Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perceived control and health-related quality of life in heart transplant recipients

Background: Perceived control has been associated with improved mental health and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in cardiac populations. However, this concept has not been well-studied in heart transplant groups. Aims: We examine the relationship of perceived control to symptoms of anxiety and depression and HRQOL after transplant. We also examine the extent to which anxiety and depressive symptoms mediate the relationship between perceived control and HRQOL. Methods: Our cross-sectional analysis included 113 adult heart transplant patients from the NEW HEART study. High versus low perceived control groups were determined by median split for chi-square and t-test analyses. Hierarchical multiple linear regression models were used to examine the influence of perceived control on symptoms of depression and anxiety and HRQOL. Mediation analyses included Baron and Kenny’s four-step regression approach and Preacher and Hayes’ bootstrapping technique to test the indirect effect of perceived control on HRQOL. Results: Heart transplant patients who reported lower perceived control were more likely to be female (p=0.003), and had significantly more depressive symptoms (p<0.001) and anxiety (p<0.001), and lower HRQOL (p<0.001) than those with higher perceived control. Perceived control was a significant predictor in regression models of depressive and anxiety symptoms and HRQOL. In mediation analyses, depressive and anxiety symptoms mediated the effect of perceived control on HRQOL. Conclusion: Perceived control is associated with improved depressive and anxiety symptoms and HRQOL after transplant. The relationship between perceived control and HRQOL is mediated by depressive and anxiety symptoms. Future interventions should target perceived control to improve overall HRQOL.
Variable structure control of pH neutralization of a prototype waste water treatment plant using LabVIEW

This paper aims at developing a control technique using Variable Structure control [VSC] methodology for a pH control plant. The pH control process involves a prototype model in which acidic and alkaline streams are mixed into a Continuous Stirred Tank Reactor [CSTR] in proper proportions so as to control the pH of the plant. The control mechanism involved controls the flow rate of the acid and alkaline solutions. Sliding Mode Control is a type of VSC which is a type of nonlinear control. As the neutralization process is also non linear, VSC serves as a better solution. Also PID control and fuzzy control are incorporated on the same process and the results are compared. The unique feature of this paper is that all the control methods are implemented using LabVIEW SOFTWARE. LabVIEW stands for Laboratory Virtual Instrumentation Workbench. The programming done with this software is applied to the prototype model and the results of PID, fuzzy and VSC are compared and it is found that VSC controller is better suited than PID and fuzzy controllers.
‘Virtual conceptual necessity’, feature-dissociation and the Saussurian legacy in generative grammar

This paper is a critique of two foundational assumptions of generative work culminating in the Minimalist Program: the assumption that, as a matter of conceptual necessity, language has a ‘double-interface property’ and the related assumption that phonology has a realizational function with respect to syntax-semantics. The issues are broached through a critique of Holmberg's (2000) analysis of Stylistic Fronting in Icelandic. We show that, although empirically motivated, and although based on the double-interface assumption, this analysis is incompatible with that assumption and with the notion of (phonological) realization. Independently of Stylistic Fronting, we argue that the double-interface assumption is a problematic legacy of Saussure's conception of the linguistic sign and that, conceptually, it is neither explanatory nor necessary. The Representational Hypothesis (e.g. Burton-Roberts 2000) develops a Peircian conception of the relation between sound and meaning that breaks with the Saussurian tradition, though in a way consistent with minimalist goals. Other superficially similar approaches (Lexeme–Morpheme Base Morphology, Distributed Morphology, Jackendoff's Parallel Architecture) are discussed; it is argued that they, too, perpetuate aspects of Saussurian thought.
Lobaplatin as an adjuvant chemotherapy to surgery in canine appendicular osteosarcoma: a phase II evaluation.

Canine osteosarcoma, the most common bone tumor in dogs, is a well-established, naturally-occurring animal model for human OS. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and hematological side-effects and to assess the efficacy of lobaplatin chemotherapy in dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma as an adjuvant therapy to surgical resection. Twenty-eight dogs without systemic signs of disease were treated with surgical resection of the tumor and adjuvant lobaplatin chemotherapy at a dose of 35 mg/m2, i.v. , once every three weeks, for a maximum of 4 doses. Clinical signs of toxicosis were uncommon and consisted mainly of vomiting and depression. Hematological signs of toxicoses were common 7 to 10 days after lobaplatin chemotherapy and consisted of thrombocytopenia, leukopenia and neutropenia. All the signs were transient and most disappeared within three weeks of lobaplatin administration. A one-year disease-free fraction of 21.8% and a one-year survival fraction of 31.8% were calculated. Multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that a high histological tumor grade and presence of metastasis in the tumor vessels were associated with significantly shorter disease-free interval and survival time. Also, an increased pretreatment plasma alkaline phosphatase level at first presentation and a high histological level of tumor necrosis were associated with a shorter survival interval. Lobaplatin was easy to administer as an i.v. bolus injection at a three-week interval in dogs without the need for pretreatment infusions.
Improving the recognition of concerns and affective disorders in cancer patients.

Up to one third of patients with cancer will develop an affective disorder (generalised anxiety disorder, major depressive illness or an adjustment disorder) [1–5] regardless of disease stage [6, 7]. Key psychological factors include the following: difficulties patients have in coming to terms with the inherent uncertainty of their prognosis; a lack of practical or psychological support from relatives, friends and health professionals; the stigma associated with a cancer diagnosis and failure to find an adequate explanation for the development of the illness [8]. Treatment related factors include the development of body image problems, sexual difficulties and adverse effects of chemotherapy. Female gender and a past history of affective disorder are key vulnerability factors.
Pyloric stenoses in horses: a seven case reports.

The seven cases presented here were diagnosed at the Equine Clinic, University of Veterinary and Phar - maceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic between the years 2002 and 2008. The age range of affected horses was from 10 months to 10 years and included four Thoroughbreds and three warm blooded horses. The horses showed different clinical signs - recurrent or acute colic, poor appetite, frequent recumbency and poor performance. Physical examination revealed diverse results in each horse. Results of gastroscopic examination showed severe nonglandular mucosa ulceration and pathological changes along the pylorus in all horses. Two horses showed distal esophagitis. The duodenum was visible and endoscopically unchanged in two horses. Treatment was applied to four horses with different results. Follow up: Two horses are alive and they have partially or fully returned to their previous perfor - mance level. Five horses were euthanised because of clinical worsening and/or unsuccessful treatment. Four horses were examined post mortem. The final diagnosis of pyloric stenosis was made by gastroscopy in six horses. In the seventh horse it was confirmed by necropsy. Gastric or gastroduodenal ulceration was revealed as the cause of pyloric stenosis in five horses. In two horses the origins of pyloric changes were uncertain.
A Longitudinal Study of the Effects of Child-Reported Maternal Warmth on Cortisol Stress Response 15 Years After Parental Divorce

Objectives The experience of parental divorce during childhood is associated with an increased risk of behavioral and physical health problems. Alterations in adrenocortical activity may be a mechanism in this relation. Parent-child relationships have been linked to cortisol regulation in children exposed to adversity, but prospective research is lacking. We examined maternal warmth in adolescence as a predictor of young adults' cortisol stress response 15 years after parental divorce. Methods Participants included 240 youth from recently divorced families. Mother and child reports of maternal warmth were assessed at 6 time points across childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. Offspring salivary cortisol was measured in young adulthood before and after a social stress task. Structural equation modeling was used to predict cortisol response from maternal warmth across early and late adolescence. Results Higher child-reported maternal warmth in early adolescence predicted higher child-reported maternal warmth in late adolescence (standardized regression = 0.45, standard error = 0.065, p < .01), which predicted lower cortisol response to a challenging interpersonal task in young adulthood (standardized regression = −0.20, standard error = 0.094, p = .031). Neither mother-reported warmth in early adolescence nor late adolescence was significantly related to offspring cortisol response in young adulthood. Conclusions Results suggest that for children from divorced families, a warm mother-child relationship after divorce and across development, as perceived by the child, may promote efficient biological regulation later in life. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01407120.
Analysis of PAI‐1 Gene Expression in Vivo Using in Situ Hybridization

Historically, most studies to define the fibrinolytic system and understand its complex regulation have employed purified proteins, cultured cells or whole blood itself. Although these approaches have been essential for the development of many of our current concepts of the plasma fibrinolytic system, they have provided little information about the origin of the various fibrinolytic components present in blood, or how their synthesis is altered in various disease states. The complementary DNA (cDNA) for all of the human fibrinolytic proteins and for some of their counterparts in other species has been cloned. These probes are now widely available and can be used to study the expression of fibrinolytic genes in vivo in both normal and diseased tissues. In this regard, we have begun to use the cDNA for type 1 plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) in Northern blotting and in situ hybridization experiments to define its tissue distribution and regulation. PAI-I i s a rapid and specific inhibitor of both tissue-type and urokinase-type plasminogen activators (t-PA and u-PA, respectively) and appears to be the primary regulator of plasminogen activation in vivo. ’. ’ Numerous observations suggest that the expression of PAI-I in vivo is precisely regulated and that the inappropriate expression of this potent inhibitor may suppress the normal fibrinolytic system of the tissues and create a local prothrombotic state. If this hypothesis is correct, then this condition may result in pathological fibrin deposition after injury and/or tissue factor expression. The recent demonstration that PAL 1 mRNA levels are elevated in the kidneys of mice with renal d i ~ e a s e , ~ , ~ in atherosclerotic human a r t e r i e ~ . ~ and in the pulmonary arteries of individuals with chronic thromboembolic disease,6 is consistent with this possibility because these conditions are associated with fibrin accumulation. These studies are discussed in this review.
A bacterial amber suppressor in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is selectively recognized by a bacterial aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase

Little is known about the conservation of determinants for the identities of tRNAs between organisms. We showed previously that Escherichia coli tyrosine tRNA synthetase can charge the Saccharomyces cerevisiae mitochondrial tyrosine tRNA in vivo, even though there are substantial sequence differences between the yeast mitochondrial and bacterial tRNAs. The S. cerevisiae cytoplasmic tyrosine tRNA differs in sequence from both its yeast mitochondrial and E. coli counterparts. To test whether the yeast cytoplasmic tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase recognizes the E. coli tRNA, we expressed various amounts of an E. coli tyrosine tRNA amber suppressor in S. cerevisiae. The bacterial tRNA did not suppress any of three yeast amber alleles, suggesting that the yeast enzymes retain high specificity in vivo for their homologous tRNAs. Moreover, the nucleotides in the sequence of the E. coli suppressor that are not shared with the yeast cytoplasmic tyrosine tRNA do not create determinants which are efficiently recognized by other yeast charging enzymes. Therefore, at least some of the determinants that influence in vivo recognition of the tyrosine tRNA are specific to the cell compartment and organism. In contrast, expression of the cognate bacterial tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase together with the bacterial suppressor tRNA led to suppression of all three amber alleles. The bacterial enzyme recognized its substrate in vivo, even when the amount of bacterial tRNA was less than about 0.05% of that of the total cytoplasmic tRNA.
On the Asymptotic Optimality of a Simple On-Line Algorithm for the Stochastic Single-Machine Weighted Completion Time Problem and Its Extensions

We consider the stochastic single-machine problem, when the objective is to minimize the expected total weighted completion time of a set of jobs that are released over time. We assume that the existence and the parameters of each job including its release date, weight, and expected processing times are not known until its release date. The actual processing times are not known until processing is completed. We analyze the performance of the on-line nonpreemptive weighted shortest expected processing time among available jobs (WSEPTA) heuristic. When a scheduling decision needs to be made, this heuristic assigns, among the jobs that have arrived but not yet processed, one with the largest ratio of its weight to its expected processing time. We prove that when the job weights and processing times are bounded and job processing times are mutually independent random variables, WSEPTA is asymptotically optimal for the single-machine problem. This implies that WSEPTA generates a solution whose relative error approaches zero as the number of jobs increases. This result can be extended to the stochastic flow shop and open shop problems, as well as models with stochastic job weights.
Comorbidity of headache and functional constipation in children: a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Constipation and headache are prevalent conditions among children worldwide. Previous studies have shown the relationship between upper gastrointestinal complaints and headache in children. However, the association with lower gastrointestinal complaints such as constipation has not been investigated until present. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between headache and chronic functional constipation in children aged 4-12 years old. MATERIALS AND METHODS This cross-sectional study has evaluated the prevalence of headache in 326 children in Shiraz, Iran 2012. All the subjects and their parents were interviewed based on a structured questionnaire for the diagnosis of constipation and headache. Children with constipation were selected from the Pediatric Gastroenterology Clinic Affiliated to the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. The control group was selected from healthy children attending Shiraz schools. Diagnosis of headache and constipation were made based on the second Edition of The International Headache Classification (ICHD-2) and ROME III criteria, respectively. RESULTS Headache prevalence among children with constipation was significantly higher (19.8%) than that of the control group (5.6%) [Odds ratio (OR) 4.192, p<0.001], which was significant only in the non-migraine headache subtypes (15.1% vs 2.8%, OR 25, p<0.002). Among the headache subtypes of different severity (mild, moderate, severe), only mild headache was significantly more prevalent in constipated children (14.9% vs. 1.4%, in the control group, respectively, p<0.001). CONCLUSION This study revealed a strong correlation between headache and chronic functional constipation, which can result from the effect of these comorbid conditions with emotional stress, depression, and anxiety.
Complete alanine scanning of the two‐component lantibiotic lacticin 3147: generating a blueprint for rational drug design

Lantibiotics are post‐translationally modified antimicrobial peptides which are active at nanomolar concentrations. Some lantibiotics have been shown to function by targeting lipid II, the essential precursor of cell wall biosynthesis. Given that lantibiotics are ribosomally synthesized and amenable to site‐directed mutagenesis, they have the potential to serve as biological templates for the production of novel peptides with improved functionalities. However, if a rational approach to novel lantibiotic design is to be adopted, an appreciation of the roles of each individual amino acid (and each domain) is required. To date no lantibiotic has been subjected to such rigorous analysis. To address this issue we have carried out complete scanning mutagenesis of each of the 59 amino acids in lacticin 3147, a two‐component lantibiotic which acts through the synergistic activity of the peptides LtnA1 (30 amino acids) and LtnA2 (29 amino acids). All mutations were performed in situ in the native 60kb plasmid, pMRC01. A number of mutations resulted in the elimination of detectable bioactivity and seem to represent an invariable core within these and related peptides. Significantly however, of the 59 amino acids, at least 36 can be changed without resulting in a complete loss of activity. Many of these are clustered to form variable domains within the peptides. The information generated in this study represents a blue‐print that will be critical for the rational design of lantibiotic‐based antimicrobial compounds.
Randomized proof of concept trial of GLYX-13, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor glycine site partial agonist, in major depressive disorder nonresponsive to a previous antidepressant agent.

BACKGROUND Approximately 45% of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) do not remit when treated with biogenic amine antidepressants. Consequently, there is a significant need for antidepressant agents with different mechanisms of action. Early proof of concept (POC) studies with such novel agents play a significant role in helping drug developers identify agents and mechanisms of action that merit more intensive research. Studies have demonstrated that high affinity N-methyl-Daspartate (NMDA) receptor blockers (eg, ketamine) can produce rapid antidepressant effects in patients who have not responded to currently available agents, but treatment with these agents is accompanied by psychotomimetic effects that make their use problematic. This column describes a POC study involving GLYX-13, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor glycine site functional partial agonist. METHOD In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, a single intravenous (IV) dose of GLYX-13 (1, 5, 10, or 30 mg/kg) or placebo was administered to 116 subjects with MDD who had not benefitted from a trial of at least one biogenic amine antidepressant during the current episode. The primary outcome measure was score on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale-17 (Ham-D17), which was used to rate overall depressive symptoms at baseline and at 24 hours and days 3, 7, 14, and, in some arms, days 21 and 28 after administration. RESULTS GLYX-13, 5 or 10 mg/kg IV, reduced depressive symptoms as assessed by the Ham-D17 at days 1 through 7. Onset of action as assessed using the Bech-6 occurred within 2 hours. GLYX-13 did not elicit psychotomimetic or other significant side effects. CONCLUSION In this early POC study, GLYX-13 reduced depressive symptoms within 2 hours and this effect was maintained for 7 days on average in subjects with MDD who had not responded to another antidepressant agent during the current depressive episode. The findings of this study support the hypothesis that modulation of the NMDA receptor is a valid target for the development of antidepressant drugs and the need for additional studies to further evaluate the effects of GLYX-13. POC studies such as the one described here play a pivotal role in allowing drug researchers to decide whether to move forward with larger and more expensive studies, and they enable them to focus available resources on those molecules that appear to have the most therapeutic promise. Based on the POC study described here, a multiple dose study has been completed which showed sustained therapeutic benefit with repeated dosing of GLYX-13 for more than 6 weeks. Phase 3 studies are now being planned.
Cost‐effectiveness of hematologic growth factors for anemia occurring during hepatitis C combination therapy

In hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐infected patients who develop anemia during combination therapy, erythropoietic growth factors maintain higher drug treatment levels compared to ribavirin dose reduction, which may lead to an increase in treatment response rates. This study estimated the cost‐effectiveness of growth factor therapy in maintaining anemic HCV‐infected patients on target drug levels during combination therapy. A decision analysis using a Markov model was developed with 7 health states: Sustained viral response, chronic HCV, compensated cirrhosis, decompensated cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, liver transplantation, and death. Data sources included population‐based studies of growth factor therapy, previously published estimates of costs and natural history of hepatitis C, and recent prospective studies. Our reference case was a 45‐year‐old Caucasian man with HCV infection (genotype 1, 2, or 3) who developed anemia while undergoing combination therapy with ribavirin and pegylated interferon. We compared growth factor injections (darbepoetin alpha or epoetin alpha) during combination therapy with standard ribavirin dose reduction. Compared to a ribavirin dose reduction strategy, the cost of darbepoetin per additional quality‐adjusted life‐year was $34,793 for genotype 1 and $33,832 for genotypes 2 or 3 versus $60,600 and $64,311 for epoetin. For all genotypes, the results were sensitive to changes in the cure rates of HCV therapy, the utility of chronic HCV, the costs of growth factors, and the age at which therapy is begun. In conclusion, use of erythropoietic growth factors, specifically darbepoetin, for patients with anemia occurring during HCV combination therapy appears to be cost‐effective for genotypes 1, 2, or 3. (HEPATOLOGY 2006;44:1598–1606.)