Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Psychopharmacology of ADHD in pediatrics: current advances and issues

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurobehavioral developmental disorder found in 3% to 8% of children and adolescents. An important part of ADHD management is psychopharmacology, which includes stimulants, norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, alpha-2 agonists, and antidepressants. Medications with the best evidence-based support for ADHD management are the stimulants methylphenidate and amphetamine. A number of newer, long-acting stimulants are now available and a number of new medications are considered that are under current research.
Allergic Diseases in Preschoolers Are Associated With Psychological and Behavioural Problems

Purpose The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between three major allergic diseases, asthma, allergic rhinitis (AR), and atopic dermatitis (AD), and psychological and behavioural problems in preschoolers based on a community survey. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a modified International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire to determine the prevalence of symptoms and diagnosed allergic diseases, and a Korean version of the Child Behaviour Checklist to assess internalizing, externalizing, and sleep problems among 780 preschoolers. Five-hundred and seventy-five preschoolers with valid data were included in this study. Results The prevalence of lifetime diagnosis and treatment in the past 12 months was 8.7% and 4.4% for asthma, 24.4% and 19.2% for AR, and 35.1% and 16.6% for AD, respectively. Scores for internalizing and sleep problems were significantly higher in those diagnosed with AR. Preschoolers who had been treated for AD in the past 12 months had higher attention problem and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder scores. Sleep problems were more severe in moderate to severe AD compared to control and mild AD groups, categorised according to SCOring index of AD. The severity of sleep problems correlated positively with the percentage of eosinophils in peripheral blood. Conclusions Psychological and behavioural problems differed among the three major allergic diseases, weaker association for asthma and stronger association for AR and AD. The results of this study may lead to the identification of potential underlying shared mechanisms common to allergic diseases and psychological and behavioural problems.
[Influence of prophylactic information on the frequency of baby blues].

BACKGROUND Baby blues, a mood alteration, occurs in 30 to 80 % of the women during the first two weeks after childbirth. We evaluated if the frequency of baby blues can be influenced by oral and written information about these mood alterations. We wanted to find out whether information about postpartum depression could make these woman realize their own possible depression and therefore seek professional help more rapidly. PATIENTS AND METHODS In a prospective randomized study German-speaking women were randomized on the second or third day after childbirth in our institution into an "information group" and a "control group". The first group was given oral and written information about baby blues and postpartum depression. Both groups were evaluated by Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) translated into German 3 days, 6 weeks and 3 months postpartum, by a visual-analogue questionnaire covering the first 6 weeks and by a self-report covering the whole period postpartum after 3 months. RESULTS We obtained valuable information from 169 women. Only 12 (15 %) women of the "information group" experienced a baby blues vs. 25 (29 %) of the "control group" (RR 0.55, P = 0,027, CI 0.28 - 0.93). Concerning postpartum depression, no significant difference could be seen. The percentage of scores above 11 in the EPDS around birth was 8.5 % vs. 9.3 % in the information vs. control group. 6 weeks after birth the percentages were 7.5 vs. 7.1 % and 12 weeks after birth they were 7.3 % vs. 8.0 %. Of the women considering themselves as depressive by self evaluation 3 months postpartum, only a few sought help from a specialist: 7 of 13 in the Information vs. 4 of 14 in the control group. The difference is not statistically significant. CONCLUSION We conclude that oral and written information about baby blues given postpartum can be an effective instrument to lower its frequency. No difference in postpartum depression could be registered - either in prevalence or in seeking professional help.
Pressure‐Dependent Membrane Depolarization in Cat Middle Cerebral Artery

This study was undertaken to examine the effect of increasing transmural pressure on membrane electrical properties of cat middle cerebral arterial muscle. Middle cerebral arteries were removed from the cat brain, cannulated, and prepared so that transmural pressure within a segment could be manipulated. Intracellular membrane potential was recorded with glass micro-electrodes at various transmural pressures. There was a positive slope relating changes in intracellular membrane potential as a function of transmural pressure with a correlation coefficient of 0.79. Blockade of nerve excitation with tetrodotoxin and inhibition of α-adrenergic receptors with phentolamine not only did not block the pressure-induced depolarization, but increased the slope of the intracellular membrane potential vs. pressure relationship. This slope was increased upon elevation of extracellular calcium concentration from 2.5 to 4.0 mM and was significantly reduced upon reduction of extracellular calcium concentration to 0.5 mM. When arterial preparations were equilibrated at 0 mm Hg prior to pressurization, action potentials were recorded only when pressure was initially elevated, while a sustained depolarization was recorded during the pressure plateau. However, when arteries were equilibrated at a transmural pressure of 100 mm Hg for 90 minutes, spontaneous action potentials were recorded which increased in frequency as a function of pressure until they were inactivated when intracellular membrane potential approached —30 mV at high transmural pressures. Photomicrographs demonstrated that these vessels either maintained or decreased diameter upon pressurization. These findings provide a cellular mechanism for myogenic regulation of cerebral arterial diameter.
A Twin Screw Combined Compressor And Expander For CO2 Refrigeration Systems

Recent interest in natural refrigerants has created a new impetus for studies of CO2 as a working fluid in vapour compression systems for refrigeration and air conditioning. Two major drawbacks to its use are the very high pressure differences required across the compressor and the large efficiency losses associated with the throttling process. To overcome the throttle losses, a number of proposals have been made for various types of positive displacement machine, mainly of the vane type, which combine compression with some recovery of work from the expansion process. However, how well they operate with high pressure differences across the vanes has not been confirmed. For many years, the authors have been investigating the use of twin screw machines to fulfil both the expansion and compression processes when using more conventional halocarbon refrigerants. These have many potential advantages over other types of positive displacement machine. Unfortunately, when applied to CO2 the huge bearing forces associated with the pressure distribution within them have hitherto made them appear to be unsuitable. In this paper, it is shown how the rotor forces created by the compression and expansion processes can be partially balanced in order to eliminate the axial forces and reduce the radial bearing forces. The disadvantages of twin screw compressors for such high pressure applications are thereby reduced. The balanced rotor concept is also applicable to vapour compression systems using more conventional refrigerants and even for high pressure gas compression.
Child Maltreatment, Alexithymia, and Problematic Internet Use in Young Adulthood

The goals of this study were to (a) examine the phenomenology and developmental correlates of problematic Internet use (PIU) in a large and diverse college student sample; (b) evaluate a developmental process model of PIU in which the expected association between child maltreatment and PIU would be explained by alexithymia; and (c) explore these relations as a function of gender and race. PIU was assessed in a sample of 1,470 college students (62.9 percent female, 37.1 percent male; M(age)=19.13 years [SD=1.49]; 46.1 percent Asian, 28.2 percent Hispanic, 16.3 percent White, 5.9 percent Black, and 3.5 percent Multiracial/Other) who participated in a larger study of young adult adaptation, which included measures of child maltreatment, alexithymia, self-concept, social support, and psychopathology. Males and Asian students endorsed higher levels of PIU than females and other ethnoracial groups, respectively. PIU was related to contemporaneous maladaptation in the form of decreased self-concept, lower social support, and increased psychopathology across groups. Experiences of child maltreatment were related to increased PIU, and mediation analyses showed that this relation was partially explained by alexithymia. These relations were comparable across males and females and between Asian and non-Asian respondents. The analyses provide evidence for the significant role of child maltreatment and the cognitive-affective deficits it precipitates in understanding pathways toward PIU in young adulthood. Our findings suggest that maltreated youth are at disproportionate risk for PIU, and their capacities to regulate and process emotion are important targets for prevention and therapeutic intervention.
Social Regulation of Gene Expression in Threespine Sticklebacks

Identifying genes that are differentially expressed in response to social interactions is informative for understanding the molecular basis of social behavior. To address this question, we described changes in gene expression as a result of differences in the extent of social interactions. We housed threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) females in either group conditions or individually for one week, then measured levels of gene expression in three brain regions using RNA-sequencing. We found that numerous genes in the hindbrain/cerebellum had altered expression in response to group or individual housing. However, relatively few genes were differentially expressed in either the diencephalon or telencephalon. The list of genes upregulated in fish from social groups included many genes related to neural development and cell adhesion as well as genes with functions in sensory signaling, stress, and social and reproductive behavior. The list of genes expressed at higher levels in individually-housed fish included several genes previously identified as regulated by social interactions in other animals. The identified genes are interesting targets for future research on the molecular mechanisms of normal social interactions.
Cognitive processing of trauma and attitudes toward disclosure in the first six months after military deployment.

OBJECTIVES To examine the role of cognitive processing and attitudes toward trauma disclosure among newly returned veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. METHOD In total, 110 veterans completed the Cognitive Processing of Trauma Scale, Disclosure of Trauma Questionnaire, and assessments of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), depression, and posttraumatic growth (PTG). RESULTS Both maladaptive and adaptive processing were the strongest predictors of PTSS and depression, ßs = . 21 to . 38. However, urge to discuss trauma was the main predictor of PTG, ß = . 53. Correlational findings suggested that veterans' willingness to discuss their traumas and reactivity to doing so were related with their processing of these experiences, rs = . 23 to . 40. CONCLUSION This study provides further support for the critical intersection between cognitive processing and disclosure, while also suggesting the need for more research on the intra- and inter-personal dimensions of these constructs in negative and constructive outcomes after trauma.
Systematic design for power minimization of pipelined analog-to-digital converters

In this paper a general method to design a pipelined ADC with minimum power consumption is presented. By expressing the total power consumption and the total input-referred noise of the converter as functions of the capacitor values and the resolutions of the converter stages, an optimization algorithm is employed to calculate the optimum values of these parameters, which lead to minimum power consumption while a specific noise requirement is satisfied. To determine the bias current values of operational amplifiers an optimal choice for settling and slewing time parameters is proposed. A practical design example is presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.
Frequency and Domain Specificity of Toxin-Neutralizing Paratopes in the Human Antibody Response to Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed

ABSTRACT Protective antigen (PA) is the cell surface recognition unit of the binary anthrax toxin system and the primary immunogenic component in both the current and proposed “next-generation” anthrax vaccines. Several studies utilizing animal models have indicated that PA-specific antibodies, acquired by either active or passive immunization, are sufficient to protect against infection with Bacillus anthracis. To investigate the human antibody response to anthrax immunization, we have established a large panel of human PA-specific monoclonal antibodies derived from multiple individuals vaccinated with the currently approved anthrax vaccine BioThrax. We have determined that although these antibodies bind PA in standard binding assays such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, Western blotting, capture assays, and dot blots, less than 25% are capable of neutralizing lethal toxin (LT) in vitro. Nonneutralizing antibodies also fail to neutralize toxin when present in combination with other nonneutralizing paratopes. Although neutralizing antibodies recognize determinants throughout the PA monomer, they are significantly less common among those paratopes that bind to the immunodominant amino-terminal portion of the molecule. These findings demonstrate that PA binding alone is not sufficient to neutralize LT and suggest that for an antibody to effectively block PA-mediated toxicity, it must bind to PA such that one of the requisite toxin functions is disrupted. A vaccine design strategy that directed a higher percentage of the antibody response toward neutralizing epitopes may result in a more efficacious vaccine for the prevention of anthrax infection.
On copositive Lyapunov functions for a class of monotone systems

This paper considers several explicit formulas for the construction of copositive Lyapunov functions for global asymptotic stability with respect to monotone systems evolving in either discrete or continuous time. Such monotone systems arise as comparison systems in the study of interconnected large-scale nominal systems. A copositive Lyapunov function for such a comparison system can then serve as a prototype Lyapunov functions for the nominal system. We discuss several constructions from the literature in a unified framework and provide sufficiency criteria for the existence of such constructions.
A Novel Sphingosine Kinase Inhibitor Induces Autophagy in Tumor Cells

The sphingolipids ceramide, sphingosine, and sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) regulate cell signaling, proliferation, apoptosis, and autophagy. Sphingosine kinase-1 and -2 (SK1 and SK2) phosphorylate sphingosine to form S1P, shifting the balanced activity of these lipids toward cell proliferation. We have previously reported that pharmacological inhibition of SK activity delays tumor growth in vivo. The present studies demonstrate that the SK2-selective inhibitor 3-(4-chlorophenyl)-adamantane-1-carboxylic acid (pyridin-4-ylmethyl)amide (ABC294640) induces nonapoptotic cell death that is preceded by microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 cleavage, morphological changes in lysosomes, formation of autophagosomes, and increases in acidic vesicles in A-498 kidney carcinoma cells. ABC294640 caused similar autophagic responses in PC-3 prostate and MDA-MB-231 breast adenocarcinoma cells. Simultaneous exposure of A-498 cells to ABC294640 and 3-methyladenine, an inhibitor of autophagy, switched the mechanism of toxicity to apoptosis, but decreased the potency of the SK2 inhibitor, indicating that autophagy is a major mechanism for tumor cell killing by this compound. Induction of the unfolded protein response by the proteasome inhibitor N-(benzyloxycarbonyl)leucinylleucinylleucinal Z-Leu-Leu-Leu-al (MG-132) or the heat shock protein 90 inhibitor geldanamycin synergistically increased the cytotoxicity of ABC294640 in vitro. In severe combined immunodeficient mice bearing A-498 xenografts, daily administration of ABC294640 delayed tumor growth and elevated autophagy markers, but did not increase terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling-positive cells in the tumors. These data suggest that ABC294640 promotes tumor cell autophagy, which ultimately results in nonapoptotic cell death and a delay of tumor growth in vivo. Consequently, ABC294640 may effectively complement anticancer drugs that induce tumor cell apoptosis.
Effects of short-term pretreatment with atorvastatin on mobilization of hematopoietic progenitor cells: A double-blind, randomized, controlled trial

Background: Despite recent advances in mobilization techniques, a considerable portion of patients fail to mobilize sufficient number of cells for successful autologous stem cell transplantation. There are several studies available that have demonstrated enhanced mobilization of endothelial progenitor cells with atorvastatin. Therefore, this prospective trial was conducted to evaluate the mobilizing effect of atorvastatin on hematopoietic progenitor cells. Subjects and Methods: Forty-four autologous HSCT candidates were randomized in a double-blind controlled trial to receive atorvastatin 40 mg daily or placebo plus standard G-CSF regimen. Treatment was initiated at the time of hospitalization and continued until the day of cell harvest. Independent-samples T-Test, Repeated Measures ANOVA and Mann-Whitney U test were performed to compare means. Categorical variables were analyzed using Chi-square and Fisher’s exact test. Results: Mean number of hematopoietic progenitor cells per microL of peripheral blood at the time of cell harvest did not differ significantly between the two groups. There was no statistically significant difference in secondary outcomes like time of platelet or PMN engraftment, occurrence of bleeding or infectious episode, duration of hospitalization and etc. Conclusion: The results of this study did not support beneficial effects of atorvastatin on mobilization of hematopoietic progenitor cells from bone marrow.
Antibody Aggregation: Insights from Sequence and Structure

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are the fastest-growing biological therapeutics with important applications ranging from cancers, autoimmunity diseases and metabolic disorders to emerging infectious diseases. Aggregation of mAbs continues to be a major problem in their developability. Antibody aggregation could be triggered by partial unfolding of its domains, leading to monomer-monomer association followed by nucleation and growth. Although the aggregation propensities of antibodies and antibody-based proteins can be affected by the external experimental conditions, they are strongly dependent on the intrinsic antibody properties as determined by their sequences and structures. In this review, we describe how the unfolding and aggregation susceptibilities of IgG could be related to their cognate sequences and structures. The impact of antibody domain structures on thermostability and aggregation propensities, and effective strategies to reduce aggregation are discussed. Finally, the aggregation of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) as related to their sequence/structure, linker payload, conjugation chemistry and drug-antibody ratio (DAR) is reviewed.
Fast and compact per-flow traffic measurement through randomized counter sharing

Traffic measurement provides critical real-world data for service providers and network administrators to perform capacity planning, accounting and billing, anomaly detection, and service provision. One of the greatest challenges in designing an online measurement module is to minimize the per-packet processing time in order to keep up with the line speed of the modern routers. To meet this challenge, we should minimize the number of memory accesses per packet and implement the measurement module in the on-die SRAM. The small size of SRAM requires extremely compact data structures to be designed for storing per-flow information. The best existing work, called counter braids, requires more than 4 bits per flow and performs 6 or more memory accesses per packet. In this paper, we design a fast and compact measurement function that estimates the sizes of all flows. It achieves the optimal processing speed: 2 memory accesses per packet. In addition, it provides reasonable measurement accuracy in a tight space where the counter braids no longer work. Our design is based on a new data encoding/decoding scheme, called randomized counter sharing. This scheme allows us to mix per-flow information together in storage for compactness and, at the decoding time, separate the information of each flow through statistical removal of the error introduced during information mixing from other flows. The effectiveness of our online per-flow measurement approach is analyzed and confirmed through extensive experiments based on real network traffic traces.
Relationship between Urinary 15F 2 t-Isoprostane and 8-Oxodeoxyguanosine Levels and Breast Cancer Risk

To evaluate the role of oxidative stress in breast cancer, we measured urinary levels of 15-F2t-isoprostane (15-F2t-IsoP) and 8-oxodeoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) in 400 cases and 401 controls, participants of the Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project. We also analyzed the effect of different factors that are associated with oxidative stress and might influence 15-F2t-IsoP and 8-oxodG levels. We observed a statistically significant trend in breast cancer risk with increasing quartiles of 15-F2t-IsoP levels [odds ratio (OR), 1.25; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.81-1.94; OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 0.99-2.35; OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.23-2.88, for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quartile relative to the lowest quartile, respectively; Ptrend = 0.002]. Although it is possible that increased levels may reflect the stress associated with recent treatment, the positive association was also observed when the analyses were restricted to case women for whom chemotherapy and radiation therapy had not yet been initiated at the time of the urine collection. The association with the highest quartile compared with lowest quartile of 15-F2t-IsoP was similar across strata of age, physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake, alcohol intake, cigarette smoking, body mass index, and menopausal status. We did not observe any association of breast cancer risk with 8-oxodG levels, but when cases with radiation treatment were removed from the analysis, a significant inverse trend (P = 0.04) was observed. Among controls, levels of 15-F2t-IsoP were higher among current cigarette smokers but did not differ by the amount of physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake, alcohol intake, body mass index, and menopausal status. Among controls, levels of 8-oxodG were higher among postmenopausal women and current and former cigarette smokers but did not differ by the other factors. In summary, our results suggest that urinary markers of lipid peroxidation and oxidative DNA damage may be associated with breast cancer risk. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(4):639–44)