Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EARLY‐PHASE ADAPTATIONS TO INTRAHOSPITAL TRAINING IN STRENGTH AND FUNCTIONAL MOBILITY OF CHILDREN WITH LEUKEMIA

Improvements in chemotherapy and radiotherapy have contributed to the high survival rate (∼70%) of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, during treatment, lack of physical activity and treatment cause various short- to long-term side effects, such as muscle atrophy and physical deconditioning. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of an intra-hospital, short-duration (8 weeks) exercise training program on muscle strength and endurance and functional mobility of children with ALL. Seven children (4 boys and 3 girls; 4–7 years of age) who were in the maintenance phase of treatment for ALL were selected as subjects. Three training sessions of 90- to 120-minute duration were performed each week. Each session included 11 different strength exercises engaging the major muscle groups and aerobic training. Gains in strength and endurance were assessed with a 6 repetition maximum test for upper (seated bench press and seated lateral row) and lower extremities (leg press). Gains in functional mobility were assessed with the time up and go test (TUG) and the timed up and down stairs test (TUDS). Performance was significantly improved after the training program in all strength tests (p < 0.01 for seated bench press and p < 0.05 for both seated lateral row and seated leg press) and in the TUG test (p < 0.05). In summary, a period of time as short as 8 weeks is enough to produce clinically relevant early-phase adaptations in children receiving treatment against ALL (i.e., improved functional mobility and muscle strength). Although more research is needed in the area of exercise training and pediatric cancer, exercise sciences can play a beneficial role in assisting both oncologists in treating cancer and improving children's quality of life during and after treatment.
Early Postnatal Changes in the Somatodendritic Morphology of Ankle Flexor Motoneurons in the Rat

The development of locomotor function in the rat spans the first 3 postnatal weeks. We have studied morphological features of the soma and dendrites of motoneurons innervating the physiological flexor muscles of the ankle, tibialis anterior and extensor digitorum longus, by intracellular injection in vitro between the first and ninth postnatal days. We obtained serial optical sections of 96 adequately filled motoneurons in whole‐mounted hemisected spinal cords by confocal microscopy, projected them onto a single plane and analysed them morphometrically. On the day after birth, the somatodendritic surfaces of most such motoneurons were covered in growth‐associated spiny, thorny or hair‐like appendages. These had disappeared from the soma by the fourth postnatal day and from most proximal dendrites by day 7, but were still common distally on day 9. During this period there was little or no net growth of either the soma (which was still much smaller than in the adult) or the dendritic tree. A dorsal dendritic bias was present and ‘sprays’ of long, loosely bundled dorsal dendrites were often seen. The mean number of primary dendrites remained constant at about eight, and their combined diameter was already significantly correlated with mean soma diameter, as in the adult cat. Thus, the critical neonatal period during which these ankle flexor motoneurons are known to change their electrophysiological properties and to be particularly sensitive to interference with neuromuscular interaction is characterized by major changes in the neuronal surface, presumably linked to synaptogenesis.
Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. Incidence and risk factors in North Western Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVE To find the incidence, early outcome and the associated risk factors of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy(HIE) in Madina Al-Munawara, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and compare it with other centers. Also, to find out whether any of these risk factors are preventable. METHODS We conducted a case controlled study of HIE in Madina Maternity and Children's Hospital, Madina Al-Munawara, KSA over a one-year-period, from June 1995 to May 1996. All the inborn term babies without major congenital malformations that developed HIE were included in the study. A term baby born next to the index case was taken as a control for each case. Data was collected for possible risk factors. The incidence of risk factors in the 2 groups was analyzed and compared statistically. RESULTS A total of 70 cases of HIE were recorded in the study period giving an incidence of 5.5 cases per 1000 term births. This incidence is lower compared to many developing countries and comparable to other centers. Among the maternal factors, being a primigravida, with no antenatal care, presence of pregnancy induced hypertension, and complications of pregnancy were significantly higher in the study population. Similarly, the frequency of prolonged 2nd stage of labor, antepartum hemorrhage, delivery by emergency cesarean section (CS) or the use of instruments was significantly higher in the study group. Babies suffering from intrauterine growth retardation and male sex were also at significantly higher risk. The average hospital stay of the cases was 12 days. Twelve cases of severe HIE died before discharge from the hospital giving an overall mortality rate of 17.1%. CONCLUSION The incidence of HIE and birth asphyxia reported in different studies varies widely. The incidence in our hospital is much lower than reported in many studies from developing countries. The important associated risk factors includes being a primigravida mother, lack of antenatal care, pregnancy induced hypertension, prolonged 2nd stage of labor, delivery by use of instruments or emergency CS and intrauterine growth retardation. Improvement in antenatal care and intra-partum monitoring can decrease the incidence of HIE. The threshold for intervention in cases with fetal distress needs to be lower.
Functional Similarities Among Genes Regulated by Oct4 in Human Mesenchymal and Embryonic Stem Cells

OCT4 is a master transcriptional regulator, which mediates pluripotency in ESCs through inhibition of tissue‐specific and promotion of stem cell‐specific genes. Suppression of OCT4, along with other regulators of pluripotency, such as SOX2 and NANOG, has been correlated with cell‐fate specification and lineage‐specific differentiation. Recent reports have shown the expression of OCT4 in adult MSCs but have not ascribed functional homology with ESCs. MSCs are mesoderm‐derived cells, primarily resident in adult bone marrow, that undergo lineage‐specific differentiation to generate specialized cells such as stroma, fat, bone, and cartilage. We have previously demonstrated the plasticity of MSCs through their ability to generate neuronal cells. Here, we show that OCT4 provides similar regulatory circuitries in human MSCs and ESCs, using chromatin immunoprecipitation‐DNA selection and ligation technology and loss‐of‐function studies. MSCs were found to express the embryonic transcription factors OCT4, NANOG, and SOX2. In addition, OCT4 was found to (a) target similar genes in MSCs and ESCs, (b) promote the expression of MSC‐specific genes, and (c) regulate MSC cell cycle progression. The results suggest similar regulatory mechanisms for OCT4 in MSCs and ESCs and have implications regarding MSC plasticity.
Long-Term PMD Characterization of a Metropolitan G.652 Fiber Plant

Using the Jones matrix eigenanalysis method, the differential group delay (DGD) behavior of a metropolitan G.652 buried operational cable plant of a major Italian telecom operator in the city of Torino was characterized. The measurement campaign lasted 73 consecutive days. An extremely stable DGD behavior was found, despite the fact that the cables run across a very densely built city environment. On the other hand, it was also found that routine maintenance on the infrastructure, although indirect and nondisruptive, repeatedly altered this picture. Based on these results, it is argued that the recently introduced "hinge" model describes the plant DGD statistical behavior better than the traditional description. This argument is also supported by the close fit that was obtained with a theoretical hinge-model DGD probability density function of the measured DGD data histogram. It is also argued that in this kind of scenario fast adaptive compensation is most likely the only realistic solution for avoiding sudden performance degradation or out-of-service
The impact of CCR7 and CXCR5 on lymphoid organ development and systemic immunity

Summary: The development of secondary lymphoid organs is a complex process dependent on a coordinated interaction of cells of hematopoietic and non‐hematopoietic origin. In this context, chemokines and cytokines belonging to the tumor necrosis factor (TNF)/lymphotoxin (LT) family are critical signaling molecules during the initial steps of lymph node and Peyer's patch organogenesis. Homeostatic chemokines, such as CXCL13, CCL21, and CCL19, as well as their corresponding receptors, CXCR5 and CCR7, have now been shown to closely cooperate in the development of lymphoid organs and the maintenance of lymphoid tissue microarchitecture. We summarize recent data on the function of CXCR5 and CCR7 and their intricate connection to the TNF/LT system in order to refine the current model of lymphoid organ development.
Improving hand functional use in subjects with multiple sclerosis using a musical keyboard: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Playing an instrument implies neuroplasticity in different cerebral regions. This phenomenon has been described in subjects with stroke, suggesting that it could play a role in hand rehabilitation. The aim of this study is to analyse the effectiveness of playing a musical keyboard in improving hand function in subjects with multiple sclerosis. METHODS Nineteen hospitalized subjects were randomized in two groups: nine played a turned-on musical keyboard by sequences of fingers movements (audio feedback present) and 10 performed the same exercises on a turned-off musical keyboard (audio feedback absent). Training duration was half an hour per day for 15 days. Primary outcome was the perceived hand functional use measured by ABILHAND Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes were hand dexterity, measured by Nine-Hole Peg Test, and hand strength, measured by Jamar and Pinch dynamometers. Two-way analysis of variance was used for data analysis. RESULTS The interaction time × group was significant (p = 0.003) for ABILHAND Questionnaire in favour of experimental group (mean between-group difference 0.99 logit [IC95%: 0.44; 1.54]). The two groups showed a significant time effect for all outcomes except for Jamar measure. DISCUSSION Playing a musical keyboard seems a valid method to train the functional use of hands in subjects with multiple sclerosis.
Comparison of the Ophthalmology Departments of the Vysocina Region Hospitals Using DEA Models

DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) models are usually used to find the relative efficiency among homogenous units according to selected criteria (inputs and outputs). Homogenous units are the units (companies, institutions, states) that produce equivalent outputs via using the same inputs but with different intensity. As the number of inputs and outputs included in the model can be higher, the DEA models rank among the methods of multi-criteria decision-making. In this article we try to compare the not-for-profit hospitals that are situated in Vysocina Region in these towns: Jihlava, Havlickuv Brod, Trebic and Nove Mesto na Morave. In this article we compare only the Departments of Ophthalmology in the hospitals named above. All the criteria for the comparison were selected in cooperation with the Section of Health Care of the Vysocina Region which also has given all the data. This article describes results of DEA models and suggestions how to improve the efficiency of the departments.
Ethanol alters opioid regulation of Ca(2+) influx through L-type Ca(2+) channels in PC12 cells.

BACKGROUND Studies at the behavioral and synaptic level show that effects of ethanol on the central nervous system can involve the opioid signaling system. These interactions may alter the function of a common downstream target. In this study, we examined Ca(2+) channel function as a potential downstream target of interactions between ethanol and μ or κ opioid receptor signaling. METHODS The studies were carried out in a model system, undifferentiated PC12 cells transfected with μ or κ opioid receptors. The PC12 cells express L-type Ca(2+) channels, which were activated by K(+) depolarization. Ca(2+) imaging was used to measure relative Ca(2+) flux during K(+) depolarization and the modulation of Ca(2+) flux by opioids and ethanol. RESULTS Ethanol, μ receptor activation, and κ receptor activation all reduced the amplitude of the Ca(2+) signal produced by K(+) depolarization. Pretreatment with ethanol or combined treatment with ethanol and μ or κ receptor agonists caused a reduction in the amplitude of the Ca(2+) signal that was comparable to or smaller than that observed for the individual drugs alone, indicating an interaction by the drugs at a downstream target (or targets) that limited the modulation of Ca(2+) flux through L-type Ca(2+) channels. CONCLUSIONS These studies provide evidence for a cellular mechanism that could play an important role in ethanol regulation of synaptic transmission and behavior through interactions with the opioid signaling.
Interactions between Cap Agricultural and Agri‐Environmental Subsidies and Their Effects on the Uptake of Organic Farming

We analyze the effects of the interactions that the two pillars of the European Union Common Agricultural Policy—market support and rural development—have on farmers’ uptake of organic farming practices. Special attention is given to the 2003 reform, which substantially altered the relative importance of the two types of support by decoupling direct agricultural payments from the production of a specific crop. In our empirical analysis we study the case of Sweden, making use of the variation in the timing of farmers’ decisions regarding participation in support programs. We estimate a dynamic non-linear unobserved effects probit model to account for unobserved individual heterogeneity and state dependence. Our results indicate the existence of a negative effect of the market support system in place when organic farming techniques were adopted before the 2003 reform. However, this effect is reversed by the introduction of decoupling. Furthermore, the effects of support differ between certified and non-certified organic production: both pillars have significant effects on non-certified organic farming, whereas certified organic farming is exclusively driven by agro-environmental subsidies.
The CompSOC design flow for virtual execution platforms

Designing a SoC for applications with mixed time-criticality is a complex and time-consuming task. Even when SoCs are built from components with known real-time properties, they still have to be combined and configured correctly to assert that these properties hold for the complete system, which is non trivial. Furthermore, applications need to be mapped to the available hardware resources and correctly integrated with the SoC's software stack, such that the realtime requirements of the applications are guaranteed to be satisfied. However, as systems grow in complexity, the design and verification effort increases, which makes it difficult to satisfy the tight time-to-market constraint. Design tools are essential to speed up the development process and increase profit. This paper presents the design flow for the CompSOC FPGA platform: a template for SoCs with mixed time-criticality applications. This work outlines how the development time of such a platform instance is reduced by means of its comprehensive tool flow, that aids a system designer in creating hardware, the associated software stack, and application mapping.
Russian Media Piracy in the Context of Censoring Practices

This article suggests that media piracy in Russia is a cultural phenomenon caused largely by long-standing state ideological pressures. It also questions the common approach that considers the issue of piracy in economic or legal terms. In Russia, piracy historically concerned not only copyright issues but also censoring practices, and the sharing of pirated content is a socially acceptable remnant of Soviet times. This article uses an institutional approach to show how state anticopyright policy was used in the Soviet era to curtail freedom of speech. Analysis of the new antipiracy law reveals that current state policy intended to protect copyright may also be used to control content; moreover, this analysis concludes that the new policy is not likely to curb piracy.
Isolation of Epithelial Cells in the Developing Primary Lip and Palate

Failure of the primary lip and palate to fuse leads to clefts of the lip, a birth defect with an incidence of 1 for every 500 in some races. Epithelial cells lining the facial processes of the primary lip and palate, the lateral and medial nasal processes (LNP and MNP), must first make contact to go through a series of highly regulated and coordinated sequence of events to form the normal midface. As yet, many of the basic mechanisms underlying the fusion events of the epithelial-lined surfaces are not known. This is due in part to the difficulty associated with the isolation of the epithelial cells for further study and analysis. The objective of this study was to test the use of laser capture microdissection to collect clean populations of primary lip and palate epithelial cells destined to fuse. Fusing and nonfusing epithelial cell populations of the MNP and LNP were isolated by laser capture microdissection and assayed for gene expression of Bmp-4, Tgf&bgr;-2, and their type 1 receptors, Alk-3 and Alk-5, respectively. Transcripts of Bmp-4/Alk-3 and Tgf&bgr;-2/Alk-5 were restricted to the epithelial seam of the fusion site, and the epithelium of the prefusion site, in patterns previously reported. Data indicated our ability to isolate clean populations of epithelial and mesenchymal cells around the primary palate fusion site, allowing precise analysis of tissue and site-specific gene expression at high resolution. This study provides the basis of further analysis of the potential molecular players of MNP and LNP fusion and nonfusion of epithelial cells. Abbreviations: LNP, lateral nasal process; MNP, medial nasal process; MxP, maxillary process; MdP, mandibular process; ES, epithelial seam cells; PFE, epithelial cells on the leading edges of the prefusion sites of LNP and MNP; NFE, epithelial cells in the nonfusion site; ESM, PFM, NFM, mesenchyme cells adjacent the corresponding epithelia
A comparison of Residential Rental Indices

Abstract This paper compares and evaluates several different methods of measuring changes in residential rental levels for North Shore City in New Zealand. The indices compared were median, hedonic, repeat rent, weighted repeat rent and hybrid. Technically the hybrid method appeared to be the most appropriate, but the trade off was this method is relatively costly in terms of operator time and data requirements. The repeat rent method is reasonably simple and has lower administrative costs. The median method is very easy to set up but suffers from both seasonal and constant quality difficulties. The hedonic method is also costly in terms of time and data requirements. On balance, the hybrid method was preferred.
Global proteomic approach unmasks involvement of keratins 8 and 18 in the delivery of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)/ΔF508‐CFTR to the plasma membrane

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease caused by mutations in the CF gene (cftr). Physiologically, CF is characterized by an abnormal chloride secretion in epithelia due to a dysfunction of a mutated cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). CFTR is a cAMP‐dependent chloride channel whose most frequent mutation, ΔF508, leads to an aberrantly folded protein which causes a dysfunction of the channel. However, a growing number of reports suggest that modifier genes and environmental factors are involved in the physiology of CF. To identify proteins whose expression depends on wild‐type WT‐CFTR or ΔF508‐CFTR, we chose a global proteomic approach based on the use of two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis (2‐DE) and mass spectrometry. The experiments were carried out with HeLa cells stably transfected with WT‐CFTR (pTCFWT) or ΔF508‐CFTR (pTCFΔF508). These experiments unmasked keratin 8 (K8) and 18 (K18) which were differentially expressed in pTCFWT vs. pTCFΔF508. An immunoblot of K18 confirmed the 2‐DE results. Intracellular localization experiments of WT‐CFTR, ΔF508‐CFTR, K8, and K18 suggest that the expression of these proteins are linked, and that the concentrations of K8 and K18 and/or their distribution may be involved in the traffic of WT‐CFTR/ΔF508‐CFTR. A functional assay for CFTR revealed that specifically lowering K18 expression or changing its distribution leads to the delivery of functional ΔF508‐CFTR to the plasma membrane. This work suggests a novel function of K18 in CF.
The risk of kidney stones following bariatric surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background With rising prevalence of morbid obesity, the number of bariatric surgeries performed each year has been increasing worldwide. The objective of this meta-analysis was to assess the risk of kidney stones following bariatric surgery. Methods A literature search was performed using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from inception through July 2015. Only studies reporting relative risks, odd ratios or hazard ratios (HRs) to compare risk of kidney stones in patients who underwent bariatric surgery versus no surgery were included. Pooled risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a random-effect, generic inverse variance method. Results Four studies (One randomized controlled trial and three cohort studies) with 11,348 patients were included in analysis to assess the risk of kidney stones following bariatric surgery. The pooled RR of kidney stones in patients undergoing bariatric surgery was 1.22 (95% CI, 0.63–2.35). The type of bariatric surgery subgroup analysis demonstrated an increased risk of kidney stones in patients following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) with the pooled RR of 1.73 (95% CI, 1.30–2.30) and a decreased risk of kidney stones in patients following restrictive procedures including laparoscopic banding or sleeve gastrectomy with the pooled RR of 0.37 (95% CI, 0.16–0.85). Conclusions Our meta-analysis demonstrates an association between RYGB and increased risk of kidney stones. Restrictive bariatric surgery, on the other hand, may decrease kidney stone risk. Future study with long-term follow-up data is needed to confirm this potential benefit of restrictive bariatric surgery.