Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sit-to-stand performance depends on sensation, speed, balance, and psychological status in addition to strength in older people.

BACKGROUND Sit-to-stand (STS) performance is often used as a measure of lower-limb strength in older people and those with significant weakness. However, the findings of recent studies suggest that performance in this test is also influenced by factors associated with balance and mobility. We conducted a study to determine whether sensorimotor, balance, and psychological factors in addition to lower-limb strength predict sit-to-stand performance in older people. METHODS Six hundred and sixty nine community-dwelling men and women aged 75-93 years (mean age 78.9, SD = 4.1) underwent quantitative tests of strength, vision, peripheral sensation, reaction time, balance, health status, and sit-to-stand performance. RESULTS Many physiological and psychological factors were significantly associated with sit-to-stand times in univariate analyses. Multiple regression analysis revealed that visual contrast sensitivity, lower limb proprioception, peripheral tactile sensitivity, reaction time involving a foot-press response, sway with eyes open on a foam rubber mat, body weight, and scores on the Short-Form 12 Health Status Questionnaire pain, anxiety, and vitality scales in addition to knee extension, knee flexion, and ankle dorsiflexion strength were significant and independent predictors of STS performance. Of these measures, quadriceps strength had the highest beta weight, indicating it was the most important variable in explaining the variance in STS times. However, the remaining measures accounted for more than half the explained variance in STS times. The final regression model explained 34.9% of the variance in STS times (multiple R =.59). CONCLUSIONS The findings indicate that, in community-dwelling older people, STS performance is influenced by multiple physiological and psychological processes and represents a particular transfer skill, rather than a proxy measure of lower limb strength.
Role of novel terpenes in transcutaneous permeation of valsartan: effectiveness and mechanism of action

Context: The greatest obstacle for transdermal delivery is the barrier property of the stratum corneum. Many approaches have been employed to breach the skin barrier; the most widely used one is that of chemical penetration enhancers. Of the penetration enhancers, terpenes are arguably the most highly advanced and proven category. Objective: The aim of this investigation was to study effectiveness and mechanism of seven novel terpenes, namely iso-eucalyptol, β-citronellene, valencene, rose oxide, safranal, lavandulol acetate, and prenol, as potential penetration enhancers for improved skin permeation of valsartan through rat skin and human cadaver skin (HCS) with reference to established terpene eucalyptol. Methods: Skin permeation studies were carried out using Automated Transdermal Diffusion Cell Sampling System (SFDC 6, LOGAN Instruments Corp., NJ) on rat skin and HCS. The mechanism of skin permeation enhancement of valsartan by terpenes treatment was evaluated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermogram, and histopathological examination. Results and discussion: Among all study enhancers, iso-eucalyptol produced the maximum enhancement via rat skin [enhancement ratio (ER) = 7.4] and HCS (ER = 3.60) over control. FT-IR spectra and DSC thermogram of skin treated with aforesaid terpenes indicated that permeation occurred due to the disruption of lipid bilayers. No apparent skin irritation (erythema, edema) was observed on treatment with terpenes except β-citronellene, safranal, lavandulol acetate, and prenol, which caused mild irritation. Conclusion: It is concluded that the iso-eucalyptol can be successfully used as safe and potential penetration enhancer for enhancement of skin permeation of lipophilic drug such as valsartan.
Confidence and competence appraisals of early intervention and preschool special education practitioners

More than 1,800 early intervention practitioners serving birth to 3 year old children and preschool special education practitioners serving 3 to 5 year old children made self-judgments of their competence and confidence in using six different kinds of practices (family-centered practices, teaming and collaboration, assessment and evaluation, IFSPs and IEPs, instructional practices, and natural environments and inclusion). The participants include regular and special education teachers, speech, occupation and physical therapists, and psychologists and social workers. Results showed that in nearly all analyses, the practitioners judged themselves as more confident than competent in using the practices with children and families regardless of discipline. The findings taken together constitute the first set of data on the similarities and differences in practitioners' appraisals of their early intervention and preschool special education capabilities. Implications for research and practice are described.
Migración, ocupación y matrimonio: una aproximación a las relaciones de género de las parejas mixtas en España

This article analyzes the condition of dual earner couples as a means of observing gender relations in the specific case of mixed unions within the context of the growing presence of international immigrants in Spain. To this end, the authors have simultaneously considered the position of these immigrant men and women in the labor and marriage markets. Using data from the Survey on the Active Population in Spain for the second quarter of 2007, they analyze conjugal homogamy and the occupational status of the spouses. Couples are classified according to whether both spouses are employed or only one. Multivariate methods of analysis are used to determine the probability that the different types of unions will have a single or double income. Differentiated analyses are undertaken according to the region of origin of the immigrant spouses (Latin Americans, West Europeans, East Europeans and Maghrebis). In a context of an increasing number of mixed marriages and the expansion of the double income model in couples, the main results show that in mixed unions, spouses are likely to be older and that there is a wide range of educational attainment. The likelihood of a double income also depends on the origin of the spouses. In other words, mixed unions are more or less equal in terms of gender (in terms of the spouse’s sex and origin) to the unions currently being formed by Spaniards.
Collaterals in endovascular therapy for stroke.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Endovascular therapy is a promising aspect of acute ischemic stroke treatment. The ideal population of patients who benefit from treatment remains undefined, and the status of collateral circulation at presentation may be a key feature in their identification. RECENT FINDINGS Adequate collateral flow has been recently demonstrated to be associated with improved clinical status on presentation, increased likelihood of recanalization with endovascular therapy, and better functional outcome at 3 months. SUMMARY In this review, we define the collateral circulation, review methods of its measurement, and present recent clinical data on its impact in endovascular therapy for acute ischemic stroke. We outline our current understandings and discuss their relevance in future directions with clinical stroke management.
Structural basis for MutH activation in E.coli mismatch repair and relationship of MutH to restriction endonucleases

MutS, MutL and MutH are the three essential proteins for initiation of methyl‐directed DNA mismatch repair to correct mistakes made during DNA replication in Escherichia coli. MutH cleaves a newly synthesized and unmethylated daughter strand 5′ to the sequence d(GATC) in a hemi‐methylated duplex. Activation of MutH requires the recognition of a DNA mismatch by MutS and MutL. We have crystallized MutH in two space groups and solved the structures at 1.7 and 2.3 Å resolution, respectively. The active site of MutH is located at an interface between two subdomains that pivot relative to one another, as revealed by comparison of the crystal structures, and this presumably regulates the nuclease activity. The relative motion of the two subdomains in MutH correlates with the position of a protruding C‐terminal helix. This helix appears to act as a molecular lever through which MutS and MutL may communicate the detection of a DNA mismatch and activate MutH. With sequence homology to Sau3AI and structural similarity to PvuII endonuclease, MutH is clearly related to these enzymes by divergent evolution, and this suggests that type II restriction endonucleases evolved from a common ancestor.
Change and Influence in the Community Colleges of British Columbia

During the 1980s, a number of social, economic, and political changes in British Columbia enabled individuals and groups to influence actions which affected the operations and development of the community colleges of British Columbia. This is a study of influence and influencers in the community colleges of British Columbia. Examined are actions affecting the British Columbia community col- lege from 1980 1991. Determinants and outcomes of these actions, as well as those individuals or groups who influenced these actions, are identified.
English-medium instruction at a university in Macau: Policy and realities

This paper discusses the sociolinguistic background to the use of English in higher education in Macau by presenting the results of a sociolinguistic survey on the use of English in a privately-owned university in the special administrative region of Macau. A survey of language use and attitudes was administered to 26 teaching staff and 227 undergraduate students at the university in mid-2012. The results report on the status and functions of English at the university, as well as attitudes and ideologies. However, they also point to a gap between the stated policy of the institution and the realities of language use at the university, and also provide insights into the ways in which English is used outside the formal curriculum.1
Measurement of Plasma Amylase Activity

ACTION OF AMYLASE a-Amylase (1,4-a-D-glucan glucanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.1) is an endoglycosidase that catalyses t~e rand~m endohydrolysis of I, 4-a-glucosidic linkages In starch, glycogen and other glucose polymers. 1, 6-a-linkages are not hydrolysed. Amylose, the linear glucose polymer compo~ent of starch containing only I, 4-a-glucosidic linkages, yields maltose, maltotriose and some glucose. Amylopectin, the branched compon~n~ of starch, yields these and products cont~I~Ing u~hydrolysed 1, 6-a-linkages called limit dextnns. Most starches contain 20-28% amylose and 72-80% amylopectin. Amylase hydrolyses amylopectin significantly faster than amylose. a-Amylase is a calcium-requiring metalloenzyme with at least one calcium atom tightly bound per protein molecule. The presence of thi~ . calcium is required for full enzymatic activity and stability of enzyme. I. 2 Chloride is an allosteric activator of amylase and is required at a concentration of not less than 10 rnrnol/L for optimal activity. :' The optimal pH for amylase activity is around neutrality, pH 7, but can shift in the absence of chloride. "
Comparison between two standardized cultural methods and 24 hour duplex SYBR green real-time PCR assay for Salmonella detectionin meat samples.

Food-borne diseases caused by Salmonella represent a worldwide public health problem. Salmonella must be absent in an established amount depending on the kind of the product and usually cultural methods have to be applied to evaluate the compliance of the products. ISO 6579:2002 in Europe and FSIS MLG 4.04. :2008 in the USA have usually been employed to detect Salmonella in meat, poultry and egg products. A Real Time PCR method using probes has recently been validated against the NMKL (Nordic Committee on Food Analysis) standard method. This method has been modified using the less expensive Sybr Green Real Time PCR approach and applied directly in the 18 hours preenrichment broth for the purpose of detecting Salmonella in meat products in less than 24 hours. The purpose of this study was to: - compare the effectiveness of ISO and FSIS cultural methods; - develop a new 24 hour duplex Sybr Green Real Time PCR-melting curve analysis; - evaluate the performance of Salmonella, Standard Method, Rapid Method, SYBR Green Real Time PCR. The equivalence between ISO and FSIS methods was demonstrated and the use of SYBR Green Real Time PCR as a screening tool for negative results seems appealing especially to evaluate compliance with the HACCP systems.
A New Group Worker's Struggles and Successes in a Host School

Traditional graduate school social workers (MSW level) begin their full-year field placements immediately upon entering school; it is a “baptism by fire” approach that presents many challenges. In my first-year graduate school field placement, my assignments involved individual and group practice. I found that group work practice was the more challenging. This was partly due to my inexperience and lack of formal group work education, and partly due to a clash between the values of my placement and those of the host school at which I did my field internship. One group I facilitated was particularly challenging in terms of learning. It was not a well-planned group; its development and execution was not a model for preplanning, cohesion, or mutual aid. However, by learning to focus my practice work on two important group work concepts: the role of the group work facilitator as a mediator between the group members and the agency environment, and the importance of the group facilitator attending to purpose, I learned a lot, and the group realized some accomplishments. The purpose of this article is to help group work students or new group workers who might be presented with similarly difficult circumstances to have some success in spite of a difficult assignment.
Studying the Particular, Illuminating the General: Community Studies and Community in Wales

This article is inspired by Frankenberg's (1990) claim that the best way to understand general social processes is through the study of their manifestation in the details of social life. We look at how studies of community that have been carried out in Wales, particularly Village on the Border and The Family and Social Change (Rosser and Harris, 1965), have accomplished this link between the particular and the general. We then consider the findings of our own research, which is a restudy of Rosser and Harris, showing how they provide a counterbalance to grand theoretical claims about the transformations that are affecting community and family life. We find that although factors such as increasing geographical mobility and women's greater participation in paid work affect people's experiences of community, people continue to place a high value on what they call communities. Such communities are spoken about and defined in different ways but all are based on local social networks of kin, neighbours and friends and/or locally-based associations. They are also gendered, with women playing a key role at both informal and formal levels of community. We suggest that the apparent resilience of local social relations evident in our research may help to explain the continued cultural and political resonance of community in Wales.
Treatment approach for elderly and unfit patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

ABSTRACT Introduction: Elderly patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or patients with comorbidities are often treated with chlorambucil (Chl) as front-line therapy despite relatively low response rates. The addition of a monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody to Chl substantially increases response rates and prolongs progression-free survival (PFS) in these patients, without increasing toxicity. As a result, the ESMO guidelines recommend that previously untreated CLL patients with relevant co-morbidity, but without TP53 deletion/mutation, should be treated with the combination of Chl plus an anti-CD20 antibody (rituximab, ofatumumab or obinutuzumab). Areas covered: This review focuses on the treatment approach of elderly and unfit patients with untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Expert commentary: The addition of a monoclonal anti-CD20 antibody to Chl is currently the suggested treatment in this subset of CLL patients. The choice of the anti-CD20 antibody remains an open question, although obinutuzumab was found to be superior to rituximab, in a head-to-head comparison of Chl-based combinations, in untreated CLL patients with comorbidities, with higher progression free survival, complete remission rates and minimal residual disease-negative remissions. Because patients with a TP53 deletion/mutation are resistant to chemo-immunotherapy, treatment with the BTK inhibitor ibrutinib is recommended in this setting.
Economic Embeddedness and Materiality in a Financial Market Setting

The notion of embeddedness (Granovetter, 1985) neglects of the material dimension of economic relations. This paper contributes to the literature of market devices (Callon et al., 2007) with an exploration of the material dimensions of economic embeddedness in the case of the everyday market activities of a group of non-professional investors in the UK. It examines the attributes of a materially embedded market through the categories of socio-economic embeddedness specified by Uzzi (1997) and draws attention to the superficial and rhetorical nature of the face-to-face social relations encountered in this market. The paper seeks to invigorate the notion of embeddedness by expanding the mechanisms through which socio-economic relations are understood to arise. The paper offers support to the literature of market devices' assertion that a concept of materially embedded economic relations can accommodate politics, culture, and regulation, and that it offers a nuanced perspective on agency and identity in the marketplace.
Effect of Insecticide Carbaryl on Histomorphology of Testis and Fertility Index

Humans Are Constantly Exposed To Pesticides Knowingly Or Unknowingly Via Sprays, Drinking Water And Food Products. Carbaryl, A Synthetic 1-Napthyl-N-Methyl Carbamate Insecticide, Commercially Known As Sevin, Has Been One Of The Most Commonly And Extensively Used Insecticide In Commercial Land, Agriculture, Poultry And Livestock Due To Its Broad Spectrum Activity. However, It Is A Matter Of Concern That Many Of The Food Products That Are Available In The Market Have Been Found To Contain Pesticide Residues Which Could Cause Serious Toxic Effects On Humans. One Of Such Possibilities Could Be An Increasing Risk Of Infertility. The Present Work Was Conducted To Study The Histomorphological Changes In The Testis Produced By The Insecticide Carbaryl And Its Effect On Fertility. Inbred Adult Wistar Albino Rats(Rattus Norvegicus) Weighing150-200gm Were Injected With 200mg/Kg Body Weight Of Carbaryl In Corn Oil Intraperitoneally, Five Days A Week For Thirty Days. Controls Were Maintained. The Animals Of Both The Groups Were Sacrificed Within Twenty Four Hours Of The Last Injection By Perfusion. Testis Was Dissected Out, Paraffin Sections (7μ) Were Cut And Stained For Light Microscopy. The Fertility Index Was Calculated According To Johnson, 1970. Data Was Tabulated And Statistically Analyzed. The Seminiferous Tubules Were Seen To Be Hypocellular With Lack Of Organization Of The Epithelial Cells . Most Tubules Showed Sloughing With Degenerating Cellular Debris In The Lumen. There Was Collection Of Inflammatory Fluid In The Interstitial Tissue Which Caused Thinning Of The Connective Tissue Septa And Compression Of The Seminiferous Tubules. The Fertility Index Of The Experimental Group Was 6.89±2.57 Which Was Found To Be Statistically Significant (P<0.001). The Above Findings Suggests That The Insecticide Carbaryl Caused Inflammatory And Degenerative Changes In The Testis With Decreased Fertility Index Indicating Hypospermatogenesis Which Further Suggests An Infertile Testis Due To Carbaryl Toxicity.
Understanding foursquare venue popularity in Taiwan and a comparative study with the USA

Location-based social network (LBSN) services are being popular at recent times. These are being manifested as service tools for different purpose of our daily lives. One very important aspect of these LBSNs services is to promote the business and help users to find their desirable location to visit. In this project, our aim is to find out the Foursquare venue popularity in Taiwan and compare its result with the USA. This includes: what venues are popular in Taiwan and what kinds of venues are popular here. we will also show the temporal effect on venue popularity. Then we will present a comparative study of venue popularity between Taiwan and the USA. In the end, we will have some interesting observations based on this venue popularity. This investigation will do a great help to the business owners as well as to the general users to select the appropriate venues.
The Balance-Scale Task Revisited: A Comparison of Statistical Models for Rule-Based and Information-Integration Theories of Proportional Reasoning

We propose and test three statistical models for the analysis of children’s responses to the balance scale task, a seminal task to study proportional reasoning. We use a latent class modelling approach to formulate a rule-based latent class model (RB LCM) following from a rule-based perspective on proportional reasoning and a new statistical model, the Weighted Sum Model, following from an information-integration approach. Moreover, a hybrid LCM using item covariates is proposed, combining aspects of both a rule-based and information-integration perspective. These models are applied to two different datasets, a standard paper-and-pencil test dataset (N = 779), and a dataset collected within an online learning environment that included direct feedback, time-pressure, and a reward system (N = 808). For the paper-and-pencil dataset the RB LCM resulted in the best fit, whereas for the online dataset the hybrid LCM provided the best fit. The standard paper-and-pencil dataset yielded more evidence for distinct solution rules than the online data set in which quantitative item characteristics are more prominent in determining responses. These results shed new light on the discussion on sequential rule-based and information-integration perspectives of cognitive development.
TOWARDS THE ADAPTIVE IDENTIFICATION OF WALKERS : AUTOMATED FEATURE SELECTION OF FOOTSTEPS USING DISTINCTION-SENSITIVE LVQ

We applied a method called Distinction-Sensitive Learning Vector Quantization (DSLVQ) to the classification of footsteps. The measurements were made by a pressure-sensitive floor, which is part of the smart sensing living room in our research laboratory. The aim is to identify walkers based on their single footsteps. DSLVQ is an extended version of Learning Vector Quantization (LVQ), and it can be used for automated feature scaling and selection during the trai ning of an LVQ codebook. The method shows improvements in the classification accuracies compared to a standard LVQ. In addition, due to its capability of automated input prunin g, discarding the non-informative features, it was able to det ect automatically the most significant features from a large set of features. This is important in an adaptive identification system, where the informative features might change.