Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Impact of a Therapeutic Recreation Program on Community- Based Consumers of a Regional Mental Health Service

Over the last two decades, the deinstitutionalisation process has resulted in the movement of mental health consumers from institutional into community living. Today, this still continues to be a challenge for people with mental illness, other members of their social support network as well as service providers who are working with them in the community. Importantly, this on-going transition has highlighted the fact that many consumer needs have been largely unfulfilled throughout this inclusive process. One of these unmet needs has been the lack of provision of appropriate leisure services for people with a mental illness (Pegg & Moxham, 2000). Historically, leisure services in Australia have suffered from a lack of recognition by various state mental health services. Because of this, Dowla (1997) and Cassidy (1996) have strongly argued that there is a need for further empirical research to be undertaken to explore the belief that leisure has a positive effect on an individual’s health and wellbeing, and that leisure services are an important element of mental health service provision. The main purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between leisure participation and the health and well-being of a sample of 62 community-based consumers of a mental health service in a regional city in Australia. The authors undertook a quasi-experimental design using a leisure intervention and a pretest, post-test and six-month follow-up procedure to examine the variables of perceived control and self-efficacy. Perceived Control in Leisure was measured by using the Short Form (Version B) of the Leisure Diagnostic Battery (Witt & Ellis, 1989). Self- Efficacy was measured by using the Leisure Efficacy Interview (Western Laboratory for Leisure Research, 1992). The therapeutic recreation intervention was undertaken for a three-hour duration, once a week for a period of 24 weeks. The leisure activities were mainly arts and craft based and were led by occupational therapy staff of the mental health service. Activities were offered as four-week modules or blocks so that there was sufficient time provided for participants to learn the rudimentary skills of the activity. Assignment was one of three groups of participants—autocratic, interactive and a comparison group. The results of this study support the interactive style of instruction as a more effective method than relying on a traditional autocratic and directive style as it provides greater choices and opportunities for consumers. The findings of this study also support the importance of employing leisure therapy staff in case management teams who are cognizant of the need to establish a positive environment designed to facilitate the empowerment and quality of life of mental health consumers. Furthermore, the research findings provide additional support to validate the importance of leisure programs in community-based psychiatric facilities for people with a range of mental illnesses.
Multisubstrate biodegradation kinetics of naphthalene, phenanthrene, and pyrene mixtures.

Biodegradation kinetics of naphthalene, phenanthrene and pyrene were studied in sole-substrate systems, and in binary and ternary mixtures to examine substrate interactions. The experiments were conducted in aerobic batch aqueous systems inoculated with a mixed culture that had been isolated from soils contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Monod kinetic parameters and yield coefficients for the individual compounds were estimated from substrate depletion and CO(2) evolution rate data in sole-substrate experiments. In all three binary mixture experiments, biodegradation kinetics were comparable to the sole-substrate kinetics. In the ternary mixture, biodegradation of naphthalene was inhibited and the biodegradation rates of phenanthrene and pyrene were enhanced. A multisubstrate form of the Monod kinetic model was found to adequately predict substrate interactions in the binary and ternary mixtures using only the parameters derived from sole-substrate experiments. Numerical simulations of biomass growth kinetics explain the observed range of behaviors in PAH mixtures. In general, the biodegradation rates of the more degradable and abundant compounds are reduced due to competitive inhibition, but enhanced biodegradation of the more recalcitrant PAHs occurs due to simultaneous biomass growth on multiple substrates. In PAH-contaminated environments, substrate interactions may be very large due to additive effects from the large number of compounds present.
Antibiotics for sore throat.

BACKGROUND Sore throat is a common reason for people to present for medical care. Although it remits spontaneously, primary care doctors commonly prescribe antibiotics for it. OBJECTIVES To assess the benefits of antibiotics for sore throat for patients in primary care settings. SEARCH METHODS We searched CENTRAL 2013, Issue 6, MEDLINE (January 1966 to July week 1, 2013) and EMBASE (January 1990 to July 2013). SELECTION CRITERIA Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-RCTs of antibiotics versus control assessing typical sore throat symptoms or complications. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two review authors independently screened studies for inclusion and extracted data. We resolved differences in opinion by discussion. We contacted trial authors from three studies for additional information. MAIN RESULTS We included 27 trials with 12,835 cases of sore throat. We did not identify any new trials in this 2013 update. 1. Symptoms Throat soreness and fever were reduced by about half by using antibiotics. The greatest difference was seen at day three. The number needed to treat to benefit (NNTB) to prevent one sore throat at day three was less than six; at week one it was 21. 2. Non-suppurative complications The trend was antibiotics protecting against acute glomerulonephritis but there were too few cases to be sure. Several studies found antibiotics reduced acute rheumatic fever by more than two-thirds within one month (risk ratio (RR) 0.27; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.12 to 0.60). 3. Suppurative complications Antibiotics reduced the incidence of acute otitis media within 14 days (RR 0.30; 95% CI 0.15 to 0.58); acute sinusitis within 14 days (RR 0.48; 95% CI 0.08 to 2.76); and quinsy within two months (RR 0.15; 95% CI 0.05 to 0.47) compared to those taking placebo. 4. Subgroup analyses of symptom reduction Antibiotics were more effective against symptoms at day three (RR 0.58; 95% CI 0.48 to 0.71) if throat swabs were positive for Streptococcus, compared to RR 0.78; 95% CI 0.63 to 0.97 if negative. Similarly at week one the RR was 0.29 (95% CI 0.12 to 0.70) for positive and 0.73 (95% CI 0.50 to 1.07) for negative Streptococcus swabs. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS Antibiotics confer relative benefits in the treatment of sore throat. However, the absolute benefits are modest. Protecting sore throat sufferers against suppurative and non-suppurative complications in high-income countries requires treating many with antibiotics for one to benefit. This NNTB may be lower in low-income countries. Antibiotics shorten the duration of symptoms by about 16 hours overall.
Evaluation of Coping as a Mediator of the Relationship Between Stressful Life Events and Cancer-Related Distress

Objective: Lifetime stressful life events (SLEs) may predispose oncology patients to cancer-related distress (i.e., intrusive thoughts, hyperarousal, avoidance). Coping may influence cancer-related distress by mediating this relationship. This study sought to (a) determine the prevalence and impact of lifetime SLEs among oncology outpatients receiving chemotherapy and (b) examine the relationship between SLEs and cancer-related distress and the mediating role of coping on this relationship. Method: Patients (n = 957), with breast, gastrointestinal, gynecologic or lung cancer, who were undergoing chemotherapy, completed the Life Stressor Checklist–Revised (LSC-R), a measure of lifetime SLEs. Cancer-related distress was assessed with the Impact of Event Scale–Revised. Coping strategies since beginning chemotherapy were assessed with the Brief COPE; 2 latent variables (engagement and disengagement coping) were identified based on these scores. LSC-R scores (number of SLEs and perceived impact during the prior year) were evaluated in relation to demographic and clinical characteristics. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the relationship between LSC-R and Impact of Event Scale–Revised scores and the mediating role of engagement and disengagement coping on this relationship. Results: On average, patients reported 6.1 (SD = 4.0; range = 0–23 out of 30) SLEs. Patients who were not married/partnered, had incomes <$30,000/year, or who had lower functional status or greater comorbidity had higher LSC-R scores. The relationship between more SLEs and more severe cancer-related distress was completely mediated by disengagement coping. Engagement coping did not mediate this relationship. Conclusions: Disengagement coping, including behavioral disengagement, avoidance, and denial, should be targeted to mitigate cancer-related distress.
Adenoassociated Virus–Mediated Prostacyclin Synthase Expression Prevents Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Rats

Prostacyclin synthase (PGIS) is the final committed enzyme in the metabolic pathway of prostacyclin production. The therapeutic option of intravenous prostacyclin infusion in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension is limited by the short half-life of the drug and life-threatening catheter-related complications. To develop a better delivery system for prostacyclin, we examined the feasibility of intramuscular injection of an adenoassociated virus (AAV) vector expressing PGIS for preventing monocrotaline-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension in rats. We developed an AAV serotype 1–based vector carrying a human PGIS gene (AAV-PGIS). AAV-PGIS or the control AAV vector expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein was injected into the anterior tibial muscles of 3-week–old male Wistar rats; this was followed by the monocrotaline administration at 7 weeks. Eight weeks after injecting the vector, the plasma levels of 6-keto-prostaglandin F1α increased in a vector dose-dependent manner. At this time point, the PGIS transduction (1×1010 genome copies per body) significantly decreased mean pulmonary arterial pressure (33.9±2.4 versus 46.1±3.0 mm Hg; P<0.05), pulmonary vascular resistance (0.26±0.03 versus 0.41±0.03 mm Hg · mL−1 · min−1 · kg−1; P<0.05), and medial thickness of the peripheral pulmonary artery (14.6±1.5% versus 23.5±0.5%; P<0.01) as compared with the controls. Furthermore, the PGIS-transduced rats demonstrated significantly improved survival rates as compared with the controls (100% versus 50%; P<0.05) at 8 weeks postmonocrotaline administration. An intramuscular injection of AAV-PGIS prevents monocrotaline-pulmonary arterial hypertension in rats and provides a new therapeutic alternative for preventing pulmonary arterial hypertension in humans.
Improvement of Folate Biosynthesis by Lactic Acid Bacteria Using Response Surface Methodology

Summary Lactic acid bacteria (Lactococcus lactis NZ9000, Lactococcus lactis MG1363, Lactobacillus plantarum I-UL4 and Lactobacillus johnsonii DSM 20553) have been screened for their ability to produce folate intracellularly and/or extracellularly. L. plantarum I-UL4 was shown to be superior producer of folate compared to other strains. Statistically based experimental designs were used to optimize the medium formulation for the growth of L. plantarum I-UL4 and folate biosynthesis. The optimal values of important factors were determined by response surface methodology (RSM). The effects of carbon sources, nitrogen sources and para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) concentrations on folate biosynthesis were determined prior to RSM study. The biosynthesis of folate by L. plantarum I-UL4 increased from 36.36 to 60.39 mg/L using the optimized medium formulation compared to the selective Man de Rogosa Sharpe (MRS) medium. Conditions for the optimal growth of L. plantarum I-UL4 and folate biosynthesis as suggested by RSM were as follows: lactose 20 g/L, meat extract 16.57 g/L and PABA 10 mM.
Short-Term Versus Long-Term Effects of Depressive Symptoms on Mortality in Patients on Dialysis

Objective Depressive symptoms seem to pose a risk factor for mortality among patients on dialysis. It is currently unknown whether the association is only short-lived and whether associations over time depend on specific causes of mortality. Methods In a prospective nationwide cohort study, 1528 patients with end-stage renal disease starting on dialysis completed the Mental Health Inventory. Patients were observed up to 5 years or until the end of follow-up in April 2011. Cox regression analyses were used to calculate associations between depressive symptoms and short-term (0–6 months), medium-term (6–24 months), or long-term (24–60 months) cardiovascular and noncardiovascular mortality. Results The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) was 1.43 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.08–1.88) for cardiovascular mortality and 2.07 (95% CI = 1.62–2.64) for noncardiovascular mortality. Depressive symptoms posed a strong risk factor for noncardiovascular mortality at the short term (HR = 2.82, 95% CI = 1.58–5.05), medium term (HR = 2.08, 95% CI = 1.40–3.09), and long term (HR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.26–2.69), whereas the association between depressive symptoms and cardiovascular mortality was not observed during the first 6 months of follow-up (HR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.49–2.15). Conclusions Depressive symptoms at the start of dialysis therapy are associated with short-, medium-, and long-term mortality. The cause-specific mortality risk over time may help clinicians to understand multifactorial causes of the association between depressive symptoms and survival. Abbreviations ESRD = end-stage renal disease HD = hemodialysis PD = peritoneal dialysis HR = hazard ratio CI = confidence interval NECOSAD = The Netherlands Co-operative Study on the Adequacy of Dialysis rGFR = residual glomerular filtration rate iPTH = intact parathyroid hormone CRP = C-reactive protein
A Brief Overview of Adolescent Developmental Problems in Hong Kong

Several adolescent developmental problems in Hong Kong are briefly reviewed in this paper. First, rising adolescent substance abuse trends are described. Second, Internet use problems and Internet addiction among young people are examined. Third, worrying trends in adolescent sexuality are identified. Fourth, phenomena on bullying among young people are reviewed. Finally, phenomena related to adolescent materialistic orientation are focused upon. With reference to these adolescent developmental problems, possible solutions are briefly discussed particularly with reference to the ecological perspective. It is argued that the related scientific literature provides useful pointers for designing the curriculum in the extension phase of the Project P.A. T.H. S. in Hong Kong.
Protective Effects of Isoflavone on Some Biochemical Parameters Affected by Cypermethrin in Male Rabbits

Effect of isoflavone on cypermethrin‐induced changes in enzyme activities and free radicals was studied in plasma, liver, brain and testes of male New Zealand White rabbits. Rabbits were orally given sublethal dose of cypermethrin (24 mg/kg BW; 1/100 LD50), while isoflavone (2 mg/kg BW) was given alone or in combination with cypermethrin. The tested doses were given to rabbits every other day for 12 weeks. Results obtained showed that cypermethrin significantly (P < 0.05) induced free radicals in plasma, liver, brain and testes. The activities of glutathione S‐transferase (GST) (liver, brain and testes), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (liver and testes), and alkaline phosphatase (AlP) (liver) were significantly (P < 0.05) decreased due to cypermethrin administration. Contrariwise, the activities of GST, AST, ALT and AlP were increased in plasma. The activity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) did not change in plasma and brain of treated rabbits with cypermethrin. Isoflavone alone significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the levels of free radicals in plasma, liver, brain and testes, while did not produce any significant effect on the investigated enzymes. However, isoflavone is able to reverse the changes in enzyme activities due to the effect of cypermethrin. Results concluded that isoflavone confers marked protection against cypermethrin‐induced oxidative stress in rabbit's plasma, liver, brain and testes.
Intrinsic Differences in the Proliferation of Naive and Memory Human B Cells as a Mechanism for Enhanced Secondary Immune Responses1

Humoral immune responses elicited after secondary exposure to immunizing Ag are characterized by robust and elevated reactivity of memory B cells that exceed those of naive B cells during the primary response. The mechanism underlying this difference in responsiveness of naive vs memory B cells remains unclear. We have quantitated the response of naive and memory human B cells after in vitro stimulation with T cell-derived stimuli. In response to stimulation with CD40 ligand alone or with IL-10, both IgM-expressing and Ig isotype-switched memory B cells entered their first division 20–30 h earlier than did naive B cells. In contrast, the time spent traversing subsequent divisions was similar. Consistent with previous studies, only memory cells differentiated to CD38+ blasts in a manner that increased with consecutive division number. These differentiated CD38+ B cells divided faster than did CD38− memory B cell blasts. Proliferation of CD40 ligand-stimulated naive B cells as well as both CD38+ and CD38− cells present in cultures of memory B cells was increased by IL-10. In contrast, IL-2 enhanced proliferation of CD38− and CD38+ memory B cell blasts, but not naive cells. Thus, memory B cells possess an intrinsic advantage over naive B cells in both the time to initiate a response and in the division-based rate of effector cell development. These differences help explain the accelerated Ab response exhibited by memory B cells after secondary challenge by an invading pathogen, a hallmark of immunological memory.
Initiation, proliferation and development of micro- propagation system for mass scale production of banana through meristem culture

Explants were taken from field grown plants in 2010. The shoot apical meristem of different sizes was cultured on Murashige and skoog’s (MS) medium supplemented with different concentrations and combinations of 6-benzylamino-purine (BAP), kinetin (Kin) and α- naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) either alone or in combination with each other under different temperature conditions ranging from 23 to 27°C. Shoot formation response from shoot apical meristem showed that MS medium containing 1.0 mg/l BAP showed best response for shoot formation. For shoot multiplication, MS medium containing 1.0 mg/l BAP + 0.25 mg/l kin provided the best multiplication response which was 8 shoot per culture vial within 21.6 days after inoculation into shoot multiplication medium. Shoot formation and multiplication response was also affected by temperature variations. The best results were obtained at 27°C ± 1°C. By increase or decrease in temperature, the rate of in vitro response was also decreased. For rooting of well developed in vitro shoots MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/l Indole-3- butyric acid (IBA)+ 0.5 mg/l NAA showed 3.6 roots per plant after 6.8 days of inoculation into rooting medium with an average root length of 2.4 cm. 100% hardening response was obtained in Peat moss after 21 days of transplantation in glass house. The experiments were designed in completely randomized pattern. Key words: Murashige and skoog’s medium, proliferation, banana, micro propagation system.
Emergence of Consensus in a Multi-Robot Network: From Abstract Models to Empirical Validation

Consensus dynamics in decentralised multiagent systems are subject to intense studies, and several different models have been proposed and analyzed. Among these, the naming game stands out for its simplicity and applicability to a wide range of phenomena and applications, from semiotics to engineering. Despite the wide range of studies available, the implementation of theoretical models in real distributed systems is not always straightforward, as the physical platform imposes several constraints that may have a bearing on the consensus dynamics. In this letter, we investigate the effects of an implementation of the naming game for the kilobot robotic platform, in which we consider concurrent execution of games and physical interferences. Consensus dynamics are analyzed in the light of the continuously evolving communication network created by the robots, highlighting how the different regimes crucially depend on the robot density and on their ability to spread widely in the experimental arena. We find that physical interferences reduce the benefits resulting from robot mobility in terms of consensus time, but also result in lower cognitive load for individual agents.
Diagnostic Performance of Attenuation-Corrected Myocardial Perfusion Imaging for Coronary Artery Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) with SPECT is a well-established tool for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, soft-tissue attenuation is a common artifact that limits the diagnostic accuracy of MPI. The aim of this study was to determine whether attenuation correction (AC) improved the diagnostic performance of MPI, using coronary angiography as a reference standard. Methods: MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched until March 2015 for studies evaluating AC MPI for the diagnosis of CAD. Methodologic quality was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool. For each study, the sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio, along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), were calculated to determine the diagnostic accuracy of AC versus non–attenuation-corrected (NAC) MPI. A bivariate mixed-effects model was applied for pooling the data. Results: Of 201 articles, 17 studies (1,701 patients) were identified, including 5 studies that used CT AC, 12 studies that used radionuclide source AC (RAC), and 15 studies that reported NAC results. The pooled sensitivities across studies were 0.80 (95% CI, 0.64–0.91), 0.85 (95% CI, 0.81–0.88), 0.84 (95% CI, 0.79–0.88), and 0.80 (95% CI, 0.75–0.85) for CT AC, RAC, all AC, and NAC, respectively. The pooled specificities were 0.83 (95% CI, 0.71–0.91), 0.81 (95% CI, 0.73–0.86), 0.80 (95% CI, 0.74–0.85), and 0.68 (95% CI, 0.61–0.74). Both sensitivities and specificities resulted in a pooled diagnostic odds ratio of 20 (95% CI, 12–34), 24 (95% CI, 13–43), 22 (95% CI, 13–35), and 9 (7–11). Significant differences in specificity and diagnostic odds ratios were noted when AC (including CT AC, RAC, and all AC) was compared with NAC. Conclusion: The results from this study suggested that AC should be applied to MPI to improve the diagnosis of CAD, especially the specificity.