Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Wheezing conditions in early childhood: prevalence and risk factors in the city of São Paulo, Brazil.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the prevalence and risk factors for wheezing disorders in early childhood in São Paulo, Brazil, the largest metropolitan area of South America. METHODS A population-based cross-sectional survey of 1132 children aged 6-59 months was carried out between 1995 and 1996 to obtain information on recent wheezing and on independent variables such as demographic, socioeconomic, environmental, maternal and nutritional variables and immunization status. Intestinal parasitic infections were diagnosed using standard techniques. Multiple unconditional logistic regression was used to describe associations between outcome and independent variables. FINDINGS The prevalence of recent wheezing (one or more reported episodes in the past 12 months) was 12.5%; 93% of children with wheezing were also reported to have a medical diagnosis of asthma. Recent wheezing was associated with low per capita income, poor quality of housing, day-care attendance, low birth weight and infection with intestinal helminths. CONCLUSION Wheezing in early childhood in São Paulo, although more common than in most developing countries, remains less prevalent than in urban areas of industrialized countries. Low income and conditions associated with poverty (poor housing, low birth weight and parasitic infections) are some of the main risk factors for wheezing disorders among young children in this city.
Türkçe Öğretmeni Adaylarının Üstbilişsel Okuma Stratejilerini Kullanma Düzeyleri (Giresun Üniversitesi Örneği)

Bu arastirmanin amaci, Turkce Ogretmenliginde ogrenim goren ogrencilerin okudugunu anlama stratejilerini kullanma duzeylerini belirlemektir. Arastirmanin orneklemini 2010–2011 akademik yilinda Giresun Universitesi Egitim Fakultesi Turkce Ogretmenligi’nde ogrenim goren 123 ogrenci olusturmaktadir. Arastirmada veri toplama araci olarak Cogmen (2008) tarafindan Turkceye cevrilen, gecerlik ve guvenilirligi yapilan Ust Bilissel Okuma Stratejileri Olcegi kullanilmistir. Verilerin analizinde frekans ve yuzde dagilimlari, ortalama, standart sapmalar hesaplanmis; t-testi, tek yonlu varyans analizi, Bonferroni testi tekniklerinden yararlanilmistir. Arastirma sonucunda; 1. Ogrencilerin kullandiklari okudugunu anlama stratejileri, olcegin iki boyutu ve tumu icin “sik sik kullanirim” duzeyinde bulunmustur. 2. Cinsiyete gore ogrencilerin okudugunu anlama stratejilerini kullanma sikliklari, “analitik stratejiler” boyutunda istatistiksel olarak anlamli bir fark gostermezken “pragmatik stratejiler” boyutunda kiz ogrenciler lehine anlamli bir degisim gostermistir. 3. Ogrencilerin kullandiklari okudugunu anlama stratejileri siniflara gore “analitik stratejiler” boyutunda istatistiksel olarak birinci siniflar lehine anlamli bir fark gosterirken “pragmatik stratejiler” boyutunda anlamli bir farklilik gorulmemistir. 4. Lise turune gore ogrencilerin okudugunu anlama stratejilerini kullanma sikliklari istatistiksel acidan anlamli bir farklilik olusturmamistir.
Mesoscale simulations of curvature-inducing protein partitioning on lipid bilayer membranes in the presence of mean curvature fields

The membrane-surface migration of curvature-inducing proteins in response to membrane curvature gradients has been investigated using Monte Carlo simulations of a curvilinear membrane model based on the Helfrich Hamiltonian. Consistent with theoretical and experimental data, we find the proteins that generate curvature can also sense the background membrane curvature, wherein they preferentially partition to the high curvature regions. The partitioning strength depends linearly on local membrane curvature and the slope (or the coupling constant) of the partitioning probability versus mean curvature depends on the membrane bending rigidity and instantaneous curvature field caused by different proteins. Our simulation study allows us to quantitatively characterize and identify the important factors affecting the coupling constant (slope), which may be difficult to determine in experiments. Furthermore, the membrane model is used to study budding of vesicles where it is found that in order to stabilize a mature vesicle with a stable ‘neck-region’ (or stable membrane overhangs), the area (extent) of the intrinsic curvature region needs to exceed a threshold-critical value. The migration and partitioning of curvature-inducing proteins in a budding vesicle with a stable neck (with a characteristic negative value of the Gaussian curvature) is investigated.
Knowledge Structures, Social Information Processing, and Children's Aggressive Behavior.

Although a multitude of factors may be involved in the development of children's violent behavior, the actual aggressive act is preceded by a decision-making process that serves as the proximal control mechanism. The primary goal of this longitudinal study was to understand the nature of this proximal control mechanism involved in children's aggressive acts by focusing on two aspects of social cognitions: social information processing and stored knowledge (i.e., internal knowledge structures that are the latent memories of past events). It was hypothesized that: (1) children with hostile knowledge structures will display more biased patterns of aggressive social information processing than children whose knowledge structures are less hostile and negative; (2) children who display hostile knowledge structures will behave in chronically aggressive ways; and (3) the development of hostile knowledge structures and hostile patterns of social information processing contribute to the stability of aggressive behavior and thus partially mediate the relation between early and later aggressive behavior. 585 boys and girls (19% African-American) were followed from kindergarten through eighth grade. Results from this investigation support the hypotheses and are discussed in terms of the significance of the inclusion of knowledge structures in our theories of the mental processes involved in children's violent behaviour.
Evidence for restricted muscle blood flow during speed skating.

INTRODUCTION We have previously hypothesized restricted muscle blood flow during speed skating, secondary to the high intramuscular forces intrinsic to the unique posture assumed by speed skaters and to the prolonged duty cycle of the skating stroke. METHODS To test this hypothesis, we studied speed skaters (N = 10) during submaximal and maximal cycling and in-line skating, in both low (knee angle = 107 degrees) and high (knee angle = 112 degrees) skating positions (CE vs SkL vs SkH). Supportive experiments evaluated muscle desaturation and lactate accumulation during on-ice speed skating and muscle desaturation during static exercise at different joint positions. RESULTS Consistent with the hypothesis were reductions during skating in VO2peak (4.28 vs 3.83 vs 4.26 L x min(-1)), the VO2 at 4 mmol x L(-1) blood lactate (3.38 vs 1.93 vs 3.31 L x min(-1)), and cardiac output during maximal exercise (33.2 vs 25.3 vs 25.6 L x min(-1)). The reduction in maximal cardiac output was not attributable to differences in HRmax (197 vs 192 vs 193 b x min(-1)) but to a reduction in SVmax (172 vs 135 vs 134 mL x beat(-1)). The reduction in SV appeared to be related to an increased calculated systemic vascular resistance (354 vs 483 vs 453 dynes x s(-1) x cm(-1)). During maximal skating there was also a greater % O2 desaturation of the vastus lateralis based on near infrared spectrophotometry (50.3 vs 74.9 vs 60.4% of maximal desaturation during cuff ischemia). The results were supported by greater desaturation with smaller knee angles during static exercise and by greater desaturation and accelerated blood lactate accumulation during on-ice speed skating in the low vs high position. The results of this study support the hypothesis that physiological responses during speed skating are dominated by restriction of blood flow, attributable either to high intramuscular forces, the long duty cycle of the skating stroke, or both.
Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Impaired Glucose Tolerance in Obese Argentinean Children and Adolescents

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in obese children and adolescents and to examine insulin resistance and insulin secretion. We studied 427 asymptomatic obese patients. DM2 and IGT were diagnosed by an oral glucose tolerance test. Insulin resistance and P-cell function were assessed by using homeostasis model assessment (HOMA), insulin/glucose index (I/GI), fasting insulin and insulin sensitivity index (ISI-composite). Thirty patients showed IGT (7%) and seven had DM2 (1.6%). The mean age was 10.7 +/- 3.5 years, the diabetic group being significantly older than the normal group (p < 0.01). The mean body mass index was 30 +/- 5.3 kg/m2 without significant differences between groups. beta-Cell function declined significantly in the patients with IGT and DM2, and insulin resistance increased significantly. Given the rather high prevalence of glucose metabolism impairment, children with obesity should undergo glucose tolerance testing for appropriate therapeutic intervention.
Indomethacin Fails to Induce Ulceration in the Gastrointestinal Tract of Newborn and Suckling Rats

ABSTRACT. Little is known about the role of oral prostaglandins and maintenance of intestinal epithelial cell membrane integrity in suckling animals. The presence of prostaglandins in milk suggests that they may have potential cytoprotective effects. Thus, experiments were performed to determine whether indomethacin causes inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract of suckling animals. Rats were treated with daily intraperitoneal injections of indomethacin (10 mg/kg) starting on the 1st day of life. Unlike adult animals which develop intestinal lesions within 72 h, these rats did not develop intestinal ulcerations until weaning started on days 15 to 16. Indomethacin-treated suckling animals prevented from weaning did not develop intestinal lesions until they had access to solid food on day 23. Indomethacin-treated rats had large reductions in jejunal prostaglandin E2 content. In addition, prostaglandin E2 was present in rat milk in relatively large concentration as determined by radioimmunoassay. These studies suggest that exogenous prostaglandins present in milk may protect the intestine of suckling rats from indomethacin-induced inflammation; however, once weaning commences, prostaglandin insufficiency may develop leading to intestinal lesions. We speculate that suckling rats treated with indomethacin did not develop ulcerative lesions, despite a marked reduction in intestinal prostaglandin content, possibly due to prostaglandins present in milk.
ANABOLIC STEROIDS AND SPORTING PERFORMANCE

The use of anabolic steroids in athletics was banned by the International Olympic Commission in 1975. Despite this, in the sports world they remain the most widely used ‘ergogenic aid’, with a black market currently worth an estimated $100 million a year in the United States alone. However, most, though not all, clinical studies have failed to show consistent performance enhancements as a result of anabolic steroid treatment (1, 2, 4) and most reference works, for example the British National Formulary, include statements which reflect this. Nevertheless, athletes are convinced of the efficacy of this class of drug. Unless scientists are able to account for this paradox they risk losing credibility with the layman whose own evidence, albeit anecdotal, suggests otherwise. Ryan (1) reviewed 25 clinical studies carried out between 1965 and 1977 in weightlifters. A variety of steroids were used and the parameters assessed were the weights achieved in standard ‘power’ lifts together with changes in body weight and muscle circumference. Thirteen of the studies showed no effect on performance and the remainder, which did, were dismissed by Ryan on the basis of their poor design. However, not all his criticisms are justified. For example, Freed et al. (3) used 13 experienced weightlifters in a double-blind placebo controlled randomized crossover trial using methandienone at a dose of 10 or 25 mg daily. After 6 weeks treatment, subjects in the methandienone group increased their lifting ability by 0.3-13O6 compared with the 0.3-2.396 improvement of the subjects given placebo. The results showed a great deal of individual variation but, overall, active treatment produced a significant improvement when compared with placebo. Body weight also increased in the methandienone group. Lamb (4) drew the same conclusions as Ryan when reviewing the results of 19 wellcontrolled studies. The data suggested steroid-related gains in body weight of up to 2.2 kg after 3-12 weeks treatment with methandienone (up to 100 mg/day). However, while half the studies showed improvements in strength the remainder produced negative or ‘indefinite’ effects. A possible explanation for the inconsistent results of these studies is the choice of subjects. Several trials used subjects inexperienced as weightlifters; since most athletes consider hard training an essential adjunct to steroid use, this is a factor which could influence the outcome of the trial. Wright ( 2 ) reviewed the evidence for this and concluded that, while the body-weight for inexperienced subjects is likely to increase, strength and lean muscle mass are generally unaffected by therapeutic doses of steroids. This was so even for subjects who took a short-term weight training course in conjunction with protein supplements. However, in weightlifters who trained regularly (i.e. three or four times weekly), to near maximum capacity, the results are rather different. In these subjects, anabolic steroids may indeed be ergogenic.
Inhibition of repulsive guidance molecule, RGMa, increases afferent synapse formation with auditory hair cells

The peripheral fibers that extend from auditory neurons to hair cells are sensitive to damage, and replacement of the fibers and their afferent synapse with hair cells would be of therapeutic interest. Here, we show that RGMa, a repulsive guidance molecule previously shown to play a role in the development of the chick visual system, is expressed in the developing, newborn, and mature mouse inner ear. The effect of RGMa on synaptogenesis between afferent neurons and hair cells, from which afferent connections had been removed, was assessed. Contact of neural processes with hair cells and elaboration of postsynaptic densities at sites of the ribbon synapse were increased by treatment with a blocking antibody to RGMa, and pruning of auditory fibers to achieve the mature branching pattern of afferent neurons was accelerated. Inhibition by RGMa could thus explain why auditory neurons have a low capacity to regenerate peripheral processes: postnatal spiral ganglion neurons retain the capacity to send out processes that respond to signals for synapse formation, but expression of RGMa postnatally appears to be detrimental to regeneration of afferent hair cell innervation and antagonizes synaptogenesis. Increased synaptogenesis after inhibition of RGMa suggests that manipulation of guidance or inhibitory factors may provide a route to increase formation of new synapses at deafferented hair cells. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 74: 457–466, 2014
2010 McDonald criteria for diagnosing pediatric multiple sclerosis

The diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) rests on confirmation of central nervous system inflammatory disease that is disseminated in space and time, as evidenced clinically or by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The 2010 McDonald criteria simplified MRI requirements, and newly proposed that the criteria are also suitable for the diagnosis of pediatric MS.
Self-regulatory mechanisms governing the impact of social comparison on complex decision making.

This study tested the hypothesis that different patterns of social comparison would affect performance attainments in a simulated organization through their impact on mediating self-regulatory mechanisms. Ss served as organizational decision makers under prearranged comparative feedback that they performed as well as their comparators, consistently surpassed them, achieved growing mastery, or experienced progressive decline. Progressive mastery enhanced perceived self-efficacy, efficient analytic thinking, challenging goal setting, aidful affective self-reaction, and organizational performance. Relative decline undermined these self-regulatory factors and produced a growing deterioration of organizational performance. The similar and superior socialcomparative patterns of influence had a supportive self-regulative and performance effect. Path analyses revealed that perceived self-eificacy, quality of analytic thinking, personal goal setting, and affective self-reactions operated as significant determinants of performance attainments. Many of the theories that have been proposed over the years to explain human sociocognitive functioning have relied heavily on causal models favoring one-sided determinism. In such models of unidirectional causation, behavior is depicted as being shaped and regulated either by environmental influences or by internal dispositions. In the more recent, partially bidirectional models of causation, persons and situations affect each other but their influence on behavior flows unidirectionally. Social cognitive theory explains sociocognitive functioning in terms of triadic reciprocal causation (A. Bandura, 1986). In this model of reciprocal determinism, behavior, cognitive, and other personal factors and environmental events all operate as interacting determinants that influence each other bidirectionally. In analyzing the personal determinants in this interactional causal structure, social-cognitive theory accords a central role to cognitive self-regulative processes. In this research, interactional causal structures are examined as they operate within the context of managerial decision making in a dynamic simulated environment. Each of the major interactants in the triadic causal structure--cognitive, behavioral, and environmental-~-functions as an important constituent of the transactional processes. The cognitive determinant is indexed by self-beliefs of etficacy, personal goal setting, selfevaluation, and quality of analytic thinking. The managerial choices that are executed constitute the behavioral determi
Mechanisms of perinatal brain injury.

This article is focused on the mechanisms underlying primarily ischaemic/reperfusion brain injury in both the term and premature infant. Although the mechanisms involved include similar initiating events, principally ischaemia-reperfusion, and similar final common pathways to cell death, particularly free radical-mediated events, there are certain unique maturational factors influencing the type and pattern of cellular injury. We will therefore initially describe the physiological and cellular/molecular mechanisms of brain injury in the term infant, followed by the mechanisms in the premature infant.
DEAF‐1, a novel protein that binds an essential region in a Deformed response element.

A 120 bp homeotic response element that is regulated specifically by Deformed in Drosophila embryos contains a single binding site for Deformed protein. However, a 24 bp sub‐element containing this site does not constitute a Deformed response element. Specific activation requires a second region in the 120 bp element, which presumably contains one or more binding sites for Deformed cofactors. We have isolated a novel protein from Drosophila nuclear extracts which binds specifically to a site in this second region. This protein, which we call DEAF‐1 (Deformed epidermal autoregulatory factor‐1), contains three conserved domains. One of these includes a cysteine repeat motif that is similar to a motif found in Drosophila Nervy and the human MTG8 proto‐oncoprotein, and another matches a region of Drosophila Trithorax. Mutations in the response element designed to improve binding to DEAF‐1 in vitro resulted in increased embryonic expression. Conversely, small mutations designed to diminish binding to DEAF‐1 resulted in reduced expression of the element. Thus, DEAF‐1 is likely to contribute to the functional activity, and perhaps to the homeotic specificity, of this response element. Consistent with this hypothesis, we have discovered DEAF‐1 binding sites in other Deformed response elements.
Cross‐Cultural Validation of the Patient Perception of Integrated Care Survey

OBJECTIVE To test the cross-cultural validity of the U.S. Patient Perception of Integrated Care (PPIC) Survey in a Dutch sample using a standardized procedure. DATA SOURCES Primary data collected from patients of five primary care centers in the south of the Netherlands, through survey research from 2014 to 2015. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional data collected from patients who saw multiple health care providers during 6 months preceding data collection. DATA COLLECTION The PPIC survey includes 59 questions that measure patient perceived care integration across providers, settings, and time. Data analysis followed a standardized procedure guiding data preparation, psychometric analysis, and included invariance testing with the U.S. dataset. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Latent scale structures of the Dutch and U.S. survey were highly comparable. Factor "Integration with specialist" had lower reliability scores and noninvariance. For the remaining factors, internal consistency and invariance estimates were strong. CONCLUSIONS The standardized cross-cultural validation procedure produced strong support for comparable psychometric characteristics of the Dutch and U.S. surveys. Future research should examine the usability of the proposed procedure for contexts with greater cultural differences.
Induced mood and persistence at gaming.

AIMS Using the affect infusion model (AIM), this study aimed to assess the impact of prior mood on gaming persistence in regular and non-regular gamblers (assumed to be motivated and heuristic decision-makers, respectively). DESIGN, MEASURES AND SETTING: A 2 x 3 experimental design in a laboratory setting employed factors of gambler type (regular, non-regular) and prior mood (happy, neutral, depressed). Measures were number of trials played on a gambling game, and mood ratings (post-mood induction, during and after play). PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS Sixty regular and 60 non-regular gamblers (all male students) were assigned randomly to watch a video inducing one of the three mood conditions. They were then given AUD$10.00 to gamble in a computerized card-cutting game. FINDINGS AIM predictions were supported: prior mood did not affect gaming persistence for regular gamblers, but non-regulars showed reduced persistence across happy, neutral and depressed moods. After-play mood ratings were related to winnings for regulars, and losing regulars were significantly more unhappy after-play compared to during-play, and compared to both their winning counterparts and non-regulars. Mood and winnings were unrelated for non-regulars, with little during- to after-play mood change. CONCLUSIONS The findings speak to depression as a causal factor in addictive gambling. Depressed mood did not enhance persistence in regular gamblers, but rather failed to have the inhibitory effect observed in non-regular gamblers. Evidence of mood changes during gambling was obtained, although multiple measures (self-report, physiological indicators, anticipated states) of both affective valence and arousal are advocated for future studies.