Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Music therapy for acquired brain injury.

BACKGROUND Acquired brain injury (ABI) can result in impairments in motor function, language, cognition, sensory processing and emotional disturbances. This may severely reduce a survivor's quality of life. Music therapy has been used in rehabilitation to stimulate brain functions involved in movement, cognition, speech, emotions and sensory perceptions. A systematic review is needed to gauge the efficacy of music therapy as a rehabilitation intervention for people with ABI. OBJECTIVES To examine the effects of music therapy with standard care versus standard care alone or standard care combined with other therapies on gait, upper extremity function, communication, mood and emotions, social skills, pain, behavioral outcomes, activities of daily living and adverse events. SEARCH STRATEGY We searched the Cochrane Stroke Group Trials Register (February 2010), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (The Cochrane Library Issue 2, 2009), MEDLINE (July 2009), EMBASE (August 2009), CINAHL (March 2010), PsycINFO (July 2009), LILACS (August 2009), AMED (August 2009) and Science Citation Index (August 2009). We handsearched music therapy journals and conference proceedings, searched dissertation and specialist music databases, trials and research registers, reference lists, and contacted experts and music therapy associations. There was no language restriction. SELECTION CRITERIA Randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials that compared music therapy interventions and standard care with standard care alone or combined with other therapies for people older than 16 years of age who had acquired brain damage of a non-degenerative nature and were participating in treatment programs offered in hospital, outpatient or community settings. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Two review authors independently assessed methodological quality and extracted data. We present results using mean differences (using post-test scores) as all outcomes were measured with the same scale. MAIN RESULTS We included seven studies (184 participants). The results suggest that rhythmic auditory stimulation (RAS) may be beneficial for improving gait parameters in stroke patients, including gait velocity, cadence, stride length and gait symmetry. These results were based on two studies that received a low risk of bias score. There were insufficient data to examine the effect of music therapy on other outcomes. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS RAS may be beneficial for gait improvement in people with stroke. These results are encouraging, but more RCTs are needed before recommendations can be made for clinical practice. More research is needed to examine the effects of music therapy on other outcomes in people with ABI.
A rapid chemical assay for gentamicin.

GENTAMICIN is bactericidal for many of the aerobic gram-negative bacilli that produce serious human infection. Unfortunately, it is also relatively toxic: it causes ototoxicity in approximately 2.3 per cent of patients, and renal damage somewhat less commonly.1 The ototoxicity is correlated with previous otologic status, prior therapy with ototoxic drugs, age and serum concentrations.1 Since gentamicin is excreted primarily by the kidneys, serum concentrations reflect the dosage, route of administration and interval between doses and renal function of the patient. The therapeutic index of this antibiotic is moderately narrow: most dosage schedules aim to attain 4 μg per milliliter of .
Voices of men and machines.

Talking computers are likely to become a fixture in modern society. The range of information services that can be provided by voice from computers depends largely upon how clever computers become at imitating human speech. This, in turn, depends upon the fundamental acoustic and linguistic knowledge that can be imparted to the machine. This article summarizes the principles of human speech generation, traces some historical interests in speaking machines, and indicates present capabilities of talking computers.
MRI angiography is superior to helical CT for detection of HCC prior to liver transplantation: An explant correlation

Helical computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are used for staging of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prior to curative treatments but underestimate tumor extension in 30% to 50% of cases when compared with pathologic explants. This study compares a new technology, MRI angiography (MRA), with triphasic helical CT in detection of HCC. Fifty cirrhotic patients, 29 with HCC, undergoing liver transplantation were analyzed. MRA was performed with a 3‐D breath‐hold fast spoiled gradient‐echo sequence by using an effective section thickness of 2 to 2.5 mm. The gold standard was the pathologic examination (liver cut into 5‐mm slices). One hundred twenty‐seven lesions were identified at the explant: 76 HCC, 13 high‐grade dysplastic nodules, 31 macroregenerative nodules, 7 hemangiomas. Diameter of the main HCC nodules was 29 ± 14 mm and 11 ± 7 mm for the 47 additional nodules. On a per nodule basis, sensitivity of MRA was superior to CT (58/76 [76%] vs. 43/70 [61%], respectively, P = .001). Sensitivity of MRA for detection of additional nodules decreased with size (>20 mm: 6/6 [100%]; 10–20 mm: 16/19 [84%]; <10 mm: 7/22 [32%]) and was superior to CT for nodules 10 to 20 mm (84% vs. 47%, P = .016). Nonspecific hypervascular nodules >5 mm at MRA were HCC in two thirds of the cases. In conclusion, MRA has a high diagnostic accuracy for HCC ⩾ 10 mm and is more sensitive than triphasic helical CT in nodules sized 10 to 20 mm. MRA is the optimal technique for HCC staging prior to curative therapies. (Hepatology 2003;38:1034–1042).
Computer programming skill and gender difference : An empirical study

Women have been said to be poorly represented in computing most especially in computer programming. However, there is a dearth of empirical research to support this evidence. This study employed an experimental proof approach to verify the wide acclaimed gender difference in computing. Two parallel student-gender groups (male and Female) were subjected to two different computer programming problems. The problems were given to them to solve, starting from the analysis phase to the final implementation. Their outcomes measured in terms of the accuracy and efficiency of codes turned out from the experiments were then compared statistically. Briefly, the results showed that gender difference may not come into play at all when it comes to computer programming. Other factors like fear, interest or attitudes may however be responsible for the low representation of females in computing.
Early quasioptics of near-millimeter and submillimeter waves in IRE-Kharkov, Ukraine: from ideas to the microwave pioneer award

This paper is about the early quasioptics of near-millimeter and submillimeter waves in IRE-Kharkov (Institute of Radio Physics and Electronics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine) and the development of the hollow dielectric beam-waveguide (HDB) technology and measuring techniques of the near-millimeter and submillimeter wavelength ranges, with main application in hot plasma diagnostics. It presents the details of the development based on the declassified reports and the interviews of Y.M. Kuleshov and another key member of the quasioptics (QO) team, M. S. Yanovski. Y.M. Kuleshov and his team had already accumulated rich experience in developing waveguide measuring devices in the whole millimeter-wave range between 1954 and 1961. In 1994-1996, the research project "Ozero" was carried out with Y.M. Kuleshov as a principal investigator. The aim of the "Ozero" was to explore the feasibility of developing a kit of HDB-based measuring devices in the wavelength range /spl lambda/ = 0.7 to 1.7 mm. After the finish of "Ozero", in 1968-1971, the next R&D project called "Oliva" was granted by the same directorate of MRI. Its idea was to dwell on and refine the polarization principles in the measuring circuits for /spl lambda/ = 0.5-0.8 mm. HDB was patented only in 1969. Since the 1970s, the activities of the QO department were focused entirely on the development of HDB-based instruments and systems. Here, the major application area was hot plasma diagnostics in new large Tokamaks. They also dwelled in the development of the measuring techniques including reflectometry and polarimetry. Other HDB based systems elaborated in IRE include radars in the 1970-1980s and RCS testing ranges in the 1990s.
BIOMETRIC AND MICROMETEOROLOGICAL MEASUREMENTS OF TROPICAL FOREST CARBON BALANCE

We used two independent approaches, biometry and micrometeorology, to determine the net ecosystem production (NEP) of an old growth forest in Para, Brazil. Biometric inventories indicated that the forest was either a source or, at most, a modest sink of carbon from 1984 to 2000 (+0.8 ± 2 Mg C·ha−1·yr−1; a positive flux indicates carbon loss by the forest, a negative flux indicates carbon gain). Eddy covariance measurements of CO2 exchange were made from July 2000 to July 2001 using both open- and closed-path gas analyzers. The annual eddy covariance flux calculated without correcting for the underestimation of flux on calm nights indicated that the forest was a large carbon sink (−3.9 Mg C·ha−1·yr−1). This annual uptake is comparable to past reports from other Amazonian forests, which also were calculated without correcting for calm nights. The magnitude of the annual integral was relatively insensitive to the selection of open- versus closed-path gas analyzer, averaging time, detrending, and high-frequency correction. In contrast, the magnitude of the annual integral was highly sensitive to the treatment of calm nights, changing by over 4 Mg C·ha−1·yr−1 when a filter was used to replace the net ecosystem exchange (NEE) during nocturnal periods with u* < 0.2 m/s. Analyses of the relationship between nocturnal NEE and u* confirmed that the annual sum needs to be corrected for the effect of calm nights, which resulted in our best estimate of the annual flux (+0.4 Mg C·ha−1·yr−1). The observed sensitivity of the annual sum to theu* filter is far greater than has been previously reported for temperate and boreal forests. The annual carbon balance determined by eddy covariance is therefore less certain for tropical than temperate forests. Nonetheless, the biometric and micrometeorological measurements in tandem provide strong evidence that the forest was not a strong, persistent carbon sink during the study interval.
Metallothionein 2A genetic polymorphism and its correlation to coronary heart disease.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the gene polymorphism of metallothionein 2A (MT2A)-838G/C and its correlation to coronary heart disease in the Han population of Jiangsu, China. PATIENTS AND METHODS The MT2A-838G/C was examined in 287 patients with coronary heart disease (CHD group) and 226 healthy controls (control group) by using mono-labeled fluorescent probes. Meanwhile, relevant variables of all subjects were measured, including blood lipid and glucose profiles and body mass index (BMI). The extent of the coronary artery disease was evaluated based on Gensini's coronary artery scoring method. RESULTS Three distinct genotypes were identified. The highest frequency was observed for genotype GG, followed by genotype GC and CC. There were statistically significant differences in the genotype and allele frequency distribution of the MT2A gene-838G/C polymorphism between the CHD and the control group (p < 0.05). The allele frequency of MT2A-838C in the CHD patients were higher than that in the healthy controls (31.4% vs 24.6%, p = 0.016). The CHD risk in C allele carriers (including genotype GC+CC) was 1.562 folds as high as in GG allele carriers (OR = 1.562, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.099-2.218, p = 0.013). According to the results of logistic regression analysis, the C allele was an independent risk factor for CHD (p < 0.05). Gensini's coronary artery disease score were higher in C allele carriers than in non-C allele carriers (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The gene polymorphism of MT2A-838G/C is correlated to CHD. The C allele might be a CHD-susceptible gene and might also have an effect on the extent of coronary artery disease.
The integration of water, sanitation and hygiene services into the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief: A qualitative study

Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions have been associated with improving the health of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV). WASH is increasingly integrated into the HIV sector and is now considered a key component of the transition from an emergency response to a better incorporated and coordinated AIDS response. However, limited research exists on integration efforts. This qualitative research study aims to address the limited body of research on WASH integration into HIV programmes through examining the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). PEPFAR is the US government's initiative to combat AIDS in the most afflicted countries. This study analyses the perceptions of people who have worked or are working on WASH integration into PEPFAR, highlighting their views on accomplishments, challenges and areas for improvement. It concludes with recommendations for moving forward.
Platycodin D Inhibits Osteoclastogenesis by Repressing the NFATc1 and MAPK Signaling Pathway

Platycodon grandiflorum root‐derived saponins (Changkil saponins, CKS) are reported to have many pharmacological activities. In our latest research, CKS was proven to have a significant osteogenic effect. However, the detail molecular mechanism of CKS on osteoclastic differentiation has not been fully investigated. Administration of CKS considerably reduced OVX‐induced bone loss, and ameliorated the reduction in plasma levels of alkaline phosphatase, calcium, and phosphorus observed in OVX mice. CKS also repressed the deterioration of bone trabecular microarchitecture. Interestingly, platycodin D, the most abundant and major pharmacological constituent of triterpenoid CKS, inhibited receptor activator of NF‐κB ligand (RANKL)‐induced activation of NF‐κB, and ERK and p38 MAPK, ultimately repressing osteoclast differentiation. OVX‐induced bone turnover was attenuated by CKS, possibly via repression of osteoclast differentiation by platycodin D, the active component of CKS. Platycodin D can be regarded as an antiosteoporotic candidate for treatment of osteoporosis diseases. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 860–868, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Recent important clinical trials of drugs in osteoporosis

The antiresorptive therapies (raloxifene, bisphosphonates) commonly used to treat postmenopausal osteoporotic women, reduce the rate of bone remodeling and lowers the fracture rate, but do not increase bone mass. Strontium ranelate has the advantage of also stimulating bone formation. In the Spinal Osteoporosis Intervention study, at the end of 1 year, there was a lower incidence of fractures in the strontium ranelate group than the placebo group (12.2 and 6.4%, placebo and strontium, respectively) and this difference was maintained over the 3 years (32.8 and 20.9%, placebo and strontium, respectively). With the demise of oestrogen treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis, it is useful that strontium ranelate is emerging as a promising drug in this condition. Secondary osteoporosis (e.g., due to glucocorticoid treatment after cardiac transplantation) tends to be more severe than primary osteoporosis. In a recent trial comparing calcitriol to alendronate after cardiac transplantation, both showed similar abilities to prevent bone loss. As hypercalcaemia is a relatively common adverse effect with calcitriol in the treatment of secondary osteoporosis, requiring monitoring of calcium levels, alendronate is the easier agent to use.
Paclitaxel and carboplatin in combination in the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung cancer: a phase II toxicity, response, and survival analysis.

PURPOSE To determine the activity and toxicity of combination paclitaxel (24 hours) and carboplatin in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). PATIENTS AND METHODS Eligibility required measurable disease (stage IV or stage IIIB with malignant pleural effusion), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0 or 1, absolute neutrophil count > or = 2,000/microL, platelet count > or = 100,000/microL serum creatinine concentration < or = 1.5 mg/dL, and bilirubin level < or = 2 mg/dL. Paclitaxel was initially administered at a dose of 135 mg/m2/d, followed by carboplatin on day 2 at a targeted area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) of 7.5 using the Calvert formula. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) 5 micrograms/kg subcutaneously (SC) on days 3 to 17 was introduced during the second and subsequent cycles. In patients who sustained less than grade 4 myelosuppression, the paclitaxel dose was sequentially escalated 40 mg/m2 per cycle to a maximum of 215 mg/m2. Treatment was repeated at 3-week intervals for six cycles. RESULTS From June 1993 through February 1994, 54 patients were enrolled; 53 are assessable for toxicity and response. The median age was 62 years (range, 34 to 84). Sixty-nine percent were male, 65% had adenocarcinoma, and 93% had stage IV disease. Two hundred sixty-eight cycles were administered; 32 patients (59%) completed all six cycles. Twenty-five unanticipated hospitalizations occurred during treatment (9.3% of cycles) in 20 patients (37%). Myelosuppression was the principal toxicity; grade 3 or 4 granulocytopenia occurred in 57% of patients after the first cycle, but decreased to 35% during the second cycle after introduction of G-CSF and consistently remained < or = 22% during subsequent cycles. Seven episodes of neutropenic fever occurred, all during the first cycle. Grade 3 or 4 thrombocytopenia and anemia occurred in 47% and 33% of patients, respectively. Eight patients (15%) required platelet transfusions and 16 (30%) required packed RBC support. Neuropathy, myalgias/arthralgias, and thrombocytopenia, although generally mild, were cumulative. The paclitaxel dose was boosted to 215 mg/m2 in > or = 70% of patients who received three or more cycles. At an AUC of 7.5, the median first-cycle carboplatin dose was 424 mg/m2 (range, 273 to 709 mg/m2). The objective response rate was 62%, with five (9%) complete responses and 28 (53%) partial responses. The median progression-free survival time was 28 weeks and the median survival time 53 weeks. The 1-year survival rate is 54%. CONCLUSION The paclitaxel-carboplatin combination is active in advanced NSCLC and may enhance survival; it merits further investigation in phase III trials.
Cannabis and the Risk of Crash Involvement

Drugs have long been a focus of law enforcement in Australia but recent legislation in a number of Australian states now requires routine drug testing of drivers (testing for cannabis and methamphetamine), with the stated aim of reducing road crashes. Such legislation is justified if these drugs are known to increase the risk of crashing. Literature concerning cannabis and road crash involvement was reviewed, with emphasis given to studies documenting the relative crash risk associated with driving after use of cannabis. All case-control and culpability studies of cannabis and crashes have been characterised by methodological flaws that make interpretation of the results difficult. Two recent Australian studies analysed the relationship between tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis) measured in the blood and crash culpability. These two studies produced contradictory results. In summary, the risk of crash involvement associated with driving under the influence of cannabis remains to be determined.
Improved distributed genetic algorithm with cooperative-competitive genetic operators

We have presented an empirical model of genetic algorithms (GA) that puts parallel genetic operators in a cooperative-competitive stand with each other. An improved GA (GA-SRM) based on this model remarkably improves the search performance of a single population GA. We extend GA-SRM to distributed GAs in order to improve the performance of multiple population GAs. Simulation results verify that the parallel genetic operators in GA-SRM, CM and SRM, can successfully contribute to improve the search performance of distributed GAs.
Rat Peripheral CD4+CD8+ T Lymphocytes Are Partially Immunocompetent Thymus-Derived Cells That Undergo Post-Thymic Maturation to Become Functionally Mature CD4+ T Lymphocytes1

CD4+CD8+ double-positive (DP) T cells represent a minor subpopulation of T lymphocytes found in the periphery of adult rats. In this study, we show that peripheral DP T cells appear among the first T cells that colonize the peripheral lymphoid organs during fetal life, and represent ∼40% of peripheral T cells during the perinatal period. Later their proportion decreases to reach the low values seen in adulthood. Most DP T cells are small size lymphocytes that do not exhibit an activated phenotype, and their proliferative rate is similar to that of the other peripheral T cell subpopulations. Only 30–40% of DP T cells expresses CD8β chain, the remaining cells expressing CD8αα homodimers. However, both DP T cell subsets have an intrathymic origin since they appear in the recent thymic emigrant population after injection of FITC intrathymically. Functionally, although DP T cells are resistant to undergo apoptosis in response to glucocorticoids, they show poor proliferative responses upon CD3/TCR stimulation due to their inability to produce IL-2. A fraction of DP T cells are not actively synthesizing the CD8 coreceptor, and they gradually differentiate to the CD4 cell lineage in reaggregation cultures. Transfer of DP T lymphocytes into thymectomized SCID mice demonstrates that these cells undergo post-thymic maturation in the peripheral lymphoid organs and that their CD4 cell progeny is fully immunocompetent, as judged by its ability to survive and expand in peripheral lymphoid organs, to proliferate in response to CD3 ligation, and to produce IL-2 upon stimulation.
Pharmacovigilance Skills, Knowledge and Attitudes in our Future Doctors – A Nationwide Study in the Netherlands

Pharmacovigilance centres monitor the safety of drugs, based on adverse drug reactions (ADRs) reported by doctors, pharmacists and pharmaceutical companies. However, the under‐reporting of ADRs remains a major problem. Our aim was to investigate preparedness of future doctors for their role in pharmacovigilance, by assessing their pharmacovigilance awareness, skills and knowledge. The study was a nationwide e‐survey among medical students (third to sixth year) of all eight medical schools in the Netherlands. The survey consisted of questions regarding pharmacovigilance awareness, skills and knowledge. Overall, 874 students provided informed consent and participated (response 12%). Almost all students (96%) intended to report serious ADRs in their future practice. Almost half (44%) of the students did not know where to report an ADR, and 78% did not know which items were necessary for a good‐quality ADR report. While more than 78% of the students agreed that pharmacovigilance is an important topic in their medical education, only 26% found that their current curriculum covered pharmacovigilance adequately. Although ADR reporting is considered relevant and important among future doctors, many do not know where and what to report. This is highly undesirable and should have consequences for pharmacotherapy teaching.