Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Health and the Information Nonseeker: A Profile

Despite increased information-seeking by the public, a significant percentage of those diagnosed with a serious disease such as cancer report that they do not seek or receive health information beyond that given by health care providers. This study attempts to profile these nonseekers and study possible determinants of nonseeking behaviors. Data come from the 2003 Health Information National Trends Survey, a national survey of American adults conducted by the National Cancer Institute (N = 6,133; Nelson et al., 2004). Individuals were categorized as nonseekers or seekers and then further classified based on cancer history to yield 4 groups: nonseeker patients, the nonseeker public, seeker patients, and the seeker public. Compared to other groups, nonseeker patients came from the lowest income and education groups, and scored lower on attention to health in the media and trust in mass media health information. Nonseekers also scored lower on preventative health behaviors.
Space-Time Network Coding With Overhearing Relays

Space time network coding (STNC) is a recently proposed time-division multiple-access (TDMA)-based cooperative relaying scheme for multi-relay wireless systems, which can achieve full diversity order with low transmission delay by taking advantage of the concepts of network coding and distributed space time coding. However, STNC does not fully exploit the benefit of the broadcast nature of wireless channels, since it only allows relays to receive signals from the sources. To explore the potential capacity of STNC-based systems, in this paper, we propose a new cooperative relaying scheme, termed space-time network coding with overhearing relays (STNC-OR), by allowing each relay to collect the signals transmitted from not only the sources but also its previous relays. Then, we derive some explicit expressions for the outage probability and symbol error rate (SER) for STNC-OR with decode-and-forward relaying over independent non-identically distributed (i.n.i.d) Rayleigh fading channels. For comparison, we also derive the explicit expression of the outage probability for STNC. To further improve the performance of STNC-OR, we investigate the effect of relay ordering on the performance of STNC-OR and then present the optimal relay ordering algorithm. Further, a suboptimal relay ordering is also designed to reduce the complexity. Extensive simulation and numerical results are presented finally to validate our theoretical analysis. It is shown that the proposed STNC-OR achieves much lower outage probability and SER than STNC and traditional pure TDMA relaying schemes.
Association between the COMT gene and rumination in a Hungarian sample.

INTRODUCTION Rumination is a multidimensional trait which is a proven risk factor in the vulnerability to depression. The aim to identify the main risk genes for depression in addition to the gene-environment interactions pointed to the importance of intermediate phenotypes, like rumination, to improve our understanding of the biological mechanisms of depression. Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) gene is extensively investigated in depression with contradictory results but its association with rumination, as an intermediate phenotype in depression, has not been investigated yet. METHODS In our study, four tagging SNPs in the COMT gene (rs933271, rs740603, rs4680, rs4646316) were genotyped in a nonclinical Hungarian sample (n=939). We investigated the association between the COMT gene and rumination scores measured by the Ruminative Response Scale using haplotype trend regression. RESULTS We found a significant association between COMT haplotypes and rumination scores (p=0.013) but no significant association was apparent between the functional Val158Met polymorphism (rs4680) and rumination in any genetic model. DISCUSSION Variations in the COMT gene exert complex effects on susceptibility to depression involving intermediate phenotypes, such as rumination and also impulsivity, as we previously demonstrated. Both rumination and impulsivity represent maladaptive cognitive styles that can lead to depressive state by influencing the response to negative life events and life stressors. In conclusion, our findings provide evidence that in addition to other genes, COMT also has a significant role in the development of depression, and demonstrate that analysing the complex phenotype associations of genes by haplotype tagging is a powerful method.
Effect of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on the simulated D‐band length of type I collagen

A signature feature of collagen is its axial periodicity visible in TEM as alternating dark and light bands. In mature, type I collagen, this repeating unit, D, is 67 nm long. This periodicity reflects an underlying packing of constituent triple‐helix polypeptide monomers wherein the dark bands represent gaps between axially adjacent monomers. This organization is visible distinctly in the microfibrillar model of collagen obtained from fiber diffraction. However, to date, no atomistic simulations of this diffraction model under zero‐stress conditions have reported a preservation of this structural feature. Such a demonstration is important as it provides the baseline to infer response functions of physiological stimuli. In contrast, simulations predict a considerable shrinkage of the D‐band (11–19%). Here we evaluate systemically the effect of several factors on D‐band shrinkage. Using force fields employed in previous studies we find that irrespective of the temperature/pressure coupling algorithms, assumed salt concentration or hydration level, and whether or not the monomers are cross‐linked, the D‐band shrinks considerably. This shrinkage is associated with the bending and widening of individual monomers, but employing a force field whose backbone dihedral energy landscape matches more closely with our computed CCSD(T) values produces a small D‐band shrinkage of < 3%. Since this force field also performs better against other experimental data, it appears that the large shrinkage observed in earlier simulations is a force‐field artifact. The residual shrinkage could be due to the absence of certain atomic‐level details, such as glycosylation sites, for which we do not yet have suitable data. Proteins 2015; 83:1800–1812. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Which categories of social and lifestyle activities moderate the association between negative life events and depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults in Japan?

ABSTRACT Background: Social and lifestyle activities may serve as potential moderators of the association between negative life events (NLEs) and depressive symptoms among older adults. In this study, we examined whether social and lifestyle activities moderate the association between NLEs and depressive symptoms among older adults, and which activities are significant moderators. Methods: The data came from a community-based sample of non-institutionalized adults aged 65 years or older. Of the 731 eligible older adults, 682 completed the Japanese version of the 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale. We measured 15 specific negative life events as well as 17 social and lifestyle activities which were grouped into four categories. Results: Specific NLEs pertaining to human relationships, physical condition and financial status were all or were mostly associated with depressive symptoms. Significant moderating roles of social and lifestyle activities on the association of NLEs with depressive symptoms were observed between “loss of a significant other” and “contact with family members and friends” (β = −0.282, SE = 0.091, p = 0.002); “change in human relationships” and “contact with family members and friends” (β = −0.270, SE = 0.137, p = 0.048); and “change in human relationships” and “community involvement” (β = −0.344, SE = 0.133, p = 0.010). Conclusions: The most statistically significant variable moderating the associations between negative life events and depressive symptoms was “having frequent contact with family members”. Depressive symptoms arising from troublesome interpersonal relationships in one's proximal network might be moderated by positive interpersonal relationships.
Performance evaluation of the anammox hybrid reactor seeded with mixed inoculum sludge

ABSTRACT Long startup and poor granulation are the major bottlenecks in field-scale application of the anammox (ANaerobic AMMonium OXidation) process. In the present study, the anammox process was investigated in a modified anammox hybrid reactor (AHR) inoculated with mixed seed culture (anoxic and activated sludge). The startup study delineated four distinct phases, i.e. cell lysis, lag phase, activity elevation and stationary phase. Use of mixed seed culture at influent ratio (1:1) and hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 1 d led to early startup of the anammox process. The removal efficiencies of and during acclimation were found to be 94.3% and 96.4%, respectively, at nitrogen loading rate (NLR) of 0.35 kg N/m3 d. Pearson correlation analysis dictated strong and positive correlation of HRT and sludge retention time (SRT) with nitrogen removal efficiency (NRE) while NLR and sludge loading rate (SLR) were negatively correlated. Attached growth system (AGS) in AHR contributed an additional 11% ammonium removal and reduced the sludge washout rate by 29%. Mass balance of nitrogen revealed that the major fraction (74.1%) of input nitrogen was converted into N2 gas indicating higher substrate conversion efficiency of anammox biomass. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) study of biomass indicated the presence of heterogeneous population of cocci and rod-shaped bacteria of average diameter varying from 1.2 to 1.5 mm. Owing to the features of early start-up, ability to retain high biomass and consistently higher NRE, hybrid reactor configuration seeded with mixed culture offers noble strategy for cultivation of well-compacted anammox granules for field-scale installation. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
CD83 Modulates B Cell Activation and Germinal Center Responses

CD83 is a maturation marker for dendritic cells. In the B cell lineage, CD83 is expressed especially on activated B cells and on light zone B cells during the germinal center (GC) reaction. The function of CD83 during GC responses is unclear. CD83−/− mice have a strong reduction of CD4+ T cells, which makes it difficult to analyze a functional role of CD83 on B cells during GC responses. Therefore, in the present study we generated a B cell–specific CD83 conditional knockout (CD83 B-cKO) model. CD83 B-cKO B cells show defective upregulation of MHC class II and CD86 expression and impaired proliferation after different stimuli. Analyses of GC responses after immunization with various Ags revealed a characteristic shift in dark zone and light zone B cell numbers, with an increase of B cells in the dark zone of CD83 B-cKO mice. This effect was not accompanied by alterations in the level of IgG immune responses or by major differences in affinity maturation. However, an enhanced IgE response was observed in CD83 B-cKO mice. Additionally, we observed a strong competitive disadvantage of CD83-cKO B cells in GC responses in mixed bone marrow chimeras. Furthermore, infection of mice with Borrelia burgdorferi revealed a defect in bacterial clearance of CD83 B-cKO mice with a shift toward a Th2 response, indicated by a strong increase in IgE titers. Taken together, our results show that CD83 is important for B cell activation and modulates GC composition and IgE Ab responses in vivo.
Expropriation of Real Property in Kigali City: Scoping the Patterns of Spatial Justice

The key question in this article is the extent to which current real property expropriation practices in Kigali city promote spatial justice. Current studies focus on the ambiguous manner in which real property valuation had been regulated by the expropriation law of 2007, leading to unfair compensation and various conflicts between expropriating agencies and expropriated people. Following its amendment in 2015, the law currently provides clearer procedures for valuation and fair compensation, based on the market prices. Using indicators that measure spatial justice, this study evaluates if the current expropriation processes result in spatial justice, consisting of procedural, recognitional and redistributive justice. These indicators are described using three dimensions of spatial justice: rules, processes and outcomes. Data were collected through household surveys, focus group discussions, stakeholders’ interviews and observations in four urban neighbourhoods where expropriation has taken place in Kigali city. Interpretative and statistical analysis of the data reveals some patterns of procedural, recognitional and redistributive justice in the rules dimension. There is no indication of any pattern for other dimensions. This relates to limited budgets of expropriating agencies which insufficiently follow the law. The consequence is the decreased redistributive justice in the compensation and the increase in the displacement effect of expropriation. Although, counter-valuations result in fair compensation, there is limited evidence for good trends of spatial justice in the whole process of expropriation.
Effects of pH on the myofilaments and the sarcoplasmic reticulum of skinned cells from cardiace and skeletal muscles.

1. The effects of decreasing pH from 7.40 to 6.20 on the tension developed by direct activation of the myofilaments and by Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum were studied comparatively in segments of single cells of skeletal muscle (frog semitendinosus) and cardiac muscle (rat ventricle) from which the sarcolemma had been removed by micro‐dissection (skinned muscle cells). 2. The concentration of free Ca2+ in the solutions was buffered with ethylene glycol‐bis (beta‐aminoethylether N,N'‐tetraacetic acid (EGTA). The change of the buffer capacity of a given [total EGTA] caused by varying pH and the uncertainty about the value of the equilibrium constant for Ca‐EGTA have been taken into account in the interpretation of the results. 3. Decreasing pH from 7.40 to 6.20 produced an increase in the [free Ca2+] required for the myofilaments to develop 50% of the maximum tension by a factor of about 5 in skinned cardiac cells but of only 3 in skeletal muscle fibres. In addition, acidosis depressed the maximum tension developed in the presence of a saturating [free Ca2+] by approximately the same amount in the two tissues. 4. The pH optimum for loading the sarcoplasmic reticulum of skinned fibres from skeletal muscle decreased when the pCa (‐log [free Ca2+]) in the loading solution decreased. The optimum was pH 7.40‐7.00 for a loading at pCa 7.75, pH 7.00‐6.60 at pCa 7.00 and pH 6.60‐6.20 at pCa 6.00. 5. The pH optimum for loading the sarcoplasmic reticulum of skinned cardiac cells with a solution at pCa 7.75 was about pH 7.40 as in skeletal muscle fibres. But the cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum could not be loaded with a [free Ca2+] much higher than pCa 7.75 because a higher [free Ca2+] triggered a Ca2+‐induced release of Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. 6. The pH optimum of about 7.40 for the loading of the cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum was also optimum for the Ca2+‐induced release of Ca2+ from it. 7. It was concluded that the effects of acidosis on the cardiac sarcoplasmic reticulum accentuate the depressive action of decreasing pH on the myofilaments. This may explain the pronounced depression of contractility observed during acidosis in cardiac muscle. In contrast, a moderate acidosis causes an effect on skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum that could compensate for the depressive action on the myofilaments, which is, in addition, less pronounced than in cardiac muscle.
Analysis and Fault Control of Hybrid Modular Multilevel Converter With Integrated Battery Energy Storage System

A modular multilevel converter (MMC) integrated with split battery modules has been verified a better choice for the large-scale battery energy storage system (BESS). In this case, both ac grid and dc grid can exchange power with the BESS while the power transfer between ac and dc grids can be decoupled. However, without the ability to ride through dc grid fault, the performance and reliability of whole system will be reduced. Therefore, a hybrid MMC (HMMC) with integrated BESS (HMMC-BESS) is proposed in this paper. Then the batteries can exchange power with the normal grid continuously and independently, even when short-circuit fault condition happens on ac or dc grid. However, the traditional control schemes are no longer suitable for the fault modes. In this paper, the configuration, modeling, and operation modes of HMMC-BESS are discussed first. After that, both ac and dc grid fault modes of HMMC are analyzed and control schemes of corresponding mode are presented. In addition, novel balancing methods for the state-of-charge and voltage allocation scheme are proposed according to different operation modes. Finally, a downscaled prototype is built in laboratory to verify the proposed control scheme.
Reliability Assessment of Fan-Out Packages Using High Resolution Moiré Interferometry and Synchrotron X-Ray Microdiffraction

Measurement and simulation of the stress state in the silicon die of a wafer-level fan out package can be difficult due to the complexity of high density packaging structures and the uncertainties in material properties at the nanoscale, yet these stresses directly affect the electrical behavior of the embedded active devices due to the piezoresistive effect in silicon. In this study, the residual stresses and thermal stresses in die-on-board, fan-out packages are measured using high resolution moiré interferometry and synchrotron x-ray microdiffraction. The results are then used to verify the materials database used in the finite element analysis (FEA) with the purpose of developing a quantitative method to characterize the stress behavior and its effect on charge carrier mobilities. The underfill effect is investigated by comparing two underfills, one with a moderate glass transition temperature (Tg) and one with a low Tg, to a control with no underfill. High resolution moiré interferometry is used to map the actual deformation of the package cross-section subjected to a negative thermal load, while synchrotron x-ray microdiffraction produces Laue peaks, which are analyzed to extract stress, strain, and lattice deformation data at room temperature. These experiments, in which the separate underfill conditions demonstrated distinct deformation patterns, are used to validate the material and load parameters of the FEA model, which in turn is used to calculate the mobility change.
Experimental validation of a structural property of fortran algorithms

Recent studies [1,3,8,9] have shown that theory predicts, and limited experimental data confirm, the existence of a functional relationship between the length, N, of the expression of an algorithm and the number of distinct operators, n<subscrpt>1</subscrpt>,and of distinct operands, n<subscrpt>2</subscrpt>,required to express that algorithm in various languages. Data previously examined, however, was restricted to a small sample of rather short, published algorithms, for which n<subscrpt>1</subscrpt>,n<subscrpt>2</subscrpt>and N could be measured manually.
STAP-2 Protein Expression in B16F10 Melanoma Cells Positively Regulates Protein Levels of Tyrosinase, Which Determines Organs to Infiltrate in the Body*

Background: STAP-2 plays important roles in cell migratory functions. Results: STAP-2 influences the metastatic phenotype of B16 melanoma. Conclusion: STAP-2 regulates B16 melanoma characteristics by modifying tyrosinase content. Significance: This study identifies novel functions of STAP-2 in melanoma metastasis. Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer, with a highly metastatic phenotype. In this report, we show that signal transducing adaptor protein 2 (STAP-2) is involved in cell migration, proliferation, and melanogenesis as well as chemokine receptor expression and tumorigenesis in B16F10 melanoma cells. This was evident in mice injected with STAP-2 shRNA (shSTAP-2)-expressing B16F10 cells, which infiltrated organs in a completely different pattern from the original cells, showing massive colonization in the liver, kidney, and neck but not in the lung. The most important finding was that STAP-2 expression determined tyrosinase protein content. STAP-2 colocalized with tyrosinase in lysosomes and protected tyrosinase from protein degradation. It is noteworthy that B16F10 cells with knocked down tyrosinase showed similar cell characteristics as shSTAP-2 cells. These results indicated that tyrosinase contributed to some cellular events beyond melanogenesis. Taken together, one possibility is that STAP-2 positively regulates the protein levels of tyrosinase, which determines tumor invasion via controlling chemokine receptor expression.
Brazilian adaptation of the questionnaire to assess adherence to treatment for arterial hypertension.

OBJECTIVE To describe the cross-cultural adaptation of the questionnaire evaluating adhesion to treatment for arterial hypertension from its original Spanish version to a Portuguese version, to be applied in Brazil. METHODS In order to establish conceptual, semantic and operational equivalents of the items, two independent translations to Portuguese, and two back-translations into Spanish were performed. The translations and back-translations were assessed for changes in referential and general meanings. The synthesis of the translations was applied in pre-tests with patients with arterial hypertension and/or diabetes, which were important to identify different problems and confirm earlier decisions. RESULTS In general, the second translation and back translation were evaluated more positively because the translation process did not affect the meanings in five of the twelve items of the questionnaire. Operational changes were made and a vignette with response options and an example included in the instrument facilitated application in interviews. CONCLUSIONS The results obtained in the process of evaluating the items' conceptual, semantic and operational equivalence allowed the construction of a Portuguese version of the MBG questionnaire to assess adherence to treatment which can be applied in the Brazilian context.
Real-time implementation of target tracking system for air surveillance radar applications

This paper presents a single-sensor multiple-target tracking system applicable with air surveillance radars. We describe the development process along with key details of system's design and implementation, including heuristic process of choosing system parameters to meet tracking performance requirements. In addition, we provide evaluation of system's real-time performance on general purpose computers.
ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership (AJCEP) and Its Impact on CLM Countries

Since their accession to AFTA, trade volumes of CLM countries have being grown rapidly while their trade patterns and directions have significantly changed. Recognizing the importance of international trade in CLM economies, this study attempts to analyze the trade patterns of CLM countries based the gravity model. The empirical analysis is conducted to identify the determining factors of each country’s bilateral trade flows and policy implications for promoting their trade. The results indicate that CLM’s trade patterns are mainly affected by partner country’s GDP, the difference between per capita GDPs of two countries, distance, common border, and presence in particular FTA. Their trade relations with East Asian countries mainly China, Japan and Korea have yet to be exploited to their full potential. These findings suggest that CLM countries needs to promote their bilateral trade with countries in close proximity and having large economic size and high consumers’ purchasing power through accelerating their trade liberalization efforts in FTAs in progress.