Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quality of Life of Intermittent Urinary Catheterization Users and Their Caregivers: A Scoping Review

Aims: This study aimed to examine and map the scientific evidences regarding quality of life in neurogenic bladder patients and consequently their caregivers by means of a scoping review. Design: This is a scoping review proposal of the Joanna Briggs Institute. Methods: It was conducted to examine and map the scientific evidences about quality of life (QoL) in neurogenic bladder patients and their caregivers, to identify the meanings attributed to QoL and its relation with intermittent urinary catheterization. The following guiding question was: “What scientific evidence has been produced on the QoL of neurogenic bladder patients using intermittent urinary catheterization and their caregivers? ” A total of 2945 research studies were identified using The Cochrane Library, CINAHL, LILACS, Academic Search Premier (via EBSCO platform), PubMed, SCOPUS, the platforms Web of Science, the b‐on and Gray Literature. The keywords established were patient, intermittent urinary catheterization, neurogenic urinary bladder, quality of life and caregiver. Results: From 2,945 studies, 13 studies were selected. Most of the selected studies that analyzed variables related to the patients’ QoL were regarding the urinary catheterization technique, assessment of urinary incontinence, individual perceptions of the procedure and experiences with urinary catheter in childhood and adult life. The meanings attributed to QoL, when compared to adult and child individuals with normal bladder functioning, presented lower QoL scores. Concerning caregivers, the QoL of caregivers of children using intermittent urinary catheterization demonstrated low scores. Linking Evidence to Action: The QoL of patient's who use intermittent urinary catheterization can be determined by improvement of urinary symptoms and self‐confidence. Research related to QoL of patients who use urinary catheter indicates the importance of adequate professional support and appropriate health public policies.
Rhinovirus species and their clinical presentation among different risk groups of non‐hospitalized patients

Infections caused by Human Rhinoviruses (HRVs) account for 25–50% of respiratory illnesses among individuals presenting influenza‐like illness (ILI). HRVs could be classified in at least three species: HRV‐A, HRV‐B, and HRV‐C. The HRV‐C species has frequently been described among children and has led to severe illness resulting in hospitalization; however, the occurrence among adults is unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the clinical presentation and species distribution of HRV infections in different populations during 2001–2008. A total of 770 samples were collected. Subjects consisted of 136 adults from the general community and 207 health‐care workers (2001–2003), 232 renal‐transplanted outpatients (2002–2004), 70 children with congenital heart disease (2005) and 125 children from a day‐care center (2008). Amplification of HRV genes was performed by reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) and followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. HRV was detected in 27.4% of samples (211/770), with 72 children (36.9%) and 139 adults infected (24.2%). A total of 89.61% (138/154) unknown HRV strains were sequenced, and 79.22% (122/138) were analyzed. We identified 74 isolates (60.7%) of the HRV A species, 21 (17.2%) of the HRV B species and 27 isolates (22.1%) of the HRV C species. HRV species A and B caused ILI among adult patients, whereas HRV‐C did not. The dynamics of infection among different species deserve further analysis. J. Med. Virol. 82:2110–2115, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Specific in vivo cleavage of D-serine deaminase and properties of tetrameric polypeptide aggregates of the fragments

The primary D-serine deaminase (D-serine dehydratase, EC 4.2.1.14) of Escherichia coli K-12 is unstable within the cell. The protein, a single polypeptide chain, is cleaved at a lysine residue by a cellular proteolytic activity. Fragments containing the active site then aggregate into tetramers, which retain substrate affinity and show very low catalytic activity. Such degradations may represent an evolutionary mechanism for the generation of new enzymes.
Object name Learning Provides On-the-Job Training for Attention

By the age of 3, children easily learn to name new objects, extending new names for unfamiliar objects by similarity in shape. Two experiments tested the proposal that experience in learning object names tunes children's attention to the properties relevant for naming—in the present case, to the property of shape—and thus facilitates the learning of more object names. In Experiment 1, a 9-week longitudinal study, 17-month-old children who repeatedly played with and heard names for members of unfamiliar object categories well organized by shape formed the generalization that only objects with similar shapes have the same name. Trained children also showed a dramatic increase in acquisition of new object names outside of the laboratory during the course of the study. Experiment 2 replicated these findings and showed that they depended on children's learning both a coherent category structure and object names. Thus, children who learn specific names for specific things in categories with a common organizing property—in this case, shape—also learn to attend to just the right property—in this case, shape—for learning more object names.
Soil Penetration Resistance and Its Dependence on Soil Moisture and Age of the Raised-Beds in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

Soil degradation is a complex process which may occur anywhere and at any time. It directly affects the physical, chemical and biological processes within the soil profile. Soil degradation can either be as a result of natural hazards or due to manmade actions, such as mismanagement on cropping patterns, soil preparation and cultivation practices. Regardless of how it is caused, soil degradation has strong negative effects on plant and soil productivity. Soil degradation can accelerate a series of processes such as erosion, compaction, loss of organic matter, loss of whole soil biota, surface sealing and contamination. This thesis presents the assessment of soil properties to improve our understanding of soil degradation on raised-bed orchards in the Vietnamese Mekong delta (MD). Measurements were made on 10 citrus plantations which had been established during a range of years from 1970 to 1998 at Hau Giang province. Soil sampling was made in the dry season of 2010 at two soil depths for each raised-bed to determine soil chemical and physical properties. The soil penetration resistance (PR) was periodically measured once a week together with soil sampling for moisture measurements during a period of 5 months. Analysis indicated the pH value of the soil was tending to decrease, nutrient imbalance and deficiency was developing, and the soil structure was deteriorating during the age since the raised-beds were originally constructed. Preventive and restorative measures need to be considered for restoring and retaining the quality of the soil and the ground water. These measures should consist of (1) neutralizing of excess acidity, (2) balancing of nutrients, (3) maintaining of soil organic matter, and (4) application of appropriate irrigation schedules.
Exogenous Hsp70 delays senescence and improves cognitive function in aging mice

Significance The compromised ability of neurons to express Heat Shock Protein 70 (Hsp70) correlates with aging-related neurodegeneration. In this study, middle-aged and old mice were treated chronically until death with human Hsp70 delivered intranasally and were investigated after 5 or 9 mo of Hsp70 treatment for their cognitive ability and synaptic density. Hsp70 treatment extended mean and maximum lifespan, improved learning and memory in old animals, increased curiosity, decreased anxiety, and helped maintain synaptic structures that degrade with age. These results provide evidence that intranasal administration of Hsp70 could have significant therapeutic potential in preserving brain tissue and memory for middle-age and old individuals and could be applied either as unique self-contained treatment or in combination with other pharmacological therapies. Molecular chaperone Heat Shock Protein 70 (Hsp70) plays an important protective role in various neurodegenerative disorders often associated with aging, but its activity and availability in neuronal tissue decrease with age. Here we explored the effects of intranasal administration of exogenous recombinant human Hsp70 (eHsp70) on lifespan and neurological parameters in middle-aged and old mice. Long-term administration of eHsp70 significantly enhanced the lifespan of animals of different age groups. Behavioral assessment after 5 and 9 mo of chronic eHsp70 administration demonstrated improved learning and memory in old mice. Likewise, the investigation of locomotor and exploratory activities after eHsp70 treatment demonstrated a significant therapeutic effect of this chaperone. Measurements of synaptophysin show that eHsp70 treatment in old mice resulted in larger synaptophysin-immunopositive areas and higher neuron density compared with control animals. Furthermore, eHsp70 treatment decreased accumulation of lipofuscin, an aging-related marker, in the brain and enhanced proteasome activity. The potential of eHsp70 intranasal treatment to protect synaptic machinery in old animals offers a unique pharmacological approach for various neurodegenerative disorders associated with human aging.
Do we have free will

I have taken an experimental approach to this question. Freely voluntary acts are pre ceded by a specific electrical change in the brain (the ‘readiness potential’, RP) that begins 550 ms before the act. Human subjects became aware of intention to act 350–400 ms after RP starts, but 200 ms. before the motor act. The volitional process is therefore initiated unconsciously. But the conscious function could still control the outcome; it can veto the act. Free will is therefore not excluded. These findings put constraints on views of how free will may operate; it would not initiate a voluntary act but it could control performance of the act. The findings also affect views of guilt and responsibility. But the deeper question still remains: Are freely voluntary acts subject to macro deterministic laws or can they appear without such constraints, non-determined by natural laws and ‘truly free’? I shall present an experimentalist view about these fundamental philosophical opposites.
Helmet use and risk of head injuries in alpine skiers and snowboarders.

CONTEXT Although using a helmet is assumed to reduce the risk of head injuries in alpine sports, this effect is questioned. In contrast to bicycling or inline skating, there is no policy of mandatory helmet use for recreational alpine skiers and snowboarders. OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of wearing a helmet on the risk of head injury among skiers and snowboarders while correcting for other potential risk factors. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Case-control study at 8 major Norwegian alpine resorts during the 2002 winter season, involving 3277 injured skiers and snowboarders reported by the ski patrol and 2992 noninjured controls who were interviewed on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The controls comprised every 10th person entering the bottom main ski lift at each resort during peak hours. The number of participants interviewed corresponded with each resort's anticipated injury count based on earlier years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Injury type, helmet use, and other risk factors (age, sex, nationality, skill level, equipment used, ski school attendance, rented or own equipment) were recorded. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between individual risk factors (including helmet wear) and risk of head injury by comparing skiers with head injuries with uninjured controls, as well as to skiers with injuries other than head injuries. RESULTS Head injuries accounted for 578 injuries (17.6%). Using a helmet was associated with a 60% reduction in the risk for head injury (odds ratio [OR], 0.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.30-0.55; adjusted for other risk factors) when comparing skiers with head injuries with uninjured controls. The effect was slightly reduced (OR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.34-0.59) when skiers with other injuries were used as controls. For the 147 potentially severe head injuries, those who were referred to an emergency physician or for hospital treatment, the adjusted OR was 0.43 (95% CI, 0.25-0.77). The risk for head injury was higher among snowboarders than for alpine skiers (adjusted OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.22-1.91). CONCLUSION Wearing a helmet is associated with reduced risk of head injury among snowboarders and alpine skiers.
Quantum dot‐mediated delivery of siRNA to inhibit sphingomyelinase activities in brain‐derived cells

The use of RNAi to suppress protein synthesis offers a potential way of reducing the level of enzymes or the synthesis of mutant toxic proteins but there are few tools currently available for their delivery. To address this problem, bioconjugated quantum dots (QDs) containing a hydrophobic component (N‐palmitate) and a sequence VKIKK designed to traverse across cell membranes and visualize drug delivery were developed and tested on cell lines of brain origin. We used the Zn outer shell of the QD to bind HIS6 in JB577 (W•G•Dap(N‐Palmitoyl)•VKIKK•P9•G2•H6) and by a gel‐shift assay showed that siRNAs would bind to the positively charged KIKK sequence. By comparing many peptides and QD coatings, we showed that the QD‐JB577‐siRNA construct was taken up by cells of nervous system origin, distributed throughout the cytosol, and inhibited protein synthesis, implying that JB577 was also promoting endosome egress. By attaching siRNA for luciferase in a cell line over‐expressing luciferase, we showed 70% inhibition of mRNA after 24–48 h. To show more specific effects, we synthesized siRNA for neutral (NSMase2), acid (lysosomal ASMase) sphingomyelinase, and sphingosine kinase 1 (SK1), we demonstrated a dose‐dependent inhibition of activity. These data suggest that QDs are a useful siRNA delivery tool and QD‐siRNA could be a potential theranostic for a variety of diseases.
Are dopamine-related genotypes risk factors for excessive gestational weight gain?

Background Excessive gestational weight gain is associated with postpartum weight retention and downstream child obesity. Dopamine plays a critical role in the regulation of energy intake and body weight. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between excessive gestational weight gain and dopamine pathway-related polymorphisms, namely the variable nucleotide tandem repeat in the 3′untranslated region (UTR) region of the SLC6A3 (DAT-1) dopamine transporter gene and the 30-base pair variable nucleotide tandem repeat polymorphism of the 5′UTR of the monoamine oxidase-A (MAO-A) gene. Methods Ninety-three women of mean age 31.7 ± 4.2 years were recruited from the Ottawa and Kingston birth cohort and assessed at 12–20 weeks’ gestation. Mean body mass index was 22.7 ± 2.5 kg/m2. Excessive gestational weight gain was defined according to the 2009 Institute of Medicine guidelines based on body mass index. Genotype analyses were performed using polymerase chain reaction and agarose gel electrophoresis. Results There was no relationship between the prevalence or magnitude of excessive gestational weight gain among women with the 3′ UTR single nucleotide polymorphism of the DAT-1 gene. However, 70% (19 of 27) of women carrying the MAO-A 4/4 (high activity) allele exceeded recommendations for gestational weight gain compared with 48% (32 of 60) of those with the pooled 3/3, 3/4, and 3/3.5 (low activity) alleles (P < 0.05). Similarly, those with the MAO-A 4/4 allele had significantly greater gestational weight gain than those with the 3/3, 3/4, or 3/3.5 pooled genotypes (19.3 ± 4.1 versus 17.0 ± 5.0 kg, P = 0.03). Conclusion Carriers of the 4/4 variants of the MAO-A gene may be at increased risk for excessive gestational weight gain.
Nucleus Accumbens is Involved in Human Action Monitoring: Evidence from Invasive Electrophysiological Recordings

The Nucleus accumbens (Nacc) has been proposed to act as a limbic-motor interface. Here, using invasive intraoperative recordings in an awake patient suffering from obsessive-compulsive disease (OCD), we demonstrate that its activity is modulated by the quality of performance of the subject in a choice reaction time task designed to tap action monitoring processes. Action monitoring, that is, error detection and correction, is thought to be supported by a system involving the dopaminergic midbrain, the basal ganglia, and the medial prefrontal cortex. In surface electrophysiological recordings, action monitoring is indexed by an error-related negativity (ERN) appearing time-locked to the erroneous responses and emanating from the medial frontal cortex. In preoperative scalp recordings the patient's ERN was found to be significantly increased compared to a large (n = 83) normal sample, suggesting enhanced action monitoring processes. Intraoperatively, error-related modulations were obtained from the Nacc but not from a site 5 mm above. Importantly, cross-correlation analysis showed that error-related activity in the Nacc preceded surface activity by 40 ms. We propose that the Nacc is involved in action monitoring, possibly by using error signals from the dopaminergic midbrain to adjust the relative impact of limbic and prefrontal inputs on frontal control systems in order to optimize goal-directed behavior.
Adhesion properties of polyurethane pressure-sensitive adhesive

In this study, the adhesion properties of polyurethane (PUR) pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) were investigated. The PUR-PSA was prepared by the cross-linking reaction of a urethane polymer consisting of toluene-2,4-diisocyanate and poly(propylene glycol) components using polyisocyanate as a cross-linking agent. The peel strength increased with the cross-linking agent content and exhibited cohesive failure until the maximum value, after which it decreased with interfacial failure. The PUR-PSA exhibited frequency dependence of the storage modulus obtained from dynamic viscoelastic measurements, but did not show dependence of the tack on the rolling rate measured using a rolling cylinder tack test under the experimental conditions used, which is quite different from the acrylic block copolymer/tackifier system. The PUR-PSA showed strong contact time dependence of tack measured by a probe tack test. The tendency was significantly larger than for the acrylic block copolymer/tackifier system. Therefore, the storage modulus increased, whereas the interfacial adhesion seems to be decreased with increase in the rolling rate for this PUR-PSA system. It was estimated that the influence of rolling rate on the interfacial adhesion and the storage modulus was offset, and, as a result, the rolling cylinder tack did not exhibit rate dependency.
Children's sensitivity to their own relative ignorance: handling of possibilities under epistemic and physical uncertainty.

Children more frequently specified possibilities correctly when uncertainty resided in the physical world (physical uncertainty) than in their own perspective of ignorance (epistemic uncertainty). In Experiment 1 (N=61), 4- to 6-year-olds marked both doors from which a block might emerge when the outcome was undetermined, but a single door when they knew the block was hidden behind one door. In Experiments 2 (N=30; 5- to 6-year-olds) and 3 (N=80; 5- to 8-year-olds), children placed food in both possible locations when an imaginary pet was yet to occupy one, but in a single location when the pet was already hidden in one. The results have implications for interpretive theory of mind and "curse of knowledge. "
Paroxetine in human breast milk and nursing infants.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of infant medication exposure through breast-feeding during maternal treatment with paroxetine. METHOD Breast milk and paired maternal and infant sera were collected after 10 days of maternal treatment with paroxetine at a stable daily dose (10-50 mg/day). All samples were analyzed by means of high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection and a limit of detection of 2 ng/ml. RESULTS Breast milk paroxetine concentrations were highly variable (2-101 ng/ml) and were present in all breast milk samples (N=108). A significant gradient effect was observed, with greater paroxetine concentrations found in later portions of breast milk (hind milk) than in early portions (fore milk). No clear time course of paroxetine excretion into breast milk was demonstrated, although maternal paroxetine daily dose reliably predicted both trough and peak breast milk concentrations over a 24-hour period. In 16 mother and infant serum pairs, no detectable concentrations of paroxetine were found in the serum of the nursing infants. CONCLUSIONS This study extends previous data by demonstrating the presence of paroxetine in the breast milk of nursing women treated with this medication. The low concentrations of paroxetine in infant serum and lack of any observable adverse effects after maternal use of this medication while breast-feeding parallels the available data on other selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
Supplemental dietary arginine enhances wound healing in normal but not inducible nitric oxide synthase knockout mice.

BACKGROUND Although generation of nitric oxide (NO) from inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) has been shown to be required for cutaneous wound healing, no differences have been noted in incisional healing between iNOS knockout (iNOS-KO) and wild type (WT) mice. Because supplemental dietary arginine enhances cutaneous healing in normal rodents and is the sole substrate for NO synthesis, we studied whether arginine can enhance cutaneous wound healing in iNOS-KO mice. METHODS Twenty iNOS-KO and 20 WT mice, all on a C57BL/6 background, were divided into 4 groups of 10 animals each. Ten animals with each trait were randomized to receive either normal food and tap water or food and water each supplemented with 0.5% arginine (w/w). All animals underwent a 2.5-cm dorsal skin incision with implantation of four 20-mg polyvinyl alcohol sponges into subcutaneous pockets. On postoperative day 14 the animals were killed. The dorsal wound was harvested for breaking strength determination and the wound sponges were assayed for hydroxyproline content and total wound fluid nitrite/nitrate concentration. RESULTS Dietary arginine supplementation enhanced both wound breaking strength and collagen deposition in WT but not iNOS-KO mice. Wound fluid nitrite/nitrate levels were higher in WT than iNOS-KO animals but were not significantly influenced by additional arginine. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate that supplemental dietary arginine enhances wound healing in normal mice. The loss of a functional iNOS gene abrogates the beneficial effect of arginine in wound healing. This suggests that the metabolism of arginine via the NO pathway is one mechanism by which arginine enhances wound healing.