Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Partner Support in the Treatment of Postpartum Depression

Objective: To determine the impact of partner support in the treatment of mothers suffering from postpartum depression (PPD). Method Patients underwent a comprehensive psychiatric assessment and were enrolled in the study only if they met the DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder with postpartum onset. Patients with PPD (n = 29) were assigned randomly to 2 treatment groups: group 1 (control group) consisted of patients only (n = 13), while group 2 (support group) consisted of patients (n = 16) and their partners. The patients in both groups were seen for 7 psychoeducational visits each. In group 2, partners participated in 4 of the 7 visits. Patients in both groups were administered a set of questionnaires that included the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the Kellner Symptom Questionnaire, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), and the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI). In addition, during visits 1 and 7, all patients underwent assessment using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Instrument (MINI), section A (major depressive episode). The partners in both groups completed the DAS and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Results Relative to the control-group patients, the support-group patients displayed a significant decrease in depressive symptoms and other psychiatric conditions. Relative to the support group, the general health of the partners in the control group deteriorated. Conclusion Partner support has a measurable effect on women experiencing PPD.
A Semantics based Approach to Efficient Retrieval of Temporal Patterns

Temporal data mining unearths patterns from sequential or ordered data. Semantics of these patterns can be different depending on the underlying data, technique used and the purpose of data mining. Patterns included in this paper are taken from three different domains and their structure and semantics are different. First type, which we call temporal patterns, includes a set of states and relationships among the states. Second type, called sequential patterns includes a set of ordered states. Finally, the third type called episodes is a partially ordered set of event types. To index a database of these patterns, Signature based techniques were considered to be a viable option as signatures could accommodate multiple state values as well as the relationship among the states. In this paper we compared the different implementations of signature files when used indexes for database of temporal patterns on various criteria listed in the paper. Further, based on the semantics of sequential patterns and episodes, and the results obtained above, we suggested which implementations would be suitable for databases of other two types of patterns. General Terms Indexes, Algorithms, Experimentation, Performance, Measurement, Semantics
Expression of Genes Encoding Glutamate Receptors and Transporters in Rod and Cone Bipolar Cells of the Primate Retina Determined by Single-cell Polymerase Chain Reaction

A tremendous degree of functional diversity in the early visual system is rendered at the first synapse, where glutamate released from rod and cone photoreceptors excites specialized circuits tuned to different aspects of the visual scene [1-5]. Most of this diversity arises at the cone axon terminal. There, some 20-50 pre-synaptic active zones parcel the cone signal to about 10 morphological types of second-order bipo-lar neurons [6,7]. Roughly half of these (OFF cells) depolar-ize in response to the increased glutamate caused by a decre-ment in light, while the other half (ON cells) depolarize with the drop in glutamate caused by a light increment. Functional specialization among the OFF cells is rendered through specific combinations of ionotropic glutamate receptor (GluR) subunits, distinguished by their affinities for the glutamate agonists AMPA (GluR1-4) or kainate (GluR5-7, KA1 and Purpose: Light signals from rod and cone photoreceptors traverse distinct types of second-order, bipolar neurons that carry these signals from the outer to inner retina. Anatomical and physiological studies suggest that the specialization of rod and cone bipolar cells involves the differential expression of proteins involved in glutamatergic signaling. In a previous study, we compared the expression of genes for the AMPA-(GluR1-4) and kainate-sensitive (GluR5-7, KA1-2) ionotropic glutamate receptors, the metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR1-8), and five non-vesicular glutamate transporters (EAAT1-5) in full-complement cDNA constructed from fresh and aldehyde-fixed macaque retina using a technique suitable for amplification of a variety of differentially expressed transcripts. Here we apply the same protocol to compare expression of these genes in cDNA constructed from single rod and cone bipolar cells previously-labeled for morphological identification in fixed slices of macaque retina. Methods: We used immunocytochemical labeling and unique morphological features in lightly fixed slices of macaque retina to target the rod bipolar or the DB3 cone OFF bipolar cell. Under visual control, we used a micropipette to target and extract labeled cells, and we isolated mRNA from each through enzymatic digestion. Full-length cDNA was synthesized using 3'-end amplification (TPEA) PCR, in which the highly diverse 3' regions were amplified indiscriminately to ensure detection of both high and low abundance genes. We used gene-specific RT-PCR to probe the cDNA of each bipolar cell both for expression of known genes to confirm cell identification as well as expression of genes encoding glutamate receptors GluR1-7, KA1-2, and mGluR1-8 and for transporters EAAT1-5. Results: Of 27 rod bipolar cells confirmed to express the genes for …
Development of Ocular Rosacea following Combined Ipilimumab and Nivolumab Treatment for Metastatic Malignant Skin Melanoma

Purpose: To report a case of severe ocular rosacea following ipilimumab plus nivolumab treatment in a patient with metastatic malignant skin melanoma. Methods: Case report and review of the literature. Results: A 68-year-old male with newly diagnosed metastatic malignant cutaneous melanoma was treated with first-line ipilimumab plus nivolumab, which resulted in a partial response. Four months after initiation of treatment, the patient developed red eyelids and conjunctivae, with painful gritty eyes, limiting his capacity to read. Following a diagnosis of severe ocular rosacea and dry eyes, treatment including corticosteroids, antimicrobial agents, and eyelid hygiene was started, and within 3 months, the ocular complaints resolved. Conclusion: Treatment with checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy for metastatic melanoma may trigger several ocular immune-related adverse events. This case describes severe ocular rosacea as an adverse event following ipilimumab plus nivolumab treatment.
Interactive visualization of complex real-world light sources

Interactive visualization of complex, real-world light sources has so far not been feasible. We present a hardware accelerated direct lighting algorithm based on a recent high quality light source acquisition technique. By introducing an approximate reconstruction of the exact model, a multi-pass rendering approach, and a compact data representation, we are able to achieve interactive frame rates. The method is part of the processing pipeline from light source acquisition to high quality lighting of a virtual world.
Hereditary angio-edema.

Beta-adrenergic stimulators, such as epinephrine and isoproterenol, relax bronchial smooth muscle, decrease glandular secretion, constrict blood vessels and also alleviate asthma. Beta-adrenergic blockers, such as propranolol (ndreal@), have the opposite effects. These observations have led to the theory that the basic defect in asthma is a partial ,8-adrenergic blockade. The causes of this postulated blockade might include hereditary influences and infections. Although as yet unproven, this theory has stimulated much new thought and experimental work on asthma. The theory would explain the diminishing therapeutic effectiveness of beta stimulators in patients with long-standing asthma and the subnormal cardiovascular and metabolic responses of asthmatic patients to ,8-adrenergic stimulators. On the other hand, normal subjects given propranolol do not develop the bronchial sensitivity so characteristic of asthma, and exercise-induced asthma seems to occur via mechanisms other than B-adrenergic blockade. Additionally, new information suggests that decreased 8-adrenergic (epinephrine) secretion by asthmatics during stress may be related to their bronchial hyperreactivity. GILDON N. BEALL, M.D.
Role of Natural Killer and Dendritic Cell Crosstalk in Immunomodulation by Commensal Bacteria Probiotics

A cooperative dialogue between natural killer (NK) cells and dendritic cells (DCs) has been elucidated in the last years. They help each other to acquire their complete functions, both in the periphery and in the secondary lymphoid organs. Thus, NK cells' activation by dendritic cells allows the killing of transformed or infected cells in the periphery but may also be important for the generation of adaptive immunity. Indeed, it has been shown that NK cells may play a key role in polarizing a Th1 response upon interaction with DCs exposed to microbial products. This regulatory role of DC/NK cross-talk is of particular importance at mucosal surfaces such as the intestine, where the immune system exists in intimate association with commensal bacteria such as lactic acid bacteria (LAB). We here review NK/DC interactions in the presence of gut-derived commensal bacteria and their role in bacterial strain-dependent immunomodulatory effects. We particularly aim to highlight the ability of distinct species of commensal bacterial probiotics to differently affect the outcome of DC/NK cross-talk and consequently to differently influence the polarization of the adaptive immune response.
Water contents of clinopyroxenes from sub‐arc mantle peridotites

One poorly constrained reservoir of the Earth's water budget is that of clinopyroxene in metasomatised, mantle peridotites. This study presents reconnaissance Sensitive High‐Resolution, Ion Microprobe–Stable Isotope (SHRIMP–SI) determinations of the H2O contents of (dominantly) clinopyroxenes in rare mantle xenoliths from four different subduction zones, i.e. Mexico, Kamchatka, Philippines, and New Britain (Tabar‐Feni island chain) as well as one intra‐plate setting (western Victoria). All of the sub‐arc xenoliths have been metasomatised and carry strong arc trace element signatures. Average measured H2O contents of the pyroxenes range from 70 ppm to 510 ppm whereas calculated bulk H2O contents range from 88 ppm to 3 737 ppm if the variable presence of amphibole is taken into account. In contrast, the intra‐plate, continental mantle xenolith from western Victoria has higher water contents (3 447 ppm) but was metasomatised by alkali and/or carbonatitic melts and does not carry a subduction‐related signature. Material similar to the sub‐arc peridotites can either be accreted to the base of the lithosphere or potentially be transported by convection deeper into the mantle where it will lose water due to amphibole breakdown.
Interactions Between Soil Erosion Processes and Fires: Implications for the Dynamics of Fertility Islands

Abstract Shrub encroachment in arid and semiarid rangelands, a worldwide phenomenon, results in a heterogeneous landscape characterized by a mosaic of nutrient-depleted barren soil bordered by nutrient-enriched shrubby areas known as “fertile islands. ” Even though shrub encroachment is considered as a major contributor to rangeland degradation, little is known about mechanisms favoring the reversibility of the early stages of this process. Here we synthesize the interactions between fires and soil erosion processes, and the implications of these interactions for management of rangelands. The burning of shrub vegetation develops relatively high levels of soil hydrophobicity. This fire-induced water repellency was shown to enhance the soil erodibility in and around burned shrub patches. The fire-induced enhancement of local-scale soil erosion results from changes in the interparticle bonding forces between the soil grains, thus altering the way moisture is retained in the soil. It has been shown—with a number of wind-tunnel studies, field-scale manipulative experiments, microtopographic measurements, and isotopic tracer studies—how the fire-erosion interactions affect the dynamics of fertility islands. Further we propose a new conceptual model of resource “island” dynamics that explains some of the findings previously reported in the literature on the interactions between aeolian processes and arid-land vegetation. In particular, we highlight the ability of fires to enhance the erodibility of nutrient-rich soils accumulated under the shrubs favoring the redistribution of soil resources, thereby contributing to the reversibility of the early stages of shrub encroachment.
Stability bounds for fuzzy estimation and control — Part II: Output-feedback control

A large class of nonlinear systems can be well approximated by Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy models, for which methods and algorithms have been developed to analyze their stability and to design observers and controllers. However, results obtained for Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy models are in general not directly applicable to the original nonlinear system. In this paper, we investigate what conclusions can be drawn when an observer-based controller is designed for an approximate model and then applied to the original nonlinear system. In particular, we consider the case when the scheduling vector used in the membership functions of the observer depends on the states that have to be estimated. The results are illustrated using simulation examples.
Control of Postnatal Apoptosis in the Neocortex byRhoA-Subfamily GTPases Determines Neuronal Density

Apoptosis of neurons in the maturing neocortex has been recorded in a wide variety of mammals, but very little is known about its effects on cortical differentiation. Recent research has implicated the RhoA GTPase subfamily in the control of apoptosis in the developing nervous system and in other tissue types. Rho GTPases are important components of the signaling pathways linking extracellular signals to the cytoskeleton. To investigate the role of the RhoA GTPase subfamily in neocortical apoptosis and differentiation, we have engineered a mouse line in which a dominant-negative RhoA mutant (N19–RhoA) is expressed from the Mapt locus, such that all neurons of the developing nervous system are expressing the N19–RhoA inhibitor. Postnatal expression of N19–RhoA led to no major changes in neocortical anatomy. Six layers of the neocortex developed and barrels (whisker-related neural modules) formed in layer IV. However, the density and absolute number of neurons in the somatosensory cortex increased by 12–26% compared with wild-type littermates. This was not explained by a change in the migration of neurons during the formation of cortical layers but rather by a large decrease in the amount of neuronal apoptosis at postnatal day 5, the developmental maximum of cortical apoptosis. In addition, overexpression of RhoA in cortical neurons was seen to cause high levels of apoptosis. These results demonstrate that RhoA-subfamily members play a major role in developmental apoptosis in postnatal neocortex of the mouse but that decreased apoptosis does not alter cortical cytoarchitecture and patterning.
Validity of a Simple ST-Elevation Acute Myocardial Infarction Risk Index: Are Randomized Trial Prognostic Estimates Generalizable to Elderly Patients?

Background—Risk-stratification scores derived from randomized clinical trial (RCT) data should be evaluated in community-based populations. A simple risk-stratification index for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction derived from an RCT population was recently proposed, but it has not been validated in a community-based cohort. Methods and Results—We evaluated the simple risk index using data from 49 711 patients ≥65 years of age hospitalized with ST-elevation myocardial infarction. We evaluated the distribution of patients in the 5 simple risk index groups, compared observed and published 30-day mortality rates, and assessed the score’s discrimination and calibration. The simple risk index provided poor discrimination (c=0.62) and calibration (goodness of fit P <0.001) for survival at 30 days. Risk score distribution was skewed, because two thirds (66.1%) of all patients were classified in the highest-risk group, whereas fewer than 11.0% were classified in the 3 lowest-risk groups. Thirty-day mortality estimates were lower than those observed in the cohort (risk group 2 to 5: 1.9% to 17.4% versus 5.3% to 27.9%). Risk index discrimination, calibration, score distribution, and mortality estimates were worse among patients who did not receive acute reperfusion therapy than among those who did. Conclusions—The limited performance of the simple risk index highlights the limitations of applying prognostic models derived in RCT populations to the general population of patients 65 years and older. Prognostic scores must be validated in community-based cohorts before integration into clinical practice.
Correlation of C‐Reactive Protein With Clinical, Endoscopic, Histologic, and Radiographic Activity in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Introduction: We sought to examine the relationship between C‐reactive protein (CRP) and clinical, endoscopic, histologic, and radiographic activity in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods: All IBD patients at our institution between January 2002 and August 2003 who had a CRP, colonoscopy, and either small bowel follow‐through (SBFT) or CT enterography (CTE) performed within 14 days were identified. Clinical activity was assessed retrospectively through review of the medical record. Logistic regression was used in Crohn's disease (CD) patients to estimate the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals for an elevated CRP. Associations were assessed using Fisher exact test in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients due to small sample size. Results: One‐hundred four CD patients (46% males) and 43 UC and indeterminate colitis patients (44% males) were identified. In CD patients, moderate‐severe clinical activity (OR, 4.5; 95% CI, 1.1‐18.3), active disease at colonoscopy (OR, 3.5; 95% CI, 1.4‐8.9), and histologically severe inflammation (OR, 10.6; 95% CI; 1.1‐104) were all significantly associated with CRP elevation. Abnormal small bowel radiographic imaging was not significantly associated with CRP elevation. In UC patients, CRP elevation was significantly associated with severe clinical activity, elevation in sedimentation rate, anemia, hypoalbuminemia, and active disease at ileocolonoscopy, but not with histologic inflammation. Conclusions: CRP elevation in IBD patients is associated with clinical disease activity, endoscopic inflammation, severely active histologic inflammation (in CD patients), and several other biomarkers of inflammation, but not with radiographic activity.
Ex-vivo lung perfusion

Purpose of reviewLung transplant continues to be hampered by the number of available donors. Ex-vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) has emerged as an essential tool for the reassessment, under a controlled scenario, of lungs that initially did not meet transplantation criteria. The purpose of the current study is to review the most recent clinical and research reports and summarize their findings. Recent findingsSeveral centers have presented positive data when using ex-vivo perfusion to identify better grafts from the higher risk donor pool. The posttransplant results, when using these organs, are not significantly different from those obtained when using standard criteria donors. In addition, a great amount of research reports have emphasized the potential of ex-vivo perfusion as a platform in reducing the injurious effects of ischemia–reperfusion. SummaryEVLP has already proved its value as a tool to identify ’good’ lungs from the previously rejected pool. But as new therapeutics arise , EVLP will also prove its value as a reproducible platform for their evaluation.
Creating flex-lean-agile value chain by outsourcing: An ISM-based interventional roadmap

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the characteristics of flexible, agile and lean supply chains and establish, by factor analysis, that outsourcing can be a key intervention achieving the triple objective of flexibility, agility and leanness.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a blend of theoretical framework and practical application and employs structural analysis to draw an interventional roadmap to facilitate value chain outsourcing.Findings – The paper finds that by outsourcing activities processes, organizations can deliver better value to the customer.Originality/value – The paper is of value in identifying the variables for effective value chain outsourcing.
Distributed cooperative multi-cell precoding with power constraints and partial CSI

Base station cooperation of multi-cell wireless network enhances the overall performance of the communication system, especially for the mobile stations (MSs) at cell edges. Most precious work in this area has focused on the situation that base stations share channel state information (CSI) and precoding information with each other. Herein, we analyze the case of distributed cooperation where each base station (BS) only exchange partial CSI, and we study the downlink optimal precoder design to maximize the worst mobile station (MS) in the system with a set of per BS power constraints. By applying convex optimization techniques and the given novel estimation method, this paper provides an efficient algorithm to solve the problem. The benefits of the given iteration algorithm are illustrated numerically comparing with general multi-cell and single-cell optimization.
The Chemical Composition of White Dwarfs as a Test of Convective Efficiency during Core Helium Burning

Pulsating white dwarfs provide constraints to the evolution of progenitor stars. We revise He-burning stellar models, with particular attention to core convection and to its connection with the nuclear reactions powering energy generation and chemical evolution. Theoretical results are compared to the available measurements for the variable white dwarf GD 358, which indicate a rather large abundance of central oxygen (Metcalfe and coworkers). We show that the attempt to constrain the relevant nuclear reaction rate by means of the white dwarf composition is faced with a large degree of uncertainty related to evaluating the efficiency of convection-induced mixing. By combining the uncertainty of the convection theory with the error on the relevant reaction rate, we derive that the present theoretical prediction for the central oxygen mass fraction in white dwarfs varies between 0.3 and 0.9. Unlike previous claims, we find that models taking into account semiconvection and a moderate 12C(α,γ)16O reaction rate are able to account for a high central oxygen abundance. The rate of the 12C(α,γ)16O used in these models agrees with the one recently obtained in laboratory experiments by Kunz and coworkers. On the other hand, when semiconvection is inhibited, as in the case of classical models (bare Schwarzschild criterion) or in models with mechanical overshoot, an extremely high rate of the 12C(α,γ)16O reaction is needed to account for a large oxygen production. Finally, we show that the apparent discrepancy between our result and those reported in previous studies depends on the method used to avoid the convective runaways (the so-called breathing pulses) that are usually encountered in modeling late stage of core He-burning phase.