Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Deriving bio‐equivalents from in vitro bioassays: Assessment of existing uncertainties and strategies to improve accuracy and reporting

Bio‐equivalents (e.g., 17β‐estradiol or dioxin equivalents) are commonly employed to quantify the in vitro effects of complex human or environmental samples. However, there is no generally accepted data analysis strategy for estimating and reporting bio‐equivalents. Therefore, the aims of the present study are to 1) identify common mathematical models for the derivation of bio‐equivalents from the literature, 2) assess the ability of those models to correctly predict bio‐equivalents, and 3) propose measures to reduce uncertainty in their calculation and reporting. We compiled a database of 234 publications that report bio‐equivalents. From the database, we extracted 3 data analysis strategies commonly used to estimate bio‐equivalents. These models are based on linear or nonlinear interpolation, and the comparison of effect concentrations (ECX). To assess their accuracy, we employed simulated data sets in different scenarios. The results indicate that all models lead to a considerable misestimation of bio‐equivalents if certain mathematical assumptions (e.g., goodness of fit, parallelism of dose–response curves) are violated. However, nonlinear interpolation is most suitable to predict bio‐equivalents from single‐point estimates. Regardless of the model, subsequent linear extrapolation of bio‐equivalents generates additional inaccuracy if the prerequisite of parallel dose–response curves is not met. When all these factors are taken into consideration, it becomes clear that data analysis introduces considerable uncertainty in the derived bio‐equivalents. To improve accuracy and transparency of bio‐equivalents, we propose a novel data analysis strategy and a checklist for reporting Minimum Information about Bio‐equivalent ESTimates (MIBEST). Environ Toxicol Chem 2013;32:1906–1917. © 2013 SETAC
Validation of an Algorithm for Categorizing the Severity of Hospital Emergency Department Visits

Background:Differentiating between appropriate and inappropriate resource use represents a critical challenge in health services research. The New York University Emergency Department (NYU ED) visit severity algorithm attempts to classify visits to the ED based on diagnosis, but it has not been formally validated. Objective:To assess the validity of the NYU algorithm. Research Design:A longitudinal study in a single integrated delivery system from January 1999 to December 2001. Subjects:A total of 2,257,445 commercial and 261,091 Medicare members of an integrated delivery system. Measures:ED visits were classified as emergent, nonemergent, or intermediate severity, using the NYU ED algorithm. We examined the relationship between visit-severity and the probability of future hospitalizations and death using a logistic model with a general estimating equation approach. Results:Among commercially insured subjects, ED visits categorized as emergent were significantly more likely to result in a hospitalization within 1-day (odds ratio = 3.37, 95% CI: 3.31–3.44) or death within 30-days (odds ratio = 2.81, 95% CI: 2.62–3.00) than visits categorized as nonemergent. We found similar results in Medicare patients and in sensitivity analyses using different probability thresholds. ED overuse for nonemergent conditions was not related to socio-economic status or insurance type. Conclusions:The evidence presented supports the validity of the NYU ED visit severity algorithm for differentiating ED visits based on need for hospitalization and/or mortality risk; therefore, it can contribute to evidence-based policies aimed at reducing the use of the ED for nonemergencies.
Reliability of Medical Group and Physician Performance Measurement in the Primary Care Setting

Background:Performance reporting is increasingly focused on physician practice sites and individual physicians. Objective:To assess the reliability of performance measurement for practice sites and individual physicians. Research Design:We used data collected across multiple payers as part of a statewide measurement collaborative to evaluate the observed measure reliability and sample size requirements to achieve acceptable reliability of 4 Health Care Effectiveness Data and Information Set measures of preventive care and 10 Health Care Effectiveness Data and Information Set measures of chronic care across 334 practice sites. We conducted a parallel set of physician-level analyses using data across 118 primary physicians practicing within a large multispecialty group. Measures:Observed reliabilities and estimated sample size requirements to achieve reliability ≥0.70. Results:At the practice site level, sample sizes required to achieve a reliability of 0.70 were less than 200 patients per site for all 4 measures of preventive care, all 4 process measures of diabetes care, and 2 outcomes measures of diabetes care. Larger samples were required to achieve reliability for cholesterol screening in the presence of cardiovascular disease (n = 249) and use of appropriate asthma medications (n = 351). At the physician level, less than 200 patients were required for all 4 measures of preventive care, but for many chronic care measures the samples of patients available per physician were not sufficient to achieve a reliability of 0.70. Conclusion:In a multipayer collaborative, sample sizes were adequate to reliably assess clinical process and outcome measures at the practice site level. For individual physicians, sample sizes proved adequate to reliably measure preventive care, but may not be feasible for chronic care assessment.
Declines in peer conflict from preschool through first grade: Influences from early attachment and social information processing

The transition from preschool to early school years is critical for the growth of social skills. Using data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (for this study N = 942), the purpose of this study was to evaluate the longitudinal influence of attachment security and social information processing skills (social problem-solving and hostile attribution biases) on normative changes in peer conflict over the transition from preschool to first grade. Using latent growth curve modeling (LGM), this study found that children exhibited progressive declines in peer conflict over this period. Security of attachment (assessed via the Attachment Q-Set at 24 months) was related to lower rates of peer conflict in first grade, and steeper declines in peer conflict from 54 to 84 months. Differences in children's social information processing (assessed at 54 months) were marginally related to steeper declines in peer conflict. These findings suggest that the social skills and social expectations associated with early attachment security, together with subsequent advances in social information processing, are related to changes in peer conflict during the transition to school.
Effect of Choice of Estimation Method on Inter-Hospital Mortality Rate Comparisons

Objective:To evaluate and compare the use of 6 different methods for calculating expected mortality rates and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) when performing interhospital mortality rate comparisons. Design:Retrospective cohort study using actual and simulated hospitalization data to evaluate the use of (1) fixed-effects, (2) Generalized Linear Mixed Model, and (3) Bayesian (Markov Chain Monte Carlo--based) random-effects models on both aggregated and individual-level data to estimate SMRs by hospital. Setting:Seventeen hospitals in a large integrated health care delivery system. Main Outcome Measure:Inpatient mortality. Results:Results from the 6 different methods compared in this study were highly correlated both on log(SMR) values and hospital ranks (range, 0.91–1). All the methods had high specificity (>87%) for finding true underlying mortality effects. The fixed-effects models had higher overall sensitivity than the random-effects models. The individual-level random effects model had generally higher sensitivity than the aggregated random-effects models. All methods showed a high correlation with the true ranks. Discussion:When comparing mortality rates across hospitals, it is important to focus not only on the method used to measure patient sickness but also on the analytical technique used to estimate hospital-specific adjusted mortality rates. When an illness severity measure including detailed physiologic data was used, the simplest method we examined, a fixed-effects aggregate-level approach in common usage, out-performed the other methods when both specificity and sensitivity are considered. Use of a severity measure that correlates less well with mortality than the one we employed would be expected to reduce the sensitivity of all of the methods examined.
Parent-specific reciprocity from infancy to adolescence shapes children's social competence and dialogical skills

Reciprocity – the capacity to engage in social exchange that integrates inputs from multiple partners into a unified social event – is a cornerstone of adaptive social life that is learned within dyad-specific attachments during an early period of neuroplasticity. Yet, very little research traced the expression of children’s reciprocity with their mother and father in relation to long-term outcomes. Guided by evolutionary models, we followed mothers, fathers, and their firstborn child longitudinally and observed mother–child and father–child reciprocity in infancy, preschool, and adolescence. In preschool, children’s social competence, aggression, and prosocial behavior were observed at kindergarten. In adolescence, children’s dialogical skills were assessed during positive and conflict interactions with same-sex best friends. Father–child and mother–child reciprocity were individually stable, inter-related at each stage, and consisted of distinct behavioral components. Structural equation modeling indicated that early maternal and paternal reciprocity were each uniquely predictive of social competence and lower aggression in preschool, which, in turn, shaped dialogical skills in adolescence. Father–adolescent reciprocity contributed to the dialogical negotiation of conflict, whereas mother–adolescent reciprocity predicted adolescents’ dialogical skills during positive exchanges. Results highlight the role of parent–child reciprocity in shaping children’s social collaboration and intimate relationships with non-kin members of their social world.
The secure base script and the task of caring for elderly parents: implications for attachment theory and clinical practice

This study explores links between adults’ attachment representations and the task of caring for elderly parents with dementia. Participants were 87 adults serving as primary caregivers of a parent or parent-in-law with dementia. Waters and Waters’ (2006) Attachment Script Assessment was adapted to assess script-like attachment representation in the context of caring for their elderly parent. The quality of adult–elderly parent interactions was assessed using the Level of Expressed Emotions Scale (Cole & Kazarian, 1988) and self-report measures of caregivers’ perception of caregiving as difficult. Caregivers’ secure base script knowledge predicted lower levels of negative expressed emotion. This effect was moderated by the extent to which participants experienced caring for elderly parents as difficult. Attachment representations played a greater role in caregiving when caregiving tasks were perceived as more difficult. These results support the hypothesis that attachment representations influence the quality of care that adults provide their elderly parents. Clinical implications are discussed.
Adult attachment interviews of women from low-risk, poverty, and maltreatment risk samples: comparisons between the hostile/helpless and traditional AAI coding systems

The main aim of this study was to investigate the correlates of a Hostile-Helpless (HH) state of mind among 67 women belonging to a community sample and two different at-risk samples matched on socio-economic indicators, including 20 women from low-SES population (poverty sample) and 15 women at risk for maltreatment being monitored by the social services for the protection of juveniles (maltreatment risk sample). The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) protocols were reliably coded blind to the samples’ group status. The rates of HH classification increased in relation to the risk status of the three samples, ranging from 9% for the low-risk sample to 60% for the maltreatment risk sample to 75% for mothers in the maltreatment risk sample who actually maltreated their infants. In terms of the traditional AAI classification system, 88% of the interviews from the maltreating mothers were classified Unresolved/Cannot Classify (38%) or Preoccupied (50%). Partial overlapping between the 2 AAI coding systems was found, and discussion concerns the relevant contributions of each AAI coding system to understanding of the intergenerational transmission of maltreatment.
Disturbance of perfluorooctanoic acid on development and behavior in Drosophila larvae

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a well‐known perfluorinated compound (PFC), and its toxicological impact is currently of worldwide concern. In this study, we sought to evaluate the potential biological effects and modes of action of PFOA in a range of physiologically and developmentally related phenotypes in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. The results clearly indicated that the toxic effects of PFOA at the organismal level were associated with the developmental status of the organism, with larvae being most sensitive to this chemical. Except for the decreased weight of both sexes and the reduced longevity of male adults, PFOA had a robust effect on larval development, as determined by reduced body volume, aberrant foraging behavior, molting arrest, and polyphasic lethality. Remarkably, nutrient supplementation of the diet efficiently rescued the lethal effect of high PFOA concentrations on larval development. This result indicated that PFOA probably competed with nutritional components, leading to a disruption of the metabolic pathways responsible for larval development. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010;29:2117–2122. © 2010 SETAC
The effects of salinity exposure on multiple life stages of a common freshwater mussel, Elliptio complanata

There is growing concern over the effects of increased salinization on freshwater organisms, which are largely unknown for unionid mussels. Adult and larval Elliptio complanata were exposed to low‐level salt concentrations to determine the effects on mussel survival, physiology, and reproduction. Adults were exposed to salt concentrations of 0 parts per thousand (ppt), 2 ppt, 4 ppt, and 6 ppt NaCl and monitored over 7 d for mortality. Treatment groups exposed to 6 ppt and 4 ppt experienced 50% mortality at day 3 and day 4, respectively, with complete mortality by day 7. No mortality was observed in the other treatments. Adults were also exposed to sublethal salinity levels of 1 ppt and 2 ppt NaCl for 4 wk to determine physiological consequences of prolonged salinity exposure. Mussels exposed to 1 ppt and 2 ppt experienced reduced metabolic rates within the first 24 h of exposure that recovered to control levels in the 1‐ppt treatment within 7 d. Metabolic recovery did not occur in the 2‐ppt treatment by the end of 28 d. Glochidia exposed to 3‐ppt NaCl during attachment to their host fish suffered a reduction in attachment success and metamorphosis, resulting in a 10‐fold reduction in the number of juveniles produced per host fish. The present study demonstrates that low levels of salt can have a dramatic effect on the reproduction, physiology, and survival of freshwater mussels. Environ Toxicol Chem 2013;32:2849–2854. © 2013 SETAC. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Attachment representations among substance-abusing women in transition to motherhood: implications for prenatal emotions and mother–infant interaction

ABSTRACT We studied how attachment representations contribute to central components of transition to motherhood, prenatal emotion processing (EP) and emotional availability (EA) of mother–infant interaction, and whether there are group specific differences. Participants were 51 treatment-enrolled substance-abusing (SA) mothers and their infants and 50 non-using comparison dyads with obstetric risk. Mother’s attachment representations (AAI) and EP were assessed prenatally and EA when infants were four months. Results showed that autonomous attachment only had a buffering effect on prenatal EP among comparisons. All SA mothers showed more dysfunctional EP than comparisons and, contrary to comparisons, autonomous SA mothers reported more negative cognitive appraisals and less meta-evaluation of emotions than dismissing SA mothers. Preoccupied SA mothers showed high negative cognitive appraisals, suggesting under-regulation of emotions. Attachment representations were not associated with EA in either group; rather, SA status contributed to global risk in the relationship. Surprisingly, autonomous SA mothers showed a tendency towards intrusiveness. We propose that obstetric risk among comparisons and adverse relational experiences among almost all SA mothers might override the protective role of mother’s autonomous representations for dyadic interaction. We conclude that prenatal emotional turbulence and high interaction risk of all SA mothers calls for holistic treatment for the dyad.
Attachment quality is related to the synchrony of mother and infant monitoring patterns

ABSTRACT We investigated whether attachment quality is related to infant–mother dyadic patterns in monitoring animated social situations. Sixty 12-month-old infants and their mothers participated in an eye-tracking study in which they watched abstractly depicted distress interactions involving the separation of a “baby” and a “parent” character followed by reunion or further separation of the two characters. We measured infants’ and their mothers’ relative fixation duration to the two characters in the animations. We found that infant attachment disorganization moderated the correspondence between the monitoring patterns of infant–mother dyads during the final part of the animations resulting in reunion or separation. Organized infants and their mothers showed complementary monitoring patterns: the more the mothers focused their attention on the “baby” character, the more the infants focused their attention on the “parent” character, and vice versa. Disorganized infant–mother dyads showed the opposite pattern although the correlation was nonsignificant: mothers and their infants focused on the same character. The attachment-related differences in the nature of the synchrony in the attentional processes of infants and their mothers suggest that by 12 months the dyads’ representations of social situations reflect their shared social–emotional experiences.
IL‐4 production by CD8+ lymphomatoid papulosis, type C, attracts background eosinophils

There are two subsets of CD8+ T cells: Tc1 and Tc2. INF‐γ production by Tc1 cells causes granulomatous inflammation. IL‐4 production by Tc2 cells attracts eosinophils. A 76‐year‐Caucasian female presented with CD8+ lymphomatoid papulosis (LyP), type C. We hypothesized that the LyP cells belonged to the Tc2 subset because of abundant background eosinophils. Hematoxylin and eosin and immunohistochemical stains were carried out on tissue sections from a skin punch biopsy. Antibodies for immunohistochemical stains included CD3, CD4, CD5, CD7, CD8, CD30, CD56, ALK‐1, clusterin and IL‐4. There was involvement of the dermis by a dense lymphoid infiltrate composed of large atypical cells and numerous eosinophils. The LyP cells expressed CD5, CD8, CD30 and IL‐4. Keratinocytes showed a membranous pattern of immunoreactivity for IL‐4. IL‐4 production by CD8+ LyP, type C indicates that it belongs to the Tc2 subset. The cytokine milieu produced by the LyP cells attracted eosinophils. The IL‐13R complex on keratinocytes bound IL‐4 and produced a membranous staining pattern. Although CD8+ LyP is rare, we believe that this CD30+ lymphoproliferative disorder should be included in the World Health Organization‐European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer classification of cutaneous T‐cell lymphomas.
Understanding the State of Nutrition Education in the Head Start Classroom: A Qualitative Approach

Background Early education is important for establishing healthy eating behaviors among young children; however, the literature describing nutrition education in the preschool environment is limited. Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore teacher experiences related to the incorporation of nutrition education in Head Start preschool classrooms. Methods Between September 2011 and May 2012, investigators conducted 74 in-depth, structured interviews (31 health/nutrition coordinators, 11 center directors, and 32 teachers). Participant interviews were recorded in digital audio format and transcribed verbatim. Results Researchers condensed identified interrelated themes into 4 categories within a substantive-level model. Outcomes revealed that teacher training/education, funding, and policies/regulations were the core factors influencing the quality and quantity of nutrition-related instruction. Discussion The proposed model establishes a framework for understanding the state of nutrition education in the preschool environment. Teachers need more opportunities for training/education in instructional methods and nutrition content; financial support for materials; and clear, supportive policies/regulations. Translation to Health Education Practice Teachers and administrators can use the proposed framework as an objective guide to identify the presence of these barriers in their organizations and to facilitate their ability to work together to improve the quality of nutrition education in the preschool environment.
The usage of third molars to determine legally relevant age thresholds in Turkey

From a forensic perspective, attaining the ages of 12, 15 and 18 is particularly important with respect to the Turkish Penal Code (TPC). The aim of this study is to obtain data regarding third molar development in the Turkish population for age estimation and to investigate the contribution of third molar development to age estimation in relation to the TPC. The study was applied with panoramic radiography on 379 male and 405 female subjects. The mineralization status of the third molars were evaluated on the basis of Demirjian’s classification system. It was determined that ‘0’ and ‘A’ stages for under-12 years of age, ‘B’ and ‘C’ stages for under-15, ‘D’ stage for under-18, ‘E’ and ‘F’ stages for over-12, ‘G’ stage for over-15 and ‘H’ stage for over-18 were specific stages for both genders. Specific stages that are detected according to the developmental stages of the third molars were not found to be adequately precise for distinguishing legal age thresholds. However, this study shows that matured third molars (reaching H stage) are indicative of an individual’s being over 18 years of age for both genders in Turkey.