Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estimating the Minimal Clinically Important Difference of an Upper Extremity Recovery Measure in Subacute Stroke Patients

Abstract Background: The minimal clinically important difference (MCID) estimates of some of the stroke-related measures are available; but MCID of the Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) measure is unknown, which limits the application and interpretation of change scores in poststroke patients with motor deficits. Objective: To estimate the MCID of the FMA-UE (upper extremity) using the modified Rankin scale (mRS) and global rating of patient-perceived changes (GRPPC) in subacute poststroke patients. Methods: The prospective, cohort study took place in the neurology department of a university hospital. Seventy-one subacute poststroke (mean duration, 8.42 weeks) patients were prospectively enrolled in a randomized clinical trial of the ongoing Meaningful Task Specific Training (MTST). FMA-UE, mRS, and GRPPC scores were obtained at pre- and 4 weeks postintervention. Results: The MCID values of FMA-UE were 9 (80.39% sensitive and 70% specific) and 10 (97.62% sensitive and 89.66% specific) anchored to mRS and GRPPC, respectively. Conclusions: The estimated MCID score for the upper extremity motor recovery among patients with subacute stroke is 9 to 10 on the FMA-UE. Patients with subacute stroke who achieve a score of 9 to 10 on FMA-UE are more likely to experience or perceive a meaningful and clinically important improvement in their disability level than those who do not. The reference value can be used to develop goals and interpret progress in subacute poststroke patients.
Complications associated with image-guided gastrostomy and gastrojejunostomy tubes in children.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the complications associated with the image-guided insertion of gastrostomy (G) and gastrojejunostomy (GJ) tubes in children, performed by the retrograde percutaneous route. METHODS A convenience sample of 208 charts of 840 patients recorded as having G and/or GJ tubes placed by the interventional radiology service in a 4-year period (1995-1999) at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, were selected for review. Complications were categorized as major (including subcutaneous abscess, peritonitis, septicemia, gastrointestinal bleeding, and death) or minor. RESULTS In total, 253 tubes (208 G tubes, 41 GJ tubes, 4 G and GJ tubes) were placed in the 208 patients reviewed. The median age at the time of insertion was 15 months (range: 7 days-18 years). The most common diagnostic category was neurologic disease (47%). The main indications for tube insertion were recorded as failure to thrive (57%) and risk of aspiration (47%). Major complications were seen in 5% of patients. Peritonitis was noted in 3%, and there was 1 death related to tube insertion (0.4%). Minor complications were found in 73% of patients, including tube dislodgement (37%), tube leakage (25%), and G-tube site skin infection (25%). GJ tubes had a higher rate than G tubes of obstruction, migration, dislodgement, leakage, and intussusception. Site infection, gastroesophageal reflux, and bleeding from the site were seen less frequently in patients with GJ tubes compared with G tubes. CONCLUSION G and GJ tubes placed by the image-guided retrograde percutaneous method are associated with a wide range of complications. The majority of these are minor and are predominantly related to tube maintenance, but major complications, including death, do occur.
Cardiac rehabilitation in very old patients: data from the Italian Survey on Cardiac Rehabilitation-2008 (ISYDE-2008)--official report of the Italian Association for Cardiovascular Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Epidemiology.

BACKGROUND Using data from the Italian SurveY on carDiac rEhabilitation-2008 (ISYDE-2008), this study provides insight into the level of implementation of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in very old cardiac patients. METHODS Data from 165 CR units were collected online from January 28 to February 10, 2008. RESULTS The study cohort consisted of 2,281 patients (66.9 ± 11.8 years): 1,714 (62.4 ± 9.6 years, 78% male) aged<75 years and 567 aged ≥ 75 years (80.8 ± 4.5 years, 59% male). Compared with adults, a higher percentage of older patients were referred to CR programs after cardiac surgery or acute heart failure and showed more acute phase complications and comorbidity. Older patients were less likely discharged to home, more likely transferred to nursing homes, or discharged with social networks activation. Older patients had higher death rate during CR programs (odds ratio = 4.6; 95% confidence interval = 1.6-12.9; p = .004). CONCLUSION The ISYDE-2008 survey provided a detailed snapshot of CR in very old cardiac patients.
Relationship between Finger Movement Rate and Functional Magnetic Resonance Signal Change in Human Primary Motor Cortex

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) is a noninvasive technique for mapping regional brain changes in response to sensory, motor, or cognitive activation tasks. Interpretation of these activation experiments may be confounded by more elementary task parameters, such as stimulus presentation or movement rates. We examined the effect of movement rate on the FMRI response recorded from the contralateral primary motor cortex. Four right-handed healthy subjects performed flexion-extension movements of digits 2–5 of the right hand at rates of 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 Hz. Results of this study indicated a positive linear relationship between movement rate and FMRI signal change. Additionally, the number of voxels demonstrating functional activity increased significantly with faster movement rates. The magnitude of the signal change at each movement rate remained constant over the course of three 8-min scanning series. These findings are similar to those of previous rate studies of the visual and auditory system performed with positron emission tomography (PET) and FMRI.
Differential effects of viral silencing suppressors on siRNA and miRNA loading support the existence of two distinct cellular pools of ARGONAUTE1

Following an investigation conducted by the The EMBO Journal, the corresponding authors were alerted of several image irregularities found in this paper. These are detailed below. • Figures 3, S1 and S2A: The rRNA loading control depicted for these three figures (originating from the same membrane probed and stripped multiple times) is not the cognate one: it corresponds to a loading control mistakenly reused from a previous publication of our group (Nat Genet 39: 848–856, 2007). Source data for these figure panels are displayed below. • Figure S2B: A divider should have been added to clearly indicate splicing of the original blot made to remove one of the two HC samples present on this blot. Source data relevant to this figure are displayed below. Note that source data for the @822 probe were not available, but a source data image of the same membrane hybridized to the @171 probe is displayed alongside a replicate experiment with the @822 probe. • Figure S3: Dividers should have been added to clearly indicate splicing of the original blots. In addition, incorrect splicing of the total RNA blots for @255 and @TAS3 led to a duplicated band mistakenly used for the final figure. Source data for this figure are displayed below. • Figure 5A (@AGO1 blot): Background duplication was inserted during image editing to cover handwriting present on the original blot. Source data for this figure are displayed below. • Figure 5B (@CHS blot): Background duplication was inserted during image editing to cover handwriting present on the original blot. In addition, the rRNA loading control is not the cognate one and includes two sets of duplicated bands. Source data for this figure are displayed below.
Long‐term inflammatory response to liquid injectable silicone, cartilage, and silicone sheet

To show and compare the long‐term inflammatory responses to subdermal microdroplet injections of 1,000 centistoke (cS) and 5,000 cS liquid injectable silicone (LIS), and to assess the applicability of insulin pen as an alternative LIS delivery device in an animal model.
ROS of Distinct Sources and Salicylic Acid Separate Elevated CO2-Mediated Stomatal Movements in Arabidopsis

Elevated CO2 (eCO2) often reduces leaf stomatal aperture and density thus impacts plant physiology and productivity. We have previously demonstrated that the Arabidopsis BIG protein distinguishes between the processes of eCO2-induced stomatal closure and eCO2-inhibited stomatal opening. However, the mechanistic basis of this action is not fully understood. Here we show that eCO2-elicited reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in big mutants was compromised in stomatal closure induction but not in stomatal opening inhibition. Pharmacological and genetic studies show that ROS generated by both NADPH oxidases and cell wall peroxidases contribute to eCO2-induced stomatal closure, whereas inhibition of light-induced stomatal opening by eCO2 may rely on the ROS derived from NADPH oxidases but not from cell wall peroxidases. As with JA and ABA, SA is required for eCO2-induced ROS generation and stomatal closure. In contrast, none of these three signals has a significant role in eCO2-inhibited stomatal opening, unveiling the distinct roles of plant hormonal signaling pathways in the induction of stomatal closure and the inhibition of stomatal opening by eCO2. In conclusion, this study adds SA to a list of plant hormones that together with ROS from distinct sources distinguish two branches of eCO2-mediated stomatal movements.
Morphological processing during visual word recognition in developing readers: Evidence from masked priming

Masked priming studies with adult readers have provided evidence for a form-based morpho-orthographic segmentation mechanism that “blindly” decomposes any word with the appearance of morphological complexity. The present studies investigated whether evidence for structural morphological decomposition can be obtained with developing readers. We used a masked primed lexical decision design first adopted by Rastle, Davis, and New (2004), comparing truly suffixed (golden–GOLD) and pseudosuffixed (mother–MOTH) prime–target pairs with nonsuffixed controls (spinach–SPIN). Experiment 1 tested adult readers, showing that priming from both pseudo- and truly suffixed primes could be obtained using our own set of high-frequency word materials. Experiment 2 assessed a group of Year 3 and Year 5 children, but priming only occurred when prime and target shared a true morphological relationship, and not when the relationship was pseudomorphological. This pattern of results indicates that morpho-orthographic decomposition mechanisms do not become automatized until a relatively late stage in reading development.
Changes in prenatal care timing and low birth weight by race and socioeconomic status: implications for the Medicaid expansions for pregnant women.

OBJECTIVE To conduct the first national study that assesses whether the Medicaid expansions for pregnant women, legislated by Congress over a decade ago, met the policy objectives of improved access to care and birth outcomes for poor and near-poor women. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING Data on 8.1 million births using the 1980, 1986, and 1993 National Natality Files. We use births from all areas of the United States except California, Texas, Washington, and upstate New York. METHODS We conduct a before and after analysis that compares obstetrical outcomes by race and socioeconomic status for the periods 1980-86 and 1986-93. We examine whether women of low socioeconomic status showed greater improvements in outcomes during the 1986-93 period compared to the 1980-86 period. We analyze two obstetrical outcomes: the rate of late initiation of prenatal care and the rate of low birth weight. DATA COLLECTION Natality data were aggregated to race, socioeconomic status, age, and parity groups. RESULTS During the 1986-93 period, rates of late initiation of prenatal care decreased by 6.0 to 7.8 percentage points beyond changes estimated for the 1980-86 period for both white and African American women of low socioeconomic status. For some white women of low socioeconomic status, the rate of low birth weight was reduced by 0.26 to 0.37 percentage points between 1986 and 1993 relative to the earlier period. Other white women of low socioeconomic status and all African American women of low socioeconomic status showed no relative improvement in the rate of low birth weight during the 1986-93 period. CONCLUSIONS The expansions in Medicaid lead to significant improvements in prenatal care utilization among women of low socioeconomic status. The emerging lesson from the Medicaid expansions, however, is that increased access to primary care is not adequate if the goal is to narrow the gap in newborn health between poor and nonpoor populations.
Risk factors for invasive pneumococcal disease in children: a population-based case-control study in North America.

OBJECTIVE To identify risk factors for invasive pneumococcal disease, including penicillin-resistant infections, among children 2 to 59 months of age. DESIGN Case-control study. PARTICIPANTS Patients with invasive pneumococcal infections identified by population-based surveillance (n = 187) and controls identified through random-digit telephone dialing (n = 280). OUTCOME MEASURES Invasive pneumococcal disease was defined as isolation of Streptococcus pneumoniae from a normally sterile site. Patients 2 to 59 months of age who were residents of one of four active surveillance areas were included. S pneumoniae isolates were tested by broth microdilution. Isolates with a minimum inhibitory concentration to penicillin >/=2 microg/mL were considered resistant. RESULTS Invasive pneumococcal disease was strongly associated with underlying disease and with day care attendance in the previous 3 months. Among 2- to 11-month-olds, current breastfeeding was associated with a decreased likelihood of invasive pneumococcal disease (odds ratio, 0.27; 95% confidence interval: 0.08, 0.90). Penicillin-resistant infections were independently associated with day care attendance, at least one course of antibiotics, and at least one ear infection in the previous 3 months. CONCLUSIONS This study shows the association of underlying illnesses, day care attendance, and lack of breastfeeding with risk of invasive pneumococcal disease in children. The association of recent antibiotic use and infection with penicillin-resistant S pneumoniae highlights the need to avoid unnecessary antibiotic use in children.
The psychosocial functioning of children and spouses of adults with ADHD.

BACKGROUND It is unclear what the impact of parental ADHD is on the day-to-day life of the rest of the family and how it contributes to the intergenerational transmission of this disorder. METHOD The psychosocial functioning of 23 spouses and 63 children of 33 families with an ADHD parent and 20 spouses and 40 children of 26 comparison families was examined. Both adults and their spouses were assessed for lifetime and current Axis I and Axis II diagnoses, present general psychiatric symptoms and their marital relationships. Children were screened for ADHD and other problems, using the C-DISC, CBLC, TRF and the Social Adjustment Inventory. RESULTS Children with an ADHD parent had higher rates of psychopathology than those from comparison families. Children with ADHD had more co-morbidities than non-ADHD children. Family and marital functions were impaired in ADHD families regardless of the gender of the affected parent. Children without ADHD from families with one psychiatrically healthy parent did well while the behaviour of children with ADHD was always poor and not associated with parental mental health. CONCLUSION The results underscore the strong genetic contribution to ADHD and the need to carefully assess the non-ADHD parent as they seem to influence the well-being of non-ADHD children in families with an ADHD parent.
Workplace Changes Associated with a Reduction in Musculoskeletal Symptoms in Office Workers

The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with reductions observed in musculoskeletal symptoms when office workers were moved to a new building. A questionnaire including items regarding symptoms and aspects of the work environment was administered to 577 office workers before and after they were moved from nine buildings to a single new facility in 1992. Employees working in two reference buildings, where they remained throughout the study period, were also surveyed. Two musculoskeletal outcomes, hand/arm and neck/shoulder/back, were selected for study. In matched multivariate analyses, the reduction in hand/arm symptoms from 1992 to 1993 was associated with improved satisfaction with the physical workstation (odds ratio [OR] = 2.0); the reduction in neck/shoulder/back symptoms was associated with improved chair comfort (OR = 1.8), fewer housekeeping responsibilities (OR = 3.6), female gender (OR = 1.8), and low pay range (OR = 1.7). Longitudinal results suggested that changes in workstations resulted in decreased symptoms. Results of this investigation might be used to develop workplace changes that result in reductions of musculoskeletal disorders
Mesenchymal stem cells from the Wharton's jelly of umbilical cord segments provide stromal support for the maintenance of cord blood hematopoietic stem cells during long‐term ex vivo culture

BACKGROUND: Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are routinely obtained from marrow, mobilized peripheral blood, and umbilical cord blood. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are traditionally isolated from marrow. Bone marrow–derived MSCs (BM‐MSCs) have previously demonstrated their ability to act as a feeder layer in support of ex vivo cord blood expansion. However, the use of BM‐MSCs to support the growth, differentiation, and engraftment of cord blood may not be ideal for transplant purposes. Therefore, the potential of MSCs from a novel source, the Wharton's jelly of umbilical cords, to act as stromal support for the long‐term culture of cord blood HSC was evaluated.
Circulating Catecholamines and Cardiorespiratory Responses in Hypoxic Lungfish (Protopterus dolloi): A Comparison of Aquatic and Aerial Hypoxia

Circulating catecholamine levels and a variety of cardiorespiratory variables were monitored in cannulated bimodally breathing African lungfish (Protopterus dolloi) exposed to aquatic or aerial hypoxia. Owing to the purported absence of external branchial chemoreceptors in lungfish and the minor role played by the gill in O2 uptake, it was hypothesized that plasma catecholamine levels would increase only during exposure of fish to aerial hypoxia. The rapid induction of aquatic hypoxia (final PWo2 = 25.9 ± 1.6 mmHg) did not affect the levels of adrenaline (A) or noradrenaline (NA) within the plasma. Similarly, none of the measured cardiorespiratory variables—including heart rate (fH), blood pressure, air‐breathing frequency (fV), O2 consumption (Mo2), CO2 excretion (Mco2), or blood gases—were influenced by acute aquatic hypoxia. In contrast, however, the rapid induction of aerial hypoxia (inspired Po2 = 46.6 ± 3.3 mmHg) caused a marked increase in the circulating levels of A (from 7.9 ± 2.0 to 18.8 ± 6.1 nmol L−1) and NA (from 7.7 ± 2.2 to 19.7 ± 6.3 nmol L−1) that was accompanied by significant deceases in Mo2, arterial Po2 (Pao2), and arterial O2 concentration (Cao2). Air‐breathing frequency was increased (by approximately five breaths per hour) during aerial hypoxia and presumably contributed to the observed doubling of pulmonary Mco2 (from 0.25 ± 0.04 to 0.49 ± 0.07 mmol kg−1 h−1); fH and blood pressure were unaffected by aerial hypoxia. An in situ perfused heart preparation was used to test the possibility that catecholamine secretion from cardiac chromaffin cells was being activated by a direct localized effect of hypoxia. Catecholamine secretion from the chromaffin cells of the heart, while clearly responsive to a depolarizing concentration of KCl (60 mmol L−1), was unaffected by the O2 status of the perfusion fluid. The results of this study demonstrate that P. dolloi is able to mobilize stored catecholamines and increase fV during exposure to aerial hypoxia while remaining unresponsive to aquatic hypoxia. Thus, unlike in exclusively water‐breathing teleosts, P. dolloi would appear to rely solely on internal/airway O2 chemoreceptors for initiating catecholamine secretion and cardiorespiratory responses.
Galactomannan in bronchoalveolar lavage for diagnosing invasive fungal disease.

RATIONALE Invasive fungal disease (IFD) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. OBJECTIVES We hypothesize that galactomannan (GM), a component of fungal cell wall, as measured in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) might be a diagnostic adjunct in hematologic malignancies. METHODS A total of 568 hematologic cases undergoing diagnostic bronchoscopy because of respiratory symptoms and/or suspected IFD between 2009 and 2013 at a tertiary care center in Switzerland were included in this prospective, observational cohort study. We compared accuracy of the BAL GM ELISA determination in predicting IFD as classified by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Invasive Fungal Infections Cooperative Group (EORTC/MSG) definition. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS BAL GM was positive in 155 cases (29.2%). According to the EORTC/MSG criteria, IFD was classified as possible in 182 (34.3%), probable in 45 (8.5%), and proved in six (1.1%). BAL GM provided 50% sensitivity, 73.0% specificity, 16% positive predictive value, and 93% negative predictive value for diagnosing proven+probable IFD. Results were similar when antifungal treatment and radiologic suspicion of IFD were used as the gold standard. The area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve for the diagnosis of proven+probable IFD was 0.716 (95% confidence interval, 0.638-0.794; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS GM in BAL had modest agreement with EORTC/MSG criteria for diagnosing IFD in immunocompromised patients with a high degree of antifungal exposure.
Acute restraint stress enhances calcium mobilization and proliferative response in splenic lymphocytes from mice

Calcium (Ca2+ ) plays an essential role in lymphocyte activation and maturation. Acute and chronic stress has been shown to modulate the lymphocyte immune response; but the relationship between cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+ ]i) and the immune response in lymphocytes following exposure to stress has not been examined. In the present study, we investigated the effects of acute restraint stress on [Ca2+ ]i and the proliferation of splenic lymphocytes from mice. We observed that 2 h of restraint significantly increased plasma corticosterone levels in mice. On examining [Ca2+ ]i and the proliferation ex vivo of splenic lymphocytes isolated from restraint-stressed mice using fura-2 and 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide, respectively, we found that acute restraint stress caused a significant increase in resting [Ca2+ ]i and significantly enhanced the ability of concanavalin A (Con A; a T-cell-selective mitogen) to increase [Ca2+ ]i but not that of lipopolysaccharide (LPS; a B-cell-selective mitogen). In addition, acute restraint stress significantly enhanced Con A-stimulated but not LPS-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation. Overall, there was a positive correlation between [Ca2+ ]i and T-cell proliferation following acute restraint stress. The enhancements of [Ca2+ ]i and T-cell proliferation were completely suppressed by verapamil (a Ca2+ channel blocker). These results suggest that acute restraint stress enhances Con A-stimulated T-cell proliferation by increasing [Ca2+ ]i via stimulation of Ca2+ entry.