Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Time course of recovery from cerebral vulnerability after severe traumatic brain injury: a microdialysis study.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate the time course of recovery from cerebral vulnerability, using microdialysis (MD) technique and cerebral vascular autoregulation measurement, to clarify the appropriate timing of subsequent major surgical procedures, and to minimize the possibility of secondary brain injury in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (STBI). METHODS In 3,470 MD samples of 25 patients with STBI, cerebral extracellular biomarkers (glucose, lactate, pyruvate, glycerol, and glutamate) were measured. In addition, to estimate cerebral vascular autoregulaton, the pressure reactivity index (PRx) was calculated with intracranial pressure (ICP) and mean arterial pressure. The data with ICP, cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), and PRx were collected hourly for 7 days after injury and they were compared with MD biomarkers daily. RESULTS During the study period, the average ICP and CPP remained stable and were within the threshold of STBI treatment guidelines. After injury, the extracellular glucose concentration decreased, and the levels of glycerol, glutamate, and lactate/pyruvate ratio (LPR), which indicate cerebral ischemia and neural cell damage, increased. On the fourth day after injury, the extracellular glucose concentration improved, and the value of LPR decreased. The average PRx decreased daily and became negative on the fifth day after injury. CONCLUSION Our results indicated that cerebral vascular autoregulation would recover on the fourth day after STBI, and cerebral perfusion might be increased by recovery of autoregulation. Thus, subsequent nonemergent surgery should be performed at least 4 days after STBI to prevent secondary brain injury. In addition, we should keep in mind that the cerebral vulnerability might persist for 4 days after suffering STBI.
Predictive factors of non-adherence to tuberculosis treatment in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires , Argentina

4Sociologist. Senior Researcher, CEDES, Argentina. silvinaramosarcoiris@gmail.com ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to identify the socio-demographic characteristics of patients and the treatment characteristics that infl uence non-adherence to anti-tuberculosis treatment. A transversal case-control study was carried out in the Metropolitan Area of Buenos Aires. Of the patients interviewed, 38 were non-adherent and 85 were adherent; all were diagnosed during 2007 and resided in and were treated in the hospitals of the selected municipalities. Factors predictive of non-adherence were assessed through logistic regression analysis. The results indicate that patients whose dwellings had no water supply were nearly 3 times more likely to be non-adherent (OR=2.8, 95%CI 1.1-6.9). Patients who had medical check-ups at hospitals were 3 times more likely to be non-adherent than those with check-ups at a primary health care center (OR=3.2, 95%CI 1.1-8.9). These results allow us to identify patients at risk of nonadherence to antituberculosis treatment as those living in poverty conditions and facing barriers to health care access.
Differential localization and expression of the Cdk9 42k and 55k isoforms

Cdk9, a member of the cyclin‐dependent kinase family, is the catalytic subunit of P‐TEFb, a protein kinase complex that stimulates transcriptional elongation. Cdk9, complexed with its regulatory partner cyclin T1, serves as the cellular mediator of the transactivation function of the HIV Tat protein. There are two known isoforms of Cdk9: a 42 kDa protein (42k, originally identified as PITALRE) and a more recently identified 55 kDa form (55k). To investigate possible functional differences between the two isoforms, we examined their kinase activities, their subcellular distributions, and their expression levels in primary cells relevant to HIV infection. Both isoforms were found to hyper‐phosphorylate the carboxyl‐terminal domain of the largest subunit of RNA polymerase II and displayed identical phosphorylation patterns with 144 peptide substrates. Epitope‐tagged transiently‐expressed Cdk9 42k localized diffusely in the nucleoplasm, while Cdk9 55k accumulated in the nucleolus. In primary undifferentiated monocytes, Cdk9 55k expression was not detected although 42k was present at high levels; however, 55k expression was induced upon macrophage differentiation. In primary lymphocytes, the levels of 55k decreased or remained steady following activation, while the levels of 42k increased. The promoter for 42k was significantly stronger than that of 55k in HeLa cells, and only the 42k promoter was responsive to activation signals in primary lymphocytes. These results indicate that expression of the 42k and 55k isoforms is differentially regulated and suggest that functional differences between the 42k and 55k isoforms of Cdk9 are likely to depend on access to substrates based on their differential subcellular localization and expression patterns. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Value of Collaborative E-Learning: Compulsory versus Optional Online Forum Assignments

Online forum assignments are one of the main tools for collaborative learning. This study examines the impact of compulsory submission on the effectiveness of forum assignments. It compares the grades of 120 MBA students who studied an advanced elective course in a blended distance learning university during the years 2005-2009. Some students were required to participate in a forum assignment and their submissions were graded, whereas other students were similarly asked to participate in a forum assignment but their work was not graded. The findings suggest that the benefits of optional forum assignments are marginal, whereas compulsory forum assignments may improve student performance. The main theoretical contribution of this study is the indication that although the students had a task-oriented attitude and were not engaged in social interaction with regard to the forum assignment, compulsory posting of the assignment on the discussion board, improved their performance. Practically, the findings suggest that publishing student assignments on a course website may improve assignments’ quality and therefore enhance student performance, even if there is no further collaboration or social interaction. This finding is important since creating meaningful collaboration in online environments requires considerable instructors’ efforts in moderating the discussion.
Elementary classroom teachers' adoption of physical activity promotion in the context of a statewide policy: An innovation diffusion and socio-ecologic perspective

Physical activity promotion in the academic classroom (PAPAC) is an effective means for increasing children’s school-based physical activity. In the context of a South Carolina policy requiring elementary schools to provide children with 90 min of physical activity beyond physical education every week, the purpose of this study was to test a theoretical model of elementary classroom teachers’ (ECT) PAPAC adoption drawing from Rogers’ (1995) diffusion of innovations theory and a social ecological perspective. ECTs (N = 201) were assessed on their policy awareness, perceived school support for PAPAC, perceived attributes of PAPAC, domain-specific innovativeness, and self-reported PAPAC. Partial least squares analysis supported most of the hypothesized relationships. Policy awareness predicted perceived school support, which in turn predicted perceived attributes and domain-specific innovativeness. Perceived compatibility, simplicity, and observability, and domain-specific innovativeness predicted self-repor.
Presence of the Calf Affects Secretion of Prolactin in Cows 1

Summary Prolactin in sera of four cows subjected to 30 min of continuous milking increased from 28 ± 9 ng/ml before milking to a peak of 290 ± 29 ng/ml at 20 min, and averaged 229 ± 32 ng/ml at 30 min. In comparison with 25 cows maintained in the absence of their offspring on Day 2 postpartum, 23 cows maintained immediately adjacent to their calves (suckling not permitted) decreased basal-, milking-, and TRH-induced release of prolactin by 68, 69, and 29%, respectively, on Days 3 to 5 postpartum. We conclude that direct tactile stimulation of teats maintains increased secretion of prolactin, whereas presence of the calf immediately adjacent to their mothers but without suckling, does not stimulate secretion of prolactin. Indeed, the presence of the calf may be inhibitory to the secretion of prolactin in lactating cows.
A diffusion tensor MRI study of cervical cord damage in benign and secondary progressive multiple sclerosis patients

Background: Diffusion tensor (DT) MRI enables quantification of the severity of brain and cervical cord pathology in multiple sclerosis (MS). Objective: To investigate DT MRI patterns of cervical cord damage in patients with benign MS (BMS) and secondary progressive MS (SPMS), in order to achieve a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the development of irreversible disability in MS. Methods: Conventional and DT MRI scans of the cervical cord and brain were acquired from 40 BMS patients, 28 SPMS patients and 18 healthy individuals. Cervical cord and brain mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) maps were created and average MD and FA were calculated. Cross sectional cord area (CSA) was also computed. Results: 37 (92%) BMS patients and all (100%) SPMS patients had macroscopic cervical cord lesions. Compared with healthy individuals, BMS patients had higher average cord MD while SPMS patients had higher average cord MD, lower average cord FA and lower average CSA. Compared with BMS patients, SPMS patients had lower cord average FA and lower average CSA. In MS patients, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) was correlated with CSA (r = −0.47, p<0.0001), average cord FA (r = −0.37, p = 0.002) and brain T2 lesion volume (LV) (r = 0.34, p = 0.005). A multivariate regression model identified CSA, average cord FA and brain T2 LV as variables independently influencing the EDSS score (r = 0.58, p<0.0001). Conclusions: Cervical cord damage outside focal macroscopic lesions is limited in patients with BMS. The assessment of cord and brain pathology provides complementary information to improve the understanding of disability accumulation in MS.
Parental Grief Responses and Personals Growth Following the Death of a Child

Conceptualizing parental grief as a psychosocial transition, this cross-sectional study of bereaved mothers (N = 35) examined the relationship of dispositional factors, grief reactions, and personal growth. More optimistic mothers reported less intense grief reactions and less distress indicative of complicated grief. Additionally, mothers who usually coped actively had less intense grief reactions. Mothers who habitually coped using positive reframing had less intense grief reactions and less complicated grief. Personal growth, a positive dimension of grief, was associated with all three coping dispositions; mothers' active coping, support seeking, and positive reframing suggesting more personal growth occurred in mothers exhibiting more of these coping dispositions. These findings increase understanding of dispositional factors associated with bereaved mothers' grief responses and expand knowledge concerning personal growth as an outcome of bereavement.
Comparison Of Rectangular And Damped Sinusoidal dB/dt Waveforms In Magnetic Stimulation

In magnetic (eddy-current) stimulation, sensory and motor nerve are stimulated by a time-varying magnetic field (dB/dt) produced in an appropriate coil. In this study, magnetic stimulation thresholds for a solenoidal coil encircling the forearm were determined in 14 healthy human volunteers, 11 males and 3 females. Damped sinusoidal dB/dt pulses with durations (onset to zero crossing) ranging from 120 /spl mu/s to 2500 /spl mu/s were produced by discharging a capacitor bank into the coil. Rectangular dB/dt pulses with durations ranging from 50 /spl mu/s to 2500 /spl mu/s were generated by a Gradient Ramp Accelerator Module (GRAM) in series with a linear amplifier. The threshold data were fitted to an equivalent circuit underlying the hyperbolic form of the strength-duration curve. Average electric field rheobases for the sinusoidal and rectangular pulses were 5.87 V/m and 5.36 V/m, respectively; chronaxies for these waveforms were 393 /spl mu/s and 395 /spl mu/s, respectively. This study shows that stimulation thresholds obtained with damped sinusoidal dB/dt pulses can be used to accurately predict the thresholds that would be obtained for rectangular waveforms.
Bivariate Left‐Censored Bayesian Model for Predicting Exposure: Preliminary Analysis of Worker Exposure during the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

&NA; In April 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig caught fire and exploded, releasing almost 5 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico over the ensuing 3 months. Thousands of oil spill workers participated in the spill response and clean‐up efforts. The GuLF STUDY being conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences is an epidemiological study to investigate potential adverse health effects among these oil spill clean‐up workers. Many volatile chemicals were released from the oil into the air, including total hydrocarbons (THC), which is a composite of the volatile components of oil including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, and hexane (BTEXH). Our goal is to estimate exposure levels to these toxic chemicals for groups of oil spill workers in the study (hereafter called exposure groups, EGs) with likely comparable exposure distributions. A large number of air measurements were collected, but many EGs are characterized by datasets with a large percentage of censored measurements (below the analytic methods' limits of detection) and/or a limited number of measurements. We use THC for which there was less censoring to develop predictive linear models for specific BTEXH air exposures with higher degrees of censoring. We present a novel Bayesian hierarchical linear model that allows us to predict, for different EGs simultaneously, exposure levels of a second chemical while accounting for censoring in both THC and the chemical of interest. We illustrate the methodology by estimating exposure levels for several EGs on the Development Driller III, a rig vessel charged with drilling one of the relief wells. The model provided credible estimates in this example for geometric means, arithmetic means, variances, correlations, and regression coefficients for each group. This approach should be considered when estimating exposures in situations when multiple chemicals are correlated and have varying degrees of censoring.
Sustained periodic terrestrial locomotion in air-breathing fishes.

While emergent behaviours have long been reported for air-breathing osteichthyians, only recently have researchers undertaken quantitative analyses of terrestrial locomotion. This review summarizes studies of sustained periodic terrestrial movements by air-breathing fishes and quantifies the contributions of the paired appendages and the axial body to forward propulsion. Elongate fishes with axial-based locomotion, e.g. the ropefish Erpetoichthys calabaricus, generate an anterior-to-posterior wave of undulation that travels down the axial musculoskeletal system and pushes the body against the substratum at multiple points. In contrast, appendage-based locomotors, e.g. the barred mudskipper Periophthalmus argentilineatus, produce no axial bending during sustained locomotion, but instead use repeated protraction-retraction cycles of the pectoral fins to elevate the centre of mass and propel the entire body anteriorly. Fishes that use an axial-appendage-based mechanism, e.g. walking catfishes Clarias spp. , produce side-to-side, whole-body bending in co-ordination with protraction-retraction cycles of the pectoral fins. Once the body is maximally bent to one side, the tail is pressed against the substratum and drawn back through the mid-sagittal plane, which elevates the centre of mass and rotates it about a fulcrum formed by the pectoral fin and the ground. Although appendage-based terrestrial locomotion appears to be rare in osteichthyians, many different species appear to have converged upon functionally similar axial-based and axial-appendage-based movements. Based on common forms observed across divergent taxa, it appears that dorsoventral compression of the body, elongation of the axial skeleton or the presence of robust pectoral fins can facilitate effective terrestrial movement by air-breathing fishes.
Simulated network effects on tactical operations on decision making

As the U.S. military transitions to networkenabled operations, there is a need for systematic investigation into how human decision-making affects and is affected by the resulting rapid increase in communications and information flow [1]. The challenges associated with Big Data (volume, variety, velocity and veracity) become relevant for Soldier performance at the Mission Command and squad leader levels. Here we explore the relationship between two Big Data variables and human cognitive performance, particularly in the military domain. We conduct two experiments in which we manipulate the amount and rate (volume and velocity) of information presented to participants, and assess the participants' decisionmaking accuracy on different military-relevant tasks. The first experiment focuses on the squad leader and is conducted in ARL's Immersive Cognitive Readiness Simulator (ICoRS), which allows replication of the environment of a squad leader. The second experiment focuses on the role of a company commander and simulates the Mission Command environment. We present preliminary results from both phases of study and discuss future work in which participants in each phase of study interact with each other and cooperate to complete a task.
Molecular cloning of the alpha-globin transcription factor CP2

CP2, a transcription factor that binds the murine alpha-globin promoter, was purified and subjected to amino acid sequence analysis. Oligonucleotide primers derived from the sequence were used to obtain murine and human cDNA clones for the factor. The murine cDNA spans approximately 4 kb and contains two coextensive open reading frames (ORFs) which encode deduced polypeptides of 529 (ORF-1; molecular weight, 59,802) and 502 (ORF-2; molecular weight, 56,957) amino acids, slightly smaller than the purified factor as estimated from its mobility in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels (64,000 to 66,000). The human cDNA contains a single ORF of 501 amino acids that is nearly contiguous with murine ORF-2. Indeed, comparison of deduced human and murine amino acid sequences shows that the two polypeptides are 96.4% identical. A strictly conserved region is rich in serine and threonine (17.5%) and in proline (11%) residues (S-T-P domain). This S-T-P domain is immediately amino terminal to a string of 10 glutamines (in the human sequence) or a tract of alternating glutamine and proline residues (in the mouse sequence). Bacterial expression of the full-length (502-amino-acid) murine factor or of a core region comprising amino acids 133 to 395 generated polypeptides with the DNA binding specificity of CP2. These results confirmed the cloning of CP2 and delimited the region sufficient for specific DNA sequence recognition. Antisera produced against the core region recognized polypeptide species with Mrs of 64,000 and 66,000 in immune blots of nuclear extracts prepared from both murine and human cell lines, consistent with the size of the purified factor. Lastly, a data base search revealed that amino acids 63 to 270 of the murine factor are distantly related to a domain in the Drosophila gene regulatory factor Elf-1.
Approach and avoidance sexual motives: Implications for personal and interpersonal well-being

This research provides the first empirical investigation of how approach and avoidance motives for engaging in sex in intimate relationships are associated with personal well-being and relationship quality. A 2-week daily experience study of college student dating couples tested specific predictions from the theoretical model and included both longitudinal and dyadic components. Whereas approach sex motives were positively associated with personal and interpersonal well-being, avoidance sex motives were negatively associated with well-being. Engaging in sex for avoidance motives was particularly detrimental to the maintenance of relationships over time. Perceptions of a partners motives for sex were also associated with well-being. Implications for the conceptualization of sexuality in relationships along these two dimensions are discussed. Sexual interactions in young adulthood can be positive forces that bring partners closer and make them feel good about themselves and their relationships. In the National Health and Social Life Survey (NHSLS), 78% of participants in monogamous dating relationships reported being either extremely or very pleased with their sexual relationship (Laumann, Gagnon, Michael, & Michaels, 1994). For instance, when asked to rate specific feelings they experienced after engaging in sex, a majority of the participants reported positive feelings (i.e., ‘‘felt loved,’’ ‘‘thrilled,’’ ‘‘wanted,’’ or ‘‘taken care of ’’). More generally, feelings of satisfaction with the sexual aspects of an intimate relationship contribute to overall relationship satisfaction and stability over time (e.g., Sprecher, 2002; see review by
The combined treatment effects of therapeutic laser and exercise on tendon repair.

OBJECTIVE In this study we investigated the effects of different intensities of therapeutic laser energy and running exercise, and their combined effects on the repair of Achilles tendons in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-six mature Sprague-Dawley rats that received surgical hemi-transection of their right Achilles tendon were tested. Three laser dosages (4 J/cm2, 1 J/cm2 and 0 J/cm2) and three running periods (30 min, 15 min, and 0 min) resulting in nine different dosage and time groups were studied with four rats in each group. The treatments were given on alternate days starting on day 5 post-injury. On day 22, the tendons were tested for load-relaxation, stiffness, and ultimate strength. RESULTS There was a significant effect of laser energy on normalized load-relaxation, the rats receiving 4 J/cm2 had less load-relaxation than those receiving no laser treatment (p = 0.05). Results of stiffness testing revealed a significant effect, and rats that ran for 30 min had more stiffness than those that did not run (p = 0.015). For ultimate strength, due to a significant interaction (p = 0.05), the two factors were analyzed separately, and the results showed that for rats receiving no laser therapy, those that had run for 15 min and 30 min had more strength than those that did not run (p = 0.02 and 0.04, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Both laser therapy and running were found to hasten Achilles tendon repair In general, the rats that received higher dosages of laser energy (4 J/cm2) and ran for longer periods (30 min) performed better than those that received lower dosages of laser energy and ran for shorter periods.