Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Substance Use Prevalence and Screening Instrument Comparisons in Urban Primary Care

Substance use screening in a primary care setting compared the Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST version 3.0), Two-Item Conjoint Screen (TICS), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) daily limit single item, and electronic medical record (EMR). Among 236 consecutive adults, ASSIST moderate- to high-risk substance use prevalence was tobacco, 15.3%; alcohol, 8.5%; cannabis, 5.1%; cocaine, 2.5%; and opioids, 2.5%. Compared to ASSIST, a positive TICS was 45% (95% confidence interval [CI], 27–64%) sensitive, 99% (95–100%) specific; the NIAAA single-item screen was 80% (56–94%) sensitive, 87% (82–91%) specific. The NIAAA single item correlated closely with alcohol ASSIST. TICS and EMR were less sensitive for any nontobacco substance use.
Insulin-Stimulated Akt Kinase Activity Is Reduced in Skeletal Muscle From NIDDM Subjects

The serine/threonine kinase Akt (PKB/Rac) has been implicated as playing a role in the insulin-signaling pathway to glucose transport. Little is known regarding the regulation of Akt kinase activity in insulin-sensitive tissues, such as skeletal muscle, or whether this regulation is altered in insulin-resistant states such as NIDDM. We examined the effect of insulin on Akt kinase activity in skeletal muscle from six NIDDM patients and six healthy subjects. Whole-body insulin sensitivity, assessed by the euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp, was significantly lower in NIDDM subjects (P < 0.001), and this was accompanied by impaired in vitro insulin-stimulated glucose transport in skeletal muscle. In both groups, insulin induced a significant increase in Akt kinase activity, but the response to maximal insulin (60 nmol/1) was markedly reduced in skeletal muscle from NIDDM subjects (66% of control levels, P < 0.01). Impaired Akt kinase activity was not accompanied by decreased protein expression of Akt. Instead, a trend toward increased Akt expression was noted in skeletal muscle from NIDDM subjects (P < 0.1). These parallel defects in insulin-stimulated Akt kinase activity and glucose transport in diabetic skeletal muscle suggest that reduced Akt kinase activity may play a role in the development of insulin resistance in NIDDM.
Electrical characteristics of AC dielectrophoretically aligned ZnO nanowires

We report on a straightforward and successful AC dielectrophoresis (DEP) method that can be used to align and manipulate ZnO nanowires as well as for extracting the electrical properties of the semiconductor nanowires. The dielectrophoresis was accomplished at a frequency of 20 MHz with five different AC electric field (1, 5, 10, 15, 20 Vp.p). The DEP results indicated that the number of aligned ZnO nanowires increased with increasing AC voltages. From the transport measurements of our AC DEP prepared ZnO nanowires using conventional three-probe schemes in field-effect transistor structures, the estimated carrier mobility from the gate-modulation characteristics was on the order of~15.9 cm2/V dot dots. We found that AC DEP offers great opportunities for electrical characteristics of semiconductor nanowires and for further fundamental research in electronics and photonics device applications.
Combining Model-Based and Model-Free Updates for Deep Reinforcement Learning

The ability to learn motor skills autonomously is one of the main requirements for deploying robots in unstructured realworld environments. The goal of reinforcement learning (RL) is to learn such skills through trial and error, thus avoiding tedious manual engineering. However, real-world applications of RL have to contend with two often opposing requirements: data-efficient learning and the ability to handle complex, unknown dynamical systems that might be difficult to model explicitly. Real-world physical systems, such as robots, are typically costly and time consuming to run, making it highly desirable to learn using the lowest possible number of realworld trials. Model-based methods tend to excel at this [5], but suffer from significant bias, since complex unknown dynamics cannot always be modeled accurately enough to produce effective policies. Model-free methods have the advantage of handling arbitrary dynamical systems with minimal bias, but tend to be substantially less sample-efficient [9, 17]. Can we combine the efficiency of model-based algorithms with the final performance of model-free algorithms in a method that we can practically use on real-world physical systems? Many prior methods that combine model-free and modelbased techniques achieve only modest gains in efficiency or performance [6, 7]. In this work, we aim to develop a method in the context of a specific policy representation: time-varying linear-Gaussian controllers. The structure of these policies provides us with an effective option for model-based updates via iterative linear-Gaussian dynamics fitting [10], as well as a simple option for model-free updates via the path integral policy improvement (PI) algorithm [19]. Although time-varying linear-Gaussian (TVLG) policies are not as powerful as representations such as deep neural networks [13, 14] or RBF networks [4], they can represent arbitrary trajectories in continuous state-action spaces. Furthermore, prior work on guided policy search (GPS) has shown that TVLG policies can be used to train generalpurpose parameterized policies, including deep neural network policies, for tasks involving complex sensory inputs such as vision [10, 12]. This yields a general-purpose RL procedure with favorable stability and sample complexity compared to fully model-free deep RL methods [16]. The main contribution of this paper is a procedure for optimizing TVLG policies that integrates both fast model-
Optimal Dynamic Management of a Renewable Energy Source under Uncertainty

We consider a risk averse planner who has access to different energy sources to produce electricity; hydroelectricity is produced with a dam and thermal electricity is obtained from an unlimited supply at some exogenous cost. The dam is supplied with a random water ow. The presence of constraints on a minimal and maximal storage capacity makes electricity consumption smoothing possible only when the quantity of water available to the agent lies in a certain range that is determined. Consumption smoothing is possible even when the dam is almost empty thanks to the alternative costly energy source. Moreover, a comparative statics analysis reveals that the marginal propensity to produce hydroelectricity is an increasing function of the cost of the second technology. Therefore, the availability of the fossil source at a low cost improves time diversification. Finally, the optimal electric park is composed of a number of dams that increases with the cost of the alternative technology.
Tunable Photonic Microwave Filter With Single Bandpass Based on a Phase-Shifted Fiber Bragg Grating

A novel tunable photonic microwave single bandpass filter based on the optical resonance originated by a local phase shift introduced in the periodic structure of a fiber Bragg grating is proposed. Dynamic control of the phase shift is obtained employing a piezoelectric transducer in order to stretch the grating, thus changing the resonance wavelength. A photonic microwave filter is obtained by using an optical single-sideband modulation. Experimental results are provided in order to prove the concept.
[Impact of tobacco smoking on the clinical and functional indicators and markers of systemic inflammation in patients with severe asthma].

AIM To study cytokine status and to reveal a possible relationship of clinical and functional indicators and systemic inflammation in patients with severe asthma to tobacco smoking. Subjects and methods. Examinations were made in 139 patients with severe asthma during its exacerbation and without the latter after 12 months. Groups 1 and 2 included 98 nonsmoking and 41 smoking patients with severe asthma, respectively. A control group consisted of 40 apparently healthy volunteers. External respiratory function, plasma TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, C-reactive protein, and neutrophil elastase levels, and integral cytokine index were studied. RESULTS Systemic inflammation that was more marked on a disease exacerbation and mediated by elevated TNF-α, IL-2, and C-reactive protein levels was detected in severe asthma in both groups. The smoking patient group showed a statistically significant increase in IL-8 and neutrophil elastase levels, which may be indirectly indicative of the active participation of neutrophils in the development of chronic persistent inflammation. CONCLUSION Tobacco smoking is a clinically significant risk factor that aggravates both the course of asthma and the magnitude of inflammation during a disease exacerbation.
Catching up on health outcomes: the Texas Medication Algorithm Project.

OBJECTIVE To develop a statistic measuring the impact of algorithm-driven disease management programs on outcomes for patients with chronic mental illness that allowed for treatment-as-usual controls to "catch up" to early gains of treated patients. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING Statistical power was estimated from simulated samples representing effect sizes that grew, remained constant, or declined following an initial improvement. Estimates were based on the Texas Medication Algorithm Project on adult patients (age > or = 18) with bipolar disorder (n = 267) who received care between 1998 and 2000 at 1 of 11 clinics across Texas. STUDY DESIGN Study patients were assessed at baseline and three-month follow-up for a minimum of one year. Program tracks were assigned by clinic. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS Hierarchical linear modeling was modified to account for declining-effects. Outcomes were based on 30-item Inventory for Depression Symptomatology-Clinician Version. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Declining-effect analyses had significantly greater power detecting program differences than traditional growth models in constant and declining-effects cases. Bipolar patients with severe depressive symptoms in an algorithm-driven, disease management program reported fewer symptoms after three months, with treatment-as-usual controls "catching up" within one year. CONCLUSIONS In addition to psychometric properties, data collection design, and power, investigators should consider how outcomes unfold over time when selecting an appropriate statistic to evaluate service interventions. Declining-effect analyses may be applicable to a wide range of treatment and intervention trials.
Complete Genome Sequence of a Variant Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Strain Isolated in China

ABSTRACT Since October 2010, an outbreak of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) has been observed in some provinces of China. Here we report the complete genome sequence of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) strain LC, which was recently isolated from sucking piglets that suffered from severe watery diarrhea in Guangdong. It will help in understanding the epidemiological and molecular characteristics of PEDV in China.
Tacrolimus and diarrhea: Pathogenesis of altered metabolism

Isolated from Streptomyces tsukubaensis, tacrolimus is a macrolide lactone that has been used extensively for immunosuppressive therapy in pediatric transplant recipients (1, 2). It is the backbone of immunosuppressive therapy for pediatric solid organ and bone marrow transplant in many centers, including ours. In this month’s issue of Pediatric Transplantation, Frühwirth et al. describe three cases of solid organ transplanted children who suffered increased morbidity caused by a raised trough blood level of tacrolimus in association with rotaviral gastroenteritis (3). A similar observation has been made in two liver transplant infants who exhibited a three-fold rise in the trough levels of tacrolimus and required a reduction in the dose of tacrolimus for less than 1 week during acute diarrheal illness with rotavirus (4). Chronic diarrhea of non-rotaviral etiology has also been shown to be associated with a similar phenomenon in a pediatric renal transplant patient (5). This patient required a three-fold reduction in the dose of tacrolimus during 6 weeks of chronic diarrheal illness and returned to her usual tacrolimus dose when the diarrhea stopped. In patients with intestinal transplant, a sudden rise in the level of tacrolimus has been observed with episodes of rejection (N. Mittal, T. Kato, A. Tzakis, unpubl. obs.). Possible explanations for the rise in blood levels of tacrolimus include hemoconcentration, fasting, increased absorption as a result of increased intestinal permeability, or reduced hepatic metabolism caused by reduced hepatic blood flow or hepatic dysfunction (3–5). Despite the extensive use of tacrolimus for almost a decade, until recently little was known about the important role that the intestine plays in its metabolism (6). Factors involved in oral drug bioavailability – gastric emptying, pH, interaction with food, absorption parameters of the drug (dissolution, lipophilicity, particle size, active uptake by mucosa), and hepatic extraction as ‘first-pass metabolism’ – have traditionally been important considerations. The contributions of intestinal metabolism and Pglycoprotein (P-gp) to the observed changes in the bioavailability of tacrolimus have recently been investigated and these may play dominant roles (6–10).
Methodological Issues in Psychological Research on Culture

The extent to which methodological tools can help correct the overemphasis on fact finding and speed up the slow theoretical progress in cross-cultural psychology is analyzed. Two types of contributions to the current predicament are delineated. First, cross-cultural psychologists have created their own partis pris. Second, partis pris have been inherited from mainstream psychology. In the future, most cross-cultural studies will be carried out by researchers who have an interest in cultural variations on specific variables or instruments, whereas the group of researchers who spend their professional lives in cross-cultural psychology will remain small but influential. Methodological issues arising in studies by both groups are described. Important trends are (a) the change from exploration to explanation of cross-cultural differences, which has implications for the design of cross-cultural studies; and (b) the so-far-hesitant usage of recently developed statistical techniques, such as item response theory, structural equation modeling, and multilevel modeling.
Schur stability of polytopic systems through positivity analysis of matrix-valued polynomials

This paper is concerned with robust stability of uncertain discrete-time linear systems. The matrix defining the linear system (system matrix) is assumed to depend afflnely on a set of time-invariant unknown parameters lying on a known polytope. Robust stability is investigated by checking whether a certain integer power k of the uncertain system matrix has spectral norm less than one. This peculiar stability test is shown to be equivalent to the positivity of a homogeneous symmetric matrix polynomial with known coefficients and degree indexed by K. A unique feature is that no extra variables need to be added to the problems being solved. Numerical experiments reveal that the value of K needed to test robust stability is mostly independent of the system dimension but grows sharply as the eigenvalues of the uncertain system approach the unit circle. By identifying the proposed stability test with a particular choice of a parameter-dependent Lyapunov function, extra variables can be introduced that can help mitigate such convergence problems for systems of small dimension.
Serious outcomes associated with overdose of medicines containing barbiturates for treatment of insomnia

THE SUICIDE RATE has remained high in Japan during the last two decades. Restriction of access to means is an established suicide prevention strategy, and limitation of prescribing barbiturates was followed by decreased death from those drugs in many countries. However, in Japan, many psychiatrists still prescribe medicines containing barbiturates for treatment of insomnia. For example, a medical compound containing barbiturates was prescribed for 8–15% of patients with schizophrenia in Japan. We found that medicines containing barbiturates were overdosed by a substantial proportion of patients in Japan, and it was associated with serious outcomes. In a survey of all 190 patients (mean age 32.6 ± 0.95 years) who admitted to an emergency department in 1 year due to drug overdose between 2008 and 2009, overdosed medicines were examined by interviewing patients and cohabitants and by urinary triage if conducted. Among 185 patients whose kinds of overdosed drugs were revealed, 29 patients (15.7%) overdosed medicines containing barbiturates. Overdose of such medicines tended to associate with older age (36.8 ± 2.41 years vs 31.6 ± 1.04 years, P = 0.05) and male sex (male 23.8%, female 13.3%, P = 0.10), while it was not associated with psychiatric diagnosis, simultaneous alcohol use, overdose of other antipsychotics, antidepressants, nor anxiolytics (P = 0.79, P = 0.29, P = 0.14, P = 0.11, and P = 0.11, respectively). Overdose of medicines containing barbiturates was associated with an increased death by drug intoxication (n = 2, 6.9%, vs n = 0, 0.0%, P = 0.02). Further, it was associated with increased odds of antibiotics treatment for pneumonia caused by drug intoxication after adjusting for age, sex, and simultaneous overdose of antidepressant and anxiolytics (odds ratio, 4.43; 95% confidence interval, 1.09– 17.96; P = 0.04). This report used the data on a public hospital that covered a wide area of Tokyo (970 000 inhabitants in the catchment area of 96 km), including many psychiatric clinics, thus may reflect a certain trend of prescription of Japanese psychiatrists. Although poisoning of drugs composes less than 5% of all suicide deaths, Japanese psychiatrists should avoid prescription of medicines containing barbiturates for treatment of insomnia. Due to the small number of samples and lack of information, we could not adjust for demographic characteristics and physical comorbidity when examining fatal outcome. It would also be beneficial for other countries to investigate medicines that cause completed suicide due to drug overdose, and give a caution for easy prescription of those medicines. REFERENCES
A systematic review and meta-analysis of the pharmacological treatment of cancer-related fatigue.

BACKGROUND Cancer-related fatigue is an important clinical problem. It is common, distressing, and often difficult to treat. There is a role for drug treatment of cancer-related fatigue, but no consensus has been reached on which drugs are useful. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to review the available evidence and make recommendations for practice and research. METHODS We searched the Cochrane register of controlled trials (through the second quarter 2007), Medline (January 1, 1966, through August 1, 2007), and EMBASE (January 1, 1980, through August 1, 2007) by use of a predetermined list of search terms. Cochrane Collaboration meta-analysis review methodology was used for this study. The change in fatigue score on the instrument used in each study and other outcomes of interest (adverse events and withdrawal rates) were compared between treatment and control arms by use of the standardized mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS We identified 27 eligible trials of drug treatments for cancer-related fatigue (with a total of 6746 participants). The overall effect size for all drug classes was small. A meta-analysis of two studies (n = 264 patients) indicated that methylphenidate (a psychostimulant) was superior to placebo (standardized mean difference [SMD] in change in fatigue score = -0.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.54 to -0.05; P = .02) for treating cancer-related fatigue. A meta-analysis of 10 studies (n = 2226 patients) evaluating erythropoietin in anemic cancer patients who were undergoing chemotherapy indicated that erythropoietin was superior to placebo (SMD = -0.30, 95% CI = -0.46 to -0.29; P = .008). Among anemic patients (four studies with n = 964 patients), improvement in fatigue was associated with darbepoetin treatment compared with placebo treatment (SMD = -0.13, 95% CI = -0.27 to 0.00; P = .05). Progestational steroids and paroxetine were no better than placebo in the treatment of cancer-related fatigue. CONCLUSIONS There is some evidence that treatment of cancer-related fatigue with methylphenidate appears to be effective. More robust evidence indicates that treatment with hematopoietic agents appears to relieve cancer-related fatigue caused by chemotherapy-induced anemia. Further confirmatory trials are required for both observations.
Recombination between satellite RNAs of turnip crinkle virus.

Turnip crinkle virus (TCV) is associated with satellite (sat) RNAs (sat‐RNA D, sat‐RNA F), defective interfering (DI) RNAs (DI RNA G, DI1 RNA), and one RNA with properties of both sat‐RNAs and DI RNAs (sat‐RNA C). When plants were inoculated with TCV, sat‐RNA D and in vitro sat‐RNA C transcripts containing non‐viable mutations in the 5′ domain, recombinant sat‐RNAs were recovered. These recombinants were composed of sat‐RNA D at the 5′ end and sat‐RNA C sequences at the 3′ end. Analysis of 20 independent recombination junctions revealed that unequal crossing‐over had occurred in planta in a region of sequence similarity between the two sat‐RNAs which resulted in the duplication of 3‐16 nucleotides. Thirty percent of the sat‐RNA recombinants also had one to three additional nucleotides inserted at the crossover junctions which did not correspond to either sat‐RNA C or sat‐RNA D sequence. The right side of the recombination junctions always began with one of three consecutive nucleotides of sat‐RNA C. Based on the similarity between this sequence of sat‐RNA C, the right side junction of DI RNA G and the 5′ end of TCV, as well as the sequence similarity between right side junctions of DI1 RNA and sat‐RNA C and the 5′ end of the sat‐RNAs, a replicase‐driven copy choice mechanism is proposed. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Pre‐pregnancy body mass index and weight gain during pregnancy in relation to preterm delivery subtypes

Background. Associations between preterm delivery (PTD) and pre‐pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and pregnancy weight gain may differ across outcome subtypes. Methods. The authors analyzed data from 2,468 cohort participants in western Washington State, USA (1996–2005) and examined pre‐pregnancy BMI and weight gain rate from pre‐pregnancy to 18–22 weeks’ gestation in relation to spontaneous PTD after preterm labor, spontaneous PTD after preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM), and indicated PTD. Results. Each 5kg/m2 BMI increase was associated with indicated PTD (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.40–2.06). The association weakened somewhat after adjustment for hypertension and diabetes before and/or during pregnancy (5kg/m2 adjusted OR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.12–1.75). Associations with spontaneous PTD and PPROM were weaker (5kg/m2 adjusted ORs, 0.90 and 1.14, respectively). Weight gain was associated with indicated delivery among women with normal BMI (0.1kg/week adjusted OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.02–1.45) but not among overweight or obese women (adjusted OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 0.87–1.20). Weight gain was inversely associated with spontaneous PTD (0.1kg/week adjusted OR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.77–0.99) and not strongly associated with PPROM (adjusted OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.90–1.17). Conclusions. Pre‐pregnancy overweight increases indicated PTD risk independently of hypertension and diabetes. High early pregnancy weight gain increases indicated PTD risk in women with a normal BMI.