Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trajectories and mental health-related predictors of perceived discrimination and stigma among homeless adults with mental illness

Stigma and discrimination toward individuals experiencing homelessness and mental disorders remain pervasive across societies. However, there are few longitudinal studies of stigma and discrimination among homeless adults with mental illness. This study aimed to identify the two-year group trajectories of stigma and discrimination and examine the predictive role of mental health characteristics among 414 homeless adults with mental illness participating in the extended follow-up phase of the Toronto At Home/Chez Soi (AH/CS) randomized trial site. Mental health-related perceived stigma and discrimination were measured at baseline, one, and two years using validated scales. Group-based-trajectory modelling was used to identify stigma and discrimination group trajectory memberships and the effect of the Housing First treatment (rent supplements and mental health support services) vs treatment as usual on these trajectories. The associations between mental health-related characteristics and trajectory group memberships were also assessed using multinomial logistic regression. Over two-years, three group trajectories of stigma and discrimination were identified. For discrimination, participants followed a low, moderate, or increasingly high discrimination group trajectory, while for stigma, participants followed a low, moderate or high stigma group trajectory. The Housing First treatment had no significant effect on discrimination or stigma trajectories groups. For the discrimination trajectories, major depressive episode, mood disorder with psychotic features, alcohol abuse, suicidality, severity of mental health symptoms, and substance use severity in the previous year were predictors of moderate and increasingly high discrimination trajectories. History of discrimination within healthcare setting was also positively associated with following a moderate or high discrimination trajectory. For the stigma trajectories, substance dependence, high mental health symptoms severity, substance use severity, and discrimination experiences within healthcare settings were the main predictors for the moderate trajectory group; while substance dependence, suicidality, mental health symptom severity, substance use severity and discrimination experiences within health care setting were also positive predictors for the high stigma trajectory group. Ethno-racial status modified the association between having a major depression episode, alcohol dependence, and the likelihood of being a member of the high stigma trajectory group. This study showed that adults experiencing mental illness and homelessness followed distinct stigma and discrimination group trajectories based on their mental health-problems. There is an urgent need to increase focus on strategies and policies to reduce stigma and discrimination in this population.
A descriptive survey of online gaming characteristics and gaming disorder in Ireland

Objectives The aim of this study was to carry out the first ever study of gaming characteristics of individuals engaging in online gaming in Ireland and to ascertain whether features of gaming disorder are present in this population. Methods An online survey (comprising 21 questions – 3 demographic questions and 18 questions related to gaming and gaming disorder) was distributed on numerous Irish online gaming forums and Irish online gaming communities. Participants were self-selected and invited to compete the online survey containing questions related to gaming behaviours (age of onset, hours played on weekdays/weekends, type of device used), mobile gaming, motives for online gaming, use of microtransactions, engagement in esports, and a screening tool for the presence of gaming disorder. Results A total of 166 participants engaged in the online survey. Among this study population of regular gamers in Ireland, 2.4% of the study population were classified as having gaming disorder, with up to 5.4% showing some evidence of disordered gaming. The main motivation for online gaming in the non-disordered gaming group was recreation (13.3, sd = 2.7) but only the fourth main motivation in the disordered gaming group behind competition (16.3, sd = 3.7), escape (16.2, sd = 4.3), and coping (15.1, sd = 3.7). Increased hours of gameplay on weekdays and weekends were noted in the disordered gaming group compared to non-disordered gamers. Conclusions A small percentage of gamers in Ireland demonstrate disordered gaming characteristics and gaming disorder, consistent with data from other international studies. Epidemiological studies are required in Ireland to enhance our knowledge of this disorder.
Predictors of Hyperuricemia after Kidney Transplantation: Association with Graft Function

Background and objectives: In kidney transplant recipients (KTR), hyperuricemia (HU) is a commonly-observed phenomenon, due to calcineurin inhibitors and reduced kidney graft function. Factors predicting HU, and its association with graft function, remains equivocal. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective longitudinal study to assess factors associated with HU in KTR, and to determine risk factors associated with graft function, measured as glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Moreover, GFR > 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 was considered normal. HU was defined as a serum uric acid level of > 416 μmol/L (4.70 mg/dL) in men and >357 μmol/L (4.04 mg/dL) in women, or xanthine-oxidase inhibitor use. We built multiple logistic regression models to assess predictors of HU in KTR, as well as the association of demographic, clinical, and biochemical parameters of patients with normal GFR after a three-year follow-up. We investigated the effect modification of this association with HU. Results: There were 144 patients (mean age 46.6 ± 13.9), with 42.4% of them having HU. Predictors of HU in KTR were the presence of cystic diseases (OR = 9.68 (3.13; 29.9)), the use of diuretics (OR = 4.23 (1.51; 11.9)), and the male gender (OR = 2.45 (1.07; 5.56)). Being a younger age, of female gender, with a normal BMI, and the absence of diuretic medications increased the possibility of normal GFR. HU was the effect modifier of the association between demographic, clinical, and biochemical factors and a normal GFR. Conclusions: Factors associated with HU in KTR: Presence of cystic diseases, diuretic use, and male gender. HU was the effect modifier of the association of demographic, clinical, and biochemical factors to GFR.
La Crosse Virus Infection of Human Keratinocytes Leads to Interferon-Dependent Apoptosis of Bystander Non-Infected Cells In Vitro

Resident cells in the skin serve as the first innate line of defense against insect-borne pathogens, but the role of these cell types in promoting or limiting arbovirus replication is not completely understood. Here, we have examined the outcome of infection of cultured human keratinocyte cells with La Crosse virus (LACV), using a spontaneously transformed cell line, HaCaT. In single cycle infections, keratinocyte HaCaT cells supported rapid and high level LACV replication, resulting in high virus yields and extensive caspase-dependent cell death. By contrast, multi-cycle LACV replication in HaCaT cells was restricted by an antiviral response elicited by the production of both IFN-β and IFN-λ. During low multiplicity LACV infections, HaCaT cell death was seen in non-infected bystander cells. Media from LACV-infected cells induced caspase-dependent killing of naïve non-infected HaCaT cells, and this bystander cell death was relieved by IFN-β neutralizing antibodies or by an inhibitor of JAK-STAT signaling. Naïve HaCaT cells showed dose-dependent killing by treatment with exogenous IFN-β but not IFN-λ. Our data suggest a model whereby keratinocytes produce IFNs which limit virus spread through both antiviral signaling and by induction of bystander cell death of potential new target cells for infection.
Exposure to Environmental Toxicants and Early Language Development for Children Reared in Low-Income Households

Considerable evidence has highlighted the heightened susceptibility of developmental delay in children from low-income homes; consequently, this study explored whether environmental toxicant exposure may be a contributing factor to disruption in language and cognitive development for children reared in poverty. Using a sample of 190 low-income mothers and their young children, mothers completed questionnaires on toxicant exposure in the home environment. Exposure to toxicants, especially pesticides, was reported by about 20% of mothers at or around pregnancy, and 30% when their children were between 1 and 2 years of age. Toxicant exposure was significantly associated with lags in language and cognition even when controlling for socioeconomic factors. Study findings highlight the importance of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ policy statements arguing for pediatricians to take a strong anticipatory guidance role in counseling parents to limit chemical exposure in the home and engage in safe storage practices.
Do older adults benefit from post-acute care following hospitalisation? A prospective cohort study at three Swiss nursing homes.

BACKGROUND Post-acute care (PAC) programmes appear favourable for older adult inpatients too fragile to be discharged home without extensive support, but otherwise not qualifying for specific rehabilitation. Consequently, many Swiss nursing homes have opened PAC wards after a new federal law refined reimbursement in 2012. However, PAC outcomes in this setting have not been well studied. OBJECTIVE To investigate the functional outcomes of a nursing home-based PAC programme for older adult patients and to evaluate the influences of age, gender and frailty status on these outcomes. METHODS This was a prospective cohort study in 135 consecutive patients aged 60 and older admitted to PAC at three nursing homes in Zurich, Switzerland, over a two-month period. Geriatric assessment at admission included mobility, physical performance, cognition, nutrition, frailty, activities of daily living (ADL) and social support. The primary outcomes of the study, Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), handgrip strength (HGS) and Barthel Index (BI), were repeated before discharge from PAC. Multivariable linear models were used to analyse differences between these primary outcomes at admission and discharge, adjusting for baseline age, gender, BMI, length of stay (LOS), polypharmacy, cognition, and prior living status. RESULTS We identified statistically significant improvements between admission and discharge (mean [95% confidence interval]; % change) in BI (69.0 [65.0–72.9] vs 79.6 [75.6–83.6]; +15.4%), gait speed (0.55 [0.48–0.62] vs 0.65 [0.58–0.71] m/s; +18.2%) and SPPB scores (5.5 [5.0–6.1] vs 6.9 [6.3–7.4]; +24%), p-values for all comparisons <0.001. CONCLUSIONS In this real-word sample, PAC resulted in a significant and clinically relevant improvement in physical performance and ADL. However, our study should be replicated with a larger sample. Furthermore, long-term outcomes of PAC warrant additional investigation.
Challenges and opportunities in genetic counseling for hereditary endocrine neoplasia syndromes.

The Genetic Counseling Workgroup from the 16th International Workshop on Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Conference (MEN 2019) convened to discuss contemporary challenges and opportunities in the area of genetic counseling for individuals and families affected by hereditary endocrine neoplasia syndromes. As healthcare professionals with multidisciplinary training in human genetics, risk assessment, patient education, psychosocial counseling, and research methodology, genetic counselors bring a unique perspective to working towards addressing these challenges and identifying their subsequent opportunities. This workgroup focused on the following broad areas: 1) genetic counseling resources for endocrine neoplasias, 2) candidate gene discovery, 3) implications of increasingly sensitive and expansive genetic testing technologies for both the germline and tumors, and 4) situating clinical diagnoses for hereditary endocrine neoplasia syndromes in the context of present-day knowledge.
An Integrated Multi-Omics Analysis Defines Key Pathway Alterations in a Diet-Induced Obesity Mouse Model

Obesity is a multifactorial disease with many complications and related diseases and has become a global epidemic. To thoroughly understand the impact of obesity on whole organism homeostasis, it is helpful to utilize a systems biological approach combining gene expression and metabolomics across tissues and biofluids together with metagenomics of gut microbial diversity. Here, we present a multi-omics study on liver, muscle, adipose tissue, urine, plasma, and feces on mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Gene expression analyses showed alterations in genes related to lipid and energy metabolism and inflammation in liver and adipose tissue. The integration of metabolomics data across tissues and biofluids identified major differences in liver TCA cycle, where malate, succinate and oxaloacetate were found to be increased in HFD mice. This finding was supported by gene expression analysis of TCA-related enzymes in liver, where expression of malate dehydrogenase was found to be decreased. Investigations of the microbiome showed enrichment of Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae, Streptococcaceae and Lactobacillaceae in the HFD group. Our findings help elucidate how the whole organism metabolome and transcriptome are integrated and regulated during obesity.
Genome‐wide analyses of Liberibacter species provides insights into evolution, phylogenetic relationships, and virulence factors

Abstract ‘Candidatus Liberibacter’ species are insect‐transmitted, phloem‐limited α‐Proteobacteria in the order of Rhizobiales. The citrus industry is facing significant challenges due to huanglongbing, associated with infection from ‘Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus’ (Las). In order to gain greater insight into ‘Ca. Liberibacter’ biology and genetic diversity, we have performed genome sequencing and comparative analyses of diverse ‘Ca. Liberibacter’ species, including those that can infect citrus. Our phylogenetic analysis differentiates ‘Ca. Liberibacter’ species and Rhizobiales in separate clades and suggests stepwise evolution from a common ancestor splitting first into nonpathogenic Liberibacter crescens followed by diversification of pathogenic ‘Ca. Liberibacter’ species. Further analysis of Las genomes from different geographical locations revealed diversity among isolates from the United States. Our phylogenetic study also indicates multiple Las introduction events in California and spread of the pathogen from Florida to Texas. Texan Las isolates were closely related, while Florida and Asian isolates exhibited the most genetic variation. We have identified conserved Sec translocon (SEC)‐dependent effectors likely involved in bacterial survival and virulence of Las and analysed their expression in their plant host (citrus) and insect vector (Diaphorina citri). Individual SEC‐dependent effectors exhibited differential expression patterns between host and vector, indicating that Las uses its effector repertoire to differentially modulate diverse organisms. Collectively, this work provides insights into the evolution of ‘Ca. Liberibacter’ species, the introduction of Las in the United States and identifies promising Las targets for disease management.
Cell-type specific innervation of cortical pyramidal cells at their apical dendrites

We investigated the synaptic innervation of apical dendrites of cortical pyramidal cells in a region between layers (L) 1 and 2 using 3-D electron microscopy applied to four cortical regions in mouse. We found the relative inhibitory input at the apical dendrite’s main bifurcation to be more than 2-fold larger for L2 than L3 and L5 thick-tufted pyramidal cells. Towards the distal tuft dendrites in upper L1, the relative inhibitory input was at least about 2-fold larger for L5 pyramidal cells than for all others. Only L3 pyramidal cells showed homogeneous inhibitory input fraction. The inhibitory-to-excitatory synaptic ratio is thus specific for the types of pyramidal cells. Inhibitory axons preferentially innervated either L2 or L3/5 apical dendrites, but not both. These findings describe connectomic principles for the control of pyramidal cells at their apical dendrites and support differential computational properties of L2, L3 and subtypes of L5 pyramidal cells in cortex.
The use of the "Endocrine Circuit" as an active learning methodology to aid in the understanding of the human endocrine system.

The search for more efficient teaching methodologies is a great challenge for Brazilian educators, since most classes are still traditional (theoretical) and have little student involvement during the learning process. Active learning methodologies, where students play a central role in the learning process, are proving to be more effective and interesting when it comes to acquiring knowledge. Thus we decided to develop an innovative technique for teaching Human Endocrine Physiology, called "Endocrine Circuit. " The circuit consisted of eight stations in which students were asked to organize a scheme with cards to answer a specific question about a gland or tissue with endocrine relevance. The effectiveness of the developed activity was validated through a pretest-posttest design, in which the students had to answer a 10-question test. We found out that, after the Endocrine Circuit application, students showed an improvement in the percentage of correct answers for 7 out of 10 questions contained in the questionnaire (P ≤ 0.05). In addition, the activity showed positive outcomes regarding student's engagement in this study, besides showing to be more efficient than the Brazilian traditional theoretical classes.
Perceived Hearing Loss, Social Disengagement, and Declines in Memory

A growing body of evidence suggests that age-related hearing loss is related to changes in older adults’ memory. We test the hypothesis that the association is due to social disengagement following the onset of perceived hearing loss. At ages 65 (2004) and 72 years (2011), 3,986 participants from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS) self-reported on hearing problems and several types of social engagement and completed three tests of memory. We estimated fixed effects regression models. Perceived hearing loss was related to significant decline in memory. Declines in frequency of in-person social contact were also associated with declining memory, but there was no evidence of a mechanism wherein reductions in social engagement explained the association between perceived hearing loss and memory decline. We conclude that self-reported hearing loss and social disengagement are likely independent risk factors for memory loss among older adults.
Immunoscore and its introduction in clinical practice.

Current cancer classification is based on intrinsic tumor parameters such as characteristic of tumor cells, tumor progression, tumor invasion and the presence of distant metastases, as summarized by the AJCC/UICC-TNM stratification system. There is currently no immune- based classification of cancer. We provided evidence that the immune contexture, as defined by the type, density, functional immune orientation and the location of immune cells within tumor, strongly influences the outcome of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. To translate this information to the clinic, we developed an immunohistochemistry and digital pathology-based assay named Immunoscore that allows the quantification of two T cell subsets (CD3 and CD8) in two tumor regions (core and invasive margin of tumors). We have demonstrated that the standardized consensus Immunoscore has a prognostic value superior and independent to the one of the traditional TNM system in an international study in stage I-III colon cancer patients, therefore validating the Immunoscore as the first immune-based scoring system. In additional analyses, we showed the prognostic value of Immunoscore for stage II-IV CRC patients, as well as the predictive value of Immunoscore in stage III colon cancer patients. The Immunoscore may help predict and stratify patients who will benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy. Moreover, the Immunoscore allow the classification of tumors from hot to cold categories, and could consequently guide clinical decision for the choice of treatment.
Evaluating the Feasibility of Forward Osmosis in Diluting RO Concentrate Using Pretreatment Backwash Water

Forward osmosis (FO) is an excellent membrane process to dilute seawater (SW) reverse osmosis (RO) concentrate for either to increase the water recovery or for safe disposal. However, the low fluxes through FO membranes as well the biofouling/scaling of FO membranes are bottlenecks of this process requiring larger membrane area and membranes with anti-fouling properties. This study evaluates the performance of hollow fibre and flat sheet membranes with respect to flux and biofouling. Ferric hydroxide sludge was used as impaired water mimicking the backwash water of a filter that is generally employed as pretreatment in a SWRO plant and RO concentrate was used as draw solution for the studies. Synthetic salts are also used as draw solutions to compare the flux produced. The study found that cellulose triacetate (CTA) flat sheet FO membrane produced higher flux (3–6 L m−2 h−1) compared to that produced by polyamide (PA) hollow fibre FO membrane (less than 2.5 L m−2 h−1) under the same experimental conditions. Therefore, long-term studies conducted on the flat sheet FO membranes showed that fouling due to ferric hydroxide sludge did not allow the water flux to increase more than 3.15 L m−2 h−1.
An examination of the reciprocal and concurrent relations between behavioral and cardiac indicators of acute pain in toddlerhood.

The aim of this study was to examine the concurrent and predictive relations between healthy toddlers' pain behavior and cardiac indicators (i.e., heart rate [HR], respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]) during routine vaccinations. Caregiver-infant dyads were part of a longitudinal cohort observed during their 12- and 18-month vaccinations. Behavioral and cardiac data were simultaneously collected for 1-minute pre-needle and 3-minutes post-needle. Videotapes were coded for pain behaviors (FLACC; Merkel et al., 1996), and cardiac data were analyzed (HR, RSA) during sequential 30-second epochs. Four separate cross-lagged path models were estimated using data from the 12- (n= 147) and 18-month (n= 122) vaccinations. Across 12- and 18-month vaccinations, predictive within-measure relations were consistent for FLACC, HR and RSA, reflecting good stability of these pain indicators. Behavioral indicators predicted subsequent HR and RSA within the immediate post-needle period. Both baseline behavior and HR/RSA predicted future pain scores. Concurrent residual relations between behavioral and cardiac indicators were inconsistent across time and indicator. Results suggest that behavioral and cardiac indicators reflect unique aspects of the nociceptive response. As such, multi-modal assessment tools should be utilized and contextualized by child age, cardiac indicator, baseline behavior/physiology, and pain phase.