Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Unsafe injection practices in a cohort of injection drug users in Vancouver: could safer injecting rooms help?

BACKGROUND In several European countries safer injecting rooms have reduced the public disorder and health-related problems of injection drug use. We explored factors associated with needle-sharing practices that could potentially be alleviated by the availability of safer injecting rooms in Canada. METHODS The Vancouver Injection Drug User Study is a prospective cohort study of injection drug users (IDUs) that began in 1996. The analyses reported here were restricted to the 776 participants who reported actively injecting drugs in the 6 months before the most recent follow-up visit, during the period January 1999 to October 2000. Needle sharing was defined as either borrowing or lending a used needle in the 6-month period before the interview. RESULTS Overall, 214 (27.6%) of the participants reported sharing needles during the 6 months before follow-up; 106 (13.7%) injected drugs in public, and 581 (74.9%) reported injecting alone at least once. Variables independently associated with needle sharing in a multivariate analysis included difficulty getting sterile needles (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.8-4.1), requiring help to inject drugs (adjusted OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.4-2.8), needle reuse (adjusted OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.3-2.6), frequent cocaine injection (adjusted OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1-2.3) and frequent heroin injection (adjusted OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.04-2.1). Conversely, HIV-positive participants were less likely to share needles (adjusted OR 0.5, 95% CI 0.4-0.8), although 20.2% of the HIV-positive IDUs still reported sharing needles. INTERPRETATION Despite the availability of a large needle-exchange program and targeted law enforcement efforts in Vancouver, needle sharing remains an alarmingly common practice in our cohort. We identified a number of risk behaviours--difficulty getting sterile needles, needle sharing and reuse, injection of drugs in public and injecting alone (one of the main contributing causes of overdose)--that may be alleviated by the establishment of supervised safer injecting rooms.
Impairment of the autoregulation of renal hemodynamics and of the pressure-natriuresis relationship precedes the development of hypertension in Cyp1a1-Ren-2 transgenic rats

Objective The present study was performed to characterize the autoregulatory efficiency of renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate and the pressure-natriuresis relationship in transgenic rats with inducible angiotensin II (ANG II)-dependent hypertension (Cyp1a1-Ren-2 rats). Methods The renin gene was induced in Cyp1a1-Ren-2 rats through dietary administration of the natural xenobiotic indole-3-carbinol (I3C, 0.3%) for 12 and 24 h, respectively. Noninduced rats served as controls. Anesthetized rats were prepared for renal function studies and an aortic clamp was placed above the junction of the left renal artery to regulate the level of renal arterial pressure. Plasma renin activity, ANG II and aldosterone levels were measured at the end of the experiment by radioimmunoassay. Results Administration of I3C resulted in progressive increases in plasma renin activity and plasma and kidney ANG II levels; however, it did not significantly alter aldosterone levels as compared with those in noninduced rats. I3C induction for 12 h did not cause significant changes in blood pressure as compared with those in noninduced rats. I3C induction for 24 h elicited a significant rise in blood pressure. Twelve-hour I3C induction caused an impairment of the autoregulatory efficiency of renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate and of the pressure-natriuresis relationship as compared with that in noninduced rats. In addition, 24 h I3C induction of the renin gene resulted in a marked reduction in renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate and a further impairment of the pressure-natriuresis mechanism as compared with that in noninduced rats. Conclusion Our findings indicate that an impairment of the pressure-natriuresis mechanism precedes the development of ANG II-dependent hypertension in Cyp1a1-Ren-2 transgenic rats.
7 GHz MMIC GaN Doherty Power Amplifier With 47% Efficiency at 7 dB Output Back-Off

Design and characterization of a 7 GHz MMIC GaN Doherty Power Amplifier on TriQuint technology are presented. To the best of the authors' knowledge, the present circuit, suitable for C-band point-to-point backhaul applications, represents the first example of a working MMIC GaN Doherty. Large signal measurements, averaged over 16 MMICs, exhibited power gain of 10 dB, saturated output power in excess of 37 dBm (3 dB gain compression), together with drain efficiency of 47%, at 7 dB of output back-off, and higher than 35% in a 350 MHz band. Two-tone characterization has shown a carrier to 3rd order intermodulation ratio higher than 25 dB in the Doherty region.
The Role of Spirituality as a Mediator for Psychological Well-Being across Different Contexts

The purpose of this study was to determine whether spirituality mediates between context and psychological well-being. Context was defined in terms of differentials pertaining to race, socio-economic indices and infrastructural resources. An availability sample of 514 participants from Potchefstroom (n = 384) and Mafikeng (n = 130), North West Province, completed measurements on spirituality and psychological well-being. Regression analyses indicated the viability of relationships among context, spirituality and psychological well-being, and differences were observed between the two contexts in the amount of variance explained. Structural equation models showed that spirituality mediates the relationship between context and psychological well-being.
Chikungunya Encephalomyeloradiculitis: Report of 2 Cases with Neuroimaging and 1 Case with Autopsy Findings

SUMMARY: Chikungunya, an alphavirus presenting with fever, rash, and polyarthritis, is derived from the Makonde word that means “that which bends up,” in reference to the crippling manifestations of the disease. Most often it is a self-limiting febrile illness. Neurologic complications of Chikungunya infection have been reported. We are reporting the clinical and neuroimaging data in 2 patients with Chikungunya encephalomyeloradiculitis and brain autopsy findings in 1 patient.
Encouraging Cognitive Growth Through Case Discussions.

The purpose of this study was to investigate and describe whether cognitive growth occurred among preservice physical educators in an elementary educational games class in which case discussions were used as a teaching method. Cognitive growth was defined as the ability to identify problems and generate possible solutions while drawing on concepts and personal experiences. Assessing whether change takes place and exploring connections between cognitive growth and the case discussions is an important first step toward learning about the potential effects of case discussions in physical education. Data were case discussion transcriptions, interviews, and preservice teachers’ written reflections on lesson episodes completed before and after their participation in three case discussions. Cases were complex narratives about elementary physical education teaching and learning. Data revealed an improved general propensity to identify problems, suggest solutions, and cite concepts in written reflections. Connecti.
Task-evoked pupillometry provides a window into the development of short-term memory capacity

The capacity to keep multiple items in short-term memory (STM) improves over childhood and provides the foundation for the development of multiple cognitive abilities. The goal of this study was to measure the extent to which age differences in STM capacity are related to differences in task engagement during encoding. Children (n = 69, mean age = 10.6 years) and adults (n = 54, mean age = 27.5 years) performed two STM tasks: the forward digit span test from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) and a novel eyetracking digit span task designed to overload STM capacity. Building on prior research showing that task-evoked pupil dilation can be used as a real-time index of task engagement, we measured changes in pupil dilation while participants encoded long sequences of digits for subsequent recall. As expected, adults outperformed children on both STM tasks. We found similar patterns of pupil dilation while children and adults listened to the first six digits on our STM overload task, after which the adults' pupils continued to dilate and the children's began to constrict, suggesting that the children had reached their cognitive limits and that they had begun to disengage from the task. Indeed, the point at which pupil dilation peaked at encoding was a significant predictor of WISC forward span, and this relationship held even after partialing out recall performance on the STM overload task. These findings indicate that sustained task engagement at encoding is an important component of the development of STM.
Activity assays and immunoassays for plasma Renin and prorenin: information provided and precautions necessary for accurate measurement.

BACKGROUND Measurement of plasma renin is important for the clinical assessment of hypertensive patients. The most common methods for measuring plasma renin are the plasma renin activity (PRA) assay and the renin immunoassay. The clinical application of renin inhibitor therapy has thrown into focus the differences in information provided by activity assays and immunoassays for renin and prorenin measurement and has drawn attention to the need for precautions to ensure their accurate measurement. CONTENT Renin activity assays and immunoassays provide related but different information. Whereas activity assays measure only active renin, immunoassays measure both active and inhibited renin. Particular care must be taken in the collection and processing of blood samples and in the performance of these assays to avoid errors in renin measurement. Both activity assays and immunoassays are susceptible to renin overestimation due to prorenin activation. In addition, activity assays performed with peptidase inhibitors may overestimate the degree of inhibition of PRA by renin inhibitor therapy. Moreover, immunoassays may overestimate the reactive increase in plasma renin concentration in response to renin inhibitor therapy, owing to the inhibitor promoting conversion of prorenin to an open conformation that is recognized by renin immunoassays. CONCLUSIONS The successful application of renin assays to patient care requires that the clinician and the clinical chemist understand the information provided by these assays and of the precautions necessary to ensure their accuracy.
Estimating the number of negative eigenvalues of a relativistic Hamiltonian with regular magnetic field

We prove the analog of the Cwickel-Lieb-Rosenblum estimation for the number of negative eigenvalues of a relativistic Hamiltonian with magnetic field B 2 C 1(R d ) and an electric potential V 2 L 1(R d ), V 2 L d (R d )\ L d/2 (R d ). Compared to the nonrelativistic case, this estimation involves both norms of V in L d/2 (R d ) and in L d (R d ). A direct consequence is a Lieb-Thirring inequality for the sum of powers of the absolute values of the negative eigenvalues.
Predicting 1p19q Chromosomal Deletion of Low-Grade Gliomas from MR Images using Deep Learning

Objective: Several studies have associated codeletion of chromosome arms 1p/19q in low-grade gliomas (LGG) with positive response to treatment and longer progression free survival. Therefore, predicting 1p/19q status is crucial for effective treatment planning of LGG. In this study, we predict the 1p/19q status from MR images using convolutional neural networks (CNN), which could be a noninvasive alternative to surgical biopsy and histopathological analysis. Method: Our method consists of three main steps: image registration, tumor segmentation, and classification of 1p/19q status using CNN. We included a total of 159 LGG with 3 image slices each who had biopsy-proven 1p/19q status (57 nondeleted and 102 codeleted) and preoperative postcontrast-T1 (T1C) and T2 images. We divided our data into training, validation, and test sets. The training data was balanced for equal class probability and then augmented with iterations of random translational shift, rotation, and horizontal and vertical flips to increase the size of the training set. We shuffled and augmented the training data to counter overfitting in each epoch. Finally, we evaluated several configurations of a multi-scale CNN architecture until training and validation accuracies became consistent. Results: The results of the best performing configuration on the unseen test set were 93.3% (sensitivity), 82.22% (specificity), and 87.7% (accuracy). Conclusion: Multi-scale CNN with their self-learning capability provides promising results for predicting 1p/19q status noninvasively based on T1C and T2 images. Significance: Predicting 1p/19q status noninvasively from MR images would allow selecting effective treatment strategies for LGG patients without the need for surgical biopsy.
High-yield RNA-extraction method for saliva.

BACKGROUND The use of salivary diagnostics is increasing because of its noninvasiveness, ease of sampling, and the relatively low risk of contracting infectious organisms. Saliva has been used as a biological fluid to identify and validate RNA targets in head and neck cancer patients. The goal of this study was to develop a robust, easy, and cost-effective method for isolating high yields of total RNA from saliva for downstream expression studies. METHODS Oral whole saliva (200 μL) was collected from healthy controls (n = 6) and from patients with head and neck cancer (n = 8). The method developed in-house used QIAzol lysis reagent (Qiagen) to extract RNA from saliva (both cell-free supernatants and cell pellets), followed by isopropyl alcohol precipitation, cDNA synthesis, and real-time PCR analyses for the genes encoding β-actin ("housekeeping" gene) and histatin (a salivary gland-specific gene). RESULTS The in-house QIAzol lysis reagent produced a high yield of total RNA (0.89-7.1 μg) from saliva (cell-free saliva and cell pellet) after DNase treatment. The ratio of the absorbance measured at 260 nm to that at 280 nm ranged from 1.6 to 1.9. The commercial kit produced a 10-fold lower RNA yield. Using our method with the QIAzol lysis reagent, we were also able to isolate RNA from archived saliva samples that had been stored without RNase inhibitors at -80 °C for >2 years. CONCLUSIONS Our in-house QIAzol method is robust, is simple, provides RNA at high yields, and can be implemented to allow saliva transcriptomic studies to be translated into a clinical setting.
Time-domain Oustaloup approximation

Paper presents a new method for implementing Oustaloup approximation of non-integer order systems in digital environment. Classical method and its limitations are presented and discussed. Method of realization is formulated and schemes for discretization are presented. Operation of method is illustrated with two examples. Work is ended with discussion of method limitations and conclusions.
Consumers Sentiment and Cognitive Macroeconometrics Paradoxes and Explanations

Using data from the Business Surveys Unit of the European Commission as a long-running-continental-scale experiment, this paper examines how, and how accurately, people assess economic systems. Data show both commonsense (e.g. people know the past better than the future) and puzzling results (e.g. there is a systematic bias in forecasts). The former support the reliability of the surveys, the latter are in sharp contrast with the standard maintained hypothesis of a world populated by calculating and unemotional maximizers. The dualism of behavior may be fruitfully explored via cognitive psychology, according to which both logic and emotions systematically drive people’s choices.
Information-Mediated Allee Effects in Breeding Habitat Selection

Social information is used widely in breeding habitat selection and provides an efficient means for individuals to select habitat, but the population-level consequences of this process are not well explored. At low population densities, efficiencies may be reduced because there are insufficient information providers to cue high-quality habitat. This constitutes what we call an information-mediated Allee effect. We present the first general model for an information-mediated Allee effect applied to breeding habitat selection and unify personal and social information, Allee effects, and ecological traps into a common framework. In a second model, we consider an explicit mechanism of social information gathering through prospecting on conspecific breeding performance. In each model, we independently vary personal and social information use to demonstrate how dependency on social information may result in either weak or strong Allee effects that, in turn, affect population extinction risk. Abrupt transitions between outcomes can occur through reduced information transfer or small changes in habitat composition. Overall, information-mediated Allee effects may produce positive feedbacks that amplify population declines in species that are already experiencing environmentally driven stressors, such as habitat loss and degradation. Alternatively, social information has the capacity to rescue populations from ecological traps.
ERP use and value: Portuguese and Spanish SMEs

Purpose – Consistent with the diffusion of innovation (DOI) model and resource‐based view (RBV) theory, the purpose of this paper is to develop a research model for measuring enterprise resource planning (ERP) post‐adoption and its consequence on small and medium enterprise (SME) performance.Design/methodology/approach – The model links six determinants based on DOI to explain “ERP use” and three on RBV to explain the “ERP value”, on which nine hypotheses are postulated. Testing was conducted through structural equation modelling, utilizing data from 558 web‐surveyed firms in Portugal and Spain.Findings – Full sample analysis finds that competitive pressure, training, best‐practices, compatibility, and efficiency are important antecedents of “ERP use”. Together with usage, collaboration and analytics capabilities contribute to “ERP value”. Cross‐country analysis reveals that complexity is an important inhibitor for “ERP use” in Portuguese firms whereas it is a facilitator for Spanish firms. In addition, w.
Dependence on diffusion time of apparent diffusion tensor of ex vivo calf tongue and heart

The time dependence of the apparent diffusion tensor of ex vivo calf heart and tongue was measured for diffusion times (τd) between 32 and 810 ms. The results showed evidence of restricted diffusion in the muscle tissues of both organs. In regions where the myofibers are parallel, the largest eigenvalue (λ1) of the diffusion tensor remained the same for all diffusion times measured, while the other eigenvalues (λ2, λ3) decreased by 29–36% between τd = 32 ms and τd = 400 ms. In regions where the fibers cross, the λ1 also changed, decreasing by 17% between τd = 32 ms and τd = 400 ms. The restricting compartment size and volume fraction were effectively estimated by fitting the time courses of the eigenvalues to a model consisting of a nonrestricted compartment and a cylindrically restricted compartment. To our knowledge, this study is the first demonstrating diffusion time dependence of measured water diffusion tensor in muscular tissue. With improvement in scanning technology, future studies may permit noninvasive, in vivo detection of changes in muscle myoarchitecture due to disease, treatment, and exercise. Magn Reson Med, 2005. Published 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Biomechanical factors affecting running economy.

PURPOSE The present study was designed to investigate kinematics, kinetics, and muscle activity for explaining running economy at different running speeds. METHODS A total of 17 young endurance runners ran at 12-13 different running speeds. Respiratory gases were collected. Kinematic records were obtained by a high-speed video camera, and 3-D ground reaction forces (GRF) were measured simultaneously with telemetric EMG recordings of the selected leg muscles. In the analysis, joint moments and power were calculated by inverse dynamic methods. RESULTS The oxygen consumption and energy expenditure increased quite linearly with increasing running speed. However, already at the slowest speed, interindividual differences in running economy were noticed, and they increased with increasing running speed. Simultaneously, the instantaneous joint moment-angular velocity curves of the ankle and knee joints shifted to the right and upward, thus increasing joint power in the push-off phase of contact. Most definitive was the increase in EMG-activity of the BF muscle and its correlation with energy expenditure (r = 0.48, P < 0.05). This two-joint muscle seems to be very active during the maximal running: its amplitude increased (P < 0.05) both in the swinging and contact phases with increasing running speed. CONCLUSIONS The increased EMG of working muscles and the associated increase in power output may partly explain the increased energy expenditure with increasing running speed. Lower performances in running economy by some of the athletes may also be explained by poor running technique, such as unusually high braking and mediolateral forces, which may be caused by limited action of the hamstring muscles. However, no exclusive biomechanical parameters could be identified to explain the running economy.
Inclusive Practice in the Primary School: A Guide for Teachers

Introduction: How to use this book Part One 1: Understanding special educational needs, disability and inclusive education 2: The policy context for special educational needs, disability and inclusive education 3: Models of difference and differentiation 4: Inclusive classroom practice 5: The 'special pedagogy' debate Part Two 6: Strengthening the 'Whole Child' Approach through the Spiral Spectrum Model 7: Personal, social and emotional development 8: Communication, language and literacy development 9: Physical development 10: Drawing it all together - how children learn and how we teach inclusively
The Nuclear Transcription Factor RARα Associates with Neuronal RNA Granules and Suppresses Translation*

All-trans-retinoic acid stimulates dendritic growth in hippocampal neurons within minutes by activating mitogen-activated protein kinase and mTOR and increasing dendritic translation of calcium calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II α and the α-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate receptor subunit GluR1. Hippocampal neurons express RARα in dendrites, and knocking down RARα prevents all-trans-retinoic acid effects on dendritic growth. Here we show, by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis of immunoaffinity isolates of hippocampal neurons, that RARα partners with many RNA-binding proteins and translation factors conveyed in dendritic RNA transport granules, including the purine-rich element-binding protein, Pur α. The interaction of RARα with Pur α, an RNA-binding protein required for dendritic RNA transport, and other RNA-binding proteins was confirmed by tandem affinity purification. Confocal microscopy confirmed localization of neuronal RARα in dendritic RNA granules with Pur α and FMRP (the fragile × mental retardation protein). Hippocampal RARα also associates with mRNA, e.g. encoding GluR1 and calcium calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II α. Consistent with a granule function of conveying translationally silenced mRNA, RARα inhibits translation initiation, independent of 7-methylguanylate cap or poly(A) tail, and prompts mRNA redistribution to silencing ribonucleoprotein particles. These data afford a mechanism for rapid stimulation of dendritic growth by all-trans-retinoic acid and reveal that the ligand-dependent transcription factor RARα also regulates translation.