Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How Are Parental Psychological Control and Autonomy-Support Related? A Cluster-Analytic Approach

This study addresses the hypothesis that the relationship between parental psychological control and autonomy-support depends on how autonomy-support is conceptualized, that is, in terms of promotion of independence or in terms of promotion of volitional functioning. Questionnaires tapping into psychological control and these two types of autonomy-support were administered to a sample of 495 emerging adults. Cluster analysis revealed that, whereas parental promotion of independence may or may not co-occur with psychological control, high parental promotion of volitional functioning systematically goes together with low psychological control and vice versa. Differences between clusters in terms of adjustment were mainly driven by differences in psychological control and promotion of volitional functioning and to a lesser extent by differences in promotion of independence.
Prevalence of hypothyroidism in nondiabetic chronic kidney disease and effect of thyroxine replacement on estimated glomerular filtration rate

Reduced T3 and free T4, elevated thyroid stimulating hormone, and hyporesponsiveness to thyrotropin releasing hormone raise questions about the presence of hypothyroidism in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and raise the possibility of benefit from thyroxine supplementation. A prospective cohort study was conducted on 73 nondiabetic CKD cases. Hypothyroid patients were started on levothyroxine and were reviewed after 3 and 6 months. The mean age of study population was 42.3 ± 16.8 years. Of the total population, 32 (43.8%) cases had hypothyroidism, among whom 2 (2.7%) had overt hypothyroidism and 30 (41.1%) had subclinical hypothyroidism. Prevalence of hypothyroidism increased with increasing severity of CKD. There were 1 (3.1%) case with hypothyroidism in stage 3b, 8 (25%) cases in stage 4, and 23 (71.9%) cases in stage 5. The mean estimated glomerular filtration rate (ml/min/1.73 m2) at baseline was 13.7 ± 8.9 which increased to 17.5 ± 6.8 and 22.4 ± 9.3 after 3 and 6 months of thyroid hormone replacement therapy (THRT), respectively (P < 0.001). Hypothyroidism is commonly associated with nondiabetic CKD and its prevalence increases with declining renal function. THRT significantly improves renal function in nondiabetic CKD with hypothyroidism.
Receptor and Constitutive Androstane Receptor at the Crossroads of Drug Metabolism and Energy Metabolism

The pregnane X receptor (PXR) and the constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) are two closely related and liver-enriched nuclear hormone receptors originally defined as xenobiotic receptors. PXR and CAR regulate the transcription of drug-metabolizing enzymes and transporters, which are essential in protecting our bodies from the accumulation of harmful chemicals. An increasing body of evidence suggests that PXR and CAR also have an endobiotic function that impacts energy homeostasis through the regulation of glucose and lipids metabolism. Of note and in contrast, disruptions of energy homeostasis, such as those observed in obesity and diabetes, also have a major impact on drug metabolism. This review will focus on recent progress in our understanding of the integral role of PXR and CAR in drug metabolism and energy
An Enhanced CPA Algorithm for Real-Time Target Tracking in Wireless Sensor Networks

Real-time tracking of moving targets using wireless sensor networks has been a challenging problem because of the high velocity of the targets and the limited resources of the sensors. CPA (closest point of approach) algorithms are appropriate for tracking fast-moving targets since the tracking error is roughly inversely proportional to the square root of the target velocity. However, this approach requires a specific node configuration with reference to the target trajectory which may not always be possible in randomly deployed sensor networks. Moreover, our mathematical analysis of the original CPA algorithm shows that it suffers from huge localization errors due to inaccuracies in sensor location and measured CPA times. To address these issues, we propose an enhanced CPA (ECPA) algorithm which requires only five sensors around the target to achieve the reliability and efficiency we want for computing the bearing of the target trajectory, the relative position between the sensors and the trajectory, and the velocity of the target. To validate the ECPA algorithm, we designed and implemented this algorithm over an actual data-centric acoustic sensor network as well as simulating it in an NS-2 simulator. The results of our field experiments and simulations show that we can achieve our goals of detecting the target and predicting its location, velocity and direction of travel with reasonable accuracy.
Acute effects of total suspended particles and sulfur dioxides on preterm delivery: a community-based cohort study.

The acute effects of air pollution on preterm delivery were examined in a prospective cohort in Beijing, China. From early pregnancy until delivery in 1988, we followed all registered pregnant women who lived in four residential areas of Beijing. Information for both mothers and infants was collected. Daily air pollution and meteorological data were obtained independently. The sample for analysis included 25,370 resident women who gave first live births in 1988. Multiple linear regression and logistic regression were used to estimate the effects of air pollution on gestational age and preterm delivery (i.e., < 37 wk), with adjustment for outdoor temperature and humidity, day of the week, season, maternal age, gender of child, and residential area. Very high concentrations of ambient sulfur dioxide (mean = 102 micrograms/m3, maximum = 630 micrograms/m3) and total suspended particulates (mean = 375 micrograms/m3, maximum = 1 0003 micrograms/m3) were observed in these areas. There was a significant dose-dependent association between gestational age and sulfur dioxide and total suspended particulate concentrations. The estimated reduced duration of gestation was . 075 wk (12.6h) and . 042 wk (7.1 h) for each 100-micrograms/m3 increase in sulfur dioxide and total suspended particulates 7-d lagged moving average, respectively. The adjusted odds ratio for preterm delivery was 1.21 (95% CI = 1.01-1.46) for each in micrograms/m3 increase in sulfur dioxide, and was 1.10 (95% CI = 1.01-1.20) for each 100-micrograms/m3 increase in total suspended particulates. In addition, the gestational age distribution of high-pollution days was more skewed toward the left tail (i.e., very preterm and preterm), compared with low-pollution days. We concluded that high levels of total suspended particulates and sulfur dioxide, or of a more complex pollution mixture associated with these pollutants, appear to contribute to excess risk of preterm delivery in this population. Further work need to be carried out, with more detailed information on personal exposure and effect modifiers.
[Mental disorders and social inequalities in three birth cohorts].

OBJECTIVE To test if mental disorders are more prevalent and start earlier in younger cohorts, as well as investigating changes of the association between mental disorders and social class. METHODS Comparison of three birth cohorts in the representative German Health Survey (Mental Health Supplement, GHS-MHS; age: 18-65; N = 4,181) with regard to substance use, depressive, anxiety and somatoform disorders. RESULTS Prevalences of mental disorders are the same across cohorts but lifetime risk is higher in recent cohorts (in particular for depression). A gradient of social class shows a tendency to be stronger in younger cohorts. CONCLUSIONS Due to the retrospective design increased lifetime risk in younger cohorts might be over-estimated. Repeated surveys in the same population are needed to determine whether the prevalence of mental disorders is rising in recent years. The association between social status and mental health will be of growing importance in the future.
25 GHz polarization-insensitive electroabsorption modulators with traveling-wave electrodes

Electroabsorption modulators with traveling-wave electrodes have been designed and fabricated using MOCVD grown InGaAsP-InGaAsP quantum wells. A modulation bandwidth of 25 GHz is achieved for a 2 /spl mu/m-wide 30 /spl mu/m-long device. Driving voltage of 1.20 V is achieved for an extinction ratio of 20 dB for operation at 1.55 /spl mu/m.
Bridging or Bonding: Do Individuals gain Social Capital from Participation in Enterprise Social Networks?

Enterprise Social Networks (ESN), platforms for short-message conversations, are making inroads into organizations. Naturally associated with creating social relationships, ESN provide interesting opportunities to study if and in what ways users gain social capital from ESN participation. Defined as the value of social relationships and networks, social capital is a diverse concept. Associated theories broadly fall into two camps: bridging social capital derives from an actor's network of weak ties and the ability to broker across structural network holes, bonding social from strong ties and cohesive networks. A unique data set, obtained from Deloitte Australia, allows testing relationships between different ESN structures and a relevant external success variable: employee job rating. We find evidence for bonding, but not bridging social capital. Our findings reveal ESN as tools for collaborative work, associated with bonding social capital, and as broadcasting media limiting individual information gains commonly associated with bridging social capital.
Word sense disambiguation of Bangla sentences using statistical approach

Word sense disambiguation is the process of identifying appropriate sense or meaning of a word in a sentence, when the word has multiple meanings. In this work, we propose a disambiguation system using Naïve Bayes classifier and ANN to disambiguate the Bangla words. Naïve Bayes classifier for training phase and using statistical information gained from the training dataset the unknown ambiguous words are predicted and gives detecting the correct sense using ANN. For the testing phase we used general regression neural network. The result of the evaluation shows that the proposed word sense disambiguation system can disambiguate the ambiguous Bangla word with 82% accuracy.
Inflation in an open universe.

Motivated by observational indications of low cosmological mass density, we study a spatially open inflation modified hot big bang model whose evolutionary history is divided into three epochs: an early scalar field inflation epoch and the usual radiation and baryon (nonrelativistic matter) epochs. Generalizing techniques previously developed, we derive general solutions of the relativistic linear peturbation equations in each epoch. The constants of integration in the inflation epoch solutions are determined from quantum-mechanical initial conditions under the assumption that the perturbations are in the ground state at early times. The constants of integration in the radiation and baryon epoch solutions are determined from joining conditions derived by requiring that the linear perturbation equations remain nonsingular at the transitions between epochs. Expressions are derived for a number of baryon-epoch statistics which characterize large-scale structure, including the fractional mass, peculiar velocity, and gravitational potential perturbation two-point correlation functions, and the mean square value of the fractional mass and peculiar velocity perturbations. The Sachs-Wolfe relation is generalized to the open model and an expression for the angular fluctuation spectrum of the cosmic microwave background radiation temperature anisotropy is derived; we also determine the dipole velocity perturbation two-point correlation function and mean square value.
Identification of Protein Interfaces between α-Synuclein, the Principal Component of Lewy Bodies in Parkinson Disease, and the Molecular Chaperones Human Hsc70 and the Yeast Ssa1p*

Background: The mechanism by which molecular chaperones sequester α-synuclein is unknown. Results: We identify the surface interfaces involved in Hsc70 and Ssa1p interaction with α-synuclein. Conclusion: Hsc70 and Ssa1p bind α-synuclein like a tweezer through the two tips of their client protein binding sites. Significance: Elucidating how molecular chaperones bind proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases is relevant to design therapeutic tools. Fibrillar α-synuclein (α-Syn) is the principal component of Lewy bodies, which are evident in individuals affected by Parkinson disease (PD). This neuropathologic form of α-Syn plays a central role in PD progression as it has been shown to propagate between neurons. Tools that interfere with α-Syn assembly or change the physicochemical properties of the fibrils have potential therapeutic properties as they may be sufficient to interfere with and/or halt cell-to-cell transmission and the systematic spread of α-Syn assemblies within the central nervous system. Vertebrate molecular chaperones from the constitutive/heat-inducible heat shock protein 70 (Hsc/p70) family have been shown to hinder the assembly of soluble α-Syn into fibrils and to bind to the fibrils and very significantly reduce their toxicity. To understand how Hsc70 family members sequester soluble α-Syn, we set up experiments to identify the molecular chaperone-α-Syn surface interfaces. We cross-linked human Hsc70 and its yeast homologue Ssa1p and α-Syn using a chemical cross-linker and mapped the Hsc70- and Ssa1p-α-Syn interface. We show that the client binding domain of Hsc70 and Ssa1p binds two regions within α-Syn similar to a tweezer, with the first spanning residues 10–45 and the second spanning residues 97–102. Our findings define what is necessary and sufficient for engineering Hsc70- and Ssa1p-derived polypeptide with minichaperone properties with a potential as therapeutic agents in Parkinson disease through their ability to affect α-Syn assembly and/or toxicity.
COMBINED ADMINISTRATION OF SPONDIAS MOMBIN AND FICUS EXASPERATA LEAF EXTRACTS STALL INDOMETHACIN-MEDIATED GASTRIC MUCOSAL ONSLAUGHT IN RATS.

Background: Despite the rapidly changing concept of gastric ulcer management from conventional vagotomy, H2 receptor antagonists and antacids to proton pump inhibitors, gastrointestinal toxicity remains an impediment to their application in clinical practice. Combined administration of two or more plant extracts with therapeutic efficacy may proffer solution to this menace. This study investigated the combined gastroprotective effects of Spondias mombin and Ficus exasperata leaf extracts against indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer in rats. Materials and Methods: Thirty rats were randomized into six groups of five animals each and ulceration was induced by a single oral administration of indomethacin (30 mg/kg body weight). Ulcerated rats were orally administered with Spondias mombin, Ficus exasperata at 200 mg/kg body weight and esomeprazole (a reference drug) at a dose of 20 mg/kg body weight once daily for 21 days after ulcer induction. At the end of the experiment, gastric secretions and antioxidant parameters were evaluated. Results: We observed that the significantly increased (P < 0.05) ulcer index, gastric acidity, malondialdehyde level and pepsin activity were markedly reduced following co-administration of S. mombin and F. exasperata. The extracts also effectively attenuated the reduced activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase as well as pH, mucin content and reduced glutathione level in the ulcerated rats. Discussion and Conclusion: These findings are indicative of gastroprotective and antioxidative attributes of the two extracts which is also evident in the % protective index value obtained. The available evidences in this study suggest that the complementary effects of S. mombin and F. exasperata proved to be capable of ameliorating indomethacin-mediated gastric ulceration and the probable mechanisms are via antioxidative and proton pump inhibition.
Skin prick test reactivity to common aeroallergens in relation to total IgE, respiratory symptoms, and smoking in a general population sample of northern Italy

Skin prick test (SPT) reactivity to common airborne allergens and its relationships to sex, age, smoking habits, and respiratory symptoms/ diseases were evaluated in a general population sample (n= 2841, 8–75 years of age) living in the Po delta area (northern Italy). Subjects completed a standardized questionnaire and underwent prick tests (12 local allergens, a negative and a positive control) and determination of total serum IgE. Atopy was evaluated by measuring the maximal diameter for each allergen, after subtracting that of the negative control. Thirty‐one percent of subjects showed a positive skin response at a 3‐mm threshold. Pollens, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, and D. farinae caused the highest frequencies of reactions. Young people and those who had never smoked had higher prevalence rates of SPT reactivity. Asthma, asthma symptoms, and rhinitis were significantly associated with SPT reactivity in both sexes (cough only in females) and with the number of positive reactions. IgE values were also significantly associated with SPT reactivity. In conclusion, our findings indicate that almost one‐third of the general population of an Italian rural area is skin test positive, emphasizing the importance of assessing atopy in respiratory epidemiologic surveys.
Molecular characteristics of new clonal complexes of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius from clinically normal dogs

ABSTRACT Background: High prevalence of methicillin resistance among clinical isolates of Staphylococcus pseudintermedius obtained from dogs was reported in Seoul metropolitan area, South Korea. However, no information on genetic lineage and clonal spread is currently available. Objective: The aim is to identify the genetic diversity of methicillin-resistant or -susceptible S. pseudintermedius (MRSP and MSSP, respectively) from healthy dogs. Animals and methods: From 119 healthy dogs, 29 isolates consisting of 20 MRSP and 9 MSSP were collected from June 2013 to February 2014. Phenotypic features, antibiogram, multilocus sequence type (MLST), Staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) type and spa gene type were analyzed. Results: MLST showed 24 sequence types (STs), including 20 new STs that were genetically distinct from the previous STs in other geographic areas. SCCmec typing revealed that all isolates had SCCmec type V, a predominant type in North America. spa gene typing was successful in only 13 isolates (10 MRSP and 3 MSSP) and revealed two known types (t02 and t06), as well as one novel type (t73). Conclusion: Our cumulative data indicate the presence of various populations of S. pseudintermedius in clinically normal dogs in Seoul metropolitan area.
Heterologous protein production using the Pichia pastoris expression system

The Pichia pastoris expression system is being used successfully for the production of various recombinant heterologous proteins. Recent developments with respect to the Pichia expression system have had an impact on not only the expression levels that can be achieved, but also the bioactivity of various heterologous proteins. We review here some of these recent developments, as well as strategies for reducing proteolytic degradation of the expressed recombinant protein at cultivation, cellular and protein levels. The problems associated with post‐translational modifications performed on recombinant proteins by P. pastoris are discussed, including the effects on bioactivity and function of these proteins, and some engineering strategies for minimizing unwanted glycosylations. We pay particular attention to the importance of optimizing the physicochemical environment for efficient and maximal recombinant protein production in bioreactors and the role of process control in optimizing protein production is reviewed. Finally, future aspects of the use of the P. pastoris expression system are discussed with regard to the production of complex membrane proteins, such as G protein‐coupled receptors, and the industrial and clinical importance of these proteins. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Less is more? Antibiotic duration and outcomes in Fournier’s gangrene

BACKGROUND Antibiotic management of Fournier’s gangrene (FG) is without evidence-based guidelines and is based on expert opinion. The effect of duration of antibiotic therapy on outcomes in FG is unknown. METHODS A retrospective review was performed of FG patients from 2012 to 2015 at a single institution. Patients were managed by our institutional practice of complete primary wound closure as possible, with antibiotic duration according to physician judgment. Patients were stratified into multiple durations of antibiotic administration. RESULTS Overall, 168 patients with FG were included. When examining multiple stratifications of antibiotic therapy of 7 days or less, 8 days to 10 days, 11 days to 14 days, or 15 days or more of antibiotics, there was no significant difference in mortality (p = 0.11), primary closure (p = 0.75), surgical site infection (SSI) (p = 0.52), or Clostridium difficile infection (p = 0.63). There were no cases of recurrent FG in any antibiotic stratification. Mortality was not increased (p = 1.00) and ability to achieve primary closure was not decreased (p = 0.08) with initial antibiotic therapy exclusive of cultured organisms. CONCLUSION Shorter antibiotic courses for patients in whom source control is obtained and initial antibiotic selection exclusive of many resistant organisms were not associated with worse outcomes in FG. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic, level IV.
Endogenous N‐losses in piglets estimated by a [15N]‐isotope dilution technique: Effect of xylanase addition to a wheat and rye based diet

The nitrogen pool of piglets weighing 19.4 ± 1.4 kg at the beginning of the experiment was labeled with an oral application of ([15N]H4SO4 (1.26 [l5N]‐atom percent excess of dietary N) over a period of 7 d. The labeling period was followed by an equilibration period of 7 d without feeding the labeling compound. The two experimental diets were based on wheat (53%) and rye (25%) and were fed either with or without a xylanase containing enzyme preparation over both experimental periods. Additionally, diets were supplemented with an indigestible marker during the 2nd period of the experiment to allow the calculation of endogenous N‐Iosses in subsequent segments of the digestive tract of the pigs. These endogenous N‐losses were estimated at the end of the experiment by analyzing feces, ingesta and urine for [15N]‐enrichment assuming that [l5N]‐enrichment of urine represents the [15N]‐enrichment of the precursor pool. Endogenous N‐losses were not significantly affected by xylanase addition at any measurement site (stomach, 3 sections of the small intestine, total digestive tract). Endogenous N‐proportions of total nitrogen amounted on average for the six pigs to 42 ± 11% and 56 ± 5% at the last section of the small intestine and over the whole digestive tract, respectively, which corresponded to endogenous N‐losses of 2.8 ± 1.3 g N/kg DM and 2.0 ± 0.3 g N/kg DM, respectively.