Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Dual-Task Management and Resistance Training on Gait Performance in Older Individuals: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Dual-task (DT) training is a well-accepted modality for fall prevention in older adults. DT training should include task-managing strategies such as task switching or task prioritization to improve gait performance under DT conditions. Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled trial to evaluate a balance and task managing training (BDT group) in gait performance compared to a single task (ST) strength and resistance training and a control group, which received no training. A total of 78 older individuals (72.0 ± 4.9 years) participated in this study. The DT group performed task managing training incorporating balance and coordination tasks while the ST group performed resistance training only. Training consisted of 12 weekly sessions, 60 min each, for 12 weeks. We assessed the effects of ST and BDT training on walking performance under ST and DT conditions in independent living elderly adults. ST and DT walking (visual verbal Stroop task) were measured utilizing a treadmill at self-selected walking speed (mean for all groups: 4.4 ± 1 km h-1). Specific gait variables, cognitive performance, and fear of falling were compared between all groups. >Results: Training improved gait performance for step length (p < 0.001) and gait-line (ST: p < 0.01; DT p < 0.05) in both training groups. The BDT training group showed greater improvements in step length (p < 0.001) and gait-line (p < 0.01) during DT walking but did not have changes in cognitive performance. Both interventions reduced fear of falling (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Implementation of task management strategies into balance and strength training in our population revealed a promising modality to prevent falls in older individuals. Trial registration: German register of clinical trials DRKS00012382.
Inactivation of the prelimbic, but not infralimbic, prefrontal cortex impairs the contextual control of response conflict in rats

One fundamental function of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is to guide context‐appropriate behaviour in situations of response conflict. Haddon and Killcross recently developed a task in rats which mimics some aspects of response conflict seen in human cognitive paradigms such as the Stroop task. Using this paradigm they demonstrated that large PFC lesions including the prelimbic (PL), infralimbic (IL) and anterior cingulate cortices (ACC) selectively impaired performance on incongruent trials which required the use of task‐setting contextual cues to control responding in the face of ambiguous response information. The current experiment was conducted to determine whether specific PFC regions were responsible for the deficit in incongruent performance. Rats were trained on two instrumental biconditional discriminations, one auditory and one visual, in two different contexts. Following acquisition, rats were implanted with guide cannulae aimed at the PL or the IL cortices of the rat prefrontal cortex. Following retraining, rats received microinfusions of the GABAA agonist muscimol or artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) into either the PL or the IL prior to presentations of novel congruent and incongruent audiovisual compounds of the training stimuli in extinction. Results showed that temporary inactivation of the PL cortex led to a selective deficit on incongruent compound trials, but left congruent, and hence biconditional task performance intact. By contrast, IL inactivation had no effect on the accuracy of responding during either congruent or incongruent trials. These results suggest that the PL cortex is necessary for the use of task‐setting contextual cues to control responding to conflicting information.
Conversation Memory of Congruent and Incongruent Information

Conversation plays crucial role in the development of interpersonal relationship and interpersonal attraction. As a matter of fact if th e conversation between two persons is cordial, pleasant, enjoyable and full of love and a ffection the interpersonal relationship between these two persons is strengthened and inter personal attraction is developed. Since interpersonal relationship and interpersonal attrac tion depend to a great extent on conversation, it is highly significant to remember the conversation, for if conversation is forgotten rapidly then the development of interpers onal relationship and interpersonal attraction are likely to be impaired. In view of th ese facts, the present author has decided to investigate the dynamics of conversation memory. Th e present study is designed to explore how congruent version of conversation affects conve rsation memory. To test these assumptions, a two randomized group design was used . The two groups were formed by having two values of our independent variable i.e. congruent version of conversation. The two values of congruent version of conversation wer e (a) congruent version of conversation and (b) incongruent version of conversation. 180 su bjects were used in the present study, half of them were given congruent version of conversatio n and remaining half were given incongruent version of conversation. These 180 subj ects were randomly selected from undergraduate students, Women’s College A.M.U, Alig arh. The finding clearly revealed that conversation memory is significantly higher of inco gruent material as compared to congruent material. This result was discussed in th e light of existing findings and other possible explanations were given. The findings of s uch a study have far reaching consequences not only in our social relation but al so in academic setup.
Comparative assessment of a canine-specific medium to support colony formation from canine hair follicular keratinocytes.

BACKGROUND Follicular stem cells and their progeny are responsible for the cyclical renewal of hair follicles and maintenance of the hair coat. The understanding of pathways involved in this process is essential to elucidate the pathogenetic mechanisms of primary alopecia. Stem cells and their direct descendants are located in the bulge region of the isthmus of hair follicles. Although these cells have been studied extensively in mice and humans, data for canine isthmic keratinocyte activation and proliferation are not available. HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES The aim was to establish an accurate and reliable in vitro system to study the growth potential of canine isthmic keratinocytes. We assessed the colony-promoting capability of a commercially available canine-specific medium, CELLnTEC (CnT-09), compared with a well-established home-made medium, complete FAD (cFAD). The CnT-09 medium is specific for the growth of canine keratinocytes, while the cFAD medium can support growth and colony formation of keratinocytes from several species. ANIMALS Skin biopsies were obtained from 15 recently euthanized dogs of various breeds with no skin abnormalities. METHODS The isthmic region of compound hair follicles was isolated by microdissection and cell growth monitored using several parameters with colony-forming assays. RESULTS The CnT-09 and cFAD media provided similar growth as measured by the total number and size of colonies, as well as rate of cell differentiation. CONCLUSIONS The commercial canine-specific CnT-09 medium was comparable to the home-made cFAD medium in supporting the growth and proliferation of canine follicular keratinocytes in vitro. The CnT-09 medium should be a viable alternative growth medium for molecular studies of alopecic disorders in dogs.
Functional relevance of transmembrane domains in membrane fusion

Abstract Membrane fusion is ubiquitous in life. Fusion of biological membranes is mediated by specialized fusion proteins anchored to the bilayers destined to fuse. Here we describe these proteins as being instrumental in viral, intracellular and developmental fusion. Next, we review experimental and theoretical evidence that points to fusion in the different systems as following a common ‘fusion through hemifusion’ pathway. We also focus on the structure and dynamics of the transmembrane segment that anchors the fusion proteins to the bilayer, and its role in driving fusion. In particular, we highlight the influence of this single segment on the surrounding membrane lipids and on the overall shape of the membrane along the way to fusion.
Risk factors for impaired quality of life and psychosocial adjustment after pediatric heart, kidney, and liver transplantation

Few studies compare HRQOL and PSA in children who have undergone different types of solid organ Tx. In this cross‐sectional study, HRQOL and PSA were assessed in 74 Tx patients (16 heart, 44 kidney, 14 liver) at a mean age of 11.5 (range 6.3–16.7), 7.2 yr post‐Tx (range 1.0–15.0). HRQOL was self‐assessed using standardized health utility questionnaires (15D–17D). The patients' PSA was evaluated using the Child Behavior Checklist for parents, Youth Self‐Report for patients aged 11–16 yr, and Teacher Report Form. Outcomes did not differ significantly between Tx groups. Preadolescents (8–11 yr) reported poorer HRQOL compared with same‐age peers (p = 0.020). In contrast, adolescents reported similar HRQOL and PSA compared to the general population. Proxy‐reports revealed more PSA problems compared with age expectations (p < 0.01), mainly in internalizing behavior (p < 0.01). Lower HRQOL was associated with shorter follow‐up time since Tx, congenital disease, and a psychiatric or neurological diagnosis. PSA problems were associated with family‐related variables, neurological diagnosis, shorter follow‐up time, and in teacher‐reports longer disease duration before Tx. Different pediatric Tx groups have similar outcome. Neurological comorbidity and shorter follow‐up time are important risk factors, but the impact of family‐related variables on PSA indicate the need of family interventions.
Reversible image watermarking by histogram modification for integer DCT coefficients

We present a reversible watermarking scheme which achieves perfect restoration of both the embedded watermark and the original image during extraction. The proposed scheme embeds data by modifying those integer DCT coefficients with peak amplitudes in each coefficient histogram. The integer DCT performed over the original image is a lossless 8/spl times/8 block transform with high energy concentrating ability, which guarantees reversibility and high capacity/distortion ratio for the proposed watermarking scheme. In addition, this scheme provides a wide quality (PSNR) range from around 40 dB to 60 dB for the watermarked image, and an inherent fine adjustment capability for the quality (PSNR). Some experimental results are presented to demonstrate the high performance of our scheme in terms of capacity and the quality of the watermarked image.
Attacin, an antibacterial protein from Hyalophora cecropia, inhibits synthesis of outer membrane proteins in Escherichia coli by interfering with omp gene transcription

Attacins are antibacterial proteins synthesized by pupae of the giant silk moth, Hyalophora cecropia, in response to a bacterial infection. In this report we show that the previously described, attacin-induced alteration in the structure and the permeability of the outer membrane of Escherichia coli is associated with a specific inhibition of the synthesis of several outer membrane proteins, including OmpC, OmpF, OmpA, and LamB. The inhibition is expressed as a reduction in the steady-state mRNA levels and is at least in part the results of a block in transcription of the corresponding genes. Transcription directed by the promoter of ompR, the positive regulator of ompC and ompF expression in response to environmental conditions, is also affected by attacin. The effects on mutant strains show that the primary activity of attacin is not mediated by the ompR-envZ regulatory system. Instead our data suggest the existence in E. coli of a previously unknown system for the transcriptional regulation of a large set of outer membrane proteins previously not known to be coordinately regulated. We propose that the activity of attacin is directed towards this system.
Transistor-Clamped H-Bridge Based Cascaded Multilevel Inverter With New Method of Capacitor Voltage Balancing

This paper presents a three-phase cascaded multilevel inverter that uses five-level transistor-clamped H-bridge power cells. Multicarrier phase-shifted pulse-width modulation method is used to achieve balanced power distribution among the power cells. A new method to balance the midpoint capacitor voltage in each cell is developed and tested. The analysis of the output voltage harmonics and the total power losses covering the conduction and the switching power losses are carried out and compared with the cascaded neutral-point-clamped and the conventional cascaded H-bridge inverters. For verifications, the proposed inverter is experimentally tested on an induction motor. From the results, the proposed inverter provides higher output quality with relatively lower power loss as compared to the other conventional inverters with the same output quality.
World Health Organization classification of neoplastic diseases of the hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues: report of the Clinical Advisory Committee meeting-Airlie House, Virginia, November 1997.

PURPOSE The European Association of Hematopathologists and the Society for Hematopathology have developed a new World Health Organization (WHO) classification of hematologic malignancies, including lymphoid, myeloid, histiocytic, and mast cell neoplasms. DESIGN Ten committees of pathologists developed lists and definitions of disease entities. A clinical advisory committee (CAC) of international hematologists and oncologists was formed to ensure that the classification would be useful to clinicians. The CAC met in November 1997 to discuss clinical issues related to the classification. RESULTS The WHO uses the Revised European-American Lymphoma (REAL) classification, published in 1994 by the International Lymphoma Study Group, to categorize lymphoid neoplasms. The REAL classification is based on the principle that a classification is a list of "real" disease entities, which are defined by a combination of morphology, immunophenotype, genetic features, and clinical features. The relative importance of each of these features varies among diseases, and there is no one gold standard. The WHO Neoplasms recognizes distinct entities defined by a combination of morphology and cytogenetic abnormalities. At the CAC meeting, which was organized around a series of clinical questions, participants reached a consensus on most of the questions posed. They concluded that clinical groupings of lymphoid neoplasms were neither necessary nor desirable. Patient treatment is determined by the specific type of lymphoma, with the addition of grade within the tumor type, if applicable, and clinical prognostic factors, such as the International Prognostic Index. CONCLUSION The WHO classification has produced a new and exciting degree of cooperation and communication between oncologists and pathologists from around the world, which should facilitate progress in the understanding and treatment of hematologic malignancies.
[Specific causes of blindness and vision impairment in a rural area of Southern Togo].

PURPOSE To determine prevalences of specific causes of blindness and visual impairment in a rural area of Southern Togo. METHOD A transversal exhaustive screening was conducted. The sample consisted of the inhabitants aged 5 years and over. From the census, 2293 persons were expected, however, 1738 (75.80%) responded and underwent screening. Each participant had complete ocular examination, and data collected were processed for analysis. RESULTS The mean age of all participants was 28.02 years, men were predominant. The prevalence of bilateral visual impairment was 2.13%, prevalence of unilateral impairment was 1.15%. Bilateral blindness prevalence was 2.47%, while unilateral blindness prevalence was 2. 65%. Main ocular blinding diseases and their prevalences were as follows: cataracts (8.34%), glaucoma (1.90%), corneal opacities (1. 09%). Women were more affected by bilateral visual impairment, bilateral blindness and cataract. : p= 0.0106 Men were more affected by glaucoma, corneal opacities and unilateral blindness. Participants aged 55 years and over were at high risk of blindness and visual impairment; p= 0.0104. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated that prevalence of blindness is high, and its major causes are cataract, glaucoma and corneal opacities. A prevention strategy is therefore needed and targeted to these diseases.
One Size Fits All? Heckscher-Ohlin Specialization in Global Production

Many previous tests of Heckscher-Ohlin trade theory have found underwhelming support for the idea that countries' endowments determine their production and trade. This paper demonstrates that those efforts suffer from their focus on the narrower of the model's two potential equilibria, which assumes that all countries produce all goods. In this paper we introduce a more general technique for testing the model that allows for the possibility that countries with sufficiently disparate endowments specialize in unique subsets of goods. Results using this technique indicate strong support for Heckscher-Ohlin specialization versus one-size-fits-all homogeneity. Our results also demonstrate that the empirical evaluation of trade models has been hampered by the coarse aggregation of output inherent in existing datasets. Indeed, we show that traditional categorizations of goods hide a substantial degree of cross-country price and input intensity heterogeneity, violating the assumptions of the factor proportions framework and rendering previous estimation results difficult to interpret. To overcome this problem, we introduce a methodology for aggregating goods that corrects for underlying product variation. Estimation of the model using corrected aggregates reveals even stronger support for Heckscher-Ohlin specialization. The importance of specialization for the evolution of developed country wage inequality is also discussed.
Apoptosis and therapy

The dogma that antineoplastic treatments kill tumour cells by damaging essential biological functions has been countered by the notion that treatment itself initiates a programmed cellular response. This response often produces the morphological features of apoptosis and is determined by a network of proliferation and survival genes, some of which are differentially expressed in normal and malignant cells. Correspondingly, mutations that interfere with the initiation or execution of apoptosis may produce tumour‐cell drug resistance. Remarkably, many of the genes that modulate apoptosis in response to cytotoxic drugs also affect apoptosis during tumour development; hence, the process of apoptosis provides a conceptual framework for understanding how cancer genes can influence the outcome of cancer therapy. Although the relative contribution of apoptosis to radiation and drug‐induced cell death remains controversial, clinical studies have associated anti‐apoptotic mutations with treatment failure. While careful preclinical and clinical studies will be necessary to resolve this point, our current understanding of apoptosis should facilitate the design of rational new therapies. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Intra-familial prevalence of hepatitis B virologic markers in HBsAg positive family members in Nahavand, Iran.

AIM To determine the prevalence of hepatitis B in Nahavand and evaluate the HBsAg positive prevalence in families with a member who was confirmed to have HBV infection. METHODS This study was performed in two phases. In the first phase, 1 824 subjects in Nahavand city were selected. The interviewers visited the houses of chosen families to fill the questionnaire and take the blood samples. All subjects signed an informed consent before interviews and blood sampling. The samples were evaluated for HBV virologic markers. In the second phase, 115 HBsAg-positive cases were enrolled and evaluated for HBV virologic markers. RESULTS The prevalence of positive HBsAg in Nahavand was 2.3%. The most frequent relatives of index cases were sons and daughters (32.2% and 23.5% respectively). Twelve (11%) of all family members were HBsAg positive. Fifty (56.2%) were isolated HBsAb positive and only one person (2.5%) was isolated HBcAb positive. The higher rates of HBsAg marker were detected in the brothers (1-25%) and fathers (1-12.5%). The infection rate in husbands and wives of index cases was 10%. Only two (16.7%) of all HBsAg-positive participants reported previous HBV vaccination. CONCLUSION The prevalence of intra-familial HBV infection is lower in Nahavand of Iran compared to other studies. More attention should be paid to HBV vaccination and risk-lowering activities.
Aspects of the molecular structure and dynamics of neuropeptide Y.

Human neuropeptide Y (hNPY) and the Q34-->P34 mutant (P34-hNPY) have been characterized by CD spectroscopy. hNPY self-associates in aqueous solution with a dimerization constant in the micromolar range. The self-association correlates with an increase in secondary-structure content which was studied as a function of concentration, temperature and pH. The effects of temperature were measured in water (5-84 degrees C) and in ethanediol/water (2 : 1) (-90 degrees to +90 degrees C). A single-residue mutation, Q34-->P34, affects the pH, thermal and self-association properties of NPY. The CD results are correlated with photochemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization NMR experiments which show that the tyrosines at the interface between two monomer units present limited accessibility to a photoreactive dye. An equilibrium state is described, involving a PP-fold monomer form and a handshake dimer form, that accommodates the physicochemical properties of NPY.
Anaphylaxis following intralesional triamcinolone acetonide (Kenacort) injection

Intralesional triamcinolone acetonide injection is indicated for multiple skin conditions such as keloid scars, alopecia areata, and hypertrophic lichen planus. Immediate hypersensitivity reaction remains uncommon. We report on a 24-year-old woman who had received multiple intralesional injections with triamcinolone acetonide (Kenacort) plus lidocaine for keloid scar treatment without any reaction for the previous 10 years. The immediate reaction occurred 15 minutes after injection, with numbness on her face and 5 minutes later with urticaria on her chest wall and upper extremities, together with hypotension (blood pressure of 90/60 mmHg). Allergology workup revealed positive skin prick test for triamcinolone acetonide (Kenacort). Skin tests for other corticosteroids (hydrocortisone, methylprednisolone, and dexamethasone), excipients (carboxymethylcellulose, benzyl alcohol, and polysorbate 80) and lidocaine were negative, including subcutaneous challenge for lidocaine and oral challenge for carboxymethylcellulose. IgE-mediated hypersensitivity reaction must be considered in cases of multiple applications of triamcinolone acetonide injection.