Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Measuring Anxiety in Patients with Schizophrenia

This study describes the prevalence and distribution of anxiety symptomatology and anxiety disorders in a sample of hospitalized patients with schizophrenia, the estimated level of agreement between a clinician diagnostic measure and anxiety symptom status measures, and their internal consistency based on the average interitem correlations. Seventy inpatients receiving treatment for schizophrenia were assessed before discharge using a face-to-face diagnostic interview and structured questionnaires, namely the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Hamilton Anxiety Scale, the Spielberger Anxiety Inventory, and the Stein Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) Scale. About a quarter of patients met criteria for an anxiety disorder, with GAD and social phobia occurring most commonly. There was poor agreement between the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview and a diagnosis of anxiety based on symptom status measures. The Stein GAD scale demonstrated the highest internal consistency (0.85) followed by the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (0.76). Anxiety disorders and anxiety symptomatology are highly prevalent in schizophrenia. Accurate assessment is challenging yet important. More reliable measures of anxiety disorders in patients with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders are clearly needed to allow for timely identification and treatment.
The relationship between PE biographies and PE teaching practices of classroom teachers

The current study sought to explore the relationship between personal school physical education (PE) experiences and current PE teaching practices of classroom teachers. Questionnaires were completed by 189 teachers from 38 randomly selected schools. Additionally, semi-structured interviews of 31 classroom teachers were conducted. The results indicated that many teachers had negative memories of school PE and believed that they were not taught anything. Interestingly, teachers involved in the study held reasonably positive attitudes towards teaching PE but examination of their current teaching practices indicated that little ‘teaching’ was evident in their PE programmes. A hierarchical regression model was used to examine key predictors of PE programme quality and accounted for 32% of the variance. Personal school experiences in primary school PE, quality of preservice education and attitudes to teaching PE were established as significant predictors. A key finding of the current study was the significant relationship evident between personal school experiences in PE and current PE teaching practices which has not been previously established with classroom teachers. The implications of these findings for preservice education and professional development will be discussed.
Influence of heme and vitamin B12 on growth and fermentations of Bacteroides species

We examined the effects of heme on the growth and fermentations of Bacteroides species. Bacteroides fragilis ATCC 25285 required heme for growth and produced malate and lactate as major products of glucose fermentation when the concentration of heme was 1 ng/ml. With 1 microgram of heme per ml, malate was not formed, lactate production decreased, and succinate and acetate were the major fermentation products. B. eggerthii ATCC 27754 grew without heme, with the production of mainly malate and lactate from glucose. Its fermentation with 1 microgram of heme per ml was similar to that of B. fragilis grown with the same concentration of heme. B. splanchicus VPI 6842 grew without heme, with the production of mainly malate, acetate, and H2 from glucose. With 1 microgram of heme per ml, malate disappeared, H2 decreased significantly, and succinate, acetate, and butyrate were the major products. The addition of vitamin B12 to media containing 1 microgram of heme per ml caused all species to produce propionate at the expense of succinate and, with B. splanchnicus, also at the expense of butyrate. Thus, the concentration of heme and the presence of vitamin B12 significantly influenced the course of glucose fermentation by these bacteria.
Profile and Determinants of the Middle-Income Class in the Philippines

This paper defines the middle-income class as those whose per capita incomes are within two- and twelve- times the (official) poverty line. Descriptive analyses show that middle-income households 1) are largely found in urban areas, 2) have members (working age) employed in stable jobs, and 3) place high value on investing in human capital. The determinants of middle-income status are identified using a multinomial logistic model. Results of the empirical estimation are generally consistent with the findings of the descriptive analyses. The paper also provides policy discussions on unintended consequences arising from the growth of the middle income and on the need for policy action to address the concerns. The study also performs a simulation exercise to assess whether the long-term goal of a predominantly “middle class” society can be achieved using the thresholds for defining the middle-income class.
A Forskolin Derivative, Colforsin Daropate Hydrochloride, Inhibits the Decrease in Cortical Renal Blood Flow Induced by Noradrenaline or Angiotensin II in Anesthetized Rats

A forskolin derivative, colforsin daropate hydrochloride (CDH), acts directly on adenylate cyclase to increase the intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate levels which produce a positive inotropic effect and a lower blood pressure. However, little is known about the effects of CDH on the renal function. We used laser Doppler flowmetry to measure the cortical renal blood flow (RBF) in male Wistar rats given a continuous intravenous infusion of CDH and evaluated the effects of CDH on the noradrenaline (NA) and angiotensin II (AngII) induced increases in blood pressure and reductions in RBF. Continuous intravenous administration of CDH at 0.25 µg/kg/min did not affect the mean arterial pressure (MAP), but increased heart rate and RBF. Continuous intravenous administration of CDH at high doses (0.5–0.75 µg/kg/min) decreased the MAP, with little effect on the RBF. The administration of exogenous NA (1.7 µg/kg) increased the MAP and decreased the RBF. However, a bolus injection of NA did not decrease the RBF during continuous intravenous administration of CDH, and CDH did not affect the NA-induced increase in MAP. The administration of exogenous AngII (100 ng/kg) increased MAP and decreased RBF and heart rate, but a bolus injection of AngII did not decrease RBF during continuous intravenous administration of CDH. These results suggest that CDH plays a protective role against the pressor effects and the decrease in RBF induced by NA or AngII.
Clustering quality management models and methods: systematic literature review and text-mining analysis approach

Nowadays, the concept of quality management is a key factor in organisational success and survival. Over the past decades, a wide range of approaches has been introduced in regard to quality management. These approaches have resulted in the development of various tools, techniques, principles, and models utilised for quality management purposes. Using these management methods and models, in addition to an understanding of their outcomes, is a necessary factor to choose wisely in the development of businesses and novel ideas. The present paper overviews some of the methods and models of quality management which employ Systematic Literature Review and Text Mining. Moreover, we examine the models summarised in the papers published on Web of Science from 1900 onwards. Through this paper, we (1) review the history of quality management and its trends, (2) identify the most well-known journals in formation of quality management literature, (3) determine the value of quality management techniques, (4) cluster the quality tools, (5) map the extracted quality tools and techniques, and (5) interpret implementations effects studied by the scholars.
Halothane Effect on Beta‐Adrenergic Receptors in Canine Myocardium

Halothane depresses the inotropic state of the heart, possibly by decreasing the rate of formation of cyclic 3′, 5′-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) through depression of the activity of adenylate cyclase, the cAMP-generating enzyme. As catecholamines regulate the inotropic state and adenylate cyclase activity by binding to myocardial beta-adrenergic receptors, the effect of halothane on binding to these receptors was studied to determine whether this was a site of halothane effect. Beta-adrenergic binding was measured at binding equilibrium in vitro in a canine myocardial membrane preparation in the absence and presence of halothane, 3 to 5 vol%, using as the radioligand 3H-dihydroalprenolol (3H-DHA), a beta-adrenergic antagonist with high affinity and radioactivity. In addition, the effect of halothane on the binding of /-isoproterenol, a beta-adrenergic agonist, was measured by displacement of 3H-DHA. The results indicate that halothane has no effect on either the affinity of canine myocardial beta-adrenergic receptors for 3H-DHA or /-isoproterenol, nor does it alter the number of available receptors at binding equilibrium.
A novel service delivery model for infant hearing screening in developing countries

Newborn hearing screening is the procedure of choice for ensuring optimal outcomes for infants with hearing loss, whether in a developed or developing country. Unfortunately, apart from a small number of recent exceptions, newborn hearing screening has been a practice reserved for the developed world. Despite the prevailing challenges towards implementing hearing screening in developing countries, there are existing structures in these countries that need to be investigated as possible platforms from which programs can be actualized. Immunization clinics, constituting part of a primary healthcare approach characteristic of developing countries, offer one such a platform. A novel service delivery model, based on initial results from a pilot study, was developed for infant hearing screening at immunization clinics in South Africa as an integrated part of primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of healthcare. This type of model is a first step toward ensuring that infants with hearing loss in developing communities are afforded opportunities for optimal development and societal integration through accountable and contextually relevant early hearing detection and intervention services.
The Effects of Fiscal Targets in a Currency Union: A Multi-Country Agent Based-Stock Flow Consistent Model

We present an Agent-Based Stock Flow Consistent Multi-Country model of a Currency Union to analyze the impact of changes in the fiscal regime of member countries, that is permanent changes in the deficit-to-GDP targets that governments commit to comply. Simulations are performed under three scenarios differentiated for the number of member countries. Though we did not try to estimate empirically the parameters of the model, the configuration employed for our artificial Currency Union yields economically reasonable values for the dynamics of key economic variables, broadly comparable with historical data and available stylized facts, in particular referred to the Euro Area which constitutes the natural point of reference for our work. Our policy experiments show that fiscal expansions generally allow to improve the dynamics of real GDP, labor productivity, and employment, though being associated to higher levels of public debt. On the contrary, permanent fiscal contractions have always strong recessive effects and tend to be self-defeating when the Currency Union includes a higher number of countries and international trade between member countries is more prominent, exacerbating real GDP volatility both in the short and long run. The observed increase of average debt-GDP ratios in these scenarios seems to be mainly attributable to the raise of public debt-to-GDP in poorer and less productive countries, which is mirrored by a reduction of the countries’ net foreign asset position. In the conclusions we discuss current limitations of the model and we sketch out the future lines of development.
Substrate-Dependent Effects on the Response of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs to 2-MeV Proton Irradiation

AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors grown on Si, SiC, and sapphire substrates were exposed to 2-MeV proton irradiation in incremental fluences up to 6 × 1014 cm-2. The devices were characterized initially and after each irradiation by Hall and dc I-V measurements to probe the mechanisms associated with radiation-induced degradation and failure. It was determined that defects created at the AlGaN/GaN interface introduce scattering centers near the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG), which result in degraded mobility. Additionally, charged traps in the structure serve to screen the 2DEG resulting in reduced sheet carrier density. These two effects are responsible for degraded I-V behavior, including reduced saturation current and transconductance, increased ON-resistance, and positive threshold voltage shift. Interestingly, the sample with the most pre-existing defects was the most tolerant of radiation-induced damage.
Preoperative Intravenous Fluid Therapy Decreases Postoperative Nausea and Pain in High Risk Patients

The potential for preoperative IV rehydration to reduce postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and pain in patients undergoing ambulatory surgery remains unclear, with conflicting results reported. We sought to determine whether preoperative IV rehydration with a balanced salt solution would decrease the incidence of PONV in patients at increased risk for these symptoms. Eighty ASA grade I–III patients presenting for gynecologic laparoscopy were randomized to receive large (2 mL/kg per hour fasting) or small (3 mL/kg) volume infusions of compound sodium lactate solution over 20 min preoperatively. A standardized balanced anesthetic was used. The incidence and severity of PONV and pain, and need for supplemental antiemetic and analgesic therapy, were assessed by a blinded investigator at 0.5, 1, and 4 h postoperatively, and on the first and third postoperative days. The incidence (control 87% versus large volume 59%) and severity of PONV were significantly reduced in the large volume infusion group at all time intervals. The large volume infusion group also had decreased postoperative pain scores and required less supplemental analgesia. Preoperative correction of intravascular volume deficits effectively reduces PONV and postoperative pain in high risk patients presenting for ambulatory surgery. We recommend the preoperative administration of 2 mL/kg of compound sodium lactate for every hour of fasting to patients with an increased PONV risk presenting for ambulatory surgery.
Clotrimazole Ameliorates Intestinal Inflammation and Abnormal Angiogenesis by Inhibiting Interleukin-8 Expression through a Nuclear Factor-κB-Dependent Manner

Increased interleukin (IL)-8 plays an important role not only in activation and recruitment of neutrophils but also in inducing exaggerated angiogenesis at the inflamed site. In the present study, we investigated the fact that clotrimazole (CLT) inhibits intestinal inflammation, and the inhibitory action is mediated through suppression of IL-8 expression. In the trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced rat colitis model, CLT dose-dependently protected from the TNBS-induced weight loss, colon ulceration, and myeloperoxidase activity increase. In the lesion site, CLT also suppressed the TNBS-induced angiogenesis, IL-8 expression, and nuclear factor (NF)-κB activation. In a cellular model of colitis using tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-stimulated HT29 colon epithelial cells, treatment with CLT significantly suppressed TNF-α-mediated IL-8 induction and NF-κB transcriptional activity revealed by a luciferase reporter gene assay. Furthermore, cotreatment with CLT and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, a NF-κB inhibitor, synergistically reduced the NF-κB transcriptional activity as well as IL-8 expression. In an in vitro angiogenesis assay, CLT suppressed IL-8-induced proliferation, tube formation, and invasion of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. The in vivo angiogenesis assay using chick chorioallantoic membrane also showed that CLT significantly inhibited the IL-8-induced formation of new blood vessels. Taken together, these results suggest that CLT may prevent the progression of intestinal inflammation by not only down-regulating IL-8 expression but also inhibiting the action of IL-8 in both colon epithelial and vascular endothelial cells during pathogenesis of intestinal inflammation.
Rituximab in multiple sclerosis: Frequency and clinical relevance of anti-drug antibodies

Background: Rituximab is a chimeric monoclonal anti-CD20 B-cell-depleting antibody increasingly used off-label in multiple sclerosis (MS). The clinical relevance of anti-drug antibodies (ADAs) against rituximab in MS is unknown. Objective: To determine frequency of ADA in relation to B-cell counts, allergic reactions and clinical efficacy in a large cohort of MS-treated patients. Methods: Cross-sectional study with collection of serum samples from 339 MS patients immediately before a scheduled rituximab infusion. ADAs were detected using an in-house–validated electrochemiluminescent immunoassay and a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to compare methods. Data on patient demographics and clinical outcomes were retrieved from the Swedish MS Registry and patient records. Results: ADAs were detected in 37% of relapsing–remitting MS and 26% in progressive forms of MS. Presence of ADAs decreased with increasing number of rituximab infusions. There was a significant association between both presence and titres of ADAs and incomplete B-cell depletion, but not with infusion/adverse reactions or clinical outcomes at the group level. Only five patients terminated rituximab during follow-up, four of which were ADA positive. Conclusion: Rituximab treatment is associated with a high degree of ADAs, which correlates with efficacy of B-cell depletion; however, the clinical relevance of ADAs remains uncertain.
Comparison of Single- and Two-Channel Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Sites for Enhancing Venous Return

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) has previously been used to activate the musculature of the lower leg and increase venous return to the heart. However, there is little evidence to suggest the superiority of one particular stimulation site over another. In this paper, we aim to reveal the optimal stimulation site on the lower leg in a group of healthy adults. Doppler ultrasound measurements of venous blood volume expelled and peak venous velocity in response to various single and two-channel applications of NMES were taken for each subject. We found that soleus NMES is the most effective single-channel stimulation method, capable of expelling 58.3% of the blood achieved during a voluntary contraction, alternatively soleus plus tibialis posterior stimulation is capable of expelling 76.5%. Based on these and other factors we suggest that the soleus and soleus plus tibialis posterior are the most effective NMES sites for improving venous return.
Implementation of water calorimetry in a 180 MeV scanned pulsed proton beam including an experimental determination of kQ for a Farmer chamber

Water calorimetric measurements have been performed in a 180 MeV scanned pulsed proton beam and the absorbed dose determined has been compared with the results obtained using two NE2571 Farmer chambers and the IAEA TRS-398 code of practice. The depth of measurement in water corresponded to a residual range of Rres = 16.5 cm, corresponding to a mean energy of about 150 MeV. Ionization chambers were calibrated in terms of the absorbed dose to water in 60Co at the Swedish Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory, directly traceable to Bureau International des Poids et Mesures. The present experimental investigation has shown that water calorimetry is feasible in a high-energy scanned pulsed proton beam. When comparing the results obtained with water calorimetry and ionometry, the beam quality correction factor, kQ, could be determined for the two NE2571 ionization chambers used. The kQ-factor was found to be 1.032 ± 0.013, which is in good agreement with the factor tabulated in IAEA TRS-398 for this chamber type (1.039 ± 0.018). The present result has also been compared with a previously obtained result in a passively scattered proton beam having similar energy. This comparison yielded a 1.1% deviation, which is not significant considering the combined uncertainties of the two experimental determinations of kQ. The dominating contribution to the combined uncertainty stems from the correction factor for ion recombination in the scanned proton beam (1%), and further studies are required in order to reduce this uncertainty and reveal any possible differences in the kQ-factor between these two proton beam delivery techniques.
Evolutionary and Functional Properties of a Two-Locus β-Globin Polymorphism in Indian House Mice

Electrophoretic surveys of hemoglobin (Hb) polymorphism in house mice from South Asia and the Middle East have revealed that two alternative β-globin haplotypes, Hbbd and Hbbp, are often present at intermediate frequencies in geographically disparate populations. Both haplotypes harbor two functionally distinct β-globin paralogs, HBB-T1 (which encodes the β-chain subunits of the major Hb isoform) and HBB-T2 (which encodes the β-chains of the minor Hb isoform). The Hbbd and Hbbp haplotypes share identical HBB-T1 alleles, but products of the alternative HBB-T2 alleles (dminor and pminor) are distinguished by two amino acid substitutions. To investigate the possible adaptive significance of the Hbbd/Hbbp polymorphism we conducted a population genetic analysis of the duplicated β-globin genes of Indian house mice (Mus castaneus) in conjunction with experimental studies of Hb function in inbred strains of mice that carry the alternative Hbbd and Hbbp haplotypes. The main objectives of this study were (i) to characterize patterns of nucleotide polymorphism and linkage disequilibrium in the duplicated β-globin genes of M. castaneus, (ii) to test the hypothesis that the Hbbd and Hbbp haplotypes are maintained as a balanced polymorphism, and (iii) to assess whether allelic differences in the alternative minor Hb isoforms (dminor and pminor) are associated with different O2-binding properties. A multilocus analysis of polymorphism and divergence revealed that levels of diversity at the HBB-T2 gene exceeded neutral expectations, and reconstructed haplotype networks for both β-globin paralogs revealed extensive allele sharing with several other closely related species of Mus. However, despite this suggestive evidence for balancing selection, O2-equilibrium curves revealed no discernible functional differences between red cell lysates containing the dminor and pminor Hb isoforms. If the dminor and pminor alleles are maintained as a balanced polymorphism, our results indicate that the associated fitness variance is not directly related to respiratory functions of Hb.