Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Longitudinal Association Between Exposure to Violence and Patterns of Health Risk Behaviors Among African American Youth

Purpose: We investigate whether exposure to violence (ETV) during adolescence and emerging adulthood predicts engagement in chronic disease-related health risk behaviors years later among African Americans. Design: A longitudinal study following youth from mid-adolescence (mean age = 14.8 years) to young adulthood (mean age = 32.0 years). Setting: Flint, Michigan. Sample: Four hundred forty-two African American (96.2%) and mixed African American and White (3.8%) participants. Measures: Outcomes were diet, smoking, drinking, and physical inactivity. Covariates were ETV, sex, mother’s educational attainment, and substance use by siblings, peers, and parents. Analysis: Latent profile analysis was conducted to identify distinct patterns of adult health risk behaviors and assess the association of youth ETV and identified patterns. Results: Four latent profiles were identified: high substance use (n = 46; 10.41%), high overall risk (n = 71; 16.06%), low overall risk (n = 140; 31.67%) and inactive (n = 185, 41.86%). Relative to the low overall risk profile, ETV was associated with being in the high overall risk profile (b = 0.37, p = 0.04), but not other profiles. Female gender and higher maternal education were associated with being in the inactive profile compared to the low overall risk profile. Peer alcohol and tobacco use were associated with being in the high substance use profile. Conclusion: ETV during adolescence and emerging adulthood increased the risk of engagement in multiple health risk behaviors later in life.
ZNF718, HOXA4, and ZFP57 are differentially methylated in periodontitis in comparison with periodontal health: Epigenome-wide DNA methylation pilot study.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the differences in the epigenomic patterns of DNA methylation in peripheral leukocytes between patients with periodontitis and gingivally healthy controls evaluating its functional meaning by functional enrichment analysis. BACKGROUND The DNA methylation profiling of peripheral leukocytes as immune-related tissue potentially relevant as a source of biomarkers between periodontitis patients and gingivally healthy subjects has not been investigated. METHODS A DNA methylation epigenome-wide study of peripheral leukocytes was conducted using the Illumina MethylationEPIC platform in sixteen subjects, eight diagnosed with periodontitis patients and eight age-matched and sex-matched periodontally healthy controls. A trained periodontist performed the clinical evaluation. Global DNA methylation was estimated using methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting in LINE1. Routine cell count cytometry and metabolic laboratory tests were also performed. The analysis of differentially methylated positions (DMPs) and differentially methylated regions (DMRs) was made using R/Bioconductor environment considering leukocyte populations assessed in both routine cell counts and using the FlowSorted.Blood. EPIC package. Finally, a DMP and DMR intersection analysis was performed. Functional enrichment analysis was carried out with the differentially methylated genes found in DMP. RESULTS DMP analysis identified 81 differentially hypermethylated genes and 21 differentially hypomethylated genes. Importantly, the intersection analysis showed that zinc finger protein 718 (ZNF718) and homeobox A4 (HOXA4) were differentially hypermethylated and zinc finger protein 57 (ZFP57) was differentially hypomethylated in periodontitis. The functional enrichment analysis found clearly immune-related ontologies such as "detection of bacterium" and "antigen processing and presentation. " CONCLUSION The results of this study propose three new periodontitis-related genes: ZNF718, HOXA4, and ZFP57 but also evidence the suitability and relevance of studying leukocytes' DNA methylome for biological interpretation of systemic immune-related epigenetic patterns in periodontitis.
Long-term prognostic value of sentinel lymph node tumor burden in survival of melanoma patients

Mikko Vuoristo , Timo Muhonen, Virve Koljonen, Susanna Juteau, Micaela Hernberg, Suvi Ilmonen and Tiina Jahkola Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Oncology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Pathology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Oncology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
Gender, Resources, and Intimate Partner Violence Against Women in Egypt Before and After the Arab Spring

This study draws on resource and feminist theories to empirically test the influence of women’s resources and gender performance on psychological and physical intimate partner violence (IPV) in Egypt. Having applied two-stage least squares regressions to nationally representative data from the Demographic and Health Survey (N = 11,319), the results show that women’s education and employment reduce their risk of physical IPV and that the effect of women’s employment on IPV is moderated by their spouses’ employment, with the lowest risk of physical IPV observed among employed women with unemployed or blue-collar spouses. Women’s employment and relative education were not associated with the risk of psychological IPV. While education and employment remain among the strongest deterrents of physical IPV, there was no moderation effect found before or after the Arab Spring for psychological and physical IPV.
Copper and zinc adsorption by sewage sludge‐treated soil in southern Spain

Abstract Heavy metal accumulation in soil due to the application of sewage sludge may induce changes in its ionic retention capacity. In this work, sludge application effects on copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) adsorption by the surface horizon of a calcareous soil in Southern Spain have been studied. Sludge from the urban waste water treatment plant in Cordoba was applied at rates of 0,40, and 80 Mg sludge ha‐1 for two consecutive years. Despite the low metal content of this sludge and the high amount of organic matter added, a decrease in the soil adsorption levels for both Cu and Zn was detected in the sludged samples. Differences were observed, though, in the behavior of each metal, relative to the main adsorption mechanism involved. Copper adsorption was related to carbonate surfaces in soil. Values up to 400 mmol adsorbed Cu kg‐1 soil were obtained for the three treatments, in equilibrium with 13.6, 16.7, and 17.4 mmol Cu m‐3 in solution for 0, 40, and 80 Mg sludge ha‐1, respectively, the first year, and 1.
The association between dietary vitamin B12 and lung cancer risk: findings from a prospective cohort study

Background Since previous epidemiological studies reported inconsistent associations between dietary vitamin B12 intake and lung cancer risk, more studies are warranted to clarify this association in different populations. Methods The association between dietary B12 intake and lung cancer risk was examined in the Singapore Chinese Health Study, an ongoing prospective cohort study of 63 257 Singaporean Chinese men and women, 45–74 years of age at enrollment during 1993–1998 and were followed up for incidence of lung cancer for up to 25 years. Dietary vitamin B12 intake was derived from a validated food frequency questionnaire. Cox proportional hazard regression method was used to estimate hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval (CI) of lung cancer associated with dietary vitamin B12 intake with adjustment for multiple potential confounders. Results After a mean follow-up of 17.64 years, 2001 study participants developed lung cancer. High levels of vitamin B12 intake were associated with significantly increased risk of lung cancer (Ptrend = 0.03). Compared with the lowest quintile, hazard ratios (95% CIs) of lung cancer for quintile 2, 3, 4, and 5 of vitamin B12 intake were 1.09 (0.95–1.25), 1.11 (0.96–1.28), 1.11 (0.97–1.29) and 1.18 (1.03–1.35), respectively. This positive association was more apparent in men than in women, in adenocarcinoma patients, or in participants with equal or less than 2 years follow-up than those with longer duration of follow-up. Conclusion Higher intake of dietary vitamin B12 was associated with increased risk of lung cancer. This highlights the potential harmful effect of vitamin B12 supplementation for lung cancer.
Differences and Similarities between the Double Halo Sign, the Chest CT Target Sign and the Reversed Halo Sign in Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia

Copyright © 2021 The Korean Society of Radiology Differences and Similarities between the Double Halo Sign, the Chest CT Target Sign and the Reversed Halo Sign in Patients with COVID-19 Pneumonia Edson Marchiori, Diana Penha, Luiz Felipe Nobre, Bruno Hochhegger, Glaucia Zanetti Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Universidade da Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal; Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil; Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
The role of short-term changes in cognitive capacity on economic expenditure among Kenyan agro-pastoralists

The increased exposure of pastoralist communities in East Africa to climatic shocks has focused attention on the resilience of these communities. Although many social scientists directly or indirectly infer versions of homo-economic agents, increasing evidence in development behavioral economics, indicates that such assumptions may be misplaced. Despite on-going advances in the science concerning the effects of stress on dynamic changes in short-term cognitive capacity, there remains limited understanding of the effects of changes in cognitive capacity on economic decision making. The present research empirically evaluates the drivers of short-term changes in cognitive capacity–cognitive ability and heuristic use–and its effect on crop and livestock expenditure among predominantly poor Kenyan agro-pastoralists. Three rounds of cognition and survey data from Samburu, Kenya is analysed. The primary data was collected at the end of the 2015–16 East African drought and covers an 11-month period between October 2016 and September 2017. Dynamic panel estimation, employing maximum likelihood, is used on balanced and unbalanced data. Results indicate that fluid intelligence and heuristic use, along with literacy and stressors, affect crop expenditure. Perceptions of scarcity, relative to prior expectations, are also identified as an important determinant of short-term changes in cognitive ability. These results underscore the importance of better understanding the effects of short-term changes in cognitive capacity on economic expenditure among the poor.
“I Feel All Alone Out Here”

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed social life. This secondary qualitative analysis aimed to better understand the impact of the pandemic on bereaved hospice family caregivers' experiences of social connection and isolation in a time of social distancing and general anxiety. Six caregivers in 3 states recorded audio diaries (N = 59) between March 13 and May 15, 2020. Caregivers were, on average, 56.80 years old (SD, 14.22; range, 32-67 years old) and consisted of spouses (n = 2), adult children (n = 3), and a sibling (n = 1). Using NVIVO 12, caregiver diaries were coded for (1) “social connection” (n = 23), defined as being able to access or seeking informal or formal social support networks; (2) “isolation” (n = 17), defined as being unable or reluctant to access informal or formal social support networks, or feeling alone; and (3) “bereavement processes” (n = 147), informed by the dual process model of bereavement (restoration and loss-oriented stressors). Content analysis revealed that caregivers were able to connect with others despite physical distancing expectations, expressed loneliness and grief while in isolation, and described moving on in the face of uncertainty. Findings provide insight into how caregivers experienced bereavement during the initial period of the pandemic and highlight implications for hospice bereavement services.
UV-absorption spectrum of the methylperoxy radical and the kinetics of its disproportionation reaction at 300 K

Molecular modulation spectroscopy combined with ultraviolet spectroscopic techniques have been used to observe the behavior of the CH 3 O 2 radicals generated in the gas phase by near-ultraviolet modulated photolysis of flowing Cl 2 -CH 4 -O 2 mixture. The kinetics of the disproportionation reaction (1) (1(a)) CH 3 O 2 +CH 3 O 2 →CH 3 O+CH 3 O+O 2 (1(b)) →CH 2 O+CH 3 OH+O 2 (1(c)) →CH 3 OOCH 3 +O 2 and the absorption cross-sections of CH 3 O 2 were measured by computer fitting of the modulated absorption traces obtained in the wavelength range 220 to 270 nm at 300 K and 240 torr. The rate constant for the elementary self-reaction k 1 =k 1(a) +k 1(b) +k 1(c) was determined to be (3.61±0.55)×10 −13 cm 3 molecules −1 s −1 . The parameter k obs /σ (where k obs is the observed apparent second-order rate constant) was measured from the decay curves in the dark phase of the modulated photolysis period in the wavelength range 230-260 nm, and had a value 1.16×10 5 cm s −1 at 250 nm. At 250 nm the absorption cross-section was determined as σ(CH 3 O 2 )=4.14×10 −18 cm 2 molecule −1 , leading to a value of k obs =(4.8±0.5)×10 −13 cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 . In addition, the absorption spectrum of CH 3 O 2 was measured in the range 210-295 nm using diode array spectroscopy. A detailed review of all previous studies concerning the kinetics and spectrum of the CH 3 O 2 radical is presented, and a recommended spectrum, representing an average from selected recent studies, is proposed
Cochlear Implant Magnet Dislocation: Simulations and Measurements of Force and Torque at 1.5T Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Objectives: Dislocation of the magnet inside the implanted component of a cochlear implant (CI) can be a serious risk for patients undergoing a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam. CI manufacturers aim to reduce this risk either via the design of the implant magnet or magnet housing, or by advising a compression bandage and cover over the magnet. The aim of this study is to measure forces and torque on the magnet for different CI models and assess the effectiveness of the design and preventative measures on the probability of magnet dislocation. Design: Six CI models from four manufacturers covering all the current CI brands were included. Each model was positioned on a polystyrene head with compression bandage and magnet cover according to the recommendations of the manufacturer and tested for dislocation in a 1.5T whole-body MRI system. In addition, measurements of the displacement force in front of the MRI scanner and torque at the MRI scanner isocenter were obtained. Results: Chance of CI magnet dislocation was observed for two CI models. The design of the magnet or magnet housing of the other models proved sufficient to prevent displacement of the magnet. The main cause for magnet dislocation was found to be the rotational force resulting from the torque experienced inside the magnet bore, which ranges from 2.4 to 16.2 N between the models, with the displacement force being lower, ranging from 1.0 to 1.8 N. Conclusions: In vitro testing shows that two CI models are prone to the risk of magnet dislocation. In these CI models, preparation before MRI with special compression bandage and a stiff cover are of importance. But these do not eliminate the risk of pain and dislocation requiring patient consulting before an MRI exam. Newer models show a better design resulting in a significantly reduced risk of magnet dislocation.
Sports Injury and Illness after Implementation of the Web-Based Surveillance System in World Taekwondo.

CONTEXT There is a shortage of Taekwondo epidemiology studies since the rule changes introduced by World Taekwondo in 2017. OBJECTIVE To describe injury and illness patterns at the Muju 2017 World Taekwondo Championships (WTC) following the implementation of the web-based surveillance system by World Taekwondo. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING All injuries and illnesses were recorded during the 2017 WTC using a web-based system developed by the International Olympic Committee. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS 971 athletes who participated in the 2017 WTC. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) A profiles and mechanisms of injury and illness in the 2017 WTC. RESULTS We analyzed total 131 injuries and 26 illnesses, corresponding to an overall clinical incidence of 13.5 ((95% confidence interval (CI): 11.2-15.8)) injuries and 2.7 (95% CI: 1.6-3.7) illnesses per 100 athletes, and an overall incidence rate of 19.3 (95% CI: 16.0-22.6) injuries and 3.8 (95% CI: 2.4-5.3) illnesses per 1,000 athlete-days, respectively. Most injuries occurred in the lower extremities (46.6%, n=61), of which knee injuries were most frequent (19.8%, n=26). Among the head and trunk injuries (29.8%, n=39), face injuries (22.1%, n=29) were most frequent, whereas among upper extremity injuries (23.7%, n=31), finger injuries (6.1%, n=8) were most frequent. Contusions (33.6%, n=44) were the most frequent injury type, followed by fractures and ligament ruptures/sprains. The most common injury mechanism was in contact with another athlete (74.0%, n=97), whereas the least common was concussions (n=5). The major affected system was the respiratory system (30.8%, n=8), with major symptoms being pain (42.3%, n=11) and fever (26.9%, n=7). Environmental factors were the most common cause of illness (57.7%, n=15). CONCLUSION The web-based surveillance system used at the 2017 WTC revealed that 13.5/100 athletes (77.8/1,000 athlete-exposures, 13.9/1000 minute-exposures) had new or recurrent injuries, whereas 2.7/100 athletes became ill.
Extending and validating the Baveno VI criteria for the exclusion of high-risk varices.

AIM The updated Baveno VI guidelines recommend that screening for high-risk varices (HRV) by esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (EGD) can be avoided in patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD) who have liver stiffness LSM<20 kPa and platelet count PLT>150,000/L. The aims of this study were to validate extended Baveno VI criteria in patients with chronic liver disease and to establish cut-off values for our cohort. MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospective study included 839 patients with liver cirrhosis evaluated by Transient Elastography (TE), biological tests, and upper endos-copy, all within one year. The Baveno VI criteria were validated on a sub-group of 728 patients (Cohort 1, randomly selected from the study sample) and tailored cut-off points were determined. The remaining 111 patients comprised the validating set (Cohort 2) for these specific cut-off values. RESULTS In Cohort 1, Baveno VI criteria had 86.2% accuracy. The calculated cut-offs to rule-in HRV were PLT<150,000/mm3 and LSM >35.3 kPa; while to rule-out HRV they were PLT >150.000/mm3 and LSM <19.6 kPa. In patients in the "grey-zone", by multivariate analysis, albumin was independently associated with HRV at a cut-off of ˂3.4 g/dl. In the validation cohort, the calculated rule out cut-offs had 100% accuracy. CONCLUSIONS The Baveno VI criteria had a good accuracy for exclusion of HRV in this large cohort of cirrhotic patients. Adding an albumin-related threshold increased performance and broadened applicability. Using the calculated rule-out criteria for HRV, all unnecessary EGD could be excluded.
Effects of hyperoxia and cardiovascular risk factors on myocardial ischaemia–reperfusion injury: a randomized, sham‐controlled parallel study

What is the central question of this study? The beneficial effects of supplemental oxygen in patients with acute myocardial infarction are still uncertain: what are the effects of ischaemia–reperfusion injury during hyperoxia and normoxia in mature rats with and without cardiovascular risk factors? What is the main finding and its importance? Despite elevated baseline oxidative stress in rodents with cardiovascular risk factors, hyperoxic reperfusion limited myocardial necrosis and anti/pro‐oxidant imbalance in spontaneously hypertensive and Zucker rats. In contrast, this effect was exacerbated in healthy Wistar rats. These results suggest that oxygen supplementation may not be harmful in patients with acute myocardial injury.
Effect of Seed Layer on Structural Properties of ZnO Nanorod Arrays Grown by Vapor-Phase Transport

By using different types of ZnO thin films as seed layers, we systematically investigated the effects of seed layers on the morphologies and growth behaviors of ZnO nanorods by the vapor-phase transport method. It was found that ZnO nanorods can be grown on a variety of polycrystalline ZnO seed layers. The formation of a network wetting layer facilitates the uniform growth of an aligned ZnO nanorod. However, once a continuous ZnO network layer is formed, the alignment will be independent of seed layer thickness and surface roughness. Our results indicate that a ZnO seed layer with a high c-axis orientation, good crystallinity, and less lattice stress leads to the growth of well-aligned ZnO nanorod arrays with uniform diameters and narrow density distributions.
Impacts of introducing and lifting nonpharmaceutical interventions on COVID-19 daily growth rate and compliance in the United States

Significance The coronavirus pandemic has become the most recent and urgent public health issue to threaten health systems and test government responses globally. The United States is leading with the highest number of infections despite the implementation of nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). These measures may vary in their effectiveness across populations as the ability to physically distance is a privilege and is highly intersected with ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Furthermore, the United States has now lifted many NPIs; however, there is no evidence on whether and to what degree lifting NPIs can diminish the health gains of previously implemented policies. This study provides timely evidence for policymakers to inform next steps to mitigate the pandemic. We evaluate the impacts of implementing and lifting nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) in US counties on the daily growth rate of COVID-19 cases and compliance, measured through the percentage of devices staying home, and evaluate whether introducing and lifting NPIs protecting selective populations is an effective strategy. We use difference-in-differences methods, leveraging on daily county-level data and exploit the staggered introduction and lifting of policies across counties over time. We also assess heterogenous impacts due to counties’ population characteristics, namely ethnicity and household income. Results show that introducing NPIs led to a reduction in cases through the percentage of devices staying home. When counties lifted NPIs, they benefited from reduced mobility outside of the home during the lockdown, but only for a short period. In the long term, counties experienced diminished health and mobility gains accrued from previously implemented policies. Notably, we find heterogenous impacts due to population characteristics implying that measures can mitigate the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 on marginalized populations and find that selectively targeting populations may not be effective.
A 3′ tRNA‐derived fragment produced by tRNALeuAAG and tRNALeuTAG is associated with poor prognosis in B‐cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia, independently of classical prognostic factors

3′ tRNA‐derived fragments (3′ tRFs) are important epigenetic regulators in normal and pathological conditions. In this study, we aimed to explore the potential value of a 3′ tRF as a prognostic and/or screening biomarker for B‐cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B‐CLL).