Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Thought disorder in Asperger syndrome and schizophrenia: Issues in the differential diagnosis. A series of case reports

The relationship between Asperger syndrome (AS) and schizophrenia is still unclear. An unanswered question is, do hallucinations or delusions per se justify a diagnosis of schizophrenia when these symptoms appear in subjects with AS? The aims of the present study were: (1) to review the characteristics of thought disorder in AS and schizophrenia; (2) to describe the clinical features of six adult patients with AS who presented psychotic symptoms without mood symptoms; (3) to observe their clinical course and response to therapy in order to speculate possible relations between AS and schizophrenia. In the presence of its specific symptoms, it seems inappropriate to omit the diagnosis of AS because the DSM-IV-TR criteria for schizophrenia are also met, whether delusions and hallucinations appear early or late in the course of the disease. Recognizing and emphasizing the diagnosis of AS is not only important for clinicians to tailor the therapeutic strategy to the features of patients, but also for the patients and their relatives.
Silencing Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling-1 (SOCS1) in Macrophages Improves Mycobacterium tuberculosis Control in an Interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-dependent Manner*

Protection against infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis demands IFN-γ. SOCS1 has been shown to inhibit responses to IFN-γ and might thereby play a central role in the outcome of infection. We found that M. tuberculosis is a highly efficient stimulator of SOCS1 expression in murine and human macrophages and in tissues from infected mice. Surprisingly, SOCS1 reduced responses to IL-12, resulting in an impaired IFN-γ secretion by macrophages that in turn accounted for a deteriorated intracellular mycobacterial control. Despite SOCS1 expression, mycobacteria-infected macrophages responded to exogenously added IFN-γ. SOCS1 attenuated the expression of the majority of genes modulated by M. tuberculosis infection of macrophages. Using a conditional knockdown strategy in mice, we found that SOCS1 expression by macrophages hampered M. tuberculosis clearance early after infection in vivo in an IFN-γ-dependent manner. On the other hand, at later time points, SOCS1 expression by non-macrophage cells protected the host from infection-induced detrimental inflammation.
Aminoglycoside Resistance with Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Populations of Antibiotic-Resistant Ribosomes

ABSTRACT Aminoglycosides bind to rRNA in the small subunit of the bacterial ribosome. Mutations in the decoding region of 16S rRNA confer resistance to specific subsets of aminoglycoside antibiotics. The two major classes of 2-deoxystreptamine aminoglycosides are the 4,5- and the 4,6-disubstituted antibiotics. Antibiotics of the 4,5-disubstituted class include neomycin, paromomycin, and ribostamycin. Gentamicins and kanamycins belong to the 4,6-disubstituted class of aminoglycosides. Structural studies indicated the potential importance of position 1406 (Escherichia coli numbering) in the binding of ring III of the 4,6-disubstituted class of aminoglycosides to 16S rRNA. We have introduced a U1406-to-A mutation in a plasmid-encoded copy of E. coli 16S rRNA which has been expressed either in a mixture with wild-type ribosomes or in a strain in which all rRNA is transcribed from the plasmid-encoded rrn operon. High-level resistance to many of the 4,6-disubstituted aminoglycosides is observed only when all the rRNA contains the U1406-to-A mutation. In contrast to the partial dominance of resistance observed with other mutations in the decoding region, there is a dominance of sensitivity with the 1406A mutation. Chemical footprinting experiments indicate that resistance arises from a reduced affinity of the antibiotic for the rRNA target. These results demonstrate that although position 1406 is an important determinant in the binding and action of the 4,6-disubstituted aminoglycosides, other rRNA mutations that perturb the binding of ring I of both classes of 2-deoxystreptamine aminoglycosides confer higher levels of resistance as well as a partial dominance of resistance.
Transportation of a single object by two decentralized-controlled nonholonomic mobile robots

We propose a decentralized control algorithm for transporting a single object by two nonholonomic mobile robots driven by two wheels. We extend the leader-follower type control algorithm, proposed by Kosuge and Oosumi (1996) for holonomic robots, to mobile robots by introducing the dual caster action. The extended control algorithm is applied to two experimental tracked mobile robots, and the experimental results illustrate the validity of the control algorithm.
Morphometric Analysis of the Lumbosacral Nerve Roots and Dorsal Root Ganglia by Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Study Design Lumbosacral nerve roots and dorsal root ganglia in relation to surrounding bony structures in normal subjects were investigated using magnetic resonance imaging. Objectives This study determined the normal anatomic parameters of the lumbosacral nerve root and dorsal root ganglion, to which degenerative or pathologic changes may be compared. Summary of Background Data In the previous literature, most authors have used various modalities in either cadavers or symptomatic patients to study the anatomic details of the lumbar nerve roots and dorsal root ganglia. The data in the literature are conflicting, mainly because of individual variations and different degrees of degenerative change in the spine. Methods Twenty male volunteers who had no back pain or radiculopathy underwent magnetic resonance imaging. Ages ranged from 22 to 38 years, with a mean of 30.4 years. T1‐weighted coronal magnetic resonance images were taken from L1 to S1. Two hundred thirty‐three nerve roots were examined, including 36 L1, 40 L2, 40, L3, 39 L4, 40 L5, and 38 S1 nerve roots. Measurements were determined using a computer digitizer. Results The nerve root origin was at a more cephalad level for the caudad nerve roots, particularly the S1. The take‐off angles acutely changed at L1 and S1. The length of the nerve roots increased progressively to a maximum at L5, and decreased at S1. The center of the dorsal root ganglion was positioned more cephalad at S1. The average dimension of the dorsal root ganglion gradually increased from L1 to S1. The most striking difference was in the S1 root, which takes off more cephalad, at a more vertical angle, and has the shortest length of any of the nerve roots. The S1 dorsal root ganglion was also unique in that it was the largest and more frequently located intraspinally. Conclusions The anatomy of the lumbar nerve roots and dorsal root ganglia and their relations to bony structures have been better defined in this study. Because of its more medial location, S1 radiculopathy may involve both the nerve root and dorsal root ganglion as a result of either disc herniation or degenerative L5‐S1 facet changes. The relatively larger dorsal root ganglia and the greater dorsal root ganglion/foramen height ratios in the lower lumbar region may explain the higher incidence of L5 or S1 radiculopathy, particularly given the propensity to disc degeneration and intervertebral foraminal narrowing in the lower lumbar region.
Scanning-tunneling-microscope observations of Coulomb blockade and oxide polarization in small metal droplets.

Mesure a 4 K des caracteristiques courant-tension dans deux jonctions tunnel couplees en serie. Les jonctions sont formees en utilisant un microscope tunnel a balayage ou une goutte de metal est deposee sur un support metallique oxyde. Observation des marches de Coulomb de forme bien definie dues a la dynamique electronique, a la polarisation de l'oxyde et a des vitesses non lineaires de l'effet tunnel. Comparaison avec des calculs theoriques semiclassiques. Exemple de l'effet tunnel de In depose sur un support en aluminium oxyde
Impact of FDG-PET/MRI Image Fusion on the Detection of Pancreatic Cancer

Background: This study assessed the value of image fusion with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients suspected of having pancreatic cancer. Methods: 32 patients (12 women, 20 men; age 24–79 years; mean 56.6 years) were included. All patients underwent whole-body FDG-PET examinations and contrast-enhanced MRI. Image fusion used a semiautomatic voxel-based algorithm. Separate reading, side-by-side analysis and evaluation of fused PET/MRI images were performed. Results were correlated to histopathology (n = 30), or clinical follow-up (n = 2). Results: 15/32 patients had pancreas cancer and 17/32 patients benign disease. The sensitivity and specificity for cancer detection by FDG-PET were 93 and 41% for visual and 86 and 58% for semiquantitative analysis whereas MRI achieved 100 and 76% respectively. Topographical assignment of PET foci by image fusion was superior to side-by-side analysis in 11/39 (28%) foci (in 8/32 patients). However, a true impact on therapeutic strategy was observed only in 1/8 patients as the presence of multiple metastases, irresectable primaries or medical reasons for inoperability prevented a curative setting. Conclusion: Compared to side-by-side analysis, PET/MRI image fusion improves the anatomical assignment and interpretation of FDG foci. The therapeutic benefit for the patient however is limited in patients with multiple lesions or incurable primaries.
Informe ejecutivo del Proyecto Ciberastur

En port. sigue al tit. : Analisis de la prevalencia del acoso, ciberacoso, usos problematicos de internet y calidad de vida relacionada con la salud en alumnado de Educacion Secundaria Obligatoria, Bachillerato y Transicion a la Vida Adulta (TVA) del Principado de Asturias
Heuristic Principles and Differential Judgments in the Assessment of Information Quality

: Information quality (IQ) is a multidimensional construct and includes dimensions such as accuracy, completeness, objectivity, and representation that are difficult to measure. Recently, research has shown that independent assessors who rated IQ yielded high inter-rater agreement for some information quality dimensions as opposed to others. In this paper, we explore the reasons that underlie the differences in the “measurability” of IQ. Employing Gigerenzer’s “building blocks” framework, we conjecture that the feasibility of using a set of heuristic principles consistently when assessing different dimensions of IQ is a key factor driving inter-rater agreement in IQ judgments. We report on two studies. In the first study, we qualitatively explored the manner in which participants applied the heuristic principles of search rules, stopping rules, and decision rules in assessing the IQ dimensions of accuracy, completeness, objectivity, and representation. In the second study, we investigated the extent to which participants could reach an agreement in rating the quality of Wikipedia articles along these dimensions. Our findings show an alignment between the consistent application of heuristic principles and inter-rater agreement levels found on particular dimensions of IQ judgments. Specifically, on the dimensions of completeness and representation, assessors applied the heuristic principles consistently and tended to agree in their ratings, whereas, on the dimensions of accuracy and objectivity, they not apply the heuristic principles in a uniform manner and inter-rater agreement was relatively low. We discuss our findings implications for research and practice.
HIV-1 reverse transcriptase connection domain mutations: dynamics of emergence and implications for success of combination antiretroviral therapy.

BACKGROUND Factors promoting the emergence of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) connection domain mutations and their effect on antiretroviral therapy (ART) are still largely undetermined. We investigated this matter by analyzing genotypic resistance tests covering 400 amino acid positions in the RT of HIV-1 subtype B viruses and corresponding treatment histories and laboratory measurements. METHODS The emergence of connection domain mutations was studied in 334 patients receiving monotherapy or dual therapy with thymidine analogues at the time of the genotypic resistance test. Response to subsequent combination ART (cART) was analyzed using Cox regression for 291 patients receiving unboosted protease inhibitors. Response was defined by ever reaching an HIV RNA level <50 copies/mL during the first cART. RESULTS The connection domain mutations N348I, R356K, R358K, A360V, and A371V were more frequently observed in ART-exposed than ART-naive patients, of which only N348I and A360V were nonpolymorphic (with a prevalence of <1.5% in untreated patients). N348I correlated with M184V and predominantly occurred in patients receiving lamivudine and zidovudine concomitantly. A360V was not associated with specific drug combinations and was found to emerge later than M184V or thymidine analogue mutations. Nonpolymorphic connection domain mutations were rarely detected in the absence of established drug resistance mutations in ART-exposed individuals (prevalence, <1%). None of the 5 connection domain mutations associated with treatment showed a statistically significant effect on response to cART. CONCLUSIONS Despite their frequent emergence, connection domain mutations did not show large detrimental effects on response to cART. Currently, routine implementation of connection domain sequencing seems unnecessary for developed health care settings.
Sparsity-aware pseudo affine projection algorithm for active noise control

This paper describes new algorithms promoting sparsity in modified filtered-x algorithms for active noise control. The proposed algorithms are based on recent techniques incorporating approximations to the l0-norm in the cost function used. An approximation to the affine projection algorithm leads to new zero-attracting and reweighted zero-attracting modified filtered-x pseudo affine projection algorithms. The results of simulations indicate that the proposed techniques demonstrate good performance and reduce numerical complexity compared to the original affine projection based algorithms.
Novel drug discovery approaches for treating arenavirus infections

ABSTRACT Introduction: Arenaviruses are enveloped negative stranded viruses endemic in Africa, Europe and the Americas. Several arenaviruses cause severe viral hemorrhagic fever with high mortality in humans and pose serious public health threats. So far, there are no FDA-approved vaccines and therapeutic options are restricted to the off-label use of ribavirin. The major human pathogenic arenaviruses are classified as Category A agents and require biosafety level (BSL)-4 containment. Areas covered: Herein, the authors cover the recent progress in the development of BSL2 surrogate systems that recapitulate the entire or specific steps of the arenavirus life cycle and are serving as powerful platforms for drug discovery. Furthermore, they highlight the identification of selected novel drugs that target individual steps of arenavirus multiplication describing their discovery, their targets, and mode of action. Expert opinion: The lack of effective drugs against arenaviruses is an unmatched challenge in current medical virology. Novel technologies have provided important insights into the basic biology of arenaviruses and the mechanisms underlying virus-host cell interaction. Significant progress of our understanding of how the virus invades the host cell paved the way to develop powerful novel screening platforms. Recent efforts have provided a range of promising drug candidates currently under evaluation for therapeutic intervention in vivo.
Estrés laboral, afrontamiento y sus consecuencias: el papel del género

Recogiendo las distintas sugerencias aportadas por la literatura sobre el estres, la presente tesis plantea el estudio del afrontamiento ante el estres laboral, y propone una perspectiva multinivel en el estudio de sus consecuencias desde un enfoque de genero. En primer lugar se investigan los beneficios del afrontamiento sobre el distres en funcion de la socializacion de genero, analizando la interaccion entre genero y afrontamiento en la prediccion del distres psicologico y las quejas psicosomaticas. Los participantes de este estudio son empleados de bancos espanoles, un sector tradicionalmente masculino, y el diseno es transversal. En un segundo estudio se pretende probar los resultados encontrados en el estudio anterior, en un contexto organizacional diferente, tradicionalmente femenino, con profesores de colegios publicos. Ademas, se pretende superar la limitacion del diseno transversal, con un diseno longitudinal. Los resultados apoyan el papel moderador del genero en la eficacia del afrontamiento: el afrontamiento de accion directa es eficaz para los hombres y el afrontamiento de apoyo social es eficaz para las mujeres, tanto en contextos organizacionales masculinos como femeninos. Por ultimo, habiendo estudiado el afrontamiento en contextos tanto masculinos como femeninos, planteamos un estudio de diseno longitudinal y multinivel que analiza el burnout como fenomeno colectivo, desde el marco teorico del clima afectivo. El estudio plantea un analisis contextual que examina si el clima de burnout colectivo predice la insatisfaccion laboral, por encima del efecto del burnout individual; y si el genero del individuo afecta a este proceso. Los resultados indican que el burnout es un fenomeno que emerge a nivel grupal como clima colectivo de burnout, y este es el primer trabajo que demuestra empiricamente la emergencia de un clima afectivo de burnout y su influencia en respuestas laborales actitud
Prognostic value of HOXB7 mRNA expression in human oesophageal squamous cell cancer

Abstract Objective: This study was to determine the role of HOXB7 in predicting outcomes of patients with oesophageal squamous cell cancer (OSCC). Methods: Samples were collected from 179 OSCC patients. HOXB7 mRNA expression was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: HOXB7 mRNA expression was up-regulated in 85.1% of OSCC tumorous tissues, and correlated with age, pathological T and N category, as well as cancer-specific survival (CSS). However, subgroup analysis revealed its discernibility on CSS was only pronounced in early stage. Conclusions: HOXB7 mRNA expression might serve as a novel prognostic biomarker for resected OSCC patients in early stage.
The Global Incidence of Appendicitis: A Systematic Review of Population-based Studies

Objective: We compared the incidence of appendicitis or appendectomy across the world and evaluated temporal trends. Summary Background Data: Population-based studies reported the incidence of appendicitis. Methods: We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE databases for population-based studies reporting the incidence of appendicitis or appendectomy. Time trends were explored using Poisson regression and reported as annual percent change (APC) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). APC were stratified by time periods and pooled using random effects models. Incidence since 2000 was pooled for regions in the Western world. Results: The search retrieved 10,247 citations with 120 studies reporting on the incidence of appendicitis or appendectomy. During the 21st century the pooled incidence of appendicitis or appendectomy (in per 100,000 person-years) was 100 (95% CI: 91, 110) in Northern America, and the estimated number of cases in 2015 was 378,614. The pooled incidence ranged from 105 in Eastern Europe to 151 in Western Europe. In Western countries, the incidence of appendectomy steadily decreased since 1990 (APC after 1989=−1.54; 95% CI: −2.22, −0.86), whereas the incidence of appendicitis stabilized (APC=−0.36; 95% CI: −0.97, 0.26) for both perforated (APC=0.95; 95% CI: −0.25, 2.17) and nonperforated appendicitis (APC=0.44; 95% CI: −0.84, 1.73). In the 21st century, the incidence of appendicitis or appendectomy is high in newly industrialized countries in Asia (South Korea pooled: 206), the Middle East (Turkey pooled: 160), and Southern America (Chile: 202). Conclusions: Appendicitis is a global disease. The incidence of appendicitis is stable in most Western countries. Data from newly industrialized countries is sparse, but suggests that appendicitis is rising rapidly.
Preliminary study of protective effects of flavonoids against radiation-induced lung injury in mice.

BACKGROUND Radiation therapy plays an important role in lung carcinoma treatment. However, the incidence of symptomatic radiation-induced lung injury is high. This study aimed to evaluate radioprotective effects of flavonoids extracted from Astragalus complanatus and mechanisms of action against radiation damage. METHODS Alteration in antioxidant status and levles of several cytokines were investigated in BABL/C mice treated with 4 mg/kg b.wt. flavonoids after exposure to 10Gy thoracic radiation. RESULTS Serum levels of SOD in the flavonoids+radiation group were significantly higher compared to the radiation control group, while TGF-β1 and IL-6 were lower. Mice in the radiation control group displayed more severe lung damage compared with the flavonoids+radiation group. The expression of TGF-β1 and TNF-α in the radiation control group was markedly increased in alveolar epithelial cells and macrophages of the alveolar septum. CONCLUSIONS From the results of the present study, flavonoids could be excellent candidates as protective agents against radiation-induced lung injury.
Population Genetic Structure of Aphis glycines

ABSTRACT The soybean aphid (Aphis glycines Matsumura) is an invasive pest of cultivated soybean (Glycine max L.) in North America. After the initial invasion in 2000, the aphid has quickly spread across most of the United States and Canada, suggesting large-scale dispersal and rapid adaptation to new environments. Using microsatellite markers from closely related species, we compared the genetic diversity and the amount of genetic differentiation within and among 2 South Korean and 10 North American populations. Overall allelic polymorphism was low, never exceeding four alleles per locus. However, differences in genetic diversity were seen among South Korean and North American populations in terms of heterozygote excesses and genotypic richness. Within North America, two populations (Michigan and Ontario), had lower genetic diversities and exhibited high genetic differentiation compared with the remaining eight populations. The earlier collection time of Michigan and Ontario samples explained the genetic differences better than geographic subdivisions. These data indicate a pattern of small colonizing populations on soybeans, followed by rapid clonal amplification and subsequent large-scale dispersal across North America.
Louise Erdrich's The Round House: Restorative Justice in a Coming of Age Thriller

In a novel critics have described as a "thriller-like" coming-of-age story, Louise Erdrich's The Round House (2012) integrates two apparently conflicting approaches to Native American law. First, Felix S. Cohen's Handbook of Federal Indian Law legitimizes the need for working with allies to Indigenous peoples in developing contextual applications of settler state laws. The second draws on the authority of authorless Anishinaabe stories and dreams. While Cohen and his descendants in tribal law practice are allies to the Anishinabeg, dream narrations by the narrator's grandfather affirm the contemporary vitality of Anishinaabe approaches to justice. Finally, Erdrich's narration suggests why restorative justice for women in Indigenous communities in the United States should matter for her international audience.