Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Health-Related Quality of Life among Children Attending Asthma Clinic in Alexandria University Children's Hospital

1 Professor of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University 2 Lecturer of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University 3 Demonstrator of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University ABSTRACT Objectives: To evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQL) among children attending asthma clinic in Alexandria university children's hospital. Methods: 120 asthmatic children attending at Alexandria university children's hospital will undergo clinical examination and spirometric evaluation to determine their level of asthma control. The studied asthmatic children will be asked to answer the pediatric asthma quality of life questionnaire (PAQLQ) to evaluate their quality of life (QoL). Results: The age of the studied children ranged from 7-14 years with a mean of 10.35±2.23 years. They were 50.8% males and 49.2% females. The majority (40 %) were of low socioeconomic status. Normal weight children were the majority representing 48.2%, while the obese ones were 25%. Well controlled patients were 60.0%, the partially controlled patients were 24.2% and the uncontrolled patients were 15.8%. The overall QoL score correlated well to the degree of asthma control. There was a significant positive correlation between FEV1 and overall PAQLQ score. Score of symptoms was the most affected score among children with different levels of asthma control. Level of asthma control, body mass index (BMI), socioeconomic level and residence affected QoL significantly and considered as the main determinants to QoL in the studied children. Conclusion: Asthma greatly affected the QoL of asthmatic children. Knowing the main determinants of the QoL in affected children helps to improve their QoL. Degree of asthma control, socioeconomic status, residence and BMI are the main determinants of overall QoL score among the studied children. Improving these QoL determinants might help to improve QoL of these children.
Nonphosphorylated Peptide Ligands for the Grb2 Src Homology 2 Domain*

Critical intracellular signals in normal and malignant cells are transmitted by the adaptor protein Grb2 by means of its Src homology 2 (SH2) domain, which binds to phosphotyrosyl (pTyr) residues generated by the activation of tyrosine kinases. To understand this important control point and to design inhibitors, previous investigations have focused on the molecular mechanisms by which the Grb2 SH2 domain selectively binds pTyr containing peptides. In the current study, we demonstrate that the Grb2 SH2 domain can also bind in a pTyr independent manner. Using phage display, an 11-amino acid cyclic peptide, G1, has been identified that binds to the Grb2 SH2 domain but not the src SH2 domain. Synthetic G1 peptide blocks Grb2 SH2 domain association (IC50 10–25 μm) with a 9-amino acid pTyr-containing peptide derived from the SHC protein (pTyr317). These data and amino acid substitution analysis indicate that G1 interacts in the phosphopeptide binding site. G1 peptide requires a YXN sequence similar to that found in natural pTyr-containing ligands, and phosphorylation of the tyrosine increases G1 inhibitory activity. G1 also requires an internal disulfide bond to maintain the active binding conformation. Since the G1 peptide does not contain pTyr, it defines a new type of SH2 domain binding motif that may advance the design of Grb2 antagonists.
Navigating the New EU Medical Devices Regulation: Retrospective Post-Market Follow-Up of Hyaluronic Acid Injections for Knee Osteoarthritis

Purpose The entry into force of the new Medical Device Regulation (EU) 2017/745 highlights the need for post-market clinical follow-up to ensure the safety and efficacy throughout the life cycle of medical devices. This study evaluates the efficacy and safety of a single intra-articular hyaluronic acid injection in knee osteoarthritis in real-world conditions, over a six-month period, aligning with the summary of safety and clinical performance (SSCP) required by the new regulation. Patients and Methods Patients over 18 years of age with knee osteoarthritis, treated with a single injection of HA (Adant® One, Meiji Pharma Spain, Spain) at a 3rd level hospital. Patients were treated and followed between January 1, 2020 and June 30, 2022. Demographic, clinical, and treatment-related data were collected, and efficacy regarding pain relief and/or function improvement was assessed using a Likert-type scale. Data were pseudo-anonymized and the comparison was performed using Fisher’ or Mann Whitney’ test. The study was approved by the Ethics Review Board of the Hospital Puerta de Hierro (Madrid, Spain). Results We followed 20 patients with knee osteoarthritis, with a mean age of 61 years, 80% women, and with a high burden of comorbidities (90%). A total of 60% of patients presented Kellgren-Lawrence grade III–IV. Four patients (20%) returned before 6 months due to lack of efficacy. Of the other patients, 65% showed a clinical response that lasted more than 12 months in 38.5% of cases. Time until medical appointment and taking concomitant medication for knee osteoarthritis were associated with better clinical response (p < 0.05). Conclusion The administration of a Adant® One single intra-articular hyaluronic acid injection in knee osteoarthritis is effective, safe, and maintains the improvement over a six-month period. Our findings also emphasize the need of using standardized tools for accurate efficacy assessment and optimal patient care.
Stratospheric Intrusion‐Influenced Ozone Air Quality Exceedances Investigated in the NASA MERRA‐2 Reanalysis

Stratospheric intrusions have been the interest of decades of research for their ability to bring stratospheric ozone (O3) into the troposphere with the potential to enhance surface O3 concentrations. However, these intrusions have been misrepresented in models and reanalyses until recently, as the features of a stratospheric intrusion are best identified in horizontal resolutions of 50 km or smaller. NASA's Modern‐Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications Version‐2 (MERRA‐2) reanalysis is a publicly available high‐resolution data set (∼50 km) with assimilated O3 that characterizes O3 on the same spatiotemporal resolution as the meteorology. We demonstrate the science capabilities of the MERRA‐2 reanalysis when applied to the evaluation of stratospheric intrusions that impact surface air quality. This is demonstrated through a case study analysis of stratospheric intrusion‐influenced O3 exceedances in spring 2012 in Colorado, using a combination of observations, the MERRA‐2 reanalysis and Goddard Earth Observing System Model, Version 5 simulations.
Inhalation Exposure Study of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles with a Primary Particle Size of 2 to 5 nm

Background Nanotechnology offers great promise in many industrial applications. However, little is known about the health effects of manufactured nanoparticles, the building blocks of nanomaterials. Objectives Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles with a primary size of 2–5 nm have not been studied previously in inhalation exposure models and represent some of the smallest manufactured nanoparticles. The purpose of this study was to assess the toxicity of these nanoparticles using a murine model of lung inflammation and injury. Materials and Methods The properties of TiO2 nanoparticles as well as the characteristics of aerosols of these particles were evaluated. Mice were exposed to TiO2 nanoparticles in a whole-body exposure chamber acutely (4 hr) or subacutely (4 hr/day for 10 days). Toxicity in exposed mice was assessed by enumeration of total and differential cells, determination of total protein, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and inflammatory cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. Lungs were also evaluated for histopathologic changes Results Mice exposed acutely to 0.77 or 7.22 mg/m3 nanoparticles demonstrated minimal lung toxicity or inflammation. Mice exposed subacutely (8.88 mg/m3) and necropsied immediately and at week 1 or 2 postexposure had higher counts of total cells and alveolar macrophages in the BAL fluid compared with sentinels. However, mice recovered by week 3 postexposure. Other indicators were negative. Conclusions Mice subacutely exposed to 2–5 nm TiO2 nanoparticles showed a significant but moderate inflammatory response among animals at week 0, 1, or 2 after exposure that resolved by week 3 postexposure.
Family Functioning in the Context of Pediatric Chronic Conditions

Objective: The aims were to describe and compare generic family functioning in children with five different chronic conditions and healthy comparisons, and to examine the relations between family functioning and sociodemographic variables. Methods: A secondary data analysis from six independent studies including 301 children (cystic fibrosis: n = 59; obesity: n = 28; sickle cell disease: n = 44; inflammatory bowel disease: n = 43; epilepsy: n = 70; healthy comparison group: n = 57) was conducted. In each study, parents completed the Family Assessment Device. Results: Across all five chronic conditions, between 13% and 36% of families endorsed levels of functioning in the “unhealthy” range, with the greatest proportions in the following domains: communication, roles, and affective involvement. No significant group (i.e., between all six groups, namely five chronic conditions as well as healthy comparisons) differences were observed on Family Assessment Device scales (model F [35, 1335] = 0.81, p = .79). Older child age, fewer children living in the home, and lower household income were significantly related to poorer family functioning in the areas of communication, roles, affective involvement, and general functioning. Conclusions: Families of children with and without chronic conditions do not differ significantly from each other on generic family functioning. However, risk factors for poor family functioning include older child age, less children in the home, and lower household income. These risk factors combined with data suggesting that a subset of families exhibit “unhealthy functioning” warrants the need for close monitoring of how families function in the context of a pediatric condition.
Assigning Connotation Values to Events

Sentiment Analysis (SA) and Opinion Mining (OM) have become a popular task in recent years in NLP with the development of language resources, corpora and annotation schemes. The possibility to discriminate between objective and subjective expressions contributes to the identification of a document's semantic orientation and to the detection of the opinions and sentiments expressed by the authors or attributed to other participants in the document. Subjectivity word sense disambiguation helps in this task, automatically determining which word senses in a corpus are being used subjectively and which are being used objectively. This paper reports on a methodology to assign in a semi-automatic way connotative values to eventive nouns usually labelled as neutral through syntagmatic patterns that express cause-effect relations between emotion cause events and emotion words. We have applied our method to nouns and we have been able reduce the number of OBJ polarity values associated to event noun.
A comparison of ballistic-movement and ballistic-intent training on muscle strength and activation.

PURPOSE Studies have both supported and refuted the concept that it is the intent to perform ballistic contractions that determines velocity-specific gains in resistance training. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether ballistic intent is as effective as ballistic movement in improving muscle activation, force, movement time, and reaction time. METHODS Subjects completed 8 wk of punch training. A dynamic (DYN) group trained with elastic resistance bands, and the isometric (ISO) group trained with an unyielding strap. A control (CTRL) group was also tested. Pretesting and posttesting measures included isometric force; electromyography (EMG) of triceps, biceps, pectoralis major, and latissimus dorsi; movement and reaction time of both arms; and a quick-hands test of coordination. RESULTS Triceps iEMG increased by 63% in the ISO group (P = .03). Pectoralis major iEMG increased by 65% in the DYN group (P = .007). Movement time decreased 17.6% in the DYN training group (P = .001). Isometric force did not improve in either training group or in the CTRL group. CONCLUSIONS Because of its specificity of movement, dynamic training might be a more appropriate method to improve punching speed for martial artists and boxers. The intent to contract explosively over a short duration does not appear to be beneficial in increasing force production or speed of movement in punching.
Enterolithic folds in evaporites as microbially induced sedimentary structures: New model of formation and interpretation in the geological record

Enterolithic structures are stratigraphically localized folds in gypsum beds found in certain saline evaporitic sedimentary units in a wide variety of basins. Different models of formation have been proposed, all related to inorganic processes. These models include: diagenetic transformation of gypsum beds producing either displacive growth of crystals or volume changes; mechanical folding caused by compressional stress; and folding produced by slumping. The analysis of three Cenozoic evaporite sequences in Spain reveals that none of the previous models explains their origin and existence. In these outcrops, gypsum enterolithic structures occur in horizontal beds with parallel troughs and crests of the folds. They appear in shoreline facies of lacustrine environments and did not undergo major diagenetic transformations after the primary lithification of the original sediment. Based on these observations, together with the study of a modern analogue in Minorca, Spain, a new model is proposed for the genesis of enterolithic structures. This new model is based on the existence of a microbial mat exposed to brine concentration–dilution cycles and strong wind events. The high wind flow events enhanced folding of the microbial mat that became subaerially exposed and lithified due to subsequent evaporation. Therefore, the presence of enterolithic structures could be used as an indicator of shallow water environmental conditions subject to variations in brine concentration in areas with strong wind flow events. Previous studies of some evaporitic successions should be revisited, taking into account the proposed model, which would imply new depositional environment interpretations. At the same time, the proposed model could explain the existence of Kinneyia‐type structures, also known as wrinkle structures, formed beneath microbial mats in peritidal zones. Moreover, considering enterolithic structures as microbially induced sedimentary structures could be useful as evidence of microbial life in the ancient geological record and on other planets such as Mars.
Cerebellothalamocortical Connectivity Regulates Penetrance in Dystonia

Dystonia is a brain disorder characterized by sustained involuntary muscle contractions. It is typically inherited as an autosomal dominant trait with incomplete penetrance. While lacking clear degenerative neuropathology, primary dystonia is thought to involve microstructural and functional changes in neuronal circuitry. In the current study, we used magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging and probabilistic tractography to identify the specific circuit abnormalities that underlie clinical penetrance in carriers of genetic mutations for this disorder. This approach revealed reduced integrity of cerebellothalamocortical fiber tracts, likely developmental in origin, in both manifesting and clinically nonmanifesting dystonia mutation carriers. In these subjects, reductions in cerebellothalamic connectivity correlated with increased motor activation responses, consistent with loss of inhibition at the cortical level. Nonmanifesting mutation carriers were distinguished by an additional area of fiber tract disruption situated distally along the thalamocortical segment of the pathway, in tandem with the proximal cerebellar outflow abnormality. In individual gene carriers, clinical penetrance was determined by the difference in connectivity measured at these two sites. Overall, these findings point to a novel mechanism to explain differences in clinical expression in carriers of genes for brain disease.
Temporal trends in physical activity: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND In spite of all accumulated scientific knowledge on the benefits of physical activity (PA) for health, high rates of sedentary lifestyle are still observed worldwide. The aim of this study was to systematically review articles on temporal trends of PA and fitness, with emphasis on differences between children/ adolescents and adults. METHODS An electronic search at the Medline/PubMed database was carried out using the following combination of keywords: temporal trends or trends or surveillance or monitoring and PA or exercise or physical fitness or motor activity or sedentary or fitness. RESULTS By using this strategy, 23,088 manuscripts were detected. After examination, 41 articles fulfilled all inclusion criteria, and were, therefore, included. The data currently available in the literature for adults shows that leisure-time activity levels tend to be increasing over time, while occupational-related PA is decreasing over time. Youth PA seems to be decreasing over time, including a lower level of activity in physical education classes. As a consequence, fitness levels are also declining. CONCLUSION PA surveillance must be strongly encouraged in all settings and age groups. Special attention must be paid to low and middle-income countries, where PA surveillance is virtually inexistent.
Temporal Correlations in Stochastic Networks of Spiking Neurons

The determination of temporal and spatial correlations in neuronal activity is one of the most important neurophysiological tools to gain insight into the mechanisms of information processing in the brain. Its interpretation is complicated by the difficulty of disambiguating the effects of architecture, single-neuron properties, and network dynamics. We present a theory that describes the contribution of the network dynamics in a network of spiking neurons. For a simple neuron model including refractory properties, we calculate the temporal cross-correlations in a completely homogeneous, excitatory, fully connected network in a stable, stationary state, for stochastic dynamics in both discrete and continuous time. We show that even for this simple network architecture, the cross-correlations exhibit a large variety of qualitatively different properties, strongly dependent on the level of noise, the decay constant of the refractory function, and the network activity. At the critical point, the cross-correlations oscillate with a frequency that depends on the refractory properties or decay exponentially with a diverging damping constant (for weak refractory properties). We also investigate the effect of the synaptic time constants. It is shown that these time constants may, apart from their influence on the asymmetric peak arising from the direct synaptic connection, also affect the long-term properties of the cross-correlations.
Sensing Properties of a Novel Temperature Sensor Based on Field Assisted Thermal Emission

The existing temperature sensors using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are limited by low sensitivity, complicated processes, or dependence on microscopy to observe the experimental results. Here we report the fabrication and successful testing of an ionization temperature sensor featuring non-self-sustaining discharge. The sharp tips of nanotubes generate high electric fields at relatively low voltages, lowering the work function of electrons emitted by CNTs, and thereby enabling the safe operation of such sensors. Due to the temperature effect on the electron emission of CNTs, the collecting current exhibited an exponential increase with temperature rising from 20 °C to 100 °C. Additionally, a higher temperature coefficient of 0.04 K−1 was obtained at 24 V voltage applied on the extracting electrode, higher than the values of other reported CNT-based temperature sensors. The triple-electrode ionization temperature sensor is easy to fabricate and converts the temperature change directly into an electrical signal. It shows a high temperature coefficient and good application potential.
The Relationship between Impaired Driving Crashes and Beliefs about Impaired Driving: Do Residents in High Crash Rate Counties Have Greater Concerns about Impaired Driving?

Objectives: The purpose of this investigation was to examine the relationship between impaired driving crashes and public beliefs and concerns about impaired driving across each of Maryland's twenty-four counties (including Baltimore City). It was hypothesized that residents of counties that experience higher impaired driving crashes would express more concerns about impaired driving and perceive more risks about driving impaired than residents of counties that have lower rates of impaired driving. Methods: Data for alcohol impaired driving crashes were obtained for the years 2004–2006. These data were compared to public opinion data that was obtained annually by random-digit-dial telephone surveys from 2004 to 2007. Results: Concerns about drunk driving as well as perceptions of the likelihood of being stopped by the police if one were to drive after having too much to drink were related to counties with higher serious impaired driving crash rates, as were perceptions that the police and the legal system were too lenient. Perceptions about the likelihood of being stopped by the police were higher in those counties with more impaired driving enforcement activity. Conclusion: Perceptions of concern appear to be shaped more by crash exposure than enforcement activity. Campaigns that address impaired driving prevention should substantially increase enforcement, strengthen the adjudication process of impaired drivers, and emphasize the potential seriousness of drinking-driving crashes in their promotional activities.
Casual Querying: Facilitating Information Dissemination in Ad-hoc Environments

Data-driven dashboards have now become ubiquitous. Environments such as information kiosks in public spaces, dash-boards in cars, or smart televisions at home – all cater to a casual form of data exploration, where the user may have a quick-and-simple information need. In contrast to long and complex database query sessions for experts, casual queries pose two requirements to the query interface. First, queries (or the results to queries) need to be discover-able by the end-user. Second, a user may often not issue a query at all, in which case the system still needs to provide some information to the user. Given these requirements, we present a case study of The Invisible Library , an interactive exhibit that presents log analysis as public art.