Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Path Analysis on the Biopsychosocial Determinants of Quality of Life among Children with Cerebral Palsy

Background: Cerebral palsy (CP) is group of disorders characterized by long-term disabilities that affect the quality of life (QoL) of both patients and those caring for them. This study aimed to examine biopsychosocial determinants of quality of life among children with cerebral palsy, using path analysis model. Subjects and Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Fondation for the Care of Disable Children (YPAC) and Pediatric Neurodevelopmental Therapy Center, Surakarta, Central Java, from April to May 2018. A sample of 110 children with cerebral palsy was selected for this study by simple random sampling. The dependent variable was quality of life. The independent variables were gross motoric skill, parental stress, family support, and social support. Data on quality of life was measured by Cerebral Palsy Quality of Life (CP-QOL) questionnaire. The other data were collected by questionnaire and analyzed by path analysis. Results: Quality of life of children with cerebral palsy increased with better gross motor (b= 2.79; 95% CI= 1.54 to 4.03; p<0.001), strong family support (b=1.25; 95% CI= 0.26 to 2.24; p= 0.013), and strong social support (b= 0.99; 95% CI= 0.014 to 1.97; p= 0.047). Quality of life of children with cerebral palsy indirectly decreased with high parental stress (b= -1.55; 95% CI= -2.38 to -0.72; p<0.001). Conclusion: Quality of life of children with cerebral palsy increases with better gross motor, strong family support, and strong social support, but indirectly decreases with high parental stress.
The Labor Market Returns to a Community College Education for Noncompleting Students

ABSTRACT In this study, I used data from California to estimate the returns to a community college education that does not result in a postsecondary credential. I found strong, positive returns to completed credits in career and technical education (CTE) fields that are closely linked to employment sectors that are not credential-intensive (sectors in which employment often does not require a college degree), such as public safety, skilled blue-collar trade and technical work, and accounting and bookkeeping, among others. In these sectors, students were able to convert the human capital acquired in their coursework into returns that far exceeded the cost of the coursework itself, making some noncompleting educational pathways a rational means of securing earnings gains. This finding is consistent with emerging research on skills-builder students and other segments of the community college student population who exhibit coherent patterns of course taking and enrollment that typically do not result in a postsecondary credential. Further investigations of high-return noncompleting pathways are warranted and could help colleges to target efforts to grow postsecondary completion opportunities for students through short-term certificates programs, while also aiding efforts to communicate to stakeholders the successes that cannot be measured by counting credentials or transfers.
Evaluation on efficacy and safety of tyrosine kinase inhibitors plus radiotherapy in NSCLC patients with brain metastases

Objective The study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) plus radiotherapy in patients with brain metastases (BM) of non-small cell lung cancer. Methods Medline PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Oxford Journals Collection, clinical trials and current controlled trials were searched to identify relevant publications. After screening literature and undertaking quality assessment and data extraction, the meta-analysis was performed using RevMan5.3 software. Results Eight controlled trials (980 participants) were included in the study. Compared with radiotherapy without TKIs (non-TKI-group), TKIs plus radiotherapy (TKI-group) had a significant benefit on objective response rate (ORR) (RR = 1.56, 95%CI [1.25,2.03]; P =0.0008), significantly prolonged the time to central nerves system progression (CNS-TTP) (HR =0.58, 95% CI [0.35, 0.96]; P =0.03) and median overall survival (MOS) (HR =0.68, 95% CI [0.47, 0.98]; P =0.04) of NSCLC patients with BM. There was no significant difference in overall severe adverse events (Grade≥3) (RR = 1.49, 95% CI [0.88,2.54]; P = 0.14) between two groups. Conclusion This meta-analysis showed TKI-group produced superior response rate when compared with non-TKI-group. TKIs plus radiotherapy significantly prolong the CNS-TTP and MOS of patients without enhancing overall severe adverse events.
Thermolimit respirometry: an objective assessment of critical thermal maxima in two sympatric desert harvester ants, Pogonomyrmex rugosus and P. californicus

SUMMARY The critical thermal maxima (CTmax) of two sympatric, diurnal, thermophilic harvester ants from the Mojave Desert, USA (Pogonomyrmex rugosus and P. californicus) were measured by ramping their temperature upwards at a rate of 0.25°C min-1 during flow-through respirometry with optical activity detection. Rates of CO2 emission (V̇CO2) increased exponentially to plateau values that were twice as high in P. californicus as P. rugosus on a mass-specific basis. V̇CO2 then fell sharply, during which gross motor activity (measured optically) and spiracular control (measured from V̇CO2 variation) abruptly ceased, yielding two independent measures of CTmax. As determined by loss of muscular coordination, the CTmax of Pogonomyrmex rugosus was 51.57±0.38°C (mean ± s.d., while that of Pogonomyrmex californicus was 51.74±0.25°C. As determined by loss of spiracular control, the CTmax of Pogonomyrmex rugosus was 51.59±0.35°C, while that of Pogonomyrmex californicus was 51.78±0.37°C. In each species a pronounced post-mortal peak of V̇CO2 was observed. The major ecological and behavioral differences of the two species are not reflected in their CTmax values, which do not differ significantly. `Thermolimit respirometry' allows CTmax to be estimated objectively with coefficients of variation (s.d./mean) <1%, lending confidence to comparisons between species or treatment groups.
Protein Kinase D1 (PKD1) Phosphorylation Promotes Dopaminergic Neuronal Survival during 6-OHDA-Induced Oxidative Stress

Oxidative stress is a major pathophysiological mediator of degenerative processes in many neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s disease (PD). Aberrant cell signaling governed by protein phosphorylation has been linked to oxidative damage of dopaminergic neurons in PD. Although several studies have associated activation of certain protein kinases with apoptotic cell death in PD, very little is known about protein kinase regulation of cell survival and protection against oxidative damage and degeneration in dopaminergic neurons. Here, we characterized the PKD1-mediated protective pathway against oxidative damage in cell culture models of PD. Dopaminergic neurotoxicant 6-hydroxy dopamine (6-OHDA) was used to induce oxidative stress in the N27 dopaminergic cell model and in primary mesencephalic neurons. Our results indicated that 6-OHDA induced the PKD1 activation loop (PKD1S744/S748) phosphorylation during early stages of oxidative stress and that PKD1 activation preceded cell death. We also found that 6-OHDA rapidly increased phosphorylation of the C-terminal S916 in PKD1, which is required for PKD1 activation loop (PKD1S744/748) phosphorylation. Interestingly, negative modulation of PKD1 activation by RNAi knockdown or by the pharmacological inhibition of PKD1 by kbNB-14270 augmented 6-OHDA-induced apoptosis, while positive modulation of PKD1 by the overexpression of full length PKD1 (PKD1WT) or constitutively active PKD1 (PKD1S744E/S748E) attenuated 6-OHDA-induced apoptosis, suggesting an anti-apoptotic role for PKD1 during oxidative neuronal injury. Collectively, our results demonstrate that PKD1 signaling plays a cell survival role during early stages of oxidative stress in dopaminergic neurons and therefore, positive modulation of the PKD1-mediated signal transduction pathway can provide a novel neuroprotective strategy against PD.
Scattering of a baseball by a bat

A ball can be hit faster if it is projected without spin, but it can be hit farther if it is projected with backspin. Measurements of the tradeoff between the speed and spin for a baseball impacting a baseball bat are presented. The results are inconsistent with a collision model in which the ball rolls off the bat and instead imply tangential compliance in the ball, the bat, or both. If the results are extrapolated to the higher speeds that are typical of the game of baseball, they suggest that a curveball can be hit with greater backspin than a fastball, but by an amount that is less than would be the case in the absence of tangential compliance.
The current health of the signing Deaf community in the UK compared with the general population: a cross-sectional study

Objectives To assess the current health of the Deaf community in the UK and compare with the general population. Design A quota sample of adult Deaf British Sign Language (BSL) users underwent a health assessment and interview in 2012–2013. Comparative data were obtained from the Health Survey for England (HSE) 2011 and the Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF) 2012. Setting Participants completed a structured interview and health assessment at seven Bupa centres across the UK, supported in BSL by Deaf advisers and interpreters. Participants 298 Deaf people, 20–82 years old, 47% male, with 12% from ethnic minorities. Main outcome measures Self–reported health conditions, medication usage, tobacco and alcohol consumption; measured blood pressure (BP), body mass index, fasting blood sugar and lipid profile. Results Rates of obesity in the Deaf sample were high, especially in those over 65 years, and 48% were in a high risk group for serious illness. High BP readings were obtained in 37% of Deaf people (21% in HSE): 29% were unaware of this (6% in HSE). Only 42% of Deaf people being treated for hypertension had adequate control, compared with 62% of the general population. Deaf people with self-reported cardiovascular disease (CVD) were significantly less than the general population. One-third of Deaf participants had total cholesterol >5 mmol/L but although control rates were high compared with HSE, treatment rates for self-reported CVD were half the general population rate. Eleven per cent of Deaf participants had blood sugar at prediabetic or diabetic levels, and 77% of those at prediabetic levels were unaware of it. Deaf respondents self-reported more depression (31% of women, 14% of men), but less smoking (8%) and alcohol intake (2–8 units/week). Conclusions Deaf people's health is poorer than that of the general population, with probable underdiagnosis and undertreatment of chronic conditions putting them at risk of preventable ill health.
Biogeography of Triatoma sanguisuga (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) on Two Barrier Islands off the Coast of Georgia, United States

ABSTRACT Thirty-three Triatoma sanguisuga (LeConte) adults and nymphs were collected during June and July 2009, at five sites on Cumberland Island and two sites on Sapelo Island, Georgia, to assess genetic diversity within and between sites. All but three specimens were found in a peridomestic habitat. The entire length (699 bp) of the cytochrome oxidase II mitochondrial gene was sequenced for each specimen. Twelve haplotypes were identified, nine from Cumberland Island and three from Sapelo Island. No haplotypes were shared between the two islands, indicating there is limited or no movement of gene flow between the islands. Phylogenetic relationships among the haplotypes were determined using both neighbor-joining and maximum parsimony analyses. The phylogenetic trees from both analyses were similar, with no distinct clades on either tree devoted to haplotypes from a single island. A haplotype network structure was determined using nested clade analysis, which produced two haplotype networks, one containing only specimens found on Cumberland Island. The second network included specimens from both islands, with the ancestral haplotype from Sapelo Island. This pilot study is the first to highlight triatomine populations in the southeastern United States using the cytochrome oxidase II mitochondrial gene, and indicates strong population structuring along the Georgia Coast.
QSCORES: Trading dark silicon for scalable energy efficiency with quasi-specific cores

Transistor density continues to increase exponentially, but power dissipation per transistor is improving only slightly with each generation of Moore's law. Given the constant chip-level power budgets, this exponentially decreases the percentage of transistors that can switch at full frequency with each technology generation. Hence, while the transistor budget continues to increase exponentially, the power budget has become the dominant limiting factor in processor design. In this regime, utilizing transistors to design specialized cores that optimize energy-per-computation becomes an effective approach to improve system performance.
The Role of Political Parties at the Local Government Level A Reflection on South Africa at the time of the Policy Process of Review on Decentralisation

The ongoing review of decentralisation in South Africa will defi nitely affect political parties’ legitimisation mechanisms at the local level. For this reason, one may expect the same actors, together with civil society organisations (CSOs), to be actively involved in the policy process of review. Their apparent low involvement in this process is taken as this policy brief’s starting point, which is aimed at focusing on the role of political parties in local governments.1 The article also uses references in the case of Ghana to highlight the main challenges for local governments in South Africa, and suggests critical perspectives for further studies.
The Prevalence of High-Risk HPV Types and Factors Determining Infection in Female Colombian Adolescents

This study reports six HR-HPV types’ infection prevalence discriminated by species and multiple infection in unvaccinated Colombian female adolescents, as well as some factors modulating the risk of infection. HPV DNA for six high-risk viral types was identified in cervical samples taken from 2,134 12–19 year-old females using conventional generic and type-specific PCR. Binomial logistical regression analysis was used for modelling HR-HPV infection and multiple infection risk. The interaction between variables in a stepwise model was also included in such analysis. Viral DNA was detected in 48.97% of the females; 28.52% of them had multiple infections, HPV-16 being the most frequently occurring type (37.44%). Cytological abnormality prevalence was 15.61%. Being over 16 years-old (1.66: 1.01–2.71 95%CI), white ethnicity (4.40: 1.16–16.73 95%CI), having had 3 or more sexual partners (1.77: 1.11–2.81 95%CI) and prior sexually-transmitted infections (STI) (1.65: 1.17–2.32 95%CI) were associated with a greater risk of HPV infection. Having given birth was related to a higher risk of infection by A7 species and antecedent of abortion to less risk of coinfection. Where the females in this study came from also influenced the risk of infection by A7 species as female adolescents from the Andean region had a lower risk of infection (0.42: 0.18–0.99 95%CI). The presence of factors related to risky sexual behaviour in the study population indicated that public health services should pay special attention to female adolescents to modify the risk of infection by high-risk HPV types and decrease their impact on this age group.
Analysis, Simulation and Testing of a Micromirror with Rotational Serpentine Springs

In this paper, a 2-DOF model for electrostatically actuated torsional micromirrors with relatively soft stiff rotational serpentine springs is presented. The analytical stiffness formulae for this rotational serpentine spring are also presented. FEA simulations for static performance have been verified by the experimental values. Such validation was implemented through fabrication of the micromirror on a SOI wafer by MicraGEM micromachining process, PSD sensor based test set-up for static properties, and the corresponding tests. Due to the soft stiffness of rotational serpentine springs designed, the fabricated torsional micromirror could be rotated to some angle under low applied bias. The simulated pull-in voltage 17.2 V is close to the actual value but much smaller than those of previously reported large size torsional micromirrors. The deviation of the simulated static displacements from experimental results could be mainly due to the tolerance of fabrication, the slender beam and linear structural assumptions. However, with relatively lower applied voltages of actuation, these torsional micromirrors that use the rotational serpentine springs can be integrated on the same microchip with CMOS circuits, showing their promising potential for industrial applications
Conjunctival proinflammatory and proapoptotic effects of latanoprost and preserved and unpreserved timolol: an ex vivo and in vitro study.

PURPOSE To compare the toxicity of latanoprost and preserved and unpreserved timolol on conjunctival cells. Expression of inflammatory markers and MUC5AC-related mucin production were evaluated by impression cytology in a case-control ex vivo study. The proapoptotic effect of the same drugs was also evaluated in vitro in a conjunctival cell line and compared with that of benzalkonium chloride (BAC). METHODS Impression cytology (IC) specimens were obtained from a series of normal subjects and from patients with glaucoma treated for at least 1 year with latanoprost eye drops or preserved or unpreserved timolol. All groups were comparable in age and duration of treatment. Expression of HLA-DR, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, and mucin was evaluated in a masked manner by flow cytometry. For the in vitro study, a human conjunctiva-derived cell line was treated with 0.02% BAC-containing latanoprost or timolol, unpreserved timolol, or 0.02% BAC alone for 15 minutes, followed or not by 4 or 24 hours of cell recovery in normal medium. Cell viability and chromatin condensation were evaluated using microplate cold light cytofluorometry with the neutral red and the Hoechst 33342 tests, respectively. The Hoechst-neutral red ratio was defined for the apoptosis assay, and cytoskeleton changes were assessed by confocal microscopy. RESULTS No difference was found between normal eyes and those receiving unpreserved timolol. Preserved latanoprost and timolol significantly increased the inflammatory marker expression and decreased MUC5AC expression, but to a significantly higher extent in the preserved timolol group compared with latanoprost. In vitro, 0.02% BAC-containing timolol and latanoprost triggered conjunctival cell apoptosis-however, to a significantly lesser extent than did 0.02% BAC alone. Unpreserved timolol did not cause any cell toxicity. CONCLUSIONS These ex vivo and in vitro studies demonstrate that BAC-containing latanoprost and timolol exhibit higher proinflammatory and proapoptotic effects on conjunctival cells than does unpreserved timolol. Latanoprost caused less toxicity, however, than preserved timolol, and both drugs were less toxic than BAC alone. These results suggest a potential protective effect of the prostaglandin analogue and to a lesser extent of timolol against the toxicity of BAC in conjunctival cells.
Cost of epilepsy in Hong Kong: experience from a regional hospital

To study the economic implications of epilepsy in Hong Kong, a cost-of-illness study was performed on a retrospective cohort of medically treated patients from a regional hospital. A societal perspective was examined. Utilization data from 1992 to 1996 were reviewed to obtain the direct costs. Lost productivity was used as a proxy for estimating the indirect costs. Future cost projected over 10 years was derived by incorporating model parameters. Of 745 records reviewed, total direct costs added up to USD 0.98 million and indirect costs to USD 1.32 million. Regarding the overall direct costs, hospitalization was the most consumptive item among patients with a shorter history of epilepsy and those with suboptimal seizure control. The mean total cost per patient increased steadily from 1992 to 1996 except for those with long-standing remission, and was highest in patients with medically refractory epilepsy in terms of both the actual value and rate of increment. Parameters with the most leverage on future cost would be unemployment rate and annual discount rate. The overall economy of the society would exert a major effect on the future cost of epilepsy, in particular, for patients with poorly controlled disease.
Depletion of Regulatory T Cells Induces High Numbers of Dendritic Cells and Unmasks a Subset of Anti-Tumour CD8+CD11c+ PD-1lo Effector T Cells

Natural regulatory T (Treg) cells interfere with multiple functions, which are crucial for the development of strong anti-tumour responses. In a model of 4T1 mammary carcinoma, depletion of CD25+Tregs results in tumour regression in Balb/c mice, but the mechanisms underlying this process are not fully understood. Here, we show that partial Treg depletion leads to the generation of a particular effector CD8 T cell subset expressing CD11c and low level of PD-1 in tumour draining lymph nodes. These cells have the capacity to migrate into the tumour, to kill DCs, and to locally regulate the anti-tumour response. These events are concordant with a substantial increase in CD11b+ resident dendritic cells (DCs) subsets in draining lymph nodes followed by CD8+ DCs. These results indicate that Treg depletion leads to tumour regression by unmasking an increase of DC subsets as a part of a program that optimizes the microenvironment by orchestrating the activation, amplification, and migration of high numbers of fully differentiated CD8+CD11c+PD1lo effector T cells to the tumour sites. They also indicate that a critical pattern of DC subsets correlates with the evolution of the anti-tumour response and provide a template for Treg depletion and DC-based therapy.
An integrated modelling framework of catchment‐scale ecohydrological processes: 1. Model description and tests over an energy‐limited watershed

The interactions between atmospheric, hydrological, and ecological processes at various spatial and temporal scales are not fully represented in most ecohydrological models. This first of a two‐part paper documents a fully integrated catchment‐scale ecohydrological model consisting of a three‐dimensional physically based hydrological model and a land surface model. This first part also presents a first application to test the model over an energy‐limited catchment (8.4 km2) of the Sleepers River watershed in Vermont.