Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Behçet's disease and pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE To describe the interplay between Behçet's disease (BD) and pregnancy. METHODS This retrospective study included 76 pregnancies in 46 patients fulfilling the international criteria for BD. The median age of the patients at the time of entry into the study was 28.4 years (interquartile range 22.8-30.9 years). Patients were used as their own historical controls to assess the incidence of BD flares during pregnancy and before or after pregnancy. Factors associated with the occurrence of complications during pregnancy were assessed. RESULTS Among the 76 pregnancies with BD analyzed, 27 (35.5%) were associated with worsening of the symptoms of BD flare; oral and genital ulcerations (78.4% and 67.6%, respectively) as well as ocular complications (32.4%) were the most frequent. The mean ± SD annual rates of BD flares were 0.49 ± 0.72 during pregnancy and 1.46 ± 2.42 during the nonobstetric period (P = 0.018). The proportion of BD flares tended to be lower in patients treated with colchicine (27.9% versus 45.4% of patients not treated with colchicine; P = 0.11). The overall rate of complications during pregnancy was 15.8%. The complications included miscarriage (5 patients), cesarean delivery (3 patients), medical termination of pregnancy (2 patients), hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets syndrome (1 patient), and immune thrombocytopenia (1 patient). There was a statistically significant association between a history of deep vein thrombosis in BD and the risk of obstetric complications (odds ratio 7.25, 95% confidence interval 1.21-43.46, P = 0.029). Neither gestational age at delivery nor neonatal outcome was influenced by BD. CONCLUSION The disease course in BD seems to improve during pregnancy, mostly in patients who are treated with colchicine. Pregnancy in patients with BD appears not to be associated with an increased rate of pregnancy-related complications.
Low Risk of Proximal Tubular Dysfunction Associated With Emtricitabine-Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Preexposure Prophylaxis in Men and Women.

OBJECTIVE Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) is associated with proximal tubular dysfunction (tubulopathy) when used in the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. We evaluated whether TDF causes tubulopathy when used as HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and whether tubulopathy predicts clinically relevant decline (≥25%) in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). METHODS A subgroup analysis of the Partners PrEP Study, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of daily oral TDF, alone or with emtricitabine (FTC), in HIV-uninfected African men and women (Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00557245). Tubulopathy was assessed in concurrently obtained urine and serum samples at the 24-month or last on-treatment visit, predefined as ≥2 of the following: tubular proteinuria, euglycemic glycosuria, increased urinary phosphate, and uric acid excretion. RESULTS Of 1549 persons studied (776 receiving FTC-TDF, 773 receiving placebo), 64% were male, and the median age was 37 years. Over a median 24 months of study-drug exposure, the frequency of tubulopathy was 1.7% for FTC-TDF versus 1.3% for placebo (odds ratio, 1.30; 95% confidence interval, .52-3.33; P = .68); Tubulopathy occurred in 2 of 52 persons (3.8%) with versus 3 of 208 (1.4%) without ≥25% eGFR decline (adjusted odds ratio, 1.39; .10-14.0; P > .99). CONCLUSIONS Daily oral FTC-TDF PrEP was not significantly associated with tubulopathy over the course of 24 months, nor did tubulopathy predict clinically relevant eGFR decline.
In Situ Evaluation of Tracking Algorithms Using Time Reversed Chains

Automatic evaluation of visual tracking algorithms in the absence of ground truth is a very challenging and important problem. In the context of online appearance modeling, there is an additional ambiguity involving the correctness of the appearance model. In this paper, we propose a novel performance evaluation strategy for tracking systems based on particle filter using a time reversed Markov chain. Starting from the latest observation, the time reversed chain is propagated back till the starting time t = 0 of the tracking algorithm. The posterior density of the time reversed chain is also computed. The distance between the posterior density of the time reversed chain (at t = 0) and the prior density used to initialize the tracking algorithm forms the decision statistic for evaluation. It is postulated that when the data is generated true to the underlying models, the decision statistic takes a low value. We empirically demonstrate the performance of the algorithm against various common failure modes in the generic visual tracking problem. Finally, we derive a small frame approximation that allows for very efficient computation of the decision statistic.
Dysfunction of Natural Killer T Cells in Patients with Active Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection

ABSTRACT Natural killer T (NKT) cells are known to play a protective role in the immune responses of mice against a variety of infectious pathogens. However, little is known about the detailed information of NKT cells in patients with Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. The aims of this study were to examine NKT cell levels and functions in patients with active M. tuberculosis infection, to investigate relationships between NKT cell levels and clinical parameters, and to determine the mechanism responsible for the poor response to α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer). NKT cell levels were significantly lower in the peripheral blood of pulmonary tuberculosis and extrapulmonary tuberculosis patients, and the proliferative responses of NKT cells to α-GalCer were also lower in patients, whereas NKT cell levels and responses were comparable in latent tuberculosis infection subjects and healthy controls. Furthermore, this NKT cell deficiency was found to be correlated with serum C-reactive protein levels. In addition, the poor response to α-GalCer in M. tuberculosis-infected patients was found to be due to increased NKT cell apoptosis, reduced CD1d expression, and a defect in NKT cells. Notably, M. tuberculosis infection was associated with an elevated expression of the inhibitory programmed death-1 (PD-1) receptor on NKT cells, and blockade of PD-1 signaling enhanced the response to α-GalCer. This study shows that NKT cell levels and functions are reduced in M. tuberculosis-infected patients and these deficiencies were found to reflect the presence of active tuberculosis.
Exploratory Study on the Applicability of the Public Service Motivation Concept to South Korea

Recently, a group of scholars has explored the possible variations in public service motivation (PSM) according to sociocultural context. Despite the theoretical consensus on the interplay between social conditions and PSM, we still lack empirical research on how PSM can be applied to distinctive sociocultural contexts across the world. Bearing these points in mind, this research examines whether the concept of PSM can be applied to South Korea. Specifically, this study examines various motivational grounds for public service manifested in occupational meanings, whether the identified dimensions can be integrated into the concept of PSM, and how such motivational characteristics can be considered as particular dimensions of PSM in South Korea. In addition, various antecedents of PSM suggested in previous literature are reexamined. Due to the nature of these research questions, this study used a mixed-methods approach to explore whether, and in what ways, PSM could be applied to South Korean society. The two methods used were personal interviews using the grounded-theory approach, and survey data analysis, by means of structural equation modeling (i.e., measurement models) and hierarchical regression analysis. The overall findings of this study about Korean society supported the core of the conceptual definition of PSM. However, they also provided evidence that PSM can have distinctive dimensions and different combinations of dimensions as a manifestation of social contexts (i.e., Confucian legacy, administrative tradition, shared perception of the desirable role of public servants and government). In particular, a critical aspect of Korean respondents’ motivation for public service was based on their personal interests and on their need to have a certain level of “influence” on other people and on the society, in an attempt to “contribute to the development” of social progress. These empirical results revealed variability of rational and normative aspects of PSM in the Korean contexts; however, the affective aspects – self-sacrifice and compassion— could be applied across the board. With regard to the antecedents of PSM, the role of institutionalization in organizational settings (e.g., formation of social identity, value socialization) provided evidence in support of the previously suggested theoretical arguments.
The Determinants of the Perception of Happiness about Quality of Life amongst Turkish People

Happiness and life satisfaction are two empirically correlated but conceptually different determinants of quality of life. It has been theorized that happiness is an effective construct, whereas life satisfaction is a cognitive one. According to the recent literature, substantial levels of similarities are found among the determinants of satisfaction and happiness with life as a whole from satisfaction of various specific domains (such as family and health). Using the Life Satisfaction 2006 Study: Household and Individual by the Turkish Statistical Institute we examine the determinants of happiness among Turkish people. We estimate an ordered probit model and our results suggest that higher income and having a job are two crucial determinants of happiness. Male and married people are happier than singles and females. Less educated people are happier than university educated people. If we exclude Easterling paradox, the findings of this paper confirm that there is not a big difference between developing and developed countries when it comes to determinants of happiness.
Mating Induces Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Neuronal Activation in Anosmic Female Ferrets1

Abstract In females of both spontaneously and induced ovulating species, pheromones from male conspecifics can directly stimulate GnRH neuronal activity, thereby inducing pituitary LH secretion and stimulating the onset of estrus. However, whether pheromones contribute to the steroid- or mating-induced preovulatory activation of GnRH neurons is less clear. Previous studies in the ferret, an induced ovulator, raised the possibility that olfactory cues contribute to the ability of genital-somatosensory stimulation to activate GnRH neurons in the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH). In the present study the percentage of GnRH neurons colabeled with Fos-immunoreactivity (IR), used as a marker for neuronal activation, was investigated in the MBH of mated gonadectomized, estradiol-treated female ferrets in which both nares were occluded. In addition, the percentage of GnRH neurons colabeled with Fos-IR was examined in the MBH of gonadectomized, estradiol-treated female ferrets exposed to male bedding. Bilateral nares occlusion successfully blocked mating or odor-induced increments in Fos-IR in central olfactory regions, including the cortical and medial amygdala. By contrast, the percentage of GnRH neurons expressing Fos-IR did not differ between mated nares- and sham-occluded females. Exposure to male bedding alone failed to induce Fos-IR in MBH GnRH neurons. Thus, the mating-induced preovulatory activation of GnRH neurons in the female ferret's MBH appears to rely solely on genital-somatosensory as opposed to olfactory inputs.
Ju l 2 00 1 The multi-fractal structure of contrast changes in natural images : from sharp edges to textures

We present a formalism that leads very naturally to a hierarchical description of the different contrast structures in images, providing precise definitions of sharp edges and other texture components. Within this formalism, we achieve a decomposition of pixels of the image in sets, the fractal components of the image, such that each set only contains points characterized by a fixed stregth of the singularity of the contrast gradient in its neighborhood. A crucial role in this description of images is played by the behavior of contrast differences under changes in scale. Contrary to naive scaling ideas where the image is thought to have uniform transformation properties (Field 1987), each of these fractal components has its own transformation law and scaling exponents. A conjecture on their biological relevance is also given. Neural Computation 12, 763-793 (2000) E-mail: amturiel@delta.ft. uam.es To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: parga@delta.ft. uam.es
Oscillator Strengths for Ultraviolet Transitions in Cl II and Cl III

Oscillator strengths for transitions in Cl II and III are derived from lifetimes and branching fractions measured with beam-foil techniques. The focus is on the multiplets at 1071 Å in Cl II and 1011 Å in Cl III whose lines are seen in spectra acquired with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer. These data represent the first complete set of experimental f-values for the lines in the multiplets. Our results for Cl II λ1071 agree very well with the most recent theoretical effort and with Morton's newest recommendations. For Cl III, however, our f-values are significantly larger than those given by Morton; instead, they are more consistent with recent large-scale theoretical calculations. Extensive tests provide confirmation that LS coupling rules apply to the transitions for these multiplets.
Chimpanzees play the ultimatum game

Is the sense of fairness uniquely human? Human reactions to reward division are often studied by means of the ultimatum game, in which both partners need to agree on a distribution for both to receive rewards. Humans typically offer generous portions of the reward to their partner, a tendency our close primate relatives have thus far failed to show in experiments. Here we tested chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and human children on a modified ultimatum game. One individual chose between two tokens that, with their partner’s cooperation, could be exchanged for rewards. One token offered equal rewards to both players, whereas the other token favored the chooser. Both apes and children responded like humans typically do. If their partner’s cooperation was required, they split the rewards equally. However, with passive partners—a situation akin to the so-called dictator game—they preferred the selfish option. Thus, humans and chimpanzees show similar preferences regarding reward division, suggesting a long evolutionary history to the human sense of fairness.
"You can try or you can just give up": the impact of perceived control and coping style on childhood homesickness.

Research on children's coping with homesickness during relatively uncontrollable separations has suggested that secondary control coping (i.e., adjusting oneself to fit objective conditions) is often preferred over primary control coping (i.e., modifying objective conditions to fit oneself). Related research suggests that negative affect is associated with (a) relinquishing control or using primary control to cope with uncontrollable stressors and (b) perceiving low control over stressors. The convergence of these factors was examined for the stressor of homesickness. Among 1,032 boys and girls spending 2 weeks at residential summer camps, the most frequent and effective way of coping with homesickness was to exert secondary control by engaging in a distracting physical activity. Contrary to speculation, the use of secondary control coping rose in adolescence. Congruent with empirical predictions, the most homesick children perceived low control over homesickness and separation, and coped by relinquishing control.
Adeno-Associated Virus Type 2 p5 Promoter: a Rep-Regulated DNA Switch Element Functioning in Transcription, Replication, and Site-Specific Integration

ABSTRACT The large Rep proteins, p68 and p78, function as master controllers of the adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV2) life cycle, involved in transcriptional control, in latency, in rescue, and in viral DNA replication. The p5 promoter may be the nucleic acid complement to the large Rep proteins. It drives expression of the large Rep proteins, it undergoes autoregulation by Rep, it undergoes induction by helper virus, it is a target substrate for Rep-mediated site-specific integration (RMSSI), and it can function as a replicative origin. To better understand the relationship between each of the p5 functions, we have determined the effects of p5 promoter mutations (p5 integration efficiency element, or p5IEE) on transcription, integration, and replication using RMSSI transfection protocols in HeLa cells. The data demonstrate that the organization of the p5 promoter provides a unique platform for regulated AAV2 template transcription and subsequent repression by Rep through direct and indirect mechanisms. The elements of the p5IEE that define its function as a promoter also define its function as a highly optimized substrate for Rep-mediated site-specific integration and replication. The p5 Rep binding element (RBE) is essential in RMSSI and Rep-dependent replication; however, replacement of the p5 RBE with either the AAV2 inverted terminal repeat or the AAVS1 RBE sequence elements neither enhances nor severely compromises RMSSI activity of p5IEE. The RBE by itself or in combination with the YY1+1 initiator/terminal resolution sequence element does not mediate efficient site-specific integration. We found that replication and integration were highly sensitive to sequence manipulations of the p5 TATA/RBE/YY1+1 core structure in a manner that reflects the function of these elements in transcription. The data presented support a model where, depending on the state of the cell (Rep expression and helper virus influences), the p5IEE operates as a transcription/integration switch sequence element.
Longitudinal Assessment of Colonization With Staphylococcus aureus in Healthy Collegiate Athletes.

BACKGROUND Staphylococcus aureus is the leading cause of skin and soft tissue infections in the United States, and S. aureus colonization increases the risk of infection. Although athletes have a higher risk of infection with S. aureus than the general population, most studies in athletes have not assessed colonization. METHODS We conducted a prospective cohort study of Vanderbilt University varsity athletes from August 2008 to April 2010. We assessed nasal and oropharyngeal colonization with methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains by obtaining swabs at enrollment and monthly thereafter until the end of the study. The athletes were also monitored for skin and soft tissue infections. RESULTS We enrolled 377 athletes and trainers (224 in contact sports and 153 in noncontact sports). The total S. aureus colonization prevalence ranged from 34% to 62%, and for MRSA it ranged from 8% to 29%. The colonization rate in the summer was significantly higher than that in the winter (odds ratio for MRSA [ORMRSA], 1.70 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.23-2.35]; ORMSSA, 1.38 [95% CI, 1.05-1.82]). Of 603 MRSA isolates, 75% carried the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) type IV, and 5% carried the genes encoding Panton-Valentine leukocidin. Nine symptomatic S. aureus infections occurred, 7 of which were between July and September. CONCLUSIONS The S. aureus colonization rate is higher than previously reported and fluctuated over time in this prospective cohort of athletes. The higher colonization prevalence during summer might explain the infectious outbreak during the summer months and may represent a key intervention time for preventing S. aureus disease in athletes.
ANALISIS PENGARUH LOCUS OF CONTROLTERHADAP KINERJA DENGAN ETIKAKERJA ISLAM SEBAGAI VARIABELMODERATING (STUDI PADA KARYAWANTETAP BANK JATENG SEMARANG)

Penelitian ini dilatar belakangi dengan munculnya globalisasi yang menurut Anthony Giddens dalam Runaway World (2001) dan Francis Fukuyama dalam The Great Disruption (2002) yang berpendapat bahwa dengan adanya globalisasi struktur sosial masyarakat menjadi kacau balau dan peran agamapun menjadi nihil terbukti dengan banyaknya kriminalitas, bunuh diri (suicide). Hal tersebut dikarenakan melemahnya locus of control masyarakat terhadap dirinya sehingga melemahkan etika-moral mereka. Penelitian ini mencoba untuk mengetahui kebenaran etika kerja islam yang berpengaruh terhadap locus of control dan kinerja karyawan. Penelitian ini menggunakan variabel independen yaitu locus of control (X1), variabel moderating yaitu etika kerja islam (X2),dan kinerja karyawan sebagai variabel dependennya (Y). pengumpulan data dalam penelitian menggunakan metode kuesioner yang disebar kepada 100 orang karyawan tetap Bank Jateng Semarang yang memeluk agama islam dengan menggunakan purposive sampling. Sedangkan analisis dilakukan dengan pengolahan data menggunakan SPSS 13.0 for windows. Hasil analisis regresi dan uji t dapat diketahui bahwa variable locus of control dan variable etika kerja islam berpengaruh positif terhadap variable kinerja karyawan. Hasil koefisien determinasi R2 dari variabel etika kerja islam adalah 25,6%. Hal ini berarti variabel moderating tersebut mampu menjelaskan 25,6% variasi sementara variasi lainnya yaitu sebesar 100% - 25,6% = 74,4% dijelaskan oleh variabel lain yang tidak dijelaskan dalam penelitian ini.
Rowers' high: behavioural synchrony is correlated with elevated pain thresholds

Physical exercise is known to stimulate the release of endorphins, creating a mild sense of euphoria that has rewarding properties. Using pain tolerance (a conventional non-invasive assay for endorphin release), we show that synchronized training in a college rowing crew creates a heightened endorphin surge compared with a similar training regime carried out alone. This heightened effect from synchronized activity may explain the sense of euphoria experienced during other social activities (such as laughter, music-making and dancing) that are involved in social bonding in humans and possibly other vertebrates.
DISCOVERY OF RADIO AFTERGLOW FROM THE MOST DISTANT COSMIC EXPLOSION

We report on the discovery of radio afterglow emission from the gamma-ray burst GRB 090423, which exploded at a redshift of 8.3, making it the object with the highest known redshift in the universe. By combining our radio measurements with existing X-ray and infrared observations, we estimate the kinetic energy of the afterglow, the geometry of the outflow, and the density of the circumburst medium. Our best-fit model suggests a quasi-spherical, high-energy explosion in a low, constant-density medium. GRB 090423 had a similar energy release to the other well-studied high redshift GRB 050904 (z = 6.26), but their circumburst densities differ by 2 orders of magnitude. We compare the properties of GRB 090423 with a sample of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) at moderate redshifts. We find that the high energy and afterglow properties of GRB 090423 are not sufficiently different from other GRBs to suggest a different kind of progenitor, such as a Population III (Pop III) star. However, we argue that it is not clear that the afterglow properties alone can provide convincing identification of Pop III progenitors. We suggest that the millimeter and centimeter radio detections of GRB 090423 at early times contained emission from the reverse shock. If true, this may have important implications for the detection of high-redshift GRBs by the next generation of radio facilities.