Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adopting and implementing nutrition guidelines in recreational facilities: tensions between public health and corporate profitability

Abstract Objective Little is known about how public entities can partner with industry to achieve public health goals. We investigated industry's perspective of factors that influenced their adoption and implementation of voluntary, government-issued nutrition guidelines (Alberta Nutrition Guidelines for Children and Youth, ANGCY) in recreational facilities. Design In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted. Data were analysed using directed content analysis. Setting Food services in recreational facilities. Subjects Seven managers from industry participated; five from companies that had adopted and implemented the ANGCY (adopters) in recreational facilities and two from companies that had not (non-adopters). Results Industry views nutrition guidelines through the lens of profitability. Non-adopters were unwilling to implement the ANGCY for fear of sacrificing short-term profitability, whereas adopters adhered to them in an attempt to position themselves for long-term profitability. Adopters faced barriers including few resources, no training, complex guidelines, low availability of and demand for ANGCY-compliant products, competitive pressures and substantial declines in revenue. Managers believed widespread voluntary adoption of the ANGCY was unlikely without government incentives and/or a mandate, as the environmental context for voluntary action was poor. All managers supported government-mandated implementation of the ANGCY to level the playing field upon which companies compete. Conclusions Public–private partnerships in recreational facilities can embrace public health goals in the short term, provided industry perceives potential for long-term financial gain. Widespread uptake of voluntary nutrition guidelines in this setting is unlikely, however, as market mechanisms do not encourage industry to sell and promote healthier options. Government legislation may therefore be warranted.
Integrating GIS‐Based Geo‐Atom Theory and Voxel Automata to Simulate the Dispersal of Airborne Pollutants

Environmental processes are usually conceptualized as complex systems whose dynamics are best understood by examining the relationships and interactions of their constituent parts. The cellular automata paradigm, as a bottom‐up modeling approach, has been widely used to study the macroscopic behavior of these complex natural processes. However, the cellular automata models are largely restricted to the two‐dimensional spatial perspective even though the process dynamics they represent evolve in the three spatial dimensions. The objective of this study is to develop a voxel‐based automata approach for modeling the propagation of airborne pollutants in three‐dimensional space over time. The GIS‐based geo‐atom theory was used to manage the data within the automaton. The simulation results indicate the model has the capability to generate effective four‐dimensional (4D) simulations from simple transition rules that describe the processes of particle advection and diffusion. The application of voxel‐based automata and the geo‐atom concepts allows for a detailed 4D analysis and tracking of the changes in the voxel space at every time‐step. The proposed modeling approach provides new means to examine the relationships between pattern and process in 4D.
Point Pattern Analysis for Clusters Influenced by Linear Features: An Application for Mosquito Larval Sites

Although many statistical approaches have been developed to quantify and assess spatial point patterns, the challenge to analyze complicated patterns has yet to be met. Statistics that describe the level of clustering usually assume that point events are isotropic. Many point events are influenced by linear features and clusters of these point events often have an elongated shape. Existing statistical cluster detection approaches often ignore these types of processes. This study proposes a new method, termed an L‐function analysis for clusters influenced by linear features (L‐Function‐l) to test anisotropic point patterns with respect to the orientation of nearby linear features. To explicitly account for the influence of the underlying linear features on the point events, a number of ellipses with varying lengths, orientations and eccentricities are used to replace the circles that are drawn in the original L‐function analysis. A case study of testing anisotropically clustered patterns of mosquito larval sites is used to illustrate the application of this method. The results indicate that the proposed approach provides a more flexible and comprehensive description of point patterns than the original L‐function analysis.
Bloch transport of electrons and holes in superlattice minibands: Direct measurement by subpicosecond luminescence spectroscopy.

The perpendicular transport of photoexcited electrons and holes in graded-gap GaAs-AlGaAs superlattices is directly determined by subpicosecond luminescence spectroscopy. We show that the electron and and hole transport is through extended, Bloch-type states for superlattice periods 40 A\r{}, and determine the mobility for such transport. Increasing the superlattice period to 60 A\r{} reduces the mobility by a factor of 20, resulting from an order of magnitude reduction in the hole miniband width. Our results also provide the first evidence of diffusion enhanced by potential steps.
Changes in liking for sweet and fatty foods following weight loss in women are related to prop phenotype but not to diet

Changes in perceived intensity and liking of tasted foods have not been studied during weight loss from dieting. These outcomes were examined during a 6‐month lifestyle intervention in women who had been classified by sensitivity to the bitter taste marker, 6‐n‐propylthiouracil (PROP), and then randomized to a low‐fat or low‐carbohydrate diet.
Analysis of a Three-Phase Grid-Connected PV Power System Using a Modified Dual-Stage Inverter

This paper presents a grid-connected PV system in a centralized configuration constructed through a three-phase dual-stage inverter. For the DC-DC stage the three-phase series resonant converter is chosen thanks to the advantages that it exhibits. However, it is inadequate for the accomplishment of MPPT, due to its efficiency strongly depending on the implemented deadtime and switching frequency. Then, this paper proposes a conceptual modification, that is, a modified dual-stage inverter in which the inverter stage is responsible for both the MPPT and the grid-current control. In addition, the DC-DC converter operates with constant duty cycle and frequency. Such configuration requires a new concept, introduced as Behavior Matching. It serves as a fundamental feature for the DC-DC converter to reproduce the PV array I–V characteristic when they are connected, without control action. The maximum power operating point is found by maximizing the direct axis current, obtained by Park's transformation from the inverter, through the perturbation and observation algorithm. Any specific measurement to realize the MPPT is needed. The galvanic isolation is achieved by using a high-frequency transformer. The structure is appropriate for high power applications, above 10 kW.
Family sociodemographic characteristics as correlates of children’s breakfast habits and weight status in eight European countries. The ENERGY (EuropeaN Energy balance Research to prevent excessive weight Gain among Youth) project

Abstract Objective The purpose of the present study was to investigate the associations of family sociodemographic characteristics with children’s weight status and whether these potential associations are mediated by children’s breakfast habits. Design A school-based survey among 10–12-year-old children was conducted in eight European countries. Children’s weight and height were measured and breakfast habits and family sociodemographic characteristics were self-reported by 5444 children and their parents. International Obesity Task Force cut-off points were used to categorize children as overweight/obese or normal weight. Mediation analyses were used to test the potential mediating effect of children’s breakfast consumption on the associations between family sociodemographic characteristics and children’s overweight/obesity. Setting Schools in eight European countries participating in the ENERGY (EuropeaN Energy balance Research to prevent excessive weight Gain among Youth) project. Subjects Children aged 10–12 years and their parents (n 5444). Results Children’s reported daily breakfast consumption varied from 56 % in Slovenia to 92 % in Spain on weekdays and from 79 % in Greece to 93 % in Norway on weekends. Children of native parents, with both parents employed and with at least one parent having more than 14 years of education were more likely to consume breakfast daily and less likely to be overweight/obese. Finally, mediation analyses revealed that the association of parental nationality and parental educational status with children’s overweight/obesity was partially mediated by children’s daily breakfast consumption. Conclusions The study shows that the lower likelihood of being overweight/obese among 10–12-year-old children of native background and higher parental educational status was partially mediated by children’s daily breakfast consumption.
Adherence to a Mediterranean diet and risk of diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Objective Adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with significant improvements in health status. However, to date no systematic review and meta-analysis has summarized the effects of Mediterranean diet adherence on the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Design Electronic searches for randomized controlled trials and cohort studies were performed in MEDLINE, SCOPUS, EMBASE and the Cochrane Trial Register until 2 April 2014. Pooled effects were calculated by an inverse-variance random-effect meta-analysis using the statistical software Review Manager 5·2 by the Cochrane Collaboration. Setting Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials and cohort studies. Subjects Eligibility criteria: 19+years of age. Results One randomized controlled trial and eight prospective cohort studies (122 810 subjects) published between 2007 and 2014 were included for meta-analysis. For highest v. lowest adherence to the Mediterranean diet score, the pooled risk ratio was 0·81 (95 % CI 0·73, 0·90, P<0·0001, I 2=55 %). Sensitivity analysis including only long-term studies confirmed the results of the primary analysis (pooled risk ratio=0·75; 95 % CI 0·68, 0·83, P<0·00001, I 2=0 %). The Egger regression test provided no evidence of substantial publication bias (P=0·254). Conclusions Greater adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of diabetes (19 %; moderate quality evidence). These results seem to be clinically relevant for public health, in particular for encouraging a Mediterranean-like dietary pattern for primary prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Xanthoangelol and 4‐hydroxyderrcin suppress obesity‐induced inflammatory responses

Obesity‐induced inflammation plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Xanthoangelol (XA) and 4‐hydroxyderrcin (4‐HD), phytochemicals extracted from Angelica keiskei, have been reported to possess various biological properties. Whether XA and 4‐HD alleviate obesity‐induced inflammation and inflammation‐induced adipocyte dysfunction was investigated.
Iterative breakthrough invasive aspergillosis due to TR(34)/L98H azole‐resistant Aspergillus fumigatus and Emericella sublata in a single hematopoietic stem cell transplant patient

We report 3 consecutive episodes of invasive aspergillosis in a single hematopoietic stem cell transplant patient successively attributed to TR(34)/L98H azole‐resistant Aspergillus fumigatus and to a first occurrence of invasive Emericella sublata infection. This case illustrates potential selection of resistant molds during antifungal therapy in hematological patient.
Unemployment and household food hardship in the economic recession

Abstract Objective The present study examined the association between unemployment and household food insecurity during the 2007–2009 economic recession in the USA. Design Longitudinal survey of the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP; 2008–2011). Food insecurity was measured by five questions excerpted from an eighteen-item Food Security Scale. Unemployment was measured by a dichotomous indicator, the number of job losses and the total duration of all episodes in the observation period. Setting As nationally representative data, the SIPP interviewed respondents in multiple waves with a time interval of four months. Subjects The study created two analytic samples including working-age household heads employed at the beginning of the observation period. The size of the two samples was 14 417 and 13 080. Results Unemployment was positively associated with food insecurity (OR=1·55; 95 % CI 1·32, 1·83; P<0·001). Similar results were obtained when the analysis controlled for food insecurity status measured before unemployment (OR=1·54; 95 % CI 1·27, 1·88; P<0·001). For households with the same duration of unemployment, one more episode of unemployment increased the odds of food insecurity by 8 % (OR=1·08; 95 % CI 1·00, 1·18; P<0·001). Conclusions More in-depth understanding of the relationship between unemployment and food insecurity is useful to better identify and serve the at-risk population. Connecting unemployment assistance closely to nutrition assistance could lower the prevalence of food insecurity among unemployed households. Public policy should better account for both episodes and duration of unemployment to reduce food insecurity.
Patient-reported quality-of-life analysis of radium-223 dichloride from the phase III ALSYMPCA study

In the phase III randomized ALSYMPCA trial of radium-223 in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer and bone metastases, improved survival with radium-223 is accompanied by significant quality of life benefits, measured by EQ-5D and FACT-P, including a higher percentage of patients with meaningful improvement in quality of life and a slower decline in quality of life over time.
Rapid infant weight gain and early childhood obesity in low-income Latinos and non-Latinos

Abstract Objective To examine the growth of infants and toddlers in a population that is both under-represented in the literature and at high risk for childhood obesity. Design Weight and height measurements were extracted from all visits for a sample of 0–4-year-old, low-income, Latino and non-Latino patients of an urban, academic general paediatric practice. Early growth was characterized as change in weight-for-length Z-score (WLZ) from birth to 3 years. The outcome of interest was BMI Z-score (BMIZ) at age 3 years. Mixed-effects models and multivariate linear regression were used to analyse the association between infant growth and early childhood obesity. Setting Baltimore, MD, USA. Subjects Latino (n 210) and non-Latino (n 253) children, born in 2003–2004. Results An increase in WLZ from birth to 2 years was observed for this cohort as well as a high incidence of overweight and obesity. WLZ at birth and change in WLZ from birth to 2 years were both significantly and positively associated with increases in BMIZ at 3 years of age. The effect of the change in WLZ was twofold higher than the effect of WLZ at birth. Conclusions An increase in WLZ during the first 2 years of life increased the risk of early childhood obesity. Latino children had a higher incidence of early childhood obesity than non-Latino children in this low-income sample.
The Food Environment, Preference, and Experience Modulate the Effects of Exendin‐4 on Food Intake and Reward

The obesogenic food environment facilitates access to multiple palatable foods. Exendin‐4 (EX4) is a glucagon‐like peptide 1 receptor (GLP1R) agonist that inhibits food intake and has been proposed as an obesity therapy. This study tested whether the composition of the food environment and experience with palatable foods modulate the effects of EX4 on food intake and reward.
PARP inhibitors in ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND Slow progress in improving the outcome of ovarian cancer with chemotherapy over the last decade has stimulated research into molecularly targeted therapy. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors target DNA repair and are specifically active in cells that have impaired repair of DNA by the homologous recombination (HR) pathway. Cells with mutated BRCA function have HR deficiency (HRD), which is also present in a significant proportion of non-BRCA-mutated ovarian cancer. DESIGN In the last decade, olaparib, the first and most-investigated oral PARP inhibitor, has undergone phase I-III trials as a single agent, in comparison with and in addition to chemotherapy, and as a maintenance therapy following chemotherapy. RESULTS The greatest benefit to-date has been in the maintenance setting, prolonging the progression-free survival of high-grade serous ovarian cancer with a BRCA1/2 mutation. In this group of patients, olaparib has received approval as maintenance following chemotherapy from the EMA, and accelerated approval as a single agent in women who have had three or more lines of therapy. Olaparib can be given for a prolonged period with few significant side-effects in most patients. Similar trials with other PARP inhibitors (rucaparib, niraparib and veliparib) are in progress and include non-BRCA-mutated ovarian cancer. Second-generation studies are exploring the combination of PARP inhibitors with anti-angiogenic drugs. CONCLUSIONS PARP inhibitors represent a step change in the management of ovarian cancer. BRCA mutations are the first genotypic predictive markers in ovarian cancer and can be used to select patients who will most likely benefit from PARP inhibitors. BRCA testing is now becoming a routine part of the evaluation of women with ovarian cancer, and tests for HRD are being used to evaluate PARP inhibitors in an extended population of non-BRCA-mutated ovarian cancer.
Effects of Peer-Review Groups on Physicians’ Practice

Background: Peer-review groups are often considered to be an effective means of improving routine practice at the primary health care level. In contrast, little evidence has been published proving the efficacy of peer-review groups in controlled studies.Objectives: This study evaluates the effects of peer-review groups of primary-care physicians on process quality of diabetes care, especially the screening of retinopathy, nephropathy and peripheral neuropathy.Methods: Prospective controlled study, assessment of office-based documentation of diabetes-related data in a random sample of 25 patients per practice initially and after one year in the intervention and the control group.Intervention: Primary-care physicians from ten practices participated in five sessions of a structured peer-review group on the subject of diabetes. Control: Seven primary-care physicians met once to discuss the results of the first assessment of office-based documentation of diabetes-related data.Results: Records of 239 patients i.
Frailty and food insecurity in older adults

Abstract Objective The objective of the current work was to determine the association between food insecurity and frailty in older adults, within the context of a country with accelerated ageing and nutritional problems. Design Cross-sectional analysis of a representative nationwide survey on health and nutrition. Setting Mexican nationwide survey. Subjects A sample of 7108 adults aged 60 years or older living in communities, representative of Mexican older adults. Results Multivariate regression and descriptive analyses of food insecurity and frailty were performed. From a total of 7108 adults aged 60 years or older, with a mean age of 70·7 years, most (54·7 %) were women. Food security categories were: 26·3 % had food security, 40·3 % had mild food insecurity, 20·5 % had moderate food insecurity and 12·9 % had severe food insecurity. Food insecurity categories were associated with frailty, with the severe category having the highest odds ratio of 2·41 (95 % CI 2·03, 2·86; P<0·001) after adjustment for confounding factors. Conclusions According to our results, food insecurity is associated to frailty, which in turn is a condition that renders the older adult at a higher risk of developing adverse outcomes. Targeted food programmes for older adults with a high risk of having food insecurity or of being frail may improve health in this population group.
Brincidofovir treatment of acyclovir‐resistant disseminated varicella zoster virus infection in an immunocompromised host

Brincidofovir (BCV) is a broad‐spectrum antiviral agent active in vitro against double‐stranded DNA viruses including herpesviruses, adenoviruses, polyomaviruses, and poxviruses. We report successful BCV use in management of disseminated acyclovir‐ and cidofovir‐resistant varicella zoster virus in an immunocompromised hematopoietic stem cell transplant patient with chronic graft‐versus‐host disease who was intolerant to foscarnet.
Restricted structure predictive optimal control

The design of low‐order predictive optimal controllers, that involve a multi‐step cost index and future setpoint knowledge, is considered. The usual predictive controller is of high order and the aim is to develop simpler structures, suitable for applications where PID controllers might be employed. The system is assumed to be represented by a discrete‐time state‐space model, which is very general, and the quadratic cost‐function may include dynamic cost weighting terms. Using this approach, it is straightforward to generate a much lower‐order predictive controller and thereby simplify implementation. Even with a continuing improvement in computational power there are many good reasons why low‐order simple controllers have advantages in real applications. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
High estradiol levels are associated with increased mortality in older men referred to coronary angiography.

There is evidence showing an important role of estrogens in men's health. We aimed to evaluate whether estradiol levels are associated with overall mortality and specific fatal events.We measured estradiol levels in 2,078 men who were routinely referred for coronary angiography (1997-2000). The main outcome measures were Cox proportional hazard ratios (HRs) for mortality from all causes, from cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular causes including cancer according to estradiol levels.Multivariable HRs (with 95% confidence intervals) for all-cause, non-cardiovascular, and cancer mortality were 1.43 (1.08-1.91), 2.11 (1.34-3.34), and 2.27 (1.00-5.19), respectively, in the fourth estradiol quartile as compared to the first. There was no significant association of estradiol levels with cardiovascular mortality. In multivariate adjusted analyses, higher estradiol levels in men were significantly associated with prevalent strokes, peripheral vascular disease, and carotid artery stenosis compared to lower estradiol levels.High levels of estradiol are associated with all-cause and non-cardiovascular mortality in a large cohort of older men referred to coronary angiography. Further studies are warranted to confirm our results and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.