Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Auricular Acupressure on Sleep Quality, Anxiety, and Depressed Mood in RN-BSN Students With Sleep Disturbance.

BACKGROUND Students in 2-year registered nurse to Bachelor of Science in nursing (RN-BSN) programs usually work full-time and study part-time. Sleep disturbance, anxiety, and depression are known to be common health problems among these students.Prior research has described the effectiveness of auricular acupressure (AA) in reducing sleep disturbance and improving mood. PURPOSE The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of using a 4-week AA program that adheres to a magnetic pellet on the shenmen acupoint on sleep quality, anxiousness, and depressed moods in nursing students with sleep disturbance. METHODS This study used a one-group, quasi-experimental design with repeated measures. Eligible students were recruited from an RN-BSN program offered by a university in northern Taiwan, and all were currently experiencing sleep disturbance. A 4-week AA intervention that applied a magnetic pellet on the shenmen acupoint was used. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and Beck Depression Inventory-II were used to measure sleep quality and mood outcomes each week during the 4-week intervention. Improvements in sleep quality, anxiety, and depressed moods were analyzed using the generalized estimating equation. RESULTS Thirty-six participants with a mean age of 32 years were enrolled as participants. After adjusting for confounding factors, continuous and significant improvements in sleep quality, anxiety, and depressed mood (p < .05) were observed throughout the intervention, with 4-week improvements in sleep quality, anxiety, and depressed mood averaging 26.7%, 43.5%, and 25%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE This study showed the efficacy of using a 4-week AA that applies a magnetic pellet on the shenmen acupoint in terms of improving sleep quality, anxiousness, and depressed mood in RN-BSN students experiencing sleep disturbances. Especially, the emotional mood of participants improved significantly as early as the first week. The 4-week AA for reducing sleep disturbance, and improving students' anxiety, and depressed moods may be applied on primary healthcare.
Genome-Wide Analysis of Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors to Elucidate Candidate Genes Related to Fruit Ripening and Stress in Banana (Musa acuminata L. AAA Group, cv. Cavendish)

The basic helix−loop−helix (bHLH) proteins are a superfamily of transcription factors (TFs) that can bind to specific DNA target sites, playing a central role in a wide range of metabolic, physiological, and developmental processes in higher organisms. However, no systemic analysis of bHLH TFs has been reported in banana, a typical climacteric fruit in tropical and subtropical regions. In our study, 259 MabHLH TF genes were identified in the genome of Musa acuminata (A genome), and phylogenetic analysis indicated that these MabHLHs could be classified into 23 subfamilies with the bHLHs from rice and Arabidopsis. The amino acid sequences of the bHLH domain in all MabHLH protein sequences were quite conserved, especially Arg-12, Arg-13, Leu-23, and Leu-79. Distribution mapping results showed that 258 MabHLHs were localized on the 11 chromosomes in the M. acuminata genome. The results indicated that 40.7% of gene duplication events were located in collinear fragments, and segmental duplications might have played a key role in the expansion of MabHLHs. Moreover, the expression profiles of MabHLHs in different fruit development and ripening stages and under various abiotic and biotic stresses were investigated using available RNA-sequencing data to obtain fruit development, ripening-specific, and stress-responsive candidate genes. Finally, a co-expression network of MabHLHs was constructed by weighted gene co-expression network analysis to elucidate the MabHLHs that might participate in important metabolic biosynthesis pathways in banana during development and the response to stress. A total of 259 MabHLHs were identified, and their sequence features, conserved domains, phylogenetic relationships, chromosomal distributions, gene duplications, expression profiles, and co-expression networks were investigated. This study systematically identified the MabHLHs in the M. acuminata genome at the genome-wide level, providing important candidate genes for further functional analysis. These findings improve our understanding of the molecular basis of developmental and stress tolerance in an important banana cultivar.
Efficacy of chloramphenicol, enrofloxacin, and tetracycline for treatment of experimental Rocky Mountain spotted fever in dogs

Dogs were experimentally inoculated with Rickettsia rickettsii to characterize the comparative efficacies of chloramphenicol, enrofloxacin, and tetracycline for the treatment of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). All three antibiotics were equally effective in abrogating the clinical, hematologic, and vascular indicators of rickettsial infection. Antibiotic treatment for 24 h was sufficient to decrease the rickettsemia to levels below detection by Vero cell culture. Early treatment with all three antibiotics resulted in a similar decrease in antibody titer, but acute and convalescent serum samples taken at appropriate times would have still facilitated an accurate diagnosis of RMSF in all but one dog, which did not seroconvert. We conclude that chloramphenicol, enrofloxacin, and tetracycline are equally efficacious for treating experimental canine RMSF.
Clinical Proteomics Profiling for Biomarker Identification Among Patients Suffering With Indian Post Kala Azar Dermal Leishmaniasis

Background: Post Kala Azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a non-fatal dermal sequel of Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL), affecting individuals worldwide. Available diagnostic tools lack sensitivity and specificity toward identifying macular (MAC) PKDL patients, due to low parasite load in patients' sample. Confirmatory test like punch biopsy are invasive and painful. Considering the rural nature of this disease and the prevailing situation of diagnostic scenario, PKDL patients mostly remains unattended from receiving proper medical care. They in turn act as “mobile parasite reservoir,” responsible for VL transmission among healthy individuals (HI). This study aims to identify PKDL disease specific glycated protein biomarkers, utilizing the powerful LC-MS/MS technology, which is the tool of choice to efficiently identify and quantify disease specific protein biomarkers. These identified PKDL disease specific novel glycoproteins could be developed in future as immunochromatographic based assay for efficient case detection. Methodology: Previously our lab had identified importance of glycated (Circulating Immune Complexes) CICs, among PKDL patients. This study aims to further characterize disease specific glycated protein biomarkers, among MAC PKDL patients for both diagnostic and prognostic evaluation of the disease. LC-MS/MS based comparative spectral count analysis of MAC PKDL to polymorphic (POLY) PKDL, HI, and Cured (CR) individuals were performed. Proteins level alterations among all study groups were confirmed by Western blot and enzyme-linked immunosorbant Assay (ELISA). Results: Among MAC PKDL patients 43, 60, 90 proteins were altered compared to POLY PKDL, HI, and CR groups, respectively. Filtering for the most significant proteins, Plasminogen (PLG) and Vitronectin (VTN) were identified which promisingly identified MAC PKDL cases. Active surveillance results from endemic districts of West Bengal revealed drastic rise of MAC PKDL cases, alarming the urgency for field adaptive efficient biomarker. Conclusion: This current study aims to establish PLG and VTN as novel diagnostic and prognostic protein biomarker for MAC and POLY PKDL cases management.
An Advanced Stereo Vision Based Obstacle Detection with a Robust Shadow Removal Technique

This paper presents a robust method to detect obstacles in stereo images using shadow removal technique and color information. Stereo vision based obstacle detection is an algorithm that aims to detect and compute obstacle depth using stereo matching and disparity map. The proposed advanced method is divided into three phases, the first phase is detecting obstacles and removing shadows, the second one is matching and the last phase is depth computing. We propose a robust method for detecting obstacles in stereo images using a shadow removal technique based on color information in HIS space, at the first phase. In this paper we use Normalized Cross Correlation (NCC) function matching with a 5 × 5 window and prepare an empty matching table τ and start growing disparity components by drawing a seed s from S which is computed using canny edge detector, and adding it to τ. In this way we achieve higher performance than the previous works [2,17]. A fast stereo matching algorithm is proposed that visits only a small fraction of disparity space in order to find a semi-dense disparity map. It works by growing from a small set of correspondence seeds. The obstacle identified in phase one which appears in the disparity map of phase two enters to the third phase of depth computing. Finally, experimental results are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed method. Keywords—obstacle detection; stereo vision; shadow removal; color; stereo matching
Regional dynamic signal changes during controlled hyperventilation assessed with blood oxygen level-dependent functional MR imaging.

PURPOSE To quantitate the amplitude changes and temporal dynamics of regional functional MR imaging signals during voluntary hyperventilation using blood oxygen level-dependent contrast echo-planar imaging. METHODS Seven male subjects were studied during voluntary hyperventilation (PetCO2 = 20 mm Hg) regulated by capnometry. Measurements were made on multisection echo-planar MR images obtained with parameters of 1000/66 (repetition time/echo time), flip angle of 30 degrees, and voxel size of 3 x 3 x 5 mm3. Sensitivity of the functional MR imaging signal to changes in PetCO2, time delays in relation to PetCO2 changes, and time constants of functional MR imaging signal changes were assessed on a region-by-region basis. RESULTS Within 20 seconds of starting hyperventilation, rapid and substantial decreases in the functional MR imaging signal (by as much as 10%) were measured in areas of gray matter, which were significantly greater than the modest changes observed in white matter. Regional-specific effects in areas of the frontal, occipital, and parietooccipital cortex were stronger than in subcortical regions or in the cerebellum. Signal decreases measured with functional MR imaging were significantly delayed with respect to the reduction in PetCO2. Apparent differences between regional time constants did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSION Regional and gray-white matter differences in functional MR imaging signal changes during controlled hyperventilation may reflect differences in metabolic activity, vascular regulation, and/or capillary density. When measuring brain activation with functional MR imaging, arterial PCO2 differences due to unregulated respiration may confound interpretation of activation-related functional MR imaging signal changes.
Efficacy and Safety of Combination Treatment for Oculodermal Melanocytosis: Surgical Reduction and Use of 532-nm Q-Switched Nd YAG Laser

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combination treatment using surgical reduction technique and 532-nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser treatment for the removal of oculodermal melanocytosis. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who underwent combination treatment using surgical reduction and 532-nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser for the removal of ocular pigmentation in oculodermal melanocytosis at Asan Medical Center (Seoul, Korea) between January 2009 and January 2013. The safety and cosmetic efficacy of this new surgical strategy were assessed by both patients and observers. Results: Fifty eyes of 47 patients with oculodermal melanocytosis were enrolled. Ocular pigmentation was successfully reduced in all patients, and all patients were satisfied with the cosmetic results at the last visit. Preoperative and postoperative corrected visual acuity, keratometry, and refractive errors did not significantly differ. Postoperative intraocular pressure was significantly reduced (mean change, 2.33 ± 3.54 mm Hg; P = 0.03) at 1 month after surgery. During the follow-up period, no serious adverse events developed other than conjunctival neovascularization and conjunctival inclusion cyst in 5 eyes, respectively. Conclusions: Combination treatment for oculodermal melanocytosis removal seems to be cosmetically satisfactory and safe. This study suggested that combination treatment using surgical technique and 532-nm Q-switched Nd:YAG laser may be helpful for the removal of oculodermal melanocytosis.
Evidence for a Massive Poststarburst Galaxy at z ~ 6.5

We describe results from a search for high-redshift J-band "dropout" galaxies in the portion of the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey (GOODS) southern field that is covered by extremely deep imaging from the Hubble Ultradeep Field (HUDF). Using observations at optical, near-infrared, and mid-infrared wavelengths from the Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes and the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope, we find one particularly remarkable candidate, which we designate HUDF-JD2. Its spectral energy distribution has distinctive features that are consistent with those of a galaxy at z ~ 6.5, observed several hundred million years after a powerful burst of star formation that produced a stellar mass of 6 × 1011 M☉ (for a Salpeter IMF). We interpret a prominent photometric break between the near-infrared and Spitzer bandpasses as the 3646 Å Balmer discontinuity. The best-fitting models have low reddening and ages of several hundred Myr, placing the formation of the bulk of the stars at z > 9. Alternative models of dusty galaxies at z ≈ 2.5 are possible, but provide significantly poorer fits to the photometric data. The object is detected with Spitzer at 24 μm. We consider interpretations of the 24 μm emission as originating either from an obscured active nucleus or from star formation and find that the 24 μm detection does not help to uniquely discriminate between the z = 6.5 and 2.5 alternatives. We present optical and near-infrared spectroscopy that has, thus far, failed to detect any spectral features. This nondetection helps limit the solution in which the galaxy is a starburst or active galaxy at z ≈ 2.5, but does not rule it out. If the high-redshift interpretation is correct, HUDF-JD2 is an example of a galaxy that formed by a process strongly resembling traditional models of monolithic collapse, in which a very large mass of stars formed within a remarkably short period of time, at very high redshift.
Bipolar disorder and Niemann-Pick disease type C.

Mr. A was a 25-year-old man who was hospitalized for behavioral disturbances, including disturbed sleep and appetite, sexualized behavior, and disorientation. Born prematurely, he was diagnosed with jaundice and hepatosplenomegaly. Fibroblast testing confirmed deficient cholesterol esterification and positive filipin staining, and later mutation analysis revealed homozygosity for the I1061T mutation of the NPC1 (Niemann-Pick disease type C) gene. He attended a special educational program and was able to work and participate in musical theater. At age 18, he exhibited early cognitive decline, and at 23, his behavior became disturbed, with periods of increased wakefulness, elation, poor judgment, and disinhibition that lasted 2-3 weeks, every 1-2 months, with interepisode euthymia. At a mental status examination, Mr. A was highly elevated, euphoric, and markedly sexually disinhibited, with sexualized thought content. There were no delusions, formal thought disorder, perceptual abnormalities, or ideas of harm. He was disoriented and distractible, and his judgment was poor. He showed dystonic hand posturing, although his power, reflexes, and sensations were normal. His speech was dysarthric, and he had limited upward and no downward saccades, although his lateral eye movements were preserved. He showed mild hepatosplenomegaly. Magnetic resonance imaging of Mr. A's brain showed mild generalized atrophy, prominent in cerebellar hemispheres and anterior temporal areas. His visual evoked potentials were normal. His full-scale IQ on WAIS-III-R testing was 64. He was diagnosed with bipolar I disorder, with rapid-cycling features. Initiation of sodium valproate, 500 mg b.i. d. , resulted in significant stabilization of his elevated mood, leading to discharge. His improvement was sustained over 18 months of follow-up.
Activity‐dependent receptive field changes in the surround of adult cat visual cortex lesions

Extracellular single cell spike activity was recorded in the visual cortex of anaesthetized adult cats at identical sites before and 2 days after focal excitotoxic lesions induced by injections of ibotenic acid. In the surround of the lesions (up to 5 mm from the border of the lesion), the average postlesion receptive field (RF) sizes were not different from the prelesion RFs. However, RFs of neurons with increased postlesion excitability were slightly enlarged; such neurons were mainly found close to the anterior border of the lesion (≤ 1 mm). After applying a visual training procedure for 1 h to the postlesion RFs (repetitive, synchronous stimulation of a part of the RF and the neighbouring unresponsive part of the visual field), there was a small (0.4–0.8°) but significant and specific increase of RF size in about half of the tested neurons. This RF enlargement was similar to that observed with the same training procedure in the visual cortex of normal cats. Thus, small RF changes can be induced by visual stimulation within one hour in normal cells as well as in cells at the border of cortical lesions. Any differences between normal and lesioned animals appear to be related to lesion‐induced changes of excitability.
Toxocara species egg contamination of soil from children's play areas in southern England

Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati are the most common ascaridoid nematodes of dogs and foxes, and cats, respectively. Both are considered to be causative agents of human toxocarosis ([Gillespie and others 1991][1], [Fisher 2003][2]). The ova of Toxocara species are passed in the faeces of their host
Missense point mutations of tau to segregate with FTDP‐17 exhibit site‐specific effects on microtubule structure in COS cells: A novel action of R406W mutation

Missense and splicing point mutations have been found in the tau gene in families with frontotemporal dementia with parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP‐17). Of these mutations, we examined four exonic missense point mutations (G272V, P301L, V337M and R406W) in 3‐repeat or 4‐repeat tau isoform on the transfection experiment. The effects of two mutations (G272V or P301L) on microtubules were subtle whereas those of two other mutations (V337M or R406W) were dramatically significant when these two mutations were constructed into 3‐repeat tau but not into 4‐repeat tau. The R406W mutation induced an alternation of microtubules to form dotted or fragmented forms retaining colocalization of tau with tubulin whereas the V337M mutation predominantly disrupted microtubule networks and diminished colocalization of tau and tubulin. The effect of the mutations on microtubules were thus site‐dependent and isoform‐dependent. Tau with R406W mutation was found to be colocalized with tubulin without filamentous structures on confocal views, suggesting that the carboxyl region of tau played a different role from tubulin‐binding domain on microtubule assemble. Another abnormal property was identified in tau with R406W mutation that failed to suffer phosphorylation. Thus, diverse effects of tau mutations on microtubules may explain the various clinicopathologies of FTDP‐17 and related tauopathies. J. Neurosci. Res. 60:380–387, 2000 © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A Study on Straight-Line Tracking and Posture Control in Electric Bicycle

The development of automatic control for driving a bicycle is a challenging theme and is expected to be a human assist system. Previously, an acceleration-based method for stabilizing bicycle posture was proposed by the authors. In the experiments with this controller, the posture of the bicycle might be stabilized, but it is impossible to run on the desired trajectory, because there is no consideration with respect to a trajectory control. For the sake of expanding this system into more sophisticated equipment, a realization of the trajectory control for the bicycle is important. From the viewpoint of an assist system for human motion, a unified control of posture and trajectory brings a sophisticated function to a bicycle, and a high-performance bicycle is expected to be a convenient vehicle, similar to a small car. This paper proposes two strategies to stabilize bicycle posture and trajectory control that realizes a straight-line tracking: one is a lateral velocity controller, and the other is a steering function controller. The validity of the proposed approaches is evaluated by simulations and experiments.
Exploring the use of tablets (iPads) with children and young adults with disabilities in Trinidad

Abstract Purpose: This study was conducted to review data gathered during a pilot project which trialed the use of a tablet computer, the iPad. Methods: Students from a segregated special education school and pre-vocational centre, with a wide range of intellectual and physical disabilities, were previously observed participating in 5–10-min introductory learning sessions with the iPad. This study reviewed quantitative and qualitative data collected during these sessions which included data regarding students’ level of engagement and overall ability to learn how to operate the iPad and its applications. Results: Results were positive for level of engagement and ease of use with cause and effect applications. For lower functioning students or students not previously exposed to tablet technology, scores were lower but overall remained high based on the 5-point scaling used in this study. Conclusion: Regular use of tablet technology in the classroom with applications appropriate to the level of ability of the student has the potential to enhance engagement in learning as well as maximise independence in the classroom. Implications for Rehabilitation The iPad has the capacity to be used with learners of all different ability levels if applications are selected appropriately and learners are given equal opportunity to access this type of technology. Enjoyment when using the iPad was high overall and this type of technology has the potential to promote more engagement in the learning process. Many applications are easy to use and progress students through step by step increasing the potential for independent learning in the classroom.