Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sex Offenses Perpetrated Against Older Adults: A Multivariate Analysis of Crime Scene Behaviors

The aim of this study was to thematically explore the relationship between crime scene behaviors and background characteristics of offenders who commit sexual offenses against female victims aged 60 years or more. Research and understanding of offense behaviors in this area is extremely limited; therefore, the study sought to provide a preliminary understanding and multivariate model of offense behaviors in cases where older female adults were sexually abused. Twenty-seven crime scene behaviors from 143 rape or attempted rape cases of an older adult victim were analyzed; frequency data were computed to provide base rate information, and Smallest Space Analysis provided a visual representation of the co-occurrence of crime scene behaviors. Three distinct dominant themes were identified, in which 56% of offenses displayed themes of Involvement (22%), Control (17%), and Hostility (16%). The relationship between each dominant theme and selected background characteristics was then analyzed. For example, offenders displaying an Involvement theme were found to be significantly less likely to have prior convictions. Significance was also found in the relationship between dominant themes and a “theft and kindred offence other” preconviction background characteristic. The findings demonstrate offending behavior can be separated into three distinct themes, providing an explanation of offender subtypes and supporting previous models found in other types of sexual offending. Applications for law enforcement agencies regarding identified themes and links with likely offender background characteristics are highlighted. Limitations and future research avenues are discussed.
Fibroblast growth factor inducible 14 signaling facilitates anti‐dsDNA IgG penetration into mesangial cells

Anti‐double‐stranded DNA (dsDNA) antibodies induce renal damage in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus by triggering fibrotic processes in kidney cells. However, the precise mechanism underlying penetration of anti‐dsDNA immunoglubolin G (IgG) into cells remains unclear. This study was designed to investigate the effect of tumor necrosis factor‐like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK)/fibroblast growth factor inducible 14 (Fn14) signaling on anti‐dsDNA IgG penetration into cells. Mesangial cells were cultured in vitro, and stimulated with TWEAK and anti‐dsDNA IgG. The results revealed that TWEAK dose‐dependently enhanced cellular internalization of anti‐dsDNA IgG and the expression of high‐mobility group box 1 (HMGB1). In addition, TWEAK and anti‐dsDNA IgG synthetically downregulate suppressor of cytokine signaling 1, and induce the expression of various fibrotic factors. Furthermore, inhibition of HMGB1 attenuates the enhancement effect of TWEAK on anti‐dsDNA IgG internalization. The TWEAK upregulation of HMGB1 involves the nuclear factor‐κB and phosphatidylinositide 3‐kinase/protein kinase B pathways. Therefore, TWEAK/Fn14 signaling contributes to the penetration of anti‐dsDNA IgG and relevant fibrotic processes in mesangial cells.
Development and validation a task-specific checklist for a microsurgical varicocelectomy simulation model

ABSTRACT Purpose: To develop and validate a new test of specific technical skills required for microsurgical varicocelectomy. Materials and Methods: An electronic questionnaire was sent to 558 members of the Brazilian Society of Urology for the validation of the task-specific checklist (TSC) for assessment of microsurgical varicocelectomy. Participants who had experience in this procedure were selected as judges. For construct validation, 12 participants including attending urologists and urological residents in training were recruited for voluntary participation. We formed a group of three experts and a group of nine novices, who had to perform the steps of microsurgical varicocelectomy on a simulation model using human placenta. Each participant was filmed and two blinded raters would then evaluate their performance using the TSC of microsurgical varicocelectomy. Results: 14 judges were recruited. The assessment tool was reformulated, according to the judges suggestions and had the content validity achieved. The final version of the TSC was comprised of the task-specific score, a series of 4 items scored in a binary fashion designed for microscopic sub-inguinal varicocelectomy. The differences between the performance of participants with different levels of experience reflected the construct validity. The reliability between the raters was high. The mean time required to complete the training of microsurgical varicocelectomy in simulation model was significantly shorter for experts compared to novices (201 vs. 496 seconds, p=0.01). Conclusions: This preliminary study suggests that the task-specific checklist of microsurgical varicocelectomy is reliable and valid in assessing microsurgical skills.
The Relationship between Vitamin D Levels and Iron Deficiency and Anemia in Adults Applied for Periodic Medical Examination.

BACKGROUND Anemia and vitamin D deficiency are two important public health issues that may accompany many acute and chronic diseases. Several studies conducted in recent years have suggested that vitamin D deficiency is associated with anemia in healthy and patient populations. The aim of the study is to investigate the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and anemia. METHODS The data of 9,590 adults aged 18 - 64, who applied for periodic medical examination to family medicine polyclinics of a training hospital between 2016 and 2018, were evaluated retrospectively. Individuals were classified into three groups as iron deficiency, iron deficiency anemia, and anemia; and 25 hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D) levels were classified into three groups as deficiency, insufficiency, and sufficiency. The groups were compared with respect to study parameters. RESULTS Of the participants, 2,395 were male (25.0%) (mean age = 43.75 ± 13.43) and 7,195 (75.0%) were female (mean age = 42.93 ± 12.85). The number of anemic patients was 1,470 (15.3%) while the number of patients having no symptoms of anemia was 8,120 (84.7%). Serum hemoglobin (Hgb), iron, and ferritin levels were found to be significantly lower in the group with 25(OH)D deficiency than in the group of those with no deficiency. The mean 25(OH)D levels were observed to be significantly lower in those having anemia (17.4 ng/mL) than in those who do not (20.2 ng/mL), in those having iron deficiency (18.2 ng/mL) than in those who do not (20.5 ng/mL), and in those having iron deficiency anemia (16.6 ng/mL) than in those who do not (20.1 ng/mL) (all p-values are < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The findings of this large study population, who live in a Mediterranean city which is sunny for 300 days of the year, indicate that 25(OH)D deficiency is significantly associated with iron deficiency and/or anemia.
Division without Binary Fission: Cell Division in the FtsZ-Less Chlamydia

Chlamydia is an obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen that has significantly reduced its genome size in adapting to its intracellular niche. Among the genes that Chlamydia has eliminated is ftsZ, encoding the central organizer of cell division that directs cell wall synthesis in the division septum. These Gram-negative pathogens have cell envelopes that lack peptidoglycan (PG), yet they use PG for cell division purposes. Recent research into chlamydial PG synthesis, components of the chlamydial divisome, and the mechanism of chlamydial division have significantly advanced our understanding of these processes in a unique and important pathogen. ABSTRACT Chlamydia is an obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen that has significantly reduced its genome size in adapting to its intracellular niche. Among the genes that Chlamydia has eliminated is ftsZ, encoding the central organizer of cell division that directs cell wall synthesis in the division septum. These Gram-negative pathogens have cell envelopes that lack peptidoglycan (PG), yet they use PG for cell division purposes. Recent research into chlamydial PG synthesis, components of the chlamydial divisome, and the mechanism of chlamydial division have significantly advanced our understanding of these processes in a unique and important pathogen. For example, it has been definitively confirmed that chlamydiae synthesize a canonical PG structure during cell division. Various studies have suggested and provided evidence that Chlamydia uses MreB to substitute for FtsZ in organizing and coordinating the divisome during division, components of which have been identified and characterized. Finally, as opposed to using an FtsZ-dependent binary fission process, Chlamydia employs an MreB-dependent polarized budding process to divide. A brief historical context for these key advances is presented along with a discussion of the current state of knowledge of chlamydial cell division.
Efficiency of noninvasive prenatal testing for the detection of fetal microdeletions and microduplications in autosomal chromosomes

Noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) is commonly used to screen for fetal genetic abnormalities. However, the ability of NIPT to detect copy number variations (CNVs) has not been reported. Accordingly, in this study, we analyzed the efficiency of NIPT for the detection of fetal autosomal CNVs.
Selective Pe-ripheral Taste Dysfunction in APP/PS1 Mutant Transgenic Mice.

BACKGROUND Previous studies indicate that taste dysfunction occurs early in the development of Alzheimer's disease. It is debatable whether the deficit in taste is due primarily to peripheral sensory mechanisms or to central processing, or a combination of the two. OBJECTIVE The aim of our current study is to combine behavior and histological data in APP/PS1 transgenic mice to determine whether APP/PS1 transgenic mice show deficits in unconditioned taste preference and avoidance behaviors and whether taste impairments are due to defects in the peripheral taste system and/or problems with central processing of taste information. METHODS The APP/PS1 transgenic mutant mice were used as a model of Alzheimer's disease. We employed a brief-access gustometer test to assess immediate orosensory taste responses of APP/PS1 mice. We used immunohistochemistry to examine tongue, gustatory ganglion, and brain tissues to determine a cytological basis for behavioral deficits. RESULTS There is a significant, selective reduction of bitter taste sensitivity in APP/PS1 mice. These mice also have a loss of TRPM5-expressing taste receptor cells in the circumvallate papillae of the tongue. While we observed no overt loss of neuron cell bodies within the primary gustatory sensory neurons, degeneration of the neurons' peripheral axons innervating the taste bud may play a role in the observed loss of TRPM5-expressing taste receptor cells. CONCLUSION This data supports a potential role for peripheral taste dysfunction in AD through the selective loss of taste receptor cells. Further study is necessary to delineate the mechanisms and pathological significance of this deficit in AD.
Diagnostic Classification for Human Autism and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Based on Machine Learning From a Primate Genetic Model.

OBJECTIVE Psychiatric disorders commonly comprise comorbid symptoms, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), raising controversies over accurate diagnosis and overlap of their neural underpinnings. The authors used noninvasive neuroimaging in humans and nonhuman primates to identify neural markers associated with DSM-5 diagnoses and quantitative measures of symptom severity. METHODS Resting-state functional connectivity data obtained from both wild-type and methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2) transgenic monkeys were used to construct monkey-derived classifiers for diagnostic classification in four human data sets (ASD: Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange [ABIDE-I], N=1,112; ABIDE-II, N=1,114; ADHD-200 sample: N=776; OCD local institutional database: N=186). Stepwise linear regression models were applied to examine associations between functional connections of monkey-derived classifiers and dimensional symptom severity of psychiatric disorders. RESULTS Nine core regions prominently distributed in frontal and temporal cortices were identified in monkeys and used as seeds to construct the monkey-derived classifier that informed diagnostic classification in human autism. This same set of core regions was useful for diagnostic classification in the OCD cohort but not the ADHD cohort. Models based on functional connections of the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex with the left thalamus and right prefrontal polar cortex predicted communication scores of ASD patients and compulsivity scores of OCD patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The identified core regions may serve as a basis for building markers for ASD and OCD diagnoses, as well as measures of symptom severity. These findings may inform future development of machine-learning models for psychiatric disorders and may improve the accuracy and speed of clinical assessments.
Factors Affecting Job Satisfaction among Acute Care Nurses Working in Rural and Urban Settings.

AIMS To a) identify the differences and similarities in the extrinsic and intrinsic factors that influence job satisfaction among nurses in urban and rural Ontario; and b) determine the impact of job satisfaction on nurses' turnover intention among nurses working in rural and urban settings in Ontario. DESIGN Cross-sectional correlational design was used for this study. METHODS Data were collected between May 2019 - July 2019 in southern Ontario. A total of 349 participants completed the Acute Care Nurses Job Satisfaction Scale and The Anticipated Turnover Scale. A stratified sampling technique was used for recruiting the sample population and participants were given the option to respond either online or by mailed survey. RESULTS There was no significant difference between rural and urban nurses in either overall job satisfaction level or turnover intention. Peer support/work conditions, quality of supervision and achievement/job interest/responsibility were significant predictors of job satisfaction. There was a significant difference between rural and urban nurses in terms of satisfaction from benefits and job security and the nurses' job satisfaction levels correlated negatively with their turnover intention. CONCLUSION Several extrinsic and intrinsic factors are associated with nurses' job satisfaction in rural and urban settings. Developing strategies that improve satisfaction by modulating these specific factors may improve nurses' job satisfaction and reduce turnover. IMPACT This study discussed how working in a rural or urban hospital may affect nurses' job satisfaction and turnover intention. The findings can help in improving nurses' job satisfaction and inform workforce planning to increase nurses' retention.
Curation of cancer hallmark-based genes and pathways for in silico characterization of chemical carcinogenesis

Abstract Exposure to toxic substances in the environment is one of the most important causes of cancer. However, the time-consuming process for the identification and characterization of carcinogens is not applicable to a huge amount of testing chemicals. The data gaps make the carcinogenic risk uncontrollable. An efficient and effective way of prioritizing chemicals of carcinogenic concern with interpretable mechanism information is highly desirable. This study presents a curation work for genes and pathways associated with 11 hallmarks of cancer (HOCs) reported by the Halifax Project. To demonstrate the usefulness of the curated HOC data, the interacting HOC genes and affected HOC pathways of chemicals of the three carcinogen lists from IARC, NTP and EPA were analyzed using the in silico toxicogenomics ChemDIS system. Results showed that a higher number of affected HOCs were observed for known carcinogens than the other chemicals. The curated HOC data is expected to be useful for prioritizing chemicals of carcinogenic concern. Database URL: The HOC database is available at https://github.com/hocdb-KMU-TMU/hocdb and the website of Database journal as Supplementary Data.
Clinical Progression of Parkinson's Disease: Insights from the NINDS Common Data Elements.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE To synchronize data collection, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) recommended Common Data Elements (CDEs) for use in Parkinson's disease (PD) research. This study delineated the progression patterns of these CDEs in a cohort of PD patients. METHODS One hundred-twenty-five PD patients participated in the PD Biomarker Program (PDBP) at Penn State. CDEs, including MDS-Unified PD Rating Scales (UPDRS)-total, questionnaire-based non-motor (-I) and motor (-II), and rater-based motor (-III) subscales; Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA); Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS); University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT); and PD Questionnaire (PDQ-39) were obtained at baseline and three annual follow-ups. Annual change was delineated for PD or subgroups [early = PDE, disease duration (DD) <1 y; middle = PDM, DD = 1-5 y; and late = PDL, DD > 5 y] using mixed effects model analyses. RESULTS UPDRS-total, -II, and PDQ-39 scores increased significantly, and UPSIT decreased, whereas UPDRS-I, -III, MoCA, and HDRS did not change, over 36 months in the overall PD cohort. In the PDE subgroup, UPDRS-II increased and UPSIT decreased significantly, whereas MoCA and UPSIT decreased significantly in the PDM subgroup. In the PDL subgroup, UPDRS-II and PDQ-39 increased significantly. Other metrics within each individual subgroup did not change. Sensitivity analyses using subjects with complete data confirmed these findings. CONCLUSION Among CDEs, UPDRS-total, -II, PDQ-39, and UPSIT all are sensitive metrics to track PD progression. Subgroup analyses revealed that these CDEs have distinct stage-dependent sensitivities, with UPSIT for DD < 5 y, PDQ-39 for DD > 5 y, UPDRS-II for early (DD < 1) or later stages (DD > 5).
A randomized controlled study of weighted chain blankets for insomnia in psychiatric disorders.

STUDY OBJECTIVES This study aimed to evaluate the effect of weighted chain blankets on insomnia and sleep-related daytime symptoms for patients with major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS One hundred twenty patients were randomized (1:1) to either a weighted metal chain blanket or a light plastic chain blanket for four weeks. The outcome was evaluated using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) as primary outcome measure and the Day and Night Diaries (DND), Fatigue Symptom Inventory (FSI), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) as secondary outcome measures. Sleep and daytime activity levels were evaluated by wrist actigraphy. RESULTS At four weeks, there was a significant advantage in ISI-ratings of the weighted blanket intervention over the light blanket (p<0.001) with a large effect size (Cohen´s d 1.90). The intervention by the weighted blanket resulted in a significantly better sleep-maintenance, a higher daytime activity level and reduced daytime symptoms of fatigue, depression and anxiety. No serious adverse events occurred. During a 12 months open follow up phase of the study, participants continuing using weighted blankets maintained the effect on sleep, while patients switching from a light to a weighted blanket got a similar effect on ISI-ratings as participants using the weighted blanket from the beginning. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that weighted chain blankets are an effective and safe intervention for insomnia in patients with Major depressive disorder, Bipolar disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, or ADHD, also improving daytime symptoms and levels of activity.
Investigating the impact of the phosphorylation status of tyrosine residues within the TACC domain of TACC3 on microtubule behavior during axon growth and guidance

Axon guidance is a critical process in forming the connections between a neuron and its target. The growth cone steers the growing axon toward the appropriate direction by integrating extracellular guidance cues and initiating intracellular signal transduction pathways downstream of these cues. The growth cone generates these responses by remodeling its cytoskeletal components. Regulation of microtubule dynamics within the growth cone is important for making guidance decisions. TACC3, as a microtubule plus‐end binding (EB) protein, modulates microtubule dynamics during axon outgrowth and guidance. We have previously shown that Xenopus laevis embryos depleted of TACC3 displayed spinal cord axon guidance defects, while TACC3‐overexpressing spinal neurons showed increased resistance to Slit2‐induced growth cone collapse. Tyrosine kinases play an important role in relaying guidance signals to downstream targets during pathfinding events via inducing tyrosine phosphorylation. Here, in order to investigate the mechanism behind TACC3‐mediated axon guidance, we examined whether tyrosine residues that are present in TACC3 have any role in regulating TACC3's interaction with microtubules or during axon outgrowth and guidance behaviors. We find that the phosphorylatable tyrosines within the TACC domain are important for the microtubule plus‐end tracking behavior of TACC3. Moreover, TACC domain phosphorylation impacts axon outgrowth dynamics such as growth length and growth persistency. Together, our results suggest that tyrosine phosphorylation of TACC3 affects TACC3's microtubule plus‐end tracking behavior as well as its ability to mediate axon growth dynamics in cultured embryonic neural tube explants.
Mechanisms of organ transplant injury mediated by B cells and antibodies: Implications for antibody‐mediated rejection

Recent adjustments to the histological diagnosis and the introduction of molecular classification are providing renewed support for the paradigm that antibody‐mediated rejection (ABMR) is an important clinical problem for which there is an urgent need for better therapies. Acute ABMR is observed when the graft is exposed to rapid increases in high‐titer donor‐specific antibodies (DSA) that are most often generated as anamnestic responses in sensitized recipients or de novo responses in nonsensitized patients who are nonadherent. Chronic ABMR is associated with slower increases in DSA, which may be high or low titer and transient or persistent. These DSA elicit cycles of injury and repair that manifest as multilamination of the peritubular capillary basement membrane or arteriopathy manifesting as intimal fibrosis. Mitigating the problem of AMBR requires the anamnestic and de novo DSA responses to be prevented and established DSA responses to be reversed. To this end, a better understanding of the immunobiology of DSA production is necessary and also the development of assays capable of detecting early humoral immune responses.Recent advances in understanding the immunobiology of B cells and areas requiring further investigation that might lead to new therapies or better diagnosis are discussed in this review.