Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Family Functioning and the Development of Trust and Intimacy Among Adolescents in Residential Treatment

This study examined relations between family cohesion and adaptability (as measured by the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales-III) and the formation of trust and intimacy (assessed with the Measure of Psychosocial Development) among adolescents in residential treatment. Bivariate correlation revealed a significant association between family cohesion and adaptability and psychosocial stages of trust and intimacy. Regression analyses revealed that family cohesion predicted trust, and that trust is significantly influential in the formation of intimacy. Discussion and treatment implications are included.
Psychosocial volunteer support for older adults with cognitive impairment: development of MyCare Ageing using a codesign approach via action research

Background and objectives Older adults with cognitive impairment are vulnerable to frequent hospital admissions and emergency department presentations. The aim of this study was to use a codesign approach to develop MyCare Ageing, a programme that will train volunteers to provide psychosocial support to older people with dementia and/or delirium in hospital and at home when discharged from hospital. Setting Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Research design This study adopts an action research methodology. We report on two co-design workshops with keystakeholders: Workshop 1: identification of components from three existing programmes to inform the development of the MyCare Ageing program logic and, Workshop 2: identification of implementation strategies. Participants The key stakeholders and workshop participants included clinicians (geriatricians, nurses and allied health), hospital staff (volunteer coordinators and hospital executives), Baptcare staff, a consumer, researchers and implementation experts and project staff. Results Workshop 1 identified the components from three existing programmes—the Volunteer Dementia and Delirium Care programme, Home-Start and MyCare for inclusion in MyCare Ageing. In workshop 2, the p implementation plan was developed taking into consideration hospital-specific processes, training and support needs of volunteers and safety and risk management processes. Discussion and conclusion The codesign process was successfully applied to develop the MyCare Ageing programme to provide volunteer support to patients with dementia and/or delirium in hospital and their transition home. MyCare Ageing is an innovative programme that meets an identified need from hospitals and consumers to support patients with dementia and/or delirium to improve psychosocial outcomes on discharge from hospital.
Granulomatous inflammation in normal and athymic mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni: An ultrastructural study

Inflammatory cell types and their interrelationships were studied in hepatic schistosome egg granulomas by correlated light and electron microscopy in thymus-intact and athymic mice. Intact animals developed large granulomas composed of phagocytes, stimulated macrophages, epithelioid cells, eosinophils and mast cells. The lesions peaked in size between 10--14 weeks after infection and tended to heal after 16 weeks. In athymic mice only phagocytes, stimulated macrophages and possible epithelioid cells appeared in the granulomas which were much smaller and less well organised than in intact mice. Virtually no eosinophils or mast cells entered the granulomas. These findings support the idea that development of granulomatous inflammation per se is not determined by CMI, but T cell co-operation seems to be required for its full expression in schistosomiasis. Since CMI closely regulates ingress of eosinophils and mast cells into the granuloma, the nature of T cell co-operation probably occurs at several levels in this complex infectious granuloma.
Estimation of glomerular filtration rates before and after orthotopic liver transplantation: Evaluation of current equations

The ability to estimate rather than measure the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in patients before and after liver transplantation would be helpful in estimating risk, dosing drugs, and assessing long‐term toxicity of calcineurin inhibitors. Currently available equations for estimating the GFR have not been validated in either the pre‐ or post‐liver transplant population. We have evaluated the performance of currently used formulas for the estimation of the GFR in this setting. Data were collected prospectively on patients who underwent liver transplantation between 1984 and 2001. GFR per 1.73 m2 was measured by I125 iothalamate in patients at the pretransplant evaluation and at 3 months, 1 year, and yearly posttransplant thereafter. GFR estimated by the Cockcroft‐Gault equation, the Nankivell equation, and the equations from the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) Study (6, 5, and 4 variables) was compared with the measured GFR. Pretransplant GFR was available in 1,447 patients. The mean GFR was 90.7 ± 40.5 mL/min. Values for r and r2 were highest for the MDRD Study 6‐variable equation (0.70 and 0.49, respectively). Only 66% of estimates were within 30% of the measured GFR. At 3 months, 1 year, and 5 years posttransplant, the mean GFR was 59.5 ± 27.1 mL/min, 62.7 ± 27.8 mL/min, and 55.3 ± 26.1 mL/min, respectively. Values for r and r2 for the MDRD Study 6‐variable equations at 1 and 5 years posttransplant were 0.74 (0.55) and 0.76 (0.58), respectively. At these time points, however, only 67% and 64% of the estimated GFR were within 30% of the measured GFR. MDRD Study equations had greater precision than other equations, but the precision was lower than reported for MDRD estimation of GFR in other populations. Better methods for estimating the GFR are required for evaluation of renal function before and after liver transplantation. (Liver Transpl 2004;10:301–309.)
Authorship Attribution in Portuguese Using Character N-grams

For the Authorship Attribution (AA) task, character n-grams are considered among the best predictive features. In the English language, it has also been shown that some types of character n-grams perform better than others. This paper tackles the AA task in Portuguese by examining the performance of different types of character n-grams, and various combinations of them. The paper also experiments with different feature representations and machine-learning algorithms. Moreover, the paper demonstrates that the performance of the character n-gram approach can be improved by fine-tuning the feature set and by appropriately selecting the length and type of character n-grams. This relatively simple and language-independent approach to the AA task outperforms both a bag-of-words baseline and other approaches, using the same corpus.
No worries, no impact? A systematic review of emotional, cognitive, and behavioural responses to the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes

Abstract Previous research suggests that patients with type 2 diabetes quickly adjust to their diagnosis, but most studies tend to focus on emotional outcomes. This systematic review also examines patients’ cognitive and behavioural responses in the first year after diagnosis, based on empirical studies published between 1993 and 2008. A total of 24 studies are presented in order from most to least rigorous design. A further distinction is made between being diagnosed in the context of a screening programme and other forms of diagnoses. This review confirms that the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes has limited long-term emotional impact, if at all, regardless of how patients are detected. Examination of cognitive and behavioural responses indicate that most patients underestimate the seriousness of their diabetes, overestimate their ability to control it and show limited engagement in the management of their disease. The results also indicate considerable variations in adjustment to the illness. These are related to symptom experience, prior knowledge, and information provision and treatment. Overall, this review shows that a lack of emotional distress does not necessarily indicate a successful adjustment but may instead reflect patients’ tendency to avoid dealing with and managing their diabetes until the first signs and symptoms appear, potentially undermining the effectiveness of early detection and treatment.
Florid marginal zone differentiation in follicular lymphoma mimicking marginal zone lymphoma of MALT type in the lung

Up to 20% of laparoscopic procedures for tubal ectopic pregnancy are associated with persistent trophoblastic tissue. This is usually tubal in origin but cases of implantation of trophoblastic tissue in other intraabdominal sites have been described—usually on pelvic peritoneum. The secondary implantation of trophoblast tissue in omentum is very rare, with only two histologically described cases reported to date. We wish to report the first case of implantation of fetal parts in omentum following laparoscopic salpingectomy for a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. A 36-year-old woman presented with lower abdominal pain at 7 (+ 4) weeks’ gestation. A left ectopic pregnancy and an intrauterine pregnancy were detected on ultrasound scan. On laparoscopy a left ruptured ectopic pregnancy with fetal parts was seen. The left fallopian tube was removed piecemeal. A tubal ectopic pregnancy was confirmed histologically. Ten days later she presented with signs of peritonitis. On laparotomy a congested appendix and an omental mass, initially thought to be a left adnexal abscess, were seen. Both were removed and sent for histological examination. Macroscopically, the appendix showed a congested surface with pus-like organized material seen over the serosal fat. The omentum measured 170 · 60 · 20 mm and showed small areas of organized exudates and lobulated fat. Histologically, the appendix had acute inflammation with fibrinous exudates and fat necrosis on the serosal surface. The omentum showed an infiltrate of acute inflammatory cells and fat necrosis. Two deposits of mature cartilage were seen within the omentum. These were surrounded by immature mesenchymal cells. This was thought to represent a deposit of fetal parts from the previous ruptured ectopic pregnancy (Figure 1). Our case is unique in that fetal parts as opposed to trophoblastic tissue were found in omentum and this probably represents the implantation of fetal parts seen at the time of laparoscopy. Persisting trophoblastic tissue following laparoscopic procedures for tubal ectopic pregnancy can present as haemoperitoneum or peritonitis. This case report illustrates the point that the diagnosis must be suspected in any patient presenting with peritonism following treatment for ectopic pregnancy and a search for persistent tissue must be made.
Immune interferon induced by phytohemagglutinin in nude mouse spleen cells

Phytohemagglutinin is able to trigger interferon synthesis in spleen cell cultures from nude (nu/nu) mice as effectively as in splenic cell cultures from haired, control (nu/+), thymus-bearing mice. A minor theta-bearing cell population present in the spleen of nude mice appears essential to phytohemagglutinin interferon production, although cooperating cells are also required. The properties of nude mouse phytohemagglutinin interferon are indistinguishable from those displayed by the interferon induced in thymus-bearing mouse spleen cell cultures. Both interferons are unstable at pH 2 and cannot be neutralized by an antiviral interferon serum; hence, their characteristics correspond to those described for type T interferon. As in the case of viral interferon, pretreatment of L cells with nude phytohemagglutinin interferon induced specific enhanced phosphorylation of a 67,000-molecular-weight protein in vitro when cell extracts were incubated with double-stranded RNA and gamma-[32P]ATP.
A Novel Immunological Approach Establishes That the Auxin-binding Protein, Nt-abp1, Is an Element Involved in Auxin Signaling at the Plasma Membrane*

Interactions of a collection of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to the recombinant Nicotiana tabacumauxin-binding protein 1 (Nt-abp1) were extensively characterized using surface plasmon resonance. Dynamic interaction studies using combinations of Nt-abp1, synthetic peptides corresponding to conserved sequences within auxin-binding proteins, and the mAbs have shown that a number of the mAbs recognized discontinuous epitopes revealing the junction of distinct domains in the folded protein. In particular, the two putative auxin binding domains and the C terminus of the protein were shown to interact with each other in the folded protein. Using the auxin-induced electrical response of tobacco protoplasts as a functional assay, all the mAbs exhibited either auxin antagonist or hormonomimetic properties. These effects, measured for the first time in homologous conditions, confirm that Nt-abp1 is present at the plasma membrane and is involved in the activation of the auxin-dependent electrical response of tobacco protoplasts. Based on our surface plasmon resonance data, we propose that the key event leading to the activation of this auxin electrical response consists of a conformational change in Nt-abp1.
Efficacy of cefditoren in the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections: a pooled analysis of six clinical trials.

OBJECTIVE A pooled analysis of all upper respiratory tract infection studies performed with cefditoren (CDN) was performed. METHODS Studies were prospective, comparative, multicentre and randomised. Comparators were penicillin V (pharyngitis) and cefuroxime or amoxicillin/clavulanate (sinusitis). A total of 1,322 patients were randomized, 1,241 included in intention-to-treat (ITT) and 1,010 in per-protocol populations (PP) in pharyngotonsillitis studies, and 1,819 randomized, 1,726 included in ITT and 1,589 in PP in acute sinusitis studies. RESULTS No significant differences in pharyngitis clinical response were found (success rates: 89.4 % to 95.3 %). S. pyogenes eradication was higher with cefditoren at end of therapy (EOT) (90.4% vs. 82.7%; p=0.002) and follow-up (84.7% vs. 76.7%; p=0.008), although no statistically significant (p<0.001). In both groups, clinical failures were significantly higher (p<0.001) in patients showing S. pyogenes persistence than in those showing eradication (> or =98.5% vs. 51.4 %). No differences in sinusitis clinical response were found between CDN and comparators both at EOT (80.2% vs. 84.8%) and at end of follow-up (71.2% vs. 77.4%). CONCLUSION Cefditoren had similar point estimates of clinical efficacy to comparators in pharyngotonsillitis and sinusitis, and a tendency to higher S. pyogenes eradication in pharyngotonsillitis.
Hepatitis-associated Australia antigen. Protein, peptides and amine acid composition of purified antigen with its use in determining sensitivity of the hemagglutination test.

A 0.1% solution of protein from the purified 20-nm particles of hepatitis-associated Australia antigen (HAA) has an optical density of 3.726 at 280 nm. The protein appears to consist of two subunits; it contains a high proportion of proline, leucine and serine and a low content of tyrosine. Depending upon the anti-HAA reagent used, the hemagglutination inhibition assay can detect HAA protein in amounts as low as 1 to 60 ng.
GEP-PG: Decoupling Exploration and Exploitation in Deep Reinforcement Learning Algorithms

In continuous action domains, standard deep reinforcement learning algorithms like DDPG suffer from inefficient exploration when facing sparse or deceptive reward problems. Conversely, evolutionary and developmental methods focusing on exploration like Novelty Search, Quality-Diversity or Goal Exploration Processes explore more robustly but are less efficient at fine-tuning policies using gradient descent. In this paper, we present the GEP-PG approach, taking the best of both worlds by sequentially combining a Goal Exploration Process and two variants of DDPG. We study the learning performance of these components and their combination on a low dimensional deceptive reward problem and on the larger Half-Cheetah benchmark. We show that DDPG fails on the former and that GEP-PG improves over the best DDPG variant in both environments. Supplementary videos and discussion can be found at http://frama.link/gep_pg, the code at this http URL.
Evolution of animal body plans: the role of metazoan phylogeny at the interface between pattern and process

SUMMARY Comprehensive integrative studies are the hallmark of evolutionary developmental biology. A properly defined phylogenetic framework takes a central place in such analyses as the meeting ground for observation and inference. Molecular phylogenies take this place in many current studies on animal body plan evolution. In particular, 18S rRNA/DNA sequence analyses have yielded a new view of animal evolution that is often contrasted with a presumed traditional or classical view. First, I expose this traditional view to be a simplified historical abstraction that became textbook dogma. Second, I discuss how two recent important studies of animal body plan evolution, examining the evolution of the platyhelminth body plan and the evolutionary significance of indirect development and set‐aside cells, have actively incorporated two problematic aspects of the newly emerging molecular view of animal evolution: incomplete and unresolved phylogenies.
V2P/I communication for increasing occupational safety at a seaport

This paper presents a model and some simulations of vehicle-to-pedestrian/infrastructure (V2P/I) communication channel performances at the seaport, whereas vehicles are taken as front-lifts and pedestrians as on port workers. More precisely, the aim of the paper is to study the important radio channel features between end nodes in order to optimize the network deployment and, at the same time, to display the communication limitations under realistic conditions. An ultimate goal is providing the contribution towards increasing works' and environmental safety at the invasive seaport industrial and commercial areas. Consequently, the corresponding radio channel simulation analyses are realized over the layout of the container and general cargo terminal at the Mediterranean Port of Bar (Montenegro).
A review of existing and emerging digital technologies to combat the global trade in fake medicines

ABSTRACT Introduction: The globalization of the pharmaceutical supply chain has introduced new challenges, chief among them, fighting the international criminal trade in fake medicines. As the manufacture, supply, and distribution of drugs becomes more complex, so does the need for innovative technology-based solutions to protect patients globally. Areas covered: We conducted a multidisciplinary review of the science/health, information technology, computer science, and general academic literature with the aim of identifying cutting-edge existing and emerging ‘digital’ solutions to combat fake medicines. Our review identified five distinct categories of technology including mobile, radio frequency identification, advanced computational methods, online verification, and blockchain technology. Expert opinion: Digital fake medicine solutions are unifying platforms that integrate different types of anti-counterfeiting technologies as complementary solutions, improve information sharing and data collection, and are designed to overcome existing barriers of adoption and implementation. Investment in this next generation technology is essential to ensure the future security and integrity of the global drug supply chain.
Long-term assessment of T-cell populations in DiGeorge syndrome.

BACKGROUND Patients with DiGeorge syndrome present with a broad range of T-cell deficiency. Partial DiGeorge syndrome (pDGS) is a preferred designation for patients with detectable T-cell function. Among immunology experts, there is no uniform opinion on the necessity of T-cell precautions for pDGS patients. Few studies have addressed the natural course of their immune function over time. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to describe the natural history of immune parameters in pDGS. METHODS We reviewed the medical records of 45 pDGS patients. Peripheral blood T-cell subsets counts and percentages were recorded at 1, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 48, 60, 72, 96, and 120 months of age, and the rates of change of T-cell measurements over the follow-up period (slopes) were calculated for each individual. Humoral immunity was evaluated by quantification of immunoglobulins and by testing antibody titers to recall antigens. RESULTS T-cell subsets counts from pDGS patients were generally lower than those of age-matched normal populations but were not severely depressed (ie, CD4+ T-cell percentage less than 15%). The median of the slopes for CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ T-cell percentages were -0.7%, -0.8%, and -0.1%/month, respectively, in the first year of age and 0.1%/month for each subpopulation from 12 to 120 months of age. Lymphoproliferative responses to phytohemagglutinin were adequate at all ages. Immunoglobulin deficiencies or inadequate production of specific antibodies were not detected. CONCLUSIONS In our pDGS patient cohort, a significant deterioration of T-cell number or function did not occur over time. Clinical implications of this finding include the possibility of discontinuing T-cell deficiency precautions and frequency of reevaluations of pDGS patients with stable and adequate immune function.
Rules of language.

Language and cognition have been explained as the products of a homogeneous associative memory structure or alternatively, of a set of genetically determined computational modules in which rules manipulate symbolic representations. Intensive study of one phenomenon of English grammar and how it is processed and acquired suggest that both theories are partly right. Regular verbs (walk-walked) are computed by a suffixation rule in a neural system for grammatical processing; irregular verbs (run-ran) are retrieved from an associative memory.
Impact of cryopreservation and reactive oxygen species on DNA integrity, lipid peroxidation, and functional parameters in ram sperm

Assisted reproduction using frozen‐thawed semen has practical advantages, although cryopreservation is detrimental to sperm fertility in most mammals. We examined the influence of cryopreservation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) on ram sperm DNA stability (using SCSA), lipid peroxidation (LPO), chlortetracycline fluorescence (CTC) patterns, motility and viability. In Experiment 1, DNA integrity, LPO, CTC, motility and viability tests were performed on fresh and cryopreserved sperm after 0, 6, and 24 hr in synthetic oviductal fluid (SOF). In Experiment 2, fresh sperm were incubated in serum‐free SOF (SOF‐S; 1, 4, and 24 hr) with 0, 50, 150, or 300 µM H2O2 then assayed. Cryopreservation increased the percentage of sperm with a high DNA fragmentation index (%DFI), decreased the percentages of motile and viable sperm at thawing (0 hr), but did not affect LPO. H2O2 (150 or 300 µM) increased %DFI after 24 hr. LPO or sperm viability were not affected by H2O2, although most motility parameters decreased. H2O2 decreased the percentage of chlortetracycline pattern F sperm at 4 hr and increased the percentage of acrosome‐reacted sperm (pattern AR) after 1 hr. Pooled data of Experiment 2 showed LPO was positively correlated with SCSA (r = 0.29 to r = 0.59; P < 0.05 to P < 0.01), while most motility parameters and the percentage of viable sperm were negatively correlated with LPO (r = −0.30 to r = −0.38; P < 0.05 to P < 0.01). LPO was positively correlated with the percentage of pattern AR sperm (r = 0.33; P < 0.01). Cryopreservation and H2O2 promote DNA instability in ram sperm, though motility is a more sensitive indicator of oxidative stress than the other parameters investigated. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 74: 878–892, 2007. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.