Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamic stability in the elderly: identifying a possible measure.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this research was to assess the ability of trunk acceleration measures to discriminate between the walking patterns of elderly individuals with and without stability problems. METHODS Twenty volunteers, aged 65 and over, and 19 younger volunteers, all of whom were free of abnormalities or problems that could affect their gait, were recruited for this study. A triaxial accelerometry system was mounted directly over the spine of the upper trunk. Forty seconds of walking data were collected. Using a heel contact switch to define the beginning of the gait cycle, harmonic analyses of each of the 3 acceleration measures were performed on 10 strides. The ratio of summed amplitudes of the even and odd harmonics (index of smoothness) was calculated for each stride and averaged across 10 strides. One-way analyses of variance were used to compare harmonic ratios between groups. Relationships between variables were tested using a correlation analysis. RESULTS The scores of individuals with stability problems were shown to be significantly different from the younger controls and the older individuals without stability problems for the anterior/posterior and vertical harmonic ratio and peak acceleration measures. CONCLUSION The results from this research demonstrate that trunk acceleration measures offer the possibility of being able to identify unstable elderly individuals.
The Constitutive Activity of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor vIII Leads to Activation and Differential Trafficking of Wild-type Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and erbB2

A constitutively active epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutant, EGFR variant III (EGFRvIII), has been detected at high frequencies in certain human cancers. This study evaluated transactivation and trafficking of erbB family members as a result of constitutive EGFR activity in a cancer cell line. Expression of EGFRvIII modulated erbB family members through different mechanisms; the erbB3 mRNA level was reduced, whereas wild-type EGFR (wtEGFR) and erbB2 protein levels were diminished, with no change in their mRNA levels, and there was no change in the erbB4 expression level. Both EGFR and erbB2 were internalized as a result of EGFRvIII's activity and redistributed to the cell surface upon addition of AG1478, an inhibitor of wtEGFR/EGFRvIII catalytic activity. Acute activation of EGFRvIII by removing AG1478 from cells increased phosphorylation of both wtEGFR and erbB2 and caused differential trafficking of EGFRvIII's activation partners; wtEGFR was directed primarily to lysosomal compartments and partially to recycling compartments, whereas erbB2 was directed primarily to recycling compartments and partially to lysosomal compartments. Our data demonstrate that the constitutive activity of EGFRvIII is sufficient to trigger endocytosis and trafficking of wtEGFR and erbB2, which may play a role in activating signaling pathways that are triggered during receptor endocytosis.
Re‐evaluating acridine orange for rapid flow cytometric enumeration of parasitemia in malaria‐infected rodents

Methods facilitating research in malaria are of pivotal relevance. Flow cytometry offers the possibility of rapid enumeration of parasitemia. It relies on staining the parasite DNA to distinguish between infected and non‐infected red blood cell (RBC) populations. Unfortunately, in rodents abundant reticulocyte RNA interferes with the application of the method. This results in time‐consuming sample preparation protocols that offer no clear advantage over microscopic counting. We re‐evaluated the use of the DNA/RNA discriminating vital fluorochrome acridine orange (AO) for rapid flow cytometric enumeration of parasitemia in rodents.
Prevalence and habitat specificity of steinernematid and heterorhabditid nematodes isolated during soil surveys of the UK and the Netherlands

Abstract Entomopathogenic nematodes were isolated from soil samples collected during three separate surveys, two in the United Kingdom and one in the Netherlands. The nematodes were identified by their restriction fragment length polymorphisms on hybridization of Southern blots with a ribosomal DNA repeat unit clone. A total of eight steinernematid species/RFLP types and two heterorhabditids were isolated. The distributions of the majority of these species/RFLP types were significantly different between the three surveys and some of the species displayed a close association with certain habitat types.
Trade union representatives from ethnic minorities. Representation revisited

The Nordic countries have experienced major labour immigration since the EU enlargement round in 2004. Recruiting workers from ethnic minorities is a major challenge for all Nordic trade unions. Less attention has been directed towards the need also to integrate these members inside the unions, for example, by having them serve as trade union representatives at different levels in companies, as well as in the unions. A glance at the top positions in the Swedish, Danish and Norwegian trade unions reveals an almost all-white picture. There is considerable imbalance between the number of ethnic minority trade union members and the number of ethnic minority representatives. This article argues that looking into the concept of representation, and especially the features attributed to trade union representatives and how these features are perceived, enables us to investigate the mismatch between trade union density and trade union representatives among employees from different ethnic minorities.
Does Church Attendance Cause People to Vote? Using Blue Laws’ Repeal to Estimate the Effect of Religiosity on Voter Turnout

Regular church attendance is strongly associated with a higher probability of voting. It is an open question as to whether this association, which has been confirmed in numerous surveys, is causal. The repeal of the laws restricting Sunday retail activity (‘blue laws’) is used to measure the effects of church-going on political participation. Blue laws’ repeal caused a 5 percent decrease in church attendance. Its effect on political participation was measured and it was found that, following the repeal, turnout fell by approximately 1 percentage point. This decline in turnout is consistent with the large effect of church attendance on turnout reported in the literature, and suggests that church attendance may have a significant causal effect on voter turnout.
Effects of obesity on substrate utilization during exercise.

OBJECTIVE The capacity for lipid and carbohydrate (CHO) oxidation during exercise is important for energy partitioning and storage. This study examined the effects of obesity on lipid and CHO oxidation during exercise. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES Seven obese and seven lean [body mass index (BMI), 33 +/- 0.8 and 23.7 +/- 1.2 kg/m(2), respectively] sedentary, middle-aged men matched for aerobic capacity performed 60 minutes of cycle exercise at similar relative (50% VO(2max)) and absolute exercise intensities. RESULTS Obese men derived a greater proportion of their energy from fatty-acid oxidation than lean men (43 +/- 5% 31 +/- 2%; p = 0.02). Plasma fatty-acid oxidation determined from recovery of infused [0.15 micromol/kg fat-free mass (FFM) per minute] [1-(13)C]-palmitate in breath CO(2) was similar for obese and lean men (8.4 +/- 1.1 and 29 +/- 15 micromol/kg FFM per minute). Nonplasma fatty-acid oxidation, presumably, from intramuscular sources, was 50% higher in obese men than in lean men (10.0 +/- 0.6 versus 6.6 +/- 0.8 micromol/kg FFM per minute; p < 0.05). Systemic glucose disposal was similar in lean and obese groups (33 +/- 8 and 29 +/- 15 micromol/kg FFM per minute). However, the estimated rate of glycogen-oxidation was 50% lower in obese than in lean men (61 +/- 12 versus 90 +/- 6 micromol/kg FFM per minute; p < 0.05). DISCUSSION During moderate exercise, obese sedentary men have increased rates of fatty-acid oxidation from nonplasma sources and reduced rates of CHO oxidation, particularly muscle glycogen, compared with lean sedentary men.
Reversible Magnetic Resonance Imaging Lesions in Wilson's Disease: Clinical‐Anatomical Correlation

Described herein is a patient with Wilson's disease who had tremor as a prominent neurological manifestation. T2‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging showed abnormal high signal intensities in the bilateral lenticular nuclei, thalami, and red nuclei of the midbrain. Improvement of tremor with copper chelating agents was well correlated with a decrease of the abnormal signals in the thalami and the red nuclei.
On necessary and sufficient conditions for exponential and L2 stability of planar reset systems

In this paper we provide necessary and sufficient conditions for exponential stability and L2 stability of planar reset systems, i.e., systems involving a first order reset element (FORE) and a linear plant having dimension one. The proof relies on Lyapunov tools developed in a recent novel representation of a class of reset systems incorporating this special planar case. Explicit Lyapunov functions are given to show both exponential and L2 stability. Based on this Lyapunov function, an explicit estimate of the L2 gain, depending on the system's parameters, is provided. Moreover, via the same tools, it is shown that the gain estimates go to zero as certain parameters (in particular, the FORE pole) become arbitrarily large, thus allowing to establish a small gain result showing stability of certain higher order SISO linear plants under the action of a FORE.
Jordan: Communities and Community Genetics

The population in Jordan mounted from half a million in 1952 to 5.3 millions in 2004 and is composed of a variety of ethnic groups, the majority being Arabs. Couples nowadays tend to have fewer children, with the total fertility rate falling from 7.4 in 1976 to 3.7 in 2004. Consanguineous marriages are traditionally favored, with the preferred marriage partner being the offspring of the father’s brother. First-cousin marriages declined from 28.5% for marriages contracted between 1950 and 1979 to 19.5% for marriages contracted after 1980. In the overall population, carrier rates for β-thalassemia, α-thalassemia and sickle cell anemia are in the range of 2–4%, 3.2–12% of males have glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, and the prevalences for familial Mediterranean fever and cystic fibrosis were estimated at around 0.04% each. A mandatory premarital screening program for β-thalassemia carriers commenced in June 2004. The high consanguinity rate and the large family size in Jordan have contributed to the description of a number of rare and new autosomal recessive conditions. Genetic services in Jordan are still scarce and do not cover all the country due to the major impediments of a paucity of resources and trained health professionals in the area of medical genetics. The demographic data suggest that the health system in Jordan is capable of introducing some basic community genetic services into the primary health care program through comprehensive and cost-effective programs.
Control of Mycobacterial Replication in Human Macrophages: Roles of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinases 1 and 2 and p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Pathways

ABSTRACT Intracellular persistence of mycobacteria may result from an intricate balance between bacterial replication and signaling events leading to antimicrobial macrophage activities. Using human monocyte-derived macrophages, we investigated the relevance of mitogen-activated protein kinase activation for the growth control of Mycobacterium avium isolates differing in their abilities to multiply intracellularly. The highly replicative smooth transparent morphotype of M. avium strain 2151 induced significantly less p38 and extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) phosphorylation than the smooth opaque morphotype of the same strain, which was gradually eliminated from macrophage cultures. Inhibition of the p38 pathway by highly specific inhibitors did not significantly affect mycobacterial replication within macrophages, regardless of the in vitro virulence of the M. avium strain. However, repression of the ERK1/2 pathway further enhanced intracellular growth of highly replicative M. avium strains, although it did not increase survival of the poorly replicating M. avium isolate. Inhibition of the ERK1/2 pathway resulted in decreased tumor necrosis alpha (TNF-α) secretion irrespective of the virulence of the M. avium isolate used for infection, revealing that TNF-α could have been only partially responsible for the control of intracellular M. avium growth. In conclusion, ERK1/2- and TNF-α-independent pathways are sufficient to limit intramacrophage growth of less-virulent M. avium strains, but early ERK1/2 activation in infected macrophages is critically involved in controlling the growth of highly replicative M. avium strains.
The Signalling Effect - Changes in the Current Dividend Policy and the Future Results of The Companies - Theory and Practice

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to present the signalling effect, in particular, to introduce its theoretical foundations and to review major empirical studies on this effect. Design/methodology/approach – The literature review enabling to identify and discuss the main theoretical and empirical works regarding the signalling effect. Findings – The conducted study of the literature on the signalling effect leads to a conclusion that although researchers generally agree that dividend payments give some information, there is no consensus on what they really signal. Originality/value – Dividend theories described in the Polish literature are most often discussed in a collective way. By focusing on only one dividend policy aspect, i.e. the signalling effect, the article offers a more in-depth and comprehensive view of the presented issue.
[Accumulation of photosensitizer in rat embryos (a spectroscopic study)].

UNLABELLED The aim of the present study was to investigate the accumulation of photosensitizer Photofrin II in the different organs as well as the placenta and embryos of pregnant rats and to determine during which stage of embryogenesis the photosensitizer is accumulated the most effectively. MATERIALS AND METHODS The experiments were carried out on 25 fetuses from 10 Wistar rats (weight 160-240 g). Female rats were mated with male rats in the evening. Vaginal smears were collected from each female rat next morning and were examined by microscope in order to determine the presence of sperm. The day when sperm was detected in the vagina was considered to be pregnancy day 0. Photofrin II (a dose of 5 mg/kg) was administered intravenously to pregnant rats on days 7, 14, 16, 18 and 20 of embryogenesis. Rats were euthanized 24 hours after intravenous injection of Photofrin II and the following organs were taken: brain, spleen, liver, kidneys, lungs, uterus, placenta, and embryos. The accumulation of the photosensitizer was observed in the samples prepared from these parts of body. Fluorescence measurements ex vivo were performed with an S2000-FI fluorescence spectrometer (Ocean Optics Inc., Florida, USA) by exciting the samples with a blue light emitting diode (lambda=400 nm). RESULTS A comparative study of fluorescence spectra on days 7, 14, 16, 18 and 20 of embryogenesis showed that the most intense accumulation of Photofrin II in the embryo was on day 7, while on the other days of embryogenesis the accumulation of Photofrin II increased obviously in the uterus and placenta. CONCLUSIONS The obtained data show that the accumulation of Photofrin II in the embryo depended on the stage of embryogenesis as well as on permeability of the placental barrier. Further photodynamic therapy studies are necessary to determine the total effect of Photofrin II on the embryo.
The adoption of teaching assistant robots: a technology acceptance model approach

Based on rapid improvements in telecommunications and wireless networks with extensive educational contents, numerous studies have been conducted to improve our educational success/attainment/environment. With this trend, the purpose of this paper is to investigate users’ perceptions of teaching assistant (TA) robots and the possible motivations that impact the users’ intention to use (IU) the robots. ,In light of the rapid development of and attempts at understanding interactions with social robots, including TA robots, this study uses structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis. ,The results indicated that perceived usefulness was the most crucial factor determining the users’ IU for TA robots. In addition, the relationships of the original technology acceptance model were confirmed. The study findings demonstrated the crucial importance of perceived enjoyment and service quality. ,Although the role of TA robots has gained user attention, few investigations have been conducted to explain how IU is formed. The current study can thus act as the foundation for exploring the acceptance process in the context of TA robots.
Use of the internet by parents of paediatric outpatients

Aims: (1) To establish how many parents of children seen in paediatric outpatient departments use the internet to find information about their child’s medical condition. (2) To ascertain what information is sought and found, and what proportion of all parents had access to the internet at home or elsewhere. Methods: Over a six week period in 2000, parents of children attending general paediatric outpatient clinics in the district general hospital in Bath and in the 10 associated community hospitals, were asked to complete a questionnaire survery. Results: Of the 577 questionnaires distributed, 485 were returned, a response rate of 84%. A total of 332 (69%) families owned a computer and 248 (51%) had internet access; 107 (22%) had looked on the internet for information about the problem for which their child was being seen in clinic that day. Parents who knew their child’s diagnosis were more likely to have used the internet than those who named their child’s symptoms only. A health professional had suggested that parents seek information on the internet in 6% of cases. These parents were more likely to use the internet than parents to whom this had not been suggested (67% v 20%, p < 0.001). Eighty nine (84%) parents who had used the internet prior to this clinic appointment found it useful. Thirty six (34%) parents had discussed or were planning to discuss the information they had found with their doctors. Conclusion: A significant proportion of parents have access to the internet and use it to find information about their child’s medical condition. The parents who discuss what they find with the clinic doctor are in the minority. Doctors should be prepared to ask parents about their information needs and discuss use of the internet.
Containing Rogues: A Theory of Asymmetric Arming

Weak opponents of a strong state often cannot compete directly with its power and so resort to other means of shifting the balance of power, such as developing weapons of mass destruction, sponsoring foreign terrorism or insurgency, or undertaking regional aggression. I develop a formal model of bargaining between a state that might seek unconventional means to power and another that might try to prevent this by diplomacy, war, or containment. The standard bargaining problems of commitment and asymmetric information give rise to costly conflict, but the form of this conflict is determined by the cost effectiveness of containment versus war. I calibrate the model to the situation of the United States and Iraq after the Gulf War and derive from it a new account of the Iraq War’s origins based on evidence that the anticipated costs of containment came to exceed those of war, causing the war.
Role of the Two-Component Regulator CpxAR in the Virulence of Salmonella enterica Serotype Typhimurium

ABSTRACT The CpxAR (Cpx) two-component regulator controls the expression of genes in response to a variety of environmental cues. The Cpx regulator has been implicated in the virulence of several gram-negative pathogens, although a role for Cpx in vivo has not been demonstrated directly. Here we investigate whether positive or negative control of gene expression by Cpx is important for the pathogenesis of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium. The Cpx signal pathway in serotype Typhimurium was disrupted by insertional inactivation of the cpxA and cpxR genes. We also constitutively activated the Cpx pathway by making an internal in-frame deletion in cpxA (a cpxA* mutation). Activation of the Cpx pathway inhibited induction of the envelope stress response pathway controlled by the alternative sigma factor σE (encoded by rpoE). Conversely, the Cpx pathway was highly up-regulated (>40-fold) in a serotype Typhimurium rpoE mutant. The cpxA* mutation, but not the cpxA or the cpxR mutation, significantly reduced the capacity of serotype Typhimurium to adhere to and invade eucaryotic cells, although intracellular replication was not affected. The cpxA and cpxA* mutations significantly impaired the ability of serotype Typhimurium to grow in vivo in mice. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that the Cpx system is important for a bacterial pathogen in vivo.
Comparison of guide wires in urology. Which, when and why?

PURPOSE We compared and contrasted various guide wires with regard to their physical properties as they apply to their use for the access or coaxial passage of other catheters. MATERIALS AND METHODS Certain 0.035-inch diameter guide wires were tested with regard to tip bending force, shaft bending force, pull force and tip puncture force, namely the Roadrunner PC and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) wire guide (Cook Urological, Spencer, Indiana), Glidewire, Bentson type 15 cm flexible tip PTFE coated guide wire and Amplatz super stiff Urowire XF (Boston Scientific Microvasive, Miami, Florida), Bentson guide wire and Amplatz guide wire (Applied Medical, Rancho Santa Margarita, California) and the PTFE coated Bard guide wire (Bard Urological Division, Covington, Georgia). RESULTS Regarding guide wires used for access, the Boston Scientific PTFE guide wire with a 15 cm flexible tip required the least amount of force to deflect the tip. Of the 3 cm flexible tip guide wires the Applied Bentson guide wire had the most flexible tip and the Bard guide wire had the stiffest flexible tip. The Boston Scientific Glidewire required the least amount of force to pull from a tortuous pathway and this guide wire also required the greatest force (4 times as much force as the other guide wires) to puncture the aluminum foil (p < 0.001), indicating the safety of its tip. Regarding axial rigidity for the coaxial passage of other catheters over a guide wire, the Boston Scientific Amplatz super stiff guide wire was significantly more resistant to bending than all of the other guide wires that we tested (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Brand name guide wires designed for the same purpose appear to differ markedly with regard to flexibility, lubricity and shaft stiffness. In general, floppy tip and nitinol based guide wires appear to be best used for access with an emphasis on tip flexibility and a low friction coating, while the stiffer shaft guide wires are selected for coaxial passage of catheters, stents and sheaths.