Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Outcome of Schizophrenia: The Madras Longitudinal Study

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the clinical outcome in a group of first-episode schizophrenic patients on a 10-year follow-up. The social, demographic and clinical variables associated with poor outcome and gender differences in outcome were other issues addressed. Method: Ninety patients fulfilling Feighner's and ICD-9 criteria for schizophrenia, at Madras, India, were included for a 10-year follow-up. The Present State Examination and the Psychiatric and Personal schedule were administered at intake and at the end of every year. Clinical outcome was considered as a combination of the pattern of course and the presence of positive symptoms during year 10. Results: After 10 years, 76 of the 90 patients included were followed up, giving a follow-up rate of 84%. The clinical outcome was good in nearly 75% of the patients with almost all symptoms showing a steep decline at the end of 10 years. Fifty-nine subjects were asymptomatic at the end of the follow-up period and 12 were ill during the entire 10th year. Sexual, religious and grandiose delusions and flat affect at inclusion predicted a poor clinical outcome. More males had a poor outcome and spent a longer time in a psychotic state. Conclusions: There is evidence of a good outcome in the majority of first-episode schizophrenic patients after 10 years in keeping with other reports from developing countries. Certain variables at inclusion predicted a poor clinical outcome and males had a poorer outcome than females.
Is the Improvement of Prognosis of Patients With Metastatic Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma Treated With TCM Herbal Medicine due to Lag Time to Treatment Bias?

Background. Traditional Chinese herbal medicine was associated with improved prognosis in patients with performance score 0-1 at the time of diagnosis of stage IV pulmonary adenocarcinoma (PAC) treated with platinum-based chemotherapy (PBT). Objective. The authors investigated the effect of 1- to 4-month lag time to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment on the median and 1-year survival of PBT-PAC patients. Methods. The median lag time to treatment was 3 months. In the first 3 months, about 35% of the patients died, but thereafter the survival curve flattened off and the death of the next 35% to 40% of patients took 9 months. Leaving out patients with lag time up to 3 months therefore would be a reasonable choice. To be on the safe side, the effects of leaving out patients up to 4 months were investigated. The Kaplan–Meier survival curves were used. Results. The median and 1-year survival of the PBT-PAC patients was 5.0 months and 27%, respectively. Leaving out patients with 0-1 month follow-up, 0-2, 0-3, and 0-4 months follow-up changed the median and 1-year survival, respectively, to 5.5 months and 32%, 6.5 months and 36%, 9.0 months and 43%, and 10.0 months and 52%. The median survival of PBT + TCM in PAC patients was 22.6 months and 78%. Median lag time to TCM treatment was 3.0 months. With up to 4 months lag time to treatment due to combined patients’ and TCM doctor’s waiting time, the improved survival of PBT + TCM performance score 0-1 (fully ambulant) patients at the time of diagnosis still is significant (P < .01, hazard ratio = 0.51). Moreover, the survival of patients treated by TCM doctors with little or more months lag time to treatment was not different (P = .79). Conclusion. Increasing lag time to treatment up to 4 months improves the median and 1-year survival of PBT patients without TCM but is unlikely to explain the greatly improved prognosis of PBT + TCM treated patients with fully ambulant stage IV PAC.
Comparison of the Deoxyribonucleic Acid Molecular Weights and Homologies of Plasmids Conferring Linked Resistance to Streptomycin and Sulfonamides

Bacterial strains showing linked resistance to streptomycin (Sm) and sulfonamides (Su) were chosen representing a wide taxonomic and geographical range. Their SmSu resistances were transferred to Escherichia coli K-12 and then plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was isolated by ethidium bromide CsCl centrifugation. The plasmid DNA was examined by electron microscopy and analyzed by sedimentation through 5 to 20% neutral sucrose gradients. Plasmid DNA from strains having transmissible SmSu resistance consisted of two or three molecular species, one of which had a molecular mass of about 5.7 Mdal (106 daltons), the others varying between 20 to 60 Mdal. By using transformation or F′ mobilization, we isolated the SmSu-resistance determinant from any fellow resident plasmids in each strain and again isolated the plasmid DNA. Cosedimentation of each of these with a differently labeled reference plasmid DNA (R300B) showed 9 out of 12 of the plasmids to have a molecular mass not significantly different from the reference (5.7 Mdal); two others were 6.3 and 9.2 Mdal, but PB165 consisted of three plasmids of 7.4, 14.7, and 21.4 Mdal. Three separate isolations of the SmSu determinant from PB165 gave the same three plasmids, which we conclude may be monomer, dimer, and trimer, respectively. DNA-DNA hybridizations at 75 C demonstrated 80 to 93% homology between reference R300B DNA and each isolated SmSu plasmid DNA, except for the 9.2-Mdal plasmid which had 45% homology and PB165 which had 35%. All the SmSu plasmids were present as multiple copies (about 10) per chromosome. The conjugative plasmid of R300 (present as 1.3 copies per chromosome) has been shown to have negligible effect on the number of copies of its accompanying SmSu plasmid R300B. We conclude that the SmSu plasmids are closely related and probably have a common evolutionary origin.
Improved Filtration Technique for Concentrating and Harvesting Bacteria

An improved technique is described for the filtrative concentration and harvesting of bacterial cultures. A pleated tangential flow filtration unit containing 1,000 cm2 of 0.2-μm-pore-size microporous membrane was used to rapidly (30 to 50 min) reduce the volume of 5 liters of bacterial culture of approximately 109 cells per ml to 0.2 to 0.5 liters of concentrated bacterial suspension. The effects of cell concentration, filtration pressure, and tangential flow rate were examined with respect to the rate of concentration and cell viability. Recovery efficiencies were between 60 and 75%, with no apparent impairment of organism viability. Cell concentration exerted the predominant effect on the filtration rate.
Characterization of Glutamate‐Induced Formation of N‐Acylphosphatidylethanolamine and N‐Acylethanolamine in Cultured Neocortical Neurons

Abstract: Glutamate‐induced formation of N‐acylethanolamine (NAE) and N‐acylphosphatidylethanolamine (NAPE) was studied in primary cultures of mouse neocortical neurons prelabeled with [14C]ethanolamine. The formation of these two lipids was dependent on the maturity of the cell culture; i.e., no glutamate‐induced formation was seen in 2‐day‐old cultures, whereas glutamate induced a pronounced formation in 6‐day‐old cultures. The calcium ionophore A23187 (2 µM) stimulated, within 2 h, formation of NAPE in 2‐day‐old cultures (fourfold) as well as in 6‐day‐old cultures (eightfold). Glutamate exerted its effect via NMDA receptors as seen by the inhibitory action of the NMDA‐selective receptor antagonists d‐(−)‐2‐amino‐5‐phosphonovalerate and N‐(1‐(2‐thienyl)‐cyclohexyl)piperidine and the lack of effect of the α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methylisoxazole‐4‐propionic acid (AMPA)/kainate‐receptor antagonist 6‐cyano‐7‐nitroquinoxaline‐2,3‐dione (CNQX). In 6‐day‐old cultures, exposure to NMDA (100 µM for 24 h) induced a linear increase in the formation of NAPE and NAE as well as a 40–50% neuronal death, as measured by a decrease in cellular formazan formation [3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay]. The increase in NAPE and NAE could be detected earlier than the neuronal death. Neither cyclic AMP, cyclic GMP, nitric oxide, protein kinase C, nor peroxidation appears to be involved in the formation of NAPE and NAE, as assessed by the use of different pharmacological agents. Exposure to 5 mM NaN3 for 8 h resulted in a >80% decrease in the cellular MTT staining and a pronounced linear increase in the formation of NAE and NAPE (reaching 25–30% of total labeling). [14C]Anandamide was also formed in [14C]arachidonic acid‐labeled neurons exposed to NaN3. No NAPE formation was detected in A23187‐stimulated mouse astrocytes, rat Leydig cells and cardiomyocytes, and several other cells. These results suggest that the glutamate‐induced formation of NAPE and NAE was mediated by the NMDA receptor and the formation of these lipids may be associated with neuronal death.
Effects of Predation upon the Long-Spined Sea Urchin Diadema antillarum by the Spotted Spiny Lobster Panulirus guttatus

Sea urchins, important herbivores in marine ecosystems, are strongly impacted by both the direct and indirect effects of predation, and the long-spined sea urchin Diadema antillarum is no exception. Once abundant on Caribbean coral reefs, D. antillarum populations were decimated by disease in the early 1980s, and only where their natural predators have been over-fished has D. antillarum recovery been observed. Spiny lobsters (Palinuridae) are predators of sea urchins, and although there are several species of spiny lobster in the Caribbean, only the spotted spiny lobster Panulirus guttatus is restricted to coral reefs where D. antillarum dwells. We investigated the direct and indirect impacts of P. guttatus on D. antillarum mortality, foraging, and behavior in a series of laboratory experiments. We found that P. guttatus prey on D. antillarum, especially small urchins. D. antillarum also consumed significantly less algae in the presence of P. guttatus and fled when exposed to the odor of P. guttatus but apparently not the scent of the Caribbean spiny lobster P. argus. The altered foraging and avoidance behaviors displayed by D. antillarum are strong evidence that predation by P. guttatus has played an important, but underappreciated, role in the evolutionary history of D. antillarum and perhaps its recovery on Caribbean coral reefs.
Results Proliferating Macrophages Are Present at Various Stages of Murine Atherosclerotic Lesion Development and in Human Coronary Artery Atherosclerosis

Background-—Monocyte recruitment leads to accumulation of macrophage foam cells and contributes to atherosclerotic lesion growth. Recent studies have reported that lesion-resident macrophages can proliferate and represent a major cellular component during lesion development. This study was designed to assess whether the rate of macrophage proliferation changes during well-established stages of lesion growth and to characterize other populations of proliferating cells within these lesions.
Regulation of inflammatory vascular damage

The acute inflammatory response is comprised of an elaborate cascade of mediators that control an ordered sequence of events resulting in the recruitment of neutrophils to the site of infection or injury. Microvascular injury occurring during acute inflammation often results in increased vascular permeability and microvascular haemorrhage. Damage to vascular endothelial cells, basement membrane, and matrix components results from both neutrophil‐dependent and neutrophil‐independent mechanisms and is also dependent on the organ/tissue source of the endothelial cells. Neutrophil‐mediated injury of endothelial cells involves a complex cascade in which products from both cell types affect the cytotoxic outcome. It is also clear that the acute inflammatory response is carefully regulated by the endogenous gene expression of both pro‐inflammatory and anti‐inflammatory mediators. Control of acute inflammation seems to relate to activation of the transcription factor NFκB. To appreciate the interrelationship between multiple contributing factors of inflammatory vascular injury, one must first have an understanding of the inflammatory mediator cascades which bring about the recruitment of neutrophils to the site of inflammation. In this review it is discussed how inflammatory mediators, as well as the products of activated neutrophils, affect the outcome of the acute inflammatory response. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Differential Regulation of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor- and AMPA Receptor-Mediated Dendritic Ca2+ Signals by Presynaptic and Postsynaptic Activity in Hippocampal Interneurons

Calcium plays a crucial role as a ubiquitous second messenger and has a key influence in many forms of synaptic plasticity in neurons. The spatiotemporal properties of dendritic Ca2+ signals in hippocampal interneurons are relatively unexplored. Here we use two-photon calcium imaging and whole-cell recordings to study properties of dendritic Ca2+ signals mediated by different glutamate receptors and their regulation by synaptic activity in oriens/alveus (O/A) interneurons of rat hippocampus. We demonstrate that O/A interneurons express Ca2+-permeable AMPA receptors (CP-AMPARs) providing fast Ca2+ signals. O/A cells can also coexpress CP-AMPARs, Ca2+-impermeable AMPARs (CI-AMPARs), and group I/II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) (including mGluR1a), in the same cell. CI-AMPARs are often associated with mGluRs, resulting in longer-lasting Ca2+ signals than CP-AMPAR-mediated responses. Finally, CP-AMPAR- and mGluR-mediated Ca2+ signals demonstrate distinct voltage dependence and are differentially regulated by presynaptic and postsynaptic activity: weak synaptic stimulation produces Ca2+ signals mediated by CP-AMPARs, whereas stronger stimulation, or weak stimulation coupled with postsynaptic depolarization, recruits Ca2+ signals mediated by mGluRs. Our results suggest that differential activation of specific glutamate receptor-mediated Ca2+ signals within spatially restricted dendritic microdomains may serve distinct signaling functions and endow oriens/alveus interneurons with multiple forms of Ca2+-mediated synaptic plasticity. Specific activation of mGluR-mediated Ca2+ signals by coincident presynaptic and postsynaptic activity fulfills the conditions for Hebbian pairing and likely underlies their important role in long-term potentiation induction at O/A interneuron synapses.
Vascular remodeling and endothelial function in hypertensive patients: effects of antihypertensive therapy.

OBJECTIVE To review studies of effects of antihypertensive agents on alterations in structure and function of small (resistance-size) arteries in hypertensive patients and in experimental hypertensive models, since these vessels may contribute to blood pressure elevation or to the complications of hypertension. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The structure and endothelium-dependent relaxation of small arteries obtained in hypertensive humans from gluteal subcutaneous biopsies, and from different vascular beds in hypertensive rats, without and after antihypertensive treatment, and studied on a wire-myograph or as pressurized arteries, are described as reported in different studies. RESULTS Treatment of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) with angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, calcium channel antagonists, angiotensin receptor antagonists and novel beta blockers such as carvedilol, has been shown to result in regression of the altered structure of small arteries in different vascular beds, in addition to improved endothelium-dependent relaxation. Several studies in hypertensive patients have now shown that treatment with some ACE inhibitors (cilazapril and perindopril) or extended release calcium channel antagonists (nifedipine GITS) induces similar effects in small arteries obtained from gluteal subcutaneous biopsies: both structure and endothelium-dependent relaxation improve under treatment. In contrast, hypertensive patients with equally well-controlled blood pressure but treated with the beta blocker atenolol did not in any of three studies exhibit any improvement in the structure of small arteries or in endothelial function. CONCLUSION Although treatment for at least one year with some ACE inhibitors and extended release calcium channel antagonists corrects the structure and endothelium-dependent relaxation of gluteal subcutaneous small arteries, it still remains to be determined whether this apparently beneficial effect beyond blood pressure lowering of these and other agents with vascular protective properties will result in reduced morbidity and mortality in hypertensive patients.
Dissection of functional domains of the polar localization factor PodJ in Caulobacter crescentus

The polar organelle development protein, PodJ, is important for proper establishment of polarity in Caulobacter crescentus. podJ null mutants are unable to form holdfast or pili, have reduced swarming motility, and have difficulty ejecting the flagellum during the swarmer to stalked cell transition. In this study, we create a series of truncation mutants to investigate functional domains of PodJ. We show that PodJ has a transmembrane domain between amino acids 600 and 670. We identify a periplasmic region important for pili production and a cytoplasmic region required for holdfast formation and swarming motility, and establish that PleC localization is not required for holdfast formation and motility in soft agar. Analysis of the mutants reveals that the last 54 amino acids of the protein negatively regulate processing of the full‐length form of the protein, PodJL, to a shorter form, PodJS. Finally, we identify a cytoplasmic region of PodJ involved in targeting it to the flagellar pole, and a periplasmic region required for localization of PleC.
Dynamic and Static Interactions between p 120 Catenin and E-Cadherin Regulate the Stability of Cell-Cell Adhesion

Noboru Ishiyama,1 Seung-Hye Lee,3 Shuang Liu,1 Guang-Yao Li,1 Matthew J. Smith,1 Louis F. Reichardt,3 and Mitsuhiko Ikura1,2,* 1Division of Signaling Biology, Ontario Cancer Institute 2Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto MaRS Toronto Medical Discovery Tower, Room 4-804, 101 College Street, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada 3Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA *Correspondence: mikura@uhnres.utoronto. ca DOI 10.1016/j.cell. 2010.01. 017
Cell division in Escherichia coli minB mutants

In Escherichia coli minB mutants, cell division can take place at the cell poles as well as non‐polarly in the cell. We have examined growth, division patterns, and nucleoid distribution in individual cells of a minC point mutant and a minB deletion mutant, and compared them to the corresponding wild‐type strain and an intR1 strain in which the chromosome is overreplicated. The main findings were as follows. In the minB mutants, polar and non‐polar divisions appeared to occur independently of each other. Furthermore, the timing of cell division in the cell cycle was found to be severely affected. In addition, nucleoid conformation and distribution were considerably disturbed. The results obtained call for a re‐evaluation of the role of the MinB system in the E coli cell cycle, and of the concept that limiting quanta of cell division factors are regularly produced during the cell cycle.
Probabilistic Analysis of Bin Packing Heuristics

In this paper we present both a probabilistic and statistical analysis of several bin packing heuristics. With mild conditions on the distribution of problem data, we show that the ratio of the expected number of bins packed for these heuristics to the number of elements converges to some constant. This constant can either be derived analytically or estimated through simulation. We analyze the variance in performance of these heuristics, and we further show that as the number of elements, n, increases, the probability that the number of bins required for these heuristics exceeds any fixed percentage of their expected performance goes to zero.
Raising awareness of research evidence among health professionals delivering dementia care: Are knowledge translation workshops useful?

ABSTRACT Providing information about the latest research via educational sessions to health professionals caring for people with dementia may be insufficient to drive change. This project explored self-reported impacts on practice change of adding information about knowledge translation (KT) to a national dementia education program. Six national workshop days were held. Each provided the option of participating in a Principles of KT and innovation implementation seminar in addition to a clinical topic update (sexualities and dementia, or managing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia). Six months postworkshop, 321 participants were invited to complete a research utilization survey. Seventy-five responded. KT seminar participants were more likely to report instrumental outcomes (e.g. changed policies, procedures) than those who did not participate in the KT seminar. Including KT information in educational sessions for health professionals may increase the likelihood of practice change in the field of dementia care and warrants further research.
Quantitative Longitudinal Research: A Review of IS Literature, and a Set of Methodological Guidelines

Data captured at different points in time provides the basis for longitudinal research. It is unquestioned that several IS phenomena deal with change over time such as post-adoption behavior with respect to IT artifacts. However, cross-sectional research designs are predominantly applied in the IS field up till now. This paper is therefore written not only to motivate the IS community to apply longitudinal research to time-variant IS phenomena but also to discuss common pitfalls. For this purpose, we outline various longitudinal studies and provide four guidelines that should be considered during their planning. In particular, common methodological issues like space and amount of repeated observations or attrition are discussed. Finally, an overview of common longitudinal research questions and corresponding methods of longitudinal analyses is provided.
IL-13 Receptor α1 Differentially Regulates Aeroallergen-Induced Lung Responses

IL-13 and IL-4 are hallmark cytokines of Th2-associated diseases including asthma. Recent studies revealed that IL-13Rα1 regulates asthma pathogenesis by mediating both IL-4– and IL-13–mediated responses. Nonetheless, the relative contribution of each cytokine in response to aeroallergen challenge and the degree of functional dichotomy between IL-4 and IL-13 in asthma remains unclear. Consistent with prior publications, we demonstrate that IL-13Rα1 regulates aeroallergen-induced airway resistance and mucus production but not IgE and Th2 cytokine production. We demonstrate that aeroallergen-induced eosinophil recruitment and chemokine production were largely dependent on IL-13Rα1 after Aspergillus but not house dust mite (HDM) challenges. Notably, Aspergillus-challenged mice displayed increased IL-13Rα1–dependent accumulation of dendritic cell subsets into lung-draining lymph nodes in comparison with HDM-challenged mice. Comparison of IL-4 and IL-13 levels in the different experimental models revealed increased IL-4/IL-13 ratios after HDM challenge, likely explaining the IL-13Rα1–independent eosinophilia and chemokine production. Consistently, eosinophil adoptive transfer experiments revealed near ablation of lung eosinophilia in response to Aspergillus in Il13ra1−/− mice, suggesting that Aspergillus-induced lung eosinophil recruitment is regulated by IL-13–induced chemokine production rather than altered IL-13 signaling in eosinophils. Furthermore, the near complete protection observed in Il13ra1−/− mice in response to Aspergillus challenge was dependent on mucosal sensitization, as alum/Aspergillus-sensitized mice that were rechallenged with Aspergillus developed IL-13Rα1–independent eosinophilia although other asthma parameters remained IL-13Rα1 dependent. These results establish that IL-13Rα1 is required for aeroallergen-induced airway resistance and that allergen-induced chemokine production and consequent eosinophilia is dictated by the balance between IL-4 and IL-13 production in situ.