Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Residency Training: Work engagement during neurology training

Objective: Work engagement, defined as a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption, can ameliorate patient care and reduce medical errors. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate work engagement among neurology residents in the region of Attica, Greece. Methods: In total, 113 residents participated in this study. Demographic and work-related characteristics, as well as emotional exhaustion and personality traits (neuroticism), were examined via an anonymous questionnaire. Work engagement was measured by the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. Results: The study sample had a mean age of 34.6 ± 3.6 years, ranging from 26 to 45 years. Sixty-two (54.9%) participants were women and 45 (39.8%) were married. After adjusting for sex, emotional exhaustion, and neuroticism, the main factors associated with work engagement were autonomy and chances for professional development. Conclusions: Providing more chances for trainees' professional development as well as allowing for and supporting greater job autonomy may improve work engagement during neurology training.
Newly Recruited CD11b+, GR-1+, Ly6Chigh Myeloid Cells Augment Tumor-Associated Immunosuppression Immediately following the Therapeutic Administration of Oncolytic Reovirus

Tumor-associated immunosuppression aids cancer cells to escape immune-mediated attack and subsequent elimination. Recently, however, many oncolytic viruses, including reovirus, have been reported to overturn such immunosuppression and promote the development of a clinically desired antitumor immunity, which is known to promote favorable patient outcomes. Contrary to this existing paradigm, in this article we demonstrate that reovirus augments tumor-associated immunosuppression immediately following its therapeutic administration. Our data show that reovirus induces preferential differentiation of highly suppressive CD11b+, Gr-1+, Ly6Chigh myeloid cells from bone marrow hematopoietic progenitor cells. Furthermore, reovirus administration in tumor-bearing hosts drives time-dependent recruitment of CD11b+, Gr-1+, Ly6Chigh myeloid cells in the tumor milieu, which is further supported by virus-induced increased expression of numerous immune factors involved in myeloid-derived suppressor cell survival and trafficking. Most importantly, CD11b+, Gr-1+, Ly6Chigh myeloid cells specifically potentiate the suppression of T cell proliferation and are associated with the absence of IFN-γ response in the tumor microenvironment early during oncotherapy. Considering that the qualitative traits of a specific antitumor immunity are largely dictated by the immunological events that precede its development, our findings are of critical importance and must be considered while devising complementary interventions aimed at promoting the optimum efficacy of oncolytic virus–based anticancer immunotherapies.
Studies of the antidiuresis of quiet standing: the importance of changes in plasma volume and glomerular filtration rate.

It has long been known that when a man stands motionless, urine flow (1-13) and the excretion of chloride (2, 3, 5, 7, 11) and of sodium (5, 13) decrease markedly. Simultaneously, the plasma contracts in volume and increases in concentration (8, 10, 14-17), while the blood flow through the kidneys (9, 10, 18, 19) and other abdominal viscera (20) diminishes, and the rate of glomerular filtration of plasma and its contained sodium is reduced (6, 9, 10, 13, 18, 21). There is some evidence that release of the posterior pituitary antidiuretic hormone may be responsible for the retention of water (11) but the mechanism of the retention of sodium and the stimulus or stimuli initiating it remain obscure. Some renal physiologists would place greatest emphasis on the reduction in glomerular filtration rate which occurs during standing, and the resulting decreased load of sodium presented to the tubules (5, 22, 23). It is not likely that an increase in the renal venous pressure (24, 25) plays an important role in the antidiuresis of quiet standing, because when a subject is tilted from the supine to the erect position, pressure in the inferior vena cava at the level of the kidneys does not rise to the level reported by Blake and associates (25) to cause a reduction in the urine flow, and the renal arterio-venous pressure gradient does not change materially (26).
Plasma adiponectin, IL-6, hsCRP, and TNF-α levels in subject with diabetic foot and their correlation with clinical variables in a North Indian tertiary care hospital

Aim: Pro- and anti-inflammatory processes are crucial in different phases of wound healing and their disturbances interfere with tissue homeostasis after the manifestation of ulcers, leading to chronic non-healing wounds. However, data on the association between infl ammation and acute foot syndrome are scarce. Materials and Methods: Circulating levels of acute-phase reactants and cytokines were measured in diabetic patients with ulcer (n = 162) and without ulcer (n = 162) in a case control study. Results: Of the patients, 85.1% had type 2 diabetes. Subjects with diabetic foot ulcer showed lower median plasma level of adiponectin [8.4 (7.1–9.2) ng/ml vs. 13.4 (12.1–14.2) ng/ml], and higher median plasma levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) [32.5 (9.4–44.8) ng/ml vs. 6.7 (4.6–14.6) ng/ml], high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) [12.6 (11.2–13.6) mg/ml vs. 8.4 (7.1–9.2) mg/ml], and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) [99.4 (79.9–121.5) ng/ml vs. 4.9 (4.5–5.6) ng/ml]. A positive correlation was found between body mass index (BMI) (r = −0.088, P < 0.264) and retinopathy (r = 0.249, P < 0.001) for adiponectin. For IL-6, it was between grade of ulcer (r = 0.250, P < 0.001), BMI (r = −0.161, P < 0.04), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) (r = −0.155, P < 0.049), triglycerides (r = −0.165, P < 0.035), retinopathy (r = −0.166, P < 0.035), nephropathy (r = −0.199, P < 0.011), and smoking (r = −0.164, P < 0.036). For hsCRP: grade of ulcer (r = 0.236, P < 0.002), BMI (r = −0.155, P < 0.048), LDL-C (r = −0.174, P < 0.026), triglycerides (r = −0.216, P < 0.005), retinopathy (r = −0.165, P < 0.037), nephropathy (r = −0.028, P < 0.007), and smoking (r = −0.164, P < 0.036), while total cholesterol (r = −0.209, P < 0.007) and neuropathy (r = 0.141, P < 0.072) for TNF-α. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that diabetic subjects with various grades of diabetic foot ulcer showed a higher IL-6, hsCRP, TNF-α, and lower adiponectin plasma levels in comparison with diabetes without foot ulcer, independent of the concomitant infections. It would be interesting to fi nd out whether an activation of immune system precedes the development of foot ulcer and whether anti-infl ammatory therapies might be effective in improving the outcome in such patients.
On the bit-error rate for generalized gamma fading channels

The recent paper by Aalo et al., (2005), derived closed-form expressions for the bit-error rate (BER) of binary digital modulation schemes. The given expressions involve the Fox's H and Meijer's G functions and so their applicability is limited (e.g. we are not aware of any computer program for evaluating the Fox's H function). In this paper, we derive simpler expressions for the BER in terms of well known hypergeometric functions
Visualization of Perivascular Spaces and Perforating Arteries With 7 T Magnetic Resonance Imaging

ObjectivesThe objectives of this study were to explore the possibilities of 7 T brain magnetic resonance imaging to visualize perivascular spaces (PVS) and to depict their related blood vessels. Materials and MethodsFive subjects aged 19 to 27 years and 5 subjects aged 51 to 72 years were scanned. High-resolution 3-dimensional T1-, T2-, as well as T2*-weighted sequences and time-of-flight angiography were used for the visualization of PVS, veins, and perforating arteries. Three extra subjects were scanned with a 2-dimensional time-of-flight sequence tailored to visualize small arteries and veins in the semioval center. The anatomy of PVS and their spatial relation with blood vessels were examined. The number and size of PVS in the semioval center were compared between the 2 groups. ResultsIn the basal ganglia, PVS were connected to the basal cisterns. Prominent dilations were observed in these PVS around the lower end of the putamen. From here, they ran upward and frequently showed caliber changes along their track. In the semioval center, smoothly shaped PVS started a few millimeters below the cortex, converged and tapered toward the ventricles, and ended 1 to 2 cm before the ventricle wall. Perivascular spaces correlated spatially with lenticulostriate arteries and with perforating arteries in the semioval center, but not with veins. The mean (SD) number of PVS was larger in the older subjects (55 [14]) than in the younger subjects (22 [11]), (P = 0.004). No difference in PVS diameter was observed. ConclusionsSeven-tesla magnetic resonance imaging offers detailed 3-dimensional visualization of PVS, their morphological features, and their related perforating arteries. This may offer new opportunities to study the role of PVS in ageing and cerebral small vessel disease.
Mental Illness, Caregiving, and Emotion Management

Based on 50 in-depth interviews, this article considers how caregivers to a spouse, parent, child, or sibling suffering from depression, manic-depression, or schizophrenia manage their emotions over time. By considering the turning points in the joint career of caregivers and ill family members, our analysis moves beyond studies that link emotions to particular incidences, momentary encounters, or discreet events. Four interpretive junctures in the caregiver-patient relationship are identified. Before diagnosis, respondents experience emotional anomie. Diagnosis provides a medical frame that provokes feelings of hope, compassion, and sympathy. Realization that mental illness may be a permanent condition ushers in the more negative emotions of anger and resentment. Caregivers’ eventual recognition that they cannot control their family member’s illness allows them to decrease involvement without guilt. The article concludes with a call for research that understands that emotions in groups, settings, or organizations are linked to their distinctive histories.
Pros and Cons of Adaptive Hypermedia in Web-Based Education

Hypertext and hypermedia applications allow users to navigate through large sets of information in many different ways. It is impossible for an author to foresee all possible paths a user may follow. Adaptive hypermedia is a fairly new research field on the crossroad of hypertext (or hypermedia) and user modeling. Its goal is to improve usability of hypermedia through the automatic adaptation of hypermedia applications to individual users. Adaptive hypermedia systems (AHS) offer methods and techniques for adapting the content of information pages and the links between pages. A number of experiments have been conducted to demonstrate the benefits of adaptive hypermedia, mostly of adaptation of link structures. In this article we argue that the benefits of using an AHS are a result of careful authoring, more than of the adaptive techniques themselves.
Neonatal capsaicin treatment does not prevent splanchnic vasodilatation in portal‐hypertensive rats

It has been suggested that the peripheral sensory neurons are involved in the splanchnic hemodynamic changes of portal hypertension. Therefore the influence of permanent ablation of sensory neurons by neonatal capsaicin pretreatment (50 mg/kg, subcutaneously) on the development of the hyperdynamic splanchnic circulation in portal‐hypertensive rats was studied. In adulthood, portal hypertension was induced with partial portal vein ligation. In study 1, systemic and splanchnic hemodynamics were measured by means of a radiolabeled‐microsphere technique in portal‐hypertensive rats, under ketamine anesthesia, pretreated with capsaicin or vehicle. Mean arterial pressure, heart rate, cardiac index, systemic and splanchnic vascular resistance, portal pressure, portal venous inflow, portal‐collateral resistance and portalsystemic shunting were not significantly different between capsaicin‐pretreated and vehicle‐pretreated rats. In study 2, gastric mucosal blood flow, measured by means of hydrogen gas clearance, and the hemoglobin and oxygen content of the gastric mucosa, as assessed with reflectance spectrophotometry, were not significantly different in the two groups of anesthetized portal‐hypertensive rats pretreated with capsaicin or vehicle. In study 3, we confirmed the effectiveness of neonatal capsaicin pretreatment by measuring calcitonin gene—related peptide content of the gastric corpus wall. Capsaicin pretreatment caused a depletion of calcitonin gene—related peptide by at least 98% compared with that in vehicle‐pretreated rats. These results do not support a role of capsaicin‐sensitive sensory neurons that innervate the gastrointestinal tract in the development of the splanchnic vasodilatation characteristically observed in chronic portal hypertension. (Hepatology 1994;20:1609–1614).
Fusion of stereo and Lidar data for dense depth map computation

Creating a map is a necessity in a lot of robotic applications, and depth maps are a way to estimate the position of other objects or obstacles. In this paper, an algorithm to compute depth maps is proposed. It operates by fusing information from two types of sensor: a stereo camera, and a LIDAR scanner. The strategy is to estimate reliably the disparities of a sparse set of points, then a bilateral filter is used to interpolate the missing disparities. Finally, the interpolation is refined. Our method is tested on the KITTI dataset and is compared against several other methods which fuse those modalities, or are extended to perform this fusion. Those tests show that our method is competitive with other fusion methods.
Fluoride release and bioactivity evaluation of glass ionomer: Forsterite nanocomposite

Background: The most important limitation of glass ionomer cements (GICs) is the weak mechanical properties. Our previous research showed that higher mechanical properties could be achieved by addition of forsterite (Mg2SiO4) nanoparticles to ceramic part of GIC. The objective of the present study was to fabricate a glass ionomer- Mg2SiO4 nanocomposite and to evaluate the effect of addition of Mg2SiO4 nanoparticles on bioactivity and fluoride release behavior of prepared nanocomposite. Materials and Methods: Forsterite nanoparticles were made by sol-gel process. X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique was used in order to phase structure characterization and determination of grain size of Mg2SiO4 nanopowder. Nanocomposite was fabricated via adding 3wt. % of Mg2SiO4 nanoparticles to ceramic part of commercial GIC (Fuji II GC). Fluoride ion release and bioactivity of nanocomposite were measured using the artificial saliva and simulated body fluid (SBF), respectively. Bioactivity of specimens was investigated by Fourier transitioned-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electronmicroscopy (SEM), Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and registration of the changes in pH of soaking solution at the soaking period. Statistical analysis was carried out by one Way analysis of variance and differences were considered significant if P < 0.05. Results: The results of XRD analysis confirmed that nanocrystalline and pure Mg2SiO4 powder was obtained. Fluoride ion release evaluation showed that the values of released fluoride ions from nanocomposite are somewhat less than Fuji II GC. SEM images, pH changes of the SBF and results of the ICP-OES and FTIR tests confirmed the bioactivity of the nanocomposite. Statistical analysis showed that the differences between the results of all groups were significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Glass ionomer- Mg2SiO4 nanocomposite could be a good candidate for dentistry and orthopedic applications, through of desirable fluoride ion release and bioactivity.
Absorption Characteristic of Breakfast Determines Insulin Sensitivity and Carbohydrate Tolerance for Lunch

To test the hypothesis that prolonging absorption of breakfast might improve the glucose tolerance of the subsequent meal served at lunch, normal male volunteers were administered the same carbohydrate in either a rapidly absorbed (sucrose, S) or slowly absorbed (sucrose with guar, S + G) form for breakfast (0800) and lunch (1145). Area under the curve (AUC) for glucose did not differ for S at breakfast vs. S + G at breakfast, although AUCinsulin for S at breakfast was greater than that for S + G at breakfast (3389 ± 608 vs. 1523 ± 246 μU · min · ml−1, P < .002). Plasma glucose and insulin profiles for the two breakfast meals differed markedly. Once S was ingested, plasma glucose and insulin returned to baseline after 120 and 160 min, respectively. However, once S + G was ingested, plasma glucose and insulin were still significantly above baseline values after 180 min. When S was eaten for breakfast, AUCgiucose for lunch was similar to that for breakfast, regardless of whether lunch consisted of S or S + G. However, if S + G was eaten for breakfast, AUCglucose for S + G or S at lunch was 44% (P < .005) and 75% of that for breakfast, respectively. Only one of five subjects who ingested S + G for breakfast failed to exhibit a fall in AUCglucose when S was eaten for lunch. The beneficial effect of prolonged absorption of breakfast on the glucose tolerance of lunch was not observed if the timing of lunch was delayed by 2 h (i.e., served at 1345). These observations suggest that in normal humans, prolonged absorption of breakfast results in prolonged elevation of plasma insulin levels and enhanced insulin sensitivity at lunch, thereby improving carbohydrate tolerance for lunch.
Saccadic and attentional abnormalities in patients with schizophrenia

Background. Abnormal performance on the antisaccade task suggests that patients with schizophrenia have difficulty with the inhibition of reflexive attentional shifts. The aim of the study was to investigate whether deficits in the inhibition of reflexive attentional shifts were specific to the oculomotor modality or whether they could also occur when attentional shifts were made without eye movements (e.g. covert attentional shifts). Methods. Fifteen medicated patients with chronic schizophrenia and 15 matched controls performed the antisaccade task and the covert orientating task (COVAT) where the probability of targets appearing at the same location of a peripheral cue was varied so that voluntary and reflexive orientating systems had the same goal (80% probability of target and cued condition) or opposite goals (20%probability of target at cued location). A condition where only reflexive orientating was initiated was also included (50% probability of target at cued location). For each of these conditions the stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) varied between 150 and 350 ms. Results. Patients with schizophrenia showed normal latency and accuracy for visually guided saccades but increased error rates and latency on the antisaccade task. For the COVAT, patients with schizophrenia were unable to use voluntary orientating strategies to inhibit reflexive shifts of covert attention. On conditions where only reflexive orientating was required or when the goals of the reflexive and voluntary orientating systems were the same, patients with schizophrenia showed normal performance. Conclusions. These results suggest the reflexive orientating mode is normal in patients with chronic schizophrenia. However, these patients have a reduced ability to utilize the voluntary orientating mode to control or inhibit reflexive orientating. This impairment of voluntary control is evident for both overt and covert attentional shifts.
The use of bead beating to prepare suspensions of nuclei for flow cytometry from fresh leaves, herbarium leaves, petals and pollen

“Bead beating” is commonly used to release DNA from cells for genomic studies but it was used here to prepare suspensions of plant nuclei for measurement of DNA amounts by flow cytometry. Plant material was placed in 2‐ml screw‐capped tubes containing beads of zirconia/silica (2.5 mm diameter) or glass (2.5 or 1.0 mm diameter) and 1 ml of lysis buffer. The tubes were mechanically shaken with an FP120 FastPrep Cell Disrupter to release intact nuclei from plant tissue by the impact of the beads. The nuclei were then stained with propidium iodide (PI) and analyzed by flow cytometry. The method was tested using fresh leaves, fresh petals and herbarium leaves of Rosa canina, leaves and pollen of R. rugosa, and fresh leaves of Petroselinum crispum, Nicotiana tabacum, and Allium cepa. Batches of 12 samples of fresh leaves were prepared, simultaneously, in 45 s by bead beating in the Cell Disrupter. In flow cytometry histograms, nuclei of fresh leaves gave G1/G0 peaks with CVs of less than 3.0% and nuclei from fresh petals and herbarium leaves of R. canina, and pollen of the generative nuclei of R. rugosa gave peaks with coefficients of variation (CVs) of less than 4.0%. DNA amounts estimated from 24‐month‐old herbarium leaves, using P. crispum as an internal standard, were less than those of fresh leaves by a small but significant amount. Suspensions of nuclei can be prepared rapidly and conveniently from a diversity of tissues by bead beating. Exposure of laboratory workers to harmful substances in the lysis buffer is minimized. © 2007 International Society for Analytical Cytology
An Aboriginal shield collected in 1770 at Kamay Botany Bay: an indicator of pre-colonial exchange systems in south-eastern Australia

A bark shield now in the British Museum can be identified from documentary and pictorial evidence as one collected by Captain Cook during his first voyage to Australia in 1770. Such shields often had special value to their Australian Aboriginal owners and hence might have been exchanged over considerable distances. This particular shield is known to have been collected in Kamay Botany Bay but analysis of the bark of which it is made revealed it to be of red mangrove, a tropical species found today more than 500km distant on the New South Wales north coast. It hence bears valuable testimony to the long-distance exchange networks operating in eastern Australia in the period before the disruption caused by European colonisation.
Role of the Ada2 and Ada3 Transcriptional Coactivators in Histone Acetylation*

Previous studies have shown that the transcriptional coactivator protein Gcn5 functions as a catalytic histone acetyltransferase (HAT). In this work, we examine the roles of the Ada2 and Ada3 coactivator proteins that are functionally linked to Gcn5. We show that yeast Ada2, Ada3, and Gcn5 form a catalytic core of the ADA and Spt-Ada-Gcn5-acetyltransferase HAT complexes, which is necessary and sufficient in vitro for nucleosomal HAT activity and lysine specificity of the intact HAT complexes. We also demonstrate that Ada3 is necessary for Gcn5-dependent nucleosomal HAT activity in yeast extracts. Our results suggest that Ada2 potentiates the Gcn5 catalytic activity and that Ada3 facilitates nucleosomal acetylation and an expanded lysine specificity.