Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of different sports on bone density and muscle mass in highly trained athletes.

PURPOSE It is known that participating in sports can have a beneficial effect on bone mass. However, it is not well established which sport is more beneficial for increased bone mineral density (BMD) and appendicular muscle mass (AMM). This study investigated the effects of different high-intensity activities on BMD and AMM in highly trained athletes. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixty-two male subjects aged 18--25 yr participated in the study. The sample included judo (J; N = 21), karate (K; N = 14), and water polo (W; N = 24) athletes who all competed at national and international level. Twelve age-matched nonathletic individuals served as the control group (C). All athletes exercised regularly for at least 3 h x d(-1), 6 d x wk(-1). Segmental, total BMD, and AMM were measured with a dual-energy x-ray (DXA) absorptiometry (Lunar Corp., Madison, WI). DXA analysis also includes bone mineral content (BMC) and fat and lean masses. RESULTS Total BMD(C) was significantly lower (mean +/- SD: 1.27 +/- 0.06 g x cm(-2), P < 0.05) than either judo or karate athletes (total BMD(J) (1.4 +/- 0.06 g x cm(-2)) and total BMD(K) (1.36 +/- 0.08 g x cm(-2))) but not different from the W athletes (total BMD(W) (1.31 +/- 0.09 g x cm(-2))). AMM was significantly lower in the C group compared with the three athletic groups (P < 0.05). Fat mass was higher in the W versus J and K athletes but not different from the C group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS This cross-sectional study has shown that athletes, especially those engaged in high-impact sports, have significantly higher total BMD and AMM than controls. These results suggest that the type of sport activity may be an important factor in achieving a high peak bone mass and reducing osteoporosis risk.
ab 0 cd Does transition make you happy ?

This paper analyses life satisfaction in transition countries using evidence from the World Values Survey. The paper demonstrates that individuals in transition economies on average record lower values of self-reported satisfaction with life compared with those in non-transition countries. An econometric analysis shows that females, people with higher levels of education and higher incomes are happier, and happiness declines with age until the early-fifties. Self-employed people in transition countries show a higher level of satisfaction relative to full-time employees, in contrast to evidence from non-transition countries. A comparison across time for a smaller sample of countries shows that life satisfaction levels have returned close to pre-transition levels in most cases, after a dip in the mid1990s. In addition, satisfaction levels are highest in those countries where market-oriented reforms are most advanced and where inequality is lower.
Enhanced Formation of the Carbon Microcoils by the Stepwise Type Manipulation of CS2 Flow Injection

Carbon coils were synthesized using C2H2 as source gas and CS2 as an incorporated additive gas under the thermal chemical vapor deposition system. The flow rate of CS2 varied according to the different reaction processes. Geometries of as-grown carbon nanomaterials were developed from vine-type into coil-type with increasing CS2 flow rate from 5 to 20sccm. Above 20sccm of CS2 flow rate, indeed, most of them were appeared as the tiny-sized wavelike nanocoil type geometries. To develop the double helix-type microcoils, namely the carbon microcoils, the injection of CS2 flow was manipulated as the stepwise type on/off-cycle manner. Under the specific condition of the on/off-cycle number, the density of the carbon microcoils was enhanced. The cause for the enhanced formation density of the carbon microcoils by the stepwise type manipulation of CS2 flow injection was suggested and discussed.
Seroprevalence, risk factors, and hepatitis C virus genotypes in groups with high‐risk sexual behavior in Croatia

The seroprevalence, risk factors and genotypes of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in groups with high‐risk sexual behavior (persons with multiple sexual partners, men who have sex with men, commercial sex workers and their clients and persons with sexually transmitted diseases) in seven Croatian cities were analyzed. A total of 821 participants without history of injecting drug use were included in the study. Anti‐HCV prevalence among risk groups varied from 2.9% to 8.5% with an overall prevalence of 4.6% (95% CI = 3.2–6.1) compared with 0.5% (95% CI = 0.0–1.5) in controls (pregnant females; OR = 9.66; 95% CI = 1.32–70.7). HCV‐RNA was detected in 73.1% anti‐HCV positive patients. Three of the seronegative cases (2.1%) were also found to be HCV‐RNA positive (“window period”). Genotype 1 was most commonly detected (55.6%). The most prevalent subtypes were 1a (38.9%) and 3a (38.9%). Sociodemographic characteristics (age, gender, marital status and level of education) were not associated with anti‐HCV seropositivity. Among sexually transmitted disease markers, a higher seroprevalence of HCV infection was found in subjects with a history of HBV infection (10.5% vs. 3.8%, P = 0.002) and gonorrhea (13.2% vs. 4.2%, P = 0.011). No other factors reflecting risk sexual behavior such as sexual orientation, number of sexual partners and number of risk behaviors were associated with HCV seroprevalence. J. Med. Virol. 81:1348–1353, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Hebrew Brain vs. English Brain: Language Modulates the Way It Is Processed

Is language processing universal? How do the specific properties of each language influence the way it is processed? In this study, we compare the neural correlates of morphological processing in Hebrew—a Semitic language with a rich and systematic morphology, to those revealed in English—an Indo-European language with a linear morphology. Using fMRI, we show that while in the bilingual brain both languages involve a common neural circuitry in processing morphological structure, this activation is significantly modulated by the different aspects of language. Whereas in Hebrew, morphological processing is independent of semantics, in English, morphological activation is clearly modulated by semantic overlap. These findings suggest that the processes involved in reading words are not universal, and therefore impose important constraints on current models of visual word recognition.
Flow Behavior of a Polypropylene Melt in Capillary Dies

Abstract Using capillary dies having different diameters, D, and length-to-diameter L/D ratios, a full rheological characterization has been carried out for a polypropylene melt, and the experimental data have been fitted both with a viscous model (Cross) and a viscoelastic one (the Kaye – Bernstein, Kearsley, Zapas/Papanastasiou, Scriven, Macosko or K-BKZ/PSM model). Particular emphasis has been given on the pressure-dependence of viscosity. It was found that only the viscoelastic simulations were capable of reproducing the experimental data well, while any viscous modeling always underestimates the pressures, especially at the higher apparent shear rates and L/D ratios.
A ZVS-PWM Single-Phase Inverter Using a Simple ZVS-PWM Commutation Cell

A new zero-voltage-switching (ZVS) pulsewidth-modulated (PWM) single-phase inverter using a simple ZVS-PWM commutation cell is presented in this paper. Except for the auxiliary switches, all switching devices in the ZVS-PWM single-phase inverter operate at ZVS turn on and turn off. The auxiliary switches operate at zero-current-switching turned-on and turned-off. Besides operating at constant frequency, the proposed inverter has no overvoltage across the switches on the main switch compared to the hard switching inverter counterpart. Auxiliary components rated at very small current are used. The principle of operation, theoretical analysis, and experimental results of the new ZVS-PWM single-phase inverter, rated 1 kW and operated at 40 kHz, are provided in this paper to verify the performance.
Sirolimus-eluting stents vs vascular brachytherapy for in-stent restenosis within bare-metal stents: the SISR randomized trial.

CONTEXT Although vascular brachytherapy is the only approved therapy for restenosis following bare-metal stent implantation, drug-eluting stents are now being used. Data on the relative merits of each are limited. OBJECTIVE To determine the safety and efficacy of the sirolimus-eluting stent compared with vascular brachytherapy for the treatment of patients with restenosis within a bare-metal stent. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS Prospective, multicenter, randomized trial of 384 patients with in-stent restenosis who were enrolled between February 2003 and July 2004 at 26 academic and community medical centers. Data presented represent all follow-up as of June 30, 2005. INTERVENTIONS Vascular brachytherapy (n = 125) or the sirolimus-eluting stent (n = 259). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Target vessel failure (cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or target vessel revascularization) at 9 months postprocedure. RESULTS Baseline patient characteristics were well matched. Lesion length was similar between vascular brachytherapy and sirolimus-eluting stent patients (mean [SD], 16.76 [8.55] mm vs 17.22 [7.97] mm, respectively; P = .61). Procedural success was 99.2% (124/125) in the vascular brachytherapy group and 97.3% (250/257) in the sirolimus-eluting stent group (P = .28). The rate of target vessel failure was 21.6% (27/125) with vascular brachytherapy and 12.4% (32/259) with the sirolimus-eluting stent (relative risk [RR], 1.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-2.8; P = .02). Target lesion revascularization was required in 19.2% (24/125) of the vascular brachytherapy group and 8.5% (22/259) of the sirolimus-eluting stent group (RR, 2.3 [95% CI, 1.3-3.9]; P = .004). At follow-up angiography, the rate of binary angiographic restenosis for the analysis segment was 29.5% (31/105) for the vascular brachytherapy group and 19.8% (45/227) for the sirolimus-eluting stent group (RR, 1.5 [95% CI, 1.0-2.2]; P = .07). Compared with the vascular brachytherapy group, minimal lumen diameter was larger in the sirolimus-eluting stent group at 6-month follow-up (mean [SD], 1.52 [0.63] mm vs 1.80 [0.63] mm; P<.001), reflecting greater net lumen gain in the analysis segment (0.68 [0.60] vs 1.0 [0.61] mm; P<.001) due to stenting and no edge restenosis. CONCLUSION Sirolimus-eluting stents result in superior clinical and angiographic outcomes compared with vascular brachytherapy for the treatment of restenosis within a bare-metal stent. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00231257.
Assessing causality in normal and impaired short-term cardiovascular regulation via nonlinear prediction methods

We investigated the ability of mutual nonlinear prediction methods to assess causal interactions in short-term cardiovascular variability during normal and impaired conditions. Directional interactions between heart period (RR interval of the ECG) and systolic arterial pressure (SAP) short-term variability series were quantified as the cross-predictability (CP) of one series given the other, and as the predictability improvement (PI) yielded by the inclusion of samples of one series into the prediction of the other series. Nonlinear prediction was performed through global approximation (GA), approximation with locally constant models (LA0) and approximation with locally linear models (LA1) of the nonlinear function linking the samples of the two series, on patients with neurally mediated syncope and control subjects. Causality measures were evaluated in the two directions (from SAP to RR and from RR to SAP) in the supine (SU) position, in the upright position after head-up tilt (early tilt, ET) and after prolonged upright posture (late tilt, LT). While the trends for the GA, LA0 and LA1 methods were substantially superimposable, PI elicited better than CP the prevalence of causal coupling from RR to SAP during SU. Both CP and PI noted a marked decrease in coupling in both causal directions in syncope subjects during LT, documenting the impairment of cardiovascular regulation in the minutes just preceding syncope.
Effect of holmium:YAG laser pulse width on lithotripsy retropulsion in vitro.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The effect of laser pulse width on calculus retropulsion during ureteroscopic lithotripsy is poorly defined because of the limited availability of variable pulse-width lasers. We used an adjustable pulse-width Ho:YAG laser to test the effect of pulse width on in vitro phantom-stone retropulsion and fragmentation efficiency. METHODS AND MATERIALS An Odyssey 30 Ho:YAG laser (Convergent Laser Technologies, Oakland, CA) with adjustable pulse width (350 or 700 microsec) was used to treat spherical 10-mm plaster calculi in a model ureter (N = 40) and calix (N = 16) utilizing 200- and 400-microm fibers (10 Hz, 1.0 J). Calculi were placed in a waterfilled clear polymer tube, and laser energy was applied continuously in near contact until the stone had moved 8 cm. The time (seconds) and energy (joules) needed to cause the stone to traverse this distance was recorded. Stones were also placed in a stainless-steel mesh calix model in which retropulsion was limited. Laser energy was applied for 5 minutes at each pulse width. A laser-energy meter (Molectron Detector Inc, Portland OR) was used to quantify fiber transmission efficiency after 1 minute of continuous lithotripsy for each fiber at each pulse width. RESULTS Retropulsion was greater for stones treated at 350 microsec, indicated by a shorter time to traverse the model ureter. For the 200-microrm fiber at 350 microrsec, the average time was 11.5 seconds v 20.3 seconds at 700 microsec (P < 0.001). The average total energy delivered was 114.9 J at 350 microsec v 199.8 J at 700 microsec (P < 0.001). For the 400-microm fiber at 350 microsec, the average time was 5.8 seconds v 11.9 seconds at 700 microsec (P < 0.001). The average total energy was 57.1 J at 350 microsec v 127.3 J at 700 microsec (P < 0.001). In the caliceal model, at 350 and 700 microsec with the 200- and 400-microm fibers, mass loss was 34.9% and 33.4% (P = 0.8) and 14.6% and 21.6% (P = 0.04), respectively. The reduction in energy transmission at 350 microsec and 700 microsec with the 200- microm fiber after 60 seconds of continuous lasing was 8.82% v 9%, respectively (P = 0.95). For the 400-microm fiber, the transmission loss was 18.4% at 350 microsec v 4.4% at 700 microsec (P = 0.0002). CONCLUSION When treating ureteral calculi, retropulsion can be reduced by using a longer pulse width without compromising fragmentation efficiency. For caliceal calculi, the longer pulse width in combination with a 400-microm fiber provides more effective stone fragmentation.
Correlation of 18F-FDG Uptake with Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Ratio Measured on Standard and High b Value Diffusion MRI in Head and Neck Cancer

Although the clinical applications of 18F-FDG PET/CT and diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) are similar to each other in head and neck cancer, the image acquisition methods in the 2 modalities are significantly different. 18F-FDG PET/CT traces glucose metabolism, a nonspecific process essential for tumor growth. On the other hand, DWI provides information on Brownian motion of water molecules in tissues, which represents cellularity. The aim of our study was to investigate whether apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values at b = 1,000 (ADC1,000) and 2,000 (ADC2,000) s/mm2 or whether the change (ADCratio) of ADC values from b = 1,000 to 2,000 s/mm2 has any significant correlation with the standardized uptake value (SUV) in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methods: Our hospital's institutional review board approved this retrospective study. We included 47 patients (32 men and 15 women) with histopathologically proven HNSCC, who underwent both DWI (at both b = 1,000 s/mm2 and b = 2,000 s/mm2) and 18F-FDG PET/CT in the 2 wk before treatment. ADCratio maps were generated using a pixel-by-pixel computation for which ADCratio is (ADC2,000/ADC1,000) × 100. The mean ADC1,000, ADC2,000, and ADCratio values were evaluated within a manually placed polygonal region of interest within the main tumor on every slice of the ADC1,000, ADC2,000, and ADCratio maps, respectively. In addition, the maximal SUV (SUVmax) and mean SUV (SUVmean) were measured for the entire tumor region of interest. Comparisons were made using Pearson correlation analysis, and partial correlation coefficients were derived. Results: No significant correlation was found between the mean ADC1,000 and SUVmean (r = −0.222, P = 0.1325) or the mean ADC2,000 and SUVmean (r = −0.1214, P = 0.4163). However, the ADCratio was significantly and positively correlated to both the SUVmean (r = 0.667, P < 0.001) and SUVmax (r = 0.5855, P < 0.001). Conclusion: The ADCratio and SUV were significantly correlated with each other in primary HNSCC patients, possibly because of a higher-cellularity region as a result of relatively increased tumor proliferation. Further studies are warranted to investigate the possible complementary role of DWI and PET/CT in various clinical settings, including staging and treatment response.
Effects of conjugated linoleic acid on growth performance, feed conversion efficiency, and subsequent carcass quality in broiler chickens

The effect of dietary conjugated linoleic acid isomers (CLA) on growth performance, carcass composition, fatty acid composition of adipose and muscle tissues, and serum lipoproteins was investigated in broiler chickens. A total of 160 (eighty male and eighty female) chickens were allocated to four dietary treatments (0.0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 % CLA) and fed a standard starter diet from 8 to 21 d, and a grower-finisher diet from 22–42 d. When determined for the total period 8–42 d, feed intake and body weight gains of broiler chickens were significantly reduced (from 3.31 to 3.12 kg and from 1615 to 1435 g respectively; P<0.05), particularly at the 1.5 % dietary CLA level. Feed conversion efficiency and carcass yield values showed no significant effects of dietary CLA. Abdominal fat deposition was significantly reduced (from 2.68 to 1.78 %; P<0.05), the relative proportion of breast muscles was unaffected, and that of leg muscles significantly increased (from 19.0 to 20.6 %; P<0.05). The concentration of CLA isomers (% of total methyl esters of fatty acids) increased linearly in tissue samples from broilers fed 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 % dietary CLA. The relative proportions of saturated fatty acids (16:0, 18:0) were significantly (P<0.01) increased, and those of monounsaturated (16:1, 18:1) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (18:2, 20:4 in muscle tissues) significantly (P<0.05) reduced. Total serum cholesterol concentrations reached a maximum in broilers fed 1.0 % CLA and then decreased slightly (from 141.73 to 136.47 mg/dl; P<0.01). The same was true also for HDL-cholesterol (from 113.58 to 109.97 mg/dl; P<0.01). The HDL cholesterol:total cholesterol ratio and serum triacylglycerol concentration was unaffected. In conclusion, feeding CLA to broiler chickens resulted in substantial incorporation of CLA isomers into their tissue lipids, thus providing a potential CLA-rich source for human consumption.
Workload Clustering for Increasing Energy Savings on Embedded MPSoCs

Voltage/frequency scaling and processor low-power modes (i.e., processor shut-down) are two important mechanisms used for reducing energy consumption in embedded MPSoCs. While a unified scheme that combines these two mechanisms can achieve significant savings in some cases, such an approach is limited by the code parallelization strategy employed. In this paper, we propose an integer linear programming (ILP) based workload clustering strategy across parallel processors, oriented towards maximizing the number of idle processors without impacting original execution times. These idle processors can then be switched to a low power mode to maximize energy savings, whereas the remaining ones can make use of voltage/frequency scaling. In order to check whether this approach brings any energy benefits over the pure voltage scaling based, pure processor shut-down based, or a simple unified scheme, we implemented four different approaches and tested them using a set of eight array/loop-intensive embedded applications. Our simulation-based analysis reveals that the proposed ILP based approach: (1) is very effective in reducing the energy consumptions of the applications tested; and (2) generates much better energy savings than all the alternate schemes tested (including a unified scheme that combines voltage/frequency scaling and processor shutdown)
Automatic Spatial Updating during Locomotion without Vision

People can update their spatial relationships relative to the environment while walking without vision. The hypothesis that such updating is automatic was tested in a locomotor task in which the subjects were asked to refrain from updating their positions. Subjects walked without vision to one of four previously seen targets via a second location. In one condition—the updating condition—the subjects were asked to walk to the real position of the target relative to the second location; in another—the ignoring condition—they were asked to imagine that they had not moved from the starting point and to walk from the second location as if walking to the target from the initial location. When the subjects were asked to start walking to the target as soon as it was named by the experimenter, they performed better in the updating condition than in the ignoring condition. When the subjects were allowed more time to respond, the difference in performance between these two conditions disappeared. The results suggest that the subjects automatically updated their positions as they moved, but that, given enough time, they could override this updating retrospectively using more deliberate cognitive processing.
The burnt child: an epidemiological profile and outcome.

OBJECTIVE To determine the epidemiologic pattern and outcome of childhood burns by finding the presenting features of the burn victims, causes / circumstances of burn injury, involvement of body area, need for hospitalization, duration of hospital stay and mortality. STUDY DESIGN Case series. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY The Burns Care Centre (BCC), Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad, from January 2008 to June 2010. METHODOLOGY All children of either gender with burn injuries who were managed at the centre after primarily presenting to the study centre were included. Children over 15 years were excluded. Lund and Browder chart was used to calculate the total body surface area (TBSA) burnt. Children with extensive and critical burns, high voltage electric burns and those needing any surgical interventions were admitted for indoor management. Data were recorded on a proforma. RESULTS A total of 1725 children were included in the study. Out of those, 66.84% (n=1153) were males and 33.15% (n=572) were females. The mean age was 5.04 ± 2.78 years. Majority (67.47%) of children were aged 3-6 years. Scalds were the commonest burns (70.31%). Household environment was the commonest site of acquisition of burns (91.47%). Winter was the most frequent season of sustaining burn injury (63%). The commonest anatomic regions affected were hands / upper limbs (65.68%). Overall the affected mean TBSA was 9.37 ± 9.61 %, while for the hospitalized children it was 27.07 ± 10.84%. Two hundred and ninety seven children (17.21%) were admitted. The mean hospital stay was 15.59 ± 5.61 days. The mortality rate was 9.09% for the hospitalized children and 1.56% for the entire study sample. CONCLUSION Male gender, age of 3-6 years and winter season were found to have an increased frequency of childhood burns. Scalds were the commonest type of injuries, and hands/ upper limbs were the most frequently affected body parts. There is a need to revisit the health care system and institute focused burn prevention strategies consistent with our local circumstances.