Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Family Matters: Siblings and High School Graduation

Abstract Introduction Educational attainment is known to be related to family size, birth order, and the educational achievement of an older sibling. Objective This study examines younger siblings in large families, exploring the extent to which each older sibling's educational attainment is associated with attainment of the younger sibling. Methods Linkable administrative data were used to create a population-based cohort of third children in three child families born in Manitoba, Canada between April 1, 1984 and March 31, 1994, who stayed in the province until at least age 20 (n = 5,771). Logistic regression models were used to examine the relationship between the youngest siblings' educational achievement and that of their older two siblings, adjusting for a series of confounders. Results Youngest siblings have the greatest odds of graduating from high school if both older siblings graduated. Females also had greater odds of graduating if only one of those older siblings had graduated; this did not increase the odds for males. Associations in educational attainment were stronger when siblings were born close together. For siblings born further apart, these associations were stronger if those siblings were of the same sex as the youngest sibling. Conclusions In large families, the educational attainment of each older sibling is associated with the educational attainment of the younger sibling; associations differ depending on the birth order and sex of the older siblings. Families in which older siblings do not graduate from high school may be experiencing numerous challenges. Children with older siblings who fail to graduate may benefit from additional supports to increase their likelihood of graduation
Alterations in the Medullary Endocannabinoid System Contribute to Age-related Impairment of Baroreflex Sensitivity

Abstract: As they age, Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats develop elevated systolic blood pressure associated with impaired baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) for control of heart rate. We previously demonstrated in young hypertensive (mRen2)27 rats that impaired BRS is restored by CB1 cannabinoid receptor blockade in the solitary tract nucleus (NTS), consistent with elevated content of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) in dorsal medulla relative to normotensive SD rats. There is no effect of CB1 receptor blockade in young SD rats. We now report in older SD rats that dorsal medullary 2-AG levels are 2-fold higher at 70 versus 15 weeks of age (4.22 ± 0.61 vs. 1.93 ± 0.22 ng/mg tissue; P < 0.05). Furthermore, relative expression of CB1 receptor messenger RNA is significantly lower in aged rats, whereas CB2 receptor messenger RNA is significantly higher. In contrast to young adult SD rats, microinjection of the CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716A (36 pmole) into the NTS of older SD rats normalized BRS in animals exhibiting impaired baseline BRS (0.56 ± 0.06 baseline vs. 1.06 ± 0.05 ms/mm Hg after 60 minutes; P < 0.05). Therefore, this study provides evidence for alterations in the endocannabinoid system within the NTS of older SD rats that contribute to age-related impairment of BRS.
Retrospective Review of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors and Falling in Older Nursing Home Residents

We compared the rate of falling in older nursing home residents who had been prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), other classes of antidepressants, and no antidepressants. Data were obtained from pharmacy records, medical records, fall logs, and incidence reports for one nursing home (1995 data). Older adults on SSRIs were more likely to fall than older adults not on antidepressants (p = .003) and were more likely to have an injurious fall (p = .03). The association with falling remained significant even when including potential confounders (p = .007). Older nursing home residents should be treated for depression. However, SSRIs may also carry an increased risk for falling.
Apathy blunts neural response to money in Parkinson's disease

Apathy, defined as a primary deficit in motivation and manifested by the simultaneous diminution in the cognitive and emotional concomitants of goal-directed behavior, is a common and debilitating non-motor symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD). Despite the high prevalence and clinical significance of apathy, little is known about its pathophysiology, and in particular how apathy relates to alterations in the neural circuitry underpinning the cognitive and emotional components of goal-directed behavior. Here, we examined the neural coding of reward cues in patients with PD, with or without clinically significant levels of apathy, during performance of a spatial search task during H2 15O PET (positron emission tomography) functional neuroimaging. By manipulating search outcome (money reward vs valueless token), while keeping the actions of the participants constant, we examined the influence of apathy on the neural coding of money reward cues. We found that apathy was associated with a blunted response to money in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, striatum, and midbrain, all part of a distributed neural circuit integral to the representation of the reward value of stimuli and actions, and the influence of reward cues on behavior. Disruption of this circuitry potentially underpins the expression of the various manifestations of apathy in PD, including reduced cognitive, emotional, and behavioral facets of goal-directed behavior.
Risk factors for carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infection/colonization and predictors of mortality: a retrospective study

Abstract Objective: To identify risk factors associated with carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) infection/colonization and death and to investigate the resistance and homology of CRKP. Methods: A retrospective 1:1 case–control study was conducted at Changhai Hospital, China, from January 2010 to December 2011.The study population included 30 patients with CRKP infection/colonization and 30 matched patients with carbapenem-susceptible K. pneumoniae (CSKP) infection/colonization at the same site. Homology analysis was conducted by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Potential resistance genes were detected by PCR. Results: Independent risk factors for CRKP infection/colonization were admission to exposure to glycopeptides [Odds ratio (OR): 43.84, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.73–1111.91, P = 0.020], cefoperazone plus sulbactam (OR: 49.56, 95% CI: 1.42–1726.72, P = 0.030) and tracheostomy (OR: 677.82, 95% CI: 2.76–1667, P = 0.020). Age (OR: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.00–1.14, P = 0.04), renal dysfunction (OR: 17.63, 95% CI: 2.34–132.87, P = 0.005) and exposure to cefoperazone plus sulbactam (OR: 8.87, 95% CI: 1.29–61.07, P = 0.026) were independent risk factors for the death of patients with K. pneumoniae infection/colonization. Older age (OR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.01–1.39, P = 0.011) was an independent risk factor for the death of patients with CRKP infection/colonization. Thirty CRKP strains were all KPC-2-producing resistant strains with genotype of ST-11. Conclusion: Exposure to glycopeptides, cefoperazone plus sulbactam and tracheostomy were independent risk factors for CRKP infection/colonization, and older age was an independent risk factor for CRKP infection/colonization caused death.
Patterns of Cancer in Kurdistan - Results of Eight Years Cancer Registration in Sulaymaniyah Province-Kurdistan-Iraq.

BACKGROUND Cancer has become a major health problem associated with high mortality worldwide, especially in developing countries. The aim of our study was to evaluate the incidence rates of different types of cancer in Sulaymaniyah from January-2006 to January-2014. The data were compared with those reported for other middle east countries. MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospective study depended on data collected from Hiwa hospital cancer registry unit, death records and histopathology reports in all Sulaymaniyah teaching hospitals, using international classification of diseases. RESULTS A total of 8,031 cases were registered during the eight year period, the annual incidence rate in all age groups rose from 38 to 61.7 cases/100,000 population/year, with averages over 50 in males and 50.7 in females. The male to female ratio in all age groups were 0.98, while in the pediatric age group it was 1.33. The hematological malignancies in all age groups accounted for 20% but in the pediatric group around half of all cancer cases. Pediatric cancers were occluding 7% of total cancers with rates of 10.3 in boys and 8.7 in girls. The commonest malignancies by primary site were leukemia, lymphoma, brain, kidney and bone. In males in all age groups they were lung, leukaemia, lymphoma, colorectal, prostate, bladder, brain, stomach, carcinoma of unknown primary (CUP) and skin, while in females they were breast, leukaemia, lymphoma, colorectal, ovary, lung, brain, CUP, and stomach. Most cancers were increased with increasing age except breast cancer where decrease was noted in older ages. High mortality rates were found with leukemia, lung, lymphoma, colorectal, breast and stomach cancers. CONCLUSIONS We here found an increase in annual cancer incidence rates across the period of study, because of increase of cancer with age and higher rates of hematological malignancies. Our study is valuable for Kurdistan and Iraq because it provides more accurate data about the exact patterns of cancer and mortality in our region.
Adaptive Designs for Confirmatory Clinical Trials with Subgroup Selection

Growing interest in stratified medicine is leading to increasing importance of subgroup analyses in confirmatory clinical trials. Conventionally, confirmatory clinical trials either focus on a subgroup identified in advance or assess subgroup effects once the trial is completed. The focus of this article is methodology for adaptive clinical trials that both identify whether a treatment is particularly effective in a predefined subgroup, potentially enabling alteration of recruitment, and assess the effectiveness in the subgroup and/or whole population. Methods for such adaptive trials are described and compared, and the logistical and regulatory issues associated with such approaches are discussed.
Global Mental Health 5 Barriers to improvement of mental health services in low-income and middle-income countries

Despite the publication of high-profi le reports and promising activities in several countries, progress in mental health service development has been slow in most low-income and middle-income countries. We reviewed barriers to mental health service development through a qualitative survey of international mental health experts and leaders. Barriers include the prevailing public-health priority agenda and its eff ect on funding; the complexity of and resistance to decentralisation of mental health services; challenges to implementation of mental health care in primary-care settings; the low numbers and few types of workers who are trained and supervised in mental health care; and the frequent scarcity of public-health perspectives in mental health leadership. Many of the barriers to progress in improvement of mental health services can be overcome by generation of political will for the organisation of accessible and humane mental health care. Advocates for people with mental disorders will need to clarify and collaborate on their messages. Resistance to decentralisation of resources must be overcome, especially in many mental health professionals and hospital workers. Mental health investments in primary care are important but are unlikely to be sustained unless they are preceded or accompanied by the development of community mental health services, to allow for training, supervision, and continuous support for primary care workers. Mobilisation and recognition of non-formal resources in the community must be stepped up. Community members without formal professional training and people who have mental disorders and their family members, need to partake in advocacy and service delivery. Population-wide progress in access to humane mental health care will depend on substantially more attention to politics, leadership, planning, advocacy, and participation.
Induction of Autoantibody Production Is Limited in Nonautoimmune Mice1

Many individuals develop a single or a few brief episodes of autoimmunity from which they recover. Mechanisms that quell pathologic autoimmunity following such a breakdown of self-tolerance are not clearly understood. In this study, we show that in nonautoimmune mice, dsDNA-specific autoreactive B cells exist but remain inactive. This state of inactivation in dsDNA-specific B cells could be disrupted by autoreactive Th cells; in this case T cells that react with peptides from the VH region of anti-DNA Abs (hereafter called anti-VH T cells). Immunization with anti-DNA mAb, its γ-chain or peptides derived from its VH region induced anti-VH Th cells, IgG anti-dsDNA Ab, and proteinuria. The breakdown of B cell tolerance in nonautoimmune mice, however, was short-lived: anti-DNA Ab and nephritis subsided despite subsequent immunizations. The recovery from autoimmunity temporally correlated with the appearance of T cells that inhibited anti-DNA Ab production. Such inhibitory T cells secreted TGFβ; the inhibition of anti-DNA Ab production by these cells was partly abolished by anti-TGFβ Ab. Even without immunization, nonautoimmune mice possess T cells that can inhibit autoantibody production. Thus, inhibitory T cells in nonautoimmune mice may normally inhibit T-dependent activation of autoreactive B cells and/or reverse such activation following stimulation by Th cells. The induction of such inhibitory T cells may play a role in protecting nonautoimmune mice from developing chronic autoimmunity.
Integrated Supply Chain Network Design for Packaged Gases

Network design of the supply chain is an important and strategic aspect of logistics management. In this paper, we address the network design problem specific to packaged gases (e.g., cylinder) supply chain. We propose an integrated framework that allows for the determination of the optimal facility locations, the filling plant production capacities, the inventory at plants and hubs, and the number of packages to be routed in primary and secondary transportation. We formulate the problem as a mixed integer program and then develop a decomposition approach to solve it. We illustrate the proposed framework with numerical examples from real-life packaged gases supply chain. The results show that the decomposition approach is effective in solving a broad range of problem sizes. We also benchmark the results from the decomposition approach by solving the complete packaged gases network design model for smaller test cases.
Relevant Factors to Psychological Status of Donors Before Living-Related Liver Transplantation

Background. While previous surveys have demonstrated the psychological impact on living-related liver transplantation (LRLT) donors, such as anxiety, depression, ambivalence and anger, the details regarding the relevant factors that affect donors' psychological status have not been well described. Methods. To evaluate environmental factors, 66 donors were interviewed to obtain information regarding donors' decision-making motivation, process, conflicts, and internal pressure about donation just before surgery. To determine the donors' psychological status, they completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, and World Health Organization Quality of Life 26 standardized psychological tests for anxiety, depression, and quality of life (QOL). Respective recipients completed the same tests separately, in order to determine psychological synchronization with the donors. With regard to motivation, donors were divided into two groups, and further divided into three groups based on processes. Donors were also sorted in groups of those “with conflict” and “with pressure. ” Their psychological test results were compared within groups, as well as with those from recipients. Results. Donors from the nonvolunteer or postponement groups were significantly more anxious and depressed than other donors. Donors from the “with conflict” or “with pressure” groups were significantly more anxious, more depressed, and had worse QOL. There was a significant positive correlation between donors' and recipients' test results for anxiety and QOL, especially when donors belonged to the volunteer group. Conclusions. Our results suggest that donors' decision-making process and recipients' psychological status, especially donors' state anxiety should be considered when assessing donors' psychological status before LRLT.
What does the 2025 Smokefree Goal mean to the New Zealand public?

In 2010, the Māori Affairs Select Committee conducted an inquiry into the tobacco industry and the consequences of tobacco use for Māori. Following a comprehensive submission and hearings process, the Committee recommended that the government aim to halve tobacco consumption and smoking prevalence by 2015 across all demographics, with the ultimate goal of “making New Zealand a smokefree nation by 2025. ” 1 The National Party-led Government supported this recommendation and set out its commitment to the “longer-term goal of reducing smoking prevalence and tobacco availability to minimal levels, thereby making New Zealand essentially a smokefree nation by 2025”. 2
Silence, voice, and "other languages": Digital storytelling as a site for resistance and restoration in a South African higher education classroom

In order to investigate the composing practices of digital storytellers in a South African context, a qualitative case study, set within a university of technology in South Africa and framed by literature stemming from the disciplines of digital storytelling and composition and rhetoric, was implemented as part of a larger dissertation project initiated in 2014. This study spanned a year and included participant observation and the collection of interviews as primary methods of investigation. Findings linked digital storytelling to creating a liberating classroom space where students could redefine themselves outside of historicized representations. Within a digital storytelling praxis, the story circle component has proven to be an effective means to engage students in both a reflective and critical engagement of their own writing practices, highlighting the synergy between the spoken word, process-based writing, and digital formats for composing. However, questions remain surrounding the ethical practice of digital storytelling in classrooms especially when students share personal stories and those stories are both publicly consumed and graded. Implications for practice cover themes relating to the integration of technology that supports the democratization of varied voices in the public sphere, which is particularly important in post-conflict zone environments like South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Time course of the discomfort in young patients undergoing orthodontic treatment.

Discomfort may accompany orthodontic movement of teeth. The purpose of this study was to determine the time envelope of discomfort induced in young patients (10-16 years) following placement of orthodontic separators and arch wires. Secondly, psychosocial factors concerning feelings of "self" were investigated. Forty-five experimental and 14 control patients seeking orthodontic treatment were included. A data sheet consisting of several visual analogue scales measuring patient perceptions of dental discomfort and psychosocial factors was used. The results indicated that the experimental group experienced significant discomfort with both separators and arch wires at 4 and 24 hr compared to controls; however, the discomfort dissipated by 7 days. The appearance of the teeth and face were significant factors predicting the patient's perspective of "self. " The results have significant clinical implications and these are discussed.
The role of meal replacements in obesity treatment

Effective weight loss strategies are needed to help overweight and obese people lose weight and maintain weight loss in the long term. Meal replacements for weight loss are available in the community; however, their efficacy in the longer term is not clear. This review summarizes recent evidence on the use of meal replacements as a weight loss strategy.
Comparison of subcortical connections of inferior temporal and posterior parietal cortex in monkeys

Abstract To investigate the subcortical connections of the object vision and spatial vision cortical processing pathways, we injected the inferior temporal and posterior parietal cortex of six Rhesus monkeys with retrograde or anterograde tracers. The temporal injections included area TE on the lateral surface of the hemisphere and adjacent portions of area TEO. The parietal injections covered the posterior bank of the intraparietal sulcus, including areas VIP and LIP. Our results indicate that several structures project to both the temporal and parietal cortex, including the medial and lateral pulvinar, claustrum, and nucleus basalis. However, the cells in both the pulvinar and claustrum that project to the two systems are mainly located in different parts of those structures, as are the terminals which arise from the temporal and parietal cortex. Likewise, the projections from the temporal and parietal cortex to the caudate nucleus and putamen are largely segregated. Finally, we found projections to the pons and superior colliculus from parietal but not temporal cortex, whereas we found the lateral basal and medial basal nuclei of the amygdala to be reciprocally connected with temporal but not parietal cortex. Thus, the results show that, like the cortical connections of the two visual processing systems, the subcortical connections are remarkably segregated.
Macromodeling of interconnect networks from frequency domain data using the Loewner Matrix approach

Recently, Loewner Matrix (LM) based methods were introduced for generating time-domain macromodels based on frequency domain measured parameters. These methods were shown to be very efficient and accurate for systems with a very large number of ports, however they were not suitable for distributed transmission line networks. In this paper, an LM based approach is proposed for modeling distributed networks. The new method was shown to be efficient and accurate for large-scale distributed networks.
The anoctamin family: TMEM16A and TMEM16B as calcium‐activated chloride channels

The Ca2+‐activated Cl− channels (CaCCs) are involved in a variety of physiological functions, such as transepithelial anion transport, smooth muscle contraction and olfaction. Recently, the question of the molecular identity of CaCCs has apparently been resolved with the identification of TMEM16A protein (also known as anoctamin‐1). Expression of TMEM16A is associated with the appearance of Ca2+‐ and voltage‐dependent Cl− currents with properties similar to those of native CaCCs. The putative structure of TMEM16A consists of eight transmembrane domains, with both the amino‐ and the carboxy‐terminus protruding in the cytosol. TMEM16A is also characterized by the existence of different protein variants generated by alternative splicing. A close paralogue of TMEM16A, TMEM16B (anoctamin‐2), is also associated with CaCC activity, although with different properties. The TMEM16B‐dependent channels require higher intracellular Ca2+ concentrations and have faster activation and deactivation kinetics. Expression of other anoctamins is devoid of detectable channel activity. These proteins, such as TMEM16F (anoctamin‐6), may have different functions.