Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Whitehorse NoFalls trial: effects on fall rates and injurious fall rates.

BACKGROUND the burden of falls and fall-related injuries among older adults is well established. Contention surrounds the effectiveness, and hence value, of multi-component fall prevention interventions delivered in the community. OBJECTIVE using consensus-based analytic guidelines rather than time-to-first fall as the primary endpoint, the objective was to examine the effectiveness of the Whitehorse NoFalls trial on all falls, falls resulting in injury and falls requiring medical care to be sought. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS the study was a community-based randomised controlled trial, with 1,090 participants assigned to one of eight groups, these being a combination of one or more of exercise, vision and or home hazard reduction or alternatively assignment to the control group. METHODS using negative binomial regression, the incidence of all falls, falls resulting in injury and those requiring medical care in the intervention groups were examined. Falls were reported using a monthly return calendar. RESULTS exercise alone and in combination with vision and/or home hazard reduction was associated with fewer falls. For falls resulting in injury and the subset requiring medical care, the vision plus exercise intervention was associated with fewer falls. CONCLUSIONS the findings confirm the effectiveness of exercise in preventing falls among community-dwelling older adults and supports contention that multi-component interventions do not prevent more falls than a single intervention. The results highlight the effectiveness of vision plus exercise in preventing more serious falls, a finding which warrants further consideration.
Analysis of Gene Expression in White Blood Cells of Cattle Orally Challenged with Bovine Amyloidotic Spongiform Encephalopathy

Bovine amyloidotic spongiform encephalopathy (BASE) is one of the recently discovered atypical forms of BSE, which is transmissible to primates, and may be the bovine equivalent of sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jacob disease (CJD) in humans. Although it is transmissible, it is unknown whether BASE is acquired through infection or arises spontaneously. In the present study, the gene expression of white blood cells (WBCs) from 5 cattle at 1 yr after oral BASE challenge was compared with negative controls using a custom microarray containing 43,768 unique gene probes. In total, 56 genes were found to be differentially expressed between BASE and control animals with a log fold change of 2 or greater. Of these, 39 were upregulated in BASE animals, while 17 were downregulated. The majority of these genes are related to immune function. In particular, BASE animals appeared to have significantly modified expression of genes linked to T- and B-cell development and activation, and to inflammatory responses. The potential impacts of these gene expression changes are described.
Protection of Cap-dependent Protein Synthesisin Vivo and in Vitro with an eIF4G-1 Variant Highly Resistant to Cleavage by Coxsackievirus 2A Protease*

The shutoff of host protein synthesis by certain picornaviruses is mediated, at least in part, by proteolytic cleavage of eIF4G-1. Previously, we developed a cleavage site variant of eIF4G-1, termed eIF4G-1SM, that was 100-fold more resistant to in vitro cleavage by Coxsackievirus 2A protease (2APro) than wild-type eIF4G-1 (eIF4G-1WT), but it was still digested at high protease concentrations. Here we identified a secondary cleavage site upstream of the primary site. We changed Gly at the P1′-position of the secondary site to Ala to produce eIF4G-1DM. eIF4G-1DM was 1,000–10,000-fold more resistant to cleavagein vitro than eIF4G-1WT. Full functional activity of eIF4G-1DM was demonstrated in vitroby its ability to restore cap-dependent translation to a 2APro-pretreated rabbit reticulocyte system. An isoform containing the binding site for poly(A)-binding protein, eIF4G-1eDM, was more active in this assay than an isoform lacking it, eIF4G-1aDM, but only with polyadenylated mRNA. Functional activity was also demonstrated in vivowith stably transfected HeLa cells expressing eIF4G-1DMfrom a tetracycline-regulated promoter. Cap-dependent green fluorescent protein synthesis was drastically inhibited by 2APro expression, but synthesis was almost fully restored by induction of either eIF4G-1aDM or eIF4G-1eDM. By contrast, encephalomyocarditis virus internal ribosome entry site-dependent green fluorescent protein synthesis was stimulated by 2APro; stimulation was suppressed by eIF4G-1eDM but not eIF4G-1aDM.
Defining the Role of Mutations in Plasmodium vivax Dihydrofolate Reductase-Thymidylate Synthase Gene Using an Episomal Plasmodium falciparum Transfection System

ABSTRACT Plasmodium vivax resistance to antifolates is prevalent throughout Australasia and is caused by point mutations within the parasite dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR)-thymidylate synthase. Several unique mutations have been reported in P. vivax DHFR, and their roles in resistance to classic and novel antifolates are not entirely clear due, in part, to the inability to culture P. vivax in vitro. In this study, we use a homologous system to episomally express both wild-type and various mutant P. vivax dhfr (pvdhfr) alleles in an antifolate-sensitive line of P. falciparum and to assess their influences on the susceptibility of the recipient P. falciparum line to commonly used and new antifolate drugs. Although the wild-type pvdhfr-transfected P. falciparum line was as susceptible to antifolate drugs as the P. falciparum parent line, the single (117N), double (57L/117T and 58R/117T), and quadruple (57L/58R/61M/117T) mutant pvdhfr alleles conferred a marked reduction in their susceptibilities to antifolates. The resistance index increased with the number of mutations in these alleles, indicating that these mutations contribute to antifolate resistance directly. In contrast, the triple mutant allele (58R/61M/117T) significantly reversed the resistance to all antifolates, indicating that 61M may be a compensatory mutation. These findings help elucidate the mechanism of antifolate resistance and the effect of existing mutations in the parasite population on the current and new generation of antifolate drugs. It also demonstrates that the episomal transfection system has the potential to provide a rapid screening system for drug development and for studying drug resistance mechanisms in P. vivax.
New treatment options for OCD

Pharmacological management of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is achieved using drugs that inhibit the synaptic uptake of serotonin, such as clomipramine, a tricyclic antidepressant, and the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Recent studies suggest that the improved tolerability profile of the SSRIs relative to clomipramine may offer a more suitable treatment choice. Escitalopram, the therapeutically active S-enantiomer of citalopram, is the most selective SSRI currently available. In a 24-week randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study, escitalopram (20 mg) was associated with significantly lower symptom scores at 12 weeks (P<0.01) and increased response rate (Yale-Brown Obsessive-compulsive Scale [Y-BOCS]) (70.2%) compared with placebo (50.4%). Escitalopram (10 mg) was more effective in reducing symptom scores than placebo at 24 weeks (P=0.052). Escitalopram 20 mg was also associated with improved remitter status (Y-BOCS total score ≤10) compared with paroxetine (40 mg) or placebo from week 12. In a relapse-prevention study, 10 and 20 mg escitalopram showed a statistically significant superior effect relative to placebo on time to relapse of OCD with a hazard ratio of 2.74. Escitalopram was well-tolerated by patients with OCD. In conclusion, escitalopram provides significant symptom relief and prevention of relapse during long-term use and deserves consideration as a first-line agent in the long-term pharmacotherapy of OCD.
Analyzing Crisis Response through Actor-network Theory: The Case of Kathmandu Living Labs

Crisis response is the most critical stage in crisis management during which actors make important decisions on mitigating a crisis. However, the decision making in such situations is a complex sociotechnical phenomenon. The literature specifies crisis response to include four steps (i.e., observation, interpretation, choice, and dissemination) and suggests a sociotechnical approach for analyzing them. However, we still lack theoretical guidelines for conducting sociotechnical analyses of the complexity involved in the crisis response activities. To help fill this knowledge gap, we present an interpretive case study on Kathmandu Living Labs’ (KLL) role in the response to the Nepal earthquake in 2015. We analyze the case using actor-network theory (ANT) and explore how a social entrepreneur from KLL enrolled different technical and human actors and mobilized them in the crisis response. We use ANT to explore the temporal and interdependent role of digital volunteers, local communities, and technologies in responding to the crisisWe demonstrate the usefulness of ANT’s translation process in understanding the complex sociotechnical process of crisis response in disaster events.
PGK deficiency

Phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) deficiency is one of the relatively uncommon causes of hereditary non‐spherocytic haemolytic anaemia (HNSHA). The gene encoding the erythrocyte enzyme PGK1, is X‐linked. Mutations of this gene may cause chronic haemolysis with or without mental retardation and they may cause myopathies, often with episodes of myoglobinuria, or a combination of these clinical manifestations. Twenty‐six families have been described and in 20 of these the mutations are known. The reason for different clinical manifestations of mutations of the same gene remains unknown.
Innovative allocation mechanism design of carbon emission permits in China under the background of a low-carbon economy

The total quantity control and trading of carbon emission permits (CEPs) are important means to promote the development of a low-carbon economy, and the key is the initial allocation of the CEPs. For the initial allocation problem of CEPs in China, we analyze the disadvantages of the existing free allocation method, namely, that it cannot stimulate the polluters to declare their real marginal-cost information and so it is difficult to achieve effectiveness in resource allocation. Considering these disadvantages, we design an incentive auction mechanism for allocating CEPs based on the theory and methods of a divisible-good auction, to achieve the optimal supply strategy of the government and the equilibrium bidding strategies of polluters. The theoretical proof shows that this auction mechanism has properties such as stimulation of information and validity of allocation.The auction mechanism is applied to the problem of CEP allocation in fourteen cities in the Hanjiang River Basin in China. From the allocation results of this application example, we make some suggestions for improving the implementation of the CEP trading system and the design of future environmental policy in a low-carbon economy.
Evidence, hierarchies, and typologies: horses for courses

Debate is ongoing about the nature and use of evidence in public health decision making, and there seems to be an emerging consensus that the “hierarchy of evidence” may be difficult to apply in other settings. It may be unhelpful however to simply abandon the hierarchy without having a framework or guide to replace it. One such framework is discussed. This is based around a matrix, and emphasises the need to match research questions to specific types of research. This emphasis on methodological appropriateness, and on typologies rather than hierarchies of evidence may be helpful in organising and appraising public health evidence.
Isolation of a Variant of Subtilosin A with Hemolytic Activity

ABSTRACT Bacillus subtilis produces an anionic bacteriocin called subtilosin A that possesses antibacterial activity against certain gram-positive bacteria. In this study, we uncovered a hemolytic mutant of B. subtilis that produces an altered form of subtilosin A. The mutant bacteriocin, named subtilosin A1, has a replacement of threonine at position 6 with isoleucine. In addition to the hemolytic activity, subtilosin A1 was found to exhibit enhanced antimicrobial activity against specific bacterial strains. The B. subtilis albB mutant that does not produce a putative immunity peptide was more sensitive to both subtilosin A and subtilosin A1. A spontaneous suppressor mutation of albB that restored resistance to subtilosin A and subtilosin A1 was obtained. The sbr (subtilosin resistance) mutation conferring the resistance is not linked to the sboA-alb locus. The sbr mutation does not increase the resistance of B. subtilis to other cell envelope-targeted antimicrobial agents, indicating that the mutation specifically confers the resistance to subtilosins. The findings suggest possible bioengineering approaches for obtaining anionic bacteriocins with enhanced and/or altered bactericidal activity. Furthermore, future identification of the subtilosin-resistant mutation could provide insights into the mechanism of subtilosin A activity.
Layered Content Delivery Over Satellite Integrated Cognitive Radio Networks

The inefficient and inflexible utilization of radio spectrum has led to the cognitive radio (CR) concept where licensed bands are allowed to be used by a secondary network without harming the primary user operation. The impact of this empirical deficiency in spectral resource management has been aggravated by the exploding content consumption over wireless networks, and this has led to calls for additional remedies. In 5G standards, device-to-device (D2D) communications and heterogeneous wireless networks are posed as two vital apparatus to alleviate this capacity crunch. In this letter, we consider such an environment and analyze content delivery over satellite integrated CR networks. We propose a novel state-based and event-driven system model and investigate its behavior. We focus on throughput, energy efficiency and quality as key performance metrics, hence rendering the gains offered by D2D and satellite transmissions in this heterogeneous system.
Trends and Future Prospects of Indian and Chinese Software Industry: Aspects Before Indo-China Diaspora

In the Asia-Pacific region, India and China have spectacular role in promoting software industry. India is a leading destination for Information Technology (IT) software, while China is strong in the hardware segment. Unfortunately, the bilateral engagements between the two countries have been limited. This paper traces the immense opportunity available for strengthening the diasporic relations in the Indo-China software market. The paper identifies the important difference between the Chinese and Indian software with respect to the usage and the determinants of software development in both countries. Both diasporas are privileged to have their human resources that can play an important role through software outsourcing. The paper throws light on the SWOT analysis of both the economies in the area of the trends and patterns of software export and domestic market, factor inputs and the role of policy instruments, institutions and market forces needed for the promotion of the software industry. It also identifies the collaboration between companies from the point of view of the Indo-China economies that will be a win-win situation for competing and capturing the world market, if India’s strength in software could be meshed with China’s prowess in hardware.
Fire Effects on Historical Wildfire Refugia in Contemporary Wildfires

Wildfire refugia are forest patches that are minimally-impacted by fire and provide critical habitats for fire-sensitive species and seed sources for post-fire forest regeneration. Wildfire refugia are relatively understudied, particularly concerning the impacts of subsequent fires on existing refugia. We opportunistically re-visited 122 sites classified in 1994 for a prior fire refugia study, which were burned by two wildfires in 2012 in the Cascade mountains of central Washington, USA. We evaluated the fire effects for historically persistent fire refugia and compared them to the surrounding non-refugial forest matrix. Of 122 total refugial (43 plots) and non-refugial (79 plots) sites sampled following the 2012 wildfires, one refugial and five non-refugial plots did not burn in 2012. Refugial sites burned more severely and experienced higher tree mortality than non-refugial plots, potentially due to the greater amount of time since the last fire, producing higher fuel accumulation. Although most sites maintained the pre-fire development stage, 19 percent of sites transitioned to Early development and 31 percent of sites converted from Closed to Open canopy. These structural transitions may contribute to forest restoration in fire-adapted forests where fire has been excluded for over a century, but this requires further analysis.
Association of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association Score With the Oswestry Disability Index, Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire, and Short-Form 36

Study Design. Cross-cultural translation and cross-sectional psychometric testing were performed. Objectives. To cross-culturally translate the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) into Japanese, and to compare the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score with the ODI and the RMDQ score. Summary of Background Data. The two most widely used back-specific measures, the ODI and the RMDQ, have not been translated into Japanese. The JOA score has been used extensively in Japan. However, this score has not been tested in terms of its reliability and validity. Methods. The ODI and RMDQ were translated into Japanese using the process of forward translation, synthesis of translation, backward translation, expert committee, test of the prefinal version, and submission of the documentation to the developers. The JOA score, ODI, and RMDQ were tested with 97 patients who had degenerative lumbar spinal disorders (average age, 51 years). The correlation among the three disease-specific measures (JOA score, ODI, and RMDQ) and eight subscales of a generic health measure, the Medical Outcomes Survey Short-Form 36 (SF-36), was calculated. The reproducibility of the JOA score also was investigated. Results. Reliability, as estimated by internal consistency, reached a Cronbach alpha of 0.83 for the ODI and 0.86 for the RMDQ. The calculated test–retest reliability was 0.93 (P < 0.01; n = 20) for the ODI and 0.95 (P < 0.01; n = 20) for the RMDQ. The correlation of the JOA score with the ODI was −0.647 (P < 0.01), and with RMDQ was −0.568 (P < 0.01). There also was a significant correlation between the ODI and the RMDQ (r = 0.785; P < 0.01). There was a significant correlation between the three disease-specific measures (JOA score, ODI, and RMDQ) and all the subscales of the SF-36 (P < 0.01). The calculated reproducibility of the JOA score was as follows: interobserver error (r = 0.92, P < 0.01), test–retest reliability (r = 0.91, P < 0.01). Conclusions. The Japanese versions of the ODI and the RMDQ were reliable and valid. The use of these translated instruments can be recommended for future clinical trials in Japan. The results also showed the JOA score had acceptable psychometric properties of reliability and construct validity, suggesting that this score is reliable and valid. Further studies are needed to verify the validityand responsiveness of the JOA score.
T‐cell lymphoblastic lymphoma shows differences and similarities with T‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia by genomic and gene expression analyses

T‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T‐ALL) and lymphoma (T‐LBL) share common morphological and immunophenotypic features and are treated with similar therapeutic approaches. Nonetheless, they show distinct clinical presentations, suggesting that they may represent two different biological entities. To investigate the genetic characteristics of T‐LBL and T‐ALL, we used genomic and transcriptional profiling approaches. Genome‐wide gene expression profiling, performed on 20 T‐LBL and 10 T‐ALL diagnostic specimens, revealed that the two malignancies shared a large fraction of their transcriptional profile while a subset of genes appeared to be differentially expressed in T‐LBL versus T‐ALL. This signature included genes involved in chemotactic responses and angiogenesis, which may play a role in tumor cell localization. Genome‐wide copy number alteration analysis was performed on a subset of the samples analyzed by gene expression profiling and detected 41 recurrently altered genetic loci. Although most aberrations were found in both entities, several were selectively identified in T‐LBL or T‐ALL. In addition, NOTCH1 mutational status was found to correlate with a subset of genetic aberrations. Taken together, these results suggest that T‐LBL and T‐ALL are indeed two distinct diseases with unique transcriptional and genetic characteristics. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A CT saturation detection algorithm

This paper proposes an algorithm for detecting current transformer (CT) saturation by analyzing a secondary current. The current has points of inflection where saturation begins and ends. Then, discontinuity in the first difference of the current arises at the next instants of points of inflection, where the second and third differences of the current may have large values enough to detect saturation. In this paper, the third difference is used because it is more effective than the second difference in terms of saturation detection. However, an anti-aliasing low-pass filter softens the current and, thus, reduces the values of the third difference at those instants. This paper includes the effect of a low-pass filter on the proposed algorithm. The sampling rate of 64 samples/cycle (s/c) is studied by varying a remanent flux and the cutoff frequency of the filter. The test results clearly indicate that the proposed algorithm successfully detects the interval of saturation even with a remanent flux and the softening effect. However, special attention should be paid to the decision of the threshold value when a cutoff frequency is much lower than half the sampling frequency. This paper concludes by implementing the algorithm into a TMS320C6701 digital signal processor and the results are satisfactory.
A knowledge-based genetic algorithm to predict three-dimensional structures of polypeptides

Three-dimensional (3-D) protein structure determination has become an important area of research in structural bioinformatics. Proteins are responsible for the execution of different functions in the cell. Understanding the 3-D structure provides important information about the protein function. Many computational methodologies for the protein structure prediction were developed along the last 20 years, but the problem still challenges researchers because the complexity and high dimensionality of its large search space. In this article we present a strategy for reducing the search space explored by heuristic methods for solving the problem taken into consideration previous occurrences of amino acid residues in a well known protein database (PDB). We propose a genetic algorithm that takes advantages of this kind of information, reducing considerable the search space, allowing the algorithm to save time with less promising solutions. A simple Local Search operator helps the GA to intensify the search of the 3-D protein conformational space. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the strategy with a set of experimental results.