Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cardiorespiratory fitness and cognitive functioning following short-term interventions in chronic stroke survivors with cognitive impairment: a pilot study

This study, a quasi-experimental, one-group pretest–post-test design, evaluated the effects on cognitive functioning and cardiorespiratory fitness of 8-week interventions (aerobic exercise alone and aerobic exercise and cognitive training combined) in patients with chronic stroke and cognitive impairment living in the community (participants: n=14, 61.93±9.90 years old, 51.50±38.22 months after stroke, n=7 per intervention group). Cognitive functions and cardiorespiratory fitness were evaluated before and after intervention, and at a 3-month follow-up visit (episodic memory: revised-Hopkins Verbal Learning Test; working memory: Brown–Peterson paradigm; attention omission and commission errors: Continuous Performance Test; cardiorespiratory fitness: peak oxygen uptake during a symptom-limited, graded exercise test performed on a semirecumbent ergometer). Friedman’s two-way analysis of variance by ranks evaluated differences in score distributions related to time (for the two groups combined). Post-hoc testing was adjusted for multiple comparisons. Compared with before the intervention, there was a significant reduction in attention errors immediately following the intervention (omission errors: 14.6±21.5 vs. 8±13.9, P=0.01; commission errors: 16.4±6.3 vs. 10.9±7.2, P=0.04), and in part at follow-up (omission errors on follow-up: 3.4±4.3, P=0.03; commission errors on follow-up: 13.2±7.6, P=0.42). These results suggest that attention may improve in chronic stroke survivors with cognitive impairment following short-term training that includes an aerobic component, without a change in cardiorespiratory fitness. Randomized–controlled studies are required to confirm these findings.
Analysis of chicken Wnt‐13 expression demonstrates coincidence with cell division in the developing eye and is consistent with a role in induction

We used a degenerate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) strategy to search for Wnt RNA in developing ocular tissues. We isolated a Macaca monkey Wnt‐13 PCR fragment, orthologous to the human and murine Wnt‐13 and Xenopus Wnt‐2b, and a chick Wnt13 cDNA. Wnt‐13 is a member of the Wnt‐1 class of transforming Wnt molecules. In situ RNA hybridization revealed a dynamic Wnt‐13 expression pattern in numerous developing tissues. Within the eye, Wnt‐13 is expressed in the proliferative epithelium of the lens and both pigmented and non‐pigmented layers of the ciliary margin. In vitro BrdU incorporation studies coupled with in situ hybridization showed that cWnt‐13 expression domains in the lens were coincident with cell division. In addition to the eye, cWnt‐13 was expressed in head ectoderm, prospective forelimb mesenchyme, lung bud, pharyngeal arches, the brain, as well as the otic vesicle. Our data are consistent with previous observations linking transforming Wnts with cell division and implicate a cascade of events involving cWnt‐13 first in dorsoventral patterning and later in cell proliferation regulation associated with lens development. Dev Dyn 1999;215:215–224. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Immune-mediated and chronic inflammatory disease in people with sarcoidosis: disease associations in a large UK database

Background: Sarcoidosis is a multi-system disorder characterised by non-caseating granulomas. Coexistence of sarcoidosis with immune-mediated and chronic inflammatory diseases has been described in case series. However, the coexistence of two different diseases in individuals can occur by chance, even if each of the diseases is rare. Aim: To determine whether sarcoidosis necessitating hospital admission or day-case care coexists with a range of immune-mediated and chronic inflammatory diseases more commonly than expected by chance. Design: Analysis of an epidemiological database of hospital admission and day-case statistics, spanning 30 years. Results: 1510 patients with sarcoidosis were identified (mean age 44 years, median follow-up 19 years) who had been admitted to hospital or day-case care. Significant associations in the sarcoidosis cohort were identified with systemic lupus erythematosus (odds ratio (OR) 8.3; 95% CI 2.7 to 19.4), autoimmune chronic hepatitis (OR 6.7; 95% CI 1.8 to 17.1), multiple sclerosis (OR 3.3; 95% CI 1.7 to 5.6), coeliac disease (OR 3.1; 95% CI 1.01 to 7.3), thyrotoxicosis (OR 2.5; 95% CI 1.4 to 4.0), myxoedema (OR 2.2; 95% CI 1.2 to 3.7) and ulcerative colitis (OR 2.1; 95% CI 1.1 to 3.7). Weaker associations were found for diabetes mellitus with a first admission aged 30–49 years (OR 2.9; 95% CI 2.1 to 4.0) or age >50 (OR 1.7; 95% CI 1.2 to 2.3), but not for people age <30. No significant association with Crohn's disease (OR 1.52; 95% CI 0.61 to 3.14) or primary biliary cirrhosis (OR 3.75; 95% CI 0.77 to 11.0),was found. When all immune-mediated and chronic inflammatory diseases for which associations were sought were combined, the overall rate ratio associated with sarcoidosis was 2.2 (95% CI 1.9 to 2.6). Conclusion: This study adds epidemiological evidence to information from clinical reports that there is a connection between sarcoidosis and other immune-mediated and chronic inflammatory diseases.
Antibodies against a secreted protein from hookworm larvae reduce the intensity of hookworm infection in humans and vaccinated laboratory animals

The development of a vaccine would provide an important new tool for the control of human hookworm infection. On the basis of successful vaccination of laboratory animals with living irradiated, third‐stage hookworm larvae (L3), we examined the antibody responses of individuals from hookworm endemic areas of Brazil and China against the most abundant L3 secreted antigens, the ancylostoma secreted proteins, ASP‐1 and ASP‐2. Logistic regression was used to investigate the effects of antibody isotype responses to ASPs on the risk of an individual harboring heavy hookworm infection. A significant protective association was observed between increasing anti‐ASP‐2 IgE levels and the risk of heavy hookworm infection. To confirm that ASP‐2 is a protective antigen, laboratory dogs were immunized with recombinant ASP‐2 formulated with the GlaxoSmithKline Adjuvant, AS03. Sera obtained from the immunized dogs exhibited high geometric mean antibody titers, immunoprecipitated native ASP‐2 from L3 extracts and localized the site of ASP‐2 expression to the glandular esophagus and body channels exiting to the cuticle. The sera also exhibited an increased ability to inhibit migration of L3 through tissue in vitro relative to sera from AS03‐injected controls. Upon L3 challenge, the ASP‐2 vaccinated dogs exhibited significant reductions in fecal egg counts and intestinal hookworm burden. These findings provide strong support for the development of an effective recombinant vaccine against hookworm infection in humans.
Empowering Women through Development Aid: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Afghanistan

In societies with widespread gender discrimination, development programs with gender quotas are considered a way to improve women's economic, political, and social status. Using a randomized field experiment across 500 Afghan villages, we examine the effects of a development program that mandates female participation. We find that even in a highly conservative context like Afghanistan, such initiatives improve outcomes specific to female participation in some economic, social, and political activities, including increased mobility and income generation. They, however, produce no change in more entrenched female roles linked to family decision-making or in attitudes toward the general role of women in society.
Pandemic influenza and the gender imbalance: Evidence from early twentieth century Japan.

This study uses the 1918-1920 influenza pandemic in Japan with newly digitized and complete census records on births, infant deaths, and sex ratios during childhood to analyze mortality selection in utero and its persistency in the gender imbalance. We find that fetal exposure to pandemic influenza during the first trimester of the pregnancy period decreased the proportion of males at birth in this period. We then show that the decline in male births might have been associated with the deterioration of fetal health due to pandemic influenza. Analyses using Population Censuses provide evidence suggesting that postnatal influenza exposure had long-term impacts on the sex ratio of children aged 5-12.
Women emerge from general anesthesia with propofol/alfentanil/nitrous oxide faster than men.

BACKGROUND Recovery from general anesthesia is governed by pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic factors. Gender has not previously been recognized as a factor influencing the time to emergence from general anesthesia. METHODS This multicenter study was originally designed to measure the effects of the bispectral index on intraoperative anesthetic management and patient recovery. We compared the wake-up and recovery times of 274 adults after propofol/alfentanil/nitrous oxide anesthesia. Patients were randomly assigned to have the titration of propofol performed with or without the use of bispectral index monitoring. Specific guidelines were given for the titration of drugs. The aim in all cases was to provide a safe anesthetic with the fastest possible recovery. RESULTS There was a significant reduction in propofol dose, time to eye opening, and response to verbal command when the anesthetic was titrated using the bispectral index. Unexpectedly, gender proved to be a highly significant independent predictor for recovery time. Women woke significantly faster than men: the time from end of anesthesia to eye opening was 7.05 versus 11.22 min, P < 0.05, and response to verbal command was 8.12 versus 11.67 min, P < 0.05. These differences were significant at all four study sites and in each treatment group. Men consistently had prolonged recovery times compared to women, P < 0.001. There was no difference in the dose of anesthetic used between gender. CONCLUSIONS Gender appears to be an important variable in recovery from general anesthesia. These findings may explain the increased reported incidence of awareness in women (three times more frequent) and support the need to include gender as a variable in pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies of anesthetic drugs.
A SEROLOGIC ASSESSMENT OF EXPOSURE TO VIRAL PATHOGENS AND LEPTOSPIRA IN AN URBAN RACCOON (PROCYON LOTOR) POPULATION INHABITING A LARGE ZOOLOGICAL PARK

Abstract In urban environments, raccoons (Procyon lotor) may act as reservoirs for an array of pathogenic organisms, presenting spillover risks for human, domestic animal, and captive (zoo) animal populations. Over 5 yr, 159 raccoons from a high-density raccoon population in St. Louis, Missouri (USA), were surveyed for exposure to canine distemper virus (CDV), canine adenovirus 1 (CAV-1); feline parvovirus (FPV; =feline panleukopenia), and several serovars of Leptospira interrogans. Exposure to each of the viruses and two Leptospira serovars (grippotyphosa and icterohemorrhagiae) was detected (prevalence of CDV = 54.1%; FPV = 49.7%; CAV-1 = 6.9%; L. interrogans icterohemorrhagiae = 8.9%; L. interrogans grippotyphosa = 6.3%). Eighty percent of raccoons showed evidence of exposure to at least one of the five primary pathogens, and 39% were positive for multiple species. Among the viruses, there was a significant co-occurrence of CDV and CAV-1. Longitudinal data on a subset of animals revealed that among individuals who were diagnosed as seropositive on first capture, 33–100% became seronegative for the pathogen of interest when reexamined at a later date. Thus, free-ranging urban raccoons have been exposed to multiple infectious agents, some of which may pose risks to humans and to nonvaccinated domestic and captive animal populations.
Impact of pre-operative venography on the planning and outcome of vascular access for hemodialysis patients

Objective Pre-operative venous mapping has increased dramatically in most dialysis units since the Dialysis Outcome Quality Initiative (DOQI) guidelines recommended a native arteriovenous venous fistula (AVF) rather than a graft for hemodialysis (HD) access procedures. However, there are conflicting consequences as a result of this policy. Some studies have showed that routine mapping has resulted in a marked increase in maturation rate while others have observed the reverse. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of pre-operative venography on the planning and outcome of AVF for our HD patients. Patients and methods A prospective study was performed on all patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who had HD access procedures and pre-operative venography between October 2003 and November 2005. Upper limb venography was done for all patients except those that required primary access and had visible veins. All patients had HD immediately after the venography. Access procedure selection was based on the result of the venography. The complications of venography, the surgical procedure and the outcome were recorded. Results One hundred and twenty-nine patients with ESRD who had pre-operative venography were included in this study. They were mostly middle age (mean age ± SD = 41 ± 15.5 yrs) with a high rate of diabetes mellitus (53%). No single complication was reported. A graft was placed in six patients (5%) only. Unsuccessful surgical exploration was 0%. Early failure was in 10 patients (8%). Conclusion Pre-operative venography resulted in an increase in the number of AVFs. It can improve the results of HD access procedures by selecting the most suitable veins.
Human clock, PER1 and PER2 polymorphisms: lack of association with cocaine dependence susceptibility and cocaine-induced paranoia

Considerable research points to the importance of genetic mechanisms in psychostimulant addiction. Behavioral sensitization, a well-documented response to repeated stimulant exposure, may be mechanistically important in clinical features of the disorder, including escalating patterns of drug use, craving and drug-induced paranoia. Basic studies in both Drosophila melanogaster and mice have suggested the importance of circadian rhythm genes in locomotor sensitization and reward. The primary objective of the current study was to assess the potential involvement of three human orthologs (CLOCK, PER1 and PER2) in clinical phenotypes of the disorder. Allelic associations of three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were assessed for both cocaine dependence and cocaine-induced paranoia in 186 cases and 273 controls. Potential population stratification biases were controlled for by means of within-population comparisons, and by structured association methods (using all populations). No differences in allele frequencies were found for any of the three single nucleotide polymorphisms studied between cocaine dependent and control subjects or between paranoid and nonparanoid cocaine users. These results do not support the involvement of genetic variation in these three circadian gene SNPs for influencing risks for either of these cocaine phenotypes.
Histology and Histomorphometry of Ethmoid Bone in Chronic Rhinosinusitis

Mucosal changes have been well described in chronic sinusitis, yet little is known about the underlying bone, despite clinical and experimental evidence suggesting that bone may be involved in chronic sinusitis. Techniques of undecalcified bone analysis were used for detailed histologic examination of ethmoid bone in chronic sinusitis compared with controls. Bone synthesis, resorption, and inflammatory cell presence were specifically assessed. Additionally, histomorphometry techniques were used to determine ethmoid bone physiology in individuals undergoing surgery for chronic sinusitis. Overall, individuals undergoing surgery for chronic sinusitis were found to have evidence of marked acceleration in bone physiology with histologic changes including new bone formation, fibrosis, and presence of inflammatory cells. These findings are compared with osteomyelitis in long bone and the jaw. The suggestion that underlying bone may serve as a catalyst for chronic sinusitis is supported and implications for therapy are discussed.
Anisotropy of dynamic acoustoelasticity in limestone, influence of conditioning, and comparison with nonlinear resonance spectroscopy.

Anisotropy of wave velocity and attenuation induced by a dynamic uniaxial strain is investigated by dynamic acoustoelastic testing in limestone. Nonlinear resonance spectroscopy is performed simultaneously for comparison. A compressional resonance of the sample at 6.8 kHz is excited to produce a dynamic strain with an amplitude varied from 10(-7) to 10(-5). A sequence of ultrasound pulses tracks variations in ultrasonic velocity and attenuation. Variations measured when the ultrasound pulses propagate in the direction of the uniaxial strain are 10 times larger than when the ultrasound propagation occurs perpendicularly. Variations consist of a "fast" variation at 6.8 kHz and an offset. Acoustically induced conditioning is found to reduce wave velocity and enhance attenuation (offset). It also modifies "fast" nonlinear elastodynamics, i.e., wave amplitude dependencies of ultrasonic velocity and attenuation. At the onset of conditioning and beyond, different excitation amplitudes bring the material to non-equilibrium states. After conversion of velocity-strain dynamic relations into elastic modulus-strain dynamic relations and integration with respect to strain, the dynamic stress-strain relation is obtained. Analysis of stress-strain hysteresis shows that hysteretic nonlinear elasticity is not a significant source of the amplitude-dependent dissipation measured by nonlinear resonance spectroscopy. Mechanisms causing conditioning are likely producing amplitude-dependent dissipation as well.
Characterization of the Auto-inhibitory Sequence within the N-terminal Domain of Importin α*

Protein cargoes that contain a classic nuclear localization signal (NLS) are transported into the nucleus through binding to a heterodimeric receptor comprised of importin/karyopherin α and β. An evolutionarily conserved auto-inhibitory sequence within the N-terminal importin β binding (IBB) domain of importin α regulates NLS-cargo binding to the NLS binding pocket on importin α. In this study, we have used site-directed mutagenesis coupled with in vitro binding assays and in vivo analyses to investigate the intramolecular interaction of the N-terminal IBB domain and the NLS binding pocket of Saccharomyces cerevisiae importin α, Srp1p. We find that mutations within the IBB domain that decrease the binding affinity of the auto-inhibitory sequence for the NLS binding pocket impact importin α function in vivo. In addition, the severity of the in vivo phenotype is directly correlated to the reduction of auto-inhibition measured in vitro, suggesting that the in vivo phenotypes are directly related to the loss of auto-inhibitory function. We exploit a conditional auto-inhibitory mutant, srp1–55, to study the in vivo functional overlap between the N-terminal IBB domain of importin α and other factors implicated in NLS-cargo release, Cse1p and Nup2p. We propose that the N-terminal IBB domain of importin α and Cse1p function together in NLS-cargo release, whereas Nup2p contributes to cargo release/importin α recycling through a distinct mechanism.
Clinical trial awareness: Changes over time and sociodemographic disparities

Background or aims: Lack of clinical trial awareness is a known obstacle to clinical trial enrollment. We sought to define the prevalence of clinical trial awareness in the US population, determine characteristics associated with increased trial awareness, and explore potential disparities in trial awareness. Methods: We utilized data from the Health Information National Trends Survey from 2008 and 2012. Logistic regression was utilized to assess predictors of clinical trial awareness, particularly sociodemographic variables and information-seeking preferences. Trial awareness and information-seeking preferences were compared in patient subgroups and between the two time periods. Results: Clinical trial awareness increased from 68% to 74% between 2008 and 2012. In the 2012 dataset, higher education level (odds ratio: 3.52, 95% confidence interval: 2.16–5.74), higher yearly income category (odds ratio: 1.84, 95% confidence interval: 1.17–2.89), and Internet use (odds ratio: 2.13, 95% confidence interval: 1.52–3.00) were significantly associated with clinical trial awareness. Hispanic ethnicity (odds ratio: 0.41, 95% confidence interval: 0.25–0.68) was significantly associated with decreased awareness. Clinical trial awareness increased in African-American/Blacks (Δ10.6%) and Hispanics (Δ10.7%) between 2008 and 2012, as did Internet use in both subgroups (Δ14.2%, Δ18.1%, respectively). Conclusion: Overall clinical trial awareness has increased between 2008 and 2012, although a large subset of the population still lacks general awareness of clinical trials. Racial and ethnic disparities in trial awareness exist, although disparities may be decreasing among the Black population. These findings may help target educational efforts and inform approaches to increasing trial awareness.
Relationship between adiponectin and testosterone in patients with type 2 diabetes.

INTRODUCTION This study was designed to investigate the relationship between serum adiponectin and testosterone in patients with type 2 diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS Serum level of adiponectin and testosterone were prospectively measured in 65 patients with type 2 diabetes and in 20 healthy subjects. Testosterone was determined by the radio-immunoassay whereas adiponectin levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS The average serum testosterone did not differ between the diabetes and the control group, but the average adiponectin in the diabetes group was lower (14.6 (14.2-15.0) vs. 24.3 (24.05-24.55) ng/mL, P = 0.001). In the diabetes group, the serum adiponectin level in patients with renal dysfunction (22.3 (21.5-23.1) ng/mL) was higher than in patients with no complications (12.1 (11.45-12.75) ng/mL) and than in patients with coronary artery disease (11.2 (10.25-12.15) ng/mL) (P = 0.009). Univariate correlation analysis showed an inverse weak correlation between adiponectin and testosterone concentrations in male diabetic patients (r = -0.27, P = 0.009). There was no significant correlation between adiponectin and testosterone in female patients (r = -0.05, P = 0.167). CONCLUSIONS We conclude that patients with type 2 diabetes have lower serum adiponectin concentration than healthy individuals, and that there is a weak inverse correlation between adiponectin and testosterone serum concentrations in male diabetics.