Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intake of purine-rich foods, protein, and dairy products and relationship to serum levels of uric acid: the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

OBJECTIVE Various commonly consumed foods have long been suspected of affecting the serum uric acid level, but few data are available to support or refute this impression. Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between dietary factors and serum uric acid levels in a nationally representative sample of men and women in the US. METHODS Using data from 14,809 participants (6,932 men and 7,877 women) ages 20 years and older in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (for the years 1988-1994), we examined the relationship between the intake of purine-rich foods, protein, and dairy products and serum levels of uric acid. Diet was assessed with a food-frequency questionnaire. We used multivariate linear regression to adjust for age, sex, total energy intake, body mass index, use of diuretics, beta-blockers, allopurinol, and uricosuric agents, self-reported hypertension and gout, serum creatinine level, and intake of alcohol. RESULTS The serum uric acid level increased with increasing total meat or seafood intake and decreased with increasing dairy intake. After adjusting for age, the differences in uric acid levels between the extreme quintiles of intake were 0.48 mg/dl for total meat (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.34, 0.61; P < 0.001 for trend), 0.16 mg/dl for seafood (95% CI 0.06, 0.27; P = 0.005 for trend), and -0.21 mg/dl for total dairy intake (95% CI -0.37, -0.04; P = 0.02 for trend). After adjusting for other covariates, the differences between the extreme quintiles were attenuated but remained significant (P < 0.05 for all comparisons). The total protein intake was not associated with the serum uric acid level in multivariate analyses (P = 0.74 for trend). Those who consumed milk 1 or more times per day had a lower serum uric acid level than did those who did not drink milk (multivariate difference -0.25 [95% CI -0.40, -0.09]; P < 0.001 for trend). Similarly, those who consumed yogurt at least once every other day had a lower serum uric acid level than did those who did not consume yogurt (multivariate difference -0.26 [95% CI -0.41, -0.12]; P < 0.001 for trend). CONCLUSION These findings from a nationally representative sample of adults in the US suggest that higher levels of meat and seafood consumption are associated with higher serum levels of uric acid but that total protein intake is not. Dairy consumption was inversely associated with the serum uric acid level.
Beliefs About Breast Cancer and Help-Seeking Intentions for the Disease Among Women in India

Breast cancer is the most frequently occurring malignancy among women in India, however, the recorded stage distribution at presentation in India is less favorable than in Europe. Health beliefs are important in help-seeking for potential symptoms of disease, which may be particularly important among women who do not have access to breast screening programs. The purpose of this study was to examine Indian women's beliefs about breast cancer and help-seeking for the disease and how these beliefs related to their intentions to seek help for a symptom of breast cancer. Furthermore, the study aimed to examine differences in the beliefs of urban- and rural-based women. Of 800 women, 685 were recruited in Allahabad in Northern India (response rate 86%). The women completed a questionnaire examining beliefs about breast cancer and help-seeking. One in four women reported that they would delay seeking help for at least one month following the discovery of a symptom of breast cancer. Rural respondents held more negative beliefs about breast cancer and were also more likely to report less positive attitudes toward help-seeking and a belief that they would be discouraged from seeking help. The findings of the study provide suggestions for the targeting of an intervention aimed at improving early detection and help-seeking for breast cancer symptoms. This may be of particular importance in India where a breast cancer screening program does not currently exist and is being debated.
Left-behind elderly: shouldering a disproportionate share of production and reproduction in supporting China’s industrial development

Since the 1980s, China has undergone rapid industrialization, urbanization and marketization to accelerate economic growth and integration into the global market. Reform in rural areas dismantled the collective economy, endorsed a Household Responsibility System and restored family farming. Rural economic reform and the relaxation of the household registration system (hukou) have allowed the youngest and most dynamic laborers in rural areas to migrate into cities. They work in cities with the primary objective of earning cash income to support their families in the increasingly commoditized countryside, as well as to experience modern life in China’s increasingly globalized cities. The large-scale movement of laborers from rural to urban areas started in the 1990s, and continues to this day (Pan, Lu, and Zhang 2012; He and Ye 2014). The employment of peasant workers in China continues to expand and reached 274 million in 2014, with 168 million migrant peasant workers and 106 in situ peasant workers (National Bureau of Statistics, 2015). According to estimates from the National Population and Family Planning Commission in 2009, there will be 500 million inhabitants in cities, 500 million in the countryside and 500 million floating between rural and urban areas in 30 years’ time (Lv 2009). The millions of peasant workers living in cities retain the right to their farm land at home, although the plots are generally far too small to meet their basic livelihood needs. However these migrant workers have never obtained the full institutional and social recognition of urban citizen workers (Sun 2003; Chen 2005; Zhao 2007) and have been assigned a special social category in between ‘peasant’ and ‘citizen’, labeled ‘peasant workers’ (nongmingong) (Chen 2005). For most of them, urban areas are merely workplaces, not homes, largely because rural and urban areas have long been segregated, with separate economic and social structures. Individuals are registered as either rural or urban residents, and have access to different social security systems. The work and life of migrants can be characterized as marginal, transitory and precarious (Fu 2006; Ren and Pan 2007). Their
Viewpoint: How Do Calcimimetics Fit Into the Management of Parathyroid Hormone, Calcium, and Phosphate Disturbances in Dialysis Patients?

As suggested by its American brand name (Sensipar), the calcimimetic cinacalcet sensitizes the parathyroid cells to the extracellular calcium signal, suppressing parathyroid hormone (PTH) release and synthesis and preventing parathyroid cell proliferation. This primary PTH suppression decreases the release of calcium and phosphate from bone without increasing intestinal absorption of calcium and phosphate. Therefore cinacalcet decreases the risk of hypercalcemia and hyperphosphatemia in contrast to 1α‐OH vitamin D derivatives. Compared with calcium‐containing oral phosphate binder (OPB), it increases the risk of hypocalcemia and may decrease the PTH‐mediated phosphaturia in predialysis patients. This justifies its combined use with calcium‐containing OPB in order to prevent hypocalcemia and enhance the hypophosphatemic effect of the latter, while improving PTH suppression. The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (K/DOQI) has recommended restriction of supplemental elemental calcium to 1.5 g/day, a recommendation that we believe should be revised. No pathophysiologic or randomized trial data have yet evidenced the absolute necessity for systematically using 1α‐OH vitamin D derivatives and noncalcium‐containing OPB rather than higher doses of calcium‐containing OPB alone in uremic patients without vitamin D insufficiency. In patients with hyperparathyroidism as severe as in the “Treat to Goal Study,” the Durham study showed that a calcium carbonate dose more than three times the K/DOQI limit could decrease PTH into the recommended range, with the advantage of a lower calcium‐phosphate product compared with the combination of calcitriol and noncalcium OPB. Besides the efficient PTH suppression associated with lower calcium‐phosphate product and a good gastrointestinal tolerance, long‐term data suggest that cinacalcet may decrease the risk of parathyroidectomy and fracture, while high bone turnover lesions are improved. However, no long‐term data on bone mineral density and cardiovascular calcification and complications are yet available. Such studies, along with those comparing cinacalcet and 1α‐OH vitamin D‐based approaches to hyperparathyroidism, are needed.
Development of Mobile Application about Boutique Courses Based on Cross-Platform Software

With rapid developments of intelligent mobile devices, wireless networks and educational technology, mobile learning education is becoming increasingly popular and overwhelmingly affects people's learning styles and concepts. More and more mobile learning software appear in response to the demand. In the field of higher education, we are inevitably under pressure to transplant the platform of boutique courses to provide more convenient on mobile devices. But current designs are mainly designed for PC users, it is more difficult to transplant for mobile phones, tablets and other mobile devices. In addition, resources in the platform of the excellent course are not conducive to the informal learners in a short time. Based on above challenges, we attempt under the guidance of micro-class theory and design a platform based on Goo Station cross-platform software which is suitable for students to study micro video format resources according to knowledge points of quality courses by means of mobile devices. Our main purpose is both to reduce the development efficiency of multiple platform and to simplify the function of the platform. Finally, results of demo test demonstrate that our proposed design concept.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Sphingosine Kinase Modulation in Inflammatory Arthritis1

Sphingosine kinase (SphK) is a key enzyme in the sphingolipid metabolic pathway responsible for phosphorylating sphingosine into sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P). SphK/S1P play a critical role in angiogenesis, inflammation, and various pathologic conditions. Recently, S1P1 receptor was found to be expressed in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovium, and S1P signaling via S1P1 enhances synoviocyte proliferation, COX-2 expression, and prostaglandin E2 production. Here, we examined the role of SphK/S1P in RA using a potent SphK inhibitor, N,N-dimethylsphingosine (DMS), and a molecular approach against one of its isoenzymes, SphK1. We observed that levels of S1P in the synovial fluid of RA patients were significantly higher than those of osteoarthritis patients. Additionally, DMS significantly reduced the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, MCP-1, and MMP-9 in cell-contact assays using both Jurkat-U937 cells and RA PBMCs. In a murine collagen-induced arthritis model, i.p. administration of DMS significantly inhibited disease severity and reduced articular inflammation and joint destruction. Treatment of DMS also down-regulated serum levels IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ, S1P, and IgG1 and IgG2a anti-collagen Ab. Furthermore, DMS-treated mice also displayed suppressed proinflammatory cytokine production in response to type II collagen in vitro. Moreover, similar reduction in incidence and disease activity was observed in mice treated with SphK1 knock-down via small interfering RNA approach. Together, these results demonstrate SphK modulation may provide a novel approach in treating chronic autoimmune conditions such as RA by inhibiting the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Differences in oral health behaviour between children from high and children from low SES schools in The Netherlands.

OBJECTIVE To identify the determinants of dental caries in relation to socio-economic status (SES) within oral health, children's eating habits and parental attitudes towards oral health. BASIC RESEARCH DESIGN Dental screening data were collected from 6- and 10-year-old schoolchildren from low and high SES schools in The Netherlands in this cross-sectional study. METHODS The clinical examination was performed by trained dental hygiene students who collected the data on dental caries, dental plaque and duration of brushing. The paper questionnaire completed by the parents included 18 questions about oral health behaviour, eating habits and parental attitudes towards oral health. RESULTS Two of the six parameters of oral health behaviour were statistically associated with the high caries prevalence in the low SES group (brushing frequency (p = 0.028) and age at the first visit to the dentist (p = 0.044)). High intake of fruit juices and/or soft drinks (p = 0.043) and low calcium intake (p = 0.028) were identified as risk determinants for caries with low SES. All parameters of parental attitudes towards oral health were associated with caries, but not with SES. CONCLUSIONS This study confirmed that the high caries prevalence in children from low SES schools was associated with oral health behaviour and eating habits. The role of parents was indirectly associated with the occurrence of dental caries. Therefore, it is important to include parents in all intervention programmes in order to reduce the prevalence of caries.
A Temperature Compensation Circuit for Thermal Flow Sensors Operated in Constant-Temperature-Difference Mode

This paper presents a new temperature compensation technique for thermal flow sensors that are operated in a constant-temperature-difference (CTD) mode by means of a simple analog circuit. The resistive heater of a thermal flow sensor is maintained at a constant temperature some tens of Kelvins above fluid temperature with the help of a Wheatstone bridge circuit. In case of a change in media temperature, an adjustment of the heater temperature is necessary; otherwise, the temperature difference falls/rises with respect to the temperature change, and the sensor output signal deviates from its calibration. Temperature compensation can be performed by the use of an additional resistive temperature sensor. The circuit design presented here includes a potentiometer that is capable of changing the resistance of the temperature sensor and its temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) for an easy adjustment for temperature compensation. This gives the freedom to use any material such as platinum, aluminum, or, in our case, an alloy of tungsten and titanium (WTi) for the temperature sensor, regardless of its resistance value and TCR with respect to the heater of a thermal flow sensor.
Direct evidence for clonal destruction of allo-reactive T cells in the mice treated with cyclophosphamide after allo-priming.

It has previously been reported that a single i.p. injection of 200 mg/kg cyclophosphamide (CP) 2 days after priming with 10(8) donor spleen cells (SC) leads to donor-specific skin allograft tolerance in H-2 compatible, multiminor antigen incompatible murine strain combinations. It is speculated that the i.v. injection of donor cells may result in synchronized proliferation of donor-reactive host T cells and subsequently administered CP may specifically destroy these proliferating T cells in the periphery. Although this unique action of CP is considered to be a principal mechanism in this method, direct evidence has not yet been obtained. In the present article, this in vivo destructive effect of CP is clearly demonstrated by assessing detailed kinetics of host-derived blastoid T cells and donor (Mls-1a)-reactive V beta 6+ T cells in the model system of C3H mice rendered tolerant to AKR. Frequencies of the blastoid cells and V beta 6+ cells, which increased as a result of AKR priming, decreased rapidly with the administration of CP. C3H mice, which received AKR SC alone, also exhibited partial deletion of V beta 6+ T cells, but both tempo and magnitude of decrease in the frequency of V beta 6+ cells were quite different from those of the C3H mice given AKR SC and CP, which showed more rapid and profound elimination of V beta 6+ T cells. In accordance with these kinetic studies, in vitro proliferative response to Mls-1a antigens was greatly impaired in mice treated with SC and CP, whereas a low but appreciable response was detected in mice given SC alone. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Emergency department surveillance as a proxy for the prediction of circulating respiratory viral disease in Eastern Ontario.

BACKGROUND Seasonal outbreaks of winter respiratory viruses are responsible for increases in morbidity and mortality in the community. Previous studies have used hospitalizations, intensive care unit and emergency department (ED) visits as indicators of seasonal influenza incidence. OBJECTIVES To evaluate whether ED visits can be used as a proxy to detect respiratory viral disease outbreaks, as measured by laboratory confirmation. METHODS An Emergency Department Syndromic Surveillance system was used to collect ED chief complaints in Eastern Ontario from 2006 to 2010. Comparable laboratory-confirmed cases of respiratory viral infections were collected from the Public Health Ontario Laboratory in Kingston, Ontario. Correlations between ED visits and laboratory-confirmed cases were calculated. RESULTS Laboratory-confirmed cases of selected respiratory viruses were significantly correlated with ED visits for respiratory and fever/influenza-like illness. In particular, respiratory syncytial virus (Spearman's rho = 0.593), rhinovirus (Spearman's rho = 0.280), influenza A (Spearman's rho = 0.528), influenza B (Spearman's rho = 0.426) and pH1N1 (Spearman's rho = 0.470) increased laboratory test levels were correlated with increased volume of ED visits across a number of age demographics. For the entire study population and all studied viruses, the Spearman's rho was 0.702, suggesting a strong correlation with ED visits. Laboratory-confirmed cases lagged in reporting by between one and two weeks for influenza A and pH1N1 compared with ED visit volume. CONCLUSION These findings support the use of an Emergency Department Syndromic Surveillance system to track the incidence of respiratory viral disease in the community. These methods are efficient and can be performed using automated electronic data entry versus the inherent delays in the primary care sentinel surveillance system, and can aid the timely implementation of preventive and preparatory health interventions.
Central nervous system cytokine gene expression: Modulation by lead

The environmental heavy metal toxicant, lead (Pb) has been shown to be more harmful to the central nervous system (CNS) of children than to adults, given that Pb exposure affects the neural system during development. Because growth factors and cytokines play very important roles in development of the CNS, we have examined the impact of Pb exposure on the expression of cytokines during CNS development. Cytokine expression was studied in post‐natal‐day 21 (pnd21) mice by microarray, real‐time RT‐PCR, Luminex, and ELISA methodologies. BALB/c mouse pups were exposed to Pb through the dam's drinking water (0.1 mM Pb acetate), from gestation‐day 8 (gd8) to pnd21. Two cytokines, interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1), displayed significantly changed transcript levels in the presence of Pb. IL‐6 and TGF‐β1 both have signal transduction cascades that can cooperatively turn on the gene for the astrocyte marker glial‐fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Microarray results indicated that Pb exposure significantly increased expression of GFAP. Pb also modulated IL‐6, TGF‐β1, and IL‐18 protein expression in select brain regions. The deleterious effects of Pb on learning and long‐term memory are posited to result from excessive astrocyte growth and/or activation with concomitant interference with neural connections. Differential neural expression of cytokines in brain regions needs to be further investigated to mechanistically associate Pb and neuroinflammation with behavioral and cognitive changes. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 25:41–54 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/jbt.20358
Teacher-Perceived Adequacy of Tools and Equipment Available to Teach Agricultural Mechanics.

Agricultural mechanics is an important component of a well-rounded school-based agricultural education (SBAE) program. Within agricultural mechanics courses lies a plethora of topics and skills to be covered. Adequate tools and equipment are vital in preparing students to fill an expanding, 21st century workforce. The issue of inadequate teaching materials has been well documented throughout the entire educational system, and such inadequacies may leave gaps in students’ ability to become proficient within agricultural mechanics. A paper-based questionnaire was distributed to all teachers in attendance at the Iowa teachers’ conference. This descriptive study sought to identify teacher-perceived adequacy of available tools and equipment to teach agricultural mechanics in Iowa. The researchers found that many agricultural education teachers in Iowa are ill-equipped to teach many concepts within agricultural mechanics due to a reported lack of adequate tools and equipment. Agricultural education teachers in SBAE programs should ensure adequate tools and equipment to meet curricular and industry standards. It is recommended to examine purchasing decisions of tools for inclusion in the agricultural mechanics laboratory as well.
Molecular analysis of major histocompatibility complex allelic associations with systemic lupus erythematosus in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the association of HLA class II alleles/haplotypes, type I C2 deficiency gene, and tumor necrosis factor a gene promoter allele (TNF2) with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the Chinese population in Taiwan. METHODS The HLA-DRB1 and DQB1 alleles were studied in 105 SLE patients and 115 controls by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR)/sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe method, the subtyping of DRB1*15/16 and DRB5 by PCR with sequence-specific primers, type I C2 deficiency gene by PCR, and TNF2 by PCR-Nco I restriction fragment length polymorphism. RESULTS The frequencies of the HLA class II alleles DRB1*02, DRB1*1502, DRB5*0102, DQB1*0501, and DQB1*0602 and DR2-associated haplotypes DRB1* 1501,DRB5*0101,DQB1*0602 and DRB1*1502,DRB5* 0102,DQB1*0501 were higher among SLE patients than among controls; however, only DQB1*0501 was statistically significantly associated with SLE. No specific allele/haplotype was significantly associated with lupus nephritis. No subject had type I C2 deficiency. SLE patients had a marginally higher percentage of TNF2, which was in linkage disequilibrium with DR3. Since DR3 was not associated with SLE in this Taiwanese Chinese population, TNF2 might play a role in the immunopathogenesis of SLE. CONCLUSION Although no HLA-DRB1 allele was found to be significantly associated with SLE, the associations with DQB1*0501 and TNF2 suggest that DQB1 and tumor necrosis factor a may be important genetic factors in SLE susceptibility in the Chinese population in Taiwan.