Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
What COP and Kinematic Parameters Better Characterize Postural Control in Standing Balance Tasks?

ABSTRACT The authors’ aim was to determine which variables allow for the characterization of motor balance behavior. Traditional measures and nonlinear measures of center of pressure (COP; n = 30) and kinematics (n = 10) were tested in their absolute and relative consistency in a 30-s standing balance task protocol under stable and unstable conditions. Regarding COP variables, mean velocity (mVel), permutation entropy (PE) and detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) exhibited high consistency between trials and ranked individuals more accurately compare with other metrics. In the kinematic signal mVel, PE and DFA had good intrasession reliability values in unstable conditions. Overall, the intrasession reliability values were better in the unstable condition than in the stable condition and the measures calculated using derived data had better intrasession reliability values. In conclusion, mVel, PE, and DFA allow for the good characterization of motor balance behavior in a simplified protocol where velocity time series are analyzed.
Effects of artichoke leaf extract supplementation on metabolic parameters in women with metabolic syndrome: Influence of TCF7L2‐rs7903146 and FTO‐rs9939609 polymorphisms

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a multicomponent condition with a complex etiology involving genetic and environmental factors. Artichoke leaf extract (ALE) has shown favorable effects on lipid and glucose metabolism. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of ALE supplementation on metabolic parameters in women with MetS, using a nutrigenetics approach. In this double‐blind randomized clinical trial, 50 women (aged 20–50 years) with MetS were randomly allocated into the two groups: “ALE group” (received 1,800 mg hydroalcoholic extract of artichoke as four tablets per day) and “placebo group” (received placebo consisted of corn starch, lactose, and avicel as four tablets per day) for 12 weeks. The biochemical and anthropometric parameters were determined before and after the intervention. The FTO‐rs9939609 and the TCF7L2‐rs7903146 polymorphisms were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism. In carriers of A allele of the FTO‐rs9939609, ALE supplementation resulted in a statistically significant decrease in serum triglyceride level compared with placebo (−19.11% vs. 10.83%; p < .05), with no other significant differences between the two groups. The TCF7L2‐rs7903146 polymorphism showed no interaction with response to ALE (p > .05). These findings suggest that ALE supplementation may improve serum triglyceride level in A allele genotype of FTO‐rs9939609 polymorphism in women with MetS.
Increased formation of the isoprostanes IPF2alpha-I and 8-epi-prostaglandin F2alpha in acute coronary angioplasty: evidence for oxidant stress during coronary reperfusion in humans.

BACKGROUND The role of oxidant stress in cardiac ischemia/reperfusion injury in humans remains controversial. This is due, in part, to the limitations of available indices of oxidant stress in vivo. Isoprostanes are stable, free radical-catalyzed products of arachidonic acid. We assessed their formation in patients undergoing coronary reperfusion via percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). METHODS AND RESULTS We developed specific, mass spectrometry assays for two structurally distinct F2 isoprostanes, 8-epi-PGF2alpha and IPF2alpha-I. Urine samples for isoprostane determination were collected in patients undergoing coronary arteriography (n=11), elective PTCA (n=15), and angiography after thrombolysis for acute myocardial infarction (MI) (n=10). Urinary levels (pmol/mmol creatinine) of both isoprostanes were markedly increased from baseline in the first 6 hours after PTCA for acute MI (105+/-17.8 versus 230+/-66 for 8-epi-PGF2alpha [P=.009] and 466+/-91 versus 833+/-153 for IPF2alpha-I [P=.001]) and returned toward preprocedural values by 24 hours (122+/-18 for 8-epi-PGF2alpha and 457+/-102 for IPF2alpha-I). There was a slight increase in urinary 8-epi-PGF2alpha levels (64.7+/-9.5 versus 84.9+/-10.6; P=.02) after diagnostic coronary arteriography and elective PTCA (88.7+/-7.5 versus 114.3+/-16.1; P=.01). A striking correlation was observed (r=.68, P<.0001; n=33) between urinary 8-epi-PGF2alpha and IPF2alpha-I levels in patients receiving thrombolytic agents for acute MI. CONCLUSIONS Urinary F2 isoprostane levels are elevated in patients after treatments resulting in reperfusion for acute MI. These findings provide evidence consistent with increased oxidant stress in vivo in this setting. Measurement of urinary isoprostanes may offer a noninvasive approach to the assessment of oxidant stress and the efficacy of antioxidant therapies in these syndromes.
Phase I evaluation of gemcitabine, mitoxantrone, and their effect on plasma disposition of fludarabine in patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia

Our aim was to estimate the duration of maximum tolerated dose (MTD) duration for gemcitabine given as a continuous infusion in combination with fludarabine and mitoxantrone and to evaluate potential pharmacokinetic (PK) interactions in 17 patients with refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Gemcitabine was administered at 10 mg/m2/min for 3–15 h, fludarabine at 25 mg/m2 daily for days 1–5 and mitoxantrone at 10 mg/m2 daily on days 1–3. PK studies revealed that fludarabine clearance was not affected by gemcitabine but mean terminal half-life and volume of distribution of fludarabine were slightly increased. The duration of MTD for gemcitabine was 12 h. Our previous in vitro work has demonstrated the binary combination of gemcitabine + fludarabine is most synergistic at a molar ratio around 0.002. However, with MTD dosing this drug ratio is not optimal to produce synergy and future studies using ratiometric dosing are required to confirm these findings.
Update on immunohistochemical methods relevant to dermatopathology.

CONTEXT Dermatopathology covers a large variety of entities, some having very similar histologic appearances. Immunohistochemistry is an incredibly helpful tool that is useful in diagnosis as well as prognosis of selected skin tumors. OBJECTIVE To provide a comprehensive review of recent trends and immunohistochemical stains used by dermatopathologists. Emphasis is placed on new stains as well as novel uses of existing stains. DATA SOURCES All data were gathered from published journal articles available through the National Center for Biotechnology Information PubMed database. CONCLUSIONS New immunohistochemical targets are continually being found, contributing to more accurate diagnosis and classification of skin tumors. The presence of specific markers can be used to determine the aggressiveness of malignancies and design treatment strategies. In addition, application of existing stains can help determine intravascular spread of malignancy in primary cutaneous lesions. And use of rapid immunohistochemical staining techniques on frozen sections can assist in more complete excision of tumor margins. Immunohistochemistry is a highly versatile and growing tool of dermatopathologists.
ADP/ATP Translocator from Pea Root Plastids (Comparison with Translocators from Spinach Chloroplasts and Pea Leaf Mitochondria)

The kinetic properties of the adenosine 5[prime]-diphosphate/adenosine 5[prime]-triphosphate (ADP/ATP) translocator from pea (Pisum sativum L.) root plastids were determined by silicone oil filtering centrifugation and compared with those of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) chloroplasts and pea leaf mitochondria. In addition, the ADP/ATP transporting activities from the above organelles were reconstituted into liposomes. The Km(ATP) value of the pea root ADP/ATP translocator was 10 [mu]M and that for ADP was 46 [mu]M. Corresponding values of the spinach ADP/ATP translocator were 25 [mu]M and 28 [mu]M, respectively. Comparable results were obtained for the reconstituted ATP transport activities. The transport was highly specific for ATP and ADP. Adenosine 5[prime]-monophosphate (AMP) caused only a slight inhibition and phosphoenolpyruvate and inorganic pyrophosphate caused no inhibition of ATP uptake. With pea root plastids and spinach chloroplasts, Km values >1 mM were obtained for ADP-glucose. Since the concentrations of ATP and ADP-glucose in the cytosolic compartment of spinach leaves have been determined as 2.5 and 0.6 mM, respectively, a transport of ADP-glucose by the ADP/ATP translocator does not appear to have any physiological significance in vivo. Although both the plastidial and the mitochondrial ADP/ATP translocators were inhibited to some extent by carboxyatractyloside, no immunological cross-reactivity was detected between the plastidial and the mitochondrial proteins. It seems probable that these proteins derive from different ancestors.
Transient expression of a human β‐actin promoter/lacZ gene introduced into mouse embryos correlates with a low degree of methylation

We have analysed the correlation between expression and methylation for the human β‐actin promoter introduced into mouse embryos. The β‐actin promoter was fused to the reporter gene lacZ, and expression was analysed after pronuclear injection into fertilized mouse eggs. We analysed transient expression in in vitro cultured preimplantation embryos and expression after chromosomal integration in 5 independent lines of transgenic mice. The in vitro cultured preimplantation embryos expressed lacZ from the 2‐cell to the blastocyst stages, and most abundantly at the morula stage. By increasing the amount of injected DNA, a larger proportion of embryos expressed lacZ. Embryos expressing lacZ in only a subset of the blastomeres were detected at all preimplantation stages. In contrast to the transient expression after injection, we have not detected lacZ expression in any of the 5 analysed lines of transgenic mice carrying the same construct. The lack of expression in transgenic mice correlates with hypermethylation of C residues in the vast majority of CG sequences in the integrated β‐actin/lacZ construct, whereas the injected construct was completely nonmethylated. We discuss methylation and other possible reasons for the observed differences in expression between injected and integrated copies of the β‐actin/lacZ construct and for lacZ expression in only a subset of blastomeres in preimplantation embryos. © 1993 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Fifty-year follow-up of late-detected hip dislocation: clinical and radiographic outcomes for seventy-one patients treated with traction to obtain gradual closed reduction.

BACKGROUND There is little knowledge concerning outcomes for middle-aged adults who were treated for late-detected developmental dislocation of the hip. The aims of this retrospective study were to evaluate the fifty-year clinical and radiographic results after closed reduction and to identify prognostic factors. METHODS Seventy-one patients (ninety hips) with late-detected hip dislocation treated between 1958 and 1962 were assessed clinically and radiographically. The primary treatment was skin traction to obtain a gradual closed reduction. The mean age of the patients at the time of the long-term radiographic examination was 51.6 years (range, forty-four to fifty-five years). RESULTS A stable reduction was achieved in eighty-three hips. The mean age at reduction was 1.7 years (range, 0.3 to 5.4 years). Traction failed in six patients (seven hips [8%]), for whom an open reduction was necessary. Twenty-six patients (thirty hips) underwent late surgical procedures because of residual hip dysplasia. A good long-term clinical outcome (a Harris hip score of ≥85 points) after closed reduction was assessed for fifty-two (63%) of the hips. A satisfactory radiographic outcome (no osteoarthritis) was found for fifty-six (67%) of the hips. Osteoarthritis had developed in twenty-seven (33%) of the hips, of which nineteen had undergone total hip replacement, performed at a mean patient age of 43.7 years (range, thirty-one to fifty-four years). Risk factors for osteoarthritis were an older age at the time of reduction, osteonecrosis of the femoral head, residual subluxation, a high acetabular index during childhood, and a classification of Severin grades III or IV at skeletal maturity. A survival analysis showed a reduction in "surviving" hips (no total hip replacement) from 99% at a patient age of thirty years to 74% at the age of fifty-two years. CONCLUSIONS With a mean follow-up of fifty years, the clinical and radiographic outcomes after gradual closed reduction by skin traction were satisfactory in approximately two-thirds of eighty-three hips. The most important independent risk factors for a poor long-term outcome were an age of eighteen months or older at the time of reduction, residual subluxation, and osteonecrosis.
Influence of pupil-teacher ratio on students’ formative evaluation practices; a case of public primary schools in Mwingi north sub-county – Kenya

This study investigated influence of pupil-teacher ratio on students’ formative evaluation; a cases of public primary schools in Mwingi north sub-county – Kenya. The study used a descriptive survey design with a sample of 135 respondents comprising of 44 head teachers, 88 teachers and 3 education officers. The study used questionnaires for head teachers and teachers and interview schedules for the three education officials; Sub-county Director, Teachers Service Commission, Sub-county Quality and Standards officer and the Chief Education officer. Validity of the instruments was ascertained through expert judgment at the school of education while reliability was determined using Pearson’s Product Moment correlation coefficient. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented in percentages, frequencies, means and standard deviation. The null hypotheses were tested using the chi-square analysis at the . 05 level of significance. Qualitative data was analyzed based on the themes emanating from the study objectives. The findings of the study revealed that at the 5% level of significance; that PupilTeacher Ratio had a significant effect on formative evaluation process at 0.085. This study concluded that schools in the area under study had a higher pupil to teacher ratio which significantly affected academic performance negatively.
Molecular‐Dynamics Simulations of C‐ and N‐Terminal Peptide Derivatives of GCN4‐p1 in Aqueous Solution

We report the investigation of two 16‐residue peptides in aqueous solution by means of molecular‐dynamics simulations. The peptides constitute the C‐ and N‐terminal halves of the 33‐residue monomer whose dimer constitutes the leucine zipper of the yeast transcriptional activator, denoted GCN4‐p1. To examine a hypothesis about coiled‐coil formation, in which the C‐terminal half contains a helix‐formation trigger site absent in the N‐terminal half, experimental studies of the two peptides have determined their helix propensities under several conditions of temperature, pH, and salt concentration with circular dichroism. An NMR experiment provides additional evidence. At temperatures of 278 and 325 K and pH 7.5, mixtures of α‐ and π‐helical secondary structure constitute the most probable conformations in both C‐ and N‐terminal halves. A bifurcated salt bridge between Arg25 and Glu22/20 correlates with the structural fluctuations of the C‐terminal half. It also exhibits a persistent loop at the N‐terminal end involving the side chains of His18 and Glu22, which is reminiscent of helix‐capping boxes. Nonreversible unfolding appears to occur abruptly in the Arg25 mutant, suggesting a cooperative event. Analysis does not indicate that the N‐terminal half is less stable than the C‐terminal half, indicating that 100 ns is too short a period to observe complete unfolding.
Nitrogen removal optimization in a sequencing batch reactor treating sanitary landfill leachate

Biological nitrogen removal via nitrite may represent a promising process for the optimization of nitrogen removal, in particular in the presence of a low biodegradable COD/TKN ratio. In the present study a lab-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was monitored for approximately 2 years to evaluate the use of dissolved oxygen (DO), pH and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) as monitoring parameters in order to optimize nitrogen removal via nitrite from leachate generated in old sanitary landfills. The SBR manifested a nitrification efficiency exceeding 99% whereas, due to the low biodegradability of the organic matter presents in the leachates, COD removal reached approximately 40% and the addition of external COD was required to accomplish denitrification process. Moreover, the results demonstrate that DO, pH and ORP are reliable parameters for use in the monitoring of nitritation and denitritation processes in SBRs treating landfill leachates. Through manual modification of the length of the SBR phases to achieve nitrogen removal via nitrite, the nitritation and denitritation processes were rendered unstable leading to the saving of 20% in addition of external COD, almost half the theoretically achievable value. Furthermore, the low dissolved oxygen concentration applied during the oxic phases in an attempt to increase the nitritation process would appear to cause the settling characteristics of the activated sludge to deteriorate.
Optimal Control of a Global Model of Climate Change with Adaptation and Mitigation

<p style='text-indent:20px;'>The economy-climate interaction and an appropriate mitigation policy for climate protection have been treated in various types of scientific modeling. Here, we specifically focus on the seminal work by Nordhaus [<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="b14">14</xref>, <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="b15">15</xref>] on the economy-climate link. We extend the Nordhaus type model to include optimal policies for mitigation, adaptation and infrastructure investment studying the dynamics of the transition to a low fossil-fuel economy. Formally, the model gives rise to an optimal control problem consisting of a dynamic system with five-dimensional state vector representing stocks of private capital, green capital, public capital, stock of brown energy in the ground, and carbon emissions. The objective function captures preferences over consumption but is also impacted by atmospheric <inline-formula><tex-math id="M1">\begin{document}$ \mathrm{CO}_2 $\end{document}</tex-math></inline-formula> and by mitigation and adaptation policies. Given the numerous challenges to climate change policies the control vector is eight-dimensional comprising mitigation, adaptation and infrastructure investment. Our solutions are characterized by turnpike property and the optimal policies that accomplish the objective of keeping the <inline-formula><tex-math id="M2">\begin{document}$ \mathrm{CO}_2 $\end{document}</tex-math></inline-formula> levels within bound are characterized by a significant proportion of investment in public capital going to mitigation in the initial periods. When initial levels of <inline-formula><tex-math id="M3">\begin{document}$ \mathrm{CO}_{2} $\end{document}</tex-math></inline-formula> are high, adaptation efforts also start immediately, but during the initial period, they account for a smaller proportion of government's public investment. </p>
Divorce and Gold Coins: A Case Study of Iran

The increasing divorce rate has become a major social concern for policy makers in the Islamic government of Iran. The price of gold coin is an important factor in cost-benefit analysis for individuals in their marriage and divorce decisions in Iran. Dowries (Mehrieh) are usually in the form of gold coin and a wife has a legal right to them upon both parties signing the marriage contract. Increasing the price of gold coin may intensify the internal stress and struggles within families, leading to a higher probability of divorce. We investigate the long-run relationship between real price of gold coin and divorce rate for the case of Iran over the period 1980-2014. Controlling for other factors, our regression results show that there is a positive and significant long-run relationship between real price of gold coin (as well as unanticipated changes in real price of gold coin) and marital instability.
Neue Sicherheitsstrukturen im »neuen« Berlin: Warehousing öffentlichen Raums und staatlicher Gewalt

In Berlin (and other big cities) private security agencies are growing rapidly. The expansion of their activity-fields, especially in public spaces, tends to transform the state monopol of legal power in a »private public partnership«. As a consequence public spaces get more and more under private control. Unwelcome groups like poor or homeless people are excluded from using these places.
Notoacmeibacter marinus gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from the gut of a limpet and proposal of Notoacmeibacteraceae fam. nov. in the order Rhizobiales of the class Alphaproteobacteria.

A Gram-stain-negative, short rod-shaped and non-flagellated bacterium, named strain XMTR2A4T, was isolated from the gut of a marine limpet, Notoacmea schrenckii on intertidal rocks. Colonies were small, light grey and circular. Catalase- and oxidase-positive. Growth was observed at 15 to 37 °C (optimum 28-30 °C), with salinity range from 0.5 to 9 % (optimum 1-2 %), and at pH 6 to 9 (optimum pH 7). The almost full-length 16S rRNA gene of strain XMTR2A4T had the highest sequence similarity of 93.7 % with Mycoplana ramosa DSM 7292T, and of 93.5 , 93.5 and 93.4 % with Chelativorans intermedius CC-MHSW-5T, Ensifer fredii ATCC 35423T and Phyllobacterium myrsinacearum IAM 13584T, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that strain XMTR2A4T formed a tight cluster with a cultured but uncharacterized strain, YP382-1-A, which was deeply separated from the species within the order Rhizobiales in the class Alphaproteobacteria. The predominant fatty acid of strain XMTR2A4T was summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7c and/or C18 : 1ω6c; 83.4 %). Ubiquinone-10 (Q-10) was detected as the sole respiratory quinone. The polar lipids were identified as phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, an unidentified phospholipid and three unknown lipids. The genome size was about 3.6 Mbp and the G+C content was 61.5 mol%. Combining the results above, it was ascertained that strain XMTR2A4Trepresents a novel species of a new genus in the order Rhizobiales, for which the name Notoacmeibacter marinus gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the type species is XMTR2A4T (=MCCC 1A01882T=KCTC 52427T). A novel family in the order Rhizobiales, named Notoacmeibacteraceae fam. nov., is also proposed to accommodate the new genus.