Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ward structure, therapeutic ideology, and patterns of patient interaction.

OVER three decades ago, Rowland was impressed by the discovery of social interaction and social system among hospitalized schizophrenics.1,2The implications of his work were relatively neglected in the psychiatric community until Stanton and Schwartz's monumental monograph presented strong evidence of the responsiveness of hospitalized patients to their milieu.3Since then, two parallel but loosely related movements have been gaining momentum. First, the concept of "therapeutic community" evolved from empirical experience and is being taken up with more or less expertise in more and more mental hospitals. Second, series of careful investigations have been undertaken, one group of studies focusing on the social structure of hospitals and the nature of patient groupings,4-8and another group of studies concerned with testing, more closely delimiting the relationship between milieu and patient behavior.8 11One paper severely criticizes the application of terms such as "community" and "society" to
Social Grooming in Bats: Are Vampire Bats Exceptional?

Evidence for long-term cooperative relationships comes from several social birds and mammals. Vampire bats demonstrate cooperative social bonds, and like primates, they maintain these bonds through social grooming. It is unclear, however, to what extent vampires are special among bats in this regard. We compared social grooming rates of common vampire bats Desmodus rotundus and four other group-living bats, Artibeus jamaicensis, Carollia perspicillata, Eidolon helvum and Rousettus aegyptiacus, under the same captive conditions of fixed association and no ectoparasites. We conducted 13 focal sampling sessions for each combination of sex and species, for a total of 1560 presence/absence observations per species. We observed evidence for social grooming in all species, but social grooming rates were on average 14 times higher in vampire bats than in other species. Self-grooming rates did not differ. Vampire bats spent 3.7% of their awake time social grooming (95% CI = 1.5–6.3%), whereas bats of the other species spent 0.1–0.5% of their awake time social grooming. Together with past data, this result supports the hypothesis that the elevated social grooming rate in the vampire bat is an adaptive trait, linked to their social bonding and unique regurgitated food sharing behavior.
Volatile anaesthetic effects on Na+‐Ca2+ exchange in rat cardiac myocytes

1 We examined the influence of two clinically relevant concentrations (1 and 2 MAC (minimum alveolar concentration)) of halothane and sevoflurane on both efflux and reverse modes of Na+‐Ca2+ exchange (NCX) in enzymatically dissociated adult rat cardiac myocytes. We hypothesised that a volatile anaesthetic‐induced decrease in myocardial contractility is mediated by a reduction in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) via inhibition of NCX. 2 Cells were exposed to cyclopiazonic acid and zero extracellular Na+ and Ca2+ to block sacroplasmic reticulum (SR) re‐uptake and NCX efflux, respectively. As [Ca2+]i increased under these conditions, extracellular Na+ was rapidly (< 300 ms) reintroduced in the presence or absence of a volatile anaesthetic to selectively promote Ca2+ efflux via NCX. Other cells exposed to cyclopiazonic acid and ryanodine to inhibit SR Ca2+ re‐uptake and release were Na+ loaded in zero extracellular Ca2+. The reintroduction of extracellular Ca2+ was used to selectively activate Ca2+ influx via NCX. 3 Compared to controls, both 1 and 2 MAC halothane as well as sevoflurane reduced NCX‐mediated efflux. The reduction in NCX‐mediated influx was concentration dependent, but comparable between the two anaesthetics. Both anaesthetics at each concentration also shifted the relationship between extracellular Na+ (or extent of Na+ loading) and NCX‐mediated efflux (or influx) to the right. 4 These data indicate that despite inhibition of NCX‐mediated Ca2+ efflux, volatile anaesthetics produce myocardial depression. However, the inhibition of NCX‐mediated Ca2+ influx may contribute to decreased cardiac contractility. The overall effect of volatile anaesthetics on the [Ca2+]i profile is likely to be determined by the relative contributions of influx vs. efflux via NCX during each cardiac cycle.
Synchrony and diachrony in the evolution of English : evidence from Scotland.

This study is a sociolinguistic investigation of a dialect spoken in a small fishing town in the north east coast of Scotland, Buckie. Through empirical examination of grammatical variables in this variety, this study aims to elucidate the mechanisms involved in language variation and change. The specific aims of the study are two-fold. First, to analyse the patterns of variation in the Buckie data and second, to compare and contrast these results with other varieties of English. Four variables are examined waslwere variation, negative concord, do absence and strong verb morphology. Was1were variation and negative concord continue the patterns of use attested in the diachronic record. In contrast, the specific patterning of do absence has no historical precursors, suggesting its use in this community is an innovation. Strong verb morphology is the only feature to show dramatic change in apparent time. I propose that these findings shed light on the differential pressures which lead to language variation and change. These pressures are both extra-linguistic and internal to the grammar itself. Cross variety comparisons with other dialects of English reveal that negative concord, strong verb 'regularisation' and waslwere alternation are common to all non-standard varieties. Moreover, the patterns of use are the same in many cases. Crucially, however, I propose that the mechanisms which lead to these shared patterns differ: similar constraints with waslwere alternation are the result of diffusion, use of 'regularised' strong verbs is a product of drift, and finally, negative concord is a primitive of vernacular dialects.
A Bidirectional DC–DC Converter for an Energy Storage System With Galvanic Isolation

This paper addresses a bidirectional dc-dc converter suitable for an energy storage system with an additional function of galvanic isolation. An energy storage device such as an electric double layer capacitor is directly connected to a dc side of the dc-dc converter without any chopper circuit. Nevertheless, the dc-dc converter can continue operating when the voltage across the energy storage device drops along with its discharge. Theoretical calculation and experimental measurement reveal that power loss and peak current impose limitations on a permissible dc-voltage range. This information may be useful in design of the dc-dc converter. Experimental results verify proper charging and discharging operation obtained from a 200-V, 2.6-kJ laboratory model of the energy storage system. Moreover, the dc-dc converter can charge the capacitor bank from zero to the rated voltage without any external precharging circuit.
β2-Microglobulin Promotes the Growth of Human Renal Cell Carcinoma through the Activation of the Protein Kinase A, Cyclic AMP–Responsive Element-Binding Protein, and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Axis

Purpose: β2-Microglobulin (β2M), a soluble protein secreted by cancer and host inflammatory cells, has various biological functions, including antigen presentation. Because aberrant expression of β2M has been reported in human renal cell carcinoma, we investigated the effects of β2M overexpression on cancer cell growth and analyzed its molecular signaling pathway. Experimental Design: We established clonal cell lines that overexpressed β2M in human renal cell carcinoma (SN12C) cells and then examined cell growth in vitro and in vivo and studied the β2M-mediated downstream cell signaling pathway. Results: Our results showed that β2M expression positively correlates with (a) in vitro growth on plastic dishes and as Matrigel colonies, (b) cell invasion and migration in Boyden chambers, and (c) vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and secretion by cells. We found, in addition, that β2M mediates its action through increased phosphorylation of cyclic AMP–responsive element-binding protein (CREB) via the protein kinase A-CREB axis, resulting in increased VEGF expression and secretion. In convergence with this signal axis, β2M overexpression also activated both phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. β2M overexpression induced accelerated growth of SN12C in mouse subcutis and bone. Interrupting the β2M signaling pathway using small interfering RNA led to apoptosis with increased activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9 and cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. Conclusions: Our results showed for the first time that the β2M-protein kinase A-CREB-VEGF signaling axis plays a crucial role in support of renal cell carcinoma growth and progression and reveals a novel therapeutic target.
The Digital Divide Among Low-Income Homebound Older Adults: Internet Use Patterns, eHealth Literacy, and Attitudes Toward Computer/Internet Use

Background Internet technology can provide a diverse array of online resources for low-income disabled and homebound older adults to manage their health and mental health problems and maintain social connections. Despite many previous studies of older adults’ Internet use, none focused on these most vulnerable older adults. Objective This study examined Internet use patterns, reasons for discontinued use, eHealth literacy, and attitudes toward computer/Internet use among low-income homebound individuals aged 60 and older in comparison to their younger counterparts—homebound adults under age 60. Methods Face-to-face or telephone surveys were conducted with 980 recipients of home-delivered meals in central Texas (78% were age 60 years and older and 22% under age 60). The eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) and the efficacy and interest subscales of the Attitudes Toward Computer/Internet Questionnaire (ATC/IQ) were used to measure the respective constructs. Age groups were compared with chi-square tests and t tests. Correlates of Internet use were analyzed with multinomial logistic regression, and correlates of eHEALS and ATC/IQ scores were analyzed with OLS regression models. Results Only 34% of the under-60 group and 17% of the 60 years and older group currently used the Internet, and 35% and 16% of the respective group members reported discontinuing Internet use due to cost and disability. In addition to being older, never users were more likely to be black (OR 4.41; 95% CI 2.82-6.91, P<.001) or Hispanic (OR 4.69; 95% CI 2.61-8.44, P<.001), and to have lower incomes (OR 0.36; 95% CI 0.27-0.49, P<.001). Discontinued users were also more likely to be black or Hispanic and to have lower incomes. Among both age groups, approximately three-fourths of the current users used the Internet every day or every few days, and their eHEALS scores were negatively associated with age and positively associated with frequency of use. Among the 60 and older group, a depression diagnosis was also negatively associated with eHEALS scores. ATC/IQ efficacy among never users of all ages and among older adults was positively associated with living alone, income, and the number of medical conditions and inversely associated with age, Hispanic ethnicity, and Spanish as the primary language. Although ATC/IQ interest among older adults was also inversely associated with age, it was not associated with Hispanic ethnicity and Spanish as the primary language. Conclusions This study is the first to describe in detail low-income disabled and homebound adults’ and older adults’ Internet use. It shows very low rates of Internet use compared to the US population, either due to lack of exposure to computer/Internet technology; lack of financial resources to obtain computers and technology; or medical conditions, disabilities, and associated pain that restrict use. Recommendations to reduce the digital divide among these individuals are provided.
Guilt, attribution of responsibility, and resolution of the divorce crisis.

Guilt, Attribution of Responsibility, and Resolution of the Divorce Crisis (May 1978) Linda Ceriale Peterson B.S., Fairleigh Dickinson University M.A., New York University Ed.D. , University of Massachusetts Directed by: Professor John W. Wideman Divorce is a major social problem, on the increase, and usually generating personal crises for those involved. Yet crises are occa¬ sions for personal growth if a person can resolve them constructively. This study was designed to answer three main questions regarding the resolution of the divorce crisis. Firstly, what is the relationship between guilt and the resolution of the divorce crisis? The literature suggests, according to the prevailing societal attitudes, that divorce is a wrongful act in failing to maintain the marriage. Hence, people who have a predisposition to over-reacting to societal attitudes and find themselves incapacitated by a chronic state of guilt, may have dif¬ ficulty resolving the divorce crisis. Secondly, what is the relationship between single attribution of responsibility (to self, to ex-spouse, or to external factors) and the resolution of the divorce crisis? The literature supports the no¬ tion that attributing responsibility, i.e., assigning cause, is an on-
Plasma estradiol-17β and gonadotropin during ovulation in rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri R.)

A radioimmunoassay (RIA) for estradiol-17s (E2-17s) with a chromatographic step has been tested on rainbow trout plasma. Overloading and dilution tests gave satisfactory results. Intracardiac injection of E2-17s (10µg/kg) in July gave a peak in the first 30 min after injection ; return to the basic level occurred within the next 24 hrs. Using RIA, trout-gonadotropin (t-GTH) and E2-17s were followed in trout plasma during the very last stages of the reproductive cycle. Oocyte maturity was determined simultaneously. t-GTH increase during maturation and ovulation was confirmed while E2-17s dropped before oocyte maturation to reach a low level when t-GTH was high.
GPs' attitudes to discussing prognosis in severe COPD: an Auckland (NZ) to London (UK) comparison.

BACKGROUND A palliative care approach, as used routinely in cancer, is also valid for incurable chronic illnesses such as chronic obstructive airways disease (COPD). However, a London study recently reported that general practitioners (GPs), who provide most end-stage care for COPD patients, do not routinely discuss prognosis with these patients. OBJECTIVE To compare the views of GPs in Auckland, New Zealand (NZ) and London, United Kingdom (UK) on discussions of prognosis in severe COPD. METHOD A postal questionnaire of 509 randomly selected Auckland GPs. The questionnaire was almost identical to the UK one. Comparisons were made with aggregated statistics for the London sample as reported in published findings and personal communication with the London authors. RESULTS The Auckland response rate of 56% was similar to that of the London study (55%). Most GPs in both samples stated that discussions on prognosis are necessary in severe COPD and that GPs have an important role in discussing prognosis. Smaller proportions of both samples reported usually having such discussions, although Auckland GPs (55.6%) were more likely to hold the discussions than were London counterparts (40.7%). Auckland GPs were also more likely to agree that patients with severe COPD want to discuss prognosis and that patients value these discussions. One-third of the Auckland GPs and nearly half the London GPs believe that some patients with severe COPD who want to discuss prognosis are not given the opportunity to do so. CONCLUSION Auckland GPs are more open than their London counterparts to discussing prognosis in severe COPD. There is increased scope for GPs in London to discuss prognosis with these patients. Further support is needed for GPs in both countries who do not routinely discuss prognosis in severe COPD, but consider it is necessary to have these discussions.
A single regulatory region modulates both cis activation and trans activation of the herpes simplex virus VP5 promoter in transient-expression assays in vivo

A detailed analysis of the expression of the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase gene controlled by the herpes simplex virus major capsid protein (VP5) promoter showed that this promoter can be functionally separated into an 80-base core region, which has the minimal information required to serve as a pol II promoter but which is not fully activated by viral superinfection or by cotransfections with plasmids bearing functional alpha (immediate-early) genes, and an approximately 100-base regulatory region upstream of the core, which allowed full induction of VP5 promoter-driven chloramphenicol acetyltransferase activity but which repressed the ability of the VP5 core promoter to be cis activated by the simian virus 40 enhancer. This was in distinct contrast to the situation with the alkaline exonuclease promoter (a model early promoter) and defined the regions of this promoter which can be used to study the interaction between viral promoters and putative regulatory proteins induced by viral infection.
Antiviral Activity of MK-4965, a Novel Nonnucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor

ABSTRACT Nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) are the mainstays of therapy for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infections. However, the effectiveness of NNRTIs can be hampered by the development of resistance mutations which confer cross-resistance to drugs in the same class. Extensive efforts have been made to identify new NNRTIs that can suppress the replication of the prevalent NNRTI-resistant viruses. MK-4965 is a novel NNRTI that possesses both diaryl ether and indazole moieties. The compound displays potency at subnanomolar concentrations against wild-type (WT), K103N, and Y181C reverse transcriptase (RT) in biochemical assays. MK-4965 is also highly potent against the WT virus and two most prevalent NNRTI-resistant viruses (viruses that harbor the K103N or the Y181C mutation), against which it had 95% effective concentrations (EC95s) of <30 nM in the presence of 10% fetal bovine serum. The antiviral EC95 of MK-4965 was reduced approximately four- to sixfold when it was tested in 50% human serum. Moreover, MK-4965 was evaluated with a panel of 15 viruses with NNRTI resistance-associated mutations and showed a superior mutant profile to that of efavirenz but not to that of etravirine. MK-4965 was similarly effective against various HIV-1 subtypes and viruses containing nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor or protease inhibitor resistance-conferring mutations. A two-drug combination study showed that the antiviral activity of MK-4965 was nonantagonistic with each of the 18 FDA-licensed drugs tested vice versa in the present study. Taken together, these in vitro data show that MK-4965 possesses the desired properties for further development as a new NNRTI for the treatment of HIV-1 infection.
Dolutegravir 50 mg thrice weekly plus atazanavir 400 mg daily in a long-term virologically suppressed HIV-infected patient

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has changed the natural course of HIV infection. However, the toxicities associated with long-term use of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) have led to the assessment of dual-therapy approaches with less toxicity. Atazanavir and dolutegravir have antiviral potency, tolerability and favourable metabolic profile. In suppressed HIV-infected patients, with NRTIs-related toxicity effects, the association of atazanavir and dolutegravir, favoured by their positive pharmacokinetics interaction, could be used as ‘maintenance’ antiretroviral therapy. We report a case report about one HIV-infected patient, on HAART and with a persistent suppression of HIV RNA, switched to dolutegravir 50 mg three times weekly plus atazanavir 400 mg once daily, as ‘maintenance antiretroviral therapy’, with persistence of viral suppression.
Effect of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Family Euphorbiaceae) Aqueous Leaf Extract on Some Antioxidant Enzymes and Haematological Parameters of High Fat Diet and Streptozotocin Induced Diabetic Wistar Albino Rats.

: This study was carried out to evaluate the oxidative and haematologic effects of aqueous extract of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (CA) in high fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetes in Wistar albino rats. Diabetes was induced by feeding the rats with HFD that consisted of 20% sucrose and 20% lard for 4 weeks, followed by a single dose intraperitoneal injection of STZ (40mg/kg body weight (BW)). The aqueous leaf extract of CA was administered orally and daily at 400, 600 and 800mg/kg BW from 7days after induction of diabetes and lasted for 12 weeks, while the normal control and diabetic control rats received regular diet and HFD respectively. Metformin (50mg/kg BW) was used as a standard antidiabetic drug. The animals were anaesthetized and sacrificed to obtain blood by cardiac puncture. Preliminary phytochemical analysis of CA showed the content of tannins (5.72±0.00), saponins (12.49±0.021), alkaloids (17.45 ±0.65), flavonoids (23.72 ±0.02), cyanogenic glycosides (0.75 ±0.10) and phytate (1.97 ±0.06). The six vitamins analysed, showed the concentration of vitamin A (5.24mg/kg), vitamin B 3 (1.40mg/kg), vitamin B 6 (37.23mg/kg), vitamin B 12 (15.98mg/kg), vitamin C (382.00mg/kg) and vitamin E (18.28mg/kg). There was significantly (p<0.05) reduced activity of catalase (CAT), significantly (p<0.05) increased level of TBARS, and non significantly (p>0.05) reduced activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), Packed Cell Volume (PCV) and haemoglobin (Hb) concentration in HFD/STZ induced diabetic rats. CA significantly (p<0.05) increased the SOD and CAT activities, PCV, and Hb concentrations of the treated diabetic rats (TDR) while the TBARS was significantly (p<0.05) decreased compared to the diabetic control (DC). Our findings suggest that CA exhibited reversal effects on these selected oxidative and haematologic markers in rats which were previously damaged by HFD and STZ.
Multitasking: Making the Most out of the Retroviral Envelope

Evasion of the host’s immune system is a required step for the establishment of viral infection. In this article, we discuss the recent findings of Heidmann and colleagues demonstrating that some retroviruses possess an immune suppressive (IS) domain “encrypted” within their envelope glycoprotein that is required to establish a successful infection in immunocompetent hosts [1].
Design, Observation, Surprise! A Test of Emergence

The field of artificial life (Alife) is replete with documented instances of emergence, though debate still persists as to the meaning of this term. We contend that, in the absence of an acceptable definition, researchers in the field would be well served by adopting an emergence certification mark that would garner approval from the Alife community. Toward this end, we propose an emergence test, namely, criteria by which one can justify conferring the emergence label.
SPLENECTOMY AND SEPSIS: THE ROLE OF THE SPLEEN IN THE IMMUNE-MEDIATED BACTERIAL CLEARANCE

Over the past few years, many observations of overwhelming post splenectomy bacterial infections have been reported. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the aetiologic agent in about 80% of cases, but also gram-negative bacteria are involved in the development of fatal infections in splenectomized patients. Functionally, the spleen plays a fundamental role in bacterial clearance either by antibody response or macrophage bactericidal capacity. At the same time, there is evidence that the spleen also contributes to bacterial endotoxin detoxification. Finally, the mechanisms responsible for gram-positive and gram-negative sepsis in the splenectomized host and possible therapeutical approaches able to neutralize bacterial products endowed with noxious effects are discussed.