Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of religiosity on 12-step participation and treatment response among substance-dependent adolescents.

OBJECTIVE Religious practices among adults are associated with more 12-step participation which, in turn, is linked to better treatment outcomes. Despite recommendations for adolescents to participate in mutual-help groups, little is known about how religious practices influence youth 12-step engagement and outcomes. This study examined the relationships among lifetime religiosity, during-treatment 12-step participation, and outcomes among adolescents, and tested whether any observed beneficial relation between higher religiosity and outcome could be explained by increased 12-step participation. METHOD Adolescents (n = 195; 52% female, ages 14-18) court-referred to a 2-month residential treatment were assessed at intake and discharge. Lifetime religiosity was assessed with the Religious Background and Behaviors Questionnaire; 12-step assessments measured meeting attendance, step work (General Alcoholics Anonymous Tools of Recovery), and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)/Narcotics Anonymous (NA)-related helping. Substance-related outcomes and psychosocial outcomes were assessed with toxicology screens, the Adolescent-Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale, the Children's Global Assessment Scale, and the Narcissistic Personality Inventory. RESULTS Greater lifetime formal religious practices at intake were associated with increased step work and AA/NA-related helping during treatment, which in turn were linked to improved substance outcomes, global functioning, and reduced narcissistic entitlement. Increased step work mediated the effect of religious practices on increased abstinence, whereas AA/NA-related helping mediated the effect of religiosity on reduced craving and entitlement. CONCLUSIONS Findings extend the evidence for the protective effects of lifetime religious behaviors to an improved treatment response among adolescents and provide preliminary support for the 12-step proposition that helping others in recovery may lead to better outcomes. Youth with low or no lifetime religious practices may assimilate less well into 12-step-oriented treatment and may need additional 12-step facilitation, or a different approach, to enhance treatment response.
Use-Effectiveness of the Female Versus Male Condom in Preventing Sexually Transmitted Disease in Women

Background Data are limited on the female condom’s effectiveness against STDs. Goal The goal was to compare STD rates between women given small-group education on, and free supplies of, either female or male condoms. Study Design Female patients at an STD clinic (n = 1442) were randomly assigned to condom type and followed via medical records for STDs (gonorrhea, chlamydia, early syphilis, or trichomoniasis). Results In an intention-to-treat analysis, the odds ratio for a comparison of STD occurrence between the female and male condom groups was 0.75 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.56–1.01), and it did not change with adjustment. In a second analysis among women returning for subsequent screening, incidence rates for the first new postintervention STD per 100 woman-months of observation were 6.8 in the female condom group and 8.5 in the male condom group (rate ratio = 0.79 [CI, 0.59–1.06]). Conclusion Compared with those provided with male condoms alone, women counseled on, and provided with, female condoms fared no worse and experienced a nonsignificant reduction in STDs.
[Reanalysis of mortality in a petrochemical plant producing vinyl chloride and polyvinyl chloride].

OBJECTIVE To study cancer mortality among main subgroups of workers employed in VC/PVC production potentially exposed to toxics and carcinogens. MATERIALS AND METHODS We reanalyzed the mortality of 1,658 males (follow up 1972-1995; 35,626 person years; 170 deaths) by Poisson regression, adjusting for age, age at hiring, calendar period, length of exposure and latency. We calculated the relative risks (RR) and the 95% confidence intervals (CI) for PVC baggers (n. = 197), PVC compound (n. = 403) and autoclave (n. = 209) workers. As an internal reference we used two groups of workers: technicians and employees (main reference: n. = 202 subjects), with the group of other blue collar workers (n. = 639) added for statistical purposes only (minor reference: n. = 841 subjects). RESULTS Pooling the four subgroups of exposed workers, the comparison with the main reference group allowed us to detect increased mortality from all causes of death (RR = 2.09; CI = 1.09-4.00; 160 deaths), all tumours (RR = 1.53; ns; 81 deaths), lung cancer (RR = 2.05; ns; 29 deaths) and cardiovascular diseases (RR = 3.57; ns; 29 deaths). The analysis for each specific subgroup revealed increased mortality from all causes of death among both PVC baggers (RR = 2.66; CI = 1.27-5.59) and PVC compound workers (RR = 2.68; CI = 1.36-5.27). Comparison of the minor reference group with the overall population of exposed workers showed increased RRs for other diseases, namely, liver tumour (RR = 4.08; ns; 9 deaths), lymphomas and leukaemia (RR = 2.97; ns; 7 deaths) and liver cirrhosis (RR = 3.30; ns; 11 deaths). The analysis for each specific subgroup revealed significantly increased RR for all tumours among PVC compound workers (RR = 1.74; CI = 1.06-2.85), for lung cancer among PVC baggers workers (RR = 3.04; CI = 1.15-7.99) and for liver cancer (RR = 9.57; CI = 1.69-54.1) and liver cirrhosis (RR = 6.32; CI = 1.37-29.07) among autoclave workers. In addition, the two deaths from brain tumour were observed among PVC compound workers. CONCLUSIONS To highlight the risk previously reported in the literature and to reduce the possible dilution effect (due to comparison bias, healthy worker effect), it proved methodologically pivotal to separate exposed and probably unexposed workers (considered as an internal reference group).
A combination of fentanyl‐midazolam‐propofol provides better intubating conditions than fentanyl‐lignocaine‐propofol in the absence of neuromuscular blocking agents

Background: The use of propofol and adjuvants such as opioids, benzodiazepines and local anaesthetic agents, may provide adequate conditions for tracheal intubation without the need for neuromuscular blocking agents. In this randomized, double‐blind study, intubating conditions after induction of anaesthesia with propofol, midazolam and fentanyl were compared with those after propofol, lignocaine and fentanyl.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of quetiapine in the treatment of bipolar I or II depression.

OBJECTIVE There is a major unmet need for effective options in the treatment of bipolar depression. METHOD Five hundred forty-two outpatients with bipolar I (N=360) or II (N=182) disorder experiencing a major depressive episode (DSM-IV) were randomly assigned to 8 weeks of quetiapine (600 or 300 mg/day) or placebo. The primary efficacy measure was mean change from baseline to week 8 in the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale total score. Additional efficacy assessments included the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Clinical Global Impression of severity and improvement, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire. RESULTS Quetiapine at either dose demonstrated statistically significant improvement in Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale total scores compared with placebo from week 1 onward. The proportions of patients meeting response criteria (> or =50% Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale score improvement) at the final assessment in the groups taking 600 and 300 mg/day of quetiapine were 58.2% and 57.6%, respectively, versus 36.1% for placebo. The proportions of patients meeting remission criteria (Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale < or =12) were 52.9% in the groups taking 600 and 300 mg/day of quetiapine versus 28.4% for placebo. Quetiapine at 600 and 300 mg/day significantly improved 9 of 10 and 8 of 10 Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale items, respectively, compared to placebo, including the core symptoms of depression. Treatment-emergent mania rates were low and similar for the quetiapine and placebo groups (3.2% and 3.9%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Quetiapine monotherapy is efficacious and well tolerated for the treatment of bipolar depression.
A Bipartite Membrane-Binding Signal in the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Matrix Protein Is Required for the Proteolytic Processing of Gag Precursors in a Cell Type-Dependent Manner

ABSTRACT It is unclear whether proteolytic processing of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Gag protein is dependent on virus assembly at the plasma membrane. Mutations that prevent myristylation of HIV-1 Gag proteins have been shown to block virus assembly and release from the plasma membrane of COS cells but do not prevent processing of Gag proteins. In contrast, in HeLa cells similar mutations abolished processing of Gag proteins as well as virus production. We have now addressed this issue with CD4+ T cells, which are natural target cells of HIV-1. In these cells, myristylation of Gag proteins was required for proteolytic processing of Gag proteins and production of extracellular viral particles. This result was not due to a lack of expression of the viral protease in the form of a Gag-Pol precursor or a lack of interaction between unmyristylated Gag and Gag-Pol precursors. The processing defect of unmyristylated Gag was partially rescued ex vivo by coexpression with wild-type myristylated Gag proteins in HeLa cells. The cell type-dependent processing of HIV-1 Gag precursors was also observed when another part of the plasma membrane binding signal, a polybasic region in the matrix protein, was mutated. The processing of unmyristylated Gag precursors was inhibited in COS cells by HIV-1 protease inhibitors. Altogether, our findings demonstrate that the processing of HIV-1 Gag precursors in CD4+ T cells occurs normally at the plasma membrane during viral morphogenesis. The intracellular environment of COS cells presumably allows activation of the viral protease and proteolytic processing of HIV-1 Gag proteins in the absence of plasma membrane binding.
Biological activities of EGF‐receptor mutants with individually altered autophosphorylation sites.

In vitro site‐directed mutagenesis was used to replace individually the three known autophosphorylation sites of the epidermal growth factor (EGF)‐receptor (i.e. Tyr1173, Tyr1148 and Tyr1068) by phenylalanine, a residue which cannot serve as a phosphate acceptor site. In another mutant, Tyr1173 was substituted by a serine residue. The cDNA constructs encoding either mutant or wild‐type EGF‐receptors were transfected into NIH‐3T3 cells devoid of endogenous EGF‐receptors. The mutant receptors were expressed on the cell surface and displayed typical high‐ and low‐affinity binding sites for [125I]EGF. Phorbol ester (PMA) modulated the binding affinity of wild‐type and mutant receptors in a similar manner. Mutant EGF‐receptors exhibited EGF‐dependent tyrosine kinase activity leading to self‐phosphorylation and phosphorylation of exogenous substrates both in vitro and in living cells. The internalization and degradation of EGF‐receptors were not affected by the mutations. Cells expressing mutant EGF‐receptors became mitogenically responsive to EGF, indicating that none of the vital functions of the EGF‐receptor were critically impaired by the loss of individual autophosphorylation sites. Maximal mitogenic stimulation correlated with the number of wild‐type or mutant receptors per cell, highly expressing cells showing higher maximal stimulation. However, the dose‐response curves of cells expressing mutant receptors were slightly shifted to lower concentrations of EGF, rendering the cells mitogenically responsive to lower doses of EGF than cells expressing normal EGF‐receptor at similar expression levels. Basal [3H]thymidine incorporation in the presence of 0.5% calf serum was consistently higher for cells expressing mutant receptors, while the response to stimulation with 10% calf serum was not affected.
A decimation filter design and implementation for oversampled sigma delta A/D converters

The area, speed and power consumption of oversampled data converters were governed largely by decimation filters in sigma delta A/D converters. The paper presented a design and implementation of a low power and high-speed sigma delta digital decimation filter which it was designed by top-down method. The decimation filter consists of a modified cascaded integrator-comb (CIC) decimation filter and two-stage half-band filter. The proposed CIC filter has 15% less hardware and 53% power saving compared to conventional CIC filters. The filter is implemented using 0.6-/spl mu/m CMOS standard cell and contains 6,560 equivalent gates resulting in a power consumption of only 35 mW from a 5-V supply. The decimation filter is very suitable for high-order sigma delta converters.
Language, meaning, and localization

Neurologic practice is deeply rooted in the ideal of localization. Some would argue that neurology arose in the mid-18th century from the study of language localization, regarded as a uniquely human function. The classic aphasias, those described by Broca and Wernicke, were believed to represent exemplars of lesion-symptom mapping, but many features of language-onset dementias went unexplained by conventional aphasiology.2 The description of aphasia syndromes in neurodegenerative diseases has largely overturned the static conceptualization of a brain language postcode.3 While incremental and cumulative, these neural network–based conceptual changes have proven critical for elucidating the neural basis of communication, both in healthy speakers and those with neurologic disease. Greater understanding of the interconnectedness and functionality of language regions remains particularly important clinically, such as for decision-making around epilepsy or oncology surgery, and can assist in providing prognostic information for affected individuals and their families.
Regulation of Flowering Time by Histone Acetylation in Arabidopsis

The Arabidopsis autonomous floral-promotion pathway promotes flowering independently of the photoperiod and vernalization pathways by repressing FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), a MADS-boxtranscription factor that blocks the transition from vegetative to reproductive development. Here, we report that FLOWERING LOCUS D (FLD), one of sixgenes in the autonomous pathway, encodes a plant homolog of a protein found in histone deacetylase complexes in mammals. Lesions in FLD result in hyperacetylation of histones in FLC chromatin, up-regulation of FLC expression, and extremely delayed flowering. Thus, the autonomous pathway regulates flowering in part by histone deacetylation. However, not all autonomous-pathway mutants exhibit FLC hyperacetylation, indicating that multiple means exist by which this pathway represses FLC expression.
Inhibitory Effect of Curcumin on Corneal Neovascularization in vitro and in vivo

Purpose: To examine the effect of curcumin on the proliferation and the migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and on the corneal neovascularization in the corneal alkaline burn rat model. Methods: HUVEC proliferation, migration, and apoptosis were examined after treatment with various concentrations of curcumin. The effect of curcumin on the activation of nuclear factor-ĸB (NF-ĸB) was measured by an electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) in vivo. Corneal neovascularization was induced in vivo by an alkaline burn of the cornea in Sprague-Dawley rats. After topical drug treatments with curcumin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was evaluated in the corneal tissue by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and by immunohistochemistry. Corneal neovascularization was evaluated by slit-lamp biomicroscopy. Results: Curcumin at a concentration of 40 µmol/l for 24 h significantly inhibited the growth of HUVECs. The Boyden microchamber assay showed that curcumin dramatically inhibited the migration of HUVECs at a concentration of 40 µmol/l. When TUNEL assays were performed, the number of apoptotic cells increased after treated with curcumin. The EMSA revealed that curcumin inhibits the activation of NF-ĸB in HUVECs. The expression of VEGF in the corneal tissues was inhibited by curcumin on days 7 and 14 after alkaline burn. Conclusions: Curcumin may be useful as an angiogenic inhibitor in the treatment of corneal diseases that show neovascularization.
Explaining and Predicting Older Adult ’ Continuance Intention toward SNSs : An Extension of the Expectation – Confirmation Model

Due to the rapid growth of social net services (SNSs), research into SNSs continuance has recently emerged as an important issue in information systems. This study develops an integrated model designed to predict older adults’ continuance behavior toward SNSs based on the expectation-confirmation model (ECM), the task technology fit (TTF) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The hypothesized model is validated empirically using a sample collected from 232 older adults who had prior experience with SNSs and was tested against the proposed research model using structure equation modeling. Analysis results demonstrate that satisfaction has the most significant effect on older adults’ continuance intention, followed by perceived usefulness and ttf. Furthermore, the two components of the TPB, subject norm and perceived behavioral control, also have a significant impact on SNSs continuance intention. Overall, this study provides evidence that an integrated model has a better explanatory power of older adults’ SNSs continuance compared to either model
NAIP protects the nigrostriatal dopamine pathway in an intrastriatal 6‐OHDA rat model of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of the basal ganglia, associated with the inappropriate death of dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). Here, we show that adenovirally mediated expression of neuronal apoptosis inhibitor protein (NAIP) ameliorates the loss of nigrostriatal function following intrastriatal 6‐OHDA administration by attenuating the death of dopamine neurons and dopaminergic fibres in the striatum. In addition, we also addressed the role of the cysteine protease caspase‐3 activity in this adult 6‐OHDA model, because a role for caspases has been implicated in the loss of dopamine neurons in PD, and because NAIP is also a reputed inhibitor of caspase‐3. Although caspase‐3‐like proteolysis was induced in the SNc dopamine neurons of juvenile rats lesioned with 6‐OHDA and in adult rats following axotomy of the medial forebrain bundle, caspase‐3 is not induced in the dopamine neurons of adult 6‐OHDA‐lesioned animals. Taken together, these results suggest that therapeutic strategies based on NAIP may have potential value for the treatment of PD.
Phase III Trial of Selenium to Prevent Prostate Cancer in Men with High-grade Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia : SWOG S 9917

The threat of prostate cancer and the significant and often negative impact of its treatment underscore the importance of prevention. High-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) has been identified as a potential premalignant lesion marking an increased risk of prostate cancer and substantial evidence suggests that men with HGPIN are in need of prostate cancer prevention. In vitro, in vivo, epidemiologic, and clinical trial evidence that selenium supplementation protects against prostate cancer motivated the study we report here: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of selenium 200 (mg/d) as selenomethionine in men with HGPIN. The primary endpoint was progression of HGPIN to prostate cancer over a 3-year period. This National Cancer Institute Intergroup trial was coordinated by the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG). Of 619 enrolled patients, 423 randomized men with HGPIN (212 selenium and 211 placebo) were eligible (by central pathology review) and included in the primary analysis. Three-year cancer rates were 36.6% (placebo) versus 35.6% (selenium; P 1⁄4 0.73, adjusted). The majority of patients who developed cancer on trial (70.8%, selenium and 75.5%, placebo) had a Gleason score of 6 or less than 6; there were no differences in Gleason scores between the two arms. Subset analyses included the finding of a nonsignificantly reduced prostate cancer risk (relative risk 1⁄4 0.82; 95% CI: 0.40– 1.69) in selenium versus placebo patients in the lowest quartile of baseline plasma selenium level (<106 ng/mL). Overall, and in all other subsets defined by baseline blood selenium levels, selenium supplementation had no effect on prostate cancer risk. The 36% prostate cancer rate inmenwith HGPIN indicates the association of this lesion with an elevated prostate cancer risk. Future study in this setting should focus on selenium-deficient populations and selenium pharmacogenetics. Cancer Prev Res; 4(11); 1761–9.
Digitized Speech Characteristics in Patients with Maxillectomy Defects.

PURPOSE Accurate evaluation of speech characteristics through formant frequency measurement is important for proper speech rehabilitation in patients after maxillectomy. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of digital acoustic analysis and vowel pentagon space for the prediction of speech ability after maxillectomy, by comparing the acoustic characteristics of vowel articulation in three classes of maxillectomy defects. MATERIALS AND METHODS Aramany's classifications I, II, and IV were used to group 27 male patients after maxillectomy. Digital acoustic analysis of five Japanese vowels-/a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, and /u/-was performed using a speech analysis system. First formant (F1) and second formant (F2) frequencies were calculated using an autocorrelation method. Data were plotted on an F1-F2 plane for each patient, and the F1 and F2 ranges were calculated. The vowel pentagon spaces were also determined. One-way ANOVA was applied to compare all results between the three groups. RESULTS Class II maxillectomy patients had a significantly higher F2 range than did Class I and Class IV patients (p = 0.002). In contrast, there was no significant difference in the F1 range between the three classes. The vowel pentagon spaces were significantly larger in class II maxillectomy patients than in Class I and Class IV patients (p = 0.014). CONCLUSION The results of this study indicate that the acoustic characteristics of maxillectomy patients are affected by the defect area. This finding may provide information for obturator design based on vowel articulation and defect class.
A ABORDAGEM MULTIDIMENSIONAL DO EMPREENDEDORISMO NO SETOR PÚBLICO: O CASO DA AÇÃO EMPREENDEDORA DA FUNDAÇÃO JOAQUIM NABUCO

No contexto brasileiro, necessita-se observar como as acoes empreendedoras de uma instituicao publica fundacional revelam praticas reflexivas e coletivas. Ha um desafio de responder como se empreende em uma instituicao fundacional do setor publico, uma vez que e prevalente a aplicabilidade do empreendedorismo no setor privado e a abordagem multidimensional vislumbra um empreendedorismo coletivo e interacional de maneira a gerar no setor publico a criacao de valor publico, resultado de acao coletiva capaz ampliar beneficios socioculturais aos cidadaos. A Fundacao Joaquim Nabuco e objeto de pesquisa e a composicao do corpus pelo Relatorio de Gestao do ano de 2005. A Analise de Conteudo fundamenta-se em unidades analiticas pelas Categorias Estruturais da Acao Empreendedora do estudo de Paiva Jr. (2004). Os resultados revelam a prevalencia de acoes empreendedoras da Fundaj atrelada a interacao social, o que reflexivamente remete ao marco cultural da coletividade inserido nas atividades e projetos institucionais e impulsiona a formulacao de aliancas e parcerias; a expertise representa mais de um terco das incidencias de acoes empreendedoras e a imaginacao social abarca um decimo das acoes empreendedoras da Fundaj.