Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Simulation Study of Spine Biofidelity in the Hybrid-III 6-Year-Old ATD

Objective: Because of the lack of pediatric biomechanical data, Hybrid-III (HIII) child anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) are essentially scaled from the mid-size male ATD based on the geometric considerations. These ATDs inherit a rigid thoracic spine from the adult HIII ATDs, which has been criticized as unrealistic. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore possible design modifications for improving the spine biofidelity of the HIII 6-year-old ATD. Methods: A previously developed and validated HIII 6-year-old MADYMO ATD model was used as the baseline model to investigate the effects of design modifications on the spine biofidelity of the current ATD. Several sets of child volunteer and cadaver test data were considered as the design targets, including child volunteer low-speed crash test data, pediatric cadaver cervical spine tensile test data, and child cadaver crash test data. ATD design modifications include adding an additional joint to the thoracic spine region and changing the joint characteristics at the cervical and lumbar spine regions. Optimization techniques were used to match simulation results to each set of test results. Results: The results indicate that the translational characteristics of the cervical and lumbar spine in the current child ATD need to be reduced to achieve realistic spine flexibility. Adding an additional joint at the thoracic spine region with degree of freedom in both flexion/extension and tension would significantly improve the ATD biofidelity in terms of predicting the overall spine curvature and head excursion in frontal crashes. Conclusions: Future ATD spine modification should focus on reducing the neck and lumbar tension stiffness and adding additional flexibility both in flexion/extension and tension at the thoracic spine region. The child ATD model developed in this study can be used as an important tool to improve child ATD biofidelity and child restraint system design in motor vehicle crashes.
Willingness to pay for mortality risk reduction associated with air pollution in São Paulo

Estudos epidemiologicos associam a poluicao atmosferica a mortes por doencas respiratorias e cardiovasculares. Nesse contexto, politicas governamentais que melhorem a qualidade do ar sao necessarias e a analise de custo-beneficio dessas politicas impoe que se estime, em termos monetarios, o mais importante beneficio associado a essas politicas: a reducao do risco de morte da populacao. Este trabalho apresenta um estudo de avaliacao contingente realizado em Sao Paulo que estima a disposicao a pagar (DAP) da populacao para reduzir seu risco de morte e o valor de uma vida estatistica (VVE). Os resultados variam entre US$ 0.77 - US$ 6.1 milhoes.
Selenomethionine and α-Tocopherol Do Not Inhibit Prostate Carcinogenesis in the Testosterone plus Estradiol–Treated NBL Rat Model

Previous studies with selenium and/or vitamin E in prostate carcinogenesis animal models have been negative, but these models may not involve oxidative stress mechanisms. In this study, we examined the potential of selenomethionine and α-tocopherol to modulate prostate cancer development in the testosterone plus estradiol–treated NBL rat, a model that does involve sex hormone–induced oxidative stress mechanisms and prostatic inflammation. One week following the implantation with hormone-filled Silastic implants, rats were fed diets containing l-selenomethionine (1.5 or 3.0 mg/kg), DL-α-tocopherol acetate (2,000 or 4,000 mg/kg), or a natural ingredient control diet (NIH-07). The development of prostate carcinomas was not affected by dietary treatment with either agent. Food intake, body weight, and mortality were also not affected. The high dose of selenomethionine reduced the severity of epithelial dysplasia in the lateral prostate that was not associated with inflammation, and α-tocopherol reduced in a dose-related fashion the incidence of marked inflammation and marked epithelial dysplasia in the lateral prostate, regardless of whether these lesions were associated with inflammation. α-Tocopherol significantly increased the incidence of adenocarcinomas of the mammary glands at both dietary concentrations. Collectively, our findings suggest that selenomethionine and α-tocopherol supplementation does not prevent prostate cancer in rats fed diets with nutritionally adequate levels of selenium and vitamin E. Importantly, the results of the current animal studies and those reported previously were fully predictive of the outcome of the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial. Cancer Prev Res; 3(3); 371–80
Acceptability of Health Kiosks Within African American Community Settings

Introduction: Health kiosks have been increasingly adopted to provide health-care services to those with limited access. Kiosks have the potential to reach people who may have undiagnosed health conditions or those who are not under regular physician care. Thus far, there is limited research assessing the usefulness of health kiosks in the community. This study aimed to explore the acceptability, usability, usefulness, and overall satisfaction of health kiosks in African American majority community settings. Methods: Two health kiosks were placed in predominantly African American low-income areas in an urban city in Western Pennsylvania. After the kiosk interaction, participants 18 years and older were recruited to complete a survey on their overall kiosk use experience. The technology acceptance model was adapted to develop the survey. Survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative survey responses were analyzed using content analysis. Results: Seventy-seven percent of the 31 survey respondents were female and 37.8% were ages 60 to 69 years old. Overall, 90% of participants were satisfied with their kiosk experience and 97% found the kiosk useful for health self-management, with 94% stating that they would use the kiosk again. Conclusion: This study showed that health kiosks are accepted among African Americans in community settings such as churches and community centers. Participants found the kiosks easy to use and an overall useful tool to help manage their health. Future studies are needed to provide a better understanding of health kiosk acceptance among minority populations and in community settings.
Correction for variations in MRI scanner sensitivity in brain studies with histogram matching

Quantitative comparisons of abnormalities in MRI scans between patients or within patients serially are affected by variations in MR scanner performance. A histogram matching method is proposed to correct for variation in scanner sensitivity. It is demonstrated that this histogram matching method reduced the variation in white matter intensities across normal subjects from 7.5 to 2.5% and provided a method to remove the threshold dependency in lesion volume measurement with global thresholding in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The effectiveness of the method was compared with three other possible correction schemes. The histogram matching method was shown to be 2 to 5 times better.
Association of cellular adhesion molecules and oxidative stress with endothelial function in obstructive sleep apnea.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of oxidative stress and cellular adhesion molecules on ischemic reactive hyperemia (IRH) in patients with OSA. MATERIALS AND METHODS Consecutive patients treated at a sleep laboratory and whose polysomnography showed an apnea hypopnea index (AHI) ≥5 were included in the study. Patients with acute illness receiving vasoactive medications were excluded. Based on their oxygen desaturation index (ODI), subjects were assigned to the mild-moderate (ODI ≤30) or the severe desaturation group (ODI >30). Then IRH and oxidative stress markers [malondialdehyde (MDA)] and proinflammatory markers (ICAM-1 and P-selectin) were measured. RESULTS Sixty-eight subjects with OSA were included, 31 in the mild-moderate desaturation group and 37 in the severe group. No differences by age, gender and body mass index were observed. The severe desaturation group showed significantly higher values in the AHI, MDA, ICAM-1 and P-selectin (p<0.005), as well as a worsening of IRH (p=0.001). Only ICAM-1 (p=0.019) and P-selectin (p=0.033) were independently associated with IRH in a multiple-linear regression model. CONCLUSION Patients with OSA and greater intermittent hypoxia showed worse endothelial function, and higher levels of MDA, ICAM-1 and P-selectin. Nevertheless, ICAM-1 and P-selectin rather than MDA were independently associated with IRH.
Anxiety and educational achievement.

Summary. This paper reports a study of the relations between anxiety and educational achievement in 310 11-year-old junior school pupils (170 boys, 140 girls). The instruments used were the Frost Self Description Questionnaire (which includes seven anxiety scales and a Denial scale), the Junior Eysenck Personality Inventory, Progressive Matrices, Crichton Vocabulary and three NFER tests of reading and arithmetic. Product-moment, additive multiple regression and Principal Components (with Varimax rotation) analyses are reported. The results demonstrate (a) a complex inter-relationship of types of anxiety, types of achievement and sex of subject; (b) that no separate ‘general’ and ‘school’ anxiety factors emerge; (c) the necessity of using a ‘denial’ scale, and (d) absence of correlation between Eysenck's Neuroticism Scale and school achievement. A theoretical discussion of ‘General Emotionality’ and anxiety led to the conclusion that anxiety questionnaires are likely to measure (1) the likelihood of being threatened by the external world, and (2) a specific way of reacting to such threat.
The Aqueous Accessibility in the External Half of Transmembrane Domain I of the GABA Transporter GAT-1 Is Modulated by Its Ligands*

The sodium- and chloride-dependent γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transporter GAT-1 is the first identified member of a family of transporters, which maintain low synaptic neurotransmitter levels and thereby enable efficient synaptic transmission. To obtain evidence for the idea that the highly conserved transmembrane domain I (TMD I) participates in the permeation pathway, we have determined the impact of impermeant methanethiosulfonate (MTS) reagents on cysteine residues engineered into this domain. As a background the essentially insensitive but fully active C74A mutant has been used. Transport activity of mutants with a cysteine introduced cytoplasmic to glycine 63 is largely unaffected and is resistant to the impermeant MTS reagents. Conversely, transport activity in mutants extracellular to glycine 63 is strongly impacted. Nevertheless, transport activity could be measured in all but three mutants: G65C, N66C, and R69C. In each of the six active cysteine mutants the activity is highly sensitive to the impermeant MTS reagents. This sensitivity is potentiated by sodium in L64C, F70C, and Y72C, but is protected in V67C and P71C. GABA protects in L64C, W68C, F70C, and P71C. The non-transportable GABA analogue SKF100330A also protects in L64C, W68C, and P71C as well as V67C, but strikingly potentiates inhibition in F70C. Although cysteine substitution in this region may have perturbed the native structure of GAT-1, our observations, taken together with the recently published accessibility study on the related serotonin transporter (Henry, L. K., Adkins, E. M., Han, Q., and Blakely, R. D. (2003) J. Biol. Chem. 278, 37052–37063), suggest that the extracellular part of TMD I is conformationally sensitive, lines the permeation pathway, and forms a more extended structure than expected from a membrane-embedded α-helix.
microRNA expression in blood of dengue patients

Background Dengue is the most common arboviral illness worldwide. While most infected patients recover, a proportion of them develop severe complications or fatality. Nevertheless, the pathophysiological mechanisms which distinguish the disease severity and associated complications are not clearly understood. We studied blood profiles of dengue patients in order to identify microRNAs that could play a role in these pathophysiological mechanisms. Methods Blood samples from 26 dengue-infected patients were collected within 0–14 days of infection. Together with samples obtained from six healthy individuals, microRNA profiles were generated to identify significantly altered microRNAs upon dengue infection. Profiles of patients with influenza were also used to determine the disease specificity of these altered microRNAs. Their discriminative power to distinguish dengue from influenza was then tested statistically. Results Several significantly altered microRNAs were identified in patients with dengue. Twelve microRNAs were specifically altered upon acute dengue whereas 14 microRNAs exhibited similar expression between dengue and influenza. Seventeen microRNAs which could potentially distinguish dengue-related complications were also identified. Expression of miR-24-1-5p, miR-512-5p and miR-4640-3p distinguished mild dengue from those exhibiting liver complications whereas miR-383 was significantly upregulated in mild dengue compared to those diagnosed as severe dengue with fluid accumulation. Conclusions We identified two panels of microRNAs – one specific for dengue and the other common to dengue and influenza. We also report on the differentially expressed microRNAs in patients with mild versus severe dengue, which could be the basis for the complications seen in them.
Intraoperative hemodynamic monitoring during organ transplantation: what is new?

Purpose of reviewTo highlight the recent developments in hemodynamic monitoring during liver and lung transplantation. Recent findingsEven though a consensus on intraoperative hemodynamic monitoring is still lacking, the most frequently monitoring tool used is the pulmonary artery catheter (PAC). The filling pressures are widely accepted as not being able to accurately define cardiac preload. On the contrary, the use of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), although it is operator dependent and requires a prolonged training, is increasing during the intraoperative period to directly evaluate the cardiovascular function. New frontiers have been opened by the transpulmonary thermodilution: intrathoracic blood volume has been shown to have a better correlation with preload than the filling pressures. The advanced modified PAC permits evaluation of the right heart function and preload. Recently, right ventricular end diastolic volume has been shown to correlate better with preload than the filling pressures and also the left ventricular end diastolic area. SummaryThe PAC still represents the most used intraoperative hemodynamic monitoring technique. TEE is increasing in popularity. Recent studies demonstrate that volumetric monitoring conducted with transpulmonary thermodilution and advanced volumetric PAC give good definition of preload and should be implemented in clinical practice.
Do People Believe Combined Hazards Can Present Synergistic Risks?

The risk attributable to some hazard combinations can be greater than the sum of the risk attributable to each constituent hazard. Such “synergistic risks” occur in several domains, can vary in magnitude, and often have harmful, even life‐threatening, outcomes. Yet, the extent to which people believe that combined hazards can present synergistic risks is unclear. We present the results of two experimental studies aimed at addressing this issue. In both studies, participants examined synergistic and additive risk scenarios, and judged whether these were possible. The results indicate that the proportion of people who believe that synergistic risks can occur declines linearly as the magnitude of the synergistic risk increases. We also find that people believe, despite scientific evidence to the contrary, that certain hazard combinations are more likely to present additive or weakly synergistic risks than synergistic risks of higher magnitudes. Furthermore, our findings did not vary as a simple function of hazard domain (health vs. social), but varied according to the characteristics of the specific hazards considered (specified vs. unspecified drug combinations). These results suggest that many people’s beliefs concerning the risk attributable to combined hazards could lead them to underestimate the threat posed by combinations that present synergistic risks, particularly for hazard combinations that present higher synergistic risk magnitudes. These findings highlight a need to develop risk communications that can effectively increase awareness of synergistic risks.
Regulation of anthrax toxin activator gene (atxA) expression in Bacillus anthracis: temperature, not CO2/bicarbonate, affects AtxA synthesis

Anthrax toxin gene expression in Bacillus anthracis is dependent on the presence of atxA, a trans-acting regulatory gene located on the resident 185-kb plasmid pXO1. In atxA+ strains, expression of the toxin genes (pag, lef, and cya) is enhanced by two physiologically significant signals: elevated CO2/bicarbonate and temperature. To determine whether increased toxin gene expression in response to these signals is associated with increased atxA expression, we monitored steady-state levels of atxA mRNA and AtxA protein in cells cultured in different conditions. We purified histidine-tagged AtxA [AtxA(His)] from Escherichia coli and used anti-AtxA(His) serum to detect AtxA in protein preparations from B. anthracis cells. AtxA was identified as a protein with an apparent size of 56 kDa in cytoplasmic fractions of B. anthracis cells. Our data indicate that atxA expression is not influenced by CO2/bicarbonate levels. However, the steady-state level of atxA mRNA in cells grown in elevated CO2/bicarbonate at 37 degrees C is five- to sixfold higher than that observed in cells grown in the same conditions at 28 degrees C. A corresponding difference in AtxA protein was also seen at the different growth temperatures. When atxA was cloned on a multicopy plasmid in B. anthracis, AtxA levels corresponding to the atxA gene copy number were observed. However, this strain produced significantly less pag mRNA and protective antigen protein than the parental strain harboring atxA in single copy on pXO1. These results indicate that increased AtxA expression does not lead to a corresponding increase in pag expression. Our data strongly suggest that an additional factor(s) is involved in regulation of pag and that the relative amounts of such a factor(s) and AtxA are important for optimal toxin gene expression.
Evaluation of the risk of falling in institution-dwelling elderly: clinical tests versus biomechanical analysis of stepping-up

Falls in the elderly constitute a major socioeconomic problem for modern healthcare. The aim of the study was to extract biomechanical parameters to indicate balance level and the risk of falling in the elderly. It is a preliminary work as part of the development of a home-test based on force-plate technology. Seven faller and 12 non-faller elderly subjects performed stepped up onto a force-plate. Each subject was tested once per weekday for three weeks. Tinetti, mini mental scale test (MMS) and the geriatric depression scale (GDS) scores were measured before the experimentations. Temporal and ground reaction force parameters were measured. The Tinetti test was not correlated with falls in the following six-month period. In contrast, the biomechanical parameters related to the forces measured at foot-contact and to the durations of the phases of the stepping-up were correlated with fall, as well as with MMS and GDS. These results demonstrated that biomechanical parameters could be used as indicators of balance and risk of fall.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Professions Students' Perceptions about Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Objective: To assess the feasibility of collecting data from multiple institutions and to make a preliminary comparison of the attitudes toward interdisciplinary collaboration of complementary and alternative health professions and mainstream health professions students. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 5 health professions training institutions, 4 of which train multiple health professions. Students were approximately midway in their course of training. Attitudes were assessed by means of the 18-item Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale (IEPS), which measures 4 attitudinal factors (competence and autonomy, perception of need for and actual cooperation, and understanding others’ value) using a 6-point Likert scale, with a total score representing the sum of the factor scores. The survey was administered in class in 4 institutions and electronically in one. An analysis of variance
Use of Tree Traversal Algorithms for Chain Formation in the PEGASIS Data Gathering Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

The high-level contribution of this paper is to illustrate the effectiveness of using graph theory tree traversal algorithms (pre-order, in-order and post-order traversals) to generate the chain of sensor nodes in the classical Power Efficient-Gathering in Sensor Information Systems (PEGASIS) data aggregation protocol for wireless sensor networks. We first construct an undirected minimum-weight spanning tree (ud-MST) on a complete sensor network graph, wherein the weight of each edge is the Euclidean distance between the constituent nodes of the edge. A Breadth-First-Search of the ud-MST, starting with the node located closest to the center of the network, is now conducted to iteratively construct a rooted directed minimum-weight spanning tree (rd-MST). The three tree traversal algorithms are then executed on the rd-MST and the node sequence resulting from each of the traversals is used as the chain of nodes for the PEGASIS protocol. Simulation studies on PEGASIS conducted for both TDMA and CDMA systems illustrate that using the chain of nodes generated from the tree traversal algorithms, the node lifetime can improve as large as by 19%-30% and at the same time, the energy loss per node can be 19%-35% lower than that obtained with the currently used distance-based greedy heuristic.
Characterizing Sleep Stages by the Fractal Dimensions of Electroencephalograms

Fourier analysis has shown that human electroencephalography (EEG) signals mainly consist of frequencies below 80 Hz. Waves with a frequency below 13Hz are dominant during sleep. Here we find that the fractal dimensions of sleep EEG results in a frequency range of 2Hz to 13Hz have potential to be used as a continuous parameter to characterize sleep status. Our results show that during sleep, the fractal dimension is high during REM stage and decreases with subsequent sleep stages according to the standard scheme [1]. The lowest value of the fractal dimension for any subject’s sleep EEG occurs at N3 (deep sleep). Biostat Biometrics Open Acc J 2(2): BBOAJ.MS.ID.555584 (2017) 001 Characterizing Sleep Stages by the Fractal Dimensions of Electroencephalograms