Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Rating of Perceived Exertion for Quantification of the Intensity of Resistance Exercise

Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) is widely used in exercise tests using cycle ergometers (incremental aerobic exercise) for patients with cardiovascular and metabolic diseases such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes. On the other hand, RPE has also been used widely for determining the intensity of resistance exercise for healthy subjects. RPE anchoring is associated with percentage of 1 repetition maximum or the percentage of maximal voluntary contraction. This short communication explains a concrete method of RPE to quantify the intensity of resistance exercise. Physicians, physical therapists, and medical staff should use RPE for determining the intensity of resistance exercise in clinical practise.
Identification of the Most Significant Processing Parameters on the Development of Fiber Waviness in Thin Laminates

This paper identifies the material and processing parameters which most significantly influence the development of in-plane waviness in laminates. Thin laminates of unidirectional, T300 carbon-fiber/polysulfone matrix prepreg were processed in an autoclave and a custom-made water-cooled chamber, which allowed fast cooling rates. Multivariate regression analysis of process-induced waviness was performed for combinations of the select process variables and their interactions to identify those factors responsible for waviness development. Of the eight parameters investigated – hold temperature, hold time, pressure, length, width, thickness, cooling rate, and tool plate material – only three affected the development of fiber waviness: length, cooling rate, and tool plate material. Length affects not only the number of wrinkles and wrinkle distribution, but also the average amplitude of the waviness. Cooling rate affects the wavelength and amplitude of the waviness, as well as the number of wrinkles. Tool plate material primarily affects the number of wrinkles, without showing a significant effect on the average wave geometry. There is also an interaction between tool plate material and cooling rate in producing fiber waviness. For the three relevant parameters, the possible waviness-inducing mechanisms are tool plate/part coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch, temporal temperature gradients (or cooling rates), and spatial temperature gradients. The tool plate/part CTE mismatch proved to be the most important mechanism driving fiber waviness in plates, although changes in cooling rates also dramatically affected the quantity of waviness which developed. Spatial temperature gradients were negligible for this study. The tool plate/part CTE mismatch-driven axial buckling loads on the fibers were substantial in the outermost laminate plies, or skin, but negligible in the laminate core. Waviness was limited to the surface or skin plies, even in identically-processed thick laminates. This study confirmed that if the fibers experience axial loads – albeit a small fraction of their Young’s modulus – while the matrix is unable to provide some level of transverse fiber support, the fibers will microbuckle resulting in waviness (in-plane or out-of-plane depending upon the laminate constraint).
High salt diets dose‐dependently promote gastric chemical carcinogenesis in Helicobacter pylori‐infected Mongolian gerbils associated with a shift in mucin production from glandular to surface mucous cells

Intake of salt and salty food is known as a risk factor for gastric carcinogenesis. To examine the dose‐dependence and the mechanisms underlying enhancing effects, Mongolian gerbils were treated with N‐methyl‐N‐nitrosourea (MNU), Helicobacter pylori and food containing various concentrations of salt, and were sacrificed after 50 weeks. Among gerbils treated with MNU and H. pylori, the incidences of glandular stomach cancers were 15% in the normal diet group and 33%, 36% and 63% in the 2.5%, 5% and 10% NaCl diet groups, showing dose‐dependent increase (p < 0.01). Intermittent intragastric injection of saturated NaCl solution, in contrast, did not promote gastric carcinogenesis. In gerbils infected with H. pylori, a high salt diet was associated with elevation of anti‐H. pylori antibody titers, serum gastrin levels and inflammatory cell infiltration in a dose‐dependent fashion. Ten percent NaCl diet upregulated the amount of surface mucous cell mucin (p < 0.05), suitable for H. pylori colonization, despite no increment of MUC5AC mRNA, while H. pylori infection itself had an opposing effect, stimulating transcription of MUC6 and increasing the amount of gland mucous cell mucin (GMCM). High salt diet, in turn, decreased the amount of GMCM, which acts against H. pylori infection. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated dose‐dependent enhancing effects of salt in gastric chemical carcinogenesis in H. pylori‐infected Mongolian gerbils associated with alteration of the mucous microenvironment. Reduction of salt intake could thus be one of the most important chemopreventive methods for human gastric carcinogenesis. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Antioxidant Combination Inhibits Reactive Oxygen Species Mediated Damage

We examined the preventive activity of naturally occurring antioxidants against three reactive oxygen species using a protein degradation assay. The hydroxyl, hypochlorite, and peroxynitrite radicals are typical reactive oxygen species generated in human body. Previously, we found that hydrophobic botanical antioxidants exhibited specific antioxidant activity against hydroxyl radicals, whereas anserine and carnosine mixture, purified from chicken extract and vitamin C, exhibited antioxidant activities against hypochlorite and peroxynitrite radicals respectively. Since ethanol, used as a solvent in the experiments, also showed an antioxidant action against the hydroxyl radical, we re-assessed antioxidant activities using aqueous solutions of botanical antioxidants. Among the seven hydrophobic antioxidants examined, ferulic acid exhibited the strongest antioxidant activity against the hydroxyl radical. An antioxidant preparation of anserine-carnosine mixture, vitamin C, and ferulic acid prevented oxidative stress by reactive oxygen species. Loss of deformability in human erythrocytes and protein degradation caused by reactive oxygen species were completely inhibited.
Physiologic doses of depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate do not increase acute plasma simian HIV viremia or mucosal virus shedding in pigtail macaques

Objective:Epidemiologic studies remain inconclusive on whether the injectable contraceptive depot-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) increases mucosal HIV shedding and transmissibility. Nonhuman primate models may help to determine the effects of DMPA on acute HIV replication. Design:We defined a physiologic dose of DMPA in macaques and assessed the impact of DMPA on acute simian HIV (SHIV) replication. Methods:Pigtail macaques received 1–30 mg of DMPA intramuscularly followed by measurements of progesterone and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA). Vaginal epithelial thickness, number of cell layers and density of intraepithelial CD3+ cells were measured. The effect of DMPA on SHIV viremia and genital virus shedding was investigated in six pigtail macaques infected during monthly treatment cycles with 3 mg DMPA. Six DMPA-untreated macaques were controls. Results:Plasma MPA concentrations directly correlated with changes in epithelial thickness (correlation = 0.84; P < 0.001) and density of intraepithelial CD3+ cells (correlation = 0.41; P = 0.02). A 3 mg DMPA dose recapitulated plasma MPA concentrations and changes in vaginal epithelial thickness seen in women. DMPA-treated and untreated macaques showed similar peak plasma viremia and RNA area under the curve values over 12 weeks (P = 0.94), although treated macaques had higher odds of having virus being detected in plasma (odds ratio 6.6, P = 0.02). Rectal and vaginal virus shedding was similar between treated and untreated macaques (P = 0.72 and P = 0.53, respectively). Conclusion:In this pigtail macaque model of DMPA and vaginal SHIV infection, we found little or no effect of DMPA on plasma viremia and mucosal virus shedding during acute infection. These results do not support a role of DMPA in increasing mucosal HIV shedding.
How Can We Remodel Practices Into Medical Homes Without a Blueprint or a Bank Account?

Medical homes are widely viewed as a solution to the problems with American medical care, despite lack of answers to many important questions. Review of articles from issues of 5 journals devoted to the medical home in 2010 provides few answers to those questions. However, with some exceptions, those answers seem more likely to come from real-life efforts to implement medical homes than from the research literature. In any other industry, that would be the case, especially the key questions about the financial viability of both the transformation of traditional practies and sustainability of the new care model.
Strengthening Resistance Self-Efficacy: Influence of Teaching Approaches and Gender on Different Consumption Groups

Our study focused on strengthening the individual self-efficacy of low achieving 8th graders reducing drug-specific peer pressure through theoretical and practical training. The subject of the intervention was based on a substance-specific life skills program offering both teacher-centered and student-centered teaching approaches. A cluster analysis identified four consumption groups in our pre-test setting: (1) A “potentially curious” sample; (2) an “actually curious” sample; (3) an “experimenter” sample; and (4) a “consumer” sample. Self-efficacy was measured three times in a pre-, post-, and retention-test design. Only the “potentially curious” sub-sample showed higher resistance self-efficacy, boys and girls revealed no differences. Altogether, a short- and middle-term consistent increase was detected in both teaching methods. Consequences to increase the efficiency of drug prevention measurements are being discussed.
Adjustment to finger amputation and silicone finger prosthesis use

Abstract Purpose: Finger amputations are the most common amputations of upper limbs. They influence hand function, general functioning and quality of life. One of the possibilities for rehabilitation after finger amputation is fitting a silicone finger prosthesis. We wanted to evaluate the adjustment to amputation and prosthesis use in patients after finger amputation. Methods: We included 42 patients with partial or complete single or multiple finger amputation of one hand who visited the outpatient clinic for prosthetics and orthotics at our institute and received a silicone prosthesis. We assessed their adjustment to amputation and prosthesis with the Trinity Amputation and Prosthesis Experience Scales (TAPES). Results: Most of the patients (28, 67%) had a single finger amputated. The average scores on all TAPES subscales (except adjustment to limitation) were above 50% of the maximum possible score. On average, the scores were the highest on the general adjustment and satisfaction with the prosthesis subscales. Conclusions: Silicone prostheses for finger amputation of upper limb play an important role in the process of adaptation to amputation. They offer aesthetically satisfying results and alleviate social interactions, which influences overall quality of life. Implications for Rehabilitation Silicone prostheses for finger amputation of upper limb offer an aesthetically satisfying result and alleviate problems with social interactions. Their influence on hand function is not optimal, but the prosthesis improves the amputee's quality of life.
PHYLOGENY OF THE EUGLENALES INFERRED FROM PLASTID LSU rDNA SEQUENCES 1

To gain insights into the phylogeny of the Euglenales, we analyzed the plastid LSU rDNA sequences from 101 strains of the photosynthetic euglenoids belonging to nine ingroup genera (Euglena, Trachelomonas, Strombomonas, Monomorphina, Cryptoglena, Colacium, Discoplastis, Phacus, and Lepocinclis) and two outgroup genera (Eutreptia and Eutreptiella). Bayesian and maximum‐likelihood (ML) analyses resulted in trees of similar topologies and four major clades: a Phacus and Lepocinclis clade; a Colacium clade; a Trachelomonas, Strombomonas, Monomorphina, and Cryptoglena clade; and a Euglena clade. The Phacus and Lepocinclis clade was the sister group of all other euglenalian genera, followed by Discoplastis spathirhyncha (Skuja) Triemer and the Colacium clade, respectively, which was inconsistent with their placement based on nuclear rDNA genes. The Trachelomonas, Strombomonas, Monomorphina, and Cryptoglena clade was sister to the Euglena clade. The loricate genera, Trachelomonas and Strombomonas, were closely related to each other, while Monomorphina and Cryptoglena also grouped together. The Euglena clade formed a monophyletic lineage comprising most species from taxa formerly allocated to the subgenera Calliglena and Euglena. However, within this genus, none of the subgenera was monophyletic.
Electrophysiological and diffusion tensor imaging evidence of delayed corollary discharges in patients with schizophrenia

Background Patients with schizophrenia (SZ) characteristically exhibit supranormal levels of cortical activity to self-induced sensory stimuli, ostensibly because of abnormalities in the neural signals (corollary discharges, CDs) normatively involved in suppressing the sensory consequences of self-generated actions. The nature of these abnormalities is unknown. This study investigated whether SZ patients experience CDs that are abnormally delayed in their arrival at the sensory cortex. Method Twenty-one patients with SZ and 25 matched control participants underwent electroencephalography (EEG). Participants' level of cortical suppression was calculated as the amplitude of the N1 component evoked by a button press-elicited auditory stimulus, subtracted from the N1 amplitude evoked by the same stimulus presented passively. In the three experimental conditions, the auditory stimulus was delivered 0, 50 or 100 ms subsequent to the button-press. Fifteen SZ patients and 17 healthy controls (HCs) also underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and the fractional anisotropy (FA) of participants' arcuate fasciculus was used to predict their level of cortical suppression in the three conditions. Results While the SZ patients exhibited subnormal N1 suppression to undelayed, self-generated auditory stimuli, these deficits were eliminated by imposing a 50-ms, but not a 100-ms, delay between the button-press and the evoked stimulus. Furthermore, the extent to which the 50-ms delay normalized a patient's level of N1 suppression was linearly related to the FA of their arcuate fasciculus. Conclusions These data suggest that SZ patients experience temporally delayed CDs to self-generated auditory stimuli, putatively because of structural damage to the white-matter (WM) fasciculus connecting the sites of discharge initiation and destination.
Physical activity and sedentary leisure time and their associations with BMI , waist circumference , and percentage body fat in 0 . 5 million adults : the China Kadoorie Biobank study 1 – 3

Background: Few large studies in China have investigated total physical activity and sedentary leisure time and their associations with adiposity. Objective: We investigated determinants of physical activity and sedentary leisure time and their associations with adiposity in China. Design: A total of 466,605 generally healthy participants (age: 30–79 y, 60% female) in the China Kadoorie Biobank were included in this cross-sectional analysis. Self-reported information on a range of activities was collected by interviewer-administered questionnaire. Physical activity was calculated as metabolic equivalent task hours per day (MET-h/d) spent on work, transportation, housework, and nonsedentary recreation. Sedentary leisure time was quantified as hours per day. Adiposity measures included BMI, waist circumference, and percentage body fat (by bioimpedance analysis). Associations were estimated by linear and logistic regression. Results: The mean physical activity was 22 MET-h/d, and the mean sedentary leisure time was 3.0 h/d. For each sex, physical activity was about one-third lower among professionals/administrators than among factory workers, with intermediate levels for other occupational categories. A 1-SD (14 MET-h/d) greater physical activity was associated with a 0.15-unit (95% CI: 0.14, 0.16) lower BMI (in kg/m), a 0.58-cm (95% CI: 0.55, 0.61) smaller waist circumference, and 0.48 (95% CI: 0.45, 0.50) percentage points less body fat. In contrast, a 1-SD (1.5 h/d) greater sedentary leisure time was associated with a 0.19-unit higher BMI (95% CI: 0.18, 0.20), a 0.57cm larger waist circumference (95% CI: 0.54, 0.59), and 0.44 (95% CI: 0.42, 0.46) percentage points more body fat. For any given physical activity level, greater sedentary leisure time was associated with a greater prevalence of increased BMI, as was lower physical activity for any given sedentary leisure time. Conclusions: In adult Chinese, physical activity varies substantially by occupation, and lack of physical activity and excess sedentary leisure time are independently and jointly associated with greater adiposity. Am J Clin Nutr doi: 10.3945/ajcn.112. 046854.
Recent Trends in Nanofibrous Membranes and Their Suitability for Air and Water Filtrations

In recent decades, engineered membranes have become a viable separation technology for a wide range of applications in environmental, food and biomedical fields. Membranes are now competitive compared to conventional techniques such as adsorption, ion exchangers and sand filters. The main advantage of membrane technology is the fact that it works without the addition of any chemicals, with relatively high efficiency and low energy consumption with well arranged process conductions. Hence they are widely utilized in biotechnology, food and drink manufacturing, air filtration and medical uses such as dialysis for kidney failure patients. Membranes from nanofibrous materials possess high surface area to volume ratio, fine tunable pore sizes and their ease of preparation prompted both industry and academic researchers to study their use in many applications. In this paper, modern concepts and current research progress on various nanofibrous membranes, such as water and air filtration media, are presented.
Parallel Computation of Data Summation for Multiple Problem Spaces on Partitioned Optical Passive Stars Network

In Partitioned Optical Passive Stars POPS network, nodes and couplers become free after slot to slot in some computation. It is necessary to efficiently utilize free couplers and nodes to be cost effective. Improving parallelism, we present the fast data summation algorithm for multiple problem spaces on POPS(g, g) with smaller number of nodes for the case of d = √ n = g. For the case of d > √ n > g, we simulate the calculation of large number of data items dedicated to larger system with many nodes on smaller system with smaller number of nodes. The algorithm is faster than the best know algorithm and using smaller number of nodes and groups make the system low cost and practical. Keywords— Partitioned optical passive stars network, parallel computing, optical computing, data sum
Distending pressure in infants with respiratory distress syndrome

The application of distending pressure to 40 babies with the respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is described. Pressures greater than 10 cm H2O were rarely used. On starting distending pressure, considerable improvements in blood gases occurred in all but 4 babies, 2 of whom had pneumothoraces and the other rapidly deteriorated and died from an intraventricular haemorrhage shortly afterwards. In 27 babies the distending pressure was applied for hypoxaemia during the course of the disease. 16 survived without further intervention, though one case eventually required long-term continuous distending pressure (CDP) for pulmonary oedema. 11 out of the 27 required intermittent positive pressure ventilation (IPPV), with 6 survivors. In 13 other babies who had not received CDP previously, the technique was used to assist weaning from IPPV. It sustained oxygenation in each case, and 12 of these babies survived. Seven babies developed pneumothoraces and 2 babies intrapulmonary cysts. 6 babies died, 3 with pneumothoraces. The overall incidence of intraventricular haemorrhage was 3 proven and 2 suspected cases. There was no evidence that distending pressure in any form increased the incidence of intracranial haemorrhage.
Risk of Large-for-Gestational-Age Newborns in Women With Gestational Diabetes by Race and Ethnicity and Body Mass Index Categories

OBJECTIVE: To compare the prevalence of large-for-gestational-age (LGA) newborns across categories of body mass index (BMI) in five racial and ethnic groups. METHODS: This cohort study examined 7,468 women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) who delivered a live newborn between 1995 and 2006 at Kaiser Permanente Northern California. The racial and ethnic groups were non-Hispanic white, African American, Hispanic, Asian, and Filipina. The BMI was classified using the World Health Organization International guidelines (normal, 18.50–24.99; overweight, 25.00–29.99; obese, 30.00–34.99; obese class II, 35.00 or higher). Having an LGA newborn was defined as birth weight more than 90th percentile for the study population's race or ethnicity and gestational age--specific birth weight distribution. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds of having an LGA newborn by BMI and race and ethnicity. RESULTS: Overall prevalence of LGA newborns was highest in African American women (25.1%), lowest in Asians (13.9%), and intermediate among Hispanic (17.3%), white (16.4%), and Filipina women (15.3%). The highest increased risk of LGA newborns was observed among women with class II obesity in most racial and ethnic groups, and African American and Asian women with class II obesity had a four-fold increased risk of LGA newborns compared with women of normal weight in the same racial and ethnic group. CONCLUSIONS: African American women with GDM have a greater risk of LGA newborns at a lower BMI than other racial and ethnic groups. Clinicians should be aware that among women with GDM, there may be significant racial and ethnic differences in the risk of LGA newborns by BMI threshold. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II
Primal decomposition and online algorithms for flow optimization in wireless DTNs

We study flow optimization in wireless Delay Tolerant Networks (DTNs), using Capacity Region Evolving Graphs (CREGs). CREGs comprise cascaded subgraphs which represent the network topology at consecutive time intervals called epochs. The data flows jointly attainable at all wireless links during each time interval are described in terms of a respective capacity region. We associate the sizes of the node buffers at the beginning and end of time with a set of cost and utility functions, and formulate the transport problem of maximizing the sum of the utilities minus the sum of the costs. Then, we present a primal decomposition algorithm for solving this flow optimization problem exactly and efficiently, taking advantage of its special structure. This algorithm unavoidably relies on the knowledge, in advance, of the complete evolution of the network topology at all epochs. As this is a stringent requirement, we devise a heuristic online algorithm that arrives at efficient (but suboptimal) flows at each epoch without looking into future epochs.