Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Myo-Electric Controls — A Challenge to Occupational Therapists?

Developments in the field of electronics have made it possible to use physiological signals in the control of external power systems. The relationship between man and machine is complex and difficult. Review of myo-electric controls and functional electrical stimulation in prosthetics, orthotics and other fields indicates the extent of current clinical application. Advantages and disadvantages of 2-state, 3-state, proportional and other control systems are considered, and problems related to lack of sensory feedback, delay in movement response, etc. explored. The role of the occupational therapist as an interface between man and machine, using unique skills in patient assesment, selection of controls, training and evaluation of systems is discussed. The need for occupational therapists to become involved in research and development and to acquire specialized knowledge in applied sciences and biomechanics is emphasised.
The impact of HIV on morbidity and mortality from tuberculosis in sub-Saharan Africa : a study in rural Malawi and review of the literature

Since the mid-1980s tuberculosis (TB) case numbers and HIV seroprevalence have both risen sharply in sub-Saharan Africa. Estimates for the relative risk of TB in those infected with HIV have ranged from less than five to more than 20. The proportion of TB cases attributable to HIV (the population attributable fraction) has been calculated for several populations but is difficult to interpret if no account is taken of the age and sex distribution of the cases. In a rural area of Malawi we have studied the proportion of TB attributable to HIV over time. Nearly 40 per cent of smear-positive TB cases in this rural area of Malawi can now be attributed directly to HIV. The actual effect of HIV on TB is even greater than this because increased case numbers increase transmission of tuberculosis infection to both HIV-infected and non-infected sections of the population. We compare our findings with others from sub-Saharan Africa and discuss reasons for the differences, and methodological issues in interpretation In the presence of the HIV epidemic the number of cases of tuberculosis (TB) reported in subSaharan Africa has increased sharply (De Cock et al. 1992). Increases in TB of more than ten per cent per year have been reported from several countries (Cantwell and Binkin 1996). In Malawi notified cases of TB rose from 5334 in 1985 to 19,496 in 1994 (Harries et al. 1996). Increases in TB have also been reported in many other parts of the world, but the reasons for the increases are not the same in all populations. In Africa the increases are assumed to be due to HIV, but increases are also found in Eastern Europe, in areas relatively untouched by the HIV epidemic (Raviglione et al. 1994). Reasons for reported increases in TB other than through HIV include changes in ascertainment and reporting, and real increases in TB due to poverty, inadequate TB control programs and increasing drug resistance. These effects are not * The Karonga Prevention Study has been funded primarily by LEPRA (The British Leprosy Relief Association) and ILEP (The International Federation of Anti-Leprosy Organizations) with contributions from the WHO/UNDP/World Bank Special Program for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases and the WHO Tuberculosis Program. J.R. Glynn is supported by the British Overseas Development Administration. We thank the Government of the Republic of Malawi for their interest in and support of the Project. We thank Dr P.A. Jenkins and Prof. S. Lucas for their help with the bacteriology and histology, and Drs L. Rodrigues and C. Ronsmans for helpful comments.
Negative Consequences of Alcohol Use among College Students: Victims or Victimizers?

Focusing on reciprocity between primary and secondary consequences resulting from alcohol use among college students, this study hypothesizes that college students should not be dichotomously viewed as those who generate alcohol-related negative consequences and those who suffer from the consequences generated by fellow students; instead, since students usually live closely together and most of them use alcohol, they constantly affect one another with consequences of their alcohol use. Five colleges in New York State were randomly selected for the study. The telephone interview method was employed to survey college students during the spring semester of 1998. Within each participating college, students were randomly selected through the use of complete student telephone directories provided by the college administration. A total of 813 students were interviewed. Findings indicate that negative consequences of alcohol use among college students may be understood more in a form of group process than in separate individual circumstances. Through association and interaction with other alcohol users, students are frequently victimizing fellow students and being victimized by others in terms of alcohol-related consequences; the severity of alcohol-related hazard for students, thus, tends to be twice as severe as that for individuals who are not in a college environment.
Indirect evidence of TTV replication in bone marrow cells, but not in hepatocytes, of a subacute hepatitis/aplastic anemia patient

The presence of a new DNA virus (TTV) has been reported in sera from patients with posttransfusion hepatitis of unknown etiology. The precise replication site of TTV, however, has not been established. In this study, the presence of TTV in liver autopsy material, and in bone marrow biopsy and autopsy samples taken from a subacute hepatitis/aplastic anemia patient was determined by PCR and Southern blot analyses. Liver cells were found to contain only TTV DNA and not mRNA. Bone marrow material, especially that taken at biopsy, contained high levels of TTV DNA. It is suggested that the TTV replication site was in the bone marrow rather than in the liver, and that TTV infection was the cause of this patient's aplastic anemia. The precise etiological association of TTV with hepatitis remains to be established. J. Med. Virol. 61:165–170, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Continuous peripheral nerve block in combat casualties receiving low-molecular weight heparin.

BACKGROUND Continuous peripheral nerve block (CPNB) is an important therapeutic tool in the anaesthetic and analgesic management of combat casualties at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC). We describe our experience using CPNB techniques in combat trauma patients treated with low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH). Guidelines used at our institution for managing CPNB catheters in patients being treated with LMWH are introduced. METHODS From March 2003 to April 2005, 187 combat casualties treated by the WRAMC regional anaesthesia/acute pain section using CPNB were evaluated retrospectively by electronic chart review. Patient characteristic data, CPNB type, duration of CPNB, indication for LMWH [enoxaparin sodium injection (Lovenox-Sanofi Aventis, Bridgewater, NJ, USA)], enoxaparin dose (mg) before and after catheter insertion and removal, time from CPNB placement and removal to enoxaparin dose, and complications were recorded. RESULTS Median enoxaparin dose and time given before catheter insertion were 30 mg and 21 h, respectively. Median enoxaparin dose was also 30 mg given a median of 12 h after peripheral nerve catheter placement. Catheters remained in situ for a median of 8 days (range 1-33 days). Catheter specific complications were infrequent and identified in 7 (3.7%) patients (two catheter malfunction-kinking, catheter tip dislodgement in situ, two superficial catheter site infections and two catheter dislocations). There were no catheter-related bleeding complications evident in this study. CONCLUSIONS Information regarding the safety of CPNB in patients treated with LMWH for perioperative venous thromboembolism prevention is scarce. Our initial experience with CPNB and concurrent LMWH has not been complicated by catheter-related bleeding.
Seroprevalence of antibodies to Sarcocystis neurona in horses residing in Oregon.

OBJECTIVE To determine seroprevalence of antibodies to Sarcocystis neurona in neurologically normal horses residing in 4 regions of Oregon and to describe the effects of age, gender, breed, and housing on seroprevalence within each region. DESIGN Prevalence survey. SAMPLE POPULATION Serum samples from 334 horses systematically selected by practicing veterinarians. PROCEDURE Antibodies to S neurona were measured in sera, using a western blot. Information including age, gender, breed, housing, geographic location, and duration of residence was obtained for each horse. Data were analyzed, using descriptive statistics. RESULTS 45% (149/334) of horses evaluated were seropositive for antibodies to S neurona with significant differences in the percentage of seropositive horses from different regions of the state. Seroprevalances of antibodies to S neurona in horses in regions I and II, west of the Cascade Range, were 65 and 60%, respectively; whereas seroprevalances in central and eastern Oregon, regions III and IV, were 43 and 22%, respectively. Seroprevalence consistently increased with age of horse for each region. Gender, breed, and housing were not associated with significant differences in seroprevalence of antibodies to S neurona in the overall sample population, or in comparisons of samples obtained from horses within a particular region, or among samples obtained from horses residing in different regions. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS The high seroprevalence of antibodies to S neurona in neurologically normal horses indicates that analysis of serum alone would not be useful for definitive diagnosis of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis in horses in Oregon.
Characterizing sleep structure using the hypnogram.

OBJECTIVES Research on the effects of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) on sleep structure has traditionally been based on composite sleep-stage summaries. The primary objective of this investigation was to demonstrate the utility of log-linear and multistate analysis of the sleep hypnogram in evaluating differences in nocturnal sleep structure in subjects with and without SDB. METHODS A community-based sample of middle-aged and older adults with and without SDB matched on age, sex, race, and body mass index was identified from the Sleep Heart Health Study. Sleep was assessed with home polysomnography and categorized into rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM (NREM) sleep. Log-linear and multistate survival analysis models were used to quantify the frequency and hazard rates of transitioning, respectively, between wakefulness, NREM sleep, and REM sleep. RESULTS Whereas composite sleep-stage summaries were similar between the two groups, subjects with SDB had higher frequencies and hazard rates for transitioning between the three states. Specifically, log-linear models showed that subjects with SDB had more wake-to-NREM sleep and NREM sleep-to-wake transitions, compared with subjects without SDB. Multistate survival models revealed that subjects with SDB transitioned more quickly from wake-to-NREM sleep and NREM sleep-to-wake than did subjects without SDB. CONCLUSIONS The description of sleep continuity with log-linear and multistate analysis of the sleep hypnogram suggests that such methods can identify differences in sleep structure that are not evident with conventional sleep-stage summaries. Detailed characterization of nocturnal sleep evolution with event history methods provides additional means for testing hypotheses on how specific conditions impact sleep continuity and whether sleep disruption is associated with adverse health outcomes.
Determination of urinary coenzyme Q10 by HPLC with electrochemical detection: Reference values for a paediatric population.

Kidney dysfunction is being increasingly associated with mitochondrial diseases and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ) deficiency. The assessment of CoQ status requires the biochemical determination of CoQ in biological fluids and different cell types, but no methods have been developed as yet for the analysis of CoQ in excretory systems. The aim of this study was to standardize a new procedure for urinary CoQ determination and to establish reference values for a paediatric population. Urinary CoQ was analyzed by HPLC with electrochemical detection. Reference values (n = 43) were stratified into two age groups (2-10 years: range 24-109 nmol CoQ/gram of pellet protein; 11-17 years: range 43-139 nmol CoQ/gram of pellet protein). In conclusion, urinary CoQ analysis is a noninvasive, reliable, and reproducible method to determine urinary tract CoQ status.
MMP2 promoter polymorphism (C‐1306T) and risk of recurrence in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after transplantation

Genetic variants in matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) gene may influence the biological function of these enzymes and change their role in carcinogenesis and progression. The effect of MMP2 C‐1306T and MMP9 C‐1562T polymorphisms on genetic susceptibility has been investigated in various kinds of cancer. However, the relationship between these polymorphisms and risk of recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after liver transplantation (LT) has not been reported. The present study was designed to investigate the association of these two loci with the risk of HCC recurrence in 93 HCC patients treated with LT. Genotyping was performed using direct DNA sequencing. For MMP2 C‐1306T variant, patients with CT heterozygous conferred a 58% reduction in recurrence risk (risk ratio: 0.419; 95% confidence interval: 0.177–0.994). The mean recurrence‐free survival for CT genotype was significantly longer than that for homozygous CC patients (30.4 vs 19.3 months, p = 0.019). However, no association was found between MMP9 C‐1562T polymorphisms and recurrence of HCC (p = 0.259). These findings suggest that MMP2 promoter polymorphisms may provide some predictive value for HCC recurrence after LT.
Social media and citizen engagement: A meta-analytic review

This meta-analytic study reviews empirical research published from 2007 to 2013 with an aim of providing robust conclusions about the relationship between social media use and citizen engagement. It includes 22 studies that used self-reported measures of social media use and participation, with a total of 116 relationships/effects. The results suggest that social media use generally has a positive relationship with engagement and its three sub-categories, that is, social capital, civic engagement, and political participation. More specifically, we find small-to-medium size positive relationships between expressive, informational, and relational uses of social media and the above indicators of citizen engagement. For identity- and entertainment-oriented uses of social media, our analyses find little evidence supporting their relationship with citizen engagement.
Hospice referral decisions: The role of physicians

In our study, we collected and evaluated the opinions of physicians in the Lowcountry of South Carolina (Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties) regarding their referrals to hospice programs and the extent of influence that their patients and families had on the decision. The research questionnaire was sent to 362 physicians who made referrals to hospice (53 percent response rate) and to 337 physicians who did not make referrals (40 percent response rate). Results revealed that medical doctors take the initiative in referrals. They felt that late referrals were due to reluctance on the part of the patient and the patient’s family to admit that death was imminent. No differences were found in age, sex, medical specialty, percent of terminally ill patients per practice, or initiative taken. However, when the age and sex of physicians were evaluated, a statistically significant difference was found; females younger than 45 years of age were more likely to make referrals than younger males. Younger physicians were more likely to perceive that the family’s reluctance to admit that death was near was a barrier to hospice referrals.
Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition (EMT) Markers in Human Pituitary Adenomas Indicate a Clinical Course.

BACKGROUND/AIM Pituitary adenomas are brain tumors with invasive properties. Epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT) is a cellular process linked to the transformation to an aggressive cancer phenotype. In the present study, we investigated the expression of a panel of EMT markers, namely E-cadherin, N-cadherin, SLUG, SNA1 and TWIST in a cohort of human pituitary adenomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS Fresh-frozen human pituitary tumors (n=95) were collected immediately after surgery for histology. Gene transcripts of the EMT markers were quantified using quantitative-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. Levels of expression were analyzed against clinical, pathological, invasion and endocrine functions. RESULTS Levels of E-cadherin and N-cadherin had a negative and positive correlation with the appearance of intratumoral cystic lesions of pituitary tumors. E-cadherin and TWIST were associated with tumor size and staging. There was a significant link between SLUG/TWIST and the destruction of the sella fosa bones (p<0.030). EMT markers also showed links with the endocrine functions of pituitary tumors. In pituitary tumors, SLUG and SNA1 had significant correlation with N-cadherin. CONCLUSION EMT markers are significant indicators of the appearance of cystic lesions, tumor progression, bone destruction and endocrine functions. These markers are valuable biomarkers in assessing the clinical course of pituitary adenomas.
Timing yield analysis of pipelined circuits under device variability

Due to continuous quest for greater throughput, pipelined circuits are used to support multi-cycle processing at greater clock frequencies, leaving limited design margins. Under statistical device variations, the delay distributions of the pipeline stages follow a skewed distribution in highly scaled devices. Therefore, in order to determine the maximum operating frequency of the pipelined circuits, accurate estimation of the slowest pipeline stage will have to be determined. This study shows that identifying the slowest pipeline stage using Clark's approximation [5] will produce quite optimistic results and will lead to significant yield loss. Moreover, it has been shown that while estimating the yield, the stage delay distributions in both low-to-high and high-to-low transitions need to be considered and hold time distributions should also be considered along with setup time distributions.
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Statins, Ventricular Arrhythmias and Heart Rate Variability in Patients with Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators and Coronary Heart Disease

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias and heart rate variability were influenced by statin treatment and lipid levels in patients treated with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Heart rate variability measurements were performed in 86 patients with coronary heart disease and an ICD implant. The number of events with ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia were recorded during a 12-month period. This study lends little support for an antiarrhythmic effect of statins or any relation between plasma lipids and lipoproteins and malignant ventricular arrhythmias in patients with an ICD.
Semiautomated measurement of nitrate in biological fluids.

The nitric oxide radical (NO·) plays an important role as a physiological messenger (1). NO is formed from l-arginine (2) by NO synthase (NOS; EC 1.14.13.39), which exists in several isoforms (3). Constitutive calcium-dependent isoforms (cNOS) modulate the control of vascular tone in endothelial cells or the neurotransmission in neurons, whereas inducible calcium-independent isoforms (iNOS) are located in macrophages, chondrocytes, and hepatocytes and are induced by cytokines and endotoxin (4)(5). Pathological conditions associated with increased release of cytokines and endotoxin, e.g., inflammation or sepsis (6), can therefore increase NO production. NO is a very unstable, short half-life gas that breaks down rapidly into the stable products nitrate and nitrite (7). Upon coming into the bloodstream, nitrite reacts immediately with oxyhemoglobin to form methemoglobin. Consequently, most NO produced is detected in serum as the remaining product, nitrate (8). Recently, several reports focused on methods to measure nitrate concentrations in biological fluids (9)(10)(11). One of the most commonly used methods is based on the reduction of nitrate to nitrite by cadmium or nitrate reductase, the nitrite produced being determined by Griess reaction (9)(12)(13). Other methods for monitoring NO production are based on chemiluminescence (11)(14), enzymatic assay with an internal standard (10), or chromatographic procedures (8) for nitrate (15)—all of which are time-consuming for routine application in clinical chemistry laboratories. We describe a rapid semiautomated method based on the Griess reaction, involving a shortened incubation period of nitrate with cadmium. The method is applicable to several types of biological fluids. Serum or plasma samples from healthy individuals after a 12-h fast were obtained in accordance with the Medical Ethical Committee of our hospital. Samples were stored at −20 °C and were stable for at least 6 months. The method was …
Tumor and Stem Cell Biology DKK 2 Mediates Osteolysis , Invasiveness , and Metastatic Spread in Ewing Sarcoma

Ewing sarcoma, an osteolytic malignancy that mainly affects children and young adults, is characterized by early metastasis to lung and bone. In this study, we identified the pro-metastatic gene DKK2 as a highly overexpressed gene in Ewing sarcoma compared with corresponding normal tissues. Using RNA interference, we showed that DKK2 was critical for malignant cell outgrowth in vitro and in an orthotopic xenograft mouse model in vivo. Analysis of invasion potential in both settings revealed a strong correlation of DKK2 expression to Ewing sarcoma invasiveness that may be mediated by the DKK effector matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1). Furthermore, gene expression analyses established the ability of DKK2 to differentially regulate genes such as CXCR4, PTHrP, RUNX2, and TGFb1 that are associated with homing, invasion, and growth of cancer cells in bone tissue as well as genes important for osteolysis, including HIF1a, JAG1, IL6, and VEGF. DKK2 promoted bone infiltration and osteolysis in vivo and further analyses defined DKK2 as a key factor in osteotropic malignancy. Interestingly, in Ewing sarcoma cells, DKK2 suppression simultaneously increased the potential for neuronal differentiation while decreasing chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation. Our results provide strong evidence that DKK2 is a key player in Ewing sarcoma invasion and osteolysis and also in the differential phenotype of Ewing sarcoma cells. Cancer Res; 73(2); 967–77. 2012 AACR.