Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Actuarial Assessment of Sex Offender Recidivism Risk: A Validation of the German version of the Static-99 1

The Static-99 and the RRASOR are actuarial risk assessment tools for evaluating the risk of sexual and violent recidivism in sexual offenders. The Static-99 was developed in 1999 by Karl R. Hanson (Canada) and David Thornton (Great Britain) and is in the mean time regularly used for risk assessment in North America and some countries in Europe. The RRASOR can be described as a predecessor of the Static-99 and was published by Hanson in 1997. At first we translated the revised version of the Static-99 (Harris, Phenix, Hanson & Thornton, 2003) and adapted the instrument and the manual to the forensic context in Germany and Austria (Rettenberger & Eher, 2006). In this retrospective study, interrater reliability and concurrent validity of the RRASOR and of the German adaption of the Static-99 is presented. Furthermore we evaluated the predictive accuracy of the Static-99 and the RRASOR and compared their results. The instruments were validated from file information of Austrian sexuel offenders, who were convicted between 1968 and 2002. Both the Static-99 and the RRASOR had good interrater reliability and concurrent validity. The Static-99 showed good predictive validity for general (r = .41, AUC = .74), sexual (r = .35, AUC = .74) and violent (r = .41, AUC = .76) recidivism, whereas the predictive accuracy of the RRASOR was moderate for general (r = .29, AUC = .66), sexual (r = .30, AUC = .68) and violent (r = .28, AUC = .67) recidivism. The Static-99 exhibited a higher accuracy for the prediction of sexual offender recidivism. Although further validation studies on German-speaking populations of sex offenders are necessary, these results support the utility of the German version of the revised version of the Static-99 in improving risk assessment of sexual offenders
Low phosphate alters lateral root setpoint angle and gravitropism.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Lateral roots, responsible for water and nutrient uptake, maintain nonvertical angles throughout development. Soil phosphate is one limiting nutrient for plant growth that is known to induce changes to root system architecture, such as increased lateral root formation. This study seeks to determine whether phosphate concentration affects lateral root orientation in addition to its previously described influences on root architecture. METHODS Images of intact Arabidopsis root systems were recorded for 24 h, and lateral root tip angles were measured for wild-type and mutant pgm-1 and pin3-1 roots on a full or low phosphate medium. Setpoint angles of unstimulated root systems were determined, as were gravitropic responses of lateral roots over time. KEY RESULTS The root system setpoint angles of wild-type and mutant pin3-1 roots showed a shift toward a more vertical orientation on low orthophosphate (Pi) medium. The gravitropic responses of both pgm-1 and pin3-1 roots on low Pi medium was elevated relative to control Pi medium. Mutations in two phosphate transporters with high levels of expression in the root showed a gravitropic response similar to wild-type roots grown on low Pi, supporting a role for Pi status in regulating lateral root gravitropism. CONCLUSIONS Lateral root orientation and gravitropism are affected by Pi status and may provide an important additional parameter for describing root responses to low Pi. The data also support the conclusion that gravitropic setpoint angle reacts to nutrient status and is under dynamic regulation.
Drawing lines and borders: how the dehiscent fruit of Arabidopsis is patterned

The advent of fruits marked a key innovation in the evolution of flowering plants and helped generate a diverse array of mechanisms for seed dispersal. In the model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, seed dispersal occurs through a process known as “pod‐shatter” in which the fruit structure falls to pieces upon light mechanical pressures. This dispersal mechanism is dependent on the careful patterning of tissues in the fruit, which perform diverse functions that enable the fruit to open at maturation. Using the genetic power of Arabidopsis, many of the molecular components that help specify these tissues have been identified. Studies of the interactions among these genes have revealed a regulatory network that limits processes such as cell–cell separation and lignification to discreet regions of the fruit. Knowledge of these processes in a model fruit creates a foundation on which to build an understanding of the evolution of fruit form in other species and provides tools to engineer shatter‐resistant seed pods to prevent crop loss in plants of agronomic importance such as canola. BioEssays 27:42–49, 2005. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Treating the violent patient with psychosis or impulsivity utilizing antipsychotic polypharmacy and high-dose monotherapy

Insufficient treatment of psychosis often manifests as violent and aggressive behaviors that are dangerous to the patient and others, and that warrant treatment strategies which are not considered first-line, evidence-based practices. Such treatment strategies include both antipsychotic polypharmacy (simultaneous use of 2 antipsychotics) and high-dose antipsychotic monotherapy. Here we discuss the hypothesized neurobiological substrates of various types of violence and aggression, as well as providing arguments for the use of antipsychotic polypharmacy and high-dose monotherapy to target dysfunctional neurocircuitry in the subpopulation of patients that is treatment-resistant, violent, and aggressive. In this review, we focus primarily on the data supporting the use of second-generation, atypical antipsychotics both at high doses and in combination with other antipsychotics.
Isolation and Purification of Enterocin E-760 with Broad Antimicrobial Activity against Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria

ABSTRACT Strain NRRL B-30745, isolated from chicken ceca and identified as Enterococcus durans, Enterococcus faecium, or Enterococcus hirae, was initially identified as antagonistic to Campylobacter jejuni. The isolate produced a 5,362-Da bacteriocin (enterocin) that inhibits the growth of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis, S. enterica serovar Choleraesuis, S. enterica serovar Typhimurium, S. enterica serovar Gallinarum, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Yersinia enterocolitica, Citrobacter freundii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Shigella dysenteriae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, Morganella morganii, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter jejuni, and 20 other Campylobacter species isolates. The enterocin, E-760, was isolated and purified by cation-exchange and hydrophobic-interaction chromatographies. The proteinaceous nature of purified enterocin E-760 was demonstrated upon treatment with various proteolytic enzymes. Specifically, the antimicrobial peptide was found to be sensitive to beta-chymotrypsin, proteinase K, and papain, while it was resistant to lysozyme and lipase. The enterocin demonstrated thermostability by retaining activity after 5 min at 100°C and was stable at pH values between 5.0 and 8.7. However, activity was lost below pH 3.0 and above pH 9.5. Administration of enterocin E-760-treated feed significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the colonization of young broiler chicks experimentally challenged and colonized with two strains of C. jejuni by more than 8 log10 CFU. Enterocin E-760 also significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the colonization of naturally acquired Campylobacter species in market age broiler chickens when administered in treated feed 4 days prior to analysis.
Fibroblast growth factors (FGF‐1, FGF‐2) promote migration and neurite growth of mouse cochlear ganglion cells in vitro: Immunohistochemistry and antibody perturbation

To study the effect of FGF in the early development of the sensory neurons of the auditory system, we established a culture preparation of ganglionic neuroblasts engaged in migration and process outgrowth. The presumed anlage of the cochlear ganglion was dissected from E11 otocysts, just as the neuronal precursors were migrating. The cultures were divided into 4 groups and supplemented for 7–9 days with either hrFGF‐1 or hrFGF‐2 or both or with defined medium only (control group). Measurements of the increase in explant growth, neuroblast migration, and neurite outgrowth were made by time‐lapse imaging techniques in living cultures. Either FGF‐1 or FGF‐2 alone stimulated early migration and outgrowth of the ganglion cells by 5–10×. The effect of combining FGF‐1 and FGF‐2 was greater than either alone, but less than additive, consistent with a shared receptor. BrdU labeling confirmed that the effect was on migration, not on proliferation. Adding a neutralizing antibody for FGF‐2 to the cultures inhibited migration and neurite outgrowth, suggesting an endogenous FGF‐2 activity in these functions. Immunocytochemical observations in vitro and in situ with antibodies to FGF‐1, FGF‐2, or FGF receptor (R1) demonstrated immunopositive staining of the migrating ganglionic neuroblasts, their processes, and growth cones at corresponding stages (E13). Also non‐neuronal cells, hair cells, and Schwann cells (in situ) expressed FGF‐1 and FGF‐2. Evidently both FGF‐1 and FGF‐2 play important roles in the migration and initial differentiation of cochlear ganglion neurons in the mouse. J. Neurosci. Res. 62:40–55, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Comparison of factors associated with occludable angle between american Caucasians and ethnic Chinese.

PURPOSE To determine if factors associated with gonioscopy-determined occludable angle among American Caucasians are similar to those found in ethnic Chinese. METHODS This is a prospective cross-sectional study with 120 American Caucasian, 116 American Chinese, and 116 mainland Chinese subjects. All three groups were matched for sex and age (40-80 years). Gonioscopy was performed for each subject (occludable angles = posterior trabecular meshwork not visible for ≥2 quadrants). Anterior segment optical coherence tomography and customized software was used to measure anterior segment biometry and iris parameters, including anterior chamber depth/width (ACD, ACW), lens vault (LV), and iris thickness/area/curvature. RESULTS In both Chinese and Caucasians, eyes with occludable angles had smaller ACD and ACW, and larger LV and iris curvature than eyes with open angles (all P < 0.005). Chinese eyes had smaller ACD and ACW than Caucasian eyes (both P < 0.01) in the occludable angle cohort. Iris characteristics did not differ significantly between Chinese and Caucasians in the occludable angle cohort. Based on multivariate logistic regression, gonioscopy-determined occludable angle was significantly associated with LV, iris area, and sex (all P < 0.03) in Chinese; and with LV, ACD, iris thickness, age, and sex (all P < 0.04) in Caucasians. CONCLUSIONS Several factors associated with occludable angle differed between Caucasians and Chinese, suggesting potentially different mechanisms in occludable angle development in the two racial groups. This is the first study to demonstrate that lens vault is an important anterior segment optical coherence tomography parameter in the screening for angle closure in Caucasians. In addition, iris thickness was a significant predictor for occludable angles in Caucasians but was not in ethnic Chinese.
Partial discharge localization based on received signal strength

Partial Discharge (PD) occurs when insulation containing defects or voids is subject to high voltages. If left untreated PD can degrade insulation until, eventually, catastrophic insulation failure occurs. The detection of PD current pulses, however, can allow incipient insulation faults to be identified, located and repaired prior to plant failure. Wireless technology has paved the path for PD detection and monitoring. Software Defined Radio (SDR) is a promising technology. Signals from two PD sources are received at six outdoors locations using an SDR USRP N200 which is connected to a laptop. PD sources, thereafter, are localized based on received signal strengths.
Effects of Photobiomodulation and Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Articular Cartilage Defects in a Rabbit Model.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the application of cultured autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) with scaffold and low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on the repair of articular cartilage defects in rabbits. BACKGROUND DATA For healing of the articular cartilage defects, although positive effects of BMSCs and LLLT have been demonstrated, their combination effect is still unknown; therefore, we investigated combining these two techniques has a synergistic effect. MATERIALS AND METHODS After bone marrow aspiration from 10 rabbits, BMSCs were isolated, cultured in monolayer, suspended on a type I collagen scaffold and then implanted onto a full-thickness osteochondral defect (4 mm in diameter), artificially made on the patellar groove of both knees in the same rabbits. Then a knee was selected randomly in each rabbit as the experimental group, and subjected to Ga-Al-As (810 nm) laser irradiation with energy density of 4 J/cm2 every other day for 3 weeks. As the control group, the other knee did not receive LLLT. After this period, animals were euthanized and osteochondral defects were evaluated by histomorphometric methods. RESULTS No significant difference in new cartilage formation and inflammation was found between the groups (p > 0.05). However, there was significantly more new bone formation in the experimental group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS In terms of our research, although better healing in osteochondral defects was seen when combining BMSCs and LLLT compared with the use of BMSCs alone, this improvement was predominantly caused by new bone formation rather than new cartilage formation.
Prevalence and correlates of dysthymia and major depression among patients with Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence, risk factors, and correlates of depression among patients with Alzheimer's disease. METHOD A consecutive series of 103 patients with probable Alzheimer's disease were examined with a structured psychiatric interview and were assessed for the presence of cognitive impairments, deficits in activities of daily living, social functioning, and anosognosia. RESULTS Fifty-one percent of the patients had depression (28% had dysthymia and 23% major depression). Women had a significantly higher prevalence of both major depression and dysthymia than men. Depressed and nondepressed patients had a similar frequency of family and personal histories of depression, a similar frequency of personality disorders before the onset of depression, and no significant differences in cognitive deficits and impairment in activities of daily living. Dysthymia usually started after the onset of dementia and was significantly more prevalent in the early stages of dementia; patients with dysthymia had a significantly better awareness of intellectual deficits than patients with major or no depression. On the other hand, patients with major depression had an earlier onset of depression (half of them before the onset of dementia), and the prevalence of major depression was similar across the different stages of the illness. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates a high prevalence of dysthymia and major depression among patients with probable Alzheimer's disease. While dysthymia may be an emotional reaction to the progressive cognitive decline, major depression may be related to biological factors.
Cadmium induced-oxidative stress in pituitary gland is reversed by removing the contamination source

Cadmium (Cd2+) is one of the most important environmental contaminants and acts as an endocrine disruptor. Previously, we have demonstrated that the simultaneous administration of Cd2+ and melatonin (Mel) in drinking water impaired metal-induced oxidative stress in rat anterior pituitary gland. The aim of this study was to investigate if a treatment started after the toxic manifestations of Cd 2+ became evident could reverse the effects of the metal. Animals exposed to Cd2+ (5 parts per million [ppm], 30 days) were treated with Mel or without the metal during the next 1 or 2 months. Cd2+ exposure increased the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a biomarker of oxidative stress, and an a posteriori Mel treatment reversed oxidative stress induced by Cd2+. This effect was also observed 1 month after metal removal. The Cd2+-induced increase in metallothionein-1 (MT-1) and nitric oxide synthase 1 (NOS1) expression were also reversed by metal removal. In addition, serum prolactin and luteinizing hormone levels affected by Cd 2+ exposure were normalized. Considering that the manifestations of Cd2+ intoxication become evident only after a certain period of metal accumulation, these results show that metal removal is enough to reverse Cd2+ effects in anterior pituitary gland and bring to light the relevance of moving away the individual from the contamination source.
Essential hypertension in women

INGRID OS, SUZANNE OPARIL, EVA GERDTS AND AUD HOIEGGEN From the Department of Pharmacotherapeutics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway, Department of Nephrology, Ulleval University Hospital, Oslo, Norway, Division of Cardiovascular Disease, Vascular Biology and Hypertension Program, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA, Department of Cardiology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
Callose Synthase GSL 7 Is Necessary for Normal Phloem Transport and Inflorescence Growth in Arabidopsis 1 [ W ] [ OA ]

One isoform of callose synthase, Glucan Synthase-Like7 (GSL7), is tightly coexpressed with two isoforms of sucrose synthase (SUS5 and SUS6) known to be confined to phloem sieve elements in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Investigation of the phenotype of gsl7 mutants of Arabidopsis revealed that the sieve plate pores of stems and roots lack the callose lining seen in wild-type plants. Callose synthesis in other tissues of the plant appears to be unaffected. Although gsl7 plants show only minor phenotypic alterations during vegetative growth, flowering stems are reduced in height and all floral parts are smaller than those of wild-type plants. Several lines of evidence suggest that the reduced growth of the inflorescence is a result of carbohydrate starvation. Levels of sucrose, hexoses, and starch are lower in the terminal bud clusters of gsl7 than in those of wild-type plants. Transcript levels of “starvation” genes expressed in response to low sugars are elevated in the terminal bud clusters of gsl7 plants, at the end of the night, and during an extended night. Pulse-chase experiments with 14CO2 show that transport of assimilate in the flowering stem is much slower in gsl7 mutants than in wild-type plants. We suggest that the callose lining of sieve plate pores is essential for normal phloem transport because it confers favorable flow characteristics on the pores.
Oleoylethanolamide: The role of a bioactive lipid amide in modulating eating behaviour

Fatty acid ethanolamides are lipid mediators that regulate a plethora of physiological functions. One such bioactive lipid mediator, oleoylethanolamide (OEA), is a potent agonist of the peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐alpha (PPAR‐α), which modulates increased expression of the fatty acid translocase CD36 that enables the regulation of feeding behaviour. Consumption of dietary fat rich in oleic acid activates taste receptors in the gut activating specific enzymes that lead to the formation of OEA. OEA further combines with PPAR‐α to enable fat oxidation in the liver, resulting in enhanced energy production. Evidence suggests that sustained ingestion of a high‐fat diet abolishes the anorexic signal of OEA. Additionally, malfunction of the enterocyte that transforms oleic acid produced during fat digestion into OEA might be responsible for reduced satiety and hyperphagia, resulting in overweight and obesity. Thus, OEA anorectic signalling may be an essential element of the physiology and metabolic system regulating dietary fat intake and obesity. The evidence reviewed in this article indicates that intake of oleic acid, and thereby the resulting OEA imparting anorexic properties, is dependent on CD36, PPAR‐α, enterocyte fat sensory receptors, histamine, oxytocin and dopamine; leading to increased fat oxidation and enhanced energy expenditure to induce satiety and increase feeding latency; and that a disruption in any of these systems will cease/curb fat‐induced satiety.
24‐Hour Blood Pressure Variability Assessed by Average Real Variability: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

Background Although 24‐hour blood pressure (BP) variability (BPV) is predictive of cardiovascular outcomes independent of absolute BP levels, it is not regularly assessed in clinical practice. One possible limitation to routine BPV assessment is the lack of standardized methods for accurately estimating 24‐hour BPV. We conducted a systematic review to assess the predictive power of reported BPV indexes to address appropriate quantification of 24‐hour BPV, including the average real variability (ARV) index. Methods and Results Studies chosen for review were those that presented data for 24‐hour BPV in adults from meta‐analysis, longitudinal or cross‐sectional design, and examined BPV in terms of the following issues: (1) methods used to calculate and evaluate ARV; (2) assessment of 24‐hour BPV determined using noninvasive ambulatory BP monitoring; (3) multivariate analysis adjusted for covariates, including some measure of BP; (4) association of 24‐hour BPV with subclinical organ damage; and (5) the predictive value of 24‐hour BPV on target organ damage and rate of cardiovascular events. Of the 19 assessed studies, 17 reported significant associations between high ARV and the presence and progression of subclinical organ damage, as well as the incidence of hard end points, such as cardiovascular events. In all these cases, ARV remained a significant independent predictor (P<0.05) after adjustment for BP and other clinical factors. In addition, increased ARV in systolic BP was associated with risk of all cardiovascular events (hazard ratio, 1.18; 95% confidence interval, 1.09–1.27). Only 2 cross‐sectional studies did not find that high ARV was a significant risk factor. Conclusions Current evidence suggests that ARV index adds significant prognostic information to 24‐hour ambulatory BP monitoring and is a useful approach for studying the clinical value of BPV.
An analysis of power supply induced jitter for a voltage mode driver in high speed serial links

Estimation of jitter in early design cycle of an SoC is necessary to avoid jitter budget conflicts in the design. In this paper, an analysis of power supply induced jitter in a commonly used voltage mode driver architecture in serial links is discussed. The circuit used for the analysis is designed in 28nm FD-SOI technology but the analysis is technology independent. Jitter induced by noise in power delivery networks is analyzed by a transfer function from power supply to the output by a small signal equivalent model. The analysis can be extended generically for System-On-Chip (SoC) level design considerations.