Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Socially Valued Roles, Self-Determination, and Community Participation among Individuals Living with Serious Mental Illnesses.

Decades after deinstitutionalization, individuals living with serious mental illnesses remain isolated, socially disengaged, and devalued members of communities. Burgeoning research and services need conceptual clarity to improve such social conditions. This qualitative inquiry used grounded theory and participatory approaches to conduct an in-depth exploration of community participation for individuals living with serious mental illnesses based on key stakeholder perspectives (n = 45). Results revealed that community participation is a multifaceted construct with layers of meaning for individuals living with serious mental illnesses. Overarching themes are contextualized in Self-Determination Theory and presented with deidentified illustrations. Implications for services, research, and policy are discussed.
Development of miRNA‐based therapeutic approaches for cancer patients

Over the past few decades, siRNA and miRNA have attracted a great deal of attention from researchers and clinicians. These molecules have been extensively studied from the standpoint of developing biopharmaceuticals against various diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and cancers. siRNA suppresses only a single target, whereas each miRNA regulates the expression of multiple target genes. More importantly, because miRNA are also secreted from cancer cells, and their aberrant expression is associated with tumor development and progression, they represent not only therapeutic targets but also promising biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis. Therefore, miRNA may be more effective tools against cancers, in which multiple signal pathways are dysregulated. In this review, we summarize recent progress in the development of miRNA therapeutics for the treatment of cancer patients, and describe delivery systems for oligonucleotide therapeutics.
Epidemiology of Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury in Developing Countries: A Systematic Review

Background/Aims: To describe the epidemiology of spinal cord injury (SCI) in the developing world. Methods: Developing countries were selected based on the definition proposed by the International Monetary Fund. A literature search was performed in July 2012 in Medline and Embase. Further article procurement was obtained via the reference lists of the identified articles, websites, and direct contact with the authors of the identified studies. We designed search strategies using the key words: SCI, epidemiology, incidence, and prevalence. According to the inclusion criteria, 64 studies from 28 countries were included. Results: The incidence of SCI in developing countries is 25.5/million/year (95% CI: 21.7-29.4/million/year) and ranges from 2.1 to 130.7/million/year. Males comprised 82.8% (95% CI: 80.3-85.2) of all SCIs with a mean age of 32.4 years (95% CI: 29.7-35.2). The two leading causes of SCI were found to be motor vehicle crashes (41.4%; 95% CI: 35.4-47.4) and falls (34.9%; 95% CI: 26.7-43.1). Complete SCIs were found to be more common than incomplete injuries (complete SCI: 56.5%; 95% CI: 47.6-65.3; incomplete SCI: 43.0%; 95% CI: 34.1-52.0). Similarly, paraplegia was found to be more common than tetraplegia (paraplegia: 58.7%; 95% CI: 51.5-66.0; tetraplegia: 40.6%; 95% CI: 33.3-48.0). Conclusion: Through an understanding of the epidemiology of SCI in developing countries, appropriate preventative strategies and resource allocation may decrease the incidence and improve the care of these injuries.
Altered upright face recognition and presence of face inversion effect in temporal lobe epilepsy: An event‐related potential study

Facial recognition can be assessed by examining an event‐related potential component, namely the N170. The amplitude of the N170 is larger in response to inverted faces than to upright faces. To examine facial processing in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), we investigated the amplitude of the N170, the face inversion effect, and the association between social functioning and face‐specific configuration processing.
Feasibility and Early Outcomes of a Tailored Quitline Protocol for Smokers With Mental Health Conditions.

INTRODUCTION Adults with mental health conditions (MHCs) smoke at higher rates, are more nicotine dependent, and have more trouble quitting smoking than those without MHCs. About half of smokers who call state-funded quitlines report MHCs, and those with such conditions have cessation rates 8%-10% lower than those without MHCs. This article describes a clinical pilot of a tailored protocol for quitline callers with MHCs. METHODS Callers to the Texas Tobacco Quit Line who self-reported MHCs were offered a tailored quitline program, offering up to 12 weeks of combination nicotine replacement (nicotine patch plus gum or lozenge) and seven counseling calls. Characteristics, program engagement, and 7-month outcomes for these pilot participants were compared to callers in the standard Texas Tobacco Quit Line program with and without MHCs not offered the tailored program. RESULTS Eighty-eight percent of eligible quitline callers accepted enrollment in the tailored pilot. Pilot enrollees (n = 311) had high rates of comorbidity and serious mental illness, including bipolar disorder (59%). Those in the pilot sample participated in more coaching calls and used more nicotine replacement versus comparison groups. Early cessation outcomes showed numerically higher quit rates for pilot participants than those with MHCs in the standard program, but small sample size and low response rates prevent definitive statements about efficacy. CONCLUSIONS Offering a tailored quitline protocol for callers with MHCs was feasible and acceptable to quitline callers and increased engagement in treatment. A larger study is needed to determine if the protocol increases cessation among this group. IMPLICATIONS Nearly half of all quitline callers report a MHC. This clinical quality improvement pilot shows that delivering a tailored tobacco cessation program for smokers with MHCs is feasible and acceptable to quitline callers. Participants in the pilot group had higher engagement in treatment, doubling the number of coaching calls received and using more nicotine replacement than comparison groups. Further investigation is needed to determine the effect of this program on cessation rates, although preliminary outcomes are promising.
MaxQuant.Live Enables Global Targeting of More Than 25,000 Peptides

MaxQuant.Live builds on the fast application programming interface of quadrupole Orbitrap mass analyzers to control data acquisition in real-time (freely available at www.maxquant.live). Its graphical user interface enables advanced data acquisition strategies, such as in-depth characterization of peptides of interest. Online recalibration in mass, retention time, and intensity dimensions extends this concept to more than 25,000 peptides per run. Our “global targeting” strategy combines the best of targeted and shotgun approaches. Graphical Abstract Highlights MaxQuant.Live controls Orbitrap mass analyzers in real-time. Freely available apps enable advanced data acquisition strategies. On-the-fly mass, retention time and intensity recalibration. Global targeting unifies shotgun and targeted proteomics. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics is often performed in a shotgun format, in which as many peptide precursors as possible are selected from full or MS1 scans so that their fragment spectra can be recorded in MS2 scans. Although achieving great proteome depths, shotgun proteomics cannot guarantee that each precursor will be fragmented in each run. In contrast, targeted proteomics aims to reproducibly and sensitively record a restricted number of precursor/fragment combinations in each run, based on prescheduled mass-to-charge and retention time windows. Here we set out to unify these two concepts by a global targeting approach in which an arbitrary number of precursors of interest are detected in real-time, followed by standard fragmentation or advanced peptide-specific analyses. We made use of a fast application programming interface to a quadrupole Orbitrap instrument and real-time recalibration in mass, retention time and intensity dimensions to predict precursor identity. MaxQuant.Live is freely available (www.maxquant.live) and has a graphical user interface to specify many predefined data acquisition strategies. Acquisition speed is as fast as with the vendor software and the power of our approach is demonstrated with the acquisition of breakdown curves for hundreds of precursors of interest. We also uncover precursors that are not even visible in MS1 scans, using elution time prediction based on the auto-adjusted retention time alone. Finally, we successfully recognized and targeted more than 25,000 peptides in single LC-MS runs. Global targeting combines the advantages of two classical approaches in MS-based proteomics, whereas greatly expanding the analytical toolbox.
Interactions Among Perceived Norms and Attitudes About Health-Related Behaviors in U.S. Adolescents

Objective: Prior research has documented the influence of social norms on health-related behaviors, though social norms may affect behaviors in more complex ways than have conventionally been modeled. The present research evaluates parent norms and teens’ own attitudes as moderators of associations between perceived peer norms and diet and physical activity behaviors (both health-promoting and health-impairing) in a national sample of U.S. adolescents. Methods: Adolescent participants (N = 1,859; ages 12–17) from the 2014 Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating study reported on the extent to which their friends eat fruits and vegetables; eat junk food or drink sugary drinks; exercise; and watch TV, play on the computer, or play electronic games most days of the week. They also reported on their own attitudes and behaviors as well as their parents’ corresponding behaviors and rules. Results: Perceived peer norms were associated with teens’ own health-promoting behaviors such as fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity as well as health-impairing behaviors such as junk food consumption and sedentary habits. Teens who reported liking fruits and vegetables or physical activity or perceiving congruent descriptive parental norms demonstrated the strongest positive associations between peer norms and their own behavior. Conclusions: Perceived social norms may play a significant role in both health-impairing and health-promoting behaviors, particularly when congruent with attitudes or descriptive parental norms about those behaviors. The findings may inform interventions such as social norms marketing campaigns that aim to change perceptions of peer norms for health-promoting behavior.
Mixture and nonmixture cure fraction models assuming discrete lifetimes: Application to a pelvic sarcoma dataset

Different cure fraction models have been used in the analysis of lifetime data in presence of cured patients. This paper considers mixture and nonmixture models based on discrete Weibull distribution to model recurrent event data in presence of a cure fraction. The novelty of this study is the use of a discrete lifetime distribution in place of usual existing continuous lifetime distributions for lifetime data in presence of cured fraction, censored data, and covariates. In the verification of the fit of the proposed model it is proposed the use of randomized quantile residuals. An extensive simulation study is considered to evaluate the properties of the estimates of the parameters related to the proposed model. As an illustration of the proposed methodology, it is considered an application considering a medical dataset related to lifetimes in a retrospective cohort study conducted by Puchner et al. (2017) that consists of 147 consecutive cases with surgical treatment of a sarcoma of the pelvis between the years of 1980 and 2012.
Clinimetric analysis of recently applied quantitative tools in evaluation of vitiligo treatment

Background: Vitiligo affects about 1% of the world's population, however, there is currently no universally used standardized measure to assess its response to treatment. Objective: To find the most effective technique for the quantitative assessment of therapeutic results in vitiligo patients. Materials and Methods: The study was performed in three stages: (1) Conducting an adapted Delphi survey to check current dermatologists' attitudes regarding the topic of study. (2) Conducting a pilot study that involves testing the selected digital image analysis software in the laboratory to validate future tasks. (3) The chief clinimetric study that implicates selecting actual vitiligo lesion models and evaluating them. Results: Regarding the surface area measuring techniques, the most accurate results were gained through the digital image analysis for surface area, followed by point-counting technique. The digital image analysis for color measurement was accurate and reliable in getting a percentage representation of color improvement within the vitiligo lesions, in response to therapy. Limitations: Many dermatologists lack understanding of basic concepts about imaging techniques. The study does not include a traditional assessment method such as vitiligo area scoring index. Conclusion: Our designated digital image analysis technique was able to efficiently assess the changes that occur both on surface area and the color of vitiligo lesions in response to therapy.
Accumulation of EBI3 induced by virulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis inhibits apoptosis in murine macrophages

&NA; Macrophages are the primary host target cells of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb). As a subunit of immunoregulatory cytokines IL‐27 and IL‐35, Epstein‐Barr virus‐induced gene 3 (EBI3) has typically been explored as the secreted form and assessed in terms of its effects triggered by extracellular EBI3. However, little is known about intracellular EBI3 function. In the current study, we report that EBI3 production by macrophages is elevated in TB patients. We further demonstrate that increased EBI3 accumulates in virulent M. tb‐treated murine macrophages. Eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1‐alpha 1 (eEF1A1) binds to intracellular EBI3 to reduce Lys48 (K48)‐linked ubiquitination of EBI3, leading to EBI3 accumulation. Moreover, the intracellular EBI3 inhibits caspase‐3‐mediated apoptosis in M. tb‐treated macrophages. Herein, we propose a novel mechanism for accumulating intracellular EBI3 and its regulation of macrophage apoptosis in response to virulent M. tb.
Racial/Ethnic Differences in 25‐Hydroxy Vitamin D and Parathyroid Hormone Levels and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Among Postmenopausal Women

Background Recent evidence suggests that racial/ethnic differences in circulating levels of free or bioavailable 25‐hydroxy vitamin D (25[OH]D) rather than total 25(OH)D may explain apparent racial disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD). We prospectively examined black‐white differences in the associations of total, free, and bioavailable 25(OH)D, vitamin D–binding protein, and parathyroid hormone levels at baseline with incident CVD (including nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, and CVD death) in postmenopausal women. Methods and Results We conducted a case‐cohort study among 79 705 postmenopausal women, aged 50 to 79 years, who were free of CVD at baseline in the WHI‐OS (Women's Health Initiative Observational Study). A subcohort of 1300 black and 1500 white participants were randomly chosen as controls; a total of 550 black and 1500 white women who developed incident CVD during a mean follow‐up of 11 years were chosen as cases. We directly measured total 25(OH)D, vitamin D–binding protein, albumin, parathyroid hormone, and calculated free and bioavailable 25(OH)D. Weighted Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine their associations with CVD risk. Although vitamin D–binding protein and total, free, and bioavailable 25(OH)D were not significantly associated with CVD risk in black or white women, a significant positive association between parathyroid hormone and CVD risk persisted in white women (hazard ratio comparing the highest quartile with the lowest, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.06–1.77) but not in black women (hazard ratio comparing the highest quartile with the lowest, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.79–1.58), independent of total, free, and bioavailable 25(OH)D or vitamin D–binding protein. Conclusions Circulating levels of vitamin D biomarkers are not related to CVD risk in either white or black women. Higher parathyroid hormone levels may be an independent risk factor for CVD in white women.
Genetic counselors' perceptions of uncertainty in pretest counseling for genomic sequencing: A qualitative study

Increased usage of exome and genome sequencing has made uncertainties associated with genomic sequencing methods more prevalent within medicine. Current research focuses on patients' perceptions of uncertainty related to genomic sequencing, but there is limited knowledge of the perspectives of providers. The aim of this study was to explore how professionals in genomics perceive uncertainties involved in genomic sequencing, and if or how this impacts their approach to pretest counseling. We performed 20 semi‐structured interviews with genetic counselors in the United States and Canada who provide pretest genetic counseling for genomic sequencing. Interviews explored participating genetic counselors' views of uncertainty regarding genomic sequencing, how they classify it, how it manifests, and how they manage it during pretest counseling. Thematic analysis showed that genetic counselors acknowledge concepts of uncertainty that map to existing frameworks of uncertainty for genomic sequencing. Genetic counselors also perceived incongruencies between patients' and providers' expectations of genomic sequencing, which prompted them to modify patients' perceptions of uncertainty related to genomic sequencing. All genetic counselors agreed that guidance and strategies for genomic sequencing pretest counseling would be helpful, particularly for novice genetic counselors and non‐genetics providers. These findings highlight the need and potential for conceptual models of uncertainty and uncertainty management strategies to facilitate patient‐centered pretest counseling for genomic sequencing.
Loss of RNA-binding protein GRSF1 activates mTOR to elicit a proinflammatory transcriptional program

Abstract The RNA-binding protein GRSF1 (G-rich RNA sequence-binding factor 1) critically maintains mitochondrial homeostasis. Accordingly, loss of GRSF1 impaired mitochondrial respiration and increased the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), triggering DNA damage, growth suppression, and a senescent phenotype characterized by elevated production and secretion of interleukin (IL)6. Here, we characterize the pathways that govern IL6 production in response to mitochondrial dysfunction in GRSF1-depleted cells. We report that loss of GRSF1 broadly altered protein expression programs, impairing the function of respiratory complexes I and IV. The rise in oxidative stress led to increased DNA damage and activation of mTOR, which in turn activated NF-κB to induce IL6 gene transcription and orchestrate a pro-inflammatory program. Collectively, our results indicate that GRSF1 helps preserve mitochondrial homeostasis, in turn preventing oxidative DNA damage and the activation of mTOR and NF-κB, and suppressing a transcriptional pro-inflammatory program leading to increased IL6 production.
Quality parameters of chicken breast meat affected by carcass scalding conditions

Objective The influence of broiler carcass scalding conditions on chicken breast meat quality parameters was investigated. Methods Two hundred and seventy Cobb broiler chickens from 42 to 48 days old were slaughtered according to the standard industry practice and scalded in five temperature/time combinations—T1, 54°C/210 s; T2, 55°C/180 s; T3, 56°C/150 s; T4, 57°C/120 s; T5, 58°C/90 s. Results Scalding temperature increase resulted in higher values of external and ventral lightness and in protein functionality reduction—determined by emulsification capacity and protein denaturation—in chicken breast fillets 24 h post-mortem. Protein secondary structures had conformational changes, with a decrease of the α-helix and an increase of the β-sheet and β-turn proportions, mainly in T1 and T5 samples, determined by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy in an attenuated reflectance mode analysis. The chemical composition, pH, water holding capacity and Warner-Bratzler shear force did not differ among the treatments. In the fatty acid profile, the 18:1n-9 was lower in T5, which suggested that the high scalding-temperature could have caused the lipid oxidation. The values of the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), such as 22:2, 20:4n-6, and 22:6n-3, were highest in the T5, thus being related to the phospholipid cellular membrane collapse in this experimental condition and subsequent release of these PUFA. Conclusion Intermediate scalding-parameters avoided the negative changes in the chicken meat quality.
A20 Orchestrates Inflammatory Response in the Oral Mucosa through Restraining NF-κB Activity

Deregulated immune response to a dysbiotic resident microflora within the oral cavity leads to chronic periodontal disease, local tissue destruction, and various systemic complications. To preserve tissue homeostasis, inflammatory signaling pathways involved in the progression of periodontitis must be tightly regulated. A20 (TNFAIP3), a ubiquitin-editing enzyme, has emerged as one of the key regulators of inflammation. Yet, the function of A20 in the oral mucosa and the biological pathways in which A20 mitigates periodontal inflammation remain elusive. Using a combination of in vivo and ex vivo disease models, we report in this study that A20 regulates inflammatory responses to a keystone oral bacterium, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and restrains periodontal inflammation through its effect on NF-κB signaling and cytokine production. Depletion of A20 using gene editing in human macrophage-like cells (THP-1) significantly increased cytokine secretion, whereas A20 overexpression using lentivirus infection dampened the cytokine production following bacterial challenge through modulating NF-κB activity. Similar to human cells, bone marrow–derived macrophages from A20-deficient mice infected with P. gingivalis displayed increased NF-κB activity and cytokine production compared with the cells isolated from A20-competent mice. Subsequent experiments using a murine ligature-induced periodontitis model showed that even a partial loss of A20 promotes an increased inflammatory phenotype and more severe bone loss, further verifying the critical function of A20 in the oral mucosa. Collectively, to our knowledge, these findings reveal the first systematic evidence of a physiological role for A20 in the maintenance of oral tissue homeostasis as a negative regulator of inflammation.