Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Active mobility of the extremities in older subjects.

The purposes of this study were to expand the data base of active range of motion (ROM) in the upper and lower extremities of older persons measured by goniometry and to determine if differences exist related to age, sex, and physical activity. Active ROM was measured with a clinical goniometer in 28 joint motions of the upper and lower extremities of the right side in 60 older subjects. Thirty men and 30 women were equally divided in two age groups of 60 to 69 and 75 to 84 years of age. Multivariate analysis of variance showed no significant differences in ROM that were attributable to sex and age. In univariate tests, however, 12 motions were significantly different (p less than .05) between the sexes, but only in 4 motions was the difference greater than intertester error. Physical activity, as assessed by a questionnaire and a rating scale, was not related to specific changes of joint range. Within the older subjects, however, a significant relationship between ROM and age or ROM and physical activity cannot be assumed. These results suggest that a data base of normative values is needed for older individuals.
Serum vaspin concentrations in girls with anorexia nervosa

Abstract Background: Vaspin (VASP) is a protein detected in pre- and mature adipocytes, the production and secretion of which may be conditioned by nutrition status. VASP may also play a role in the regulation of food intake. Since to date, there are no available studies on serum vaspin concentrations in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), the aim of our study is to assess serum vaspin concentrations in girls with AN in comparison to healthy subjects and determine its relationship with body weight, body masss index (BMI) and insulin. Methods: In this cross-sectional study vaspin serum concentrations were evaluated using a commercially available ELISA kit in 47 Polish girls hospitalized due to restrictive AN and 39 healthy controls (H). Results: The mean serum concentration of VASP in girls with AN was significantly higher than in the H group. These differences were also noted after adjustment for body masss index-standard deviation score (BMI-SDS), the homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index and insulin levels. There were no statistically significant correlations between the serum concentrations of VASP and body mass, BMI, BMI-SDS, insulin and HOMA-IR in the AN or healthy group. Conclusions: Serum vaspin levels in lean subjects are regulated in different mechanisms than previously reported in obesity. It should be established if elevated serum vaspin levels in girls with AN may contribute to low food intake in these patients.
Do GPs working in practice with high or low prescribing costs have different views on prescribing cost issues?

BACKGROUND In a previous study we found that a minority of general practitioners (GPs) had different views to health authority advisers on a number of prescribing cost issues. However, there were few differences between subgroups of GPs. We hypothesised that subgroups that might show differences were GPs from practices with either high or low prescribing costs. AIM To assess differences in views on prescribing cost issues between GPs working in practices with either high or low prescribing costs. METHOD Using PACTLINE data, prescribing costs were obtained for general practices within the Trent Region for the financial year 1996 to 1997. A questionnaire was sent anonymously to 340 GPs working in those practices with high prescribing costs, and to 322 GPs working in practices with the lowest prescribing costs. RESULTS A total of 216 (63.5%) GPs from high-cost practices and 194 (60.2%) from low-cost practices responded. There were statistically significant differences between the two groups on seven out of 22 statements. However, when the confounding effect of fundholding was taken into account, significant differences were found for just three statements and each of these related to substitution with comparable but cheaper drugs. CONCLUSIONS GPs working in practices with either high or low prescribing costs had different views on a number of statements concerning substitution with comparable but cheaper drugs. When encouraging GPs to control their prescribing costs, a different approach may be required for doctors in some high-cost practices.
Timing of Aneurysm Surgery in Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Systematic Review of the Literature

OBJECTIVE Many practitioners favor early operation after aneurysmal rupture, but sound data supporting this practice are lacking. A systematic review was conducted to compare early aneurysm surgery (Days 0–3), intermediate surgery (Days 4–7), and late surgery (more than 7 d after subarachnoid hemorrhage). METHODS We performed a MEDLINE search of the literature published between January 1974 and December 1998 and an additional manual search of selected journal titles from January 1998 to December 1998. Main outcome measures were death and poor outcome (defined as death or dependency) at the end of the follow-up period. Risk ratios (RRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated; patients planned for late surgery were used as the reference. RESULTS Identified were 1 randomized clinical trial and 268 observational studies, of which only 10 studies (assessing a total of 1814 patients) fulfilled a set of minimum requirements for methodological quality. In the trial, the RR of poor outcome was 0.42 (95% CI, 0.17–1.04) for patients planned for early surgery and 1.07 (95% CI, 0.56–2.05) for intermediate surgery. In analyses with data from the 11 included studies, the RR of poor outcome for patients in good clinical condition at admission was 0.41 (95% CI, 0.34–0.51) for early surgery and 0.47 (95% CI, 0.32–0.69) for intermediate surgery. For patients in poor clinical condition at admission, the RR of poor outcome was 0.84 (95% CI, 0.67–1.05) for early surgery and 0.54 (95% CI, 0.24–1.22) for intermediate surgery. Adjustment of the RRs for year of publication, study design, and aneurysm location yielded essentially the same results, as did a sensitivity analysis after exclusion of the data from the randomized trial. CONCLUSION This meta-analysis suggests that both early and intermediate surgical treatment improve outcome after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage—in particular for patients in good clinical condition at admission. However, this impression is derived only from an indirect comparison between different cohorts of patients. Sound evidence on the best timing of surgery is still lacking. Observational studies with better methods—and ideally a new randomized trial—are needed.
Mathematical accuracy of Aztec land surveys assessed from records in the Codex Vergara

Land surveying in ancient states is documented not only for Eurasia but also for the Americas, amply attested by two Acolhua–Aztec pictorial manuscripts from the Valley of Mexico. The Codex Vergara and the Códice de Santa María Asunción consist of hundreds of drawings of agricultural fields that uniquely record surface areas as well as perimeter measurements. A previous study of the Codex Vergara examines how Acolhua–Aztecs determined field area by reconstructing their calculation procedures. Here we evaluate the accuracy of their area values using modern mathematics. The findings verify the overall mathematical validity of the codex records. Three-quarters of the areas are within 5% of the maximum possible value, and 85% are within 10%, which compares well with reported errors by Western surveyors that postdate Aztec–Acolhua work by several centuries.
Trends in predoctoral education in geriatric dentistry.

Historically, education in geriatric dentistry has been limited in both quantity and quality. More recently, a number of educational initiatives have been developed in response to the growing number of older adults and their changing oral health status and dental treatment needs. A survey of U.S. and Canadian dental schools examined curriculum trends and assessed the effectiveness of educational initiatives and the value of AADS/AoA geriatric dental curricular materials. All schools responded. Compared to previous reports, more schools had geriatric didactic course(s), clinical rotations, and faculty with geriatric dental training. Fifty-eight percent of dental schools support geriatric dentistry in their budgets. The primary barriers to program expansion continue to be the lack of trained faculty members, a crowded curriculum, and fiscal concerns.
Technical Progress, Retraining Cost and Early Retirement

Technological progress affects early retirement in two opposing ways. On the one hand, it increases real wages and thus produces an incentive to postpone retirement. On the other hand, it erodes workers' skills, making early retirement more likely. Using the Health and Retirement Study surveys, we re-examine the effect of technical progress on early retirement, finding that when the technical change is small the erosion effect dominates, but when it is large the wage effect dominates. Our results imply that retraining cost is a strongly concave function with respect to technical progress.
Proper development of the outer longitudinal smooth muscle of the mouse pylorus requires Nkx2-5 and Gata3.

BACKGROUND & AIMS Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis is a common birth anomaly characterized by obstruction of the pyloric lumen. A genome-wide association study implicated NKX2-5, which encodes a transcription factor that is expressed in embryonic heart and pylorus, in the pathogenesis of infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. However, the function of the NKX2-5 in pyloric smooth muscle development has not been examined directly. We investigated the pattern of Nkx2-5 during the course of murine pyloric sphincter development and examined coexpression of Nkx2-5 with Gata3 and Sox9-other transcription factors with pyloric-specific mesenchymal expression. We also assessed pyloric sphincter development in mice with disruption of Nkx2-5 or Gata3. METHODS We used immunofluorescence analysis to compare levels of NKX2-5, GATA3, and SOX9 in different regions of smooth muscle cells. Pyloric development was assessed in mice with conditional or germline deletion of Nkx2-5 or Gata3, respectively. RESULTS Gata3, Nkx2-5, and Sox9 are coexpressed in differentiating smooth muscle cells of a distinct fascicle of the pyloric outer longitudinal muscle. Expansion of this fascicle coincides with development of the pyloric sphincter. Disruption of Nkx2-5 or Gata3 causes severe hypoplasia of this fascicle and alters pyloric muscle shape. Although expression of Sox9 requires Nkx2-5 and Gata3, there is no apparent hierarchical relationship between Nkx2-5 and Gata3 during pyloric outer longitudinal muscle development. CONCLUSIONS Nkx2-5 and Gata3 are independently required for the development of a pyloric outer longitudinal muscle fascicle, which is required for pyloric sphincter morphogenesis in mice. These data indicate that regulatory changes that alter Nkx2-5 or Gata3 expression could contribute to pathogenesis of infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis.
Evaluation of Animal-Based Indicators to Be Used in a Welfare Assessment Protocol for Sheep

Sheep are managed under a variety of different environments (continually outdoors, partially outdoors with seasonal or diurnal variation, continuously indoors) and for different purposes, which makes assessing welfare challenging. This diversity means that resource-based indicators are not particularly useful and, thus, a welfare assessment scheme for sheep, focusing on animal-based indicators, was developed. We focus specifically on ewes, as the most numerous group of sheep present on farm, although many of the indicators may also have relevance to adult male sheep. Using the Welfare Quality® framework of four Principles and 12 Criteria, we considered the validity, reliability, and feasibility of 46 putative animal-based indicators derived from the literature for these criteria. Where animal-based indicators were potentially unreliably or were not considered feasible, we also considered the resource-based indicators of access to water, stocking density, and floor slipperiness. With the exception of the criteria “Absence of prolonged thirst,” we suggest at least one animal-based indicator for each welfare criterion. As a minimum, face validity was available for all indicators; however, for many, we found evidence of convergent validity and discriminant validity (e.g., lameness as measured by gait score, body condition score). The reliability of most of the physical and health measures has been tested in the field and found to be appropriate for use in welfare assessment. However, for the majority of the proposed behavioral indicators (lying synchrony, social withdrawal, postures associated with pain, vocalizations, stereotypy, vigilance, response to surprise, and human approach test), this still needs to be tested. In conclusion, the comprehensive assessment of sheep welfare through largely animal-based measures is supported by the literature through the use of indicators focusing on specific aspects of sheep biology. Further work is required for some indicators to ensure that measures are reliable when used in commercial settings.
Human forearm muscle metabolism during exercise. II. Uptake, release and oxidation of individual FFA and glycerol.

The uptake, release, and oxidation of individual free fatty acids (FFA) in the human forearm were studied during a 60-min exercise period. Muscular uptake of FFA rose with the arterial concentration. The muscle showed a slight preference for linoleic and oleic acid compared to palmitic acid. The forearm RQ indicated a constant fat oxidation during the period of exercise. The uptake of FFA covered about 50 per cent of the fat oxidation. On the average 60 per cent of the muscular FFA-14C uptake was oxidized to 14CO2. The remaining radioactivity left the muscle as water-soluble metabolite(s). β-Hydroxybutyrate leaving the muscle was shown to be labeled. No release of glycerol accompanied the release of FFA during exercise. Glycerol-1-14C was oxidized by the exercising muscle. Glycerol dehydrogenase activity was demonstrated in human skeletal muscle.
Animal-Assisted Therapy and Nutrition in Alzheimer’s Disease

This study examined the influence of animal-assisted therapy, specifically fish aquariums, on nutritional intake in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Sixty-two individuals with AD who lived in specialized units were studied. Baseline nutritional data were obtained followed by a 2-week treatment period when the aquariums were introduced. The treatment data were collected daily for 2 weeks then weekly for 6 weeks. Nutritional intake increased significantly (21.1%; p < .001) when the aquariums were introduced and continued to increase during the 6-week weekly follow-up. Weight increased significantly(1.65 lbs; p < .001) over the 16-week period. In addition, participants required less nutritional supplementation, resulting in health care cost savings.
Centrally located body fat is related to inflammatory markers in healthy postmenopausal women

Objective:C-reactive protein and fibrinogen are established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk factors. These acute-phase proteins and the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor &agr;, interleukin-6, and interleukin-1&bgr; may be elevated in obesity and with menopause. The purpose of this multicenter study was to identify whether centrally located fat and/or overall adiposity were related to these inflammatory markers in healthy postmenopausal women. Design:We used dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry to assess overall and regional body composition (fat mass in particular) in 242 postmenopausal women in relation to plasma fibrinogen, serum C-reactive protein, and these proinflammatory cytokines. Results:Multiple regression analyses revealed that 36% of the variability in C-reactive protein (F = 32.4, P ≤ 0.0001) was accounted for by androidal fat mass (16.1%, P ≤ 0.0001), white blood cells (5.6%, P ≤ 0.0001), and age (2.3%, P = 0.0045). Regression analyses revealed that 30% of the variability in fibrinogen (F = 24.5, P ≤ 0.0001) was accounted for by white blood cells (3.1%, P = 0.0015), hip fat mass (2.2%, P = 0.0081), years since menopause (0.9%, P = 0.082), and geographic site (P ≤ 0.0001). Our results indicated that androidal fat mass and hip fat mass contributed to C-reactive protein and fibrinogen, respectively, whereas we found no association between whole-body or regional fat measures and cytokines. Conclusion:Further study is warranted to determine the responsiveness of these acute-phase proteins and cytokines to loss of body fat through exercise and dietary intervention in postmenopausal women.
Flows, bridges and brokers: exploring the development of trust relations in a distributed work group

During the last few decades several important empirical studies have documented that trust is important for the efficiency of distributed groups (Piccoli and Ives, 2003; Wilson et al., 2006). It has also been documented that more task-oriented forms of trust (i.e., swift trust) develop more easily in such teams than affective trust forms (Meyerson et al., 1996; Jarvenpaa and Leidner, 1999; Kanawattanachai and Yoo, 2002). More poorly understood are the underlying mechanisms that generate different types of trust within distributed groups in the first place. In this article, findings from a study of affective and cognitive trust relations in a group of distributed engineers are presented, and it is demonstrated how these trust forms followed slightly different patterns. The findings indicate that 'trust brokering' occurred along both dimensions and that these activities were crucial for the development of trust in the group.
FIRST DETECTION OF THERMAL RADIO EMISSION FROM SOLAR-TYPE STARS WITH THE KARL G. JANSKY VERY LARGE ARRAY

We present the first detections of thermal radio emission from the atmospheres of solar-type stars τ Cet, η Cas A, and 40 Eri A. These stars all resemble the Sun in age and level of magnetic activity, as indicated by X-ray luminosity and chromospheric emission in Ca ii H and K lines. We observed these stars with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array with sensitivities of a few μJy at combinations of 10.0, 15.0, and 34.5 GHz. τ Cet, η Cas A, and 40 Eri A are all detected at 34.5 GHz with signal-to-noise ratios of 6.5, 5.2, and 4.5, respectively. 15.0 GHz upper limits imply a rising spectral index greater than 1.0 for τ Cet and 1.6 for η Cas A, at the 95% confidence level. The measured 34.5 GHz flux densities correspond to stellar disk-averaged brightness temperatures of roughly 10,000 K, similar to the solar brightness temperature at the same frequency. We explain this emission as optically thick thermal free–free emission from the chromosphere, with possible contributions from coronal gyroresonance emission above active regions and coronal free–free emission. These and similar quality data on other nearby solar-type stars, when combined with Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array observations, will enable the construction of temperature profiles of their chromospheres and lower transition regions.
Efficiency of sunlight utilization: tubular versus flat photobioreactors

The light saturation effect imposes a serious limitation on the efficiency with which solar energy can be utilized in outdoor algal cultures. One solution proposed to reduce the intensity of incident solar radiation and overcome the light saturation effect is "spatial dilution of light" (i.e., distribution of the impinging photon flux on a greater photosynthetic surface area), but consistent experimental data supporting a significant positive influence of spatial light dilution on the productivity and the photosynthetic efficiency of outdoor algal cultures have never been reported. We used a coiled tubular reactor and compared a near-horizontal straight tubular reactor and a near-horizontal flat panel in outdoor cultivation of the cyanobacterium Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis under defined operating conditions for optimum productivity. The photosynthetic efficiency achieved in the tubular systems was significantly higher because their curved surface "diluted" the impinging solar radiation and thus reduced the light saturation effect. This interpretation was supported by the results of experiments carried out in the laboratory under continuous artificial illumination using both a flat and a curved chamber reactor. The study also showed that, when the effect of light saturation is eliminated or reduced, productivity and solar irradiance are linearly correlated even at very high diurnal irradiance values, and supported findings that outdoor algal cultures are light-limited even during bright summer days. It was also observed that, besides improving the photosynthetic efficiency of the culture, spatial dilution of light also leads to higher growth rates and lowers the cellular content of accessory pigments; that is, it reduces mutual shading in the culture. The inadequacy of using volumetric productivity as the sole criterion for comparing reactors of different surface-to-volume ratio and of the areal productivity for evaluating the performance of elevated photobioreactors operated outdoors is stressed; it is furthermore suggested that the photosynthetic efficiency achieved by the culture also be calculated to provide a suitable parameter for comparison of different algal cultivation systems operated under similar climatic conditions. Copyright 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Inhaled Nitric Oxide Enhances Distal Lung Growth after Exposure to Hyperoxia in Neonatal Rats

Exposure of newborn rats to hyperoxia impairs alveolarization and vessel growth, causing abnormal lung structure that persists during infancy. Recent studies have shown that impaired angiogenesis due to inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling decreases alveolar and vessel growth in the developing lung, and that nitric oxide (NO) mediates VEGF-dependent angiogenesis. The purpose of this study was to determine whether hyperoxia causes sustained reduction of lung VEGF, VEGF receptor, or endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) expression during recovery, and whether inhaled NO improves lung structure in infant rats after neonatal exposure to hyperoxia. Newborn rat pups were randomized to hyperoxia [fraction of inspired oxygen (Fio2), 1.00] or room air exposure for 6 d, and then placed in room air with or without inhaled NO (10 ppm) for 2 wk. Rats were then killed for studies, which included measurements of body weight, lung weight, right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH), morphometric analysis of alveolarization (by mean linear intercept (MLI), radial alveolar counts (RAC), and vascular volume (Vv), and immunostaining and Western blot analysis. In comparison with controls, neonatal hyperoxia reduced body weight, increased MLI, and reduced RAC in infant rats. Lung VEGF, VEGFR-2, and eNOS protein expression were reduced after hyperoxia. Inhaled NO treatment after hyperoxia increased body weight and improved distal lung growth, as demonstrated by increased RAC and Vv and decreased MLI. We conclude that neonatal hyperoxia reduced lung VEGF expression, which persisted during recovery in room air, and that inhaled NO restored distal lung growth in infant rats after neonatal hyperoxia.