Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Suicidal Tendencies and Body Image and Experience in Anorexia nervosa and Suicidal Female Adolescent Inpatients

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between body image and suicidal tendencies in anorexia nervosa (AN). Methods: Three groups of hospitalized female adolescents – nonsuicidal AN, suicidal psychiatric and nonsuicidal psychiatric patients, as well as a community control group with no psychiatric disturbances were compared with regard to suicidal tendencies (in the form of attitudes to life and death), body image and experience, depression and anxiety. Results: The AN and suicidal patients showed less attraction to but more repulsion by life, and more attraction to and less repulsion by death compared with the other two groups. The AN and suicidal patients were also different from either one or both control groups in showing more negative attitudes and feelings towards their bodies, lower sensitivity to body clues, less body control, and elevated depression and anxiety. These between-group differences in suicidal tendencies were retained after controlling for age, body mass index, the different body image dimensions, anxiety and depression. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that female AN inpatients with no evidence of overt suicidal behavior demonstrate elevated suicidal tendencies that are similar to those of suicidal psychiatric inpatients. These self-destructive tendencies are highly associated with a pervasive sense of disturbance of body image and experience.
Lesbians’ Drinking Patterns: Beyond the Data#

Early studies report very high rates of “alcohol abuse” and alcoholism among lesbians. However, serious methodological problems, including nonrepresentative samples that were often recruited in lesbian or gay lesbian bars, limit the validity of findings from these studies. In this article, I briefly review the literature on lesbians’ use of alcohol and present findings from a recent study conducted in Chicago (USA). This study recruited a race- and age-diverse sample of lesbians and a demographically matched group of heterosexual women. Rates of “heavy” alcohol use and alcohol-use-related problems among lesbians were much lower in this study than in early studies. However, lesbians were more likely than their heterosexual counterparts to be in recovery and to have been in treatment for alcohol-use-related problems. Further, high rates of childhood sexual abuse, depression, and suicidal ideation reported by lesbians suggest that at least some groups may be at heightened risk for “heavy” drinking and drinking-related problems. Nevertheless, results of this and other studies suggest that reports of heavy drinking and drinking-related problems among lesbians may have been inflated in earlier studies, or that heavy drinking and drinking-related problems may have declined among lesbians.
Mixed States: a "new" nosographic entity.

OBJECTIVE Mixed states represent a controversial topic in the current psychiatry. The definitions and the diagnostic criteria have changed over the past years. The new DSM-5 classification will have a substantial impact in several fields: epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, research, education, and regulations. METHODS We reviewed the latest literature by using the key words "mixed states" and "agitated depression" on the PubMed. RESULTS Although there is a great expectation about the validity of the new DSM-5 mixed states diagnosis, little is known about its application on large population study but the formulation of less restrictive and more specific criteria for the diagnosis of mixed states represent a starting point for future researches, mainly in consideration of the fact that previous classifications consider the MS a superposition of manic and depressive symptoms, underestimating the clinical complexity and the wider phenomenologic variability of these conditions. CONCLUSIONS Clinical trials need to address treatment effects according to the presence or absence of mixed features in consideration of the fact that replacing in the bipolar spectrum patients that traditionally are considered to be affected by unipolar depression, represent a topical research hypothesis and has a practical remarkable importance in the appropriate therapeutic choice.
Mycology – an update. Part 1: Dermatomycoses: Causative agents, epidemiology and pathogenesis

Dermatomycoses are caused most commonly by dermatophytes. The anthropophilic dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum is still the most frequent causative agent worldwide. Keratinolytic enzymes, e.g. hydrolases and keratinases, are important virulence factors of T. rubrum. Recently, the cysteine dioxygenase was found as new virulence factor. Predisposing host factors play a similarly important role for the development of dermatophytosis of the skin and nails. Chronic venous insufficiency, diabetes mellitus, disorders of cellular immunity, and genetic predisposition should be considered as risk factors for onychomycosis. A new alarming trend is the increasing number of cases of onychomycosis – mostly due to T. rubrum – in infancy.
High Resolution Structure of Deinococcus Bacteriophytochrome Yields New Insights into Phytochrome Architecture and Evolution*

Phytochromes are red/far red light photochromic photoreceptors that direct many photosensory behaviors in the bacterial, fungal, and plant kingdoms. They consist of an N-terminal domain that covalently binds a bilin chromophore and a C-terminal region that transmits the light signal, often through a histidine kinase relay. Using x-ray crystallography, we recently solved the first three-dimensional structure of a phytochrome, using the chromophore-binding domain of Deinococcus radiodurans bacterial phytochrome assembled with its chromophore, biliverdin IXα. Now, by engineering the crystallization interface, we have achieved a significantly higher resolution model. This 1.45Å resolution structure helps identify an extensive buried surface between crystal symmetry mates that may promote dimerization in vivo. It also reveals that upon ligation of the C32 carbon of biliverdin to Cys24, the chromophore A-ring assumes a chiral center at C2, thus becoming 2(R),3(E)-phytochromobilin, a chemistry more similar to that proposed for the attached chromophores of cyanobacterial and plant phytochromes than previously appreciated. The evolution of bacterial phytochromes to those found in cyanobacteria and higher plants must have involved greater fitness using more reduced bilins, such as phycocyanobilin, combined with a switch of the attachment site from a cysteine near the N terminus to one conserved within the cGMP phosphodiesterase/adenyl cyclase/FhlA domain. From analysis of site-directed mutants in the D. radiodurans phytochrome, we show that this bilin preference was partially driven by the change in binding site, which ultimately may have helped photosynthetic organisms optimize shade detection. Collectively, these three-dimensional structural results better clarify bilin/protein interactions and help explain how higher plant phytochromes evolved from prokaryotic progenitors.
Persistent infection with neurotropic herpes viruses and cognitive impairment

Background Herpes virus infections can cause cognitive impairment during and after acute encephalitis. Although chronic, latent/persistent infection is considered to be relatively benign, some studies have documented cognitive impairment in exposed persons that is untraceable to encephalitis. These studies were conducted among schizophrenia (SZ) patients or older community dwellers, among whom it is difficult to control for the effects of co-morbid illness and medications. To determine whether the associations can be generalized to other groups, we examined a large sample of younger control individuals, SZ patients and their non-psychotic relatives (n=1852). Method Using multivariate models, cognitive performance was evaluated in relation to exposures to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) and cytomegalovirus (CMV), controlling for familial and diagnostic status and sociodemographic variables, including occupation and educational status. Composite cognitive measures were derived from nine cognitive domains using principal components of heritability (PCH). Exposure was indexed by antibodies to viral antigens. Results PCH1, the most heritable component of cognitive performance, declines with exposure to CMV or HSV-1 regardless of case/relative/control group status (p = 1.09 × 10−5 and 0.01 respectively), with stronger association with exposure to multiple herpes viruses (β = −0.25, p = 7.28 × 10−10). There were no significant interactions between exposure and group status. Conclusions Latent/persistent herpes virus infections can be associated with cognitive impairments regardless of other health status.
The relation between health-related quality of life, treatment adherence and disease severity in a paediatric sickle cell disease sample.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive examination of the potential factors associated with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in a paediatric sickle cell disease sample. METHODS Caregivers of 78 paediatric sickle cell disease patients completed surveys, which included measures of HRQOL, treatment adherence and barriers to treatment adherence. Medical chart reviews were also conducted to assess disease severity. RESULTS Barriers to treatment adherence and pain crisis frequency were found to be the most robust factors associated with HRQOL. CONCLUSIONS This study provides insight into the factors related to paediatric sickle cell disease and informs both clinicians and researchers interested in understanding and improving HRQOL in this population. In particular, the reduction of pain crises frequency and barriers to adherence may be particularly effective strategies to improve HRQOL.
Alternative Oxidase (AOX) Genes of African Trypanosomes: Phylogeny and Evolution of AOX and Plastid Terminal Oxidase Families

Abstract. To clarify evolution and phylogenetic relationships of trypanosome alternative oxidase (AOX) molecules, AOX genes (cDNAs) of the African trypanosomes, Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma evansi, were cloned by PCR. Both AOXs possess conserved consensus motifs (‐E‐, ‐EXXH‐). The putative amino acid sequence of the AOX of T. evansi was exactly the same as that of T. brucei. A protein phylogeny of trypanosome AOXs revealed that three genetically and pathogenically distinct strains of T. congolense are closely related to each other. When all known AOX sequences collected from current databases were analyzed, the common ancestor of these three Trypanosoma species shared a sister‐group position to T. brucei/T. evansi. Monophyly of Trypanosoma spp. was clearly supported (100% bootstrap value) with Trypanosoma vivax placed at the most basal position of the Trypanosoma clade. Monophyly of other eukaryotic lineages, terrestrial plants + red algae, Metazoa, diatoms, Alveolata, oomycetes, green algae, and Fungi, was reconstructed in the best AOX tree obtained from maximum likelihood analysis, although some of these clades were not strongly supported. The terrestrial plants + red algae clade showed the closest affinity with an α‐proteobacterium, Novosphingobium aromaticivorans, and the common ancestor of these lineages, was separated from other eukaryotes. Although the root of the AOX subtree was not clearly determined, subsequent phylogenetic analysis of the composite tree for AOX and plastid terminal oxidase (PTOX) demonstrated that PTOX and related cyanobacterial sequences are of a monophyletic origin and their common ancestor is linked to AOX sequences.
The Comparative Method and Comparative Management: Uneasy Bedfellows or Natural Partners?

The article considers the relationship between the comparative method and comparative management research. It begins with a comparison of quantitative and qualitative approaches and delineates the distinctive place of the comparative method. The comparative method originated in disciplinary fields such as comparative politics and comparative sociology, which took countries or societies as the main units of analysis. Since management research is mainly concerned with organisation-level practices and strategies, the comparative method and comparative management were perceived as 'uneasy bedfellows'. However, recently there has been a resurgence of the use of comparative methodologies in management research. The article highlights two developments linked with this trend. On the one hand, methodological innovations in Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) opened up new opportunities for the analysis of medium-N samples. On the other hand, the stream of comparative capitalisms and business systems provided a springboard to compare across countries, whilst using industries or organisations as the unit of analysis. Overall, the article argues that these theoretical and methodological developments suggest that the comparative method is a 'natural partner' of comparative management, and that the renewed relevance and deeper engagement with comparative methodology is set to further enrich methodological pluralism in international management research.
Transitions between routes of heroin administration: a study of Caucasian and Indochinese heroin users in south-western Sydney, Australia.

AIM To examine patterns and correlates of routes of heroin use among Caucasian and Indochinese heroin users. DESIGN A cross-sectional survey. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Two hundred heroin users resident in South West Sydney. The sample was divided between Caucasian and Indochinese users (each n = 100), with half of each group on methadone maintenance. MEASUREMENTS A semi-structured interview was administered, based on previous studies of transitions between routes of administration. Measures included patterns of drug use, transitions, social, health and legal issues and cultural correlates of use. FINDINGS Almost two-thirds (61%) had smoked heroin. Smoking was more common among the Indochinese (40% were predominantly or exclusively smokers), although injecting was the dominant route for both groups. More than one-quarter (29%) had made a transition from smoking to injecting, primarily due to drug effect and perceived cost-effectiveness. Reverse transitions were rare. Smoking appeared to be more culturally acceptable than injecting among Indochinese users. Among both groups, there was a small but significant risk for the transmission of HIV and other blood-borne viruses. Polydrug use and age were positively associated with having experienced a non-fatal overdose. CONCLUSIONS This research documents the existence of smoking as a popular route of administration among both Indochinese and Caucasian heroin users in the study sample. There is an urgent need to provide smokers and injectors with information explaining the potential risks and ways to minimize harms associated with both routes of use.
Gains in Flexibility Related to Measures of Muscular Performance: Impact of Flexibility on Muscular Performance

Objective:Studies that investigated possible correlations between flexibility and muscular performance are scarce in the literature. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a program of static stretching on the flexibility of the hamstrings and on muscular performance of the knee flexors and extensors. Design:Pre-post experimental design. Setting:University laboratory. Participants:Thirty subjects aged 22.8 ± 4.9 years with bilaterally shortened hamstrings. Intervention:Using a protocol that has been previously described, the intervention consisted of 30 sessions of static stretching, performed bilaterally five times a week for 6 weeks. Main Outcome Measurements:Measures of knee range of motion and isokinetic muscular performance (peak torque, angle of peak torque, and work) of knee flexors and extensors at speeds of 60 and 300 degrees/s. Results:After intervention, significant gains in measures of flexibility (P < 0.0001) were observed, with an average gain of the knee-extension angle of 12.6°, ranging from −1.2 to 30.7°. In addition, we found significant increases in the following parameters of muscular performance: angle of peak torque of hamstrings at 60 and 300 degrees/s (P < 0.0001 and 0.018) and for work at 60 and 300 degrees/s for knee flexors (P = 0.012 and 0.005) and for knee extensors (P < 0.0001). Conclusions:The intervention resulted in gains in measures of flexibility, and these gains had a positive impact on some parameters of muscular performance.
Virus‐specific T‐cell responses associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) persistence in the liver after apparent recovery from HCV infection

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA persistence in the liver has been described even after apparent resolution of HCV infection. Because T‐cell reactivity plays a role in recovery from HCV infection, virus‐specific T‐cell responses were investigated in apparently recovered individuals in whom hepatic HCV RNA persistence was documented: 15 sustained virological responders to interferon (IFN)‐treatment and 9 asymptomatic aviremic anti‐HCV carriers. HCV‐specific CD4+ T‐cell proliferative responses were detected significantly more often in apparently recovered individuals (sustained virological responders: 60%; asymptomatic anti‐HCV carriers: 66%) compared with 50 chronic hepatitis C patients (28%; P < 0.05). However, T‐cell frequencies and numbers tended to decline over time and the number of HCV proteins targeted by CD4+ T‐cell proliferative responses was limited. Interestingly, liver viral load correlated inversely with virus‐specific immune responses. Thus, CD4+ T‐cell responders showed significantly lower hepatic HCV RNA levels (P < 0.05). HCV‐specific IFN‐γ‐secreting CD4+ T‐cells were not detected in all the apparently recovered patients although they were found significantly more often compared with chronic hepatitis C patients (P < 0.05). Also, HCV NS3‐specific CD8+ T‐cells were detected in 11 HLA‐A2‐positive apparently recovered individuals (8 sustained virological responders and 3 asymptomatic anti‐HCV carriers); T‐cell frequencies tended to be greater in those patients who had lower hepatic viral levels. In conclusion, HCV‐specific T‐cells are detectable in apparently recovered individuals in whom HCV RNA can persist in the liver indicating that HCV replication may be prolonged in the face of an insufficient or inadequate virus‐specific CD4+ and CD8+ T‐cell response. J. Med. Virol. 78:1190–1197, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Role of Similarity Cues in the Development of Trustin Sources of Information About GM Food

In evaluating complex new technologies, people are usually dependent on information provided by others, for example, experts or journalists, and have to determine whether they can trust these information sources. This article focuses on similarity as the basis for trust. The first experiment (N = 261) confirmed that a journalist writing about genetically modified (GM) food was trusted more when his attitude was congruent with that of his readers. In addition, the experiment showed that this effect was mediated by the perceived similarity of the journalist. The second experiment (N = 172) revealed that trust in a journalist writing about the focal domain of GM food was even influenced by him expressing a congruent attitude in an unrelated domain. This result supports a general similarity account of the congruence effect on trust, as opposed to a confirmatory bias account.
Childhood Sexual Abuse is Associated With Physical Illness Burden and Functioning in Psychiatric Patients 50 Years of Age and Older

Objective: To examine the association of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) with cumulative illness burden, physical function, and bodily pain (BP) in a sample of male and female psychiatric patients ≥50 years of age. Previous research on the health consequences of sexual abuse has focused on nonpsychiatric samples of younger-age adults, especially women. The health implications of abuse for mixed-gender samples of older psychiatric patients have not been explored. Methods: Participants were 163 patients with primary mood disorders. Sexual abuse histories were collected via patient self-report, as was BP. The measure of medical illness burden was based on chart review. Clinical interviewers rated physical function, using the activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) scales. Linear and logistic regressions examined the association between CSA and health outcomes. Results: As hypothesized, severe childhood sexual abuse was associated with higher cumulative medical illness burden, worse physical function, and greater BP. Comparisons of regression coefficients revealed that severe CSA's influence on illness burden is roughly comparable to the effects of adding 8 years of age. For ADL impairment and BP, the effects are comparable to adding 20 years of age. Conclusions: Strong relationships exist between CSA and medical illness burden, function, and pain among psychiatric patients ≥50 years of age. These relationships cannot be ascribed to shared method variance. Early detection of patients' abuse histories could inform targeted interventions to prevent or decelerate the progression of morbidity in this high-risk group. ADLs = activities of daily living; IADLs = instrumental activities of daily living; CSA = childhood sexual abuse; CTQ = Childhood Trauma Questionnaire; CIRS = Cumulative Illness Rating Scale; PSMS = Physical Self Maintenance Scale; BP = bodily pain; SF-36 = Medical Outcome Study 36-Item Short Form; PTSD = posttraumatic stress disorder.
Growth and/or acid production of Candida albicans on soft lining materials in vitro.

Effects of soft lining materials on the growth and/or acid production of Candida albicans were investigated using a simplified method monitoring the pH change in the growth medium. Reverse sigmoidal pH curves were observed with all samples and, as compared with acrylic, all soft lining materials inhibited fungal growth or acid production in the following way, i.e. delay of the beginning of a rapid and linear decline in pH, decreases in the rate of linear change in pH and increases in minimum pH. Further examinations using a surface-modified glass tube revealed that the order of Candida growth agreed with the relative hydrophobicity and adherence capacity of substrates, suggesting that this adherence capacity affected the yeast growth on their surfaces. Besides adherence capacities of substrates, the powder, liquid and plasticizer of some soft lining materials directly inhibited Candida growth. Thus, the results obtained here revealed that several factors within soft lining materials affected Candida growth and/or acid production.
Measurement of Symptoms Following Sports-Related Concussion: Reliability and Normative Data for the Post-Concussion Scale

It is important to carefully evaluate self-reported symptoms in athletes with known or suspected concussions. This article presents data on the psychometric and clinical properties of a commonly used concussion symptom inventory-the Post-Concussion Scale. Normative and psychometric data are presented for large samples of young men (N = 1,391) and young women (N = 355). In addition, data gathered from a concussed sample of athletes (N = 260) seen within 5 days of injury are presented. These groups represent samples of both high school and collegiate athletes. Data from a subsample of 52 concussed athletes seen 3 times post-injury are presented to illustrate symptom reporting patterns during the initial recovery period. General guidelines for the clinical use of the scale are provided.