Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The national database of the German Collaborative Arthritis Centres: II. Treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

OBJECTIVE To describe current treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in German rheumatology. METHODS Data from the German rheumatological database of 1998, comprising clinical and patient questionnaire data of 12 992 outpatients with RA seen at 24 collaborative arthritis centres in Germany, were analysed. RESULTS At the time of documentation, 88% of the patients with RA were undergoing disease modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) treatment. Methotrexate (MTX) was prescribed to 56% of the patients (61% with seropositive and 45% with seronegative RA). Combination treatment was used in 15%. MTX was the drug of first choice even in patients with up to one year's disease duration (49%), followed by antimalarial drugs (21%). Patients treated by non-rheumatologists within the previous year had received DMARD treatment in only 33% of the cases. In steroid treatment, low doses (⩽7.5 mg/day) were used by rheumatologists much more often (44%) than higher doses (12%). 16% of the patients had been inpatients during the previous year, with a median length of stay accumulated over the year of 21 days. Together with stays in inpatient rehabilitation, 22% of all patients had had some form of inpatient treatment. Comprehensive measures such as occupational therapy and patient education were prescribed to fewer than 12% of the patients, mostly during their hospital stay. CONCLUSION German rheumatologists do follow recent recommendations about early and effective treatment. However, there are still deficits in outpatient care with non-medicinal measures like occupational therapy and patient education, which may partly explain the high hospital admission rates.
Descending brain‐spinal cord projections in a primitive vertebrate, the lamprey: Cerebrospinal fluid‐contacting and dopaminergic neurons

We used Neurobiotin as a retrograde tract tracer in both larval and adult sea lampreys and observed a number of neuronal brainstem populations (mainly reticular and octaval populations and some diencephalic nuclei) that project to the spinal cord, in agreement with the results of previous tracer studies. We also observed small labeled neurons in the ventral hypothalamus, the mammillary region, and the paratubercular nucleus, nuclei that were not reported as spinal projecting. Notably, most of the labeled cells of the mammillary region and some of the ventral hypothalamus were cerebrospinal fluid‐contacting (CSF‐c) neurons. Combined tract tracing and immunocytochemistry showed that some of the labeled neurons of the mammillary and paratubercular nuclei were dopamine immunoreactive. In addition, some CSF‐c cells were labeled in the caudal rhombencephalon and rostral spinal cord, and many were also dopamine immunoreactive. Results with other tracers (biotinylated dextran amines, horseradish peroxidase, and the carbocyanine dye DiI) also demonstrated that the molecular weight or the molecular nature of the tracer was determinant in revealing diencephalic cells with very thin axons. The results show that descending systems afferent to the spinal cord in lampreys are more varied than previously reported, and reveal a descending projection from CSF‐c cells, which is unknown in vertebrates. The present results also reveal the existence of large differences between agnathans and gnathostomes in the organization of the dopaminergic cells that project to the spinal cord. J. Comp. Neurol. 511:711–723, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
College Students’ Health Information Activities on Facebook: Investigating the Impacts of Health Topic Sensitivity, Information Sources, and Demographics

College students tend to lack access to health information. Because social networking sites (SNSs) are popularly adopted by college students, SNSs are considered to be good media channels for college students to obtain health-related information. This study examines the factors that influence college students’ health information-seeking and -sharing activities on Facebook. An online survey was distributed to college students between the ages of 18 and 29 to determine intentions pertaining to health information activities according to the factors identified for the study. The factors included both contextual factors (such as health topic sensitivity and health information sources) as well as user factors (such as demographics). Our findings showed that college students are willing to read and post health-related information on Facebook when the health topic is not sensitive. In addition, there are clear differences in preferences between professional sources and personal sources as health information sources. It was found that most user factors, except gender, have no influence on health information activities. The impacts of SNS contexts, awareness of information sources, types of interlocutors, and privacy concerns are further discussed.
Diagnostic accuracy of technetium-99m-MIBI myocardial SPECT in women and men.

UNLABELLED Noninvasive diagnosis of coronary artery disease in women has some limitations due to a higher percentage of false-positive results. In addition, a lower prevalence of disease can be observed in this population. In this study, we evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of 99mTc-methoxy-isobutyl-isonitrile (MIBI) SPECT in women and men, in a group of patients with proven coronary artery disease by coronary angiography (select minority) and in all patients where a noninvasive test (silent majority) was performed. METHODS Seven hundred and two consecutive patients without previous myocardial infarction were studied with 99mTc-MIBI myocardial SPECT. One hundred sixty-three patients had coronary angiography (select minority) and 539 did not (silent majority). All patients underwent exercise stress testing, and simultaneous dipyridamole was administered in 32% of patients who did not achieve maximum predicted heart rates. Diagnostic accuracy of the test was calculated for the select minority. Then, sensitivity and specificity of the silent majority were recalculated according to the Diamond criteria. RESULTS Prevalence of coronary artery disease (32% versus 80%, p = 0.0001) and peak O2 consumption achieved in exercise tests (watts, exercise duration) were lower in women. The probability of positive results of 99mTc-MIBI SPECT also was lower in women (34% versus 65%). The sensitivity of 99mTc-MIBI SPECT in women of the select minority was lower (85% versus 93%, p = 0.01), whereas there was no significant difference for specificity (91% versus 89%). After correcting the results for the silent majority, there were no significant differences in sensitivity (87% versus 88%) and specificity (91% versus 96%) between women and men. These results were not different for patients who achieved maximum predicted heart rates during stress testing (without dipyridamole administration). CONCLUSION The sensitivity of 99mTc-MIBI myocardial SPECT in women was lower than in men when only the select minority was considered. When the silent majority was considered (correction of selection bias) sensitivity and specificity results did not differ significantly between the sexes.
HUA ENHANCER1 Is Involved in Posttranscriptional Regulation of Positive and Negative Regulators in Arabidopsis Photomorphogenesis[C][W][OPEN]

This work reports that the expression of HEN1, a small regulatory RNA methyltransferase essential for microRNA biogenesis, is activated by light signaling pathways to regulate Arabidopsis photomorphogenesis. The expression of positive (HY5) and negative (TCPs) regulators is tuned by miR157d and miR319, respectively, in deetiolating seedlings, demonstrating a posttranscriptional control in the photomorphogenic development. Light regulates growth and developmental processes in plants via global transcriptome adjustment, translational control, and multilayered posttranslational modification of proteins. The transcriptional activation and repression of light-responsive genes has been well documented; however, the impact of posttranscriptional regulation on conveying light signals has been less addressed. Here, we examined whether optimal photomorphogenesis in Arabidopsis thaliana requires the proper biogenesis of small regulatory RNAs that play pivotal roles in the posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression. Arabidopsis carrying a mutation in HUA ENHANCER1 (HEN1), required for stabilization of small regulatory RNAs, showed defects in multiple aspects of photomorphogenic and skotomorphogenic development. HEN1 negatively regulated Arabidopsis photomorphogenesis. Light-activated HEN1 expression depended on the photoreceptors phytochrome A (phyA), phyB, cryptochrome 1 (cry1), and cry2 and key transcriptional regulators ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL5 (HY5) and HY5-HOMOLOG. We also demonstrate the involvement of the small regulatory RNAs miR157d and miR319 in modulating the expression of a positive regulator, HY5, and negative regulators TEOSINTE BRANCHED1, CYCLOIDEA AND PCF family proteins, respectively, for optimal photomorphogenic development in Arabidopsis.
Executive Function Development

Emerging executive function in childhood, one of the main predictors of major life success, is goal-directed in nature. Yet children’s ability to identify goals (i.e., what should be done) has been underresearched, often because of implicit assumptions that it is trivial even in early childhood. In contrast, I review evidence for goal identification as a major force behind developing executive function. Both increasing attention to environmental cues and increased goal inferencing from these cues drive goal-identification improvement with age. This framework has important implications for assessing and supporting executive function in childhood.
Merosin‐negative congenital muscular dystrophy associated with extensive brain abnormalities

Congenital muscular dystrophies (CMDs) are autosomal recessive, heterogeneous disorders. The most frequent form in the Caucasian population is classic (occidental) CMD, characterized by exclusive muscle involvement, although abnormal brain white matter signals are occasionally observed on MRI. Recently, deficiency of merosin, the laminin isoform in skeletal muscle, has been identified in classic CMD patients. In skeletal muscle, merosin is a native ligand for dystroglycan linking the extracellular matrix and dystrophin. Thus, merosin deficiency could disrupt the attachment of muscle cell to the extracellular matrix and lead to muscle cell necrosis. Since merosin is also expressed in the nervous system and has biologic activities on neurite outgrowth and Schwann cell migration, deficiency of merosin could affect the development of the nervous system. We report here two patients with merosin-negative CMD presenting extensive brain abnormalities characterized by cortical anomaly, polymicrogyria, and abnormal white matter signals.
Recombinant human interleukin-6 infusion during low-intensity exercise does not enhance whole body lipolysis or fat oxidation in humans.

The present study examined the role of the cytokine IL-6 in the regulation of fatty acid metabolism during exercise in humans. Six well-trained males completed three trials of 120 min of cycle ergometry at 70% peak O(2) consumption (Vo(2 peak); MOD) and 40% Vo(2 peak) with (LOW + IL-6) and without (LOW) infusion of recombinant human (rh)IL-6. The dose of rhIL-6 during LOW + IL-6 elicited IL-6 concentration similar to those during MOD but without altering the circulating hormonal milieu seen in MOD. Palmitate rate of appearance (R(a)), rate of disappearance (R(d)), and oxidation were measured by means of a constant infusion of [U-(13)C]palmitate (0.015 micromol.kg(-1). min(-1), prime NaHCO(3), 1 micromol/kg). Palmitate R(a), R(d), and oxidation were not affected by rhIL-6 infusion, remaining similar to LOW at all times. Palmitate R(a) and oxidation were significantly greater in the MOD trial (P < 0.05) compared with the LOW + IL-6 and LOW trials. Our data show that a low dose of rhIL-6, administered during low-intensity exercise without altering the hormonal milieu, does not alter fatty acid metabolism. These data suggest that the increase in fatty acid utilization seen during exercise at moderate compared with low intensity is not mediated via alterations in plasma IL-6.
The Tumor Suppressor p53 Down-Regulates Glucose Transporters GLUT1 and GLUT4 Gene Expression

Tumorigenesis is associated with enhanced cellular glucose uptake and increased metabolism. Because the p53 tumor suppressor is mutated in a large number of cancers, we evaluated whether p53 regulates expression of the GLUT1 and GLUT4 glucose transporter genes. Transient cotransfection of osteosarcoma-derived SaOS-2 cells, rhabdomyosarcoma-derived RD cells, and C2C12 myotubes with GLUT1-P-Luc or GLUT4-P-Luc promoter-reporter constructs and wild-type p53 expression vectors dose dependently decreased both GLUT1 and GLUT4 promoter activity to approximately 50% of their basal levels. PG13-Luc activity, which was used as a positive control for functional p53 expression, was increased up to ∼250-fold by coexpression of wild-type p53. The inhibitory effect of wild-type p53 was greatly reduced or abolished when cells were transfected with p53 with mutations in amino acids 143, 248, or 273. A region spanning −66/+163 bp of the GLUT4 promoter was both necessary and sufficient to mediate the inhibitory effects of p53. Furthermore, in vitro translated p53 protein was found to bind directly to two sequences in that region. p53-DNA binding was completely abolished by excess unlabeled probe but not by nonspecific DNA and was super-shifted by the addition of an anti-p53 antibody. Taken together, our data strongly suggest that wild-type p53 represses GLUT1 and GLUT4 gene transcription in a tissue-specific manner. Mutations within the DNA-binding domain of p53, which are usually associated with malignancy, were found to impair the repressive effect of p53 on transcriptional activity of the GLUT1 and GLUT4 gene promoters, thereby resulting in increased glucose metabolism and cell energy supply. This, in turn, would be predicted to facilitate tumor growth.
A note on the effect of castration on the ease of movement and handling of young cattle in yards

The ease with which cattle can be handled during routine husbandry operations is a major concern to producers. Ease of handling is difficult to define but includes the case with which cattle can be moved through yards, through a race or held in a crush or scales. Few studies have attempted to measure ‘ease of handling’ of animals. ‘Temperament scores’ of cattle of various breeds, sexes and ages based on the scoring system originally described by Tulloh (1961) were recorded by Hearnshaw, Barlow and Want (1979). These scores were highly repeatable between scorers and within animals although some decline in scores occurred with repeated measurements. Hearnshaw et al . (1979) suggested that the scores were a measurement of ease of handling rather than temperament.
Intrahost Dynamics of Influenza Virus Reassortment

ABSTRACT The segmented nature of the influenza virus genome allows reassortment between coinfecting viruses. This process of genetic exchange vastly increases the diversity of circulating influenza viruses. The importance of reassortment to public health is clear from its role in the emergence of a number of epidemiologically important viruses, including novel pandemic and epidemic strains. To gauge its impact on within-host genomic variation, we tracked reassortment in coinfected guinea pigs over time and given matched or discordant doses of coinfecting viruses. To ensure unbiased detection of reassortants, we used parental viruses of equivalent fitness that differ only by noncoding nucleotide changes. These viruses were based on the isolate A/Panama/2007/1999 (H3N2). At a dose of 2 × 102 PFU, one parental virus was absent from each guinea pig throughout the time course, indicating the presence of a bottleneck. With an intermediate dose of 2 × 103 PFU, genomic diversity present in nasal lavage samples increased from 1 to 3 days postinfection (dpi) and then declined by 6 dpi. With a high dose of 2 × 106 PFU, however, reassortment levels were high (avg. 59%) at 1 dpi and remained stable. Even late in the course of infection, parental viruses were not eclipsed by reassortants, suggesting that a uniformly high multiplicity of infection was not achieved in vivo. Inoculation with ∼10-fold discordant doses did not reduce reassortment relative to equivalent inputs but markedly changed the spectrum of genotypes produced. Our data reveal the potential for reassortment to contribute to intrahost diversity in mixed influenza virus infection. IMPORTANCE Influenza virus reassortment is prevalent in nature and is a major contributor to the diversity of influenza viruses circulating in avian, swine, human and other host species. This diversity, in turn, increases the potential for influenza viruses to evade selective pressures or adapt to new host environments. As examples, reassortment was key to the emergence of the 1957, 1968, and 2009 pandemics; the unusually severe influenza epidemics of 2003, 1951, and 1947; and the rise in adamantane resistance among currently circulating human H3N2 viruses. We reveal here the diversity of viral genotypes generated over time in a host coinfected with two influenza viruses. We found that intrahost diversity driven by reassortment is dynamic and dependent on the amount of each virus initiating infection. Our results demonstrate the readiness with which reassortant influenza viruses arise, offering new insight into this important mechanism of influenza virus evolution.
Are students really connected? Predicting college adjustment from social network usage

The rapid growth in popularity of social networking sites has spurred research exploring the impact of usage in a variety of areas. The current study furthered this line of research by examining the relationships between social network usage and adjustment to college in the academic, social, personal-emotional and university affiliation domains. Realising the number of students with social networking accounts, some universities have developed strategic plans for social media. Thus, this study also compared two universities, one with a social media strategic plan and one without, to determine if the planning process had an influence on students. Results indicated that social network usage was related to college adjustment. Specifically, those students who reported higher rates of social media use reported lower levels of adjustment to college in all domains. However, there were no differences between the two universities, indicating that having a social media strategic plan does not influence students in the area of college adjustment. These results are discussed in light of retention rates and changing practices within higher education.
Intersections of Sex and Power in Research on Prostitution: A Female Researcher Interviewing Male Heterosexual Clients

Dans cet article, l'A fait part de la place des relations de pouvoir dans sa recherche sur l'identite masculine et le commerce du sexe a Berlin. L'A analyse ici en detail les conditions methodologiques propres a son sujet de recherche, ainsi que les precautions a prendre pour garantir anonymat et relation confidentielle entre elle et ses interviewes. Il est egalement question des pratiques culturelles des femmes a l'ecoute des besoins de leurs clients, et de l'interaction qui agit quand l'interviewer (une femme) est prise dans le jeu des phantasmes des enquetes
Fuzzy support vector regression model for forecasting stock market volatility

Stock market volatility exhibits characteristics such as clustering and time-varying fluctuations. This paper proposes a two-stage method for addressing these concerns. The involved procedure is as follows: First, a fuzzy system is used to analyze clustering regimes according to the size of fluctuations. Second, the clustering regimes of Stage I are used to establish a support vector regression (SVR) model, which is used to reduce the time-varying complexity. However, the fuzzy-SVR model combines the parameters of membership functions and SVR models, further complicating the problem. Thus, this paper presents parallel research based on a genetic algorithm (GA) for estimating the parameters of the membership functions and SVR model. Data from four stock markets—the Taiwan Stock Exchange weighted stock index (Taiwan), the NASDAQ Composite index, the Hang Seng index (Hong Kong), and the Shanghai Composite index (Shanghai)—were analyzed in this study to illustrate the performance of the proposed model. According to the simulation results, the forecasting of outof-sample volatility performance was significantly improved when the model accounted for the behavioral effect of both clustering and time-varying fluctuations.
Federal reserve Credibility and . . .

Huh is an Economist at the Federal Res e r ve Bank of Sa n Francisco, currently on leave at the Korea Economic Research Institute. Lansing is an Economist at the Federal Res e r ve Banks of Cleveland and San Francisco. We thank J e ff Fuhrer for ge n e r o u s ly providing us with his computer p r ograms and for assistance in modifying them for this p a p e r. For helpful comments and suggestions, we also thank Marvin Goodfriend, John Judd, and Ken Kasa. Melissa Leung provided excellent research assistance. This paper was written while Lansing was a national fell ow at the Ho over Institution, whose hospitality is gratef u l ly acknow l e d ge d .
16. Consistency and inconsistency in implicit social cognition: the case of implicit and explicit measures of attitudes

E veryone experiences mixed or conflicted feelings from time to time. Does the divorcee "get back on the horse" and start dating again even when the sting of a disastrous marriage still lingers! At the restaurant, how does a diabetic patron ponder whether or not to order the tasty cheesecake, knowing that it is laden with so much sugar, fat, and calories? In a faculty meeting, how does one balance a tenure decision involving a productive colleague who is a complete jerk to students and other faculty alike? So many everyday decisions are fraught with a cacophony of feelings. In social psychological research, we understand that holding mixed feelings about attitude objects (e.g., dating, cheesecake, a colleague) is attitudinal ambivalence. In fact, the study of the consequences of holding inconsistent attitudes has long been acknowledged as important in the field (Kaplan, 1972; Petty & Brinol, 2009). However, it is interesting that social psychological thinking about inconsistent attitudes has focused almost exclusively on the implications of holding conflicting attitudes that people can verbalize. Yet what happens when evaluative inconsistencies operate at different levels (i.e., implicit and explicit measures of attitudes)? In the current ch;-lpter, we explore how discrepancies between implicit and explicit measures