Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Prevalence and risk factors for attempted suicide in the elderly: a cross-sectional study in Shanghai, China

ABSTRACT Background: Previous studies have thoroughly investigated the prevalence and risk factors for completed suicide. In marked contrast is the lack of a better understanding of attempted suicide in the elderly. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of attempted suicide in the elderly and examine the associated factors. Methods: Using a multi-stage cluster sampling approach, a cross-sectional survey of 8,399 elderly house-dwelling residents was conducted in Shanghai, China. Results: The two-week prevalence of attempted suicide in the elderly was 0.75%. In the bivariate analysis, having no caregivers, depressive, anxiety, sad, fear, obsessive-compulsive and anger symptom, and lower scores on the Barthel Index of Activities of Daily Living and the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale were significantly associated with an increased risk of attempted suicide in the elderly. In the multivariate analysis, sad and fear symptoms were significantly and independently associated with a higher risk of attempted suicide in the elderly. Conclusion: The two-week prevalence of attempted suicide in the elderly is relatively high when compared with the annualized or lifetime prevalence reported in China and foreign settings. Elderly individuals with certain mental symptoms should be targeted for suicide prevention and provided with timely mental health support.
Experience-Dependent Eye Movements Reflect Hippocampus-Dependent (Aware) Memory

We investigated the relationship between experience-dependent eye movements, hippocampus-dependent memory, and aware memory. We measured eye movements in young adults, older adults, and memory-impaired patients with damage to the medial temporal lobe as they viewed 120 novel scenes and 120 previously viewed scenes. Participants indicated if each scene was old or new and also gave a confidence rating for the memory judgment. Young adults and older adults explored old scenes less than they explored new scenes, but the patients did not. For the young and older adults, this effect was observed only when participants were aware of the scene's familiar or novel status. In a second experiment, young adults viewed scenes that were either new, had been viewed previously, or had been viewed previously but had been changed (i.e., an object within the scene was either added or removed). The only instructions were to pay attention to the scenes and view each scene as it appeared, and there was no expectation that memory would be tested. Directly after the first altered scene was presented, participants were asked to classify the scene as new, old, or old but changed. Participants who were aware of the manipulation preferentially viewed the changed region, but participants who were unaware did not. These findings suggest that experience-dependent eye movements reflect hippocampus-dependent (and aware) memory, even when participants have no expectation that memory is being tested; and they are consistent with the view that awareness of what is learned is a fundamental characteristic of hippocampus-dependent memory.
Effects of a Personal Narrative in Messages Designed to Promote Healthy Fish Consumption Among Women of Childbearing Age

ABSTRACT Women of childbearing age (WCBA) can attain health benefits of fish consumption while minimizing risks by following state and federal fish consumption guidelines, but many women avoid fish out of concerns about mercury exposure. This study tested the impact of brochures, informed by communication theory and research, to promote healthy fish consumption among licensed female anglers. We conducted a randomized, two-wave longitudinal experiment between May 2014 and September 2015 among 1,135 women ages 18–48 years (at baseline), drawn from a sample of licensed anglers in the Great Lakes region of the United States. We randomly assigned women to one of five groups, to either be sent one of four brochures in spring 2015 using a two (including a short personal narrative or not) by two (using certain or uncertain language) factorial design, or to a no-exposure control arm. Participants reported their fish consumption in summer 2014 and summer 2015 via an online diary. Exposure to brochure versions that included a short personal narrative helped move women whose baseline levels of fish consumption were furthest from federal recommendations closer to these guidelines; effects were clearest among women confirmed, by self-report or web tracking, to have seen the brochure. Narratives hold promise as a strategy to communicate effectively about the benefits of healthy fish consumption and risks of overconsumption among WCBA, but widespread dissemination may be necessary to achieve these effects.
Comparison of recuperation strategies for electric vehicles regarding energy efficiency

Improvement of the cruising range is one of the main research challenges regarding fully electric vehicles, as the comparably low range is seen as one of the major disadvantages and therefore prevents sales. An optimised recuperation strategy can help to enlarge the range without an extension of the accumulator capacity. In this paper, different recuperation strategies are illustrated and discussed. A simulation model for the analysis of the influence of the recuperation strategy on the energy efficiency is introduced. The possible energy savings by different recuperation strategies can be examined for several driving cycles and user behaviours. First results of the simulations are presented in this paper.
Test-Retest Reliability and Minimal Detectable Change for the 10-Meter Walk Test in Older Adults With Parkinson's disease

Background and Purpose:Measurement of gait performance in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) can be challenging because of the daily fluctuations in performance and the progressive nature of the condition. The 10-Meter Walk Test (10MWT) is commonly used to measure gait speed of individuals with gait limitations. Existing research on the 10MWT in individuals with PD controls for many variables inherent to this condition, rendering the results of this test in settings where these variables are not controlled questionable. The purpose of this study was to estimate under commonly encountered clinical conditions the test-retest reliability and the minimal detectable change (MDC) of gait speed and step frequency determined during the 10MWT in individuals with PD. Methods:The 10MWT was administered by 2 testers, on 35 participants, across 2 sessions, separated by 5 to 14 days. Gait speed was measured using a hand-held stopwatch, and step frequency was assessed through visual observation. Test-retest reliability was calculated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and the MDC was calculated using the standard error of measurement (SEM). Results and Discussion:Comfortable and fast gait speeds demonstrated excellent reliability between sessions (ICC = 0.92 and 0.96, respectively). The corresponding MDCs were 0.22 and 0.23 m/s, respectively. The test-retest reliability for step frequency was moderate for comfortable gait speed and good for fast gait speeds (ICC = 0.73 and 0.82, respectively). The corresponding MDCs were 15.1 and 17.4 steps per minute for comfortable and fast step frequency, respectively. Conclusions:Under both comfortable and fast conditions, measurements of gait speed and step frequency during the 10MWT are reliable between sessions in individuals with PD.
Deciphering PPARγ activation in cardiometabolic syndrome: studies by in silico and in vivo experimental assessment

Abstract Cardiometabolic syndrome (CMetS) is a consolidation of metabolic disorders characterized by insulin resistance, dyslipidemia and hypertension. Curcumin, a natural bioactive compound, has been shown to possess notable anti-oxidant activity and it has also been included as a super natural herb in the super natural herbs database. Most of the beneficial effects of Curcumin are possibly due to activation of the nuclear receptor, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ). The present study investigates molecular interactions of curcumin with PPARγ protein through molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies. Further, effect of curcumin on high fat diet induced CMetS was studied in rats along with western blot for PPARγ and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) expressions and histopathological studies. Computational studies presented several significant molecular interactions of curcumin including Ser289, His323, His449 and Tyr473 of PPARγ. The in vivo results further confirmed that curcumin was able to ameliorate the abnormal changes and also, increased PPARγ expressions. The results confirm our hypothesis that activation of PPARγ by curcumin possesses the therapeutic potential to ameliorate the altered levels of metabolic changes in rats in the treatment of CMetS. This is the first report of CMetS treatment by curcumin and study of its underlying mechanism through in silico as well as in vivo experiments. Graphical Abstract
Genome-wide association study of shared components of reading disability and language impairment

Written and verbal languages are neurobehavioral traits vital to the development of communication skills. Unfortunately, disorders involving these traits—specifically reading disability (RD) and language impairment (LI)—are common and prevent affected individuals from developing adequate communication skills, leaving them at risk for adverse academic, socioeconomic and psychiatric outcomes. Both RD and LI are complex traits that frequently co‐occur, leading us to hypothesize that these disorders share genetic etiologies. To test this, we performed a genome‐wide association study on individuals affected with both RD and LI in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. The strongest associations were seen with markers in ZNF385D (OR = 1.81, P = 5.45 × 10−7) and COL4A2 (OR = 1.71, P = 7.59 × 10−7). Markers within NDST4 showed the strongest associations with LI individually (OR = 1.827, P = 1.40 × 10−7). We replicated association of ZNF385D using receptive vocabulary measures in the Pediatric Imaging Neurocognitive Genetics study (P = 0.00245). We then used diffusion tensor imaging fiber tract volume data on 16 fiber tracts to examine the implications of replicated markers. ZNF385D was a predictor of overall fiber tract volumes in both hemispheres, as well as global brain volume. Here, we present evidence for ZNF385D as a candidate gene for RD and LI. The implication of transcription factor ZNF385D in RD and LI underscores the importance of transcriptional regulation in the development of higher order neurocognitive traits. Further study is necessary to discern target genes of ZNF385D and how it functions within neural development of fluent language.
Magnetic‐activated cell sorting before density gradient centrifugation improves recovery of high‐quality spermatozoa

Recent studies have evaluated the use of magnetic‐activated cell sorting (MACS) to reduce apoptotic spermatozoa and improve sperm quality. However, the efficiency of using MACS alone, before or after sperm processing by density gradient centrifugation (DGC) has not yet been established. The purpose of this study is to determine the optimal protocol of MACS in assisted reproduction techniques (ART). Thus, we compared sperm quality obtained by DGC alone (DGC), DGC followed by MACS (DGC‐MACS), MACS followed by DGC (MACS‐DGC), and MACS alone (MACS), and found that the combined methods (MACS‐DGC and DGC‐MACS) led to retrieval of less spermatozoa with fragmented DNA compared to the single protocols. However, MACS‐DGC protocol led to a significantly higher percentage of spermatozoa with progressive motility and normal morphology than DGC‐MACS protocol. These findings suggest the potential clinical value of using MACS‐DGC to improve sperm quality in seminal preparation for ART.
Novel Combination BMP7 and HGF Gene Therapy Instigates Selective Myofibroblast Apoptosis and Reduces Corneal Haze In Vivo

Purpose We tested the potential of bone morphogenic protein 7 (BMP7) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) combination gene therapy to treat preformed corneal fibrosis using established rabbit in vivo and human in vitro models. Methods Eighteen New Zealand White rabbits were used. Corneal fibrosis was produced by alkali injury. Twenty-four hours after scar formation, cornea received topically either balanced salt solution (BSS; n = 6), polyethylenimine-conjugated gold nanoparticle (PEI2-GNP)-naked plasmid (n = 6) or PEI2-GNP plasmids expressing BMP7 and HGF genes (n = 6). Donor human corneas were used to obtain primary human corneal fibroblasts and myofibroblasts for mechanistic studies. Gene therapy effects on corneal fibrosis and ocular safety were evaluated by slit-lamp microscope, stereo microscopes, quantitative real-time PCR, immunofluorescence, TUNEL, modified MacDonald-Shadduck scoring system, and Draize tests. Results PEI2-GNP–mediated BMP7+HGF gene therapy significantly decreased corneal fibrosis in live rabbits in vivo (Fantes scale was 0.6 in BMP7+HGF-treated eyes compared to 3.3 in −therapy group; P < 0.001). Corneas that received BMP7+HGF demonstrated significantly reduced mRNA levels of profibrotic genes: α-SMA (3.2-fold; P < 0.01), fibronectin (2.3-fold, P < 0.01), collagen I (2.1-fold, P < 0.01), collagen III (1.6-fold, P < 0.01), and collagen IV (1.9-fold, P < 0.01) compared to the −therapy corneas. Furthermore, BMP7+HGF-treated corneas showed significantly fewer myofibroblasts compared to the −therapy controls (83%; P < 0.001). The PEI2-GNP introduced >104 gene copies per microgram DNA of BMP7 and HGF genes. The recombinant HGF rendered apoptosis in corneal myofibroblasts but not in fibroblasts. Localized topical BMP7+HGF therapy showed no ocular toxicity. Conclusions Localized topical BMP7+HGF gene therapy treats corneal fibrosis and restores transparency in vivo mitigating excessive healing and rendering selective apoptosis in myofibroblasts.
Left atrial emptying fraction predicts recurrence of atrial fibrillation after radiofrequency catheter ablation

Background Compared with left atrial (LA) dimension, LA emptying fraction (LAEF) has received less emphasis as a predictor of atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA). In addition, patients experiencing post-RFCA AF recurrence may respond to previously ineffective antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs). Classifying these patients into a third RFCA outcome category is recommended. Objective To identify predictors of RFCA outcome classified into three categories, and to build proportional odds logistic regression models for clinical applicability to predict AF recurrence. Methods Data were retrospectively collected from 483 consecutive patients with drug-refractory AF undergoing RFCA (328 men; age 58.4 ± 11.5 years; 383 paroxysmal). Patients were classified into 3 groups based on the last RFCA outcome: group 1, free from AF without AADs; group 2, free from AF with AADs; and group 3, recurrence of AADs-refractory atrial tachyarrhythmia. Results After a mean follow-up duration of 64.5 ± 43.2 months and mean ablation procedure number of 1.37 ± 0.68, the RFCA outcome showed 76.0%, 9.5% and 14.5% of patients in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. In multivariate analysis, LAEF was the most stable and important predictor of AF recurrence, followed by body mass index, stroke, AF duration, mitral regurgitation, and LA linear ablation. For patients undergoing repeat RFCA, LAEF was the only independent predictor (cutoffs: 43% and 35% for groups 1 and 3, respectively). Conclusion LAEF provides optimal prognostic information regarding the risk stratification of AF patients undergoing RFCA.
Enhancing the Thermostability and Immunogenicity of a Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Live-Attenuated Vaccine by Incorporating Unique RSV Line19F Protein Residues

ABSTRACT Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections in infants, and an effective vaccine is not yet available. We previously generated an RSV live-attenuated vaccine (LAV) candidate, DB1, which was attenuated by a low-fusion subgroup B F protein (BAF) and codon-deoptimized nonstructural protein genes. DB1 was immunogenic and protective in cotton rats but lacked thermostability and stability of the prefusion conformation of F compared to strains with the line19F gene. We hypothesized that substitution of unique residues from the thermostable A2-line19F strain could thermostabilize DB1 and boost its immunogenicity. We therefore substituted 4 unique line19F residues into the BAF protein of DB1 by site-directed mutagenesis and rescued the recombinant virus, DB1-QUAD. Compared to DB1, DB1-QUAD had improved thermostability at 4°C and higher levels of prefusion F as measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). DB1-QUAD was attenuated in normal human bronchial epithelial cells, in BALB/c mice, and in cotton rats but grew to wild-type titers in Vero cells. In mice, DB1-QUAD was highly immunogenic and generated significantly higher neutralizing antibody titers to a panel of RSV A and B strains than did DB1. DB1-QUAD was also efficacious against wild-type RSV challenge in mice and cotton rats. Thus, substitution of unique line19F residues into RSV LAV DB1 enhanced vaccine thermostability, incorporation of prefusion F, and immunogenicity and generated a promising vaccine candidate that merits further investigation. IMPORTANCE We boosted the thermostability and immunogenicity of an RSV live-attenuated vaccine candidate by substituting 4 unique residues from the RSV line19F protein into the F protein of the heterologous vaccine strain DB1. The resultant vaccine candidate, DB1-QUAD, was thermostable, attenuated in vivo, highly immunogenic, and protective against RSV challenge in mice and cotton rats.
Phylogenic characteristics of a unique antagonistic micromonospora Sp. Rc5 to S. aureus isolated from Sinai Desert of Egypt

A distinct strain named Micromonospora sp. Rc5 was isolated from Sinai desert of Egypt and recorded high antagonistic activities against some food and bloodborne pathogens. Morphological and chemotaxonomy characterization confirmed that this isolate belongs to genus Micromonospora. Sequencing of partial 16S rDNA and BLASTN showed that isolate Rc5 is identical to Micromonospora haikouensis (99%) but with low bootstrap value in NJ phylogenetic tree. Comprehensive optimization of several growth factors was performed including initial pH, incubation periods, and different sources of carbon and nitrogen. The highest yield of antimicrobial agent production was obtained after 8 days of incubation at 30°C, pH 6.0, 3 x 105CFU/ml in soya bean meal broth media with agitation of 150 rpm. A dramatic proportional decrease occurred with 0.3, 0.6, 0.9 µg active fraction /ml against Staphylococcus aureus culture and reached to complete inhibition at a minimum inhibitory concentration of (1.5 µg /ml). The physicochemical characterization of the purified fraction was identified as phthalate derivative. Our results indicated that Rc5 generated potential antimicrobial compounds against foodborne pathogens and may combat resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus.
Intestinal Ralstonia pickettii augments glucose intolerance in obesity

An altered intestinal microbiota composition has been implicated in the pathogenesis of metabolic disease including obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Low grade inflammation, potentially initiated by the intestinal microbiota, has been suggested to be a driving force in the development of insulin resistance in obesity. Here, we report that bacterial DNA is present in mesenteric adipose tissue of obese but otherwise healthy human subjects. Pyrosequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes revealed that DNA from the Gram-negative species Ralstonia was most prevalent. Interestingly, fecal abundance of Ralstonia pickettii was increased in obese subjects with pre-diabetes and T2DM. To assess if R. pickettii was causally involved in development of obesity and T2DM, we performed a proof-of-concept study in diet-induced obese (DIO) mice. Compared to vehicle-treated control mice, R. pickettii-treated DIO mice had reduced glucose tolerance. In addition, circulating levels of endotoxin were increased in R. pickettii-treated mice. In conclusion, this study suggests that intestinal Ralstonia is increased in obese human subjects with T2DM and reciprocally worsens glucose tolerance in DIO mice.
Full-Info Training for Deep Speaker Feature Learning

In recent studies, it has shown that speaker patterns can be learned from very short speech segments (e.g., 0.3 seconds) by a carefully designed convolutional & time-delay deep neural network (CT-DNN) model. By enforcing the model to discriminate the speakers in the training data, frame-level speaker features can be derived from the last hidden layer. In spite of its good performance, a potential problem of the present model is that it involves a parametric classifier, i.e., the last affine layer, which may consume some discriminative knowledge, thus leading to ‘information leak’ for the feature learning. This paper presents a full-info training approach that discards the parametric classifier and enforces all the discriminative knowledge learned by the feature net. Our experiments on the Fisher database demonstrate that this new training scheme can produce more coherent features, leading to consistent and notable performance improvement on the speaker verification task.
Heme oxygenase‐1 deficiency results in splenic T‐cell dysregulation in offspring of mothers exposed to late gestational inflammation

Infection during pregnancy can disrupt regulatory/effector immune system balance, resulting in adverse pregnancy and fetal‐neonatal outcomes. Heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1) is a major regulatory enzyme in the immune system. We observed maternal immune response dysregulation during late gestational inflammation (LGI), which may be mediated by HO‐1. Here, we extend these studies to examine the immune response of offspring.
Effects of Cu Addition on Microstructure Characteristics and Tensile Behaviors of Metal Inert-Gas Arc Welded Mg-Steel Dissimilar Joints

The joining of AZ31B Mg alloy to Q235 steel was realized by metal inert-gas arc welding. Microstructure characteristics and tensile behaviors of Mg-steel joints with and without Cu addition were investigated and compared. Results show that the microstructure and tensile strength were improved with the addition of Cu interlayer. The IMC Mg2Cu with rod-like structure was generated in both the whole weld zone and Mg/steel interfacial zone. The maximum tensile strength of Cu-added joint can reach to 185MPa, which partly fractured at the weld seam of Mg alloy instead of the Mg/Fe interface. The increase of the joint strength and microhardness profile with addition of Cu can be explained in terms of improvement of wettability of Mg alloy to steel and the formation of fine IMC Mg2Cu. [doi:10.2320/matertrans.M2015249]
Molecular Dynamics Study on Interaction between Voids for Pure Aluminum

The voids in pure Aluminum always exit in the manufacturing process. The Modified Embedded Atom Method (MEAM) potential is employed in the molecular dynamics (MD) simulation at atomic scale to investigate the interaction between voids under the impact loading for pure Aluminum. The distance between the voids distributed along the loading orientation affects the failure mechanism seriously. The results show that there are 3 kinds of mechanisms with the change of the distance between voids: 1) coalescence takes place within a critical distance between voids under extra loading, 2) when the distance between voids reaches a certain value, each void cracks at 4 locations along with the slide direction <110> of face-centered cubic (fcc), respectively, 3) a stress shield zone appears when the ligament between the voids is at the size between the cases mentioned above, which brings out the phenomena that each of the voids cracks only at 2 locations, and no crack appeared at the stress shield zone.