Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Associations of Lifestyle Factors, Disease History and Awareness with Health-Related Quality of Life in a Thai Population

Background The impact of the presence and awareness of individual health states on quality of life (HRQoL) is often documented. However, the impacts of different health states have rarely been compared amongst each other, whilst quality of life data from Asia are relatively sparse. We examined and compared the effects of different health states on quality of life in a Thai population. Methods In 2008–2009, 5,915 corporate employees were invited to participate in a survey where HRQoL was measured by the Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire. The adjusted mean SF-36 scores were calculated for each self-reported illness, number of chronic conditions, lifestyle factors and awareness of diabetes and hypertension. The effect sizes (ES) were compared using Cohen's d. Results The response rate was 82% and 4,683 (79.1%) had complete data available for analysis. Physical and Mental Component Summary (PCS and MCS) scores decreased as the number of chronic conditions increased monotonically (p<0.0001). Diabetes and hypertension negatively influenced PCS (mean score differences −0.6 and −1.5, p<0.001 respectively) but not MCS, whereas awareness of diabetes and hypertension negatively influenced MCS (−2.9 and −1.6, p<0.005 respectively) but not PCS. Arthritis had the largest ES on PCS (−0.37), while awareness of diabetes had the largest ES on MCS (−0.36). CVD moderately affected PCS and MCS (ES −0.34 and −0.27 respectively). Obesity had a negative effect on PCS (ES −0.27). Exercise positively affected PCS and MCS (ES +0.08 and +0.21 (p<0.01) respectively). Conclusion Health promotion to reduce the prevalence of chronic diseases is important to improve the quality of life in Asian populations. Physical activity is an important part of such programs. Awareness of diseases may have greater impacts on mental health than having the disease itself. This has implications for the evaluation of the cost-benefit of screening and labeling of individuals with pre-disease states.
Understanding Value Co-creation in a Mobile Ecosystem - A Case Study

The establishment of partnerships and interoperability networks between organizations has resulted in new areas of mutually built value and innovation. These relationships have greatly benefited from the development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), particularly with the development of technological platforms that allow the promotion and management of these partnerships. This dynamic between organizations to create and provide their products and services, is consistent with the notion of an ecosystem. The mobile ecosystem is a practical example of a system development based on partnerships. In particular, the Machine-to-Machine (M2M) has been evolving tremendously over the past few years, making it an ideal setting to study the dynamics of value and/or innovation co-creation. The present study was conducted with a European telecommunications company and one of its business partners based on a M2M platform. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key informants of both companies in order to determine the existence of the above mentioned co-creation dynamics. Findings show that, at the partner side, the platform has allowed the development of procedural innovations and cost reduction and at the platform owner’s side, the capture of part of the value obtained by these benefit. Future studies could monitor the platform’s evolution and extend the study to other entities operating in this ecosystem in order to complement and confirm those results.
Human liver tissue metabolic profiling research on hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma.

AIM To select characteristic endogenous metabolites in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients and to identify their molecular mechanism and potential clinical value. METHODS An ultra performance liquid chromatography and linear trap quadrupole-Orbitrap XL-mass spectrometry platform was used to analyze endogenous metabolites in the homogenate of central tumor tissue, adjacent tissue and distant tissue obtained from 10 HBV-related HCC patients. After pretreatment with Mzmine software, including peak detection, alignment and normalization, the acquired data were treated with Simca-P+software to establish multivariate statistical analysis based on a pattern recognition technique and characteristic metabolites highly correlated with changing trends in metabolic profiling were selected and further identified. RESULTS Based on data acquired using Mzmine software, a principal component analysis model (R2X = 66.9%, Q2 = 21.7%) with 6 principal components and an orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis model (R2X = 76.5%, R2Y = 93.7%, Q2 = 68.7%) with 2 predicted principal components and 5 orthogonal principal components were established in the three tissue groups. Forty-nine ions were selected, 33 ions passed the 2 related samples nonparametric test (P < 0.05) and 14 of these were further identified as characteristic metabolites that showed significant differences in levels between the central tumor tissue group and distant tumor tissue group, including 9 metabolites (L-phenylalanine, glycerophosphocholine, lysophosphatidylcholines, lysophosphatidylethanolamines and chenodeoxycholic acid glycine conjugate) which had been reported as serum metabolite biomarkers for HCC diagnosis in previous research, and 5 metabolites (beta-sitosterol, quinaldic acid, arachidyl carnitine, tetradecanal, and oleamide) which had not been reported before. CONCLUSION Characteristic metabolites and metabolic pathways highly related to HCC pathogenesis and progression are identified through metabolic profiling analysis of HCC tissue homogenates.
The genomic and functional characteristics of disease genes

Increasing evidence indicates that genes containing disease causal variation have distinct functional and genomic properties. The importance of understanding these properties is highlighted by efforts to filter lists of variants from next-generation sequencing studies, where the number of potentially deleterious variants, which are in fact unrelated to disease, may be large. Available evidence indicates that the majority of disease genes are 'non-essential' and their products occupy functionally peripheral positions in protein networks. They tend to be intermediate between genes that have core biological functions, particularly low mutation rates and low haplotype diversity, and genes for which high haplotype diversity and high mutation rates are advantageous (such as those involved in sensory perception and some immune system functions). Evidence presented here supports these conclusions through analysis of integrated data sets incorporating the latest mutational profiles, linkage disequilibrium structure and other genomic properties of individual genes. The analysis highlights the contrasting functions of genes predicted as least and most likely to contain disease variation and provides a basis for filtering gene variant lists to exclude the least plausible disease candidates.
How Sarcastic are You?

In the present research, the authors examined the effects of self-perceived use of sarcasm on the production, interpretation, and processing of verbal irony. Accordingly, they first devised and evaluated a sarcasm self-report scale (SSS). In Experiment 1, results showed that participants’ self-perceived use of sarcastic irony (as assessed by the SSS) predicted their use of ironic statements in a production task and was related to their interpretation of ironic criticisms and ironic compliments. In Experiment 2, results showed that participants’ perceived use of irony was related to their processing of ironic statements: SSS scores were related to relative processing speeds for literal and ironic statements. The results of these experiments indicate that there are individual differences in purported use of sarcasm that influence interpretation and processing of verbal irony.
The 95F unconventional myosin is required for proper organization of the Drosophila syncytial blastoderm

The 95F myosin, a class VI unconventional myosin, associates with particles in the cytoplasm of the Drosophila syncytial blastoderm and is required for the ATP- and F-actin-dependent translocation of these particles. The particles undergo a cell cycle-dependent redistribution from domains that surround each nucleus in interphase to transient membrane invaginations that provide a barrier between adjacent spindles during mitosis. When 95F myosin function is inhibited by antibody injection, profound defects in syncytial blastoderm organization occur. This disorganization is seen as aberrant nuclear morphology and position and is suggestive of failures in cytoskeletal function. Nuclear defects correlate with gross defects in the actin cytoskeleton, including indistinct actin caps and furrows, missing actin structures, abnormal spacing of caps, and abnormally spaced furrows. Three- dimensional examination of embryos injected with anti-95F myosin antibody reveals that actin furrows do not invaginate as deeply into the embryo as do normal furrows. These furrows do not separate adjacent mitoses, since microtubules cross over them. These inappropriate microtubule interactions lead to aberrant nuclear divisions and to the nuclear defects observed. We propose that 95F myosin function is required to generate normal actin-based transient membrane furrows. The motor activity of 95F myosin itself and/or components within the particles transported to the furrows by 95F myosin may be required for normal furrows to form.
Improved coupled ultra-wideband dual-polarized antenna array with corrugated ground

An improved coupled ultra-wideband (UWB) dual-polarized antenna array with the periodically corrugated ground is presented. Toroidal elements are linked by interdigital capacitors, which are introduced to utilize the mutual coupling between elements and enlarge the array bandwidth. Extra dielectric layer is also placed over the capacitive-coupled array to improve the impedance stability. Besides, the corrugated ground is introduced to depress the surface waves, thus improve the radiation patterns and get a wider band. Simulation results show that the improved antenna array exhibits a 5:1 bandwidth, and gets a 1.8dB enhancement of the gain in the lower frequency.
Elevated Candida antigen titers are associated with neutrophil dysfunction after injury

This study was undertaken to determine if impaired neutrophil (polymorphonuclear leukocytes [PMNL]) function is associated with an elevated Candida antigen titer after injury. PMNL from eight severely injured adults with Candida antigen titers of > or = 1:4 (titer positive) were evaluated for the ability to inhibit growth of Candida albicans in vitro by using a [3H]glucose incorporation assay. PMNL from eight severely injured adults with titers of < 1:4 (titer negative) and from eight healthy volunteers were studied for comparison. PMNL from the titer-positive patients had suppressed ability to inhibit C. albicans growth compared with PMNL from titer-negative patients and healthy volunteers. In vitro, PMNL function against C. albicans could be augmented significantly by cytokines. Granulocyte macrophage-colony-stimulating factor was most potent at augmenting function, followed by interleukin-8 and gamma interferon. Injured patients with elevated candida antigen titers have impaired PMNL function against C. albicans, and this function can be restored by cytokines.
FunChIP : A Functional Data Analysis approach to cluster ChIP-Seq peaks according to their shapes

ChIP-Seq enriched regions are provided by the user in a GRanges object GR. The user must provide the BAM file containing the reads aligned on the positive and negative strands of the DNA. From the BAM file we can compute, for each region of the GRanges (let N be the total number of regions), the base-level coverage separately for positive and negative reads. These two count vectors are used to estimate the distance dpn between positive and negative reads and then the total length of the fragments of the ChIP-Seq experiment d. In particular, we assume that the positive and negative counts measure the same signal, shifted by dpn, as they are computed from the two ends of the sequencing fragments. The global length of the fragment is the sum between the length of the reads of the BAM file, r, and the distance between 1 If in the BAM file multiple length are present, r is estimated as the average length.
Eye-gaze detection with a single WebCAM based on geometry features extraction

In this paper, we propose an efficient approach for real-time eye-gaze detection from images acquired from a web camera. The measured data is sufficient to describe the eye movement, because the web camera is stationary with respect to the head. First, the image is binarized with a dynamic threshold. Then geometry features of the eye image are extracted from binary image. Next using estimation method based on geometry structure of eye, we detect the positions of two eye corners. After that, the center of iris is detected by matching between an iris boundary model and image contours. Finally, using the relative position information between the center of iris and the eye corners, base on the relationship between image coordinate and monitor coordinate, the position where the eye is looking at the monitor is calculated. This system requires only a low cost web camera and a personal computer. Experimental results show that the proposed system can detect accurately eye movements in realtime.
In situ Mineral Loss Inhibition by CO2 Laser and Fluoride

Laser and fluoride treatments have been shown to inhibit enamel demineralization in the laboratory. However, the intra-oral effects of this association have not been tested. This study assessed in situ the effect of a Transversely Excited Atmospheric CO2 laser (λ = 9.6 μm) and the use of pressure fluoridated dentifrice on enamel demineralization. During two 14-day phases, 17 volunteers wore palatal appliances containing human enamel slabs assigned to treatment groups, as follows: (1) non-fluoride dentifrice, (2) CO2 laser irradiation plus non-fluoride dentifrice, (3) fluoride dentifrice, and (4) CO2 laser irradiation plus fluoride dentifrice. A 20% sucrose solution was dripped onto the slabs 8 times per day. The specimens treated with laser and/or fluoridated dentifrice presented a significantly lower mineral loss when compared with those from the non-fluoride dentifrice group. The results suggested that CO2 laser treatment of enamel inhibits demineralization in the human mouth, being more effective when associated with fluoride.
A Data-dependent Generalisation Error Bound for the AUC

The optimisation of the Area Under the ROC Curve (AUC) has recently been proposed for learning ranking functions. However, the estimation of the AUC of a function on the true distribution of the examples based on its empirical value is still an open problem. In this paper, we present a data-dependent generalisation error bound for the AUC. This bound presents the advantage to be tight, but it also allows to draw practical conclusions on learning algorithms which optimise the AUC. In particular, we show that in the case of AUC, kernel function classes have strong generalisation guarantees provided that the weights of the functions are small, suggesting that regularisation procedures which tend to limit the norm of the weight vector may lead to better generalisation performance for algorithms which optimise the AUC.
Clinical and epidemiological features of oral cancer in a medical school teaching hospital from 1994 to 2002: increasing incidence in women, predominance of advanced local disease, and low incidence of neck metastases.

PURPOSE Description of clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients who underwent surgery for oral cancer in a Medical School Teaching Hospital, and determination of differences with respect to other institutions and/or periods of time. METHOD The charts of patients undergoing surgery for oral cancer from 1994 to 2002 were reviewed. Data were collected in a spreadsheet in order to analyze clinical and epidemiological features. RESULTS A total of 374 patients having undergone 406 operations was identified. Their ages varied from 14 to 94 years (mean = 57.4 years), with 255 men (68.2%), and 295 out 366 Caucasian (80.6%). A majority had tumors of the tongue and/or floor of mouth (55.6%), while 20.3% had lip cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma was found in 90.3%, and glandular carcinoma in 4%. T4 tumors in 39.6%, Tis or T1 lesions in 15.2% of all patients. Nearly 62% had no regional metastases, and the relative incidence in young patients (40 years or younger) reached 8.6%. CONCLUSION In spite of the predominance of locally advanced tumors, a majority of patients had no neck metastases. The 31.8% incidence in females indicates an increasing incidence of oral cavity cancer among women when compared to previous periods at the same institution.
CRECIMIENTO POSTRAUMÁTICO EN PACIENTES ONCOLÓGICOS

espanolEl objetivo de este estudio es averiguar las propiedades psicometricas de la adaptacion espanola del Inventario de Crecimiento Postraumatico (PTGI) en una muestra de pacientes oncologicos ambulatorios (N= 130). El cuestionario permite valorar los cambios positivos que pueden percibirse tras un acontecimiento traumatico como es el diagnostico o tratamiento de una enfermedad oncologica. Aplicamos un analisis factorial de componentes principales seguido de un analisis con el modelo de ecuaciones estructurales para contrastar la estructura factorial. Realizamos una comparacion de medias y analisis correlacional entre las puntuaciones del PTGI y caracferisticas sociodemograficas o medicas. Del analisis de componentes principales extraemos 4 factores que explican el 71 % de la varianza total, del modelo de ecuaciones estructurales se corrobora la estructura monofactorial del cuestionario (Xl= 57,53; p= 0,06) que da cuenta del 54,47% de la varianza. No aparecen diferencias significativas al comparar crecimiento postraumatico con genero, tratamiento medico recibido y estadio de la enfermedad. Tampoco las correlaciones son significativas entre el PTGI y edad, tiempo desde el diagnostico o malestar emocional. El inventario de crecimiento postraumatico permite evaluar la percepcion de cambios positivos tras el diagnostico o tratamiento de una enfermedad oncologica, aunque en la muestra de este estudio el cambio no se define segun la dimensionalidad propuesta por los autores del cuestionario. EnglishThe main aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Spanish Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) in a sample of cancer outpatients (N= 130). The questionnaire attempts to evaluate the perceived positive changes following the diagnosis or treatment of cancer patients. We have used the factor analysis of principal components, and after it, an analysis with the structural equations model fo contrast the factorial structure. Also, we did a descriptive and correlation analysis between the PTGI scores and then demographic and medical variables. Through the component principal analysis, we found 4 factors, that explain 71% ofthe total variance. With the confirmatory factor analysis, we have confirmed the monofactorial structure of the questionnaire (>
Herpesviruses of Fish, Amphibians and Invertebrates

Herpesviruses are large and complex DNA viruses which infect a wide range of vertebrates and invertebrates, including humans and domestic animals (Davison et al., 2005a). Severe infections are usually only observed in foetuses and very young or immunocompromised individuals, but economic consequences for livestock can be significant. Certain herpesviruses may also cause serious disease in non-reservoir host species for example, Bovine malignant catharral fever. Prevention and treatment are complicated due to the ability of herpesviruses to persist as a latent infection. In general, the occurrence of herpesviruses is host-specific (Davison, 2002). Most herpesviruses have evolved with their hosts over long periods of time and are well adapted to them. This view is supported by molecular phylogenetic data, and consistent with the generally modest pathogenicity of these viruses. In order to understand the evolutionary origin and consequences of herpesviruses infecting higher vertebrates, a profound understanding of the taxonomy of lower vertebrate and invertebrate herpesviruses is needed. In many of the major aquaculture species, such as carp, salmon, catfish, eel, sturgeon and oyster, herpesviruses have been identified (Table 1). These herpesviruses merely represent the focus of current fish disease research, and it is expected that many other herpesviruses of lower vertebrates exist. The herpesviruses infecting fish, amphibians, and invertebrates make up two families, which are only distantly related to the well-known family of herpesviruses of mammals, birds, and reptiles (Davison et al., 2009). In the last decades several mass mortality outbreaks in fish and oysters were found to be associated with herpesvirus infections. Management strategies are taken at fish farms to reduce the production losses due to these viruses. Several less-pathogenic fish herpesviruses are known to induce skin tumours and tumour-like proliferations (Anders & Yoshimizu, 1994), and one amphibian herpesvirus causes renal adenocarcinoma (McKinnell & Carlson, 1997). Experimental studies on these spontaneously-occurring viral tumours may serve as a model for viral carcinogenesis in humans. Interestingly, the course of infection of both the high pathogenic and tumour-inducing alloherpesviruses seems to be dependent on host age and ambient water temperature.
'Not just me dreaming': parents mourning pregnancy loss.

Part of a government-backed study of social support in pregnancy explored women's feelings about pregnancy loss and how the process of mourning and coming to terms with the baby's death can be facilitated. Lynda Rajan considers the practicalities involved in the immediate aftermath of perinatal loss. She discusses the need for recognition of the dead baby as a person for whom grieving is a legitimate process and suggests ways in which health professionals can contribute to promoting the mother's long term emotional health.
Stress-induced activation of the HPA axis predicts connectivity between subgenual cingulate and salience network during rest in adolescents.

BACKGROUND Responses to stress vary greatly in young adolescents, and little is known about neural correlates of the stress response in youth. The purpose of this study was to examine whether variability in cortisol responsivity following a social stress test in young adolescents is associated with altered neural functional connectivity (FC) of the salience network (SN) measured during resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). METHODS Forty-nine typically developing young adolescents participated in a social stress test during which they contributed salivary cortisol samples. Following this, they underwent rs-fMRI scanning. We examined the association of FC of the SN [composed of anterior cingulate cortex and bilateral anterior insula regions] with cortisol responsivity. RESULTS Greater cortisol responsivity was significantly positively correlated with higher FC between subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (Cg25) and the SN, controlling for participant age. There were no regions of the brain that showed an inverse relation. CONCLUSIONS Brain systems that have been implicated in autonomic arousal and that influence subjective feeling states show altered FC associated with stress responsivity in early life.