Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quality of life in adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

OBJECTIVE To compare adolescents with and without obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) with regard to quality of life and to investigate the association between quality of life and clinical characteristics. METHODS Participants were recruited from an epidemiological study conducted at high schools in the city of Porto Alegre, southern Brazil. The sample comprised 75 adolescents with OCD and 150 without the disorder, aged between 14 and 18 years. Participants were assessed using the following instruments: Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Aged Children - Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL), Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment - Abbreviated Version (WHOQOL-BREF), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Beck Depressive Inventory - II (BDI-II). RESULTS The two groups showed significant differences in relation to depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and quality of life (all domains), with a poorer performance among adolescents with OCD when compared to those without the disorder. Stepwise regression analysis revealed a significant association between BDI-II scores and quality of life, in all domains. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that adolescents with OCD, especially those with depression symptoms, have a poorer quality of life when compared with adolescents without OCD.
On optimizing interdependent skills: a case study in simulated 3D humanoid robot soccer

In several realistic domains an agent's behavior is composed of multiple interdependent skills. For example, consider a humanoid robot that must play soccer, as is the focus of this paper. In order to succeed, it is clear that the robot needs to walk quickly, turn sharply, and kick the ball far. However, these individual skills are ineffective if the robot falls down when switching from walking to turning, or if it cannot position itself behind the ball for a kick. This paper presents a learning architecture for a humanoid robot soccer agent that has been fully deployed and tested within the RoboCup 3D simulation environment. First, we demonstrate that individual skills such as walking and turning can be parameterized and optimized to match the best performance statistics reported in the literature. These results are achieved through effective use of the CMA-ES optimization algorithm. Next, we describe a framework for optimizing skills in conjunction with one another, a little-understood problem with substantial practical significance. Over several phases of learning, a total of roughly 100--150 parameters are optimized. Detailed experiments show that an agent thus optimized performs comparably with the top teams from the RoboCup 2010 competitions, while taking relatively few man-hours for development.
Rapidly serum‐degradable hydrogel templating fabrication of spherical tissues and curved tubular structures

Development of the techniques for fabricating three‐dimensional tissues still poses significant challenges for tissue engineering. We used hydrogels obtained from phenol‐substituted amylopectin (AP‐Ph) as templates for preparing multicellular spherical tissues (MSTs) and endothelialized curved tubular structures in type I collagen gel. AP‐Ph hydrogel microparticles of diameter 200 µm and fibers of diameter 500 µm disappeared within hours of soaking in a serum‐containing medium. HeLa cells and human endothelial cells were enclosed in the microparticles and hydrogel fibers, respectively, and then embedded in Ca‐alginate microcapsules or the collagen gel. The enclosed cells were released in cavities formed by hydrogel degradation in the serum‐containing medium. The released HeLa cells in the spherical cavities grew and formed MSTs, eventually filling the cavities. The spherical tissues were easily harvested by liquefying the Ca‐alginate hydrogel microcapsule membrane by chelation using sodium citrate. The released endothelial cells grew on the tubular cavity surfaces and formed tubular structures. An endothelial cell network was formed by cell migration into the collagen gel. These results demonstrate the potential of serum‐degradable AP‐Ph hydrogels in constructing three‐dimensional tissues. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2012; 109: 2911–2919. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Ultra-early decompressive hemicraniectomy in aneurysmal intracerebral hemorrhage: a retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND The rupture of an intracranial aneurysm leading to subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is frequently complicated by an extensive intracerebral hematoma (ICH). ICH represents a factor that worsens clinical outcome either due to early or delayed critical increase of intracranial pressure (ICP). Data on the management of aneurysmal ICH are lacking. Besides the securing of the ruptured aneurysm, there is the option of decompressive surgery to prevent secondary damage. The aim of this study was to analyze feasibility of decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC) and the impact of timing in patients suffering from aneurysmal SAH with extensive ICH. METHODS We retrospectively analyzed patients with aneurysmal ICH matched for age, sex, World Federation of Neurological Surgeons (WFNS) grade and ICH volume. All patients were treated via aneurysm clipping in conjunction with hematoma removal followed by either primary ultra-early DHC directly after admission or secondary, i.e. delayed DHC. We analyzed patient characteristics and management and the influence on postoperative care and outcome. Parameters were ICP, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), length of neurointensive care treatment and duration of mechanical ventilation. Outcome interviews were conducted as Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS-E). RESULTS Nineteen consecutive patients with ruptured MCA-aneurysm and ICH were identified with median WFNS grade 5. Eleven patients were treated via primary, ultra-early DHC in mean 2.6 ± 1.4 hours after admission. Eight patients were treated via secondary DHC in 47.6 ± 34.2 hours after admission. In these patients, secondary DHC led to a significant decrease of peak ICP (50.2 mmHg preoperative vs. 10 mmHg postoperative). Mortality rate was six percent. In primary DHC group was a significantly better course of disease mirrored via reduced time of mechanical ventilation (14.4 ± 3.3 vs. 25.5 ± 3.4 days) and shorter hospital stay (18.7 ± 2.1 vs. 26.3 ± 3 days). Nevertheless there were no differences in long-term follow-up and most patients had a poor outcome. CONCLUSION Our data demonstrate that DHC is feasible in aneurysmal ICH. Timing appears to be a crucial factor concerning early and long-term control of ICP and outcome. We are therefore in favor of ultra-early DHC to treat especially poor grade patients with intracerebral mass lesion in aneurysmal hemorrhage to facilitate the ICP management as well as care within the ICU.
TORINO Repository ISTITUZIONALE

—OpenFlow represents a new powerful paradigm that combines the ﬂexibility of the software with the efﬁciency of a programmable hardware switch. However, such an approach is currently reserved for new hardware devices, speciﬁcally engineered for this paradigm. This paper presents our experience and ﬁndings about selectively ofﬂoading OpenFlow rules into a non-OpenFlow compatible hardware switch silicon, which enables existing (legacy) hardware ASICs to become compatible with the SDN paradigm. We describe our solution that transparently ofﬂoads the portion of OpenFlow rules supported by the hardware while keeping in software the remaining ones, and that is able to support the presence of multiple hardware tables although with limited capabilities in terms of matches and actions. Moreover, we illustrate the design choices used to implement all the basic functionalities required by the OpenFlow protocol (e.g., packet-in, packet-out messages) and then we demonstrate the considerable advantage in terms of performance that can be obtained by performing switching in hardware, while maintaining an SDN-type ability to program and to instantiate desired network operations from a central controller.
The mediating influence of attributions on self-efficacy and behavioral changes following performance-based treatment of phobia

The main purpose of the present study was to examine causal attributions' mediating influence on therapeutic changes in self-efficacy and behavior following performancebased treatment for phobias. Subjects were people with disabling phobias of situations or activities away from home. Subjects first underwent a behavioral pretreatment assessment which measured their behavior, anxiety, and self-efficacy while attempting a target phobic behavior. SUbjects were included in the study if they showed behavioral disability during this procedure. After the pretest, sUbjects were randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions. Subjects in the Accompanied condition completed 45 minutes of treatment during which the therapist continually accompanied them while they attempted the task. Subjects in the Alone condition received 45 minutes of treatment in which they attempted the task without therapist accompaniment. Subjects in the Control condition received no treatment. The purpose of the independent variable manipulation was to elicit different attributions for performance success among the subjects in the two active treatment groups. Immediately following treatment, sUbjects completed an attribution measure by indicating the main cause(s) for their performance during treatment. SUbjects then completed a posttreatment assessment identical to that
Control of MyoD Function during Initiation of Muscle Differentiation by an Autocrine Signaling Pathway Activated by Insulin-like Growth Factor-II*

The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) play key roles in muscle development, maintenance, and repair, but their mechanisms of action are incompletely defined. We previously identified an autocrine pathway involving production of IGF-II and activation of the IGF-I receptor, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, and Akt in myoblast differentiation induced by MyoD in 10T1/2 mesenchymal stem cells and found that blocking this pathway prevented differentiation (Wilson, E. M., Hsieh, M. M., and Rotwein, P. (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278, 41109-41113). We now have analyzed regulation of MyoD function in this model system. Inhibition of IGF-II production impaired the transcriptional actions of MyoD, as seen by a 70-80% decline in activity of transfected reporter genes, including the myogenin and creatine kinase promoters, and by complete inhibition of transcription of the endogenous myogenin gene but had no effect on MyoD protein levels, post-translational modifications, or nuclear localization, and neither blocked the rapid disappearance of the inhibitory molecule Id1 nor altered the nuclear expression or abundance of the MyoD binding partner E12/E47. Impaired signaling through the IGF-I receptor also did not decrease the ability of MyoD or E12/E47 to bind to target DNA sites at the proximal myogenin promoter, as assessed by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay but, rather, blocked chromatin remodeling at this site, as indicated by reduced recruitment of co-activators p300 and P/CAF and diminished acetylation of histones H3 and H4. Taken together, these results show that IGF-II-initiated signaling through the insulin-like growth factor-I receptor targets transcriptional co-regulators that are essential co-factors for MyoD and suggests that the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-Akt pathway plays a key role in establishing an amplification cascade that is essential for sustaining the earliest events in muscle differentiation.
Temozolomide in Advanced Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: Pharmacological and Clinical Aspects

Alkylating agents, such as streptozocin and dacarbazine, have been reported as active in neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs). Temozolomide (TMZ) is an oral, potentially less toxic derivative of dacarbazine, which has shown activity both as a single agent and in combination with other drugs. Nevertheless, its role in NENs has not been well defined. Several retrospective and prospective phase I-II studies have been published describing its use in a variety of NENs. In a retrospective series, the combination of capecitabine and TMZ was reported to be associated with a particularly high tumour response in pancreatic NENs as a first-line treatment. Although in NENs, determination of the O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) status has been suggested as a predictive biomarker of response, its role still remains investigational, awaiting validation along with the establishment of the optimal detection method. Metronomic schedules have been reported to potentially overcome MGMT-related drug resistance. Toxicity is manageable if well monitored. We reviewed the literature regarding pharmacological and clinical aspects of TMZ, focusing on specific settings of NENs, different schedules, toxicity and safety profiles, and potential predictive biomarkers of response.
Atomistic Modeling of Short Pulse Laser Ablation of Metals: Connections between Melting, Spallation, and Phase Explosion†

The mechanisms of short pulse laser interactions with a metal target are investigated in simulations performed with a model combining the molecular dynamics method with a continuum description of laser excitation, electron−phonon equilibration, and electron heat conduction. Three regimes of material response to laser irradiation are identified in simulations performed with a 1 ps laser pulse, which corresponds to the condition of stress confinement: melting and resolidification of a surface region of the target, photomechanical spallation of a single or multiple layers or droplets, and an explosive disintegration of an overheated surface layer (phase explosion). The processes of laser melting, spallation, and phase explosion are taking place on the same time scale and are closely intertwined with each other. The transition to the spallation regime results in a reduction of the melting zone and a sharp drop in the duration of the melting and resolidification cycle. The transition from spallation to phase e.
Salesperson performance and job attitudes revisited

Research about the (inter)relationships across salesperson performance, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment is characterized by equivocal (and sometimes conflicting) empirical results. The study develops and tests an extended model of the performance→satisfaction→commitment sequence that incorporates intrinsic and extrinsic components of salesperson job satisfaction and affective and continuance dimensions of organizational commitment. In addition, hypotheses pertaining to the effects of three potential moderators of the relationships of concern, specifically, degree of performance‐reward contingency, salesperson career stage, and salesperson performance level, are developed and subjected to empirical testing. The results offer valuable insights for sales managers attempting to develop and maintain highly committed salesforces, and researchers attempting to explain the reasons behind the mixed empirical findings in prior research.
THE UPTAKE OF 5-HYDROXYTRYPTAMINE AND HISTAMINE BY PARTICULATE FRACTIONS OF BRAIN.

Nerve ending particles and microsomes isolated from rat brain took up both 5-hydroxytryptamine and histamine in similar fashion, the quantity of amine taken imp increasing as the concentration of amine in the incubation medium was increased. The amine that was taken up by the particles was at a higher concentration than that in the medium, although the majority of the 5-HT taken up could be removed by three washes with sucrose. The quantity of amine taken up by particles incubated at 0°C was one-half to two-thirds that taken up by particles incubated at 37°C. The uptake of 5-hydroxytrptamine by the particles was diminished by increasing concentrations of hydrogen ions, divalent cations, and monovalent cations in a manner suggesting the uptake of the amines was a nonspecific ion-exchange process. Titration of suspensions of the nerve ending particles revealed a great capacity for binding cations. When the nerve-ending particles were incubated in a medium containing 5-hydroxytryptophan and the supernatant fraction of brain, the 5-hydroxytryptamine that was formed was also taken up.
Carboxypeptidase E-ΔN, a Neuroprotein Transiently Expressed during Development Protects Embryonic Neurons against Glutamate Neurotoxicity

Neuroprotective proteins expressed in the fetus play a critical role during early embryonic neurodevelopment, especially during maternal exposure to alcohol and drugs that cause stress, glutamate neuroexcitotoxicity, and damage to the fetal brain, if prolonged. We have identified a novel protein, carboxypeptidase E-ΔN (CPE-ΔN), which is a splice variant of CPE that has neuroprotective effects on embryonic neurons. CPE-ΔN is transiently expressed in mouse embryos from embryonic day 5.5 to postnatal day 1. It is expressed in embryonic neurons, but not in 3 week or older mouse brains, suggesting a function primarily in utero. CPE-ΔN expression was up-regulated in embryonic hippocampal neurons in response to dexamethasone treatment. CPE-ΔN transduced into rat embryonic cortical and hippocampal neurons protected them from glutamate- and H2O2-induced cell death. When transduced into embryonic cortical neurons, CPE-ΔN was found in the nucleus and enhanced the transcription of FGF2 mRNA. Embryonic cortical neurons challenged with glutamate resulted in attenuated FGF2 levels and cell death, but CPE-ΔN transduced neurons treated in the same manner showed increased FGF2 expression and normal viability. This neuroprotective effect of CPE-ΔN was mediated by secreted FGF2. Through receptor signaling, FGF2 activated the AKT and ERK signaling pathways, which in turn increased BCL-2 expression. This led to inhibition of caspase-3 activity and cell survival.
Synthesis of ZnO Nanostructures for Low Temperature CO and UV Sensing

In this paper, synthesis and results of the low temperature sensing of carbon monoxide (CO) gas and room temperature UV sensors using one dimensional (1-D) ZnO nanostructures are presented. Comb-like structures, belts and rods, and needle-shaped nanobelts were synthesized by varying synthesis temperature using a vapor transport method. Needle-like ZnO nanobelts are unique as, according to our knowledge, there is no evidence of such morphology in previous literature. The structural, morphological and optical characterization was carried out using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and diffused reflectance spectroscopy techniques. It was observed that the sensing response of comb-like structures for UV light was greater as compared to the other grown structures. Comb-like structure based gas sensors successfully detect CO at 75 °C while other structures did not show any response.
Cultivating Development: An Ethnography of Aid Policy and Practice

'A superb book, one of those rarities that can change entire ways of thinking. David Mosse is the first social scientist in a generation who can successfuly take cutting-edge insights from academic anthropology and use them to explain practical problems in development.For anyone interested in development, "Cultivating Development" is a do-not-miss experience. ' Scott Guggenheim, Lead Social Scientist, The World Bank '[Mosse's] provocative thesis challenges the received wisdom of that world and compels us to examine afresh the politics and ethics of engaging with development. Amid the profusion of literature in this field, this book stands apart as an insider's account that is consistently critical yet steadfast in respecting its subjects. Highly recommended. ' Amita Baviskar, Visiting Professor, Department of Cultural and Social Anthropology, Stanford University Development agencies and researchers are preoccupied with policy; with exerting influence over policy, linking research to policy and with implementing policy around the world. But what if development practice is not driven by policy? Suppose that the things that make for 'good policy' - policy that legitimises and mobilises political support - in reality make it impossible to implement? By focusing in detail on the unfolding activities of a development project in western India over more than ten years, as it falls under different policy regimes, this book takes a close look at the relationship between policy and practice in development. David Mosse shows how the actions of development workers are shaped by the exigencies of organisations and the need to maintain relationships rather than by policy; but also that development actors work hardest of all to maintain coherent representations of their actions as instances of authorised policy. Raising unfamiliar questions, Mosse provides a rare self-critical reflection on practice, while refusing to endorse current post-modern dismissal of development.
Andersen Cardiodysrhythmic Periodic Paralysis With KCNJ2 Mutations: A Novel Mutation in the Pore Selectivity Filter Residue

Andersen cardiodysrhythmic periodic paralysis or Andersen-Tawil syndrome includes the distinct clinical features of periodic paralysis, cardiac arrhythmia, and facial and skeletal dysmorphisms and exhibits autosomal dominant inheritance. Mutations in the KCNJ2 gene, which encodes the human inward rectifier potassium channel Kir2.1, have been identified in the majority of cases. Despite well-established clinical and molecular characteristics, treatment is still case oriented, and timely diagnosis could be delayed because of the low incidence and phenotypic heterogeneity of this disease. This article describes the clinical and molecular features of 3 cases of Andersen-Tawil syndrome in 2 families. One of the mutations (G144D) was located in the pore selectivity filter residue (which is mutated recurrently) and was considered novel. Intermittent muscle weakness in childhood warrants careful evaluation of cardiac dysrhythmia and skeletal anomalies.
On the cluster based dynamic channel assignment for multihop ad hoc networks

In order to ensure an efficient network control for mobile ad hoc networks, nodes are usually aggregated into clusters to provide a convenient framework. However, an important issue on how to properly assign channels over a multi-cluster structure has not been studied in depth. In this paper, we first propose a new clustering algorithm to facilitate subsequent channel assignment. Each cluster has one clusterhead. Between clusterheads, there are gateways that relay control information and help eliminate the hidden terminal problem. Then two dynamic channel assignment (DCA) strategies are designed to make the best use of available channels by taking advantage of the spatial reuse concept. One strategy tries approaching a compact-channel pattern so that the channel reuse efficiency can be enhanced. On the other hand, the other strategy tries reducing the control overhead on the channel assignment so that the users can have a lower power consumption. We evaluate our cluster structure via simulation in terms of cluster stability and overheads. Furthermore, the two DCA strategies are compared to provide a guideline on how to trade off between the channel reuse efficiency and the control overhead.