Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Brief interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed mothers whose children are receiving psychiatric treatment.

OBJECTIVE Depressed mothers of children with psychiatric illness struggle with both their own psychiatric disorder and the demands of caring for ill children. When maternal depression remains untreated, mothers suffer, and psychiatric illness in their offspring is less likely to improve. This randomized, controlled trial compared the interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed mothers (IPT-MOMS), a nine-session intervention based on standard interpersonal psychotherapy, to treatment as usual for depressed mothers with psychiatrically ill offspring. METHOD Forty-seven mothers meeting DSM-IV criteria for major depression were recruited from a pediatric mental health clinic where their school-age children were receiving psychiatric treatment and randomly assigned to IPT-MOMS (N=26) or treatment as usual (N=21). Mother-child pairs were assessed at three time points: baseline, 3-month follow-up, and 9-month follow-up. Child treatment was not determined by the study. RESULTS Compared to subjects assigned to treatment as usual, subjects assigned to IPT-MOMS showed significantly lower levels of depression symptoms, as measured by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and higher levels of functioning, as measured by the Global Assessment of Functioning, at 3-month and 9-month follow-ups. Compared to the offspring of mothers receiving treatment as usual, the offspring of mothers assigned to IPT-MOMS showed significantly lower levels of depression as measured by the Children's Depressive Inventory at the 9-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Assignment to IPT-MOMS was associated with reduced levels of maternal symptoms and improved functioning at the 3- and 9-month follow-ups compared to treatment as usual. Maternal improvement preceded improvement in offspring, suggesting that maternal changes may mediate child outcomes.
The Glucocorticoid Receptor Is Tethered to DNA-bound Oct-1 at the Mouse Gonadotropin-releasing Hormone Distal Negative Glucocorticoid Response Element*

An element required for glucocorticoid repression of mouse gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) gene transcription, the distal negative glucocorticoid response element (nGRE), is not bound directly by glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) but is recognized by Oct-1 present in GT1–7 cell nuclear extracts or by Oct-1 purified from HeLa cells. Furthermore, purified full-length GRs interact directly with purified Oct-1 bound to the distal nGRE. Increasing the extent of distal nGRE match to an Oct-1 consensus site not only increases the affinity of Oct-1 binding, but also alters the conformation of DNA-bound Oct-1 and the pattern of protein DNA complexes formedin vitro with GT1–7 cell nuclear extracts. In addition, the interaction of purified GR with DNA-bound Oct-1 is altered when Oct-1 is bound to the consensus Oct-1 site. Mutation of the distal nGRE to a consensus Oct-1 site is also associated with reduced glucocorticoid repression in transfected GT1–7 cells. Furthermore, repression of GnRH gene transcription by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, which utilizes sequences that overlap with the nGRE, is reversed by this distal nGRE mutation leading to activation of GnRH gene transcription. Thus, changes in the assembly of multi-protein complexes at the distal nGRE can influence the regulation of GnRH gene transcription.
Radiobiological analysis of human melanoma cells on the 62 MeV CATANA proton beam

Purpose: To measure the ability of protons and γ-rays to effect cell viability and cell survival of human HTB140 melanoma cells. Materials and methods: Exponentially growing HTB140 cells were irradiated close to the Bragg peak maximum of the 62 MeV protons or with 60Co γ-rays with single doses, ranging from 8 – 24 Gy. Cell viability using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was evaluated at 6 h, 24 h, 48 h or 7 days after irradiation and clonogenic survival was assessed at 7 days after irradiation. Cell cycle phase redistribution and the level of apoptosis were evaluated at 6 h and 48 h after irradiation. Results: The study of cell viability as a function of time (cell survival progression) and cell survival, using a clonal assay, demonstrated the considerably stronger inactivation effect of protons compared to γ-rays with a relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of ∼1.64. Cell cycle phase distribution and apoptosis levels with time enabled us to investigate the development and the character of the damage induced by irradiation. Due to the high radio-resistance of HTB140 cells, cell cycle phase redistribution exhibited only a modest cell accumulation in G2/M phase. Protons but not γ-rays induced apoptosis. Conclusions: It appears that protons reduce the number of HTB140 cells by apoptosis as well as by severe DNA damage, while γ-rays eliminate viable cells primarily by the production of irreparable DNA damage. Protons have an increased RBE relative to γ-rays.
Measuring Brain Tissue Integrity during 4 Years Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: DTI is an MR imaging measure of brain tissue integrity. Little is known regarding the long-term longitudinal evolution of lesional and nonlesional tissue DTI parameters in multiple sclerosis and the present study examines DTI evolution over 4 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-one patients with multiple sclerosis were imaged for up to 48 months after starting natalizumab therapy. Gadolinium-enhancing lesions at baseline, chronic T2 lesions, and normal-appearing white matter were followed longitudinally. T2 lesions were subclassified as black holes and non-black holes. Within each ROI, the average values of DTI metrics were derived by using Analysis of Functional Neuro Images software. The longitudinal trend in DTI metrics was estimated by using a mixed-model regression analysis. RESULTS: A significant increase was observed for axial diffusivity (P < .001) in gadolinium-enhancing lesions and chronic T2 lesions during 4 years. No significant change in radial diffusivity either in normal-appearing white matter or lesional tissue was observed. The evolution of axial diffusivity was different in gadolinium-enhancing lesions (P < .001) and chronic T2 lesions (P = .02) compared with normal-appearing white matter. CONCLUSIONS: An increase in axial diffusion in both gadolinium-enhancing lesions and T2 lesions may relate to the complex evolution of chronically demyelinated brain tissue. Pathologic changes in normal-appearing white matter are likely more subtle than in lesional tissue and may explain the stability of these measures with DTI.
The Impact and Potential of Inter-university Collaboration in Journalism Experiential Education: A Case Study

Since 2009, journalism students from The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (UNC) and North Carolina Central University (NCCU) have been reporting and writing for a community newspaper, the Voice. This essay provides a case study of experiential learning and inter-university collaboration by focusing on students’ perceptions of their work as reporters and my experience as a faculty adviser to the project. This study contributes to calls for research case studies in student experiential learning in journalism (Brandon, 2002; Feldman, 1995; Mensing, 2010). Additionally, it builds on concern for tracking journalism experiences targeting minority students. In this case, one set of students come from a small program at a public historically black university (NCCU) while the others come from a highly-regarded journalism school (UNC), which helps with understanding how a project like this might operate differently for small programs.
Housing Wealth and Consumption: Evidence from Geographically-Linked Microdata

Rising home values also raise the cost of living, offsetting their impact on consumption. However, additional home equity collateral can loosen borrowing constraints, increasing spending for households that value their current endowment of housing highly. I use geographically linked microdata to exploit regional heterogeneity in housing markets and identify the causal effect of house price fluctuations on consumer spending. A $1 increase in home values leads to a $0.047 increase in spending for homeowners, but a negligible response for renters. Results reflect large responses among credit constrained households, suggesting looser borrowing constraints are a primary driver of the MPC out of housing wealth.
Using Local Information to Improve Short-Run Corn Price Forecasts

We examine the short-run forecasting problem in a data set of daily prices from 134 corn buying locations from seven states – Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Kansas. We ask the question: is there useful forecasting information in the cash bids from nearby markets? We use several criteria, including a Granger causality criterion, to specify forecast models that rely on the recent history of a market, the recent histories of nearby markets, and the recent histories of futures prices. For about 65% of the markets studied, the model consisting of futures prices, a market’s own history, and the history of nearby markets forecasts better than a model only incorporating futures prices and the market’s own history. That is, nearby markets have predictive content. But the magnitude varies with the forecast horizon. For short-run forecasts, the forecast accuracy improvement from including nearby markets is modest. As the forecast horizon increases, however, including nearby prices tends to significantly improve forecasts. We also examine the role played by physical market density in determining the value of incorporating nearby prices into a forecast model.
Brainstem primitive neuroectodermal tumors (bstPNET): Results of treatment with intensive induction chemotherapy followed by consolidative chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic cell rescue

We have evaluated the response rate and survival utilizing intensified chemotherapy followed by myeloablative chemotherapy with autologous hematopoietic cell rescue (AuHCR) and adjuvant radiation therapy in six young children with newly diagnosed brainstem primitive neuroectodermal tumors (bstPNET). Following maximum surgical resection of the tumor, patients received high dose induction chemotherapy including vincristine, cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, and etoposide. Eligible patients received a single cycle of myeloablative chemotherapy followed by AuHCR. Two patients survive at least 32 months with stable disease. This approach provides an alternative for young patients with bstPNET who in prior reports have had a uniformly fatal prognosis. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2008;50:715–717. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The application of breath hold phase velocity mapping techniques to the measurement of coronary artery blood flow velocity: Phantom data and initial in vivo results

A segmented k‐space breath hold phase velocity mapping technique has been developed for the study of coronary artery blood flow velocity. In vitro validation has been performed using a number of pulsatile flow phantoms and the accuracy of the technique for determining the velocity increase at the site of a stenosis demonstrated in several phantom models. Examples of both in‐plane and through‐plane velocity maps of the left anterior descending and right coronary arteries of normal subjects in early diastole are presented. In one subject, through‐plane velocity maps were obtained in the right and left anterior descending arteries throughout the cardiac cycle in order to generate flow velocity time curves. The problems associated with coronary artery velocity mapping are discussed.
Is households’ risk attitude robust to different experimental payoffs?

ABSTRACT We compared risk attitudes among rural people in Tanzania and Kenya using an experimental design where payoffs were defined and quantified in maize and milk production. About 42% of the sample revealed different risk attitude between the two payoff types. The difference was mainly explained by household livelihood strategy, geographical location and ethnicity. Hence, appropriate pay-off metrics differ across contexts and different metrics may provide noncomparable results that does not reflect intrinsic risk attitude.
How can a work rehabilitation process be improved?—a qualitative study from the perspective of social insurance officers

Purpose: The aim of this study is to describe social insurance officers' experiences of a work rehabilitation process at a rehabilitation centre in the northern parts of Sweden. In Sweden the social insurance company has a key role to coordinate all efforts concerning work rehabilitation planning between all rehabilitation actors. Method: Ten social insurance officers at the social insurance company in a city in northern Sweden were interviewed using a narrative approach about their experiences of work rehabilitation processes in general. The interviews were analysed by qualitative content analysis with a focus on their experiences of goals, content and results of a work rehabilitation process. Results: The social insurance officers' experiences of how a work rehabilitation process could be improved were described in six categories; (1) Early identification of problems, needs and interventions (2) clear goal formulations, (3) a focus on psychosocial factors (4) a greater variety of possible interventions, (5) activating employers to a higher extent in work rehabilitation and (6) a closer cooperation and information exchange with other rehabilitation actors. Conclusions: It is possible to improve a work rehabilitation process by focusing on early identification of problems, needs and interventions, with a variety of interventions to choose between and with clear goal formulations and recognizing psychosocial factors in the process. To activate employers to a higher extent in work rehabilitation and to make the information exchange between rehabilitation actors more frequent may also improve work rehabilitation processes.
Disrupted Daytime Activity and Altered Sleep-Wake Patterns May Predict Transition to Mild Cognitive Impairment or Dementia: A Critically Appraised Topic

Background:There is a well-known relationship between neurodegenerative disease, disrupted sleep, and cognition. Pathologic and imaging studies have shown that regions in the brain shown to regulate sleep and circadian rhythm are abnormal in Alzheimer disease. Most of these studies have been cross-sectional, and often look at patients already with dementia. This leaves uncertainty with regard to the temporal relationship of circadian disruption and cognitive decline. Objective:To determine whether disrupted daytime activity and altered sleep patterns predict development of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia. Methods:The objective was addressed through the development of a structured, critically-appraised topic. We incorporated a clinical scenario, background information, a structured question, literature search strategy, critical appraisal, results, evidence summary, commentary, and bottom line conclusions. Participants included consultant and resident neurologists, a medical librarian, and behavioral neurology and sleep medicine content experts. Results:A prospective cohort study of 1282 cognitively normal women demonstrated that when peak circadian activity, as measured by wrist actigraphy, occurred later than average, there was an increased risk of MCI or dementia [odds ratio (OR), 1.83; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.29-2.61]. Increased odds for dementia or MCI also existed for those with decreased circadian rhythm amplitude (OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.09-2.25) and robustness (OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.29-2.61). Conclusions:Disrupted circadian rhythm measures, including lower amplitude, a less robust rhythm, and delayed timing of peak activity on wrist actigraphy, were predictive of future development of MCI or dementia in cognitively normal women.
In vitro effects of beta-lactams combined with beta-lactamase inhibitors against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

The effects of combinations of beta-lactams with two beta-lactamase inhibitors, sulbactam and clavulanic acid, were determined in vitro against 22 clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Combinations of cefpirome, cefotaxime, and cefazolin with sulbactam (10 micrograms/ml) showed synergistic effects against more than 70% of the strains. Combinations of methicillin and penicillin G with sulbactam also showed synergistic effects against 50 and 68% of the strains, respectively, while cefotiam, moxalactam, flomoxef, and cefmetazole in combination with sulbactam showed such effects against only 40% or fewer. Clavulanic acid was synergistic only when combined with penicillin G, the effect probably being due to the beta-lactamase inhibition by the inhibitor. Sulbactam did not improve the antimicrobial activities of the beta-lactams against methicillin-susceptible S. aureus strains. At 42 degrees C the MICs of cefotaxime, methicillin, and flomoxef alone were markedly decreased from the values at 35 degrees C, and no synergy between these beta-lactams and sulbactam appeared. The resistance to penicillin G was not inhibited by incubation at 42 degrees C, and combinations of penicillin G with sulbactam and clavulanic acid showed synergy. The amounts of beta-lactamase produced were not related to the decreases in the MICs of the beta-lactams, except for penicillin G combined with sulbactam. Clavulanic acid showed slightly stronger beta-lactamase-inhibiting activity than sulbactam did. These results suggest that the synergy between sulbactam and the beta-lactams, except for penicillin G, may not be due to beta-lactamase inhibition but to suppression of the methicillin-resistant S. aureus-specific resistance based on other factors.
Low-Temperature and Low-Pressure Cu-Cu Bonding by Pure Cu Nanosolder Paste for Wafer-Level Packaging

In this paper, a novel method of Cu-Cu bonding by using the Cu nanosolder paste was proposed. The pure Cu nanoparticles used for preparing the Cu nanosolder paste were synthesized with simple routes and relatively high yields. The Cu nanoparticles were homogeneously dispersed with an average size around 60 nm. The sintering and bonding performance of Cu nanosolder paste were investigated, while an Ar-H2 gas mixture atmosphere was introduced in the whole experimental process to provide an antioxidative environment. In order to research the sintering properties, we conducted the sintering experiment in the sintering temperature range of 200 °C to 300 °C without any pressure. The Cu nanosolder paste represented significant fusion phenomenon and macroscopic color changes after sintering at 300 °C, and a low sintered layer resistivity of 12×10-8 m can be achieved. The Cu-Cu bonding experiment was proceeded at the same temperature range as sintering, with a bonding pressure of 0.98 MPa. After bonding at 300 °C, the bonding interface showed compact microstructure, and the shear strength of the bonded joint can reach a high level of 28.78 MPa. The high Cu-Cu bonding strength and the low condition requirements of bonding process indicate that the Cu-Cu bonding by using the pure Cu nanosolder paste is a promising method in 3D-IC packaging.
Neuropsychological detection of cognitive impairment: Inter-rater agreement and factors affecting clinical decision-making

The agreement between neuropsychologists identifying cognitive impairment (CI) in older adults was examined, as were factors influencing the classification process. Twenty four neuropsychologists in 18 study centers classified cases with or without CI after reviewing neuropsychological findings and other relevant information. All cases were participants in the third wave of the Canadian Study of Health and Aging, a study of CI in later life. For 117 randomly selected cases, a second neuropsychologist reviewed the same material and reclassified the cases. Cases given the same (concordant) or different (discordant) classifications were compared with respect to patient and rater characteristics. The inter-rater agreement was moderate (77.7% agreement, kappa = .49). On all measures of cognitive functioning, the concordant group without impairment obtained a higher mean score than the discordant group, and the discordant group obtained a higher mean score than the concordant group with impairment. For 5 out of 8 cognitive measures, the concordant group with impairment differed from the concordant group without impairment and the discordant group, but the latter two groups did not differ significantly. The findings are comparable to others in the field and highlight the need for neuropsychologists to further clarify procedures for identifying subtle, or mild, forms of cognitive impairment. (JINS, 2006, 12, 72–79.)
iscordant Atrial Natriuretic Peptide and Brain atriuretic Peptide Levels in Lone Atrial Fibrillation

OBJECTIVES We sought to characterize natriuretic peptide levels in a cohort of rigorously characterized subjects with lone atrial fibrillation (AF). BACKGROUND Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) are sensitive biomarkers of cardiac contractile dysfunction. Both peptides have been reported to be elevated in cohorts with AF, but previous studies have included subjects with underlying structural heart disease. We studied these hormones in 150 subjects with lone AF. METHODS Study subjects had electrocardiographic evidence of at least one episode of AF and a structurally normal heart on echocardiography. Subjects were excluded if they had a history of a myocardial infarction, rheumatic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, significant valvular disease, hyperthyroidism, or hypertension that preceded the onset of AF. Control subjects were obtained from a healthy outpatient primary care population. Plasma pro-ANP and N-terminal pro-BNP (nt-pro-BNP) levels were determined using commercially available immunoassays. RESULTS A total of 150 serial subjects with lone AF were enrolled and studied, the majority during normal sinus rhythm. Median levels of nt-pro-BNP were significantly elevated in subjects with lone AF as compared with control subjects (166 vs. 133 fmol/ml, p 0.0003). There was no significant difference in pro-ANP levels between subjects with lone AF and control subjects (1,730 vs. 1,625 fmol/ml, p 0.90). CONCLUSIONS Discordant natriuretic peptide levels were observed in this homogeneous population of subjects with lone AF. This biomarker pattern, which is present even in sinus rhythm, may represent an underlying subclinical predisposition to this common arrhythmia. (J Am Coll ublished by Elsevier Inc. doi:10.1016/j.jacc. 2004.09. 045
Assessment of Cognitive Functioning of Methadone-Maintenance Patients

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine if methadone-maintained patients (MMP) with cocaine dependence (CD) and/or adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) exhibited compounded cognitive dysfunction associated with their poly-substance use and/or co-morbid psychiatric diagnoses. The sample consisted of 79 MMP (59% male, 51% Caucasian), maintained on methadone doses ranging from 40-130 mg/day, who were placed into one of four diagnostic categories: (1) a control group (no ADHD, no CD) (n = 24), (2) CD alone (n = 18), (3) ADHD alone (n = 18), and (4) ADHD + CD (n = 19). The California Computerized Assessment Package (CalCAP®) was administered to assess cognitive functioning requiring focused and sustained attention in a standardized fashion. There were no group differences on Simple Reaction tasks. Compared to the control group, the ADHD + CD group was slower and less accurate on 33% of the Choice Reaction (CR) tasks. Specifically, individuals in the ADHD + CD group and the ADHD alone group performed significantly worse on tasks measuring attention and psychomotor responding. These tasks are associated with broader cognitive skills in working memory, language discrimination and flexibility of cognitive sets that may have implications for treatment outcome. Diagnostic services capable of identifying cognitive deficits among MMP with ADHD and/or CD are needed to maximize the likelihood of treatment success and to serve as an indicator for the efficacy of therapeutic approaches.