Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Guidance on Switching Away from Piportil Depotf (pipotiazine Palmitate) Injection

Piportil Depot (pipotiazine palmitate) injection was globally withdrawn in March 2015 because of a shortage of the active ingredient. There are no generic versions available and pipotiazine is not available in an oral formulation. Therefore, clinicians will need to switch to another antipsychotic as existing stocks run out. In Scotland alone, about 410 patients 1 are currently prescribed Piportil Depot, which translates to roughly 5000 recipients UK-wide (if that figure is generalisable). We present our suggestions for managing the antipsychotic switch. 1 Treatment decisions should be made on an individual basis, in discussion with the patient, their carers (if the patient agrees) and the treating team. 2 An early decision is whether a long-acting injection (LAI) or depot is still required or whether a switch to oral medication should be considered. This decision should take account of the patient's views, the risk and likely consequences of a relapse and the risk of covert nonadherence with oral treatment. The main advantage of LAIs is that adherence is transparent. The patient's psychiatric history will be informative in making this decision. 3 With the exception of clozapine, there are no major differences in efficacy between individual antipsychotics, although they vary markedly in their risk of side-effects. 2 Consequently, the patient's past experience of antipsychotics, and their views on potential adverse effects, will be important considerations guiding the choice of a new antipsychotic. 4 If it is decided to switch to another LAI, then appropriate guidance, including that in the summary of product characteristics of the new LAI, should be followed regarding the details of the switch. If the patient has not previously received the new antipsychotic then a test dose is required before starting the LAI. In the case of first-generation antipsychotic LAIs, this takes the form of a low dose of the LAI, but with second-generation antipsychotic LAIs, it takes the form of a few days' treatment with the oral form of the same antipsychotic. 5 Acquisition costs vary considerably between first-and second-generation antipsychotic LAIs, but this should be only one of a range of factors considered in the selection of the new antipsychotic. 6 The long half-life of Piportil Depot makes withdrawal effects unlikely. Illness relapse is likely to be the most common clinical concern after switching. We advise clinicians to be vigilant regarding relapse for at least 12 months after the switch, and the patient's specific relapse signature should be …
An exploratory study of the neural mechanisms of decision making in compulsive hoarding

Background Prior studies have suggested unique patterns of neural activity associated with compulsive hoarding. However, to date no studies have examined the process of making actual decisions about whether to keep or discard possessions in patients with hoarding symptoms. An increasing body of clinical data and experimental psychopathology research suggests that hoarding is associated with impaired decision making; therefore, it is important to understand the neural underpinnings of decision-making abnormalities in hoarding patients. Method Twelve adult patients diagnosed with compulsive hoarding, 17% of whom also met criteria for obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), and 12 matched healthy controls underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while making decisions about whether or not to discard personal paper items (e.g. junk mail) brought to the laboratory as well as control items that did not belong to them. Items were either saved or destroyed following each decision. Results When deciding about whether to keep or discard personal possessions, compulsive hoarding participants displayed excessive hemodynamic activity in lateral orbitofrontal cortex and parahippocampal gyrus. Among hoarding participants, decisions to keep personal possessions were associated with greater activity in superior temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus, anterior cingulate cortex, precentral gyrus, and cerebellum than were decisions to discard personal possessions. Conclusions These results provide partial support for an emerging model of compulsive hoarding based on complications of the decision-making process. They also suggest that compulsive hoarding may be characterized by focal deficits in the processing of reward and changes in reward contingencies, particularly when these are perceived to be punishing.
Inhibition of basigin expression in glioblastoma cell line via antisense RNA reduces tumor cell invasion and angiogenesis

Basigin/CD147 also named extracelluar matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN), has been implicated in playing very important roles in several aspects of tumor progression. In this study, we examined the inhibitory effects of antisense RNA of CD147 on invasion and angiogenesis of human glioblastoma U251 cells in vitro. The U251 cell line was transfected by a plasmid containing antisense CD147 cDNA. Gelatin zymography was used to determine the effect on reducing secretions of MMP-2 and MMP-9 of the transfected cells. Boyden chamber was employed to test the invasion of U251 cells in vitro. We found that downregulation of CD147 resulted in reducing secretions of MMP-2, MMP-9, and VEGF. Moreover, the invasion of stable antisense transfectants was inhibited. Wound-induced migration assay also showed decreased migration in stable antisense transfectants compare to parental- and empty vector-transfected cells. Taken together, these results provide evidence that invasion of human glioblastoma cells can be inhibited by antisense RNA of CD147. Basigin/CD147 may be used as a potential target of drugs for anti-invasion and metastasis of human glioblastoma cells.
Proinflammatory Cytokines Are Soluble Mediators Linked with Ventricular Arrhythmias and Contractile Dysfunction in a Rat Model of Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome (MS) increases cardiovascular risk and is associated with cardiac dysfunction and arrhythmias, although the precise mechanisms are still under study. Chronic inflammation in MS has emerged as a possible cause of adverse cardiac events. Male Wistar rats fed with 30% sucrose in drinking water and standard chow for 25–27 weeks were compared to a control group. The MS group showed increased weight, visceral fat, blood pressure, and serum triglycerides. The most important increases in serum cytokines included IL-1β (7-fold), TNF-α (84%), IL-6 (41%), and leptin (2-fold), the latter also showing increased gene expression in heart tissue (35-fold). Heart function ex vivo in MS group showed a decreased mechanical performance response to isoproterenol challenge (ISO). Importantly, MS hearts under ISO showed nearly twofold the incidence of ventricular fibrillation. Healthy rat cardiomyocytes exposed to MS group serum displayed impaired contractile function and Ca2+ handling during ISO treatment, showing slightly decreased cell shortening and Ca2+ transient amplitude (23%), slower cytosolic calcium removal (17%), and more frequent spontaneous Ca2+ release events (7.5-fold). As spontaneous Ca2+ releases provide a substrate for ventricular arrhythmias, our study highlights the possible role of serum proinflammatory mediators in the development of arrhythmic events during MS.
Anti-beta2-glycoprotein I antibodies as risk factors for acute myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether high levels of antibodies against the phospholipid beta2-glycoprotein I (beta2-gpI) cofactor are associated with an increase in the risk of acute myocardial infarction. METHODS The study comprised 82 patients with acute myocardial infarction and 82 controls, who were assessed in regard to age, sex, race, hypertension, smoking, previous heart disease, history of diabetes mellitus, and hypercholesterolemia. The following antibodies were detected using immunoassay: anticardiolipin and anti-beta2-gpI IgA, IgG, and IgM. Adjusted odds ratios (OR) for risk factors were obtained through logistic regression. RESULTS The mean ages of the cases and controls were, respectively, 57.7 and 51.1 years (P=0.003). Men (P=0.005) and the white race predominated in both groups (P=0.798). Of the risk factors, a history of diabetes (OR=5.3; 95% CI: 1.9 to 14.9; P=0.001) and previous heart disease (OR=4.7; 95% CI: 2.0 to 10.7; P<0.001) were the most consistent associations with myocardial infarction. The frequency of anticardiolipin IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies did not differ between cases and controls (P=1.000). Anti-beta2-gpI IgA antibodies were more frequent in cases than in controls (P=0.054). The adjusted OR for anti-beta2-gpI IgA antibodies was 3.4 (95% CI: 1.3 to 9.1; P=0.015). CONCLUSION Anti-beta2-gpI IgA antibodies, but not anticardiolipin antibodies, seemed to behave as independent risk factors for myocardial infarction, which may represent a link between autoimmunity and atherosclerosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction.
Effects of Humor in Task-Oriented Human-Computer Interaction and Computer-Mediated Communication: A Direct Test of SRCT Theory

Little published research exists on whether humor is a positive or a negative in task-oriented human-computer interaction (HCI). The prevailing notion is that humor distracts users, wastes their time, and may cause them to take their work less seriously. Two experiments examined the effects of humor in task situations involving HCI and computer-mediated communication (CMC). The studies used the same two-condition (humor or control) between-subjects design and essentially the same experimental method. Thus, data from the studies can be compared in a direct test of the social responses to communication technologies (SRCT) claim that people respond to humans and computers in identical ways. In the first experiment, participants worked on a task, ostensibly with another person in a different room, via a networked computer (CMC). All participants received pre-programmed comments, differing only in whether they contained humor. Humor participants rated the "other person" as more likable and reported greater cooperation with and similarity to this other person. They also made more jokes and responded more sociably. Task time and the amount of effort participants put into the task were unaffected by humor. In the second experiment, participants were told they were interacting with a computer in another room (HCI). The results from Experiment 2 were generally consistent with those from Experiment 1; however, HCI participants were less sociable, demonstrated less mirth, felt less similar to their interaction partner, and spent less time on the task. The results suggest both that humor may enhance likability of an interface and that SRCT theory should be revised. Implications for user-interface design and guidelines for the use of humor in HCI are discussed.
Process Writing and Communicative-Task-Based Instruction: Many Common Features, but More Common Limitations?

Process writing and communicative-task-based instruction both assume productive tasks that prompt self-expression to motivate students and as the principal engine for developing L2 proficiency in the language classroom. Besides this, process writing and communicative-task-based instruction have much else in common, despite some obvious differences. They have common rationales, similar foils, common justifications and comparable procedures. It is argued that they also have a number of limitations, both inherent and circumstantial. The inherent limitations largely reflect a lack of equilibrium between planning, teacher intervention and student initiative, while the circumstantial ones are due to their being hatched essentially for ESL instruction in privileged university contexts. The argument is that, logically, there should be a progression from more to less instructor intervention or support and from less to more student initiative, autonomy and peer interaction, thus including a broader spectrum of pedagogical options.
Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology Open Access Reactive Oxygen Species and Sperm Cells

There is a dynamic interplay between pro-and anti-oxidant substances in human ejaculate. Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation can overwhelm protective mechanism and initiate changes in lipid and/or protein layers of sperm plasma membranes. Additionally, changes in DNA can be induced. The essential steps of lipid peroxidation have been listed as well as antioxidant substances of semen. A variety of detection techniques of lipid peroxidation have been summarized together with the lipid components of sperm membranes that can be subjected to stress. It is unsolved, a threshold for ROS levels that may induce functional sperm ability or may lead to male infertility.
Mechanisms of the alternative activation of macrophages and non-coding RNAs in the development of radiation-induced lung fibrosis

Radiation-induced lung fibrosis (RILF) is a common side effect of thoracic irradiation therapy and leads to high mortality rates after cancer treatment. Radiation injury induces inflammatory M1 macrophage polarization leading to radiation pneumonitis, the first stage of RILF progression. Fibrosis occurs due to the transition of M1 macrophages to the anti-inflammatory pro-fibrotic M2 phenotype, and the resulting imbalance of macrophage regulated inflammatory signaling. Non-coding RNA signaling has been shown to play a large role in the regulation of the M2 mediated signaling pathways that are associated with the development and progression of fibrosis. While many studies show the link between M2 macrophages and fibrosis, there are only a few that explore their distinct role and the regulation of their signaling by non-coding RNA in RILF. In this review we summarize the current body of knowledge describing the roles of M2 macrophages in RILF, with an emphasis on the expression and functions of non-coding RNAs.
Eosinophilic airway inflammation in COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a common condition and a major cause of mortality. COPD is characterized by irreversible airflow obstruction. The physiological abnormalities observed in COPD are due to a combination of emphysema and obliteration of the small airways in association with airway inflammation. The predominant cells involved in this inflammatory response are CD8+ lymphocytes, neutrophils, and macrophages. Although eosinophilic airway inflammation is usually considered a feature of asthma, it has been demonstrated in large and small airway tissue samples and in 20%–40% of induced sputum samples from patients with stable COPD. This airway eosinophilia is increased in exacerbations. Thus, modifying eosinophilic inflammation may be a potential therapeutic target in COPD. Eosinophilic airway inflammation is resistant to inhaled corticosteroid therapy, but does respond to systemic corticosteroid therapy, and the degree of response is related to the intensity of the eosinophilic inflammation. In COPD, targeting treatment to normalize the sputum eosinophilia reduced the number of hospital admissions. Whether controlling eosinophilic inflammation in COPD patients with an airway eosinophilia will modify disease progression and possibly alter mortality is unknown, but warrants further investigation.
Risk of emergency colectomy and colostomy in patients with diverticular disease.

HYPOTHESIS Patients with diverticulitis are at a lifetime risk for emergency colectomy and colostomy. Age and recurrence characteristics can serve to predict the risk for these adverse outcomes. DESIGN Time-to-event analysis and logistic regression were used to determine the risk of emergency colectomy/colostomy. SETTING AND PATIENTS A retrospective cohort study using a statewide administrative database and identifying all patients hospitalized nonelectively for diverticulitis (1987-2001). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Emergency colectomy and/or colostomy in patients treated nonsurgically after a first episode of acute diverticulitis. RESULTS A total of 25 058 patients (mean age [ +/- SD], 69 [16] years, 60% female) were hospitalized for an initial episode of diverticulitis. Of the 20 136 patients treated without initial operation, 19% had recurrences, with younger patients (<50 years) more likely to have a recurrence than older patients (27% vs 17%, P<.001). While only 5.5% of patients had recurrent hospitalizations during which an emergency colectomy/colostomy was performed, it occurred more commonly in younger patients (7.5% vs 5%, P<.001). The adjusted hazard ratio for emergency colectomy/colostomy in younger patients was 39% higher than in older patients (hazard ratio, 1.39; 95% confidence interval, 1.21-1.62). Among all patients, the adjusted hazard ratio for emergency colectomy/colostomy was 2.2 times higher with each subsequent admission (hazard ratio, 2.2; 95% confidence interval, 2.1-2.2). The predicted probability of emergency colectomy/colostomy was highest in younger patients with multiple rehospitalizations. CONCLUSIONS Age and number of recurrent events were associated with the risk of emergency colectomy/colostomy after successful nonoperative management in patients with diverticulitis. Individualization of recommendations regarding elective colectomy based on these factors may be more appropriate than the application of previously published strategies.
A Bayesian method for missing rainfall estimation using a conceptual rainfall–runoff model

ABSTRACT The estimation of missing rainfall data is an important problem for data analysis and modelling studies in hydrology. This paper develops a Bayesian method to address missing rainfall estimation from runoff measurements based on a pre-calibrated conceptual rainfall–runoff model. The Bayesian method assigns posterior probability of rainfall estimates proportional to the likelihood function of measured runoff flows and prior rainfall information, which is presented by uniform distributions in the absence of rainfall data. The likelihood function of measured runoff can be determined via the test of different residual error models in the calibration phase. The application of this method to a French urban catchment indicates that the proposed Bayesian method is able to assess missing rainfall and its uncertainty based only on runoff measurements, which provides an alternative to the reverse model for missing rainfall estimates.
Dimensions of Online Behavior: Toward a User Typology

Online behavior refers to organized (e.g., search) and unorganized (e.g., browse) interactions with both human (e.g., chat) and nonhuman (e.g., database) elements in online environments. The salient features of online behavior are conceptualized as sociability (human connection motives), utility (efficiency orientation), and reciprocity (cognitive stimulation and active involvement). Recently published factor analytic studies support the validity of these three dimensions of online behavior. The proposed Brief Test of Online Behavior (BTOB) contains five rating scale items that determine user position on each dimension of online behavior (i.e., 15 items in total). A typology of online behavior emerges as BTOB scores position users in the three-dimensional space created by the intersection of sociability, utility, and reciprocity. Subsequent research may validate the proposed dimensions of online behavior, establish practical applications of the BTOB, and connect type of user with cognitive, social, and emotional outcomes. For example, users who score high on sociability and reciprocity but low on utility may learn best in interactive and stimulating online environments, which necessarily include self-regulating software.
Joint Boosting Feature Selection for Robust Face Recognition

A fundamental challenge in face recognition lies in determining what facial features are important for the identification of faces. In this paper, a novel face recognition framework is proposed to address this problem. In our framework, 3D face models are used to synthesize a huge database of realistic face images which covers wide appearance variations of faces due to various pose, illumination, and expression changes. A novel feature selection algorithm which we call Joint Boosting is developed to extract discriminative face features using this massive database. The major contributions of this paper are: (1) With the help of 3D face models, a massive database of realistic virtual face images is generated to achieve robust feature selection; (2)Because the huge database covers a wide range of face variations, our feature selection procedure only needs to be trained once, and the selected feature set can be generalized to other face database without re-training; (3) We propose a new learning algorithm, Joint Boosting Algorithm, which is effective and efficient in learning directly from a massive database without having to convert face images to intra-personal and extra-personal difference images. This property is important for applying our algorithm to other general pattern recognition problems. Experimental results show that our method significantly improves recognition performance.
Mutations in the Hemochromatosis Gene (HFE) and Stroke

Background and Purpose— Increased serum iron is found to be a risk factor for stroke. Carriers of HFE C282Y and H63D mutations have elevated serum iron levels and may have an increased risk for stroke. We studied the association between HFE gene mutations, carotid atherosclerosis, and stroke. Methods— We compared the frequency of the HFE C282Y and H63D gene mutations in 202 prevalent and incident cases of stroke with that of 2730 controls from a population-based study, the Rotterdam Study. The influence of HFE mutations on the relationship between hypertension, smoking, and stroke was studied by use of a logistic regression model. In the analyses of hypertension, we used noncarriers and nonhypertensives as reference; in the analysis of smoking, we used noncarriers and those who never smoked as the reference group. Furthermore, we studied the mean intima-media thickness of the common carotid artery in relation to hypertension, smoking, and the HFE genotype in subjects without stroke. Results— The percentage of both C282Y and H63D carriers in cases (43.7%, n=87) did not differ significantly (P =0.09) from that of controls (37.6%, n=986). The odds ratio for stroke for HFE carriers who also suffered from hypertension was 3.0 (95% CI, 1.9 to 4.6), and for HFE carriers who were also smokers, the odds ratio for stroke was 2.6 (95% CI, 1.4 to 5.0). The mean±SD intima-media thickness of the carotid artery was 0.77±0.14 mm for noncarriers without a history of hypertension or smoking compared with 0.81±0.17 mm for HFE carriers who smoked (P <0.004) and 0.84±0.20 mm for HFE carriers who were hypertensive (P <0.001). Conclusions— Mutations in the HFE gene were not significantly related to stroke or atherosclerosis in the carotid artery. The HFE gene may modify the relationship between smoking and stroke.
Antimicrobial Activity of Three Baccharis Species Used in the Traditional Medicine of Northern Chile

The antimicrobial activities of aqueous ethanol and chloroform extracts of three Baccharis species currently used in Northern Chile folk medicine for the treatment of several infectious and inflammatory disorders were tested against Gram-positive and negative bacteria and fungal spp. using the agar-disc diffusion assay. The results indicated that the activity was more pronounced against Gram-positive than against Gram-negative bacteria and yeast. No significant differences on the antibacterial activity were observed in the aqueous ethanol versus chloroform extracts. None of the plant extracts evaluated exhibited any activity against ten fungi tested.