Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Relationship between Self-Esteem of Myopic Children and Ocular and Demographic Characteristics

Purpose. To evaluate self-esteem and its relationship with various ocular and demographic characteristics in 469 myopic children participating in the Correction of Myopia Evaluation Trial (COMET), an ongoing, randomized, multicenter clinical trial designed to evaluate the effects of progressive addition lenses vs. single vision lenses on the progression of juvenile-onset myopia. Methods. Baseline data collection included demographic information, refractive error measurements, parent-reported myopia history, child-reported visual symptoms, and self-esteem in several areas (scholastic/athletic competence, physical appearance, social acceptance, behavioral conduct, and global self-worth) as measured by the Self-Perception Profile for Children. Univariate and multiple regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with self-esteem. Results. The Self-Perception Profile for Children is a reliable measure of self-esteem in COMET children as indicated by the high internal consistency reliabilities (0.74 to 0.81) obtained for the various domains. COMET children’s mean self-esteem scores ranged from 2.72 ± 0.69 for athletic competence to 3.36 ± 0.56 for global self-worth and were similar to normative samples. Multiple regression analyses showed that less symptomatic children had higher self-esteem in all areas (p < 0.05), except athletic competence, after adjusting for other ocular and demographic characteristics. Self-esteem also varied significantly by age, gender, and ethnicity (p < 0.05). Conclusions. Baseline self-esteem is associated with visual symptoms, age, gender, and ethnicity, but not with magnitude of refractive error. Follow-up reports will assess whether there are changes in self-esteem associated with myopia progression and lens assignment.
Supplemental Data Fez 1 / Lzts 1 Absence Impairs Cdk 1 / Cdc 25 C Interaction during Mitosis and Predisposes Mice to Cancer Development

Mouse Lzts1 Gene Targeting and Mating To clone the mouse Lzts1 genomic locus, we screened a phage library of mouse 129/Sv genomic DNA (Stratagene, La Jolla, California) using a mouse Lzts1 cDNA as a probe, which was obtained by cross-hybridization experiment with human LZTS1 cDNA. A targeting vector was constructed from subcloned genomic fragments. For selection of targeted clones, a neomycin-resistance (neo) cassette was placed in the opposite transcriptional orientation to the endogenous Lzts1 gene (Figure 1A). The final product consists of a 5' genomic fragment (3kb) containing exon 1, the neo cassette (1.7 kb) and a downstream Lzts1 genomic fragment (3kb). Thus, a ~7.5 kb Lzts1 genomic region containing exon 1 was replaced with the neo cassette vector.
Effect of flavones on rat brain and lung matrix metalloproteinase activity measured by film in‐situ zymography

We have evaluated the inhibitory activity of flavone, nobiletin, and heptamethoxyflavone on matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity in the rat. MMP in 9000‐g supernatant fraction of lung homogenate was activated by p‐aminophenyl mercuric acetate (APMA), and gelatinolytic activity was determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS‐PAGE) followed by Coomassie staining. This activity should be related to MMP‐2 and/or MMP‐9 and was confirmed by gelatin zymography. Fluorescent‐conjugated collagen used as a substrate for collagenolytic activity was investigated by SDS‐PAGE also. The film in‐situ zymography method was applied to rat brain and lung tissue in the same manner. Flavone and nobiletin inhibited the APMA‐stimulated gelatinolytic activity and also the collagenolytic activity by more than 75%. The film in‐situ zymography method indicated that these compounds might be potent inhibitors of MMP, suggesting the specific inhibition of localized MMP in brain hippocampus and/or lung terminal bronchioles, which may contribute to the prevention of some types of brain disease or cancer invasion and metastasis.
Brain Lipid Binding Protein in Axon-Schwann Cell Interactions and Peripheral Nerve Tumorigenesis

ABSTRACT Loss of axonal contact characterizes Schwann cells in benign and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST) from neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) patients. Tumor Schwann cells demonstrate NF1 mutations, elevated Ras activity, and aberrant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression. Using cDNA microarrays, we found that brain lipid binding protein (BLBP) is elevated in an EGFR-positive subpopulation of Nf1 mutant mouse Schwann cells (Nf1 −/− TXF) that grows away from axons; BLBP expression was not affected by farnesyltransferase inhibitor, an inhibitor of H-Ras. BLBP was also detected in EGFR-positive cell lines derived from Nf1:p53 double mutant mice and human MPNST. BLBP expression was induced in normal Schwann cells following transfection with EGFR but not H-Ras12V. Furthermore, EGFR-mediated BLBP expression was not inhibited by dominant-negative H-Ras, indicating that BLBP expression is downstream of Ras-independent EGFR signaling. BLBP-blocking antibodies enabled process outgrowth from Nf1 −/− TXF cells and restored interaction with axons, without affecting cell proliferation or migration. Following injury, BLBP expression was induced in normal sciatic nerves when nonmyelinating Schwann cells remodeled their processes. These data suggest that BLBP, stimulated by Ras-independent pathways, regulates Schwann cell-axon interactions in normal peripheral nerve and peripheral nerve tumors.
Dependable eventual consistency with replicated data types. (Cohérence à terme fiable avec des types de données répliquées)

Eventually consistent replicated databases offer excellent responsiveness and fault-tolerance, but expose applications to the complexity of concurrency andfailures. Recent databases encapsulate these problems behind a stronger interface, supporting causal consistency, which protects the application from orderinganomalies, and/or Replicated Data Types (RDTs), which ensure convergent semantics of concurrent updates using object interface. However, dependable algorithms for RDT and causal consistency come at a cost in metadata size. This thesis studies the design of such algorithms with minimized metadata, and the limits of the design space. Our first contribution is a study of metadata complexity of RDTs. RDTs use metadata to provide rich semantics; many existing RDT implementations incur high overhead in storage space. We design optimized set and register RDTs with metadata overhead reduced to the number of replicas. We also demonstrate metadata lower bounds for six RDTs, thereby proving optimality of four implementations. Our second contribution is the design of SwiftCloud, a replicated causally-consistent RDT object database for client-side applications. We devise algorithms to support high numbers of client-side partial replicas backed by the cloud, in a fault-tolerant manner, with small metadata. We demonstrate how to support availability and consistency, at the expense of some slight data staleness; i.e., our approach trades freshness for scalability (small metadata, parallelism), and availability (ability to fail-over between data centers). We validate our approach with experiments involving thousands of client replicas.
Final analysis of irinotecan (CPT-11) and capecitabine (X) as first-line treatment of locally advanced (LA) or metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC).

3610 Background: CPT-11 plus 5-FU is standard first-line therapy in patients with MCRC. X is an oral prodrug of FU, which provides continuous fluoropyrimidine exposure without the inconvenience of an infusional therapy. We design a phase II study to evaluate the RR of both drugs. Secondary objectives were safety profile, TTP and OS. METHODS Patients with histologically confirmed LA or MCRC, measurable disease, ECOG PS ≤2 and adequate bone marrow, renal and hepatic functions were included. Previous adjuvant chemotherapy was allowed if finished ≥6 months before starting study treatment. Patients received 225 mg/m2 of CPT-11 (180 mg/m2 if > 65 years old) on D1 as a 90-min iv infusion and 2000 mg/m2/day po of X (1500 mg/m2 if >65 years old) from D2-15. Cycles were every 21 days until progressive disease, excessive toxicity or consent withdrawal. RESULTS Ninety-one patients were enrolled (M/F, 56/35). Median age was 67 (30-80), 55% > 65 years. ECOG PS 0-1: 92%. Primary tumor sites were colon (59%), rectum (36%) or both (5%). Median No. of metastatic lesions was 4 (93% with ≥2 sites) in liver (71%), lung (42%), lymph nodes (21%) and local recurrence (15%). 24% of patients received previous adjuvant chemotherapy. Up to date, 562 cycles (median 6, range 1-17) were administered. Median RDI was 97% for X and 94% for CPT-11 (100% and 99% for patients > 65 years old). All patients were evaluable for toxicity. In patients >65/≤65 years old, main grade 3/4 toxicity per cycle were neutropenia 9%/4%, leukopenia 5%/3%, asthenia 4%/3% and diarrhoea 6%/3%. Febrile neutropenia was observed in 2 patients, 1 cycle each. There were 3 treatment related deaths (2 > 65 years old). EFFICACY In 79 evaluable patients, 3 achieved CR, 30 PR, 33 SD and 13 progressed, resulting in an ORR of 42% (95% CI: 31-53) and tumour growth control (RR + SD) in 84% of patients. With a median follow-up of 6.7 months, TTP was 10,3 months (95% CI: 8.7-11.9) and OS was 15.9 months (95% CI: 14.0-17.8). CONCLUSIONS CPT-11 and X as first-line treatment of LA or MCRC is an active schedule with a manageable toxicity profile, even in patients older than 65 years. No significant financial relationships to disclose.
Physiological Demands of Competitive Surfing

Abstract Farley, ORL, Harris, NK, and Kilding, AE. Physiological demands of competitive surfing. J Strength Cond Res 26(7): 1887–1896, 2012—This study was a performance analysis of surfing athletes during competitive surfing events in an attempt to inform the development of surfing-specific conditioning. Twelve nationally ranked surfers were fitted with heart rate (HR) monitors and global positioning system (GPS) units and videoed during the heats of 2 sanctioned competitions. Means and SDs represented the centrality and spread of analyzed data. From the 32 videos analyzed, the greatest amount of time spent during surfing was paddling (54 ± 6.3% of the total time) (% TT). The remaining stationary represented 28 ± 6.9% TT, wave riding, and paddling for a wave represented only 8 ± 2% TT and 4 ± 1.5% TT, respectively. Surfers spent 61 ± 7% of the total paddling bouts and 64 ± 6.8% of total stationary bouts between 1 and 10 seconds. The average speed recorded via the GPS for all the subjects was 3.7 ± 0.6 km·h−1, with an average maximum speed of 33.4 ± 6.5 km·h−1 (45 km·h−1 was the highest speed recorded). The average distance covered was 1,605 ± 313 m. The mean HR during the surf competitions was 139 ± 11 b·min−1 (64% HRmax), with a (mean) peak of 190 ± 12 b·min−1 (87% HRmax). Sixty percent TT was spent between 56 and 74% of the age-predicted HR maximum (HRmax), 19% TT >46% HRmax, and approximately 3% TT >83% HRmax. Competitive surfing therefore involves intermittent high-intensity bouts of all out paddling intercalated with relatively short recovery periods and repeated bouts of low-intensity paddling, incorporating intermittent breath holding. Surfing-specific conditioning sessions should attempt to replicate such a profile.
Injury Response of Resected Human Brain Tissue In Vitro

Brain injury affects a significant number of people each year. Organotypic cultures from resected normal neocortical tissue provide unique opportunities to study the cellular and neuropathological consequences of severe injury of adult human brain tissue in vitro. The in vitro injuries caused by resection (interruption of the circulation) and aggravated by the preparation of slices (severed neuronal and glial processes and blood vessels) reflect the reaction of human brain tissue to severe injury. We investigated this process using immunocytochemical markers, reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. Essential features were rapid shrinkage of neurons, loss of neuronal marker expression and proliferation of reactive cells that expressed Nestin and Vimentin. Also, microglia generally responded strongly, whereas the response of glial fibrillary acidic protein‐positive astrocytes appeared to be more variable. Importantly, some reactive cells also expressed both microglia and astrocytic markers, thus confounding their origin. Comparison with post‐mortem human brain tissue obtained at rapid autopsies suggested that the reactive process is not a consequence of epilepsy.
The clinical effectiveness of diabetes education models for Type 2 diabetes: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE To examine the clinical effectiveness of patient education models for adults with Type 2 diabetes. DATA SOURCES Electronic databases were searched from 2002 to January 2007. REVIEW METHODS A systematic review of the literature on educational interventions in diabetes was undertaken. This was an update of a previous systematic review. RESULTS Including studies identified in the previous systematic review, there were 13 published studies. Eight studies of education on multiple aspects of diabetes self-management were identified that provided education that was focused on a particular aspect of self-management. The quality of reporting and methodology of the studies was variable. Studies of multi-component educational interventions yielded mixed results. Some trials reported significant improvements on measures of diabetic control but others did not. Positive effects may be attributable to longer-term interventions with a shorter duration between the end of the intervention and the follow-up evaluation point. There may also be an effect of having a multi-professional team delivering the educational programme. Studies of focused educational interventions did not yield consistent results. Some effects were shown on measures of diabetic control in studies that focused on diet or exercise alone. Although the effects shown were generally small, those that were present did appear to be relatively long-lasting. This update review does not substantially alter the conclusions of the previous systematic review; for each outcome, the proportion of studies that demonstrated significant effects of education was similar. CONCLUSIONS Based on the evidence, it would seem that education delivered by a team of educators, with some degree of reinforcement of that education made at additional points of contact, may provide the best opportunity for improvements in patient outcomes. Educators need to have time and resources to fulfil the needs of any structured educational programme. There is also a need for education to have a clear programme at the outset. From the evidence reported it is unclear what resources would need to be directed at the educators themselves to ensure that they can deliver programmes successfully. Any future research should consider patient education within the context of overall diabetes care and as such follow guidelines for the development and evaluation of complex interventions. Good-quality, longer-term studies would be desirable, but these would require careful consideration around the nature of any control group. Information is needed to clarify the sensitivity of diabetes education programmes to the performance of the diabetes educators, in order to ensure success and cost-effectiveness of education programmes.
The Nordic Health Promotion Research Network (NHPRN)

The Nordic Health Promotion Research Network (NHPRN) was established in 2007 at the Nordic School of Public Health (NHV). This article aims to describe the foundation of the NHPRN, the development and the present status of the work of NHPRN. The NHPRN consists of about 50 senior and junior researchers from all Nordic countries. It is a working network that aims to develop the theoretical understanding of health promotion, to create research cooperation in health promotion from a Nordic perspective and to extend the scope of health promotion through education. Network members meet biannually to discuss and further develop research within the field and are also responsible for the Nordic conference on Health Promotion, organized every 3 years. The NHV hosted the network between 2007 and 2014; and the World Health Organisation (WHO) will assume this role in 2015.
Effect of chitosan on the formation of hydroxyapatite (HAp) coatings on titanium by electrodeposition technique

In this study, hydroxyapatite (HAp) coatings were electrodeposited onto titanium (Ti) substrates using an aqueous solution containing 0.167 M CaCl2 + 0.1 M NH4H2PO4. The effect of chitosan on the formation of HAp coatings were investigated by adding various amount of chitosan ranging from 5 to 20 vol. %. The electrodeposition was carried out at 80 °C for 30 min under constant applied potential at − 1.5 V vs Ag/AgCl. Prior to electrodeposition, the Ti substrates were pre-treated by acid etching to remove oxide and obtain desired roughness surface. The incorporation and intermingling of chitosan in the HAp coatings reduce the amount of space found between the needlelike structures in the pure HAp coatings by ‘filling in' the space. However, excessive amount of chitosan added in the deposition solution (i.e.: 20 vol. %) caused it to compete with calcium ions to incorporate with phosphate ions and dominating the coatings. XRD patterns, FTIR spectra and EDAX analyses confirmed that the presence of chitosan in the HAp coatings. So, considering its economic and simple production, a hybrid HAp/chitosan coating is thought to be an attractive candidate for future applications as biomedical implants material.
Combination of oxaliplatin plus irinotecan in patients with gastrointestinal tumors: results of two independent phase I studies with pharmacokinetics.

PURPOSE Two phase I studies of the oxaliplatin and irinotecan combination were performed in advanced gastrointestinal cancer patients to characterize the safety and pharmacokinetics of the regimen. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with a performance status (PS) of < or = 2 and normal hematologic, hepatic, and renal functions received oxaliplatin (2-hour intravenous infusion) followed 1 hour later by irinotecan administered over a 30-minute period, every 3 weeks. Dose levels that were explored ranged from 85 to 110 mg/m(2) for oxaliplatin and 150 to 250 mg/m(2) for irinotecan. Plasma pharmacokinetics of total and ultrafiltrable platinum, irinotecan, SN-38, and its glucuronide, SN-38G, were determined. RESULTS Thirty-nine patients with gastrointestinal carcinomas (24 with colorectal cancer [CRC], four with pancreas cancer, four with gastric cancer, three with hepatocarcinoma, and four with other) received 216 treatment cycles. Median age was 54 years (range, 21 to 72 years); 95% had PS of 0 to 1; all but six had failed fluorouracil (5-FU) chemotherapy. The maximum-tolerated dose was oxaliplatin 110 mg/m(2) plus irinotecan 200 mg/m(2) in one study and oxaliplatin 110 mg/m(2) plus irinotecan 250 mg/m(2) in the other study. Grade 3 to 4 diarrhea and febrile neutropenia were dose-limiting toxicities; other toxicities included emesis and dose-cumulative neuropathy. Recommended dose for phase II studies is oxaliplatin 85 mg/m(2) and irinotecan 200 mg/m(2). At this dose (12 patients, 65 cycles), grade 3 and 4 toxicities per patient included the following: emesis in 42% of patients, neutropenia in 33% (febrile episodes in 17%), peripheral neuropathy in 25%, delayed diarrhea in 17%, and thrombocytopenia in 8%. Two patients with Gilbert's syndrome experienced severe irinotecan toxicity. No plasmatic pharmacokinetic interactions were detected. Seven partial responses were observed in 24 CRC patients. CONCLUSION This combination is feasible, with activity in 5-FU-resistant CRC patients. Phase I studies that explore the every-2-weeks schedule, in addition to phase II studies of this schedule (as well as in combination with 5-FU) as second-line therapy of metastatic CRC, are ongoing.
Legal central bank independence and inflation in various phases of transition

The transition environment of 11 EU member countries has created an exceptional opportunity for research on the influence of legal central bank independence (LCBI) on inflation within significantly different circumstances in comparison to developed Western countries. I construct my own transformed GMT (TGMT) model for estimation of the LCBI, researching transition in its early stages and later on, thus comprising the total period of transition. Even in early stages of the transition LCBI has significantly negative effects on inflation. In later phases all the countries show evidently high levels of the LCBI and low inflation rates, but in this phase increasing the LCBI would not result in decreasing the inflation rate. Only studying the entire period of the transition would show that LCBI has significant negative influence on inflation, clearly showing different levels of the LCBI and inflation, which was not so obvious in shorter intervals. Moreover, negative influence of the LCBI on inflation does not change even if I add budget deficit as an independent variable to my research.
Influence of pH and electrolyte composition on adsorption of poliovirus by soils and minerals

The pH and the nature an concentration of simple electrolytes influenced the interaction of poliovirus type 2 with three soils, a sand, and a clay mineral. In electrolytes above pH 9 the virus was not adsorbed extensively to the substrates, but below pH 7 almost all virus was bound. For each adsorbent there was a characteristic pH region of transition from strong to weak uptake. Differences between the soils in virus uptake were shown to parallel their pH-dependent mineral. In electrolytes above pH 9 the virus was not adsorbed extensively to the substrates, but below pH 7 almost all virus was bound. For each adsorbent there was a characteristic pH region of transition from strong to weak uptake. Differences between the soils in virus uptake were shown to parallel their pH-dependent mineral. In electrolytes above pH 9 the virus was not adsorbed extensively to the substrates, but below pH 7 almost all virus was bound. For each adsorbent there was a characteristic pH region of transition from strong to weak uptake. Differences between the soils in virus uptake were shown to parallel their pH-dependent charge properties, as determined by whole-particle microelectrophoresis. Only when the pH was close to or above the critical region was uptake increased with electrolyte concentration. The transition region for all substrates was above pH 7.5 the isoelectric point of the virus. Thus, it appears that when both the virus and substrate are highly negative charged, repulsive electrostatic effects may exceed inherent attractive interactions, thereby inhibiting adsorption.
Dynamic thermal modelling of power transformers

The aim of this paper is to introduce hot-spot and top-oil temperature thermal models for more accurate temperature calculations during transient states based on data received in a normal heat run test (i.e., the top oil in the tank of the transformer and the average winding-to-average oil gradient). Oil viscosity changes and loss variation with temperature are taken into account. The new thermal models will be validated using experimental (fiber-optic test) results obtained at varying load current on a 250-MVA-ONAF-cooled unit, a 400-MVA-ONAF-cooled unit and a 605-MVA-OFAF-cooled unit. The results are also compared with the IEEE-Loading guide (1995) Annex G method.