Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Premenstrual symptoms and perimenopausal depression.

OBJECTIVE The role of ovarian steroids in both premenstrual dysphoria and perimenopausal depression has led to the suggestion that these conditions represent expressions of the same underlying disorder. Premenstrual mood symptoms were evaluated in women with perimenopause-related depression. METHOD Self-reports and daily symptom ratings during one menstrual cycle were examined in 70 depressed perimenopausal women attending a menopause clinic and 35 nondepressed perimenopausal women. RESULTS Twenty-six percent of the depressed and 9% of the nondepressed women reported premenstrual symptoms. Thirty-one percent of the depressed and 20% of the nondepressed women met criteria for significant menses-related symptom cyclicity (at least a 30% increase in the average ratings of at least two of four measured negative mood symptoms in the premenstrual versus the postmenstrual week); 5 of these depressed women and none of the comparison subjects described premenstrual symptoms on self-reports. Finally, 21% of the depressed and 3% of the nondepressed women met criteria for premenstrual dysphoria (symptom cyclicity and at least moderate severity, with symptoms exceeding a minimum luteal symptom severity threshold of 2.5). CONCLUSIONS A higher-than-expected rate of menses-related symptom cyclicity and premenstrual dysphoria was observed in perimenopausal depressed women. However, neither menses-related symptom cyclicity nor premenstrual dysphoria was an invariant accompaniment of perimenopausal depression. Additionally, the rate of premenstrual dysphoria was not predicted by initial self-reports.
Prognostic predictive values of serum cytochrome c, cytokines, and other laboratory measurements in acute encephalopathy with multiple organ failure

Aims: To evaluate the prognostic predictive values of cytochrome c, cytokines, and other laboratory measurements in serum collected during neurological onset in acute encephalopathy with multiple organ failure. Methods: In addition to general laboratory examinations, the concentrations of cytochrome c (apoptosis marker) and cytokines (inflammatory markers) were measured in serum samples collected at the initial phase in 29 patients with acute encephalopathy. The obtained values were evaluated as predictors for the development of severe encephalopathy. Results: Cytochrome c, tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6), soluble TNF-receptor 1 (sTNF-R1), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) concentrations at the initial phase were high and correlated well with patient outcome. High concentrations of serum cytochrome c (>45 ng/ml), sTNF-R1 (>2000 pg/ml), AST (>58 IU/dl), IL-6 (>60 pg/ml), and TNF-α (>15 pg/ml) predicted an unfavourable prognosis (sequelae and death) at 93%, 79%, 82%, 77%, and 60%, respectively. The specificity of those markers was 100%, 89%, 83%, 100%, and 100%, respectively. Conclusions: Serum cytochrome c is the most sensitive and specific predictor for the development of severe encephalopathy at the initial phase. Results suggest that this marker might be used to guide decisions regarding the start of the initial treatment and further intensive care.
Adhesion dynamics of porcine esophageal fibroblasts on extracellular matrix protein-functionalized poly(lactic acid)

Effective attachment of esophageal cells on biomaterials is one important requirement in designing engineered esophagus substitute for esophageal cancer treatment. In this study, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) was subjected to surface modification by coupling extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins on its surface to promote cell adhesion. Two typical ECM proteins, collagen type I (COL) and fibronectin (FN), were immobilized on the PLA surface with the aid of glutaraldehyde as a cross linker between aminolyzed PLA and ECM proteins. By using confocal reflectance interference contrast microscopy (C-RICM) integrating with phase contrast microscopy, the long-term adhesion dynamics of porcine esophageal fibroblasts (PEFs) on four types of surfaces (unmodified PLA, PLA-COOH, PLA-COL and PLA-FN) was investigated during 24 h of culture. It is demonstrated by C-RICM results that PEFs form strong adhesion contact on all four types of surfaces at different stages of cell seeding. Among the four surfaces, PEFs on the PLA-FN surface reach the maximum adhesion energy (9.5 × 10−7 J m−2) in the shortest time (20 min) during the initial stage of cell seeding. After adhesion energy reaches the maximum value, PEFs maintain their highly deformed geometries till they reached a steady state after 20 h of culture. F-actin immunostaining results show that the evolvement of spatial organization of F-actin is tightly correlated with the formation of adhesion contact and cell spreading. Furthermore, the cell attachment ratio of PEFs on PLA in 2 h is only 26% compared with 88% on PLA-FN, 73% on PLA-COL and 36% on PLA-COOH. All the results demonstrate the effect of surface functionalization on the biophysical responses of PEFs in cell adhesion. Fibronectin-immobilized PLA demonstrates promising potential for application as an engineered esophagus substitute.
Advice on teaching CS, and the learnability of programming languages

The Communications Web site, http://cacm.acm. org, features more than a dozen bloggers in the BLOG@CACM community. In each issue of Communications, we'll publish selected posts or excerpts. twitter Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/blogCACM http://cacm.acm. org/blogs/blog-cacm Valerie Barr considers how attitude can impact teacher effectiveness, while Mark Guzdial suggests the ultimate focus in teaching programming languages should be on usability.
Kinetoplast DNA-encoded ribosomal protein S12

Mitochondrial ribosomes of Trypanosoma brucei are composed of 9S and 12S rRNAs, which are encoded by the kinetoplast genome, and more than 150 proteins encoded in the nucleus and imported from the cytoplasm. However, a single ribosomal protein RPS12 is encoded by the kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) in all trypanosomatid species examined. As typical for these organisms, the gene itself is cryptic and its transcript undergoes an extensive U-insertion/deletion editing. An evolutionary trend to reduce or eliminate RNA editing could be traced with other cryptogenes, but the invariably pan-edited RPS12 cryptogene is apparently spared. Here we inquired whether editing of RPS12 mRNA is essential for mitochondrial translation. By RNAi-mediated knockdowns of RNA editing complexes and inducible knock-in of a key editing enzyme in procyclic parasites, we could reversibly downregulate production of edited RPS12 mRNA and, by inference, synthesis of this protein. While inhibition of editing decreased edited mRNA levels, the translation of edited (Cyb) and unedited (COI) mRNAs was blocked. Furthermore, the population of SSU-related 45S complexes declined upon inactivation of editing and so did the amount of mRNA-bound ribosomes. In bloodstream parasites, which lack active electron transport chain but still require translation of ATP synthase subunit 6 mRNA (A6), both edited RPS12 and A6 mRNAs were detected in translation complexes. Collectively, our results indicate that a single ribosomal protein gene retained by the kinetoplast mitochondrion serves as a possible functional link between editing and translation processes and provide the rationale for the evolutionary conservation of RPS12 pan-editing.
Autonomous Pose Detection and Alignment of Suction Modules of a Biped Wall-Climbing Robot

Vacuum adsorption is a simple but effective attaching method widely used in many fields including robotic wall climbing. It is required that the sucker is aligned well with the target surface to form airtight chamber for vacuum generation. For applications in biped wall-climbing robots, automatically aligning the sucker with the wall is beneficial and important to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of vacuum adsorption. Especially, such a function is essential for autonomous intelligent climbing. To this end, we propose a novel and low-cost approach to perform autonomous alignment of a sucker (suction module) based on noncontact sensors. We first develop a sensing system to detect the configuration of the swinging suction module with respect to the target surface, and then present an algorithm to compute the configuration transformation and control the robot to drive the suction cups toward the target surface with a well-aligned configuration for adherence. In this paper, the basic theory for autonomous pose detection and alignment of the suction module for wall climbing with a biped robot is presented. Specifically, the key configuration of the swinging suction module for adsorption is analyzed, and the pose detection model, the conditions for forming airtight chamber, and the autonomous alignment algorithm are introduced. Calibration of the sensing system and experiments with our biped wall-climbing robot W-Climbot is conducted. The results have verified the feasibility, effectiveness and applicability of the proposed sensing system, theoretical analysis and the algorithm for autonomous pose detection and alignment of the suction modules.
Patellar Tendon Ultrasonography in Asymptomatic Active Athletes Reveals Hypoechoic Regions: A Study of 320 Tendons

ObjectiveTo compare patellar tendon sonographic findings in active, currently asymptomatic, elite athletes with those in nonathletic controls. DesignCross-sectional cohort study with convenience control sample. SettingThe Victorian Institute of Sport Tendon Study Group, an institutional elite athlete study group in Australia. Patients and ParticipantsTwo hundred elite male and female athletes from the sports of basketball, cricket, netball, and Australian rules football. Forty athletes who had current symptoms of jumper's knee were excluded from analysis, leaving 320 subject tendons in athletes who were currently asymptomatic. Twenty-seven nonathletic individuals served as controls. Main Outcome MeasureSonographic patellar tendon appearance. We measured the dimensions of subject tendons and noted the presence or absence of hypoechoic regions and tendon calcification. Dimensions of hypoechoic regions were measured, and approximate cross-sectional areas were calculated. Chi-squared analysis was used to test the prevalence of hypoechoic regions in subjects and controls and men and women. ResultsIn currently asymptomatic subjects, hypoechoic regions were more prevalent in athlete tendons (22%) than in controls (4%), in male subject tendons (30%) than in female subjects (14%), and in basketball players (32%) than in other athletes (9%) (all p < 0.01). Bilateral tendon abnormalities were equally prevalent in men and women but more prevalent in basketball players (15%) than in other athletes (3%) (p < 0.05). Sonographic hypoechoic regions were present in 35 of 250 (14%) patellar tendons in athletes who had never had anterior knee pain. ConclusionsPatellar tendon sonographic hypoechoic areas were present in asymptomatic patellar tendons of a proportion of elite athletes but rarely present in controls. This has implications for clinicians managing athletes with anterior knee pain.
Isolation and characterization of 19 polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers in the Japanese brown frog (Rana japonica)

We report the isolation and characterization of 19 polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers in the Japanese brown frog (Rana japonica). These markers were tested in 24 individuals each collected from three distinct populations in Ichikai‐machi, Tochigi Prefecture. The number of observed alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 24 across all populations, and the values of observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.130 to 1 and from 0.125 to 0.941, respectively. These microsatellite loci will be useful for investigating the intraspecific genetic variation and population structure of this species.
Visual Analysis System for Features and Distances Qualitative Assessment: Application to Word Image Matching

In this paper, a visual analysis system to qualitatively assess the features and distance functions that are used for calculating dissimilarity between two word images is presented. Computation of dissimilarity between two images is the prerequisite for image matching, indexing and retrieval problems. First, the features are extracted from the word images and a distance between each image to others is computed and represented in a matrix form. Then, based on this distance matrix, a proximity graph is built to structure the set of word images and highlight their topology. The proposed visual analysis system is a web based platform that allows visualisation and interactions on the obtained graph. This interactive visualisation tool inherently helps users to quickly analyse and understand the relevance and robustness of selected features and corresponding distance function in a unsupervised way, i.e. without any ground truth. Experiments are performed on a handwritten dataset of segmented words. Three types of features and four distance functions are considered to describe and compare the word images. Theses material are leveraged to evaluate the relevance of the built graph, and the usefulness of the platform.
Molecular epidemiology of TEM-3 (CTX-1) beta-lactamase

A total of 33 clinical isolates encoding TEM-3 (CTX-1) from four French hospitals were studied. The strains belonged to seven species, Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 24), Escherichia coli (n = 3), Serratia marcescens (n = 2), Citrobacter freundii (n = 1), Enterobacter aerogenes (n = 1), Enterobacter cloacae (n = 1), and Klebsiella oxytoca (n = 1). All the strains harbored an Inc7 or M self-transferable plasmid with a size of approximately 85 kilobases. The plasmids had closely related EcoRI, HincII, HindIII, and PvuII restriction endonuclease-generated patterns and conferred resistance to all beta-lactams, except cephamycins and imipenem; to tetracycline, because of the presence of the genes blatem-3 and tetC, respectively, as determined by hybridization with specific probes; and to sulfonamide. Depending on the presence or absence and level of expression of the genes aacA4, aadA, and dfrI and of insertion element IS15, four types of plasmids could be distinguished. Plasmid pCFF04, the prototype plasmid encoding TEM-3, was widespread and appeared, by Southern hybridization, as the progenitor of the other types of replicons. The plasmid epidemic responsible for dissemination of TEM-3 in clinical isolates of members of the family Enterobacteriaceae may have originated in S. marcescens since pCFF04 was first detected in this species.
A comparison of traditional and computer-aided bracket placement methods.

OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that there is no difference in the accuracy of bracket placement produced by OrthoCAD iQ indirect bonding (IDB) and that of an in-house fabricated IDB system by measuring the quality of intra-arch dental alignment at the end of simulated orthodontic treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty-eight artificial teeth were arranged to resemble a typical preorthodontic malocclusion. Forty-six sets of models were duplicated from the original malocclusion and randomly divided into two sample groups. Half of the models had their bracket positions selected by OrthoCAD, while the others were completed by a combination of faculty and residents in a university orthodontic department. Indirect bonding trays were fabricated for each sample and the brackets were transferred back to the original malocclusion following typical bonding protocol. The individual teeth were ligated on a . 021 × . 025-inch stainless steel archwire to simulate their posttreatment positions. The two sample groups were compared using the objective grading system (OGS) originally designed by the American Board of Orthodontics. RESULTS The mean total OGS score for the OrthoCAD sample group was 39.25 points, while the traditional IDB technique scored 41.00 points. No statistical difference was found between total scores or any of the four components evaluated. Similar ranges of scores were observed, with the OrthoCAD group scoring from 30 to 52 points and the traditional IDB group scoring from 33 to 53 points. CONCLUSIONS The hypothesis is not accepted. OrthoCAD iQ does not currently offer a system that can position orthodontic brackets better or more reliably than traditional indirect bonding techniques.
A 6-month comparative clinical study of a conventional and a new surgical approach for root coverage with acellular dermal matrix.

BACKGROUND The acellular dermal matrix graft (ADMG) has become widely used in periodontal surgeries as a substitute for the subepithelial connective tissue graft (SCTG). These grafts exhibit different healing processes due to their distinct cellular and vascular structures. Therefore the surgical technique primarily developed for the autograft may not be adequate for the allograft. This study compared the clinical results of two surgical techniques--the "conventional" and a modified procedure--for the treatment of localized gingival recessions with the ADMG. METHODS A total of 32 bilateral Miller Class I or II gingival recessions were selected and randomly assigned to test and control groups. The control group received the SCTG and the test group the modified surgical technique. Probing depth (PD), relative clinical attachment level (RCAL), gingival recession (GR), and width of keratinized tissue (KT) were measured 2 weeks prior to surgery and 6 months post-surgery. RESULTS Both procedures improved all the evaluated parameters after 6 months. Comparisons between the groups by Mann-Whitney rank sum test revealed no statistically significant differences in terms of CAL gain, PD reduction, and increase in KT from baseline to 6-month evaluation. However, there was a statistically significant greater reduction of GR favoring the modified technique (P = 0.002). The percentage of root coverage was 79% for the test group and 63.9% for the control group. CONCLUSION We conclude that the modified technique is more suitable for root coverage procedures with the ADMG since it had statistically significant better clinical results compared to the traditional technique.
Common and Distinctive Pathogenetic Features of Arteriovenous Malformations in Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia 1 and Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia 2 Animal Models—Brief Report

Objective— Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia is a genetic disorder characterized by visceral and mucocutaneous arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Clinically indistinguishable hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia 1 and hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia 2 are caused by mutations in ENG and ALK1, respectively. In this study, we have compared the development of visceral and mucocutaneous AVMs in adult stages between Eng- and Alk1-inducible knockout (iKO) models. Approach and Results— Eng or Alk1 were deleted from either vascular endothelial cells (ECs) or smooth muscle cells in adult stages using Scl-CreER and Myh11-CreER lines, respectively. Latex perfusion and intravital spectral imaging in a dorsal skinfold window chamber system were used to visualize remodeling vasculature during AVM formation. Global Eng deletion resulted in lethality with visceral AVMs and wound-induced skin AVMs. Deletion of Alk1 or Eng in ECs, but not in smooth muscle cells, resulted in wound-induced skin AVMs. Visceral AVMs were observed in EC-specific Alk1-iKO but not in Eng-iKO. Intravital spectral imaging revealed that Eng-iKO model exhibited more dynamic processes for AVM development when compared with Alk1-iKO model. Conclusions— Both Alk1- and Eng-deficient models require a secondary insult, such as wounding, and ECs are the primary cell type responsible for the pathogenesis. However, Alk1 but not Eng deletion in ECs results in visceral AVMs.
Kalirin‐7, an important component of excitatory synapses, is regulated by estradiol in hippocampal neurons

Estradiol enhances the formation of dendritic spines and excitatory synapses in hippocampal neurons in vitro and in vivo, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Kalirin‐7 (Kal7), the major isoform of Kalirin in the adult hippocampus, is a Rho GDP/GTP exchange factor localized to postsynaptic densities. In the hippocampus, both Kal7 and estrogen receptor α (ERα) are highly expressed in a subset of interneurons. Over‐expression of Kal7 caused an increase in spine density and size in hippocampal neurons. To determine whether Kalirin might play a role in the effects of estradiol on spine formation, Kal7 expression was examined in the hippocampus of ovariectomized rats. Estradiol replacement increased Kal7 staining in both CA1 pyramidal neurons and interneurons in ovariectomized rats. Estradiol treatment of cultured hippocampal neurons increased Kal7 levels at the postsynaptic side of excitatory synapses and increased the number of excitatory synapses along the dendrites of pyramidal neurons. These increases were mediated via ERα because a selective ERα agonist, but not a selective ERβ agonist, caused a similar increase in both Kal7 levels and excitatory synapse number in cultured hippocampal neurons. When Kal7 expression was reduced using a Kal7‐specific shRNA, the density of excitatory synapses was reduced and estradiol was no longer able to increase synapse formation. Expression of exogenous Kal7 in hippocampal interneurons resulted in decreased levels of GAD65 staining. Inhibition of GABAergic transmission with bicuculline produced a robust increase in Kal7 expression. These studies suggest Kal7 plays a key role in the mechanisms of estradiol‐mediated synaptic plasticity. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Assessing the loneliness of older people with cerebral palsy

Purpose. To use the University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale Version 3 to (a) explore and compare the levels of loneliness experienced between two groups of older adults (aged 40 years and over) with cerebral palsy, a group who use natural speech to communicate and a group who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and (b) to test the reliability of the UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3) when used with the older adults with cerebral palsy who use a variety of communication modes. Method. The UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3) was administered twice to two groups of older participants with cerebral palsy. Group 1 consisted of 11 participants who used natural speech and Group 2 consisted of nine participants who used augmentative and alternative communication systems. The scores from the second assessment were used to calculate test retest reliability. Results. The mean loneliness scores for the two groups indicated that older people with cerebral palsy experience more loneliness than older adults without disability. There was no significant difference between the scores of Groups 1 and 2. The UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3) is a reliable tool for use with people who communicate using a variety of communication modes. Conclusions. The UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3) items are pertinent to participants' perceived satisfaction with the quantity and quality of their relationships with others. Policy makers, service providers and the general community have a responsibility to ensure that older people with cerebral palsy are given the support they need to achieve satisfactory relationships and thus facilitate a good quality of life as they age.