Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Canada’s Aging Population (1986) Redux*

RÉSUMÉ Canada’s Aging Population par Susan McDaniel était le livre inaugurale dans la série Butterworths sur le vieillissement dans les années 1980. Ceci a ouvert une industrie d’expansion dans la recherche sur le vieillissement. Maintenant, on sait beaucoup plus sur les processus – à la fois individuels et collectives – qui font partie du vieillissement. Maintenant, on peut faire des projections plus fiables de la population future. Cela dit, les mythes et les malentendus persistent – en particulier sur les implications politiques du vieillissement de la population. Il semble que les mêmes craintes et les mêmes angoisses se répètent maintes fois. Il reste une déconnexion entre nos connaissances croissantes au sujet de la population et les médias ou les réponses politiques. ABSTRACT Canada’s Aging Population by Susan McDaniel was the inaugural book in the Butterworths series on aging in the 1980s. It opened a “growth industry” in research on aging. Much more is known now about the processes, both individual and collective, that are part of aging. More reliable projections of future population can now be made. That said, myths and misunderstandings – particularly about the policy implications of population aging – persist. It seems that the same fears and anxieties occur again and again. The disconnect remains between our growing knowledge about population aging and media or policy responses.
Simplified Categorization of Outdoor Activities for Male and Female U.S. Indoor Workers—A Feasibility Study to Improve Assessment of Ultraviolet Radiation Exposures in Epidemiologic Study Questionnaires

Skin cancer studies depend on questionnaires to estimate exposure to ultraviolet light and subsequent risk but are limited by recall bias. We investigate the feasibility of developing a short checklist of categories comprising outdoor activities that can improve sun exposure questionnaires for use in epidemiologic studies. We recruited 124 working and retired U.S. radiologic technologists (52% women). Each subject was instructed to complete a daily activity diary, listing main indoor and outdoor activities between 9:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. during a 7 day period. A total of 4697 entries were associated with 1408 h (21.1%) of the total 6944 h spent outdoors. We were able to classify the activities into seven main activity categories: driving, yard work, home‐maintenance, walking or performing errands, water activities, other recreational or sports activities and leisure activities or relaxing outside. These activities accounted for more than 94% of time spent outdoors both for working and retired men and women. Our data document the feasibility and guidance for developing a short checklist of outdoor activities for use in epidemiologic questionnaires for estimating sunlight exposures of working and retired indoor workers.
HS3ST2 modulates breast cancer cell invasiveness via MAP kinase‐ and Tcf4 (Tcf7l2)‐dependent regulation of protease and cadherin expression

Heparan sulfate 3‐O‐sulfotransferase 2 (HS3ST2), an enzyme mediating 3‐O‐sulfation of heparan sulfate (HS), is silenced by hypermethylation in breast cancer. As HS has an important co‐receptor function for numerous signal transduction pathways, the phenotypical changes due to HS3ST2 reexpression were investigated in vitro using high and low invasive breast cancer cell lines. Compared to controls, highly invasive HS3ST2‐expressing MDA‐MB‐231 cells showed enhanced Matrigel invasiveness, transendothelial migration and motility. Affymetrix screening and confirmatory real‐time PCR and Western blotting analysis revealed increased expression of several matrix metalloproteinases, cadherin‐11, E‐cadherin and CEACAM‐1, while protease inhibitor and annexin A10 expression were decreased. Low invasive HS3ST2 ‐expressing MCF‐7 cells became even less invasive, with no change in gelatinolytic MMP activity. HS3ST2 expression increased HS‐dependent basal and FGF2‐specific signaling through the constitutively active p44/42 MAPK pathway in MDA‐MB‐231 cells. Increased MAPK activation was accompanied by upregulation of ß‐catenin in MDA‐MB‐231, and of the transcription factor Tcf4 in both cell lines. Dysregulation of Tcf4‐regulated ion transporters and increased cytosolic acidification were observed in HS3ST2‐expressing MDA‐MB‐231 cells, which is a possible underlying cause of increased chemosensitivity towards doxorubicine and paclitaxel in these cells. This study provides the first in vitro evidence of the involvement of HS3ST2 in breast cancer cell invasion and chemosensitivity.
Patterns of family conflict and their impact on substance use and psychosocial outcomes in a sample of young people in treatment

The influence of family environment on adolescent substance use is well established, but little is known about its impact on outcomes for young people in treatment for substance use disorders. This study aimed to investigate the impact of family conflict and its resolution on substance use and measures of well-being among adolescents in treatment. Eighty young people (aged 16–21 years) were recruited from youth-specific alcohol and drug community and residential treatment services in Melbourne, Australia, and interviewed at baseline and 18 months. Analyses were conducted examining family network variables, as well as their relationship to substance use, risky behaviours and satisfaction with health and quality of life. Overall, the treatment cohort showed reductions in both severity of substance use and improvements in general life functioning following engagement in specialist substance use treatment. Young people who reported higher levels of family conflict at baseline and at follow-up reported more severe substance issues, as well as poorer social functioning, greater psychological distress and lower life satisfaction. In contrast, those who reported reductions in family conflict reported the greatest improvements in their global risk scores for substance use (as measured on the WHO ASSIST instrument). Family conflict is associated with severity and complexity of substance use and wider life issues in young people early in and following specialist alcohol and drug treatment; however, it is not a constant factor. Although our data do not permit us to draw causal conclusions, they have important implications for the structure and targets of treatment delivery, as well as the role of family members in supporting change in young people’s substance use and well-being.
Effect of UVR on Lake Water and Macrophyte Leachates in Shallow Andean‐Patagonian Lakes: Bacterial Response to Changes in Optical Features

The aim of this study was to identify bacterial responses in two shallow lakes from Patagonia to UV‐irradiated dissolved organic matter (DOM) coming from different sources. We carried out laboratory experiments in which natural lake water and Potamogeton linguatus leachates were irradiated (UVA‐340 fluorescent tubes Q‐Panel) or kept in darkness. Natural bacterial assemblages were then incubated in four treatments: natural lake water, irradiated lake water, macrophyte leachate and irradiated macrophyte leachate. We estimated bacterial abundance, composition and activity, and changes in the optical features of DOM. Our results showed that the addition of leachates caused an increase in the DOM mean molecular size. After UV exposure, a high bacterial activity was observed in lake water treatments. On the contrary, carbon uptake by bacteria was reduced in the irradiated leachate treatment. The degree of aromatization in the leachate treatments increased and thus may contribute to a dissolved carbon less available for bacterial activity. Regarding the bacteria assemblage we observed that β‐Proteobacteria outcompete the other groups in the leachate treatments, this group being more efficient at utilizing the high molecular weight DOM. These results highlight the importance of UVR interacting with different DOM sources in bacteria responses of shallow lakes.
Diabetes mellitus and risk of prostate cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition

The current epidemiologic evidence suggests that men with type 2 diabetes mellitus may be at lower risk of developing prostate cancer, but little is known about its association with stage and grade of the disease. The association between self‐reported diabetes mellitus at recruitment and risk of prostate cancer was examined in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Among 139,131 eligible men, 4,531 were diagnosed with prostate cancer over an average follow‐up of 12 years. Multivariable hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models stratified by EPIC‐participating center and age at recruitment, and adjusted for education, smoking status, body mass index, waist circumference, and physical activity. In a subset of men without prostate cancer, the cross‐sectional association between circulating concentrations of androgens and insulin‐like growth factor proteins with diabetes status was also investigated using linear regression models. Compared to men with no diabetes, men with diabetes had a 26% lower risk of prostate cancer (HR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.63–0.86). There was no evidence that the association differed by stage (p‐heterogeneity, 0.19) or grade (p‐heterogeneity, 0.48) of the disease, although the numbers were small in some disease subgroups. In a subset of 626 men with hormone measurements, circulating concentrations of androstenedione, total testosterone and insulin‐like growth factor binding protein‐three were lower in men with diabetes compared to men without diabetes. This large European study has confirmed an inverse association between self‐reported diabetes mellitus and subsequent risk of prostate cancer.
Surface Charge Changes upon Formation of the Signaling State in Visual Rhodopsin †

The cytoplasmic surface of G protein‐coupled receptors plays a central role for activation and deactivation of the receptor. To understand the molecular mechanisms which underlie these processes, we determined the surface charge density and its changes upon activation directly at the cytoplasmic surface of bovine rhodopsin and correlated these changes with key events in receptor activation. The surface charge density was calculated from the ionic strength dependence of the apparent pKa of the surface‐bound pH‐indicator dye fluorescein according to the Gouy‐Chapman theory. The surface charge density at pH 6.5 changes by 0.8 ± 0.2 elementary charge/1000 Å2 in rod outer segment disk membranes and by 0.4 ± 0.2 elementary charge/1000 Å2 in rhodopsin/dodecylmaltoside micelles upon formation of the active metarhodopsin‐II state. By comparison of these surface charge density values determined with and without the native lipid environment, we calculated the charge change to about 1 elementary charge/cytoplasmic rhodopsin surface. The more positive surface charge density in metarhodopsin‐II decreases back to the dark state level of σ = −2.0 ± 0.2 elementary charges/1000 Å2 in the opsin state, providing further evidence that the cytoplasmic surface properties after metarhodopsin‐II decay resemble almost those of the dark state.
Processing factor for a selected group of pesticides in a wine-making process: distribution of pesticides during grape processing

The processing factors (the pesticide concentration found in the wine/pesticide concentration found in grapes) of acetamiprid, azoxistrobin, carbaril, carbendazime, cyprodinil, dimethoate, dimethormorf, imazalil, imidacloprid, kresoxim methyl, penconazole, procymidone and thiabendazole were determined in a wine-making process. Pesticide analysis was performed using a multi-residue method for the determination of different pesticides both in wine and in grapes by extraction with acetonitrile followed by LC/MS. The pesticide distribution was studied for each step of the process, and the pesticide processing factors were calculated and found to vary among the different pesticides studied. pKow was found to affect a pesticide’s processing factor; a linear correlation was obtained for all pesticide processing factors, except for dimethoate, which was the most water soluble. However, no correlation was found between the processing factor and the water solubility of pesticides.
Diagnosis and Management of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Purpose of Review: The purpose of this article is to present the epidemiology, clinical presentation, and management of patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). SAH is a neurologic emergency that carries high morbidity and mortality. Patients with SAH are at risk for several significant neurologic complications, including hydrocephalus, cerebral edema, delayed cerebral ischemia, rebleeding, seizures, and neuroendocrine abnormalities that lead to impaired body regulation of sodium, water, and glucose. Recent Findings: The incidence of SAH has remained stable, but mortality of hospitalized patients has significantly declined over the past 3 decades. Many common therapies for SAH have created controversy, and various recent neuroprotective clinical trials have produced negative results. However, the publication of two consensus guidelines by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and the Neurocritical Care Society have provided a clarification for what should constitute best practice for patients with SAH. The most important of those recommendations include the following: admission of patients to high-volume centers (defined as more than 35 patients with SAH per year) under the management of a specialized and multidisciplinary team; early identification and management of the bleeding source; evaluation and treatment decision for unsecured aneurysms by a multidisciplinary team made up of cerebrovascular neurosurgeons, endovascular practitioners, and neurointensivists; management of patients in the neurocritical care unit with oral nimodipine, blood pressure control, euvolemia, and frequent monitoring for neurologic and systemic complications; and delayed cerebral ischemia secondary to cerebral vasospasm should be treated with induced hypertension and endovascular therapies once confirmed. Summary: SAH is a devastating neurologic disease. Management of patients with SAH should adhere to currently available treatment guidelines. Several aspects of SAH management remain controversial and need further studies to clarify their role in improving patient outcome.
Comprehensive screening for mutations associated with colorectal cancer in unselected cases reveals penetrant and nonpenetrant mutations

Germline mutation testing in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) is offered only to a subset of patients with a clinical presentation or tumor histology suggestive of familial CRC syndromes, probably underestimating familial CRC predisposition. The aim of our study was to determine whether unbiased screening of newly diagnosed CRC cases with next generation sequencing (NGS) increases the overall detection rate of germline mutations. We analyzed 152 consecutive CRC patients for germline mutations in 18 CRC‐associated genes using NGS. All patients were also evaluated for Bethesda criteria and all tumors were investigated for microsatellite instability, immunohistochemistry for mismatch repair proteins and the BRAF*V600E somatic mutation. NGS based sequencing identified 27 variants in 9 genes in 23 out of 152 patients studied (18%). Three of them were already reported as pathogenic and 12 were class 3 germline variants with an uncertain prediction of pathogenicity. Only 1 of these patients fulfilled Bethesda criteria and had a microsatellite instable tumor and an MLH1 germline mutation. The others would have been missed with current approaches: 2 with a MSH6 premature termination mutation and 12 uncertain, potentially pathogenic class 3 variants in APC, MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, MSH3 and MLH3. The higher NGS mutation detection rate compared with current testing strategies based on clinicopathological criteria is probably due to the large genetic heterogeneity and overlapping clinical presentation of the various CRC syndromes. It can also identify apparently nonpenetrant germline mutations complicating the clinical management of the patients and their families.
Contact Transcleral Ciliary Body Photodynamic Therapy with Verteporfin in Pigmented Rabbits: Effect of Repeated Treatments

We studied the effect on the intraocular pressure (IOP) and the ciliary body (CB) morphology after four consecutive contact transcleral photodynamic treatments of the ciliary body (CB‐PDT) with verteporfin in pigmented rabbits. Twenty‐two pigmented rabbits underwent CB‐PDT (study group), performed once (six rabbits) or repeated for up to four times (16 rabbits). Six additional rabbits received only laser treatment without photosensitizer administration (control group). CB‐PDT was performed in one eye in rabbits of the study group, with the fellow eye serving as internal control. Verteporfin dosage was 1 mg kg−1as bolus injection and laser settings were 40 mW (600 μm core optical fiber) for 1.5 min per spot, for 10 spots. In repeated CB‐PDT, treatments were performed in 4‐day intervals. Daily IOP measurements were recorded. Histological studies were performed at selected time points. An IOP reduction, more sustained following repeated treatments, was detected in all treated eyes but not in fellow eyes or in the control group. On the average, the IOP was restored to pretreatment levels 4 days after the last treatment. No serious adverse events were observed and the CB architecture was intact at the end of the experiment. Repeated CB‐PDT is safe and results in a short‐term reduction of IOP. Induced CB alterations are reversible.
Trends in the use of natural antioxidants in active food packaging: a review

The demand for natural antioxidant active packaging is increasing due to its unquestionable advantages compared with the addition of antioxidants directly to the food. Therefore, the search for antioxidants perceived as natural, namely those that naturally occur in herbs and spices, is a field attracting great interest. In line with this, in the last few years, natural antioxidants such as α-tocopherol, caffeic acid, catechin, quercetin, carvacrol and plant extracts (e.g. rosemary extract) have been incorporated into food packaging. On the other hand, consumers and the food industry are also interested in active biodegradable/compostable packaging and edible films to reduce environmental impact, minimise food loss and minimise contaminants from industrial production and reutilisation by-products. The present review focuses on the natural antioxidants already applied in active food packaging, and it reviews the methods used to determine the oxidation protection effect of antioxidant active films and the methods used to quantify natural antioxidants in food matrices or food simulants. Lastly consumers’ demands and industry trends are also addressed.
Increasing participation in colorectal cancer screening: Results from a cluster randomized trial of directly mailed gFOBT kits to previous nonresponders

Regular screening using guaiac fecal occult blood test (gFOBT) reduces mortality from colorectal cancer (CRC). The objective of this study was to determine whether the addition of a gFOBT kit to a second mailed invitation compared to a second mailed invitation alone increases CRC screening among eligible persons who did not respond to an initial mailed invitation. We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial, with the physician as the unit of randomization. Participants were persons who had been invited but who had not responded to an invitation for CRC screening in an earlier pilot project. The intervention group received a mailed gFOBT kit and second mailed CRC screening invitation (n = 2,008) while the control group received a second mailed CRC screening invitation alone (n = 1,586). The primary outcome was the uptake of gFOBT within 6 months of the second mailing. We found that the uptake of gFOBT was more than twice as high in the intervention group (20.1%) compared to the control group (9.6%). The absolute difference between the two groups was 10.5% (95% CI: 7.5–13.4%, p ≤ 0.0001). In a subsequent adjusted analysis, participants in the intervention group were twice as likely to complete the test as those in the control group (OR = 2.1; 95% CI: 1.6–2.6). These findings suggest that directly mailed gFOBT kits increase CRC screening participation among previous nonresponders to a mailed invitation and that approximately 10 gFOBT kits would have to be sent by mail in order to screen 1 additional person. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01629004).
Isometric Quadriceps Strength in Women with Mild, Moderate, and Severe Knee Osteoarthritis

Palmieri-Smith RM, Thomas AC, Karvonen-Gutierrez C, Sowers MF: Isometric quadriceps strength in women with mild, moderate, and severe knee osteoarthritis. Objective:Quadriceps weakness is a common clinical sign in persons with moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis and results in physical disability; however, minimal data exist to establish whether quadriceps weakness is present in early stages of the disease. Therefore, our purpose was to determine whether quadriceps weakness was present in persons with early radiographic and cartilaginous evidence of osteoarthritis. Further, we sought to determine whether quadriceps strength decreases as osteoarthritis severity increases. Design:Three hundred forty-eight women completed radiologic and magnetic resonance imaging evaluation, in addition to strength testing. Anterior-posterior radiographs were graded for tibiofemoral osteoarthritis severity using the Kellgren-Lawrence scale. Scans from magnetic resonance imaging were used to assess medial tibiofemoral and patellar cartilage based on a modification of the Noyes scale. The peak knee extension torque recorded was used to represent strength. Results:Quadriceps strength (Nm/kg) was 22% greater in women without radiographic osteoarthritis than in women with osteoarthritis (P < 0.05). Quadriceps strength was also greater in women with Noyes' medial tibial and femoral cartilage scores of 0 when compared in women with Noyes' grades 2 and 3–5 (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusions:Women with early evidence of osteoarthritis had less quadriceps strength than women without osteoarthritis as defined by imaging.
Natural vitamin C intake and the risk of head and neck cancer: A pooled analysis in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology Consortium

Evidence of associations between single nutrients and head and neck cancer (HNC) is still more limited and less consistent than that for fruit and vegetables. However, clarification of the protective mechanisms of fruit and vegetables is important to our understanding of HNC etiology. We investigated the association between vitamin C intake from natural sources and cancer of the oral cavity/pharynx and larynx using individual‐level pooled data from ten case‐control studies (5,959 cases and 12,248 controls) participating in the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology (INHANCE) consortium. After harmonization of study‐specific exposure information via the residual method, adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using unconditional multiple logistic regression models on quintile categories of 'non‐alcohol energy‐adjusted' vitamin C intake. In the presence of heterogeneity of the estimated ORs among studies, we derived those estimates from generalized linear mixed models. Higher intakes of vitamin C were inversely related to oral and pharyngeal (OR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.45–0.65, for the fifth quintile category versus the first one, p for trend<0.001) and laryngeal cancers (OR = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.40–0.68, p for trend = 0.006), although in the presence of heterogeneity among studies for both sites. Inverse associations were consistently observed for the anatomical subsites of oral and pharyngeal cancer, and across strata of age, sex, education, body mass index, tobacco, and alcohol, for both cancer sites. The inverse association of vitamin C intake from foods with HNC may reflect a protective effect on these cancers; however, we cannot rule out other explanations.