Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Clinicians' perspectives on the treatment of psychopathic and borderline personality disorders: Identifying current strategies to better inform future treatment directions

Psychopathic personality disorder (PPD) is associated with increased risk for adverse outcomes, including perpetration of violent crime. Yet no empirically supported treatments exist which specifically target symptoms of PPD and the literature on the treatment of PPD is fraught with methodological inadequacies. Pessimism reigns supreme regarding the treatment of PPD. Given the absence of a sound research base, the present study was designed to survey mental health professionals (MHPs) to determine their attitudes and experiences with respect to the treatment of PPD. Survey data from 150 MHPs who answered questions about the treatment of PPD were compared to data from 132 MHPs who answered similar questions about the treatment of BPD. MHPs were asked about their training and attitudes toward PPD or BPD, and their experiences treating a specific patient with PPD or BPD. Results indicated that MHPs had significantly more negative attitudes toward treating PPD than BPD, and these negative attitudes were associated with perceptions of poorer treatment outcomes for both PPD and BPD patients. Despite these nuances, 77% of MHPs reported some improvement in their patient with PPD’s symptomatology, compared to 90% of MHPs in the BPD group. Reported symptom improvement of specific PPD and BPD patients was not associated with MHP’s characteristics or the characteristics of patients, with one exception (e.g., comorbid acute mental illness was associated with reports of more negative treatment outcome for BPD patients). Reported improvement in the symptomatology of specific PPD and BPD patients was associated significantly with characteristics of the treatment (e.g., more time spent in treatment), and with reports of therapy interfering behaviours by patients (although the pattern of associations was different for PPD and BPD patients; e.g., manipulative behaviour was significantly associated with reports of poor treatment outcome for PPD patients, but not for BPD patients). Overall, the findings suggest that extreme clinical pessimism regarding the treatment of PPD may be unwarranted and that, with appropriate treatment, symptoms of PPD may improve. The implications of the findings for the development, implementation, and evaluation of treatments for PPD are discussed.
Polymorphisms in genes in the androgen pathway and risk of Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma

The strong male predominance in Barrett's esophagus (BE) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) remains inadequately explained, but sex hormones might be involved. We hypothesized that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the androgen pathway influence risk of developing BE and EAC. This genetic‐epidemiological analysis included 14 studies from Australia, Europe and North America. Polymorphisms in 16 genes coding for the androgen pathway were analyzed using a gene‐based approach: versatile gene‐based test association study. This method evaluates associations between a trait and all SNPs within a specific gene rather than each SNP marker individually as in a conventional GWAS. The data were stratified for sex, body‐mass index, waist‐to‐hip ratio, tobacco smoking and gastroesophageal reflux status. Included were data from 1,508 EAC patients, 2,383 BE patients and 2,170 control participants. SNPs within the gene CYP17A1 were associated with risk of BE in the sexes combined (p = 0.002) and in males (p = 0.003), but not in females separately (p = 0.3). This association was found in tobacco smokers (p = 0.003) and in BE patients without reflux (p = 0.004), but not in nonsmokers (p = 0.2) or those with reflux (p = 0.036). SNPs within JMJD1C were associated with risk of EAC in females (p = 0.001). However, none of these associations replicated in a subsequent sample. Fourteen other genes studied did not reach statistically significant levels of association with BE, EAC or the combination of BE and EAC, after correcting for the number of genes included in the analysis. In conclusion, genetic variants in the androgen‐related genes CYP17A1 and JMJD1C might be associated with risk of BE and EAC, respectively, but replication data with larger sample sizes are needed.
Reliability of the American Medical Association guides' model for measuring spinal range of motion. Its implication for whole-person impairment rating.

STUDY DESIGN Repeated measures design for intra- and interrater reliability. OBJECTIVES To determine the intra- and interrater reliability of the lumbar spine range of motion measured with a dual inclinometer, and the thoracolumbar spine range of motion measured with a long-arm goniometer, as recommended in the American Medical Association Guides. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA The American Medical Association Guides (2nd and 4th editions) recommend using measurements of thoracolumbar and lumbar range of movement, respectively, to estimate the percentage of permanent impairment in patients with chronic low back pain. However, the reliability of this method of estimating impairment has not been determined. METHODS In all, 34 subjects participated in the study, 21 women with a mean age of 40.1 years (SD, +/- 11.1) and 13 men with a mean age of 47.7 years (SD, +/- 12.1). Measures of thoracolumbar flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation were obtained with a long-arm goniometer. Lumbar flexion, extension, and lateral flexion were measured with a dual inclinometer. Measurements were taken by two examiners on one occasion and by one examiner on two occasions approximately 1 week apart. RESULTS The results showed poor intra- and interrater reliability for all measurements taken with both instruments. Measurement error expressed in degrees showed that measurements taken by different raters exhibited systematic as well as random differences. As a result, subjects measured by two different examiners on the same day, with either instrument, could give impairment ratings ranging between 0% and 18% of the whole person (excluding rotation), in which percentage impairment is calculated using the average range of motion and the average systematic and random error in degrees for the group for each movement (flexion, extension, and lateral flexion). CONCLUSIONS The poor reliability of the American Medical Association Guides' spinal range of motion model can result in marked variation in the percentage of whole-body impairment. These findings have implications for compensation bodies in Australia and other countries that use the American Medical Association Guides' procedure to estimate impairment in chronic low back pain patients.
Evidence for Amino Acid Snorkeling from a High-Resolution, In Vivo Analysis of Fis1 Tail-Anchor Insertion at the Mitochondrial Outer Membrane

Proteins localized to mitochondria by a carboxyl-terminal tail anchor (TA) play roles in apoptosis, mitochondrial dynamics, and mitochondrial protein import. To reveal characteristics of TAs that may be important for mitochondrial targeting, we focused our attention upon the TA of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fis1 protein. Specifically, we generated a library of Fis1p TA variants fused to the Gal4 transcription factor, then, using next-generation sequencing, revealed which Fis1p TA mutations inhibited membrane insertion and allowed Gal4p activity in the nucleus. Prompted by our global analysis, we subsequently analyzed the ability of individual Fis1p TA mutants to localize to mitochondria. Our findings suggest that the membrane-associated domain of the Fis1p TA may be bipartite in nature, and we encountered evidence that the positively charged patch at the carboxyl terminus of Fis1p is required for both membrane insertion and organelle specificity. Furthermore, lengthening or shortening of the Fis1p TA by up to three amino acids did not inhibit mitochondrial targeting, arguing against a model in which TA length directs insertion of TAs to distinct organelles. Most importantly, positively charged residues were more acceptable at several positions within the membrane-associated domain of the Fis1p TA than negatively charged residues. These findings, emerging from the first high-resolution analysis of an organelle targeting sequence by deep mutational scanning, provide strong, in vivo evidence that lysine and arginine can “snorkel,” or become stably incorporated within a lipid bilayer by placing terminal charges of their side chains at the membrane interface.
GENETIC EVALUATION OF ROOT COMPLEXITY IN MAIZE

Received: ; accepted:Root architecture is strongly linked to plant survival under abiotic and biotic stressconditions. The objective of this study was to investigate the inheritance of the primaryroot system complexity in maize (Zea mays L.). For a total of 231 recombinant inbred lines(RIL) derived from the IBM (B73×Mo17) population multiple primary root systems wereproduced by applying a replicated alpha lattice experimental design. Digital images ofeach root system were taken at days four and eight after germination. For each root systemimage, the fractal dimension (FD) was computed. Significant differences between RILswere found in the FD calculated after four (FD1) and eight (FD2) days. For FD1 22 QTLs,for FD2 13, and for FD change over time (∆FD) 12 QTLs were found on all ten maizechromosomes explaining between 24.6 and 46.8% of the phenotypic variation. Bothparental inbreds contributed FD-increasing QTL alleles. FD1 and FD2 had fivechromosomal BIN locations in common. Four unique QTLs were identified for thedynamics of root growth between days four and eight. Maize root mutants involved in rootmorphology were located in chromosomal BINs carrying QTLs for FD1 or FD2. Thisstudy demonstrated the usefulness of the IBM population as a maize community resourceto investigate the genetic basis of root complexity in maize.Key words: maize, QTL, primary root system, complexity, fractal dimension
Rate control and stream adaptation for scalable video streaming over multiple access networks

In a multihomed video streaming system, a video sequence is simultaneously transmitted over multiple access networks to a client. In this paper, we formulate the rate control and stream adaptation problems into a unified optimization problem, which determines the sending rates of individual networks, selects which video packets to transmit, and assigns each packet to an access network. We propose two heuristic algorithms with a trade-off between optimality and computational complexity. One of the proposed algorithms runs faster, while the other one results in better video quality. We propose a hybrid algorithm that demonstrates a good balance between optimality and computational complexity. We conduct extensive packet-level simulations to evaluate our algorithms using real network conditions and actual scalable video streams. We compare our algorithms against the rate control algorithms defined in the Datagram Congestion Control Protocol (DCCP) standard. The simulation results show that our algorithms significantly outperform current systems while being TCP-friendly. Our algorithms achieve at least 10 dB quality improvement over DCCP and result in up to 83% packet delivery delay reduction.
Sliced Inverse Regression With Adaptive Spectral Sparsity for Dimension Reduction

Dimension reduction is an important topic in pattern analysis and machine learning, and it has wide applications in feature representation and pattern classification. In the past two decades, sliced inverse regression (SIR) has attracted much research efforts due to its effectiveness and efficacy in dimension reduction. However, two drawbacks limit further applications of SIR. First, the computation complexity of SIR is usually high in the situation of high-dimensional data. Second, sparsity of projection subspace is not well mined for improving the feature selection and model interpretation abilities. This paper proposes to compute the SIR projection vectors in the spectral space, then an approximated regression solution can be obtained with a faster speed. Moreover, the adaptive lasso is used to attain a sparse and globally optimal solution, which is important in variable selection. To complete the robust pattern classification task with corruptions, a correntropy-based and class-wise regression model is designed in this paper. It takes a smooth penalty instead of sparsity constraint in the regression coefficients, and it can be conducted in class-wise, thus it is more flexible in practice. Extensive experiments are conducted by using some real and benchmark data sets, e.g., high-dimensional facial images and gene microarray data, to evaluate the new algorithms. The new proposals attain competitive results and are compared with other state-of-the-art methods.
Defining Developmental Potency and Cell Lineage Trajectories by Expression Profiling of Differentiating Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

Biologists rely on morphology, function and specific markers to define the differentiation status of cells. Transcript profiling has expanded the repertoire of these markers by providing the snapshot of cellular status that reflects the activity of all genes. However, such data have been used only to assess relative similarities and differences of these cells. Here we show that principal component analysis of global gene expression profiles map cells in multidimensional transcript profile space and the positions of differentiating cells progress in a stepwise manner along trajectories starting from undifferentiated embryonic stem (ES) cells located in the apex. We present three ‘cell lineage trajectories’, which represent the differentiation of ES cells into the first three lineages in mammalian development: primitive endoderm, trophoblast and primitive ectoderm/neural ectoderm. The positions of the cells along these trajectories seem to reflect the developmental potency of cells and can be used as a scale for the potential of cells. Indeed, we show that embryonic germ cells and induced pluripotent cells are mapped near the origin of the trajectories, whereas mouse embryo fibroblast and fibroblast cell lines are mapped near the far end of the trajectories. We suggest that this method can be used as the non-operational semi-quantitative definition of cell differentiation status and developmental potency. Furthermore, the global expression profiles of cell lineages provide a framework for the future study of in vitro and in vivo cell differentiation.
Development of the gastrointestinal tract

My aim in this review is to use the rat as a model system for a discussion of the functional development of the gastrointestinal tract. I should make it clear at the outset that since the rat is an altricial species, many of the enzymic changes that occur postnatally in the rat occur prenatally in other mammals, including humans (Grand et al. 1976; Lebenthal et al. 1983). Nevertheless, I believe that these studies in the rat. have posed some questions of broader importance and have pointed to some potential answers. Thus, the review is structured 90 as to emphasize the general lessons which have potential application in many species and in many organ systems. Because of space limitations, the review does not attempt to be comprehensive. To set the stage, it is important to realize that the process of spontaneous weaning in the rat is a precisely timed phenomenon which normally begins at 17 d of age and is complete by day 26 (Henning et al. 1979). Weaning constitutes a significant change in dietary composition which, in turn, necessitates changes in digestive function. The entire gastrointestinal tract of the rat is functionally immature at birth and during the first two postnatal weeks. There are extensive changes in digestive capacity during the third postnatal week, and the adult modes of digestion are fully operative by the end of the fourth week. These developmental changes in gastrointestinal function have been reviewed elsewhere in detail (Henning, 1981 ; Klein & McKenzie, 1983) and only those in the small intestine will be summarized here. In the small intestine of the rat, we find that the neonate has hydrolytic activities which are specific for, and largely restricted to, the components of maternal milk. This is demonstrated very nicely by a consideration of carbohydrate digestion. Milk is relatively low in total carbohydrates, and the carbohydrates present are those not geoerally found in adult diets. The major carbohydrate in the milk of most placental mammals is lactose (Jenness et al. 1964), and high activities of its disaccharidase, lactase (EC 3.2.1.23), are found in the intestinal mucosa of the sucking animals (Deren, 1968; Kretchmer, 1971). In the rat, lactase is detectable on day 18 of gestation, has maximal activity during the first week after birth, and then begins to decline, reaching adult values by the end of the fourth week (Doell & Kretchmer, 1962). Many other species, including the human, have lower lactase activity in the adult than in the newborn (Deren, 1968) and accordingly show an inability to utilize ingested lactose in the postweaning period (Kretchmer, 1971). Intestinal hydrolases that are involved in digestion of carbohydrate components of solid food are absent or low at birth, then appear or increase in activity, or both. Maltase (EC 3.2.1.20) has low activity during the first two postnatal weeks then
Strategies for pTesla Field Detection Using Magnetoresistive Sensors With a Soft Pinned Sensing Layer

The detection of low-intensity and low-frequency signals requires magnetic sensors with enhanced sensitivity, low noise levels, and improved field detection at low operating frequencies. Two strategies to improve the detectivity levels of devices based on tunnel magnetoresistive sensors are demonstrated: 1) a large number of sensors connected in series or 2) an individual sensor with a large sensing area and integrated magnetic flux guides. State-of-the-art MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions with a soft pinned sensing layer were used in this paper. For 952 sensors in series a sensitivity of 29.3%/mT and a detection level of 455 pT/Hz1/2 were obtained at 100 Hz, whereas the integration of magnetic flux guides in a single sensor yielded a sensitivity of 138.3%/mT and a detection level of 576 pT/Hz1/2 at the same frequency. These two strategies imply a large device footprint, being suitable when a high spatial resolution is not an application requirement.
Nanoshell-mediated photothermal therapy can enhance chemotherapy in inflammatory breast cancer cells

Nanoshell-mediated photothermal therapy (PTT) is currently being investigated as a standalone therapy for the treatment of cancer. The cellular effects of PTT include loss of membrane integrity, so we hypothesized that nanoshell-mediated PTT could potentiate the cytotoxicity of chemotherapy by improving drug accumulation in cancer cells. In this work, we validated our hypothesis using doxorubicin as a model drug and SUM149 inflammatory breast cancer cells as a model cancer subtype. In initial studies, SUM149 cells were exposed to nano-shells and near-infrared light and then stained with ethidium homodimer-1, which is excluded from cells with an intact plasma membrane. The results confirmed that nanoshell-mediated PTT could increase membrane permeability in SUM149 cells. In complementary experiments, SUM149 cells treated with nanoshells, near-infrared light, or a combination of the two to yield low-dose PTT were exposed to fluorescent rhodamine 123. Analyzing rhodamine 123 fluorescence in cells via flow cytometry confirmed that increased membrane permeability caused by PTT could enhance drug accumulation in cells. This was validated using fluorescence microscopy to assess intracellular distribution of doxorubicin. In succeeding experiments, SUM149 cells were exposed to subtherapeutic levels of doxorubicin, low-dose PTT, or a combination of the two treatments to determine whether the additional drug uptake induced by PTT is sufficient to enhance cell death. Analysis revealed minimal loss of viability relative to controls in cells exposed to subtherapeutic levels of doxorubicin, 15% loss of viability in cells exposed to low-dose PTT, and 35% loss of viability in cells exposed to combination therapy. These data indicate that nanoshell-mediated PTT is a viable strategy to potentiate the effects of chemotherapy and warrant further investigation of this approach using other drugs and cancer subtypes.
The impact of leprosy on health-related quality of life.

INTRODUCTION Leprosy is a potentially disabling infectious disease that evolves into emotional issues due to the prejudice that persists about the illness. The endemic has declined substantially with multidrug therapy (MDT) in the 80's; however, new demands associated with the reduction of stigma and the improvement of the affected people's quality of life have emerged. In Brazil, leprosy is still a public health problem. Piauí is the second state in the Northeast in prevalence and detection, and Teresina is a hyperendemic city. This study aimed to analyze the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of people in treatment for leprosy in Teresina/PI. METHODS An observational study was conducted using the SF-36 (a specific questionnaire for assessing quality of life), which sought the determinants of poor quality of life among people with leprosy, outlining the sociodemographic, clinical, and epidemiological characteristics of the 107 patients interviewed. RESULTS The correlations between the variables showed five determinants of HRQoL: late diagnosis, multibacillary forms, reactions, disability diagnosis grade II, and prejudice. The profile of the participants showed that leprosy still affects the lower social classes in historically endemic areas, causing high percentages of secondary injuries that compromise the work capacity and quality of life of the affected people, perpetuating the stigma associated with the disease. CONCLUSIONS The study reinforces the need to implement more effective strategies of disease control, due to the development of severe and disabling forms of leprosy is directly related to poor HRQoL in the same cured patient.
Someone to watch over me

Traditional security mechanisms are part of a larger socio-technical system involving the people and organizations that use them. Yet, those security mechanisms rarely take this social context and social processes into account. In this paper we propose to make security more social, by integrating community oversight into security mechanisms. Like a neighborhood watch, community oversight can provide additional information as more people are able to detect anomalies and problems, as well as foster greater awareness and social norms of security-related behaviors. We describe this new paradigm, several scenarios of use, and the sets of issues involved in implementing this approach.