Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Informal Caregiving and All-Cause Mortality: A Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Population-Based Studies

Using the random-effects meta-analysis model, we investigated the effect of informal caregiving on all-cause mortality across 12 longitudinal population-based studies (seven United States; five international: United Kingdom, Northern Ireland [2], Japan, and Australia). Across the studies, the combined effect of informal caregiving on all-cause mortality was 16% lower in favor of caregivers. Subgroup analyses revealed that the relationship between informal caregiving and all-cause mortality was not significant among the U.S. studies, in contrast to the international studies. Also, the mortality advantage of informal caregivers was not evident among those studies in which informal caregiving was operationalized precisely (Activity of Daily [ADL]/Instrumental Activity of Daily Living [IADL] assistance) as opposed to more broadly. Furthermore, studies in which the kinship tie between the informal caregiver and care recipient was unspecified tended to find a mortality advantage in favor of caregivers. When covariates were considered, the results of this meta-analysis provided more support for stress theory than the healthy caregiver hypothesis.
An Environmental Scan of Caregiver Support Resources Provided by Hospice Organizations

Background: Informal caregiver support programs offered by hospice organizations support the health and wellbeing of clients and caregivers. However, an understanding of the best practices for informal caregiver support programs currently undertaken across Canada remains unknown, particularly across the province of British Columbia. Aim: The aim of the present study was to describe what existing resources and supports are provided by hospice organizations for informal caregivers of persons who are nearing end of life or who are recently bereaved in British Columbia, Canada. Methods: In this descriptive study, two thirds of hospice organizations (N = 42/66; 26 urban, 16 rural) participated in a semi-structured telephone interview focused on informal caregiver support programs. All interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed thematically and descriptive statistics were employed. Findings: While no one-size-fit-all caregiver support program emerged as a gold standard across all hospice organizations, nearly two thirds (n = 26/42) offered one or more informal caregiver support programs. Four categories of caregiver support programs emerged from the data analysis, including companioning, bereavement and grief supports, education and service supports, and respite for caregivers. Conclusion: Caregiver support programs are a valuable service provided by some but not all hospice organizations across British Columbia, Canada. Future studies are needed to determine best methods for hospice organizations to formally assess caregivers’ needs and to determine the success and effectiveness of such programs in support of program expansion and evaluation.
Magnetic detection of sentinel nodes in oral squamous cell carcinoma by means of superparamagnetic iron oxide contrast

The aim was to evaluate sentinel node detection capacity by means of a magnetic probe in 11 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma at stages T1‐T2 received submucosal injections of a superparamagnetic iron oxide contrast agent (SPIO). A magnetic probe was used for sentinel node biopsy. The use of SPIO and magnetic probes in the early stages of oral cancer may offer an alternative to conventional radioisotope techniques and/or elective neck dissection.
The torpedo effect in Bacillus subtilis: RNase J1 resolves stalled transcription complexes

RNase J1 is the major 5′‐to‐3′ bacterial exoribonuclease. We demonstrate that in its absence, RNA polymerases (RNAPs) are redistributed on DNA, with increased RNAP occupancy on some genes without a parallel increase in transcriptional output. This suggests that some of these RNAPs represent stalled, non‐transcribing complexes. We show that RNase J1 is able to resolve these stalled RNAP complexes by a “torpedo” mechanism, whereby RNase J1 degrades the nascent RNA and causes the transcription complex to disassemble upon collision with RNAP. A heterologous enzyme, yeast Xrn1 (5′‐to‐3′ exonuclease), is less efficient than RNase J1 in resolving stalled Bacillus subtilis RNAP, suggesting that the effect is RNase‐specific. Our results thus reveal a novel general principle, whereby an RNase can participate in genome‐wide surveillance of stalled RNAP complexes, preventing potentially deleterious transcription–replication collisions.
Intraoperative Conversion to Five-Strand Hamstring Autograft Configuration Significantly Increases Anterior Cruciate Ligament Graft Diameter Independent of Patient Characteristics

Abstract Intraoperative conversion of a four-strand hamstring autograft to a five-strand configuration during an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction has been reported. However, the expected change in graft size and the dependence on patient characteristics are currently not well described. The purpose of this study was to determine the effective change in hamstring graft diameter and reliance on patient characteristics when intraoperatively converting a four-strand hamstring autograft into a five-strand configuration during an ACL reconstruction. A prospective, paired cohort study design was used to measure individual hamstring autograft diameter intraoperatively using traditional four-strand configuration followed by a five-strand configuration. All hamstring tendons included were long enough to consider a five-strand configuration. Five-strand hamstring autograft increased graft diameter in all patients. Hamstring tendon graft diameter increased by an average of 0.99 mm (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.84–1.11) in the five-strand configuration compared with the traditional four-strand configuration (mean: 7.8 mm). There was no significant difference in the average increase in graft diameter between males (1.04 mm) and females (0.92 mm) (p = 0.323). Eighty-three percent (95% CI: 57.8–95.6) of average graft diameters ≤ 8 mm in the four-strand configuration achieved an average graft diameter of >8 mm in the five-strand configuration, and 70% (95% CI: 35.4– 91.9) of four-strand configuration average diameters < 8 mm achieved an average graft diameter > 8.0 mm in the five-strand configuration. Five-strand hamstring autograft reliably increased intraoperative hamstring tendon autograft diameter, with an average of 1 mm, compared with traditional four-strand configuration. This increase in diameter is independent of sex and remained significant when controlling for age, laterality, body mass index, and semitendinosus length.
Effect of bromine atom on the different tautomeric forms of microhydrated 5-bromouracil, in the DNA:RNA microhelix and in the interaction with human proteins

Abstract This study focuses on the effects of the bromine atom on the molecular structure parameters in the main tautomeric forms of 5-bromouracil (5BrU), and as well, its effect on hydration and on the Watson-Crick (WC) pairs as compared to uracil molecule. The influence of the bromine atom was studied in several environments. The hydration effect on the molecular structure and energies of the main tautomeric forms of 5BrU was analyzed by considering a variable number of water molecules in explicit form up to 30 to simulate the first and second hydration shells. The ‘mutagenic’ 2-hydroxy-4-oxo (U2) enol tautomer of 5BrU, but not of uracil, was absolutely favored over the keto form in clusters with more than 20 water molecules. For all calculations, B3LYP and M06-2X Methods were used. The effect of the bromine atom when it was inserted into the natural and reverse WC pairs uridine-adenosine was also determined, and counterpoise (CP) corrected interaction energies were calculated. The effect of the bromine atom was analyzed in several DNA:RNA hybrid microhelices. Different backbone and helical parameters were calculated and compared. The bromine atom destabilizes its base pair, with a remarkable increase in the rise parameter (Dz) corresponding to the microhelix, and to a slight increase in the diameter (d). Molecular docking calculations were also carried out with 5BrU for targeted proteins associated with diabetes, hepatocellular carcinoma and breast and lung cancers. The molecular docking analysis confirms that the 5BrU molecule may play an important role as a promising inhibitor against breast cancer. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma
Navigating the garden of forking paths for data exclusions in fear conditioning research

In this report, we illustrate the considerable impact of researcher degrees of freedom with respect to exclusion of participants in paradigms with a learning element. We illustrate this empirically through case examples from human fear conditioning research, in which the exclusion of ‘non-learners’ and ‘non-responders’ is common – despite a lack of consensus on how to define these groups. We illustrate the substantial heterogeneity in exclusion criteria identified in a systematic literature search and highlight the potential problems and pitfalls of different definitions through case examples based on re-analyses of existing data sets. On the basis of these studies, we propose a consensus on evidence-based rather than idiosyncratic criteria, including clear guidelines on reporting details. Taken together, we illustrate how flexibility in data collection and analysis can be avoided, which will benefit the robustness and replicability of research findings and can be expected to be applicable to other fields of research that involve a learning element.
Are enabling services in federally qualified health centers associated with women receiving prenatal care in the first trimester

The purpose of this study was to examine whether enabling services in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) were associated with women receiving prenatal care services in the first trimester. The population for this study included FQHCs providing prenatal care services for the years 2008, 2009, and 2010. Data for this study were derived from two sources: Uniform Data System (UDS) and the Area Resource File (ARF). This study adopted the Andersen’s (1973) Behavioral Model of Health Services Use. The study consisted of longitudinal panel data analysis. Univariate and bivariate statistics were calculated using PASW/SPSS statistical software, version 18. For the multivariate analysis, generalized linear mixed models were used using SAS PROC Glimmix. The dependent variable consisted of the number of women receiving prenatal care in the first trimester in the FQHC. Independent variables included measures of enabling services provided by the FQHC, such as total enabling services, transportation services, and interpreter services, in addition to multiple control variables. Due to the dependent variable being measured as a count, Poisson regression was determined to be the most appropriate analysis.
Editorial

It is my great honor to present to you the January 2020 issue of Water Environment Research (WER). This issue contains 15 high-quality papers on a wide variety of topics related to water and wastewater treatment (eight papers), biosolid reuse (two papers), sludge treatment (one paper), nutrient removal/ eutrification control (two paper) and microplastic assessment in lakes (one paper), and stormwater management (one paper). I enjoyed reading these papers and believe that they add to the body of knowledge in the broad field of water/wastewater quality and treatment. All of these papers have high levels of innovations and advancements with excellent overall scientific grading, and thus, making it very difficult for me to select the Editor’s Choice paper. The criteria that I used for my selection are mainly on the practical applicability of the findings and significant fundamental contributions to the field. My Editor’s Choice paper is “The Nitrogen Removal and Sludge Reduction Performance of a Multi-stage Anoxic/oxic (A/O) Biofilm Reactor” by Yonglei Wang (corresponding author, Shandong Jianzhu University, China), Zhenqi Du, Yongjian Liu, Hongbo Wang, Fei Xu, Baozhen Liu, and Zedong Zheng. In this paper, the authors developed a multi-stage A/O biofilm reactor to overcome the problems of high excess sludge yield and poor nitrogen removal efficiency in traditional biological treatment processes by combining the multi-stage A/O process with novel floating spherical carriers, which resulted in repeated coupling of anoxic and aerobic environments. Their results showed that the developed system was flexible in operation and had good wastewater treatment performance. The removal efficiencies of organic matter and nitrogen were high with a very effective sludge reduction. Bacterial taxonomic analyses also indicated that some specific strains associated with simultaneous nitrification and denitrification were observed and promoted the nitrogen removal efficiency in the system. Moreover, some microbial species related to sludge decay and cytosolic recessive growth were detected. These species could contribute the in situ sludge reduction. The results from this study enhance our practical knowledge of and the theoretical basis for upgrading A/O system. This paper provides a synthesis of scientific literature on A/O technologies available for wastewater treatment and offers insights on using upgraded A/O system for nitrogen removal and sludge reduction. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all authors of this issue for their sharing their meaningful work with WER readers. In the end, I encourage you to submit your ideas and research findings for consideration, and I assure you that your manuscripts received for peer review will get immediate attention and the reviewing process will be completed in a short period of time. I look forward to receiving your Next Manuscript in the near future. I hope all 15 papers can attract your attention and please enjoy this issue especially the Editor’s Choice paper.
Unmet Workplace Support Needs and Lost Productivity of Workers With Systemic Sclerosis: A Path Analysis Study

Few studies have examined how workplace support can address work productivity loss among individuals with systemic sclerosis (SSc). The objective was to 1) examine the relationship between unmet workplace support needs and work productivity loss among workers with SSc, and 2) determine whether SSc symptom severity, fatigue, active disease periods, and workplace activity limitations mediate the relationship between unmet workplace support needs and work productivity loss.
Strong correlation and high comparability of capillary electrophoresis and three different methods for HbA1c measurement in a population without hemoglobinopathy

Abstract The present study aimed to investigate the comparability of capillary electrophoresis (CE) and three different methods for HbA1c measurement. The 270 whole blood samples with normal hemoglobin profiles were analyzed for HbA1c values by the Roche turbidimetric inhibition immunoassay (TINIA), the Mindray enzymatic assay (EA), the Arkray high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in comparison with the Sebia CE. The within-laboratory coefficient of variation of all four methods was within the accepted goal (<2%), showing good performance of all of these methods. Pairwise comparisons of HbA1c values obtained by CE and other methods were determined in both total group and subgroups (HbA1c levels of <6.5%, 6.5–8% and >8%). Mean differences of HbA1c values in all groups were very small in which the mean HbA1c value measured by EA was lower while those by TINIA and HPLC were higher than that of CE. The majority of different values were within the limits of agreement in Bland-Altman analysis, indicating good agreement between CE and the others. Less than 5% of percentage differences were out of the total allowable error limit in all groups, showing that differences of HbA1c values between CE and other methods were not clinically significant. Pairwise comparisons of HbA1c values of CE and the others in Passing-Bablok regression and Spearman rank correlation studies displayed high concordance and strong correlation in all groups. In conclusion, the present study showed strong correlation, high comparability and consistent results for HbA1c measurement between capillary electrophoresis and the other three different methods.
In-silico design of peptide inhibitors of K-Ras target in cancer disease

Abstract Cancer is a leading cause of death, over one million individuals analyzed, and around 500,000 deaths happen due to cancer every year alone in the United States. The Ras is a significant protein in the signaling transduction pathways and has a leading role in cell proliferation. Above 30% of all human tumors arises due to the mutations in genes that encode a Ras protein that operate signaling cascades necessary for malignant transformation, tumor angiogenesis, and metastasis. The Ras gene family comprised of 36 total genes in human. The N-Ras, K-Ras, and H-Ras are accounted for to assume noticeable function in human cancer. The mutation in K-Ras protein is most commonly found in tumors. K-Ras is the most crucial driver in lung and pancreatic cancers. Among the mutations of N-Ras, H-Ras, and K-Ras, the mutant K-Ras is the most prevalent target for the development of Lungs, colon, and pancreatic cancers. The study aimed to develop the peptide inhibitors of the K-Ras G12D. The crystal structure of the mutant K-Ras/R11.1. 6 G12D complex was retrieved from the protein databank. The protein R11.1. 6 directly blocks interaction with Raf and diminishes signaling through the Raf-MEK-ERK signaling pathway. Here, in this study, we designed novel peptides from the truncated reference peptide (R11.1.6) through residue scan methodology. The top ten designed peptides (based on binding free energies) were subjected to molecular dynamics simulations using AMBER to evaluate stability. Our results indicate that the top ten selected peptides have strong interactions with K-Ras than the reference peptide (R11.1.6) and have the potency to prevent the binding of Raf and K-Ras. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma
Sustained activation of autophagy suppresses adipocyte maturation via a lipolysis-dependent mechanism

ABSTRACT Dysregulation of macroautophagy/autophagy is implicated in obesity and insulin resistance. However, it remains poorly defined how autophagy regulates adipocyte development. Using adipose-specific rptor/raptor knockout (KO), atg7 KO and atg7 rptor double-KO mice, we show that inhibiting MTORC1 by RPTOR deficiency led to autophagic sequestration of lipid droplets, formation of LD-containing lysosomes, and elevation of basal and isoproterenol-induced lipolysis in vivo and in primary adipocytes. Despite normal differentiation at an early phase, progressive degradation and shrinkage of cellular LDs and downregulation of adipogenic markers PPARG and PLIN1 occurred in terminal differentiation of rptor KO adipocytes, which was rescued by inhibiting lipolysis or lysosome. In contrast, inactivating autophagy by depletion of ATG7 protected adipocytes against RPTOR deficiency-induced formation of LD-containing lysosomes, LD degradation, and downregulation of adipogenic markers in vitro. Ultimately, atg7 rptor double-KO mice displayed decreased lipolysis, restored adipose tissue development, and upregulated thermogenic gene expression in brown and inguinal adipose tissue compared to RPTOR-deficient mice in vivo. Collectively, our study demonstrates that autophagy plays an important role in regulating adipocyte maturation via a lipophagy and lipolysis-dependent mechanism. Abbreviations ATG7: autophagy related 7; BAT: brown adipose tissue; CEBPB/C/EBPβ: CCAAT enhancer binding protein beta; DGAT1: diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1; eWAT: epididymal white adipose tissue; iWAT: inguinal white adipose tissue; KO: knockout; LD: lipid droplet; MAP1LC3/LC3: microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3; MTOR: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase; MTORC1: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase complex 1; PLIN1: perepilin 1; PNPLA2/ATGL: patatin-like phospholipase domain containing 2; PPARG/PPARγ: peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma; RPTOR: regulatory associated protein of MTOR complex1; TG: triglyceride; ULK1: unc-51 like kinase 1; UCP1: uncoupling protein 1; WAT: white adipose tissue
HD-tDCS Dissociates Fronto-Visual Theta Lateralization during Visual Selective Attention

Studies of visual attention have implicated oscillatory activity in the recognition, protection, and temporal organization of attended representations in visual cortices. These studies have also shown that higher-order regions such as the prefrontal cortex are critical to attentional processing, but far less is understood regarding prefrontal laterality differences in attention processing. To examine this, we selectively applied high-definition transcranial direct-current stimulation (HD-tDCS) to the left or right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). We predicted that HD-tDCS of the left versus right prefrontal cortex would differentially modulate performance on a visual selective attention task, and alter the underlying oscillatory network dynamics. Our randomized crossover design included 27 healthy adults that underwent three separate sessions of HD-tDCS (sham, leftand right-DLPFC) for 20 minutes. Following stimulation, participants completed an attention paradigm during magnetoencephalography (MEG). The resulting oscillatory dynamics were imaged using beamforming, and peak task-related neural activity was subjected to dynamic functional connectivity analyses to evaluate the impact of stimulation site (i.e., left and right DLPFC) on neural interactions. Our results indicated that HD-tDCS over the left DLPFC differentially modulated right fronto-visual functional connectivity within the theta band compared to HD-tDCS of the right DLPFC and further, specifically modulated the oscillatory response for detecting targets among an array of distractors. Importantly, these findings provide networkspecific insight into the complex oscillatory mechanisms serving visual selective attention. Corresponding Author: Tony W. Wilson, Center for Magnetoencephalography, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 988422 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198-8422, twwilson@unmc.edu, Phone: (402) 552-6431. Author Contributions Rachel K. Spooner: Study concept and design, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting of the manuscript, and statistical analysis. Jacob A. Eastman: Acquisition of data, drafting of the manuscript. Michael T. Rezich: Acquisition of data, drafting of the manuscript. Tony W. Wilson: Study concept and design, analysis and interpretation of data, acquisition of data, drafting of the manuscript, statistical analysis and study supervision. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work. All data was collected at the MEG Center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA. All persons designated as authors qualify for authorship, and all those who qualify for authorship are listed. Competing Interests Statement The authors disclose no financial, commercial or institutional conflicts of interest. HHS Public Access Author manuscript J Physiol. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2021 May 12. Published in final edited form as: J Physiol. 2020 March ; 598(5): 987–998. doi:10.1113/JP278788. A uhor M anscript