Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Theory of mind deficits in chronically depressed patients

Background: Poor theory of mind (ToM) performance has been found in patients with mood disorders, but it has not been examined in the subgroup of chronic depression where ToM deficits may be even more persistent than in acute depressive episodes. The aim of this study was to compare the ToM performance of chronically depressed patients with a healthy control group and to clarify the relation of ToM to other cognitive functions. Methods: ToM performance was assessed in 30 chronically depressed patients and 30 matched healthy controls by two cartoon picture story tests. In addition, logical memory, alertness, and executive functioning were evaluated. Results: Chronically depressed patients were markedly impaired in all ToM‐ and neuropsychological tasks compared to healthy controls. Performance in the different ToM tests was significantly correlated with at least one other cognitive variable. After controlling for logical memory and working memory, no ToM tasks predicted being a patient. Conclusions: Patients with chronic depression present significant deficits in “reading” social interactions, which may be associated with general cognitive impairments. Depression and Anxiety, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
QUANTIFICATION OF REGIONAL MYOCARDIAL FUNCTION FOLLOWING ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION BY ULTRASONIC STRAIN RATE AND STRAIN IMAGING

Objectives: The rapid diagnosis and early risk stratification of patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is important. In experimental setting ultrasonic strain rate (SR) and strain (S) have been shown to identify changes in deformation predictive of ischemia. We sought to evaluate and compare regional myocardial function at “the risk zone” (ARZ) supplied by the culprit coronary artery (CCA) and at the remote (R) area during AMI (25 patients) and control zone (10 healthy subjects) using SR/S. Design and Methods: Longitudinal deformation (LD) was from the apical views to assess function in the septum (SW) and inferior (IW) walls. Both SW mid and apical segments were considered ARZ segment if the CCA was left anterior descending artery. IW and basal segments of the SW were ARZ, if CCA was the right coronary artery or left circumflex branch. Results: Segments were scored according to the standard wall motion score (WMS) and compared to the findings of SR/S imaging. The amplitude of peak systolic SR (pSR), maximal systolic S (pS), and overall maximal S (OS) were decreased in infarcted segments (p < 0.05 vs R, vs control (C)). The pS was lower than OS indicating that in many infarcted segments, maximal shortening was delayed and occurred during early diastole. Infarcted segments evaluated as having a WMS = 3 had a tendency to lower values of pS and OS (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The strain rate/strain magnitude and changes in time interval values reliably identify infarcted segments and differentiating those from remote zone segments. Longitudinal deformation parameters provided statistically significant additional information and allowed a rapid diagnosis of area and extent of myocardial infarction in this high risk group.
Inhibition of Return Affects Contrast Sensitivity

Inhibition of return (IOR)—a slow response to targets at recently attended locations, is believed to play an important role in guiding behaviour. In the attention literature it has been shown that attentional capture by an exogenous cue affects contrast sensitivity so that it alters the appearance of low-contrast stimuli. Despite a significant amount of work over the last quarter century on IOR, it is not yet clear whether IOR operates in the same way. In the current study we examined the effect of IOR on contrast sensitivity—a very early, low-level perceptual process. We found in both a detection task and an orientation discrimination task that lower contrast was needed to detect the stimulus (Experiment 1) and determine its orientation (Experiment 2) at the cued location than at the uncued location, at short cue–target delays, while higher contrast was needed at long delays—reflecting IOR. These results clearly demonstrate that IOR affects contrast sensitivity in a similar way as attentional capture does and suggest that IOR increases perceived contrast of an object in the uncued location.
How to Develop Service Climate in G2B E-Service Industry: a Multi-method Study

Limited attention has been directed towards how to develop service climate in G2B e-service industry. In particular, the impact of psychological capital on service climate has been largely ignored. We conduct this study to address this research gap. Our purpose is to examine the antecedent roles of both job resources and psychological capital and how they contribute to service climate in G2B e-service industry. A multi-method study combining the qualitative and quantitative methods was undertaken. We established our conceptual model through a case study of a Chinese G2B service provider. Then we tested the research hypotheses through a survey of frontline service employees. The survey data was analysed using partial least squares (PLS). The results suggest that job resources and psychological capital are important predictors of service climate, which in turn predicts service quality. Our findings will not only improve our understanding of service climate in G2B e-service industry, but also provide valuable guidance to G2B service providers seeking to improve their service quality.
Hematopoietic Progenitor Kinase 1 Is a Component of Transforming Growth Factor β-induced c-Jun N-terminal Kinase Signaling Cascade*

The c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway is involved in transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling in a variety of cell systems. We report here that hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1), a novel Ste20-like protein serine/threonine kinase, serves as an upstream mediator for the TGF-β-activated JNK1 cascade in 293T cells. TGF-β treatment resulted in a time-dependent activation of HPK1, which was accompanied by similar kinetics of JNK1 activation. The activation of JNK1 by TGF-β was abrogated by a kinase-defective HPK1 mutant but not by a kinase-defective mutant of kinase homologous to Ste20/Sps1. This result indicates that HPK1 is specifically required for TGF-β-induced activation of JNK1. We also found that TGF-β-induced JNK1 activation was blocked by a kinase-defective mutant of TGF-β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1). In addition, interaction between HPK1 and TAK1 was observed in transient transfection assays, and this interaction was enhanced by TGF-β treatment. Both stress-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase (SEK) and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 7 (MKK7) are immediate upstream activators of JNK1. Although SEK and MKK7 acted downstream of TAK1, only a kinase-defective SEK mutant blocked TGF-β-induced activation of JNK1, indicating that the TGF-β signal is relayed solely through SEK, but not MKK7,in vivo. Furthermore, TGF-β-induced activating protein 1 activation was blocked by a HPK1 mutant, as well as by TAK1 and SEK mutants. Taken together, these studies establish a potential cascade of TGF-β-activated interacting kinases beginning with HPK1, a Ste20 homolog, and ending in JNK1 activation: HPK1 → TAK1 → SEK → JNK1.
Identification of New p53 Acetylation Sites in COS-1 Cells*

The p53 tumor suppressor protein is a key regulator of cell cycle and death that is involved in many cell signaling pathways and is tightly regulated in mammalian cells. Post-translational modifications of p53 have been investigated previously mainly using antibodies. In this study, utilizing LC-MS/MS analysis, we have characterized p53 protein from COS-1 cells. Several already known post-translational modifications were observed, such as phosphorylation on serines 15, 33, 315, and 392 as well as acetylation on lysines 305, 370, 372, 373, 381, 382, and 386. Interestingly novel acetylation sites were identified at lysines 319 and 357. This study confirmed that p53 is a highly acetylated protein and revealed new acetylation sites that might aid the further understanding of p53 regulation.
The Influence of Carbon Dioxide and Body Position on Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Assessment of Cerebral Hemoglobin Oxygen Saturation

Near-infrared spectroscopy may allow continuous and noninvasive monitoring of regional brain hemoglobin oxygen saturation by measuring the differential absorption of infrared light by oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin. We have previously examined the correlation between the spectroscopic signal generated by a prototype cerebral oximeter (Invos 3100 Registered Trademark; Somanetics, Troy, MI), and global brain hemoglobin oxygen saturation calculated from arterial and jugular venous bulb oxygen saturations. Because the technology does not distinguish between arterial and venous hemoglobin saturation, changes in the proportion of cerebral arterial and venous blood volume, which may result from changes in blood flow or venous distending pressure, may confound measurements. In eight conscious volunteers breathing hypoxic oxygen mixtures, we examined the influence of supine, 20 degrees Trendeleburg, and 20 degrees reverse Trendelenburg positions on the correlation of the spectroscopic measurement of cerebral oxygen saturation in the field assessed by the probe (CSf O2) and the calculated brain hemoglobin oxygen saturation (CScomb O2), estimated as 0.25 times arterial saturation plus 0.75 times jugular venous bulb oxygen saturation. We found that changes in position did not influence the association between CSf O2 and CScomb O2 (r2 = 0.69-0.885) during hypoxic challenge. In a second set of eight volunteers, we studied the influence of hypercapnia and hypocapnia and body position on the association between CSf O2 and CScomb O2, and found that they were less well correlated (r2 = 0.366-0.976) in individual patients. Because changes in body position and PaCO2 confound the relationship between CSf O2 and CScomb O2, changes in CS (f) O2 can best be assessed if position and PaCO2 are constant. (Anesth Analg 1996;82:278-87)
Psychological and Neuroendocrinological Sequelae of Early Social Deprivation in Institutionalized Children in Romania

The situation of infants and children living in state-operated residential institutions in Romania provides a setting in which the consequences of severe social deprivation can be examined. These children experience a form of custodial care in which their medical and nutritional needs are met, but their social and psychological needs are not. The tens of thousands of infants and children from birth to age 3 living in the institutions known as Leagane (meaning cradles) are but the leading edge of the hundreds of thousands of children spending much or all of their lives in institutional care. This high prevalence of institutional care for children peaked in the two decades prior to 1990, during the political era of Nicolae Ceausescu. His social and economic policies forced families to bear more children than they wanted or could afford, resulting in around 2% of the population being cared for by the state until they reached the age of 18. Over the 5 years since the fall of Ceausescu's regime, the economic and social instability (resulting from an uncertain transition to a market economy and democratic political rule) has not produced the expected reduction in the rate of admission of infants and children to these institutions. ' Romania is not unique among industrialized countries in employing institutional remedies for children affected by complex societal problems. We believe it is scientifically and ethically imperative to analyze the developmental deficits of such children within the context of the social and material resources available to them and their families, that is, not to decouple the social cause from the developmental consequences. We hold that the empirical validity of developmental studies of socially and economically disadvantaged children is threatened when any child is examined in isolation from their immediate social context and those societal factors that have an impact on their families and communities. Study of the deficits or capacities of the decontextualized child can lead to invalid attributions of intrinsic causation within the child (e.g., genes for temperament, IQ) rather than to those sequences of regulatory
Is perforation of the appendix a risk factor for tubal infertility and ectopic pregnancy? An appraisal of the evidence.

OBJECTIVE To critically assess the evidence that appendiceal perforation is a risk factor for subsequent tubal infertility or ectopic pregnancy. DATA SOURCES Epidemiologic studies investigating the relationship between appendectomy and infertility or ectopic pregnancy were identified by searching the MEDLINE database from 1966 to 1997. Appropriate citations were also extracted from a manual search of the bibliographies of selected papers. STUDY SELECTION Twenty-three articles were retrieved. Only 4 presented original data including comparisons to a nonexposed control group and they form the basis for this study. DATA EXTRACTION Because the raw data or specific techniques of data analysis were not always explicitly described, indices of risk for exposure were extracted from the data as presented and were analysed without attempting to convert them to a common measure. DATA SYNTHESIS Articles were assessed according to the criteria of the Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group for evaluating articles on harm. Review of the literature yielded estimates of the risk of adverse fertility outcomes ranging from 1.6 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1 to 2.5) for ectopic pregnancy after an appendectomy to 4.8 (95% CI 1.5 to 14.9) for tubal infertility from perforation of the appendix. Recall bias, and poor adjustment for confounding variables in some reports, weakened the validity of the studies. CONCLUSIONS The methodologic weaknesses of the studies do not permit acceptance of increased risk of tubal pregnancy or infertility as a consequence of perforation of the appendix, so a causal relationship cannot be supported by the data currently available. Only a well-designed case-control study with unbiased ascertainment of exposure and adjustment for confounding variables will provide a definitive answer.
Frequency of Lost to Follow-Up and Associated Factors for Patients with Rheumatic Diseases

Objective To determine the frequency of lost to follow-up (LTFU) in the setting of usual care for outpatients with rheumatic diseases including RA, SLE, AS, and Ps/PsA, to explore the associated demographic factors, and to investigate the reasons for being LTFU from the original medical care. Methods Patients registered between May 2011 and January 2014 at the rheumatology outpatient department of a medical center were included. Those who did not attend their scheduled appointment were defined as LTFU. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the factors for being LTFU. Results A total of 781 patients were enrolled, including 406 patients with RA, 174 with SLE, 136 with AS, and 65 with Ps/PsA. The frequency of LTFU was 23.9%, 25.9%, 35.3%, and 35.4%, respectively. The frequency of LTFU was significantly different between the four rheumatic diseases (p = 0.028). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, an older age increased being LTFU in the patients with RA (OR 1.02; 95% CI 1.00–1.04; p = 0.033), but reduced being LTFU in those with Ps/PsA (OR 0.96; 95% CI 0.92–0.99; p = 0.021). Female patients with SLE and Ps/PsA were more likely to be LTFU, although this did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.056 and 0.071, respectively). The most common reason for being LTFU was moving to other district hospitals from the original medical center due to convenience for the patients with RA and SLE, and stopping medication due to minimal symptoms for the patients with AS and Ps/PsA. Conclusions The frequency of LTFU in patients with rheumatic diseases is high. Associated demographic factors included older age in RA, female gender in SLE and Ps/PsA, and younger age in Ps/PsA, with various reasons for being LTFU. Recognizing these associated factors and reasons for being LTFU may help to improve the attendance of patients and the quality of medical care.
Assessment of a Pioneer Metabolic Information Service in Brazil

The Information Service on Inborn Errors of Metabolism (SIEM), a pioneer toll-free service in both Brazil and South America, is based in Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil. SIEM has been operating since October 2001 providing support to health care professionals involved in the diagnosis and management of suspected metabolic diseases. We analyzed the demographic and clinical characteristics of the 376 consults received and followed in the first two and half years of SIEM. Our results show that the suspicion of a metabolic disease was most often associated with neurological symptoms. Among the consults, 24.4% were eventually confirmed as inborn errors of metabolism (IEM), with organic acidurias and amino acid disorders being the two most frequent diagnostic groups. Our conclusion shows this kind of service to provide helpful support to the diagnosis and acute management of IEM, especially to health professionals working in developing countries who are often far from reference centers.
Fatigue in HIV/AIDS is Associated With Depression and Subjective Neurocognitive Complaints but not Neuropsychological Functioning

Fatigue and depressive symptoms are common in HIV-infection. The relationship between these symptoms and neuropsychological functioning is poorly understood, particularly in symptomatic infection/AIDS. This study examined the associations among fatigue, depressive symptoms, subjective neurocognitive complaints, and objective neuropsychological performance in HIV/AIDS. Sixty-eight men with HIV-infection (27 adults with HIV-infection but not AIDS and 41 with AIDS diagnosis) completed a neuropsychological test battery and self-report measures of fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale), depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory), and subjective neurocognitive complaints (Patient's Assessment of Own Functioning). High levels of fatigue were endorsed by participants. Fatigue severity was related to depressive symptoms but not to AIDS diagnosis or medication status. Verbal learning and motor function was worse in participants with AIDS, but neuropsychological functioning was not significantly correlated with fatigue or depressive symptoms. Subjective neurocognitive complaints were predicted by both depressive symptoms and fatigue. Our results suggest that adults with fatigue and HIV-infection (with or without AIDS) should be screened for depression. Neither fatigue nor depressive symptoms appear to affect neuropsychological functioning in HIV/AIDS. Future research is needed to develop and evaluate instruments and methods to differentiate depression-related fatigue from fatigue that may reflect underlying medical disease. Such research will further the development of effective treatments for fatigue associated with HIV-infection.
Exception point applications for 15 points: An unintended consequence of the Share 15 policy

In 2005, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) adopted the Share 15 policy to improve organ allocation by facilitating transplantation for local and regional patients with Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores of 15 or higher. There has been concern that the lack of standardization in the use of exception points is potentially diminishing the benefits of this policy. We reviewed all applications for 15 exception points submitted through UNOS from January 1, 2005 through March 14, 2011 (notably, there were only 5 applications for 15 MELD exception points submitted before the initiation of the Share 15 policy). Four hundred fifty‐two applications were submitted for 301 patients. There was significant regional variability, with regions 3 and 10 submitting 72.1% of all applications. More than one‐quarter of the applications (32.7%) specifically requested exception points to make a patient eligible for a local, regional, or higher risk organ. All applications were accepted for 74.1% of the patients, and 72.2% of these patients ultimately underwent transplantation; however, when all applications were denied, only 54.0% underwent transplantation (P = 0.006). Overall, 197 applicants (65.4%) underwent transplantation with a deceased donor organ, and 80.2% of these patients had a native MELD score at transplantation less than 15. In conclusion, these analyses demonstrate several important changes in practice that have occurred as a result of the implementation of the Share 15 policy. Since 2005, there has been a marked increase in the number of applications for 15 exception points, with significant regional variability in their use and a lack of standardization in their approval. Liver Transpl, 2012. © 2012 AASLD.
Uncovering temporal structure in hippocampal output patterns

The place cell activity of hippocampal pyramidal cells has been described as the cognitive map substrate of spatial memory. Replay is observed during hippocampal sharp-wave ripple-associated population burst events and is critical for consolidation and recall-guided behaviors. To present, population burst event (PBE) activity has been analyzed as a phenomenon subordinate to the place code. Here, we use hidden Markov models to study PBEs observed during exploration of both linear mazes and open fields. We demonstrate that estimated models are consistent with temporal replay sequences and that the latent states correspond to a spatial map of the environment. Moreover, we demonstrate the identification of hippocampal replay without recourse to the place code, using only PBE model congruence. These results suggest that downstream regions may rely on PBEs to form a substrate for memory. Additionally, by forming models independent of animal behavior, we lay the groundwork for studies of non-spatial memory.
Elevated spring testosterone increases parasite intensity in male red grouse

The expression of testosterone-dependent sexual traits might signal the ability of their bearers to cope with parasite infections. According to the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis (IHH), such signals would be honest because physiological costs of testosterone, such as a reduced ability to control parasite infections, would prevent cheating. We tested whether testosterone would affect the outcome of a standardized parasite challenge in red grouse, using a main parasite of the species, the nematode Trichostrongylus tenuis. We caught males in spring, removed their nematode parasites, and implanted them with testosterone or empty implants, as controls. After 1 month, they were reinfected with a standard dose of infective T. tenuis parasites. When challenged, testosterone males had relatively less globulin relative to albumin plasma proteins than control males, an indication that they had experienced increased physiological stress. Testosterone-treated males had significantly more T. tenuis parasites than controls in the next autumn and also had more coccidia and lost more weight than controls. Testosterone-treated males nevertheless benefited from their elevated spring testosterone: they had bigger sexual ornaments than controls both in spring and autumn, and they tended to have a higher pairing and breeding success than controls. Our results supported the IHH in showing that elevated testosterone impaired the ability of males to cope with a standardized challenge by a dominant parasite. Testosterone thus plays a key role in mediating trade-offs between reproductive activities and parasite defense, and testosterone-dependent comb size might honestly signal the ability of red grouse to control T. tenuis infection. Copyright 2006.