Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Health promotion by stealth: active transportation success in Helsinki, Finland

The promotion of active transportation (AT-utilitarian trips including walking, cycling, and public transit use), represents a well-recognized opportunity for increasing physical activity. This study examines the strong AT success achieved in Helsinki, Finland (in 2013, the share of daily trips in Helsinki completed by AT was 77 per cent) from a political perspective. Helsinki represents a noteworthy example of AT success given important challenges including the region's relatively low population density, its difficult winter climate, and Finland's high driving rate. This research applied the advocacy coalition framework (ACF), a formal policy process theory from political science. Interviews were conducted with 23 AT experts in Helsinki. Document review was employed as a secondary method. Overall, the research indicates that Helsinki's success may be attributed to the long-term dominance of municipal transportation policy by a pro-AT advocacy coalition. When viewed from the perspective of health promotion, it is striking that this success is not strongly attributable to health considerations or efforts from health-related fields. Rather, the data suggest that the coalition, comprised of members from a variety of non-health fields, was most strongly motivated by a desire to protect a high degree of livability. Importantly, a number of significant historical events and background-level factors greatly facilitated success. Overall, these results suggest that health promotion advocates may have very useful allies in non-health sectors, and that awareness of the importance of political factors is likely to contribute to stronger health promotion efforts. Finally, several possibilities for related and further research are suggested.
Molecular evolution and epidemiology of four serotypes of dengue virus in Thailand from 1973 to 2007

SUMMARY Thailand was a hyper-endemic country for dengue with co-circulation of four serotypes and tens of thousands of infected cases annually. Taking into consideration the large number of local dengue virus (DENV) sequences available in GenBank, Thailand was the most ideal locality to study co-evolution of DENV. Therefore, we undertook a large-scale molecular epidemiological analysis of all DENV strains isolated in Thailand. In this study, we demonstrated that DENV strains of four serotypes post-1990 grouped into distinct clades, and that specific mutations in the envelope protein were first confirmed in these clades. Compared to the DENV1, DENV2 and DENV3 clades, the DENV4 clade evolved markedly more slowly (6·4 × 10−5 substitutions/site per year). Our results also showed that the genetic diversity of the predominant genotype of each serotype tended to slightly increase over time with fluctuating changes, followed by a stationary phase after 2000. This suggests that the four DENV clades became the predominant strains due to DENV possessing improved fitness after long-term selection.
Real-time vehicle color identification for surveillance videos

Vehicles are one of the main detection targets of the traffic and security video surveillance system. In this paper, we propose an automatic vehicle color identification method for vehicle classification. The main idea of the proposed scheme is to divide a vehicle into a hierarchical coarse-to-fine structure to extract its wheels, windows, main body, and other auto parts. In the proposed method, the main body alone is used by a support vector machine (SVM) for classification. Experimental results show that the proposed scheme is efficient and effective and the proposed vehicle color identification is suitable for real-time surveillance applications.
Comparison of accumulation of micropollutants between indigenous and transplanted zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha)

Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) were exposed at 12 canals and lakes situated in Flanders (Belgium), in cages for six weeks during the summer of 2002. Accumulation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hexachlorobenzene, and trace metals were measured in the transplanted mussels and levels compared to levels in indigenous mussels. Additionally, zebra mussels were exposed at a small lake in the vicinity of Antwerp (Belgium), and accumulation of contaminants was followed for an extended period from December 2001 to April 2002. Analysis of the pollutants in the indigenous mussels showed that the selected sites displayed a wide range of pollution from near to background to very high levels of metals and/or organic contaminants when compared to the literature. For organic contaminants and for most metals, comparison of levels between caged and resident mussels revealed no significant differences. Only for cadmium and nickel, significant differences were observed, with levels being either higher (cadmium) or lower (nickel) in caged mussels. For organic contaminants, significant correlations between levels in caged and resident mussels were found with r2 values up to 0.98. For some metals, no or poor correlations were found. At most sites, concentrations of those metals were of the same order of magnitude and comparable to levels in mussels from unpolluted sites. This might explain the absence of significant correlations. When mussels were exposed for an extended period, the concentration of some pollutants increased, whereas others decreased with time. Only in the case of certain metals did levels differ significantly because of the slow depuration of metals already present in the transplanted mussels. This is an additional indication that measured concentrations in transplanted mussels indeed reflected the local situation. With this study, we were able to prove the applicability of transplanted mussels as a biomonitoring tool for the accumulation of pollutants over a wide range of pollution.
Povidone-iodine used as an adjunct to non-surgical treatment of furcation involvements.

BACKGROUND The aim of this clinical trial was to evaluate the effect of topically applied povidone-iodine (polyvinylpyrrolidone and iodine [PVP-I]) used as an adjunct to non-surgical therapy of furcation involvements. METHODS Forty-four patients presenting at least one Class II furcation involvement that bled on probing with probing depth (PD)>or=5 mm were recruited. Patients were stratified into two treatment groups: 1) subgingival instrumentation by an ultrasonic device using PVP-I (10%) as the cooling liquid (test); and 2) identical treatment using distilled water as the cooling liquid (control). The following clinical outcomes were evaluated: plaque index, bleeding on probing (BOP), position of the gingival margin, relative attachment level (RAL), PD, and relative horizontal attachment level (RHAL). The N-benzoyl-L-arginine-p-nitroanilide (BAPNA) test was used to analyze the trypsin-like activity in dental biofilm. The clinical and biochemical parameters were evaluated at baseline and 1, 3, and 6 months after therapy. RESULTS Both groups had similar means of PD reduction and RAL and RHAL gain. At 6 months, these variables were, respectively, 2.31, 1.17, and 1.00 mm in the control group and 2.31, 1.23, and 1.02 mm in the test group. There was also no difference between groups regarding the number of furcation sites presenting RAL gain>or=2 mm. The results of the BAPNA test failed to demonstrate significant differences between groups. CONCLUSION Non-surgical therapy can effectively treat Class II furcation involvements, and the use of topically applied PVP-I as an adjunct to subgingival instrumentation does not provide additional benefits.
Evolutionary determinants of divergent calcium selectivity of TRPM channels

The mammalian TRPM gene family can be subdivided into distinct categories of cation chan nels that are either highly permeable for Ca2+ (TRPM3/6/7), nonselective (TRPM2/8), or even Ca2+ impermeable (TRPM4/5). TRPM6/7 are fused to α‐ki‐ nase domains, whereas TRPM2 is linked to an ADP‐ ribose phosphohydrolase (Nudix domain). At a molec ular level, the evolutionary steps that gave rise to the structural and functional TRPM channel diversity re main elusive. Here, we provide phylogenetic evidence that Nudix‐linked channels represent an ancestral type of TRPMs that is present in various phyla, ranging from protists to humans. Surprisingly, the pore‐forming seg ments of invertebrate TRPM2‐like proteins display high sequence similarity to those of Ca2+‐selective TRPMs, while human TRPM2 is characterized by a loss of several conserved residues. Using the patch‐clamp technique, Ca2+ imaging, and site‐directed mutagenesis, we demonstrate that restoration of only two “ancient” pore residues in human TRPM2 (Q981E/P983Y) signifi cantly increased (§4‐fold) its permeability for Ca2+. Conversely, introduction of a “modern” sequence mo tif into mouse TRPM7 (E1047Q/Y1049P) resulted in the loss of Ca2+ permeation and a linear TRPM2‐like current‐voltage relationship. Overall, our findings pro vide an integrative view on the evolution of the domain architecture and the structural basis of the distinct ion permeation profiles of TRPM channels. —Mederos y Schnitzler, M. , Wäring, J., Gudermann, T. , Chubanov, V. Evolutionary determinants of divergent calcium se lectivity of TRPM channels. FASEB J. 22, 1540–1551 (2008)
Liver Ferritin Subunit Ratios in Neonatal Hemochromatosis

Neonatal hemochromatosis is an enigmatic disease. Little is known about iron metabolism in this disease, including the tissue concentration of ferritin or its H and L subunit ratio. The authors report the tissue iron, ferritin, and ferritin subunit content of a child who died at 5 weeks of neonatal hemochromatosis. The child was born at 29 weeks gestation to a mother with lupus, sickle cell trait, and gestational diabetes. The child's severe liver dysfunction led to the clinical diagnosis of neonatal hemochromatosis at 1 week of age. Despite aggressive support, including red cell transfusions and chelation, the child died of an intracranial hemorrhage. Autopsy showed liver fibrosis and iron staining characteristic of neonatal hemochromatosis. Autopsy liver tissue was compared to age-matched control tissue. Soluble protein was analyzed by the Bradford method. Soluble iron (over 90% of total iron) was analyzed by the o -phenanthroline complex. Tissue ferritin and human ferritin controls (Calzyme) were analyzed by Western blotting after SDS-PAGE, identified with sheep anti-human ferritin antibodies (The BindingSite) secondary antibody-fluorescence for detection, and quantified using the Molecular Dynamics Storm 840 phosphorimager and ImageQuant software. Protein, iron, and total ferritin were similar in the normal and neonatal hemochromatosis liver tissues. Ferritin subunits, however, showed an increased H/L-subunit ratio compared to an age-matched control. This first report of a marked increase in the ferritin H/L-subunit ratio may point to an underlying mechanism of disease in this enigmatic disorder.
PTH/SDF‐1α cotherapy promotes proliferation, migration and osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells

Stromal cell‐derived factor‐1α (SDF‐1α) plays an important role in tissue regeneration in various tissues including the periodontium. A potential limitation for its use derives from its sensitivity to cleavage by dipeptidyl peptidase‐IV (DPP‐IV). Parathyroid hormone (PTH) reduces enzymatic activity of DPP‐IV and is suggested to be a promising agent for periodontal tissue repair. The purpose of this study was to provide insight into how SDF‐1α and intermittent PTH treatment might affect proliferation, migration and osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) in vitro.
Buck v. Bell, American Eugenics, and the Bad Man Test: Putting Limits on Newgenics in the 21st Century

With its 1927 decision in Buck v. Bell, the Supreme Court embraced the American eugenics program, which was then at its peak. An association with fascism and a discredited pseudoscience was one reason why the Buck case would later became infamous. Another reason was that, rather than resolving a true conflict, the case was seen as contrived: designed strategically to validate a particular Virginia law and ensure the success of the eugenics movement. Because the strategists were a close-knit group of elites and eugenics proponents, and the guinea pig at the center was poor and disadvantaged, the case provided a striking example of the way that a legal system intended to protect the most vulnerable members of society can instead be manipulated and used against them in the name of reform. Today, it is important to remember Buck and its legacy in order to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.
Concomitant boost radiotherapy and multidrug chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer: Results of a phase II study

Abstract Background. An intensified multidrug chemotherapy regimen (raltitrexed plus oxaliplatin, Tom-Ox) plus concomitant boost radiotherapy, in the neoadjuvant treatment of locally advanced rectal cancer patients, was shown feasible in our previous study. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy in terms of pathologic complete response to pre-operative therapy. Material and methods: A Phase II study was designed and clinical stage T3-T4 and/ or N ≥ 1 patients were treated with concomitant boost radiotherapy (55 Gy/5 weeks) plus concurrent chemotherapy (Tom-Ox). The primary endpoint was the assessment of efficacy in terms of clinical and pathologic response to pre-operative therapy. According to the Gehan's design study, 25 patients were enrolled. Toxicity was assessed according to the RTOG-EORTC and CTCAE v.3. 0 criteria. Results: Twenty-five consecutive patients were treated. Twenty-two of the 25 (88%) patients had a partial clinical response at the time of pre-operative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Only one patient showed progressive systemic disease at pre-surgical revaluation and was subjected only to biopsy to evaluate pathological response. Twenty-four patients (96%) underwent surgery. Overall, pathologic complete response was observed in eight patients (32%; CI 0.95:12–55%) and only microscopic tumor foci (pTmic) in two patients (pT0-mic: 40%; CI 0.95:18–63%). Nineteen patients (76%) showed tumor down-staging. Proctitis and/or diarrhea were the most frequent acute side effects experienced. Eighteen patients had grade 1–2 toxicity (77%); whereas two patients experienced grade 3 toxicity (8%). Two-year Local control and actuarial Disease Free Survival were 100% and 91%, respectively. Conclusion. An intensified regimen of concomitant boost radiotherapy plus concurrent raltitrexed and oxaliplatin, can be safely administered in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. This regimen produces high rates of pathological complete response. Based on available data, this type of treatment could be offered to patients with more advanced tumors (T4 or local recurrence).
Bullying and victimization behaviors in boys and girls at South Korean primary schools.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the prevalence and correlates of bullying and victimization behaviors in boys and girls at South Korean primary schools. METHOD In a cross-sectional survey, 1,344 fourth-grade primary school children completed a questionnaire on self-reported bullying and victimization behaviors, depression, anxiety, body image, coping strategies, and self-esteem as well as the self-report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Parents completed a questionnaire on demographic data, the General Health Questionnaire-12, and the Korean version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. RESULTS The prevalence of bullies, victims, and bullies/victims was 12.0%, 5.3%, and 7.2%, respectively. Boys were significantly more likely to be bullies and bullies/victims. In the multivariate analyses, bullying and victimization behaviors were associated with gender, greater than average height, higher depression, higher trait anxiety, lower self-esteem, and total difficulties of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Differences in the associations were found between boys and girls. CONCLUSIONS The authors found that bullying is common among South Korean primary school students and that bullying and victimization behaviors are related to various emotional, behavioral, and social problems; some gender-related differences are also evident.
TAE226‐Induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells with overexpressed Src or EGFR

Focal adhesion kinase, FAK is a 125 kDa nonreceptor tyrosine kinase that localizes to focal adhesions. FAK is overexpressed in human tumors and regulates cellular adhesion and survival signaling. We have shown previously that the dominant‐negative FAK, C‐terminal FAK‐CD, caused detachment and apoptosis in human breast cancer cells, and that overexpression of an activated form of Src tyrosine kinase or epidermal growth factor receptor, EGFR, suppressed FAK‐CD induced apoptotic effects in breast cancer cells. In the present study, we studied the effect of a novel FAK inhibitor, TAE226 (Novartis, Inc.), on the breast cancer cell lines. We used stable breast cancer cell lines overexpressing Src (MCF‐7‐Src and BT474‐Src) or overexpressing EGFR (BT474‐EGFR), and control breast cancer cell lines for the treatment with different doses of TAE226 drug. The detachment and apoptosis caused by TAE226 was analyzed and compared with the effect of the dominant‐negative adenoviral FAK‐CD. The TAE226 drug caused a dose‐dependent increase of detachment and apoptosis in both BT474 and MCF‐7‐Vector and Src cells and in BT474‐EGFR and BT474‐pcDNA3 cells. Additionally, TAE226 caused downregulation of Y397‐FAK, FAK and activation of PARP or caspase‐3 proteins. Both Src and EGFR‐overexpressing cells were not resistant to the TAE226 treatment compared to FAK‐CD treatment. In addition, normal breast MCF‐10A cell line was resistant to both TAE226 drug and to the Ad‐FAK‐CD inhibitor. Thus, inhibition of autophosphorylation activity of FAK with the TAE226 inhibitor at 10–20 µM is effective in causing apoptosis in breast cancer cells, resistant to the Ad‐FAK‐CD inhibitor that can be used effectively in therapy. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cerebral Autoregulation in Orthostatic Hypotension: A Transcranial Doppler Study

Transcranial Doppler measurements of blood flow velocity permit an assessment of variations in intracraniaJ hemodynamics in response to acute arterial pressure variations. The purpose of this study was to scan healthy volunteers and patients with autonomic failure for differences in cerebral hemodynamic patterns under an acute hypotensive stimulus. Methods We used transcranial Doppler monitoring of blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery and noninvasive monitoring of arterial blood pressure and heart rate before, during, and after acute arterial hypotension induced by reactive hyperemia of the lower limbs. Results After maximum hypotension, the mean blood flow velocity was higher in the healthy volunteers than in the patients. In the healthy subjects mean velocity rose significantly (P<.01) higher than arterial blood pressure after 30 seconds and 60 seconds; in the patients mean velocity and arterial pressure moved in parallel fashion. The diastolic blood flow velocity increased more in the control group than in the patients during the early stages of the test; furthermore, only in the healthy volunteers did it increase significantly more than arterial pressure after 30 seconds and 60 seconds. Regarding the pulsatility index, the differences between the two groups were similar to the diastolic velocity results. Conclusions (1) Monitoring of mean blood flow velocity showed the ability to mantain an adequate cerebral blood flow in healthy subjects; this mechanism was not efficient in the patients with autonomic failure. (2) Diastolic velocity and pulsatility index values clearly showed that only in healthy subjects were cerebral hemodynamics relatively independent of pressure values.
Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome: a randomized comparative study versus benzodiazepine.

BACKGROUND Benzodiazepine has been shown to be one of the most effective class of drugs in the management of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS). Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) has recently been introduced in the treatment of alcohol problems, including AWS. At present there are no comparative studies between benzodiazepines and GHB in AWS treatment. The aim of the present randomized, controlled, single-blind study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of GHB compared with diazepam in the treatment of AWS. METHODS Sixty alcoholics affected by AWS were enrolled in the study. Diazepam (0.5-0.75 mg/kg body weight for 6 days, tapering the dose 25% daily until day 10) was administered orally to 30 patients (25 males, 5 females; mean age 44.3 +/- 10.9 years); GHB (50 mg/kg body weight for 10 days) was administered orally to 30 patients (26 males,4 females; mean age 41.7 +/- 10.4 years). The Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol-revised scale (CIWA-Ar) was used to evaluate the AWS physical symptoms. The State Anxiety Inventory test for current anxiety assessment and the Zung self-rating Depression Scale for current depression assessment were performed. RESULTS Eight patients (26.6%) in the diazepam group and 4 patients (13.3%) in the GHB group dropped out. Both treatments were effective in reducing AWS. No significant difference was found between the groups in CIWA-Ar total score at baseline and at the different times of observation. Considering the CIWA-Ar subscore and Zung scale, a significant reduction of anxiety on day 4 (p < 0.02), agitation on day 5 (p < 0.02) and time of recovery of depression on day 5 (p < 0.02) was observed in the GHB group with respect to the diazepam group. Drowsiness and vertigo developed after initial drug administration in the GHB (19.2%) and diazepam (36.4%) groups and quickly resolved in both groups. CONCLUSIONS GHB is as effective in the management of AWS as benzodiazepine and it seems to be quicker in reducing anxiety, agitation, and depression. Both drugs are safe and well-tolerated in AWS management.
Decreased flow-mediated dilation is present 1 year after a pre-eclamptic pregnancy

Objective Pre-eclamptic toxaemia is associated with inflammation and vascular endothelial dysfunction. As women who have had pre-eclamptic toxaemia are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, we hypothesized that these abnormalities are persistent. Methods Eighteen women with a history of pre-eclamptic toxaemia and 17 age-matched controls were enrolled. All underwent non-invasive ultrasound examination of the brachial artery for an evaluation of flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD). The ambulatory blood pressure measurement (ABPM), and plasma concentrations of lipoproteins, inflammation markers, adhesion molecules, glucometabolic and haemostatic factors were determined. Results Women with a history of pre-eclamptic toxaemia had lower FMD compared with controls (2.5 ± 2.9 versus 10.3 ± 2.0%, P < 0.0001). ABPM showed higher systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressures during daytime in the pre-eclamptic toxaemia group than in controls (123 ± 9, 81 ± 6 and 95 ± 6 mmHg versus 116 ± 9, 76 ± 7 and 90 ± 7 mmHg, respectively, all P < 0.05). Among the biochemical determinations, a high value of the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance was calculated at 1.3 (1.1–2.1) median [interquartile range (IQR)] in the pre-eclamptic toxaemia group and 1.0 (0.7–1.3) in controls (P < 0.01), and when adjusted for body mass index there was still a significant difference between groups (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found for other metabolic and haemostatic factors. Conclusion Women with a previous history of pre-eclamptic toxaemia have decreased FMD compared with women with a previous normal pregnancy. This perturbation is a proof of an abnormal state still present 1 year after delivery.