Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association Between Socioeconomic Status Mobility and Inflammation Markers Among White and Black Adults in the United States: A Latent Class Analysis.

OBJECTIVE This paper examines whether multidimensional indicators of objective and subjective socioeconomic status (SES) across the life course can be categorized into latent classes of SES mobility and tests the associations of these categories with inflammation markers among White and Black adults. METHODS Data are from 592 non-Hispanic White and 158 non-Hispanic Black participants who completed both the baseline survey and biomarkers assessment of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) Refresher study. Groups of different SES mobility were examined using latent class analysis. RESULTS White and Black participants showed different patterns of SES mobility. Among Blacks, the latent classes were: 1) Objectively Always High (24.71%; high objective SES across the life course), 2) Subjectively Always High (6.48%; high subjective and low objective SES across the life course), 3) Downwardly Mobile (35.84%; high childhood SES, low adult SES, and 4) Always Low (32.97%; low childhood SES, education, and adult SES). Among Whites, the latent classes were: 1) Always High (52.17%; high childhood SES, high education, high adult SES), 2) Upwardly Mobile (18.14%; low childhood SES, high education, high adult SES), 3) Subjectively Downward (27.74%; high childhood SES, high education, high objective adult SES, low subjective adult SES), and 4) Always Low (1.95%; low childhood SES, education, and adult SES). SES mobility was associated with inflammation in White (Wald χ's [3] = 12.89-17.44, p < .050), but not in Black adults (Wald χ's [3] = 2.79-7.22, p > .050). CONCLUSION The lack of SES mobility differentiation on inflammation is an indication of diminished return for the most affluent class among Black participants.
Studies on the Anti-Micromial and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Polygonatum Cyrtonema Hua. Polysaccharides

Studies have been done on the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities of Polygonatum cyrtonema Hua(PCP). The results showed that PCP has some anti-microbial activities(in tube-plate method),for example,to Escherichi Coli,Salmonella.Paratyphi,Staphy lococcus cremoris and so on. It can also inhibit the swelling of the ear induced by dimethylbenzene.In comparison with NS group,there is an obvious difference(P0.01). So it has some anti-inflammatory activity.
Error Reduction Network for DBLSTM-based Voice Conversion

So far, many of the deep learning approaches for voice conversion produce good quality speech by using a large amount of training data. This paper presents a Deep Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (DBLSTM) based voice conversion framework that can work with a limited amount of training data. We propose to implement a DBLSTM based average model that is trained with data from many speakers. Then, we propose to perform adaptation with a limited amount of target data. Last but not least, we propose an error reduction network that can improve the voice conversion quality even further. The proposed framework is motivated by three observations. Firstly, DBLSTM can achieve a remarkable voice conversion by considering the long-term dependencies of the speech utterance. Secondly, DBLSTM based average model can be easily adapted with a small amount of data, to achieve a speech that sounds closer to the target. Thirdly, an error reduction network can be trained with a small amount of training data, and can improve the conversion quality effectively. The experiments show that the proposed voice conversion framework is flexible to work with limited training data and outperforms the traditional frameworks in both objective and subjective evaluations.
Designing for Interactivity, While Scaffolding Student Entry, Within Immersive Virtual Reality Environments

Since the advent of Second Life in 2004, immersive virtual-reality (VR) environments have been readily available to educators; more recent open-source environments have reduced costs significantly. This study reports on data gathered from an avatar-based immersive experience where teacher-education students gathered in VR spaces for synchronous meetings, learning how to maneuver within the environment, modify their avatars’ appearances, and develop preliminary three-dimensional building perspectives. Student reports and instructor observations throughout the course and a final student self-evaluation provided insights into both the challenges experienced and effective practices within this immersive VR environment. Overall, students developed significant trust and camaraderie with their colleagues as they went through problem-solving experiences, finding that initial challenges often subsided with the help of course colleagues. Students enjoyed the experience and considered VR applications for their classrooms. The report concludes with general recommendations for the design of productive VR learning environments within many different settings.
A Study of the Food Environment at Australian Family Day Care

Overweight and obesity in childhood is a significant public health issue. Family day care (FDC) offers a setting where good eating habits can be nurtured in young children, yet often the food environment is unhealthy. This study aims to determine FDC educators’ knowledge and confidence about nutrition and the barriers and enablers to supporting healthy food environments. Australian FDC educators were recruited to a mixed methods study using self-administered e-surveys and qualitative in-depth interviews. The survey data (n = 188) revealed good knowledge about sugary foods, but poor knowledge of protein-rich foods. Nutrition knowledge was not associated with confidence to make nutrition recommendations. Interviews (n = 9) revealed parents’ dietary choices and educators’ personal beliefs as barriers to healthy food environments, although importantly, the FDC educator role was identified as being pivotal in supporting the health and wellbeing of children and their families. This study highlights that FDC-specific nutrition education and support is vital to ensure children at FDC and their families are exposed to healthy food environments. Research to investigate specific avenues for nutrition education promotion programs specifically designed to support the unique role played by FDC educators is needed, in order to support the long-term health and welfare of the next generation of Australians.
Parental deployment and distress, and adolescent disordered eating in prevention-seeking military dependents.

OBJECTIVE Parental military deployment can lead to stress in the family system due to concerns about the deployed service-member's safety and increased responsibilities for those not deployed. Parent-related stress can impact adolescent disordered eating. Given the important role that stress plays in disordered eating and obesity, it is crucial to understand the impacts of unique stressors to which vulnerable populations are exposed. METHOD We studied 126 adolescent (14.3 ± 1.6 years; 59.5% girls; 44.4% non-Hispanic White; BMI-z, 1.91 ± .39) military dependents prior to entering an obesity and binge-eating disorder prevention trial. The Eating Disorder Examination was used to assess adolescent disordered eating. Parents self-reported their own distress and family deployment history that occurred during the adolescent's lifetime. RESULTS Parental distress interacted with frequency of parental deployments such that for those with high parental distress, more frequent deployment was associated with greater adolescent shape and weight concerns (β = .21, p = .012) and global eating pathology (β = .18, p = .024). DISCUSSION In this hypothesis-generating study, the combination of number of deployments and parental distress may be associated with disordered eating among adolescent military dependents seeking prevention of binge-eating disorder and adult obesity. If these preliminary findings are supported longitudinally, interventions to reduce parental stress related to deployment may be warranted to reduce disordered eating in adolescent dependents.
Longitudinal Pattern of First-Phase Insulin Response Is Associated With Genetic Variants Outside the Class II HLA Region in Children With Multiple Autoantibodies

A declining first-phase insulin response (FPIR) is associated with positivity for multiple islet autoantibodies, irrespective of class II HLA DR-DQ genotype. We examined the associations of FPIR with genetic variants outside the HLA DR-DQ region in the Finnish Type 1 Diabetes Prediction and Prevention (DIPP) study in children with and without multiple autoantibodies. Association between FPIR and class I alleles A*24 and B*39 and eight single nucleotide polymorphisms outside the HLA region were analyzed in 438 children who had one or more FPIR results available after seroconversion. Hierarchical linear mixed models were used to analyze repeated measurements of FPIR. In children with multiple autoantibodies, the change in FPIR over time was significantly different between those with various PTPN2 (rs45450798), FUT2 (rs601338), CTSH (rs3825932), and IKZF4 (rs1701704) genotypes in at least one of the models. In general, children carrying susceptibility alleles for type 1 diabetes experienced a more rapid decline in insulin secretion compared with children without susceptibility alleles. The presence of the class I HLA A*24 allele was also associated with a steeper decline of FPIR over time in children with multiple autoantibodies. Certain genetic variants outside the class II HLA region may have a significant impact on the longitudinal pattern of FPIR.
Health Implications of Drinking Water Salinity in Coastal Areas of Bangladesh

Coastal areas in South Asian countries are particularly vulnerable to elevated water salinity. Drinking water salinity has been found to be associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVD), diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Our study aimed to find if excess drinking water salinity was associated with increased hospital visits with an array of health effects in coastal sub-districts of Bangladesh. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 157 participants from three coastal sub-districts. A face-to-face interview was conducted to collect salinity exposure and hospital visit data. Water samples were collected from both drinking and other household water sources for the measurement of salinity and total dissolved solids (TDS). CVD, diarrhea, and abdominal pain related hospital visits were found to be significantly associated with high water salinity and TDS. Households exposed to high salinity demonstrated a higher frequency of hospital visits than the low salinity-exposed households. People exposed to high salinity seemed to lack awareness regarding salinity-inducing health effects. Water salinity is a public health concern that will continue to rise due to climate change. Therefore, raising awareness about the health risks of water salinity is essential for the government to frame policies and mitigation strategies to control this emerging threat.
The MMP-8 rs11225395 Promoter Polymorphism Increases Cancer Risk of Non-Asian Populations: Evidence from a Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis aimed to systematically review the evidence on cancer risk of the MMP-8 rs11225395 promoter polymorphism. Relevant studies published by 12 June 2019 were identified by systematically searching PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CNKI and Wanfang databases. R programs and STATA software were used to calculate odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). In total, 7375 cancer samples and 8117 controls were included by integrating 15 case-control data sets. Pooled estimates from the statistical analysis revealed no statistical significance for the association between this polymorphism and cancer risk. All pooled estimates resulting from subgroup analyses by cancer type and sample size were not materially altered and did not draw significantly different conclusions. The stratified analyses according to geographic region showed the statistical significance for increased cancer risk of the MMP-8 rs11225395 polymorphism in non-Asian populations under the allele model (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.04–1.19), homozygote model (OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.05–1.41), heterozygote model (OR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.07–1.36), and dominant model (OR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.08–1.35). However, no statistical significance was detected in Asian populations. In conclusion, these findings suggested that the MMP-8 rs11225395 polymorphism is associated with elevated susceptibility to cancer in non-Asian populations.
The Effect of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation During Walking on Muscle Strength and Knee Pain in Obese Women With Knee Pain

Supplemental digital content is available in the text. Objective The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of a hybrid training system with walking that simultaneously applies electrical stimulation to the knee extensors/flexors during walking in obese women with knee pain. Design This is a randomized, single-blind (assessor), controlled trial. Twenty-eight obese women with knee pain were randomized to 12 weeks of biweekly walking with either hybrid training system with walking or with transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (control). Primary outcomes (maximum isokinetic knee extensor torque and maximum isokinetic knee flexor torque) and secondary outcomes (20-m walk time, chair-stand time, stair-climb time, knee pain, and knee-related quality life) were evaluated. Change-point regression analyses were used to model the interaction for the primary outcomes. Two-sample t tests were used on pre-post change scores in secondary outcomes. Results Knee extensor torque increased significantly more in the hybrid training system with walking group than the control group when baseline knee extensor torque was greater than 57.2 Nm (P = 0.0033). When baseline knee flexor torque was at 30 or 50 Nm, there was a trend toward greater increase in the hybrid training system with walking group than the control group (P = 0.0566, P = 0.0737, respectively). There were no significant differences between groups in secondary outcomes. Conclusions These results suggest that hybrid training system with walking is effective for improving knee extensor torque in obese women with knee pain. However, the superiority of hybrid training system with walking may vary depending on baseline knee muscle strength.
MyExperiences : Visualizing Evidence in an Open Learner Model

When inferring a user's knowledge state from naturally occurring interactions in adaptive learning systems, one has to makes complex assumptions that may be hard to understand for users. We suggest MyExperiences, an open learner model designed for these specific requirements. MyExperiences is based on some of the key design principles of information visualization to help users understand the complex information in the learner model. It further allows users to edit their learner models in order to improve the accuracy of the information represented there.
Creative Arts Therapy in the Context of Children With Cancer: A Concept Analysis

Aim: To report an analysis of the concept of creative arts therapy (CAT) in the context of pediatric cancer. Background: Literature supports the intuitive conclusion that creative interventions improve a patient’s journey through the cancer trajectory. However, a new definition is needed to encompass CAT and creative expression interventions in order to better understand the concept of creativity in health care, specifically in pediatric oncology. Design: Concept analysis. Data Sources: The scientific databases CINAHL, PsycInfo (Ovid), AMED (Allied and Complementary Medicine), and PubMed were queried for English language research articles published between 2008 and 2018 using the search terms: creative arts therapy and cancer. Method: The Walker and Avant method of concept analysis was implemented. Results: CAT is a broad concept bringing creative arts in a therapeutic manner to children with cancer. Attributes include expression of feelings; creating art, music, or movement; and improvement of symptoms. CAT is frequently measured using quality of life and symptom assessment scales. Antecedents include the diagnosis of cancer, the distress caused by cancer, and a child’s willingness to participate in creative activity. Consequences include improved quality of life, improved sense of well-being, decreased psychosocial symptoms, and less cancer pain. Conclusion: The literature supports CAT as a concept that may decrease distress for children with cancer.
IroT/MavN is a Legionella Transmembrane Fe(II) Transporter: Metal Selectivity and Translocation Kinetics Revealed by In‐vitro Real‐time Transport

Iron plays a vital role in all living organisms due to its key role as an enzyme co‐factor, central to diverse metabolic processes. However, because of its high reactivity, speciation, and insolubility in oxidative environments, organisms have evolved sophisticated networks for intercellular iron acquisition without reaching toxic levels. In intravacuolar pathogens, iron is essential for growth and virulence. In Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires’ disease, a putative transmembrane protein, IroT/MavN, is inserted onto the surface of the host pathogen‐containing vacuole to facilitate intravacuolar iron acquisition from the host, bypassing the problem of Fe(III) insolubility and mobilization.
Leaf: an open-source, model-agnostic, data-driven web application for cohort discovery and translational biomedical research

Abstract Objective Academic medical centers and health systems are increasingly challenged with supporting appropriate secondary use of clinical data. Enterprise data warehouses have emerged as central resources for these data, but often require an informatician to extract meaningful information, limiting direct access by end users. To overcome this challenge, we have developed Leaf, a lightweight self-service web application for querying clinical data from heterogeneous data models and sources. Materials and Methods Leaf utilizes a flexible biomedical concept system to define hierarchical concepts and ontologies. Each Leaf concept contains both textual representations and SQL query building blocks, exposed by a simple drag-and-drop user interface. Leaf generates abstract syntax trees which are compiled into dynamic SQL queries. Results Leaf is a successful production-supported tool at the University of Washington, which hosts a central Leaf instance querying an enterprise data warehouse with over 300 active users. Through the support of UW Medicine (https://uwmedicine.org), the Institute of Translational Health Sciences (https://www.iths.org), and the National Center for Data to Health (https://ctsa.ncats.nih.gov/cd2h/), Leaf source code has been released into the public domain at https://github.com/uwrit/leaf. Discussion Leaf allows the querying of single or multiple clinical databases simultaneously, even those of different data models. This enables fast installation without costly extraction or duplication. Conclusions Leaf differs from existing cohort discovery tools because it does not specify a required data model and is designed to seamlessly leverage existing user authentication systems and clinical databases in situ. We believe Leaf to be useful for health system analytics, clinical research data warehouses, precision medicine biobanks, and clinical studies involving large patient cohorts.
Improvement in Fatigue Behavior of Dental Implant Fixtures by Changing Internal Connection Design: An In Vitro Pilot Study

(1) Background: The stability of the dental implant–abutment complex is necessary to minimize mechanical complications. The purpose of this study was to compare the behaviors of two internal connection type fixtures, manufactured by the same company, with different connection designs. (2) Methods: 15 implant–abutment complexes were prepared for each group of Osseospeed® TX (TX) and Osseospeed® EV (EV): 3 for single-load fracture tests and 12 for cyclic-loaded fatigue tests (nominal peak values as 80%, 60%, 50%, and 40% of the maximum breaking load) according to international standards (UNI EN ISO 14801:2013). They were assessed with micro-computed tomography (CT), and failure modes were analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. (3) Results: The maximum breaking load [TX: 711 ± 36 N (95% CI; 670–752), EV: 791 ± 58 N (95% CI; 725–857)] and fatigue limit (TX: 285 N, EV: 316 N) were higher in EV than those in TX. There was no statistical difference in the fracture areas (P > 0.99). All specimens with 40% nominal peak value survived 5 × 106 cycles, while 50% specimens failed before 105 cycles. (4) Conclusions: EV has improved mechanical properties compared with TX. A loading regimen with a nominal peak value between 40% and 50% is ideal for future tests of implant cyclic loading.
Prospective Memory Relates to Attentional Control: Differential Patterns in Old Age

Aims: We investigated the associations of prospective memory (PM) with memory, attentional control, and conscientiousness and whether they differed between young-old (YO) and old-old adults (OO). Methods: We analyzed data from 562 older adults (mean = 80.04 years) who were tested on four PM tasks, memory (immediate and delayed cued recall), attentional control (letter and category fluency), and reported conscientiousness. Results: Latent variable analyses showed that in both YO and OO PM was associated with memory and attentional control (but not conscientiousness). Notably, testing for moderation effects revealed that the relation between PM and attentional control was significantly stronger in YO than in OO. Conclusion: YO may be able to better (than OO) achieve a good PM performance with good attentional control.
Effect of Treatment with Peptide Extract from Beef Myofibrillar Protein on Oxidative Stress in the Brains of Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

This study was conducted to determine the effect of beef peptide extract on oxidative stress in the brains of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). A 3-kDa peptide extract was obtained from beef myofibrillar protein using alkaline-AK (AK3K). Oxidative stress in SHR brains was measured by assessing malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentrations and superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity. The SHR brains treated with the AK3K peptide extract (400 mg/kg body weight, AK3K400) showed a significant decrease in MDA and ROS contents by 0.33 and 23.92 μM, respectively (p < 0.05) compared to the control. The SOD activity for AK3K400 was 61.26%, around 20% higher than the control. Furthermore, the SHRs treated with the AK3K peptide extract showed results similar to those obtained using captopril, a hypertension drug, except for the MDA level. The study demonstrates that the beef peptide extract inhibits the generation of oxidative stress in the SHR brain and could possibly be used for neuronal hypertension therapy.