Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Psychiatric Comorbidities in Epilepsy: Identification and Treatment

Introduction:The relationship between epilepsy and psychiatric disorders, as well as their reciprocal influence, has been confirmed in several studies. The diagnosis of these psychiatric comorbidities becomes particularly complex, for clinical manifestations vary and patients may not fulfil the criteria of traditional diagnostic classifications. Results:Mood disorders are the more frequent conditions associated with epilepsy, followed by anxiety, attention-deficit, psychotic and personality disorders. Patients with focal epilepsies, and mainly those with temporal and frontal lobe epilepsy, have a greater incidence of depression, anxiety or psychosis, compared with the general population. For a long time, patients and physicians tended to focus solely on the control of epileptic seizures, while disregarding the presence of comorbid psychiatric symptoms and disorders. Recognition of their negative impact in the life of patients with epilepsy in recent years has highlighted the need for their early identification with a careful psychiatric history or, at the least, to screen for the presence of psychiatric symptoms with objective scales. Furthermore, the identification of psychiatric symptoms plays an important role in the choice of antiepileptic drugs as some are known to have positive or negative psychotropic effects. Conclusion:An early diagnosis of comorbid psychiatric disorders and a multidisciplinary approach in the evaluation and management of these patients result in the selection of an optimal comprehensive treatment.
Sevoflurane Induces Exaggerated and Persistent Cognitive Decline in a Type II Diabetic Rat Model by Aggregating Hippocampal Inflammation

Recent studies show that a moderate duration of sevoflurane, one of the most commonly used volatile anesthetics in clinical practice, does not induce cognitive impairment in animals under physiological conditions. However, the influence of sevoflurane on cognitive function under diabetic conditions remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine whether sevoflurane causes cognitive decline in a rat model of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and if so, to explore a possible underlying mechanism. Diabetic Goto–Kakizaki (GK) rats and non-diabetic Wistar rats underwent 2.6% sevoflurane for 4 h or sham (control) exposure. Cognitive function and hippocampal inflammation were assessed 1 week and 5 months after sevoflurane or sham exposure. Compared with Wistar control rats, GK control rats exhibited shorter freezing times in Trace fear conditioning task 1 week after exposure, took longer to locate the submerged platform and had shorter dwell-time in the target quadrant in Morris Water Maze task 5 months after exposure. GK rats that received sevoflurane not only exhibited less freezing times 1 week after exposure, but also spent more time to locate the submerged platform and had less dwell-time in the target quadrant, compared with GK control rats. Molecular studies revealed that the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and activated microglia in the hippocampus were higher in GK control rats than those in Wistar control rats at both time points and were further increased in GK rats receiving sevoflurane. Wistar rats that received sevoflurane and Wistar control rats did not differ in any cognitive performance and molecular assessment. The results suggest that diabetic GK rats exhibit cognitive dysfunction probably due to increased hippocampal inflammation, and that sevoflurane induces exaggerated and persistent cognitive decline in GK rat by aggregating hippocampal inflammation.
Predictors of family functioning after traumatic brain injury in children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVE To assess factors predictive of family outcome in the first 2 years after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children and adolescents. METHOD Subjects were children aged 6 to 14 at the time they were hospitalized after TBI. The study used a prospective follow-up design. Assessments of preinjury factors (psychiatric family functioning, and family life events), injury factors (severity of injury), and postinjury factors (coping and development of a psychiatric disorder, never before present, i.e., "novel") were conducted using standard clinical scales. The outcome measure was family function as assessed with standardized family functioning interviews (at 12 and 24 months after TBI) and primary caretaker self-report questionnaires (at 3 and 6 months after TBI). RESULTS Fifty subjects enrolled, and the analyses focused on 37, 41, 43, and 42 subjects assessed at the 3-, 6-, 12-, and 24-month follow-up evaluations, respectively. The strongest influences on family functioning after childhood TBI are preinjury family functioning, the development of a "novel" psychiatric disorder in the child, and preinjury family life events or stressors. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that there are families, identifiable through clinical assessment, at increased risk for family dysfunction after a child's TBI. Early identification and treatment of the child's psychopathology and family dysfunction may attenuate the associated morbidity.
Connecting With Frequent Adolescent Visitors to the School Nurse Through the Use of Intentional Interviewing

Nurses as accessible, helping adults within schools have daily opportunities to reach adolescents with unmet mental health needs. Understanding the relationship between frequent clinic visits or somatic complaints as a sign of underlying problems, which may be organic or psychoemotional in origin, requires the unique skill set of the school nurse. The welcoming school nurse, who cares for students with acceptance and emotional availability, nurtures the development of trust and meaningful personal connection. It is through this relationship that effective care and case finding occurs. Attachment to the school nurse as a responsive adult fosters a sense of school connectedness, which is associated with academic success. Intentional Interviewing is a person-centered, evidence-based approach that can be used by school nurses in this important work.
Daunting but Worthy Goal: Reducing the De Novo Cancer Incidence After Transplantation

Abstract Solid-organ transplant recipients are at increased risk of developing de novo malignancies compared with the general population, and malignancies become a major limitation in achieving optimal outcomes. The prevention and the management of posttransplant malignancies must be considered as a main goal in our transplant programs. For these patients, immunosuppression plays a major role in oncogenesis by both impairement of immunosurveillance, enhancement of chronic viral infection, and by direct prooncogenic effects. It is essential to manage the recipient with a long-term adapted screening program beginning before transplantation to use a prophylaxis to decrease infection-related cancer, to propose a viral monitoring, and to modulate the immunosuppression toward lower doses especially for calcineurin inhibitors. Indeed, strategies to induce tolerance or to allow a dramatic reduction of the immunosuppression burden are the more promising approaches for the reduction of the posttransplant malignancies.
Inactivation of nuclear Wnt-β-catenin signaling limits blastocyst competency for implantation

The activation of the blastocyst, a process by which it gains competency to attach with the receptive uterus, is a prerequisite for successful implantation. However, the molecular basis of blastocyst activation remains largely unexplored. Combining molecular, pharmacological and physiological approaches, we show here that silencing of Wnt-β-catenin signaling in mice does not adversely affect the development of preimplantation embryos to blastocysts and uterine preparation for receptivity, but, remarkably, blocks blastocyst competency to implantation. Using the physiologically relevant delayed implantation model and trophoblast stem cells in culture, we further demonstrate that a coordinated activation of canonical Wnt-β-catenin signaling with attenuation of the non-canonical Wnt-RhoA signaling pathway ensures blastocyst competency to implantation. These findings constitute novel evidence that Wnt signaling is at least one pathway that determines blastocyst competency for implantation.
A U-Gate InGaAs/GaAsSb Heterojunction TFET of Tunneling Normal to the Gate With Separate Control Over ON- and OFF-State Current

A U-gate vertical tunneling field-effect transistor (TFET) of band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) normal to the gate at low operation voltages is proposed and investigated by TCAD simulation. In this structure, drive current and OFF-state leakage current can be separately controlled by the insertion of a spacer layer between the channel and drain layers. The dominant mechanisms for drive current and OFF-state leakage are BTBT and source-to-drain tunneling (SDT), respectively. A modified structure of side gates and a hetero-spacer enables high-performance InGaAs/GaAsSb heterojunction TFETs with low OFF-state leakage. Drive current as high as 520 <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mu \text{A}/\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> with an <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$I_{ \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle ON}}/I_{ \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle OFF}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> ratio of 10<sup>7</sup> at an overdrive voltage of 0.3 V was achieved in an InGaAs/GaAsSb heterojunction TFET of a small effective bandgap (0.02 eV). Furthermore, this U-gate TFET structure is fully compatible to VLSI technology without any complicated fabrication steps.
Massive floral display affects insect visits but not pollinator-mediated pollen transfer in Rhododendron ferrugineum.

Fragmentation of natural vegetation creates one of the largest threats to plant-pollinator interactions. Although fragmentation impacts on plant populations have been explored in many, mainly herbaceous, species, the response of wild mass-flowering species is poorly known. Here, we studied 28 heathland patches dominated by the mass-flowering shrub Rhododendron ferrugineum, each presenting different R. ferrugineum floral display sizes (total inflorescence number per patch) and patch isolation (median distance to the three nearest patches). We assessed the impacts of these two factors on (i) heathland patch visitor assemblage (considering R. ferrugineum versus surrounding community) and (ii) R. ferrugineum flower visitation rate and pollen transfer limitation (comparing seed set from emasculated to pollen-supplemented flowers). We found that diversity and abundance of bees visiting R. ferrugineum in heathland patches significantly decreased with decreasing R. ferrugineum floral display, while overall visitor density per patch and flower visitation rate increased. Moreover, a decrease in massive floral display and increase in patch isolation resulted in reduced visitor density in the surrounding community. Even in patches with few individuals, we found disproportionate visitor abundance in R. ferrugineum compared to the surrounding community. Finally, pollen transfer limitation in R. ferrugineum was neither affected by visitation rate nor by patch attributes. By disproportionally attracting pollinators from co-flowering species, and probably promoting geitonogamous pollen transfer, the mass-flowering trait appears adequate to compensate, in terms of conspecific pollen transfer, for the decrease in visitor diversity and abundance and in mate availability, which usually result from population fragmentation.
Identification of a negative response element in the human inducible nitric-oxide synthase (hiNOS) promoter: The role of NF-κB-repressing factor (NRF) in basal repression of the hiNOS gene

Although nuclear factor (NF)-κB plays a central role in mediating cytokine-stimulated human inducible nitric-oxide synthase (hiNOS) gene transcription, very little is known about the factors involved in silencing of the hiNOS promoter. NF-κB-repressing factor (NRF) interacts with a specific negative regulatory element (NRE) to mediate transcriptional repression of certain NF-κB responsive genes. By sequence comparison with the IFN-β and IL-8 promoters, we identified an NRE in the hiNOS promoter located at −6.7 kb upstream. In A549 and HeLa human cells, constitutive NRF mRNA expression is detected by RT-PCR. Gel shift assay showed constitutive NRF binding to the hiNOS NRE. Mutation of the −6.7-kb NRE site in the hiNOS promoter resulted in loss of NRF binding and increased basal but not cytokine-stimulated hiNOS transcription in promoter transfection experiments. Interestingly, overexpression of NRF suppressed both basal and cytokine-induced hiNOS promoter activity that depended on an intact cis-acting NRE motif. By using stably transformed HeLa cells with the tetracycline on/off expression system, reduction of cellular NRF by expressing antisense NRF increased basal iNOS promoter activity and resulted in constitutive iNOS mRNA expression. These data demonstrate that the transacting NRF protein is involved in constitutive silencing of the hiNOS gene by binding to a cis-acting NRE upstream in the hiNOS promoter.
Regulation of Interleukin‐2 Induced Soluble Fas Ligand Release from Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

Adjuvant interleukin (IL)‐2 immunotherapy has been used in the treatment of different malignant dieseases. However, clinical results have been rather disappointing. Therefore, further investigations on IL‐2‐induced mediators of cytotoxicity seem to be necessary in order to possibly create cytokine cocktails which could enhance the IL‐2‐induced cytotoxicity. We therefore investigated the regulation of IL‐2‐induced release of soluble Fas Ligand (sFasL), since this factor is known to possess anti‐tumor activities. In CD3‐stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells IL‐2 induced sFasL in a dose‐dependent fashion. Maximum sFasL concentrations were obtained after stimulation of MNC for 120 hrs. Inhibition of endogenous IL‐12 production significantly reduced IL‐2‐mediated sFasL release by about 25%. In contrast, addition of IL‐12 enhanced the IL‐2‐induced sFasL about 1,5‐fold. IL‐10 and IL‐4 reduced the IL‐2‐stimulated sFasL by about 30%. Interestingly, these suppressive effects could be antagonized by the addition of IL‐12. Not only exogenous IL‐10 but also endogenously produced IL‐10 decreased the sFasL release to that extent which had been stimulated by IL‐12. Since IL‐12 and IL‐10 only marginally influenced the IL‐2‐mediated cell proliferation as well as the IL‐2‐induced cell death, the IL‐12‐ and IL‐10‐controlled sFasL release seems to be based on an enhanced production per cell. However, the increase in cell numbers as well as the decrease of viability during cell culture might additionally contribute to the IL‐2‐induced increase of sFasL release. This secondary effect might explain why IL‐2‐mediated sFasL production is only partially controlled by regulatory cytokines such as IL‐4, IL‐10 or IL‐12. In conclusion, addition of IL‐12 might increase the efficacy of IL‐2 immunotherapy by inhibition of the IL‐10‐mediated negative feed‐back loop on IL‐2‐mediated sFasL release.
Comparison between differently priced devices for digital capture of X-ray films using computed tomography as a gold standard: a multireader-multicase receiver operating characteristic curve study.

OBJECTIVE Film digitizers are a specialized technology that is available for scanning X-ray radiographs; however, their cost makes them unaffordable for developing countries. Thus, less expensive alternatives are used. The purpose of this study was to compare three devices for digital capture of X-ray films: a film digitizer (US $15,000), a flatbed scanner (US $1800), and a 10-megapixel digital camera (US $450), in terms of diagnostic accuracy, defined as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves and computed tomography as the gold standard. MATERIALS AND METHODS The sample included 136 chest X-ray cases with computed tomography confirmation of the presence or absence of pneumothorax, interstitial opacities, or nodules. The readers were six radiologists who made observations of eight variables for each digital capture of the X-ray films: three main variables to determine the accuracy in the detection of the above-mentioned pathologies, four secondary variables to categorize other pathological classifications, and one variable regarding digital image quality. RESULTS The receiver operating characteristic curves for each device and pathology were very similar. For the main variables, there was no significant statistical difference in diagnostic accuracy between the devices. For the secondary variables, >84% of cases were correctly classified, even those that were classified with the lowest image quality. High accuracy was determined for the three main variables (0.75 to 0.96), indicating good performance for all tested devices, despite their very different prices. CONCLUSIONS Choosing a device for a teleradiology service should involve additional factors, such as capture time, maintenance concerns, and training requirements.
The Effects of a Simplified Criminal Procedure: Evidence from One Million Czech Cases

We estimate the effects of a simplified criminal procedure applicable to minor crimes on case durations and probabilities of charges and conviction. The identification strategy exploits a quasi-natural experiment in the implementation of the simplified procedure across districts. The procedure reduces the duration of the pre-trial phase and increases the probability that the prosecutor will charge the defendant in court. The effects on the duration of the court phase and the probability of conviction at trial are less significant. The resources released by the use of the simplified procedure could be allocated to serious cases. However, we do not find evidence of such beneficial spillovers.
Energy Self-Sufficient Node With Integrated Lightpath Monitoring for Spectrum-Aware PON

A reconfigurable yet energy self-sufficient signal distribution node with extensive transmission and monitoring functionalities supporting physical-layer flexibility is presented and experimentally evaluated. Operation in three different modes of wavelength distribution is supported from the O- to the L-band and features coarse, dense wavelength, or power splitting. The node does not require a local power supply unit due to the use of optical energy transmission at a delivered optical feed of −10 dBm and can be, therefore, deployed in a fully passive optical network. The transmission performance has been verified for analogue radio-over-fiber connectivity. Negligible penalties have been experienced when inserting the node in a realistic access network scenario, thus evidencing the absence of severe crosstalk even in case of a large number of 43 simultaneously transmitted wavelength channels. Fast switching of 10-ms long burst packets is also supported by the node. Moreover, coarse spectral monitoring of lit channels has been integrated.
Results of a randomised trial of male condom promotion among Madagascar sex workers

Objectives: To test the effect of supplementing peer promotion of male condom use with clinic based counselling, measured in terms of STI prevalence and reported male condom use. Methods: 1000 female sex workers in Madagascar were randomised to two study arms: peer education supplemented by individual risk reduction counselling by a clinician (peer + clinic) versus condom promotion by peer educators only (peer only). STI testing was conducted at baseline and 6 months. Behavioural interviews were administered at baseline, 2, 4, and 6 months. Results: At baseline, women in the peer only arm had prevalences of 16.0%, 23.6%, and 12.1% for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and trichomoniasis respectively, with an aggregate prevalence of 38.2%. Baseline STI prevalences for the peer + clinic arm were slightly lower and 34.1% in aggregate. At 6 months, aggregate STI prevalence increased in the peer only arm to 41.4%, whereas the aggregate prevalence diminished slightly to 32.1% in the peer + clinic arm. In logistic regression analyses, the estimated odds ratios (ORs) for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis, and aggregate STI were 0.7 (95% confidence interval 0.4 to 1.0), 0.7 (0.5 to 1.0), 0.8 (0.6 to 1.2), and 0.7 (0.5 to 0.9) respectively, comparing the peer + clinic arm with the peer only arm. The logistic regression OR for reported condom use with clients in the past 30 days increased from 1.1 at 2 months to 1.8 at 6 months, comparing the peer + clinic arm with the peer only arm, and was 1.4 overall (1.1 to 1.8). Adjustment for baseline factors changed the regression results little. Conclusions: The impact of male condom promotion on behaviour can be heightened through more concentrated counselling on risk reduction. Persistently high STI prevalence despite increases in reported condom use by sex workers supports the need for multidimensional control programmes.
Challenges faced by world tourism cities – London’s perspective

World tourism cities perform multiple functions and exhibit various characteristics that influence tourism development within their boundaries. They are the main gateway for tourists visiting a country and their success has a direct impact on the visitor economy of that destination. London, the focus of this research, has been one of the world’s top tourism cities for many years, and a key gateway for domestic and international visitors. But despite the important role tourism plays in the economy of the city, there is limited research on the development of this activity in the capital. Using London as an exploratory case study, this paper contributes to better understanding the challenges faced by policy makers when planning and managing tourism in world cities. The adopted research method offers the advantage of gathering insightful information using multiple data collection techniques. Examining this new evidence contributes to expanding the knowledge on the particularities of tourism development in one of the top world cities, which could help policy makers in their efforts to better prepare for potential challenges faced by these complex but important destinations.
PINK1 phosphorylates transglutaminase 2 and blocks its proteasomal degradation

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by progressive dopaminergic neuronal loss and the formation of abnormal protein aggregates, referred to as Lewy bodies (LBs). PINK1 is a serine/threonine protein kinase that protects cells from stress‐induced mitochondrial dysfunction. PINK1 gene mutations cause one form of autosomal recessive early‐onset PD. Transglutaminase 2 (TG2) is an intracellular protein cross‐linking enzyme that has an important role in LB formation during PD pathogenesis. This study identifies PINK1 as a novel TG2 binding partner and shows that PINK1 stabilizes the half‐life of TG2 via inhibition of TG2 ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation. PINK1 affects TG2 stability in a kinase‐dependent manner. In addition, PINK1 directly phosphorylates TG2 in carbonyl cyanide m‐chlorophenyl hydrazine‐induced mitochondrial damaged states, thereby enhancing TG2 accumulation and intracellular protein cross‐linking products. This study further confirms the functional link between upstream PINK1 and downstream TG2 in Drosophila melanogaster. These data suggest that PINK1 positively regulates TG2 activity, which may be closely associated with aggresome formation in neuronal cells. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.