Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Surgical Site Infections in Pediatric Spine Surgery: Comparative Microbiology of Patients with Idiopathic and Nonidiopathic Etiologies of Spine Deformity

Background: Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a concern in pediatric spine surgery with unusually high rates for a clean surgery and especially for patients with deformity of nonidiopathic etiology. Microbiologic differences between etiologies of spine deformities have been poorly investigated. Methods: We reviewed all cases of SSI in spinal surgery between 2007 and 2011. Characteristics of cases and of bacteria according to the etiology of the spine disease were investigated. Results: Of 496 surgeries, we identified 51 SSIs (10.3%) in 49 patients. Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequent pathogen whatever the etiology (n = 31, 61% of infection cases). The second most frequent pathogens vary according to the etiology of the spine deformity. It was Gram-negative bacilli (GNB) in nonidiopathic cases (n = 19, 45% of cases) and anaerobe in idiopathic cases (n = 8, 38% of cases), particularly Gram-positive anaerobic cocci (n = 5, 24% of cases). Infection rate was 6.8% in cases with idiopathic spine disease (n = 21) and 15.9% in cases with nonidiopathic spine disease (n = 30). Nonidiopathic cases were more frequently male with lower weight. American Society of Anesthesiologists score was more often greater than 2, they had more frequently sacral implants and postoperative intensive care unit stay. GNB were significantly associated with a nonidiopathic etiology, low weight, younger age and sacral fusion. SSIs were polymicrobial in 31% of cases with a mean of 1.4 species per infection cases. Conclusion: S. aureus is the first cause of SSI in pediatric spine surgery. However, Gram-positive anaerobic cocci should be taken into account in idiopathic patients and GNB in nonidiopathic patients when considering antibiotic prophylaxis and curative treatment.
Next generation transcriptomics and genomics elucidate biological complexity of microglia in health and disease

Genome‐wide expression profiling technology has resulted in detailed transcriptome data for a wide range of tissues, conditions and diseases. In neuroscience, expression datasets were mostly generated using whole brain tissue samples, resulting in data from a mixture of cell types, including glial cells and neurons. Over the past few years, a rapidly increasing number of expression profiling studies using isolated microglial cell populations have been reported. In these studies, the microglia transcriptome was compared to other cell types, such as other brain cells and peripheral tissue macrophages, and related to aging and neurodegenerative conditions. A commonality found in many of these studies was that microglia possess distinct gene expression signatures. This repertoire of selectively‐expressed microglial genes highlight functions beyond immune responses, such as synaptic modulation and neurotrophic support, and open up avenues to explore as‐yet‐unexpected roles. These data provide improved understanding of disease pathology, and complement not only the aforementioned whole brain tissue transcriptome studies, but also genome‐ and epigenome‐wide association studies. In this review, insights obtained from isolated microglia transcriptome studies are presented, and compared to studies using other genome‐wide approaches. The relation of microglia to other tissue macrophages and glial cell populations, as well as the role of microglia in the aging brain and in neurodegenerative conditions, will be discussed. Many more of these types of studies are expected in the near future, hopefully leading to the identification of novel genes and targets for neurodegenerative conditions. GLIA 2016;64:197–213
A biomechanical comparison of dominant and non-dominant arm throws for speed and accuracy

Training a non-dominant limb may increase a competitor's ability to perform with either side of his or her body and confer an advantage over competitors that use one side of the body exclusively. The aim of this study was to determine the kinematic differences between dominant and non-dominant arm throwing techniques for speed and accuracy in Under-17 and Under-19 high-performance cricketers. Seven participants performed ten throws for each arm (dominant/non-dominant) and condition (speed/accuracy) at a target positioned 10 m in front of them. Three-dimensional kinematic variables were measured using a Vicon motion analysis system. Digital footage was used to calculate stride data, ball speed, and record target accuracy. Data were analysed using repeated-measures analysis of variance and chi-squared tests. The non-dominant arm throws had significantly lower maximum lead knee lift, did not extend the lead knee in the arm acceleration phase, had significantly less elbow flexion before extension, had significantly less shoulder external rotation at the start of the arm acceleration phase, did not have a delay between the initiation of pelvic and upper torso internal rotation, and displayed a less than optimal coordination pattern. A speed–accuracy trade-off existed for the dominant arm throws. No trade-off was identified for the non-dominant arm throws. Through an enhanced understanding of how throwing technique varies between dominant and non-dominant arms, an opportunity exists for a performance-enhancing programme to be implemented so that ambidexterity of the throwing skill can be improved.
Can mountain route tourism work for the poor? Exploring worldviews from Maluti Route in the Drakensberg Region of South Africa

Poverty reduction is necessary for the attainment of sustainable tourism development. Ironically, in many mountain regions, tourism destinations are concomitant with extreme poverty. Route tourism is regarded as one of the few poverty reduction options available to mountain communities. This study used the worldviews theory to compare the perceptions of the three distinct groups, namely local communities, tourism business operators and local government officials, regarding the contribution of route tourism to poverty reduction along the Maluti Route, in the Drakensberg Mountain Region of South Africa. A survey was carried out among 80 tourism business operators and 250 community members, and complimented with in-depth interviews held with local government officials and observations that were made in tourism business organisations. The results indicate diametrically opposed viewpoints between tourism business operators and local communities. While business organisations believe that they are significantly contributing to poverty reduction in the region, local communities acknowledge only a limited number of benefits from tourism. The study concludes that tourism can work for the poor if they are adequately equipped with skills to contribute in tourism investment and if the tourism cake is deliberately ‘tilted’ towards them. We conclude by highlighting the need for communication among stakeholders about current efforts and options available to reduce poverty through tourism, including the training of locals in tourism related skills, as well as improving linkages among industry, government and tourism industry as a measure for enhancing the role of tourism in poverty reduction.
Oscillatory Network Dynamics in Perceptual Decision-Making

Synchronized oscillations of ensembles of neurons in the brain underlie human cognition and behaviors. Neuronal network oscillations can be described by the physics of coupled dynamical systems. This dissertation examines the dynamic network activities in two distinct neurocognitive networks, the salience network (SN) and the ventral temporal cortex-dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (VTC-DLPFC) network, during perceptual decision-making (PDM). The key nodes of the SN include the right anterior insula (rAI), left anterior insula (lAI), and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) in the brain. When and how a sensory signal enters and organizes within the SN before reaching the central executive network including the prefrontal cortex has been a mystery. Second, prior studies also report that perception of visual objects (face and house) involves a network of the VTC—the fusiform face area (FFA) and parahippocampal place area (PPA)—and the DLPFC. How sensory information enters and organizes within the VTC-DLPFC network is not well understood, in milliseconds time-scale of human’s perception and decision-making. We used clear and noisy face/house image categorization tasks and scalp electroencephalography (EEG) recordings to study the dynamics of these networks. We demonstrated that beta (13–30 Hz) oscillation bound the SN, became most active around 100 ms after the stimulus onset, the rAI acted as a main outflow hub within the SN, and the SN activities were negatively correlated with the difficult tasks. We also uncovered that the VTCDLPFC network activities were mediated by beta (13-30 Hz) and gamma (30-100 Hz) oscillations. Beta activities were enhanced in the time frame 125-250 ms after stimulus onset, the VTC acted as main outflow hub, and network activities were negatively correlated with the difficult tasks. In contrast, gamma activities were elevated in the time frame 0-125 ms, the DLPFC acted as a main outflow hub, and network activities—specifically the FFA-PPA pair— were positively correlated with the difficult tasks. These findings significantly enhance our understanding of how sensory information enters and organizes within the SN and the VTCDLPFC network, respectively in PDM. INDEX WORDS: Electroencephalography (EEG), Neuronal oscillations, Perceptual decisionmaking, Salience network (SN), Fusiform face area (FFA), Parahippocampal place area (PPA), Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) OSCILLATORY NETWORK DYNAMICS IN PERCEPTUAL DECISION-MAKING
Diagnostic and prognostic significance of suPAR in traumatic brain injury.

BACKGROUND Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is a highly sensitive marker that reflects increased inflammation and is positively correlated with pro-inflammatory biomarkers. The aim of this prospective observational study was to explore the relationship between the plasma concentration of suPAR and traumatic brain injury (TBI). MATERIALS AND METHODS In all 112 patients with TBI were included. Patients coming within 12 h whose highest abbreviated injury score (AIS) was 3 or less (other than head injury) were considered to be isolated TBI. Blood samples were obtained on admission. In all ninety healthy volunteers were enrolled as control group. Levels of plasma suPAR were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit according to the manufacturer's instructions. Plasma D-dimer was measured and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score was assessed at the same time. RESULTS Plasma suPAR values were statistically significantly higher in TBI patients than in controls (patients; 14.89 ± 6.94, controls; 2.79 ± 0.69, P < 0.01). The suPAR levels were strongly associated with the severity of TBI patients. The suPAR levels increased in association with the severity of brain injury, significance being found among all three groups: severe, moderate and mild TBI. The suPAR levels in non-survivals were significantly increased compared to the survivals (P < 0.05). Plasma levels of suPAR were strongly correlated to the GCS score (r = -0.854) and the levels of D-dimer (r = 0.753, both P < 0.01). Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis of suPAR levels indicated that suPAR values had a high diagnostic specificity and sensitivity to differentiate survivals from non-survivals, the area underneath the ROC curve (AUROC) was 0.801 (95% CI: 0.698-0.903). The optimal suPAR cut-off value in predicting mortality was 15.70 ng/ml (sensitivity: 70.4%; specificity: 65.9%). CONCLUSIONS Plasma levels of suPAR are elevated in TBI patients. Prognosis was worse in the patient group with elevated suPAR. High suPAR levels indicate a poorer prognosis in TBI patients.
Postassembly cleavage of a retroviral glycoprotein cytoplasmic domain removes a necessary incorporation signal and activates fusion activity

Viral protease-mediated cleavage within the cytoplasmic domain of the transmembrane (TM) glycoprotein of the type D retrovirus, Mason-Pfizer monkey virus, removes approximately 16 amino acids from the carboxy terminus of the protein. To determine the functional significance of this cleavage in the virus life cycle, we introduced premature stop codons into the TM coding domain, resulting in the production of truncated glycoproteins. Progressive truncated of the cytoplasmic domain identified the carboxy-terminal third as being required for efficient incorporation of the glycoprotein complex into budding virions and profoundly increased the fusogenic capability of the TM glycoprotein. These results, together with the ability of matrix protein mutations to suppress TM cleavage, imply that this portion of the glycoprotein interacts specifically with the capsid proteins during budding, suppressing glycoprotein fusion function until virus maturation has occurred.
Effects of Candesartan for Middle-Aged and Elderly Women with Hypertension and Menopausal-Like Symptoms

Hypertension in middle-aged or elderly women is often accompanied with various symptoms, which may be related to climacteric. The symptoms of post-menopausal women are suggested to be derived in part from instability of the sympathetic nerve system due to a low estrogen state. An angiotensin-receptor blocker, candesartan cilexetil (candesartan), is known to suppress sympathetic nerve activity by inhibiting the renin-angiotensin system in the brain, suggesting that it may be effective for ameliorating these symptoms. The aim of this study was to elucidate whether candesartan improves menopausal symptoms in hypertensive women. A total of 69 female patients, aged 40 years or older, who had hypertension and various menopausal-like symptoms, were recruited from 39 centers to participate in this study. Patients were prescribed candesartan 4 to 8 mg/day (average dose 7.2 mg/day), alone or in addition to current antihypertensive medications. We interviewed patients in regard to their menopausal symptoms and scored them using the Simplified Menopausal Index (SMI). During the 12-month observation period, significant decreases were seen in both blood pressure (157±21/85±11 to 141±18/77±12 mmHg, p<0.001) and SMI (29±18 to 18±17, p<0.001), although the heart rate did not change. The percentage of decrease in SMI was correlated with that in systolic blood pressure (r=0.43, p<0.001). Candesartan may be an effective antihypertensive agent to relieve menopausal-like symptoms in middle-aged or elderly hypertensive women.
Religion, psychopathology, and substance use and abuse; a multimeasure, genetic-epidemiologic study.

OBJECTIVE The authors sought to 1) understand the sources of familial resemblance for religiosity, 2) clarify the relationship between religiosity and current psychiatric symptoms, current substance use, lifetime psychiatric disorders, and lifetime substance dependence, and 3) explore the stress-buffering properties of religiosity. METHOD Data were obtained by personal interview of 1,902 twins from female-female pairs in the population-based Virginia Twin Registry. Measures included 1) 10 items reflecting a range of religious behavior and beliefs, 2) a scale of institutional conservatism of current religious affiliation, 3) previous history of stressful life events, 4) current psychiatric symptoms and substance use, and 5) lifetime psychiatric disorders and substance dependence. Statistical methods used included factor analyses, Cox and linear regression, and twin modeling. RESULTS Personal devotion and personal and institutional conservatism were all strongly familial, and model fitting suggested that this familial resemblance was due largely to the effect of environmental factors. None of the dimensions of religiosity was strongly associated with lifetime psychopathology or current symptoms, but low levels of depressive symptoms were related to high levels of personal devotion. By contrast, personal devotion and personal and institutional conservatism were significantly and inversely associated with current levels of drinking and smoking as well as lifetime risk for alcoholism and nicotine dependence. Personal devotion, but not personal or institutional conservatism, buffered the depressogenic effects of stressful life events. CONCLUSIONS The dimensions of religiosity are not strongly related to risk for psychiatric symptoms and disorders. However, religiosity may be one of the more important familial-environmental factors that affect the risk for substance use and dependence. Religious devotion but not conservatism assists in coping with stress.
A Latent Class Analysis of the Demand for Food Diversity in India

In this paper we study the latent demand structure for food diversity in India using data from the 2012 Consumer Expenditure Survey. We assume that consumers who have not yet attained calorie sufficiency favor calories over food diversity and once passing a threshold of subsistence substitute away from staples towards a more varied diet.This implies a latent demand pattern as calorie sufficiency depends on unobservable individual characteristics. Latent classes and consumption patterns are identified by means of finite mixture models. Therefore we examine the link between food diversity indices and socioeconomic indicators, explain component memberships in order to characterize latent classes and evaluate nutritional implications. Two clearly distinct demand patterns for diversity could be identified, consistent with the initial assumptions. The identified classes differ substantially in income, household composition and nutritional adequacy.
Ultrasonic Acoustic Emissions from the Sapwood of Thuja occidentalis Measured inside a Pressure Bomb.

An improved method of counting acoustic emission (AE) events from water-stressed stems of cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.) is presented. Amplified AEs are analyzed on a real time basis by a microcomputer. The instrumentation counts AE events in a fashion nearly analogous to scintillation counting of radioactive materials.The technique was applied to measuring ultrasonic AEs from the stems of cedar inside a pressure bomb. The shoots were originally fully hydrated. When the shoots are dehydrated in the bomb by application of an overpressure very few AEs were detected. When the bomb pressure is reduced after dehydration of the shoot, AE events could be detected. We conclude that ultrasonic AEs are caused by cavitation events (= structural breakdown of water columns in the tracheids of cedar) and not by the breaking of cellulose fibers in the wood.
Challenges for Scaling up ART in a Resource-Limited Setting: A Retrospective Study in Kibera, Kenya

Objective:To determine levels of dropout and adherence in an antiretroviral treatment (ART) program in sub-Saharan Africa's largest urban informal settlement, Kibera, in Nairobi, Kenya. Method:Retrospective cohort study. Results:Of 830 patients that started ART between January 2005 and September 2007, 29% dropped out of the program for more than 90 days at least once after the last prescribed dose. The dropout rate was 23 per 100 person-years, and the probability of retention in the program at 6, 12, and 24 months was 0.83, 0.74, and 0.65, respectively. Twenty-seven percent of patients had an overall mean adherence below 95%. Being a resident of Kibera was significantly associated with 11 times higher risk of dropout. Conclusion:Despite free drugs and low associated costs, dropout probabilities in this study are higher and adherence to ART is lower compared with other studies from sub-Saharan Africa. Our results illustrate that ART programs in resource-limited settings, such as Kibera, risk low adherence and retention rates when expanding services. Specific and intensified patient support is needed to minimize the risk of dropout and nonadherence causing future significant health threats not only to individuals but also to public health.
Lecture recording system in anatomy

The literature reports that using Learning Recording Systems (LRS) is usually well received by students but that the pedagogical value of LRS in academic settings remains somewhat unclear. The primary aim of the current study is to document students' perceptions, actual pattern of usage, and impact of use of LRS on students' grade in a dental gross and neuroanatomy course. Other aims are to determine if students' learning preference correlated with final grades and to see if other factors like gender, age, overall academic score on the Dental Aptitude Test (DAT), lecture levels of difficulty, type of lecture, category of lecture, or teaching faculty could explain the impact, if any, of the use of LRS on the course final grade. No significant correlation was detected between the final grades and the variables studied except for a significant but modest correlation between final grades and the number of times the students accessed the lecture recordings (r=0.33 with P=0.01). Also, after adjusting for gender, age, learning style, and academic DAT, a significant interaction between auditory and average usage time was found for final grade (P=0.03). Students who classified themselves as auditory and who used the LRS on average for fewer than 10 minutes per access, scored an average final grade of 16.43 % higher than the nonauditory students using the LRS for the same amount of time per access. Based on these findings, implications for teaching are discussed and recommendations for use of LRS are proposed. Anat Sci Educ 6: 376–384. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.
Lithium Restores Neurogenesis in the Subventricular Zone of the Ts65Dn Mouse, a Model for Down Syndrome

Down syndrome (DS), a high‐incidence genetic pathology, involves brain hypoplasia and mental retardation. Emerging evidence suggests that reduced neurogenesis may be a major determinant of brain underdevelopment in DS. To establish whether it is possible to improve neurogenesis in DS, Ts65Dn mice—the most widely used model for DS—and euploid mice were treated with control or lithium chow for 1 month. During the last 3 days animals received one daily injection of 5‐bromo‐2‐deoxyuridine (BrdU)—a marker of proliferating cells—and were sacrificed 24 h after the last injection. Neurogenesis was examined in the subventricular zone (SVZ), a region that retains a neurogenic potential across life. We found that Ts65Dn mice had less (−40%) BrdU+ cells than euploid mice, indicating severe proliferation impairment. Treatment with lithium increased the number of Brdu+ cells in both euploid and Ts65Dn mice. In the latter the number of Brdu+ cells became similar to that of untreated euploid mice. Our study shows that lithium is able to restore cell proliferation in the SVZ of the Ts65Dn mouse and point at treatments with mood stabilizers as a potential tool to improve neurogenesis in patients with DS.
Application of EKF and UKF in Target Tracking Problem

There are many approaches to estimate the state of target tracking which plays an important role in the area of early warning and detecting system. Linear and Nonlinear are the two major types of state estimation processes. The famous Kalman filter (KF) which is rooted in the state-space formulation of liner dynamical system provides a recursive solution to the linear problem. The Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) and Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) are derived from the KF. The EKF is the nonlinear version of the KF which linearizes about the mean and covariance, while the UKF is best known nonlinear estimates. This paper gives an approach to analyze the difference between EKF and UKF in state estimation, and because of the target tracking problem contains many nonlinear variable, an implementation of UKF is presented in the last section.