Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Role of Negative Cognitive Appraisals in PTSD Symptoms Following Spinal Cord Injuries

This study aimed to investigate factors associated with persistent Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in people with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). In the context of a cognitive model, it sought to determine how influential cognitive appraisals were in predicting persistent PTSD when compared to other known predictor variables in the literature such as injury severity. A sample of 50 inpatients receiving rehabilitation for SCI who were 3–24 months post-injury were interviewed using a series of standardized measures of PTSD symptoms and diagnosis, post-traumatic cognitive appraisals, social support, and injury severity. For PTSD symptoms, significant relationships were found for greater injury severity, lower satisfaction with social support and more negative cognitions. Negative cognitions were found to predict variance in PTSD symptoms over and above the non-cognitive variables, although gender and injury severity were also predictors. The only significant predictor of PTSD diagnosis was the cognitive sub-scale “negative cognitions about the self”. Cognitive appraisals were found to be important predictors of persisting PTSD in an SCI population. This supports the cognitive model of PTSD and the development of cognitive therapies for PTSD in this population.
Development of a Human Cranial Bone Surrogate for Impact Studies

In order to replicate the fracture behavior of the intact human skull under impact it becomes necessary to develop a material having the mechanical properties of cranial bone. The most important properties to replicate in a surrogate human skull were found to be the fracture toughness and tensile strength of the cranial tables as well as the bending strength of the three-layer (inner table-diplöe-outer table) architecture of the human skull. The materials selected to represent the surrogate cranial tables consisted of two different epoxy resins systems with random milled glass fiber to enhance the strength and stiffness and the materials to represent the surrogate diplöe consisted of three low density foams. Forty-one three-point bending fracture toughness tests were performed on nine material combinations. The materials that best represented the fracture toughness of cranial tables were then selected and formed into tensile samples and tested. These materials were then used with the two surrogate diplöe foam materials to create the three-layer surrogate cranial bone samples for three-point bending tests. Drop tower tests were performed on flat samples created from these materials and the fracture patterns were very similar to the linear fractures in pendulum impacts of intact human skulls, previously reported in the literature. The surrogate cranial tables had the quasi-static fracture toughness and tensile strength of 2.5 MPa√ m and 53 ± 4.9 MPa, respectively, while the same properties of human compact bone were 3.1 ± 1.8 MPa√ m and 68 ± 18 MPa, respectively. The cranial surrogate had a quasi-static bending strength of 68 ± 5.7 MPa, while that of cranial bone was 82 ± 26 MPa. This material/design is currently being used to construct spherical shell samples for drop tower and ballistic tests.
Opsonic, agglutinating, and complement-fixing antibodies in patients with subacute bacterial endocarditis.

Abstract Patients with subacute bacterial endocarditis demonstrated high titers of specific opsonic, agglutinating, and complement-fixing antibodies for the infecting organisms. Heat-stable specific antibodies were effective opsonins, and the opsonic activity of serum was found to be a more sensitive index of antibody response than were agglutinating or complement-fixing activities. The 7S serum fraction from all of the patients with subacute bacterial endocarditis demonstrated opsonic, agglutinating, and complement-fixing antibody activity. In contrast, 19S serum fractions showed agglutinating and complement-fixing antibody activities, but, with one exception, there was no measurable opsonic activity. In normal sera, heat-labile factors appeared to play the major opsonic role with the bacterial species studied. In patients with subacute bacterial endocarditis the 7S immunoglobulin fractions demonstrated maximum opsonic activity.
Severe Plasmodium vivax Malaria, Brazilian Amazon

We describe a case series of 17 patients hospitalized in Manaus (western Brazilian Amazon) with PCR-confirmed Plasmodium vivax infection who were treated with chloroquine and primaquine. The major complications were jaundice and severe anemia. No in vivo chloroquine resistance was detected. These data help characterize the clinical profile of severe P. vivax malaria in Latin America.
Reducing attenuation in exposure-response relationships by exposure modeling and grouping: the relationship between wood dust exposure and lung function.

BACKGROUND In a study of wood dust exposure and lung function, we tested the effect on the exposure-response relationship of six different exposure metrics using the mean measured exposure of each subject versus the mean exposure based on various methods of grouping subjects, including job-based groups and groups based on an empirical model of the determinants of exposure. METHODS Multiple linear regression was used to examine the association between wood dust concentration and forced expiratory volume in 1s (FEV(1)), adjusting for age, sex, height, race, pediatric asthma, and smoking. RESULTS Stronger point estimates of the exposure-response relationships were observed when exposures were based on increasing levels of aggregation, allowing the relationships to be found statistically significant in four of the six metrics. The strongest point estimates were found when exposures were based on the determinants of exposure model. CONCLUSIONS Determinants of exposure modeling offers the potential for improvement in risk estimation equivalent to or beyond that from job-based exposure grouping.
Sight-Singing Pedagogy

The purpose of this study was to examine the sight-singing pedagogy content of choral methods textbooks, with the intent of determining what elements of sight-singing pedagogy are most commonly included in these resources. A content analysis was conducted to analyze information related to sight-singing pedagogy in 10 textbooks that are commonly used in undergraduate choral methods courses. Results of this content analysis indicated that although most choral methods textbooks contain some information about teaching sight-singing and music literacy skills, this information is often quite limited and does not include reference to helping students internally organize sound. In addition, information about concepts such as assessment and curriculum planning for sight-singing skills is included in only a small percentage of popular textbooks. Evaluation of these findings can help to illuminate the ways in which textbooks communicate the priorities and core values of a particular field of study, such as choral music education.
Resetting the circadian clock in cultured Xenopus eyecups: regulation of retinal melatonin rhythms by light and D2 dopamine receptors

A circadian oscillator is located within the eye of Xenopus laevis. This oscillator regulates retinal melatonin synthesis, stimulating it at night. The primary goal of the studies reported here was to define input pathways to this circadian oscillator as a step toward identification of circadian clock mechanisms. A flow-through superfusion culture system was developed to monitor circadian rhythms of melatonin release from individual eyecups. This system was used to determine the effects of light and dopaminergic agents on melatonin production and on the phase of the circadian oscillator. Six hour light pulses suppressed melatonin production and reset the phase of the free- running melatonin rhythm. Light pulses caused phase delays when applied during the early subjective night, phase advances when applied during the late subjective night, and no phase shift when applied during the subjective day. Dopamine receptor agonists mimicked light in suppressing melatonin release and resetting the phase of the circadian rhythm. The phase-response relationship for phase shifts induced by quinpirole, a D2 dopamine receptor agonist, was similar to that for phase shifts induced by light. Pharmacological analysis with selective catecholamine receptor agonists and antagonists indicated that there are pathways to the melatonin-generating system and the circadian oscillator that include D2 dopamine receptors. A D2 receptor antagonist, eticlopride, completely blocked the effects of dopamine on melatonin release and on circadian phase. However, eticlopride did not alter similar effects induced by light, indicating that dopamine- independent pathways exist for light input to these systems. The effects of light and quinpirole on melatonin release and circadian phase were not additive, indicating that the pathways converge. These pathways to the circadian oscillator in the retina present new avenues for pursuit of cellular circadian clock mechanisms.
Facial Deblur Inference Using Subspace Analysis for Recognition of Blurred Faces

This paper proposes a novel method for recognizing faces degraded by blur using deblurring of facial images. The main issue is how to infer a Point Spread Function (PSF) representing the process of blur on faces. Inferring a PSF from a single facial image is an ill-posed problem. Our method uses learned prior information derived from a training set of blurred faces to make the problem more tractable. We construct a feature space such that blurred faces degraded by the same PSF are similar to one another. We learn statistical models that represent prior knowledge of predefined PSF sets in this feature space. A query image of unknown blur is compared with each model and the closest one is selected for PSF inference. The query image is deblurred using the PSF corresponding to that model and is thus ready for recognition. Experiments on a large face database (FERET) artificially degraded by focus or motion blur show that our method substantially improves the recognition performance compared to existing methods. We also demonstrate improved performance on real blurred images on the FRGC 1.0 face database. Furthermore, we show and explain how combining the proposed facial deblur inference with the local phase quantization (LPQ) method can further enhance the performance.
TEMPORAL VARIATION IN ALLELE FREQUENCIES: TESTING THE RIGHT HYPOTHESIS

Although standard statistical tests (such as contingency chi‐square or G tests) are not well suited to the analysis of temporal changes in allele frequencies, they continue to be used routinely in this context. Because the null hypothesis stipulated by the test is violated if samples are temporally spaced, the true probability of a significant test statistic will not equal the nominal α level, and conclusions drawn on the basis of such tests can be misleading. A generalized method, applicable to a wide variety of organisms and sampling schemes, is developed here to estimate the probability of a significant test statistic if the only forces acting on allele frequencies are stochastic ones (i.e., sampling error and genetic drift). Results from analyses and simulations indicate that the rate at which this probability increases with time is determined primarily by the ratio of sample size to effective population size. Because this ratio differs considerably among species, the seriousness of the error in using the standard test will also differ. Bias is particularly strong in cases in which a high percentage of the total population can be sampled (for example, endangered species). The model used here is also applicable to the analysis of parent‐offspring data and to comparisons of replicate samples from the same generation. A generalized test of the hypothesis that observed changes in allele frequency can be satisfactorily explained by drift follows directly from the model, and simulation results indicate that the true α level of this adjusted test is close to the nominal one under most conditions.
Endothelial cell-derived microparticles induce plasmacytoid dendritic cell maturation: potential implications in inflammatory diseases

Microparticles derived from vascular endothelium are thought to play a role in common inflammatory disorders. In this study, the authors show that microparticles derived from vascular endothelium specifically induce the maturation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells and production of inflammatory cytokines, suggesting that endothelial microparticles may serve as therapeutic targets for immune modulation. Background Increased circulating endothelial microparticles, resulting from vascular endothelium dysfunction, and plasmacytoid dendritic cell activation are both encountered in common inflammatory disorders. The aim of our study was to determine whether interactions between endothelial microparticles and plasmacytoid dendritic cells could contribute to such pathologies. Design and Methods Microparticles generated from endothelial cell lines, platelets or activated T cells were incubated with human plasmacytoid dendritic cells sorted from healthy donor blood or with monocyte-derived dendritic cells. Dendritic cell maturation was evaluated by flow cytometry, cytokine secretion as well as naive T-cell activation and polarization. Labeled microparticles were also used to study cellular interactions. Results Endothelial microparticles induced plasmacytoid dendritic cell maturation. In contrast, conventional dendritic cells were resistant to endothelial microparticle-induced maturation. In addition to upregulation of co-stimulatory molecules, endothelial microparticle-matured plasmacytoid dendritic cells secreted inflammatory cytokines (interleukins 6 and 8, but no interferon-α) and also induced allogeneic naive CD4+ T cells to proliferate and to produce type 1 cytokines such as interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor-α. Endothelial microparticle endocytosis by plasmacytoid dendritic cells appeared to be required for plasmacytoid dendritic cell maturation. Importantly, the ability of endothelial microparticles to induce plasmacytoid dendritic cells to mature was specific as microparticles derived from activated T cells or platelets (the major source of circulating microparticules in healthy subjects) did not induce such plasmacytoid dendritic cell maturation. Conclusions Our data show that endothelial microparticles specifically induce plasmacytoid dendritic cell maturation and production of inflammatory cytokines. This novel activation pathway may be implicated in various inflammatory disorders and endothelial microparticles could be an important immunmodulatory therapeutic target.
Intrapartum risk factors for permanent brachial plexus injury.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to compare maternal, neonatal, and second stage of labor characteristics in shoulder dystocia deliveries that result in permanent brachial plexus injury with shoulder dystocia deliveries that result in no injury. STUDY DESIGN Our cases were culled from a database of deliveries that resulted in permanent brachial plexus injuries and matched to control cases that were taken from a database of consecutive shoulder dystocia deliveries from one hospital. Deliveries that resulted in injury were excluded from the control cases; those cases with no recorded shoulder dystocia were excluded from the cases. Matching was for birth weight (+/-250 g), parity, and diabetic status. Rates of precipitous and prolonged second stage, operative delivery, neonatal depression, and average number of shoulder dystocia maneuvers used were compared between the two groups with chi(2) test, Fisher exact test, and the Student t test; a probability value of <. 05 was considered significant. RESULTS There were 80 matched patients, of which 26 patients were nulliparous and 11 patients were diabetic. Mothers of the uninjured group were younger than those of the injured group (23.7+/-6.2 years vs 27.4+/-5.1 years, P<.001). The injured group had a significantly higher rate of 5-minute Apgar scores of <7 (13.9% vs 3.8%, P=.04). Differences in maternal weight, body mass index, height, race, gestational age, average number of maneuvers, head-to-body delivery interval, operative delivery rate, prolonged second stage rate, precipitous second stage rate, and sex were not significant between groups. The rates of precipitous second stage for both groups (28.0% injured and 35.0% uninjured) were more than triple the rates of prolonged second stage (9.5% injured and 11.3% uninjured). CONCLUSION No characteristic of second-stage of labor predicts permanent brachial plexus injury. Precipitous second stage is the most prevalent labor abnormality that is associated with shoulder dystocia.
Metabolic Outcomes 1 Year after Gastric Bypass Surgery in Obese People with Type 2 Diabetes

Objective: To assess metabolic outcomes in obese people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the first year following gastric bypass surgery. Subjects and Methods: Forty-nine obese patients with T2D who had undergone gastric bypass surgery 12 or more months previously were identified. Body weight and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) pre-operatively and 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively, changes to glucose-lowering therapies, and blood pressure (BP) and total and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol pre-operatively and 12 months postoperatively were recorded. The primary outcome measure was change in HbA1c; secondary outcomes included changes in BP and lipid profile. Results: The mean pre-operative body weight was 141.4 kg, the body mass index 49.4 and HbA1c 8.1%. The mean postoperative percentage of excess body weight loss at 3, 6 and 12 months was 39.0, 53.9 and 71.1 with reduction in HbA1c to 6.6, 6.2 and 5.8%, respectively (p < 0.0001). Remission of diabetes (HbA1c <6.5%) occurred in 12 of 18 patients (67%) at 3 months, 20 of 27 (74%) at 6 months and 21 of 25 (84%) at 12 months; of 41 patients under glucose-lowering treatment, 26 (63%) achieved complete withdrawal of treatment and 7 (17%) had their doses reduced. The mean of differences between baseline and 12-month measurements of systolic BP was 10.5 mm Hg (p = 0.021) and the total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio 0.9 (p < 0.002). Conclusion: Our study confirmed the finding of previous studies that gastric bypass surgery in obese people with T2D results in significant weight loss, and improved glycaemic, BP and lipid profiles. Bariatric surgery should be regarded as an effective therapeutic intervention in this patient population.
Current Trends in Development of Liposomes for Targeting Bacterial Biofilms

Biofilm targeting represents a great challenge for effective antimicrobial therapy. Increased biofilm resistance, even with the elevated concentrations of very potent antimicrobial agents, often leads to failed therapeutic outcome. Application of biocompatible nanomicrobials, particularly liposomally-associated nanomicrobials, presents a promising approach for improved drug delivery to bacterial cells and biofilms. Versatile manipulations of liposomal physicochemical properties, such as the bilayer composition, membrane fluidity, size, surface charge and coating, enable development of liposomes with desired pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles. This review attempts to provide an unbiased overview of investigations of liposomes destined to treat bacterial biofilms. Different strategies including the recent advancements in liposomal design aiming at eradication of existing biofilms and prevention of biofilm formation, as well as respective limitations, are discussed in more details.
Acquisition of NIR-Green-Blue Digital Photographs from Unmanned Aircraft for Crop Monitoring

Payload size and weight are critical factors for small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Digital color-infrared photographs were acquired from a single 12-megapixel camera that did not have an internal hot-mirror filter and had a red-light-blocking filter in front of the lens, resulting in near-infrared (NIR), green and blue images. We tested the UAV-camera system over two variably-fertilized fields of winter wheat and found a good correlation between leaf area index and the green normalized difference vegetation index (GNDVI). The low cost and very-high spatial resolution associated with the camera-UAV system may provide important information for site-specific agriculture.
Communication Complexity of Gossiping by Packets

This paper considers the problem of gossiping with packets of limited size in a network with cost function. We show that the problem of determining the minimum cost necessary to perform gossiping among a given set of participants with packets of limited size is NP-hard. We also give an approximate (with respect to the cost) gossiping algorithm. The ratio between the cost of an optimal algorithm and the approximate one is less than 1+2(k−1)/n, were n is the number of nodes participating to the gossiping process and k ≤ n−1 is the upper bound on the number of individual blocks of information that a packet can carry.
Health-promoting behaviours in conservatoire students

This study focuses on health-promoting behaviours in students from two conservatoires, the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM, Manchester, UK; n =199) and the Royal College of Music (RCM, London, UK; n = 74). The research questions concern (a) the levels and types of health-promoting behaviours among performance students and (b) the association of health-promoting behaviours with emotional state, perceived general self-regulation and self-efficacy. To address these questions, the students were surveyed using server-based inventories over the internet. Results revealed varying levels of adherence to individual aspects of health-promoting behaviours. No significant differences between the populations of the two conservatoires with respect to health-promoting behaviours were observed. In general, values for health responsibility, physical activity and stress management were lower than values for nutrition, interpersonal relations and spiritual growth. Significant correlations were found between all subscales of health-promoting behaviours, emotional state, self-efficacy and self-regulation. These results suggest that music performance students tend to focus more strongly on psychosocial than physical aspects of health while particularly neglecting health responsibility. It is also concluded that health-promoting behaviours are weakly and differentially associated with both positive and negative emotional states, as well as with perceived self-efficacy and self-regulation.
Duck Nesting on Rotational and Continuous Grazed Pastures in North Dakota

To improve the economic viability of grazed prairie and thus conserve it as wildlife habitat, the Prairie Pothole Joint Venture (PPJV) cost-shares establishment of rotational cattle grazing on privately owned, native rangeland. During 1996 and 1997 we evaluated duck nest density, nest success, and nesting habitat on six PPJV rotational grazed pastures on the Missouri Coteau landform in central and northwestern North Dakota. Each rotational pasture was paired with a traditional, continuous grazed pasture for comparison. We located 444 nests of eight duck species. We detected no differences (P > 0.1) between rotational and continuous grazed pastures in apparent nest density of ducks (x ± SD nests/ha, all species combined, 1996: 0.26 ± 0.09 and 0.31 ± 0.12; 1997: 0.38 ± 0.14 and 0.25 ± 0.12), although a grazing type x year interaction suggested rotational pastures might be more attractive to ducks in a dry spring (1997). No differences in duck nest success were detected between rotational and continuous pastures (% Mayfield estimate, 1996: 27.2 ± 12.6 and 15.5 ± 11.0; 1997: 21.6 ± 10.0 and 16.7 ± 13.7), but varied occurrence of canid species could have obscured differences. We detected no differences in vegetation height-density indices as measured by visual obstruction readings (VORs) between rotational and continuous pastures in 1996. VORs were greater on rotational pastures, however, in the relatively dry spring of 1997. Our findings suggested that rotational grazing systems can serve as a prairie