Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cognitive deficit, physical frailty, hospitalization and emergency department visits in later life

Abstract Objectives To examine the added effect of having both cognitive deficit and physical frailty, compared to having either one only, on hospitalization and emergency department (ED) visits. Methods Data from a population-based study of 3,157 community-dwelling older (≥60 years) Chinese adults in the U.S. were used. Cognitive deficit was measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination (i.e. education-adjusted score: 16 [illiterate], 19 [primary school], and 23 [≥middle school]). Physical frailty was identified using the Short Performance Physical Battery (0–6 out of 15). The numbers of hospitalizations and ED visits in the previous two years were self-reported. Results In this sample, 12.63% had cognitive deficit alone, 5.95% had physical frailty alone, and 4.26% had both. Compared with participants having neither cognitive deficit nor physical frailty, those having physical frailty alone were 1.5 times as likely to have hospitalizations (Rate Ratio [RR] = 1.52 [1.07, 2.16], p = 0.02) and ED visits (RR = 1.52 [1.07, 2.15], p = 0.02). Having cognitive deficit alone was not significantly related to either outcome. However, having cognitive deficit with existing physical frailty increased the likelihood of both hospitalization (RR = 2.00 [1.36, 2.96], p < 0.001) and ED visits (RR = 2.04 [1.37, 3.03], p < 0.001) to a greater extent than having physical frailty alone. Conclusion Having cognitive deficit alone was not significantly related to the likelihood of hospitalizations or ED visits, however having cognitive deficit with existing physical frailty increased the likelihood of both outcomes to a greater degree than having physical frailty alone. This suggests cognitive deficit and physical frailty have synergistic effects on hospitalizations and ED visits.
N-terminal region of Vibrio parahaemolyticus thermostable direct hemolysin regulates membrane-damaging action of the toxin.

Thermostable direct hemolysin (TDH) of Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a membrane-damaging pore-forming toxin with potent cytolytic/cytotoxic activity. TDH exists as tetramer consisting of protomers with core β-sandwich domain, flanked by an 11-amino acid long N-terminal region (NTR). This NTR could not be modelled in the previously determined crystal structure of TDH. Moreover, functional implication of NTR for the membrane-damaging action of TDH remains unknown. In the present study, we have explored the implications of NTR for the structure-function mechanism of TDH. Our data show that presence of NTR modulates physicochemical property of TDH, in terms of augmenting amyloidogenic propensity of the protein. Deletion of NTR compromises binding of TDH toward target cell membranes, and drastically affects membrane-damaging cytolytic/cytotoxic activity of the toxin. Mutations of aromatic/hydrophobic residues within NTR also confer compromised cell-killing activity. Moreover, covalent trapping of NTR, via engineered disulfide bond, against the core β-sandwich domain also abrogates cytolytic/cytotoxic activity of TDH. This observation suggests that an unrestrained configuration of NTR is crucial for the membrane-damaging action of TDH. Based on our study, we propose a model explaining the role of NTR in the membrane-damaging function of TDH.
Low-Cost Virtual Reality Headsets Reduce Perceived Pain in Healthy Adults: A Multicenter Randomized Crossover Trial.

Objectives: Recent studies have established the usage of virtual reality (VR) to help alleviate acute and chronic pain. VR technology can be cost prohibitive and cheaper alternatives are desired. In this study, a Google Cardboard headset ($15) combined with a smartphone was used as a low-cost VR device to assess efficacy in altering the perception of pain. Materials and Methods: The cold pressor test, a minimal-risk method, was used to simulate pain. Participants immersed their hands into ice water, with and without VR, in a crossover manner, and their pain perception data were recorded. Results: Forty-eight healthy volunteer participants completed the study between 2017 and 2018. Participants were randomized to right hand control, left control, right experimental, and left experimental groups, respectively, before the crossover. Data collected included pain threshold (time at which participants first reported pain), pain tolerance (time at which participants removed their hand), and pain intensity (highest reported pain level on a [1-10] scale). Approximately two-thirds of participants had improvements in pain threshold and pain tolerance with a mean improvement of +13.0 seconds (P = 0.0045) for pain threshold and +29.8 seconds (P = 0.0003) for pain tolerance. Pain intensity had a reduction of 0.43 points (P = 0.0371). Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that inexpensive VR devices, such as the Google Cardboard headset used in this study, may be a safe, portable, and cost-effective way to alter the perception and improve tolerance of pain.
PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS OF WOMEN WITH BREAST CANCER: REMISSION VERSUS TREATMENT

Purpose: There is considerable evidence suggesting that patients suffer from psychological distress associated with breast cancer. The aim of this study is to evaluate psychological distress during different phases of breast cancer. Patients and Methods: Participants were recruited from the patients who were in treatment and in remission phases of breast cancer. In treatment group 40 and in remission group 40 patients were interviewed. All the patients in treatment group had been underwent unilateral mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Sociodemographic variables were recorded. Beck Anxiety and Depression Inventories, Brief Symptom Inventory were administered. All patients were assesed with SCID-I. Results: There were no statistically significant difference in regard to their demographic features between treatment and remission phase. Duration of the disease was significantly higher in remission phase. Anxiety and depression level were higher in remission group while diagnosis of one of axis I disorder was higher in treatment group. Analysis of covariance was conducted for purfying effect of longer duration of disease. Significance in anxiety scores disappeared. Conclusion: Psychological distress were similar in two phase of the disease. Duration of time the patients suffer from cancer was found to be important irrelevant to phase of the disease. These data would have implications to psychological distress of breast cancer patients both in treatment and remission phase.
Differences in dietary fibre intake and associated familial factors in a longitudinal study at two time points across adolescence

Abstract Objective: Dietary fibre is essential for a healthy diet; however, intake is often inadequate. Understanding of sources of dietary fibre and familial factors associated with intake in adolescents is limited, hampering efforts to increase intake. We aimed to determine adequacy of dietary fibre intake in adolescents, examine how intake changes from mid to late adolescence, identify major food sources and explore associations with familial factors. Design: Dietary fibre intake measured with semi-quantitative FFQ and sources calculated with the AUSNUT database. Familial factors determined by questionnaire. Setting: Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study. Participants: Generation 2 adolescents from the 14- (n 1626) and 17-year (n 835) follow-ups. Results: Mean intake of dietary fibre did not meet national dietary guidelines other than for females aged 14 years. Mean intake of both sexes was lower at 17 years (23·0 (sd 10·0) g/d) than at 14 years (24·3 (sd 9·0) g/d, P < 0·001). The quantity of dietary fibre consumed per megajoule also decreased (2·6 (sd 0·7) g/MJ at 14 years, 2·5 (sd 0·9) g/MJ at 17 years, P = 0·007). The greatest source of dietary fibre was cereals and grains, followed by fruits, then vegetables. In multivariable mixed-model analysis, female sex, Caucasian race, age 14 years, good family functioning, high level of parental education and high energy intake were independently associated with higher dietary fibre intake. Conclusions: Our study highlights an age range and characteristics of adolescents lacking in dietary fibre, thereby identifying target populations for interventions to improve dietary fibre intake across adolescence, which would lead to better health.
On-Chip Construction of Multilayered Hydrogel Microtubes for Engineered Vascular-Like Microstructures

Multilayered and multicellular structures are indispensable for constructing functional artificial tissues. Engineered vascular-like microstructures with multiple layers are promising structures to be functionalized as artificial blood vessels. In this paper, we present an efficient method to construct multilayer microtubes embedding different microstructures based on direct fabrication and assembly inside a microfluidic device. This four-layer microfluidic device has two separate inlets for fabricating various microstructures. We have achieved alternating-layered microtubes by controlling the fabrication, flow, and assembly time of each microstructure, and as well, double-layered microtubes have been built by a two-step assembly method. Modifications of both the inner and outer layers was successfully demonstrated, and the flow conditions during the on-chip assembly were evaluated and optimized. Each microtube was successfully constructed within several minutes, showing the potential applications of the presented method for building engineered vascular-like microstructures with high efficiency.
Characterization and quantitative trait locus mapping of late-flowering from a Thai soybean cultivar introduced into a photoperiod-insensitive genetic background

The timing of both flowering and maturation determine crop adaptability and productivity. Soybean (Glycine max) is cultivated across a wide range of latitudes. The molecular-genetic mechanisms for flowering in soybean have been determined for photoperiodic responses to long days (LDs), but remain only partially determined for the delay of flowering under short-day conditions, an adaptive trait of cultivars grown in lower latitudes. Here, we characterized the late-flowering (LF) habit introduced from the Thai cultivar K3 into a photoperiod-insensitive genetic background under different photo-thermal conditions, and we analyzed the genetic basis using quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping. The LF habit resulted from a basic difference in the floral induction activity and from the suppression of flowering, which was caused by red light-enriched LD lengths and higher temperatures, during which FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) orthologs, FT2a and FT5a, were strongly down-regulated. QTL mapping using gene-specific markers for flowering genes E2, FT2a and FT5a and 829 single nucleotide polymorphisms obtained from restriction-site associated DNA sequencing detected three QTLs controlling the LF habit. Of these, a QTL harboring FT2a exhibited large and stable effects under all the conditions tested. A resequencing analysis detected a nonsynonymous substitution in exon 4 of FT2a from K3, which converted the glycine conserved in FT-like proteins to the aspartic acid conserved in TERMINAL FLOWER 1-like proteins (floral repressors), suggesting a functional depression in the FT2a protein from K3. The effects of the remaining two QTLs, likely corresponding to E2 and FT5a, were environment dependent. Thus, the LF habit from K3 may be caused by the functional depression of FT2a and the down-regulation of two FT genes by red light-enriched LD conditions and high temperatures.
Soya protein isolate-polyethylene oxide electrospun nanofiber membrane with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell for enhanced bone regeneration

In this study, we prepared an electrospun nanofiber membrane from soya protein isolate (SPI) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) loaded with rat bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSC), as a cell-scaffold approach to enhance bone regeneration. Different ratios of SPI:PEO (7:0, 7:1, 7:3, 7:5, and 0:7) was investigated to obtain uniform nanofibers, and crosslinked with EDC/NHS to stabilize the membranes. SPI/PEO membrane (7:3) was found to create more uniform and stable nanofibers at a flow rate of 9 µL/min, spun in a cylindrical collector rotating at 350 r/min, 23 kV DC voltage, and needle tip to collector distance of 13 cm. The loaded rBMSC were pre-differentiated to ensure commitment towards osteoblastic lineage. The SPI/PEO electrospun nanofiber membranes were successful in allowing for cell attachment and growth of the rBMSC and was further investigated in vivo using a rat skull defect model. New bone formation was observed for the optimized SPI/PEO electrospun nanofiber membrane (7:3) with and without rBMSC, but with faster new bone formation for SPI/PEO electrospun nanofiber membrane loaded with rBMSC as compared to SPI/PEO electrospun nanofiber membrane only and control (defect only).
A genome-wide long noncoding RNA CRISPRi screen identifies PRANCR as a novel regulator of epidermal homeostasis

Genome-wide association studies indicate that many disease susceptibility regions reside in non-protein-coding regions of the genome. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a major component of the noncoding genome, but their biological impacts are not fully understood. Here, we performed a CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) screen on 2263 epidermis-expressed lncRNAs and identified nine novel candidate lncRNAs regulating keratinocyte proliferation. We further characterized a top hit from the screen, progenitor renewal associated non-coding RNA (PRANCR), using RNA interference–mediated knockdown and phenotypic analysis in organotypic human tissue. PRANCR regulates keratinocyte proliferation, cell cycle progression, and clonogenicity. PRANCR-deficient epidermis displayed impaired stratification with reduced expression of differentiation genes that are altered in human skin diseases, including keratins 1 and 10, filaggrin, and loricrin. Transcriptome analysis showed that PRANCR controls the expression of 1136 genes, with strong enrichment for late cell cycle genes containing a CHR promoter element. In addition, PRANCR depletion led to increased levels of both total and nuclear CDKN1A (also known as p21), which is known to govern both keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation. Collectively, these data show that PRANCR is a novel lncRNA regulating epidermal homeostasis and identify other lncRNA candidates that may have roles in this process as well.
Riding into Health: A Case Study on an Equine-Assisted Childhood Obesity Intervention

In this article, we present an exploratory case study that describes the initial outcomes of the Equine-Assisted Positively Fit (EAPF) program. Children with obesity and their caregivers were recruited to participate in the eight-session program. Results indicated that treatment completers (n = 2) had a decrease in fat mass and fat mass percentage and an increase in fat-free mass and fat-free mass percentage. Moreover, results from accelerometer measurements of physical activity indicated that participants increased their moderate to vigorous physical activity, as well as reported increased self-efficacy for physical activity. Qualitative data from the post-intervention focus group suggested children perceived the treatment acceptable and enjoyable. Findings from this study provide support for future investigations on the feasibility and potential efficacy of pairing children and their caregivers with horses to accomplish health-related goals.
Within-Trial Evaluation of Medical Resources, Costs, and Quality of Life Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Participating in the Exenatide Study of Cardiovascular Event Lowering (EXSCEL)

OBJECTIVE To compare medical resource use, costs, and health utilities for 14,752 patients with type 2 diabetes who were randomized to once-weekly exenatide (EQW) or placebo in addition to usual diabetes care in the Exenatide Study of Cardiovascular Event Lowering (EXSCEL). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Medical resource use data and responses to the EuroQol 5-Dimension (EQ-5D) instrument were collected at baseline and throughout the trial. Medical resources and medications were assigned values by using U.S. Medicare payments and wholesale acquisition costs, respectively. Secondary analyses used English costs. RESULTS Patients were followed for an average of 3.3 years, during which time those randomized to EQW experienced 0.41 fewer inpatient days (7.05 vs. 7.46 days; relative rate ratio 0.91; P = 0.05). Rates of outpatient medical visits were similar, as were total inpatient and outpatient costs. Mean costs for nonstudy diabetes medications over the study period were ∼$1,600 lower with EQW than with placebo (P = 0.01). Total within-study costs, excluding study medication, were lower in the EQW arm than in the placebo arm ($28,907 vs. $30,914; P ≤ 0.01). When including the estimated cost of EQW, total mean costs were significantly higher in the EQW group than in the placebo group ($42,697 vs. $30,914; P < 0.01). With English costs applied, mean total costs, including exenatide costs, were £1,670 higher in the EQW group than the placebo group (£10,874 vs. £9,204; P < 0.01). There were no significant differences in EQ-5D health utilities between arms over time. CONCLUSIONS Medical costs were lower in the EQW arm than the placebo arm, but total costs were significantly higher once the cost of branded exenatide was incorporated.
QUALITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN EDUCATION: WHAT SAY THE SCHOOL HEADS?

The purpose of the study was to provide a view of school heads on what can be done to promote an environment that can assure quality and accountability in education. The study was qualitative in nature and adopted the multiple case study design. The study was conducted with six secondary school heads that were purposively sampled from a group of forty school heads. Data was collected using observations and interviews which were digitally audio recorded and then transcribed verbatim. Data was analyzed through coding, categorizing and identification of emerging themes. The findings from the study indicate that school heads can foster a conducive environment for assuring quality and accountability in education by maintaining positive relationships with members of staff, providing training to staff members, and providing material and financial resources as well as promoting professional growth and development of their teachers. School heads should also form partnerships with the private sector in order to secure funding. The study recommends that the parent Ministry of Education Sports Arts and Culture should raise educator awareness on the necessity of quality assurance and accountability in schools as well as providing further training and encourage educators to improve their qualifications.
Polypharmacy and Pharmacological Treatment of Diabetes in Older Individuals: A Population-Based Study in Quebec, Canada

Our objectives were to describe the use of pharmacological treatments in older adults with diabetes and to identify the factors associated with the use of a combination of hypoglycemic, antihypertensive and lipid-lowering agents. Using the Quebec Integrated Chronic Disease Surveillance System, we conducted a population-based cohort study among individuals aged 66–75 years with diabetes in 2014–2015. We described the number of medications and the classes of medications used and calculated the proportion of individuals using at least one medication from each of these classes: hypoglycemics, antihypertensives and lipid-lowering agents. We identified the factors associated with the use of this combination of treatments by performing robust Poisson regressions. The 146,710 individuals used an average of 12 (SD 7) different medications, mostly cardiovascular (91.3% of users), hormones, including hypoglycemic agents (84.5%), and central nervous system medications (79.8%). The majority of individuals (59%) were exposed to the combination of treatments and the factor most strongly associated was the presence of cardiovascular comorbidities (RR: 1.29; 99% CI: 1.28–1.31). Older individuals with diabetes are exposed to a large number of medications. While the use of the combination of treatments is significant and could translate into cardiovascular benefits at the population level, the potential risk associated with polypharmacy needs to be documented.
Social inequality in lifestyle, motivation to change lifestyle and received health advice in individuals with diabetes: A nationwide study

Aims: The aim was to investigate the association between socioeconomic position (SEP) and physical activity, alcohol consumption and smoking, motivation to change lifestyle and health advices from general practitioners (GPs) in individuals with diabetes. Methods: Data were provided by the Danish National Health Survey 2013 and 7504 adults (⩾ 40 years) with diabetes were included. Educational level was used as SEP indicator and categorized into low, middle and high SEP. Dependent variables included physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking, motivation to change lifestyle and GP lifestyle advices. Multiple logistic regression analyses adjusted for age, body mass index and ethnic background were performed. Results: Higher SEP were associated with reduced odds of being physically inactive (middle SEP odds ratio (OR) men 0.58 (95% confidence intervals 0.47–0.72) and women 0.59 (0.47–0.75)) and non-smoking (middle SEP OR men 0.74 (0.59–0.93) and high SEP OR women 0.54 (0.38–0.77)) compared to participants with a low SEP. Alcohol consumption above the recommended maximum was associated with high SEP in men, OR 1.83 (1.30–2.61). Elevated SEP was associated with a motivation to increase physical activity levels (middle SEP OR men 1.45 (1.19–1.76) and women 1.35 (1.09–1.67)), high SEP was associated with none advice from GPs regarding smoking cessation among women, OR 0.47 (0.25–0.89). Conclusions: Socioeconomic position was strongly associated with lifestyle in individuals with diabetes. The most pronounced inequalities were found in physical activity levels, smoking status and the motivation to become more physically active. Municipalities and GPs may need a greater focus on SEP in interventions to change lifestyle in individuals with diabetes.
Exploring the Relationship between Supply Chain Integration, Product Innovation, Supply Chain Performance and Firm Performance: Does Supply Chain Information Strategy Matter?

Jutamat Sutduean, Ahmad Harakan, *Kittisak Jermsittiparsert, College of Innovative Business and Accountancy, Dhurakij Pundit University, Bangkok, Thailand, Faculty of Social and Political Science, Muhammadiyah University of Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Department for Management of Science and Technology Development, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. *Corresponding author email: kittisak.jermsittiparsert@tdtu.edu. vn
Ultrasound examination of cardiovascular profiles of runners participating in high altitude race and their possible influence on performance: a randomized cross-sectional study.

Orelien Sylvain Mtopi Bopda, Martin Anchang Salah, Vincent Siysi Verla, Calvin Tonga and Jacques Cabral Tchoumi Tantchou Department of Zoology and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, P.O. Box 63 Buea, Cameroon. Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, P.O. Box 63 Buea, Cameroon. Department of Animal Production Technology, College of Technology, University of Bamenda, P.O. Box 39 Bambili, Cameroon. Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, P.O. Box 63 Buea, Cameroon. Regional Hospital, Annex Buea, P.O. Box 32 Buea, Cameroon. Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Douala, P.O. Box 24 157 Douala, Cameroon. Cardiac Centre, St. Elizabeth Catholic General Hospital, P.O. Box 8 Kumbo, Cameroon.