Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multidisciplinary fatigue management programme in multiple sclerosis: a randomized clinical trial

Objective To establish the efficacy of a multidisciplinary fatigue management programme (MFMP) in MS. Method Fifty-one subjects with MS were randomly allocated to group A, who only received the four weeks MFMP, or group B receiving a placebo intervention programme first and the MFMP after 6 months. In both groups, assessment was performed at baseline, 3 weeks and 6 months after the programmes and included Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), MS Self-Efficacy scale (MSSE), Mental Health Inventory (MHI) and Impact on Participation and Autonomy (IPA). Results The MFIS showed a significant change over time (F(4,152) = 3.346, P = 0.012), which was similar in both groups (time*group interaction: F(4,152) = 1.094, P = 0.361). A clinically relevant reduction of MFIS score of 10 points or more was found in 17% of individuals following the MFMP, compared to 44% after the placebo intervention programme (P = 0.06). Compared to no intervention, a significant effect of the MFMP after 6 months (P = 0.003) was found in five participants (31%). No significant changes in FSS, MSSE, MHI and IPA, in both groups, were found. Conclusion Although an additional effect was found, the multidisciplinary fatigue management programme showed no efficacy in reducing the impact of fatigue compared to a placebo intervention programme. Multiple Sclerosis 2007; 13: 996—1003. http://msj.sagepub. com
Estimates of Mineral Resource Availability - How Reliable Are They ?

Forecasts for a number of non-renewable commodities were modelled using actual resource and reser- ve data on the one hand and extrapolating historic production cycles into the future on the other hand. The former approach proved useful for medium-term forecasts whereas the latter is more appropriate for long-term forecasts, provided the production cycle of a given commodity has reached maturity. The extent of maturity can be quantified by the ratio of annual production/cumulative production. Long-term forecasts can be obtained by applying various sigmoid functions of which the Richards Function yielded the most realistic results. The specific examples used in this study show that the peak in global crude oil production is being reached now, similarly to global phosphate and gold productions both of which have reached a plateau with little potential for signi- ficant future growth. The contribution from the world's historically by far most important gold producer, South Africa, to the future global gold production will decline into insignificance by the mid-2020s. In contrast, continuation of current exponential growth in the global Cu and rare earth element production is projected and no meaningful long-term availability forecasts can be made. The other extreme is represented by Hg for which the global production cycle has effectively come to an end, i.e. the global resource is almost depleted. Global U supply is modelled to be more than sufficient to meet expected demands in the medium-term (next 15-20 years) but will fall short of meeting this demand from the 2030s onward. Thermodynamic constraints will limit the utilisation of long-term future "unconventional resources" as the energy required to extract the desired commodity from such resources, which are typically of very low grade, will be too high. As mining companies are likely to carry more and more of the currently external costs of mining, following an anticipated pressure to conform to sustainability reporting standards, the proportion of current resources turning into future reserves will decrease. Trends over the past few decades show that increasing commo- dity prices, following anticipated shortages and subsequent increases in exploration expenditure do not necessarily lead to an expansion of the reserve base as commonly perceived. For those commodities whose production cycles have reached maturity, the development of substitutes and more efforts towards a sustainable usage by improved recycling will be imperative in order to avoid future society-threatening shortages.
Nuclear c-Myc plays an important role in the cytotoxicity of tumor necrosis factor alpha in tumor cells

The phosphoprotein c-Myc has the potential to kill cells by apoptosis. To investigate whether c-Myc is involved in tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha)-mediated cell killing, we have examined two HeLa cell lines (D98 and H21) which show dramatic differences in their susceptibilities to TNF-alpha cytotoxicity. Northern (RNA) blot analyses showed that there were no significant differences between these cell lines in basal or TNF-alpha-induced mRNA expression for a variety of proteins, including manganous superoxide dismutase, A20 zinc finger protein, plasminogen activator inhibitor type 2, and hsp70, all of which are known to influence the susceptibility of certain cells to TNF-alpha killing. On the other hand, there was a dramatic increase in c-Myc mRNA expression in TNF-alpha-sensitive D98 cells, but not in TNF-alpha-resistant H21 cells, which was only observed when the cells were treated with cycloheximide. Western blot (immunoblot) analyses revealed that even in the absence of TNF-alpha or cycloheximide, c-Myc was detectable only in nuclear extracts of TNF-alpha-sensitive D98 cells, implying a role for preexisting c-Myc in TNF-alpha killing. In support of this interpretation, a c-myc antisense oligonucleotide specifically inhibited the TNF-alpha killing of D98 cells, provided that the oligonucleotide was added 6 h prior to TNF-alpha treatment. Either dexamethasone treatment or transient expression of c-myc antisense cDNA fragments decreased nuclear c-Myc in D98 cells and rendered the cells more resistant to TNF-alpha cytotoxicity. Nuclear c-Myc was also detectable in a TNF-alpha-sensitive human HT-1080 fibrosarcoma cell line, but it was undetectable in a derivative of HT-1080 (SS-HT-1080) known to be resistant to TNF-alpha killing because of overexpression of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 2. HT-1080 cells transfected with antisense c-myc cDNA had significantly less nuclear c-Myc and were resistant to TNF-alpha cytotoxicity. Together, these data indicate that a nuclear transcription factor, c-Myc, plays an important role in sensitizing two different tumor cell types to TNF-alpha cytotoxicity.
A Transcriptional Coactivator, Steroid Receptor Coactivator-3, Selectively Augments Steroid Receptor Transcriptional Activity*

Estrogen receptors ERα and ERβ are members of the family of nuclear hormone receptors and act as ligand-inducible transcriptional factors, which regulate the expression of target genes on binding to cognate response elements. We report here the characterization of steroid receptor coactivator-3 (SRC-3), a coactivator of nuclear receptor transcription that is a member of a family of steroid receptor coactivators that includes SRC-1 and transcription intermediate factor-2. SRC-3 enhanced ERα and progesterone receptor-stimulated gene transcription in a ligand-dependent manner, but stimulation of ERβ-mediated transcription was not observed. Protein-protein interaction assays, including real-time interaction analyses with BIAcore, demonstrated that the affinity of the ERα interaction with SRC-3 was much higher than that observed for the ERβ interaction with SRC-3. Mutational analysis suggests a potential interplay between the transactivation function-1 and -2 domains of ERα and SRC-3. Furthermore, an intrinsic transactivation function was observed in the C-terminal half of SRC-3. Finally, SRC-3 was differentially expressed in various tissues and, among several tumor cells examined, was most abundant in the nuclear fraction of MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Therefore, SRC-3, a third member of a family of steroid receptor coactivators, has a distinct tissue distribution and intriguing selectivity between ERα and ERβ.
Combined vascular reconstruction and free flap transfer in diabetic arterial disease

Gangrenous lesions of the foot or lower leg due to severe diabetic arterial disease resulting in extensive soft tissue defects with exposed bones or tendons often result, even after successful revascularisation, in staged or primary amputation. We present our experience with 45 such patients treated with combined arterial reconstruction and free tissue transfer for limb‐salvage.
Spontaneous In Vivo Reversion of an Inherited Mutation in the Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome1

The Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) is an X-linked primary immunodeficiency disease, arising from mutations of the WAS-protein (WASP) gene. Previously, we have reported that mononuclear cells from WAS patients showed lack/reduced of the intracellular WASP (WASPdim) by flow cytometric analysis, and analysis of WASP by flow cytometry (FCM-WASP) was useful for WAS diagnosis. In this study, we report a WAS patient who showed the unique pattern of FCM-WASP. The patient had the small population of normal expression of WASP (WASPbright) mononuclear cells together with the major WASPdim population. The WASPbright cells were detected in T cells, not in B cells or in monocytes. Surprisingly, the molecular studies of the WASPbright cells revealed that the inherited mutation of WASP gene was reversed to normal. His mother was proved as a WAS carrier, and HLA studies and microsatellite polymorphic studies proved that the WASPbright cells were derived from the patient himself. Therefore, we concluded that the WASPbright cells were resulted from spontaneous in vivo reversion of the inherited mutation. Furthermore, the scanning electron microscopic studies indicated that WASP-positive cells from the patient restored the dense microvillus surface projections that were hardly observed in the WASPdim cells. This case might have significant implications regarding the prospects of the future gene therapy for WAS patients.
Long-chain fatty acids differentially alter lipogenesis in bovine and caprine mammary slices

Indirect comparisons from studies in vivo have suggested that caprine mammary tissue is less sensitive than bovine mammary tissue to the anti-lipogenic effect of long-chain fatty acids (LCFA), including specific rumen biohydrogenation (RBH) intermediates of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Our objective was to investigate the effects on lipogenesis of 18-carbon LCFA differing in the degree of unsaturation and/or double bond conformation using cultured slices of bovine and caprine mammary tissues. Mammary tissues were collected from five multiparous Holstein × Normande cows and six multiparous Alpine goats in mid lactation. The expression of genes involved in milk component synthesis was measured in tissues collected at slaughter and after slice preparation: FASN, SCD1, CD36, SREBF1 and PPARG1 mRNA levels were higher in bovine than caprine samples, whereas the opposite was observed for CSN2 mRNA levels. Bovine and caprine mammary slices were incubated for 20 h in a medium with BSA (control), cis-9-18 : 1, 18 : 2n-6, 18 : 3n-3, cis-9, trans-11-CLA, or trans-10, cis-12-CLA (the latter at 3 increasing concentrations: C1 (0·11 mm), C2 (0·16 mm), C3 (0·37 mm)). Lipogenesis was estimated by measuring the incorporation of 14C-acetate into total lipid. Significant differences of individual LCFA (P < 0·05) were observed between species: bovine tissue showed a decrease in total lipogenesis with 18 : 2n-6, 18 : 3n-3, trans-10,cis-12-CLA (C2 and C3) while caprine tissue showed an increase after treatment with 18 : 3n-3, cis-9, trans-11-CLA or trans-10, cis-12-CLA (C3). These results were not related to the mRNA abundance of our set of genes in the mammary slices after incubation. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that caprine mammary slices reacted differently from bovine mammary slices to the anti-lipogenic activity of specific LCFA and suggests that regulation of lipogenesis via other genes and/or at protein level and enzyme activity may be involved.
A novel pedestrian detection and tracking with boosted HOG classifiers and Kalman filter

This paper focuses on developing a stable pedestrian detection and tracking algorithm. Although Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) features are the best representation for human shapes, computing these feature vectors are computationally expensive as it slows down the overall detection process. Hence with the use of cascade of boosted classifiers, the overall process was shortened significantly even in the absence of graphics processing unit (GPU). Along with Kalman filter approach, the algorithm achieved desirable results in tracking pedestrians coming from various directions. The Kalman filter model with its self-correcting mechanism, guarantees that the tracking improves overtime as more raw detections are supplied. As long as consistent detections were supplied to the filter in the early stages, the tracking continues even when the detector becomes faulty.
The role of military expenditure and arms imports in the Greek debt crisis

Despite the vast amount of empirical work performed on the defense–growth relationship, the impact of military expenditure on public debt is a largely neglected topic. The recent Greek debt crisis brought to the forefront the role of military expenditure as well as the inefficiencies and the inability of the EU to deal with the European debt crisis. This article investigates the role of military expenditure (among other factors) in the evolution of the Greek debt over the period 1970-2011. Greece is a particularly interesting case in this regard, given its high military burden since 1974 and the recent debt crisis that led the country to sign a bail-out package presented by the European Union, the European Central Bank, and the International Monetary Fund, which involves extreme austerity measures and cuts in public spending. Employing the ARDL approach to cointegration, this article concludes that military expenditure and arms imports have had an adverse (i.e., increasing) effect on Greek public debt in the short-run, while investment has helped to reduce debt both in the short- and the long-run.
Occupational Segregation and the (Mis)Allocation of Talent

In this paper, I study how occupational segregation affects the allocation of talent in a competitive labour market. I propose a model of occupational choice in which heterogeneous workers must rely on their social contacts to acquire job‐vacancy information. While occupational segregation implies benefits in terms of job‐finding probability, it also leads to allocative inefficiencies. Efficient and equilibrium outcomes differ due to a network externality that leads workers to segregate too little, and a pecuniary externality that leads workers to segregate too much. Which effect dominates depends on the elasticity of wages to changes in the degree of occupational segregation.
Interday reliability of peak muscular power outputs on an isotonic dynamometer and assessment of active trunk control using the chop and lift tests.

CONTEXT Assessment techniques used to measure functional tasks involving active trunk control are restricted to linear movements that lack the explosive movements and dynamic tasks associated with activities of daily living and sport. Reliable clinical methods used to assess the diagonal and ballistic movements about the trunk are lacking. OBJECTIVE To assess the interday reliability of peak muscular power outputs while participants performed diagonal chop and lift tests and maintained a stable trunk. DESIGN Controlled laboratory study. SETTING University research laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS Eighteen healthy individuals (10 men and 8 women; age = 32 ± 11 years, height = 168 ± 12 cm, mass = 80 ± 19 kg) from the general population participated. INTERVENTION(S) Participants performed 2 power tests (chop, lift) using an isotonic dynamometer and 3 endurance tests (Biering-Sørensen, side-plank left, side-plank right) to assess active trunk control. Testing was performed on 3 different days separated by at least 1 week. Reliability was compared between days 1 and 2 and between days 2 and 3. Correlations between the power and endurance tests were evaluated to determine the degree of similarity. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Peak muscular power outputs (watts) derived from a 1-repetition maximum protocol for the chop and lift tests were collected for both the right and left sides. RESULTS Intraclass correlation coefficients for peak muscular power were highly reliable for the chop (range, 0.87-0.98), lift (range, 0.83-0.96), and endurance (range, 0.80-0.98) tests between test sessions. The correlations between the power assessments and the Biering-Sørensen test (r range, -0.008 to 0.017) were low. The side-plank tests were moderately correlated with the chop (r range, 0.528-0.590) and the lift (r range, 0.359-0.467) tests. CONCLUSIONS The diagonal chop and lift power protocol generated reliable data and appears to be a dynamic test that simulates functional tasks, which require dynamic trunk control.
[Hemodialysis with bicarbonate 30 mEq/l versus 34 mEq/l and acetate: better hemodynamic tolerance and electrolyte and acid-base homeostasis].

The use of bicarbonate buffer in dialysis is more physiological than acetate. The aim of this prospective study was to compare the hemodynamic stability, acid-base and electrolyte balance changes in a group of 5 hospital hemodialysis (HD) patients, with 3 different dialysis fluids: one with 30 mEq/l of bicarbonate (B30), another with 34 mEq/l of bicarbonate (B34) and the last with acetate (ACE). All the patients had more than 12 months in HD. Each patient had HD treatment with one of the 3 different dialysis fluids: ACE, B30, B34. Each HD had a duration of 4 hours, with less than 5% dry weight ultrafiltration (UF) and continuous cardiac monitoring. The following clinical and laboratory data were evaluated: arterial blood pressure (BP), cardiac rate (CR), respiratory rate (RR), cardiac arrhythmias, blood urea, creatinine, sodium, potassium, magnesium, total calcium (Ca), ionised calcium (Ca++), pH, bicarbonate (HCO3-) and pCO2. Statistic analysis was performed using Student's paired t test and ANOVA with Bonferroni correction. Clinical evaluation showed a CR increase only in the ACE group (pre X = 78.4 to 4 degrees h X = 102.6 p < 0.001). Analytical results demonstrated, at the 1st h, Ca++ stability in the B30 group; in the first 30' the pH decreased in the ACE group (pre X = 7.35 to 30' X = 7.34); during HD, HCO3- was not corrected in the ACE group (pre X = 19.4 to 4th h X = 20.0); at 4th, pCO2 also decreased in this group (pre X = 34.5 to 4th h X = 28.4 p < 0.05). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The relationships among sagittal-plane lower extremity moments: implications for landing strategy in anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention.

CONTEXT Excessive quadriceps contraction with insufficient hamstrings muscle cocontraction has been shown to be a possible contributing factor for noncontact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Assessing the relationships among lower extremity internal moments may provide some insight into avoiding muscle contraction patterns that increase ACL injury risk. OBJECTIVE To examine the relationships of knee-extensor moment with ankle plantar-flexor and hip-extensor moments and to examine the relationship between knee moment and center of pressure as a measure of neuromuscular response to center-of-mass position. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING Applied Neuromechanics Research Laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS Eighteen healthy, recreationally active women (age = 22.3 +/- 2.8 years, height = 162.5 +/- 8.1 cm, mass = 57.8 +/- 9.3 kg). INTERVENTION(S) Participants performed a single-leg landing from a 45-cm box onto a force plate. Kinetic and kinematic data were collected. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Pearson product moment correlation coefficients were calculated among the net peak knee-extensor moment (KEMpk), sagittal-plane ankle (AM) and hip (HM) net internal moments, and anterior-posterior center of pressure relative to foot center of mass at KEMpk (COP). RESULTS Lower KEMpk related to both greater AM (r = -0.942, P < .001) and HM (r = -0.657, P = .003). We also found that more anterior displacement of COP was related to greater AM (r = -0.750, P < .001) and lower KEMpk (r = 0.618, P = .006). CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that participants who lean the whole body forward during landing may produce more plantar-flexor moment and less knee-extensor moment, possibly increasing hip-extensor moment and decreasing knee-extensor moment production. These results suggest that leaning forward may be a technique to decrease quadriceps contraction demand while increasing hamstrings cocontraction demand during a single-leg landing.
The potential for estradiol and ethinylestradiol to sorb to suspended and bed sediments in some English rivers

The endocrine‐disrupting impact of steroid estrogens on fish will be strongly influenced by their distribution between sediment and water. Laboratory studies were performed to investigate the potential for sorption of 17β‐estradiol (E2) and 17α‐ethinylestradiol (EE2) to bed and suspended sediments taken from five British rivers. Sediment material was collected from the Rivers Aire and Calder (located in urban and industrialized areas in Yorkshire, UK), the River Thames (at a relatively rural site in Oxfordshire, UK), and from the estuaries of the Rivers Tees and Tyne. Using anaerobic conditions to inhibit biodegradation, it was found that 80 to 90% of binding to bed sediments was complete within 1 d, but that an equilibrium had not been reached after 2 d. Bed sediments gave distribution coefficients (Kd) ranging from 4 to 74 L/kg for E2 and from 8 to 121 L/kg for EE2 for samples taken over a range of seasons and locations. Sorption to suspended sediment gave Kd values ranging from 21 to 122 L/kg for E2 and 19 to 260 L/kg for EE2. However, these Kd values suggest less than 1% removal of the steroid estrogens from the aqueous phase given the ambient suspended sediment concentration. In the bed sediments, higher Kd values were associated with smaller particle size and higher organic carbon content. In most cases, the Kd values obtained for EE2 were higher than those for E2 by a factor of up to three.
Effects of Sexual Arousal on Lymphocyte Subset Circulation and Cytokine Production in Man

Objective: Sexual arousal and orgasm induce an increase in sympathetic activity as well as in catecholamine and prolactin plasma concentrations. However, the effects of sexual arousal and orgasm on immune functions in man are unknown. Thus, this study investigated the effects of masturbation-induced orgasm on lymphocyte circulation and cytokine production in healthy young males. Methods: In a crossover design, 11 volunteers completed an experimental condition in which they were asked to masturbate until orgasm and to participate in a control condition without sexual activity. Blood was drawn continuously for determination of endocrine parameters. In addition, leukocyte and lymphocyte subsets were analyzed via flow cytometry, and the production of lipopolysaccharide-induced interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha was measured before and then 5 and 45 min after the orgasm. Results: The results confirmed transient increases in adrenaline and prolactin plasma concentrations. Sexual arousal and orgasm increased the absolute number of leukocytes, in particular natural killer cells (CD3–CD16+CD56+), in the peripheral blood. In contrast, T cell (CD3+) and B cell (CD3–CD20+) subpopulations as well as the production of interleukin 6 and tumor necrosins factor alpha remained unaffected by sexual activity. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that components of the innate immune system are activated by sexual arousal and orgasm.