Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hubble Space Telescope/NICMOS Observations of I Zw 18: A Population of Old Asymptotic Giant Branch Stars Revealed

I present the first results from a Hubble Space Telescope/NICMOS imaging study of the most metal-poor blue compact dwarf galaxy, I Zw 18. The near-infrared color-magnitude diagram (CMD) is dominated by two populations, one 10-20 Myr population of red supergiants and one 0.1-5 Gyr population of asymptotic giant branch stars. Stars older than 1 Gyr are required to explain the observed CMD at the adopted distance of 12.6 Mpc, showing that I Zw 18 is not a young galaxy. The results hold also if the distance to I Zw 18 is significantly larger. This rules out the possibility that I Zw 18 is a truly young galaxy formed recently in the local universe.
An evaluation of the efficacy of training people with learning disabilities in a virtual environment

Purpose : To evaluate the efficacy of using a virtual kitchen for vocational training of people with learning disabilities. Method : Twenty four catering students with learning disabilities participated in the study. Half the students were currently being trained in the kitchen on which the virtual kitchen was modelled but the remaining students were unfamiliar with this kitchen. Students were first pre-tested on four food preparation tasks and identification of 12 hazards in their own training kitchens. They were subsequently trained on one food preparation task and three hazards in their own training kitchens, one food preparation task and three hazards in the virtual kitchen, and one food preparation task and three hazards in specially designed workbooks. They were then retested in their own training kitchens on all the food preparation tasks and all the hazards. Results : Virtual training was found to be as beneficial as real training and more beneficial than workbook and no training in the food preparation tasks. However, virtual, real and workbook training were found to be equally beneficial in the hazard identification task. Students who were unfamiliar with the kitchen on which the virtual kitchen was modelled benefited from virtual training to the same extent as students who were familiar with the kitchen. Conclusions : Vocational students with learning disabilities were able to use the virtual environment and were motivated to learn using this training method. Depending on the task being trained, virtual training had a more beneficial effect on real task performance than workbook training, even when the virtual kitchen was not modelled on the real training kitchen.
Exploring children's emotional security as a mediator of the link between marital relations and child adjustment.

Guided by the emotional security hypothesis, this study examined whether links between marital relations and children's adjustment were mediated by children's emotional security, as evidenced by their emotional reactivity (e.g., vigilance, distress), regulation of exposure to parent affect (avoidance, involvement), and internal representations in the context of interparental relations. Multiple methods and contexts were used to assess 6- to 9-year-olds' emotional security in response to standardized, simulated conflicts involving parents. Latent variable path analysis supported a theoretical pathway whereby marital dysfunction was linked with adjustment problems as mediated by response processes indicative of emotional insecurity in relation to parental conflicts. Emotional reactivity and internal representations were most closely linked with marital relations and child adjustment, especially with regard to internalizing symptoms. The importance of understanding children's emotional security in the context of the marital subsystem is discussed.
Sleep-disordered breathing and poor functional outcome after stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE We objectively evaluated patients with recent stroke to determine the prevalence of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) and whether SDB was associated with unfavorable clinical outcomes. METHODS Forty-seven patients with recent ischemic stroke (median, 13 days) were studied with computerized overnight oximetry for evidence of arterial oxyhemoglobin desaturation (SaO2). Polysomnography was also performed on 19 patients. Medical history, sleep history, location of stroke, and severity of neurological deficit were recorded, and patients were observed by staff for evidence of snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness. Functional abilities were measured with the use of the Barthel Index (BI). Outcome variables included ability to return home at discharge, continued residence at home at 3 and 12 months, BI at discharge, BI at 3 and 12 months, and death from any cause at 12 months. RESULTS Mean SaO2 during oximetry was 94.0 +/- 1.7%, and percentage of recording time spent at < 90% SaO2 was 4.3 +/- 5.7%. The number of desaturation events per hour of recording time (desaturation index [DI]) was 9.5 +/- 9.67, with 15 of 47 (32%) having DI > 10 and 6 of 47 (13%) having DI > 20. Oximetry measures of SDB correlated with lower BI scores at discharge and lower BI at 3- and 12-month follow-ups (P < or = .05, Pearson coefficients). Oximetry measures correlated with return home after discharge, but the association between oximetry measures and living at home was lost at 12 months. Two oximetry variables correlated with death at 1 year. Brain stem location correlated with higher DI and time at < 90% SaO2, but patients with hemispheric stroke and oximetry abnormalities also had worse functional outcome. No correlation was found between oximetry values and sex, age, preexisting medical conditions (except previous stroke), or severity of neurological deficit. Oximetry abnormalities were associated with a history of snoring. Polysomnography on 19 patients confirmed oximetry evidence of severe SDB. Eighteen of 19 patients (95%) had an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of > 10 events per hour of recording, 13 of 19 (68%) had an AHI > 20, and 10 of 19 (53%) had an AHI > 30. Desaturation events were largely due to obstructive apneas. CONCLUSIONS SDB accompanied by arterial oxyhemoglobin desaturation is common in patients undergoing rehabilitation after stroke and is associated with higher mortality at 1 year and lower BI scores at discharge and at 3 and 12 months after stroke. SDB may be an independent predictor of worse functional outcome. Obstructive sleep apnea appeared to be the most common form of SDB, and the frequent history of snoring suggests that SDB preceded the stroke in most patients.
Divergent dispersion behavior of ssDNA fragments during microchip electrophoresis in pDMA and LPA entangled polymer networks

Resolution of DNA fragments separated by electrophoresis in polymer solutions (“matrices”) is determined by both the spacing between peaks and the width of the peaks. Prior research on the development of high‐performance separation matrices has been focused primarily on optimizing DNA mobility and matrix selectivity, and gave less attention to peak broadening. Quantitative data are rare for peak broadening in systems in which high electric field strengths are used (>150 V/cm), which is surprising since capillary and microchip‐based systems commonly run at these field strengths. Here, we report results for a study of band broadening behavior for ssDNA fragments on a glass microfluidic chip, for electric field strengths up to 320 V/cm. We compare dispersion coefficients obtained in a poly(N,N‐dimethylacrylamide) (pDMA) separation matrix that was developed for chip‐based DNA sequencing with a commercially available linear polyacrylamide (LPA) matrix commonly used in capillaries. Much larger DNA dispersion coefficients were measured in the LPA matrix as compared to the pDMA matrix, and the dependence of dispersion coefficient on DNA size and electric field strength were found to differ quite starkly in the two matrices. These observations lead us to propose that DNA migration mechanisms differ substantially in our custom pDMA matrix compared to the commercially available LPA matrix. We discuss the implications of these results in terms of developing optimal matrices for specific separation (microchip or capillary) platforms.
Painful Conditions in the Achilles Tendon Region in Elite Badminton Players

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of painful conditions in the Achilles tendon region in elite badminton players. The study group consisted of 66 players in the Swedish elite division (highest level) in badminton, 41 men (mean age, 24.4 years) and 25 women (mean age, 21.9 years). Twenty-one players (32%) reported the occurrence of a disabling painful condition in the Achilles tendon region during the previous 5 years, and 11 players (17%) had an ongoing painful condition. A majority of the painful conditions (12 of 21, or 57%) were described as involving the midportion of the Achilles tendon. The players who had a painful condition reported a significantly higher weekly training load as measured by the number of hours spent in total training, badminton training, and endurance and strength training. There were no differences in age, sex, and body mass index between the players with and without painful conditions in the Achilles tendon region.
Learners' Perceptions toward Online Learning: An Application for a Synchronous E-Class.

The aim of this study is to discover the effects of an e-class application on the computer and reading anxiety of learners, and the correlation between the two anxieties. The learners' perceptions of this new learning experience are also investigated. Information was obtained by using the Foreign Language Reading Anxiety Scale (FLRAS), the Computer Anxiety Scale (CAS) and learners' diaries. The study found that both anxieties decreased at the end of the application. A positive relationship between both types of anxiety was also identified. Students became more relaxed as they became more familiar with the new educational tool. They also displayed positive attitudes towards synchronous classes. This study demonstrates that anxiety free language learning can be created with interactive online facilities which are designed considering learners' needs and perceptions.
Pregenomic RNA encapsidation analysis of eleven missense and nonsense polymerase mutants of human hepatitis B virus

We characterized 11 DNA polymerase mutants of human hepatitis B virus (HBV) which contain single missense or nonsense mutations in the various domains within this gene. Except for mutant 738, a tight association between DNA replication and RNA packaging of these missense pol mutants was observed. Further analysis of HBV core particle-associated RNA indicated that only the 3.5-kb core-specific RNA, but not the precore-specific RNA, is selectively packaged in this tissue culture system. Previously, we have demonstrated that only the 3.5-kb core-specific RNA can serve as an efficient template for pol translation. Taken together, our results suggest that selectivity of HBV RNA packaging occurs as a result of selective translation of pol-containing mRNAs. Furthermore, our data suggest that the RNA encapsidation domain of pol overlaps with all of the domains of pol involved in the synthesis of terminal protein, as well as DNA replication. Finally, on the basis of gradient centrifugation analysis, a pol defect appeared to have no negative effect on the assembly or stability of core particles. A new method to assay RNA encapsidation, as well as potential RNase H activity, is reported.
Fabricating nanowire devices on diverse substrates by simple transfer-printing methods

The fabrication of nanowire (NW) devices on diverse substrates is necessary for applications such as flexible electronics, conformable sensors, and transparent solar cells. Although NWs have been fabricated on plastic and glass by lithographic methods, the choice of device substrates is severely limited by the lithographic process temperature and substrate properties. Here we report three new transfer-printing methods for fabricating NW devices on diverse substrates including polydimethylsiloxane, Petri dishes, Kapton tapes, thermal release tapes, and many types of adhesive tapes. These transfer-printing methods rely on the differences in adhesion to transfer NWs, metal films, and devices from weakly adhesive donor substrates to more strongly adhesive receiver substrates. Electrical characterization of fabricated NW devices shows that reliable ohmic contacts are formed between NWs and electrodes. Moreover, we demonstrated that Si NW devices fabricated by the transfer-printing methods are robust piezoresistive stress sensors and temperature sensors with reliable performance.
Poor Prognosis of Colorectal Cancer in Patients Over 80 Years Old Is Associated With Down-Regulation of Tumor Suppressor Genes

Goals, Background The elderly population has been increasing during the last half a century and it would be important to know how aging influences the occurrence and biologic behavior of cancers. Study We investigated clinicopathologic characteristics of colorectal cancer in 1354 patients who underwent colorectal cancer resection and compared the results between extremely elderly patients (over 80 years old) and middle-aged/elderly patients (40 to less than 80 years old). Furthermore, we also examined expression of tumor suppressor genes and Cox-2 using frozen samples of colorectal cancer obtained from 62 patients ranging in age from 45 to 87 years. Results The results obtained in the extremely aged patients were: (1) higher ratio of women, (2) higher incidence at the proximal site, (3) higher incidence of cases with deeper invasion, (4) higher incidence of cases with lymph node metastasis (5) poorer survival rate as compared with middle-aged/elderly patients, and (6) lower mRNA expression levels of p27 and p53. Conclusions These findings taken together suggest that poor prognosis of colorectal cancer in patients over 80 years is associated with down-regulation of mRNA expression of some tumor suppressor genes.
Hypericum perforatum--chemical profiling and quantitative results of St. John's Wort products by an improved high-performance liquid chromatography method.

The analysis of flavonoids, naphthodianthrones, and the phloroglucinol derivative hyperforin in H. perforatum is described in this article. In a 35-min HPLC run nine major compounds could be identified and baseline separated in the methanolic plant extracts. For an optimum separation the mobile phase consisted of 10 mM ammonium acetate buffer (pH 5.0) and an acetonitrile/methanol mixture; a Synergi MAX-RP 80 A column (C-12 material) was used as stationary phase. Detection was performed at 270 nm, and the identity of the compounds was confirmed in an LC-MS experiment. Commercial St. John's Wort products were analyzed and qualitative and quantitative results are discussed.
A New Transformation-Deficient Mutant ofHaemophilus influenzae Rd with Normal DNA Uptake

ABSTRACT Haemophilus influenzae Rd is a gram-negative natural transformer. A mutant strain, RJ248, that has normal DNA uptake and translocation but whose transformation frequency is 300 times lower than that of wild-type H. influenzae and whose phage recombination is 8 times lower was isolated. The affected gene,comM, is induced during competence development in wild-typeH. influenzae but not in RJ248.
Single, superiorly placed reconstruction plate compared with flexible intramedullary nailing for midshaft clavicular fractures: a prospective, randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND Previous studies have shown good clinical results in patients with midshaft clavicular fractures treated with reconstruction plate fixation or elastic stable intramedullary nailing. The objective of this study was to compare these methods in terms of clinical and radiographic results. METHODS In this prospective, randomized controlled trial, fifty-nine patients with displaced midshaft clavicular fractures were randomly assigned to receive fixation with either a reconstruction plate (thirty-three patients), known as the plate group, or elastic stable intramedullary nailing (twenty-six patients), known as the nail group. The primary outcome was the six-month Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score. The secondary outcomes included the Constant-Murley score, time to fracture union, residual shortening, level of postoperative pain, percentage of satisfied patients, and complication rates. RESULTS The mean six-month DASH score was 9.9 points in the plate group and 8.5 points in the nail group (p = 0.329). Similarly, there were no differences in the twelve-month DASH and Constant-Murley scores. Time to union was equivalent (p = 0.352) between the groups at 16.8 weeks for the plate group and 15.9 weeks for the nail group, whereas the residual shortening was 0.4 cm greater in the plate group (p = 0.032). The visual analog scale pain score and the satisfaction rate were similar between the groups. Implant-related pain was more frequent in the nail group (p = 0.035). There were no differences in terms of major complications. CONCLUSIONS Reconstruction plates and elastic stable intramedullary nailing yielded similar functional results, time to union, level of postoperative pain, and patient satisfaction rates. Both methods were safe in terms of major complications.
Dysbiosis as a prerequisite for IBD.

We thank Dr Szilagyi for his very interesting comments in his letter regarding dysbiosis in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). 1 The main question remains as to why beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacteria might be lacking in IBD ( Gut 2004; 53 :1–4). Dr Szilagyi describes an interesting hypothesis of colonic prebiotic deficiency as a possible mechanism for dysbiosis. A suggestion …
How effective is the “Reasoning and Rehabilitation” programme in reducing reoffending? A meta-analysis of evaluations in four countries

Abstract This article aims to review the effectiveness of the “Reasoning and Rehabilitation” programme in reducing recidivism. Sixteen evaluations (involving 26 separate comparisons) were located in which experimental and control groups were compared. A meta-analysis showed that, overall, there was a significant 14% decrease in recidivism for programme participants compared with controls. This programme was effective in Canada, the USA, and the UK. It was effective in community and institutional settings, and for low risk and high-risk offenders. Smaller and larger evaluation studies, and older and newer studies, concluded that the programme was effective. Future evaluations should use larger samples, randomized controlled trials and better measures of recidivism (including self-reports, numbers, types and costs of offences committed).
Commentary (Paulino): Current Management of Childhood Ependymoma.

Dr. Merchant provides a comprehensive overview of intracranial ependymoma in children. As he points out, most of the current information regarding childhood intracranial ependymoma has come from single-institution retrospective reviews. Of the prognostic indicators mentioned in the article, both young age and subtotal resection are widely accepted. Children less than 3 years old have a worse prognosis than older children, possibly because of more aggressive tumor biology, reluctance to give postoperative radiotherapy, or use of lower doses of radiotherapy. Regarding the degree of surgical resection, assessment by postoperative imaging is more important than the neurosurgeon’s perspective on whether a gross total or subtotal resection has been performed. [1,2]
Blood Pressure Control in Diabetic Nephropathy

Epidemiologic studies show a worldwide diabetic epidemic. Diabetes mellitus is associated with a reduced life span due to macro vascular and micro vascular complications. Thus, diabetic nephropathy, which is the major cause of morbidity and mortality for patients with either type 1 diabetes mellitus or type 2 diabetes mellitus, is a public health care problem. Blood pressure control is a proven intervention to prevent progression of diabetic nephropathy and to reduce cardiovascular events in patients with diabetes mellitus. Establishment of optimal blood pressure targets, advantages of one class of drugs over another as well as time of initiation of antihypertensive therapy are those important questions that appear before every doctor. This review addresses these issues.
Matrix metalloproteinases and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases in human gliomas.

The gene expression of five matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and two tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) was studied in human gliomas in vivo and in vitro to evaluate their roles in glioma invasion. Simultaneous expression of one to four MMP genes and two TIMP genes was found in 17 surgical glioma specimens, and one MMP (gelatinase A) gene and two TIMP genes were simultaneously expressed in tissue of three brains. The concomitant overexpression of gelatinase A, gelatinase B, and occasional matrilysin genes was associated with the malignancy of gliomas and accompanied by overexpression of the TIMP-1 gene. In five human glioma cell lines, gelatinase A, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2 genes were constitutively expressed in alll cell lines: the matrilysin gene in three cell lines; the stromelysin gene in two cell lines; and the interstitial collagenase gene in one cell line. There was a clear difference in the expression of gelatinase B and stromelysin genes between surgical glioma specimens and glioma cell lines: the gelatinase B gene was not expressed constitutively in vitro but was overexpressed in vivo, whereas the stromelysin gene was not expressed in vivo but was expressed in some cell lines. To find the cause of that difference in vivo and in vitro, the transcriptional regulations of MMP and TIMP genes by tumor promoter, growth factors, or cytokines were studied in vitro. Interstitial collagenase, gelatinase B, stromelysin, and TIMP-1 genes were upregulated in many cell lines by phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) and in some cell lines by epidermal growth factor, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, or interleukin-1 beta. Transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF beta 1) upregulated gelatinase A and matrilysin genes in some cell lines, and there were no clear responses from any MMP and TIMP genes to interleukin-6. Thus, the transcriptional modulation of MMP genes by these growth factors and cytokines seemed insufficient to explain the difference in gelatinase B and stromelysin gene expressions in vivo and in vitro and was suggestive of the genetic alteration of glioma cells in vitro, the heterogeneous cell population in glioma tissues, or both. Furthermore, the in vitro invasion of glioma cells through Matrigel in response to PMA, TGF beta 1, or TIMP-1 was assessed by chemoinvasion assay. In most cell lines, invasion was significantly stimulated by PMA or TGF beta 1 but suppressed by TIMP-1. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Au-Sn Solid-Liquid Interdiffusion (SLID) bonding for mating surfaces with high roughness

Au-Sn Solid-Liquid Interdiffusion (SLID) bonding of a standard piezoelectric material (PZT) to tungsten carbide (WC) has been investigated. Both materials have a bare bonding surface with an absolute roughness up to 1.5 μm. Bonded samples were characterized by means of acoustic coupling between the PZT and the WC, through electrical impedance measurements. Furthermore, the electrical impedance measurements were employed as a novel method for non-destructive characterization of voids in bond-lines. The results from the non-destructive impedance measurements were compared with the traditional cross-sectional microscopy to inspect voids in SLID bonds, showing good correspondence. Successful Au-Sn SLID bonding of a PZT to a WC is achieved at a temperature higher than 300 °C and a heating rate as high as 120 °C/minute. The bond-line consists of a layered structure Au / Au-Sn (ζ phase) / Au, in accordance with previous studies. Prior to the cross-sectional microscopy, the difference in the bond-lines is clearly observed by the non-destructive electrical impedance measurements. The present study has demonstrated the feasibility of adopting Au-Sn SLID bonding to samples with a high surface roughness.