Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spiritual Well-Being as a Component of Health-Related Quality of Life: The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy—Spiritual Well-Being Scale (FACIT-Sp)

The Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being (FACIT-Sp-12) is a 12-item questionnaire that measures spiritual well-being in people with cancer and other chronic illnesses. Cancer patients, psychotherapists, and religious/spiritual experts provided input on the development of the items. It was validated with a large, ethnically diverse sample. It has been successfully used to assess spiritual well-being across a wide range of religious traditions, including those who identify themselves as “spiritual yet not religious. ” Part of the larger FACIT measurement system that assesses multidimensional health related quality of life (HRQOL), the FACIT-Sp-12 has been translated and linguistically validated in 15 languages and has been used in dozens of studies examining the relationships among spiritual well-being, health, and adjustment to illness.
Ranking with Uncertain Labels

Most techniques for image analysis consider the image labels fixed and without uncertainty. In this paper, we address the problem of ordinal/rank label prediction based on training samples with uncertain labels. First, the core ranking model is designed as the bilinear fusing of multiple candidate kernels. Then, the parameters for feature selection and kernel selection are learned by maximum a posteriori for given samples and uncertain labels. The convergency provable Expectation-Maximization (EM) method is used for inferring these parameters. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is finally validated by the extensive experiments on age ranking task. The FG-NET and Yamaha aging database are used for the experiments, and our algorithm significantly outperforms those state-of-the-art algorithms ever reported in literature.
Crystal structure of 4-amino-1-(4-methylbenzyl)pyridinium bromide

The title molecular salt, C13H15N2 +·Br−, crystallized with two independent ion pairs (A and B) in the asymmetric unit. In the cations, the planes of the pyridine and benzene rings are inclined to one another by 79.32 (8) and 82.30 (10)° in ion pairs A and B, respectively. In the crystal, the anions and cations are connected by N—H⋯Br hydrogen bonds, forming a centrosymmetric tetramer-like unit enclosing an R 8 4(16) ring motif. These units are linked via C—H⋯Br hydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional network.
Expanded functions for a family of plant intracellular immune receptors beyond specific recognition of pathogen effectors

Plants and animals deploy intracellular immune receptors that perceive specific pathogen effector proteins and microbial products delivered into the host cell. We demonstrate that the ADR1 family of Arabidopsis nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NB-LRR) receptors regulates accumulation of the defense hormone salicylic acid during three different types of immune response: (i) ADRs are required as “helper NB-LRRs” to transduce signals downstream of specific NB-LRR receptor activation during effector-triggered immunity; (ii) ADRs are required for basal defense against virulent pathogens; and (iii) ADRs regulate microbial-associated molecular pattern-dependent salicylic acid accumulation induced by infection with a disarmed pathogen. Remarkably, these functions do not require an intact P-loop motif for at least one ADR1 family member. Our results suggest that some NB-LRR proteins can serve additional functions beyond canonical, P-loop–dependent activation by specific virulence effectors, extending analogies between intracellular innate immune receptor function from plants and animals.
Disulfide-Mediated Oligomer Formation in Borrelia burgdorferi Outer Surface Protein C, a Critical Virulence Factor and Potential Lyme Disease Vaccine Candidate

ABSTRACT Borrelia burgdorferi OspC is an outer membrane lipoprotein required for the establishment of infection in mammals. Due to its universal distribution among B. burgdorferi sensu lato strains and high antigenicity, it is being explored for the development of a next-generation Lyme disease vaccine. An understanding of the surface presentation of OspC will facilitate efforts to maximize its potential as a vaccine candidate. OspC forms homodimers at the cell surface, and it has been hypothesized that it may also form oligomeric arrays. Here, we employ site-directed mutagenesis to test the hypothesis that interdimeric disulfide bonds at cysteine 130 (C130) mediate oligomerization. B. burgdorferi B31 ospC was replaced with a C130A substitution mutant to yield strain B31::ospC(C130A). Recombinant protein was also generated. Disulfide-bond-dependent oligomer formation was demonstrated and determined to be dependent on C130. Oligomerization was not required for in vivo function, as B31::ospC(C130A) retained infectivity and disseminated normally. The total IgG response and the induced isotype pattern were similar between mice infected with untransformed B31 and those infected with the B31::ospC(C130A) strain. These data indicate that the immune response to OspC is not significantly altered by formation of OspC oligomers, a finding that has significant implications in Lyme disease vaccine design.
Role of Ectodomain Lysines in the Subunits of the Heteromeric P2X2/3 Receptor

Lysine residues near each end of the receptor ectodomain (in rat P2X2 Lys69 and Lys308) have been implicated in ATP binding to P2X receptors. We recorded membrane currents from human embryonic kidney cells expressing P2X subunits and found that lysine-to-alanine substitutions at equivalent positions in the P2X3 receptor (Lys63 and Lys299) also prevented channel function. Heteromeric P2X2/3 receptors are formed when P2X2 and P2X3 subunits are expressed together; they can be distinguished by their relatively sustained response to αβ-methylene-ATP. By coexpression of wild-type P2X3 and mutated P2X2 subunit, we found that the heteromeric P2X2/3 channel functioned normally when either lysine in the P2X2 subunit was mutated to alanine (i.e., [K69A] or [K308A]) but not when both lysines were mutated to alanine (i.e., [K69A, K308A]). However, coexpression of wild-type P2X2 with a mutated P2X3 subunit ([K68A] or [K299A]) produced no functional heteromers. The rescue of the single lysine mutant P2X2 subunit by wild-type P2X3 (but not the converse) suggests that the heteromeric channel contains one P2X2 and two P2X3 subunits and that the receptor functions essentially normally as long as two subunits are not mutated. The failure to rescue function in the P2X2 subunit with both lysines mutated by wild-type P2X3 suggests that these residues from two different subunits interact in agonist binding or channel opening.
Myocardial performance during progressive exercise in athletic adolescent males.

PURPOSE The extent that enhanced ventricular function contributes to superior aerobic fitness of trained athletes is unclear. This study compared cardiovascular responses to progressive cycle exercise in 12 adolescent soccer players and 10 untrained boys with assessment of ventricular inotropic and relaxation properties by Doppler ultrasound techniques. METHODS Resting cardiac dimensions were measured by M-mode echocardiography. Stroke volume was estimated by the Doppler technique, and systolic function by peak aortic flow velocity and ejection flow rate. Diastolic transmitral pressure gradient was assessed by pulse wave peak E-wave velocity, ventricular relaxation properties by tissue Doppler imaging (E' velocity, adjusted for ventricular size), and ventricular filling pressure by E/E' ratio. RESULTS Size-adjusted cardiac dimensions were significantly greater in the athletes. Peak V O2 values for the athletes and nonathletes were 57.4 +/- 4.8 and 44.4 +/- 6.6 mL.kg. min, respectively. Maximal cardiac index and stroke index were greater in the athletes (11.10+/- 1.52 vs 9.02 +/- 2.05 L.min.m; 59 +/- 8 vs 46 +/- 10 mL.m). Athletes and nonathletes demonstrated similar maximal peak aortic velocity (231 +/- 20 and 208 +/- 45 cm.s, respectively) and ejection rate (13.3 +/- 1.0 and 12.5 +/- 2.8 mL.s.cm x 10, respectively). No significant group differences were observed in Emax (155 +/- 17 and 149 +/- 23 cm.s for athletes and nonathletes, respectively), adjusted E'max (5.9 +/- 1.2 and 5.8 +/- 1.2 cm.s.mm for athletes and nonathletes, respectively), and E/E'max (265 +/- 40 and 262 +/- 56 for athletes and nonathletes, respectively). CONCLUSIONS This study revealed no differences between young trained athletes and nonathletes in myocardial functional responses to progressive exercise, implying that greater aerobic fitness in these athletes reflected volume expansion of the cardiovascular system without contribution of enhanced systolic or diastolic ventricular function. Such findings should be considered limited to the context of young athletes with limited duration of athletic training.
Treatment of intraventricular hemorrhage with urokinase : effects on 30-Day survival.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) remains associated with high morbidity and mortality. Therapy with external ventricular drainage alone has not modified outcome in these patients. METHODS Twelve pilot IVH patients who required external ventricular drainage were prospectively treated with intraventricular urokinase followed by the randomized, double-blinded allocation of 8 patients to either treatment or placebo. Observed 30-day mortality was compared with predicted 30-day mortality obtained by use of a previously validated method. RESULTS Twenty patients were enrolled; admission Glasgow Coma Scale score in 11 patients was </=8; 10 patients had pulse pressure <85 mm Hg. Mean+/-SD ICH volume in 16 patients was 6.21+/-7.53 cm(3) (range 0 to 23.88 cm(3)), and mean+/-SD intraventricular hematoma volume was 44.26+/-31.65 cm(3) (range 1.31 to 100.36 cm(3)). Four patients (20%) died within 30 days. Predicted mortality for these 20 patients was 68.42% (range 3% to 100%). Probability of observing </=4 deaths among 20 patients under a 68.42% expected mortality is 0.000012. CONCLUSIONS Intraventricular urokinase may significantly improve 30-day survival in IVH patients. On the basis of current evidence, a double-blinded, placebo-controlled, multicenter study that uses thrombolysis to treat IVH has received funding and began January 1, 2000.
A human haploid gene trap collection to study lncRNAs with unusual RNA biology

ABSTRACT Many thousand long non-coding (lnc) RNAs are mapped in the human genome. Time consuming studies using reverse genetic approaches by post-transcriptional knock-down or genetic modification of the locus demonstrated diverse biological functions for a few of these transcripts. The Human Gene Trap Mutant Collection in haploid KBM7 cells is a ready-to-use tool for studying protein-coding gene function. As lncRNAs show remarkable differences in RNA biology compared to protein-coding genes, it is unclear if this gene trap collection is useful for functional analysis of lncRNAs. Here we use the uncharacterized LOC100288798 lncRNA as a model to answer this question. Using public RNA-seq data we show that LOC100288798 is ubiquitously expressed, but inefficiently spliced. The minor spliced LOC100288798 isoforms are exported to the cytoplasm, whereas the major unspliced isoform is nuclear localized. This shows that LOC100288798 RNA biology differs markedly from typical mRNAs. De novo assembly from RNA-seq data suggests that LOC100288798 extends 289kb beyond its annotated 3' end and overlaps the downstream SLC38A4 gene. Three cell lines with independent gene trap insertions in LOC100288798 were available from the KBM7 gene trap collection. RT-qPCR and RNA-seq confirmed successful lncRNA truncation and its extended length. Expression analysis from RNA-seq data shows significant deregulation of 41 protein-coding genes upon LOC100288798 truncation. Our data shows that gene trap collections in human haploid cell lines are useful tools to study lncRNAs, and identifies the previously uncharacterized LOC100288798 as a potential gene regulator.
Quantification of Anti-Aggregation Activity of Chaperones: A Test-System Based on Dithiothreitol-Induced Aggregation of Bovine Serum Albumin

The methodology for quantification of the anti-aggregation activity of protein and chemical chaperones has been elaborated. The applicability of this methodology was demonstrated using a test-system based on dithiothreitol-induced aggregation of bovine serum albumin at 45°C as an example. Methods for calculating the initial rate of bovine serum albumin aggregation (v agg) have been discussed. The comparison of the dependences of v agg on concentrations of intact and cross-linked α-crystallin allowed us to make a conclusion that a non-linear character of the dependence of v agg on concentration of intact α-crystallin was due to the dynamic mobility of the quaternary structure of α-crystallin and polydispersity of the α-crystallin–target protein complexes. To characterize the anti-aggregation activity of the chemical chaperones (arginine, arginine ethyl ester, arginine amide and proline), the semi-saturation concentration [L]0.5 was used. Among the chemical chaperones studied, arginine ethyl ester and arginine amide reveal the highest anti-aggregation activity ([L]0.5 = 53 and 58 mM, respectively).
Dietary assessment methods for micronutrient intake in infants, children and adolescents: a systematic review

A systematic literature search identified studies validating the methodology used for measuring the usual dietary intake in infants, children and adolescents. The quality of each validation study selected was assessed using a European micronutrient Recommendations Aligned-developed scoring system. The validation studies were categorised according to whether the study used a reference method that reflected short-term intake ( < 7 d), long-term intake ( ≥ 7 d) or used biomarkers. A correlation coefficient for each nutrient was calculated from the mean of the correlation coefficients from each study weighted by the quality of the study. Thirty-two articles were included in the present review: validation studies from infants (1–23 months); child preschool (2–5 years); children (6–12 years); adolescents (13–18 years). Validation of FFQ studies in infants and preschool children using a reference method that reflected short-term intake showed good correlations for niacin, thiamin, vitamins B6, D, C, E, riboflavin, Ca, K, Mg, Fe and Zn (with correlations ranging from 0·55 for vitamin E to 0·69 for niacin). Regarding the reference method reflecting short-term intake in children and adolescents, good correlations were seen only for vitamin C (r 0·61) and Ca (r 0·51). Using serum levels of micronutrient demonstrated that the 3 d weighed dietary records was superior to the FFQ as a tool to validate micronutrient intakes. Including supplement users generally improved the correlations between micronutrient intakes estimated by any of the dietary intake methods and respective biochemical indices.
Tracetree: a scalable mechanism to discover multicast tree topologies in the Internet

The successful deployment of multicast in the Internet requires the availability of good network management solutions. Discovering multicast tree topologies is an important component of this task. Network managers can use topology information to monitor and debug potential multicast forwarding problems. In addition, the collected topology has several other uses, for example, in reliable multicast transport protocols, in multicast congestion control protocols, and in discovering network characteristics. We present a mechanism for discovering multicast tree topologies using the forwarding state in the network. We call our approach tracetree. First, we present the basic operation of tracetree. Then, we explore various issues related to its functionality (e.g., scalability, security, etc.). Next, we provide a detailed evaluation by comparing it to the currently available alternatives. Finally, we discuss a number of deployment issues. We believe that tracetree provides an efficient and scalable mechanism for discovering multicast tree topologies and therefore fills an important void in the area of multicast network management.
A distribution‐free test to detect gradual changes in watershed behavior

This paper presents a distribution‐free statistical test aimed at detecting gradual changes in the hydrological behavior of watersheds. The proposed test uses a rainfall‐runoff model to identify watershed behavior over successive time periods and a resampling approach to quantify the significance of trends. The method can be applied with any model deemed suitable for the studied watershed. To assess test efficiency, we used three different case studies: An afforested agricultural watershed, a burnt‐over forested watershed, and a watershed covered by old‐growth forest. All three watersheds had a long period of rainfall and runoff records (60, 35, and 40 years, respectively), on which stationarity could be tested. The test was shown to adequately detect gradual changes, and it can therefore be useful to identify hydrological trends, wherever rainfall and streamflow time series are available.
Cumulative hard X-ray spectrum of local AGN: a link to the cosmic X-ray background

Aims. We determine the cumulative spectral energy distribution (SED) of local active galactic nuclei (AGN) in the 3−300 keV band and compare it with the spectrum of the cosmic X-ray background (CXB) in order to test the widely accepted paradigm that the CXB is a superposition of AGN and to place constraints on AGN evolution. Methods. We performed a stacking analysis of the hard X-ray spectra of AGN detected in two recent all-sky surveys, performed by the IBIS/ISGRI instrument aboard INTEGRAL and by the PCA instrument aboard RXTE, taking into account the space densities of AGN with different luminosities and absorption column densities. Results. We derived the collective SED of local AGN in the 3−300 keV energy band. Those AGN with luminosities below 10 43.5 erg s −1 (17−60 keV) provide the main contribution to the local volume hard X-ray emissivity, at least 5 times more than more luminous objects. The cumulative spectrum exhibits (although with marginal significance) a cutoff at energies above ∼100−200 keV and is consistent with the CXB spectrum if AGN evolve over cosmic time in such a way that the SED of their collective high-energy emission has a constant shape and the relative fraction of obscured AGN remains nearly constant, while the AGN luminosity density undergoes strong evolution between z ∼ 1a ndz = 0, a scenario broadly consistent with results from recent deep X-ray surveys. Conclusions. The first direct comparison between the collective hard X-ray SED of local AGN and the CXB spectrum demonstrates that the popular concept of the CXB being a superposition of AGN is generally correct. By repeating this test using improved AGN statistics from current and future hard X-ray surveys, it should be possible to tighten the constraints on the cosmic history of black hole growth.
GUN1, a Jack-Of-All-Trades in Chloroplast Protein Homeostasis and Signaling

The GENOMES UNCOUPLED 1 (GUN1) gene has been reported to encode a chloroplast-localized pentatricopeptide-repeat protein, which acts to integrate multiple indicators of plastid developmental stage and altered plastid function, as part of chloroplast-to-nucleus retrograde communication. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying signal integration by GUN1 have remained elusive, up until the recent identification of a set of GUN1-interacting proteins, by co-immunoprecipitation and mass-spectrometric analyses, as well as protein–protein interaction assays. Here, we review the molecular functions of the different GUN1 partners and propose a major role for GUN1 as coordinator of chloroplast translation, protein import, and protein degradation. This regulatory role is implemented through proteins that, in most cases, are part of multimeric protein complexes and whose precise functions vary depending on their association states. Within this framework, GUN1 may act as a platform to promote specific functions by bringing the interacting enzymes into close proximity with their substrates, or may inhibit processes by sequestering particular pools of specific interactors. Furthermore, the interactions of GUN1 with enzymes of the tetrapyrrole biosynthesis (TPB) pathway support the involvement of tetrapyrroles as signaling molecules in retrograde communication.
Panobinostat in patients with relapsed/refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma after autologous stem-cell transplantation: results of a phase II study.

PURPOSE Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) has no standard of care for patients who are relapsed or refractory to autologous stem-cell transplantation (ASCT). This phase II study examined safety and activity of panobinostat in this population. PATIENTS AND METHODS Panobinostat 40 mg was administered orally three times per week. The primary end point was objective response rate (ORR) based on investigator assessment of radiologic imaging. Secondary end points included ORR by independent central review, time to response (TTR), duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival, and safety. Exploratory biomarker analyses were performed. RESULTS The 129 treated patients (median age, 32 years; range, 18 to 75 years) were heavily pretreated with a median of four (range, two to seven) prior systemic regimens, and 41% did not respond to the regimen immediately preceding panobinostat. Tumor reductions occurred in 96 patients (74%). Objective response was achieved by 35 patients (27%), including 30 (23%) partial responses and five (4%) complete responses. The median TTR was 2.3 months, median DOR was 6.9 months, and median PFS was 6.1 months. The estimated 1-year overall survival rate was 78%. Common nonhematologic adverse events (AEs)-diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue-were generally grade 1 and 2. Most common grade 3 and 4 hematologic AEs-thrombocytopenia, anemia, and neutropenia-were manageable. Early reductions in thymus and activation-regulated chemokine were observed in patients achieving complete or partial response. CONCLUSION In the largest, prospective, multicenter, international trial conducted in heavily pretreated patients with HL who relapsed or were refractory to ASCT, panobinostat monotherapy demonstrated antitumor activity, resulting in durable responses.
Is adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder a valid diagnosis in the presence of high IQ?

Background Because the diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in higher education settings is rapidly becoming a contentious issue, particularly among patients with high IQs, we sought to assess the validity of diagnosing ADHD in high-IQ adults and to further characterize the clinical features associated with their ADHD. Method We operationalized high IQ as having a full-scale IQ⩾120. We identified 53 adults with a high IQ who did not have ADHD and 64 adults with a high IQ who met diagnostic criteria for ADHD. Groups did not differ on IQ, socio-economic status or gender. Results High-IQ adults with ADHD reported a lower quality of life, had poorer familial and occupational functioning, and had more functional impairments, including more speeding tickets, accidents and arrests. Major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder diagnoses were higher in high-IQ adults with ADHD. All other psychiatric co-morbidities, including antisocial personality disorder and substance abuse, did not differ between the two high-IQ groups. ADHD was more prevalent in first-degree relatives of adults with ADHD relative to controls. Conclusions Our data suggest that adults with ADHD and a high IQ display patterns of functional impairments, familiality and psychiatric co-morbidities that parallel those found in the average-IQ adult ADHD population.