Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Accelerated hepatitis C virus kinetics but similar survival rates in recipients of liver grafts from living versus deceased donors

This study tested the hypothesis that hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA and core antigen levels rise more rapidly after liver transplantation (LT) in recipients of grafts from living donors (LD) versus deceased donors (DD). Eleven consecutive LD and 15 DD recipients were followed prospectively. Before LT, median HCV RNA levels were similar: 5.42 (LDLT) and 5.07 (DDLT) log10 IU/mL (P = NS). During the first 7 hours after LT a trend toward a greater HCV RNA decrease in LDLT patients was seen, although they received fewer blood replacement products during surgery. HCV RNA levels rose more rapidly in LDLT patients between days 1 and 3 (P = .0059) and were higher in this group on days 2, 3, 4, and 5. Core antigen levels were significantly higher in LDLT patients on days 3 and 5, although they were similar before LT (P = NS). Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) values were higher among LDLT patients from 8 to 14 days and from 4 to 24 months. Two‐year graft and patient survival were 73% for LDLT patients and 80% for DDLT patients (P = NS). In conclusion, viral load rose more rapidly in LD recipients and reached higher levels shortly after surgery. Greater ALT elevations were evident in the LDLT group, but survival rates were similar. The trend toward a greater initial viral load decrease in patients with LD grafts and the significantly sharper increase suggest that the liver plays a predominant role in both HCV clearance and replication. (HEPATOLOGY 2005;42:1420–1428.)
THE EFFECT OF PROPRIOCEPTIVE NEUROMUSCULAR FACILITATION VS STATIC STRETCHING VS CONTROL ON THE HAMSTRING MUSCLE GROUP FOR FLEXIBILITY, PEAK TORQUE, AND POWER

TITLE: Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation vs Static Stretching of the Hamstring Muscle Group for Flexibility, Peak Torque, and Power RESEARCHER: John N. Wen ADVISOR: Dr. Carol M. Biddington PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation hold-relax stretching to passive static stretching and a control group to the hamstring muscle group examining aspects of flexibility, power, and peak torque. METHODS: There were 23 physically active college students used for this study, using three separate stretching protocols for the hamstring muscle group: proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation hold-relax stretching, passive static stretching, and a control protocol. A modified sit and reach was used to test flexibility, single leg standing broad jump was used to test power of each leg, and a BiodexTM System 3 Multi- Joint Dynamometer was used to measure peak torque values of each leg at 60°/sec, 180°/sec, and 300°/sec. FINDINGS: There were no significant differences in flexibility, power, or peak torque in the hamstring muscle groups between proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation hold-relax stretching and passive static stretching. SUMMARY: Populations which utilize stretching in their daily routine should not be overly concerned as to which stretching technique to use when creating a warm-up or cool-down program for their athletes, patients, or clientele since the differences between the two stretching techniques are insignificant.
Motion analysis and segmentation through spatio-temporal slices processing

This paper presents new approaches in characterizing and segmenting the content of video. These approaches are developed based upon the pattern analysis of spatio-temporal slices. While traditional approaches to motion sequence analysis tend to formulate computational methodologies on two or three adjacent frames, spatio-temporal slices provide rich visual patterns along a larger temporal scale. We first describe a motion computation method based on a structure tensor formulation. This method encodes visual patterns of spatio-temporal slices in a tensor histogram, on one hand, characterizing the temporal changes of motion over time, on the other hand, describing the motion trajectories of different moving objects. By analyzing the tensor histogram of an image sequence, we can temporally segment the sequence into several motion coherent subunits, in addition, spatially segment the sequence into various motion layers. The temporal segmentation of image sequences expeditiously facilitates the motion annotation and content representation of a video, while the spatial decomposition of image sequences leads to a prominent way of reconstructing background panoramic images and computing foreground objects.
Hysterectomies and Violation of Human Rights: Case Study from India

Patriarchal values at one level and gender bias at the other are pervasive in south Asian countries. Even after six decades of planned development, the incidence of women's human rights in general and in particular sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) are being violated for different motives by different sections of the Indian society. Our studies and resultant social action commenced when we heard about women already experiencing poverty and who were further robbed off their bodies and life by conniving mechanisms in society through abuse of health insurance schemes. Most of these rural women were cheated to undergo hysterectomy due to their illiteracy and their vulnerability. Narratives and the accounts of the rural poor women victims clearly identify their poverty, illiteracy and status in the overall social fabric of the Indian society that went against them. These unwanted hysterectomies in Medak district in India highlighted the role of insurance, gender bias, lack of ethical conduct in the medical profession. did get elected during the country's only emergency. Illiteracy and vulnerability of rural women exacerbated the pathetic scams around state and private health insurance schemes in this context and women underwent hysterectomy for no fault in most cases. We attempt to triangulate the findings with the narratives and observations of the volunteers of the non government organization called the Centre for Action Research and People's Development; the narratives of the poor and Lambada women victims across the backdrop of discourse on poverty and the governance or lack of governance of these programmes. Women's human rights in general and in particular women's SRHRs are violated for different motives by different agencies including governments. High incidence of sterilizations among women in pre-menopausal stage often
Risk Factors for Lower Extremity Tendinopathies in Military Personnel

Background: Overuse injuries have a significant impact on United States military service members, but research to date has been limited in its ability to assess occupational and behavioral risk factors. Hypothesis/Purpose: To prospectively identify risk factors for the development of lower extremity tendinopathy and plantar fasciitis in United States military personnel. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: Baseline data from the Millennium Cohort Study, a long-term observational cohort of military personnel, were utilized. Service members were enrolled in the cohort in 2001, 2004, and 2007. A total of 80,106 active-duty personnel were followed over 1 year for the development of patellar tendinopathy, Achilles tendinopathy, and plantar fasciitis. Regression analyses were used to estimate significant associations between each tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis, and demographic, behavioral, and occupational characteristics. Results: Using medical records, 450 cases of Achilles tendinitis, 584 cases of patellar tendinopathy, and 1228 cases of plantar fasciitis were identified. Recent deployment was associated with an increased risk for developing plantar fasciitis (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.56). Moderate weekly alcohol consumption was marginally associated with an increased risk for Achilles tendinopathy (AOR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.00-1.76). Overweight or obese individuals were more likely to develop Achilles tendinopathy and plantar fasciitis. Conclusion: Lower extremity tendinopathies and plantar fasciitis are common among military service members, and this study identified several modifiable risk factors for their occurrence. These potential risk factors could serve as the focus for future preventive and intervention studies.
The avian telencephalic subpallium originates inhibitory neurons that invade tangentially the pallium (dorsal ventricular ridge and cortical areas).

Recent data on the development of the mammalian neocortex support that the majority of its inhibitory GABAergic interneurons originate within the subpallium (ganglionic eminences). Support for such tangential migration into the pallium has come from experiments using fluorescent tracers or lineage analysis with retrovirus, and the phenotypes of mutant mice with different abnormalities in the developing subpallium. In the present study, we describe tangential migration of subpallial-derived neurons in the developing chick telencephalon. Using quail-chick grafts, we precisely identified the neuroepithelial origin, time-course, and pathways of migration, as well as the identity and relative distribution of the diverse tangentially migrated neurons. The analysis of selective grafts of the pallidal and striatal primordia allowed us to determine the relative contribution of each primordium to the population of migrating neurons. Moreover, we found that, like in mammals, the vast majority of the GABAergic and calbindin-immunoreactive neurons within the pallium (dorsal ventricular ridge and cortical areas) have an extracortical, subpallial origin. Our results suggest that the telencephalon of birds and mammals share developmental mechanisms for the origin and migration of their cortical interneurons, which probably first evolved at an earlier stage in the radiation of vertebrates than was thought before.
IMDB Network Revisited: Unveiling Fractal and Modular Properties from a Typical Small-World Network

We study a subset of the movie collaboration network, http://www.imdb. com, where only adult movies are included. We show that there are many benefits in using such a network, which can serve as a prototype for studying social interactions. We find that the strength of links, i.e., how many times two actors have collaborated with each other, is an important factor that can significantly influence the network topology. We see that when we link all actors in the same movie with each other, the network becomes small-world, lacking a proper modular structure. On the other hand, by imposing a threshold on the minimum number of links two actors should have to be in our studied subset, the network topology becomes naturally fractal. This occurs due to a large number of meaningless links, namely, links connecting actors that did not actually interact. We focus our analysis on the fractal and modular properties of this resulting network, and show that the renormalization group analysis can characterize the self-similar structure of these networks.
Comprehending literally-true versus literally-false proverbs

A proverb comprehension task was administered to typically-achieving children and adolescents who were aged 9, 11 and 14 years (n = 31 per group). Two types of unfamiliar concrete proverbs were presented in a multiple-choice format - expressions whose literal meanings could be true in the real world (e.g. The baby has no teeth) and expressions whose literal meanings could not be true (e.g. Every dog is a lion at home). No differences were found in ease of understanding between the two types of proverbs for any age groups. The results are explained in terms of children’s early-emerging ability to think metaphorically and are consistent with the view that figurative language ‘is a direct, automatic and natural reflection of the way people think, reason and imagine’. Implications of the study for designing instructional programmes in proverb comprehension for children and adolescents are discussed.
Second Language Processing at Different Ages: Do Younger Learners Pay More Attention to Prosodic Cues to Sentence Structure?

Seeking a processing explanation for the phonological merits of early age exposure to second language use, this study investigates the relationship between age of arrival in the L2 environment and a preference for prosodic versus syntactic cues to sentence interpretation in English. The learners were Cantonese-speaking ESL students at Canadian schools: 13 students in Grade 2,27 students in Grades 7/8, and 16 in Grades 11/12. All had been in Canada for between 1 and 4 years. The students were asked to interpret ambiguous sentences with conflicting prosodic and syntactic cues to structure. In contrast to the pattern found for native English-speaking students at the same grade levels, and contrary to predictions, the older ESL learners were found to be just as likely as the younger ones to attend to prosody rather than syntax.
A hierarchical Dirichlet language model

Abstract We discuss a hierarchical probabilistic model whose predictions are similar to those of the popular language modelling procedure known as ‘smoothing’. A number of interesting differences from smoothing emerge. The insights gained from a probabilistic view of this problem point towards new directions for language modelling. The ideas of this paper are also applicable to other problems such as the modelling of triphomes in speech, and DNA and protein sequences in molecular biology. The new algorithm is compared with smoothing on a two million word corpus. The methods prove to be about equally accurate, with the hierarchical model using fewer computational resources.
The Orbit Bundle Picture of Cotangent BundleReduction

Cotangent bundle reduction theory is a basic and well developed subject in which one performs symplectic reduction on cotangent bundles. One starts with a (free and proper) action of a Lie group G on a configuration manifold Q, considers its natural cotangent lift to T*Q and then one seeks realizations of the corresponding symplectic or Poisson reduced space. We further develop this theory by explicitly identifying the symplectic leaves of the Poisson manifold T^*Q/G, decomposed as a Whitney sum bundle, T^*⊕(Q/G)g^* over Q/G. The splitting arises naturally from a choice of connection on the G-principal bundle Q → Q/G. The symplectic leaves are computed and a formula for the reduced symplectic form is found.
In what we trust? A multi-level study into trust in parliament as an evaluation of state characteristics:

A basic level of trust in the political system is considered to be the cornerstone of modern-day democracy. Consequently, scholars and politicians have been concerned with low or declining levels of trust in political institutions. This article focuses on trust in parliament. Many theories have been offered to explain cross-national differences or longitudinal changes in trust, but they have not been subject to systematic empirical tests. This article aims to fill that theoretical and empirical gap. I conceptualize trust in parliament as citizens’ rather rational evaluations of the state—citizen relationship along four dimensions: competence, intrinsic care, accountability, and reliability. Next, I relate state characteristics to each of these four aspects, and hypothesize how they might affect political trust. These hypotheses are tested simultaneously by multi-level analysis on stapled data from the European Social Survey 2002—06. The tests show that three factors explain very well the cross-national di.
The Relationship between Teacher Immediacy Behaviors and Learners' Perceptions of Social Presence and Satisfaction in Open and Distance Education: The Case of Anadolu University Open Education Faculty.

A significant number of studies in the literature stress the important role of teacher immediacy behaviors on learners’ perceptions of social presence and satisfaction in open and distance learning environments. Yet, those studies were conducted in different open and distance education institutions than the current example of which unique characteristics and applications are commonly recognized in the field. Unlike others, the current study examined the effects of both verbal and nonverbal instructor immediacy behaviors on learners’ perceptions of social presence and satisfaction in face-to-face academic tutoring services provided in open and distance learning environments. Results indicated a moderate and positive relationship between the control variable and outcome variables
Comparison of Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy with Fluorine‐18 2‐Fluoro‐Deoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography for Assessment of Brain Tumor Progression

We investigated the accuracy of high‐field proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) and fluorine‐18 2‐fluoro‐deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F‐FDG‐PET) for diagnosis of glioma progression following tumor resection, stereotactic radiation, and chemotherapy.
Environmental Education and Environmental Advocacy: Revisited

Abstract Environmental education and environmental advocacy have a contentious relationship. In this article, the author argues that there will always be uncertainty about educationally appropriate responses to controversial issues. Although uncertainty is inherent in this task, the choices are not dichotomous. The author also argues that education suggests a fluidity of meaning that shifts across a range of contexts, and what needs to be done will be found on a case-by-case and context-by-context basis in a mediated and negotiated third space. Some tentative guide-posts are offered.
Extracting DNA from museum bird eggs, and whole genome amplification of archive DNA

We present a comprehensive protocol for extracting DNA from egg membranes and other internal debris recovered from the interior of blown museum bird eggs. A variety of commercially available DNA extraction methods were found to be applicable. DNA sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products for a 176‐bp fragment of mitochondrial DNA was successful for most egg samples (> 78%) even though the amount of DNA extracted (mean = 14.71 ± 4.55 ng/µL) was significantly less than that obtained for bird skin samples (mean = 67.88 ± 4.77 ng/µL). For PCR and sequencing of snipe (Gallinago) DNA, we provide eight new primers for the ‘DNA barcode’ region of COI mtDNA. In various combinations, the primers target a range of PCR products sized from 72 bp to the full ‘barcode’ of 751 bp. Not all possible combinations were tested with archive snipe DNA, but we found a significantly better success rate of PCR amplification for a shorter 176‐bp target compared with a larger 288‐bp fragment (67% vs. 39%). Finally, we explored the feasibility of whole genome amplification (WGA) for extending the use of archive DNA in PCR and sequencing applications. Of two WGA approaches, a PCR‐based method was found to be able to amplify whole genomic DNA from archive skins and eggs from museum bird collections. After WGA, significantly more archive egg samples produced visible PCR products on agarose (56.9% before WGA vs. 79.0% after WGA). However, overall sequencing success did not improve significantly (78.8% compared with 83.0%).
The validity and reliability of a performance assessment procedure in ice hockey

Background: Coaches and physical educators must obtain valid data relating to the contribution of each of their players in order to assess their level of performance in team sport competition. This information must also be collected and used in real game situations to be more valid. Developed initially for a physical education class context, the Team Sport Assessment Procedure (TSAP) is precisely an assessment procedure developed to measure the individual performance of each player in a game situation. The procedure has shown appropriate levels of validity for performance measurement in team sports (soccer, handball, volley-ball) taught in physical education classes. However, this procedure was never adapted for ice hockey and all of its specific characteristics. Purpose: Ice hockey has specific characteristics of play which were not considered in the original TSAP model. In order to establish the quality of the procedure in this new context, it was necessary to verify its psychometrical qualities. The purpose of the study was to establish the validity and reliability of the Team Sport Assessment Procedure (TSAP) in the context of ice hockey. Participants and setting: Nineteen young hockey players, between 14 and 17 years of age, participated in this study. These subjects played in different elite teams (CC to AA levels) in the Quebec City area in Canada. All subjects took part in three afternoon training practices per week in the context of a Sports-Studies school programme. Research design: Two correlational studies were used to determine the validity and the inter-rater reliability of the measuring instrument. Data collection: Data were collected using a peer observation strategy, similar to the one used by Gréhaigne et al. in their original study. The performance of each player was assessed during three simulated games of two minutes. Two student-observers were assigned for each player during the game. Data analysis: Validity analysis was conducted using the Spearman rank correlation between the average ranks assigned by expert observers to the players performance and scores calculated from student-observers' collected data using the TSAP. Reliability was established using percentage of agreement between student-observers for the same player observed. Findings: A correlation coefficient of − 0.77 was obtained between the average ranks assigned by expert observers to players' performance and scores calculated from student-observers' collected data using the TSAP. In addition, peer observation during a simulated game showed that young players can effectively use the TSAP in an objective manner. A mean percentage of agreement of 81.4% was calculated between student-observers. Conclusions: The results from these different analyses showed that TSAP is a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of ice hockey performance. Conclusions drawn from the study are similar to those obtained by Gréhaigne et al. for the original procedure.
Disorders of iron metabolism. Part II: iron deficiency and iron overload

Main disorders of iron metabolism Increased iron requirements, limited external supply, and increased blood loss may lead to iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anaemia. In chronic inflammation, the excess of hepcidin decreases iron absorption and prevents iron recycling, resulting in hypoferraemia and iron restricted erythropoiesis, despite normal iron stores (functional iron deficiency), and finally anaemia of chronic disease (ACD), which can evolve to ACD plus true ID (ACD+ID). In contrast, low hepcidin expression may lead to hereditary haemochromatosis (HH type I, mutations of the HFE gene) and type II (mutations of the hemojuvelin and hepcidin genes). Mutations of transferrin receptor 2 lead to HH type III, whereas those of the ferroportin gene lead to HH type IV. All these syndromes are characterised by iron overload. As transferrin becomes saturated in iron overload states, non-transferrin bound iron appears. Part of this iron is highly reactive (labile plasma iron), inducing free radical formation. Free radicals are responsible for the parenchymal cell injury associated with iron overload syndromes. Role of laboratory testing in diagnosis In iron deficiency status, laboratory tests may provide evidence of iron depletion in the body or reflect iron deficient red cell production. Increased transferrin saturation and/or ferritin levels are the main cues for further investigation of iron overload. The appropriate combination of different laboratory tests with an integrated algorithm will help to establish a correct diagnosis of iron overload, iron deficiency and anaemia. Review of treatment options Indications, advantages and side effects of the different options for treating iron overload (phlebotomy and iron chelators) and iron deficiency (oral or intravenous iron formulations) will be discussed.