Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cross-Corpus Acoustic Emotion Recognition: Variances and Strategies

As the recognition of emotion from speech has matured to a degree where it becomes applicable in real-life settings, it is time for a realistic view on obtainable performances. Most studies tend to overestimation in this respect: Acted data is often used rather than spontaneous data, results are reported on preselected prototypical data, and true speaker disjunctive partitioning is still less common than simple cross-validation. Even speaker disjunctive evaluation can give only a little insight into the generalization ability of today's emotion recognition engines since training and test data used for system development usually tend to be similar as far as recording conditions, noise overlay, language, and types of emotions are concerned. A considerably more realistic impression can be gathered by interset evaluation: We therefore show results employing six standard databases in a cross-corpora evaluation experiment which could also be helpful for learning about chances to add resources for training and overcoming the typical sparseness in the field. To better cope with the observed high variances, different types of normalization are investigated. 1.8 k individual evaluations in total indicate the crucial performance inferiority of inter to intracorpus testing.
The proteome of Salmonella Typhimurium grown under in vivo‐mimicking conditions

To successfully infect a host, it is a prerequisite for enteric pathogens such as Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium to adapt to their environment, in casu the gastrointestinal tract. The adoption of an appropriate lifestyle is triggered by environmental signals such as the low oxygen availability and high osmolarity prevalent in the gut. In order to gain more insight in the changes that are induced when S. Typhimurium is adapting to these particular conditions, we used 2‐D DIGE technology to investigate the combined effect of low oxygen tension and high osmolarity on the proteome of S. Typhimurium SL1344 compared to standard laboratory conditions. As a validation of the 2‐D DIGE technique, preferential protein labeling by the Cy‐dyes was assessed and proved to be negligible. The differentially expressed proteins identified reflect very well the applied culture conditions. Furthermore, reported transcriptional changes and observed changes at the translational level show overlap. Among the metabolic processes that are upregulated under in vivo‐mimicking conditions are anaerobic fumarate respiration and the utilization of 1,2‐propanediol. We also provide evidence that S. Typhimurium expresses an arginine deiminase pathway for the catabolism of L‐arginine. The increased activity of this pathway was biochemically validated. Finally, also proteins involved in quorum sensing and virulence are differentially expressed under in vivo‐mimicking conditions. These conditions offer possibilities as a simplified model system for the host environment given the high overlap of identifications in our study and reported genuine in vivo studies, respectively.
Induced-Atrophy and Contractile Impairment of Human Skeletal Muscle Fibres

In this study we described the effect of four months of disuse and immobilization on Myosin Heavy Chain (MHC) isoform composition and contractile properties of single fibres in human muscles. We compared muscle samples collected from the vastus lateralis of three groups of two subjects: 1) subjects (60-70 y old) who underwent to the replacement of a total knee prosthesis after four months with the leg immobilized in extended position, 2) control adult subjects (30-40 y old) sampled by needle biopsy and 3) control aged subjects (60-70 y old) who underwent to knee surgery for various reasons. We found in immobilized muscles an increase in MHC-2X , a decrease of slow MHC and the expression of a developmental MHC isoform, indication of fibre regeneration. The proportion of hybrid fibres, i.e. fibres containing two or more MHC isoforms, was increased. Slow fibres showed significant reductions in cross sectional area and in specific tension (force/cross sectional area) developed during maximal isometric contractions. Unloaded shortening velocity was, however, not modified. No alteration was detectable in fast 2A fibres when compared with corresponding fibres of adult and old controls. Slow fibres seemed, therefore, selectively affected by the combination of immobilization and disuse examined in this study.
Evaluating response to nutritional therapy using the branched‐chain amino acid/tyrosine ratio in patients with chronic liver disease

The branched‐chain amino acid (BCAA)/tyrosine (Tyr) ratio (BTR) recently has been reported to be a good indicator of the severity of hepatic parenchymal injury in patients with chronic liver disease. In the present study, sequential changes of BTR after BCAA administration were determined in patients with chronic liver disease to evaluate the value of BTR as a marker of the clinical response to nutritional therapy in these patients. This study comprised 75 patients with chronic hepatitis and 96 with liver cirrhosis. BTR was significantly decreased in patients with cirrhosis and hepatitis compared with healthy subjects. BTR was significantly correlated with the Child‐Pugh score and with other liver function tests. BCAA increased significantly 2 hr after BCAA administration and decreased gradually thereafter. Tyr significantly decreased 4 hr after BCAA administration. BTR significantly increased 2 and 4 hr after BCAA therapy. The increase in BTR 3 hr after BCAA administration was low in patients with decreased basal BTR. The results of this study showed that BTR is a good index of the hepatic parenchymal damage and that it may be a useful marker for monitoring response to nutritional therapy in patients with chronic liver disease. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 13:31–34, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Extent of Decompression and Incidence of Postoperative Epidural Hematoma Among Different Techniques of Spinal Decompression in Degenerative Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Study Design: Prospective radiographic cohort study. Objective: To study the extent of bony decompression and dural sac expansion after laminectomy (including subtotal laminectomy and laminotomy with midline resection), bilateral fenestration, and unilateral fenestration with contralateral undercutting in lumbar spinal canal stenosis. Further, to investigate differences of incidence and extent of early postoperative epidural hematoma in these approaches. Summary of Background Data: There are different techniques of decompression in lumbar spinal stenosis. An overall good clinical outcome has been reported with different biomechanical consequences, but no morphometric comparative reports exist on these approaches. Methods: Using the data of a previous prospective study of 30 patients, who underwent lumbar decompression for degenerative stenosis, 49 levels treated with 3 different kinds of surgical approaches were analyzed: (1) laminectomy (including subtotal laminectomy, laminotomy with midline resection); (2) bilateral fenestration; and (3) unilateral fenestration with contralateral undercutting. In all 3 groups, the cross-sectional area of the maximum bony stenosis and dural sac compression (bony margins and dural sac expansion) were measured in each operated level before and after the operation. Occurrence of epidural hematoma and its size were noted in the 3 groups. Results: Median postoperative bony stenosis was not significantly different in the groups, being 330 mm2, 333.5 mm2, and 261.5 mm2, respectively, in groups 1, 2, and 3. There was no statistically significant difference between the median postoperative extension of dural sac areas in the 3 groups, measuring 125 mm2, 123 mm2, and 137 mm2. The incidence of epidural hematoma was similar in the 3 groups. Levels where postoperative epidural hematoma was detected had larger bony decompression independent of the surgical approach compared with the whole group. Conclusions: Unilateral and bilateral approaches achieve a similar amount of dural sac extension by a lesser extent of bony resection in comparison with the laminectomy approach. There is a tendency of increased postoperative hematoma in approaches with greater bony decompression area.
Teratogenic effects of vincristine in three lines of mice.

Pregnant DBA/2J, C3H/HeJ, and ICR/Ha mice were injected intraperitoneally with vincristine sulfate on day 9 of gestation. The mothers were killed on day 17 and the fetuses were examined for various defects. A high incidence of fetal mortality, congenital anomalies, and growth retardation was induced in all three types of mice. DBA's were most susceptible to the teratogenic effects of the drug. Anomalies involved the central nervous system, eyes, limbs, tail and ribs, and most fetuses had more than one anomaly. Most of the types of anomalies observed were similar to those reported in rats, but dose required to produce malformations was much higher than that reported for rats, hamsters and monkeys.
Impaired erythropoietin production in liver transplant recipients: The role of calcineurin inhibitors

Anemia is common following liver transplantation. Because cyclosporine inhibits erythropoietin (Epo) production in experimental models, we investigated whether Epo production was impaired in liver transplant recipients receiving a cyclosporine‐ or tacrolimus‐based immunosuppressive regimen. First, serum Epo levels were measured before and 1 year after transplantation in 35 liver transplant recipients. Second, serum Epo levels were compared in a large series of liver transplant recipients with stable graft and renal functions: 27 receiving a cyclosporine‐based and 31 receiving a tacrolimus‐based immunosuppressive regimen. A reference group was made up of 22 blood donors and 21 nontransplanted subjects with iron‐deficiency anemia. Serum Epo levels were significantly lower after than before liver transplantation, especially in cyclosporine‐treated patients. Serum Epo concentrations correlated with hematocrit values in both transplant recipients and control subjects. Using multiple linear regression models, the polynomial relationship between hematocrit and serum Epo values was similar to the control group in patients under tacrolimus, whereas Epo production was significantly reduced in patients under cyclosporine‐based immunosuppression. Hematocrit values and the type of calcineurin inhibitor were the only parameters independently related to Epo levels. In conclusion, cyclosporine, but not tacrolimus, inhibits Epo production at the doses used in clinical practice. Liver Transpl 12:1649–1654, 2006. © 2006 AASLD.
Probiotics in the prevention and treatment of allergic disease

The prevalence of atopic diseases has been increasing progressively in western societies. Genetic factors are unlikely to explain the emergence of the atopic type of immune responsiveness to ubiquitous environmental antigens, such as those deriving from food, food allergy being frequently its first manifestation. Two candidate explanatory factors relating to the modern western lifestyle stem from altered hygiene and nutrition. In probiotic functional foods, cultures of beneficial live microorganisms characteristic of the healthy human gut microflora are administered in order to provide a microbial stimulus for the maturation of the gutassociated lymphoid tissue, which the modern infant often lacks. The probiotic effects are attributed to restoration to normal of increased intestinal permeability and unbalanced gut microecology, improvement of the intestine’s immunological barrier functions, alleviation of the intestinal inflammatory response, and reduced generation of proinflammatory cytokines characteristic of local and systemic allergic inflammation (1. ).
Clinical Outcomes and Co-Occurring Mutations in Patients with RUNX1-Mutated Acute Myeloid Leukemia

(1) Runt-related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1) mutations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are often associated with worse prognosis. We assessed co-occurring mutations, response to therapy, and clinical outcomes in patients with and without mutant RUNX1 (mRUNX1); (2) We analyzed 328 AML patients, including 177 patients younger than 65 years who received intensive chemotherapy and 151 patients >65 years who received hypomethylating agents. RUNX1 and co-existing mutations were identified using next-generation sequencing; (3) RUNX1 mutations were identified in 5.1% of younger patients and 15.9% of older patients, and were significantly associated with increasing age (p = 0.01) as well as intermediate-risk cytogenetics including normal karyotype (p = 0.02) in the elderly cohort, and with lower lactate dehydrogenase (LDH; p = 0.02) and higher platelet count (p = 0.012) overall. Identified co-occurring mutations were primarily ASXL1 mutations in older patients and RAS mutations in younger patients; FLT3-ITD and IDH1/2 co-mutations were also frequent. Younger mRUNX1 AML patients treated with intensive chemotherapy experienced inferior treatment outcomes. In older patients with AML treated with hypomethylating agent (HMA) therapy, response and survival was independent of RUNX1 status. Older mRUNX1 patients with prior myelodysplastic syndrome or myeloproliferative neoplasms (MDS/MPN) had particularly dismal outcome. Future studies should focus on the prognostic implications of RUNX1 mutations relative to other co-occurring mutations, and the potential role of hypomethylating agents for this molecularly-defined group.
A simulation study on the performance of differentiation‐based methods to detect selected loci using linked neutral markers

We investigated the performance of two of the most popular differentiation‐based methods to detect loci under selection (dfdist/fdist and bayescan) in order to ascertain the average chromosome map distance between the detected outlier markers and the nearest loci under selection. We used a model of neutral markers genetically linked to selected loci (QTL) controlling a quantitative trait subject to divergent selection in two subpopulations connected by migration. The results are not particularly encouraging because for chromosome lengths above 0.5 morgan, at least 30% of outliers detected were positioned in chromosomes where QTL were absent, clearly denoting false positives. Outliers linked to QTL were on average closer to the nearest QTL than randomly chosen markers, but the methods showed a substantial uncertainty about the genetic association between markers and selected loci, as this association could be shown significantly only in a moderate number of replicates for most scenarios. At equal conditions, bayescan seemed to perform somewhat more efficiently than dfdist/fdist, with little difference between results for dominant and codominant markers.
Paraneoplastic Cushing's syndrome as an adverse prognostic factor in patients who die early with small cell lung cancer

The potential role of paraneoplastic Cushing's syndrome (CS) was assessed on the clinical course of patients with small cell lung cancer. A retrospective comparison was done of complication and survival rates according to the presence or absence of CS in patients with small cell lung cancer who died within 90 days of initial administration of chemotherapy. The setting was a comprehensive cancer center. Eleven patients with clinical and/or biochemical features of CS were identified from among 90 patients who presented between 1979 and 1989 with previously untreated small cell lung cancer. The group with CS and the control patients were compared in terms of clinicopathologic prognostic factors, treatment, and outcome. Patients with CS were comparable to the control patients in all prognostic factors, including tumor stage and cancer treatment. Eight‐two percent of patients with CS (nine of 11) died within 14 days of initiation of chemotherapy compared with 25% of the control patients (19 of 77). The median survival from initiation of chemotherapy was 12 days for the 11 patients with CS and 27 days for the 77 control patients. In 45% of the patients with CS (five of 11), death was attributed to opportunistic fungal or protozoal infection compared with 8% of control patients (six of 77). paraneoplastic CS is a previously unrecognized adverse prognostic factor for patients with small cell lung cancer. Those with both small cell lung cancer and CS have severe opportunistic infections soon after the initiation of chemotherapy, leading to clinical deterioration and death before antineoplastic benefit from chemotherapy can be achieved. Biochemical control of CS for at least 1 to 2 weeks before initiation of chemotherapy may ameliorate the poor prognosis.
Thermal and microwave-assisted oxidative degradation of poly(ethylene oxide)

The kinetics of the thermal and microwave-assisted oxidative degradation of poly(ethylene oxide) were determined with potassium persulfate as the oxidizing agent. Gel permeation chromatography was used to determine the variation of the molecular weight with time. The degradation was studied as a function of the temperature and persulfate concentration, and it was found that the degradation rate increased with the temperature and concentration of persulfate. Continuous distribution kinetics were used to determine the rate coefficients for the degradation process, and the activation energies were obtained. The results indicated that the microwave-assisted process had a lower activation energy of 10.3 kcal/mol, where as that of the thermal degradation was 25.2 kcal/mol.
TARGET ARTICLE: Toward a Conceptualization of Optimal Self-Esteem

In this article, I present a theoretical perspective on the nature of "optimal" self-esteem. One of my major goals is to show that optimal and high self-esteem are different from each other. High self-esteem can be fragile or secure depending upon the extent to which it is defensive or genuine, contingent or true, unstable or stable, and discrepant or congruent with implicit (nonconscious) feelings of self-worth. Optimal self-esteem is characterized by qualities associated with genuine, true, stable, and congruent (with implicit self-esteem) high self-esteem. A second major goal is to present a conceptualization of the construct of authenticity. I propose that authenticity as an individual difference construct may be particularly important in delineating the adaptive features of optimal self-esteem. Authenticity can be characterized as the unobstructed operation of one's true, or core, self in one's daily enterprise. I argue that authenticity has 4 components: awareness, unbiased processing, action, and relational. Initial data pertaining to these components are highly encouraging. Finally, I discuss some implications of the fragile versus secure high self-esteem distinction for narcissism, defensive processing models, and cross-cultural self-esteem perspectives.
The relationship between cardiac reactivity in the laboratory and in real life.

OBJECTIVE An excessive cardiovascular response to acute stress is a probable risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) disease. Such reactivity is usually assessed from the CV response to laboratory stressors. However, if it is a risk factor, correlated responses must occur in real life. DESIGN In the present study, we investigated the relationship between the heart rate (HR) response to five laboratory stressors and HR reactivity in the field. MEASURES HR variation, the response to a real life stressor (public speaking), and the increase in HR with periods of self-reported tense arousal. Ambulatory HR, activity and posture were measured continuously over a 7-hr period. RESULTS The HR increase to laboratory stressors did not relate to HR variation consistently, but it did relate to the other two field measures. CONCLUSION The results suggested that a tendency to increased HR reactivity may be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease when combined with exposure to stress.
Crystal structures of the Klenow fragment of Thermus aquaticus DNA polymerase I complexed with deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates

The crystal structures of the Klenow fragment of the Thermus aquaticus DNA polymerase I (Klentaq 1) complexed with four deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates (dNTP) have been determined to 2.5 Å resolution. The dNTPs bind adjacent to the O helix of Klentaq 1. The triphosphate moieties are at nearly identical positions in all four complexes and are anchored by three positively charged residues, Arg659, Lys663, and Arg587, and by two polar residues, His639 and Gln613. The configuration of the base moieties in the Klentaq 1/dNTP complexes demonstrates variability suggesting that dNTP binding is primarily determined by recognition and binding of the phosphate moiety. However, when superimposed on the Taq polymerase/blunt end DNA complex structure (Eom et al., 1996), two of the dNTP/Klentaql structures demonstrate appropriate stacking of the nucleotide base with the 3′ end of the DNA primer strand, suggesting that at least in these two binary complexes, the observed dNTP conformations are functionally relevant.
Acute upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage in long-distance runners.

FULL TEXT FULL TEXT     To the editor: Two recent articles draw attention to the possible role of occult gastrointestinal blood loss in the pathogenesis of anemia in longdistance runners (1, 2). Although subclinical and clinical bleeding are common during competitive long-distance running (3, 4), severe or catastrophic hemorrhage leading to death is probably rare (4). During the last year we managed three cases of severe upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage in young athletes during long-distance races. All three athletes (two females aged 16 and 18, and one man aged 22) had one or two episodes of hematemesis shortly after the end of the race, and the  C I T AT I O NS  P ERMI SSI O NS 18 Cit at io ns  P DF Published: Ann Inte rn Me d. 19 84;10 1(5):719 . DOI: 10 . 7326 /0 0 0 3-4819 -10 1-5-719 _2 CONT ENT Home Latest Issues Channels CME/MO C In the Clinic Journal Club Web Exclusives INFORMAT ION FOR Author Info Reviewers P ress Readers Institutions / Libraries / Agencies Advertisers SERVICES Subscribe Renew Alerts Current Issue RSS Latest RSS In the Clinic RSS Rep rints & P ermissions Contact Us Help About Annals About Mobile P atient Information Teaching Tools Annals in the News Share Your Feedback AWARDS AND COVER P ersonae (Cover P hoto) Junior Investigator Awards P oetry P rize OT HER RESOURCES ACP O nline Career Connection ACP Advocate Blog ACP Journal Wise
Study of the time-resolved tryptophan fluorescence of crystalline alpha-chymotrypsin.

The tryptophan environments in crystalline alpha-chymotrypsin were investigated by fluorescence. The heterogeneous emission from this multitryptophan enzyme was resolved by time-correlated fluorescence spectroscopy. The fluorescence decays at 296-nm laser excitation and various emission wavelengths could be characterized by a triple-exponential function with decay times tau 1 = 150 +/- 50 ps, tau 2 = 1.45 +/- 0.25 ns, and tau 3 = 4.2 +/- 0.4 ns. The corresponding decay-associated emission spectra of the three components had maxima at about 325, 332, and 343 nm. The three decay components in this enzyme can be correlated with X-ray crystallographic data [Birktoft, J.J., & Blow, D.M. (1972) J. Mol. Biol. 68, 187-240]. Inter- and intramolecular tryptophan-tryptophan energy-transfer efficiencies in crystalline alpha-chymotrypsin were computed from the accurately known positions and orientations of all tryptophan residues. These calculations indicate that the three fluorescence decay components in crystalline alpha-chymotrypsin can be assigned to three distinct classes of tryptophyl residues. Because of the different proximity of tryptophan residues to neighboring internal quenching groups, the decay times of the three classes are different. Decay tau 1 can be assigned to Trp-172 and Trp-215 and tau 2 to Trp-51 and Trp-237, while the tryptophyl residues 27, 29, 141, and 207 all have decay time tau 3.