Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Psoriatic Arthritis : A clinical challenge to Dermatologist and Orthopedist

Psoriasis is a skin disease that is accompanied by systemic inflammation and is one of the most common inflammatory disorders, estimated to effect between 1 and 3% of the population [1] . It is characterized by epidermal hyperproliferation and dermal inflammation. The etiology of psoriasis is unknown but genetic factors play a role. Psoriasis may begin at any age but has two peak periods of onset: between 15 and 25 and between 50 to 60 years of age. In many patients, psoriasis affects only a small area of the skin (<2% of body surface area) whereas in other patients, the disease can be quite severe, affecting a large portion of the skin. The cutaneous manifestations lead to considerable morbidity and the emotional burden of severe psoriasis has been shown to be similar to that seen in patients with cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Effect of testosterone propionate on hippocampal pyramidal neuron number in female rats.

INTRODUCTION The hippocampus is an important region of the brain that regulates cognitive and emotional functions. In this study, we examined the impact of perinatal administration of testosterone propionate (TP) on the number of pyramidal neurons in the CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampi of female rats. METHODS Five groups of rats were used in this study. Three groups of female rats were administered TP in either both the prenatal and the postnatal periods (Group 1), only the prenatal period (Group 2) or only the postnatal period (Group 3). The other two groups of rats included control females (Group 4) and control males (Group 5). The rats were sacrificed on postnatal Day 120 and their brains were analysed for hippocampal pyramidal neuron number using stereological methods. RESULTS Control male rats (Group 5; p = 0.043) and TP-treated female rats in Groups 1 (p = 0.012) and 2 (p = 0.037), but not Group 3 (p > 0.05), had a significantly higher number of pyramidal neurons than control female rats (Group 4). The rats in Group 1 had the highest number of pyramidal neurons among the female rats. CONCLUSION Perinatal TP treatment has an augmenting effect on the number of pyramidal neurons in the hippocampi of female rats. We also found gender-based differences in the hippocampi of male and female rats, with a higher number of pyramidal neurons seen in male rats. Continuous TP administration during the prenatal and postnatal periods is more effective than administration only in the prenatal or postnatal period.
Study of population by domicile and residence. Natural movement and imbalances

The evolution of the Romanian population is one that has to attract interest, especially from the point of view of the decrease in the birth rate, which will further determine the reduction from year to year of the population, both resident and domicile in Romania. Against the background of the increase of the death-birth rate, i.e. the ratio of deceased to newborn in favor of the deceased, the age pyramid will be changed in the sense that, at the base, the younger generations will be reduced to the middle and especially towards the peak of the pyramid being net contingents over previous periods. In this context, we can speak with certainty about a phenomenon of aging of the population, i.e., of increasing the number of older people on the background of the decrease of the birth rate. In this article, the authors study the evolution of the population over time, presenting tables and graphs that highlight this aging phenomenon. In summary, we can say that birth rates are decreasing, mortality increases, marriage decreases, divorcement increases, and emigration of a part of the population, especially from younger generations and with more special training. Birthplaces are highlighted, in the context of the couples breaking up or not, in order to have an image that the generation of young children does not have an immediate or long-lasting perspective. There are many births outside marriages, especially in rural areas and less in urban areas. The age at which the marriages are made is advanced, and on this complex background we come to the conclusion of a certain aging process of the Romanian population. At the same time, we also appreciate that the population resident or domiciled in Romania will also gradually decrease. There are predictions that, in 2050, the population of Romania, if this trend of the main demographic indicators is maintained, will reach about 17 million inhabitants.
The Causal Influence of Investment Goals on the Disposition Effect

The disposition effect describes investors' tendency to realize gains more frequently than losses. While it is one of the most robust findings in finance research and there is an extensive body of literature examining its theoretical foundation, relatively little attention so far has been paid to ways in which the disposition effect could be mitigated. This is surprising considering that the disposition effect entails negative wealth consequences. Therefore, we conduct an experiment that investigates the influence of investment goals on the disposition effect. We find that subjects who are provided with a specific investment goal exhibit a reversed disposition effect. This result stems from the fact that those subjects realize paper gains less frequently. Their behaviour with regards to losses, however, does not change significantly.
A new NHPP model for modeling failure process with S-shaped mean cumulative function

The mean cumulative function (MCF) characterizes the failure behavior of a repairable system. Typical model for modeling failure process is the power-law model. It is only applicable for the situations where the empirical MCF is concave or convex. In practical applications, the empirical MCF can be S-shaped. The intensity function associated with an S-shaped MCF is unimodal. The unimodal failure intensity results from interaction between aging and maintenance improvement. In the literature, few models are available for representing the failure process with unimodal failure intensity. In this paper, we present such a model. The model has three parameters and its expression is relatively simple. A regression method is developed to help determine whether the model is appropriate for modeling a given set of data and obtain the initial estimates of the model parameters. The maximum likelihood method is used to obtain the final parameter estimates. Two real-world examples are included to illustrate the appropriateness and usefulness of the proposed model and the parameter estimation method.
Complete Freund's adjuvant suppresses the development and progression of pristane-induced arthritis in rats.

The present study produced the novel finding that treatment with a nonarthritogenic dose of Complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) before the onset of pristane-induced arthritis (PIA) could prevent the development of PIA. Surprisingly, treatment with nonarthritogenic and arthritogenic doses of CFA could almost cure the ongoing PIA. CFA treatment also suppressed pathological changes, such as inflammatory cell infiltration, pannus formation, bone destruction, and new bone formation. The lymph node cells of rats with PIA suppressed by CFA showed significantly increased mRNA expression of IFN-gamma but no significant changes in mRNA expression of IL-2, TNF-alpha, IL-4, and IL-5 compared with those of rats in the control groups. The possible mechanisms of the suppressive effect of CFA on the development and progression of PIA were discussed in terms of the anti-inflammatory roles of IFN-gamma, nitric oxide, and heat-shock protein-specific T cell responses. The present study found a new therapeutic implication for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
Mechanisms of behavior change in alcoholics anonymous: does Alcoholics Anonymous lead to better alcohol use outcomes by reducing depression symptoms?

RATIONALE Indices of negative affect, such as depression, have been implicated in stress-induced pathways to alcohol relapse. Empirically supported continuing care resources, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), emphasize reducing negative affect to reduce relapse risk, but little research has been conducted to examine putative affective mechanisms of AA's effects. METHODS Using lagged, controlled, hierarchical linear modeling and mediational analyses this study investigated whether AA participation mobilized changes in depression symptoms and whether such changes explained subsequent reductions in alcohol use. Alcohol-dependent adults (n = 1706), receiving treatment as part of a clinical trial, were assessed at intake, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 months. RESULTS Findings revealed elevated levels of depression compared to the general population, which decreased during treatment and then remained stable over follow-up. Greater AA attendance was associated with better subsequent alcohol use outcomes and decreased depression. Greater depression was associated with heavier and more frequent drinking. Lagged mediation analyses revealed that the effects of AA on alcohol use was mediated partially by reductions in depression symptoms. However, this salutary effect on depression itself appeared to be explained by AA's proximal effect on reducing concurrent drinking. CONCLUSIONS AA attendance was associated both concurrently and predictively with improved alcohol outcomes. Although AA attendance was associated additionally with subsequent improvements in depression, it did not predict such improvements over and above concurrent alcohol use. AA appears to lead both to improvements in alcohol use and psychological and emotional wellbeing which, in turn, may reinforce further abstinence and recovery-related change.
Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Preserved Medial Temporal Lobe Volume in Alzheimer Disease

Exercise and cardiorespiratory (CR) fitness may moderate age-related regional brain changes in nondemented (ND) older adults. The relationship of fitness to Alzheimer disease (AD)-related brain change is understudied, particularly in the hippocampus, which is disproportionately affected in early AD. The role of apolipoprotein E4 (apoE4) genotype in modulating this relationship is also unknown. ND (n=56) and early-stage AD patients (n=61) over the age of 65 years had magnetic resonance imaging and CR fitness assessments. Voxel-based morphometry techniques were used to identify AD-related atrophy. We analyzed the relationship of CR fitness with white and gray matter within groups, assessed fitness-related brain volume change in areas most affected by AD-related atrophy, and then analyzed differential fitness-brain relationships between apoE4 carriers. Atrophy was present in the medial temporal, temporal, and parietal cortices in patients with mild AD. There was a significant positive correlation of CR fitness with parietal and medial temporal volume in AD patients. ND patients did not have a significant relationship between brain volume and CR fitness in the global or small volume correction analyses. There was not a significant interaction for fitness×apoE4 genotype in either group. In early-stage AD, CR fitness is associated with regional brain volumes in the medial-temporal and parietal cortices suggesting that maintaining CR fitness may modify AD-related brain atrophy.
Regime Switching in the Reactions of Stock Markets in Saudi Arabia to Oil Price Variations

The study revisits the stock–oil nexus by examining the reactions of equity markets to oil price shocks at national and sectoral levels for Saudi Arabia in a time‐varying framework by employing the Markov switching EGARCH model developed by Henry (2009, Journal of Banking and Finance, 33, 405). Based on weekly data, the findings reveal that the behaviour of all stock markets switches between an expansion regime and a recession regime, with more persistence for the expansion state. Additionally, influential international events associated with stock market drops are clearly identified in the recession regime. Furthermore, there is evidence of asymmetric reactions of the equity index returns and the probabilities of transition from one state to another to oil price variations, with heterogeneous impacts across sectors and regimes. The stock markets are more sensitive to oil price decreases than to oil price increases. Although the evidence of relatively slight differences in some findings across weekdays, the study allows investors and policymakers to understand well the interactions of stock sector markets vis‐a‐vis the world oil market in a regime‐switching framework, in order to make the right decision as regards portfolio diversification and regulation of the stock markets.
"Physical attractiveness stereotype" and the attribution of homosexuality revisited.

The present study investigated whether subjects would perceive male and female faces as homosexual based upon facial attractiveness while statistically controlling for facial masculinity/femininity. Also of interest was the extent to which the subjects' gender and attitudes toward homosexuality would influence their perceptions. Eighty undergraduates indicated how likely they thought it was that six male and six female faces were homosexual. The targets were also rated on attractiveness and masculinity/femininity. The present sample also completed the Index of Homophobia, the Bem Sex Role Inventory, the Attitude Toward Women Scale, a conservatism scale, and a demographic questionnaire. The subjects assigned higher homosexuality ratings to the unattractive males and females compared to their attractive counterparts. Gender of subject and attitudes toward homosexuality did not significantly affect evaluations.
Nectin‐1 spots as a novel adhesion apparatus that tethers mitral cell lateral dendrites in a dendritic meshwork structure of the developing mouse olfactory bulb

Mitral cells project lateral dendrites that contact the lateral and primary dendrites of other mitral cells and granule cell dendrites in the external plexiform layer (EPL) of the olfactory bulb. These dendritic structures are critical for odor information processing, but it remains unknown how they are formed. In immunofluorescence microscopy, the immunofluorescence signal for the cell adhesion molecule nectin‐1 was concentrated on mitral cell lateral dendrites in the EPL of the developing mouse olfactory bulb. In electron microscopy, the immunogold particles for nectin‐1 were symmetrically localized on the plasma membranes at the contacts between mitral cell lateral dendrites, which showed bilateral darkening without dense cytoskeletal undercoats characteristic of puncta adherentia junctions. We named the contacts where the immunogold particles for nectin‐1 were symmetrically accumulated "nectin‐1 spots. " The nectin‐1 spots were 0.21 μm in length on average and the distance between the plasma membranes was 20.8 nm on average. In 3D reconstruction of serial sections, clusters of the nectin‐1 spots formed a disc‐like structure. In the mitral cell lateral dendrites of nectin‐1‐knockout mice, the immunogold particles for nectin‐1 were undetectable and the plasma membrane darkening was electron‐microscopically normalized, but the plasma membranes were partly separated from each other. The nectin‐1 spots were further identified between mitral cell lateral and primary dendrites and between mitral cell lateral dendrites and granule cell dendritic spine necks. These results indicate that the nectin‐1 spots constitute a novel adhesion apparatus that tethers mitral cell dendrites in a dendritic meshwork structure of the developing mouse olfactory bulb. J. Comp. Neurol. 523:1824–1839, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Efectos de las competencias profesionales del teletrabajo en la competitividad internacional

El estudio de investigacion comprende una recopilacion y revision de indicadores del reporte del el Foro Economico Mundial y la CEPAL a traves de la eLAC, que es una estrategia para Latinoamerica, acorde con los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio y la Cumbre Mundial sobre Sociedad de la Informacion, con vision de largo plazo que plantea que las TICs para desarrollo economico e inclusion social. La investigacion metodologica se oriento al analisis de los factores que inciden en el analisis de factores de innovacion de la competitividad global que favorecen el desarrollo de competencias laborales del teletrabajo en paises de Latinoamerica que estan en la etapa de transferencia de eficiencia a la innovacion, estudiando 8 pilares y 36 indicadores, se disenaron matrices como aporte a las tendencias para el diseno del perfil de competencias laborales para el teletrabajo profesional que impulsa la transicion de la fase de eficiencia a innovacion.
Age-related differences in associative memory depend on the types of associations that are formed

ABSTRACT Building on well-established findings of age-related decline in associative memory, we examined whether the magnitude of age differences depends on the types of associations that are formed. Specifically, because of predominant age-related changes in the hippocampus, we expected to find larger age differences in recognition of between-domain than within-domain associations. Twenty younger and 20 older healthy adults were given two associative recognition tests, using face–name and word–word pairs, that were matched for difficulty level. As hypothesized, a three-way interaction indicated that, relative to item recognition, age differences in associative recognition were greater for between-domain face–name associations than for within-domain word–word associations. This dissociation is consistent with the idea that the hippocampus plays a prominent role in binding information received from distal neocortical regions. The discussion focuses on the roles of recollection and familiarity in supporting associative memory as well as implications for the remediation of age-related memory decline.
A Transcriptome‐driven Analysis of Epithelial Brushings and Bronchial Biopsies to Define Asthma Phenotypes in U‐BIOPRED

Rationale: Asthma is a heterogeneous disease driven by diverse immunologic and inflammatory mechanisms. Objectives: Using transcriptomic profiling of airway tissues, we sought to define the molecular phenotypes of severe asthma. Methods: The transcriptome derived from bronchial biopsies and epithelial brushings of 107 subjects with moderate to severe asthma were annotated by gene set variation analysis using 42 gene signatures relevant to asthma, inflammation, and immune function. Topological data analysis of clinical and histologic data was performed to derive clusters, and the nearest shrunken centroid algorithm was used for signature refinement. Measurements and Main Results: Nine gene set variation analysis signatures expressed in bronchial biopsies and airway epithelial brushings distinguished two distinct asthma subtypes associated with high expression of T‐helper cell type 2 cytokines and lack of corticosteroid response (group 1 and group 3). Group 1 had the highest submucosal eosinophils, as well as high fractional exhaled nitric oxide levels, exacerbation rates, and oral corticosteroid use, whereas group 3 patients showed the highest levels of sputum eosinophils and had a high body mass index. In contrast, group 2 and group 4 patients had an 86% and 64% probability, respectively, of having noneosinophilic inflammation. Using machine learning tools, we describe an inference scheme using the currently available inflammatory biomarkers sputum eosinophilia and fractional exhaled nitric oxide levels, along with oral corticosteroid use, that could predict the subtypes of gene expression within bronchial biopsies and epithelial cells with good sensitivity and specificity. Conclusions: This analysis demonstrates the usefulness of a transcriptomics‐driven approach to phenotyping that segments patients who may benefit the most from specific agents that target T‐helper cell type 2‐mediated inflammation and/or corticosteroid insensitivity.
HIV‐1‐Associated Dementia: A Metabolic Encephalopathy Perpetrated by Virus‐Infected and Immune‐Competent Mononuclear Phagocytes

Summary: Infection of the nervous system by HIV‐1 commonly causes a broad range of cognitive, behavioral, and motor abnormalities called, in its most severe form, HIV‐1‐associated dementia (HAD). HAD is a metabolic encephalopathy caused by productive viral infection of brain mononuclear phagocytes (MPs) (perivascular and parenchymal brain macrophages and microglia) and sustained by paracrine‐amplified, inflammatory, neurotoxic responses. MP neurotoxins are, in large measure, homeostatic secretory products that can have a negative effect on neuronal cell function when produced in abundance. Proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, platelet‐activating factor, arachidonic acid and its metabolites, nitric oxide, quinolinic acid, progeny virions, and viral structural and regulatory proteins are all included as part of these cellular and viral toxic elements. In addition, neuronal damage can occur directly by engaging specific receptors or through inducing widespread inflammatory activities in brain tissue that ultimately induce neuronal demise. The mechanisms for immune‐ and viral‐mediated neural injury in HAD are made more striking by the effects of abused drugs on cognitive function. Ultimately, linkages between neuronal function and disordered MP immunity will provide insights into how HIV‐1 infection of the brain leads to compromised mental function as well as providing clues into the pathogenesis of other neurodegenerative disorders.
Protection against Fatal Sindbis Virus Encephalitis by Beclin, a Novel Bcl-2-Interacting Protein

ABSTRACT bcl-2, the prototypic cellular antiapoptotic gene, decreases Sindbis virus replication and Sindbis virus-induced apoptosis in mouse brains, resulting in protection against lethal encephalitis. To investigate potential mechanisms by which Bcl-2 protects against central nervous system Sindbis virus infection, we performed a yeast two-hybrid screen to identify Bcl-2-interacting gene products in an adult mouse brain library. We identified a novel 60-kDa coiled-coil protein, Beclin, which we confirmed interacts with Bcl-2 in mammalian cells, using fluorescence resonance energy transfer microscopy. To examine the role of Beclin in Sindbis virus pathogenesis, we constructed recombinant Sindbis virus chimeras that express full-length human Beclin (SIN/beclin), Beclin lacking the putative Bcl-2-binding domain (SIN/beclinΔBcl-2BD), or Beclin containing a premature stop codon near the 5′ terminus (SIN/beclinstop). The survival of mice infected with SIN/beclin was significantly higher (71%) than the survival of mice infected with SIN/beclinΔBcl-2BD (9%) or SIN/beclinstop (7%) (P < 0.001). The brains of mice infected with SIN/beclin had fewer Sindbis virus RNA-positive cells, fewer apoptotic cells, and lower viral titers than the brains of mice infected with SIN/beclinΔBcl-2BD or SIN/beclinstop. These findings demonstrate that Beclin is a novel Bcl-2-interacting cellular protein that may play a role in antiviral host defense.