Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Olanzapine Treatment is Associated with Reduced High Molecular Weight Adiponectin in Serum: A Potential Mechanism for Olanzapine-induced Insulin Resistance in Patients with Schizophrenia

Abstract: Treatment of schizophrenia with olanzapine and other atypical antipsychotic agents is associated with insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus. The mechanism for this is not understood. Adiponectin is an insulin-sensitizing cytokine secreted by adipocytes. It is present in serum in multimers of varying size. Trimers and hexamers are referred to as low molecular weight (LMW) adiponectin. Larger multimers (12-, 18-, and 24-mers) have been designated high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin and seem responsible for the insulin-sensitizing action of this adipokine. The aim of this study was to examine total adiponectin and LMW and HMW multimers in serum from patients with schizophrenia treated with either olanzapine (n = 9) or other typical antipsychotics (n = 9) and compare results with 16 healthy sex-, body mass index-, and age-matched controls. The effects of olanzapine on adiponectin protein expression and secretion in in vitro-differentiated primary human adipocytes were also examined. Patients receiving olanzapine had significantly lower total serum adiponectin as compared with those on conventional treatment and controls (5.23 ± 1.53 ng/mL vs. 8.20 ± 3.77 ng/mL and 8.78 ± 3.8 ng/mL; P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively). The HMW adiponectin was also reduced in patients on olanzapine as compared with the disease and healthy control groups (1.67 ± 0.96 ng/mL vs. 3.87 ± 2.69 ng/mL and 4.07 ± 3.2 ng/mL; P < 0.05 for both). The LMW adiponectin was not different between patient groups (P = 0.15) but lower in patients on olanzapine as compared with controls (3.56 ± 0.85 ng/mL vs. 4.70 ± 1.4 ng/mL; P < 0.05). In vitro, short duration (up to 7 days) olanzapine exposure had no effect on total adiponectin expression or multimer composition of secreted protein. In summary, this study demonstrates a correlation between olanzapine treatment and reduced serum adiponectin, particularly HMW multimers. This may not be a direct effect of olanzapine on adipocyte expression or secretion of adiponectin. These observations provide insights into possible mechanisms for the association between olanzapine treatment and insulin resistance.
Quarterly Dividend and Earnings Announcements and Stockholders' Returns: An Empirical Analysis

ASSUMING THAT MANAGERS POSSESS inside information about their firms' future prospects, they may use various signaling devices to convey this information to the public. Two of the most important signaling devices available are earnings and dividend figures. The "information content of dividends" hypothesis asserts that managers use cash dividend announcements to signal changes in their expectations about future prospects of the firm. ' Since dividend decisions are almost solely at management's discretion,2 announcements of dividend changes should provide less ambiguous information signals than earnings numbers. Furthermore, given the discrete nature of dividend adjustments, signals transmitted by these changes may even provide information beyond that conveyed by the corresponding earnings numbers. If dividends, then, do convey useful information, in an efficient capital market this will be reflected in stock price changes immediately following a public announcement. It is, therefore, an empirical question whether dividend information content is useful to capital market participants. A major difficulty in assessing dividend information content lies in the fact that dividend and earnings announcements often are closely synchronized. Thus, one has first to adequately identify information reflected in both earnings and dividends and then consider the remainder of the information conveyed by dividend announcements.
Anxiety, Depression, and Hostility in Rural Women

760 randomly selected women residing on farms in a mid-western srate were administered the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List to explore factors affecting their depression, anxiety, and hostility scores. Anxiety scores were significantly correlated with hostility scores and with depression scores, as were hostility scores with depression scores. Factors that appeared to affect depression scores were presence and age of children in the home, church attendance, religious affiliation, involvement in decision making, contact with friends, and husbands' educational level. Anxiety scores appeared to be affected by presence and age of children, subjects' age, church attendance, religious affiliation, decision making and husbands' education. Hostility appeared to be affected by presence and age of children, subjects' age, decision making, contact with friends, and husbands' educational level.
Developing Ontological Background Knowledge for Biomedicine

Biomedicine is an impressively fast developing, interdisciplinary field of research. To control the growing volumes of biomedical data, ontologies are increasingly used as common organization structures. Biomedical ontologies describe domain knowledge in a formal, computationally accessible way. They serve as controlled vocabularies and background knowledge in applications dealing with the integration, analysis and retrieval of heterogeneous types of data. The development of biomedical ontologies, however, is hampered by specific challenges. They include the lack of quality standards, resulting in very heterogeneous resources, and the decentralized development of biomedical ontologies, causing the increasing fragmentation of domain knowledge across them. In the first part of this thesis, a life cycle model for biomedical ontologies is developed, which is intended to cope with these challenges. It comprises the stages "requirements analysis", "design and implementation", "evaluation", "documentation and release" and "maintenance". For each stage, associated subtasks and activities are specified. To promote quality standards for biomedical ontology development, an emphasis is set on the evaluation stage. As part of it, comprehensive evaluation procedures are specified, which allow to assess the quality of ontologies on various levels. To tackle the issue of knowledge fragmentation, the life cycle model is extended to also cover ontology alignments. Ontology alignments specify mappings between related elements of different ontologies. By making potential overlaps and similarities between ontologies explicit, they support the integration of ontologies and help reduce the fragmentation of knowledge. In the second part of this thesis, the life cycle model for biomedical ontologies and alignments is validated by means of five case studies. As a result, they confirm that the model is effective. Four of the case studies demonstrate that it is able to support the development of useful new ontologies and alignments. The latter facilitate novel natural language processing and bioinformatics applications, and in one case constitute the basis of a task of the "BioNLP shared task 2013", an international challenge on biomedical information extraction. The fifth case study shows that the presented evaluation procedures are an effective means to check and improve the quality of ontology alignments. Hence, they support the crucial task of quality assurance of alignments, which are themselves increasingly used as reference standards in evaluations of automatic ontology alignment systems. Both, the presented life cycle model and the ontologies and alignments that have resulted from its validation improve information and knowledge management in biomedicine and thus promote biomedical research.
Management of Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma: Comparison of an American and a Japanese Experience

ObjectiveTo compare the experience and outcome in the management of hilar cholangiocarcinoma at one American and one Japanese medical center. Summary Background DataControversies surround the issues of extent of resection for hilar cholangiocarcinoma and whether the histopathology of such cancers are similar between patients treated in America and in Japan. MethodsRecords were reviewed of 100 patients treated between 1980 and 1995 at the Lahey Clinic in the United States, and of 155 patients treated between 1977 and 1995 at Nagoya University Hospital in Japan. Selected pathologic slides of resected cancers were exchanged between the two institutions and reviewed for diagnostic concordance. ResultsIn the Lahey cohort, there were 25 resections, 53 cases of surgical exploration with biliary bypass or intubation, and 22 cases of percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage or endoscopic biliary drainage without surgery. In the Nagoya cohort, the respective figures were 122, 10, and 23. The overall 5-year survival rate of all patients treated (surgical and nonsurgical) during the study periods was 7% in the Lahey cohort and 16% in the Nagoya cohort. The overall 10-year survival rates were 0% and 12%, respectively. In patients who underwent resection with negative margins, the 5- and 10-year survival rates were 43% and 0% for the Lahey cohort and 25% and 18% for the Nagoya cohort. The surgical death rate for patients undergoing resection was 4% for Lahey patients and 8% for Nagoya patients. Of the patients who underwent resection, en bloc caudate lobectomy was performed in 8% of the Lahey patients and 89% of the Nagoya patients. Histopathologic examination of resected cancers showed that the Nagoya patients had a higher stage of disease than the Lahey patients. ConclusionsIn both Lahey and Nagoya patients, survival was most favorable when resection of hilar cholangiocarcinoma was accomplished with margin-negative resections. Combined bile duct and liver resection with caudate lobectomy contributed to a higher margin-negative resection rate in the Nagoya cohort.
Control of Stem Cell Self-Renewal in Drosophila Spermatogenesis by JAK-STAT Signaling

Stem cells, which regenerate tissue by producing differentiating cells, also produce cells that renew the stem cell population. Signals from regulatory microenvironments (niches) are thought to cause stem cells to retain self-renewing potential. However, the molecular characterization of niches remains an important goal. InDrosophila testes, germ line and somatic stem cells attach to a cluster of support cells called the hub. The hub specifically expresses Unpaired, a ligand activating the JAK-STAT (Janus kinase–signal transducer and activator of transcription) signaling cascade. Without JAK-STAT signaling, germ line stem cells differentiate but do not self-renew. Conversely, ectopic JAK-STAT signaling greatly expands both stem cell populations. We conclude that the support cells of the hub signal to adjacent stem cells by activation of the JAK-STAT pathway, thereby defining a niche for stem cell self-renewal.
Transcription of human c‐myc in permeabilized nuclei is associated with formation of Z‐DNA in three discrete regions of the gene.

When human U937 cells are placed in agarose microbeads and treated with a detergent, the cytoplasmic membrane is lysed and the nuclear membrane is permeabilized. However, the nuclei remain intact and maintain both replication and transcription. Biotin labeled monoclonal antibodies against Z‐DNA have been diffused into this system and used to measure the amount of Z‐DNA present in the nuclei. It has previously been shown that the amount of Z‐DNA present decreases due to relaxation by topoisomerase I and increases as the level of transcription increases. Here we measure the formation of Z‐DNA in the c‐myc gene by crosslinking the antibodies to DNA using laser radiation at 266 nm for 10 ns. The crosslinked DNA is isolated by restriction digestion, separation of antibody labeled fractions through the biotin residue, and subsequent proteolysis to remove the crosslinked antibody. Three AluI restriction fragments of the c‐myc gene are shown to form Z‐DNA when the cell is transcribing c‐myc. The Z‐DNA forming segments are near the promoter regions of the gene. However, when U937 cells start to differentiate and transcription of the c‐myc gene is down‐regulated, the Z‐DNA content goes to undetectable levels within 30–60 min.
Item level improvements for use of the MMPI with adolescents.

The decision to develop a separate adolescent form of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (i.e., the MMPI-A) raised questions about continued use of 20 original items that seemed unnecessarily ambiguous in content when employed with younger students (Ss). The responses of 362 academically gifted boys, aged 14 to 17 years, from an urban Catholic high school were compared on the experimental 704-item Form TX of the MMPI and a form containing 20 rewritten and 9 control items. The psychometric properties of the rewritten items indicated the same or better performance than that on the original versions while improving the items' face validity and reducing item ambiguity. Responses from 321 Ss to a follow-up questionnaire suggested eliminating offensive or irrelevant items and reducing the test's length would increase acceptance of the MMPI-A.
Blocking aldosterone in heart failure

Fifty years after its discovery, aldosterone continues to stimulate interest as a therapeutic target. Early studies focused on aldosterone’s actions on hypertension, the kidney, and electrolyte handling. More recently, its actions on the heart and cardiovascular system have become more apparent. Aldosterone causes cardiac fibrosis and remodeling, and stimulates neurohormonal systems that adversely affect the cardiovascular system. Aldosterone antagonism attenuates these negative effects. Clinical studies have applied this science and demonstrated improved morbidity and mortality with aldosterone blockade, specifically in patients with chronic heart failure and patients who are postmyocardial infarction and with depressed left ventricular function. This article will address the pathophysiology of aldosterone in cardiac fibrosis and remodeling, review the current clinical trial data, and explore the application of aldosterone blockade in an expanded heart failure population. The Randomized Aldactone Evaluation Study showed that the aldosterone antagonist spironolactone reduced mortality when compared to placebo in patients with chronic advanced heart failure. Similarly, the Eplerenone Post-Acute Myocardial Infarction Heart Failure Efficacy and Survival Study demonstrated a significant reduction in mortality and hospitalizations for patients randomized to the aldosterone antagonist eplerenone. A more provocative question is whether aldosterone antagonism will afford the same protection in patient populations with heart failure and preserved left ventricular function. Clinical trials are underway, and results are eagerly awaited.
The role of Afro-Canadian status in police or ambulance referral to emergency psychiatric services.

OBJECTIVE This study tested the hypothesis that among patients admitted to a hospital with psychosis, Afro-Canadian patients would be more likely than Euro-Canadian or Asian-Canadian patients to be brought to emergency services by police or ambulance. METHODS Data on psychotic patients admitted to the psychiatry ward in 1999 were extracted from records of a general hospital in Montreal. Logistic regression models examined the relationship between being Afro-Canadian and being brought to the emergency service by police or ambulance, while controlling for age, gender, marital status, and number of psychotic symptoms. RESULTS Of the 351 patients with psychosis, 59 percent were Euro-Canadian, 11 percent were Afro-Canadian, and 18 percent were Asian Canadian. Most Afro-Canadian patients in the study were immigrants from the Caribbean and Africa. Being Afro-Canadian was independently and positively associated with police or ambulance referral to emergency services. CONCLUSIONS Afro-Canadians admitted to the hospital with psychosis are overrepresented in police and ambulance referrals to emergency psychiatric services.
The Metalliclike Conductivity of a Two-Dimensional Hole System

We report on a zero magnetic field transport study of a two-dimensional, variable-density, hole system in GaAs. As the density is varied we observe, for the first time in GaAs-based materials, a crossover from an insulating behavior at low-density, to a metallic-like behavior at high-density, where the metallic behavior is characterized by a large drop in the resistivity as the temperature is lowered. These results are in agreement with recent experiments on Si-based two-dimensional systems by Kravchenko et al. and others. We show that, in the metallic region, the resistivity is dominated by an exponential temperature-dependence with a characteristic temperature which is proportional to the hole density, and appear to reach a constant value at lower temperatures.
"Statistics 101" for multisensor, multitarget data fusion

This tutorial summarizes the motivations, concepts, techniques, and applications of finite-set statistics (FISST), a system-level, "top-down" direct generalization of ordinary single-sensor, single-target engineering statistics to the multisensor, multitarget realm. FISST provides powerful new conceptual and computational methods for dealing with multisensor, multitarget, and multi-evidence data fusion problems. The paper begins with a broad-brush overview of the basic concepts of FISST. It describes how conventional single-sensor, single-target formal Bayesian modeling is carefully extended to general data fusion problems. We examine a simple example: joint detection and tracking of a possibly non-existent maneuvering target in heavy clutter. The tutorial concludes with a commentary on certain criticisms of FISST.
Phaeohyphomycosis due to Alternaria spp. and Phaeosclera dematioides: a histopathological study

Summary. A case of phaeohyphomycosis caused by strains of both Alternaria spp. and Phaeosclera dematioides is presented. The biopsy material was studied using histological, immunohistochemical and transmission electron microscopy techniques. The agent's dematiaceous mycelia are composed of thick‐walled hyphae, branched and unbranched, with terminal vesicular formations. All the described structures occur alone or in chains within multinuclear giant foreign body‐type cells or invading an abscess. Also present are budding forms. Immunostaining of histiocytic inflammatory cells in either diffuse or granulomatous infiltrates revealed cytoplasmic positivity for lysozyme and Ki‐M1P antibody. The lymphocytic infiltrates of the upper corium show predominantly small T lymphocytes (CD3 and CD45RO positive) and absence of CD20‐positive B cells. Plasma cells occurring within the infiltrates of the deeper parts show polyclonal expression of both Ig light chains.
Achalasia

A 53-year-old Taiwanese man who was robust in the past presented with a 1-week history of low-grade fever, productive cough, a weight loss of 5 kg in the preceding 6 months and progressive dysphagia for solids and liquids. His vital signs and physical examination were unremarkable, except for crackles and dullness to percussion over the right upper lobe. Laboratory investigation was unremarkable, except for a hemoglobin of 12.9 g/dl. Sputum was sent for cultures, cytology and acid-fast bacilli test, all of which were negative for tuberculosis and/or malignancy chest radiography revealed opacity over right upper lung compatible with aspiration pneumonia (Figure 1A). Chest computed tomography showed a distended esophagus with stasis of food residue suggestive marked progression of the achalasia. The patient declined further upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, barium study or operation and underwent treatment with empiric antibiotic and prokinetics, which partially relieved his symptoms. Primary achalasia is a rare disorder of unknown etiology characterized by incomplete relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter secondary to degeneration of esophageal neurons. It is sometimes complicated with aspiration pneumonia, megaesophagus and esophageal cancer. Diagnosis is confirmed by manometric, endoscopic and radiographic investigations. Computed tomography may not be indicated as a routine study, but it can aid in differentiating from secondary cause and detecting atypical features that may indicate the presence of other diseases or superimposed benign or malignant processes.
Twenty‐Four‐Hour Ambulatory EEG Monitoring in Infantile Spasms

Summary: Twenty‐four‐hour ambulatory EEG (AEEG) recordings were performed in 74 infants with West Syndrome (WS) who had not received corticosteroids before the recording. EEG analysis was performed visually for interictal background activity as well as for ictal events: spasms (isolated or in clusters) and other seizures either generalized or partial. Six hundred fifty‐four seizures were recorded in 67 patients. Partial seizures (PS) were noted in 31 infants (51% of symptomatic WS cases, 33% of cryptogenic WS cases). In 14 patients, PS were immediately followed by a cluster of spasms consisting of a single ictal event. Patients with PS had an asymmetrical interictal background activity in 85% of cases, with no return to hypsarrhythmia between spasms in a given cluster. AEEG is a reliable method to detect and analyze ictal events in infants with WS. In this population, patients with unfavorable outcome of both epilepsy and psychomotor development have PS. Therefore, the existence of PS may contribute to etiologic diagnosis and prognostic evaluation.
Vibration characteristics and equivalent Young's modulus of the Northern Library and the main tower, Bayon, Cambodia

We have studied vibration characteristics of the main tower and the sub-towers in the Bayon temple since 2003 and have found that the continuum equivalent Young’s modulus for these tower-like dry-masonry structures is 1/10 to 1/20 of the typical value for the constituent rock blocks. In 2006, we measured microtremors at the Northern Library and the Southern Library in the Bayon temple. They are relatively small structures compared to the towers. Unlike those towers, they look like frame structures composed of columns, beams, and walls made of sandstone. Simulating their predominant frequencies by FEM, we found that the equivalent Young’s modulus was similar to that for the towers and thus concluded that the reduced modulus 1/10 to 1/20 uniformly holds for the different types of dry-masonry structures in the Bayon temple. The Northern Library had been completely restored by 2004 and the Southern Library was to be restored. These libraries have similar predominant frequencies and there must not have been large influence of restoration on the vibration characteristics. The FEM model for the main tower in 2003 was based on photos and figures with speculation of the interior of the tower. In 2006 we had a chance to refer to the three-dimensional topographic data of the exterior and interior of the main tower obtained by laser type equipment. We refined the FEM model and simulated predominant frequencies again to find that the reduced equivalent modulus is still valid.