Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predictors of Hip Internal Rotation during Running

Background Recent studies have suggested that excessive hip internal rotation during dynamic tasks may be associated with patellofemoral pain. Although diminished hip-muscle strength and altered femoral morphologic characteristics have been implicated in abnormal hip rotation in persons with patellofemoral pain, no study has confirmed this hypothesis. Hypothesis Women with patellofemoral pain would demonstrate increased average hip internal rotation, decreased hip-muscle performance, and abnormal femoral shape compared with controls. Furthermore, measures of hip strength and femoral shape are predictive of average hip internal rotation during running. Study Design Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods Nineteen women with patellofemoral pain and 19 pain-free controls participated. Lower extremity kinematics during running, hip-muscle performance, and femoral morphologic characteristics on magnetic resonance imaging were quantified. Independent t tests were used to assess group differences. Stepwise linear regression was used to determine whether measures of strength and/or structure were predictive of average hip internal rotation during running. Results Participants with patellofemoral pain demonstrated significantly greater average hip internal rotation (8.2° ± 6.6° vs 0.3° ± 3.6°; P <. 001), reduced hip-muscle strength in 8 of 10 hip strength measurements, and greater femoral inclination (132.8° ± 5.2° vs 128.4° ± 5.0°; P =. 011) compared with controls. Stepwise regression revealed that isotonic hip extension endurance was the only predictor of average hip internal rotation (r = −.451; P =. 004). Conclusion Abnormal hip kinematics in women with patellofemoral pain appears to be the result of diminished hip-muscle performance as opposed to altered femoral structure. The results suggest that assessment of hip-muscle performance should be considered in the evaluation and treatment of patellofemoral joint dysfunction.
Overlapping and distinct role of CXCR7‐SDF‐1/ITAC and CXCR4‐SDF‐1 axes in regulating metastatic behavior of human rhabdomyosarcomas

We have demonstrated that the α‐chemokine stromal‐derived factor (SDF)‐1‐CXCR4 axis plays an important role in rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) metastasis. With the recent description of CXCR7, a new receptor for SDF‐1 that also binds the interferon‐inducible T‐cell α chemoattractant (ITAC) chemokine, we became interested in the role of the CXCR7‐SDF‐1/ITAC axis in RMS progression. To address this issue, we evaluated 6 highly metastatic alveolar (A)RMS and 3 less metastatic embryonal (E)RMS cell lines and found that all these cell lines express CXCR7. Although CXCR4 was expressed at a much higher level by highly metastatic ARMS lines, CXCR7 was present at a high level on ERMS lines. We also noticed that CXCR7 expression on RMS cells was downregulated in hypoxic conditions. More importantly, the CXCR7 receptor on RMS cell lines was functional after stimulation with ITAC and SDF‐1 as evidenced by mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK)p42/44 and AKT phosphorylation as well as CXCR7 internalization, chemotaxis, cell motility and adhesion assays. Similarly to CXCR4, signaling from activated CXCR7 was not associated with increased RMS proliferation or cell survival. Moreover, CXCR7+ RMS cells responded to SDF‐1 and I‐TAC in the presence of CXCR4 antagonists (T140, AMD3100). Furthermore, while intravenous injection of RMS cells with overexpressed CXCR7 resulted in increased seeding efficiency of tumor cells to bone marrow, CXCR7 downregulation showed the opposite effect. In conclusion, the CXCR7‐SDF‐1/ITAC axis is involved in the progression of RMS; targeting of the CXCR4‐SDF‐1 axis alone without simultaneous blockage of CXCR7 will be an inefficient strategy for inhibiting SDF‐1‐mediated prometastatic responses of RMS cells.
Recombinant interferon‐alfa therapy in children with chronic hepatitis C

The efficacy of recombinant interferon‐alfa therapy in children with chronic hepatitis C has been evaluated in a randomized, controlled pilot study including 27 patients, aged 2 to 14 years, without underlying systemic diseases. On entry, all patients had abnormal alanine transaminase (ALT) levels, 22 were hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA positive, 19 had mild chronic active hepatitis, and 8 had chronic persistent hepatitis on liver biopsy. Fourteen children received 5 MU/m2 of recombinant interferon‐alfa2b thrice weekly for 4 months. If at this time ALT had been reduced to at least 50% the baseline level, treatment was continued up to 12 months. The other 13 children remained untreated. The whole follow‐up period lasted 24 months. Interferon was stopped at 4 months in 4 children because of an ALT increase (2 cases), unchanged ALT and febrile convulsions (1 case), and slight ALT decrease (1 case). This latter patient, however, had normal ALT at 6 months and throughout further follow‐up, and cleared HCV RNA, thus behaving as a sustained responder. All 10 children treated for 12 months had normal levels of ALT, and 9 were HCV RNA negative at the end of treatment. Of the 9 children who could be followed to 24 months, 4 relapsed soon after therapy withdrawal and 5 maintained a sustained biochemical and virologic response. Overall, 6 (43%) of 14 treated children had a sustained ALT normalization associated with HCV RNA clearance as compared with only 1 (7.5%) untreated child who had a sustained ALT normalization but did not clear HCV RNA. These results suggest that recombinant interferon therapy, at the regimen used in this study, may induce sustained ALT normalization and HCV clearance in a significant proportion of children with chronic hepatitis C. (Hepatology 1995;22:1623‐1627).
Color-luminance interaction: data produced by oblique cross masking.

Threshold-elevation (TE-) versus-mask-spatial-frequency (SF) curves and TE-versus-mask-contrast curves, produced by the oblique-masking technique, were reported for uncrossed stimuli (color-test-on-color-mask and luminance-test-on-luminance-mask) [Invest. Ophthalmol. Visual Sci. Suppl. 34, 751 (1993) and Vision. Res. 23, 873 (1983)]. The technique minimizes the artifacts that are due to spatial phase effects, spatial beats, spatial probability summation, and local cues. My goal was to measure these curves for crossed stimuli (color-test-on-luminance-mask and luminance-test-on-color-mask) by this oblique-masking technique and to compare the curves with those reported in previous studies. For this purpose threshold contrasts were measured by a yes-no procedure with randomized double staircases. Test targets were vertical spatially localized (D6) patterns, and masks were oblique sinusoidal patterns; both the test and the mask were presented simultaneously, for 2 s (Gaussian window), on a color monitor interfaced with an ATVista system and a Powell achromatizing lens. The test SF's were 0.125, 0.5, 2, 4, and 8 cycles per degree (cpd); mask SF's were 0.031-16 cpd; and mask contrasts were 6.25%-50%. Furthermore, the Red-Green channel was defined by the minimum flicker and the hue cancellation techniques. Results show mostly masking effect (TE > 1) at contrasts above threshold; sometimes, separability (TE = 1) and above-threshold facilitation (TE < 1) effects were also observed, depending on the test SF, the mask SF, the mask contrast, and the subject. In general, the magnitudes of TE's are smaller and the TE-versus-mask-SF curves are slightly narrower for the oblique-cross-masking conditions than those for the respective oblique uncross masking. In addition, the TE-versus-mask-contrast curves for the crossed conditions are mostly shallower than those for the respective uncrossed conditions. Furthermore, mostly the color-luminance asymmetry (color masks luminance more than luminance masks color) is found, in mild form, for SF's > or = 0.5 cpd. For the lower SF of 0.125 cpd, there is either a lack of asymmetry or a very mild asymmetry of the opposite kind (luminance masks color slightly more than color masks luminance) seems to prevail. In general, the oblique-masking data shows mild asymmetry and reduced facilitation; both are consistent with reduced local cues, similar to those shown by randomized phase data, thus making the data suitable for SF analysis; moreover, at high contrast, the masking data are consistent with those reported in previous studies.
Post‐translational regulation of Crmp in developing and regenerating chick spinal cord

It is becoming apparent that regulation at the protein level plays crucial roles in developmental and pathological processes. Therefore, we performed a proteomics screen to identify proteins that are differently expressed or modified at stages of development permissive (E11) and nonpermissive for regeneration (E15) of the chick spinal cord. Proteins regulated either developmentally or in response to spinal‐cord injury included collapsin‐response‐mediator proteins (Crmps), known to modulate microtubule dynamic and axonal growth. No significant changes in Crmp transcripts following injury were observed, indicating regulation mainly at the protein level. Analysis of Crmp‐2 protein and its phosphorylated forms, pS522 and pT514, showed that Crmp‐2 is developmentally regulated and also expressed in neural progenitors in vivo and in neurospheres. Its cellular localization changed both with development and following spinal‐cord injury. In addition, although overall levels of Crmp‐2 expression were not affected by injury, abundance of certain phosphorylated forms was altered. pT514 Crmp‐2 appeared to be associated with dividing neural progenitors and was greatly reduced at nonpermissive stages for regeneration, whereas it did not seem affected by injury. In contrast, phosphorylation of Crmp‐2 at S522 was upregulated early after injury in regenerating spinal cords and the ratio between phosphorylated to total Crmp‐2 increased, as indicated by 2D Western blots. Altogether, this study shows highly dynamic regulation of Crmp‐2 forms during development and identifies post‐translational changes in Crmp‐2 as putative contributors to the maintenance of spinal‐cord regenerative ability, possibly via a transient stabilization of the neuronal cytoskeleton. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 70: 456–471, 2010
Lesbian social workers' experiences in their professional working relationships

Lesbian social workers have been acutely aware of the inadequacies of the social work response to lesbian client needs. At a time when we are experiencing unprecedented gains in civil rights, we are also experiencing increased violence and renewed social and political oppression. Feminist research must start from the experiences of the researcher. As a lesbian feminist researcher, the concern of lesbian social workers' experiences in the workplace was sought. The present qualitative study examines the experiences of five lesbian social workers, all over forty-five years of age, primarily in middle management positions in the health field. Within a focus group, the participants discussed a variety of personal experiences within self-defined 'gaypositive' work environments. Content analysis was used to extrapolate themes. Visible lesbian and gay co-workers and especially supervisors created a 'gay-positive' work environment, however participants felt being an 'out' lesbian was compromised by a number of factors. These included internalized homophobia, institutional discrimination, feminist principles denied within a hierarchy, as well as self-censorship due to reactions from other employees. Homophobic expression increased when heterosexual representation decreased. Possibly due to their managerial status, and/or internalized homophobia, some ambivalence about being 'out' in their work environment also became evident. The findings are discussed in terms of implications for policy and practice in order to address homophobia and provide nondiscriminatory ethical practice in the profession of social work.
Work-Integrated Learning and Career-Ready Students: Examining the Evidence

Higher Education Strategy Associates (HESA) is a Toronto-based firm specializing research, data and strategy. Our mission is to help universities and colleges compete in the educational marketplace based on quality; to that end we offer our clients a broad range of informational, analytical, evaluative, and advisory services. The Intelligence Brief series is designed to provide readers with up-to-date insights from our proprietary student panel and our Policy Warehouse.
Women entrepreneurship in Islamic perspective: a driver for social change

Women have a considerably important role in promoting the country economic growth. In Islam, women are a privileged and honoured figure; many Islamic religious laws are devoted to women. Women in Indonesia are one of great powers, covering about half of 250 million populations. However, those women have not been properly supported to achieve its maximum potential due to poverty and low education levels. Hence, women entrepreneurship is unable to make changes in social values and economics. This study aims to provide an overview on the concept and dimensions of women entrepreneurial from the Islamic perspective, as either a social or a spiritual belief. The survey is conducted on 150 Moslem women entrepreneurs in Indonesia as a primary data source to investigate their problems and barriers, including their motivation to choose a career in entrepreneurship. This study provides a conceptual framework of women entrepreneurship from the Islamic perspective, particularly in Indonesia.
The freedom to choose undermines the willingness to redistribute

The liberal ideal that people should be given the freedom to choose has been a key justification for the introduction of market mechanisms in health care, education and retirement savings systems. By studying behavior in an economic experiment, we examine how the presence of a choice affects attitudes to income inequalities. Our main finding is that the introduction of a choice significantly decreases the willingness to redistribute between a lucky and an unlucky participant, even when the exercise of choice has no effect on the economic outcome. The effect of a choice on redistributive behavior is stronger for right-wing voters than for left-wing voters. Our findings shed light on the potential effects of policy reforms that provide people with more choice and suggests that there is an inherent tension between the freedom to choose and the willingness to redistribute.
Risk factors associated with fluoroquinolone-resistant enterococcal urinary tract infections in a tertiary care university hospital in north India

Background & objectives: Fluoroquinolone resistance in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria has increased with the widespread use of fluoroquinolones. Fluoroquinolone resistance in Gram-negative bacilli has been widely studied, though staphylococci and enterococci are also notably resistant. Enterococci being the second most common cause of healthcare-associated urinary tract infections (UTIs) fluoroquinolones are often the drug of choice. This study was undertaken to assess the risk factors associated with fluoroquinolone-resistant enterococcal UTI in a tertiary level health facility in north India. Methods: A total of 365 patients with UTI caused by enterococci were studied over a period of two years. Patients with ciprofloxacin-resistant and susceptible UTI were considered as cases and controls, respectively. Resistance profile of the isolates against common antibiotics was studied by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination. Mechanisms for fluoroquinolone resistance was studied by efflux pump inhibitor activity and multiplex PCR targeting the qnr genes. Results: A total of 204 (55.89%) cases and 161 (44.1%) controls were identified. The fluoroquinolone-resistant isolates were significantly resistant to ampicillin, high strength aminoglycosides and vancomycin. The majority (78%) of the resistant isolates showed efflux pump activity. Treatment in indoor locations, presence of urinary catheters and pregnancy along with recent exposure to antibiotics especially fluoroquinolones, third generation cephalosporins and piperacillin-tazobactam were identified as independent risk factors. Interpretation & conclusions: Our results showed that fluoroquinolone resistance in enterococcal UTI was largely associated with indoor usage of antibiotics and use of indwelling devices. Knowledge of risk factors is important to curb this emergence of resistance.
Fertility and Family Policies in France

In recent years, France has maintained a relatively high level of fertility in comparison with other European countries. After declining for more than thirty years, the total fertility rate has risen over the last five years, reaching 1.89 in 2000 and 1.90 in 2001. France now has the highest fertility rate among EU countries, the same as that in Ireland, higher than the total fertility rate of Luxembourg (1.78), Finland (1.73) and the Netherlands (1.72). The lowest levels are to be found in Spain, Italy, Greece, Austria, and Germany (respectively, 1.22, 1.25, 1.30, 1.32, and 1.34), significantly lower than the average of all 15 countries of the European Union (1.57). Taking into account the overall fertility rate for the generations born in Europe in 1950 and 1963, France is in second place behind Ireland (Source: Eurostat, statistiques demographiques). How can the position of France be explained within the European context? I formulate the hypothesis that the level of fertility in France is related to state support for families: namely, that family policy helps to alleviate the direct and indirect costs of children for families. But this is not family policy's only contribution to fertility levels. It also helps to change the gender contract and the gender division of work by facilitating the reconciliation between work and family life. Moreover, family policies are conducive to maintaining family values by creating an environment favourable for children. This is made possible by the legitimacy given to the State to intervene in family matters, and hence the family has been a public policy issue for many years. In effect, France has a system of explicit and institutionalised family policy that implies legal recognition of the family as a social institution playing a major part in the maintenance of social cohesion. In this paper, the focus is on family policy in France and the way in which it has been restructured over the past decade. Emphasis will be placed on policy support for families and childcare as an explanation for the "fertility paradox", that is, the combination of a “not so bad” fertility rate compared to other European countries, with a high level of economic activity for mothers.
Export Trade and Economic Growth in Malawi: A Disaggregated Approach

This paper applies the Vector Autoregressive (VAR) technique to annual data from 1980 to 2013 to provide empirical evidence on the long-run relationship between export trade and economic growth in Malawi. The export trade in this study is disaggregated into services and goods exports. Thus, the paper estimated two models. The first model deals with the relationship between export of services and growth, and the other one determines the relationship between goods export and growth. While the paper finds no evidence for long-run relationship between export of services and goods on economic growth, the empirical results suggest existence of a short-run nexus between export of goods and economic growth in Malawi. The Granger causality test results have also confirmed existence of a unidirectional causality from goods exports to economic growth and another unidirectional causality from goods exports to service exports.
Computer simulation of single-phase control rectifier using single-phase matrix converter with reduced switch count

In this paper, single-phase control rectifier using single-phase matrix converter with reduced switch count is proposed. The proposed method is able to perform AC-DC converter operation using only six switches as perform by conventional single-phase matrix converter that uses eight main switches. The PWM technique was used to calculate the switch duty ratio to synthesize the output. Switch commutation arrangements were developed that allows dead time to avoid current spikes of non-ideal switches whilst providing a current path for the inductive load to avoid voltage spikes. The SPMC topology with reduced switch count can be easily control using suitable proposed switching algorithm. The feasibility of the proposed topology was verified by a computer simulation.
Prevention of Traumatic Stress in Mothers of Preterms: 6-Month Outcomes

OBJECTIVE: Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder are a well-recognized phenomenon in mothers of preterm infants, with implications for maternal health and infant outcomes. This randomized controlled trial evaluated 6-month outcomes from a skills-based intervention developed to reduce symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. METHODS: One hundred five mothers of preterm infants were randomly assigned to (1) a 6- or 9-session intervention based on principles of trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy with infant redefinition or (2) a 1-session active comparison intervention based on education about the NICU and parenting of the premature infant. Outcome measures included the Davidson Trauma Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory II, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Participants were assessed at baseline, 4 to 5 weeks after birth, and 6 months after the birth of the infant. RESULTS: At the 6-month assessment, the differences between the intervention and comparison condition were all significant and sizable and became more pronounced when compared with the 4- to 5-week outcomes: Davidson Trauma Scale (Cohen's d = −0.74, P < .001), Beck Anxiety Inventory (Cohen's d = −0.627, P = .001), Beck Depression Inventory II (Cohen's d = −0.638, P = .002). However, there were no differences in the effect sizes between the 6- and 9-session interventions. CONCLUSIONS: A brief 6-session intervention based on principles of trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy was effective at reducing symptoms of trauma, anxiety, and depression in mothers of preterm infants. Mothers showed increased benefits at the 6-month follow-up, suggesting that they continue to make use of techniques acquired during the intervention phase.
Antitumor activity of protein kinase C inhibitors and cisplatin in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma lines

Protein kinase C (PKC) plays a pivotal role in signal transduction involved in the control of cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Interference with such signaling pathways may result in altered tumor cell response to antineoplastic drugs. We investigated the effects of two selective PKC inhibitors as single agents and in combination with cisplatin in cell lines derived from squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (SCCHN). Safingol (Saf) is directed against the regulatory domain, whereas chelerythrine (Che) interacts with the catalytic domain of PKC. In six SCCHN cell lines (UM-SCC 11B, 14A, 14C and 22B, 8029NA, and a 5-fold cisplatin-resistant subline 8029DDP). PKC activities ranged between 1 and 158 IU/1×107 cells, and they were inversely proportional to the amount of cellular epidermal growth factor receptor. Using the colorimetric MTT assay, PKC inhibitors Saf and Che showed comparable dose-dependent growth inhibition. The 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50) were between 3.8–8.6 μ M for Saf and 8.5–13.6 μ M for Che with no relationship to PKC activity or cisplatin sensitivity of the respective cell lines. Combinations of cisplatin (IC50 = 0.4–5.8 μ g/ml) and either PKC inhibitor (5 μ M Saf, 10 μ M Che) led to a significant decrease of cisplatin IC50 values in most cell lines. However, comparison with theoretical additive dose–response curves showed additive rather than synergistic effects for both PKC inhibitors.