Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identification of the hikikomori syndrome of social withdrawal: Psychosocial features and treatment preferences in four countries

Background: Hikikomori, a form of social withdrawal first reported in Japan, may exist globally but cross-national studies of cases of hikikomori are lacking. Aims: To identify individuals with hikikomori in multiple countries and describe features of the condition. Method: Participants were recruited from sites in India, Japan, Korea and the United States. Hikikomori was defined as a 6-month or longer period of spending almost all time at home and avoiding social situations and social relationships, associated with significant distress/impairment. Additional measures included the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale, Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6), Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) and modified Cornell Treatment Preferences Index. Results: A total of 36 participants with hikikomori were identified, with cases detected in all four countries. These individuals had high levels of loneliness (UCLA Loneliness Scale M = 55.4, SD = 10.5), limited social networks (LSNS-6 M = 9.7, SD = 5.5) and moderate functional impairment (SDS M = 16.5, SD = 7.9). Of them 28 (78%) desired treatment for their social withdrawal, with a significantly higher preference for psychotherapy over pharmacotherapy, in-person over telepsychiatry treatment and mental health specialists over primary care providers. Across countries, participants with hikikomori had similar generally treatment preferences and psychosocial features. Conclusion: Hikikomori exists cross-nationally and can be assessed with a standardized assessment tool. Individuals with hikikomori have substantial psychosocial impairment and disability, and some may desire treatment.
Clinical observations on therapeutic effects of the modified shengjing zhongzi tang (see text) in patients with asthenospermia and oligozoospermia.

OBJECTIVE To compare the therapeutic effects of Shengjing Zhongzi Tang ((see text) Decoction for Generating Sperms) and Wuzi Yanzong Wan ((see text) Pills for Reproduction) for asthenospermia and oligozoospermia. METHODS Seventy patients with asthenospermia and oligozoospermia were divided into a treatment group of 35 cases treated with Shengjing Zhongzi Tang and a control group of 35 cases treated with Wuzi Yanzong Wan for 3 months respectively. The therapeutic effects were evaluated, the semen parameters were analyzed and the spermatic morphology was judged before and after treatment. RESULTS In the treatment group, the total effective rate was 91.4% with a pregnant rate of 8.6% spouses, and the markedly effective rate was 65.7%. In the control group, the total effective rate was 85.7% with a pregnant rate of 5.7% spouses, and the markedly effective rate was 54.3%. Both the total effective rate and the markedly effective rate were higher in the treatment group than those in the control group, but with no significant statistical difference (P > 0.05). The spermatic density, spermatic motility and the percentage of normal spermatic morphology were obviously enhanced in the two groups with the indexes in the treatment group superior to those in the control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). CONCLUSION Shengjing Zhongzi Tang with obvious therapeutic effects for asthenospermia and oligozoospermia can significantly enhance the spermatic density and motility, and raise the pregnant rate in spouses.
Mechanism for the antibacterial action of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) on Bacillus subtilis

Catechins are a class of polyphenols and have high anti-bacterial activity against various microorganisms. Here, we report the mechanism for antibacterial activity of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg) against Gram-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis, which is highly sensitive to EGCg. Transmission electron microscope analysis revealed that deposits containing EGCg were found throughout the cell envelope from the outermost surface to the outer surface of cytoplasmic membrane. Aggregating forms of proteins and EGCg were identified as spots that disappeared or showed markedly decreased intensity after the treatment with EGCg compared to the control by two-dimensional electrophoresis. Among the identified proteins included 4 cell surface proteins, such as oligopeptide ABC transporter binding lipoprotein, glucose phosphotransferase system transporter protein, phosphate ABC transporter substrate-binding protein, and penicillin-binding protein 5. Observations of glucose uptake of cells and cell shape B. subtilis after the treatment with EGCg suggested that EGCg inhibits the major functions of these proteins, leading to growth inhibition of B. subtilis. Graphical Abstract One of the mechanisms for antibacterial action of EGCg on B. subtilis.
Supporting regional cleantech sectors in North America

Abstract The development of a vibrant clean technology (or ‘cleantech’) sector has numerous advantages for a regional economy, among them economic development and job creation. But how do governments go about developing this sector? General demand policies and environmental regulations are clearly important, but this review of regional cleantech policies focuses on the less well-recognized area of governmental assistance for cleantech-business development. The research identifies four main policy instruments: clean-energy and high-technology funds; commercialization and incubation support; research, development, and testing facilities; and assistance to business networking organizations such as business associations. Two cases of cleantech-sector development, one in California and one in New York State, are discussed in more detail. They show how state- and local-demand policies provide important background assistance but also highlight the importance of developing independent intermediary organizations that represent and network the cleantech-business community. Moreover, this focus on the business-networking side of clean-energy policies can also help to broaden political support, especially in conservative regions where environmental frames are controversial.
Joint auto-encoders: a flexible multi-task learning framework

The incorporation of prior knowledge into learning is essential in achieving good performance based on small noisy samples. Such knowledge is often incorporated through the availability of related data arising from domains and tasks similar to the one of current interest. Ideally one would like to allow both the data for the current task and for previous related tasks to self-organize the learning system in such a way that commonalities and differences between the tasks are learned in a data-driven fashion. We develop a framework for learning multiple tasks simultaneously, based on sharing features that are common to all tasks, achieved through the use of a modular deep feedforward neural network consisting of shared branches, dealing with the common features of all tasks, and private branches, learning the specific unique aspects of each task. Once an appropriate weight sharing architecture has been established, learning takes place through standard algorithms for feedforward networks, e.g., stochastic gradient descent and its variations. The method deals with domain adaptation and multi-task learning in a unified fashion, and can easily deal with data arising from different types of sources. Numerical experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of learning in domain adaptation and transfer learning setups, and provide evidence for the flexible and task-oriented representations arising in the network.
White and gray matter abnormalities in narcolepsy with cataplexy.

STUDY OBJECTIVES The authors applied diffusion-tensor imaging including measurements of mean diffusivity (MD), which is a parameter of brain tissue integrity, fractional anisotropy (FA), which is a parameter of neuronal fiber integrity, and voxel-based morphometry, which is a measure of gray and white matter volume, to detect brain tissue changes in patients with narcolepsy-cataplexy. DESIGN N/A. PATIENTS Patients with narcolepsy-cataplexy (n = 16) and age-matched healthy control subjects (n = 12) were studied. INTERVENTIONS Whole cerebral MD, FA measures, and the volumes of the gray and white matter compartments were analyzed using statistical parametric mapping. MEASUREMENT AND RESULTS Significant MD increases and concomitant FA decreases were localized in the fronto-orbital cortex (P < 0.001) and the anterior cingulate (FA, P < 0.001; MD, P = 0.03) in narcolepsy-cataplexy. Additional MD increases without FA changes were detected in the ventral tegmental area, the dorsal raphe nuclei (P < 0.001), and the hypothalamus (P < 0.01). FA signal decreases were observed in the white matter tracts of the inferior frontal and inferior temporal cortices of narcolepsy-cataplexy patients (P < 0.001). Brain volume loss was evident in focal areas of the inferior and superior temporal cortices (P < 0.001) and the cingulate (P = 0.038). CONCLUSIONS Areas of increased diffusivity in the hypothalamus appear consistent with hypocretinergic cell loss reported in narcolepsy-cataplexy. Signal abnormalities in the ventral tegmental area and the dorsal raphe nuclei correspond to major synaptic targets of hypocretin neurons that were associated with the regulation of the sleep-wake cycle. Brain tissue alterations identified in the frontal cortex and cingulate are crucial in the maintenance of attention and reward-dependent decision making, both known to be impaired in narcolepsy-cataplexy.
UV‐induced Immunosuppression in the Balance †

Around 1980, experiments with hairless mice showed us that UV‐induced actinic keratoses (AK) and ensuing skin carcinomas did not arise independently: the rate of occurrence in one skin area was increased considerably if AKs had already been induced separately in another distant skin area, i.e. a systemic effect. The ground laying work of Margaret Kripke in the 1970s provided a fitting explanation: UV‐induced immunosuppression and tolerance toward the UV‐induced tumors. From Kripke’s work a new discipline arose: “Photoimmunology. ” Enormous strides were made in exploring and expanding the effects from UV carcinogenesis to infectious diseases, and in elucidating the mechanisms involved. Stemming from concerns about a depletion of the ozone layer and the general impact of ambient UV radiation, the groups I worked in and closely collaborated with explored the anticipated adverse effects of UV‐induced immunosuppression on healthy individuals. An important turning point was brought about in 1992 when the group of Kevin Cooper reported that immunosuppression could be induced by UV exposure in virtually all human subjects tested, suggesting that this is a normal and sound physiological reaction to UV exposure. This reaction could actually protect us from illicit immune responses against our UV‐exposed skin, such as observed in idiopathic polymorphic light eruption. This premise has fruitfully rekindled the research on this common “sun allergy,” affecting to widely varying degrees about one in five Europeans with indoor professions.
Prevalence and risk factors for Lawsonia intracellularis, Brachyspira hyodysenteriae and Salmonella spp. in finishing pigs in Polish farrow-to-finish swine herds.

The aim of the study was to estimate the herd-level, within-herd prevalence, the frequency of mixed infections and risk factors for L. intracellularis, B. hyodysenteriae and Salmonella spp. in selected farrow-to-finish Polish pig herds. A total of 254 pooled fecal samples were collected from 9 to 24 week-old pigs in 70 herds. Real time PCR for detection of L. intracellularis and B. hyodysenteriae was performed. For Salmonella spp. bacteriological examination was performed. The herd-level prevalences of L. intracellularis, B. hyodysenteriae and Salmonella spp. among examined herds were 65.7%, 1.4% and 8.6%, respectively. The within-herd prevalences (in positive herds) for L. intracellularis, B. hyodysenteriae and Salmonella spp. were 51.5%, 75.0% and 30.4%, respectively. All herds with diarrhea observed during sampling were infected with L. intracellularis and 60% of herds with no diarrhea at the moment of sampling were infected with L. intracellularis (p=0.035). In herds with more than 200 sows the prevalence of Salmonella spp. was significantly higher compared to herds with less than 200 sows (p=0.027). In herds where all-in/all-out (AIAO) was respected, prevalence of L. intracellularis was significantly lower than in herds where this rule was not kept (p=0.024). Obtained results confirm that L. intracellularis is the major cause of bacterial diarrhea in finishing pigs. The present study identified AIAO and herd size as a risk factor, at the herd level, for L. intracellularis and Salmonella spp. , respectively.
Comparative study of the use of sarcosine, proline and glycine as acrylamide inhibitors in ripe olive processing

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory effect on acrylamide (AA) formation and the impact on sensory characteristics in ripe olives of three selected amino acids (sarcosine, proline and glycine), which previously showed high AA inhibition rates in an olive model system. Each amino acid was separately added to packing solutions to give 100 or 200 mM at equilibrium, prior to a sterilisation treatment at 121°C. The results showed that sarcosine at 100 mM may be a good candidate for reducing the AA content in ripe olives with a limited effect on sensory characteristics. Studies with a model solution of AA and sarcosine heated at 121°C for 30 min suggested that the main mechanism for the inhibitory effect of sarcosine on AA formation was the Michael reaction. Graphical Abstract
Molecular Epidemiology and Clinical Implications of TT Virus (TTV) Infection in Indian Subjects

Goals: This study was aimed at obtaining data on the epidemiology and clinical course of TT virus (TTV) infections among Indian subjects. Background: The TTV is a nonenveloped DNA virus, first identified in the peripheral blood of individuals with posttransfusion hepatitis of unknown etiology. There has been much conjecture regarding the disease association of this virus. Study: A total of 494 serum specimens from various groups of high-risk and control subjects were screened for TTV DNA by a semi-nested PCR, using the ORF1-derived N22 primers. The sera were also screened for the HBsAg surface antigen by an ELISA, HCV RNA by a 5′ NCR-based RT-PCR and GBV-C/HGV RNA by a 5′ UTR-based RT-PCR. The clinical and hepatic profiles of the various subjects were also studied. Seventy-one randomly picked TTV isolates were directly sequenced and their phylogeny was studied. Results: TTV showed an overall positivity rate of 45.34% with a significant higher prevalence of 52.9% among the high-risk subjects as against a prevalence of 28% among healthy control subjects (P < 0.001). Abnormal liver function profiles were frequent among TTV viremic individuals and among the acute hepatitis cases studied a higher mortality rate correlated with a superimposed TTV infection. The 71 TTV isolates sequenced were found to belong to genotype 1a being closely homologous to TTV prototype TA278. Conclusion: The TT virus shows a significant prevalence in the Indian population, particularly among subjects at risk for acquiring parenterally transmitted infections. Our study corroborates a putative role of the virus in the etiology of liver disease, particularly in coinfection with other agents.
Binding of the DNA polymerase alpha-DNA primase complex to the nuclear matrix in HeLa cells.

It is well-known that there are multiple forms of DNA polymerase alpha. In order to determine which form(s) is (are) tightly bound, the activities were dissociated from DNA-poor nuclear matrices, with octyl beta-D-glucoside. Sucrose gradient sedimentation analysis revealed three bands with s values of 7.5, 10.5, and 13. The 7.5S form was free of DNA primase and represented only 10% of the total DNA polymerase alpha bound to the nuclear matrix. The 13S and the 10.5S forms each contained DNA primase activity. The 10.5S form comprised 85% of the DNA polymerase alpha activity and 95% of the DNA primase activity, dissociated from the nuclear matrix. Neither temperature of nuclease digestion nor various salt treatments of nuclei had significant effects on the proportions of DNA polymerase alpha and DNA primase activities bound to, or subsequently dissociated from, nuclear matrices. In a comparison of primase activity bound to the nuclear matrix, dissociated from the nuclear matrix, and in the soluble fraction, it was found that the bound activity had a lower ATP dependence, had less KCl inhibition, and was less sensitive to heat, compared to the dissociated and soluble activities. No differences in Mg2+ or pH dependence were noted. The amounts of DNA polymerase alpha and DNA primase activities bound to the nuclear matrix varied over the cell cycle of synchronized cells. Over the S phase, there were two peaks of matrix-bound DNA primase and two peaks of subsequently dissociated DNA polymerase alpha-DNA primase complex. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Embryo culture media and neonatal birthweight following IVF.

BACKGROUND Infants conceived from IVF are at increased risk for low birthweight. Animal studies suggest that embryo culture medium influences birthweight but it is unknown whether this association exists in humans. This study examines the relationship between culture medium and birthweight following IVF. METHODS We identified all IVF cycles with start dates between 1 January 1999 and 31 December 2008 that used autologous oocytes with resulting embryos cultured in G1.3, Global or G1.5 medium. The population was restricted to singleton deliveries following Day 3, fresh single embryo transfer, or twin deliveries following Day 3, fresh double embryo transfer, at a gestational age of ≥ 34 weeks. Only the first cycle during the study period was included for each woman. Women were excluded if the number of gestational sacs on ultrasound differed from the number of infants born. Variables were evaluated with the χ²-test or analysis of variance. Multiple linear regressions controlled for potential confounders. RESULTS Of the 198 women with singleton deliveries, 102 embryos were cultured in G1.3, 53 in Global and 43 in G1.5 medium. Of the 303 twin deliveries, 172 pairs of embryos were cultured in G1.3, 58 in Global and 73 in G1.5 medium. No significant association between culture medium and birthweight was observed, even when controlling for potential confounders. CONCLUSIONS This retrospective study demonstrated no significant association between embryo culture medium and birthweight following IVF. Although our careful selection of patients minimized the influence of potential confounders, further research is required to elucidate this issue with larger numbers of patients.
Effect of screening for partner violence on women's quality of life: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT Although partner violence screening has been endorsed by many health organizations, there is insufficient evidence that it has beneficial health outcomes. OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of computerized screening for partner violence plus provision of a partner violence resource list vs provision of a partner violence list only on women's health in primary care settings, compared with a control group. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS A 3-group blinded randomized controlled trial at 10 primary health care centers in Cook County, Illinois. Participants were enrolled from May 2009-April 2010 and reinterviewed 1 year (range, 48-56 weeks) later. Participants were English- or Spanish-speaking women meeting specific inclusion criteria and seeking clinical services at study sites. Of 3537 women approached, 2727 were eligible, 2708 were randomized (99%), and 2364 (87%) were recontacted 1 year later. Mean age of participants was 39 years. Participants were predominantly non-Latina African American (55%) or Latina (37%), had a high school education or less (57%), and were uninsured (57%). INTERVENTION Randomization into 3 intervention groups: (1) partner violence screen (using the Partner Violence Screen instrument) plus a list of local partner violence resources if screening was positive (n = 909); (2) partner violence resource list only without screen (n = 893); and (3) no-screen, no-partner violence list control group (n=898). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Quality of life (QOL, physical and mental health components) was the primary outcome, measured on the 12-item Short Form (scale range 0-100, mean of 50 for US population). RESULTS At 1-year follow-up, there were no significant differences in the QOL physical health component between the screen plus partner violence resource list group (n = 801; mean score, 46.8; 95% CI, 46.1-47.4), the partner violence resource list only group (n = 772; mean score, 46.4; 95% CI, 45.8-47.1), and the control group (n = 791; mean score, 47.2; 95% CI, 46.5-47.8), or in the mental health component (screen plus partner violence resource list group [mean score, 48.3; 95% CI, 47.5-49.1], the partner violence resource list only group [mean score, 48.0; 95% CI, 47.2-48.9], and the control group [mean score, 47.8; 95% CI, 47.0-48.6]). There were also no differences between groups in days unable to work or complete housework; number of hospitalizations, emergency department, or ambulatory care visits; proportion who contacted a partner violence agency; or recurrence of partner violence. CONCLUSIONS Among women receiving care in primary care clinics, providing a partner violence resource list with or without screening did not result in improved health. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00526994.
Polymerase chain reaction amplification and typing of rotavirus nucleic acid from stool specimens

The rotavirus gene segment coding for the major outer capsid glycoprotein vp7 was amplified directly from stool specimens by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Double-stranded RNA extracted from stool samples was used as the template for reverse transcription, which was followed immediately and in the same reaction mix with amplification, using the Taq polymerase. Various conditions were examined to optimize the yield of the amplified gene. The concentrations of MgCl2, dimethyl sulfoxide, and template RNA were critical. The choice of primer pairs allowed amplification of the entire segment or specific portions. By using type-specific primers derived from distinct regions on the gene, we devised a PCR typing method in which each human serotype virus produced a characteristic segment size, readily identifiable in agarose gels. The PCR typing method was applied to 10 rotavirus reference strains, including all 6 known human serotypes (serotypes 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, and 9), and to 34 stool specimens previously serotyped by an enzyme immunoassay with monoclonal antibodies. An absolute correlation was found between the molecular and serologic methods. In addition, 14 stool specimens nonserotypable by an enzyme immunoassay with monoclonal antibodies could be typed by the PCR method. Besides the application for rotavirus detection and typing directly from stools, the PCR method provides a rapid and efficient means of obtaining large quantities of cDNA suitable for sequencing, cloning, and other genetic studies, precluding the need for cell culture and virus purification.