Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pesticide Practices and Suicide among Farmers of the Sundarban Region in India

Background Deliberate self-poisoning by ingesting pesticides is a serious health problem among farmers, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Preventing these suicides is a priority for a public mental health agenda. Objective To examine the role of pesticide poisoning in suicide and nonfatal deliberate self-harm, and clarify awareness of risks, safe practices concerning storage and use of pesticides, and associated self-injury, both unintentional and intentional, within farmer households of the Sundarban region, India. Methods Retrospective record review of adult cases of deliberate self-poisoning at the Block Primary Health Centres of 13 Sundarban Blocks was performed to analyze the relative roles of various methods of self-harm and their lethality. Focus group discussions, questionnaires, and in-depth interviews were undertaken in a community study of farmer households to examine pesticide-related views and practices, with particular attention to storage, use, and health impact. Results Pesticide poisoning was the most common method of deliberate self-harm in both men and women. Pesticide storage in most households was unsafe and knowledge was inadequate concerning adverse effects of pesticides on health, crops, and the environment. Conclusions An intersectoral approach linking the interests of public health, mental health, and agriculture is well suited to serve the collective interests of all three agendas better than each in isolation. Such an approach is needed to reduce morbidity and mortality from unintentional and intentional self-injury in low-income agricultural communities like those of the Sundarban region.
Impact of glycemic control on serum lipoprotein (a) in Arab children with type 1 diabetes

Abstract Background : Lipoprotein (a) (Lp (a)) is an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD), a major cause of death in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Both type 1 diabetes and CAD represent major problems in Kuwait. Data on the effect of metabolic control on Lp (a) in diabetic children are limited and this is particularly true for Arab children. The objectives of the present study were to analyze serum Lp (a) levels in patients with type 1 diabetes compared with non‐diabetic children, taking into account the effect of glycemic control.
Na+-Dependent Sources of Intra-Axonal Ca2+ Release in Rat Optic Nerve during In Vitro Chemical Ischemia

The contribution of intracellular stores to axonal Ca2+ overload during chemical ischemia in vitro was examined by confocal microscopy. Ca2+ accumulation was measured by fluo-4 dextran (low-affinity dye, KD ≈ 4 μm) or by Oregon Green 488 BAPTA-1 dextran (highaffinity dye, KD ≈ 450 nm). Axonal Na+ was measured using CoroNa Green. Ischemia in CSF containing 2 mm Ca2+ caused an ∼3.5-fold increase in fluo-4 emission after 30 min, indicating a large axonal Ca2+ rise well into the micromolar range. Axonal Na+ accumulation was enhanced by veratridine and reduced, but not abolished, by TTX. Ischemia in Ca2+-free (plus BAPTA) perfusate resulted in a smaller but consistent Ca2+ increase monitored by Oregon Green 488 BAPTA-1, indicating release from intracellular sources. This release was eliminated in large part when Na+ influx was reduced by replacement with N-methyl-d-glucamine (NMDG+; even in depolarizing high K+ perfusate), Li+, or by the application of TTX and significantly increased by veratridine. Intracellular release also was reduced significantly by neomycin or 1-(6-[(17β-methoxyestra-1,3,5 [10]-trien-17-yl) amino] hexyl)-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione ( U73122) (phospholipase C inhibitors), heparin [inositol trisphosphate (IP3) receptor blocker], or 7-chloro-5-(2-chlorophenyl)-1,5-dihydro-4,1-benzothiazepin-2(3H)-one (CGP37157; mitochondrial Na+/Ca2+ exchange inhibitor) as well as ryanodine. Combining CGP37157 with U73122 or heparin decreased the response more than either agent alone and significantly improved electrophysiological recovery. Our conclusion is that intra-axonal Ca2+ release during ischemia in rat optic nerve is mainly dependent on Na+ influx. This Na+ accumulation stimulates three distinct intra-axonal sources of Ca2+: (1) the mitochondrial Na+/Ca2+ exchanger driven in the Na+ import/Ca2+ export mode, (2) positive modulation of ryanodine receptors, and (3) promotion of IP3 generation by phospholipase C.
Substrate-Specific Development of Thermophilic Bacterial Consortia by Using Chemically Pretreated Switchgrass

ABSTRACT Microbial communities that deconstruct plant biomass have broad relevance in biofuel production and global carbon cycling. Biomass pretreatments reduce plant biomass recalcitrance for increased efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis. We exploited these chemical pretreatments to study how thermophilic bacterial consortia adapt to deconstruct switchgrass (SG) biomass of various compositions. Microbial communities were adapted to untreated, ammonium fiber expansion (AFEX)-pretreated, and ionic-liquid (IL)-pretreated SG under aerobic, thermophilic conditions using green waste compost as the inoculum to study biomass deconstruction by microbial consortia. After microbial cultivation, gravimetric analysis of the residual biomass demonstrated that both AFEX and IL pretreatment enhanced the deconstruction of the SG biomass approximately 2-fold. Two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D-NMR) experiments and acetyl bromide-reactive-lignin analysis indicated that polysaccharide hydrolysis was the dominant process occurring during microbial biomass deconstruction, and lignin remaining in the residual biomass was largely unmodified. Small-subunit (SSU) rRNA gene amplicon libraries revealed that although the dominant taxa across these chemical pretreatments were consistently represented by members of the Firmicutes, the Bacteroidetes, and Deinococcus-Thermus, the abundance of selected operational taxonomic units (OTUs) varied, suggesting adaptations to the different substrates. Combining the observations of differences in the community structure and the chemical and physical structure of the biomass, we hypothesize specific roles for individual community members in biomass deconstruction.
A multimodal approach to ankle instability: Interrelations between subjective and objective assessments of ankle status in athletes

The aim of this retrospective cohort study is to investigate the association between different subjective and objective assessments of ankle function in a population of athletes with or without functional ankle instability (FAI). 29 athletes with a history of ankle spraining were divided into two groups according to their ankle status: 16 with FAI (initial ankle sprain with residual functional instability) (age 24.6 ± 3.1 years), and 13 COPERS (initial ankle sprain without residual instability) (age 25.3 ± 4.4 years). The assessment of each individual's ankle function was based on three approaches: The “functional‐ankle‐ability‐measure” (FAAM) assessing subjective ankle functionality, measures of sensorimotor control as objective functional measurements and MRI‐based T2‐mapping as a quantitative marker of compositional joint status. Pearson's product‐moment‐correlation coefficient, student's t‐test and analysis‐of‐variance were used for statistical analysis. Significant group differences existed for subjective ankle function (FAAM, p = 0.04) and MRI‐data mainly in the medial compartment of the ankle joint (p ≤ 0.05). We found unique associations between T2‐mapping results and sensorimotor scores in the COPER (r = −0.756–0.849), and “FAI”‐group (r = 0.630–0.657). The location and magnitude differed between groups. No correlations existed between these measures and the FAAM. This exploratory study provides preliminary evidence for potential interrelations between various diagnostic measures of ankle function and structure in individuals with and without FAI. We found associations between MRI‐results and selected measures of sensorimotor control, indicating a potential link between loss of ankle function and early joint degeneration. Despite these interrelations, each of the different assessment options appears to contain unique information on ankle functionality important in a clinical assessment. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 34:525–532, 2016.
The effect of brainstorming guidelines on individual auditors’ identification of potential frauds

Revised auditing standards and a focus by regulators on the detection of financial statement fraud have resulted in calls for research to examine alternative forms of fraud brainstorming. We examine the effect of using extended brainstorming guidelines, developed in the psychology literature as part of facilitator training, on auditors’ individual brainstorming performance prior to attending the team brainstorming meeting. We find that these additional brainstorming guidelines help auditors identify a greater quantity and quality of potential frauds. Our findings suggest an easy to implement approach to enhance auditors’ performance in fraud brainstorming. JEL Classification: C91; C92; M42
Virus-derived Platforms for Visualizing Protein Associations inside Cells*

Protein-protein associations are vital to cellular functions. Here we describe a helpful new method to demonstrate protein-protein associations inside cells based on the capacity of orthoreovirus protein μNS to form large cytoplasmic inclusions, easily visualized by light microscopy, and to recruit other proteins to these structures in a specific manner. We introduce this technology by the identification of a sixth orthoreovirus protein, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase λ3, that was recruited to the structures through an association with μNS. We then established the broader utility of this technology by using a truncated, fluorescently tagged form of μNS as a fusion platform to present the mammalian tumor suppressor p53, which strongly recruited its known interactor simian virus 40 large T antigen to the μNS-derived structures. In both examples, we further localized a region of the recruited protein that is key to its recruitment. Using either endogenous p53 or a second fluorescently tagged fusion of p53 with the rotavirus NSP5 protein, we demonstrated p53 oligomerization as well as p53 association with another of its cellular interaction partners, the CREB-binding proteins, within the inclusions. Furthermore using the p53-fused fluorescent μNS platform in conjunction with three-color microscopy, we identified a ternary complex comprising p53, simian virus 40 large T antigen, and retinoblastoma protein. The new method is technically simple, uses commonly available resources, and is adaptable to high throughput formats.
The effect of physician recommendation on enrollment in the Breast Cancer Chemoprevention Trial.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of physician recommendation on whether to enroll in a randomized controlled chemoprevention trial for breast cancer. METHODS We surveyed 360 women who were at increased risk for breast cancer regarding social and behavioral factors that could influence their decision to enroll or not to enroll in the Breast Cancer Prevention Trial (BCPT). Respondents completed a questionnaire following attendance at an informational session about the trial. The analysis was restricted to 175 women who discussed the possibility of their participation in the trial with their primary care physician (PCP) and who reported what their physician advised them to do regarding participation. RESULTS Logistic regression modeling showed that among women who discussed the trial with their physician, physician recommendation was the most important factor that influenced the respondent's decision to enroll in the BCPT. Women who reported that their physician advised them to enroll in the trial were 13 times more likely to participate than were women who reported that their physicians advised them not to participate. CONCLUSIONS The results of our study show that PCPs play an important role in influencing preventive health behavior, specifically, regarding enrollment in a randomized breast cancer chemoprevention trial. Efforts to increase recruitment to a trial should include enlisting the support of PCPs.
Dosage of capecitabine and cyclophosphamide combination therapy in patients with metastatic breast cancer.

BACKGROUND Capecitabine is a highly effective and well-tolerated treatment for metastatic breast cancer (MBC) and extends survival when combined with docetaxel. Capecitabine and cyclophosphamide are orally administered and have preclinical synergy and non-overlapping toxicities. PATIENTS AND METHODS Sixteen pretreated MBC patients received escalating doses of oral capecitabine 628 to 829 mg/m2 twice daily (bid) plus oral cyclophosphamide 33 to 50 mg/m2 bid, on days 1 to 14 every 21 days. RESULTS Among the ten patients receiving capecitabine/cyclophosphamide 829/33 mg/m2 bid on days 1 to 14, two experienced dose-limiting toxicities (DLT, treatment delay > 1 week due to grade 2 leukopenia). Because neither patient developed further grade > 1 toxicity and none of the patients experienced grade 3/4 toxicities or further DLTs, this dose level is the recommended regimen, producing partial responses in two of five evaluable patients. CONCLUSION The recommended all oral capecitabine/cyclophosphamide combination regimen is well tolerated and active in MBC, and is being evaluated in a phase II study in anthracycline-pretreated MBC.
A robust flash image shadow detection method and seamless recovery of shadow regions

In low or moderate ambient light conditions, flash image is sharp and less noisy as compared to no-flash image; however, it contains unwanted sharp shadows at silhouettes. In our previous work, we proposed a new flash image shadow detection method which utilizes a pair of flash/no-flash images to detect sharp shadows at silhouettes; however, the method often leads to false shadow detection due its inability to effectively discriminate dark background areas. In this paper, we present an enhanced shadow detection algorithm which shows significant improvement in detection results. A seamless cloning method is used to fill detected shadow regions using no-flash image information. A quantitative as well as qualitative comparison of the proposed shadow detection method on our flash/no-flash image dataset shows that it outperforms current state-of-the-art shadow detection algorithms, both in terms of accuracy as well as speed. The qualitative results of proposed shadow recovery technique show that it generates good quality resultant flash images without sharp shadows.
Perioperative Morbidity after Single-stage Bilateral Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Matched Control Study

We asked whether the perioperative morbidity and mortality of patients having bilateral single-stage total hip arthroplasties would be increased. We retrospectively compared 400 patients who had bilateral total hip replacements with a matched group of 400 patients who had unilateral total hip replacements. Patients were matched according to age (± 1 year), gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, body mass index (± 4 kg/m2), and diagnosis (osteoarthritis, 81.2%). There were no deaths in either group. The group of patients who had bilateral total hip arthroplasties had a greater number of minor complications per hip (0.34 ± 0.6 versus 0.25 ± 0.6) but only a trend toward an increased number of major complications per hip (0.037 ± 0.2 versus 0.015 ± 0.1). Patients who had bilateral total hip arthroplasties had a trend toward increased risk of dislocation (1.6%/hip versus 0.5%/hip). The patients in this group also had increased number of fat emboli syndrome per surgically treated hip (0.015 versus 0.0025). Based on a calculation per surgically treated hip, patients who had bilateral total hip arthroplasties had a similar percentage of blood transfusions (1.2 versus 0.9/hip), but more patients received allogeneic blood (23% versus 3.8%). The ASA classification was the only independent predictor for minor complications, major complications, and fat emboli syndrome. We think bilateral single-stage total hip arthroplasties have an acceptable perioperative risk for patients with ASA Class 1 or 2 physical status. Level of Evidence:Level III, Therapeutic study, See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
United States V. _____

Michael Bryant, Jr., an Indian from the Northern Cheyenne Tribe in Montana, was indicted for ‘domestic assault by a habitual offender’ under 18 U.S.C. 117(a), which is a federal recidivist statute that penalizes offenders that commit domestic assault and have at least two prior domestic assault convictions in federal, state, or tribal court. Bryant had two prior tribal court convictions for domestic violence in which he had pled guilty without being appointed counsel and had served some jail time. The legal issues boiled down to whether tribal court convictions obtained without appointed counsel may be used in a subsequent proceeding. If a tribal court does not provide an offender an equivalent Six Amendment right to counsel and the offender is convicted, may the tribal court conviction be used later in a federal prosecution? No, according to the Ninth Circuit, subject to an exception for federal statutes that “serve merely as enforcement mechanisms for civil disabilities”.
An absence of evidence linking perceived memory problems to the menopause.

BACKGROUND Little is known about the prevalence of subjective or perceived memory difficulties in the general population. This is of particular interest in the field of menopause as self-reported memory difficulties make up a large proportion of complaints by women presenting at specialist menopause clinics. There is also a general assumption that memory problems increase with age. AIM To investigate the prevalence of perceived memory difficulties in women to establish whether there are variations with menopausal status and age. DESIGN OF STUDY Cross-sectional questionnaire study. SETTING Sheffield, United Kingdom. METHOD Standardised questionnaires assessing subjective memory, mood and menopausal symptoms were sent to a random sample of 400 women, aged 25-64 years, identified from a general practice list. Menopausal status and demographic details were also recorded. Two hundred and two women responded, giving a response rate of 50.5%. RESULTS The prevalence of perceived memory difficulties was low, and did not differ on the basis of menopausal status or age. Anxiety and depressive symptoms were the main significant predictors of perceived memory difficulties. CONCLUSION Perceived memory difficulties are not specific to particular stages of the life cycle or age, but are experienced to a greater degree by those with high levels of depressive or anxiety symptoms.
Role for IL-10 in Suppression Mediated by Peptide-Induced Regulatory T Cells In Vivo 1

Regulatory CD4+ T cells were induced in the Tg4 TCR transgenic mouse specific for the N-terminal peptide (Ac1-9) of myelin basic protein by intranasal administration of a high-affinity MHC-binding analog (Ac1-9[4Y]). Peptide-induced tolerant cells (PItol) were anergic, failed to produce IL-2, but responded to Ag by secretion of IL-10. PItol cells were predominantly CD25− and CTLA-4+ and their anergic state was reversed by addition of IL-2 in vitro. PItol cells suppressed the response of naive Tg4 cells both in vitro and in vivo. The in vitro suppression mediated by these cells was not reversed by cytokine neutralization and was cell-cell contact-dependent. However, suppression of proliferation and IL-2 production by PItol cells in vivo was abrogated by neutralization of IL-10. These results emphasize an important role for IL-10 in the function of peptide-induced regulatory T cells in vivo and highlight the caution required in extrapolating mechanisms of T regulatory cell function from in vitro studies.
Quality and Equity of Care in the Veterans Affairs Health-Care System and in Medicare Advantage Health Plans

BackgroundAfter an organizational transformation in the mid-1990s, the quality of care in the Veterans Affairs health-care system (VA) compared favorably with the quality of care in some private-sector settings. Whether this performance advantage has persisted, and also its relation to geographic and socioeconomic variations in care, is unknown. ObjectiveWe compared the quality and equity of care for older adults in the VA with that delivered in Medicare Advantage (MA) health plans using the same performance measures. Research DesignCross-sectional comparison. SubjectsA total of 293,554 observations from enrollees in 142 VA medical centers (VAMCs) and 5,768,573 observations from enrollees in 305 MA plans. MeasurementsAdherence to quality measures assessing diabetes, cardiovascular, and cancer screening care from 2000 to 2007. ResultsThe VA outperformed MA plans on 10 of 11 quality measures in the initial study year, and on all 12 measures in the final year. In 2006 and 2007, adjusted differences between the VA and MA ranged from 4.3 percentage points (95% CI, 3.2-5.4) for cholesterol testing in coronary heart disease to 30.8 percentage points (95% CI, 28.1-33.5) for colorectal cancer screening. For 9 of 12 measures, socioeconomic disparities (defined as the difference in performance rates between persons in the highest and lowest quartiles of area-level income and education) were lower in the VA than in MA. Across all measures, the mean interquartile range of performance was 6.7 percentage points for VAMCs and 14.5 percentage points for MA plans. ConclusionsAmong persons aged 65 years or older, the VA health-care system significantly outperformed private-sector MA plans and delivered care that was less variable by site, geographic region, and socioeconomic status.
Exploring the Effects of Tourism and Economic Growth in Fiji: Accounting for Capital, Labor, and Structural Breaks

Fiji's tourism industry has evolved considerably in the past 30 years with past and present governments striving to support and promote the sector despite competing development priorities. This study examines the effects of tourism on the economic growth of Fiji, a small island economy, over the period 1975 to 2015. Using a neoclassical framework and the autoregressive distributed lag bound procedure, the short-run and the long-run effects are explored while accounting for structural breaks. The long-run and short-run results indicate that a 1% increase in visitor arrivals contribute about 0.13% and 0.20% to the per capita income, respectively. Additionally, a unidirectional causality from economic growth to tourism and a mutually reinforcing effect between capital investment and tourism are noted. Thus, greater impact of tourism on the economic growth can be realized through tourism-related investment activities such as improvements in airports, roads, transportation, telecommunications, financial sector, technology, and natural parks and beaches.