Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Examining Factors of Engagement With Digital Interventions for Weight Management: Rapid Review

Background Digital interventions for weight management provide a unique opportunity to target daily lifestyle choices and eating behaviors over a sustained period of time. However, recent evidence has demonstrated a lack of user engagement with digital health interventions, impacting on the levels of intervention effectiveness. Thus, it is critical to identify the factors that may facilitate user engagement with digital health interventions to encourage behavior change and weight management. Objective The aim of this study was to identify and synthesize the available evidence to gain insights about users’ perspectives on factors that affect engagement with digital interventions for weight management. Methods A rapid review methodology was adopted. The search strategy was executed in the following databases: Web of Science, PsycINFO, and PubMed. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they investigated users’ engagement with a digital weight management intervention and were published from 2000 onwards. A narrative synthesis of data was performed on all included studies. Results A total of 11 studies were included in the review. The studies were qualitative, mixed-methods, or randomized controlled trials. Some of the studies explored features influencing engagement when using a Web-based digital intervention, others specifically explored engagement when accessing a mobile phone app, and some looked at engagement after text message (short message service, SMS) reminders. Factors influencing engagement with digital weight management interventions were found to be both user-related (eg, perceived health benefits) and digital intervention–related (eg, ease of use and the provision of personalized information). Conclusions The findings highlight the importance of incorporating user perspectives during the digital intervention development process to encourage engagement. The review contributes to our understanding of what facilitates user engagement and points toward a coproduction approach for developing digital interventions for weight management. Particularly, it highlights the importance of thinking about user-related and digital tool–related factors from the very early stages of the intervention development process.
Secretion of full-length Tau or Tau fragments in cell culture models. Propagation of Tau in vivo and in vitro

Abstract The microtubule-associated protein Tau plays a crucial role in stabilizing neuronal microtubules. In Tauopathies, Tau loses its ability to bind microtubules, detach from them and forms intracellular aggregates. Increasing evidence in recent years supports the notion that Tau pathology spreading throughout the brain in AD and other Tauopathies is the consequence of the propagation of specific Tau species along neuroanatomically connected brain regions in a so-called “prion-like” manner. A number of steps are assumed to be involved in this process, including secretion, cellular uptake, transcellular transfer and/or seeding, although the precise mechanisms underlying propagation of Tau pathology are not fully understood yet. This review summarizes recent evidence on the nature of the specific Tau species that are propagated and the different mechanisms of Tau pathology spreading.
Mortality among twins after age 6: fetal origins hypothesis versus twin method

Abstract Objective: To test the validity of the fetal origins hypothesis and the classic twin method. Design: Follow up study of pairs of same sex twins in which both twins survived to age 6. Setting: Denmark. Subjects: 8495 twin individuals born 1870-1900, followed through to 31 December 1991. Main outcome measures: Mortality calculated on a cohort basis. Results: Mortality among twins and the general population was not significantly different except among females aged 60-89, in whom mortality among twins was 1.14 times (SE 0.03) higher than in the general population. Mortality among female dizygotic twins was 1.77 times (0.18) higher than among monozygotic twins at age 30.59. Otherwise, mortality for monozygotic and dizygotic twins did not consistently differ after age 6. Conclusion: According to the fetal origins hypothesis the risk of adult morbidity and mortality is heightened by retardation in intrauterine growth. Twins, and in particular monozygotic twins, experience growth retardation in utero. The findings in the present study suggest that the fetal origins hypothesis is not true for the retardation in intrauterine growth experienced by twins. Furthermore, the data are inconsistent with the underlying assumption of a recent claim that the classic twin method is invalid for studies of adult diseases. The present study is, however, based on the one third of all pairs of twins in which both twins survived to age 6. The possible impact of this selection can be evaluated in future studies of cohorts of younger twins with lower perinatal and infant mortality. Key messages Key messages It has been claimed that twin studies of adult diseases are invalid owing to the link between intrauterine development and adult diseases Contrary to the prediction from the fetal origins hypothesis this study found that mortality among twins and in the general population was similar after age 6 Contrary to the underlying assumption of the claim that the twin method is invalid, this study found that mortality in monozygotic and dizygotic twins was similar after age 6 This study suggests that the fetal origins hypothesis is not true for the retardation in intrauterine growth in these twin cohorts and that the hypothesis is no threat to the validity of the twin method
Meta-analysis of occupational exposures in the rubber manufacturing industry and risk of cancer.

Background Occupational exposures in the rubber manufacturing industry showed an increased risk of cancer and have been classified as a group 1 carcinogen, largely from studies on workers employed before 1950s. Cancer sites considered as causally associated are bladder, lung and stomach, and leukaemia. Recent studies did not report an increased risk of cancer. Methods A meta-analysis was conducted on observational studies published until April 2016 on occupational exposures in the rubber manufacturing industry and risk of cancer. Case-control and cohort studies were included. Random effect models were used. Heterogeneity and publication bias were evaluated. Stratified analyses were conducted on study characteristics. Results The literature search identified 46 cohorts and 59 case-control studies. An increased risk was found for bladder cancer [standardised incidence ratio (SRR) = 1.36; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.18, 1.57], leukaemia (SRR = 1.29; 95% CI 1.11, 1.52), lymphatic and haematopoietic system (SRR = 1.16; 95% CI 1.02, 1.31) and larynx cancer (SRR = 1.46; 95% CI 1.10, 1.94). For lung cancer, a borderline statistically significant increased risk was identified (SRR = 1.08; 95% CI 0.99, 1.17). No association was found for stomach cancer (SRR = 1.06; 95% CI 0.95, 1.17). In stratified analyses, risks of cancer were not increased for workers employed after 1960 for bladder cancer (SRR = 1.06; 95% CI 0.66, 1.71), lung cancer (SRR = 0.94; 95% CI 0.68, 1.29) or leukaemia (SRR = 0.92; 95% CI 0.62, 1.36). Conclusions Risk of bladder cancer, lung cancer, leukaemia and larynx cancer were increased among workers in rubber industry. Evidence of elevated risks was no longer seen for bladder cancer, lung cancer or leukemia among workers first employed after 1960.
The synergistic antimicrobial effects of novel bombinin and bombinin H peptides from the skin secretion of Bombina orientalis

Bombinin and bombinin H are two antimicrobial peptide (AMP) families initially discovered from the skin secretion of Bombina that share the same biosynthetic precursor-encoding cDNAs, but have different structures and physicochemical properties. Insight into their possible existing relationship lead us to perform the combination investigations into their anti-infectious activities. In this work, we report the molecular cloning and functional characterization of two novel AMPs belonging to bombinin and bombinin H families from secretions of Bombina orientalis. Their mature peptides (BHL-bombinin and bombinin HL), coded by single ORF, were chemically synthesized along with an analogue peptide that replaced L-leucine with D-leucine from the second position of the N-terminus (bombinin HD). CD analysis revealed that all of them displayed well-defined α-helical structures in membrane mimicking environments. Furthermore, BHL-bombinin displayed broad-spectrum bactericidal activities on a wide range of microorganisms, while bombinin H only exhibited a mildly bacteriostatic effect on the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. The combination potency of BHL-bombinin with either bombinin HL or bombinin HD showed the synergistic inhibition activities against S. aureus (fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI): 0.375). A synergistic effect has also been observed between bombinin H and ampicillin, which was further systematically evaluated and confirmed by in vitro time-killing investigations. Haemolytic and cytotoxic examinations exhibited a highly synergistic selectivity and low cytotoxicity on mammalian cells of these three peptides. Taken together, the discovery of the potent synergistic effect of AMPs in a single biosynthetic precursor with superior functional selectivity provides a promising strategy to combat multidrug-resistant pathogens in clinical therapy.
Investigating the frequency for load‐independent output voltage in three‐coil inductive power transfer system

Using circuit theory, this letter investigates the output voltage characteristics of three‐coil inductive power transfer (IPT) system against load variations and determines the operating frequency to achieve a constant output voltage. First, a three‐coil IPT system is modeled, and the analytical expression of the root‐mean‐square of the output voltage is derived. By substituting the coupling coefficient, the quality factor, and the resonant frequency, we propose an intuitive method of calculating the frequency for load‐independent output voltage for the first time. When the coupling coefficient is relatively small, there are three frequencies that achieve load‐independent output voltage. If the coupling coefficient increases and is greater than 1/2 , only two frequencies can achieve load‐independent output voltage. Experiments are conducted to confirm these conclusions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Consumers’ responses to health claims in the context of other on-pack nutrition information: a systematic review

Context The presence of health claims on food packaging can positively bias consumers' evaluations of foods. This review examined whether cognitive biases endure when other sources of nutrition information [the nutrition facts panel (NFP) and front-of-pack labels] appear on-pack with health claims. The following databases were searched: Web of Science, Ovid, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Scopus, ProQuest, and Wiley Online Library. The search terms ("health claim*" OR "nutri* claim") AND ("food label*" OR "front of pack") were used to identify studies. Twenty-four studies that examined health claims and front-of-pack labels or the NFP were included. The NFP can reduce bias, but only if consumers view it and interpret it correctly, which often does not occur. Front-of-pack labels show greater promise in reducing bias created by health claims. These findings are relevant to policymakers who are considering the effectiveness of mandating an NFP and/or a front-of-pack label alongside health claims.
High Cryptococcal Antigen Titers in Blood Are Predictive of Subclinical Cryptococcal Meningitis Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Patients

Background High mortality rates among asymptomatic cryptococcal antigen (CrAg)-positive patients identified through CrAg screening, despite preemptive fluconazole treatment, may be due to undiagnosed cryptococcal meningitis. Methods Symptoms were reviewed in CrAg-positive patients identified by screening 19233 individuals with human immunodeficiency virus infection and CD4 cell counts <100/µL at 17 clinics and 3 hospitals in Johannesburg from September 2012 until September 2015, and at 2 hospitals until June 2016. Cerebrospinal fluid samples from 90 of 254 asymptomatic patients (35%) and 78 of 173 (45%) with headache only were analyzed for cryptococcal meningitis, considered present if Cryptococcus was identified by means of India ink microscopy, culture, or CrAg test. CrAg titers were determined with stored blood samples from 62 of these patients. The associations between blood CrAg titer, concurrent cryptococcal meningitis, and mortality rate were assessed. Results Cryptococcal meningitis was confirmed in 34% (95% confidence interval, 25%-43%; 31 of 90) of asymptomatic CrAg-positive patients and 90% (81%-96%; 70 of 78) with headache only. Blood CrAg titer was significantly associated with concurrent cryptococcal meningitis in asymptomatic patients (P < .001) and patients with headache only (P = .003). The optimal titer for predicting cryptococcal meningitis was >160 (sensitivity, 88.2%; specificity, 82.1%); the odds ratio for concurrent cryptococcal meningitis was 34.5 (95% confidence interval, 8.3-143.1; P < .001). Conclusions About a third of asymptomatic CrAg-positive patients have concurrent cryptococcal meningitis. More effective clinical assessment strategies and antifungal regimens are required for CrAg-positive patients, including investigation for cryptococcal meningitis irrespective of symptoms. Where it is not possible to perform lumbar punctures in all CrAg-positive patients, blood CrAg titers should be used to target those most at risk of cryptococcal meningitis.
Object tracking by chiaroscuro patterns

Chiaroscuro in art is characterized by strong contrasts between light and dark. An object in a certain light condition has a certain chiaroscuro pattern in appearance; and this pattern is invariant to the changes of illumination and pose within a certain extent. In this paper we introduce an object tracking method based on chiaroscuro patterns. The chiaroscuro pattern of an image is computed by running a medial axis transform on selected level sets. The medial axes are pruned and decomposed into segments. These segments make a chiaroscuro pattern. The end points of the segments are collected as key points, which are fed to Kalman filter for object tracking. The effectiveness of the algorithm is demonstrated by experiments.
RIP140/PGC-1α axis involved in vitamin A-induced neural differentiation by increasing mitochondrial function

Abstract Vitamin A deficiency and mitochondrial dysfunction are both associated with neural differentiation-related disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Down syndrome (DS). The mechanism of vitamin A-induced neural differentiation and the notion that vitamin A can regulate the morphology and function of mitochondria in its induction of neural differentiation through the RIP140/PGC-1α axis are unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the roles and underlying mechanisms of RIP140/PGC-1α axis in vitamin A-induced neural differentiation. Human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y) were used as a model of neural stem cells, which were incubated with DMSO, 9-cis-retinoic acid (9-cis-RA), 13-cis-retinoic acid (13-cis-RA) and all-trans-retinoic acid (at-RA). Neural differentiation of SH-SY5Y was evaluated by Sandquist calculation, combined with immunofluorescence and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of neural markers. Mitochondrial function was estimated by ultrastructure assay using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) combined with the expression of PGC-1α and NEMGs using real-time PCR. The participation of the RA signaling pathway was demonstrated by adding RA receptor antagonists. Vitamin A derivatives are able to regulate mitochondrial morphology and function, and furthermore to induce neural differentiation through the RA signaling pathway. The RIP140/PGC-1α axis is involved in the regulation of mitochondrial function in vitamin A derivative-induced neural differentiation.
. C . Office of Evaluation and Oversight , OVE Hysteresis in Unemployment : Evidence from Latin America

This paper tests the hysteresis hypothesis in unemployment for 13 Latin American countries covering the period 1980-2005. The tests exploit the time series and the cross sectional variation of the series, and allows for cross section dependence and a different number of endogenously determined structural breakpoints. The findings give support to the hysteric dynamic hypothesis for the majority of the countries analyzed. The implications of the results have ramifications regarding macro-stabilization, structural reform, and the design of social safety protection.
Efﬁciently Optimizing over (Non-Convex) Cones via Approximate Projections

Constrained least squares is a ubiquitous optimization problem in machine learning, statistics, and signal processing. While projected gradient descent is usually an effective algorithm for solving constrained least squares at scale, the projection operator is often the computational bottleneck, especially for complicated constraints. To circumvent this limitation, we extend recent work on approximate projections to a signiﬁcantly broader range of constrained least squares problems. Our new variant of projected gradient descent is able to utilize approximate projections for any condition number and any conic constraint set (including non-convex cones)
Estimation of Large Covariance Matrices by Shrinking to Structured Target in Normal and Non-Normal Distributions

This paper addresses the estimation of large-dimensional covariance matrices under both normal and nonnormal distributions. The shrinkage estimators are constructed by convexly combining the sample covariance matrix and a structured target matrix. The optimal oracle shrinkage intensity is obtained analytically for any prespecified target in a class of matrices which includes various structured matrices such as banding, thresholding, diagonal, and block diagonal matrices. After deriving the unbiased and consistent estimates of some quantities in the oracle intensity involving unknown population covariance matrix, two classes of available optimal intensities are proposed under normality and nonnormality, respectively, by plug-in technique. For the target matrix with unknown parameter such as bandwidth in banded target, an analytic estimate of unknown parameter is provided. Both the numerical simulations and applications to signal processing and discriminant analysis show the comparable performance of the proposed estimators for large-dimensional data.
Impact of sex work on risk behaviours and their association with HIV positivity among people who inject drugs in Eastern Central Canada: cross-sectional results from an open cohort study

Objectives The objectives of this study were: (1) to examine the correlates of HIV positivity among participants who injected drugs and engaged in sex work (PWID-SWs) in the SurvUDI network between 2004 and 2016, after stratification by sex, and (2) to compare these correlates with those of sexually active participants who did not engage in sex work (PWID non-SWs). Design and setting This biobehavioural survey is an open cohort of services where participants who had injected in the past 6 months were recruited mainly through harm reduction programmes in Eastern Central Canada. Participants Data from 5476 participants (9223 visits in total; 785 not included in multivariate analyses due to missing values) were included. Methods Participants completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire and provided saliva samples for anti-HIV antibody testing. Generalised estimating equations taking into account multiple participations were used. Results Baseline HIV prevalence was higher among SWs compared with non-SWs (women: 13.0% vs 7.7%; P<0.001, and men: 17.4% vs 10.8%; P<0.001). PWID-SWs were particularly susceptible to HIV infection as a result of higher levels of vulnerability factors and injection risk behaviours. They also presented different risk-taking patterns than their non-SWs counterparts, as shown by differences in correlates of HIV positivity. Additionally, the importance of sex work for HIV infection varies according to gender, as suggested by a large proportion of injection risk behaviours associated with HIV among women and, conversely, a stronger association between sexual behaviours and HIV positivity observed among men. Conclusion These results suggest that sex work has an impact on the risk of HIV acquisition and that risk behaviours vary according to gender. Public health practitioners should take those specificities into account when designing HIV prevention interventions aimed at PWIDs.
Organ localization and identification in thoracic CT volumes using 3D CNNs leveraging spatial anatomic relations

In this paper, we present a model to obtain prior knowledge for organ localization in CT thorax images using three dimensional convolutional neural networks (3D CNNs). Specifically, we use the knowledge obtained from CNNs in a Bayesian detector to establish the presence and location of a given target organ defined within a spherical coordinate system. We train a CNN to perform a soft detection of the target organ potentially present at any point, x = [r,Θ,Φ]T. This probability outcome is used as a prior in a Bayesian model whose posterior probability serves to provide a more accurate solution to the target organ detection problem. The likelihoods for the Bayesian model are obtained by performing a spatial analysis of the organs in annotated training volumes. Thoracic CT images from the NSCLC–Radiomics dataset are used in our case study, which demonstrates the enhancement in robustness and accuracy of organ identification. The average value of the detector accuracies for the right lung, left lung, and heart were found to be 94.87%, 95.37%, and 90.76% after the CNN stage, respectively. Introduction of spatial relationship using a Bayes classifier improved the detector accuracies to 95.14%, 96.20%, and 95.15%, respectively, showing a marked improvement in heart detection. This workflow improves the detection rate since the decision is made employing both lower level features (edges, contour etc) and complex higher level features (spatial relationship between organs). This strategy also presents a new application to CNNs and a novel methodology to introduce higher level context features like spatial relationship between objects present at a different location in images to real world object detection problems.