Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Explanations of Mental Health Symptoms By the Bedouin-Arabs of the Negev

Sixty Bedouin-Arab patients (36 females, 24 males) referred to the psychiatric clinic of the Soroka Medical Centre in the Negev, Israel were interviewed before they met with the psychiatrists and again two weeks later. An open-ended questionnaire was administered during three month period, to examine the patients' explanations of their mental health symptoms. Findings revealed that all patients, male and female alike, perceived and explained their symptoms as being caused by supernatural powers. There were gender differences, however, regarding the perceived nature of, and behaviour of, these supernatural powers. Males explained their symptoms as caused by God's will, whether directly through Him, or indirectly through evil-spirits. In both instances, human behaviour was not a primary concern. In contrast, 97% of the female patients explained their symptoms as a result of sorcery, a phenomenon which integrates human behaviour with supernatural powers. Cultural and language differences between the patients and psychiatrists were also found to cause miscommunications and inappropriate treatment, with the result that 50% of the sample terminated psychiatric treatment after two sessions.
Impact of Mycophenolic Acid and Tacrolimus on Th17-Related Immune Response

Background. Little is known on the impact of immunosuppressive drugs on the development of the different T-cell subsets that compose the immune balance. We have explored the influence of mycophenolic acid (MPA) and tacrolimus on T cells response with a special focus on the Th17-cell subset. Methods. In an in vitro model of human CD4+ cells activation, we first compared the influence of MPA and tacrolimus on the transcription of different set of genes related to each of the main T-cell subsets and then investigated how these two drugs interfere with interleukin (IL)-17 production. We also studied, in stable kidney transplant patients, the relation between IL-17 serum concentration and systemic drug exposure. Results. MPA and tacrolimus exhibited a comparable impact on T-cell response, dampening most Th1-related genes transcription and preserving regulatory T cells/Th2 molecular phenotypes. Although both MPA and tacrolimus decreased Th17-related transcripts after T-cell activation, MPA exerted a stronger inhibitory effect on IL-17 production than tacrolimus. Accordingly, renal transplant patients treated with MPA in combination with minimized dose of tacrolimus tended to have lower circulating IL-17 levels than patients treated with tacrolimus alone given at conventional dose. Conclusions. A treatment combining MPA and tacrolimus is susceptible to favorably tip the immune balance and might confer optimal allograft immunoprotection. Because of its ability to profoundly inhibit IL-17 production, MPA may help to better overcome Th17-related alloreactivity in the context of calcineurin inhibitor-minimizing protocol.
Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt before and after Liver Transplantation

Abstract The transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) has long been referred to as a procedure performed as “a bridge to transplantation” since, like many other portosystemic shunts, it decompresses the portal circulation and stabilizes patients but does not definitively treat portal hypertension. One of the major advantages of TIPS over surgically placed portosystemic shunts in the transplant era is that the TIPS is intrahepatic and is removed in situ with the native liver, and usually does not need additional surgery (unlike takedown/ligation of surgical shunts). There are several studies that evaluate TIPS before transplantation—not as a bridge/temporizing measure, but as a prelude to the transplant to decompress the portal circulation and reduce portosystemic engorgement and collaterals and thus, in theory, reduce intraoperative bleeding during liver transplantation. However, these studies, mostly in the transplant literature, have been equivocal from an intraoperative and posttransplant clinical outcome standpoint. TIPS creation in liver transplant recipients is another interesting aspect of TIPS. There has been a debate about whether or not liver transplantation adds additional technical difficulty to the TIPS procedure. Initially, many theories were proposed as to the technical difficulty of TIPS in a transplanted liver. However, recent opinions and published studies demonstrate that whole-graft liver transplantation does not pose a significant technical difficulty to TIPS. Moreover, there are several recent studies evaluating the outcomes of TIPS in liver transplant recipients, showing that outcomes are less favorable when compared with TIPS in nontransplanted patients. This article discusses the results of TIPS as a preoperative prelude to liver transplantation. In addition, it discusses the technical and clinical outcomes of TIPS in liver transplant recipients.
Transformation of diploid human fibroblasts by DNA transfection with the v‐sis oncogene

The simian sarcoma virus (SSV) oncogene (v‐sis) has a high degree of homology to the cellular gene coding for the B peptide of human platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF), a potent fibroblast mitogen. The cellular homolog of v‐sis is activated in some mesenchymal human tumors and cell lines drived from them. To determine the phenotype produced by v‐sis in diploid human fibroblasts, we constructed plasmids containing the SSV provirus and drugresistance markers and transfected them into early‐passage human cells. Fibroblasts that had integrated the plasmid were selected for drug resistance and shown to contain and express the v‐sis oncogene by DNA and RNA hybridization. The v‐sis‐expressing cells grew to higher saturation densities than control cells transfected with vector plasmid alone and formed large, well defined foci. This allowed selection of transfectants directly for focus formation. The v‐sis transformed cells continued to grow well in the absence of serum, whereas age‐matched, vector‐transfected control cells ceased replicating under these conditions so that the final difference in density between the two populations was tenfold. Incorporation of thymidine in serum‐free medium by the v‐sis‐transformed cells was independent of exogenous PDGF. In contrast, PDGF increased thymidine incorporation in such medium by the control cells to the level found in the v‐sis‐transformed cells with or without added PDGF. These results suggest that expression of the v‐sis oncogene in diploid human fibroblasts causes sufficient endogenous synthesis of the B chain of PDGF to allow transformants to grow to abnormally high cell densities. When individual v‐sis‐transformed cells were grown on a background of normal cells, this higher cell density at confluence could be visualized as a focus.
The importance of the disease process and disease-modifying antirheumatic drug treatment in the development of septic arthritis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) on the likelihood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) developing septic arthritis (SA). METHODS The United Kingdom General Practice Research Database (GPRD) was used to identify adults with RA, and age-, sex-, and practice-matched control subjects. Subjects were studied between 1987 and 2002. The risk of developing SA (excluding infected joint replacements) for individuals with RA was calculated and the effect of DMARD use determined. RESULTS A total of 136,977 subjects (34,250 patients with RA, 102,747 controls) were identified. SA was identified in 345 subjects, of which 321 (236 in patients with RA, 85 in controls) cases occurred during the study period. The incidence rate of SA was 12.9 times higher in subjects with RA than in those without (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 10.1-16.5, P < 0.001). The incident rate ratios (IRRs) for developing SA while receiving DMARDs compared with receiving no DMARDs were different for different medications. Penicillamine (adjusted IRR 2.51, 95% CI 1.29-4.89, P = 0.004), sulfasalazine (adjusted IRR 1.74, 95% CI 1.04-2.91, P = 0.03), and prednisolone (adjusted IRR 2.94, 95% CI 1.93-4.46, P < 0.001) were associated with an increased incidence of SA when compared with not receiving any DMARD. The use of other DMARDs including methotrexate showed no such effect. CONCLUSION Individuals with RA have an increased risk of developing SA. This increased risk can be attributed to both the disease process and the use of DMARDs.
Generation of the First-Order OAM Modes in Single-Ring Fibers by Offset Splicing Technology

A method of generating the first-order orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes in a single-ring fiber is proposed and demonstrated through an all-fiber structure. The first-order OAM modes (L = ±1) refer to a combination of HE21even mode and HE21odd mode. According to the donut-like shape distribution of the HE21 mode, a standard single-mode fiber can be utilized to excite the HE21 mode in the ring fiber by a lateral-offset splicing. By adjusting the polarization of these two modes, the two first-order OAM modes can be excited separately. Based on this simple structure, the OAM modes can be generated in a broadband wavelength ranging from 1540 to 1580 nm. Moreover, the stable transmission of the generated OAM modes in a 7 m long such ring fiber has been demonstrated.
Revisiting the Links between Governance and Biodiversity Loss

Many studies have focused on the impacts of corruption on economic development and poverty alleviation (Kaufman 1997; Svensson 2000), but research on possible links between corruption and success in biodiversity conservation is largely restricted to a few key case studies and reviews (e.g., Gibson 1999; Barrett et al. 2001; McCarthy 2002) and a number of anecdotal reports. To address this evident gap on such a potentially controversial topic, we published the first quantitative analyses relating governance to patterns of biodiversity loss based on transnational data sets. We investigated whether changes in forest cover and population sizes of African elephants and black rhinoceroses were correlated with national governance scores and whether countries identified as funding priorities by international donors tended to experience poor governance (Smith et al. 2003). A recent paper by Barrett et al. (2006) revisited our article and focused on our analyses of forest cover and elephant numbers. In this response to Barrett et al. (2006), we highlight three aspects of their paper: their misinterpretations of our original article; their criticism of our elephant analysis; and the need for further work on this controversial subject.
Filopodial protrusions induced by glycoprotein M6a exhibit high motility and aids synapse formation

M6a is a neuronal membrane glycoprotein whose expression diminishes during chronic stress. M6a overexpression in rat primary hippocampal neurons induces the formation of filopodial protrusions that could be spine precursors. As the filopodium and spine motility has been associated with synaptogenesis, we analysed the motility of M6a‐induced protrusions by time‐lapse imaging. Our data demonstrate that the motile protrusions formed by the neurons overexpressing M6a were more abundant and moved faster than those formed in control cells. When different putative M6a phosphorylation sites were mutated, the neurons transfected with a mutant lacking intracellular phosphorylation sites bore filopodia, but these protrusions did not move as fast as those formed by cells overexpressing wild‐type M6a. This suggests a role for M6a phosphorylation state in filopodium motility. Furthermore, we show that M6a‐induced protrusions could be stabilized upon contact with presynaptic region. The motility of filopodia contacting or not neurites overexpressing synaptophysin was analysed. We show that the protrusions that apparently contacted synaptophysin‐labeled cells exhibited less motility. The behavior of filopodia from M6a‐overexpressing cells and control cells was alike. Thus, M6a‐induced protrusions may be spine precursors that move to reach presynaptic membrane. We suggest that M6a is a key molecule for spine formation during development.
Impact of Measurement Error in Exposures in German Radon Studies

Case-control studies on lung cancer and residential radon exposure were conducted in West and East Germany. Odds ratio (OR) estimates from primary analysis are now subject to correction for measurement error in exposure. We apply the regression calibration method adopting a bivariate multiplicative error model of the classical type; that is, we investigate the impact of errors in the exposure of primary interest, radon, and of errors in the most potent confounder, smoking. The OR estimates per 100 Bq/m3 are throughout higher after correcting for errors in radon exposure (e.g., 1.02 and 1.11 for the West and the East German study, respectively, corrected for an error of size 0.4); ignoring the clear but small correlation between radon exposure and smoking of about −0.06 would lead to less conservative corrections (1.10 and 1.13 for West and East, respectively). Accounting for a realistically sized error in the smoking variable additionally increases the OR estimates slightly. Remarkable is the fact that the naive OR estimate of the West study of 0.97 exceeds unity after correcting for errors in radon exposure larger than 0.3. We conclude that correcting for errors in radon exposure has a meaningful impact on OR estimates, that the correlation between radon exposure and the smoking variable affects the correction even if the smoking variable was error-free, and that such an analysis is extremely valuable to grasp an important issue in epidemiology, that is, the dimension of residual confounding due to adjusting for an imprecisely measured smoking variable.
Is a knee brace advantageous after anterior cruciate ligament surgery?

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of a knee brace after arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using central third patellar tendon autografts. Fifty patients were randomly allocated to two groups. The patients in Group A wore a brace for three weeks post‐operatively, while the patients in Group B were rehabilitated without the use of a brace. Pre‐operatively, the groups were comparable in terms of age, sex, activity level, knee laxity and muscle strength. The follow‐up examination was performed by one independent observer. All the patients were followed up for a minimum of two years. At the follow‐up, there were no significant differences between the study groups in terms of the Tegner activity level, Lysholm score, IKDC evaluation system, one‐leg‐hop quotient, KT‐1000 measurements and isokinetic torque. Using the visual analogue scale, the patients in Group A evaluated their pain during the first two post‐operative weeks as 1.0 (0–7), compared with 2.3 (0–9) in Group B (P=0.04). Furthermore, the patients in Group A had a tendency towards fewer problems with swelling, haemathrosis and wound leakage during the early post‐operative period (P=0.08). We conclude that the patients who were rehabilitated with the use of a brace had less pain and a tendency towards fewer complications during the early post‐operative period than the patients who were rehabilitated without the use of a brace. However, there were no differences in terms of function or knee laxity at the two‐year follow‐up.
The Relationship between Impaired Glucose Tolerance, Type 2 Diabetes, and Cognitive Function

ABSTRACT The present review integrates findings of published studies that have evaluated the cognitive function of treated and untreated type 2 diabetic patients and provides a detailed overview of the neuropsychological assessments conducted. Cognitive deficits are observed in older people with glucose intolerance or untreated diabetes but these deficits appear to be attenuated by treatments that improve glycemic control. Cognitive decrements in treated type 2 diabetic patients are most consistently observed on measures of verbal memory (35% of the measures) and processing speed (45% of the measures) while preserved function is observed on measures of visuospatial, attention, semantic and language function. Some studies suggest that deficits in cognitive functions are associated with poorer glycemic control. A number of other factors, such as depression, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, increase these deficits. We conclude that, in diabetic patients who achieve and maintain good glycemic control, type 2 diabetes only has a small impact on cognitive functions before the age of 70 years. However, early onset of type 2 diabetes, poor glycemic control and the presence of micro- and macrovascular disease may interact to produce early cognitive deficits. In older adults (70 years and over), diabetes likely interacts with other dementing processes such as vascular disease and Alzheimer's disease to hasten cognitive decline.
VSX1 gene analysis in keratoconus

Purpose To screen the visual system homeobox 1 (VSX1) gene in keratoconus patients. Methods The enntire coding region of VSX1, including intron-exon boundaries were amplified in keratoconus cases (n=50) and controls (n=50). All sequences were analyzed against the ensemble sequence (ENSG00000100987) for VXS1. Results Sequencing analysis showed four alterations (p.A182A, p.R217H, p.P237P, and g.25059612C>T) in VSX1 of which g.25059612C>T (in intron 2) was found to be novel. Of these four, p.A182A and p.P237P were present in both cases as well as controls while p.R217H and g.25059612C>T were limited to cases only. All these changes were non-pathogenic. Conclusions In our study no pathogenic VSX1 mutation was identified. The role of VSX1 in the pathogenesis of keratoconus is still controversial. VSX1 mutations are responsible for a very small fraction of all observed keratoconus cases. The absence of pathogenic mutations in VSX1 in our patients indicates that other genetic loci like 13q32 as suggested by a recent study may be involved in the pathogenesis of this disorder.
Role for cis-Acting RNA Sequences in the Temperature-Dependent Expression of the Multiadhesive Lig Proteins in Leptospira interrogans

ABSTRACT The spirochete Leptospira interrogans causes a systemic infection that provokes a febrile illness. The putative lipoproteins LigA and LigB promote adhesion of Leptospira to host proteins, interfere with coagulation, and capture complement regulators. In this study, we demonstrate that the expression level of the LigA and LigB proteins was substantially higher when L. interrogans proliferated at 37°C instead of the standard culture temperature of 30°C. The RNA comprising the 175-nucleotide 5′ untranslated region (UTR) and first six lig codons, whose sequence is identical in ligA and ligB, is predicted to fold into two distinct stem-loop structures separated by a single-stranded region. The ribosome-binding site is partially sequestered in double-stranded RNA within the second structure. Toeprint analysis revealed that in vitro formation of a 30S-tRNAfMet-mRNA ternary complex was inhibited unless a 5′ deletion mutation disrupted the second stem-loop structure. To determine whether the lig sequence could mediate temperature-regulated gene expression in vivo, the 5′ UTR and the first six codons were inserted between the Escherichia coli l-arabinose promoter and bgaB (β-galactosidase from Bacillus stearothermophilus) to create a translational fusion. The lig fragment successfully conferred thermoregulation upon the β-galactosidase reporter in E. coli. The second stem-loop structure was sufficient to confer thermoregulation on the reporter, while sequences further upstream in the 5′ UTR slightly diminished expression at each temperature tested. Finally, the expression level of β-galactosidase was significantly higher when point mutations predicted to disrupt base pairs in the second structure were introduced into the stem. Compensatory mutations that maintained base pairing of the stem without restoring the wild-type sequence reinstated the inhibitory effect of the 5′ UTR on expression. These results indicate that ligA and ligB expression is limited by double-stranded RNA that occludes the ribosome-binding site. At elevated temperatures, the ribosome-binding site is exposed to promote translation initiation.
Na 1 /H 1 exchangers (NHE1–3) have similar turnover numbers but different percentages on the cell surface

Na 1 /H 1 exchangers (NHE1–3) have similar turnover numbers but different percentages on the cell surface. Am. J. Physiol. 277 ( Cell Physiol. 46): C1111–C1121, 1999. —NHE1, NHE2, and NHE3 are well-characterized cloned members of the mammalian Na 1 /H 1 exchanger (NHE) gene family. Given the specialized function and regulation of NHE1, NHE2, and NHE3, we compared basal turnover numbers of NHE1, NHE2, and NHE3 measured in the same cell system: PS120 ﬁbroblasts lacking endogenous NHEs. NHE1, NHE2, and NHE3 were epitope tagged with vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSVG). The following characteristics were determined on the same passage of cells transfected with NHE1V, NHE2V, or NHE3V: 1 ) maximal reaction velocity ( V max ) by 22 Na 1 uptake and ﬂuorometery, 2 ) total amount of NHE protein by quantitative Western analysis with internal stan-dards of VSVG-tagged maltose-binding protein, and 3 ) cell surface expression by cell surface biotinylation. Cell surface expression (percentage of total NHE) was 88.8 6 3.5, 64.6 6 3.3, 20.0 6 2.6, and 14.0 6 1.3 for NHE1V, 85- and 75-kDa NHE2V, and NHE3V, respectively. Despite these divergent cell surface expression levels, turnover numbers for NHE1, NHE2, and NHE3 were similar (80.3 6 9.6, 92.1 6 8.6, and 99.2 6 9.1 s 2 1 , when V max was determined using 22 Na uptake at 22°C and 742 6 47, 459 6 16, and 609 6 39 s 2 1 when V max was determined using ﬂuorometry at 37°C). These data indicate that, in the same cell system, intrinsic properties that determine turnover number are conserved among NHE1, NHE2, and NHE3. account P
Training Load, Physical Performance, Biochemical Markers, and Psychological Stress During A Short Preparatory Period in Brazilian Elite Male Volleyball Players.

The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between training load (TL) and physical performance, biochemical markers, and psychological stress during a short preparatory period (PP) in Brazilian elite male volleyball players. Twelve volleyball players from a team competing in the Brazilian Men's Volleyball Super League were enrolled (26.9 ± 4.6 years). Countermovement Jump (CMJ), Creatine Kinase (CK), Testosterone (T), Cortisol (Cr), T/Cr ratio, and Recovery and Stress Questionnaire for Athletes (RESTQ-Sport) were collected at baseline, after 2, 4, and 6 week. TL was quantified daily using the Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE). Differences were noted between Total Weekly TL (TWTL) (F3,33 = 50.907; p = 0.0001), CK (F3,33 = 16.157; p = 0.0001), and T (F3,33 = 3.283; p = 0.03). No differences were seen in CMJ (F3,33 = 1.821; p = 0.16), Cr (F3,33 = 2.409; p = 0.08), or T/Cr ratio (F3,33 = 1.527; p = 0.23). The RESTQ-Sport demonstrated differences between moments in Social Stress (F3,33 = 2.297; p = 0.04; Eta = 0.25), Success (F3,33 = 4.350; p = 0.01; Eta = 0.19), General Well-being (F3,33 = 4.465; p = 0.01; Eta = 0.36), and Injury (F3,33 = 2.792; p = 0.05; Eta = 0.62). The results showed a significant correlations of small to moderate magnitude between TWTL and CK (r = 0.32; p = 0.05). In conclusion, a short PP in volleyball leads to increased TL, CK level, and psychological stress. TL was related with the increase of CK, suggesting muscle damage without increased of physical performance.