Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measuring the General and Specific Domains of Self-Esteem: The Short-form of the State Self-Esteem Scale

Self-esteem is a crucial human nature feature for understanding the social dimensions of individuals’ self-concept. One of its characteristics is peoples’ malleability to adapt to social contexts, that is, the state self-esteem (SSE). Individuals express SES in three different factors: performance; social success; and physical appearance. Along with three studies, we present evidence of validity of the Short-Form of State Self-Esteem Scale (SSES-S) that measures contextual fluctuations in individuals’ self-esteem. In Study 1 (N = 300), we found that the structure of the SSES-S was organized into three correlated factors that exhibited convergent-discriminant validity with measures of trait self-esteem and human values. In Study 2 (N = 281), confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a bifactor measurement model better fit the description of the factorial structure of the SSES-S, which also showed incremental validity concerning trait self-esteem for predicting one criterion. In Study 3 (N = 160), we experimentally manipulated contextual information about self-achievement and showed that the SSES-S is sensitive enough to detect transient fluctuations in self-esteem, especially in the achievement factor. We discussed the limitations and scope of the SSES-S, as its specific focus on measuring undergraduate students’ state self-esteem and its implications distinguishing the general and particular domains of this construct.
NUMERICAL MODELLING OF BOLTED JOINTS FROM COMPOSITE. THE MESSAGE 2. EFFECT OF THE BACKLASH AND PCM STRUCTURE ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE STRESS-STRAIN STATE OF BOLTS

In modern finite element class PLM programs have the opportunity to create mixed finite element model by "gluing". It allows to create, in particular, for calculations on PC rather small 3D-models of polymeric composite materials (PCM) in bolt joints in which composite in zones of bolt-holes is body-sectional modelled, and behind them – approximately, according to the theory of "the effective module". Previously it demonstrated the possibility of using a mixed 3D-models of PCM in bolt joints through simulations to determine the minimum size of the zones of more precise PCM simulation while providing the same accuracy of the calculations. In the given message the substantiation of possibility of application of mixed 3D-models composite is spent at modelling of bolt joints by conducting of numerical experiments for definition of the minimum sizes of zones of more exact modelling composite at maintenance of equal accuracy of calculations. The given message is dedicated to the identification of trends in the characteristics of the stress-strained state of bolts when the composite materials structure is changed, to improve the bolt joints strength. Created 24 of 3D-models of one shear two-row bolt joints with PCM (contact problem), which ranged PCM structure (6 options), as well as the backlash of bolts with holes (4 values). The value of bolt tightening force and tensile force specimen were unchanged. According to the results of calculations the distribution of minimum stress and contact pressure (tables, graphs) were determined. It is concluded that the structure of a PCM plate significantly affects the characteristics of the stress-strained state of the bolts and of the areas of holes of the PCM; that we can find a structure that will improve the bolt joints strength. It revealed several effects, which can greatly affect the understanding of the characteristics of the stress-strain state of bolt in zones of hole.
Simultaneous Resection of Colorectal Carcinoma and Hepatic Metastases is Safe and Effective: Examining the Role of the Robotic Approach

Backgrounds and Objectives Up to 50% of patients with colorectal carcinoma (CRC) present with liver metastases (CLM) throughout their course. Complete resection of both sites provides the only chance for cure. Either a staged or simultaneous resection is feasible. The latter avoids delays in adjuvant systemic chemotherapy but may increase technical complexity and perioperative complications. We aim to evaluate our initial outcomes of simultaneous CRC and CLM resections with a focus on the robotic technique. Method With institutional review board approval, we followed 26 consecutive patients who underwent simultaneous/concomitant liver and colorectal resection. Major liver resection is defined as resection of ≥3 contiguous Couinaud segments. Data are presented as median (mean ± SD). Results Patients were 64 (63 ± 14.0) years old. Body mass index was 29 (29 ± 5.7) kg/m2. 54% of patients had prior abdominal operation(s). A majority of patients were >ASA class III (73%), underwent major liver resection (62%) with robotic approach (77%). In the robotic cohort, there were no unplanned conversions to open. Estimated blood loss was 150 (210 ± 181.8) ml. Total operative duration was 446 (463 ± 93.6) minutes. Negative margins (R0) were obtained in all patients. Postoperative complication of Clavien-Dindo≥3 occurred in three patients, including one requiring reoperation with end ileostomy for anastomotic leak. Length of stay was 5 (6 ± 3.5) days. Three patients were readmitted within 30 days after discharge, none for reoperation. There was no 90-day mortality. Conclusion Our cohort of concomitant CRC and CLM resection demonstrates safety and efficacy via both the open and robotic approach.
A novel β-catenin/BCL9 complex inhibitor blocks oncogenic Wnt signaling and disrupts cholesterol homeostasis in colorectal cancer

Dysregulated Wnt/β-catenin signaling is implicated in the pathogenesis of many human cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC), making it an attractive clinical target. With the aim of inhibiting oncogenic Wnt activity, we developed a high-throughput screening AlphaScreen assay to identify selective small-molecule inhibitors of the interaction between β-catenin and its coactivator BCL9. We identified a compound that consistently bound to β-catenin and specifically inhibited in vivo native β-catenin/BCL9 complex formation in CRC cell lines. This compound inhibited Wnt activity, down-regulated expression of the Wnt/β-catenin signature in gene expression studies, disrupted cholesterol homeostasis, and significantly reduced the proliferation of CRC cell lines and tumor growth in a xenograft mouse model of CRC. This study has therefore identified a specific small-molecule inhibitor of oncogenic Wnt signaling, which may have value as a probe for functional studies and has important implications for the development of novel therapies in patients with CRC.
Meat consumption and risk of esophageal and gastric cancer in the Golestan Cohort Study, Iran

Red meat and processed meat are associated with some gastrointestinal cancers. Our study aims to investigate the association of different meat types with esophageal and gastric cancer (EC, GC) in a high‐risk population. The Golestan Cohort Study (GCS) is a population‐based cohort of 50 045 individuals aged 40 to 75 from northeast Iran. Detailed data on different exposures were collected using validated questionnaires. We considered quintiles of meat consumption, using grams and density (g/1000 kcal/day). We calculated intake of red, processed, organ and white meat, as well as total red meat, including the first three. We used proportional hazards regression models to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between meat types and cancer. During 12 years of follow‐up, out of 49 585 participants (57.4% women), 369 developed EC (48.2% women) and 368 developed GC (27.5% women), including 309 esophageal squamous cell, 20 esophageal adenocarcinomas, 216 cardia and 95 non‐cardia GC. No association was found for EC except for red meat among females (HR for one quintile increase 1.13, 95% CI = 1.00‐1.27). The risk of GC increased for intake of total red meat (HR 1.08, 95% CI = 1.00‐1.17) and red meat separately (HR 1.09, 95% CI = 1.00‐1.18). The HR for red meat and non‐cardia GC was 1.23 (95% CI = 1.02‐1.48). No associations were observed for other types of meat. In conclusion, in this high‐risk population red meat intake is associated with GC, but not EC, suggesting a substantial role of this modifiable factor in determining the burden of GC.
Event-free survival after radical prostatectomy according to PSMA PET and EAU Biochemical Recurrence Risk Groups.

OBJECTIVE To assess the European Association of Urology (EAU) risk groups for biochemically recurrent (BCR) prostate cancer relative to PSMA-PET status and oncological outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS A retrospective analysis of a study that incorporated PSMA PET for men with BCR after radical prostatectomy (RP) was undertaken. EAU risk groups were considered relative to clinical variables, PSMA PET findings, and deployment of salvage radiation treatment (SRT). The primary oncological outcome was event-free survival (EFS) and analysed relative to clinical and imaging variables. An "event" occurred if PSA rose > 0.2ng/ml above nadir or additional therapies were introduced. RESULTS 137 patients were included, with most high EAU risk (76%) and/or low PSA (80% <0.5ng/ml) at time of PSMA PET. EAU risk was not associated with PSMA PET regional nodal/distant metastases. Regional nodal/distant metastasis on PSMA PET (compared to negative/local recurrence; HR 2.2; p=0.002) and SRT use (versus no SRT; HR 0.44, p=0.004) were associated with EFS. High EAU risk was not significantly associated with worse EFS (HR 1.7, p=0.12) compared to low EAU risk. Among patients who received SRT, both regional/distant metastasis on PSMA PET (HR 3.1, p<0.001) and high EAU risk (HR 2.9, p=0.04) were independently associated with worse EFS, which was driven by high EAU risk patients with regional/distant metastasis (38%; HR 3.1; p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS In men with post-RP BCR, PSMA-PET findings and receipt of SRT predicted EFS. In men receiving SRT, PSMA status combined with EAU risk grouping was most predictive of EFS. These findings suggest that the EAU risk groups could be improved with the addition of PSMA PET.
Reducing ER stress with chaperone therapy reverses sleep fragmentation and cognitive decline in aged mice

As the aging population grows, the need to understand age‐related changes in health is vital. Two prominent behavioral changes that occur with age are disrupted sleep and impaired cognition. Sleep disruptions lead to perturbations in proteostasis and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in mice. Further, consolidated sleep and protein synthesis are necessary for memory formation. With age, the molecular mechanisms that relieve cellular stress and ensure proper protein folding become less efficient. It is unclear if a causal relationship links proteostasis, sleep quality, and cognition in aging. Here, we used a mouse model of aging to determine if supplementing chaperone levels reduces ER stress and improves sleep quality and memory. We administered the chemical chaperone 4‐phenyl butyrate (PBA) to aged and young mice, and monitored sleep and cognitive behavior. We found that chaperone treatment consolidates sleep and wake, and improves learning in aged mice. These data correlate with reduced ER stress in the cortex and hippocampus of aged mice. Chaperone treatment increased p‐CREB, which is involved in memory formation and synaptic plasticity, in hippocampi of chaperone‐treated aged mice. Hippocampal overexpression of the endogenous chaperone, binding immunoglobulin protein (BiP), improved cognition, reduced ER stress, and increased p‐CREB in aged mice, suggesting that supplementing BiP levels are sufficient to restore some cognitive function. Together, these results indicate that restoring proteostasis improves sleep and cognition in a wild‐type mouse model of aging. The implications of these results could have an impact on the development of therapies to improve health span across the aging population.
Herpesvirus infections in adenoids in patients with chronic adenotonsillar disease

Adenoids and tonsils have gained interest as a new in vivo model to study local immune functions and virus reservoirs. Especially herpesviruses are interesting because their prevalence and persistence in local lymphoid tissue are incompletely known. Our aim was to study herpesvirus and common respiratory virus infections in nonacutely ill adenotonsillar surgery patients. Adenoid and/or palatine tonsil tissue and nasopharyngeal aspirate (NPA) samples were collected from elective adenoidectomy (n = 45) and adenotonsillectomy (n = 44) patients (median age: 5, range: 1–20). Real‐time polymerase chain reaction was used to detect 22 distinct viruses from collected samples. The overall prevalence of herpesviruses was 89% and respiratory viruses 94%. Human herpesviruses 6 (HHV6), 7 (HHV7), and Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) were found, respectively, in adenoids (33%, 26%, 25%), tonsils (45%, 52%, 23%), and NPA (46%, 38%, 25%). Copy numbers of the HHV6 and HHV7 genome were significantly higher in tonsils than in adenoids. Patients with intra‐adenoid HHV6 were younger than those without. Detection rates of EBV and HHV7 showed agreement between corresponding sample types. This study shows that adenoid and tonsil tissues commonly harbor human herpes‐ and respiratory viruses, and it shows the differences in virus findings between sample types.
Planning Optimum Logging Operations through Precision Forestry Approaches

In this study, it was aimed to determine optimum logging operations by using Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques as one of the effective tools of a precision forestry approach. In the first stage of the application process, a high resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the study area was produced by using Real Time Kinematic GPS in the field. Then, the DEM was used to classify the area into slope classes specified by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO). A map for the optimum logging operations was generated for two scenarios (i.e. maximum productivity and minimum residual stand damage) considering current terrain conditions. Four different logging methods were evaluated: ground skidding logs using a portable winch integrated with skidding cone, winching logs by using a farm tractor, downhill sliding of logs by chute system with gravity, and controlled sliding of logs downhill by chute system integrated with portable winch. During the assessment of logging methods, the results from the previous empirical studies conducted in similar stand characteristics and topographical conditions were used. For both scenarios, results indicated that skidding by portable winch integrated with skidding cone was the optimum logging method for more than half of the study area, followed by downhill sliding by chute system and controlled sliding by chute system integrated with portable winch.
Meta‐analysis of dichotomous and ordinal tests with an imperfect gold standard

Standard methods for the meta‐analysis of medical tests, without assuming a gold standard, are limited to dichotomous data. Multivariate probit models are used to analyse correlated dichotomous data, and can be extended to model ordinal data. Within the context of an imperfect gold standard, they have previously been used for the analysis of dichotomous and ordinal test data from a single study, and for the meta‐analysis of dichotomous tests. However, they have not previously been used for the meta‐analysis of ordinal tests. In this article, we developed a Bayesian multivariate probit latent class model for the simultaneous meta‐analysis of ordinal and dichotomous tests without assuming a gold standard, which also allows one to obtain summary estimates of joint test accuracy. We fitted the models using the software Stan, which uses a state‐of‐the‐art Hamiltonian Monte Carlo algorithm, and we applied the models to a dataset in which studies evaluated the accuracy of tests, and test combinations, for deep vein thrombosis. We demonstrate the issues with dichotomising ordinal test accuracy data in the presence of an imperfect gold standard, before applying and comparing several variations of our proposed model which do not require the data to be dichotomised. The models proposed will allow researchers to more appropriately meta‐analyse ordinal and dichotomous tests without a gold standard, potentially leading to less biased estimates of test accuracy. This may lead to a better understanding of which tests, and test combinations, should be used for any given medical condition.
Re: Clinical outcomes and overview of dedicated venous stents for management of chronic iliocaval and femoral deep venous disease

To the Editor, I wanted to congratulate Taha MA et al. for their excellent and comprehensive review on dedicated venous stents in the management of chronic iliocaval and femoral deep venous disease. A few additional points that maybe of interest to the readers are listed below: 1. The three main venous lesions encountered in the deep venous space include post-thrombotic lesions (PTLs), nonthrombotic iliac venous lesions (NIVLs), and mixed venous lesions which have characteristics of both types of lesions. The two more common of these lesions (PTLs and NIVLs) not only have differing etiologies but also behave quite differently as shown in Table 1. For example, anticoagulation is usually not necessary post-stenting for NIVLs but is strongly considered after stenting for PTLs with poor inflow. IVUS, being more sensitive than venography, has allowed a much better understanding of these lesions. 2. Venous stenting has been very enthusiastically adopted by practitioners across the board. However, an understanding of the basic principles and prognostic factors such as inflow caliber and shear stress is crucial to optimizing outcomes. These factors are also important in the development of in-stent restenosis, a widely prevalent problem with venous stents. 3. In addition to an in-depth understanding of the differences in various venous stent designs, an understanding of the different types of venous lesions is important. So far, there are myriad studies which have described the clinical outcomes of stenting. However, more robust research needs to be conducted to elucidate the physiological basis of veins and how the stenting procedure alters it in each type of venous lesion. 4. Arterial concepts cannot simply be extrapolated to veins because of their unique physiology and rheology. For example, the main pathology in arterial disease is distal organ hypoperfusion while the main pathology in venous disease is proximal peripheral venous hypertension. 5. As the authors point out, the management of iliocaval confluence remains challenging. We usually manage iliocaval confluence disease with the help of Gianturco Zstents (Cook Medical, Bloomington, Ind). Extension of Wallstents into the inferior vena cava can cause “jailing” pf the opposite side, causing contralateral deep venous thrombosis in a proportion of patients. Use of Z-stents reduces this risk. 6. Last, perhaps, because the two lesions vary so vastly in their behaviors, one stent design may not fit all. Moving forward, it may be worthwhile to consider a unique stent design for each type of venous lesion (NIVLs vs PTLs) that takes into account their unique characteristics. That might prove to be the key to optimizing outcomes in venous disease.
Verapamil downregulates iron uptake and upregulates divalent metal transporter 1 expression in H9C2 cardiomyocytes

Belgrade rats have a defect in divalent metal transport 1 (DMT1) with a reduced heart iron, indicating that DMT1 plays a physiological role in non‐transferrin‐bound iron (NTBI) uptake by cardiomyocytes. However, L‐type voltage‐dependent Ca2+ channel (LVDCC) blockers were recently demonstrated to significantly reduce NTBI uptake by cardiomyocytes, implying that LVDCC plays a dominant role in NTBI uptake by cardiomyocytes under iron‐overloaded conditions. These findings led us to hypothesize that the LVDCC blocker‐induced reduction in NTBI uptake might result not only from the inhibition of LVDCC‐mediated NTBI uptake but also from the suppression of DMT1‐mediated NTBI uptake. We therefore investigated the effects of the LVDCC blocker verapamil on NTBI uptake as well as DMT1 expression in H9C2 cells by the measurement of radio‐labeled 55Fe(II), reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) and western blot analysis. We demonstrated that verapamil induced a significant reduction in NTBI uptake by H9C2 cells but also unexpectedly a remarkable increase rather than decrease in the expression of DMT1 mRNA and protein in H9C2 cells. Our findings imply that the verapamil‐induced reduction in NTBI uptake by H9C2 cells is not associated with DMT1 and also indicate that verapamil stimulates rather than inhibits DMT1 expression and DMT1‐mediated iron uptake by heart cells.
Impact of expedited programs in the United States, as foreign regulatory factors, on clinical development time in Japan

Regulatory authorities in several regions have introduced a number of expedited programs (EPs) to promote the development of innovative drugs for patients in their own countries. The EPs in the United States (US), alone or in combination, have been successful in shortening the clinical development time in the US. We examined whether US‐EPs, as well as other related factors, have an impact on the clinical development time in Japan to obtain new insights for more efficient drug development.
Low-Cost Wearable Fluidic Sweat Collection Patch for Continuous Analyte Monitoring and Offline Analysis

Sweat sensors allow for new unobtrusive ways to continuously monitor an athlete’s performance and health status. Significant advances have been made in the optimization of sensitivity, selectivity, and durability of electrochemical sweat sensors. However, comparing the in situ performance of these sensors in detail remains challenging because standardized sweat measurement methods to validate sweat sensors in a physiological setting do not yet exist. Current collection methods, such as the absorbent patch technique, are prone to contamination and are labor-intensive, which limits the number of samples that can be collected over time for offline reference measurements. We present an easy-to-fabricate sweat collection system that allows for continuous electrochemical monitoring, as well as chronological sampling of sweat for offline analysis. The patch consists of an analysis chamber hosting a conductivity sensor and a sequence of 5 to 10 reservoirs that contain level indicators that monitor the filling speed. After testing the performance of the patch in the laboratory, elaborate physiological validation experiments (3 patch locations, 6 participants) were executed. The continuous sweat conductivity measurements were compared with laboratory [Na+] and [Cl–] measurements of the samples, and a strong linear relationship (R2 = 0.97) was found. Furthermore, sweat rate derived from ventilated capsule measurement at the three locations was compared with patch filling speed and continuous conductivity readings. As expected from the literature, sweat conductivity was linearly related to sweat rate as well. In short, a successfully validated sweat collection patch is presented that enables sensor developers to systematically validate novel sweat sensors in a physiological setting.