Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Issues Related to Delivering an Early Childhood Home‐Visiting Program

PurposeTo describe the issues related to delivering an early childhood home visiting program, BabyFirst, from the perspective of public health nurses and lay home visitors (paraprofessionals). Study Design and MethodsThis descriptive, qualitative interpretive study had a sample of 24 public health nurses and 14 lay home visitors. One in-depth, semi-structured, audio-taped interview was conducted with each participant. Transcribed data were analyzed using content analysis techniques. ResultsPublic health nurses and lay home visitors identified several issues associated specifically with the use of lay home visitors and more broadly with the delivery of the BabyFirst program. These are discussed in the following categories: issues related to (a) the lay home visitors, (b) the BabyFirst families, and (c) the general administration of the program. Clinical ImplicationsFindings from this study provide information about the issues related to providing home-visiting services delivered by lay home visitors that can be applied to policy and practice development. The findings suggest that in addition to careful selection of prospective applicants, considerable resources should be provided in preparing public health nurses and home visitors for their respective roles. The concerns identified by nurses and home visitors suggest the need to target the following three areas: (a) training and retention of nurses and home visitors, (b) program delivery, and (c) enrollment of families. Attention to the issues discussed in this article has implications for improving the BabyFirst home-visiting program and other similar early childhood programs.
Validity of a wearable accelerometer to quantify gait in spinocerebellar ataxia type 6

Biomarkers are required to track disease progression and measure the effectiveness of interventions for people with spinocerebellar ataxia type-6 (SCA6). Gait is a potential biomarker that is sensitive to SCA6 which can be measured using wearable technology, reducing the need for expensive specialist facilities. However, algorithms used to calculate gait using data from wearables have not been validated in SCA6. This study sought to examine the validity of a single wearable for deriving 14 spatio-temporal gait characteristics in SCA6 and control cohorts. Participants performed eight intermittent walks along a 7 m instrumented walkway at their preferred walking pace while also wearing a single accelerometer-based wearable on L5. Gait algorithms previously validated in neurological populations and controls were used to derive gait characteristics. We assessed the bias, agreement and sensitivity of gait characteristics derived using the instrumented walkway and the wearable. Mean gait characteristics showed good to excellent agreement for both groups, although gait variability and asymmetry showed poor agreement between the two systems. Agreement improved considerably in the SCA6 group when people who used walking sticks were excluded from the analysis, suggesting poorer agreement in people with more severe gait impairment. Despite poor agreement for some characteristics, gait measured using the wearable was generally more sensitive to group differences than the instrumented walkway. Our findings indicate mean gait characteristics can be accurately measured using an accelerometer-based wearable in people SCA6 with mild-to-moderately severe gait impairment yet further development of algorithms are required for people with more severe symptoms.
Chromium oxide nanoparticle–induced biochemical and histopathological alterations in the kidneys and brain of Wistar rats

Chromium oxide nanoparticles (Cr2O3 NPs) have a wide range of applications in industry. They are used as pigments, catalysts, wear-resistant or high-temperature-resistant coating material and are used in liquid crystal displays. In view of ever escalating use of NPs, risk assessment becomes obligatory to ensure the safety of both human health and the ecosystem. The present study was designed and conducted to evaluate biochemical changes and histopathological alterations in kidneys and brain of rats, following exposure to Cr2O3 NPs. Male Wistar rats were divided into low-dose (50 µg/100 g body weight (bwt) groups and high-dose (200 µg/100 g bwt) groups. Each group type received oral administration of Cr2O3 NPs for multiple durations (single dosing, once daily for 7 days and once daily for 14 days, respectively). According to our data, this allotment presented a meaningful picture of NPs behaviour in different scenarios. In the kidneys and brain of Cr2O3 NPs-exposed animals, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production caused a significant increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration along with a significant decrease in superoxide dismutase and glutathione levels, as compared to controls. Histopathological changes in these organs confirmed cellular injury and functional damage due to exposure to Cr2O3 NPs. In this study, we have distinguished pathological alterations consequent to deleterious oxidative stress due to enhanced ROS generation after Cr2O3 NPs exposure.
Deforestation change detection using high-resolution multi-temporal X-Band SAR images and supervised learning classification

Remote sensing has been widely applied for environmental monitoring by means of change detection techniques, commonly for identifying deforestation signs which is the gateway for illegal activities such as uncontrolled urban growth and grazing pasture. Monthly acquired X-Band images from airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) provided multi-temporal scenes employed in this work resulting in environmental incident reports forwarded to the responsible authorities. The present work proposes the use of both, Superpixel segmentation by Simple Linear Iterative Clustering (SLIC) and change detection by Object Correlation Images (OCI) not yet applied to multi-temporal X-Band high resolution SAR images, and the application of a simple Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) supervised learning technique for detecting and classifying the changes into relevant activities. Experiments have been performed using acquired SAR imagery from BRADAR airborne sensor OrbiSAR-2 under Brazilian Atlantic Forest which revealed possible deforestation activities comparing achieved results with those obtained with experts.
Weight Loss in Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease: Should We Consider Individualised, Qualitative, ad Libitum Diets? A Narrative Review and Case Study

In advanced chronic kidney disease, obesity may bring a survival advantage, but many transplant centres demand weight loss before wait-listing for kidney graft. The case here described regards a 71-year-old man, with obesity-related glomerulopathy; referral data were: weight 110 kg, Body Mass Index (BMI) 37 kg/m2, serum creatinine (sCr) 5 mg/dL, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 23 mL/min, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) 75 mg/dL, proteinuria 2.3 g/day. A moderately restricted, low-protein diet allowed reduction in BUN (45–55 mg/dL) and good metabolic and kidney function stability, with a weight increase of 6 kg. Therefore, he asked to be enrolled in a weight-loss program to be wait-listed (the two nearest transplant centres required a BMI below 30 or 35 kg/m2). Since previous low-calorie diets were not successful and he was against a surgical approach, we chose a qualitative, ad libitum coach-assisted diet, freely available in our unit. In the first phase, the diet is dissociated; he lost 16 kg in 2 months, without need for dialysis. In the second maintenance phase, in which foods are progressively combined, he lost 4 kg in 5 months, allowing wait-listing. Dialysis started one year later, and was followed by weight gain of about 5 kg. He resumed the maintenance diet, and his current body weight, 35 months after the start of the diet, is 94 kg, with a BMI of 31.7 kg/m2, without clinical or biochemical signs of malnutrition. This case suggests that our patients can benefit from the same options available to non-CKD (chronic kidney disease) individuals, provided that strict multidisciplinary surveillance is assured.
Optimal adaptive two‐stage designs for phase II cancer clinical trials

In oncology, single‐arm two‐stage designs with binary endpoint are widely applied in phase II for the development of cytotoxic cancer therapies. Simon's optimal design with prefixed sample sizes in both stages minimizes the expected sample size under the null hypothesis and is one of the most popular designs. The search algorithms that are currently used to identify phase II designs showing prespecified characteristics are computationally intensive. For this reason, most authors impose restrictions on their search procedure. However, it remains unclear to what extent this approach influences the optimality of the resulting designs. This article describes an extension to fixed sample size phase II designs by allowing the sample size of stage two to depend on the number of responses observed in the first stage. Furthermore, we present a more efficient numerical algorithm that allows for an exhaustive search of designs. Comparisons between designs presented in the literature and the proposed optimal adaptive designs show that while the improvements are generally moderate, notable reductions in the average sample size can be achieved for specific parameter constellations when applying the new method and search strategy.
Sphingosine 1-phosphate stimulates tyrosine phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase and chemotactic motility of endothelial cells via the G(i) protein-linked phospholipase C pathway.

We have previously shown that sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) stimulates motility of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) (O.-H. Lee et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 264, 743-750, 1999). To investigate the molecular mechanisms by which S1P stimulates HUVEC motility, we examined tyrosine phosphorylation of p125 focal adhesion kinase (p125(FAK)) which is important for cell migration. S1P induces a rapid increase in tyrosine phosphorylation of p125(FAK). Compared with other structurally related lipid metabolites such as sphingosine, C2-ceramide, and lysophosphatidic acid, S1P uniquely stimulated p125(FAK) tyrosine phosphorylation and migration of HUVECs. The effect of S1P on p125(FAK) tyrosine phosphorylation was markedly reduced by treatment with pertussis toxin or U73122, a phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor. As a downstream signal of PLC, p125(FAK) tyrosine phosphorylation in response to S1P was totally blocked by depletion of the intracellular calcium pool. However, protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor had no effect on the response to S1P. Finally, chemotaxis assays revealed that inhibition of PLC but not PKC significantly abrogated S1P-stimulated HUVEC migration. These results suggest that the G(i)-coupled receptor-mediated PLC-Ca(2+) signaling pathway may be importantly involved in S1P-stimulated focal adhesion formation and migration of endothelial cells.
Functional Mapping of Sequence Learning in Normal Humans

The brain localization of motor sequence learning was studied in normal subjects with positron emission tomography. Subjects performed a serial reaction time (SRT) task by responding to a series of stimuli that occurred at four different spatial positions. The stimulus locations were either determined randomly or according to a 6-element sequence that cycled continuously. The SRT task was performed under two conditions. With attentional interference from a secondary counting task there was no development of awareness of the sequence. Learning-related increases of cerebral blood flow were located in contralateral motor effector areas including motor cortex, supplementary motor area, and putamen, consistent with the hypothesis that nondeclarative motor learning occurs in cerebral areas that control limb movements. Additional cortical sites included the rostral prefrontal cortex and parietal cortex. The SRT learning task was then repeated with a new sequence and no attentional interference. In this condition, 7 of 12 subjects developed awareness of the sequence. Learning-related blood flow increases were present in right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, right premotor cortex, right ventral putamen, and biparieto-occipital cortex. The right dorsolateral prefrontal and parietal areas have been previously implicated in spatial working memory and right prefrontal cortex is also implicated in retrieval tasks of verbal episodic memory. Awareness of the sequence at the end of learning was associated with greater activity in bilateral parietal, superior temporal, and right premotor cortex. Motor learning can take place in different cerebral areas, contingent on the attentional demands of the task.
Ccr4p is the catalytic subunit of a Ccr4p/Pop2p/Notp mRNA deadenylase complex in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The major pathways of mRNA turnover in eukaryotic cells are initiated by shortening of the poly(A) tail. Recent work has identified Ccr4p and Pop2p as components of the major cytoplasmic deadenylase in yeast. We now demonstrate that CCR4 encodes the catalytic subunit of the deadenylase and that Pop2p is dispensable for catalysis. In addition, we demonstrate that at least some of the Ccr4p/Pop2p‐associated Not proteins are cytoplasmic, and lesions in some of the NOT genes can lead to defects in mRNA deadenylation rates. The Ccr4p deadenylase is inhibited in vitro by addition of the poly(A) binding protein (Pab1p), suggesting that dissociation of Pab1p from the poly(A) tail may be rate limiting for deadenylation in vivo. In addition, the rapid deadenylation of the COX17 mRNA, which is controlled by a member of the Pumilio family of deadenylation activators Puf3p, requires an active Ccr4p/Pop2p/Not deadenylase. These results define the Ccr4p/Pop2p/Not complex as the cytoplasmic deadenylase in yeast and identify positive and negative regulators of this enzyme complex.
Interactive effects of feed intake and stage of growth on the lysine requirement of pigs.

We studied the effect of reduced feed intake on the lysine requirement of pigs at the early growing (G) and finishing (F) phases. Two sets of 40 individually penned crossbred barrows averaging 27.1 +/- . 2 (G) and 92.6 +/- 1.1 kg BW (F) were fed five dietary treatments (G; .75, .90, 1.05, 1.20, 1.35%; and F: .45, .60, .75, .90, 1.05% lysine) at two feeding levels (equivalents to 100 and 80% ad libitum intakes) for 15 d. In both stages pigs on the 80% feeding level had lower ADG (P < 0.01) and lower plasma urea nitrogen (PUN) concentrations (P < .10) than pigs on the 100% feeding level. In all instances, increasing dietary lysine caused ADG to increase (P < .05) and PUN to decrease (P < .10) linearly. A tendency for an interaction was detected between the effects of growth stage and the effects of feeding level on the lysine requirements estimated by ADG (P < .19) and PUN (P < .10). In the F stage, pigs on the 80% feeding level required a greater dietary lysine concentration to maximize ADG and minimize PUN (.85 and .87%, respectively) than pigs on the 100% feeding level (.61 and .68%, respectively). In the G stage, however, the dietary lysine concentrations required to maximize ADG (.97 to 1.01%) and minimize PUN (1.05 to 1.09%) were not different (P > .20) between feeding levels. We conclude that the effect of a reduction in feed intake on the lysine requirement depends on the stage of growth of the pigs.
Sexuality During Pregnancy: What Is Important for Sexual Satisfaction in Expectant Fathers?

This cross-sectional study aimed to examine changes in some aspects of sexuality (sexual desire, frequency, and satisfaction) in expecting fathers and to determine predictors of sexual satisfaction. Men whose partners were in the third trimester of pregnancy participated in the study (N = 105). Findings demonstrate that a majority of men experienced a decrease in the frequency of sexual activity during their partner's pregnancy. However, decrease in sexual desire was experienced by less than a third of the participants. Even though there was a decrease in sexual satisfaction in almost half of the men, participants generally perceived their sexual satisfaction as quite high. Aspects of the relationship with one's partner were shown to be the most important determinant of sexual satisfaction, and closeness with one's partner to be especially important. Most men (80%) reported fear of hurting the fetus during intercourse as one of the main reasons that prevented intercourse during pregnancy. However, this specific fear was not a significant determinant of sexual satisfaction. Results are discussed in light of previous findings examining sexuality among expecting fathers as well as among men in general.
Biological agents in head and neck cancer

Survival of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients has not dramatically improved over the last 30 years, despite the advances in surgical techniques, chemotherapeutic agents and radiotherapy treatment planning and definition. Different studies in molecular biology of HNC have been carried out, providing useful results for clinical application. HNC usually includes malignant tumors arising from mucosa of the upper aerodigestive tract, from nasopharynx to larynx/trachea, while salivary gland and thyroid cancers are less frequently listed in this classification. In this review, we chose to provide a comprehensive review of the role of biological agents in head and neck subsites. Molecular characteristics and treatment-relevant signaling pathways will be briefly discussed along with the results of the more recent clinical studies that include biological agents.
Methamphetamine Users Have Increased Dental Disease

Methamphetamine (MA) users are assumed to have a high burden of tooth decay. Less clear is how the distribution and severity of dental caries in MA users differ from the general population. Using a covariate-balancing propensity score strategy, we investigated the differential effects of MA use on dental caries by comparing the patterns of decayed, missing, and filled teeth in a community sample of 571 MA users with a subset of 2,755 demographically similar control individuals selected from a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cohort. Recruited over a 2-y period with a stratiﬁed sampling protocol, the MA users underwent comprehensive dental examinations by 3 trained and calibrated dentists using NHANES protocols. Propensity scores were estimated with logistic regression based on background characteristics, and a subset of closely matched subjects was stratified into quintiles for comparisons. MA users were twice as likely to have untreated caries (odds ratio [OR] = 2.08; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.55 to 2.78) and 4 times more likely to have caries experience (OR = 4.06; 95% CI: 2.24 to 7.34) than the control group of NHANES participants. Additionally, MA users were twice as likely to have 2 more decayed, missing, or filled teeth (OR = 2.08; 95% CI: 1.29 to 2.79) than the NHANES participants. The differential involvement of the teeth surfaces in MA users was quite distinctive, with carious surface involvement being highest for the maxillary central incisors, followed by maxillary posterior premolars and molars. Users injecting MA had significantly higher rates of tooth decay compared with noninjectors (P = 0.04). Although MA users experienced decayed and missing dental surfaces more frequently than NHANES participants, NHANES participants had more restored surfaces, especially on molars. The high rates and distinctive patterns of dental caries observed could be used 1) to alert dentists to covert MA use in their patients and 2) as the basis for comprehensive management strategies.
Changes in Postjunctional α‐Adrenoceptors during Postnatal Growth in Rabbit Arteries

The pharmacological characteristics of the postjunctional α-adrenoceptors of vascular smooth muscle were studied in ring segments of thoracic aorta, superior mesenteric, and central ear arteries of 4- and 8-week-old, and young adult (12- to 16-week-old) rabbits. Norepinephnne (α1, α2-agonist), phenylephrine (α1-agonist), and UK 14,304–18 (α1-agonist) caused a concentration-dependent contraction of all three arterial segments from 4- and 8-week-old animals. Norepinephrine and phenylephrine but not UK 14,304–18 contracted the young adult thoracic aorta and superior mesenteric artery, whereas all the agonists contracted the central ear artery The effects of the α1-adrenoceptor antagonists, prazosin and thymoxamine, and the α2-adrenoceptor antagonists, rauwolscine and yohimbine, on these responses were studied. In the 4-weekold rabbits, responses to norepinephnne, phenylephrine, and UK 14,304–18 were reduced by all four antagonists with nominal pA2 values in the range of 7–8.5 The action of the antagonists was competitive. Between 4 and 8 weeks, there was a significant decrease in the pA2 values of rauwolscine against norepinephnne and UK 14,304–18 in the aorta and between rauwolscine and UK 14,304–18 on the superior mesenteric artery The pA2 values of rauwolscine and yohimbine, but not prazosin and thymoxamine, were lower in the young adult compared with values from the 8-week-old rabbit In the interpretation of these results, there are two possibilities. Either both α1- and α2-adrenoceptors are found in arteries from 4- and 8-week-old rabbits and there is a loss of α2-mediated contraction in the adult, or there may be undifferentiated α-adrenoceptors present in arteries of 8-week-old rabbits, and subsequent development favors α1characteristics
Diabetes mellitus is a risk factor for hepatic decompensation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing resection: a longitudinal study

OBJECTIVES:Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) frequently have diabetes mellitus (DM) due to coexisting liver cirrhosis. The aim of this study was to assess the long-term impact of DM on the hepatic regenerative ability of HCC patients undergoing surgical resection.METHODS:We retrospectively studied 245 HCC patients (210 male; age, 61 ± 13 yr) with well-preserved liver functions undergoing resection. Forty (16%) of them were diabetic and were controlled with hypoglycemic agents. The Child-Pugh scoring system was used to evaluate the postoperative liver regeneration ability. The endpoint was the occurrence of hepatic decompensation, defined as a sustained increase in the Child-Pugh score of 2 or more points or the development of tumor recurrence.RESULTS:Seventy-five patients (31%) developed hepatic decompensation during a follow-up period of 27 ± 18 months (range, 3–75). DM (p= 0.001), large (>3 cm) tumor size (p= 0.044), and age > 65 yr (p= 0.058) were the factors associated with hepatic decompensation in univariate analysis. Multivariate Cox regression model analysis confirmed that DM (relative risk [RR] = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.4–3.7, p= 0.001) and tumor size > 3 cm (RR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.1–2.7, p= 0.046) were independent prognostic predictors associated with the occurrence of hepatic decompensation; the respective 3- and 5-yr cumulative rates were 53% and 64% versus 27% and 50% for diabetic and nondiabetic patients, and 24% and 41% versus 38% and 60% for patients with small (≤3 cm) versus large (>3 cm) tumors.CONCLUSION:HCC patients with DM or large tumor size are at a cumulative increased risk for postoperative hepatic decompensation.