Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Women’s preferences, expectations, and experiences with male partner support throughout prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV services: a mixed-methods study

ABSTRACT Male involvement in prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) care improves maternal and child outcomes. We conducted a mixed-methods study at two Kenyan government hospitals. We quantitatively assessed women’s expectations and preferences for male partner involvement in PMTCT and male partner attendance at PMTCT appointments. Qualitative interviews with women during the postpartum period assessed types of support women received from their male partners. At enrollment, most participants wanted (75%) and expected (69%) male partners to attend appointments; yet, only 9% had a male partner attend any appointments. Most women agreed that their partner would: support them financially (81%), help follow doctor’s guidance (61%), support a hospital-based delivery (85%), and want to receive text messages (68%). Expectations and preferences varied by women’s characteristics, most notably experiences with mistreatment, disclosure status, and knowledge of male partner’s HIV status. In qualitative interviews, instrumental (financial) support was the most frequently discussed type of support. Male partners also provided informational support by reminding women of medication or appointments. Women reported a variety of ways in which their male partners supported them through PMTCT; however, there was a gap between women’s expectation for male partner attendance and the level of male attendance achieved.
Nicotine-naïve adolescents who live with tobacco products users, 2018 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey

Abstract Objective We assessed the prevalence and factors associated with living with tobacco/nicotine product users among nicotine-naïve adolescents. Methods Data were from the 2018 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey that included 34,183 adolescents who were never-tobacco product users and provided information about living with tobacco/nicotine users. Results More than a quarter of adolescents lived with a tobacco/nicotine user. Girls were more likely than boys and middle-schoolers were more likely than high-schoolers to live with someone who uses cigarettes, cigars, and poly-tobacco. Compared to non-Hispanic Whites, Hispanics were less likely to live with someone who uses cigarettes, electronic nicotine delivery systems, cigars, and poly-tobacco. Adolescents who reported currently having asthma were more likely to report living with someone who smokes cigarettes, hookah, and poly tobacco. Conclusions To reduce and ideally eliminate exposure to smoke/aerosol emitted from tobacco products in nicotine-naïve adolescents, individual and family-centered interventions, coupled with state-wide tobacco prevention strategies are warranted.
Zanubrutinib for the treatment of Waldenström Macroglobulinemia

Introduction: Waldenström Macroglobulinaemia (WM) is a heterogeneous, incurable condition which often relapses after chemoimmunotherapy. Novel therapies such as Bruton tyrosine-kinase (BTK) inhibitors have shown to be efficacious in treating WM but with an established, significant toxicity profile seen in the first-generation inhibitor Ibrutinib. Zanubrutinib is a selective, potent BTK inhibitor with the potential to reduce toxicity and improve efficacy. Areas covered: This review examines the activity of Zanubrutinib in treating treatment-naïve and relapsed refractory WM and it’s toxicity profile when compared to Ibrutinib. Outcomes from the AU003 and ASPEN studies will be examined in detail including a particular focus on MYD88WT and CXCR4WHIM disease. Strengths and weaknesses of this treatment approach will be highlighted and future directions for research will be identified. Expert opinion: Zanubrutinib induces deeper responses and have greater activity in MYD88WT and CXCR4WHIM WM. Zanubrutinib also has a favorable toxicity profile when compared to Ibrutinib. This may potentially translate to lower discontinuation rates, improved quality of life and ultimately longer progression-free survival in patients with WM.
Sensitivity of Rodent Microglia to Kynurenines in Models of Epilepsy and Inflammation In Vivo and In Vitro: Microglia Activation Is Inhibited by Kynurenic Acid and the Synthetic Analogue SZR104

Kynurenic acid is an endogenous modulator of ionotropic glutamate receptors and a suppressor of the immune system. Since glutamate and microglia are important in the pathogenesis of epilepsy, we investigated the possible action of the synthetic kynurenic acid analogue, SZR104, in epileptic mice and the action of kynurenic acid and SZR104 on the phagocytotic activity of cultured microglia cells. Pilocarpine epilepsy was used to test the effects of SZR104 on morphological microglia transformation, as evaluated through ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1) immunohistochemistry. Microglia-enriched rat secondary cultures were used to investigate phagocytosis of fluorescent microbeads and Iba1 protein synthesis in control and lipopolysaccharide-challenged cultures. SZR104 inhibited microglia transformation following status epilepticus. Kynurenic acid and SZR104 inhibited lipopolysaccharide-stimulated phagocytotic activity of microglia cells. Although kynurenic acid and its analogues proved to be glutamate receptor antagonists, their immunosuppressive action was dominant in epilepsy. The inhibition of phagocytosis in vitro raised the possibility of the inhibition of genes encoding inflammatory cytokines in microglial cells.
Research on Pricing and Service Level Strategies of Dual Channel Reverse Supply Chain Considering Consumer Preference in Multi-Regional Situations

Facing the increasingly serious waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) recycling problem, recycling enterprises actively introduce online recycling channels, build dual channel reverse supply chains (DRSC), and use high-level recycling price and service levels to enhance consumers’ recycling enthusiasm and recycling amount. Nevertheless, in China, where the imbalance of regional development is widespread, the recycling center, third-party recycler (TPR), and third-party platform (TPP) are faced with the choices of pricing and service level when facing multi-regional consumers. This paper mainly answers the following questions: (1) When the recycling center and TPP introduce online recycling channels in multi-regional situations, how should they set online recycling price, transfer price, and service level? (2) When consumer preference for online channels changes in a certain region, how should recycling enterprises adjust their optimal pricing and service level decisions for different regions to maximize their own profits? How do the profits of recycling enterprises change? In order to solve the above problems, in this paper, we propose three pricing and service level decision models for the recycling center with online channels, namely, keeping prices unchanged, unifying all prices, and maximizing its own profits. By using the Stackelberg game to solve the model, we get the optimal pricing, service level decisions, as well as the maximum profits of the recycling center, TPP, and TPR when consumer preference changes. By analyzing the results of the model, we find that the change of consumer preference for online channels in a certain region will affect the decision and profits of multi-regional recycling enterprises. Specifically, consumer preference for online channels in a certain region will not only lead to an increase in the profits of the recycling center and TPP and a decrease in the profit of local TPRs, but also an increase in the profit of TPRs in other regions. In addition, at the beginning of introducing online channels, the recycling center can adopt two strategies to avoid conflicts among channels: keeping offline transfer prices unchanged and unifying all transfer prices, but the former promotes its economic profits more significantly.
Short-Term Impacts of Ambient Air Pollution on Health-Related Quality of Life: A Korea Health Panel Survey Study

Previous studies have demonstrated that ambient air pollution leads to a decrease in mental and physical function. Although studies on the relationship between long-term exposure to air pollution and health-related quality of life have been conducted, the impact of short-term exposure has rarely been reported. This study explored the association between short-term exposure to air pollution and EuroQol-visual analog scale (EQ-VAS) scores, an indicator of health-related quality of life, using repeated measures. We selected 5420 respondents from seven metropolitan cities (Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Gwangju, Daejeon, Ulsan) and one province (Jeju) in South Korea who had participated three or more times in the Korea Health Panel survey conducted from 2009 to 2013. A total of 24,536 observations were used. We applied the daily lag effects of air pollutants on the EQ-VAS stratified by sex and age group using the generalized linear mixed model. After controlling confounders, the EQ-VAS scores decreased statistically significantly in males aged 40–49 years, and females aged 50–64 years with chronic disease. The EQ-VAS scores reduced the most to −1.571 (95% confidence interval: −2.307–−0.834) and −1.722 (95% confidence interval: −2.499–−0.944) per interquartile range increment of carbon monoxide in males aged 40–49 years and per interquartile range increment of sulfur dioxide in females aged 50–64 years, respectively. This study provides evidence that short-term exposure to air pollution is related to the discomfort experienced by individuals in their daily lives.
Fire Design Equation for Steel–Polymer Composite Floors in Thermal Fields Via Finite Element Analysis

Owing to the development of new materials that enhance structural members in the construction field, steel–polymer composite floors have been developed and applied to steel structures. Similar to a sandwich system, steel–polymer composite floors consist of polymers between two steel plates. The structural performance of full-scale composite floors at ambient conditions has been investigated. Additionally, experiments were conducted on analytical models to predict both thermal behavior under fire, including fire resistance based on a small-scale furnace. To evaluate the fire resistance of full-scale steel–polymer composite floors, the thermal behavior and temperature distribution of composite floors should be investigated. Therefore, the temperature distributions of the full-scale composite floors were estimated using the verified analytical model in this study. Furthermore, to determine the fire design equation of steel–polymer composite floors in the thermal field, the correlations between variables were investigated, such as the thickness of top and bottom steel plates and polymers, as well as the fire resistance in the thermal field.
Ultrashort pulsed barrier discharges and applications

Abstract Atmospheric pressure nonequilibrium plasmas have made a recent remarkable progress in formation techniques including atmospheric pressure glow discharge (APG), dielectric barrier discharge (DBD), corona discharge, surface discharge, ultrashort pulsed discharge, etc., and are expanding their applications into the field of energy and environment as well as material conversion processes. This paper will especially focus on a large improvement of DBD by combining it with squared ultrashort high voltage pulses and various applications.
Happiness around the world: A combined etic-emic approach across 63 countries

What does it mean to be happy? The vast majority of cross-cultural studies on happiness have employed a Western-origin, or “WEIRD” measure of happiness that conceptualizes it as a self-centered (or “independent”), high-arousal emotion. However, research from Eastern cultures, particularly Japan, conceptualizes happiness as including an interpersonal aspect emphasizing harmony and connectedness to others. Following a combined emic-etic approach (Cheung, van de Vijver & Leong, 2011), we assessed the cross-cultural applicability of a measure of independent happiness developed in the US (Subjective Happiness Scale; Lyubomirsky & Lepper, 1999) and a measure of interdependent happiness developed in Japan (Interdependent Happiness Scale; Hitokoto & Uchida, 2015), with data from 63 countries representing 7 sociocultural regions. Results indicate that the schema of independent happiness was more coherent in more WEIRD countries. In contrast, the coherence of interdependent happiness was unrelated to a country’s “WEIRD-ness. ” Reliabilities of both happiness measures were lowest in African and Middle Eastern countries, suggesting these two conceptualizations of happiness may not be globally comprehensive. Overall, while the two measures had many similar correlates and properties, the self-focused concept of independent happiness is “WEIRD-er” than interdependent happiness, suggesting cross-cultural researchers should attend to both conceptualizations.
Molecular mechanism underlying miR-130b-Sp1 transcriptional regulation in LPS-induced upregulation of MUC5AC in the bile duct epithelium

Hepatolithiasis is a common disease that represents a serious health threat to the Chinese population. The pathological mechanism underlying hepatolithiasis is closely related to bacterial infections of the intrahepatic bile duct, followed by chronic inflammation and the overexpression of mucin 5AC (MUC5AC). However, the exact mechanism responsible for the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced upregulation of MUC5AC has yet to be elucidated. Specificity protein 1 (Sp1) is a ubiquitous transcription factor that plays a vital role in the regulation of a number of genes that are responsible for normal cellular function. microRNA (miR/miRNA)-130b is a member of the miRNA family. miRNAs can bind to the 3′-untralsated region (3′-UTR) of a target gene and influence its expression levels. The present study found that LPS increases the expression of MUC5AC by influencing Sp1 secretion. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-quantitative PCR experiments further verified three Sp1 binding sites in the MUC5AC promoter sequence that can regulate the expression of MUC5AC. Further analysis demonstrated that Sp1 expression was regulated by miR-130b. Luciferase experiments identified one miR-130b binding site in the Sp1 3′-UTR region. In vivo experiments also confirmed the role of the miR-130b-Sp1-MUC5AC signaling pathway in the formation of biliary stones and indicated that this pathway may provide targeted therapeutic strategies for the treatment of intrahepatic bile duct stones.
Fish Bone Derived Bi-Phasic Calcium Phosphate Coatings Fabricated by Pulsed Laser Deposition for Biomedical Applications

We report on new biomaterials with promising bone and cartilage regeneration potential, from sustainable, cheap resources of fish origin. Thin films were fabricated from fish bone-derived bi-phasic calcium phosphate targets via pulsed laser deposition with a KrF * excimer laser source (λ = 248 nm, τFWHM ≤ 25 ns). Targets and deposited nanostructures were characterized by SEM and XRD, as well as by Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) and FTIR spectroscopy. Films were next assessed in vitro by dedicated cytocompatibility and antimicrobial assays. Films were Ca-deficient and contained a significant fraction of β-tricalcium phosphate apart from hydroxyapatite, which could contribute to an increased solubility and an improved biocompatibility for bone regeneration applications. The deposited structures were biocompatible as confirmed by the lack of cytotoxicity on human gingival fibroblast cells, making them promising for fast osseointegration implants. Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) coatings inhibited the microbial adhesion and/or the subsequent biofilm development. A persistent protection against bacterial colonization (Escherichia coli) was demonstrated for at least 72 h, probably due to the release of the native trace elements (i.e., Na, Mg, Si, and/or S) from fish bones. Progress is therefore expected in the realm of multifunctional thin film biomaterials, combining antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and regenerative properties for advanced implant coatings and nosocomial infections prevention applications.
Prognostic role of plasma galectin-3 levels in acute coronary syndrome

Aim: Cystatin C, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and galectin-3 have emerged as biomarker candidates to predict cardiovascular outcomes and mortality in the general population as well as in patients with coronary artery or renal disease. However, their predictive role and clinical utility in patients with acute coronary syndromes alone or in combination beyond currently used risk scores remains to be determined. Methods and results: Cystatin C, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, and galectin-3 were measured in plasmas of 1832 patients at the time of presentation with acute coronary syndromes requiring percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting. The primary outcomes were major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (defined as the composite of all-cause mortality, cerebrovascular events, any repeat revascularization or myocardial infarction) and all-cause mortality after 1 year and occurred in 192 (10.5%) and 78 (4.3%) of patients, respectively. All three biomarkers were increased in those with major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events compared with those without (p<0.001). However, only galectin-3 (all-cause mortality: hazard ratio=1.027 (95% confidence interval (1.011–1.043); p=0.001), major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events: hazard ratio=1.025 (95% confidence interval (1.012–1.037); p<0.001)) but not cystatin C nor neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin emerged as independent predictors of both major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events and death. The risks were particularly high in the highest quartile of galectin-3. The integration of galectin-3 into the global registry of acute coronary events (GRACE) score improved the prediction of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events and all-cause mortality significantly. The areas under the receiver operator characteristics curves increased from 0.6701 to 0.6932 for major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (p=0.0474) and from 0.804 to 0.8199 for all-cause mortality (p=0.0197). Finally, we applied net reclassification improvement index using different cut-offs for major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events which showed negative results (for the cut-offs of 5% and 15%, net reclassification improvement index 0.028, p=0.586, for the cut-offs of 10% and 20%, net reclassification improvement index 0.072, p=0.1132 and for the cut-offs of 10% and 30% the net reclassification improvement index is 0.0843, p=0.077). Conclusion: In acute coronary syndromes patients, galectin-3 has moderate prognostic accuracy, provides statistically significant incremental value in some, but not all models, and that the magnitude of any improvement would seem of questionable clinical value.
Imma Sort by Two or More Attributes With Interpretable Monotonic Multi-Attribute Sorting

Many choice problems often involve multiple attributes which are mentally challenging, because only one attribute is neatly sorted while others could be randomly arranged. We hypothesize that perceiving approximately monotonic trends across multiple attributes is key to the overall interpretability of sorted results, because users can easily predict the attribute values of the next items. We extend a ranking principal curve model to tune monotonic trends in attributes and present Imma Sort to sort items by multiple attributes simultaneously by trading-off the monotonicity in the primary sorted attribute to increase the human predictability for other attributes. We characterize how it performs for varying attribute correlations, attribute preferences, list lengths and number of attributes. We further extend Imma Sort with ImmaAnchor and ImmaCenter to improve the learnability and efficiency to search sorted items with conflicting attributes. We demonstrate usage scenarios for two applications and evaluate its learnability, usability, interpretability, and user performance in prediction and search tasks. We find that Imma Sort improves the interpretability and satisfaction of sorting by <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\geq 2$</tex-math><alternatives><mml:math><mml:mrow><mml:mo>≥</mml:mo><mml:mn>2</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:math><inline-graphic xlink:href="lyu-ieq1-3043487.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula> attributes. We discuss why, when, where, and how to deploy Imma Sort for real-world applications.
XPS analysis and valence band structure of a low‐dimensional SiO2/Si system after Si+ ion implantation

A X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) of valence band (VB) and core levels are performed for a SiO2/p‐Si heterostructure containing a thin oxide layer of d = 20 nm thickness and implanted by Si+ ions. With an implantation energy of 12 keV the maximum density of the implanted Si+ profile is located close to the SiO2–Si interface at a depth of 18 nm, but a piling‐up of Si is also found immediately beneath the surface up to 2 nm, i.e., within the escape depth of XPS electrons. Thus we may expect a partial phase separation associated with Si aggregation and nanocluster formation imbedded in a non‐stoichiometric SiOx matrix. By means of XPS and in comparison to X‐ray emission spectroscopy (XES) the related changes of the VB structure are investigated.
Impact of the Trophic Effects of the Secretome From a Multistrain Probiotic Preparation on the Intestinal Epithelia.

BACKGROUND Probiotics are defined as live, nonpathogenic bacteria that confer health benefits beyond their nutritional value. In particular, VSL#3 exhibits demonstrated efficacy in the management of diseases characterized by an increased intestinal permeability. Our study aimed to understand how VSL#3 promotes gut health by secreting bioactive factors and identify which human pathways are modulated by secretome derived from the VSL#3 formula. METHODS Two different lots of VSL#3 were used, and Caco-2 cell line was treated with conditioned media (CM) prepared using 1 g of the probiotic formula. We evaluated the effects of the probiotics on cellular proliferation and apoptosis by cytometry and the expression of tight junction proteins by western blotting. A proteomics analysis of both culture media and the whole proteome of Caco-2 cells treated with VSL#3-CM was performed by nano-ultra performance liquid chromatography - tandem mass (nUPLC MS/MS) spectrometry. RESULTS The probiotic formula increased cell proliferation, decreased cellular apoptosis cells, and increased re-epithelialization in the scratch assay. Several peptides specifically synthetized by all the species within the probiotic preparation were recognized in the proteomics analysis. Human proteins synthesized by CaCo-2 cells were also identified. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this manuscript describes the first evaluation of the probiotic secretome, and the results showed that the improvement in intestinal barrier functions induced by probiotics seems to be accompanied by the modulation of some human cellular pathways.
1. Improving Care and Promoting Health in Populations: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes-2021.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) "Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes" includes the ADA's current clinical practice recommendations and is intended to provide the components of diabetes care, general treatment goals and guidelines, and tools to evaluate quality of care. Members of the ADA Professional Practice Committee, a multidisciplinary expert committee (https://doi.org/10.2337/dc21-SPPC), are responsible for updating the Standards of Care annually, or more frequently as warranted. For a detailed description of ADA standards, statements, and reports, as well as the evidence-grading system for ADA's clinical practice recommendations, please refer to the Standards of Care Introduction (https://doi.org/10.2337/dc21-SINT). Readers who wish to comment on the Standards of Care are invited to do so at professional.diabetes. org/SOC.