Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development and psychometric properties of an informant assessment scale of theory of mind for adults with traumatic brain injury

Impairment of theory of mind (ToM) is a common phenomenon following traumatic brain injury (TBI) that has clear effects on patients’ social functioning. A growing body of research has focused on this area, and several methods have been developed to assess ToM deficiency. Although an informant assessment scale would be useful for examining individuals with TBI, very few studies have adopted this approach. The purpose of the present study was to develop an informant assessment scale of ToM for adults with traumatic brain injury (IASToM-aTBI) and to test its reliability and validity with 196 adults with TBI and 80 normal adults. A 44-item scale was developed following a literature review, interviews with patient informants, consultations with experts, item analysis, and exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The following three common factors were extracted: social interaction, understanding of beliefs, and understanding of emotions. The psychometric analyses indicate that the scale has good internal consistency reliability, split-half reliability, test-retest reliability, inter-rater reliability, structural validity, discriminate validity and criterion validity. These results provide preliminary evidence that supports the reliability and validity of the IASToM-aTBI as a ToM assessment tool for adults with TBI.
Topo-Bathymetric LiDAR for Monitoring River Morphodynamics and Instream Habitats - A Case Study at the Pielach River

Airborne LiDAR Bathymetry (ALB) has been rapidly evolving in recent years and now allows fluvial topography to be mapped in high resolution (>20 points/m2) and height accuracy (<10 cm) for both the aquatic and the riparian area. This article presents methods for enhanced modeling and monitoring of instream meso- and microhabitats based on multitemporal data acquisition. This is demonstrated for a near natural reach of the Pielach River, with data acquired from April 2013 to October 2014, covering two flood events. In comparison with topographic laser scanning, ALB requires a number of specific processing steps. We present, firstly, a novel approach for modeling the water surface in the case of sparse water surface echoes and, secondly, a strategy for improved filtering and modeling of the Digital Terrain Model of the Watercourse (DTM-W). Based on the multitemporal DTM-W we discuss the massive changes of the fluvial topography exhibiting deposition/erosion of 103 m3 caused by the 30-years flood event in May 2014. Furthermore, for the first time, such a high-resolution data source is used for monitoring of hydro-morphological units (mesohabitat scale) including the consequences for the target fish species nase (Chondrostoma nasus, microhabitat scale). The flood events caused a spatial displacement of the hydro-morphological units but did not effect their overall frequency distribution, which is considered an important habitat feature as it documents resilience against disturbances.
Improved Accuracy On-Ground Testing of Spacecraft Antennas Using Numerical Calibration of Standard Gain Horn [EM Programmer's Notebook]

High accuracy testing of spacecraft antennas is one of the primary tasks in the space industry. The gain transfer method is a widely used IEEE standard method for gain measurement. Standard gain horns (SGHs) are usually provided with theoretical gain curves such as from the U.S. Naval Research Lab (NRL) with a typical gain accuracy of 0.3 dB, which is the major contributor in the overall measurement uncertainty of a facility. However, modern spaceborne applications require gain accuracy of the order of 0.1 dB or better. For such demanding applications, SGHs need to be calibrated in a standard laboratory such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
A taxonomic study of Gardnerella vaginalis (Haemophilus vaginalis) Gardner and Dukes 1955.

Fifty-five strains received as Haemophilus vaginalis or as catalase-negative coryneform bacteria from the vagina together with 61 marker cultures were subjected to numerical phenetic analyses using 149 unit characters. The data were examined using the simple matching (SSM), Jaccard (SJ) and pattern (DP) coefficients and clustering was achieved using the average linkage algorithm. Cluster composition was not markedly affected by the coefficient used or by test error, estimated at 6 . 5%. The H. vaginalis strains formed a tight cluster which was only distantly related to representatives of the genera arthrobacter, Cellulomonas, Corynebacterium sensu stricto, Erysipelothrix, Haemophilus, Kurthia, Lactobacillus, Listeria and Propionibacterium but shared a high overall affinity to unclassified catalase-negative coryneforms which formed a discrete taxon, cluster 9. The H. vaginalis strains could be distinguished from the related strains in cluster 9 by several unrelated phenotypic characters. Using the S1 endonuclease assay, DNA-DNA hybridizations were performed with representative strains from the numerical as well as with reference strains of Bifidobacterium and Actinomyces. Haemophilus vaginalis was found to be a genotypically legitimate group and its DNA showed little homology with DNA from the marker strains tested. The DNA base composition of H. vaginalis was 42 to 44 mol % guanine plus cytosine. A new genus should be created to incorporate strains known as H. vaginalis or Corynebacterium vaginale. The name Gardnerella vaginalis proposed by Greenwood & Pickett (1979) is supported.
Insulin Decreases Isoflurane Minimum Alveolar Anesthetic Concentration in Rats Independently of an Effect on the Spinal Cord

The observation that insulin supplies an element of analgesia suggests that insulin administration might decrease the concentration of inhaled anesthetic required to produce MAC (the minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration required to eliminate movement in response to noxious stimulation in 50% of subjects). We hypothesized that insulin decreases MAC by directly affecting the nervous system, by decreasing blood glucose, or both. To test these hypotheses, we infused increasing doses of insulin either intrathecally or IV in rats anesthetized with isoflurane and determined the resulting MAC change (assessing forelimb and hindlimb movement separately). Infusion of insulin produced a dose-related decrease in MAC that did not differ among groups. That is, the IV and intrathecal infusions caused similar decreases in MAC at a given infusion rate. Blood glucose concentrations were larger in the rats given insulin with 5% dextrose. However, the percentage change in MAC determined from forelimb versus hindlimb movement did not differ. For a given insulin infusion rate, MAC changes and glucose levels did not correlate with each other, except, possibly, for the most rapid infusion rate, for which smaller glucose concentrations were associated with a marginally larger decrease in MAC. Intrathecal infusions of insulin did not produce spinal cord injury. In summary, we found that insulin decreases isoflurane MAC in a dose-related manner independently of its effects on the blood concentration of glucose. The sites at which insulin acts to decrease MAC appear to be supraspinal rather than spinal. The effect may be due to a capacity of insulin to produce analgesia through an action on one or more neurotransmitter receptors.
Topological bifurcations in networks of proximity Kuramoto oscillators

In this paper, we present a numerical study on a modified Kuramoto model, in which the oscillators are coupled only if in mutual proximity. In particular, we show that the onset of phase locking is associated to the phenomenon of topological bifurcation. When the coupling strength belongs to a finite interval of values, all the oscillators asymptotically share the same frequency, but the topology of the interconnection may converge towards different steady-state values. This emerging phenomenon is thoroughly analyzed for the case of 5 nodes, while preliminary results are illustrated for larger networks.
Nature, nurture or nutrition? Impact of maternal nutrition on maternal care, offspring development and reproductive function

• Maternal high fat nutrition during pregnancy and lactation significantly reduced maternal care during the early neonatal period; but reduced maternal care was not associated with an offspring phenotype. • Maternal high fat nutrition resulted in maternal obesity characterized by increased fat mass, hyperleptinaemia, hyperinsulinaemia. • Maternal high fat nutrition resulted in fatter offspring before puberty and advanced pubertal onset. • Adult female offspring of high fat‐fed mothers have altered reproductive function, reflected in an increased likelihood of prolonged or persistent oestrus. • These phenotypic effects were not related to maternal care suggesting that poor maternal nutrition, rather than inadequate maternal care, could be the primary driver of the observed alterations in offspring development and reproductive function.
Glioma Proliferation as Assessed by 3‘-Fluoro-3’-Deoxy-l-Thymidine Positron Emission Tomography in Patients with Newly Diagnosed High-Grade Glioma

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the in vivo derived kinetic parameters of 3′-deoxy-3′-18F-fluorothymidine (18F-FLT) and the proliferation rate measured in vitro by Ki-67 staining in patients with newly diagnosed high-grade gliomas. Experimental Design: Thirteen patients with newly diagnosed high-grade gliomas were investigated with 18F-FLT and methyl-11C- l-methionine (11C-MET) positron emission tomography (PET) and T1-, Gd-T1–, and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging on consecutive days. Tracer kinetic parameters of 18F-FLT as well as the standardized uptake value and the tumor-to-background (T/B) ratio of 18F-FLT and 11C-MET were determined. Data of kinetic modeling, standardized uptake value, and T/B values derived from 18F-FLT-PET were compared with T/B values derived from 11C-MET-PET and to the in vitro proliferation marker Ki-67. Results: A significant correlation was observed between the metabolic rate constant Ki and the proliferation index as measured by Ki-67 immunostaining [Ki, r = 0.79 (P = 0.004)]. Also, the phosphorylation rate constant k3 correlated with Ki-67 [k3, r = 0.76 (P = 0.006)], whereas the rate constant for transport through the blood brain barrier K1 showed a weaker correlation with Ki-67 [K1, r = 0.62 (P = 0.044)]. No significant correlation between 11C-MET and 18F-FLT uptake ratios and Ki-67 was observed. Conclusions: This study shows that kinetic analysis of 18F-FLT tracer uptake is essential for the in vivo assessment of tumor proliferation in high-grade gliomas, whereas uptake ratios of 11C-MET and 18F-FLT failed to correlate with the in vitro determined proliferation marker. Thus, kinetic analysis of 18F-FLT might provide an accurate method for the assessment of early response to glioma treatment in the future.
Inhibitory Effect of Prostaglandin E 1 on Intimal Thickening Caused by Poor Runoff Conditions in the Canine Autologous Vein Grafts

The efficacy of ONO-1608, a newly developed liposomal formulation of prostaglandin E 1 prodrug, was evaluated on intimal hyperplasia of experimental canine autologous vein grafts under distal poor runoff conditions. The femoral vein was implanted into the femoral artery, preparing a distal poor runoff canine model. After 4 weeks of preparing the poor runoff model, the femoral vein was implanted into the femoral artery. They were then divided into two groups consisting of the control group and the ONO-1608 group. At 4 weeks, the grafts were harvested and intimal hyperplasia of the graft was measured with an ocular cytometer. Intimal cell proliferation was determined by bromodeoxyuridine incorporation 2 weeks after surgery. In addition, the effect of ONO-1608 on the proliferation of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-stimulated human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) in culture was also investigated. At 4 weeks, the degree of intimal hyperplasia of the graft in the ONO-1608 group was significantly less than that of the control group. The bromodeoxyuridine labeling index 2 weeks after grafting was significantly lower in the ONO-1608 group compared with that in the control group. In addition, ONO-1608 significantly inhibited the proliferation of PDGF-stimulated HASMCs in culture. These results demonstrate the efficacy of ONO-1608 in reducing the degree of intimal hyperplasia of canine autogenous vein grafts under poor runoff conditions. The mechanism of reducing the intimal hyperplasia may be that ONO-1608 inhibited PDGF-stimulated proliferation of the smooth muscle cell. These results suggest that the administration of ONO-1608 may be beneficial in patients who have undergone gone arterial reconstruction.
Docetaxel-induced apoptosis in melanoma cells is dependent on activation of caspase-2

Taxanes have a broad spectrum of activity against various human cancers, including melanoma. In this study, we have examined the molecular mechanism of docetaxel-induced apoptosis of human melanoma. We report that docetaxel induced varying degrees of apoptosis in a panel of melanoma cell lines but not in normal fibroblasts. Induction of apoptosis was caspase dependent and associated with changes in mitochondrial membrane potential that could be inhibited by overexpression of Bcl-2. Docetaxel induced changes in Bax that correlated with sensitivity to docetaxel-induced apoptosis. These changes in Bax were not inhibited by overexpression of Bcl-2. Kinetic studies of caspase-2 activation by Western blotting and fluorogenic assays revealed that activation of caspase-2 seemed to be the initiating event. Inhibition of caspase-2 with z-VDVAD-fmk or by small interfering RNA knockdown inhibited changes in Bax and mitochondrial membrane potential and events downstream of mitochondria. Activation of caspase-8 and Bid seemed to be a late event, and docetaxel was able to induce apoptosis in cells deficient in caspase-8 and Bid. p53 did not seem to be involved as a p53 null cell line was sensitive to docetaxel and an inhibitor of p53 did not inhibit apoptosis. Small interfering RNA knockdown of PUMA and Noxa also did not inhibit apoptosis. These results suggest that docetaxel induces apoptosis in melanoma cells by pathways that are dependent on activation of caspase-2, which initiates mitochondrial dependent apoptosis by direct or indirect activation of Bax. [Mol Cancer Ther 2007;6(2):752–61]
X‐ray crystal structure of MTH938 from Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum at 2.2 Å resolution reveals a novel tertiary protein fold

Kalyan Das, Rong Xiao, Elisabet Wahlberg, Fred Hsu, Cheryl H. Arrowsmith, Gaetano T. Montelione* and Edward Arnold* Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Piscataway, New Jersey Department of Chemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey Ontario Cancer Institute and Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
X. Yeast sequencing reports. Sequence and function analysis of a 9·46 kb fragment of Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome X

In the framework of the European yeast genome sequencing project, we have determined the nucleotide sequence of the cosmid clone 233 provided by F. Galibert (Rennes Cedex, France). We present here 9464 base pairs of this cosmid located on the left arm of Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromosome X. This sequence contains two new open reading frames and includes the published sequences of the RADH gene (also identified as SRS2/HPR5) and the 3′‐end of the gene BCK1/SLK1/SSP31. Deletion mutants of the two unknown genes J0909 and J0911 are viable. The sequence has been deposited in the EMBL data library under accession number X77087.
Alveolar Cleft Closure Managed by Primary Alveoloplasty

Classic terminology used to describe the repair of the alveolar cleft is not standardized and can be confusing. The French Cleft Centers proposed that the term ‘‘primary surgery’’ should be reserved for the initial time of cleft closure, independent of the age of the patient. Consequently, ‘‘secondary surgery’’ should be used to describe the management of sequelae. Surprisingly, in the literature, most authors currently use the term ‘‘primary alveoloplasty’’ only when cleft surgery is performed in very young children (younger than 18 months old). Accordingly, ‘‘secondary alveoloplasty’’ is the term used when surgery is performed in older children, and it is referred to as ‘‘early’’ secondary alveoloplasty if the surgery is performed on children between 4 and 11 years old and ‘‘late’’ secondary alveoloplasty if the surgery is performed on children older than 11 years (Delaire et al., 1969; Ronchi et al., 1995; Precious, 2003). Even Brusati and colleagues (1992), who carried out alveoloplasty at the same time as primary palate closure on children between 16 and 36 months old, used the term ‘‘early secondary gingivoperiosteoplasty. ’’ This surprising use of the term ‘‘secondary alveoloplasty’’ first appeared in the 1970s (Boyle and Sands, 1972; Bergland et al., 1986) and was probably used then to differentiate this surgical procedure from primary alveoloplasty with early bone grafting (Schrudde and Stellmach, 1958; Schuchardt and Pfeifer, 1960; Johanson and Ohlsson, 1961; Nylen et al., 1974), which was rapidly abandoned because it led to growth disorders of the maxilla (Jolleys and Robertson, 1972; Berkowitz, 1977; Henkel and Gundlach, 1997). In our opinion, the terms ‘‘primary’’ and ‘‘secondary’’ should not be linked to the timing of surgery. Indeed, nobody would use the term ‘‘secondary cheiloplasty’’ to describe cleft lip surgery performed on a 15-year-old patient treated in a developing country, because cleft lip repair is primary surgery. Indeed, primary surgery contrasts with secondary surgery, which deals with sequelae on an already closed region. Thus, primary cheiloplasty describes the repair of cleft lip, primary veloplasty describes the repair of the soft palate, primary uranoplasty describes the repair of the hard palate, and primary alveoloplasty is the repair of an alveolar cleft. By contrast, we propose that the term ‘‘secondary cheilorhinoplasty’’ should be reserved to describe revisions of cleft lip-nose sequelae (for aesthetic and/or functional purposes), and the term ‘‘secondary repair of the soft palate’’ should be used to describe soft palate surgery for velopharyngeal insufficiency. We therefore propose the following classification for the management of an alveolar cleft. These guidelines can be applied irrespective of the technique used for the repair (e.g., gingivoperiosteoplasty, periosteoplasty as Skoog described it in 1965, Muir flap) and the use of bone grafts or biomaterials. The term ‘‘primary alveoloplasty’’ should be used for the initial surgical repair of an alveolar cleft, irrespective of the timing of the procedure. This may include the following:
Histological Classification and Immunohistochemical Evaluation of MDM2 and CDK4 Expression in Canine Liposarcoma

Canine liposarcoma is an uncommon soft tissue sarcoma usually arising in the subcutis. While liposarcoma classification in dogs is based solely on histology, in humans it depends on the detection of genetic abnormalities that can lead to specific protein overexpression. This study is an immunohistochemical evaluation of MDM2 and CDK4 expression in canine liposarcoma designed to assess the correlation of these proteins with histologic type, grade, mitotic index and Ki67 labeling index and evaluate their utility in improving tumor classification. Fifty-three liposarcomas were retrospectively collected: 24 were well differentiated liposarcomas (WDL), 16 of which expressed MDM2 and 21 CDK4; 7 were myxoid liposarcomas (ML), 1 of which expressed MDM2 and 5 expressed CDK4; 18 were pleomorphic liposarcomas (PL), all were MDM2 negative and 12 expressed CDK4. Four tumors were morphologically consistent with dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDL) a subtype described only in humans: 3 expressed MDM2 and 4 expressed CDK4. MDM2 expression correlated with histotype (highly expressed in WDL and DDL) and grade (highly expressed in grade 1 tumors). Histotype correlated with the Ki67 labeling index (lowest in WDL and highest in DDL). A revised classification, considering MDM2 expression, allowed 8 WDL to be reclassified as PL and correlated significantly with mitotic and Ki67 labeling index (both significantly lower in WDL and progressively higher in ML and DDL). These results partially parallel data reported for human liposarcomas, suggesting that WDL and DDL are distinct neoplastic entities characterized by MDM2 expression, which may represent a useful diagnostic and potentially prognostic marker for canine liposarcoma.
Complete Genome Sequence of Francisella guangzhouensis Strain 08HL01032T, Isolated from Air-Conditioning Systems in China

ABSTRACT We present the complete genome sequence of Francisella guangzhouensis strain 08HL01032T, which consists of one chromosome (1,658,482 bp) and one plasmid (3,045 bp) with G+C contents of 32.0% and 28.7%, respectively.
Zika Virus Targeting in the Developing Brain

Zika virus (ZIKV), a positive-sense RNA flavivirus, has attracted considerable attention recently for its potential to cause serious neurological problems, including microcephaly, cortical thinning, and blindness during early development. Recent findings suggest that ZIKV infection of the brain can occur not only during very early stages of development, but also in later fetal/early neonatal stages of maturation. Surprisingly, after peripheral inoculation of immunocompetent mice on the day of birth, the first cells targeted throughout the brain were isolated astrocytes. At later stages, more neurons showed ZIKV immunoreactivity, in part potentially due to ZIKV release from infected astrocytes. In all developing mice studied, we detected infection of retinal neurons; in many mice, this was also associated with infection of the lateral geniculate, suprachiasmatic nuclei, and superior colliculus, suggesting a commonality for the virus to infect cells of the visual system. Interestingly, in mature mice lacking a Type 1 interferon response (IFNR−/−), after inoculation of the eye, the initial majority of infected cells in the visual system were glial cells along the optic tract. ZIKV microinjection into the somatosensory cortex on one side of the normal mouse brain resulted in mirror infection restricted to the contralateral somatosensory cortex without any infection of midline brain regions, indicating the virus can move by axonal transport to synaptically coupled brain loci. These data support the view that ZIKV shows considerable complexity in targeting the CNS and may target different cells at different stages of brain development. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Zika virus (ZIKV) can cause substantial damage to the developing human brain. Here we examine a developmental mouse model of ZIKV infection in the newborn mouse in which the brain is developmentally similar to a second-trimester human fetus. After peripheral inoculation, the virus entered the CNS in all mice tested and initially targeted astrocytes throughout the brain. Infections of the retina were detected in all mice, and infection of CNS visual system nuclei in the brain was common. We find that ZIKV can be transported axonally, thereby enhancing virus spread within the brain. These data suggest that ZIKV infects multiple cell types within the brain and that astrocyte infection may play a more important role in initial infection than previously appreciated.
Detection of heat‐stable and heat‐labile enterotoxin genes of Escherichia coli in diarrhoeic faecal samples of mithun (Bos frontalis) calves by polymerase chain reaction

Aims: To find out the prevalence of different serogroups of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and to detect heat‐stable (ST) and heat‐labile (LT) enterotoxin genes of enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) from the faeces of mithun calves with diarrhoea.