Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Validity of visual perceptive computing for static posturography in patients with multiple sclerosis

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients frequently have postural control impairment but quantitative posturography is difficult to perform in clinical care. Recent technology facilitates new posturography approaches. Objective: To evaluate construct validity of visual perceptive computing (VPC) for static posturography to study postural control in MS patients. Methods: A total of 90 MS patients and 59 healthy controls (HCs) performed three stance tests: open, closed and tandem stance. Static posturography was performed using a VPC system with Microsoft Kinect. Clinical assessments included Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), Timed-25-Foot-Walk, Short-Maximum-Speed-Walk and 12-item MS Walking Scale (MSWS-12) questionnaire. Reliability was assessed with intra-class correlation coefficients at retest. Results: As a group, MS patients performed worse than HCs in all tests. The closed stance test showed best applicability and reliability. With closed eyes, in 36.7% of patients, the three-dimensional mean angular sway velocity (MSV-3D) was above HCs’ 95th percentile. Higher MSV-3D was associated with decreased walking speed (p < 0.001); worse clinical scores, mainly attributable to the cerebellar functional system score (p < 0.001); and reflected in self-reported walking disability (MSWS-12, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Postural control can be reliably assessed by VPC-based static posturography in patients with MS. Abnormal postural control seems to predominantly reflect involvement of cerebellar circuits with impact on gait and walking disability.
Lateral asymmetry as a function of motor practice type of complex upper- and lower-limb movement in young children

ABSTRACT The influence of different motor practice types on lateral asymmetry of performance was investigated in 40 preschool children. Lateral preference was measured prior the experiment. For the purpose of present study dribbling a ball with a hand and foot was used to assess lateral asymmetry of performance before and after three different motor practice types. Motor practice with the non-dominant, dominant, and both (contralateral) limbs took place in the indoor facility 4 times/week for 6 weeks. Each session lasted 30–40 min. Our results showed that unilateral practice of dribbling is more beneficial for diminishing lateral asymmetry of performance in comparison to bilateral practice. Moreover, participants who practiced with their dominant limb diminished lateral asymmetry of performance the most and made the largest overall improvement. We did not find important differences between acquisitions of dribbling with upper- and lower-extremity. In this sense, the results support the notion of lateral asymmetry of performance to be task-specific.
Dissecting Mannose 6-Phosphate-Insulin-like Growth Factor 2 Receptor Complexes That Control Activation and Uptake of Plasminogen in Cells*

Background: The plasminogen system is central in cell migration and is thus involved in many patho/physiological processes. Results: M6P-IGF2R is a regulatory factor in plasminogen-associated complexes and mediates plasminogen internalization. Conclusion: The uptake of plasminogen by M6P-IGF2R might be an important pathway to control plasminogen activation in cells. Significance: M6P-IGF2R restricts plasmin activity and its loss might lead to rampant fibrinolysis. The plasminogen (Plg) activation cascade on the cell surface plays a central role in cell migration and is involved in a plethora of physiological and pathological processes. Its regulation is coordinated by many receptors, in particular the urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR, CD87), receptors that physically interact and functionally cooperate with uPAR, and Plg binding molecules. Here we studied the impact of one of the Plg binding molecules, the mannose 6-phosphate/insulin-like growth factor 2 receptor (M6P-IGF2R, CD222), on cellular Plg activation. By developing both in vitro and in vivo Plg activation assays on size-fractionated lysates of M6P-IGF2R-silenced cells, we identified Plg-associated complexes with M6P-IGF2R as the regulatory factor. Using lipid raft preserving versus dissolving detergents, we found lipid dependence of the Plg regulatory function of these complexes. Furthermore, M6P-IGF2R-silencing in uPAR-positive human cell lines reduced internalization of Plg, resulting in elevated Plg activation. In contrast, the expression of human M6P-IGF2R in mouse embryonic fibroblasts derived from M6P-IGF2R knock-out mice enhanced Plg internalization. Finally, peptide 18–36 derived from the Plg-binding site within M6P-IGF2R enhanced Plg uptake. Thus, by targeting Plg to endocytic pathways, M6P-IGF2R appears to control Plg activation within cells that might be important to restrict plasmin activity to specific sites and substrates.
Electrical coupling synchronises spinal motoneuron activity during swimming in hatchling Xenopus tadpoles

The role of electrical coupling between neurons in the swimming rhythm generator of Xenopus embryos has been studied using pharmacological blockade of gap junctions. A conspicuous effect of 18β‐glycyrrhetinic acid (18β‐GA) and carbenoxolone, which have been shown to block electrical coupling in this preparation, was to increase the duration of ventral root bursts throughout the spinal cord during swimming. The left‐right coordination, the swimming frequency and the duration of swimming episodes were not affected by concentrations of 18β‐GA which significantly increased burst durations. However, the longitudinal coupling was affected such that 18β‐GA led to a significant correlation between rostrocaudal delays and cycle periods, which is usually only present in older larval animals. Patch clamp recordings from spinal motoneurons tested whether gap junction blockers affect the spike timing and/or firing pattern of motoneurons during fictive swimming. In the presence of 18β‐GA motoneurons continued to fire a single, but broader action potential in each cycle of swimming, and the timing of their spikes relative to the ventral root burst became more variable. 18β‐GA had no detectable effect on the resting membrane potential of motoneurons, but led to a significant increase in input resistance, consistent with the block of gap junctions. This effect did not result in increased firing during swimming, despite the fact that multiple spikes can occur in response to current injection. Applications of 18β‐GA at larval stage 42 had no discernible effect on locomotion. The results, which suggest that electrical coupling primarily functions to synchronize activity in synergistic motoneurons during embryo swimming, are discussed in the context of motor system development.
The chromatographic assay of 4-hydroxynonenal as a biomarker of diseases by means of MEPS and HPLC technique.

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a new analytical method for the determination of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE) in biological samples while applying microextraction by packed sorbent as a sample preparation method and HPLC with UV-vis detection. Various microextraction by packed sorbent (MEPS) sorbents like C2 , C8 , C18 , M1 (80% C8 and 20% SCX) and silica were used to separate 4-HNE from biological samples. The highest affinity of 4-HNE was observed for sorbents like C18 . The extraction efficiency was in the range from 47.4 to 89.2% dependent on the concentration of 4-HNE. Lower efficiency of 4-HNE extraction was obtained with use of MEPS packings such as C8 and M1. The extraction efficiency was in the range from 35.2 to 66.3% for packing C8 and from 34.2 to 64.3% for packing M1, respectively. The limit of detection and lower limit of quantitation for UV-vis detection were respectively 4.5 and 9.0 nmol/mL. The proposed method can be used for the evaluation of extraction efficiency of 4-HNE in biological sample because the values of lower limit of quantitation are lower than the determined amounts of the analyte in samples. The method yields excellent performance of quantification and identification in analysis of inflammation biomarkers.
Ideological Themes in Family Policy

In this exploration of family policy, the author identifies the basic assumptions that shape differing perspectives on such policies. Focus is on the definition of the family, the privileging of certain definitions, the state-family relationship, the valuing or devaluing of the family, and the tension between familism and individualism. The social worker's role in shaping family policy to reflect social work values is examined.
Generic noun phrases in mother–child conversations

Generic noun phrases (e.g. Tigers are fierce) are of interest for their semantic properties: they capture ‘essential’ properties, are timeless, and are context-free. The present study examines use of generic noun phrases by preschool children and their mothers. Mother–child pairs were videotaped while looking through a book of animal pictures. Each page depicted either a single instance of a particular category (e.g. one crab) or multiple instances of a particular category (e.g. many crabs). The results indicated a striking difference in how generics vs. non-generics were distributed, both in the speech of mothers and in the speech of preschool children. Whereas the form of non-generic noun phrases was closely linked to the structure of the page (i.e. singular noun phrases were used more often when a single instance was presented; plural noun phrases were used more often when multiple instances were presented), the form of generic noun phrases was independent of the information depicted (e.g. plural noun phrases were as frequent when only one instance was presented as when multiple instances were presented). We interpret the data as providing evidence that generic noun phrases differ in their semantics and conceptual organization from non-generic noun phrases, both in the input to young children and in children's own speech. Thus, this simple linguistic device may provide input to, and a reflection of, children's early developing notion of ‘kinds’.
Global Gene Expression and Phenotypic Analysis of a Vibrio cholerae rpoH Deletion Mutant

ABSTRACT Vibrio cholerae, the cause of cholera, can grow in a variety of environments outside of human hosts. During infection, this pathogen must adapt to significant environmental alterations, including the elevated temperature of the human gastrointestinal tract. σ32, an alternative sigma factor encoded by rpoH, activates transcription of genes involved in the heat shock response in several bacterial species. Here, we assessed the role of σ32 in V. cholerae physiology. In aggregate, our findings suggest that σ32 promotes V. cholerae growth at temperatures ranging at least from 15°C to 42°C. Growth of the rpoH mutant was severely attenuated within the suckling mouse intestine, suggesting that σ32-regulated genes are critical for V. cholerae adaptation to conditions within the gastrointestinal tract. We defined the V. cholerae RpoH regulon by comparing the whole-genome transcription profiles of the wild-type and rpoH mutant strains after a temperature up-shift. Most of the V. cholerae genes expressed in an RpoH-dependent manner after heat shock encode proteins that influence protein fate, such as proteases and chaperones, or are of unknown function. Bioinformatic analyses of the microarray data were used to define a putative σ32 consensus binding sequence and subsequently to identify genes that are likely to be directly regulated by RpoH in the whole V. cholerae genome.
Soil food web components affect plant community structure during early succession

There is a growing awareness among ecologists of the strong links that exist between above- and belowground food webs. So far, the majority of studies have considered these links from the microbial point of view, usually with single plants or very simple plant communities. Here, we report the interactions between two components of the soil food web, root-feeding insects and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, and their effects on the structure and development of early successional plant communities. We use long-term field experiments that employ manipulations of these organisms, both singly and in combination. Both groups have strong effects on plant community structure, with root-feeding insects increasing and AM fungi decreasing plant species richness. Root-feeding insects appear to accelerate the process of early succession, while AM fungi retard it. There are strong interactions between the insects and fungi. The effect of insects is greatest when AM fungi are present. It is suggested that this is a consequence of plant physiology, rather than any direct interaction between the groups involved. Meanwhile, AM fungi have their greatest effect on plant communities when insects are absent, suggesting that there is some disruption of the symbiosis by the invertebrates. In developing plant communities, the rate and direction of the succession is therefore determined by the relative abundance of these two members of the soil food web. The next challenge will be to understand the roles of other members of the subterranean web in terms of their interactions with insects and AM fungi and effects on plant community development.
Monitoring of a virtual infrastructure testbed

This paper presents a SNMP-based Monitoring Agents for Multi-Constrain Resource Scheduling in Grids (SBLOMARS) as an effective solution for resource usage monitoring in virtual network environments. SBLOMARS is different to current large-scale distributed monitoring systems in three essential aspects: Firstly, it reaches a high level of generality by the integration of the SNMP protocol and thus, facilitates to handle heterogeneous operating platforms. Secondly, it is able to self-configure the polling periods of the resources to be monitored depending of network context and finally, it makes use of dynamic software structures to interface with third parties, allowing to be deployed in a wide range of devices, from simple mobile access devices to robust multiprocessor systems or clusters with even multiple hard disks and storage partitions. SBLOMARS has been deployed in EmanicsLab, a virtual laboratory constituted by fourteen nodes distributed in seven European Universities. Although the research is not yet concluded, available results confirm its suitability to deal with the challenges of monitoring virtual networks.
Depersonalization as a Mediator in the Relationship Between Self-Focused Attention and Auditory Hallucinations

The purpose of this work was to study the potentially mediating role of certain dissociative factors, such as depersonalization, between self-focused attention and auditory hallucinations. A total of 59 patients diagnosed with schizophrenic disorder completed a self-focused attention scale (M. F. Scheier & C. S. Carver, 1985), the Cambridge Depersonalization Scale (M. Sierra & G. E. Berrios, 2000), and the hallucination and delusion items on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (S. R. Kay, L. A. Opler, & J. P. Lindenmayer, 1988). The results showed that self-focused attention correlated positively with auditory hallucinations, with delusions, and with depersonalization. It was also demonstrated that depersonalization has a mediating role between self-focused attention and auditory hallucinations but not delusions. In the discussion, the importance of dissociative processes in understanding the formation and maintenance of auditory hallucinations is suggested.
The Evangelicalisation of Black Pentecostalism in the AFM of SA (1940–1975): A Turning Point

The Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM) of South Africa, a Pentecostal denomination founded in 1908 by an American missionary, John G Lake, attracted a large following of blacks in South Africa from its inception. This denomination contributed a large body of Zionist churches to the African Independent Church movement. Among its black members before and during the 1940s, it was Zionist-like—only undergoing changes between 1943 and 1975 resulting in it becoming outright evangelical. This was a turning point in the history of the AFM and black Pentecostals specifically, as it brought this large body of followers culturally closer to the dominant evangelical expression of Pentecostalism in the denomination. This article looks into reasons behind the changes as well as how they were carried out. Primary sources, available at the AFM archives, and secondary sources such as theses, articles and books with a bearing on the topic have been consulted. The article contributes to the growing body of South African Pentecostal history.
Effects of Future Pension Benefits on Pre-Retirement Labor Supply: Evidence from Chile

In this paper, I estimate the effect of future pension benefits on pre-retirement labor supply for a representative sample of Chilean workers. Using non-linear patterns in pension benefit formulas and a reform that changed non-contributory pensions, I estimate the effect of pension accrual and expected pension wealth on labor force and contributory-sector participation, labor earnings, and hours worked. I find that the effect is related to the impact of pension accrual on the probability to contribute to the pension system. The effect is heterogeneous, and is concentrated among middle-age workers, low-skilled workers, workers with no savings, and workers with higher financial literacy.
A recyclable Candida albicans URA3 cassette for PCR product‐directed gene disruptions

For some time, gene disruptions in Candida albicans have been made with the hisG‐URA3‐hisG (‘Ura‐blaster’) cassette, which can be re‐used in successive transformations of a single strain after homologous excision of URA3. However, the hisG repeats are too large for efficient PCR amplification of the entire cassette, so it cannot be used for PCR product‐directed gene disruptions. We describe here a gene disruption cassette, URA3‐dpl200, with 200 bp flanking repeats that permit efficient PCR amplification. After transformation and integration to produce both arg5::URA3‐dpl200 and rim101::URA3‐dpl200 alleles, we find that arg5::dpl200 and rim101::dpl200 segregants, respectively, can be obtained. We have used the cassette to create rim101::dpl200/rim101::URA3‐dpl200 mutants exclusively through PCR product‐directed disruption. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
bla SHV Genes in Klebsiella pneumoniae: Different Allele Distributions Are Associated with Different Promoters within Individual Isolates

ABSTRACT Extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) emerge by point mutation from non-extended-spectrum precursors. The aims of this study were to reveal the basis for variations in resistance levels found in a collection of 21 Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates from Brisbane, Australia. Previous studies have shown that 20 of these isolates possess blaSHV-11, blaSHV-2a, and/or blaSHV-12, and there is an association between the copy numbers of the ESBL-encoding genes and resistance levels. In this study, a real-time PCR method for interrogating the polymorphic sites at codons 238 and 240 was developed, and this confirmed the relationship between mutant gene copy numbers and resistance levels. The blaSHV promoter region was cloned from one of the ESBL-expressing isolates, and this showed that blaSHV genes exist downstream of two different promoters within this single isolate. These promoters have both been reported previously, and they differ by virtue of the presence or absence of an IS26 insertion. The blaSHV copy numbers in cis with the different promoters were measured, and the copy number of the IS26 promoter was correlated with resistance levels. Cloning and analysis of PCR products showed that different blaSHV variants existed in cis with individual promoters in individual isolates but that mutant genes were more abundant downstream of the IS26 promoter. There were no ESBL-positive isolates without this promoter. It was concluded that blaSHV in cis with the IS26 promoter is located on an amplifiable replicon, and the presence of the IS26 insertion may facilitate the acquisition of an ESBL-positive phenotype.
Iodine excretion has decreased in Denmark between 2004 and 2010 – the importance of iodine content in milk

Fortification with the essential trace element iodine is widespread worldwide. In the present study, results on iodine excretion and intake of iodine-rich foods from a cross-sectional study carried out in 2004–5, 4 to 5 years after the implementation of mandatory iodine fortification, were compared with data in a study carried out in 2008–10. The 2008–10 study was a follow-up of a cross-sectional study carried out before iodine fortification was implemented. Participants in the cross-sectional studies were randomly selected. Both studies were carried out in the cities of Aalborg and Copenhagen in Denmark. The median urinary iodine concentration decreased in women from 97 μg/l (n 2862) to 78 μg/l (n 2041) (P< 0·001). The decrease persisted after adjustment for age, city and education, and if expressed as estimated 24 h iodine excretion. The prevalence of users of iodine containing dietary supplements increased from 29·4 to 37·3 % (P< 0·001). The total fluid intake increased in women (P< 0·001), but the intake of other iodine-rich foods did not change. The median urinary iodine concentration did not change in men (114 μg/l (n 708) and 107 μg/l (n 424), respectively), while the total fluid intake decreased (P= 0·001). Iodine content was measured in milk sampled in 2000–1 and in 2013. The iodine content was lower in 2013 (12 (sd 3) μg/100 g) compared with that in 2000–1 (16 (sd 6) μg/100 g) (P< 0·001). In conclusion, iodine excretion in women has decreased below the recommended level. The reason might probably, at least partly, be a decreased content of iodine in milk.
Test Pattern Selection and Customization Targeting Reduced Dynamic and Leakage Power Consumption

Test mode power dissipation has been found to be much more than the functional power dissipation. Since dynamic power dissipation had a major contribution to the heat generated, most of the studies focused on reducing the transitions during testing. But at submicron technology, leakage current becomes significantly high. This demands a control on the leakage current as well. In this work, we propose techniques to simultaneously reduce the switching activity and keeping the leakage current under check. The overall average switching activity reduction is 70.01% and reduction in leakage power is about 6.31%, the maximum being 99.33% in switching and 9.92% in leakage.