Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Visual Stabilization of Posture in the Elderly: Fallers vs. Nonfallers

Background. Postural instability is one of the important contributors to falling in observers aged 65 years and older. In this study we examine the role of vision in the relation between postural stability and falling, as well as in the relation between postural stability and the fear of falling. Methods. Community-dwelling adults 65 years and older were administered a questionnaire about their history of falls and fear of falling (N =185). Postural sway was measured in the same subjects with eyes open and eyes closed. Visual function was assessed by measures of visual acuity and contrast sensitivity. Results. The 29 subjects who reported falling in the last year showed less of a visual contribution to posture stabilization than those who reported no falls. Controlling for age and gender, there is a 2.13-fold increase in the likelihood of reporting falling for a 0.1 decrement in the visual stabilization index when it is measured within the context of reliable somatosensory feedback. Those who reported a fear of falling and those who reported no fear showed similar visual stabilization. Contrast sensitivity was significantly associated with visual stabilization when it was measured within the context of reliable somatosensory feedback. Conclusions. The visual contribution to postural stabilization is significantly greater in nonfallers compared to fallers, and it is significantly associated with contrast sensitivity.
Can Anyone Hear Me? Does Anyone See Me? A Qualitative Meta-Analysis of Women’s Experiences of Heart Disease

Female heart patients are underdiagnosed and undertreated. The purpose of this qualitative meta-data-analysis was to explain how societal expectations related to gender and the treatment environment influence women’s experiences and can inform optimal care. The authors used grounded theory methodology and a social constructionist gender lens to analyze 43 studies (1993–2012) of women’s experiences of heart disease. The analysis illustrates how social expectations within both medical and relational contexts led to women experiencing barriers to diagnosis and treatment and inadvertent minimization of their experience and knowledge. Women’s descriptions of their experiences suggest three kinds of health care strategies that have the potential to increase women’s engagement with heart disease treatment and rehabilitation: (a) support give and take in relational connections, (b) identify and acknowledge unique health-promoting behavior, and (c) focus on empowerment. These findings have interdisciplinary implications for practice with women with heart disease.
A Study of the Developmental Toxicity Potential of Pentachlorophenol in the Rat

Pentachlorophenol (penta, CAS #87–86–5) is primarily used as a wood preservative. As part of the USEPA pesticide reregistration process, the developmental toxicity (embryo-fetal toxicity and teratogenic potential) of commercially available penta was studied following oral gavage to presumed pregnant female Sprague-Dawley rats (Crl:CD BR VAF/Plus Subdivision F, 83–3). Both study design and penta purity met the requirements of the USEPA. Doses of 0 (corn oil), 10, 30, and 80 mg/kg/day were administered to the rats at concentrations of 0, 2, 6, and 16 mg/ml, respectively from day 6 to day 15 of presumed gestation. The dosage volume was 5 ml/kg, adjusted on each day of dosage based on individual body weights recorded immediately before intubation. The rats were sacrificed on day 20 of presumed gestation and necropsied. The number of corpora lutea in each ovary was recorded. The uterus was examined for pregnancy, number and distribution of implantations, early and late resorptions and live and dead fetuses. Each fetus was weighed, sexed, and examined for gross external, soft tissue and skeletal alterations. The no-observable-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) for maternal toxicity in rats was determined to be 30 mg/kg/day of penta. The developmental NOAEL for penta in rats was also found to be 30 mg/kg/day. The lowest-observable-adverse-effect-level (LOAEL) for penta developmental toxicity (80 mg/kg/day) was associated with increased resorptions, reduced live litter size and fetal body weights, and caused increased malformations and variations. These NOAELs, derived using USEPA approved study designs, are higher than those previously reported using penta that is no longer commercially available in studies with non-approved experimental designs. Penta should not be identified as a selective developmental toxicant in the rat because adverse effects on development of rat conceptuses occurred only at maternally toxic dosages.
Construction of classifier with feature selection based on genetic programming

This paper presents a genetic programming (GP) based approach for designing classifiers with feature selection using a modified crossover operator [12]. The proposed GP methodology simultaneously selects a good subset of features and constructs a classifier using the selected features. For a c-class problem, it provides a classifier having c trees. To overcome the difficulties with standard crossover operator, we have used a crossover operator which discovers the best possible crossover site for a subtree and attains higher fitness values while processing fewer individuals. We have tested our method on several datasets having large number of features. We have compared the performance of our method with results available in the literature and found that the proposed method generates good results.
Morphogenetic Pathway of Spore Wall Assembly in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

ABSTRACT The Saccharomyces cerevisiae spore is protected from environmental damage by a multilaminar extracellular matrix, the spore wall, which is assembled de novo during spore formation. A set of mutants defective in spore wall assembly were identified in a screen for mutations causing sensitivity of spores to ether vapor. The spore wall defects in 10 of these mutants have been characterized in a variety of cytological and biochemical assays. Many of the individual mutants are defective in the assembly of specific layers within the spore wall, leading to arrests at discrete stages of assembly. The localization of several of these gene products has been determined and distinguishes between proteins that likely are involved directly in spore wall assembly and probable regulatory proteins. The results demonstrate that spore wall construction involves a series of dependent steps and provide the outline of a morphogenetic pathway for assembly of a complex extracellular structure.
Maturation of the initial ventilatory response to hypoxia in sleeping infants

In infants most previous studies of the hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR) have been conducted only during quiet sleep (QS) and arousal responses have not been considered. Our aim was to quantify the maturation of the HVR in term infants during both active sleep (AS) and QS over the first 6 months of life. Daytime polysomnography was performed on 15 healthy term infants at 2–5 weeks, 2–3 and 5–6 months after birth and infants were challenged with hypoxia (15% O2, balance N2). Tests in AS always resulted in arousal; in QS tests infants either aroused or did not arouse. A biphasic HVR was observed in non arousing tests at all three ages studied. The fall in SpO2 was more rapid in arousal tests at all three ages. At 2–5 weeks, in non‐arousing QS tests, there was a greater fall in respiratory frequency (f) despite a smaller fall in SpO2 compared with 2–3 and 5–6 months. When infants aroused there was no difference in the HVR between sleep states or with postnatal age. However, when infants failed to arouse from QS, arterial desaturation was less in the younger infants despite a poorer HVR. We suggest that arousal in response to hypoxia, particularly in AS, is a vital survival mechanism throughout the first 6 months of life.
Evaluating Seasonal Variation in Bottom—Up and Top—Down Forces and Their Impact on an Exotic Wood Borer, Tetropium fuscum (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae)

ABSTRACT It is well understood that forces from multiple trophic levels simultaneously influence herbivore performance, but how the relative strength of these forces vary over space and time is less clear. We evaluated seasonal variation in the impact of bottom—up forces (host condition), top—down forces (natural enemies), and competition on the performance of an exotic wood borer. Tetropium fuscum (F.) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) eggs that were either protected or exposed were placed on healthy and stressed red spruce, Picea rubens Sargent, trees at three different times during the natural T. fuscum flight period. We also measured the length of necrotic lesions (i.e., an induced hypersensitive response) that developed in response to attacking T. fuscum. As predicted, T. fuscum performance was usually greater, and induced host defenses lower, on stressed than on healthy trees, but the impact of host condition on T. fuscum performance varied seasonally. Timing of attack was critical, influencing the strength of bottom—up forces and consequently all measures of T. fuscum performance. Survival was reduced when T. fuscum attacked too early (late-May) or too late (late-June), which may result in stabilizing selection for attack time in this species. Parasitism and competition were generally negligible during this study. Our results suggest that timing of attack is critical for this wood borer and that temporal variation in the impact of top—down and bottom—up forces should be considered in other systems.
Macrophage as a Target of Quercetin Glucuronides in Human Atherosclerotic Arteries

Epidemiological studies suggest that the consumption of flavonoid-rich diets decreases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, the target sites of flavonoids underlying the protective mechanism in vivo are not known. Quercetin represents antioxidative/anti-inflammatory flavonoids widely distributed in the human diet. In this study, we raised a novel monoclonal antibody 14A2 targeting the quercetin-3-glucuronide (Q3GA), a major antioxidative quercetin metabolite in human plasma, and found that the activated macrophage might be a potential target of dietary flavonoids in the aorta. Immunohistochemical studies with monoclonal antibody 14A2 demonstrated that the positive staining specifically accumulates in human atherosclerotic lesions, but not in the normal aorta, and that the intense staining was primarily associated with the macrophage-derived foam cells. In vitro experiments with murine macrophage cell lines showed that the Q3GA was significantly taken up and deconjugated into the much more active aglycone, a part of which was further converted to the methylated form, in the activated macrophages. In addition, the mRNA expression of the class A scavenger receptor and CD36, which play an important role for the formation of foam cells, was suppressed by the treatment of Q3GA. These results suggest that injured/inflamed arteries with activated macrophages are the potential targets of the metabolites of dietary quercetin. Our data provide a new insight into the bioavailability of dietary flavonoids and the mechanism for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
Comparative Genomics Comparative genomic analysis of a mammalian-defensin gene cluster

Radhakrishnan Y, Fares MA, French FS, Hall SH. Comparative genomic analysis of a mammalian -defensin gene cluster. Physiol Genomics 30: 213–222, 2007. First published April 24, 2007; doi:10.1152/physiolgenomics.00263. 2006. —Comparative genomic analyses have yielded valuable insights into conserved and divergent aspects of gene function, regulation, and evolution. Herein, we describe the characterization of a mouse -defensin gene cluster locus on chromosome 2F6. In addition, we present the evolutionary analysis of this cluster and its human, rhesus, and rat orthologs. Expression analysis in mouse revealed the occurrence of defensin cluster transcripts in multiple tissues, with the highest abundance in the urogenital tract. Molecular evolutionary analysis suggests that this cluster originated by a series of duplication events, and by positive selection occurring even after the rodent-primate split. In addition, the constraints analysis showed higher positive selection in rodents than in primates, especially distal to the six-cysteine array. Positive selection in the evolution of these defensins may relate not only to the evolving enhancement of ancestral host defense but also to functional innovations in reproduction. The multiplicity of defensins and their preferential overexpression in the urogenital tract indicate that defensins function in the protection and maintenance of fertility.
Diabetic Neuropathy Differs in Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract: In this article we describe differences in early metabolic abnormalities between type 1 and type 2 diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN), and how these differences lead to milder initial functional defects in type 2 diabetes, despite the same hyperglycemic exposures. This early reversible metabolic phase is progressively overshadowed by structural degenerative changes eventually resulting in nerve fiber loss. In comparison, the late structural phase of DPN affects type 1 diabetes more severely. Progressive axonal atrophy and loss is hence expressed to a larger extent in type 1 diabetes. In addition, type 1 DPN is characterized by paranodal degenerative changes not seen in type 2 DPN. These differences can be related to the differences in insulin action and signal transduction affecting the expression of neurotrophic factors and their receptors in type 1 diabetes. Downstream effects on neuroskeletal and adhesive proteins, their posttranslational modifications, and nociceptive peptides underlie the more severe resultant pathology in type 1 DPN. These differences in underlying mechanisms should be seriously considered in the future design of interventional paradigms to combat these common conditions.
Sugar Utilization and Acid Production by Free and Entrapped Cells of Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus, and Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis in a Whey Permeate Medium

Cells of Streptococcus salivarius subsp. thermophilus and Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis entrapped in k-carrageenan-locust bean gum gel performed similarly to free cells in the conversion of lactose to lactic acid. Bead diameter influenced the fermentation rate. Cells entrapped in smaller beads (0.5 to 1.0 mm) showed higher release rates, higher lactose, glucose, and formic acid utilization, higher galactose accumulation, and higher lactic acid production than did cells entrapped in larger beads (1.0 to 2.0 mm). Values for smaller beads were comparable with those for free cells. Immobilization affected the fermentation rate of lactic acid bacteria, especially Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus. Entrapped cells of L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus demonstrated a lower lactic acid production than did free cells in batch fermentation. The kinetics of the production of formic and pyruvic acids by L. lactis subsp. lactis and S. salivarius subsp. thermophilus are presented.
Biochemical changes in watermelon and pineapple juice blend during storage

specific gravity (78 - 80%), total sugar / brix (68 - 78%) and total titratable acidity (18 - 20%) of the juice along the storage period. This consequently indicates that the biochemical reactions that could lead to spoilage of the juice are at the minimum. The ascorbic acid and the pH values of the juice are almost constant throughout the storage period. The microbial analysis showed that the counts in total plate, coliform, yeast and mould were 5.2 x 10 6
Prevalence of Pathological Gambling and Related Problems among College Students in the Quebec Metropolitan Area

The prevalence of pathological gambling and problems associated with it were measured among 1,471 students of three colleges in the Quebec city metropolitan area. Almost 90% of the students had gambled and 21.7% of the students engage in this behaviour once a week or more. The prevalence of pathological gamblers was found to be 2.8% for the entire sample. The percentage of pathological gamblers was much higher among males (5.7%) than females (0.6%). The results indicate that pathological gambling is associated with economic, professional and interpersonal problems. The discussion addresses the implications of the present findings and suggests avenues for future research.
Is weak form efficiency an illusion? Evidence from a market for state contingent claims

This paper examines the importance of methodology and market ecology when examining the extent to which a market is weak form efficient. Existing literature points to most markets being weak form efficient. However, it is argued here that this may be an artefact of the methodology employed in these studies and the fact that market ecology is often neglected when examining weak form efficiency. We demonstrate how big data from a market for state contingent claims can be used to examine weak form efficiency and to predict market prices employing conditional logit analysis. These are used, together with various trading strategies to yield substantial abnormal returns. Consequently, in contrast to the existing literature, the results suggest that the market is not weak form efficient. We discuss the various aspects of methodology and market ecology which can explain the reported results and the important implications for future market efficiency studies. In particular, we highlight the importance for efficiency studies of considering market characteristics which influence behavior and the importance of considering an appropriate investment strategy.
Hepatitis G virus infection in fulminant hepatic failure

Background—RNA sequences of the recently identified hepatitis GB virus C (HGBV-C), also named hepatitis G virus (HGV), have been detected in patients with idiopathic fulminant hepatic failure (FHF) but the role of this agent in the disease remains controversial. Aims—To investigate the presence and implications of HGV infection in a large series of Spanish patients with FHF. Patients—Sixty eight patients with FHF, including 19 with idiopathic disease, were studied. In 28 cases, studies were performed before and after liver transplantation. For comparison 200 volunteer blood donors and 22 patients transplanted for chronic liver disease were also studied. Methods—HGV RNA was measured in serum by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction of the 5′ non-coding region. Results—Evidence of HGV infection was found in 3% (6/200) of blood donors and in 19% (13/68) of patients with FHF. HGV infection was more frequent in patients with hepatitis B (24%, 6/25) or hepatitis D (42%, 5/12), than in patients with idiopathic disease (11%, 2/19). Half of the patients with HGV infection used illicit intravenous drugs. Specific clinical features associated with HGV infection were not identified. A very high rate of infection with HGV was observed in patients who underwent liver transplantation, either for FHF (60%, 15/24) or chronic liver disease (45%, 9/20). Conclusions—In our geographical area, HGV infection is relatively frequent in FHF, but it does not seem to play a major role in idiopathic cases.
A study on the effects of short-, medium- and long-term professional oral care in elderly persons requiring long-term nursing care at a chronic or maintenance stage of illness.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of the present study is to clarify the frequency of provision of effective professional oral care by dental health workers in order to improve the oral hygiene state of elderly persons requiring long-term care. METHODS In 105 patients requiring long-term nursing care, 55 subjects with positive oral Candida albicans were divided into five groups according to the frequency of oral care intervention at intervals of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 weeks. The effects of professional oral care on the improvement of the oral hygiene state were investigated taking the frequency and duration of care into consideration. RESULTS The results showed that oral hygienic condition could be improved by performing professional oral care at intervals of 1 week for 12 consecutive weeks, and the improved condition could be maintained when professional oral care was continued at intervals of 1 week thereafter. CONCLUSION It is necessary to continue professional oral care at intervals of 1 week for 12 consecutive weeks and at intervals of 2 weeks for more than 20 weeks. The oral hygiene state could be improved by professional intervention at intervals of three or four weeks in long-term oral care, but this was limited to subjects whose Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores were higher than 3.
Locomotor activating effects of cocaine and scopolamine combinations in rats: isobolographic analysis

Muscarinic cholinergic receptors are currently receiving renewed interest as viable targets for treating various psychiatric disorders. Dopaminergic and muscarinic systems interact in complex ways. The goal of this study was to quantify the interaction between a systemically administered psychomotor stimulant and muscarinic antagonist at the behavioral level. Through isobolographic analysis of locomotor activity data, we assessed the effects of three cocaine/scopolamine mixtures in terms of deviation from simple dose addition (additivity), at four effect levels. All three mixtures produced some more-than-additive (synergistic) effects, as lower doses were needed to produce the given effects relative to the calculated effect of additive doses. A mixture with comparable contributions from cocaine and scopolamine produced significantly more-than-additive effects at all but the lowest effect level examined. A mostly-cocaine mixture was more-than-additive only at low effect levels, whereas a mostly-scopolamine mixture produced effects more consistent with additivity, with only the highest effect level barely reaching significant synergism. Our study confirms and quantifies previous findings that suggested synergistic effects of stimulants and muscarinic antagonists. The synergism implies that cocaine and scopolamine stimulate locomotor activity through nonidentical pathways, and was most pronounced for a mixture containing cocaine and scopolamine in comparable proportions.
Cloning and Expression of Novel Aminoglycoside Phosphotransferase Genes from Campylobacter and Their Role in the Resistance to Six Aminoglycosides

ABSTRACT Nine aph genes, including aph(2″)-Ib, aph(2″)-Ic, aph(2″)-Ig, aph(2″)-If, aph(2″)-If1, aph(2″)-If3, aph(2″)-Ih, aac(6′)-Ie–aph(2″)-Ia, and aac(6′)-Ie–aph(2″)-If2, were previously identified in Campylobacter. To measure the contribution of these alleles to aminoglycoside resistance, we cloned nine genes into the pBluescript and expressed them in Escherichia coli DH5α. The nine aph expressed in E. coli showed various levels of resistance to gentamicin, kanamycin, and tobramycin. Three genes, aac(6″)-Ie–aph(2″)-Ia, aph2″-If1, and aph2″-Ig, showed increased MICs to amikacin, and five aph genes were transferrable.
Motives for parenthood, psychosocial factors and health in women undergoing IVF

The motives for parenthood were explored in a study of women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment (n = 142) and fertile pregnant women (n = 118). A scale—the Parenthood Motivation Scale (PMS)—was developed, measuring six motives: Continuity, Nurturance, Relationship, Identity, Social Pressure, and Materialism. The study compared English (n = 113) and Greek women (n = 29) undergoing IVF with 118 fertile pregnant English women. The Greek and English samples differed in parenthood motivation and coping strategies and both exhibited higher levels of distress (as measured by the GHQ‐12) and lower perceived social support than the fertile pregnant group. In addition, parenthood motivation is related to coping strategies and perceived support. The findings indicate a potential for education and counselling prospective IVF couples and the possibility of stress reduction interventions.