Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sexuality in individuals with traumatic brain injury and their partners

ABSTRACT Whilst previous research has detailed the impact of TBI on an individual’s sexuality, few studies have investigated couples’ sexuality where one partner has sustained a TBI. The study assessed sexual function in individuals with TBI and their partners. Fifty five individuals who had sustained TBI and their partners completed the Derogatis Interview for Sexual Function—Self Report (DISF-SR). All participants scored below the 50th percentile in relation to norms. Whilst participants with TBI obtained lower T-scores than partners on all subscales (except for sexual behaviour/experiences where scores were equivalent), as well as the total score, none of these differences was significant. Item analysis indicated that female participants with TBI reported significantly lower scores than female partners on frequency of having normal lubrication. Normative comparisons revealed that approximately one-third of individuals with TBI and one-fifth of their partners scored below the second percentile. Given the high frequency of sexual problems in individuals with TBI, which also impact their partners, addressing sexual problems should be a priority in rehabilitation and beyond.
Virasoro Constraints for Toric Bundles

We show that the Virasoro conjecture in Gromov–Witten theory holds for the the total space of a toric bundle $E \to B$ if and only if it holds for the base B. The main steps are: (i) We establish a localization formula that expresses Gromov–Witten invariants of E, equivariant with respect to the fiberwise torus action in terms of genus-zero invariants of the toric fiber and all-genus invariants of B, and (ii) we pass to the nonequivariant limit in this formula, using Brown’s mirror theorem for toric bundles.
Structural Observations Regarding RongoRongo Tablet ‘Keiti’

Abstract One over-used technique in the rongorongo research has been the linguistic speculation in regard to its real meaning. This has produced, over the years, a variety of individual translations, some of them faulty, and some merely unverifiable. Since a structural analysis tends to offer a conservative, realistic view—more like raw data—the author has proceeded to make a corpus-based study of one of the extant rongorongo documents, tablet ‘Keiti’ (text E). The study reports on a pattern found on tablet ‘Keiti’ (text E) that repeats itself 10 times, consisting of almost equal lengths of glyphs of similar designs. This pattern is another piece of evidence that supports researchers' claims in regard to repetitive patterns documented across the rongorongo corpus. The current analysis, by targeting glyphic sequences and establishing a possible partition, may gradually lead to an understanding of the textual content of the document.
The Impact of Welfare Reforms, Health, and Insurance Status on Welfare Recipients' Health Care Access

This study explores ways in which welfare reforms have affected utilization of four health services (physician visits, hospital care, prescription medication, and dentist visits) and the impact of health insurance on these services. A secondary data analysis of a nationally representative sample of 1,259 non-elderly adult current and former welfare recipients shows that use of health services is significantly affected by state-specific welfare policy, health insurance, and race/ethnicity, when other variables are controlled. More restrictive state welfare policies were variously associated with lower likelihood of using dental care, visiting a physician and using prescriptions. Non-Hispanic whites in the sample were more likely than members of other racial/ethnic groups to use prescriptions; Hispanics were less likely than non-Hispanic whites to visit physicians or dentists. The proportion of respondents reporting fair or poor health was three times as great as the estimated proportion of non-elderly adults reporting fair or poor health in the general population. Policy implications are discussed.
RNAi-independent de novo DNA methylation revealed in Arabidopsis mutants of chromatin remodeling gene DDM1.

Methylation of histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9me) and small RNAs are associated with constitutively silent chromatin in diverse eukaryotes including plants. In plants, silent transposons are also marked by cytosine methylation, especially at non-CpG sites. Transposon-specific non-CpG methylation in plants is controlled by small RNAs and H3K9me. Although it is often assumed that small RNA directs H3K9me, interaction between small RNA and H3K9me has not been directly demonstrated in plants. We have previously shown that a mutation in the chromatin remodeling gene DDM1 (DECREASE IN DNA METHYLATION 1) induces a global decrease but a local increase of cytosine methylation and accumulation of small RNA at a locus called BONSAI. Here we show that de novo BONSAI methylation does not depend on RNAi but does depend on H3K9me. In mutants of H3K9 methyltransferase gene KRYPTONITE or the H3K9me-dependent DNA methyltransferase gene CHROMOMETHYALSE3, the ddm1-induced de novo cytosine methylation was abolished for all three contexts (CpG, CpHpG and CpHpH). Furthermore, RNAi mutants showed strong developmental defects when combined with the ddm1 mutation. Our results revealed unexpected interactions of epigenetic modifications that may be conserved among diverse eukaryotes.
Classification of the principal cells of the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body

Cells in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body were intracellularly labeled in brainstem tissue slices of two bat and two rodent species. The main cell type found in this nucleus, the principal cell, is an important link in the relay of ascending projections from the contralateral cochlear nucleus to the lateral superior olive, completing an essential pathway for sound localization. Principal cells are often viewed as a highly homogeneous group with a consistent morphology as well as a common function.
Effects of physostigmine and scopolamine on long-term potentiation of hippocampal population spikes in rats.

To elucidate an involvement of the cholinergic system in the long-term potentiation phenomenon, effects of physostigmine and scopolamine on population spike and its long-term potentiation in the dentate granule cell layer of anesthetized rats and in the CA1 pyramidal cell layer of rat hippocampal slices were examined. In anesthetized rats, physostigmine (0.01 mg/kg, i.v.) enhanced at a late phase the long-term potentiation induced by tetanic stimulation (15 Hz, 15 s, 7.5 times the threshold for population spike) of the perforant path, while scopolamine (1.0 mg/kg) suppressed it at an early phase. The two drugs did not affect the population spike itself. The time course of the long-term potentiation under the treatment of physostigmine was similar to that induced by stronger tetanic stimulation (10 times the threshold). In hippocampal slices, physostigmine (10(-6)M) showed a tendency to enhance the long-term potentiation induced by tetanic stimulation (15 Hz, 15 s, 5 times the threshold) of the stratum radiatum, with an increase of the population spike itself. Scopolamine (10(-5)M) markedly suppressed the long-term potentiation with a decrease of the population spike itself. From these results, it is suggested that cholinergic modification by physostigmine or scopolamine affects the long-term potentiation phenomenon in the hippocampus under the in vivo and in vitro conditions.
Off-Nuclear Star Formation and Obscured Activity in the Luminous Infrared Galaxy NGC 2623

New optical Hubble Space Telescope (HST), Spitzer Space Telescope, and XMM observations of the luminous infrared galaxy (LIRG) NGC 2623 are presented. This galaxy was observed as part of the Great Observatories All-sky LIRG Survey (GOALS). The prominent 3.2 kpc southern extension to the nucleus has been resolved by HST observations into ~100 star clusters, making it one of the richest off-nuclear concentrations of bright clusters observed in GOALS. The clusters have to –12.6 mag, which is within the magnitude range of Antennae galaxy clusters and in excess of 30 Doradus clusters at the high end. Their optical colors are primarily consistent with ages of ~1-100 Myr. Archival GALEX data show the off-nuclear region to be extremely bright in the far-ultraviolet, being equivalent in luminosity to the resolved nuclear region at 0.15 μm, but becoming less energetically significant at increasing wavelengths. In addition, [Ne V] 14.3 μm emission is detected with Spitzer IRS, confirming the inference from the X-ray and radio data that an active galactic nucleus (AGN) is present. Thus, the off-nuclear optical clusters are associated with a secondary burst of activity corresponding to a star formation rate ~0.1-0.2 M☉ yr−1; the bulk of infrared (and thus bolometric) luminosity is generated via star formation and an AGN embedded behind dust within the inner kiloparsec of the system. If the infrared luminosity is primarily reprocessed starlight, the off-nuclear starburst accounts for <1% of the present star formation in NGC 2623.
Color Attributes of Colored-Yarn Mixed Woven Fabrics Made of Raw-White Warps and Multicolored Wefts and Based on Weft-Backed Structures

This paper reports the development of colored-yarn mixed woven fabrics by using raw white warps and multicolored-wefts, as well as a study of the influential factors on the color attributes of the resultant fabrics. Weft yarns in six colors, together with the white warp yarns, were used to create a series of fabric colors. Two types of new weft-backed structures were designed to assign the desired wefts for color mixing, as well as to reduce the white warp floats on the surface and thus, the lightness of the fabric. The effects of the proportion of yarn color components, weft density, and the introduction of black weft floats on the color attributes of fabrics, were investigated. The results show that through varying the proportion of mixing yarn color components, via fabric structure, a series of mixed red-blue and green-yellow colors for fabrics are created, respectively. Colored yarn mixed fabric presents a lowered lightness after a middle regulating layer is introduced into the structure. Compared to fabrics with a lower density, higher density fabrics possess lower lightness, higher redness and blueness in the blue-red fabrics, and higher greenness and yellowness in the yellow-green fabric. The lightness of fabric lowers after adding black yarn.
COPD death rates: projecting a female trajectory.

Background and epidemiology: According to actuarial projections, the number of deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) involving Canadian women will increase about 3-fold over the next decade, from 4000 to 12 000, whereas the numbers involving men will rise more modestly, from about
Obesity and risk of subsequent hospitalisation with pneumonia

Obesity may be associated with increased risk of pneumonia, but available data on this relationship are sparse and inconsistent. We followed a prospective cohort of 22,578 males and 25,973 females from the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health Study, aged 50–64 yrs and free from major chronic diseases at baseline (1993–1997), for first-time hospitalisation with pneumonia (median follow-up 12 yrs). Compared with males of normal weight, adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for pneumonia were 1.4 (95% CI 1.2–1.7) for males with moderate obesity (body mass index (BMI) 30.0–34.9 kg·m−2), and 2.0 (95% CI 1.4–2.8) for males with severe obesity (BMI ≥35.0 kg·m−2), controlling for lifestyle and educational variables. Among females the associations were weaker, with adjusted HRs of 0.8 (95% CI 0.6–1.0) for moderate obesity, and 1.2 (95% CI 0.8–1.6) for severe obesity. Adjustment for major chronic diseases diagnosed during follow-up eliminated the associations between obesity and pneumonia risk. Obesity is associated with higher risk of hospitalisation with pneumonia among males but not among females, which is apparently explained by occurrence of other chronic diseases.
Bitumen morphologies by phase‐detection atomic force microscopy

Bitumen is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons for which microstructural knowledge is incomplete. In an effort to detail this microstructure, 13 bitumens were analysed by phase‐detection atomic force microscopy. Based on morphology, the bitumens could be classified into three distinct groups. One group showed fine domains down to 0.1 µm, another showed domains of about 1 µm, and a third group showed up to four different domains or phases of different sizes and shapes. No correlation was found between the atomic force microscopy morphology and the composition based on asphaltenes, polar aromatics, naphthene aromatics and saturates. A high correlation was found between the area of the ‘bee‐like’ structures and the vanadium and nickel content in bitumen, and between the atomic force microscopy groups and the average size of molecular planes made of fused aromatics. The morphology and the molecular arrangements in bitumen thus appear to be partly governed by the molecular planes and the polarity defined by metallic cations.
The UL14 Tegument Protein of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Is Required for Efficient Nuclear Transport of the Alpha Transinducing Factor VP16 and Viral Capsids

ABSTRACT The protein encoded by the UL14 gene of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and HSV-2 is expressed late in infection and is a minor component of the virion tegument. An UL14-deficient HSV-1 mutant (UL14D) forms small plaques and exhibits an extended growth cycle at low multiplicities of infection (MOI) compared to wild-type virus. Although UL14 is likely to be involved in the process of viral maturation and egress, its precise role in viral replication is still enigmatic. In this study, we found that immediate-early viral mRNA expression was decreased in UL14D-infected cells. Transient coexpression of UL14 and VP16 in the absence of infection stimulated the nuclear accumulation of both proteins. We intended to visualize the fate of VP16 released from the infected virion and constructed UL14-null (14D-VP16G) and rescued (14R-VP16G) viruses that expressed a VP16-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein. Synchronous high-multiplicity infection of the viruses was performed at 4°C in the absence of de novo protein synthesis. We found that the presence of UL14 in the virion had an enhancing effect on the nuclear accumulation of VP16-GFP. The lack of UL14 did not significantly alter virus internalization but affected incoming capsid transport to the nuclear pore. These observations suggested that UL14 (i) enhanced VP16 nuclear localization at the immediately early phase, thus indirectly regulating the expression of immediate-early genes, and (ii) was associated with efficient nuclear targeting of capsids. The tegument protein UL14 could be part of the machinery that regulates HSV-1 replication.
Nef-Mediated Downregulation of CD4 Enhances Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Replication in Primary T Lymphocytes

ABSTRACT The accessory protein Nef plays a crucial role in primate lentivirus pathogenesis. Nef enhances human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infectivity in culture and stimulates viral replication in primary T cells. In this study, we investigated the relationship between HIV-1 replication efficiency in CD4+ T cells purified from human blood and two various known activities of Nef, CD4 downregulation and single-cycle infectivity enhancement. Using a battery of reporter viruses containing point mutations in nef, we observed a strong genetic correlation between CD4 downregulation by Nef during acute HIV-1 infection of activated T cells and HIV-1 replication efficiency in T cells. In contrast, HIV-1 replication ability was not significantly correlated with the ability of Nef to enhance single-cycle virion infectivity, as determined by using viruses produced in cells lacking CD4. These results demonstrate that CD4 downregulation by Nef plays a crucial role in HIV-1 replication in activated T cells and underscore the potential for the development of therapies targeting this conserved activity of Nef.
Contemporary changes of mean annual and seasonal river discharges in Croatia

This paper presents the fi rst comprehensive nationwide trend detection of mean discharges in Croatia. Over the last 30 years, global climate change has manifested itself largely in the rise of the average annual temperature, which has resulted in the changes of evapotranspiration and precipitation patterns. The consequences of those changes have been varied spatial impacts on river discharge (fl ow). We analysed the changes in mean river discharges in Croatia at 53 gauging hydrological stations over the most recent period from 1990 to 2009. To assess the trend, the Kendall-Theil (Sen) non-parametric trend test was carried out for the yearly and seasonal mean discharge values. We found evidence of redistribution of discharge throughout the year, an increase in autumn and winter discharges (especially on the rivers dominantly fed by snowmelt) and a decrease in summer discharge values. Furthermore, we detected a change in the month of the appearance of mean discharge maxima and minima. In most cases the changes can be explained by the changes in the regime of climate elements (temperature, precipitation, evapotranspiration) although that information should be treated with care because of the shortness of the time-series. The results are consistent with the ones from the upstream countries, i.e. Slovenia and Austria.
Complete Dermatological Examination in the Elderly: An Exploratory Study from an Outpatient Clinic in Turkey

Background: The geriatric population isgrowing continuously, therefore more aged patients are being admitted to dermatology clinics. Successful management of these patients requires a thorough understanding of the features of geriatric patients and prevalence of skin diseases in this group. Materials and Methods: Patients aged 65 years and older admitted to the dermatology outpatient clinic over a 3-month period were included. Patients aged between 65 and 74 years were included in group I, and patients older than 74 years were included in group II. Demographic features of the patients were noted. Total dermatological examination was performed in each patient. Fifteen days after the first visit, the patients were phoned up to obtain information about their level of satisfaction regarding the treatments and were invited to the clinic for reexamination where their improvement levels were scored. Results: A total of 209 patients were included in this study. The most common complaints were in the chronic eczema-dermatitis group. However, the most commonly detected disorders were in the chronic sun exposure group. Some severe cutaneous and noncutaneous diseases were detected incidentally at total dermatological examination. Treatment satisfaction scores of patients and improvement scores of doctor had a significantly good correlation. Discussion: The study results indicated that in the management of elderly patients, social and physical evaluation should be carried out and treatment must be recommended accordingly. In all elderly patients, total dermatological examination must be performed because it may reveal some severe cutaneous or underlying noncutaneous diseases.
The efficacy of CBT for severe mental illness and the challenge of dissemination in routine care

Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for severe mental illness has acquired a solid scientific status. Although the effect sizes are small to moderate, they are also quite robust and re-established in many meta-analyses over the last decade. Small to moderate effect sizes are common in adjunctive therapies, since the adjunctive intervention has to add further effects to a treatment which is already efficacious.
Tomosyn negatively regulates both synaptic transmitter and neuropeptide release at the C. elegans neuromuscular junction

The SNARE proteins, syntaxin, SNAP‐25 and synaptobrevin form a tertiary complex essential for vesicle fusion. Proteins that influence SNARE complex assembly are therefore likely to be important regulators of fusion events. In this study we have focused on tomosyn, a highly conserved, neuronally enriched, syntaxin‐binding protein that has been implicated in the regulation of vesicle exocytosis. To directly test the role of tomosyn in neurosecretion we analysed loss‐of‐function mutants in the single Caenorhabditis elegans tomosyn gene, tom‐1. These mutants exhibit enhanced synaptic transmission based on electrophysiological analysis of neuromuscular junction activity. This phenotype is the result of increased synaptic vesicle priming. In addition, we present evidence that tom‐1 mutants also exhibit enhanced peptide release from dense core vesicles. These results indicate that tomosyn negatively regulates secretion for both vesicle types, possibly through a common mechanism, interfering with SNARE complex formation, thereby inhibiting vesicle fusion.
Enzyme-replacement therapy in life-threatening hypophosphatasia.

BACKGROUND Hypophosphatasia results from mutations in the gene for the tissue-nonspecific isozyme of alkaline phosphatase (TNSALP). Inorganic pyrophosphate accumulates extracellularly, leading to rickets or osteomalacia. Severely affected babies often die from respiratory insufficiency due to progressive chest deformity or have persistent bone disease. There is no approved medical therapy. ENB-0040 is a bone-targeted, recombinant human TNSALP that prevents the manifestations of hypophosphatasia in Tnsalp knockout mice. METHODS We enrolled infants and young children with life-threatening or debilitating perinatal or infantile hypophosphatasia in a multinational, open-label study of treatment with ENB-0040. The primary objective was the healing of rickets, as assessed by means of radiographic scales. Motor and cognitive development, respiratory function, and safety were evaluated, as well as the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of ENB-0040. RESULTS Of the 11 patients recruited, 10 completed 6 months of therapy; 9 completed 1 year. Healing of rickets at 6 months in 9 patients was accompanied by improvement in developmental milestones and pulmonary function. Elevated plasma levels of the TNSALP substrates inorganic pyrophosphate and pyridoxal 5'-phosphate diminished. Increases in serum parathyroid hormone accompanied skeletal healing, often necessitating dietary calcium supplementation. There was no evidence of hypocalcemia, ectopic calcification, or definite drug-related serious adverse events. Low titers of anti-ENB-0040 antibodies developed in four patients, with no evident clinical, biochemical, or autoimmune abnormalities at 48 weeks of treatment. CONCLUSIONS ENB-0040, an enzyme-replacement therapy, was associated with improved findings on skeletal radiographs and improved pulmonary and physical function in infants and young children with life-threatening hypophosphatasia. (Funded by Enobia Pharma and Shriners Hospitals for Children; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00744042.).