Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determinants of undernutrition in rural communities of a protected area in Gabon

Abstract Objective To understand how access to natural resources may contribute to nutrition. Design In each of the two major seasons, data were collected during a 7 d period using observations, semi-structured interviews, anthropometric measures and a weighed food consumption survey. Setting Four rural communities selected to represent inland and coastal areas of the Gamba Complex in Gabon. Subjects In each community, all individuals from groups vulnerable to malnutrition, i.e. children aged 0–23 months (n 41) and 24–59 months (n 63) and the elderly (n 101), as well as women caregivers (n 96). Results In most groups, household access to natural resources was associated with household access to food but not with individual nutritional status. In children aged 0–23 months, access to care and to health services and a healthy environment were the best predictors of length-for-age (adjusted R2: 14 %). Health status was the only predictor of weight-for-height in children aged 24–59 months (adjusted R2: 14 %). In women caregivers, household food security was negatively associated with nutritional status, as was being younger than 20 years (adjusted R2: 16 %). Among the elderly, only nutrient adequacy predicted nutritional status (adjusted R2: 5 %). Conclusion Improving access to care and health for young children would help reverse the process of undernutrition. Reaching a better understanding of how the access of individuals to both food and other resources relate to household access could further our appreciation of the constraints to good nutrition. This is particularly relevant in women to ensure that their possibly important contribution to the household is not at their own expense.
A new model for fetal programming: maternal Ramadan-type fasting programs nephrogenesis

Abstract The effect of maternal Ramadan-type fasting (RTF) on the outcome of pregnancy, kidney development and nephron number in male rat offspring was investigated in current study. Pregnant rats were given food and water ad libitum during pregnancy (control) or restricted for 16 h per day (RTF). Kidney structure was examined during fetal life, at birth, and in early and late adulthood. Maternal body weight, food intake, relative food intake and plasma glucose levels were significantly lower (P<0.001) in the RTF group. Litter and pup weights also were significantly lower (P<0.05) in the RTF group at birth, with no difference in the litter size. The RTF group had a longer gestation, delayed nephrogenesis with less well-differentiated glomeruli, more connective tissue, fewer medullary rays, an increase in the nephrogenic zone/cortical zone ratio, and significant increase (P<0.001) in kidney apoptosis at birth. On the other hand, maternal fasting reduced nephron number (by ~31%) with unchanged kidney and total glomerular volumes. Mean glomerular volume was significantly higher in RTF offspring. Assessment of renal structure revealed mild glomerulosclerosis with enlarged lobulated glomeruli in the renal cortex and high interstitial fibrosis in the medulla of RTF kidneys. Taken together, gestational fasting delays nephrogenesis and reduces nephron number in the kidneys of the offspring, that could be partially owing to increased apoptosis.
Effects of Intrauterine Growth Restriction During Late Pregnancy on the Development of the Ovine Fetal Thymus and the T‐Lymphocyte Subpopulation

The retarded development of fetal thymus in intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) from maternal undernutrition during late pregnancy destroys the tridimensional structure and modifies the development of fetal T lymphocytes. The mechanisms, however, remain unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of IUGR during late pregnancy on the development of the ovine fetal thymus and the T‐lymphocyte subpopulation.
CCL2 is Upregulated by Decreased miR-122 Expression in Iron-Overload-Induced Hepatic Inflammation

Background/Aims: Iron overload (IO) is accompanied by hepatic inflammation. The chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) mediates inflammation, and its overexpression is associated with IO. However, whether IO results in CCL2 overexpression in the liver and the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Methods: We subjected mice to IO by administering intraperitoneal injections of dextran-iron or by feeding mice a 3% dextran-iron diet to observe the effects of IO on miR-122/CCL2 expression through real-time qPCR and Western blot analysis. We also used indicators, including the expression of the inflammatory cytokine, the inflammation score based on H&E staining and the serum content of ALT and AST to evaluate the effects of IO on hepatic inflammation. Meanwhile, we observed the effects of vitamin E on IO-induced hepatic inflammation. In cells, we used 100 µΜ FeSO4 or 30 µΜ Holo-Tf to produce IO and observed the roles of miR-122 in regulating CCL2 expression by using miR-122 mimics or inhibitors to overexpress or inhibit miR-122. Then, we used a dual-luciferase reporter assay to prove that miR-122 regulates CCL2 expression through direct binding to its complementary sequence in the CCL2 mRNA 3’UTR. Results: IO induces the downregulation of miR-122 and the upregulation of CCL2, as well as inflammatory responses both in vitro and in vivo. Although IO-induced oxidative stress is eliminated by the antioxidant vitamin E, IO-induced hepatic inflammation still exists, which probably can be explained by the fact that vitamin E has no effects on the miR-122/CCL2 pathway. In in vitro experiments, the overexpression and inhibition of miR-122 significantly reduced and increased CCL2 expression, respectively. The dual-luciferase reporter assay indicates that miR-122 binds CCL2 mRNA 3’UTR. Conclusion: We propose the roles of miR-122/CCL2 in IO-induced hepatic inflammation. Our studies should provide a new clue for developing clinical strategies for patients with IO.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder with Comorbid Schizophrenia: A Case Report with Repetitive Measurements

Background: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been observed in a substantial proportion of patients with schizophrenia. Although cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is well documented for OCD, few case studies are available regarding CBT for comorbid OCD in schizophrenia. Aims: The study aims to present a case study to augment the limited knowledge concerning CBT treatment for OCD in patients with schizophrenia. Method: The research adopted a case study approach, with a baseline condition and repeated assessments during the 3-week treatment and 6-month follow-up period. Results: The treatment was successful and the patient achieved clinical significant change in OCD symptoms. The patient had a reduction on the Y-BOCS from 24 to 5 (79%) and from 38 to 10 (73%) on the OCI-R from before treatment to 6 months follow-up. He did not fulfil the criteria for an OCD diagnosis at the end of the 3-week treatment period, or the follow-up at 3- and 6 months. Conclusions: The results strengthen the impressions given by previous case studies suggesting that CBT may be a promising treatment for OCD in patients with schizophrenia.
Night work and breast cancer: A population‐based case–control study in France (the CECILE study)

Night work involving disruption of circadian rhythm was suggested as a possible cause of breast cancer. We examined the role of night work in a large population‐based case‐control study carried out in France between 2005 and 2008. Lifetime occupational history including work schedules of each night work period was elicited in 1,232 cases of breast cancer and 1,317 population controls. Thirteen percent of the cases and 11% of the controls had ever worked on night shifts (OR = 1.27 [95% confidence interval = 0.99–1.64]). Odds ratios were 1.35 [1.01–1.80] in women who worked on overnight shifts, 1.40 [1.01–1.92] in women who had worked at night for 4.5 or more years, and 1.43 [1.01–2.03] in those who worked less than three nights per week on average. The odds ratio was 1.95 [1.13–3.35] in women employed in night work for >4 years before their first full‐term pregnancy, a period where mammary gland cells are incompletely differentiated and possibly more susceptible to circadian disruption effects. Our results support the hypothesis that night work plays a role in breast cancer, particularly in women who started working at night before first full‐term pregnancy.
The future of the city and the international law of the future

Janne Nijman observes that globalisation is accompanied by urbanisation, and that many – if not most – of the challenges of globalisation come to the fore in cities: environmental pollution, crime, inequality, migration, cultural diversity, unemployment; to name a few. She distinguishes between the private city (the collective of private economic interests) and the public city (the city governments who increasingly operate as global actors). In her article she presents six propositions on how the public city will affect international law. She sees that direct links between cities and global institutions will intensify. This is already very visible in the area of environmental law, with NGO‘s facilitating these links. Cities will also be implementers of international law of their own accord, thus bypassing the state. Connected with this, Janne Nijman envisages that the international law of the future will 'de-formalise'; following local judges city governments will apply it simply by way of 'persuasive authority‘. Last but not least, cities themselves will directly become part of the processes of international rule making. Given all this, cities will increasingly become actors in the making of international law and informal rules. They will be significant influencers of international negotiations. Proceeding from these phenomena, Nijman even asks the question whether cities will, in the future, acquire the status of international legal person, alongside that of states. Such a formal development would all the more change the state-centric system of today into the multi-actor system of the future.
Operative Versus Nonoperative Treatment for Stage 0 Distal Rectal Cancer Following Chemoradiation Therapy: Long-term Results

Objective:Report overall long-term results of stage 0 rectal cancer following neoadjuvant chemoradiation and compare long-term results between operative and nonoperative treatment. Methods:Two-hundred sixty-five patients with distal rectal adenocarcinoma considered resectable were treated by neoadjuvant chemoradiation (CRT) with 5-FU, Leucovorin and 5040 cGy. Patients with incomplete clinical response were referred to radical surgical resection. Patients with incomplete clinical response treated by surgery resulting in stage p0 were compared to patients with complete clinical response treated by nonoperative treatment. Statistical analysis was performed using χ2, Student t test and Kaplan-Meier curves. Results:Overall and disease-free 10-year survival rates were 97.7% and 84%. In 71 patients (26.8%) complete clinical response was observed following CRT (Observation group). Twenty-two patients (8.3%) showed incomplete clinical response and pT0N0M0 resected specimens (Resection group). There were no differences between patient's demographics and tumor's characteristics between groups. In the Resection group, 9 definitive colostomies and 7 diverting temporary ileostomies were performed. Mean follow-up was 57.3 months in Observation Group and 48 months in Resection Group. There were 3 systemic recurrences in each group and 2 endorectal recurrences in Observation Group. Two patients in the Resection group died of the disease. Five-year overall and disease-free survival rates were 88% and 83%, respectively, in Resection Group and 100% and 92% in Observation Group. Conclusions:Stage 0 rectal cancer disease is associated with excellent long-term results irrespective of treatment strategy. Surgical resection may not lead to improved outcome in this situation and may be associated with high rates of temporary or definitive stoma construction and unnecessary morbidity and mortality rates.
The Reward Deficiency Syndrome: A Biogenetic Model for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Impulsive, Addictive and Compulsive Behaviors

Abstract The dopaminergic system, and in particular the dopamine D2 receptor, has been implicated in reward mechanisms. The net effect of neurotransmitter interaction at the mesolimbic brain region induces “reward” when dopamine (DA) is released from the neuron at the nucleus accumbens and interacts with a dopamine D2 receptor. “The reward cascade” involves the release of serotonin, which in turn at the hypothalmus stimulates enkephalin, which in turn inhibits GABA at the substania nigra, which in turn fine tunes the amount of DA released at the nucleus accumbens or “reward site. ” It is well known that under normal conditions in the reward site DA works to maintain our normal drives. In fact, DA has become to be known as the “pleasure molecule” and/or the “antistress molecule. ” When DA is released into the synapse, it stimulates a number a DA receptors (D1-D5) which results in increased feelings of well-being and stress reduction. A consensus of the literature suggests that when there is a dysfunction in the brain reward cascade, which could be caused by certain genetic variants (polygenic), especially in the DA system causing a hypodopaminergic trait, the brain of that person requires a DA fix to feel good. This trait leads to multiple drug-seeking behavior. This is so because alcohol, cocaine, heroin, marijuana, nicotine, and glucose all cause activation and neuronal release of brain DA, which could heal the abnormal cravings. Certainly after ten years of study we could say with confidence that carriers of the DAD2 receptor A1 allele have compromised D2 receptors. Therefore lack of D2 receptors causes individuals to have a high risk for multiple addictive, impulsive and compulsive behavioral propensities, such as severe alcoholism, cocaine, heroin, marijuana and nicotine use, glucose bingeing, pathological gambling, sex addiction, ADHD, Tourette's Syndrome, autism, chronic violence, posttraumatic stress disorder, schizoid/avoidant cluster, conduct disorder and antisocial behavior. In order to explain the breakdown of the reward cascade due to both multiple genes and environmental stimuli (pleiotropism) and resultant aberrant behaviors, Blum united this hypodopaminergic trait under the rubric of a reward deficiency syndrome.
The expression and pathophysiological role of osteopontin in Graves' disease.

CONTEXT Graves' disease (GD) is a common autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid gland. Its pathogenesis is tightly involved with aberrant proinflammatory cytokine production. Osteopontin (OPN), an extracellular matrix protein of pleiotropic properties, has recently been recognized as a potent inflammatory cytokine in several autoimmune diseases. OBJECTIVE This study sought to explore the pathophysiological role of OPN in GD by comparing OPN levels in initial GD patients and healthy controls. METHODS Seventy-six patients who met criteria for initial GD and sixty-five healthy controls were recruited. OPN and other clinical GD diagnosis parameters were measured. In addition, the coexpression of several OPN receptors as well as various nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) downstream target genes were examined in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from human subjects. The effect of OPN on NF-κB activation was determined by in vitro assays. RESULTS We demonstrated for the first time that the OPN levels are enhanced in serum from GD patients. OPN levels are strongly associated with clinical serum parameters for GD diagnosis. The coexpression of selective OPN receptors and inflammatory response genes was enhanced in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from GD patients. Furthermore, serum from GD patients activated NF-κB activity in vitro, which was significantly suppressed by OPN monoclonal antibody abrogation. CONCLUSION These data indicated a clinical correlation between serum OPN levels and GD. OPN could affect GD development through NF-κB activation and the subsequent changes in inflammatory milieu. OPN could serve as a novel biomarker for GD as well as a potential target for GD treatment.
Microphysiology of Epileptiform Activity in Human Neocortex

Summary: The authors report the use of dense two-dimensional microelectrode array recordings to characterize fine resolution electrocortical activity (“&mgr;EEG”) in epileptogenic human cortex. A 16-mm2 96 microelectrode array with 400-&mgr;m interelectrode spacing was implanted in five patients undergoing invasive EEG monitoring for medically refractory epilepsy. High spatial resolution data from the array were analyzed in conjunction with simultaneously acquired data from standard intracranial electrode grids and strips. &mgr;EEG recorded from within the epileptogenic zone demonstrates discharges resembling both interictal epileptiform activity (“microdischarges”) and electrographic seizures (“microseizures”) but confined to cortical regions as small as 200 &mgr;m2. In two patients, this activity appeared to be involved in the initiation or propagation of electrographic seizures. The authors hypothesize that microdischarges and microseizures are generated by small cortical domains that form the substrate of epileptogenic cortex and play important roles in seizure initiation and propagation.
Examining the association between participation in late-life leisure activities and cognitive function in community-dwelling elderly Chinese in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT Background: Growing evidence suggests that participation in late-life leisure activity may have beneficial effects on cognitive function. The objective of the study was to evaluate the association between leisure activity participation and cognitive function in an elderly population of community-dwelling Hong Kong Chinese. Methods: 512 participants were assessed in the follow-up study of a population-based community survey of the prevalence of cognitive impairment among Hong Kong Chinese aged 60 years and over. Leisure activities were classified into four categories (physical, intellectual, social and recreational). Information regarding leisure activity participation, cognitive function and other variables was collected. Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed to examine the association between leisure activity participation and cognitive function. Results: A higher level of late-life leisure activity participation, particularly in intellectual activities, was significantly associated with better cognitive function in the elderly, as reflected by the results of the Cantonese Mini-mental State Examination (p = 0.007, 0.029 and 0.005), the Category Verbal Fluency Test (p = 0.027, 0.003 and 0.005) and digit backward span (p = 0.031, 0.002 and 0.009), as measured by the total frequency, total hours per week and total number of subtypes, respectively; the Chinese Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (p = 0.045) and word list learning (p = 0.003), as measured by the total number of subtypes; and digit forward span (p = 0.007 and 0.015), as measured by the total hours per week and total number of subtypes, respectively. Conclusion: Late-life intellectual activity participation was associated with better cognitive function among community-dwelling Hong Kong elderly Chinese.
Prevalence of Depression in Hospitalized Patients With Congestive Heart Failure

Objective Prevalence estimates of depression in hospitalized patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) differ considerably across studies. This article reports the prevalence of depression in a larger sample of hospitalized patients with CHF and identifies demographic, medical, psychosocial, and methodological factors that may affect prevalence estimates. Methods A modified version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule was administered to a series of 682 hospitalized patients with CHF to determine the prevalence of DSM-IV major and minor depression; 613 patients also completed the Beck Depression Inventory. Medical, demographic, and social data were obtained from hospital chart review, echocardiography, and patient interview. Results In the sample as a whole, 20% of the patients met the DSM-IV criteria for a current major depressive episode, 16% for a minor depressive episode, and 51% scored above the cutoff for depression on the Beck Depression Inventory (≥10). However, the prevalence of major depression differed significantly between strata defined by the functional severity of heart failure, age, gender, employment status, dependence in activities of daily living, and past history of major depression. For example, the prevalence ranged from as low as 8% among patients in New York Heart Association class I failure to as high as 40% among patients in class IV. Conclusions The prevalence of depression in hospitalized patients with CHF is similar to rates found in post-myocardial infarction patients. However, it is considerably higher in certain subgroups, such as patients with class III or IV heart failure. Further research is needed on the prognostic importance and treatment of comorbid depression in CHF.
A Marxian Interpretation of the Environmental Kuznets Curve: Global Capitalism and the Rise and Fall (and Rise) of Pollution

Discussion of the economic development–pollution link has, with some exceptions (Boyce 2002; Burkett 2006; Foster 2000, 1999; Foster and Burkett 2008; Foster, Clark, and York 2010; Jorgenson 2011, 2006a, 2006b, 2003), primarily been addressed from the perspective of orthodox economics. The resulting Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) literature generally finds that as economic development increases, pollution peaks and then decreases. From this research one would conclude that continued economic development can have positive environmental impacts in the long run by lowering pollution. This orthodox EKC argument, however, leaves much to be desired with respect to its assumptions concerning the development-pollution link and its prediction of a long-term decline in pollution. Marxists have not sufficiently addressed the limitations of the orthodox EKC argument, rejecting the argument outright due to its association with modernization discourse (York, Rosa, and Dietz 2003). While existing critiques are useful, they overlook the utility of posing an alternative Marxian Environmental Kuznets Curve (M-EKC) model that would reject modernization explanations of the long-term relationship between capitalism and pollution, and replace it with a political-economic explanation. In the present work, we present this alternative M-EKC model. To make sense of our M-EKC argument, we first describe orthodox EKC assumptions. Then we review the findings of recently published (2013– 2014) EKC studies. That literature illustrates that evidence favoring the traditional EKC argument is mixed and depends on the method of analysis employed. Next we examine ways in which capitalism produces the rise and fall of pollution, and why another rise in pollution and cyclical pollution patterns as such should emerge over time. To do so, one must place the