Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A single dose of citalopram increases fear recognition in healthy subjects

We have previously shown that a single dose of intravenous citalopram in healthy volunteers enhances the detection of fearful facial expressions, suggesting an effect of acute selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment on the processing of anxiety-related stimuli. The aim of the present study was to confirm and extend this finding by studying the effects of a single dose of oral citalopram on a range of tasks designed to assess different aspects of emotional processing. A total of 32 healthy volunteers were randomly allocated to double-blind treatment with either citalopram 20 mg orally or placebo. Participants then completed a series of tasks assessing emotional aspects of attention (visual-probe task), perception (categorization of facial affect), memory (emotional memory task) and reactivity to threat (emotion potentiated startle). Relative to placebo-treated subjects, participants treated with citalopram demonstrated improved recognition of fearful faces and increased baseline startle response. However, the citalopram group also showed an attentional bias towards positive words. Our data suggest that acute oral citalopram increases the processing of anxiety-related stimuli in healthy volunteers. This mechanism could underlie the known tendency of SSRIs to increase anxiety in patients early in treatment. Our data also suggests that some of the positive biases in emotional processing produced by SSRI treatment might be detectable at the beginning of treatment.
Uncertainty calculation in transport models and forecasts.

Uncertainty is inherent to transport models and prevents from using a deterministic approach when modelling traffic. Quantifying uncertainty thus becomes an indispensable step to produce more informative and reliable output of transport models. Within traffic assignment models, volume delay functions express the travel time as a function of traffic flows and theoretical capacity of the modelled facility. The US Bureau of Public Roads (BPR) formula is one of the most extensively applied volume delay functions in practice. This study investigated uncertainty in the BPR parameters. Initially, BPR parameters were estimated by analysing observed traffic data related to the Danish highway network. Then, BPR parameter distributions were generated by using re-sampling Bootstrap technique. Finally, the generated parameter vectors were used to implement sensitivity tests on the four-stage Danish national transport model. The results clearly highlight the importance for modelling purposes of taking into account BPR formula parameter uncertainty, expressed as a distribution of values rather than assumed point values. Indeed, the model output demonstrates a noticeable sensitivity to parameter uncertainty. This is particularly evident for stretches of the network with a high number of competing routes. Model sensitivity was also tested for BPR parameter uncertainty combined with link capacity uncertainty. The resulting increase in model sensitivity demonstrates even further the importance of the implementation of uncertainty analysis as part of a robust transport modelling process.
A Method of Pricing European Style Equity Options

A Method of Pricing European Style Equity Options by: David Harris The study of option pricing has a very short history, when compared with other elements of economics. Since the publication of a method to price European style equity options by Fischer Black and Myron Scholes in 1973 a vast amount of research on option pricing has occurred. Ultimately, the pricing of equity options depends upon the match of the model and reality. A new method to price option contracts is proposed. It is argued that the distributional assumptions of standard models are uncorrelated with nature. A new model is proposed as a start to a new class of models.
Characterisation of Phytophthora infestans populations from Vietnam

In 2002–03, 597 Phytophthora infestans isolates were collected from potato and tomato crops in nine provinces of Vietnam. A representative set of isolates were characterised for mating type, metalaxyl sensitivity, virulence, mitochondrial DNA (mt DNA) haplotype and RG57-fingerprint. All of the 294 tested isolates were of mating type A1. Metalaxyl-resistant isolates were found on both the potato and tomato hosts, and dominated the population in Lam Dong province (south of Vietnam). Nine known virulence genes were found among 27 tested isolates, although virulence to resistance gene R5 was not found. Among the 95 isolates tested for mtDNA haplotype, all were Ib type. Of these, all 34 isolates fingerprinted showed US-1-like genotype. Mating type, mtDNA haplotype and RG57-fingerprint data from this study indicate that the P. infestans population on tomato and potato from Vietnam still consist of the ‘old’ population.
Robot‐assisted task‐specific training in cerebral palsy

Our goal was to examine the feasibility of applying therapeutic robotics to children and adults with severe to moderate impairment due to cerebral palsy (CP). Pilot results demonstrated significant gains for both groups. These results suggest that robot‐mediated therapy may be an effective tool to ameliorate the debilitating effects of CP and provide new opportunities for reducing impairment and improving coordination.
Selection of patients for long-term surveillance with digital dermoscopy by assessment of melanoma risk factors.

OBJECTIVE To identify patients at increased melanoma risk who benefit from long-term surveillance with digital dermoscopy. DESIGN Prospective, nonrandomized, observational study. SETTING University-based surveillance program. PARTICIPANTS Six hundred eighty-eight patients prospectively categorized into defined melanoma risk groups and followed up (mean, 44.3 months) by clinical examinations, dermoscopy, and, for atypical nevi, sequential digital dermoscopy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Association between patient risk factors and detection of melanomas. RESULTS Odds ratios from a multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated a highly increased melanoma risk for patients with familial atypical mole and multiple melanoma (FAMMM) syndrome, atypical mole syndrome (AMS), or previous melanoma. Each digitally documented atypical lesion (range, 1-17 lesions per patient) denoted a significant 10% increase in melanoma risk. Patients with higher melanoma risk (1) showed a higher percentage of melanomas detected by digital dermoscopy (FAMMM syndrome group, 50%; AMS group, 22%), (2) more often developed multiple melanomas within shorter intervals, and (3) showed a ratio of melanoma to benign results for lesions excised because of dynamic changes of 1:15 (AMS group) or 1:4 (FAMMM syndrome group). Melanomas detected by digital dermoscopy were significantly thinner (0.41 mm in mean Breslow thickness) compared with melanomas detected by other means (0.62 mm; P = .04). CONCLUSIONS We suggest an individualized surveillance plan, with digital dermoscopy performed at follow-up intervals of 3 months for patients with FAMMM syndrome and 6 to 12 months (depending on additional risk factors) for those with AMS. Patients with multiple common nevi and no additional risk factors had no benefit from sequential digital dermoscopy.
A psychometric examination of the Stronge-Brodt Nurses' Attitudes Toward Computers Questionnaire.

The purpose of this study was to examine the factor structure and reliability of the Stronge-Brodt Nurses' Attitudes Toward Computers Questionnaire. The instrument was administered to nurses before (T1, n = 391) and after (T2, n = 265) the implementation of a computerized patient care information system. A factor analysis of each sample was carried out using the SPSS/PC+ factor procedure with varimax rotation and Kaiser normalization. The factor analyses for T1 and T2 were consistent and identified three factors that parallel those generated in a factor analysis performed by Schwirian et al (1989). In both samples of the current study, the internal consistency reliability for the first factor was high (T1 alpha = .91, T2 alpha = .92), whereas the second and third factors demonstrated diminished reliability. Overall instrument reliability was . 93 at T1 and . 92 at T2. This study, with relatively large sample sizes, provided further clarification of the factor structure and supported the high reliability of the instrument.
In Vitro Activity of ABT 773, a New Ketolide Antibiotic, against Chlamydia pneumoniae

ABSTRACT The in vitro activities of ABT 773, telithromycin (HMR 3647), azithromycin, clarithromycin, erythromycin, and levofloxacin were tested against 20 strains of Chlamydia pneumoniae. The MIC at which 90% of the isolates were inhibited and the minimal bactericidal concentration at which 90% of the isolates were killed by ABT 773 were 0.015 μg/ml (range, 0.008 to 0.015 μg/ml). ABT 773 was the most active antibiotic tested in this study.
Treating depressed primary care patients improves their physical, mental, and social functioning.

BACKGROUND This study describes the functioning of primary care patients with major depressive disorder, the relationship of medical comorbidity to functional status, and the effects of depression-specific treatment on functional status after 8 months. METHODS Patients were randomized to a protocol intervention (nortriptyline hydrochloride or interpersonal psychotherapy) or to usual care with the patient's physician in a clinical trial of primary care treatments of depression. Their functional status was evaluated using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Global Assessment Scale. Medical comorbidity was assessed with the Duke Severity of Illness Checklist. The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and Beck Depression Inventory were used to measure depressive severity. Assessments were conducted at baseline and at 1, 2, 4, and 8 months after randomization. RESULTS At baseline, patients reported substantial impairments in the functional domains as assessed by the SF-36 and Global Assessment Scale. Severity of general medical illness and depression were not correlated. Greater medical comorbidity was associated with diminished physical, but not psychological, functioning. Mean scores on SF-36 scales and the Global Assessment Scale improved significantly during the 8 months of follow-up. Patients assigned to protocol treatments showed greater improvement, compared with those assigned to usual care, on the SF-36 mental summary scale and most individual scales but not on the SF-36 physical summary scale. However, patients who completed protocol treatment also experienced significant improvement on the physical summary scale. Medical comorbidity was only a weak predictor of outcome. CONCLUSIONS Primary care patients with major depressive disorder report substantial impairments in physical, psychological, and social functioning on initial assessment. Severity of baseline medical comorbidity did not correlate with severity of depression and only weakly correlated with functional status at 8 months. Functional impairments improve with time, but standardized depression-specific treatment is associated with greater improvement in more domains of functioning than is a physician's usual care.
Multiple antenna MMSE based downlink precoding with quantized feedback or channel mismatch

In this paper, we consider the downlink of a multiuser wireless communication system with multiple antennas at the base station and users each with a single receive antenna. It is known that when channel state information (CSI) is available at the transmitter a large performance gain can be achieved. In a system employing time-division duplexing (TDD), CSI can be obtained at the base station if there is reciprocity between the forward and reverse channels. CSI can also be conveyed from the users to the base station via a limited-rate feedback channel in a frequency-division duplexing (FDD) system. In any case, channel estimation errors are inevitable due to the presence of background noise in the estimated signal and due to the finite number of feedback bits used in a limited-rate feedback system model. In this paper, we first consider the general case when partial CSI is available at the transmitter. We derive an MMSE based precoding technique that considers channel estimation errors as an integral part of the system design. Using rate-distortion theory and the generalized Lloyd vector quantization algorithm, we then specialize our results for the more practical limited-rate feedback system model. Compared to previously proposed precoding techniques such as channel inversion and regularized channel inversion, it is shown that the proposed precoding technique significantly improves the average bit error rate (BER) in the system. Furthermore, the performance of the proposed technique is investigated in the high signal-tonoise ratio (SNR) regime. It is shown that the proposed technique suffers from a ceiling effect that asymptotically limits the system performance.
A Study of Lived Experiences of African American Male Principals in Urban Elementary Schools

The cycle of low performance of African American males continues to eliminate the pool of African American male educators who can serve as role models for future generations (Hale, 1986; Noguera, 2003). The objective of this dissertation is to understand the lived experience of African-American male principals post Brown v. Board of Education, and how they perceive their leadership experience working in an urban elementary school setting by exploring their commitment to black children, specifically black males. The questions examine the experience of AA male principals, their beliefs, perceptions, cultural intersections, and use of cultural resources in relation to AA male students. This qualitative multi-case study utilizes critical race theory and draws on the work of Kofi Lomotey (1987, 1993) and his findings of homophily in African American principals. The five participants were drawn from a county in the Southeast region of the United States that serves approximately 48,242 elementary students of which 8,833 are AA male students. Findings are presented as six interrelated themes which indicate the importance of servant leadership and the ways in which participants emphasized the role of building relationships with AA male students.
Echo intensity of the rectus femoris in stable COPD patients

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate whether echo intensity of the rectus femoris when measured using ultrasound can distinguish muscles affected by COPD compared with healthy non-COPD affected muscles and whether the severity of ultrasonic abnormalities was associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Methods Echo intensity, areas of the rectus femoris, and the thickness of quadriceps muscles were measured using ultrasound in 50 COPD outpatients and 21 age-matched non-COPD controls. The results of the 8-Item Short-Form Health Survey and the functional assessment of chronic illness therapy fatigue scales were used to evaluate HRQoL. Results There was a significantly higher echo intensity of the rectus femoris in all stages of COPD patients than in age-matched non-COPD subjects; the quadriceps muscle thickness and cross-sectional area of the rectus femoris significantly decreased in COPD GOLD III–IV only. Furthermore, in our stable COPD patients, echo intensity of the rectus femoris was associated with HRQoL independently. Conclusion Quantitative ultrasound distinguishes healthy muscles from those affected by COPD grade I–IV, and quality and quantity of muscles are associated with HRQoL and forced expiratory volume in 1 second. Ultrasonic echo intensity of the rectus femoris may be a useful instrument for assessing disease severity and monitoring the changes of skeletal muscle resulting from disease progression or clinical intervention in patients with COPD.
Attenuation of astrogliosis and modulation of endothelial growth factor receptor in lipid rafts by simvastatin after traumatic brain injury.

OBJECT The authors' previous studies have demonstrated that simvastatin treatment promotes neuronal survival and reduces inflammatory cytokine release from astrocytes after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in rats. Since reactive astrocytes produce inflammation mediators, in the current study the authors investigated the effect of simvastatin on astrocyte activation after TBI and its underlying signaling mechanisms. METHODS Saline or simvastatin (1 mg/kg) was orally administered to rats starting at Day 1 after TBI and then daily for 14 days. Rats were killed at 1, 3, 7, and 14 days after treatment. Brain sections and tissues were prepared for immunohistochemical staining and Western blot analysis, respectively. Cultured astrocytes were subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) and followed by immunocytochemical staining with glial fibrillary acidic protein/caveolin-1 and Western blot analysis. Lipid rafts were isolated from the cell lysate and Western blotting was carried out to detect the changes in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression and phosphorylation in the lipid rafts. RESULTS Simvastatin significantly promoted neuronal survival after TBI and attenuated activation of astrocytes. Simvastatin modified the caveolin-1 expression in lipid rafts in astrocyte cell membrane, suppressed the phosphorylation of EGFR in lipid rafts of astrocytes after OGD, and inhibited the OGD-induced interleukin-1 production. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that simvastatin reduces reactive astrogliosis and rescues neuronal cells after TBI. These beneficial effects of simvastatin may be mediated by inhibiting astrocyte activation after TBI through modifying the caveolin-1 expression in lipid rafts and the subsequent modulation of EGFR phosphorylation in lipid rafts.
Effects of CPAP therapy withdrawal on exhaled breath pattern in obstructive sleep apnoea

Background Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is highly prevalent and associated with cardiovascular and metabolic changes. OSA is usually diagnosed by polysomnography which is time-consuming and provides little information on the patient's phenotype thus limiting a personalised treatment approach. Exhaled breath contains information on metabolism which can be analysed by mass spectrometry within minutes. The objective of this study was to identify a breath profile in OSA recurrence by use of secondary-electrospray-ionization-mass spectrometry (SESI-MS). Methods Patients with OSA effectively treated with CPAP were randomised to either withdraw treatment (subtherapeutic CPAP) or continue therapeutic CPAP for 2 weeks. Exhaled breath analysis by untargeted SESI-MS was performed at baseline and 2 weeks after randomisation. The primary outcome was the change in exhaled molecular breath pattern. Results 30 patients with OSA were randomised and 26 completed the trial according to the protocol. CPAP withdrawal led to a recurrence of OSA (mean difference in change of oxygen desaturation index between groups +30.3/h; 95% CI 19.8/h,40.7/h, p<0.001) which was accompanied by a significant change in 62 exhaled features (16 metabolites identified). The panel of discriminating mass-spectral features allowed differentiation between treated and untreated OSA with a sensitivity of 92.9% and a specificity of 84.6%. Conclusion Exhaled breath analysis by SESI-MS allows rapid and accurate detection of OSA recurrence. The technique has the potential to characterise an individual's metabolic response to OSA and thus makes a comprehensible phenotyping of OSA possible. Trial registration number NCT02050425 (registered at ClinicalTrials.gov).
Does N-acetylcysteine reduce the incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy and clinical events in patients undergoing primary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction?

OBJECTIVES We examined oral N-acetylcysteine effects on contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) and clinical events in patients undergoing primary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction. BACKGROUND Recent studies have reported that N-acetylcysteine reduces CIN and improves the clinical outcome in patients undergoing primary angioplasty. However, additional investigations are warranted to further support these findings. METHODS We randomly assigned 76 patients undergoing primary angioplasty into two groups: 38 patients were assigned to N-acetylcysteine (NAC, 705 mg orally administration before and 12, 24, 36 hours after primary angioplasty), and 38 patients to placebo. CIN was defined as an increase in the serum creatinine concentration of 25 percent or more from baseline value within the 72-hour period after primary angioplasty. RESULTS CIN occurred in 7 patients (9.2%). In the NAC group, the incidence of CIN tended to be lower than in the placebo group (NAC; 2/38; 5.3% vs. Placebo; 5/38; 13.2%, p=0.21). The composite endpoints such as death, acute renal failure requiring temporary renal replacement therapy, or need for mechanical ventilation did not occur in either group. CONCLUSION While N-acetylcysteine might have the possibility to reduce the incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy in patients undergoing primary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction, the in-hospital mortality and morbidity were not significantly different between the two groups.
Surface properties in relation to atelectasis and hyaline membrane disease.

Recent observations suggest that a low surface tension may be an important attribute of the lining of the air passages of the lung.1-4The purpose of this paper is to present evidence that the material responsible for such a low surface tension is absent in the lungs of infants under 1,100-1,200 gm. and in those dying with hyaline membrane disease. The role of this deficiency in the pathogenesis of the disease is considered. Surface tension operates so as to minimize the area of the surface. In the lungs, where the internal surface (the alveolar lining) is curved concave to the airway, the tendency of the surface to become smaller promotes collapse. Although the forces not only of surface tension but also of the elastic tissue tend to collapse the lungs, their behavior differs in one important respect. When the lung contains only a small volume of air, the elastic
Satellite Detection of Summer Chlorophyll-a Bloom in the Gulf of Tomini

Seasonal variation of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentration in the Gulf of Tomini (GT) is investigated using SeaWiFS-derived sea surface Chl-a, QuikSCAT-derived ocean surface wind vector and Pathfinder sea surface temperature (SST) measurements. Results show that Chl-a concentration in the GT attained maximum in August (0.59 mg/m3 ) and is primarily controlled by monsoon winds. During summer, strong winds pass through the Maluku archipelago and blast out toward the Maluku Sea, and impinge the coastal mountain on the southeastern GT (GT tip). As a result, a strong wind jet observed at the open-ocean of GT and is suspected to be the main driving force for the Chl-a bloom in the region. The center of the bloom is located consistently with the wind stress maximum (0.28 Nm-2) and low SST (27.3°C ). The present study describes the seasonal and spatial distributions of the Chl-a bloom in GT and its associated oceanographic features.