Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Burden of Farmer Suicide on Surviving Family Members: A Qualitative Study

Abstract The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to better understand the burden of farmer suicide on surviving family members. Themes included: (1) family members expressed guilt; (2) family members experienced symptoms of psychological distress; (3) family members felt attached to the land and chose to remain on the farm; (4) short-term coping mechanisms included family, friends and faith; (5) long-term coping mechanisms included acts of honoring their loved one; (6) there was a lack of awareness of community support resources following the suicide.
Vigor of reaching, walking and gazing movements: on the consistency of inter-individual differences.

Movement vigor is an important feature of motor control that is thought to originate from cortico-basal ganglia circuits and processes shared with decision-making such as temporal reward discounting. Accordingly, vigor may be related to one's relationship with time, which may in turn reflect a general trait-like feature of individuality. While significant inter-individual differences of vigor have been typically reported for isolated motor tasks, little is known about the consistency of such differences across tasks and movement effectors. Here, we assessed inter-individual consistency of vigor across reaching (both dominant and non-dominant arm), walking and gazing movements of various distances within the same group of 20 participants. Given distinct neural pathways and biomechanical specificities of each movement modality, a significant consistency would corroborate the trait-like aspect of vigor. Vigor scores for dominant and non-dominant arm movements were found to be highly correlated across individuals. Vigor scores of reaching and walking were also significantly correlated across individuals, indicating that people who reach faster than others also tend to walk faster. At last, vigor scores of saccades were uncorrelated with those of reaching and walking, reaffirming that the vigor of stimulus-elicited eye saccades is distinct. These findings highlight the trait-like aspect of vigor for reaching movements with either arms and, to a lesser extent, walking.
Association of employment status and income with self-rated health among waged workers with disabilities in South Korea: population-based panel study

Objective This study aimed to examine the association of employment status and income with self-rated health among waged workers with disabilities in South Korea. Methods This study used the Panel Survey of Employment for the Disabled from 2011 to 2015. A total of 951 waged workers with disabilities were selected as baseline subjects in 2011 and were followed up for 5 years. This study used a generalised linear mixed model after adjusting for covariates. Results Among 951 waged workers with disabilities, the results showed that 39.3% of workers with disabilities reported poor self-rated health. Workers with disabilities with a precarious employment status and lower income were 1.22 (95% CI 1.21 to 1.23) and 1.81 (95% CI 1.80 to 1.83) times more likely to have poor self-rated health than those with permanent employment and higher income, respectively. A subgroup analysis found that precarious workers with disabilities in lower income households had higher possibilities of poor self-rated health. Conclusion This study suggests that precarious employment and lower income of waged workers with disabilities are significantly associated with poor self-rated health compared with those with permanent jobs or higher income.
Effects of Vascular Occlusion on Surface Electromyography and Muscle Oxygenation during Isometric Contraction

Objective: To investigate changes in motor-unit activity and muscle oxygenation (MO) during isometric contraction with and without vascular occlusion using surface electromyography (EMG) and near-infrared spectroscopy. Design and Setting: MO and EMG of the right vastus medialis muscle were measured during isometric contraction at 30%, 50%, and 70% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), with and without vascular occlusion. Participants: 6 healthy men. Results: Integrated EMG (IEMG) and mean power frequency were significantly higher with vascular occlusion at 30% and 50% MVC. MO reduction at each load was significantly lower with vascular occlusion. A significant positive correlation was found between IEMG and changes in MO level under both conditions. Conclusions: These results suggest that oxygen supply to active muscles was impaired by occlusion and that type II fibers were then preferentially recruited, which suggests that hypertrophy occurs in low-intensity exercise in patients with limitations resulting.
Presence of the spiral ganglion cell bodies beyond the basal turn of the human cochlea

The purpose of this study was to obtain a better understanding of the number and distribution of spiral ganglion cell bodies (SGCB) in the central modiolus trunk of the human cochlea with normal hearing as well as with hearing loss due to various pathological conditions. A literature review was performed using the key words ‘human spiral ganglion cell population’, ‘analysis of spiral ganglion cell population’, ‘survival of human spiral ganglion cells’, ‘human Rosenthal’s canal’, ‘human ganglion cell counts’, and ‘distribution of human spiral ganglion cells’ to identify articles published between 1968 and 2018. Articles were included if the number of SGCB in the four segments of the human cochlea and angular depth distribution of the SGCB were stated. Of 236 articles initially identified, 19 articles met the inclusion criteria. SGCB inside the Rosenthal’s canal (RC) in the modiolus trunk extended to an angular depth of 630–680° which is near the end of the second turn of the cochlea. SGCBs in Segment IV of the cochlea account for approximately 25–30% of the entire SGCB population irrespective of the cochlear condition (normal vs. pathologic). In normal hearing subjects, the total number of SGCB ranged between 23,910 and 33,702 and in patients with hearing loss between 5733 and 28,220. This literature review elaborates on the current state of knowledge about the number and distribution of SGCB in the human cochlea.
Distinct Distress Symptom Trajectories Over 3 Years Are Associated With Baseline Illness Perceptions in Individuals With Coronary Heart Disease.

BACKGROUND Depression and anxiety symptoms (termed distress) are common among coronary heart disease (CHD) patients and associated with poor outcomes. Illness perceptions predict distinct outcome trajectories in other long-term conditions, yet it is not known how they relate to distress trajectories in CHD. PURPOSE This study aimed to examine whether baseline illness perceptions are associated with distress symptom trajectories among primary care CHD patients. METHODS This is a secondary analysis of 803 CHD patients from the UPBEAT-UK study, who completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale every 6 months for 3 years. Baseline assessments included the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire. Using latent class growth analysis, Palacios et al. (2018) identified five distinct distress symptom trajectories ("stable low," "chronic high," "improving," "worsening," and "fluctuating") in this cohort. Adjusted multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to test the association between baseline illness perceptions and distress symptom trajectories. RESULTS Compared with the stable low distress trajectory, stronger illness identity (odds ratio [OR] = 1.31, p < .01), higher perceived consequences (OR = 1.47, p < .01), illness-related emotion (OR = 1.66, p < .01), and illness concerns (OR = 1.36, p < .01) increased the odds of having chronic high distress. Stronger illness coherence (OR = 0.89, p < .05) and personal (OR = 0.77, p < .01) and treatment control (OR = 0.75, p < .01) reduced the odds of chronic high distress. Worsening distress symptoms were associated with weaker perceptions of treatment control, higher perceived consequences, and greater illness-related concerns and emotions. CONCLUSIONS Illness perceptions of CHD are associated with distress symptom trajectories. Therapeutically modifying unhelpful illness perceptions in CHD patients who experience high levels of distress could potentially improve mental health outcomes.
A pr 2 01 9 Efficient Evaluation of Arbitrary Static Fields For Symplectic Particle Tracking

This article describes a method devised for efficient evaluation of arbitrary static magnetic and electric fields in a source free region needed for long time tracking of charged particles. Field values given on the boundary of the region of interest are reproduced inside by an arrangement of hypothetical magnetic or electric monopoles surrounding the boundary surface. The vector and scalar potentials are obtained by summing the contributions of each monopole. The second step of the method improves the evaluation speed of the potentials and their derivatives by orders of magnitude. This comprises covering the region of interest by overlapping spheres, then calculating the spherical harmonic expansion of the potentials on each sphere. During tracking, field values are evaluated by calculating the solid harmonics and their derivatives inside a sphere containing the particle. Software has been developed to test and demonstrate the method on a small particle accelerator. To our knowledge, there is no other method of this kind, allowing long time symplectic integration in general static fields, without simplification.
Arctium lappa Root Extract Prevents Lead-Induced Liver Injury by Attenuating Oxidative Stress and Inflammation, and Activating Akt/GSK-3β Signaling

Arctium lappa L. (A. lappa) is a popular medicinal plant with promising hepatoprotective activity. This study investigated the protective effect of A. lappa root extract (ALRE) on lead (Pb) hepatotoxicity, pointing to its ability to modulate oxidative stress, inflammation, and protein kinase B/Akt/glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β signaling. Rats received 50 mg/kg lead acetate (Pb(Ac)2) and 200 mg/kg ALRE or vitamin C (Vit. C) for 7 days, and blood and liver samples were collected. Pb(Ac)2 provoked hepatotoxicity manifested by elevated serum transaminases and lactate dehydrogenase, and decreased total protein. Histopathological alterations, including distorted lobular hepatic architecture, microsteatotic changes, congestion, and massive necrosis were observed in Pb(II)-induced rats. ALRE ameliorated liver function and prevented all histological alterations. Pb(II) increased hepatic lipid peroxidation (LPO), nitric oxide (NO), caspase-3, and DNA fragmentation, and serum C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-1β. Cellular antioxidants, and Akt and GSK-3β phosphorylation levels were decreased in the liver of Pb(II)-induced rats. ALRE ameliorated LPO, NO, caspase-3, DNA fragmentation and inflammatory mediators, and boosted antioxidant defenses in Pb(II)-induced rats. In addition, ALRE activated Akt and inhibited GSK-3β in the liver of Pb(II)-induced rats. In conclusion, ALRE inhibits liver injury in Pb(II)-intoxicated rats by attenuating oxidative injury and inflammation, and activation of Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway.
Backbone reconstruction in temporal networks from epidemic data

Many complex systems are characterized by time-varying patterns of interactions. These interactions comprise strong ties, driven by dyadic relationships, and weak ties, based on node-specific attributes. The interplay between strong and weak ties plays an important role on dynamical processes that could unfold on complex systems. However, seldom do we have access to precise information about the time-varying topology of interaction patterns. A particularly elusive question is to distinguish strong from weak ties, on the basis of the sole node dynamics. Building upon analytical results, we propose a statistically-principled algorithm to reconstruct the backbone of strong ties from data of a spreading process, consisting of the time series of individuals' states. Our method is numerically validated over a range of synthetic datasets, encapsulating salient features of real-world systems. Motivated by compelling evidence, we propose the integration of our algorithm in a targeted immunization strategy that prioritizes influential nodes in the inferred backbone. Through Monte Carlo simulations on synthetic networks and a real-world case study, we demonstrate the viability of our approach.
The Health Consequences of Repealing Premarital Blood Testing Requirements

Premarital blood testing requirements for marriage were initially implemented in the early 20 th Century to reduce the high prevalence of syphilis. As developments in transmission prevention and in treatment led to dramatic decreases in syphilis rates, states eliminated the requirements from 1971 to 2007. These testing requirements, however, indirectly benefited offspring at risk of inheriting the diseases tested. I use a state-year panel dataset combined with variation in the timing of state law repeals to analyze the impact of this reform on syphilis rates, premature birth rates and mortality rates. I find a moderate increase in adult syphilis rates and a significant increase in congenital syphilis rates. I also provide evidence of an increase in late fetal mortality and premature birth, both symptoms of congenital syphilis and the other diseases tested. I do not find evidence of increased infant or neonatal mortality. Cost-benefit analysis of the effect on social welfare suggests that the savings from the averted premarital blood tests may not have justified the costs of the health consequences from repealing blood testing requirements.
Parental Responses to Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Youth: Associations with Parent Support, Parental Abuse, and Youths’ Psychological Adjustment

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to examine parental responses to transgender and gender nonconforming [TGNC] youths’ gender identities and explore associations of parent support with parental abuse, depressive symptoms, and LGBT-identity disclosure stress. TGNC youth (N = 129), ages 15–21 (M = 18.00, SD = 1.74), completed surveys (2011–2012); experiences of transfeminine (TF; n = 58) and transmasculine (TM; n = 71) youth were analyzed separately. Among mothers of TF youth, 42.0% of initial and 45.3% of current responses were positive; among fathers, 30.0% of initial and 36.0% of current responses were positive. Among mothers of TM youth, 26.0% of initial and 53.3% of current responses were positive; among fathers, 24.0% of initial and 44.6% of current responses were positive. Among TM youth, higher levels of parental support were associated with more positive responses from mothers and fathers. Among both TF and TM youth, greater parent support was associated with less parental abuse, depressive symptoms, and LGBTQ-identity disclosure stress. Parental responses to youths’ gender identities became more positive with time for TF youth; however, approximately 50% of all TGNC youth continued to experience minority stress related to parent rejection. Limitations and implications for practice and research are discussed.
Genome-Wide Transcriptome Analysis of Rice Seedlings after Seed Dressing with Paenibacillus yonginensis DCY84T and Silicon

Plant-growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) are beneficial microorganisms that can also protect against disease and environmental stress. Silicon (Si) is the second most abundant element in soil, and is known to increase plant growth, grain yield, resistance to biotic stress, and tolerance to abiotic stress. Combined treatment of PGPB and Si has been shown to further enhance plant growth and crop yield. To determine the global effects of the PGPB and Si on rice growth, we compared rice plants treated with Paenibacillus yonginensis DCY84T (DCY84T) and Si with untreated rice. To identify the genes that respond to DCY84T+Si treatment in rice, we performed an RNA-Seq transcriptome analysis by sampling treated and untreated roots on a weekly basis for three weeks. Overall, 576 genes were upregulated, and 394 genes were downregulated in treated roots, using threshold fold-changes of at least 2 (log2) and p-values < 0.05. Gene ontology analysis showed that phenylpropanoids and the L-phenylalanine metabolic process were prominent in the upregulated genes. In a metabolic overview analysis using the MapMan toolkit, pathways involving phenylpropanoids and ethylene were strongly associated with upregulated genes. The functions of seven upregulated genes were identified as being associated with drought stress through a literature search, and a stress experiment confirmed that plants treated with DCY84T+Si exhibited greater drought tolerance than the untreated control plants. Furthermore, the predicted protein–protein interaction network analysis associated with DCY84T+ Si suggests mechanisms underlying growth promotion and stress tolerance.
Impact of kinetics on the growth of GaN on graphene by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

The growth of GaN on graphene by molecular beam epitaxy was investigated. The most stable epitaxial relationship, i.e. [00.1]-oriented grains, is obtained at high temperature and N-rich conditions, which match those for nanowire growth. Alternatively, at moderate temperature and Ga-rich conditions, several metastable orientations are observed at the nucleation stage, which evolve preferentially towards [00.1]-oriented grains. The dependence of the nucleation regime on growth conditions was assigned to Ga adatom kinetics. This statement is consistent with the calculated graphene/GaN in-plane lattice coincidence and supported by a combination of transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, and Raman spectroscopy experiments.
Parasympathetic activity is reduced during slow-wave sleep, but not resting wakefulness, in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Physiological dearousal characterized by an increase in parasympathetic nervous system activity is important for good-quality sleep. Previous research shows that nocturnal parasympathetic activity (reflected by heart rate variability [HRV]) is diminished in individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), suggesting hypervigilant sleep. This study investigated differences in nocturnal autonomic activity across sleep stages and explored the association of parasympathetic activity with sleep quality and self-reported physical and psychological wellbeing in individuals with CFS. METHODS Twenty-four patients with medically diagnosed CFS, and 24 matched healthy control individuals participated. Electroencephalography and HRV were recorded during sleep in participants' homes using a minimally invasive ambulatory device. Questionnaires were used to measure self-reported wellbeing and sleep quality. RESULTS Sleep architecture in patients with CFS differed from that of control participants in slower sleep onset, more awakenings, and a larger proportion of time spent in slow-wave sleep (SWS). Linear mixed-model analyses controlling for age revealed that HRV reflecting parasympathetic activity (normalized high frequency power) was reduced in patients with CFS compared to control participants, particularly during deeper stages of sleep. Poorer self-reported wellbeing and sleep quality was associated with reduced parasympathetic signaling during deeper sleep, but not during wake before sleep, rapid eye movement sleep, or with the proportion of time spent in SWS. CONCLUSIONS Autonomic hypervigilance during the deeper, recuperative stages of sleep is associated with poor quality sleep and self-reported wellbeing. Causal links need to be confirmed but provide potential intervention opportunities for the core symptom of unrefreshing sleep in CFS.
The Halogen-Bond Nature in Noble Gas–Dihalogen Complexes from Scattering Experiments and Ab Initio Calculations

In order to clarify the nature of the halogen bond (XB), we considered the prototype noble gas–dihalogen molecule (Ng–X2) systems, focusing on the nature, range, and strength of the interaction. We exploited data gained from molecular beam scattering experiments with the measure of interference effects to obtain a suitable formulation of the interaction potential, with the support of high-level ab initio calculations, and charge displacement analysis. The essential interaction components involved in the Ng–X2 adducts were characterized, pointing at their critical balance in the definition of the XB. Particular emphasis is devoted to the energy stability of the orientational Ng–X2 isomers, the barrier for the X2 hindered rotation, and the influence of the X2 electronic state. The present integrated study returns reliable force fields for molecular dynamic simulations in Ng–X2 complexes that can be extended to systems with increasing complexity and whose properties depend on the selective formation of XB.
SENIOR RESEARCH Measuring Systemic Risk in the Global Equity Markets

The disastrous impacts of the 2008 global financial crisis on the real economy underline the urgent need for financial industry and policymakers to develop better measures that effectively capture and signal the presence of systemic risk in the financial system. In the first part of this paper, I apply so-called 'absorption ratio' that is a measure based on principal components technique to assess systemic risk in the global equity markets. Then I assign the absorption ratio in a probit model to form an early warning signal that can identify the macroeconomic determinants of systemic events. The analysis shows that the absorption ratio is able to capture major financial distress in the global economy. The result from the model estimation reveals six macroeconomic determinants of systemic events, it also signifies a complementary relationship between credit-to-GDP gap and Debt Service Ratio. This research therefore affirms the efficiency of the absorption ratio and recommends the use of the measure as an early warning signal of systemic events in the global economy.
Doxorubicin-Induced Oxidative Stress Differentially Regulates Proteolytic Signaling in Cardiac and Skeletal Muscle.

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a highly effective antineoplastic agent used in cancer treatment. Unfortunately, clinical use of DOX is limited due to the development of dose-dependent toxicity to cardiac and respiratory (i.e. diaphragm) muscles. Following administration, DOX preferentially localizes to the inner mitochondrial membrane where it promotes cellular toxicity via enhanced mitochondrial ROS production. Although recent evidence suggests that ameliorating mitochondrial ROS emission preserves cardiorespiratory muscle function following DOX treatment, the mechanisms responsible for this protection remain unknown. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that DOX-induced mitochondrial ROS production is required to stimulate pathological signaling by the autophagy/lysosomal system (ALS), the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (UPP), and the unfolded protein response (UPR). Cause and effect were determined by administration of the mitochondrial-targeted peptide SS-31 to DOX-treated animals. Interestingly, while SS-31 abrogated aberrant mitochondrial ROS emission in cardiorespiratory muscles of DOX-treated animals, our results revealed muscle-specific regulation of effector pathways. In the heart, SS-31 prevented DOX-induced proteolytic signaling through the ALS and UPP. In contrast, ALS signaling was inhibited by SS-31 in the diaphragm, but the UPP was not affected. UPR signaling was activated in both muscles at eIF2a-S51 in the heart and diaphragm of DOX-treated animals and was attenuated with SS-31 treatment in both tissues. However, downstream signaling of eIF2α (ATF4 and CHOP) was diminished in the heart but upregulated in the diaphragm with DOX. Collectively, these results show that DOX-induced mitochondrial ROS plays distinct roles in the regulation of cardiac and diaphragm muscle proteolysis.