Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Neglected Children, Shame-Proneness, and Depressive Symptoms

Neglected children may be at increased risk for depressive symptoms. This study examines shame-proneness as an outcome of child neglect and as a potential explanatory variable in the relation between neglect and depressive symptoms. Participants were 111 children (52 with a Child Protective Services [CPS] allegation of neglect) seen at age 7. Neglected children reported more shame-proneness and more depressive symptoms than comparison children. Guilt-proneness, in contrast, was unrelated to neglect and depressive symptoms, indicating specificity for shame-proneness. The potential role of shame as a process variable that can help explain how some neglected children exhibit depressive symptoms is discussed.
Non-hyperbolic force-velocity relationship in single muscle fibres.

The force-velocity relation has been studied in sixteen single fibres from frog semitendinosus muscle with particular attention to the high-force portion of the curve. The force-velocity curve was hyperbolic except for a reversal of curvature near 80% measured isometric tension (PO). Rectangular hyperbolas fitted (linear, least-squares method) these data well only when values below 0.78 PO were considered. Extrapolation of these hyperbolas above 0.78 PO gave predicted isometric tensions (P*O) which averaged 32+/-6% above the measured PO values. Hill's constants (1.84 degrees C) for these hyperbolas were: a/P*O=0.177+/-0.021, b=0.329+/- 0.035 M.L. /sec, Vmax=1.91+/-0.074 M.L. /sec. The reversal of curvature persisted when force-velocity data were obtained using: 1 or 60 min response intervals, afterloaded isotonic responses, grid stimulation, electrically induced contractures and bundles of fibres. The reversal of curvature diminished when force-velocity data were obtained from slightly stretched fibres (about 2.3 mum sarcomere length as compared to 2.1 mum in the control). The results indicate that sarcomere length redistributions probably do not account for the non-hyperbolic force-velocity relation. An explanation for the behavior based on the geometry of the contractile filament lattice is discussed.
News aggregator services: user expectations and experience

– The paper aims to find out what users expect from a news aggregator service, and how the current and available news aggregator services compare to each other in terms of their features and usability from users' perspectives. , – Five news aggregator services were chosen randomly, and a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods were used for data collection involving users from the academic and research community. A total of 45 users participated in the questionnaire survey, and ten users participated in the interview. The researchers created the factors used for comparison of the features and usability of the chosen services based on the review of appropriate literature and a study of the chosen news aggregator services. Users were asked to comment on every feature of a chosen service using a ten‐point scale. , – Users identified a number of expected features of news aggregators. Survey results show that an ideal news aggregator service may be created by combining the usability features of TVEyes and the retrieval performance of GoogleNews. , – This research is based on a small set of users and a small number of news aggregator services. A larger sample set may produce more conclusive results. , – Studies reporting on the features and usability of news aggregator services is not common in the literature. In that respect, this is an important and new piece of research. The findings of this research may be used by researchers or service providers to produce a new aggregator service, or improve an existing news aggregator service.
Use of combination neonatal prophylaxis for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV infection in European high-risk infants

Objectives:To evaluate use of combination neonatal prophylaxis (CNP) in infants at high risk for mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV in Europe and investigate whether CNP is more effective in preventing MTCT than single drug neonatal prophylaxis (SNP). Design:Individual patient-data meta-analysis across eight observational studies. Methods:Factors associated with CNP receipt and with MTCT were explored by logistic regression using data from nonbreastfed infants, born between 1996 and 2010 and at high risk for MTCT. Results:In 5285 mother–infant pairs, 1463 (27.7%) had no antenatal or intrapartum antiretroviral prophylaxis, 915 (17.3%) had only intrapartum prophylaxis and 2907 (55.0%) mothers had detectable delivery viral load despite receiving antenatal antiretroviral therapy. Any neonatal prophylaxis was administered to 4623 (87.5%) infants altogether; 1105 (23.9%) received CNP. Factors significantly associated with the receipt of CNP were later calendar birth year, no elective caesarean section, maternal CD4 cell count less than 200 cells/&mgr;l, maternal delivery viral load more than 1000 copies/ml, no antenatal antiretroviral therapy, receipt of intrapartum single-dose nevirapine and cohort. After adjustment, absence of neonatal prophylaxis was associated with higher risk of MTCT compared to neonatal prophylaxis [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.29; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.46–2.59; P < 0.0001]. Further, there was no association between CNP and MTCT compared to SNP (aOR 1.41; 95% CI 0.97–2.5; P = 0.07). Conclusion:In this European population, CNP use is increasing and associated with presence of MTCT risk factors. The finding of no observed difference in MTCT risk between one drug and CNP may reflect residual confounding or the fact that CNP may be effective only in a subgroup of infants rather than the whole population of high-risk infants.
Alkali‐catalyzed low temperature wet crosslinking of plant proteins using carboxylic acids

We report the development of a new method of alkali‐catalyzed low temperature wet crosslinking of plant proteins to improve their breaking tenacity without using high temperatures or phosphorus‐containing catalysts used in conventional poly(carboxylic acid) crosslinking of cellulose and proteins. Carboxylic acids are preferred over aldehyde‐containing crosslinkers for crosslinking proteins and cellulose because of their low toxicity and cost and ability to improve the desired properties of the materials. However, current knowledge in carboxylic acid crosslinking of proteins and cellulose requires the use of carboxylic acids with at least three carboxylic groups, toxic phosphorous‐containing catalysts and curing at high temperatures (150–185°C). The use of high temperatures and low pH in conventional carboxylic acid crosslinking has been reported to cause substantial strength loss and/or undesired changes in the properties of the crosslinked materials. In this research, gliadin, soyprotein, and zein fibers have been crosslinked with malic acid, citric acid, and butanetetracarboxylic acid to improve the tenacity of the fibers without using high temperatures and phosphorus‐containing catalysts. The new method of wet crosslinking using carboxylic acids containing two or more carboxylic groups will be useful to crosslink proteins for various industrial applications. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog. , 2009
1200 V, 35 A SiC-BGSIT with improved blocking gain of 480

We succeeded to fabricate SiC buried gate static induction transistors (BGSITs) with the current rating of 35 A at the power density of 200 W/cm<sup>2</sup>. The saturation current exceeded 130 A. The breakdown voltage V<inf>BR</inf> and the on-resistance R<inf>o</inf>n were 1200 V at the gate voltage V<inf>G</inf> of −2.5 V and 26 mΩ at V<inf>G</inf> of +2.5 V, respectively. The blocking gain of 480 was greatly improved compared with our previous work (∼100) due to the optimization of the fabrication process, especially related to the channel formation. Considering the active area A of 6.76 mm<sup>2</sup>, we calculated the specific on-resistance R<inf>onA</inf> as 1.8 mΩ- cm<sup>2</sup>, which is a lowest one among the SiC switching devices with V<inf>BR</inf>>1200 V that have been reported up to now except our previous report on small chip BGSIT (A=0.853 mm<sup>2</sup>). The leakage current was less than 10<sup>−7</sup> A at the drain voltage of 1000 V at room temperature and increased by only one order of magnitude at 200°C. The R<inf>on</inf> increased from 26 mil at RT to 74 ma at 200°C.
Elevated serum levels of soluble CX3CL1 in patients with microscopic polyangiitis.

OBJECTIVES To test the hypothesis that CX3CL1 contributes to the pathogenesis of microscopic polyangiitis. METHODS Serum samples from 18 patients with microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), who fulfilled the revised criteria of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), were collected during both the newly diagnosed, untreated active disease states and inactive disease states. Also serum was from patients with large vessel vasculitis (LVV), including giant cell arteritis (n=4) and Takayasu arteritis (n=3), and from 52 healthy individuals. Soluble (s)CX3CL1 levels in serum were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Disease activity was assessed using Birmingham vasculitis activity scores (BVAS). Expression of CX3CR1 was examined by flow cytometry. RESULTS Serum sCX3CL1 levels were significantly higher in MPA patients than in either LVV group or healthy individuals. The elevated sCX3CL1 levels seen in MPA patients correlated positively with BVAS, as well as with CRP levels and ESR, and similarly increased expression of cell-surface CX3CR1 was seen on peripheral blood CD4 and CD8 T cells from patients with MPA. Notably, sCX3CL1 levels and CX3CR1 expression were diminished during clinical remission following treatment. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that CX3CL1 may be involved in the pathogenesis of MPA, and may serve as a useful serologic marker of disease activity in systemic vasculitis.
Domestic exposure to aeroallergens in Hong Kong families with asthmatic children

Indoor aeroallergen exposures increased asthma symptoms in Caucasians, but their determinants and relationship to asthma and allergy in Asians are unclear. This study investigated exposures to cat, cockroach, and Blomia tropicalis allergens in 115 Hong Kong families with asthmatic children. Patients underwent exhaled nitric oxide and spirometric measurements. Home visits were made within 2 weeks during which parents completed a standardized questionnaire. Fel d 1, Bla g 2, and Blo t 5 in dust samples collected from patients' mattresses, bedroom floors, and living room floors were measured by immunoassays. These aeroallergens were only detectable in some homes (38–55% for Fel d 1; 9–21% for Bla g 2, and 7–14% for Blo t 5). The presence of cat and/or dog was a strong determinant for Fel d 1 in all indoor sites. The timing and frequency of bedding change was associated with Bla g 2 levels, whereas the timing of bedroom floor cleaning was a consistent factor for Blo t 5 levels. Asthmatic children in families with high allergen exposure were more likely to have ≥4 wheezing attacks in preceding 12 months and exercise‐induced wheezing than those with normal allergen exposure (P = 0.051 and 0.030, respectively). Mattress levels of all three allergens were also associated with severity of several allergy symptoms (P = 0.025–0.005). None of these aeroallergens correlated with exhaled nitric oxide and spirometric parameters. This study identifies determinants for cat, cockroach, and B. tropicalis levels in Hong Kong families with asthmatic children. These exposures are associated with severity of allergy symptoms. Pediatr. Pulmonol. 2011; 46:632–639. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Bright light treatment decreases depression in institutionalized older adults: a placebo-controlled crossover study.

BACKGROUND An important parallel exists between patients with seasonal affective disorder and institutionalized older adults. Many older patients, as a result of global physical decline and immobility, are confined to their rooms, experiencing little natural sunlight. Thus, institutionalized older adults are at risk for chronic light deprivation. Testing the hypothesis that chronic light deprivation might be responsible, at least in part, for some depression among institutionalized older adults, the aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of morning bright light treatment on depression among older adults residing in a long-term care facility. METHODS In a placebo controlled, crossover design, participants (N = 10, six women and four men; M age = 83.8) received each of the following: (i) 1 week (5 days) of 10,000 lux (therapeutic dose); (ii) 1 week (5 days) of 300 lux (placebo); or 1 week of no treatment (control). Each week of light treatment was 5 consecutive days, 30 minutes daily, with a wash-out period consisting of 1 week between conditions. RESULTS Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) scores at baseline during all treatment conditions were positively correlated (r = .81, p < .01) with months of institutionalization, where participants with higher GDS scores experienced more time institutionalized. Scores on the GDS remained unchanged during the placebo and control conditions, but depression scores decreased significantly during the 10,000 lux treatment (pretest GDS M = 15 vs posttest GDS M = 11, p < .01). After the 10,000 lux treatment, 50% of the participants no longer scored in the depressed range. Improvement during the 10,000 lux condition was positively correlated (r = .62, p < .05) to baseline GDS scores, where participants with higher GDS scores experienced greater improvement following the 10,000 lux treatment. CONCLUSIONS The results of the present study suggest that bright light treatment may be effective among institutionalized older adults, providing nonpharmacological intervention in the treatment of depression. Furthermore, the length of institutionalization may play an important role in determining the efficacy of bright light treatment for older adults in the nursing-home setting.
Use of psychotropic medication in the general population of France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

BACKGROUND The use of psychotropic medications and its association with sleep and psychiatric and physical illnesses were studied in the general population. METHOD A cross-sectional telephone survey was carried out using the Sleep-EVAL knowledge-base system. A representative sample of the noninstitutionalized general populations of France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, aged 15 years or over, was interviewed (N = 18,679; participation rate: 78.8%; target population: 204,605,391 inhabitants). Questions were asked about psychotropic medication intake (name of medication, indication, dosage, duration of intake, prescriber), sociodemographics, physical illnesses, and DSM-IV mental disorders. RESULTS At the time of the interview, 6.4% of the subjects took a psychotropic medication. Anxiolytics were reported by 4.3% of the sample, hypnotics by 1.5%, antidepressants by 1.0%, and neuroleptics and other psychotropics by less than 1.0%. Hypnotics and anxiolytics were mostly used as a sleep disorder treatment. Antidepressants were taken appropriately for a depressive illness in only 44.1% of cases. Low doses of hypnotics and anxiolytics were found in about 10% of cases and low doses of antidepressants in 31.7% of cases. Subjects with a psychiatric disorder received a psychotropic treatment only infrequently (between 10% to 40.4%, depending on the disorder). All psychiatric disorders, including mood disorders, were treated mainly with an anxiolytic. A concomitant physical illness increased the likelihood of using a psychotropic treatment and was a strong predictor of adequate psychotropic dosage. CONCLUSION Psychiatric pathology and sleep disorders remained mostly untreated or inadequately managed in the general population. Depression is underdiagnosed by the physicians and is treated with antidepressant in only 7% of cases. By contrast, anxiolytics are extensively prescribed, especially in France and Italy. The co-occurrence of organic and psychiatry disorders increases the frequency of medical consultations and the likelihood of being given a prescription for the mental disorder.
Synthetical Assessment on Distribution Network Planning Scheme Considering Anti-Disaster Ability and Regional Characteristics

Distribution network planning is an important constituent of urban master planning and it is favorable for the improvement of decision-making level and returns on investment to perform synthetical assessment on planning schemes.In existing research results,the factors such as anti-disaster ability and regional characteristics are seldom brought into synthetical assessment on distribution network planning.For this reason,a method for synthetical assessment on distribution network planning in which anti-disaster ability and regional characteristics are taken into account is proposed.Firstly,based on existing research results,the disaster resisting factors are brought into the assessment indices and a assessment index system,in which the safety,reliability,economy,adaptability,coordination capacity and anti-disaster performance are included,is built;secondly,based on analytical hierarchy process(AHP) the influences of such factors as regional economic development,disaster distribution and geographic environment on index weights are further considered,and a synthetical assessment approach in which the regional characteristics are taken into account is given.The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by analysis on actual distribution network planning schemes for a certain region in the 12th Five Year Plan.
Fumaric acid in apple juice: a potential indicator of microbial spoilage of apples used as raw material

The effects of heat treatment (evaporation and excessive heating), and microbial contamination (Rhizopus stolonifer, Penicillium expansum and Lactobacillus plantarum) as sources of fumaric acid formation in apple juice concentrates were investigated. Fumaric acid formed in apple juice did not exceed 1.0 mg l−1 during both commercial-scale evaporation and laboratory-scale excessive heat treatment, indicating that malic dehydration is not the primary source of fumaric acid formation. However, R. stolonifer and L. plantarum produced 18.23 ± 0.82 and 5.39 ± 0.31 mg l−1 fumaric acid as determined in the raw juice obtained from contaminated apples after 5 days of incubation. The mean fumaric acid content of apple juice concentrates manufactured in 2000, 2001 and 2002 were determined as 4.9 ± 1.9, 5.7 ± 2.8 and 4.1 ± 2.6 mg l−1, respectively. The overall results suggest that the primary source of fumaric acid in apple juice concentrate is the use of apples decayed by certain microorganisms capable of producing fumaric acid.
Predictors of 30 day hospital readmission in patients with type 2 diabetes: a retrospective, case–control, database study

Abstract Objective: To assess factors predictive of all-cause, 30 day hospital readmission among patients with type 2 diabetes in the United States. Methods: A retrospective, case–control study using deidentified Humedica electronic health record data was conducted to identify patients ≥18 years old with ≥6 months of data prior to index hospitalization (pre-period) and ≥30 days of data after discharge (post-period). Combined methods of bootstrap resampling and stepwise logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with readmission. Results: Among 52,070 patients with type 2 diabetes and an initial hospitalization for any reason, 5201 (10.0%) patients were readmitted within 30 days and 46,869 (90.0%) patients showed no evidence of readmission. Diabetic treatment escalation; race; type 2 diabetes diagnosis prior to the index stay; pre-period heart failure; and number of pre-period, inpatient healthcare visits were among the strongest predictors of 30 day readmission. From a receiver-operating characteristic plot (mean area under curve of 0.693), the predictive accuracy of the final logistic regression model is considered modest. This result might be due to the unavailability of some variables or data. Conclusions: These results highlight the importance of the appropriate recognition of and treatment for type 2 diabetes, prior to and during hospitalization and following discharge, in order to impact a subsequent hospitalization. In our analysis, escalation of diabetic treatments (especially those escalated from having no records of anti-diabetic medications to treatment with insulin) was the strongest predictor of 30 day readmission. Limitations of this study include the fact that hospitalizations and other encounters, outside the Humedica network, were not captured in this analysis.
Paramyxovirus fusion protein: characterization of the core trimer, a rod-shaped complex with helices in anti-parallel orientation.

The fusion (F) protein of the paramyxovirus SV5 contains two heptad repeat regions, HRA adjacent to the fusion peptide and HRB proximal to the transmembrane domain. Peptides, N-1 and C-1, respectively, corresponding to these heptad repeat regions form a thermostable, alpha-helical trimer of heterodimers (S. B. Joshi, R. E. Dutch, and R. A. Lamb (1998). Virology 248, 20-34). Further characterization of the N-1/C-1 complex indicated that the C-1 peptides, which are predicted to residue on the outside of the complex, are resistant to digestion by several proteases when present in the complex. Only proteinase K digested most of the C-1 peptide, though the small remaining protease protected fragment of C-1 confers extreme thermostability on the proteinase-K-resistant N-1 trimeric coiled-coil. Carboxypeptidase Y digestion of the N-1/C-1 complex indicates that the C-1 peptides associate in an antiparallel orientation relative to the N-1 peptides. Electron microscopy of the N-1/C-1 complex showed a rod-shaped complex with an average length of 9.7 nm, consistent with all of N-1 existing as an alpha helix. Mutations at heptad repeat a and d residues of N-1, positions that are predicted to point inward to the center of the N-1 trimeric coiled-coil, were found to have varying effects as analyzed by circular dichroism measurements. The mutation I137M did not affect the helical structure of the isolated N-1 peptide but did affect the thermostability of the N-1/C-1 complex. Mutations L140M and L161M perturbed the helical structure formed by N-1 in isolation but did not affect formation of a thermostable N-1/C-1 complex. Finally, a peptide, SV5 F 255-293, corresponding to a proposed leucine zipper region, was analyzed for effects on N-1, C-1, or the N-1/C-1 complex. Circular dichroism analysis demonstrated that while the presence of peptide 255-293 increased the helical signal from either N-1 or the N-1/C-1 complex, no change in thermostability was observed, indicating that this region is not a component of the final, most stable core of the F protein.
Effect of gycidyl-POSS on the electrical and thermal properties of epoxy/CB composites

It has been shown that epoxy resins modified with Glycidyl Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes (GPOSS) in contents of up to 20 wt% have enhanced ACBD strengths, resistance against corona discharges, as well as enhanced thermal conductivities and low dielectric losses, with the addition of 2.5 wt% of GPOSS in epoxy seeming to be an optimal value in terms of dielectric strength and losses. Furthermore, GPOSS was found to alter the microstructure in multiphase systems, enhancing the dispersion of boron nitride (BN) particles within the epoxy matrix. In this work, GPOSS was incorporated into epoxy/CB composites in order to investigate the effect of GPOSS on the electrical and thermal properties of conductive and semi-conductive systems.