Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Depressive Symptoms and Depressive Episodes in Recently Widowed Older Men

Older widowers have high rates of completed suicide but have rarely been the subject of systematic inquiry. We investigated the prevalence of depressive symptoms and major depressive episodes (MDEs) in recently widowed older men over the first 13 months after bereavement. We employed a matched-pairs longitudinal design and recruited subjects from a suburban community population. Fifty-seven recently widowed older men were identified from official death records and 57 matched married men were identified from the electoral roll. Subjects were assessed for the presence of current DSM-III-R MDEs using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), a fully structured psychiatric interview. Widowers were assessed at 6 weeks after bereavement (T1) and 13 months after bereavement (T2). Married men were assessed at similar intervals. At T1, seven widowers (12.3%) and no married men were found to have CIDI cases of current MDE. At T2, one widower (1.9%) and no married men were found to have CIDI cases of current MDE. Current MDE was not predicted by a past history of dysphoria. At T1, 14.0% (8/57) of widowers reported specific suicidal thoughts or actions. At T2, 15.4% (8/52) of widowers reported suicidal thoughts or actions. We conclude that health workers should monitor closely the clinical course of MDEs in recently widowed older men. Routine inquiry about suicidal ideation should be an essential component of the clinical assessment of recently widowed older men.
Effect of treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with infliximab on IFNγ, IL4, T-bet, and GATA-3 expression: link with improvement of systemic inflammation and disease activity

Objective: To study interferon γ (IFNγ) production and the expression of T-bet and GATA-3, the transcription factors associated with Th1 and Th2, in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with rheumatoid arthritis before and during infliximab treatment, so as to distinguish between a disease specific and a disease activity dependent defect. Methods: Rheumatoid PBMC were obtained at weeks 0 and 6 of infliximab treatment and cultured for seven days with or without interleukin (IL)12 or the combination of IL12 and IL18. IFNγ concentrations in supernatants were determined by ELISA. mRNA expression of IFNγ, IL4, T-bet, and GATA-3 was determined by real time RT-PCR in whole blood at weeks 0 and 22. Results: A reduction in spontaneous IFNγ production and in the response to Th1 inducing cytokines occurred in rheumatoid PBMC. Reduction of systemic inflammation with infliximab treatment increased IFNγ production in response to IL12 or IL12+IL18. The IFNγ/IL4 expression ratio of rheumatoid blood before treatment was lower than in healthy controls but was increased by infliximab treatment. T-bet expression or T-bet/GATA-3 ratio of rheumatoid blood was less than in controls. The T-bet/GATA-3 ratio was not influenced by infliximab treatment. Conclusions: Regulation of T-bet and GATA-3 or IFNγ and IL4 expression appeared different. The IFNγ/IL4 ratio might express the blood Th1/Th2 balance better than the T-bet/GATA-3 ratio. Reduced IFNγ production by rheumatoid PBMC and levels of IFNγ and IL4 mRNA expression in blood were linked to disease improvement, indicating an association between this systemic Th1 feature and disease activity.
Pulmonary arterial aneurysms in Behçet's syndrome: a report of 24 cases.

Pulmonary arterial involvement is an important complication of Behçet's syndrome (BS). Among 2179 patients with BS, 24 (1.1%) were diagnosed as having pulmonary arterial aneurysms (PAAs). Haemoptysis was the presenting symptom in all but one. All were male. The mean age at the time of the diagnosis of PAA was 30 +/- 11 S.D. yr (range 17-59 yr). Their mean disease duration was 5 +/- 4 yr (range 3 months-16 yr). There was a high prevalence of thrombophlebitis (21/24, 88%). Histopathological examination showed pulmonary vasculitis involving all layers of pulmonary arteries and veins. Twelve patients (50%) died after a mean of 9.5 +/- 11 S.D. months (range 1-36 months) after the onset of haemoptysis. The mean duration of follow-up of the remaining 12 patients was 25.5 +/- 24 S.D. months (range 1-78 months). The treatment consisted mainly of pulsed or oral cyclophosphamide alone or with prednisolone. As is true with other severe manifestations of Behçet's syndrome, PAAs are more common among males. They are associated with a prevalence of thrombophlebitis and there is high mortality despite treatment.
Decidual Activation in Parturition: Examination of Amniotic Fluid for Mediators of the Inflammatory Response a

The accumulation of bioactive agents (characteristic of an inflammatory-type response) in amniotic fluid is common during term and preterm labor, viz., interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). In addition, prostaglandins, including PGE2, PGF2 alpha, and PGFM, also accumulate in amniotic fluid in some cases of term and preterm labor. From these observations, a number of critical questions arise. Namely, 1) what is the tissue source of origin of these agents? ; 2) what are the stimuli that evoke this inflammatory response? ; and, 3) are these bioactive agents of inflammation involved in the commencement of labor or else a natural accompaniment of the parturition process? It is reasonable to suspect that the decidua is activated during parturition as the membranes-decidua are exposed after cervical dilation to the vaginal/cervical secretions. Amnion and chorion laeve, in the human, are avascular tissues that produce PGE2 but not PGF2 alpha. Therefore, the accumulation of PGF2 alpha and PGFM in amniotic fluid during labor cannot be attributed to a fetal membrane origin. Moreover, the fetal membranes and decidua do not convert PGE2 to PGF2 alpha. In addition, the fetal membranes do not produce mature, i.e., secreted 17kD IL-1 beta. On the other hand, the decidua does produce PGF2 alpha and PGFM and is stimulated to do so by agents in the vaginal secretions, namely, bacterial endotoxin and IL-1 beta. After the fetal membranes and contiguous decidua are exposed during the time of cervical dilatation, these tissues are acted upon to cause 1) an influx of mononuclear phagocytes into the forebag compartment of the amniotic fluid; 2) to produce PGF2 alpha and PGFM; and 3) to produce cytokines, including IL-1 beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha. Exposure of the fetal membranes-decidua to bioactive agents in vaginal/cervical secretions will effect an inflammatory response both in vivo and in vitro. We conclude that the accumulation of bioactive agents characteristic of the inflammatory response in amniotic fluid during term and preterm labor is usually an accompaniment of parturition and not its cause.
Cinnamaldehyde Ameliorates Diet-Induced Obesity in Mice by Inducing Browning of White Adipose Tissue

Background/Aims: Obesity has become a major health concern with few effective medications. Cinnamaldehyde (CA) has been reported to exhibit anti-diabetic and anti-inflammatory properties. However, whether CA shows anti-obesity activity remains unknown. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the potential anti-obesity effects of CA on mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) and to explore the possible mechanisms involved. Methods: Male C57BL/6J mice fed an HFD for 12 weeks were supplemented with CA (40 mg/kg/day) via gavage for an additional 8 weeks. Mice fed a standard diet were used as normal controls. Results: The results revealed that CA treatment decreased body weight, fat mass, food intake, and serum lipid, free fatty acid and leptin levels. CA administration also improved insulin sensitivity in HFD-induced obese mice. Additionally, CA inhibited the hypertrophy of adipose tissue and induced browning of white adipose tissue. Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) was expressed in white adipose tissue after the oral administration of CA. Furthermore, CA enhanced the expression of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), PR domain-containing 16 (PRDM16) and PPARγ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) proteins in both brown and white adipose tissues. Conclusions: The results suggest that CA exhibits therapeutic potency against obesity by inducing the browning of white adipose tissue in HFD-fed mice.
Inactivation of p27kip1 promotes chemical hepatocarcinogenesis through enhancing inflammatory cytokine secretion and STAT3 signaling activation

Although the expression of p27 has been regarded as a prognostic parameter in human liver cancer since the implication of decreased p27 expression levels in the genesis and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the molecular mechanism linking p27 deficiency and HCC development is still unclear. Here, we report an increase in tumorigenesis and progression as well as an enhanced inflammatory response in p27 deficient mice (p27−/−) and hypothesize the possible mechanism. We show that p27−/− mice display increased proliferation and decreased apoptosis of tumor cells, accompanied by an increase in the serum inflammatory cytokines IL‐6 and TNF‐α. Furthermore, our data indicated that the increased number and signal transducers and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) phosphorylation status of infiltrated inflammatory cells was accompanied by increased IL‐6 and TNF‐α mRNA levels in tumor and normal liver tissue in the p27−/− mice. Moreover, using tumor cell and splenocytes co‐culture and tumor homologous transplantation, we validated our hypothesis in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, these data demonstrate that the loss of p27 promotes carcinogens‐induced HCC genesis and progression via the elevation of inflammatory cytokines and the augmented activation of STAT3 signaling in tumor cells and infiltrated inflammatory cells. Altogether, the loss of the cyclin kinase inhibitor p27, traditionally regarded as a consequence of DNA damage, can in turn promote HCC progression through enhancing the inflammatory response, potentially representing a promising therapeutic target in the prevention of HCC genesis and progression. J. Cell. Physiol. 228: 1967–1976, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
[Nurse's competence indicators: linguistic and cultural validation of the Nurse Competence Scale].

UNLABELLED For some years, the clinical performance of new-graduate nurses, has been a leading topic in international scientific literature. In Italy there are many criticisms to basic education; ever since the basic education moved from the regional schools to the university, the main question that the teachers, the clinical nurses and the nursing managers are asking is whether the level of competence of new-graduates is appropriate to the demands of the world of work. Many criticisms have been addressed to the gap between theory and practice and between education and clinic. In Italy this has stimulated a debate towards a shared definition of competence and especially towards defining indicators that can assess/measure this phenomenon. The purposes of this study are: translating the indicators of Nurse Competence Scale (NCS) in the Italian language and test its validity and reliability; provide a tool for evaluating competence in Italian in order to use it in the context of our country. MATERIALS AND METHODS after a research on the Medline and Cinhal electronic data base, the NCS was identified and submitted to a process of linguistic translation (English-Italian-English) and to a process of validation using the test-retest methodology (test of Wilcoxon), the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and Cronbach's alpha. RESULTS the evaluation given by nurses in the first administration does not differ significantly with those of the second one. For all sections of the NCS the ICC reports values greater than 0.85. CONCLUSIONS the Nurse Competence Scale appears valid in its Italian version and it might be used to measure the competences of Italian nurses.
Organisational choices in public procurement: what can public management learn from the private sector?

ABSTRACT In the public context, the efficient and effective management of procurement activities has a crucial impact on the achievement of operational and broader government objectives. In particular, the potential contribution of procurement within local governments has been broadly recognized, and organisational procurement choices represent a strategic aspect that must be managed to contribute to these objectives. Through the analysis of data on 371 Italian municipalities, this paper discusses how to design procurement organisation variables for local governments. Three possible organisational models are identified (i.e., authoritative procurement, silo procurement, and local procurement) and discussed from the perspective of internal and external contingencies that may affect organisational decisions.
Exploring the social reporting practices of public schools: survey and cluster analysis of the Italian educational system*

ABSTRACT Reforms in the Italian educational sector have led schools to become more accountable. Social Reporting (SR) is an effective response to stakeholders’ increasing demand for information and an innovative public accountability tool for Italian Public Schools (IPSs). Using a survey and cluster analysis, our study investigates current awareness and adoption of SR practices to improve the accountability of IPSs. The results show that SR practices are still underused and that IPSs fall into two main groups: “early movers”, which are highly sensitive to this tool and will employ it earlier, and “latecomers”, which show less awareness.
Gravity replacement during running in simulated microgravity.

INTRODUCTION During treadmill exercise on the International Space Station (ISS), a restoring load from a subject load device (SLD) is applied through a shoulder-and-waist harness to pull the exercising crewmember toward the treadmill surface. The capacity of this arrangement to provide 1-g-like reaction forces may be critical for effective use of the treadmill as a countermeasure to musculoskeletal changes during prolonged spaceflight. This study in simulated microgravity evaluated the comfort and function during running of the ISS harness used with a new SLD in a system that allows more even distribution of the load between the waist and shoulders. METHODS Using a zero-gravity locomotion simulator, 12 subjects completed three 5-min running trials at a constant speed (3.35 m x s(-1)) using three SLD loads [50%, 75%, and 100% of bodyweight (BW)] presented at random and a shoulder-to-waist loading ratio of 50:50. Subjective ratings of discomfort, ground reaction forces (GRFs), and SLD loads were collected. RESULTS A load of 100% BW resulted in similar GRF profiles (peak and rate of change of force) to those reported for 1-g running over ground and were also comfortably tolerated (mean Borg scale rating 3.9/10). DISCUSSION With an appropriate harness and SLD system, 1-g-like GRF profiles can be generated at the feet during simulated microgravity running. Such forces can be achieved with a level of discomfort rated better than "somewhat uncomfortable," suggesting that running with 1-g loads could be an effective component of musculoskeletal countermeasures during long-duration spaceflight.
Contraception and unexplained abdominal pain

Objective To test the hypothesis that hospital referral for unexplained abdominal pain might occur less frequently in oral contraceptive (OC) users and more frequently in intrauterine device (IUD) users than in other women. Design Prospective cohort study of 17 032 women using different methods of contraception [the Oxford-Family Planning Association (FPA) contraceptive study]. Outcome measure Referral to hospital for unexplained abdominal pain (including pelvic pain) coded to ICD rubric 785.5 in the 8th Revision of the ICD. Results Referral was decreased by 13% (95% CI 0%-25%) in current or recent users of OCs in comparison with non-users, a difference that just reached statistical significance. No significant difference was found in the corresponding analysis for IUD users. Past users of OCs had much the same risk of referral as non-users, but the risk of referral in past users of an IUD was increased at all intervals examined, varying from 17% (95% CI -14%-55%) 13-24 months after discontinuation to 56% (95% CI 15%-107%) 73-96 months after discontinuation. Referral was 29% (95% CI 11%-50%) higher in smokers of 15 or more cigarettes a day than in non-smokers. Conclusion Referral to hospital for unexplained abdominal pain may be slightly reduced in current or recent OC users and moderately increased in past IUD users. The types of IUD used most commonly in the Oxford-FPA study are, however, no longer in current use today. Hospital referral for unexplained abdominal pain seems to be moderately increased in heavy cigarette smokers.
Survival of bacteria in seawater using a diffusion chamber apparatus in situ

A microbiological survival chamber for in situ environmental studies involving microorganisms of public health significance was developed. The autoclavable chamber was provided with a supportive base for proper flow orientation and a battery-powered stirring mechanism for continuous internal agitation. The performance of the chamber and its ancillary units was evaluated in estuarine waters by diffusion studies and survival tests with eight species of bacteria isolated from environmental sources. Polycarbonate filter membranes were found superior to cellulosic filter membranes. Continuous mixing enhanced diffusion and ensured uniform cell suspension. Salmonella enteritidis and Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibited somewhat greater viability than Escherichia coli under similar conditions. Of three indicator organisms tested, Streptococcus faecalis was the most persistent. In general, the data obtained indicate the usefulness of the chamber in measurements of microbial survival in the natural marine environment.
How Do Rating Agencies’ Decisions Impact Stock Markets? A Meta‐Analysis

The purpose of this study is to examine how credit rating agencies&#8217; decisions impact the stock market using a systematic and quantitative review of existing empirical studies. Specifically, we employ a meta&#8208;regression analysis (MRA) to investigate the extent and nature of the effect of rating agencies&#8217; decisions on the stock market. We survey 62 studies published between 1978 and 2015. Our first finding is that the cumulative average abnormal returns calculated from this empirical literature are affected by publication bias. After controlling for publication bias, the main findings of our meta&#8208;analysis indicate that negative rating decisions cause statistically significant negative abnormal returns. This evidence suggests an informational effect. Our results also indicate that positive rating decisions do not have a significant effect. Finally, the MRA results reveal the importance of several factors related to primary study design, as well as to the nature of the data.
Morphological and molecular evidence for hybridization and introgression in a willow (Salix) hybrid zone

Hybrid zones provide biologists with the opportunity to examine genetic and ecological interactions between differentiated populations. Accurate identification of hybrid genealogies is considered a necessary prerequisite to understanding observed patterns of hybridization–related phenomena. We analysed molecular and morphological data from individuals in a hybrid zone between two species of willows (Salix sericea Marshall and S. eriocephala Michaux) and report the use of randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), chloroplast DNA (cpDNA), and ribosomal DNA (rDNA) markers, as well as vegetative morphology and foliar chemistry data to identify individuals in terms of hybrid genealogy and to infer the direction and extent of backcrossing and introgression within the hybrid zone. A novel version of a maximum likelihood estimate approach (developed for this study) was used to calculate hybrid index scores from RAPD marker data; this method produced results similar to those obtained using traditional arithmetic methods. Distribution of rDNA, cpDNA, and chemistry data were examined within the graphical context of RAPD–based hybrid index score histograms and principal component analyses (PCA) on RAPD and morphology data. Seven of the 21 plants classified as S. eriocephala in the field were possible introgressants. Another plant presented an unequivocal example of backcrossed S. sericea chemistry and RAPD markers. Inter– and intraspecific chloroplast diversity found within the hybrid zone suggests both historic introgression (perhaps in a glacial refugium), and contemporary hybridization. Patterns of inheritance and expression within the hybrid zone suggest that morphological characters are often not expressed in a simple additive fashion, and problems associated with both morphological and molecular data are considered.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: The role of multinational oil corporations (MNOCs) in Nigeria: more exploitation equals less development of oil-rich Niger Delta region

We, the Editors and Publisher of Review of African Political Economy, have retracted the following article: Oluwaniyi, Oluwatoyin O. 2018. “The Role of Multinational Oil Corporations (MNOCs) in Nigeria: More Exploitation Equals Less Development of Oil-rich Niger Delta Region. ” Review of African Political Economy 45 (158): 558-573. doi:10.1080/03056244.2018. 1546687. The above-named Review of African Political Economy article has been retracted and should not be cited. Following publication of the above article in print and online, it has been determined that the paper has been previously published elsewhere. The Editors together with the publishers of the journal, Taylor & Francis, note that we received, peer-reviewed, accepted, and published the article on the basis of warranties made by the author regarding its originality and provenance. We have been informed in our decision-making by our publishing ethics and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines on retractions. The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as “Retracted”.
Enthesis inflammation in recurrent acute anterior uveitis without spondylarthritis.

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether patients with idiopathic recurrent acute anterior uveitis (AAU) have enthesis alterations comparable with those in patients with spondylarthritis (SpA). METHODS A blinded, controlled study of enthesis evident on ultrasound (US) examination was performed in 100 patients and controls classified into 5 groups, as follows: patients with confirmed SpA (group 1), patients with recurrent AAU who were positive for HLA-B27 and did not have SpA (group 2), patients with recurrent AAU who were negative for HLA-B27 and did not have SpA (group 3), patients with forms of uveitis other than those related to SpA (group 4), and healthy controls (group 5). In total, 12 enthesis locations were explored in each patient and control subject by 2 ultrasonographers who were blinded with regard to the diagnosis. A newly developed US method, the Madrid Sonography Enthesitis Index (MASEI), in which the diagnosis of SpA is determined as a cutoff score of 18 points, was used. RESULTS A total of 1,200 entheses were explored by US in 100 patients and controls. The MASEI cutoff limit was met or exceeded by 81%, 55.6%, 40%, 10%, and 19% of the subjects in the 5 groups, respectively. The MASEI score was significantly higher in groups 1 and 2 than in groups 4 and 5. The differences between groups 1 and 3 were also found to be significant. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that a high percentage of HLA-B27-positive patients with idiopathic recurrent AAU without features of SpA have enthesis lesions comparable with those seen in patients with SpA. These data suggest that patients with recurrent AAU, especially those who are HLA-B27 positive, have an abortive or incomplete form of SpA.