Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Within arm's reach: Measuring forearm length to assess growth patterns in captive bonobos and chimpanzees.

OBJECTIVES Bonobos and chimpanzees are known to differ in various morphological traits, a dichotomy that is sometimes used as an analogy for evolutionary splits during human evolution. The aim of our study was to measure the forearm length of immature and adult bonobos and adult chimpanzees to assess the extent of age-related changes of forearm length in bonobos and sex-dimorphism in bonobos and chimpanzees. MATERIALS AND METHODS As a proxy of somatic growth we measured forearm length of captive bonobos and chimpanzees ranging in age from 1 to 55 years. Measures were taken from subjects inserting their arms into a transparent Plexiglas® tube, a novel technique facilitating repeated measures of nonanesthetized apes in captivity. RESULTS Measures from adult females (>12 years) showed that bonobos exceed chimpanzees in terms of forearm length and that sexual dimorphism in forearm length is pronounced in chimpanzees, but not in bonobos. Forearm length increased significantly with chronological age in bonobos. Validation tests revealed that the device generates useful data on morphometric dimensions. DISCUSSION In most primates, sexual dimorphism in body size is male-biased and the differences in forearm length in chimpanzees follow this trend. Given that males of the two species did not differ in forearm length, the absence/presence of sexual dimorphism of this trait must be due to differences in somatic growth in females. Our novel method offers an alternative to obtain morphometric measures and facilitates longitudinal studies on somatic growth. Am J Phys Anthropol 161:37-43, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Gares exurbanisées et développement urbain : Le cas des gares TGV bourguignonnes

Des la mise en service de la ligne TGV Sud-Est, au debut des annees 80, la Bourgogne a beneficie de la creation de deux nouvelles gares TGV, amenagees en peripherie des poles urbains du Creusot et de Mâcon. Malgre leurs fonctions reduites, ces nouvelles gares periurbaines ont suscite d’ambitieux projets d’amenagement. De nouvelles zones d’activites ont ainsi vu le jour a proximite de ces gares. Ces projets n’ont eu toutefois que des retombees limitees en matiere d’implantation d’activites economiques.
Hammertoe Correction With K-Wire Fixation Compared With Percutaneous Correction

Background. Kirschner wire (K-wire) fixation for correction of hammertoe deformity is the gold standard for hammertoe surgery fixation, the current study compares it to percutaneous surgery with 3M Coban dressings. Methods. All hammertoe corrections performed were retrospectively reviewed. For the K-wire fixation group: resection arthroplasty of the proximal interphalangeal joint was performed and fixed with a K-wire. The percutaneous technique used involved percutaneous diaphyseal osteotomy of the middle and proximal phalanges combined with tendon release. The toes are then wrapped in 3M Coban dressing for 3 weeks. Follow-up duration, preoperative diagnosis, pin duration, concomitant procedures, visual analogue scale (VAS) pain, recurrence rates, and complications were reviewed and analyzed. A total of 352 patients (87 percutaneous/265 open), in whom 675 hammertoes (221 percutaneous/454 open) were corrected. There were 55.9% females, with an average age of 52.8 years, followed for 6 months. The percutaneous group had more diabetics and multiple toes surgery. Results. Complications of the open surgery group included 5.5% pin migrations, 4.5% infections, and 8 (3%) had impaired wound healing. There were 6.2% recurrent deformities and 2.6% toes were revised. Malalignment was noted in 3.3% toes. Vascular compromise occurred in 0.5%, with 0.25% amputated. Complications of the percutaneous surgery group included 18.4% cases of impaired healing and 2.3% infection. Deep tissue dehiscence occurred in 4.5% of open surgery patients. VAS score decreased in both groups with a more pronounced decline in the percutanteous group (2 ± 2.1 vs 0.5 ± 1.6). The per toe infection rate of patients undergoing open hammertoe correction was 5.3% was significantly higher than with the percutaneous correction group, which was 2.2%. Conclusions. K-wire fixation and percutaneous surgery have similar abnormal healing rates, alignment and patient satisfaction but the latter technique has fewer infections. Levels of Evidence: Level III: Prospective case series with noncontamporenous cohorts
Optic Disc Drusen Associated with Optic Nerve Tumors

Purpose To propose a theory based on clinical observation, namely, whether axonal distress induced by optic nerve tumors could be a triggering factor for optic disc drusen (ODD) formation. Case Reports A 28-year-old woman with ODD and optic disc melanocytoma, a 53-year-old woman with ODD and optic nerve meningioma, and a 29-year-old woman with ODD and optic nerve glioma underwent comprehensive ophthalmologic examinations including spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, swept-source optical coherence tomography, visual field tests, color vision tests, and complete neurologic examinations including brain magnetic resonance imaging. In two cases, unilateral ODD existed on the same side of optic nerve tumors. In the bilateral case, the nerve that contained the tumor had ODD that were located more deeply and on both nasal and temporal sides of the optic nerve compared with the contralateral eye. In two cases, optic disc edema (ODE) was also present, and ODD persisted after ODE resolved. Conclusions Optic nerve tumors can trigger the formation of ODD, which suggests that ODD pathogenesis involves axonal flow distress in the optic nerve. The presence of asymmetric ODD and ODE may indicate the presence of an optic nerve tumor.
Characterization of the inducer of short transcripts, a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 transcriptional element that activates the synthesis of short RNAs

The inducer of short transcripts, or IST, is an unusual transcriptional element located downstream of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) promoter. IST activates HIV-1 transcription, but the resulting RNAs are short and end at approximately position +59. IST, therefore, appears to promote the formation of transcription complexes that are unable to elongate efficiently. This activity contrasts with that of TAR, the target for Tat trans-activation, which upon binding of the viral protein Tat promotes the formation of transcription complexes capable of efficient elongation through the entire viral genome. We have localized and characterized the IST element. Our results indicate that IST is located mainly between positions -5 and +26, although the sequences from positions +40 to +59 also contribute to IST activity. Unlike TAR, which is an RNA element, IST appears to be a DNA element. Thus, the HIV-1 R region is a complex regulatory region with RNA and DNA elements that promote the formation of transcription complexes with different elongation properties.
Standardization of a Protocol for Obtaining Platelet Rich Plasma from blood Donors; a Tool for Tissue Regeneration Procedures.

BACKGROUND To develop a protocol for obtaining autologous platelet rich plasma in healthy individuals and to determine the concentration of five major growth factors before platelet activation. This protocol could be integrated into the guidelines of good clinical practice and research in regenerative medicine. METHODS Platelet rich plasma was isolated by centrifugation from 38 healthy men and 42 women ranging from 18 to 59 years old. The platelet count and quantification of growth factors were analyzed in eighty samples, stratified for age and gender of the donor. Analyses were performed using parametric the t-test or Pearson's analysis for non-parametric distribution. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS Our centrifugation protocol allowed us to concentrate basal platelet counts from 1.6 to 4.9 times (mean = 2.8). There was no correlation between platelet concentration and the level of the following growth factors: VEGF-D (r = 0.009, p = 0.4105), VEGF-A (r = 0.0068, p = 0.953), PDGF subunit AA (p = 0.3618; r = 0.1047), PDGF-BB (p = 0.5936; r = 0.6095). In the same way, there was no correlation between donor gender and growth factor concentrations. Only TGF-β concentration was correlated to platelet concentration (r = 0.3163, p = 0.0175). CONCLUSIONS The procedure used allowed us to make preparations rich in platelets, low in leukocytes and red blood cells, and sterile. Our results showed biological variations in content of growth factors in PRP. The factors influencing these results should be further studied.
Visual function at school age in children with neonatal encephalopathy and low Apgar scores

Objective: To assess different aspects of visual function at school age in children who suffered from neonatal encephalopathy. Method: Thirty nine full term infants with neonatal encephalopathy, low Apgar scores, and early neonatal imaging were studied using a battery of tests assessing different aspects of visual function (crowding acuity, stereopsis, visual fields) at school age. The results were compared with brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and, when possible, with the results of the assessment of visual function performed at 5 and 12 months, available in 24 of the 39 children examined at school age. Results: Sixteen of the 39 children (41%) had abnormal results at school age in at least one of the visual tests used. Seven of these 16 were untestable on all tests. The remaining 23 children (59%) had normal results. Conclusions: The presence and severity of visual impairment was related to the severity of brain lesions. Moderate or severe basal ganglia lesions and severe white matter changes were always associated with abnormal visual function. Infants with normal MRI, minimal basal ganglia lesions, and minimal or moderate white matter involvement tended to have normal vision. It was also found that the assessment of visual function performed in the first year was a reliable indicator of visual function at school age. With two exceptions, the results on the 5 month visual assessment were predictive of visual outcome at school age. In the remaining two cases, a normal visual outcome at 5 years was associated with visual abnormalities at 5 months but these had already normalised by the age of 1 year.
Investigating Electrotactile Feedback on The Hand

Electrotactile feedback can be used as a novel method to evoke different sensations on the skin. However, there is a lack of research exploring electrotactile feedback on the palm. This paper presents two experiments that investigate the effects of manipulating pulse width, amplitude and frequency of electrical stimulation on perceived sensations (urgency, annoyance, valence and arousal) on the palm. In the first study, we manipulated pulse width and frequency. The results showed that both parameters have a significant effect on the perceived sensations, except for frequency not having an effect on valence. Also, frequencies of 30Hz and above did not influence the perceived sensations. In the second study, we manipulated amplitude and frequency. The results showed that both parameters have a significant effect on perceived sensations, especially for frequencies lower than 30Hz. From both experiments, the increment of pulse width and amplitude led to a higher rating for urgency, annoyance and arousal. These results gives us a better understanding of the parameter space of electrotactile feedback to enable designers to create effective electrotactile feedback.
Outcome of Very Low Birth Weight Infants with Sonographic Enlarged Occipital Horn

This retrospective review evaluated the parallel neurologic development of very low-birth weight infants both with and without disproportionately dilated trigone and occipital horns. All low-birth weight (<1500 g) infants born at a single hospital were reviewed. Those with confounding medical conditions such as congenital hydrocephalus, intracranial hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, intraventricular hemorrhage, ventriculomegaly, or stage III retinopathy of prematurity were excluded. A total of 81 infants were thus enrolled in the study. The mean gestational age in the study group was 30.4 weeks and the mean gestational age in the control group was 31.1 weeks. Sonography of the head was performed at day of life 3, 7, and 21, and every 2 to 4 weeks thereafter until the examinations were deemed normal. The infants were subdivided into 2 groups: those with occipital horns greater than 15 mm and those with occipital horns less than 15 mm. Clinical follow-up included examinations at corrected ages of 6, 12, 18, and 24 months, with hearing and vision tests. Overall, at a corrected age of 24 months no statistically significant difference in muscle tone, neuromotor impairment, hearing impairment, and vision or speech development was noted. Mental development and psychomotor development indices were also similar. The authors found anecdotally in their series an increased frequency of enlargement of the occipital horn on the left and in males. In summary, the authors conclude that very low-birth weight infants with a disproportionately enlarged occipital horn have a similar neurologic outcome at 24 months compared with those very lowbirth weight infants with normal ventricular size.
An Analysis on Secure Millimeter Wave NOMA Communications in Cognitive Radio Networks

In this paper, an easy analysis framework is developed to evaluate the reliability and security of the secondary receivers (SU-Rxs) in millimeter wave (mmWave) non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) aided cognitive radio (CR) networks, where secondary transmitters (SU-Txs) transmit confidential messages to SU-Rxs belonging to different regions under the interference temperature constraint of the primary receiver (PU-Rx). Considering that randomly located eavesdroppers and primary user may be in the signal beam emitted by the SU-Txs, information leakage and interference to the primary network will be inevitable issues. Motivated by these challenges, combining the key features of multi-cell mmWave networks and NOMA communications, the closed-form expressions of three key performance metrics of connection outage probability (COP), secrecy outage probability (SOP), and secrecy throughput (ST) are derived by using the sector eavesdropper-exclusion zone, and the reliability and secrecy performance of the secondary networks are measured by different system parameters. The obtained performance evaluation results have demonstrated that the interference temperature constraint of the PU-Rx can be used to balance the security and reliability of the secondary networks. The reliability and security of paired NOMA users can be improved by using reasonable power allocation factor and sector eavesdropper-exclusion zone. Meanwhile, the connection performance of paired NOMA users is better than orthogonal multiple access (OMA). Furthermore, various system parameters can be reasonably set in conjunction with blockage and inter-cell interference to achieve optimal network’s performance.
Proposal for new particle deactivation methods in GIS

This paper deals with consideration of particle motion control and its trapping in the deactivation of foreign contaminating moving particle in simulated GIS. The particle motion behavior in nonuniform field gap without/with different shaped spacers was investigated experimentally under DC and 60 Hz AC voltages. The obtained results were confirmed experimentally as well as by calculating the electrostatic force acting on the particle in the nonuniform field gap and are reported elsewhere. Whereas, in this paper, the observed particle motion behavior around simple shaped spacer is simulated by solving the particle motion equations analytically in the presence of electrical gradient and image forces. The simulation agreed fairly well with the experimental results. Furthermore, in the nonuniform electric field, the effect of dielectric coating on the grounded electrode on the particle motion and particle deactivation is also briefly discussed. On the basis of the obtained results of particle motion behavior without/with different shaped spacers and the effect of dielectric coating on the ground electrode, different methods of particle deactivation are suggested as well as confirmed experimentally
Reliability of the fat tissue channel for intra-body microwave communication

Recently, the human fat tissue has been proposed as a microwave channel for intra-body sensor applications. In this work, we assess how disturbances can prevent reliable microwave propagation through the fat channel. Perturbants of different sizes are considered. The simulation and experimental results show that efficient communication through the fat channel is possible even in the presence of perturbants such as embedded muscle layers and blood vessels. We show that the communication channel is not affected by perturbants that are smaller than 15 mm cube.
Breaking bad news: doctors’ skills in communicating with patients

ABSTRACT CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Breaking bad news is one of doctors’ duties and it requires them to have some skills, given that this situation is difficult and distressful for patients and their families. Moreover, it is also an uncomfortable condition for doctors. The aim of this study was to evaluate doctors’ capacity to break bad news, ascertain which specialties are best prepared for doing this and assess the importance of including this topic within undergraduate courses. DESIGN AND SETTING: Observational cross-sectional quantitative study conducted at a university hospital in Belo Horizonte (MG), Brazil. METHODS: This study used a questionnaire based on the SPIKES protocol, which was answered by 121 doctors at this university hospital. This questionnaire investigated their attitudes, posture, behavior and fears relating to breaking bad news. RESULTS: The majority of the doctors did not have problems regarding the concept of bad news. Nevertheless, their abilities diverged depending on the stage of the protocol and on their specialty and length of time since graduation. Generally, doctors who had graduated more than ten years before this survey felt more comfortable and confident, and thus transmitted the bad news in a better conducted manner. CONCLUSION: Much needs to be improved regarding this technique. Therefore, inclusion of this topic in undergraduate courses is necessary and proposals should be put forward and verified.
The Impact of Community Treatment on Recidivism Among Mental Health Court Participants.

OBJECTIVE A core component of mental health courts (MHCs) is the provision of community treatment in order to reduce arrests. However, research on the components of treatment received by MHC participants is rare. This study examined the impact of community treatment on arrests in an MHC sample (N=357) and a sample from the traditional criminal justice system (N=384). METHODS Data were from the MacArthur MHC Project, which includes objective and subjective information from four MHCs with comparison samples at each site. Interview data were collected for six months before and six months after entry into the MHC or legal system. National data from arrest records over one year were also obtained. Treatment-related variables were compliance (appointments and medication), perceptions (motivation and perceived voluntariness), and use of nine types of community treatment. A fixed-effects regression controlled for selection bias between groups. RESULTS The regression model indicated significant increases in treatment motivation and use of community mental health and substance abuse services among MHC participants, compared with treatment-as-usual participants; however, the perceived voluntariness of treatment decreased in the MHC group. For the treatment-as-usual group, none of the treatment variables were associated with future arrest. For the MHC group, increased medication compliance and use of mental health services were associated with a significant decrease in arrests. CONCLUSIONS Consistent with the MHC goals, findings indicated increases in receipt of community treatment among MHC participants. For the MHC sample, but not the treatment-as-usual sample, increased treatment was associated with reduced recidivism.
Selection of drug-resistant HIV-1 mutants in response to repeated structured treatment interruptions

BackgroundA new HIV-1 treatment strategy based on repeated structured treatment interruptions (STI) is currently being evaluated in clinical trials to determine whether immune cell-mediated control of viral replication can be stimulated by intermittent periods of viral replication. The potential for selection of drug-resistant quasi-species remains a major concern of such a treatment strategy. MethodsPlasma and peripheral blood lymphocyte (PBL) samples from 12 patients who had three consecutive STIs were studied. Genotypic analysis was based on population and clonal sequencing. Drug susceptibility and their corresponding replication capacities were evaluated by a single-cycle growth assay. ResultsConsistent with a loss of phenotypic susceptibility to lamivudine, the M184V mutation was detected by genotypic analysis (direct and clonal sequencing) in plasma samples collected from two patients at the end of the second or third STI. Longitudinal analysis of patient samples revealed a step-wise increase in the M184V mutation in each patient virus population over successive STIs, despite the lower replicative capacity associated with this mutation in the absence of antiviral agents. ConclusionDrug-resistant virus can rise to high frequencies in chronically HIV-1 infected individuals during consecutive STIs. Evolution of resistance is likely to be more important in patients with prior suboptimal therapies, particularly when few mutations are required for resistance. Maximum care should be taken in designing STI protocols that minimize development of drug-resistant mutations that may lead to treatment failure. Thus, drug-resistance testing may be useful before restarting treatment during STI studies.
The effects of strength training on endurance performance and muscle characteristics.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of resistance training on endurance performance and selected muscle characteristics of female cyclists. METHODS Twenty-one endurance-trained, female cyclists, aged 18-42 yr, were randomly assigned to either a resistance training (RT; N = 14) or a control group (CON; N = 7). Resistance training (2X x wk(-1)) consisted of five sets to failure (2-8 RM) of parallel squats for 12 wk. Before and immediately after the resistance-training period, all subjects completed an incremental cycle test to allow determination of both their lactate threshold (LT) and peak oxygen consumption VO2). In addition, endurance performance was assessed by average power output during a 1-h cycle test (OHT), and leg strength was measured by recording the subject's one repetition maximum (1 RM) concentric squat. Before and after the 12-wk training program, resting muscle was sampled by needle biopsy from m. vastus lateralis and analyzed for fiber type diameter, fiber type percentage, and the activities of 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase and phosphofructokinase. RESULTS After the resistance training program, there was a significant increase in 1 RM concentric squat strength for RT (35.9%) but not for CON (3.7%) (P < 0.05). However, there were no significant changes in OHT performance, LT, VO2, muscle fiber characteristics, or enzyme activities in either group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION The present data suggest that increased leg strength does not improve cycle endurance performance in endurance-trained, female cyclists.