, n30 months = 555, and n36 months = 377) were less likely to spend time in physical activity compared to the general population (n = 11,710) until 3 years post-diagnosis, especially after 6 months (ORhigh-vs.-no activity = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.28–0.41). From 12 months onwards, patients were more likely to perform sports compared to the general population, especially patients who underwent systemic therapy. Guideline adherence was significantly lower in patients at baseline and 6 months (SPRbaseline = 89, 95% CI: 82–97; SPR6 months = 88, 95% CI: 81–96), and comparable to the general population at 12–36 months, especially in older women. Conclusions: Physical activity levels in women with breast cancer during and after treatment were lower compared to the Dutch female population. Three years post-treatment, they were still less physically active, although they spend more time in sport activities. As about half of the patients did not perform any sports, physical activity needs to be stimulated during and after treatment.
Insights into cardiovascular risk and nutritional status in subjects with wheat-related disorders

Abstract Objective: Wheat-related disorders are a spectrum of disorders associated with different autoimmune and non-autoimmune diseases. However, it is unclear whether these wheat-related disorders lead to adverse health effects such as cardiovascular risk, nutritional deficiencies etc. The objective of the study was to explore the lipid profiles and the nutritional status of subjects with wheat-related disorders to understand the potential threat of wheat on cardiovascular risk and nutritional deficiency. Method: A total of 1041 subjects who showed wheat-related symptoms were initially tested for the wheat protein antibody panel (Wheat Zoomer (WZ) panel and Coeliac Disease (CD) panel), then for cardiovascular panel and the micronutrient panel at Vibrant America Clinical Laboratory. Results: Subjects with both Wheat Zoomer positivity (WZ+) and Coeliac Disease positivity (CD+) had significantly low levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) (279/483(57.8%) and 29/47(61.7%) respectively), but only subjects with WZ + had low levels of Apo A1 (44/424(9.5%)), and high levels of Omega 6 fatty acids (53/334(15.9%)). None of the micronutrients tested showed a significant imbalance in WZ + subjects. Conclusion: Subjects with positive serology for WZ have deranged blood lipid profiles but did not show any significant micronutrient deficiency. Hence, our results showcase a significant association of wheat-related disorders to cardiovascular risk.
Lateral biases in aesthetic and spatial location judgments: differences between tasks and native reading directions

ABSTRACT People exhibit consistent leftward spatial biases across a variety of tasks. However, individuals with a native reading direction other than left-to-right (LTR) show an attenuation of the leftward bias. The current study used procedurally similar tasks to examine spatial ability and aesthetic preferences in LTR and right-to-left (RTL) groups. In the spatial task participants viewed a centred rectangle partially occluded by an overlapping circle and estimated the centre of the circle with a single mouse click. In the aesthetic task participants used the mouse to control a “virtual flashlight” to light images of abstract paintings in the most aesthetically pleasing way. Contrary to predictions, smaller errors were made for circles on the right and estimations were progressively less accurate as circle size increased in the spatial task. On the aesthetic task, light placements of LTR participants were biased to the left and significantly different from the slightly rightward placements of RTL participants. As predicted, when completing the aesthetics task amounts of time scanning left or right visual space were different between groups. Findings support the theory that directional scanning biases attenuate leftward lateral biases and further, the nature of the visuospatial task may vary the strength of lateral bias.
Structural signature of sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease

Sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (sCJD) is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by an abnormal isoform of the human prion protein. Structural magnetic resonance imaging in patients with pathologically confirmed sCJD was compared with cognitively normal individuals to identify a cortical thickness signature of sCJD.
Human-Origin Influenza A(H3N2) Reassortant Viruses in Swine, Southeast Mexico

The genetic diversity of influenza A viruses circulating in swine in Mexico complicates control efforts in animals and presents a threat to humans, as shown by influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 virus. To describe evolution of swine influenza A viruses in Mexico and evaluate strains for vaccine development, we sequenced the genomes of 59 viruses and performed antigenic cartography on strains from 5 regions. We found that genetic and antigenic diversity were particularly high in southeast Mexico because of repeated introductions of viruses from humans and swine in other regions in Mexico. We identified novel reassortant H3N2 viruses with genome segments derived from 2 different viruses that were independently introduced from humans into swine: pandemic H1N1 viruses and seasonal H3N2 viruses. The Mexico swine viruses are antigenically distinct from US swine lineages. Protection against these viruses is unlikely to be afforded by US virus vaccines and would require development of new vaccines specifically targeting these diverse strains.
Ayahuasca and Public Health: Health Status, Psychosocial Well-Being, Lifestyle, and Coping Strategies in a Large Sample of Ritual Ayahuasca Users

ABSTRACT Assessing the health status of ayahuasca users has been challenging due to the limitations involved in randomized clinical trials and psychometric approaches. The main objective of this study is the implementation of an approach based on public health indicators. We developed a self-administered questionnaire that was administered to long-term ayahuasca users around Spain. The questionnaire was administrated face-to-face to participants (n = 380) in places where ayahuasca ceremonies were occurring. Public health indicators were compared with Spanish normative data, and intergroup analyses were conducted. Long-term ayahuasca use was associated with higher positive perception of health or with a healthy lifestyle, among other outcomes. Fifty-six percent of the sample reported reducing their use of prescription drugs due to ayahuasca use. Participants who used ayahuasca more than 100 times scored higher in personal values measures. The main conclusion of this study is that a respectful and controlled use of hallucinogenic/psychedelic drugs taken in communitarian settings can be incorporated into modern society with benefits for public health. This new approach, based on the use of health indicators that were not used in previous ayahuasca studies, offers relevant information about the impact of long-term exposure to ayahuasca on public health.
Rating of the Effectiveness of 26 Psychiatric and Seizure Medications for Autism Spectrum Disorder: Results of a National Survey

Abstract Objective: The objective of this study was to provide an evaluation of the benefits and adverse effects (AEs) of psychiatric and seizure medications commonly used for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods: As part of the National Survey on Treatment Effectiveness for Autism, we report ratings of 26 psychiatric and seizure medications by 505 participants. Each medication was rated with a standardized scale for overall benefits, overall AEs, and specific symptoms affected. The frequency of use and net perceived benefit (overall benefit minus overall AE) are reported. Results: Most medications were rated as having a slightly greater benefit than AE. Six medications (lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine, clonidine, guanfacine, buspirone, and sertraline) had benefit ratings that were more than twice their adverse rating. Conversely, some medications had slightly negative net benefit ratings (worse AEs than benefits on average), including Adderall, Paroxetine, Quetiapine, Olanzapine, and Topiramate. However, there were wide variations in individual ratings of benefit and AEs, suggesting that clinical response to medications was highly variable, so these scores simply represent averages. A ranking of the top medications (those with the highest net perceived benefit) for each of 18 different symptoms is provided, which may provide some clinical guidance as to which medications may be most worth considering for a given symptom. A comparison of the survey results with the results of clinical trials shows generally good agreement in terms of medication benefits with some differences; in some cases the differences are because the clinical trials did not assess all of the symptoms assessed by this survey. Conclusions: It is hoped that physicians and their patients will find the survey results useful in selecting the most promising medications for a given symptom, and also for monitoring for likely benefits and AEs, especially for medications for which few or no studies have been carried out in ASD populations.
Block-Based Adaptive Vector Lifting Schemes for Multichannel Image Coding

We are interested in lossless and progressive coding of multispectral images. To this respect, nonseparable vector lifting schemes are used in order to exploit simultaneously the spatial and the interchannel similarities. The involved operators are adapted to the image contents thanks to block-based procedures grounded on an entropy optimization criterion. A vector encoding technique derived from EZW allows us to further improve the efficiency of the proposed approach. Simulation tests performed on remote sensing images show that a significant gain in terms of bit rate is achieved by the resulting adaptive coding method with respect to the non-adaptive one.
Germination and seedling growth of the Chilean native grass Polypogon australis in soil polluted with diesel oil

Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of Polypogon australis, a Chilean native grass that colonizes copper polluted sites, to germinate and grow in soil contaminated with diesel oil. The effect of increasing proportions of diesel in soil (0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 5%) on the cumulative germination and growth of plants was measured. The relative seed germination (RSG), relative root growth (RRG), germination index (GI), and the effective concentration (EC50) were calculated. The cumulative germination in soil polluted with 0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 2% of diesel oil in soil was 93.3%, 85.5%, 99%, and 78.5%, respectively, showing no significant differences between the treatments (p > 0.05). A proportion of 5% of diesel in the soil reduced the germination of P. australis by 50%, compared to the control. The growth of leaves and roots of the plants germinated in 5% of diesel was reduced by 30% compared to the control, with a 34% survival rate observed on day 40. The calculated EC50 of diesel for P. australis was 4.5%. P. australis germinated and grew on all diesel concentration used in the experiments. The species was classified as a tolerant to diesel oil.
Comparative 3D genome organization in apicomplexan parasites

Significance From yeast to human cells, genome organization in eukaryotes has a tight relationship with gene expression. We investigated the 3D organization of chromosomes in malaria parasites to identify possible connections between genome architecture and pathogenicity. Genome organization was dominated by the clustering of Plasmodium-specific gene families in 3D space. In particular, the two most pathogenic human malaria parasites shared unique features in the organization of gene families involved in antigenic variation and immune escape. Related human parasites Babesia microti and Toxoplasma gondii that are less virulent lacked the correlation between gene expression and genome organization observed in human Plasmodium species. Our results suggest that genome organization in malaria parasites has been shaped by parasite-specific gene families and correlates with virulence. The positioning of chromosomes in the nucleus of a eukaryotic cell is highly organized and has a complex and dynamic relationship with gene expression. In the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, the clustering of a family of virulence genes correlates with their coordinated silencing and has a strong influence on the overall organization of the genome. To identify conserved and species-specific principles of genome organization, we performed Hi-C experiments and generated 3D genome models for five Plasmodium species and two related apicomplexan parasites. Plasmodium species mainly showed clustering of centromeres, telomeres, and virulence genes. In P. falciparum, the heterochromatic virulence gene cluster had a strong repressive effect on the surrounding nuclear space, while this was less pronounced in Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium berghei, and absent in Plasmodium yoelii. In Plasmodium knowlesi, telomeres and virulence genes were more dispersed throughout the nucleus, but its 3D genome showed a strong correlation with gene expression. The Babesia microti genome showed a classical Rabl organization with colocalization of subtelomeric virulence genes, while the Toxoplasma gondii genome was dominated by clustering of the centromeres and lacked virulence gene clustering. Collectively, our results demonstrate that spatial genome organization in most Plasmodium species is constrained by the colocalization of virulence genes. P. falciparum and P. knowlesi, the only two Plasmodium species with gene families involved in antigenic variation, are unique in the effect of these genes on chromosome folding, indicating a potential link between genome organization and gene expression in more virulent pathogens.
Caspase-3 cleavage of Salmonella type III secreted effector protein SifA is required for localization of functional domains and bacterial dissemination

ABSTRACT SifA is a bi-functional Type III Secretion System (T3SS) effector protein that plays an important role in Salmonella virulence. The N-terminal domain of SifA binds SifA-Kinesin-Interacting-Protein (SKIP), and via an interaction with kinesin, forms tubular membrane extensions called Sif filaments (Sifs) that emanate from the Salmonella Containing Vacuole (SCV). The C-terminal domain of SifA harbors a WxxxE motif that functions to mimic active host cell GTPases. Taken together, SifA functions in inducing endosomal tubulation in order to maintain the integrity of the SCV and promote bacterial dissemination. Since SifA performs multiple, unrelated functions, the objective of this study was to determine how each functional domain of SifA becomes processed. Our work demonstrates that a linker region containing a caspase-3 cleavage motif separates the two functional domains of SifA. To test the hypothesis that processing of SifA by caspase-3 at this particular site is required for function and proper localization of the effector protein domains, we developed two tracking methods to analyze the intracellular localization of SifA. We first adapted a fluorescent tag called phiLOV that allowed for type-III secretion system (T3SS) mediated delivery of SifA and observation of its intracellular colocalization with caspase-3. Additionally, we created a dual-tagging strategy that permitted tracking of each of the SifA functional domains following caspase-3 cleavage to different subcellular locations. The results of this study reveal that caspase-3 cleavage of SifA is required for the proper localization of functional domains and bacterial dissemination. Considering the importance of these events in Salmonella pathogenesis, we conclude that caspase-3 cleavage of effector proteins is a more broadly applicable effector processing mechanism utilized by Salmonella to invade and persist during infection.
Randomized, Controlled, Multicentered, Double-Blind Investigation of Injectable Poly-L-Lactic Acid for Improving Skin Quality

BACKGROUND Poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) is an injectable filler used for restoring facial fat volume loss. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of repeated PLLA injections on skin quality. METHODS Forty healthy women were enrolled in this randomized, controlled, double-blind, multicenter study. Eligible subjects received 3 treatments every 4 weeks with either PLLA (treatment group) or saline (control group) injections, into both sides of the face. Follow-up visits were at 6, 9, and 12 after the last treatment. Assessments included biophysical measuring instruments, live ratings, patient questionnaires, and rating of standardized pictures by a blinded evaluator. RESULTS At the 12-month follow-up, there was a statistically significant increase of skin elasticity and hydration in PLLA-treated subjects and a decrease in transepidermal water loss in both groups. Pigmentation, erythema, and pore size were significantly decreased, whereas radiance and smoothness were significantly increased at 12 months per blinded investigator rating in this group. No treatment-related adverse events occurred. CONCLUSION Repeated PLLA treatments may improve skin quality in a time-dependent manner.
eHealth to improve patient outcome in rehabilitating myocardial infarction patients

ABSTRACT Introduction: Cardiac rehabilitation is aimed at risk factor modification and improving quality of life. eHealth has a couple of potential benefits to improve this aim. The primary purpose of this review is to summarize available literature for eHealth strategies that have been investigated in randomized controlled trials in post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients. The second purpose of this review is to investigate the clinical effectiveness in post-MI patients. Areas covered: The literature was searched using PubMed. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) describing interventions in patients that had experienced an ST-elevation myocardial infarction or non-ST acute coronary syndrome were eligible for inclusion. Fifteen full-texts were included and their results are described in this review. These RCTs described interventions that used remote coaching or remote monitoring in post-MI patients. Most interventions resulted in an improved cardiovascular risk profile. Remote coaching had a positive effect on activity and dietary intake. Expert opinion: eHealth might be clinically beneficial in post-MI patients, particularly for risk estimation. Moreover, eHealth as a tool for remote coaching on activity is a good addition to traditional cardiac rehabilitation programs. Further research needs to corroborate these findings.
Heterochromatic foci and transcriptional repression by an unstructured MET-2/SETDB1 co-factor LIN-65

The segregation of the genome into accessible euchromatin and histone H3K9-methylated heterochromatin helps silence repetitive elements and tissue-specific genes. In Caenorhabditis elegans, MET-2, the homologue of mammalian SETDB1, catalyzes H3K9me1 and me2, yet like SETDB1, its regulation is enigmatic. Contrary to the cytosolic enrichment of overexpressed MET-2, we show that endogenous MET-2 is nuclear throughout development, forming perinuclear foci in a cell cycle–dependent manner. Mass spectrometry identified two cofactors that bind MET-2: LIN-65, a highly unstructured protein, and ARLE-14, a conserved GTPase effector. All three factors colocalize in heterochromatic foci. Ablation of lin-65, but not arle-14, mislocalizes and destabilizes MET-2, resulting in decreased H3K9 dimethylation, dispersion of heterochromatic foci, and derepression of MET-2 targets. Mutation of met-2 or lin-65 also disrupts the perinuclear anchoring of genomic heterochromatin. Loss of LIN-65, like that of MET-2, compromises temperature stress resistance and germline integrity, which are both linked to promiscuous repeat transcription and gene expression.