Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ostracizing for a Reason: A Novel Source Paradigm for Examining the Nature and Consequences of Motivated Ostracism

ABSTRACT Ostracism, a complex social phenomenon, involves both targets (ostracized individuals) and sources (ostracizers). The current experiment redressed a gap in the ostracism literature by devising a novel, three-phase paradigm to investigate motivated ostracizing. In the current study, 83 females were assigned to one of four conditions during a Cyberball game: motivated sources chose to ostracize an obnoxious fellow player, induced sources ostracized a fellow player at the behest of the experimenter, targets were ostracized, and included participants received the ball proportionately. Analysis of participants’ primary needs, emotions, ratings of their co-players, and behavior toward their co-players indicated that being the target of ostracism was a robustly aversive experience. Both motivated and induced sources reported fortified control. Moreover, a motive for ostracizing influenced source experience: induced sources experienced greater levels of negative moral emotion and behaved more prosocially toward their target than motivated sources. The flexibility and demonstrated impact of this novel paradigm adds to the toolkit available to researchers interested in expanding insight into the psychological processes underlying, and the motivational and behavioral outcomes of being, a source of ostracism.
Do women with acute myocardial infarction receive the same treatment as men?

Abstract Objective : To determine whether women with acute myocardial infarction in the Nottingham health district receive the same therapeutic interventions as their male counterparts. Design : Retrospective study. Setting : University and City Hospitals,20Nottingham. Patients : All patients admitted with a suspected myocardial infarction during 1989 and 1990. Main outcome measures : Route and timing of admission to hospital, ward of admission, treatment, interventions in hospital, and mortality. Results - Women with myocardial infarction took longer to arrive in hospital than men. They were less likely to be admitted to the coronary care unit and20were therefore also less likely to receive thrombolytic treatment. They seemed to have more severe infarcts, with higher Killip classes, and had a slightly higher mortality during admission. They were less likely than men to receive secondary prophylaxis by being discharged taking ß blockers or aspirin. Conclusion : Survival chances both in hospital and after discharge in women with acute myocardial infarction are reduced because they do not have the same opportunity for therapeutic intervention as men.
Efficient recursive structures for forward and inverse discrete cosine transform

In this paper, efficient architectures for realizing the recursive discrete cosine transform (DCT) and the recursive inverse DCT (IDCT) are proposed. By respectively folding the inputs of the DCT and the outputs of the IDCT, efficient formulations of the DCT and IDCT are derived to construct the transform kernels. The data throughput per transformation is twice that of the existing methods by spending only half of the computational cycles used by the single folding algorithms. To further improve efficiency, the double folding recursive architectures of the DCT and IDCT are developed. The computational cycles of the DCT are half of the single folding method, and the data throughput of the IDCT is twice that of the single folding method. The regular and modular properties of the proposed recursive architectures are suitable for very large scale integration (VLSI) implementation. With high throughput advantage, the proposed structures could be implemented with less power consumption, which could be applied to low rate video in mobile and portable information appliances.
Varenicline augmentation in depressed smokers: an 8-week, open-label study.

OBJECTIVE To assess possible antidepressant effects of varenicline augmentation in outpatients with treatment-resistant depressive disorders and nicotine dependence. BACKGROUND Varenicline is a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha4beta2 partial agonist and alpha7 full agonist approved for smoking cessation. Studies of similar compounds have suggested evidence of antidepressant effects. METHOD Eighteen patients (aged 18 to 65 years) were recruited from a general psychiatric outpatient clinic. Inclusion criteria were (1) primary Axis I depressive disorder (DSM-IV-TR criteria), (2) a stable antidepressant or mood stabilizer regimen, (3) persistent depressive symptoms despite adequate treatment, and (4) current cigarette smoking with nicotine dependence. Patients received varenicline (started at 0.5 mg daily and titrated to 1 mg twice daily) in addition to stable doses of their regular psychotropic medications. Depression symptoms, side effects, clinical global impressions, anhedonia, daily cigarette consumption, and vital signs were assessed every 2 weeks for 8 weeks. Baseline and endpoint ratings were compared, and the relationship between mood improvement and smoking cessation was examined. The primary outcome variable was mean change score in depressive symptoms as assessed by the 16-item Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self-Report. The study was conducted between September 2007 and March 2008. RESULTS Fourteen patients (78%) completed the study; 4 discontinued due to side effects, including gastrointestinal effects (n = 3) and worsened mood/irritability (n = 1). Patients demonstrated significant improvement in depression at end point (p < .001), with significant improvement as early as week 2. Eight patients (44%) met criteria for categorical response, and 6 (33%) reached remission criteria; the overall effect size was large. All patients were interested in smoking cessation: 8 (44%) achieved abstinence and 9 (50%) had some reduction in smoking. Improvement in depressive symptoms was correlated with smoking cessation. There was no evidence of treatment-emergent suicidality. CONCLUSION Open-label varenicline augmentation was associated with significant improvement in mood in a small sample of outpatient smokers with persistent depressive symptoms. Larger, double-blind studies are needed to investigate potential antidepressant effects of varenicline augmentation. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00525837.
Dynamics of electromagnetic noise radiations caused by air-discharge ESD in spheroidal metal objects

This paper presents and discusses dynamic properties of electromagnetic fields caused by an air-discharge ESD event occurred between a metallic spheroidal object and a flat metal plane. The analysis is done with a recently proposed FDTD-SPICE direct linking solver, which simultaneously solves a full-wave model for structures of analytical objects and SPICE equivalent circuit models including nonlinear lumped elements based on spark resistance formulae. The Rompe-Weizel formula is used in order to take into account transient influences of a spark channel. Time domain simulation results of electric and magnetic fields, and Poynting vector are demonstrated.
Dumbbell Synovial Sarcoma of the Thoracolumbar Spine: A Case Report

Study Design. A case report is of a giant dumbbell-shaped synovial sarcoma of the thoracolumbar spine is presented. Objective. To report a case of a rare dumbbell-shaped tumor treated by multimodal approach. Surgical procedures, adjuvant treatment, and outcome were discussed. Summary of Background Data. Synovial sarcomas of the spine are very rare tumors. Radical surgical resection is the goal, but is often not feasible. Dumbbell-shaped spinal synovial sarcoma with a giant extraspinal extension has not yet been reported. The rationale for 2-step surgical procedure and adjuvant therapy is discussed in light of the clinical picture, preoperative imaging and extension of the disease. Methods. A 32-year-old male patient presented with signs of quickly progressive paraparesis. A dumbbell-shaped tumor at the level Th12–L1 was found with a giant retroperitoneal extension. Tumor was nonradically excised in a 2-step operation: first through a dorsal approach with laminectomy and removal of the intraspinal extradural part, and later through a laparotomy with removal of the retroperitoneal part. Histologic examination revealed highly malignant synovial sarcoma. Patient was treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy after surgery. Results. Patient was in remission and symptom free for 1 year after surgery; he then developed a local recurrence and died soon afterwards. Conclusion. A good treatment result was achieved initially. A combined approach in cases like this is warranted, with as radical surgery as possible in order to avoid local recurrence, a common cause of treatment failure in sarcomas.
Maternal mortality studies in Ethiopia--magnitude, causes and trends.

BACKGROUND Reduction of maternal mortality is a global public health priority. Periodic maternal mortality studies are required to monitor changing trends. Both direct and indirect methods of maternal mortality measurement are used in different settings. OBJECTIVES To study the geographic coverage, study base, type, maternal mortality ratio level and proportion of different causes of maternal deaths identified by maternal mortality studies conducted in Ethiopia. METHODS Electronic databases search coupled with search in local journals of health as well as interview with relevant university departments for unpublished literatures on maternal mortality studies was conducted. Structured questionnaire was used to extract relevant data which was analyzed using SPSS 13 statistical package. RESULTS Twelve maternal mortality studies were identified from 1980 to 2008. Eight were hospital based and four community based studies. Only two were based on a national sample. Maternal mortality ratios ranged from 567 to 2600 per hundred thousand live births. Hospital studies had nearly double ratios compared to community studies. Maternal mortality ratios from hospitals outside Addis were nearly double or more compared to Addis hospital ratios. Abortion complications, ruptured uterus, puerperal sepsis, postpartum hemorrhage and preeclampsia/ eclampsia were the five major causes of maternal mortality. The only study conducted since 2000 has shown a marked reduction in abortion related mortality; compared to findings of earlier studies. CONCLUSION Only four of the country's nine regions were covered by the hospital studies. The large pastoralist community has not been adequately addressed by any of the studies. There is a need to conduct national health facility based studies to gather representative data on the proportion of different causes of maternal deaths and their predisposing factors. Inclusion of verbal autopsy techniques to demographic and health surveys and the decennial census can increase the power of these studies to define maternal mortality in more detail. In general, there is a paucity of information on maternal mortality.
Injury to the Preterm Brain and Cerebral Palsy: Clinical Aspects, Molecular Mechanisms, Unanswered Questions, and Future Research Directions

Cerebral palsy will affect nearly 10% of the 60 000 very low-birth-weight infants born in the United States in the next year, and an even greater percentage will display some form of permanent neurological impairment resulting from injury to the preterm brain. The 2008 Neurobiology of Disease in Children Symposium, held in conjunction with the 37th annual meeting of the Child Neurology Society, aimed to define current knowledge and to develop specific aims for future clinical, translational, and fundamental science. A complex interplay of both destructive and developmental forces is responsible for injury to the preterm brain. Advances in imaging and histology have implicated a variety of cell types, though preoligodendrocyte injury remains the focus. Research into different mechanisms of injury is facilitating new neuroprotective and rehabilitative interventions. A cooperative effort is necessary to translate basic research findings into clinically effective therapies and better care for these children.
The effect of long-term aggressive lipid lowering on ischemic and atherosclerotic burden in patients with chronic kidney disease.

BACKGROUND Cardiac mortality is the main cause of death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). In this study, we sought the efficacy of long-term intensive lipid level lowering on atherosclerotic burden in patients with CKD. METHODS Patients with CKD (n = 38; age, 64 +/- 11 years) and a similar group of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD; n = 31) were treated prospectively with atorvastatin, up to 80 mg/d. Lipid profile, carotid intima-media thickness (IMT; a marker of atherosclerotic burden), and dobutamine echocardiography were measured at baseline and 2 years. Predictors of change in maximal IMT were sought in a linear model. RESULTS Despite similar cholesterol level lowering, patients with CAD showed an improvement in maximum IMT, whereas those with CKD did not (mean between-group difference, 0.07 mm; 95% confidence interval, 0.01 to 0.12). Change in maximal IMT was associated with kidney disease (R2 = 0.09; P = 0.013), smoking (R2 = 0.083; P = 0.017), baseline low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level (R2 = 0.064; P = 0.045), very low density cholesterol (VLDL-C) level (R2 = 0.084; P = 0.021), and calcium channel blocker use (R2 = 0.094; P = 0.01). In a multivariate model, kidney disease and baseline LDL-C and VLDL-C levels remained independent predictors of change in maximal IMT (model R2 = 0.24; P = 0.004). Only patients with CAD decreased their number of ischemic segments (2.5 +/- 1.4 to 1.2 +/- 1.5 segments; P = 0.002). Overall change in ischemic segment number correlated with change in maximal IMT (r = 0.32; P = 0.019). CONCLUSION Patients with CKD undergoing intensive lipid level lowering do not show the same changes in atherosclerotic or ischemic burden as patients with CAD. Independent predictors of change in maximal IMT were CKD and baseline LDL-C and VLDL-C levels.
Preliminary Experience Using the Neuroform Stent for the Treatment of Cerebral Aneurysms

INTRODUCTIONThe Neuroform microstent—a flexible, self-expandable, microcatheter-delivered, nitinol stent designed for the treatment of cerebral aneurysms—was recently approved for use in patients. We present the results of our initial experience in using the Neuroform stent to treat patients with cerebral aneurysms, with an emphasis on potential applications, technical aspects of deployment, and associated intra- and periprocedural complications. METHODSThe records of all patients treated with the Neuroform stent were entered prospectively into a database. We assessed the clinical history, indications for stent use, aneurysm dimensions, and technical details of the procedures, including any difficulties with stent placement and/or deployment, degree of aneurysm occlusion, and complications. RESULTSDuring a 5-month period, 19 patients with 22 aneurysms were treated with the Neuroform stent. Twenty-five stents were deployed. Five patients had multiple stents placed. Five patients had ruptured aneurysms at the time of treatment. The indications for use were broad-necked aneurysms (n = 13; average neck length, 5.1 mm; average aneurysm size, 9 mm), fusiform or dissecting aneurysms (n = 3), salvage and/or bailout (n = 1), and giant aneurysms (n = 2). Technical problems included difficulty in deploying the stent (n = 6), inability to deploy the stent (n = 1), stent displacement (n = 2), inadvertent stent deployment (n = 1), and coil stretching (n = 1). Twenty-one of the 22 aneurysms were treated. Four aneurysms were stented without additional treatment, and 17 aneurysms were stented and coiled. Of the coiled aneurysms, complete or nearly complete (more than 95%) occlusion was achieved in 6 aneurysms, and partial occlusion was achieved in 11. Two clinically significant adverse events occurred, both of which were sequelae of periprocedural thromboembolic complications. One patient died after thrombolysis was attempted. The other patient made an excellent functional recovery after undergoing successful thrombolysis of a thrombosed basilar artery stent. CONCLUSIONThe Neuroform stent is a useful device for the treatment of patients with aneurysms that may not otherwise be amenable to endovascular therapy. In the majority of cases, the stent can be deployed accurately, even within the most tortuous segments of the cerebral vasculature. Although delivery and deployment may be technically challenging, clinically significant complications are uncommon.
HLA Distribution in COPD Patients

Abstract Background: Auto-immunity may contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), particularly to the presence of emphysema. Auto-immune diseases are characterized by an abnormal distribution of HLA class II alleles (DR and DQ). The distribution of DRB1 and DQB1 alleles has not been investigated in COPD. Methods: To this end, HLA medium-low resolution typing was performed following standardized protocols in 320 clinically stable COPD patients included in the PAC-COPD study. Results were compared with controls of the same geographical and ethnic origin, and potential relationships with the severity of airflow limitation and lung diffusing capacity impairment were explored in patients with COPD. Results: The distribution of DRB1 and DQB1 alleles in COPD was similar to that of controls except for a significantly higher prevalence of DRB1*14 in patients with severe airflow limitation and low diffusing capacity. Conclusions: By and large, HLA distribution was similar in COPD patients and controls, but the HLA class II allele DRB1*14 may contribute to the pathogenesis of severe COPD with emphysema.
An attenuated adenovirus, ONYX-015, as mouthwash therapy for premalignant oral dysplasia.

PURPOSE Dysplastic lesions of the oral epithelium are known precursors of oral cancer. A significant proportion of oral dysplastic lesions have functional defects in p53 response pathways. The ONYX-015 adenovirus is selectively cytotoxic to cells carrying defects in p53-dependent signaling pathways. The current study sought to establish the feasibility and activity of ONYX-015 administered topically as a mouthwash to patients with clinically apparent and histologically dysplastic lesions of the oral mucosa. PATIENTS AND METHODS A total of 22 patients (19 assessable patients) were enrolled onto the study. ONYX-015 was administered on three different schedules to consecutive cohorts. Biopsies of the involved mucosa were performed to evaluate histologic response and changes in expression of putative markers of malignant potential, including p53, cyclin D1, and Ki-67. Serology was performed to measure antiadenoviral titers. RESULTS Histologic resolution of dysplasia was seen in seven (37%) of 19 patients, and the grade of dysplasia improved in one additional patient. The majority of responses were transient. No toxicity greater than grade 2 (febrile episode in one patient) was observed. Only one of seven patients demonstrated an increase in circulating antiadenoviral antibody titer while on therapy. Although responding and resistant lesions had similar mean p53 staining at baseline, histologic response correlated with a decrease in p53 positivity over time. Significant changes in cyclin D1 or Ki-67 were not observed. Viral replication was confirmed in two of three lesions examined. CONCLUSION This novel approach to cancer prevention is tolerable, feasible, and has demonstrable activity.
HIV-DNA Priming Alters T Cell Responses to HIV-Adenovirus Vaccine Even When Responses to DNA Are Undetectable

Many candidate HIV vaccines are designed to primarily elicit T cell responses. Although repeated immunization with the same vaccine boosts Ab responses, the benefit for T cell responses is ill defined. We compared two immunization regimens that include the same recombinant adenoviral serotype 5 (rAd5) boost. Repeated homologous rAd5 immunization fails to increase T cell responses, but increases gp140 Ab responses 10-fold. DNA prime, as compared with rAd5 prime, directs long-term memory CD8+ T cells toward a terminally differentiated effector memory phenotype with cytotoxic potential. Based on the kinetics of activated cells measured directly ex vivo, the DNA vaccination primes for both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, despite the lack of detection of the latter until after the boost. These results suggest that heterologous prime-boost combinations have distinct immunological advantages over homologous prime-boosts and suggest that the effect of DNA on subsequent boosting may not be easily detectable directly after the DNA vaccination.
A survey of the prevalence of emerging macrocyclic lactone resistance and of benzimidazole resistance in sheep nematodes in the lower North Island of New Zealand

Abstract AIM: To investigate the occurrence of emerging macrocyclic lactone (ML) resistance and of resistance to benzimidazole anthelmintics on a number of sheep farms in the North Island of New Zealand. METHODS: On commercial sheep farms (n=30) in the Taihape district in the North Island of New Zealand, 30 animals were randomly allocated to one of two equal-sized groups and treated with either half of the recommended dose rate of ivermectin (half of 0.2 mg/kg), or with the full recommended dose rate of oxfendazole (4.5 mg/kg). The ivermectin treatment only was used on a further six properties. Faecal egg counts, accompanied by pooled larval cultures, were conducted on all samples at the time of treatment and 7–10 days later. RESULTS: Resistance, as indicated by a <95% faecal egg count reduction (FECR) in both instances, was found to oxfendazole on 13/30 (43%) farms and to a half dose of ivermectin on 12/36 (33%) properties. For oxfendazole, such resistance was found to involve all six nematode genera whereas for ivermectin it was almost entirely restricted to Ostertagia and Cooperia infections. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that emerging ML resistance may be more common on sheep farms in New Zealand than is generally realised. They also suggest that the half-dose ivermectin faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) may offer some very practical benefits for parasite control by providing early warning of developing resistance to ML drenches and by signalling the possible imminent failure of these at their therapeutic dose rates. The sensitivity and reliability of this procedure may be further enhanced by the inclusion of larval cultures.
A comparison between the design-based and model-based approaches using longitudinal survey data

Survey data analysis using complex sampling designs ought to account for clustering, stratification and unequal probability of selection. Design-based and model-based methods are two commonly used routes taken to account for such survey designs. Several studies of cross-sectional survey designs have shown that these two approaches provide similar results when the model fits the data well. The present paper aims at comparing these two approaches for longitudinal survey design using the National Population Health Survey (NPHS) dataset. A marginal modeling approach proposed by Rao and modified bootstrap method for longitudinal data were used by way of a design-based method. The Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) method, proposed by Liang and Zeger was used as a typical model-based approach. The parameter estimates obtained using the design-based and model-based methods were similar. However, the standard errors and the 95% confidence interval were different. Rao's method produced the most conservative standard errors. In conclusion, design-based methods should be preferred over model-based methods, as this method provides reliable results.