Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Abnormal frontoparietal synaptic gain mediating the P300 in patients with psychotic disorder and their unaffected relatives

The “dysconnection hypothesis” of psychosis suggests that a disruption of functional integration underlies cognitive deficits and clinical symptoms. Impairments in the P300 potential are well documented in psychosis. Intrinsic (self‐)connectivity in a frontoparietal cortical hierarchy during a P300 experiment was investigated. Dynamic Causal Modeling was used to estimate how evoked activity results from the dynamics of coupled neural populations and how neural coupling changes with the experimental factors. Twenty‐four patients with psychotic disorder, twenty‐four unaffected relatives, and twenty‐five controls underwent EEG recordings during an auditory oddball paradigm. Sixteen frontoparietal network models (including primary auditory, superior parietal, and superior frontal sources) were analyzed and an optimal model of neural coupling, explaining diagnosis and genetic risk effects, as well as their interactions with task condition were identified. The winning model included changes in connectivity at all three hierarchical levels. Patients showed decreased self‐inhibition—that is, increased cortical excitability—in left superior frontal gyrus across task conditions, compared with unaffected participants. Relatives had similar increases in excitability in left superior frontal and right superior parietal sources, and a reversal of the normal synaptic gain changes in response to targets relative to standard tones. It was confirmed that both subjects with psychotic disorder and their relatives show a context‐independent loss of synaptic gain control at the highest hierarchy levels. The relatives also showed abnormal gain modulation responses to task‐relevant stimuli. These may be caused by NMDA‐receptor and/or GABAergic pathologies that change the excitability of superficial pyramidal cells and may be a potential biological marker for psychosis. Hum Brain Mapp 38:3262–3276, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Quantum adiabatic Markovian master equations

We develop from first principles Markovian master equations suited for studying the time evolution of a system evolving adiabatically while coupled weakly to a thermal bath. We derive two sets of equations in the adiabatic limit, one using the rotating wave (secular) approximation that results in a master equation in Lindblad form, the other without the rotating wave approximation but not in Lindblad form. The two equations make markedly different predictions depending on whether or not the Lamb shift is included. Our analysis keeps track of the various time and energy scales associated with the various approximations we make, and thus allows for a systematic inclusion of higher order corrections, in particular beyond the adiabatic limit. We use our formalism to study the evolution of an Ising spin chain in a transverse field and coupled to a thermal bosonic bath, for which we identify four distinct evolution phases. While we do not expect this to be a generic feature, in one of these phases dissipation acts to increase the fidelity of the system state relative to the adiabatic ground state.
Towards a comprehensive theory of nurse/patient empowerment: applying Kanter's empowerment theory to patient care.

AIM The purpose of this theoretical paper is to propose an integrated model of nurse/patient empowerment that could be used as a guide for creating high-quality nursing practice work environments that ensure positive outcomes for both nurses and their patients. BACKGROUND There are few integrated theoretical approaches to nurse and patient empowerment in the literature, although nurse empowerment is assumed to positively affect patient outcomes. EVALUATION The constructs described in Kanter's (1993) work empowerment theory are conceptually consistent with the nursing care process and can be logically extended to nurses' interactions with their patients and the outcomes of nursing care. KEY ISSUES We propose a model of nurse/patient empowerment derived from Kanter's theory that suggests that empowering working conditions increase feelings of psychological empowerment in nurses, resulting in greater use of patient empowerment strategies by nurses, and, ultimately, greater patient empowerment and better health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Empirical testing of the model is recommended prior to use of the model in clinical practice. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT We argue that empowered nurses are more likely to empower their patients, which results in better patient and system outcomes. Strategies for managers to empower nurses and for nurses to empower patients are suggested.
The Effect of Propranolol on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Burned Service Members

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is reported to affect almost one third of the civilian burn patient population. Predisposing factors for PTSD include experiencing a traumatic event. Of Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) soldiers returning home after deployment without injury, 17% reported cognitive symptoms of PTSD. The authors recent study of soldiers burned in OIF/OEF showed a PTSD prevalence of ∼30%, which is similar to civilian studies. Burns are characterized by hypermetabolism and increased catecholamine levels. &bgr;-Adrenergic receptor blocking agents, like propranolol, decrease catecholamine levels. Propranolol may reduce consolidation of memory and a prophylaxis for PTSD. This retrospective study examines the relationship between PTSD prevalence and propranolol administration. After institutional review board approval, propranolol received, number of surgeries, anesthetic/analgesic regimen, TBSA burned, and injury severity score were collected from patients charts. The military burn center received 603 soldiers injured in OIF/OEF, of which 226 completed the PTSD Checklist-Military. Thirty-one soldiers received propranolol and 34 matched soldiers did not. In propranolol patients, the prevalence of PTSD was 32.3% vs 26.5% in those not receiving propranolol (P = .785). These data suggest propranolol does not decrease PTSD development in burned soldiers. The prevalence of PTSD in patients receiving propranolol is the same as those not receiving propranolol. More research is needed to determine the relationship between PTSD and propranolol.
Volume Overload of Fluid Resuscitation in Acutely Burned Patients Using Transpulmonary Thermodilution Technique

In recent years, transpulmonary thermodilution techniques (PICCO) offer an attractive and more ideal end point for fluid resuscitation. The study included 30 adult burned patients between 25 and 60% TBSA. The study group received fluid resuscitation guided by the PICCO. The control group resuscitated using Parkland formula, guided by traditional monitoring parameters. Fluid administration in the initial 72 hours after burn injury was significantly higher in the study group. Furthermore, it was difficult, perhaps even impossible, to achieve the goals of normovolemia and cardiac output normalization during the early postburn period. Nevertheless, the attempt to achieve them was associated with a significant tissue edema. Although PICCO is a very beneficial tool in the estimation of amounts of fluid resuscitation, the values of ideal end points need to be adjusted in burn patients. The traditional values of intrathoracic blood volume, extravascular lung water, and cardiac index are associated with significant tissue edema that can easily complicate sepsis in these immunocompromised patients.
Cardiovascular reactivity to mental arithmetic and cold pressor in African Americans, Caribbean Americans, and White Americans

Background: Caribbean Americans and African Americans, two of the largest Black ethnic groups in the United States, differ in cardiovascular-disease-related mortality rates.Purpose: Cardiovascular reactivity to psychological stress may be an important marker or mediator of risk for cardiovascular disease development in Blacks in the United States, yet little attention has been paid to ethnicity among Blacks in reactivity research. This study examined cardiovascular reactivity to psychological stress in African American, Caribbean American, and White American participants.Methods: Forty-five women and 43 men performed mental arithmetic and hand cold pressor (CP) tasks.Results: Caribbean Americans displayed larger decreases in heart period variability during mental arithmetic than White Americans (p = .02). White Americans exhibited a pre-ejection period decrease, whereas African Americans and Caribbean Americans displayed pre-ejection period increases during CP (p = .023). African Americans exhibited greater decreases in interbeat interval during CP than White Americans (p = .013). Caribbean Americans displayed greater decreases in cardiac output than White Americans during CP (p = .009). White Americans exhibited significantly greater increases in systolic blood pressure than Caribbean Americans during CP (p = .014). Conclusions: These findings suggest that differences in reactivity to psychological stress exist among Black ethnic groups in the United States and underscore the need to consider ethnicity as a factor in reactivity research with Black Americans.
Predictors of Underrepresented Nursing Students' School Satisfaction, Success, and Future Education Intent.

BACKGROUND The United States is steadily becoming more diverse. If current trends continue, the minority population will be the majority by 2043. In contrast to the U.S. population, nursing (the largest health care workforce) is composed of a nearly 76% White population. The literature reports that underrepresented minorities (URM) in nursing programs encounter multiple barriers to academic success. METHOD A secondary data analysis of a national cohort of URM accelerated nursing students was conducted to examine three factors associated with microaggression-predictors of academic (NCLEX) success, satisfaction, and intent to pursue advanced education-among a cohort of URM accelerated nursing students who had received a national diversity scholarship (n = 2,250). RESULTS These three factors were predicted by institutional climate, mentoring, social interactions, the prematriculation preparation program, and other psychological, social, and cultural barriers. CONCLUSION To increase nursing diversity and ensure a culturally competent profession, programs must attend to these factors. [J Nurs. Educ. 2018;57(3):142-149. ].
Improving household air, drinking water and hygiene in rural Peru: a community-randomized–controlled trial of an integrated environmental home-based intervention package to improve child health

Abstract Background: Diarrhoea and acute lower respiratory infections are leading causes of childhood morbidity and mortality, which can be prevented by simple low-cost interventions. Integrated strategies can provide additional benefits by addressing multiple health burdens simultaneously. Methods: We conducted a community-randomized–controlled trial in 51 rural communities in Peru to evaluate whether an environmental home-based intervention package, consisting of improved solid-fuel stoves, kitchen sinks, solar disinfection of drinking water and hygiene promotion, reduces lower respiratory infections, diarrhoeal disease and improves growth in children younger than 36 months. The attention control group received an early child stimulation programme. Results: We recorded 24 647 child-days of observation from 250 households in the intervention and 253 in the attention control group during 12-month follow-up. Mean diarrhoea incidence was 2.8 episodes per child-year in the intervention compared with 3.1 episodes in the control arm. This corresponds to a relative rate of 0.78 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.58–1.05] for diarrhoea incidence and an odds ratio of 0.71 (95% CI: 0.47–1.06) for diarrhoea prevalence. No effects on acute lower respiratory infections or children’s growth rates were observed. Conclusions: Combined home-based environmental interventions slightly reduced childhood diarrhoea, but the confidence interval included unity. Effects on growth and respiratory outcomes were not observed, despite high user compliance of the interventions. The absent effect on respiratory health might be due to insufficient household air quality improvements of the improved stoves and additional time needed to achieve attitudinal and behaviour change when providing composite interventions.
A New Secretory Peptide of Natriuretic Peptide Family, Osteocrin, Suppresses the Progression of Congestive Heart Failure After Myocardial Infarction

Rationale: An increase of severe ischemic heart diseases results in an increase of the patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). Therefore, new therapies are expected in addition to recanalization of coronary arteries. Previous clinical trials using natriuretic peptides (NPs) prove the improvement of CHF by NPs. Objective: We aimed at investigating whether OSTN (osteocrin) peptide potentially functioning as an NPR (NP clearance receptor) 3-blocking peptide can be used as a new therapeutic peptide for treating CHF after myocardial infarction (MI) using animal models. Methods and Results: We examined the effect of OSTN on circulation using 2 mouse models; the continuous intravenous infusion of OSTN after MI and the OSTN-transgenic (Tg) mice with MI. In vitro studies revealed that OSTN competitively bound to NPR3 with atrial NP. In both OSTN–continuous intravenous infusion model and OSTN-Tg model, acute inflammation within the first week after MI was reduced. Moreover, both models showed the improvement of prognosis at 28 days after MI by OSTN. Consistent with the in vitro study binding of OSTN to NPR3, the OSTN-Tg exhibited an increased plasma atrial NP and C-type NP, which might result in the improvement of CHF after MI as indicated by the reduced weight of hearts and lungs and by the reduced fibrosis. Conclusions: OSTN might suppress the worsening of CHF after MI by inhibiting clearance of NP family peptides.
A 3‐level Bayesian mixed effects location scale model with an application to ecological momentary assessment data

Ecological momentary assessment studies usually produce intensively measured longitudinal data with large numbers of observations per unit, and research interest is often centered around understanding the changes in variation of people's thoughts, emotions and behaviors. Hedeker et al developed a 2‐level mixed effects location scale model that allows observed covariates as well as unobserved variables to influence both the mean and the within‐subjects variance, for a 2‐level data structure where observations are nested within subjects. In some ecological momentary assessment studies, subjects are measured at multiple waves, and within each wave, subjects are measured over time. Li and Hedeker extended the original 2‐level model to a 3‐level data structure where observations are nested within days and days are then nested within subjects, by including a random location and scale intercept at the intermediate wave level. However, the 3‐level random intercept model assumes constant response change rate for both the mean and variance. To account for changes in variance across waves, as well as clustering attributable to waves, we propose a more comprehensive location scale model that allows subject heterogeneity at baseline as well as across different waves, for a 3‐level data structure where observations are nested within waves and waves are then further nested within subjects. The model parameters are estimated using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. We provide details on the Bayesian estimation approach and demonstrate how the Stan statistical software can be used to sample from the desired distributions and achieve consistent estimates. The proposed model is validated via a series of simulation studies. Data from an adolescent smoking study are analyzed to demonstrate this approach. The analyses clearly favor the proposed model and show significant subject heterogeneity at baseline as well as change over time, for both mood mean and variance. The proposed 3‐level location scale model can be widely applied to areas of research where the interest lies in the consistency in addition to the mean level of the responses.
10‐oxo‐12(Z)‐octadecenoic acid, a linoleic acid metabolite produced by gut lactic acid bacteria, enhances energy metabolism by activation of TRPV1

Gut microbiota can regulate the host energy metabolism; however, the underlying mechanisms that could involve gut microbiota–derived compounds remain to be understood. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effects of KetoA [10‐oxo‐12(Z)‐octadecenoic acid]—a linoleic acid metabolite produced by gut lactic acid bacteria—on whole‐body energy metabolism and found that dietary intake of KetoA could enhance energy expenditure in mice, thereby protecting mice from diet‐induced obesity. By using Ca2+ imaging and whole‐cell patch‐clamp methods, KetoA was noted to potently activate transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) and enhance noradrenalin turnover in adipose tissues. In addition, KetoA up‐regulated genes that are related to brown adipocyte functions, including uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in white adipose tissue (WAT), which was later diminished in the presence of a β‐adrenoreceptor blocker. By using obese and diabetic model KK‐Ay mice, we further show that KetoA intake ameliorated obesity‐associated metabolic disorders. In the absence of any observed KetoA‐induced antiobesity effect or UCP1 up‐regulation in TRPV1‐deficient mice, we prove that the antiobesity effect of KetoA was caused by TRPV1 activation‐mediated browning in WAT. KetoA produced in the gut could therefore be involved in the regulation of host energy metabolism. —Kim, M. , Furuzono, T. , Yamakuni, K. , Li, Y. , Kim, Y. ‐I. , Takahashi, H. , Ohue‐Kitano, R. , Jheng, H. ‐F. , Takahashi, N. , Kano, Y. , Yu, R. , Kishino, S. , Ogawa, J., Uchida, K. , Yamazaki, J., Tominaga, M. , Kawada, T. , Goto, T. 10‐oxo‐12(Z)‐octadecenoic acid, a linoleic acid metabolite produced by gut lactic acid bacteria, enhances energy metabolism by activation of TRPV1. FASEB J. 31, 5036–5048 (2017). www.fasebj. org
Clinical Safety and Efficacy of Probiotic Administration Following Burn Injury

Provision of probiotics has been limited postburn by questionable potential for bacterial translocation and risk of infection in an immune-compromised population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety of probiotic administration in acutely burned, pediatric patients. Subjects were randomized to receive probiotic (n = 10) vs placebo (n = 10) twice daily. The investigational product was initiated within 10 days of burn, and daily supplementation continued until wound closure. Nursing staff was provided education regarding optimal procedures to minimize potential for study product cross contamination. Clinical outcomes (infection, antibiotic, antifungal, and operative days, tolerance, and mortality) were recorded. Length of stay was modified for burn size. Student’s t-test, &khgr;2 test, and nonparametric Wilcoxon’s rank-sum test were used for comparative analysis. No differences were noted (probiotic; placebo) for age (7.1 ± 2.2; 6.9 ± 1.7), burn size (38.0 ± 5.9; 45.5 ± 4.45), full thickness (24.6 ± 5.6; 32.1 ± 5.4), postburn day admit (0.8 ± 0.4; 1.1 ± 0.4), or inhalation injury (10%; 20%). Infection days, antibiotic use, constipation, and emesis were similar between groups. Trends toward increased antifungal and laxative use as well as diarrhea incidence were evident in the controls (P < .30). Flatulence was statistically higher with probiotics. The control group trended toward higher requirement for excision/graft procedure. Medical length of stay was not significantly different between groups; however, time required to complete wound healing was shortened with probiotics. This study documents safety and provides preliminary efficacy data relative to probiotic supplementation postburn.
Social isolation and health in widowhood: A qualitative study of Nepali widows' experiences

ABSTRACT Little research exists on social isolation and health among widows despite their marginalization in South Asia. Using a conceptual framework that delineates distinct forms of social support, our results provide a preliminary analysis of the role social support plays in the well-being of Nepali widows. Between 2011 and 2012, we conducted 42 in-depth interviews in the Kathmandu valley and Surkhet district. Low social support was a common theme, principally lacking in the domains of emotional and instrumental support and was described as increasing women's vulnerability to mistreatment and economic insecurity. Policies and programs that foster these types of support may have positive effects on widows' well-being.
An Evaluation of Functional Size Measurement Methods

Background: Software size is one of the key factors that has the potential to affect the effort of software projects. Providing accurate software size estimation is a complex task. A number of functional size measurement (FSM) methods have been proposed to quantify the size of software based on functional user requirements (user perspective). Function point analysis (FPA) was the first proposal for a FSM method and it is one of the most accepted FSM methods in the industry. Automated Function Point (AFP) method state the guidelines for automating FPA counting from software source code. Objectives: This paper reports on an experiment that compares FPA and AFP. The goal is to evaluate the measurement process on a range of performance and adoption properties such as accuracy, reproducibility, efficiency, perceived easy to use, usefulness, and intention to use. Methods: A controlled experiment was conducted to compare the two methods. Statistical analyses were conducted to find differences between the methods regarding performance and adoption properties. Results: The functional size results between the FPA and AFP methods were similar (MMRE 68%). Productivity rate was about the same reported for the industry (43.4 FPA/h, 37.8 AFP/h). There were no significant differences between the methods for functional size estimation, reproducibility, and accuracy. Limitations: This is an initial experiment of a work in progress. The limited sample size and nature of the subjects may influence the results. Conclusions: These results support the claim that AFP produces similar measurement results that FPA. The automation of the AFP method could produce more consistent measurement results in conformance with the FPA counting guidelines. An automated and quick FSM counting method will increase the adoption of this metric in industry. Further research is needed to conclude more on some perceived adoption properties.