Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Validation of Computerized Adaptive Testing in an Outpatient Nonacademic Setting: The VOCATIONS Trial.

OBJECTIVE Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) provides an alternative to fixed-length assessments. The study validated a suite of computerized adaptive tests for mental health (CAT-MH) in a community psychiatric sample. METHODS A total of 145 adults from a community outpatient clinic, including 19 with no history of a mental disorder (control group), were prospectively evaluated with CAT for depression (CAD-MDD and CAT-DI), mania (CAT-MANIA), and anxiety symptoms (CAT-ANX). Ratings were compared with gold-standard psychiatric assessments, including the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR (SCID), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D-25), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF). RESULTS Sensitivity and specificity for CAD-MDD were . 96 and . 64, respectively (.96 and 1.00 for major depression versus the control group). CAT for depression severity (CAT-DI) correlated well with the HAM-D-25 (r=.79), PHQ-9 (r=.90), and CES-D (r=.90) and had an odds ratio (OR) of 27.88 across its range for current SCID major depressive disorder. CAT-ANX correlated with the HAM-D-25 (r=.73), PHQ-9 (r=.78), and CES-D (r=.81) and had an OR of 11.52 across its range for current SCID generalized anxiety disorder. CAT-MANIA did not correlate well with the HAM-D-25 (r=.31), PHQ-9 (r=.37), and CES-D (r=.39), but it had an OR of 11.56 across its range for a current SCID bipolar diagnosis. Participants found the CAT-MH acceptable and easy to use, averaging 51.7 items and 9.4 minutes to complete the full battery. CONCLUSIONS Compared with gold-standard diagnostic and assessment measures, CAT-MH provided an effective, rapidly administered assessment of psychiatric symptoms.
Chemokine (C-C Motif) Receptor 1 Is Required for Efficient Recruitment of Neutrophils during Respiratory Infection with Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara

ABSTRACT Modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) serves as a versatile platform in vaccine development. This highly attenuated orthopoxvirus, which cannot replicate in mammalian cells, triggers strong innate immune responses, including cell migration. Previously, we have shown that induction of chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) by MVA is necessary for the recruitment of monocytes and T cells, but not neutrophils, to the lung. Here, we identified neutrophil-attracting chemokines produced by MVA-infected primary murine lung fibroblasts and murine bone marrow-derived macrophages. We demonstrate that MVA, but not vaccinia virus (VACV) strain WR, induces chemokine expression, which is independent of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) signaling. Additionally, we show that both chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 1 (CCR1) and chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 2 (CXCR2) are involved in MVA-induced neutrophil chemotaxis in vitro. Finally, intranasal infection of Ccr1 −/− mice with MVA, as well as application of the CCR1 antagonist J-113863, revealed a role for CCR1 in leukocyte recruitment, including neutrophils, into the lung. IMPORTANCE Rapid attraction of leukocytes to the site of inoculation is unique to MVA in comparison to other VACV strains. The findings here extend current knowledge about the regulation of MVA-induced leukocyte migration, particularly regarding neutrophils, which could potentially be exploited to improve other VACV strains currently in development as oncolytic viruses and viral vectors. Additionally, the data presented here indicate that the inflammatory response may vary depending on the cell type infected by MVA, highlighting the importance of the site of vaccine application. Moreover, the rapid recruitment of neutrophils and other leukocytes can directly contribute to the induction of adaptive immune responses elicited by MVA inoculation. Thus, a better understanding of leukocyte migration upon MVA infection is particularly relevant for further development and use of MVA-based vaccines and vectors.
Quality assurance and tests of platelet function

The United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) is currently managing the transition of Clinical Pathology Accredited (CPA) laboratory service to International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) 15189, an internationally recognised standard (ISO, 2012) which specifies the requirements for quality and competence in laboratories. It is expected that UK laboratories providing haemostasis tests will seek UKAS accreditation to ISO standards for the range of tests that are employed in their routine practice. One criterion for ISO 15189 accreditation is participation in inter-laboratory comparison programme(s)(ILC), such as external quality assessment (EQA) programmes or proficiency testing (PT) programmes (ISO, 2012). Further advice is provided in Technical Policy Statement (TPS) 47, the UKAS policy on participation in proficiency testing (UKAS, 2016). However, for some haemostasis tests it is difficult to comply with these requirements. One area in which laboratories will face difficulties in performing EQA or ILC is platelet function testing. This is because there is a relatively narrow window of time after blood samples are taken before platelet function is compromised (Harrison et al, 2011) and, in contrast to other haemostasis parameters, it is not possible to stabilise this by separating and freezing samples. Lyophilisation is also not currently an option, and consequently EQA is not available for these tests. The requirement for fresh samples also restricts availability of abnormal internal quality controls (IQC). Where no appropriate PT or ILC is available, ISO 15189 states “the laboratory shall develop other approaches and provide objective evidence for determining the acceptability of examination results,” (ISO, 2012) whilst TPS 47 states “laboratories and inspection bodies are required to demonstrate the on-going validity of their tests by other means (use of reference materials, replicate testing, etc.)” (UKAS, 2016). Suggestions are made for approaches to this, but the instability of platelets in vitro precludes many options for quality control. Moreover, because these tests are performed in many haemostasis laboratories it is preferable to reach an agreed consensus on a standardised approach to validation rather than individual laboratories and individual assessors developing or applying their own. The Haemostasis and Thrombosis Task Force of the British Society for Haematology (BSH) and UK NEQAS for Blood Coagulation have therefore sought to define an approach that could be generally adopted to ensure confidence in the results obtained in platelet function testing in the absence of PT and ILC. This may aid accreditation bodies and their assessors when platelet function is included in the test repertoire submitted for possible accreditation where a consistent approach to accreditation is required. Using the BSH guidelines on Platelet Function testing (Harrison et al, 2011) we make the following suggestions:
The AHOLAB RPS SSD spoofing challenge 2015 submission

This paper introduces the Synthetic Speech Detection system developed by Aholab for the Automatic Speaker Verification Spoofing and Countermeasures Challenge (ASVspoof 2015). The detector is a classifier based on Gaussian Mixture Models that are created using the Relative Phase Shift (RPS) transformation for the phase information. Different strategies have been evaluated: modeling the specific attacks using the information provided by the ASVspoof 2015 organizers, and modeling the vocoders possibly used in the spoofing signals, using data from previous works. The evaluation results show that attack specific models work for known attacks but they do not cope with the unknown attacks correctly. When using vocoder models build with other databases, the results suggest that the followed strategy do not take advantage of the available data and thus model adaptation should be explored. Index Terms: synthetic speech detection, phase information, anti-spoofing
Tracking sound speed field under internal wave perturbation with the unscented Kalman filter

Model-based signal processing methods, such as matched-field processing, are concerned with exploiting the combination of the sound propagation physics in an ocean waveguide and the observation data. As such, they require accurate knowledge of the ocean acoustic environment. Tracking of environmental uncertainties is of great interest for model-based signal processing. This paper further develops the approach of acoustic data assimilation (ADA) for tracking the sound speed field under internal wave perturbations. Specifically, the sequential method of the UKF is used to implement the ADA for solving the nonlinear tracking problem. The simulation results demonstrate the validity of the developed approach.
Type II DNA restriction-modification system and an endonuclease from the ruminal bacterium Fibrobacter succinogenes S85

Fibrobacter succinogenes is an important cellulolytic bacterium found in the rumen and cecum of herbivores. Numerous attempts to introduce foreign DNA into F. succinogenes S85 have failed, suggesting the presence of genetic barriers in this organism. Results from this study clearly demonstrate that F. succinogenes S85 possesses a type II restriction endonuclease, FsuI, which recognizes the sequence 5'-GG(A/T)CC-3'. Analysis of the restriction products on sequencing gels showed that FsuI cleaves between the two deoxyguanosine residues, yielding a 3-base 5' protruding end. These data demonstrate that FsuI is an isoschizomer of AvaII. A methyltransferase activity has been identified in the cell extract of F. succinogenes S85. This activity modified DNA in vitro and protected the DNA from the restriction by FsuI and AvaII. DNA modified in vivo by a cloned methylase gene, which codes for M.Eco47II, also protected the DNA from restriction by FsuI, suggesting that FsuI is inhibited by methylation at one or both deoxycytosine residues of the recognition sequence. The methyltransferase activity in F. succinogenes S85 is likely modifying the same deoxycytosine residues, but the exact site(s) is unknown. A highly active DNase (DNase A) was also isolated from the cell extract of this organism. DNase A is an endonuclease which showed high activity on all forms of DNA (single stranded, double-stranded, linear, and circular) but no activity on RNA. In vitro, the DNase A hydrolyzed F. succinogenes S85 DNA extensively, indicating the lack of protection against hydrolysis by this enzyme. In the presence of Mg2+, DNA was hydrolyzed to fragments of 8 to 10 nucleotides in length. The presence of DNase A and the type II restriction-modification system of F. succinogenes S85 may be the barriers preventing the introduction of foreign DNA into this bacterium.
A low cost flight simulator using virtual reality tools

A helicopter simulator is built using Head-Mount-Displays (HMD) and Data Gloves with trackers to test the viability of virtual reality tools in low-cost flight simulation. The simulator uses FlightGear as its simulation environment and an in-house developed UH-1H helicopter flight dynamics model. Running several clone simulations on different computers allowed stereo imaging on the HMD and instructor station applications. Data Gloves with trackers enabled interaction with the virtual cockpit.
Value Pluralism, Intuitions, and Reflective Equilibrium

A constructivist approach to ethics must include some process—such as John Rawls’s reflective equilibrium—for moving from initial evaluative judgments to those that one can affirm. Margaret Urban Walker’s feminist version of reflective equilibrium incorporates what she calls “transparency testing” to weed out pernicious, ideologically shaped intuitions. However, in light of empirical work on the plurality of values and on the cognitive processes through which people arrive at moral judgments (i.e., an automatic, intuitive process and/or a controlled reasoning process), I raise one concern: some moral requirements can only be grasped intuitively and should not have to be affirmed from the perspective of other confidently held values. For Harry Frankfurt, the “requirements of love” are one such example; failing to fulfill these requirements is, for someone who loves, unthinkable; one transgresses the associated values merely by considering sacrificing them. I suggest—citing empirical work on “sacred values” (such as the work of Philip Tetlock)—that to subject these requirements to transparency testing would be to transgress them by having “one thought too many” (as in the work of Bernard Williams). One’s confidence in these values and the authority of these values depend on an automatic process. I consider the risks, and the necessity, of embracing both intuitive and reasoning processes for affirming the authority of a plurality of moral values.
Serologic Response of Roosters to Gradient Dosage Levels of a Commercially Available Live F Strain-Derived Mycoplasma gallisepticum Vaccine Over Time

SUMMARY. Spray application is a commonly used, time- and labor-efficient means to deliver live Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) vaccine to laying hens in commercial production facilities. The dosage of vaccine received by spray-vaccinated birds can vary due to variation in the spray plume and the vaccine suspension droplet trajectory. In this study, a total of 48 Hy-Line W-36 males were placed individually in isolation units following eye-drop application of gradient levels (1×, 10−1×, 10−2×, 10−3×, 10−4×, 10−5×, 10−6×, and unvaccinated control) of the MG vaccine. The determined titer associated with a 1× dose was 2 × 106 colony-forming units/dose. Serologic response was assessed weekly following vaccination via serum plate agglutination (SPA) for weeks one through seven postvaccination (p.v.). In addition, immunologic response was assessed at 5, 6, and 7 wk p.v. via MG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). As indicated by SPA analyses, a 1× dose of vaccine resulted in 100% seroconversion, and dose levels of 10−1× and 10−2× resulted in 75% and 37.5% seroconversion, respectively, at 6 wk p.v. The MG ELISA results at 6 wk p.v. demonstrated immunologic responses in 100%, 57.1%, and 28.6% of the 1×, 10−1×, and 10−2× dosed birds, respectively. The lower dosage levels of 10−3×, 10−4×, 10−5×, and 10−6× did not elicit a response from any bird at 6 wk p.v. Utilizing the SPA data, a logistic regression model was used to determine the relationship between dosage level and seroconversion rate (R2 = 0.999 with a standard error of prediction of 1.6%). The model predicted a required effective dosage of 0.26× for 90% seroconversion at 6 wk p.v. under test conditions.
Novel proteins for homocysteine biosynthesis in anaerobic microorganisms

The metabolic network for sulfide assimilation and trafficking in methanogens is largely unknown. To discover novel proteins required for these processes, we used bioinformatics to identify genes co‐occurring with the protein biosynthesis enzyme SepCysS, which converts phosphoseryl‐tRNACys to cysteinyl‐tRNACys in nearly all methanogens. Exhaustive analysis revealed three conserved protein families, each containing molecular signatures predicting function in sulfur metabolism. One of these families, classified within clusters of orthologous groups (COG) 1900, possesses two conserved cysteine residues and is often found in genomic contexts together with known sulfur metabolic genes. A second protein family is predicted to bind two 4Fe‐4S clusters. All three genes were also identified in more than 50 strictly anaerobic bacterial genera from nine distinct phyla. Gene‐deletion and growth experiments in Methanosarcina acetivorans, using sulfide as the sole sulfur source, demonstrate that two of the proteins (MA1821 and MA1822) are essential to homocysteine biosynthesis in a background lacking an additional gene for sulfur insertion into homocysteine. Mutational analysis confirms the importance of several structural elements, including a conserved cysteine residue and the predicted 4Fe‐4S cluster‐binding domain.
Clinical trial of survivors' cardiorespiratory patterns as therapeutic goals in critically ill postoperative patients.

The hypothesis was tested that the median values of survivors of life-threatening postoperative conditions, rather than the norms of unstressed healthy volunteers, are the appropriate therapeutic goals for critically ill postoperative patients. The authors studied prospectively a series of 100 consecutive critically ill postoperative patients; normal values were used as the therapeutic goals of the control patients, while the median values of survivors were used as the goals of therapy for the protocol group. The age, sex, primary illness, surgical operation, lowest mean arterial pressure (MAP), time in hypotension incidence of severe hypotension (MAP greater than 50 mm Hg), and presence of associated severe medical illnesses (defined by predetermined criteria) were comparable in the control and protocol groups; i.e., clinical conditions of the protocol group were at least as severe as those of the control group. The mortality was significantly less in the protocol group (13%) than in the control group (48%); the number of life-threatening complications were also greater in the control group. These data suggest that the cardiorespiratory pattern of survivors are the appropriate goals of therapy for critically ill patients.
Closed-form expression for mutual impedance of the short not-too-closely spaced dipoles with constant current distribution

Closed-form expression for mutual impedance of not-too-closely spaced short dipoles with constant current distribution is derived analytically using definition integral relation based on a method of electromotive forces (EMF) and approximation of sine and cosine functions by two or three terms of Taylor series expansion. The values given by analytical expressions are compared with the ones calculated numerically and relative error is presented up to the dipole distance of λ0. The derived expressions might be beneficial for evaluation of e.g. input resistance of close but not-too-closely spaced elements in multi-element monopole arrays.
The Relationship between Loudness Intensity Functions and the Click‐ABR Wave V Latency

Objective: To assess the relationship of loudness growth and the click‐evoked auditory brain stem response (ABR) wave V latency‐intensity function (LIF) in listeners with normal hearing or cochlear hearing loss. The effect of hearing loss configuration on the intensity functions was also examined. Design: Behavioral and electrophysiological intensity functions were obtained using click stimuli of comparable intensities in listeners with normal hearing (Group I; n = 10), and cochlear hearing loss of flat(Group II; n = 10) or sloping (Group III; n = 10) configurations. Individual intensity functions were obtained from measures of loudness growth using the psychophysical methods of absolute magnitude estimation and production of loudness (geometrically averaged to provide the measured loudness function), and from the wave V latency measures of the ABR. Results: Slope analyses for the behavioral and electrophysiological intensity functions were separately performed by group. The loudness growth functions for the groups with cochlear hearing loss approximated the normal function at high intensities, with overall slope values consistent with those reported from previous psychophysical research. The ABR wave V LIF for the group with a flat configuration of cochlear hearing loss approximated the normal function at high intensities, and was displaced parallel to the normal function for the group with sloping configuration. The relationship between the behavioral and electrophysiological intensity functions was examined at individual intensities across the range of the functions for each subject. A significant relationship was obtained between loudness and the ABR wave V LIFs for the groups with normal hearing and flat configuration of cochlear hearing loss; the association was not significant (p = 0.10) for the group with a sloping configuration of cochlear hearing loss. Conclusion: The results of this study established a relationship between loudness and the ABR wave V latency for listeners with normal hearing, and flat cochlear hearing loss. In listeners with a sloping configuration of cochlear hearing loss, the relationship was not significant. This suggests that the click‐evoked ABR may be used to estimate loudness growth at least for individuals with normal hearing and those with a flat configuration of cochlear hearing loss. Predictive equations were derived to estimate loudness growth for these groups. The use of frequency‐specific stimuli may provide more precise information on the nature of the relationship between loudness growth and the ABR wave V latency, particularly for listeners with sloping configurations of cochlear hearing loss.
Sensitization of K562 Leukemia Cells to Doxorubicin by the Viscum album Extract

Toxicity of conventional chemotherapeutics highlights the requirement for complementary or alternative medicines that would reduce side effects and improve their anticancer effectiveness. European mistletoe (Viscum album) has long been used as a complementary and alternative medicine supporting cancer therapy. The aim of this study was to investigate synergistic antitumor action of V. album extract and doxorubicin during co‐treatment of chemoresistant chronic myelogenic leukemia K562 cells. Combined treatment of leukemia cells led to inhibitory synergism at sub‐apoptotic doxorubicin concentrations and multifold reduction of cytotoxic effects in healthy control cells. Prolonged co‐treatment was associated with reduced G2/M accumulation and increased expression of early and late apoptotic markers. Our data indicate that V. album extract increases antileukemic effectiveness of doxorubicin against resistant K562 cells by preventing G2/M arrest and inducing apoptosis. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
3D electron microscopic reconstruction of segments of rat cerebellar purkinje cell dendrites receiving ascending and parallel fiber granule cell synaptic inputs

Growing physiological evidence suggests that there are functional differences between synapses made by the ascending and parallel fiber segments of the granule axon on cerebellar Purkinje cells. Supporting this view, our previous electron microscopic studies suggested that these synapses also contacted different regions of the Purkinje cell dendrite, and in particular that ascending segment synapses are made exclusively on the smallest diameter Purkinje cell dendrites. In the current study we used serial electron microscopic techniques to reconstruct Purkinje cell dendritic segments up to almost 10 μm in length. Using a combination of anatomical and immunological labeling techniques we identified the ascending or parallel fiber origins of the excitatory synaptic inputs onto dendritic spines, as well as the location of inhibitory synapses made directly on the dendritic shaft. The results confirmed that there are regions of the Purkinje cell dendrite receiving exclusively ascending or parallel fiber synapses and that ascending segment synapses are only found on small‐diameter dendrites. In addition, we describe for the first time small‐diameter dendritic regions contacted by both types of excitatory synapses. While our data suggest that the majority of inhibitory inputs to the Purkinje cell tree are associated with parallel fiber synaptic inputs, we also found inhibitory inputs on dendritic regions with mixed ascending and parallel fiber inputs, or exclusively parallel fiber inputs. The finding that ascending and parallel fiber inputs can be segregated on the Purkinje cell dendritic tree provides further evidence that these excitatory granule cell synaptic inputs may be functionally distinct. J. Comp. Neurol. 514:583–594, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.