Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Validation of a Food Frequency Questionnaire for Bone Nutrients in Pregnant Women.

PURPOSE The aim was to validate a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) against a 3-day food record (3DFR) for pregnant women with a focus on nutrients important for bone health from food and supplements. METHODS The FFQ and 3DFR were administered to pregnant women (n = 42) aged 18-45 years in their third trimester of pregnancy in Hamilton, Ontario. Nutrient analysis of intakes was conducted using an FFQ calculator and Nutritionist-Pro software. The average daily serving consumption of Milk and alternatives group and Vegetable subgroup from Canada's Food Guide were also compared. RESULTS There was a high positive correlation between methods for total dietary vitamin D (r = 0.83). Low positive associations were observed for total protein (r = 0.37), calcium (r = 0.36), vitamin K (r = 0.41), and servings of Milk and alternatives (r = 0.36). A cross-classification analysis using participants' intake quartiles revealed no major misclassifications. Bland-Altman analysis showed that the FFQ mildly underestimated the intake for protein, whereas it grossly overestimated the intake of vitamin K, and daily servings of Milk and alternatives and Vegetable. CONCLUSIONS This FFQ can serve as a useful tool in clinical and research settings to assess key bone nutrients from foods and supplement sources in pregnant women.
Functional neuroimaging of major depressive disorder: a meta-analysis and new integration of base line activation and neural response data.

OBJECTIVE Functional neuroimaging investigations of major depressive disorder can advance both the neural theory and treatment of this debilitating illness. Inconsistency of neuroimaging findings and the use of region-of-interest approaches have hindered the development of a comprehensive, empirically informed neural model of major depression. In this context, the authors sought to identify reliable anomalies in baseline neural activity and neural response to affective stimuli in major depressive disorder. METHOD The authors applied voxel-wise, whole-brain meta-analysis to neuroimaging investigations comparing depressed to healthy comparison groups with respect to baseline neural activity or neural response to positively and/or negatively valenced stimuli. RESULTS Relative to healthy subjects, those with major depression had reliably higher baseline activity, bilaterally, in the pulvinar nucleus. The analysis of neural response studies using negative stimuli showed greater response in the amygdala, insula, and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and lower response in the dorsal striatum and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in individuals with major depressive disorder than in healthy subjects. CONCLUSIONS The meta-analytic results support an elegant and neuroanatomically viable model of the salience of negative information in major depressive disorder. In this proposed model, high baseline pulvinar activity in depression first potentiates responding of the brain's salience network to negative information; next, and owing potentially to low striatal dopamine levels in depression, this viscerally charged information fails to propagate up the cortical-striatal-pallidalthalamic circuit to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for contextual processing and reappraisal.
Dysbindin and D-Amino-Acid-Oxidase Gene Polymorphisms Associated with Positive and Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia

Background: Schizophrenia is a genetically complex disorder with an unknown pathophysiology. Several genes implicated in glutamate metabolism have been associated with the disorder. Recent studies of polymorphisms in the dystrobrevin-binding protein 1 gene (DTNBP1; dysbindin) and D-amino-acid-oxidase (DAO) gene, both involved in glutamate receptor function, reported associations with negative symptoms and with anxiety and depression, respectively, when measured with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Methods: In the present study, the suggested association between dysbindin and DAO single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and PANSS scores was analyzed in 155 Norwegian schizophrenia patients. Results: There was a significant association between the dysbindin SNP rs3213207 and severity of both negative symptoms and total symptom load, as well as between the DAO SNP rs2070587 and total symptom score and severity of anxiety and depression. Conclusion: The present association of dysbindin SNPs with negative symptoms and DAO SNPs with anxiety and depression is a replication of earlier findings and strengthens the hypothesis of a genetic association. It further indicates involvement of glutamate abnormalities in schizophrenia pathophysiology, as suggested by previous studies, and suggests that polymorphisms may be associated with subgroups of clinical characteristics in schizophrenia.
Identification of Mithramycin Analogues with Improved Targeting of the EWS-FLI1 Transcription Factor

Purpose: The goal of this study was to identify second-generation mithramycin analogues that better target the EWS-FLI1 transcription factor for Ewing sarcoma. We previously established mithramycin as an EWS-FLI1 inhibitor, but the compound's toxicity prevented its use at effective concentrations in patients. Experimental Design: We screened a panel of mithralogs to establish their ability to inhibit EWS-FLI1 in Ewing sarcoma. We compared the IC50 with the MTD established in mice to determine the relationship between efficacy and toxicity. We confirmed the suppression of EWS-FLI1 at the promoter, mRNA, gene signature, and protein levels. We established an improved therapeutic window by using time-lapse microscopy to model the effects on cellular proliferation in Ewing sarcoma cells relative to HepG2 control cells. Finally, we established an improved therapeutic window using a xenograft model of Ewing sarcoma. Results: EC-8105 was found to be the most potent analogue and was able to suppress EWS-FLI1 activity at concentrations nontoxic to other cell types. EC-8042 was substantially less toxic than mithramycin in multiple species but maintained suppression of EWS-FLI1 at similar concentrations. Both compounds markedly suppressed Ewing sarcoma xenograft growth and inhibited EWS-FLI1 in vivo. Conclusions: These results provide a basis for the continued development of EC-8042 and EC-8105 as EWS-FLI1 inhibitors for the clinic. Clin Cancer Res; 22(16); 4105–18. ©2016 AACR.
An Attitude Analysis of Elderly People toward Mobility and Community Bus in Rural Area - Case Study of the Osaki-Kamijima Island in Japan -

Many of the rural areas in Japan have suffered from depopulation and population aging. When elderly people will age more, it will be difficult for them to drive a car and the people who can't drive will increase. Because of this, it will be important to prepare the mobility in these areas. For measures for this problem, community buses have begun being operated in some areas. However, many of them haven't been successful because demands of elderly people for mobility and the community bus haven't understood. In this study, on the basis of two questionnaire surveys, which were carried out in the Osaki-Kamijima Island, attitudes of the elderly people to mobility and a community bus are analyzed. Through these analyses, attitudes of the elderly people to relation between mobility and quality of their life and a service level of a bus that elderly people want are shown
An Experimental Study on Cartesian Impedance Control for a Joint Torque-Based Manipulator

The purpose of this paper is to present our results on experimental investigations on Cartesian impedance control and nonlinearity compensation for our harmonic drive robot based on joint torque sensors. The imperfection of the cubic model for harmonic drive friction is detected according to friction identification experiments. In addition, five different Cartesian impedance control schemes are considered and four of them are tested by corresponding experiments with/without friction compensation. Experimental results tell us that the force-based impedance control strategy is more suitable than the position-based strategy for the harmonic drive robot based on joint torque feedback.
Assessment of Nutritional Status of Hospitalized Elderly Patients in Makkah Governorate

A cross sectional study was conducted to assess the nutritional status of a sample of 102 recently hospitalized elderly patients in general hospitals at Makkah Governorate by using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) tool. Among the studied patients, 22.6% were classified as malnourished, 57.8% were at risk of malnutrition and 19.6% were as well nourished. Low body mass index, history of weight loss during the last 3 months, living independently, taking > 3 prescription of drugs per day and presence of neuropsychological problems were associated with malnutrition (p<0.05). The elderly classified as malnourished and those at risk of malnutrition and well nourished differed significantly in all dietary assessment variables of the MNA score (p<0.05). It is concluded that malnutrition is a common problem among older people. MNA test should be performed for elderly upon admission to hospitals and more attention need to be paid to this vulnerable group of people.
TOPCARE - Implementation of a telematic homecare platform in cooperative health care provider networks

Topcare is a research project of the 5/sup th/ framework program of the European Commission for a user-friendly information society (ist). The overall objective of TOPCARE is to develop technical devices and telecommunication structures and to lay the organisational groundwork for bringing cooperative health care services into the home of patients. Telematic communication technologies and modern vital sign monitoring is applied in order to enhance post-clinical treatment in an out-patient setting, to foster the communication between patient, practitioners and clinics, and to provide electronic assistance in documentation management for improved quality assurance. A telematic homecare platform is being established and evaluated in European co-operative health care environments for home monitoring and treatment of patients needing controlled ventilatory support, infusion therapies and monitored medication adjustment and adherence control when treated with anti-coagulants.
The use of temozolomide as a radiosensitiser for the treatment of newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme

Abstract Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most commonly occurring adult brain tumour and has the worst prognosis. Radiobiologically, GBM exhibits radioresistant characteristics, which may contribute to its incurability. The use of a chemical radiosensitiser combined with radiotherapy may be an exploitable mechanism to improve therapeutic gain. Temozolomide (TMZ) is a promising new alkylating agent that has been introduced into clinical practice over the last decade and has shown modest activity against high-grade gliomas. This paper aims to evaluate the evidence base for the use of TMZ as a radiosensitiser in practice by reviewing published literature. Findings demonstrate promising improvements in progression-free and overall survival for patients with GBM receiving concomitant and adjuvant TMZ and radiotherapy compared with radiotherapy alone. These results are evaluated to put forth recommendations for further research.
Increased T-helper interferon-γ-secreting cells in obese children

Objective: Leptin, an adipocyte-secreted hormone, has emerged as a potential candidate for the link between obesity and the proinflammatory state. Specifically, leptin modulates T-helper (Th) cells toward a Th1 phenotype, with the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Th1/Th2 balance in obese children and its relation with hormonal and metabolic features. Study design: In 50 obese children and 20 control children, we measured the CD4-positive Th cells that secrete interferon (IFN)-g or interleukin (IL)-2 (taken as an index of Th1 cells), and IL-4 (taken as an index of Th2 cells) as well as serum glucose, insulin, insulin resistance (IR) index (as homeostasis model assessment model (HOMA)), lipid profile, aminotransferases, leptin and ghrelin. Obese children also underwent dual energy X-ray absorptiometry scan measurements, and liver ultrasound scanning. Results: Geometric mean percentages of IL-2- and IL-4-CD4 secreting cells in obese children were not significantly different from those found in control children. However, the geometric mean percentage of CD4-positive T cells secreting IFN-g was significantly higher in the obese than in the control (P , 0.0001, t-test) group. Within the entire group of study children, the percentage of IFN-g-positive cells was positively associated with leptin (P ¼ 0.002), insulin (P , 0.00005), and HOMA-IR values (P , 0.00005). However, when these associations were restricted to the group of obese subjects, insulin and HOMA-IR values, but not leptin, retained statistical significance. Yet, in the obese group, the percentage of IFN-g-positive cells was associated with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) (P ¼ 0.001), but not with body mass index-standard deviation score and total body fat mass. Conclusions: In obese children, a shift to Th1-cytokine profile dominated by the production of IFN-g is related to insulin resistance as well as to NASH independently of anthropometric features and other metabolic characteristics. The prevalent Th1 pattern of secreted cytokines may be regarded as a mechanism contributing to inflammation in obesity.
Comparison of Gene Expression Profiling and Chromosome 3 Analysis by Fluorescent in situ Hybridization and Multiplex Ligation Probe Amplification in Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy Specimens of Uveal Melanoma

Purpose: The aim of this paper was to assess the concordance between results of DecisionDx-UM specific gene expression profiling (GEP) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for chromosome 3 analysis, and between DecisionDx-UM GEP and multiplex ligation probe amplification (MLPA) in uveal melanoma undergoing intraoperative fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) for metastatic prognostication during brachytherapy. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients diagnosed with posterior uveal melanoma who underwent intraoperative FNAB prior to placement of an iodine-125 radioactive plaque between 2012 and 2014. Two cohorts of patients were identified: Cohort 1 - tumors in which both GEP and FISH results were obtained, and Cohort 2 - tumors in which both GEP and MLPA results were obtained. Results: Forty-four patients were identified for Cohort 1. FISH and GEP results were discordant in 7 tumors (15.9%). Forty-three patients were identified for Cohort 2. MLPA and GEP were discordant in 7 tumors (16.3%). Conclusions: Discordance between GEP and chromosome 3 status by FISH and MLPA occurred in our series at a rate of 15.9 and 16.3%, respectively. Caution must be advised when counseling a patient with a good-prognosis GEP “Class 1” result that the uveal tumor may actually harbor monosomy 3, which is associated with a poor prognosis for metastasis in nearly 20% of the patients.
Service innovation: transitional attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder clinic

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects 3–7% of school-age children ([Goldman et al , 1998][1]) and causes symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity (DSM–IV; [American Psychiatric Association, 1994][2]). In the UK, many adolescents are currently being treated for
Estimating Health Literacy in Family Medicine Clinics in Metropolitan Detroit: A MetroNet Study

Objective: Assessing health literacy during the clinical encounter is difficult. Many established instruments are lengthy and not practical for use in a busy practice setting. Our objective was to compare the performance of 3 health literacy screening questions against the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy for Adults (S-TOFHLA) in an urban, ethnically diverse primary care practice-based research network. Methods: A convenience sample of patients in clinics in the Detroit area were recruited to complete a questionnaire that included the S-TOFHLA and 3 items similar to the Chew screening questions. Area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curves compared the test characteristics of the screening questions to the S-TOFHLA. Results: The participation rate was 92% (N = 599). Most participants were women (65%) and African American (51%); 51.8% had a household annual income of <$20,000. Almost all (96.7%) had an adequate score on the S-TOFHLA. The screening question with the largest AUROC (0.83; 95% CI, 0.70–0.95) was “How often do you have someone help you read instructions, pamphlets or other written materials from your doctor or pharmacy? ”; the AUROC for all 3 questions was 0.90 (95% CI, 0.85–0.95). Conclusions: Self-administration of the 3 screening questions demonstrated high performance compared with the 36-item S-TOFHLA interview instrument. These screening questions should help providers identify patients who may need extra support to follow health prescriptions.
Intranasal Immunotherapy with Polymerized Grass Pollen Allergens

The effect of immunotherapy by intranasal insulflation a of Lolium perenne allergens modified with glutaraldehyde (Glu‐Rye) was tested by a stratified placebo‐controlled trial in 16 adult subjects with hay fever. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine whether the treatment could reduce nasal sensitivity to allergen in provocation tests. Modification of the allergen was shown to include polymerization and reduced allergenicity, but retained immunogenicity. Nasal sensitivity to unmodified L. perenne allergens was measured by threshold‐type quantitative nasal challenge and posterior rhinometry for measurement of nasal airway resistance. In challenge tests after a 10‐week course of intranasal preseasonal treatment with Glu‐Rye, nasal sensitivity was reduced, but this effect was not maintained when testing was repeated 9 months after treatment. Post‐seasonal serum levels of IgE antibodies to L. perenne were also not significantly affected by the treatment.
Spike-Timing-Dependent Construction

Spike-timing-dependent construction (STDC) is the production of new spiking neurons and connections in a simulated neural network in response to neuron activity. Following the discovery of spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP), significant effort has gone into the modeling and simulation of adaptation in spiking neural networks (SNNs). Limitations in computational power imposed by network topology, however, constrain learning capabilities through connection weight modification alone. Constructive algorithms produce new neurons and connections, allowing automatic structural responses for applications of unknown complexity and nonstationary solutions. A conceptual analogy is developed and extended to theoretical conditions for modeling synaptic plasticity as network construction. Generalizing past constructive algorithms, we propose a framework for the design of novel constructive SNNs and demonstrate its application in the development of simulations for the validation of developed theory. Potential directions of future research and applications of STDC for biological modeling and machine learning are also discussed.
Trauma Exposure and Posttraumatic Stress among Danish Adolescents

Trauma Exposure and Posttraumatic Stress among Danish Adolescents In the last two decades there has been an increase in epidemiological studies on trauma, although the child and adolescents group is not well represented. So far, few studies have examined exposure to trauma and prevalence of PTSD among adolescents, yet mostly among younger adolescents. In spite of research indicating that older adolescents are at greater risk of exposure and PTSD than younger adolescents we lack more information on older adolescents. Knowledge of trauma types, risk of PTSD and influence of demographic variables on PTSD may reveal some important information on the etiology of PTSD. Also, when designing intervention and treatment programs, it is crucial to understand the complex interaction of variables leading to the disorder in older adolescents.
Acquisition of internal representation in robots - toward human-robot communication using primitive language

This research aims to clarify behavior intelligence and human cooperation intelligence of robots by emotion models which are based on the robot's hardware structure. In this paper, a human's mental image (internal expression) is given consideration as a method for emotional expression of robots. The hypothesis model for the acquisition of the internal expression of robots and experimental results using a real autonomous robot are described.
Investigation of the Effects of Continuous Low-Dose Epidural Analgesia on the Autonomic Nervous System Using Hilbert Huang Transform

Effects of continuous low-dose epidural bupivacaine (0.05-0.1%) infusion on the Doppler velocimetry for labor analgesia have been well documented. The aim of this study was to monitor the activity of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) for women in labor based on Hilbert Huang transform (HHT), which performs signal processing for nonlinear systems, such as human cardiac systems. Thirteen pregnant women were included in the experimental group for labor analgesia. They received continuous epidural bupivacaine 0.075% infusion. The normal-to-normal intervals (NN-interval) were downloaded from an ECG holter. Another 20 pregnant women in non-anesthesia labor (average gestation age was 38.6 weeks) were included in the comparison group. In this study, HHT was used to decompose components of ECG signals, which reflect three different frequency bands of a person's heart rate spectrum (viz. high frequency (HF), low frequency (LF) and very low frequency (VLF)). It was found that the change of energy in subjects without anesthesia was more active than that with continuous epidural bupivacaine 0.075% infusion. The energy values of the experimental group (i.e., labor analgesia) of HF and LF of ANS activities were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than the values of the comparison group (viz. labor without analgesia), but the trend of energy ratio of LF/HF was opposite. In conclusion, the sympathetic and parasympathetic components of ANS are all suppressed by continuous low-dose epidural bupivacaine 0.075% infusion, but parasympathetic power is suppressed more than sympathetic power.