Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Niacin Ameliorates Lipid Disturbances due to Glucocorticoid Administration in Rats

Objective(s) This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of niacin on glucocorticoid-induced dyslipidemia and fatty liver in rats. Materials and Methods Twenty four adult male rats were divided randomly into four equal groups: 1- normal saline (control), 2- dexamathasone 0.125 mg/kg/day, i.m. , 3- dexamathasone + niacin 200 mg/kg/day, oral gavages, 4- niacin. After 2 weeks, serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL-c, LDL-c and VLDL-c concentrations were assayed and liver sections examined for fatty liver changes. Data were analyzed by ANOVA method and P< 0.05 was considered significant. Results Dexamethasone increased all lipid parameters as compared to control (P< 0.05). Lipid parameters in group 3, were lower than group 2 (P< 0.05) except for HDL-c which remained statistically the same. Moderate fatty liver changes were observed in one third of rats in dexamethasone group. Rats in groups 1, 3 and 4 had no sign of fatty changes. Conclusion Niacin positively affects glucocorticoid-induced dyslipidemia and fatty liver changes in rats.
Prevalence of missing posterior teeth and intraarticular temporomandibular disorders.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM The association between missing mandibular posterior teeth and the development of intraarticular temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) remains unclear. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of missing mandibular posterior teeth and intraarticular TMDs in a mixed population of asymptomatic subjects and symptomatic TMD patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS Eighty-two asymptomatic volunteers and 263 symptomatic TMD patients were included in this study. Asymptomatic volunteers completed a subjective questionnaire and underwent clinical examination to document the absence of TMD signs and symptoms. All symptomatic subjects had localized jaw joint pain and pain on movement or when eating. The number of missing mandibular bicuspid and molar teeth (excluding third molars) in each subject was recorded, and magnetic resonance images were made to document the presence or absence of disk displacement in the temporomandibular joints. Subjects were divided into 4 groups: group 1 = asymptomatic, normal magnetic resonance imaging result; group 2 = asymptomatic, disk displacement; group 3 = symptomatic, normal magnetic resonance imaging result; and group 4 = symptomatic, disk displacement. Collected data were analyzed with chi-square tests (P<.05) with no adjustment for multiple comparisons. RESULTS A positive association between missing mandibular posterior teeth and the presence of disk displacement was found. CONCLUSION The literature does not suggest that replacement of missing posterior teeth prevents the development of TMDs. However, missing mandibular posterior teeth may accelerate the development of degenerative joint disease.
Spitzer MIPS Limits on Asteroidal Dust in the Pulsar Planetary System PSR B1257+12

With the MIPS camera on Spitzer, we have searched for far-infrared emission from dust in the planetary system orbiting pulsar PSR B1257+12. With accuracies of 0.05 mJy at 24 μm and 1.5 mJy at 70 μm, photometric measurements find no evidence for emission at these wavelengths. These observations place new upper limits on the luminosity of dust with temperatures between 20 and 1000 K. They are particularly sensitive to dust temperatures of 100-200 K, for which they limit the dust luminosity to below 3 × 10-5 of the pulsar's spin-down luminosity, 3 orders of magnitude better than previous limits. Despite these improved constraints on dust emission, an asteroid belt similar to the solar system's cannot be ruled out.
Using phishing experiments and scenario-based surveys to understand security behaviours in practice

Purpose – The purpose of the study was threefold: to understand security behaviours in practice by investigating factors that may cause an individual to comply with a request posed by a perpetrator; to investigate if adding information about the victim to an attack increases the probability of the attack being successful; and, finally, to investigate if there is a correlation between self-reported and observed behaviour. Design/methodology/approach – Factors for investigation were identified based on a review of existing literature. Data were collected through a scenario-based survey, phishing experiments, journals and follow-up interviews in three organisations. Findings – The results from the experiment revealed that the degree of target information in an attack increased the likelihood that an organisational employee falls victim to an actual attack. Further, an individual’s trust and risk behaviour significantly affected the actual behaviour during the phishing experiment. Computer experience at work,.
Trends in antimicrobial resistance among clinical isolates of enterococci in a Brazilian tertiary hospital: a 4-year study.

INTRODUCTION In the past two decades members of the genus Enterococcus have emerged as important nosocomial pathogens worldwide. This study prospectively analyzed the distribution of species and trends in antimicrobial resistance among clinical isolates of enterococci in a Brazilian tertiary hospital from 2006-2009. METHODS Enterococcal species were identified by conventional biochemical tests. The antimicrobial susceptibility profile was performed by disk diffusion in accordance with the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). A screening test for vancomycin was also performed. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) for vancomycin was determined using the broth dilution method. Molecular assays were used to confirm speciation and genotype of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). RESULTS A total of 324 non-repetitive enterococcal isolates were recovered, of which 87% were E. faecalis and 10.8% E. faecium. The incidence of E. faecium per 1,000 admissions increased significantly (p < 0.001) from 0.3 in 2006 to 2.3 in 2009. The VRE rate also increased over time from 2.5% to 15.5% (p < 0.001). All VRE expressed high-level resistance to vancomycin (MIC >256 µg/ mL) and harbored vanA genes. The majority (89.5%) of VRE belonged to E. faecium species, which were characteristically resistant to ampicillin and quinolones. Overall, ampicillin resistance rate increased significantly from 2.5% to 21.4% from 2006-2009. Resistance rates for gentamicin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, and erythromycin significantly decreased over time, although they remained high. Quinolones resistance rates were high and did not change significantly over time. CONCLUSIONS The data obtained show a significant increasing trend in the incidence of E. faecium resistant to ampicillin and vancomycin.
Effects of sociolinguistic awareness on French L2 learners' planned and unplanned oral production of stylistic variation

ABSTRACT The present study evaluated the effects of explicit instruction on advanced French second language (L2) learners' (n = 18) contextually appropriate use of two stylistic variables (/l/ deletion vs. retention and ne deletion vs. retention) using two different task types. A planned and unplanned oral task was used to assess students' productive stylistic knowledge before and after the instructional treatment. Performance on both tasks was then compared to a corpus of native French (L1) speakers (n = 12) recorded under the same conditions. As hypothesised, the findings revealed that explicit instruction triggered changes in students' productive use of the target features; however, their ability to align to L1 stylistic norms was mediated by two factors: task types and linguistic complexity of the stylistic variants. Additionally, although instruction prompted change in the use of these variables, some learners reported being unwilling to use informal features, suggesting that personal speech-style preferences may also moderate the use of specific stylistic variants and should, therefore, be further considered in research examining the development of L2 sociolinguistic competence.
Religious affiliation and attitudes towards gay men: On the mediating role of masculinity threat

Previous research suggests that people from some religious backgrounds hold more negative attitudes towards gay men than others do. The current research focuses on psychological variables as an alternative explanation to religious affiliation, testing whether masculinity beliefs regarding gay men and their perceived threat to one's masculinity can explain such between-group differences in negative attitudes. With a sample of 155 male heterosexual university students (Muslims and Christians in Germany), we found that Muslims held more negative attitudes towards gay men than Christians did. Yet, this relation was partially mediated by beliefs about the masculinity of gay men and the experience of masculinity threat imposed by gay men, substantially reducing the effect of religious affiliation on antigay attitudes. In sum, similar psychological processes explained antigay attitudes of both Muslims and Christians.
The Prediction of Recidivism with Aboriginal Offenders: A Theoretically Informed Meta-Analysis

Des études ont établi huit principaux facteurs de risque/de besoin, basés sur de la théorie, pouvant prédire le récidivisme. Par contre, peu de recherches examinent l'applicabilité de ces facteurs de risque chez les contrevenants autochtones. Une méta-analyse a été entreprise pour examiner si (1) les antécédents criminels, (2) les attitudes pro-criminelles, (3) les pairs pro-criminels, (4) les attitudes antisociales, (5) les problèmes à l'école ou au travail, (6) les problèmes familiaux/conjugaux, (7) l'abus d'alcool et de drogues et (8) les loisirs sont applicables aux contrevenants autochtones. De plus, elle examine si ces facteurs peuvent prédire le récidivisme pour ce groupe aussi bien qu'ils le peuvent pour les contrevenants non autochtones. Trente-deux rapports/ articles et douze ensembles de données ont été consultés, lesquels ont abouti à 49 échantillons indépendants et 1 908 ampleurs de l'effet. Les résultats d'analyses d'effets randomisées et fixes indiquent que tous les facteurs de risque/de besoin prédisaient un récidivisme violant et général chez les contrevenants autochtones. Par contre, certains facteurs donnaient de meilleures prévisions pour les contrevenants non autochtones. Cette étude a aussi examiné d'autres facteurs (p. ex. : antécédents de victimisation et facteurs émotifs) et a tenté d'évaluer des facteurs de risque propres aux Autochtones (p. ex. : l'identité culturelle), mais aucune étude empirique portant sur ces facteurs n'existe. Les limites et des orientations futures sont abordées, mais, en général, les résultats appuient l'idée que les huit principaux facteurs de risque prédisent correctement le récidivisme chez les contrevenants autochtones.
Wind accretion in the massive X-ray binary 4U 2206+54: abnormally slow wind and a moderately eccentric orbit

Massive X-ray binaries are usually classified by the properties of the donor star in classical, supergiant and Be X-ray binaries, the main difference being the mass transfer mechanism between the two components. The massive X-ray binary 4U 2206+54 does not fit in any of these groups, and deserves a detailed study to understand how the transfer of matter and the accretion on to the compact object take place. To this end we study an IUE spectrum of the donor and obtain a wind terminal velocity (v∞ )o f∼350 km s −1 , which is abnormally slow for its spectral type. We also analyse here more than 9 years of available RXTE/ASM data. We study the long-term X-ray variability of the source and find it to be similar to that observed in the wind-fed supergiant system Vela X-1, reinforcing the idea that 4U 2206+54 is also a wind-fed system. We find a quasi-period decreasing from ∼270 to ∼130 d, noticed in previous works but never studied in detail. We discuss possible scenarios for its origin and conclude that long-term quasi-periodic variations in the mass-loss rate of the primary are probably driving such variability in the measured X-ray flux. We obtain an improved orbital period of Porb = 9.5591 ± 0.0007 d with maximum X-ray flux at MJD 51856.6 ± 0.1. Our study of the orbital X-ray variability in the context of wind accretion suggests a moderate eccentricity around 0.15 for this binary system. Moreover, the low value of v∞ solves the long-standing problem of the relatively high X-ray luminosity for the unevolved nature of the donor, BD +53 ◦ 2790, which is probably an O9.5 V star. We note that changes in v∞ and/or the mass-loss rate of the primary alone cannot explain the different patterns displayed by the orbital X-ray variability. We finally emphasize that 4U 2206+54, together with LS 5039, could be part of a new population of wind-fed HMXBs with main sequence donors, the natural progenitors of supergiant X-ray binaries.
Antimicrobial resistance, integron carriage, and gyrA and gyrB mutations in Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from dogs with otitis externa and pyoderma in Brazil.

BACKGROUND Pseudomonas aeruginosa is associated with otitis and pyoderma in dogs and is frequently resistant to several antimicrobial drugs. Resistance genes can be carried by integrons with quinolone resistance mainly due to mutations in DNA topoisomerases II and IV. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility, integron carriage, and gyrA and gyrB mutations in P. aeruginosa isolates from canine otitis and pyoderma. ANIMALS One hundred and four P. aeruginosa strains isolated from dogs with otitis externa (n = 93) and pyoderma (n = 11). METHODS Antimicrobial susceptibility against 16 antibacterial agents was evaluated through agar diffusion tests. Integron carriage, class and gyrA and gyrB mutations were analysed by PCR, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP)-PCR and genetic sequencing assays. RESULTS Isolates were mostly resistant to enrofloxacin (72.2%) and ticarcillin (59.7%). Lower resistance to ciprofloxacin (7.7%), tobramycin (3.8%) and polymixin B (0.0%) was detected. Ten (9.6%) multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains were detected. Eight (7.7%) strains carried class 1 integrons and this was associated with MDR (three isolates, P ≤ 0.05). Five of the integron-carrying strains exhibited aminoglycoside resistance genes. Mutations of gyrA and gyrB were observed in 10 isolates, seven of them resistant to all fluoroquinolones tested. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE Enrofloxacin and ticarcilin resistance was widespread in P. aeruginosa isolated from dogs in Brazil. Pseudomonas aeruginosa carrying integrons may present a significant challenge for treatment.
Postdischarge Monitoring Using Interactive Voice Response System Reduces 30-Day Readmission Rates in a Case-managed Medicare Population

Background:Automated home monitoring systems have been used to coordinate care to improve patient outcomes and reduce rehospitalizations, but with little formal study of efficacy. The Geisinger Monitoring Program (GMP) interactive voice response protocol is a post-hospital discharge telemonitoring system used as an adjunct to existing case management in a primary care Medicare population to reduce emergency department visits and hospital readmissions. Objectives:To determine if use of GMP reduced 30-day hospital readmission rates among case-managed patients. Research Design:A pre-post parallel quasi-experimental study. Methods:A total of 875 Medicare patients who were enrolled in the combined case-management and GMP program were compared with 2420 matched control patients who were only case managed. Claims data were used to document an acute care admission followed by a readmission within 30 days in the preintervention and postintervention periods (ie, before and during 2009). Regression modeling was used to estimate the within-patient effect of the intervention on readmission rates. Results:The use of GMP with case management was associated with a 44% reduction in 30-day readmissions in the study cohort (95% confidence interval, 23%−60%, P=0.0004), when using the control group to control for secular trends. Similar estimates were obtained when using different propensity score adjustment methods or different approaches to handling dropout observations. Conclusions:Investing in automated monitoring systems may reduce hospital readmission rates among primary care case-managed patients. Evidence from this quasi-experimental study demonstrates that the combination of telemonitoring and case management, as compared with case management alone, may significantly reduce readmissions in a Medicare Advantage population.
ANTIGEN-SPECIFIC THYMUS CELL FACTORS IN THE GENETIC CONTROL OF THE IMMUNE RESPONSE TO POLY-(TYROSYL, GLUTAMYL)-POLY-D, L-ALANYL--POLY-LYSYL

The genetic control of the antibody response to a synthetic polypeptide antigen designated poly-L(Tyr, Glu)-poly-D,L-Ala--poly-L-Lys [(T, G)-A--L] has been studied in congenic high responder C3H.SW (H-2b) and low responder C3H/HeJ (H-2k) strains of mice. This response is controlled by the Ir-1 gene and is H-2 linked. The method employed was to study the ability of specifically primed or "educated" T cells of each strain to produce cooperative factors for (T, G)-A--L in vitro. Such factors have been shown to be capable of replacing the requirement for T cells in the thymus-dependent antibody response to (T, G)-A--L in vivo. The T-cell factors produced were tested for their ability to cooperate with B cells of either high or low responder origin by transfer together with bone marrow cells and (T, G)-A--L into heavily irradiated, syngeneic (for bone marrow donor) recipients. Direct anti-(T, G)-A--L plaque-forming cells were measured later in the spleens of the recipients. The results showed that (a) educated T cells of both high and low responder origin produced active cooperative factors to (T, G)-A--L, and no differences between the strains in respect to production of T-cell factors could be demonstrated; and (b) such factors, whether of high or low responder origin, cooperated efficiently with B cells of high responder origin only, and hardly at all with B cells of low responder origin. The conclusion was drawn that the cellular difference between the two strains lies in the responsiveness of their B cells to specific signals or stimuli received from T cells. As far as could be discerned by the methods used, no T-cell defect existed in low responder mice and the expression of the controlling Ir-1 gene was solely at the level of the B cells in this case.
Some Thoughts on the Future of Cross-Cultural Social Psychology

This article presents some predictions for the future of cross-cultural social psychology. It begins with the argument that all social psychology is cultural and that there is ever-growing acceptance of this fact. The results of this acceptance will be an increase in the pervasiveness of culture as a variable, a growth in multicultural research teams, and a recentering of research in social psychology. The introduction of non-Western constructs and theories, such as the interdependent self and relationship harmony, will increase in the future and bring with them a focus on research on interpersonal interactions and relationships. Finally, a model is presented that it is hoped will lead to studies that include both group-level and individual-level variables. It is concluded that an increase in complexity of studies and the incorporation of interdisciplinary research will lead to greater understanding of the mutual effects of culture and social behavior.
PML Nuclear Bodies Are Altered in Adult-Onset Neuronal Intranuclear Hyaline Inclusion Disease

Neuronal intranuclear hyaline inclusion disease (NIHID) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the presence of eosinophilic nuclear inclusions (NIs) in diverse cell lines in systemic organs. Adult-onset NIHID typically manifests with dementia associated with leukoencephalopathy. The detection of NIs in skin biopsies is useful for an antemortem diagnosis. A previous analysis suggested that NIs in NIHID originated from nuclear bodies (NBs), an important nuclear domain related to the ubiquitin-p62-mediated protein degradation system. In this study, we analyzed skin samples from 5 NIHID and 5 control cases immunohistochemically and electron microscopically. In the control cases, small but significant amounts of ubiquitin- and p62-positive intranuclear structures were found. These structures were consistently colocalized with promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML), an essential component of NBs, in particular when activated. The p62- and PML-positive structures were more frequently found in NIHID cases. Activated NBs, having a core and a shell, were observed by electron microscopy in control but not in NIHID cases. Instead, immature and mature filamentous NIs were found only in the NIHID cases. Our results indicate that NBs could not be normally activated in the NIHID, and an abnormal alteration of NBs might be related to the pathogenesis of NIHID.
Mortality of Community-Acquired Pneumonia in Korea: Assessed with the Pneumonia Severity Index and the CURB-65 Score

The pneumonia severity index (PSI) and CURB-65 are widely used tools for the prediction of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). This study was conducted to evaluate validation of severity scoring system including the PSI and CURB-65 scores of Korean CAP patients. In the prospective CAP cohort (participated in by 14 hospitals in Korea from January 2009 to September 2011), 883 patients aged over 18 yr were studied. The 30-day mortalities of all patients were calculated with their PSI index classes and CURB scores. The overall mortality rate was 4.5% (40/883). The mortality rates per CURB-65 score were as follows: score 0, 2.3% (6/260); score 1, 4.0% (12/300); score 2, 6.0% (13/216); score 3, 5.7% (5/88); score 4, 23.5% (4/17); and score 5, 0% (0/2). Mortality rate with PSI risk class were as follows: I, 2.3% (4/174); II, 2.7% (5/182); III, 2.3% (5/213); IV, 4.5% (11/245); and V, 21.7% (15/69). The subgroup mortality rate of Korean CAP patients varies based on the severity scores and CURB-65 is more valid for the lower scores, and PSI, for the higher scores. Thus, these variations must be considered when using PSI and CURB-65 for CAP in Korean patients.
Ventromedial prefrontal cortex supports affective future simulation by integrating distributed knowledge

Significance Decisions concerning the future are often informed by past experiences. However, in a complex world, we frequently have to make choices for prospective scenarios that we haven’t yet encountered. The present study demonstrates a critical role for the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in simulating what it may feel like to experience such future events. We show that this region contributes to integrating knowledge related to the elements that constitute the episode (e.g., the episode’s location and protagonists). Its activation then indicates the episode’s emergent or overall anticipated affective quality. By this process, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex fundamentally supports our ability to predict possible future affective states, a mechanism that can be flexibly used to augment future oriented decisions. Although the future often seems intangible, we can make it more concrete by imagining prospective events. Here, using functional MRI, we demonstrate a mechanism by which the ventromedial prefrontal cortex supports such episodic simulations, and thereby contributes to affective foresight: This region supports processes that (i) integrate knowledge related to the elements that constitute an episode and (ii) represent the episode’s emergent affective quality. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex achieves such integration via interactions with distributed cortical regions that process the individual elements. Its activation then signals the affective quality of the ensuing episode, which goes beyond the combined affective quality of its constituting elements. The integrative process further augments long-term retention of the episode, making it available at later time points. This mechanism thus renders the future tangible, providing a basis for farsighted behavior.