Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An evidence-based approach to interactive health communication: a challenge to medicine in the information age. Science Panel on Interactive Communication and Health.

OBJECTIVE To examine the current status of interactive health communication (IHC) and propose evidence-based approaches to improve the quality of such applications. PARTICIPANTS The Science Panel on Interactive Communication and Health, a 14-member, nonfederal panel with expertise in clinical medicine and nursing, public health, media and instructional design, health systems engineering, decision sciences, computer and communication technologies, and health communication, convened by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, US Department of Health and Human Services. EVIDENCE Published studies, online resources, expert panel opinions, and opinions from outside experts in fields related to IHC. CONSENSUS PROCESS The panel met 9 times during more than 2 years. Government agencies and private-sector experts provided review and feedback on the panel's work. CONCLUSIONS Interactive health communication applications have great potential to improve health, but they may also cause harm. To date, few applications have been adequately evaluated. Physicians and other health professionals should promote and participate in an evidence-based approach to the development and diffusion of IHC applications and endorse efforts to rigorously evaluate the safety, quality, and utility of these resources. A standardized reporting template is proposed to help developers and evaluators of IHC applications conduct evaluations and disclose their results and to help clinicians, purchasers, and consumers judge the quality of IHC applications.
Importance of sunscreen products spreading protocol and substrate roughness for in vitro sun protection factor assessment

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of substrate roughness and of product spreading method on in vitro sun protection factor (SPF) measurement and to define the experimental conditions most appropriate to reach the best level of correlation to in vivo SPF. In vitro SPF assessment was carried out on 13 products (including different formulation types with SPF from 20 to 75) using various in vitro SPF protocols and comparing related predictive potential regarding in vivo SPF. In the first part, two spreading methods were compared on two types of PMMA (Polymethyl methacrylate plate with different roughness. The impact of a second spreading step after product drying was also evaluated. From the various investigated parameters, it was shown that (i) a higher roughness (Ra = 4, 5 μm) was preferred for O/W formulations (ii) using a defined sequence of light linear and circular strokes was more adequate than monitoring product spreading in terms of time and pressure (iii) both correlation to in vivo SPF and results variability were improved when a second spreading step was added. The altered protocol showed a good predictive potential regarding in vivo SPF values for O/W formulations (correlation coefficient 0.92, correlation curve slope 0.98) and coefficient of variation of in vitro results (14% of the mean SPF value) close to what is usually obtained in vivo. The repeatability of the protocol was also demonstrated. In the second part, we evaluated the impact of PMMA plate pre‐treatment with paraffinum liquidum before spreading the product to get a better correlation between in vivo and in vitro SPF values for W/O formulations. This allowed us to define a protocol suitable for both O/W and W/O formulations.
Variant forms of cholestatic diseases involving small bile ducts in adults

OBJECTIVE:Cholestasis may result from diverse etiologies. We review chronic cholestatic disorders involving small intrahepatic bile ducts in the adult ambulatory care setting. Specifically, we discuss variant forms of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) as well as other conditions that may present diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties.METHODS:We conducted a MEDLINE search of the literature (1981–1997) and reviewed the experiences at the Mayo Clinic. All articles were selected that discussed antimitochondrial antibody (AMA)-negative PBC, small-duct PSC (formerly pericholangitis), and idiopathic adulthood ductopenia.RESULTS:The most common chronic cholestatic liver diseases affecting adults are PBC and PSC. Patients without the hallmarks of either syndrome are diagnosed according to their clinical and histological characteristics. Autoimmune cholangitis is diagnosed if clinical and histological features are compatible with PBC but autoantibodies other than AMA are present. Isolated small duct PSC is diagnosed if patients have inflammatory bowel disease, biopsy features compatible with PSC, but a normal cholangiogram. If ductopenia (absence of interlobular bile ducts in small portal tracts) is found histologically in the absence of PSC, inflammatory bowel disease, and other specific cholestatic syndromes such as drug reaction or sarcoidosis, the most likely diagnosis is idiopathic adulthood ductopenia.CONCLUSIONS:Based on these definitions, an algorithm for diagnosis and therapy in patients with laboratory evidence of chronic cholestasis may be constructed, pending results of further investigations into the etiopathogenesis of these syndromes.
The Aberfan disaster: 33-year follow-up of survivors.

BACKGROUND Experiencing life-threatening events often contributes to the onset of such psychiatric conditions as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Children can develop PTSD; however, there is controversy over whether PTSD symptoms decrease or persist over time. AIMS To examine the long-term effects of surviving the 1966 Aberfan disaster in childhood. METHOD Survivors (n=41) were compared with controls (n=72) matched for age and background. All were interviewed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, measures of current health and social satisfaction, and the General Health Questionnaire. The survivor group also completed the Impact of Event Scale to assess current levels of PTSD. RESULTS Nineteen (46%; 95% CI 31-61) survivors had had PTSD at some point since the disaster, compared with 12 (20%; 95% CI 10-30) controls (OR=3.38 (95% CI 1.40-8.47)). Of the survivors,12 (29%; 95% CI 15-43) met diagnostic criteria for current PTSD. Survivors were not at a significantly increased risk of anxiety, depression or substance misuse. CONCLUSIONS Trauma in childhood can lead to PTSD, and PTSD symptoms can persist for as long as 33 years into adult life. Rates of other psychopathological disorders are not necessarily raised after life-threatening childhood trauma.
A meta‐analysis of association studies between the 10‐repeat allele of a VNTR polymorphism in the 3′‐UTR of dopamine transporter gene and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

The association between the 10‐repeat allele of the dopamine transporter gene (DAT) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is uncertain. This study aimed to conduct a meta‐analysis of the association between the 10‐repeat allele of a variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism in the 3′‐untranslated region (UTR) of the DAT1 gene and ADHD. We pooled up 18 published transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) studies between the 40‐base pair VNTR polymorphism in the3′‐UTR of the DAT1 gene and ADHD. It included a total of 1,373 informative meioses, 7 haplotype‐based haplotype relative risk (HHRR) studies, and 6 case‐control‐based association studies. There were statistically significant evidences for heterogeneity of the odds ratio in TDT and HHRR studies (P < 0.10), but not in case‐control studies. The results of random effects model showed small but significant association between ADHD and the DAT1 gene in TDT studies (OR = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.05–1.30, chi‐square = 8.11, df = 1, P = 0.004), but not in HHRR and case‐control studies. The 10‐repeat allele of a VNTR polymorphism in the 3′‐UTR the DAT1 gene has a small but significant role in the genetic susceptibility of ADHD. These meta‐analysis findings support the involvement of the dopamine system genes in ADHD liability variation. However, more work is required to further identify the functional allelic variants/mutations that are responsible for this association. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Economywide Effects of International Remittances: A Computable General Equilibrium Assessment for Vietnam

This research investigates economywide effects of international remittances on the source countries, where Vietnam is taken as a case study. By using computable general equilibrium (CGE) modeling techniques, we investigate, for the first time, the effects of international remittances on the Vietnamese economy as a whole. Findings from the paper strengthen the view that effects of remittances on developing countries are mixed and complicated. The results show that in the context of Vietnam, where the growing remittance inflows are combined with the economy’s increasing integration into the international markets, all factor prices tend to rise, and industrial sectors are strongly influenced and tend to contract. This implies that the long-run effects of remittances may be negative on the supply side, and may offset their short-run positive effects on the demand side.
Beyond the brain: Optogenetic control in the spinal cord and peripheral nervous system

This Review discusses the use of optogenetics in the spinal cord and peripheral nervous system, distills the key results achieved thus far, and discusses the translational potential. Optogenetics offers promise for dissecting the complex neural circuits of the spinal cord and peripheral nervous system and has therapeutic potential for addressing unmet clinical needs. Much progress has been made to enable optogenetic control in normal and disease states, both in proof-of-concept and mechanistic studies in rodent models. In this Review, we discuss challenges in using optogenetics to study the mammalian spinal cord and peripheral nervous system, synthesize common features that unite the work done thus far, and describe a route forward for the successful application of optogenetics to translational research beyond the brain.
Empirical essays on health insurance demand

Using the representative Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, I investigate traditional predictions for the coverage-risk correlation and potential education-related heterogeneity for the Medigap market. Consistent with traditional models and in contrast to recent research, I find that Medigap coverage is associated with higher health expenditures. I further find that this coverage-risk correlation is higher for those with high educational attainment which is consistent with recent research showing differences in the ability to understand health insurance contracts. I provide suggestive evidence that these correlations are rather driven by moral hazard than adverse selection. Moreover, my results suggest some degree of adverse selection for those with high educational attainment. My results are robust controlling for further background characteristics such as income.1
Dendrites In Vitro and In Vivo Contain Microtubules of Opposite Polarity and Axon Formation Correlates with Uniform Plus-End-Out Microtubule Orientation

In cultured vertebrate neurons, axons have a uniform arrangement of microtubules with plus-ends distal to the cell body (plus-end-out), whereas dendrites contain mixed polarity orientations with both plus-end-out and minus-end-out oriented microtubules. Rather than non-uniform microtubules, uniparallel minus-end-out microtubules are the signature of dendrites in Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans neurons. To determine whether mixed microtubule organization is a conserved feature of vertebrate dendrites, we used live-cell imaging to systematically analyze microtubule plus-end orientations in primary cultures of rat hippocampal and cortical neurons, dentate granule cells in mouse organotypic slices, and layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons in the somatosensory cortex of living mice. In vitro and in vivo, all microtubules had a plus-end-out orientation in axons, whereas microtubules in dendrites had mixed orientations. When dendritic microtubules were severed by laser-based microsurgery, we detected equal numbers of plus- and minus-end-out microtubule orientations throughout the dendritic processes. In dendrites, the minus-end-out microtubules were generally more stable and comparable with plus-end-out microtubules in axons. Interestingly, at early stages of neuronal development in nonpolarized cells, newly formed neurites already contained microtubules of opposite polarity, suggesting that the establishment of uniform plus-end-out microtubules occurs during axon formation. We propose a model in which the selective formation of uniform plus-end-out microtubules in the axon is a critical process underlying neuronal polarization. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Live-cell imaging was used to systematically analyze microtubule organization in primary cultures of rat hippocampal neurons, dentate granule cells in mouse organotypic slices, and layer 2/3 pyramidal neuron in somatosensory cortex of living mice. In vitro and in vivo, all microtubules have a plus-end-out orientation in axons, whereas microtubules in dendrites have mixed orientations. Interestingly, newly formed neurites of nonpolarized neurons already contain mixed microtubules, and the specific organization of uniform plus-end-out microtubules only occurs during axon formation. Based on these findings, the authors propose a model in which the selective formation of uniform plus-end-out microtubules in the axon is a critical process underlying neuronal polarization.
Haplotypes of Transcription Factor 7–Like 2 (TCF7L2) Gene and Its Upstream Region Are Associated With Type 2 Diabetes and Age of Onset in Mexican Americans

TCF7L2 acts as both a repressor and transactivator of genes, as directed by the Wnt signaling pathway. Recently, several highly correlated sequence variants located within a haplotype block of the TCF7L2 gene were observed to associate with type 2 diabetes in three Caucasian cohorts. We previously reported linkage of type 2 diabetes in the San Antonio Family Diabetes Study (SAFADS) cohort consisting of extended pedigrees of Mexican Americans to the region of chromosome 10q harboring TCF7L2. We therefore genotyped 11 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from nine haplotype blocks across the gene in 545 SAFADS subjects (178 diabetic) to investigate their role in diabetes pathogenesis. We observed nominal association between four SNPs (rs10885390, rs7903146, rs12255372, and rs3814573) in three haplotype blocks and type 2 diabetes, age at diagnosis, and 2-h glucose levels (P = 0.001–0.055). Furthermore, we identified a common protective haplotype defined by these four SNPs that was significantly associated with type 2 diabetes and age at diagnosis (P = 4.2 × 10−5, relative risk [RR] 0.69; P = 6.7 × 10−6, respectively) and a haplotype that confers diabetes risk that contains the rare alleles at SNPs rs10885390 and rs12255372 (P = 0.02, RR 1.64). These data provide evidence that variation in the TCF7L2 genomic region may affect risk for type 2 diabetes in Mexican Americans, but the attributable risk may be lower than in Caucasian populations.
Time-Varying Analysis of the Heart Rate Variability during Arousals from Sleep.

The goal of this work was to apply a time-varying spectral approach to study the dynamic changes in heart rate variability (HRV) produced by the arousal from sleep in obese patients with and without obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). We studied 10 subjects, group I without OSA and group II with OSA diagnostic. RR intervals series was obtained from ECG records. HRV spectral indexes (HF & LF component) were computed from a time variant AR model. In general, group II has more variability than group I. Results are in agreement with literature for group I. However, group II results don't show statistical differences. Our preliminary results are comparable to others reported. Therefore, this technique allows characterizing transitory phenomena like cardiovascular response to arousals
Treatment of Basilar Invagination With Klippel-Feil Syndrome: Atlantoaxial Joint Distraction and Fixation With Transoral Atlantoaxial Reduction Plate.

BACKGROUND Klippel-Feil syndrome (KFS) is characterized by congenital vertebral fusion of the cervical spine and a wide spectrum of associated anomalies. In patients with KFS with basilar invagination (BI), compression of the brainstem and upper cervical cord results in neurological deficits, and decompression and occipitocervical reconstruction are required. The highly varied anatomy of KFS makes a posterior occipitocervical fixation strategy challenging. For these patients, the transoral atlantoaxial reduction plate (TARP) operation is an optimal option to perform a direct anterior fixation to achieve stabilization. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effectiveness of TARP internal fixation for the treatment of BI with KFS. METHODS Ten consecutive patients with BI and KFS who underwent TARP reduction and fixation from 2010 to 2012 were reviewed. Clinical assessment and image measurements were performed preoperatively and at the most recent follow-up. Nine patients (9/10) were followed for an average of 31.44 months. RESULTS Symptoms were alleviated in 9 of 9 patients (100.00%). The odontoid process was ideally corrected with the TARP system. The mean clivus canal angle improved from 124° preoperatively to 152° postoperatively. The average preoperative and postoperative Japanese Orthopedic Association scores were 10.56 (n = 9) and 14.67 (n = 9), respectively, indicating 63.82% improvement. There was bony bridge catenation on the computed tomography scans and no evidence of hardware failure at 6 months. CONCLUSION The TARP operation is effective and safe for treating patients with BI with KFS. The midterm clinical results were satisfactory.
Target Turning Maneuver Detection using High Resolution Doppler Profile

Target turning maneuvering is always accompanied with the rapid attitude variations, which are helpful to achieve high cross-range resolution for pulsed coherent radar. Thus, it is feasible to detect target turning maneuver using the high resolution Doppler profile (HRDP). The preliminaries concerning the HRDP are first introduced, including its formulation, extraction requirements, and procedure. The principle of turning maneuver detection using the HRDP is then fully explored. A novel detector is developed based on the back propagation (BP) neural network. Two novel indices for performance evaluation are proposed. Finally, a simulation environment with software tools capable of generating target dynamic echoes with realistic features is developed. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed detector performs better than the other three up-to-date feature-based detectors as a whole.
Nursing home costs and risk-adjusted outcome measures of quality.

BACKGROUND The inadequacy of quality of care in nursing homes has been and continues to be a focus of public concerns. Understanding the relationship between quality and costs can offer guidance to policies designed to encourage high quality. OBJECTIVES To investigate the relationship between costs and quality of care in nursing homes, and to test the hypothesis that higher quality may be associated with lower costs. RESEARCH DESIGN Statistical regression techniques were used to estimate nursing home variable-cost functions that included three risk-adjusted outcome measures of quality. Quality measures were based on decline in functional status, worsening pressure ulcers, and mortality. The study hypothesis was tested by an F test for the exclusion of nonlinear quality variables in the cost functions. SUBJECTS The study included 525 free-standing private and public nursing homes in New York State, or 84% of all nursing homes in the state during 1991. RESULTS F tests rejected the hypotheses that the three quality measures could be excluded from the cost function and that the association between costs and quality was linear. An inverted U-shaped relationship between quality and costs suggests that there are quality regimens in which higher quality is associated with lower costs. CONCLUSIONS Policies that encourage research to identify care protocols and management strategies leading to better outcomes and lower costs, as well as policies that encourage dissemination of such practices, may prevent decline in quality despite the continued financial constraints faced by nursing homes.
Chip-level CMOS co-integration of ReRAM-based non-volatile memories

This work reports a technique to fabricate ReRAM crossbar arrays co-integrated with fully finished 180nm CMOS technology chips. The proposed integration method enables low-cost ReRAM-CMOS integration and allows the rapid prototyping of complete memory systems. We propose to use W plugs, already present as vias in CMOS technology, as the ReRAM bottom electrodes. The resistance switching layer, WOx, is obtained by the mask-free rapid thermal oxidation of the W plug surface. With this method, we are able to fabricate 280nm non-volatile memory devices without any additional high-resolution lithography. The integrated memory devices operate at 300 μA, with a high resistance state of 0. 6MΩ and low resistance state of 4 kΩ. The electrical characteristics confirm the possibility to integrated non-volatile memories on the back-end-of-the-line of standard CMOS chips, enabling low-cost integration of the memory components with the CMOS driving circuitry.
Staphylococcus aureus Develops an Alternative, ica-Independent Biofilm in the Absence of the arlRS Two-Component System

ABSTRACT The biofilm formation capacity of Staphylococcus aureus clinical isolates is considered an important virulence factor for the establishment of chronic infections. Environmental conditions affect the biofilm formation capacity of S. aureus, indicating the existence of positive and negative regulators of the process. The majority of the screening procedures for identifying genes involved in biofilm development have been focused on genes whose presence is essential for the process. In this report, we have used random transposon mutagenesis and systematic disruption of all S. aureus two-component systems to identify negative regulators of S. aureus biofilm development in a chemically defined medium (Hussain-Hastings-White modified medium [HHWm]). The results of both approaches coincided in that they identified arlRS as a repressor of biofilm development under both steady-state and flow conditions. The arlRS mutant exhibited an increased initial attachment as well as increased accumulation of poly-N-acetylglucosamine (PNAG). However, the biofilm formation of the arlRS mutant was not affected when the icaADBC operon was deleted, indicating that PNAG is not an essential compound of the biofilm matrix produced in HHWm. Disruption of the major autolysin gene, atl, did not produce any effect on the biofilm phenotype of an arlRS mutant. Epistatic experiments with global regulators involved in staphylococcal-biofilm formation indicated that sarA deletion abolished, whereas agr deletion reinforced, the biofilm development promoted by the arlRS mutation.