Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Aerobic and strength training in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether strength training is a useful addition to aerobic training in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Forty-five patients with moderate to severe COPD were randomized to 12 wk of aerobic training alone (AERO) or combined with strength training (AERO + ST). The AERO regimen consisted of three weekly 30-min exercise sessions on a calibrated ergocycle, and the ST regimen included three series of eight to 10 repetitions of four weight lifting exercises. Measurements of peripheral muscle strength, thigh muscle cross-sectional area (MCSA) by computed tomographic scanning, maximal exercise capacity, 6-min walking distance (6MWD), and quality of life with the chronic respiratory questionnaire were obtained at baseline and after training. Thirty-six patients completed the program and constituted the study group. The strength of the quadriceps femoris increased significantly in both groups (p < 0.05), but the improvement was greater in the AERO + ST group (20 +/- 12% versus 8 +/- 10% [mean +/- SD] in the AERO group, p < 0.005). The thigh MCSA and strength of the pectoralis major muscle increased in the AERO + ST group by 8 +/- 13% and 15 +/- 9%, respectively (p < 0.001), but not in the AERO group (3 +/- 6% and 2 +/- 10%, respectively, p > 0.05). These changes were significantly different in the two study groups (p < 0.01). The increase in strength of the latissimus dorsi muscle after training was modest and of similar magnitude for both groups. The changes in peak exercise work rate, 6MWD, and quality of life were comparable in the two groups. In conclusion, the addition of strength training to aerobic training in patients with COPD is associated with significantly greater increases in muscle strength and mass, but does not provide additional improvement in exercise capacity or quality of life.
International epidemiological and microbiological study of outbreak of Salmonella agona infection from a ready to eat savoury snack—I: England and Wales and the United States

Abstract Objectives: To identify the source of an international outbreak of food poisoning due to Salmonella agona phage type 15 and to measure how long the underlying cause persisted. Design: Case-control study of 16 primary household cases and 32 controls of similar age and dietary habit. Packets of the implicated foodstuff manufactured on a range of days were examined for salmonella. All isolates of the epidemic phage type were further characterised by pulsed field gel electrophoresis. Results: 27 cases were identified, of which 26 were in children. The case-control study showed a strong association between infection with S agona phage type 15 and consumption of a peanut flavoured ready to eat kosher savoury snack imported from Israel. S agona phage type 15 was isolated from samples of this snack. The combined food sampling results from the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, and Israel showed that contaminated snacks were manufactured on at least seven separate dates during a four month period between October 1994 and February 1995. Voluntary recalls of the product successfully interrupted transmission. Conclusions: Rapid international exchanges of information led to the identification of the source of a major outbreak of S agona in Israel and of associated cases in North America. The outbreak showed the value of the Salm-Net surveillance system and its links outside Europe, both for increasing case ascertainment and for improving the information on the duration of the fault at the manufacturing plant. Key messages International surveillance networks can strength- en infection control When a foodstuff is contaminated it is important to examine as many batches as possible to show the duration of the production fault
Graph-Based Airway Tree Reconstruction From Chest CT Scans: Evaluation of Different Features on Five Cohorts

We present a graph-based framework for airway tree reconstruction from computerized tomography (CT) scans and evaluate the performance of different feature categories and their combinations on five lung cohorts. The approach consists of two main processing steps. First, potential airway branch and connection candidates are identified and represented by a graph structure with weighted nodes and edges, respectively. Second, an optimization algorithm is utilized for generating an airway detection result by selecting a subset of airway branches and connections based on graph weights derived from image features. The performance of the algorithm with different feature categories and their combinations was assessed on a set of 50 lung CT scans from five different cohorts, including normal and diseased lungs. Results show trade-offs between feature categories/combinations in terms of correctly (true positive) and incorrectly (false positive) identified airways. Also, the performance of features in dependence of lung cohort was analyzed. Across all cohorts, a good trade-off with high true positive rate (TPR) and low false positive rate (FPR) was achieved by a combination of gray-value, local shape, and structural features. This combination enabled extracting 91.80% of reference airways (TPR) in combination with a low FPR of 1.00%. In addition, this variant was evaluated on the public EXACT'09 test set, and a comparison with other airway detection approaches is provided. One of the main advantages of the presented method is that it is robust against local disturbances/artifacts or other ambiguities that are frequently occurring in lung CT scans.
Return to Sport After Arthroscopic Autologous Matrix-Induced Chondrogenesis for Patients With Osteochondral Lesion of the Talus.

OBJECTIVE To determine the rate of return of patients to sport after arthroscopic autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis (AT-AMIC) for outcomes 2 years after surgery. DESIGN Retrospective observational cross-sectional study. SETTING C.A. S.C. O. -Foot and Ankle Unit, Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy. PATIENTS AND INTERVENTION Twenty-six consecutive patients, 65.4% male (mean ± SD age: 33.7 ± 11.0 years), that underwent AT-AMIC procedure between 2012 and 2015 were selected retrospectively. From this population, only sporting patients at amateur's level were included. Arthroscopic autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis was proposed in patients with pain and persistent disability. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES All patients were assessed with the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Score (AOFAS), physical component score of the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), Halasi ankle activity score, and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) activity scale preoperatively and at 24 months postoperatively. RESULTS Overall, 80.8% of the patient group returned to the same preinjury sport. The mean follow-up was 42.6 ± 10.9 months (range from 25 to 62 months). Significant differences were observed with reference to AOFAS, SF-12, Halasi, and UCLA scores at the last follow-up in patients who had undergone AT-AMIC (all, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS A high percentage of patients return to their preinjury sport after AT-AMIC surgery.
Experimental and analytical determination of proximity losses in a high-speed PM machine

This paper presents a methodology for analysing ac winding loss effects which can be significant when considering high-power density, high-efficiency and high-speed machine designs. A combination of finite element analysis (FEA) and experimental measurement has been employed to evaluate the components that contribute to the overall winding power loss. A number of conductor profiles and conductor arrangements have been investigated to give a more general insight into the ac winding phenomena. An experimental approach based on a partially wound stator is employed to allow different winding and conductor arrangements to be evaluated in a timely and accurate manner, as compared with numerical analysis or hardware tests on the complete machine assembly. The outcomes identify the temperature variation of ac winding loss, which can reduce with increasing temperature, and proposes an effective modelling and test method through which the effects can be quantified and experimentally verified.
e-Government Adoption in India: a Mixed Method Approach

Potential benefits and popularity of e-government (e-Gov) have attracted researchers and practitioners across countries. E-Gov adoption is an important area to research. Extant e-Gov adoption models are narrow in their scope and focus on partial issues. Methodologically they do not provide strong theoretical framework and have not comprehensively integrated all factors of e-Gov adoption. Therefore, the need arises to explore the factors that influence citizens to adopt e-Gov services. In order to assess e-Gov services, numbers of e-Gov maturity stage models have been proposed by researchers, consulting firms, and international organizations. Characteristics of different type of e-Gov services differ and different service maturity levels offer different modes of service with different levels of association of technology. As a result, adoption criteria for e-Gov services of different maturity stages might have significant implications on their adoption. The critical factors that influence citizens to adopt e-Gov services at different maturity levels may vary. The aim of this study is to identify the factors that influence citizens to adopt e-Gov services and the factors to adopt e-Gov at different stages of service maturity. In addition, the study will also identify the factors that will influence users to move from using e-Gov services of one maturity stage to another maturity stage. Qualitative as well quantitative research methodologies are used for the purpose of this research. Qualitative research will be used to develop theories and suitable here because e-Gov research is in premature stage. Findings from qualitative research will be further validated by quantitative technique.
Role of PBP1 in Cell Division of Staphylococcus aureus

ABSTRACT We constructed a conditional mutant of pbpA in which transcription of the gene was placed under the control of an IPTG (isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranoside)-inducible promoter in order to explore the role of PBP1 in growth, cell wall structure, and cell division. A methicillin-resistant strain and an isogenic methicillin-susceptible strain, each carrying the pbpA mutation, were unable to grow in the absence of the inducer. Conditional mutants of pbpA transferred into IPTG-free medium underwent a four- to fivefold increase in cell mass, which was not accompanied by a proportional increase in viable titer. Examination of thin sections of such cells by transmission electron microscopy or fluorescence microscopy of intact cells with Nile red-stained membranes showed a morphologically heterogeneous population of bacteria with abnormally increased sizes, distorted axial ratios, and a deficit in the number of cells with completed septa. Immunofluorescence with an antibody specific for PBP1 localized the protein to sites of cell division. No alteration in the composition of peptidoglycan was detectable in pbpA conditional mutants grown in the presence of a suboptimal concentration of IPTG, which severely restricted the rate of growth, and the essential function of PBP1 could not be replaced by PBP2A present in methicillin-resistant cells. These observations suggest that PBP1 is not a major contributor to the cross-linking of peptidoglycan and that its essential function must be intimately integrated into the mechanism of cell division.
Specific interaction of IP6 with human Ku70/80, the DNA‐binding subunit of DNA‐PK

In eukaryotic cells, DNA double‐strand breaks can be repaired by non‐homologous end‐joining, a process dependent upon Ku70/80, XRCC4 and DNA ligase IV. In mammals, this process also requires DNA‐PKcs, the catalytic subunit of the DNA‐dependent protein kinase DNA‐PK. Previously, inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6) was shown to be bound by DNA‐PK and to stimulate DNA‐PK‐dependent end‐joining in vitro. Here, we localize IP6 binding to the Ku70/80 subunits of DNA‐ PK, and show that DNA‐PKcs alone exhibits no detectable affinity for IP6. Moreover, proteolysis mapping of Ku70/80 in the presence and absence of IP6 indicates that binding alters the conformation of the Ku70/80 heterodimer. The yeast homologue of Ku70/80, yKu70/80, fails to bind IP6, indicating that the function of IP6 in non‐homologous end‐joining, like that of DNA‐PKcs, is unique to the mammalian end‐joining process.
Pharmacological Properties of a Low Molecular Weight Butyryl Heparin Derivative (C4-CY 216) with Long Lasting Effects

Summary We have investigated the pharmacological properties of an O-acylated butyryl derivative of the low molecular weight heparin CY 216 (C4-CY 216). In a purified system the ability of C4-CY 216 to catalyze thrombin and factor Xa inhibition was comparable to that of CY 216. The antithrombin and antifactor Xa catalytic efficiencies of C4-CY 216 were reduced 217 and 12 times respectively when albumin (10 mg ml-1) was added to the reagents, while those of CY 216 were essentially unchanged. In plasma, the antifactor Xa specific activity of C4-CY 216 was close to that of CY 216 but the antithrombin specific activity was 2 times lower. After bolus and continuous intravenous injection to rabbits, the clearances of the two activities of C4-CY 216 were on average half the corresponding values of CY 216. After subcutaneous injection, the bioavailability of C4-CY 216 was comparable to that of CY 216. C4-CY 216 was as potent as CY 216 in preventing venous thrombosis in the thromboplastin-Wessler model and the duration of the antithrombotic effect was longer than that of the parent compound. The chemical alteration of CY 216 did not enhance the prohaemorrhagic effect in the rat tail transection model. Therefore, the new concept of heparin derivative having a low clearance and long lasting effects that we have recently reported for unfractionated heparin may also be applied to a low molecular weight heparin.
Stable ischemic heart disease in women: current perspectives

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women accounting for 1 in every 4 female deaths. Pathophysiology of ischemic heart disease in women includes epicardial coronary artery, endothelial dysfunction, coronary vasospasm, plaque erosion and spontaneous coronary artery dissection. Angina is the most common presentation of stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD) in women. Risk factors for SIHD include traditional risks such as older age, obesity (body mass index [BMI] >25 kg/m2), smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, cerebrovascular and peripheral vascular disease, sedentary lifestyle, family history of premature coronary artery disease, metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus, and nontraditional risk factors, such as gestational diabetes, insulin resistance/polycystic ovarian disease, pregnancy-induced hypertension, pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, menopause, mental stress and autoimmune diseases. Diagnostic testing can be used effectively to risk stratify women. Guidelines-directed medical therapy including aspirin, statins, beta-blocker therapy, calcium channel blockers and ranolazine should be instituted for symptom and ischemia management. Despite robust evidence regarding the adverse outcomes seen in women with ischemic heart disease, knowledge gaps exist in several areas. Future research needs to be directed toward a greater understanding of the role of nontraditional risk factors for SIHD in women, gaining deeper insights into the sex differences in therapeutic effects and formulating a sex-specific algorithm for the management of SIHD in women.
Fast and Accurate: Improving a Simple Beat Tracker with a Selectively-Applied Deep Beat Identification

In music applications, audio beat tracking is a central component that requires both speed and accuracy, but a fast beat tracker typically has many beat phase errors, while an accurate one typically requires more computation. This paper achieves a fast tracking speed and a low beat phase error by applying a slow but accurate beat phase detector at only the most informative spots in a given song, and interpolating the rest by a fast tatum-level tracker. We present (1) a framework for selecting a small subset of the tatum indices that information-theoretically best describes the beat phases of the song, (2) a fast HMM-based beat tracker for tatum tracking, and (3) an accurate but slow beat detector using a deep neural network (DNN). The evaluations demonstrate that the proposed DNN beat phase detection halves the beat phase error of the HMM-based tracker and enables a 98% decrease in the required number of DNN invocations without dropping the accuracy.
War, Violence and Women: a Case Study of Syrian Civil War (2013-2014)

Some nations have been experienced domestic armed conflict and that made the central point of the most of the research in international relations. Civil wars have became the widely used synonym for armed conflict in the world. Syria has busted in its third year of civil war which killed thousands of people and displaced millions.War is an inevitable reality of the cruel patriarchal system of male domination to oppressed other race, nations and used sexual violence against women as strategic war head. The violence against women in Syria fetched gendered security issues in the framework of international relations. This paper analysis the violence against women (VAW) in Syria should be characterized as security issue which required consideration and intervention in any way. Civil war and violence against women (VAW) not a new thing in the contemporary world where we claimed to be as civilized. Women are usually disproportionately affected by armed conflicts. During armed conflict, women have raped, brutally killed not only to threat women but also as an instrument of genocide. This research paper based on the violence against women (VAW) in current Civil War in Syria.
Clinical relevance of circulating immune complexes in human leukemia. Association in acute leukemia of the presence of immune complexes with unfavorable prognosis.

The occurrence of circulating immune complexes was investigated in 467 serum samples from 230 leukemia patients using the [(125)I]Clq-binding test. There was an increased serum [(125)I]Clq-binding activity in 40% of patients with acute myeloid leukemia, 23% with acute lymphatic leukemia, 46% in blastic crisis of chronic myeloid leukemia, 12% with chronic lymphatic leukemia, and 13% with chronic myeloid leukemia. In 48 patients, serum was also tested for soluble immune complexes by the Raji cell radioassay; the correlation between results of the two tests was significant. The Clq-binding material had properties identical with those of immune complexes. It sedimented as 14-28s material on sucrose density gradient. It contained IgG which could be dissociated at acid pH. Its Clq-binding properties could be removed after passage through anti-IgG immuno-absorbant or after a mild reduction-alkylation treatment, but were not sensitive to deoxyribonuclease treatment. Circulating immune complexes were found most commonly during the blastic stage of leukemia.Remission took place in 75.4% of patients with no detectable circulating immune complexes at the onset of acute leukemia, but in only 32.7% of those with detected complexes during this period. Median survival times of the former group of patients were more than 18 mo in acute myeloid leukemia and acute lymphatic leukemia and more than 8(1/2) mo in blastic crisis of chronic myeloid leukemia. The corresponding median survival times in the latter patient group were 64, 135, and 90 days. These findings were unrelated to prognostic features already known.
Capsular polysaccharide regulates neutrophil complement receptor interactions with type III group B streptococci

The capsular polysaccharide of type III group B streptococci contributes substantially to the virulence of this organism. We explored the extent to which capsular polysaccharide influences neutrophil complement receptor interactions by using a poorly encapsulated strain (COH 31r/s), two well-encapsulated strains (M732 and M912), and strains produced from COH 31r/s by transposon mutagenesis that lacked capsule (COH 31-15) or had capsular polysaccharide lacking terminal sialic acid residues (COH 31-21). When tested with normal human serum, each strain had initially high bactericidal indices (85 to 96%). Monoclonal antibody blockade of neutrophil complement receptor 3 (CD11b/CD18) inhibited opsonophagocytosis to a significantly greater extent for the well-encapsulated strain than for the poorly encapsulated, asialo, or unencapsulated mutant strain. The addition of antibody with specificity for capsular polysaccharide reduced the inhibitory effect significantly for the encapsulated but not for the mutant strains. Blockade of neutrophil complement receptor 1 (CD35) effected only low-level inhibition. However, simultaneous blockade of complement receptors 1 and 3 augmented the inhibitory effect. When hypogammaglobulinemic serum was used as an antibody-free complement source, the initial bactericidal index was low (30% +/- 15%) for an encapsulated strain and was not affected for the mutant strains. Blockade of either neutrophil complement receptor 1 or 3 or the combination fully inhibited killing of the encapsulated strain. These results demonstrate that the type III group B streptococcal capsular polysaccharide regulates interactions with neutrophil complement receptors. We conclude that efficient phagocytic killing of encapsulated group streptococci in nonimmune serum requires ligation of complement receptors 1 and 3.
Creation of a prevascularized site for cell transplantation in rats

Stiegler P, Matzi V, Pierer E, Hauser O, Schaffellner S, Renner H, Greilberger J, Aigner R, Maier A, Lackner C, Iberer F, Smolle‐Jüttner F‐M, Tscheliessnigg K, Stadlbauer V. Creation of a prevascularized site for cell transplantation in rats. Xenotransplantation 2010; 17: 379–390. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
Accuracy of Prediction Equations for Determining One Repetition Maximum Bench Press in Women Before and After Resistance Training

Mayhew, JL, Johnson, BD, LaMonte, MJ, Lauber, D, and Kemmler, W. Accuracy of prediction equations for determining one repetition maximum bench press in women before and after resistance training. J Strength Cond Res 22(5): 1570-1577, 2008-Repetitions to fatigue (RTF) using less than a 1 repetition maximum (1RM) load (RepWt) have been shown to be a good predictor of 1RM strength in men, but such information is scarce in women. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of current prediction equations to estimate 1RM bench press performance and to determine whether resistance training changes the capability to predict 1RM from muscular endurance repetitions in young women. Members (n = 103) of a required wellness course were measured for 1RM bench press and RTF using randomly assigned percentages between 60% and 90% of the 1RM (RepWt) before and after 12 weeks of progressive resistance training. The %1RM used to perform RTF remained the same for each individual after training (75.6% ± 10.3%) as before. One repetition maximum bench press increased significantly after training (28% ± 21%). Although the change in the group average for RTF (0.6 ± 6.1) was not significant, the correlation between pretraining and posttraining RTF was moderate (r = 0.66; p < 0.01), and individual differences in percentage change in RTF were substantial (27% ± 99%). The percentage change in 1RM was not significantly related to initial 1RM (r = −0.05), but it was negatively related to the change in RTF (r = −0.40; p < 0.01). Prediction equations were more accurate in the pretraining and posttraining conditions, in which fewer than 10 RTF were used. Resistance training may alter the relationship between strength and muscle endurance across a wide range of RTF in young women without compromising the accuracy of predicting maximal strength.