Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Trajectories to community engagement: Understanding older people's experiences of engagement with online and local communities

The communal benefits of online communities and SNS are enjoyed by many Internet users but remain of limited appeal to many older people. In this study we consider how a small group of older people in the South of England engage with these technologies showing their motivations and the role of existing relationships in the local community with regards to this engagement. Four catalysts are identified which determine trajectories towards and away from online engagement and these are: family, roles, loss, and ‘spaces and places’. The resulting trajectories are discussed along with their implications for policy making and technology design.Les sites communautaires et les reseaux sociaux interessent de nombreux internautes mais leurs utilisations restent en marge des personnes âgees. Dans cette etude effectuee dans le sud de l’Angleterre, nous observons quelles sont les motivations d’un petit groupe de personnes âgees qui utilise ces plateformes et quel impact ont leurs relations existantes dans la communaute locale sur cette utilisation. Quatre vecteurs de motivation peuvent etre identifies : la famille, les roles, la perte d’un proche et «les espaces et les lieux». Les resultats sont analyses avec leurs implications sur l'elaboration des futures lois et la conception de nouvelles technologies. Los beneficios colectivos de comunidades virtuales y del uso de espacios sociales en red llegan a muchos usuarios del internet. Sin embargo, personas de la tercera edad parecen no estar igualmente interesadas en este tipo de comunidad virtual. Este estudio considera la manera en que un pequeno grupo de personas mayores del sur de Inglaterra utiliza esta tecnologia. El articulo explora sus motivaciones en el uso del internet y el papel que juegan sus relaciones ya establecidas en la comunidad local para reforzar ese uso o alejarlos del internet. El articulo identifica cuatro aspectos catalizadores que determinan trayectorias, tanto hacia el uso del internet como en su contra, y que son los siguientes: familia, roles sociales, ‘perdida’, y ‘espacios y lugares’. El articulo discute las trayectorias resultantes de estos aspectos catalizadores en relacion a sus implicaciones en terminos de politicas publicas asi como de diseno de tecnologias.
Antisense Oligodeoxynucleotides to the Cloned δ Receptor DOR‐1: Uptake, Stability, and Regulation of Gene Expression

Abstract: Phosphodiester antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) directed against various domains of the cloned mouse δ receptor DOR‐1 reduce δ‐opioid receptor binding in vivo and in vitro. The present study examines the stability of an antisense ODN (275 nM) directed against the δ‐opioid receptor and its effect on DOR‐1 mRNA in cultured neuroblastoma cells and in vivo. When added to NG108‐15 cells, much of the antisense ODN is degraded. However, >1% is intact, associated with cells, and stable for at least 72 h. Northern blot analysis demonstrates that treatment of NG108‐15 cells with the antisense ODN reduces the levels of a species of DOR‐1 mRNA by ∼25%. Similarly, intrathecal administration of the antisense ODN results in the accumulation of intact ODN within the spinal cord, which is stable for at least 72 h, although the levels of accumulation in vivo are lower than in vitro after either 4 or 72 h. Antisense ODN treatment lowers DOR‐1 mRNA levels by ∼25%. The loss of mRNA both in vivo and in vitro corresponds quite well to the decreases in receptor binding previously observed by our laboratory and is consistent with reduction of δ‐opioid receptor protein in vitro as determined by western blot with a monoclonal antibody selective for the δ‐opioid receptor. In conclusion, these studies indicate that a small, but significant, proportion of ODN is taken up by cells and remains intact for up to 72 h. This appears to be sufficient to down‐regulate mRNA levels of δ‐opioid receptors and their expression.
A Rapid and Simple PCR Analysis Indicates There Are Two Subgroups of Vibrio vulnificus Which Correlate with Clinical or Environmental Isolation

Vibrio vulnificus is an estuarine bacterium which is the causative agent of both food‐borne disease and wound infection. Although V. vulnificus is commonly found in molluscan shellfish at high numbers, the incidence of disease is relatively low, leading to the hypothesis that not all strains of V. vulnificus are equally virulent. Unfortunately, there is currently no easy test to identify virulent strains of this species. We have previously identified a 200 bp randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) PCR amplicon associated with clinical isolates. DNA sequence data from this locus in six clinical and four environmental isolates showed that the strains could be divided into two groups, which we termed C‐type (correlates with clinical origin) and E‐type (correlates with environmental origin). We designed PCR primers that could distinguish between the two groups, and typed 55 randomly selected strains. We found that 90% of the C‐type strains were clinical isolates, while 93% of environmental isolates were classified as E‐type. The region directly downstream of this locus contained a heptanucleotide sequence repeated various times depending on the strain. Using a PCR‐based assay to detect the repeat number present in a given strain, we found a statistically significant correlation with the C/E type classification and the number of repeats. The data reported here are consistent with the existence of two genotypes of V. vulnificus, with the C‐type being a strong indicator of potential virulence.
Haemophilus somnus Induces Apoptosis in Bovine Endothelial Cells In Vitro

ABSTRACT Haemophilus somnus causes pneumonia, reproductive failure, infectious myocarditis, thrombotic meningoencephalitis, and other diseases in cattle. Although vasculitis is commonly seen as a result of systemic H. somnus infections, the pathogenesis of vascular damage is poorly characterized. In this study, we demonstrated that H. somnus (pathogenic isolates 649, 2336, and 8025 and asymptomatic carrier isolates 127P and 129Pt) induce apoptosis of bovine endothelial cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner, as determined by Hoechst 33342 staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-FITC nick end labeling, DNA fragmentation, and transmission electron microscopy. H. somnus induced endothelial cell apoptosis in as little as 1 h of incubation and did not require extracellular growth of the bacteria. Viable H. somnus organisms induced greater endothelial cell apoptosis than heat-killed organisms. Since viableH. somnus cells release membrane fibrils and blebs, which contain lipooligosaccharide (LOS) and immunoglobulin binding proteins, we examined culture filtrates for their ability to induce endothelial cell apoptosis. Culture filtrates induced similar levels of endothelial cell apoptosis, as did viable H. somnus organisms. Heat inactivation of H. somnus culture filtrates partially reduced the apoptotic effect on endothelial cells, which suggested the presence of both heat-labile and heat-stable factors. We found thatH. somnus LOS, which is heat stable, induced endothelial cell apoptosis in a time- and dose-dependent manner and was inhibited by the addition of polymyxin B. These data demonstrate that H. somnus and its LOS induce endothelial cell apoptosis, which may play a role in producing vasculitis in vivo.
Genetic Differentiation between Sympatric Populations of Bacillus cereus and Bacillus thuringiensis

ABSTRACT Little is known about genetic exchanges in natural populations of bacteria of the spore-forming Bacillus cereus group, because no population genetics studies have been performed with local sympatric populations. We isolated strains of Bacillus thuringiensis and B. cereus from small samples of soil collected at the same time from two separate geographical sites, one within the forest and the other at the edge of the forest. A total of 100 B. cereus and 98 B. thuringiensis strains were isolated and characterized by electrophoresis to determine allelic composition at nine enzymatic loci. We observed genetic differentiation between populations of B. cereus and B. thuringiensis. Populations of a given Bacillus species—B. thuringiensis or B. cereus—were genetically more similar to each other than to populations of the other Bacillus species. Hemolytic activity provided further evidence of this genetic divergence, which remained evident even if putative clones were removed from the data set. Our results suggest that the rate of gene flow was higher between strains of the same species, but that exchanges between B. cereus and B. thuringiensis were nonetheless possible. Linkage disequilibrium analysis revealed sufficient recombination for B. cereus populations to be considered panmictic units. In B. thuringiensis, the balance between clonal proliferation and recombination seemed to depend on location. Overall, our data indicate that it is not important for risk assessment purposes to determine whether B. cereus and B. thuringiensis belong to a single or two species. Assessment of the biosafety of pest control based on B. thuringiensis requires evaluation of the extent of genetic exchange between strains in realistic natural conditions.
Autochthonous starter cultures and indigenous grape variety for regional wine production

To characterize Oenococcus oeni strains isolated from North‐Apulian wines where malic acid degradation is usually achieved by spontaneous fermentations, and to determine the influence of bacterial inoculation time on the malolactic performances in ‘Nero di Troia’ wine using a complete autochthonous microbial regime.
Tissue resonance interaction accurately detects colon lesions: A double-blind pilot study.

AIM To investigated the performance of the tissue resonance interaction method (TRIM) for the non-invasive detection of colon lesions. METHODS We performed a prospective single-center blinded pilot study of consecutive adults undergoing colonoscopy at the University Hospital in Sassari, Italy. Before patients underwent colonoscopy, they were examined by the TRIMprobe which detects differences in electromagnetic properties between pathological and normal tissues. All patients had completed the polyethylene glycol-containing bowel prep for the colonoscopy procedure before being screened. During the procedure the subjects remained fully dressed. A hand-held probe was moved over the abdomen and variations in electromagnetic signals were recorded for 3 spectral lines (462-465 MHz, 930 MHz, and 1395 MHz). A single investigator, blind to any clinical information, performed the test using the TRIMprob system. Abnormal signals were identified and recorded as malignant or benign (adenoma or hyperplastic polyps). Findings were compared with those from colonoscopy with histologic confirmation. Statistical analysis was performed by χ(2) test. RESULTS A total of 305 consecutive patients fulfilling the inclusion criteria were enrolled over a period of 12 months. The most frequent indication for colonoscopy was abdominal pain (33%). The TRIMprob was well accepted by all patients; none spontaneously complained about the procedure, and no adverse effects were observed. TRIM proved inaccurate for polyp detection in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and they were excluded leaving 281 subjects (mean age 59 ± 13 years; 107 males). The TRIM detected and accurately characterized all 12 adenocarcinomas and 135/137 polyps (98.5%) including 64 adenomatous (100%) found. The method identified cancers and polyps with 98.7% sensitivity, 96.2% specificity, and 97.5% diagnostic accuracy, compared to colonoscopy and histology analyses. The positive predictive value was 96.7% and the negative predictive value 98.4%. Among the 281 non-IBD subjects, there were 7 cases with discordant results (2.5%) between TRIMprob and the reference standard including 5 false positive results (1.8%) and 2 false negative (0.7%) results. The main limitation of the TRIMprob system is the need for trained operators. CONCLUSION The study confirmed that TRIM provides rapid, accurate, convenient and noninvasive means to identify individuals most likely to benefit from colonoscopy.
Trimetazidine Inhibits Neutrophil Accumulation After Myocardial Ischaemia and Reperfusion in Rabbits

Summary: Interventions that inhibit neutrophil infiltration into myocardial tissue after ischaemia and reperfusion are reported to reduce the size of the infarct. We examined whether administration of trimetazidine, which is reported to reduce myocardial infarct size, affects this process. [111In]Neutrophils and [125I]albumin were administered intravenously (i.v.) to anaesthetized rabbits to allow measurement of cell accumulation and changes in microvascular plasma protein leakage. A 30-min period of coronary artery occlusion followed by 3-h reperfusion was used, and the area at risk (AR) myocardium was defined by dye exclusion. Twelve rabbits received 2.5 mg/kg trimetazidine i.v. , 10 min before coronary artery occlusion; the 13 controls received saline. In the control group, the number of [111In]neutrophils/g tissue in the AR (30,591 ± 6,725) was significantly greater than in the normal zone (NZ, 11,519 ± 1,605, p<0.01). In the trimetazidine- treated group, the number of [111In]neutrophils in the AR was significantly lower than in the control group (12,717 ± 1,958 [mIn]neutrophils/g, p<0.01). There was no significant difference in neutrophil content of the NZ (7,832 ± 1,117 [111In]neutrophils/g) in treated animals as compared with that in control. Accumulation of ['„Injneutrophils in response to intradermal administration of leukotriene B4, interleukin-8 (IL-8), or zymosanactivated plasma was not affected by the drug. The effect of trimetazidine on neutrophil accumulation into postischaemic reperfused myocardium therefore does not appear to result from a direct action on the neutrophil
Optimal neurocognitive, personality and behavioral measures for assessing impulsivity in cocaine dependence

Abstract Background: Impulsivity may underlie the poor treatment retention and high relapse rates observed in cocaine-dependent persons. However, observed differences in measures of impulsivity between cocaine-dependent and healthy control participants often do not reach clinical significance, suggesting that the clinical relevance of these differences may be limited. Objectives: To examine which measures of impulsivity (i.e. self-report impulsivity, self-report personality, neurocognitive testing) best distinguish cocaine-dependent and healthy control participants (i.e. showing differences at least 1.5 standard deviations [SD] from controls). Optimal measures were considered to demonstrate sufficient classification accuracy. Methods: Sixty-five recently abstinent cocaine-dependent and 25 healthy control participants were assessed using select neurocognitive tests and self-report questionnaires including the NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO-PI-R), Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11a), and the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe). Results: When corrected for years of education and gender, neurocognitive measures did not demonstrate clinically significant differences between cocaine-dependent and control participants. The personality measures TCI Purposefulness and Congruent Second Nature and NEO-PI-R Impulsiveness, and the self-rating measures FrSBe Disinhibition and BIS-11 Motor Impulsivity and Total successfully identified clinically meaningful elevations in impulsivity within cocaine-dependent participants (>1.5 SDs from controls). Furthermore, these measures achieved 84–93% accuracy in discriminating cocaine-dependent from control participants. Conclusion: Clinically significant neurocognitive impairment in cocaine-dependent participants was not observed in this sample. As the BIS-11 or FrSBe are brief to administer, accurate, and have been shown to predict treatment retention and relapse, these measures appear to be optimal, relative to the personality measures, for examining trait impulsivity in cocaine dependence.
Distribution of Galanin Receptor‐2 Immunoreactive Neurones in the Ovine Hypothalamus: No Evidence for Involvement in the Control of Gonadotrophin‐Releasing Hormone Secretion

Galanin is a small neuropeptide that mediates its effects via three receptor isoforms: galanin receptor‐1, galanin receptor‐2 and galanin receptor‐3 (Gal‐R1, Gal‐R2 and Gal‐R3). Galanin is thought to be an important intermediate in signalling in the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐gonadal axis and has been widely detected in the ovine hypothalamus. The expression of galanin and Gal‐R1 has been reported to fluctuate during the reproductive cycle. Although the distribution of Gal‐R1 has been determined in the ovine hypothalamus, the distribution of Gal‐R2 was hitherto unknown. Using immunohistological and immunofluorescence techniques, we have mapped the distribution of Gal‐R2 in the ovine hypothalamus, collected during the follicular phase of the oestrous cycle and examined colocalisation of Gal‐R2 with oestrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and gonadotrophin‐releasing hormone (GnRH). Gal‐R2 was expressed in several regions of the hypothalamus (supraoptic nucleus, paraventricular nucleus, ventromedial nucleus, arcuate nucleus) but not as widely expressed as Gal‐R1. Areas of Gal‐R2 expression overlapped with those reported for Gal‐R1. We observed that, in certain defined regions of the hypothalamus, up to 50% of neurones that express Gal‐R2 also express ERα. No neurones coexpressed Gal‐R2 and GnRH. Thus, we conclude that, in follicular phase animals, this receptor plays little or no role in direct intermediary signal transmission in GnRH‐mediated control of the reproductive cycle.
The efficacy of sagittal cervical spine subtyping: Investigating radiological classification methods within 150 asymptomatic participants

Aims: The aim of this study is to (1) compare and contrast cervical subtype classification methods within an asymptomatic population, and (2) identify inter-methodological consistencies and describe examples of inconsistencies that have the potential to affect subtype classification and clinical decision-making. Methods: A total of 150 asymptomatic 18–30-year-old participants met the strict inclusion criteria. An erect neutral lateral radiograph was obtained using standard procedures. The Centroid, modified Takeshima/Herbst methods and the relative rotation angles in cases of nonagreement were used to determine subtype classifications. Cohen's kappa coefficient (κ) was used to assess the level of agreement between the two methods. Results: Nonlordotic classifications represented 66% of the cohort. Subtype classification identified the cohort as, lordosis (51), straight (37), global kyphosis (30), sigmoidal (13), and reverse sigmoidal (RS) (19). Cohen's kappa coefficient indicated that there was only a moderate level of agreement between methods (κ = 0.531). Methodological agreement tended to be higher within the lordotic and global kyphotic subtypes whereas, straight, sigmoidal, and RS subtypes demonstrated less agreement. Conclusion: This is the first study of its type to compare and contrast cervical classification methods. Subtypes displaying predominantly extended or flexed segments demonstrated higher levels of agreement. Our findings highlight the need for establishing a standardized multi-method approach to classify sagittal cervical subtypes.
Effects of Nonpathogenic Bacteria on Cytokine Secretion by Human Intestinal Mucosa

OBJECTIVE:The human intestine harbors a complex microbial ecosystem, and the mucosa is the interface between the immune system and the luminal environment. The aim of this study was to elucidate whether host–bacteria interactions influence mucosal cytokine production.METHODS:Macroscopically normal colonic specimens were obtained at surgery from eight patients with neoplasm, and inflamed ileal specimens were obtained from two patients with Crohn's disease. Mucosal explants were cultured for 24 h with either nonpathogenic Escherichia coli ECOR-26, Lactobacillus casei DN-114 001, L. casei DN-114 056, L. casei ATCC-334, or Lactobacillus bulgaricus LB-10. Each study included blank wells with no bacteria. Tissue and bacteria viability were confirmed by LDH release and culture. Concentration of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α, transforming growth factor β1, interleukin (IL)-8, and IL-10 was measured in supernatants. In parallel experiments, neutralizing anti-TNFα antibody was added to the culture.RESULTS:Co-culture of mucosa with bacteria did not modify LDH release. Co-culture with L. casei strains significantly reduced TNFα release, whereas E. coli increased it. These effects were observed both in normal and inflamed mucosa. In combination studies, L. casei DN-114 001 prevented TNFα stimulation by E. coli. L. casei DN-114 001 also reduced IL-8 release via a TNFα-independent pathway. L. casei DN-114 056 or E. coli increased IL-10 release in the presence of neutralizing anti-TNFα. CONCLUSIONS:Nonpathogenic bacteria interact with human intestinal mucosa and can induce changes in cytokine production that are strain specific.
Protective factors against suicidal acts in major depression: reasons for living.

OBJECTIVE Over 30,000 people a year commit suicide in the United States. Prior attempted suicide and hopelessness are the most powerful clinical predictors of future completed suicide. The authors hypothesized that "reasons for living" might protect or restrain patients with major depression from making a suicide attempt. METHOD Inpatients with DSM-III-R major depression were assessed for depression, general psychopathology, suicide history, reasons for living, and hopelessness. Of the 84 patients, 45 had attempted suicide and 39 had not. RESULTS The depressed patients who had not attempted suicide expressed more feelings of responsibility toward family, more fear of social disapproval, more moral objections to suicide, greater survival and coping skills, and a greater fear of suicide than the depressed patients who had attempted suicide. Scores for hopelessness, subjective depression, and suicidal ideation were significantly higher for the suicide attempters. Reasons for living correlated inversely with the combined score on these measures, considered an indicator of "clinical suicidality. " Neither objective severity of depression nor quantity of recent life events differed between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS During a depressive episode, the subjective perception of stressful life events may be more germane to suicidal expression than the objective quantity of such events. A more optimistic perceptual set, despite equivalent objective severity of depression, may modify hopelessness and may protect against suicidal behavior during periods of risk, such as major depression. Assessment of reasons for living should be included in the evaluation of suicidal patients.