Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Somatization in an immigrant population in Israel: a community survey of prevalence, risk factors, and help-seeking behavior.

OBJECTIVE Knowledge about the frequency, severity, and risk factors of somatization (somatic manifestations of psychological distress) among immigrants is limited. The authors examined somatic distress in an immigrant population in Israel, explored its relationship with psychological distress symptoms and health-care-seeking behavior, and determined its correlation with the length of residence in Israel. METHOD Two reliable and validated self-report questionnaires, the Brief Symptom Inventory and the Demographic Psychosocial Inventory, were administered in a cross-sectional community survey of 966 Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union who had arrived in Israel within the previous 30 months. RESULTS The 6-month prevalence rate for somatization was 21.9% and for psychological distress, 55.3%. The current rate of co-occurrence of somatization and psychological distress was 20.4%. The most common physical complaints were heart or chest pain, feelings of weakness in different parts of the body, and nausea. Somatization was positively correlated with the intensity of psychological distress and with help-seeking behavior during the 6 months preceding the survey. Women reported significantly more somatic and other distress symptoms than men. Older and divorced or widowed individuals were more likely to meet the criteria for somatization. Within the first 30 months after resettlement, longer length of residence was associated with higher levels of somatization symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Somatization is a prevalent problem among individuals in cross-cultural transition and is associated with psychological distress; demographic characteristics such as gender, age, marital status, and duration of immigration; self-reported health problems; and immigrants' help-seeking behavior.
A Lagrangian based immune-inspired optimization framework for distributed systems

This paper presents a novel hybrid framework for cooperative conflict resolution in distributed system (DS) optimization problems that combines the Lagrangian decomposition (LD) method and the mechanisms offered by artificial immune systems. LD provides a means to derive simpler sub-problems by dropping complicated constraints, yet the challenge is to determine effective algorithms for updating the corresponding multipliers. After full decomposition of a single optimization problem derived from a DS into a number of sub-problems that are to be solved by individual intelligent agents, this paper introduces a distributed cooperative search framework (DCSF) whereby intelligent agents are designed for solving those sub-problems. The development of DCSF is inspired by the human immune system where algorithms of suppression and stimulation are formulated to compute the infeasibility (violation of relaxation constraints) and the affinity of candidate solutions individually. In this paper, DCSF is implemented on a distributed platform supported by Matlab to solve a generalized assignment problem (GAP) so as to demonstrate its behavior and performance in the realm of distributed combinatorial optimization.
Interventions to Influence Consulting and Antibiotic Use for Acute Respiratory Tract Infections in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are common in children and generally self-limiting, yet often result in consultations to primary care. Frequent consultations divert resources from care for potentially more serious conditions and increase the opportunity for antibiotic overuse. Overuse of antibiotics is associated with adverse effects and antimicrobial resistance, and has been shown to influence how patients seek care in ensuing illness episodes. Methodology/Principal Findings We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effectiveness of interventions directed towards parents or caregivers which were designed to influence consulting and antibiotic use for respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in children in primary care. Main outcomes were parental consulting rate, parental knowledge, and proportion of children subsequently consuming antibiotics. Of 5,714 references, 23 studies (representing 20 interventions) met inclusion criteria. Materials designed to engage children in addition to parents were effective in modifying parental knowledge and behaviour, resulting in reductions in consulting rates ranging from 13 to 40%. Providing parents with delayed prescriptions significantly decreased reported antibiotic use (Risk Ratio (RR) 0.46 (0.40, 0.54); moreover, a delayed or no prescribing approach did not diminish parental satisfaction. Conclusions In order to be most effective, interventions to influence parental consulting and antibiotic use should: engage children, occur prior to an illness episode, employ delayed prescribing, and provide guidance on specific symptoms. These results support the wider implementation of interventions to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use in children.
Molecular Medicine in Practice Pathway Analysis of Glioblastoma Tissue after Preoperative Treatment with the EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Gefitinib — A Phase II Trial

Amplification of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene is one of the most common oncogenic alterations in glioblastoma (45%) making it a prime target for therapy. However, small molecule inhibitors of the EGFR tyrosine kinase showed disappointing efficacy in clinical trials for glioblastoma. Here we aimed at investigating the molecular effects of the tyrosine kinase inhibitor gefitinib on the EGFR signaling pathway in human glioblastoma. Twenty-two patients selected for reoperation of recurrent glioblastoma were treated within a phase II trial for 5 days with 500 mg gefitinib before surgery followed by postoperative gefitinib until recurrence. Resected glioblastoma tissues exhibited high concentrations of gefitinib (median, 4.1 mg/g), 20 times higher than respective plasma. EGFR-pathway activity was evaluated with phosphorylation-specific assays. The EGFR was efficiently dephosphorylated in treated patients as compared to a control cohort of 12 patients. However, no significant effect on 12 pathway constituents was detected. In contrast, in vitro treatment of a glioblastoma cell line, BS-153, with endogenous EGFRwt amplification and EGFRvIII expression resulted not only in dephosphorylation of the EGFR, but also of key regulators in the pathway such as AKT. Treating established xenografts of the same cell line as an in vivo model showed dephosphorylation of the EGFR without affecting downstream signal transductors, similar to the human glioblastoma. Taken together, gefitinib reaches high concentrations in the tumor tissue and efficiently dephosphorylates its target. However, regulation of downstream signal transducers in the EGFR pathway seems to be dominated by regulatory circuits independent of EGFR phosphorylation. Mol Cancer Ther; 10(6); 1102–12. 2011 AACR.
Timing Variability in Circle Drawing and Tapping: Probing the Relationship Between Event and Emergent Timing

R. Ivry, R. M. Spencer, H. N. Zelaznik, and J. Diedrichsen (2002) have proposed a distinction between timed movements in which a temporal representation is part of the task goal (event timing) and those in which timing properties are emergent. The issue addressed in the present experiment was how timing in conditions conducive to emergent timing becomes established. According to what the authors term the transformation hypothesis, timing initially requires an event-based representation when the temporal goal is defined externally (e.g., by a metronome), but over the first few movement cycles, control processes become established that allow timing to become emergent. Different groups of participants (N = 84) executed either 1 timed interval, 4 timed intervals, or 2 timed intervals separated by a pause. They produced the intervals by either circle drawing, a task associated with emergent timing, or tapping, a task associated with event timing. Analyses of movement variability suggested that similar timing processes were used in the 2 tasks only during the 1st interval. Those results are consistent with the transformation hypothesis and lead to the inference that the transition from event-based control to emergent timing can occur rapidly during continuous movements.
Development of animal models for the acute respiratory distress syndrome

Injury to the lung parenchyma results in the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which is a common and life-threatening cause of respiratory failure and mortality that develops after a variety of insults, including sepsis, multiple trauma, pneumonia, aspiration of gastric contents and severe burns. The pathogenesis of ARDS is complex with loss of the alveolar-capillary barrier and flooding of the airspaces with protein-rich fluid; injury to the alveolar epithelium; an influx of neutrophils and macrophages; and fibrin deposition as a result of activation of coagulation and inhibition of fibrinolysis. These changes develop over hours to a few days after the initiating event and often take days or weeks to resolve. Despite decades of research, there is only one therapy (low tidal volume ventilation) that has been shown to reduce mortality in ARDS. Further research into the pathogenesis of this devastating condition is crucial for the development of novel and specific therapies that target specific disease mechanisms. Unfortunately, no single animal model of ARDS replicates the complex pathophysiological changes seen in patients. This is a severe limitation in the study of ARDS and has impaired scientific and therapeutic progress in this field. Here, we discuss the primary features of this syndrome, highlight limitations of current animal models and suggest new approaches to investigate key components of pathogenesis. Hopefully, as new technologies and approaches emerge, barriers to scientific progress in ARDS will be overcome.
N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide and subclinical brain small vessel disease

Objective: To study the association of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) with several brain MRI markers of brain vascular disease in a sample of participants free of stroke and dementia. Methods: NT-proBNP plasma level was determined by means of a sandwich immunoassay method in a cohort study comprising 278 hypertensive patients. The presence of silent brain infarcts, brain microbleeds, enlarged perivascular spaces, and white matter hyperintensity volumes was assessed by brain MRI. We performed univariate and multivariate analyses to determine whether NT-proBNP was independently associated with these imaging markers, individually or combined. Results: Median age was 63 years, and 41.4% were women. NT-proBNP remained independently associated with silent brain infarcts (odds ratio [OR] per 1-SD increase in NT-proBNP 2.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.44–3.10), brain microbleeds (OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.15–2.78), basal ganglia enlarged perivascular spaces (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.12–2.15), and white matter hyperintensity volumes (β 1.60, 95% CI 0.47–2.74), even after controlling for vascular risk factors, cardiovascular risk, atrial fibrillation, previous heart disease, duration of hypertension, and preventive treatments. A score combining several imaging markers was also related to NT-proBNP levels (common OR per 1-SD increase 1.74, 95% CI 1.21–2.50). Conclusions: NT-proBNP is independently associated with silent cerebrovascular lesions and could be a surrogate marker of vascular brain damage in hypertension.
Performance anomalies of nonoptimally configured wireless LANs

To this date, many works have been conducted to study the throughput and delay performance of WLANs under saturated conditions and to obtain the configuration that provides optimal performance under these conditions. From these previous works, however, it remains unclear whether this configuration is also appropriate for a WLAN operating under nonsaturation conditions. In this paper we present solid argu- ments which demonstrate that the optimal configuration resulting from saturation is also appropriate for a WLAN operating under nonsaturation conditions. Specifically, we show (via analysis and simulation) that a WLAN configured differently suffers from a number of performance anomalies when operating with finite sending rates. This is an important result for the configuration of WLAN parameters.
Objectively assessed physical activity and lower limb function and prospective associations with mortality and newly diagnosed disease in UK older adults: an OPAL four-year follow-up study

Background: objective measures of physical activity and function with a diverse cohort of UK adults in their 70s and 80s were used to investigate relative risk of all-cause mortality and diagnoses of new diseases over a 4-year period. Participants: two hundred and forty older adults were randomly recruited from 12 general practices in urban and suburban areas of a city in the United Kingdom. Follow-up included 213 of the baseline sample. Methods: socio-demographic variables, height and weight, and self-reported diagnosed diseases were recorded at baseline. Seven-day accelerometry was used to assess total physical activity, moderate-to-vigorous activity and sedentary time. A log recorded trips from home. Lower limb function was assessed using the Short Physical Performance Battery. Medical records were accessed on average 50 months post baseline, when new diseases and deaths were recorded. Analyses: ANOVAs were used to assess socio-demographic, physical activity and lower limb function group differences in diseases at baseline and new diseases during follow-up. Regression models were constructed to assess the prospective associations between physical activity and function with mortality and new disease. Results: for every 1,000 steps walked per day, the risk of mortality was 36% lower (hazard ratios 0.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.44–0.91, P = 0.013). Low levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (incident rate ratio (IRR) 1.67, 95% CI 1.04–2.68, P = 0.030) and low frequency of trips from home (IRR 1.41, 95% CI 0.98–2.05, P = 0.045) were associated with diagnoses of more new diseases. Conclusion: physical activity should be supported for adults in their 70s and 80s, as it is associated with reduced risk of mortality and new disease development.
A pitch based noise estimation technique for robust speech recognition with Missing Data

This paper presents a noise estimation technique based on knowledge of pitch information for robust speech recognition. In the first stage the noise is estimated by means of extrapolating the noise from frames where speech is believed to be absent. These frames are detected with a proposed pitch based VAD (Voice Activity Detector). In the second stage the noise estimation is revised in voiced frames using harmonic tunnelling thechnique. The tunnelling noise estimation is used at high SNRs as an upper bound of the noise rather than a suitable estimation. A spectrogram MD (Missing Data) recognition system is chosen to evaluate the proposed noise estimation. The proposed system is compared in Aurora-2 with other similar techniques like cepstral SS (Spectral Subtraction).
Th1 and Th2 Immune Response in Chronic Hepatitis B Patients during a Long-Term Treatment with Adefovir Dipivoxil

Adefovir dipivoxil treatment has significantly improved the outcome of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. However, it remains largely unknown how immune system responds to the treatment. Chronic HBV patients were treated with adefovir dipivoxil and examined for serum HBV DNA loads, cytokines, and T helper (Th1) and 2 (Th2) cytokine producing T cells during 104 weeks of the treatment. Th1/Th2 cytokines producing T cells were significantly lower in chronic HBV patients as compared to normal individuals. Adefovir dipivoxil treatment led to the increase of Th1/Th2 cytokines producing T cells and serum cytokine levels in association with the decline of HVB DNA load. In contrast, Th1/Th2 cytokines producing T cells remained lower in one patient detected with adefovir dipivoxil resistant HBV A181T/V mutation. This study has established inverse correlation of the increase of Th1/Th2 immunity and the decline of HBV DNA load in chronic HBV patients during adefovir dipivoxil treatment.
ZAP-70 Restoration in Mice by In Vivo Thymic Electroporation

Viral and non-viral vectors have been developed for gene therapy, but their use is associated with unresolved problems of efficacy and safety. Efficient and safe methods of DNA delivery need to be found for medical application. Here we report a new monopolar system of non-viral electro-gene transfer into the thymus in vivo that consists of the local application of electrical pulses after the introduction of the DNA. We assessed the proof of concept of this approach by correcting ZAP-70 deficient severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) in mice. The thymic electro-gene transfer of the pCMV-ZAP-70-IRES-EGFP vector in these mice resulted in rapid T cell differentiation in the thymus with mature lymphocytes detected by three weeks in secondary lymphoid organs. Moreover, this system resulted in the generation of long-term functional T lymphocytes. Peripheral reconstituted T cells displayed a diversified T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire, and were responsive to alloantigens in vivo. This process applied to the thymus could represent a simplified and effective alternative for gene therapy of T cell immunodeficiencies.
Dendritic cells and immune regulation in the liver

Hepatic dendritic cells (DC) unquestionably play important roles in the induction and regulation of immune responses. Due to their paucity, functional characterisation of these important antigen presenting cells has been slow but use of DC growth factors (in particular GM-CSF and Flt3L) that markedly enhance their numbers has proved helpful in furnishing adequate study material. While there is growing evidence that DC function is affected in the pathogenesis of liver disease, most work to date has been performed on non-hepatic DC. Increasing knowledge of hepatic DC biology is likely to improve our understanding of disease pathogenesis and resistance to and therapy of liver disease.
Sudden infant death syndrome

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) continues to be the most common cause of postneonatal infant death. SIDS is a complex, multifactorial disorder, the cause of which is still not fully understood. However, much is known now about environmental risk factors, some of which are modifiable. These include maternal and antenatal risk factors such as smoking during pregnancy, as well as infant-related risk factors such as non-supine sleeping position and soft bedding. Emerging evidence also substantiates an expanding number of genetic risk factors. Interactions between environmental and genetic risk factors may be of critical importance in determining an infant's actual risk of SIDS. Although no practical way exists to identify which infants will die of SIDS, nor is there a safe and proven prevention strategy even if identification were feasible, reducing exposure to modifiable risk factors has helped to lower the incidence of SIDS. Current challenges include wider dissemination of guidelines to all people who care for infants, dissemination of guidelines in culturally appropriate ways, and surveillance of SIDS trends and other outcomes associated with implementation of these guidelines.
Effects of Male Hypogonadism on Regional Adipose Tissue Fatty Acid Storage and Lipogenic Proteins

Testosterone has long been known to affect body fat distribution, although the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. We investigated the effects of chronic hypogonadism in men on adipose tissue fatty acid (FA) storage and FA storage factors. Twelve men with chronic hypogonadism and 13 control men matched for age and body composition: 1) underwent measures of body composition with dual energy x-ray absorptiometry and an abdominal CT scan; 2) consumed an experimental meal containing [3H]triolein to determine the fate of meal FA (biopsy-measured adipose storage vs. oxidation); 3) received infusions of [U-13C]palmitate and [1-14C]palmitate to measure rates of direct free (F)FA storage (adipose biopsies). Adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase, acyl-CoA synthetase (ACS), and diacylglycerol acetyl-transferase (DGAT) activities, as well as, CD36 content were measured to understand the mechanism by which alterations in fat storage occur in response to testosterone deficiency. Results of the study showed that hypogonadal men stored a greater proportion of both dietary FA and FFA in lower body subcutaneous fat than did eugonadal men (both p<0.05). Femoral adipose tissue ACS activity was significantly greater in hypogonadal than eugonadal men, whereas CD36 and DGAT were not different between the two groups. The relationships between these proteins and FA storage varied somewhat between the two groups. We conclude that chronic effects of testosterone deficiency has effects on leg adipose tissue ACS activity which may relate to greater lower body FA storage. These results provide further insight into the role of androgens in body fat distribution and adipose tissue metabolism in humans.
On the characterization of sodium alginate/gelatine‐based hydrogels for wound dressing

In this study, sodium alginate/gelatine (SA/G) hydrogels were prepared to obtain wound dressing with good, moist, healing, and biocompatibility properties. The physicochemical properties of hydrogels were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and a swelling test. Dynamic viscoelastic properties including the storage, loss moduli, G′ and G″, and loss angle, tan delta of both freshly prepared and swelled gels were examined in oscillatory experiments. Its results revealed that tested SA/G hydrogels exhibit highly elastic behavior similar to the viscoelastic response of human skin. Based on the performed analysis, it could be suggested that the SA/G hydrogel is a potential wound dressing material providing and maintaining the adequate moist environment required to prevent scab formation and the dehydration of the wound bed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Design Requirements of Wide-Area Damping Systems—Using Empirical Data From a Utility IP Network

Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU) communication delays and data frame losses play a critical role in designing of wide-area damping systems driven by synchrophasor technology. While there are a plethora of simulation-based studies addressing this issue, empirical results from actual PMUs deployed in the field are rare. This paper provides important insights into the characterization of PMU communication delays and data frame losses based on empirical results collected from a utility IP network. Additionally, efforts are also made to elicit design requirements considering the above PMU data quality problems. Furthermore, three distinct delay-robust wide-area damping control schemes parameterized according to the proposed requirements are validated against the empirical delays and data frame losses. Time-domain simulation results suggest that the control schemes in question can effectively stabilize the power system in all of the tested scenarios.