Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association between concurrent depression and anxiety and six-month outcome of addiction treatment.

OBJECTIVES This six-month prospective study of 326 patients with substance use disorders assessed rates of depression and anxiety symptoms among patients entering addiction treatment and examined the effects of concurrent psychiatric symptoms on indicators of addiction treatment outcome. METHODS Initial assessments included semistructured clinical interviews, the Addiction Severity Index (ASI), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL90-R). Patients were reassessed at six months to determine treatment outcome (abstinence status and duration of continuous abstinence). RESULTS A majority of the sample (63 percent) had significant psychiatric symptoms at intake: 15 percent (N=49) presented with depressive symptoms, 16 percent (N=53) with anxiety symptoms, and 32 percent (N=105) with combined depressive and anxiety symptoms. Forty percent of patients who presented with combined depression and anxiety symptoms were abstinent at six months. These patients fared worse than those who were less symptomatic at intake, including those who presented with depression symptoms alone; in the latter group, 73 percent were abstinent at six months. The hierarchical regression models accounted for 22 percent of the variance in the duration of continuous abstinence, 26 percent of the variance in the frequency of drug use at six months, and 39 percent of the variance in abstinence status at six months. Key predictor variables included days in treatment, primary drug of abuse, frequency of drug use, and report of concurrent depression or anxiety symptoms at intake. CONCLUSIONS Concurrent depression or anxiety symptoms at intake had a small but significant predictive effect on addiction treatment outcome over and above factors that are clearly known to influence outcome (length of stay in treatment and initial addiction severity).
Simple Excision vs the Kidner Procedure for Type 2 Accessory Navicular Associated With Flatfoot in Pediatric Population

Background: Recently, many studies have argued against the Kidner procedure and its several modifications, with the accessory navicular considered an irritant rather than a hindrance to foot function, and simple excision has been advocated. We designed this prospective, comparative study of simple excision and the Kidner procedure in children and adolescents with flatfoot and evaluated functional and radiographic outcomes. Methods: From February 2004 to March 2009, we followed 50 consecutive feet of symptomatic type 2 accessory navicular. Simple excision and the Kidner procedure were performed in 25 feet each, respectively. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Midfoot Scale, the visual analogue scale (VAS), and the talo–first metatarsal, talocalcaneal, and calcaneal pitch angles were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively for a minimum of 3 years. Patient satisfaction was assessed. Results: The preoperative AOFAS midfoot scale and VAS of each group were improved at final follow-up. The talo–first metatarsal and talocalcaneal angles were not significantly different pre- and postoperatively. However, the calcaneal pitch angle of both groups was improved at the final follow-up. At the final follow-up, we observed no significant differences between the 2 groups in the AOFAS midfoot scale, the VAS, and the talo–first metatarsal, talocalcaneal, and calcaneal pitch angles. The satisfaction frequencies were 86% and 82% in groups 1 and 2, respectively. Conclusions: We found that in children and adolescents with accessory navicular and flatfoot, simple excision and the Kidner procedure both gave satisfactory results and both minimally restored the medial longitudinal arch similarly. Level of Evidence: Level II, prospective therapeutic study.
Zooplankton in the Schelde estuary, Belgium and the Netherlands: spatial and temporal patterns

The zooplankton fauna of the Zeeschelde estuary (Belgium) was investigated over 10 months by means of monthly sampling. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) was used to relate the species distribution to environmental factors. The variation in the species data was significantly (P < 0.05) related to a set of 10 environmental variables (chlorinity, NH4 +, temperature, PO4-P-, DW, Chl a and Chl b, NO2-N, NO3-N and pH). The main spatial and seasonal gradients were associated with chlorinity and temperature respectively. The brackish water zone was dominated by the calanoid Eurytemora affinis in spring, succeeded by Acartia tonsa and mysid species during summer. In the freshwater transect, cyclopoids dominated, together with several cladoceran species. Thermophilic cyclopoid species (Thermocyclops oithonoides, Th. crassus and Mesocyclops leuckarti) occurred during periods of maximal temperature. The cyclopoids Acanthocyclops robustus, Paracyclops poppei and Cyclops vicinus, the cladocerans Daphnia longispina, Chydorus sphaericus and Bosmina longirostris together with the numerically dominant rotifers, oligochaetes, nematodes and juvenile copepods seemed little affected by environmental gradients.
Worries and concerns of patients with multiple sclerosis: development of an assessment scale

This study examined the nature of worry in adult patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the UK. A measure of worry in MS was developed and the relationship between worry and standard scale measures of anxiety and depression was examined. Thirty-nine patients with MS and 40 controls completed the new worry scale (WQMS) that was psychometrically evaluated, together with the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) and a previously developed scale to assess self-efficacy in MS (SESMS). The scores for both anxiety (t=2.34; p<0.05) and depression (t=5.52; p<0.01) were higher in MS patients than controls, as was the new scale for worry - the WQMS. A factor analysis (explaining 65.73% of the variance) suggests that the worries of patients may be dichotomized into those concerned with the physical effects of the disease and those relating to the impact on social interaction, family relationships and daily activity in the home and/or work. Worry in patients with MS was associated with a decreased sense of being able to produce positive activities or effect positive outcomes (low self-efficacy). The questionnaire provides a framework for investigation in clinic of specific concerns and level of worry they engender.
Oxidative Stress Induces Nuclear Loss of DNA Repair Proteins Ku70 and Ku80 and Apoptosis in Pancreatic Acinar AR42J Cells*

Cell death linked to oxidative DNA damage has been implicated in acute pancreatitis. The severe DNA damage, which is beyond the capacity of the DNA repair proteins, triggers apoptosis. It has been hypothesized that oxidative stress may induce a decrease in the Ku70 and Ku80 levels and apoptosis in pancreatic acinar cells. In this study, it was found that oxidative stress caused by glucose oxidase (GO) acting on β-d-glucose, glucose/glucose oxidase (G/GO), induced slight changes in cytoplasmic Ku70 and Ku80 but drastically induced a decrease in nuclear Ku70 and Ku80 both time- and concentration-dependently in AR42J cells. G/GO induced apoptosis determined by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage, an increase in expression of p53 and Bax, and a decrease in Bcl-2 expression. G/GO-induced apoptosis was in parallel with the loss of nuclear Ku proteins in AR42J cells. Caspase-3 inhibitor prevented G/GO-induced nuclear Ku loss and cell death. G/GO did not induce apoptosis in the cells transfected with either the Ku70 or Ku80 expression gene but increased apoptosis in those transfected with the Ku dominant negative mutant. Pulse and pulse-chase results show that G/GO induced Ku70 and Ku80 syntheses, even though Ku70 and Ku80 were degraded both in cytoplasm and nucleus. G/GO-induced decrease in Ku binding to importin α and importin β reflects possible modification of nuclear import of Ku proteins. The importin β level was not changed by G/GO. These results demonstrate that nuclear decrease in Ku70 and Ku80 may result from the decrease in Ku binding to nuclear transporter importins and the degradation of Ku proteins. The nuclear loss of Ku proteins may underlie the mechanism of apoptosis in pancreatic acinar cells after oxidative stress.
Glacial weathering, sulfide oxidation, and global carbon cycle feedbacks

Significance We compile data showing that, as hypothesized previously, waters draining glaciers have solute chemistry that is distinct from nonglacial rivers and reflects different proportions of mineral weathering reactions. Elevated pyrite oxidation during glacial weathering could generate acidity, releasing carbon to the atmosphere. We show that this effect could contribute to changes in CO2 during glacial cycles of the past million years. Over the longer, multimillion-year timescales that Earth transitions into and out of glaciated states, sustained addition of pyrite-derived sulfate to the oceans could shift the balance of the global carbon cycle toward increasing CO2 in the ocean–atmosphere, thus providing a negative-feedback mechanism preventing runaway glaciation. This mechanism depends on oxidation and thus sufficient O2. Connections between glaciation, chemical weathering, and the global carbon cycle could steer the evolution of global climate over geologic time, but even the directionality of feedbacks in this system remain to be resolved. Here, we assemble a compilation of hydrochemical data from glacierized catchments, use this data to evaluate the dominant chemical reactions associated with glacial weathering, and explore the implications for long-term geochemical cycles. Weathering yields from catchments in our compilation are higher than the global average, which results, in part, from higher runoff in glaciated catchments. Our analysis supports the theory that glacial weathering is characterized predominantly by weathering of trace sulfide and carbonate minerals. To evaluate the effects of glacial weathering on atmospheric pCO2, we use a solute mixing model to predict the ratio of alkalinity to dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) generated by weathering reactions. Compared with nonglacial weathering, glacial weathering is more likely to yield alkalinity/DIC ratios less than 1, suggesting that enhanced sulfide oxidation as a result of glaciation may act as a source of CO2 to the atmosphere. Back-of-the-envelope calculations indicate that oxidative fluxes could change ocean–atmosphere CO2 equilibrium by 25 ppm or more over 10 ky. Over longer timescales, CO2 release could act as a negative feedback, limiting progress of glaciation, dependent on lithology and the concentration of atmospheric O2. Future work on glaciation–weathering–carbon cycle feedbacks should consider weathering of trace sulfide minerals in addition to silicate minerals.
Is Bradburn's Measure of Psychological Well-Being Fair to Introverts? a Study among 16- to 18-YR.-Old Students

A sample of 242 students between the ages of 16 and 18 years, attending schools in the North East of England, completed the Bradburn Balanced Affect Scale together with the abbreviated form of the Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. The findings show that scores on the Bradburn scale (indicating psychological well-being as assessed by balanced affect) are correlated significantly and positively with scores for Extraversion (.25), negatively with Neuroticism (.52) and nonsignificantly with Psychoticism. The implications of these Endings are discussed for the assessment of psychological well-being among introverts.
Product line management for health care system: Theoretic capacity planning over various resources

Hospitals can be viewed as service enterprises, whose products are specific sets of medical services provided to individual patients. It indicates that a hospital in theory has a product line as extensive as the number of patients it serves, however, each patient has certain diagnosis and therapeutic attributes in common with some other patients. Thus, patients with similar medical attributes could be `processed¿ in a single `product line¿, which means treatment process of these patients can be regarded as process of medical resource consumption at average level of this patient group. Based on this assumption, in this paper, we propose a model to analyze theoretic capacity balance and optimal investment allocation over various medical resources. This paper argues the mismatch between demand and provision of health care service is not only relevant to capacity lack, but also reflect inappropriate capacity allocation over various health care resources.
Genetic Influences on Specific Versus Nonspecific Language Impairment in 4-Year-Old Twins

The present study addresses the distinction between specific (SLI) and nonspecific (NLI) language impairment at an etiological level by estimating the relative genetic and environmental contributions to language impairment in children with SLI and NLI. Drawing on a large longitudinal twin study, we tested a sample of 356 four-and-a-half-year-old children with low language ability and their twin partners at home on a range of language and nonverbal measures. For children whose language and nonverbal abilities were both low (NLI), genetic influence on language impairment was moderate and shared environmental influence was substantial. A similar pattern emerged for children whose language difficulties occurred in apparent isolation (SLI), although there was a trend for the genetic effects to be smaller for SLI than for NLI: Group heritability was . 18 for SLI and . 52 for NLI. Probandwise cross-concordances were suggestive of some genetic overlap between these two groups, but not with a subgroup of children with more severe cognitive delay.
Further Studies of Viral Antibodies in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: Vaccinia and Parainfluenza Type 1

In an earlier paper (1) we reported elevated measles antibody levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from a large series of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) as compared to patients with other neurological diseases. Since our report, ter Meulen et al. (2) have isolated parainfluenza virus type 1 from brain tissue from 2 patients with MS, and Kempe (3) has found antibody to vaccinia virus in a high proportion of CSF specimens from MS patients, but not controls. Support of the parainfluenza virus isolations by antibody data, or confirmation of the vaccinia antibody study would considerably strengthen the implication that either virus could in at least some patients be causally related to MS. We have, therefore, gone back to our original series of CSF specimens, and report here the results of tests for neutralizing antibody to these viruses. Materials and Methods. Specimens. CSF from 127 patients with MS and 78 patients with other neurological diseases were tested for antibodies to vaccinia virus. This is substantially the same series, with fewer controls, on which measles antibody titers were earlier reported, and is fully described there (1). CSF specimens from approximately one half of this series (62 MS and 36 control patients) were tested for antibody to parainfluenza virus type 1. Antibody assays. Vaccinia virus, originating from the IHD strain (4), and grown in HeLa cells, was obtained from Dr. Samuel Baron, NIAID, NIH. Equal volumes of the undiluted CSF specimens were mixed with 600 pfu of sonicated vaccinia virus in Eagles # 2 medium, incubated with occasional agitation for 2 hr at 37°, and then further diluted 1:10 before 0.2 ml volumes were added to triplicate vertical 25 mm flat-bottom glass vials (5) containing sheets of confluent L-cells.
Activated human platelets express beta2 integrin.

The expression of molecules of the beta2 integrin family (CD11a, CD11b , CD11c, and CD18) was explored on 2 human megakaryocytic cell lines and on platelets from different donors by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry using a large panel of mAb. CD11a, CD11b, CD11c and CD18 were detected on the megakaryocytic cell lines DAMI and HEL. A low and variable expression of CD11a, CD11b and CD18 determinants was also detected on resting platelets; this expression was markedly increased when platelets were activated by thrombin. Expression of CD18 was closely correlated to that of CD11a or CD11b when comparing the fluorescence intensity observed in different experiments. In presence of Ca++, platelets did bind to a RAJI cell line which exhibits a high expression level of CD54. This binding was increased when platelets were activated by thrombin and was decreased by an anti CD11a, CD18 and anti CD54 mAb. This study indicates that human platelets express molecules of the beta2 integrin family, when activated, which allows them to bind to CD54 bearing cells.
Propagation and Packet Error models in VANET simulations

In this paper, we review the workflow of the channel and physical layer modules in VANET simulations and briefly survey some of the most used propagation and packet error models in network simulators for this kind of networks. Through numerical simulations, we compare these propagation models working with a realistic and straightforward packet error model. Our results indicate that there is not a most conservative propagation model and that conservative models vary with the channel capacity. Furthermore, different propagation models specifically designed for VANETs obtain very close results in channels with intermediate capacities.
Validation and evaluation of a commercially available ELISA for the detection of antibodies specific to bovine viral diarrhoea virus (bovine pestivirus).

OBJECTIVE To compare the performance of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of antibodies specific to bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) with a virus neutralisation test (VNT) and agarose gel immunodiffusion (AGID) test. DESIGN A total of 125 cattle serum samples were tested by a commercially available ELISA for antibodies specific to BVDV and by a VNT as the reference standard. A comparison between AGID and ELISA for detection of BVDV antibodies was also carried out, using 1182 serum samples from unvaccinated South Australian cattle. METHODS Two-graph receiver operating characteristics (TG-ROC) analysis was used to confirm that the manufacturer's recommended cut-off value for the ELISA was appropriate. Two-by-two tables were constructed to analyse the concordance of serological results among the three assays. McNemar tests were used to assess the agreement among serological tests. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Using the manufacturer's cut-off threshold, supported by TG-ROC analysis, the ELISA's sensitivity and specificity were calculated to be 96.7% and 97.1%, respectively, compared with the VNT. Compared with AGID, ELISA with specific BVDV antibodies may be more sensitive and detect 5.8% more samples than AGID. McNemar test also showed a significant difference (P < 0.001) between AGID and ELISA.
Association between exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and exacerbations of asthma in children.

BACKGROUND Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, as reported by parents, has been linked to diminished pulmonary function and more frequent exacerbations of asthma in children with the disease. Further insight into this association might be gained by using urine cotinine levels to measure actual exposure. METHODS We measured urine cotinine levels in 199 children with asthma; 145 also underwent pulmonary-function studies. A parent answered questions about each child's exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. Acute exacerbations of asthma during the preceding year were documented through blinded review of medical records. Possible confounding factors were accounted for by the use of multivariate analysis and by comparisons of serum theophylline levels in exposed and unexposed children. RESULTS The median urine cotinine levels were 5.6 ng per milliliter in the 116 children reported not to have been exposed to tobacco smoke, 13.1 ng per milliliter in the 53 children exposed to cigarette smoking by the mother or other persons, and 55.8 ng per milliliter in the 30 children exposed to cigarette smoking by the mother and other persons. Acute exacerbations of asthma increased with exposure, whether such exposure was reported by a parent or identified on the basis of the cotinine level; the relative risks for the highest as compared with the lowest exposure category were 1.8 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.4 to 2.2) for reported exposure and 1.7 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.4 to 2.1) for exposure indicated by cotinine levels. The forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), the forced expiratory flow between 25 and 75 percent of vital capacity, and the ratio of FEV1 to forced vital capacity also decreased with increases in both measures of exposure. CONCLUSIONS Measurement of urine cotinine levels provides further evidence of an association between exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and pulmonary morbidity in children with asthma. These data emphasize the need for systematic, persistent efforts to stop the exposure of children with asthma to environmental tobacco smoke.
The Renin‐Angiotensin‐Aldosterone System: Cardiorenal Effects and Implications for Renal and Cardiovascular Disease States

&NA; The renin‐angiotensin‐aldosterone system (RAAS) plays an integral role in maintaining vascular tone, optimal salt and water homeostasis, and cardiac function in humans. However, it has been recognized in recent years that pathologic consequences may also result from overactivity of the RAAS. Clinical disease states such as renal artery stenosis, hypertension, diabetic and nondiabetic nephropathies, left ventricular hypertrophy, coronary atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and congestive heart failure (CHF) are examples. Part of the adverse cardiorenal effects of the RAAS may be related to the prominent role that this system plays in the activation of the sympathetic nervous system, the dysregulation of endothelial function and progression of atherosclerosis, as well as inhibition of the fibrinolytic system. Also, direct profibrotic actions of angiotensin II and aldosterone in the kidney and heart promote end organ injury. Current basic science and clinical research supports the use of inhibitors of the RAAS, including angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, and aldosterone antagonists in treating hypertension, improving diabetic nephropathy and other forms of chronic kidney disease, preventing or ameliorating CHF, and optimizing prognosis after myocardial infarction.
A comparison of data mining approaches in the categorization of oral anticoagulation patients

Oral anticoagulation therapy, largely performed by warfarin-based drugs, is commonly used for patients with a high risk of blood clotting which can lead to stroke or thrombosis. The state of the patient, with respect to anticoagulation, is captured by the index INR, which is to be kept within a therapeutic range. The patients' response is marked by high interindividual and inter-temporal variability, which can lead to serious adverse events. Polymorphisms of two genes CYP2C9 and VKORC1, considered markers of lower dosage requirements, still account for a relatively minor part of this variability. In this work, authors show that classification methods can identify groups of patients homogeneous with respect to the dynamics of INR. In particular, authors use classification methods in order to characterize patients according to their warfarin metabolism and hence their sensitivity to different doses. Finally a Markov model to capture the dynamics of the patient's response over the years is proposed.