Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association between Serum Cortisol and DHEA-S Levels and Response to Antipsychotic Treatment in Schizophrenia

BACKGROUND: Previous studies suggested that alterations in serum cortisol and DHEA-S levels may play a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. AIM: To compare serum cortisol and DHEA-S levels between patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls and to evaluate their association with the response to antipsychotic treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this clinical prospective study were included 60 patients with schizophrenia and 40 healthy age and sex matched control subjects. Clinical evaluation of patients was performed using the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale. A questionnaire for socio-demographic and clinical data collection was used. For the purposes of the study, the examined group was divided in two subgroups: responders and nonresponders. Serum cortisol and DHEA-S levels were measured at baseline in all participants and after 3 and 6 weeks of the antipsychotic treatment in patients with schizophrenia. RESULTS: Patients with schizophrenia had significantly higher serum cortisol and DHEA-S levels in comparison to the control group. Responders had significantly higher serum cortisol and DHEA-S levels compared with nonresponders. CONCLUSION: Elevated serum cortisol and DHEA-S levels may play a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and they may be related to positive response to antipsychotic treatment in patients with schizophrenia.
Mutational analysis of acute-phase response factor/Stat3 activation and dimerization

Signal transducer and transcription (STAT) factors are activated by tyrosine phosphorylation in response to a variety of cytokines, growth factors, and hormones. Tyrosine phosphorylation triggers dimerization and nuclear translocation of these transcription factors. In this study, the functional role of carboxy-terminal portions of the STAT family member acute-phase response factor/Stat3 in activation, dimerization, and transactivating potential was analyzed. We demonstrate that truncation of 55 carboxy-terminal amino acids causes constitutive activation of Stat3 in COS-7 cells, as is known for the Stat3 isoform Stat3beta. By the use of deletion and point mutants, it is shown that both carboxy- and amino-terminal portions of Stat3 are involved in this phenomenon. Dimerization of Stat3 was blocked by point mutations affecting residues both in the vicinity of the tyrosine phosphorylation site (Y705) and more distant from this site, suggesting that multiple interactions are involved in dimer formation. Furthermore, by reporter gene assays we demonstrate that carboxy-terminally truncated Stat3 proteins are incapable of transactivating an interleukin-6-responsive promoter in COS-7 cells. In HepG2 hepatoma cells, however, these truncated Stat3 forms transmit signals from the interleukin-6 signal transducer gp130 equally well as does full-length Stat3. We conclude that, dependent on the cell type, different mechanisms allow Stat3 to regulate target gene transcription either with or without involvement of its putative carboxy-terminal transactivation domain.
The spectrum of V4334 Sgr (Sakurai's object) in August, 1998

Theoretical spectral energy distributions are computed for a grid of hydrogen-deficient and carbon-rich model atmospheres with a range in T(eff) of 4000 - 5500 K and log g of 1.0 - 0.0, using the technique of opacity sampling, and taking into account continuous, atomic line and molecular band absorption. The energy distributions are compared with the spectrum of V4334 Sgr (Sakurai's object) of August 12, 1998 in the wavelength interval 300-1000 nm. This comparison yields an effective temperature of V4334 Sgr of T(eff) = 5250+/-200 K, and a value for the interstellar plus circumstellar reddening of E(B-V) = 1.3+/-0.1.
Weight-loss maintenance--mind over matter?

Many people can lose weight in the short term by reducing their intake of calories with the use of a variety of diets, ranging from low-fat to very-low-carbohydrate. However, few people successfully maintain their weight loss.1 One explanation for the poor efficacy of conventional diets relates to psychological factors, since the motivation to adhere to restrictive regimens diminishes with time, especially in an environment with virtually instantaneous availability of food. A second, perhaps more fundamental, explanation is that weight loss elicits physiological adaptations — principally an increase in hunger and a decrease in resting energy expenditure2 — that oppose ongoing .
The Relationship Between Father's Participation in Child Rearing and Mother's Child Rearing Stress

This study examined the relationship between father's participation in child rearing and mother's schild rearing stress. Mothers of 450 4-, 5- and 6-year-old children in six different kindergartens and daycare centers in Seoul and Kyungki-do area completed the Father's Participation in Child Rearing(Kyung Soon Choi, 1993) scale and the Parenting Daily Hassles(Cmic & Greenberg, 1990) scale. Data were analyzed statistically by SPSS. Results show that higher father's participation in child rearing results in lower child rearing stress for mothers. Especially, father's participation in areas of parenting and housework is important factor influence mother's decrease child rearing stress.
Shape and light directions from shading and polarization

We introduce a method to recover the shape of a smooth dielectric object from polarization images taken with a light source from different directions. We present two constraints on shading and polarization and use both in a single optimization scheme. This integration is motivated by the fact that photometric stereo and polarization-based methods have complementary abilities. The polarization-based method can give strong cues for the surface orientation and refractive index, which are independent of the light direction. However, it has ambiguities in selecting between two ambiguous choices of the surface orientation, in the relationship between refractive index and zenith angle (observing angle), and limited performance for surface points with small zenith angles, where the polarization effect is weak. In contrast, photometric stereo method with multiple light sources can disambiguate the surface orientation and give a strong relationship between the surface normals and light directions. However, it has limited performance for large zenith angles, refractive index estimation, and faces the ambiguity in case the light direction is unknown. Taking their advantages, our proposed method can recover the surface normals for both small and large zenith angles, the light directions, and the refractive indexes of the object. The proposed method is successfully evaluated by simulation and real-world experiments.
Tributyltin-mediated exchange diffusion of halides in lipid bilayers

This paper describes the effect of tributyltin (TBT) on the inorganic anion permeability of lipid bilayers. When this compound is added in micromolar concentrations to one or both sides of a phosphatidyl ethanolamine (PE) membrane formed in 0.1 M NaCl or KCl (pH 7), there is no change in the electrical conductance. Under these circumstances, the Cl self-exchange flux measured with 36Cl (MCl) increases from a value of approximately 10(-12) mol.cm-2.s-1, to approximately 10(-8) mol.cm- 2.s-1. It was further found that the relation between chloride flux and [TBT] and [Cl] can be described as: MCl = B[TBT] [Cl]. When chloride was replaced by an equimolar concentration of different univalent anions in the trans compartment, the heteroexchange flux of chloride followed the sequence: I greater than Br greater than Cl greater than F greater than NO3. Under all experimental conditions tested, the chloride flux was always more than 10(3) times the maximum flux predicted from the value of the membrane conductance, and at least 100 times higher than the expected fluxes of ion pairs (TBT-Cl) diffusing across the unstirred layers. Thus, the mechanism by which tributyltin increases anion permeability in bilayers seems to be that of an obligatory exchange diffusion, with the reaction between tributyltin and the halides occurring at the membrane surface. Measurements of interfacial potentials indicate that tributyltin chloride lowers the positive intrinsic dipole potential of PE membranes by approximately 70 mV (at a TBT concentration of 30 microM) without substantial alteration of other parameters of the bilayer. The estimated adsorption coefficient of TBT-Cl was found to be 3 x 10(-4) cm.
Totally umbilic surfaces in homogeneous 3-manifolds

We discuss existence and classification of totally umbilic surfaces in the model geometries of Thurston and the Berger spheres. We classify such surfaces in $H^2 \times R$, $S^2 \times R$ and the Sol group. We prove nonexistence in the Berger spheres and in the remaining model geometries other than the space forms.
How effective is an in-hospital heart failure self-care program in a Japanese setting? Lessons from a randomized controlled pilot study

Background Although the effectiveness of heart failure (HF) disease management programs has been established in Western countries, to date there have been no such programs in Japan. These programs may have different effectiveness due to differences in health care organization and possible cultural differences with regard to self-care. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a pilot HF program in a Japanese setting. Methods We developed an HF program focused on enhancing patient self-care before hospital discharge. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive the new HF program or usual care. The primary outcome was self-care behavior as assessed by the European Heart Failure Self-Care Behavior Scale (EHFScBS). Secondary outcomes included HF knowledge and the 2-year rate of HF hospitalization and/or cardiac death. Results A total of 32 patients were enrolled (mean age, 63 years; 31% female). There was no difference in the total score of the EHFScBS between the two groups. One specific behavior score regarding a low-salt diet significantly improved compared with baseline in the intervention group. HF knowledge in the intervention group tended to improve more over 6 months than in the control group (a group-by-time effect, F=2.47, P=0.098). During a 2-year follow-up, the HF program was related to better outcomes regarding HF hospitalization and/or cardiac death (14% vs 48%, log-rank test P=0.04). In Cox regression analysis after adjustment for age, sex, and logarithmic of B-type natriuretic peptide, the program was associated with a reduction in HF hospitalization and/or cardiac death (hazard ratio, 0.17; 95% confidence interval, 0.03–0.90; P=0.04). Conclusion The HF program was likely to increase patients’ HF knowledge, change their behavior regarding a low-salt diet, and reduce HF hospitalization and/or cardiac events. Further improvement focused on the transition of knowledge to self-care behavior is necessary.
Serological reactions to Nocardia antigens

Sera from 23 patients with nocardiosis were tested for the presence of precipitating antibodies against an extract of Nocardia asteroides. Sera from nine of 20 patients infected with Nocardia asteroides and one of three sera from patients with Nocardia brasiliensis produced one to three precipitin lines with the antigen. Sera from eight of 55 patients with tuberculosis and 11 of 13 patients with leprosy also contained Nocardia precipitins. None of 33 sera from patients with cryptococcosis, blastomycosis, actinomycosis, histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, mucormycosis or candidiasis contained Nocardia antibodies. None of the sera from ten patients infected with Staphylococcus aureus, ten patients infected with Pseudomonas, or 16 sera from uninfected patients contained Nocardia precipitins.
Safewards: a new model of conflict and containment on psychiatric wards

Accessible summary Rates of violence, self-harm, absconding and other incidents threatening patients and staff safety vary a great deal by hospital ward. Some wards have high rates, other low. The same goes for the actions of staff to prevent and contain such incidents, such as manual restraint, coerced medication, etc. The Safewards Model provides a simple and yet powerful explanation as to why these differences in rates occur. Six features of the inpatient psychiatric system have the capacity to give rise to flashpoints from which adverse incidents may follow. The Safewards Model makes it easy to generate ideas for changes that will make psychiatric wards safer for patients and staff. Abstract Conflict (aggression, self-harm, suicide, absconding, substance/alcohol use and medication refusal) and containment (as required medication, coerced intramuscular medication, seclusion, manual restraint, special observation, etc.) place patients and staff at risk of serious harm. The frequency of these events varies between wards, but there are few explanations as to why this is so, and a coherent model is lacking. This paper proposes a comprehensive explanatory model of these differences, and sketches the implications on methods for reducing risk and coercion in inpatient wards. This Safewards Model depicts six domains of originating factors: the staff team, the physical environment, outside hospital, the patient community, patient characteristics and the regulatory framework. These domains give risk to flashpoints, which have the capacity to trigger conflict and/or containment. Staff interventions can modify these processes by reducing the conflict-originating factors, preventing flashpoints from arising, cutting the link between flashpoint and conflict, choosing not to use containment, and ensuring that containment use does not lead to further conflict. We describe this model systematically and in detail, and show how this can be used to devise strategies for promoting the safety of patients and staff.
Analysis of Footwear Impression Evidence Analysis of Footwear Impression Evidence

Impressions of footwear are commonly found in crime scenes. The quality and wide variability of these impressions and the large number of footwear outsole designs makes their manual analysis time-consuming and difficult. The goal of this research was to develop new computational methods that will eventually assist the forensic footwear examiner in the U.S. Two scenarios encountered by the forensic examiner were addressed: (i) in the investigative phase, to determine the source of an impression given a known set of outsole prints; which is useful in homicides and assaults where there are no known prints to match, and (ii) in the prosecutorial phase, to determine whether a particular impression evidence is from a known suspect’s shoe with a quantification of similarity and uncertainty. The research commenced with developing and acquiring representative footwear print images so that the algorithms developed would relate to the real problem encountered. Algorithms for several sub-problems were studied including image processing to improve the quality of the image for further automatic processing, extraction of features useful for discrimination, a measure of similarity between impressions and a content-based image retrieval system to reduce possible matches with knowns. The principal method pursued was one where the print is characterized as being composed of a pattern of geometric shapes, principally ellipses; with ellipses being able to represent straight line segments and circles as well. A distance measure based on comparing attribute relational graphs was developed. The retrieval system compares evidence features with pre-computed features of database entries and since comparison is time-consuming the database entries are clustered. Retrieval performance is better than that of other methods described in the literature, very few of which deal with real crime scene prints. Future research tasks are indicated including integration of the developed methods into a usable tool and a probabilistic measure of uncertainty in the verification task. This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Cerebral Oxygenation and Electrical Activity After Birth Asphyxia: Their Relation to Outcome The authors have indicated they have no financial relationships relevant to this article to disclose.

OBJECTIVE. To determine the value of regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSo2), fractional cerebral tissue oxygen extraction (FTOE) measured by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), and amplitude integrated electroencephalogram (aEEG) after birth asphyxia in relation to neurodevelopmental outcome. METHODS. NIRS measured rSo2, FTOE, and aEEG were monitored simultaneously, together with arterial oxygen saturation (Sao2) and blood pressure during the first 48 hours after severe birth asphyxia in 18 term infants. FTOE was calculated as [Sao2 − rSo2]/Sao2. Neurodevelopmental outcome was assessed at 3, 9, and 18 months and 3 and 5 years of age. At the time points 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, and 48 hours after birth, the mean values of Sao2, rSo2, FTOE, and mean arterial blood pressure were calculated over a 1-hour period. A stepwise-regression model was used to investigate the relative contribution of rSo2, FTOE, or aEEG to developmental outcome. RESULTS. Nine Infants died during the neonatal period as a result of neurologic deterioration, and 8 infants had a normal outcome at 5 years of age. One child developed learning disabilities and a mild diplegia. The rSo2 and FTOE remained stable in infants with a normal outcome. The rSo2 increased and the FTOE decreased after 24 hours in the infants with an adverse outcome. (rSo2: 65% vs 84% at 12 and 48 hours, respectively; FTOE: 0.32 vs 0.12 at 12 and 48 hours, respectively). aEEG showed the closest relationship with outcome, but also rSo2 showed a significant correlation 24 hours after birth. CONCLUSIONS. rSo2 and FTOE seem to reflect secondary energy failure. aEEG showed the closest relationship with outcome after severe birth asphyxia.
Single Sideband Frequency Offset Estimation and Correction for Quality Enhancement and Speaker Recognition

Communication system mismatch represents a major influence in the losses of both speech quality and speaker recognition system performance. Although microphone and handset differences have been considered for speaker recognition (e.g., NIST SRE), nonlinear communication system differences, such as modulation/demodulation (Mod/DeMod) carrier mismatch, have yet to be explored. While such mismatch was common in traditional analog communications, today, with the diversity and blending of communication technologies, it is reconsidered as a major distortion. This paper is focused on estimating and correcting the frequency-shift distortion resulting from Mod/DeMod carrier frequency mismatch in high-frequency single sideband (HF-SSB) speech. To overcome the drawbacks of existing solutions, a two-step algorithm is proposed to improve estimation performance. In the first step, the offset of speech is scaled to a small frequency interval, which eliminates or reduces the nonuniqueness issue due to the periodicity within the spectrum; the second step performs fine tuning within the estimated predetermined uniqueness interval (UI). For the first time, a statistical framework is developed for UI detection, where an innovative acoustic feature is proposed to represent alternative frequency shifts. Additionally, in the estimation process, statistical techniques such as GMM-SVM, i-Vector, and deep neural networks are applied in the first step to improve the estimation accuracy. An evaluation using DARPA RATS HF-SSB data shows that the proposed algorithm achieves a significant improvement in the estimation performance (up to +35.6% improvement in accuracy), speech quality measurement (up to +27.3% relative improvement in the PESQ score), and speaker verification (up to +59.9% relative improvement in equal error rate).
The Eyes of the Skin: Architecture and the Senses

Part 1 Vision and Knowledge Critics of Ocularcentrism The Narcissistic and Nihilistic Eye Oral versus Visual Space Retinal Architecture and the Loss of Plasticity An Architecture of Visual Images Materiality and Time The Rejection of Alberti's Window A New Vision and Sensory Balance Part 2 The Body in the Centre Multi-Sensory Experience The Significance of the Shadow Acoustic Intimacy Silence, Time and Solitude Spaces of Scent The Shape of Touch The Taste of Stone Images of Muscle and Bone Images of Action Bodily Identification Mimesis of the Body Spaces of Memory and Imagination An Architecture of the Senses The Task of Architecture
Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor does not exacerbate endotoxin-induced lung injury in sheep.

Because it has been suggested that neutrophils play a role in endotoxin-induced lung injury, we examined the effects of increased peripheral blood-neutrophils induced by recombinant human granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) on the lung dysfunction when induced by endotoxin in awake sheep. We prepared chronically instrumented awake sheep with lung lymph fistulae and catheters for hemodynamic monitoring. We compared alterations of pulmonary hemodynamics, lung lymph balance, circulating leukocytes, plasma and lung lymph concentrations of thromboxane B2 and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha, and arterial blood gases in sheep that received Escherichia coli endotoxin infusion intravenously (1 microgram/kg) in the following two groups: Group 1 (n = 6) received endotoxin alone, and Group 2 (n = 7) received rhG-CSF (125 micrograms/day) intravenously for 3 days before endotoxin was administered in the same manner as in Group 1. The rhG-CSF remarkably increased circulating neutrophils to 24,600 +/- 2,500/microliters in Group 2 sheep at baseline when compared with the level in Group 1 (5,700 +/- 550 microliters). After endotoxin infusion, we observed significant decreases in circulating neutrophils in both groups. There were no differences between the two groups in the time course of changes in pulmonary hemodynamics, arterial blood gases, or arachidonate products after endotoxemia. However, lung lymph flow and lung lymph protein clearance during the late phase were lower in rhG-CSF-treated sheep than in those that received only endotoxin. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Perceiving Causality after the Fact: Postdiction in the Temporal Dynamics of Causal Perception

In simple dynamic events we can easily perceive not only motion, but also higher-level properties such as causality, as when we see one object collide with another. Several researchers have suggested that such causal perception is an automatic and stimulus-driven process, sensitive only to particular sorts of visual information, and a major research project has been to uncover the nature of these visual cues. Here, rather than investigating what information affects causal perception, we instead explore the temporal dynamics of when certain types of information are used. Surprisingly, we find that certain visual events can determine whether we perceive a collision in an ambiguous situation even when those events occur after the moment of potential ‘impact’ in the putative collision has already passed. This illustrates a type of postdictive perception: our conscious perception of the world is not an instantaneous moment-by-moment construction, but rather is formed by integrating information presented within short temporal windows, so that new information which is obtained can influence the immediate past in our conscious awareness. Such effects have been previously demonstrated for low-level motion phenomena, but the present results demonstrate that postdictive processes can influence higher-level event perception. These findings help to characterize not only the ‘rules’ of causal perception, but also the temporal dynamics of how and when those rules operate.