Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Computerized self‐assessment in psychiatric in‐patients: acceptability, feasibility and influence of computer attitude

In recent years various approaches using computerized assessments and tests in psychiatry have been published. In our study, the acceptability and feasibility of computerized self‐assessments and attitude to computers were examined in psychiatric in‐patients, using an improved interactive schedule, the Interactive Self‐Assessment Scale (ISAS), based on the Windows™ operating system. In general we found a good level of acceptability and feasibility of the computerized self‐assessment. Our results confirm the influence of attitude to computers on acceptability, and indicate a lack of self‐confidence in interacting with computers, accompanied by a less positive attitude to computers than reported by healthy subjects and psychiatric out‐patients. Computerized self‐assessment is suitable for psychiatric in‐patients. Nevertheless, further research is necessary in order to improve attitude to computers and the patient‐computer interaction.
Optimal Domestic (and External) Sovereign Default

Infrequent but turbulent episodes of outright sovereign default on domestic creditors are considered a “forgotten history” in Macroeconomics. We propose a heterogeneous-agents model in which optimal debt and default on domestic and foreign creditors are driven by distributional incentives and endogenous default costs due to the value of debt for self-insurance, liquidity and risk-sharing. The government's aim to redistribute resources across agents and through time in response to uninsurable shocks produces a rich dynamic feedback mechanism linking debt issuance, the distribution of government bond holdings, the default decision, and risk premia. Calibrated to Spanish data, the model is consistent with key cyclical co-movements and features of debt-crisis dynamics. Debt exhibits protracted fluctuations. Defaults have a low frequency of 0.93 percent, are preceded by surging debt and spreads, and occur with relatively low external debt. Default risk limits the sustainable debt and yet spreads are zero most of the time.
Both glutamate receptor antagonists and prefrontal cortex lesions prevent induction of cocaine sensitization and associated neuroadaptations

Behavioral sensitization to psychomotor stimulants is accompanied by a number of alterations in the mesoaccumbens dopamine (DA) system, including DA autoreceptor subsensitivity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and DA D1 receptor supersensitivity in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). We investigated the role of excitatory amino acid (EAA) transmission in the induction of cocaine sensitization and these accompanying DA receptor alterations. To do so, we used three glutamate receptor antagonists, the noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist MK‐801 (0.1 mg/kg), the competitive NMDA receptor antagonist CGS 19755 (10.0 mg/kg), and the AMPA receptor antagonist NBQX (12.5 mg/kg). Rats received daily double injections of either one of these antagonists or saline with either cocaine (15.0 mg/kg) or saline for 5 days. Cocaine sensitization was defined as an increase in horizontal locomotor activity in response to cocaine challenge (7.5 mg/kg) on the third day of withdrawal. All three antagonists prevented the induction of cocaine sensitization. Extracellular single cell recordings revealed that these antagonists also prevented the induction of DA autoreceptor subsensitivity in the VTA and DA D1 receptor supersensitivity in the NAc. To determine whether the relevant glutamate receptors were under regulation by medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) EAA efferents, we next lesioned the mPFC bilaterally with ibotenic acid at least 7 days before repeated cocaine treatment began. These lesions also prevented the induction of cocaine sensitization and the associated neuroadaptations. Our findings indicate that glutamate transmission from mPFC to the mesoaccumbens DA system is critical for the induction of cocaine sensitization and its cellular correlates. Synapse 34:169–180, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Remyelination of cytokine‐ or antibody‐demyelinated CNS aggregate cultures is inhibited by macrophage supplementation

Remyelination in CNS aggregate cultures is determined both by macrophage enrichment and the mode of demyelination. Despite the same degree of myelin loss, accumulation of MBP in anti‐MOG antibody‐demyelinated aggregates overtakes that of controls, while recovery is significantly delayed following IFN‐γ‐induced demyelination. In antibody‐treated cultures, remyelination was associated with a significant increase in culture supernatant levels of TGF‐β1, FGF‐2, and PDGF‐AA as well as an induction of TNF‐α immediately following removal of the demyelinating insult. The impaired recovery in IFN‐γ‐treated cultures, denoted by a significant reduction in TGF‐β1, was reversed by treatment with hrTGF‐β1. Macrophage supplementation of the cultures prior to the addition of either demyelinating agent induced a greater degree of myelin loss followed by incomplete remyelination in both cases. This failure to remyelinate was associated in both groups with a several‐fold elevation in TNF‐α and with modest increases in PDGF‐AA and FGF‐2 in the antibody‐treated cultures. In contrast, macrophage supplementation to mature cultures in the absence of any demyelinating treatment resulted in enhanced accumulation of MBP associated with a promyelinative growth factor and TNF‐α profile similar to that in aggregates enriched with macrophages at the outset of the culture period. Hence, effector elements of the adaptive immune response appear to override promyelinogenic in favor of proinflammatory macrophage factors in mature CNS aggregates, counteracting the potential for myelin repair. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Kinetics of anti-fibrillin-1 autoantibodies in MCTD and CREST syndrome.

Using a highly sensitive Radioimmunoassay (RIA), the kinetics of synthesis of anti-fibrillin (Fbn-1) autoantibodies were studied in 17 patients with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) and two with CREST syndrome calcinosis, Raynaud's oesophageal dismotility, sclerodectyly and teleangiectasis who were found to be positive for this autoimmune response. IgG autoantibodies specific for recombinant Fbn-1 (rFbn-1) (aa 369-425) were found in all patients excepting one with MCTD, multiple sclerosis, and dermatomyositis. IgM were found in fewer cases. Several kinetics patterns of anti-Fbn-1 autoantibodies were observed: a) long lasting persistence of IgG and IgM autoantibodies up to 14 years; b) fluctuation of antibodies during various periods up to 16 years; c) disappearance of antibody response after several years, and d) patients producing IgG but not IgM autoantibodies. No differences in the synthesis of autoantibodies were observed between MCTD patients with a stable disease, and those developing during the course features of systemic sclerosis (SSc), Sjogren's syndrome, or rheumatoid-like arthritis. In one patient displaying a lupus-like syndrome for 3 years, the appearance of anti-Fbn-1 autoantibodies coincided with the occurrence of MCTD and scleroderma. While the detection of anti-Fbn-1 autoantibodies may be clinically useful in differential diagnosis or eventual prognosis of patients with connective tissue diseases, their role in the pathogenesis of scleroderma syndromes requires further investigation.
Olfactory ensheathing cells of the lamina propria in vivo and in vitro

Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) continuously support the regeneration of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). In addition, OECs promote regeneration of neurons within the CNS in a number of transplantation paradigms, but details of exactly how they support regeneration remain elusive. The majority of studies using OECs to promote regeneration have thus far focused on understanding the cell biology of OECs purified from the olfactory bulb (OB). Here we show that a population of OECs similar to those obtained from the OB is present in the lamina propria (LP) beneath the olfactory epithelium (OE). These OECs are the first glial cells encountered by the axons of developing ORNs as they exit the OE and display distinct and variable expression of p75, S100β, GFAP, and O4, characteristic markers of bulb OECs. Once purified in vitro, they display Schwann cell‐like and astrocyte‐like properties and expand rapidly. In addition to resembling OB‐OECs, LP‐OECs also express a unique combination of developmentally important proteins—CD 44, β1 integrin, P200, Notch 3, NG2, VEGF, and PACAP and CREB binding protein (CBP/p300)—not previously reported in OB‐OECs. These data suggest that LP‐OECs, like OB‐OECs, are a developmentally distinct class of glia that are capable of both immature and mature function, depending on environmental stimuli, within the adult nervous system. GLIA 41:224–236, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Mycoplasma gallisepticum strains with identical random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) patterns in chukar partridges (Alectoris chukar) and broilers: a case report.

We used the random amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) technique to discriminate the major emerging poultry pathogen, Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG), in broiler and chukar par - tridge cases referred to the veterinary medicine teaching hospital. Amazingly, the chickens and partridges random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) patterns were similar. This suggests the risk of a common source for the strains isolated from the different animals and illustrates the necessity of novel and improved control programs to prevent and restrict this significant disease which is prevalent among poultry species.
Impact of magnetic storms on the dark current of the space infrared camera ISO/ISOCAM

The two detectors of the ISOCAM camera on board the ISO spacecraft have performed nominally for the entire duration of the mission. Their main properties (dark current level, noise and responsivity) have been monitored on a daily basis in order to perform their trend analysis. The dark current level averaged over the whole detectors sometimes significantly increased during one or several days before going back to its nominal value. This occurred only when the spacecraft was approaching the external radiation belt and we observed that the dark current level was strongly correlated with the fluence of ambient electrons. This paper gives the interpretation of the dark current variations, which are attributed to magnetic storms.
A lip reading application on MS Kinect camera

Hearing-impaired people can read lips and lip reading applications may help them to improve their lip imitation skills. Speech of normal people can be recognized by even cellular phones but lip reading systems using only visual features remain important for hearing-impaired people. This paper aims to develop an application using MS Kinect camera to recognize Turkish color names to be used in the education of hearing-impaired children. Predefined lip points are located with depth information by the MS Kinect Face Tracking SDK. Words are segmented from the speech and the angles between the lip points are used as features to classify the words. Angles are computed using the 3D coordinates of the lip points. The KNN classifier is used to classify the words with Manhattan and Euclidean distances and the best feature vectors are tried to be found. As a result, the isolated words are classified with the success rate of 78.22%.
An esat6 knockout mutant of Mycobacterium bovis produced by homologous recombination will contribute to the development of a live tuberculosis vaccine.

SETTING Strains of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex are being rationally attenuated in order to develop better tuberculosis vaccines than BCG, and it would be helpful if new vaccines lacked an immunogenic protein which could be used as a skin test reagent for determining infection status. OBJECTIVE To delete the esat6 gene from a virulent Mycobacterium bovis strain and determine (i) whether this mutant sensitizes guinea pigs to a skin test based on ESAT6 and (ii) what effect this has on the virulence of M. bovis. DESIGN An homologous recombination technique was used to produce an esat6 knockout mutant of a virulent strain of M. bovis. Guinea pigs were inoculated with either the mutant or parent strain and their reactivity in intradermal skin tests was determined to bovine purified protein derivative (PPD) and recombinant ESAT6 protein. RESULTS Production of an esat6 knockout strain was demonstrated by Southern blot hybridization and the polymerase chain reaction. Guinea pigs inoculated with either the esat6 knockout strain or its virulent parent had positive skin test reactions to PPD but only animal inoculated with the parent strain had positive skin test reactions to ESAT6. Gross pathology, histopathology and mycobacterial culture of tissues indicated that the knockout strain was less virulent than its parent. CONCLUSION If an effective live tuberculosis vaccine can be produced by inactivation of virulence genes in M. bovis, then prior or subsequent knockout of the esat6 gene could contribute to the loss of virulence and enable the development of a test to distinguish between vaccinated and infected animals.
Increasing rates of Salmonella Paratyphi A and the current status of its vaccine development

Enteric fever caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi and Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi is still a major disease burden mainly in developing countries. Previously, S. Typhi was believed to be the major cause of enteric fever. The real situation is now becoming clear with reports emerging from many Asian countries of S. Paratyphi, mostly S. Paratyphi A, causing a substantial number of cases of enteric fever. Although there have been advances in the use of the currently available typhoid vaccines and in the development of newer typhoid vaccines, paratyphoid vaccine development is lagging behind. Since the disease caused by S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi are clinically indistinguishable and are commonly termed ‘enteric’ fever, it will be necessary to have a vaccine available against both S. Typhi and S. Paratyphi A as a bivalent ‘enteric fever vaccine’.
Divergent Signal Transduction Responses to Infection with Attaching and Effacing Escherichia coli

ABSTRACT Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7 is an attaching and effacing pathogen that causes hemorrhagic colitis and the hemolytic-uremic syndrome. Although this organism causes adhesion pedestals, the cellular signals responsible for the formation of these lesions have not been clearly defined. We have shown previously that STEC O157:H7 does not induce detectable tyrosine phosphorylation of host cell proteins upon binding to eukaryotic cells and is not internalized into nonphagocytic epithelial cells. In the present study, tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins were detected under adherent STEC O157:H7 when coincubated with the non-intimately adhering, intimin-deficient, enteropathogenic E. coli(EPEC) strain CVD206. The ability to be internalized into epithelial cells was also conferred on STEC O157:H7 when coincubated with CVD206 ([158 ± 21] % of control). Neither the ability to rearrange phosphotyrosine proteins nor that to be internalized into epithelial cells was evident following coincubation with another STEC O157:H7 strain or with the nonsignaling espB mutant of EPEC.E. coli JM101(pMH34/pSSS1C), which overproduces surface-localized O157 intimin, also rearranged tyrosine-phosphorylated and cytoskeletal proteins when coincubated with CVD206. In contrast, JM101(pMH34/pSSS1C) demonstrated rearrangement of cytoskeletal proteins, but not tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins, when coincubated with intimin-deficient STEC (strains CL8KO1 and CL15). These findings indicate that STEC O157:H7 forms adhesion pedestals by mechanisms that are distinct from those in attaching and effacing EPEC. Taken together, these findings point to diverging signal transduction responses to infection with attaching and effacing bacterial enteropathogens.
Chronic arm morbidity after curative breast cancer treatment: prevalence and impact on quality of life.

PURPOSE To determine the prevalence of and contributing factors for chronic arm morbidity including lymphedema in breast cancer patients after treatment and to assess the impact of arm morbidity on quality of life (QOL). PATIENTS AND METHODS A four-question screening questionnaire was developed and mailed to a random sample of 744 breast cancer patients treated curatively in two cancer centers from 1993 to 1997. Patients were without recurrence and at least 2 years from diagnosis. Respondents were classified as with or without arm-related symptoms on the basis of the survey. Stratified random samples from each group were then invited for a detailed assessment of their symptoms and signs, including the presence of lymphedema. Their QOL was assessed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QOL Questionnaire C-30 and by a detailed arm problem questionnaire that assessed various aspects of daily arm functioning. RESULTS Approximately half of all screened patients were symptomatic and 12.5% of all assessed patients had lymphedema. Axillary dissection (AD) and axillary radiotherapy (RT) after dissection were statistically significantly related to the occurrence of arm symptoms (odds ratio for AD = 3.3, P <.001; odds ratio for RT = 3.1, P <.001). Symptomatic patients and patients with lymphedema both had impaired QOL compared with asymptomatic patients. CONCLUSION Treatment for breast cancer is associated with considerable arm morbidity, which has a negative impact on QOL. Arm morbidity should be carefully monitored in future studies involving local treatment modalities for breast cancer.
Structure elucidation and inhibitory effects of self-assembled organotin(IV) esters of p-tolyl acetic acid on bacterial, fungal, brine shrimp, and potato tumor cells

Biologically active new organotin(IV) acetates (1–6) of p-tolyl acetic acid have been synthesized and characterized by multinuclear nuclear magnetic resonance (1H, 13C) and mass spectrometry. The X-ray crystallographic data of compounds (3 and 4) were also collected. These studies show that in diorganotin(IV) compounds (compounds 1, 2, 3, and 6), tin exists in skew trapezoidal geometry with four strong and two weaker bonds, whereas triorganotin(IV) carboxylates (compounds 4 and 5) have four and five coordinated geometries in solution and solid form, respectively. These compounds were screened for a range of biological activities. Antibacterial activities were determined against six pathogenic bacterial strains, three Gram-positive and three Gram-negative; the activities were measured in terms of inhibition zones (mm). Antifungal activities were determined against six pathogenic fungal strains, cytotoxicity by the brine shrimp lethality assay, and antitumor activities by the crown gall tumor inhibition (potato disc) assay.
The Effectiveness of Bone Density Measurement and Associated Treatments for Prevention of Fractures: An International Collaborative Review

Abstract This review assesses the evidence regarding the effectiveness of bone density measurement (BDM) screening and related interventions—hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and intranasal salmon calcitonin (SCT[N])—in menopausal women to prevent fractures in later life. Data sources included systematic reviews of evidence and relevant primary studies identified through literature searches on MEDLINE and EMBASE. Study selection included trials of BDM screening programs, prospective studies exam-ining the predictive value of BDM, randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and case-controlstudies of HRT and SCT(N). The evidence was evaluated using a classification system incorporatingstudy design and quality. Outcomes were measured in terms of relative risk of fracture for a 1 SDdecrease in bone mineral density below the age-adjusted mean, relative risks or odds ratios forfractures associated with treatments, and proportion of hip fractures potentially prevented by BDMscreening linked to treatments. Fair evidence from prospective cohort studies suggests that BDMcan predict the risk of fractures, but not with high accuracy. Fair evidence from low-quality randomizedcontrolled trials and observational studies suggests that HRT and SCT(N) are efficacious in preventingfractures. Good evidence supports the efficacy of these treatments in preserving bone mass, butthere is fair evidence that the effect wears off after cessation of therapy. There is little evidence onthe impact of screening menopausal women with BDM in association with HRT or SCT(N) treatment.Estimates based on combining existing evidence regarding the predictive value of BDM and efficacyof HRT suggests that 1–7% of hip fractures might be prevented.
OsMADS13, a novel rice MADS-box gene expressed during ovule development.

MADS-box genes have been shown to play a major role in defining plant architecture. Recently, several MADS-box genes have been reported that are highly expressed in the ovule. However, only for the Petunia genes FBP7 and FBP11 has a function in defining ovule identity been shown. We have isolated a rice MADS-box gene named OsMADS13. Expression analysis has shown that this gene is highly expressed in developing ovules. In order to facilitate a detailed characterization of rice ovule-expressed genes, a comprehensive morphological description of ovule development in rice has been performed. The predicted amino acid sequence of OsMADS13 shows significant homology with ZAG2, a maize MADS-box gene, which is also expressed mainly in the ovule. Mapping of the gene in the rice genome showed that it is located on chromosome 12, which is syntenic to two maize regions where ZAG2 and its paralogous gene ZMM1 have been mapped. Our results suggest that OsMADS13 is the ortholog of ZAG2 and ZMM1 and might play a role in rice ovule and seed development.
Induction of Continuous I‐A Expression by Murine Peritoneal Macrophages: Lack of Correlation With T Cell Responses of Bcgr and Bcgs Mice

The induction of continuous I‐A expression by L3T4 and Lyt2 lymphocyte subpopulations from Bcgr and Bcgs mice was compared. We found that the induction of continuous I‐A expression was independent of the Bcg geneotype of the T cells. T cells from congenie Begs BALB/c mice and C.D2Bcgr mice could not induce continuous I‐A expression in vitro and were deficient in their ability to produce IFN‐gamma in vitro. In contrast, T cells from other strains of Bcgr and Bcgs mice could induce continuous I‐A expression. Both recombinant IL‐2 and IL‐4 acted synergistically with low levels of IFN‐gamma to induce continuous I‐A expression by macrophages from Bcgr mice.
Left ventricular end‐diastolic pressure in evaluating left ventricular function

There are several factors that could affect the left ventricular end‐diastolic pressure. These include heart rate, preload, afterload, pericardial or pleural pressure, diastolic properties of the left ventricle, and the left ventricular inotropic state. Recognition of these factors appears important when considering the left ventricular end‐diastolic pressure as an index of left ventricular function.
Temperature elevation after vertebroplasty with polymethyl-methacrylate in the goat spine.

Although the general complication rate for vertebroplasty is low, neural compression and thermal damage have been related to the use of polymethyl-methacrylate cement. This study focuses on the risk of thermal tissue damage after vertebroplasty. In this study, cavities were created by a transpedicular approach in the vertebral bodies (L3, L4, and L5) of four milk goats, and polymethyl-methacrylate cement was injected. In three locations (the bone-cement interface, the epidural space, and the disc space) the temperature was measured in regular intervals after injection of the cement. The mean injected volume was 0.8 ml, which accounted for a 22% volume fraction. The mean peak temperature of the bone-cement interface was 44.6 degrees C, while the maximum temperature at the epidural space and disc space was 37.0 and 37.5 degrees C, respectively. The local temperature measured after in vivo vertebroplasty did not reach values that are known to cause tissue necrosis.