Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Pain and the body schema: Effects of pain severity on mental representations of movement

Previous research suggests that response times for imagined movements provide a sensitive measure of the integrity of the motor system. In a group of 12 patients with chronic unilateral arm pain, the authors demonstrate that response times for imagined movements are influenced by the severity of pain. Simulated large-amplitude arm movements were slower for the painful as compared with the unaffected arms before, but not after, effective music therapy entrainment, suggesting that mental representations of movement are influenced by the current state of nociceptive feedback.
Service Learning in Life-Span Developmental Psychology: Higher Exam Scores and Increased Empathy

This article describes research conducted to evaluate the impact of service learning on exam scores and emotional empathy in a life-span development course. Service learning was 1 of 3 project options offered in the course; others included an interview project and a research paper. With the exception of the first exam, scores were significantly higher for the service-learning students compared to those who completed other projects. In addition, only the service-learning group demonstrated a significant increase in emotional empathy as measured by the Emotional Empathetic Tendency Scale (EETS; Mehrabian & Epstein, 1972). I discuss the results in terms of the relations among practical experience, reflection, and emotional empathy.
Mouse models of impaired fear memory exhibit deficits in amygdalar LTP

Inbred mouse strains have different genetic backgrounds that can result in impairments of synaptic plasticity and memory. They are valuable models for probing the mechanisms of memory impairments. We examined fear memory in several inbred strains, along with synaptic plasticity that may underlie fear memory. Long‐term potentiation (LTP) is a form of activity‐dependent synaptic plasticity that is a candidate cellular mechanism for some forms of learning and memory. Strains with impaired contextual or cued fear memory may have selective LTP deficits in different hippocampal subregions, or in the amygdala. We measured fear memory and its extinction in five inbred strains: C57BL/6NCrlBR (B6), A/J, BALB/cByJ (BALB), C57BL/10J (B10), and SM/J (SM). We also measured LTP in the basolateral amygdala and in the hippocampal Schaeffer collateral–commissural (SC) and medial perforant pathways (MPP). All strains exhibited intact contextual fear memory 24 h post‐training, but cued fear memory was impaired in strains A/J, BALB, and SM. At 1 h post‐training, both contextual and cued fear memory deficits were more widespread: all strains except for B6 and B10 showed impairments of both types of memory. Contextual fear extinction was impaired in BALB and SM. We found that amygdalar LTP was reduced in strains A/J and BALB, but SC LTP was intact in all strains (except for a selective multi‐train LTP impairment in BALB). MPPLTP was similar in all five strains. Thus, reduced amygdalar LTP is correlated with impaired cued fear memory in strains A/J and BALB. Also, hippocampal SC LTP is more strongly correlated with 24‐h (long‐term) than with 1‐h (short‐term) contextual fear memory. In this first conjoint study of amygdala‐dependent memory and amygdalar LTP in inbred mice, we identified specific hippocampal and amygdalar LTP deficits that correlate with fear memory impairments. These deficits should be considered when selecting inbred strains for genetic modification. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Online compressive diagnosis of massive MIMO calibration state

With hundreds of antennas at one single base station (BS), it is critical to take full advantage of time-division duplexing (TDD) channel reciprocity to learn the downlink (DL) channel state information (CSI) from the uplink (UL) channel measurements at the BS. However, due to different radio frequency branches for transmitting and receiving, calibrating the antenna array at the BS is a necessary and prerequisite task to effect this reciprocity between the end-to-end DL and UL channels. This calibration procedure becomes extremely challenging in massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) since all the existing calibration approaches do not scale well with the size of the antenna array. To release all the potentials promised by massive MIMO, we rely on compressive sensing theory to develop an efficient and robust way to diagnose the massive antenna array and further restore the full calibration at the BS without service interruption. The diagnosis only requires CSI feedback in the amount of O(log N) instead of O(N) as required by those conventional calibration schemes. Extensive simulations demonstrate our approach can maintain the whole large scale antenna system in a "calibrated" state with only limited amount of feedback overhead. The proposed novel scheme thus allows us to make full use of the channel reciprocity in massive MIMO under TDD operation.
Biomarkers of Kidney Injury Biomarkers of Acute Kidney Injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in dogs and cats and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Serum creatinine is the most commonly utilized marker for renal function, but is neither sensitive nor specific for early detection of renal injury. Therefore, there is a need for sensitive renal biomarkers that will facilitate the diagnosis of early kidney injury. Early detection of AKI will enable timely intervention and thus is expected to improve the outcome. Renal biomarkers may also aid in assessing the severity of the disease, indicate repair processes and predict the outcome. It is unlikely though, that a single biomarker will provide all this information,but rather an array of biomarkers will have to be used. This paper reviews the main biomarkers currently under investigation in veterinary medicine, including their advantages and limitations.
Effects of the hippo signaling pathway in human gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM The Hippo signaling pathway is a newly discovered and conserved signaling cascade, which regulates organ size control by governing cell proliferation and apoptosis. This study aimed to investigate its effects in human gastric cancer. METHODS Tumor tissues (n=60), adjacent non-tumor tissues (n=60) and normal tissues (n=60) were obtained from the same patients with primary gastric cancer (GC). In addition, 70 samples of chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) tissues were obtained from patients with intestinal metaplasia (IM) by endoscopic biopsy. Hippo signaling molecules, including Mst1, Lats1, YAP1, TAZ, TEAD1, Oct4 and CDX2, were determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Protein expression of Mst1, Lats1, YAP1, TEAD1 and CDX2 was assessed by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. RESULTS Mst1, Lats1 and Oct4 mRNA expression showed an increasing tendency from GC tissues to normal gastric tissues, while the mRNA expression of YAP1, TAZ and TEAD1 was up-regulated (all P<0.01). Mst1 and Lats1 protein expression presented a similar trend with their mRNA expression. In addition, YAP1 and TEAD1 protein expression in GC was significantly higher than in the other groups (all P<0.01). CDX2 mRNA and protein expression in the CAG group were higher than in the other groups (all P<0.01). In GC, mRNA expression of Mst1, Lats1, Oct4, YAP1, TAZ, TEAD1 and CDX2 had a close correlation with lymphatic metastasis and tumor TNM stage (all P<0.01). Furthermore, protein expression of Mst1, Lats1 ,YAP1, TAZ, TEAD1 and CDX2 had a close correlation between each other (P<0.05). CONCLUSION The Hippo signaling pathway is involved in the development, progression and metastasis of human gastric cancer. Therefore, manipulation of Hippo signaling molecules may be a potential therapeutic strategy for gastric cancer.
Pharmacokinetics and Preliminary Safety Study of Pod-Intravaginal Rings Delivering Antiretroviral Combinations for HIV Prophylaxis in a Macaque Model

ABSTRACT Preexposure prophylaxis using oral regimens involving the HIV nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) and emtricitabine (FTC) demonstrated efficacy in three clinical trials. Adherence was determined to be a key parameter for success. Incorporation of the TDF-FTC combination into intravaginal rings (IVRs) for sustained mucosal delivery could increase product adherence and efficacy compared with those of oral and vaginal gel formulations. A novel pod-IVR technology capable of delivering multiple drugs is described; this constitutes the first report of an IVR delivering TDF and FTC, as well as a triple-combination IVR delivering TDF, FTC, and the entry inhibitor maraviroc (MVC). The pharmacokinetics and preliminary local safety of the two combination pod-IVRs were evaluated in the pig-tailed macaque model. The devices exhibited sustained release at controlled rates over the 28-day study period. Median steady-state drug levels in vaginal tissues in the TDF-FTC group were 30 μg g−1 (tenofovir [TFV], in vivo hydrolysis product of TDF) and 500 μg g−1 (FTC) and in the TDF-FTC-MVC group were 10 μg g−1 (TFV), 150 μg g−1 (FTC), and 20 μg g−1 (MVC). No adverse events were observed, and there were no toxicological findings. Mild-to-moderate increases in inflammatory infiltrates were observed in the vaginal tissues of some animals in both the presence and the absence of the IVRs. The IVRs did not disturb the vaginal microbiota, and levels of proinflammatory cytokines remained stable throughout the study. Pod-IVR candidates based on the TDF-FTC combination have potential for the prevention of vaginal HIV acquisition and merit clinical investigation.
Matched Pair Testing of Injury Potential in Repeatable Rollover Tests With the CRIS and JRS

The availability of repeatable dynamic rollover fixtures, like the Controlled Rollover Impact System (CRIS) and Jordan Rollover System (JRS), has changed the face of rollover structural and occupant protection development and evaluation. Tests performed with these devices have demonstrated scientific principles of occupant protection and injury potential which were previously resolvable only by expert rhetoric. Matched-pair experiments with instrumentation measuring dynamic roof crush and dummy injury metrics are now possible. The effectiveness of occupant protection features such as padding, window curtain airbags, belt pretensioners and headrests are qualitatively and quantitatively measureable. The sensitivity of rollover parameters themselves and their effect on injury potential can be determined by tests with different roll rates, pitch angles, impact angles and drop heights. Simulating injury potential to humans with ultimately biofidelic dummy musculature can also be demonstrated. This paper presents two matched pair test sets performed on the CRIS and two matched pair test sets performed on the JRS. The matched pair test sets performed on the CRIS compare the dummy injury measures in reinforced and production versions of the 1998 Ford Crown Victoria and the 1996 Chevrolet Blazer. The CRIS test of the matched pair Crown Victoria vehicles has been presented previously in a paper by Moffatt et al [1]. The matched pair tests that were performed on the JRS were conducted to study the effect of a reinforced roof on dummy injury measures. These tests, performed on production and reinforced versions of the 1998 Ford Explorer and the 1999 Hyundai Sonata, included the measurements of road loads, roof crush and crush speed, dummy upper and lower neck loads, belt loads, as well as the movement of the vehicle during the test.
Quality of life measurement in patients with transfusion‐dependent myelodysplastic syndromes

Summary. The myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are clonal disorders characterized by dysplasia in at least two myeloid cell lines. Fatigue is one of the most significant symptoms. MDS patients are treated with blood transfusions to improve their health‐related quality of life (HRQoL). A cross‐sectional pilot study was performed for psychometric evaluation of three internationally established HRQoL measures in MDS patients, and for investigation of the association between the severity of chronic anaemia and HRQoL. Fifty consecutive MDS patients completed the Short Form 36, the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory and the EuroQoL‐5D Visual Analogue Scale. Hb level was measured during the same visit. Psychometric analysis focused on feasibility, construct validity and reliability. The questionnaires showed a high feasibility, reliability and validity. MDS patients had worse HRQoL scores than the age‐ and sex‐matched general population. We found a positive correlation between haemoglobin (Hb) level and HRQoL. This study provides insights into the suitability of established HRQoL measures for the evaluation of interventions in MDS patients. Hb value and HRQoL are complementary variables for evaluation of the severity of chronic anaemia in patients with MDS.
Prosody reflects semantic integration in sentence production

Semantic integration, the degree of conceptual linkage between elements within an utterance, has been hypothesized to influence the timing of planning of elements within a phrase, such that highly semantically integrated elements are planned with more overlap than less integrated elements (Gillespie & Pearlmutter, 2011; Solomon & Pearlmutter, 2004). But the evidence that integration affects the temporal separation of less integrated elements has been indirect. Word durations and the presence of prosodic breaks were examined in spoken responses from two agreement error elicitation studies that manipulated semantic integration (Gillespie & Pearlmutter, 2011, Exp. 2; Solomon & Pearlmutter, 2004, Exp. 4) to determine whether decreased semantic integration was associated with increased prosodic separation. All analyses provided evidence that speakers were more likely to prosodically separate elements that were weakly semantically integrated compared to items that were more strongly semantically integrated. These findings strengthen the hypothesis that prosodic timing may, at least in part, reflect underlying planning processes in sentence production.
Posttransplantation Encapsulating Peritoneal Sclerosis Contributes Significantly to Mortality after Kidney Transplantation

Encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) is a severe complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD) and may present after kidney transplantation, a condition known as posttransplantation EPS. The prevalence and impact of posttransplantation EPS on survival after kidney transplantation is unknown. From January 1, 1996 until July 1, 2007, 1241 PD patients were transplanted. Thirty‐eight cases of posttransplantation EPS (3%) were identified from the Dutch multicenter EPS study. In EPS patients the mean pretransplant dialysis duration was longer than in the controls (71.4 ± 37.5 months vs. 34.7 ± 25.5, p < 0.0001). The majority of EPS cases were observed within the first 2 years after transplantation, but some cases appeared many years after transplantation.
Effects of the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium fundyense on the copepod Acartia hudsonica: a test of the mechanisms that reduce ingestion rates

Reduced grazing on harmful algal bloom species has been attributed to both the feed- ing deterrence and toxicity of the algae. Both toxic and deterrent effects of dinoflagellates of the genus Alexandrium, which contain toxins that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning, have been re- ported on different copepod species. We examined how toxin-containing Alexandrium fundyense affected ingestion rates of 2 geographically distinct Acartia hudsonica (Copepoda: Calanoida) popu- lations over short timescales. The copepod population from Great Bay, New Jersey, has never been exposed to blooms of toxic A. fundyense, whereas the population from Casco Bay, Maine, has expe- rienced regular blooms of the highly toxic dinoflagellate for decades. Our goals were to examine the mechanisms by which toxin-containing Alexandrium reduced the ingestion rates of copepods and determine whether the mechanisms were related to the exposure history of copepod populations. Copepods were fed, for 48 h durations, sole diets of toxin-containing A. fundyense, non-toxin con- taining Alexandrium tamarense and the green flagellate Tetraselmis sp. (not known to have toxic effects) and different mixtures of each (70% Alexandrium/30% Tetraselmis sp., 40/60, 20/80). Changes in ingestion rates over time were determined by measuring ingestion at different time inter- vals (3, 6, 12, 24, 48 h) over the 48 h period using 3 h incubations. The naive copepods from New Jer- sey initially ingested toxin-containing A. fundyense, in both sole and mixed diets, at high rates fol- lowed by decreases in ingestion over time. By 24 h, their total ingestion rates were near zero. The decreases in ingestion rates, which were not due to prey selection, were also accompanied by reduced respiration rates. In contrast, none of these effects were observed when the New Jersey copepods fed on non-toxic A. tamarense. Additionally, feeding rates of historically exposed copepods from Maine were not affected by the toxin-containing A. fundyense diets. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that toxic A. fundyense physiologically incapacitated the copepods from New Jersey but not those from Maine. Such toxic effects, as opposed to deterrence effects, can have profound implications on the grazers' ability to control harmful algal blooms.
Predictors and Outcome of Aftercare Participation of Alcohol and Drug Users Completing Residential Treatment

This study attempts to identify factors associated with greater aftercare participation for 367 adults who completed abstinence-based residential addiction treatment between and at Bellwood Health Services in Toronto, Canada. Pre-treatment substance use, number of days spent in residential treatment, motivation, treatment satisfaction, and demographics were used to determine which characteristics predicted greater aftercare participation. The duration of residential treatment and treatment satisfaction emerged as significant predictors of aftercare attendance. Regular aftercare attendance was associated with lower levels of substance use at 6-month follow-up. Results suggest that a longer duration of residential treatment can influence continuing care engagement and highlight the importance of initial treatment retention for long-term recovery.
Bone Mineral Density of the Lumbar Spine in Children and Adolescents With Celiac Disease on a Gluten-Free Diet in São Paulo, Brazil

Background To compare bone mineral density (BMD) in children and adolescents with celiac disease (CD) and control subjects and to evaluate diet adequacy and calcium metabolism in patients with CD. Methods Thirty patients with asymptomatic CD (17 children, 13 adolescents), on a gluten-free diet, and 23 healthy subjects were studied. BMD of the lumbar spine (dual energy x-ray absorptiometry) was performed on all patients and control subjects. In patients, food diaries for nine nonconsecutive days were obtained and analyzed. In patients, laboratory tests pertaining to calcium balance were obtained. Results The mean weight and height of the adolescents with CD were lower than those of control subjects (weight: 45.8 ± 10.5 kg v 55.3 ± 10.5 kg, P = 0.037; height: 153.0 ± 11.0 cm v 167 ± 12.0 cm, P = 0.007). The mean BMD in adolescents with CD was significantly lower than that of the control subjects (0.917 ± 0.116 g/cm2v 1.060 ± 0.158 g/cm2, P = 0.015), whereas no significant difference was found between children with CD and control subjects (P = 0.595). A multiple-regression model shows that increases in BMD relative to height were lower in adolescents with CD than in control subjects. The proportion of adolescents who had started a gluten-free diet after 2 years of age was higher than that of children with CD (P < 0.001). High percentages of magnesium, calcium, and phosphorous deficiencies were present in CD patients' diets. The serum levels of ionized and total calcium and parathormone were normal. Conclusions The BMD of adolescents with CD was lower than that of the control subjects, whereas no difference was found between the BMD of children with CD and that of control subjects.
Safety, tolerability, and efficacy of everolimus in de novo liver transplant recipients: 12‐ and 36‐month results

Everolimus is a macrolide immunosuppressive agent with known consistent absorption. In this double‐blind study, we examined the safety and tolerability of everolimus vs. placebo in de novo liver transplant recipients. One hundred and nineteen liver allograft recipients were randomized to 1 of 4 groups: everolimus 0.5 mg bid, everolimus 1.0 mg bid, everolimus 2 mg bid, or placebo. Patients received oral cyclosporine to achieve a target trough level of 150‐400 ng/mL in combination with prednisone. Primary and secondary endpoints of safety, tolerability, and efficacy were determined at 12 months, and patients were followed through 36 months. There was a trend toward fewer treated acute rejections in the everolimus group than in the placebo group: everolimus 0.5 mg: 39.3%; everolimus 1.0 mg: 30.0%; everolimus 2 mg: 29.0%; placebo: 40.0% (P = not significant). Adverse events were higher in everolimus‐treated patients especially at the 4‐mg/day dose, but there was no difference in the incidence of thrombocytopenia or leukopenia between all groups and renal function as determined by serum creatinine, and creatinine clearance remained stable to 36 months in everolimus‐treated patients. Mean cholesterol and triglycerides increased from baseline in all treatment groups, and maximum levels were seen at 6 months. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that everolimus in combination with oral cyclosporine had an acceptable safety and tolerability profile, paving the way for additional studies in this transplant indication. Liver Transpl, 2006. © 2006 AASLD.
Proteome analysis on an early transformed human bronchial epithelial cell line, BEP2D, after α‐particle irradiation

To probe the mechanism of carcinogenesis of lung cancer at the molecular level and to find potential protein markers involved in the early phase of tumorgenesis, differential proteome analysis on primary passage cell line R15H, and early transformed cell line R15H20 derived from 238Pu α‐particle irradiation of human papillomavirus (HPV) 18‐immortalized human bronchial epithelial cell line (BEP2D), was carried out using two‐dimensional electrophoresis (2‐DE) and peptide mass fingerprinting (PMF) with matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionisation‐time of flight mass spectrometry. Image analysis and Student's t‐test (p < 0.05) showed that three protein spots were only expressed in R15H, intensities of 43 protein spots on the gels were altered between R15H and R15H20. Two of the three spots that were only expressed in R15H were identified as high mobility group protein 1. Two proteins decreased in abundance in R15H20 were identified as maspin precursor, a tumor suppressor and aminoacylase‐1. Ornithine aminotransferase and peptidyl‐prolyl cis‐trans isomerase A that were increased in R15H20, were also identified. Relationships between these differentially expressed proteins and the carcinogenesis mechanism of lung cancer are discussed. The protein expression profile of the R15H cell line was also constructed during the study as a reference map for further comparative proteome analysis of the irradiation induced BEP2D cell line. Of the 90 spots analyzed with PMF in the 2‐DE gel of R15H cell line, 50 proteins were identified by searching the nonredundant protein database SWISS‐PROT/TrEMBL.