Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measuring the mental health status of the Norwegian population: A comparison of the instruments SCL-25, SCL-10, SCL-5 and MHI-5 (SF-36)

A great number of questionnaires and instruments have been developed in order to measure psychological distress/mental health problems in populations. The Survey of Level of Living in 1998 conducted by Statistics Norway used both Hopkins Symptom Checklist (SCL-25) and the Short Form 36 (SF-36), including the five-item mental health index (MHI-5). Five-item and 10-item versions of the SCL-25 have also been used in Norwegian surveys. The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between the various instruments, and to assess and to compare psychometric characteristics. A random sample of 9735 subjects over 15 years of age drawn from the Norwegian population received a questionnaire about their health containing SCL-25 and SF-36. Response rate was 71.9%. Reliability of the SCLs and MHI-5 were assessed by Cronbach alpha. The scores from full and abbreviated instruments were compared regarding possible instrument-specific effects of gender, age and level of education. The correlations between the instruments were calculated. The capacity of the various instruments to identify cases was assessed in terms of sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, receiver operating characteristics (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC). The reliabilities were high (Cronbach alpha>0.8). All instruments showed a significant difference in the mean scores for men and women. The correlation between the various versions of SCL ranged from 0.91 to 0.97. The correlation between the MHI-5 and the SCLs ranged from −0.76 to −0.78. The prevalence rate was 11.1% for SCL-25 scores above 1.75 and 9.7% for scores below 56 in MHI-5. AUC values indicated good screening accordance between the measures (AUC>0.92). The results suggest that the shorter versions of SCL perform almost as well as the full version. The corresponding cut-off points to the conventional 1.75 for SCL-25 are 1.85 for SCL-10 and 2.0 for SCL-5. MHI-5 correlates highly with the SCL and the AUC indicate that the instruments might replace each other in population surveys, at least when considering depression. An operational advantage of the MHI-5 over the SCL instruments is that it has been widely used not only in surveys of mental health, but also in surveys of general health.
The atmospheric chemistry box model CAABA/MECCA-3.0

Abstract. We present version 3.0 of the atmospheric chemistry box model CAABA/MECCA. In addition to a complete update of the rate coefficients to the most recent recommendations, a number of new features have been added: chemistry in multiple aerosol size bins; automatic multiple simulations reaching steady-state conditions; Monte-Carlo simulations with randomly varied rate coefficients within their experimental uncertainties; calculations along Lagrangian trajectories; mercury chemistry; more detailed isoprene chemistry; tagging of isotopically labeled species. Further changes have been implemented to make the code more user-friendly and to facilitate the analysis of the model results. Like earlier versions, CAABA/MECCA-3.0 is a community model published under the GNU General Public License.
Long‐Term Voluntary Exercise and the Mouse Hypothalamic‐Pituitary‐Adrenocortical Axis: Impact of Concurrent Treatment with the Antidepressant Drug Tianeptine

We investigated whether voluntary exercise and concurrent antidepressant treatment (tianeptine; 20 mg/kg/day; 4 weeks) exert synergistic effects on the mouse hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenocortical (HPA) axis. Animals had access to a running wheel, were treated with the antidepressant, or received both conditions combined. Control mice received no running wheel and no drug treatment. Exercise resulted in asymmetric changes in the adrenal glands. Whereas sedentary mice had larger left adrenals than right ones, this situation was abolished in exercising animals, mainly due to enlargement of the right adrenal cortex. However, antidepressant treatment alone was ineffective whereas the combination of antidepressant treatment and exercise resulted in an enlargement of both adrenal cortices. In these respective conditions, the levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) mRNA expression in the left and right adrenal medullas varied greatly in parallel to the changes observed in the adrenal cortex sizes. TH mRNA expression in the locus coeruleus of exercising mice was significantly increased irrespective of concomitant tianeptine treatment. Corticotrophin‐releasing factor mRNA levels in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus were decreased after voluntary exercise but were unaffected by tianeptine. Exercise, particularly in combination with tianeptine treatment, resulted in decreased early morning baseline plasma levels of corticosterone. If animals were exposed to novelty (i.e. a mild psychological stressor), a decreased response in plasma corticosterone levels was observed in the exercising mice. By contrast, after restraint, a mixed physical and psychological stressor, exercising mice showed an enhanced response in plasma corticosterone compared to the controls; a response which was even further boosted in exercising mice concomitantly treated with tianeptine. Under either condition, plasma adrenocorticotrophic hormone levels were not different between groups. Thus, voluntary exercise impacts substantially on HPA axis regulation. Concurrent tianeptine treatment results in synergistic actions, mainly at the adrenal level, affecting both its structure and function.
Rapid Detection of Transition Metals in Welding Fumes Using Paper-Based Analytical Devices

Metals in particulate matter (PM) are considered a driving factor for many pathologies. Despite the hazards associated with particulate metals, personal exposures for at-risk workers are rarely assessed due to the cost and effort associated with monitoring. As a result, routine exposure assessments are performed for only a small fraction of the exposed workforce. The objective of this research was to evaluate a relatively new technology, microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (µPADs), for measuring the metals content in welding fumes. Fumes from three common welding techniques (shielded metal arc, metal inert gas, and tungsten inert gas welding) were sampled in two welding shops. Concentrations of acid-extractable Fe, Cu, Ni, and Cr were measured and independently verified using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Results from the µPAD sensors agreed well with ICP-OES analysis; the two methods gave statistically similar results in >80% of the samples analyzed. Analytical costs for the µPAD technique were ~50 times lower than market-rate costs with ICP-OES. Further, the µPAD method was capable of providing same-day results (as opposed several weeks for ICP laboratory analysis). Results of this work suggest that µPAD sensors are a viable, yet inexpensive alternative to traditional analytic methods for transition metals in welding fume PM. These sensors have potential to enable substantially higher levels of hazard surveillance for a given resource cost, especially in resource-limited environments.
Inversion of controlled‐source electromagnetic data using a model‐based approach

A two‐and‐half dimensional model‐based inversion algorithm for the reconstruction of geometry and conductivity of unknown regions using marine controlled‐source electromagnetic (CSEM) data is presented. In the model‐based inversion, the inversion domain is described by the so‐called regional conductivity model and both geometry and material parameters associated with this model are reconstructed in the inversion process. This method has the advantage of using a priori information such as the background conductivity distribution, structural information extracted from seismic and/or gravity measurements, and/or inversion results a priori derived from a pixel‐based inversion method. By incorporating this a priori information, the number of unknown parameters to be retrieved becomes significantly reduced. The inversion method is the regularized Gauss‐Newton minimization scheme. The robustness of the inversion is enhanced by adopting nonlinear constraints and applying a quadratic line search algorithm to the optimization process. We also introduce the adjoint formulation to calculate the Jacobian matrix with respect to the geometrical parameters. The model‐based inversion method is validated by using several numerical examples including the inversion of the Troll field data. These results show that the model‐based inversion method can quantitatively reconstruct the shapes and conductivities of reservoirs.
Frailty and Short-Term Outcomes in Patients With Hip Fracture

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of frailty and its ability to predict short-term outcomes in older patients with hip fracture. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: University-affiliated community hospital. Participants: Thirty-five patients aged ≥65 treated with hip fracture. Measurements: Frailty was assessed using the 5 criteria of the Fried Frailty Index, modified for a post-fracture population. Cognitive impairment was assessed with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The primary outcome was overall hospital complication rate. Secondary outcomes were length of stay (LOS) and specific complications. Differences between the frail and the non-frail were identified using chi-square analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA) for categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Results: Eighteen (51%) participants were frail. Seventeen (49%) had ≥1 hospital complication. Twelve (67%) frail patients versus 5 (29%) non-frail patients had a complication (P = .028). Mean LOS was longer in patients with frailty (7.3 ± 5.9 vs 4.1 ± 1.2 days, P = .038). Most were frail for the weakness criterion (94%), and few were frail for the physical activity criterion (9%). Excluding these criteria, we developed a 3-criteria frailty index (shrinking, exhaustion, and slowness) that identified an increased risk of complications (64.7% vs 33.3%, P = .061) and LOS (7.4 ± 6.1 vs 4.2 ± 1.3 days, P = .040) in participants with frailty. Among non-frail participants with a high MoCA score of ≥20 (n = 12), 2 (17%) had complications compared to 10 (71%) frail participants with a low MoCA score (n = 14). Conclusion: Frailty is common in older patients with hip fracture and associated with increased LOS and postoperative complications. A low MoCA score, a hypothesized marker of more advanced cognitive frailty, may further increase risk. Frailty assessment has a role in prognostic discussion and care planning. The 3-criteria frailty index is an easily used tool with potential application in clinical practice.
Adrenomedullin and vascular endothelial growth factor production by follicular fluid macrophages and granulosa cells.

BACKGROUND Human follicular fluid contains several substances, such as cytokines and growth factors, which may affect follicular growth and maturation. The present study examines the relative contribution of macrophages and granulosa cells in the production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and adrenomedullin in the human ovulatory follicle. METHODS Both follicular fluid samples and blood samples were obtained at the time of oocyte retrieval following ovarian stimulation from 20 women undergoing IVF treatment because of male infertility. Human follicular fluid macrophages and luteinized granulosa cells were obtained from pooled follicular fluid of individual patients. Accumulation of VEGF and adrenomedullin in the culture medium of the isolated macrophages and human granulosa cells was determined at variable time intervals ranging from 0 to 48 h. Plasma and follicular fluid concentrations of VEGF and adrenomedullin were also measured. RESULTS The follicular fluid concentrations of VEGF and adrenomedullin were significantly higher than those found in plasma. After 48 h, accumulation of VEGF in the culture medium of follicular fluid macrophages was significantly higher than that released in the culture medium of luteinized granulosa cells. In contrast, the production rate of adrenomedullin by follicular fluid macrophages was similar to that found in granulosa cells. VEGF secreted by follicular fluid macrophages increased progressively within 48 h of cell culture. A similar response pattern was observed with the culture medium of luteinized granulosa cells, but with lower production rates. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests for the first time that both luteinized granulosa cells and macrophages actively secrete VEGF and adrenomedullin into follicular fluid in the human ovary.
The Southern Oscillation index as a predictor of the probability of low streamflows in New Zealand

The Southern Oscillation index (SOI) can yield information about subsequent streamflows on the South Island of New Zealand; however, the relationship between streamflow and SOI may be nonlinear and heteroscedastic. To deal with such difficulties, the conditional probability of streamflow's being below a critical magnitude, given a prior observation of SOI, can be considered a random variable, with its probability density function (pdf) estimated by Bayesian analysis of existing observations of streamflow and SOI. The conditional pdf can yield a probabilistic forecast of critically low streamflows given a precursor value of SOI. In the Clutha River basin of New Zealand, average austral summer inflow to the headwater lakes has an unconditional probability of nonexceedance of 360 m3/s of approximately 17%. However, during a moderate La Nina, average austral spring SOI = 12, the conditional probability of nonexceedance has an expected value of 55%. For an El Nino with a spring SOI of −12, the expected probability of nonexceedance is 18%; for a neutral SOI of 0, the expected probability is 10%. Thus, the probability of nonexceedance of seasonal streamflow can be seen to vary by a factor of more than 5 as a function of the SOI.
What is the appropriate time for BCG vaccination in preterm infants?

Tuberculosis, a major public health problem is an important cause of childhood morbidity and mortality in developing countries. BCG vaccination is recommended by World Health Organization for control of disease in countries with a high incidence of tuberculosis(l). This policy is routinely applied in preterm infants who may be at a greater risk of infection than term infants. That is why like term babies even preterm infants continue to get BCG vaccine within first few days of life. The efficacy of BCG vaccination and its protection against tuberculosis in the full term infant after birth has been shown by several studies^). This data cannot provide information on the effectiveness of BCG vaccination in preterm infants, furthermore preterm infants are also believed to be immunocompromised. It is of public health importance to find out whether preterm infants can be effectively and safely immunized with BCG vaccine as soon as possible after birth.
Supermodularity and Complementarity in Economics: An Elementary Survey

The literature on supermodular optimization and games is surveyed from the perspective of potential users in economics. This methodology provides a new approach for comparative statics based only on critical assumptions, and allows a general analysis of games with strategic complementarities. The results are presented in a simplified yet rigourous manner, without reference to lattice theory, for the special case of one-dimensional parameter and actions sets, with the emphasis being on wide accessibility. Detailed applications are presented for well-known models of consumer behavior, monopoly pass-through, Bertrand and Cournot competition, strategic R&D, search, and matching. Wherever appropriate, useful tricks for applications and comparative comments are inserted.
Enhancement of nitric oxide production by association of nitric oxide synthase with N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptors via postsynaptic density 95 in genetically engineered Chinese hamster ovary cells: real‐time fluorescence imaging using nitric oxide sensitive dye

The current quantitative study demonstrates that the recruitment of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) beneath N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptors, via postsynaptic density 95 (PSD‐95) proteins significantly enhances nitric oxide (NO) production. Real‐time single‐cell fluorescence imaging was applied to measure both NO production and Ca2+ influx in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells expressing recombinant NMDA receptors (NMDA‐R), nNOS, and PSD‐95. We examined the relationship between the rate of NO production and Ca2+ influx via NMDA receptors using the NO‐reactive fluorescent dye, diaminofluorescein‐FM (DAF‐FM) and the Ca2+‐sensitive yellow cameleon 3.1 (YC3.1), conjugated with PSD‐95 (PSD‐95‐YC3.1). The presence of PSD‐95 enhanced the rate of NO production by 2.3‐fold upon stimulation with 100 µm NMDA in CHO1(+) cells (expressing NMDA‐R, nNOS and PSD‐95) when compared with CHO1(–) cells (expressing NMDA‐R and nNOS lacking PSD‐95). The presence of nNOS inhibitor or NMDA‐R blocker almost completely suppressed this NMDA‐stimulated NO production. The Ca2+ concentration beneath the NMDA‐R, [Ca2+]NR, was determined to be 5.4 µm by stimulating CHO2 cells (expressing NMDA‐R and PSD‐95‐YC3.1) with 100 μm NMDA. By completely permealizing CHO1 cells with ionomycin, a general relationship curve of the rate of NO production versus the Ca2+ concentration around nNOS, [Ca2+]NOS, was obtained over the wide range of [Ca2+]NOS. This sigmoidal curve had an EC50 of approximately 1.2 µm of [Ca2+]NOS, implying that [Ca2+]NR = 5.4 µm can activate nNOS effectively.
Performance of commercially available gels for protein characterization by capillary gel electrophoresis with UV detection on the Agilent 7100 CE System

In this Application Note, separation matrices for protein characterization by capillary gel electrophoresis (CGE) with UV detection from two suppliers, Beckman Coulter and Advanced Analytical, were compared on the Agilent 7100 CE system. Two different sample sets were analyzed: fi rst, a protein size standard and BSA as a test protein for molecular weight determination; second, a reduced antibody standard for quantifi cation of light chain, non-glycosylated heavy chain and heavy chain. To get an estimate for the intermediate precision, these experiments were performed with two different gel lots and capillary batches each. Across these experiments, the gels from both suppliers showed a similar performance. Impurity detection experiments were done with a low molecular weight protein spiked into a non-reduced antibody standard sample. With the gels of both suppliers it was possible to detect this protein down to a level of 0.1 %. Author Christian Wenz Agilent Technologies, Inc. Waldbronn, Germany
Regulation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Tone by Adipose-Derived Contracting Factor

Obesity and arterial hypertension, important risk factors for atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease, are characterized by an increase in vascular tone. While obesity is known to augment vasoconstrictor prostanoid activity in endothelial cells, less is known about factors released from fat tissue surrounding arteries (perivascular adipose). Using lean controls and mice with either monogenic or diet-induced obesity, we set out to determine whether and through which pathways perivascular adipose affects vascular tone. We unexpectedly found that in the aorta of obese mice, perivascular adipose potentiates vascular contractility to serotonin and phenylephrine, indicating activity of a factor generated by perivascular adipose, which we designated “adipose-derived contracting factor” (ADCF). Inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX) fully prevented ADCF-mediated contractions, whereas COX-1 or COX-2-selective inhibition was only partially effective. By contrast, inhibition of superoxide anions, NO synthase, or endothelin receptors had no effect on ADCF activity. Perivascular adipose as a source of COX-derived ADCF was further confirmed by detecting increased thromboxane A2 formation from perivascular adipose-replete aortae from obese mice. Taken together, this study identifies perivascular adipose as a novel regulator of arterial vasoconstriction through the release of COX-derived ADCF. Excessive ADCF activity in perivascular fat under obese conditions likely contributes to increased vascular tone by antagonizing vasodilation. ADCF may thus propagate obesity-dependent hypertension and the associated increased risk in coronary artery disease, potentially representing a novel therapeutic target.
ESTIMATING ANNUAL RIVERBANK EROSION RATES—A DENDROGEOMORPHIC METHOD

An accurate estimation of riverbank erosion rates is critical for the evaluation of the past, present, and future sediment regime of river systems. Understanding these relationships allows watershed managers and regulators to prioritize river restoration and contaminated site remediation projects. In this dendrogeomorphic study, changes in the anatomy of tree roots exposed between 1 and 31 years were used to estimate the average annual erosion rates of riverbank sediments on a large river in Michigan, USA. Exposed root samples from diffuse and ring‐porous hardwoods, together with buried ones as controls, were analyzed. Differences in the arrangement, size and frequency of vessels, fiber diameter, cell wall thickness, growth ring width, and scarring between the exposed and the buried samples were used to identify the first year of root exposure. Results of the regression analysis between the average annual erosion rate and the Bank Erosion Hazard Index (BEHI) indicated that the more recently exposed roots (less than 7 years in this study) explained more of the variance (R2 = 0.67) than when all samples were included (R2 = 0.38). Although the average erosion rates for long periods can be accurately determined from the dating of exposed tree roots, attempts to relate these rates using the BEHI for longer periods are less successful, as BEHI values can vary considerably over time as the riverbank erodes. Consequently, when using exposed tree roots to develop regression equations and erosion rate curves for the estimation of erosion rates based on BEHI scores, it is necessary to use roots that were recently exposed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparison of caudal morphine and tramadol for postoperative pain control in children undergoing inguinal herniorrhaphy

Objectives: We compared the quality and duration of analgesia, the effect on perioperative sevoflurane requirement after a single, presurgical caudal block with either tramadol or morphine in children undergoing inguinal herniorrhaphy. Our study was also designed to evaluate the preemptive analgesic efficacy of morphine administered caudally in children.
Inhibition in Superior Colliculus Neurons in a Brightness Discrimination Task?

Simultaneous recordings were collected from between two and four buildup neurons from the left and right superior colliculi in rhesus monkeys in a simple two-choice brightness discrimination task. The monkeys were required to move their eyes to one of two response targets to indicate their decision. Neurons were identified whose receptive fields were centered on the response targets. The functional role of inhibition was examined by conditionalizing firing rate on a high versus low rate in target neurons 90 ms to 30 ms before the saccade and examining the firing rate in both contralateral and ipsilateral neurons. Two models with racing diffusion processes were fit to the behavioral data, and the same analysis was performed on simulated paths in the diffusion processes that have been found to represent firing rate. The results produce converging evidence for the lack of a functional role for inhibition between neural populations corresponding to the two decisions.