Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cross cultural differences in health related quality of life in adolescents with cystic fibrosis.

PURPOSE Quality of Life (QoL) is an important outcome measure in health care and pharmacological trials. The trend towards multinational clinical trials may be problematic because it is unclear as to whether, or to what extent, QoL-measures are comparable across cultures. This study compared QoL between English and German adolescents with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and their healthy peers. METHOD The study comprised a cross-sectional design. The English subjects formed two groups; 58 adolescents with CF and 49 healthy controls. The German subjects consisted of 26 adolescents with CF and 75 healthy controls. Quality of life was measured using the English and German versions of the SF-36. Demographic (age and gender) and clinical data (FEV1% predicted and BMI) were also recorded. RESULTS The English and German CF groups had similar age-adjusted lung function and body mass index. Both the English CF and control groups reported a poorer quality of life than their respective German counterparts across several domains of the SF-36. These were limitations in activities due to physical health problems and emotional difficulties, social functioning, energy and vitality and pain. CONCLUSIONS The differences in quality of life between English and German adolescents with CF appear to be either culturally determined or due to idiosyncrasies in the translations of the SF-36. rather than a consequence of their disease or its management.
Gender-specific pathways between maternal depressive symptoms, family discord, and adolescent adjustment.

Relations among maternal depressive symptoms, family discord, and adolescent psychological adjustment were examined in a sample of 443 middle adolescents and their mothers. Histories of maternal depressive symptoms, gathered at 3 occasions with 6-month intervals, were related to subsequent adolescent reports of depressive symptoms, conduct problems, and academic difficulties for girls but not for boys. Mediational tests indicated that girls' greater vulnerability to family discord (e.g., marital discord, low family intimacy, parenting impairments) accounted for the impact of maternal depressive symptoms on their social and emotional adjustment. Analyses suggest that family discord is a strong mediator in the development of girls' conduct disturbances and a modest mediator of girls' depressive symptoms. Results are discussed within a framework that integrates interpersonal models of parental depressive symptoms with the gender intensification hypothesis.
Town Centre Management: Outlook from Portugal

Abstract In the last two decades, the Portuguese Government has responded to the decline of centres of commerce. In this paper, we analyse the three different experiences of town centre management (TCM) schemes developed in Portugal since the turn of the millennium. The first two stages were developed using public sector initiatives and their impacts were limited. The third stage is still under way and is composed of private projects created by local business owners. Taking Lisbon as a case study for this third stage we conclude that these projects have become a pro-active means of intervention in Portuguese town centres.
Drogas alarmantes en la última década, ¿qué sabemos sobre ellas?

espanolLa drogadiccion se define como una enfermedad mental cronica en la que se presentan modificaciones del comportamiento en los consumidores como busqueda compulsiva de la sustancia y aparicion de un estado emocional negativo cuando esta no se encuentra presente. Actualmente es una gran problematica social y de salud en nuestro pais. Frente a las conocidas drogas historicas, en las ultimas decadas estan emergiendo nuevas sustancias, sintetizadas principalmente en laboratorios clandestinos, que buscan provocar un efecto similar o mucho mayor al de la droga original o a las mencionadas anteriormente como “historicas”. El objetivo de este trabajo se centra en avanzar en el conocimiento de estas nuevas drogas emergentes para conocer sus efectos y consecuencias tras el consumo con la finalidad de poder servir a nuevas futuras vias terapeuticas. Especialmente se han recogido trabajos publicados en los ultimos diez anos, con el objetivo de obtener resultados recientes en el area. Los datos apuntan a que la aparicion de relevantes drogas clandestinas (entre las que destacan Ketamina, GHB, droga canibal (metilendioxipirovalerona) o sales de bano y cannabinoides sinteticos) en los ultimos anos es un factor que se suma al grave problema de la drogadiccion en la sociedad y que mas estudios son necesarios ya que el conocimiento hasta la fecha sobre las mismas es escaso. EnglishDrug addiction is defined as a chronic mental illness in which behavioural changes occur as a compulsive search for the substance and appearance of a negative emotional state when it is not present. At present, it is a great social and health problem in this country. In contrast to the well-known historical drugs, new substances have been emerging over the last decades, mainly synthesized and made in clandestine laboratories, which seek to produce a similar or much greater effect than the original drug. The objective of this work is to further the knowledge of these new emerging drugs in order to learn their effects and consequences after consumption in order to be able to serve new therapeutic pathways. In this manuscript, we have been compiling work over the last ten years, with the aim of obtaining recent results in this area. The data suggests that the appearance of new clandestine drugs (among which Ketamine, GHB, cannibal drug and synthetic cannabinoids stand out) in recent years constitutes a factor that adds to the serious problem of drug addiction in society and that more studies are necessary since the knowledge to date on these is scarce
SPATIAL DEPENDENCE AND AGGREGATION IN WEATHER RISK HEDGING: A LÉVY SUBORDINATED HIERARCHICAL ARCHIMEDEAN COPULAS (LSHAC) APPROACH

Abstract Adverse weather-related risk is a main source of crop production loss and a big concern for agricultural insurers and reinsurers. In response, weather risk hedging may be valuable, however, due to basis risk it has been largely unsuccessful to date. This research proposes the Lévy subordinated hierarchical Archimedean copula model in modelling the spatial dependence of weather risk to reduce basis risk. The analysis shows that the Lévy subordinated hierarchical Archimedean copula model can improve the hedging performance through more accurate modelling of the dependence structure of weather risks and is more efficient in hedging extreme downside weather risk, compared to the benchmark copula models. Further, the results reveal that more effective hedging may be achieved as the spatial aggregation level increases. This research demonstrates that hedging weather risk is an important risk management method, and the approach outlined in this paper may be useful to insurers and reinsurers in the case of agriculture, as well as for other related risks in the property and casualty sector.
Influence of endogenous nitric oxide on sympathetic vasoconstriction in normoxia, acute and chronic systemic hypoxia in the rat

We studied the role of nitric oxide (NO) in blunting sympathetically evoked muscle vasoconstriction during acute and chronic systemic hypoxia. Experiments were performed on anaesthetized normoxic (N) and chronically hypoxic (CH) rats that had been acclimated to 12% O2 for 3–4 weeks. The lumbar sympathetic chain was stimulated for 1 min with bursts at 20 or 40 Hz and continuously at 2 Hz. In N rats, acute hypoxia (breathing 8% O2) reduced baseline femoral vascular resistance (FVR) and depressed increases in FVR evoked by all three patterns of stimulation, but infusion of the NO donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP), so as to similarly reduce baseline FVR, did not affect sympathetically evoked responses. Blockade of NO synthase (NOS) with l‐NAME increased baseline FVR and facilitated the sympathetically evoked increases in FVR, but when baseline FVR was restored by SNP infusion, these evoked responses were restored. Acute hypoxia after l‐NAME still reduced baseline FVR and depressed evoked responses. In CH rats breathing 12% O2, baseline FVR was lower than in N rats breathing air, but l‐NAME had qualitatively similar effects on baseline FVR and sympathetically evoked increases in FVR. SNP similarly restored baseline FVR and evoked responses. Inhibition of neuronal NOS or inducible NOS did not affect baselines, or evoked responses. We propose that in N and CH rats sympathetically evoked muscle vasoconstriction is modulated by tonically released NO, but not depressed by additional NO released on sympathetic activation. The present results suggest that hypoxia‐induced blunting of sympathetic vasoconstriction in skeletal muscle is not mediated by NO.
Characterization of the signal transduction pathways mediating noradrenaline‐stimulated MAPK activation and c‐fos expression in oligodendrocyte progenitors

In examining the signaling transduction pathway of adrenoceptors in oligodendrocyte progenitors, we have found that stimulation of α1‐adrenoceptors with norepinephrine (NE), in the presence of 3 μM propranolol, increased the activity of mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs). This stimulation was concentration‐ and time‐dependent, with maximal response after 10 min of exposure to 10 μM NE. Pertussis toxin (PTX) blocked NE‐mediated MAPK activation, suggesting that α1‐adrenoceptor activates MAPK through a PTX‐sensitive G‐protein. In the presence of U73122, an inhibitor of phospholipase C (PLC), MAPK activation was blocked. In oligodendrocyte progenitor cultures, chronic treatment with phorbol‐12‐myristate‐13‐acetate (PMA) down‐regulated protein kinase C (PKC) and blocked NE‐mediated MAPK activation. The response to NE was also significantly decreased by the PKC inhibitors H7 and bisindolylmaleimide GF109203X. Similarly, the effect of NE on MAPK activation was not observed in a calcium‐free medium. Furthermore, attenuation of MAPK activity was observed when cultures were pretreated with LY294002 and wortmannin, inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol‐3 kinase (PI3K). These results suggest that α1‐adrenoceptor‐mediated activation of MAPK involves a PTX‐sensitive G‐protein, PLC, PI3K, and 1,2‐diacyl glycerol (DAG)‐dependent PKC isozyme. Stimulation of oligodendrocyte progenitors with NE also resulted in an increase in c‐fos expression, which was mediated by both α1‐ and β‐adrenoceptor and was calcium‐, PKC‐, and protein kinase A (PKA)‐dependent. Interestingly, in the presence of PD 098059, a specific inhibitor of MAPK kinase (MEK), both MAPK activity and c‐fos expression were blocked. This suggests that MAPK is implicated in the transmission of the signal from α1‐adrenoceptor to c‐fos gene expression. J. Neurosci. Res. 58:765–778, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Functional neuroanatomy of the parahippocampal region: The lateral and medial entorhinal areas

The entorhinal cortex (EC) serves a pivotal role in corticohippocampal interactions, but a complete description of its extrinsic connections has not been presented. Here, we have summarized the cortical, subcortical, and hippocampal connections of the lateral entorhinal area (LEA) and the medial entorhinal area (MEA) in the rat. We found that the targets and relative strengths of the entorhinal connections are strikingly different for the LEA and MEA. For example, the LEA receives considerably heavier input from the piriform and insular cortices, whereas the MEA is more heavily targeted by the visual, posterior parietal, and retrosplenial cortices. Regarding subcortical connections, the LEA receives heavy input from the amygdala and olfactory structures, whereas the MEA is targeted by the dorsal thalamus, primarily the midline nuclei and also the dorsolateral and dorsoanterior thalamic nuclei. Differences in the LEA and MEA connections with hippocampal and parahippocampal structures are also described. In addition, because the EC is characterized by bands of intrinsic connectivity that span the LEA and MEA and project to different septotemporal levels of the dentate gyrus, special attention was paid to the efferents and afferents of those bands. Finally, we summarized the connections of the dorsocaudal MEA, the region in which the entorhinal “grid cells” were discovered. The subregional differences in entorhinal connectivity described here provide further evidence for functional diversity within the EC. It is hoped that these findings will inform future studies of the role of the EC in learning and memory. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Application of RHBD Techniques to SEU Hardening of Third-Generation SiGe HBT Logic Circuits

Shift registers featuring radiation-hardening-by-design (RHBD) techniques are realized in IBM 8HP SiGe BiCMOS technology. Both circuit and device-level RHBD techniques are employed to improve the overall SEU immunity of the shift registers. Circuit-level RHBD techniques include dual-interleaving and gated-feedback that achieve SEU mitigation through local latch-level redundancy and correction. In addition, register-level RHBD based on triple-module redundancy (TMR) versions of dual-interleaved and gated-feedback cell shift registers is also realized to gauge the performance improvement offered by TMR. At the device-level, RHBD C-B-E SiGe HBTs with single collector and base contacts and significantly smaller deep trench-enclosed area than standard C-B-E-B-C devices with dual collector and base contacts are used to reduce the upset sensitive area. The SEU performance of these shift registers was then tested using heavy ions and standard bit-error testing methods. The results obtained are compared to the unhardened standard shift register designed with CBEBC SiGe HBTs. The RHBD-enhanced shift registers perform significantly better than the unhardened circuit, with the TMR technique proving very effective in achieving significant SEU immunity
Concentration of carbon dioxide, interstitial pH and synaptic transmission in hippocampal formation of the rat.

1. Interstitial pH (pHo) was measured with ion‐selective microelectrodes in the fascia dentata of rats anaesthetized with urethane, while CO2 levels were controlled by varying pulmonary ventilation and CO2 content of inspired air. In the CA1 sector of hippocampal tissue slices in vitro pHo was similarly measured and altered by varying CO2 in the gas phase, or by adding HCl or NaOH to the artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF) of the bath, or by changing the concentration of HCO3‐. 2. Orthodromically evoked compound action potentials ('population spikes') were depressed in hypercapnia and increased in hypocapnia. In the fascia dentata of intact brains the population spike of the granule cells varied on average by more than 40% of control amplitude for each 0.1 change of pHo. In the CA1 zone of tissue slices in vitro, the change of population spike amplitude was approximately 30% per pH change of 0.1 caused by altered CO2 or HCO3‐ concentration, but only about 15% per pH change of 0.1 when HCl or NaOH were administered. 3. In anaesthetized rats the focal synaptic potential (FEPSP) evoked by a given stimulus intensity was weakly influenced by varying [CO2]; in tissue slices weak effects on FEPSP were inconsistent. In hippocampus both in situ and in vitro the population spike triggered by a given magnitude of FEPSP increased in hypocapnia and decreased in hypercapnia. This suggests that the main effect of CO2 is on the electric excitability of postsynaptic cells, with minor or no effect on transmitter release and on the interaction of the transmitter with its receptors. 4. Hypercapnia of anaesthetized rats was usually associated with a slight increase of [K+]o in the fascia dentata. Tissue [Ca2+]o changed little and not consistently. Neither of these two ions, nor concomitant changes of blood pressure or tissue partial pressure of oxygen, (Pt, O2), could account for the effects of pH on neuronal excitability. 5. The results show that increasing the extracellular concentration of H+ ions has a moderately depressant effect on the firing threshold of hippocampal neurones. The more powerful effects of elevated [CO2] and of lowered [HCO3‐] may probably be explained by a direct effect on the neuronal membrane. The brain, by regulating breathing, controls its own excitability.
Physical and nutritional properties of buffalo meat finished on hay or maize silage-based diets.

The current study examines the effect of different finishing diets (hay- vs. maize-silage on meal ration) on carcass quality, physical, chemical and sensory properties, and fatty acid profiles of buffalo meat. Twenty male Italian Mediterranean buffaloes (246 ± 9.00 kg live weight) were distributed at random into two groups at the beginning of the finishing period (368 ± 20 days). The buffaloes were offered two finishing diets: a maize silage (MS) or an alfalfa hay (AH) diet. No significant differences were found between dietary treatments for live and carcass weight. Meat chemical composition was influenced by dietary treatment. A higher fat content was detected in meat from animals finished with MS than AH (P < 0.05). Overall, the data indicated differences between the fatty acid profiles of meat as a consequence of different feeding systems. The higher fat deposition in the MS group resulted in meat with a less favorable fatty acid profile (i.e. a lower polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratio and α-linolenic fatty acid content) in relation to human health compared with meat from animals fed the AH diet.
Further Characterization of Equine Foamy Virus Reveals Unusual Features among the Foamy Viruses

ABSTRACT Foamy viruses (FVs) are nonpathogenic, widely spread complex retroviruses which have been isolated in nonhuman primates, cattle, cats, and more recently in horses. The equine foamy virus (EFV) was isolated from healthy horses and was characterized by molecular cloning and nucleotide sequence analysis. Here, to further characterize this new FV isolate, the location of the transcriptional cap and poly(A) addition sites as well as the main splice donor and acceptor sites were determined, demonstrating the existence of the specific subgenomic pol mRNA, one specific feature of FVs. Moreover, similar to what has been described for the human foamy virus (HFV), the prototype of FVs, a replication-defective EFV genome was identified during persistent infection. At the protein level, the use of specific antibodies allowed us to determine the size and the subcellular localization of EFV Gag, Env, and Tas, the viral transactivators. While EFV Gag was detected in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus, EFV Env mainly localized in the Golgi complex, in contrast to HFV Env, which is sequestered in the endoplasmic reticulum. In addition, electron microscopy analysis demonstrated that EFV budding occurs at the plasma membrane and not intracellularly, as is the case for primate FVs. Interestingly, EFV Tas was detected both in the nucleus and the cytoplasm of Tas-transfected cells, in contrast to the strict nuclear localization of other FV Tas but similar to the equine infectious anemia virus Tat gene product. Taken together, our results reveal that this new FV isolate exhibits remarkable features among FVs, bringing new insights into the biology of these unconventional retroviruses.
Epileptic Seizures in Alcoholism and Diagnostic Value of EEG After Sleep Deprivation

Summary: Alcoholism and epileptic seizures frequently coincide. Two groups can be distinguished clinically and by EEG. In one group (group I), seizures occur only during a period of alcohol withdrawal or partial withdrawal and can only be explained because of alcoholism in the history of the patient. In the other group (group II), seizures occur spontaneously, as well as during alcohol withdrawal, and epileptogenic factors (residual brain damage, former epileptic seizures, and a family history of seizures) probably play an important role in the manifestation of the seizures. Paroxysms or focal abnormalities are rarely seen in group I; in group II, EEG abnormalities are seen approximately as frequently as in other epileptic conditions. Both groups were examined to determine the extent of their EEG abnormalities after 24 h of sleep deprivation. Before and after sleep deprivation, only 4% of 52 chronic alcoholic patients without epileptogenic risk factors had EEG foci. Of the 52, 2% before sleep deprivation and 8% after sleep deprivation had generalized paroxysms. Of 128 chronic alcoholic patients with additional epileptogenic factors, 19% before sleep deprivation and 24% after sleep deprivation had EEG foci, and 17% before and 28% after sleep deprivation had generalized paroxysms. The pathogenesis of epileptic seizures in both groups and the therapeutic consequences are discussed.
Role of aquaporins in cell proliferation: What else beyond water permeability?

abstract In addition to the extensive data demonstrating the importance of mammalian AQPs for the movement of water and some small solutes across the cell membrane, there is now a growing body of evidence indicating the involvement of these proteins in numerous cellular processes seemingly unrelated, at least some of them in a direct way, to their canonical function of water permeation. Here, we have presented a broad range of evidence demonstrating that these proteins have a role in cell proliferation by various different mechanisms, namely, by allowing fast cell volume regulation during cell division; by affecting progression of cell cycle and helping maintain the balance between proliferation and apoptosis, and by crosstalk with other cell membrane proteins or transcription factors that, in turn, modulate progression of the cell cycle or regulate biosynthesis pathways of cell structural components. In the end, however, after discussing all these data that strongly support a role for AQPs in the cell proliferation process, it remains impossible to conclude that all these other functions attributed to AQPs occur completely independently of their water permeability, and there is a need for new experiments designed specifically to address this interesting issue.
State of the Science: Feeding Readiness in the Preterm Infant

Finding ways to consistently prepare preterm infants and their families for more timely discharge must continue as a focus for everyone involved in the care of these infants in the neonatal intensive care unit. The gold standards for discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit are physiologic stability (especially respiratory stability), consistent weight gain, and successful oral feeding, usually from a bottle. Successful bottle-feeding is considered the most complex task of infancy. Fostering successful oral feeding in preterm infants requires consistently high levels of skilled nursing care, which must begin with accurate assessment of feeding readiness and thoughtful progression to full oral feeding. This comprehensive review of the literature provides an overview of the state of the science related to feeding readiness and progression in the preterm infant. The theoretical foundation for feeding readiness and factors that appear to affect bottle-feeding readiness, progression, and success are presented in this article.