Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Structure of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in pediatric OCD.

OBJECTIVE It is unclear whether the structure of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms seen in adults is preserved in pediatric samples. METHOD A total of 238 children and adolescents referred to a specialty pediatric OCD clinic were administered the Children's Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale Symptom Checklist, and its 13 major symptom categories were subjected to exploratory principal components analysis. The resulting factors were correlated with relevant clinical variables. RESULTS Principal components analysis identified four symptom dimensions explaining 55% of the total variance and broadly corresponding to those seen in adult samples. Boys were more likely to have sexual obsessions (34% vs. 18%, p = .01), whereas girls were more likely to endorse hoarding compulsions (53% vs. 36%, p=.009). High scores on the hoarding dimension were associated with increased levels of pervasive slowness, responsibility, indecisiveness, pathological doubt, depression and a variety of emotional difficulties, both self-rated and parent-rated. CONCLUSIONS The structure of OCD symptoms is similar across the lifespan. Hoarding symptoms are prevalent in pediatric OCD, especially among girls, and are associated with greater levels of disability.
Mathematical Methods in Combatting Terrorism

This document is a preliminary report on the role that mathematical and statistical methods might play in the defense against terrorist attacks. In no way does this replace the efforts of law enforcement agenices or intelligence activities. The hope is that mathematical techniques can make their efforts more efficient. The ideas enumerated here utilize the notion of probabilistic risk analysis, which was developed for the purpose of assessing the safety of nuclear reactors, as well as randomization and game theory. More extensive work in these directions is contemplated for the future. The author is planning workshops to evaluate the ideas presented here and to elicit additional methodologies that may prove useful in this endeavor.
SURGICAL REMOVAL OF EPIRETINAL MEMBRANE WITH AND WITHOUT REMOVAL OF INTERNAL LIMITING MEMBRANE: Comparative Study of Visual Acuity, Features of Optical Coherence Tomography, and Recurrence Rate

Purpose: To study and compare visual acuity, foveal thickness, outer limiting layer, ellipsoid zone, and recurrence rate in patients undergoing removal of the epiretinal membrane with and without the removal of the internal limiting membrane (ILM). Methods: Sixty-three patients who had the epiretinal membrane removed by a single surgeon were randomly assigned into 2 groups: Group 1 without additional removal of the ILM and Group 2 with removal of the ILM. Patients were followed up and evaluated at the first month, third month, and sixth month, postoperatively. Results: Patients from both groups had a gradual improvement in their vision over time. There was no significant difference in the improvement in visual acuity between the two groups. About tomographic assessment of alterations, no significant differences were found between the groups; however, Group 1 had a higher relapse rate (17%) compared with Group 2 (3.6%) (P = 0.09). Conclusion: Epiretinal membrane removal with and without ILM peeling shows similar functional and anatomical improvements, but the group in which the ILM was not removed seemed to have a higher recurrence rate.
Ultra high risk status and transition to psychosis in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome

The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is characterized by high rates of psychotic symptoms and schizophrenia, making this condition a promising human model for studying risk factors for psychosis. We explored the predictive value of ultra high risk (UHR) criteria in a sample of patients with 22q11DS. We also examined the additional contribution of socio‐demographic, clinical and cognitive variables to predict transition to psychosis within a mean interval of 32.5 ± 17.6 months after initial assessment. Eighty‐nine participants with 22q11DS (age range: 8‐30 years; mean 16.1 ± 4.7) were assessed using the Structured Interview for Psychosis‐Risk Syndromes. Information on Axis I diagnoses, internalizing and externalizing symptoms, level of functioning and IQ was also collected. At baseline, 22 (24.7%) participants met UHR criteria. Compared to those without a UHR condition, they had a significantly lower functioning, more frequent anxiety disorders, and more severe psychopathology. Transition rate to psychosis was 27.3% in UHR and 4.5% in non‐UHR participants. Cox regression analyses revealed that UHR status significantly predicted conversion to psychosis. Baseline level of functioning was the only other additional predictor. This is the first study investigating the predictive value of UHR criteria in 22q11DS. It indicates that the clinical path leading to psychosis is broadly comparable to that observed in other clinical high‐risk samples. Nevertheless, the relatively high transition rate in non‐UHR individuals suggests that other risk markers should be explored in this population. The role of low functioning as a predictor of transition to psychosis should also be investigated more in depth.
Quantification of Key Genes Steering the Microbial Nitrogen Cycle in the Rhizosphere of Sorghum Cultivars in Tropical Agroecosystems

ABSTRACT The effect of agricultural management practices on geochemical cycles in moderate ecosystems is by far better understood than in semiarid regions, where fertilizer availability and climatic conditions are less favorable. We studied the impact of different fertilizer regimens in an agricultural long-term observatory in Burkina Faso at three different plant development stages (early leaf development, flowering, and senescence) of sorghum cultivars. Using real-time PCR, we investigated functional microbial communities involved in key processes of the nitrogen cycle (nitrogen fixation, ammonia oxidation, and denitrification) in the rhizosphere. The results indicate that fertilizer treatments and plant development stages combined with environmental factors affected the abundance of the targeted functional genes in the rhizosphere. While nitrogen-fixing populations dominated the investigated communities when organic fertilizers (manure and straw) were applied, their numbers were comparatively reduced in urea-treated plots. In contrast, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) increased not only in absolute numbers but also in relation to the other bacterial groups investigated in the urea-amended plots. Ammonia-oxidizing archaea exhibited higher numbers compared to AOB independent of fertilizer application. Similarly, denitrifiers were also more abundant in the urea-treated plots. Our data imply as well that, more than in moderate regions, water availability might shape microbial communities in the rhizosphere, since low gene abundance data were obtained for all tested genes at the flowering stage, when water availability was very limited.
Efficacy of Epidural Injections in Managing Chronic Spinal Pain: A Best Evidence Synthesis.

BACKGROUND Epidural injections have been used since 1901 in managing low back pain and sciatica. Spinal pain, disability, health, and economic impact continue to increase, despite numerous modalities of interventions available in managing chronic spinal pain. Thus far, systematic reviews performed to assess the efficacy of epidural injections in managing chronic spinal pain have yielded conflicting results. OBJECTIVE To evaluate and update the clinical utility of the efficacy of epidural injections in managing chronic spinal pain. STUDY DESIGN A systematic review of randomized controlled trials of epidural injections in managing chronic spinal pain. METHODS In this systematic review, randomized trials with a placebo control or an active-control design were included. The outcome measures were pain relief and functional status improvement. The quality of each individual article was assessed by Cochrane review criteria, as well as the Interventional Pain Management Techniques-Quality Appraisal of Reliability and Risk of Bias Assessment (IPM-QRB). Best evidence synthesis was conducted based on the qualitative level of evidence (Level I to V). Data sources included relevant literature identified through searches of PubMed for a period starting in 1966 through August 2015; Cochrane reviews; and manual searches of the bibliographies of known primary and review articles. RESULTS A total of 52 trials met inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis was not feasible. The evidence in managing lumbar disc herniation or radiculitis is Level II for long-term improvement either with caudal, interlaminar, or transforaminal epidural injections with no significant difference among the approaches. The evidence is Level II for long-term management of cervical disc herniation with interlaminar epidural injections. The evidence is Level II to III in managing thoracic disc herniation with an interlaminar approach. The evidence is Level II for caudal and lumbar interlaminar epidural injections with Level III evidence for lumbar transforaminal epidural injections for lumbar spinal stenosis. The evidence is Level II for cervical spinal stenosis management with an interlaminar approach. The evidence is Level II for axial or discogenic pain without facet arthropathy or disc herniation treated with caudal or lumbar interlaminar injections in the lumbar region; whereas it is Level II in the cervical region treated with cervical interlaminar epidural injections. The evidence for post lumbar surgery syndrome is Level II with caudal epidural injections and for post cervical surgery syndrome it is Level II with cervical interlaminar epidural injections. LIMITATIONS Even though this is a large systematic review with inclusion of a large number of randomized controlled trials, the paucity of high quality randomized trials literature continues to confound the evidence. CONCLUSION This systematic review, with an assessment of the quality of manuscripts and outcome parameters, shows the efficacy of epidural injections in managing a multitude of chronic spinal conditions.
Effect of Auxiliary Substances on Complexation Efficiency and Intrinsic Dissolution Rate of Gemfibrozil–β-CD Complexes

The studies reported in this work are aimed to elucidate the ternary inclusion complex formation of gemfibrozil (GFZ), a poorly water-soluble drug, with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) with the aid of auxiliary substances like different grades of povidone(s) (viz. PVP K-29/32, PVP K-40, Plasdone S-630, and Polyplasdone XL), organic base (viz. triethanolamine), and metal ion (viz. MgCl2·6H2O), by investigating their interactions in solution and solid state. Phase solubility studies were carried out to evaluate the solubilizing power of β-cyclodextrin, in association with various auxiliary substances, to determine the apparent stability constant (KC) and complexation efficiency (CE) of complexes. Improvement in KC values for ternary complexes clearly proves the benefit of the addition of auxiliary substances to promote CE. Of all the approaches used, the use of polymer Plasdone S-630 was found to be the most promising approach in terms of optimum CE and KC. GFZ–β-CD (1:1) binary and ternary systems were prepared by kneading and lyophilization methods. The ternary systems clearly signified superiority over binary systems in terms of CE, solubility, KC, and reduction in the formulation bulk. Optimized ternary system of GFZ–β-CD–Plasdone S-630 prepared by using lyophilization method indicated a significant improvement in intrinsic dissolution rate when compared with ternary kneaded system. Differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, scanning electron microscopy, and proton nuclear magnetic resonance were carried out to characterize the binary and optimized ternary complex. The results suggested the formation of new solid phases, eliciting strong evidences of ternary inclusion complex formation between GFZ, β-CD, and Plasdone S-630, particularly for lyophilized products.
What Is the Benefit to Escherichia coli of Having Multiple Toxin-Antitoxin Systems in Its Genome?

ABSTRACT The Escherichia coli K-12 chromosome encodes at least five proteic toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems. The mazEF and relBE systems have been extensively characterized and were proposed to be general stress response modules. On one hand, mazEF was proposed to act as a programmed cell death system that is triggered by a variety of stresses. On the other hand, relBE and mazEF were proposed to serve as growth modulators that induce a dormancy state during amino acid starvation. These conflicting hypotheses led us to test a possible synergetic effect of the five characterized E. coli TA systems on stress response. We compared the behavior of a wild-type strain and its derivative devoid of the five TA systems under various stress conditions. We were unable to detect TA-dependent programmed cell death under any of these conditions, even under conditions previously reported to induce it. Thus, our results rule out the programmed-cell-death hypothesis. Moreover, the presence of the five TA systems advantaged neither recovery from the different stresses nor cell growth under nutrient-limited conditions in competition experiments. This casts a doubt on whether TA systems significantly influence bacterial fitness and competitiveness during non-steady-state growth conditions.
An Impulse Radio UWB hardware demonstrator for Body Area Network communication

An Ultra-Wideband hardware demonstrator based on Impulse Radio for Local Body Area Network applications is presented. The system includes an UWB transmitter, an UWB receiver and a microcontroller board. It operates in the frequency range from 3.1 – 5.0 GHz with a maximum data rate of 10 MBit/s. The performance of the system is shown in terms of BER. It was tested for different antennas and distances between transmitter and receiver for line-of-sight conditions in a laboratory room. Using a PIFA as transmitter and a DRA antenna as a receiver antenna an uncoded BER better than 10−3 was observed for distances up to 4.5 m. Furthermore, the robustness of the system against fading is shown in time and frequency domain.
The Impact of Oil Exploitation on Wellbeing in Chad

Based on the 2013 Serbian Survey of Income and Living Conditions (SILC) and on the Serbian version of the EUROMOD platform, we evaluate the poverty and distributive effects on children of various reform (benefit and employment) strategies concerning the two major social benefit programs in Serbia: child allowance and social monetary assistance. Both the first and second-order effects of the proposed reforms are considered. For the second-round impacts, a structural labour supply model on parents has been estimated. Our results show that a benefit strategy (which also combats fiscal evasion) is preferred to an employment strategy which aims at raising the work incentives by parents.
A Simple and Reliable Algorithm for Frequency Estimation with Application to Power Systems Frequency Relaying

This paper presents a novel and reliable technique for estimation of a distorted signal frequency. Unlike the other available techniques, the proposed algorithm does not need linearization to the signal voltage and or current. The proposed technique uses the samples available for the voltage and or current signal in the relay location to estimate the signal fundamental frequency. The frequency of the signal is calculated from the arccosine of two successive samples for a pure sinusoidal. The least errors square algorithm is used to minimize the signal errors, noise and harmonics. The frequency is estimated from a closed formula that easily can be programmed on the microprocessor based frequency estimation. Different simulated examples are offered within the text and different critical parameters that affect the performance of the proposed algorithm are discussed.
Hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in the newborn: pathophysiology and potential strategies for intervention.

There is increasing clinical and experimental data describing the evolution of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in the perinatal period. Outcome to the fetus is determined not only by the impact of gross asphyxial insult, but also external factors that sensitize the brain to injury. Delayed neuronal and glial death occurring in the hours and days after the insult by apoptotic and related processes are observed following severe injury, and offer the most promise for pharmacological intervention. Furthermore, new technologies allow the identification of subtle insults with evolving encephalopathies that have implications for long-term neurological outcome. Application of this knowledge will allow us to identify strategies for early intervention and prevent the course of damage caused by hypoxic-ischemic injury.
Detection of Internal Mammary Adenopathy in Patients With Breast Cancer by PET/CT and MRI.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of internal mammary node (IMN) adenopathy in patients with breast cancer and compare breast MRI and PET/CT for detection of IMN adenopathy. MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospective study included 90 women who underwent MRI and PET/CT before neoadjuvant chemotherapy for clinical stage IIA through IIIA disease. MRI and PET/CT examinations were read independently by two readers trained in breast imaging and nuclear medicine. All patients underwent follow-up MRI at the end of chemotherapy, and 10 with hypermetabolic IMNs underwent follow-up PET/CT. Histology was not obtained. Women were considered to have IMN adenopathy when nodes seen on MRI or having standardized uptake value (SUV) greater than mediastinal blood pool decreased in either size or SUV (or both) after treatment. Features including lymphovascular invasion, tumor quadrant(s), and axillary adenopathy were compared between presence and absence of IMN adenopathy using Fisher's exact test. Prevalence was determined on the basis of the percentage of patients with IMN adenopathy by either modality. The McNemar test compared the prevalence of IMN adenopathy on MRI to its prevalence on PET/CT. RESULTS Prevalence of IMN adenopathy was 16% (14/90) by MRI and 14% (13/90) by PET/CT (p = 0.317). After chemotherapy, IMN adenopathy resolved in 12 of 14 patients (86%). In two patients with poor responses in primary tumors, IMN adenopathy persisted, and both patients developed metastatic disease within 6 months. At 3 years, survival was significantly worse in patients with IMN adenopathy than in those without (85.7% vs 53.3%, respectively; p = 0.009). CONCLUSION In women with advanced breast cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemo-therapy, prevalence of IMN adenopathy was 16%, equally detected by breast MRI and PET/CT. Identification of IMN adenopathy may affect treatment and provides prognostic information.
Stigma, activism, and well-being among people living with HIV

ABSTRACT Evidence demonstrates that HIV stigma undermines the psychological and physical health of people living with HIV (PLWH). Yet, PLWH describe engaging in HIV activism to challenge stigma, and research suggests that individuals may benefit from activism. We examine associations between experiences of HIV stigma and HIV activism, and test whether HIV activists benefit from greater well-being than non-activists. Participants include 93 PLWH recruited from drop-in centers, housing programs, and other organizations providing services to PLWH in the Northeastern USA between 2012 and 2013 (mean age = 50 years; 56% Black, 20% White, 18% Other; 61% non-Latino(a), 39% Latino(a); 59% male, 38% female, 3% transgender; 82% heterosexual, 15% sexual minority). Participants completed a cross-sectional written survey. Results of regression analyses suggest that PLWH who experienced greater enacted stigma engaged in greater HIV activism. Anticipated, internalized, and perceived public stigma, however, were unrelated to HIV activism. Moreover, results of a multivariate analysis of variance suggest that HIV activists reported greater social network integration, greater social well-being, greater engagement in active coping with discrimination, and greater meaning in life than non-activists. Yet, HIV activists also reported somewhat greater depressive symptoms than non-activists, suggesting that the association between HIV activism and well-being is complex. By differentiating between HIV stigma mechanisms, the current study provides a more nuanced understanding of which experiences of HIV stigma may be associated with HIV activism. It further suggests that engagement in activism may offer benefits to PLWH, while raising the possibility that activists could experience greater depressive symptoms than non-activists. Given the preliminary nature of this study, future research should continue to examine these complex associations between HIV stigma, activism, and well-being among PLWH. As this work continues, PLWH, as well as interventionists and clinicians invested in improving well-being among PLWH, should carefully weigh the benefits and potential costs of activism.
Gastrointestinal motility disorders in patients with inactive Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND Although some symptoms of Crohn's disease may be related to gastrointestinal motility disorders, studies on gastrointestinal motility in inactive Crohn's disease are lacking. METHODS Fasting and postprandial motor activity (1 h) was recorded in the gastric antrum and upper small intestine of 35 patients with inactive Crohn's disease and 18 controls, using conventional manometry. RESULTS Motor disorders were observed in 26 of 35 patients. The number of phase-II contractions was reduced (1.3 +/- 0.7/min versus 1.8 +/- 0.6/min in controls; P < 0.02) (mean +/- standard deviation), whereas the incidence of propagated single (2.2 +/- 3.2/h versus 0.5 +/- 0.6/h; P < 0.03) and clustered contractions (3.8 +/- 7/h versus 1.1 +/- 1.4, P < 0.04) was markedly increased. Motor abnormalities were more frequent and severe in patients with Crohn's ileitis than in controls, and in patients with gastrointestinal symptoms than in asymptomatic patients. CONCLUSION Most patients with inactive, uncomplicated Crohn's disease show marked gastrointestinal motor disorders, characterized either by reduced incidence of small-bowel contractions and increased incidence of single or clustered propagated contractions.
Relationships of lipocalin 2 with breast tumorigenesis and metastasis

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in women worldwide and accounts for one‐sixth of cancer deaths in the United States. Breast cancer consists of a heterogeneous group of tumours classified into five types, in which the HER2/neu positive and the basal type (most are ER and HER2 negative) have the worst clinical prognosis. In recent years, prognostic/predictive markers such as ER/PR or HER2/neu have been widely used in the selection of the optimal breast cancer treatments for individual patients, which have been proven to be very effective in disease control. These results suggest that further examination of the molecular mechanisms underlying the breast tumorigenesis and identification of the potential biomarkers in different types of breast cancers will greatly benefit clinical diagnosis and facilitate the design of more effective personalized therapies to increase patient survival. This review aims to summarize recent research findings on lipocalin 2 (LCN2), a newly identified biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer, and the possible mechanisms underlying its role in tumorigenesis and metastasis. J. Cell. Physiol. 226: 309–314, 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.