Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Group Therapy With Male Asylum Seekers and Refugees With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Controlled Comparison Cohort Study of Three Day-Treatment Programs

Abstract Studies on group treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in asylum seekers and refugees are scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of three different trauma-focused day-treatment group programs for treatment of PTSD in male asylum seekers and refugees. Three treatment groups (n = 56) and a waitlisted control group (n = 16) of help-seeking Iranian and Afghani patients were assessed with a set of self-rated symptom checklists for PTSD, anxiety, depression, and psychoticism 1 week before and 2 weeks after treatment. There are no indications that the 2 days’ group program with three nonverbal and two group psychotherapy sessions per week is less effective in reducing symptoms than the program with the same amount of sessions spread over 3 days per week. The trauma-focused day-treatment group seems a promising approach for treatment of PTSD among asylum seekers and refugees in industrialized settings.
Prolonged valproic acid treatment does not reduce the size of latent HIV reservoir

Objective:To investigate the impact of prolonged valproic acid treatment on the HIV reservoir in patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy. Design:In a single-center pilot study, the size of the HIV reservoir of 11 patients receiving valproic acid for seizures for more than 2 years was compared with 13 matched patients. In addition, the outcome of patients receiving valproic acid in the French clinical trials of scheduled treatment interruption was recorded. Methods:Total and integrated HIV-1 DNA in, respectively, peripheral blood mononuclear cells and CD4 T cells of the patients were quantified by real-time PCR methods. The frequency of CD4 T cells carrying replication-competent virus was estimated by a quantitative limiting-dilution assay in which virus growth was detected by RT-PCR in culture supernatants of activated CD4 T cells.Clinical charts of the patients included in scheduled treatment interruption trials receiving valproic acid were reviewed. Results:Total and integrated HIV DNA were logarithmically more abundant than cells carrying replication-competent virus, but there was no significant difference in these three parameters between the two groups of matched patients.Three patients receiving valproic acid were included in scheduled treatment interruption trials. The rebound of viral replication was similar to that of the other patients of the trials. Conclusion:Long-term valproic acid therapy seems to be insufficient to reduce the size of the HIV-1 reservoir.
Cytoarchitectural characteristics of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons of rats, four months after global cerebral ischemia and progesterone treatment.

PURPOSE To analyze the cytoarchitectural characteristics of the remaining pyramidal neurons in the hippocampal CA1 subfield of rats, four months after global cerebral ischemia (GCI) and progesterone treatment. METHODS Dendritic arborization, and density and shape of the dendritic spines of CA1 pyramidal neurons in brains of intact rats, or rats submitted 120 days earlier to GCI and treatment with progesterone (8 mg/kg) or its vehicle, at 15 min, and 2, 6, 24, 48, and 72 h after the onset of reperfusion, were analyzed in samples processed by a modified Golgi method. RESULTS Few impregnated CA1 pyramidal neurons were identified in the ischemic vehicle-treated rats, with a short apical dendrite devoid of bifurcations and dendritic spines. In contrast, the remaining CA1 pyramidal neurons sampled from ischemic progesterone-treated rats showed sinuously branched dendrites with similar number of bifurcations and whole density of spines, and higher proportional density of mushroom spines than those in the intact group. CONCLUSIONS These cytoarchitectural characteristics may underlie the long-term preservation of place learning and memory functions seen after ischemia and progesterone neuroprotective treatment, possibly compensating for the severe reduction in neuronal population.
Culture and characterization of mesenchymal stem cells from human gingival tissue.

BACKGROUND Tissue engineering using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is a recent therapeutic modality that has several advantages. MSCs have high proliferation potential and may be manipulated to permit differentiation before being transplanted, suggesting they may be an ideal candidate for regenerative procedures. Precise identification of cells capable of regenerating the periodontium is valuable because no predictable regeneration procedure has yet been described. The purpose of this study is to determine the presence of MSCs in human gingival connective tissue and their morphologic and functional characteristics. METHODS Gingival connective tissue samples were obtained from five healthy students. The samples were deepithelialized, leaving only connective tissue. The explants were minced and cultured on tissue culture dishes for 3 to 4 weeks, after which cells were characterized by flow cytometry. Differentiation into osteogenic, chondrogenic, and adipogenic lineages was induced and evaluated by culture staining. An immunoregulation assay was also performed. RESULTS The results show that gingival tissue cells fulfill the minimal criteria proposed by the International Society for Cellular Therapy to be defined as MSCs. Cell characterization was consistently positive for CD90, CD105, CD73, CD44, and CD13 markers and negative for hematopoietic markers CD34, CD38, CD45, and CD54. We observed differentiation in positive staining of adipogenic, chondrogenic, and osteogenic lineages. Furthermore, gingival cells showed immunomodulative capacity. CONCLUSION Gingival connective tissue could be a reservoir of MSCs that could be used in regenerative procedures based on tissue engineering.
ChildrenÃ¢Â€Â™s Depression Inventory: Testing Measurement Invariance for the Hierarchical Factor Model Across Children and Adolescents in a Clinic-Referred Sample

The Children’s Depression Inventory is a self-report scale for screening depressive disorders in children and adolescents. The original model proposed by Kovacs has a hierarchical factor structure: Five first-order and a single second-order factors. This study used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to examine support for this model. It also examined measurement invariance of this model across selfratings provided by clinic-referred children (N=459) and adolescents (N=343), and the differences in the first- and second-order latent factor mean scores across these groups. The findings supported the hierarchical factor structure, and also full measurement invariance for this model across the groups compared. Also all latent mean scores were higher in the adolescent group. These findings indicate support for the original CDI model proposed by Kovacs, and also that the ratings provided by clinic-referred children and adolescents can be compared as they are not confounded by different measurement properties. Also, depression is higher among adolescents than children.
Clinicopathologic features of 54 cases of paradental cyst.

OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinicopathologic features of 54 paradental cysts. METHOD AND MATERIALS The cases were retrieved from the files of the Department of Oral Pathology of the University of São Paulo, in Brazil. Only case files that included complete data, radiographs, and clinical history were used for the study. RESULTS Most of the cysts were adjacent to a partially erupted mandibular third molar; only two cysts were adjacent to mandibular second molars, and one cyst was adjacent to a first molar. Women were affected more often than were men (33:21), and most of the patients were in their second or third decades. In most cases, the affected tooth had a history of one or more episodes of pericoronitis. Histologically, these cysts presented the typical features of an inflammatory cyst, having a lining epithelium, which apparently resulted from a union between reduced enamel epithelium and oral epithelium. CONCLUSION Development of the paradental cyst could be avoided if episodes of pericoronitis were properly treated, because the cyst is usually related to pericoronitis.
Physical, hematological, and exercise response of collegiate female equestrian athletes.

BACKGROUND Physiological testing is extensively used to assess current physical status, target strength/deficiencies, and determine predisposition to injury in athletes. No studies exist regarding these issues on equestrian athletes. The purpose of this study was to quantify the physical, hematological, and exercise response of female equestrian athletes in order to provided greater insight into the health fitness of this unique competitor, and to compare results to other better studied sport athletes. METHODS Following written informed consent, physiological assessments were performed on 24 collegiate female equestrian athletes (23.6+/-1.8 yrs; ht = 161.8+/-5.0 cm; wt = 64.9+/-9.3 kg) to quantify aerobic power (VO2max, VEmax, Timemax), anaerobic power (peak power, total work output, fatigue index), body composition (%BF, LBM), muscular strength (curl-ups, reverse sit-ups, pushups, handgrip strength), blood chemistries, and coronary risk profile. RESULTS Data indicated that mean (+/-SD) LBM (49.0+/-4.5 kg) and BMI (24.8+/-1.7 wt/ht2) fell within reported athletic norms for females. Percent body fat (24.5+/-6.0%), however, was above average. Mean VO2max (33.9+/-4.5 ml/kg/min), treadmill time (10:06+/-:36 min:sec), and VEmax (90.3+/-16.0 l/min) were lower than predicted values. Observed peak power (5.3+/-0.9 w/kg), total work output (315.9+/-48.1 j/kg), fatigue index (66.9+/-7.9%), and handgrip strength (27.8+/-6.6 kg) were also lower than established norms for young females. Mean curl-up, reverse sit-up, and pushup responses (56.5+/-15.8, 36.6+/-13.2, 32.1+/-10.6, reps/min, respectively) were considered average to above average for this age group. Mean resting blood chemistry values were within normal ranges. When analyzing the blood pressure, body composition, and serum lipid data, results indicate an average to low risk for coronary heart disease in this population. Wide variation in lipid profiles in this group as compared to athletes in other sports is a concern. CONCLUSIONS Although working with equine poses a constant danger, the lack of adequate physical conditioning of the equestrian may be a contributing factor in the growing number of injuries. When compared to female athletes in other sports, exercise performance was found to be lower. Equestrian athletes need to supplement conventional sport activity with traditional aerobic and anaerobic training regimens.
Identifying Style of 3D Shapes using Deep Metric Learning

We present a method that expands on previous work in learning human perceived style similarity across objects with different structures and functionalities. Unlike previous approaches that tackle this problem with the help of hand‐crafted geometric descriptors, we make use of recent advances in metric learning with neural networks (deep metric learning). This allows us to train the similarity metric on a shape collection directly, since any low‐ or high‐level features needed to discriminate between different styles are identified by the neural network automatically. Furthermore, we avoid the issue of finding and comparing sub‐elements of the shapes. We represent the shapes as rendered images and show how image tuples can be selected, generated and used efficiently for deep metric learning. We also tackle the problem of training our neural networks on relatively small datasets and show that we achieve style classification accuracy competitive with the state of the art. Finally, to reduce annotation effort we propose a method to incorporate heterogeneous data sources by adding annotated photos found online in order to expand or supplant parts of our training data.
Well-Differentiated Pancreatic Tumor/Carcinoma: Insulinoma

a Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Endocrinology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; b Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna , Austria; c Hospices Civils de Lyon, Hopital Edouard-Herriot Service Central d‘Anatomie et Cytologie Pathologiques, Lyon , France; d Centre de Medecine Nucleaire, Universite Catholique de Louvain, Brussels , Belgium; e Department of Pathology, University of Kiel, Kiel , Germany; f B Unit of Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Verona, Verona , Italy; g Department of Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam , The Netherlands; h Department of Endocrine Oncology, University Hospital, Uppsala , Sweden; i Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Interdisciplinary Center of Metabolism and Endocrinology, Charite, Campus Virchow Hospital, University for Medicine Berlin, Berlin , Germany; j Service de Gastroenterologie-Pancreatologie, Pole des Maladies de l‘Appareil Digestif, Hopital Beaujon, Clichy , France; k Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Universita degli Studi, Parma, Italy; l Department of Endocrinology, Genoa University, Genoa , Italy
Mucosal healing at 3 months predicts long-term endoscopic remission in anti-TNF-treated luminal Crohn's disease

Abstract Background and aims. Studies performed on patient and disease characteristics predicting the treatment response in tumor necrosis factor alpha antibody (anti-TNF)-treated Crohn's disease (CD) have generally been based on clinical data. Only a few studies have assessed the role of endoscopy as a predictor for long-term response for anti-TNF therapy. Our aim was to evaluate the role of early endoscopy in predicting the long-term endoscopic response to anti-TNF in active luminal CD in a clinical setting. Patients and methods. Forty-two patients with active luminal CD, treated for at least 3 months with anti-TNF, either adalimumab (52%) or infliximab (48%), were included in this prospective study. Data on the simple endoscopic score for Crohn's disease (SES-CD) at 3 months after therapy commencement, and either data on the SES-CD or surgery after 1 year, were available for all patients. Endoscopic remission was defined as SES-CD 0−2. Results. At 3 months after commencing anti-TNF therapy, 10 patients (24%) were in endoscopic remission. Thirty-three patients continued anti-TNF as maintenance therapy. At 1 year, endoscopic remission (11/33, 33%) was significantly more common in those patients who had been in endoscopic remission at 3 months, compared with those with endoscopically active disease at 3 months (7/10, 70% vs. 4/23, 17%, p = 0.01). The 3-month SES-CD had a sensitivity of 88%, and specificity of 64%, to predict 1-year endoscopic remission in patients who received anti-TNF maintenance therapy. Conclusions. In anti-TNF-treated active luminal CD mucosal healing at 3 months is a strong predictor for long-term endoscopic response.
Protein kinase Mζ enhances excitatory synaptic transmission by increasing the number of active postsynaptic AMPA receptors

Protein kinase Mζ (PKMζ), a constitutively active, atypical PKC isoform, enhances synaptic strength during the maintenance of long‐term potentiation (LTP). Here we examine the mechanism by which PKMζ increases synaptic transmission. Postsynaptic perfusion of PKMζ during whole‐cell recordings of CA1 pyramidal cells strongly potentiated the amplitude of AMPA receptor (AMPAR)‐mediated miniature EPSCs (mEPSCs). Nonstationary fluctuation analysis of events recorded before and after PKMζ enhancement showed that the kinase doubled the number of functional postsynaptic AMPAR channels. After sustained potentiation, application of a PKMζ inhibitor reversed the increase in functional channel number to basal levels, suggesting that persistent increase of PKMζ is required to maintain the postsynaptic localization of a mobile subpopulation of receptors. The kinase did not affect other sites of LTP expression, including presynaptic transmitter release, silent synapse conversion, or AMPAR unit conductance. Thus PKMζ functions specifically to establish and maintain long‐term increases in active postsynaptic AMPAR number. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Effects of Nutrition Information on Consumer Choice

ABSTRACT This paper considers the empirical determination of the effects of on-pack nutrition information on brand-choice behavior. It approaches the effects of nutrition characteristics and interpersonal differences in consumer response through discrete choice analysis. Individual brand-choice decisions are shown to depend on the disclosed information in a way that varies across consumers and nutrition attributes. The paper extends existing research by examining behavioral outcomes and illustrating an analytical approach to nutrition information effects.
Neutralizing antibodies against HIV-1: can we elicit them with vaccines and how much do we need?

Purpose of reviewThis review describes some of the major obstacles that have impeded progress in the development of an effective neutralizing antibody-based HIV-1 vaccine and explains why it may be possible to overcome these obstacles. A renewed interest in the B-cell response in HIV-1-infected individuals is emphasized. Recent findingsNew assay technologies and access to large numbers of clinical specimens have permitted a detailed assessment of the neutralizing antibody response in HIV-1-infected individuals. Recent studies have demonstrated that B cells can be stimulated to generate high titers of broadly cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies against multiple genetic subtypes of the virus. Preliminary evidence suggests that some of these antibodies are directed against epitopes in the CD4 binding site on monomeric gp120, whereas many others are directed against epitopes that remain to be identified. SummaryThe rationale for pursuing an effective neutralizing antibody-based HIV-1 vaccine is strengthened by the recent demonstration of potent neutralizing antibody responses in a subset of HIV-1-infected individuals. Information on how this response develops and what epitopes are targeted could provide the insights that are needed to design improved vaccine strategies.
Building the Evidence in Peritoneal Dialysis: Use of Randomized Controlled Trials, and Observational and Registry Data

Renal replacement therapy (RRT) has achieved widespread acceptance without being subjected to the rigors of randomized controlled clinical trials (RCCTs). The RCCT remains the “gold standard” of evidenced-based medicine, but ethical, logistic, and financial limitations mean that not all questions are amenable to a RCCT. Renal registries collect, aggregate, analyze, and interpret data on the occurrence and outcome of renal failure in a defined population. Observational data can be used only to show associations, not causality. Nevertheless, most clinical practice guidelines in nephrology are derived from observational data. The nephrology community needs to join forces to decide the questions that deserve the time, energy, and resources of an RCCT. Prospective observational data can be enhanced by collaboration, standardized definitions, development of a risk-adjustment tool, and consensus among the key players, including professional associations, government, industry, and hospitals. The challenge is to provide evidence-based practice guidelines for the delivery of care to the end-stage renal patient.
Supply Function Competition, Private Information, and Market Power: A Laboratory Study

In the context of supply function competition with private information, we test in the laboratory whether - as predicted in Bayesian equilibrium - costs that are positively correlated lead to steeper supply functions and less competitive outcomes than do uncorrelated costs. We find that the majority of subjects bid in accordance with the equilibrium prediction when the environment is simple (uncorrelated costs treatment) but fail to do so in a more complex environment (positively correlated costs treatment). Although we find no statistically significant differences between treatments in average behaviour and outcomes, there are significant differences in the distribution of supply functions. Our results are consistent with the presence of sophisticated agents that on average best respond to a large proportion of subjects who ignore the correlation among costs. Experimental welfare losses in both treatments are higher than the equilibrium prediction owing to a substantial degree of productive inefficiency.
Three‐dimensional counting: An accurate and direct method to estimate numbers of cells in sectioned material

We introduce a way to count and measure cells in an optically defined volume of tissue called a counting box. This method—direct three‐dimensional counting (3DC)—eliminates the need for correction factors, such as that introduced by Abercrombie (Anat. Rec. 94:239–247, '46), to determine the number of cells per unit volume (Nv). Problems caused by irregular cell shape and cell size, nonrandom orientation, and splitting of cells by the knife during sectioning are overcome. Furthermore, 3DC is insensitive to large variations in section thickness.
Efficient Gene Transfer into Macrophages and Dendritic Cells by in Vivo Gene Delivery with Mannosylated Lipoplex via the Intraperitoneal Route

In this study, we developed an antigen-presenting cell (APC)-selective intraperitoneal (i.p.) gene delivery system with mannosylated cationic liposomes (Man-liposomes)/plasmid DNA complex (Man-lipoplex). An in vitro study using cultured peritoneal macrophages demonstrated that Man-liposomes could transfect luciferase-encoding plasmid DNA (pCMV-Luc) more efficiently than cationic liposomes via a mannose receptor-mediated mechanism. In vivo gene transfection studies revealed that Man-lipoplex showed a higher gene expression in the liver, spleen, peritoneal exuded cells, and mesenteric lymph nodes than cationic liposomes/plasmid DNA complex (lipoplex) or naked pCMV-Luc after i.p. administration, and this gene expression lasted for at least 24 h. The transfection activity of Man-lipoplex after i.p. administration was significantly higher than that after i.v. gene delivery with the Man-liposomes we developed previously, indicating that gene delivery via the i.p. route seems to be an efficient approach for in vivo gene delivery to APCs. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that Man-lipoplex could enhance gene expression in both F4/80+ and CD11c+ cells in the spleen. These results show that gene delivery with Man-liposomes via the i.p. route could be an effective approach for APC-selective gene transfection.
High-efficiency gene transfer into skeletal muscle mediated by electric pulses.

Gene delivery to skeletal muscle is a promising strategy for the treatment of muscle disorders and for the systemic secretion of therapeutic proteins. However, present DNA delivery technologies have to be improved with regard to both the level of expression and interindividual variability. We report very efficient plasmid DNA transfer in muscle fibers by using square-wave electric pulses of low field strength (less than 300 V/cm) and of long duration (more than 1 ms). Contrary to the electropermeabilization-induced uptake of small molecules into muscle fibers, plasmid DNA has to be present in the tissue during the electric pulses, suggesting a direct effect of the electric field on DNA during electrotransfer. This i.m. electrotransfer method increases reporter and therapeutic gene expression by several orders of magnitude in various muscles in mouse, rat, rabbit, and monkey. Moreover, i.m. electrotransfer strongly decreases variability. Stability of expression was observed for at least 9 months. With a pCMV-FGF1 plasmid coding for fibroblast growth factor 1, this protein was immunodetected in the majority of muscle fibers subjected to the electric pulses. DNA electrotransfer in muscle may have broad applications in gene therapy and in physiological, pharmacological, and developmental studies.