Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Muscular performance after a 3 month progressive physical exercise program and 9 month follow‐up in subjects with low back pain. A controlled study

The purpose of this study was to assess, in subjects with low back pain, the changes and their permanence in muscular performance after a 3 month progressive physical exercise program. Ninety subjects with chronic low back pain participated in the study. The study design was controlled and it was carried out in three groups: intensive training, home exercise, and control group. Isometric and dynamic muscle strength of the trunk and lower limb were measured, at the beginning of the study and after the 3 months exercise program, and then during each of the follow‐up sessions. The Oswestry Index and back pain intensity were also determined. Both exercise groups received benefit from the progressive exercise program. Their muscular performance improved and their back pain intensity decreased significantly. Among the home exercise group, the Oswestry Index also changed positively. The results demonstrate that the home exercise program could be as effective as the intensive training program in increasing muscle strength, as well as decreasing back pain and functional disability among low back pain patients with mild functional limitations.
The internationalization of African firms: Opportunities, challenges, and risks

There has been a marked increase in the internationalization activities of African firms over the last two decades or so, resulting in the emergence of regional challenger firms that are aggressively competing with foreign multinationals in terrains historically dominated by the latter. However, our understanding of this phenomenon is limited as empirical research examining the nature of internationalization of African firms is scarce, and research directly investigating drivers, outcomes and boundary conditions of the internationalization of African firms is lacking. The goal of this Special Issue, therefore, is to contribute to the scholarly understanding of the increasingly prevalent internationalization of African firms. This Guest Editorial provides a summary of the six articles in this Special Issue, and highlights three broad thematic issues: internationalization opportunities for African firms (accelerated private sector development and regional integration, and ability to overcome institutional voids); internationalization challenges (global competitiveness challenges, limited management and cross-cultural capabilities, and overcoming the liability of Africanness); and internationalization risks (losing focus on home markets, and over internationalization).
Unified method for determining the complex propagation constant of reflecting and nonreflecting transmission lines

In this letter, a unified method for computing the complex propagation constant /spl gamma/ of reflecting and nonreflecting lines is presented. The method uses a new matrix representation of the wave cascade matrix of a line having any characteristic impedance. To overcome the sign ambiguity problem inherent to the classical method some parameters of the fictitious X/sub AM/ matrix are used and determined by the method itself. The success of the new procedure to resolve the sign ambiguity problem lies in the new matrix representation of the wave cascade matrix of a line having any characteristic impedance and in the reliable criterion to determine the a/sub m//c/sub m/ and b/sub m/ parameters of the fictitious X/sub AM/ matrix.
Amphibian Melanotrope Subpopulations Respond Differentially to Hypothalamic Secreto-Inhibitors

The melanotrope population of the frog intermediate lobe consists of two subtypes of cells, referred to as high-(HD) and low-density (LD) melanotrope cells, which differ markedly in their basal morphofunctional features as well as their in vitro response to hypothalamic factors, such as the stimulator thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and the inhibitor dopamine. In this study, we have investigated whether other major hypothalamic regulators of the release of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH), such as γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and neuropeptide Y (NPY), also differentially regulate frog melanotrope subpopulations. Our results show that in LD cells, both factors markedly inhibited proopiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA accumulation and α-MSH secretion. In contrast, the secretory and biosynthetic activity of HD cells was not modified by GABA. NPY inhibited POMC transcript accumulation and tended to reduce α-MSH secretion in HD cells, yet these effects were less pronounced than those evoked in LD cells. In addition, GABA and NPY inhibited the KCl-induced rise in cytosolic free calcium levels in both subpopulations. Taken together, these results further indicate that frog melanotrope subpopulations are differentially regulated by the hypothalamus and strongly suggest that the intensity of such regulation is directly related to the activity of the cell subset. Thus, the LD subpopulation represents a highly responsive cell subset which is regulated by multiple neuroendocrine factors (TRH, dopamine, GABA and NPY), whereas the hormone storage HD subpopulation shows a moderate response to single stimulatory (TRH) and inhibitory (NPY) inputs.
Patterns of generalization of perceptual learning on phonetic representations

Recent studies on perceptual learning have indicated that listeners use intermediate units between the acoustic input and lexical representations of words. The same paradigm may also reveal the nature of these intermediate units based on patterns of generalization of learning. We here test whether learning generalizes to other units of the same underlying or surface representation. This was achieved by exposing listeners to tensified Korean stops (i.e., underlying plain stops produced as tense due to a phonological process) and testing the consequences for later presented underlying tense or plain stops. Our results show that learning generalizes to underlying tense stops, while generalization to underlying plain stops could not be found. This indicates that the difference in the underlying phonological representation as tense or plain do not hinder learning as long as there is phonetic similarity on the surface.
The apricot story: Patterns in a local circular food chain in North Hungary

Using a case study, this paper examines how EU standards of geographical indications (GIs) can integrate into Hungarian socio-embodied patterns. It uses apricots from the underdeveloped Gonc region of Hungary as an example, defined in the EU GI context as a local resource of cultural identity. The collective memory as a cultural heritage of the Gonc region is examined in relation to products and services that have existed for generations. The aim of this paper is to provide evidence that without geographical circulation, exchange, and appropriation of products, the associated knowledge of innovation strategies, innovation capabilities, and the market outcomes of firms in the food industry does not provide absorptive capacity. It suggests that innovative responses to existing isolated economic services could provide coherence among the three pillars of sustainability, given policy and institutional innovations designed to foster innovation and expand markets.
Factors Affecting the Measurement of Energy Expenditure during Energy Balance Studies in Preterm Infants

Our objective was to examine factors that affect the accuracy of energy expenditure measurements (EE), when using flow-through indirect calorimetry (IC), to determine the minimum length of time needed to measure 24- and 48-h EE and to compare cross-over and parallel designs as methods of investigation during energy balance collections (EB) in preterm infants. A baby doll manikin was used to determine equilibration times and to compare VCO2 and VO2 as measured by flow meter and indirect calorimetry under different study conditions, one of which simulated an EB. “Continuous” EE was measured to determine the minimum length of time needed to accurately reflect 24- and 48-h EE and to compare parallel and cross-over studies as methods of study design in a group of “normal” enterally fed preterm infants. The mean (±SD) errors between flow meter and indirect calorimetry determinations for VCO2 and VO2 were −1.9 ± 2.5 and −1.8 ± 4.3% under conditions that simulated an EB. Cumulative 6-h EE accurately predicted 24- and 48-h EE. Expressed in absolute terms (kcal/d), EE did not change on a day-to-day basis but did increase over the 2-wk study period. Expressed on body weight basis (kcal/kg/d), EE did not change on a day-to-day or week-to-week basis. The variance in EE due to biologic variability;i.e. the parallel design, was ∼6 times greater than that due to age, weight, and weight gain;i.e. the cross-over design. Indirect calorimetry, therefore, accurately measures EE in conditions simulating an energy balance collection. Six-hour EE determinations are valid estimate of EE during a 48-h balance collection, while cross-over studies may be the preferred method of study design during short-term studies of EE in preterm infants.
Two-dimensional spatiotemporal monitoring of temperature in photothermal therapy using hybrid photoacoustic–ultrasound transmission tomography

Abstract. Recently, we presented an add-on to a photoacoustic (PA) computed tomography imager that permits the simultaneous imaging of ultrasound (US) transmission parameters such as the speed of sound (SOS), without additional measurements or instruments. This method uses strong absorbers positioned outside the object in the path of light for producing laser-induced US to interrogate the object in a conventional PA imager. Here, we investigate the feasibility of using this approach, first with PA to pin-point the location of photothermal therapeutic agents and then with serial SOS tomograms to image and monitor the resulting local temperature changes when the agents are excited with continuous wave (CW) light. As the object we used an agar-based tissue-mimicking cylinder carrying beads embedded with different concentrations of gold nanospheres. PA and SOS tomograms were simultaneously acquired as the gold nanospheres were photothermally heated using a 532-nm CW laser. In a first approximation, using the relation between SOS of water and temperature, the SOS tomograms were converted into temperature maps. The experimental results were verified using simulations: Monte Carlo modeling of light propagation through a turbid medium and using the obtained absorbed energy densities in heat diffusion modeling for spatial temperature distribution.
Contribution of increased mutagenesis to the evolution of pollutants-degrading indigenous bacteria

Bacteria can rapidly evolve mechanisms allowing them to use toxic environmental pollutants as a carbon source. In the current study we examined whether the survival and evolution of indigenous bacteria with the capacity to degrade organic pollutants could be connected with increased mutation frequency. The presence of constitutive and transient mutators was monitored among 53 pollutants-degrading indigenous bacterial strains. Only two strains expressed a moderate mutator phenotype and six were hypomutators, which implies that constitutively increased mutability has not been prevalent in the evolution of pollutants degrading bacteria. At the same time, a large proportion of the studied indigenous strains exhibited UV-irradiation-induced mutagenesis, indicating that these strains possess error-prone DNA polymerases which could elevate mutation frequency transiently under the conditions of DNA damage. A closer inspection of two Pseudomonas fluorescens strains PC20 and PC24 revealed that they harbour genes for ImuC (DnaE2) and more than one copy of genes for Pol V. Our results also revealed that availability of other nutrients in addition to aromatic pollutants in the growth environment of bacteria affects mutagenic effects of aromatic compounds. These results also implied that mutagenicity might be affected by a factor of how long bacteria have evolved to use a particular pollutant as a carbon source.
Temperature and humidity sensing functions of a capacitive touch sensor for material discrimination

Our final objective is to develop a multi-functional touch sensor imitating the human hand, that recognizes material properties and contact condition adapting to ambient temperature-humidity change. In this study, we investigated a sensing method to obtain the temperature-humidity information by measuring some capacitances of a simple-structure capacitive touch sensor at the different measurement frequencies. Some experimental results showed possibility of sensing functions about the temperature and the humidity by using capacitance changes of the sensor.
MRI hyperintensities and depressive symptoms in a community sample of individuals 60-64 years old.

OBJECTIVE Previous studies have found associations of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signal hyperintensities with depression in the elderly. The present study investigates the association in a younger community sample (age 60-64 years) of depressed subjects and comparison groups for potential mediating and confounding variables. METHOD A subsample of 475 persons 60-64 years of age from a larger community survey underwent brain MRI scans. White matter hyperintensities were quantified by using an automated procedure, and basal ganglia hyperintensities were quantified by using semiquantitative visual ratings. The study also assessed depressive symptoms and use of antidepressant medication. Potential mediating or confounding variables assessed included physical disability, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, head injury, cortisol, thyroid-stimulating hormone, cognitive functioning, smoking, and alcohol use. RESULTS Depressive symptoms were found to be related to total brain white matter hyperintensities but not to basal ganglia hyperintensities. However, associations disappeared when statistical adjustment was made for physical disability and smoking. CONCLUSIONS Depressive symptoms are related to white matter hyperintensities in mid-adult life in a community sample. Physical disability appears to play an important role in this association.
Discovery and Phylogenetic Analysis of Novel Members of Class b Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Adhesive Fimbriae

ABSTRACT Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is recognized to be a common cause of acute watery diarrhea in children from developing countries. Colonization factors (CFAs) have been identified predominantly in ETEC isolates secreting heat-stable enterotoxin (ST) or cosecreting ST with a heat-labile toxin (LT). We hypothesized that LT-only-secreting ETEC produces unique colonization factors not previously described in ST and LTST-secreting ETEC. A set of degenerate primers based on nucleotide sequence similarities between the major structural genes of CS20 (csnA), CS18 (fotA), CS12 (cswA), and porcine antigen 987 (fasA) was developed and used to screen a collection of 266 LT-secreting ETEC isolates in which no known CFA was detected. PCR-amplified products of different molecular masses were obtained from 49 (18.4%) isolates. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the PCR amplicons followed by GenBank nucleotide BLASTn analysis revealed five novel DNA sequences; translated amino acid BLASTx analysis confirmed sequence similarity to class 1b major structural proteins encoded by csnA, fotA, and fasA. Strains expressing the novel CFAs were phylotyped and analyzed using multilocus sequence typing (MLST; Achtman scheme), and the types detected were compared to those of a collection of archived global E. coli strains. In conclusion, application of the degenerate primer sets to ETEC isolates from surveillance studies increased the total number of ETEC isolates with detectable CFAs by almost 20%. Additionally, MLST analysis suggests that for many CFAs, there may be a requirement for certain genetic backgrounds to acquire and maintain plasmids carrying genes encoding CFAs.
State-of-the-Art Review: Antiphospholipid Thrombosis Syndromes

Antiphospholipid antibodies are strongly associated with thrombosis and are the most common of the acquired blood protein defects causing thrombosis. Although the precise mechanism(s) whereby antiphospholipid antibodies alter hemostasis to induce a hypercoagutable state remain unclear, numerous theories, as previously discussed, have been advanced. The most common thrombotic events associated with anticardiolipin antibodies are deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolus (type I syndrome), coronary or peripheral artery thrombosis (type II syndrome), or cerebrovascular/retinal vessel thrombosis (type II syndrome); occasionally, patients present with mixtures of these types (type IV syndrome). Type V patients are those with antiphospholipid antibodies and RMS. It is as yet unclear how many seemingly normal individuals who may never develop manifestations of antiphospholipid syndrome (type VI) harbor asymptomatic antiphospholipid antibodies. The relative frequency of anticardiolipin antibodies in association with arterial and venous thrombosis strongly suggests that these should be looked for in any individual with unexplained thrombosis; all three idiotypes (IgG, IgA, and IgM) should be assessed. Also, the type of syndrome (I through VI) should be defined if possible, as this may dictate both type and duration of both immediate and long-term anticoagulant therapy. Unlike those with anticardiolipin antibodies, patients with primary lupus anticoagulant thrombosis syndrome usually experience venous thrombosis. Because the aPTT is unreliable inpatients with lupus anticoagulant (prolonged in only about 40 to 50% of patients) and is not usually prolonged in patients with anticardiolipin antibodies, definitive tests, including ELISA for anticardiolipin antibodies, the dRVVT for lupus anticoagulant, hexagonal phospholipid neutralization procedure, and beta-2-GP-I (IgG, IgA, and IgM) should be immediately ordered when suspecting antiphospholipid syndrome or in individuals with otherwise unexplained thrombotic or thromboembolic events. If results of these tests are negative, in the appropriate clinical setting, subgroups should also be assessed. Finally, most patients with antiphospholipid thrombosis syndrome will fail warfarin therapy and, except for retinal vascular thrombosis, may fail some types of antiplatelet therapy; thus it is of major importance to make this diagnosis so that patients can be treated with the most effective therapy for secondary prevention--LMWH or UH in most instances, and clopidogrel in some instances.
Notice of RetractionPreparation, Characterization, and Performance of Zinc-Substituted Hydroxyapatite

Zinc-substituted hydroxyapatite was successfully synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method. This kind of Zn-substituted hydroxyapatite is environmental friendly phosphor material which has excellent photoluminescence (PL) property without containing toxic substance or expensive rare earth elements. The products were characterized via X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), photoluminescence (PL) excitation and emission spectra and kinetic decay curve. The PL intensity of Zn-substituted hydroxyapatite with different Zn content was investigated in detail. The photoluminescence intensities (PL) can be tuned by altering the doping concentration of Zinc. The possible luminescent mechanism of the PL intensity of the Zn-substituted hydroxyapatite was discussed.
Miniaturized RSIW filter based on negative-order cavity resonator

A negative-order cavity resonator (NOCR) using composite right/left-handed (CRLH) ridge substrate integrated waveguide (RSIW) is proposed and applied to the design of coupled-resonator filter. The NOCR is realized using the CRLH RSIW unit cell with two rows of metal walls to form a cavity structure. The CRLH characteristic of this cavity resonator produces the -1st resonance which occurs below the cutoff frequency of the original RSIW with the same dimensions. Besides, the non-radiative property of the CRLH RSIW structure makes it be a better choice in guided-wave applications than other open CRLH structures. In the filter design, magnetic coupling is used between neighboring resonators with the coupling coefficient controlled by the gap of the metal wall. The designed CRLH RSIW filter exhibits the advantages of low-profile, miniaturized structure as well as non-radiation.
A Contribution to the Cytology of the Australian-South Pacific Species of Nicotiana.

Although most of the fifty-eight species of the genus Nicotiana (Goodspeed') are restricted to North and South America and adjacent islands, fifteen are peculiar to Australia and the South Seas. Of these, thirteen are limited to Australia, one, N. Debneyi, to Australia, New Caledonia and Lord Howe Island, and one, N. fragrans, occurs on the Isle of Pines near New Caledonia and eastward in a few scattered localities to the Marquesa Islands in the mid-South Pacific. As was recognized by Goodspeed,2 the fifteen Australian-South Pacific species form a "genetic group" which he' has now designated as the section SUAVEOLENTES of the subgenus PETUNIOIDES. Its nearest relatives today are South American species of the ALATAE, ACUMINATAE and NOCTIFLORAE sections of that subgenus. The readiness with which morphological elements that give individuality to each of those three sections can be recognized in members of the SUAVEOLENTES suggests that all four sections may have been derived from a common source. Detailed descriptions of species in the SUAVEOLENTES were given by the author3 in 1935. The general pattern is that of an herb with conspicuous basal rosette or cushion of leaves and short, slender, forking stems terminating in long, spreading, loosely branching inflorescences. N. suaveolens, a variable species of medium flower size (25-45 mm. long) and obovate cauline leaf approximates the morphological mean. From it, N. fragrans, N. Debleyi and N. Benthamiana are the most extreme departures although only the last-named species is separated by any considerable hiatus unbridged by other species. N. fragrans has certain of the characters of N. suaveolens and also some of a long-flowered species, N. megalosiphon. N. Debneyi is approached by the small-flowered species, N. exigua, and in leaf and indument by N. occidentalis. In addition, N. maritima may be placed close to N. velutina, N. suaveolens and N. Gossei; N. Gossei to N. excelsior;
Matrix‐based comparative genomic hybridization: Biochips to screen for genomic imbalances

Comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) to metaphase chromosomes has been widely used for the genome‐wide screening of genomic imbalances in tumor cells. Substitution of the chromosome targets by a matrix consisting of an ordered set of defined nucleic acid target sequences would greatly enhance the resolution and simplify the analysis procedure, both of which are prerequisites for a broad application of CGH as a diagnostic tool. However, hybridization of whole genomic human DNA to immobilized single‐copy DNA fragments with complexities below the megabase pair level has been hampered by the low probability of specific binding because of the high probe complexity. We developed a protocol that allows CGH to chips consisting of glass slides with immobilized target DNAs arrayed in small spots. High‐copy‐number amplifications contained in tumor cells were rapidly scored by use of target DNAs as small as a cosmid. Low‐copy‐number gains and losses were identified reliably by their ratios by use of chromosome‐specific DNA libraries or genomic fragments as small as 75 kb cloned in P1 or PAC vectors as targets, thus greatly improving the resolution achievable by chromosomal CGH. The ratios obtained for the same chromosomal imbalance by matrix CGH and by chromosomal CGH corresponded very well. The new matrix CGH protocol provides a basis for the development of automated diagnostic procedures with biochips designed to meet clinical needs. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 20:399–407, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.