Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Creativity and improvisation as therapeutic tools within music therapy

The neuroscience of creativity and music improvisation is a fascinating topic and one with strong implications for clinical music therapy. Music therapists are trained to use musical improvisation as a means to bring their clients into deeper therapeutic relationship as well as free up any inhibitions or limitations that may block recovery. Could recent fMRI studies of jazz musicians showing areas of brain activation during music improvisation provide a new framework to understand underlying mechanisms at work with neurologically impaired individuals?
Investigation of the genetic diversity of an invasive whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) in China using both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers

Abstract It is often considered that reduced genetic variation due to bottlenecks and founder effects limits the capacity for species to establish in new environments and subsequently spread. The recent invasion (during the past five years) of an alien whitefly, one member of Bemisia tabaci cryptic species complex, referred to as Mediterranean (herein referred to as Q-type) in Shandong Province, China, provides an ideal opportunity to study the changes in genetic variation between its home range in the Mediterranean region and its invasion range. Using both the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (mtCOI) and nuclear (microsatellite) DNA, we show that Q in Shandong likely originated in the western Mediterranean. We also found that the haplotype diversity was low compared with its presumed geographic origin, whereas microsatellite allele diversity showed no such decline. A key factor in invasions is the establishment of females and so bottleneck and founder events can lead to a very rapid and considerable loss of mitochondrial diversity. The lack of haplotype diversity in Shandong supports the interpretation that, at one or more points between the western Mediterranean and China, the invading Q lost haplotype diversity, most probably through the serial process of establishment and redistribution through trade in ornamental plants. However, the loss in haplotype diversity does not necessarily mean that nuclear allelic diversity should also decline. Provided females can mate freely with whichever males are available, allelic diversity can be maintained or even increased relative to the origin of the invader. Our findings may offer some explanation to the apparent paradox between the concept of reduced genetic variation limiting adaptation to new environments and the observed low diversity in successful invaders.
Stability of key micronutrients added to fortified maize flours and corn meal

Maize is a dietary staple in many countries. Although nutritious in many ways and a good source of energy, typical maize lacks several key micronutrients (MNs) that are often added to maize meals or flours to enhance nutritional value. Many factors affect MN stability in maize products, including uncontrolled conditions during distribution, long storage times, and MN premix composition. Consumer preparation also affects the final MN content of food. This review summarizes research relating to MN stability during processing, transport, storage, and meal preparation, focusing on those MNs most often added to maize and maize‐based foods. Significant losses in B vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, and B12) occur during manufacturing, distribution, and cooking. Added minerals (e.g., iron, zinc, calcium) are generally retained, although phytates in corn may affect bioavailability. Vitamins A and D3 are recent additions to fortification premixes for maize and are not well studied. Although there have been numerous studies of MN fortification in wheat flour, maize has not been as thoroughly examined, so recommendations are not as well supported. Future investigations should include well‐designed and executed studies of the most labile MNs added to maize flours and meals, and their fate during all steps of processing, shipping, and preparation.
Agriculture and nutrition in India: mapping evidence to pathways

In India, progress against undernutrition has been slow. Given its importance for income generation, improving diets, care practices, and maternal health, the agriculture sector is widely regarded as playing an important role in accelerating the reduction in undernutrition. This paper comprehensively maps existing evidence along agriculture–nutrition pathways in India and assesses both the quality and coverage of the existing literature. We present a conceptual framework delineating six key pathways between agriculture and nutrition. Three pathways pertain to the nutritional impacts of farm production, farm incomes, and food prices. The other three pertain to agriculture–gender linkages. After an extensive search, we found 78 research papers that provided evidence to populate these pathways. The literature suggests that Indian agriculture has a range of important influences on nutrition. Agriculture seems to influence diets even when controlling for income, and relative food prices could partly explain observed dietary changes in recent decades. The evidence on agriculture–gender linkages to nutrition is relatively weak. Sizeable knowledge gaps remain. The root causes of these gaps include an interdisciplinary disconnect between nutrition and economics/agriculture, a related problem of inadequate survey data, and limited policy‐driven experimentation. Closing these gaps is essential to strengthening the agriculture sector's contribution to reducing undernutrition.
Copolymerization of sodium 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-propanesulfonate with vinyl acetate

Recently, copolymerizations of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (la) with some vinyl monomers have been investigated for commercial applications. It can easily be copolymerized, especially with acrylonitrile or acrylamide, and the resultant copolymers have been found to be useful for many applications, including the improvement of the dyeing property of synthetic fibers'), endowing with the hydrophilicity to acrylic fibers2), and preparation of water soluble copolymers based on p~lyacrylamide~) . The copolymers of l a with vinyl acetate and with vinyl alcohol, derived therefrom, are also expected to be useful for some applications, for example, as a polymeric surfactant and flocculation agent, as well as a catalyst for acid hydrolysis reactions4), although the copolymerization has seldom been reported so far.
Folic acid increases global DNA methylation and reduces inflammation to prevent Helicobacter-associated gastric cancer in mice.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Previous studies have suggested that dietary folic acid (FA) can protect against certain types of cancers. However, the findings have varied, and the mechanisms by which FA exerts chemopreventive effects remain to be clarified. We examined the effects of FA supplementation on DNA methylation, gene expression, and gastric dysplasia in a transgenic mouse model that is etiologically and histologically well matched with human gastric cancers. METHODS Hypergastrinemic mice infected with Helicobacter felis were studied at multiple stages of gastric dysplasia and early cancer with FA supplementation initiated both at weaning and later in life. Global DNA methylation was assessed by a methylation sensitive cytosine incorporation assay, bisulfite pyrosequencing of B1 repetitive elements, and immunohistochemistry with anti-5-methylcytosine. We also profiled gene expression in the same tissues. RESULTS We found a decrease in global DNA methylation and tissue folate and an increase in serum homocysteine with progression of gastric dysplasia. FA supplementation prevented this loss of global DNA methylation and markedly reduced gastric dysplasia and mucosal inflammation. FA protected against the loss of global DNA methylation both in the dysplastic gastric epithelial cells and in gastric stromal myofibroblasts. In addition, FA supplementation had an anti-inflammatory effect, as indicated by expression profiling and immunohistochemistry for lymphocyte markers. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that FA supplementation is chemopreventive in this model of Helicobacter-associated gastric cancer. The beneficial effect of FA is likely due to its ability to prevent global loss of methylation and suppress inflammation.
Refreshing memory traces: thinking of an item improves retrieval from visual working memory

This article provides evidence that refreshing, a hypothetical attention‐based process operating in working memory (WM), improves the accessibility of visual representations for recall. “Thinking of”, one of several concurrently active representations, is assumed to refresh its trace in WM, protecting the representation from being forgotten. The link between refreshing and WM performance, however, has only been tenuously supported by empirical evidence. Here, we controlled which and how often individual items were refreshed in a color reconstruction task by presenting cues prompting participants to think of specific WM items during the retention interval. We show that the frequency with which an item is refreshed improves recall of this item from visual WM. Our study establishes a role of refreshing in recall from visual WM and provides a new method for studying the impact of refreshing on the amount of information we can keep accessible for ongoing cognition.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome in patients with Legionella pneumonia

Objective. The relationship between specific causative organisms anddevelopment of ARDS in pneumonia patients has not been explored.Several case reports have described the development of ARDS in patientswith Legionella pneumonia. The aim is of this study was to determinefrequency and outcomes of ARDS in patients with LegionellaPneumonia. Methods. A retrospective cohort study of patients withLegionella pneumonia hospitalized at two Mayo Clinic Rochester hospitalswas conducted. To identify the patients with Legionella pneumoniawe searched the Mayo Clinic Life Sciences System (MCLSS)database from 01/01/2003 to 12/31/2007. Electronic medical recordsof patients with active Legionella pneumonia based on positive culturesand/or urinary antigen were reviewed. ARDS was diagnosed onthe basis of the criteria of the North American/European consensusconference definition. Results. We identified 15 patients with microbiologicallyproven Legionella pneumonia of whom 11 were admittedto the intensive care unit (ICU), 6 required mechanical ventilation and5 met the criteria for ARDS. Age (median 42 vs. 50 years, p=0.32)and gender (4/10 vs. 1/5 female, p=0.60) were similar in patients withand without ARDS. Septic shock was present in 4 of the 5 patientswith ARDS and only 1 without. Patients with ARDS had longer ICUlength of stay (median 9 vs. 1 days, P=0.03). Only one patient (fromthe ARDS group) died in the hospital. Conclusion. In this retrospectivestudy ARDS occurred in one third of patients with microbiologicallyproven Legionella pneumonia and was associated with prolongedlength of ICU stay.
Observations on acupuncture therapy of chronic osteoarthritis in dogs: a review of sixty-one cases

Weekly acupuncture needling was used in the treatment of osteoarthritis in 61 dogs. A total of 117 joints were treated, plus three vertebral columns. The results were evaluated on a five point scale. The average number of treatments per series was 5-2 and the average scale was 3–5. Hips, knees and shoulders responded better than the other joints. Some aspects of the mechanism of acupuncture in the treatment of osteoarthritis are described.
Identification of pancreatic cancer stem cells and selective toxicity of chemotherapeutic agents.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Identification and purification of cancer stem cells (CSCs) could lead to new therapeutic targets, but their heterogeneous expansion is an obstacle to their study. We investigated whether it is possible to monitor pancreatic CSCs in real time, based on their intrinsic low level of proteasome activity. METHODS We engineered human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells (PANC1, MIAPaCa2, BxPC3, and KLM1) to express a green fluorescent molecule fused to the degron of ornithine decarboxylase (Gdeg) from a retroviral vector; the fluorescent Gdeg accumulates in CSCs as a result of low activity of the 26S proteasome. Cells with high and low levels of fluorescence (Gdeg(high) and Gdeg(low)) were isolated by flow cytometry; tumor growth was analyzed in immunocompromised mice. We performed a screen for agents that were specifically toxic to pancreatic CSCs, in a synthetic lethal manner. RESULTS Gdeg(high) cells, but not Gdeg(low) cells, formed spheres and underwent asymmetric division-features of CSCs. Injection of as few as 10 Gdeg(high) cells led to tumor formation in mice. Gemcitabine was toxic to cultured Gdeg(low) cells, whereas Gdeg(high) cells were resistant. We observed that quercetin was toxic to Gdeg(high) cells in culture and in pre-established tumors grown from these cells in mice. Nuclear accumulation of β-catenin was detected in Gdeg(high), but not Gdeg(low), and lost after exposure to quercetin. CONCLUSIONS We used a fluorescence marker system for level of proteasome activity to identify pancreatic cancer cells with features of cancer stem cells. We identified quercetin as a compound that is specifically toxic to pancreatic CSCs.
Implementing a Bar-Code Medication Administration System

The Director's Forum series is written and edited by Michael Sanborn and Robert Weber and is designed for guiding pharmacy leaders in establishing patient-centered services in hospitals and health systems. Another specific goal of this column is addressing many of the key challenges that pharmacy directors currently face while providing information that will foster growth in pharmacy leadership and patient safety. Bar-code medication administration (BCMA) is an important medication safety program for hospitals, and the involvement of the pharmacy director in its implementation and evaluation is critical. This installment of the Director's Forum describes the necessary steps for implementing and evaluating a BCMA program.
FACS or Fiction? the impact of the policy Fair Access to Care Services on social care assessments of older visually impaired people

The Department of Health's Fair Access to Care Services (FACS) policy initiative was intended to achieve a greater degree of equity and consistency in the assessment and provision of social care services to adults in England. This article reports on the impact of this policy some 18 months after it was implemented. It is based on interviews carried out in one local authority with a sample of six practitioners specialising in the assessment of the social care needs of visually impaired people. The findings from this small-scale study suggest that FACS has not made substantial difference to the social care assessments of older visually impaired people by specialist assessors. At least four factors seem to have rendered FACS largely ineffective in the reported practice of this one group of social work staff and these reflect their relative autonomy. These are an absence of FACS training for practitioners, collective agreement by practitioners about what they should do in practice, an ability and willingness by practitioners to use professional discretion, and the ambiguity of purpose at the heart of the FACS policy.
Vascular Spiders and Related Lesions of the Skin.

When William Bean takes pen or dictaphone in hand, we are accustomed to expecting something refreshing and original—and painlessly enlightening. His new book "Vascular Spiders and Related Lesions of the Skin" will disappoint none of his admirers. In an age devoted to gadgetry, graphs, and statistical analysis, the bewildered physician who once thought that history taking and careful physical examination constituted his major diagnostic obligations will find comfort and illumination in this straightforward account of observations made at the bedside and in the clinic by a sympathetic and perceptive doctor. That the account was written in the first person by a philosophical and literate physician is a fortunate circumstance, for the happily chosen words that add so much charm to the reading always embellish and never obscure the important things the author has to impart. The researches detailed here began more than twenty years ago with the eager curiosity of
Non-stoichiometric polycondensations and the synthesis of high molar mass polycondensates.

This report presents a general overview of non-stoichiometric step-growth polymerizations (polycondensations). Three kinds of non-stoichiometric polycondensations are defined and discussed for a(2) + b(2) monomer combinations. Depending on the kinetic scenario and on the experimental conditions, the excess of one monomer either strongly reduces or strongly enhances the average degree of polymerization (DP) relative to a stoichiometric polycondensation under identical conditions. As a result, telechelic oligomers or extremely high molar mass polymers (DPs > 1000) may be formed. Stoichiometric imbalance has in all cases the consequence that cyclization is largely suppressed in early stages of a polycondensation. Finally, non- stoichiometric "a(2) + b(n) " polycondensations are discussed.
Fatty Acid Content of Plasma Triglycerides May Contribute to the Heterogeneity in the Relationship Between Abdominal Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome.

BACKGROUND About one-third of the people with abdominal obesity do not exhibit the metabolic syndrome (MetS). Fatty acids in plasma triglycerides (TGs) may help to explain part of this heterogeneity. This study compared TG fatty acid profile of adults with and without abdominal obesity and examined the associations of these fatty acids with MetS components. METHODS Fifty-four abdominally obese subjects were matched by age and sex with 54 adults without abdominal obesity. People were classified with MetS according to the harmonizing criteria for MetS. Fatty acids in plasma TGs were analyzed by gas chromatography. RESULTS There were no differences in fatty acids of plasma TGs between people with and without abdominal obesity. However, there were differences between abdominally obese people with and without MetS. The abdominally obese group with MetS had higher palmitic (+2.9%; P = 0.012) and oleic (+4.0%; P = 0.001) acids and lower linoleic (-6.4%; P = 0.018) and arachidonic (-1.2%; P = 0.004) acids. After adjustment for abdominal obesity, age, and sex, a stepwise regression analysis showed that palmitic acid positively contributed to the variance in insulin (β = +1.08 ± 1.01; P = 0.000) and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index (β = +1.09 ± 1.01; P = 0.000) and myristic acid positively contributed to the variance in systolic blood pressure (β = +1.09 ± 1.03; P = 0.006). In contrast, linoleic acid negatively contributed to the variance in glucose (β = -0.321 ± 0.09; P = 0.001) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP; β = -1.05 ± 1.01; P = 0.000). CONCLUSIONS There were no differences in the plasma TG fatty acid profile between people with and without abdominal obesity. Likewise, fatty acids in plasma TGs associated with many of the MetS variables independently of abdominal obesity. These results suggest that the plasma TG fatty acid profile may help to explain part of the heterogeneity between abdominal obesity and the MetS.
Compulsory Admissions in Italy: Results of a National Survey

Aims : In Italy, Law no. 180 of 1978 changed the legal requirements for compulsory admissions to psychiatric inpatient facilities. This paper reports data on compulsory admissions gathered in the framework of a large-scale national survey of Italian public and private acute inpatient facilities. Methods : In Phase 1, structured interviews were conducted with each participating facility's head psychiatrist in all Italian regions with the exception of Sicily. In Phase 2, socio-demographic, clinical, and treatment-related information was collected for 1,577 patients admitted to 130 public and 36 private inpatient facilities in Italy during an index period for 2004. These patients were also rated using the 24-item Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and the Personal and Social Performance Rating Scale. Results : In 2001, the percentage of compulsory admissions, with respect to the total number of admissions to public units authorized to make compulsory admissions (N = 289), was 9.0 percent (n = 12,799), for a total of 114,570 hospital days. Conclusions : In Italy, the reform law did not lead to a higher compulsory admission rate than is found in other European countries. Compulsory admission is determined not only by psychopathological variables (e.g., diagnosis and severity) but also by the patient's level of functioning and degree of social integration, which play a relevant role.
Systematic review of the relationship between childcare educators' practices and preschoolers' physical activity and eating behaviours

The role of childcare educators is important given that 81% of preschoolers living in developed countries receive childcare outside their home. Since children learn by observing and imitating others, childcare educators may play a role in promoting healthy eating behaviours and physical activity in young children. Six databases were searched for quantitative peer‐reviewed, English or French primary studies reporting the correlates, predictors or effectiveness of childcare educators' practices on preschoolers' healthy eating and physical activity behaviours. Risk of bias was assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. Fifteen articles were included in this review: 10 measured physical activity levels and five assessed eating behaviours. The quality score was rated as low for eight of these articles, and as moderate for the remaining seven. Two of four cross‐sectional studies reported a positive relationship between educators and children's behaviours. Eleven intervention studies reported significant favourable effects of interventions. Educators may play a positive role in promoting healthy behaviours in children, but this is mainly based on a small number of intervention type studies of low or moderate quality. The influence of specific components of educators' practices on children's healthy eating and physical activity behaviours remains inconclusive.
Are bidirectional associations of obesity and depression already apparent in childhood and adolescence as based on high‐quality studies? A systematic review

Our aim was to evaluate bidirectional associations of obesity and depression in cross‐sectional and longitudinal studies with initial assessments in childhood or adolescence. The clarification of these relationships may support the development of innovative interventions, e.g. based on nutrition and mental health. A systematic literature search was conducted in MEDLINE. Main inclusion criteria were (i) assessment of subjects <18 years at baseline, (ii) use of validated psychometric instruments and (iii) elicitation of objectively measured anthropometric data at least at one time point. Twenty‐four studies met our inclusion criteria. Out of 19, 14 cross‐sectional studies confirmed a significant association of obesity and depression. Three out of eight longitudinal studies reported associations between obesity and subsequent depression in female children and adolescents only, and three out of nine studies obtained evidence in favour of the other direction with two studies revealing significant results only for female and one only for male children and adolescents. Evidence is mixed, and secure conclusions are hampered by the methodological variance of the included studies. Relationships are seemingly more readily detectable in female children adolescents and in the cross‐sectional compared with the longitudinal analyses. Possibly, the joint development of obesity and depression in predisposed subjects accounts for the latter discrepancy.