Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Treatment for complicated grief: state of the science and ways forward

Purpose of review There is increasing recognition that a minority of bereaved persons experiences persistent and disabling grief symptoms, also termed complicated grief. We review currently proposed criteria for complicated grief in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 5) and the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11), highlight controversies with regard to establishing complicated grief as a psychiatric disorder, summarize recent complicated grief treatment research within a cognitive behavioral treatment framework, and establish a novel and systematic research agenda for complicated grief treatment. Recent findings Clinicians should be wary of overdiagnosis and misdiagnosis of complicated grief. Recent changes to definitions of complicated grief may threaten generalizability and clinical application of research findings. Universal treatment, treatment for at-risk groups and preventive complicated grief treatment appear ineffective. Although medication is often prescribed to bereaved persons, evidence for its effectiveness is equivocal. Face-to-face and internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy techniques appear most effective in targeting complicated grief. However, little is known about what, how, and for whom treatment works best. Summary In light of these findings, we recommend systematic investigation of: what works best in complicated grief treatment, by conducting well designed, stepped effectiveness trials and treatment component dismantling studies; how it works, by conducting investigations on therapeutic theories and examining mediators of therapeutic change; and for whom it works, by examining potential moderators of treatment effects.
Examining the Patterns of Goodwill Impairments in Europe and the US

Abstract We examine the patterns of goodwill impairments in Europe and in the US over the period from 2006 to 2015, for a sample of more than 35,000 firm-year observations. We define the timeliness of goodwill impairments as the frequency of accounting impairments conditional to indications of economic impairments. We measure indications of economic impairment with three metrics: equity market value minus equity book value less than goodwill, market-to-book smaller than one and negative earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA). Our research strategy leads us to draw very different conclusions than those in the recent EFRAG (2016) study. While median levels of goodwill on the books between US and European firms are relatively similar, we find several indications that US firms recognise timelier impairments, at least during 2008 and 2009, that is, the early years of the financial crisis. We further document that US impairers write down a much greater percentage of their beginning balance of goodwill than European impairers. During the financial crisis, the median level of impairment by US firms was 63% of opening goodwill in 2008 and 40% in 2009, whereas median European write-downs were only 6% and 7% of opening goodwill, respectively. Even though European firms are more likely to impair over multiple years, the cumulative impairments never come close to the level of US firms, be it in a single year or cumulative over multiple years. We also find that the frequency of accounting impairment is small compared to the number of firms presenting evidence of economic impairment: only 20–25% of firms recognise impairments depending on the measure of economic impairment. This has often been interpreted by academics as a sign of untimely write-offs. Accounting differences between US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and International Financial Reporting Standards are unlikely to explain our results. One caveat of our analysis is that it does not allow us to draw conclusions on whether the observed differences between US and European firms are driven by differences in conditional conservatism and/or big bath accounting practices.
On the Construction of High-Rate Quasi-Orthogonal STBC for MIMO QR Demodulation

Orthogonal space-time block codes (STBCs) [1],[2] appear to be a very fascinating means of enhancing reception quality in quasi-static MIMO channels due to their full diversity, and especially their simple maximum-likelihood (ML) decoders. However, full-rate full-diversity orthogonal STBCs do not exist for more than two transmit antennas. Vertical layered space-time architecture (so-called the V-BLAST) [3] with a nulling- and cancelling-based detection algorithm, in contrast, has an ability of achieving high transmission rates at the cost of having very low diversity gain, an undesirable consequence caused by the interference nulling and cancelling processes. The uncoded V-BLAST system is able to reach its ML performance with the aid of the sphere decoder algorithm [4] at the expense of higher detection complexity. Undoubtedly, the tradeoff between transmission rates, diversity, and complexity is inherent in designing space-time codes. This paper investigates a method to increase the "nulling diversity gains" for a general high-rate space-time code and introduces a new design strategy for high-rate space-time codes detected based on interference nulling and cancelling processes, thanks to which high-rate quasi-orthogonal space-time codes for MIMO applications are proposed. We show that when nT transmit and nR = nT receive antennas are deployed, the first code offers a transmission rate of (nT - 1) with a minimum nulling diversity order of 3, whereas the second one offers a transmission rate of (nT - 2) with a minimum nulling diversity order of 5. Therefore, the proposed codes significantly outperform the V-BLAST as nR = nT. Simulation results and discussions on the performance of the proposed codes are provided.
Expression of RXFP1 in skin of scleroderma patients and control subjects

Objectives: Relaxin (RLX) is involved in extracellular matrix and collagen remodelling. The therapeutic role of the circulating isoform RLX-2 as an anti-fibrotic factor in systemic sclerosis (SSc) has been investigated. Several RLX family peptide receptors (RXFPs) are recognized in humans: RLX-2 is a ligand for RXFP1/LGR7 and RXFP2/LGR8. The aim of this study was to define the pattern of expression of LGR7 in different types of human skin cells and to compare normal skin with lesional and unaffected skin from patients with limited SSc (lSSc). Method: We analysed RXFP1 immunolocalization on skin biopsies and cultured fibroblasts from lSSc patients and control subjects. Western blot analysis was carried out on fibroblast lysates. Results: RXFP1 showed cytoplasmic localization on skin cells from control subjects and non-lesional skin from lSSc patients: keratinocytes, gland epithelial cells, endothelium, smooth muscle cells, and fibroblasts. Immunogold electron microscopy confirmed a diffuse epithelial cytoplasmic localization of RXFP1. A substantially lower RXFP1 expression was observed in scleroderma skin, with a lack of staining in most cells. Occasional weak reactivity was observed in cultured scleroderma fibroblasts, while control fibroblasts showed a diffuse cytoplasmic immunoreactivity of RXFP1, confirmed by Western blot analysis. Conclusions: The decreased cellular expression of RLX-2 receptor RXFP1 in scleroderma skin might represent a pro-fibrotic factor and contribute to the substantial inefficacy of RLX treatment in SSc, as reported in the literature. The pathophysiology of the decrease in RXFP1 may be linked to high RLX-2 serum levels previously detected in SSc, but it has yet to be elucidated.
Use of in Situ Hybridization with a Biotinylated Probe for the Detection of Bovine Herpesvirus-l in Aborted Fetal Tissue

Forty-five cases of bovine abortion were examined using in situ hybridization (ISH) with a biotinylated DNA probe specific for bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1). Of the 45 cases, 16 were diagnosed as due to BHV-1, 15 were determined to be due to other causes, and 14 were of undetermined etiology. Direct comparisons between ISH and an immunoperoxidase (IP) test specific for BHV-1 were performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections of lung, liver, kidney, spleen, thymus, and placenta; fluorescent antibody tests for BHV-1 and virus isolation were performed on fresh lung and liver. In comparison to these routine BHV-1 detection techniques, ISH had an overall sensitivity of 88.2% and a specificity of 89.3% in detecting BHV-1 in aborted fetuses. Immunoperoxidase was more sensitive than ISH with tissue sections from lung (87.5% vs. 69%), liver (92% vs. 17%), spleen, and placenta; results of the tests on tissue sections from kidney were concordant. Liver sections presented special problems in that nonspecific reactions were frequently observed with hybridization. With thymus sections, the rate of detection was higher by hybridization than by IP, but the specificity of some of these reactions could not be confirmed.
Embryo development, stress protein (Hsp70) responses, and histopathology in zebrafish (Danio rerio) following exposure to nickel chloride, chlorpyrifos, and binary mixtures of them

Two different classes of chemicals were tested in a multilevel approach in this study: NiCl2 as a representative for heavy metals and chlorpyrifos, a pesticide. Both, the single substances and mixtures of them were investigated for their effects on embryonic development, histological alterations, and the stress protein (Hsp70) response in the zebrafish Danio rerio. Fishes were exposed from fertilization of eggs up to a maximum of 168 h post fertilization, depending on the investigated endpoint. NiCl2 led to effects in all tests which, however, were less severe at the histopathological level than in developmental (hatching success) and stress protein studies. Chlorpyrifos did not lead to developmental alterations but it was found to induce the Hsp70 response as well as histopathological damages. Mixtures of both substances resulted in similar results as the single substances; the results suggest an independent mode of action of these two substances and additivity of their effects. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2010.
Desmin is present in proliferating rat muscle satellite cells but not in bovine muscle satellite cells

The presence of desmin was characterized in cultured rat and bovine satellite cells and its potential usefulness as a marker for identifying satellite cells in vitro was evaluated. In primary cultures, positive immunohistochemical staining for desmin and skeletal muscle myosin was observed in rat and bovine myotubes. A small number of mononucleated cells (20% of rat satellite cells and 5% of bovine satellite cells) were myosin‐positive, indicative of post‐mitotic differentiated myocytes. In bovine satellite cell cultures 13% of the mononucleated cells were desmin‐positive, while 84% of the mononucleated cells in rat satellite cell cultures were desmin‐positive. Rat satellite cell mass cultures and bovine satellite cell clonal density cultures were pulsed with 3H‐thymidine, and autoradiographic data revealed that >94% of dividing rat cells were desmin‐positive, suggesting that desmin is synthesized in proliferating rat satellite cells. However, no desmin was seen in cells that incorporated labeled thymidine in bovine satellite cell clones. Analysis of clonal density cultures revealed that only 14% of the mononucleated cells in bovine satellite cell colonies were desmin‐positive, whereas 98% of the cells in rat satellite cell colonies were desmin‐positive. Fibroblast colonies from both species were desmin‐negative. In order to further examine the relationship between satellite cell differentiation and desmin expression, 5‐bromo‐2′‐deoxyuridine (BrdU) was added to culture medium at the time of plating to inhibit differentiation. Fusion was inhibited in rat and bovine cultures, and cells continued to divide. Very few desmin‐positive cells were found in bovine cultures, but greater than 90% of the cells in rat cultures stained positive for desmin. The presence of desmin and sarcomeric myosin was also evaluated in regenerating rat tibialis anterior five days after bupivicaine injection. In regenerating areas of the muscle many desmin‐positive cells were present, and only a few cells stained positive for skeletal muscle myosin. Application of desmin staining to rat satellite cell growth assays indicated that rat satellite cells cultured in serum‐containing medium were contaminated with fibroblasts at levels that ranged from approximately 5% in 24 hr cultures to 15% in mature cultures. In defined medium 4 day cultures contain approximately 95% to 98% desmin‐positive satellite cells. The effects of combinations of insulin‐like growth factor I (IGF‐I), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and transforming growth factor beta (TGF‐β) on rat satellite cell proliferation and differentiation were assessed by desmin staining, and results were found to be consistent with results obtained previously using conventional cell staining and counting techniques (Allen and Boxhorn, 1989). Our experiments indicate that the pattern of desmin expression in satellite cells differs between rat and bovine and that desmin can be a useful marker for cultured rat satellite cells.
Immunological programming by breast milk creates an anti-inflammatory cytokine milieu in breast-fed infants compared to formula-fed infants

Breast milk provides important maturational stimuli to an infant's developing immune system. However, data concerning the role of breast-feeding in reducing the risk of allergic disease remain contradictory. Previous studies have centred on comparative analyses of breast milk and formula compositions. We chose a slightly different angle, whereby we focused on the effects of the chosen diet on the infant himself, comparing the immune development of formula-fed and breast-fed children. The objective of the present study was to determine how the mode of feeding affects infant immunology. Altogether, eighteen formula-fed infants with limited breast-feeding for < 3 months and twenty-nine infants who were exclusively breast-fed for >3 months were included in the study. Concentrations of interferon γ, TNF-α IL-10, IL-5, IL-4 and IL-2 were measured simultaneously from the same serum sample through use of a multiplexed flow cytometric assay at the ages of 1, 3, 6 and 12 months. Transforming growth factor β2 (TGF-β2) was measured using ELISA at the same time points. Serum TNF-α and IL-2 concentrations were significantly higher in formula-fed than in breast-fed infants during the first year of life (ANOVA, P= 0·002). The serum concentrations of TGF-β were significantly lower in formula-fed than in breast-fed infants throughout the first year of life (ANOVA, P≤ 0·0001). Exclusive breast-feeding promotes an anti-inflammatory cytokine milieu, which is maintained throughout infancy. Such an immunological environment limits hyper-responsiveness and promotes tolerisation, possibly prohibiting the onset of allergic disease.
An optimization-based highway network planning procedure with link growth probabilities

ABSTRACT We propose a highway network planning procedure by considering the topological and realistic constraints. On the demand side, attachment probability for each node pair is calculated by a radiation model. The network planning is formulated as a mixed integer nonlinear programming, to maximize the total attachment probability of connected node pairs. Edge merging is applied to make realistic highway connection. The proposed method bypasses the requirement of OD matrices, and multiple paths for any OD pairs can co-exist in the planned network, which is different from the traditional planning procedures based on four-step model and node importance method. A case study for a real-world region with 100 cities in Shaanxi, China is presented to test the validity of the proposed procedure. It is shown that proper highway networks can be generated under scenarios with different attachment probability thresholds and budget constraints.
Natural Course and Treatment Efficacy: One-Year Observation in Diabetic and Idiopathic Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Our aims were to observe the effects of rehabilitation and surgery on idiopathic and diabetic carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and compare them with the natural course of the disease. Forty-two patients aged 33 to 74 years with clinically diagnosed, electrophysiologically confirmed, and laboratory screened hands with CTS (46 idiopathic and 34 diabetic) were enrolled in the study. Improvement of symptom severity and functional status after treatment using the Boston questionnaire (scales), changes of nerve conduction parameters (NCPs), and correlations between NCP and Boston questionnaires were outcome measures. Follow-up periods were 3 to 5 months and 6 to 12 months. In idiopathic CTS, surgery was effective according to scales and NCP. Rehabilitation was also effective according to scales but only in the late period. Nontreatment did not improve scales at a later period. In diabetic CTS, rehabilitation was not effective according to scales. Baseline and follow-up correlations between scales and NCP were weak and limited to sensory amplitudes (baseline), sensory amplitudes-velocity, and median motor distal latency (follow-up). Regression analysis also did not reveal any associations between scales and NCP. A repeated nerve conduction study was not meaningful if the diagnosis was definite. Treatment of CTS was definitely superior to spontaneous improvements. Rehabilitation was ineffective in diabetic CTS.
Effect of heat stress on energy and water utilization of lactating cows.

Abstract Twelve Holstein cows 45–90 days postpartum were used to determine the effect of 32.2 C constant temperature and high levels of unsaturated and saturated fat on the digestibility and utilization of energy and various other responses during three 30-day periods. The portion of the variance associated with rations was in most cases small as compared to the effects of temperature. At 32.2 C the majority of responses showed significant changes, the greatest of which usually occurred during the first week of each period. Body surface evaporation increased markedly at 32.2 C, with the water coming mostly from a 28% increase in consumption and a 33% decrease in fecal water. Changes in urine output were small. Significant (P
Penalized estimation in latent Markov models, with application to monitoring serum calcium levels in end‐stage kidney insufficiency

We introduce a penalized likelihood form for latent Markov models. We motivate its use for biomedical applications where the sample size is in the order of the tens, or at most hundreds, and there are only few repeated measures. The resulting estimates never break down, while spurious solutions are often obtained by maximizing the likelihood itself. We discuss model choice based on the Takeuchi Information Criterion. Simulations and a real‐data application to monitoring serum Calcium levels in end‐stage kidney disease are used for illustration.
A Key Serine for the GTPase-Activating Protein Function of Regulator of G Protein Signaling Proteins Is Not a General Target for 14-3-3 Interactions

Mammalian regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins are highly conserved within the RGS domain. Of amino acids that are universal, a serine residue at the C terminus of this domain has been described as the binding site in RGS7 for 14-3-3 proteins. However, studies with the related RGS3 indicate that the site of interaction is not within the RGS domain. We confirm that the interaction of RGS3 with 14-3-3τ and 14-3-3ζ requires Ser264 and not the RGS domain and show both that mutation of the conserved RGS domain serine, Ser496 in RGS3, to either alanine or aspartate does not prevent binding of 14-3-3 proteins and that 14-3-3 proteins do not inhibit GTPase-activating protein (GAP) activity against receptor-activated Gαo1. However, mutation of Ser496 does directly impair the action of RGS3 as a GAP against receptor-activated Gαo1. We mutated the equivalent serine residue in the family B/R4 RGS proteins RGS1 and RGS16. Using two distinct assay formats, conversion to aspartate virtually abolished GAP activity, whereas conversion to alanine decreased potency 20-fold. Neither alteration modulated interactions with 14-3-3τ or 14-3-3ζ, but the 14-3-3 proteins did not modulate the GAP activity of the wild-type or mutant RGS proteins. Although interactions between 14-3-3 proteins and many RGS proteins can be observed, this does not involve this conserved serine and does not inherently modify GAP function.
Comparison of the Prevalence of Plateau Iris Configurations Between Angle-closure Glaucoma and Open-angle Glaucoma Using Ultrasound Biomicroscopy

PurposeTo determine the prevalence of plateau iris configurations in acute primary angle-closure (APAC), chronic angle-closure glaucoma (CACG), and open-angle glaucoma (OAG) eyes using ultrasound biomicroscopy. Materials and MethodsThe study included fellow eyes of 27 APAC patients, 26 OAG patients, and 26 CACG patients with no history of APAC. Patients with a history of earlier intraocular surgery or argon laser peripheral iridoplasty were excluded from the study. Eyes that had not undergone laser peripheral iridotomy were excluded from APAC and CACG groups. Radial scans were carried out using ultrasound biomicroscopy in all 4 quadrants. A plateau iris configuration within a quadrant was defined by the presence of an anteriorly positioned ciliary process, a narrow ciliary sulcus, a steeply rising peripheral iris, followed by a downward angulation from the corneoscleral wall and the presence of a flat iris plane. Eyes with plateau iris configurations were defined as those having at least 2 quadrants fulfilling these criteria. ResultsPlateau iris configurations were found in fellow eyes of 10 of 27 patients with (37.0%) APAC, 9 of 26 (34.6%) patients with CACG, and 5 of 26 (19.2%) patients with OAG. No significant difference in the prevalence of plateau iris configurations was observed among the 3 groups (P=0.314, &khgr;2 test). ConclusionsEyes with OAG had a higher rate of plateau iris configurations than expected. Longitudinal studies to evaluate plateau iris height are required to determine its significance in the pathogenesis of angle-closure glaucoma.
Use of cellular telephones and brain tumour risk in urban and rural areas

Aims: To investigate the association between the use of cellular or cordless telephones and the risk for brain tumours in different geographical areas, urban and rural. Methods: Patients aged 20–80 years, living in the middle part of Sweden, and diagnosed between 1 January 1997 and 30 June 2000 were included. One control matched for sex and age in five year age groups was selected for each case. Use of different phone types was assessed by a questionnaire. Results: The number of participating cases was 1429; there were 1470 controls. An effect of rural living was most pronounced for digital cellular telephones. Living in rural areas yielded an odds ratio (OR) of 1.4 (95% CI 0.98 to 2.0), increasing to 3.2 (95% CI 1.2 to 8.4) with >5 year latency time for digital phones. The corresponding ORs for living in urban areas were 0.9 (95% CI 0.8 to 1.2) and 0.9 (95% CI 0.6 to 1.4), respectively. This effect was most obvious for malignant brain tumours. Conclusion: In future studies, place of residence should be considered in assessment of exposure to microwaves from cellular telephones, although the results in this study must be interpreted with caution due to low numbers in some of the calculations.