Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal neuroimaging correlates of subjective memory impairment: 4-year prospective community study.

BACKGROUND Complaints about memory are common in older people but their relationship with underlying brain changes is controversial. AIMS To investigate the relationship between subjective memory impairment and previous or subsequent changes in white matter lesions and brain volumes. METHOD In a community cohort study of 1336 people without dementia, 4-year changes in brain magnetic resonance imaging measures were investigated as correlates of subjective memory impairment at baseline and follow-up. RESULTS Subjective memory impairment at baseline was associated with subsequent change in hippocampal volume and at follow-up impairment was associated with previous change in hippocampal, cerebrospinal fluid and grey matter volume and with subcortical white matter lesion increases. All associations with volume changes were U-shaped with significant quadratic terms - associations between least decline and subjective memory impairment were potentially explained by lower baseline hippocampal volumes in the groups with least volume change. Associations between hippocampal volume change and subjective memory impairment at follow-up were independent of cognitive decline and depressive symptoms, they were stronger in participants with the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele and in those without baseline subjective memory impairment. CONCLUSIONS Complaints of poor memory by older people, particularly when new, may be a realistic subjective appraisal of recent brain changes independent of observed cognitive decline.
The impact of customer service orientation on public service motives

i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii TABLE OF CONTENTS v LIST OF FIGURES ix LIST OF TABLES x 1 Research context 11 1.1 Introduction 11 1.2 Background to the research 12 1.3 Statement of problem 14 1.4 Research contribution 20 1.5 Structure of the thesis 21 1.6 Chapter summary 23 2 New public management and public service motives 24 2.1 Introduction 24 2.2 Public service reforms 24 2.2.1 New public management 25 2.2.2 The Australian public service and reform programs 29 2.3 Customer service orientation 30 2.3.1 Customer service in the public sector 31 2.4 Customer service and motivation in the public sector 34 2.5 Public service motives 35 2.6 Chapter summary 41 3 The impact of public sector reforms 43 3.1 Introduction 43 3.2 Research question 1 43 3.3 The research context for this part of the study 43 3.3.1 Choice of organisation 43 3.3.2 Choice of method 44 3.4 Exploratory research method 45 3.4. 1 Sampling design 45 3.4. 2 Participant recruitment 46
The Association of Raynaud Syndrome With β-Blockers

Vasospastic disorders of the digital circulation such as the Raynaud syndrome (RS) are known side effects of treatment of β-adrenergic blockade. The prevalence of RS in patients during treatment with β-blockers is not well defined. The objective of this meta-analysis is to assess the prevalence of RS in patients receiving β-blockers. A literature search was performed for studies dealing with RS and patients receiving β-blockers. The studies provided sufficient data to estimate the prevalence of RS in patients receiving β-blockers. A total of 13 eligible studies, contributing data on 1012 individuals, were included in this meta-analysis. For RS in patients receiving β-blockers, a pooled prevalence of 14.7% (95% confidence interval 0.076-0.236) were obtained. Statistically publication bias was not present (P = .877). Despite some heterogeneity, there is a possible indication of an association between RS and patients receiving β-blockers.
Developmental profiles of glutamate receptors and synaptic transmission at a single synapse in the mouse auditory brainstem

Using whole‐cell recordings from presynaptic terminals and postsynaptic principal neurons in the mouse medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB), we have characterized properties of the calyx of Held synapse during the first three postnatal weeks. We observed that evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) mediated by NMDA receptors (NMDAR) increased until postnatal day 11/12 (P11/12) after which they declined to very low or undetectable levels at P16. Meanwhile, EPSCs mediated by AMPA receptors (AMPAR) showed an approximate three‐fold increase in amplitude. These changes were paralleled by NMDAR and AMPAR currents evoked by exogenous NMDA and kainate to MNTB neurons except that whole‐cell kainate currents remained constant after P7/8 while AMPAR‐EPSCs continued to increase. We found that the decay time constant τ for NMDAR‐EPSCs and AMPAR‐EPSCs declined by about 30 % and 70 %, respectively. Analyses of NMDAR‐EPSCs with subunit‐specific pharmacological agents including ifenprodil, N,N,N′,N′‐tetrakis(2‐pyridylmethyl)‐ethylenediamine (TPEN), zinc and Mg2+ revealed subtle developmental changes in subunit composition. As maturation progressed, this synapse displayed a reduction in the number of presynaptic spike failures and the extent of synaptic depression in response to trains of stimuli (50–300 Hz) while the recovery rate from depression accelerated. These results demonstrate profound changes in the size and kinetics of postsynaptic glutamate receptors and in the spike‐firing capability of presynaptic terminals at the calyx of Held‐MNTB synapse during early development. We suggest that these concurrent presynaptic and postsynaptic adaptations represent important steps for synapse consolidation and refinement and ultimately for the development of fast high‐fidelity transmission at this synapse.
Ethical and Legal Considerations for Internet-Based Psychotherapy

The provision of mental health services over the Internet is becoming increasingly commonplace as new technologies continue to develop. Evidence in support of the efficacy of many such interventions is accumulating. Given the potential global reach of Internet-based psychological services, the authors examine ethical issues relating to this growing area of practice through the lens of the Universal Declaration of Ethical Principles for Psychologists (International Union of Psychological Science, 2008). They also raise issues relating to potential liability risks and offer recommendations intended to guide mental health practitioners who are considering involvement in the provision of Internet-based services.
Continuous double loop closure: A new technique for repair of laparotomy wounds

150 min compared with 95 min for open surgery. The exact P value was 0.05 and in two earlier studies in open colonic surgery the median duration of surgery was 125-150 In these two studies the IL-6 level was comparable to the level observed in the present study following open surgery. The explanation that laparoscopic colectomy causes more intraperitoneal trauma is speculative and not in agreement with other studies’. We have not observed any port-site metastases in the patients so far. We do not agree with the observations of Drs McCall and Parry. The principal aim of this small randomized study was to evaluate the differences in systemic and immune responses and convalescence between the two groups. To secure appropriate numbers of patients in both groups for evaluation of these issues we found it necessary to accrue new patients for evaluation throughout the study period. We agree that the three patients in the laparoscopic group who had to undergo conversion may be viewed as failures and this is acknowledged in the first part of the discussion. The mesenteric pedicle was divided with either vascular stapler, metallic clips or polyglactin suture in the laparoscopic group. We agree that the study is too small to allow conclusions concerning long-term survival. We have concluded therefore that the differences between the two methods are not marked and laparoscopic surgery may not be completed in all patients. Obviously larger randomized studies are necessary to clarify whether long-term survival is different between the two methods.
3D-HST: A WIDE-FIELD GRISM SPECTROSCOPIC SURVEY WITH THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE

We present 3D-HST, a near-infrared spectroscopic Treasury program with the Hubble Space Telescope for studying the physical processes that shape galaxies in the distant universe. 3D-HST provides rest-frame optical spectra for a sample of ∼7000 galaxies at 1 < z < 3.5, the epoch when ∼60% of all star formation took place, the number density of quasars peaked, the first galaxies stopped forming stars, and the structural regularity that we see in galaxies today must have emerged. 3D-HST will cover three quarters (625 arcmin2) of the CANDELS Treasury survey area with two orbits of primary WFC3/G141 grism coverage and two to four orbits with the ACS/G800L grism in parallel. In the IR, these exposure times yield a continuum signal-to-noise ratio of ∼5 per resolution element at H140 ∼ 23.1 and a 5σ emission-line sensitivity of ∼5 × 10−17 erg s−1 cm−2 for typical objects, improving by a factor of ∼2 for compact sources in images with low sky background levels. The WFC3/G141 spectra provide continuous wavelength coverage from 1.1 to 1.6 μm at a spatial resolution of ∼0. ″13, which, combined with their depth, makes them a unique resource for studying galaxy evolution. We present an overview of the preliminary reduction and analysis of the grism observations, including emission-line and redshift measurements from combined fits to the extracted grism spectra and photometry from ancillary multi-wavelength catalogs. The present analysis yields redshift estimates with a precision of σ(z) = 0.0034(1 + z), or σ(v) ≈ 1000 km s−1. We illustrate how the generalized nature of the survey yields near-infrared spectra of remarkable quality for many different types of objects, including a quasar at z = 4.7, quiescent galaxies at z ∼ 2, and the most distant T-type brown dwarf star known. The combination of the CANDELS and 3D-HST surveys will provide the definitive imaging and spectroscopic data set for studies of the 1 < z < 3.5 universe until the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope.
1H NMR conformational study on n‐terminal nonapeptide sequences of HIV‐1 Tat protein: a contribution to structure–activity relationships

On the basis of our recent results, the N‐terminal sequence of HIV‐1 Tat protein as a natural competitive inhibitor of dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DP IV) is supposed to interact directly with the active site of DP IV hence mediating its immunosuppressive effects via specific DP IV interactions. Of special interest is the finding that amino acid substitutions of the Tat(1–9) peptide (MDPVDPNIE) in position 5 with S‐isoleucine and in position 6 with S‐leucine led to peptides with strongly reduced inhibitory activity suggesting differences in the solution conformation of the three analogues. Therefore, 1H NMR techniques in conjunction with molecular modelling have been used here to determine the solution structure of Tat(1–9), I5‐Tat(1–9) and L6‐Tat(1–9) and to examine the influence of amino acid exchanges on structural features of these peptides. The defined structures revealed differences in the conformations what might be the reason for different interactions of these Tat(1–9) analogues with certain amino acids of the active site of DP IV. © 1998 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Standardisation versus cultural adaptation in food advertising: insights from a two-culture market

This article unravels principles of standardisation and cultural adaptation from past literature and empirically tests the applicability of these guidelines to food advertising, in a context in which two cultures, both with strong cultural differences with regard to food, are geographically integrated and share a common industry and market structure, thereby controlling for market and industry structure confounding factors. The study was conducted in the Montreal (Canada) area, comparing food TV ads targeted to two cultural groups—the French and the English Canadians. A total of 123 standardised ads are compared to 182 culture-specific ads (92 French and 90 English). Elements of advertising that are found amenable to standardisation pertain to product information and appeals based on basic positive emotions. Conversely, social and symbolical appeals, as well as appeals based on social emotions, present cultural specificity. Cross-cultural differences are found in culture-specific advertisements in the higher-order benefits associated with food (i.e. health for the English and pleasure for the French). Both benefits reflect global consumer trends and they are as frequently found in standardised ads as they are in corresponding culture-specific advertisements.
Modelling local government financial conditions in Indonesia

In the context of Indonesia, fiscal decentralisation causes variation in local government financial condition. Some local governments experience financial problems, but some others are not. Such variation creates the need for local government stakeholders to have an effective instrument to monitor the soundness of local governments in managing finance (i.e planning, budgeting, executing, and monitoring). In addition, the stakeholders need to know what factors determine the variation in financial condition. Until now, in Indonesia, stakeholders have faced difficulties in knowing the soundness of local government financial conditions. The difficulties of knowing the financial condition of local government are due to lack of agreement about an effective assessment model and lack of uniformity in financial condition indicators (Chaney et al., 2002; Honadle, 2003; Kloha, et al., 2005b; Wang et al., 2007). Furthermore, there is little empirical evidence about the factors affecting the financial condition of local government (Dennis, 2004; Jones & Walker, 2007). Therefore, the objectives of this study are, firstly, to develop an instrument to measure the financial condition of local governments in Indonesia and, secondly, to determine factors affecting financial condition of local governments.
UV Resistance of Bacillus anthracis Spores Revisited: Validation of Bacillus subtilis Spores as UV Surrogates for Spores of B. anthracis Sterne

ABSTRACT Recent bioterrorism concerns have prompted renewed efforts towards understanding the biology of bacterial spore resistance to radiation with a special emphasis on the spores of Bacillus anthracis. A review of the literature revealed that B. anthracis Sterne spores may be three to four times more resistant to 254-nm-wavelength UV than are spores of commonly used indicator strains of Bacillus subtilis. To test this notion, B. anthracis Sterne spores were purified and their UV inactivation kinetics were determined in parallel with those of the spores of two indicator strains of B. subtilis, strains WN624 and ATCC 6633. When prepared and assayed under identical conditions, the spores of all three strains exhibited essentially identical UV inactivation kinetics. The data indicate that standard UV treatments that are effective against B. subtilis spores are likely also sufficient to inactivate B. anthracis spores and that the spores of standard B. subtilis strains could reliably be used as a biodosimetry model for the UV inactivation of B. anthracis spores.
Costs associated with resource utilization during the palliative phase of care: a Canadian perspective

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate prospectively the resource utilization and related costs during the palliative phase of care in five regions across Canada. Subjects: A cohort of 248 patients registered in a palliative care program and their main informal caregivers were consecutively recruited. Research Design: A prospective research design with repeated measures was adopted. Interviews were conducted at two-week intervals until the patient s passing or up to a maximum of 6 months. Measures: The survey questions prompted participants to provide information on the types and number of goods and services they used, and who paid for these goods and services. Results: The largest cost component for study participants was inpatient hospital care stays, followed by home care and informal caregiving time. In regard to cost sharing, the public health care system (PHCS), the family, and not-for-profit organizations (NFPO) sustained respectively 71.3%, 26.6%, and 1.6% of the mean total cost per patient. Conclusion: Such results provide a comprehensive picture of costs related to palliative care in Canada, by specifying the cost sharing between the PHCS, the family, and NFPO.
Performance based contracts in the road sector : towards improved efficiency in the management of maintenance and rehabilitation - Brazil's experience

This note aims at providing feedback on Brazil's successful experience in using performance based contracts in the rehabilitation and maintenance of the road networks. Since its introduction in the early 2000's, the use of this contract management model has progressively spread to reach, as of today, one third of the federal network and more than 10 percent of the states' networks, and expectations are for higher figures in the short run. The note highlights the context which led to the introduction of these contracts in the road sector and the strategic orientations adopted in their structuring. The model was notably expected to bring rationalization, accountability and credibility to the sector at a moment when road maintenance, though a crucial issue when considering the networks' characteristics and conditions, was not given sufficient consideration by the road administrations. The note then provides an evaluation of the positive achievements resulting from these contracts. The evaluation, comparing objectively performance based contracts to the traditional input-admeasurements approach, shows that these contracts brought an overall improved efficiency to the sector which translated to better road conditions at lower costs for the governments and reduced management burdens on the administrations. Finally, the note provides insights, gained from ten years of continuous learning, on the main lessons learnt, and perspectives on desirable evolutions in the future, while a balanced share of responsibilities and initiatives between the public and the private sectors is essential, strengthened administrations, fully accountable for preserving public interests, remain key to success; better articulating contract duration and rehabilitation works service life, which would lead to extended contract duration, is also one of the possible orientations for future performance-based contracts in Brazil.
Anatomical Congruence of Metabolic and Electromagnetic Activation Signals during a Self-Paced Motor Task: A Combined PET–MEG Study

We have investigated the degree of spatial correlation between the cerebral blood flow variations measured by positron emission tomography (PET) and the electromagnetic sources as measured by magnetoencephalography (MEG) in five subjects while performing a self-paced right index finger tapping task. Data were processed independently for each technique using both single-case and intersubject analysis. PET and MEG were coregistered with anatomical magnetic resonance images for each subject. Both extension and flexion motor-related fields were extracted from the MEG signal. Using the single dipole model we identified the motor evoked field 1 (MEF1) in all subjects and the motor field (MF) in three subjects. Individual and intersubject averaged PET data showed consistent contralateral primary sensorimotor (PSM) hand area and bilateral supplementary motor area activation. MEG individual and intersubject averaged results demonstrated that both MEF1 and MF dipoles were localized within the PSM PET activated area. Individual PSM mass center to dipole distance was 12 and 15.3 mm on average for the MEF1 and the MF component, respectively. For the same components, the intersubject averaged analysis shows distances between the PET Z-score maximum and the dipole locations of 6.3 and 15.0 mm, respectively. These results show that PET and MEG MEF1 activation signals spatially coincide within instrumental, registration, and modeling errors.
'Blind' antibiotic treatment targeting Chlamydia is not effective in patients with MALT lymphoma of the ocular adnexa.

BACKGROUND Recent results have implicated Chlamydia, especially Chlamydia psittaci, in the development of ocular adnexal lymphoma in the large majority of patients. We present our experience with ex-juvantibus antibiotic treatment in patients diagnosed with MALT lymphoma of the ocular adnexa. PATIENTS AND METHODS A retrospective analysis identified a total of 11 patients (six female, five male) with MALT-lymphoma of the ocular adnexa who were given doxycyclin 200 mg p.o. daily over 3 weeks. Patients were tested also for autoimmune conditions, Helicobacter status and hepatitis along with assessment of MALT-lymphoma specific genetic changes. RESULTS After a median follow-up of 9 months, none of the patients responded to 'blind' antibiotic treatment with doxycyclin. Only one patient with bilateral conjunctival lymphoma related a short lasting subjective improvement, but was referred to alternative therapy due to progression and worsening symptoms after 6 months. CONCLUSIONS In this uncontrolled series, no effect of 'blind' antibiotic treatment with doxycyclin could be found in our patients with MALT lymphoma of the ocular adnexa. These results are in contrast to other series and suggest a potential geographic difference in the role of Chlamydia in ocular adnexal lymphoma. Thus, antibiotic therapy without prior testing for Chlamydia should be discouraged.
Anti‐cyclic citrullinated peptide: diagnostic and prognostic values in juvenile idiopathic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis in a Chinese population

Objective: The incidence and clinical significance of anti‐cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodies in a cohort of Chinese patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were studied. Methods: Anti‐CCP antibodies were determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 59 patients with JIA, 129 adult RA patients, 48 children with diseases other than JIA, 68 adult patients with rheumatic diseases other than RA, and 60 normal adults. Associations between anti‐CCP antibodies and clinical and laboratory parameters were determined by Fisher's exact test. Results: Six of 59 (10.2%) patients with JIA and 71 of 129 (55%) patients with RA were positive for anti‐CCP. Four of five RF‐positive JIA patients and two of 54 RF‐negative JIA patients were positive (p<0.001). One paediatric patient with allergy (0.9%) and two adult patients with rheumatic diseases other than RA (2.3%) were positive. All healthy controls were negative for anti‐CCP. The specificity was 99.1% for JIA and 98.4% for RA. The sensitivity was 10.2% for JIA and 55% for RA. Positive predictive values were 85.7% for JIA and 97.3% for RA and negative predictive values were 66.9% for JIA and 68.5% for RA. Conclusion: The anti‐CCP antibody assay is a valuable tool for the diagnosis of RA and a subset of JIA in Chinese patients. It could be a useful predictive test for joint erosion in JIA of the polyarticular RF‐positive subset and may be influential in the choice of the best therapeutic strategy in patients with recent‐onset arthritis.